reading challenge

Reading Challenge Update – February 2019

February is gone, and so is another month of reading challenges! February felt like a long month to me, despite its shortness, but at the same time, the last week barely existed. Isn’t time strange?

This month was a great success for me. While I didn’t get to everything I wanted to read (who does?), I did accomplish a great deal: Seven books during the shortest month, five of them ARCs! Catching up on ARCs has been a huge goal for me, so I’m happy to be doing it, and I’m finding some great books to be excited for release besides.

Let’s check them out!

The Five-Star Favs

language of thorns
Finished: 2/1/19 | Rating: ★★★★★

Challenges met:

Plants are a feature of both the title and that sexy black cover of The Language of Thorns. Leigh Bardugo has crafted a short story collection full of original fairytales inspired by our own but applied to her fictional Grishaverse, and they’re all amazing. I’m always super impressed with people who can create new fairytales like this and make them feel like we’ve forgotten them but are now remembering them because that’s never easy.

the night tiger
Finished: 2/8/19 | Rating: ★★★★★

Challenges met:

  • A book written by an author from Asia, Africa, or South America – PopSugar Reading Challenge 2019
  • 2019 new release – Pingel Sisters 2019 Reading Challenge
  • A plant on the cover – @MommyMannagren’s 52 Books in 52 Weeks Reading Challenge 2019

Yangsze Choo is a fourth generation Malaysian of Chinese descent, and The Night Tiger is her new release in 2019 since The Ghost Bride, and I’m so happy for her! I adored this one, and the cover is just stunning. The light filigree of flowers on the blue background along with the flower in the book model’s hair not only completes the reading challenge requirement, but also speaks to the spiritual afterlife we visit along with the colorful Malaysian setting. [Review]

a dangerous collaboration
Finished: 2/9/19 | Rating: ★★★★★

Challenges met:

  • A book featuring an amateur detective – PopSugar Reading Challenge 2019
  • You can read in a day – Pingel Sisters 2019 Reading Challenge
  • Set in the Victorian Era – @MommyMannagren’s 52 Books in 52 Weeks Reading Challenge 2019

Even though this is the fourth book in the series, I still consider Veronica Speedwell to be an amateur detective, and I think she would, too, despite her success rate. I easily consumed this book in 24 hours because it’s such an easy, entertaining read, and the Victorian setting remains as charming as ever. [Review]

obsidio
Finished: 2/17/19 | Rating: ★★★★★

Challenges met:

  • A book about a family – PopSugar Reading Challenge 2019
  • All three books in a trilogy – Pingel Sisters 2019 Reading Challenge
  • A one-word title – @MommyMannagren’s 52 Books in 52 Weeks Reading Challenge 2019

While there are actual family members of the characters still alive in Obsidio, the moments we have of found family are the most powerful and touching to me. Along with being a one-word title, Obsidio completed my journey of this fantastic trilogy I speed-read in almost month. I don’t remember the last time I devoured a trilogy like this, so this is high praise!

The Great:

the mermaid's voice returns in this one
Finished: 2/21/19 | Rating: ★★★★☆

Challenges met:

  • A book that’s published in 2019 – PopSugar Reading Challenge 2019
  • A book about a difficult topic – Pingel Sisters 2019 Reading Challenge
  • A book that discusses mental health – @MommyMannagren’s 52 Books in 52 Weeks Reading Challenge 2019

Published in March 2019, The Mermaid’s Voice Returns in This One is a poetry collection that discusses many difficult topics, including rape, eating disorders, and suicide, among others. But it’s also a journey and demonstration about how to approach these topics and see to your mental, physical, and emotional care in a healthy way. Highly recommend this one and this series! [Review]

The Meh:

gun moll
Finished: 2/20/19 | Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Challenges met:

  • A book by two female authors – PopSugar Reading Challenge 2019
  • I once started by never finished – Pingel Sisters 2019 Reading Challenge
  • A book that makes you mad – @MommyMannagren’s 52 Books in 52 Weeks Reading Challenge 2019

Despite being a book by two female authors, Gun Moll is a book I previously tried to start but never finished because the writing, characters, and romance are incredibly shallow, and I felt no connection to anything. In case you can’t tell, this book makes me angry, mostly because it’s another lackluster attempt at a gangster romance, and omg, why is it so hard for people to write mafia fiction and an actual dark and compelling romance to go along with it? [Review]

white stag
Finished: 2/27/19 | Rating: ★☆☆☆☆

Challenges met:

  • A debut novel – PopSugar Reading Challenge 2019
  • Author you’ve never heard of – @MommyMannagren’s 52 Books in 52 Weeks Reading Challenge 2019

Even though Kara Barbieri and this debut novel was also a Wattpad sensation, I’ve never heard of her or it before despite being entrenched in many fanfiction circles (though admittedly, never Wattpad’s…). As you can see, the boast did not live up to reality.

And February’s a wrap!

How did you do on your reading challenges this month? What books have you gotten to? What’s your game plan for March?

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