My February Reads

I was hoping to get this posted while it was still February, but I feel like one week into March basically counts.

Happy reading!

Colorfully yours,

Haley

1. All the Money in the World by Robert Anthony Siegel—2/5

Friends have been telling me to track my books on Goodreads for a while now. But, I like(d) my old school “note” on my phone. I had written down this title as something I wanted to read, but didn’t write down the author. I bought the first copy that appeared under the name. It wasn’t until I finished the entire book and thought to myself, “This was so random. Why would someone have recommended this to me?” that I decided to do some Googling…and realized this was the wrong book entirely. There’s not too much to say beyond that. Sorry, Mr. Siegel.

2. Girl in the Blue Coat by Monica Hesse—4/5 

Historical fiction about World War II and the Holocaust is one of my all-time favorite genres. This one did not disappoint. It’s about Hanneke, a teen in Amsterdam trying to get her family through the war by making black market deliveries. When an older customer asks her for help with something even more illegal, she has to decide how far she’s willing to go for the resistance. Seems even timelier than ever…

3. Save Me by Lisa Scottoline—3/5

I read Look Again by Scottoline and enjoyed it, so I figured I’d give this one a try. It’s about a mother trying to defend her daughter from bullying at school by volunteering as “Lunch Mom” when tragedy strikes. She has to decide whether to save her child or her child’s bullies—and must live with the consequences of the choice. It takes a bit of an odd turn when the mom starts to play detective and attempt to find out how the tragedy happened…but overall, it’s a fast-paced read that’ll keep you on your toes.

4. Normal People by Sally Rooney—4/5 

I know, I should be ashamed that it took me until now to read this one! In my defense, I was on the library waitlist for almost a year…and then accidentally borrowed the German version on my Kindle. Once I finally snagged it in English, I loved it. I can see why it’s divisive—Rooney’s writing style can be frustrating at times (no quotation marks, wtf?!) and there isn’t necessarily a traditional climax. But, I loved it for how it takes something seemingly mundane and fills it with intense emotion. As much as you want to reach in and shake the characters at times, it’s also very relatable—for better or for worse.

5. Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover—3.5/5

If you’ve read any of my book reviews before, you know I’m a Colleen Hoover stan. This one gave me Lifetime movie vibes, but in a good way. It’s about a young woman who is trying to move on from her past after spending time in prison. She moves back to the town where it all started in the hopes of getting to meet the daughter she birthed before her arrest…but runs into some people who haven’t forgotten her mistakes. It was hard to put down, as Hoover’s novels always are.

6. The End of Her by Shari Lapena—4/5

Gone Girl meets Verity. Need I say more? Well, I will. Stephanie and Patrick are navigating life with newborn twins when a woman from Patrick’s past comes back and threatens to destroy it all. They must balance blackmail and harassment with keeping their marriage afloat and caring for colicky babies. With—like all of our favorite thrillers—lots of creepy twists and turns along the way.

7. A Woman of No Importance: The Untold Story of the American Spy Who Helped Win World War II by Sonia Purnell—4/5

My first thought after reading this was: why do we not grow up learning about Virginia Hall?! I’m thankful to the author for introducing me to one of the most important Americans—actually, humans—of World War II. Virginia refused to let her gender or her disability get in the way of taking a stand…and ultimately changing the course of the war. Thanks to my dad for recommending this one—it’s a must-read!

8. The Bed Moved by Rebecca Schiff—2.5/5

Meh. Short stories are hard to pull off, in my opinion. So a collection of them is going to be under even more scrutiny—at least from me. While some of the individual pieces were relatable and funny as a young woman navigating life’s obstacles, most of them felt like they were trying too hard to make a statement. 

9. The Proposal by Jasmine Guillory—2.5/5

This one was recommended to me as a “short, cheesy” read—and while I love that genre in general, this one just didn’t do it for me. It felt very repetitive and a bit slow to me. The characters are likable and there are definitely some cute moments, but I don’t think they’ll be making this one into a movie anytime soon.