Notes from the Shelf

February went by so fast! I read eight books this month, bringing the YTD to 15. I read four nonfiction and four fiction books this month. I once again met my goal of reading at least one fiction and one nonfiction that I already own; I ended up reading two nonfiction books that I own since they were short. Two books were from the library and three I bought on Kindle, which I don’t typically do, but these were special circumstances. I’m not planning on buying anything from Kindle in March. Six were from American authors, so I didn’t do as well this month on reading from other perspectives.

The Queen and the Knave by Sarah M. Eden

368 pages, Historical fiction and Romance, 5 stars

This is the last book in the Dread Penny Society series, and my library didn’t have it, so I ended up buying it on Kindle since I was so invested in reading the ending after reading The Bachelor and the Bride last month. I’ll be posting a review on the Dread Penny Society soon.

The Conspiracy to End America by Stuart Stevens

225 pages, Nonfiction- Politics, 3 stars

This was one of the nonfiction books I already owned. I thought it was an interesting read, but maybe too late to be reading it. Stuart Stevens was a Republican campaign consultant, so it was interesting to read from an insider’s point of view.

Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries by Heather Fawcett

317 pages, Cozy Fantasy and Romance, 5 stars

This book was through my library’s monthly book club. I absolutely loved it! You can read my review here.

Jab, Jab, Jab, Right Hook by Gary Vaynerchuk

188 pages, Nonfiction-Marketing, 3 stars

I borrowed this from the library to read more about tailoring the presentation of your story for different social media. I thought it was okay and had some good insights, but it was written in 2013, so it felt a little outdated for some of the current social media.

Merging Dimensions: The Incredible Saga of the Bradshaw Ranch by Tom Dongo and Linda Bradshaw

306 pages, Nonfiction-Paranormal Investigation, 3 stars

I bought this on Kindle to write up notes for my podcast The Paranoid Perspective. (If you happen to be interested in mystery/conspiracy podcasts, you can listen on Spotify, Apple, or watch on YouTube.) It was one of the only sources on Bradshaw Ranch, so I didn’t feel I had any other choice but to buy it on Kindle. It had a lot of photos that helped with my notes, so I think it was an okay purchase.

Scythe and Sparrow by Brynne Weaver

416 pages, Thriller/Romance, 4 stars

This is the last book in the Ruinous Love Trilogy, and I ended up buying it on Kindle so I could read it right away, which I think was worth it. You can read my review of the Ruinous Love Trilogy here.

How to Survive America by D.L. Hughley

224 pages, Nonfiction-Social Justice, 2 stars

This is the other nonfiction book that I already owned. I thought it would be more of a practical guide for how to actually survive in America, but a lot of it was focused on the 2020 election, which was surprising to me and not very helpful. Also, there wasn’t really anything actionable to get involved and try to fix the problems in America for minorities and women. Plus I didn’t realize the author was a comedian, and some of the jokes in the book weren’t really my type of humor.

The Courting of Bristol Keats by Mary M. Pearson

547 pages, Fantasy and Romance, 4 stars

This was the fiction book I already owned, and I decided to read it after reading Emily Wilde to keep the faerie theme going. I really loved this book, but I didn’t realize it’s the first book of a duology. I was disappointed to find that out because now I have to wait until November to read the rest! You can read my full review here.

I would say my favorite book this month was Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries. It’s the only cozy fantasy book that I’ve actually enjoyed and I want to read the rest of the series soon.

What was your favorite book you read in February?

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