February was a weird reading month for me, in that I read a lot but I stopped getting a lot of feelings from reading about half-way through the month. As you can imagine, that kind of pumps the brakes. But this had me testing out a lot of different genres and continuing series, starting new series and jumping around which can be fun.
I really liked the first book in this series; Tenacity. I felt that the female main character was written wonderfully, the plot worked for me and there was LGBT+ representation in a military setting which- yay! The Fear Within was good but didn’t hit all the high spots of Tenacity.
The plot was great and while the links to the first book were a little heavy-handed, I can see where the narrative is going with that overarching plotline while the book deals with a new case. And Dani was as wonderful as she was in book one.
The plot was great and while the links to the first book were a little heavy-handed, I can see where the narrative is going with that overarching plotline while the book deals with a new case. And Dani was as wonderful as she was in book one.
However, I felt like this slipped into gratuitous violence, specifically towards women. The characters talk openly about Feminism and even reference the misogyny rife on Twitter so I don’t think this is the issue. I think it’s just a norm in this genre that women are often victims of physical and sexual assault. But I’m not really sensitive to these kinds of things, so for me to feel uncomfortable- that’s quite a level to reach.
I’ll read the next book, but I’ll definitely be going with my guard up.
I’ll read the next book, but I’ll definitely be going with my guard up.
“If I want to hear childish, misogynist crap like this I’ll go and speak my mind on Twitter.”
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I have to say, I didn’t find the cast of characters that breifly inhabit Blandings Castle as charming as the ones from Something Fresh, which I read in January. But the wit and charm of Wodehouse stay constant and is super refreshing. I can’t think of any modern books that quite manage the same vibe and it’s genuinely calming. When I want a book that isn’t life-and-death, with low stakes but great plot, Wodehouse is my new go-to.
Situated in the middle of one of those districts where London breaks out into a sort of eczema of red brick-
Situated in the middle of one of those districts where London breaks out into a sort of eczema of red brick-
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Recently I’ve been un-hauling a lot of the series I read as a teen because I tended towards not-great YA. It turns out that teen-Imogen had some taste after all though because, while I’m pretty sure I only read one of these books, I bought eight of them. And they’re not half bad!
The whole thing is very mid-2000s. You get words like ‘skank‘ and the idea of ‘girl games‘. But even though she sees it as ‘abnormal’, I like having a narrator that loves school and learning. She’s smart and her intelligence is useful in a way that makes her a strong female character without having her take on male sterotypes of strength.
For the second time since starting my Twitter thread of 2017 reads, this was a book I originally gave four-stars and marked down to three while writing my wrap-up and thinking it over. I’ll still read the next one but whether I buy into the whole 15-book series is hanging on that. I don’t want anymore women called skanks, but I do want to dive into more of Rachel Caine.
She resented being scared in a library! Books weren’t supposed to be scary. They were supposed to… help.
The whole thing is very mid-2000s. You get words like ‘skank‘ and the idea of ‘girl games‘. But even though she sees it as ‘abnormal’, I like having a narrator that loves school and learning. She’s smart and her intelligence is useful in a way that makes her a strong female character without having her take on male sterotypes of strength.
For the second time since starting my Twitter thread of 2017 reads, this was a book I originally gave four-stars and marked down to three while writing my wrap-up and thinking it over. I’ll still read the next one but whether I buy into the whole 15-book series is hanging on that. I don’t want anymore women called skanks, but I do want to dive into more of Rachel Caine.
She resented being scared in a library! Books weren’t supposed to be scary. They were supposed to… help.
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Full review coming soon!
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I’ve really liked Katherine Clements historical fiction books in the past! The Crimson Ribbon and The Silvered Heart were my first foray into the genre and convinced me to keep giving it a chance. But The Coffin Path is a historical ghost story and maybe historical ghost stories aren’t for me… For example, I didn’t like The Woman in Black by Susan Hill at all. And while I liked this better, it wasn’t something I was reaching for whenever I had a free minute. The setting and vibe were great, super creepy, but I didn’t click with the characters or plot that much.
Although this is set in Yorkshire, my Greater Manchester town got a mention for being rebels against the King. That was pretty neat.
Although this is set in Yorkshire, my Greater Manchester town got a mention for being rebels against the King. That was pretty neat.
The truth weighs heavy on my. If only my purse did the same.
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Oh boy, I cried. I don’t think I’ve read this one since the original release day so it was kind of wild to listen to the audiobook for the first time. Stephen Fry could read the phone book and make it wonderful.
As for the story, I’d say everything was resolved okay but, much like the ending of Lost, I’m not sure I completely get it? But the whole book felt much more densely plotted, full of action and emotion, it didn’t drag like some of the other books in the series. I feel like JKR knew exactly what needed to happen to get from A to B and that was a lot. So it was all packed in.
Overall, I’m glad that I’ve gone from start to finish with this series as an adult. But I have a lot of complicated feelings about the diversity, or lack of, and seperation of author and story can be hard.
There was a brief silence in which the distant sound of Hagrid smashing down a wooden door seemed to reverbarate through the intervening years.
As for the story, I’d say everything was resolved okay but, much like the ending of Lost, I’m not sure I completely get it? But the whole book felt much more densely plotted, full of action and emotion, it didn’t drag like some of the other books in the series. I feel like JKR knew exactly what needed to happen to get from A to B and that was a lot. So it was all packed in.
Overall, I’m glad that I’ve gone from start to finish with this series as an adult. But I have a lot of complicated feelings about the diversity, or lack of, and seperation of author and story can be hard.
There was a brief silence in which the distant sound of Hagrid smashing down a wooden door seemed to reverbarate through the intervening years.
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What did you read in February?
Imogen's Typewriter. 