February has actually been a pretty good reading month. I did not quite get through my TBR, but I am happy! As for whether my books have balanced? Let’s find out…
PHYSICAL TBR:
Start 2023: 343
1 Feb: 342
Acquired: 5
Read: 8
Balance: 339
DIGITAL TBR:
Start 2022: 175
1 Feb: 178
Acquired: 5
Read: 3 + 1 DNF
Balance: 179
So I bought five books. That’s fine. I read more books than I bought, so I am happy with that. I also acquired 5 e-books, one of which was a NetGalley eARC. The others were 99p or less each on Amazon and are very much books I want to read soon.
Of the five physical books I bought, two are on my TBR for March. Three of the books are a series. One of them is a poetry book I am currently reading. By the end of March I will have read three of the five, so I am happy.
As for the e-books, there’s a fantasy book, a romance, a Greek mythology retelling, a medieval mystery and a time travel novel. The latter is a NetGalley e-book that is not due for a while, so no pressure.
So, I have added 10 books to my TBR in total, but I read 12, so I can’t complain.
FEBRUARY READING REVIEW
The books I read in February were a really mixed bag, in enjoyment as well as the type of book I read. I mostly read from February TBR, but I sprinkled in a couple of others. I did end up DNFing one book.
Let’s start with the books I actually completed:
- Shield Maiden (Sharon Emmerichs) 6.93 (3.5*) NG e-book
- Mudlarking (Lara Maiklem) 8.35 (4.25*) audio
- All the Horses of Iceland (Sarah Tolmie) 8.93 (4.5*) paperback
- The Tiger and the Wolf (Adrian Tchaikovsky) 6.71 (3.25*) e-book
- The Angel’s Game (Carlos Ruiz Zafon) 8.86 (4.5*) audio/paperback
- The Tea Dragon Society (Kay O’Neill) 8.48 (4.25*) hardback boxset
- The Fires (Sigríður Hagalín Björnsdóttir) 6.29 (3.25*) e-book
- Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Hunter S Thompson) 7.36 (3.75*) audio/paperback
- The Hurting Kind (Ada Limón) 8.71 (4.25*) paperback
- My Family and Other Animals (Gerald Durrell) 8.86 (4.5*) audio/hardback
- The Mad Ship (Robin Hobb) 9.36 (4.75*) paperback
- Specters (Radwa Ashour) 7.71 (3.75*) paperback
I DNFd my Science Fiction read, which was Meru by S B Divya (e-book). I just did not get on with it and after about 50 pages I decided to just stop. I think it was mainly the writing. It was not compelling me in anyway.
Aside from that, it really was a mixed back this month. I read some historical fiction, some fantasy. a couple of poetry books and a couple of non-fiction books that were a blend of fiction and non-fiction. I read a modern classic and I finally continued in the Cemetery of Forgotten Book series. I ended up reading four books on audio. I also read the three graphic novels that comprise the Tea Dragon Society boxset. I only counted them as one. They made a nice change throughout the month.
Quality wise it was a decent month, which really had only one new favourite, but a lot of books I really liked. There were a couple that really weren’t for me and obviously one DNF, but overall, It was pretty good.
BOOK OF THE MONTH
Easily my favourite book of February was The Mad Ship by Robin Hobb. I just love the Liveship Traders series and I am looking forward to finishing that trilogy in April.
LOOKING FORWARD TO MARCH
I am carrying three books into March. The first is Zofloya, or The Moor by Charlotte Dacre. This was one I started early on audio, as it was already on my March TBR. I was ready for a new audio book and I figured I may as well start that one. It’s a great listen! Very gothic.
From my February TBR I am taking Coraline by Neil Gaiman into March. This really has no bearing on the rest of my reading as I am reading it with my daughter at bedtime. It’s a lovely experience reading it together.
Finally, I am taking A Fortune For Your Disaster by Hanif Abdurraqib into March. That one is a poetry book. It was not on my February TBR and I am taking my time with it.
Apart from that I have already set and posted my March TBR. I am hoping for another good reading month.
Lola Et La Vie 
That is a nice variety of books! And how lovely that you’re reading Coraline with your daughter. I don’t really count my readalongs with my best friend in my totals as we take ages to read each book! Well done on reading more than you acquired, as I did, too, in Feb.