Come talk books with me! Here are the 13 books I read in February 2019.
Another good month of reading! I'm feeling great about meeting my reading goals this year.
Once again, I read a lot of fantastic middle grade books. I also read two great Memoir/Biographies (my favorite genre) this month. And, I'm still keeping up with my goal to reread 5 classic books.
In March, I'd like to read more non-fiction so send your recommendations my way! Here's what I read last month. And now, here's my February reading list.
If you see any books on this list that you'd like me to write a full review of, let me know in the comments. If you've read any of these books, I'd love to hear what you thought!
February 2019 Reading
Sweep: The Story of a Girl and Her Monster by Jonathan Auxier | I loved this book with all my heart. I read it aloud with the kids and it was an amazing story. I did cry though, a lot.
Boston Jane: Wilderness Days by Jennifer L. Holm | I read the first in this trilogy last month and knew I'd be finishing them all. This is a great clean YA read, but also good even for older middle grade readers too. They follow a brave young girl, Boston Jane, who heads west on her own in the 1850's.
Boston Jane: The Claim by Jennifer L. Holm | The lovely conclusion to the Boston Jane trilogy. Fun right to the very end.
The Hired Girl by Laura Amy Schlitz | I needed something light and this fit the bill. A very fun historical fiction read about a 14 year old girl who runs away from her oppressive father and becomes a maid for a Jewish family in Baltimore in 1911. It's written for adults, but would make a great, clean YA read for teens too.
Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield | It started slow for me, but about 150 pages in it really took off and I was hooked! I ended up loving it, just as much as The Thirteenth Tale. It reads like a magical realism fairy tale, with a historical fiction aspect too. It reminded me a lot of The Snow Child, which I also loved.
Forget Me Not by Ellie Terry | A very sweet middle grade book about a girl with Tourette syndrome.
The Book of Essie by Meghan McLean Weir | This book about the 17 year old daughter of an evangelical preacher and his reality tv show family really blew me away. It's a powerful book. Trigger warning though for abuse.
Pay Attention Carter Jones by Gary D. Schmidt | I loved it! Full review here.
Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly | Watching the Caldecott/Newbery awards made me realize I had somehow missed this one. It was a fun read and a great book about friendship.
Merci Suarez Changes Gears by Meg Medina | This was the 2019 Newbery Award winner. Merci Suarez is a sixth grade scholarship student at a fancy private school in Florida and this coming of age book handles a lot of tween issues really well.
Becoming by Michelle Obama | I listened to Michelle herself read this one on audio and I LOVED it so much. I highly recommend this one no matter what your political preferences are.
The Night Diary by Veera Hirnandani | How I made it through so many years of school without ever learning about how Pakistan was part of India until 1947 is beyond me. I absolutely loved this middle grade book and now I want to read everything about Pakistan.
The Good Neighbor: The Life and Work of Fred Rogers by Maxwell King | Another really great audiobook (read by Levar Burton!). I grew up watching Mr. Roger's Neighborhood everyday, but even if I hadn't, Fred Rogers is a fascinating person to read about.
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton | Another classic reread for me. I loved it once again.
Brenda says
I enjoyed reading Tess of the D’ubervilles, by Thomas Hardy. Although it is full of heart-break, it was very thought provoking and well worth my time.
Brenda says
I enjoyed reading Tess of the D’ubervilles, by Thomas Hardy. Although it is full of heart-break, it was very thought provoking and well worth my time.
somethewiser@gmail.com says
That's on my list to read this year too!
Lynn D. says
I always enjoy reading about the books you've read. My all time favorite non-fiction books are Lab Girl by Hope Jahren and Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer. Both are written by scientists. Robin is also Native American and a single mother of two girls. I think you would love both books.
somethewiser@gmail.com says
Thank you Lynn - these are my favorite posts to write. I loved Lab Girl, but I've never heard of Braiding Sweetgrass. It sounds right up my alley - just put it on hold at the library. Thank you for the recommendation!
Caroline says
One of my favorite non-fiction reads this year has been American Wolf by Nate Blakeslee. Have you read it? It's about the wolf reintroduction project in Yellowstone.
somethewiser@gmail.com says
This sounds like something I'd really enjoy! Adding it to my library list this week. Thank you for the recommendation!!