I am that person who loves data, charts, and lists. So every month, I recap what I read and what books I acquire along with anything else I think is of value or interest. Let me know if you have any ideas!

February was not the best reading month for me. I read in spurts and then did not read for a week at a time. I try to never be hard on myself in this regard because reading is supposed to be fun. I also should be proud of myself for cooking a ton this past month.

I am a bit behind schedule for my overall reading goal. At one point in February, I was behind by five books. I am happy to report that I am only three behind going into March. I am hoping to get ahead this month.

Breakdown

• Books read: 8

• Pages read: 2,534

• Percent female authors: 75%

• Percent BIPOC authors: 25%

These charts are primarily from the Storygraph app, which is an alternative to the Amazon-owned Goodreads.

Books read

• The Writing Retreat by Julia Bartz | ⭐⭐⭐ 💫
• My Name is Lucy Barton by Elizabeth Strout | ⭐⭐⭐⭐💫
• The Drift by C.J. Tudor | ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Dirty Work: Essential Jobs and the Hidden Toll of Inequality in America by Eyal Press |🎧 ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Under the Banner of Heaven: A Story of Violent Faith by Jon Krakauer |🎧 ⭐⭐⭐💫
• What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jimenez | ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• American Mermaid by Julia Langbein | ⭐⭐⭐💫
• Black Women Will Save the World: An Anthem by April North |🎧 ⭐⭐⭐💫

Books in progress

I started one book in February that I will continue (and hopefully finish) in March.

• The Evidence of Things Not Seen by James Baldwin

Books acquired

In February, I acquired 32 physical books and two e-books. I selected three Book of the Month books and two Aardvark Book Club books. I had previously pre-ordered one book that arrived this month. The remainder of books I received as gifts from publishers or for my birthday. I would be remiss if I did not mention that I also ridded my shelves of a number of books this month. I sold four books through my Pango Books shop and mailed a few dozen old ARCs to friends and family.

Aardvark Book Club

• The Dream Builders by Dindrila Mukherjee
• The Sweet Spot by Amy Poeppel

Book of the Month

• Maame by Jessica George
• River Sing Me Home by Eleanor Shearer
• Someone Else’s Shoes by Jojo Moyes

Previous Pre-Orders

• Don’t Fear the Reaper by Stephen Graham Jones

NetGalley Approvals

• Twelve Hours in Manhattan by Maan Gabriel (Pub: 4/18/23)
• Warrior Girl Unearthed by Angeline Boulley (Pub: 5/2/23)

Gifted Physical Copies

• The Evidence of Things Not Seen by James Baldwin
• Wandering Souls by Cecile Pin (Pub: 3/21/23)
• The House of Eve by Sadeqa Johnson
• Not the Plan by Gia De Cadenet
• Scenes from My Life: A Memoir by Michael K. Williams
• Jubilee: Recipes from Two Centuries of African American Cooking by Toni Tipton-Martin
• Our Share of Night by Mariana Enriquez (Pub: 2/7/23)
• Liliana’s Invincible Summer: A Sister’s Search for Justice by Cristina Rivera Garza (Pub: 2/28/23)
• Empress of the Nile: The Daredevil Archaeologist Who Saved Egypt’s Ancient Temples from Destruction by Lynne Olson (Pub: 2/28/23)
• It’s Ok to Be Angry About Capitalism by Bernie Sanders (Pub: 2/21/23)
• Device Free Weekend by Sean Doolittle (Pub: 2/28/23)
• I See You, Survivor: Life Inside (and Outside) the Totally F*cked-Up Troubled Teen Industry by Liz Ianelli with Bret Witter (Pub: 8/29/23)

Birthday Book Haul from Book Outlet

My birthday haul included 21 books – 13 fiction and 7 nonfiction – from Book Outlet. I previously posted a list of them here.