February was my first month with a planned reading list. I kept it modest to allow for impulse reading and unpredictable library holds, and found that I liked having the "what do I read next?" question resolved in advance.
I ended up reading three of the four titles on my tentative list. As for Middlemarch, I read the first chapter and decided this was not the time for a reread. On the plus side, my Black History Month reading was a huge success - 5 books instead of the planned two, 3 nonfiction and 2 fiction.
Books Read in February//
The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson - 5/5
Everything Beautiful in Its Time by Jenna Bush Hager (audio) - 4.5/5
Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi - 3.5/5
We Run the Tides by Vendela Vida - 4/5, Shelf Subscription
So You Want to Talk About Race by Ijeoma Oluo - 5/5
Stamped: Racism, Antiracism, and You by Jason Reynolds, Ibram X. Kendi - 4/5
A Raisin in the Sun by Lorraine Hansberry (play) - 5/5
My favorite February book was The Warmth Of Other Suns.
March Reading, Tentative Plans//
Brood by Jackie Polzin - Shelf Subscription selection
T Book Club selection - an American Classic, TBA 3/9
Code Girls by Liza Mundy - or other nonfiction for Women's History Month
Bitter Orange by Claire Fuller (my mother and sister had very different opinions and want me to weigh in)
How did your February reading go? What was your favorite book last month?
I don't think I could re-read Middlemarch now either. I seem to have the attention span of a gnat. :) I'm still trying to get back into a more purposeful reading pattern but at least I'm reading again! My favorite book last month was actually an audiobook, Thinking on my feet, written and read by Kate Humble (I think she's a British documentary film maker and TV presenter. It's about walking, and I listened to it while walking! :)
ReplyDeleteAudrey - My intentions were good, but I just didn't have the mental space for Middlemarch. I'll try again another time. Thinking on my Feet sounds wonderful!
DeleteI really liked having a list of books for the month, too, and so I am doing it again for March. But, like you, I am also leaving room for an impulse read or two.
ReplyDeleteHelen - This is a new approach for me, but it lead to a great reading month! Hoping March is the same.
DeleteVicki - Not sure of the reason, but I'm off to a better reading year too! A Raisin in the Sun was excellent. If you can get the recording of the original Broadway show via Overdrive, I highly recommend it. Ruby Dee was in it.
ReplyDeleteI'm kind of doing the same with my reading goals. I pick an audiobook, an ebook, an ARC, my book club selection, a re-read and something from my backlist shelves. It's fun to have a stack to focus on, but also have room for something spontaneous. My favorite in February was Young Jane Young, which we've already chatted about. Probably next would be If I Stay (a YA book, which I didn't expect to enjoy so well). Here's to another great month of reading!
ReplyDeleteLes - My basic formula seems to be a new fiction (Shelf Subscription) title, a classic (T Book Club), nonfiction, and something from my shelf. I ended up having several very enjoyable impulse reads, too. This seems to work for now and it prevents me from getting too overwhelmed by my out-of-control wish list.
DeleteI try to somewhat make a TBR for each month, too - I often have too many library books out at a time, so I need to prioritize them!
ReplyDeleteAngela - I've seen so many other bloggers plan their reading, so decided to give it a try. So far, so good!
DeleteYou had a good reading month. My February was busy with my folks, but maybe March will be a better reading month for me as I'm headed back home. Thanks for the tip on Hansberry play -- both listening to the Broadway play & reading it would make for a great combo. I will seek them out. Enjoy the beach!
ReplyDeleteSusan - You had some very important distractions last month! A Raisin in the Sun was even better because I was able to list to that original Broadway production... hope you can find it!
DeleteI like your list for March. I'm hoping to read Gutsy Women for this month.
ReplyDeleteDeb I was looking at that one, too!
DeleteI've found that my reading success is heavily dependent upon my books being lined up in advance. If I don't have something lined up and I finish what I am reading I hesitate and take too long to decide and wham, slump.
ReplyDeleteMy fave book from February was Anxious People. I didn't expect to love it so much. Also, I have Bitter Orange on my list but forgot about it until you mentioned it in your reading plans.
Ti - I always had a vague idea of what I would read each month, but this is making me be more deliberate about high priority books. It sure worked well last month, we'll see how March goes.
DeleteIt took me a while to get into Anxious People, but I ended up loving it.
Congrats! I always have a reading plan set at the beginning of each month, though such plans often turn out to be too ambitious. But I think it is my little secret as regards how much I read. The Warmth of Other Suns is a great read and I still think about it.
ReplyDeleteI had 4 favorites in February but if I had to choose a top favorite it would be Afterlife.
Judy - Having a specific reading plan worked much better than I was expecting... this could easily become a habit! I'd like to read Afterlife, too.
DeleteI can tell you that January and February are SUCH good reading months because I'm motivated to be a TOB completist! But once March is done, I have real trouble committing. I want to put Warmth of Other Suns on my April MUST-READ and am trying to time it right on my library holds. Wish me luck.
ReplyDeleteCare - I know you are a reading machine during TOB season! I can't believe it's taken me a decade to read The Warmth of Other Suns. If you can do a read/listen combo, I highly recommend it. Caste is on my list now. Good lick with those library holds!
DeleteMiddlemarch has been on my kindle for ages but I haven’t found the right time for it. Tried to start it once & was distracted by something going on here. Still want to read it though.
ReplyDeleteFebruary wasn’t a bad reading month considering we have been adapting to the hell hound!
Uh oh, you’ll be the tie breaker for Bitter Orange !
Tina - I'm not sure how you managed to do as much reading as you did last month as Loki settles in!
DeleteDon't like being in the tie breaker position with Bitter Orange, but I'm sure we'll end up having a great conversation whichever side I fall on.
Sounds like a great reading much. I'm really curious about Bitter Orange so can't wait to see what you think. I hope this will be a great reading month for you too. I'm still trying to determine which book to read for Women's History Month!
ReplyDeleteIliana - February turned out to be a much better reading month than I was expecting... fingers crossed for March. I read one of Claire Fuller's earlier novels, Swimming Lessons, and loved it. I have high hopes for Bitter Orange, so we'll see how it goes. I got the Code Girls audio from the library yesterday, so I'm hoping to get started on my walk tomorrow. Will be curious to see what you choose for Women's History Month.
DeleteI read The Warmth of Other Suns last year and loved it, a very quick read for such a long book! I also have Caste which I've heard is wonderful as well, though a bit shorter.
ReplyDeleteI loved Middlemarch, but found the first 100 pages tough going. I keep saying I want to reread it but I have so many unread books, I can hardly justify taking the time to reread 800 pages!
I think my favorite read from February was The Doctor's Wife by Mary Elizabeth Braddon, a Victorian sensation novel I've been meaning to read forever.
Karen - I'm pretty sure it was your review that convinced me that I needed to read The Warmth of Other Suns, so thank you! Guess I didn't remember the beginning of Middlemarch being such a slog... not sure when I'll try again. Still haven read anything by Mary Elizabeth Braddon. Maybe this will be the year?
DeleteNicely done, JoAnn, glad to see that a reading-list approach worked for you. I've found that's really helpful when dealing with a good-sized stack of library books and all those individual due dates. Even then, I sometimes have to return a book without ever getting to it (I'm in danger of doing that next week with Transcendent Kingdom, in fact) because I don't hang on to books past their due date if they are on hold by others. Anyway...I've heard good things about Code Girls and will be interested to hear what you have to say about it if you read it.
ReplyDeleteFor me - with that deep freeze and all - turned out to be a productive month. I actually read more pages, and more books, in February than I did in January. When I'm trapped, I pick up a book.
Sam - I'm a reading list convert now, but I think having basically nothing on my calendar for all of January and February helped my reading, too! I always return books if others ore waiting, too, but not ebooks... I'm a big fan of airplane mode for my kindle if the expiration date is looming. I wasn't as big a fan of Transcendent Kingdom as most. Still worth reading though, so you can always borrow it again another time.
DeleteI started listening to Code Girls on my walk this morning and it's very interesting already. Just requested the ebook, too.
Glad Feb was a positive reading month for you. And Code Girls looks great in March - just the kind of book that I like.
ReplyDeleteFeb was a good reading month - a nice balance of audio and print. Very excited for the longer days in March.
JaneGS - I just realized today that the clocks change next weekend. Don't like the dark mornings here, but I am looking forward to longer days! Started the audio of Code Girls this morning and think I'm going to enjoy it.
DeleteMy February reading was kind of slow mainly due to discovering some good tv shows and favouring them over books for the first time ever!
ReplyDeleteHave a good March!
Heather - A batch of new television discoveries does that to my reading every time, lol. Happy March!
DeleteI had to look up Bitter Orange based on what you wrote on your post and now I am intrigued as well. I'll look for your thoughts on the book, should you get to it.
ReplyDeleteGlad to hear that planning your reading worked out last month! I've also started doing something similar as I tend to read impulsively a lot and then crash just as fast. It really helps. Hope you have a great March in life and reading!
Athira - I'm looking forward to reading Bitter Orange. Fuller's earlier novel, Swimming Lessons, was a favorite several years ago... interesting that my mother and sister had such differing opinions.
DeleteI'm very happy with how well reading from a planned list went last month... that may be a practice I keep.