February wrap up! The tagged was my favorite read of the month by far followed by Keke‘s memoir. 💖💌

I‘ve read this & its sequel a few years back and ever since I‘ve been telling everyone I know to read it. Especially if they are against the now current Administration in the US. The story feels eerily current but also strangely comforting in that unsettling familiarity? Hard to explain.

Hope everyone reading for #WithTheBanned enjoys. 💌

This book is wild. And not for the faint of heart.

Admittedly this book is more self-help/motivational than memoir, but regardless, it was highly enjoyable. Definitely recommend. Keke‘s got a good head on her shoulders.

Going with my gut for my March box (and haven‘t even touched my Feb box 🫣). #botm

This will likely be my last read of February and it‘s much denser than I was expecting. Think Nnedi Okorafor meets N.K. Jemisin meets The Handmaid‘s Tale.

Sundays are turning into my self care days and I‘m not mad at it.

Fresh mani, breakfast at one of my fave neighborhood places, and an audiobook walk. Started this memoir/selfhelp read from Keke Palmer - def recommend the audiobook since she narrates. It‘s like listening to a friend. Love it.

Anyone interested in either of these? Free of charge. Both were signed by their respective author in person. Light handling. Autograph was personalized. I have no pets/am a non-smoker.

Left is hardcover. Right is paperback.

Let me know in the comments! 🥹

I have a lot of mixed thoughts here after reading this novel.

It‘s thought-provoking and timely in this current political moment in 2025 — that goes without saying. So much was packed into this story, delving into class warfare, social justice, racism and lack of workplace diversity. But - and it‘s a big one - so many times I was left thinking I was missing pages because the plot kept racing forward with little explanation.

And now for something entirely different. Digging in to the tagged YA horror ARC, out on shelves in late April. 🧟‍♀️ 🍴

This was cute. It‘s what I picture when I think of breezy romance beach read: quick pace, familiar tropes (fake dating, “forced” proximity), plus the guy is hot and an astronaut? 😅 Romance isn‘t my typical genre but this was very cute. 3/5 stars for me…but I‘m not really a romance girly. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Photo is from this weekend. S‘mores Latte was yum.

#RiseUpReads

Started on audio today for #RiseUpReads 💖

Quite Hallmarky so far in a cute way. Tis the season. 🥰🤷🏻‍♀️

Ive read some of Gay‘s nonfiction in the past and enjoyed it so I opted for some of her fiction — but maybe I should have stayed with her nonfiction. Some of these stories worked for me but the majority didn‘t, and collected together, some felt repetitive and confusing. 🤷🏻‍♀️ Perhaps the confusion was the intent.

#AuthorAMonth

What a fantastic read. Set in 1992 Los Angeles amid the Rodney King verdict, but sadly familiar to our modern times. Lyrically written, educational and relatable without being preachy. This should be part of high school reading curriculums.

Started this today - quite pleased with it already. The type of YA novel that should be read/taught in high school because the characters feel like believable teens while still having rich, lyrical writing.

I know our phones listen to us because I started my #AuthorAMonth pick today and was served this Ad on Insta 🤣🤷🏻‍♀️

First half? Adored. Flew through it. Back half? Felt dragged down into a more obvious romantic love triangle.

That being said, this felt like a page-turney, super accessible version of Game of Thrones. I enjoyed it.

#BOTM

#BOTM really arrives quick. 😅

I‘m thinking the tagged will be a great bridge between #BlackHistoryMonth & #WomensHistoryMonth

At each of our book club meetups, everyone brings 1-4 books to swap and whatever‘s left over is donated to a Little Free Library. This was my pickup from todays event. 💖

It‘s so fun to find out through social media later whose swap you ended up grabbing. 🥰

Today was our in-person book club day! This was my fourth one and it‘s become so special to me! We‘ve formed friendships over our shared love of books and everyone is so *kind* and amped to be geeky about reading. My people. 💖

Preliminary February stack.

#AuthorAMonth #BlackHistoryMonth

Rejoining #BOTM might be trouble for me. 🤣🤷🏻‍♀️

Two of the picks were already on my TBR and ‘The First Ladies‘ sounded so interesting.

I know it‘s *historical fiction* and yet I see similarities to modern life everywhere. 😭

If you told me five-ish years ago Historical Fiction would become a reliably favorite genre of mine, I wouldn‘t have believed you. And yet…

This author is fantastic. #BOTM

Historical fiction coming in hot!

#BOTM

If you‘re not a person whose kept up with Chelsea lately (ba dum swish), I‘d recommend watching her comedy special “Evolution” before reading this book. It shows you her headspace.

This book is not what I expected in that there isn‘t a lot of Handler‘s dark, suggestive humor. Instead, it feels more like an honest journal of someone attempting to let go and let love steer. It‘s admirable and depending on where you‘re also at in life, relatable.

I enjoyed this more than I expected to. Setting aside the somewhat frank discussions of suicide (bc that theme prevails throughout and if that‘s too much for you, maybe avoid this book) - the realistic portrayals of human vulnerability was really well done and heartfelt.

It reminded me a lot of The Midnight Library. I feel like if you liked this and haven‘t read that one, you should. 💖

About to finish my book club pick so figured I‘d start this memoir from NetGalley to help get the ol‘ ratio up.

I was a fan of Chelsea‘s talk shows in the early 2010‘s - especially when I first moved to NYC. I even saw her live. I‘m getting the vibe that this memoir is a bit more serious in tone and less sarcastic. We shall see!

Moving on to my in-person book club pick. We meet the first weekend in Feb. BOTM audio referral credit coming in clutch for me! 😅

It feels like everyone‘s reading this book right now. ☕️💅🏻

That ending!! 😂😵‍💫🛀

No spoilers but it was giving Scooby Doo, to me. 🤣 Yes, I did it & here‘s how & I would have gotten away with it, too, if it weren‘t for you meddling Lord Peter & Co!

I hovered between So-So & Pan. I think this was a product of its time and Sayers probably needed to cook a bit more to fully get in the swing. I wouldn‘t be opposed to revisiting another installment at some point. #AuthorAMonth

TW: heavy anti-semitism

Sorting through my shelves to give myself a prelim TBR for February featuring more Black authors for BHM. Leaning toward the tagged first given this Monday‘s planned events. 😓

Have you read any of these?

(And yes, our Christmas decorations are still up lol)

Weather is supposed to be pretty dismal later today/tomorrow with lots of snow before cratering into polar vortex temps. So I fit in a long audiobook walk with a smoothie while I still could. 😂🤷🏻‍♀️

I have about an hour left with Lord Peter. While I find him a bit insufferable, his costars Parker and Bunter are much more likeable. What? 😅🛀

Bunny enthusiasts, rise up! We won, Bunny! 🐰 🥀

Had a doctors appt today so decided to take a full “mental health” day from work, treat myself to brunch and a mani, and start in on my #AuthorAMonth pick on audio.

Peter Wimsey‘s gleeful singing about dead bodies & murder investigations is…something else. 😂🤷🏻‍♀️

Ultimately, I think one standalone story would make me chuckle but this grouping felt predictable and goofy. Also the final two stories order felt clunky at best. I guess my beef is, though the victims don‘t appear to be great people, they never actually do anything to Maud…she just offs them because they irritate her? lol 🤷🏻‍♀️

Points for the embroidery title pages though. 🪡 🧵

I enjoyed this far more than I expected to. It‘s definitely a boilerplate mystery but much more winks and nods were felt over anything I read with Poirot. Maybe I just relate to Miss Marple more. 😅

Should be noted though - lots of not great allusions to POC, off hand comments to LGBTQIA, and pretty clumsy with discussion of mental illness. This was published in 1964 and it shows.

Oh my gosh - @Soubhiville you are really so generous!! Thank you so much! ☺️ Your #AuthorAMonth challenge is my absolute favorite, I can‘t even begin to tell you how many authors I‘ve discovered through it!! 💖 Really so kind, thank you so much!

Kept an open notepad while listening to this. Really appreciated this as a re-read — I think it‘s the type of thing that benefits for re-reading. Looking forward to the #RiseUpReads discussion. @Catsandbooks

It‘s probably criminal of me to admit this is my first dalliance with this Agatha Christie heroine - but I had no idea Miss Marple was so saucy! And in the 1960s! 🤭

Overwhelming, indeed. There‘s so much here to parse through. And to think this was Toni Morrison‘s first novel.

I need time to gather my thoughts. Most immediately, I assume this is commonly “banned” for its description of sexual assault (and sex itself) but the anchor of this story is somehow even more heart-breaking? I doubt I‘d be able to handle it at a young age myself.

#WithTheBanned

Im going off vibes here but before diving in to this months #AuthorAMonth (Dorothy L Sayers), I‘m thinking these two that I picked up on a whim at my local book festival two years ago might work as a fun pairing with my Sayers pick? 🤷🏻‍♀️🤞🏻

BOTM got me. I used to get their boxes years ago but stopped when I felt like books were just piling up. I‘m at a place where I‘ve conquered quite a bit of my TBR stack, gifted, or given away to local LFLs….so timing felt right to try it again. We‘ll see if it holds.

#BOTM

This has been on my TBR for so long!!

Interestingly, I‘m diving in for #WithTheBanned by getting a copy from my local library - there was a short wait because several copies were set aside for a local school assignment! Makes me hopeful that meaningful conversations are being held locally at least!

Fitting that this was my first completed read of the year, given….the state of America currently, I guess. 😵‍💫🤷🏻‍♀️😂

I loved ‘The Power‘ and I do think it was the stronger of the two novels but I‘d argue this was more accessible. This does get a bit repetitive to hammer in the point but ultimately it‘s effective. Strangely lighter than ‘The Power‘….despite being about global climate catastrophe. 🤷🏻‍♀️

Last year I had a formal book planner but it felt like a chore to fill out. This year I‘m trying something different.

I got this pretty embroidered journal on clearance from Rifle Paper Co during Black Friday — planning on jotting thoughts about each read as I finish/as I go. No minimums, just feelings and thoughts. 😍🫶🏻

#RiseUpReads

This is actually a re-read for me but I read a few years ago and recall it being chock full of great info. I‘m about a quarter in. Current stand out:

“The bullets that didn‘t hit me still change me”

The accuracy of this is so real to our current moment - esp in social media. An age of misinformation that isn‘t being solved because “engagement” is valued over truth.

Was able to fit in one more with this quick read bringing 2024‘s total to 87. Not my best, but definitely not my worst.

My goal for 2025 is to continue to challenge myself out of my comfort zone, and to keep crushing physical books on my TBR rather than going to my audiobook crutches.

What a strange novel. Admittedly it took some pushing to get through the back half. So many ideas were present — grief, depression, complicated mother/daughter dynamics, the beauty industry. I‘m not sure it fully came together for me, but it certainly offered a lot to think about!

Mona Awad loves to play with truly weird ideas. I‘m not sure what‘s going on right now but it‘s both creeping me out and making me laugh. 🤷🏻‍♀️ ♥️

I get why this author is so beloved, I just think I wasn‘t in the headspace for his type of comedic writing. I enjoyed this well enough (especially the Granny character at its center) but I personally think his style probably isn‘t for me. 🤷🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♀️

#AuthorAMonth