Books I read in February 2025
February may have been a short month, but it seemed to vanish in the blink of an eye. Still, I managed to squeeze in a fair bit of reading, even if one book ended up as another DNF (Did Not Finish), making it two months in a row with one of those 😬 You can read longer reviews for each book in my February Book Reads Blog (Amazon Affiliate Links)
My book club's pick for February, and I wasn’t alone in struggling with this. It was gritty, raw, and painted a stark picture of life in the US prison system, but it was also a difficult read. The sheer number of characters, the rambling structure, and the heavy subject matter meant I just didn’t want to pick it up. I found myself reaching for other books instead and, ultimately, decided that life’s too short to force my way through something I wasn’t enjoying.
While I didn’t love this quite as much as Lefteri's previous books, it was a beautifully written, slow yet poignant read. It offered deep reflections on nature, climate change, trauma, healing, greed, and judgment. While Songbirds remains my favourite of Lefteri's books, The Book of Fire is still a worthwhile read.
I originally read this on Kindle while on holiday last year, but this time, I opted for the audiobook. It was just as enchanting the second time around, especially if, like me, you love books about books.
Another audiobook, and an unexpected joy, I absolutely loved it! If you grew up in the late 70s or ‘80s, this book will transport you right back. The storyline had much more depth than I expected, with some adult themes seen through the eyes of a child. And the ending? Did NOT see that coming!
A definite winner! I always appreciate a good mystery, especially when I haven’t figured out 'whodunnit' before the book reveals it. This was a well-crafted, engaging read, and I’m looking forward to the sequel How to Seal Your Own Fate, which is published later this month!
I flew through two more DCI Jack Logan books this month. If you like Ian Rankin’s Rebus novels these are of a similar vein, full of grit and dark humour, they are definitely worth a read. Fast-paced, engaging crime fiction set in Scotland...what’s not to love?
I flew through two more DCI Jack Logan books this month. If you like Ian Rankin’s Rebus novels these are of a similar vein, full of grit and dark humour, they are definitely worth a read. Fast-paced, engaging crime fiction set in Scotland...what’s not to love?
This was a gifted audiobook, and I’ll be honest, it’s not something I would normally read / listen to. Physics and maths are not my strong suits (I happily ran away from them after my GCSEs), but this book actually made some kind of sense. Some of the maths bits still went over my head, but overall, it was surprisingly accessible. If school science lessons had been taught this way, I might have paid more attention!
Looking forward to March...our book club pick for March is Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan, a much shorter and (hopefully) more enjoyable read than the choices over the last couple of months!
Looking forward to March...I also finally got my hands on a copy of Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom, so that’s on the list to read in March too.
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To celebrate National Walking Month, I’ve written a blog about the benefits of walking, not just for our physical health, but for our mindset, creativity & wellbeing. I've also created a free resource:
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