I read nine books this month, and started the tenth, which is actually February’s #YMERC2020 book. So now I’m 23% through my Goodreads challenge of 100 books.

There were some good ones this month, a lot of audiobooks, and a few books I wouldn’t normally read but was in a random “fun book” mood, so I went for it. A few came out of the ‘100 books to read before you die’ scratch-off poster I bought, and a few were atmospheric reads on my TBR list.

Winterwood by Shea Ernshaw

A moody, atmospheric book with earthy magic. It was a great read in terms of how the setting was its own character. The best part were the earthy recipes and the backstory woven intricately into the narrative. Read my full review here.

Followers by Megan Angelo

A book about how technology can take over lives – and not always for the better. And with a 1984, Big Brother feel, twisted with a Black Mirror edge, the book is both cautionary and hopeful. Mostly cautionary. Read my full review here.

Twenties Girl by Sophie Kinsella

Nothing like a dead great-aunt to haunt you. This book was a fun, flirty read, with a haunting ghost who happens to be your dead great-aunt who wants nothing than to dance with handsome (living) men and get her stolen necklace back. Read my full review here.

The Witch Elm by Tana French

A decent thriller, though not the best I read. It had a few unexpected pieces, some cliches, and overall average writing. It was too wordy at times and could have ended far earlier than it did. Not the greatest, not the worst. Read my full review here.

The Prophet by Khalil Gibran

A classic – and for good reason. Beautiful poetry that read more like fables and wisdom. The Prophet is a map of life itself, and one that can be consulted at different stages of life without ever becoming stale. Read my full review here.

The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath

A haunting read once you realize it’s Sylvia Plath’s semi-autobiographical novel, and the only novel she wrote. A seriocomic, I enjoyed the book more than I thought I would, though it wasn’t my favorite. Read my full review here.

The Overdue Life of Amy Byler by Kelly Harms

A decent book about a single-mother librarian going on her ‘momspringa.’ It was an amusing read, and though I’m not at Amy’s stage in life, I still found the book relatable. Read my full review here.

Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center

It’s a coming-of-age tale for a thirty-something year old woman. Helen is one year into her divorce from her husband of six years. She’s decided to take back her life: she signs up for a three-week survival course through rugged mountains. This course is for the hard-core: people have died doing this course, or have suffered broken collar bones, gotten lost in the woods, and fell victim hypothermia. Helen’s not a hiker, she’s not that in shape, she’s not tough, but she is determined. Read my full review here.

The Prenup by Lauren Layne

A fun, flirty read, it’s perfect for a cute and somewhat realistic romance. Nothing risque, which I appreciated, but it had a sweet buildup to the love and the happily ever after, which I enjoyed. Read my full review here.

Started: Hakawati by Rabih Alameddine

This month’s #YMERC2020 book, it’s about a man, Osama, who returns to Beirut from America, to his father’s deathbed. Stories grow. Osama’s randfather was a hakawati, or storyteller, his stories woven with folktales and classic stories.

Through Osama, we also enter the world of the contemporary Lebanese men and women whose stories tell a larger, heartbreaking tale of seemingly endless war, conflicted identity, and survival. With The Hakawati, Rabih Alameddine has given us an Arabian Nights for this century.