February TBR Review + March TBR List

If you read my February TBR, then you'll notice that several of the books in this photo are the same. That's because while I did read a lot of my TBR in February, I didn't finish most of the longer books.

I wanted to give an update on how making my first monthly TBR went. Overall, I think that I enjoyed having a monthly TBR, at least for right now. I'm going to continue doing one for March as well. 

In my head, my list of books to read on Goodreads will slowly decrease as I read through them, and then, I'll go back to picking up random books to read. I don't know if that's realistic though because despite reading so many books in February, my Goodreads want to read list still grew. 

It's fine. March is three days longer than February, so clearly, I'll read more, right?

Here's what I thought of the books from my TBR in February as well as the books I read in February that weren't on my TBR.

On the February TBR

The Women in Black by Madeleine St. John

Like I had hoped, this book was a light, fun read. Reading The Women in Black felt like watching Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day (which I completely recommend).

Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May

I hadn't realized how much of a narrative this book would be, but it was exactly what I needed. May's experience with difficult times is relatable, and she doesn't do that thing that some writers do where she appears to have magically fixed all of her problems by the end of the book and tells you that you can do the same if you do exactly what she has done. This is a book that I'll return to in the future.

Cast in Silence by Michelle Sagara

Every single time I finish a book in this series, I'm excited to see what happens next. Fantasy fans will love this series.

The Courbet Connection by Estelle Ryan

Same thoughts as above except that this is a mystery, not fantasy.

Black Coffee by Agatha Christie

This book is a novelization of a play, and that fact is extremely obvious as you read it. The plot and characters were all Agatha Christie, but the actual writing style is clearly not her. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't amazing.

The Toll by Neal Shusterman

I haven't even touched this book. It's going on my March TBR though because I am so close to being finished with the series.

The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor

Haven't touched this one either. I've owned it for two years though and want to read it, so it's going on the March TBR, too.

Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson

I'm so close to finishing this one that I'm counting it for February still. I will never stop being in awe of what Jacqueline Woodson is able to do with words. 

Dear Paris by Janice MacLeod

This book was exactly what I wanted it to be - a beautiful collection of letters about Paris. I immediately want to go to Paris and spend days taking long walks around the city. My full review should be up sometime next week.

Sixteen Scandals by Sophie Jordan

Another book that I didn't even touch. I will be reading it sometime between now and May when it is published because I absolutely want to review this Regency-era YA novel.

The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischwili

This book was so long! I'd like to say that it is the reason that I didn't finish all the books on my February TBR, but I managed to read a few books that weren't on the TBR so that is not entirely true. I thought that I had enough of rambling, depressing family sagas, but once I started reading I couldn't stop. There will be a longer review of this book in my Project Read the World Update later this week.

A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth

There was no way I was going to finish both this book and The Eighth Life. I made progress, but this book is also very long. I am enjoying the drama so far though. I just wonder how it's going to continue for so many pages. 

The Non-TBR Books

We Ride Upon Sticks by Quan Barry

I liked the plot of this book - a high school hockey team near Salem mysteriously begins a winning season for the first time in years after a ritual involving an Emilio Estevez notebook. The book is set during the end of the 1980s so it has a very nostalgic feeling that I loved. However, there was a plot point involving a student-teacher relationship that made me feel so uncomfortable. I enjoyed most of the book, but I might not have read it had I known that that particular plot point would keep coming up over and over.

A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson

I will obviously never spend months hiking over 2,000 miles, but I am so intrigued by people who attempt it. Bryson originally planned to hike the entire length of the Appalachian Trail but quickly realized that he and his hiking partner would only be able to manage a section of it, which still took them weeks to complete. I don't know why I love reading about this, but I do.

A Woman's Garden: Grow Beautiful Plants and Make Useful Things by Tanya Anderson

This was a book that I requested to read and review from Netgalley, and I'm so glad that I did. Since I'm currently obsessed with the idea of gardening, I've been reading all the gardening books that I can get (I don't count all of those as books I've read because some of them I only flip through rather than actually read) and this was so different from those other books. I loved all of the ideas and the profiles on a variety of gardeners. I read a digital copy of the book, but it's one that I will consider buying in the future in order to have a physical copy.

Slow: Simple Living for a Frantic World by Brooke McAlary

I find the concept of slow living interesting (kind of like I find minimalist interesting, but I am much more likely to have a slow living lifestyle than a minimalist lifestyle). McAlary's narrative about how slowing down has impacted her life was inspiring. Her writing style is good at keeping your attention. The second half of the book was not quite as good as the first, but overall, the book was worth reading.

March TBR List

In an effort to keep this post from doubling in length, I'm just going to list out the books that I am putting on my TBR for March with a short comment included. I decided to include all of the books that I didn't finish from the February TBR. I'm sure that I will still end up reading books that aren't on my TBR because I still am going to basically read whatever I want despite having a list.

1. The Toll by Neal Shusterman - Moved from the February TBR

2. The Complete Stories by Flannery O'Connor - Moved from the February TBR

3. Sixteen Scandals by Sophie Jordan - Moved from the February TBR

4. A Suitable Boy by Vikram Seth - Moved from the February TBR

5. The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - Recommended by a friend

6. Green Island by Shawna Yang Ryan - Saw on bookstagram and had to read it

7. The Name of the Rose by Uberto Eco - It's supposed to be a historical murder mystery set in an Italian monastery. So obviously, I have to give it a read.

8. The Once and Future Witches by Alix E. Harrow - The title and the cover got me on this one. 

9. The Death of Expertise by Tom Nichols - I don't remember where I heard about this one, but it's on my Goodreads want to read list.

10. Psalms by C.H. Spurgeon - I've been wanting to read Spurgeon for a while. I accidentally borrowed the 2nd volume of a 7 volume commentary on Psalms from the library rather than the 1st volume, but that's fine. If I like it, I'll get the first one and work my way through all of them.

What are you planning to read in March? Let me know in the comments or on Instagram.