Sunday, February 28, 2021

February 2021 in Review


It was a snowy February, over a foot of the white stuff here I'm sure, but, the weather is starting to warm a bit with (2) rainy days to help with the melting. More time spent indoors this month for sure but, it was a good month for reading.  I read (16) books of which (5) were lovely books for younger kids.  I do have some good news: My husband gets his second vaccine on Wednesday and, my darling, determined daughter scored me appointments for both vaccines yesterday - #1 vaccine appointment on Wednesday, different location from the hub but only about 10 miles from home.  Honestly, I was so happy, just thinking that by the third week of April I will be having coffee with a vaccinated friend and hopefully getting out more, I just can't wait until the younger family members are vaccinated as well.  Have any of you been vaccinated yet?

READING: My reading choices for February were mostly winners so I was pleased.

I read (16) books and had (2) DNF.

(5) children's books

(14) Fiction

(2) Non Fiction

(9) print books - (6) from my shelves of which (5) were sent by publishers and (3) from library

(4) audio books - (2)  library  download and (1) publisher download (1) purchased

(3) eBooks/eGalleys - (3) publisher downloads

(13) female authors  (YTD) (25)

(3) male authors       (YTD) ( 6)

YTD Total (30)


Countries traveled to through the books I've read:  United Kingdom (3X),  Australia, New Zealand, Italy and Tehran

In the US, I visited Massachusetts (3X) and California (2X) - funny how that happened??

                                             Some of Favorite Books Read in February


Complete List of February Reads

  1. We Run the Tides; Vendela Vida (4/5) Setting: San Francisco, CA
  2. Good Morning Zoom, Lindsay Rechler - 3/5
  3. Will the Cat Eat My Eyeballs? Caitlin Doughty (NF) (4/5)
  4. Migrations; Charlotte McConaghy - (5/5) Setting: Ireland, Australia, Greenland
  5. Champ and Major: First Dogs, Joy McCullough - (5/5)
  6. The Brilliant Life of Eudora Honeysett; Annie Lyons (4/5) Setting: UK
  7. The Murder at the Vicarage; Agatha Christie - (3/5) Setting: England
  8. Keep the Dead Close: A Murder at Harvard and a Half Century of Silence; B. Cooper - (NF) 4/5
  9. Ella's Night Lights, Lucy Fleming - 4.5/5
  10. No Buddy Like a Book; Alan Wolf - 5/5
  11. See the Cat: Three Stories About a Dog; David LaRochelle - 4.5/5
  12. Nature of Fragile Things; Susan Meissner - 4.5/5 Setting: CA
  13. A Girl Returned; Donatella DiPetrantonio - 5/5 Setting: Italy
  14. Before She Disappeared, Lisa Gardner - 4/5 Setting Mattapan, MA
  15. The Stationery Shop, Marjan Kamali - 4.5/5  Setting: Tehran and Massachusetts
  16. A Month in the Country; J.L.Carr - 5/5 Setting: Oxgodby England

DNF  - February (2) ( Because Life is too short to read bad books) (YTD) - (4)


March Plans

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How did your month go? Any exciting plans for March?

41 comments:

  1. It has been a snowy month! Here too. Yay for March. You look like you had a nice eclectic mix of books!

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  2. So pleased your husband has had his first vaccine and you'll get yours soon. Also pleased that you have a darling, determined daughter like mine. :-) We've both had our first jabs so I'm thrilled about that.

    An excellent reading month for you and you've been nicely around the world. Looking forward to hearing what you think of Miss Benson's Beetle if you get to it.

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    1. Cath, doesn't it feel nice to know we are on our way to a more normal life not, that I even care about some of the things that others might look forward to like, foreign travel, bars etc.

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  3. February was bad for weather, but good for reading. :) A great variety of fiction and nonfiction here!

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  4. Isn't it a wonderful feeling to think that you and your husband will be fully vaccinated soon? We were able to unexpectedly get our first shot, and now we are counting down the days until we get the second.

    You had a great month of reading, I think. I enjoyed Month in the Country and Migrations and Stationery Shop very much, too. I think I may look for Nature of Fragile Things. All of your kids' books look great.

    I should write down my DNFs. I should figure out a way to put them on Goodreads.

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    1. Deb, happy you enjoyed some of the same books that I did. I was pleased with my choices. It does feel great knowing there is light at the end of the vaccine process.

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  5. Dang, that's a big bunch of snow, we'd still be closed here. You sure had a great reading February!

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  6. I honestly don't even know when Canada is going to roll out vaccines for non-essential people, so who knows? I'm glad you got yours, though. You could definitely breathe a little bit easier.

    Great February! I hope you'll have an even better March.

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    1. I heard a few others in Canada say that as well - that's too bad but, hopefully, you will hear something soon.

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  7. You are leaving me in the dust as far as number of books read! I have enjoyed your reviews this month. We got our second shot on Friday. There is a haircut in my future. Happy reading in March.

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    1. It's not a competition Judy LOL - Glad you are on your way to "fully vaccinated". I have gotten (3) haircuts in the last year but, I wash it and she just sprays it with water to trim.

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  8. Glad some people are getting vaccinated. I'm a high risk essential worker that is a sitting duck while I wait for our city to do anything. Elderly and homeless are getting it first apparently.
    Happy March!

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    1. That is scary Freda; stay safe. I know schools are opening here after a year remote and none of the teachers, staff or kids have been vaccinated so my daughter bought those N-95 (think they are called) masks and is double masking.

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  9. February was a great reading week for you and to top it off you have vaccine appointments! That's wonderful news.

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    1. Yes, I am super happy this weekend. Hope the county keeps moving in right direction.

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  10. Congrats on getting your vaccinations scheduled. My age group is opening up on Mar 5, so I am hoping to get an appt very soon for shots 1 and 2. My husband and son (teacher) are both getting their second shots this week. Just getting underway on this has brightened my mood so much!

    Looks like you had a good reading month.

    Stay healthy and read on!

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    1. Jane, glad the teachers in your family have been vaccinated - not here, no game plan yet for them sadly. It'll be nice when are whole families are vaccinated.

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  11. That is an impressive list of reads for February. My husband and I got our second shot of vaccine (Pfizer) yesterday. Congrats on getting your appointments set up.

    I'll be interested to see what you think of The Darkest Evening which I read several weeks ago.

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    1. Glad you both received your second vaccines - did you have any side effects from #2 Pfizer - I know someone who had extreme fatigue so I was curious. We are both getting Moderna, not that we had a preference or choice.

      Yes, looking forward to trying Ann Cleeves - first time for me.

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  12. Thanks Vicki, it was so darn cold or snowy much of it that we stayed indoors plenty.

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  13. You had a great February, Diane, and when that's added to what you read in January, you really off to a roaring start. I love the fact that you are hitting your own shelves so hard; I'm really, really bad about remembering to do that. A quick check shows me that only 3 of the 22 books I've read this year are from my own shelves. 14 of them, on the other hand, are library books, so at least I'm not adding to my bookshelves right now. :-)

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    1. Sam, I sort of defeated the purpose of clearing my shelves as I tend to get rid of most books once I read them...donate or give to a friend or relative but, I just ordered 7 trade NYRB Classics yesterday for my shelves:) I use the library a lot as well but, my requests have been taking longer - which is fine.

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  14. How wonderful that you are going to get your vaccines! We're still waiting for appointments... sigh. You've read some great books this month. My book group chose Migrations, which we'll read later this year. I'm glad you enjoyed it so well!

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    1. Les, I will be curious to see what your group will think about Migrations? At first I didn't like protagonist but once more was revealed that changed.

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  15. I am glad you have your vaccine appointments set up, Diane. I got my second one the week before last and it was such a relief. My husband has to wait while and who knows when my daughter will be able to get one. My mom is getting her second dose this week. She's planning a visit out our way the end of March. It's been over a year since we saw her.

    I am glad your February was such a great reading month! Sounds like you read some good ones. I hope you enjoy your March reads! Have a great week!

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    1. Wendy, So happy that you will be able to see you mom soon. We do have things to look forward to after this long year don't we?

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  16. That is such good news about your vaccines! My husband has his second on March 12 (another 3 hr drive to Tampa!) but no indication as to when I might be eligible... FL doesn't seem to be big on planning or communication.

    A great month for reading, too... so many good books! We Run the Tides was a hit for me and I hope to read A Girl Returned and The Stationery Shop soon, too. Happy March!

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    1. Good luck with the vaccines and hope that March is a good reading month as well.

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  17. WOW, (3) hrs is quite the ride for the vaccine but, you have to do what you have to do to make it happen. Hope you get you find out more about vaccine chances soon. Hope March is a good month for you.

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  18. I managed to find vaccine appts because now those in education can get the vaccine but because of my shingles shot I have to wait at least two more weeks and I can't book for the future, only for the current week it seems so I will go in again around 3/17 to see what I can get.

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    1. Good luck booking the vaccine - I had my second shingles in January so I was good. Honestly, my arm was more sore from the shingles vaccine.

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  19. You had a great reading month! Glad you have vaccine appointments, so terrific! Unfortunately I don't think I'll be getting it anytime soon - I'm heading back to Canada on Friday ... and I think they are far behind there. sigh

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    1. I hope Canada turns up the volume and urgency soon. We can't complain here, most who want an appointment and are persistent are finding them. It's harder for seniors who are not computer savvy though.

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  20. As always, I am in awe of how much you read!!

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    1. I really am not a television fan Nan. I'll sit with the husband now and then but, just prefer reading.

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  21. Glad you're all getting vaccinated! Right now, 65+ people and frontliners/educators are getting the vaccine. Since my husband and I don't fit into those categories, we have to wait. My parents have gotten theirs, though, and so has one of my in-laws. The other one isn't quite old enough, so she'll have to wait a little bit. Soon, though.

    Glad you had a good reading month!

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    1. That's the same requirements here right now as well Susan. Hope you get in the mix soon as well.

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  22. Life IS too short to read bad books :)

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