February Reading Wrap-Up

 

Image credit: Roland Jordahl

Birds & Blooms

The month of February gave us a variety of weather.  The month started out average with temperatures in the 20's, but they quickly began to drop.  By the end of the first week, temperatures hovered near the zero mark.  That was the beginning of about two weeks of temperatures ranging from -25 to just above zero.  During those very cold days we were blessed with clear, bright, sunny skies.  

The picture above is a Black-capped Chickadee.  Even during the very coldest days, these tiny birds could be seen in the crab apple tree in my backyard.  They were flitting around from branch to branch calling "phoe-bee" or as I was taught, "cu-tie".  It was amazing to watch them.  The cold didn't seem to bother them in the least.  

The weather has begun to warm up and we are enjoying temperatures in the 30's!  Spring is getting closer.  

This month I read 9 books in the following genres:

Historical Fiction: 2

Mystery: 1

Cozy Mystery: 3

Fiction: 2

Juvenile Fiction: 1

Historical Fiction:

The House Girl by Tara Conklin - Carolina Sparrow is a first-year lawyer who is part of a team of lawyers working on a case involving restitution for the descendants of slaves. Josephine Bell is a slave living on Bell Creek Plantation in Virginia.  Carolina and Josephine's stories intersect in a surprising way.

The Dress Shop on King Street by Ashley Clark - Another dual timeline novel also taking place in the South.  Harper loves to sew and design dresses.  She is attending college and has hopes of graduating and opening her own dress shop.  However, things don't go as planned and Harper is forced to make some life changing plans.  Millie is a young woman in 1946, who also dreams of one day owning a dress shop.  However, because she comes from a mixed race family, she doesn't expect that dream to ever become a reality.  As their lives intersect, they begin helping one another realize their dreams.

Mystery:

Salvation of a Saint by Keigo Higashino - A man is found dead in his locked home.  His wife is out of town, but her apprentice has a key.  When the apprentice can't reach the man by phone, she goes to their home where she finds him dead.  He appears to have been poisoned, but was it suicide or was he murdered?  The mystery is well plotted and worked through step by step.

Cozy Mystery: 

Murder with Oolong Tea (Daisy's Tea Garden #6) by Karen Rose Smith - When an opinionated teacher from the local high school is found dead during the Spring Tea, Daisy does her best not to get involved.  But, since the prime suspect is someone Daisy is sure didn't commit the crime, she begins to ask some questions to try and discover who would have wanted the teacher dead.  Meanwhile, her oldest daughter and husband are learning what it's like to be parents, her youngest daughter invites a friend to stay for a few weeks and her relationship with Jonas is a bit rocky.  

A Fatal Winter (Max Tudor #2) by G. M. Malliet - It's Christmastime in Nether Monkslip and Father Max is looking forward to all the traditions associated with the holiday.  Just outside of town, something sinister is brewing at Chedrow Castle.  Lord Footrustle has invited his relations to the castle for a visit.  He and his sister Lady Baynard are lonely.  Unfortunately, most of their relations can't stand to be in the room with one another.  It is not long before there is a death at the castle.

Egg Drop Dead (Noodle Shop Mystery #5) by Vivien Chien - Lana Lee has added a catering business to her parents' Chinese restaurant.  Her first client is a friend of the family, Donna Feng.  She is throwing a birthday party for herself at her lavish home.  Since her husband's death a few months ago, Donna has not been herself.  In fact, she loses her temper with her nanny in front of all the guests.  When the nanny is found dead in the pool a few hours later, Donna is the prime suspect.  Donna begs Lana to help her find out who killed the nanny.

Fiction:

Meet Me at the Museum by Anne Youngson - Tina Hopgood has always wanted to visit the Silkeborg Museum to see the Tollund Man.  Years ago she read about him in a book and made a pact with her best friend to visit.  Tina is realizing she may never get there and decides to write a letter to the man who wrote the book.  She doesn't really expect a reply, assuming he is either very old or dead.  When the museum curator writes back explaining that the professor is dead, Tina feels she must send another letter.  So begins correspondence between the two.

Affliction by Russell Banks - After Wade Whitehouse disappears, his brother tries to piece together what happened. (Review coming soon)

Juvenile Fiction:

Surprise Island by Gertrude Chandler Warner - Grandfather has a surprise for the Alden children.  He has an island!  And they get to spend the summer there.  The children set up their "home" in a barn and get busy exploring.  Captain Dan lives on the island and has a young friend staying with him.  The children spend their days exploring the island, cooking food, swimming and creating books of flowers and shells they have spotted on the island.  

Around the blog:

My journal - I shared what I include in my journals.  Back in October I had written about how I use my journals as a commonplace book.  This article shows what else I include in my journals.

I am still working my way through One Hundred and One Famous Poems.  I have failed miserably at reading a poem a day.  I did read a few throughout the month though.

I hope you had a great February full of good reads!

~ Gretchen

I am linking up with The Monthly Wrap-Up Round-Up hosted by Nicole @ Feed Your Fiction Addiction and Shannon @ It Starts at Midnight.