February 2023 Reading Recap

Remember how in my January recap I was like “I am free! I can read what I want again.” Whomp whomp whomp. Just kidding–I’m SUPER excited to be serving on an award committee this year, but February was my last real month of “free reading” til the late fall. So let’s dive in!

First things first–checking in on my 2023 reading resolutions: 1) DNF’ing books if it takes me 2 days to read 50 pages 2) Track what I’m reading 3) Listen to 2 audiobooks a month 4) Don’t buy the sequel if I haven’t read the first one 5) Read one short story collection a month

I’m doing great! I am tracking my books on my elaborate spreadsheet. I listened to 3 audiobooks in February, She Persisted: Rosalind Franklin, Happy Go Lucky by David Sedaris, and the Kristen Chenoweth one–I’m No Philosopher But I Got Thoughts. David Sedaris was amazing as always–I prefer him on audio! His inflection makes it. Chenoweth’s book was a real let down, and I love the She Persisted chapter books on audio because they’re just like a podcast episode.

I don’t think I bought any books this month, or any sequels at least. I mean Dana’s new book, but that doesn’t count! I already read it and the first one.

For my short story collection this month, I read Patricia Engel’s Faraway World. It was good! I loved her book in 2022, Infinite Country.

DNF’g was hit or miss this month. I Spent WAY too much time reading Bloodmarked by Tracy Deonn and I probably should have DNF’d it because I was just not that into it. It’s good, but I picked up the first one because it took place during a pre-college program and this one…totally devoid of that element haha.

So…let’s talk numbers overall. A general gist:

I read, inclusive of everything I read from cover to cover from picture books to non-fiction tomes, 40.5 titles in February. That’s a half number because I started a book in February, and made it like 20%, but it’s a longer non-fiction thing, and I’m still working through it, haha.

Let’s break it down though, first by type of reading:

DNF’d Titles: 1. An adult women’s fiction book that I gave up on after like 35 pages, haha. When you know, you know.

Novels/Books in Verse/Short Story Collections: 10

Non-Fiction Books for MG-Adult: 7

Audiobooks: 3

Easy Readers: 11

Picture Books: 8

Graphic Novels: 2

I read WAY less Kid Lit this month, but I do feel like in January I was playing catch-up. I have some reading plans planned for this March though to make some Kid Lit lists happen, so I’m hoping my March number will be around…60? Is that too many? Probably.

One thing I did not do in February that I meant to start was my Little Women re-read alongside the devotional. I really should try to do that this month..