Well I do seem to be in danger of forever repeating myself – but I haven’t had the best reading month in some ways. The number of books read is again very low – I look back on the days when I would regularly read 9-10 books a month and more and wonder how on earth I did it – and where did that extra time come from. I can’t really blame February for being short as it’s only two or three days shorter.
Anyway I have a plan of sorts to try and utilise my time better – I think that’s what I probably used to do – as I have always watched quite a lot of TV. I’m fortunate to get home from work fairly early, so I have a lovely slot of time there – before I need to be getting dinner etc – when I can have a good read. The trouble is that lately I have been so exhausted I rarely use that time for reading, I often just slump in the chair with the TV on – not really watching it – scrolling through my phone, and generally falling asleep. I do struggle with fatigue in the afternoons, but I am hoping that with the slightly lighter afternoons, that may improve slightly. I have so many great books I’m looking forward to getting to, that it’s a shame if I continue reading so little. I’ll let you know how it goes.
So, only six books completed – although one was over 500 pages – and I have started a seventh but that can go onto March’s pile as much of it will be read in March. I am taking comfort in the fact that I enjoyed all these very much – and at least one could easily be on my books of the year list.
My first book of February was The Gosling Girl by Jacqueline Roy (2022). It’s a moving and powerful novel, a thoroughly gripping story of institutional racism. It examines the deep psychological effects of a crime committed in childhood, alongside society’s ideas of evil and its reluctance to forgive and forget.
The Mercies by Kiran Millwood Hargrave (2020) was chosen by my book group as our February read – and was a great success. It gave us such a lot to discuss and was an enormously compelling read into the bargain. The author based her novel around the Vardø witch trials which took place in Finnmark, Norway in 1621.
In 1617 around the remote Norwegian island of Vardø a terrible storm arrives with appalling suddenness taking with it most of the men of Vardø who were out fishing. One young woman, Maren stands watching helplessly as the sea takes her father, brother, and fiancé. Now they are an island of women, fending for themselves, until a stranger arrives with his new wife, with orders to bring the women to heel.
My Caravaggio Style by Doris Langley Moore (1959) published by Dean Street Press was a good fit for #ReadIndies – I didn’t do as well with this challenge as I had hoped.
This is a novel about Byron obsessions and an audacious literary fraud. The novel is narrated by bookseller and author Quentin Williams, who decides to try and create a copy of Byron’s lost memoirs – burned by his friends after his death. The author herself knows a good deal about Byron, having had a lifelong obsession with him, and even makes a brief appearance herself in this novel.
The Narrows by Ann Petry (1953) a book I bought with those Christmas book vouchers and was so looking forward t reading. I knew it would take a while, as I was reading slowly, but part of it I read during half term, when I could speed up a bit. Unforgettable characters in a novel about love, lust, class, racism, tabloid journalism, the truth and betrayal – Petry writes her story flawlessly, giving us characters we won’t easily forget. Most of the characters inhabit the area of Monmouth, Connecticut called The Narrows – a black community within what is a largely white town.
The Dear Departed by Brian Moore (2020) – a collection of stories all of which seem to date from the 1950s and 60s although this edition was produced more recently. Published by Turnpike books it was another for #ReadIndies. Eight tightly written little stories, which I had intended to read last year during the Brian Moore centenary. It may be hard to review a couple of the stories – so I may just write about a few of them. Brian Moore is such a good writer though.
Random Commentary by Dorothy Whipple (1966) is there any better combination? A Persephone book and an unread Dorothy Whipple – it was just what I needed as half term came to a close. Compiled from notebooks and journals kept from 1925 onwards, I found this to be utterly charming and revealing. I shall keep most of my thoughts for my review – but oh my how I loved this book, it makes me want to reread all my Whipples – but then I remember that tbr! Another one that counted for #ReadIndies too – so I did manage to join in a bit.
Moving on to March – and with March comes the promise of spring – though we still face a lot of rainy, cold days – it feels like it’s getting closer. I have no reading plans at all – for even my book group read, Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan is one I read fairly recently. Which means I am going with mood all month. I may join in with the Librarything themed read which is authors of just one VMC – you’d be amazed at what a long list of possibles there are.
As ever I would love to know what your reading plans for March are if you have them – and what brilliant things did you read in February?
heavenali 
I am not surprised you are feeling fatigued. We all seem to be: a combination of onslaught of news, an ongoing pandemic despite what people want to believe, plus the end of winter, which always leaves one lethargic. Although you may not have had a large volume of books, the quality appears to have been high.
Yes, I do find January and February quite hard months really. The quality of my reading was high, so holding on to that.
You are doing well Ali, timeout even from reading is allowed. I read my first book of the year in mid Feb, and decided not to worry that other things were encroaching on my time. It’s not easy to get back into the rhythm once disrupted, so kindness is the only way. 😊
I starting my reading year/Feb with three European novellas, all women in translation, A Sister’s Story (Italian), A Man’s Place (French) and Marzhan, Mon amour (German despite the French title!) and all Indies. A delightful start to the reading year. I really enjoyed them all.
All the best for your March choices, I look forward to hearing about them in your posts.
We all need time out, definitely. Your start to the year does sound interesting I haven’t heard of any of those. Hope your reading continues in that positive way.
I thought the Brian Moore stories were all quite successful, given that’s not the form he’s known for at all. I feel your pain – I’ve been very tired lately and am reading way less than normal.
I wasn’t sure if Moore had written many stories, but I guess not given what you say about them. I do think this is a tiring time of year for many of us.
I loved Random Commentary and it also made me want to go back to them, maybe we should do a gentle Whipple re-read challenge one year soon! I’;ve just posted my reading plans which are doable if I read almost no print books again, which I can’t do! I’m going to stop myself requesting NetGalley books, although that’s how I got the latest Anne Tyler, so …
I did consider a reread of the Whipples but I just can’t cope with any kind of schedule at the moment. So I may just do the odd one if I think of it at some point. I gave up on Netgalley years ago (I must still have an account) it’s too dangerous, I would get overwhelmed. 😅
I signed up to NetGalley, but then didn’t fill in my profile nor did I request any books. I’m just to distractible as it is. I kept starting new books instead of finishing what I’ve started. I’m trying to fit in some finishing up time. The end of February just flew by. I thought I had five days to go and poof! Gone!
*too 🙄
Absolutely Netgalley is dangerous!! The end of February crept up on me too. Hope you have a good reading month in March.
Well if you decide to do even the most casual of re-reads, shout as you plan and I’ll join you!
I will 😁
I hope the lighter evenings will help with the fatigue. Such a lot to take on at the moment for all of us after two years of stress and worry.
The stress of the current international situation isn’t helping is it? So looking forward to Spring.
So frustrating, to have great books lined up and no energy to read them. Still, I think your February list was quite impressive. I spent my February on literature in translation/indy press (the two frequently go together, don’t they?). Lately I’ve been traveling (not internationally alas), which cut down on the reading, even the novellas that I took with me.
I finally did get to Keegan’s Small Things, which was every bit as good as you said it was! (I’m currently trying to locate a copy of Keegan’s Foster & will definitely read some of her stories — she’s clearly a master of the form).
Oddly enough, I tried Moore’s My Caravaggio Style in February as well. It looked fun, but didn’t suit my mood, so I set it aside for the future.
Thanks for the attention to Ann Petry, who sounds like someone I’d enjoy.
Happy March reading!
So glad you enjoyed Small things Like These. Shame about My Caravaggio Style but we all need to be in the right mood for things
I think you’ve done brilliantly, 6 books read in a month is amazing. The longer days and the hope we feel in March will make everything seem much brighter!
I’m so glad it’s March, things have to get better in Spring, don’t they. (Ignoring the rest of the crazy world right now).
I also only finished six books last month, and I wouldn’t have made it that far if it weren’t for audiobooks and a play that I squeezed in at the last minute. I need to spend less time doomscrolling the news and social media. My other excuse is all the Oscar nominated movies that I want to watch before the awards ceremony. I do have a copy of The Narrows that I bought for Black History Month and still haven’t cracked open, so I’m glad to hear that it’s as good as I hoped.
I am definitely watching too much news and scrolling too much too. I will need books to keep me calm during the current horror I think. The Narrows is fantastic, hope you enjoy it if you get to it.
It’s definitely quality all the way with your Feb reading, so I’m glad you’re taking comfort from that. And The Narrows, which sounds tremendous, is as big as two or three ‘usual sized’ books – all in all, a very satisfying selection of books there! I’m curious to hear more about the Dorothy Whipple, especially as I wasn’t aware of its existence until you mentioned it!
Quality is definitely more important. I know you would enjoy The Narrows. The Dorothy Whipple was great, it really gave me some glimpses of DW herself.
February has been such a weird and often unpleasant month, Ali, so I think you’ve done really well, and with a lovely variety of books – some really chunky ones there! And as you say, the main thing is that you enjoyed them all. I had a slower month too, though I did enjoy what I read. As for March, I shall try to keep it relatively simple, as we have one of our clubs in April! 😀
Thank you, I am pleased the quality of what I read was high at least. I am looking forward to your club week in April.
Six books including a chunkster is pretty good going Ali! I’m also still struggling with reading and I’ve made the same decision as you – to use the time between end of work before evening meal. I’m sure we’ll find it easier as the evenings get lighter too. Wishing you some great reads in March!
The lighter evenings make a difference don’t they, at least helping to make us feel better. I hope you have some good reading material for March.
It has been a very strange couple of months, reading and otherwise. You had a wonderful selection of books in February though, mine was decidedly more mixed. I hope the quality keeps up and spring brings you some relief.
It was a nice selection to read in February. I’m so looking forward to Spring, it might help us all feel better, though I’m afraid international events will continue making us anxious.
Television and social media can be time wasters without you being aware of it, I find. Although, like most people I suspect, I’m watching a lot of news there are few other things I watch on TV. Blog tour commitments (or perhaps more honestly, blog tour over-commitments) motivated my reading in February. I’m trying to cut back on blog tours but it’s sometimes difficult to resist. I listened to the audiobook of The Mercies a while back and enjoyed it. Consuming it that way meant I didn’t have to try to work out how to pronounce the names!
TV and social media do take a lot of time up, though I definitely need TV. I find things like blog tours make me a little anxious, as I might agree to something and two months later be in a completely different place reading and blogging wise. The Mercies must have been a very immersive audio book to listen to.
I don’t listen to audiobooks often but this one really worked.
When I went to the Persephone store I wanted to buy a Dorothy Whipple but there were so many choices I panicked. And I knew my luggage was going to get heavy, so I wanted just one. I decided I would go back to the hotel and read the reviews to determine the best one. And then I never made it back there! Woe is me.
PS – I think you are responsible for my watching Line of Duty! Which I am enjoying but the house tidying is suffering.
Constance
Ooh no, but I do understand, the choice is overwhelming. I certainly recommend Dorothy Whipple for the future though.
Line of Duty is a gripping binge watch.
You had a pretty decent month, even so! But I can relate, I’ve been reading very slowly and often my marker just lodges 1/3 of the way into the ones that I do read. In comparison to my packed 2021, it’s quite an adjustment. Maybe that’s what we’re noticing more than anything, not that it’s ‘less” but that it’s just not “normal”.
Yes, you could be right. I probably just need to adjust to a 2022 way of doing things. I think lots of people have found themselves reading slowly so far this year.