Ceri Louise Reads

Okay so I’m still getting into routine since starting my new job, and we’re still trying to unpack and find homes for everything in the house… But things are slowly improving so hopefully I’ll be able to start posting more regularly again soon!

For now, it’s time to fill you in on my February reading!

The Stats

total books finished = 9

TBR:

physical TBR = 872 digital TBR = 169 total TBR = 1041 (down by 6 from last month 😀)

Averages:

average length = 384 average rating = 3.75⭐️

average time to read = 58 days average time on TBR = 859 days

Challenges:

gift books = 2 subscription books = 1 review books = 1 oldest on TBR = 1 Read Around the World = 1 series completed = 0

backlist = 78%

netgalley ratio = 27% (same as last month)

Budget:

amount earned = £17.00 amount spent = £32.48 balance = £3.62

The Books (links to content warnings)

1. How Much of These Hills is Gold by C Pam Zhang 

I don’t often read Westerns so this was a little out of my comfort zone, but it was fascinating to read about aspect of history I knew nothing about: the Chinese immigrants to America during the Gold Rush and how they were treated. This book was a challenging read, not necessarily one I would say I enjoyed reading, but I am certainly glad to have read it. 

Rating: 3.5⭐️ TBR challenge: Gift

2) You Don’t Know What War Is by Yeva Skalietska

I received an eArc of this from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review – the full review will come soon-ish! This is the diary of a Ukrainian pre-teen telling her story of how the war has impacted on her and her friends and family. Aimed at children of a similar age, it brings the reality of war to life in a powerful way.

Rating: 4⭐️ TBR challenge: Review/Read Around the World (Ukraine)

3) Yolk by Mary H K Choi

I picked this up randomly from the library as I thought the title was intriguing. It turned out to be a quirky but hard-hitting contemporary about sibling rivalry, disordered eating, and self-worth. I found the protagonist, Jayne, to be a little irritating but mostly endearing in her vulnerabilities. I enjoyed seeing how her relationship with her estranged sister June developed through the book and how Jayne came to terms with the difficulties in both their lives.

Rating: 3.5⭐️

4) Business as Usual by Jane Oliver & Ann Stafford

This was a cute romcom in epistolary form. The protagonist, Hilary, is determined to survive for a year living in London, despite her family and fiancé’s reservations. She gets a temporary secretarial job in a department store and is soon making waves. This came in a Ninja Book Box a while back and I’m really glad I finally got around to picking it up as it was sweet and funny. Hilary was an endearing protagonist and there were cute illustrations too. Really enjoyed this one.

Rating: 4⭐️ TBR challenge: Subscription 

5) Sherlock Holmes Complete Collection by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

What can I say? This book was disappointing on many levels, not least because I discovered on finishing it that it wasn’t actually a ‘Complete Collection’ as advertised, meaning I have another set of Sherlock Holmes short stories to get through. Maybe I’ve seen too many adaptations or read too much detective fiction, but I found the genius detective somewhat lacking, as most of his cases he seemed to solve by Sheer Luck (thanks to Veggie Tales for that pun) or his contributions were unnecessary to the resolution. Never mind.

Rating: 2.5⭐️ TBR challenge: Oldest

6) Making It by Jay Blades

The Repair Shop is a fairly recent discovery for me and has quickly become somewhat of an addiction (to the point where my partner and I just had to visit where they film it while on our honeymoon…). It was really interesting to read about the ups and downs of Jay Blades’ life and all the different things he’d been involved in before he ended up on tv. 

Rating: 4⭐️

7) The Masks of Melancholy by John White

My dad gave me an old copy of this a while back and then I came across it again in the library at college while looking for books on theology and mental health for an assignment. It was an interesting look at faith based perspectives on mental illness, but felt a little dated as it was published in the 1980s

Rating 3.5⭐️

8) The Snow Child by Eowyn Ivey

Inspired by an old Russian fairytale, this was an atmospheric book that I am glad I read in wintertime. Set in the 1920s, Jack and Mabel have relocated to Alaska to start over after a devastating loss. In the midst of their grief and the struggle to survive in an unforgiving winter, they meet a mysterious girl who becomes entwined in their lives. This book was enchanting and heart-achingly well written.

Rating 4⭐️ 

9) Bitter by Akwaeke Emezi

This is a prequel to Pet, set a few decades before, and provides the backstory to Jam’s family and the revolution that changed the nature of the city of Lucille. Bitter is a talented artist given a new chance at life after years in foster care. But outside of the art college where she lives, the city is not a safe place, run by corrupt officials with revolution brewing. As Bitter struggles to figure out where she fits, she discovers a bizarre and dangerous gift that she and her fellow artists have been given. This was easily my favourite book of the month and I am keen to pick up more books by Akwaeke Emezi.

Rating 5⭐️ TBR challenge: Gift