I don’t know why, but I love when I squeeze in a lot of books in the shortest month… which probably says more about what I’m NOT doing (you know, fun stuff like travel and whatnot) than anything. I didn’t realize it as the month was happening, but I went pretty dark this February. Half of the books I read have murder as a major plot point.

Anyway, I’m not going to sit here and examine whatever that means about my life or my current mental health (Mom, I’m fine. Trust me).

In 2019, I inadvertently completed the 52 books in 52 weeks challenge and have decided to attempt the same challenge from here on out… mainly because my to-read list is out of control! Normally, I’ll have a physical book and audiobook going at the same time, so for review clarity, I will put either duration or pages for the stats based on how I completed the book.

Here’s everything I enjoyed this February:

Mediocre: The Dangerous Legacy of White Male America
Ijeoma Oluo

Stats: Nonfiction, 10 hours

Quick summary
Oluo explores the different ways our society has been built for and around the average [mediocre] white male, most times to our detriment. She touches on everything from politics to housing to the workplace.

What I thought:
This was fantastic and I honestly think everyone should read it. If the societal advancement of deserving BIPOC and women seems threatening to you, you may be a mediocre white male and haven’t truly “earned” what you think you have.

Who should read it:
Everyone and please let me know when you do.

Finlay Donovan Is Killing It
Elle Cosimano

Stats: Mystery, 355 pages

Quick summary
Recently separated author Finlay is struggling. Her husband left her for the real estate agent, the bills are piling up, and her novel is well overdue to her editor. At Panera, she’s overhead telling the plot of her book to her agent, and is inadvertently offered a job… to make a problem husband disappear. Strapped for cash, Finlay has a choice to make, should she take this offer or keep the killing between book covers?

What I thought:
Bookstagram wins again! I stayed up multiple nights in a row reading this book. Finlay is a hot mess express (she literally duct tapes her child’s cut hair back onto her head) and is often times not the most likeable character. But the book has a sequel and you better believe I’m not so patiently waiting for it to become available.

Who should read it:
Romance readers who want to try a different genre.

The Nineties
Chuck Klosterman

Stats: Nonfiction, 12 hours and 39 minutes

Quick summary
Pretty self explanatory: this book is a collection of essays about the 90s through the lens of pop culture. Everything is covered from the impact of Ross Perot on the ‘92 election, Nirvana and the rise of grunge, the proliferation of the Internet, Friends, what it means to sell out, Blockbuster, OJ and the Bronco chase, The Matrix, and so much more.

This quote from the book is a good style sampler:
The feeling of the era, and what that feeling supposedly signified, isolates the nineties from both its distant past and its immediate future. It was a period of ambivalence, defined by an overwhelming assumption that life, and particularly American life, was underwhelming. That was the thinking at the time. It is not the thinking now. Now the 1990s seem like a period when the world was starting to go crazy, but not so crazy that it was unmanageable or irreparable. It was the end of the twentieth century, but also the end to an age when we controlled technology more than technology controlled us. People played by the old rules, despite a growing recognition that those rules were flawed. It was a good time that happened long ago, although not nearly as long ago as it seems.

What I thought:
I audibly squealed just seeing the cover of the book (I had that freaking phone!) and the contents were everything my nostalgia craved. My brother and I have long been fans of Klosterman (check out Sex, Drugs and Coco Puffs if you haven’t already), so it’s no surprise that we read this book together and enjoyed many days talking about it.

Who should read it:
Gen Xers and Xennials! I appreciate this age group so much more after reading this book.

Hooked: How Crafting Saved My Life
Sutton Foster

Stats: Memoir, 7 hours and 5 minutes

Quick summary
Sutton Foster is a Tony Award winner and the star of the TV show Younger, co-starring Hilary Duff. Her memoir examines her troubled relationship with her mother, suffering from agoraphobia; romantic relationships; and the tough world of Broadway all through the lens of crafting. Foster is an avid crocheter and visual artist, often exploring her emotions through yarn and art.

What I thought:
This book was like a cozy hug. I love Sutton in Younger, (which is a funny, lighthearted show you should definitely watch on Hulu) and once I discovered she was a fellow fiber artist, I had to read her book. It did not disappoint.

Who should read it:
People who use art to work through difficult emotions and fans of memoirs.

A Thousand Splendid Suns
Khaled Hosseini

Stats: Fiction, 372 pages

Quick summary
Set in war-torn Afghanistan over multiple decades, A Thousand Splendid Suns, is a story of violence, hope, fear and survival told through the eyes of Mariam and Laila, two women brought together through tragedy and heartbreak.

What I thought:
This is not an easy read (trigger warning: domestic abuse), but I think it’s important to explore literature that is hard or makes us uncomfortable.

Who should read it:
People looking to learn more about Middle Eastern culture through the fiction genre.

In Cold Blood
Truman Capote

Stats: Classic, 14 hours and 27 minutes

Quick summary
On November 15, 1959, the Clutter family was murdered in their farm house in Holcomb, Kansas. Told in four parts, Capote details the lives of those murdered, the capture of the criminals and the murderers’ execution.

What I thought:
This was our classic lit book club pick for February because In Cold Blood is often credited as starting the true crime genre. As sad and as horrifying as this true life story was, Capote artfully wove it all together.

Who should read it:
If you like true crime, it’s high time you add the original (OG) to your list.

The Ladies of Secret Circus
Constance Sayers

Stats: Fantasy, 448 pages

Quick summary
Lara Barnes is set to marry the love of her life, until he mysteriously disappears on her wedding day. In the search for explanations, Lara ends up uncovering many secrets about her family, heirs to a once famous circus empire, and how she may be destined for a different life than she had planned.

What I thought:
Circus? Check. Magic? Check. Dark spirits? Check. Split timelines between Paris and Washington DC area? Yep. And what’s her job? Oh, she owns and operates a radio station. Was this book literally written explicitly for me? While this book had it all and was all-consuming in the first half, around 80 percent it fizzled out for me and began bordering on cheesy. I’m not mad I read it, I just wish the ending half was better.

Who should read it:
See the checklist above. If that’s you, then you’ll like it. Also, let’s be BFFs.

My Sister, the Serial Killer
Oyinkan Braithwaite

Stats: Thriller, 226 pages

Quick summary
This is the story of two sisters. Korede is plain, the responsible one, and her sister’s keeper. Ayoola is the complete opposite, gorgeous, manipulative and a killer. Korede is torn between doing what she should and cleaning up after Ayoola after she kills her boyfriend… again, especially after Ayoola sets her sights on her next victim, Korede’s secret crush.

What I thought:
Do I have murder on the brain during the month of love or what? (Don’t read into it.) This was an incredibly quick read; you could honestly easily finish it in one day. The characters are one-dimensional and a little flat, but it still manages to be entertaining.

Who should read it:
Anyone looking for a poolside read that isn’t a romance.