February 2017: Recap + On My Shelves

February 2017: Recap + On My Shelves

• Mar 6, 2017

February is one of my favorite months, even though the weather is usually dreary, because my birthday is on the first and Nick's is on the twenty-ninth. And y'all, I'm blaming all my book acquisitions on my birthday... Oops!

1. Celebrating My Birthday - This isn't a great picture, so I hope you'll forgive me! I spent the morning of my birthday hanging out with my boys, then we met my mom and Grammy for lunch.,and they took our little peanut home with them for the afternoon. So, Nick took me shopping, and I got some awesome goodies.

2. Beatriz Williams, Amber Brock & Karen White Book Signing - I recently discovered FoxTale Book Shoppe and immediately put this signing on my calendar. I've only read one book by Beatriz Williams, even though I own all of them (I KNOW), but I've been hoping I'd be able to meet her. What a bonus to meet Karen and Amber, too!

3. Enjoying the Gorgeous Weather - Honestly, it didn't even feel like February! Sure, there were some cold and/or rainy days... but the month overall was so lovely. We took advantage of the weather and visited the park, went on walks around the neighborhood and hung out on a blanket in the backyard. It was heavenly.

4. Setting Up My Desk - I mentioned to Nick recently that I wanted my own desk because I often end up blogging at the kitchen table (and then it's a mess). I wanted my own space and realized that I already had the perfect area - it just needed a refresh! That became my project in February, and I'm thrilled with the result.

Read 12 Books | Favorites:

Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan

The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

Close Enough to Touch by Colleen Oakley

Honorable Mentions:

Rules for Stealing Stars by Corey Ann Haydu

The Hidden Gallery by MaryRose Wood

“Science has taught me that everything is more complicated than we first assume,
and that being able to derive happiness from discovery is a recipe for a beautiful life.”
Lab Girl by Hope Jahren

“Her grandmother had once told her that one could blame ugliness on one's genes
and ignorance on one's education, but there was absolutely no excuse whatsoever for being dull.”
The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan

“If I have learned anything in this long life of mine, it is this:
in love we find out who we want to be; in war we find out who we are.”
The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah

“The world was full of us, the leftovers and the leavers, the bereaved and the broken.”
The Opposite of Everyone by Joshilyn Jackson

“I can't help thinking that we're more than the sum total of our choices,
that all the paths we might have taken factor somehow into the math of our identity.”
Dark Matter by Blake Crouch

“[A]s Agatha Swanburne once said, 'To be kept waiting is unfortunate,
but to be kept waiting with nothing interesting to read is a tragedy of Greek proportions.”
The Hidden Gallery by MaryRose Wood

I kicked off the month by recapping January 2017, and then I finally finished the 2016 End of the Year Book Survey. I love that post once it's done, but I always put off answering the questions! Then, I posted Will You Be My Valentine? and highlighted seven swoony books for any mood. It was fun to talk about some recent adult contemporary releases that I'd recommend! I followed that up with So Obsessed With: The Winter 2017 Edition. It's so fun talking about seasonal favorites for my beauty, my closet and my entertainment. Finally, I reviewed The Keeper of Lost Things by Ruth Hogan and featured it in the most recent edition of Buy the Book. 

1. 30 Things I Learned by 30 by Kelly from Belle of the Literati - I always love posts that are reflective, so it's practically a given that I was going to bookmark this post from my sweet friend, Kelly. I've learned some of these lessons myself, and it made me pause and think about what I'd add to her list. That's the best kind of post!

2. Guess What! by Morgan from The Bookish Beagle - This was one of THE BEST announcements in February! I just love Morgan and think she brings so much to the bookish and blogging world, so I'm ecstatic that she's launching her own blog. SUBSCRIBE, Y'ALL. She'll have you fangirling alongside her in no time!

3. Your Afternoon Chat: Books! Books! Books! by Jessica from Go Fug Yourself - The Fug Girls talked about books again in February, and I loved reading through the comments. It was fun to see people recommend books that I already love and find new books I want to check out. My TBR just keeps growing.

Favorite Song: "Body Like a Back Road" by Sam Hunt

I discovered Sam Hunt years ago (when he only had a mixtape you could download for free), 

and I've been obsessed ever since. I listened to this song a lot in February!

Favorite Playlist: All Out 00s by Spotify

I was browsing Spotify playlists one day, came across this one with hits from the 2000s 

and ended up spending a lot of time reminiscing on high school and college! 

The Light Between Oceans (2016) starring Alicia Vikander and Michael Fassbender - All I wanted to do on my birthday evening was order BBQ from my favorite local place and watch this movie. I hadn't been able to see it in theaters and bought it as soon as it was released. I enjoyed the book and adore Alicia Vikander, so I had high hopes. I loved it, but it was a terrible choice for my birthday -- I cried my eyes out watching it! 

Book Depository: Tell the Truth, Shame the Devil by Melina Marchetta

Bought at Signing: Overseas by Beatriz Williams and A Fine Imitation by Amber Brock

Bought with Gift Cards: Not Just Jane by Shelley DeWees, On Second Thought by Kristan Higgins, The Wicked City by Beatriz Williams, My Not So Perfect Life by Sophie Kinsella, The Hidden Gallery by MaryRose Wood, Gemina by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff, The Secret of a Heart Note by Stacey Lee and Chasing Slow by Erin Loechner

Book Outlet: Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld, The City Baker's Guide to Country Living by Louise Miller, The Beauty of Darkness by Mary E. Pearson, A Gathering of Shadows by V.E. Schwab and The Unseen Guest by MaryRose Wood

Bargain Buys: The Knockoff by Lucy Sykes and Jo Piazza, The Forgotten Room by Karen White, Beatriz Williams and Lauren Willig, Wolf by Wolf and Blood for Blood by Ryan Graudin

From My Mom: The Gateway to Storyland by Watty Piper

From Cassie: Lab Girl by Hope Jahren and The Read-Aloud Handbook by Jim Trelease (not pictured)

From Kelly: The Perfect Stranger and The Autumn Bride by Anne Gracie and The Secret by Julie Garwood 

For Review: Goodnight from London by Jennifer Robson, Every Wild Heart by Meg Donohue, The Emperor's Ostrich by Julie Berry and Geekerella by Ashley Poston

Audible Deals + First-in-Series Sale: The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill, A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn, The Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley, Ross Poldark by Winston Graham, Wolf by Wolf by Ryan Graudin and Illuminae by Amy Kaufman and Jay Kristoff

Caved to Kindle Deals: After Hello by Mhairi McFarlane, A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn, and A Fatal Grace and The Cruelest Month by Louise Penny