February 2019: Recap + On My Shelves
February always flies by, and this one was no exception. It was filled with birthday celebrations, vacations, and the best kind of books: re-reads. I can't believe we're already three months in to the year, but it's been wonderful so far!
1. My 30th Birthday – I celebrated my birthday by going out to dinner with my husband and then spending a hour or so browsing Barnes & Noble. And then, a few days later, I got together with my family for my favorite pizza and lots of great gifts. I didn't take photos at either event, so I used the one that I shared for my Meet the Bookstagrammer post on my birthday. I'm so excited for this new decade, and hope it's the best one yet.
2. Booking Another London Trip – Want to know the best thing about turning 30? My gift from Nick and my parents: a trip to England with Kelly! Nick dangled the possibility in front of us back in November, but we just didn't know if we'd be able to make the timing work. Well, we figured it out and finally booked everything in February. And Kelly and I don't even have to wait long because we leave at the end of March. I'm counting down the days!
3. Mountain Vacation – My family and I headed to the mountains during the long weekend in February, and it was just what I needed. I did a lot of reading and relaxing, plus a little bit of shopping in the cute town that's not too far away. The weather was nice, and the view from the back porch is the best! It's my favorite reading spot. I won't lie – I didn't even want to come home! I'm hoping we can go back again soon, especially as the weather warms up.
4. #FebruaREREAD – A few months ago, I told Kelly, “I wish I could ignore my TBR for a month and just re-read old favorites.” “Why can’t you?” she immediately replied. And so, we decided to spend all of February re-reading our favorite books! It was one of the best things I've ever done and just what my reading life needed. I revisited 24 old favorites and loved every second of it. We're even talking about doing it again later this year...
Read 24 Books | Re-Read Favorites:
The Lumatere Chronicles by Melina Marchetta
Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier
Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center
After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid
“We're all blessed and we're all blighted, Chief Inspector,” said Finney.
“Everyday each of us does our sums. The question is, what do we count?”
A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny
“Be prepared for the worst, my love, for it lives next door to the best.”
Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
“And if the gods were to give me a choice between living a better life, having not met them,
or a wretched life with the slightest chance of crossing their path,
then I’d pick the wretched life over and over again.”
Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta
“Because today, I think I’m leaning on the side of wonder.”
Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta
“When I read a book, I put in all the imagination I can,
so that it is almost like writing the book as well as reading it - or rather, it is like living it.
It makes reading so much more exciting, but I don't suppose many people try to do it.”
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
“If we could capture feelings like we capture pictures, none of us would ever leave our rooms.
It would be so tempting to inhabit the good moments over and over again.
But I don’t want to be the kind of person who lives backwardly,
who memorializes moments before she’s finished living in them.”
Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
“Maybe what matters is not so much the path as who walks beside you.”
Under a Painted Sky by Emery Lord
“The greatest tales, well told, awaken the fears and longings of the listeners.
Each man hears a different story. Each is touched by it according to his inner self.
The words go to the ear, but the true message travels straight to the spirit.”
Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier
“Sometimes, when you catch someone unaware at just the right time
and in just the right light, you can catch sight of what they will be.”
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
“Don't ever settle for a man who won't labor for love.”
I Shall Be Near to You by Erin Lindsay McCabe
“The things we remember are what we hold on to.
And what we hold on to becomes the story of our lives.”
Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center
“I wish, as well as everybody else, to be perfectly happy;
but, like everybody else, it must be in my own way.”
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
“We are tied to each other. We can hate and love, miss and loathe each other all within the same breath.
We can never want to see each other again while never wanting to let go.”
After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid
“You don't need to be gifted with a blade. You are your own best weapon.”
The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski
“We were never forever, (-----) and I. Nothing is in this life. But if you love someone,
and are loved by someone, you might find forever after. Whatever and wherever that is.”
My Oxford Year by Julie Whelan
“Everyday each of us does our sums. The question is, what do we count?”
A Rule Against Murder by Louise Penny
“Be prepared for the worst, my love, for it lives next door to the best.”
Finnikin of the Rock by Melina Marchetta
“And if the gods were to give me a choice between living a better life, having not met them,
or a wretched life with the slightest chance of crossing their path,
then I’d pick the wretched life over and over again.”
Froi of the Exiles by Melina Marchetta
“Because today, I think I’m leaning on the side of wonder.”
Quintana of Charyn by Melina Marchetta
“When I read a book, I put in all the imagination I can,
so that it is almost like writing the book as well as reading it - or rather, it is like living it.
It makes reading so much more exciting, but I don't suppose many people try to do it.”
I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith
“If we could capture feelings like we capture pictures, none of us would ever leave our rooms.
It would be so tempting to inhabit the good moments over and over again.
But I don’t want to be the kind of person who lives backwardly,
who memorializes moments before she’s finished living in them.”
Open Road Summer by Emery Lord
“Maybe what matters is not so much the path as who walks beside you.”
Under a Painted Sky by Emery Lord
“The greatest tales, well told, awaken the fears and longings of the listeners.
Each man hears a different story. Each is touched by it according to his inner self.
The words go to the ear, but the true message travels straight to the spirit.”
Son of the Shadows by Juliet Marillier
“Sometimes, when you catch someone unaware at just the right time
and in just the right light, you can catch sight of what they will be.”
A Northern Light by Jennifer Donnelly
“Don't ever settle for a man who won't labor for love.”
I Shall Be Near to You by Erin Lindsay McCabe
“The things we remember are what we hold on to.
And what we hold on to becomes the story of our lives.”
Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center
“I wish, as well as everybody else, to be perfectly happy;
but, like everybody else, it must be in my own way.”
Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
“We are tied to each other. We can hate and love, miss and loathe each other all within the same breath.
We can never want to see each other again while never wanting to let go.”
After I Do by Taylor Jenkins Reid
“You don't need to be gifted with a blade. You are your own best weapon.”
The Winner's Kiss by Marie Rutkoski
“We were never forever, (-----) and I. Nothing is in this life. But if you love someone,
and are loved by someone, you might find forever after. Whatever and wherever that is.”
My Oxford Year by Julie Whelan
February was a slow blogging month, though certainly not the slowest I've ever had. My first post of the month was also my favorite: 30 Things I Learned by 30. It was fun some both silly and serious reflections on lessons from my life. And then, I backtracked to post my January 2019 recap. I continued my quest to catch up on reviews and posted by October 2018 Quick Lit. And finally, I talked about re-reading the Throne of Glass series with non-spoilery mini reviews of every book. Will I finally catch on all reviews in March? Only time will tell...
I posted on Instagram more consistently in February than I usually do, so I had a hard time choosing my favorite photo! But I think I've got to go with this one, which I took to celebrate the release + my review of The Huntress by Kate Quinn. I had a vision in my head of what I wanted, and I was so excited when it actually worked! I can't tell you how many times what I plan to do doesn't actually work out. • @soobsessedblog
Favorite Album #1: thank u, next by Ariana Grande
I've never listened to Ariana beyond what's on the radio, but her new singles had me hooked.
And the album is even better! I think NASA is my favorite song right now, but it changes daily.
Favorite Album #2: Six the Musical by Various
I don't really like musicals very much, so this isn't exactly my kind of album. Though it is clever!
Kelly and I are seeing this show in London, so I've been familiarizing myself with the lyrics.
Kelly and I are seeing this show in London, so I've been familiarizing myself with the lyrics.
Peppermint (2018) starring Jennifer Garner – This movie was absolutely ridiculous, but I wanted to see it because I love Jennifer Garner. It was fun to see her in a role reminiscent of her Alias days, since that's when I first became obsessed with her! While I can't say that I'd really recommend it, it was a fun one-night Redbox rental.
Sense and Sensibility (1995) starring Emma Thompson, Kate Winslet, Hugh Grant and Alan Rickman – After re-reading Sense and Sensibility, I re-watched this movie. I love this cast, even thought some of their ages are so wrong for the roles. But the scrip is excellent and true to the spirit of the book, so this will always be a favorite.
How to Train Your Dragon: The Hidden World (2019) starring Jay Baruchel and America Ferrera – Nick wanted to see this movie for his birthday, so we made it a date night. I don't love the previous two the way he does, but we both agreed this was our least favorite. It was SO SLOW! And sorry, I don't care about dragons finding love.
New Books: Courting Darkness by Robin LaFevers, Enchanteé by Gita Trelease, King of Scars by Leigh Bardugo, The Huntress by Kate Quinn, His Fair Assassin series by Robin LaFevers, and 99 Percent Mine by Sally Thorne
eBay: Once Upon a River by Diane Setterfield, Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery, Pretty Face and Making Up by Lucy Parker
2nd and Charles: Come Away with Me by Karma Brown, The One That Got Away by Bethany Chase, A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Dodie Smith, The English Wife by Lauren Willig, Wilde Like Me by Louise Pentland, The Serpent and the Pearl and The Lion and the Rose by Kate Quinn
Goodwill: One Day in December by Josie Silver, The Wife Between Us by Greer Hendricks & Sarah Pekkanen, Girls in the Moon by Janet McNally, Goodbye, Paris by Anstey Harris, Lilac Girls by Martha Hall Kelly, The Admissions by Meg Mitchell Moore, The Statistical Probability of Love at First Sight by Jennifer E. Smith, The Garden of Small Beginnings by Wendy Wax, Brooklyn by Colm TóibÃn, and The Ramblers by Aidan Donnelley Rowley
For Review: One Night at the Lake by Bethany Chase
NetGalley: The Bride Test by Helen Hoang and Husband Material by Emily Belden
Audible: Shadow and Bone, Siege and Storm and Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo, Act Like It by Lucy Parker and Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
I would love to do a month of rereading. I think if I could get far enough ahead in book review posts, I would!
ReplyDeleteHappy birthday Hannah! I hope you and Kelly have a wonderful trip!!
ReplyDeleteI just started reading The Huntress by Kate Quinn yesterday! I was lucky enough to find it at my local library on Sunday morning and snatched it up right away. I loved The Alice Network, so I'm really looking forward to the places The Huntress will take me. I also really love the film adaptation of Sense & Sensibility and was excited to see it listed in your post :)
ReplyDeleteLooks like you had a really good month! I recently bought and read Courting Darkness, and had to talk myself out of buying the His Fair Assassin series with the new covers because I already have the series with the original covers lol.
ReplyDeleteI reread way more books than I expected to this year - which I love! But I hope I get the chance to join you and Kelly if you ever decide to do it again ;)
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