February 2016 Reading Round-Up
Posted 2nd March 2016
Category: Round-Ups Genres: N/A
11 Comments
I decided to view February 29th as a blessing and used it to finish the one and only book I could finish this month. As you know I’ve been attempting to read, have three books on the go in fact, but have had trouble getting anywhere with them. I did wonder if perhaps it was time to give up, that as it was to all intents and purposes 1st March I should consider February my first book-less month since I started blogging, embrace it, write a totally different sort of round-up, but truly I didn’t want to. It may not have been a failure to do so, we all need breaks, but there were only 125 pages left and I’m starting to crave a review writing session; in the last hours of Monday I finished a book and had a ‘yay’ moment.
All books – or this book, I should say – are works of fiction. (I always copy and paste this paragraph from another month’s. Changing it is fun.)
The Book
Chigozie Obioma: The Fishermen – In 1990s Nigeria, four siblings are told by a reputed madman that one of them will kill another; it sets off a chain of tragic events. I liked this but, despite the tragedy, I didn’t find it particularly thrilling – I closed the book happy enough to have finished it. It’s only since then, when I started mulling over what I could write about it that the goodness of it became apparent and whilst I know I may not have paid as much attention as I should have I do think this is a case of the sum being more important than the parts; you have to look at the whole to really appreciate it. I’ll wait a few posting days before reviewing because I’ll naturally be repeating a bit of what I’ve said here.
I can’t really pick a favourite in my usual way so instead I’ll say that I enjoyed the Obioma enough and I’m enjoying Cranford a lot. Now the Obioma’s finished I’m bumping Tender Is The Night back to second book status and still have that Fergusson on the go.
Quotation Report
None this time. If I tried to quote Obioma I’d run afoul of fair use rules because his writing style is too good.
I’m going to repeat what I expect is in most people’s minds – how is it March already? – and wish you all a happy one.
What did you read in February? Was the extra day an advantage?
March 2, 2016, 12:54 pm
The extra day didn’t make any difference to the number of books I read in February, but as Jenny has said, an extra day means extra reading time. :) The Fishermen sounds interesting – I’ll look forward to your review.
March 2, 2016, 2:01 pm
I think I read one book in February too – it’s hard to count as I started reading one in December and one in January and I’m not sure I actually finished anything in Feb, but I definitely read the equivalent of one book! Let’s hope we get our reading mojo back in March!
March 2, 2016, 2:20 pm
Somehow, my extra day just got me more behind! Good luck with your March reading and congrats on finishing at least one book in February! Feb. wasn’t a great reading month for me, but I did at least finish my First Book of the Year (started in the beginning of January) and a couple of others! ;)
March 2, 2016, 4:58 pm
Yay for February 29th and not just because a friend of mine celebrates his birthday.
The Fishermen sounds wonderful. I loved your insightful review of it.
March 2, 2016, 9:08 pm
Well done for persevering and finishing one book. Doesn’t matter how much reading you technically do, it still feels better when you finish a book. I am also really pleased to hear your enjoying Cranford – I want to read it soon! I hope you have a good March :-)
March 2, 2016, 10:01 pm
I enjoyed the Fishermen but really didnt care for Cranford – it felt too light and frothy for my taste though I love some of her other works
March 3, 2016, 12:09 am
YAY for Leap day! That extra day was used for good and one book is better than none. :-)
Happy March!
March 6, 2016, 3:02 am
I hope you find your reading mojo again, soon! And if you don’t… Don’t stress about it. It will happen. Life happens!
March 8, 2016, 11:24 am
Jenny: Yay! That is good, I’m glad to hear it. Too true.
Helen: Indeed! It is and isn’t, it’s an average read, I’d say.
Jackie: Ahh, yes that sounds easy to mix up. I’ll drink to that… or read to that :)
Laurie: That sense of security feeling? (I know I’ve thought ‘there’s more time in the month’ before and then lost out.) Yay for your First Book – I agree with the capitalisation, it is a milestone of sorts.
Tracy: Yay for your friend. I suppose it’s all the more special if frustrating. I read an article in which a person couldn’t have a drink on their altered 18th birthday (28th Feb) because the person didn’t ‘get’ leap years :/ It is an okay book; more information to follow.
Jessica: That’s true, and it does feel better, even if it was a book we were loving. I’ve put it on the back burner for a few days whilst I finish a book I started in December but I’m really looking forward to getting back to it. You too :)
Booker Talk: I’m the opposite, wasn’t so keen on North And South (though I want to give it a re-read some time) – I love that with Gaskell there’s such variety, something for most people if not everyone.
Freda: Indeed! You, too :)
Kailana: Thanks; I’m getting there! Too true, it will.
March 20, 2016, 5:24 pm
I read a lot in Feb I think, but I am at a loss to think what it was that I read.
I read a book recently I think you’ll enjoy, Iza’s Ballad by Magda Szabo, it pulled me out of a slump and I’m about to start reading the only other of her books in translation, The Door.
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March 2, 2016, 3:09 am
The extra day was an advantage to me! It gave me time to write up a quick post about all the comics I read last month (and I think one from January as well), which is always nice. And as well I just like having the extra day! More days equals more reading. :p