12 amazing books everyone can read this February

It probably comes as no surprise that I still have a bunch of books from 2021 that I wasn’t able to get to. This month, I am going to try practicing the first-in, first-out rule — because my urge to keep getting new books is unhinged and I need some self-control.

For the past two years or so, I’ve tried my best to deliberately alternate between fiction and non-fiction with every book I read. Sometimes I break this rule, particularly when I am reading a series. Or, sometimes I tend to fall into a topical hole and end up reading several more books about a subject (typical for non-fiction). I will try to abide by this rule for February, as I noticed a heavy lean towards fiction in the past few months.

Because who wants to read real life? Not me, not after the chaos that persists following 2020.

Here is my TBR for February 2022! Let’s hope we can cross everything off. I want to read 9 at the minimum.

• Hall of Smoke by H.M. Long (Fantasy, Greek, Hero/Adventure). So I read Madeline Miller’s Circe last year and I really enjoyed it, despite it being one long tragedy from cover to cover (that’s not a spoiler). I need more (Greek) tragedy, so I’m hoping to get a more adventurous story with this one.
• Five Families by Selwyn Raab (History, Crime). I am a huge fan of mafia and gangster films — The Godfather I and II (no, not III), Serpico, Donnie Brasco, Goodfellas. If it involves pinstripe suits, whiskey, and blood, it has my attention. I realized I’d never actually read up on the history of this “culture”, if you will, so I picked this up to educate myself further on the matter. You know, make sure I know what I’m getting into.
• My Policeman by Bethan Roberts (LGBT, Romance, Contemporary). This literary fiction piece comes at the praises of several booktubers and a Harry Styles, who has also been cast as the main lead for the film adaptation. I rarely gravitate towards romance books, but this book seems to revolve around themes of self-discovery, betrayal, and social constraints. In other words, very rich characters — and I won’t say no to that.

• What Happened To You? by Bruce D. Perry, Oprah Winfrey (Psychology, Mental Health). I spent a lot of my young adulthood battling insecurities, and I do not want to carry these things into my adulthood. True to the mission of this blog, I want to read this book to become a better version of myself. And that includes tackling all the ugly stuff.
• You Feel It Just Below The Ribs by Jeffrey Cranor, Janina Matthewson (Fantasy, Sci-fi). I read the words “old world” and “decimates humanity” in the synopsis of this book — and was immediately sold. It sounds like a dystopian, fight-the-system story fronted by a woman. There’s really nothing else I need to say here, do I?
• The Sum of Small Things: A Theory of the Aspirational Class by Elizabeth Currid-Halkett (Sociology, Economics, Culture). I picked this purely to cater to my curiosities about the constant evolutions of consumer behavior, social class, elitism, wealth, and so on. It’s interesting because this book doesn’t cover the extreme (low or high) tiers of society, but groups somewhere in the middle and the role they play in exacerbating the social divide.

• Little Fires Everywhere by Celest Ng (Contemporary fiction). I can’t possibly be the only elder millennial out there with feelings of aversion towards motherhood and the complicated ways it infringes on womanhood and independence. I think this book covers those dark crevices in between, and I’m intrigued. And, I’m one of those people that needs to read the book before watching the show/movie. Sue me.
• 12 Rules For Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson (Psychology, Philosophy, Self Help). I told you. I wasn’t kidding about being averse to reality or the chaos that often results from it. I once saw Jordan B. Peterson absolutely destroy a woman on live TV for her fallacious arguments about the differences between boys and girls. He reminds me of one of my favorite authors, Steven Pinker, so I would like to satisfy my curiosity.
• Where the Crawdads Sing by Delia Owens (History, Mystery, Contemporary fiction). Like My Policeman, this also has an upcoming film adaptation that I need to race against. It seems to revolve around pinning the murder of a beloved community member on an outcast, and that sounds fun. For me, not for the protagonist.

• Sensational: The Hidden History of America’s “Girl Stunt Reporters” (History, Feminism). I just need more inspiring stories of women who went out of the way to expose the world of its many evils. It’s centered on being a woman and being a journalist. Maybe a bit like The Morning Show, but in more difficult times.
• Leading Men by Christopher Castellani (History, LGBT). After I read The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo, I desperately needed more stories set in the defunct glamour of the 1950s. This time, in Italy.
• Moon Dust (History, Space). This memoir of the surviving astronauts from the Apollo missions has a really interesting perspective — “where do you go after you’ve been to the Moon?” I mean really, what else is left to do after you’ve literally reached the limits of mankind’s endeavors (at the time)?

If you’ve read any of these books, I’d love to hear your thoughts on them. Let me know if there are any specific books you’d like me to cover here for a review (Top Shelf) or for some insight sharing (Three Takeaways) in the comments below!