February Wrap Up!
I'm sorry to say that February was a slow reading month for me, so slow that it put me back on my 2017 Goodreads Reading Challenge. I'm only four books behind, and I already have eight books read for the year, but I know that I'll catch back up. I'm hoping that March won't have any surprise reading slumps waiting for me.
Title: A Rogue by Any Other Name
Author: Sarah MacLean
Series: The Rules of Scoundrels #1
Genre: Romance; Historical Romance; Historical Fiction; Regency; Adult; Fiction; Women's Fiction; Chick Lit
Goodreads Rating: 3.94/ 5 stars
My Rating: 4/ 5 stars
Pages: 386 (Mass Market Paperback)
Publisher: Avon
Published: February 28, 2012
Summary: What a scoundrel wants, a scoundrel gets...
A decade ago, the Marquess of Bourne was cast from society with nothing but his title. Now a partner in London’s most exclusive gaming hell, the cold, ruthless Bourne will do whatever it takes to regain his inheritance—including marrying perfect, proper Lady Penelope Marbury.
A broken engagement and years of disappointing courtships have left Penelope with little interest in a quiet, comfortable marriage, and a longing for something more. How lucky that her new husband has access to such unexplored pleasures.
Bourne may be a prince of London’s underworld, but he vows to keep Penelope untouched by its wickedness—a challenge indeed as the lady discovers her own desires, and her willingness to wager anything for them... even her heart.
A decade ago, the Marquess of Bourne was cast from society with nothing but his title. Now a partner in London’s most exclusive gaming hell, the cold, ruthless Bourne will do whatever it takes to regain his inheritance—including marrying perfect, proper Lady Penelope Marbury.
A broken engagement and years of disappointing courtships have left Penelope with little interest in a quiet, comfortable marriage, and a longing for something more. How lucky that her new husband has access to such unexplored pleasures.
Bourne may be a prince of London’s underworld, but he vows to keep Penelope untouched by its wickedness—a challenge indeed as the lady discovers her own desires, and her willingness to wager anything for them... even her heart.
"I had a perfect life in my reach once, and it was a crashing bore. Perfect is too clean, too easy. I don't want perfect any more than I want to be perfect. I want imperfect."
The romance genre and I haven't always seen eye to eye. We rarely do. YA (Young Adult) romance (aside from the ones Sarah Dessen and Jennifer L. Armentrout are responsible for) and NA (New Adult) romance are generally going to be a "no" from me, right off the bat. Unfortunately, most contemporary romance novels now are more likely to be eye roll inducing than they are to be eye opening about what love truly is and how we know far less about how to love and how to allow ourselves to be loved, than we care to admit.
However, I've found salvation in historical romance novels and I couldn't be happier. MacLean's A Rogue by Any Other Name is lively, witty, funny, charming, frustrating, and a page turner. If ever there was a romance book to cause you to fall in love with flawed characters, it would be a Rogue by Any Other Name.
Title: How to Be Interesting: An Instruction Manual
Author: Jessica Hagy
Genre: Nonfiction; Self-help; Psychology; Humor; Personal Development
Goodreads Rating: 3.75/ 5 stars
My Rating: 5/ 5 stars
Pages: 272 (paperback)
Publisher: Workman Publishing
Published: March 19, 2013
Summary: You want to leave a mark, not a blemish. Be a hero, not a spectator. You want to be interesting. (Who doesn't?) But sometimes it takes a nudge, a wake-up call, an intervention! and a little help. This is where Jessica Hagy comes in. A writer and illustrator of great economy, charm, and insight, she s created How to Be Interesting, a uniquely inspirational how-to that combines fresh and pithy lessons with deceptively simple diagrams and charts.
It s a book about exploring: Talk to strangers. About taking chances: Expose yourself to ridicule, to risk, to wild ideas. About being childlike, not childish: Remember how amazing the world was before you learned to be cynical. About being open: Never take in the welcome mat. About breaking routine: Take daily vacations . . . if only for a few minutes. About taking ownership: Whatever you re doing, enjoy it, embrace it, master it as well as you can. And about growing a pair: If you re not courageous, you re going to be hanging around the water cooler, talking about the guy that actually is.
"Investigate the obscure. Revive forgotten stories. Read old books. Dust off forgotten trends. Listen to rare music. You might find your favorite thing hiding in the woodwork."
Hagy words herself brilliantly, and has presented a wide array of readers with fresh, quick-witted, authentic advice on how to love life; how to embrace oneself, completely; and how to not take oneself too seriously to the point of not being able to stop and enjoy the scenery. But most importantly, Jessica Hagy urges the reader to tackle each day with a "carpe diem" mindset.
What were some of your favorite February reads?
Until next time! Thank you for stopping by! And if you have yet to do so, follow me here on my blog via email subscription to be able to stay informed on when new posts are uploaded.
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- Anisa
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