It’s official… I have adjusted my Goodreads goal to be 52 books in 2019. I’m so nervous about it but I am still on track to hit that goal which is exciting! I didn’t read as much in February as I did in January but I’m totally fine with it. I started my spring semester and was still able to balance reading a few books with that so I’m really happy with my book count this month. To stay on track, I’ve been reading a bit during my lunch breaks and continuing to read before bed just about every night! This month was a memoir-heavy month which is not something I typically do so that’s kind of cool. I need to read more memoirs/non-fiction so let me know your favs in the comments!
Last year, I did a reading update every quarter since I wanted to give myself time to read enough books to warrant a whole post. If my reading stays on track, we can meet up to chat books every month. But if I start slacking, we’ll go back to quarterly updates. As always, you can keep up with my reading on Instagram (on stories and I try to post pics in my feed of what I’m reading as well!) and on Goodreads.
OH and one more thing, I’m participating in the POPSUGAR Reading Challenge this year so I’m including what prompt I read the book for also, in case you were curious!
7. I Am Malala by Malala Yousafzai.
4/5 stars.
“A book written by an author from Asia, Africa, or South America.”
This book was different than what I thought it would be. I found it really interesting and the story was good, but there was a lot more history in this book than I expected. I wanted to read it to learn more about Malala and her life before and after the tragedy but there was a lot of “extra stuff” strewn throughout. I understand why it was included, but it was unexpected for me and it took away from the main focus of the book and made it hard to get through in some parts.
Find it on Goodreads | Buy it now
8. Congratulations, By the Way by George Saunders.
5/5 stars.
“A book set on a college or university campus.”
This year, since my goal is 52 books I’m trying not to feel bad about throwing in short books or graphic novels or re-reading old favorites. I’m counting anything and everything and not feeling guilty about it. This was a really quick read that I finished in like, half an hour. This book is a 64-page commencement speech given by George Saunders. The book is a slightly-expanded version of that speech which centers on the importance of being kind to one another. My favorite quote from this speech is,
“What I regret most in my life are failures of kindness. Those moments when another human being was there, in front of me, suffering and I responded … sensibly. Reservedly. Mildly.”
It reminded me how important it is to go that extra mile for everyone you meet. I really recommend this if you need a reminder of how impactful the little things in life can be.
Find it on Goodreads | Buy it now
9. Educated by Tara Westover.
5/5 stars.
“A book you meant to read in 2018.”
THIS BOOK. Wow. There was a lot of hype surrounding this memoir and it did not disappoint. I finished this book three days ago and I’m still thinking about how wild her life was. Her relationships with her parents and siblings, growing up in an environment where modern medicine and the government were not to be trusted… it was shocking and interesting at the same time.
Tara’s struggle between the world she had always known and the new, “educated” world she now found herself in was so fascinating and heartbreaking. I highly recommend this book. It taught me a lot about perspective and Tara’s writing style was so good that I had to remind myself many times that this book is not a work of fiction. These things happened and they happened TO HER.
Find it on Goodreads | Buy it now
What did you read in February? Let me know in the comments!
