February Reading Wrap-Up
A few thoughts on what I read this month
Although February was the shortest month, I powered through my TBR, polishing off 8 books. This was largely aided by a nasty cold that had me curled up on the couch for a week—but you know, silver linings and all.
The Songbird and the Heart of Stone - Carissa Broadbent
Brief Synopsis: Mische and Asar venture into the underworld on a journey to resurrect a fallen god. Mische grapples with the morals and teachings of her religion brought into question as she must decide whether to betray her companion or her god.
I want to preface this by saying that I love Carissa Broadbent’s books, the Daughter of No Worlds trilogy is incredible. However, this book fell a bit flat for me. I have enjoyed the other two books in the Crowns of Nyaxia series and the accompanying novella Six Scorched Roses which is phenomenal.
I liked hearing Mische’s inner monologue after seeing her as a prominent side character in the first two books, enjoying the exploration of religion and how it can be harnessed as a justification for violence. Although this wasn’t my favourite in the series, I look forward to reading any future releases by Broadbent.
1984 - George Orwell
Brief Synopsis: 1984 follows Winston Smith as he navigates his dystopian existence in an oppressive totalitarian regime, in which he works for the Ministry of Truth, a government department charged with falsifying and altering all media past and present to align with the propaganda of the party.
I committed myself to reading one classic a month in 2025. While I failed miserably in January, I pulled through this month and read 1984. This book was an excellent first foray into the classics. It was a particularly poignant read and felt extremely socially relevant. I won’t go too in-depth on it here, but if you want more of my thoughts on 1984, feel free to check out the essay I wrote:
Boys of Tommen Series - Chloe Walsh
Brief Synopsis: Set in 2005 Cork, Ireland, the Boys of Tommen series follows a group of teenagers at an elite private school renowned for its rugby team. The series explores themes such as domestic violence, substance abuse and grief in a coming of age story told from many perspectives.
I went into this series blind, placing my faith in Booktok—always a questionable move. The risk paid in dividends though, because what an outstanding series this turned out to be, hitting me with all the nostalgia as a teen who grew up with Skins UK and Shameless. The story is gritty, as these teenagers grapple with their trauma, navigating fraught familial relationships and friendship drama.
The way these books are so heavily character driven is masterful, as we see the same timeline from different characters’ points of view, giving the narrative a deeper nuance. I have much more to say on this series and am cooking something up as we speak, so keep an eye out for that over the coming weeks.
Margo’s Got Money Troubles - Rufi Thorpe
Brief Synopsis: Margo winds up pregnant at 19 after an affair with her college English professor. Strapped for cash, Margo begins an OnlyFans and deals with the fallout and prejudice leveled against women in the sex work industry.
This book was everything I wanted and more. It was funny and cleverly written, seamlessly switching points of view from first to third with hilarious fourth wall breaks. I adored the pro-wrestler father and how we accompany Margo as she navigates that parental relationship alongside her journey into motherhood.
All the characters felt so real, flawed and imperfect. This book was able to cover serious topics like substance abuse, sexism and the stigma around sex work while remaining light-hearted—an impressive feat.
My TBR is looking a little sparse, so please feel free to share any suggestions.
Till next time xx