It was around this time last year when I began creating monthly reading lists for myself, which has become a practice that works very well for my list-loving, planning nature. (Last year too is when I discovered how much I enjoy romance, thanks to my February romance TBR post.)
Planning ahead what to read doesn’t work for everyone, but my hope is that you find a few new-to-you books you’d like to add to your list as well, even if you don’t have a plan for when you’ll read them.
Here’s my reading list for February.
2022 Fiction Release
No Land to Light On by Yara Zgheib. This is a 2022 release that I managed to snag from my library fairly quickly (new releases always have long holds queues!). It’s about a young Syrian couple living in the US, getting ready to have their first child. When Hadi learns that his father unexpectedly died in Jordan, he leaves the country for the funeral, promising Sama he’ll only be gone a few days. Sama waits for him at the airport the day of his planned return, unaware that he has been detained for questioning and stuck in a “timeless, nightmarish limbo.” I’ve heard this one is heartbreaking, yet excellent.
Deep Dive on Cults and Language
Cultish by Amanda Montell. Montell is a linguist, and this nonfiction book explores the language of cults. She writes not only about groups that most consider true cults, but also about the language of other tight-knit communities and how it bonds them together. I heard the author interviewed on a couple of podcasts and since then have wanted to pick this one up. It sounds fascinating.
Highly-Recommended Time Management Book
Four Thousand Weeks by by Oliver Burkeman. This is my nonfiction personal growth/development pick for February, and it’s one I keep hearing really good things about. As an enneagram one and an upholder, books about time management are kind of my jam, and this one promises to stand out from the pack.
Still-Relevant Classic
Passing by Nella Larsen. I first heard about Passing on the podcast What Should I Read Next? where (if I remember right) Anne spoke of it as a classic that still felt very relevant today. Now that it’s become a movie on Netflix (one I haven’t yet seen), it’s gained a lot more buzz, and I’m excited to read it for the March pick for the Bliss book club.
Backlist Science Fiction
Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. This backlist novel from 2006 is about an English boarding school whose students are isolated from the outside world. According to the Goodreads description, it “breaks through the boundaries of the literary novel. It is a gripping mystery, a beautiful love story, and also a scathing critique of human arrogance and a moral examination of how we treat the vulnerable and different in our society.” It’s one I continue to hear about, so I decided this month to give it a try.
What’s something you want to read this month?
