February is  over so it’s time to share my reading for the month. A shorter month, and a super busy one, but I read 11 books in amongst that busyness – some on audio on some long drives but most in hard copy.  My favourite? A verse novel – Grace Notes by Karen Comer.

Here’s what else I read:

Children’s Books

1. 1. 1. Cop and Robber by Tristan Bancks (Puffin, 2022).  For middle grade readers, this is part action adventure, and part moral dilemma. Nash has to balance his love and loyalty to his dad, who wants Nash to help him commit a robbery, and his mum, who is a local cop.
      2. Waiting for the Storks, by Katrina Nannestad (ABC Books, 2022). I would read a shopping list written by Katrina! She has very quickly become of my favourite writers, even though her books have the capacity to break my heart. The story  of Zofia, a Polish girl taken by German soldiers because of her blonde hair and blue eyes. Challenging, because it is set during WW2, but still just beautiful.
      3. Bad Grammar: A School for Gentlemen, by Nathan Luff Being a wordsmith, I first thought this would be a book about language (lol) but quickly realised it was about that other kind of grammar – a school. Marcus is packed off to a school for bad boys – or misfits. And he’s not happy about it. A fun adventure.

Books for Young Adults

1. 1. Grace Notes, by Karen Comer (Lothian, 2023). Verse novels are my favourite kind of novels – narrative  wrapped up in poetry is a perfect means to covey a vast range of themes and emotions. So as soon as I hear about this one I raced off and bought it – and wasn’t disappointed.  The dual stories of Grace, a violinist whose parents don’t approve of her goal to be a professional musician, and Crux, who wants to be a street artist but has promised his Dad he’ll wait till he’s finished school. When Crux paints a mural of Grace, they meet, and together they navigate their parental pressures, as well as the unfolding Covid 19 pandemic.  Moving and beautifully told.

Books for Adults

1. 1. 1. Why Does It Still Hurt?: how the power of knowledge can overcome chronic pain, by Paul Biegler (Scribe, 2022). I found this a useful insight into chronic pain, its causes and the connection between our brain and pain in the rest of our body. I’m on a bit of a quest for such information this year, so you might see quite a few health type books popping up in my monthly reads.
      2. The Beekeeper of Aleppo , by Christy Lefteri (Bonnier, 2020). Wow. I have been meaning to get around to this book for a very long time.  Glad I finally did. You should read it too.
      3. A Grief Observed, by C.S. Lewis. I can’t remember who recommended this book to me, but it’s been there waiting to be read for some time, and now I’ve read it.  Didn’t love it, but interesting to learn about Lewis’s experience of grief.
      4. Dracula: Popular Penguins, by Bram Stoker. I listened tot he Audible version of this classic, which I hadn’t read before. Really interesting story telling. I love how it is woven.
      5. Divergent Mind: Thriving in a World That Wasn’t Designed for You, by Jenara Nerenberg(Harper One, 2021). Oh gosh I felt so very seen reading this book. The title says it all – this is a book all about neurodivergence, especially in women, and I learnt a lot.
      6. Looking for Eden, by Caroline Overington (Audible original). this was a fairly easy listen – an audio-only book with some mystery, some family issues and twists and turns.
      7. Miss Potter: The Novel, by Richard Maltby (F. Warne & Co, 2006). What is special about this book is that I found it! On a bench in the local park. AND it was left there deliberately – as a Book Crossing Book. I have always always wanted to find a Book Crossing Book and, now that I’ve found and read one, I will leave it somewhere else, very soon – and leave some other books places too. I love Bookcrossing!

So that brings my total for the year to 23. I’m not aiming for a specific total this year, but suspect the number will be highish at this rate.  What have you been reading.