We've made it through another month and I'm in a pretty good mood because the weather was very nice today and it's amazing how that can make all the difference, especially after heavy rain the day before. The little monster and I spent time doing a "nature walk" (i.e., did our normal walk around the neighborhood but this time he brought his digital camera to take pictures of robins and squirrels) and it's really the little things.
Let's see what February looked like in terms of reading
Total books read
4
Sure, I'll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and a Quest to Belong Anywhere by Maria Bamford
Off The Edge: Flat Earthers, Conspiracy Culture and Why People Will Believe Anything by Kelly Weill
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
I also started Doppleganger: A Trip Into the Mirror World by Naomi Klein that, while an interesting was a bit dry and also long and I was not feeling it at the time.
Sure, I'll Join Your Cult: A Memoir of Mental Illness and a Quest to Belong Anywhere by Maria Bamford
There was a period in the late '90s/early '00s when Comedy Central regularly aired stand up comedy specials (crazy, I know) and I still quote a number of these today. Maria Bamford was among those so of course I was excited to listen to her book. She talks about, as the subtitle says, her mental illness and the various Anonymous groups she joins because who doesn't love belonging to a group? The book meandered a few times and while I love Bamford's voice and delivery, this probably works better as a physical book, given the audiobook often said to refer to some PDF that I did not have
Rating: 3.5 stars
Off The Edge: Flat Earthers, Conspiracy Culture and Why People Will Believe Anything by Kelly Weill
OK well I picked up this book because I thought it was about conspiracy theories in general and I still think that title suggests that but instead it was focused on flat earthers. Which is fine and it is a group I do not quite understand because of the mounds and mounds of evidence of, you know, not being round. But it is interesting to see how in general this conspiracy started back in the 1800s and how it has grown. Ultimately, I would have preferred this be about conspiracy theories more generally (and looking through a few other reviews, I wasn't alone in that assumption) and this got a little repetitive for me but it was interesting nevertheless.
Rating: 3.5 stars
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
Man, I love this book. A friend (hi friend!) was reading the fourth in the series so naturally I had to go back and listen to this again. Was it just as good the second time around? Yes, of course it was. Were there moments that meant nothing the first time around but then as I got to know the characters I realized the significance of things on a second read? Yes, a bunch of those. Will I read it again? Absolutely.
Rating: 5 stars
Beauty Queens by Libba Bray
Here's another re-read. I had been listening to Doppelganger for I can't remember how many hours but I was on day 4 of listening when I decided I was not enjoying myself and since I am reading for enjoyment, perhaps my time could be better spent elsewhere. But when none of the other books on my TBR list were available from the library, I decided to dig into my archives and check this one out again because I remembered it being silly and fun and funny. And guess what, it was all of that again. Is it little silly at times? Sure, of course. But it's all in good fun and I enjoyed myself just as much the second time around.
Rating: 4 stars
Pages read
1,280
Fiction
50%
Female authors
75%
BIPOC authors
0%
US authors
75%
Reread
50%
Format
audiobook - 100%
Where'd I get the book
library - 50%
gift - 50%
Decade published
2010s: 25%
2020s: 75%
Resolution books
25%
Only Thursday Murder Club as it is by a UK author.
