February 2017 Reading Wrap Up

Image from zoomwalls

 February was a wonderful month of reading for me. I went far beyond my goals and finished 11 books within the month! Here's the breakdown:

1. The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath (5/5 stars)

• Back to the Classics: 20th Century Classic
• Classics Club: #8 on my list
• Popsugar Challenge: A book about an interesting woman
• Mount TBR: previously owned

2. King Lear by William Shakespeare (4/5 stars)

• Back to the Classics: A classic published before 1800
• Classics Club: #4 on my list
• Popsugar Challenge: A book with a title that's a character's name
• Mount TBR: previously owned

3. Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History by Art Spiegelman (4/5 stars)

• Popsugar Challenge: A book with a cat on the cover
• Mount TBR: previously owned

4. Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen (3/5 stars)

• Popsugar Challenge: A book that's been on your TBR list for way too long
• Mount TBR: previously owned

5. Another Brooklyn by Jacqueline Woodson (5/5 stars)

• Popsugar Challenge: A book by a person of color
• Mount TBR: previously owned

 6. Redshirts by John Scalzi (3/5 stars)

• Popsugar Challenge: A book set in two different time periods

 7. Mermaids in Paradise by Lydia Millet  (2/5 stars)

• Popsugar Challenge: A book involving a mythical creature
• Mount TBR: previously owned 

 8.Maus II: A Survivor's Tale: And Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman (5/5 stars)

• Popsugar Challenge: A book that's a story within a story

 9. The Summer I Saved the World...in 65 Days by Michele Weber Hurwitz (4/5 stars)

• Popsugar Challenge: A book recommended by a librarian

10. Me Before You by Jojo Moyes (2/5 stars)

• Popsugar Challenge: A book by or about a person who has a disability

11. History of Wolves by Emily Fridlund (4/5 stars)

• Popsugar Challenge: A book published in 2017

I had my first 5/5 star reviews this month, with The Bell Jar, Another Brooklyn, and Maus II becoming new favorites. King Lear was another notable read that's going to stick in my head for a while. I'm so glad to finally start on my journey towards becoming a Shakespeare buff.

My least favorite reads of the month were Mermaids in Paradise and Me Before You, both of which I think missed the mark on what they were trying to achieve.

I finished another audio book with Redshirts, and I'm continuing to enjoy reading while running. I've been slacking a little bit in this area lately, so one of my goals for March is to get back onto a regular training schedule. I'm listen to Stephen King's It, which has been great fun so far.

My current challenge status is:

• Classics Club: 4/100 (on track to end 12/31/21)
• Back to the Classics:  4/12
• TBR 2017: 13/60
• Popsugar 2017: 18/40

This month was a bit of a "get ahead" month for me. I have some long novels that I want to read this year, so knocking some of the shorter ones out early will be helpful for the slower months later on. I'm feeling really good about where I am now and I'm ready to head into March.