february book recap (100 words or less)

Hello, hello! Time for my lightning fast February book reviews.

Between my birthday, surprise trips, dinners with friends AND the occasional shopping trips, I had a heck of a time finishing books in February. There were days in a row that I would go without reading. That was a bummer! BUT, somehow I managed to still complete four books... So that lifted my spirits a little. 

In February, I read: 

Where'd You Go, Bernadette
Everything I Never Told You
A Man Called Ove
In a Dark, Dark Wood

Where'd You Go, Bernadette

Bernadette is a wife to Elgie and a mom to Bee, and a world renowned architect. The family lives in a slummy, unique house that has blackberry vines growing under their floor boards. Bee, a scholar and too smart for her own good, remind her parents of a promise they made which was a family trip to ... Antarctica! While planning the trip, Bernadette gets herself into trouble... One thing leads to another and eventually, Bee and Elgie are forced to search for missing Bernadette.

I had SO much fun reading this book. It's essentially a compilation of emails, faxes, conversations, etc. instead of typical story telling. You're  playing the detective and really getting to know each character in a different perspective. I give this book ALL of the thumbs up and what's more is that they're turning it into a movie! Coming out in May 2018 and you betcha I'll be seeing that.














Everything I Never Told You

Lydia Lee goes missing, and is eventually found dead in a lake near her house. While her family is left to try and piece together either what happened, or what went wrong, they uncover so many questions they have, and missed opportunities they had. Together, James (father), Marilyn (mother), Nath (brother) and Hannah (sister) will share their story and what Lydia, and the rest of the family means to them.

Get your emotions ready with this one! For a fictional novel, this sure is deeply personal. When reading this, I found myself not thinking... I didn't try to piece anything together, I didn't try to figure out what might have happened. I just read and took it all in. I got so lost in this book that I felt like I knew each character on a personal level. It's a great story and I would HIGHLY recommend this one. My only suggestion would be to immerse yourself in the story, don't try to figure anything out or make any assumptions.








A Man Called Ove

Ove is a grumpy old man with only one objection in mind. It's a simple plan and shouldn't take much time, thought, or effort. But when everything goes a frenzy and one delay causes another, causes another, Ove becomes frustrated and engulfed in situations. By reflecting on his past and keeping that objection in mind - Ove does his best to stay on course.

When I started this book, I genuinely thought I'd have to give it up before I could make it halfway. The old grumpy man, Ove, is seemingly racist, rude and incredibly disrespectful. ...and then you get to know him, and his past, and kind of figure out why he is the way he is. It uncovers details of his upbringing and the love of his life, Sonja and the life they lived. By the end of the book you really fall in love with Ove. I laughed out loud, I got very angry, and I had a stream of tears coming down my face for the last few chapters. A book has never made me feel this way and I will strongly urge everyone reads this. I don't think I'll ever forget this book, or Ove. 












In a Dark, Dark Wood

Nora (or Lee, or Leo, or Leonora) is living her life as a crime writer in London when she receives an email from an unknown address asking her to join in on a "hen" night for an old friend, Clare. Nora, not sure whether it's legit or not decides to go with another mutual friend, Nina. What starts as a semi-typical bachelorette weekend party quickly turns scary... Can Nora remember the details to save herself? 

I didn't get a lot of time to read during my weekend but when I did, I couldn't put this down. In all it took me four sittings to finish it (a couple of them only an hour). It's very suspenseful and will keep you guessing until the end! To be honest, I tried and tried but really couldn't pin point who the guilty person was until "they" came forward! Very good, and very thrilling! 















I've already got my March books planned out and can't wait to get started! As always, let me know if you read something great! There's not much better than having a friend to discuss a book with.