What I Read ♥ February 2024

February was a great reading month! I read seven books, four of which I rated 4-star and my first flop of the year which also happens to be a fan favorite. This month I tackled a lot of books that I’ve been wanting to read so it was a beautiful reading month despite the one dud. haha

Make sure to follow me on Goodreads to be updated on what I’m reading and on StoryGraph if you’re curious about my book statistics.

My star reading scale
★★★★★/5 – Loved it! Would reread and recommend it to others.
★★★★/5 – Kept me entertained. I would reread.
★★★/5 – Didn’t love or hate but would recommend to others.
★★/5 – Did not enjoy it and probably skimmed through most of it.
★/5 – I hated it and regret wasting my time with this book.
DNF – Did not finish. This will probably be rare because I like to finish every book I start.

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The Kingdom of Sweets by Erika Johansen ★★★/5
Light and dark—this is the destiny placed upon Natasha and Clara, the birthright bestowed by their godfather, the mysterious sorcerer Drosselmeyer. Clara, the favorite, grows into beauty and ease, while Natasha is cursed to live in her sister’s shadow. But one fateful Christmas Eve, Natasha gets her chance at revenge. For Drosselmeyer has brought the Nutcracker, an enchanted present that offers entry into a deceptively beautiful world: the Kingdom of Sweets

This is a twist on the Nutcracker and tells the story of twins who are gifted by their godfather, one is blessed with the power of ‘light’ while the other is cursed with ‘dark’ and their journey into a place called the Kingdom of Sweets. I placed a hold on The Kingdom of Sweets back in December but was able to get my hands on a copy (through Libby) in February. I was tempted to DNF this book and wait until the holiday season to read it but I just went ahead and read it. I was expecting a more structured Nutcracker retelling with a twist but this didn’t follow the classic Nutcracker story at all, it was also surprisingly dark. It felt a little bit too long and the ending dragged on but it was alright. If you are looking for a horror fantasy holiday read then this is a great pick.

You can purchase The Kingdom of Sweets here


Revenge by Yoko Ogawa ★★★★/5
An aspiring writer moves into a new apartment and discovers that her landlady has murdered her husband. Years later, the writer’s stepson reflects upon his stepmother and the strange stories she used to tell him. Meanwhile, a surgeon’s lover vows to kill him if he does not leave his wife. Before she can follow-through on her crime of passion, though, the surgeon will cross paths with another remarkable woman, a cabaret singer whose heart beats delicately outside of her body. But when the surgeon promises to repair her condition, he sparks the jealousy of another man who would like to preserve the heart in a custom tailored bag. Murderers and mourners, mothers and children, lovers and innocent bystanders—their fates converge in a darkly beautiful web that they are each powerless to escape.

I wanted to read The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa but it wasn’t available on Libby. However, this short story collection by Yoko Ogawa was available so I decided to give it a listen via audiobook because I love a good horror short story collection! In Revenge, there are eleven eerie stories all interconnected in some way. Every story seems mundane at first but takes a dark twist. My favorite stories were the first and last stories and the one involving the tiger. I read this very early on in February so some of the stories now seem blurry in my mind but I’m tempted to give it another listen!

You can purchase Revenge here


Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree ★★★★/5
After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time. The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But old and new rivals stand in the way of success ― not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea what coffee actually is. If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won’t be able to go it alone. But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed

Legends & Lattes is described by many as a cozy book, and it was! It took me a few chapters to get comfortable with the fantasy element because I’m not someone who enjoys reading fantasy because of the complex world-building but after the third or fourth chapter, I finally started to enjoy myself! It was so wholesome! Think DND meets Coffee Talk! It did feel like you were playing a game in some parts, like in the beginning of the story when they were building the cafe, I could see myself (in video game mode) acquiring each part and slowly but surely building the shop. There was some conflict but you just knew everything was going to work itself out in the end. This was a delight to read and made me crave coffee and cinnamon rolls! haha

You can purchase Legends & Lattes here

Rental Person Who Does Nothing by Shoji Morimoto ★★★★/5
In Rental Person Who Does Nothing, Morimoto chronicles his extraordinary experiences in his unique line of work and reflects on how we consider relationships, jobs and family in our search for meaningful connection and purpose in life.

I found out about this book through an episode of the Books Unbound podcast. The way it was explained in the episode intrigued me so when I finally was able to read it, I was excited! Rental Person Who Does Nothing is the real-life retelling of exactly that a Rental Person Who Does Nothing! Morimoto chooses simple tasks that don’t require too much effort like accompanying someone to a cafe or concert, or simply just staying with someone while they work or study, all he asks in return is payment or transportation and a meal. He doesn’t offer advice or doesn’t do work for someone, he is just present. Halfway through, I was curious if this person actually existed so I checked on Twitter X and searched for his username mentioned in the book and he is real! I thought this was an interesting concept but the American in me was frustrated he wasn’t charging especially since he sometimes does multiple appointments in a day! But I think that’s his point. To simply exist for someone and keep them company without any pressure. If you read this book, let me know your take.

You can purchase Rental Person Who Does Nothing here


Days at the Morisaki Bookshop by Satoshi Yagisawa ★★★★/5
Twenty-five-year-old Takako has enjoyed a relatively easy existence—until the day her boyfriend Hideaki, the man she expected to wed, casually announces he’s been cheating on her and is marrying the other woman. Suddenly, Takako’s life is in freefall. She loses her job, her friends, and her acquaintances, and spirals into a deep depression. In the depths of her despair, she receives a call from her distant uncle Satoru.

After reading What You Are Looking For Is in the Library I was in the mood for another book about books and remembered about this one. Days at the Morisaki Bookshop didn’t hit the same as What You Are Looking For Is in the Library did but it did have a similar vibe. I deducted a star because the last part with her strange aunt rubbed me the wrong way.

You can purchase Days at the Morisaki Bookshop here


I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy ★★★★★/5
A heartbreaking and hilarious memoir by iCarly and Sam & Cat star Jennette McCurdy about her struggles as a former child actor—including eating disorders, addiction, and a complicated relationship with her overbearing mother—and how she retook control of her life.

I knew of Jennette McCurdy before I read her memoir because I watched iCarly growing up and saw a few episodes of Sam & Cat. This was a heartbreaking read. The character Jennette plays in the series is rough around the edges and has issues with her mother so it was strange hearing about her experience with her mother in this book and then knowing the character she was playing on screen. After everything she went through, I wish nothing but success for Jennette and her writing career and whatever she chooses to do next.

You can purchase I’m Glad My Mom Died here


Sourdough by Robin Sloan ★★/5
Lois Clary is a software engineer at General Dexterity, a San Francisco robotics company with world-changing ambitions. She codes all day and collapses at night, her human contact limited to the two brothers who run the neighborhood hole-in-the-wall from which she orders dinner every evening. Then, disaster! Visa issues. The brothers close up shop, and fast. But they have one last delivery for Lois: their culture, the sourdough starter used to bake their bread. She must keep it alive, they tell her—feed it daily, play it music, and learn to bake with it.

Lois is no baker, but she could use a roommate, even if it is a needy colony of microorganisms. Soon, not only is she eating her own homemade bread, she’s providing loaves to the General Dexterity cafeteria every day. Then the company chef urges her to take her product to the farmer’s market―and a whole new world opens up.

I ended the month by reading Sourdough by Robin Sloan. This is the story of Lois, a software engineer who takes up the hobby of baking bread after her favorite take-out restaurant is forced to close down due to visa issues with the brothers who run the restaurant. They gift her part of their bread culture and tell her to play music from their people so that it grows. Lois doesn’t follow their instructions and attempts to bake bread her way but obviously, it doesn’t turn out right. After she follows their rules the sourdough starter works and she makes incredible breads that she just has to share with everyone at her work. This left a bad taste in my mouth. I know a lot more happens in the book but I kept this thought in the back of mind the entire time. To be fair, the culture of the brothers is entirely made up and she does eventually say we’ll split the profits but that doesn’t happen until the last few pages of the book. I searched online for reviews to see if anyone else had a problem with this and no one brought it up. So that either means people didn’t care or I’m being too sensitive about this topic.

The rest of the story was quirky but I zoned out during the heavy tech talk and I wasn’t buying the romance part at all! It felt random and unnecessary. I don’t mind a love connection in a story but when it seems forced I think it’s better to just leave it out. I just wanted to read a cozy book about bread and this wasn’t it.

You can purchase Sourdough here

Have you read any of these books? What did you read in February?