February Wrap Up

Hello and Welcome to the February Wrap Up!

PERSONAL LIFE
what happened in February

February was so much better than January. While work was exhausting sometimes, me and the flatmates have decided to get some new furniture and I also planned in my head how to change things up in my room. I started getting rid of some stuff and looking at closets, beds and desks.
I visited my aunt in Berlin for a weekend where we basically did nothing else but eat cake and watch Sanditon. I also went to visit my favourite bookshop, Dussmann, my number one stop whenever I go to Berlin. I originally planned to visit the Old National Gallery or the Egyptian Museum but then the weather was really bad and there was also some drama with the trains, so I more or less hurried to the train station instead and took the one and only train going regularly back to Leipzig.
Then our washing machine broke down, but we got a new, smaller one and I like it so much more than the old one already!
My mom came to visit us for a weekend which was great! I took some days off work and we had food together and went for an amazing hike. It was so nice to leave the city and go somewhere quiet. The forest was absolutely lovely and so was the swamp and it was sunny and the air was clear and just. It was such a perfect day. We even heard cranes but couldn’t see them.

Not much else happened but I got sick last weekend. I thought it to be cannelloni at first, but I think it might just have been exhaustion getting the better of me and my body.

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BOOKS I’VE READ

The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

Fifteen-year-old Morgan has a secret: She can’t wait to escape the perfect little island where she lives. She’s desperate to finish high school and escape her sad divorced mom, her volatile little brother, and worst of all, her great group of friends…who don’t understand Morgan at all. Because really, Morgan’s biggest secret is that she has a lot of secrets, including the one about wanting to kiss another girl.
Then one night, Morgan is saved from drowning by a mysterious girl named Keltie. The two become friends and suddenly life on the island doesn’t seem so stifling anymore.
But Keltie has some secrets of her own. And as the girls start to fall in love, everything they’re each trying to hide will find its way to the surface…whether Morgan is ready or not.

I’ve heard a lot of positive stuff about this graphic novels from people whose reading taste I trust, so when I saw this in a bookshop in Berlin, I picked it up. I have to admit that I wasn’t the biggest fan of the cover art, but I absolutely fell in love with both the art and the writing during the story! I loved the characters and especially so the protagonist, Morgan. But the other characters were amazing as well. And it’s a wlw story, so there’s that!

Not Your Type by Alicia Zett

Die zwanzigjährige Studentin Marie ist in ihren stillen Kommilitonen Fynn verliebt, und auch Fynn empfindet für Marie mehr, als er sich selbst eingestehen will. Denn eigentlich lässt Fynn niemanden an sich heran: Keiner soll wissen, dass er trans ist. Einen wie ihn kann man nicht lieben, meint er. Doch dann finden sich Fynn und Marie unversehens mit einigen Freunden auf einem Roadtrip nach Italien wieder. Langsam kommen die beiden einander näher, das Mittelmeer als Ziel vor Augen. Jetzt muss Fynn sich entscheiden, wie viel er Marie anvertrauen kann, ohne sie für immer zu verlieren.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this book at all. I couldn’t really connect with any of the characters and I also couldn’t feel any chemistry between the protagonists. And the friend group was also. Meh. The problem was that not only did I not like the characters individually, they didn’t really make sense as a group either. Noah was constantly shitty, Joon is basically “gay best friend” but make him asian™. Then there’s all the deadnaming and some racism thrown in. That the characters notice themselves being racist doesn’t exactly make it better. That was just unnecessary. Just. That’s a big no from me.

Girls of Fate and Fury by Natasha Ngan
Girls of Paper and Fire #3

The jaw-dropping conclusion to Girls of Storm and Shadow left the fates of Lei and Wren hanging in the balance. There’s one thing Lei knows – she can never return to the Hidden Palace. The trauma and tragedy she suffered behind those opulent walls will plague her forever. She cannot be trapped there with the sadistic king again, especially without Wren.
The last time Lei saw the girl she loved, Wren was fighting an army of soldiers in a furious battle to the death.

One of my all time favourite series has come to an end and it was a furious, powerful, amazing one. If Natasha Ngan knows how to do one thing then it’s creating the perfect mix of action, romance and emotions. In this book there were a lot of fighting scenes, both of the war kind and of the argument kind. Then there were the tender moments, the old and new friendships, lovers finding each others, characters finding families. Ngan also managed to write about abuse and trauma in a realistic, raw way that touched me deeply. This book was all around perfect for me, just the right pacing with my beloved characters.

My Calamity Jane by Brodi Ashton, Cynthia Hand and Jodi Meadows
The Lady Janies #3

Welcome ​to 1876 and a rootin’-tootin’ America bursting with gunslingers, outlaws, and garou.
JANE (a genuine hero-eene)
Calamity’s her name, and garou hunting’s her game—when she’s not starring in Wild Bill’s Traveling Show, that is. She reckons that if a girl wants to be a legend, she should just go ahead and be one.
FRANK (*wolf whistle*)
Frank “the Pistol Prince” Butler is the Wild West’s #1 bachelor. He’s also the best sharpshooter on both sides of the Mississippi, but he’s about to meet his match. . . .
ANNIE (get your gun!)
Annie Oakley (yep, that Annie) is lookin’ for a job, not a romance, but she can’t deny there’s something about Frank she likes. Really likes. Still, she’s pretty sure that anything he can do, she can do better.
A HAIRY SITUATION
After a garou hunt goes south and Jane finds a suspicious-like bite on her arm, she turns tail for Deadwood, where there’s been talk of a garou cure. But things ain’t always what they seem—meaning the gang better hightail it after her before they’re a day late and a Jane short.

I loved the previous two books by the author trio and was really excited to get started on this one. While it is my least favourite of the series, I still enjoyed this a lot. Calamity Jane and Annie Oakley have fascinated for years now and I loved reading about them in this humorous, unusual way. I just love the humor of these books so much, there’s so much dry sarcasm mixed in with highly unlikely situations and amazing one-liners. Then there’s the aspect of having found a family and a place in the world and that there are werewolves all around. Listen. If this was a movie? I’d be the first to sit in the cinema. This would truly be SO much fun!
And it was also unexpectedly queer, which made me like it more!

Only A Monster by Vanessa Len

It should have been the perfect summer. Sent to stay with her late mother’s eccentric family in London, sixteen-year-old Joan is determined to enjoy herself. She loves her nerdy job at the historic Holland House, and when her super cute co-worker Nick asks her on a date, it feels like everything is falling into place.
Then a Good Samaritan attempt gone wrong sends Joan spinning through time, and her life quickly begins to unravel.
Her family aren’t just eccentric: they’re monsters, with terrifying, hidden powers.And Nick isn’t just a cute boy: he’s a legendary monster slayer, who will do anything to bring them down.
As she battles Nick, Joan is forced to work with the beautiful and ruthless Aaron Oliver, heir to a monster family that hates her own. She’ll have to embrace her own monstrousness if she is to save herself, and her family. Because in this story . . .
. . . she is not the hero.

This book was fantastic! Fast-paced, full of action and secrets and time travel. And monsters as protagonists and throughout it all the question of: “Who’s truly the monster here?” And “what makes a monster a monster?” I loved the characters and the story and I absolutely cannot wait to continue the series! Read my full review of Only a Monster here.

The Fabric of Chaos by Helen Scheuerer
Curse of the Cyren Queen #3

An almighty power. A deadly choice. Will she come undone when chaos reigns?
After facing heart-breaking betrayals and jaw-dropping revelations in Akoris, Roh must steel herself once more and continue her quest to win the cyren throne.
But with poison lingering in her body and a new, unpredictable companion at her side, the trek to the mysterious territory of Csilla becomes all the more perilous. Dangerous schemes are afoot – ones that threaten not only the homeland Roh intends to rule, but all of cyrenkind.
As her journey stretches across the realm, Roh must navigate the dark web of her own ambition and master her newfound magic.
Will she triumph against the trials ahead – or sow the seeds of her own destruction?

Even though I wouldn’t have expected it, Curse of the Cyren Queen has become on of my favourite series! Following Roh’s quest to become queen of cyrens, we travel through a world full of magic and dangers and the unknown. We meet friends and many foes and wonderful details. There are so many secrets for Roh to discover, so much history to unearth and I love that the reader can do that alongside her and her group of friends so well. I loved the old and new characters so much and with the already known characters, I especially loved finding out more about them and getting to know more sides of them. While The Fabric of Chaos felt a bit like a filler that leads towards something bigger, I still highly enjoyed this book!

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BOOK HAUL
the books I got this month

You Deserve Each Other by Sarah Hogle

Naomi Westfield has the perfect fiancé: Nicholas Rose holds doors open for her, remembers her restaurant orders, and comes from the kind of upstanding society family any bride would love to be a part of. They never fight. They’re preparing for their lavish wedding that’s three months away. And she is miserably and utterly sick of him.
Naomi wants out, but there’s a catch: whoever ends the engagement will have to foot the nonrefundable wedding bill. When Naomi discovers that Nicholas, too, has been feigning contentment, the two of them go head-to-head in a battle of pranks, sabotage, and all-out emotional warfare.
But with the countdown looming to the wedding that may or may not come to pass, Naomi finds her resolve slipping. Because now that they have nothing to lose, they’re finally being themselves-and having fun with the last person they expect: each other.

The Girl from the Sea by Molly Knox Ostertag

Fifteen-year-old Morgan has a secret: She can’t wait to escape the perfect little island where she lives. She’s desperate to finish high school and escape her sad divorced mom, her volatile little brother, and worst of all, her great group of friends…who don’t understand Morgan at all. Because really, Morgan’s biggest secret is that she has a lot of secrets, including the one about wanting to kiss another girl.
Then one night, Morgan is saved from drowning by a mysterious girl named Keltie. The two become friends and suddenly life on the island doesn’t seem so stifling anymore.
But Keltie has some secrets of her own. And as the girls start to fall in love, everything they’re each trying to hide will find its way to the surface…whether Morgan is ready or not.

The Ivory Key by Akshaya Raman

Vira is desperate to get out of her mother’s shadow and establish her legacy as a revered queen of Ashoka. But with the country’s only quarry running out of magic – a precious resource that has kept Ashoka safe from conflict – she can barely protect her citizens from the looming threat of war. And if her enemies discover this, they’ll stop at nothing to seize the last of the magic.
Vira’s only hope is to find a mysterious object of legend: the Ivory Key, rumoured to unlock a new source of magic. But in order to infiltrate enemy territory and retrieve it, she must reunite with her siblings, torn apart by broken relationships and the different paths their lives have taken. Each of them has something to gain from finding the Ivory Key – and even more to lose if they fail. Ronak plans to sell it to the highest bidder in exchange for escape from his impending political and unwanted marriage. Kaleb, falsely accused of assassinating the former maharani, needs it to clear his name. And Riya, the runaway sibling who cut all family ties, wants the Key to prove her loyalty to the rebels who took her in.
They must work together to survive the treacherous journey. But with each sibling harbouring secrets and their own conflicting agendas, the very thing that brought them together could tear apart their family – and their world – for good.

Tokyo Ever After by Emiko Jean

Izumi Tanaka has lived an uneventful seventeen years in her small town, keenly aware of all the ways in which her family is different from most of her classmates’. But then Izumi discovers a clue to her previously unknown father’s identity . . . and he’s none other than the Crown Prince of Japan.
Soon she’s traveling overseas to meet the father she never knew and discover the country she’s only dreamed of. But being a princess isn’t all ball gowns and tiaras. There are conniving cousins, a hungry press, a scowling but handsome bodyguard who just might be her soulmate, and thousands of years of tradition and customs to learn practically overnight. Izzy soon finds herself caught between worlds, and between versions of herself—back home, she was never “American” enough, and in Japan, she must prove she’s “Japanese” enough. Will Izumi crumble under the weight of the crown, or will she live out her fairytale, happily ever after?

Only Mostly Devastated by Sophie Gonzales

Ollie falls for Will over the holidays, but once summer’s ended, Will stops texting him back.
Enrolled at a new school – Will’s school – Ollie finds that the affectionate and comfortably queer guy he knew from summer isn’t the same one attending Collinswood High. This version of Will is a class clown, a basketball jock and, well, a bit of a jerk.
The last time Ollie gave Will is heart, Will handed it back to him trampled and battered. Ollie would be a fool to trust him with it again, right?

Seven Devils by Elizabeth May & Laura Lam

When Eris faked her death, she thought she had left her old life as the heir to the galaxy’s most ruthless empire behind. But her recruitment by the Novantaen Resistance, an organization opposed to the empire’s voracious expansion, throws her right back into the fray.
Eris has been assigned a new mission: to infiltrate a spaceship ferrying deadly cargo and return the intelligence gathered to the Resistance. But her partner for the mission, mechanic and hotshot pilot Cloelia, bears an old grudge against Eris, making an already difficult infiltration even more complicated.
When they find the ship, they discover more than they bargained for: three fugitives with firsthand knowledge of the corrupt empire’s inner workings.
Together, these women possess the knowledge and capabilities to bring the empire to its knees. But the clock is ticking: the new heir to the empire plans to disrupt a peace summit with the only remaining alien empire, ensuring the empire’s continued expansion. If they can find a way to stop him, they will save the galaxy. If they can’t, millions may die.

If This Gets Out by Sophie Gonzales & Cale Dietrich

Eighteen-year-olds Ruben Montez and Zach Knight are two members of the boy-band Saturday, one of the biggest acts in America. Along with their bandmates, Angel Phan and Jon Braxton, the four are teen heartbreakers in front of the cameras and best friends backstage. But privately, cracks are starting to form: their once-easy rapport is straining under the pressures of fame, and Ruben confides in Zach that he’s feeling smothered by management’s pressure to stay in the closet.
On a whirlwind tour through Europe, with both an unrelenting schedule and minimal supervision, Ruben and Zach come to rely on each other more and more, and their already close friendship evolves into a romance. But when they decide they’re ready to tell their fans and live freely, Zach and Ruben start to truly realize that they will never have the support of their management. How can they hold tight to each other when the whole world seems to want to come between them?

A New Chapter by Marnie Schaefers

Keinen Ort liebt die hochsensible und schreibbegabte Studentin Lia mehr als die Buchhandlung ihres Vaters. Als er plötzlich stirbt und seiner Tochter den Laden vermacht, droht ihr Paradies zu zerbrechen: Die Buchhandlung steht vor dem Konkurs und Lia ist zu schüchtern, um neue Kunden zu gewinnen. Bis eines Tages ein unverschämt gutaussehender Typ mit zerzausten Haaren hereinstürmt. Mit seinem Charme bringt Drew Lia völlig aus dem Konzept und ihr Herz zum Stolpern. Doch während die beiden sich immer näherkommen, ahnt Lia nicht, dass Drews Vergangenheit dunkler ist, als jede Geschichte in ihrem Laden.

The Fabric of Chaos by Helen Scheuerer (ARC)
Curse of the Cyren Queen #3

After facing heart-breaking betrayals and jaw-dropping revelations in Akoris, Roh must steel herself once more and continue her quest to win the cyren throne.
But with poison lingering in her body and a new, unpredictable companion at her side, the trek to the mysterious territory of Csilla becomes all the more perilous. Dangerous schemes are afoot – ones that threaten not only the homeland Roh intends to rule, but all of cyrenkind.
As her journey stretches across the realm, Roh must navigate the dark web of her own ambition and master her newfound magic.
Will she triumph against the trials ahead – or sow the seeds of her own destruction?

Loveboat Reunion by Abigail Hing Wen
Loveboat, Taipei #2

Hearts were broken, revenge was plotted—but at least they’re friends now. They left the drama behind them back in Taipei—at their summer program, Loveboat—forever.
Now that fall is here, they’re focusing on what really matters. Sophie is determined to be the best student Dartmouth’s ever had. Xavier just wants to stay under his overbearing father’s radar, collect his trust fund when he turns eighteen, and concentrate on what makes him happy.
But the world doesn’t seem to want either to succeed. Sophie’s college professor thinks her first major project is “too feminine.” Xavier’s father gives him an ultimatum: finish high school or be cut off from his inheritance.
Then Sophie and Xavier find themselves on a wild, nonstop Loveboat reunion, hatching a joint plan to take control of their futures. Can they succeed together . . . or are they destined to combust?

This Woven Kingdom by Tahereh Mafi

To all the world, Alizeh is a disposable servant, not the long-lost heir to an ancient Jinn kingdom forced to hide in plain sight.
The crown prince, Kamran, has heard the prophecies foretelling the death of his king. But he could never have imagined that the servant girl with the strange eyes, the girl he can’t put out of his mind, would one day soon uproot his kingdom—and the world.

House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. Maas
Crescent City #2

Bryce Quinlan and Hunt Athalar are trying to get back to normal―they may have saved Crescent City, but with so much upheaval in their lives lately, they mostly want a chance to relax. Slow down. Figure out what the future holds.
The Asteri have kept their word so far, leaving Bryce and Hunt alone. But with the rebels chipping away at the Asteri’s power, the threat the rulers pose is growing. As Bryce, Hunt, and their friends get pulled into the rebels’ plans, the choice becomes clear: stay silent while others are oppressed, or fight for what’s right. And they’ve never been very good at staying silent.

The Red Palace by June Hur

Joseon (Korea), 1758. There are few options available to illegitimate daughters in the capital city, but through hard work and study, eighteen-year-old Hyeon has earned a position as a palace nurse. All she wants is to keep her head down, do a good job, and perhaps finally win her estranged father’s approval.
But Hyeon is suddenly thrust into the dark and dangerous world of court politics when someone murders four women in a single night, and the prime suspect is Hyeon’s closest friend and mentor. Determined to prove her beloved teacher’s innocence, Hyeon launches her own secret investigation.
In her hunt for the truth, she encounters Eojin, a young police inspector also searching for the killer. When evidence begins to point to the Crown Prince himself as the murderer, Hyeon and Eojin must work together to search the darkest corners of the palace to uncover the deadly secrets behind the bloodshed.

Das Königreich aus Kupfer by S.A. Chakraborty
Daevabad Trilogie #2

Das Leben der jungen Heilerin Nahri hat sich für immer verändert, als sie bei einem missglückten Ritual versehentlich den so geheimnisvollen wie betörenden Dschinnkrieger Dara beschwor. Sie gelangte mit seiner Hilfe nach Daevabad – der Heimstätte aller Dschinns – nur um festzustellen, dass sie all ihre Talente dringend benötigt, um dort zu überleben. Jetzt da sich Daevabad in den Nachwehen einer verheerenden Schlacht befindet, steht Nahri vor der wichtigsten Entscheidung ihres Lebens. Doch wenn sie ihr Erbe – und damit gleichsam unermessliche Macht – annehmen sollte, wartet ein goldener Käfig auf sie – argwöhnisch beäugt von einem Herrscher, der auf jenem Thron sitzt, der einst Nahris Familie gehörte. Ein einziger Fehltritt genügt und ihr Volk ist dem Untergang geweiht, was das Schicksal einer ganzen Welt auf ewig besiegeln könnte. In der Zwischenzeit wurde Ali, der Sohn des Herrschers von Daevabad, verbannt, weil er es gewagt hat, sich seinem Vater zu widersetzen. Unbarmherzig von Attentätern gejagt, kann er sich nur noch auf die beängstigenden Fähigkeiten verlassen, die ihm unberechenbare Wassergeister verliehen haben. Dabei droht er ein schreckliches Geheimnis zu lüften, das seine Familie für immer vergraben wähnte. Und während ein neues Jahrhundert anbricht und sich die Dschinns in Daevabad versammeln, um das neue Zeitalter feierlich zu begrüßen, braut sich im trostlosen Norden eine längst vergessene Bedrohung zusammen. Eine furchterregende Macht, die einen Feuersturm direkt vor die Tore der Stadt aus Messing bringen wird…

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MY BLOG POSTS

• Review: Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
• Book List: Books with Characters that Make Music
• Exciting February Book Releases
• January Wrap Up

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BLOG VISITS
blog posts by other bloggers I’ve loved to read

• 10 feminist books that make you want to smash the patriarchy by Nyx @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books
• The Love Hypothesis – DIE RomCom für alle Wissenschaft-Nerds by Friederike @ Friedelchens Bücherstube
• YA books about Summer Romances by Afoma @ Reading Middle Grade
• New-Adult-Romance mit Setting in Deutschland by Anabelle @ Stehlblueten
• 12 Fantasy Romance Books to Whisk You Away by Kate @ Your Tita Kate
• Review: Delilah Green doesn’t care by Ashley Herring Blake by Michelle @ Magical Reads
• Review: A Lesson in Vengeance by Victoria Lee by Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books
• Interview with Author Laila Sabreen by Lili @ Utopia State of Mind

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How was your month? Did you read or do anything exciting? Do you enjoy hiking?

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Until next time,