Today I’m talking about the books I finished in February. I got through two this month, which was short of my goal of five, but I’ll take it! Here’s what I read last month.
š Reading Stats
Books Read: 2
Genres: Fiction (2): Fantasy (1) ◦ Romance (1)
Formats: Print (2)
Sources: Own (1) ◦ Library (1)
Average Rating: 4.5 stars
š Book Reviews
š Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
Author: J.K. Rowling
Genre: Fiction ◦ Fantasy
Publication: 1997
Format & Source: Print ◦ Own
Dates Read: January 21 – February 9, 2020
Rating: ★★★★★
I first read Harry Potter when it came out in 1998. I was nine when I read Sorcerer’s Stone for the first and only time, and then followed along with the series while I was growing up. The first one we ordered from a Scholastic book order at school. It was a small paperback, and my mom read it first, then my brother and me. After that, for the subsequent books, she and I would wake up early on release days and stand at Wegmans or Barnes and Noble until they put out the book at around six in the morning. All that to say, I have a lot of fond memories of HP. For many years, I’ve been wanting to re-read it. I’ve been setting it as a yearly goal for probably the last five years or so, and I’ve just never gotten around to it because there are so many other books to read. I’m really not a big re-reader because I’m always thinking about how I’ll never have time to read all the books I want to in this lifetime as it is… buuut, I think there is always time to re-read books that are really special to you, so here we are.
Re-reading this for the first time in 22 years was quite an experience! Since it had been so long, it was practically like reading it for the first time, which was really fun and refreshing. I hardly remembered the storyline at all, except for the basics and a few small recollections of some events. There’s not much else I can say about Harry Potter that hasn’t been said before. There were parts that made me laugh (like Dudley acting like a complete brat… I don’t remember finding it funny when I was a kid), and parts that brought me back to my childhood. Re-reading this for the first time ever was really memorable and exciting for me. I honestly can’t wait to get to the next one now, and plan on re-reading the whole series by the end of the year.
š Red, White and Royal Blue
Author: Casey McQuiston
Genre: Fiction ◦ Romance ◦ Contemporary
Publication: 2019
Format & Source: Print ◦ Library
Dates Read: February 9 – 29, 2020
Rating: ★★★★☆
Note: This was the pick for my Forever YA book club.
This book has garnered quite the buzz since its release last year, and I can completely see why. It’s a romance between Alex, the First Son of the United States (whose mom is the first female president), and Henry, the Prince of England. It’s a slow burn, enemies to friends to lovers romance, that was filled with humor and plenty of sweet moments.
What stands out to me the most is how modern, contemporary, and up to date this novel seems. It almost completely represents our world as it currently is, but if we were living in an alternate reality with different star players. It tackles the modern issues and is filled to the brim with wit, funny one liners, and a colorful cast of characters who I 100% grew to love, from the main characters to their sidekicks and besties.
I really enjoyed this and have already recommended it to several friends. The only reason I opted to give it 4 stars instead of 5 was because I felt it was slightly too long at 400+ pages, and that the first third or so of the book was a bit slow going. After I hit a certain point though, I didn’t want to put it down. The other reason is that I felt it was a little too politically heavy-handed at times, and I generally don’t enjoy politics. However, I also realize this book wouldn’t exist as it is without the political part, so I could definitely overlook it. The love was so sweet and genuine that it just swept me away. There was real chemistry between the two men, and I loved watching their romance blossom. Henry struggled a lot with who he was vs who he “should” be, and I loved seeing him come into his own with the help of Alex.
All in all, this is a fantastic book, perfect for romantic comedy readers. I already miss the characters and their mishaps, and definitely would have found it five star worthy, if not for the small things I mentioned above.
š️ Favorite Book of the Month
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone by J.K. Rowling
That’s a wrap on this month’s reads — here’s to another great chapter! š
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