February reading wrap up

I've been totally absent for all of March on here so far because I've been all up in my feelings. It seems surreal that we're basically a year on from the start of Lockdown 1 and are still confined to our homes, hoping that things will change in a few weeks. I've been reading a lot over the last year as pure escapism: I've said goodbye to dystopian fiction, and delved a lot more into fantasy that pulls me away from the horrors of our world. 
Feb for me was filled with a real mix of books I absolutely love, that may well end up being some of my favourites from the entire year, and some that I did not get on with at all. Let's get things started with my kindle reads:

1.) The Volunteers by Raymond Williams - 2/5 stars
This was the book I struggled with the most last month. It was meant to be a gripping political thriller, and whilst I found it to be like this at the start, I really lost my way as it went on. The Volunteers is about an ex-radical turned journalist who investigates the shooting of a Welsh politician. The thrilling journey to discovering what happened leads Lewis Redfern, said journalist, to rethink his career and what he thought he knew about radical groups. I found this a really difficult read to dip in and out of, and honestly just got a bit lost in all the different radical groups discussed and different threads of plot. 
2.) Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid - 5/5 stars
This other kindle read on the other hand, is something that I feel is going to sit with me for a long time. Emira, the main character, is a 25 year old Black woman working as a babysitter for a wealthy white family. When she takes their kid to the grocery store late at night she's accused of kidnapping the child, and a white member of the public films the encounter. This thought-provoking book looks at the idea of the 'white saviour' and how this can be different between white men and women. It also looks at interracial relationships, fetishisation, wealth and privilege. The book started off a little slow for me, but I really got into it as it went on.
3.) The Midnight Library by Matt Haig - 2/5 stars (TW: suicide)
This was my most disappointing read of the month. I went into it fully expecting to love it, but became more and more miserable as the book wore on. When Nora makes the decision to end her life, she winds up at a library, somewhere between life and death. This library is filled with books that tell her life story if she'd made a different decision at any point, and contains a book full of all her regrets. We launch into these alternate lives with Nora, trying to find her something that will make her happy. It's hard to explain why I didn't like this without spoilering it, but I just felt as though the book had a really sad message.
4.) Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon - 5/5 stars
This was my most surprising read of the month. It was something I was meant to read at uni but never got around to, and now I wish I had sooner. A Victorian scandal novel, Lady Audley's Secret sort of does what says on the tin, and follows the uncovering of the mysterious Lady Audley's secret. It's quite obvious early on in the novel what her secret is, but there were so many twists and turns as the book went on to keep you turning the pages. I got totally drawn in and feel like it's now one of my favourite books from that time.
5.) A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J Maas - 5/5 stars (pr sample)
Where do I even start with this one? It gave me the biggest book hangover and will definitely be one of my favourite reads of 2021. The newest book in the ACOTAR series, this moves away from Rhys and Feyre to tell the story of Nesta and Cassian. It's action-filled, romance-filled and full of more insights into the Night Court families' pasts. I loved this so much. I've really hated Nesta throughout the series and was worried I'd hate this book because of it. Whilst she's far from my favorite character now, her development over the book and insights into why she's behaved the way she has were very interesting. 
What did you read last month? 
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