The 6 Books I Read in February 2024

I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou

Maya Angelou’s debut memoir is a modern American classic beloved worldwide. Sent by their mother to live with their devout, self-sufficient grandmother in a small Southern town, Maya and her brother, Bailey, endure the ache of abandonment and the prejudice of the local “powhitetrash.” At eight years old and back at her mother’s side in St. Louis, Maya is attacked by a man many times her age—and has to live with the consequences for a lifetime. Years later, in San Francisco, Maya learns that love for herself, the kindness of others, her own strong spirit, and the ideas of great authors (“I met and fell in love with William Shakespeare”) will allow her to be free instead of imprisoned.

My rating: ★★★★★

This had always been on my list of books to read, and I’m very glad I finally got around to reading it. What I didn’t realise, is that it’s the first of seven books that Maya Angelou has written about her life, so only six more to go! A harrowing telling of Maya Angelou’s early years but a must-read.

Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros

Everyone expected Violet Sorrengail to die during her first year at Basgiath War College—Violet included. Now the real training begins, and Violet’s already wondering how she’ll get through. It’s not just that it’s grueling and maliciously brutal, or even that it’s designed to stretch the riders’ capacity for pain beyond endurance. It’s the new vice commandant, who’s made it his personal mission to teach Violet exactly how powerless she is–unless she betrays the man she loves.

Because Violet knows the real secret hidden for centuries at Basgiath War College—and nothing, not even dragon fire, may be enough to save them in the end.

My rating: ★★★★★

I can’t get enough of this series. This is only the second book with more still to be published, but I wish I could stay in this fantasy universe for a lot longer than the 600 pages the book provides. So good!!!!!

Hamnet by Maggie O’Farrell

Warwickshire in the 1580s. Agnes is a woman as feared as she is sought after for her unusual gifts. She settles with her husband in Henley street, Stratford, and has three children: a daughter, Susanna, and then twins, Hamnet and Judith. The boy, Hamnet, dies in 1596, aged eleven. Four years or so later, the husband writes a play called Hamlet.

My rating: ★★★★

This book has set on my shelf for the longest time because I had this idea that I would simply be bored by the contents. Even though I had heard great things, I had low expectations. However, I rather enjoyed the story that was loosely based around Shakespeare’s family. I’m not usually a fan of book set so far in the past, but this was very enjoyable.

Women Don’t Owe You Pretty by Florence Given

Women Don’t Owe You Pretty is an accessible leap into feminism, for people at all stages of their journey who are seeking to reshape and transform the way they view themselves. In a world that tells women we’re either not enough or too much, it’s time we stop directing our anger and insecurities onto ourselves, and start fighting back to re-shape the toxic structures of our patriarchal society.

My rating: ★★★

I had picked this up in a charity shop in Clapham a few years ago and finally got around to picking it up and reading it. I know there was some negative reaction to this when it first launched, about the art within the book and I felt the book itself was quite preachy. I did enjoy it but didn’t find it excellent.

I Feel Bad About My Neck

With her disarming, intimate, completely accessible voice, and dry sense of humor, Nora Ephron shares with us her ups and downs in “I Feel Bad About My Neck,” a candid, hilarious look at women who are getting older and dealing with the tribulations of maintenance, menopause, empty nests, and life itself.

The woman who brought us “When Harry Met Sally”…, “Sleepless in Seattle”, “You’ve Got Mail”, and “Bewitched,” discusses everything from how much she hates her purse to how much time she spends attempting to stop the clock: the hair dye, the treadmill, the lotions and creams that promise to slow the aging process but never do. Oh, and she can’t stand the way her neck looks. But her dermatologist tells her there’s no quick fix for that.

My rating: ★★★★

I’ve always wanted to read Nora Ephron’s work. I can’t tell you why, since I don’t really know much about her, but I had an idea that I’d enjoy it. And I really loved this book. It was witty, a little outdated but also talked a lot about living in New York which I related to and enjoyed a lot. I laughed out loud and now need to watch When Harry Met Sally asap.

Young Women by Jessica Moor

Everyone’s got a story. When Emily meets the enigmatic and dazzling actress Tamsin, her life changes. Drawn into Tamsin’s world of Soho living, boozy dinners, and cocktails at impossibly expensive bars, Emily’s life shifts from black and white to technicolour and the two women become inseparable. But when a bombshell news article about a decades-old sexual assault case breaks, Emily realises that Tamsin has been hiding a secret about her own past. Something that threatens to unravel everything…

My rating: ★★★

This book was kindly gifted to me last year and February felt like the right month to read it ahead of International Women’s Day. A story of sexual assault and powerful men, I felt like the story had strange subplots and the characters didn’t come across as likeable. I think it could have been a lot better if the characters were more developed and had more depth.