I had started February with Lincoln in the Bardo, which was such a fast, enjoyable read I borrowed through Overdrive. I picked this up on the recommendation of a friend because he thought I would enjoy it for it's focus on Abraham Lincoln as well as it's somewhat experimental storytelling style. He was right. I did. I found the juxtaposition of quoted material and pure fancy to be intriguing. I didn't check the quoted material, though, so I have no way of knowing how much of it was factual. Those passages are presented in order to situate Willie's tragic passing in a time and place. They give the reader an idea of how the war was going, what distractions the president was facing while trying to grieve, and how the populace judged Lincoln's actions before, during, and after his son's passing. Opposite these historical inserts is the true story of Lincoln in the Bardo. Willie Lincoln's spirit lingers in the cemetery with a multitude of others too scared or confused to move on to whatever awaits them in the afterlife.
It's an interesting story told in a rather unique manner. If you're at all intrigued, I would recommend reading it. It really is very good.
Next up, I read The Leaving. This was my Under the Covers Book Club pick for February. This young adult mystery was another quick read; I think I read it in two or three days. After being kidnapped and assumed dead for ten years, five teenagers are dropped off in the middle of their hometown with no memory of where they have been or what has been done to them. Finding answers to those questions would be dramatic enough but the five were originally six and no one knows why child number six didn't come home, too. As the police work to find answers, so, too, do the children.
This mystery was followed up with one of the books that took forever for me to read. Well, it felt like it took forever but obviously I'm speaking in hyperbole! According to Goodreads, this fantasy classic took me a little over a month to read as I started it in early January and ended it in the first week of February. The Once and Future King is an Arthurian tale. It may have also been responsible for the Disney adaptation, The Sword in the Stone.
This book was a pleasure to read even if it did take me such a long time to get through. Sure, it may have had a few dull passages, but overall it was beautifully done and I can absolutely see why it's considered a classic of the genre. I've happily added it to my keeper shelf, although I doubt I will ever reread it. It's just sooo long!
Next I read a short story collection by a former faculty member in my university's English Department. This collection would be categorized as literary fiction. I found some of the stories more enjoyable than others, but isn't that often the way it works with short story collections? Some just...resonate better than others.
Finally, I finished out February with my Friends and Family Read-Along selection, Far from the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy. I am happy to report that my second classic of 2018 was much more enjoyable than the first. As a romance, it played upon the tropes common to the genre. The headstrong, beautiful girl. A love triangle (quadrangle?). The only thing that really differentiated it from the historical romance novels I used to read as a teenager was the lack of sex scenes. I guess that's why this is termed a classic and those books were called "bodice rippers".
Overall, it was a better reading month than I had expected it to be.
In February I read:
- 2 physical books purchased prior to 2018.
- 1 Kindle book purchased prior to 2017.
- 1 classic
- total of five books toward my overall goal.
As the Challenge Stands After January:
- Read 3 classics.
- Read 18 books from my physical TBR piles.
- Reread 1 series.
- Read 16 Kindle books purchased prior to 2018.
- Read 3 non-fiction books.
- Read 64 books total.
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