I really struggled with a reading slump throughout most of Feb; I’m not sure if it was because of my extremely productive reading month in January, winter malaise, or general stress, but I had a hard time focusing on most of the books I attempted to pick up. Nonfiction audiobooks were what worked for me the best (and continue to comprise a large portion of my 2024 reading in general), supplemented by next-in-series books from past favorite authors. I still enjoyed the books that I did manage to engross myself in, with one 5-star standout. Let’s get into it.

Stats

Total books read: 5

Nonfiction: 3

How the Word is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America by Clint Smith (5 stars) – I’ve been talking this book up and recommending it frequently ever since I started it. It has a really interesting premise where the author tours historical sites and then discusses the accuracy or inaccuracy of the information given regarding the history of racism; he does so in an extremely engaging and informative way. I also thought the audio narration was really well done.

The Second: Race and Guns in a Fatally Unequal America by Carol Anderson (4.25 stars) – This is my third nonfiction read from this author, and for some reason I haven’t heard nearly as much about this one as her previous two. It explores the second amendment from the perspective that it has never equally applied to Black Americans and how it has caused and allowed for a great deal of racist violence. I’ve read about gun violence and gun violence prevention previously, but this was from a very different viewpoint, and I found it very interesting, if a bit clinically written.

Magic Claims by Ilona Andrews (4 stars) – I love that we’re continuing to get bonus, post-series Kate Daniels books, and I enjoyed the heck out of this one. I never get tired of these characters and this world, and can only hope for still more installments in the future.

Dead Mountain: The Untold True Story of the Dyatlov Pass Incident by Donnie Eichar (3.75 stars) – I’ve previously listened to podcasts about this historical tragedy, but was interested in getting more information through a book. The writing wasn’t consistently engaging for me, nor was the narrative, but parts were quite interesting. I just wish that certain aspects and theories had been explored more thoroughly and that the quality of the writing had been a bit better.

All the Dead Shall Weep by Charlaine Harris (3 stars) – This isn’t my favorite series of Harris’s, but I enjoyed the dual narratives and sister team-up adventure in this one and will continue on to see how things go down in the next book, which sounds like it will feature a dramatic, deadly magical ball.