Reading Recap: February 2025

A short and sweet reading month, including a book that blew me away

Did anyone else feel like their reading was all over the place last month? Although February was a short month, it was jam-packed and flew by quickly for me. I was either reading a bunch or not at all. But what really helped me finally finish some books was dedicating a weekend to doing a 24-hour readathon with my friends!

Normally I’m reading in short bursts (10 minutes here, 15 minutes there), but it was really nice to read in longer chunks during the readathon. I feel like it allowed me to be fully immersed in the stories, which I loved.

So without further ado, let’s get into the four books I read last month:

A Tropical Rebel Gets the Duke by Adriana Herrera* | Historical Romance

It only felt right to start my February reading with a romance novel! I loved being back in this world and being back with las Leonas, but at the same time it was bittersweet knowing that this is the last book in the series. I’m really going to miss these women! They are strong and fierce and ignore the boundaries that society tries to force upon them.

I really enjoyed this third installment in the series. Aurora is the prickliest character of the bunch, but when we learn more about her background, we understand why she constantly has her guard up. And the Duke, well, he’s not like other dukes… The chemistry between Aurora and the Duke is hot hot hot!

Even though Aurora is the youngest child in her family, she felt like an eldest daughter to me (she is actually the only daughter). She carries the weight of the world on her shoulders and her instinct is to take care of others before she takes care of herself. As a fellow eldest daughter, I found Aurora very relatable.

I so appreciate Adriana Herrera for writing a historical romance series that centers women of color. The combination of learning about the history of the time + the well-written spice really does it for me. Reading this reminded me how much I enjoy historical romance and that I need to read more of it!

Homebodies by Tembe Denton-Hurst* | Contemporary Fiction

Oh Mickey, I think you’re going to be alright. This is a vulnerable representation of what it feels like to be a Black woman in the media industry. Mickey is ambitious, doing all the right things, and working her way up the corporate ladder. She gives her everything to her job, only to be told it’s not enough and to be unceremoniously let go. And then she crashes out, hard.

You know when you’re reading a book and the character is about to make a bad decision (or two), and you’re like, “Don’t do it, girl, don’t do it!” That’s how I felt reading this book. It was painful to watch Mickey spiral out and know there was nothing I could do. I feel like this falls into the category of the messy Black girl novel and I’m not mad at it. It shows that Black women are human, have feelings, and make mistakes too.

This is a slow-paced character study of Mickey, slower than I would have liked as some of the plot points happen much later in the book than I’d originally thought. Mickey certainly has her faults, but I also had a lot of empathy for her. She’s based so much of her self-worth off her career that she’s completely at a loss when she is fired from her job. HOMEBODIES was messy and relatable and I would certainly read more of Denton-Hurst’s writing.

Good Dirt by Charmaine Wilkerson* | Literary Fiction

I was so excited for a new book from Charmaine Wilkerson because I loved BLACK CAKE, and she did not disappoint. She really is a wonderful storyteller.

I read this over the course of two days, which definitely enhanced my reading experience as it allowed me to really be immersed in the story. The chapters are generally pretty short, which moves the story along quickly and makes you want to keep turning the pages. Wilkerson jumps around in both time and perspective quite a bit. I was able to follow along and I thought it was really satisfying when we found out how the characters were connected.

Wilkerson explores so many weighty topics in this novel. One of the more prominent ones is race and the way that the Freemans are judged first by the color of their skin, despite their generational wealth and success. There’s also family dynamics and the weight of parental expectations, especially when a family is altered as fundamentally as the Freemans are. She writes about how the family is lopsided after Baz’s death, and that rang so true to me in terms of what it’s like to lose a family member. This book is about grief and the way it ripples through those left behind. It’s also about the power of stories and the ability to share your story with your community or the world.

I just love the way that Wilkerson writes, with that hint of mystery about family secrets that will be uncovered. I think she truly has a gift for weaving moving family sagas and I cannot wait to see what she writes next.

Death of the Author by Nnedi Okorafor* | Science Fiction

Ok I’m going to warn you now that this review might be somewhat incoherent. This book broke me (in a good way). My brain chemistry has been altered. I will never be the same. Nnedi Okorafor, the genius that you are!!!

This novel is so creative and inventive. I’m a sucker for a book within a book and I loved that it was so meta. I really enjoyed the inclusion of excerpts from Zelu’s book and I found that story as compelling as the main story. And not only is this book brilliantly written, but it’s also so much fun to read. Also, a quick shoutout to how beautiful this book is! The dust jacket? The cover underneath? The endpapers? Obsessed.

I loved Zelu as a character. She is so singular and so herself. Despite all the naysayers in her life, I thought it was so admirable how she goes after what she wants and doesn’t let anyone or anything hold her back. Through Zelu, we see how disabled people are treated in this country and in Nigerian culture, and it is not pretty. The way that Zelu’s family treated her made my blood boil. They struggle to accept her for who she is, but Zelu cannot help but be anyone but herself.

Okorafor weaves in Nigerian culture throughout this story and I loved that so much. It made me feel seen and I also literally saw my name on the page at one point! I think that’s only like the second time that has happened for me, so that was a very cool moment. A story about AI feels more timely than ever, especially as the author shows us how history repeats itself. She also writes about the wonder of humanity and our ability to create art that moves people, connects with people, and changes lives.

You can just tell that Okorafor has a deep appreciation for the uniquely human gift of storytelling and the power of stories. Her brain is simply on another level and so is this book. Thank you, Nnedi, for the gift of this story. I know it will stick with me for a long time to come.

*Gifted by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Overall it was a short month with some excellent reads! Have you read any of these books or are any of them on your TBR? Let me know in the comments!