The Month for Big Books and Bribing?

Hello book lovers! I thought that it would be fun to set myself a TBR pile for February. I tend to not do this anymore as I never stick to them but this month I am on a massive reading kick so I thought that I would give it another go while being more reasonable with my amount.

January was a really good month for me but I have decided to give myself a break from my reading assignments for my creative writing course (minus my massive one) and focus on some of the books that I bought recently. 

#1 Nevermoor: The Trials of Morrigan Crow by Jessica Townsend

“A breathtaking, enchanting new series by debut author Jessica Townsend, about a cursed girl who escapes death and finds herself in a magical world–but is then tested beyond her wildest imagination. 

Morrigan Crow is cursed. Having been born on Eventide, the unluckiest day for any child to be born, she’s blamed for all local misfortunes, from hailstorms to heart attacks–and, worst of all, the curse means that Morrigan is doomed to die at midnight on her eleventh birthday.

But as Morrigan awaits her fate, a strange and remarkable man named Jupiter North appears. Chased by black-smoke hounds and shadowy hunters on horseback, he whisks her away into the safety of a secret, magical city called Nevermoor.

It’s then that Morrigan discovers Jupiter has chosen her to contend for a place in the city’s most prestigious organization: the Wundrous Society. In order to join, she must compete in four difficult and dangerous trials against hundreds of other children, each boasting an extraordinary talent that sets them apart–an extraordinary talent that Morrigan insists she does not have. To stay in the safety of Nevermoor for good, Morrigan will need to find a way to pass the tests–or she’ll have to leave the city to confront her deadly fate.” Goodreads

I have already started this one and read almost 100 pages just in the first day which is a VERY rare thing for me. It brought me right into it from the first page and the world is such a vivid and magical one. This is my first time reading a middle grade book as a young adult (not counting Harry Potter) so I didn’t have very high expectations, minus the amazing things I have heard about it on booktube. With that being said, once again I have been proven wrong and I can’t wait to finish it and let you guys know my full thoughts on it.

#2 Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

“Raskolnikov, a destitute and desperate former student, wanders through the slums of St Petersburg and commits a random murder without remorse or regret. He imagines himself to be a great man, a Napoleon: acting for a higher purpose beyond conventional moral law.

But as he embarks on a dangerous game of cat and mouse with a suspicious police investigator, Raskolnikov is pursued by the growing voice of his conscience and finds the noose of his own guilt tightening around his neck. Only Sonya, a downtrodden prostitute, can offer the chance of redemption.
This vivid translation by David McDuff has been acclaimed as the most accessible version of Dostoyevsky’s great novel, rendering its dialogue with a unique force and naturalism.” Goodreads

Ah, the book that I am required to read and have been absolutely dreading. When I first got this assignment, I was super excited. The blurb sounds like something that I will love and I know how much of a respected classic Dostoyevsky is but guys, its massive. It’s split up in six parts and of course after I bought it, I heard that people loved the first part and struggled with the rest. So do I feel like I need to finally conquer the 522 paged book that is extremely intimidating? Yes, but I’m really not looking forward to it… which leads me to my third and final book for this month.

#3 Anything is Possible by Elizabeth Strout

“Short story collection Anything Is Possible explores the whole range of human emotion through the intimate dramas of people struggling to understand themselves and others.

Here are two sisters: one trades self-respect for a wealthy husband while the other finds in the pages of a book a kindred spirit who changes her life. The janitor at the local school has his faith tested in an encounter with an isolated man he has come to help; a grown daughter longs for mother love even as she comes to accept her mother’s happiness in a foreign country; and the adult Lucy Barton (the heroine of My Name Is Lucy Barton) returns to visit her siblings after seventeen years of absence.” Goodreads

Having bought this book about three weeks ago, I can’t wait any longer. I have been SO ready for the second book to My Name is Lucy Barton so my strategy for conquering Crime and Punishment is to read this alongside it. I will basically set up an award system for myself where every few chapters means one or two chapters of Strout. It should work… right?

And that is it guys! Fingers crossed that I complete all of these this month… or at least two of them. I hope that you guys have a lovely month full of good books. I would love to hear your TBR in the comments! Until next time. x