In January, I managed to read all four books on my list plus the 658-page novel Skagboys by Irvine Welsh, which is a prequel to the cult classic Trainspotting. For February, in addition to my list below, I’m going to be reading Roots by Alex Haley along with Shell @ Books by the Cup. I won’t review Roots at Grab the Lapels, but I will jump in the comments on Shell’s discussion posts. Here is what I’m planning to read in February:
#1 The Oldest Book on the List: Arrow’s Fall by Mercedes Lackey
Again, it works perfectly that Jackie @ Death by Tsundoku and I are reading two books per month for the first three months of the year for our #ReadLackey challenge. I received the “arrow trilogy” books in 2001!
Brief Synopsis: With Elspeth, the heir to the throne of Valdemar, come of marriageable age, Talia, the Queen’s Own Herald returns to court to find Queen and heir beset by diplomatic intrigue as various forces vie for control of Elspeth’s future. But just as Talia is about to uncover the traitor behind all these intrigues, she is sent off on a mission to the neighboring kingdom, chosen by the Queen to investigate the worth of a marriage proposal from Prince Ancar.
#2 The Newest Book I Own: Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick
When I received a gift card to Barnes & Nobel for Christmas, I chose to spend it on books that would teach me about something other than the U.S. I also bought A Moonless, Starless Sky by Alexis Okeowo.
Brief Synopsis: . . . follows the lives of six North Koreans over fifteen years—a chaotic period that saw the death of Kim Il-sung, the unchallenged rise to power of his son Kim Jong-il, and the devastation of a far-ranging famine that killed one-fifth of the population.
#3 A book for my reading about fat women challenge: Soft in the Middle by Shelby Eileen and You Have the Right to Remain Fat by Virgie Tovar
Eileen’s book is a collection of poetry, so knowing it would be a speedy read I chose to pair with Tovar’s latest book, which is also quite slim.
Brief Synopsis of Shelby Eileen’s book: A debut poetry collection about love, heartbreak, body image, how absolutely breathtaking girls are, flower blooms and starlight.
Brief Synopsis of Virgie Tovar’s book: In concise and candid language, she delves into unlearning fatphobia, dismantling sexist notions of fashion, and how to reject diet culture’s greatest lie: that fat people need to wait before beginning their best lives.
#4 A slot just for #ReadingValdemar: Magic’s Pawn by Mercedes Lackey
We finally get to the book that started it all for me in 2001 with my high school friends! *total freak-out dance!*
Brief Synopsis: Though Vanyel has been born with near-legendary abilities to work both Herald and Mage magic, he wants no part of such things. Nor does he seek a warrior’s path, wishing instead to become a Bard. Yet such talent as his if left untrained may prove a menace not only to Vanyel but to others as well.
Grab the Lapels 
I’m intrigued to see your thoughts on Nothing to Envy. I can imagine it will be quite the harrowing read.
LikeLike
I’m about 50 pages in (I started last night), and I am surprised by how little a North Korean person may know, like where babies come from. One woman didn’t know until 26. THAT is how pervasive the regime is.
LikeLike
It’s genuinely unnerving to think such regimes can still exist in this day and age.
LikeLike
I’m also learning a bit about how all this started and am surprised that most of it didn’t start all that long ago.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The synopses for Magic’s Pawn always crack me up. They’re never quite right.
LikeLike
I can’t quite remember, so I’ll take your word for it! Are there variations on the synopsis?
LikeLike
There might be variations, I can’t remember exactly what all I have seen for it, but the synopsis usually states that Vanyel was born with his powers, which he wasn’t, and so it basically skips over the first half of the book. I wonder now, if someone were to rewrite the synopsis for Goodreads, if they would write it differently.
LikeLike
Ah, yes yes yes, now I remember what you’re talking about!
LikeLike
I look forward to hearing what you think of Nothing to Envy. I read Suki Kim’s Without You There is No Us and found it fascinating.
LikeLike
I just skimmed the synopsis of the Suki Kim book and imagine it touches on many of the same themes. I’m 50 pages into Nothing to Envy, and people are surprisingly uneducated about everything, from sex to standards of living in other parts of the world.
LikeLike
I’m excited about reading and discussing Roots with you. I forgot to post my weekly!
LikeLike
That’s okay! I’m still a-reading 🙂
LikeLike
Oohh that book about North Korea looks fascinating! can’t wait to read your review of that-and Skag Boys!
LikeLike
lol, I wrote a bit about Skagboys on Goodreads since Irvine Welsh is a dude. Here’s what I wrote about that one: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2327277989?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
LikeLiked by 1 person
oohh right! K I’ll check it out
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think Nothing to Envy will be fascinating.
I read Roots in High School and absolutely loved it. I hope it’s still as good as I remember!
LikeLike
The writing is a little jerky for me, but I’m not terribly far in. Alex Haley started as a journalist, and I think that shows.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I’m intrigued about what you think of You Have the Right to Remain Fat – I wrote a review of it on The F Word! 🙂
LikeLike
Can you send me a link to your review? I liked the book but struggled for several reasons that seem unimportant? If that makes sense? I wrote a review today that I’ll post tomorrow that explains where I’m coming from!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Here it is: https://thefword.org.uk/2018/10/jiggle-with-pride/ About to go and read what you thought!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope you’re not disappointed when you revisit Magic’s Pawn. Always interesting to visit old favorites. Happy February!
LikeLike
I’ve been talking with Kim, who read all the Valdemar books there were when she was in high school. She’s joined us on our read along and gotten so into it that she’s reading past and around us. She’s almost to the end of the three Magic books, plus she read a trilogy not even on our schedule! There have been books published about Valdemar since she was in high school, so I know she’s eager to read those, too.
LikeLiked by 1 person
That book about North Korea sounds really good. That’s definitely an area I’d like to learn more about. There aren’t a ton of books about North Korea
LikeLike
It’s so rare that journalists are let in, and then they only get the sanitized version of the country the regime wants them to see. There are a couple of memoirs by folks who escaped North Korea, and I know there’s a documentary about South Koreans slipping flash drives over to North Korea so the Northern folks can see what they’re missing or told doesn’t exist.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know! It’s fascinating and horrifying at the same time. I’ve read one of those memoirs from a man who got out but those are obviously also super rare…thanks for putting this one on my radar!
LikeLike
You’re welcome! The plan is for this review to go up February 15th. I’m trying something new this month and have planned out a daily reading schedule (basically homework) during which I read several book at a time. Currently, I’m reading 6. I don’t know how this happened, but it did, lol.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yikes!!! I can’t read more than one at a time!! Good luck!
LikeLike
Thank you!
LikeLike
Making a schedule when juggling a variety of reading always helps me: hope you find it useful too. 🙂 Also, I just lurv those ’80s covers. I can practically feel the glitter through the interwebs.
LikeLike
Oh, yeah, those Companion horses are a total glitterbomb! Someone on Goodreads said something about one of the books being about lots of horsey stuff, which just cracked me up.
LikeLike
Love the cover for Soft in the Middle! Have you finished Arrow’s Fall yet? I look forward in seeing what you thought 🙂 Happy reading in February!
LikeLike
I’m about in the middle. Jackie and I will both post our reviews on the date on the schedule! It’s getting more exciting. I think Talia was just poisoned!
LikeLiked by 1 person