10 Must-Read Books Released in February
I’ve often wondered, when the first person pitched the concept of a leap year… like… how did that discussion go?
I just picture this room full of people — obviously all men, because women weren’t allowed to participate in decision making at the time — sitting around and trying to puzzle out a solution to the problem of this ¼ day of extra time it takes the Earth to revolve around the sun.
And then someone just said, presumably, “I’ve got it. Every four years, let’s just tack an extra day onto the end of a month. Let’s go with February, because that shit is short as hell anyways.”
And they were all like, “Eureka! Thank God we didn’t invite any women to participate, because their solution would have obviously been ridiculous.”
It just seems like… a complex solution.
One that requires serious coordination.
In fairness, though, I don’t have a better alternative.
And this year, at least, I’m not unhappy about the solution at which these decision makers arrived.
Because I’m going to spend my leap day as I spend all of my extra days — reading.
And, really, it’s a good thing this was a leap year, because this February was packed full of books that begged to be read.
Here are the 10 we think you absolutely shouldn’t miss.
10.This Won't End Well
by Camille Pagán
Release Date - February 25, 2020
Genre - Women’s Fiction
Things aren’t exactly going well for Annie Mercer.
Her career has taken a dive.
Her best friend thinks that crystals are the path to healing.
And her boyfriend, John, has suddenly decided he wants some “space.”
Unwilling to risk any other disasters befalling her, and generally just fed up with life altogether, Annie decides that she needs a break.
From everyone.
Though she’s initially resolute in her decision to become an elective hermit, she begins to waiver when a mysterious new woman moves next door.
Annie can’t help but feel that her new neighbor, Harper, is vulnerable. And she feels honor-bound to do something about it.
Unable to keep a watchful eye over Harper alone, she enlists the help of an amateur detective, Mo.
And then, John waltzes back into her life.
As Annie finds herself becoming increasingly less isolated, she begins to wonder if cutting herself off from the world was really the right tactic to begin with.
Rich in exploration of complex themes that are tempered by light and easy prose, this novel is the perfect read for anyone who still, somehow, doesn’t have it all figured out just yet -- which, let’s face it, is most of us.
9. The Other Mrs.
by Mary Kubica
Release Date - February 18, 2020
Genre - Thriller
Sadie Foust’s life is all about change, lately. She has recently relocated from urban Chicago to a sleepy town in Maine with her husband and their two sons. While both Sadie and her husband, Will, were reluctant to leave behind the metropolis in which they met and began building their family, a collection of circumstances made uprooting their life the logical choice.
First, Sadie discovered that Will — whom she had always trusted relatively implicitly — had been cheating on her.
Then, Will’s sister, who suffered for years from fibromyalgia, killed herself, leaving behind a high school age daughter to raise and a large house to care for.
So the couple moved, putting distances between themselves and Will’s betrayal and honoring Will’s sister’s likely wishes that her daughter, Imogen, have the opportunity to finish growing up in the small town she had always known.
But trouble has followed them, it would appear. Shortly after they move in, a neighbor, Morgan, is found dead in her home.
Though Sadie insists she knows nothing about what happened to Morgan — in fact, she barely knows Morgan at all — there is evidence to the contrary.
An elderly couple who live down the street insist that they saw Sadie and Morgan in a heated argument one day. Sadie knows the couple’s account can’t be true, as she doesn’t remember having any real interactions with Morgan.
Finding herself in the unexpected position of having to clear her name, Sadie does all she can think to do. She tries to find out what happened to Morgan so she can escape the thick cloud of suspicion under which she is trapped.
With a secondary twist that will knock readers on their asses, this thriller is one people will be talking about with bookish friends.
8. What Kind of Girl
by Alyssa Sheinmel
Release Date - February 4, 2020
Genre - Young Adult
When Mike Parker hit his girlfriend, he bruised not just her face but also her social standing.
She decides — in a move that some call courageous — to go to the principal, tell him what Mike has done to her, and push for him to be consequenced.
As anyone who has ever been in high school knows, however, opinions regarding her decision are certainly mixed.
Some of the student body of North Bay Academy are quick to believe this girl, insisting not only that she wouldn’t lie but also that there could be no other explanation for her visible injuries.
Others contend that her story doesn’t make sense. Her choice to go to the principal and not the police seems illogical. And her overall credibility is wanting.
As the scandal rocks the school, the accuser finds herself in an unenviable position. The center of attention she never sought, all she can do is hope that it becomes clear to everyone that she’s not the one who’s lying.
This newest novel by Alyssa Sheinmel transports older readers back to their tumultuous high school years and gives younger readers a new perspective on the inner-workings of clique culture. Sharp and heartbreaking, it deserves a spot on your TBR.
7. Been There, Married That
by Gigi Levangie
Release Date - February 11, 2020
Genre - Women’s Fiction
Despite being saddled at birth with a truly unfortunate name, Agnes Murphy Nash really does seem to have it all.
Married to a powerful and — more importantly — rich producer, she really doesn’t want for anything.
But that changes in an instant when Agnes returns home to discover that the locks have been changed.
She has — quite unceremoniously — been kicked to the curb.
Though this obviously isn’t her ideal situation, she can handle it. But then her soon-to-be-ex-husband, Trevor, takes it too far. Motivated less by love and more by status, he makes a bid for custody of their tween daughter, Pep.
No longer willing to play by the rules, Agnes enlists some unlikely help and sets out to right some wrongs.
But as she works to re-invent herself, she’s forced to truly ponder who she is, what she wants, and who she really loves.
A caustic tale of modern love and lust, Levangie’s novel, which is equal parts hilarious and heartbreaking, is best enjoyed pool-side with a cool, crisp martini.
6. Miss You Love You Hate You Bye
by Abby Sher
Release Date - February 18, 2020
Genre - Young Adult
Zoe and Hank’s friendship works so well specifically because they are so different.
While Zoe is confident and popular, Hank is happy to hang out in the background.
While Zoe likes making decisions, Hank loves having decisions made for her.
While Zoe always knows just what to say, Hank is happiest when she doesn’t have to say anything at all.
Their symbiotic relationship works, beautifully. But the balance is shaken when Zoe’s parents unexpectedly divorce.
Now lacking the confidence that she once had in abundance, Zoe can no longer be the strong one in the friendship.
This forces Hank to step up, step into the spotlight, and take on the role that Zoe once made look so effortless.
Anyone who has ever had a best friend will find something to love in this surprisingly emotional novel. With sparkling prose and deep, important themes, this Abby Sher novel is a cathartic read.
5. Love, Unscripted
by Owen Nicholls
Release Date - February 11, 2020
Genre - Literary Fiction
A projectionist by trade, Nick isn’t satisfied to watch rom coms play out on the silver screen.
He’s committed to having his own great, big, Earth-shattering love.
And when he meets Elle on the night of the 2008 presidential election — which, let’s face it, is meet-cute-y enough to tell the grandkids about — he is convinced his search is over.
Cue music.
Roll credits.
Or so Nick assumes
But he realizes he’s wrong when Elle moves out.
The spark that ignited between them on that fateful night never resulted in a lasting fire, she insists.
This leaves Nick scrambling.
He doesn’t know what to do or where to go. In fact, he only knows one thing for sure: Elle is his Meg Ryan and he is her Tom Hanks.
It never ends badly in the movies and it won’t end badly for him.
Not if he has anything to say about it.
A treat for fans of rom coms in particular and movies in general, this light and adorable read is peppered with pleasing pop culture references.
4. Follow Me
by Kathleen Barber
Release Date - February 25, 2020
Genre - Thriller
Audrey Miller has been begging people to follow her for years.
Not using words, of course, because that would seem desperate.
But instead by posting a carefully curated collection of photos showing an enviable, polished, organized life that she doesn’t live but has learned how to masterfully fake.
Due, in part, to her success in building an online persona, she lands her dream job, working in a museum in Washington, DC.
The job will require a relocation, of course. But it’s worth it, she thinks.
She built a life in NYC, so of course she can do the same in DC.
Plus, she has a friend there — a college confidant who she hasn’t seen in years to whom she’s remained close.
But despite this safety net, things don’t go right in DC.
For starters, the apartment — which she booked sight-unseen — isn’t what she had hoped. In fact, she doesn’t even feel safe in the dungon-esque basement, to which her landlord’s creepy grandson has a key.
Then, to make matters worse, she starts to feel as if she is being watched.
Is someone really out there, lurking in the shadows, waiting — potentially — to do her harm, or is this all in her head?
A cogent reminder that sharing your life online can come at a steep price, Kathleen Barber’s sophomore effort is a fast, easy, engaging read.
Stop scrolling through your insta feed, set down your phone, and pick up this novel.
3. The Dark Corners Of The Night
by Meg Gardiner
Release Date - February 18, 2020
Genre - Thriller
For the children of Los Angeles, there really is something to fear in the dark.
A killer lurks the streets, embodying the oft-feared boogie man. He comes at night, taking the parents and leaving the children to suffer the memories of what no one, let alone the young and impressionable, should have to witness.
He is called The Midnight Man, and Caitlin Hendrix is here to stop him.
Caitlin feels the weight of this responsibility acutely as she knows that, as a seasoned serial killer hunter, she might truly be the only person who can bring this reign of terror to a close.
But as she gets closer and closer to her newest UNSUB (unknown subject) she begins to realize that unmasking this villain could mean exposing a painful secret from her past as well.
This truly terrifying novel — the third in the UNSUB series — will keep you up reading well into the night and leave you reluctant to turn off the lamp once you finish.
2. The Sun Down Motel
by Simone St. James
Release Date - February 18, 2020
Genre - Thriller
Though Viv Delaney had her sights set on New York City when she left home, pretty much penniless and entirely without a plan, she only ever made it as far as upstate New York.
It’s not surprising, really, given everything working against her. A young woman, on her own, without money, in the technology desert that was 1982, the odds were certainly not in her favor.
Determined not to go home, she takes a job working overnights at The Sun Down Motel, an ill-conceived highway-side lodging option nestled against the sleepy upstate town of Fell, New York. Though, in 1982, The Sun Down is relatively new, it’s already had a storied history.
Deaths.
Disasters
Disappearances.
The Sun Down has seen it all.
And at night, when the lights are low and the outside spookily calm, Viv sees it, too.
Braver than most, Viv doesn’t allow these apparitions to scare her away from The Sun Down. Quite the contrary, she somehow finds herself drawn even closer to this spooky motel.
They can’t hurt her, she thinks.
She doesn’t realize how wrong she is, until the night she disappears.
Now, over thirty years later, a new young woman — very much like Viv — arrives in town.
Prompted by the recent death of her mother — Viv’s sister — Carly has abandoned her life and her plans and come to upstate New York to do something she didn’t feel like she could do when her mother was alive: find out what happened to the aunt she has never known.
Desperate for answers that are certainly not forthcoming, Carly takes a job at The Sun Down, working the same shift her aunt worked all those years prior.
One thing she learns quickly is that Fell, New York, in general, and The Sun Down in particular, are rich in secrets.
There are, clearly, truths someone is desperate to keep hidden.
And the closer she gets to finding the answers she seeks, the more she begins to realize that, if she keeps pushing, she might suffer the same fate as Viv did all those years ago.
Atmospheric and unforgettable, this Simon St. James novel transcends the genre and sticks with readers.
1. The Life Below
by Alexandra Monir
Release Date - February 18, 2020
Genre - Young Adult Dystopian
When we left Leo and Naomi — our lovelorn protagonists — at the end of The Final Six, they were each in a position of peril.
Naomi was in a spaceship, on her way to Europa, with 5 other recruits who, while competent in their own rights, were not the one person she would have wanted to be heading there with: Leo.
Not only was she not sharing a ship with Leo, but she was also resigning herself to never seeing him again, as her ticket to Europa is one way.
Little did she know, though, that Leo would soon be heading to Europa as well.
Shortly after her departure, Leo joined forces with Greta Wagner, a scientist who became aware of the misdeeds of those at the helm of the international space organization that had developed the Final Six mission — the ISTC — decided to mount her own mission to save humankind. With Wagner’s help, Leo had the chance to leave behind the no-longer-dependable crust of Earth and head off to Europa in a one-man pod.
As this book opens, we see Naomi and her fellow final six-ers settling into their new life onboard the ship and Leo, preparing for and embarking on his journey.
Unfortunately for both of the protagonists to whom we have grown so close, however, nothing is as it seems — which, really, we should be used to by now because it’s pretty much par for this course in this series.
Though Leo wants to trust Greta, he’s still nursing the figurative burns he acquired when he blindly trusted the ISTC and is uneager to make the same mistake twice. Despite his knowledge that his trust might be misplaced, he isn’t willing to do anything that might sacrifice his opportunity to chase after Naomi — because he (in a very Romeo and Juliet way) cannot fathom living on a planet she isn’t inhabiting.
Like Leo, Naomi knows that the ISTC cannot be trusted. And because she so recently discovered that her trust had been misplaced, she is hesitant to trust her other team members. And this mistrust is only heightened when, one night, someone on this ship detaches and jettisons the communications antenna, eliminating the Final Six’s ability to contact Earth.
This leaves both of our protagonists in an unenviable position: Leo, alone on his way to Europa with no way to contact Naomi. And Naomi, in a ship with 5 other people, none of whom she wholly trusts, proceeding forward with a mission that has appeared ill-fated from the start.
This continuation of Monir’s stunning The Final Six series reminds readers why they fell in love with the series in the first place. With lovable protagonists and an all-too-real problem put not just them, but all of mankind, at risk, this novel is unputdownable.
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