What I Read in February

In September 2019, Mr H and I started our own book blog; those posts are now merged with this blog, and in December 2019, I posted my very first quarterly reading round-up. I have continued to post quarterly summaries until this year, when I decided to switch to monthly posts.

Here is what I read in February 2026.


On the Marsh: A Year Surrounded by Wildness and Wet by Simon Barnes 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
[Audiobook]
Beautiful. A slow walk through the year, noticing the seasonal changes, the visiting wildlife and general joys of life 'on the Marsh'. Though Simon Barnes may be best known as a sports writer, he is just as eminent for his nature works, and this is a very personal example. I very much enjoyed listening to this, and the addition of his son Eddie's poems was the cherry on top! Just the relaxing, nature-filled read I needed right now. 


The Midnight Switch by Samuel J. Halpin 🌟🌟🌟🌟
I wasn't too sure about this book from the first chapter, but it soon sped up and was filled with magical adventure, fierce friendships and somewhat spooky suspense. There was a great mix of character types; a likeable lead (which is always helpful for me at least) and an interesting co-lead with a believable friendship development, as well as a few side characters who kept you guessing on their real intentions! 
Deep down is a dark plot centred about witchcraft, small village secrets and missing children, but Halpin managed to balance the suspense with lighter moments to make for an excellent example of why I love middle-grade.


My Cat is Called Odin by Francesco Bedini 🌟🌟🌟🌟
This was a super fun, quick read, based around the Norse Myth of Ragnarök...but with cats! Norse Mythology is a subject of interest in our house and obviously cats a huge love too, so this was an interesting and humerous mashup. My Cat is Called Odin was originally written in Italian and has been expertly translated into English managing to remain true to it's heart while being relatable from a British point of view. It was fast paced, packed with action and the cliffhanger for the sequel made me jump online to preorder it as soon as I closed the book. 


Heart-Seer: The Tale of Anise Star by Rowan Foxwood 🌟🌟🌟🌟
[Audiobook]
Talking of sequels, oh how I hope one for this appears one day! The ending was the perfect way to wrap up the story nicely, while also setting up for more to come should they decided to continue. 
Reading the world 'daemon' automatically sparks in the brain as a connection to 'His Dark Materials', however animal companions is where the comparrison ends. With ties to Folklore, this fantastical tale is a lovely mix of heartwarming moments and light adventure, touching on the power and importance of believeing, and respecting the natural ways. 


Spellstoppers by Cat Gray🌟🌟🌟
I think that Spellstoppers was refreshingly unique. A theme and plot that I personally haven't read anything similar to. Like I said with 'The Midnight Switch', it took me a couple of chapters to get invested, but the setting of Yowling felt like an inviting village that I was rooting for and the overall premise of the 'Keepers' and their malfuncioning magical castle was captivating. Overall I dropped the book down to 3 stars because as it progressed I feel it was a little predictable and that the actual ending was slightly rushed. I understand that this is a middle grade book, but I have read many middle grade books that manage to keep you guessing and bring the story to a well-paced close. 

Skulkmoor by Hana Tooke 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Skulkmoor was published in September last year and I've been dying to get around to it! How many books from an author do you need to read for them to be classed as a favorite author? Because this is Hana Tooke's third release and the third I've rated five stars. Mysterious, dark, and full of adventure, this is everything I love in a book; from the map on the hardcover (a map is always a sign of a good book!) to the aknowledgements at the end, I was enthralled. Plus, support characters that are birds...? Yes, please!

Last year, I also had a stack of books that were laid out as daily, weekly or even monthly 'chapters'. This year, the stack is taller. I started six of those books in January, another three were added in February and I will rate and review them at the end of the year.

Year-Long Reads
Nature Writing for Every Day of the Year by Jane McMorland Hunter
Black History for Every Day of the Year by David Olusoga, Yinka Olusoga
Wonderland: A Year of Britain's Wildlife, Day by Day by Brett Westwood, Stephen Moss
Words for Life: To Boost Every Day of the Year by Susie Dent
Telling the Seasons: Stories, Celebrations and Folklore around the Year by Martin Maudsley
Urban Nature Every Day: Discover the Natural World on Your Doorstep Jane McMorland Hunter, Sally Hughes
Hettie Nettle's Handbook for Hedgewitches by Claire Barker
The Hidden Seasons: A Calendar of Nature's Clues and Signs by Tristan Gooley
The Wildlife Gardener's Almanac by Jackie Bennett

February Stats
February Pages - 1,236
Year-Long Reads Pages - 248
Total Pages - 1,484
Audio Listening Time - 18h 26m
Average Rating - 4.1

February was the month I finally said goodbye to Audible, replacing my audiobook service with Libro.fm! Having cut ties with Prime a few months back after using it less and less over the past year or so, I found it hypocritical of myself to still be giving them money through my Audible subscription. I'd been on the hunt for a while for a user friendly, more ethical alternative and Libro.fm fell into my lap when my favorite small business bookstore became a part of their platform meaning I could add them as 'my bookstore' and they could benefit from my audiobook purchases too. Libro.fm are also DRM-free which means when you buy a book it is yours!! Which is how it should be.
I know I am currently still a Goodreads user meaning the hypocritcalness lingers on, but as I don't pay to use it I feel less guilty about that. The switch will come but Autism and new things don't go well so I'll take it one step at a time. 
If you'd like to take a step away from the evil machine that is Am*zon, check out Libro.fm by clicking here! (If you decide to join via my referal link I will recieve an audiobook credit, FYI. Thanks in advance!)