February Reading List

I had trouble deciding which books on my list would make the cut for my February reading, but I think I finally have it figured out. When I am choosing my next book to read, I have a habit of gravitating towards ones I have already read, you know, the tried and true hits. But at the same time, I am constantly adding more and more books to my to be read list. For 2021, I want to push myself to read more new to me books, as well as spend more time with the genres that often aren’t my first choice.

February Reading List

The House By The Sea by Louise Douglas

A Fresh Kill by Eryn Scott

The Wheelwright’s Daughter by Eleanor Porter

Philomena by Mark Guiney

Whispers by Lisa Jackson

Have you read any of these books?

Check out last month’s reading list!

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Books I Read In January

I challenged myself this month to find a few different genres to read, trying to get myself out of my regular reading comfort zone.

Time Out – Emma Murray

I thought this was so good. The focus is the loneliness of parenting, and the constant judgement from parents who seem to know what they are doing, and personally I found it so relatable. The main character Saoirse is asked to pitch a concept for a book about the dark side of being a parent, while dealing with a few personal problems and a whole Facebook group of judgy and critical moms.

Orphan Train – Christina Baker Kline

This was a hard read, not because it was bad, but because I found it so emotional in parts. The main character Vivian was put on an orphan train as a young child, and the story is an account of those experiences. It definitely isn’t a lighthearted read, but very good nonetheless.

#No Filter – Maxine Morrey

I honestly didn’t enjoy this one much, it was quite the struggle to get to the end. It started out well, but felt kind of stale and boring the further I got into it.

A Crafty Crime – Eryn Scott

I don’t tend to read mystery books, something about them can set off my anxiety unless I am in the right mood. But I’ve been trying to read a greater variety of books, and I quite liked this one, it had an almost quaint feel to it. Jam, syrup, knitting, cats, and murder, what more could you possibly want from a book?

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Friday Face-Off: Classic/Vintage Sci-Fi

Friday Face-Off is a weekly meme originally created by Books by Proxy, and is currently hosted by Lynn’s Books.

The idea is to compare different book covers, based on a weekly changing theme.

The theme for this week’s Friday Face-Off is classic or vintage sci-fi, and the book I chose is Time Machine written by H.G. Wells.

I have two favourite book covers this week, I find both to be quite beautiful in different ways.

I find the way the clock eclipses the earth in this image to be hauntingly beautiful. I just love the way it looks.

I find this image to be beautiful too, but in a more destructive kind of a way. I like the worn weathered look of the clock intertwined with the lightning flashes.

What do you think? Let me know which of these is your favourite book cover!

WWW WEDNESDAY – 27 Jan 2021

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking On A World Of Words. I have participated in this in the past, and enjoy taking part.

The three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you finish reading recently?
  • What do you think you will read next?

What are you currently reading?

I have just started reading Parenting Children With ADHD by Sarah Snowden, and What Your ADHD Child Wishes You Knew by Sharon Saline, as my daughter got her diagnosis and I have been looking for the best tools to help me support her and be the best advocate for her that I can be. So far I have found both books incredibly helpful, and hopefully I can use them to help my little girl.

What did you finish reading recently?

I finished A Crafty Crime by Eryn Scott. Oh my, I enjoyed this book so much. It was a comforting read, despite being a murder mystery. Jam, knitting, cats, and murder, what else could one possibly need in a book?

What do you think you will read next?

I loved A Crafty Crime so much, I have added the second book in the series to my to be read list. It is called A Fresh Kill, and it has just made it to the top of the list!

Don’t forget to check out last weeks WWW Wednesday!

Some of the links on this post may be affiliate links. Chaotic&Colourful is a participant in affiliate programs designed to provide a way for sites to earn a small commission by linking to products. If you purchase a product or service through an affiliate link, your cost will be the same but Chaotic&Colourful will automatically receive a small commission. Your support is greatly appreciated!

Getting Back Into Knitting

Knitting is usually one of my happy places, but lately I’ve found myself lacking in both inspiration and desire to pick up the needles and knit something. Maybe it’s just a slump, I’m not sure, but it’s time I get back into some of my hobbies.

I have decided to ease my way back into knitting. Previously I posted some of my knitting goals for this year, but for my first project I have decided to make just a simple corner to corner garter stitch face cloth. For this project I am using Bernat handicrafter cotton in the Azalea colour.

I started out by casting on 3 stitches, and just simple garter stitch, adding stitches on every other row.

What yarny projects are you currently working on?

2021 Knitting Goals

2020 was a mixed bag for me. In some ways, I quite enjoyed the slowness of the early days of lockdown. I enjoyed the extra time I got to spend with my child, the quietness of the neighbourhood, and discovering new places around the neighbourhood to walk. My daughter and I enjoyed the wildlife that seemingly thrived while the city was on lockdown. We saw birds we had never seen in our area, and more deer than ever. We enjoyed taking the distance learning outside and finding beautiful scenery in which to do our grade 1 reading and math. But as time went on, this lockdown life has gotten old. I have found myself worn down and less energized as time as progressed while nothing really changed. My moods became effected, and I began having trouble finding enjoyment in some of my hobbies, or too worn out to even bother at all.

I haven’t managed to pick up my knitting needles in months, but now I plan to change that, and hopefully get back to my old self. My goal for 2021 is to knit more and learn a few new techniques.

Knitting Goals

  • Learn to knit cables
  • Knit a completed sweater
  • Improve colourwork skills
  • Knit 15 finished objects in 2021

Patterns I want to knit in 2021

Are there any knitting patterns you are hoping to try this year?

Friday Face-Off: Alien Encounter

Friday Face-Off is a weekly meme originally created by Books by Proxy, and is currently hosted by Lynn’s Books.

The idea is to compare different book covers of the same book, based on a weekly changing theme.

The theme for this week’s Friday Face-Off is Alien Encounters, and the book I chose is War of the Worlds written by H. G. Wells.

I have three book covers that I really like, for varying and sometimes slightly conflicting reasons.

I like the simplicity of this one. While the cover doesn’t tell you much about the book itself, I do enjoy how beautiful this book cover actually looks.

In contrast to the one above, I enjoy how ominous the picture on this book cover looks. It has a completely different feel to the simpler cover, but this one is a favourite for that reason.

My absolute favourite cover is this one. Like the previous book cover I mentioned, I love how ominous and creepy this one feels. But because the creature is more in the background it somehow just feels more chilling.

What do you think? Which of these book covers do you like best?

WWW Wednesday

WWW Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Taking On A World Of Words. I have been following this for a little while, but have yet to participate, until now.

The three W’s are:

  • What are you currently reading?
  • What did you finish reading recently?
  • What do you think you will read next?

What are you currently reading?

Right now I am reading A Crafty Crime by Eryn Scott, and I have to say that so far I am really enjoying it. It is a mystery, which is a different genre for me, and as yet I am not disappointed.

What did you finish reading recently?

I just finished Time Out by Emma Murray, which is a funny yet relatable book about parenting and relationships. I loved this one, and will probably read it again.

What do you think you will read next?

I have quite a few titles on my to be read list, but next I’m leaning towards Keep Calm And Carry On Children by Sharon K. Mayhew. It is a world war 2 story set during the blitz. I love war stories, so I have high hopes for this one.

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