February was a good reading month, thanks to some vacation days/travel days. Here are my mini reviews for the titles I read.

Clockwork Boys/The Wonder Engine: This is a duology by one of my favorite authors, T. Kingfisher. Classic epic adventure tale with a band of misfits done with Kingfisher’s signature down-to-earth and slightly snarky/ironic voiced characters. One thing I love about Kingfisher’s writing is her non-typical characters who are moving through an imperfect, albeit fantastical world. Highly enjoyable reads – I zoomed through these 2 books in less than a week.

The Hollow of Fear: Book 3 in the Lady Sherlock mystery series. I actually liked this one better than books 1 and 2, maybe because the characters felt like old friends by now? Entertaining historical mystery based on characters from the Sherlock Holmes stories but with an updated twist.

Woolgathering: This is a collection of short essays and sort of a personal life chronicle by the musician and artist, Patti Smith. I still have no idea how to describe this book. It’s sort of an autobiography, but it’s VERY trippy. It won a National Book Award and the writing is beautiful – but hard to follow, if those contradicting statements make sense? It’s a short read so I may return to it again. I feel that a second (or third) reading might make more sense of some of it. I enjoyed the read but I don’t think it’s one for everybody.

The Keeper of Lost Things: This is a sweet magical realism/contemporary fiction kind of book. Not earth-shattering but very enjoyable storyline and characters. I always enjoy stories within stories and this one contains multitudes. This would be a perfect beach read if you’re looking for one!

The Fortune Tellers of Rue Danu: This was an advance reader’s copy but I’m delighted I had the opportunity to read it. Set in Paris in the early 20th century (with a few flashbacks), this is a historical fiction/fantasy tale which was entertaining and eminently readable. Another great vacation read with lots of moody atmosphere and engaging plot.