Spell the Month in Books ~ February 2026

Reviews from the Stacks

I found this on one of the blogs I follow, Books are the New Black who found it at One Book More. It was originally created by Reviews from the Stacks, and the idea is to spell the month using the first letter of book titles.

February:  Freebie

I find it harder and harder to choose books that I haven't presented in this challenge, yet. And I cannot promise that here are going to be only books I never chose. I have tried to stick to a theme:  Reading/Writing. That can be a book, a letter or a diary. And I even found a book with Y in the original language, so in order not to take the same book for the umpteenth time, I took that!

FEBRUARY

F
Brooks, Geraldine "Foreign Correspondence: A Pen Pal's Journey from Down Under to All Over" - 1997

Geraldine Brooks describes how she started writing to many different people from all over the world because she felt so far away from everything. That was the same for me.

E

Truss, Lynne "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" - 2005

A hilarious book for those people who do know the use of the apostrophe (and other parts of the English grammar that seems to be so difficult to learn for some) and see a mistake right away. It's hilarious.

B

Taylor, Andrew James "Books That Changed the World" - 2008

A list of important books that made a major impact on our present view of the world.

R
Bythell, Shaun "Remainders of the Day: More Diaries from The Bookshop, Wigtown" - 2022

Another book by Shaun Bythell about his shop and his customers, his clients and his friends. Absolutely hilarious

U

Hanks, Tom "Uncommon Type. Some Stories" - 2017

A ollection of short stories, in all of them, there is a typewriter, mostly an older one, not an electric one, not a computer, no, one of those nice old mechanical ones.

A

Solzhenitsyn, Alexander "August 1914" (RUS: Солженицын, Александр Исаевич/Узел I - «Август Четырнадцатого», Красное колесо/Avgust chetyrnadtsatogo) - 1971

A tale of the First World War - or the Great War as it was called before the Second World War happened - from the Russian side. 

R

Taschler, Judith W. "Novel without a U" (GE: Roman ohne U) - 2014

I was drawn to this book because of the typewriter on the cover. One story takes place during World War II and afterwards in a Russian prisoner-of-war camp; the other is set in present-day Austria.

Y

Pamuk, Orhan "The New Life" (TR: Yeni Hyat) - 1994

In this novel, the protagonist reads a book. And it changes his entire life.

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Happy Reading!

📚 📚 📚

#ThrowbackThursday. February 2016

I've been doing ThrowbackThursdays for a while, actually, my very first one was October 2021 and now I reached my posts from ten years ago. These are my reviews from February 2016.

Delacourt, Grégoire "The list of my desires" (aka My wish list) (French: La liste de mes envies) - 2012

Jocelyne is married to Jocelyn, they have two grown up children, both work, their marriage seems perfect on the outside but there are a lot of cracks in the shell. When something unexpected happens, Jocelyne can't cope and everything seems to fall to pieces.

Dickens, Charles "Hard Times" - 1854

This could be the title of any of Dickens' novels. Another tale of how different lives were for the rich and the poor, how hard it was to get through life if you were not born on the lucky side. And still, there is so much humour in this story, The characters are all brilliant. 

Fleischhauer, Wolfram "In a Tender Hold" (German: Schule der Lügen - aka Die Inderin)  - 2014

This is a historical novel about history in general but also about the history of philosophy, in this case about the influence of Eastern philosophy on Europe, about how certain directions were taken in order to get the people where they wanted them.

Funke, Cornelia "Inkheart" (German: Tintenherz) - 2003

This books didn't contain any weird creatures but was just about magic and the middle ages where people believed in that sort of stuff. And - more importantly - a book. I love anything about books. There is a beautiful library and some interesting characters that make the story gripping.

Hawkins, Paula "The Girl on the Train" - 2015

The girl on the train looks at the people in the gardens while she passes them by. It's interesting to see how much she can see from the short glances she gets. Makes you think whether you can spin a story from every glimpse you get from anybody's life.

Kristof, Nicholas; WuDunn, Sheryl "A Path Appears: Transforming Lives, Creating Opportunity" - 2014

The authors have done some great research, as I had already experienced in their former book. What it comes down to, in a nutshell, if you want to donate money, find a cause that you consider is worthy and make sure you give it so that this money really makes a difference to someone. The authors make us understand that even a small donation can make a big change. Or if we don't have money that there are still things we can do, volunteer or write, for example.

Lalami, Laila "The Moors' Account" - 2014

We hear a story that has been told before - but by Spanish people, white people who came as conquerors to the new continent to be called America. This is told by one of their slaves, a guy from Morocco, who survives a lot of ordeals because of his determination to get back home again. 

Mantel, Hilary "Wolf Hall" - 2009

Such a great novel about Thomas Cromwell and all the other people that played an important part in the life of probably the most interesting king among all the kings of England, Henry VIII. Hilary Mantel tries to look behind the curtain of the throne, of the court, of the royal family.

Paull, Laline "The Bees" - 2014

The story about a bee who does not conform with what she is supposed to be doing, she is smarter than other bees from her status, she is "above her class".

Schami, Rafik "A Hand Full of Stars" (German: Eine Hand voller Sterne) - 1987
This is the story of the son of a baker about his problems of growing up but also about the political problems in his country and how he gets involved.

Schimmel, Betty "To See You Again" - 1999
This is a remarkable account of a strong woman, of several strong women indeed, who survived the most awful ordeal anyone can survive and grow stronger through this survival. 

The Classics Club: The Classics Spin #43

 

"Words and Peace" is a blog I've been following for a couple of years and I have always found some interesting new (or old) books there, especially French ones.

On her page, I found the posts by "The Classics Club" asking us to create a post, this time before next Sunday 8^th February 2026, and list our choice of any twenty books that remain "to be read" on our Classics Club list. They'll then post a number from 1 through 20 and we have time until Sunday 29^th March 2026 to read it.

This time, I read two books from my old list (Classics Spin #42) (The Sound and the Fury" and "Urfaust. Faust Fragment. Faust I. Faust II"). I do want to concentrate on a couple of books in the near future, so I have listed only ten books and repeated them. The books are all in chronological order.

1. Dumas, Alexandre fils "Camille: The Lady of the Camellias" (La Dame aux Camélias) - 1848
2. Turgenjew, Iwan Sergejewitsch "Fathers and Sons" (Отцы и дети/Otzy i deti) - 1862
3. Conrad, Joseph "Victory: An Island Tale" - 1915
4. Hamilton, Cicely "William - an Englishman" - 1920
5. Hesse, Hermann "Wir nehmen die Welt nur zu ernst" [We just take the world too seriously] - 1928
6. Hemingway, Ernest "A Farewell to Arms" - 1929
7. Meigs, Cornelia "Invincible Louisa" - 1933
8. Krleža, Miroslav "On the Edge of Reason" (Na rubu pameti) - 1938
9. Cela, Camilo José "The Hive" (La colmina) - 1951
10. Plaidy, Jean "The Sixth Wife: The Story of Katharine Parr" - 1953
11. Dumas, Alexandre fils "Camille: The Lady of the Camellias" (La Dame aux Camélias) - 1848
12. Turgenjew, Iwan Sergejewitsch "Fathers and Sons" (Отцы и дети/Otzy i deti) - 1862
13. Conrad, Joseph "Victory: An Island Tale" - 1915
14. Hamilton, Cicely "William - an Englishman" - 1920
15. Hesse, Hermann "Wir nehmen die Welt nur zu ernst" [We just take the world too seriously] - 1928
16. Hemingway, Ernest "A Farewell to Arms" - 1929
17. Meigs, Cornelia "Invincible Louisa" - 1933
18. Krleža, Miroslav "On the Edge of Reason" (Na rubu pameti) - 1938
19. Cela, Camilo José "The Hive" (La colmina) - 1951
20. Plaidy, Jean "The Sixth Wife: The Story of Katharine Parr" - 1953

This is a great idea for all of us who want to read more classics. Go ahead, get your own list. I can't wait to see what I get to read this time.

Here are all the books on my original Classics Club list.

And here is a list of all the books I read with the Classics Spin.

Happy February!

   Happy February to all my Friends and Readers

New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch
"Wintermorgen in Honnigsvag"
"Winter morning in Honnigsvag"

Hanka and Frank say to this picture:

"Bei einer unserer Reisen in den Norden mit der MS Otto Sverdrup von den Hurtigruten haben wir in Norwegen einen wunderschönen 'Wintermorgen in Honnigsvag' erlebt."

"During one of our trips to the north with the MS Otto Sverdrup from Hurtigruten, we experienced a beautiful 'winter morning in Honningsvag' in Norway." 

I have never been to Norway but to other Skandinavian countries and they are all beautiful.

Read more on their website here. *

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I can't believe the first month of the year has already passed. Time flies faster every year.

* * *

I read a couple of interesting books last month. 

Brandreth, Gyles "Have You Eaten Grandma?" - 2017
and
Larsen, Nella "Passing" - 1929

While the first one is a funny approach to grammar and spelling, the second is all about racism. How do we perceive people?

* * *

I have two German words for you that somehow belong together:

Fernweh (far away pain) - the longing to go away

Wanderlust (joy and longing to walk) - strong desire to travel

* * *

We had a lot of snow in January, more than in the last years together. I rather have none but we can't choose. On the other hand, I rather have a snowy month than a very hot one.

* * *

I received a beautiful present from a blog friend that will accompany me all year round. A calendar called "A Book Lover's Year". My little reading figurine is sitting right next to it, keeping it company.

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* You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about the two artists. 

🧊 I wish you all a very Happy February! 🧊

Larsen, Nella "Passing"

Larsen, Nella "Passing" - 1929

I had never heard the expression "passing" in this sense. A "black" woman who is white enough to be considered "white" and "passes" as "white". While I totally understand that in such a racist world, a women (or a man) would do that, I don't see the need why they should have to. First of all, to me it really shouldn't matter what skin colour someone has. But, if you distinguish between "black" and "white", shouldn't someone who looks "white" be considered "white". There is something I don't get. Or rather, that I really don't want to get. In what kind of world are we living???

Anyway, I found this book because it was mentioned in "The Vanishing Half" by Britt Bennett where a similar situation is described.

As we can read in the book description, the novel is about two different women, both light-skinned, both considered "black". But, whereas one of the women lives officially as a black woman, the other one didn't even tell her husband about her ancestry. He is extremely racist. Which is another thing, why do you marry someone like that? Oh, right, some people marry for money. And, as most characters, who do that, they have to pay the price at some point.

The author has used a lot of material from her own life, apparently.

This rather short novella could have been longer for my taste but we have been given a lot of food for thought here. Great book.

From the book cover:

"This Signet Classics edition of Passing includes an Introduction by Brit Bennett, the bestselling author of The Vanishing Half.

Irene Redfield is a Black woman living an affluent, comfortable life with her husband and children in the thriving neighborhood of Harlem in the 1920s. When she reconnects with her childhood friend Clare Kendry, who is similarly light-skinned, Irene discovers that Clare has been passing for a white woman after severing ties to her past--even hiding the truth from her racist husband.

Clare finds herself drawn to Irene's sense of ease and security with her Black identity and longs for the community (and, increasingly, the woman) she lost. Irene is both riveted and repulsed by Clare and her dangerous secret, as Clare begins to insert herself--and her deception--into every part of Irene's stable existence. First published in 1929, Larsen's brilliant examination of the various ways in which we all seek to 'pass,' is as timely as ever."

Book Quotes

"I can live without television, but not without books." Elke Heidenreich, German writer and cabaret artist

I would definitely claim books before television.

"If Liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear." George Orwell

Only those, who always think they are right, don't want to hear the opposite.

"There's no shortage of female role models. They're everywhere - in history, in literature, in the news. Just look around." Kerri Russel

For sure!!!

Find more book quotes here.

Brandreth, Gyles "Have You Eaten Grandma?"

Brandreth, Gyles "Have You Eaten Grandma?" - 2017

I know Gyles Brandreth from TV, mainly from panel shows. And he is always really, really funny. When I saw the title of this book, I just had to get it. I already enjoyed writings like "Eats, Shoots and Leaves" by Lynne Truss (not to be confused with the "minor royal" or "local dignity" Liz Truss) and this one was just as great.

Just as in his shows, the author is simply hilarious. He can teach us about the English language and make a great joke at the same time. 

As a non-native speaker, I am always surprised at mistakes like mixing up their, there and they're. What's the problem? Are people really so dumb or do the just not care. I suppose the latter because 90% of internet users cannot be dyslexic.

If only everyone would read this book, we could pass on a great legacy to our descendants.

And if you ever have someone correct your English, don't call them Grammar Nazis. They want to improve your English, not kill you. Call us nerds, if you like.

From the back cover:

"Don't know if it's, like, okay to say 'like'?
Are your apostrophe's in the wrong place?
Should it be 'past' or 'passed'?
Want to make fewer not less grammatical mistakes?

Then do not despair, Gyles Brandreth's Have You Eaten Grandma? is the definitive (and hilarious) guide to punctuation, spelling, and good English for the twenty-first century.

Sunday Times best-selling author and grammar guru, Gyles pokes fun at the linguistic foibles of our time, tells us where we've been going wrong (and how to put it right), and reveals his tips and tricks to make every one of us better, more confident users (not abusers) of the English language."