February TBR (2026)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back with my February TBR- suited for the month of love and romance! 

For real though, I love seeing it get brighter earlier (probably the only benefit of getting the bus to be honest). 

So far it hasn't chucked it down either, which is always a bonus. 

Anyway, without further ado, here's what I plan to read in the month of February. 

I hope you enjoy it. 

1. Watermelon (The Walsh Family #1), by Marian Keyes

This was never going to sit on my unread shelf for long. After reading (and loving) Rachel's Holiday back in April, I was always going to pick up the first book as soon as I had my hands on a copy. 

The Walsh Family series is a ten book series, from the point of view of five sisters: Claire, Rachel, Margaret, Anna and Helen; all of which have their individual stories, and then maybe a second?

Watermelon is Claire's story, and starts the day her first child is born. It also happens to be the day that her husband, James, informs her that he has fallen in love with someone and is leaving her, and their newborn child. 

Bastard. 

Out of options, she returns home to Dublin, to her parents. There, sheltered by her loving family, she begins to move past the whole mess. So much so, that when her ex-husband shows up again, he's in for quite a surprise. 

I'm not at that second part yet. At the moment Claire is just trying to get through the day in the best way she can, by trying not to drink everything in sight, but from what I've read of this, I know it'll likely make my favourites list for the year (unless I read a Marian Keyes book I like more). 

Not likely though. 

2. The Survivor Wants to Die at the End (They Both Die at the End #2), by Adam Silvera 

Another book I'm carrying on with from January. This was one I bought myself, with an old voucher. 

I chose this because, despite the heavy subject matter, I know that Silvera will handle it sensitively and compassionately. 

The Survivor Wants to Die at the End follows two people, who each have their problems with Death Cast (the app that calls people at midnight to prepare them of their death in the next twenty-four hours). 

Paz Darlo stays up every night, waiting for the call to confirm that this will be the day where his suffering ends. Well he's had enough. If Death-Cast won't call him, he'll just have to do it himself. 

Thanks to his father, heir-of-Dream-Cast Alano Rosa doesn't feel in control in his life. And with a violent organisation called the Death Guard threatening Alano, his End Day might be closer than he thinks. It's time to live. 

When a twist of fate causes the two boys to meet, they must learn to make the most out of the day, to escape the trials that both of them face, so that nobody dies in the end. 

3. How to Fall in Love, by Cecelia Ahern 

I found this gem in a market place in Stamford for £3. I was already halfway to buying it after seeing Cecelia Ahern's name on the cover, but the premise was enough to secure it as a purchase within minutes. 

It's a pretty simple premise to be honest. I'm going to quote it, because I feel like I shouldn't try and summarise it. I'll just butcher it. 

"Christine Rose is crossing the Ha'penny Bridge in 

Dublin late one night when she sees a stranger, Adam, 

poised to jump. Desperate to help, she talks him into 

a reckless deal: if he gives her two weeks- till his 

35th birthday- she'll prove life is worth living. 

But as the clock ticks and the two of them embark on 

late-night escapades and romantic adventures, what 

Christine has really promised seems impossible..."

This feels very similar to Me Before You, by JoJo Moyes. I suppose, it may have posed as an inspiration for it, but I'll decide whether that's the case after I've read it. 

For me, Cecelia Ahern has also served as one of the top-tier fiction/ romance authors, author of the book that then became P.S. I Love You, and then author of Flawed and Perfect, a much loved YA duology about what it means to stand against a society of people deemed perfect. 

It'll be nice to read one of her less popular, earlier reads. 

4. The No-Show, by Beth O' Leary 

I had to put this on my TBR for the month. Beth O'Leary's romances are always on point, and I expect this to be no different. It even takes place on Valentine's Day. 

To put it simply, The No-Show is basically three women, Siobhan, Miranda and Jane, chasing after one guy- Joseph Carter- after he stands them all up in one day. 

Beth O' Leary has been an auto-buy author for me ever since I read her debut novel, The Flatshare, back in 2021. I have enjoyed three of her novels so far, so I have little doubt that this will be any different. 

5. The Jane Austin Book Club, by Karen Joy Fowler

What is it with me and the want to read books that are to-do with Jane Austen? First Pride and Prejudice and Zombies, and now this. 

Now, this is a totally different book, as you can see. 

But why I don't just read a damn Jane Austen book, I'll never know. 

The Jane Austen Book Club is just that. A group of women getting together every so often to discuss Jane Austen's books. They are all ordinary, neither-happy-nor-unhappy people, living their daily lives. Over the course of several months, they are met with a series of obstacles: marriages are tested, affairs begin, unsuitable arrangements become suitable, and, under the ever guiding eye of Jane Austen, some of them even fall in love... 

This feels like a very character driven book, which I'm very for. I love reading about characters bonding over a shared subject, and then helping them to overcome personal obstacles. I'm here for all of it. 

This may well become a favourite of the year if I'm in the right mood for it. 

Okay! Those are all of the books I plan to read in February! With it being a shorter month than usual, I'll really have to dig in deep with some of these (particular the first two) but thankfully I have a 2.5 train journey to get stuck in next week! 

That is all that I have for you all tonight, but feel free to comment down below what you plan on reading this month, and we can talk about it in the comments! 

I hope you have a wonderful day, and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxxx

January Wrap Up (2026)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And somehow, we're at the end of January- what a relief! I'm genuinely so happy to see this month come to an end.  

But, with the end of a month comes the usual wrap up- the first one of 2026! 

I didn't get to as many books as I wanted to this month- I started off really well, finishing three books in sixteen days, and after that, I really struggled to keep up momentum. 

But I was determined, and I managed a fourth (finished literally last night). 

Without further ado, I hope you enjoy my wrap up. 

1. Eclipse (The Twilight Saga #3), by Stephenie Meyer

If I told you that I read this entire book in three days, would you consider Eclipse to be my favourite in the series? Because you would be bang on. 

There's nothing I love more in a series than a backstory of a side character, and Eclipse is full of them. 

Aside from that, it feels like things finally start changing in Eclipse, going from the full story being Bella's relationship with Edward, like in Twilight, or Jacob in New Moon, into something that's bigger than just them. 

It doesn't matter that this book isn't perfect. God knows, if The Twilight Saga was being published today, I doubt it would even get a look in against some of the other published works that we're reading today. But The Twilight Saga represents more than just a romance between a vampire and a human- it's a whole generation of readers, from my age to adults in their mid-to-late 30s. 

It represents a time in your life that is impossible to get back- except through books like this. 

It was such a pleasure to get to re-read this again. 

2. Breaking Dawn (The Twilight Saga #4), by Stephenie Meyer

So, I read this series for the first time maybe late 2010, early 2011, when I was twelve years old. So it's safe to say that, out of all of the film releases, I was most present for Breaking Dawn part 1& 2. So of course, this was the book I obsessed over the most. 

It's not my favourite of the series, mostly because of the switching different POV's, so it feels like it's moves a lot faster, but it definitely feels the most intense of all the books (of course it does Abi, the stakes are bloody higher- why am I wording it like this)?

Okay, I love this book so much, how about that? I can quote most of it by heart, I've read and re-read it that many times. Even the final battle is amazing in the books- despite it being less catastrophic than the film (I can still remember the synchronised gasp after Carlisle started running at Aro at the cinema- if you know, you know).

3. The Anansi Boys (American Gods #2), by Neil Gaiman 

I thought this was going to be a sequel to American Gods. I through the new protagonist was going to be related to Shadow of some sort. Boy, was I wrong. 

I thought Fat Charlie and his brother Spider would be making a jounrey to meet up with Shadow at some point, that Fat Charlie would develop something unexpected, and they'd all meet up, in one way or another. But there was no journey, just Spider turning everything on it's head for our protagonist. 

As always, Neil Gaiman's book was nothing like what I was expecting. Right now, that's what I love most about his works. 

I have no idea what I'm going to read of his next. 

4. Pride and Prejudice and Zombies (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies #1), by Seth Grahame-Smith

THIS. 

I've been intrigued by this since a work colleague (who may or may not be reading this now) told me about it. 

Actually, even more so, since I found out it's a FILM as well. 

In theory, this book is right up my alley. 

I have always been into classic tales, especially those with a twist to them. So of course, as soon as I received it as a Christmas present, BOOM! On to my January TBR it goes. 

And then I realised that I couldn't read it for more than twenty pages at a time. 

The audiobook helped a great deal, and it was quite possibly the reason I managed to finish it before the month ended. 

Though if there's one thing you should take from this very long winded paragraph, is that you should not discourage yourself from reading this if you think you might enjoy it. 

Pride and Prejudice and Zombies is 80% of the original book, with some kick-ass zombie killing scenes, and conversations about said zombies. I did enjoy this book, it just didn't flow as much as I thought it was going to. Still a solid read, and I'm considering reading the conclusion, Dreadfully Ever After pretty soon (completely different author, takes nothing from the classic Pride and Prejudice, just finishes what the first book starts. 

Final thought: A very unique and imaginative novel. Glad I took the time to finish it. 

Okay! Those are all the books I finished in January! The books I included in my TBR that I didn't start/ finish will be rolling over to February, so keep an eye out for that TBR! 

As always, feel free to comment what you finished in January, and we can talk about it in the comments! 

I hope you have a wonderful evening, and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxxx

Really, I'm even more confused now than I was before!

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm back with another installment of my, flying by the seat of my pants story! 

I bet you all thought I'd forgotten about it, didn't you? 

I admit, all the Christmas/ end of year posts did put this on a bit of a back burner, but I always had the intention to go back and well, see where the story takes me. 

I hope to continue to expand the story, do some world-building, and eventually introduce some new characters (even though I don't even know their names yet). 

So, without further ado, I hope you enjoy (whatever ramblings inside my head make it onto the page). 

~Really, I'm even more confused now than I was before!~

What I walk into... goes straight past surreal to nearly impossible. 

I'm surrounded by blue. That's my first thought. The second is that I'm IMPOSSIBLY HIGH. 

If there's a God up here, please don't let me throw up. 

Before I can procress anything, I automatically reach for Gus' hand. Mine's dripping with sweat. 

He pulls away immediately. 

"What the? Oh Kid, stop that, your palm's all sweaty!" A deep, belly laugh escapes out of him. He's amused at my horror! 

"What do you mean, stop that?! There's no FLOOR!" I try to run, to move in any which way, just away, so I can make sense of what's happening and how we're somehow in the fucking AIR! 

Gus sighs, scratches his neck. "Look kid, or... look Charlie. You're safe, I promise. Nothing is going to happen to you. Look down." 

"That's the last thing I want to do, thank you very much!" Just keep looking at Gus, Charlie. Don't look down.

"Look Charlie. Just look. I've got you." He reaches for my hand. "Sweaty or not. I promise, we're not going to fall. Just look." 

And somehow, as quick as a chiming of a clock, I believe him. 

Taking one quick breath in preparation, I extend my neck outwards. 

What I see, it looks... magical. 

We're in the middle of a boundless sky, seemingly floating in space, but I also know for sure that it isn't, because I can see movement, when random gusts of wind appear. They come and go. I guess you could describe it as an invisible cloud. 

Below us, there are a number of similar invisible clouds, all criss-crossing in multiple directions. Very much like cars, but less noice, with the drivers swearing less. If I look close enough, they actually look like they're behaving pleasantly towards their peers. 

There's no way I'm anywhere near home. 

"You see? You're fine. There's no way we'll be falling." I'd almost forgotten Gus at this point. 

And then I remember why I'm here. 

"Gus, what is all of this? What am I doing here?" 

He taps my hand gently. "All in good time, my young chap. All in good time." Confident now, that I'm not going to pass out, he releases my hand. "Now. Do you want to hang round here a moment longer, or do you want to get where we're going?" 

I take one last glance at wonderous sky, the circular edges, the topsy-turvy vehicles and it's inhabitants, and turn back to Gus. "I'm ready." 

A slight smile plays on the corner of his lips. "Good. I hope you're not against a little bit of SPEED." Before I have a chance to react, we're going at a nosedrive- break point speed! 

Suddenly, we're running at the speed of light, so fast I can't even tell what's around me! We could be about to crash into a tree or a road, or even another cloud! 

"DON'T THINK! DON'T THINK ANYTHING- JUST SEE." I hear in the corner of my ear, so quick, and so quiet, I'm sure I imagined it. 

The blood is pounding in my ears, blocking everything else out, even my terrified screams. 

"DON'T THINK. DON'T THINK. DON'T THINK." 

I close my eyes, trying to block out everything: the urge to throw up, the urge to embarrass myself, sure that this will be the time that I piss everywhere- 

And then, something changes- the feel of it all. Instead of a mad sprint, the whole thing starts to... glide. 

We're light as air. No! Light as a feather. Suddenly, the speed doesn't seem so much anymore. 

"There you go my boy... nice and easy." 

The grim, chomping down on my teeth expression relaxes, just a little. 

"Open your eyes..." Quiet as a whisper I hear it. 

We're flying through a meadow. It's a meadow of these vivacious, bright yellow flowers that give off a particular scent... honey and ginger? I must be going out of my mind... 

"The flowers change. Right now, they're showing you plumeria, but in yellow, based off your essence and energy, and what they think will calm you. I find them most intriguing." 

"You're telling me," a chuckle escapes my throat, "can I touch them? I feel like I should..." I reach down, before Gus can say anything. 

"No, don't!" Gus shouts, way too late. 

"Ah! What was that?!" I gasp, holding my eye. 

"That is what happens when you don't wait until I answer! You just got blasted with seed water, you idiot!" At this point, he's struggling not to laugh, and not succeeding. 

"YOU!" I'm more annoyed than wounded now, and right when I'm thinking of pushing him off this godforsaken cloud- 

"We're here!" He stops dead. 

It's a building, is where we're at. Like a call centre, or a spa. It's light, like everything around her, but dome shaped, very circular. Glass windows, so I can see inside. I have no idea what we're here for. 

"Careful now. You might be a bit dizzy getting off. You have just flown for the first time, after all. 

Sighing, I stretch my leg out, feeling for the ground. "What a load of-" 

I'm on the floor. 

And somehow Gus is helping me up. 

A low chuckle in the back of his throat. "I told you!" He's full on laughing at me now. 

"Stop that!" I shout- but now I'm laughing too. 

This whole thing... I'm really going to miss this, whatever it is. 

"I can't believe this place! The clouds, the flying, how everything is so bright- this isn't heaven is it?" The thought occurs to me so suddenly, I know, straight away, that I'm right. 

Gus' expression changes from laughter to deep worry in seconds. "No, no, no it's not! Listen to me kid, it is not Heaven! You're not dead, neither am I- this is the Cloudlands! The place above Earth. There isn't God! 

"GUS! What are you doing clowning around! You deliberately disobeyed orders, and protocool! Get inside this instant!" Although I know nobody is with us, it sounds like there is, the voice is that loud. It's coming from Gus' headset. 

"Who was that?!" I say, louder than I should. Doesn't matter though, Gus is talking to mystery voice. 

"Yes sir, right away sir." Gus presses a button and turns to me. 

"Sorry about that. That was my Boss, Mr. Budgeswop. He's mad that I disobeyed him, and wants us inside the dome now." 

"Yeah I heard. What kind of a name is Budgeswop?" Smiles playing at the corner of my lips again. 

"Don't ask. But remember when I said that this place isn't Heaven?" 

"Yeah, course. Like two seconds ago." 

"Well, we might be dead after this. Let's go in." Gus leads the way. 

Oh, Joy. 

Okay, that's me done. I'm leaving it there or I'll be writing all night, with no end in sight. 

As always, I hope you enjoyed reading about the ramblings going on inside my head. I have no idea how I started up with this idea, if it's any good or where it's going, but for me at least, it's a nice little project to get my ideas out on paper. 

I hope you all have a wonderful evening and I'll see you all soon!

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx