Everything I Read in February 2026
Even though it was a shorter month, I managed to get through a good number of books. This is especially true considering the length of Callie Hart’s Fae & Alchemy Books — they’re long but they go quick! Besides those, I was pretty evenly split between contemporary and historical (both fiction and non-fiction). Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory was far and away my favorite read of the month, and I have been recommending it to all my reading friends in real life! Have you picked it up yet?
If you’re looking to be more intentional with your reading this year, download my free reading tracker here to help you stay organized and discover patterns in what you love.
Of the 8 books I read this month, here are my top favorites:
- Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory
- Too Much: How Victorian Constraints Still Bind Women Today by Rachel Vorona Cote
- Quicksilver & Brimstone by Callie Hart (Fae & Alchemy Books 1 and 2)
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Table of Contents:
February 2026 In Books
Contemporary Fiction
Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston
4/5 Stars
The vibes of this audiobook were top notch — I could not bring myself to press pause! The novel centers around Camille, whose husband Ben is found murdered. Camille had been building an alibi for herself while she spied on her husband, trying to find out what he was up to, but someone else has their sights on him at the same time. There are multiple POVs, great narrators, and a delightfully twisty storyline. There were definitely a few plot holes that stood out to me early on (IE: not a spoiler, but Camille knows her husband can track her phone but doesn’t think he can track an iPad?), but setting those aside, it was a wild ride.
Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston is available from Bookshop.org here. I highly recommend the audiobook, available here.
Half His Age by Jenette McCurdy
4.5/5 Stars
A quick read (or listen), Half His Age is Jenette McCurdy’s fiction debut after her memoir, I’m Glad My Mom Died (still on my TBR!). Half His Age is a darkly engaging book, a coming of age novel with an unsettling protagonist, Waldo, who both jaded and endlessly wanting. She develops an infatuation for her creative writing teacher, wanting to be seen by someone — by him. Waldo’s character growth throughout the novel is the crux of the story, and her narration is fascinating. The way she describes shopping, for example (adding things to her cart, hitting buy, immediately feeling excited and then regretting the purchase) or scrolling on the Internet (there is a stream of consciousness at one point about flipping from how-to-guides to clips of JFK’s assassination to pop culture gossip kind of stuff that just felt very Tumblr era real) really capture the cultural zeitgeist. All in all, a gripping read — I highly recommend the audiobook!
Half His Age by Jenette McCurdy is available from Bookshop.org here. I highly recommend the audiobook, narrated by the author, available here.
Fantasy
QuickSilver & Brimstone by Callie Hart (Fae & Alchemy Books 1 and 2)
5/5 Stars
Callie Hart’s Quicksilver has been a bookstagram favorite for some time, and I finally picked it up early in the month. It took a little bit for me to get into it just because there was some complex world building, but one I felt oriented, I was hooked. Luckily, I picked up the first book just as the second was coming out, so I was able to read them straight through.
For fans of fantasy and romantasy, this series has it all. There are all the staples of romantasy — romance, magic, fantasy — plus robust world building and lore. Quicksilver introduces the reader to Saeris Fane and Kingfisher in an enemies-to-lovers situation that is heavy on the banter, while Brimstone delves deeper into both their story and the blight that threatens to engulf their world.
The Fae & Alchemy books by Callie Hart are available from bookshop.org here.
Something Wicked by Falon Ballard
3/5 Stars
The start of a new series, Something Wicked opens after a rebel group has overthrown the four monarchs of the realm of Avon. In Avon, people with magical abilities are mistreated and subject to harsh laws, so the novel’s protagonist, Caterine, as a “Gifted,” is hopeful that the change of regime will be in her favor. Her abilities come through her work as a courtesan, and she is able to manipulate people’s emotions, and she is meant to use her abilities on the former prince of one of Avon’s provinces, but finds herself falling for him instead. I’m glossing over quite a bit; it was entertaining enough, but it felt like a lot of graphic detail for shock value’s sake.
Something Wicked by Falon Ballard is available from Bookshop.org here.
Historical Fiction
Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory
5/5 Stars
If you have ever enjoyed Tudor historical fiction, you simply must pick up this new novel from Philippa Gregory. After devouring all the popular books about Anne Boleyn and the many wives of Henry VII, I loved reading thorough historical fiction specifically about Jane Boleyn. Furthermore, I appreciated the way Gregory characterized Henry VIII as tyrant rather than royal eccentric. Historical fiction is about both the past and the present, in a lot of ways, and this is a must-read book on both accounts.
Boleyn Traitor by Philippa Gregory is available from Bookshop.org here.
Non-Fiction
Too Much: How Victorian Constraints Still Bind Women Today by Rachel Vorona Cote
5/5 Stars
This book read more as a memoir than straight history non-fiction, but I found I did not mind that. The author broke up the book into thoughtful segments covering different aspects of “too-much-ness,” using terms most women have heard before, like “chatterbox” or “nerve” titling sections about Victorian ideals of propriety in childhood and the idea of female propensity towards “hysterics.” The author delves into body image and autonomy, as well as mental health — both true mental health and the way it can be weaponized against “hysterical” women. In all, by weaving her own experiences throughout the book, Cote manages a cohesive and readable narrative that is both personal and academic, something that the reader can learn from while also seeing themselves in the pages.
Too Much by Rachel Vorona Cote is available from Bookshop.org here.
The Sun Rising: King James I and the Dawn of a Global Britain, 1603-1625 by Anna Whitelock
2.5/5 Stars
First and foremost, this is not my preferred area of history to study, and I expected more of the book to focus on England and Scotland during the reign of King James VI/I. Instead, the book spends many chapters abroad with the trade regimes that developed under his reign throughout the world. It was interesting to learn a bit about these, since this was largely a new area of study for me, but I had a hard time keeping up with the dense detail and academic nature of the writing. It is probably a better fit for someone with more background on trade and globalization under King James VI/I’s reign.
The Sun Rising by Anna Whitelock is available from Bookshop.org here.
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