Welcome to my February 2026 Favorite Books post! This monthly post is where I share the 5 star books I’ve read so far each month. You can see the first half of my February reading here and I will share the rest of my February reads next week, on Thursday for the Share Your Shelf link up. If I have further 5 star reads after writing this post, they will be shared in that post as well. The Amazon links to the books I’ve read are affiliate links and if you use them and make a purchase, I may receive a small commission.
Title: This Book Made Me Think of You
Author: Libby Page
Genre: Romance
Publisher: Berkley, 2/3/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
This Book Made Me Think of You by Libby Page was just as good as everyone says – for sure a top read of the year. This is about grief. Tilly’s husband Joe dies and with the help of bookseller Alfie, he leaves her 12 books, one per month, to inspire her and help her move forward.
“When Tilly Nightingale receives a call telling her there’s a birthday gift from her husband waiting for her at her local bookshop, it couldn’t come as more of a shock. Partly because she can’t remember the last time she read a book for pleasure. But mainly because Joe died five months ago….When she goes to pick up the present, Alfie, the bookshop owner with kind eyes, explains the gift—twelve carefully chosen books with handwritten letters from Joe, one for each month, to help her turn the page on her first year without him. At first Tilly can’t imagine sinking into a fictional world, but Joe’s tender words convince her to try, and something remarkable happens—Tilly becomes immersed in the pages, and a new chapter begins to unfold in her own life. Monthly trips to the bookstore—and heartfelt conversations with Alfie—give Tilly the comfort she craves and the courage to set out on a series of reading-inspired adventures that take her around the world. But as she begins to share her journey with others, her story—like a book—becomes more than her own.”
Tilly grows, travels, rediscovers the things she enjoys, and even finds another chance for love along the way. This is a book about the love of books and how they can change lives.
Title: The Puzzler
Author: AJ Jacobs
Genre: Non Fiction
Publisher: Crown, 4/26/22
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
I really enjoyed The Puzzler by AJ Jacobs, which is about why we enjoy puzzles of all types. It even includes an original set of puzzles that I spent a long time working on!
“What makes puzzles—jigsaws, mazes, riddles, sudokus—so satisfying? Be it the formation of new cerebral pathways, their close link to insight and humor, or their community-building properties, they’re among the fundamental elements that make us human. Convinced that puzzles have made him a better person, A.J. Jacobs—four-time New York Times bestselling author, master of immersion journalism, and nightly crossworder—set out to determine their myriad benefits. And maybe, in the process, solve the puzzle of our very existence. Well, almost. In The Puzzler, Jacobs meets the most zealous devotees, enters (sometimes with his family in tow) any puzzle competition that will have him, unpacks the history of the most popular puzzles, and aims to solve the most impossible head-scratchers, from a mutant Rubik’s Cube, to the hardest corn maze in America, to the most sadistic jigsaw. Chock-full of unforgettable adventures and original examples from around the world—including new work by Greg Pliska, one of America’s top puzzle-makers, and a hidden, super-challenging but solvable puzzle—The Puzzler will open readers’ eyes to the power of flexible thinking and concentration. Whether you’re puzzle obsessed or puzzle hesitant, you’ll walk away with real problem-solving strategies and pathways toward becoming a better thinker and decision maker—for these are certainly puzzling times.”
The author sets out to tackle the hardest puzzles he can, and even though I like trying to solve puzzles, if they are too hard I definitely get frustrated. Types of puzzles in the book include crosswords, anagrams, rebuses, jigsaws, mazes, math and logic, ciphers, sudoku, cryptics, scavenger hunts, and more.
Title: When The Cranes Fly South
Author: Lisa Ridzén
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Vintage, 8/19/25
Source: Swap
Why I Read It: On my TBR
My Rating: 5 Stars
When The Cranes Fly South by Lisa Ridzen is a book about aging. Bo is living alone with his dog Sixten and his body is failing him. Meanwhile, his wife’s mind failed her and she is living in a care home. Bo has carers that come to his house to check on him, while his son Hans comes as well. Hans doesn’t think Bo can take care of Sixten and this seems a last indignity for Bo.
“Bo is running out of time. Yet time is one of the few things he’s got left. These days, his quiet existence is broken up only by daily visits from his home care team. Fortunately, he still has his beloved elkhound Sixten to keep him company … though now his son, with whom Bo has had a rocky relationship, insists upon taking the dog away, claiming that Bo has grown too old to properly care for him. The threat of losing Sixten stirs up a whirlwind of emotion, leading Bo to take stock of his life, his relationships, and the imperfect way he’s expressed his love over the years.”
Bo narrates the book as if he is talking to his wife. He reflects on his father and on being a father, his working life, his best friend, etc. It’s a sad book, but meaningful. It made me think about how in Sweden, where this takes place, the government provides carers and help for older people. All while I’m trying to find care for my parents from across the country.
Title: This Is Not About Us
Author: Allegra Goodman
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: The Dial Press, 2/10/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 5 Stars
This Is Not About Us by Allegra Goodman is a family saga about multiple generations of a Jewish family. It is made up of chapters that read like short stories about the various family members. The book begins with Jeanne dying, and her sisters Helen and Sylvia have a falling out.
“When their beloved sister passes away, Sylvia and Helen Rubinstein are unmoored. A misunderstanding about apple cake turns into a decade of stubborn silence. Busy with their own lives—divorces, dating, career setbacks, college applications, bat mitzvahs and ballet recitals—their children do not want to get involved. As for their grandchildren? Impossible.”
I loved the characters in this book. The Jewish representation was great, and I enjoyed the references to places I am familiar with in NJ. Parts of this were funny and overall, it made me smile.
Come back next week for the rest of my February reads and the Share Your Shelf link up!
Do you have a favorite book you’ve read this month?
