Today’s post covers the second half of the books I read in February 2026. I shared what I read in the first half of the month here. I shared my five star reads here. I do have an additional 5 star read to share. Plus, it’s time for the Share Your Shelf Link Up! I hope you will join Joanne and I to share what you read this month. 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. If you’ve read any of these books or are interested in them, I’d love to hear about it in the comments!
Title: After Perfect
Author: Maan Gabriel
Genre: Romance
Publisher: She Writes Press, 10/5/21
Source: Book Sparks
Why I Read It: Backlist
My Rating: 3 Stars
Next up on my backlist was After Perfect by Maan Gabriel. I added it to my 26 in ’26 list as an indie book I needed to read. This was about Gabriella, who is getting divorced from Simon (yes, these are the same names as two of my kids!). She falls for Colt, her grad school professor. While the whole time she says she knows he’ll break her heart, she is still devastated when he does. But then there’s a surprise and some miscommunication and her ex wanting her back…
“Thirty-six-year-old Gabriella Stevens is living a quiet and content fairy tale as a devoted housewife to Simon—just as her traditional Filipino mother has always told her to do—when, after sixteen years of marriage and twenty years together, he tells he wants a divorce. Simon has been Gabby’s everything since they were kids; without him, her world implodes. But as she navigates her way through the wreckage of the marriage she thought would last forever, she becomes determined to make a life on her own. With New York City as her backdrop, Gabby—single for the first time since she was a teenager—goes back to school, gets her first real job, and faces unfamiliar reality with determination. Gabby’s life takes another turn when she falls in love with her mysterious but utterly beautiful creative writing professor, Colt. Being with Colt is exhilarating for her—something new, something exciting and beyond understanding. He is almost seven years her junior, and a literary genius. But he is also battling demons of his own: a tragic past that may have made him incapable of love. Is Gabby destined for another heartbreak—or will her connection with Colt be what unbreaks her?”
If this was solely about Gabriella finding her way after divorce when she’d been with her husband since college, I may have enjoyed it more. I thought the instalove was too much. I also enjoyed the Filipino food descriptions. Content warning for miscarriage.
Title: Once There Was a Town
Author: Jane Ziegelman
Genre: Non Fiction
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press, 1/20/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Once There Was a Town by Jane Ziegelman looks at Jewish history and customs in small towns, specifically the town of Luboml in Ukraine, between World Wars 1 and 2. This town had a community of 4000 Jews, with only 51 surviving after the Holocaust. Some, like the authors’ family members, had been able to emigrate beforehand. Currently, no Jewish people live in Luboml.
“By the close of World War II, six million Jews had been erased from the face of the earth. Those who eluded death had lost their homes, families, and entire way of life. Their response was quintessentially Jewish. From a people with a long-history of self-narration, survivors gathered in groups and wrote books, yizkor books, remembering all that had been destroyed. Jane Ziegelman’s Once There Was a Town takes readers on a journey through this largely uncharted body of writing and the vanished world it depicts. Once There Was a Town resounds with the voices of rich and poor, shopkeepers and tradespeople, scholars and peddlers, Zionists and Communists, men and women telling stories of the towns that were their homes. Stops are made in the bustling market squares where Jewish merchants catered to local farmers; study houses where men recited Torah; kitchens where homemakers baked 20-pound loaves of bread; cemeteries where mourners conversed with departed loved ones and wooded groves where young couples met for the occasional moonlit tryst. Of the many towns on Ziegelman’s itinerary, she always circles back to Luboml, her family’s ancestral shtetl and the point of departure for her own journey of discovery.”
This is one of many similar towns that no longer have Jewish communities, although they were thriving prior to the Holocaust. This book shares about Yizkor (memory) books that described these towns and their residents. This was an interesting read, and hit close to home and my son was just visiting destroyed towns and learning about the Holocaust in Poland.
Title: Enough
Author: Ania M. Jastreboff and Oprah Winfrey
Genre: Non Fiction
Publisher: Simon Audio, 1/13/26
Source: Audio Publisher
Why I Read It: Topic of interest
My Rating: 4 Stars
Enough by Ania M Jastreboff and Oprah Winfrey explains the reason that many people struggle with losing weight and classifies obesity as a disease in which your body thinks it needs to store fat and will always revert to the point where it believes it needs to be. This book is about the medications that can recalibrate that point and are successful for weight loss.
“Obesity is a disease. It’s a question of biology, created by our bodies’ need to survive and the environment we created and now live in. And it’s treatable. The new medications can lower our body fat set point (our brain’s ‘Enough Point’), so that we lose weight without battling biology with willpower. Dr. Jastreboff describes strategies to optimize health and manage side effects all with the reassuring perspective of decades of experience treating patients with obesity and leading studies with these medications. Many of her patients say the ‘food noise’ that plagued them for years has evaporated. They describe a new freedom from intrusive, persistent, and disruptive thoughts about food. With treatment they begin a journey of healing with self-compassion, devoid of the shame and blame they’ve endured from society for decades. Oprah says she’s learned so much from Dr. Jastreboff about how, when it comes to weight, our bodies work with us—and also against us. How each of our struggles are different and each of our choices in living with obesity may also be different. Dr. Jastreboff’s groundbreaking research offers a new way forward, not only for obesity treatment, but also for overall health, with significant implications for the prevention and reversal of hundreds of related diseases. As she demonstrates in this book, when science meets empathy, real healing becomes possible. Yes, there is a path to healing and leading the life you have always wanted, when your brain is reassured that you have ‘enough.'”
I found this book easy to understand, but depressing, because while it is obvious that medication is different from an extreme weight loss plan, the same thing will happen if you stop the medication – your body will return to where it thinks it needs to be. Therefore, you will need to stay on the medication forever, as you would if you were taking medication for any other medical condition. If you want to know more about these medications and how they work, as well as hear Oprah’s personal experiences, this book is worthwhile. And if you’re like me and gain weight if you even look at a carb, you will feel seen. It is read by the authors as well.
Title: The Goldie Standard
Author: Simi Monheit
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Sibylline Press, 5/7/24
Source: Gift
Why I Read It: On my TBR
My Rating: 4 Stars
The Goldie Standard by Simi Monheit is about a stereotypical Jewish grandma who interfered in her daughter’s life and now wants to interfere in her granddaughter’s life. Grandma Goldie narrates her chapters in a Yiddish way, with memories from her past mixed in. Granddaughter Maxie falls for someone her family isn’t too sure about.
“Goldie Mandell is opinionated, assertive, and stuck in an Assisted Living Facility. But even surrounded by schleppers with walkers, pictures of sunrises, fancy fish tanks, and an array of daily activities to complement the tepid tea and stale cookies on offer, her salt-free plate is full. She’s got a granddaughter to settle, an eager love interest named Harry to subdue, and precious memories of her happy marriage to fellow Holocaust survivor Mordy to draw upon. Maxie Jacobson is young, brilliant, and newly single, not by choice. But she’s got her science career, a grandmother to care for, and her whole life ahead of her. When Maxie takes on the role of her grandmother’s medical advocate, she has no idea Goldie operates with the single purpose of securing Maxie with Dr. Right. Instead, Maxie is distracted by her grandmother’s unexpectedly charming long-haired, sandal-wearing, peculiarly-named driver, T-Jam Bin Naumann, definitely wrong in every way.”
I had high hopes for this one but I liked it a little less than expected. It was still fun and I always enjoy Jewish themed books.
Title: A Box Full of Darkness
Author: Simone St. James
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Berkley, 1/20/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
A Box Full of Darkness by Simone St. James is a supernatural thriller about siblings whose younger brother disappeared many years earlier, but now has summoned them back to their childhood home to find out what happened to him.
“Strange things happen in Fell, New York. A mysterious drowning at the town’s roadside motel. The unexplained death of a young girl whose body is left by the railroad tracks. For the Esmie siblings—Violet, Vail, and Dodie—the final straw was the shocking disappearance of their little brother. It started as a normal game of hide-and-seek. The three closed their eyes and counted to ten while Ben went to hide. But this time, they never found their brother—he was gone and the ongoing search efforts turned up no clues. As their parents grew increasingly distant, Violet, Vail, and Dodie were each haunted by visions and frightening events that made them leave town and never look back. Violet still sees dead people—spirits who remind her of Sister, the menacing presence that terrorized her for years. And now after two decades running from their past, it’s time for a homecoming. Because Ben is back, and he’s ready to lead them to the answers they’ve longed for and long feared. If the ghosts of Fell don’t get to them first.”
I thought this story had some pacing issues, which made parts read quickly while others were slower. It borders on horror and I am not generally a fan, plus I don’t really buy into the supernatural depicted here. As a thriller though, I enjoyed this one.
Title: City of a Thousand Gates
Author: Bee Sacks
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Harper, 2/2/21
Source: Publisher – Print, Library – Audio
Why I Read It: Backlist
My Rating: 3.5 Stars, Rounded down to 3 Stars
City of a Thousand Gates by Bee Sacks was meant to be a look at people on both sides of the Israeli / Palestinian conflict, but unfortunately I felt it was highly skewed towards one side. With more characters and definitely more likable characters on one side, you know who the author feels are worth the depth and description they are given.
“Brave and bold, this gorgeously written novel introduces a large cast of characters from various backgrounds in a setting where violence is routine and where survival is defined by boundaries, walls, and checkpoints that force people to live and love within and across them. Hamid, a college student, has entered Israeli territory illegally for work. Rushing past soldiers, he bumps into Vera, a German journalist headed to Jerusalem to cover the story of Salem, a Palestinian boy beaten into a coma by a group of revenge-seeking Israeli teenagers. On her way to the hospital, Vera runs in front of a car that barely avoids hitting her. The driver is Ido, a new father traveling with his American wife and their baby. Ido is distracted by thoughts of a young Jewish girl murdered by a terrorist who infiltrated her settlement. Ori, a nineteen-year-old soldier from a nearby settlement, is guarding the checkpoint between Bethlehem and Jerusalem through which Samar—Hamid’s professor—must pass. These multiple strands open this magnificent and haunting novel of present-day Israel and Palestine, following each of these diverse characters as they try to protect what they love. Their interwoven stories reveal complicated, painful truths about life in this conflicted land steeped in hope, love, hatred, terror, and blood on both sides.”
In this book, a young Israeli girl is killed in her home and in retaliation, a Palestinian teen is beaten. While the two nations share a land and similar cultures, what is demonstrated here is their mutual hatred. I can say the Jewish characters are stereotypical, and I wonder if the Arab characters are as well – though I didn’t think they were. The characters refer to each other as Jews and Arabs and are mutually dehumanizing. The one act of love shown from one side to the other is condemned by all. I listened to this, and the narrator mispronounced some of the Hebrew words. No, the bus company is not pronounced egged, like egged them on. Can’t authors communicate how to say certain words and especially names??
Title: The Catastrophic Friendship Fails of Lottie Brooks
Author: Katie Kirby
Genre: Middle Grade Contemporary Fiction
Publisher: Random House Books For Young Readers, 2/10/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
The Catastrophic Friendship Fails of Lottie Brooks by Katie Kirby is the sequel to The Extremely Embarrassing Life of Lottie Brooks and continues with Lottie’s diary, in which she shares her life in writing and drawings.
“Dear diary, I’m back! Sorry it’s been SO long but I look forward to filling you in on all my exciting adventures . . . or I guess embarrassing adventures if we are being honest, which is our thing, right? A LOT has changed since last semester. For one, mom had her baby. Little Bella is SUPER cute (and loud). Also, my BFF Molly moved home! I can’t wait to introduce her to my other BFF Jess. There’s no way we won’t be the Terrific Threesome–even if Amber says sometimes “three’s a crowd.” Plus, I am auditioning for the school play! It’s The Little Mermaid, and I just KNOW I’ll get a starring role…probably. Some things haven’t changed at all, though. I still have no boobs, no boyfriend, and no phone when mom suddenly calls for ‘Screen-Free Sundays.’ (A terrible idea if you ask me.) One thing is for sure, it’ll be another big year for Lottie Brooks. Wish me luck, babe!”
These books are so cute. Lottie sure does get into some situations! And she is funny without even meaning to be. In this one, she deals with friends, being in a play, crushes, puberty, and having a new baby sister. Recommended for middle grade readers all around!
Title: PCOS Is My Power
Author: Cory Ruth
Genre: Non Fiction
Publisher: Rodale Books, 1/6/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 3.5 Stars, Rounded up to 4 Stars
PCOS Is My Power by Cory Ruth explains polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and how doctors treat it. The author claims that the symptoms can be treated naturally with stress reduction, diet, hormones, and supplements (for which she sells her own). It also includes recipes and meal plans.
“Rapid weight gain at puberty, a dodgy period that you’d almost rather not show up, or cystic acne that you were told was just your hormones. Maybe you went on the Pill to ‘fix’ your hormones, only to discover years later that there was more to the acne and irregular periods than you realized. Sound familiar? You may be among the one in ten women who experience Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, an endocrine disorder that’s a leading cause of infertility, weight gain, and irregular periods. As a registered dietitian who also has PCOS, Cory Ruth is here to tell you that PCOS is a condition that you can thrive with. Cory has helped thousands of women with PCOS regulate their periods, lose weight, have healthy babies, and heal their hormones. The medical community typically prescribes the birth control pill to reduce unwanted symptoms, but in order to see lasting changes you’ll need to get to the root of the condition. The path to true healing lies with making shifts in nutrition, stress management, and exercise. In PCOS Is My Power, Cory walks you through the science and stories before offering a treatment protocol that includes lifestyle and supplement recommendations, meal plans, and recipes like Carrot Cake Breakfast Cookies, Sriracha Cauliflower Chickpea Sheet Bake, and Peanut Tofu Bowl.”
If you’ve grown up with PCOS, you probably know about it already. If you have only just found out about it, this book could be helpful. I appreciated the stories of others with PCOS, as they were relatable, but I didn’t love the way the author self-promoted herself. I also noticed that the book is not very gender inclusive, and this stands out in the author’s writing style.
Title: Serendipity
Author: Gabbie Benda
Genre: Middle Grade Graphic Novel
Publisher: Holiday House, 2/10/26
Source: Publisher
Why I Read It: Sent to me for my review
My Rating: 4 Stars
Serendipity is a cute graphic novel about Serendipity, who thinks she is lucky, but when she receives a fortune for bad luck, things start to get hard for her. As the class president, the lead in the play, and on the basketball team, suddenly juggling all the things she is good at is not as easy as it used to be.
“Serendipity is your classic overachiever. She’s class president, lead in the school play, and star of the basketball team. She’s also incredibly lucky, like, wins everything all the time lucky, even random radio raffles. Which is how she finds herself with free tickets to the town carnival where an accident curses her with bad luck FOREVER. And just like that Serendipity’s luck really does seem to run out. Missed shots, fumbled lines, and a slip in the polls. Can it get any worse? Oh yes it can. Permanent bad hair days. Serendipity becomes convinced the curse is real. She’s definitely not disorganized or spread too thin. Nope, it’s all the curse. And she’ll have to find a way to reverse it soon.”
Serendipity learns that she is the one in control and not everything is about luck. She has to let others step in when it comes to acting, the presidential debate, and basketball, and this helps her grow as a person. I enjoyed the colorful images and the overall story in this one!
Title: I Should Not Be Here
Author: Karen B. Gerson
Genre: Memoir
Publisher: Kiki Publishing, 2/17/26
Source: Purchased
Why I Read It: Book Club, I know the author
My Rating: 5 Stars
My friend wrote this book. We also picked it for our book club read to support her. It is her story of neglect from her parents, anxiety which was effected by trauma, and OCD followed by depression.
“In I Should Not Be Here, Karen B. Gerson shares her raw, unflinching memoir of living with obsessive-compulsive disorder, PTSD, and depression. From a childhood shaped by silence and trauma to adulthood spent battling invisible wars in her own mind, Karen’s story is one of survival against the odds and those who walked beside her with unwavering support. Through haunting memories, honest reflections, and the voices of loved ones who walked beside her, this memoir reveals the ripple effects of mental illness on both the individual and their family. It is a story of fear and rituals, of love and resilience, of the unbearable weight of silence, and the healing power of breaking it. At its core, this book is more than a story. It is a lifeline. A reminder that even in the darkest hours, you are not alone, you are not broken, and healing is still possible. If you have ever faced mental illness or loved someone who has, let this memoir be your companion, your mirror, and your map.”
While the author’s story is compelling, the book was also enhanced by the voices of those close to her, including friends and relatives. Through their stories and hers, the book offers advice to those supporting loved ones with mental illnesses. I felt a strong connection to the author’s story about how her Jewish youth groups and camps gave her the support she needed as a young child and while it was hard to read about what someone I know went through, I am thrilled she found the support she needed to survive.
Title: This Might Hurt
Author: Stephanie Wrobel
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Penguin Audio, 2/22/22
Source: Publisher – Print, Library – Audio
Why I Read It: Backlist
My Rating: 3 Stars
From my 26 in ’26 list I read This Might Hurt by Stephanie Wrobel and let me tell you, this book hurt. While it started out somewhat intriguing, with Natalie’s sister having left for an island healing retreat and Natalie considering tracking her down, as well as an alternate viewpoint about an abusive childhood, as the book went on it became less enjoyable and less plausible.
“Natalie Collins hasn’t heard from her sister in more than half a year. The last time they spoke, Kit was slogging from mundane workdays to obligatory happy hours to crying in the shower about their dead mother. She told Natalie she was sure there was something more out there. And then she found Wisewood. On a private island off the coast of Maine, Wisewood’s guests commit to six-month stays. During this time, they’re prohibited from contact with the rest of the world—no Internet, no phones, no exceptions. But the rules are for a good reason: to keep guests focused on achieving true fearlessness so they can become their Maximized Selves. Natalie thinks it’s a bad idea, but Kit has had enough of her sister’s cynicism and voluntarily disappears off the grid. Six months later Natalie receives a menacing e-mail from a Wisewood account threatening to reveal the secret she’s been keeping from Kit. Panicked, Natalie hurries north to come clean to her sister and bring her home. But she’s about to learn that Wisewood won’t let either of them go without a fight.”
I am not a big fan of cult like vibes in books and this one was very much about a cult and it’s creepy leader. I didn’t care about the characters and the ending went too far for me!
This post includes eleven of the books I read this month. Eight were print books and three were audio. Nine of these were adult books and two were Middle Grade. Genres included romance, non fiction, contemporary fiction, thriller, graphic novel, and memoir.
If you wrote about books this month, you can link up with us here:
Have you read any of these books or do you want to? What have you been reading lately?
