Dear February
Weeknight dinners, unconventional Valentine reads, and the first creative seeds of spring.
was like sweet music to my ears. Considering we still had snow on the ground a few days ago, I don’t think there was any grass to cut, but I love the enthusiasm. February felt somewhat administrative—in a good way—it had me prepping and planting a few creative seeds for the year ahead. I applied to help with an art project that I feel really aligned with, finally ordered all the fabric to sew my first quilt(!), and started sketching out plans for some upcoming travel. Winter has felt especially long and dark this year, but I finally feel as though I might just make it through. Only one more month until spring—when all my neighbours can bring out their lawn mowers and all will be well again.
In other news, I tried a handful of new recipes, listened to some good music, and read a stack of books with pink and red on the cover. My Valentine-month reads were all over the map to be honest: romance, divorce, beauty, and murder. One became a new favourite (very happy about that), one had me researching each chapter just to keep up, and the other two couldn’t pass a three-star rating.
Alright, here’s how it all went…
Yes, I went to see the film adaptation that’s inspired every literary critic to release an essay on why Emerald lost the plot on Brontë’s masterpiece. As someone who recently read the novel, I do admit it missed the mark on several important themes and character portrayals. But I’m not going to say I didn’t enjoy it. I left the theatre in tears (so did Scott), and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. Please don’t be mad.
Happy All The Time by Laurie Colwin (1978). I once read that Laurie Colwin was a Sally Rooney figure from an earlier generation, so I was curious to pick this up. The cover caught my attention, and I thought a quirky, literary take on romance would fit perfectly with my February round-up. The novel follows two cousins navigating love and compatibility in 1970s New York. It was charming and witty, dialogue-driven, but overall a bit flat for me. I prefer Rooney much more.
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier (1938). From the famous opening line—“Last night I dreamt I went to Manderley again”—right through to the final page, I happily lived in this world. The story is told through the voice of an unnamed young woman who marries the wealthy widower, Maxim de Winter, and moves to his grand estate. What begins as a romantic relocation unfolds into a tense psychological unraveling. Secrets surface, loyalties shift, and the lingering shadow of his first wife, Rebecca, hangs over every room. A very approachable classic that I’ll likely be adding to my favourites shelf—highly recommend!
The Beauty of the Husband by Anne Carson (2002). This one is a fictional essay written in 29 tangos—because a tango (like a marriage) must be danced until the end. This may have been a little too ambitious for me—I struggled to follow some of its complex choreography. The book traces the arc of a marriage marked by infidelity and intellectual entanglement, unfolding through fragments of memory, philosophical reflection, and poetry. This would be a really great book to read with an english class—dissecting it together piece by piece and opening up diverse conversation. It was very impressive and I might have to revisit this again in the future when I have time to dive deeper.
Anatomy Of An Alibi by Ashley Elston (2026). A gifted copy that I flew through over a weekend. Fast-paced and super twisty, it definitely kept me turning the pages. I enjoyed her previous novel, First Lie Wins, more though—this one entertained me in the moment, but I know it won’t linger. A little fiction junk food, if you will.
I tried a few new recipes this month. I like to print them out and keep them in a little basket in the kitchen. I write notes in the margins, and sometimes send them home with people if they ask me for the recipe. They always end up a bit stained and dusted with flour, but it’s all part of the beauty. Anyway, here are a few recipes we’ve enjoyed lately:
Chili crisp cucumber soba noodle salad
Spicy instant pot carrot soup (via Aja)
Baked gnocchi salad bowls!
Red Thai chicken and squash tray bake
And some art I’ve been loving:
“I think that art is companionship.
It’s always made me feel less lonely when I’m alone.”
- Anna Weyant
I hope you’ve had a lovely February.
Thank you so much for reading!
Ciao ciao,
I thought about the movie for days! I wasn’t expecting it to be so moving to me.
Also saw Wuthering Heights (as a former English major and huge bookworm) and enjoyed myself. Was it a faithful adaptation? No. Was it visually stunning? Yes! The sets, the costumes, the music… all of it was decadent. And if it inspires more folks to read classics, then I count that as an additional win.