Another month, another stack of books! February is always a bit tricky since it’s shorter, and I ended up reading about two fewer books than in January. Without a vacation to squeeze in some extra reading time, my pace slowed down a bit — but I still got through some fantastic reads. Here’s a look at what I read in February and my quick thoughts on each book.
📖 House of the Unholy by Ed Brubaker and Sean Phillips
If you’re into crime and noir-style books and you haven’t checked out anything by Brubaker and Phillips, you’re seriously missing out. House of the Unholy is one of their latest, and it doesn’t disappoint.
This one leans into occult themes, following an FBI agent who partners with a woman tied to the 90s satanic panic craze as they try to track down other members of her childhood group. It’s dark, twisty, and leads to an ending I didn’t see coming. As a long-time fan of this creative team, this one hit the mark for me — I’ll keep reading whatever they put out.
- Format: Digital
- Platform: Hoopla through my library
🎧 Unmasking AI by Dr. Joy Buolamwini
I’ve been trying to read more career-focused and technical books, and Unmasking AI falls right into that category. Since I work in IT, AI has been a growing part of my world, and I wanted to better understand its impact.
This book dives into the biases baked into AI models, especially in video and facial recognition. It was eye-opening, covering things I wasn’t very familiar with. The author also mentions the Netflix documentary Coded Bias, which I’m planning to check out. If you’re curious about the ethical side of AI, this is a solid and insightful read.
- Format: Audiobook
- Platform: Libby through my library
🏚️ Welcome to Dahmerville by Christopher Charlton
I did a more detailed review on this one, but to sum it up: this is a YA horror/serial killer book packed with nostalgia and action. It honestly feels like the perfect episode of Are You Afraid of the Dark? — so if you were a fan of the Midnight Society, you’ll love this one.
- Format: Physical
- Platform: Purchased from Chris’s web store
🚀 Dark Space by Rob Hart and Alex Segura
Blake and I picked Dark Space as the first book for our book club, and it was a fantastic pick. It’s a genre-bending mix of sci-fi, espionage, and thriller.
The story flips between two characters: José Carriles, a pilot on a mission to make first contact with a new planet, and Corin Timony, a spy whose complicated past with José comes back to haunt them. This book constantly had me questioning characters’ motives — it keeps you guessing until the very end.
The wildest part? It’s co-written, but you’d never know because it flows so smoothly. Highly recommend it!
➡️ If you want to join our Fable book club, here’s the link.
- Format: Digital
- Platform: Kobo Book Store (on sale for $1.99)
❄️ Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
I picked this up at my local indie bookstore (shoutout to Books & Mortar) as it was their February Book Buyers Book of the Month — and it was a gem.
Set on a small reservation in Northern Canada, the story starts when the community’s infrastructure (TV, phones, electricity, water) suddenly stops working. The story explores how the community adapts and struggles to survive as winter deepens and outside threats emerge.
It’s a chilling, atmospheric read that really stuck with me. If you liked The Garden: Cult or Commune, you’ll find similar themes of power struggles and survival here.
- Format: Physical
- Platform: Books and Mortar
🚽 Oh Crap! Potty Training by Jamie Glowaki
This was recommended to my wife, and since we’re about three weeks into hard potty training with our son, it came at the perfect time.
While no book can make potty training effortless, this one offered practical tips, busted some myths, and gave us some helpful strategies. If you’re going through this phase with a little one, it’s definitely worth checking out.
- Format: Audiobook
- Platform: Libby through my local library
What Books Should You Read?
It’s tough to pick favorites this month since they were all solid reads. That said, if I had to recommend one, it would be Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice. It was the most engaging, atmospheric, and thought-provoking read of the month — plus, it introduced me to a new author I’ll definitely keep an eye on.
But honestly, if any of the themes in these books catch your attention, you can’t go wrong with any of them!
What did you read this month?
I’d love to hear what you’ve been reading lately — drop your recommendations in the comments!
Cole Talks Books 
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