The 9 Best Books of February Seem a Little Familiar

Set in Harlem in a leap year, this swoony February romance follows Ricki, the wildflower of her society family, as she sets out on her own. She follows her dream of opening a flower shop and meets a man who will rock her world, with a dose of magic on the side.

Space rascal and man of mystery Williams reflects on his life in Hollywood, especially the “Star Wars” movies. From his beginnings in Harlem to the stage and screen, Williams talks about the barriers he had to overcome, the roles of a lifetime and his lasting legacy in film.

Gothic and seductive, this fantasy novel tracks Laura Sheridan as she begins at an isolated Massachusetts college for women. She is drawn to Carmilla, a rival and, eventually, obsession. Their entanglement leads to strange desires for Laura and a biting realization.

A Jane Austen retelling in a modern skin begins with Nora and her sister, two Black women, inheriting a rundown inn in Maine after the death of their father. As the posh city girls race to rehab it before they lose it, Nora spars with Bear, an Abenaki eco-tour guide who believes the property is his own. Of course, Nora and Bear start to fall for each other, but his secrets might be a deal-breaker.

When a wildfire threatens Berkeley, tensions rise between the residents, from Abigail, wealthy in her mansion, to Sunny, a construction worker who sleeps in a van. Like “Little Fires Everywhere,” inequalities are exposed as the world burns around them.

“Schitt’s Creek” fans will love this story of a brother and a sister messily trying to navigate their way through life. A work trip to Argentina forces Valdin to confront the ex-boyfriend who dumped him last year, while Greta tries futilely to balance her chaotic family with her messy love life. All the chaos builds to a dramatic ending that will make you smile.

Odile, a teen girl, is trying to get a seat on the Conseil so she can decide who may cross her town’s border. On the other side of the border is the same town, only 20 years ahead in time. When she sees her true love’s parents, now elderly, cross to see him one more time before he dies, she struggles to not reveal what she knows and wreck the timeline.

Like “Sliding Doors,” Jane can see two realities forming before her. Her sister Esme needs a ride during a storm as she is leaving her husband. Jane is afraid to drive because of events of the past. If she doesn’t help, her sister will go missing. If she does, explosive tension will grow between the sisters because of the past. Which life should Jane choose?

Torn between a small Massachusetts town and the mountainsides of Puerto Rico, Andrea’s mother whisks the family from one to another and back. When they re-settle in Massachusetts, they experience culture clash and the harsh realities of growing up non-white in 1950s America.