Quibble’s February Feelings

Stories Set Free, Library Love, and Bookish Hearts Aflutte

Hello again, dear readers!

It’s me, Quibble — scarf fluffed, corners curled, and heart positively thumping with February delight. This month always feels like a handwritten note tucked between the pages of winter, warm and fluttery and full of story‑shaped surprises. The snow hasn’t quite given up, but the air? The air is full of hearts, cocoa steam, and the soft rustle of pages ready to wander.

And wander they shall, because February is all about Stories Set Free — a whole month where books stretch their spines, shake off the dust, and leap joyfully into readers’ hands. I’ve been floating around the shelves humming with excitement, because nothing makes me happier than a story that refuses to stay put.

Fantasy feels like a dragon unchained, swooping through pink‑tinted skies. Mystery is a door left ajar with a trail of chocolate hearts leading inside. Romance… well, romance is February’s favorite child — a candle that refuses to go out even in the draftiest reading nook. And the best part? So many of these tales are free to explore. Worlds waiting. Adventures beckoning. Stories freely given, like warm bread on a cold day and you can find them all on our Free Book page.

Oh, the celebrations this month! My scarf can barely contain itself. Library Lovers’ Month has me swooning. I spent an entire afternoon hugging a bookshelf labeled Genre Crushes and Plot Affairs. The library knows my soul — even the overdue part. World Read Aloud Day arrives early, swirling with dragons, detectives, and poets who leap from my speech bubbles like confetti. When stories speak, hearts listen. International Book Giving Day is practically my personal holiday. I’ve wrapped so many books in ribbons that my corners are sticky with tape. And on Valentine’s Day, I’ll be sharing cocoa between a romance reader and a mystery lover, because love comes in all genres and occasionally includes plot twists.

If you haven’t seen this month’s comic strip yet, ohhh you’re in for a treat. Four panels of pure February charm — library hugs, cocoa‑sharing shenanigans, read‑aloud magic, and gift‑wrapped joy. I may or may not have posed dramatically for each scene. (I absolutely did.)

Inkrealm has been particularly lively this month. One of the portals shifted three inches to the left just to startle me — and succeeded. The carpets have been whispering gossip about new author rooms materializing soon, and the shelves have developed a habit of breathing a little deeper when someone enters. Even the glitches feel like lore now. Breadcrumbs for the curious. Secrets waiting to be discovered. If you haven’t stepped into your VR story space yet, February is the perfect month. The air tastes like possibility.

And somewhere beneath the snow, Inklight is humming — stretching its festival roots and preparing for June’s glow. I can almost hear the twinkle lights warming up. If you listen closely, you might catch the faint clink of mugs being arranged for communal cocoa. If this sounds like your kind of crowd, you can find out more about it here.

February is a reminder that stories don’t belong in cages. They want to roam, to be shared, to be given freely and joyfully. This month is a lantern held high, illuminating all the paths a reader might wander.

So turn the page with me.Let’s set our stories free — and see where they fly.

With ink‑stained affection,

Quibble

Mascot, mischief‑maker, and your literary sidekick at Indies United