What I Read in May
Another week, another wrap up! And this is the last one of May which is just CRAZY to me. I know we say that about every month but I think it’s hitting me harder as each month of quarantine ends. Life has changed so much since March and like I mentioned in Monday’s post, there are pros and cons to all the changes.
I would say this week was moderate. It was hard to realize that should have been my last week of work before our wedding and honeymoon. While I’m glad we are together, I miss my friends and family. I was really looking forward to the days we’d spend with them celebrating and just being together.
But I’m going to try to find the good in every day, no matter what. It’s definitely hard and next week it’s going to be even harder, but we’ll get by. I’ve learned I’m a lot stronger than I thought.
It was a great week for reading though! Over the holiday weekend I managed to read 4 books and finish two more this week! Here’s what I read this month:
American Royals II: Majesty by Katharine McGee—I loved this one even more than the first! It comes out September 1, 2020 so get your pre-orders in!
Thank you Random House for my free review copy!
The Tourist Attraction by Sarah Morgenthaler—I wanted to love this book so much. The cover is adorable and it’s a romance set in Alaska! Should be right up my alley right? Wrong. I very rarely rate books below three stars, but this one was just not for me. It was so slow and scattered and I didn’t find anything authentic or believable about the romance.
Thank you Sourcebooks for my free review copy!
Hollywood Park by Mikel Jollett: I read this one on audio and really enjoyed it, even though it handles rough subject matter. I know a lot of people are comparing it to Educated by Tara Westover and while I didn’t find it as moving as that, I do think it has some similarities. The audio has awesome music and is read by the author. Highly recommend!
Thank you Libro.fm for my free audio copy!
Happy & You Know It by Laura Hankin: I really liked this story and we were lucky enough to have Laura on the podcast this week as well! It’s a great summer read that is juicy and drama filled but also explores a little more.
Thank you Berkley Pub for my free review copy!
The Heart’s Invisible Furies by John Boyne: I got this one in my March Book of the Month box because it’s one of Ashley’s favorites and it did not disappoint! It’s a beautiful, sweeping story that spans the life of a gay man in Ireland from 1945-2015. It has a few trigger warning that I listed in my review on Instagram!
A Study in Charlotte by Brittany Cavallaro: Another one of Ashley’s picks! This was one she pitched to me in our first Blind Date pitch episode and I finally got around to reading it for our YA series. I’m not very familiar with Sherlock Holmes so while I couldn’t appreciate the references, I didn’t feel alienated from the story and could still really enjoy it!
Serpent & Dove by Shelby Mahurin: After loving ACOTAR, I was all in on reading some more fantasy! I liked Serpent & Dove. I didn’t love it and had some issues with a few things but I’ll definitely still be reading the sequel that comes our in September!
Avalon High by Meg Cabot: A reread of one of my very favorite books! I had this as an audiobook on CD (yes, a COMPACT DISC) back in the day and I loved it so much. I used to listen to it constantly when I was trying to fall asleep. It’s a YA story about the reincarnation of King Arthur. It held up to being one of favorites!
Big Summer by Jennifer Weiner—This book is totally surprising. While it looks like a light beach read, it is decidedly not. I enjoyed it regardless, loving that the main character is a plus sized influencer. It reminded me of The Perfect Couple by Elin Hilderbrand!
Meet Me at Midnight by Jessica Pennington—Okay this book was such a perfect, delicious YA story for summer. I really loved it because I’m sucker for a good summer romance and anything that takes place at a beach or lake house. This fit the bill and I definitely had a crush on Asher.
Thank you Macmillan/Tor-Forge and Tom Doherty Associates (Teen) for my free copy!
The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner—This is such a cozy and warm read for anyone who loves The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society! The audio is fantastic and one I wouldn’t have picked up normally.
Thank you Libro.fm for my free copy!
Recipe for Persuasion by Sonali Dev—If you love Food Network, Jane Austen, romance, and The Great British Bake Off, this book is for you! I totally enjoyed it and want to read Dev’s other books now!
Overall, not a bad month even though it had a rough start! I read a lot and wrote a lot. I’m excited to document my writing journey next month!