Books Read in May: 21
Books Read for the Year: 88 /215

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
The Iron Raven, by Julie Kagawa (re-read). Can’t believe I only have two more books to go in this series!
Thunder and Rain, by Charles Martin (TBR). This made me cry, of course.
Prey, by Rachel Vincent (re-read). Still glued to this re-read.
The Dead Romantics , by Ashley Poston (TBR). This was a great read!
The Irish Cottage, by Juliet Gauvin (TBR). Eh. I liked this at first, but I thought it ended up being kind of meh.
The Guinevere Deception, by Kierstin White (TBR). I enjoyed this! Nice twist on the traditional Arthurian legends.
Shadows, Maps, and Other Ancient Magic, by Meghan Ciana Doidge (TBR). Still enjoying this series!

For Review:

The Sicilian Inheritance, by Jo Piazza. This was an intriguing read—but man, the characters were, for the most part, not likable people. Did not make me want to visit Sicily.

A Burden of Ice and Bone, by Kyra Whitton. I enjoyed this read, although it was a touch depressing—and the “twist” towards the end was pretty expected.

Bless Your Heart, by Lindy Ryan (audio). This was a fun listen. A bit like having a flashback to the late ’90’s…unsettling. It ended up being a lot gorier than I thought it would be, but I enjoyed the narrator and the cozy-mystery feel.

The Garden Girls, by Jessica R. Patch. I’ve enjoyed the books I’ve read in this story so far. I love thrillers, and I absolutely love the way faith is integrated the darkness these books touch on. This read had several levels of creepiness, but it kept me fully engaged the entire time.

Extinction, by Douglas Preston. Of course I’ve read Relic, years ago,—terrifying—but I haven’t read too many Preston books. I enjoyed this one, although I really didn’t like any of the characters. Just the scenic descriptions and the idea of seeing these animals were fascinating. I had no idea what was actually going on.

The Backup Princess, by Kate O’Keeffe. This was a cute, fun romantic read.

The Hazelbourne Ladies Motorcycle and Flying Club, by Helen Simonson. Really enjoyed this historical fiction read! Great characters, conflict, and a lovely setting.

The Keeper of the Irish Secret, by Susanne O’Leary. I liked the narrator of this audio book quite a lot. I enjoyed the read and the family drama, too.

Summers at the Saint, by Mary Kay Andrews. This was much more of a thriller than a romance.

The Return of Ellie Black, by Emiko Jean. I really didn’t like any of these characters, but it was a solid read.

One Last Shot, by Betty Cayouette. Nothing unexpected here. I think the miscommunication trope was overused a bit, too.

The Best Life Book Club, by Sheila Roberts. I enjoyed this sweet read about a bunch of friends and their books and challenges.

Every Time We Say Goodbye, by Natalie Jenner. This was a little hard for me to get into at first, but I ended up enjoying it.

Just Because:

Divine Direction, by Craig Groeschel. I enjoyed this audio book. Groeschel’s style is so down-to-earth.

Left Unfinished:

Welcome Home, Caroline Kline, by Courtney Preiss. I tried, but this felt very superficial and way too bogged down with baseball obsession.

A Girl from Nowhere, by James Maxwell. Yeah, this wasn’t for me. It felt very slow and not fleshed out, and I got bored quickly.

Love You, Mean It, by Jilly Gagnon. I think I read about 15% of this before realizing I didn’t care about the characters or what happened to them. Definitely a me problem, and not the book.

The Dangerous Ones by Lauren Blackwood. The language was a real stumbling block for me and I couldn’t get into it. And Jerusalem was so hateful!

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