Books Read in May: 21
Books Read for the Year: 107/225
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
The Winter Sea, by Susanna Kearsley (TBR): This was such a good read!
The Art of Starting Over, by Heidi McLaughlin (TBR): This was an okay read, but felt very predictable.
River Road, by Charles Martin (TBR): Really enjoyed these essays!
Magic in the Shadows, by Devon Monk (re-read): Loving re-reading this series. I forgot about Stone.
The Opposite of Everyone, by Joshilyn Jackson (TBR, audio): I love Jackson’s books, but Paula was not a nice or good person. I didn’t care for her.
Closer than You Know, by Debra Webb. Solid thriller read. I’m liking this series.
For Review:
Bodies and Battlements, by Elizabeth Penney. That was a decent cozy mystery read, but the characters felt very surface level and undeveloped. It is the first in a series, so I assume that would change in further books.
Come As You Are, by Dahlia Adler. This was a cute, fun YA read. Nothing totally unexpected, but I enjoyed the read and the characters.
The Courage to Change, by Joyce Meyer. Joyce Meyer is a solid author–and speaker–so I knew this would be a good read. And it did not disappoint!
The Other Side of Now, by Paige Harbison. This wasn’t quite what I expected, but I enjoyed the read! I liked the characters, and the juxtaposition between the two realities was interesting.
A Forgery of Fate, by Elizabeth Lim. I really enjoyed this read! Unique setting, and I love the worldbuilding and setting so much.
Tell Me Something Good, by Court Stevens. I listened to the audiobook, and I think maybe this just wasn’t a good fit for me, storywise. I didn’t like the characters and found them all pretty horrible. The narrator was excellent, I just didn’t like these people.
The Listeners, by Maggie Stiefvater. I’m a pretty big fan of Stiefvater’s YA books, and I was excited to read this. It wasn’t quite what I expected, but I enjoyed it all the same.
A First Time for Everything, by K. L. Walther. This was a solid YA read. I enjoyed it for the most part.
The Summer That Changed Everything, by Brenda Novak. This was a meh read. I found it bland and predictable.
A Far Better Thing, by H. G. Parry. This was a fantasy re-telling of A Tale of Two Cities. It felt very leisurely and I didn’t really care for the MC, but it was a solid read.
Rewind to Us, by Molly Morris. This was such a cute read! I loved the characters—all of them—and the premise was great.
The Ex-Girlfriend Murder Club, by Gloria Chao. This was such a comedy of errors! Very funny, with a nice twist.
Best of All Worlds, by Kenneth Oppel. This was mediocre at best. The author’s political/personal bias was glaringly on display…most white people are apparently evil in his mind, not to mention narrow-minded, backwards, and prone to conspiracy theories.
Look Before You Leap, by Virginia Heath. This was a cute romance read. I liked the female a lot.
A Magic Deep and Drowning, by Hester Fox. I enjoyed the beginning of this, but then it felt like it dragged and nothing made sense.
Left Unfinished:
Sing Me Home to Carolina, by Joy Calloway. The MC got on every nerve I had, and all the characters seemed like flimsy caricatures.
We Can Never Leave, by H.E. Edgmon. These characters seemed like very hateful and unpleasant people, and I stopped reading very quickly because of it.
A Most Puzzling Murder, by Bianca Marais. There was A LOT going on here and it did not mesh into a cohesive storyline.
Writing Mr. Right, by Alina Khawaja. I tried. I read about 35% of this before giving up. Aashiq was too…honestly, he felt a little too ridiculous to be real, and Ziya was so closed off to everyone and everything that she got on my nerves. Strong writing, but this just wasn’t a good fit for me.
The Ripple Effect, by Maggie North. This MC wasn’t for me.
Off Menu, by Amy Rosen. The cover on this is gorgeous, and it sounded great. Unfortunately, the MC is vapid and lacking in morals, so it’s a no for me.
Tomorrow Is Another Day 
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