Tag: what I’ve been reading lately

The Best Books I Read in May (2026)

In May, I read 16 books, bringing my total for the year to 67. (I’m way behind). I also DNFed 12 other books (Yeah, lots of DNFs this year. No wonder I’m behind. But life’s too short to read bad books.). Of those, several were really excellent.

The Shippers, by Katherine Center. Katherine Center’s books are always so much fun, and this was no exception. I had a blast reading this!

The Valencia Expat Club, by June Patrick. If you liked Eat Pray Love, you’ll probably enjoy this) although there’s not so much navel-gazing in this one). I loved the travel aspect of this and learning to live in a different culture and seeing the MC grow and change and learn was great.

The Unicorn Hunters, by Katherine Arden. Another fantastic historical fiction/fantasy read from Katherine Arden! I truly loved this from the very beginning and was completely entranced for the entire read.

What I Read in May (2026)

Books Read in May: 16
Books Read for the Year:  67/225

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
Penelope in Retrograde, by Brooke Abrams (TBR): I really enjoyed this! Penelope was almost clueless, but the whole family was pretty entertaining.
Brave New Girl, by Rachel Vincent (TBR): I enjoyed this, although it felt pretty familiar, like I’d read something similar.
The Alchemary, by Rachel Vincent (TBR): I REALLY en joyed this read!
Escape to Honeysuckle Hall, by Rebecca Raisin (TBR): This was basically too cutesy to be believable, but it was a nice, light read.
A Parade of Horribles, by Matt Dinniman (audio): Still enjoying this.
Warp, by Meghan Ciana Doidge (TBR): I’m not sure I’m going to read more of these.
For Review:

Burnout Summer, by Jenna Ramirez. This was a decent read, although the MC blamed everyone but herself for pretty much everything, which got on my nerves.

Seconds to Spare, by Rachel Reiss. I enjoyed this YA mystery/thriller. not sure I’d ever step foot onto a plane again…

The Shippers, by Katherine Center. It’s a Katherine Center book. Of course I loved it. This was both funny and relatable.

Dungeons and Danger, by Elizabeth Penney. An enjoyable cozy mystery read.  

The Valencia Expat Club, by June Patrick. Really enjoyed this read about growth, change, and travel.

The Heirs, by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé. I only liked one of the MCs, but this was a quick and interesting murder mystery.

My Roman Summer, by Bruna De Luca. This was a quick YA romance. Sweet, but not anything unexpected.

The Unicorn Hunters, by Katherine Arden. This was a great read! Historical fiction mixed with fantasy, with strong, fascinating characters. I found this deeply engrossing.

The Chateau on Sunset, by Natasha Lester. If you’re looking for a read about strong female characters fostering great friendships and learning to be strong, this is it.

The Stargazer of Nantucket, by Julie Gerstenblatt. This was a decent historical fiction read.

Left Unfinished:
The Night of Many Endings, by Melissa Payne: The MC seemed to be obsessed with her brother and his drug use, and I didn’t want to keep reading about ONLY that.
The Calamity Club, by Kathryn Stockett: I really, really wanted to read this. But I found it very slow going and I couldn’t continue reading with my attention wandering.
Enormous Wings, by Laurie Frankel: While I thought the writing was solid and the premise was great, I refuse to read anything that promotes abortion.
Only the Pretty Lies, by Rebekah Crane: Just nope.
Good Joy, Bad Joy, by Mikki Brammer: This just didn’t hold my attention.
The Cove, by Claire Rose: From the GOP-bashing, the let’s-portray-Chrsitians-as-evil-and-closed-minded rhetoric, and the glorifying the occult…this was a bad choice for me. And I find anything that sticks to surface level characterization to be poorly written.
Welcome to Fae Café, by Jennifer Kropf (audio): This was…bad. The characters were annoying at best, and ridiculous the rest of the time. And WHY did everything have to be “Faeborn”? Would the MMC really think about his “Faeborn days” to himself? Or just…his days?
The Cupid Dilemma, by April Asher. Just…why did the first five pages feel like a farce?
Deathbringer, by Sonia Tagliareni. I didn’t make it too far in this because I didn’t like either of the MCs.
A Sprinkle of Sweet Serendipity, by Rachel Linden. This just felt too predictable.
When the Forest Dreams, by Andrea Ezerins. I read almost half of this, but Emma…cannot POSSIBLY be this clueless about real life. This wasn’t remotely believable to me, and I quite at the part where Emma has narrowly escaped being assaulted, and Jake shows up and they hop into bed together. Jake, who knows she hasn’t even been kissed, and he takes advantage of her? No, thank you.
Road Trip, by Mary Kay Andrews. I read the first three chapters, but I didn’t like either of the FMC, so…I stopped reading.

Sundays are for Writing #371

I haven’t written anything this week. I’ve barely read anything. Work has been exhausting and stressful and all I’ve managed to do is survive. Hopefully next week will be better.

Happy writing!

The Best Books I Read in April (2026)

I read 15 books in April. Still behind in my reading…Of those 15 books, several were really excellent reads.

First Witches Club, by Maisey Yates. i enjoyed this from the very first page! This was relatable, cathartic, and made me laugh out loud several times (And root for happy endings, of course!).

The Mountains We Call Home: The Book Woman’s Legacy, by Kim Michele Richardson. I’m so glad the book woman’s story continued! I’ve really enjoyed these books and seeing more about life in Appalachia. This was a wonderful read!

Cast in Blood, by Michelle Sagara. I can’t believe there are as many books in this series as there are…and I’ve enjoyed all of them. Kaylin and the gang are always a lot of fun to read and I find myself so immersed in the different cultures that it’s hard to put the book down. Same for this one!

What I Read in April (2026)

Books Read in April: 15
Books Read for the Year:  51/225

Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:

This Inevitable Ruin, by Matt Dinniman (TBR, Audio): Still can’t believe I’m so invested in this.
The Last Caretaker, by Jessica Strawser (TBR): This was a solid thriller.
Recipe for Second Chances, by Ali Rosen (TBR): This was a tiny step above meh for me, because Stella was ridiculous.
Gorgon with the Wind, by Devon Monk (TBR): This is going to be a great series!
First Witches Club, by Maisey Yates (TBR): This was SO GOOD!
Keeper of Enchanted Rooms, by Charlie N. Holmberg (TBR): I enjoyed this.
The Canopy Keepers, by Veronica G. Henry (TBR): Meh.
Snag, by Meghan Ciana Dodidge (TBR): Interesting world.

For Review:

The Book Witch, by Meg Shaffer. This is the perfect read for bookworms everywhere. For anyone who has ever fallen for a fictional character. For anyone who loves to read.

Deathly Fates, by Tesia Tsai. This was a solid fantasy read, even if it wasn’t very twisty. Does that make sense?

Metal Slinger, by Rachel Schneider. The twist in this completely surprised me! I enjoyed the world and the characters, and the cliffhanger has me eager to read more.

Thistlemarsh, by Moorea Corrigan. I really enjoyed this! It felt like a classical novel with magic thrown in.

The Mountains We Call Home: The Book Woman’s Legacy, by Kim Michele Richardson. I’ve really enjoyed the Book Woman books. This is such engrossing historical fiction, about something I had no idea about.

Cast in Blood, by Michelle Sagara. Another great read in this series!

The Ruins Beneath Us, by Sasha E. Sloan. The MC got on my nerves, not going to lie, but this was a decent read.

Left Unfinished:

While You Were Seething, by Charlotte Stein. It’s not that this was bad. But, I didn’t have time to read for 5 days, and I felt no urge to pick it back up.

Mad Mable, by Sally Hepworth. I just need to accept that this author writes characters I do not like, and stop trying to read her novels.

The Girl Upstairs, by Jessica R. Patch. The first 20% of this just gave me weird vibes, and I don’t care to read more.

The Island Club, by Nicola Harrison. This author is hit or miss for me. I found the characters boring.

Sundays are for Writing #365

Happy Easter!

This was a good writing week, although I didn’t get any fiction in. My Muse is…mulling over some things currently. I did write one book review, The Book Witch, by Meg Shaffer, my March reading post, and the best books I read in March.

Happy writing!

The Best Books I Read in March (2026)

In March, I read 15 books, bringing my total for the year to 36 books read. I also only DNFed 5 books in March. Of the 15 books, I read, several were excellent reads.

Midnight on the Celestial, by Julia Alexandra. I really liked this book! My favorite of the month, by far.

The Geomagician, by Jennifer Mandula. Historical fiction, magic, and dinosaurs/archeology? How could I not love this? Also, I want a pterodactyl.

Honey in Her Veins, by Ruth McKell. I don’t think I’ve ever read any Appalachian fantasy, especially with nature magic, so this was a fun ride.  

What I Read in March (2026)

Books Read in March: 15
Books Read for the Year:  36/225
Topical Books/Monthly Goal Books:
The Eye of the Bedlam Bride, by Matt Dinniman (audio, TBR): Still astonished I’m enjoying this series so much. Donut is getting on my nerves, though.
Still the Sun, by Charlie N. Holmberg (TBR): I actually really enjoyed this, although it was a bit odd.
Land of Dreams, by Gian Sardar (TBR): Liked this historical fiction read–although I couldn’t figure out the killer.
The Last Supper on the Moon, by Levi Lusko (TBR, Christian): This was an excellent read!
Awry, by Meghan Ciana Doidge (TBR): I enjoy this author’s writing.
The Lost Heiress, by Elizabeth Khehfoth (TBR): Nice dual timeline read.
Where Have All the Boys Gone, by Jenny Colgan. This audiobook was a perfect light read.


For Review:

Midnight on the Celestial, by Julia Alexandra. I enjoyed this a lot! Unique setting and I liked the world, the magic system, and the characters. I’d definitely read more.

Heiress of Nowhere, by Stacey Lee. I enjoyed this YA historical fiction, although I wish there would have been more about the sea wolves.

Only Spell Deep, by Ava Morgyn. I really didn’t care for this too much. The writing wasn’t bad, but the MC was supremely selfish and I didn’t like her.      

When the Rain Came, by Matthew Eicheldinger.  This felt more like middle grade than YA, but it was a decent read and a solid start to a series.

Daughter of Egypt, by Marie Benedict. I enjoyed this a lot, as it combined my love of Egyptian history with the 1920s.

The Geomagician, by Jennifer Mandula. Historical fiction with magic and fossils? Yes, please. I really liked this–and I want a pterodactyl.

Honey in Her Veins, by Ruth McKell (review forthcoming). This was quite an interesting read! Appalachian fantasy with nature magic, anyone?

Burn the Kingdom Down, by Addie Thorley. This fantasy read will make you question pretty much everything you see on the page.

Left Unfinished:

There’s Something About Mira, by Sonali Dev. I found Mira pretty boring and lost interest quickly.

Spellbound by Murder, by Stacie Ramey. I saw a lot of comparisons to Charmed and Gilmore Girls in reviews of this book. I never watched Gilmore Girls and only occasionally watched Charmed, so I didn’t DNF this because of that. But because it felt cliched and over-the-top and kitschy and it was just very meh.

The Creek, the Crone, and the Crow, by Rachel Weiss. I read the author’s previous book in this same Appalachian community and enjoyed it. I read almost 20% of this one and it just seemed to drag and meander in circles. The cover is absolutely beautiful, though.

Love By the Book, by Jessica George. I made it 15%, but…why keep reading about people I don’t care about?

The Last Woman of Warsaw, by Judy Batalion. WW2 historical fiction is my absolute favorite genre to read, so believe me when I say I tried. But at 20%, I still didn’t care about either of these MCs.

Sundays are for Writing #361

This week, I only wrote one book review, Midnight on the Celestial, by Julia Alexandra. I thoroughly enjoyed this read! I also wrote my February reading post, and the best books I read in February.

I also outlined two scenes in the fiction project and wrote 1k.

Happy writing!

The Best Books I Read in February (2026)

In February, I read 10 books, bringing my total for the year to 20.

I also DNFed nine books in February, bringing that total to 15 books. No wonder I’m so behind on my Goodreads goal.

Of the 10 books I read in February, several were really excellent reads.

Love Does, by Bob Goff. Not the first time I’ve read this. Goff’s voice is fantastic, so relatable and personable, that each chapter is a pleasure to read. And the lessons on how to love people can’t be beat.

The Lie You Don’t Know You Believe, by Jenni Allen. This really resonated with me. Again, very relatable. And this makes talking about some hard truths just a tiny bit easier. I believe we all have lies that we’ve believed about ourselves.

Dirty Work, by Devon Monk. I thoroughly enjoyed this final book in the Broken Magic series. It was good to see Allie and Zayvion (and their daughter) again, and I loved how the book was resolved with all of these familiar characters.