Everything I read in May
You saw me start to believe for the first time
10 books finished in May, and I’m feeling pretty good! Here’re my thoughts. Not that brief this month, but feel free to skim and jump around!
Y’all already know…
Kingdom of Ash by Sarah J Maas
5 stars | audiobook & eyeballs
A highlight of my year. A highlight of my life. The end of an era. The beginning of a life-long obsession? This is the big honker of a book that makes the whole saga worth it. (Papa Peed is PLOWING through the series and will be on this book by next week.)
I need a hero
Y’all. I finished Kingdom of Ash, and all I have to say is: where the fuck is our Aelin?! WE NEED HER! Hell, I’d settle for a shape-shifting imposter right now.
Thank you Shubangi!
My dear bookish friend (and top tier reader of the stack) Shubangi has been telling me about Mhairi McFarlane for years. Why didn’t I listen to her? These read like PERFECT ‘90s-’00s British romcoms and I love them with my whole heart. These are catnip for my Swifitie soul. Not only because of the fun references, but because of the way they tear my heart out and patch it up all in a digestible dosage.
If I Never Met You by Mhairi McFarlane
4 stars | audiobook
Our love interests are in their 30s and you will go through her heartbreak and fall for his earnest playboy ensemble. It’s fake dating that you won’t want to throw against the wall and a mutual respect and friendship foundation for a deep love. Both characters just read as extremely mature adults (imagine that).
Don’t You Forget About Me by Mhairi McFarlane
4 stars | audiobook
Second chance romance for a couple in their 30s who haven’t seen each other since high school graduation. He has an Irish brogue (need I say more?). This very much felt like a film because they do no get together until the very end. Mhairi’s books (thus far for me) are all closed-door romance, so if you’re on the hunt for hot and spicy, these aren’t what you’re looking for. But as someone who LOVES hot and spicy, these are soooo good!
Revisited some tried and true authors
Hardly a Gentleman by Eloisa James
4 stars | audiobook
Thank you HarperCollins and NetGalley for the Audiobook Galley in exchange for an honest review.
Looking for a laird in Scotland. Castle. 6'5. thick thighs.
I loved this! I think this is Eloisa at her finest! It's saucy and has an instant chemistry between the love interests that kept a giddy smile on my cheeks from start to finish.
It was pretty run of the mill for as creative of a forced proximity premise it was. (The only thing keeping it from the full five stars.) But I enjoyed it, and if every historical romance was like this one I'd be a happy girl!
Scythe and Sparrow by Brynne Weaver
3.5 stars | paperback
Definitely the weakest book in the trilogy plot-wise, but I loved it because I love the characters and her writing. I wish the pacing was a little different, but I will say the parts that could have been drawn out moved swiftly which I really appreciated!
Daydream by Hannah Grace
4 stars | audiobook
This book has been calling me since the cover was revealed with the folklore cardigan. We have a midsize, Swiftie, romance novel-loving, eldest daughter FMC and a neuro-spicy, bi-racial child of two moms, who plays hockey and is an artist MMC? You know I was in from day dot. Henry LOVES women. We've known this since Icebreaker, and it was so lovely getting to see him fall in love.
This was the perfect cozy read for me. It's a bit long and I could see it being boring for some readers, but what I wanted was a spicy opposites-attract romance with neurospicy leads who love so freaking hard, and it healed me a bit getting to follow them on their healing journeys.
There was some eye-roll cheese, but not too much to take me out of it.
“Literary” picks
The Heaven & Earth Grocery Story by James McBride
4.5 stars | audiobook
This book was challenging for me personally to get through. I would not have been able to make it through as a physical read, but am very glad I stuck with the audio.
It's moving, upsetting, and insightful. The author created an captured an intersection of identities in a time in American history that I've never been able to experience before.
I definitely recommend this book, but also like it was heavy and serious for my typical tastes. It’s VERY American.
This also happens to be one of two books I'm randomly reading around Memorial Day Weekend that is set around Memorial Day!
All Fours by Miranda July
3.5 stars | audiobook
This was unlike anything I've read before. I definitely think Miranda July is a hard 4w5. This is a coming of age story for the perimenopause and menopause era. While the whole novel leans into the uncomfortable (for lack of a better word) there were parts I adored and ate up like fresh batch of spanakopita. However there were several elements in here that were generally misses for me. I think I'd appreciate this book more in about 15 years, but am grateful for the insight into a lifestyle and family structure I don't think I'll ever experience first hand.
Miranda July's narration of her own work was a masterful decision.
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Finally getting around to a phenom
Flock by Kate Stewart
4 stars | audiobook
Thank you Casey for the recommendation! I'm glad I didn't read this any earlier in my reading journey, because there's definitely some TOXIC that would have made me hate this a few years ago. The spice was giving! And the romantic suspense is promising! I'm looking forward to finishing this series.
I did get nervous because I was listening to this while writing my "Right Person, Not Enough Time" piece.
Right Person, Not Enough Time
So this is a “trope” that I never would have thought was for me, but I eat it up every f****n’ time. Maybe growing up with A Walk to Remember and then Moulin Rouge! (spoiler alert?) as my favorite films should have been a hint, but call my Patrick Star, I’m content with my head in the sand, living under a rock!
Exodus by Kate Stewart
3 stars | audiobook
say it with me: D A D D Y I S S U E S
Just read my Full review on Story Graph because I have Thoughts with a capital T.
GoodReads & StoryGraph saw these reviews first!
Hyper-fixation du jour: Hacks
I’m finally watching season 4!
If you want to purchase any of the books mentioned in this article, please consider using my affiliate link with my favorite independent book store, The Ripped Bodice, or using my referral link to libro.fm for an audiobook!