May 31, 2019
May Reading Wrap Up
*This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
May was a great reading month and I am especially excited to report a few five- and four-star reads. Find all my May reads listed below in order of Star Rating. Keep in mind that I normally recommend five- and four-star reads on the blog; three-star reads receive mixed reviews from me for various reasons; and two-star reads are books that were not for me.
Did we read any of the same books?
Titles are Amazon affiliate links and my available reviews are linked.
Paper Hearts by Meg Wiviott
5 Stars. WW11. A poignant and memorable story in free verse (YA). Full review here.
On the Come Up by Angie Thomas
5 Stars. Contemporary Fiction. Powerfully told from an “own voices” perspective (YA). Review coming soon.
The River by Peter Heller
5 Stars. Wilderness survival/suspense/thriller. Review coming soon.
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See
4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 Stars on Goodreads). Historical Fiction/Korean island of Jeju. Full review here.
The Lost For Words Bookshop by Stephanie Butland
4.5 Stars (rounded to 5 Stars on Goodreads). For fans of Eleanor Oliphant. A heartfelt and memorable read. Review coming soon.
The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking
4 Stars. Non-Fiction. Easy and practical tips for living a good life surrounded by food, friends, candles, fireplaces, blankets, and general coziness. Review coming soon.
Never Have I Ever by Joshilyn Jackson
3 Stars. (ARC: Pub Date: 7/30) Domestic Suspense/thriller. Goodreads review here.
A Family of Strangers by Emilie Richards
3 Stars. (ARC: Pub Date: 6/25) Women’s Fiction. Goodreads review here.
Counting by 7s by Holly Goldberg Sloan
3 Stars. Middle-Grade Fiction. Goodreads review here.
Evvie Drake Starts Over by Linda Holmes
2.5 Stars. (ARC: Pub Date: 6/25) (rounded to 3 stars on Goodreads) Women’s Fiction. Goodreads review here.
DNF: The Library Book by Susan Orlean
I read about 20% and then it was due back to the library. Unfortunately, I wasn’t that invested in the story to make the effort to get on another waiting list. I read the dramatic part about the fire, but then I lost interest in the speculation about who caused the fire. Others have loved it, so you might want to try this for yourself (especially if you live in Los Angeles!)
Let’s Discuss!
What did you read in May?
Did we read any of the same books?
Which of these books is on your TBR?
Happy Reading Book Buddies!
“Ah, how good it is to be among people who are reading.”
~Rainer Maria Rilke
“I love the world of words, where life and literature connect.”
~Denise J Hughes
“Reading good books ruins you for enjoying bad ones.”
~Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
“I read because books are a form of transportation, of teaching, and of connection! Books take us to places we’ve never been, they teach us about our world, and they help us to understand human experience.”
~Madeleine Riley, Top Shelf Text
Looking Ahead:
I have reviews coming soon for On the Come Up, The Lost For Words Bookshop, and The River.
My Spring TBR:
I’m making progress on my spring TBR…check here for updates. Two books remain and I’m debating whether or not I want to wait for my library holds to come in or purchase them (keep hoping for a kindle deal, too).
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***Blogs posts may contain affiliate links. This means that at no extra cost to you, I can earn a small percentage of your purchase price.
Unless explicitly stated that they are free, all books that I review have been purchased by me or borrowed from the library.
Book Cover and author photo are credited to Amazon or an author’s (or publisher’s) website.
Glad to see that you enjoyed Lost for Words, it was one of my favourite audiobooks last year!
It surprised me! 👍😍
I loved THE ISLAND OF SEA WOMEN! I just posted my review of it: http://www.blogginboutbooks.com/2019/05/epic-novel-about-koreas-female-free.html
Susan
http://www.blogginboutbooks.com
What a great list! I haven’t read any of these – I haven’t actually heard of the majority of them – but there are some great sounding titles here that means I’ll definitely be checking some of them out. I’ve certainly had a mixture of things this month: need to figure out what I’ve been reading!
7/10 are new releases or ARCs….. I hope you find one you like! 👍😍 Thanks for commenting Lindsey!
Love your month in reads, Carol! I’m a little worried about Never Have I Ever- it’s one I most anticipating this summer as I love Joshilyn Jackson. I’m headed over to read your GR review. ♥️
Well …. I tried to be as kind as possible in my review but it’s not my preferred genre so I always end up struggling with the review….especially with a much loved author……..i tell myself almost every time that I should know better by now…..I have serious FOMO though so I can’t help myself sometimes! At first I was not impressed with the mean girls ….then the incident of child abuse was creepy….I was disappointed in the ending….and I generally don’t appreciate dark reads. So…..I’m curious about what your reaction will be! Others have loved it and I’m a def outlier so if you love it that’s ok and we can still be book buddies!!! I should say on a positive note that it’s a page turner!