May 2025 reading is a wrap! How is your reading year progressing? Did you have a favorite May read?
May 2025 Reading Wrap Up
May Summary: The quantity is good! Thankfully, there were THREE stand-outs! Out of 14 books completed, I experienced three 5-star reads, two 4.5-star reads, three 4-star reads, three 3-star reads, and three 2-star reads. Two DNFs this month (proving that no two persons read the same book and upholding my reputation as an outlier!)
My most engaging and memorable fiction read in May was The Correspondent by Virginia Evans. I also enjoyed my two nonfiction reads.
My Captivating Character for May is Sybil from The Correspondent. Join the Link Party for #CaptivatingCharacters25 hosted by yours truly…details and review in this post. Check it out!
***This post contains Amazon affiliate links.
Titles are Amazon affiliate links or my linked reviews.
ARC=Advanced Readers Copy (complimentary copy for review before pub date)
The Correspondent by Virginia Evans
5 Stars. Contemporary Fiction. Epistolary. Reflective. Poignant and Compelling. Already on my best of year list (#1 currently). The main character, Sybil, is also my most interesting and captivating character of the month. My full review of The
Correspondent here. I also created a FREE Book Club Kit!
She Came to Slay: The Life and Times of Harriet Tubman by Erica Armstrong Dunbar
5 Stars Narrative Nonfiction. Biographical. Slavery. Freedom. U.S. History. Not yet reviewed.
The Last Lecture by Randy Pausch
5 Stars. Nonfiction. Memoir. Inspirational and upbeat amid tragic circumstances. (rescued from my 2008 TBR!) Recently recommended by my grandson who is a sophomore in high school and it was assigned reading. I love that he thought to recommend it to me! Not yet reviewed.
The Forgotten Book Club by Kate Storey
4.5 Stars. Contemporary Fiction. Book about books and book club. Heartfelt. Grief. ADHD. Not yet reviewed.
The Lost Baker of Vienna by Sharon Kurtsman (ARC)
4.5 Stars. (ARC) Historical Fiction. Post WWII Austria (1946). Refugees. Survival. Baking. Review on Pub Date: 8/19/2025.
Run for the Hills by Kevin Wilson
4 Stars. Contemporary Fiction. Family Drama. Siblings. Road Trip. Not yet reviewed.
No Stone Unturned by Jenelle Hovde (ARC)
4 Stars.(ARC) Historical Fiction. Regency Romance. Archaeology/Antiquities. Review on Pub Date: 7/15/2025.
The Lakeside Chalet by Anna Camilla Kupka (ARC)
4 Stars. (ARC) Contemporary Fiction. New Beginnings. Friendship. Enemies-to-Lovers Romance. Bavaria, Germany. Review coming soon.
The Flat Share by Beth O’Leary
3 Stars. Contemporary Women’s Fiction. Romance. (cleaning up my TBR!) Not reviewed.
The Keeper of Happy Endings by Barbara Davis
3 Stars. Historical (1941) and Contemporary Fiction (1985). Multigenerational. Poignant. A sprinkling of magic. Not reviewed.
The Bookstore Family by Alice Hoffman
3 Stars. (#4 in a loosely connected series of short stories) Contemporary Fiction. Family Drama. Not reviewed.
Expiration Dates by Rebecca Serle
2 Stars. Contemporary Fiction. Meh. Too similar to The Husbands, which was a DNF for me. Not a fan of magical realism. Not reviewed.
Broken Country by Clare Lesley Hall
2 Stars. Historical Fiction (1955 and 1968). Mystery. Family Drama. Romance. Character-driven Literary Fiction. I’m a definite outlier for this one. Although the writing is excellent, the content is bleak and not to my taste. Star Rating is based on my reading reluctance. Others have loved it. Not reviewed.
Magic Marks the Spot by Caroline Carlson
2 Stars. Middle Grade Fiction. Fantasy. Pirates. Magic. Lighthearted and Humorous. The right reader will love it. (book club selection) Not reviewed.
DNFs
Sandwich by Catherine Newman (some good parts, but the crudeness and (religious) profanity were not to my taste)
The Favorites by Layne Fargo (wasn’t engaged and easily set it aside)
QOTD:
Did we read any of the same books?
Did you have a favorite May read?
May Blog Posts
Captivating Character of May (Join the Link Party!)
No Two Persons Review
It’s a Love Story Review
The Busybody Book Club Review
The First Ladies Review
The Love Haters Review
Benefits of Book Club Discussion
Those Elusive Five-Star Reads Discussion
The Last Lifeboat Review
The Dark Maestro Review
Do Your Book Reviews Change Over Time? Discussion
My Friends Review
The Secret Book of Flora Lea Review
Book Club Kit: The Correspondent
Flowers or Books? 10 Book Recs for Mothers
A Wager With the Matchmaker Review
The Correspondent Review
Symphony of Secrets Review
Happy Reading Book Friends!
“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
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One of my favorite parts of the monthly wrap-up is the DNF section. We usually have similar tastes so I trust your judgment. There are so many amazing books out there, why read something you aren’t enjoying!
My two DNFs have received stellar reviews so might check them out! 🤷♀️Sandwich has some good thoughts/reflections and in another’s authors hands might have worked better for me. It did make me think I could have written the book! lol😂
I think your last comment is why I enjoyed Sandwich. I could have written the book, or at least something similar. I really identified with her, but could have done with less profanity.
It also prompted me to think maybe I should write my own book. There were definitely some relatable parts!
I also DNFed Sandwich. I didn’t realize it would be about what it was about.
The premise was ok, but I didn’t appreciate the execution. Thanks for sharing!
Three book read stand outs in one month is excellent! Thank you for sharing them here!
Yes, usually I’m lucky to have one. So I hit the jackpot!
You had some great reads in May, Carol. I purchased the audiobook of The Correspondent as I heard it was excellent. I added the Harriet Tubman book to my TBR to read during Black History month in 2026. She fascinates me, and I really enjoyed the movie they made about her. I will have to check out your Captivating Character and get mine posted before the end of the month.
I’m on the waiting list for The Correspondent..I’m looking forward to a reread in the audio format!
Too bad we can’t loan audible books to each other.