Another month is officially over! Which means it’s time to share our May Wrap Up. What did we read this month? How are our reading goals going? After this month, we will be at the middle of the year. Who knows how far we will be with our schedules? If you want to see what we read this month, take a look!

Candyce

I can’t believe it’s already June! Where is this year going? Once again, I am lucky to be able to say I had a good reading month. In May I was able to read 20 books! The beginning of the month felt like it was going really slow for me, so I was surprised to see how much I actually was able to read. That means my Goodreads challenge is now at 100/160. I’ve never read 100 books this fast before. It would be amazing if I were to hit 200 books this year. Unfortunately my other goals aren’t doing that great. I didn’t finish any series, so it’s still at 4/12. Beat the Backlist isn’t doing good either, still at 4/50. That really needs to change the next few months!

It’s not strange that my Beat the Backlist challenge isn’t doing well, because I only read e-books this month (except for ACOFAS). I’m over halfway in two paperbacks at the moment, but that doesn’t count for May. I enjoyed all of the books I read, so that’s something. Let’s take a look at what I read in May.

Catching Stars – Cayla Keenan

I received an ARC of this book (thank you to the publisher and author!) and while I enjoyed it, Catching Stars took awhile to really get started. The storyline is interesting and I enjoyed the characters, but I guess I needed a bit more? The way this book ended, it’s clear that it’s meant to be more than one book, but I haven’t found any information about more books. Hopefully this author will give us more though, because I want to know what happens to the characters.

An Imperfect Heart – Amie Knight

An Imperfect Heart is a book I have been wanting since I knew it was going to be published. Amie Knight knows how to write such heartbreaking books, but makes you want more. See Through Heart and A Steel Heart were both amazing. An Imperfect Heart was just as good, if not better. This book shows us blood isn’t only family and that when life doesn’t go to plan, it can give you things you never dreamed of. Amie Knight is an author that definitely needs more attention, because her books are just amazing!

Keeping 6 – Freya Barker

Freya Barker is an author that has been around for awhile, but that I only discovered last year. Keeping 6 is the first book in a new series and it was my first Romantic Suspense. I connected with the main character right away, because she owns a bookstore. I can only dream, haha. Freya Barker definitely kept me wondering who could be doing everything that was happening to Kerry. The only thing that bugged me was that the romance part happened a bit too quickly for my taste. Especially because it was between a detective and the woman that needed his help. All in all, I enjoyed it and am looking forward to the next book.

Arrogant Devil – R.S. Grey

R.S. Grey is known for her romantic comedies and Arrogant Devil didn’t disappoint. Once again this author gave us a lot of humor, some romance and two people finding their way. It was a book to prove that we shouldn’t judge a book by its cover. Meredith left her very rich husband and no one thinks she will ever keep the job she is given, but she proves them wrong. Arrogant Devil was also my first romance with a cowboy, I think I need to try more!

The Law of Tall Girls – Joanne Macgregor

Joanne Macgregor writes good YA contemporary books. The Law of Tall Girls let’s us meet Peyton, a tall girl, who is frustrated that all the short girls get the tall guys available. She wants a guy who is taller than her and that isn’t easy. Her ‘friends’ start a bet with her to date a tall guy and go to prom with him. This bet takes on a life of its own in ways and we learn that Peyton’s height isn’t her whole story. There is a lot more going on and for a YA book, it gets pretty serious. The author approaches a subject I have never read about in the YA genre before.

Scarred – Joanne Macgregor

This is the second book by this author that I read this month and it was another amazing contemporary. Imagine losing a big part of your life after an accident. Sloane is trying to start her life again and find her place in the world. The boy she has a crush on happens to know more about the accident than they both first realize. I can’t imagine how hard it is to pick up the pieces and start over after an accident like that. Her new school isn’t easy either, bullying is a real issue. Once again, Joanne Macgregor gives us another plot twist you don’t see coming. This author really makes us think!

Hushed – Joanne Macgregor

Yes, I read three books by Joanne Macgregor this month, haha. She is just an amazing writer. Hushed is the lightest of the three books, but I still really enjoyed it. Imagine running into your celebrity crush and then landing a job to work for him? Romy just finished highschool and doesn’t know what she wants to do with her life. Her parents want her to follow in their footsteps and this really pressures her. So Romy takes life in her own hands and works for her crush. Here she finds the movie world isn’t what it’s made up to be. During this whole adventure, she slowly starts to figure out what she wants. The hot actor definitely helps, but even he has his own story.

Love & Luck – Jenna Evans Welch

Fans of Love & Gelato will love this book. I know I did anyways. Addie is Lina’s (Love & Gelato) best friend and she really wants to visit her. The book starts off in Ireland for her Aunt’s wedding and plans to visit Italy after. Unfortunately plans change and she has a road trip she didn’t expect. Addie is having a hard summer dealing with something that happened with a guy and we slowly learn what that is. This was another amazing trip in a different country with friendship and family. And learning to accept things you’ve done and start fresh afterwards.

Airports, Exes and Other Things I’m Over – Shani Petroff

Last year I read My New Crush Gave to Me and loved this author’s writing. When she announced that this book was being published it sounded like another book I needed to read. After fidnding out her boyfriend cheated on her, Sari decides she needs to get away. Her Spring Break is spent with her grandmother where she is heartbroken. She meets a guy there and he makes her think about things. When she finally gets the chance to perform at the club of her dreams, she can’t get back to NYC fast enough. A storm is making her plans almost impossible. Airports and cars become a big part of her life. Sari learns that not everything is what it seems and how important friendships are. This book didn’t go the way I was expecting and that was refreshing!

The Wright Love & The Wright One – K.A. Linde

This duet is something I have been waiting for since reading The Wright Secret. Sutton lost her husband and love of her life a year ago and isn’t dealing well. David has feelings for her, but realizes he needs to be careful. Slowly, Sutton’s walls start to crumble, until unexpected secrets are revealed. Can David change that and will they have their happily ever after? The Wright family is such a fun family to read about.

Aru Shah and the End of Time – Roshani Chokshi

In the Facebook group TBR & Beyond this was a group read and it sounded really interesting. As I’ve stated before I really want to read more middlegrade and this was the perfect chance. I love learning about mythology and this one was filled with that. The second book will definitely be added to my TBR when it’s released. My only issue with this book is that I felt the ending fell a bit flat. I get that because of the fact we will be getting more books, but it just felt like an odd ending.

The Brightsiders – Jen Wilde

When I signed up for this blog tour I didn’t realize this book was from the author of Queens of Geek, haha. I loved that book, so I was ashamed, haha. Once again, Jen Wilde wrote an amazing book and I loved the diversity. Sexuality was a subject in this book, but it wasn’t forced, but was an important thing. Emmy is a member of The Brightsiders and the band got famous a lot faster than expected. Emmy is partying a bit too hard though and needs to deal with that. We find out why she acts the way she does and follow her journey. It’s a book filled with love, self-discovery and friendship.

One Baby Daddy – Meghan Quinn

After reading Meghan’s book Dear Life, I wanted to try something else from her. While this book is a lot different, I loved it. Two characters who don’t expect love, feel a connection they’ve never felt before. Their lives change in many surprising ways, but it was fun to be along for the ride. If you want to read about a romantic guy, definitely pick up this book!

Society of Wishes – Elise Kova

Elise Kova is an author I have had my eye on for awhile and finally had the chance to read one of her books! The concept of this book was amazing, but I was left with a lot of questions. Jo makes a wish and ends up in the Society of wishes. She has powers as do the others and they help make wishes happen. There is a lot more to it than you think and Jo is still finding her way in this new world.

Jeremy – SM Shade

This is the fifth and last book of this series, but can be read as a standalone. I was really interested in this book and wasn’t disappointed. I love the reference to Striking Back (another series I read by her). Jeremy wasn’t a fun character in the beginning, but after reading some of the story it was very understandable. It was clear that characters from previous books made an appearance and I need to read the rest. There was suspense and romance. It’s a good combination.

A Court of Frost and Starlight – Sarah J Maas

I was looking forward to this book and it didn’t disappoint. Reading this took me longer than expected, because I had to read some other books first. With them celebrating Solstice, this would’ve been the perfect book for December (I may just need to reread). A lot of people were disappointed, because it was a fluffy book with not a lot of action. This made me really happy though. The characters deserved to be happy for a bit. The teaser at the end wasn’t enough though, haha.

Last Chance to Fall – Kelsey Kingsley

The Kinney brothers have been so good and Sean didn’t disappoint. I think he was my favorite as well. Sean was the careful one and had his daily routine. Lindsey comes in his life at an unexpected moment and the first one to ask him, what if this was your last chance? This book makes you think about things you normally wouldn’t dare to do.

Somebody’s Heartbreak – Mel Walker

Somebody’s Heartbreak was an emotional novella that takes place in about a day. This author is able to make us feel something for the characters and for them to connect in not a ong amount of time. This book was touching, but I think I needed more information about the chracters and think maybe they felt too much too fast. I totally agree with feeling a connection right away, but to say I want to spend the rest of my life with you after 24 hours isn’t realistic to me.

Speakeasy – Sarina Bowen

This is the first book I have read by Sarina Bowen. Before Speakeasy I read a couple things written by her and Elle Kennedy. This book is the last in the series, but a standalone. I feel in love with these characters and their story. For a romance book, it was pretty long, but that felt right. These characters make me want to read the other ones as well. Sarina Bowen is another author I need to read more of!

Isabelle

I’m not doing so great either haha. Audiobooks are saving my reading month so I did end up reading 15 books, audiobooks, graphic novels, and novella’s. I didn’t read anything that I owned before 2018 so my TBR just keeps growing unfortunately haha. A little summary; 9 audiobooks, 1 manga, 4 graphic novels, and 1 ebook. I’m still not reading that many full novels unfortunately but I’m enjoying what I am reading so that’s a good thing. Let’s take a look at what I end up reading this month.

The Seven Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle – Stuart Turton

This might be my favorite book of the month! I had been eyeing it for a while and was super happy to get an eArc. My review can be found here. This is an amazing mystery and I truly hoe we get more books in the same theme so to speak. I think the hardcover is stunning and hope to add it to my collection at some point.

The Promised Neverland 2 – Kaiu Shirai

I really enjoyed the first book in this manga series and was happy I picked up the second one as well. This had another unexpected twist and I can’t wait to read number 3. I think at that point I’m caught up with the translations so I’ll have to wait until we get more. The covers are super cute and I adore these characters.

 

Anya’s Ghost – Vera Brosgol

I bought this MG graphic novel for the TBR and Beyond MG event we had this month and I simply flew through this. Personally, I wouldn’t have classified this as MG but it was so enjoyable. It’s kinda sad we only have the one story with these characters. The plot was great and I really enjoyed the art. And isn’t that cover stunning? The longer I look, the more I like it. I also very much appreciated the diversity in this GN.

 

Giant Days vol 1 – John Allison

This is a comic series I saw recommended a couple of times and my curiosity got the better of me. I couldn’t resist and got this one with a couple of other comics. It’s a pretty thin comic that I ended up really enjoying. I would say it’s more of a slice of life type of thing than a comic with a clear plot. This takes place at university, a setting I really enjoy reading about. So I will absolutely continue reading this series.

Spell on Wheels – Kate Leth

I have owned this one a bit longer, after someone recommended it I had to get it right away. It’s nice to have at least one unread comic or graphic novel so I can pick that up when the urge to read one strikes. I currently have only one unread left so I might need to get new ones soon haha. The synopsis for this one intrigued me right away and after reading some reviews I had pretty high expectations. While I really liked some aspects, others were a bit of a let down. I will write a more in-depth review soon.

Deadly Class vol 1 – John Allison

I came across this comic by accident but I immediately liked the title. That’s what drew me in and the synopsis ensured me buying it right away. This one took a bit longer to read, it has quite some story and heavy topics and it pretty thick. I’, really looking forward to the second volume and hope to pick it up soon.

Howl’s Moving Castle – Diana Wynne Jones

I was really looking forward to this one and had high expectations. The MG event in the FB group was the perfect opportunity to pick it up. I own a gorgeous paperback but decided to listen to the audiobook as that is the way I’m reading more this year. While I did enjoy the book it wasn’t as good as I hoped it would be. I might watch the movie soon and see if that changes my outlook on the story.

A Court of Frost and Starlight – Sarah J. Maas

I know a lot of people were really looking forward to this novella but all I want from Sarah right now is Kingdom of Ash haha. While I enjoyed the original ACOTAR trilogy it was never my favorite and I would’ve been okay without this novella. I didn’t get a physical copy (yet, because let’s be real here haha) since I had access to the audiobook at the release day. This novella was definitely enjoyable in my opinion but didn’t add that much. I am looking forward to the next couple novels and really want to read more about the other characters.

The Course of True Love [and First Dates] – Cassandra Clare

This was the only story in the Bane Chronicles I hadn’t read yet so when I came across it on my audiobook app I decided to listen to it right away. It’s really short and doesn’t have that much of a plot so I’m happy I didn’t spend any money on it. I did enjoy it a bit but honestly don’t have that much to say about it.

Leah on the Offbeat – Becky Albertalli

I was really looking forward to this one! Becky’s other two novels were really enjoyable and relatable. This was also available on my audiobook service pretty soon after the pub date so that was really great. I listened to it in two sittings I think and really enjoyed it. While I’m highly anticipating Becky’s novel with Adam Silvera I also wouldn’t mind another book set in Creekwood or one surrounding these characters as they explore university life.

Fantastic Mr Fox – Roald Dahl

Another one for the MG event. There are so many Roald Dahl books on my audiobook subscription service and I was a bit ashamed at how little I read. Probably only Mathilda, for sure a favorite of mine. This is the first one I picked up but I’m pretty sure more will follow. The story is simple but enjoyable and quite short.

Aru Shah and the End of Time – Roshani Choksi

Candyce and I already posted our buddy review of this adorable MG adventure book. It’s clear this is part of the Rick Riordan imprint as it does feel similar to his books. But learning about different mythologies this way is simply amazing. I generally love MG books and this was just a great adventure. The ending was a nice set up for the second book and can’t wait for it to be released. And with the risk of repeating myself, don’t you just love that cover?!

All That Glitters & Sunny Side Up – Holly Smale

Number 4 and 4,5 in the Geek Girl series. I adore Harriet Manners so much. She was a bit annoying in these two though, I can’t believe someone so smart can be so dumb and blind about what is right in front of her. I guess she is just that naive and while that is one of her charming qualities it does get a bit repetitive. Still, especially All The Glitters was so cute and I really liked the message in it. I even teared up a bit at the end. You can bet on y reading the last two books in this series and pretty soon at that.

Death Cloud- Andrew Lane

And the last book I listened to this month was the first book in the Young Sherlock series. I listened to this one yesterday while I was cleaning. This is not exactly how I would’ve imagined a young Sherlock but I did enjoy it. The book is for sure catered to a younger audience but at the same time quite heavy on the violence. Unfortunately I don’t have access to the second audiobook and this is not a series I would spend money on. But if I find it at my library or the audiobook will become available I might pick up the sequel(s).

 

Those are the books we read in May! What was your favorite book last month?