I hope you all are enjoying all the book reviews, since it's just another hobby of mine, it's not going anywhere! I loved doing the Monthly Wrap-up last year to share mini reviews on all the books I've read each month!
It could be a big range from 2 to 10 books depending on how much I read, but I figure I can share a little synopsis and quick thoughts on each book. I will still be doing more in depth reviews on books that really capture me!
Funeral Songs for Dying Girls was received as a review copy - this post contains affiliate links
So, in May I read 9 books - a mix of genres from YA mystery to Adult non-fiction. I love most genres, and I really want to keep my reads diversified this year - I think I have been doing a great job of that so far! Also, I've been trying to read a mix of old and new books, so I'm working on that! I read 3 physical books this month and 6 audiobooks.
Here's a quick look at all the books I read in the past month:
Funeral Songs for Dying Girls by Cherie Dimaline ~ ☆☆☆☆ - 4 stars. This is a young adult magical realism book. We meet our main character Winifred when she is about to turn 16, so she's at a pretty vulnerable stage in her life, but she's also dealing with the grief of losing her mom and her late night prowling at the cemetery may have started a rumour that the cemetery is haunted and she wants to find a way to use that to save her home. But, as Winifred befriends an actual ghost of a young girl in the cemetery, she is quickly faced with choices of how far she will go to save her home - she doesn't want to hurt her friends or family, but the relationships are complex and she faces difficult decisions. I loved the exploration of friendship, family, grief and love with a haunted setting so it wasn't too heavy and still a great read!
Blind Spot by Paula Hawkins ~ ☆☆☆ ½ - 3.5 stars. This is an adult mystery novella - I haven't read a true thriller in a while, so this was fun. We start with a murder and the wife trying to figure out (along with the police) what happened to her husband - I thought it was exciting and I enjoyed the story. I always wish that these shorter stories had a bit more to them but I enjoyed the character dynamics and it was good if you need something short and fast!
Sky in the Deep by Adrienne Young ~ ☆☆☆☆ - 4 stars. This is a young adult fantasy with a viking setting - quite unique for a fantasy setting that I've seen and I'm trying to get through this author's backlist as I've enjoyed her books! I really enjoyed this story - more than I was expecting. This is a young adult fantasy, but it read like a historical fiction almost and I enjoyed that. I enjoyed the opposing clans fighting and how everything came together. The story was fast-paced and I enjoyed the characters and the gentle love story in there too. The only thing is, the characters didn't need to be 17 I thought with the time lines presented it would have made more sense for them to be in their early 20s. And, this read so well as a stand alone so I'm hoping I enjoy the sequel.
An Anthology of Monsters: How Story Saves Us From Our Anxiety by Cherie Dimaline ~ ☆☆☆☆ - 4 stars. This is a short adult non-fiction - a collection of short essays and thoughts on anxiety. A quick and honest look at living with anxiety - I will read anything that Cherie puts out, and this was just a look at life with anxiety, dealing with imposter syndrome, coping, etc. Enjoyed how this was organized.
The Firekeeper's Daughter by Angeline Boulley ~ ☆☆☆☆ - 4 stars. This is a young adult mystery - different than what I expected from the cover (I think I was expecting fantasy, but not a bad thing!) This was different than a lot of books I read - our main character goes undercover as a confidential informant to help solve the problem of drugs in their community and the related murders surrounding it. I enjoyed this story overall - I like how the story unravelled and the characters were great. There was some pretty scientific parts and it dragged a little with that, but overall a good story!
A River Enchanted by Rebecca Ross ~ ☆☆☆ ½ - 3.5 stars. This is a young adult fantasy with an island setting where there are two opposing groups on each side of the island; but there are also spirits who rule the island. When young girls start going missing, they don't know who to suspect is behind the disappearances. I am a fan of Rebecca Ross and I think this is a good book. I enjoyed the setting and the characters - I liked the old rivals to lovers with a little bit of whodunnit was good. I found the story a tad repetitive and slow at times, but enjoyed it overall and looking forward to book two.
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus ~ ☆☆☆☆ - 4 stars. This is an adult historical fiction surrounding a female scientist trying to make her way in the 50s and 60s when women were not treated equally. This was an enjoyable read - after getting fired, she is hired to host a cooking show where she adds in a bunch of science to teach the housewives watching from home while cooking! She was subject to a lot of harassment, but made small gains for herself and her daughter while creating the found family. It was sciency, but cute and a really easy read!
The Witch's Heart by Genevieve Gornichec ~ ☆☆☆☆ - 4 stars. This is an adult historical fiction/norse mythology retelling - it follows the "Mother of Monsters" or the witch who birthed the monsters (with Loki) that eventually led to the events of Ragnarok. I loved our main character and I loved the monster children. Overall good mythology retelling to me (but I'm not well versed in this area) but felt true to characters/time/situation and it was well written!
May was a pretty good reading month - all 3.5 and 4 star reads, so no misses for me!
Here's a little refresh of my rating system:
5 Stars: Excellent/Fantastic/Amazing Read
4.5 Stars: Really Great Read
4 Stars: Great Read
3.5 Stars: Really Good Book
3 Stars: Good Book
2.5 Stars: Eh, It was Okay Read
2 Stars: Finished it, but Didn't Enjoy It
1.5 Stars: Not Good at All
1 Star: DNF (Did Not Finish)
What was the best book you read this month?! My favourite of all of these was Funeral Songs for Dying Girls.
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