I feel like I had a great reading month in May, even if I didn’t have any 5-star reads. I’m particularly proud that I managed to read 2 of my NetGalley eARCs and also 2 books towards my Book of the Month reading challenge.

Stats

Total books read: 8

eARCs: 2

BOTM: 2

Nonfiction: 2

2024 releases: 4

#readmyowndamnbooks: 5

 

Truly, Madly, Deeply by Alexandria Bellefleur (4.25 stars) – I’ve been a fan of Alexandria Bellefleur since the minute I picked up Written in the Stars. I love the sweetness and emotional resonance of her stories, and as a bi reader, I also love the frequency of her inclusion of bi main characters. Until now, Elle and Darcy’s story has been my favorite, with last year’s The Fiancee Farce as a close second, but Truly, Madly, Deeply has been making me question everything. Although the side characters in the story didn’t always work with me (particularly Truly’s parents, whose scenes were for me the weakest), I absolutely loved the adorable and spicy bi/bi romance at the book’s heart. It was such an enjoyable read that I’ll be recommending all over the place.
I received an eARC of Truly, Madly, Deeply from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, but I loved it so much I also purchased a physical copy for myself.

You, Again by Kate Goldbeck (4 stars) – Pitched as a milennial take on When Harry Met Sally, I happily enjoyed it a lot more than I did the movie (it’s just never worked for me personally). It’s sort of a chance meeting enemies-to-friends-to-lovers story that’s heavy on banter, quarter life crisis career issues, and emotional blockages on the part of both protagonists. Ari and Josh have a slow, complicated, messy love story that I nevertheless rooted for the entire time. Goldbeck’s writing is very solid, and I felt I got to know the characters extremely well over the course of the novel and the years in their lives that it covers; I also liked the glimpse into chef careers, since that’s a niche interest of mine in romances. It’s definitely more spicy than sweet, so as long as that’s what you’re in the mood for, I think you’ll enjoy.

I received an eARC of You, Again from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The Butcher of the Forest by Premee Mohamed (4 stars) – This was a creepy dark fantasy novella that I really enjoyed; it involves a mysterious and deadly forest and a mission the main character can’t escape. Definitely recommend and a great pick for a quick read.

The Other Side of Disappearing by Kate Clayborn (4 stars) – When an audiobook involves podcast elements, it definitely makes me more likely to pick it up. The focus here was definitely more on the romance than the true crime aspect, but I enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters as well as the relationship between the heroine, her younger sister, and their history with their estranged mother. I thought it was well-developed and a great audio listen; I’ll be looking for more from this author.

The Gentleman’s Gambit by Evie Dunmore (3.5 stars) – This may have been my least favorite installment in the League of Extraordinary Women series, but I did like how it wrapped up the quartet as a whole.

Sociopath: A Memoir by Patric Gagne (3.5 stars) – This was an interesting look inside the mind of a woman with a PhD in psychology who is also a diagnosed sociopath. I was intrigued by how Gagne described her thought patterns and interpersonal relationships, but the book became a bit less interesting as it went on and focused more and more on her relationship with her eventual husband.

Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (3 stars) – This was my third book from Krakauer this year and definitively my least favorite; I spent the entire time too frustrated with the protagonist to sink into the book the way I wanted to. I felt like the author’s narrative skills were much less on display compared to the other two nonfiction works I’ve read from him, which makes me really wonder why this one is so widely read and taught in schools.

The Seven Year Slip by Ashley Poston (3 stars) – I didn’t enjoy nearly as much as my previous read from Poston (The Dead Romantics); I felt like the characterization wasn’t very strong, and that’s very important to me when I read a romance.