Stats

Total books read: 9

BOTM: 1

eARCs: 1

2024 releases: 6

Fall vibes reads: 6

Reviews

Elizabeth of East Hampton by Audrey Bellezza and Emily Harding (4.5 stars) – I absolutely love a Pride and Prejudice retelling; it’s one of the few stories that for me never gets old. After reading and loving Emma of East 83rd Street last year, I was so excited to see that Elizabeth was up next. The original story’s characters, plot, and themes are all translated into a modern Hamptons setting effortlessly and in a way that makes perfect sense and creates excellent fun; Mr. Wickham as a Fyre Festival-esque scammer was a particularly great touch. The central romance had all of the tension and banter that we’ve come to expect, but was still contemporary enough to feel fresh. I also enjoyed the appearance of Emma and Knightley from book 1, as well as hints that book 3 will be based on Persuasion.

I received an eARC of Elizabeth of East Hampton from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. However, I loved it enough that I also purchased myself a physical copy.

Bride by Ali Hazelwood (4 stars) – Ali Hazelwood does an excellent job with coming through with a great read. Although I didn’t love Bride as much as her contemporary romance novels (three of which I’ve rated in the 5-star️ range), this paranormal romance still delivered on the chemistry, tropes, and addictive writing style that makes me want to pick up anything she writes. The worldbuilding wasn’t as strong as I’d have liked, but I still enjoyed the heck out of it, and I do hope she comes out with a sequel romance starring the side characters that was hinted about at the end.

Graveyard Shift by M. L. Rio (4 stars) – Since If We Were Villains by M.L. Rio is solidly on my list of favorite books, I was always going to pick up whatever she wrote next. I wasn’t expecting a multiple perspective horror novella that takes place over a single night, but I thoroughly enjoyed Graveyard Shift nonetheless. The moments I was able to pick up this book during my brief Italy trip remain some of my favorites.

The Only Survivors by Megan Miranda (4 stars) – This YA contemporary mystery about two teens working on a podcast centered around their town’s darkest period was absorbing and an easy listen on audiobook, but didn’t necessarily blow me away.

The Pairing by Casey McQuiston (4 stars) – The Pairing was a great book to read right as I was leaving on a trip to Europe; it flows through France, Spain, and Italy on a food and wine tour that had me reminiscing about featured places I’ve been to and stoking excitement about places still on my travel goals list. It’s a very sweet second chance romance between two people who are very deeply in love with and obsessed with one another, and I thought the audio was performed very well with the many accents and frequent dialogue in other languages.

Dreadful by Caitlin Rozakis (4 stars) – Dreadful was a satirical and humorous take on fantasy featuring an amnesiac evil wizard who doesn’t actually want to be evil now that his memories are gone; a resourceful kidnapped princess; scarier, evil-er wizards that are also more than they appear; adaptable townsfolk figuring out how to eke out a living in the shadow of a malevolent castle; less than bright heroes; and a background cast of delightful goblins. I love fantasy that interrogates and questions the tropes and conventions of the genre while turning them on their heads, and therefore found this a very fun read.

Bookshops and Bonedust by Travis Baldree (4 stars) – I enjoyed returning to the adventures of Viv the orc in this cozy fantasy prequel; for me this as well as Legends & Lattes were definitely enjoyable reads but didn’t necessary strike as impactful a chord as they seem to with many readers.

A Long Stretch of Bad Days by Mindy McGinnis (3.5 stars) – This YA contemporary mystery about two teens working on a podcast centered around their town’s darkest period was absorbing and an easy listen on audiobook, but didn’t necessarily blow me away.

Looking for Love in All the Haunted Places by Claire Kann (3 stars) – This contemporary paranormal romance had a lot of potential, but unfortunately the writing, and therefore the characters and plot, fell flat for me. I liked the premise and early aspects of the mystery, but ultimately this didn’t work well for me.

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.

I had an extremely busy month in April, which included volunteering at two weekend free clinics (I’m an optometrist) in other parts of my state. I was determined not to let my reading slide despite my weekends being much more packed than usual, and I ended up reading 3 short pieces (2 short stories and 1 essay) to be able to participate in Dewey’s 24-hour readathon during a busy clinic day. I did find a new 5-star standout, but also read many great 4-star picks.

Stats

Total books read: 9

#readmyowndamnbooks: 3

Short fiction/nonfiction: 3

2024 releases: 5

Reviews

All the Hidden Paths by Foz Meadows (5 stars) – Sometimes it takes me a really long time to finish a book I love, and All the Hidden Paths by Foz Meadows, which I started about a month ago, was no exception. Its predecessor A Strange & Stubborn Endurance was one of my favorite books of last year, and you never know how a sequel will live up, but this one was just as intricately written, heart-wrenching, and full of action as the first. It delves more into court politics, which I love in fantasy books, and the central arranged-marriage romance continued to develop in a way that makes sense for each character’s history of trauma. I also felt that the ending was potentially setting up a spinoff featuring several prominent side characters we met in book 2, which I wouldn’t be at all mad about

At First Spite by Olivia Dade (4 stars) -I’ve loved every Olivia Dade book I’ve read so far, and At First Spite was no exception. It’s a difficult premise for an author to make work–our heroine is engaged until her fiance’s brother talks him out of going through with the wedding, ostensibly because he doesn’t approve of her, but also because he finds himself extremely attracted to her. She begins to fall for him as well in the aftermath, but our protagonists also have to deal with depression, burnout, and the aftereffects of family tragedy on their way to an HEA. Despite these darker themes, At First Spite still has plenty of funny and sweet moments, and I loved the dynamic between the two main characters and how much they loved one another. I received an eARC of At First Spite from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Dominoes by Phoebe McIntosh (4 stars) – This contemporary fiction was kind of a random pick for me, and I ended up finding it really interesting. I listened to the audio and the narrator was GREAT, I’d definitely recommend consuming it that way, and I’ll definitely be looking for more from this debut author.

Here We Go Again by Alison Cochrun (4 stars) – This was my third contemporary romance from Cochrun, and definitely my favorite. It features a friends-to-enemies-to-lovers romance between two English teachers who are taking their mentor on a road trip as his dying wish, and who learn about each other and themselves along the way. It has great discussion on the importance and impact that great teachers can have on our lives, so I was recommending it to my English teacher friend within the first few chapters. There is sadness but it’s well-balanced with humor and romance, along with mental health discussion.

Two Women Walk Into a Bar by Cheryl Strayed (4 stars) – This was the essay I listened to during Dewey’s; I previously really enjoyed both Wild and Dear Sugar by Strayed and found this essay about the author’s relationship with her mother-in-law to be very well-told.

Rosie and the Dreamboat by Sally Thorne (4 stars) – A very cute short story with Thorne’s signature addictive writing style that involves a rescue from a sensory deprivation chamber.

Graceful Burdens by Roxane Gay (4 stars) – My second short story for the month was from a past favorite author, and the thing is that I love Roxane Gay so much that anything less than a 5 star is almost a disappointment. I just think this concept needed more room to grow and develop, although I did enjoy the read.

Iris Kelly Doesn’t Date by Ashley Herring Blake (4 stars) – I would say that I enjoyed this Sapphic contemporary romance second-best in the Bright Falls trilogy; I liked the depiction of anxiety and also that prickly Iris finally got her own love story.

Billion Dollar Loser by Reeves Wiedeman (3.5 stars) – This is the second book I’ve read about the downfall of Adam Neumann and WeWork, and it helped with my reading mood for a nonfiction book that feels like a podcast but wasn’t necessarily a very strong read.