Happy June friends! Life has been life-ing and I have dropped the ball on my monthly favorites, but have no fear, we are back in action!
It’s around this time of year when I like to look back at how my reading tastes have shifted. Am I reaching for more emotional reads, cozy fantasies, or even more Middle Grade? It’s just fun to see the evolution throughout the year. So don’t forget to reflect on all the great books you’ve read up to date.
Now without further ado, here are my top 5 books I enjoyed this May. This month was really hard because I read A LOT of 4-star books. I tried to steer away from the overhyped books, but 2 of these babies were just too good. And as usual, the complete list of books I read in May will be down below and these books will also be listed in my Amazon link for ease. Enjoy!
5 Star Books
What I Carry by Jennifer Longo was such an amazing story. This book follows a 17-year-old girl named Muir, who has been in the foster care system ever since she can remember. She has a strict list of things that she can carry and nothing more. At this point in her life, she’s just trying to make it safely out of the system with her 18th birthday around the corner. She keeps her head down, focuses in school, and tries to stay off the radar…until she is placed with Francine and all those walls begin to fall.
This is an amazing story of found family on so many levels. The foster system is difficult to process, but when you have characters like this that give you some hope and encouragement that kindness still exists, it’s just so good! Francine not only helps Muir in processing how she views herself in the world but also encourages friendships with her peers. She helps Muir see herself in a different light, and that there is a life worth living past 18. Love Love LOVE this book!
The Things We Leave Unfinished by Rebecca Yarros, she has done it again. This had the right amount of plot and tugging at the heartstrings that I needed in this season. I can always count on Yarros to give me what I need. This is very reminiscent of The Notebook, but it definitely stands on its own as a beautifully written story.
This story is a dual timeline story. Famous romance writer Scarlett Stanton passes away, but she has 1 more story left that was never finished. So her granddaughter, Georgia, who has rights to her legacy, agrees to allow Noah, a male romance writer, to finish her story. Most of Noah’s research includes Grandma Scarlett’s letters from the War with her one true love. *swoon*
This story is not just a love story, but the twists she includes in here were top tier. I squealed, I cried, I had to put the book down to process all the emotions. This story will forever hold a special place in my heart.
4.5 Star Books
Ok, now on to my 4.5 stars, and I really tried not to include these because of the hype, but when a book is good, it’s gonna get its flowers over here!
Silver Elite by Dani Francis is a dystopian book, where our main character, Wren, has special psychic powers that she must keep hidden or risk execution. Her Uncle raised and trained her for anything and everything since she was a little girl. One day, Wren loses control at an execution, and this is where the dominoes start falling. I don’t want to give too much because this story is great, knowing little to nothing, and just going along for the ride. I was pleasantly surprised by the twists in this story.
Now this book has a lot going on. Even though I enjoyed the slower beginning, with getting to know the characters and the world building, it was still a lot. Around the 30% mark, you progress to the training school and this is where the action and pace pick up. This is a story that has loving and questionable side characters. Wren definitely has to watch her back as she tries to figure out who she can trust with her secrets.
This book is also very political..I’m not the average political reader, but this book held my attention, and the parallels to our current society are there. If you enjoyed the politics and societal grouping of Hunger Games, the backstabbing of Divergent, and the show Quantico, I would give this book a shot.
Shield of Sparrows by Devney Perry is another book that is getting a lot of hype currently. Some people hate it and some people love it…I clearly have a soft spot for it. This story starts you off in a Kingdom where, many moons ago, a treaty was set in place to ensure peace across the borders; the Kings marry off their Princesses. Sisters Mae and Odessa could not be any more different. Mae was groomed to be the Princess who is chosen for her marital duties to her Kingdom, while Odessa is the Princess who is left to her own devices. Until the neighboring Kingdom comes for the wedding, and Odessa is chosen instead of Mae.
From the beginning, I figured out some plot points, but that did not deter me one bit. Odessa is feisty and inquisitive, and is trying to understand how she got into this situation. And the Guardian…well, he’s just there to try to deliver Odessa to safety without going crazy. Their banter and communication were so fun. There are a lot of “aww” moments. At one point, I was just like, he gets her lol but not really. If you enjoy a swoony, bad ass warrior for an MMC, you will absolutely fall for the Gaurdian.
This story also has a lot of twists towards the last quarter of this book. And the huge cliffhanger will leave you needing book 2!
The Lantern of Lost Memories by Sanaka Hiiragi is a beautifully written story about treasured memories. My goal this year is to read more translated fiction. My issue tends to be the emotion lost in translation, but this book was so good.
The concept of this story is, if you died today and you visit this gallery of photos that consists of one photo per year of your life, would you be satisfied? Some photos may have more wear from constant reminiscing. Due to the fading, you can choose to go to that one memory and retake the photo, but you cannot change anything that happened at that time. Within this memory, there is a lot of reflection that happens, and this is where the feels come into place. This is a great book to read while outside enjoying the weather or at the pool. It’s low stress but still heartfelt. It helps you slow down in this busy life and enjoy the small moments you have.
Additional Books Read in May
May favorites is in the books. I read a bit more literary fiction this month, which is pretty typical for me. The weather is shifting, and fantasy tends to be a bit more than what my brain can process. Overall, I enjoyed the books I read this month! Hope you all enjoyed this post, stay tuned for more to come.
Happy Reading!
Book Reviews & ARC’s
Firstly, I want to say thank you for considering me for your book reviewers; I am super excited. I love to read and encourage adult readers to take the leap, pick up a book, slap on a pair of headphones, and listen to an audiobook. While I love reviewing ARCs and books from authors, I want to provide guidelines and answer frequently asked questions on our process.
See HERE for further ARC requests
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