Wow, suddenly it’s mid-May and I’m JUST posting what we read in April. I have a good excuse, though…I was in Cancun! The company I work for is 100% remote, and once a year we get together for a retreat. It’s so nice to meet my team members in person! I’ve met a few of them before, but I got to meet the newer ones for the first time. We actually went to the same resort as last year, so it was nice to know what to expect.
That said, I’ve had approximately zero minutes to work on posting this list. So, here I am in mid-May getting it done 🙂
Let’s get into the list, shall we?
Becky
April was a fantastic reading month for me. It has been a joy to be reading regularly again, even if I’m sleeping a little less! I finished not one, but THREE series in April and all of them left me satisfied with their conclusions…even if I needed to immediately jump into new series to cure the hangover.
The Throne of Glass Series by Sarah J. Maas
Early in April I finished the Throne of Glass series by Sarah J. Maas. I have no idea how she managed to wrap up such a massive, expansive story so well, but I believe she nailed it. Mini spoiler, not all of the characters make it to the end, but for me, that bit of pain makes it feel more authentic and less contrived.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
The Dark Elements Series by Jennifer L. Armentrout
Next I finished The Dark Elements series by Jennifer L. Armentrout which was a precursor to The Harbinger series that I also finished. It was interesting intermixing the series and being able to more closely connect what had happened previously that lead to the current events. Not sure I could say this often, but I believe I actually enjoyed the prequel stories more! Maybe it was the reading order, maybe I just enjoyed Roth’s character the most…I don’t know, but all six of the books were solid and I enjoyed a departure from fae-themed stories.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
The Crescent City Series by Sarah J. Maas
Of course, since I needed to invest myself in something new, I rushed into the Crescent City series from Maas. Took a bit to get into the intricate new world of these books, but I managed to finish up House of Earth and Blood on April 30th. Different slant on things, but action-packed and steamy! I’m enjoying these new characters and have no idea what shenanigans they’ll find in the next books!
My job takes over in May, but I’m trying out a new author and heavily invested in Bryce and Hunt’s relationship so…exciting times ahead!
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Cathy
Magnificent Rebels: The First Romantics and the Invention of the Self by Andrea Wulf
A non-fiction read for me this month that introduces us to the first romantics at the end of the 1700s and how their ideas still shape the world today.
I had to wait a while for this book after first hearing about it on an episode of The Rest is History (an amusing look at history and defo a podcast I’d recommend) and being unable to find the English version of the book in Germany. So I picked it up when I had a trip to Bath (which has the best bookshop in the UK) with my mum in January.
I studied modern German history (mainly the last century) at uni and only touched on Romanticism. But earlier this year I went to an art exhibition about Caspar David Friedrich who is an extremely famous romantic painter from the region that I live in in north Germany. And have been fascinated by the Romantics, Romanticism and what it actually means ever since.
Andrea Wulf has done a superb job of explaining who the Young Romantics were, what their lives were like, what their thoughts and philosophies were and she ties that back to how we think of “the self” nowadays. I think the book is incredibly researched and extremely well-written. The sentences and paragraphs are manageable and give you time to mull over what you’ve read. I’ve been purposefully reading this book slowly so that I can absorb the content and it’s been really enjoyable.
Wulf’s writing and descriptions of the Young Romantics in Jena, Germany (people like Goethe, Schiller, Fichte, among others) gives them character and energy, they feel more tangible than other non-fiction books I’ve read.
I also like that Wulf focuses on a woman, Caroline Michaelis-Böhmer-Schlegel-Schelling, in the book. She becomes a sort of main character and her descriptions and passages are just as, if not more, engaging that the chapters and sections about the famous male German writers and philosophers.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Joli
Looking for Jane by Heather Marshall
What an important story for this time in history. Even though the book is historical fiction, there are undoubtedly stories like it happening right now, in states and other countries where abortion is illegal.
We read Looking for Jane for book club, and it definitely made for a good conversation. It features different women, at different points in their lives, with different ideologies, who all grapple with reproduction in some form or another. We have an underground network of abortion providers, a string of young women in crisis, and a woman facing the earth-shattering losses of infertility.
I thought this was a great, well-written story. The only problems I had were with the few things that had to line up *so* perfectly for the story to work. It was just a little too much, and to me it took away from the beautiful and important stories the book tells. Overall, though, I’d still recommend it. 4 stars!
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Killers of a Certain Age by Deanna Raybourn
This was a fun read for another book club that I’m in. It’s about retired-age women who belong to a secret organization of people who murder people who are bad or doing awful things. However, they suddenly find themselves as the targets of said organization and need to find a way out.
This book was entertaining and I did enjoy reading it, but I don’t have a whole lot to say about it besides the entertainment factor. It did get a bit repetitive by the end (kill or be killed, basically) but it held my attention and surprised me a few times.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serle (Audiobook)
I finally painted my living room. What does this have to do with One Italian Summer? Well, I was dreading finishing up with painting (it’s such a pain) and needed some good entertainment. So, I decided to try One Italian Summer.
So I don’t usually read much with romance like this, but the premise sounded interesting, the book was short, and I wanted something more entertaining than serious. I ended up being pretty glad I picked it! Yes, there are some serious holes in the story, and some strange things that aren’t really explained. However, the entertainment value just kind of made me…not care?
I had fun, I forgot I was painting, and I was flown away to a beautiful town in Italy for a few hours. I’ll take it. Oh, and the audiobook is narrated by Lauren Graham!
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
I’m Glad My Mom Died by Jeannette McCurdy (Audiobook)
I don’t do well with highly hyped books. I’m always skeptical that a book really is as good as everyone says. Sometimes I don’t understand the hype at all (hello, The Housemaid), but with this one, I 100% understand.
First of all, the book is narrated by the author herself, which is a particular thing that I love. Second, it’s just…mind blowing how good this book is. McCurdy is a fantastic writer and storyteller. I never watched the shows she was on, so I was pretty unfamiliar with who she is and what she’s done, but I pretty instantly felt invested in her story.
I just couldn’t believe how well McCurdy tells the stories of her childhood and being abused by her mom while making the reader completely understand how she could not know that that’s what was happening. As a child, she trusts her mom, so why question anything that she’s doing?
If you liked The Glass Castle and/or Educated, or just crave a really good narrative memoir, please pick this one up on audio or however you prefer to read it. 5 stars.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
Molly
The Jasad Heir by Sara Hashem
An Egyptian-inspired fantasy-romance with tons of popular tropes — enemies to lovers, a princess in hiding, a potentially deadly competition. A bit predictable in my opinion, and the characters are all a little flat. Still fairly enjoyable if you’re a fan of the genre.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
The Thursday Murder Club by Richard Osman
I’m not much of a mystery reader, this was outside my comfort zone somewhat. Fairly lovable characters, and the retirement community setting was a nice change of pace. I didn’t feel super invested in solving the murder, though, and there were some other unexpected plot points (no spoilers!) that didn’t really sit right with me.
Bookshop.org | Amazon | Goodreads
That’s our list! What did you read in May?
