May was an incredibly busy month for me. I had a lot going on work wise, and there was a lot going on personally as well. However, I still ended up reading 23 books, which is pretty good all things considered.
Books Hauled in May:
- Yours Truly by Abby Jimenez
- The Sun and the Star by Rick Riordan and Mark Oshiro
- Yellowface by R.F. Kuang
Books Read in May:
1. The Last Word by Taylor Adams
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I was very excited to read this book, and it absolutely did not disappoint me. The isolated setting was quite tension building and the negative dynamic between author and reviewer was interesting to read about considering how twisted it got. I was on the edge of my seat reading it, just eagerly anticipating what might happen. It was a pretty topical story considering how certain things play out in the book community.
2. Funeral Songs for Dying Girls by Cherie Dimaline
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This story had an interesting concept. I really like Cherie Dimaline’s books, and while this wasn’t my favourite, it was still quite well-written. The ghost concept was cool, and also very sad to read about. The main character was really well developed, and I felt that she was pretty empathetic.
3. Giant Days Volume 2 by John Allison
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I have read all of the volumes in this series now (over May and June), and I am not going to individually review them. I really enjoyed this series, and all of the characters. The art was good, and the characters were well-developed. I loved the friendship between the main girls.
4. Giant Days Volume 3 by John Allison
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
5. Giant Days Volume 4 by John Allison
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
6. Giant Days Volume 5 by John Allison
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
7. Giant Days Volume 5 by John Allison
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
8. Giant Days Volume 6 by John Allison
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
9. Giant Days Volume 7 by John Allison
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
10. The Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was a reread for me, but it was fun to revisit the story. It’s a well-written novel, although it can be hard to keep track of all of the characters. I still find the mystery of it really interesting. The story keeps you on the edge of your seat. I like the illustrated edition a lot because it really helps you to visualize the events of the story.
11. Today Tonight Tomorrow by Rachel Lynn Solomon
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Audiobook
Review: This is my second book by this author, and I really enjoy her writing style when it comes to romance. I liked the limited timing of this one, and the whole rivals to lovers vibe. They had a really interesting dynamic that I enjoyed. I really liked the main character, and her way of looking at the world. She had good motivations, and I felt that she grew a lot over that day.
12. The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This was another reread for me, and I still really enjoy it.
13. Five Survive by Holly Jackson
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I reread this for the book club that I co-sponsor at my school. It was just as good as the first read through.
14. I Can’t Keep My Own Secrets by Rachel Fershleiser
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I didn’t have a lot of experience with six-word memoirs, but this was an interesting collection. I liked reading the perspectives of teenagers from different walks of life. They were all so unique and well-expressed.
15. A Terrible, Horrible No Good Year by Larry Smith
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: This collection of six-word memoirs was harder to read, but I enjoyed the layered perspectives of teachers, students, and their families.
16. The Song of the Lioness: The First Adventure by Tamora Pierce
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I reread this by reading it aloud to my fiance. There are parts that didn’t age super well, but I still really enjoyed it for the nostalgia of it. Alanna is a really interesting character and very well-developed.
17. The Shadow of the Bird by Tim Probert
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I really love the art in this graphic novel. It’s really beautiful. The story was very well written. The fantasy world has a lot of thought put into it. I definitely liked the story that was covered in this one. There’s more to it than meets the eye. I can’t wait for the next one.
18. Giant Days Volume 8 by John Allison
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
19. Giant Days Volume 9 by John Allison
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
20. Giant Days Volume 10 by John Allison
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
21. At the End of Everything by Marieke Nijkamp
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: It’s always an interesting time to read a disease ridden book when you’ve just lived through the pandemic. However, this book was quite interesting. You really felt for the kids who were left behind. It was a hard story to read, and the endign made me very sad. However, I felt that it was very well written.
22. No Fear Shakespeare: Macbeth by William Shakespeare
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I really enjoy Macbeth. It’s got so much drama, and political intrigue. I enjoyed this edition having the modern language next to it really made it more accessible.
23. The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Physical Copy
Review: I loved this book. It had such a quirky sense of humour to it. The characters were really interesting to me. I liked the development of the relationship over the course of the book.
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