Late to the game, but here we are finally!
May, you absolute overachiever. I don’t know what got into me this month, but I read 25 books and I am not sorry about a single one. Okay, maybe a couple. But we’ll get there.
Let’s talk about what happened, shall we?
Favourites of the Month
Before anything else, I need to shout about my three standout reads of May, because they genuinely deserve their own moment.
Theo of Golden by Allen Levi
Listened in audio | Narrated by David Morse |Duration: 13 hours | Publisher: Atria Books | October 11, 2023
This is the kind of book that creeps up on you quietly and then absolutely destroys you in the best possible way. I listened to this on audiobook. The narration made it even more beautiful. This is the kind of fiction that reminds you why you read in the first place. I’m still thinking about it.
Book Link: My review | Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir
Read on Kindle | 476 pages | Duration: 8 hours |Publisher: Ballantine Books |Publication Date: May 4, 2021
I know, I know, I’m late to the party. Everyone has been telling me to read this for years and I finally caved, and oh my goodness, they were right. I don’t want to say too much because going in without expectations made it so much better. Just… read it. Whether you think you like sci-fi or not, read it.
Book Link: My Review | Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
I Hope This Finds You Well by Natalie Sue
Read on Kindle | 328 pages | Duration: 5 hours | Publisher: William Morrow | Published: May 21, 2024
This had me cackling and also occasionally wanting to hug the main character through my Kindle screen. This workplace epistolary fiction is sharp, funny, and surprisingly tender. If you loved The Silent Patient meets Attachments energy (okay, that’s not quite right, but you get the vibe), this is your next read.
Book Links: My Review | Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org
Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
ARCs of the Month
I read nine ARCs in May and they ran the full gamut from absolute five-star gems to… well… let’s just say not everything can be a winner.
- The Silent Appeal by Janice Hallett
Another Hallett epistolary mystery and it delivers exactly what you’d expect — layers, twists, and the delicious paranoia of not knowing who to trust. Solid four stars.
Book Links: My Review | Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy - The Diva Hosts a Murderer (Domestic Diva Mystery #19) by Krista Davis
Book nineteen and this series has absolutely zero signs of slowing down. Sophie and her crew are as delightful as ever. A comfort read disguised as a murder mystery.
Book Links: My Review | Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy - How to Kill a Crime Writer by Sarah Lotz
I wanted to love this more than I did — the premise is clever but the execution felt uneven for me. Still a fun read, just didn’t land the way I hoped.
Book Links: My Review | Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org |Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary - The Case of the Two-Faced Killer by Mithran Somasundrum
A solid four-star mystery that does some really interesting things with its structure. Worth reading if you’re a fan of classic detective fiction with a twist.
Book Links: My Review | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Hardcover - The Mortal Enemy Murder Club by Gloria Chao
Oh, this one! Five stars and I need the sequel immediately. Gloria Chao brings such energy and wit. It’s the kind of cozy that makes you want to text all your friends about it.
Book Links: My Review | Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy - Blood Typed by Jane Doucet
Really fun Nova Scotia cozy with great local flavour and a protagonist I want to follow for many more books. So glad I got to read this before MOTIVE!
Book Links: My Review | Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Hardcover | Litsy - These Are the Fireworks by Vicki Grant
Such a pleasure to finally read this one! Vicki Grant is wonderful and this book has such a distinctive voice. Loved getting a physical ARC for this one.
Book Links: My Review | Indiebookstores.ca | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover
Other Five-Star Reads
These didn’t make my top three but they absolutely earned their five stars and deserve a mention.
- In the Spirit of French Murder (An American in Paris #4) by Colleen Cambridge (Audiobook)
Paris! Murder! Excellent audio narration! This series just keeps getting better and book four is peak cozy mystery energy. Five stars, no notes.
Book Links: My Review | Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
- Mad Mabel by Sally Hepworth (Audiobook)
Sally Hepworth could write a grocery list and I’d give it five stars. This one is compulsive and clever and I finished it in basically one sitting (listen?).
Book Links: My Review | Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy - We Had a Hunch by Tom Ryan (ebook)
Absolute gem. I went into this one without knowing much and came out completely charmed. Highly recommend picking this up.
Book Links: My Review | Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy - Hot Chocolate on Thursday by Michiko Aoyama (Audiobook)
This tiny, gentle, perfect book. I want to live inside it. The audiobook is cozy personified.
Book Links: My Review | Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | Op enLibrary | Litsy - The Library of the Unwritten by A.J. Hackwith (Audiobook)
A library in Hell where unwritten books come to life?! Yes please and thank you. Brilliant concept executed beautifully! I’m immediately starting the sequel.
Book Links: My Review | Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy - Dissection of a Murder by Jo Murray (Audiobook)
This one flew under my radar and I’m so glad I picked it up. Gripping from start to finish, the audiobook performance elevated it even further.
Book Links: My Review | Indiebookstores.ca | Bookshop.org | Goodreads | StoryGraph | Pagebound | Fable | Hardcover | OpenLibrary | Litsy
May by the Numbers
| 📚 Total books read | 25 |
| ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Five-star reads | 10 |
| 📬 ARCs read | 9 |
| 🎧 Audiobooks | 11 |
| ❌ DNFs | 1 |
Until Next Month…
May was a lot — in the best possible way. Ten five-star reads in one month is the kind of thing that makes you feel like the universe is rewarding you for something, and I am choosing not to question it.
June is already shaping up to be another big reading month. I have a stack of ARCs waiting and honestly? I’m not slowing down anytime soon. And if you’ve read any of these, please come talk to me in the comments. I have feelings and I need to discuss them.
Happy reading! 📖✨
Discover more from Views She Writes
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
