Hey, it's May!
April was a fairly good reading month for me. I enjoyed the majority of what I read and it really feels like I'm getting back to myself again. Expect more frequent posts and activity on my bookstagram!
This month, I read 8 books and DNFd one book. I also discovered a new favorite author, bought way too many books, and I got closer with more people. I'm also so much closer to getting married in September! Time is flying!
What did you read this month?
A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik
3.5 stars
I picked this book up on a whim when my audio hold became available through my library and Libby. I quite enjoyed this book, but there were a few issues that I had with it. My full review is officially live though, so please give it a read.
The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune
5 stars
This has to be my favorite of the month and probably a new favorite book of all time. This book was absolutely charming and everything I could have hoped for. I'm so obsessed. Definitely check out my full review!
Only When Its Us by Chloe Liese
3 stars
This romance novel was recommended to me by my friend Jill. She actually gifted me the ebook via Kindle. Once I got the book, she set me on a reading deadline so that I would finish it before we got together with some friends. This book was really fun, but it wasn't my favorite romance of all time. I really liked the idea of the characters, but the voices of the characters just didn't seem differentiated enough and it took me out of the story as I tried to read it. Overall, I really liked this book and I plan on continuing on with the series this year. I really like the premises of the next few books in the Bergman series.
The Year of the Witching by Alexis Henderson
4.25 stars
Another new book that I adored! This book was the perfect amount of spooky, feminist, speculative, fantastical, and terrifying. The radical religious aspects combined with the witchy fantasy were just so much fun. I'm very excited to see what Alexis Henderson does next. My review will be going up very soon!
Seance Tea Party by Reimena Yee
5 stars
This middle-grade graphic novel made me absolutely bawl like a baby. It focuses on grief, closure, and moving on from hardships, and growing from the feelings it can cause. I am so glad that I bought this graphic novel this month because it was something I absolutely needed to read. Grief has been a big part of my life for the past two years and moving on from losing someone is such a hard thing to process. It can take the rest of your life to move past losing someone to death. Books like this one really help the process. I cannot recommend it enough.
Pilu of the Woods by Mai K. Nguyen
4 stars
Another delightful read! The end of April and the beginning of May have been shaping into a marathon of graphic novels and manga volumes. I'm not mad about it either.
Pilu of the Woods is a delightful story that centers on personal demons, negative emotions, and positive growth. With its focus on nature and the natural processes of growth in the natural world, this book is full of beautiful artwork that helps its readers learn more about personal demons and troubles that can cause them to act out or against those who are trying to help you through your trials of growth. This graphic novel is shorter and is intended for middle-grade audiences, but I think anyone would enjoy the story it has to tell. It beautifully touches on themes that all children would benefit from learning about (grief, mental illness, anger management, friendship, family). It was absolutely precious. Please read it.
The Black Bull of Norroway (Norroway #1) by Cat and Kit Seaton
3 stars & a reread
Back in 2018 I read this graphic novel and I fell in love with the art style, the story, and I was so interested in what would come from the story. However, upon rereading this month, I'm not sure what I thought I was reading because this story was a mess. The writing was messy, the plot was so strangely knitted together, and I really lost interest. I was really hopeful for book 2 too.
The Queen of the High Mountain (Norroway #2) by Cat and Kit Seaton
2 stars
This was a major letdown. It was just as messy and the plot just didn't make sense. I know that this book tends to delve into the psychological trauma that each character has faced because of the events of book 1, but I really felt like the actual story was all over the place. The plot lines weren't fully fleshed out and there was just so much missing for me. I think that there is going to be a book three, but I really wish the story had just been wrapped up and finished. Lots of people loved it online, though, so maybe I just wasn't the right audience.
((DNF)) These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
DNF'd at 33% -- I'll be posting my full review up on here soon, but if you're interested in reading my thoughts now, it's prematurely posted on Goodreads.
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