May '23 Reads

May simultaneously felt like the slowest month ever (I still cannot believe it’s still May as I’m writing this) yet it also went by in a blink. Honestly, I forgot I read some of these this month. That’s how slow it went.

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Side Effects May Vary - Julie Murphy, read #12 of 2023

This was the book I forgot I read. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t spectacular. The main character–Alice–was unbearable and really walked over everyone in her life, especially the main love interest. She had cancer and thought she was going to die, but that doesn’t mean she had to be a bitch. When she found out she was in remission, she was actually upset.

Now, I don’t have a terminal illness and don’t know anyone with one, but wow. Side Effects May Vary was unlike other YA cancer novels I’ve read (re: The Fault in Our Stars). I appreciated a different type of story without liking the main character, which I think is something of a compliment to the author.

People We Meet on Vacation - Emily Henry, read #13 of 2023

I wanted to love this one, but I only ended up really liking it. It was cute, and I loved the nod to When Harry Met Sally. I just wanted more. More of what, I’m not really sure, I just know the desire for more was there. I did really love Poppy and Alex, though. All of Emily Henry’s main men have me swooning.

Following up, I was anticipating a bigger incident to have happened in Croatia that caused them to stop talking. There was all this build up…just for it to be that they drunkenly kissed. What they did in Palm Springs was way more scandalous and they talked after that. Granted, they talked after Palm Springs only after Poppy flew to Ohio and pulled an NYE Harry Burns, but still.

Ice Planet Barbarians - Ruby Dixon, read #14 of 2023

This one was…interesting. I wasn’t really sure what I was expecting when I dived in; all I knew was it involved alien sex. And alien sex there was.

The writing was…bad, to put it bluntly. Absolutely nothing against self-published books, but it was clear this one didn’t go through a lot of editing. At least the self-published edition didn’t; hopefully, the trad-published edition went through some. I’m talking about basic grammatical stuff and some plot points.

It was a quick read, but I don’t think I’ll be reading the rest of the series.

May was a strong month for audiobooks! I definitely found myself losing interest in them as the month went on, alas I don’t think I’m still in my ‘audiobook era.’

We All Looked Up - Tommy Wallach

Back in 8th grade, this was one of my favorite books. If I remember correctly, it reminded me of Tumblr and I think that’s why I liked it. It’s darker than I remember, but in a good way, causing us to really think about life if the apocalypse was upon us. I also thought it was a nice touch that there was a different narrator for each character.

Hollow City - Ransom Riggs

I think this is the longest audiobook I’ve listened to, and I have to say I’m not a huge fan. I found myself zoning out in parts (though to no one’s fault but my own), which I’m not happy with because the plot is so intriguing! I love that this one started right where the first one ended, and the narrator had a lovely voice.

The Perks of Being a Wallflower - Stephen Chbosky

This is my all-time favorite book–like to the point where I tend to read it every year–so it was fitting that I checked out the audiobook when I saw it on Libby. Being more familiar with Chbosky’s words than my own thoughts, this is an audiobook where it was okay if I zoned out. Which, I hate to admit, I need sometimes while I’m driving.

Overall, a decent month! I hate to admit it, but I was glad to be done with grad school so that I could read for fun without feeling guilty. Now the hot topic question is if I’m going to continue in the fall or not…