WHAT I DID IN MAY
On the second day of May I went for a nice little bike tour through the city forest with my boyfriend and our flatmate. It was beautifully sunny, I had a free day and we explored corners of the forest we hadn’t visited before. We drove through magical fields of blooming wild garlic, had fun on a playground and discovered pretty lakes.
I also went to Bavaria for a long weekend with one of my closest friends. We chose the place because it’s in the middle of our homes and it was such a perfect choice! Our apartment was on the edge of a small village and we had such nice walks. We visited a castle and its park two times because we liked it so much, went for a very chill day with breakfast and thermal pools in Bad Kissingen and wrote a lot of fanfiction. We also read quite a lot and had an overall very chill weekend.
We saw some friends again and finally came together as a bigger group again after months and it was such a good evening. We had dinner by the lake once. I worked a lot, too, but mostly May was a very enjoyable month for me.
WHAT I READ IN MAY
Radio Silence by Alice Oseman (reread)
Frances Janvier spends most of her time studying. Everyone knows Aled Last as that quiet boy who gets straight As. You probably think that they are going to fall in love or something. Since he is a boy and she is a girl. They don’t. They make a podcast. In a world determined to shut them up, knock them down, and set them on a cookie cutter life path, Frances and Aled struggle to find their voices over the course of one life-changing year. Will they have the courage to show everyone who they really are? Or will they be met with radio silence?
I still love this book so incredibly much! It’s probably still my favourite book by Alice Oseman. Frances is one of my favourite protagonists and while I can’t relate to some things, I can definitely relate to others, especially her sexuality and how she deals with it. I really liked how Aled and Frances’ struggles are portrayed and how they deal with them. And, of course, like in all of Alice’s books, I absolutely adored the friendships!
A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair
Persephone is the Goddess of Spring by title only. The truth is, since she was a little girl, flowers have shriveled at her touch. After moving to New Athens, she hopes to lead an unassuming life disguised as a mortal journalist.
Hades, God of the Dead, has built a gambling empire in the mortal world and his favorite bets are rumored to be impossible.
After a chance encounter with Hades, Persephone finds herself in a contract with the God of the Dead and the terms are impossible: Persephone must create life in the Underworld or lose her freedom forever.
The bet does more than expose Persephone’s failure as a goddess, however. As she struggles to sow the seeds of her freedom, love for the God of the Dead grows—and it’s forbidden.
I’m still a bit on the fence about this one. It wasn’t bad but I also didn’t think it was particularly good. What annoyed me the most was the barely there world building. Since this is a retelling of Hades & Persephone, places like Olympus and the Underworld are there but I never really understood how they fit into the world. Was this supposed to be our world or something else completely? Don’t ask me because I have not a single clue.
I also couldn’t warm up to either Hades or Persephone and was more or less annoyed with both of them and their choices. And yeah, I also picked this up for the sex scenes but then ended up not liking them much, especially because. There. Were. So. Many. Anyways, it was kind of enjoyable but most of the time I had no fucking clue what was happening and why some characters chose to act the way they did.
The Genesis Wars by Akemi Dawn Bowman
The Infinity Courts #2
It’s been ten months since Nami narrowly escaped the Four Courts and Ophelia’s wrath. Ten months since she was betrayed by someone she once considered a friend. Someone she poured her heart out to. And now her family here in the afterlife are gone, captured, and Nami is utterly alone.
On the run, only steps ahead of the AI forces pursuing her, and desperate to free her friends, Nami must take the allies she can find, even if she doesn’t fully trust them. And as she tests the limits of her own power, she must also reckon with the responsibility that entails.
Stakes are high as Nami navigates old enemies, unexpected allies, and an ever-changing landscape filled with dangers and twists at every turn. Along the way, she’ll learn powerful truths about who she can trust and the sacrifices that must be made in order to fight for a better, freer world for all.
I loved this book so much! It took me a few chapters to really get back into the story because I forgot a lot from the first book. I love how fast-paced and action-filled The Genesis Wars was while still making enough time for character development and world building.
I absolutely love Nami! She’s so strong-willed, always trying to do what’s best for humans while still trying to find ways to live with the Residents. At some points I thought that she was a bit overpowered but actually, it made sense for her to have these powers because it is explained where they come from and how she became the fighter she is now.
I was also really happy to see Caelan again because I truly liked him in the first book. This was such an enjoyable book for me, can’t wait for the next instalment because that ending wasn’t… nice for my nerves.
Ophelia After All by Racquel Marie
Ophelia Rojas knows what she likes: her best friends, Cuban food, rose-gardening, and boys – way too many boys. Her friends and parents make fun of her endless stream of crushes, but Ophelia is a romantic at heart. She couldn’t change, even if she wanted to.
So when she finds herself thinking more about cute, quiet Talia Sanchez than the loss of a perfect prom with her ex-boyfriend, seeds of doubt take root in Ophelia’s firm image of herself. Add to that the impending end of high school and the fracturing of her once-solid friend group, and things are spiraling a little out of control. But the course of love-and sexuality-never did run smooth. As her secrets begin to unravel, Ophelia must make a choice between clinging to the fantasy version of herself she’s always imagined or upending everyone’s expectations to rediscover who she really is, after all.
First of all, I find it incredibly funny that this was the second book in May I read with a character called Ophelia. Second, this book is definitely among my favourites of the year, I loved it so much! I really liked the friendship group and how everyone struggles with different things and how each person tackles their problems differently. I liked reading about their dynamics and how they change. I liked reading about each character’s quirks. I liked how queerness and what it means was discussed. I liked that this discussion included finding yourself and finding a place for yourself that fits, finding community and belonging. I loved the combination of teenage struggles, queer content and unique hobbies and their meanings. This book was so, so good!
The Wisteria Society of Lady Scoundrels by India Holton
Cecilia Bassingwaite is the ideal Victorian lady. She’s also a thief. Like the other members of the Wisteria Society crime sorority, she flies around England drinking tea, blackmailing friends, and acquiring treasure by interesting means. Sure, she has a dark and traumatic past and an overbearing aunt, but all things considered, it’s a pleasant existence. Until the men show up.
Ned Lightbourne is a sometimes assassin who is smitten with Cecilia from the moment they meet. Unfortunately, that happens to be while he’s under direct orders to kill her. His employer, Captain Morvath, who possesses a gothic abbey bristling with cannons and an unbridled hate for the world, intends to rid England of all its presumptuous women, starting with the Wisteria Society. Ned has plans of his own. But both men have made one grave mistake. Never underestimate a woman.
When Morvath imperils the Wisteria Society, Cecilia is forced to team up with her handsome would-be assassin to save the women who raised her–hopefully proving, once and for all, that she’s as much of a scoundrel as the rest of them.
This book was so absolutely nuts and hilarious, it got me addicted in no time! I loved the concept of pirates in flying houses a lot and was always delighted with the next delightful thing happening to one of the houses or where it landed. I also liked how the romance worked into the story and how it was always present while not taking anything away from the (absolutely bonkers) plot. I adored the characters and the descriptions of the society and its quirks and of the battles. What I enjoyed most was Cecilia and Ned’s banter and especially their first meeting! Definitely a recommendation!
WHAT BOOKS I GOT IN MAY
In a New York Minute by Kate Spencer
Franny Doyle is having the worst day. She’s been laid off from her (admittedly mediocre) job, the subway doors ripped her favorite silk dress to ruins, and now she’s flashed her unmentionables to half of lower Manhattan. On the plus side, a dashing stranger came to her rescue with his (Gucci!) suit jacket. On the not-so-plus side, he can’t get away from her fast enough.
Worse yet? Someone posted their (entirely not) meet-cute online. Suddenly Franny and her knight-in-couture, Hayes Montgomery III, are the newest social media sensation, and all of New York is shipping #SubwayQTs.
Only Franny and Hayes couldn’t be a more disastrous match. She’s fanciful, talkative, and creative. He’s serious, shy, and all about numbers. Luckily, in a city of eight million people, they never have to meet again. Yet somehow, Hayes and Franny keep running into each other—and much to their surprise, they enjoy each other’s company. A lot. But when Franny’s whole world is turned upside down (again!), can she find the courage to trust in herself and finally have the life—and love—she’s always wanted?
Portrait of a Thief by Grace D. Li
History is told by the conquerors. Across the Western world, museums display the spoils of war, of conquest, of colonialism: priceless pieces of art looted from other countries, kept even now.
Will Chen plans to steal them back.
A senior at Harvard, Will fits comfortably in his carefully curated roles: a perfect student, an art history major and sometimes artist, the eldest son who has always been his parents’ American Dream. But when a mysterious Chinese benefactor reaches out with an impossible—and illegal—job offer, Will finds himself something else as well: the leader of a heist to steal back five priceless Chinese sculptures, looted from Beijing centuries ago.
His crew is every heist archetype one can imagine—or at least, the closest he can get. A con artist: Irene Chen, a public policy major at Duke who can talk her way out of anything. A thief: Daniel Liang, a premed student with steady hands just as capable of lockpicking as suturing. A getaway driver: Lily Wu, an engineering major who races cars in her free time. A hacker: Alex Huang, an MIT dropout turned Silicon Valley software engineer. Each member of his crew has their own complicated relationship with China and the identity they’ve cultivated as Chinese Americans, but when Will asks, none of them can turn him down.
Because if they succeed? They earn fifty million dollars—and a chance to make history. But if they fail, it will mean not just the loss of everything they’ve dreamed for themselves but yet another thwarted attempt to take back what colonialism has stolen.
Book Lovers by Emily Henry
Nora Stephens’ life is books—she’s read them all—and she is not that type of heroine. Not the plucky one, not the laidback dream girl, and especially not the sweetheart. In fact, the only people Nora is a heroine for are her clients, for whom she lands enormous deals as a cutthroat literary agent, and her beloved little sister Libby.
Which is why she agrees to go to Sunshine Falls, North Carolina for the month of August when Libby begs her for a sisters’ trip away—with visions of a small-town transformation for Nora, who she’s convinced needs to become the heroine in her own story. But instead of picnics in meadows, or run-ins with a handsome country doctor or bulging-forearmed bartender, Nora keeps bumping into Charlie Lastra, a bookish brooding editor from back in the city. It would be a meet-cute if not for the fact that they’ve met many times and it’s never been cute.
If Nora knows she’s not an ideal heroine, Charlie knows he’s nobody’s hero, but as they are thrown together again and again—in a series of coincidences no editor worth their salt would allow—what they discover might just unravel the carefully crafted stories they’ve written about themselves.
She Gets the Girl by Rachael Lippincott & Alyson Derrick
Alex Blackwood is a little bit headstrong, with a dash of chaos and a whole lot of flirt. She knows how to get the girl. Keeping her on the other hand…not so much. Molly Parker has everything in her life totally in control, except for her complete awkwardness with just about anyone besides her mom. She knows she’s in love with the impossibly cool Cora Myers. She just…hasn’t actually talked to her yet.
Alex and Molly don’t belong on the same planet, let alone the same college campus. But when Alex, fresh off a bad (but hopefully not permanent) breakup, discovers Molly’s hidden crush as their paths cross the night before classes start, they realize they might have a common interest after all. Because maybe if Alex volunteers to help Molly learn how to get her dream girl to fall for her, she can prove to her ex that she’s not a selfish flirt. That she’s ready for an actual commitment. And while Alex is the last person Molly would ever think she could trust, she can’t deny Alex knows what she’s doing with girls, unlike her.
As the two embark on their five-step plans to get their girls to fall for them, though, they both begin to wonder if maybe they’re the ones falling…for each other.
Ravage the Dark by Tara Sim
Scavenge the Stars #2
For seven long years, while she was imprisoned on a debtor’s ship, Amaya Chandra had one plan: to survive. But now, survival is not enough. She has people counting on her; counting on her for protection, for leadership, for vengeance. And after escaping Moray by the skin of her teeth, she’s determined to track down the man who betrayed her and her friends.
Cayo Mercado has lost everything: his money, his father, his reputation. Everything except his beloved sister. But he’s well on his way to losing her, too, with no way to afford the treatment for her deadly illness. In a foreign empire also being consumed by ash fever, Cayo has no choice but to join Amaya in uncovering the mystery of the counterfeit currency, the fever, and how his father was involved in their creation. But Cayo still hasn’t forgiven Amaya for her earlier deception, and their complicated feelings for each other are getting harder and harder to ignore.
Through glittering galas, dazzling trickery, and thrilling heists, Cayo and Amaya will learn that the corruption in Moray goes far deeper than they know, and in the end the only people they can trust are each other.
Gay Club! by Simon James Green
Barney’s a shoo-in for his school’s LGBTQ+ Society President at the club’s next election. But when the vote is opened up to the entire student body, the whole school starts paying attention. How low will the candidates go to win? Buckle up for some serious shade, scandals and sleazy shenanigans. It isn’t long before it’s National Coming Out Day – for everyone’s secrets!
But when the group faces an expected threat – and a big opportunity – can the club members put politics aside and stand united?
A Touch of Darkness by Scarlett St. Clair
Persephone is the Goddess of Spring by title only. The truth is, since she was a little girl, flowers have shriveled at her touch. After moving to New Athens, she hopes to lead an unassuming life disguised as a mortal journalist.
Hades, God of the Dead, has built a gambling empire in the mortal world and his favorite bets are rumored to be impossible.
After a chance encounter with Hades, Persephone finds herself in a contract with the God of the Dead and the terms are impossible: Persephone must create life in the Underworld or lose her freedom forever.
The bet does more than expose Persephone’s failure as a goddess, however. As she struggles to sow the seeds of her freedom, love for the God of the Dead grows—and it’s forbidden.
Heaven Official’s Blessing Vol. 2 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu
Xie Lian has confirmed that the bewitching youth San Lang is actually Hua Cheng, one of the Four Calamities and a supreme ghost despised by all heavenly officials. Still, he has trouble matching the terror of his companion’s reputation with the charming, clever, and protective young man he’s come to know.
When a distress signal leads Xie Lian into Ghost City, a bustling metropolis containing all the horrors and delights of the dead, he sees Hua Cheng in his element—and his true form—for the first time. But despite their chemistry and care for one another, there are missions to fulfill and secrets to uncover, and Xie Lian’s centuries of troubled history are never far behind.
Große Gefallen by Lillian Fishman
Eve ist queer, jung, lebt in Brooklyn und ist mit einer Frau zusammen. Dann lässt sie sich auf eine Affäre mit einem Hetero-Paar ein: Nathan und Olivia. Die Dreiecksbeziehung entwickelt sich schnell von einem unverbindlichen und vermeintlich selbstbestimmten Abenteuer zu einem Machtspiel. Nathan beginnt, die zwei Frauen zu manipulieren und gegeneinander auszuspielen. Im Ringen um Nathans Zuneigung erlebt Eve ein sexuelles Erwachen, bei dem sie es genießt, ihre eigenen Grenzen immer wieder zu überschreiten. Bis sie vor der Frage steht, welchen Preis sie für die ultimative Erfüllung zu zahlen bereit ist.
In All deinen Farben by Bobu Babalola
Bolu Babalola hat die schönsten Liebesgeschichten der Mythologie mit unglaublicher Frische und Lebendigkeit neu erzählt. Sie konzentriert sich auf die magischen Volksmärchen Westafrikas und erfindet auch griechische Mythen, alte Legenden aus dem Nahen Osten und Geschichten aus Ländern neu, die in unserer Welt nicht mehr existieren. Die Frauen in ihren Love Stories sind kämpferische Verfechterinnen ihrer Leidenschaft, verlieren aber nie den Blick darauf, dass die wichtigste Liebe von allen die Selbstliebe ist. Während in der Mythologie Frauen oft die Opfer männlicher Begierde sind, geben bei Bolu Babalola immer die Frauen den Ton an und nehmen ihr Schicksal selbst in die Hand. In all deinen Farben wechselt aufregend Perspektiven, Kontinente und Stile, durchschreitet Grenzen von Zeit und Raum – und feiert die Romantik in all ihren Formen.
Only a Monster by Vanessa Len
It should have been the perfect summer. Sent to stay with her late mother’s eccentric family in London, sixteen-year-old Joan is determined to enjoy herself. She loves her nerdy job at the historic Holland House, and when her super cute co-worker Nick asks her on a date, it feels like everything is falling into place.
But she soon learns the truth. Her family aren’t just eccentric: they’re monsters, with terrifying, hidden powers. And Nick isn’t just a cute boy: he’s a legendary monster slayer, who will do anything to bring them down.
As she battles Nick, Joan is forced to work with the beautiful and ruthless Aaron Oliver, heir to a monster family that hates her own. She’ll have to embrace her own monstrousness if she is to save herself, and her family. Because in this story . . .
. . . she is not the hero.
In den buntesten Farben by Marius Schaefers
Philipps Herz ist gebrochen, wieder einmal. Er scheint einfach kein Händchen für die Liebe zu haben – oder klappt es nur nie, weil er trans* ist? Vielleicht liegt es aber auch an Ali, dem Jungen, an den er seit Jahren immer wieder denkt. Kurzerhand beschließt Philipp, die Geschichte mit seinem mysteriösen Internet-Freund von damals endlich abzuhaken. Dazu muss er bloß herausfinden, wieso dieser plötzlich wie vom Erdboden verschwunden ist. Bei seiner Suche im sächsischen Pirna begegnet Philipp dem rebellischen Timon mit den bunten Haaren, der ihn nicht nur sofort in seinen Bann zieht, sondern außerdem eine Verbindung zu Ali zu haben scheint …
Rebel Skies by Ann Sei Lin
Kurara has never known any other life than being a servant on board the Midori, but when her party trick of making paper come to life turns out to be a power treasured across the empire, she joins a skyship and its motley crew to become a Crafter. Taught by the gruff but wise Himura, Kurara learns to hunt shikigami – wild paper spirits who are sought after by the Princess.
But are these creatures just powerful slaves for the Crafters and the empire, or are they beings with their own souls – and yet another thing to be subjugated by the powerful Emperor and his Princess?
WHAT I BLOGGED IN MAY
BLOG POSTS BY OTHER BLOGGERS I LIKED IN MAY
Reviews
- Sonnenkönig, Pechrabe von Kai Spellmeier by Isabell @ Books of Tigerlily
- Worlds Collide von Anabelle Stehl by Friederike @ Buch und Gewitter
- Foul Lady Fortune by Chloe Gong by Michelle @ Magical Reads
- Once Upon a K-Prom by Kat Cho by Michelle @ Magical Reads
- Tokyo Dreaming by Emiko Jean by Kal @ Reader Voracious
- Like Fire We Burn von Ayla Dade by Emily @ Stopfi’s Bücherwelten
- Elektra by Jennifer Saint by Christine @ Life With All the Books
- The Red Palace by June Hur by Julia @ Owls Reads
Other
- 18 Books Like Heartstopper to Read Next by Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books
- 8 Hard Truths About Book Blogging (and Easy Tips to Keep on Loving it) by Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books
- How to Use Post Tags Correctly | SEO Basics by Kal @ Reader Voracious
- Books by South Asian Authors by Fadwa @ Word Wonders
- There Are Two Main Ways to Increase Traffic as a Book Blogger by Briana @ Pages Unbound
- Books by East and South East Asian Authors by Fadwa @ Word Wonders
- Blick ins Buch: 20.000 Meilen unter dem Meer von Jules Verne – 5 Punkte, die aufgefallen sind by Tina @ Buchpfote
- Giving authors a second chance by Ellyn @ allonsythornraxxbooks
Until next time,
