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Best Books of May 2024
I had a great month of reading in May! Almost everything I picked up was good, but these four were the real standouts. - Title ~ Four Treasures of the Sky
- Author ~ Jenny Tinghui Zhang
- Rating ~ ★★★★★
- Format ~ book
- ATY Prompt #24 ~ A book with a secondary color on the cover (orange, green or purple)
- Brief reason why it was the best ~
Beautifully written. Incredible that it is a debut novel. I’m going to be unpacking it for a long time, I think. This is a character I can't leave behind. She grabbed my soul.
- Title ~ Shelterwood
- Author ~ Lisa Wingate
- Rating ~ ★★★★★
- Format ~ ARC via Net Galley
- ATY Prompt #20 ~ A book with a single word title
- Brief reason why it was the best ~
Lisa Wingate has done her homework on the historical research that was required to make this novel sing. It's descriptions of the Winding Stairs mountain area are beautifully drawn. Her story of the hardship that these two orphan girls endure to simply survive in a world where they have no one but each other is hard heart-hitting.
- Title ~ In the Shadow of the Valley: A Memoir
- Author ~ Bobi Conn
- Rating ~ ★★★★★
- Format ~ Book
- ATY Prompt #21 ~ A book with a title containing 6+ words
- Brief reason why it was the best ~
I don't read a lot of non-fiction (figure I have enough of that in my real life), so if I read a biography or a memoir or a historical nonfiction book, I want it to be good. This one was. Conn brought me right into and sat me down in the middle of Appalachia poverty and made me feel it. She is brutally honest about her life in the Hollow, about the impact it had on her and the way she turned out. I only ever give five stars to books that either 1) change the way I think about something or 2) stay with me for more than the 15 minutes it takes me to get into my next book. This is one of those "stay with me books."
- Title ~ An Island
- Author ~ Karen Jennings
- Rating ~ ★★★★★
- Format ~ Book
- ATY Prompt #22 ~ A book by an author from an African country
- Brief reason why it was the best
It's fun to find a book that's off the beaten path from things that are easy to find and easy to read. This book - it's not long, but it illustrates in an incredible way the need for a common language between two people. How actions can be misinterpreted and misunderstood when you cannot understand the words that a stranger is saying. How we perceive people through our own personal frame of experience and motivations. It was SURPRISINGLY good, and I loved that.
Title: I Know This Much is TrueAuthor: Wally Lamb
Rating: 5*****stars
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) #3, a suggestion that didn't make it to the final list (a book about twins)
Brief reason why it was the best:
A real tearjerker; hits so close to home regarding familial relationships and dynamics. Lamb did an excellent job of writing about identical twins, one "normal" and the other, schizophrenic. The portrayal of mental illness and how it affects all the loved ones was so sensitive and real. 897pages is not long enough. Once you know the characters (from the first chapter), you never want to stop reading, and it stays with you long after you finish reading the novel. Best thing I've read not just in May, but so far this year.
- Title: Are Women Human? Astute and Witty Essays on the Role of Women in Society- Author: Dorothy L. Sayers
- Rating: 5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 1: A book with a title that ends in A, T or Y
- Brief reason why it was the best: Although actually given in a speech in 1938, these were quite astute essays of women's roles in society and the home. Sadly much too relevant even today.
- Title: Three Apples Fell from the Sky
- Author: Narine Abgaryan
- Rating: 5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 32: A book with a number in the title
- Brief reason why it was the best: This was a lovely magical realism tale of a small village in Armenia, quite forgotten by the rest of the world, with mainly old people the only inhabitants and their lives together.
- Title: The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts
- Author: Joshua Hammer
- Rating: 5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 45: A book that is not a novel
- Brief reason why it was the best: This book was amazing to me. The author used the phenomenal history of the area to explain the monumental efforts to first collect the manuscripts, protect them from environmental damage, and then move them several times in order to protect them from zealots who wished to destroy them. The history itself gave the manuscript arc a dramatic, heart thumping backdrop. It made the entire piece of work more compelling for me.
- Title: If Cats Disappeared from the World- Author: Genki Kawamura
- Rating: 5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Kindle
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): Raining cats and dogs
- Brief reason why it was the best: So thought provoking. And I must admit I really liked the idea of if CELL PHONES disappeared from the world explored in one chapter (I'm old enough to know what that was like...it was bliss). It was also about family and friends and death, but not overly sentimental or cloying, or predictable.
Ten Minutes to Bed: Little Unicorn Rhiannon Fielding
Five star
ATY prompt a touch of magic
Why the best: just magical it may be written for children but anyone can love it especially parents
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-Title: The Glass Hotel -Author: Emily St. John Mendel
-Rating: 5 stars
-Format: Print
-ATY Prompt you used it for: 25. A book involving a crime other than a murder.
- Brief reason why it was the best: Beautifully written and intricately plotted.
Okay - the three with all the info are for the official "Best books of May," but I added the others because they were so good, and they're just for recommendations - not for the official list! Not trying to overload the moderators! :) ;) - Title Bloom
- Author Delilah S. Dawson
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) #18 - A Book with a Botannical Cover
- Brief reason why it was the best This book was a slow burn that kept me hooked. Towards the end it really takes off. It's a thriller/horror, and I loved every minute of it. You slowly begin to realize what is going on, and it just adds to the "OMG creepy" factor. It was great. It's only 202 pages, so it's a quick read, but it is very memorable.
- Title The Bone Shard Emperor
- Author Andrea Stewart
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) A book related to Boats, Beaches, Bars, Ballads, or Jimmy Buffett
- Brief reason why it was the best This is book two of a trilogy. I love the characters (it has multiple POVs), I love the plot, I love the magic, and I love the creatures. At the end of this book, I really don't know what direction she is going to go - which I love. I definitely recommend this series.
- Title Unashamed: A Coming-Out Guide for LGBTQ Christians
- Author Amber Cantorna-Wylde
- Rating 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) N/A
- Brief reason why it was the best The author is the daughter of one of the Focus on the Family creeps. She knew that coming out meant she might lose her family and community, and she was right. Her parents suck. She tells a lot of stories and gives great information. Some of the stories are just heart wrenching. Some are hopeful. The entire book is so well-written and emotional.
Honorable mentions:
You Like It Darker by Stephen King - it is a book of short stories, and they are all fabulous! I loved this collection. The man has been writing best-sellers for 50 years. Incredible. 5 stars.
Poems To Live By in Uncertain Times ed. by Joan Murray - There are only 60 poems, so it's a pretty short volume, but it packs a punch. There are some powerful and beautiful poems included. 5 stars.
Artificial Condition by Martha Wells - The second of the Murderbot Diaries series. Such a fun ride - I love the Murderbot. I am really loving this Sci-Fi series. 5 stars.
Skyward by Brandon Sanderson - I thought Sanderson only wrote fantasy until I read this Sci-Fi book of his. I LOVED it! The characters are great. The story is intriguing. The artificial life form in it is hilarious. Highly recommend. 5 Stars
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- Title: Tales from the Café
- Author: Toshikazu Kawaguchi
- Rating: *****
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Kindle
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): None
- Brief reason why it was (one of) the best: The first sequel to Before the Coffee Gets Cold, it tells four interconnected tales of the importance of people, relationships, and wishing to put things right.
- Title: Loot
- Author: Tania James
- Rating: ****
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Kindle
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 40. Endangered animal on the cover
- Brief reason why it was (one of) the best: set between 1795 and 1805, in India, France and England, this is a fictional account of the making of the automaton known as Tippoo's Tiger, the fall of Tipu Sultan, and what may have happened to the automaton before it ended up in the V&A Museum (https://www.vam.ac.uk/articles/tipus-...). This was a random act of reading (bought blind on a kindle deal because it has a Tiger on the cover), with well drawn characters and a good plot based at least partially on fact.
As an almost-lifelong Stephen King fan, I can't believe it took me until now to pick up this book:Title: Swan Song
Author: Robert McCammon
Rating: Five stars (in progress)
Format: eBook
Prompt: A book with a sound-related word in the title
Reason: You know the frustration of trying and trying to find books that come close to what you love most about your favorite authors? This is one of the rare cases where it works. It comes very, VERY close to earlier Stephen King, The Stand in particular, of course, and the 900+ pages are simply flying by. I'm not done yet, but I can't see the book taking a turn for the worse and I'm sure it will end up a five-star rating for me!
It has been an exceptional month for reading and I must add another!- Title: Remarkably Bright Creatures
- Author: Shelby Van Pelt
- Rating: 10 star minus 5 because she makes a group of 70-year-old-women sound like they are 85+!!! 😉
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 40. A book involving a wild animal or endangered species, in the content, title, or on the cover
- Brief reason why it was the best: beautifully written story centered around an older woman trying to maintain her quiet life in the world, a precocious/snarky/brilliant octopus nearing the end of his life who likes to escape, and an uncentered young man who needs them both. The audio was terrific. Two voices: one for the octopus, pulled off to perfection with a tone of voice that made me chuckle so many times, and another female for everyone else. It is one of few books that I am grateful I listened to rather than read the printed word.
-Title: The Kamogawa Food Detectives*- Author: Hisashi Kashiwai*
- Rating: 4 stars*
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): ebook*
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): A book related to the phrase "It's Raining Cats and Dogs" (cat on the cover)*
- Brief reason why it was the best: a sweet little book about food, regrets, longings, helping others. One of those Japanese books that you read when you want a gentle book to make you feel better.
- Title: Wellness- Author: Nathan Hill
- Rating: 4.5 stars
- Format: eBook
- ATY Prompt: One word title
- Brief reason it was the best: Big book that carries you into, around and through a couple’s marriage… with a few sidetracks on interesting topics (the placebo effect). If you liked the author’s first book The Nix, I think you’ll like this one.
- Title: Cobalt Red: How the Blood of the Congo Powers Our Lives- Author: Siddharth Kara
- Rating: 5*
- Format: eBook & Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): n/a
- Brief reason why it was the best: This book is Siddharth Kara’s exposé of human rights abuses taking place in the Democratic Republic of Congo with respect to cobalt mining and the exploitation of people at the bottom of the supply chain. I think the author has done an excellent job of bringing these horrible abuses to the attention of a wider audience, where more pressure can be applied to those who can do something about it.
My Full Review
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Gail W wrote: "- Title: Are Women Human? Astute and Witty Essays on the Role of Women in Society- Author: Dorothy L. Sayers
- Rating: 5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
- ATY P..."
I've had this (The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu and Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts) on my TBR for years (part of the reason I suggested the "Librarians on the Loose" prompt last summer). I'm so glad to hear that it's a great read and not just an interesting premise.
Title: Happy City: Transforming Our Lives Through Urban DesignAuthor: Charles Montgomery
Rating: 5 stars
Format: Print - paperback
ATY Prompt you used it for:
1. A book with a title that ends in A, T or Y (didn't count the subtitle)
Could also be used for:
7. A book with a pronoun in the title (counting the subtitle)
8. A book by an author from Canada, Australia or New Zealand (Canada)
21. A book with a title containing 6+ words (counting the subtitle)
27. A book related to land
45. A book that is not a novel
possibly others...
Brief reason why it was the best: I know Urban Design sounds like a snooze-fest for most people. I happen to be interested in it. BUT this book is really about happiness, and how urban design affects our happiness. Some things we have some control over, with a little effort on our part. Changing other things may take some community effort. Others will take longer as they involve changes to building/land use codes and a good deal of time and money. But if we all start thinking this way, eventually we can be less stressed and live easier happier lives. Efforts have already started in various places around the world! Very readable :)
- Title: The Darkest Road- Author: Guy Gavriel Kay
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): Canadian author
- Brief reason why it was the best: So many trilogies end badly. This one wrapped up with no loose ends and an ending that was true to all the characters. People have been trying to get me to read these books for years and I'm glad I finally did.
- Title - Tracking North- Author - Kerry McGinnis
- Rating - 4 stars
- Format - eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) - a book related to land
- Brief reason why it was the best- Excellent writing - leisurely without being overlong.
- Title - One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest- Author - Ken Kesey
- Rating - 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) - audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 1. A book with a title that ends in A, T or Y
- Brief reason why it was the best: It was such a tight, well-told story. The fishing trip was glorious. was reminded of the banana breakfast in Gravity’s Rainbow and the first chapter of Snow Crash.
- Title - A House with Good Bones
- Author - T. Kingfisher
- Rating -5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) - audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 27. A book related to land
- Brief reason why it was the best - It was hilarious, a lovely lightweight horror novel.
- Title - The Bone Shard Daughter
- Author - Andrea Stewart
- Rating - 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) - audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable)
- Brief reason why it was the best: This book was such a delight. I was interested in the world and the characters, and am looking forward to reading the next books in the series!
- Title - The Kaiju Preservation Society- Author - John Scalzi
- Rating - 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) - ebook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) - 35. A science or science fiction book
- Brief reason why it was the best - I enjoyed the imagery it provoked and thought it has a good use of humor.
I added to the Listopia
Why do I make this so difficult for myself by reading too many excellent books in one month? 🤦♀️- Title: Station Eleven
- Author: Emily St. John Mandel
- Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Audiobook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): "A book by an author from Canada, Australia or New Zealand"
- Brief reason why it was the best: A really interesting take on how a pandamic could change the world, and really made me think about what could have happended if covid-19 had been so much worse. And the book was even written before that pandemic happened!
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Title: When Among CrowsAuthor: Veronica Roth
Rating: 5 stars
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): eBook
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): touch of magic
Brief reason why it was the best:
Inspired by Polish folklore to create an urban fantasy quest story. Dealing with three types of witches that feed on specific emotions. Not too long either so the plot moves.
Title: Five Broken Blades
Author: Mai Corland
Rating: 5 stars
Format (Print, eBook, Audio): hardcover
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): n/a
Brief reason why it was the best:
Six of Crows type plot for adults. Six anti-heroes work together on an assassination whilst lying to each other.
- Title: The Night Circus- Author: Erin Morgenstern
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): N/A. Would have been perfect for related to night, obviously. But I already completed that prompt.
- Brief reason why it was the best: Very atmospheric. The descriptions of the circus were just amazing.
- Title : The Keepers of the House- Author: Shirley Ann Grau
- Rating: 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Audio and book
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 48. A second book that fits your favorite prompt: 10. A history or historical fiction book
- Brief reason why it was the best: Beautiful writing with themes of racism, feminism and a sense of home. This was a reread for me and I loved it even more that the first time (2019). Grau won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for this book in 1965.
-Title: The Bullet That Missed-Author: Richard Osman
-Rating: 5 stars
-Format: Print
-ATY Prompt: Books with Similar Covers (#1 of 2)
-Why Best: I was so taken with the first book in this series when I read it in April that I had to read the others. The main characters are all in their 70s, and while being warm and funny and suspenseful, the books also deal with aging, widowhood, physical and mental changes, friendship, and loss in meaningful ways.
- Title: What an Owl Knows: The New Science of the World's Most Enigmatic Birds- Author: Jennifer Ackerman
- Rating: 5 Stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): Related to Air
- Brief reason why it was the best: Non fiction environmental.
Title: The FamiliarAuthor: Leigh Bardugo
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Ebook
ATY Prompt you used it for: 44. A book with a touch of magic.
Brief reason why it was the best: A historical fantasy that didn't jump around in time. It had me invested in the outcome, even if it wasn't that big a surprise.
Honourable Mention:
Title: The Ashes & the Star-Cursed King
Author: Carissa Broadbent
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: Print
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 46. A book related to night.
Brief reason why it was the best: A solid second entry into a solid romantasy series.
Title: A Short Walk Through a Wide WorldAuthor: Douglas Westerbeke
Rating: 5 Stars
Format: E Book
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): (51) Published in 2024
Brief reason why it was the best: I love, love, love a good literary fiction novel and was very pleasantly surprised when this one ended up being that way. I bought it from Book of the Month and then promptly forgot what it was about until I picked it back up again. Literally sucked me in. Every spare second I had went to reading this book.
Title: Goodnight Beautiful
Author: Aimee Molloy
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: E book
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): (46) Related to night - has the word "night" in the title
Brief reason why it was the best: It's not often a mystery/thriller book gets the best of me. I usually end up figuring out the plot before we get there but this one surprised me.
Title: The Familiar
Author: Leigh Bardugo
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: E Book
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): (47) Two word title beginning with 'THE'
Brief reason why it was the best: At this point, I'm pretty sure I'd read Leigh Bardugo's grocery list. She's a great fantasy writer and I enjoyed the unusual setting for this book.
Title: Rising Sun
Author: Donna Grant
Rating: 4 Stars
Format: E book
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): Doing the challenge twice this year! Used this one on my second take - (33) Involving travel
Brief reason why it was the best: Got to read this one through NetGalley, but was a little delayed to get to it due to *life*. Was immediately sucked into a fantasy world full of drama, enemies-to-lovers, "one bed" trope variation. It's got spice. Great romantasy, can't wait to see what the next book brings.
Title: Hands Down by Mariana ZapataRating: 4 Stars
Format: audio/kindle
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): I didn't use it for a prompt.
I really enjoy this author. Her books are a bit longer and she does yammer on a bit...but... The story is realistic and I love the romance/sports genre quite a lot.
Title Women & ChildrenAuthor Tony Birch
Rating 4 stars
Format (Print, eBook, Audio) Print
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) It could be used for 8. An Australian author or 49. A senior citizen (I had already had books for those two so haven't used it)
Brief reason why it was the best Set in the 1960s when the 'strap' was given to naughty children in school and domestic violence was a secret hidden from society and people turned a 'blind eye' because it was 'none of their business' this simply told tale packs a powerful punch. While celebrating the best of family relationships it also shines a light on the insidious ripple effect of one man's brutality of his girlfriend.
Title: JamesAuthor: Percival Everett
Rating: 5 stars
Format: ebook
ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): NA
Brief reason why it was the best: A clever retelling of The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn from the perspective of the slave, Jim, that turns the awkward linguistics of the original on its head. Well done!
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I finally read my first 5 star reads of this year this month! They were-- Title: Everybody Sees the Ants
- Author: A.S. King
- Rating: 5 Stars
- Format: print
- ATY Prompt you used it for: #26- a book by an author known by their initials
- Brief reason why it was the best: A surprisingly touching YA novel about finding the courage to escape your inner prisons and remaining resilient in the face of trauma.
- Title: Good Material
- Author: Dolly Alderton
- Rating: 5 Stars
- Format: audiobook
- ATY Prompt you used it for: #39- Two books with similar covers: Book 2 (I paired it with Tomb Sweeping)
- Brief reason why it was the best: A hilarious but also profound dramedy about navigating a post-break-up in your mid 30s. Watching the differences on how the MMC and the FMC handled this new phase in their lives was entertaining.
- Title: Same Bed Different Dreams- Author: Ed Park
- Rating: 5 stars, & more
- Format: I think I read this as an ebook
- ATY Prompt you used it for: main character is Black, indigenous, or a person of color--one of the refreshing things about this bok is that there are almost no white characters, but the book never really makes a big deal about it
- Brief reason why it was the best: This book is not for everyone. It's kind of an alternate history of the Korean peninsula as told from a speculative & somewhat dystopian future, primarily by the numerous voices of the Korean diaspora that have intentionally or unintentionally been shaping history behind the scenes for decades. It is three books in one, one of which is an alternative history & propaganda guide produced by a united Korean shadow government, one is the story of the man who comes into possession of this history & is obsessed with it, & one is the story of a Korean War veteran who becomes a science fiction author.
I just can't stop thinking about this book. The way the characters & story threads are woven together is masterful. It clocked in at over 500 pages, but I didn't want it to end. I wanted to live in the world of this book. I knew this book had something to do with Korean politics & sci fi, & I was like, eh, sounds like a slog, not really my thing, but I was WRONG! I'm so glad I gave it a shot because it's truly one of the most remarkable books I have read in a while. I don't know how Ed Park pulled this off. Is masterpiece too strong a word? Give it a shot, you will either be mesmerized or you'll hate it. Word to the wise: the book opens with a dinner scene in which you are introduced to MANY characters in what feels like way more detail than is necessary. All of those characters actually matter, so maybe bookmark those pages so you can go back to them later.
Ciara wrote: "- Title: Same Bed Different Dreams- Author: Ed Park
- Rating: 5 stars, & more
- Format: I think I read this as an ebook
- ATY Prompt you used it for: main characte..."
So excited to read this now! I don't remember how I originally came to know about this book, but I put it on hold a few weeks ago. Now I just have to wait about 16 more weeks! :-)
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The Only One Left- Author- Riley Sager
- Rating- 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio)- ebook
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable)- #41 Book with a chilling atmostphere.
- This book had me hooked from the first chapter. What happened to Kit to make her have to take a job she didn't want. What is really going on a that creepy house Hope's End. The twists and turns kept me intrigued. Just when I thought I knew what was going on another piece of the puzzle was revealed. I hated to put the book down to go to sleep.
Elsewhere- Author-Gabrielle Zevin
- Rating - 5 stars
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio) - Audio
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable) #20 one word title
- This book is a very different view of the afterlife. I really liked the concept of it. The narrator wasn't the best but I got used to her because I enjoyed the story so much.
- Title: Ordinary Grace- Author: William Kent Krueger
- Rating: 5/5
- Format (Print, eBook, Audio): Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for (if applicable): 43. A book by an Edgar Award-winning Author
- Brief reason why it was the best: It was very well-written and was genre-bending in the best possible way--part historical fiction, part coming-of-age, and part mystery. The story drew me on and I could not put it down.
- Title: Beauty- Author: Susan Wilson
- Rating: 4 stars
- Format: Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for: #9 A book with fewer than 2024 ratings
- Brief reason why it was the best: This <200 page romance was realistic (no insta-love), heart-wrenching, and difficult to forget. It's loosely based on Beauty and the Beast and it's the first time I've read about a "Beast" who is genuinely hideous due to his pituitary disorder.
The only reason I'm giving it 4 stars is because of the ending, which is incredibly polarizing. Without spoiling it, I'll just say that I first discovered this book on Book Depository's list of "Must-Read Stories with Shocking Twists".
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- Title:
Aftermarket Afterlife Aftermarket Afterlife- Author: Seanan McGuire
- Rating: 5
- Format: eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for: connected to something read in 2023
- Brief reason why it was the best>: I love the series and this one was a great story.
- Title:
Valhellions- Author: Tim Akers
- Rating: 5
- Format: Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for: none
- Brief reason why it was the best>: even better than the first book.
- Title:
Assistant to the Villain- Author: Hannah Nicole Maehrer
- Rating: 5
- Format: Print
- ATY Prompt you used it for: Second of Favororite Prompt - Prompt that didn't make the final list - Goodreads Choice Awards
- Brief reason why it was the best>: Was suprized how much I enjoyed it.
- Title:
The Little Things: A Story About Acts of Kindness- Author: Christian Trimmer
- Rating: 5
- Format: eBook
- ATY Prompt you used it for: Jimmy Buffet - Beach
- Brief reason why it was the best>: Great little picture book.
Five-Star Reads: May 2024Why We Love Baseball: A History in 50 Moments, Joe Posnanski (Print): I love everything about baseball! I learned a lot and cherished some stories I already knew.
Little Fires Everywhere, Celeste Ng (eBook): Multi-layered, nuanced story of class and privilege.
The Husbands, Holly Gramazio (Print): What a strange twist on the multiverse! Thoroughly enjoyable... and weird. (ATY Spring Challenge - 5+ colors on the cover)
Small Mercies, Dennis Lehane: Brutal historical fiction. It's a genre-bending mashup of historical fiction, crime novel, and mystery/thrillers.
Funny Story, Emily Henry (eBook): My favorite Emily Henry book so far!
Shubeik Lubeik, Deena Mohamed (Print): Graphic novel set in a world where wishes are bought and sold. (ATY Spring Challenge - purple cover)
Sociopath, Patric Gagne (Audiobook): Memoir of a sociopath. Fascinating!
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Around the Year in 52 Books
Books mentioned in this topic
Tales of a Shaman's Apprentice: An Ethnobotanist Searches for New Medicines in the Amazon Rain Forest (other topics)Haunting Adeline (other topics)
Neferura (other topics)
Life, Loss, and Puffins (other topics)
Millie (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Mark J. Plotkin (other topics)H.D. Carlton (other topics)
Malayna Evans (other topics)
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