May Reads, Ratings, and Book Reviews
Happy book review day on hanzastephens.com! I am excited to share with yall a new format for my May reads, ratings, and book reviews. I hope you enjoy it as much as me! This new format allowed me to share some of the adventures I took my books on with me. I feel like this gives extra insight into how I enjoyed each read!
This month, I got to read lots of books – everything from scifi to romcom – in three different states! I feel really blessed to have had those opportunities (and to get to repeat this in June)!
2024 Reading Goals Refresher
Last year, I worked HARD to get to 52 books in 52 weeks (as inspired by this group I had found online)! I was proud to make it, but I will admit it ended up causing me to read because I had to rather than for it to be an outlet, which I hated.
I’m looking forward to reading in 2024, but, unlike last year, I am going into it without a particular number of books goal in mind. Sooo … no reading goal, but that doesn’t mean I won’t share my books and reviews with you!
This Month ...
In MONTH, I read a total of 6 books (bringing me to 12 for the year):
- Paperback: 3
- Hardback: 1
- Kindle: 2
Types of books:
- Romcom: 1
- Unclassified Fiction: 2
- Scifi: 1
- Thriller/mystery: 2
My May Reads and Ratings
Magnolia Parks: The Long Way Home by Jesse Hastings
The Book
3 stars | RomRa (Romance Drama)
Enjoyed as a paperback on a girls’ trip to Delray Beach, Florida
If you read my review from last month featuring the first two books in this series, you know that I favor the books done from Daisy’s POV. That said … Magnolia really grew on me in this one. Maybe it is because I get her humor more now (???), or maybe the author really nailed her character development. Either way I quite enjoyed it! The book was about 50 pages longer than it should be – there is a lot of fluff in there from both perspectives (mostly internal thoughts) that were so repetitive. That said, I am officially addicted to this series.
Thirteen by Steve Cavanagh
The Book
4.5 stars | Thriller
Enjoyed on Kindle Unlimited on my Kindle on a girls’ trip to Delray Beach, Florida
“The serial killer isn’t on trial. He’s on the jury.”
What a wild freaking ride that book was. While I’m still trying to pull together all of the pieces mentally, I will say that I am impressed by the author’s ability to write something so completely and utterly twisted. If you’re into murderous court dramas, you will love this one.
The Teacher by Freida McFadden
The Book
2.5 stars | Thriller
Enjoyed on Kindle Unlimited on a work trip to Chicago, IL.
I love almost everything Freida writes. She is the queen of unpredictable twists and quick reads, which has made her my “go-to” for travel. This read checked all of those boxes (fast and twisty) … but kind of grossed me out? Something about toeing the legal age of consent doesn’t sit well with me. While well written I do not recommend.
Daisy Haites and the Great Undoing by Jesse Hastings
The Book
3.5 stars | RomRa (Romance Drama)
Enjoyed as a paperback over too much pasta and wine on a work trip to Chicago, IL.
Daisy is just such a badass … I love her so much. Her commentary about Magnolia in particular in this one made me cackle (because I too get annoyed with Magnolia’s bullshit). This book got a lower rating because it spent too much time on Magnolia and not enough on Daisy. That said, it was still so addictive and I feel like was written to lead to something even bigger???
Annie Bot by Sierra Greer
The Book
4 stars | Sci Fi Fiction
Enjoyed as a hardcover over a long holiday weekend.
Annie Bot was created to be the perfect girlfriend to her human owner, designed to satisfy both physical and emotional needs. But what happens when she … starts to feel?
This book honestly kind of terrified me. It was like an in-depth Black Mirror episode with a future that I can see quickly approaching. Very interesting, quick read that I cannot wait to recommend!
This Summer will be Different by Carley Fortune
The Book
5 stars | RomCom
Enjoyed as a paperback over a long holiday weekend.
This book is so special – it feels like a summer day on the beach the way it lights up your whole soul with happiness and comfort. From the soothing beach scenes to the toe curling, angsty spice that really just make you wonder “could I have a crush on a book character??”, my first experience with Carley Fortune was nothing shy of amazing. If you like romcoms or want to dabble in them, this is going to be your favorite summer read!
