May 2025 Reading Recap

We are officially halfway through the year! How is that possible?!

In May, I rediscovered audiobooks. My family used to listen to audiobooks on road trips, and apparently when I was a toddler I'd scream my head off if I didn't like the narrator's voice. For quite a long time, I insisted I didn't like audiobooks, but then I re-listened to Cary Elwes' As You Wish, which I had previously listened to on a car trip with my family. I enjoyed having something interesting to do on my long commute to work so much that I chose another one–The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Schaffer (another reread). And then another: The House of Mirth, by Edith Wharton, which will make its appearance on my June 2025 Reading Recap post. Safe to say, I am hooked on audiobooks! I usually hate driving, but listening to an audiobook makes me feel like I'm doing something worthwhile during a period of otherwise unusable time. Thanks to the two audiobooks I finished, I managed to read nine books in May!

On another note, after saying last month that I was taking away the nonfiction category ... it's back lol.

Unfortunately, I did not finish my May pick for the 2025 Fantasy/Sci-Fi Reading Challenge. It will appear on my June 2025 Reading Recap post!

All covers are linked to Goodreads.

Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month

Water Moon, by Samantha Sotto Yambao

★★★★

Genre: Fantasy

"A woman inherits a pawnshop where you can sell your regrets, and then embarks on a magical journey when a charming young physicist wanders into the shop, in this dreamlike and enchanting fantasy novel." (From Goodreads)

It is generally agreed that there are "character-driven" books and there are "plot-driven" books. I'd like to add a third category: atmosphere-driven books. Until I read Water Moon, I thought that Erin Morgenstern's The Night Circus was in a class by itself. I was captivated by this book and couldn't wait to see what marvelous new piece of Hana's world would be revealed next. That being said, I did feel like Hana and Keishin (and all the characters, really) were a little ... flat. And I want to know who put the Shiikuin in charge, and what do they want?? I kept waiting for a bigger villain to be revealed, but they never were. These quibbles aside, I devoured this spellbinding book.

Book Club

As You Wish: Inconceivable Tales from the Making of The Princess Bride, by Cary Elwes (Audiobook)

★★★★★

Genre: Memoir

"From actor Cary Elwes, who played the iconic role of Westley in The Princess Bride, comes a first-person account and behind-the-scenes look at the making of the cult classic film filled with never-before-told stories and interviews with costars Robin Wright, Wallace Shawn, Billy Crystal, Christopher Guest, and Mandy Patinkin, as well as author and screenwriter William Goldman, producer Norman Lear, and director Rob Reiner." (From Goodreads)

This was just as hilarious and heartwarming as I remember!

Nonfiction

Witches, Midwives, and Nurses: A History of Women Healers, by Barbara Ehrenreich and Deirdre English

★★★

Genre: Nonfiction

"Witches, Midwives, and Nurses, first published by The Feminist Press in 1973, is an essential book about the corruption of the medical establishment and its historic roots in witch hunters." (From Goodreads)

This was a quick and interesting read. I don't agree with all their conclusions, but they make some very good points.

This is Marketing: You Can't Be Seen Until You Learn to See, by Seth Godin

★★.5 stars

Genre: Nonfiction

"A game-changing approach to marketing, sales, and advertising. For the first time Seth Godin offers the core of his marketing wisdom in one compact, accessible, timeless package. This is Marketing shows you how to do work you're proud of, whether you're a tech startup founder, a small business owner, or part of a large corporation.No matter what your product or service, this book will help you reframe how it's presented to the world, in order to meaningfully connect with people who want it." (From Goodreads)

I read this for work. It was easy to read, and at the same time it was a slog. The organization was super jumpy. Fortunately all the ideas came together at the end, but it took a while to get there. Also, I have come to the conclusion that I just don't like marketing all that much (which is unfortunate, since I have a marketing job).

Mood Reads

A Crown So Cursed, by L.L. McKinney

★★★

Genre: YA Fantasy

"Alice is doing her best to recover from her last boss battle, but members of her crew start having these... dreams. And they’re all the same dream: visions of a dark past―and an even darker future. It seems the evil in Wonderland may not be as defeated as they’d hoped." (From Goodreads)

This is the last book in the Nightmare-Verse series. I was really hoping that Alice would settle down and decide which of her crushes she wanted to dedicate herself to in this book, but no dice. It seems Chess was ruled out (also, I'm still a little confused about what Chess IS? I feel like that could have been explored further), but Haruka and Addison were both still very much in the running at the end. I get it, emotions are messy and we don't always just feel attraction to one person, but it bothered me nonetheless. Also, I don't think we ever learned HOW Odette died? And, maybe I'm forgetting something that happened at the end of Book 2, but I was expecting there to be a little more urgency at the beginning, like, "Oh, Addison is still dying of the Madness, we need to cure him and the White Queen." Buuuuut nope, they're at Comic Con. Okay. The stakes did ramp up, but this kind of felt like a repetition of the last two books. Overall an enjoyable read, though.

Everblaze, by Shannon Messenger

★★★★

Genre: Middle Grade Fantasy

"Sophie uncovers shocking secrets—and faces treacherous new enemies—in this electrifying third book in the Keeper of the Lost Cities series." (From Goodreads)

Quite enjoyable! I love how all the characters are continuing to develop (I'm still Team Keefe, although I briefly considered joining Team Fitz for a little while there), and I love how balanced it is; there are consequences for Sophie's actions, she makes mistakes sometimes, and even the grownups (especially the grownups) aren't perfect. I'm looking forward to reading the next book in the series, but I'm going to take a break for a little while to focus on other reads!

The Midnight Feast, by Lucy Foley

★★★★

Genre: Thriller

"It’s the opening night of The Manor, and no expense, small or large, has been spared. The infinity pool sparkles; crystal pouches for guests’ healing have been placed in the Seaside Cottages and Woodland Hutches; the “Manor Mule” cocktail (grapefruit, ginger, vodka, and a dash of CBD oil) is being poured with a heavy hand. Everyone is wearing linen. But under the burning midsummer sun, darkness stirs. Old friends and enemies circulate among the guests. Just outside the Manor’s immaculately kept grounds, an ancient forest bristles with secrets. And the Sunday morning of opening weekend, the local police are called. Something’s not right with the guests. There’s been a fire. A body’s been discovered. It all began with a secret, fifteen years ago. Now the past has crashed the party. And it’ll end in murder at… The Midnight Feast." (From Goodreads)

Okay, this was EXCELLENT. Lucy Foley has definitely hit upon a good framework. Her plotting is great (the twists upon twists had my jaw dropping), and unlike The Guest List, I actually really liked (some of) the characters. Okay, maybe just Eddie. I also liked the themes of local community and vigilante justice.

The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, by Mary Ann Schaffer (Audiobook)

★★★★

Genre: Historical Fiction

"A remarkable tale of the island of Guernsey during the German Occupation, and of a society as extraordinary as its name." (From Goodreads)

I enjoyed this even more on the second reading! That could be the wonderful cast of voice actors who read it, though. I am in love with all the characters–but especially Juliet.

Paper TBR

Watership Down, by Richard Adams

★★★★

Genre: Classic

"Set in England's Downs, a once idyllic rural landscape, this stirring tale of adventure, courage and survival follows a band of very special creatures on their flight from the intrusion of man and the certain destruction of their home. Led by a stouthearted pair of friends, they journey forth from their native Sandleford Warren through the harrowing trials posed by predators and adversaries, to a mysterious promised land and a more perfect society." (From Goodreads)

I enjoyed this a lot more than I thought I would, to be honest! I was blown away by the beautiful descriptions and the research and attention to detail that Richard Adams put into creating a rabbit culture, complete with a rabbit language and rabbit idioms (e.g. "stopped running"=died, "fits like a bee in a foxglove", etc.). I loved the rabbits, who were all so different! (Bigwig might be my favorite, though.) And the Italian mouse had me howling with laughter. (I still can't figure out what Kehaar is. French? German?) This was a wonderful story that I thoroughly enjoyed.

Reading Challenge Updates

Organized challenges I'm participating in:

2025 Cover Lovers Reading Challenge - 2 books

Fantasy/Sci-Fi Reading Challenge - 1/4 book

2025 New Release Challenge - 1 book

Personal challenges:

Books I Didn't Get to Last Year - 1 book

National Month - 1 book

Middle Grade - 1 book

How was your reading month in May? Have you read any of the books mentioned above? Do you like audiobooks? Let's chat in the comments!