wrap-up | May 2018

Hello, my fellow book lovers! Just like every other month in 2018 so far, I’ve read exactly ten books in May! Since I am close to completing my Goodreads reading challenge, I won’t pressure myself to read as much anymore from now on.

I will start with the books I enjoyed the least and end with the ones I liked the most. When you click on the graphic, you will be brought to the book’s Goodreads page.

I was looking forward to reading this book because of the diversity and the synopsis, but it made me feel like shit. The anxiety representation was good and is #OwnVoices, but so much ableist language is used! While I understand why authors include problematic behaviour, I hope they understand that those descriptions are incredibly difficult for some readers. You can read my full review here.

Girl Out of Water isn’t a bad book; none of the books on this list are! Sadly, however, it’s not the kind of YA contemporary I tend to adore. I expected to rate this five stars, but it didn’t turn out that way. Though I enjoyed reading most of this book, I didn’t love it. You can read my full review here.

As much as I love listening to audiobooks that are narrated by the authors themselves, I should read physical copies of books written in verse from now on. For some reason, I feel like I can’t absorb the information that well. This memoir was an insightful look into the life of a black girl in the South, Ohio and New York, but the poems weren’t cohesive. You can read my full review here.

I’ve been meaning to read What Happened ever since it was released! I loved that Clinton admits she made some mistakes, but that she’s critical of the FBI’s role, the media and Trump’s campaign as well. This audiobook could’ve been a lot shorter without the mention of so many names and statistics, but it was nice listening to her voice again nonetheless. You can read my short review here.

This is the third novel by Taylor Jenkins Reid I have read so far and I have to admit Forever, Interrupted is my least favourite. It’s no secret I’m not a romance reader, so the flashbacks didn’t really work for me – which is 100% my fault, not the book’s. As the story went on, the characters grew on me. Taylor Jenkins Reid writes flawed yet likeable characters phenomenally, which is why  I cannot help but read her books even though they might not always seem like my cup of tea. You can read my short review here.

I’m having a very hard time talking about Leah on the Offbeat. I absolutely love Becky Albertalli’s work, so I feel like I’m not as critical of this as I am of other books. I read this in one sitting, so I clearly enjoyed it. I have so much in common with Leah! That said, it was underwhelming and I haven’t thought much about it since. There’s one scene that’s biphobic and it’s so disappointing, especially since the character who says it is bisexual! That said, I will definitely re-read this in the future, so I might like the book more then. You can read my full review here.

If you are looking for a fast-paced diverse read, I’d absolutely recommend Amina’s Voice! This is a middle grade novel about a Pakistani-American girl named Amina (#OwnVoices representation) and her life in middle school and Sunday School at her local mosque.

I read this book in a handful of hours, so it’s a very short read. On the one hand that made me even more excited to pick it up, but on the other it prevented the book from being more fleshed-out. That’s probably to be expected from a book for younger audiences though.

I listened to the audiobook of Undead Girl Gang and it was a lot of fun! It deals with many important topics such as murder, feminism and fatphobia, but it does so in a casual way. This is the best YA mystery I have ever read, the fantasy elements were great and the characters were three-dimensional. I would absolutely recommend this to everyone who is looking for an entertaining read! You can read my short review here.Anger is a Gift is a very powerful book about social justice. There’s an abundance of disabled, queer and racial diversity, so that was very refreshing! This novel is hopeful and realistic and if you like books such as Dear Martin and The Hate U Give, I suggest you pick this one up! You can read my full review here.

I listened to the audiobook of Amal Unbound and I certainly want to buy a physical copy because I think I’ll love that one even more! Just like Written in the Stars, Aisha Saeed managed to write a book that is sad yet respectful, hopeful and important. I am so thankful I gave this middle grade novel a chance because that genre usually doesn’t work 100% for me, but it was more than worth it and I will continue to read everything this author writes. You can read my short review here.

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I started reading Children of Blood and Bone back in April and it’s been too long for me to continue it. I’ve been struggling reading fantasies for AGES and the world-building in this book is complex, so I’m going to start over in a few months! So don’t worry, I definitely plan on still reading it, but not anytime soon.

I feel really bad for not wanting to continue The Girl and the Grove because I follow this author on Twitter and I received an e-ARC. I just can’t push myself to read it! This is definitely not a bad book, but I’d probably end up rating it only three stars anyway.

My main problem was the writing style. I usually prefer 3rd person POV, but it just didn’t work for me in this novel!

You can read my full review here.

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I post other content besides reviews 🙂 Check out these blogposts if you haven’t yet:

• Top 5 Wednesday Rewind | series I (probably) won’t finish (x)
• Top 5 Wednesday Rewind | recent additions to my TBR (x)
• Top 5 Wednesday Rewind | authors I’d like to meet (x)
• May TBR (x)
• May anticipated releases (x)

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Which books did you read this month?

         

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