May Recap

I think I fell into a tiny reading slump this month; I only got through nine books in May, and while that’s still a decent amount, I can normally read a lot more. I think I got a little too caught up with work and just life in general. Still no worries, I’m now successfully over the little road bump slump and I have a lot on my to-read list for June.

It’s not all doom and gloom this month though; I’m back to posting my monthly recaps on time, and not a couple of days late, and three of my most anticipated books were released, read and reviewed by me this month (all five stars as well so they more than lived up to my expectations).

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The Raven Cycle Series

Number one of my most anticipated releases for this month. Ever since finished Blue Lily, Lily Blue back in January I’ve been counting down the days until the release of The Raven King. I was desperate to find out how everything ended for Gansey, Blue, Adam, Ronan, and Noah, especially with the prophecy handing like a scythe over Gansey’s and Blue’s heads. This book exceeded even my highest expectations, and was a perfect ending to the series. However I’m not ready to give up on The Raven Cycle series and am keeping my fingers crossed for more stories from The Raven Boys.

The Raven King by Maggie Stiefvater

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Into the Dim by Janet B. Taylor

I love time travel books so when I first read the blurb this was an obvious addition to my to-read list. It’s been described as Outlander for young adults and, while I haven’t read Outlander, I can say that Into the Dim is definitely an amazing story. I can’t say it’s the best time travel book I’ve read this year, it has some very stiff competition, but it was enjoyable and I am definitely going to be picking up the next book in the series when it’s released.

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The Wrath and the Dawn Series

Number two of my most anticipated releases, and a lot of other people’s as well based on some of the reviews. I saved the novellas until the second book had been released so I could jump straight from one into the other and I enjoyed all three, though a little short they offered different perspectives and glimpses into the backgrounds of characters we were introduced to in the first book. The Rose and the Dagger was amazing, I had no faults, I thought it was a perfect end to the series and a brilliant finale to Shahrzad and Khalid’s story.

The Moth and the Flame by Renee Ahdieh

The Crown and the Arrow by Renee Ahdieh

The Mirror and the Maze by Renee Ahdieh

The Rose and the Dagger by Renee Ahdieh

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Bone Gap by Laura Ruby

This was a re-read for me. The first time I picked up this book, on a whim, I loved it and the second time I thought it was even better. This is the book which introduced me to the magical realism genre, the book that made me fall in love with modern fairytales, and the book which, no matter how many times I read it, I will probably love more and more. At the moment this is my favourite magical realism book and, though I haven’t read much in the genre, it’s going to be tough to top Bone Gap.

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A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas

And finally number three in my most anticipated releases for this month. I jumped onto the Sarah J. Maas fan bandwagon late but now I can’t get enough of her books. I really loved A Court of Thorns and Roses, possibly more than the Throne of Glass books, but A Court of Mist and Fury was so much better. The story was more action-packed, the characters deeper and more developed than before, and we saw so much more of the world Maas has created in this series.

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The Crown’s Game by Evelyn Skye

I wouldn’t say this was a book I had high expectations for, however reading it I was left underwhelmed. I loved the concept of this story, the blurb sounded amazing and the fact that it promised it was perfect for fans of The Night Circus had me picking up The Crown’s Game eagerly. However there were inconsistencies with the world-building and the concept of the game itself that left me confused, and that’s to say nothing of the love triangle and insta love aspects present, both of which are two tropes I am not fans of.

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I took part in five Top Ten Tuesday topics over the course of May.

Top Ten Characters I’d Love to Re-Visit in Ten Years

Top Ten Websites I Love That Aren’t About Books

Top Ten Books I Picked Up On A Whim

Top Ten Books I Felt Differently About After Re-Reading

Top Ten Books on my Beach TBR List

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I featured four books as part of the Waiting on Wednesday tag.

Wayfarer by Alexandra Bracken

Paper and Fire by Rachel Caine

Empire of Storms by Sarah J. Maas

Kingdom of Ash and Briars by Hannah West

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Next month I have more than a few books to catch up on and I will post my reviews for the Shatter Me series which I have nearly finished, only one more book to go. I’m finally going to start the Percy Jackson series and, if the weather gets nicer here in England, I’m planning to make a dent in my summer TBR list which is full of contemporary romances with travel, sun, and happy endings.