I managed to read a dozen books totaling 4,362 pages in May. I started out super strong with A Forgery of Roses by Jessica S. Olson. That was an easy five stars. I got it from an Owlcrate box. It wasn’t what I was expecting; it was way better! My second book was Cut Off by Adrianne Finlay. I gave it three stars. I read it to the boys for their bedtime story. It was odd. I’m not sure what genre it was trying to be or if it really did any of them well.

Next I finished Nazi Games by David Clay Large. I gave it three stars. It was very dense. I learned a lot about the 1936 Olympics and Olympics in general. Then I read “Mom! I Farted in Church” by Christie Cuthbert. I gave it three stars as well. I saw the author speak in person and she was way funnier and better than the book. After that I read Anxious People by Fredrik Backman. That was another three star book. I read for my book group. I have determined I’m just not a Backman fan.

I finally interrupted my run on mediocre books when I reread Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone by JK Rowling. As always that’s five stars. I love that series so much. It’s one of the few books I’ll reread. After that I was back to mediocre books when I read Above the Bay of Angels by Rhys Bowen. I gave it three stars. It was historical fiction way too heavy on the fiction for my tastes.

My next book was Hotel Magnifique by Emily J. Taylor. I gave it four stars. It was another Owlcrate book. I enjoyed it a lot minus the “I need to tell you this incredibly important information but don’t have time right now so I’ll tell you later” trope. Then I read my favorite book of the month, I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys. I gave it five stars of course. I have never read a book by that author that I didn’t love. This story set at the fall of communism in Romania was no exception.

After that I read If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy. I gave it four stars. It was quite enjoyable. I got it in the Once Upon a Book Club box I got for my birthday in April. Then I read Truth is in the Darkness by Heather Sunseri. I gave it five stars. I love her romantic thrillers. I thought I had this one figured out. I was so very wrong. My twelfth and final book of the month was Saints, Volume 3. I gave it five stars. I love learning church history through the eyes of members.

My favorite book of the month: I Must Betray You by Ruta Sepetys

My least favorite book of the month: Above the Bay of Angels by Rhys Bowen

Number of 5 Star Books: 5
Number of 4 Star Books: 2
Number of 3 Star Books: 5
Number of 2 Star Books: 0
Number of 1 Star Books: 0

58/100 book read for my goal of the year… 42 to go!

And a sneak peak at my crazy huge TBR list for June that mostly contains books I’ve had on previous TBRs that I didn’t get to…