Monthly Wrap Ups

May Wrap Up!

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all having a wonderful day. It is time to go over what I managed yo read in May.

May was definitely a busy month, I’ve had some health things going on and also I was finishing up my PhD thesis – which I have now sent in, so I should officially have my Doctorate very soon. Fingers crossed. In between all of this, I was enjoying my reading for this month. So far this year I have had amazing luck, most of the books I have got to I have loved or at least liked, there have been some disappointments and a few DNF’s but overall my reading is going well. I have noticed that although fantasy is my favourite genre, out of the nearly 60 books I have read so far this year, less then 10 have been fantasy. Which is a surprise.

How was your reading in May? Did you find any new favourite books?

First I will mention the books from my May TBR:

  • A Case of Life and Limb by Sally Smith – I did read this and I enjoyed it. This is the second book in the Gabriel Ward series, following Lawyer Gabriel Ward as he ends up tasked to solve different mysteries. Gabriel as a character is very endearing to follow. I am excited to continue this series when book three comes out.
  • It’s Not What You Think by Clare Mackintosh – I did read this. I was recommended it while I was in a bookshop browsing and I thought the premise sounded interesting, but this was actually my least favourite read this month. As the book goes on it becomes heavily political and I did not enjoy that.
  • Manslaughter Park by Tirzah Price – I did read this. I am glad to finally have read the last book in the Jane Austen Murder Mystery series. In my opinion this was my least favourite of the trilogy but I still thought it was a nice read.
  • Tea and Alchemy by Sharon Lynn-Fisher – I did read this. I bought this on a bit of a whim, I loved the cover and when I read the premise I was intrigued by the idea of a tea leaf reader. I will be sharing a full review of this later in the month but I loved this book.
  • The Corpse Played Dead by Georgina Clarke – I am currently reading this and I plan on finishing it today so this one also counts. This is the second book in the Death and the Harlot series.
  • The Beast of Littleton Woods by T E Kinsey – I did read this and that brings me up to date with the Lady Hardcastle series until the next one comes out.
  • Traitors Blade by Sebastien de Castell – I did read this also. I had been putting off starting this series because I loved his other books and I was worried I wouldn’t enjoy this one as much but I loved the travelling/adventuring style of this novel.

So, from my TBR I read all the books I had and outside my TBR I also read three nonfiction books (a surprise for me as I don’t read much nonfiction): The Waiting Game, The Five by Hallie Rubenhold and Life Inside by Linda Calvey. I also read: An Archive of Romance by Ava Reid, and The Ending Writes Itself. This means I read 12 books this month. My favourite was Tea and Alchemy and my least favourite was It’s Not What You Think.

Have you read any of these books, what did you think of them?

Monthly TBRs

May TBR!

Happy Monday bookish people! I hope you are all doing well today. It is May and that means it is time to talk about what books I hope to read this month.

What books are you all thinking of reading in May?

MAY TBR:

A Case of Life and Limb by Sally Smith

The Beast of Littleton Woods by T E Kinsey

Tea and Alchemy by Sharon Lynn Fisher

Traitor’s Blade by Sebastien de Castell

Manslaughter Park by Tirzah Price

It’s Not What You Think by Clare Mackintosh

The Corpse Played Dead by Georgina Clarke

Uncategorized

25 to read in 2025

Happy Friday bookish people! I hope you are all good today, a bit of a warning, this might be a long one.

I have been seeing these lists everywhere and I thought it would be fun to do my own. So, these are the 25 books I want to prioritize in 2025. I have chosen these books because they are either: oldest on my TBR, continuing series I have started which is one of my goals for the year or they are books I feel like I should have got to by now.

The ACOTAR series (yes, I am counting the books I have left to read – A Court of Wings and Ruin, A Court of Frost and Starlight and A Court of Silver Flames – as one together because I really want to finish this series in 2025)

I Hope You’re Listening by Tom Ryan

Capturing the Devil by Kerri Maniscalco

The Gilded Cage by Lynette Noni

Red Queen by Victoria Aveyard

The Ballad of Never After by Stephanie Garber

The Invisible Life of Addie Larue by V E Schwab

The Wolf and the Woodsman by Ava Reid

Sabriel by Garth Nix

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo

Assassins Apprentice by Robin Hobb

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

Divine Rivals by Rebecca Ross

Fourth Wing by Rebecca Yarros

The Bone Season by Samantha Shannon

Map of Days by Ransom Riggs

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

Traitors Blade by Sebastien de Castell

The Dream Thieves by Maggie Stiefvater

A Heart So Fierce and Broken by Brigid Kemmerer

City of Brass by S A Chakraborty

Where Dreams Descend by Janelle Angeles

Us in Ruins by Rachel Moore

The Guest List by Lucy Foley

The Painted Dragon by Katherine Woodfine

That’s the ones on my list, what books do you want to read in 2025?

Have you read any of these books? What did you think of them?

Monthly TBRs

May TBR

Happy Friday bookish people! I am going on a week long holiday this month so I have made sure that my TBR has a lot of choice and variety.

The Agathas

Beggars Abbey by V L Valentine

Crown of Midnight by Sarah J Maas

Daughters of Night

Everyone in my family have killed someone

Finlay Donovan jumps the gun

The Good Thieves

The Hemlock Cure

I Hope You’re Listening

Katherine of Aragon by Alison Weir

The London Seance Society

Marion Lane and the Midnight Murder

Northranger

Pen Dipped in Poison

Queen’s Assassin

Radio Silence

Sabriel

Traitors Blade

Under the Whispering Door

Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Guide for murderers

Wolf Hall

Your Turn To Die

What are you reading in May?

Book Quotes

Favourite Book Quotes: 40 – 31

Happy Friday bookish people! I am back with the next ten quotes in my top 100 favourite book quotes series. It’s getting so close to revealing what quotes have made it into the top ten now, but you’ve got to wait just a little bit longer for that…

Onto the quotes!

At 40 is a quote from one of my favourite authors…

Traitors Blade by Sebastien De Castell

40. “The archer is the true weapon; the bow is just a long piece of wood”

Next is a quote from a sequel I haven’t read yet…

Unravel the Dusk by Elizabeth Lim

39. “I know that for every dawn, dusk must unravel it’s darkness” – although it seems slightly pessimistic I also think this quote is very lyrical.

At 38 is from a book I was very excited to read…

Once and Future Witches by Alix E Harrow

38. “Behind every witch is a wronged woman” – I love this quotes, and this book.

Next is a quote from a book on my July TBR…

The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue

37. “I remember you” – short and simple but has so much meaning behind it.

At 36 is from a book I got a special edition of…

Daughter of Smoke and Bone by Laini Taylor

36. “Once upon a time an angel and a devil fell in love – it did not end well” – This quote really sets the scene for the book and also slightly makes me think of the TV show Lucifer for some reason.

Next is from the second book in a very popular series…

A Court of Mist and Fury – Sarah J Maas

35. “To the stars who listen and the dreams that are answered”

At 34 is from a book I’m anticipating to be a five star read…

Ace of Shades by Amanda Foody

34. “Desire fame and the city will make you a tragedy”

Up now is from a sequel I started to read and then put down for now…

Legendary by Stephanie Garber

33. “A kiss worth dying for”

At 32 is a book I read very recently…

Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

32. “Wicked are the ways of women, especially a witch”

Up last for this week is from a book I rated three stars…

Three Dark Crowns by Kendare Blake

31. “Three dark sisters all fair to be seen, two to devour and one to be queen”

That’s it for this post, I hope you all enjoyed it! Next Friday I’ll be sharing the next ten so come back then.