May Reading Roundup
I read 7 books in May of 2025 and they were all winners in my eyes. Half fantasy novels, half literary fiction, these are all some of my highest rated books of the year so far.
Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry *may book club pick
I am a believer that authors and artists and creators should get to create what THEY want to create whether or not it’s similar or completely different to anything they’ve written or created before. This book felt very different to Henry’s other books and I made a conscious effort to be ok with that and to not make any judgements until I’d worked my way through the book because I simply just trust Emily Henry to write a good story… However… I just could not get into the rhythm of this story. I couldn’t make myself care about Margaret and then we spent so much time on her plot line that I felt like I couldn’t get to know Hayden or Alice. So when they started falling for each other, it felt rushed and unsupported which NEVER happens in Henry’s books. I was confused and a tad disappointed.
But, around the halfway point the story clicked into place for me. I started to understand Alice better through the relationship with her mother (a storyline I wish was more robust throughout), I started to enjoy and look forward to hearing the next bits of Margaret’s heart wrenching story as we got into the details about Laura (her sister) and Cosmo (her husband), and although I never fully fell for Hayden and Alice together, I came to understand why they’d want to be together and to also accept that not every love story will resonate with me. I so so so appreciate that Emily Henry does not fall into the trappings of romance clichés (also this book is not a romance, but more on that to come) while understanding that all romances ARE clichés. The conflicts are real and I never feel like yelling at the main characters to get their heads out of their asses (pardon my French) and communicate, because she creates real world conflicts that don’t always have an easy answer.
Ravensong by TJ Klune
The sequel to Wolfsong and the second of four books in the Green Creek series. Abd how lovely it is to be back in Green Creek! A retelling and continuation of the story from book one, told from the perspective of Gordo, the scruffy, tattooed, smart mouthed mechanic who cannot let himself be happy. A little too much aggressive stubborn male main character vibes in this one but it’s forgiven because we all love Gordo in spite of himself. the conflict was engaging, multilayered and interesting. I wish i could get a deeper look at ALL the characters but I’m sure as the series progresses, we will see more and more of each characters stories brought to the light. I am hoping to do a deep dive of the entire Green Creek series once I read the fourth and final book, Brothersong.
Heartsong by TJ Klune
Wow. What a spectacular third novel in the Green Creek series. You could never guess where it goes. Almost a mystery and a fantasy thriller? You get to dig deeper into characters you love but haven’t gotten to know very well, while also reminding you why you love this family. Twisty turny and I absolutely ate it up.
Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson
After reading this book, I was surprised to find that I was among the minority of readers who thoroughly enjoyed this novel. And after reading the reviews I couldn’t help but feel those who complained of slow plots and “nothing happening” grossly misunderstood the point of the book. At first glance, this novel is simply a not terribly dramatic family drama about the elite rich in Brooklyn Heights. There is a layer of schadenfreude blanketing the events, allowing the reader to snicker at these out of touch people and their ridiculous (if not sometimes shockingly real) troubles. You are sucked in by the, what I considered to be, fast paced approachable story only to get to the final page and realize that interwoven between tennis matches, extravagant parties, and disagreements over prenups, there were genuine thoughtful revelations and discussions about class and socioeconomic statuses. About how those class separations and differing statuses affect relationships and the lens through which they view the world. You spend the whole book scoffing at these characters only to realize by the end that you cared for them all along and were rooting for them through it all.
James by Percival Everett *june book club pick
A sort of self correcting, white savior refusal, “retelling” of Mark Twain’s classic story, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn. Everett’s take transforms this adventure tale into a gripping story with real life or death stakes while still managing to remain faithful to the source material. It makes us think about our perception of the time period, where we get our information surrounding the time period, and encourages us to stretch beyond what we think we know about the people who suffered through slavery. A masterclass on the importance of language and how dangerous and powerful it can be. I believe everyone should read this novel.
Six of Crows by Leigh Bardugo
A fantastic magical realism novel. See my review for the whole series below, it really sums everything up.
Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo
Leigh Bardugo has some of the best world building I’ve ever read. you feel as if you’re walking the dark and muddy streets along with the characters, smelling the salty air from the harbors and hearing the cheers and laughter and brawls up and down the Barrel. It’s heist after heist and scheme after scheme and somehow everything always works out for the crew but you’re always on the edge of your seat wondering if THIS is the moment everything goes belly up, the moment our antihero Kaz Bekker finally runs out of ideas. Gruesome and beautiful and shocking and witty, this book and its delightful and grounded cast of characters feels like family. You hear their inner thoughts, relive their pasts, stand by them as they face their fears and face each other. You care for these thieves thugs and con artists as if they were your own family. it was a pleasure to read
Feel free to discuss your current reads in the comments, I’d love to hear what people are reading.
