Another month has come and gone for this year. Pretty soon I will be getting ready for my mid-year freakout post. It is hard to believe that this year is almost half over. I am looking forward to the summer solstice though. I enjoy that one, with it’s long day. Hopefully the weather will be nice enough this year to enjoy it.
May was a pretty good reading month. I had many enjoyable reads and listens, and only a couple of ok ones. I was able to read all of the books on my May TBR, which I think might be a first for this year. In total I read 14 books which is about average for me. I have listed the books in the order that I have read them. All book titles are linked to either their GoodReads page or to my review.
Peace Talks and Battle Ground were the final two published novels in the Harry Dresden series. I have really enjoyed these books, especially the audiobooks narrated by James Marsters. Supposedly there will be two more books in the series, but it has been almost two years since the last one with no indications of when the next one is coming. Soon I hope!
Amongst Our Weapons was good and I enjoyed it to some extent, but it did seem to be missing something. I think before I read the next one, I might have to reread the series as I seem to be losing a bit of the characters and their stories over time.
Only a Monster was a really interesting take on time travel and on the concept of what makes a person, or group of people monsters. I really enjoyed this one and hope we don’t have to wait too long for the next one.
Last Call at the Nightingale was also good and one I enjoyed and do recommend. My one issue with it was the fact that I never felt fully immersed in 1920’s New York. But the characters were fun and the mystery was a good one.
Finlay Donovan is Killing it was such a hoot and I just had such a good time reading it! I hope my copy for the second book from the library comes soon because I just have to see what Finlay and Vero get up to next.
The Shelterlings was such a cute and fun middle grade read. I just adored all of the animals and their interesting bits of magic. Their adventures were also well done and I loved the friendships and the camaraderie between the animals.
The House Across the Lake was another fine thriller full of unexpected twists and a little something extra that I did not see coming. The main character was a bit hard to like and was pretty unreliable in her narration, but that just made the story that much better.
Too Bright to See is a middle grade novel that won a Newbery Honor. I am sorry to say that I wasn’t that impressed by it and I am not sure why the committee chose this one. I did like the narrator, Jax Jackson, and will look for more books with him as the narrator.
Brief Cases is a selection of short stories set in the world of Henry Dresden. This was a nice mix of stories told not just by Harry, but by many other characters in the books, some who we have not heard from before. I especially liked the last one, Zoo Day, told from Harry, Maggie, and Mouse’s points of view.
The Dead Romantics was great and a story that I really enjoyed. I really liked the main character Florence and Benji, her ghostly editor. I really hope that Ashley Poston continues to write adult romance!
Mickey 7 was very different from the the usual science fiction I read. Not a lot of action, but this one will make you think about what it means to be human and how things will not necessarily be different when we take to the stars to colonize other planets.
The Traitor’s Game was good, but I wish that I had cared a little bit more about the romance. I like both main characters as individuals, I just didn’t particularly care for them together. The rest of the story and the world building were quite good though, so I think I will continue with the series.
Final Girls was the first thriller that Riley Sager published and while this one was a bit more easily figured out, there were still a few surprises that totally blew me away. I really liked the main character Quincy and really felt for her and everything she went through.
Well, I hope all of you had as good of reading month as I did. So far June is looking pretty good! Enjoy your reading!
Confessions of a Serial Reader 
I can’t wait to get to The House Across the Lake.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am also currently going through The Dresden Files. It’s really fun so far. Brief Cases sounds really great with those POVs.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am glad that you are enjoying the series. The short stories are really good as well and shouldn’t be missed!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Are you a fan of this series? I have been having so much fun with this series. I need to get to the short stories as well. Should I read them in the order or can I read them later?
LikeLiked by 1 person
I recently discovered it last year and have been loving it. I tried reading the short stories in order with the books, but that got too hard to juggle. I waited till the end of the last book to read Brief Cases and then I read the other collection somewhere in the middle. It worked fine to read them later.
LikeLiked by 1 person
ok, that’s good to hear. I don’t want to miss out on those, but I don’t think it would be possible for me read in the order at the moment. My TBR is out of order, lol! 😅
LikeLiked by 1 person