Queen of Books: MAY '22 WRAP-UP

Saturday, 4 June 2022

MAY '22 WRAP-UP

Time for another wrap up!

Hello everyone! It's been quite awhile since I have done a wrap-up on this blog.

I have been reading a lot lately and in May I read a total of 14 books.

Time to talk about the books I read this month.

PHYSICAL BOOKS

The first physical book I read was Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson. This is the third book that I read of Margaret Rogerson's and I really enjoyed it. Vespertine is about Artemisia who works alongside nuns at a convent and when an army of possessed soldiers intrude upon her home, she is forced to use a saint's relic that allows a very powerful revenant to share her body and helps her to protect the monastery. However, she realizes that these soldiers aren't the only people possessed and the only hope for her world is her and the revenant in her own body. I ended up writing an entire review on this book and I rated it 4 stars.

The second physical book I read was Twisted Games by Ana Huang. This is a bodyguard and princess romance book and it was such a fun time. I didn't really enjoy the first book in this series but I really enjoyed this one and rated it 5 stars.

The third physical book I read The Viscount Who Loved Me by Julia Quinn. This is the second book in the Bridgerton series which follows Anthony Bridgerton and Kate Sheffield. While I did enjoy this one, I didn't enjoy it as much as I thought I would and I ended up rating it 3.5 stars.

The fourth physical book I read was An Offer From a Gentleman by Julia Quinn. This is the third book in the Bridgerton series following Benedict Bridgerton. I loved this one. The main character of the book, Sophie, was so charismatic and I really enjoyed her relationship between her and Benedict. I rated this one 5 stars.

The fifth and last physical book I read was The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater. This was a reread for me that I read and I won't be saying too much since I've already read this one several times. I loved this one yet again and rated it 5 stars.

AUDIOBOOKS READ

The only audiobook I listened to in May was Caraval by Stephanie Garber. This was a reread for me as I am trying to finally read Once Upon a Broken Heart and its' sequel. Caraval is the first book in a YA Fantasy series following a magical circus game and two sisters and it is so whimsical and magical and is one of my ultimate favorite books. I highly recommend it. I rated it 5 stars once again.

ARC'S READ

The first ARC I read was My Mechanical Romance by Alexene Farol Follmuth. I haven't read a YA contemporary that I have enjoyed in quite some time so I was a little wary going into this one but I ended up loving it. This is about Bel who doesn't know what she wants to study in college and one day, quite by accident, a teacher sees that she has a talent for engineering. So, the teacher sends Bel to the robotics team, however, the boys all ignore her and the only other girl present on the team, shows her dislike for Bel from the beginning. Teo, the robots team captain, sees the talent in Bel and decides to help her out and their relationship was so cute. I adored this one. It was a cute contemporary romance but also tackled things such as the way women are treated in spaces traditionally dominated by men and the way women have to work extra hard in order to be heard and taken seriously in those spaces. It also addressed the struggle of choosing what one wants to do with their life which is something so many young people, myself included, face, both in high school and in college. I loved this one and I am so happy that I got to have an ARC. I rated it 4 stars.

The second ARC I read was Tokyo Dreaming by Emiko Jean. This is the sequel to Tokyo Ever After which was a favorite of mine last year. This is a spin on The Princess Diaries that follows Izumi who learns her father is the Crown Prince of Japan and she basically becomes a princess overnight. I don't want to spoil anything since this is the sequel but this one was just as cute as the first one and I highly recommend this duology to everyone. I rated it 5 stars.

The third ARC I read was The Holloway Girls by Susan Bishop Crispell. I honestly thought this was a fantasy thriller when I requested it because of how the blurb worded things but this was more so a YA romance than anything else. I really liked the concept for this book where the Holloway girls get a year-long season where they can gift good luck to anyone they kiss, however, I think it was very slow-paced and wasn't executed all that well. It was a little bit repetitive, though for a younger audience, that might be overlooked. I ended up rating it 3 stars.

The fourth ARC I read was Home Field Advantage by Dahlia Adler. This was one of my most anticipated YA books of the year and I definitely had high hopes for this one, but I'd like to say that it delivered. I read this in two sittings and it was a really fun and lighthearted sapphic romance. I rated it 4.5 stars.

The fifth ARC I read was How to Fake it in Hollywood by Ava Wilder. This book is for sure going to make it onto a favorites of 2022 list for me. I went into this one expecting a cute romance with two Hollywood actors, however, what I got was a lot heavier. Don't get me wrong, the romance is still definitely at the center, but character development and growth was definitely at the forefront. This book tackles heavy-hitting topics such as grief and alcoholism and is definitely not simply a romance. This was such a good debut and I loved it and rated it 5 stars.

The sixth ARC I read was Violins and Vampires by Cee Bee. This was a novella which I liked the concept of but I didn't like the execution. It is a very short novella that left so many questions unanswered. I can definitely see the potential but a lot of it was vague and confusing and could have been better if it was longer. I rated it 2 stars.

The seventh ARC I read was The Warrior Midwife by E.P. Bali. This is the first book in a new fantasy romance adult series. It follows Princess Saraya who's father made a binding agreement with the fae king in order to protect his kingdom. The agreement was that Saraya must marry the crown fae prince and go live with him in his kingdom, never to return. However, things do not go as planned. This was so good. It easily could have copied plots by big authors who also write about fae, but it was so unique and different. I adored it and I am very excited for the next installment in the series. I rated it 5 stars.

The eighth ARC I read was The Reunion by Elizabeth Drummond. This was such a surprise for me as I didn't expect to love this as much as I did. The Reunion is a romance book following two high school rivals who meet again ten years later and decide to enter into a marriage of convenience in order to solve their financial problems. It is so funny and cute and really uplifting

REVIEWS IN JUNE:

NONE

Vespertine by Margaret Rogerson

WEEKLY WRAP-UP:

NONE

DISCUSSIONS/OTHER:

NONE

FAVORITE COVER OF THE MONTH: