What I read & recommend: May 2025

The first half is all the books I read & recommend.

The second half are books I started reading / read but do not think highly enough of to recommend (although some I had to finish simply because I got too invested in what was happening and needed to know the ending).

No book links because I thoroughly encourage you to use a library or a local, independent bookseller and absolutely by all means possible, avoid Indigo/Chapters, and Amazon.

If you need one that delivers in Canada, I very much like McNally Robinson. They can order any book you like.

WHAT I RECOMMEND

CARAVAL: Triology – Stephanie Garber + SPectacular Novella

Oh. My. Goodness. I had zero expectations for this because it was such a hyped up series across TikTok (BookTok?) that I felt like it wouldn’t be anything much.

This time, I was wrong. I started the first book, and within a chapter, I was hooked. I read it nonstop until the Finale and got very salty when my e-reader died (then I just plugged in an external battery pack and the world was righted once again).

It is a love story in each of the books, about two sisters playing a very fantastical game to win prizes, wrapped in fantasy / mystery.. It is everything I love. I will admit it is all a bit confusing, but I just went with the flow because it was SO DAMN GOOD. You couldn’t know what was right or wrong, and I loved finding out every little tidbit.

Carve out a weekend or something because you will not want to put down the trilogy.

Of course, I had to read the novella that came with it – Spectacular – which was lacklustre, but still enjoyable. It didn’t hold the magic of the trilogy and I found the whole story itself (as a plot), as too shallow.

The Kingdom of Prep: Maggie Bullock

A fantastic story of how J. Crew started. Normally, business books are pretty dry and boring. Even fashion ones sometimes, but this one was SO DAMN GOOD. Bullock has a way with painting the whole story so you see the pieces before your eyes (I was a former J. Crew fan, but not like a crazed superfan), and all the pieces they were mentioning were showing up in my head as I was reading it. It was like a trip down memory lane, and fascinating how they started as a small catalogue business.

Heart Trilogy: Stephanie Garber

Still on the Garber train, I read her second trilogy and loved it. A redemption for one of the Fates, and the ending was absolutely beyond satisfying. Same vein as the Caraval trilogy, and a good set of books to make you ponder about the decisions you make in your own life for those you love (and your secret motivations for doing what you do).

Maybe Someday: Colleen Hoover

This was such a great book.. not only did it highlight the challenges of deaf folk, it showed its societal prejudices. It is a love story without being a typical girl meets boy schtick and I very much loved the painful twists and turns my heart had to take to reach the end.

The Broken Girls: Simone St. James

Trigger Warning: There are a number of deaths of young girls alluded to in the story and children being abused.

A rather scary story, really. About a ghost that lives and haunts the grounds of a boarding school for wayward girls… and it starts off extremely creepy. (I am not a fan of horror), and of course, hints at abuse, etc, which I am never a fan of because I can’t help but absorb the pain even if it is fictional. But the ending and the whole story was 100% worth the read. Highly recommended.

The Bookish life of Nina Hill: Abbi Waxman

I really enjoyed this book because it was all about BOOKS, and being a bookworm. It is so lighthearted but also a bit dimwitted in the sense that I am reading it going – OH MY GOODNESS IT IS SO OBVIOUS YOU ARE INTO EACH OTHER – but the book was whimsical and fun nonetheless.

Just Haven’t Met You Yet: Sophie Cousens

This was quite a good heartwarming book. I find the English books are much less sex-heavy and risqué and more concentrated on deep dives into each character, their personality, why they are the way they are, etc. The whole story unfolds quite pleasingly, and while it starts slow, it totally picked up in terms of interest.

The whole story is based around a girl who picks up the wrong suitcase at the airport and ends up thinking the owner is her soulmate based on his items. I also enjoyed the fact that the book went into the background of her and her father, rather than only focusing on the developing romance.

One Last Stop: Casey McQuiston

I have no idea what I expected but it was NOT THIS. This is a beautiful love story between two young women, a mystery, and seriously I was reading it thinking – okay.. okay.. okay …. and once it hit the big “reveal” (which I will not spoil for you so you have the pleasure of discovering it), it totally turned for me.

It was a non-stop I HAVE TO FINISH THIS BOOK point and I was completely gratified with the ending and how they explained it all. It was a truly excellent read and highly recommended.

I also loved that one of the main characters in the book was Chinese but not in a stereotypical way.

The Family: Naomi Krupitsky

Trigger warning: A parent dies.

From page one, I was hooked. Two girls growing up in “The Family”, obviously referencing the Italian mafia, and their diverging lives that are so deeply intertwined. I loved reading about the differences between each girl as she grew up, and how they reconciled what they went through as children with who they would become.

The Night Circus: Erin Morgenstern

Trigger warning: Child abuse and neglect.

Very similar as the Caraval books… this was truly an incredible piece of work. Very close to being my second favourite book of the month that I had read (although One Last Stop was also very close!!). The new magical story interwoven around this circus that only opens at night, the idea of fates and futures intertwined… I really enjoyed reading right to the very last page.

The Christmas Café: Eliza Evans

Another cute fluffy book to read that doesn’t let you tax your braincells. The story was fun, charming, a movie crew comes to town to shoot and the biggest hottest star is convinced to come by this café to try the food, and a love story springs out from it. I rather liked the unexpected love story twists, because I already knew who would be the one to pick at the end (obviously), but it was nice to be led to the conclusion.

Want more book recommendations?

All of my previous book recommendations are here.

DO NOT READ

Expiration Dates: Rebecca Serle

Awful. Simply awful. The plot line is ridiculous, and the whole story was boring.

Confessions of an Accidental Lawyer: Michael Stockham

Yawn. I couldn’t get past 3 chapters.

Love her or lose her: Tessa Bailey

Probably one of the worst books I have read in a long time. A husband who loves his wife but can’t express it or does it in such a weird way that he doesn’t even want to be in the same room with her and talk to her? JFC.

The Devil Wears Scrubs: Frieda McFadden

She is not great at this comedic genre. I tried to read to the end and gave up. I much prefer her mental thrillers.

The Homewreckers: Mary Kay Andrews

I read one chapter and gave up. It is not engaging, and the plot is silly.

The Keeper of Lost Things: Ruth Hogan

I liked it…. until it just started feeling flat. I mean I like the idea of the plot – someone who keeps lost things and returns them – but it was just so BORING I moved on.