May was a lovely month for books and for spring in Seattle. We had a great mix of rain and sunshine—kind of like my reading. Of the books I read the majority were successful and either reviewed or will be reviewed. Sadly, this means all I have left for this recap are the books that I didn’t like as much. But I do love the gorgeous lilacs in this graphic so there’s that.
Safe and Sound by Laura McHugh
Published by Random House
Publication date: April 23, 2024
Bookshop
Safe and Sound is about two sisters obsessed with the disappearance of their cousin, Grace, who was babysitting them when she was abducted from their home. Now as they’re ready to graduate from high school and get out of their backwater town, bones are discovered and the girls are determined to find out if they’re Grace’s and who killed her.
This is not new territory, but it can still make for a gripping thriller if handled properly. Right up until the final chapter and ending this novel held some appeal, but its resolution left me rolling my eyes for its improbability. There were plausible outcomes for what was an extraordinary plot choice, but none were used.
I Cheerfully Refuse by Leif Enger: My review
Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson: Review to follow
Mother Doll by Katya Apekina
Published by Abrams
Publication date: March 12, 2024
In Mother Doll the aimless Zhenia finds herself alone and pregnant in L.A., while her dear grandmother is dying back East. In the midst of this, she’s contacted by a psychic named Paul who claims he’s channeling her great grandmother, a Russian revolutionary, who seeks forgiveness from Zhenia. I’m all right with all of this, in fact, intrigued, but at the novel’s midpoint Paul’s storyline is abandoned, shedding him with an almost callous disregard. This is unfortunate because he’s one of the more interesting characters not just professionally, but personally. Instead, the focus shifts to the great grandmother and the supernatural.
There are brilliant flashes and insights into the contemporary Russian mindset, but the novel’s resolution is almost grotesque, written as if for shock value. This may have been meant as satire, but it became farcical and not in a good way.
Swift River by Essie Chambers: Review to follow
The Wealth of Shadows by Graham Moore: A perspective on WWII I’ve never read before. Based on true events in the U.S. My review
The Hunter's Daughter by Nicola Solvinic
Published by Berkley Books
Publication date: May 14, 2024
Bookshop, Amazon
Thrillers have been a steady, winning hand for me this year so the bar is pretty high. The Hunter’s Daughtre, a novel about a lieutenant sheriff in a small midwestern town, initially clears that bar with no problem. Anna is the deputy and what no one knows is that her father was an infamous serial killer in the area when she was a child. Now, bodies are appearing, killed in the same M.O. as her father and she’s forced to revisit the past she’s kept buried. This aspect is more than enough to power through the novel’s plot, but the addition of a supernatural element and a resolution that felt forced meant that while I’d been riveted by the book from the beginning I was left disappointed by the end. Really good not great.
Sociopath by Patric Gagne: Fascinating memoir by a diagnosed sociopath. My review
Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse: Fantasy set in pre-Columbian Central America. Review to follow
How was your May reading?
Want to know the books I’m looking forward to for summer? Check out the summer preview episode of Sarah’s Book Shelves Live where we share the 12 books we’re ready to read. You can download it wherever you get your podcasts (graphic below also has a link).
This post contains affiliate links to Bookshop.org and Amazon.com which means if you click on a link and make a purchase of any kind, I get a small commission (at no cost to you).
*I receivedfree copies of these books from Abrams and Random House in exchange for an honest review.*
Oh no! Some 2.5 star books! Bleh!
I read “Congratulations, the best is over” by R. Eric Thomas and it was so funny but also covered heavier topics. I actually laughed out loud so much that my 6 year old asked several times what I was reading/why I was laughing. I am not generally a Lol’r so it’s notable that this book actually made me laugh/chuckle. I hate to use stereotypes but I think Eric would be ok with me characterizing him as gay and fabulous. This is a follow-up collection of essays but I don’t think you need to read his first collection to appreciate this collection.
Now I am reading “Real Americans” which I know you didn’t love – I’m falling into the Sarah camp and find it so propulsive!!
This sounds marvelous! I need some good, not-too-heavy nonfiction.
Yes I enjoyed your summer preview podcast with Sarah. So fun to make a list for summer and chat about it. I made a list this year! You still had a good May as you read quite a lot. Happy June reading.
It’s getting harder and harder to absorb anything in my reading. This country is out of control and I’m completely pessimistic about November. I don’t think we’ve hit bottom yet.