Hello, lovely readers! It’s been a minute since I did one of these monthly round-ups, but I’m trying to get back on track. Or at least figure out where the track is. This year has been a sluggish one for reading, but my May reading brought two new release five star books.
The Day I Lost You: A Novel by Ruth Mancini
Published by Harper
Publication date: December 2, 2025
Genres: Fiction, Mystery 
The Day I Lost You is the newest novel from Ruth Mancini. Two women, Lauren and Hope, are the main narrators. The novel opens with Lauren being questioned by the police in Spain about her toddler son, Sam. They have reason to believe he is not her son, but that she has kidnapped him from a couple living in England. She produces his birth certificate and passport and even though they’re satisfied she still quits her job and moves away. A year earlier in England we meet Hope, who is the mother of a missing son also named Sam and about the same age. Mistaken identity? Surrogacy gone
A great premise because there are so many ways it could still go, but rather than peeling away layers to reveal a core truth and a satisfying ending this unravels into an annoying heap of tangled yarn. Mancini uses perception as a weapon to great effect, but there are too many coincidences and sleights of hand leaving the reader feeling that it feels manipulated. A particular pet peeve of mine as it feels like taking the easy way out.
Published by Flatiron Books: Pine & Cedar
Publication date: March 10, 2026
Genres: Fiction, Suspense
Bookshop
This Story Might Save Your Life works if what you want is a brisk read of mystery and suspense. Joy and Benny, best friends, start a podcast. Joy has serious health issues so her life is a carefully managed regimen of drugs and self-care, all of which are coordinated by her husband, Xander. He also acts as their producer now that the podcast is blowing up. Then Xander and Joy disappear and suddenly everyone has secrets and motives. Crum takes a ‘more is more’ approach, layering characters and secrets of all kinds right up until the novel’s final pages. Some of her choices felt lazy. All of which is to say, this is a “don’t kick the tires” book. Hop in, go for a ride, and get out fast.
Lake Effect by Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney
Published by Ecco Press
Publication date: March 3, 2026
Bookshop
Maybe I’m getting soft in my old age (ha!), but I’ve just finished a novel that if I poked too carefully, peered too closely, I’d find ways to critique it. Instead, I’ve let myself be swept away on the emotion of Lake Effect. This is a family saga centered around two close-knit families and what happens when the unthinkable happens. Set in Rochester, New York in the 1970s it brought back a lot of memories for me as I was growing up there at the time and my father worked at Kodak, just like one of the main characters. I was left with a warm fuzzy feeling about the story, even though there are numerous parts where there are none of those things. Great vacation reading.
Some of the other May reading I loved and hope to review at some point includes The Tapestry of Fate, Yesteryear, and I, Medusa.
What was your favorite book in May?
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*I received a free copy of this book from Knopf in exchange for an honest review.*
Catherine, I’m so glad you could enjoy Lake Effect! I listened to the audio and found it very entertaining and a lovely distraction on my commute. I think I’m going to try This Story Might Save Your Life for the same purpose!
Hello, Tara! How are you doing? This Story Might Save Your Life is fast and easy reading, but also kind of dark. If you haven’t read Whistler yet, I’d suggest that as a respite.