May Wrap Up

May was a good reading month for me as I read 14 books and most were over 3 stars and I am hoping for it to be better in June with the summer reading mood.

The Deathless Girls by Kiran Millwood Hargrave – They say the thirst of blood is like a madness – they must sate it. Even with their own kin. On the eve of her divining, the day she’ll discover her fate, seventeen-year-old Lil and her twin sister Kizzy are captured and enslaved by the cruel Boyar Valcar, taken far away from their beloved traveller community. Forced to work in the harsh and unwelcoming castle kitchens, Lil is comforted when she meets Mira, a fellow slave who she feels drawn to in a way she doesn’t understand. But she also learns about the Dragon, a mysterious and terrifying figure of myth and legend who takes girls as gifts. They may not have had their divining day, but the girls will still discover their fate…

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Of Poseidon by Anna Banks – Galen, a Syrena prince, searches land for a girl he’s heard can communicate with fish. It’s while Emma is on vacation at the beach that she meets Galen. Although their connection is immediate and powerful, Galen’s not fully convinced that Emma’s the one he’s been looking for. That is, until a deadly encounter with a shark proves that Emma and her Gift may be the only thing that can save his kingdom. He needs her help – no matter what the risk.

Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski – For more than a hundred years, humans, dwarves, gnomes and elves lived together in relative peace. But times have changed, the uneasy peace is over and now the races are fighting once again – killing their own kind and each other. Into this tumultuous time is born a child of prophecy, Ciri, surviving heiress of a bloody revolution, whose strange abilities can change the world – for good, or for evil… As the threat of war hangs over the land, Geralt the Witcher must protect Ciri from those who are hunting the child for her destructive power. But this time, Geralt may have met his match.

Mostly Dead Things by Kristen Arnett – In the wake of her father’s suicide, Jessa-Lynn Morton has stepped up to manage his failing taxidermy business while the rest of the Morton family falls apart. Her mother starts sneaking into the shop to make alarming art with stuffed animals; and while her brother Milo withdraws, his wife, Brynn – the only person Jessa’s ever been in love with – leaves home without a word. A string of unexpected incidents opens up the chance for the Mortons to mend: can they piece themselves together again?

What We Didn’t Say by Rory Dunlop – Meet Jack and Laura. They’re having some problems… When their marriage breaks down over a series of miscommunications, Jack writes to Laura to try to rescue their relationship. The only trouble is, she doesn’t quite agree on what exactly went wrong… They each have something important to tell one another – if only they can find a way to say it.

The Dinner Guest by B. P. Walter – Matthew: the perfect husband. Titus: the perfect son. Charlie: the perfect illusion. Rachel: the perfect stranger. Charlie didn’t want her at the book club. Matthew wouldn’t listen. And that’s how Charlie finds himself slumped beside his husband’s body, their son sitting silently at the dinner table, while Rachel calls 999, the bloody knife still gripped in her hand.

Daddy’s Dirty Boss by Jade West – I’ve known my daddy’s boss since I was nothing more than a little girl staring up at him with big wide eyes in my parents’ backyard. I’ve known my daddy’s boss as a powerful, smart, amazing millionaire businessman for as long as I can remember. And now I’m older. Old enough to take a summer job of my own alongside him, as his assistant. His good girl assistant. Old enough to learn from him, listen to him, and try my best to make him smile. Old enough that I now want my daddy’s boss so much it hurts. It’s only when I start to catch the way he looks at me right back that the little flutter in my tummy tickles harder. Moves lower. Turns naughtier. Because Mr Lindon isn’t quite the man I thought he was. Not even close. It turns out that Mr Lindon isn’t just my daddy’s boss. He’s my daddy’s dirty boss… And now he’s the boss of me too.

Santa Baby by Cassie Mint – Jack is burly and bearded, with silver in his hair. He’s generous and kind, and he always knows when we’ve been bad. But the storybook Santa rides a sleigh, not a motorbike. And he runs the North Pole, not a whisky-soaked bar. Jack took me in when I was a runaway. He gave me a job and put a roof over my head. He’s given me so much already, but now… I want more. Please, Santa. I know exactly who I want this year.

The Truth About Alice by Jennifer Mathieu – There are all sorts of rumours about Alice Franklin. And after star quarterback Brandon Fitzsimmons dies in a car accident, the rumours start to spiral out of control blaming Alice for Brandon’s death. In this remarkable novel, four Healy High students – the party girl, the car accident survivor, the ex best friend and the boy next door – tell all they know. But exactly what is the truth about Alice? In the end there’s only one person to ask: Alice herself.

The Hawthorne Legacy by Jennifer Lynn Barnes – One step forward. Avery thought that solving the riddle left by billionaire Tobias Hawthorne would reveal why he left her – a complete stranger – his entire fortune. Two steps back. But as the cryptic clues tale an unexpected twist and the handsome and enigmatic Hawthorne grandsons continue to pull her in different directions, Avery can’t help but wonder who she can really trust and who is just looking out for themselves. What happens when the truth just hides more secrets? Soon Avery realizes this game is no longer just about money and power. Now she’s playing for her life.

Asking for It by Kate Harding – Every seven minutes, someone in America commits a rape. And whether that’s a football star, beloved celebrity, elected official, member of the clergy, or just an average Joe (or Joanna), there’s probably a community eager to make excuses for that person. In Asking for It, Kate Harding combines in-depth research with a frank, no-holds-barred voice to make the case that twenty-first-century America supports rapists more effectively than it supports victims. From institutional failures in higher education to real-world examples of rape culture, Harding offers ideas and suggestions for how we, as a society, can take sexual violence much more seriously without compromising the rights of the accused.