May Reading Report
Short reviews for seven books I read in May 2024.
My May reads included a book I did not expect to like, a new-to-me series I’ll be listening to all summer, and a short story collection I want everyone to pick up. Let’s get right into the reviews!
Romance
Pointe of Pride by Chloe Angyal 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️. Full disclosure: Chloe is one of my in-real-life friends, but I’d happily read her ballet romance series regardless. This follow-up to Pas de Don’t features Carly, a fierce friend you want in your corner and a fiery foe you don’t want to cross. Carly travels to Sydney for her best friend Heather’s wedding. After getting tangled up with a certified asshole over a luggage mishap, she’s eager to move on to bachelorette planning and wedding errands. Unfortunately, her best man counterpart is the same asshole from the suitcase swap—only Nick isn’t actually so asinine, and he’s pretty hot, and he’s a former ballet dancer who understands her career quandary on a deep level. Chloe writes what I like to call “real people, real problems” romance—think of Kate Clayborn and Abbey Jimenez as reference points. Her stories are full of armchair travel, witty banter, and character growth. To learn more about Chloe and her enemies-to-lovers romance novel, check out this interview.
Bride by Ali Hazelwood 🌶️🌶️🌶️. I did not expect to like this vampire-werewolf-arranged marriage-paranormal romance, but I had a great time with it! It totally reminded me of reading Twilight in high school, and I found the world-building to be shockingly interesting. I am not typically into fantasy/paranormal details, but the political intrigue of this alternate America fascinated me and kept me reading, even when I wasn’t super into the romance. Hazelwood’s contemporary romance novels don’t work for me, but this departure did—and I’m looking forward to more in this paranormal world from her.
The Palace of Rogues series by Julie Anne Long 🌶️🌶️. I started with the 6th book in this series and decided to go back to the beginning to learn more about some of the side characters. I’m having so much fun listening to each book because they all take place at the same inn. The main characters in books one and two reappear as the owners and managers of the inn, and I enjoy seeing their business grow in the background of each subsequent love story. Justine Eyre narrates the audiobooks, and I find them perfect for before bedtime listening.
Literary Fiction
Neighbors and Other Stories by Diane Oliver. Please, please pick this one up! Oliver tragically died at the young age of 22, leaving short stories behind as her legacy and body of work. Tayari Jones introduces this posthumous collection with respect and admiration for a writer who never reached her full potential but absolutely belongs with literary greats like Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison. Oliver’s stories take place in the 50’s and 60’s, examining identity and class in the Civil Rights era. Most stories show slices of life from a diverse cast of Black characters: families struggling with integration, wives attempting to climb the social ladder, and teens attempting to join the fight for their rights. A few stories stand out, though, including one that made my jaw drop and one experimental story that begs to be reread multiple times. If you enjoyed The Secret Lives of Church Ladies by Deesha Philyaw, you must read Neighbors.
On Beauty by Zadie Smith. I don’t have much to say that I didn’t already express in our Novel Pairings discussion episode! I admire Smith’s talent, I appreciated the themes and ideas she explored in this novel, and it wasn’t a page-turning/super memorable experience for me. I’d pick up another of her novels, but I’m not in a rush. Her writing is highly intellectual and ideas-driven, which I like in small doses in my reading life, but it’s not what I’m looking for this summer.
A BIG Summer Readalong
Les Miserables by Victor Hugo. This TOME is our selection for the annual Novel Pairings Slow Down Summer/Big Book Readalong. I know that’s a mouthful. We use the shorthand “big book summer” all the time, but I love sharing our summer work as a way to slow down the reading experience, savor a giant novel, and take time to discuss literature in community—so both names stand. I’m a first-timer when it comes to Hugo’s iconic book; I haven’t even seen or watched the musical in its entirety. Taking careful notes for our recap episodes helps me digest the detailed passages, but I’m also finding myself sucked in by the characters and their compelling storylines. If you’ve ever wanted to read this big book, you should join us! We’ll be sharing recap episodes, classes, book club events, and other materials to support you along the way.
Are you tackling any bookish projects this summer?
Some of the links in this newsletter are affiliate links. If you shop these links, I earn a small commission at no additional cost to you. Thank you for supporting my work in this way.
To find out more about my current reads, favorite things, and life updates follow me on Instagram. If you’re interested in reading classic literature with accessible guidance and a cozy community, check out the Novel Pairings podcast and Patreon.
Ohhh Pointe of Pride sounds juicy. I don't think I've ever read a dance-themed romance, but I love dance-themed shows and movies, so I should give this a read!
I'm also not into Hazelwood's contemporaries but enough people have been saying that Bride is different that I keep on being tempted to pick it up? (Then I remember how insane Love, Theoretically drove me and keep on reconsidering...)