Another month has passed, a little too quickly for my liking! I made my way through quite a lot of books in May, probably due to the bank holidays – and of course, largely due to spending so much time at home. As I mentioned in my April book review post, I’ve joined Beth’s Book Club which has been a fantastic source of motivation during lockdown. There’s two monthly reads which are books I’d never normally pick, and a highly active Facebook group with member reviews. If you haven’t already joined – find out more here!
I’ve been reading a mixture of books on my Kindle app and in hard copy – I’m not sure which I prefer yet, but I’m finding that I seem to read books on my Kindle app more quickly.
Anyway – enough waffling, and onto my 10 mini book reviews from May!
Let Me Lie by Clare Mackintosh
This was a bit of an average one for me, to be honest. For a thriller, I didn’t find this book very gripping and I felt that the storyline was slow and not that interesting. However, the ending was satisfying after such a long build up and it wasn’t a bad read overall.
The Cows by Dawn O’ Porter
I enjoyed reading this one more than I expected! I enjoyed the storylines for Tara & Cam, but I really struggled with Stella’s character – I feel she was written in a very negative way, and the author could have spent a little more time exploring her grief rather than simply painting her as an awful, dislikable character.
I found myself regularly laughing out loud and was totally shocked by the twist. I loved the ending and thought it was a great way to finish the book.
Strangers by C.L. Taylor
This one was a bit disappointing! I thought that Strangers was an OK read, but for a thriller I didn’t find it particularly exciting and not a lot seemed to happen. The storyline built up very slowly, attempting to build suspense and – in my opinion – failing. The ending wasn’t particularly great and all of the excitement seemed to happen in the last couple of chapters.
The blurb certainly makes this book sound more exciting & thrilling than it actually is!
In Five Years by Rebecca Serle
I enjoyed reading In Five Years – it was an easy read, probably along the lines of chick lit with a few more serious themes. This was a fast page turner, I thought the characters were developed & written well and I’d recommend giving this a go!
Normal People by Sally Rooney
It’s safe to say that this is one of the worst books I’ve ever read – I really disliked Normal People and wouldn’t say it’s worth the hype at all. I know there are a lot of divided reviews out there – and I personally can’t understand the reasoning behind the good reviews!
Nothing memorable happens at all in this book – in fact, it feels like there is a total lack of storyline. I wasn’t keen on the writing style, which was very irritating – the author writes without any speech marks throughout the book – which, when it is a book based on conversations, makes it unnecessarily hard to read. I didn’t connect with any of the characters, I thought it was a totally unrealistic representation of teen / university / young adult life and I just didn’t enjoy it.
The Switch by Beth O’ Leary
This is the second book from Beth, and it was a lovely lighthearted read. It was uplifting and easy to read, but not a page turner – I’m looking forward to seeing the film adaptation!
The Switch wasn’t as good a read as The Flat Share, in my opinion, which I absolutely loved – but this was still an enjoyable book.
My Dark Vanessa by Kate Elizabeth Russell
My Dark Vanessa was an excellent read – in fact, I think the only flaw (and the reason I’m giving it 4 stars) was the ending, which felt quite rushed after such an intense story. I finished this book very quickly, as I simply couldn’t put it down! This is a gripping page turner tackling some very serious themes – I found myself often feeling uncomfortable while reading this. My Dark Vanessa explores the relationship between a teenager and her manipulative teacher, which continues into her adult years and leaves her with unknown trauma. The story switches between past and present, and is written very well.
For a debut novel, this was fantastic – I can’t wait to see what Kate writes next.
Here to Stay by Mark Edwards
I’m pleased to say that Mark Edwards has fast become one of my favourite authors! He writes fantastic thrillers, and Here to Stay was the first of his I’ve read. I finished this book within a day – it was incredibly fast-paced, gripping and intriguing and I simply couldn’t put it down until I’d found out what happens at the end of the story. This book had me feeling frustrated, horrified and angry as the storyline went on, and I enjoyed the plot twist at the end. I really enjoyed reading this!
The Magpies by Mark Edwards
Probably Mark’s most well known novel, The Magpies is another thriller that is written incredibly well. I was gripped from the start, feeling unnerved, angry and paranoid on behalf of the characters. If you’ve also read this book – you will understand what I mean!
A fantastic page turner, and I’ve since read the two short sequels to this which wrap the story up nicely.
Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams
I really enjoyed reading Queenie – and this book is very relevant, especially at the moment. Candice explores modern-day racism in the UK in a thorough and very well-written way, producing what is an excellent, eye-opening read.
This was a refreshingly different read, and I loved it. I’m looking forward to seeing what she writes next!
I hope you enjoyed these book reviews from May! What have you been reading lately?
You might also like this post, 16 Books on my Lockdown Reading List
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