May Reading Round Up

 

 Hi friends! It's the first of the month so you know what that means! Time to go through our reading round up! I'm going to be sharing with you the books that I read in the month of May and what I rated them and why! There will be the Goodreads synopsis in this (and sometimes it can contain spoilers, so please be aware whilst reading!) as well as the Goodreads average rating. If you want to see the full review for the book I will leave the hyperlink of the post in the name of the book (if I have one!). I read 6 books in May so let's get into them!

Butcher & Blackbird | Brynne Weaver

"Every serial killer needs a friend.

Every game must have a winner.

When a chance encounter sparks an unlikely bond between rival murderers Sloane and Rowan, the two find something elusive - the friendship of a like - minded, pitch - black soul. From small town West Virginia to upscale California, from downtown Boston to rural Texas, the two hunters collide in an annual game of blood and suffering, one that pits them against the most dangerous monsters in the country. But as their friendship develops into something more, the restless ghosts left in their wake are only a few steps behind, ready to claim more than just their newfound love. Can Rowan and Sloane dig themselves out of a game of graves? Or have they finally met their match?

Butcher & Blackbird is the first book in the Ruinous Love Dark Romance trilogy of interconnected stand - alone dark romantic comedies. This dual POV novel ends on a HEA."

My Rating: 5/5 stars
Goodreads Rating: 4.13/5 stars

I really loved reading through this book and was taken by surprise due to me not usually enjoying dark romances. I 100% will be recommending this to everyone and anyone and can't wait for the second book to come out!

ARC | Hey Zoey | Sarah Crossan

"Dolores O'Shea's marriage collapses when she discovers her husband's AI sex doll in the garage. When she moves 'Zoey' into the house, they become oddly bonded, opening the door to a lifetime of repressed feelings and memories. Darkly funny and endlessly sharp, Hey, Zoey is a propulsive story of love, family, and trauma in our tech - buffered age of alienation as strange as it is familiar.

43 - year - old Dolores O'Shea is logical, organized, and prepared to handle whatever comes her way. She keeps up with her job and housework, takes care of her mentally declining mother, and remains close with her old friends and her younger sister who's moved to New York. Though her marriage with David, an anaesthesiologist, isn't what is used to be, nothing can quite prepare her for Zoey, the $8000 AI sex doll that David has secretly purchased and stuffed away in the garage. At first, Zoey sparks an uncharacteristically strong violence in Dolores, whose entire life is suddenly cast in doubt.

But then, Dolores and Zoey start to talk... and what surfaces runs deeper than Dolores could have ever expected, with consequences for all of the relationships in her life, especially her relationship to herself. Provocative, brilliant, and tender, Hey, Zoey is an electrifying new novel about the painful truths of modern - day connection and the complicated and unexpected forms that love can take in a lifetime."

My Rating: 2/5 stars

Goodreads Rating: 3.58 stars

I honestly did not enjoy this book at all and I kind of wish I'd DNF, buy hey, at least it's added to my read count of the year!

ARC | Something To Be Proud Of | Anna Zoe Quirke

"Imogen Quinn is a chaotic bisexual with dreams of becoming a stand - up comedian, crushing stereotypes about autistic people. When she decides to put on a pride festival that's accessible for everyone, she enlists the help of the openly gay captain of the football team, Ollie Armstrong.

Dealing with the fallout from his parents' divorce, Ollie is initially hesitant. But it doesn't take long for him to be swept up by Imogen's passion, and he's not the only one. Joined by the (infuriatingly perfect) head girl, musicians, an artist and a star baker - a dream team soon assembles to help plan pride and tackle injustices in their school and beyond. You better listen out - they're getting ready to make some noise.

Packed full of fun, forever friendships and fighting back, this YA debut is perfect for fans of I Kissed Shara Wheeler, Gwen and Art are Not in Love, Feel Good, Heartstopper and Not My problem"

My Rating: 5/5 stars

Goodreads Rating: 4.80/5 stars

I was absolutely captivated by this book and loved reading it so much. If you want some good queer storytelling with a lot of diversity and inclusion I 100% recommend this book. I loved it so much and will be picking up a copy when it comes out.

Tender Is The Flesh | Agustina Bazterrica

"Working at the local processing plant, Marcos is in the business of slaughtering humans - though no one calls them that anymore.

His wife has left him, his father is sinking into dementia, and Marcos tries not to think too hard about how he makes a living. After all, it happened so quickly. First, it was reported that an infectious virus has made all animal meat poisonous to humans. Then governments initiated the 'Transition'. Now, eating human meat - 'special meat' - is legal. Marcos tries to stick to numbers, consignments, processing.

Then one day he's given a gift: a live specimen of the finest quality. Though he's aware that any form of personal contact is forbidden on pain of death, little by little he starts to treat her like a human being. And soon, he becomes tortured by what has been lost - and what might still be saved."

My Rating: 2/5 stars
Goodreads Rating: 3.80/5 stars

This is another book that I'd wish I'd DNF this month. Honestly if it wasn't for the fact that this was such a short read I probably would have.

ARC | Eat Your Heart Out Vol. 1 | Terry Blas, Matty Newton & Lydia Anslow

"The Great British Bake Off Meets Project Runway in this modern coming - of - age fashion fairytale about pursuing your passion.

Blanca is running away. Away from her mother - the overbearing and strict Riena - and her mother's narrow idea of what shape Blanca's life should take. While Riena finds Blanca's dream of pursuing fashion design a wasteful flight of fancy, Blanca sees possibility... and she knows if she doesn't leave now, she might never. Of course, following your passion isn't easy, and when Blanca arrives in New York City without a job or a roof over her head, she's rescued by a kindly baker named Emile, who takes her in. With Emile comes their eclectic group of six friends, all living in the same brownstone, who welcome Blanca into their weird, wonderful family. With them, Blanca learns that her fairy - tale journey can't begin until she stops running away from her problems and starts running toward her dream."

My Rating: 5/5 stars
Goodreads Rating: 4.09/5 stars

Once again, I love queer storytelling and this graphic novel was everything to me. I loved the story so much, the art style was impeccable *Chefs kiss*

ARC | We Called Them Giants | Kieron Gillen, Stephanie Hans & Clayton Cowles

"We Called Them Giants is a story of communication across a chasm at the end of the world.

Lori wakes to find the streets empty. Everyone has gone. Or at least, nearly everyone. She's been thrown into a world where she has to scrape by in the ruins of civilization, nearly starving, hiding from gangs when...

They arrive.

The award - winning team behind dark fantasy smash DIE release their first stand alone original graphic novel."

My Rating: 4/5 stars
Goodreads Rating: 3.83/5 stars

This was my second graphic novel of the month, and I really enjoyed this one. It was beautifully written/drawn. My only downside is it left me wanting to know more and with a lot of unanswered questions. Overall I loved this one though. 

And that is everything I read in the month of May! I can't wait to see what we dive into in June!

What did you read in May? What's on your TBR for June? What would you recommend for me to read in June? Let me know down in the comments below!

Have a wonderful day!

Love, Doe!