One 5-star, three 4.5-stars, and one 4-star book…not too shabby.
I have too many books I’m currently reading, but that’s because I had to switch gears and (happily) read for the upcoming
Double Booked episode with Sarah and . So, hopefully you’ll see all those again for May’s wrap-up. ☺️
FINISHED
🎧 Maya & Natasha by Elyse Durham (2025) — ★4.5
Brilliant novel about art clashing with Soviet propaganda during the Cold War told through two sisters and their lives revolving around ballet.
🎧 The Song Rising (The Bone Season, 3 | 2017) — ★3
This third novel felt wedged in there.
📱 The Wandering Season by Aimie K. Runyan (2025) — ★3
Too predictable, present tense messiness, but it did have a good section in Ireland.
🎧 Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal (2016) — ★2
Wow…this was not it. Such a good concept. Full stop.
🎧 The Rain Heron by Robbie Arnott (2020) — ★4.5
This was it. Gorgeous writing, fantastic characters, I will be reading more from this author.
🎧 Box Office Poison by Tim Robey (2024) — ★5
So up my alley it was silly…perfectly executed and filled with wry humor and tons of info.
🎧 The Ghost and Mrs. Muir by R. A. Dick (1945) — ★4
I’ve loved the adaption since I was a kid, which is great because it’s a very faithful adaption. This was a charmer.
📖 Goldilocks by L. R. Lam (2020) — ★4.5
Wonderful mash-up of sci-fi, space travel, climate fiction, disaster fiction, and wrapped in an urgent, feminist package.
DNFs
📱 The Hike by Drew Magary
While the parallels to The Odyssey are playful and interesting, the writing here has been loaded into a paintball gun to be pummeled at the reader. No downtime, no breathing room, like when a little kid is recounting their eventful day.
🎧 House of Blight by Maxym Martineau
A marginally fresh magic system, but the eye-rolling interactions and the family’s sameness makes for an uneventful first half. Everyone flirts with the baffled main character, who reacts to each of them.
CARRYING OVER TO NEXT MONTH
📖 Watchmen by Alan Moore
📱 Fun for the Whole Family by Jennifer E. Smith
🎧 The Mask Falling by Samantha Shannon
📱 City of All Seasons by Oliver K. Langmead and Aliya Whiteley
🎧 Pachinko by Min Jin Lee
📖 Hokey Pokey by Kate Mascarenhas
📱 + 🎧 Happy Land by Dolen Perkins-Valdez
Happy reading!
—C.
"Like when a little kid is recounting their eventful day"! 🤣🤣