May 2021 Wrap-Up

It’s been a weird month at my house – Mother Nature can’t make up her mind. Snow one day, 75 degrees and sunny the next. As I type this, it’s Memorial Day weekend and it’s been raining the last two days, which is pretty unusual where I am. My reading this month was kind of like this too – obviously a lot of mysteries (which varied from classic to true crime to thriller), but I also threw in a biography, a fantasy, and – my favorite book of the month – a YA rom-com. Let’s take a look at my Books of May!

May Reads

Perfect on Paper by Sophie Gonzales. 5 Stairs. Funny and relatable with the right amount of heart. It’s about relationships. And friendships. Following your own advice. And what to do when we mess up. Loved, loved, loved this book.
The Law of Innocence by Michael Connelly. 5 Stairs. As always with Michael Connelly, this is a great legal drama full of twists and turns and a page turner to the end.
A Pocket Full of Rye by Agatha Christie. 5 Stairs. An enjoyable “locked-room”-type mystery, with three sudden deaths centered around a family estate. This is a Miss Marple mystery, but she is barely in the story. I want to say that’s unusual, but I haven’t read a Miss Marple in many years, so I really can’t remember. Definitely my favorite #readchristie2021 so far this year.
Every Last Fear by Alex Finlay. 5 Stairs. Great thriller that uses multiple narratives in both the present and the past to tell the story and keep the pages turning. As a true crime documentary junkie, I loved that the author incorporated a fictional true crime documentary into the story. There’s a lot going on in this well-plotted mystery.
The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock by Edward White. 5 Stairs. This is a great read for movie buffs, and of course fans of Hitchcock. Instead of just laying out Alfred Hitchcock’s life (or film career) in a timeline fashion, it is instead separated into twelve chapters, each of which look at a certain aspect of Hitch’s personality, and the impact that had on his films.
Malice by Heather Walter. 4 Stairs. A fairy tale retelling of Sleeping Beauty, told from the would-be villain’s perspective.
Couple Found Slain by Mikita Brottman. 4 Stairs. Rather than focusing on a murder investigation and trial, this true crime read instead explores what happens to someone mentally ill after they plead guilty to to their crime. Ms. Brottman provides an in-depth look into Brian and the 27 years he’s spent in a maximum security psychiatric hospital that is engaging, insightful, and empathetic.
At Any Cost by Rebecca Rosenberg. 4 Stairs. This true crime read takes you from the murder to the investigation, and the fight for custody through the trial. A really interesting (and tragic) story for true crime fans.
Too Good to Be True by Carola Lovering. 3.5 Stairs. This is a book where I feel like the less you know going in, the better. Domestic noir/psychological thriller told through multiple points of view.
You Love Me by Caroline Kepnes. 3 Stairs. There are a few twists throughout the book, but this third outing just feels like a tamer rehash of what we’ve seen in the first two books. It’s still fun to be in Joe’s warped head, but this book felt a little repetitive and slow at times.