Coming off of the O.W.L.s Magical Readathon, which you can see my wrap up for here, I wasn't expecting to read much at all. I wanted to take a breather and read a few things here and there. Somehow, I still managed to finish SEVEN books!! So let's see what I read and what stood out to me.
Reading The Signs | The Year of Living Happy | Ringmaster | Better Than Perfect | Second Chance Hotel | The Plus One Pact | Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow
Many of those close to me know my love for all things hedgehog related, so I knew the second I saw this title, I NEEDED it. I squealed when NetGalley and Boldwood Books approved my request for Finding Love at Hedgehog Hollow (can we talk about how cute that title is?!). This book was so delightful and well planned out. It wasn't too heavily romanced centered, it was hard-hitting, and it was relatable. I will warn that there is a toxic parental relationship that is present throughout the entirety of the story, so proceed cautiously if that is something that you are sensitive to. As you can imagine my favorite aspects were the hedgies and how they tie in with the story.
Honorable Mention
Some would say this doesn't really count since I started this last year, but I have been slowly reading my way through The Year of Living Happy by Alli Worthington. She isn't just a great person to follow on her social media platforms, including her podcast, she is a genuinely kind soul. This book challenged me in how I am finding joy in my life and recentering myself with God and with the simple pleasures and joys he provides. Through the reading and the journaling, I could feel myself realigning and remembering to be grateful for things, even the hard things.
ARCs Read
Ringmaster (Netgalley) was one of those books that I heard another booktuber talking about, Chelsea Palmer to be exact, and knew I wanted to read it. It is no secret that I loved Night Circus, so the chance to read another circus setting, a traveling circus this time, was too good to pass up. Even though I wasn't blown away, I enjoyed the read and respected what the author did with the relationship (age gap). I was quickly pulled into the story; however, one thing that I am finding more and more to be irritating for me in books is lack of communication.
I won't be talking about The Second Chance Hotel (Netgalley/HQ Digital) in detail here because it was a DNF for me. Intriguing premise, but I just couldn't get into the writing.
Another middle of the road read, but still enjoyable was The Plus One Pact (Netgalley/Boldwood Books). I have distinct things that I enjoyed, like unique jobs, and relatable struggles with friendships during life changes; however, there were several things I really struggled with as well. I cannot say this enough, COMMUNICATION IS IMPORTANT, especially if you are writing adult (pushing 30) characters. Overall, it was something I good appreciate at the time of reading, but I don't see it sticking with me.
For a month that I went into thinking I wouldn't read much coming off such a larger readathon, I proved myself wrong! I would love to know what you are reading or have finished for the month of May! Stay tuned for something a little different in my reading world in the next few months. I can't wait to share the fun with you.
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