Recent Reads: May and June 2022

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Find out what I’ve been reading and loving lately before you reach for your next book!

I’m pretty sure 2022 is going to be one of my most disappointing reading years. You may have noticed I did not post a Recent Reads for May. Well that’s because I only read three books in May. But I expected that because May is always one of my worst reading months.

I was looking forward to June reading because I read some of my forever favorites last year in June. But apparently I am not keeping that tradition going this year.

I honestly don’t know how many books were on my unread shelves at the end of April. I unhauled quite a few books in June, bringing my unread shelves count to 73. Honestly, until I get my book buying habits under control, I need to accept that I’ll probably never read every book I own.

I had three Book of the Month picks each in May and June. Let me know if you’d be interested in a monthly blog post about the Book of the Month picks and what I choose each month. I plan to start limiting myself to one BOTM pick each month again, and only if it is something I know I’ll read that month.

Related: Is a Book of the Month Subscription Worth It?

Alright let’s look at the 13 books I read in May and June!

Books I Read in May

One Italian Summer by Rebecca Serles

This was a BOTM add-on in April, but I opted to listen to this on audiobook instead because Lauren Graham narrates it. I do think Graham’s performance influenced my higher review for this book because I did have some issues with certain aspects of the story. I also wish there had been more explanation for why Katy’s mom was on the island. Overall not a bad summer read but definitely nothing mind-blowing as I’ve already forgotten a large part of the plot.

Join BOTM with my link and get your first book for only $5!

Rating: ★★★★☆

#readwithallison2022 Prompt: Set in a country you want to visit

The Kind Worth Killing by Peter Swanson

I have always heard good things about The Kind Worth Killing, many people praising it as their favorite Swanson book. Unfortunately, this one fell flat for me. I think the hype affected my expectations of the story but I also think if you read a lot of thrillers, you will see every plot twist coming.

Join BOTM with my link and get your first book for only $5!

Rating: ★★☆☆☆

#readwithallison2022 Prompt: A book you know nothing about

Finlay Donovan Knocks ‘Em Dead

I had a Netgalley ARC and won a physical ARC of Finlay Donovan, yet I ended up listening to the audiobook. I think I will continue this series via audiobook though because I was laughing so hard the entire time and the story was light enough that I could work on bookmarks while listening.

In this second book of the Finlay Donovan series, Finlay and Vero find themselves glued to an online message board where someone is searching for a hitman to kill Finlay’s ex-husband. I really like that we get some more backstory on Vero in this book. The ending was a little confusing for me because it’s been over a year since I read the first book and forgot who some of the people involved were. Overall I do recommend this series and will continue it when the third book comes out next year.

Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press for an advance review copy of this title.

Rating:★★★★☆

#readwithallison2022 Prompt: Genre: Cozy Mystery

Related: Best Audiobook Services 2021

Books I Read in June

Blood Sugar by Sascha Rothchild

My friend Ellie gifted this book to me for my birthday and I really enjoyed it! It is a more character-driven suspense, but this was well-written and kept me interested. The cover is also absolutely stunning! I wanted just a little bit more from the ending, but overall I recommend it if you don’t mind a slower pace mystery.

Rating: ★★★★☆

#readwithallison2022 Prompt: Unforgettable cover

Then She Was Gone by Lisa Jewell

Then She Was Gone is a backlist book I grabbed as a BOTM add-on and I’m so glad I did! I read this is one night because I couldn’t put it down. Even though I knew where most of the story was going, Lisa Jewell just has a way with telling a story so you still want to keep going. I highly recommend checking this domestic suspense book out. Don’t even read the synopsis-just know that a woman’s child went missing one day and go from there.

Rating: ★★★★★

#readwithallison2022 Prompt: Mother/daughter relationship

Survive the Night by Danielle Vega

I started this book on a whim one day when I could still read outside before it got too hot. I read it in a day, but it was nothing special and I didn’t really care for it. The ending was not really explained and most of the book focuses on the teen drama and not what is going on in the tunnels.

Rating:★★☆☆☆

#readwithallison2022 Prompt: A book you’ve been putting off

The Island by C. L. Taylor

After The Island and Survive the Night, I’ve decided that YA thrillers are no longer for me. This was another YA thriller with a promising premise because it is about a group of teens camping on an island and are soon being plagued with each of their worst fears. I really hate stories with the kind of ending this had and also didn’t feel engaged in the story at all because once again, most of the book focused on the teen drama.

Rating:★★☆☆☆

#readwithallison2022 Prompt: Received as a gift

Black Tide by K. C. Jones

This didn’t go exactly how I thought it would but it was an enjoyable summer read. I was hoping for more of the sci-fi horror and less of the character driven drama, but I still really enjoyed the concept for this story. I think this would make an excellent sci-fi horror movie!

Many thanks to Tor Nightfire for an ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

Rating:★★★☆☆

#readwithallison2022 Prompt: A genre you don’t typically read

Everything We Didn’t Say by Nicole Baart

This is another backlist BOTM title I’ve been putting off. I ended up listening to the audiobook of this because I knew it was going to be more of a domestic drama than a thriller. I doubt I would have finished it if I hadn’t been listening to it because I really didn’t care about anything going on in this book. I love BOTM, but I really wish they would learn the difference between a thriller and a domestic drama because they have been mislabeling book a lot lately.

Rating:★★☆☆☆

#readwithallison2022 Prompt: A book with a prologue or epilogue

Horrid by Katrina Leno

So…I know I said I was done with YA thrillers and then proceeded to pick up a YA horror. Not as scary as I would have liked, but I thought was a good little YA horror that didn’t focus too much on teen angst. I thought the build up to the climax was well done because it kept me guessing. I recommend this for fall reading of you don’t want something atmospheric but not too scary.

Rating:★★★★☆

#readwithallison2022 Prompt: One word title

The House Across the Lake by Riley Sager

This…didn’t work for me. I think rocked bookstagram with my rating when I finished because I’ve never rated a Sager book lower than four stars. I wasn’t really excited about the general plot of this because it sounded way too similar to The Woman in the Window (and it was). Give it a try for yourself but lower your expectations if you’re a Sager fan.

Rating:★☆☆☆☆

#readwithallison2022 Prompt: House on the cover

Heir of Fire by Sarah J. Maas

I mostly enjoyed the third book of the Throne of Glass series, but I’m not devouring the books like I did ACOTAR or Crescent City. I think the first three books should have been two books because there’s a lot of repetitive interactions in Heir of Fire just to make the book longer. I might read the next book in July, but I’m honestly not in a hurry to continue.

Rating: ★★★★☆

#readwithallison2022 Prompt: Plot involves a secret

Quiet Girl in a Noisy World by Debbie Tung

I read this in the final hours of June for another reading challenge where I had to read a graphic novel. I don’t typically read this format of books and didn’t really know where to begin in choosing one, but I remember seeing this one in several booktube videos a couple of years ago. I definitely felt like this book was written with me in mind. It got a little repetitive at times, but I enjoyed it.

Rating: ★★★★☆

#readwithallison2022 Prompt: A format you don’t typically read

Did Not Finish

Breathless by Amy McCullough

This is another example of a mislabeled thriller, although the publisher is the one claiming this is a thriller. Breathless was my BOTM pick in May and I was really excited about it because I love an adventure thriller. Unfortunately, the killer was pretty easy to figure out. I made it about 100 pages before DNFing because there just wasn’t enough happening to keep me interested.

What books did you read in May and/or June? Did you read any books for the 2022 Reading Challenge? Let me know in the comments!