Top May Reads!

Well, May was a crazy month for me (Maggie). I lost my precious chonky boy, Gizmo, at the beginning of the month, meaning there are a lot of comfort reads this month for me. But now as I sit here writing this blog, I am with my new fluffy friend, Gatsby, an orange little baby who has been in my possession for...about 4 hours haha. Outside of life things, there were a lot of good reads that both came out this month and were read. June looks to also be a great month for new releases and I'm excited to share the ones I was able to read early with you all.

May was an adventurous month for me (Allison). I'm back at school getting my official certificate in GIS (we meet again, digital mapmaking world), I started a small business side-hustle for upcycling and resale (including some decor similar to theweatherwriter's folded books!), and I celebrated my 8-year wedding anniversary (time flies!). I hope to read more audiobooks as I try to keep my garden alive in the desert... We shall see how successful I am.

The Hanging Bones by Elle Tesch - Maggie

4 / 5 Stars

Once every few years, the Scavenge Moon rises. From beyond its pale glow steps the Breimar Stag, an otherworldly creature with eyes of burning gold. Katrin has lived on the border of the forest her whole life, raised on tales of the Folk that dwell within. As a gamekeeper for the baron who rules over the region, she is saddled with the onerous task of escorting the entitled nobles who descend upon her home for the Breimar Hunt, where they will try to catch the stag, but if they don't...the stag will claim one of the hunting party for itself. But there is more than one monster haunting the woods this time, one that is collecting pieces of people it's killed to become something else entirely.

This book is creepy in a fantasy way that I really enjoy. We get to see the hatred for the nobles while also seeing how the magic of the woods and nature impact their life. This book was extremely well written with a lot of creepy moments. It's the unnerving nature of the story itself that makes it really great to me.

Every Day I Read: 53 Ways to Get Closer to Books by Hwang Bo-Reum - Allison

5/5 Stars

This sweet, nonfiction read by Korean author Hwang Bo-Reum explores her relationship with books. She interrogates her own approach to reading, writing, and living a more literary life, inviting the audience to come along on her journey and answer the same questions with their own meandering daydreams about a book-centric lifestyle. When should we read a bestseller vs. peruse a used book store to find a hidden gem? What is the value of reading outside of your favorite genre vs. staying firmly inside of it? What does it mean for your attitude toward life that that you are even asking yourself these questions? (Hint: it's all good things!)

This short essay collection was pure joy. It’s a celebration of all things bookish. If you have found this book blog, I know you have bookish tendencies, too. Take a gander at this read if you want to feel like someone else gets it. Also, support the author, another scientist/book girlie- much like me and Maggie!

Chase Me If You Can by Heather Frances - Maggie

4.5 / 5 stars

There is a whole review for this book and you should definitely go read it if you want some more information, but overall this book shocked me with how much I loved it. When meteorology and storm chasing is brought up in fiction it can sometimes be done very, very wrong. This book did a great job at showing how cool and amazing storm chasing can be, while also showing how dangerous it is.

We get to see throughout the story how the storm chasing connects the characters and how they are working together to get the perfect picture for the photo contest. We also get to see how they see the power of nature in their own art, and how Sloane chooses to respect it. I think this book does a great job at adding romance to storm chasing, while having it be placed against the background of rageful weather. The meteorology and storm chasing were well written, with a lot of care taken to make it right.

My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite - Allison

5/5 Stars

This book has been on my TBR since it came out and has been recommended by many friends since then. I finally got around to it this month, and I am so happy I did.

This dark debut follows Korede, a nurse, as she navigates a daily life that is constantly interrupted by her sister, Ayoola, and her murder-y tendencies. In order to stay sane, Korede debates if her sister is justified, how their traumatic past influences her killing, and what to do when her sister sets her sights on a work crush- all aloud while caring for a comatose patient. What could go wrong?

This book was dark-so check the warnings before you read it, but it was also short, incredibly well-written, and had me cackling along on a wildly entertaining ride. I like when I can see a miniseries in my head while reading, and this book delivers. It was clever, it kept me guessing, and it had a surprising amount of heart considering the body count... I'm not a huge mystery reader, but this unconventional choice was definitely worth stepping outside of my favorite genres.

What were your favorite reads of the month? Anything you are excited to read in June?