Books I Read in May

May ended up being a really good reading month for me. I ended up reading 11 books and I added several books to my favorites pile. So here are the books that I read this month, and my some-what-spoiler-free thoughts on them:

The Book Of Lost Things by John Connolly - I've wanted to read this book for ages and I was so happy that I finally got the chance to. This book is so well written and I really loved the dark, fairy tale twist to the story. This book really puts growing up into perspective and I was surprised at how adult this book was. I honestly expected it to be more for children, since it's listed age range is from 10 to 14, but I wouldn't recommend it for that age range since it deals with such mature content and dark subject matter.

The Heir by Kiera Cass - This book was on my list of most anticipated reads, and I really enjoyed it. This is the fourth book in The Selection Series, and after reading the third book I had a lot of questions about the state of Illea, which I'm glad were addressed in this book. Overall I enjoyed the story, and I liked revisiting the characters from the first three books. I really like how Eadlyn was characterized, I love reading about female characters who are strong-willed and confident, but she also had A LOT of flaws. It was really interesting to see her grow and understand her privileges and I look forward to reading the last book to see how she continues to grow. I honestly can't wait to read the last book because this one ended on a huge cliffhanger and I just want to know what will happen next.

I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson - This book is told in alternating perspectives of twins, Noah and Jude, who each only know half of their story. I love how this story is told, the alternating perspective pieces everything together and drives the story. This book is beautifully written, it's one of those books that as soon as I finished it, I wanted to flip back to the beginning and reread it again.

The Sky is Everywhere by Jandy Nelson - After I finished I'll Give You the Sun I was in desperate need of some more Jandy Nelson books and this one did not disapoint. This book resolves around Lennie and her family after her sister unexpectedly dies.  I really like how the concept of grief was dealt with in this story, and how Lennie is confused and reluctant to let go of what has happened. Jandy Nelson is an amazing writer and her books are crafted so beautifully, I need her to write more books so that I can read them all. 

Vicious by V.E. Schwab - Last month I read A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab and I loved it, and I actually ended up loving this book even more. I really enjoyed the superhero, comic vibe that I felt while reading this book. I really love how it made me think about the qualities that define good guys and bad guys, and how we view them. Overall this book was extremely well written and I loved the characters. Now that I've read Victoria Schwab's adult fiction books, I can't wait to read her YA novels. 

Just Ella by Margaret Peterson Haddix - This is book is a Cinderella retelling and picks up right after the classic story. I didn't really like this book... it took away the fairy tale parts of the original story and I felt the characters were too one dimensional. 

The Distance Between Us by Kasie West - I've been in the mood for contemporary YA novels and Kasie West delivered exactly what I needed with this book. I don't think I expected to love this books as much as I did, I actually ended up reading it in one sitting. The story is just so sweet, I really enjoyed Caymen's sarcastic sense of humor and her relationship with Xander.

On the Fence by Kasie West - Pretty much immediately after I finished The Distance Between Us, I started reading this book. I was a little surprised to see that some of the characters from that book were in this one, and from the page that they were in it brought some closure to Caymen and Xander's story. Overall I liked this book, but it didn't blow me away like The Distance Between Us did. It took a while for me to get into this book, and up until the end it felt a little cliche. Kasie West also released a new book last month, that I intend to read this month!

P.S. I Still Love You by Jenny Han - I read the first book, To All the Boys I've Ever Loved, last month and I absolutely loved it. I was extremely looking forward to reading this book, and I was not disappointed at all. The narrator, Lara Jean, is definitely one of my favorite characters. With most YA novels I have trouble connecting with the characters, but I relate to her so much that she feels like a normal person. Overall the story was beautiful, I loved the characters, and the ending was wrapped up so well. I honestly see myself rereading this series in the near future, because everything about it is beautiful.

Me and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews - I became really interested in this book after I watched the movie trailer, and I ended up liking it. The best part about this book was the narration, the narrator, Greg, is hilarious and he had a lot of personality. I wish I had been able to get in to the story a little more, but overall it was a fun read.

The Beginning of Everything by Robyn Schneider - I've seen several comparisons between this book and John Green's books, and it read exactly like one of his books. It's extremely well written and I liked the characters, but I was disappointed by the ending. I had seen the major plot twist coming and the ending just didn't feel conclusive to me.

Annndddd there are the books that I read in May! I expect June to be a good month, as I will hopefully have quite a bit of free time to read now that I don't start my summer semester until July. As always, feel free to follow me on Goodreads to see my reviews on these books and I see my progress for June. - Jessica