Another month down. May was a great month for me when it came to trying new things and socializing. I can’t wait to see what the last month of the first half of the year brings.
I’m a children’s librarian, so I read books for kids and for grown-ups. This month, I read 2 picture/early reader books and 5 “big” books, including audiobooks, adult novels, and chapter books for children. My average rating this month was 4.1 stars.
Waiting for Wings by Lois Ehlert
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I always appreciate Ehlert’s backmatter!
Starry-Eyed Love by Helena Hunting
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Saccharinely sweet in the best of ways. I pictured Kit Harrington as Jackson which made this extra fun. 😋
A Caribbean Heiress in Paris by Adriana Herrera
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
This was lovely! The chemistry between Luz Alana and Evan was on point from their first meeting, and I loved her friends – can’t wait to read their books. I love the marriage of convenience trope, I love strong heroines, and I am *so* here for “actually diverse” historical romance after the popularity of Bridgerton.
The Summer Proposal by Vi Keeland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
I was a huge fan of this! While I will say there were a few “gender role”y things I wasn’t as into (girls not being into Star Wars, some of the comments the brothers make to each other), overall I think this was such a fun read. I loved the dynamic between Max and Georgia and that through her relationship with him she was able to see she deserved more than her relationship with Gabriel. I thought it was fun, like the perfect level of slow burn to hold my interest, that they started off slow but had a little bit of innuendo flirtation going on. Maggie at times made me laugh and other times made me roll my eyes which I think is what all good best friends do. The quote: “True love should always be even though or in spite of, never if I hadn’t.” – loved it. This was just what I needed. Lately these books (romance novels I’m reading for a work project) have been taking me a week or two to read and I blew through this one in three days.
Rah, Rah, Radishes!: A Vegetable Chant by April Pulley Sayre
My rating: 5 of 5 stars
I LOVE nonfiction books for kids that include photographs rather than illustrations. Illustrations are fabulous too, but the bright colors in the photos of these vegetables with the fun chant really makes this title memorable, and made me hungry.
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Lead Me Astray by Sondi Warner
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Is it well written? No. Is the plot all over the place, as most Wattpad stories are? Yes. Does the world building make sense? Barely. But this is just so fun and unique. Aurie is a ghost after a hit-and-run. She encounters Mys, a nonbinary, intersex empath and Zyr, a werewolf detective. The three work together to help Aurie move on and solve her murder. It’s lust at first sight for all three of them, and it quickly turns to something more. This book is convoluted and crazy and FUN. I appreciated that there was such a diverse cast without it feeling like the author was trying to check boxes. Everyone has a distinct identity and personality. cw: t slur, alcoholism
Josh and Gemma Make a Baby by Sarah Ready
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
This was sweet and romantic and has me laughing and crying. I will say there are some obvious triggers from the blurb, also the death of a parent and miscarriage. The cover is also pretty misleading as Gemma isn’t pregnant for most of the book. Nonetheless, this was super romantic and funny. I will say it was a little too similar to Bridget Jones to really do much for me. Like, same plot, just with infertility themes and the leads getting along. I have seen some negative reviews about comments people make about Gemma’s body, but that’s all addressed by the end of the novel. Gemma’s character development is great and I adored her friendship with Josh. Her friends that she meets through the support group are awesome too. Natasha Lyonne as Brook for sure.
A Peek Into My Planner
I’ve been trying to fill out my planner each day to keep myself organized and to use the plethora of planner supplies and stickers I possess. (I use The Happy Planner.) I started a brand new planner (well, two of them, actually) in January. Here are the spreads I shared in May.
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I’ve been keeping track of my moods to keep an eye on my depression and anxiety. In 2022, I also began habit tracking various aspects of my life, though I got overwhelmed with the process in February and have scaled back quite a bit, but on the blog I’ll just continue to share moods:
- Good: 7 days
- Okay: 7 days
- Great: 4 days
- Happy: 3 days
- Productive: 3 days
- Emotional: 2 days
- Sick: 2 days
- Relaxed: 1 day
- Tired: 1 day
One trend I noticed this month was that my four great days were the four days I socialized. Also, rest assured, my sick days were allergies and a hangover after a night out.
I have been posting almost every day about my witchier interests on TikTok and also just having fun with it. I’m also sharing some #booktok posts there and just updates about my life in NYC.
@daily.manifestationx #amethyst #crystals ♬ original sound – Jamie Manelis
I also watched Captain America: The Winter Soldier, The Book of Boba Fett Season 1, and Thor: The Dark World, and rewatched Guardians of the Galaxy.
Looking Ahead: June
It looks like this month I am headed back to my usual work location which is a long commute away. But I’m looking forward to seeing my coworkers!
