Ronit J

May 2024 Reading Wrap Up! Month 2 of doing a separate reading wrap up post, and I think I’m on a good roll here! May was a relatively slower month reading-wise. I know I read almost as many pages as April, but April was just too special to beat. Besides, I sorta slowed down after burning through my April books, and even took a brief break from SFF as a palette cleanser.

But, I’m back, and excited to do this! Let’s go!

Mind you, these aren’t my full reviews. Just short snippets. If you’d like to read the full reviews, I’ll link them at the end of each section.

Here’s my May 2024 reading wrap up!

Blood Meridian by Cormac McCarthy – ★★★★★

I first heard about this book from Reddit. It was because of this meme.

Since then, I’ve been uber curious and eager to read Blood Meridian. To be fair, I was expecting a lot, and my expectations were exceeded still! It reminded me of Hearts of Darkness more than any other novel I’ve read. Where HoD was internally nightmarish, Blood Meridian was way too brutal in an outward, physical way. I’m still haunted by visuals of the Judge treating the imbecile as a pet (among other things).

Strongly recommended!

Read my full review on Goodreads!

Lost Souls by Ryan Skeffington – ★★★

Note: I got a free copy of the book in a Twitter giveaway.

Given that cover, I did not expect this one to be so emotional and character-driven. I genuinely felt the things these characters went through, and I can see how the author has used his writing to channel some of his personal experiences. I did, however, have issues with the pacing and the ending.

Read my full review on SFF Insiders!

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle – ★★★1/2

This was the second book in my Sherlock Holmes Box Set. To be fair, I enjoyed reading the short stories way more than I did the two novella/novels that were in the first book.

This is a classic and with good reason. Although, a lot of elements in the stories were quite dated. I chose to not judge this book with a modern lens, which was why I was able to enjoy it. But, not all the stories were great.

Read my full review on Goodreads!

Soul Cage by L.R. Schulz – ★★★★1/2

I signed up to receive a free eARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.

That stark green cover was what first caught my attention. The imaginative magic system was what made me want to read this book. And what a wild ride it was! Truly magnificent, a brilliant mix of story, character and world-building that I cannot recommend enough!

If you’d like to read it, Soul Cage is now available!

My full review will be posted on SFF Insiders.

Silence is Silver by Andrew Watson – ★★★★

I signed up to receive a free eARC of this novella in exchange for an honest review.

Set years before the main Shadowbinders trilogy, Silence is Silver gives you just the perfect taster for what I’m sure is a brutal, nightmarish world. Watson’s writing shines right from the opening paragraphs, but what I loved most about this novella was the culture and the weird creatures that inhabit this world. This definitely convinced me to read the Shadowbinders trilogy!

My full review will be posted on SFF Insiders.

Current Read as of 31 May 2024:

I had signed up for the eARC for Die Young by Morgan Shank. I’ve had Shank on my radar for quite some time now, and this is my first time reading his work. I’ll admit, I love whatever little I’ve read so far. I originally intended to finish this book before the month end, but I’ve had some other stuff on my plate, which means I probably won’t be able to do that.

Plus, I’m considering reading something lighter before finishing this chonky boy.

Die Young releases today (May 30)!

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Finally,

If you’ve made it this far, thank you for reading! I hope my reviews and thoughts help you decide what to pick up next. As I make progress on my authorial journey, I’m finding that reviewing these books has helped me better articulate my analyses, which in turn helps me plot and write my own works better.

Speaking of, my next book, Abandoned by the Gods is all set to release on June 14th. I’m going to send the ebook for free to all my newsletter subscribers, which means now is the perfect time to subscribe to my newsletter! I only send out one a month, unless I have any other major announcements to make.

What did you think about my May 2024 reading wrap-up? Let me know in the comments below!

Thank you for reading, and have a great day!