With these reading wrap-ups I won’t include major spoilers, but it will include my general feelings towards the read, common knowledge about the book, and common tropes and themes within the book so if any of these qualify as spoilers for you then stop here! As always check books for any potential triggers you may have because I will quite literally read ANYTHING.
I kind of went on a fantasy kick in May, with some hockey romance sprinkled in! Shoutout to Audible for supporting me through reorganizing my house and getting my Master’s application submitted! This month’s reading was also full of tears, as you’ll find out if you keep reading, but they were good tears because these books were just that good. It was five stars all around for my May reads, so if you haven’t checked any of these out yet, you need to get on that ASAP!
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
I really don’t know what to say other than this one hurt my soul. I’ve mentioned I made it to the age of 27 without reading Harry Potter somehow, but my husband has been a big fan of the series since he was young. I trusted him when he told me nothing bad happens and he’s a liar (I still love him, but rude), and I was far from mentally prepared for this book! I’m absolutely obsessed with this series but I’m terrified to continue it.
Bromantic Puckboy by Eden Finley & Saxon James
I’ll forever be obsessed with Eden, Saxon, and every single Puckboy. This book was absolutely adorable. Bilson is such a goofball, and watching him discover more about his sexuality with Miles is mushy and gushy in all the right ways! Miles is the weird goalie we love in a hockey romance mixed with a complete cinnamon roll personality. I honestly didn’t expect to love this one as much as I did. And the way that Bilson gives Miles the support he needs at the end will bring all the happy tears to your eyes.
Puck Block by S.J. Sylvis
I love S.J. Sylvis; there’s just something about the way she writes romances that is absolutely perfect. You’ll probably never see me hate a hockey romance, but the Bexley U Series is top-tier hockey romance. Taytum’s character development is incredible, and everyone deserves a man like Ford Collins! He is one of the most supportive, patient, and empathetic characters I have ever read, and it was truly a pleasure. The banter in this book is some of my favorite and the spice is 11/10. S.J. Sylvis nailed it with this one, and this series just seems to get better and better!
Powerless by Lauren Roberts
I basically spent the month of May sobbing uncontrollably into my books at 3 a.m. I know this book has had some controversy on BookTok, but I love it for all the reasons it’s been criticized. I felt it was the perfect mashup of The Hunger Games and Throne of Glass while still feeling like a new, authentic story. I’m obsessed with Kai and Paedyn, and honestly, just every single part of this book, even the parts that had me ready to throw the book out the window! I did the tandem read for Powerless and Powerful, and it was such an experience full of love, frustration, and tears, so many tears. If you loved The Hunger Games and Throne of Glass, you NEED to give this book a try because it deserves all the hype it’s gotten for being the most fantastic book love-child in existence.
Powerful by Lauren Roberts
Powerful was such a wonderful side story to read in tandem with Powerless. Adena and Mak are the sun-shiniest and grumpiest duo, and Grumpy x Sunshine has become one of my favorite tropes in romance. I’m going to warn you: if you read this in tandem with Powerless, you’re going to cry. The impact of reading these two stories intertwined is so significant and so painful but so worth it!
The Cruel Prince by Holly Black
Honestly, I want Jude more than I want Cardan, but I also still want Cardan. Jude is the confident badass that I wish I could be. If I’m honest, I spent most of this book wanting to punch Cardan in the face. He was a jerk and fulfilled his part of the bully romance trope, but you also learn why Cardan is the way he is, which makes him an extremely sympathetic character. The world-building Holly Black has done for this series is so unique. This trilogy isn’t the mainstream fae we often see in fantasy books now, which I love those, too, but they’re more similar to dark fairytale-type fae. If you love fae but want a unique experience, I 100% recommend you check out this series.
The Wicked King by Holly Black
The Wicked King had me screaming and chucking this book across the room. I was so angry by the end of this book, but I immediately started The Queen of Nothing after finishing. Watching Jude and Cardan really interact in this book showed me why everyone is obsessed with them as a book couple. They are such a power couple, but in this book, they’re like a power couple in training. There are stumbles, deception, and full-blown betrayal, but you can see the power couple potential in these two.
The Queen of Nothing by Holly Black
The Queen of Nothing was the perfect way to round out this trilogy. All of the story felt resolved, but I still wanted more of Jude and Cardan, only because I was so desperately in love with these two. This is where you get to see them finally work together and become that power couple you knew they could become in The Cruel Prince. Seeing that final character development is so satisfying. This is a series that you really need to stick with because it just gets better and better with each book.
Hidden Scars by Andi Jaxon
I’ve talked about Hidden Scars in my MM Hockey Rec blog (you can find it here), so I’ll keep this pretty short. I listened to the audiobook this time around, and Teddy Hamilton and Iggy Toma gave everything to bring these characters to life. They’ve quickly become two of my favorite audiobook narrators because they just have this way of pulling you into the story and bringing the characters to life. Hidden Scars is heavy on the hurt/comfort trope, so be mindful and make sure to check the trigger warnings before diving into this one.
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
I finished the Graphic Audio version of ACOTAR back in April, and since these were only free until May 31st, I was on a mission to finish through ACOWAR! These were such a fun experience, and if you’re looking for that “read for the first time” feeling, I HIGHLY recommend checking out the Graphic Audio readings of the ACOTAR series. The voice actors are phenomenal and do such a great job bringing these characters to life! I’m such a Rhysand girlie, and this was just *chef’s kiss*, so if you’re also a Rhysand girlie this is an experience you NEED. I mean the wedding scene, the one-bed trope, and don’t get me started on Chapters 54 & 55!!
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
Again, this was my first listen to the Graphic Audio version of this book, and I loved every minute of it, even if I spent most of it sobbing, iykyk. Is it just me, or does knowing what happens in a book make it worse for your emotions? I won’t rant and rave more about this series or version than I already have, but if you haven’t read ACOTAR, you need to like yesterday! And if you’ve read ACOTAR but haven’t listened to the Graphic Audio version of the series, you also need to do that like yesterday!
What did you read in April? Have you read/listened to any of these? Please keep the comments free of spoilers or warn that you’re going to include spoilers!
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