Worst & Best Books of May 2024 | A Big Reading Month 80+ Books

[@andrewfallman7542]

For a second, I was like, "omg I just read recitatif!" Then I remembered I read it because you recommended it haha

[@jacobneale5844]

‼️‼️‼️ I do this all the time

[@marzipan9]

I own The Housemaid and have read The Last Mrs Parrish so I guess I'm going to have to bump The Housemaid up on the list. But also...I just finished listening to Every Time I go on Vacation, Somone Dies, where the main character is an author, and she's on the 10 year anniversary for her first book, and on that tour with her is someone who has blatantly ripped off the plots to the author's books...and she mention more than once there's nothing she can do about it because you can't copyright plots. As long as the characters are different, and the names are different, and the words aren't the same/too similar...there's nothing you can do legally. We saw this when Sherrilyn Kenyon went after Cassandra Clare for copyright infringement...and lost.

[@marzipan9]

I read Just for the Summer without reading either of the other two books. Oops!

[@mamimelusine]

I read the last mrs parrish first and then read the housemaid months later and I was like “wait just a minute…” I went online immediately looking for someone talking about the similarity and was surprised not to see more discussion. I can’t lie, I have read a few more Frieda McFadden books since then…they are super readable and I don’t think all of them are such blatant copies. But they are simplistic and lack depth to the point where I wonder if guilty reading can be a little too guilty. An entertaining thriller with some depth and richness and intellectual stimulation and the mystery and thrills really built deeply into the story and exploration of humanity rather than cheap shock twists is difficult to find.

[@KierTheScrivener]

I read Part of Your World on your reccommendation and then immediately started Yours Truly. The kidney representation mattered to me so much. One of my best friend's dads has renal failure and he lost his health, his family (his wife left him and his other kids are minors and with his health he couldn't have custody) it's been 7 years of his daughter being his primary caretaker and him in and out of the hospitial. I try to help out as I can, driving him to appointments and such and I've seen the effects kidney diease has on someone'a health, physical and mental and it was so meaningful to see it represented. I'm starting Just for The Summer and I'm so excited. I love the romance and that she tackles subjects well.

[@mamimelusine]

I just started reading Abby Jimenez’s romances and have binged most of them. They are so good and do a good job of being self aware of and playing with romance tropes in a fun way while bringing some humanity and depth and disability and mental health representation into almost every one. There’s only one so far ;the second in the Friend Zone series) that I really didn’t like.

[@WildeBookGarden]

YES Recitatif is so good!!!

[@jynxdcoffee8498]

kinda here for the foolery too 😊 but also for the reviews 💕

[@mamimelusine]

I read the Part of Your World Series out of order and it made no difference. I think it would have been fun to recognize the characters that appear in the second one but nothing in the first is integral to the plot. I agree Bianca is so hilarious that book was funny as hell and my favorite of Jimenez’s books though I have read so many of them. I would suggest reading the Friend Zone series in order though. The third isn’t that closely related but there is a huge turn in the first that sets up the second. Don’t even read the synopsis for the second without reading the first. I do like these romance series that shift between protagonists in a friend group rather than about the same couple. You get a glimpse of life after the HEA and I think it forces a bit more development of those side characters who often serve as props in the main characters lives. The miscommunication trope is annoying and contrived but if I’m enjoying the book enough ill forgive it. Romance is like fantasy or thrillers in that sense for me, you have to suspend disbelief.

[@jacobneale5844]

I always feel like whenever a author has a really amazing first book I’m always afraid of reading their next book 😭 Night Swim by Megan Goldin was soooo good the sequel was not at all 😩

[@margar3181]

I agree the Abby Jimenez books can be read out of order but I like that I understood the call back to characters because I'd read them in order. I listened to the audiobook for Yours Truly, I also was cackling so much! Literally had me lol'ing. 😊 Just for the Summer had me bawling. People should definitely read the content warnings on that one, but still a solid good book. I also recently finished my first Kennedy Ryan book: This Could Be Us, loved it! Edited to add about Yours Truly.

[@chocolateoreo6489]

I’m sending you love❤❤❤

[@BookishRealm]

❤️❤️❤️

[@josieann4390]

💜💜 My dad was on dialysis for 13 years before passing away two months ago. I initially picked up Yours Truly when it came out to read it because of the CKD aspect, but now I'm not sure if it's a good time to read it. I'm glad to see you enjoyed it though!

[@virginiaweir-hj1rt]

As a former teacher, I used to recommend graphic novels to reluctant readers.

[@lonesomedovecall822]

Regarding the Abby Jimenez PoYW series... Part of Your World - 5 stars. Yours Truly - 4 stars. Just for the Summer - 5 stars. I feel the same way as you... Yours Truly only got 4 stars from me 'cause 300 pages of NO COMMUNICATION drove me insane. Still a great book though, for sure!

[@mamimelusine]

Yours Tryly was so funny tho just for that I put it above Part of Tour World. I still randomly think “In this economy!” And bust out laughing.

[@CatApocalypse]

I remember wanting to read Outlander when I was younger, but nowadays, I know it's not at all going to be for me lol May was a really good reading month for me! I enjoyed Ducks by Kate Beaton (graphic memoir), Loot by Tania James (historical fiction), and A New Race of Men from Heaven by Chaitali Sen (literary fiction short story collection).

[@Pagesandperfumes]

I loved the Oath so much❤ i live for a good poly romance and The Oath was so good for me. I recommend Glory by Aisa Daze another poly read

[@fttoma]

💗💗

[@petrichorbones]

i never read the Outlander books and even though i somewhat enjoyed the first 2 seasons of the tv show i don't think i have ANY motivation to read the novels 😂😂 i think my favourite thing about the show is simply the costimes 😅

[@colleenh1992]

A relative got me Outlander for a Christmas gift when I was like 14 and I despised it so much but I was dedicated to finishing every book I started back then; so I basically just fumed and suffered the whole time 😂

[@greysonkeller5418]

You did not have to come at me like that concerning history degrees 😂😂😂 (you're right though lol). I really agree about The Teacher, could not stand it

[@BookishRealm]

Lmao friend I have a history degree too!

[@Heothbremel]

❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤❤

[@lumilumi22]

When I read the housemaid I knew it was plagiarizing Mrs Parrish and it wasn’t even that good. The last Mrs Parrish was excellent

[@BookishRealm]

👍🏾 gotcha!