May TBR (2021)

Happy May loves!

This year is flying and after being so dormant with blogging for so long, I’m slowly getting back into the swing of things.

This time around, blogging is mainly for me than anyone else (#sorrynotsorry ⬅️ is this still a relevant hashtag? Lol). I don’t have regular visits to this blog so really this has just become a digital collection of my thoughts on what I’ve read and my own personal little book space. And after a few years of putting others before me and then a year or two of grief that I’m still processing, it feels nice to have a space all of my own.

This blog will continue to be books that are YA or Middle Grade with some Adult Mystery or Thrillers mixed-in and maybe even some non-fiction from time to time. I’ll probably also post book lists and other random bookish things.

I also read Romance heavily so I created a separate space just for my love of romance books. If you’re interested you can follow along at SeducedintheStacks.com

&& lastly I’ve created another little corner in this vast online space to talk about life and fashion and other random things I love outside of books. It’s definitely more about my life and feelings. If you’re interested that’s over at JustAddMore.org.

As you can see I love writing and sharing in digital spaces. I’ve been this way since early middle school when I had a Xanga blog. It’s just a way I feel comfortable sharing & I find joy in it. So that’s what I’m going to focus on with this blog and my other two—finding the joy in my own digital space.

So after that very long intro to this post. Here’s what’s on my TBR for May.

The Sun Will Come Out by Joanne Levy
Published by Orca Book Publishers on 13 April 2021
Genres: MG Realistic Fiction
Pages: 288
Format: eBook
Source: Library
Bookhype
Goodreads

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Synopsis from GoodReads: Twelve-year-old Bea Gelman and her best friend Frankie are planning the BEST SUMMER EVER at Camp Shalom―a sleep-away camp. But at the last minute, Frankie bows out, leaving painfully shy Bea on her own. Just talking to strangers causes Bea to break out into ugly, blotchy hives. As if the hives weren’t bad enough, Bea gets pranked by a couple of mean girls and is betrayed by someone she thought was a new friend. Bea has had enough! She decides to spend her summer in the infirmary far away from everything that’s stressing her out. No more boys (including her crush, Jeremy), no more horrible mean girls, and no more fake friends! At the infirmary, Bea meets Harry, a boy living with a disease that’s way more intense than stress breakouts. Inspired by Harry’s strength and positive outlook, Bea decides to face her fears―in a big way.

The Sun Will Come Out is a funny and heartwarming account of a shy girl’s first summer away from home, where she learns she really can do anything and that silver linings can be found just about anywhere.

Thoughts: I’ve actually already started this one! I really wanted to get back to reading more Middle Grade & staying up on some of the latest books in the age group and this one popped up as a New Release in my library’s Hoopla app. Naturally I hit ‘borrow’ and downloaded it. It’s super sweet story so far and I FEEL for our main character when her best friend ditches her for another summer camp. Man oh man that’s rough! Can’t wait to see what happens in this one!

Siege and Storm by Leigh Bardugo
Series: The Shadow and Bone Trilogy #2
Published by Macmillan on 4 June 2013
Genres: YA Fantasy
Pages: 435
Format: Hardcover
Source: Owned Book
Bookhype
Goodreads

This post contains Amazon affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

Buy on BookShop || Buy on IndieBound || Buy on Amazon || Buy on Barnes & Noble || Buy on Book Depository

Synopsis from GoodReads:
Darkness never dies.

Hunted across the True Sea, haunted by the lives she took on the Fold, Alina must try to make a life with Mal in an unfamiliar land. She finds starting new is not easy while keeping her identity as the Sun Summoner a secret. She can’t outrun her past or her destiny for long.

The Darkling has emerged from the Shadow Fold with a terrifying new power and a dangerous plan that will test the very boundaries of the natural world. With the help of a notorious privateer, Alina returns to the country she abandoned, determined to fight the forces gathering against Ravka. But as her power grows, Alina slips deeper into the Darkling’s game of forbidden magic, and farther away from Mal. Somehow, she will have to choose between her country, her power, and the love she always thought would guide her–or risk losing everything to the oncoming storm.

Thoughts: I just finished book one in the Grishaverse, Shadow and Bone, back in April. I’m hoping to read through the rest of the main books of this universe before delving into the Netflix show. I’ve owned this trilogy and the Six of Crows duology since the books were first published, but for some reason never picked them up. I’m looking forward to delving more into this universe and these stories!

A Taste for Love by Jennifer Yen
Published by Penguin on 2021
Genres: YA Realistic, YA Romance
Pages: 336
Format: eBook, Hardcover
Source: Library
Bookhype
Goodreads

This post contains Amazon affiliate links you can use to purchase the book. If you buy the book using that link, I will receive a small commission from the sale.

Buy on BookShop || Buy on IndieBound || Buy on Amazon || Buy on Barnes & Noble || Buy on Book Depository

Synopsis from GoodReads:
For fans of Jenny Han, Jane Austen, and The Great British Baking Show, A Taste for Love, is a delicious rom com about first love, familial expectations, and making the perfect bao.

To her friends, high school senior Liza Yang is nearly perfect. Smart, kind, and pretty, she dreams big and never shies away from a challenge. But to her mom, Liza is anything but. Compared to her older sister Jeannie, Liza is stubborn, rebellious, and worst of all, determined to push back against all of Mrs. Yang’s traditional values, especially when it comes to dating.

The one thing mother and daughter do agree on is their love of baking. Mrs. Yang is the owner of Houston’s popular Yin & Yang Bakery. With college just around the corner, Liza agrees to help out at the bakery’s annual junior competition to prove to her mom that she’s more than her rebellious tendencies once and for all. But when Liza arrives on the first day of the bake-off, she realizes there’s a catch: all of the contestants are young Asian American men her mother has handpicked for Liza to date.

The bachelorette situation Liza has found herself in is made even worse when she happens to be grudgingly attracted to one of the contestants; the stoic, impenetrable, annoyingly hot James Wong. As she battles against her feelings for James, and for her mother’s approval, Liza begins to realize there’s no tried and true recipe for love.

Thoughts: Obviously if you throw the words ‘Jane Austen’ and ‘Great British Baking Show’ together into a blurb, I’m automatically going to want to read the book – no matter what it really is about! I recently binged the Great British Baking Show and love cooking in person and on the page so I’m not surprised this book jumped out at me. I’m super excited to dig into this one and just take some comfort from a fun YA romance!

I’m keeping the list short just in case life gets in the way! Work has been very busy, plus I’m going to try and read some romances as well. Check out SeducedintheStacks.com to see my romance May TBR there as well!

Let me know below if you’ve read any of these books or if you’re looking into them as well! Also let me know what’s on your May TBR! I’d love to add books to my TBR 🙂