I read five books in May which I feel really good about.  Three of the books I read were for review.  Many of you may have noticed that I added what I am currently reading, and what I am planning on reading in June.  Not every wrap-up will be like this, however as I am currently in the middle of reading a book, I thought I would add it in.  Also, I usually never make TBR’s because I never stick to them, the month of June is an exception as I will be taking part in a readathon and buddy reading a book.

Chasing the North Star by Robert Morgan-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

I received a copy of this book from NetGalley for honest review.

Recently, I have been delving more into historical fiction, and this book is no exception.  Chasing the North Star is about the journey north to escape slavery.  This is only the second book I have read about slavery, the first being Beloved by Toni Morrison.

I loved that this book was a journey, and that the journey really showed the trials and tribulations of escaping slavery to the north.  Chasing the North Star is told from two different points of view.  The first is Jonah, his story is told from a third person omniscient point of view.  With this point of view, I was really engaged as a reader and was able to immerse myself into his story.

Readers aren’t introduced to the second character, Angel until page 75.  Angel’s story is told from a first person point of view, which makes this book really interesting in how it is written.  At some point in the book, Jonah and Angel’s stories come together️.  When their stories come together, the chapters alternate between Jonah and Angel.  I normally don’t enjoy alternating points of view in books, however it worked extremely well and didn’t disrupt the flow of the story.

I feel like Chasing the North Star did a much better job of showing the journey than Beloved.  While I did love Beloved, I felt like I was living Jonah and Angel’s journey more.  I loved both Angel and Jonah’s stories equally and how their relationship added a sense of lightheartedness and humor.  I would definitely recommend this book to readers who love historical fiction.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

I loved this book, especially Harry and Ron’s notes. I gave it four stars because I was hoping for more. I would have liked if there was more information about some of the beasts, and if more beasts were included in the book. Despite the length of the book, it was informative and fun to read.

Quidditch Through the Ages by Kennilworthy Whisp- ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

There was a lot of information packed into this short book. it was very informative and I learned quite a bit about Quidditch. Like, Fantastic Beasts, it was fun to read.

The Distance to Home by Jenn Bishop-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received an eArc of this book from Netgalley for an honest review

I don’t know where to start with this book other than the fact that I loved it. The Distance to Home combined my favorite sport, baseball with an amazing story of love, loss, friendship, and one character’s journey back to playing the sport that she loved. This book was beautifully written, and I loved Quinnen’s development as a character. I can’t wait to read more from Jenn Bishop!

Magruder’s Curiosity Cabinet by H.P. Wood-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I received an eArc of this book from Netgalley for an honest review

I gave this four stars because it was told from multiple points of view, which at times was confusing.  There were times, due to the multiple P.O.V’s, I felt the story was a little bit all over the place.  Those are the only negatives that I have with this book.  I loved the friendships that formed throughout the story, especially because of how different all the characters are, they still found a way to become friends.  While everyone was different, they all had Magruder’s Curiosity Cabinet in common, it was the place where they all came together, and for some became home.  Another thing that I enjoyed very much, was the vivid, imaginative, descriptive language H.P. Wood used.  For example, on page 26, “Everything about the Cabinet is grimy, and fusty, and strange.” I absolutely loved this description, I was able to put my own pictures in my mind about the Cabinet.  Also due to the writing, I was able to fully immerse myself in the time period and setting of the novel.  I will definitely be reading more from H.P. Wood in the future.

I am currently reading ME and Earl and the Dying Girl by Jesse Andrews.

June TBR

This is the first time that I actually have a set TBR.  This month I am participating in Tome Topple.  Tome Topple was created by Sam from Thoughts on Tomes, and it runs from June 6th to June 19th.  The only requirement is that the book has to be over 500 pages.  For the readathon I will be reading a bind up of Homer’s The Illiad and the Odyssey, which clocks in at 731 pages. For these two weeks, I will not be reading anything but this epic.

The second book that I am reading is The Crown by Keira Cass.  I’m really excited to read this one as it will be my first ever buddy read.  I’ll be buddy reading this with Yana from Books for Infinity.