7 Books, Big Opinions: My May Reading Recap
The 6 Books I Read in May 2026
Some months are better than others when it comes to reading - or any hobby really - and May was definitely not my best. Between school and work, I am proud I managed to immerse myself in 6 different worlds with all of my attention throughout these last four weeks, and so below is the small recap of each book I read with my honest opinions and recommendations.
Hope you all enjoy it!
Swept Away by Beth O’Leary
Publish Date: 1 April 2025
To get myself into the summer feel, I decided to pick up my first ever Beth O’Leary book, after being told she is one of the Queens of the romance genre. However, this book in particular was not my jam. None of the characters were multifaceted - aside from the male love interest - and the plot twists were painfully obvious. In my opinion, this book would have been better if it was shorter, under 300 pages, and some of the repetitive monologues were changed to give the characters more depth.
There were definitely parts of this book that I did enjoy, and I do understand why Beth O’Leary has amassed so many readers.
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Oxford Blood by Rachael Davis-Featherstone
Publish Date: 28 August 2025
Oxford Blood is a YA mystery that was just what I was craving. I went in with no expectations and ended up really enjoying this. The murder-at-Oxford setup isn’t new, but Featherstone makes it feel fresh with sharp conversations about white privilege that fit the setting perfectly. The side characters were great too, especially Lilly, who felt genuinely real. The book also looks at the dangers women face around powerful, wealthy men, though it could have pushed that theme further. My main issue is the mystery, which relies a bit too much on Eva explaining things in her head instead of letting the tension build. And while her stubborn teenage realism works, watching her ignore her inspector dad’s advice was definitely frustrating.
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Fury Bound by Sable Sorenson
Publish Date: 5 May 2026
By far the reading highlight of the month for me, Fury Bound is the highly anticipated second novel in the A Wolves of Ruin Trilogy and it lived up to my expectations. I pre-ordered this book the moment I finished Dire Bound and I ended up reading it the second it arrived on my doorstep. Both authors that worked on this novel definitely came into their own on this book, even more so than the first, and allowed themselves to take risks that genuinely shook me to my core.
If you’re a romantasy person, this is a must read.
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Experienced by Kate Young
Publish Date: 22 May 2025
I had a hard time rating this because my feelings were so mixed. I wanted a cute queer romance, but the plot leaned too hard into being cute and became predictable within the first few chapters. The second half worked better, but the damage was kind of done. I also struggled with the main character. I empathised with her sexuality journey, but her naivety and indecision made her feel much younger than thirty, and it affected every relationship in the book. Still, the queer elements were genuinely enjoyable. The focus on pleasure, the diversity, and the open discussion of bisexuality were all highlights, and I loved seeing an older queer woman get to be messy without judgement.
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Two Lives With You by Lauren Ho
Publish Date: 1 June 2026
This was my first ever read by Lauren Ho, the bestselling author of Last Tang Standing, and it’s safe to say it was not my jam. The book centers around an unhappily married couple crushed under the weight of money troubles, job loss and burnout when they get the opportunity to travel back in time for 1 week to see how their lives would have been if they had never met. It’s an amazing premise, and sounded completely up my alley, but somewhere between the sloppy pacing and the painfully predictable plot, it lost me. I went into this read expecting a read filled with insight into burnout within the healthcare sector and philosophical thoughts on love as a whole, but this novel was a lot more lighthearted than I had anticipated.
Aside from everything I have said here, I don’t doubt this would be a great summer read for those needing something light and cute.
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Hunger by Choi Jin-Young (Translated by Soje)
Publish Date: 9 April 2026
Hunger has been on my TBR since it was published, and with an impromptu trip to Waterstones, I picked it up and read it in one sitting. Within its 144 pages, it manages to tackle poverty, grief and how loneliness can manifest into obsession and it does so in a beautiful way. I won’t say too much about this book, because it is one that works best with as little knowledge as possible before reading, but everything about this book was perfect to me.
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The Dagger and the Flame by Catherine Doyle
Publish Date: 26 September 2024
And last but certainly not least - The Dagger and the Flame is the first novel in The City of Fantome duology by Catherine Doyle. It’s a romantasy enemies-to-lovers story with a lot of yearning and a dual POV between the two main characters. When I was reading this, by far the best part was the characters because each one, no matter how small, have their own personalities and motivations. This aspect just makes the book so much better so I definitely recommend it to those that love character-driven plots!
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