May was a busy reading month! I read 25 books. I was honestly surprised by all the books I read. My guess is that it was because it rained so much. I had lots of time indoors. But like many people, I think I also read more in the summer. Reading in the pool is my favorite!
My Favorite Books of May 2025
I read 25 books in May. Of those, I gave five books perfect grades. Here are my reviews.
Great Big Beautiful Life
Emily Henry has become one of my favorite writers. There’s just something about the fun details she includes in her descriptions that makes me relate to her characters. Still, I was a bit nervous to read Great Big Beautiful Life. I don’t love all of Henry’s books equally, and a lot of people weren’t liking this one at all. Still, I loved it.
The story follows two writers — Alice Scott, a hopeful journalist seeking her big break, and Hayden Anderson, a jaded Pulitzer Prize–winning biographer — as they compete to write the life story of the reclusive heiress Margaret Ives.
Margaret invites them for a month-long interview in the remote Georgia town where she disappeared. Then, she offers them pieces of her past under strict secrecy.
Alice and Hayden navigate their own evolving relationship and competition as they uncover memories from Margaret’s life filled with glamour, scandal, and heartbreak. To add to the mystery, their interviews with Margaret are on different days, so neither knows what the other is (or isn’t) learning about her.
The book is told through a dual timeline, which made it confusing for many readers. But I loved that it was more than just a love story. It wasn’t your typical Emily Henry book, but I still thought it was fabulous.
Say You’ll Remember Me
I read lots of different stuff, but I really consider myself a thriller reader. However, my best friend has been listening to Abby Jimenez books and really likes them. And I like a little summer romance reading, so I thought, why not?
I read Part of Your World last year. I gave it four stars, but I didn’t love it enough to keep going.
But I thought, “I’ll give Say You’ll Remember Me a try, since everyone is talking about it.”
Ok, this love story starts with a cat’s butthole, so I really didn’t think I was in. Until it made me cry.
I can probably count on one hand the number of books that have made me cry.
I’m not going to give it away, but the relationship with Hank got me. I mean, the main couple’s relationship is adorable, don’t get me wrong. But Hank did me in.
Overall, a fun summer read that tackles all types of relationships.
That Librarian
When was the last time you screamed at the book you were reading or listening to? If it’s been a while, you need to read The Librarian by Amanda Jones.
Jones is a school librarian in Louisiana who stood up at a public meeting in 2022 and said, ‘Hey, kids deserve access to diverse books.’”
What happened next? Online harassment. Threats. A defamation lawsuit. All for defending the right to read.
But Amanda didn’t back down. That Librarian tells her story — the trauma, the legal battle, and why she refuses to stay silent.
At one point in the book, Amanda writes: “Hell hath no fury like a librarian scorned.”
I believe her after reading this book.
It’s raw, it’s honest, and it’s gonna make you mad.
Here are a couple of interesting things I learned from the book:
- The majority of the books people want to ban are about certain topics, specifically related to the LGBTQ+ community.
- Most people who advocate for banning specific books boast that they haven’t read them.
- People often misrepresent or even misquote books they want banned. Again, they haven’t read them, so they take what they see online about the book as fact.
- Then, these people bully those who stand against censorship.
If you don’t want your child to read certain types of books or you don’t want to read specific books, that’s totally ok with me. But that doesn’t give you the right to decide what everyone else should have access to.
As Amanda wrote in her book, “You start banning one thing, and you’re on a slippery slope to banning everything.”
And I can promise you that there’s something you think you have a right to access and read that someone else thinks is wrong.
If you’re like me and think book banning is just plain un-American, you’ll want to read this book.
The Perfect Marriage
Can you love an author but not totally love her books? I’m not sure.
I love Jeneva Rose’s stuff here on TikTok. She makes me laugh, especially when she talks about Scott, the guy who doesn’t like her writing.
I’ve read four of Jeneva Rose books, and I didn’t dislike any of them. I also didn’t give any of them five stars. And I DNF’d one of her books.
But when The Perfect Divorce came out, I was drawn in by how beautiful the book was. I also knew that I needed to go back and read The Perfect Marriage before I read it.
I loved The Perfect Marriage. It’s Jeneva’s best work to date, IMO. I even ended up liking it more than The Perfect Divorce.
The book is about a powerhouse defense attorney, Sarah Morgan, whose husband is arrested for murdering his mistress. And she takes the case to defend him.
It’s told from the perspectives of Sarah and Adam.
And there are some amazing plot twists that you won’t see coming!
The Wedding People
Phoebe Stone’s life is in crisis, and she’s just trying to escape.
The recently divorced adjunct literature professor checks into the bucket list Newport hotel, where she quickly discovers that she’s the only guest at the hotel who isn’t there as part of the wedding party.
So, guess what happens?
Yep. She becomes part of the wedding. A HUGE part.
It all sounds light, but this book has a ton of depth and touches on some serious subjects, including suicidal ideation, death, grief, adultery, professional crises, complex family dynamics, etc.
I don’t want to give anything away, but trust me when I say The Wedding People by Alison Espach is a must-read about coming to terms with who you are and finding love and relationships in unexpected places.
Happy Reading!
There they are, my five favorite books of May. I think it’s fair to say we’re moving into summer reading season, which means you’ll likely see more romance on my reading lists. Regardless, I hope you find something on the list to read and love.
As always, happy reading!
