Amanda's Bookish World May.2025

Hello, again. I (still) might not be reviewing books, but I am still reading. (ish?) May was a wildly busy month, filled with travel, events, and work. Your resident introvert is tired. But here’s another roundup of books I’ve read, books I’m going to read, and books I’ve bought.

Bonus: while traveling for work, I managed to squeeze in a visit Heartbound Book Shop in Anaheim, CA.

Books I’ve Read

HAHA, still reading this one: Unmasking for Life by Devon Price. I finally paused this on StoryGraph because while I like it, my brain does not seem to want it. (This has not stopped me from buying nor reading more nonfiction because I am a menace, mostly to my overflowing bookshelves.)

The Bane Witch by Ava Morgyn. This book was the pick for the May fantasy book club. A fantasy thriller with a splash of romance, main character Piers discovers she’s a bane witch, someone who hunts men who need to be eradicated using poison. There is a serial killer and a very terrible husband. I really hope there are more books in this world.

Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy. This was the pick for May romance book club. It was adorable with an interesting world and very clearly part of a series. But it also brings up why romantasy can be a misleading term (a good further-reading article: “How Do You Solve a Problem Like Romantasy?”) — is it romantic fantasy or fantasy romance? This is more the former. Book club seemed to agree that this was a great book, as long as you do not read it with the expectation of getting a romance.

The Design of Us by Sajni Patel. I listened to this book while traveling. Fake dating and bickering coworkers sounded fun. And it was fun, but the two characters felt very . . . young. It could have also just been the format, or that I was traveling while listening (including the red eye flight where I definitely fell asleep right before the characters got it on), or the book itself.

Any Trope But You by Victoria Lavine. I am a sucker for anything set in Alaska, but this one ended up being . . . forgettable? (Literally, I do not remember much from this book beyond the book description.) I am also a very picky rom-com reader, which does not help. This book is definitely for someone, but that someone is not me.

The Trouble with Anna by Rachel Griffiths. Another romance book club pick. I didn’t hate this book, but I didn’t love it, either? I love a good deep POV historical romance, and there is little that’s deep about the characters’ POVs. And they skip through plot points fairly quickly. It has rom-com vibes.

Wish You Were Here by Jess K. Hardy. THIS BOOK. It’s not a lighthearted book, which I appreciate. Second chance romance, Kev and Davis have to work out their issues after Kev relapses and returns after rehab. Lots of healing, emotions, the importance of community, and finding your way. I inhaled this book in an afternoon. Can’t wait for the next Bluebird Basin book.

The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech's Hype and Create the Future We Want by Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna. Highly recommend this book that cuts through the hype around AI. This was the nonfiction book my brain wanted. (I picked this one up after Chicago Sun Times and Philadelphia Inquirer get dragged for publishing a summer reading article where AI generated the text and made up books.)

The Book Club Corner

Three book clubs, two of them in the same week, during an incredibly busy month was probably not the best choice. I’m taking it easy for June with just two.

June books:

• My Best Friend’s Honeymoon by Meryl Wilsner (queer contemporary romance)

• Mountains Made of Glass by Scarlett St. Clair (fairytale retelling)

Books I’ve Bought

This list looks like I’ve been keeping my book buying under control, but that’s misleading. I also bought four of the books listed above.

Love and Other Conspiracies by Mallory Marlowe. This one came recommended by someone at one of the romance book clubs I attend, and I picked it up from Heartbound in California.

Daughter of the Tides by Kit Rocha. THIS BOOK. Technically, I have read this book already (pre-pub on NetGalley), but I preordered it because it is FANTASTIC. Y’all, it should not be surprising that I wanted to continue in this world after Consort of Fire (horny dragon book) and Queen of Dreams (horny dragon book 2). In this duology, we get Aleski, god of love; Einar, the KRAKEN (pirate lord), and Naia, a newly created god.