I don’t know about where you live, but the weather here in Wisconsin is finally starting to get nicer and I’ve been able to read outside a little! Sunshine plus books make me happy. This month I have a few interesting picks that I surprisingly really enjoyed. It’s important to add some variety to your typical book selections to keep things interesting. I hope you are able to find your next great read from my book reviews and recommendations for May below.

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His Only Wife

I stayed up way too late for a few nights reading His Only Wife because I thought it was so good even though I can’t exactly put my finger on why.  I guess I found the different cultures and locations of the story very interesting. Plus, I wondered if I were put in the same circumstances if I would have made the same choices as the main character.

In Ghana, a poor young woman is marrying a popular wealthy man from her community but he is too busy to even show up to their wedding so his brother stands in.  The groom’s family is very excited about the match because he has been living with a girlfriend they don’t like. Even though the couple has a child together the family still thinks this marriage will finally get him to kick the girlfriend to the curb. 

After weeks of not seeing her new husband, he finally starts coming around their apartment and the newlyweds begin to enjoy each other’s company. But the wife doesn’t understand why she is still living in an apartment instead of her husband’s main house. Apparently, breaking things off with his girlfriend is complicated but the wife might be getting ready to make some ultimatums. What would you be willing to sacrifice for the person you love?

The War That Saved My Life

The War That Saved My Life is an absolutely fantastic YA novel. It’s a quick read and adults will love it too!

This book has a unique perspective on WWII written from the viewpoint of a young girl living in England. Her mother is ashamed of her disability (a clubbed foot) and keeps her in the family’s apartment, never allowed to go outside. But when word gets out that children in London are being sent to the country in case of bombings from Germany the girl seizes her chance to escape with her younger brother.

The siblings end up living with a single woman who never wanted kids. They all learn a lot from each other during their time together. Specifically, the young girl realizes that her club foot is not a disgrace and she is still able to do many things in life, important things.

This book is less about the war compared to many WWII historical fiction books I’ve read and more about the characters and what personal hurdles they have to overcome.

What She Left Behind

The reason I didn’t rate What She Left Behind higher is that I am not great with creepy stories that could have absolutely happened. Furthermore, I don’t enjoy reading about when bad things happen to pregnant women or babies, but it is still a good book.

The story switches between two main characters. In present time, a girl in foster care is finally with a nice family but she is about to turn 18 and is concerned about aging out of the system. Her mother is serving time in prison for killing her father. The girl has no idea why her mother murdered her father and worries that genes that made her mom “go crazy” might surface in her one day. To top it off, the kids at her new school are giving her a rough time – a lot of intense bullying. She is starting to help her foster mom out by going through old artifacts from a state mental hospital to use for a curated exhibit at the museum.

The other main character is a young woman in the 1920s from a wealthy family who wants to date a man her father doesn’t approve of. When she goes against her father’s wishes she is sent away for psychiatric help for her “delusions”. 

After a little time, the young lady gets transferred to the state hospital. This large facility uses a number of barbaric practices (including cages, electroshock therapy, isolation, physical restraints, etc) insisting they are trying to help their patients. Unfortunately, many patients don’t deserve to be there but will have no chance of ever being set free. Will the main character ever be able to escape these nightmare circumstances? Will she ever see her love again?

The Power

Wow, The Power is intense. I would suggest not reading the book if you are super sleepy because it’s very thought-provoking and you’ll want to keep track of the different characters and events. 

Teen girls are discovering that they have electric power. The power is able to be passed onto older women. Over time different women choose to use the power in different ways. Some decide to create their own country, some imagine women taking over the world and making men pay for past sins, some train the power for military defense, and still others use it to build a new religious order.

I like that the story includes a male perspective. A male journalist travels the world reporting on how women are using their power in different countries. He also reports on how male extremist groups are trying to push back. Will there be another World War?

If you are looking for a great book club pick, this story could lead to a lot of discussions. I thought the characters were very unique and had great voices. I enjoyed how a number of historical events were subtly brought into the story. It’s not my usual taste but I higly recommend this book.

Check out my book reviews from April for more book recommendations!