May 2023 Book Reviews and Recommendations

I flew through the books this month because I couldn’t put them down. I’ll warn you, some of the premises in the book recommendations below will sound weird but you’ll just have to trust me, these books are fantastic!

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The Year of Less

The Year of Less is more of a memoir than a self-help book. The author goes on a spending ban for a year (obviously there are some exceptions). She explains her process and there is a how-to guide at the very end. But mostly the author gives her personal history in terms of overconsumption of alcohol, food, and spending.

The main takeaways are to take inventory of what you own, declutter, and spend on experiences instead of more stuff, plus you must save money.

I listened to the audiobook and I would not recommend that version. The author is very monotone. The book didn’t feel very applicable to me because I am already fantastic about decluttering and I’m working hard at spending less. The alcoholism wasn’t relatable to me either and that seemed like a large part of the book.

If you feel as if you shop too much and your spending is out of control this might be an okay book to start with but it just didn’t add much value to me personally.

A Court of Thorns and Roses

I couldn’t put A Court of Thorns and Roses down but I don’t think I am as obsessed as most readers seem to be. I will absolutely read the next book in the series but sometimes the backstories were hard to remember and the settings hard to visualize. That being said, the book is a mix of Beauty and the Beast, The Hunger Games, and Twilight. Bonus – there’s a map in the beginning (I love a map!).

A poor young woman hunts for her family after promising her mother on her deathbed to care for her family, a father and two sisters who have fallen into poverty. While hunting, she kills a fairy in wolf form. The consequence is that she must spend the rest of her life in fairy territory away from her family.

To live in splendor with plenty of food among immortals isn’t exactly torture but things are amiss. A blight is causing worry, dangerous spirits are constantly about, and the high lords are terrified of some being with even more power. It’s all very secretive and the woman doesn’t know how or what she should warn her family against.

There’s definitely some gore. Plus, there’s obviously a love story. I’m a huge fan of books where there is a strong female lead with male friends.

It Ends With Us

I didn’t know what to expect because of all the hype around It Ends With Us especially when I found Verity so disturbing. This is not Verity! But please note there is physical abuse.

A woman meets a man one night randomly and they seem to really hit it off. The problem is she is looking for a relationship and he only does one-night stands.

Fast forward six months and she is starting her own flower shop when a random woman walks in wanting to be her employee even though the stranger is so rich she doesn’t need to work. Of course, it’s the man’s sister.

Once they meet again the man can’t stop thinking about her and he’s willing to try a relationship. But soon the main character runs into a man from her past. The one who got away. Will she stay with the sexy neurosurgeon who might not be as perfect as he seems or will her past find some closure?

As cheesy as it sounds, I liked the story a lot but wish some parts weren’t so implausible. I’ve seen a few pics from the movie set and I’m very concerned about hair/wardrobe choices. I have no desire to read the second book in this series (though I think it’s more of a prequel?) but definitely would recommend this one.

Remarkable Bright Creatures

Remarkably Bright Creatures is an utter delight. I’m not sure what to pinpoint as to why I loved it so much but just believe me and read it. I may have shed a tear (super rare for me).

There are three main points of view in this story. One is an octopus. He’s a very intelligent animal living in a small aquarium. He frequently escapes his tank at night to snack on other animals or leftover Chinese food from the employees.

Toa is an elderly woman who cleans the aquarium at night at discovers the octopus’s secret. They develop a strong bond. She’s a widow and tragically lost her son many years ago. Toa never found out exactly the details surrounding her son’s death and it’s baffled her ever since.

Lastly, there’s a man in his 30s who continues to make bad life decisions despite being so smart. Down on his luck, he heads up to Washington to find who he thinks might be his father but the man is hard to track down.

Storylines and characters all intertwine together in a seamless way that doesn’t feel forced. The writing is witty, especially from the octopus’s point of view. I highly, highly recommend this book.

Looking for more book reviews? Check out my April Book Recommendations!