May 2025 Haul and Wrap Up
coffeestarsbooks
- June 2, 2025
- 2:24 pm
Hi there friends and fellow bookworms. I hope the first few days of June are treating you well! Now that we’re heading into a new month, I thought I’d share my wrap up and a small May bookhaul with you all. May was a surprisingly good month for me for reading. I’ve been in an incredibly long reading slump, and my ability to read quickly has sort of disappeared, so it was nice to feel excited about books again this month. I’m not sure how it’ll be heading into June- we’ve got the Nintendo Switch 2 coming in a few days and I definitely think I’ll be prioritising some Mario Kart-ing, but there’s also a lot of good releases heading our way this month, which I’ll talk about more in a few days when I post my June tbr/hopefuls 😀
What I Read This Month:
The Starless Sea
Started reading: 17th April.
Finished reading: 3rd May
This book has been on my radar for the longest time, but I’ve been a little afraid to pick it up, mainly because it and the author’s other book are so well loved, and I didn’t fall head over heels for The Night Circus. In the end, I absolutely adored the writing style and the languorous pace, and the story within a story elements. It was a 5 star read for me, up until the last 150 pages or so, when it suddenly started getting too convoluted and difficult to follow and the pace went from a pleasant stroll to dragging. I still enjoyed it, but it wasn’t amazing for me.
What Moves the Dead
Stared reading: 3rd May
Finished reading: 4th May
This was a delightfully quick read, and one of my three picks for my free Everand trial. I was very curious about the story, since I recently really enjoyed The Fall of the House of Usher on Netflix. Having never read the original, I thought this would be a fun read to see the difference in retellings. The creepy hares and mushrooms were hauntingly gothic, and while this was a short read, it was exactly what I was looking for!
Silver Nitrate
Started reading: 4th May
Finished reading: 8th May
Seems like I’ve been reaching for a lot of horror books recently. I really liked Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic a few years back, and I know her books are highly regarded, so I wanted to see what else she’s written. This was a fun and unique read. I enjoyed the nods to cinema and all of the facts I learned, but it was sometimes a little hard to keep up with the references, since it isn’t my world.
To Gaze Upon Wicked Gods
Started reading: 8th May
Finished reading: 19th May
I wanted to love this, I really did. The premise is pretty standard YA fantasy, and hits a lot of fun but not particularly unique tropes. There were definitely some interesting aspects of the book- I liked the setting and the mythology, and the magic system seemed pretty good. Sadly, it’s also very predictable and there’s an insta-love in there that could have led to some really nuanced and deep discussions about colonialism and oppression, but just didn’t go there. Having read other books this month that hit these same themes so much better, I really don’t think I can give this one much praise. Though I will say the Illumicrate edition is stunning.
Bloom
Started reading: 22nd May
Finished reading: 22nd May
Another short and sweet but also haunting horror book! I’ve been wanting to read something by Delilah S. Dawson for a little while, but didn’t know where to start. After reading this, I definitely want to check out more of her work, and I already have my eye on her recent release, Guillotine. This one packs a dreamy, folksy charm that really lures you in before the nightmares begin. It reminds me of a particular Stephen King book, which I can’t share because I feel like saying it will spoil parts of Bloom. I really liked this, but definitely check out those trigger warnings first- things get dark.
Hungerstone
Started reading: 22nd May
Finished reading: 24th May
Absolutely fantasic read. I knew going into this that it was a Carmilla retelling, so there’d be some whisper of vampires. I think the historical gothic setting worked very well for both setting up the creepy atmosphere and discussions about female agency and hunger for more in a time where we were bound by strict traditions and restrictions. There were some genuinely creepy moments in this, and I thought the sapphic romance/obsession was great, if a little rushed in places. I’ll be sharing more of my thoughts on this one soon, but for now just know I loved it!
Blood Over Bright Haven
Started reading: 25th May
Finished reading: 27th May
Last but not least, my favourite book of May 2025, narrowly beating Hungerstone for the top spot. I didn’t expect to love Blood Over Bright Haven but I ended up devouring this book. While I had misgivings about the writing early on, with some dialogue being a little on the nose and more than a few exposition paragraphs, as soon as the story started to connect up, I was hooked. Such a fantastic read! I’ve already done a review for this one, so if you’re at all curious, check out more of my thoughts here
Storygraph Stats:
What I Hauled This Month:
Hungerstone
Just the one book purchased this month since I wanted to try Everand and I’ve been trying to get better about not buying too many books in a spree (and then never getting around to reading them). I ended up picking up Hungerstone because I’d heard about it in a list of upcoming 2025 releases and thought it sounded incredible and right up my alley. Last time I was in Waterstones, I happened to come across it and realise it was out already- no need to wait any longer. So of course I had to buy it.
That’s my wrap up and haul for this month. I did also pre-order the Illumicrate edition of Bury my Bones in the Midnight Soil but since I won’t get that copy until July or August, I decided not to include it just yet! Let me know what you managed to read this month in the comment section down below, or reach out to me through my socials <3 As always, and until next time, happy reading!
