May 2026 - What are you reading?

[Anonymous]

North Sun, or The Voyage of the Whale Ship Esther by Ethan Rutherford

It's just . . . wow . . . read it in two sittings because it's that good. To say it's an allegorical whaling adventure doesn't quite do it justice. It's a story well told, with elements of myth and magical realism, that highlights the depravity of the whaling industry and its deleterious effects on both the animals and the men it exploited for profit.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:North Sun, or The Voyage of the Whale Ship Esther by Ethan Rutherford

It's just . . . wow . . . read it in two sittings because it's that good. To say it's an allegorical whaling adventure doesn't quite do it justice. It's a story well told, with elements of myth and magical realism, that highlights the depravity of the whaling industry and its deleterious effects on both the animals and the men it exploited for profit.

Is it fiction or nonfiction? Sounds intriguing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:North Sun, or The Voyage of the Whale Ship Esther by Ethan Rutherford

It's just . . . wow . . . read it in two sittings because it's that good. To say it's an allegorical whaling adventure doesn't quite do it justice. It's a story well told, with elements of myth and magical realism, that highlights the depravity of the whaling industry and its deleterious effects on both the animals and the men it exploited for profit.

Is it fiction or nonfiction? Sounds intriguing.

Fiction

[Anonymous]

Just finished "The man I never met".
It is a romance novel set in London. An American guy named Davey is supposed to call for a phone interview for a job but he wrote the number down wrong. He accidentally calls Hannah, the main character. After figuring out the right number and doing the interview, he calls Hannah back to say he got the job and will be moving to London in a few months. They end up becoming buddies over the phone. She helps him look for an apartment. They make plans to meet in person once he gets there. Then something happens and he doesn't come to England after all.

I liked the book. I thought it would be a rom-com but it was more of a British version of a Nicholas Sparks type of book.

[Anonymous]

I just finished The Humans by Matt Haig, partially based on all the recommendations on here. It was a light and pleasant read, about an alien who is sent to earth to destroy a couple humans who know too much about a mathematical breakthrough (for the safety of the universe) but of course becomes increasingly sympathetic to the humans he is meant to kill.

I was somewhat distracted in the first half, when our alien first arrives, because the book reminded me so much of the show Resident Alien, which I had recently watched with DCs. Then I felt the back half was a bit rushed and - possible SPOILER - ... ... I never quite "bought" the love the alien was supposed to have developed with the main characters because the relationships seemed to jump so quickly from 0 to 100. That said, it was enjoyable and somewhat uplifting (well, when I was not ruminating that perhaps the alien was too optimistic about humanity, esp. given the trajectory the world has taken since publication of the book!)

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m reading The Book of Guilt by Catherine Chidgey. I’m liking it so far (about 1/3 through), though it’s feeling a little bit like a reworked Never Let Me Go.

I just finished this and loved it. I agree that there are similarities to Never Let Me Go, but I actually liked it better.

I recently got back from an annual reading retreat that I do with a group of friends so I've read a lot of books this month.

That's What Friends Are For by Wade Rouse. Fun book about a group of gay friends who do a local theater show based on the Golden Girls.

The Midnight Show - think Daisy Jones and the Six set in a comedy sketch show. I liked it a lot.

Hot Girl Murder Club by Ashley Winstead. This one comes out in July. I loved it. It's a good thriller with a lot of twists.

A Town With Half the Lights On by Page Getz. Epistolary novel told from multiple perspectives about a family who moves to a small town in Kansas after the father crashes and burns as a chef in NYC. I loved this book. It's an easy fun read but has a lot of heart and great characters.

Five by Ilona Bannister. I LOVED this book. If you need a page turner you can read in 1 sitting, get this book. People are waiting for a train that arrives in 5 minutes. We meet 5 people and we know 1 of them dies upon the train's arrival. The five characters are incredibly flawed individuals and it's interesting to feel yourself deciding which ones you want to survive and which one should die. It is darkly funny in a way I wasn't expecting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:"Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking" recommended on here!

It is "a memoir of food and longing" written by a russian cookbook author who emigrated to the US with her mother when she was a child.

I love it. It is everything I like in a book. History, food and Russia (and why it is the way it is)

It was so good I am now listening to National Dish by the same author. She stirs in some history while exploring the dishes. It's also a delight.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Reading Yesteryear- 100 pages in and so far it's just ok. Hoping it gets better.

Listening to London Falling. It's a true story about a young man in London who assumes a fake identity and gets mixed up with a group of wealthy scammers and dies at the age of 19 after "falling" off a balcony into the Thames.

Armchair Experts podcase just interviewed the author and now I want to read it.

[Anonymous]

I am a huge suspense/thriller aficionado (think Freida McFadden, Ruth Ware, etc.) and I just finished reading one of the best novels in this genre.

It is titled “My Husband’s Wife” and is authored by Alice Feeney.

It begins w/a woman who goes out one evening for her regular jog.
She lives in a small village and is married w/one daughter who does not live in her home according to the story.

Well after returning home from her run, she realizes that her house key 🔑 no longer goes into the doorknob.
And also when her husband opens the door, he claims to not know who she is!
Even worse, there is another woman in the house who is claiming that she IS her husband’s wife and she is even saying that she has the same exact name as his wife who cannot figure out what is going on.

No it isn’t a case of bad amnesia nor is it a bad case of a sci-fi fantasy……
The story continues and at the end of the book all the pieces come together ➕ everything will make full sense too.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I loved the twists and turns and will look for some of this author’s add’l novels to check out!

Very well-written, unpredictable & a believable plot!

[Anonymous]

I just started reading Mitch Albom’s the little liar.
So far so interesting.

Mitch has a very unique writing style.

[Anonymous]

I am trying to read Less Than Zero but not enjoying it.

[Anonymous]

Anyone read Her Last Breath?
I just read Emma Straub's American Fantasy and meh.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I am a huge suspense/thriller aficionado (think Freida McFadden, Ruth Ware, etc.) and I just finished reading one of the best novels in this genre.

It is titled “My Husband’s Wife” and is authored by Alice Feeney.

It begins w/a woman who goes out one evening for her regular jog.
She lives in a small village and is married w/one daughter who does not live in her home according to the story.

Well after returning home from her run, she realizes that her house key 🔑 no longer goes into the doorknob.
And also when her husband opens the door, he claims to not know who she is!
Even worse, there is another woman in the house who is claiming that she IS her husband’s wife and she is even saying that she has the same exact name as his wife who cannot figure out what is going on.

No it isn’t a case of bad amnesia nor is it a bad case of a sci-fi fantasy……
The story continues and at the end of the book all the pieces come together ➕ everything will make full sense too.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I loved the twists and turns and will look for some of this author’s add’l novels to check out!

Very well-written, unpredictable & a believable plot!

Alice Feeney's books can be hit or miss. I recommend skipping I Know Who You Are. Based on what you've said, you would absolutely hate it. It has a terrible ending. I recommend His & Hers and Rock, Paper, Scissors. I haven't read it, but a lot of my friends really liked Daisy Darker.

Have you read anything by Sally Hepworth or Shari Lapena? You might like them as well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone read Her Last Breath?
I just read Emma Straub's American Fantasy and meh.

I’m afraid I can’t help with Her Last Breath, but I had the same reaction to American Fantasy. Perhaps it would resonate more with fans of either boy bands or cruises, but I thought it might shed more light on the fandom of both, and it just didn’t for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Anyone read Her Last Breath?
I just read Emma Straub's American Fantasy and meh.

I read it. I thought it was well done and had a very visceral reaction to the descriptions of the cave. So claustrophobic but well done for a thriller.