May 2026 Wrap-Up
Happy June!
How has everyone’s month been so far? I celebrated multiple birthdays, tried some new restaurants, and went to a renfaire! I also finished a ton of books I was working my way through for the past few months. I ended up finishing 9 books. I think that’s my record for 2026 so far! I even finished a few chapter books so it wasn’t all graphic novels and manga 😂
Editing Update: I’ve had a very relaxing beginning to June as my next editing project begins tomorrow. I’m grateful for the break as I was working nonstop for quite a bit. Now I’m all rested and ready to take on my next stream of projects. I’m excited for the ones I have coming up in the next couple months. I’m currently booking into August, so if you have a manuscript that you’re looking to get edited, send me a synopsis 😊
My Library
Strange Pictures by Uketsu
Review:
I freaking LOVED this book! I loved it way more than Strange Buildings, which I kind of expected based on reviews. This book had more of a crime element to it, which I loved immensely. I binge-read this book in 2 reading sessions. The mystery behind the pictures practically had me sitting on the edge of my seat. Now, I’m a bit nervous to read Strange Houses because I’m not sure if it’ll live up to my love of this book. I definitely need to own this entire series regardless. It’s SO GOOD.
5/5⭐
Every Day I Read: 53 Ways to Get Closer to Books by Hwang Bo-Reum
Review:
Thank you Nekoto Books for gifting me this book! I loved it so much. It’s such a quick and simple read about reading and having a love for books. It inspired me to read more and read more books outside of my comfort zone. There are so many great messages in this book about how it doesn’t matter where you read, how many books you read, what format the books are in, when you read; it basically all comes down to “just read.” There are also so many interesting book recs mentioned in the essays, and now I have a growing TBR from this book alone. This book is essentially an ode to book lovers and readers everywhere. I highly recommend checking it out!
5/5⭐
Netgalley eARCs
Honey Bee & Lemon Balm Vol. 1 by Jil Hashikura
Review:
I loved this manga so much. I thought it was such a sweet story with how the yakuza kid, Kaoru, kept trying to confess his love to the flower shop man, Yuichiro. The characters are all so fun, and I loved how cute the ending was. It’s a heartwarming read with plenty of shenanigans. I will definitely continue with this series to see how their relationship progresses.
4.5/5⭐
Salvage: A Graphic Novel by Renée Nault
Review:
I am absolutely obsessed with the artwork in this graphic novel! The world-building was so fascinating and creative. I loved the characters and the relationship blossoming between Paolo and Jules. Everything was honestly just so captivating and I’d highly recommend checking this book out! I just want to reread it to experience that world all over again.
5/5⭐
Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees: Rite of Spring by Patrick Horvath
Review:
I read majority of this graphic novel in the lineup to an author signing and I have to say, it was extremely difficult to keep my face expressions in check because of everything that happens in this story. I loved the first omnibus and was super excited to see what happens next in this one. We get a lot more backstory about Samantha’s upbringing and her beginnings as a serial killer. I knew she was violent but there were so many scenes that had my jaw dropping in shock. I’m not too sure if there’ll be another batch of stories as I thought this one ended quite satisfyingly, but I’d definitely check it out if there’ll be more. This is just such a fun serial killer story. The cover art in the back pages were also really cool!
4/5⭐
In a World of Sunrises by Cleo Wade
Review:
This was a very basic book filled with motivational messages and poems. I really enjoyed the poems as they were probably the most original works in the book. The motivational messages were all very generic, basically an amalgamation of things you can easily find on the internet. Granted, the author did have to come up with 365 messages and poems, so it would be easy to repeat some of them etc. I don’t think I’d recommend this as I’ve come across many other motivational and inspiring books that do a better job of hitting people in the feels while still imparting these same messages. It would make for a fun little daily book if you’re looking to have a one-book-fits-all approach, though.
3/5⭐
Other (e)ARCs
From Tor Publishing Group
Anji Kills a King by Evan Leikam
Review:
I did not expect to enjoy this book as much as I did. It's such a great travel tale where the reader goes along with the characters on their journey. So much happens and everything is very dramatic and graphic. The amount of death made me think this was a George R.R. Martin book 😂 There were quite a few deaths that hit you real hard in the feels. The author did an amazing job of setting up your emotional attachment to these characters so your heart really got ripped to shreds when they died. I thought the concept of drugs and addiction in this world was really interesting, especially with what happened to people when they had too much of the drug. On another note, WHAT THE F*CK WAS THAT ENDING. I literally did not expect that at all and had to reread it a few times to make it sink in. I’m so intrigued with what’s going to happen next, so I’ll definitely continue with this series! Highly recommend. Also, that cover art is stunning!
4.5/5⭐
From Simon & Schuster Canada
Honeysuckle by Bar Fridman-Tell
Review:
This book blew my mind. It’s now going to be the book that I recommend to all my friends because it is spectacular and really makes you think. This book was essentially a moral debate about if you create a being, what can your relationship be like with this creature and is there a line you must draw so you treat them morally. The discussions around if Daye could consent to everything that happened to her were very compelling. Everything started so innocently and then escalated so quickly. I’m so happy with how this book ended, though. The moral debates were so well done. I really enjoyed how much this book made me think.
6/5⭐
From Candlewick Press
The Hotel Balzaar by Kate DiCamillo
Review:
I loved the first book in this series and was excited to read this one! I love the slow vibes of these stories. This was such a heartwarming tale of a father coming back from the war. I loved the reveal with each story, and I had a fun time making all the connections between the stories and the storyteller’s real life. The story never lagged, and I was so happy with how it ended. The child in the story reminded me of a much more calm version of Eloise 😂 The illustrations were also beautiful, as always.
5/5⭐
Audiobooks
I’m still working my way through “Pucking Around” and the third book of “Beware of Chicken.” It’s been more of a music month right now, but we’ll see if I manage to finish either of these in June. I’m still loving what little I’ve listened to this month, though.
Now that it’s June, what are everyone’s plans for the summer? Any fun travel plans or books you look forward to reading? Let me know in the comments below!
Happy reading 😄
