💐 May Reviews 🌷
May 1st-31st
Well, I was definitely right about May. It was my best reading month of the year so far and I read so many incredible books. Cannot wait to see what June brings.
Book 37: Storm of Olympus
By Claire M. Andrews
Read April 30th-May 2nd
Pages: 470
Release Year: 2023
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Storm of Olympus is definitely the best book in the Daughter of Sparta series by far. I love where Claire M. Andrews took Daphne’s story in this volume. Her take on Greek mythology twists the myths in interesting ways and just has me wanting to read more. This volume continues on right after the last, with Daphne on Circe’s island. I love how she takes events from The Odyssey and makes them her own here.
Daphne has gone on quite the journey since the first book in the series. Her character arc is an intriguing one and I enjoyed watching her come into her powers throughout this story. She is a dynamic character that has to work for what she wants, it doesn’t just come to her. I loved her interactions with the gods, goddesses, and the other characters.
Daphne and Apollo’s relationship is one I highly enjoy. I adore this iteration of Apollo so much and want more with him. Claire takes so many well-known characters from mythology and turns them on their head. I especially love her take on Helen, Circe, Hecate, Apollo, and Hermes. The bond between these characters and the found family elements are some of my favorites.
I recommend this series to Greek Mythology lovers, who love interesting twists in their retellings. The audiobooks are also very good. I read my ARC and listened to the audiobook. The narrator, Brittany Pressley does a great job with these books.
*Thank you to NetGalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 38: William Shakespeare’s Star Wars: Verily, A New Hope
By Ian Doescher
Read May 4th
Pages: 174
Release Year: 2013
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An absolutely wonderful read for Star Wars Day. Ian Doescher did such a great job adapting Star Wars into Shakespearean language. I cannot wait to read the rest of the series now.
Book 39: The Mythmakers: The Remarkable Fellowship of C.S. Lewis & J.R.R. Tolkien
By John Hendrix
Read May 10th
Pages: 224
Release Year: 2024
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Along with the information on both authors, Hendrix also has what he calls Portals, which discuss other information such as myth and fairy tales. These sections were great extras that added to the overall experience of the book. I did not read them until the end but they can also be read during your reading experience because of the pages numbers telling you where to go (similar to a Choose-Your-Own-Adventure story).
I highly recommend this book to fans of both authors. It was an incredible read that was informative, enjoyable, and heartwarming at times. I know I would have loved this book when I was younger and first reading from both of their fantasy worlds. Definitely, would love to see more books like this for other fantasy authors, such as L. Frank Baum, Lewis Carroll, etc. The Mythmakers will be joining my collection along with my Narnia and The Lord of the Rings series. Cannot wait to see the beautiful illustrations in color.
*Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 40: The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear
By Walter Moers
Read May 11th-14th
Pages: 704
Release Year: 1999
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I enjoyed following Bluebear on his journey during his first 13 1/2 lives. This is an utterly ridiculous zany adventure that draws you into the world of Zamonia. The formatting was also quite interesting and I loved the illustration style.
The entries from Professor Abdullah Nightingale’s Encyclopedia were welcome additions to the overall tale. They had me laughing many times when Bluebear would get angry at the useful pieces of information he received from it, often too late for him to use. Hilarious. Reminiscent of Terry Pratchett's snarky humor.
I was recommended this book over 12 years ago because of my love for The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy and I can see the comparison to Douglas Adam's writing. Zany and silly humor fill this story. It is a joy to read most of the time.
Bluebear's adventures also reminded me of the way Kvothe in The Name of the Wind tells the story of his life. You wonder how much of the story Bluebear is telling is the truth or if he is making it up for the reader. The journey gets taller as Bluebear continues on with his tale. It makes you want to keep reading to see what else could happen to him and his companions. Though, I will say this book could have been shortened. It definitely doesn't need to be over 700 pages.
My favorite part of this story was learning about the world of Zamonia and I look forward in continuing on with the series. I don't know where it will go from here, but I'm highly intrigued.
Book 41: Death’s Country
By R.M. Romero
Read May 15
Pages: 400
Release Year: 2024
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R.M. Romero does such an incredible job blending magical realism with a realistic world. This is my second of her works and I now know I will read anything she writes. I adored this story so much and could not stop reading it last night. Novels written in verse always draw me in and I am so glad I found Romero's A Warning About Swans last year, which led me to picking up this beauty.
As soon as I saw this being comped as part Hadestown and the myth of "Orpheus and Eurydice”, I knew I had to read it. Many of my favorite myths deal with the Underworld. Romero takes the myth and breathes new life into it with Andres, Renee, and Liora. It follows Andres and Renee as they travel into the Underworld to try and save their girlfriend, Liora from Death.
A beautiful poly romance which touched my heart from the first chapter. Andres comes alive in Romero's very first stanza. He is depicted vividly on every page, his voice as distinct as his story. The story begins with him making a bargain with Death to take his anger away in exchange for something he will love in the future. When one of his girlfriends, Liora goes into a coma, he believes Death is taking who he loves.
Andres is one of the Orpheuses of this story, who not only has to go on a physical journey, but also an emotional one. One of his girlfriends, Renee also takes on the role of Orpheus. She is the one who first suggests saving Liora and uses her magic to help get them into the Underworld. Liora is our Eurydice who gets a much more active role in the plot. I loved the journey all three had to go on.
Along with the characters, the world is just as striking. The Underworld depicted in this story reminded me a bit of Coco but it is very much its own entity. I thought the idea of not only having ghosts of people, but also places, was intriguing. It's one of the most interesting takes I have found of the Underworld. Also, we meet many famous faces and get multiple references to mythology throughout the course of the story. The love of music was a beautiful part of this story.
"Ground control to Major Tom"
I highly recommend Death's Country. Romero is an incredible storyteller, whose writing is a masterpiece. I adored this young adult story about healing and love. A modern-day take on "Orpheus and Eurydice" that is definitely one of my favorite books of the year.
*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own.*
Book 42: William Shakespeare’s The Empire Striketh Back
By Ian Doescher
Read May 17th-18th
Pages: 172
Release Year: 2014
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I absolutely love this series so much. Ian Doescher does such an incredible job adapting these movies into this format. The Empire Strikes Back is my favorite of the Star Wars movies and I highly enjoyed how Ian wrote this one. The music had me laughing in the audiobook performance. Cannot wait to pick up the next one.
Book 43: William Shakespeare’s The Jedi Doth Return
By Ian Doescher
Read May 18th
Pages: 165
Release Year: 2014
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Great conclusion to these wonderful versions of the original trilogy. I don’t know if I will continue with the others in this series, but I highly enjoyed this take on Star Wars.
Book 44: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy
By Douglas Adams
Read May 21st-22nd
Pages: 320
Release Year: 1979
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9th Reread:
It will never not be a joy to read this beauty!
This book is one of my top 10 favorite books of all time. I just absolutely adore Douglas Adams’s humor and will forever love this story and the characters.
Book 45: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
By Douglas Adams
Read May 22nd
Pages: 250
Release Year: 1980
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2024 reread:
I decided to reread the first three books in The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series and then finally finish it this year.
This was just as great as the first two times I read it, though I don’t enjoy it as much as the original. I love Douglas Adams’s audiobook versions of these books. Perfect to listen to while working.
2018 reread:
Inspired lunacy at its finest. This is the second time that I have read this book. I decided to listen to Martin Freeman’s reading of it this time and I’m am so glad that I did. At first, I wasn’t sure if I would enjoy it as much as I enjoy Stephen Fry’s reading of The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, but I’m glad to say that I did. Martin Freeman does an incredible job creating a voice for each of the characters in this zany adventure that I fully enjoyed. This book is quite insane and was a great follow-up to the first book. A fun ride!
Book 46: Life, the Universe and Everything
By Douglas Adams
Read May 23rd
Pages: 224
Release Year: 1982
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Not my favorite out of the series but there are parts I highly enjoyed. I love the part about the reincarnated person and how Douglas explained why the brown of petunias said “Oh no, not again” in the first book. Looking forward to finally getting to the final two books in the series.
Book 47: So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish
By Douglas Adams
Read May 23rd
Pages: 214
Release Year: 1984
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So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish is quite different than the other books in the series. Arthur is back on Earth and has to deal with trying to live an ordinary life after his hitchhiking adventures throughout the galaxy. I enjoyed this deviation. The major focus of this novel is Arthur’s relationship with Fenchurch and learning about what happened to the Earth.
This is the second-best book in the series so far. I loved Fenchurch as a character.
Book 48: Mostly Harmless
By Douglas Adams
Read May 25th
Pages: 288
Release Year: 1992
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Not sure how to react to the ending of this book, but I did like the rest of it. I enjoyed how Douglas used alternate universes and the way they played into the storyline. This book is definitely back to the heavy science fiction aspects like the first three books. I like how we got to see even more details of these worlds/universes.
The ending is very abrupt and melancholic. It is an ending many readers do not and will not like because it could feel out of sink with the humor. I don’t hate the ending but I can’t say I wasn’t shocked by it. It’s an ending I’m going to think about for a long time. I don’t know if I’ll pick up the unofficial “ending” by Eoin Colfer.
Book 49: Poems to Live Your Life By
Illustrated and Compiled by Chris Riddell
Read May 26th
Pages: 208
Release Year: 2018
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A beautiful collection of poetry and songs, along with stunning illustrations by Chris Riddell. Many of these poems I have read before but I will never get enough of them. Chris’s art is incredible and adds even more to each piece. There are so many greats here: Shakespeare, Neil Gaiman, Nick Cave (love his songs so much), Robert Frost, Lord Byron, John Keats, Rumi, W.B. Yeats, Lewis Carroll, Lord Tennyson, Emily Dickinson, etc.
This is a special little book that I highly recommend to everyone. Chris has chosen a great selection of poetry and created a stunning masterpiece of a book with them.
Book 50: Call Us What We Carry
By Amanda Gorman
Read May 27th
Pages: 228
Release Year: 2021
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Amanda’s poetry is beautiful
Book 51: The Adventure Zone, Vol. 6: The Suffering Game
By Clint McElroy, Griffin McElroy, Justin McElroy, Travis McElroy, and Carey Pietsch (illustrator)
Read May 27th
Pages: 272
Release Year: 2024
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The Suffering Game was my most anticipated book of 2024. I was lucky enough to get to read it a couple of months early thanks to the publisher. I’ve been eagerly waiting for this volume ever since The Eleventh Hour came out last year and it was well worth the wait. This still has some of the humor of the other volumes but is getting much more heavy hitting. We found out a lot about the Bureau, the Director, and what is actually going on.
Taako, Magnus, and Merle travel into a game called Wonderland, which is a carnival of torments. They are trying to win the next of the Grand Relics, the Animus Bell. The Director has sent them there to retrieve it and has also warned them of the dangers of Wonderland. To get further in the games, they have to each give up something important to them or part of themselves.
This was a great volume in this series and I cannot wait to see what will occur in the next arc. Taako, Magnus, Merle, and the rest of the characters in this series are dynamic and I love learning more about them with each story. The McElroys have done an incredible job with this series. Every time I read another one of the graphic novels, I want to listen to the podcast. Also, these books are stunning to look at along with reading them. I highly recommend The Adventure Zone graphic novels.
*Thank you very much to the publisher and Netgalley for my ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. *
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