Recent reads: May 2025

It’s Memorial Day Weekend and in some ways I can’t believe it and in others it feels like we should be way deeper in 2025 given all that’s happened and is happening. I’ll admit that I’ve not dealt well with the events of the world lately and books, knitting, and journaling are getting me through. I’ve started some things and not finished them as they’ve not been for me, but as usual, here is what I’ve finished since my last post in March. My top pick from this list is Margo’s Got Money Troubles.

A Thousand Ships

A retelling of The Trojan War from the perspective of the women which was fast moving, each chapter was from a different perspective. I particularly loved the letters written by Penelope as she awaits the return of Odysseus. I’ll admit that I don’t know the stories this was based on super well, but I enjoyed the novel quite a bit and recommend it.

Margo’s Got Money Troubles

I absolutely loved this book and tore through it in a few days. Margo is pregnant at 19 and trying to figure out how to live life and what to do with her life to support herself and her child. I found myself cheering for Margo so hard as I read the book. As the story moves on Margo starts to see people and the world and how things work so clearly and her perspective is really great. I highly recommend this one, such a great story.

Ms. Demeanor

I found this book at my local used bookstore, realized that I recognized the cover as being from my to read list and picked it up. It’s a really funny story about a woman who’s on home confinement after being caught by a peeping neighbor for an offense and how she makes it through the 6 months. This didn’t go at all the way I thought it would, but I ended up enjoying it for the most part. There are a lot of offshoot stories, but only one of them bugged me and it was quite small. I’ve been in the mood for lighter reads lately and this fit the bill.

The Space Between Worlds

There are multiple versions of our world and Cara travels between them, working for a company that is collecting data from the other worlds. It’s her ticket to living in the city, living the good life. She’s carrying a secret and she’s realizing things may not be as they seem in the company or her world. I loved this book and sped through it, the characters and world building are so fantastic.

Those Beyond the Wall

I love the previous book so much I got the second book of the series from the library the day after I finished the first. The story shifts in this book, taking place a decade after the first and it focuses on a minor character we meet briefly in the first book, Mr. Scales. The story is about the world outside the walls of the city, the people of Ashtown. This is a very different story, but just as well written. I loved it until the last 50 pages or so, but I don’t want to spoil it so I won’t say more here. I’m glad I read it, but was sad that it hit a sour note at the end for me.

Nothing to See Here

A podcaster I watch who knits and sews recommended this book and I decided to give it a try, the cover and title intrigued me. It’s a fantastical story about a woman who gets a call from her best friend from boarding school to help her out with her step children who have an unusual quality needing a higher level of care. What made the book for me was the writing style, it moved quickly, and Lillian, such a great character. This probably isn’t for everyone, but it gave me a lot of food for thought about what makes someone a parent and how we deal with difference.

The Incendiaries

A difficult read, to be honest. A man tries to figure out what drew his girlfriend to a cult, as you read you learn more about both of them and you realize the ending will not be a good one. Well written and fast paced, which is why I finished it. Not sure I fully recommend it, it depends on if you can handle the content in these times, not an escape by any means.

One Good Turn

The second book in the Jackson Brodie series by Kate Atkinson was very different from the first. Jackson is not really the main character in this one, but I honestly am not sure who I would say is. There are so many different story lines and Atkinson does a good job at bringing them together in the end, but it took a long time for various threads to make any sense to me. I finished it because I wasn’t sure how she was going to reel it all in and yet, she did. We’ll see if I read the next book or not.