2021 May Mid-Month Wrap Up

Well I missed last month’s mid-month wrap up (both wrap ups actually). Time to get back on track.

During the mid-month wrap up you’ll see all the books I’ve read before it’s posted (as close to the 15th as I can get it) and a link to the review post or I’ll give a quick (couple sentences) review along with a star rating. During the month wrap up, I’ll give stats and show off what I read after the mid-month wrap up.

So with all that out of the way, let’s take a look at what I read for the first half of May.

Finished So Far…

Amari and the Night Brothers by B B Alston

This review is to come, but I gave it 4.5 ⭐

Rep: Black Own Voices

Goals Met:
✔ Physically Owned
✔ Diverse Reading

Pashmina by Nidhi Chanani

This was a quick read, but really impactful. The art style was gorgeous and really helped tell the story. I found that the were two distinct styles here to show real world versus the Pashmina world. I loved the idea of the Pashmina and how the world is different for everyone. I also loved that the story tackled family and the feeling of disconnection from your heritage. Overall, this was a great middle grade graphic novel.

I gave this 4 ⭐

Rep: Asian (Indian) Own Voices

Goals Met:
✔ Diverse Reading
✔ Physically Owned
✔ Backlist
✔ Owned before 2021

Lore by Alexandra Bracken

This is a buddy read and the fully discussion will be on May 30th. I’m hoping I have more to say come then, but right now I’ve only got a little.

This was much darker than I had originally expected it to be. It deals with rape (attempted), sexual assault, child brides, pedophilia a long with a lot more (see Meltotheany post for a much more detailed content warning list).

That being said, I enjoyed it over all. It was a twist on Greek Mythology and modernization of it. Alexandra wrote that it was her idea of a new modern Greek myth. I enjoyed the characters well enough, but I found myself a little confused on the magic, the transfer of powers, and how mortals became new gods. In the end it felt relatively explained but I was still left with a lot of question. I think this one may have benefited from being a series; however, as a standalone I felt everything was wrapped up nicely with most things explained.

I gave this one 3 ⭐

Goals Met:
✔ Physically Owned
✔ Backlist
✔ Owned before 2021
✔ Subscription Box Book

Girl Giant and the Monkey King by Van Hoang

This wasn’t at all what I had expected. I hadn’t expected this to take place in our world – I had expected a fantasy retelling. Once I got past the fact that this was contemporary with fantastical elements, I got more into the story. It was interesting to see how Hoang interweaved our world with the Monkey King mythology. I didn’t know much about the Monkey King or Boy Giant mythologies, but I found Hoang did a good job at introducing it to the reader. I also enjoyed the message within the story – how we need to embrace our strengths. Hoang did a great job at exploring culture and assumption in this story. I’m not sure if I will continue with this series, but I will definitely keep an eye out for what else Hoang writes.

I gave this one 3.5⭐

Rep: Asian (Vietnamese) Own Voices

Goals Met:
✔ Diverse Reading

Amina’s Voice by Hena Khan

This was a cute and impactful read. It tackled a lot of heavy topics: friendship, racism/prejudice, religion, culture, and acceptance. For such a short read it really did cover a lot. I liked the simplicity of the message given and would be great for the younger age range of middle grade.

I gave this one 3⭐

Rep: Asian (Pakistani & Muslim) Own Voices

Goals Met:
✔ Physically Owned
✔ Backlist
✔ Owned before 2021
✔ Diverse Reading

Hello, Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly

I feel like I don’t fit popular opinion on this one. I thought it was fine. I found that most of the characters angered me or I didn’t like how they were presented. I also felt this read a little young and I’m starting to think that the younger range of middle grade maybe just isn’t for me. That being said, Erin has great writing and I think I’ll try something else that they’ve written before deciding whether or not her stories are for me.

I gave this one 2⭐

Rep: Asian (Filipino) author, Disability

Goals Met:
✔ Physically Owned
✔ Backlist
✔ Owned before 2021
✔ Diverse Reading

The Night Gardener by Jonathan Auxier

I wasn’t too sure about this one at first. I could tell that Auxier was very good at writing atmosphere in his books, but I wasn’t sure if I cared about any of the characters for the first half of the book. However, after the first half I found myself caring about the characters and found the mystery and paranormal aspects more intriguing. This is about the same time that I found the story became more creepy – more of what I had expected from people’s reviews. In the end, I found this very creepy and suspenseful. I highly recommend it for anyone who likes to read scary stories in the dark.

I gave this one 4⭐

Rep: Disability

Goals Met:
✔ Physically Owned
✔ Backlist
✔ Owned before 2021
✔ Diverse Reading