May turned out to be a pretty good reading month, even if I was a little slower with some of my books. I got through a total of 7 books this month, 1 audiobook, 5 physical books and 1 ebook.

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I read a fair few books about the Holocaust this month, I don’t know why. I picked up Questions I Am Asked About The Holocaust by Heidi Fried, a short read that answers questions that are commonly asked after her talks. A great start if you want to find out more about the Holocaust.

The Cut Out Girl was one of my audiobooks this month. Again it is based on the holocaust and the live of a young woman who was hidden multiple times and the impact that this had on her and the rest of her life. A really harrowing read and from a perspective I haven’t read about before.

I also read White Rose which was a pre-order, this tells the story of Sophie Schroll and the White Rose Society. The society was a part of the nazi resistance and this was a really interesting way to tell their story as it is written in verse.

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Every month I try to add to my poetry collection so I wanted to try Lang Leav as there is quite a collection of her poetry in my local bookshop. I picked up Love Looks Pretty On You, I liked it – however I want to read more of Leav’s work before making a decision on how I feel about her poetry.

I was sent How Not To Lose It : Mental Health Sorted by Anna Willamson to have a read during mental health week. This is aimed at younger readers and I think it would be a great book for all 11-14 year olds to have access to. It answers a lot of questions about mental health that young people have but might not know how to address.

My next read was one I have been so excited to read and that’s The Paper & Hearts Society by Lucie Powrie. Lucy runs UKYA Chat and is absolutely lovely and I was gifted an early release copy – it turned out to be such a sweet and uplifting read. Admittedly, at 24 I wasn’t the target audience but I really enjoyed the development of the friendships and all the bookish references!

And my final book for May was The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life And Freedom On Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton. I was also granted to be for review by the publishers and wow was this emotional. He spent nearly 20 years on death row for a crime he was in no way connected with. I felt angry, upset and frustrated with the lack of justice. A really interesting read.

What did you read last month? I’d love to hear your recommendations below!