Happy May book friends! You know what this means! It’s time to share my 2025 May TBR and reading plans. I’ve decided to make some changes to how I structure my TBR for the month to balance my need for structure and flexibility. Plus, I’ve adjusted my monthly and yearly reading goal to accommodate the uptick in socialization and pursuit of other hobbies making my goals more realistic and fluid. Let’s talk about it.
May Reading Goals & Plans
Here’s a breakdown of my reading goals for this month:
- Monthly Reading Goal 10 Books
- Read a Nonfiction
- Read a Classic
- Re-read a book from my collection
- Enjoy a tandem read
- Listen to one audiobook without picking up the physical copy
- Read six ebooks
This month my primary focus is to diversify how I consume and enjoy books. Since I’ve started doing tandem reads and seeing the benefits of audiobooks I want to explore this format and make it a seamless addition to my reading experience. Additionally, I want to include ebooks into my diversification efforts.
I have a Kindle Paperwhite and enjoy the ease and different reading experience it provides and would love to collect ebooks (while ownership of digital property is nonexistent) it’s cool to know that I can collect authors that I enjoy but don’t necessarily want to own physically in digital format and still support these authors.
Another, plan this month is to ensure that I celebrate Asian and Pacific Islander Heritage month and Mental Health Awareness month. I want to explore titles at my library from Asian and Pacific Islander authors and learn more about their history and stories.
I also feel it’s important as a person living with a mental illness to increase mental health support and awareness. I’ll also be looking for books and stories regarding true depictions of mental health that aren’t romanticized, glamorized or stereotypical depictions of what mental health is.
Books & Vinyl
While the past two months have been off the rails regarding my book budget I’m seeking to rein it in this month and not go completely bonkers with book shopping. But, there are a few books (and vinyl) I’m seeking to purchase.
Can’t Get Enough by Kennedy Ryan
I’m ashamed to admit that I haven’t read a book by Kennedy Ryan and I’m eager to correct this mistake. I’m going to start by reading the third installment in her Skyland series. I also have plans on purchasing the first two titles Before I Let Go and This Could Be Us to truly immerse myself in this series. Fingers crossed on the possibility of me doing a fun little reading vlog chronicling my experience reading from this author for the first time. Book will be available on May 13th. Preorder at Bookshop.org
Matriarch by Tina Knowles
This memoir is at the top of my list because how could I not want to know more about this powerful woman who raised not one but two successful, talented and highly acclaimed Black women who’ve both impacted the music industry? Eager to add this book to my collection as the cover is stunning and can’t wait to read it. Purchase from Bookshop.org
Alligator Bites Never Heal by Doechi
Upon hearing this album I’ve been obsessed with Doechi and quickly became a stan. So, it makes sense that I want to add this album to my vinyl collection. Purchase from Barnes & Noble
SOS by SZA
Have I slept on SZA? It’s possible. But, listen, I’m adult enough to admit when I’m wrong and can learn from my mistakes. My Apple Music recommended this album to me, and after listening to it, I’ve become obsessed. The vibes are immaculate. It’s the perfect blend of chill, soulful vocals, soft, dreamy musicality, and relatable lyrics. Naturally, I need this in my collection. Purchase from Barnes & Noble
2025 May TBR
The best way to explore the books that I plan on getting into this month is to break my TBR into categories. From what I’m currently reading, my priority TBR comprises books from my physical TBR, library holds, my digital TBR with the ebooks and audiobooks I have my eye on, and video ideas I have regarding certain books. This way I can share what books I’m prioritizing to reach my reading goals and what books I’m seeking to read that aren’t time sensitive or locked into a deadline.
Currently Reading
Lights Out by Navessa Allen
This self-aware dark romance has taken me by surprise with how much I’m enjoying it. I’ve been taking my time with it because there are library holds that are due and they needed priority, but I can’t wait until I can fully immerse myself in this kinky story. Purchase from Bookshop.org
The Favorites by Layne Fargo
I wasn’t sure if I’d be as taken by this contemporary fiction as everyone else was, but so far I am. I love stories with dynamic and complex female characters, and this book scratches that itch. Purchase from Bookshop.org
Over the Influence by Johanna “JoJo” Levesque
Perhaps I’m dating myself, but I was obsessed with JoJo ever since the release of Leave (Get Out). I was a fan. So, when I learned she was releasing a memoir detailing her rise to fame and the battle with her record label, I knew I had to read it. And so far, it has not disappointed. She has told her story with such raw vulnerability. Making it a propulsive read. Purchase from Bookshop.org
A Fable for the End of the World by Ava Reid
Another book that I was nervous about, but that’s proven to be a sapphic action-packed dystopian exploring the complexities of a society built around capitalism, and humanity’s morbid obsession with violence and dehumanizing others in the name of entertainment. It’s pitched as a queer Hunger Games but as I haven’t read that series (shocker) I can’t say how accurate it is. But I’ve enjoyed it and the deeper themes covered in this novel. Purchase the Special Edition at Barnes & Noble
When Stars Align by Melissa De La Cruz
An Amazon First Read pick from last month. I’m almost finished with it, but again, library holds took priority. It has been an interesting coming-of-age story following three teenage stars and the paths their lives take as they transition into adulthood underneath the watchful eye of the paparazzi. My feelings for this are a bit more ambivalent, and I’m not sure what I’ll rate it or how this story will wrap up, but it has been a read nonetheless. Purchase from Bookshop.org
Priority TBR
Blue Sisters by Coco Mellors
Complex family dynamics between estranged sisters following the death of one of their siblings? Sign me up. Avery, Bonnie, and Lucky reunite a year after their sister Nicky’s unexpected passing. While staying in their childhood home in New York to prevent its sale, they must confront the hidden secrets they’ve kept not just from each other but themselves. Purchase from Bookshop.org
For She Is Wrath by Emily Varga
A Count of Monte Cristo reimagining with a gender reversal. After spending three hundred and sixty days falsely imprisoned for a crime she didn’t commit and thrown under the bus by her ex-lover, Mazin, Dania is on a mission for revenge. After a daring escape with a fellow prisoner and their hunt for a mysterious treasure, she returns with dark magic and a new identity, seeking to destroy Mazin. But will she be successful or become ensnared by her own game? Purchase from Bookshop.org
Oathbound by Tracy Deonn
The much-anticipated third installment in the Legendborn Cycle series. Bloodmarked had me wading through a sea of emotional damage. I can only imagine what Deonn has in store for me in this one. Purchase the B&N Exclusive at Barnes & Noble
The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck
A complex family saga set during the Great Depression, following one family’s journey from Oklahoma to California in search of new opportunities and a better life. Purchase from Bookshop.org
Pictures of You by Emma Grey
After a deadly car accident claims her husband’s life and wrecks Evie Hudson’s memory, she wakes up hospitalized and trapped in the mind of her teenage self. Struggling to connect the dots, Evie relies on the help of photographer Drew, who’s forced to watch her piece the truth of life together, uncovering secrets that threaten to destroy them both. Purchase from Bookshop.org
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
Nora Seed finds herself lost within a library that exists between life and death. Overcome with frustration for her life not coming together as she wished, she finds that she’s able to explore a world of possibilities, confronting her regrets and building her perfect life. Yet, her quest for the perfect life places the library and herself in danger. Purchase from Bookshop.org
A Torch Against the Night by Sabaa Tahir
The second installment in the An Ember in the Ashes quartet. We continue to follow Laia and Elias on their journey through the corrupted world of the Martial Empire in their attempt to save her brother from his fate. Purchase from Bookshop.org
This Motherless Land by Nikki May
This Historical Fiction explores family dynamics and generational trauma, where Funke is sent from Nigeria to London following a tragic situation. Struggling to fit in, she finds a kindred spirit with her cousin Liv. However, the choices of their mothers cause a rift in their friendship, tearing them apart. This sounds like it will be an emotional and heartfelt family drama. Purchase from Bookshop.org
Library Holds
The Hollywood Assistant by May Cobb
After Cassidy Foster is offered her dream job to become the assistant to famous Hollywood couple Marisol and Nate Sterling. Eager to start fresh following her recent heartbreak, Cassidy leaps at the opportunity. Yet, Cassidy quickly finds herself thrust into a fierce flirtation turned into smoldering attraction with Nate, leading her to temptation beyond her dreams. However, there’s hell to pay when one of the Sterlings’ bodies turns up dead, with Cassidy being the prime suspect. Purchase from Bookshop.org
Digital TBR
What Lies in the Woods by Kate Alice Marshall
Twenty-two years ago, Naomi Shaw and her two best friends, Cassidy and Olivia, were seeking adventures in the woods until Naomi was attacked. Leading them to implicate a dangerous serial killer wanted for murdering six women. The town crowned them heroes. Decades later, Olivia wants to reveal the truth about what happened that day, triggering Naomi to confront her past and find out what happened that fateful day. Purchase from Bookshop.org
A Fate of Onyx and Ivory by O’Junea Brown
Forced to provide for her family twenty-four year twenty-four-year-old Amira seeks out a witch to make a life-altering bargain. On her way home, she encounters a powerful faerie who transports her to an alternate realm she never knew existed, Solaris. Intrigued by this world of dark magic and immortality, she finds she must keep her wits about her to navigate her steps and uncover the truth hidden within Solaris’s shadows. Amira must decide whether she’s willing to sacrifice her mortal life and family or become immersed in the new world she’s discovered. Read with Kindle Unlimited
A Sky Full of Love by Lorna Lewis
Nora Lefluer spent fifteen years in captivity and is finally free and reunited with her family in Louisiana. As she makes strides to rebuild her life and relationships with her seventeen-year-old daughter, husband Quinton, and sister Leah, there are unspoken secrets woven within the fabric of her family. Secrets that could tear them apart and cause them to lose Nova all over again. Download from Amazon First Reads
Genre Jump Series
I plan to start a new series where I step outside my comfort zone and read from genres I rarely gravitate to. To kickstart this series, I’m going to explore different books from the Horror genre. This is a genre that I rarely read from due to my dislike of gore and the fact that I’m a hopeless scaredy cat. However, I’m excited to read from this genre and discover new authors and themes, and tropes that I enjoy. Here’s what I’m planning to read.
Knock Knock Open Wide by Neal Sharpson
I’ve seen this novel make its rounds on Booktube, and it’s been described as weird with a focus on Irish Folklore. This story follows a young woman named Etain after she endures a horrific night in the Irish countryside, which leaves her forever scarred. And we follow a young college student, Betty, who falls for Aishling and uncovers the disturbing truth of her family history. Interwoven into this story is the children’s show involving a goat like puppet that only comes out when you’ve been bad, and how everyone remembers this show differently. Sounds intriguing. Purchase from Bookshop.org
The Buffalo Hunter Hunter by Stephen Graham Jones
After attending the San Antonio Book Festival 2025, and attended Stephen Graham Jones’s discussion about his work. I’m super excited to dive into his work as this will be my first time reading from him. I have super high expectations for this novel. It follows the discovery of a journal from a Lutheran pastor detailing the tragic events following the massacre of 217 Blackfeet. Told in a series of transcribed interviews via a series of confessional visits by a Blackfeet named Good Stab. I’m expecting the commentary in this novel to be top tier. Purchase from Bookshop.org
Diavola by Jennifer Thorne
Next up, I’m excited to experiment with this novel, which has been mentioned to have some paranormal elements. We’re following Anna as she’s vacationing with her family at an Italian villa, trying to endure the strained family dynamics. Until strange noises at night and warnings from locals about the villa’s violent history threaten to be their undoing. Purchase from Bookshop.org
Book of the Month Reading Vlog
I have yet to read my BOTM picks, and I’m looking forward to diving into some new releases! Here’s what’s on deck for this vlog.
Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy
I’ve seen many bookish creators express how dark and emotional this novel is. And, that’s a waving green flag for me. This story explores an isolated family, with patriarch Roman Salt, living on a remote island near Antarctica, overcome with their secrets and struggles. Yet, when a powerful storm wreaks havoc on the island and they discover a woman, Roman, has washed ashore. Reluctantly, the Salt family nurses her back to health as she becomes at home with the family. Can they both navigate the darkness and secrets they’re hiding from each other and step into a new beginning?
Six Days in Bombay by Alka Joshi
A mysterious Historical Fiction set in India. Sona, an Anglo-Indian nurse, cares for a famous painter following a miscarriage, and she develops a fast bond with her. Yet, when Mira dies mysteriously following what was supposed to be a fast recovery, suspicion falls on Sona. After receiving a note from Mira, Sona sets out on a journey to deliver Mira’s painting to three recipients from Mira’s past. As she sets about this mission, Sona uncovers the truth about Mira while trying to discover what really happened to her and exonerate herself from any wrongdoing.
The Names by Florence Knapp
This poignant novel explores the alternate life paths of a young infant based on his mother’s choice of his name. Cora sets out to register her newborn son with her nine-year-old daughter, Maia, to name her son with strict instructions from her abusive husband Gordon to name him after him. Yet, upon arrival, she finds herself struggling to follow through. We follow the various consequences of Cora’s actions based on what she decides to name her son and the various ways it impacts his and her life.
These are my plans for May. I’m excited to see what this month has in store for me and am looking forward to reading all the books! Inspired by this TBR? Follow me on StoryGraph to track my progress in real time as I make my way through my TBR. Follow me on Goodreads to get my initial book review before I share my in-depth review on the blog. Til next time happy reading!!
