Welcome again to the booky delight that is My Favourite Reads.

I had an excellent reading month in May, making it difficult to choose a favourite, so I’m not going to. It’s not fair on the books.

Many were part of a series, too. Funny how my reading has been leaning that way lately. Mostly I tend to stand-alones because I find it hard to keep up with series, and it annoys me when I’ve forgotten what happened in the previous book. But buying in boxed sets and batches has helped there. Helped my reading that is, not my credit card!

Here they are…

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Best of Luck by Kate Clayborn

Best of Luck is book three in Clayborn’s wonderful Chance of a Lifetime trilogy and what a brilliant finish to the series it was. I can’t tell you how good these books are. Clayborn knows how to grab your heart and completely mess with it. She also has no fear of giving her heroes and heroines serious issues to deal with. Poor Greer! Poor Alex!

I’m not sure – all three books were amazing – but Best of Luck might be my favourite.

Really looking forward to Clayborn’s next release.

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Wedding Date in Malaysia by Michelle Douglas

What a gorgeous, funny, and warm read Wedding Date in Malaysia proved to be. Definitively one of Michelle Douglas’s best, with a sexy, smart hero and a quirky, clever heroine you can’t help fall in love with, plus secondary characters offering comic relief, and a terrific premise that deals with moving on from loss and finding new directions. And love of course – romantic love and the love of family and friends.

A completely sigh-worthy, magic, moving romance set in a spectacular location, I can’t recommend Wedding Date in Malaysia enough. Do your heart a favour and grab a copy today.

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A Deadly Education by Naomi Novik

Book one of a trilogy, A Deadly Education sees heroine El enter the Scholomance, a school of magic that’s a world away from happy Hogwarts. From the moment students enter, they’re pretty much at war – against rival students and against the deadly monsters that sneak inside. Survival odds are poor.

This was a ride, let me tell you. Lots of mystery, loads of (sometimes icky) action, creepy, nasty creatures, and gutsy characters you can’t help but cheer on. Or hate. There were a few of those.

Els is amazing. Loved her. Loved the whole book, and very much looking forward to The Last Graduate.

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Dead Horse Gap by Lee Christine

Dead Horse Gap was fantastic. I devoured it in a couple of days and then wished I hadn’t because it was over too soon. The paradox of a good book, eh?

Dead Horse Gap opens with a light plane crash that is quickly determined to be deliberately caused. Yet who would want to harm the pilot, a former local who’s been avoiding the place for years? Expect plenty of twists as the team investigate, anxiety as favourite characters are put in danger and the brilliant snow setting that Lee has become known for.

I’m very tempted to say this was my favourite of the three books so far, but I’m not sure that’s fair – Charlotte Pass (my thoughts on that here) and Crackenback (my thoughts here) were great reads and I highly recommended both. I think maybe it was the romance that got me. I like a bit of that!

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Still Life by Sarah Winman

I seriously didn’t know what to think of Still Life when I started. It seemed… weird? Certainly it was quirky enough to cause my eyebrows to raise on more than one occasion, and there were several times when I questioned if Still Life was going to be my jam. But how could it not be when it’s touted as a big-hearted, sweeping, and joyful story that moves from the hills of Tuscany to Florence and London, and is packed with art history, friendship, and love? It had to be in my zone, surely?

It was. Smack in there. It might have taken me a while to get into, but Still Life proved charming, delightful and as generous as promised.

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Moriarty Meets His Match by Anna Castle

I’m a sucker for anything in the Sherlock Holmes world. When an ad for a boxed set deal on the first three books in the well-rated Professor & Mrs. Moriarty Mystery Series popped into my inbox I snapped it up.

So far, so good with the first book. Moriarty Meets His Match provided lovely entertainment. Quite a different Moriarty from the evil mastermind Sherlock would have us believe. This Moriarty is a morally upright yet socially awkward fellow who works in the Patent Office. Then he meets Angelina.

Book two, Moriarty Takes His Medicine, here I come.

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For the writerly…

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The Mental Game of Writing by James Scott Bell

A short but terrific help book from James Scott Bell. I’ve collected quite a few of Scott Bell’s writing craft books and have enjoyed them all. The Mental Game of Writing was particularly timely because I’ve been struggling so much lately. Has it helped? It did while I was reading it. Quite motivating, in fact.

Whether that gets translated into action remains to be seen. I bloody hope so.

An easy to read, practical guide to keeping your creativity and writing love alive.

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What recent reads have floated your boat?

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