May 2026 Reading Recap
I'm beginning to see a pattern in my monthly reading recaps. They tend to start with a statement similar to “I didn't read as much as I wanted to in (insert month).” Sadly, May is no different. I could lay down some excuses like life has been busy, my health has been sub-par, I've been playing video games instead of reading, etc… all of that is true, but I've honestly just not felt like reading that much. That happens. I'm not worried about it. Like all things, my interest in reading waxes and wanes. I know it will pick up again at some point in the future.
Anyways, enough waffling. Let's get into what I did read in May.
Malice by John Gwynne
This book is massive. My copy is just shy of 630 pages. It reads a bit on the YA side, but I did enjoy Gwynne's Bloodsworn trilogy so I really wanted to give the Faithful and the Fallen a shot. This is another of those series that has rave reviews, and is a Booktok darling, so I assume it gets better in book two.
Book one, Malice, isn't bad. It's just a bit slow. Lots of setup and world building going on, but by the roughly 50% mark the story really takes off. One issue I had with this book is the constant point of view switching. There are a ton of characters and sometimes I would forget from one chapter to the next who was who. All those plot lines are a lot to juggle.
I'm not sure how to summarize this one. It's so massive in scope, but it entails a god war, bildungsroman, giants, betrayal, animal companions, and childhood grudges turned deadly. This is an epic fantasy story. Packed with all the classic tropes, but don't let that stop you from reading. It's good. While I may not have enjoyed the first half, the ending and animal companions were enough to make me want to read book two.
Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
I read this book, and the others in the series, ages ago. I've recently been seeing a ton of booktubers talking about how good it was so I wanted to revisit it. This time, I went with the audiobook narrated by Paul Boehmer. It was excellent. Hobb has some of the best characters in fantasy. The slow burn of this book is just, chef's kiss. Plus, it also has awesome animal companions.
Assassin's Apprentice follows Fitz, a bastard son of a king as he learns the skills of an assassin and navigates the world of court intrigue. I'll definitely be continuing this one.
Tales from the Territory by Travis Baldree
This one comes out in September. It's a collection of short stories that take place in the Legends and Lattes universe. Primarily, the stories provide backstory on individual characters such as Tandri, Viv, Thimble, and Zyll. My full review can be found here.
Next month, I will continue working through Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. I still don't understand the hype, but maybe it will improve.
I grabbed 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami at the library the other day. That's another massive book. I've never read Murakami, but I hear good things.
I need to finish the Dungeon Crawler Carl series and buy book two of the Faithful and the Fallen.
I’m Justin. I write about librarianship, leadership, public service, and books. If you found this piece relatable, leave me a like or send me an email. Subscribe if you want more of what’s bouncing around in my head. If you found this article helpful, consider buying me a coffee.
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