Happy Caturday, Boils & Ghouls, and hopefully you are having yourself a restful and recharging mid year weekend π
Tonight’s blog post is going to rewind us backward into May ’25 and the many gems that I read last month with book clubs and book pals on Fable!
May Theme : Spring Awakening π±
I thought it would be cute and cheeky to theme my May book choices around some form of spring awakening, transformation or revelation that would alter the course of one’s trajectory. You know, how spring blooms into new beginnings regardless of the cold, harsh winter we experience?
However, when I learned of the latest update that pushed NetGalley ARCs directly to your Kobo eReader happening mid to late May, it really shifted my reading priorities and made me want to pursue my best NetGalley feedback ratio (the higher the ratio, the better the chances of getting more ARCs π)
Read about the NetGalley update in my Kobo blog post ππ»
- The Chaotic Life Of A Multi-Book Reader
- Happy One Year Morbid Curiosities Book Club!
- What I’ve Read In A Month – September 2025 Edition
- Morbid Curiosities For October 2025
- Morbid Curiosities For September 2025
- What I’ve Read In A Month – August 2025 Edition
- What I’ve Read In A Month – July 2025 Edition
- Issues With Authority | ARC Review
Unfortunately, that excitement pushed some of my physical/audio May books into June…
May To Be Read List
Book Reviews
π=physical/ebook π§=audiobook
Bunny by Mona Awad (2019)
Format: Paperback Book π
“…Bunny is a down-the-rabbit-hole tale of loneliness and belonging, friendship and desire, and the fantastic and terrible power of the imagination.”
Originally I had intended to read and finish this book last month (since it was fitting for Easter π) but I lost steam towards the end of the month. That being said, I was able to consume this one in a few days and oh boy, I fell deep down the rabbit hole.
Rating:πππππ
Needle Lake by Justine Champine (2025)
[ π£οΈThank you to Random House Publishing & NetGalley for the ARC]
Format: eBook π
“Two cousins on very different sides of adolescent girlhood spend one winter together that changes both of their lives forever.”
The neurodiverse representation within the pages felt authentic (and also, made me feel seen at points during my own adolescence π) Read this one to heal your inner child, but reader discretion is advised.
Rating:πππππ
Ghost Station by S.A Barnes (2024)
Format: Hardcover π + Audiobook π§
“An abandoned planet. A hidden past. A deadly danger.”
Surviving on an abandoned planet, but also studying the prevention of a syndrome involved in the most famous murder case… in space. Yes, this is a truly atmospheric horror (and if I suggest any experience to immerse yourself in, it would be the audiobook!)
Rating:ππππ
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Veal by Mackenzie Nolan (2025)
Format: eBook π
“Veal is a thrilling exploration of friendship, fear and the thin line between justice and vengeance.”
I will admit, the reference to Twin Peaks instantly grabbed my attention, but then learning the author was a fellow Newfoundlander made this an immediate read for me… and I was not disappointed. Uniquely captivating and emotionally driven, this Queer Horror will stay with me (in the best way.)
Rating:ππππ
Root Rot by Saskia Nislow (2025)
[π£οΈ Thank you Amanda Manns @ Creature Publishing
& NetGalley for the ARC]
Format: eBook π
“Root Rot explores predatory family dynamics, the boundaries of bodies and home, and how individuals choose to participate in or push back against structures that would harm them.”
Chilling and utterly terrifying, the visceral and haunting descriptions and unsettling atmosphere as you read with short but spooky novel. The time you spend at The Grandfather’s Lake House with these nine nameless children will warp your sense of time and reality…
Rating:πππππ
Rouge by Mona Awad (2023)
Format: eBook π
“a lonely young woman who’s drawn to a cult-like spa in the wake of her mother’s mysterious death.”
If you have read any of Mona Awad’s other works of weirdly wild fiction, then you will absolutely eat this one up with the depths it dives into absurdity… IYKYK π
Rating:πππππ
Continuing into Early June π
I Love You But I’ve Chosen Darkness by Claire Vaye Watkins (2021)
Format: Audiobook π§
“One woman’s furious revisiting of family, marriage, work, sex and motherhood.”
I wasn’t quite sure what an auto-fiction was when I learned this was slotting into that genre, however what an exhilarating experience it was to go through the raw emotional spectrum that is being a woman.
Rating:πππππ
Chlorine by Jade Song (2023)
Format: PaperBack Book π
“…told from an adult perspective on the trails and tribulations of growing up in a society that puts pressure on young women and their bodies…”
Transformative, but in ways you will never see coming. This book will grip your heart so tightly as you ebb and flow with Ren and her emotional relationship with the water.
Rating:ππππ
As I posted on Fable, 6/8 ain’t too shabby!
I’m really proud of keeping up with my reading habits, even though life has been absolutely unpredictable lately, which has left every energy source within me completely fried ππ³
But as Alex says…
If you’d like to see what other books I’ve read, creep my books π
Also consider subscribing…
High and Low vibes of May 2025
β¨ VIBED THE HIGHEST WITH…
Root Rot (2025)
Why did this book exceed my expectations?
I know the theme was about “awakening” and I chose “rot” as a high note… but I absolutely loved Saskia’s writing style, the eerie “nameless children” and just how disturbed I felt reading some of the scenes in this short but spooky novel.
And honestly, I’m still processing the book… and it will be a highly anticipated reread for me in the future, plus one to add to my physical book collection!
β οΈ HIT MY LOWEST POINT WITH…
Ghost Station by S. A. Barnes (2024)
Why did this book miss the mark for me?
It’s going to make you lol… but I originally thought this was connected to Dead Silence (which was such a favorite of mine in 2k24)
…and it took me about halfway in to realize they were completely separate stories. I think if I was aware of that before going in, my reading experience of this book would be very different!
Note: I listened to some of the chapters of Ghost Station on audiobook (via Spotify) and it was truly a horrifying experience I would recommend if you like atmospheric space horror!
If you’ve made it this far, I appreciate you reading about my reading…
Drop a π» in the comments or link your high and low reads for May!
Do YOU have a morbid curiosity?
Join the club(s) ππ
Until we meet again,
What was your favorite book in May?
Drop a π€ Break a name