Le monde de Maxime by Lucile de Pesloüan, Jacques Goldstyn (Illustrator)

I think this was my first full French book of the year. I saw this Quebecoise children’s book twice on Goodreads so I decided to get it from my library. It was a really cute, well illustrated, and good for my reading level. I understand oral French more easily than written so I got to practice.

June 1-8, 2025.

Project Hail Mary by Andy Weir, Ray Porter (Narrator)

After Artemis, I was not sure I would pick up another Andy Weir book. His character writing is very lacklustre. Ryland only seems to have the most basic features of a character. There was character development but it was very mediocre due to the amnesia and the lack of depth. The narrator who did such a great job that he made the character better. I listened to this exclusively on audiobook as I had read that the audiobook was great and would help with the plot. The audiobook was very well done and helped me finish the book. The plot was the strongest aspect but there was always too much science talk at times. The second timeline in the past was boring and had rote or cliched characters. At one point, someone slapped Ryland because he was crying as if this was a midcentury film. The ending was stronger though.

1.75-2.0x. June 2-8, 2025.

How to ADHD: An Insider’s Guide to Working with Your Brain (Not Against It) by Jessica McCabe

I have listened to a few ADHD books in the last year and DNFed a few as well. This one was even recommended to me by a therapist who mentioned that McCabe’s style is emotional and thoughtful. This was one of the most intersectional and considered of the books I’ve read so far. It was slightly more focussed on the emotional aspect and had a good empowering tone.

1.5-1.75x. May 20-26, 2025.

Glorious Exploits by Ferdia Lennon

My reading slump has caused me to read a lot more slowly. While I am not enjoying books as much recently, I am still appreciating how good they are. This was a debut novel which took the author seven years to write. It was about two unemployed potters in Syracuse who set up a play with Athenian prisoners of war. It was set during the Peloponnesian War which is not really covered in recent history. This was a novel about war, theatre, and being human. It was very well done. There were very few female characters, the protagonist was at times annoying, and the ending is rather sad. I can’t deny there was some really good writing here. It was a great debut because he really drew out the setting and characters.

May 21-30, 2025 on Kobo Clara BW.

The Girl Who Drank the Moon by Kelly Barnhill with Christina Moore (Narrator)

I listened to about about 45% on audiobook. The narrator was fantastic. She really captured all the voices and personalities. As much as I wanted to listen to it, I found my attention really waning due the length and had to finish it quickly on my hardcopy. This was longer than most Middle Grade novels. It was well written and had lots of human and magical characters. A good recommendation for an advanced young reader. Recommend the audiobook as well.

1.5-1.75x. May 27-June 1, 2025.