May 2021 Wrap-Up & Favorites

Source: personal collection

Hi fellow readers! I know it's already in the middle of June. This wrap up might be a little late but that's okay because I still want to share what books I read in May. Without further ado, here are the books I read in May.

Books read in May

	Caraval - Stephanie Garber (★★★)
	Caraval is the first book in a fantasy young adult trilogy by Stephanie Garber. This book was all the rage back in 2017. I finally pick it up because I was waiting for the series to end so I can marathon it. It was fun to read. I don't like the heroine though but I like the interaction between her and her supposed love interest. Anyway, I wrote a full review of this book which will be posted on this blog.
	Legendary - Stephanie Garber (★★★)
	Legendary is the second book in the Caraval trilogy. Since it's the second book, I won't write much about the plot to avoid spoilers. I still can tell you that this book is set after the game in the first book ends. Unlike Caraval, Legendary isn't told from Scarlett's perspective but that's all I can say. With Legendary, I don't like the narrator as much as Scarlett from the first book. The characters in this book still act juvenile but trying hard to appear mature. The love story in this book is corny and the will-they-won't-they plus 'tsundere' act (a term commonly used in Japanese anime & manga) can be tiring sometimes. The Caraval world is expanding. It's not just Legend's Caraval and Trisda anymore. We're also introduced to a myth which includes beings called the Fates. There's also magic system here. I must say I like the myth and magic addition because it makes the world of Caraval seems richer; but why they're only just introduced in the second book? Why not from the beginning of the trilogy when the world building usually happens? It disoriented me a bit because reading the first book, in my mind I've already established what kind of world the trilogy is in. Learning about all the myth and magic shifted it and I have to readjust my perception of this book. Anyway, since I'm a completist I'll still read the next book which is the last one. It's still a fun fantasy book to read if I don't overthink it. I'd say it's fine if after reading the first book you don't want to read the next one because the ending of Caraval already resolves the main conflict in it. What makes it continues on the second book is they start a new question by the end of the first book. If you're curious you can read Legendary but if you're content with Caraval's ending, you don't have to.
	Finale - Stephanie Garber (★★)
	Finale is the last book in the Caraval trilogy. In this book we get a lot more background story on Scarlett & Tella's family. There are twists coming in this book. I won't write much about the plot because it will spoil the previous book. Unfortunately, I didn't particularly enjoy reading the last book because it mainly revolves around the concept of love conquers all and love is the greatest magic there is. Some people might be fine with it, I'm not. Personally, I think it's too cliche for my taste. It's too fairy tale-esque, too easy and predictable. The last book does conclude the series, though. Overall, I actually love the idea of the myth introduced in the last two books with the Fates and the Deck of Destiny but to resolve the problem with love is just too tiresome for me. If you're interested in this trilogy, I'd recommend reading the first book only.
	We Have Always Live in the Castle - Shirley Jackson (★★★★)
	This book follows the Blackwood family which consists of Mary Katherine 'Merricat', her sister Constance, and her uncle Julian. They live in a secluded big house on the outskirts of a village. It mainly tells the daily live of the Blackwood family from the eyes of Mary. Though their live seems mundane, there's a tragedy six years prior which shadows their lives. The villagers disdain them, to the point that they taunt Mary whenever she went out for groceries or doing errands at the village. This book is a slow burn kind of horror/ mystery. It's creepy and disturbing. It's actually not the first time I read Jackson's works. Reading this book, I remember the kind of creepy feeling I got while reading her writing which I enjoy. That's actually why I was interested in picking up more of her books. I've written a full review of this book which will be posted on this blog.

May Favorites

Book

We have Always Lived in the Castle

TV shows

Miracle Workers

After finishing Modern Family, I was in search of another comedy. Someone from my book circle recommended this show. She said if I enjoy The Good Place, I might enjoy this show. Fortunately, this show is available on HBOGo. So I watched it. Currently, two seasons have been released. Each season has its own theme but the casts are mostly the same. The humor fits my taste and I really enjoyed watching the show. It's so short though. Each episode is only 20 minutes long. I flew through both seasons and now I'm out of comedy show again. If you have any recommendation on comedy shows, please feel free to leave it on the comment section.

This concludes my wrap-up for May. Somehow, May doesn't leave much of impression on me. Nothing special happened. However, I'm most excited for June because it's BTS anniversary month which means Festa contents are coming. Then there's the muster concert. Also, Marvel show Loki will be available to stream in June. I have many things to look forward to in June. What about you? Did you have a wonderful May? Do you have something to look forward to in June?