BOOKS READ:

• The Hidden Oracle (Trials of Apollo, #1) by Rick Riordan
• Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi
• Desaparesidos by Lualhati Bautista

ONGOING:

• The Secret Lives of Introverts: Our Hidden Worlds by Jenn Granneman (50% progress)
• The Lost Symbol (Robert Langdon, #3) by Dan Brown (16% progress)

BOOKS BOUGHT:

• Hollowpox (Nevermoor, #3) by Jessica Townsend
• The Burning God (The Poppy War, #3) by R.F. Kuang
• Contestable Nation-Space: Cinema, Cultural Politics, and Transnationalism in the Marcos-Brocka Philippines by Rolando B. Tolentino
• A Time to Rise: Collective Memoirs of the Union of Democratic Filipinos (KDP) by Rene Ciria Cruz, Cindy Domingo, and Bruce Occena
• Press Freedom Under Siege: Reportage That Challenged the Marcos Dictatorship by Ma. Ceres P. Doyo

It’s that time of the month again where we, the people that make up the whole of the book community, share our fair share of monthly reads and/or hauls. I’m honestly really excited to share mine with all of you because it’s the first time since last year that I was able to finish three (and a half) books in a span of a month. Hopefully, I can continue this pace in June!

The first book I read this month was a carry over from April and I’ve been meaning to catch up with this world for a long time. In May, I finally finished the first book in this series that’s full of adventure, monster-fighting, and friendships. You guessed it, I’ve read The Hidden Oracle (Trials of Apollo, #1) by Rick Riordan. I rated it a 4.5 out of stars! Obviously, I’ve missed this world and I can’t wait to read more.

For my AAPI read, I was able to finish is Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and I honestly don’t know how to review this book because I’m afraid that I wouldn’t be able to give the justice it deserves. It’s very magical, sweet, and kind of give the readers hope that things will get better. The book is divided into four parts, and my favorite is the husband and wife story, but all the stories are very interesting. It’s just a short read and you’ll find yourself in awe of how simple it was written, but the impact it sends to the readers is just hard to forget. I rated it a 5 out of 5 stars.

The last book that I read in May is Desaparesidos by Lualhati Bautista. This is another AAPI read. For those who do not know, this is a novel based on the darkest days in Philippine history and I should warn you, if you’re planning to read this, there are a lot of trigger warnings (e.g., rape, human rights abuse, extra-judicial killings, etc). It’s gripping, terrifying, and hauntingly real. The graphic descriptions of violence is gruesome — there’s just no sugarcoating the atrocities of a dictator. Rated it 5 out of 5 stars.

I’ve also started reading The Lost Symbol (Robert Langdon, #3) by Dan Brown this month and though I’ve only read about a quarter of this book, I’m really enjoying it. I totally missed reading Dan Brown’s novels. Fun fact: He was the one who got me into reading suspense and thriller novels.

How many books have you read in May? Any new favorites?