What I've Been Reading Lately
April & May 2025
Somewhat unorthodox to cut a post like this off two-thirds of the way, but needs logistics must, and I’m dying to tell you about what I found time to read during deadline season here at uni. With that over, I’ve now finished the taught parts of my Master’s programme, and I’ve now got the summer to write a dissertation, before the whole thing is over - it’s gone so quickly!
Disclaimer: these are Amazon affiliate links, to try and boost my student budget!
Cover Story - Mhairi McFarlane
A Court of Thorns And Roses - Sarah J Maas
Out On A Limb - Hannah Bonam-Young
You Are Here - David Nicholls
Murder By The Book - Claire Harman
Here One Moment - Liane Moriarty
Quarterlife - Satya Doyle Byock
First Time Caller - BK Borison
The Eights - Joanna Miller
The Mysterious Bakery on Rue de Paris - Evie Woods
My Kind of Trouble - L A Schwartz
See You At The Finish Line - Zac Hammett
Conclave - Robert Harris
The Au Pair Affair - Tessa Bailey
The Hunger Games - Suzanne Collins
A special mention goes to You Are Here, which I read on audiobook, mostly while walking - which felt very appropriate for a novel about walking, much of which takes place through dialogue. Six of the 15 books above were ebooks from the library (I continue to love the Libby app), four were kindle reads, three were physical books from my shelf, and one - the new Mhairi McFarlane - was an advance review copy.
I will always be a mega fan of McFarlane’s early novels (You Had Me At Hello came into my life at a time when I really needed it - my Amazon account says I bought it on Boxing Day of my final year of undergrad - and was a huge part of introducing me to smart modern romantic comedies), but I think Cover Story might just be her masterpiece. And without spoiling the plot too much, I will say that reading it and then watching this happen (CW: news article referring to sexual violence) in local news here in Bristol was…. weird.
On a more positive note - I’d like a moment of commotion for the stunning new edition of The Hunger Games I bought after hearing Caroline O’Donoghue and Traci Thomas discuss the series on Sentimental Garbage:
I was browsing in Waterstones after listening to the podcast and thought I’d pick up a copy (I originally read the books from my high school library so never had my own) and found these glorious deluxe editions. The one they had on the shelf was a little bit beaten-up so I went on the Waterstones website and ordered one to be sent in the post. And read it in one sitting, just as I did when I was a teenager. Bring on the rest of the series.
Speak soon,
Lily