Hello, fellow bookworms! Welcome, or Welcome back! My name is Amanda, and this is where I share spoiler-free book reviews and other bookish things. Thanks for visiting. Join the conversation and share your thoughts. Let’s get Smitten for Fiction!

I haven’t done a wrap-up since January, and I’ve fallen a little behind on my reviews. I try to review every book I read, but life gets busy! I read 5 books in May and 5 books in June. Some of them have a review posted, for the ones that don’t, I’ll do a quick review here so I can catch up.

BOOKS READ IN MAY 2025

Books Read: 5
DNF (did not finish): 0
Number of Pages: 2134
Average Rating: 3.8

Title: Overgrowth
Author: Mira Grant
Genre: Horror, Science Fiction (aliens), LGBT+
Click here for my review
Goodreads Link

Title: Christine
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Horror
Short Review: Christine is a dark and violent novel about friendship, obsession, love, loss, and revenge. It’s
character-driven, slow-paced, angsty, dramatic, and violent, with dark humour and descriptive writing.
Goodreads Link

Title: Homecoming
Author: Zoë Apostolides
Genre: Gothic Mystery
Click here for my review
Goodreads Link

Title: Hamnet
Author: Maggie O’Farrell
Genre: Historical Fiction, Literary
Short Review: Hamnet is an alternate history story about the death of William Shakespeare’s son, Hamnet, and the circumstances around the writing of the play Hamlet. I liked this; many other readers have loved it. I think if you’re a fan of Shakespeare retellings, then you’ll love this.
Goodreads Link

Title: My Friends
Author: Fredrik Backman
Genre: Contemporary Literary Fiction, LGBT+
Short Review: My Friends is one of my favourite reads so far this year. This is an emotional story with complex characters about artists, teenagers, growing up, and found family. Highly recommend!
Goodreads Link

BOOKS READ IN JUNE 2025

Books Read: 5
DNF (did not finish): 1 Elphie by Gregory Maguire
Number of Pages: 1523
Average Rating: 4

Title: Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng
Author: Kylie Lee Baker
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Click here for my review
Goodreads Link

Title: The Staircase in the Woods
Author: Chuck Wendig
Genre: Horror, Mystery
Short Review: The Staircase in the Woods is an intense and creepy horror novel about guilt, abandonment, and fear. With well-developed characters and an incredible setting, I recommend this one to horror fans and also mystery fans who don’t mind violence and gore.
Goodreads Link

Title: Cycle of the Werewolf
Author: Stephen King
Genre: Horror
Short Review: Cycle of the Werewolf is a novella that packs a punch. There are beautiful illustrations by the late Bernie Wrightson that just bring this classic creature feature to life.
Goodreads Link

Title: With a Vengeance
Author: Riley Sager
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Short Review: Okay, anyone who knows me knows that I’m not the biggest Riley Sager fan. I only read his books because they are often the July pick for The Literally Dead Book Club. I LOVE trains. It’s a great setting for a locked-room mystery. This isn’t my favourite book; however, it’s a good time, and I think it’s a great summer read. The book club is currently reading it in July. Check out the Instagram for more info!
Goodreads Link

Title: Julie Chan is Dead
Author: Liann Zhang
Genre: Mystery, Horror
Short Review: Julie is such a complex character. She doesn’t make good decisions, but I found myself wanting her to succeed…sort of. There’s a lot of talk about social media, which usually drives me up the wall, but it was done very well here. This book is darkly humourous, emotional, and infuriating. It’s kind of like R. F. Kuang meets Mona Awad – two of my favourite authors.
Goodreads Link

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