May Books {2026}

Dear friends. Perhaps not as many books read as usual this month, but they were generally high quality and very different from each other.  

There were three 5 star reads, one a moving account of the death of an ordinary man. 

I've also given an update on my book challenges, given that we're nearly halfway through the year. 

All books were supplied as digital advance copies by NetGalley in return for an honest review, except those with an asterisk which I bought myself. 

The Boleyn Secret by Alison Weir (5 out of  stars)

General Fiction (Adult) | Historical Fiction | History

A new Alison Weir novel is to me what marchpane was to Queen Elizabeth I: delightful.

Our foremost female historian applies her expert knowledge and storytelling ability to bring to life a largely unknown Tudor: Kate, daughter of Mary Carey (nee Boleyn), sister of Anne, in this fictional novel. 

Kate is a witness to the execution of her aunt, chosen at age 12 to be one of her handmaidens at the gallows. This hardens her hatred of Henry VIII.

Kate serves the young Lady Elizabeth, who is devoted to her.

At court rumours circulate about Kate and about her mother, who moved to France with her second husband William Stamford after censure for marrying a commoner.

Elizabeth is jealous when Kate marries and rarely mentions her husband or the many children Kate will bear.

The rule of Mary drives ardent Protestants Kate and husband Francis to flee to Europe. They return once Elizabeth is on the throne. She welcomes them back with key roles at court, but rarely allows Kate to see either her husband or her children. The drama builds when her husband is sent to the north to guard Mary Queen of Scots. It's the last time Kate sees him, despite many entreaties to Elizabeth.

I won't reveal the Boleyn secret here. Tudorphiles will probably have guessed.

Another spellbinding book from Alison Weir.

I Want You to be Happy by Jem Calder (5 out of 5 stars)

General Fiction (Adult) | Literary Fiction

Chuck and Joey meet in a bar. He’s in his mid-thirties; she’s twelve years younger. He’s long abandoned his ambition of becoming a novelist and now works as a copywriter at a big ad agency. Joey is a barista  who privately dreams of making it as a poet. Soon Joey is imagining a future between them, and Chuck’s moving on from a major change in his recent past. 

It's an extraordinary feat of writing. I felt as if I was inside the lives of Chuck and Joey as their relationship tentatively started and then developed. As Joey starts to feel emotionally committed, Chuck is pulling back and withdrawing, both from his job and from Joey, 12 years his junior. I was fully invested and loved the somewhat ambiguous ending. Jem Calder is a writer to watch.

Death on the Norfolk Express by Ross Greenwood (4 out of 5 stars)

General Fiction (Adult), Mystery and Thrillers 

Another fabulous read from Ross Greenwood. This time the action is centred on a steam railway in Norfolk. I was so fascinated by all the train detail that I'm now booking a long weekend to go on the trains!

DI Ashley Knight has a terrible shock at the start of the book and she's operating on auto pilot to discover who's behind the murders on the railway line.

It was gripping and enthralling with a neat twist at the end. I'd gone to bed leaving myself the last 10% for the next day but woke up in the middle of the night to finish it. That's the hallmark of a good crime thriller. 

The Hollow Boys by Tariq Ashkanani  (4 out of 5 stars) 

General Fiction (Adult) | Mystery & Thrillers

One of the most atmospheric and intriguing books I've read for a while. The town of Aurora is struggling economically. A few miles away fires are burning underground. All out of the blue, a child who went missing with his best friend 10 months ago mysteriously reappears, emaciated and weak. Even more mysteriously, he claims to be the other child. His real mother is dabbling in black magic and believes she is responsible for the way he's changed. Meanwhile the two police chiefs have a simmering rivalry and one of them is suspicious of the investigation carried out by his colleague into the original disappearance. Multi nuanced and highly sophisticated, this is another excellent book by Tariq Ashkanani. 

Westerly by Susan Donovan Bernhard (3.5 out of 5 stars) 

Historical Fiction / Women's Fiction

Essentially a novel about intergenerational trauma. Faye, happily married to William and living in Maine, has two daughters and a good life. But she is hiding her true identity and the story behind her move to the US from Ireland as a young girl. Her secret is in danger of being revealed when a person from Ireland turns up who knew her and her sister. Faye's youngest daughter, always troubled, finds herself part of the unexplained drama. The ripples are widespread as Molly flees from parental responsibility, leaving her mother and sister to care for her baby.

I found the whole premise of what happened back in Ireland a little unconvincing, and it was confusing by the end in terms of who was who. The unfolding of the story was very gradual, over three generations, and the pacing was slow

Thanks to Amazon First Reads for the advance digital copy.

NON-FICTION

Death of an Ordinary Man by Sarah Perry (5 out of 5 stars)* 

Memoir / Autobiography 

An immensely beautiful, powerful and poignant book. Very few of us have any idea what death actually looks like. Sarah Perry recounts in detail the death of her father-in-law David, just eight days after a  diagnosis of cancer.  Sarah and her husband, plus friends and the pastor, filled David's last days at home with singing and, when he was up to it, talking and reminiscing. Sarah was initially terrified at the prospect of nursing him, not knowing what to do. Yet she rose immediately to the challenge and described caring for David, who was much loved, as a privilege. And my word, the NHS gets criticism but hearing how fast and how kindly they responded, when it became clear David didn't have much time left, was quite emotional. The book had a very profound effect on me. I lost my mother a few months ago and sadly wasn't with her when she died as it was very sudden. The book answered some of my unspoken questions relating to her death and that of my father in hospital more than 20 years ago. Quite rightly, a book that was longlisted for the Women's Prize for Non-Fiction 2026. 

Progress on my 2026 Book Challenges

Goodreads:  goal of 105 books read. Currently 1 behind schedule at 39. 

Crime Fiction:  Cloak and Dagger Challenge hosted by Carol's Notebook. Goal:  16 - 25 crime books which would put me in the Detective category. Progress:  10 

New Release Reading Challenge hosted by The Chocolate Lady. Goal: 61 - 100. Currently at 30. 

Non-Fiction Reading Challenge at Book'd Out. Goal: 12  books, one from each sub category set by Shelleyrae.  Goal achieved, with just over 6 months to go!  Mind you, I didn't manage so far to read a book in each of Shelleyrae's categories. I am pleased by how interesting I've found non-fiction, and I'm sure I'll double my goal. 

Here is a list of all my 2026 books with links to my reviews. 

As always, let me know if any of these titles sparks your interest. Do you have any reading goals? 

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