I'm definitely still adjusting to not having as much free time to read as I used to, especially now that the weather is warmer and I'm used to spending the summer months sitting at the pool with a good book. My days at the pool look a bit different now, and there's definitely no sitting and reading. 

But I still managed to read a few good books in May. 

Four Stars

The Mystery Guest by Nita Prose
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I really enjoyed the first book with Molly the Maid, and I was excited to see her back to her crime-solving ways in this follow up. When a famous author drops dead at a speaking event at her hotel, Molly is yet again a suspect, but so are many other people. Molly works to uncover the identity and motive of the true killer. Just like the first book this was fun and fast and a really enjoyable read.

Women of Good Fortune by Sophie Wan
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I was introduced to Sophie Wan at the Gaithersburg Book Festival, and when she did a reading from the book and I found myself laughing out loud, I knew I wanted to read it. The rest of the book didn't disappoint either. It was a fun read about three friends in China who are all largely unhappy with their place in the world. One is engaged to marry into a wealthy family and the friends plan a heist to steal the traditional wedding gifts. I enjoyed the story of the women, and I even came to like some of the more problematic male characters in the book.

Good Inside: A Guide to Becoming the Parent You Want to Be by Becky Kennedy
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

It's weird to rate a parenting book, but raising kids is hard and there are a million theories on approaches to how to not mess up your kids. I liked the general premise of this book -- that children act out not because they're bad, but because they're dealing with some inside emotion that they haven't yet learned how to manage and that a parent's job is to help teach them how to regulate those emotions so they have vital coping skills for when they're older and life throws tough stuff at them.

The Dead Will Tell by Linda Castillo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

I took an unintentional short break from the Kate Burkholder series because I forgot to put this book on hold at the library for like a full month, but I was excited to dive back in to the next mystery with one of my favorite detectives. In this book, Kate investigates a murder in Amish County only to uncover that it has ties to a cold case from the 1970s. This book had a slightly different twist than some of the others that I've read in this series, and I really liked it, but don't want to say more for the spoiler.

Three Stars

Meet Me at the Lake by Carley Fortune
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

While I didn't love this book as much as Fortune's first book, it was still an enjoyable and easy read. Fern's mom owns a lake resort that gives major Dirty Dancing vibes. When she's killed in a car accident the resort passes to Fern. Fern's moved to Toronto and has no desire to go back to her sleepy lake town, but she knows she has to sort out what to do with the resort. When she arrives she finds Will, a man she met one day 10 years ago checking in. Fern's ex also works at the resort. Things are awkward, but the tension makes for a good story. I struggled with both Will and Fern's characters at points, which is why this is only 3.5 stars, but overall it was still a fun summer read.