On My Shelf: Books Read May 2026

I didn’t like the layout/graphics I’d been using for book posts this year, so I’m pivoting! Hopefully the result is a bit cleaner and easier to read.

In case you’re interested in other months: January, February, March, and April.

NONFICTION READS IN MAY 2026

In the non-fiction category I had: two 3-star reads, three 4-star reads, one 5-star read (and one memoir I didn’t rate).

Solitude: A Singular Life in a Crowded World by Michael Harris *3 stars

I finished this book and immediately forgot almost everything about it. Something just didn’t click for me. It was a quick read, but wasn’t memorable and it didn’t feel like Harris was the right person to be writing about solitude (he seems to be an extrovert and didn’t give much practical advice for incorporating solitude into everyday life).

That said, it was interesting to read a book which talks a lot about the negative impact of technology and the digitization of everything… written almost a decade ago! Imagine what he’d have to say about ChatGPT!

Raising Hare: A Memoir by Chloe Dalton *4 stars

A slow-moving, gentle book about a woman who ends up taking care of a vulnerable baby hare (called a leveret; I learned a new term by reading this book). Some of the prose felt overwritten and a bit too lyrical for a “memoir” and some of the factual bits about environmentalism felt a bit forced, but I really enjoyed reading this story.

I had to shake my head over the author’s insistence of not naming The Hare and not startling it with loud noises (to keep it “wild”) which felt bizarre given the fact she was feeding the hare daily (and its eventual offspring), and letting it sleep inside her house. That bit didn’t compute for me. The Hare deserves a name, in my opinion 🙂

Content warnings. Descriptions of animal death due to farming/predators.

The Next Day: Transitions, Change, and Moving Forward by Melinda French Gates *4 stars

I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this book. (It’s short!) I thought it was an authentic look at growing older and prioritizing people and relationships. Of course, it’s written through the lens of someone who does not lead what would be considered a conventional life. But she has lots of the same struggles (losing people she loves to cancer, trying to balance a career and motherhood) as “everyday” people.

She was very subtle when talking about the breakdown of her marriage after Bill’s infidelity came to light, and she refers to him with a lot of respect, but I did notice he wasn’t mentioned in the acknowledgements section!

Big Time: A Simple Path to Time Abundance by Laura Vanderkam *5 stars

(Here’s a full recap of my thoughts on the book.)

I’m always going to be a bit biased when I read Laura’s books because I find everything she writes so… calming. She makes me feel better about my use of time while simultaneously making me also want to make a series of subtle tweaks to squeeze more pleasure out of life.

Big Time is a great book, and a natural companion to her other work, especially Off the Clock and Tranquility by Tuesday.
As with every time-management book, not everything is going to be relevant to every reader. Every situation is unique and so Laura’s books offer a variety of suggestions, not a mandatory rule book.

I’ll definitely re-read this in the future when I need a pep talk and to inspire some fun additions to my schedule.

Funny, You Don’t Look Autistic: A Comedian’s Guide to Life on the Spectrum by Michael McCreary *not rated

I wouldn’t classify the book as overtly funny, but it was an insightful memoir into the life of a teen (then adult) living with autism.

Content warnings. Occasional strong language. Discussions of bullying.

Joyful, Anyway by Kate Bowler *3 stars

Anything by Kate Bowler is an automatic read for me, though I’ve had mixed success with her books. Unfortunately, this one was a bit of a miss for me. I found it boring, not overly cohesive and entirely forgettable.

Bowler is a good writer, so it wasn’t a complete wash, but definitely not anything that will rise to the top in my memory.

Content warnings: I can’t remember any but am rating this a few weeks after finishing the book, so specifics are a bit fuzzy.

The Art of Spending Money: Simple Choices for a Richer Life by Morgan Housel *4 stars

(This book inspired a Patreon post.)

Nothing life-changing, but a very simple and encouraging reframe of spending and saving. I think naturally frugal people will find it inspiring and people looking to realign financial priorities will find manageable steps to move closer to their goals.

The Stranger in the Woods: The Extraordinary Story of the Last True Hermit by Michael Finkel *4 stars

Technically I read this in June, but I’m going to post it in May’s recap!

This is an incredible story of an unconventional life. I went in blind and didn’t realize that:
a) Christopher Knight survived by stealing from local residents. I can appreciate that he was non-violent, but victims’ description of the impact he had on their mental health left a deep impression on me and so I had a very icky feeling about how he managed to support his decades-long stay in the woods.
b) Finkel has the most complete access to this story, but his relentless pursuit of Knight is horrific. It seems to breach all sorts of journalistic ethics.

All that said, I found the story incredibly compelling to read and remain very intrigued by the concept of people spending extended times in solitude.

Content warnings. Very infrequent strong language.

FICTION READS IN MAY 2026

Spectacular Things by Beck Dorey-Stein *3 stars

3.5 stars rounded down to 3.

This book was good but not great. I debated whether to round up or down, and I’m going with my gut of down.

I felt like this book was all over the place, repetitive, and very boring in the middle. Also, I know these girls loved their mother, but I had a very deep dislike for Liz. She was neglectful and manipulative and controlling. I found it intensely sad.

The only people I liked in the book were Mia (and Oliver!). Mia is selfless and the rest of the family seems incredibly selfish, to me!

Content warnings. Occasional strong language. References to sexual assault.

The Summer Book by Tove Jansson *4 stars

3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

I wanted to love this book. Reading it in Finland had to give it extra pizazz, right?

It is loosely based on Jansson’s own life and the description of summers spent on an island off the coast of Helsinki is beautifully rich.

I found the stories/vignettes a bit disjointed. Some of it was sad, Sophia was rude, and I’m not quite sure how the father fits into the whole story.

This book is a BELOVED classic in Sweden and Finland and I can see why, but I also wonder if some of it was literally lost in translation?

Content warnings. Occasional strong language.

The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris *4 stars

This was always going to be a disturbing book, but a few people recommended it and it definitely pulled me in.

It’s a fascinating look at psychological profiling. I wish the story wasn’t so gritty but, having watched the movies several decades ago, I knew what was coming.

Content warnings: So many. Strong language. Graphic descriptions of violence.

Anatomy of an Alibi by Ashley Elston *3 stars

I LOVED First Lie Wins and couldn’t wait to read Elston’s latest book.

What a letdown. I found the plot boring, the characters unlikeable, and the whole story unnecessarily convoluted. I didn’t find any of the twists particular intriguing. A giant meh.

Content warnings: Some strong language.

TOP PICKS FOR MAY

• Fiction: The Silence of the Lambs. This is a very disturbing story and not one I would necessarily recommend to other readers, but it was the most well-written book of fiction I got through last month.
• Non-fiction: Big Time. Laura did it again. I loved her latest time management book.

Your turn:

• What was your favourite book read in May?
• Have you read any of the books I’ve mentioned above?