Mini Book Reviews: May 2025

Disclaimer: I received ARCs of Shopgirls, All the Mothers, The Boy From the Sea, Aftertaste, Food Person, and Dreaming of Home from Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest reviews. This post contains affiliate links.

When life gives you bad weather, you read a lot of books. At least I did. I had a lot of downtime this month, due to the never-ending cloudy, rainy, cool days. The only upside was that I had 6 Netgalley reads due this month, plus a few library holds that I didn't want to miss out on. It's not a bad problem to have. It's hard to pick a favorite read, but I have 2: The Boy From the Sea and Aftertaste, which came out of nowhere. Aftertaste was one of those last minute Netgalley offerings, and it sounded intriguing, so I jumped on it. I'm so glad, because the story blew me away. I'm not alone--out of everything I read, this was the highest ranked book on Goodreads this month. I hope it gets some momentum. The Boy from the Sea was a classic family drama, set in Ireland. Just so, so beautiful.

Shopgirls was such a fun read! Zippy is so excited to start her job as a saleswoman at I. Magnin, an exclusive department store in San Francisco. It's 1985. Who remembers I Magnin? We had a few locally, and what amazed me was how little merchandise was on the floor and how expensive it was! Anyhoo, Zippy is the youngest salesperson in Petite Dresses, but she's got a knack for selling. She's befriended all her fellow salespeople. She also has an enemy who is writing negative reviews about her. Raised by her single mother, Zippy is quirky and naive, which makes this such an entertaining story. I also enjoyed the author's other books Mary Jane and The Summer of Naked Swim Parties.

A single mother who has been dumped by the father of her baby girl connects with another woman who had a child with the same man. They become friends and then roommates. The father of the half-siblings lives with his mother and is a deadbeat dad and a serial baby daddy, trying to launch his career as a rock guitarist. His mother is a piece of work. Soon, there becomes a third woman with a baby. And so it goes... I really enjoyed this book--the author did a great job developing strong female characters who support each other. The dialogue was humorous but always felt genuine. All the Mothers was an easy read that I couldn't put down!

What did I just read? In Julie Chan is Dead, Julie finds her deceased twin, whom she's been separated from since childhood, she makes a snap decision to assume her identity. After all, Chloe's life as a social media influencer is so much better than Julie's life of living with her evil aunt and working at the supermarket. The lengths Julie goes to to keep her charade afloat had me turning the pages! It was also very funny. About 2/3 of the way in, the story takes a dark, fantastical turn. I was still turning the pages--but just to get through it. I even considered DNFing--it was that weird. The ending was left open to interpretation--which has given me plenty to think about. I think this would be a great book club read--there will be plenty to discuss. 

Set in a small fishing village in Ireland in the 1970s-80s, a baby floats ashore in a barrel. A fisherman and his wife take the baby in and adopt him as their own. Their young son resents the new baby, a poison that festers as the boys grow up. The townspeople are fascinated with 'the boy from the sea', as they call him, and some believe him to have magical powers. The story follows the family through the years, culminating in a heartbreaking tragedy. Narrated by a collective 'we', it makes the reader feel as if we are observers looking in from the outside. The Boy from the Sea is a beautifully written family drama, and I could not put it down. PS. Liz read this one as well. Check out her review here.

This beautifully written book is a story about a mother and a daughter. The narrative travels seamlessly between the past and the present, as many of us do when we become adults, and our new role as a parent changes the way we view our childhood. Elizabeth, the matriarch of the family, is cold, harsh, and narcissistic--at least towards her daughter Margaret, who holds a terrible secret from her childhood. This secret, which may trigger some readers, affects every relationship throughout her life and causes her to be overprotective of her young daughters. Sleep was such an introspective story, and some might find it slow, but for this reader, I found it very relatable. Highly recommended.

Kostya has always had random episodes of tasting foods he has never eaten. The tastes are strong, and he can determine the ingredients, leading him to consider becoming a chef. One night, he experiences a strong aftertaste of a cocktail, leading him to realize what these aftertastes really mean. This opens up a whole new world, and he pursues his dream, using his gift of aftertastes. Aftertaste was SO GOOD! I could not put it down. The writing is so descriptive that I wanted to taste all the foods. Don't let the description of ghosts in the story scare you away--this is a book about love and loss and using food to conjure up memories of the past. What a concept! The execution was ...I have to say it... chef's kiss!

Another book about food? Why not? When Isabella is fired from her job as a writer for an online food publication, she feels her dream of becoming a cookbook author go up in smoke. Fortunately, she lands a job ghostwriting a cookbook. The only problem is that it's for an actress with a bad girl reputation who needs a project to help clean up her image. Instead, Isabella finds herself becoming a glorified babysitter for Molly, who just won't settle down and work on the project. Oh, and she can't cook and hates to eat. As you might expect, shenanigans ensue, culminating in a disastrous climax. The food descriptions were mouth-watering--this author knows his way around a recipe. Food Person was a fun, humorous, and breezy read--perfect for the beach!

Cristina Jiménez and her family fled to the United States in search of a better life after losing her sister to cancer. In this memoir, she shares her story as an undocumented immigrant. She narrates her struggle for education and her leadership in immigration rights. She becomes increasingly vocal about the plight of undocumented students, the so-called DREAMERS, and expresses her disappointment in both political parties for their lack of support. Her story is particularly relevant given the current administration's stance on undocumented individuals. Although her story is inspiring, the narrative feels flat, reading more like a list of dates and events. While Jiménez conveys her feelings, they come across as robotic. I read a pre-release edition, and I hope the published version of Dreaming of Home underwent some editing. 

Kevin Wilson has always been a win for me. In Nothing to See Here and Now is Not the Time to Panic, I found a quirky voice that appealed to my offbeat sense of humor. His latest offering, Run for the Hills has a great premise: a 'serial' father finds love, has a child, but eventually moves on, as if he's trying to find himself. When Ruben shows up at Mad's farm in a PT Cruiser and introduces himself as her older half brother, they embark on a trip across the country to find their other siblings and eventually their father. While the author's signature deadpan delivery and quirky wit were present, this one didn't grab me as much as his other books. The premise was great and had a lot of potential, but this one just wasn't as funny as his previous books. Still worth the read, though!

What have you been reading? Have you read any of these books? Do you like books about food?

I'm linking up with Jenn and Zenaida for Tuesday Topics!  I'm also excited to join Farrah for My Month is Booked! Check out the newest link-up: Share Your Shelf with Slices of Life, Memphis Bridges, Overflowing with Thankfulness, and The Other Side of the Road.