What's On My Nightstand (May 2026)

This month has been a bit of a slump in the reading department (though I'm still ahead of schedule, thanks to last month) as we prepare to graduate a child and send four kids off to the ends of the earth for the summer. I also blame Emma M. Lion. If you know, you know. Once you get started on that series, there is no casual reading, it's like a mad rush to the end, and there's no stopping it. In fact, I'm seriously considering re-reading them, that's how much I enjoyed them. If you haven't joined the Emma fan club, I must either ask you what you're waiting for, or I must warn you...I've seen rumors that there are a total of 25 books planned. We are on book #8 and it's been almost 2 years since that was released. Book #9 is scheduled to be released this year. So if you hate waiting...maybe it's best if you leave Emma to those of us for whom it is too late. We're already sucked in and invested in either Team Pierce, Team Hawkes, or Team Islington. Save yourself. 

Photo by Benjamin Cheng on Unsplash

In the meantime, after the letdown of finding, devouring, and finishing what has been written so far of Emma and The Alchemy's exploits, here's what I've managed to finish this month. I warn you, it is sad, indeed, in comparison. I remember now why I have a love/hate relationship with discovering a new book series that sucks me in so quickly...the book hangover is real. 

1. The Saint Mary's Cipher by Anna Elliott and Charles Veley - ⭐⭐⭐ My complaint with many of the books in the "Homefront Sleuths" series is that the authors get in a phrase or word rut and then kill it with overuse. Two books ago, more women had "hair severely pulled back" than you could shake a stick at! For this book, their word of choice was "prickled." Things "prickled" at the back of throats, skin and senses "prickled," and so on. To the point that I started laughing when I got to another use of the word. People...get yourselves a good copy editor!! Apart from that, the story wasn't bad. Sending Evie and Nigel to France was a twist, though that felt like a side story that wasn't, perhaps, quite needed or finalized. The woman they rescued, in the end, had very little to do with the story. And some of the assumptions made by Harry and Co. were a little obviously obtuse. It's not a bad little series, but it is losing its attraction a bit with each book, sadly. The first couple of books held so much promise. {Amazon Associates Link}
2. The Beast of Littleton Woods by T.E. Kinsey - ⭐⭐⭐ I've read this series for a while now, and I honestly don't mind them as fun little mysteries, but I'd have to say that this was one of my least favorite so far. I suppose it's to be expected...I mean, how many murders can you explain away in such a small village (a fact that the author even included in the plot)? The exotic animals were a twist, though the villains were not much of a surprise (saw one of them coming a mile away). It would have been nice for it all to wrap up with knowing what happened to the animals, or perhaps with Daisy keeping the "giant rat" as a bar pet...but such is life. The writing is still good, the plot was just a little thin this time. But, it was included on Kindle Unlimited, so I won't complain too loudly. {Amazon Associates Link}

And that's it. Just the two completed last month. I have two more in process, but neither of them made the cut for May, sadly. However, I'm still ahead of schedule, and with plans to be away from home at times this summer, I'm hoping that I'll not get into the summer reading slump that I experienced last year. Only time will tell. But I've also reached the point that as long as I'm reading something every day, I'm satisfied. How about you? What's your book 📚 status for May?