What I Read ♥ May 2026

May was another unsuccessful reading month for me. Just like last month, I started a lot of books but either DNF them or decided not to track them at all. I’m really at a strange place with my reading, but I hope I can focus and get back on track because I have a lot of new books that I want to begin reading in May.

With that said, I did manage to read some books in May. I really only read one adult book, and it sure was an entertaining one! By the time I realized this, I decided to binge the rest of the American Girl Doll Meet series just so I could have something to discuss in this post because the audiobooks are under an hour, and it works into my 2026 reading goals. I know the American Girl Doll books are meant for children, but to me, a book is a story, and the main reason I read is to hear a story.

In other bookish news, I recently downloaded the Reading Journey: Book Tracker app just so I could use the widget on my phone! You can choose to display a widget that features the books that you’re currently reading. Hopefully, including this will motivate me to put my phone down and pick up a book instead.

Make sure to follow me on Goodreads to be updated on what I’m reading and on StoryGraph if you’re curious about my book statistics.

My Star Rating Scale
★★★★★/5 – Loved it! I would reread and recommend this book to others.
★★★★/5 – Kept me entertained. There were a few things that bothered me. I would reread.
★★★/5 – Didn’t love or hate and would recommend to others.
★★/5 – Did not enjoy it and probably skimmed through most of it to get to the end.
★/5 – I hated it and regret wasting my time!
DNF – Did not finish.
N/A – Not Available. Meant for memoirs or books I prefer not to rate.

DISCLAIMER: Links included in this post might be affiliate links. If you make a purchase with the links I provide, I may receive a small commission at no additional charge to you.

Yesteryear by Caro Claire Bukre ★★★★/5
Natalie lives a traditional lifestyle. Her charming farmhouse is rustic, her husband a handsome cowboy, her six children each more delightful than the last. So what if there are nannies and producers behind the scenes, her kitchen hiding industrial-grade fridges and ovens, her husband the heir to a political dynasty? What Natalie’s followers—all 8 million of them—don’t know won’t hurt them. And The Angry Women? The privileged, Ivy League, coastal elite haters who call her an antifeminist iconoclast? They’re sick with jealousy. Because Natalie isn’t simply living the good life, she’s living the ideal—and just so happens to be building an empire from it.

Until one morning she wakes up in a life that isn’t hers. Her home, her husband, her children—they’re all familiar, but something’s off. Her kitchen is warmed by a sputtering fire rather than electricity, her children are dirty and strange, and her soft-handed husband is suddenly a competent farmer. Just yesterday Natalie was curating photos of homemade jam for her Instagram, and now she’s expected to haul firewood and handwash clothes until her fingers bleed. Has she become the unwitting star of a ruthless reality show? Could it really be time travel? Is she being tested by God? By Satan? When Natalie suffers a brutal injury in the woods, she realizes two things: This is not her beautiful life, and she must escape by any means possible.

I know. I’m probably the 106483rd person you’ve seen mention this book. I was shocked to see that this was just released in April 2026! I knew it was a recent release, but I didn’t know it was that recent. Especially, with this being the author’s debut book. Good for her!

Yesteryear was a wild ride! I almost read half of this novel in one sitting! There were so many twists and turns that I didn’t expect. The main character was pretty confusing to understand and just became unreliable as the book went on. As I reached the third act, I really didn’t know how this was going to wrap up, and when it did, I was underwhelmed. If you read Yesteryear, let me know if you liked the ending or not.

You can purchase Yesteryear here

Meet Kirsten: An American Girl (American Girls: Kirsten, #1) by Janet Beeler Shaw ★★★★★/5
Nine-year-old Kirsten and her family experience many hardships as they travel from Sweden to the Minnesota frontier in 1854.

This one got me in the feels! I didn’t expect Kristen’s story to be so heartbreaking. Kristen’s family is immigrating from Sweden to Minnesota, and along the way, some big events happen that I know will shape her character as she develops in the rest of her books. Out of all of the American Girl books that I read, I think I’m most eager to read Kristen’s books because I genuinely want to know if she’s okay based on all the trauma she’s experienced at such a young age. Kristen, are you alright, girl?

You can purchase Meet Kirsten here

Meet Samantha: An American Girl (American Girl: Samantha, #1) by Susan S. Adler ★★★★★/5
In 1904, nine-year-old Samantha, an orphan living with her wealthy grandmother, and her servant friend Nellie have a midnight adventure when they try to find out what has happened to the seamstress who suddenly left her job.

Samantha Parkington. My favorite American Girl doll! Oddly enough, I did remember a lot of her story because there was a made-for-TV movie that I still vaguely remembered. Samantha loses her parents at a young age and ends up living with her wealthy grandmother. I didn’t love this story, but I also didn’t hate it. I feel like Samantha acts like a white privileged only child because that’s what she is! However, in Meet Samantha, Samantha learns about different types of family lifestyles and comes to appreciate her privilege and tries to use this to help her friends. Samantha’s book ends on a cliffhanger, so I’m very curious to read what happens in her next book.

You can purchase Meet Samantha here

Meet Josefina: An American Girl (American Girls: Josefina, #1) by Valerie Tripp ★★★★/5
Josefina Montoya is growing up on a rancho near Santa Fe, New Mexico, in 1824. Ever since Mama died a year before, Josefina and her three sisters have been struggling to carry on without her. One bright fall day, happy news arrives–their beloved grandfather is returning home after a long trading trip. Josefina knows that he will bring exciting stories and wonderful treasures from his journey. But this time he brings something more–a great surprise that Josefina and her sisters never even dreamed of!”

In Meet Josefina, we find out it’s only been a year since Josefina lost her mother. As the youngest of four sisters, she’s clearly mourning and trying to move on with life. Plus, she can’t seem to get along with the neighborhood goat, Florecita. She’s also anticipating the arrival of her grandfather, who surprises them with an appearance from their aunt. Josefina’s story also ends with a cliffhanger. If I’m honest, I found Josefina’s first book quite dull. Not much happens besides her family visiting and Josefina gaining the courage to stand up to a goat.

One accessory that you could buy for Josefina is a goat (I researched, and it’s not the same goat), so I found it odd that she didn’t like goats in her first book. I guess that’s one thing to look forward to reading about in Josefina’s book series.

You can purchase Meet Josefina here

Meet Kaya (American Girl: Kaya, #1) by Janet Beeler Shaw ★★★★/5
Kaya dreams of racing her beautiful mare Steps High. Her father warns her that the horse isn’t ready, but when a pesky boy insults Steps High, Kaya accepts his challenge to race. As they ride, Kaya loses sight of her little brothers. Her carelessness earns her a nickname that her friends won’t let her forget.

Out of all the American Girl Meet books that I read, I felt that Kaya’s story was the most normal for a girl her age around her time period. In Meet Kaya, we learn about Kaya’s interests, her mistakes, her challenges, etc. I didn’t worry about Kaya because I feel, based on her first book, that despite acting childish at times, she is also a quick learner and responsible.

You can purchase Meet Kaya here

Meet Molly (American Girl: Molly, #1) by Valerie Tripp ★★★/5
While her father is away fighting in World War II, Molly finds her life full of change and plans revenge on her brother for ruining her Halloween.

First off, I didn’t enjoy Meet Molly. All I knew about Molly was that she was the most patriotic doll of the American Girl Dolls. Her story is set during the late World War 2 era. For some reason, I thought that because of her nerdy, quirky look, she would come off as smart or mature, but it was the complete opposite! In Meet Molly, Molly acted so immature and childish.

I find it kind of strange that when people think of American Girl Dolls. Samantha is the one who is called the white, rich, privileged one. What about Molly? She’s just as privileged as Samantha, if not more! Molly has a big house, a housemaid, siblings, friends, both of her parents (who are doctors), and still has time to act like a brat. It’s just a different time period. Plus, she’s problematic because she is mean to a girl for no reason, wears a hula girl costume, and wants to get revenge on her brother.

I don’t know how Molly will develop as a character going forward because this is my first time reading these books. But I was very surprised by Molly because I always thought she would behave differently just based on her appearance. I guess don’t judge a doll by her clothing!

You can purchase Meet Molly here

Meet Kit (American Girl: Kit, #1) by Valerie Tripp ★★★★★/5
Kit longs for a big story to write in her daily newspaper for her Dad—that is, until she’s faced with news that’s really bad. When Mother’s friends lose their house and come to stay with her family, it’s nothing but trouble for Kit. Then Kit’s dad loses his business, and things go from bad to worse. Will life ever be the same again?

I was surprised how much I enjoyed Meet Kit! Kit’s story takes place during the Great Depression. I was very surprised by how much Kit knew about what was going on in her time period and how much she was willing to compromise. Kit came off as more mature compared to the other American Girls that I read about, which was so refreshing to read after reading Molly’s book! haha

You can purchase Meet Kit here

Meet Felicity (American Girl: Felicity, #1) by Valerie Tripp ★★/5
Felicity falls in love with a beautiful horse named Penny. When she discovers that the owner is cruel, she is determined to find a way to save Penny.

I was dreading reading Meet Felicity because she’s one of the oldest American Girl Dolls, and because I heard that her story is just her being selfish. All Felicity did in her book was steal a horse and wear pants. That’s all she did! While reading, I have to remind myself that these girls are young. I believe all of them are under 10! So, yeah, most 9-year-olds are naive and do reckless things without thinking about the repercussions that their actions involve. However, some characters just come off as really young and dumb, and Felicity is one of them. We will see how she develops as a character in her book series.

You can purchase Meet Felicity here

Have you read any of these books? What did you read in May?