May is National Get Caught Reading Month in the United States. It’s a time to celebrate the joy of reading. It has also been a year since I announced my ambitious retirement goal of reading 1000 books. What better way to celebrate than a spring reading update!

Let’s take a look at what I’ve been reading this spring.

Spring reading update – Fiction

The Housemaid – Freida McFadden

Months after her release from prison, Millie finds herself in breach of her parole after losing her job and being evicted from her apartment. Millie is delighted when Nina Winchester hires her as a maid. But something about the Winchesters’ house doesn’t feel quite right.

Millie soon learns that Nina’s life isn’t as perfect as it appears on the outside. When she falls for Nina’s husband Andrew, Millie has no idea what’s in store for her when Nina finds out.

This chilling psychological thriller had so many twists and turns, right to the very end.

The Housemaid’s Secret – Freida McFadden

Millie is back in the second book in the series. This time around, she’s working as a maid for the Garricks, where Mrs. Garrick is locked up in the guest bedroom with a “mystery illness”. When Millie sees blood on one of Mrs. Garrick’s nightgowns, she convinces her to open the door, and is shocked by what she sees.

Millie’s attempts to rescue Mrs. Garrick from what appears to be an abusive relationship leads her down a dark path that puts her freedom and her relationship with her boyfriend at risk.

Although not as good as the first book in the series, I did enjoy this and will continue the series.

Her Heart for a Compass – Sarah Ferguson, Duchess of York

I found this book in the Little Free Library around the corner from my house. I had no idea the Duchess of York had written a book—let alone such a delightful one.

The story begins in 1865 when Lady Margaret, daughter of the Duke of Buccleuch, finds herself unable to follow through on her impending engagement to the man her parents had chosen for her. Her refusal to do what is expected of her leaves Margaret an outcast, determined to make her mark in the world as an independent woman. The story follows Margaret’s journey from England, to Ireland, then to New York and back to the beloved Scottish Highlands.

If you’re a fan of historical fiction like Bridgerton and Downton Abbey, you’ll love this wonderful tale.

The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo – Taylor Jenkins Reid ** Top Pick **

When Hollywood icon Evelyn Hugo summons struggling writer Monique Grant to write a tell-all biography about her glamorous and tumultuous life, Monique seizes the opportunity to further her career.

As the story of Evelyn’s career, her lovers, and her seven husbands, unfolds, Monique wonders why Evelyn chose her to write her biography. When Evelyn finally reveals the truth, it shakes Monique’s world in ways she couldn’t have imagined.

This book came highly recommended by several of my favourite bloggers and I can see why. It’s a captivating story of love, lies, and ambition that kept me enthralled until the very end.

First Lie Wins – Ashley Elston

Working under an assumed name and identity, Evie Porter is on a mission for her mysterious boss, Mr. Smith. But things get complicated when she starts to fall for her mark, Ryan Sumner, and a doppelgänger claiming Evie’s true identity ends up dead.

As she sets out to discover her boss’s true identity, Evie finds herself in grave danger. She soon learns there are very few people she can trust.

This book had so many plot twists and turns, it kept me guessing right until the last few pages.

Hidden Pictures – Jason Rekulak ** Top Pick **

Rekulak was a new author to me, and this book had me hooked from the first few pages. I definitely rate this as one of the best books I’ve read in 2025.  

Just out of rehab, Mallory lands a summer job babysitting Ted and Caroline Maxwell’s 5-year-old son Teddy. As she settles in, Teddy’s drawings evolve from the usual drawings of a child to graphic and detailed images that point to something disturbing. But is it just the imagination of a child, or is something sinister going on? As Mallory pieces together the images, what she learns puts her life in danger.

Our Missing Hearts – Celeste Ng

Ten years after “The Crisis”, hatred against Chinese-American citizens abounds in the United States. Children are taken from their parents by the authorities, and sent to live in foster homes to erase their culture and assimilate them into American society.

Three years after his mother Margaret left him and his father out of fear for his future, 12-year-old Bird receives a mysterious letter. He sets out to find his mother who is hiding in New York City wth a plan to heal the wounds of a country divided and tell the stories of the missing children.

Although a work of fiction, this dystopian novel felt chillingly real with many parallels to what’s happening in our world today. It was a thought-provoking read that I highly recommend.

Mad Honey – Jodi Picoult & Jennifer Finney Boylan ** Top Pick **

I get a lot of book recommendations from other bloggers and this one came to me via LA from Waking Up on the Wrong Side of 50.

This is the story of Lily and Asher—two teenagers in love. When Asher finds Lily crumpled and bleeding at the bottom of the stairs, he finds himself at the centre of a murder trail where Lily’s deepest secrets are revealed. It’s a heart-wrenching read with a shocking twist in the final pages.

Sing You Home, the first book I read from Picoult, was about LGBT+ rights. Mad Honey deals with the struggles of the trans community. It’s a terrific read that will open your heart to the challenges trans individuals face in their fight to be themselves. 

The Housemaid’s Wedding – Freida McFadden

This one is more of a short story than a book. It’s squeezed in between books two and three of The Housemaid series and tells the story of Millie’s wedding day. As expected, nothing went as planned and Millie’s life was in danger.

I found this story a bit meh to be honest. It is supposed to fill in the gaps between books two and three but it really left me with more questions than answers. Perhaps everything will fall into place when I read book three.

The Fathers, the Sons and the Anxious Ghost – Jamie Adams

I like to support members of the blogging community by reading their books, so when I found out Jamie Adams had published a book, I decided to give it a read.

This was another quick and easy read that tells the story of the intertwined lives of three fathers and their three sons who are forever linked by the tragic death of one of the men’s wives. I found the story had well-developed characters and an intriguing plot that kept me guessing.

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Spring reading update – Non-fiction

Rod | The Autobiography – Rod Stewart

I’ve always enjoyed Rod’s music but this book had been sitting unread on my bookshelf since my husband gave it to me for Christmas a couple of years ago, largely because I have to be in the mood to read an autobiography. I finally decided to get it out and read it .

From his humble beginnings, Rod has led a colourful life. He tells the story of his career in the music business, his love of soccer, and his well-publicized personal life through 4 marriages and 7 children. His stories are entertaining and the tales of the early days of his music career read like a who’s-who of British rock from the late 60s and early 70s.

If you’re a fan, it’s worth the read.

A 5^th Portion of Chicken Soup for the Soul

This is another book I picked up at the Little Free Library. As you’d expect from the Chicken Soup series, it contains inspiring stories on the theme of love, family, illness, death, and overcoming obstacles.

Living the 1.5 Degree Lifestyle – Lloyd Alter

I follow Alter on Substack and find his material informative and insightful. This book discusses Alter’s quest to limit his carbon footprint to 2.5 tonnes per year—the collective average needed to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees.

The book was thought-provoking and provided some insights. I especially enjoyed that it provided a Canadian perspective. My only criticism is that it leaned toward the academic side—not surprising since Alter is a professor at Toronto Metropolitan University.

Rest Refocus Recharge – Greg Wells

I read Dr. Wells’ book The Ripple Effect several years ago after hearing him speak at a work event. It was a great read so I was excited to read this follow-up book.

In our fast-paced world, slowing down to rest and recharge is often viewed as a bad thing. This book discusses the importance of rest to our physical and mental health. It’s full of science-backed practical tips to help you improve performance and cope better with life’s ups and downs.

Although many of these concepts weren’t new to me, they were good reminders of the importance of looking after the things that really matter in our lives.  

Who do You Want to Be When You Grow Old? – Richard A. Leider, David A. Shapiro

I picked this up at the library after hearing Leider speak at the Retirement Coaches Association Spring Symposium. Leider is an expert in purposeful aging.

This is a short book but it’s full of wisdom and big questions we should all be asking ourselves as we age. I’d definitely recommend this one for anyone contemplating retirement.

Minimalism: Live a Meaningful Life – Joshua Fields Millburn & Ryan Nicodemus

Millburn & Nicodemus, better known as “The Minimalists” are well-known experts on minimalism and living a simple life of meaning. In this book, they share their journey and tips on how to make small changes every day in five key areas of our lives: health, relationships, passions, growth and contribution.

If you’re just getting started with minimalism, you’ll enjoy this book. I found it interesting but, for me, it didn’t provide any big a-ha moments.

The road to 1000 books

So, in this three-month period I read 10 fiction and 6 non-fiction books for a total of 16. That’s an improvement over the 14 I read in the three months covered by my last update. Since I started tracking at the beginning of June, I’ve read a total of 46 books—an average pace of just over 4 books a month.

Summer is a great time to sit back on the deck and enjoy a good book. Here are some of the books on my summer reading list:

• Nighttime is My Time by Mary Higgins Clark
• The Serviceberry by Robin Wall Kimmerer
• The Housemaid is Watching by Freida McFadden
• WHealthspan by Scott Fulton

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What’s on your reading list? Have you read any of the books from my spring reading update? Drop me a comment below to let me know. I’d love to hear your book recommendations.