I actually got a lot of reading done in May. I'm not real sure how that happened, but I think it has something to do with it being the end of the school year and my 3 home-schooled kiddos running out of work to do. Like I mentioned on Thursday, I actually started to feel like I was reading too many books, (everything was starting to feel somewhat mediocre) and switched to some slower reads. Hopefully that's a sign that I'll be able to pick up those previously abandoned classics soon (Our Mutual Friend, Daniel Deronda).
11 Books Read in April: (52 Year-to-Date)
1 Read-Aloud to my kiddos:
- The Iron Dragon Never Sleeps
by Stephen Krensky (educational Gold Rush--2.75)1 ARC:
- Miss Entropia and the Adam Bomb
by George Rabasa (probably the best ARC ever--4.5)1 for Book Club:
- The Weird Sisters
by Eleanor Brown (3)3 for Challenges:
- The Troll Garden and Others
by Willa Cather (for my personal Cather Challenge--3.5)- Gilead
by Marilynne Robinson (for my Pulitzer/Back to the Classics Challenge--3.5)- Ghost Light
by Joseph O'Connor (for my Top 5 of 2010--4)4 from Recommendations:
- Townie
by Andre Dubus III (from Indiespensable--3.5)- If I Stay
by Gayle Forman (from ??? book blog--sorry! 3.5)- Bright Before Us
by Katie Arnold-Ratliff (from Indiespensable--3)- That Night
by Alice McDermott (a book club alternate pick--3.5)1 Just Because:
- Revolutionary Road
by Richard Yates (what a book! --5)
1 DNF: -Chocolat by Joanne Harris--the second month in a row that I didn't finish a book club selection,
and I feel really guilty about it. At least they were for different book clubs. Right? Hm. Anyhow, Chocolat was fine. I stopped about 1/3 through (around page 100) partially because I wasn't going to be able to go to my book club (or finish it on time if I could go) but mostly because it was starting to rub the magic off the movie. My apologies to the author, but the movie had Johnnie Depp and great music. You know? If the movie was going to stay a favorite, the book had to go.3 Current Reads:
- The Story of Christianity Vol
. I by Justo L. Gonzalez (non-fiction)- If There is Something to Desire
by Vera Pavlova (poetry...so good I don't want it to end)- Stolen Village
by Des Ekin (non-fiction...about Ireland!)
On My Nightstand:
- Beloved
by Toni Morrison (my next book club book)- Girl Interrupted
by Susanna Kaysen (saving this for when I need a quick read)- Eli the Good
by Silas House (LOVE Silas House...but this YA title is also being saved for a needed quick read)- A Chunkster: either Gone With the Wind, or I'll be responsible and finish up Daniel Deronda/Our Mutual Friend. We'll see. I'll conquer Beloved and we'll go from there.
Plan for June:
- Worry less about # of books per month, and more on my challenges. And, um, catch up on book reviews. Still.
- Shoot! I just realized I haven't made any summer goals yet! Yikes! Plan for June: make summer goals before summer is gone.
