All About Books discussion

What are you planning to read in May? Anything you're looking forward to?

My plans for May:

finish up from last month:
✔ 1. The Library at Mount Char (Scott Hawkins) ★★★★ (4.0)

very likely:
✔ 1. Exhalation (Ted Chiang) ★★★★★ (4.5)
✔ 2. The Narrative of Arthur Gordon Pym of Nantucket (Edgar Allan Poe) ★★★ (2.5)
in progress 25% 3. Oliver Twist (Charles Dickens)
✔ 4. The Nickel Boys (Colson Whitehead) ★★★ (3.5)

probably:
in progress 13% 1. Ruth (Elizabeth Gaskell)
✔ 2. I Who Have Never Known Men (Jacqueline Harpman) ★★★ (3.5)
✔ 3. The Moon Is Down (John Steinbeck) ★★★★ (3.5)

possibly:
1. Lolita (Vladimir Nabokov)
2. Queen of Sorcery (David Eddings)
3. Daisy Jones & The Six (Taylor Jenkins Reid)
✔ 4. The Bitch (Pilar Quintana) ★★★★ (4.0)
5. The Weird of the White Wolf (Michael Moorcock)
6. Wives and Daughters (Elizabeth Gaskell)
✔ 7. The Last Astronaut (David Wellington) ★★★ (2.5)

unplanned:
✔ 1. Push (Sapphire) ★★★ (3.5)
✔ 2. Separating (John Updike) ★★★ (3.5)
✔ 3. How I Met My Husband (Alice Munro) ★★★★ (4.0)
✔ 4. Cathedral (Raymond Carver) ★★★★ (4.0)

If needed, I will be finishing up Kindred and A Tale of a Tub .

I probably will be rereading Captain Blood as it is a group read in another group (and I love Rafael Sabatini books 😀).

I might read Sea of Tranquility if I can get a copy from the library.

Other probable books for May:
The Two-Penny Bar
The Gap In The Curtain
Zami: A New Spelling of My Name
The Dragon Keeper
various Perry Mason mysteries

Possible books:
Cheese
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit
Ender's Game
Dragon Haven

And as always there will be unplanned books that catch my eye...

Leslie wrote: "If needed, I will be finishing up Kindred and A Tale of a Tub.

I probably will be rereading Captain Blood as it is a group read in another group (and I lo..."

Leslie, I loved both Ender’s Game and Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit. Someday I want to read Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit as I read it one or even two decades ago! I liked Sea of Tranquility when I read it recently too; I'll certainly participate in the discussions, even though I probably won't re-read it since it hasn't been long.

Funny about Captain Blood - I didn't even know that movie was based upon a book. I bet it's fun!

Greg wrote: "Leslie wrote: "If needed, I will be finishing up Kindred and A Tale of a Tub.

I probably will be rereading Captain Blood as it is a group read in another ..."

I grew up with the Errol Flynn movie and didn't discover it was based on a book until years later (Sabatini also wrote the book The Sea-Hawk, another Flynn swashbuckler). The book has more depth but still plenty of action and romance :)

I... have no idea? Nothing pre-ordered, I'll finish what I feel like finishing...
I must find books for my monthly book game but the prompts are very open this time so it should be easy...

So many awesome things to read, where to start?

Maybe...

After the Ice: A Global Human History, 20,000-5000 BC
The Unexpected Joy of the Ordinary

I must finish Sexy But Psycho: How the Patriarchy Uses Women’s Trauma Against Them though!

There has been a lot of talk about The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes with the movie trailer being released. I bought the book when it was released and still haven't gotten around to reading it.
The first half of May will be jam-packed for me, so I don't have a lot planned but I can't wait to get back into reading.

Alannah wrote: "There has been a lot of talk about The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes with the movie trailer being released. I bought the book when it was released and still haven't gotten around t..."

Ah I see, it's a prequel - that could be fun.

Best of luck with your busy May Alannah - I hope everything goes well!

To start with:
Winston Graham Demelza Raed
Emily St. John Mandel Sea of Tranquility Raed
Valeria Corciolani Non è tutto oro Raed
Valeria Corciolani A mali estremi Raed
Valeria Corciolani E come sempre da cosa nasce cosa Raed
Daria Bignardi Libri che mi hanno rovinato la vita e altri amori malinconici Raed
Louise Erdrich The Round House Raed
Elizabeth Gaskell Ruth - Raed
Janice Hallett The Appeal Raed
Gian Marco Griffi Ferrovie del Messico Not this month!

Laura, didn't you read The Round House back when it was a group read here? It was years ago but I thought that you had...

I managed to get Sea of Tranquility at the library today so I will definitely be reading it this month.

Leslie wrote: "Laura, didn't you read The Round House back when it was a group read here? It was years ago but I thought that you had..."

You're right! I had totally forgotten it: now that I've started it it came back to mind!!!

It's May! It/s May! The Lusty Month of May...
and I am definitely feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the book choices I'm trying to manage at one time. I seem to suddenly have a staggering number of books in progress, an equally lengthy list of books I've postponed that I still want to read, and an even lengthier list of books to be read THIS MONTH.

Currently reading:
Sparrow Tree - very short poetry book that I purchased. No rush, but I could finish it in 30 minutes probably...

As Kingfishers Catch Fire: Birds & Books - essays about birds, Interlibrary loan due back in 4 days. I shall probably purchase it, as it is beautifully illustrated, and I'm an avid birdwatcher.

The Nutmeg's Curse: Parables for a Planet in Crisis - a March book club leftover, so no rush to finish, and I've been able to keep renewing it on Libby.

Lady Almina and the Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy of Highclere Castle - an April book club leftover, so no rush to finish, and I have the book.

Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse - borrowed on Libby. I've only read two chapters so far. Due in 4 days, but I should be able to renew it.

Jane Eyre - owned on Audible. About 11? chapters to go.

Next up:
The Wife Upstairs - a follow on from Jane Eyre. Audiobook available on Libby.

A Northern Light - Daytimers book club book for May. So I need to read it by the end of the month.

The Forest Unseen: A Year’s Watch in Nature - Perspectives book club book for May. So ditto.

Miss Eliza's English Kitchen: A Novel of Victorian Cookery and Friendship - for A Good Yarn (letter K - kitchen and Kent)

The Book Woman of Troublesome Creek (reread) and
The Book Woman's Daughter - another letter K (Kentucky)

Murder at Honeychurch Hall - this was for A Good Yarn, the letter H, which was back in Oct/Nov of 2022 and that's how long I've waited for this to become available. Due back in 11 days, so I really need to read it NOW or forget it.

Two more books I'd like to recommend one of them as a summer read for Perspectives, so I need to read at least enough of them to be able to recommend one or the other by the end of the month:
The Gates of Europe: A History of Ukraine

The Prophets

Books already mentioned this year, but have become postponed:
Lessons in Chemistry - Perspectives book club book for April, but I think I'll wait and read this when I can get it on audio.

Ygerna: A Pendragon Chronicles Prequel Novel - started in January and paused

I Will Die in a Foreign Land - returned to library, but I'd still like to read it - perhaps over the summer in conjuction with The Gates of Europe.

Death at La Fenice - This was a group read in some online book group, and is one I've wanted to read forever. Purchased on Audible, but too much going on this month to get to it right now.

The Apothecary Rose - an old favorite and a series I want to reread, and this fits my alphabet challenge ("A" titles) - purchased on Audible (but I also found my old paperback copy, unpacking boxes of books)

The Evening Chorus - started last summer and postponed. I keep renewing it on Libby, and lo and behold I found an ARC of this in unpacking books... don't know if I'm going to get to it this month or not. Probably not.....

I could keep going, but I'll stop there...

This sounds right up my alley - on the TBR it goes....

Kati wrote: "Maybe...

After the Ice: A Global Human History, 20,000-5000 BC"

May reads:

The Netanyahus by Joshua Cohen - reading it, loving it!
The Perfect Staging for Murder by Kathleen Bridge - reading it; book 7 in Bridge's Hamptons Home & Garden cozy mystery series
Four Parties and a Funeral by Maria DiRico - book 4 in DiRico's Catering Hall Mystery series - Gotta have my cozies!
‎Magical Midlife Alliance by K.F. Breene

Hopefully there's enough time left for the next three:

College of One by Sheilah Graham - I just ordered it; really looking forward to this memoir from the late Sheilah Graham, a former lover of F. Scott Fitzgerald.
The Life of the Mind by Christine Smallwood - love those novels about unfulfilled intellectuals living in New York City - or any big city
Death of a Bookseller by Bernard J. Farmer - published in 1956

Laurel wrote: "It's May! It/s May! The Lusty Month of May...
and I am definitely feeling a bit overwhelmed with all the book choices I'm trying to manage at one time. I seem to suddenly have a staggering number o..."

Lots of interesting choices Laurel, particularly The Prophets. It was a very unusual book, but I liked it very much.

LauraT wrote: "To start with:
Winston Graham Demelza to finish
Emily St. John Mandel Sea of Tranquility
Valeria Corciolani Non è tutto oro
Valeria Corciolani [book..."

Glad to see you're going to try to fit in [book:Ruth|338807] Laura. My copy just arrived today! I had to order another one because the first one I got had ridiculously small type.

Greg wrote: "LauraT wrote: "To start with:
Winston Graham Demelza to finish
Emily St. John Mandel Sea of Tranquility
Valeria Corciolani Non è tutto oro
Valeria C..."

As usual with classic novels!!! That's why I read them by ereader - and Gutenberg.org have them all!!!

I managed to do well with completing my plans this month. Of course it helped that my definite goals were few and the others indefinite enough to make it easy to find something that worked!

Updating my post (n. 9) it seems I've done almost all I intended - a part from one book, that is rather longish and I think I'll postpone it in a month or so.