Pick-a-Shelf discussion

Please post your May plan here.

Below is the main part of instruction including links to the wheels:

B. TBR only 👀

We are going to specifically focus on a random category per month and all the books read for this section must be from your TBR*

*TBR - the books must have been added to your TBR at the very least the last day of the previous month. For example, for November, I can read a book I added on 31 October.

You can spin the wheels on the 15th of current month for next month's category to allow for your planning.

For the Main Category, you can follow the below link and spin the wheel:

https://wheeldecide.com/index.php?c1=...

There are only 6 Main Categories for which then you will need to spin another wheel, depending on what you need for the Main Category you've spun:

For letters: https://wheeldecide.com/index.php?c1=...

For numbers: https://wheeldecide.com/index.php?c1=...

For continents: https://wheeldecide.com/index.php?c1=...

You will then ONLY read books that fit this category for the month.

You may have 2 categories per month, if you like, BUT each book must meet both categories to qualify for the challenge.

C. New Books ✨ (Optional)

The only "New Books" you can read for this challenge are those you can make a connection to your "TBR only" books. You may be as creative as you like with these connections BUT note that total of "New Books" read must be LESS than total of "TBR only" books read.

By "New Books", it would mean the book wasn't or hasn't ever been on your TBR so if you have discovered a new author whom you'd like to read all the backlist for, this is the space for it

You make make connections to any "TBR only" books you've read throughout the year and each of these books may have multiple connections.

Amy

Bea

CassieV

Christina (AKA Babbling)

Joanna

Joyce

Lauren

Laurla

LynnB

Meg

Rosemary

Susan

Tien

Vanessa

Eyes on the TBR (2026) - MAY

Books must have been added to your TBR at the very least the last day of the previous month.

Goal: 3 books per month
Main Category: Published in year containing ...
Number: 1

1. The Sweetness of Forgetting, Kristin Harmel, 25 Apr 2026, pub. 2012
2. Christmas in Absaroka County, Craig Johnson, 10 May 2026, pub. 2012
3. Chapter and Curse, Elizabeth Penney, 19 May 2026, pub. 2021
4. The Drowning Kind, Jennifer McMahon, 19 May 2026, pub. 2021

Some Possibilities:
Boundary Waters-1999
Women in White Coats-2021
Sweetness of Forgetting-2012
Paris Girl-2014
Chapter and Curse-2021
The Drowning Kind-2021
Palisades Park-2013

Eyes on the TBR (2026) - MAY

Books must have been added to your TBR at the very least the last day of the previous month.

Goal: 3 books per month
Main Category: author's initial...
Number: O or Y

1.Margaret, Are You Leaving?
2.The Impossible Fortune
3.Fourth Wing


The Typing Lady: And Other Fictions

Oh, my. I keep getting letters on my first roll, none of the interesting options.

And this time, I got "title ending in Z or P."

I scoured over 700 books on my two eligible shelves, and found only four books ending in Z or P. And two of them are non-fiction: mathematics, one by an author I know is brilliant, but whom I find very difficult, even painstaking, to read.

I searched books with "Jazz" in the title, and finally found one with "Jazz" as the last word that I can add and could probably enjoy reading. But then I re-read the challenge instructions and remembered that all books need to already be on my TBR. Unless Tien's note about flexibility means I can include it anyway.

And I think it's highly likely that I'll DNF at least one of the two math books.

So, a question:
If I end up deciding not to finish any of these five, do I just fail in completing for this month, and then go on from there in future months? So far, I've completed every month's challenge with 5 books, and would hate to break that streak.

Other suggestions?

Susan wrote: "Oh, my. I keep getting letters on my first roll, none of the interesting options.
And this time, I got "title ending in Z or P."
I scoured over 700 books on my two eligible shelves, and found on..."

I don’t know. Maybe a re-roll on the letters? I have that problem on another challenge where none of my TBR books fit and am considering what to do. I'm interested to see what others say.

May 2026

Title starts with
Y or O

1.
2.
3.

Potential
One Kiss More
Yes No Maybe So
Otherwise Engaged
Year Zero
You Should Be So Lucky
Once Upon A Time Travel
Yours for the Season

Susan and LynnB, a re-roll seems to be the best answer.

So if I do what LynnB & Bea are suggesting, I wouldn't keep any of the books I've found with this roll.

But I would keep the result of the first roll (letters), and just reroll what letters they are?

I know Tien is away for a week. Does that sound like a good plan to others of you?

Eyes on TBR - May

Main Category: published in year ending in
Number: 9
Goal: 5

1. Wake Up Little Susie published 1999
2. The Stationery Shop published 2019
3. Thereby Hangs a Tail published 2009
4. When All Is Said published 2019
5. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill published 2019

Susan wrote: "So if I do what LynnB & Bea are suggesting, I wouldn't keep any of the books I've found with this roll.

But I would keep the result of the first roll (letters), and just reroll what letters they a..."

Yes, I would just re-roll for the letters -- keep the rest as-is.

Goal: 3 books per month
Finished 26 May

Main category: Last word of title ends with
Letters: C or I Impossible - I only have one book on my TBR that fits.
Reroll:
Letters: X or N

Read:
✔ 1. The Vegetarian by Han Kang, 15 May 26
✔ 2. Death is No Sportsman by Cyril Hare, 19 May 26
✔ 3. Death and the Dancing Footman by Ngaio Marsh, 26 May 26

Options:
The Vegetarian by Han Kang
Death and the Dancing Footman by Ngaio Marsh
Death Is No Sportsman by Cyril Hare
Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey
If I Had My Time Again by Linda Green
& more (all ending in N)

Bea wrote: "Eyes on TBR - April

Bea, you labeled this (Message 10) April. I think it's probably your May list, since you posted it here in the May thread.

May: Titles ending in ...
Letters: Z or P Impossible - I have too few books on my TBR that fit.
Reroll: Letters: D or J

✔1. Cemetery Road - fin 5/8
✔2. Island of the Mad - fin 5/14
✔3. The Rose Field - fin 5/16
✔4. Exile's End - fin 5/17
✔5. How it Happened - fin 5/26

Completed 5/26

DNF:
Clap When You Land - DNF 5/1
The Gone-Away World - DNF 5/15
Breaking Creed (Ryder Creed #1) - DNF 5/17

Susan wrote: "Bea wrote: "Eyes on TBR - April

Bea, you labeled this (Message 10) April. I think it's probably your May list, since you posted it here in the May thread."

Thanks, Susan. I corrected it. I copied the heading from April and forgot to change it. Thanks for the catch.

May - DONE!

First word of title starts with W or T

1. We Could Be Rats - Completed 5/2/26
2. Witness 8 - Completed 5/2/26
3. We Are All Guilty Here - Completed 4/24/26

Eyes on the TBR

Main Category: Pub in year ending in
Number: 7
May Books
Goal: 3

1. Everybody Lies: Big Data, New Data, and What the Internet Can Tell Us About Who We Really Are (pub 2017) - Read 5/13/26
2. Dead Man's Mirror: a Hercule Poirot Short Story (pub Jun 1937) - Read 5/27/26
3. The Pink Fairy Book (pub 1897) - Read 5/29/26

Eyes on the TBR May

Main Category: First Word of the Title Starts with
Letter: Z or P
May Books
Goal: 3

1.Prodigal
2.The Pharaoh's Cat
3. The Portal

Eyes on TBR May 2026
Read: 2/3

Main category: Published in year containing
Number: 9

✅1. I Who Have Never Known Men (pub. 1995)
2. In My Hands: Memories of a Holocaust Rescuer (pub. 1992)
✅3. Down and Out in Paris and London (pub. 1933) (read May 2026)

May
Goal: 3 Books

Main category: Last word of title ends with...
Letter: B or R

Books:
✔︎ 1. Kitty Goes to War by Carrie Vaughn
Read: 14.5.2026
Rating: 3 Stars

✔︎ 2. Who Will Remember by C.S. Harris
Read: 28.5.2026
Rating: 4 Stars

✔︎ 3. Iron Master by Jennifer Ashley
Read: 12.5.2026
Rating: 2 Stars

Eyes on the TBR: May 2026
Duration: March 1 - March 31, 2026

GOAL: 1-3 books

TBR only 👀
Main Category: Author Inital
Letter: K or S

Eyes on the TBR ❱❱ May
May 2026

My May Eyes on the TBR (msg 22)

Goal ❱❱ 3 books per month

Category Spin ❱❱ Published in year ending in
Secondary Spin ❱❱ 2

TBR only



published 2012 ❱❱ Under a Vampire Moon ❱❱ 05.04 ★★★
published 2012 ❱❱ The Chocolate Thief ❱❱ 05.16 ★★★★
published 2022 ❱❱ Happily Undead in Dark River ❱❱ 05.17 ★★★★

New Books



connection ❱❱ Happily Undead in Dark River
MM lead characters ❱❱ The Enlightenment of Daniel ❱❱ 05.24 ★★★★
connection ❱❱ The Chocolate Thief
bright blue cover ❱❱ Remarkably Bright Creatures ❱❱ 05.31★★★

👀 Main Category: Author's country (born / living in)
👀 Continent: North America

Goal: 5

Ned’s Circus of Marvels (Ned’s Circus of Marvels #1) by Justin Fisher -Read 05/09
The 5th Wave (The 5th Wave #1) by Rick Yancey -Read 05/23
Spellslinger (Spellslinger #1) by Sebastien de Castell -Read 05/25
Can't Spell Treason Without Tea (Tomes & Tea #1) by Rebecca Thorne -Read 05/26
Accomplice to the Villain (Assistant to the Villain #3) by Hannah Nicole Maehrer -Read 05/31

Susan wrote: "So if I do what LynnB & Bea are suggesting, I wouldn't keep any of the books I've found with this roll.

But I would keep the result of the first roll (letters), and just reroll what letters they a..."

Sorry, I was away for a week but then it was all go go go at work for awhile.

Could have adjusted the monthly goal to suit what you've got but if you'd like you maintain your #5 goal, re-rolling is fine too.