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Our challenge for May is to read classic books (or short stories) with at least one of the letters M, A, Y anywhere in the book title or author’s name. Score 1 point for every one of these letters even when they appear multiple times. Use your preferred language - if this includes the letter A with an accent/symbol you can include it in your score.
How many points can you collect in the month?

Examples:
The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins scores 2 points for M & A in the title.
The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy scores 4 points for M, 2 As & Y in the title plus another 4 points for M, 2 As & Y in the author’s name - total 8 points for this book.

Have fun!

Template:

#1
Book title & author:
Book score:

#2
Book title & author:
Book score:

Total score:

Tr1sha’s MAY books:

#1
Book title & author: Somebody at the Door, Raymond W. Postgate
Book score: 7

#2
Book title & author: The Home-Maker, Dorothy Canfield Fisher
Book score: 4

#3
Black Coffee, Charles Osborne
Book score: 2

#4
The Grand Sophy, Georgette Heyer
Book score: 3

#5
Nemesis, Agatha Christie
Book score: 4

#6
Dom Casmurro, Machado de Assis
Book score: 7


Total score: 27

This seems funny!

Template: M A Y

#1
Book title & author: Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers
Book score: 4


Total score: 4

Kathy's May books
✅ = finished

#1
✅Book title & author: Don't Look Now and Other Stories by Daphne du Maurier (1946) 5/11/26
Book score: 4

#2
✅Book title & author: Five Little Pigs by Agatha Christie (1942)
Book score: 2

#3
✅Book title & author: Eight Cousins: or The Aunt-Hill by Louisa May Alcott
Book score: 6

#4
✅Book title & author: The Dressmaker by Beryl Bainbridge
Book score: 3

Total score: 15

Thanks for signing up, Nike & Kathy. That’s a good choice for your first book Nike.

Rosemarie Reads in May

1. L'Invasion de La Mer by Jules Verne
Book score: 3

2. A Comedy of Terrors by Michael Innes
Book score: 5

3. Not Quite Dead Enough and Booby Trap by Rex Stout
Book score: 3

4. When the Wind Blows by Cyril Hare
Book score: 2

5. The Grand Babylon Hotel by Arnold Bennett
Book score: 4

6. Before Midnight by Rex Stout
Book score: 1

Total: 18

Tr1sha wrote: "Thanks for signing up, Nike & Kathy. That’s a good choice for your first book Nike."

💜💜💜

MAY books

#1
Book title & author: The Chrysanthemums by John Steinbeck
Book score: Chrysanthemums = 4

#2
Book title & author:

Chocky by John Wyndham 5 stars

Book score: 4

#3
Book title & author:

Surfacing by Margaret Atwood 4 stars

Book score: 5

Total score: 13

MAY books

#1
Book title & author:The Lady from the SeabyHenrik Ibsen
⭐✔8/5/26★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Book score:4

#2
Book title & author:William AgainbyRichmal Crompton(Just William #3)
⭐✔18/5/26★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Book score:7

Completed ✔18/5/26★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Total score:11

May
“Here we go around the Maypole high, let colored ribbons fly, let colored ribbons fly.”
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐David Markson – Epitaph for a Tramp 1959 3+4=7
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Chrétien de Troyes – Lancelot or The Knight of the Cart 1176 1+2=3
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Nikos Kazantzakis – Zorba the Greek 1946 3+1=4
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Anton Chekhov – Love and Other Stories 1888 1+1=2

This was the first time I've read Mary Poppins and I was surprised and disappointed. I don't get it. The character I mean. She brings the children on wonderful adventures and to marvellous places ... but she is strict, bitter, cynical, unpleasant and I simply don't like her at all. Nor the bakery woman who bullies and treats her two daughters in an oppressing and mean way. No, this was a sad disappointment. And I don't get why Mary Poppins is made into such a double nature. That must be confusing to children. It certainly confuses me.

I must confess I've never seen the movie either, but I've seen pictures and reels from both movies and Mary Poppins looks like a likeable and warm and happy character.

I won't read any more of them.

I'd like to here your thoughts and if you reacted differently to the story when you read it as an adult (if some of you have read it both as kids and as adults).

This was my first time reading Mary Poppins also, Nike, but I had heard that the character of Mary in the book was different from the movie. I wasn't surprised. It's been a long time since I saw the movie and I'm sure they "sanitized" Mary Poppins' personality! I sort of enjoyed her personality in the book. It was like two different people between the movie and the book.

An interesting discussion, Nike & Kathy. It seems very disappointing. I haven’t read the book & have only seen extracts from the film.

Tr1sha wrote: "An interesting discussion, Nike & Kathy. It seems very disappointing. I haven’t read the book & have only seen extracts from the film."

Kathy wrote: "This was my first time reading Mary Poppins also, Nike, but I had heard that the character of Mary in the book was different from the movie. I wasn't surprised. It's been a long time since I saw th..."

Well, I wish the character had been a warmhearted person, I'm sure I would have been afraid of her as a child if I had read it then.

But I want to watch the movie, the old classic one. The small adventures in the book was beautiful.

Tr1sha wrote: "Tr1sha’s MAY books:

#1
Book title & author: Somebody at the Door, Raymond W. Postgate
Book score: 7

#2
Book title & author: The Home-Maker, [autho..."

Congratulations Tr1sha! 27 points! 🥰🎉🎈

Nike wrote: "Tr1sha wrote: "Tr1sha’s MAY books:

#1
Book title & author: Somebody at the Door, Raymond W. Postgate
Book score: 7

#2
Book title & author: [book:The Home-Maker|1..."

Thank you, Nike. I was surprised by the total - I was just lucky as I read classics for other challenges & they worked for this one too. I thought everyone did well with this challenge & it allowed us all to choose any books we wanted to read.