Well I am not sad to see the month of May go, as it was one of the most challenging months for me so far this year. I am happy to report that things are starting to get a little big easier. I am keeping busy just trying to make the days go by faster. You can mostly find me with my nose in a book, which is a wonderful escape from reality.
The weather is now hot, hot hot which I am dealing with by keeping my apartment as cold as an igloo (lol). As I mentioned in a my previous Sunday Wrap-up, everything looks so beautiful outside now that all the flowers are in bloom and the fields are brilliant shades of green.
Above is a picture of my Mom's beautiful purple irises, that are growing in her garden.
And here is a picture of one of her lilac bushes. I just love the smell of lilac's. Its too bad they only bloom for a short time.
My Reading Progress
I had a great reading month in May. I have read a total of 30 books since January, which I know may not be all that much compared to some readers, but for me this is an amazing number. As I write this post I find myself curious as to how many books I've read each month, so I decided to go back and include those stats in this wrap-up.
Books Read By Month
January: 8
February: 5
March: 6
April: 4
May: 8
At 8 books read in May, I doubled my total from April. I am pleased with this number and think that it is going to be my aim for each month. Although I do realize that some months this might not be possible, but clearly it is an attainable goal for me. I read some great books in May and my total was achieved in due part to the Bout of Books Read-a-thon.
This past month I decided to do an expariment to see how it would affect the total number of books I read. Normally I would read multiple books at once, but for the month of May I decided to read only one at a time. The only time this month that I had two books going as once was when I listened to Percy Jackson in audio with my partner. I think that this really helped me to achieve the number of books I completed.
- Becoming Phoebe by J. Michael Neal
Rating: 3.5/5
My Review - Unbearably Deadly (Roger and Suzanne South American Mystery, Book 9) by Jerold Last
Rating: 2/5
My Review - The Quieting (The Bishops Family, #2) by Suzanne Woods Fisher
Rating: 4/5
My Review - The Girls They Left Behind by Bernice Thurman Hunter
Rating: 4/5
Review Date: June 3, 2016 - Banished From Our Home: The Acadian Diary of Angelique Richard (Dear Canada) by Sharon Stewart
Rating: 4/5
Review Date: June 8, 2016 - The Color Purple by Alice Walker
Rating: 4/5
Review Date: June 10, 2016 - The Lightning Thief (Percy Jackson and the Olympians #1) by Rick Riordan
Rating: 4/5
Review Date: TBD - Little House on the Prairie (Little House, #2) by Laura Ingalls Wilder
Rating: 3/5
Review Date: TBD
Reason for DNF: I couldn't get into this story even though the premise sounded like a book I would like. I didn't care for the characters or the way they were described. After reading some less than favorable Goodreads reviews for it I decided to move on.
May Notes
- Becoming Phoebe is one of the most diverse books I have ever read.
- I learned a lot about Alaska and how their national parks are run.
- Suzanne Woods Fisher is definietly one of my favourite authors.
- The teenage girls of today really aren't that different than their 1940's counterparts.
- I learned more about the expulsion of the Acadian people from a middle-grade book than I was taught in history class.
- Not all classic books are as daunting as I fear.
- I tried out a series that I didn't think I would enjoy and ended up loving it!
- Re-reading a book from my childhood didn't necessarily have the same emotional affect it did than I was younger.
The Stats
Favourite Book of the Month:
Favourite Cover of the Month:
Favourite Setting: Stoney Ridge (The Quieting)
Favourite Character: Grover (The Lightning Thief)
Total Books Read: 8
Total Number of Fiction: 8
Total Number of Non-fiction: 0
Total Books Sent for Review: 3
Total Books Read From My Shelves: 2
Total Books Sent for Review: 3
Total Library Books Read: 3
Formats Read
Physical Books: 4
eBooks: 3
Audio Books: 1
eBooks: 3
Audio Books: 1
Like last month I am going to try to concentrate on reading one book at a time (with the exception of the audio books I listen to with my partner). This may be more difficult this month because I am signed up to participate in COYER and my goals are kind of lofty.
I hope that you all had a wonderful May. What did you learn from the books you read over the past few weeks? Did you post a Monthly Wrap-up? If so please leave your links in the comments so I can return the visit.
Hosted by: Book Date
Great month! I also enjoyed the books I read in May...and I'm looking forward to June reads. Enjoy!
ReplyDeleteThank you Laurel-Rain. Glad to hear you had a good reading month as well.
DeleteLove the plants, I love lilac bushes too and while I think mine might be slightly darker than your mother's it only flowers for a short time too. It is now in its winter stage here. Nice that you surprised yourself with the number of books read for May. All the best for June.
ReplyDeleteWe had a darker lilac bush at my childhood home. I think it may have been even more fragrant than the lighter ones. Thank you Kathryn. You too!
DeleteI wish lilac bushes would bloom longer too. Hope June is a great reading month for you.
ReplyDeleteThank you Nise'. Hope it is a great month for you too.
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