May - What are we reading?

Getting the May "what are we reading" thread started because I'm changing over all the pinned posts ;) So what are you reading this month? I really need to get started on The Raven Tower, by Ann Leckie.

Currently I'm making my way through Little Dorrit (Serial Reader) and also Georgette Heyer (Friday's Child) on audio. My tree book is Beth Hoffman's Looking for Me. I hope to also complete one more book in the Saxon Stories by Cornwell this month as well as book 3 in the Virgin River series. Will be reading The King's Mistress for the ShakespeareCAT (Edward III). Haven't planned beyond this!

I'm reading Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangaremba and sort of reading The Autobiography of Alice B. Toklas and Rose Macaulay: a biography.

I just finished A Town Called Solace and it was excellent. Currently I am reading History of Wolves, A Good Girl's Guide to Murder and an audio version of Excellent Women.

I finished Ring Shout for the ScaredyKIT and started The Seep for the SFFKit. Both are short books. My only other reading plans for this month thus far is Better Luck Next Time for my RL book club.

I'm almost finished with The First 15 Lives of Harry August for my book club on Wednesday, and I've started The Thursday Murder Club and Bleeding Hearts and an audio of The Bridge Home.

Finished early:
• The Black Tulip (by Alexandre Dumas pére; narrated by Peter Joyce) #AlphaKit_D
• The Dark Tower I (The Gunslinger #1; by Stephen King; narrated by George Guidall) #HorrorKit #ShortsAndAnthologies #AlphaKit_D

Currently listening to/about to start:
• Different Seasons (by Stephen King) #HorrorKit #ShortsAndAnthologies #AlphaKit_D
• Henry VI, Part 1 (by William Shakespeare) #ShakespeareCat #ShakespearesKings #MedievalHistory

Next:
• Smilla's Sense of Snow (by Peter Høeg) #MysteryKit #DetectivesInTranslations
• The Seduction of the Crimson Rose (Pink Carnation #4; by Lauren Willig)
• Pattern Recognition (by William Gibson)

I'm reading The Black Prince and listening to The Midnight Library.

As predicted, I'm still reading Miles Errant by Lois McMaster Bujold -- it's huge, but so far great!

I am reading a short biography of Henry VIII and Muffins and Mourning Tea in the Oxford Tearoom Mysteries.

I'm reading Martyr by Rory Clements and enjoying the story despite details of the brutal 16th century punishments handed out so casually.

I detoured into Tartan Noir with Garnethill, by Denise Mina.

I'm reading Farthing by Jo Walton for the Historical fiction with a speculative element category of the History Challenge that is spreading through this group. It's an alternative history set in 1947, five years after Britain has negotiated a peace settlement with Hitler.

I'm reading Oscar and Lucinda by Peter Carey, also for the historical fiction challenge.

Next up for me will be The Raven Tower by Ann Leckie.

I'm reading the DK Biography Joan of Arc (by Kathleen V. Kudlinski) - These short bios are found in the middle graders' section at the book stores; but I love the text, illustrations and layout of DK books! And honestly, I am learning quite a bit! :-)

I am currently reading Black Widows by Cate Quinn.

I've just begun a reread of Bellfield Hall by Anna Dean...I'm hoping it's as good as I remember!

I read Meowy Christmas Mayhem which is a novella in which the sleuth/PI can communicate with and understand animals and their speech.

Finished two for NetGalley: Winnie Zheng Unleashes a Legend and Kids Cook Dinner. Touchstones not showing up for any of these.

I finished the fabulous These Precious Days and will start Song of Solomon later today.

Unlikely Animals, by Annie Hartnett, is due back in 5 days and there are holds on it, so I'd better switch to that one today.

I'm mood-reading between three titles right now:
• Different Seasons (by Stephen King; narrated by Frank Muller);
• Henry VI, Part 1 (by William Shakespeare) and;
• Smilla's Sense of Snow (by Peter Høeg)

I should finish the first two this week and the third over next weekend.

I finished the thriller Black Widows and started a literary science fiction novel, If, Then.

I'm beginning Marion Lane and the Deadly Rose by T.A. Willberg. I wasn't wild about book #1 of the series, but I'm hoping book #2 will be better.

Finished Unlikely Animals (and went back to fix the touchstone in my last message). I liked it a lot but probably preferred Rabbit Cake because it had more rabbits :D

Now I think I can go back to Agent in Place, by Helen MacInnes.

I finished The Beatryce Prophecy by Kate DiCamillo. I loved this kids' book and whipped through it quickly. This was a sort of fantasy novel with a medieval sort of twist, featuring a runaway girl, a captured queen, a protective goat, a monk who prophecies, an agile young man, a good king, and of course an evil counselor and his clueless king. I highly recommend this read, easy to check out on Libby.

Now I am reading Poseidon's Academy which is also a YA fantasy novel along the lines of British boarding school stories. The descriptions of the school/palace are lovely.

I'm about to start Meet Me in the Margins by Melissa Ferguson -- hoping it's as cute as it looks!

Finished:
• Different Seasons (by Stephen King; narrated by Frank Muller) and;
• Henry VI, Part 1 (by William Shakespeare)

Still reading:
• Smilla's Sense of Snow (by Peter Høeg) and;
Just started:
• Abraham Lincoln (DK Biography by Tanya Lee Stone)

I've started Man at the Helm by Nina Stibbes and am continuing slowly with The Autobiography of Alice B Toklas.

I'm now reading Unexpected Night by ELizabeth Daly and I picked up Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri which will be a reread for me but is our next book club read.

Half of the week travelling and I have 2 finishes and another pair nearly done.
Finished Demelza and A Bird in the hand.
Currently reading The Black Prince and listening to The Midnight Library.

Skipped to the end of Poseidon's Academy and started God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen by Rhys Bowen.
(Poseidon's Academy--I had enough of gory monsters and teenagers using their demigod powers. Probably a good read for middle schoolers, along the lines of Rick Riordan.)

1930s LA didn't do much for me in Farewell, My Lovely, so I'm switching gears to 1950s Glasgow with The Quiet Death of Thomas Quaid, by Craig Russell.

I have finished The Autobiography of Alice B Toklas and am reading The Man Who Died Twice.

I finished If, Then and also reread The Shining. I'm now reading Better Luck Next Time.

I'm (re)reading the fifth Temeraire book, Victory of Eagles. Still liking the series, though things are quite grim for Our Protagonists right now!

Today I finished Murder in the Rue Dumas, by M. L. Longworth, so I think I'll pick up a Doctor Who comic before digging into some more mysteries.

Finished:
• Different Seasons (by Stephen King; narrated by Frank Muller) and;
• Henry VI, Part 1 (by William Shakespeare) and;
• Abraham Lincoln (DK Biography by Tanya Lee Stone)

Close to finishing:
• Smilla's Sense of Snow (by Peter Høeg) and;
Just started:
• The Old Curiosity Shop (by Charles Dickens; narrated by Anton Lesser)

I am currently reading Plain Christmas which is okay but I am ready to get on with it. I think there is a lot of extra detail that could be left out to move the plot along more quickly.

Started The Heretic, by Liam McIlvanney.

Finished The Crow Folk (very good) and Titus ANdronicus (very bloody).
Not sure what's up to read or listen to next, but something lighter, that is for sure!

I have a couple of pick-ups today at the library - The Netanyahus by Joshua Cohen and Death and the Penguin by Andrey Kurkov.

I just finished Plain Christmas and started The Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons.

Very excited that my library hold of Book Lovers by Emily Henry came in! Starting it today!

I decided that I needed a change, so am listening to Damsel in Distress by PG Wodehouse.

For CATWoman and AuthorCAT I’m reading Hitting a Straight Lick with a Crooked Stick by Zora Neale Hurston and Youth and the Bright Medusa by Willa Cather.

For CATWoman I’m also reading Standing Her Ground: Classic Short Stories by Trailblazing Women edited by Harriet Sanders. Standing Her Ground includes authors from England and the United States plus Katherine Mansfield from New Zealand who lived most her adult life in England but also lived on the European continent.

For AuthorCAT I’m also reading The Women’s March by Jennifer Chiaverini, and earlier this month read In the Arena: a Memoir of Love, War, and Politics by Chuck Robb, a Virginia politician who might be best known for marrying Lynda Bird Johnson, President Lyndon Johnson’s oldest daughter.

I have finished Slightly Wicked, a light historical romance by Mary Balogh and now I am going to try Curious Toys by Elizabeth Hand, a historical mystery/coming-of-age story.

I finished A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari, which included information about poisonous plants. The academic setting appealed to me, and featured details about university faculty, departmental rivalries, and dress and manners of the early 1900's.

I'm reading Gentlemen and Players and enjoying it very much.

I finished Better Luck Next Time and Palace of the Drowned. I'm now reading The Bluest Eye and Empire of Wild.

Finished A Damsel in Distress on audio
Now listening to The Body in the Library and reading Midnight's Children

Just finished The Saturday Night Supper Club which was disappointing. On to something else.

My next couple of reads are going to be Contact by Sean Platt for the June SFFFKit and Only One Life by Sara Blaedel for the May Mystery Kit.

After hearing some good things about Elizabeth Cadell, I picked up Any Two Can Play (her only book available at my library, alas!) and started it last night. So far so good.

Finally finished Smilla’s Sense of Snow (by Peter Høeg; translated by Tiina Nunnally) and officially halfway through my list of “22 in ‘22” :-)

Currently reading The Seduction of the Crimson Rose (Pink Carnation #4; by Lauren Willig).

My reading brain is stalling, so I think I'll pick up Amongst Our Weapons, by Ben Aaronovitch.

>56 rabbitprincess: My reading rain stuttered last week... I ended up reading a DK Biography of Abraham Lincoln (by Tanya Lee Stone) instead of Doris Kearns Goodwin's Team of Rivals. I'm learning to recognize the signs of whatever variant of pandemic reading brain block this is and taking it easy. on a related note, I need to get back to The Rivers of London! :-)

I'm reading Grown Ups by Marian Keyes, my first book by this author. It's reminding me of Liane Moriarty's books, except that there doesn't appear to be a crime. Time will tell.

Finished The Seduction of the Crimson Rose (Pink Carnation #4; by Lauren Willig) and about to start Pattern Recognition (Blue Ant Trilogy #1; by William Gibson).

I've begun One and Only, a contemporary romance by Jenny Holiday, and am enjoying it so far.

Finished listening to The Body in the Library.
Next up on audio book is Othello.

Still reading Midnight's Children

I'm reading What We Keep and have a few more I would like to finish by Tuesday. The week after that starts my hybrid work schedule, I hope I remember to wake up on time and be where I am supposed to be!

I am currently reading Queen of Hearts by Rhys Bowen featuring Her Royal Spyness Georgie Rannoch. Recovering from a daylong trip to Cubs v Reds game in Cincinnati.

I am reading Sweet are the Ways by New Zealand's "Queen of Romance", Essie Summers.

I've just finished A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meissner which ticks off a few boxes this month.

I should be wrapping up Pattern Recognition (Blue Ant Trilogy #1; by William Gibson) tonight! Then on to my June stacks...

I have several going on at once here. Queen of Hearts by Rhys Bowen and Daughter of Rome by Tessa Afshar.

I finished my "May Stack of Books" by wrapping up Pattern Recognition (Blue Ant Trilogy #1; by William Gibson) over the weekend! The only thing that's left over is The Old Curiosity Shop (by Charles Dickens; narrated by Anton Lesser) which, though qualifying for the May AlphaKit Challenge, I'll be finishing in June instead.

I finished Empire of Wild and The Bluest Eye, and I headed to the library. I got up next Devil House, Echo and Who Is Maud Dixon? Oh, I also started The Glass Castle last night because I had nothing to read before bed!

I’m ending May and going into June reading I Couldn’t Love You More, which I am enjoying.