May flew by--I finally went on vacation, and it involved getting on a plane, which is usually the best kind of vacation--far away from work and responsibilities for a bit. Of course now I'm back I've spent the last week digging myself out of the giant pile of stuff at work, and quickly getting my outdoor spaces ready for the summer.
It's going to be a busy summer for me, but I still always start out optimistically planning on reading oodles of books and catching up--which never happens, but I still go into June feeling like it will happen.
This summer I decided to pick one book I really want to read and make that my summer read. I'll read it in between all the other books I'm picking up. That book is:
I've had this in a pile of books at home for months. I resisted buying it for a long time, just because it's a BIG book. But I caved and bought it but never read it. Now is my time to read it, so I'll be digging it out and starting on it this week. I love a good King Arthur Era novel. I'm giving myself until the end of August to finish, and yes, assigning myself a certain number of pages to read every week so I keep myself on track. I've never done that before, so we'll see if I listen to myself and follow the "rules" I've created.
May reads were an older Nora Roberts Trilogy, the first in an older fantasy series set in the Old West, and a really great historical fiction novel that was a happy surprise. And a few more I read:
My brother dropped this in my hands during vacation so I started reading and couldn't put it down. I immediately ordered the rest of the series when I got home. Just wow. Seriously amazing. Old West meets an evil older than God, ready to break free of its prison underneath the mines of Golgotha, a bizarre western town full of strange characters.
The Inn Boonsboro trilogy starts with Beckett Montgomery and his love for Clare, a widowed mother of three boys. The Montgomery men (all three brothers) run a construction company with their mother and are working on opening a B&B in a historic and haunted old inn.
The final book in the trilogy centers around Ryder Montgomery, the surliest brother, and Hope Beaumont, the inn keeper. There's plenty of spark, but can they just remain lovers or will they fall for each other?
I really enjoyed this non-fiction book about changing, growing, accepting when things don't work out, and finding joy in friendships. Yes, she may come from a place of privilege, but it was interesting to read about her insecurities, her admiration for her father and the lessons he taught her, and her unwavering friendships.
Tildy is head curator at a small library/museum in San Francisco, and money is tight. Finding a hidden room with miniature dollhouses in the library leads her on a quest to discover who created the dollhouses and why. This was a fantastic read, taking you back and forth between contemporary Tildy and the amazing artist Cora in the early 20th century. Just fantastic and a sure winner for anyone who loves historical fiction with strong female characters. One of my favorite reads this year.
I read more than I realized in May--yay! Four novels that weren't on my radar at the beginning of the month; just goes to show books will pop up when you need them.
Happy summer everyone! Off to read outside for a bit.
