May Wrap Up -- My May Books

MAY WRAP UP

Oh, the merry month of May! Apparently I spent most of it with my nose in a book. How about you?

During May, I made progress on my TBR 21 in '21 and Mt. TBR Challenges, but read nothing for the Vintage Mystery Challenge. I read one more for the European Reading Challenge and three for the Back to the Classics Challenge.

Here are the 14 books I read in May, in the order I read them, not the order they are stacked in the picture. Spot anything that looks good? 

Love Your Enemies: How Decent People Can Save America from the Culture of Contempt by Arthur C. Brooks, spot on and couldn’t be more timely. (TBR 21 in '21) 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

Consequences by Penelope Lively, an excellent novel about three generations of women. (Mt. TBR) 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

The Egg and I by Betty MacDonald, her fictionalized and lighthearted story of pre-WWII life on a chicken ranch in the PNW rainforest. This one counts as the "new to me author" pick for the Back to the Classics Challenge. 🌹🌹🌹🌹

The Day of the Jack Russell by Colin Bateman, the hilarious second book in his Mystery Man series. 🌹🌹🌹🌹

Orchids & Salami by Eva Gabor, the most random book on my shelf, a TBR 21 in '21 pick and my "Hungary" pick for the European Reading Challenge. 🌹🌹🌹

The Kingdom of Speech by Tom Wolfe, his fascinating critique of linguistics, Darwinism, and a lot more! (Mt. TBR) 🌹🌹🌹🌹

Jeeves in the Offing by P. G. Wodehouse, always funny. (Mt. TBR) 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

The Dead Bell by Reid Winslow, a page-turner of a new mystery out this fall. Check back for my review and look for the book this September -- it may just have a Rose City Reader blurb on the back cover! 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

This Tender Land by William Kent Krueger, historical fiction about Depression-era orphans, Indian Schools, tent revivals, and other sad things by someone who really doesn’t like alcohol. (Book Club pick) 🌹🌹🌹

The Tender Bar by J. R. Moehringer, a memoir of growing up in a bar by someone who really did like alcohol. 🌹🌹🌹🌹

The Private Patient by P. D. James, the final book in her Adam Dalgliesh series. (Mt. TBR) 🌹🌹🌹🌹

A Really Big Lunch by Jim Harrison, a collection of later food essays by one of my favorite authors. (TBR 21 in '21) 🌹🌹🌹🌹

Mark Hampton: An American Decorator by Duane Hampton, a delightful anchor to my coffee table book collection. (Mt. TBR) 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Graham, a reread of an all time favorite. Every few years, I listen again to the audiobook narrated by Terry Jones of Monty Python fame and love it even more! 🌹🌹🌹🌹🌹

How did May treat you? Anything good in store for June?

BEST COVER OF THE MONTH