May Overview/ Month Ahead

June already? Really? This year is going far too fast for my liking. See what happens when you are busy and enjoying it.

Despite essays and placement and uni work I have had an amazing reading month. Without the aid of a readathon I have managed to read the same number of books this month as I did last. I'm actually impressed with myself but to be honest I think it comes down to waiting on the train home. Anyway, it has been a good month although I am so very far behind my reviews. A few of them are for challenges otherwise I would do them all on a mini review post. Here is my list of books.

1. The Sense of An Ending - Julian Barnes
2. Martin Misunderstood - Karin Slaughter
3. Preacher: Gone to Texas - Garth Ennis and Steve Dillon
4. Blindsighted - Karin Slaughter
5. Mrs Dalloway - Virginia Woolf
6. House Rules - Jodi Picoult
7. Cities In Flight - James Blish
8. The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde - Robert Louis Stevenson
9. The Immortal Life of Henrietta Slacks - Rebecca Skloot
10. The Sisters Brothers - Patrick DeWitt
11. Virals - Kathy Reichs.

My favourite book of the month is probably the only non-fiction which is The Immortal Life of Henrietta Slacks. I'm not going to say too much about it as I have still to review it. It's closely followed the the Julian Barnes and the Patrick DeWitt. I also loved my only re-read which was the Jekyll and Hyde. Least favourite was Martin Misunderstood which was just a very bad novella. This was closely followed by Virals which I have still to review.

Challenge Overview

 May last year was actually the month I started reading a classic every month. I meant to post about it but haven't quite gotten round to it. Anyway for the challenge I read Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf. My first by this author and I loved it. It has so much depth to it than you would think considering the main story is of an upper class lady organising a party. A fantastic read but sadly I didn't do the question post which was about the period of the book. Hopefully I will take part in June's. I actually finished June's book today. The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie by Muriel Spark which was amazing. It's on the back of the review queue though.

 Again still to review it but I read The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevensons. A re-read for me and a good one. I got to fall in love with it all over again. I actually should have read the Picture of Dorian Gray since I have been reading them in the order listed but I accidentally skipped it. Possibly unconsciously since I hated this book the first time I read it. I am planning on reading it this month but we shall see.

 May's category was graphic novel and I read the first in the Preacher series. I have to say that it wasn't my favourite of the few graphic novels I have read so far and won't be reading others in the series. Glad I gave it a go though. This months category is crime and I have picked Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy by John Le Carre. I know not everyone classes this spy classic as crime but that's where we used to shelve it back in the day and so that's what I am classing it as. Have only just started this one.

There was no book choice last month but I was going with my own anyway since I am on a book buying ban. I picked Cities In Flight by James Blish which has a mixed review from me. It had me engrossed in parts and bored in others. This month The Flowers of Algernon by Daniel Keyes. Technically I am still on the book buying ban but I have been wanting to read this one. If I decide not to I will read an Alistair Reynolds instead.





Other than that I haven't anything else planned. I am just going to see what I am in the mood for. That's what I did in May and it worked well. Anyone got anything exciting lined up for this month?