April has come to an end, so it’s time to share my TBR for the month of May. Much of my reading plans this month feature my physical TBR. I want to start focusing on reducing my physical TBR again and a lot of the books I’m reading this month are recent additions! I also have a few library books I’m reading this month. Let me know if you’ve read any of these as well, or plan to!
Disability Visibility by Alice Wong
Disability Visibility is a collection of contemporary essays written from the lens of disabled voices. It features the everyday lives of the disability community while exploring the community’s past, its present, and its future.
This is the Feminist Book Club pick for May. I feel like I’ve been reading more anthologies and short story collections than I used to and am developing a great appreciation for them. That being said, I think this anthology will be no exception. I certainly look forward to the voices featured in this novel and the stories and experiences they share.
The Andromeda Strain by Michael Crichton
The Andromeda Strain takes place in a time where re-entering space probes must be de-contaminated upon return to planet Earth. In a time where they realize the sterilization may be inadequate, a satelite falls to earth in a desolate part of Arizona. Not much later, nearby residents are found dead in the streets.
I’ll be buddy reading this book with Emma @ Words and Peace after buddy reading Before the Coffee Gets Cold together. This book was on both of our TBRs so we’ll be reading it together next. I haven’t read Crichton’s works yet, so maybe reading this one will finally encourage me to read Jurassic Park and The Lost World!
Elatsoe by Darcie Little Badger
Elatsoe takes place in an America where that has been heavily shaped by the magic and legends of its people. And while some kinds of magic are harmless and frequent, others are incredibly dangerous. Elatsoe can raise the ghosts of dead animals, which has been passed down through her family. When her beloved cousin is killed and her town remains silent, Elatsoe must find out the truth.
This was a BOTM pick from Tuma’s Books and Things. This book has been on my radar since its release, and I’m so glad to finally have a copy! I’ve been hearing incredible things about this book (and its writing especially), so I’m looking forward to reading it very soon.
The Broken Earth Trilogy by N.K. Jemisin
The Broken Earth Trilogy starts with The Fifth Season. It follows Essu, who comes home to find out that her husband was murdered. The empire of Sanze collapses as most of its ctizens are murdered. And across the continent, a great rift tears into the Earth, spewing ash that darkens the planet.
I’m not sure if I’ll finish the entire trilogy this month, but I’d love to if I could! I bought The Broken Earth trilogy last October and have yet to read it – but I finally will this month. I’ve heard the most incredible things about this book and can’t wait to dive into Jemisin’s writing once again.
Vengeful by V.E. Schwab
Vengeful directly follow the events of Vicious. Sydney is processing all that’s happened to her since she met Victor, and he doesn’t know she knows about his most recent act of vengeance. Meanwhile, while Victor has been keeping himself under the radar, he knows that Eli still must pay for what he’s done.
Vicious was so fast-paced and riveting that I couldn’t wait too long to pick up Vengeful! I’m definitely curious to see if this will follow the same pace as Vicious did. Either way, I think this will be quite the conclusion to the duology.
If I Had Your Face by Frances Cha
If I Had Your Face follows four young women living together in South Korea, and how society’s expectations and standards of beauty impact their well-being, despite their varied paths.
I’ve been hearing incredible things about this book and it’s been on my want-to-read shelf for quite a bit now. I’ve especially been seeing lots of love for this book on Instagram and Goodreads, and I think it’s finally time for me to read it too. I just got a copy at the library, so I’ll likely be reading it very soon!
The Empress of Salt and Fortune by Nghi Vo
The Empress of Salt and Fortune follows a young royal from the north who is sent to the south for a political marriage, only her servants on her side.
This is the Trans Tales Book Club pick for May. I’ve seen this book around quite a bit and have been wanting to try out Nghi Vo’s books a try, especially with her newest release, The Chosen and The Beautiful, coming out soon. I’ve also heard great things about the second book, so I look forward to finding out what this story is about.
Those are all of the books on my TBR for May! Let me know if you read any of these or plan to.
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#goodreadance2021: It’s Time to Get Organized!
I have a list of admin tasks in my planner that I save for when I have time to complete them. And lately, an overwhelming majority of those tasks that I’ve been neglecting have to do with the blog and the state of my shelves. Luckily, it looks like I have the opportunity to do so with #goodreadance2021! This challenge is hosted by Shealea @ Shut Up, Shealea and this round is running from September to the end of November. This challenge is an opportunity for participants to organize their reading, including their Goodreads shelves, physical shelves, reviews, and more. You can find out all of the details on Shealea’s blog.
Today I’m sharing which goals I’m working towards over the course over #goodreadance2021. I’ll also be wrapping up this challenge once it’s over with my results – stay tuned!
August 2021 Wrapup
With August over, it’s time to share my reading wrap-up. This past month, I read seven books. While this definitely is not a small number of books to have read, I think this is actually the least I’ve read in a month in a long time. I think this month really has been different for me in terms of where I had to set my priorities. Plus, I had to switch my medication, and the fatigue has been real. But with that aside, although I didn’t have any five-star reads this month, I did end up with plenty of four-star reads, and that’s really good too.
Starting this new medication has served as a sort of reset for me throughout August. I’ve been taking the time to really declutter every aspect of my life, not only physically but also mentally – so that I can make space for what really matters. I’ve also been thinking about how I want to take my career from here, which means that I’ve started studying for my next certification (and hope to take the exam this month!). This month has also been spent well with family and friends, which may have also been a contributing factor to less reading this month!
Anyway, here’s everything I read this month. I hope you found some great new books this month too!
September 2021 TBR
August has come to an end, so it's time to share my September TBR! I'm looking forward to the cooler weather and cozier days, and I think my TBR this month will reflect that because there are so many books on it. I don't know if it will really cool down that much in...
Michael Crichton is on my TBR list, too. I’ve read Jurassic Park and The Lost World and enjoyed them both. Looking forward to seeing what you think of The Andromeda Strain.
Thank you! I’m glad you enjoyed his other works – Jurassic Park has been on my TBR for way too long!
I haven’t read these but The Fifth Season is on my TBR! I’ve heard so much about Jemesin’s books. I want to read a few ARCs because they’re piling up and I don’t want to request new ones while I still have these to finish haha.
Haha I’m the same way – I feel guilty when the ARC pileup happens! I read The City We Became by Jemisin last year and while I loved it, everyone was talking about how The Fifth Season was the best one. I hope you enjoy her books!
This is an amazing TBR! All of these books sound great. Can’t wait to see what you think of If I Had Your Face and The Fifth Season!
Thank you! I’m almost done with If I Had Your Face and it’s been really good so far. I can’t wait to start The Fifth Season as well!