May Roundup

I don't know what the weather is like where you are, but it is gorgeous here in Liverpool today. England is famous for its precarious weather and the last few years have illustrated this more than usual, but today is hot and sunny and most people are off work. Everyone's windows are wide open, lawn mowers are going, deckchairs pulled from the back of the shed, bugs are buzzin' and our cats are flaked out under the bush in the garden.

Here is a recap of my May reading activities...

Read - 2 and a half books

Completed -

The Shipping News by Annie Proulx

The Turn of the Screw by Henry James

Currently Reading - The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

TBR pile - quite a few added, now at 60:-

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

Butterball by Guy de Maupassant

The House of Spirits by Isabelle Allende

The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

Challenges - The book I am currently reading (The Woman in Black) is for #11 of the 2009 Mini Challenges, to read a book that is outside of your normal comfort zone. I don't do ghost stories, they frighten the pants off me!!

I've also looked out some essays for #4 too.

Meeting my challenge to read 3 pages a day of Jonathan Strange and Mr Norrell by Susanna Clarke has taken a downward turn. Basically I haven't read any of it in May. I haven't written it off completely in the hope that I'll come back to it, but it wasn't really holding my attention. I have nearly given up on it a few times before but have made myself read it because it looks like a book I should enjoy. However, I have always felt that if a book becomes a chore and not a pleasure, you should move on to something else. Sadly that has happened here, for now anyway.

Wishlist Additions -

Timeless Simplicity by John Lane

Falling for a Dancer by Deirdre Purcell

The Sunday Philosophy Club by Alexander McCall Smith

The Hidden by Tobias Hill

Discoveries -

That the Bluecoat Chambers in Liverpool is doing a monthly book fair, where I snapped up 2 of my books this month.

Events -

The Octogons first blogiversary.

Being nominated for the Lemonade Award by Jeane from Dog Ear Diary.

I hope it is bright, warm and sunny where you are...I'm off to sit in the garden.