May in Review

May was a bit crazy this year. It didn’t feel much like a birthday month, and I didn’t get much writing or swimming accomplished due to a massive road-trip vacation that took up most of the second half of the month. But, I did read a lot and think a lot. So, even if I feel like I’ve fallen behind on everything, I feel rested and a little more grounded going into the second half of this year.

Below are the books I read this month (links take you to my reviews on Goodreads).

• A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas (Kindle, pre-order) — I was worried that I would be disappointed by this book because I had some issues with the first book in this series. But, I loved it! Feyre is only annoying through the first third of this book. Then she really comes into her own with a little help from her new friends and her swoon-worthy soul mate. I’m so much happier with the romance plot in this book compared to the first.
• Eligible by Curtis Sittenfeld (Kindle, library) — I’m a sucker for Jane Austen retellings, and I also like this author. So when I saw this book announced, I knew I had to read it immediately. Luckily, I got a digital copy from the library within weeks of the release, and it turned out to be everything I’d hoped it would be. I had some issues with the ending, but other than that, highly recommend for Austen fans looking for a modern spin on a classic.
• The Winner’s Curse by Marie Rutkoski (Kindle) — This one did not live up to the hype for me, unfortunately. I couldn’t get past what felt like a character inconsistency that contributed to a weakness in the plot and the romance aspect of the story.
• Lady Susan by Jane Austen (Kindle) — I couldn’t fit this into the photo above, but I also read this short, unfinished Austen story in preparation for seeing Love & Friendship at some point (hopefully soon).
• The Wrath and the Dawn by Renee Ahdieh (Kindle) — It took me forever to finally get around to reading this book, but it definitely lived up to the hype. I only wish the ending wasn’t such a massive cliff-hanger.
• Serpentine by Cindy Pon (Kindle) — I’ve had this book on my TBR forever and I’m glad I finally got around to reading it. It’s a short, fast read with unique world-building and an excellent female friendship at the core of the plot.
• Hunger Makes Me a Modern Girl by Carrie Brownstein (audiobook, library) — I’m probably not the right audience for this book, because I’m not really a fan of Sleater Kinney or Portlandia. It’s not that I don’t like her band or her show, it’s just not my thing. I think I just missed the Riot Grrl craze (a little too young), and I never heard of Sleater Kinney until I moved to the PNW. I’ve watched a few episodes of Portlandia. It’s really funny, but it didn’t hook me enough to keep watching. So, I’m not even sure why I picked up this book except that I’d heard on several blogs that it was really good. I enjoyed it because I love learning more about the punk movement and reading about the creative process. I’d highly recommend this book if you’re a fan of punk and/or Sleater Kinney, or if you’re a music geek. If you’re thinking of picking it up because of her role in Portlandia, you’ll be disappointed because there’s almost nothing of that in here.

I’m not sure how much reading I’ll get done in June, but these are the books I’d really like to read if I can find some time:

A couple roll-over titles from previous TBRs (Lagoon, Slow Bullets), and a few new titles to shake things up a bit. I’ve been craving a novel with a solid mystery / thriller element, so I decided to add The Swimmer and Three Parts Dead to my TBR. I’ve also been neglecting my comics, so I added Vol 1 of Storm, which will (hopefully) compliment the new X-Men movie I’m looking forward to seeing this weekend. I added George because I’ve been meaning to read it for a while, and I thought June, since it’s Pride month, might be a good time to do that.

Now that I’m back from vacation and refreshed, I’m looking forward to diving back into my writing (and into the pool). I’m hoping to finish edits on “Godda’s War” (which really needs a new title) and then get to work on finishing a draft of my 2014 NaNoWrMo story (“Augmented“). I had some pretty decent ideas for both of these over vacation and I’m eager to start making progress again.

It may be a bit quiet around here in June, but I have a few blog post ideas planned. So, stay tuned! Oh, and if you’re disappointed that I stopped posting my “MayIGAuthor” photos here, you can check them out on Instagram. It was easier to just post them there while I was on vacation (vs. posting to both locations).