Books Read in May

In addition to the summary below, you can also watch my video, May Reading Wrap-Up, where I briefly tell you about each of the books I read last month.

May was another great reading month for me! Here's what I finished reading last month:

• Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline (OH) - adult fiction
• Becoming by Michelle Obama (IL) - nonfiction/memoir on audio
  

• The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett (LA) - adult fiction
• Clock Dance by Anne Tyler (MD) - adult fiction

• Force of Nature by Jane Harper (Australia) - adult fiction
• Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver (AZ) - adult fiction on audio
  

 

 

• The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides (UK) - adult fiction
  
• 7 Good Reasons Not to Grow Up by Jimmy Gownley - middle-grade graphic novel

I finished 8 books in total in May, and they were all very good. It was almost an all-fiction month, but I finished listening (re-listening) to Becoming. And it was unusual for me to read two thrillers in one month (unless it's fall and the R.I.P. Challenge!). So, just one nonfiction (memoir) and one middle-grade, and all the rest of my books were adult fiction. Two of my books were on audio. My favorite is a tie because I just couldn't choose: Clock Dance by Anne Tyler and Animal Dreams by Barbara Kingsolver. These were both hug-it-to-your-chest books that I never wanted to end!

Progress in 2021 Reading Challenges:
You can see all of the reading challenges I am participating in and full lists of the books read for each at the challenges link above. I have some fun ones going this year!

Mount TBR Reading Challenge 2021 - Four of my eight books in May were from my own shelves.

2021 Monthly Motif Reading Challenge - May was Magnificent Middle-Grade, so 7 Good Reasons Not to Grow Up by Jimmy Gownley fit.

Back to the Classics 2021 - No classics in May.

2021 AtoZ Reading Challenge - It's getting tougher, but I filled in C and V last month, and the May Mini Challenge, a book about a nurse, since there were nurses in The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides.

PopSugar Reading Challenge 2021 - this is a unique one, with 50 quirky categories. My list is getting pretty full now, but I added another 2 categories to my list this month:

1. Book with something broken on the cover - The Silent Patient
2. Book about social justice -  The Vanishing Half

2021 Nonfiction Reader Challenge - I added one more nonfiction book, Becoming by Michelle Obama, and used it for the Biography category (technically, it was memoir or autobiography, but close enough, right?)

Diversity Reading Challenge 2021 - Five of my books were diverse last month, and for the May mini-challenge, Ready Player Two by Ernest Cline included a main character from Southeast Asia.

Travel the World in Books Reading Challenge - I traveled to the UK and Australia last month in my books.

2021 Literary Escapes Challenge - I added four new states: Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, and Ohio.

And finally, Bookish Bingo hosted by Chapter Break - not really a challenge per se, but a fun game that I play each month! Stop by to print out this month's Bingo card and play along. In May, I filled 19 spaces on my bingo card:

 

Spaces Filled:

Ready Player Two - action/adventure, stars on cover, special abilities, squad/team

Becoming - audio book, woman on cover

The Vanishing Half - not in a series

Clock Dance - read a physical book, shelf love

Force of Nature - in a series, police, set in a foreign country

Animal Dreams - not set in current times

The Silent Patient - library book, shady character, multiple POV, book club read

7 Good Reasons Not to Grow Up - free book

Free Space

What was YOUR favorite book read in May?