Can you believe we’re at the end of April? It was a busy month for sure and some of my reading plans didn’t come together as I had hoped but thanks to newsletters from Poets.org and Knopf Poetry, I received a daily dose of poems to my inbox. So I did read at least one poem daily.
I also read the collection, Lima::Limón by Natalie Scenters-Zapico in which she explored the lives of women between two cultures and women fighting back against machismo and calling it out. Because this poetry collection uses a lot of Spanish words and references, that also earned it another thumbs up from me. I really liked this.
The other books I read this month were Incidents in the Rue Laugier by Anita Brookner; The Book of Two Ways by Jodi Picoult; and Cold Granite by Stuart MacBride. For me, Brookner is always a solid go to author who doesn’t disappoint. I really enjoyed the Stuart MacBride book and plan to read more in the series. But goodness, the Picoult book could not come to an end soon enough. I will try to do some quick recaps of all.
As far as May is concerned, did you see that both the Women’s Prize for Fiction and the International Booker Prize shortlists were announced recently? I think I’d really like to read at least one book from each list.
The most exciting thing I’m looking forward to though is a return to the bookstore! I’ve heard that the our local bookstore doesn’t allow for more than 30 minutes at the cafe. We weren’t really planning to sit and hang out for long anyway. I just want to check out the new books, see what magazines are available and just be in a bookstore again. I’ve already prepared my husband that some major retail therapy will probably be happening. Haha.
I hope you are all doing well and reading great things. I can’t wait to hear how your reading month was and if you are looking forward to any books next month.
🙂 I hope you enjoy your planned visit to a bookstore! And come home with plenty to keep you occupied!
Oh, no. You didn’t care for the Picoult book? I don’t know anything about it, but I’ve always enjoyed her books and was looking forward to this one. Like you, I got a lot of poetry read this month. I hope to share some of my favorites over the next few months. Hooray for bookstore visits. I’m looking forward to popping into a few in the next few months, too, but I’m going to try not to buy more than just a couple of books. I’ve done so well reading from my stacks and I hate to lose that momentum. Happy May!
Jen Mullen – I need to make a plan as to what I want to look for because otherwise I may just be so excited to be in a bookstore that I won’t even know what to get! haha…
Les in OR – I think it was partly my fault because I was not expecting one subject matter to be such a major part of the book. I just think it could have been shorter. I can’t wait to hear what poetry you got to read and so happy to see you guys out traveling again! I have enjoyed sticking to my shelves too and hope to continue to do that too!
Aww yes, the return to a more normal existence does include bookstore visits and occasional in-person restaurant dining as well. Hope May is a great month for you.
It’s been a while since I’ve been to a bookstore. I’ve been there once or twice during the pandemic days, very careful, but not lately. I’m also hoping to read something from both the Women’s Prize and the Booker lists. I can’t wait to hear which you choose.