Looking Back: May Highlights

I didn't read a lot of books in May, but I was lucky in that most of what I read last month was good. I did discover lots of new books at BEA, and can't wait to share them with you. But in the meantime, a few recent favorites I've actually finished:

Week in Reading (and heading up to #BEA15)

Book Expo is officially upon us (already?), and I'm about to shut down this computer and head to the train station. I've got The Star Side of Bird Hill with me to read on my way to New York, and if I finish that, I'm contemplating picking up The Shore (finally). I've got my headphones packed, and plan to squeeze in some listening to The Drums of Autumn (still) while traipsing around NYC.

Never Half-Ass Two Things

I spent Monday and Tuesday of this week at a conference in DC, joining a learning intensive as faculty and a panelist. After the conference on Tuesday, I scurried back to Frederick just in time to join a book club meeting that evening. Too tired to do much of anything Tuesday night, I went to bed early, woke up at the crack of dawn the next morning to do some work before my Wednesday yoga class, then rushed home to shower, change, and load the car for our board's quarterly meeting last night.

In news that will likely surprise no one: I felt under-prepared for the conference on Monday, I hadn't finished the book in time for the book club meeting on Tuesday, and I forgot a few significant pieces of paper needed for the board meeting on Wednesday. I have been, contrary to Ron Swanson's words of wisdom, half-assing not just two things, but many things all at once.

Week in Reading: May 18th

Last week was a bit of a slow reading week for me. I've got a bunch of stuff I'm working on for various deadlines and review commitments, but the lack of "for pleasure" reading has my brain shutting down and my yearning for television cranked into high gear. As such, I spent much of last week catching up on Orphan Black and reading graphic novels (Sex Criminals Vol. 2 and Lumberjanes Vol. 1, to be specific), while working through the last of Something Must Be Done About Prince Edward County and starting A Hobbit, a Wardrobe, and a Great War. I also finished Cuckoo's Calling on audio in the midst of much driving around and laundry folding--can't wait to get to the second book.

Book Review: The Fishermen, by Chigozie Obioma

This review originally ran in Shelf Awareness for Readers.

When the four brothers who are the focus of Chigozie Obioma's debut novel, The Fishermen, decide to go down to their village river to fish, they have no way of knowing that their lives will be changed forever. But their encounter with the town madman on the riverbank--who prophesies that the oldest brother will be killed by one of his fellow fishermen--proves to be a turning point.

Short Reviews of Four Short Books

I love me a good chunkster (Anna Karenina, anyone?), but from time to time, a step away from the 1,000-page tomes and into the world of 150-page micro-books is good for the soul. Here are a few short titles I've picked up of late:

Week in Reading: May 11th (and Book Expo Plans)

It's May! It's May! The lovely month of May...

Currently: Lavender Everything

It's Saturday! And though I'm reading a ton (currently: devouring California by Edan Lepucki on my Nook and listening to Cuckoo's Calling by JK Rowling Robert Galbraith in the car), I'm a bit burnt out on talking about books*, given a crunch of deadlines that all fell in the same two-week span. So instead, here are some non-book things I'm loving, in a trend I might continue over the coming weeks to explore some of my non-bookish delights. They do exist.

This week, it's lavender: lavender everything, lavender everywhere.

Looking Back: April Reading & Writing

I'm only a week late in getting my act together on this one, but, my blog, my rules, eh? April brought us lots of showers and some pretty incredible reading, not least of all because Readathon continues to be one of my favorite reading events of the year.

Week in Reading: May the 4th (be with you)

Happy Star Wars Day, all, and May the 4th be with you! After a whirlwind of Readathon, last week and this weekend were a bit slow for me on the reading front, but I'm ok with that. I finished Bell Weather (out in July) and The Secret Place (please keep any and all recommendations on what to read now that I've finished all of Tana French's books coming). I'm a chapter from the end of The Underground Girls of Kabul.

European Adventures | Scotland | Edinburgh | Book Bloggers, Harry Potter's Birthplace, and Arthur's Seat

Continuing my photos from our month of European Adventures, September 2014.

Our second day in Edinburgh started off with something really special: tea and breakfast with Tanya of 52 Books or Bust. She reached out to me before my trip when she saw I'd be in her town, and you know I won't pass up an opportunity to meet another book blogger.

I saw Tanya read drink tea in real life!