May TBR

Just when I thought I was getting back on track with my monthly TBRs, I had to go and set an extremely ambitious one…

Here are my top-priority books for May:

1. Talking as Fast as I Can by Lauren Graham. I’ve been interested in this memoir since around the time Gilmore Girls: A Year in the Life came to Netflix. It’s on my reading challenge list for 2017, so I’m eager to cross it off that list as well as check out what Lauren Graham has to say about her experience as Lorelei Gilmore.
2. My Lady Jane by Cynthia Hand, Brodi Ashton, and Jodi Meadows. This one also counts toward my reading challenge, and with as many YA series as I’ve been reading/planning to read lately, it’ll be nice to pick up a stand-alone this month, as well. Also, I’ve heard this one’s funny and spring seems like a good time of year for a nice laugh.
3. The Magician’s Land by Lev Grossman. I’ve been reading this trilogy for a couple months now, and loving almost everything about it. I have predictions for events in this last volume that I’m eager to look into, and it will be especially rewarding to be able to cross another finished series of my 2017 reading list. There are so many more series I still want to start soon, and I’m on the verge of getting lost in the middles of all the series I’ve started now, so it’ll feel good to complete this one for that reason, as well as for the story I’m hooked on.
4. Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty. I’ve been meaning to start reading Moriarty’s books for months now, and this one was not the one I intended to start with, but I feel like I’m missing out for not having read this one yet. I know the new corresponding TV series has already started so I’m a little late, but I do want to see what all the hype is about by at least reading the book. And if I love it, I’ll probably get around to the other Moriarty book I wanted to read that much sooner, and go from there. The hardcover copy I checked out from my library looks deceptively large, but mysteries usually go pretty quick for me so I’m hoping I won’t get bogged down in what I thought would be a “light read.” Ha. Big books don’t scare me, but I’ve got a few long ones on my list this month and I’ll be sad if I can’t fit them all in.
5. To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee, and
6. Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee. This duology is my classic of the month; I considered swapping for another month’s pick just because I knew this month’s TBR was going to be long already without having two books in my classic slot, but I’m afraid if I start putting off books from my classics schedule I’ll never get back on track, and I don’t want my classics list to fall by the wayside this year. So I’m making the effort to read both of these. To Kill a Mockingbird is actually a reread, but it’s been several years since my sophomore English class so I’m excited to see if I’ll like it as much this time around on my own, and what will happen with the sequel, which I’ve successfully managed to learn nothing about so far.
7. Into the Water by Paula Hawkins. Hawkins’ first novel, The Girl on the Train, was not my favorite thriller of all time, but I did enjoy it, and I do own it. I’m excited to see what she has in store for her readers next, so I’ve added this one as an extra already to my next Book of the Month Club box and am anxiously awaiting its arrival. I’ve been in a thriller mood after reading The Perfect Stranger, and I have high hopes for this one. It’s coming out the 2nd of May, I think, and I definitely want to read it before I hear what everyone else thinks, as I know there will probably be some strong opinions after Hawkins’ wildly successful debut.
8. Clockwork Prince by Cassandra Clare. I’m still marching through all of the Shadowhunter books in publication order, and I’ve reached book six, the second book in the Infernal Devices trilogy. While I did not enjoy Clockwork Angel a whole lot this year, I did like City of Fallen Angels this past month and am excited again to see where it’s all going. I’m looking forward to getting back into Victorian  London and just continuing with Clare’s books in general. I believe her latest novel, Lord of Shadows, comes out this month, and I’m so eager to read her newest series that I definitely want to make sure I’m finishing up with my journey through her earlier books to get my hands on these newest ones.
9. A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas. This is the third book in the A Court of Thorns and Roses trilogy, which has been a guilty pleasure read so far. I don’t own the first two, and so I only have a library hold on this one (coming out May 2nd), but I don’t know when exactly I will have my hands on a copy and when it will fit into my schedule. But I’ve been dying to find out what happens next after I read the cliffhanger ending of A Court of Mist and Fury back in December, so I’ll definitely be getting to this one as soon as possible.
10. A Darker Shade of Magic by V. E. Schwab. I own this entire series now, and I’ve been dying to delve into it for months already, but this list is getting long and there are long books on it and I know I’ll be getting busier now, too. I’m adding this one to the list to challenge myself, and I really hope I’ll get to it. This is one of several series I’m anxious to start, and it was difficult to decide which first-in-a-series book I wanted to reach for this month. Really, I want to reach for them all. Definitely expect more series coming up, but hopefully I’ll be starting with this one in May.
11. The Girl Before, by J P Delaney. By this point I must admit that I may not get this far in my TBR. I bought this thriller in February and wanted to get to it pretty quickly after buying it, but even though it’s been in my mind for the past couple months, I still haven’t gotten around to it. I have been in a thriller mood lately, though, and I know these sorts of books are fast reads for me, so again, it’s here as a challenge.

And now, I’ll acknowledge that this TBR is crazy long. The picture doesn’t look too impossible, but two of the books I’m planning to read have not even arrived yet. Also, some of these books are pretty hefty. But I haven’t pushed myself too hard with my TBRs yet this year, and I’ve only failed to reach my goal once (and then caught up in the following month), so i’m thinking it’s time to have one that seems practically impossible. Besides, May has 31 days, so at least it’s not a short month. I’m hoping that the YA books and the thrillers will be quick enough reads to make up for the extra days it might take to get through some of the longer books.

Well, we’ll see where I stand at the end of the month. And stay tuned to find out soon how I’m turning out with my April TBR!

Have you read any of these books? Are you planning to read any of these books? What else are you looking forward to reading in May?

Sincerely,

The Literary Elephant