Every month I try to read at least one book from the following categories: nonfiction, devotional, and fiction. And this year I’m participating in the 2017 Modern Mrs. Darcy Reading Challenges, so I’m also going to be listing which category my books fulfill. If you want to join in on the fun, you can check out the list of categories here! This is my May 2017 Reading List, my brief reviews and book recommendations for May 2017. Hopefully I’ll provide you with some inspiration for your future reading as well!

Holy cow, I read a ton of books in May! Let’s dive right into them.

Books Finished:

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

2017 MMD Reading for Growth Challenge: a Pulitzer Prize or National Book Award winner

I LOVED this book, truly loved it. I think it’s probably my new favorite book that I’ve read in quite some time. The language and descriptions were lovely to read, even when the subject matter was difficult. This one will stand up to re-reading, and I’m not typically a ‘re-reader.’ The book follows two primary characters, a German orphan boy and a blind French girl during the years leading up to, through, and following World War II. The timeline jumps around a bit, but was never difficult to follow, and this is because the timelines begin to move closer together and ultimately intersect. Simply astounding how good this book was. The Pulitzer was definitely well deserved.

I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi

I subscribe to Ramit Sethi through Feedly, so that I don’t miss any of his posts. I really enjoy his writing style, and that his tips and advice are so practical and geared toward folks in their 20s-30s. If you’re not sure what you should be doing financially, read this book. It’s great and entertaining.

Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster by Jon Krakauer

This book was SO intense! It followed Krakauer’s journey to and up Mt. Everest in 1996, one of the most deadly climbing seasons in the history of Everest. It was informative, but also fast-paced and exciting. At times it was also extremely sad, and I wished that the outcome might change. I also really liked the short chapters, making it really easy to pick up and read when I had a few minutes.

The Bumps Are What You Climb On: Encouragement for Difficult Days by Warren W. Wiersbe

I’ve been having some work struggles lately, and have been praying for guidance for the right course of action. I thought that this book would be good in helping me to process through the situations and make the decisions that God wants me to make, rather than the decisions that I want to make.

The Fantastic Fable of Peter Able by Natalie Grigson

I really enjoyed this book, that is probably best categorized as Young Adult fiction. It was just downright fun. Essentially the book follows the story of a boy wizard named Peter Able who lives in the land of Fiction, and whose series has been cancelled. He is finally able to make his own decisions, when he starts to become worried that he’s not truly in control of his life.

In the Woods by Tana French

I’ve heard of Tana French before (I mean, how could I not?! Her name is Tana!), but had never read anything that she’d written before. The first entry in the Dublin Murder Squad series, it was a solid murder mystery that also had some personal elements to it. I struggled a bit with the inaccuracies of the law, at least from an American legal system perspective. But I also don’t know details of the Irish legal system, and therefore, don’t have a good understanding of whether the law might be correct for Ireland.

The Sun Is Also a Star by Nicola Yoon

2017 MMD Reading for Growth Challenge: a book by an #ownvoices or #diversebooks author

This book is told primarily from the perspective of two teenagers, one of whom is Jamaican born and about to be deported, the other who is Korean-American. There are also periodic entries from others that they come into contact with, as well as topical entries. The structure of the book felt fresh, and the story-telling and perspectives felt authentic. I really, really liked this book, and read through it very quickly, as I wanted to see where things were going.

The Girls by Emma Cline

This book has gotten quite a lot of buzz, so I was excited to see that there was no waiting list to check it out on Overdrive. It is a fictional story of a fourteen year old girl in the 60s who gets wrapped up in a Manson-like cult. The story appeared to borrow heavily from the history of Manson and his followers. I found it to be an engaging story, but also quite depressing. And fair warning (if it’s even needed in a book about a Manson-like group) the subject matter is adult.

Division of the Marked, Elevation of the Marked, and Maturation of the Marked by March McCarron

2017 MMD Reading for Growth Challenge: three books by the same author



I purchased Division of the Marked quite some time ago, probably through a BookBub deal, but I honestly don’t know. I’d rediscovered it when scrolling through my Kindle Fire and bumped this one (causing it to pop up to the top of my list), and I’m so glad. I found Division of the Marked to be so intense and engaging, that I purchased Elevation of the Marked, and then also Maturation of the Marked (which is a novella that falls between the other two books). I can’t wait for the next book in the series to come out, so hopefully March is writing quickly!

Digital Landscape Photography by Kim Rormark

I’m trying to improve my photography for the blog. It’s definitely a work in progress! This book had some great tips for setting up your camera to improve your photos, as well as composition tips. There was also explanation for the composition guides, which a lot of books on photography don’t include. I found this relatively short book to be helpful.

 

Books In Progress:

A Fall of Marigolds by Susan Meisner

Invisible Man by Ralph Ellison

 

Books I’ve Abandoned:

The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George