Monday 1 May 2017

Planned Reading for May 2017

Spring blossom
Hello everybody. It's May! I don't quite know how that happened. Each new month always takes me by surprise, I always seem to feel so busy. I am sure I have told you before but I love the spring. It makes me so happy to see all the plants coming into bloom, and the weather getting warmer. My tree in the back garden has decided that it's springtime too. Most days aren't suitable for outdoor reading yet, but we are getting there. I have still been listening to audio books and am currently listening to 'The Secret Garden'. This was a childhood favourite of mine so I'm enjoying it very much, and it's all about a garden coming alive, which of course is what's happening in the wider world so it's quite seasonal reading.

So, what do I have planned this month? well I will tell you :) I have the potential for some extra reading time this week. I'm staffing a polling station as we have local elections here. Now on the one hand of course I want lots of people to come in and vote, but if there is a quiet period I might be able to get some reading done, which would be good. I'll have to make sure my kindle is charged!

Courage Rises and Courage Requires by Melanie Rachel
I have a few visitors to the blog planned in for this month. Firstly, Melanie Rachel will be joining me. Melanie wrote 'Courage Rises', which is a P&P continuation, and she has written a further book in the series, 'Courage Requires', which is already getting excellent reviews.

Book cover: A Man with Faults by Lory Lilian
I will also be welcoming Lory Lilian, with her latest P&P variation, 'A Man With Faults'. In 'Pride & Prejudice', Darcy describes himself thus:

"I have faults enough, but they are not, I hope, of understanding. My temper I dare not vouch for. It is, I believe, too little yielding -- certainly too little for the convenience of the world. I cannot forget the follies and vices of others so soon as I ought, nor their offences against myself. My feelings are not puffed about with every attempt to move them. My temper would perhaps be called resentful. My good opinion once lost is lost for ever."

Lory's novel looks at how a resentful Darcy might react to a plea for help from Elizabeth to find her sister in London. This is another book that is being really well-received so far :)

Book Cover: Modern Persuasion by Sara Marks
Late in the month, I'm expecting Sara Marks to drop in. Sara is an author that's new to me. She has written a book called 'Modern Persuasion', which moves Austen's story to the modern day, in the world of publishing. The book is coming out at the end of the month.

Book Cover: Jane Austen at Home by Lucy Worsley
Also at the end of the month I am off to a talk. As this year marks the 200th anniversary of Jane Austen's death there are some additional events planned. Historian Lucy Worsley is touring to promote her new book, 'Jane Austen at Home', and the tour is coming near enough for me to go. I bought a ticket that includes a copy of the book, which looks pretty gorgeous.

As for what I plan to read, I am hoping to do some catching up on books that people have kindly given me for review. I have unfortunately got quite a stack, both physical and electronic. Whenever people give me books I have every intention of reading them, but if I don't manage to get to them they slip further and further down the pile and then I forget about them, so I'd like to read a few of those.

What do you have planned for May? Is it outdoor reading season for you yet? Have you read anything recently that you'd really recommend? Let us know in the comments :)

20 comments:

  1. Well, as usual I've been reading on the forum/blogs and then since Ola Wegner had Moonlighting for free on Amazon, I just went back and started reading that one. Then I want to read Jane Odiwe's new time travel book not to mention Lori Lillian's new book and of course I'm really looking forward to some new releases. So little time. Jen Red

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    1. I know, Jen, it's impossible to keep up, even if you're really choosy about what you read. Jane Odiwe's new book, Searching for Mr Tilney is one of the ones on my list too. It's so nice to see something with a link to NA, and the 'modern' part of it is set in the 70s I think, so that sounds interesting too. I hope you manage to make a dent in your TBR pile, Jen.

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  2. J. W. Garrett1 May 2017 at 15:41

    Hello Ceri, you have an adventurous spring planned. I too am looking forward to outside reading time. I am already planning what plants I want on my deck to enhance my outdoor pleasure. We don't buy any plants until after KY Derby. That is usually the cut off for freeze concerns here in our portion of KY.

    I am in the process of cleaning out my TBR pile. I made a concerted effort last month to read as many as I could. It was completely unmanageable. I already have 'Courage Rises' and look forward to hearing what others think of the new book. I'm glad I waited so I can read them together.

    Have a blessed spring and Happy May day you and to those all around the world that read your blog. Many countries still have May Day celebrations. Blessings to all... JWG

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    1. Thank you Jeanne! I love planning gardening, my difficulty is finding the time to actually do the gardening. I don't know what the weather is like in your neck of the woods but here, if you have the time you usually don't have the weather. They say to make hay while the sun shines and while that's good advice in a metaphorical sense, in the UK it's also literally good advice because you never know when it will rain instead so you need to make the most of dry weather!

      Thank you so much for the May Day wishes. Although it's something that was historically celebrated here, I don't think it is celebrated so much any more. I hope you enjoyed the day :)

      Good luck with cleaning out your TBR pile!

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  3. Courage Rises got a 5 star review from me. I have not read the sequel. I also loved A Man With Faults and have read all of Lory Lilian's books. There is a mash-up of The Secret Garden and P&P which I reviewed on Goodreads but it is unpublished. I loved it. I don't have a plan at this point but having read some disappointments lately I am looking for a really great book. Give me a little angst and some heavy romance and I am happy. Practical Engagements was another 5 star book for me. Thanks for sharing.

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    1. Well if you can wait a little while maybe you can stop by for Melanie's guest post and maybe you can win the sequel, Sheila ;)

      Thank you for the recommendation. I had seen 'Practical Engagements' in Meredith's list for the month over at Austenesque Reviews, but I am not familiar with the author, so it's likely I'd have let this one pass me by. I've added it to my wish list.

      Good luck with finding your next 5 star book!

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  4. Hi Ceri!
    Wow! You'll certainly be a busy bee this month with all those books on your reading reading list!
    'Jane Austen at Home' sounds wonderful. I really hope you enjoy it. Would love to be s fly on the wall as there doesn't seem to be anything planned to commemorate Jane's death,here in Ireland.
    I'm finding it extremely difficult to get my JAFF mojo back. I can't seem to concentrate on any book in this genre. However,I hope to read The Darcy Monologues which is out this month.
    On that note,Ceri,I'll take my leave. Happy reading to you and your readers.

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    1. Hi Mary. It's hard when your mojo disappears. I hope you have reading mojo even if you don't have JAFF mojo. Thank you for stopping by and commenting.

      It's a shame that nothing is being planned to commemorate Austen's death in your neck of the woods. I will probably miss a lot of it, I was just lucky that this talk was coming so close to home.

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  5. I'm in the midst of editing so I have no clue how my reading time is going to be. I'm a bit like Sheila in finding the last few books very disappointing. Ack!!! I'm discovering that I'm being influenced by the pretty covers more than the blurb so I need to be a more discerning shopper. You have a lovely line-up for May, Ceri. Enjoy!

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    1. Thank you Joy! It must be hard work to be editing, I can't even read two different books at once unless they are very different, or I merge the storylines, and if you are anything like me then that would be a big no-no for your edits! I hope you have a productive month writing even if you don't get to read much :)

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    2. You are welcome. I can bounce back and forth between two stories while I'm writing or reading, which seems odd to me. But I can't do anything other than rewrites when I'm applying the edits I've received. Strange how the mind works. Happy May to you and yours.

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    3. Or more specifically, it's strange how my mind doesn't work! Hope your editing goes well :)

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  6. Hey, that's a great line up. Oh, I do hope you get some steady reading time in at the polling spot even though like you I'm always pleased when folks exercise their right to vote. Neat that you get to go to the Jane Austen talk with the author and get her book. It looks like a good one.

    I have not done much Austenesque/JAFF reading lately, but I just read a modern young adult book that was flavored with P&P though not a retelling. It was cute though it is American high school kids so not sure if you like that sort of story, First & Then by Emma Mills. My next Austenesque will by A Jane Austen Summer so hopefully it will be good.

    Have a lovely May! And yes, I've been able to read outside a few times. :)

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    1. Today would have been a wonderful reading outside day, except for the fact that I was in work and I couldn't even read lunchtime as I had to pick up my ballot box! Never mind. Hopefully the weather will be good on Thursday to encourage the voters to come to the polls!

      Is 'A Jane Austen Summer' the one with the sub title which refers to MP? I will be interested to see what you think of it.

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  7. Thank you for posting about the new Lucy Worsley book, Jane Austen a Home. I have just pre-ordered it. The talk about the book you will be attending sounds very interesting.

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    1. Thank you, Jean. Lucy Worsley is good on TV so I am expecting that she will be good on stage too. Hopefully I can find the venue, as I have never been there before! I hope that we both enjoy reading the book too :)

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  8. I don't know what I can read this month, I finally found a job and I am working very hard to learn new things and make my bosses proud of me! It is not spring season yet here in Italy, we have longer days but the wind is still cold to read outside! I am reading "Rebecca, the first wife", I find it like Nortangher Abbey and the main character with the same ingenuity of Catherine Morland. Have you read it?

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    1. Congratulations Loren! It's so hard to find reading time when you have a new job, your brain has to work so hard in the day that there is less energy spare for reading, but once you're all settled in hopefully you'll be able to read more.

      Is the book you're reading by Daphne du Maurier? If so, it's called 'Rebecca' here and it is so, so, good. I don't want to say too much and spoil it for you! Like you say, quite gothic, but in a good way. I hope you enjoy it.

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    2. Yes, it is! Thank you, now I want to finish it as soon as possible!

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  9. What a wonderful reading list, Ceri! Hope you love them all and I can't wait for your thoughts about them.

    Happy reading & a very happy spring with your lovely family :)

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