Stories & Shout Outs #23

I knew that May was going to be a busy reading month, so I tried to prepare myself as much as possible in April.

• I read my May book club choice in April (Bel Canto). 
• I read my CC Spin book straight away (Jamaica Inn which I finished last weekend. It will also allow me to join in Heavenali's #DDMreadingweek from the 13th - 19th May, as long as I make the time to write my review!)
• I finished two non-fiction titles that had been lingering on my table for a couple of months (A Vindication/Accidental Feminists).
• I looked at my Moby Dick stuff again & created a timeline for the August readalong.

I've also been busy with other bookish stuff:

Reading Kids Books:

• Cloud Boy by Marcia Williams
• Miss Mink: Life Lessons For a Cat Countess by Janet Hill
• Horatio Squeak by Karen Foxlee
• Song of the River by Joy Cowley
• Beverly, Right Here by Kate DiCamillo
• The Legend of Sally Jones by Jakob Wegelius
• Songbird by Ingrid Laguna

Trying to Find Some Calm:

• Create Calm by Kate James
• First week of alcohol and chocolate free month was rough, especially on Friday night, when we really wanted a beer with our pizza. We resisted, and felt better for it. 
• This week has been harder with the chocolate part, but I've had a few sweet biscuit treats instead. 
• A 3 hr walk (& coffee stop) on Saturday.
• A 2 hr walk (& coffee stop) on Wednesday.
• Eva Cassidy CD on high rotation.
• 2 bubble baths.
• And a new pair of shoes.

Strange, But True:

Yesterday, I had cause to google my blog name.
I discovered that many of my book reviews and catchy quotes therein have been added to a surprisingly large number of author websites. All Australian that I can see so far  - from Kate Forsyth, Matt Ottley, Sandy Fussel, Sulari Gentil, Judy Horacek to Aaron Blabey. I feel honoured and rather chuffed.

May Readalongs:

Nick @One Catholic Life is about to start off a new chapter-a-day adventure with The Count of Monte Cristo. This will be my third chapter-a-day readalong with Nick. Les Mis last year was hugely successful (for me) while my more recent foray into Don Quixote was less so.

I've had The Count on my TBR pile for 5-6 years now. It's another one of my lovely Coralie Bickford-Smith designed hardback Penguin editions.

Translated by Robin Buss, it is 117 chapters long.
The readalong starts Thursday 9th May and finishes on the 2nd September. It's not too late to join in.

Nick plans to post a quote a day on twitter and facebook using #montecristoreadalong
I hope to post most days :-)

May is also my next Iris Murdoch book, The Sea, The Sea with Liz @Adventures in Reading.

I've been very nervous about reading this book. It has been on my TBR pile for a number of years as a part of my plan to read as many Booker Prize books as possible, but I've been told by several people that it is a difficult read. I joined in Liz's readalong in the hope that reading some of Murdoch's earlier books, in the company of someone who so obviously loves and appreciates her work, would help me achieve success with The Sea, The Sea. I've now just been waiting to get the first few chapters of The Count under my belt before starting The Sea this weekend.
#IMreadalong

New To The Pile:

• Woman Rowing North by Mary Piper
• A Room Of One's Own by Virginia Woolf (I first read this years ago but lost/gave away my copy during one of my moves. Keen for a reread given my recent reading).
• Waverley by Walter Scott
• Circe by Madeline Miller
• Australia Day by Stan Grant
• Croatia - Lonely Planet (fingers crossed)