May was a busy month with little time for serious reading but, of course, I still managed to pick up some good ones. It seems I overloaded on sci-fi and fantasy this month! Everything I read and watched is, as always, reviewed here. (For last year’s reviews, go here.)
- Bumped, by Megan McCafferty – post-apocalyptic YA fantasy that almost has you believing it could happen.
- Dark Places, by Gillian Flynn – brilliantly written but very, very disturbing.
- Bellwether, by Connie Willis – funny, satirical, romantic sci-fi, and only a little bit disturbing.
The best of the month’s movies were…
- Saving Grace – light-hearted and funny
- Thin Blue Line – you’ll either love it or hate it – British humor
- The Mountains of the Moon – powerful and intense
So what have you read or watched lately that’s worth sharing?
American Soustannie 
I’ve been reading manically lately. I read Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See and was thrilled with the writing, impressed with the research and just found it an enjoyable read. I also read Eudora Welty’s The Optimist’s Daughter, which thankfully was a short read. I don’t really enjoy stories that are more character studies, but it was worth it to get me thinking about writing dialogue.
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I’ve just taken All The Light We Cannot See out of the library, and am looking forward to reading it – although a little apprehensive, too. I’ve read so many rave reviews and recommendations, it’s hard to believe it can be that good! I’ll look out for The Optimist’s Daughter – thank you! I quite enjoy character studies as long as there’s some sort of story there.
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I am in awe of Doerr’s book for his economy of language and deft storytelling. The Optimist’s Daughter, not so much, but I haven’t read a lot of southern writers beyond Harper Lee and Flannery O’Connor. It might just be a matter of becoming accustomed to the rhythm, I’m not sure.
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Loved Mountains of the Moon, and enjoyed the following books; Dodie Smith’s “I Capture the Castle”, Gerrald Durrell “My Family and Other Animals”; Yet another read of Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice”; James E Talmage “Jesus the Christ; Jacqueline Kelly, “The Evolution of Calpurnia Tate”
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Hi, Karen – thanks for stopping by! “My Family and Other Animals” is a delight, I agree, and his other books are also very funny, although he himself is (was?) not a very likable man. And “Pride and Prejudice” is one of my absolute favorites. I don’t know how many times I’ve read it, but it never fails to delight. The five-part BBC series is very true to the story, and also excellent – a great way to spend a lazy bit of all-girl time out. Maybe you and Kappie and I should plan something like that… 🙂 Thanks for the other recommendations – I’ll check them out.
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