2018 May Reading List

2018 is my YEAR OF READING and May is the first month for which I prepared a list of books to read before the month started; though posting before the month begins remains a challenge. Thus far in 2018, I have been reading without a road map, trying to go through titles quickly but still enjoy the experience. After five months, I feel comfortable setting a challenging pace.

At the top of the list are books that I am anxious to finish. Nestled in the middle are eBooks from my library holds list that I have already checked out and need to finish or else I will wind up at the end of the queue again! At the bottom of the list are books I want to read, but I own the hard copy, so these titles often end up in the TBR pile for longer than I planned.

But first, I must admit that I already finished a book that was solidly in the middle of the list. (So much for top priorities!) It was insanely amazing, and I just could not stop reading it. The Poet X by Elizabeth Acevedo blew me away. Since I first heard about Blood Paint Water by Joy McCullough, I have been intrigued by the idea of reading a novel in verse. Blood Paint Water sounds a little too intense for my overactive imagination, so I was thrilled when the eBook for The Poet X became available to check-out from my library. The words are powerful, skillfully placed together, and full of emotion. Within two weekdays I consumed this new YA book. I have since returned the eBook so someone else can enjoy it, but I am purchasing my own copy this weekend because I want to savor it on paper.

High Priority Books on My Reading List

These are the books on my shelf that I am planning to read (or finish reading) this month. This is also my best guess at the order I will finish these titles, but I doubt it is correct.

Station Eleven

The Legend of Shadow High

Notorious RBG

The Poet X

Hello, Universe

The Twelve-Mile Straight

My Own Words, RBG

The Female Persuasion

The Regional Office is Under Attack

A Tyranny of Petticoats

Station Eleven, The Legend of Shadow High and Notorious RBG are all partially started; in the case of Shadow High, I have only a few more pages to read with my daughter. As mentioned above, The Poet X is finished and returned. 

Priority Books on My Reading List

These are the books on my shelf that I want to read, but because I own a copy, they slide further down the priority list as I rush to finish titles borrowed from the library.

The Power

Pachinko

Circe

Library Holds - Expect to Check-out This Month

I like to keep my library eBook holds maxed out, because most of the books I want to read have dozens, if not hundreds, of users waiting for them. I also max out the number of recommends I am allowed because this is how I get new books right when the library adds them to the collection. The only drawback is that I have no idea when they will become available, and so a new title can climb the reading list fast and out of order. 

The Essex Serpent - #1 on 2 copies

Library Holds - Good Chance of Checking-out This Month

I am fairly near #1 on these titles, so there is a good chance that they will become available for check-out before the end of the month.

The Belles - #2 on 1 copy

We Were Eight Years in Power - #3 on 4 copies

Library Holds - Maybe Checking-out This Month

Patrons are allowed 21 days to borrow and read each title, so if each patron keeps a title for 21 days, I will not see these books until June, July, or later. But I suspect most readers return titles as soon as they finish reading it, if only to open space to check-out additional titles.

Dread Nation - #3 on 1 copy

Made for Love - #3 on 1 copy

Janesville - #3 on 1 copy

Orphan Island - #4 on 1 copy

Conclusion

I am interested to see how different the May results will be from these predictions. Just a few days into the month and I know that my list is already in flux.  Oh well, looking forward to that wrap-up!