I actually have little roses blooming in my yard now. That’s a surprise because the property was burned terribly in a forest fire last September, and most of the roses had to be transplanted in an attempt to save them. Two bushes that weren’t transplanted actually bloomed for me this week.
My May Word of the Month
Hope
My May Haiku of the Month
I’m sculpting, seeking
That perfection deep inside;
Down falls all the dross.
Bible Verse of the Month
The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, searching all the inner depths of his heart.” – Proverbs 20:27
My May reading diary is at the bottom of this page, after the book list.
My Goodreads page: https://www.goodreads.com/lindajm
☆ – I own the book and am ready to read.
★ – I’m reading it.
✓ – I finished reading it. Yay!
⇗ – Still reading at the end of the month.
DNF – I did not like it or finish it.
∅ – Stalled – I started but didn’t finish.
↓ – I didn’t even start. Complete fail!
Here’s What I Plan to Read During May
First of all, a classic…
✓ Classic Fiction: A Separate Peace, by John Knowles
Looking forward to this reading experience. I’m reading this for 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt #5 – A dark academia book. I HOPE it is good! [Later] – Loved this book! I gave it Five stars @ Goodreads. ★★★★★
★ Recent Fiction: Miss Peregrine’s Home for Peculiar Children, by Ransom Riggs
This is sure to be weird. Not sure I’ll even like it, but I’m reading it for 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt #15 – A book with a black-and-white cover. The cover fits the prompt.
Some Christian Literature
★ Christian: Mere Christianity, by C.S. Lewis
I’m participating in a Mere Christianity readalong on Booktube.
★ Christian: Stop Calling Me Beautiful, by Phylicia Masonheimer
I’m reading this with a friend, locally.
★ Christian: Mistaken Identity: Two Families, One Survivor, Unwavering Hope, by Don & Susie Van Ryn, Newell Colleen & Whitney Cerak, Mark Tabb
This is a monthly reading choice on a Christian Goodreads group I recently joined.
★ Christian: The Imitation of Christ, by Thomas a’Kempis
I’ve been reading this for a while now. Great wisdom and small sections make this a very readable classic Christian devotional.
A Year in Mitford
I’m participating in the #ayearinmitford challenge.
★ Christian Fiction: A New Song, by Jan Karon
This is the fifth book in the Mitford series. So far I’m enjoying the series. It is nice to visit with the folks in Mitford and learn about their projects, hopes, and developments.
My Newbery List Reading Project
☆ Juvenile Fiction: The White Stag, by Kate Seredy
This is the 1938 Newbery Medal Winner. I chose this because of the Booktube Spin, in which we choose and number 20 books. Then there’s a spin. This is the book that won, on my list.
★ Juvenile Fiction: A Wish in the Dark, by Christina Soontornvat
This is a 2021 Newbery Honor Book. This is a Thai fantasy book about Pong, who escaped from a prison he was born in. I intended to read it in April but didn’t get to it so hopefully, I’ll read it in May.
★ Juvenile Fiction: The Complete Ramona Collection, by Beverly Cleary
I read the first four books in this eight book series during April, reading only one chapter each day. I expect to be able to finish the last four during May. Only two of these books are Newbery Honor Books but I feel like I have to read the entire series. This sometimes happens with books on the Newbery list.
✓ Juvenile Fiction: What Hearts, by Bruce Brooks
This is a 1993 Newbery Honor Book. This is divided into four episodes in the life of a sensitive twelve-year-old boy. At this time I’ve read the first two sections and I have two more to read in May. [Later] Finished the book. Not my favorite Newbery list book… but okay. There were a few long descriptions of baseball, which I think would be appreciated more by a 12 year old boy on a softball league than by me. I gave this book three stars when I reviewed it on Goodreads. ★★★
✓ Juvenile Fiction: We Dream of Space, by Erin Entrada Kelly
This is a 2021 Newbery Honor Book. Three siblings are in seventh grade together. One of them is especially interested in the space program thanks to an enthusiastic science teacher. I’m almost half-way through this, and am enjoying the writing style and story. [Later] I loved this book about three siblings in a dysfunctional family. I reviewed it at Goodreads and gave it five stars. ★★★★★
★ Juvenile Nonfiction: Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon, by Steve Sheinkin
This is a 2013 Newbery Honor Book. Nonfiction…
Still reading:
★ History: The World Rushed In: The California Gold Rush Experience, by J.S. Holliday
This nonfiction history based on gold rush journals has taken me multiple months to get through. I’m reading this because I love learning about California history and because it is the thickest book I have right now… it is for 2021 PopSugar Reading Challenge prompt #41 – The longest book (by pages) on your TBR list. My plan is to read at least 4 pages daily. As of the beginning of May, I’m in chapter ten. After much terrible suffering on the overland route, William Swain, a diarist and gold seeker, has finally arrived at the diggings in California.
✓ Juvenile History: George Washington’s World, by Genevieve Foster
I’m within about 20 pages of the end of the book. I’ll be done with this a few days after the first of May. [Later] I enjoyed this history book quite a lot. It took several months to read as I decided four pages daily was enough. You can get through some long, long books at only four pages daily – if you keep at it. Sure enough, I finally got to the end of this and I think the slow reading speed made it more enjoyable for me. Anyhow, I reviewed it at Goodreads and gave it five stars. I liked it that much. ★★★★★
Gardening!
I’m reading gardening books because I have a desire to renovate my 1/2 acre with God’s help starting with developing the landscaping as suggested in Proverbs: “Prepare your outside work, make it fit for yourself in the field; and afterward build your house.” – Proverbs 24:27
★ Gardening: The Earth User’s Guide to Permaculture, by Rosemary Morrow
I’m learning to create sustainable environments through closed systems designed for permanent agriculture development. What a lot of fun I’m having trimming away the old vines clinging to my front fence while dreaming of the day my home will be rebuilt and I’ll have a food forest surrounding it. One must have a goal, you know. That is mine. I’m reading this book very slowly. A lot of the information doesn’t even apply to my parcel of land, but overall it is all good to learn.
★ Gardening: Organic Gardening the Natural No-Dig Way, by Charles Dowding
This is how I’m planning to create my garden… using the “no dig” system of Charles Dowding. Still reading this, albeit very, very slowly. I just finished a chapter about moon cycles! [Later] I finished part one of the book and am not ready to proceed onto part two, which concerns individual types of plantings. Since I don’t currently have a vegetable garden, it wouldn’t help me and I wouldn’t retain the knowledge. For part one only, which is the general information about creating a no-dig garden, I give the book five stars.
My May 2021 Reading Diary
May 1 – It is so lovely to greet the month of flowers with books! I finished reading George Washington’s World today. What an interesting history book!
May 2 – Today I published my April wrapup video.
May 3 – Today I published my May TBR video, which I filmed at Wyman Falls.
May 4 – I’m reading a variety of books right now. This morning, so far, The Kneeling Christian, We Dream of Space, and A New Song. I read until I get tired of a book, then move on to another one.
May 5 – I started reading A Wish in the Dark and very much like it so far, but I’m only four chapters in. I also started reading Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon by Steve Sheinkin and it is exciting, and much better than expected. I may have to read all his books if this level of awesomeness continues. (Creative Nonfiction) … and let’s see, I’m 4 chapter into Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. I think there’s going to be a livestream on YouTube for the first five chapters soon.
May 8 – I finished reading A Separate Peace by John Knowles. Really liked it. Here’s my Goodread’s review.
May 8 – I published three videos today.
Chatting About Books at the Klamath River
Driving: Landslide… north to Happy Camp, California :: Highway 96
Blackberry removal after a forest fire destroyed my home
May 16 – Did anyone else save tax filing for the last minute? I mentioned taxes to two people in the last week or two and both of them still hadn’t done theirs. I feel so much more expansive now that my self-employment taxes are filed. I can go back to reading without guilt. I’m now reading Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World’s Most Dangerous Weapon, by Steve Sheinkin. It is much more interesting than I’d anticipated. It starts by exposing a spy who helped the Soviets steal USA weapons research. All that happened before I was born so I had no idea what really went on, until now. Steve Sheinkin’s writing is so good, I’m considering reading some of his other books. I’ve made a decision to have a history book in reading progress at all times.
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