May Wrap-Up & June TBR

Hello June, and hello summer!  Now that I am officially on summer break, I look forward to much leisure reading.  In anticipation, I've put together a humble TBR list of books I know I'll be reading for read-a-longs.

Before I get into that, though, let's take a look at the books I finished in May.

May Wrap-Up

I actually read five books last month, which I am satisfied with.

The first book I read was Joker: Death of the Family, which was a collection of all the Bat Family issues that was part of that arc.  It wasn't as good as I anticipated in light of how amazing the Batman trade was, but it was still good, and I'm pleased to have it as part of my collection.  It received 4 stars.

After that, I read a collection of novellas by Yoko Ogawa, The Diving Pool.  Though her writing was excellent and very atmospheric, there was something lacking.  I wrote a review of it, so you may read that here, but I did give it 3 stars.

I listened to my first audiobook this month, a title that goes to Harper Lee's classic, To Kill a Mockingbird.  It was the first time I had read it in over ten years, and I really didn't remember much of it, so it was like reading it for the first time.  It is an extraordinary novel, and I definitely drew much more from it as an adult than I did as a freshman in high school.  The audiobook was narrated by Sissy Spacek, whom I found to be a perfect choice.  I cannot wait for the sequel to come out this month.  I gave it 5 stars.

I followed that up with a piece of literary fiction set in Korea, This Burns My Heart, by Samuel Park.  I have already praised this book in my review of it, so I will just state that it was beautiful and striking.  I gave it 5 stars.

Finally, I ended the month with Francine Rivers' A Voice in the Wind, the first installment in her highly lauded Mark of the Lion trilogy.  I went into this expecting nothing, but it became one of my favorite books so far this year.  A full review is coming soon.

June TBR

The first book I hope to read this month is one I've already started, Through Gates of Splendor, by Elisabeth Elliot.  I am about a quarter of the way through, so I am going to continue on with it.

My classics book club is reading Margaret Atwood's The Blind Assassin, and I am going to join them.  I have had this book on my shelves for the past five years, and I've even read half of it, but I wasn't feeling it then, so I want to give it another change.  I have since read and loved other Atwood books, so I am anticipating this one.

I am also participating in #YearOfCosmere this month, so I am will be reading Brandon Sanderson's The Rithmatist.  I am looking forward to this book simply because it's Sanderson, but it also offer an easier read than the rest I have queued.  

Additionally, I am going to be continuing on with the Mark of the Lion trilogy, picking up An Echo in the Darkness.  This is my most anticipated read for June, so I can't wait to start it.

Lastly, I hope to pick up Go Set a Watchman, the sequel to Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird.  It will be released on the 14th, so I am planning on picking it up and reading it right away.  

Those are all the books I hope to finish this month.  What books are you looking forward to in June?

To see my favorite books of 2015 thus far, check out my last post.

You can also find me on Twitter, Goodreads, Instagram, and Bloglovin.

Happy reading!