Monthly Reads : May

Bestseller shelf at Powell's City of Books on Burnside

Reading is something that always comes in waves for me. I go through phases where I read obsessively and then forget all about reading for months on end. Recently I made a decision to get myself back into the habit of reading on a regular basis. I joined a book club that a friend started and this kicked off my new reading frenzy. 

I have a slight problem where I love to own the books that I read so I've been dumping a fair amount of dollars into purchasing books lately. I also like to buy my books locally so I've been spending many hours wandering the aisles of Powell's (more on my happy place another time). 

Because I have been jumping back on the reading bandwagon I went through quite a few books last month. Here is a quick review of my random assortment of literature. 

Damned by Chuck Palahniuk

I've always been a fan of Chuck Palahniuk. For one thing he is a Portland native. For another he is an amazing author who really steps outside of the box. This book REALLY steps outside of the box. My book club read this as our May read and many people were not able to make it through it. I however found it slightly fascinating. It is dark and funny and full of descriptive gore. I would suggest you give it a read if you are not easily offended and you want to experience something peculiar. 

An Abundance of Katherines by John Green

Oh John Green, how I love everything you do! He really can do no wrong. Whether you are a fan of Young Adult Fiction or not I suggest you read everything that he has written. This was a quick read which I started and finished during a 7 hour car ride.

Jewels of Allah by Nina Ansary

This was another book club choice and was a departure from my usual reading. It was incredibly educational and I now have a better understanding of the history of women in Iran. This was a slightly more difficult book for me to get through as it was fairly text bookish but I felt far more informed after finishing it. 

Miss Peregrine's Home For Peculiar Children by Ransom Riggs

Another one from the YA category (a preference of mine). This was such a fun book to read. A little mystery, a little history, a little love story. I couldn't put it down. I have seen this book around for a long time but finally made the push to read it after finding out that it is being made into a movie directed by Tim Burton. This is the first in a series of three books and I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the next two. 

I'll Give You The Sun by Jandy Nelson

And finally, I'll Give You The Sun was recommended by my friend Sarah. She and I like to share book recommendations and often pass books back and forth. This is one of those books that seeps deep down into my core and pulls me into the story. I have a tendency to get book hangovers and this one required an Advil and a bloody mary once I reached the last page. I was utterly engrossed in this book and stayed up way too late too many nights in a row to finish it. I'll Give You The Sun was definitely my favorite read of the month and I look forward to reading more books by Jandy Nelson. 

Aisle at Powell's City of Books

I'm well into my June reading and I look forward to sharing my next set of favorites. I hope that I can keep up my pace and continue to choose reading before bed rather than watching television. We shall see how it goes.