Every month I try to read at least one book from the following categories: nonfiction, devotional, and fiction. In 2019 I’m not participating in a formal reading challenge, but rather The Unread Shelf Project 2019, a challenge to read books that I already own. So I’ll be listing where each book came from this year instead of listing a particular challenge category. This is my May 2019 Reading List, my brief reviews and book recommendations for May 2019. Hopefully I’ll provide you with some inspiration for your future reading as well!

Books Finished:

Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky

Borrowed from library using Libby app.

This is a series of two of a planned five stories/novels written by the author during the course of World War II. The remaining three stories were never completed, because the author was detained as a Jew and sent to Auschwitz. The manuscript was kept (but not read) by the author’s daughters, and was rediscovered in 1988. It is perhaps the earliest written fictional work about the war. The stories follow ordinary people in France trying to deal with the invasion and occupation by Germany. The writing is beautiful. And the backstory about when and how the work was written, and what else was anticipated by the author, only makes it more poignant.

Elizabeth II: Life of a Monarch: An Audible Original by Ruth Cowen

Audible Original book, so new but free.

I’m a fan of the Netflix series The Crown, and couldn’t pass up the opportunity to learn a little more about Queen Elizabeth. Her life and story are fascinating, even for an American like me. This is short, so easy to listen to without a huge investment of time, but also well done.

The Ghost Map by Steven Johnson

Borrowed from library using Libby app.

I listened to the audiobook, which was great. This is the story of a cholera outbreak in London in the 1800s, and how a local doctor figured out and then proved what caused cholera, and the push-back from the healthcare establishment that believed that there was a different cause. Really interesting stuff.

Scythe by Neal Shusterman

Borrowed from library using Libby app.

This book was so, so good! I couldn’t stop reading. The novel is set in the future, where death and illness do not exist. So to keep population under control, scythes have the responsibility of quotas of killings. But some of the scythes are sociopaths, and things are messy. This book was great, and I can’t wait for the next book.

The Purloined Poodle by Kevin Hearne

Purchased on Audible this year.

Told from the perspective of Oberon, the Irish Wolfhound, this is a mystery that Oberon and his human druid Atticus solve together. The mystery revolves around dogs being stolen, and the cops don’t have any leads. It was an enjoyable listen.

The Gown: A Novel of the Royal Wedding by Jennifer Robson

Borrowed from library using Libby app.

The fictional story of two women who worked for a dressmaker in England and created the wedding dress for Queen Elizabeth, this novel was wonderful. The characters created were relatable and complex. And the descriptions of their work on the dress match up with actual images of the gown. As with everything else written by Jennifer Robson, this was fantastic.

Odd and the Frost Giants by Neil Gaiman

Borrowed from library using Libby app.

I’m steadily working my way through all of the audiobooks available on Libby by Neil Gaiman, as he narrates his own works. This is a Norse mythological story, where a little boy named Odd helps the Norse gods defeat the frost giants. It was sweet and exciting, and as wonderful as everything else that Gaiman writes.

Whiskey in a Teacup by Reese Witherspoon

Borrowed from library using Libby app.

I thought this would be a great book, since I’m a fan of Reese Witherspoon, but I didn’t really care for this book. I was expecting it to be a memoir. But instead, it included recipes, decorating tips, and party tips. It wasn’t for me.

Troublemaker: Surviving Hollywood and Scientology by Leah Remini

Borrowed from library using Libby app.

This book was so good, especially as an audiobook read by the author. Leah Remini talks about her career as an actor, but also about her time in the church of scientology and the difficult process of leaving it. It was so, so interesting, and was well written. I recommend this book.

The Light Over London by Julia Kelly

Borrowed from library using Libby app.

A dual perspective novel, this book follows one woman in the present day who works for an antique dealer and discovers an old diary and photos, and one woman who is from a wealth family at the outset of World War II and falls for a pilot and changes her entire life to serve as a gunner girl during the war. The story of two fierce female protagonists, it is a book that one wants to keep reading in order to find out what happens to them next, and to see how the stories tie together.

Wonder by RJ Palacio

Borrowed from library.

My book club’s pick for May, I really wasn’t that excited to read this, and did not expect to lie it. But the book was much better than I expected, and I actually enjoyed the story. I read the whole thing in a day, while riding in the car. The changing perspectives was nice; I think that it perhaps would have become stale had it been told from a single perspective. Overall the members of my book club all enjoyed it, and it sparked good discussion about kindness, things that we all regret doing, love, and obligations.

The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur: The Woman Whose Goodness Changed Her Husband from Atheist to Priest by Elisabeth Leseur

Already owned Kindle e-book.

I heard about this book on a podcast awhile back, and just got around to reading it. The book includes several journals, prayer journals, and goal lists of the author. It was sort of interesting to read, but it wasn’t an easy read, and isn’t the type of spiritual read where I saw a lot that can impact my own life. Some of it was a struggle for me too, because the author is Catholic and there are differences between what she believed she needed to do (and why) and what I (as a Lutheran) believe.

Lazarus Awakening: Finding Your Place in the Heart of God by Joanna Weaver

Purchased Kindle e-book this year.

My bible study group was reading this book, but abandoned it, as it wasn’t a good fit for our needs. I continued reading it on my own, and am glad that I did so. Weaver has some great insights about Mary, Martha, Lazarus, and their community, and how our own lives are like theirs. I thought this was a great book to read individually.

Bringing Columbia Home: The Untold Story of a Lost Space Shuttle and Her Crew by Michael Leinbach and Jonathan Ward

Purchased Kindle e-book this year, during a sale on science books.

I purchased this during a sale on science books earlier this year, and left this one for last, as I thought it might be difficult subject matter. Although the topic is a sad one, the book is really fast paced and exciting to read, as it goes through the aftermath of the Columbia disaster sequentially. I remembered the Columbia disaster, but did not recall the months of activity afterwards while the debris was cleaned up and decontaminated. I thought this book was fantastic, and would recommend it.

The Great American Read: The Book of Books: Explore America’s 100 Best-Loved Novels

Won physical book in a library drawing.

This book contains the essays about the 100 books in PBS’s The Great American Read, as well as photos of the authors and key editions of the books, and essays about bookish topics. I’ve really enjoyed going through it and reading about those that I’ve already read, and counting up how many I’ve completed (46 so far). Many of the others have made their way onto my TBR list.

What the Wind Knowsby Amy Harmon

Kindle First book, so new but free.

This book was refreshing and I loved it! It follows Anne as her grandfather dies and she travels to Ireland to spread his ashes. She and her grandfather are especially close, as her parents died when she was young and her grandfather raised her. But something really unusual happens when she visits Ireland, and Anne is able to learn more about her grandfather and her family than she ever expected. I don’t really want to say anymore, because I don’t want to ruin the surprise. Just trust me on this and read this one.

Books In Progress:

The Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan (Already owned physical book.)

From Beirut to Jerusalem by Thomas Friedman (Already owned physical book.)

Courageously Uncomfortable by Lisa J. Goins (Already owned Kindle e-book.) My bible study group is working through this book.

Accessory to War: The Unspoken Alliance Between Astrophysics and the Military by Neil deGrasse Tyson and Avis Lang (Already owned Kindle e-book.)

Atonement by Ian McEwan (Already owned physical book.)

Books Abandoned:

How Emotions Are Made by Lisa Feldman Barrett (Borrowed through Amazon Prime Reading.)

A Small Death in Lisbon by Robert Wilson (Kindle First book, so new but free.)