May 2015 Wrap-Up

So, things are going to be a little bit different from now on, because I need to figure out what my priorities are and focus on them. I'm only going to be writing reviews for books where there is something personal and/or something larger to discuss, or it's one of my most anticipated reads for this year and I'll probably be excited and want to talk about it as much as possible. This is because I need time for other things.

That said, I'm hoping to finally finish writing about Broadchurch because I had things to say about both seasons when I watched them two months ago, and I'm also planning to blog more about writing eventually. (Also, I'm watching Fringe at a ridiculous pace and so I don't think I'll be doing very in-depth writings about it yet since I've already blown through two seasons, but there may be short metas here and there.)

As for now, I'm going to try to do monthly wrap-ups. In the fall these may become scarce, but hey, it's better than getting behind.

1. Liar and Spy by Rebecca Stead: If you aren't aware, Stead's When You Reach Me has been one of my favorite books for a while, and in preparation for her new book coming out this year, I decided to read the one novel from her I haven't read. It's not the same puzzle mystery where everything clicks into place as When You Reach Me, but it packed much more of an impact than I originally anticipated. Plus, it even dealt with some bullying issues. Basically, Stead is my favorite middle grade author and I think she had the ability to connect to kids of that age.
2. Trigger Warning by Neil Gaiman: This was a pretty fun collection, though some I was not in the mood for and may benefit from rereads. Still, there were quite a few I enjoyed--especially the Ray Bradbury tribute.
3. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen: Um, I didn't actually love this. I think I may have enjoyed the reading experience more if I was more familiar with the story beforehand, but as it was written there were just so many characters to keep track of and I can't say any of it really interested me. I hope I enjoy some of her later novels though. I did like the more satiric elements.
4. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys: I liked the historical context of this and it was certainly important and well-written; I don't have too much to criticize. But frankly it lacked something more personal for me to connect to, and I wasn't really gripped by it. It did feel uneventful and predictable, which made me less emotionally involved by the time I got to the end.
5. Pride and Prejudice Graphic Novel (from Marvel): There was no point in this being a graphic novel. It is only dialogue, and I'm still ambivalent on the story itself.

For June I am hoping to read Eon (which I've started but haven't gotten into yet), its sequel Eona (unless I don't get to it in the month after these),  Glory O'Brien's History of the Future, and A Tale of Two Cities.