It’s almost May!
Today I’m sharing some sharing some sort-of goals I want to achieve each month, as a way to be organized and intentional with my reading.
Here’s my May 2022 Prospectus, a collection of books I’d like to read over the next 4(ish) weeks and also some new books releasing soon which I will maybe-probably-eventually tackle…at some point.
5 Books I’d Like To Read This Month
I like goals that small and achievable, so here’s a small collection of books I’d like to prioritize during the upcoming month.
The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo
When 11-year-old Ren’s master dies, he makes one last request of his Chinese houseboy: that Ren find his severed finger, lost years ago in an accident, and reunite it with his body. Ren has 49 days, or else his master’s soul will roam the earth, unable to rest in peace.
The Sisters Brothers by Patrick deWitt
Hermann Kermit Warm is going to die. The enigmatic and powerful man known only as the Commodore has ordered it, and his henchmen, Eli and Charlie Sisters, will make sure of it. Though Eli doesn’t share his brother’s appetite for whiskey and killing, he’s never known anything else. But their prey isn’t an easy mark, and on the road from Oregon City to Sacramento, Eli begins to question what he does for a living—and whom he does it for.
The First Sister by Linden A. Lewis
First Sister has no name and no voice. She travels the stars alongside the soldiers of Earth and Mars—the same ones who own the rights to her body and soul. First Sister’s hopes for freedom are dashed when she is forced to stay on her ship with no friends, no power, and a new captain—Saito Ren—whom she knows nothing about. She is commanded to spy on Captain Ren, but discovers that working for the war effort is so much harder to do when you’re falling in love.
The Degenerates by J. Albert Mann
The girls at the Massachusetts School for the Feeble-Minded are not happy. Not Maxine, who does everything she can to protect her sister in an institution where vicious attendants and bullies treat them as the imbeciles doctors have deemed them to be. Not Alice, who was left when her club foot became too much of a burden. Not London, who was dragged there from the best foster situation she ever had. Each is determined to change her fate, no matter what it takes.
The Disturbed Girl’s Dictionary by NoNieqa Ramos
Macy’s school officially classifies her as “disturbed,” but Macy isn’t interested in how others define her. She’s got more pressing problems: her mom can’t move off the couch, her dad’s in prison, her brother’s been kidnapped by Child Protective Services, and now her best friend isn’t speaking to her. Writing in a dictionary format, Macy explains the world in her own terms—complete with gritty characters and outrageous endeavors.
New May Books I’m Curious About
These aren’t books I necessarily plan on reading this month, but it’s always fun to look at the new and shiny releases and see which ones you want to stalk the library for. So here’s a collection of books releasing in May 2022 that I’m potentially interested in reading:
When Women Were Dragons by Kelly Barnhill
Fantasy
May 3, 2022
Alex Green is a young girl in a world much like ours. But this version is characterized by a significant event: The Mass Dragoning of 1955, when hundreds of thousands of ordinary wives and mothers sprouted wings, scales and talons, left a trail of fiery destruction in their path, and took to the skies. Seemingly for good. Was it their choice? What will become of those left behind? Why did Alex’s beloved Aunt Marla transform while her mother did not? Alex doesn’t know. It’s taboo to speak of, even more so than her crush on Sonja, her schoolmate.
The Hacienda by Isabel Cañas
Horror
May 3, 2022
In the overthrow of the Mexican government, Beatriz’s father is executed and her home destroyed. When handsome Rodolfo proposes, Beatriz ignores the rumors surrounding his first wife’s demise, choosing to seize the security of his country estate. But Hacienda San Isidro is not the sanctuary she imagined. Beatriz only knows two things for certain: Something is wrong with the hacienda. And no one there will help her.
Café Con Lychee by Emery Lee
Contemporary Romance
May 10, 2022
Theo wants to escape. Leaving for college means getting away from working at his parents’ café and dealing with Gabi, who’s lost the soccer team more games than Theo can count. Gabi is stuck in the closet. Forced to play soccer and iced out by Theo, Gabi’s only reprieve is his parents’ bakery. When Theo sprains his wrist and Gabi gets roped in to help him, they realize they need to work together to achieve their dreams, but will the new feelings rising between them be enough to send their future plans up in smoke?
The Lesbiana’s Guide to Catholic School by Sonora Reyes
Contemporary
May 17, 2022
Yamilet Flores prefers drawing attention for her killer eyeliner, not for being the new kid at a mostly white, very rich, Catholic school. But at least no one knows she’s gay, and Yami intends to keep it that way. But it’s hard to fake being straight when the only openly queer girl at school, is so annoyingly perfect. And smart. And talented. And cute. So she’ll have to start asking, WWSGD: What would a straight girl do?
A Lady for a Duke by Alexis Hall
Historical Romance
May 24, 2022
When Viola was presumed dead at Waterloo, she took the opportunity to live, at last, as herself. But Viola paid for her freedom with the loss of her wealth, her title, and her closest companion, Justin de Vere, the Duke of Gracewood. Years after the war, Viola strives to bring a still-grieving Gracewood back to himself, and fresh desires give new names to old feelings. Feelings that would have been impossible once and may be impossible still, but which Viola cannot deny. Even if they cost her everything, all over again.
Walk the Vanished Earth by Erin Swan
Science Fiction
May 31, 2022
The year is 1873, and a bison hunter travels the Kansas plains, full of hope for his new country. The year is 1975, and a girl walks those same plains; pregnant, mute, and raised in extreme seclusion, she lands in an institution. The year is 2027 and a tenacious engineer leaves behind his suburban existence to build a floating city above the drowned streets that were once New Orleans. The year is 2073, and a girl has heard only stories of Earth. Alone on Mars with her two alien uncles, she must decide whether to continue her family line and repopulate humanity on a new planet. A sweeping family epic, told over seven generations
The Foundling by Ann Leary
Historical Fiction
May 31, 2022
It’s 1927, and Mary is hired to work as a secretary at a remote institution for mentally disabled women. She’s immediately in awe of her employer—brilliant, genteel Dr. Agnes Vogel. Soon after she’s hired, Mary learns that Lillian, a girl from her childhood orphanage is one of the inmates. When Lillian begs Mary to help her escape, alleging the asylum is not what it seems, Mary is faced with a terrible choice. Should she trust her troubled friend with whom she shares a dark childhood secret?
Love Radio by Ebony LaDelle
Contemporary
May 31, 2022
Prince is the guy with all the answers. He has his own segment on the radio where he dishes out advice to the brokenhearted. Prince has always dreamed of becoming a DJ and falling in love. But being the main caretaker for his mother and his brother means his dreams stay out of reach. Then he meets Dani. She has a plan: ace senior year, score a scholarship, move to New York. When the romantic DJ meets the ambitious writer, sparks fly. Prince is smitten, but Dani’s not looking to get derailed. She gives Prince three dates to convince her that he’s worth falling for.
So there you have it! 5 books I hopefully/maybe will try to tackle this month and 8 new releases to ~think about~ over the next 4 weeks.
