It feels like spring has arrived here in the UK, and I haven’t been as busy at work as I should have been. In spite of this, I don’t feel like I’ve read an awful lot to fill the gaps – partly because I’m engaged in a lot of read-alongs, which stretch books out longer and often deter me from picking up something else in between. However, it’s all been good reading and I’m loving the discussions with my fellow readers.

Reading round-up

• The Fall of the Kings – Ellen Kushner     
• The Girl Who Tweeted Wolf – Nick Bryan    
• Between Two Thorns – Emma Newman    
• Red Seas Under Red Skies – Scott Lynch     
• Ninefox Gambit – Yoon Ha Lee     

 

Bite-size book reviews

I’m posting the Bite-size round-up separately this month as I have focused on award-nominated short stories (which really are bite-size!) rather than independently-published novellas.

• And You Shall Know Her By The Trail of Dead – Brooke Bolander    
• Cat Pictures Please – Naomi Kritzer     
• Hungry Daughters of Starving Mothers – Alyssa Wong    
• Today, I Am Paul – Martin L Shoemaker     
• Madeleine – Amal El-Mohtar    

 

Stacking the shelves

May got messy, by which I mean I went to my favourite second-hand bookshop. But I bought Temeraire as a digital three-in-one edition, so that doesn’t really count, right? Right? As for the ARCs… Just as well I’ve got some flights coming up!

 

Conscious demographics

My challenge to myself is to read diversely and to love every book. This tracker is intended to help me stay mindful of how I’m doing with that.

• 19 male / 14 female / 3 trans, non-binary or genderfluid
• 8 – by people of colour
• 6 – by non-het people / 9 featuring non-het protagonists

Actual challenges

• 36 / 75 books (excl. this month’s bite-size reads as so short)
• 12 (33%) – towards the Backlist Challenge (excl. re-reads)