M. Suzanne Terry

Whew! What a few weeks it’s been. My dad had a couple of small strokes, so my sister, brother-in-law, and I have been working at the farm, cleaning, taking care of mom, etc. He’s home and recovering well, but it’s still a lot. Work has been gracious in giving me the time off to take care of things, but next week is our biggest training week of the year, and I’m feeling the pressure!

What better way is there to relax in the little downtime I have than to read? I have a lot of books listed from previous months that I’m going to work on finishing, particularly from my reading challenges, and I’m adding a few new things for this month as well.

Book Clubs

• James by Percival Everett (the audio is great – highly recommend) – also a Bad Bitch Book Club Challenge prompt – a 2024 award-winning novel [general fiction]
• The Secret Book of Flora Lea by Patti Callahan Henry [general fiction]
• The Cautious Traveller’s Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks [fantasy/nonreality – specifically, speculative fiction for Rise and Shine topic this month]
• Private Rites by Julia Armfield – also a Nowhere Bingo Challenge prompt – reimagining or retelling of a classic [general fiction]
• Kiss Me, Maybe by Gabriella Gamez [romance-ish]
• When the Tides Held the Moon by Venessa Vida Kelley – “The Shape of Water meets The Greatest Showman” [cozy fantasy]

52 Book Club Challenge

• If the Shoe Fits by Julie Murphy – a fairy tale retelling [romance-ish; authors/series]
• Neighbors and Other Stories by Diane Oliver – title starts with the letter “N” [essays/short stories]

Libro.fm Challenge

• Great Big Beautiful Life by Emily Henry – read a bookseller-recommended audiobook [mystery/romance-ish]
• Ceremony by Leslie Marmon Silko – listen to an audiobook by an Indigenous author [general fiction]
• True Biz by Sara Nović – listen to an audiobook by a disabled author [general fiction]

Overeducated Women With Cats Challenge

• The Woman Who Watches Over the World by Linda Hogan – a memoir by an Indigenous author [memoir]
• The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue by V.E. Schwab – a book with multiple timelines [nonrealism/speculative]

I hope your month is less chaotic than mine, but even if it isn’t, I hope you find time to read a great book!