May Reads

Both of us did well with our reading goals this month. Not only did we read a lot more than we have in a long time, but we also enjoyed all the books that we chose.

Katie:

• Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
• Mockingbird by Katherine Erskine
• Anya's Ghost by Vera Brosgol
• A Pocket Full of Murder by RJ Anderson
• A Little Taste of Poison by RJ Anderson
• Orange volumes 1-5 by Ichigo Takano *
• Arcadia by Tom Stoppard
• 100 Cupboards by ND Wilson

* indicates multiple books listed as one entry

I read twelve books this month - all of which I enjoyed - so I'm on my way to getting back on track! I'd like to single out the manga series Orange, because I think it would be a great place to start for someone looking to try reading manga for the first time. It's only five volumes, so it's not a major commitment. The concept is interesting, and the characters endearing. Suwa is my personal favorite. I also want to mention the play Arcadia by Tom Stoppard, because it's the first play I read this year and I absolutely loved it. It's a bit difficult to follow, but totally worth the read.

Sarah:

• Your Lie in April volumes 4-11 by Naoshi Arakawa *
• The Book of Three by Lloyd Alexander

* indicates multiple books listed as one entry

Your Lie in April is a beautiful manga, and I would definitely recommend it. The story is sweet and innocent, and suitable for a range of different age groups. The Book of Three is the first installment in a children's fantasy series that I read when I was younger. I picked it up again because I love to re-read old favorites. It is a lot of fun to look at the story in the light of my past self while simultaneously viewing it with fresh eyes. 

That wraps up the month of May! See you next week. :)

Our Plans Going Forward

It has been a long time since we have posted according to any kind of schedule. There are a lot of reasons for that, and while it is good to be adaptable, lack of structure is a surefire way to create a general aura of "We don't know or care what in the heck is going on." We will be the first to admit that we are unorganized at times, but we do intend to continue this blog - despite the inferences that could be made based on our erratic posting. 

Summer is almost upon us, which means that we are operating under the assumption that time to blog will be easier to come by. To hold ourselves accountable, we would like to give the breakdown of our blogging schedule over the coming months, which is as follows:

1. At the end of each month, we will continue to put up our "What We Read" posts. 

2. In addition to that, we will post on a weekly basis, and these posts will cover a range of topics. We can't say which day of the week any given post may fall on - it may vary, depending on our schedules - but we want to make sure we're putting something up every week.

This blogging project is important to us, and we want to continue as faithfully as possible. Many thanks to our . . . 2 or so followers? for sticking with us thus far. We are so grateful. <3

- Katie and Sarah

March and April Reads

No, we haven't fallen off the face of the earth. Yes, this blog still lives, though it has rested dormant for a couple months now. 

Right now, we'd like to quickly catch up on listing our monthly reads, but we'll have another post coming soon (probably Sunday) with other news, summer plans, etc.

March Reads

Katie:

• The Secret Keepers by Trenton Lee Stewart

• This One Summer by Mariko Tamaki

• Homeless Bird by Gloria Whelan ***

I recommend The Secret Keepers to fans of Trenton Lee Stewart's Mysterious Benedict Society series. I'd read Homeless Bird a couple times before, but it had been a while. It's my first reread of 2017 - everything else so far has been a first-time read. I also started a book of short stories in March: Stories of Your Life and Others by Ted Chiang. I haven't finished it yet, because I had to return it to the library, and I'm still waiting to get it back.
*** indicates a reread

Sarah:

• Esio Trot by Roald Dahl
• File Under: 13 Suspicious Incidents by Lemony Snicket
• Percy Jackson's Greek Gods by Rick Riordan

• Bridge to Terabithia by Katherine Paterson

April Reads

Katie:

I did not finish any books in April, though I did start Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys. It's historical fiction set during World War II, a time when Stalin had millions of Lithuanians, Latvians, and Estonians ripped from their homelands and placed in Russian prisons or labor camps, where many of them died. This book is about a Lithuanian girl, her family, and the trials they undergo during this time in history.

Sarah:

• Your Lie in April volumes 1-3 by Naoshi Arakawa

• Fullmetal Alchemist volumes 1 & 2 by Hiromu Arakawa

I am a fan of both of the above manga series. I would definitely recommend them to anyone interested in branching out into different genres. 

That's all for now. Hope you all are having a great start to your summer!