April - This Month in Reading

April was another slow reading month, although I did make a significant dent in my NetGalley queue.  I read 4 books and 1 short story - not nearly enough to keep up with all my challenges. I need to make some changes to my daily schedule to allow for more reading.

In thinking about the state of my reading (or lack thereof), I made a tough decision. As much as I love NetGalley (and I do - way too much!), once I clear the remaining two books from that site, I am going to take a break from browsing it in search of new books to read. For some reason I have been reading less than usual, so I have been requesting interesting looking books and then letting them sit until I only have a few days left before they expire, and then I have to scramble to get them read and reviewed - and this is stupid. It's also stupid that I have an enormous TBR pile of physical books that I am ignoring in favor of NetGalley books. So for the next couple months I will not be using NetGalley, so I can concentrate on physical TBR books. If I happen to get a review request, I will happily honor it, but I will not request books.

So with all that said, my reading plan for May involves focusing on physical books and some of the challenges that will allow me to clear books from the TBR pile. I am not going to set a number, but I hope to be able to use TBR pile books for most, if not all, of my challenges this month.

One other note - I have not seen any notification of the Language Freak Summer Challenge this year as of yet. Ekaterina usually posts the sign up in April, but there is nothing on her blog. I hope all is well with her! I had planned to read some foreign language books this year, assuming I'd do it in conjunction with this challenge, so I still plan to read those books. If the challenge gets posted I'll happily join as soon as I know about it (so if you see anything, please let me know!). I have a reading theme planned for the month of June that involves some of these books - but first I have to make May a month of real reading progress!

Anybody else having a sluggish Spring?

April Reread - The Handmaid's Tale - Margaret Atwood

This has to be one of the scariest books I have ever read. It's not scary in the traditional sense; it doesn't really have any of the classic elements that people think of when they think of, say, the horror genre, or books like that. No, this book is scary because there is a certain element of our society that I believe thinks this book is some kind of twisted how-to manual and that frightens me to the core. Accordingly, those same people consistently wish to ban this book - probably so we won't know what they're up to. It's #88 on the ALA's Top 100 Banned/Challenged Books list. Read this book and think about current events and ask yourself how farfetched it really is. Recommended.

Leaving Berlin - Joseph Kanon

FTC Compliance Statement: I received a free, time-limited, electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.com in exchange for my honest review, which is provided below. I have not been compensated for this review and my opinion is my own.

I read Joseph Kanon's Alibi at the end of last year and enjoyed it, so when I saw this opportunity on NetGalley I leapt at the chance to read more by the same author.

This book paints a detailed, heartbreaking picture of Cold War Berlin. The story is relentless; it's like a slowly coiling noose tightening around the main character's neck. This was a gripping thriller. Recommended.

Mañana - William Hjortsberg

FTC Compliance Statement: I received a free, time-limited, electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.com in exchange for my honest review, which is provided below. I have not been compensated for this review and my opinion is my own.

This book reads like a film noir narrated by a baby boomer. Even though this is a contemporary novel, I easily pictured a 1970s-era film being made of this story. I liked the setting and the relentless plot. Great book for fans of well done crime novels.

The Kissing Contest - Francis Gideon

FTC Compliance Statement: I received a free, time-limited, electronic review copy of this short story from the publisher via NetGalley.com in exchange for my honest review, which is provided below. I have not been compensated for this review and my opinion is my own.

I liked this philosophical short story from Less Than Three Press. It made a fitting companion piece to The Human Agenda, as it seems to cover the idea that people should be who they really are, and should not have to fake their way through life to a make others happy. I would definitely read more fiction from this author. Recommended. 

The Human Agenda - Joe Wenke

FTC Compliance Statement: I received a free, time-limited, electronic review copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.com in exchange for my honest review, which is provided below. I have not been compensated for this review and my opinion is my own.

This book's subtitle, Conversations about Sexual Orientation & Gender Identity, says it all. The book is made up of a series of conversations the author has had with various members of the quiltbag (LGBTQI) community, including the gorgeous Carmen Carrera, who appeared on one of my very favorite TV shows, RuPaul's Drag Race, before coming out as a trans woman. Each conversation is thought provoking, with multiple conversations touching on current issues such as "tolerance" vs "acceptance," trans* people being seen as disordered, even by people who consider themselves allies of gay people, etc. There is a lot of material here for discussion and much food for thought. Recommended.