I have recently fallen into the world of Booktube, and I’d be lying if I said I haven’t loved every minute of it. Some of my favorite videos to watch are TBR (to be read) lists, and I’ve been inspired to start creating monthly (possibly seasonally) TBR lists myself. I think this will be a fantastic way to read the books that have been on my list (and shelves) for years without blindly reaching for a new book after I’ve finished what I’m currently reading. Let’s get started!

Image from Goodreads

1. “All the Light We Cannot See” by Anthony Doerr
My mom gave me this book over the summer after she finished reading it, and I can’t wait to dig into it. Doerr is a highly respected author, and “All the Light We Cannot See” won the Pulitzer Prize for fiction in 2015. It follows a blind French girl and a German boy during World War II when their worlds collide in the most unexpected manner. Doerr’s work is described as “deeply moving” and constructed with “sentences [that] never fail to thrill.” I’ve heard it can be a bit dense, but it’s still one of the books I am most excited to pick up next month.

Image from Amazon

2. “Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption” by Jennifer Thompson-Cannino and Ronald Cotton with Erin Torneo
“Picking Cotton” is the story of an unlikely friendship that formed between a falsely accused rapist and his accuser. Jennifer was raped in 1984 in Burlington, North Carolina. After escaping with her life, she was able to identify her rapist as Ronald Cotton. After serving 10 years in prison, Cotton was able to take a DNA test that proved his innocence. Two years later, the pair formed the strangest friendship. “Picking Cotton” is not only a tale of unexpected companionship, but it also delves into the reliability of eye-witnesses and memory. I first added “Picking Cotton” to my list after reading “Subliminal: How Your Unconscious Mind Rules Your Behavior,” which mentions it. It takes place at the university I attended, and one of my friends actually met Jennifer when she came to talk to her psychology class during our junior year. I can’t wait to finally pick it up.

Image from Goodreads

3. “Trigger Warning: Short Fictions and Disturbances” by Neil Gaiman
I’ve actually already started reading Gaiman’s collection of short stories, but I can’t wait to finish it in May. So far, the book is exactly what it promises to be — a compilation of horror tales that “pierce the veil of reality.” I’ve been wanting to read a variety of literature in 2018, and horror short-stories are the farthest thing from my typical read. In his first story alone, Gaiman has left me speechless.

Image from Amazon

4. “The Man in the High Castle” by Philip K. Dick
To be completely honest, I didn’t know much about this book when I picked it up other than that it was highly recommended to me by my best friend. It’s set in a world where America lost World War II, and now it is occupied by Nazi Germany and Japan. The few Jews that are left live in hiding, and everyone else is subject to German and Japanese rule. It’s a classic science-fiction from a highly acclaimed author, and I personally can’t wait to dive between the pages.

5. “Red Queen” by Victoria Aveyard
“Red Queen” has been all over the book blogger world since I started “From Narnia to Neverland,” so I guess it’s high time I read it. I don’t read a ton of YA fiction anymore, but like I said, “Red Queen” has been on my list for awhile. Mare Barrow lives in a highly divided society where the poor have red blood and the rich have silver streaming through their veins. Mare has red blood, therefore, she grew up among the poor. But, when she goes off to work at the Silver Palace, she realizes she has powers only the silver-blooded should possess. It’s a fantasy-thriller about a strong, independent woman, why wouldn’t I want to read it?

There you have it! Those are the five books I want to read during the month of May. Let me know what books you plan to read in the coming month in the comments below!

Happy reading,
Kimberly