Assorted May Reads

I journaled about a few of the books I read this May, but I haven’t mentioned the others I managed to squeeze in during this busy month. Here’s a little update:

• Anne Brashare’s Sisterhood Everlasting (The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants #5) [read 5/1/12]
  This book kept me company on a few plane rides and layovers during some recent travels. I hadn’t heard of it or even knew of its existence, yet there it was waiting for me on my old dresser. My mother saw it at the bookstore and picked it up for me, just like she did the first one all of those years ago. My loyalty to the series and general curiosity as to how the sisterhood made it through adulthood compelled me to read it. And yes, I really enjoyed it.

• Scott O’Dell’s Island of the Blue Dolphins [read 5/13/12]
  I picked up a vintage Hardcover copy of this book from Mr. K’s Used Books a couple of weeks ago. I love me a good survival story (in fact, survival is probably in my top 3 favorite genres), and I’ve seen this book on various Listopia book-lists featured on GoodReads. For me, the most fascinating aspect of the tale is the portrayal of gender on the indigenous island.  At one point, the dynamics shifted and the once clear-cut lines between male and female roles began to blur. It's a quick, interesting read.

• Sharon Creech’s Heartbeat [read 5/14/12]
  Another hardcover edition I picked up at Mr. K’s. I have loved Sharon Creech ever since I read Absolutely Normal Chaos when I was 12. So, whenever I see one of Creech’s books that I haven’t read yet, I simply must have it. Heartbeat is so good!  A very fast read-- it took me maybe an hour to read it, but it packed a punch in very few words. It‘s written entirely in free-verse, and it’s the first book of its kind that I have ever encountered. I will certainly be on the lookout for more books written free-verse style.

• Neil Gaiman's Black Orchid (Hardcover Deluxe Edition) [5/20/12]
  I won this graphic novel from DC Comics in a First Reads giveaway by GoodReads. Needless to say, I devoured it as soon as it came in the mail. Black Orchid has an unconventional storyline for a superhero comic, and if I had to sum it up in one word, I would choose bittersweet. Initially, the introduction made me think I would be disappointed in an ambiguous ending, but I actually found it hopeful, and the deviation from the norm is refreshing. The overarching message is really to break the cycle of violence. The beautiful art took my breath away. It is visually stunning, and some scenes look more photographic than illustrated. Another great feature contained in the deluxe version is the behind-the-scenes documentation, such as Gaiman's letter from the editor, preliminary notes, sketches, and storyline mapping.

Those are my assorted May reads for you, though there are still four days left to the month, so I might just have to add an update depending on how ambitious I feel.