May 2020
Truly, May 2020 has proven itself to be something of a storm. Trying to effectively recap it all feels like a daunting task at this point, and I’m not sure I can possibly succeed. That’s no reason not to try, though, and we’ll see how thorough we can be.
Life Beyond the Blog
May feels at once like time stretching on forever, and a whirlwind. The majority of the month is, in many ways, a blur to me. I went to work, I came home and slept off my exhaustion, I put off making my May bullet journal spreads, I made a metric ton of masks. Individual days have, by and large disappeared. They’re punctuated by Animal Crossing and the occasional book, sure, but dividing my existence up into concrete, 24 hour blocks? Essentially impossible right now. Truthfully, we’re lucky this wrap is on time, because I feel like I never really know what day it is.
(Thank goodness for the scheduling function telling me what day I’ve selected, or we’d be in real trouble.)
That said, I’ll admit I’m a little grateful to be back at work. My job isn’t amazing, and it often gives me more grief than joy, but it means I have money coming in right now, which I wasn’t certain I’d have last month. Truly, it’s a relief in many ways. I can afford to make donations to causes in need, and I can pay for the emergency vet visit from last week (all is well now, thanks to our outstanding vet). All in all, while I don’t necessarily feel optimistic just yet, I’m not as hopeless as I was before.
That said, May 2020 has not been a good month for everyone, and the last few days have been particularly difficult, especially for Black folks. Please check on the Black folks in your life, make sure you’re supporting them right now, and see my Weekly Wrap from yesterday, the 30th, for more resources on how to be a good ally, and which organizations could use your support at this time. I’ve linked to it below, in my Top 3 Posts section.
Books Read and Reviewed
For some reason, I just can’t seem to hit that five books per month mark! I only managed four this time around: The Girl of Hawthorn and Glass, The Sullivan Sisters, Where Dreams Descend, and The Court of Miracles. The first three already have reviews available on the blog, and the last will actually be ready tomorrow!
Next Month’s Reads
I am just dying to reach that five books per month goal, but let’s be ambitious. Let’s shoot for ten, shall we? At the top of my list are Mayhem, To Kill a Kingdom, Reverie, Burn Our Bodies Down, and Red, White, and Royal Blue. I’m trying to make most of my reads this month queer, too. What better way to spend Pride if there’s no option of going out and celebrating right now?
If I can get through those five, I’m also planning to read the Leverage tie-in novels, because let’s face it: I can’t get enough of this series.
My Top 3 Posts
This month, these are the top posts of mine that I consider worth sharing. Of particular note is yesterday’s post, the May 30th Weekly Wrap. In it, I’ve linked to resources to donate to bail funds and learn to become a better ally, and I urge you to explore it if you haven’t already.
3. An Argument for Reading One Book at a Time
Favorites From Around the Blogging World
This month has felt quieter than usual in the blogging world, but here are four posts that make for great reading!
Nandini @ Novels and Nebulas has five tips for reading diversely!
Emma @ Miss Print brings back the 2017 post “Activism Starts With You: Novels to Inspire Empathy”!
And that’s it for May 2020. June is creeping around the corner, and hopefully with it is change for the better. I’ll see you around this month. Take care of yourselves, and each other. 💛
I’m so glad your ER vet visit went okay! <3 That’s always so scary. I hope June is a happier and calmer month for us all, though I’m not sure it’s looking optimistic. 👀😭
It definitely had us worried, but thankfully it’s looking better now. The only one unhappy about it at this point is our poor bunny, who DESPISES the taste of his new meds. 😂 And yeah, I’m not especially optimistic about it either. I wish I could be, but not I’m not going to hold my breath… 😢