Reading is my oldest and favorite hobby.  I literally can’t remember a time in my life when I didn’t love to curl up with a good book.  Here are my reads for May, 2012…

The Marriage Plot, by Jeffrey Eugenides: Jeffrey Eugenides is awesome, but he gives me the sads.  Eugenides’ newest book, the story of three college graduates in the 1980s, is not an easy read.  Madeline and Leonard are a young couple who move to a Cape Cod bio-research facility where Leonard has a fellowship, but can’t escape Leonard’s frightening mental health problems.  Mitchell, Madeline’s friend-who-wishes-he-was-more, meanwhile, travels the world and tries to stop pining for Madeline.  I wanted to love this book, but it was hard.  There was nothing off-putting at all about Madeline, the main protagonist – in fact, her selfless decision to care for Leonard when everyone else is deserting him is commendable.  But for some reason, I just felt low the entire time I was reading.  It’s a beautifully written and structured book, with fascinating, complex characters.  But it’s a downer.  There’s room for that, of course.  But know it going in.

Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman, by Robert K. Massie: I loved Massie’s no-holds-barred biography of the last Russian Imperial family, Nicholas and Alexandra, and he delivers again with this masterful book.  Massie explores Catherine the Great’s rise to power in the mid-1700s and discusses her reign in detail, with all its fascinating complexities.  A “philosopher queen” who wasn’t above crushing a rebellion if she had to, and a married woman who turned from an unloving husband to take a string of ever-younger lovers, Catherine was an enigma.  Perhaps Massie is the only biographer who could truly do her justice, and he does.  Fully reviewed here.

Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, by Jonathan Safran Foer: This was a heart-wrenchingly sad story about a young boy who takes on a quest that he believes will bring him closer to his father, who died on September 11th.  Nine-year-old Oskar travels the five boroughs of New York, seeking the lock that fits a mysterious key found amongst his father’s possessions.  Since this is Safran Foer here, the book was poignant and sweet, with creative wordplay and pictures scattered throughout.  I liked it as I was reading it, and after it settled I decided I loved it.  Fully reviewed here.

Mr. Rosenblum Dreams in English, by Natasha Solomons: I read Solomons’ newest book, The House at Tyneford, last month and decided to pick up her debut.  The story of Jack Rosenblum, who decides to move his family to Dorset and build his own golf course after being rejected from every golf club in the greater London area due to his Jewish background, is sweet and funny with a touch of sadness.  Jack’s wife Sadie is unable to understand his dream, or his desire to become English; Sadie simply wants to remember the old days and her lost family.  Jack, meanwhile, doesn’t see why Sadie won’t just snap out of her depression and get on board.  Watching them come to some understanding of one another as Jack pursues his dream was a lovely journey, and Jack’s eventual charming of the Dorset natives is a fun counterpoint.  The book was more simplistic and not as gripping as Tyneford, but was an enjoyable read nevertheless.

Midnight in Austenland, by Shannon Hale: This follow-up to Austenland, which I read in early April, was a great improvement over its predecessor.  Charlotte Kinder, a wealthy divorcee, decides to escape reality through a two-week trip to Pembrook Park, the ultimate Jane Austen immersion experience.  However, something dark is afoot in Austenland and Charlotte is drawn into the investigation of a murder.  Meanwhile, she flirts with the actor cast as her love interest, Mr. Mallery, and grows close to her “brother,” Mr. Grey.  But Charlotte’s determination to unearth a murder only she believes happened might place all of Austenland in danger.  I liked Hale’s first Austenland book okay, but I had some complaints about the proofreading and I thought the narrative was too simple.  This one was a definite improvement and a lot more fun to read.  I’m definitely hoping for more Austenland books in the future.

The Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien: I’ve been meaning to read the Lord of the Rings books for some time now, since everyone from hubby to my sister-in-law to my brother to Katie has told me I should.  Plus, they’re classics, and I tend to want to give most classics a fair shake.  Since I have a thing about reading series books in their proper order, I decided to start with the backstory and read The Hobbit first.  And I’m glad I did, because I really, really liked it.  Bilbo Baggins’ transformation from cushy-hole-dweller to hero was such fun to read, and it definitely made me want to continue on with the Lord of the Rings trilogy.  (See, Katie?  I told you I’d get around to it!)

I had a good May in books!  Catherine the Great took up a good two weeks of the month – 625 pages of extremely dense biography (and small print) is no joke, especially when you combine it with an ongoing tendency to fall asleep for three hours or more on weekend afternoons.  (When does the second trimester energy bump kick in?  I’m 20 weeks, still narcoleptic and starting to think people have been lying to me.  I mean, I like naps as much as the next knocked-up girl, but this is getting silly.)  But I savored every meticulously researched page – I just love Massie’s work.  The rest of early May was devoted to some intense fiction – The Marriage Plot and Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close weren’t what I’d call giggle-fests.  So I made up for it with sillier, lighter choices later in the month and especially enjoyed The Hobbit.  Not sure what to expect out of June, since I’m either traveling or hosting houseguests most weekends of the month.  But I’m planning to squeeze in some more fun reads wherever I can, so stay tuned for more reviews and recommendations coming your way…