What I Want to Read: May 2013

I only read one book in April, so in May I am going to aim for five in order to catch up with my goodreads reading challenge. Here are the books I want to read in May:

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

"Catherine Morland, an unremarkable tomboy as a child, is thrown amongst all the 'difficulties and dangers' of Bath at the ripe age of seventeen. Armed with an unworldly charm and a vivid imagination, she must overcome the caprices of elegant society, encountering along the way such characters as the vacuous Mrs Allen, coquettish Isabella and the brash bully John Thorpe. Catherine's invitation to Northanger Abbey, in her eyes a haven of coffins, skeletons and other Gothic devices, does lead to an adventure, though one she didn't expect, and her misjudgement of the ambitious, somewhat villainous General Tilney is not wholly unjustified. However, with the aid of the 'unromantic' hero Henry Tilney, Catherine gradually progresses towards maturity and self-knowledge."

The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

"At the turn of the nineteenth century on a tobacco plantation in Virginia, young, white Lavinia, who was orphaned on her passage from Ireland, arrives on the steps of the kitchen house and is placed under the care of Belle, the master's illegitimate, black daughter. Lavinia learns to cook, clean, serve food, and cherish the quiet strength and love of her new family.

In time, Lavinia is accepted into the world of the big house, caring for the master's opium-addicted wife and befriending his dangerous yet protective son. She attempts to straddle the worlds of the kitchen and big house, but her skin color will forever set her apart from Belle and the other slaves.

Through the unique eyes of Lavinia and Belle, The Kitchen House unfolds in a heartbreaking and ultimately hopeful story of class, race, dignity, deep-buried secrets, and familial bonds."

Wool by Hugh Howey

"In a ruined and toxic landscape, a community exists in a giant silo underground, hundreds of stories deep. There, men and women live in a society full of regulations they believe are meant to protect them. Sheriff Holston, who has unwaveringly upheld the silo’s rules for years, unexpectedly breaks the greatest taboo of all: He asks to go outside. His fateful decision unleashes a drastic series of events. An unlikely candidate is appointed to replace him: Juliette, a mechanic with no training in law, whose special knack is fixing machines. Now Juliette is about to be entrusted with fixing her silo, and she will soon learn just how badly her world is broken. The silo is about to confront what its history has only hinted about and its inhabitants have never dared to whisper. Uprising."

Lauren Yanofsky Hates the Holocaust by Leanne Lieberman (Advance Reading Copy)

"Lauren Yanofsky doesn't want to be Jewish anymore. Her father is a noted Holocaust historian, and her mother doesn't understand why Lauren hates the idea of Jewish youth camps and family vacations to Holocaust memorials. But when Lauren sees some of her friends - including Jesse, a cute boy she likes - playing Nazi war games, she is faced with a terrible choice: betray her friends or betray her heritage.

Told with engaging humor, Lauren Yanofsky Hates the Holocaust isn't simply about making tough moral choices. It's about a girl caught up in the turmoil of bad-hair days, family friction, changing friendships, love - and, yes, the Holocaust."

Radical Survivor: One Woman's Path Through Life, Love, and Uncharted Tragedy by Dr. Nancy Saltzman

"'I’m sorry. There were no survivors.' Nancy Saltzman tried to absorb the caller’s words. Her entire family had perished in a small plane crash. The caller was wrong, though. There was a survivor—Nancy would have to go on living. She had beaten cancer twice, but how could even the most resilient spirit live through this ultimate loss?

Radical Survivor chronicles Nancy Saltzman’s extraordinary true saga. We share her struggle as she overcomes despair through a deep sense of purpose—learning that through time, friendship, and love, the heart can make room for both loved ones lost and happiness found. With the added richness and insights of letters Saltzman received, as well as her sons’ journal entries, Radical Survivor traverses the full spectrum of human emotions, offering a compelling gift of hope."