May was a super busy month life-wise, so only limited titles finished up this month. Here are their summaries:

The Geomagician by Jennifer Mandula: This was my Caffeine and Legends book box title for May. It’s the first in what I think will be a 2-book series (or maybe 3?). It’s a clever use of the actual historical figure, Mary Anning, the 19th century fossil collector and pioneering paleontologist. Toss in some magic and a secret society, plus a ptereodactyl, and you’ve got a fun story that also explores some themes around women’s suffrage and worker exploitation in the period. A fun summer read.

The Horde by Marie Favereau: I listened to this nonfiction audiobook on the Mongols and how their unique lifestyle and system of governing in the Asian steppe influenced other Eastern cultures, particularly the Russians, for centuries. This book was more heavily military history based than I normally like, but the information about this nomadic culture that was presented was worth getting thru the 1001 military campaigns that took place over the many centuries that the Mongols were a military power in this region. This title was part of my 2-month curriculum around The Silk Road.

Where the Forest Meets the Stars by Glendy Vanderah: This was my monthly book club title. This contemporary fiction was a mixed bag for me. Some of it was engaging, but I didn’t love this title. The plot follows a young woman who is an ornithologist, who finds a girl at the edge of the woods near her summer study site. The girl insists she is an alien, sent from her planet to find 5 miracles before she can return home. The plot development felt kind of forced to me so this was kind of a “meh” read overall. I have higher hopes for the June book club title!