May

[PAS, Moderator AC]

Please post your May plan here.

Below is the main part of instruction including links to the wheels:

B. TBR only 👀

We are going to specifically focus on a random category per month and all the books read for this section must be from your TBR*

*TBR - the books must have been added to your TBR at the very least the last day of the previous month. For example, for November, I can read a book I added on 31 October.

You can spin the wheels on the 15th of current month for next month's category to allow for your planning.

For the Main Category, you can follow the below link and spin the wheel:

https://wheeldecide.com/index.php?c1=...

There are only 6 Main Categories for which then you will need to spin another wheel, depending on what you need for the Main Category you've spun:

For letters: https://wheeldecide.com/index.php?c1=...

For numbers: https://wheeldecide.com/index.php?c1=...

For continents: https://wheeldecide.com/index.php?c1=...

You will then ONLY read books that fit this category for the month.

You may have 2 categories per month, if you like, BUT each book must meet both categories to qualify for the challenge.

C. New Books ✨ (Optional)

The only "New Books" you can read for this challenge are those you can make a connection to your "TBR only" books. You may be as creative as you like with these connections BUT note that total of "New Books" read must be LESS than total of "TBR only" books read.

By "New Books", it would mean the book wasn't or hasn't ever been on your TBR so if you have discovered a new author whom you'd like to read all the backlist for, this is the space for it

You make make connections to any "TBR only" books you've read throughout the year and each of these books may have multiple connections.

[PAS, Moderator AC]

Amy

Bea

CassieV

Christina (AKA Babbling)

Joanna

Joyce

Lauren

LynnB

Meg

Rosemary

Susan

[LynnB]

Eyes on the TBR (2026) - MAY

Books must have been added to your TBR at the very least the last day of the previous month.

Goal: 3 books per month
Main Category: Published in year containing ...
Number: 1

1.
2.
3.

Some Possibilities:
Boundary Waters-1999
Women in White Coats-2021
Sweetness of Forgetting-2012
Paris Girl-2014
Chapter and Curse-2021
The Drowning Kind-2021
Palisades Park-2013

[Meg]

Eyes on the TBR (2026) - MAY

Books must have been added to your TBR at the very least the last day of the previous month.

Goal: 3 books per month
Main Category: author's initial...
Number: O or Y

1
2.
3.

.Margaret, Are You Leaving?
The Typing Lady: And Other Fictions
Fourth Wing
The Impossible Fortune

[Susan]

Oh, my. I keep getting letters on my first roll, none of the interesting options.

And this time, I got "title ending in Z or P."

I scoured over 700 books on my two eligible shelves, and found only four books ending in Z or P. And two of them are non-fiction: mathematics, one by an author I know is brilliant, but whom I find very difficult, even painstaking, to read.

I searched books with "Jazz" in the title, and finally found one with "Jazz" as the last word that I can add and could probably enjoy reading. But then I re-read the challenge instructions and remembered that all books need to already be on my TBR. Unless Tien's note about flexibility means I can include it anyway.

And I think it's highly likely that I'll DNF at least one of the two math books.

So, a question:
If I end up deciding not to finish any of these five, do I just fail in completing for this month, and then go on from there in future months? So far, I've completed every month's challenge with 5 books, and would hate to break that streak.

Other suggestions?

[LynnB]

Susan wrote: "Oh, my. I keep getting letters on my first roll, none of the interesting options.
And this time, I got "title ending in Z or P."
I scoured over 700 books on my two eligible shelves, and found on..."

I don’t know. Maybe a re-roll on the letters? I have that problem on another challenge where none of my TBR books fit and am considering what to do. I'm interested to see what others say.

[Christina (AKA Babbling)]

May 2026

Title starts with
Y or O

1.
2.
3.

Potential
One Kiss More
Yes No Maybe So
Otherwise Engaged
Year Zero
You Should Be So Lucky
Once Upon A Time Travel
Yours for the Season

[Bea]

Susan and LynnB, a re-roll seems to be the best answer.

[Susan]

So if I do what LynnB & Bea are suggesting, I wouldn't keep any of the books I've found with this roll.

But I would keep the result of the first roll (letters), and just reroll what letters they are?

I know Tien is away for a week. Does that sound like a good plan to others of you?

[Bea]

Eyes on TBR - May

Main Category: published in year ending in
Number: 9
Goal: 5

1. Wake Up Little Susie published 1999
2. The Stationery Shop published 2019
3. Thereby Hangs a Tail published 2009
4. When All Is Said published 2019
5. The Bookish Life of Nina Hill published 2019

[LynnB]

Susan wrote: "So if I do what LynnB & Bea are suggesting, I wouldn't keep any of the books I've found with this roll.

But I would keep the result of the first roll (letters), and just reroll what letters they a..."

Yes, I would just re-roll for the letters -- keep the rest as-is.

[Rosemary]

Goal: 3 books per month

Main category: Last word of title ends with
Letters: C or I Impossible - I only have one book on my TBR that fits.
Reroll:
Letters: X or N

Read:
1.
2.
3.

Options:
The Vegetarian by Han Kang
Death and the Dancing Footman by Ngaio Marsh
Death Is No Sportsman by Cyril Hare
Sometimes a Great Notion by Ken Kesey
If I Had My Time Again by Linda Green
& more (all ending in N)

[Susan]

Bea wrote: "Eyes on TBR - April

Bea, you labeled this (Message 10) April. I think it's probably your May list, since you posted it here in the May thread.

[Susan]

May: Titles ending in ...
Letters: Z or P Impossible - I have too few books on my TBR that fit.
Reroll: Letters: D or J

1. Island of the Mad
2. Shroud
3. The Gone-Away World
4. The Rose Field
5. Cemetery Road

[Bea]

Susan wrote: "Bea wrote: "Eyes on TBR - April

Bea, you labeled this (Message 10) April. I think it's probably your May list, since you posted it here in the May thread."

Thanks, Susan. I corrected it. I copied the heading from April and forgot to change it. Thanks for the catch.

[Amy]

May

First word of title starts with W or T

1. We Could Be Rats
2. Witness 8
3. We Are All Guilty Here

[CassieV]

Eyes on the TBR

Main Category: Pub in year ending in
Number: 7
May Books
Goal: 3

1.
2.
3.

[Joyce]

Eyes on the TBR May

Main Category: First Word of the Title Starts with
Letter: Z or P
May Books
Goal: 3

1.
2.
3.

[Joanna]

Eyes on TBR May 2026
Read: 0/3

Main category: Published in year containing
Number: 9

1. I Who Have Never Known Men (pub. 1995)
2. The Lust Lizard of Melancholy Cove (pub. 1999)
3. Down and Out in Paris and London (pub. 1933)

[Lauren]

May
Goal: 3 Books

Main category: Last word of title ends with...
Letter: B or R

Books:
1. Kitty Goes to War by Carrie Vaughn
2. Who Will Remember by C.S. Harris
3. Iron Master by Jennifer Ashley