May Day (Sunday Post – 5/01/2022)

May 1, 2022 Sunday Post 18

The Sunday Post is hosted by the wonderful Kimberly, the Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It’s a chance to share news, recap the past week, take a look ahead, and showcase our new treasures—I mean books!

This Week

Happy May! I enjoyed April’s mostly-cooler-than-normal temperatures and mostly sunny skies. I hope you all have beautiful weather as we dance into May. Do you have any May Day traditions? I’ve always thought the May Pole is a lovely way to welcome May, though I have never danced it myself.

May Day celebrations, 2013. Photo by Ron Cogswell (CC-BY2.0)

Last weekend’s conference on singing during and after midlife was great. So was this weekend’s indexing conference (held Friday and Saturday.) Both were online, which in some ways I like even better than an in-person conference. For one thing, it’s easier to get up and get a cup of tea when I want one! And as an introvert, I find in-person conferences less overwhelming and a little less exhausting. But I have to admit, I do miss the face-to-face interaction a little bit. And after two conferences in as many weeks, I’m wiped out… at least in terms of screen time. I’m looking forward to a quiet week, and to getting together with a friend (for the first time since the pandemic started!)

Recent Posts

Looking Ahead

What I’ve Been Reading/Watching

Reading: I read The Shadow of Memory by Connie Berry (ARC), and finished A Lady’s Guide to Celestial Mechanics (Olivia Waite.) I also read a short story by Celia Lake, “A Dog’s Chance,” and reread When She Dreams so I can write a review for the publisher’s upcoming blog tour.

Listening to: Frogkisser! by Garth Nix, and assorted podcasts.

Watching: The Great Tours: England, Scotland, and Wales (The Great Courses), and the 1975 BBC miniseries of The Secret Garden.

Added to the Hoard this week

For Review or Consideration

Many thanks to Berkley for The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches and to Avon for How to Be a Wallflower!

Library Haul

Library books:

Purchased (Kindle, print, or audio)

Kindle: How To Catch a Duke; Guards! Guards! (Click title for Goodreads page or my review.)

Audiobooks: I bought a bunch of audiobooks on sale from Chirp this week, mostly Mercedes Lackey books: the Arrows trilogy and the three Oathbound books. Plus two Mary Russell books by Laurie R. King, on sale from Audible. (Sorry, I don’t have photos and links at the moment.)

Stay safe, stay healthy, stay kind… and may you find books a haven in the coming weeks.

Related Posts

18 Responses to “May Day (Sunday Post – 5/01/2022)”

    • Lark_Bookwyrm

      They are (or were) more common in Britain than the US, but I do remember some celebrations here when I was young. The photo is from a May celebration at the National Cathedral (Episcopal) in Washington DC back in 2013. I wasn’t there for that celebration, but it was one of the better Creative Commons photos I could find. Plus, I’m familiar with the National Cathedral, having grown up in Maryland outside of DC, so I chose this photo over others I could have used.

      Have a great week, and thanks for stopping by!

  2. Anne - Books of My Heart

    We used to do a May Day thing where you put a cup of candy/popcorn on someone’s doorstep and rang the bell. The May pole dancing looks fun. I have to keep a spreadsheet to make sure I don’t buy something on Chirp I already own on Audible or vice/versa. Then I also check my purchase cart against my library at the other location.

    I’m glad you enjoyed your conferences. I would love to go to some things this year but I’m not ready. I honestly think May will bring a surge of BA2 so I’m hanging back for now.
    Anne – Books of My Heart recently posted…Edgewater Road by Shelley Shepard GrayMy Profile

    • Lark_Bookwyrm

      I think that tradition started with flowers or baskets of flower; either way, it’s a sweet tradition.

      I know what you mean about being careful not to buy the same book on two different audio services. I don’t use a spreadsheet, but I do check – ever since I did exactly that. Luckily, it was an Agatha Christie title, and I bought 2 different editions narrated by different people, so while the text was identical, the performances were not.

      I agree with you; I’m not really ready to go to things either. Both my conferences were online, so I didn’t have to leave my house or have any in-person interaction with the other attendees. However, I have to decide what to do about my aunt’s memorial service later this month. She was very dear to me, and I feel I should go. But like you, I am expecting a surge of BA2 any week now.

  3. Cindy Davis

    I am an introvert as well and find that when we have back-to-back weekend commitments it takes a bit to bounce back. I hope this weekend and week are restful for you. Have a good week!
    Cindy Davis recently posted…April Reading Wrap-UpMy Profile

    • Lark_Bookwyrm

      It does, even when the events are online! Thank you for your good wishes; I hope you have a wonderful week as well.

  5. Greg

    I’m glad you’re able to see your friend! I ventured out to a concert for the first time since the pandemic started and am so glad I went, even though I was a little leery of it…

    This is the second time I’ve seen Guards! Guards! this week, I need to check out Pratchett.
    Greg recently posted…Sunday Post #450My Profile

    • Lark_Bookwyrm

      Robin (our offspring) has recommended Guards! Guards! and the rest of the Vimes miniseries (within the Discworld series) a number of times. I figure that having it show up on sale is the universe jogging my elbow to say, “Read it!”

      I’m glad you enjoyed your concert. I’m still leery of going to public events, but I think seeing a friend once in a while is fairly low-risk at this point. I will probably attend my aunt’s memorial service later this month, which has me very nervous. Just curious: have you gotten your second booster, if you are eligible?

      • Greg

        Yes. I’m not sure if I would have went to the concert if I wasn’t vacced and boosted. I know everyone is acting like everything’s fine now (I know not everyone is, I’m exaggerating a little ha ha)but I’m still leery. It still feels like a dangerous time, especially fo the vulnerable? I think you’re right though, individual meet- ups with being careful are probably a risk that’s manageable.
        Greg recently posted…Sunday Post #450My Profile

  7. Jenni Elyse

    I don’t have any May Day traditions, but I think dancing around the May Pole would be very fun. I hope you have a good week.
    Jenni Elyse recently posted…Sunday Post #16My Profile

  8. Wendy

    Enjoy your time with your friend. It’s so nice now to be able to meet up with friends face to face. I love your photo of the maypole dance!
    The Very Secret Society of Irregular Witches sure looks good!
    Wendy recently posted…Sunday Post #40My Profile

  11. Sophia Rose

    I have watched a May pole dance and it did look fun. I do not miss having to go to conferences and glad you could be less stressed with the online one.

    I hope to read When She Dreams soon. Nicely done catching those sales.

    Have a good week, Lark!
    Sophia Rose recently posted…🎧 Seasonal Fears by Seanan McGuireMy Profile

  12. Nicole @ BookWyrm Knits

    It wasn’t an official May Day celebration, but we did see April out with a loooooong dinner out with some friends of ours who we really enjoy getting together with.

    Sounds like you have some great new books! I’ve been looking forward to the Irregular Witches book since Stephanie Burgis recommended it, so I’m interested to see what you think!
    Nicole @ BookWyrm Knits recently posted…Top Ten Tuesday ~ One-Word ReviewsMy Profile