Book Club catch-up

I have been a terrible blogger as of late. Life has been busy (out-of-town trips, new jobs, various projects, etc.). I'm trying to catch up, however. Starting with book club.

I never officially selected a book for April because I was finishing up a few series I started a while back (Blackmoore, Allegiant, Extras). I hope you had a chance to read something worthwhile, too. I retroactively declare April "Pick Your Own" month. A cop-out, I know, but that's how the cookie crumbles.

Now that May is well under way, my choice for the month is

Tess of the d'Urbervilles
by Thomas Hardy

From Goodreads: "The chance discovery by a young peasant woman that she is a descendant of the noble family of d'Urbervilles is to change the course of her life. Tess Durbeyfield leaves home on the first of her fateful journeys, and meets the ruthless Alec d'Urberville. Thomas Hardy's impassioned story tells of hope and disappointment, rejection and enduring love."

From Barnes & Noble: "A ne'er-do-well exploits his gentle daughter's beauty for social advancement in this masterpiece of tragic fiction. Hardy's 1891 novel defied convention to focus on the rural lower class for a frank treatment of sexuality and religion. Then and now, his sympathetic portrait of a victim of Victorian hypocrisy offers compelling reading."

This book is available from Project Gutenberg! In case you didn't know, that means you can read Tess of the d'Urbervilles for free! You can download an ebook (.epub or .mobi), or you can read it online. Neat, huh? You can also get the Kindle edition free from Amazon. Or, you know, you can borrow a hard copy from the library (which is what I usually do). So many options.

This book gets an average rating of 3.70 stars on Goodreads, 4.1 stars on Amazon, and 4 stars on Barnes & Noble. I hope I enjoy it as much (and you, too).

I'll see you next month! I promise to come back this time ;-)