RTW: Best book of the May

Okay, I was a bad bad book reader again in May. In my defense, I did write tons. It's a thin defense, I know. I'll work on it. So,while I did reread Catching Fire near the start of the month, I think giving it my best book of the month post is kind of cheating (it's just unfair to other books. It's not their fault they can't live up to the wonder that is this series) so I'm going to pretend I read it in April. And in that case, the best book I read this month is a completely random, really old book: Catherine, Called Birdy by Karen Cushman. I used to love this book, according to my mom (I remember reading it in sixth grade or so, but didn't remember anything else about it). She brought a copy of it to me the last time she visited, and I read it a couple weeks ago. The summary, from Karen Cushman's site:

Catherine feels trapped. Her father is determined to marry her off to a rich man—any rich man, no matter how awful.

But by wit, trickery, and luck, Catherine manages to send several would-be husbands packing. Then a shaggy-bearded suitor from the north comes to call—by far the oldest, ugliest, most revolting suitor of them all. Unfortunately, he is also the richest.

Can a sharp-tongued, high-spirited, clever young maiden with a mind of her own actually lose the battle against an ill-mannered, piglike lord and an unimaginative, greedy toad of a father? Deus! Not if Catherine has anything to say about it!

It's very entertaining. The MC is fourteen (and this is historical fiction; medieval times), and the book is written in the form of her diary. She's spunky and hilarious. It's just a quick, fun read. Amazon says it's YA, in my super (un)professional opinion, it's more like upper MG, but is definitely worth reading if you like voicey things and historical fiction.

Visit YA Highway to see what my lovely co-bloggers read this month, and to link your own! Also, our anniversary giveaway is still going on, if you haven't entered it yet. The prizes are kick. ass.

And while I'm posting, because I'm too lazy to give it a post of its own, and because obviously posting it on twitter and facebook weren't enough: I got engaged this weekend! At the spot in that lovely photo above (I wish I could take credit, but the boy took that picture.) It's in the forest behind my parents' house in New Hampshire, where a sawmill was built (Brandon was standing on the sawmill's foundation for this picture, so it's not in the photo) in the 1700s, by the same ancestor who then built my house in 1790. And there's your random Kaitlin's family history lesson for the day. Good job picking the spot to do it, boyfriend...errr, fiancé.