RTW: Best Book of May

From YA Highway:

Road Trip Wednesday is a ‘Blog Carnival,’ where YA Highway's contributors post a weekly writing- or reading-related question to write about on our own blogs. You can hop from destination to destination and get everybody's unique take on the topic.

This Week's Topic:

Best Book of May

Gooseberry Falls ~ Castle Danger

May was a big month of reading for me.  I needed an escape and I got it, in the form of a mini-vacation with my family on the North Shore of Lake Superior, one of my favorite places in the world, and eleven books.  I'm lucky if I get through three or four books in any given month, so eleven is a great number for me.

Some of them were fantastic, some only so-so.  I read a couple of books that I've had on my to-read list for a long time.

The best of the bunch?  Ruby Red by Kerstin Gier.

From goodreads:

Gwyneth Shepherd's sophisticated, beautiful cousin Charlotte has been prepared her entire life for traveling through time. But unexpectedly, it is Gwyneth, who in the middle of class takes a sudden spin to a different era!

Gwyneth must now unearth the mystery of why her mother would lie about her birth date to ward off suspicion about her ability, brush up on her history, and work with Gideon--the time traveler from a similarly gifted family that passes the gene through its male line, and whose presence becomes, in time, less insufferable and more essential. Together, Gwyneth and Gideon journey through time to discover who, in the 18th century and in contemporary London, they can trust.

How had I not heard about this book?  Originally published in Germany in 2009, it was published in the US a year ago.  Last month I saw an ad for the paperback publication on Shelf Awareness and found it on the shelf at my local library.  Even though I don't read a ton of time travel novels, I love the concept and this one was intriguing.  Gwyneth's story -- growing up thinking that she didn't have the time travel gene and being completely unprepared when she discovered that she did -- fascinated me.  The story is told in witty, funny prose that kept me turning the pages.
 
When I finished I returned to a few passages to re-read and was seriously disappointed to learn that the sequel, Sapphire Blue, won't be available until October 30!  Ha, no problem, I thought, I'll just order it from the UK.  No luck there, either.  Same publication date.  It's a good thing I have a lot of other books to read while I wait.

Read the New York Times review of Ruby Red here and check out a sneak peak of Sapphire Blue at RT Book Reviews here.

What was the best book you read in May?  What not-yet-published books are you waiting for?