Goodreads Monday is a weekly meme started by @Lauren’s Page Turners but is currently hosted by Emily @ Budget Tales Book Blog. This meme is quite easy to follow – just randomly pick a book from your to-be-read list and explain why you want to read it. It is that simple.

This week’s book:

May We Feed the King by Rebecca Perry

Blurb from Goodreads

She is a curator, who spends her time dressing the rooms of historic buildings to bring them to life. But in the lush private quarters of a medieval palace, she finds herself so transfixed by the reign of an almost-forgotten King that the edges of her life begin to blur.

He is a reluctant ruler with no hunger for power, rushed to the throne after the untimely deaths of his older brothers. But it isn’t long before whispers begin to fly around the court. And with the growing belief that the King is not fit for the throne comes the idea that another might rule in his stead.

May We Feed the King dances between the lives of a historical subject who risks the future of his kingdom and a woman who turns to the past to hide from her present. Laced with desire and longing, it is a playful, stirring meditation on history and storytelling: on what makes a King ‘Great’, and a life meaningful.

Why I Want To Read It

Happy Monday, everyone! We are already in the last day of the eighth month of the year. How time flies! As always, time takes its natural course, ever flowing forward with no regard for any of us. It does not wait for anyone. As such, I hope the year is going—and will continue to go—well for everyone. I hope the rest of the year will be kind to you all. Things are still erratic, whether at work or in geopolitics. I hope things start to slow down at work. They remain hectic, and I hope things start to look up. After a couple of damp weeks, the rains have finally calmed down, although it is still gloomy for most of the day. The sun has finally made its presence felt. Anyway, I hope everyone has had a good start to the workweek. I hope everyone is in a place of comfort. Wishing you continued success and happiness. I hope everyone is doing well in body, mind, and spirit.

The new week beckons with hope and fresh starts, and I hope it unfolds in everyone’s favor. I know not many people get excited about Mondays (though I’m sure a few are out there). Thankfully, today is a holiday here in the Philippines. Still, I hope that as the week progresses, you gradually gain some momentum. I hope everyone’s workweek goes smoothly. More importantly, I hope everyone is doing well mentally, emotionally, and physically. With the conclusion of August, I have also wrapped up my two-month venture into the works of Asian writers. I commenced this journey in July, and although I have already completed the Asian works on my reading challenge, I decided to extend it into August. As always, it has been a memorable literary journey, although it has been dominated by a trifecta of countries: Japan, India, and the Philippines.

With the start of a new month comes the commencement of a new literary journey. I have decided to pivot toward the United States of America, as I have several works of American writers in my ongoing reading challenges. I am currently reading William Gibson’s Neuromancer. This week’s featured book, however, is not the work of an American writer. In late July, the Booker Prize released its 2026 longlist. As always, there are several names I haven’t encountered before; among them is Rebecca Perry, whom I would not have encountered had it not been for the prestigious literary prize. Apparently, Perry first gained success as a poet. She has published two full-length poetry collections as well as four pamphlets. Her poetry has been shortlisted for awards including the TS Eliot Prize. Her first collection also won the Michael Murphy Memorial Prize.

I suppose Perry is no stranger to critical success. Her novel, May We Feed the King, made it to the longlist of the Booker Prize. Interestingly, this is her debut novel. This further piques my interest. Further, the story is a work of historical fiction, which is right up my reading alley; at least, the novel has elements of history imbued into it. At the heart of the story is a present-day curator whose job is to dress rooms in historic houses, making them come alive. Things started to change when she was commissioned to dress the lush private quarters of a medieval palace. There, she found herself transfixed by the reign of an almost-forgotten King. The King was a reluctant ruler, forced onto the throne due to the untimely demise of his older brothers. It seems that the novel follows two threads. I am looking forward to how the story develops. However, I must first secure a copy of the book.

How about you, fellow readers? How was your Monday? What books have you recently added to your reading list? Which among the Booker Prize longlisted books are you looking forward to? Drop your thoughts in the comments!

For now—happy Monday, and as always, happy reading and keep safe!