Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Marg from The Adventures of an Intrepid Reader that encourages bloggers to share the books they’ve checked out from the library. If you’d like to participate, just write up your post-feel free to steal the button-and link it using the Mr. Linky any time during the week. And of course check out what other participants are getting from their libraries.
Why is it that just when my life gets busy, I run to the library to check out more books than I could possibly have the time to read? Perhaps this is my coping mechanism when I feel stressed. Interesting. If my week turns out to be less busy than expected, I’ll certainly know what to do!
The Small House at Allington by Anthony Trollope – time to move on to the next book in Trollope’s Barsetshire series.
Into Love and Out Again by Elinor Lipman – reading so many of Lipman’s novels recently has made me eager to try her first-published book, this volume of short stories.
Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe by Jenny Colgan – delightfully frothy tale about a woman who starts up a small bakery. I hate cupcakes but love reading about people who love to make them. 
Where Have All the Boys Gone? by Jenny Colgan – after Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe, I had the urge to revisit one of Colgan’s earlier books that I remember enjoying.
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World by Jack Weatherford – Weatherford resurrects the true history of Genghis Khan, from the story of his relentless rise through Mongol tribal culture to the waging of his devastatingly successful wars and the explosion of civilization that the Mongol Empire unleashed.
Millennium by Tom Holland – At the approach of the first millennium, the Christians of Europe did not seem likely candidates for future greatness. Weak, fractured, and hemmed in by hostile nations, they saw no future beyond the widely anticipated Second Coming of Christ. But when the world did not end, the peoples of Western Europe suddenly found themselves with no choice but to begin the heroic task of building a Jerusalem on earth.
What did you pick up this week?
The Captive Reader 
The Millenium book sounds like it could be really interesting! as do the others, but this one stood out to me because it’s religion and history and I hadn’t heard of it before. Enjoy 🙂
I always pick up Tom Holland’s books in bookstores and think how fascinating they sound but then never see them on the shelf at the library (and yes, I could look them up in the catalogue but that is being altogether too organised). When I saw Millenium there, I snapped it up!
The Genghis Khan book sounds so interesting and like you, I don’t like cupcakes, but I don’t like reading about them either
I love reading about anyone who loves to bake, whether we share the same favourite treats or not. And, having just started the Genghis Khan book, I can assure you that it is really interesting so far.
I enjoyed Meet Me At The Cupcake Cafe. I hope you do too, Have a great week.
It’s very cute, isn’t it? I read it last weekend – while I was waiting for zucchini loaves to come out of the oven – and it was the perfect rainy morning book.
I have not read Trollope and one author whose books are all around me. Thanks for the update on this one.
Trollope is wonderful, Mystica. I can’t wait for you to try him!
I’ve heard good things about Meet Me at the Cupcake Cafe. Enjoy your loot.
It’s very cute, Linda. I’d recommend it if you’re looking for something sweet.
The Genghis Khan one does look interesting and I really must get on with the Barsetshire series. I’ve been stuck on Dr Thorne for ages. Happy reading!
Oh, I love Doctor Thorne! I’m a little worried about The Small House at Allington, since I know it’s generally considered the least enjoyable Barsetshire book, but I’m still looking forward to it. Mediocre Trollope is better than no Trollope.
Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World has been sitting on my desk for far too long. I GOTTA get to it soon!! Maybe this will finally inspire me to do so!
Millennium looks VERY promising!!
I’ve only read the intro to Genghis Khan and the Making of the Modern World so far but that was enough to convince me that the rest of the book is going to be very interesting indeed!
I have all the Barsetshire novels on the shelf and still not read them … shame on me!
This week I picked up Charlotte Betts’ third novel, just published, The Spice Merchant’s Wife and excellent it is, too.
Shame indeed! I love Trollope and Barsetshire, whether it be Trollope’s or Thirkell’s, is my very favourite fictional place.
I just finished the Navigator of New York and I have just started The Book Thief. I really enjoy Elinor Lipman’s short stories.
I’ve read the short stories now and I did enjoy them, though not as much as I do Lipman’s wonderful novels.
Just finished three that I really enjoyed. The House at Riverton by Kate Morton, Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin, and False Impression by Jeffrey Archer. Also thrilled to report that I hit a Thirkell “mini-bonanza” yesterday. In traveling to visit colleges with my girls, we found a Half-Price Bookstore that had 3 Thirkell titles just sitting there waiting for me, and to put some icing on the cake, I also found a Persephone edition of Good Evening, Mrs. Craven. All in all, a good week for books! 🙂
What luck! Not only Thirkells but a Persephone (and one of my very favourite ones at that)!!!
I’m glad I’m not the only one who dislikes cupcakes! One of my reading goals is to read the Barsetshire series within the next couple of years so I enjoy reading your thoughts on the books.
The only book I’ve checked out this week is Pure by Julianna Baggott, a scifi novel that has received great reviews – not really my usual thing, but I’ll give it a shot.
Oh, I can’t wait to hear what you think of Trollope’s Barsetshire. I’ll look forward to your starting the series.
Aw the cupcake café book sounds darling! I think I’ve seen that one before and maybe even added to my goodreads list.. must look for it at my library! Enjoy your loot, Claire! 🙂
It’s very sweet, Christine. I hope you’re able to find a copy!
Sorry for the late comment, but I just discovered your blog today. 🙂
I loved the Genghis Khan book – probably my favorite non-fiction book in recent years. Such an intriguing figure! I was amused later, when reading George R.R. Martin’s “Song of Fire and Ice” series, how much his “Dothraki” were a rip-off of the Mongolian Horde…
I really enjoyed The Small House at Allington too. I was led to it, and Trollope himself, when the novel was mentioned in William Trevor’s great short story, “After Rain.”
-Jay
Glad you found your way here, Jay!