Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Linda from Silly Little Mischief 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.
I’ve only been back from Europe for seven weeks but I’m already starting to plan my next trip (May, I hope). To be fair, I’m really always planning the next year’s trip, sometimes even the trip for the year after that. There is no such thing as being too well-prepared!
Venice Observed by Mary McCarthy – McCarthy’s extended essay on Venice from 1956.
The Politics of Washing by Polly Coles – a more recent take on Venice, from an Englishwoman who lives there with her family.
We’ll Always Have Paris by Jennifer Coburn – A mother’s memoir of the European trips she has taken with her daughter over the years. Turned out not to be all that engaging but, as someone who has many happy memories of mother-daughter trips to Europe, I can certainly understand how special such holidays are.
Postcards from Europe by Rick Steves – a collection of short pieces by Rick Steves, who, for the benefit of my non-North American readers, is an American travel writer and television host. (I’m 98% certain its impossible to live in North America and not know who Rick Steves is, provided you’ve ever visited the travel section of your bookstore or watched PBS).
Women of the World by Helen McCarthy – I am so excited that this has finally arrived. I’ve had a hold on it since it appeared on order in the library’s catalogue back in the spring and everything I’ve heard about it since then (from SNB and, of course, the author’s proud mother) has made me even more eager to read it.
Hasee Toh Phasee (DVD) – I’ve been watching Bollywood movies exclusively for the past few weeks, all courtesy of my lovely library, and this is one of my new favourites.
What did you pick up this week?
The Captive Reader 
I’ve just discovered your blog and really like it. I am a fellow library lover and owe them a lot, writing about it on my own site.
Sorry, forgot to leave a link and I hope it is okay to leave one here- http://goo.gl/P15qbp
“Burnt Toast Makes You Sing Better” by Kathleen Flinn. Not something I would ordinarily pick up, but, you know, it called to me. I opened it up and couldn’t put it down, devouring it in two sittings. It is Flinn’s memoir of growing up in a large family and how food fit in. 🙂
What a great collection of books! I’m especially intrigued by Women of the World.
Great loot. Enjoy!
Books set in Venice! Oh how lovely! I hope to visit Italy again one day, but I think I’ll have to wait for the kids to grow up a little bit more first!