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.
Letters to a Young Scientist by Edward O. Wilson – a lovely, inspiring little book of letters from the Pulitzer Prize winning biologist.
My Paris Kitchen by David Lebovitz – I really, really did not like Lebovitz’s memoir of moving to Paris, finding him arrogant, bizarrely unobservant, and altogether too interested in sweets. But for some reason I still picked up this cookbook and, more shockingly, read it straight through. And it’s excellent. Well-written anecdotes, appetizing recipes, and a wonderful variety of foods – all the things that were missing from his memoir.
Great Gardens of Italy by Monty Don and Derry Moore – I leave for Italy in just one month and, even though I don’t anticipate any garden touring on my holiday, this is just the thing to help get me in the mood.
What did you pick up this week?
The Captive Reader 
Hello, I just picked up The Shepherd’s Life: modern dispatches from the ancient landscape by James Rebanks AND They Left us Everything: a memoir by Plum Johnson from my local branch of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library.
Love your blog.❤️
I’ve heard wonderful things about The Shepherd’s Life and hope you enjoy it as much as everyone else seems to have done! I’ll have to check it out myself one day.
Having spent four years at Queen’s, I have many very, very happy memories of the Kingston Frontenac Public Library – especially winter evenings spent at the Central Branch (much less hectic than the university libraries)!
I wish I was traveling to Italy. Sigh. Enjoy your loot!
Thanks, Kay!
I see that we both exercised remarkable library restraint this week. I also took out just three books, an improvement on the usual 6-8. I got Colm Toibin’s Brooklyn, Zadie Smith’s White Teeth and Tana French’s The Secret Place.
Where in Italy are you going? Jealous!
We are most impressive!
As for Italy, I’m going to spend a week just south of Siena on a walking tour, then head north to Malcesine (on Lake Garda) and Venice. Can’t wait! I loved all your Italy photos on Instagram earlier this year – they definitely helped get me in the mood since I was planning my trip at that time.
I can’t wait to see your photos! That’s going to be incredible. And so so so tasty.
Enjoy your loot!
Thanks, Linda!
I’m so glad to hear that someone else didn’t like David L.’s memoir (or him, very much!) But I’m in love with two of his ice cream recipes and I liked the look of many in this cookbook too.
I liked this cookbook so much I could actually rationalise buying it. Given how incredibly obnoxious I’d found Lebovitz until now (and still do, actually, when I bother to look at his blog), this dumbfounds me but it’s clearly a raving endorsement!
I like your last book. Must be gorgeous just looking at the pictures!
It is! Though, to be perfectly honest, the photography isn’t quite up to the standard of the best garden books.
I have My Paris Kitchen. It’s an impressive book! The butternut squash crumble is delicious but very time consuming.
It’s certainly full of delicious looking recipes – I can’t wait to try them!
A lovely choice of books here, esp. the Monty Don/Derry Moore.
I picked up Gyles Brandreth’s Westminster Diaries and Something to Read In the Train, his diaries from childhood until (almost) the present day. Have just read the delightful latest novel by Marcia Willett, Summer on the River (set in Dartmouth, Devon.)
Letters to a young scientist looks interesting.