Library Loot is a weekly event co-hosted by Claire from The Captive Reader and Sharlene from Real Life Reading 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.
Brrr. February is off to a chilly start but the skies are blue and, with sunshine now available, you can actually tell the days are getting longer! It is so encouraging and with all of the snopdrops, crocuses, and camellias in blossom, spring feels very close now. Except for the snow in the forecast but I’m doing my best to ignore that (may it chose to ignore us in return). Still no changes to our restrictions here (we have had rules restricting socialising outside of your household group since early November) so still lots of time to read and lots of new books from the library:
Rest and Be Thankful by Helen MacInnes – a few years ago, Elisabeth made a list of her favourite “hidden gems“. It contains several books I already love so I immediately added the others to my to-read this, with this title being the one I was most intrigued by. Published in the late forties, it is the story of two friends who, after almost twenty years in Europe, decide to host aspiring writers at a ranch in Wyoming.
A Sound Mind by Paul Morley – When I wrote about Year of Wonder in January, Karen mentioned she had been reading this title, also about classical music, so I immediately tracked it down.
That Can Be Arranged by Huda Fahmy – I don’t follow Fahmy on social media but her wonderful comics about life as an American Muslim woman are reposted so often by friends that it can feel like I do. In this graphic memoir, she shares how she met and married her husband.
Ghosting by Jennie Erdal – A memoir about life as a ghostwriter (which I’m only aware of thanks to its reissue by Slightly Foxed).
A Bookshop in Berlin by Françoise Frenkel – A memoir of a Jewish bookstore owner’s experiences during the Second World War.
Ex Libris by Michiko Kakutani – One hundred personal essays about books – who could resist?
She Wore Red Trainers by Na’ima B. Robert – I have a long list of titles to track down through inter-library loan and am slowly working my way through it. There are a lot of new YA titles from Muslim authors these days but back in 2014 that seemed to be much rarer, which is how this caught my attention. More than six years later, here we finally are.
La Seduction by Elaine Sciolino – I have been watching almost entirely French programing the last five or six weeks so, clearly, need that to now expand over into my reading.
Our Darkest Night by Jennifer Robson – I was so excited about this new release from Robson, a historical novel featuring the always reliable plot device of a marriage of convenience to save someone from the Nazis. Who can resist this? And set in Italy no less! I read it as soon as I picked it up from the library but was deeply disappointed. It’s not awful but it was sadly flat.
What did you pick up this week?
Brrr indeed. No snow here fortunately, just bitterly cold winds. I’m very drawn to Bookshop in Berlin and the Ex Libra’s which has popped up in my feed a few times this year.
Ex Libris is such a beautifully produced book – I haven’t started reading it yet but just looking at it in my library stack is giving me pleasure.
Ooh ghosting sounds really interesting!! Great books!!
Everything I’ve heard about it has been great so I’m excited to start on it.
Oh, Rest and Be Thankful. I read that a few (10?) years ago and quite enjoyed it. Totally not her usual line of country.
It’s SO different to what I expect from MacInnes but I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Falling by Elizabeth Jane Howard.
Enjoy!
Yesterday I brought home a copy of English Animals by Laura Kaye that came highly recommended by a reviewer on youtube. And thanks for highlighting A Bookshop in Berlin, Claire….I’ve just placed a hold!
Glad to have added to your hold list!
So many interesting sounding books on your list! I just placed a hold on That Can be Arranged as I couldn’t find an ebook copy.