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.
I did a whirlwind tour across three different library systems recently, picking up plenty of interesting things. And then didn’t read any of them on the weekend because a) the weather was spectacular and I spent most of my time outside and b) what time I did spend reading was (wisely) devoted to A Stranger in the Family by Jane Casey, the newest book in the Maeve Kerrigan series. It was only released on Thursday (just as an eBook in North America. Print copies come out in June) and for once I didn’t have the patience to wait for the library to buy it. It was predictably great and, like all of Casey’s fans, I can’t wait for the next book.
The Twenty by Marianne C. Bohr – a memoir about hiking the GR20 trail across Corsica when the author and her husband turned sixty.
Blue Mystery by Margot Benary-Isbert – continuing my exploration of Benary-Isbert’s children’s books with this mystery about a missing plant.
Buttered Side Down by Edna Ferber – after enjoying Mother Knows Best, I’m back for more of Ferber’s short stories with this early collection.
In Allied London by Count Edward Raczynski – after putting this collection of WWII diaries on my to-read list back in 2018, I’ve finally tracked it down!
The Smoking Mountain by Kay Boyle – I only recently read the Neglected Books review of this collection of stories about post-WWII Germany but it sounds very much like my sort of book.
Mrs Lorimer’s Quiet Summer by Molly Clavering – how exciting to have tracked down a Dean Street Press book! My experiences with Clavering have been very mixed (having read Near Neighbours, Dear Hugo, Susan Settles Down and Touch Not the Nettle) so I’m interested to see what I make of this.
What did you pick up this week?
In Allied London and The Smoking Mountain both sound good. Happy reading!
Don’t they? I’m really looking forward to In Allied London especially.
I do enjoy your emails, thank you. You’ve introduced me to many new authors.
I’ve recently discovered the novels of Wallace Stegner. I loved his ‘Crossing to Safety’ and am following up, after requesting from my local library, with the equally beautifully written ‘Angle of Repose’.
I’m so happy to hear you’ve found authors you’ve enjoyed through me, Elizabeth. That’s always what I hope for with this blog.
You have reminded me that I do need to try Stegner. I have heard universal praise for him but haven’t read any of this books yet.
Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson
The Eagle of the Ninth and The Queen Elizabeth Story by Rosemary Sutcliffe
My Father’s House by Joseph O’Connor
The Keys of the Kingdom by AJ Cronin
1606:The Year of Lear by James Shapiro
A nicely varied selection! You can never go wrong with The Eagle of the Ninth. Were you inspired by Kate’s recent posts about Rosemary Sutcliff? They certainly have made me want to go back to my favourites again.
Yes… I found Susan Settles Down to be very boring and full of Scottish dialect and references I probably wasn’t appreciating. Hope the new Molly Clavering is a good one for you!!