How embarrassing to find out from a fellow blogger’s post that two North American readers host a weekly meme for library borrowing. It’s called Library Loot (title envy!), and you should feel free to participate in that in addition to or instead of my monthly event.
Pretty soon it will be time to stock up on horror and short books for R.I.P. and Novellas in November. For now, I’m still working on some short story collections, and plan to skim a bunch of nonfiction I’m interested-ish in (but not enough to read every word) to make space on my card. I did have reserves on three Booker-shortlisted titles, but admitted to myself that I don’t actually want to read them and cancelled my holds. The one that I do still plan to read is Treacle Walker by Alan Garner, a perfect read for #NovNov22, if not before.
Since last month:
READ
- Brief Lives by Anita Brookner (for book club)
- Case Study by Graeme Macrae Burnet
- The Dinner Party by Joshua Ferris
- The Boat by Nam Le
- Nightcrawling by Leila Mottley
- This Time Tomorrow by Emma Straub
- Oh William! by Elizabeth Strout
- Summer by Edith Wharton
- The Young Accomplice by Benjamin Wood
CURRENTLY READING
- The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper
- State of Wonder by Ann Patchett (a reread)
- Leap Year by Helen Russell
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow by Gabrielle Zevin
Plus various new releases on loan or on hold.
What have you been reading or reviewing from the library recently?
Share a link to your own post in the comments. Feel free to use the above image. The hashtag is #LoveYourLibrary.
Bookish Beck = Rebecca Foster. American transplant to England. Freelance proofreader and book reviewer.
Bookish Beck 
I just read and reviewed The Dark Is Rising, but not from the library, as I have my own copy. Is that The Country Child by Alison Uttley on your stack? I have a copy of that too, but I still have not gotten around to reading it …
As for library books, I just finished Kitchen Table Wisdom by Rachel Naomi Remen, which was lovely. I just started The House with the Golden Door, sequel to one of my favorite novels from last year, The Wolf Den, and am excited about that.
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Yes, I spotted The Country Child while shelving in the children’s section and it sounded charming. A cosy read for autumn or winter.
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Will be interested in your thoughts on Horse! I just read a Geraldine Brooks from the library – People of the Book. I also read Siri Hustvedt’s The Blazing World from the same library. Both reviewed in my upcoming September round up!
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I’m hesitant about the historical + contemporary framework of Horse, but we’ll see how I get on. I’ll be interested to see your reactions to the Brooks and Hustvedt.
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The Country Child by Alison Uttley is a book I read at school many years ago – I’d love to re-read it to see if I think it’s just as wonderful as I thought then. On the other hand I don’t want to spoil my memory of it if I no longer think so. I’ve cut back on borrowing books for a while with just two on loan at the moment – Godmersham Park by Gill Hornby and Nemesis by Rory Clements.
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I’ve been undecided about whether to read Godmersham Park; I liked Miss Austen well enough but didn’t necessarily feel I needed a sequel. How is it?
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I’ve nearly finished it and I am enjoying it, although I prefer Miss Austen. It’s not a sequel, though, as it’s about Fanny Knight’s governess, Anne Sharp and her relationship with Jane Austen.
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Ah, good to know. Hornby was meant to speak at our library in conjunction with Miss Austen coming out, but that was scuppered by Covid.
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Where library books are concerned I’m trying to be pragmatic and just borrowing one at a time – Dashiell Hammett’s The Glass Key has been read, reviewed, and returned, and Ronia, the Robber’s Daughter by Astrid Lindgren will be my next – because I found borrowing multiple books didn’t work for me. Also, as Powys has given up on collecting fines for late returns I felt like a dog in the manger with my half dozen or so books neglected and gathering dust.
Hope you’re enjoying the Cooper – I have a follow-up post to my review to complete before I move on to the third TDiR title. I did like The Country Child very much, but it now really feels like a lament for a way of life and of Oneness with nature that is long gone; it’s just gone past its ninetieth anniversary, hasn’t it.
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Your restraint is admirable! I bring home far more than I can read, but don’t consider that a problem because the borrowing stats help the library service.
I expect The Country Child will feel poignantly of a bygone time.
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I chuckled over your comment that you lost interest in some of those Booker candidates. This year’s list has left me feeling cold apart from the Claire Keegan. I’m frankly astounded that Strout is once again on the list
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I was very surprised the Strout made the longlist, let alone the shortlist. I enjoyed the Keegan well enough, and I’m going to give the Garner a go; I just picked it up from the library today. But otherwise I think that’s me done for this year.
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Not long to go before we discover the winner. I used to get enthused by that announcement but my interest has waned
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Yes, in recent years it’s just made me feel like “oh, I should read such and such” (e.g. Shuggie Bain) — a feeling of obligation rather than excitement.
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Most of my library reading lately has been Giller reading. The shortlist was just announced, so now I can prioritize the ones I have left!
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Funny how most of my recent reading has boomeranged back to library books after doing such a good job reading from my own books during 20 Books of Summer. Just goes to show that, for me, it takes a concerted effort on my part to read those purchased books!
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Yes, I also default to library reading unless I force myself to read my own books for particular challenges!
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Multiple blog events just means it was a good idea 🙂
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I guess you’re right! I thought I’d done my due diligence looking for other memes. I felt sure there must be other bloggers out there writing about their reading from the library.
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