So here's what I've read over the last three or four weeks, along with a few more pictures of my reading chair in the library (it's doubling as a music room, obviously), the far side of the library, and the Cat.

These aren't exactly recommendations. I think there's much to be gained by just sharing what we've picked up to read, why, and whether or not we found it worth the time. So I'll try to do that, once a month or so.

Piglet, by Lottie Hazell, because it was on the front table at B&N and looked like a fun read (I'm a sucker for British rom coms). Turned out to be an engaging reflection on food, weight, and romance, although the ending was a bit of a let-down.

And Then She Was Gone, by Lisa Jewell, because it was at the used bookstore and I seemed to remember everyone talking about it. It was...fine. Clipped along at a decent base, interesting characters. I just don't think I wanbt to read any more novels about missing children.

Generation Chef, by Karen Stabiner, because I'm a sucker for books about food and restaurants. This one was engaging and gave some great insights about the business. I did think afterwards that it could equally well have been a long essay in, say, the Atlantic, instead of a hardcover stand alone book.

Black Man in a White Coat, by Damon Tweedy, because it was on the front shelf of the airport bookstore and I was intrigued by the title. Decent memoir, with some sociological context that was well written. I'm glad I read it, probably won't reread.

Mrs. de Winter, by Susan Hill, because I loved Rebecca. Pretty good recapturing of du Maurier's voice and tone, but nope, I don't think we need any more sequels to great novels. (Although I am looking forward to watching The Other Bennet Sister.)

The Bookman's Tale, by Charlie Lovett, because it has nearly 3K Amazon reviews (!). That's another, "Yeah, it was OK" for me. I really enjoyed the contemporary thread of the plot, but every time he bounced back to yet another character dealing books in the past, I had to pinch myself to stay awake.

Green & Deadly Things, by Jenn Lyons, which I bought in hardcover after reading the glowing New York Times review, which is almost always a mistake. Couldn't get past the fifth chapter thanks to the overuse of the worst possible fantasy conventions: throwing tons of invented names, places, and customs around with random capitalization and no coherent worldbuilding.

A Heroine of the World, by Tanith Lee, because it's been sitting on my shelf for years and I don't know where it came from. I thought this was brilliant. Also fantasy, but the worldbuilding is thoroughly grounded in the realities of how wars actually work, how women in particular are caught up in them, and how those women survive. Also, I loved the prose style, which others might find a little bit dense (it was the exact opposite to the style of the Lyons novel).

And that's my summary. Feel free to add your own recent hits and misses.