My Secret Santa presents from The Broke and the Bookish swap arrived a couple weeks ago and I’ve been remiss about sharing the goodies.

My package came from Louisiana from Emily. She sent me some fun gifts:

Emily sent me two books — Me Before You, which I’ve been wanting to read for years and A Court of Thorns and Roses, whose author, Sarah Maas, I’ve been curious about. She added Pride and Prejudice-themed book flags and a Cajun Survival Kit, which includes, among other things Spanish moss, a tabasco packet, and miniature crawfish and crab. It also contained a mosquito, which thankfully escaped during shipping.

Thanks, Emily! I’m looking forward to reading the books in the new year!

Since according to today’s post, The Broke and the Bookish will be ceasing publication in 2018 and since I basically just ask Santa for “Books! Please bring me books!” I thought I’d do another off-week post for Top Ten Tuesday (which will continue, but elsewhere).

I wasn’t ready to think about winter last month, when the topic of what’s on our winter to-be-read lists ran, but since the seasons change later this week, I guess it’s time to look ahead.

In no particular order:

• Catriona Lally’s Eggshells, about a woman looking to make a friend named Penelope (NOT Penny!), definitely did not work as poolside reading, but I suspect it will lend itself well to a weekend curled up under blankets with a pot of tea next to me.
• I was lucky enough to snag a copy of John Green’s Turtles All the Way Down on opening day at the West End branch of the library. My dad has already read it and is waiting impatiently for me to be able to discuss it with him.
• Far from the Tree by Robin Benway, this year’s young people’s National Book Award winner, is overdue to the library, so I’m hoping to finish it before the end of the year.
• Hiddensee: A Tale of the Once and Future Nutcracker by Gregory Maguire is waiting for me at the library and is part of the selection of books I hope to read this Christmas season.
• I cannot seem to get around to Susan Dennard’s Truthwitch, which has been sitting on my shelf for over a year. This winter could be the time!
• I’m thinking Frederick Backman’s My Grandmother Asked Me to Say She’s Sorry should lend itself to a winter reading.
• Mysteries are a solid choice for winter and The Manual of Detection by Jedediah Berry seems like a fun choice from my shelf.
• John David Anderson’s Ms. Bixby’s Last Day is a middle-grade novel that’s been on my shelf for a year.
• Sherry Thomas’ A Conspiracy in Belgravia came out this fall.
• Also in catching up with series, Maia Chance’s Teetotaled is next up in the Discreet Retrieval Agency.

How about you? What’s on your TBR list for the cold months?

I’ve never understood the desire to share a best-of reading (or listening or watching or whatever) list before the very last opportunity to add to it. There is still nearly three weeks left in the year, which leaves me enough time to read ten more books that could supplant those leading my pack right now.

Which is the long way of saying I won’t be doing today’s Top Ten Tuesday topic until the end of the month. So, instead, I’ll share my responses to last week’s topic at The Broke and the Bookish, which asked which bookish settings would you like to visit?

• The Weasleys’ Burrow: I nicknamed our apartment after it. (Also, Hogwarts. Also, Diagon Alley. Also, Hogsmeade.)
• Book World in Jasper Fforde’s Thursday Next series.
• Prince Edward Island, based on the Anne books (and raidergirl3’s photos and descriptions).
• The eponymous Secret Garden.
• Wild Cat Island from Swallows and Amazons.
• Guernsey.
• The Night Circus (Even if I’d have to buy some black & white clothes to wear).
• The Polar Express.
• Queens Museum of Art (to see the miniature version of New York City)
• Rivendell. Or maybe Lothlorian. Or maybe just the Shire.

On a related note, I own a book called Storybook Travels, which offers 30 real itineraries for favorite children’s books, including A Bear Called Paddington, Eloise, and The Watsons Go to Birmingham.

How about you? What bookish places would you like to step into?

Coffeeneuring Ride #8: Cleveland Park Library (4340 Connecticut Ave., N.W.) and Baked by Yael (3000 Connecticut Ave., N.W.)

Sunday, Nov. 19; 3.3 miles

Hot chocolate, everything bagel, raspberry cake pop (more…)

Coffeeneuring Ride #7: Juanita Thornton Library (7420 Georgia Ave., N.W.) and Ten Tigers Parlour (3813 Georgia Ave., N.W.)

Saturday, Nov. 18; 11.9 miles

Keemun Tea

Next on my list of libraries to visit was the Juanita Thornton branch in Shepherd Park near the northern border of the city. Thornton was a retired teacher and neighborhood activist who helped convince the city to build a library on this spot instead of a Wendy’s. (This is particularly relevant since there is a McDonald’s literally across the street from the property.) The library opened in 1990 and was rededicated in her honor after her death two years later. (more…)

Coffeeneuring Ride #5: Benning (Dorothy I. Height) Library (3935 Benning Road, N.E.) and Mason Dixie Biscuit Co. (2301 Bladensburg Rd., N.E.)

Saturday, Oct. 21; 17.4 miles

Arnold Palmer (iced tea & lemonade), biscuit

The Benning (Dorothy Height) Library opened in 2010 and was designed by the same firm that did the Shaw Library. It’s dedicated to Dorothy Height, a civil rights and women’s rights activist who headed up the National Council of Negro Women for 40 years and who spent the latter years of her life in D.C. (Interestingly, this is at least the fourth building in D.C. named in her honor. The others I’m aware of include a post office, an elementary school, and the NCNW headquarters.)

It’s an airy space, designed with a lot of copper on the outside to capture the afternoon sun and beautiful murals on the inside. The ones that line the kids’ section were done by the local artist coalition/nonprofit Life Pieces to Masterpieces. (more…)