May library book haul

Going to the library never fails to thrill me. Like, I just get to take these books…for free? Incredible! And given all the vital functions libraries perform and all the ways conservatives (and some dumbass liberals) are attacking libraries right now, it’s especially important to support them as much as possible.  

One of my favorite things about the New York Public Library is that when your requested books become available, they’ll transport them to your “home” library, so you don’t even have to go across town to pick them up. Again: This is all free of charge! In this economy! It’s amazing! (Related: Please enjoy this video of the NYPL’s book train in action.) 

Anyway, here’s what I had waiting for me this morning:

The Bean Book. A couple weeks ago, I found myself wondering if there was a good cookbook devoted entirely to beans…preferably fancy but not fussy preparations. Kiyana mentioned that Rancho Gordo might have something, and she was right—and this is one of the brand’s cookbooks. Given how much I like Steve Sando’s beans on toast recipe (that’s a gift link, btw), I have high hopes.

How to Seal Your Own Fate. This is the sequel to a cozy mystery I read a couple months ago, How to Solve Your Own Murder. To be honest, the first one wasn’t amazing, but it was also fine. (I think I read it in its entirety during a long hair appointment.) But to me, this is the exact type of book to get from the library! 

The Address Book: What Street Addresses Reveal About Identity, Race, Wealth, and Power. I generally prefer to read non-fiction but I’ve been in kind of a slow period lately. I can’t remember how I came across this book, but I think I’m going to love it. (As much as you can love a book that’s about an infuriating topic anyway.) 

Also, as I was leaving the library, I got a notification from Libby that the e-book edition of The Berry Pickers was also available for me. This one is a little out of my wheelhouse (I don’t love straight-up fiction) so we’ll see how it goes!

And when it rains it pours…because I’m actually in the middle of reading The Power Broker right now. (More on this another day…this book has become my new personality.) It’s 1200 pages long, so it’s definitely taking up my entire brain, but I’m currently on page 900 and really blasting through it because it’s so, so good, so I think I’ll be done by next week and then I can start on the others.

What are you all reading lately? Anything good? 📚