Books Lately #4

A winter 2026 book haul, for those in need of comfort

To start, a note.

The world is really heavy right now. When it seems like the news cannot get worse, it does. With fresh headlines of violence, hatred, injustice, cruelty and horrific tragedies that are not only unnecessary but also inhumane. Although I am not living in the United States currently, I am an American, and I feel the pain of this moment deeply.

I’m also a resident of Europe. To my right, people in Ukraine suffer continuously in a needless war. Below them, in the Middle East, more suffering, starvation, riots, uncertainty and upheaval. And to my left, back home in the United States, the people of Minneapolis suffer as the Ukrainians do in what feels like a war zone, with helicopters flying overhead, and armed, masked intruders roaming the streets intimidating, terrorizing, abducting, and now killing.

Meanwhile, the whole of the US lives in fear. Fear of a bully. Fear of grocery prices rising again. Fear of leaving the house. Fear of a parent being taken. Fear of political retribution. Fear of losing healthcare options. Fear of a tyrant. Fear of being imprisoned. Fear of facing the truth of what has become of a once great nation. Fear of being complicit. Fear of not doing enough. Fear of power without morality and corruption without consequence.

In dark times, there is strength and resilience in resistance. We can resist in big ways, and in small ones. We can resist with our goodness, kindness and creativity. And by embracing, sharing and amplifying the beauty in humanity. Because there is beauty and kindness, all around, there really is. We just have to keep seeking it.

In times like these, books are a balm. They take us away from the headlines and ask us to pause and reflect. We read so that we might see ourselves reflected in stories, learn from the perspective of others, and be moved by the beauty of words. In them, we can see the goodness.

Theo of Golden by Allen Levi

First, my sister bought this book for my mother, while recommending it to all of us. Then I kept seeing it, with it’s unassuming cover, in every bookshop I encountered—in Napa, in Zürich, and finally in Rochester—where at last, I gave in and took a copy home. I’m so glad I did. As I write this, I’m very close to finishing this book. If you are in need of a salve to sooth your weary, fearful, exhausted soul, please look no further than this book. It is suffused with the generosity, kindness, and joyful spirit of its title character, and I promise it will leave you feeling uplifted. The story hums along nicely and I really enjoyed getting to know all the characters—their sweetness, quirks and uniqueness. If there is a takeaway I have from this book, it is to be more like Theo and choose kindness whenever and wherever possible.

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Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy

From the recommendation shelf at Napa Bookmine, I decided to bring this one home. I also happen to think it is a beautiful object, as a book. I haven’t read it yet, but I hear the ending may take an interesting turn. Katie from RFTB recommended it as well. I look forward to the windswept coastal descriptions, complex family relations, a mystery unfolding, the seed bank locale, and a climate change backdrop. All of these elements enticed me to pick this one up. If you’ve read it, drop a comment!

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On The Calculation of Volume pt.1 by Solvej Balle

Intriguing right off the bat. There’s the unusual title, the cool Faber cover, the fact that it’s a part of a series, and also because it is in translation. I’m a sucker for a book in translation, to be honest. It also, ahem, won the International Booker Prize for 2025. I like the idea of what seems to be everyday banality written beautifully. I like to be surprised and delighted with something quite different from time to time. I think this may be it.

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The Black Wolf by Louise Penny

While I was pregnant with Edie, I first learned about the author Louise Penny (thanks to Dorie Greenspan), and I subsequently read every single book in the Inspector Gamache series, one after another. I love the world and characters she has created, there is so much depth and thoughtful layering to her intricate mysteries, but there is so much warmth and heart as well. I look forward to reading The Black Wolf, as I do all of her books.

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Heart the Lover by Lily King

This book seems to be the one everyone keeps talking about with high esteem. The college era first love premise is attractive to me, and on top of it all, I already have her previous book, Writers & Lovers in my possession. A book that’s been in my TBR pile for an embarrassingly long time. The ladies at Bookmine also spoke highly of this one. I look forward to diving in.

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The Land in Winter by Andrew Miller

Winner of The Booker Prize in 2025, this one was handed to me by my dear friend and book person extraordinaire, Camden A of The Booksmith in San Francisco, where I purchased many in this list. Camden knows my taste, but also knows how to push me to discovering new-to-me authors who then often become my favorites. He introduced me to both Barbara Trapido, Laurie Colwin, and Nigel Slater (and Midsomer Murders) just to name a few. The blurbs on the front of this one also really speak to me, with words like brilliance, tender, elegant and soulful. This might be the one I read next. I also gravitate toward a winter book during winter.

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Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton

A friend of mine in the US, Jessie, proclaimed this to be her favorite book of 2025, among the (yes) 60+ books she read last year. Yet even before Jessie’s praise, I had already received this one, along with a slew of other nature writing books, as part of a recent order. Since I live in Switzerland, one of the most efficient ways to order any book I desire is through the Oxford, UK bookshop, Blackwell’s. I love it. Remarkably, they offer free shipping, yet they remain independent, so I can feel good about ordering books from them. Also, they have everything. My bookseller friend, Lauren, turned me onto Blackwell’s a few years ago and I have never looked back. Raising Hare had me at hello with it’s setup. I adore a wildlife/nature memoir and by all accounts, this one is exceptional. I look forward to learning about the differences between hares and rabbits, and how this wild creature changed the life of the woman who decided on a whim to save it.

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Around the Table by Diana Henry

Diana Henry can sort of do no wrong in my mind. I love love love her recipes. And I love love love her writing in her cookbooks. So this compendium of essays “on Food & Life” was an easy sell to me. It’s a beautiful cover as well. Plus, I love a book I can dip into and out of for a short respite or moment of delight. Small essays like this don’t ask much of you, but they can still be transporting in the best way. Remember all the sad things I started off with at the top of this post? This is a book that will give me comfort, and a sliver of light, when I need it most.

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Sandwich and Wreck by Catherine Newman

Although I am very eager to read Wreck first, I’m told by the bookseller at Orell Füssli and again by the one at Bookmine, that I should actually read Sandwich first, followed by Wreck. I opted to simply get both because once I have finished one book I want the next one to be immediately within arm’s reach. Sandwich feels summery so I may wait until the weather is warmer to dive into these. Plus they are the perfect size for a jaunt to sunny Spain (June) or Greece (July). I’m not sure if this is the case, but I suspect Catherine Newman may evoke similarities to Barbara Trapido, which I am all for. Plus, the perimenopause/menopause slant is absolutely relatable to me at this point in my life. Whee!

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Things That Disappear by Jenny Erpenbeck

Short stories - check. Jenny Erpenbeck, with her singular voice - check. Berlin - check. This is slim book I can pick up at any time and get lost in the pages. I can slip it into my handbag for a long tram ride as well. Her voice is often direct, spare, and even detached, but asks big questions and leaves the answers open to interpretation. Erpenbeck always brings her East Berlin upbringing along with the upheavel, subsequent unification, and current political divisions of her country to her work, even as she writes of universal themes felt by us all. I think she is almost essential if you are living in Europe now, and especially so, if you did not grow up here.

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George by Frieda Hughes

Given to my by my brother, Joe. I am keen to read this one for the English countryside descriptions and magpie anecdotes alike. It is written by the daughter of Ted and Sylvia (which must be a wild burden to bear, without even uttering a word). Despite her last name, this book looks to be a fun journey accompanying the author and the baby chick she is rehabilitating while the pains of Frieda’s parentage and childhood are threaded throughout.

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Thanks so much for reading Photographer’s Miscellany. I am grateful to have you here. If you enjoyed this post, and would like to keep up with me, please share, subscribe or drop me a note.

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A Thousand Feasts by Nigel Slater

Like Ms. Henry, Nigel Slater is a writer beloved by me. As he says so humbly, he is a cook who writes. Presented here are very short (sometimes micro) essays that contain food and travel memories. Also like Diana’s book, this is the kind of thing I like to reach for first thing in the morning. Despite the temptation to check my phone, I am trying very hard this year to not reach for a device, as soon as I have woken up. I wish for a gentle start and one that is off-screen. I can read one of Nigel’s passages in a few minutes and let it take me somewhere else, as I begin to let the day unfold. This book offers exploration to exotic places I’ve yet to see myself, enthralling, exquisite new tastes, small delights, and a lot of solace for difficult times.

So those are the books to tide me over while the real world bears a darkness. I like to read to escape, to be entertained, to laugh and cry, to be moved, and to have my eyes opened in new ways. But above all, I think I read for comfort.

We’ve been rewatching The Lord of the Rings over the past week or so and there is a part in the second film, The Two Towers, that I think is perfectly apt for the way life feels right now, for many Americans.

Perhaps you already know it, and I’m sure many of you do, but I leave you with this clip in hopes that it resonates with you, wherever you are and whatever you are doing today.

If you haven’t read them, this is a terrific time to pick up either The Lord of the Rings or The Hobbit and let the books take you on an epic adventure to a faraway land, full of magic, where good, in the end, does triumph over evil.

Thanks, as always, for reading.