My curiosity about Katherine Arden's novels has resulted in a book date in 2026: this cover version of The Unicorn Hunters led to the discovery that the subject is the iconic Anne of Brittany.

The cover illustrator is serenamalyon.bsky.social, whose Tolkien art is among the loveliest I've seen.

Speaking of libraries hidden within libraries (or as the case may be, a bookshop within a mossy forest bookshop)...

Having started the final round of manuscript self-edits I find myself plunged by impulse into rare alchemical enjoyment of music that complements the mood in the chapters I’m polishing.

Care to share an experience when something that tends to interfere with your creativity did the opposite?

My sympathies; I've been there.

No pets of my own, but here's a cat who gave me an excuse to stop and catch my breath on a lovely forested hike to the Great Wall. There were a few of them around that day, very calm and polite.

Rebel's cover beautifully captures the tenderness between the couple, something I feel is still surprisingly rare. Perhaps that partly explains why covers that feature landscapes often appeal to me more - like here, where Slovenia's Lake Bled has been used to represent Scotland.

A Hallowe'en-y, London-set romance between a kitchen witch and a museum curator? Yes, please. (Note the title change.)

"A kitchen witch with a penchant for baking and a (literally) cursed love life meets someone who's worth breaking a hex for in this sweet and spicy debut romance."

#romancelandia

Thank you for this. I had a listen to an extract from the section concerning theft after seeing the quote poster below, from www.nb.no/visuelt-land...

The readings are available to watch at NRK's dedicated webpage, here:
tv.nrk.no/serie/landsl...

This passage in Ross Gay's collection of essays, "Inciting Joy", keeps coming back to me.

I miss having cats. Currently it would be a disservice to invite one to live with me, so it gives me a happy thrill whenever I'm blessed with a random encounter.

(Photo by me.)

Throwback to a summery photo I took exactly five years ago! It's been a while since Laura Florand published a new novel - I think this one may have been her last. Her French-set romances remain among my favourite comfort reads.

Which familiar stories restore and cheer you?

Among the countless delightful surprises that gave my energy a sudden lift during an exhausting schedule last month was this sculpture outside a bookshop in Xi'an, China.

Photo taken by me.

As certain as change is its accompaniment by an Everything-Was-Better-Before Brigade. A stout representative from a century ago, the (soon-to-be-surprised) character of Mrs Fisher reflects repressively:

Around here, the cherry trees are in blossom. One of the artists whose work I enjoy (and buy) posted an enchanting take on this season, pairing it with some of my favourite things in the world. "Cherry Blossom Book Shop" by Katie Daisy (The Wheatfield on Etsy).

For your consideration, "The World Central Kitchen Cookbook: Feeding Humanity, Feeding Hope" by José Andrés & The World Central Kitchen, with Sam Chapple-Sokol. Published by Clarkson Potter, 2023.

Recipe photography by Kristin Teig. Foreword by Stephen Colbert.

Lovely choice of a poem to celebrate International Women's Day. An English translation by Donald Adamson, from "A Landscape Blossoms Within Me," a collection of Kilpi's poetry:

Two books freshly acquired. Anyone with more than a surface interest in Victorian Britain has probably come across the fascinating Sarah Forbes Bonetta. Now we have been blessed with a historical novel about her life! The second, a romance novel, sounds sweet and charming - irresistible right now.

As a child I was mesmerised by this portrait. I didn’t realise then how unusual a situation it represents. Algiers, 1934, the inscription reads; sitter and artist, my grandmother’s kin, were honeymooning. Yet grandmother's parents were estate gardeners in a poor country with no ties to Algeria. 1/2