my favourite reads of January 2026

The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie (1960)

Includes the stories The Mystery of the Spanish Chest, The Under Dog, Four-and-Twenty Blackbirds, The Dream, and Greenshaw’s Folly.

All good stories. Very enjoyable. 

Art, Annotated by DK (2024)

A huge, heavy book, and an excellent survey of 500 pieces of art. 

The Art of Beatrix Potter (1955)

Includes an essay from Anne Carroll Moore on her relationship with Beatrix Potter, as well as samples of her portfolio (from age 9!) and illustrated letters she sent to young friends and relations. 

The letters ‘written’ by some of her characters are priceless. Sent from Tom Thumb: ‘Honoured Madam. Would you forgive my asking whether you can spare a feather bed? The feathers are all coming out of the one we stole from your house.’

Christmas Pudding by Nancy Mitford (1932)

A group of eccentric friends gathers at a country house for Christmas.

This started off so brilliantly. I was live, laugh and loving it, but then it started to lose its juice when the attention focused on Philadelphia Bobbin (easily the least interesting character) and her potential love affairs. The first bit was hilarious, though.

Everyone This Christmas Has a Secret by Benjamin Stevenson (2024)

Ernest Cunningham is forced into action again when his ex-wife is found covered in blood, alone in the house with her murdered fiance. 

A quick, fun read.

Pigeon Pie by Nancy Mitford (1940)

Lady Sophia Garfield does some basic admin work during the war, but wishes she could be a glamorous spy. Despite her belief in her own skills, she somehow fails to pick up on a spy ring being run out of her own home until it’s almost too late. 

Amusing.

Sabzi by Yasmin Khan (2025)

It’s the rare cookbook I’d recommend here, but this definitely qualifies. Extremely appealing recipes, and as a bonus, there are zero photos of the author grinning and posing like a madwoman on every page like every other godforsaken cookbook these days.

Sweet Danger by Margery Allingham (1933)

A thriller in which Campion and friends try to track down pieces of evidence that would restore the ownership of an old principality to its rightful rulers.

This one was a bit weird, but there were lots of funny moments and I liked it.

Other reads not on the list:

Flora Nouveaux: Not Your Grandma’s Dried Flowers by Carla Wingett (always been a fan of dried flowers, but how she thinks the average person would access her fancy materials is a mystery)

Journal of a Country Curate by Francis Kilvert (DNF – grossed out by his remarks on little girls)

Kurashi at Home by Marie Kondo (totally agree with her premise that a sane environment makes you feel good, but doubt I’ll be hand-washing my floors any time soon)

A Mind to Murder by PD James (really slow first half and by the time it started to pick up I had soured on it)

Outwitting Housework by Barty Phillips (misnamed – I expected ideas for preventing and simplifying housework, not just basic tips on how to clean)

The Plan by Kendra Adachi (thought I’d get more out of it than I did, but it’s definitely aimed at younger mothers)

Shibui: The Japanese Art of Finding Beauty in Aging by Sanae Ishida (vague, brief)

The Woman’s Book of Creativity by C Diane Ealy (very dry analysis of creativity, ironically)

Yoshuku: The Japanese Art of Manifesting by Azumi Uchitani (like Shibui, above, and all the other boring ‘cultural curiosity’ books I’ve read recently – give me specific suggestions instead of endless pages of ‘isn’t being Japanese/Swedish/whatever nationality great?’)

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second half of January 2026

January was snowy and cold and grey and perfect. If only it didn’t pass so quickly.

The birds might disagree.

Evie likes taking us for a walk in the snow and helping identify whatever this (probably poisonous) thing is:

Northern cinnabar polypore? We aren’t sure.

Evie may be an outdoorswoman, but she also likes relaxing in front of the wood stove:

I’ve been…

baking banana walnut chocolate chip cake (very, very good)

knitting another hot water bottle cover for Anna

learning the word ‘rumbustious’ (meaning boisterous or unruly), which turned up twice within a week in two novels by different authors

making huge batches of soup for the freezer

reading They Left Us Everything by Plum Johnson and The Jane Austen Year

watching the new Maigret on PBS (not good) and Digging for Britain (always great)

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birds, family, I've been, Nova Scotia

first half of January 2026

January is the best month, hands down. Christmas is over, but there are still plenty of treats around. The skies are grey and easy on the eyes. Leafless trees mean the birds are easy to spot. Cooler temperatures mean tea, blankies, candles and deep sleep every night. I love it all. I wish it was like this all year.

There was some minor, annoying excitement last week when Anna came out of work to a completely flat tire. After CAA put on her spare, we swapped cars so she could drive without worry to work the next day and surprise! Our car had an aggressively leaky tire, too. Sigh. Both vehicles have now been to the garage for new tires and other repairs (why are brake pads seemingly made of tissue paper?) so it was time for the dishwasher to break down two days ago.

I’ve been…

baking sheet-pan banana pancakes

knitting another hooded scarf

making yogurt

reading Dorie’s Anytime Cakes by Dorie Greenspan, Flora Nouveaux by Carla Wingett and A Mind to Murder by PD James

watching The Marlow Murder Club and Unforgotten, season 6

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birds, family, I've been

December 2025

Every year I swear next December will be different. Shopping, making, wrapping, baking, cooking, cleaning – I’ll start all of it earlier and cruise into Christmas Day serenely on top of everything. Ha.

I do get a little more organized with every passing year, it’s true. The Christmas Binder™ of plans, lists, recipes and games helps a lot. Not having a whole month of Christmas concerts, class parties, Secret Santas and so on for three kids on top of all the other stuff helps even more. 

And yet, by December 24 every year, I want to lie down and sleep for a week. After a few festive days of breaking up animal fights, endless dishwasher loads and non-stop eating, everyone gathers their loot and goes home and it takes a week to clean up again. I like Christmas, I do, but I like not-Christmas more.

Two of my guests, Nadja and Simon:

This guest was not allowed indoors:

Before the pressure got to be too much, there were walks with Anna and Evie.

May 2026 be kind to us all. 

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animals, birds, family, Nova Scotia, walks

my favourite reads of December 2025

The Allingham Case-book by Margery Allingham (1969)

A collection of short stories, some featuring Albert Campion.

Funny, clever, really enjoyable.

Cover Her Face by PD James (1962)

A devious housemaid is strangled in her bed and Dalgleish discovers she had a lot of enemies.

The first PD James I’ve ever read and I liked it a lot.

Do Admit! by Mimi Pond (2025)

A biography of the infamous Mitford sisters in graphic novel form.

I find graphic novels like this a bit hard to read when there are lines of text all over the page in every direction, but the Mitford sisters are so fascinating I persevered.

Night at the Vulcan by Ngaio Marsh (1951)

Young actress Martyn Tarne stumbles into a job as a dresser in a play with a cast that has complicated feelings about each other. When the star actor dies, some of the cast and crew are happy for her to take the blame.

A bit slow-moving and too focused on how sweet and charming Martyn is, but it was still pretty good.

Police at the Funeral by Margery Allingham (1931)

The fiancée of an old friend of Campion’s is the personal companion to a spiky elderly lady, who lives with her strange and unlikeable adult children and nephews, one of whom has disappeared. Campion goes to investigate.

Not my favourite Allingham, but her B-list books are still better than a lot of other authors’ A-list ones, if you ask me.

Remarkable Diaries (2020)

A large, beautifully illustrated book on diaries through the centuries, with a good range of subjects. It inspired me to hunt down a few so I can read more.

The Yellow Dog by Georges Simenon (1931)

Maigret is brought in to investigate when a would-be assassin seems to be targeting a group of influential men in a small town. 

Simenon is economical – no wasting time on extraneous conversation or character-building or much description of any sort. I like it.

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the second half of November 2025

Without doubt, this is the best time of year for walking. Even when we’re being watched by fearsome predators.

I lose my mind a bit, stopping to take pictures of everything as if I’ve never seen snow before.

Other than gaping at precipitation, I’ve spent way too much time online shopping for Christmas presents, which never fails to be both stressful and infuriating. Far more enjoyable has been the time I’ve spent knitting top-secret Christmas presents, which can be revealed here in January if I can remember to take photos before doling them out.

I’ve been watching Annika (it’s okay) and reading a bunch of good books, including Do Admit!, The Allingham Case-book, How to Be a (Bad) Birdwatcher and Cover Her Face. 

Sadly, my uncle Cecil died at the end of the month. He was a good guy and I’ll miss him.

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my favourite reads of November 2025

Art Work by Sally Mann (2025)

Part memoir and part advice to young photographers and artists of all kinds.

I wasn’t familiar with Sally Mann or her work before stumbling across this book, but I found her really funny and interesting and wise. 

Catching the Big Fish by David Lynch (2006)

Short pieces on film-making, transcendental meditation, reminiscences and his philosophies on life. 

I didn’t like it as much as Sally Mann’s Art Work, but I enjoyed his perspective. It’s just a book, of course, but I get the feeling he was a pretty decent, thoughtful kind of guy.

Every Salad Ever by Greta Podleski (2025)

I’ve always avoided those Looneyspoons cookbooks because the cartoons and overwhelming punniness are definitely not my thing, but this is cartoon-free and minimally punny and the recipes are very do-able in terms of time, effort and ordinary ingredients. I also like that the author wanted to keep it Canadian and off of Amazon. Gotta love a person with principles.

Leonard and Hungry Paul by Rónán Hession (2019)

Follows two quiet, gentle bachelors through some ordinary ups-and-downs of life. 

I kept waiting for terrible characters to come along and hurt them, but this is a world populated by mostly good and kind people. It’s a nice, ordinary story about nice, ordinary people.

Look to the Lady by Margery Allingham (1931)

Albert Campion helps the Gyrth family save an ancient chalice, a family heirloom, from thieves contracted to steal it for a wealthy buyer.

Very entertaining. I’m starting to think Margery Allingham might be my favourite author from The Golden Age of Detective Fiction.

A huge thanks to the Edmonton Public Library for sending a copy all the way to NS.

The Peepshow by Kate Summerscale (2024)

The fascinating and enraging story of the horrific murders committed by Reg Christie in London in the 1950s, as well as the effects that covering the story had on journalists and journalism.

Excellent, compelling reading, just like all Kate Summerscale’s books.

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first half of November 2025

Woohoo, it’s cosy season: flannel shirts, woollen shawls and socks, hot cocoa, beeswax candles and long, dark evenings. I miss these sensory comforts so much during the summer.

Anna, Evie and I have been walking quite a bit while the weather is perfect:

I’ve been reading The Allingham Case-Book and Sorrow and Bliss, watching Dalgleish and Walking with Dinosaurs, knitting a hooded scarf thing (we’ll see), and baking brownies (oh yes), yogurt poppy seed cake (meh) and pear cake (okay, but I’ll make improvements next time).

And watching birdies, of course:

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birds, family, walks