This has been a strange couple of months of reading, as I try to figure out what my next project will be. Though reading is my greatest pleasure, nowadays I mostly read books that have something to do with what I'm working on. Sometimes I read to learn facts, but mostly I read to learn about structure, to be inspired by the way other, better writers do things. As I've sort of toggled back and forth between ideas, my reading has shifted, too. Alice & Oliver: A Novel by Charles Bock This one was purely for pleasure. A galley came across my desk. The book is devastatingly beautiful.

Ashley's War by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon I learned a ton.

Redeployment by Phil Klay Turns out this book is every bit as good as everyone said it was.

A Spell of Winter by Helen Dunmore Just a quick distraction. I always enjoy a juicy gothic.

Fobbit by David Abrams Juicy and maddening in the best way.

The Imperfectionists by Tom Rachman Rereading every bit as fabulous as the first time.

Bring Up the Bodies by Hilary Mantel I want the sequel! And another after that.

The Beggar Maid by Alice Munro Glorious sentences.