One of the nice things about winter is that the birds are easier to spot. Without the camouflage of leaves on the deciduous trees, they really stand out. It’s been restful watching them go about their day – hunting worms and insects, eating winter berries, and then drinking from the pond before they flutter off to perch in a nearby tree. Since I kicked off the new year with a bad respiratory flu, I had a lot of time to stare out the window. In fact, for most of a week my concentration was so poor that I didn’t even feel like reading. Thank goodness that didn’t last long.

I read 53 books in 2025, about a book a week, which is roughly what I read in 2024 too. I’m not sure if this is a new normal for me or a bit of an aberration because it used to be that I’d easily read two books a week. I’ll be tracking my reading again this year and aiming to nudge that annual number back up a bit. Meanwhile, here’s what I’m reading this month.

Letters From Japan by Marie Kondo

Shadows in the Moonlight by Santa Montefiore

The Art of Simple Food by Alice Waters

Books read to date in 2026: 5