Winter is the time for books

In case you didn't know, I love to read. I keep an updated list of the books I've been reading just over on the right side of your screen there — scroll down a wee bit to find it. If you've visited here before, it won't surprise you to see that much of what I read is food related.

Have I also told you about how much I love the Ann Arbor library system? You can read my rant on the subject here. I recently visited the Pittsfield branch and it is stunning. The building opened in 2006 and is a great example of sustainable design.

Below is a look at the cozy reading room looking out over the marshes with gorgeous modern armchairs and a working fireplace. Magical!

Two of my favorites books from the past year are This Organic Life: Confessions of a Suburban Homesteader by Joan Dye Gussow and Alice Waters and Chez Panisse by Thomas McNamee. They are both fascinating portraits of strong personalities and their relationship to food as well as the people around them — and they both have wonderful recipes woven throughout. I'm also a sucker for great Indian sagas like Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts or The Far Pavilions by M.M Kaye. This year, in a similar tradition, I loved The Toss of a Lemon by Padma Viswanathan.

What have you been reading? Anything I shouldn't miss out on?