Even though I ventured out more this year than I did in post-March 2020, I still mostly stayed home. On a related note, I may have read more books this year than I ever have before. Here are some of my favorites.

I loved "Matrix," Lauren Groff's most recent novel. It's a departure for her, set in medieval England, but as a longtime lover of historical fiction, I think she pulled it off magnificently. I like almost anything with Eleanor of Acquitaine as a well-drawn character. I've had a minor obsession with her since I was a kid and read E.L. Konigsburg's "A Proud Taste for Scarlet and Miniver." If you have a kid in your life who might be into strong women characters in European history, I highly recommend this book, as well as Groff's — though not for kids.

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an image of a bookshelf decorated for the holidays with garland and stockings — Photo by Nancy Klingener