Anita (FAMeulstee) still goes where the books take her in 2022 (2)

Welcome to my second thread in 2022!

I am Anita Meulstee (58 59), married to Frank (60) since 1984. We live in Lelystad, the Netherlands. We both love modern art, books and walking.

I have been hanging around in this group a few months after finding LibraryThing in March 2008. I skipped one year (2013), when my reading dropped to almost nothing. This was a side effect of taking Paxil. In 2015 I was able to wean off Paxil, and a year later my reading skyrocketed. The last two years it is slowing down, my initial "reading hunger" has waned a bit.

I read (almost) everything, from childrens and YA books to more serious literature, mysteries, historical fiction, fantasy and I try not to forget to throw some non-fiction into the mix.


Robert S. Erskine - White Rhythm (1999)
At Een Zee van Staal (sculpture park "A Sea of Steel").

total books read in 2022: 56
9 own / 47 library

total pages read in 2022: 17.234

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currently reading:
De vertellingen van duizend-en-één-nacht 3 translated by Richard van Leeuwen

Pieterpad deel II: Vorden-Maastricht by Toos Goorhuis-Tjalsma & Bertje Jens, 208 pages
e-book: De harde kern boek 2 by Frida Vogels, 761 pages, TIOLI #7

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books read in February 2022 (23 books, 7.868 pages, 2 own / 21 library)
book 34: Ilyas by Ernest van der Kwast, 319 pages, TIOLI #15 (msg 118)
book 35: Inham (Cove) by Cynan Jones, 103 pages, TIOLI #4 (msg 119)
book 36: De rode prins (The Red Prince) by Timothy Snyder, 376 pages, TIOLI #3 (msg 120)
book 37: Gekraakt (Come to Grief) by Dick Francis, 273 pages, TIOLI #13 (msg 121)
book 38: De harde kern boek 1 by Frida Vogels, 827 pages, TIOLI #7 (msg 169)
book 39: Mes van dromen (Knife of Dreams; Wheel of Time 11) by Robert Jordan, 847 pages, TIOLI #5 (msg 170)
book 40: Over het doppen van bonen (A Treatise on Shelling Beans) by Wiesław Myśliwski, 383 pages, TIOLI #4 (msg 172)
book 41: De Sparsholt-affaire (The Sparsholt Affair) by Alan Hollinghurst, 463 pages, TIOLI #1 (msg 174)
book 42: De rode anjer (The Red Carnation) by Elio Vittorini, 228 pages, TIOLI #9 (msg 187)
book 43:De laatste eer (The Confession of Brother Haluin; Cadfael 15) by Ellis Peters, 176 pages, TIOLI #13 (msg 188)
book 44: Het rode korenveld (Red Sorghum) by Mo Yan, 510 pages, TIOLI #9 (msg 189)
book 45: De jongen, de mol, de vos en het paard (The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse) by Charlie Mackesy, 128 pages, TIOLI #4 (msg 190)
book 46: Als Beale Street kon praten (If Beale Street Could Talk) by James Baldwin, 319 pages, TIOLI #16 (msg 214)
book 47: Hoe ik nu leef (How I live now) by Meg Rosoff, 200 pages, TIOLI #18 (msg 215)
book 48: Selma by Carolijn Visser, 311 pages, TIOLI #11 (msg 216)
book 49: De magische koningin (Queen of Sorcery; Belgariad 2) by David Eddings, 329 pages, TIOLI #3 (msg 217)
book 50: Binnen de muren (Within the Walls) by Giorgio Bassani, 208 pages, TIOLI #4 (msg 221)
book 51: Het woud der verwachting (In a Dark Wood Wandering) by Hella Haasse, 738 pages, TIOLI #10 (msg 244)
book 52: Langs de IJssel by Kester Freriks, 96 pages, TIOLI #4 (msg 245)
book 53: Maangloed (Moonglow) by Michael Chabon, 417 pages, TIOLI #13 (msg 246)
book 54: De preek over de val van Rome (The Sermon on the Fall of Rome) by Jérôme Ferrari, 239 pages, TIOLI #4 (msg 247)
book 55: Hersenschimmen (Out of Mind) by J. Bernlef, 160 pages, TIOLI #8 (msg 253)
book 56: De ijzeren lelie (The Iron Lily; Mantlemass 5) by Barbara Willard, 218 pages, TIOLI #4 (msg 254)

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books read in January 2022 (33 books, 9.366 pages, 7 own / 26 library)
book 1: Pippi Langkous gaat aan boord (Pippi Goes on Board) by Astrid Lindgren
book 2: De onderstroom (The Offing) by Benjamin Myers
book 3: Pippi Langkous in Taka-Tukaland (Pippi in the South Seas) by Astrid Lindgren
book 4: Het vierde offer (Borkmann's Point; Van Veeteren 2) by Håkan Nesser
book 5: De terugkeer (The Return; Van Veeteren 3) by Håkan Nesser
book 6: Drie sterke vrouwen (Three Strong Women) by Marie NDiaye
book 7: De grote angst in de bergen (Terror on the Mountain) by Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz
book 8: 10 minuten 38 seconden in deze vreemde wereld (10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World) by Elif Shafak
book 9: Sjakie en de grote glazen lift (Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator) by Roald Dahl
book 10: De lijst van dingen die niet zullen veranderen (The List of Things That Will Not Change) by Rebecca Stead
book 11: Dochters van een nieuwe tijd by Carmen Korn
book 12: Tijd om opnieuw te beginnen by Carmen Korn
book 13: De tijden veranderen by Carmen Korn
book 14: De lange weg naar huis (The Book of Eels) by Patrick Svensson
book 15: Dankzij de dingen by Rutger Kopland
book 16: De Godden broers (The great Godden) by Meg Rosoff
book 17: Hotel New Hampshire (The Hotel New Hampshire) by John Irving
book 18: Laurier en leeuwerik (The Lark and the Laurel; Mantlemass 1) by Barbara Willard
book 19: De Cock en de dood van de Helende Meesters (De Cock 58) by A.C. Baantjer
book 20: De loot van de brem (The Sprig of Broom; Mantlemass 2) by Barbara Willard
book 21: De witte vesting (The White Castle) by Orhan Pamuk
book 22: De moeder van Nicolien by J.J. Voskuil
book 23: Avontuur Amerika by Cees Nooteboom
book 24: Teleurstellen vergt lef (Dare to Disappoint) by Özge Samanci
book 25: De overlevenden (The Survivors) by Alex Schulman
book 26: Witte onschuld (White Innocence) by Gloria Wekker
book 27: Viersprong van de schemer (Crossroads of twilight; Wheel of Time 10) by Robert Jordan
book 28: De onzichtbaren (The Unseen) by Roy Jacobsen, 252 pages
book 29: Petersburg (Petersburg) by Andrej Bely, 429 pages, TIOLI #13 (msg 11)
book 30: De voorspelling (Pawn of Prophecy; Belgariad 1) by David Eddings, 262 pages, TIOLI #18 (msg 12)
book 31: Benedenwereld (Underland: A Deep Time Journey) by Robert Macfarlane, 507 pages, TIOLI #3 (msg 13)
book 32: Een koude wind (A Cold Wind Blowing; Mantlemass 3) by Barbara Willard, 195 pages, TIOLI #11 (msg 14)
book 33: De oudste zoon (The Eldest Son; Mantlemass 4) by Barbara Willard, 221 pages, TIOLI #11 (msg 38)

February 2022 reading plans

TIOLI February 2022
#1: Read a book in which both the title and the author's name have a qualified set of double letters
- De Sparsholt-affaire (The Sparsholt Affair) - Alan Hollinghurst, 463 pages (library)
#2: The Lincoln Challenge: Read a pair of books, one fiction, the other nonfiction, with the word "Lincoln" or "Lincoln's" in the title/subtitle in honor of Abraham Lincoln's birthday this month.
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#3: Rolling Challenge - Read a book by an Author whose first letter of his/her surname will go towards the spelling of Israel
- De rode prins (The Red Prince) - Timothy Snyder, 376 pages (e-library)
- De magische koningin (Queen of Sorcery) - David Eddings, 329 pages (library)
#4 : Read a book with an uneven number of words in the title
- Binnen de muren (Within the Walls) - Giorgio Bassani, 208 pages (library)
- Inham (Cove) - Cynan Jones, 103 pages (library)
- De jongen, de mol, de vos en het paard (The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse) - Charlie Mackesy, 128 pages (library)
- Langs de IJssel - Kester Freriks, 96 pages (e-library)
- Over het doppen van bonen (A Treatise on Shelling Beans) - Wiesław Myśliwski, 383 pages (e-library)
- De preek over de val van Rome (The Sermon on the Fall of Rome) - Jérôme Ferrari, 239 pages (library)
- De ijzeren lelie (The Iron Lily; Mantlemass 5) - Barbara Willard, 218 pages
#5: Read a book from the Colorado Blue Spruce awards Nominee list found on LT
- Mes van dromen (Knife of Dreams; Wheel of Time 11) - Robert Jordan, 847 pages (library)
#6: Read a book where the main character(s) is/are in a biracial relationship
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#7: Read a book with a number in the title
- De harde kern boek 1 - Frida Vogels, 827 pages (e-library)
#8: Read a book first published or set in the 1980s
- Hersenschimmen (Out of Mind) - J. Bernlef, 160 pages
#9: Read a book that has the word red in the title or author’s name
- De rode anjer (The Red Carnation) - Elio Vittorini, 228 pages (e-library)
- Het rode korenveld (Red Sorghum) - Mo Yan, 510 pages (e-library)
#10: Read a book with an animal in the author's name
- Het woud der verwachting (In a Dark Wood Wandering) - Hella Haasse, 738 pages (library)
#11: Read a book connected to the Lunar New Year
- Selma - Carolijn Visser, 311 pages (e-library)
#12: Read a book connected with the airline industry
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#13: Read a book that is at least the 4th book you have read by that author
- Gekraakt (Come to Grief) - Dick Francis, 273 pages (e-library)
- De laatste eer (The Confession of Brother Haluin; Cadfael 15) - Ellis Peters, 176 pages (library)
- Maangloed (Moonglow) - Michael Chabon, 417 pages (e-library)
#14: Read a Canadian work of fiction that ISN'T by LM Montgomery, Margaret Atwood or Louise Penny
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#15: Read a book that does not bring up the first touchstone
- Ilyas - Ernest van der Kwast, 319 pages (library)
#16: Read a classic by a Black author
- Als Beale Street kon praten (If Beale Street Could Talk) - James Baldwin, 319 pages (library)
#17: Read a book with a 2-word title, by an author with 2 names
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#18: Read a book tagged "future"
- Hoe ik nu leef (How I live now) - Meg Rosoff, 200 pages (e-library)

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January 2022 reading plans

TIOLI January 2022 - SWEEP
#1: Read a book in which the title’s first word and last word have the same number of letters
- Pippi Langkous gaat aan boord (Pippi Goes on Board) - Astrid Lindgren, 102 pages (library)
#2: Read a book first published in my birth year (1972), your birth year or the last year (2021 or 2022)
- Sjakie en de grote glazen lift (Charlie and the Great Glass Elevator) - Roald Dahl, 173 pages (library)
#3: Read a book with pictures
- Pippi Langkous in Taka-Tukaland (Pippi in the South Seas) - Astrid Lindgren, 98 pages (library)
- Benedenwereld (Underland: A Deep Time Journey) - Robert Macfarlane, 507 pages (library)
#4: Read a book that's on some Best of 2021 list
- De Godden broers (The great Godden) - Meg Rosoff, 167 pages (library)
#5: New year, new (to you) author: Read a book by an author who is new to you
- Dochters van een nieuwe tijd - Carmen Korn, 527 pages (e-library)
- De onderstroom (The Offing) - Benjamin Myers, 255 pages (library)
#6: Read a book you acquired in December 2021 (state how you obtained it)
- De terugkeer (The Return; Van Veeteren 3) - Håkan Nesser, 317 pages (e-library)
#7: Read a book by an author whose name has 2 initials or has written at least 22 books
- De Cock en de dood van de Helende Meesters (De Cock 58) - A.C. Baantjer, 136 pages (e-library)
#8: Read a book set in one of the top seven countries from the United Nations 2021 Happiness Report
- De grote angst in de bergen (Terror on the Mountain) - Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz, 190 pages (e-library)
- De onzichtbaren (The Unseen) - Roy Jacobsen, 252 pages (library)
- De overlevenden (The Survivors) - Alex Schulman, 240 pages pages (library)
#9 Read a book written by a Turkish or Turkish born author
- 10 minuten 38 seconden in deze vreemde wereld (10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World) - Elif Shafak, 312 pages (library)
- Teleurstellen vergt lef (Dare to Disappoint) - Özge Samanci, 190 pages (library)
- De witte vesting (The White Castle) - Orhan Pamuk, 205 pages (library)
#10: Read a book whose cover shows women in period costume facing away
- Tijd om opnieuw te beginnen - Carmen Korn, 548 pages (e-library)
#11: Read, or re-read, a work of children's fiction written by a British author or published first in the UK, before 1980
- Een koude wind (A Cold Wind Blowing; Mantlemass 3) - Barbara Willard, 195 pages
- De loot van de brem (The Sprig of Broom; Mantlemass 2) - Barbara Willard, 198 pages
- De oudste zoon (The Eldest Son; Mantlemass 4) - Barbara Willard, 221 pages
#12: Read a book with a specific woman in its title
- De moeder van Nicolien - J.J. Voskuil, 187 pages
#13: Read a book without an article in the title
- Drie sterke vrouwen (Three Strong Women) - Marie NDiaye, 285 pages (e-library)
- Petersburg (Petersburg) - Andrej Bely, 429 pages (e-library)
#14: It's a Lark! Read a book with the word "Lark" (or some variation thereof) in the title or subtitle
- Laurier en leeuwerik (The Lark and the Laurel; Mantlemass 1) - Barbara Willard, 191 pages
#15: Read a book with a "state" in the title
- Hotel New Hampshire (The Hotel New Hampshire) - John Irving, 490 pages
#16: Tidying Up,,,finish a book you started before the New Year
- De lange weg naar huis (The Book of Eels) - Patrick Svensson, 253 pages (library)
- Het vierde offer (Borkmann's Point; Van Veeteren 2) - Håkan Nesser, 315 pages (e-library)
#17: Read a book which includes at least one list
- De lijst van dingen die niet zullen veranderen (The List of Things That Will Not Change) - Rebecca Stead, 230 pages (e-library)
#18: Read a book of adventure, fiction or non-fiction
- Avontuur Amerika - Cees Nooteboom, 303 pages (e-library)
- Viersprong van de schemer (Crossroads of twilight; Wheel of Time 10) - Robert Jordan, 704 pages (library)
- De voorspelling (Pawn of Prophecy; Belgariad 1) - David Eddings, 262 pages (library)
#19: Rolling Challenge: Read a Book Starting with the letters from "Two Faced" in honor of Janus
- Witte onschuld (White Innocence) - Gloria Wekker, 343 pages (e-library)
- Dankzij de dingen - Rutger Kopland, 39 pages
- De tijden veranderen - Carmen Korn, 496 pages (library)

Reading plans in 2022
Reading books from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list
Read some big tomes (1000+ pages)
Read books by Nobel Prize for Literature winners

I join the TIOLI (Take It Or Leave It) challenges each month.

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Some big tomes I might read in 2022:
Ideeën (1-7) by Multatuli, 3846 pages
De droom van de rode kamer (Dream of the Red Chamber) by Cao Xueqin, 2160 pages
Man zonder eigenschappen (The man without qualities) by Robert Musil, 1785 pages
De razende Roeland (Orlando furioso) by Ludovico Ariosto, 1783 pages
De kracht van Atlantis (Atlas shrugged) by Ayn Rand, 1373 pages
Luitenant-kolonel de Maumort (Lieutenant-Colonel de Maumort) by Roger Martin du Gard, 1077 pages
De vertellingen van duizend-en-één-nacht deel 3 translated by Richard van Leeuwen, 1047 pages
Baron by Theun de Vries, 1016 pages

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Some other books I want to read in 2022:
De goddelijke komedie (The Divine Comedy) - Dante Alighieri, 599 pages
✔ Binnen de muren (Within the Walls) - Giorgio Bassani, 207 pages
✔ Petersburg (Petersburg) - Andrei Bely, 429 pages
Anatomie van een moment (The Anatomy of a Moment) - Javier Cercas, 539 pages
Jean-Paul Sartre : zijn biografie (Sartre: A Life) - Annie Cohen-Solal, 610 pages
Het ijzig hart (The Frozen Heart) - Almudena Grandes, 854 pages
Sapiens : Een kleine geschiedenis van de mensheid (Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind) - Yuval Noah Harari, 461 pages
Duitse les (The German Lesson) - Siegfried Lenz, 511 pages
Een beloofd land (A promised land) - Barack Obama, 896 pages
Het eiland van het tweede gezicht (The Island of Second Sight) - Albert Vigoleis Thelen, 960 pages
Aarde der mensen (This Earth of Mankind) - Pramoedya Ananta Toer, 457 pages
De wilde stilte (The wild silence) - Raynor Winn, 318 pages

Tickers

2022 totals





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Totals since 2008:

The new "Charts and Graphs" is fun to use, my readings since 2008:


My reading in previous years in text
2008: 130 books -   35.152 pages   (96,0 ppd)
2009:   78 books -   21.470 pages   (58,8 ppd)
2010: 121 books -   38.209 pages (104,7 ppd)
2011:   84 books -   30.256 pages   (82,9 ppd)
2012:   53 books -   18.779 pages   (51,3 ppd)
2013:   13 books -     3.692 pages   (10,1 ppd)
2014:   17 books -     3.700 pages   (10,1 ppd)
2015:   29 books -   10.080 pages   (27,6 ppd)
2016: 253 books -   72.391 pages (197,8 ppd)
2017: 453 books - 110.222 pages (302,0 ppd)
2018: 534 books - 111.906 pages (306,6 ppd)
2019: 413 books - 110.873 pages (303,8 ppd)
2020: 226 books -   79.216 pages (216,4 ppd)
2021: 288 books -   94.339 pages (258,5 ppd)

Lists on my WikiThing

The best books I have read, by year first published
My Five star reads
The books by Nobel prize winners I have read
The Booker prize winners I have read
The Pulitzer prize winners (fiction) I have read
The winners of some Dutch literary prizes

Series I read, a list to keep track

Alan Banks by Peter Robinson (re-read 4/20)
1 Stille blik; 2 Nachtlicht; 3 Tegenstroom; 4 Zondeval; 5 Schijnbeeld; 6 Woensdagkind; 7 Zwanenzang; 8 Innocent Graves (not translated); 9 Dead Right (not translated); 10 Verdronken verleden; 11 Kil als het graf; 12 Nasleep; 13 Onvoltooide zomer; 14 Vuurspel; 15 Drijfzand; 16 Hartzeer; 17 Duivelsgebroed; 18 Overmacht; 19 Uitschot; 20 Dwaalspoor; 21 Dankbare dood; 22 Slachthuisblues

The Belgariad by David Eddings 2/5
1 De voorspelling; 2 De magische koningin; 3 Tovenaarsgambiet; 4 Het lied van de Orbus; 5 Eindspel

Ari Thór Arason by Ragnar Jónasson 1/3
1 Sneeuwblind; 2 Inktzwart; 3 Poolnacht

Bernie Gunther by Philip Kerr 7/12
1 Een Berlijnse kwestie; 2 Het handwerk van de beul; 3 Een Duits requiem; 4 De een van de ander; 5 Een stille vlam; 6 Als de doden niet herrijzen; 7 Grijs verleden; 8 Praag fataal; 9 De man zonder adem; 10 De vrouw van Zagreb; 11 De schaduw van de stilte; 12 Pruisisch blauw; 13 Vergeven en vergeten; 14 Metropolis

Broeder Cadfael by Ellis Peters 16/20
1 Het heilige vuur; 2 Het laatste lijk; 3 Het gemene gewas; 4 De kwade knecht; 5 De eenzame bruid; 6 De kille maagd; 7 Het vege lijf; 8 De duivelse droom; 9 De gouden speld; 10 Een wisse dood; 11 Een hard gelag; 12 De ware aard; 13 Een witte roos; 14 Het stille woud; 15 De laatste eer; 16 Het rechte pad; 17 Een zijden haar; 18 Een lieve lust; 19 De heilige dief; 20 De verloren zoon

De Cock by A.C. Baantjer 58/71

Erast Fandorin by Boris Akoenin 3/7
1 Fandorin; 2 Turks gambiet; 3 Leviathan; 4 De dood van Achilles; 5 Bijzondere opdrachten; 6 Staatsraad; 7 De kroning

George Smiley by John Le Carré 4/9
1 Telefoon voor de dode; 2 Voetsporen in de sneeuw; 3 Spion aan de muur; 4 Spion verspeeld; 5 Edelman, bedelman, schutter, spion; 6 Spion van nobel bloed; 7 Smiley's prooi; 8 De laatste spion; 9 Een erfenis van spionnen

Guido Brunetti by Donna Leon 26/29
1 Dood van een maestro; 2 Dood in den vreemde; 3 De dood draagt rode schoenen; 4 Salto mortale; 5 Acqua alta; 6 Een stille dood; 7 Nobiltà; 8 Fatalità; 9 Vriendendienst; 10 Onrustig tij; 11 Bedrieglijke zaken; 12 De stille elite; 13 Verborgen bewijs; 14 Vertrouwelijke zaken; 15 Duister glas; 16 Kinderspel; 17 Droommeisje; 18 Gezichtsverlies; 19 Een kwestie van vertrouwen; 20 Dodelijke conclusies; 21 Beestachtige zaken; 22 Het onbekende kind; 23 Tussen de regels; 24 Ik aanbid je; 25 Eeuwige jeugd; 26 Wat niet verdwijnt; 27 Vergiffenis; 28 De troonopvolger; 29 Duister water

John Rebus by Ian Rankin 3/18
1 Kat & muis; 2 Blindeman; 3 Hand & Tand; 4 Ontmaskering; 5 Zwartboek; 6 Vuurwerk; 7 Laat maar bloeden; 8 Gerechtigheid; 9 Door het lint; 10 Dode zielen; 11 In het duister; 12 Valstrik; 13 Lazarus; 14 Een kwestie van bloed; 15 De rechtelozen; 16 Gedenk de doden; 17 Laatste ronde; 18 Cold case;

Konráð by Arnaldur Indridason 3/4
1 Smeltend ijs; 2 Boven water; 3 Smeulend vuur; 4 Þagnarmúr (not yet available in Dutch translation)

Konrad Sejer by Karin Fossum 5/14
1 Eva's oog; 2 Kijk niet achterom; 3 Wie de wolf vreest; 4 De duivel draagt het licht; 5 De Indiase bruid; 6 Zwarte seconden; 7 De moord op Harriet Krohn; 8 Een andere voorkeur; 9 Kwade wil; 10 De waarschuwer; 11 Veenbrand; 12 De fluisteraar; 13 De verduistering; 14 Zwanenzang

Martin Beck by Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö 7/10
1 De vrouw in het Götakanaal; 2 De man die in rook opging; 3 De man op het balkon; 4 De lachende politieman; 5 De brandweerauto die verdween; 6 De man die even wilde afrekenen; 7 De verschrikkelijke man uit Säffle; 8 De gesloten kamer; 9 De politiemoordenaar; 10 De terroristen

Martin Servaz by Bernard Minier 2/5
1 Een kille rilling; 2 Huivering; 3 Verduistering; 4 Schemering; 5 Weerzin; 6 Afdaling

Het rad des tijds (Wheel of Time) by Robert Jordan (and Brandon Sanderson) 12/15
0 Een nieuw begin; 1 Het oog van de wereld; 2 De grote jacht; 3 De herrezen draak; 4 De komst van de schaduw; 5 Vuur uit de hemel; 6 Heer van chaos; 7 Een kroon van zwaarden; 8 Het pad der dolken; 9 Hart van de Winter; 10 Viersprong van de schemer; 11 Mes van Dromen; 12 De naderende storm; 13 De Torens van Middernacht; 14 Het licht van weleer

Van Veeteren by Håkan Nesser 3/11
1 Het grofmazige net; 2 Het vierde offer; 3 De terugkeer; 4 De vrouw met de moedervlek; 5 De commissaris en het zwijgen; 6 De zaak van Münster; 7 Carambole; 8 De dode op het strand; 9 De zwaluw, de kat, de roos en de dood; 10 Van Veeteren en de zaak-G; 11 De vereniging van linkshandigen

Books acquired in 2022: 8

January
Verdriet is het ding met veren - Max Porter
Morgen - Walter Kappacher
De droom van de rode kamer - Cao Xueqin (e-book)
Lezen als geschenk - Robert Macfarlane (e-book)

February
De wand - Marlen Haushofer
Terug naar Reims - Didier Eribon
De Sparsholt-affaire - Alan Hollinghurst
Kind van een vreemde - Alan Hollinghurst

Welcome!

book 29: Petersburg by Andrej Bely
library, e-book, translated from Russian, English translation Petersburg, 429 pages
TIOLI Challenge #13: Read a book without an article in the title

I liked the story, set in 1905 Sint Petersburg. Nicolai Ableukhov is in revolutionairy circles, and is supposed to plant a bomb in his fathers room. His father, Apollon Ableukhov, is a minister in the tsarist regime. The bomb is set early in the story, and ticks away to go off in 24 hours.
I didn't like the writing style. It took me two attempts, and a fairly long time to get through.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 30: De voorspelling by David Eddings
library, translated, original title Pawn of Prophecy, 262 pages
TIOLI Challenge #18: Read a book of adventure, fiction or non-fiction

Belgariad book 1
After a prologue, where the history and outlines of the world are described, we meet young Garion. He lives on a farm with his aunt Pol. Life is good, and quiet, but that will change soon.
Nice start into this series.

Dutch title translated: The prophecy

book 31: Benedenwereld : Reizen in de diepe tijd by Robert Macfarlane
library, non-fiction, translated, original title Underland: A Deep Time Journey, 507 pages
TIOLI Challenge #3: Read a book with pictures

My first 5* read in 2022.
Exploring the depths of earth. Macfarlane takes us to caves, rivers flowing beneath, mines, the roots of trees (and the fungus connecting them), glaciers etc. All affected by human activities, from war to plastic waste on the shores, from nuclear waste stored in deep caves to glaciers melting because of climate change. A breathtaking journey, written in rich prose.

Dutch title translated: Underworld : Travels in the deep time

book 32: Een koude wind by Barbara Willard
own, YA, translated, original title A Cold Wind Blowing, 195 pages
TIOLI Challenge #11: Read, or re-read, a work of children's fiction written by a British author or published first in the UK, before 1980

Mantlemass book 3
Piers Mengel, second son of Mengel Plashet of Ghylls Hatch, gets caught in the troubles of the time, King Henry VIII closes the monastries, affecting his uncle. He promishes his uncle to take care of a woman, who is threathened. This puts his life upside down.

Re-reading the next Mantlemass books right now :-)

English and Dutch title are the same

Happy new thread, Anita.
>1 FAMeulstee: I like the artwork. Thank God it is supposed to represent a crowd and not a tattered book, as I thought at first sight.😉
I wish you a wonderful start into the week.

>15 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas.
Although I know Erskine based this sculpture on his view on crowds, I see it as some kind of fantasy animal, a caterpillar perhaps?
It is located in Wijk aan Zee, near Tata Steel. In 1999, when the Dutch steel company merged into the Corus Group, artists were invited to make steel sculpteres: Een Zee van Staal (A Sea of Steel).

>14 FAMeulstee: Hmm, that doesn't sound like a children's book... YA, that's more possible, sounds like an interesting historical novel.

>17 zuzaer: I would say it is for teens. It is part of a series that follows a family in England in the late 15th and 16th century.

Happy new thread Anita!

Petersburg and Underland are both on my TBR pile. I must move them nearer the top.

I love the sculpture!

>19 Sakerfalcon: Thank you, Claire!
I really recommend Underland, you might like Petersburg better than I did.

So do I, the picture is the background on my laptop.

Happy new thread, Anita. The first thought that occurred to me when looking at your topper was that it was a sort of caterpillar. :-)

Happy new thread!

>21 jessibud2: I also saw the caterpillar when I looked at it :)

I like your new topper. I went looking for a photo of a similar(ish) sculpture / work of art on a sculpture trail near me (or at least, in north west England) called The Singing Ringing Tree and instead found this list of ten public sculptures & trails in the UK, only one of which I've seen (the Kelpies).

I love the top one - reminds me of a toy I used to have.
https://www.theguardian.com/travel/2021/apr/15/10-best-places-outdoor-art-in-uk-...

>21 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley, we think alike :-)

>22 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita, that makes three of us :-)

>23Thank you, Charlotte, I found "The Singing Ringing Tree" picture below.
I can understand you thought of that sculpture seeing the one above.
And thanks for the link, some very beautiful art!


from wikipedia

Now going to face the storm for our daily walk, getting some forgotten groceries at the supermarket at about 3 kilometer.

Happy new thread! I love the sculpture in >24 FAMeulstee:.

Happy new thread, Anita.

>1 FAMeulstee: Love the sculpture, I have seen it in the dune valley where it is placed, nice place.

>24 FAMeulstee: Love this one as well.

You have added to my TBR, Underland for certain, but the Mantlemass series sounded appealing as well.

>13 FAMeulstee: I loved Underland. Impressive feat to have a book make me feel claustrophobic.

>26 drneutron: Thank you, Jim.
It looks lovely, would like to see it in real.

>27 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella.
It is nicely placed at the top of a dune, surrounded by the other sculptures.
I liked Macfarlanes previous books, but Underland was great. I am not sure how available the Mantlemass books are.

>28 Oberon: Thanks, Erik, luckely I am not claustrophobic at all. I can understand how someone more prone to it could feel about some descriptions in Underland.

Happy new thread Anita!

>1 FAMeulstee: At first glance, I wondered how the sculptor got the whole thing to float in mid-air.

Happy new thread!

>1 FAMeulstee: >23 charl08: I love the huge "floating" sculptures and how they become part of the landscape and our memories of the landscape.

Happy new thread, Anita.
>1 FAMeulstee: "I read (almost) everything" is a wonderful understatement!

>30 humouress: Thank you, Nina.
It is placed at the top of a dune, wich gives the "floating" perspective.

>31 quondame: Thank you, Susan.
Yes, you nailed it, they change the landscape and become part of it.

>32 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul.
It has happened, when nothing else to read around, that I was reading the text on milk cartons... ;-)

>33 FAMeulstee: I'm sorry, but we all know that text on milk cartons and such are the best reads ;)

>13 FAMeulstee: Yay for a first five-star read!

New thread greetings, Anita.

Happy new thread, Anita!

>34 zuzaer: LOL!

>35 richardderus: Thank you, Richard, the first 5* is always a highlight in the reading year.

>36 AMQS: Thank you, Anne!

book 33: De oudste zoon by Barbara Willard
own, YA, translated, original title The Eldest Son, 221 pages
TIOLI Challenge #11: Read, or re-read, a work of children's fiction written by a British author or published first in the UK, before 1980

Mantlemass book 4
Harry Mengel, first son of Mengel Plashet of Ghylls Hatch, never liked horses. He would like to work with iron, but Ghylls Hatch has always been in horse breeding. When Harry buys a small horse for his daughter, he brings disaster to all.

English and Dutch title are the same

And with the last book read and reviewed, it is time for the January stats:

January 2022 in numbers

33 books read, 9.366 pages, 302,13 pages a day

--
books:

own books: 7
from the library: 26

male author: 18
female author: 15

originally written in Dutch: 4
translated into Dutch: 29
- original language:
  English: 15
  French: 2
  German: 3
  Norwegian: 1
  Russian: 1
  Swedish: 6
  Turkish: 1

fiction: 28
non-fiction: 5

paper books: 22
e-books: 11

mystery/police procedural: 3
childrens/YA: 11
1001 books: 0
  Total 1001 books since 2008: 225
Dutch Canon: 0
  Total Dutch Canon since 2008: 35 of 125

--
pages:

0 - 100 pages: 2
101 - 200 pages: 9
201 - 300 pages: 10
301 - 400 pages: 5
401 - 500 pages: 3
501 - 999 pages: 4
1000+ pages: 0

longest book 548 pages
shortest book 39 pages
average book 284 pages

--
own books read are on the shelf since:

before 2008: 6
2017: 1

--
date first published:

20th century
1910s: 1
1920s: 1
1940s: 2
1970s: 5
1980s: 5
1990s: 3

21st century
2000s: 3
2010s: 11
2020s: 3

--
ratings:

  1
  3
12
12
  4
  1

--
Best books in January


Benedenwereld (Underland: A Deep Time Journey) by Robert Macfarlane


De grote angst in de bergen (Terror on the Mountain) by Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz
De overlevenden (The Survivors) by Alex Schulman
De moeder van Nicolien by J.J. Voskuil

===

walking in January: walked 30 days, 174,1 km; average 5,80 km/a day

e-biking in January: biked 1 day, 15,1 km; average 15,10 km/a day

Very detailed statitic! I wish I could read 300 pages a day... alas. Good to see you rather like your books.

Out of curiosity: do you finish all the books you start reading, or do you just not include them in your statistics?

>40 zuzaer: Thank you, Zuzaer. As I said before: I spend a lot of time reading, about 5 to 6 hours a day, so on a good day I read many pages.
I rarely abandon books, if I do I don't include them. In my LT library I have a collection "Niet uitgelezen" (Not finished), with the 6 books I didn't finish since 2008.
Some others in the group include the pages read of abandoned books.

>39 FAMeulstee: Very impressive, Anita.
And your sports activities are also remarkable.
I need to move more, the home office is a big disadvantage in this respect.

>42 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas, it was a very good reading month.
A daily walk becomes addictive through time ;-)
I can imagine that being at home all the time doesn't help. Maybe do a little walk at lunch time?

After lunch I have an important appointment - power napping.
But the days were slowly getting longer again, so we will go out more often after work when it's bright.

>44 SirThomas: Getting enough rest is also very important, Thomas.
May the longer days increase your moving.

>33 FAMeulstee: I smiled at your comment. xx

Great stats and wonderful to see you beating a book a day again.

>46 PaulCranswick: Glad the comment did as intended, Paul :-)
Thank you, next month probably less stellar numbers. I had to lower my thyroid meds, so the number of pages a day will go down. And I have some big ones planned.

Hi Anita, and happy new thread!

>2 FAMeulstee: Outstanding reading month for you, congratulations.

>6 FAMeulstee: Alas, my ‘Charts and Graphs’ would be skewed since I do not keep books in my catalog that aren’t on my shelves.

>39 FAMeulstee: As always, I love your detailed stats.

>48 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen!
January was a very good reading month, very pleased with it.
I keep them in my "Read but unowned" collecion, to keep the numbers of my own books straight. But then I remember you don't use collections (?). Maybe a second membership with only the books you read? Probably all to much trouble for using "Charts & Graphs" ;-)
Thanks, I love to make the stats at the end of the month.

Tuesday? The First of February? 2022?!

*eeek*

Old Age is stalking me, Anita, may I hide here where he's sure not to find me?

>50 richardderus: Indeed, Richard dear, time flies!
You may hide here, but it is stalking me too. Day after tomorrow I will be 59!

Happy new-ish thread, Anita! Thanks for stopping by and checking on me. It is much appreciated.

Felicitations on your coming birthday!

>52 alcottacre: Thank you, Stasia. I check on you at least once a day, I just don't always know what to say.

>53 quondame: Thank you, Susan, 27 hours left to enjoy being 58 ;-)

Woordle 227 5/6

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Well... I found the Dutch wordle :-)

>55 FAMeulstee: That's great!! I'm so pleased they've adapted it already.

>56 richardderus: I was pleased to find it, Richard dear.
If you want to try in Dutch: https://woordle.nl/ ;-)

ETA: I also tried Wordle, was a bit more difficult.

>57 FAMeulstee: Before knowing consciously that Wordle was a thing, I've spotted a made-for-fun music version, Byrdle---I guess it's as difficult as a Wordle in one's second language. Even knowing the terminology, it wasn't easy to guess. (Logging out to try the Polish version.)

Anita, such an impressive January. And a well-organized second thread already. Happy to see it.

>58 zuzaer: I didn't know about Wordle either, until some here in the group started to talk about it. How was the Polish version?

>59 AuntieClio: Thank you, Stephanie, January was a good reading month.
I just finish my first February read.

Happy birthday, Anita! I hope you have a wonderful day.

Read, not yet reviewed:
#34: Ilyas by Ernest van der Kwast
 (and with this book I passed 750,000 pages read since 2008!)

Reading now:
De rode prins (The Red Prince) by Timothy Snyder
De Sparsholt-affaire (The Sparsholt Affair) by Alan Hollinghurst
Inham (Cove) by Cynan Jones

>61 alcottacre: Thank you, Stasia, I gladly accept early birthday wishes. It isn't today, it is tomorrow :-)
We will visit my father tomorrow, so he doesn't have to come here. He had some small accidents with the car lately, so we rather go to him, instead of him driving to us.

>63 FAMeulstee: Well, rats. Sorry I messed that up! I hope you enjoy the visit with your father.

>64 alcottacre: Don't feel bad, Stasia, only one day ahead. And thanks, last time we saw him was at Christmas.

>60 FAMeulstee: Polish Wordle (Literalnie, a word that was taken directly from English and from the linguistic point of view shouldn't be really used, since we have a good equivalent) was infinitely better than the Music in English. Not a surprise---one needs to be on an almost native level to be able to solve crosswords and such confidently.

>66 zuzaer: A large vocabulaty is really needed to play those games.

Thanks to you guys I went looking for a Turkish Wordle, and it exists. I got today’s in 4, but with 4 letters in place I was reduced to guessing and got a lot of “that’s not a word”. That doesn’t happen to me in English haha.

>68 ursula: So Wordle is spreading now in many languages on the threads here, Ursula. I find it more difficult in a foreign language. I did the English once, I will keep it at the Dutch version.

Happy new thread, Anita! Impressive January stats - your average pages a day are triple mine :)

Happy birthday, Anita! This year's not quite the change of decade, is it?

Happy Birthday, Anita - Have a wonderful day!

Happy birthday Anita. Hope you have a good visit with your dad.
I am resisting Wordle!

>70 bell7: Thank you, Mary!
You have less time to read than I have, and I won't keep up this pace for a whole year :-)

>71 richardderus: Thank you, Richard dear!
Not yet, and I might celebrate a second 59th birthday next year ;-)

>72 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas!
A good start of the day, finding these birthday wishes on my thread.

>73 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte.
The restaurant at my father's facility is open again (after the last lockdown), so we can have our diner there :-)

Frank gave me four birthday books:
De droom van de rode kamer (Dream of the Red Chamber)- Cao Xueqin (e-book)
  Such a big tome, that I prefer the e-book
Lezen als geschenk (The Gifts of Reading)- Robert Macfarlane (e-book)
  Saw it on Mary's thread (mdoris) just before ordering the above e-book
De wand (The Wall) - Marlen Haushofer
  Read this from the library in 2020 and wanted my own copy
Terug naar Reims - Didier Eribon
  Some reviews made me curious. I have been reading nearly all books by Édouard Louis and this looks like a similair French writer.

>75 FAMeulstee: The Wall is one of my favourite books of all times.

>76 SandDune: It was also made into an exellent film Die Wand, Rhian, have you seen it?

Happy birthday! May those new books give you lots of joy :)

Happy birthday Anita! I hope you have a wonderful day and wish you all the best for the year ahead.

>78 zuzaer: Thank you, Zuzaer, they will.
Although own books tend to stay a long time in line before being read, as library books get in front because of a return date.

>79 Sakerfalcon: Thank you, Claire!
We had a lovely moring, and we will be on our way to The Hague in an hour.

>77 FAMeulstee: Yes I've seen the film as well.

Happy birthday Anita!

Happy birthday, Anita. One more to go till you hit the *big* one! (don't forget to update your post #1! ;-)

Adding to the birthday greetings Anita. I hope there is cake.

I've just spotted a worldwide list of wordles!

>75 FAMeulstee: Happy personal New Year, Anita! Many more to come, please.

Return to Reims is very much a sociologist's book. It's his own life and it still manages to read like a case study. It's very interesting, and worthwhile to have read, but lacks the liveliness of Édouard Louis.

Happy Birthday wishes!

I love birthday books. Dream of the Red Chamber is certainly on my someday list - when I finish Journey to the West on which I've been stalled since last year's TIOLI challenge..

>82 SandDune: It kept very close to the book.

>83 humouress: Thank you, Nina!

>84 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley. I was just thinking I should do that :-)
I will do, right after responding to all lovely birthday messages.

>85 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you, Caroline. No cake, but at the restaurant I got a small firework fountain on my dessert plate!
My father told them I had a birthday, and the cook had a few other extra's for us :-)

>86 zuzaer: Thank you, Zuzaer!

>87 richardderus: Thank you, Richard! I hope so :-)
Thanks, I could have know you had read Return to Reims. It still sounds good to me.

>88 quondame: Thank you, Susan. Dream of the Red Chamber was first published last year in Dutch translation. Three translators worked on it over a decade.
Journey to the West isn't translated yet. The English abridged Waley translation was translated, but I want to read the whole. I still hope the complete version will come. But these are huge projects, that won't be worth the money invested.

>90 Whisper1: Thank you, dear Linda, such a lovely picture!

Hi Anita my dear, happy new thread. Your reading is going apace as usual, i wish i could get to some of those figures although having Karen at home for all of January has not helped my reading but she has done well leading me seven to five for the month. My reading will start to pick up as she goes back to work tomorrow, lol.

Hope that you and Frank are both well and send love and hugs to both of you from both of us dear friend.

Hi Anita! Wishing you a happy belated birthday. It sounds like it was a good one all around!

>91 FAMeulstee: I'm starting to think that joining LT was the best and the worst thing to do... You've made me interested in Chinese classics and I've already checked I would need to wait four months to borrow one of them. When am I supposed to read all these interesting books?! (Thank you for all the recommendations, don't mind my rambling)

Happy belated birthday, Anita! Glad to see you received some lovely bookish gifts.

Have a fantastic Friday, Anita!

Over 90 messages in a day! I can't keep up, but I'm glad I popped in in time to wish you a happy belated birthday, and a lovely weekend.

>95 zuzaer: LOL! You are always welcome to ramble.
That is sure, LT will make your TBR (To Be Read) stack larger than ever before :-)
Back in 2008, when I found LT, I started with just the books we have on the shelves at home. Through the years it has grown into Mount TBR. I won't read them all, but it is far more easy to find my next book to read.

>96 bell7: Thank you, Mary, I was very pleased with the books.

>97 alcottacre: Thank you, Stasia, wishing you the same!

>98 London_StJ: Thank you, London, a happy birthday it was.
No need to keep up when it goes to fast. I am always happy to see a message from you!
Happy weekend.

>99 FAMeulstee: Strangely, sometimes even the pile of TBRs or of things one has started reading are not enough to capture one's interest... With that in mind, I'm off to read Maus. Or about the Beatles. Who knows.

>100 zuzaer: You will know by now what you are reading.
I usually read more books at the same time, so I can switch to where my mood is going.

>101 FAMeulstee: That's my preferred way of reading, too. Allows for flexibility, depending on the mood.

I wanted to start reading Maus, but the day has passed quickly. But I managed to do a little twist-and-shout in the morning.

>89 FAMeulstee: Glad you got treats at the restaurant and celebrated with your dad Anita.

>102 zuzaer: Maus is a hefty graphic novel, the Beatels book probably an easier read.
And there is always a next day to continue your reading.

>103 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you, Caroline. I am very grateful my father is still around, and that we are good with eachother.

Read, not yet reviewed:
#34: Ilyas by Ernest van der Kwast
  (and with this book I passed 750,000 pages read since 2008!)
#35: Inham (Cove) by Cynan Jones
#36: De rode prins (The Red Prince) by Timothy Snyder
#37: Gekraakt (Come to Grief) by Dick Francis

Reading now:
De Sparsholt-affaire (The Sparsholt Affair) by Alan Hollinghurst
Mes van dromen (Knife of Dreams; Wheel of Time 11) by Robert Jordan

>105 FAMeulstee: Wow! Over 750K pages!! Good going, Anita. I'm hoping the next 750K will come even sooner.

Happy weekend ahead's reads.

>106 richardderus: Thank you, Richard dear! Wishing you a wonderful weekend, filled with enjoyable reads.
If I keep my reading at my present pace, the next 750K should come easy within 10 years. Between 2008 and now I had some very crappy reading years...

Happy New(ish) Thread and Happy Friday, Anita.

>24 FAMeulstee:. Cool!

I hope you have a great weekend.

>105 FAMeulstee: 750k! Wow! Congratulations!
The name Timothy Snyder rang a bell, and I've checked---he's a historian. I'll be very interested in your review of a book written by him!

>104 FAMeulstee: well, and all in all, I didn't start reading Maus... (But I've been to a cinema, can recommend "C'mon c'mon"). Thankfully, tomorrow is Saturday, I have only one thing left to do immediately, and then or before I can begin reading Maus and talk about it on the LT thread.

Dropping in to say hello and wish you a wonderful weekend.

750k is quite something! Congrats :)

Happy belated birthday! I can’t keep up with the threads this year. Impressive reading stats!

>108 jnwelch: Thank you, Joe, happy Saturday!
Frank is still working mainly weekends, so I will be alone the next two nights. Lots of time to read :-)

>109 zuzaer: Timothy Snyder best known book is On Tyranny: Twenty Lessons from the Twentieth Century, I read it 3 years ago, very good.
I haven't been to the cinam in ages, I prefer curling up with a book at home. Or ocasionally watch a movie on the TV-screen.

>110 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita, happy weekend!
Do you have to work this weekend again?

>111 jayde1599: Thank you, Jess, both my birthday and my reading have been good.
The threads always move fast at the start of the year, but this year they are not slowing down like usual.

>112 FAMeulstee: He's going to the wishlist, then.

>112 FAMeulstee: Here's to good reading and good birthdays!

>113 zuzaer: Good!

>114 quondame: Thank you, Susan, I hope you have some good reads on the go!

Wishing you a great weekend, Anita. And a very belated happy birthday.

>116 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul, happy weekend.
And thanks for the birthday wishes, being late prolongs the celebration ;-)

book 34: Ilyas by Ernest van der Kwast
library, Dutch, no translations, 319 pages
TIOLI Challenge #15: Read a book that does not bring up the first touchstone

Peter Lindke is conservator at museum Boijmans van Beuningen in Rotterdam. With his family he just moved to a new house in mixed neighborhood. When a recently discovered painting is attributed to Rembrandt, he openly doubts that on TV. He looses his job, but keeps this from his family. He finds new meaning in life by helping out the cleaning lady, who has many debts. When her life is back on track, she leads him to Ilyas, who is also in big financial trouble. Meanwhile his marriage seems to fall apart.

I love it when a book is set in Rotterdam, and to read about well known places. The writer tries to pack a bit to much in one story. Art of the Golden Age, family trouble, gentrification, the way poor people are treated in The Netherlands, immigrants...

Dutch title translated: Ilyas (the name of a main character)

book 35: Inham by Cynan Jones
library, translated, original title Cove, 103 pages
TIOLI Challenge #4 : Read a book with an uneven number of words in the title

A man goes out on the sea in a kayak, to scatter his fathers ashes into the water. Suddenly the waether changes, and he is struck by lightning. When he comes back from unconsiousness, he desperately tries to survive. Slowly memories of his life return, and he keeps trying to get back on shore.

Found a raving review on Richards thread. Although I am not as smitten by this novel as he was, it was a very good read. Cynan Jones can paint vivid scenes with very few words.

Dutch title translated: Bay (or Cove, but without the double meaning it has in English)

book 36: De rode prins by Timothy Snyder
library, e-book, non-fiction, translated, original title The Red Prince, 376 pages
TIOLI Challenge #3: Rolling Challenge - Read a book by an Author whose first letter of his/her surname will go towards the spelling of Israel

The life of archduke Wilhelm von Habsburg.
He grew up in Austria-Hungary as a member of the royal family, in the time of the decline of the Ottoman empire. In Austria-Hungary some thought this was an opportunity to expand the empire. His father had dreams to become king of a unified Poland. Wilhelm thought he might become ruler of Ukrain. He made a strong case for an independant Ukrain, but at the end of WWI his dream fell apart. In the 1930s, when he lived in Austria, he was slightly involved with nazi ideas, and circles who wanted to restore the Habsburg family back on the Austrian throne. Still thinking there might be a chance for Ukrain. At the end of WWII he spied for the Western allies, but was kidnapped by the Sovjets and died in a Sovjet prison.

Interesting biography, a time and place I hadn't read much about. An other perspective on the start of WWI.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 37: Gekraakt by Dick Francis
library, e-book, translated, original title Come to Grief, 273 pages
TIOLI Challenge #13: Read a book that is at least the 4th book you have read by that author

Sid Halley was after someone who terrible molests young horses. He found out it was his friend Ellis Quint, a polular tv-personality, an ex-jockey, loved by the public. No one believes Ellis cound have done these horrible things. Tomorrow the trial will begin. Then we go back in time, to find out how Sid came to this conclusion.

Although we know the outcome at the start, this is a very good mystery. Not for those who can't read about animal abuse, there are some graphic scenes.

Dutch title translated: Cracked

>120 FAMeulstee: That's the second review of this book I've seen this week... Time to add to wishlist and search the library. I don't know much of the Austria-Hungary before the WWI, so that will certainly be interesting.

>122 zuzaer: Most I have read before was from West-European perspective. Wilhelm von Habsburg was Middle-European, with aims to East-Europe. Although the writer is an American historican.

After days of needing 4/5 guesses, todays Woordle went fine! :-)

Woordle 232 3/6

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>124 FAMeulstee: Congrats :D I usually need 5, although once I've worked out the word in two moves.

Oh! I'm sorry to have missed your birthday, Anita! It had to have been a good one since you got BOOKS!!!! What a husband!!!!! You're another one whose reading blows me away. Anyhow, congratulations for getting through *Wheel 10*! The series does begin to pick up steam with #11. I hate to finish #13 because I'm not eager for Tarmon Gaidon.

Hooray for finding Dutch Wordle! Glad you're joining the rest of us addicts.

I also am awed by the sculptures!

>125 zuzaer: Thanks, doing it in two guesses is really great!

>126 LizzieD: Thank you, Peggy! Don't be sorry, late birthday wishes just prolong the fun :-)
Yes, Frank is the best husband I could have, he loves books as much as I do. Sadly he isn't able anymore to read much. I also got a fairly large sum of money from my father, as he does each year. We gave ourselves a bit of pocket money from it, and the rest will be spend on our walking holiday in March.
Wheel 10 was a hard to get through, the start of Wheel 11 is much more promising.
I was glad to join the Wordle fun with finding the Dutch version. I tried the English, but that one is much harder for me.

I'm very glad you liked Cove, Anita, even if not as much as I did. Quite a powerful tale!

I'd never heard of The Red Prince and it's even Timothy Snyder's work. Onto my TBR directly.

Lovely week-ahead's reads.

>121 FAMeulstee: A dear friend read all of the Dick Francis books. I've never read any of them. I'm trying to get back to reading books from my YA shelves, and all the illustrated books I've collected. Even I believe there are too many books in the house. In 2022, I am making a concerted effort to donate many to friends, to the library, and where ever they are welcomed.

I hope your Sunday is a good day.

>128 richardderus: Thank you, Richard dear. Cove is a powerful tale, although a bit depressing. I do admire the way Cynan Jones can pack a lot in very few words.
The Red Prince was first published in 2008, when Timothy Snyder wasn't known as he is now.
Almost Monday here, going to close my computer after this message, and then read some in bed until I can sleep.

>129 Whisper1: I started reading Dick Francis in the shared reads in this group in 2019, Linda.
They are well written, sometimes a bit much violence. The e-library has most of them.
I try to read books from the shelves, but the library books often push themselves ahead because of due dates. I did read all my children's and YA books, I finished that project in 2020. Only two recent acquisitions have not been read yet.
My Sunday was good, we managed to do our daily walk in the dry hour in between the heavy rains.

>130 FAMeulstee: I agree that there is intense violence in the Dick Francis novels, but really there isn't very much of it in most - sometimes a single incident beyond the initial murder, but when it comes it's almost always a gut punch.

Wow! 750,000 pages; I don't even know what that looks like. Well done!

>131 quondame: A good reason for me to avoid them, then, especially if it involves violence against animals.

>132 humouress: In general it's the protagonist who absorbs the violence. But Bonecrack you must avoid. The others don't carry as harsh a warning.

>131 quondame: >133 quondame: In most books indeed, Susan. The last one I read, Come to Grief see >121 FAMeulstee: , was worse than most. It has both harsh violence against the main character, and animal abuse like in Bonecrack.

>132 humouress: Thank you, Nina, 750,000 pages is a lot of books ;-)
In the two mentioned above there is violence against horses. Like Susan said, in most others it is a gut punch.

Read, not yet reviewed:
#38: De harde kern boek 1 by Frida Vogels

Reading now:
De Sparsholt-affaire (The Sparsholt Affair) by Alan Hollinghurst
Mes van dromen (Knife of Dreams; Wheel of Time 11) by Robert Jordan

And again todays Woordle went fine! :-)

Woordle 233 3/6

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>136 FAMeulstee: Congrats! Mine didn't went well, I didn't solve the word, forgetting about one yellow letter till the very end. I'm still not sure what was the answer... Well, tomorrow is a brand new day.

>134 FAMeulstee: Oh, I've confused Bonecrack with Come to Grief, and it's pretty clear why.

>137 zuzaer: Sorry yours didn't go well today. And it is almost tomorrow ;-)

>138 quondame: Not sure you confused them, Susan, as in both horses are victims.
Warning, animal abuse! in Bonecrack legs of the horses were broken, in Come to grief hooves were cut off

>6 FAMeulstee: so is the chart logging when you added books to LT, or when you (finished) reading them? I never add books as I read, instead I usually do so when I purchase.

>55 FAMeulstee: A Dutch Wordle! Great! Like many, I love the game :)

>137 zuzaer: Doesn't it tell you what the word was, if you didn't guess it?

>140 LovingLit: This chart is based on the books I have marked "read", Megan, and have a finished date.
You can choose of which collection you want to see the Charts & Graphs.
I also add books when I puchase, and when I take them home from the library.

Wordle is very populair here ;-)

>141 humouress: The Dutch version does show the word, if it isn't guessed.

>141 humouress: Well, my version didn't :/

>142 FAMeulstee: Oooh, so all these charts and graphs you make on LT?

>144 zuzaer: At the home page there is a link to "Charts & Graphs".
Lots of fun facts about your library there!

>112 FAMeulstee: Yes, I had to work this weekend again. I have not had a whole weekend off since September. I think that I have a Saturday off in two weeks from now.

I have not tried today's wordle. Yesterdays stumped me and and ended up trying 5 times.

Have a great Tuesday!

>145 FAMeulstee: Thank you, I don't have many books from my family's library yet, but that'll be a good source of information.

(I got today's Wordle with 4 tries!)

>146 figsfromthistle: Working weekends by choice, Anita, or is the work scedule made by others?
My husband works most weekends, by choice, all nightwatches make the scedule together once every three months.
Happy what is left of your Tuesday!

>147 zuzaer: You are welcome, Zuzaer, LibraryThing has so many wonderful features for booklovers!

Read, not yet reviewed:
#38: De harde kern boek 1 by Frida Vogels
#39: Mes van dromen (Knife of Dreams; Wheel of Time 11) by Robert Jordan

Reading now:
De Sparsholt-affaire (The Sparsholt Affair) by Alan Hollinghurst
Over het doppen van bonen (A Treatise on Shelling Beans) by Wiesław Myśliwski

>149 FAMeulstee: I'll be interested in your view on Myśliwski. I haven't read any of his books, but the name caught my eye, as of course I've heard of him. He got a literature award (Nike) for "A Treatise on Shelling Beans"; it's probably he most well-known award in Poland, at least among the whole country, not just an award about which know people from the literature field.
The Polish "blurb" that I was able to find is focusing on the character trying to see how his experiences shaped his life and himself.

"The Sparsholt Affair" also sounds interesting, mostly because I find myself drawn to novels depicting families' lives over the years.

>150 zuzaer: I really liked Myśliwski's Stone Upon Stone, read it a few years back. Since then I wanted to read more by him. I hope to finish A Treatise on Shelling Beans tomorrow. It doesn't grab me yet as much as Stone Upon Stone did. Still a very good read.
He also won the Nike with Widnokrąg (De horizon in Dutch), I hope to read that one too.

I am reading The Sparsholt Affair because I read two other books by Alan Hollinghurst last year: The Swimming Pool Library and The Line of Beauty (won the Booker Prize in 2004).

>151 FAMeulstee: I see the reviews are mostly in Dutch here on LT ;) I'll remember to try and read one of Myśliwski's books, then.

Hollinghurst's novel sound very interesting; honestly, I have too many "interesting books to read" at this point!

>152 zuzaer: Too many? For me never, I have long lists of interesting books I might read one day.
Just think of those as possible reads in the years to come!

>151 FAMeulstee: I went to add Stone upon Stone thinking "I've never heard of this author" and it was already on my wishlist.
All tips for a better memory gratefully received!

>153 FAMeulstee: So many choices, so little time!

>154 charl08: You probably added it when I read it back in 2019, Charlotte.
Can't help you with memory, as I come short too.

Indeed!

>153 FAMeulstee: My soul sibling Anita speaks my truth.

Thursday orisons, my dear.

>156 richardderus: I like that, Richard dear, soul sibling. So of course we agree :-)

>153 FAMeulstee: You're right, a bit of positivity is needed! :D

>148 FAMeulstee: It is mostly due to the schedulers. There is a massive shortage in the hospital I work in and as a result, I end up wearing different hats to keep things running smoothly. There is a benefit that eventually I am able to offset overtime hours/weekend premium and take days off during the week instead.

Hope you have a great weekend!

>158 zuzaer: Yes, reading should be fun :-)

>159 figsfromthistle: So you are the catch it all where needed, Anita.
I hope you can enjoy the benefits of days off soon!
I hope work isn't too demanding this weekend!

Happy Friday, Anita. I am back and trying to catch up on some of the threads. Never easy with this busy place. I hope all is well and have a nice weekend.

>161 msf59: Thank you, Mark, happy Friday!

Beautiful picture of a Toucan, such odd birds with their very long beak.

>161 msf59: Gorgeous bird; but you did not see that in Chicago in winter. Er ... did you?

>163 humouress: Hi Nina!

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Read, not yet reviewed:
#38: De harde kern boek 1 by Frida Vogels
#39: Mes van dromen (Knife of Dreams; Wheel of Time 11) by Robert Jordan
#40: Over het doppen van bonen (A Treatise on Shelling Beans) by Wiesław Myśliwski

Reading now:
De Sparsholt-affaire (The Sparsholt Affair) by Alan Hollinghurst
De rode anjer (The Red Carnation) by Elio Vittorini

Happy weekend's reads, Anita!

Life and work got in the way so just stopping by to say happy weekend!

>165 richardderus: Thank you, Richard dear, I hope the books treat you well!

>166 witchyrichy: Thank you, Karen, happy weekend!
Life and work come first, glad when ever you can make time to stop by :-)

Finished #41: De Sparsholt-affaire (The Sparsholt Affair) by Alan Hollinghurst
Took me a bit longer than the previous Hollinghurst books to get into the story, again it was a great read. Hollinghurst was one of the best finds last year.

Tomorrow I hope to get to the next 4 reviews.

book 38: De harde kern boek 1 by Frida Vogels
library, e-book, Dutch, no translations, 827 pages
TIOLI Challenge #7: Read a book with a number in the title

Berta Mees married an Italian, Stefano. In the first part she describes five visits to the village where Stefano was born. His parents live with a brother and sister of his mother in the house of Stefano's grandparents. The oldest, uncle Mario, has cancer and is near death. There is some trouble in the family, and Berta always will be a stranger in the eyes of her Italian family.
The second part is focusing on the relation between Stefano and Berta, and Berta's visits to Amsterdam, where she meets her friends Jacob and Wiesje. Stefano didn't like the book about uncle Mario, it feels like gossip about his family. Berta hoped he would understand how lonely she feels in Italy. Her friends like the book, and encourage Berta to publish it. She isn't ready to publish it, and the content is discussed at length. Back in Italy Berta and Stefano are growing apart.

Autobiographical novel, the characters Jacob and Wiesje are J.J. Voskuil and his wife.
This book is as addictive as Voskuil's Het bureau. I have the next one ready to read early next month.

Title translated: The hard core book 1

book 39: Mes van dromen by Robert Jordan
library, translated, original title Knife of Dreams, 847 pages
TIOLI Challenge #5: Read a book from the Colorado Blue Spruce awards Nominee list found on LT

Wheel of Time 11
The story finally picks up again. We follow the adventures of Rhand, Matt, Perrin, Egwene, Elayne, and others.

English and Dutch title are the same

Well, I am once again 70+ messages behind with no hope of catching up, so I will just wish you a wonderful week, Anita!

book 40: Over het doppen van bonen by Wiesław Myśliwski
library, e-book, translated from Polish, English translation A Treatise on Shelling Beans, 383 pages
TIOLI Challenge #4 : Read a book with an uneven number of words in the title

An old man gets an unexpected visitor. He tells the visitor about his life, in a long monologue, while shelling beans.
The old man lived through WWII, became an electrician, learned to play the saxophone, made a living in music, and didn't return to Poland when the jazz-ochestra went to the West. After the fall of the Iron Curtain he returned, and ended up looking after a vacation park, near the place where he was born.

The story is told directly to the visitor, so while reading it feels like you are listening. This draws the reading more into this compeling story.

Dutch title translated: About the shelling of beans

>171 alcottacre: Thank you, Stasia, keeping up with the threads is sometimes a bit much.
Wishing you all good reads this week!

book 41: De Sparsholt-affaire by Alan Hollinghurst
library, translated, original title The Sparsholt Affair, 463 pages
TIOLI Challenge #4 : #1: Read a book in which both the title and the author's name have a qualified set of double letters

In five parts, set between 1940 and 2012, Hollinghurst tells the story of David Sparsholt and his son Johnny.
In 1940 David arrives in Oxford. He is good looking and catches the eye of Freddie Green and his friend Evert Dax. Soon David leaves Oxford to become a RAF pilot. The next parts focus on his son Johnny. David has become a succesful man, owning a factory. Johnny never really connects with his father, as he won't follow in his footsteps. He goes to art academy, and becomes a painter. Through his art he gets to know Evert Dax. Johnny is gay and lives with his partner Pat. The affair from the title is mentioned, but we never get to know exactly what it was.

I wish I could describe it better, as this was a wonderful read. I am so glad I discovered Alan Hollinghurst last year! This was the third book by him I have read, and I want to read every book by him available in Dutch translation.

English and Dutch title are the same

Read, not yet reviewed:
#42: De rode anjer (The Red Carnation) by Elio Vittorini

Reading now:
Het rode korenveld (Red Sorghum) by Mo Yan
De laatste eer (The Confession of Brother Haluin; Cadfael 15) by Ellis Peters

Hi Anita!

>49 FAMeulstee: You’re right. I do not use collections. karenmarie only has books on my shelves and ER books I have to keep there to keep my reviews from going poof.

I have a separate account for my wish list books. Since accounts are now free, I could create a third account just for books read. I’ve read 1,472 books since January of 2008 – the first full year I was on LT. I like this idea, thank you.

>74 FAMeulstee: Eek! Sorry I missed your birthday. I hope you had a wonderful day with Frank and your father.

>75 FAMeulstee: Yay for birthday books. I read The Wall in 2000 and it’s still on my shelves. I can understand why you wanted your own copy.

Skippety-skip, all caught up. For now. *smile*

>172 FAMeulstee: Sounds good. I've stuck it on the wishlist.

Lots of good reading again Anita. I understand you liked the Frida Vogels book, when there is a connection to Voskuil. It sounds good, but so did Over het doppen van Bonen, and the Alan Hollinghurst.

I started the Valentine’s Day hunt. Found the first one, will you be trying as well?

>172 FAMeulstee: Added that one to the BlackHole, Anita. Thank you for the review and recommendation!

>176 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen, I had a wonderful birthday.
So I remembered well you didn't use collections.
A third account would work then, but that would be a lot of extra work.
We both kept our readings since 2008 on LT.
Books are the best birthday gifts :-)

>177 charl08: I hope you get to A Treatise on Shelling Beans, Charlotte.

>178 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella, the books treated me well.
Yes, I did the hunt, see next message.

>179 alcottacre: You are very welcome, Stasia!

Well I came here last night to answer above messages.
Then the Valentine Hunt appeared, and I went to find the answers. Just before bedtime I had them all :-)

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Read, not yet reviewed:
#42: De rode anjer (The Red Carnation) by Elio Vittorini
#43: De laatste eer (The Confession of Brother Haluin; Cadfael 15) by Ellis Peters

Reading now:
Het rode korenveld (Red Sorghum) by Mo Yan
Als Beale Street kon praten (If Beale Street Could Talk) by James Baldwin

Two books by Alan Hollinghurst arrived: De Sparsholt-affaire (The Sparsholt Affair) and Kind van een vreemde (The Stranger's Child).
He is now a favorite writer, so I had to have him on the shelves.

>182 FAMeulstee: I am enjoying the level of pleasure that reading Hollingshurst is bringing to you, Anita! It makes me think about the way that there are writers one encounters and responds to in ways that simply can't be predicted in advance.

I hope Red Sorghum ends up appealing to you!

>183 richardderus: Thank you, Richard dear, all three Hollinghurst books were 4½* reads for me.
I love his writing style, and always find his stories interesting. Lives lived are very different from mine, so that expands my horizon. And there is always some kind of art, that is probably the main link of interest.
ETA: I don't think I would have appriciated Hollinghurst as much, when I had found him earlier in life.

Red Sorghum is a though read, so much detailed description of violence. And those poor dogs...
I got a bit much heavy reads planned this month. Have to look for some lighter reads in the library later this week.

>181 FAMeulstee: It was distracting, wasn't it!

>185 quondame: Yes it was, Susan, and fun. It took some time to get them all, reducing reading time ;-)

book 42: De rode anjer by Elio Vittorini
library, e-book, translated from Italian, English translation The Red Carnation, 228 pages
TIOLI Challenge #9: Read a book that has the word red in the title or author’s name

Summer 1924 on Sicily, Alessio and his friend Tarquino are far from home, going to school in a village near the sea. Alessio is nearly seventeen and in love with Giovanna. Tarquino dreams of Zobeida, the most beautiful prostitute in town. They discuss politics, and want to march with the fascists. Alessio's rebelion at school ends in removal, so he can't see Giovanna anymore. He returns home, and with help from his sister he picks up his study again. Back in the city it looks he can start the next class, but then he meets Zobeida, and falls in love. While Tarquino is courting Giovanna.

Nice look into growing up in Italy in the first fascist years.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 43: De laatste eer by Ellis Peters
library, translated, original title The Confession of Brother Haluin, 179 pages
TIOLI Challenge #13: Read a book that is at least the 4th book you have read by that author

Brother Cadfael book 15
In the cold and snowy winter, brother Haluin falls from the roof, while helping to repair. He is seriously injured, and they fear for his life. He does survive, and feels a deep need to confess something from his past. After recovery he gets permission to do a pelgrimage, but because he can't walk well, brother Cadfael goes with him.

The murder only happens halfway, and I guessed the mystery fairly early on. Not the best entry in the series.

Dutch title translated: The last honor

book 44: Het rode korenveld by Mo Yan
library, translated from Chinese, Nobelprize winner, English translation Red Sorghum, 510 pages
TIOLI Challenge #9: Read a book that has the word red in the title or author’s name

Set in North-East China, in present time the grandson of a warlord tells the story of his father and grandfather. At the end of the 1930s the Japanese try to conquer China, diverse Chinese armies (communists, nationalists, local factions) fight together against the Japanese, and also fight eachother.
The grandmother was married of to the son of a very wealthy man. But the son was a leper. One of the men who brought her to her new home, murders the father and son after the marriage, so grandmother became a wealthy widow. The murderer was his grandfather. When war comes to town, their easy life in luxury ends, and grandfather becomes a warlord. The sorghum fields turn red of blood. Lots of detailed descriptions of violence, and torture. Because so many people died, dogs have no owners anymore and turn into wild packs, feeding from the unburried corpses of the slaughtered villagers. This leads up to an epic fight between the people left and the dog packs.
The war with the Japanese goes on, and in the end very few people of the village survive.

The story is told non linear, skipping parts, and going back again. At times a harrowing read.
I think some is ment to be funny, but humor has cultural annotation, so I wasn't always sure.

In the afterword is mentioned that the previous translation of this book, after the English translation, was abridged, to make it more readable to English readers. This new edition was translated directly from the Chinese, after the by Mo Yan revised edition of 2007.

Dutch title translated: The red cornfield

book 45: De jongen, de mol, de vos en het paard by Charlie Mackesy
library, translated, original title The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse, 128 pages
TIOLI Challenge #4 : Read a book with an uneven number of words in the title

Lovely illustrated book about friendship, love and kindness.
The illustrations made me think of E.H. Shepard's illustrations in Winnie-the-Pooh, especially the boy and the mole together look like Chritopher Robin and Winnie-the-Pooh.

English and Dutch title are the same

Up to date with the reviews, so the library books can be returned today.

Reading now:
Als Beale Street kon praten (If Beale Street Could Talk) by James Baldwin
Hoe ik nu leef (How I live now) by Meg Rosoff
Pieterpad deel II: Vorden-Maastricht by door Toos Goorhuis-Tjalsma and Bertje Jens (preparing for the 5th vacation walking the Pieterpad next month)

>189 FAMeulstee: Your comments on Red Sorghum are interesting, Anita, because it is a book I have long planned to read and I was struck that my version is only 359 pages long. I suspect then that it has been slightly abridged as you say or it could be that your Dutch words are so much longer.

>192 PaulCranswick: Most books that are available in Dutch and English are similair in size, Paul. So yes, the English translation is abridged, and so was the first Dutch translation, to make it more accessable.
Maybe a complete English translation has been published since?

>193 FAMeulstee: You could well be right, Anita. I have just gotten home (it is 8 pm here) and I am going to check now.

>194 PaulCranswick: The translator explains this in the afterword, as the first Dutch edition was a translation of the English translation. That is why he felt the need to translate directly from Chinese. The first two chapters were mostly left unabridged, but he said the chapter about the dog packs was reduced with nearly 25%.

ETA: Translations from translations were more usual until the 1970s, especially Japanese and Chinese books. I read two Czech books in recent years, one was translated from the French translation in the 1930s, the other from the German translation in the 1970s.

>193 FAMeulstee: I think I have the unabridged version. Translator notes say: ....this translation is based upon the Tapei Hong-fan Book Co. 1988 Chinese edition, which restores cuts made in the Mainland Chinese edition, published in 1987 by the People's Liberation Army Publishing House in Beijing. "

May read it soon.

>196 PaulCranswick: Based upon could indicate this is the abridged translation, Paul.
The will be also a difference because Mo Yan himself released a new edition in 2007: Hong gaoliang jiazu. - second revised edition 2007, 5th print. - Taibei, Taiwan : Hongfan shudian, Ocktober 2012 (translated from the Dutch edition notes).

Sweet Thursday, Anita. I am always impressed how you manage to read through so many books. Wow! I loved the film version of Red Sorghum) but have not read the book. I also hope to read my first Hollinghurst in the coming months.

>198 msf59: Thank you, Mark, happy Thursday!
I haven't seen the Red Sorghum movie, was it also so violent?
I hope you will enjoy Hollinghurst as much as I did :-)

>199 FAMeulstee: It was indeed very violent...uncomfortably so for me. But it is well worth watching if you can find it...Tiananmen Square's events led The Government to, um, de-emphasize the authority-questioning message of the story and the Japanese were, shall we say, not fans of its villains.

>200 richardderus: The book was uncomfortably violent, but somehow close to, but not over, the line of what I can take. Not sure I could stand it in lifelike images...
Both are clear in the book as well, and I understand neither Chinese authoroties, nor Japanese would like the story and the message of book and movie.

I will skip Red Sorghum I think. Too much violence is a nono at the moment.
The movie version was visually very beautiful. By director Zhang Yimou.
See review here:
https://www.vprogids.nl/cinema/films/film~1922117~het-rode-korenveld~.html

Good for you getting all the answers to the Valentines hunt!

>202 EllaTim: Probably wise to skip for now, Ella, it was gruesome here and there,
Looking at the review and Wikipedia, the movie contains only the first part of the book.

Addicted to LT hunts, completed them all since 2018. Always with a little help of the dedicated threads in "Talk about LibraryThing" group :-)

>203 FAMeulstee: I think I'll skip both the book and the film, thanks.

>204 humouress: You are welcome, Nina.

>204 humouress: & >205 FAMeulstee: I want to read it soon.

>206 PaulCranswick: Looking forward to your thoughts, Paul.

>190 FAMeulstee: I'm glad you enjoyed it, Anita.
Have a wonderful weekend.

>208 SirThomas: Thanks for reminding me, Thomas.
Happy weekend!

Read, not yet reviewed:
#46: Als Beale Street kon praten (If Beale Street Could Talk) by James Baldwin
#47: Hoe ik nu leef (How I live now) by Meg Rosoff
#48: Selma by Carolijn Visser

Reading now:
Pieterpad deel II: Vorden-Maastricht by Toos Goorhuis-Tjalsma & Bertje Jens
De magische koningin (Queen of Sorcery) by David Eddings
Maangloed (Moonglow) by Michael Chabon

Wishing you a great weekend, Anita.

>211 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul, happy Sunday to you!

Read, not yet reviewed:
#46: Als Beale Street kon praten (If Beale Street Could Talk) by James Baldwin
#47: Hoe ik nu leef (How I live now) by Meg Rosoff
#48: Selma by Carolijn Visser
#49: De magische koningin (Queen of Sorcery) by David Eddings
#50: Binnen de muren (Within the Walls) by Giorgio Bassani

Reading now:
Pieterpad deel II: Vorden-Maastricht by Toos Goorhuis-Tjalsma & Bertje Jens
Het woud der verwachting (In a Dark Wood Wandering) by Hella Haasse
De preek over de val van Rome (The Sermon on the Fall of Rome) by Jérôme Ferrari
Maangloed (Moonglow) by Michael Chabon

book 46: Als Beale Street kon praten by James Baldwin
library, translated, original title If Beale Street Could Talk, 319 pages
TIOLI Challenge #16: Read a classic by a Black author

Tish and Fonny grew up together in Harlem. They want to marry and Tish is pregnant, when Fonny is arrested and put in jail for a crime he didn't commit. As justice isn't equal, Fonny is the only black man in the line-up, and has to be the perpetrator. Tish's family and Fonny's father do everything in their power to get Fonny out of jail.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 47: Hoe ik nu leef by Meg Rosoff
library, e-book, YA, translated, original title How I live now, 200 pages
TIOLI Challenge #18: Read a book tagged "future"

Daisy lives in New York, and doesn't get along with her stepmother. So she is send to her aunt (her mothers sister) and cousins in England, to stay for a while. She feels right at home, and falls in love with her cousin Edmond. Then war breaks out, while aunt Penn is out of the country. At first the cousins and Daisy can hide at the small farm, as it is far away from the actual fights. But when soldiers take over the place, they have to leave. The boys and girls are send to different places, so Daisy ends up together with Piper. After witnessing some horrific incidents of war, Daisy and Piper go on their way to find the others.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 48: Selma : aan Hitler ontsnapt, gevangene van Mao by Carolijn Visser
library, e-book, non-fiction, no translations, 311 pages
TIOLI Challenge #11: Read a book connected to the Lunar New Year - started by wandering_star

Selma Vos was a Dutch Jewish woman. She and her father survived WWII, most of her family did not. After the war she goes to Cambridge, and falls in love with Chang Tsao. They marry, get two children, and go to China. Chang is an important man in the Chinese Communist Party and is a professor at university in Beijing, so they live a good life. Chang falls with the Cultural Revolution and he and Selma are arrested. They both die in jail. Their children are send away, but find eachother again. With help of their Dutch family they end up in the Netherlands.

Selma lost her Dutch nationality when she married Chang. Dutch government didn't allow double nationality for women. So Selma got Chinese nationality. Later it was possible to regain Dutch nationality, and Selma applied for it. She got her Dutch passport back, when she stayed in The Netherlands for some months. Because of some bureaucratic problems, she went back to China on her Chinese passport. That is why she couldn't escape, when most foreigners left China, because of the Cultural Revolution.

Dutch title translated: Selma : escaped from Hitler, prisoner of Mao

book 49: De magische koningin by David Eddings
library, translated, original title Queen of Sorcery, 329 pages
TIOLI Challenge #3: Rolling Challenge - Read a book by an Author whose first letter of his/her surname will go towards the spelling of Israel

Belgariad book 2
Further adventures of Garion, his aunt Polgara and grandfather Belgarath, on their quest to find the Orbus.

Dutch title translated: The magic queen

Delurking to say hello! You are just zipping through those books :)

>218 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita. Happy Wednesday to you!

book 50: Binnen de muren by Giorgio Bassani
library, translated from Italian, English translation Within the Walls, 208 pages
TIOLI Challenge #4 : Read a book with an uneven number of words in the title

First (of six) book with stories about Ferrara, a city in Italy, in the first half of the 20th century. Best known is the third book The Garden of the Finzi-Continis, that I read last year.
Since the midddle ages Ferrara had a Jewish community. When the Germens took over, nearly half of the 400 Jews were taken away. In the most poignant story Geo Josz, the only survivor of the Holocaust, returns to Ferrara in 1945. He just can prevent that his name is added to the memorial stone. At first no one can believe he is really Geo Josz. Later his need to tell what has happenend in Germany becomes a burden to the community, they just want to go on with their lives, while Geo can't.

Life in Ferrara, since 1922 under fascist rule, most people adapt, some resist. Resistance grew when the Germans took over in 1943. In these stories people struggle, love, resist, murder, are confined because of politics, or race.

English and Dutch title are the same

Went to the library today. We didn't walk, but took the e-bike. Perfect reason to take some extra books, as I didn't have to carry them home on by back. I took the 4 books I reserved, 4 more from various lists, and one more on impulse.

De droogte (The Dry) - Jane Harper
De gouden bril (The Gold-Rimmed Spectacles) - Giorgio Bassani
De laatste rituelen (Burial Rites) - Hannah Kent
Luitenant-kolonel de Maumort (Lieutenant-Colonel de Maumort) - Roger Martin du Gard
Opgewekt naar de eindstreep - Hendrik Groen
Tovenaarsgambiet (Magician's Gambit; Belgariad 3) - David Eddings
Van steen en been - Bérengère Cournut
Wedervaring - Bodo Kirchhoff
Zeldzame aarden - Sandro Veronesi

>221 FAMeulstee: I'm sure that Bassani has crossed my path before, but I have no recollection of having read even the famous one. You make the task sound appealing!

>216 FAMeulstee: Omigosh...that is just the absolute worst piece of luck imaginable.

Happy Thursday wishes! *smooch*

>223 richardderus: Thank you, Richard dear, I hope Thursday doesn't stay bad for you.
*smooch*

Bassani's Ferrara books were republished in 2018, so the library has them all. I will read the second book soon.
Yes, Selma certainly had the worst of luck in her life :-(

221 I’ve meant to read The Garden of the Finzi-Continis for ever. I’ll add Within the Walls to the list as well.

>222 FAMeulstee: Both Mr SandDune and I really enjoyed Burial Rites.

>225 SandDune: There are 4 more books about Ferrara by Bassani, Rhian, I will read the next one soon.
I hope to feel the same about Burial Rites, it has been on my list for years.

Sweet Thursday, Anita. I do not remember the film version of Red Sorghum being violent. Beautifully shot, with one of the loveliest actresses on the planet with Gong Li.

Nice library haul. I loved Burial Rites & The Dry. I am nearly finished with Moonglow.

>228 msf59: Thank you, Mark, sweet Thursday to you.
Looking at the descriptions of the Red Sorghum movie, it is the first two parts (of five) from the book. Some violence there, but the worst of it comes later.

I am reading Moonglow, I needed some time to get into the story.

Read, not yet reviewed:
#51: Het woud der verwachting (In a Dark Wood Wandering) by Hella Haasse
#52: Langs de IJssel by Kester Freriks
#53: Maangloed (Moonglow) by Michael Chabon

Reading now:
Pieterpad deel II: Vorden-Maastricht by Toos Goorhuis-Tjalsma & Bertje Jens
De preek over de val van Rome (The Sermon on the Fall of Rome) by Jérôme Ferrari
De harde kern boek 2 by Frida Vogels

Anita, I am utterly fascinated by all the books you are reading. I'm sticking to my TBR this year, and have put myself on a strict book-buying diet as well.

>231 AuntieClio: Thank you, Stephanie. Most books I am reading come from the library. I haven't gotten to the two own books I planned to read this month. I hope to read one of them this weekend.
Most books were already on one of my TBR lists. Book buying is also limited, because of lack of space.

>222 FAMeulstee: One more on impulse :) It wouldn't be a trip to the library without "one more on impulse" for me either.

>233 LovingLit: Usually I can resist the impulse, Megan, and do keep to the books listed in a little notebook.
Mainly to keep my backback bearable on the 5 km walk home. I could give in because I went by e-bike ;-)

#Worldle #36 1/6 (100%)
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🎉
https://worldle.teuteuf.fr

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Wordle 252 5/6

⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜
⬜🟨🟩⬜⬜
🟨⬜🟩⬜⬜
🟩⬜🟩🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

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Woordle (Dutch) 252 4/6

⬜⬜🟨🟨⬜
⬜⬜⬜🟩🟨
🟨🟨⬜🟩🟩
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩

>235 FAMeulstee: Great puzzling pleasures today, Anita!

>236 richardderus: Indeed, Richard dear, in ten minutes I can start the next batch :-)
(I might wait, as I perform better in the morning)

Read, not yet reviewed:
#51: Het woud der verwachting (In a Dark Wood Wandering) by Hella Haasse
#52: Langs de IJssel by Kester Freriks
#53: Maangloed (Moonglow) by Michael Chabon
#54: De preek over de val van Rome (The Sermon on the Fall of Rome) by Jérôme Ferrari
#55: Hersenschimmen (Out of Mind) by J. Bernlef

Reading now:
Pieterpad deel II: Vorden-Maastricht by Toos Goorhuis-Tjalsma & Bertje Jens
De harde kern boek 2 by Frida Vogels

Puzzles today had the same results as yesterday: Worldle in one, Wordle in five, and Woordle in four.

Hi Anita, is the Pieterpad reading new or a refresher for your next bit of the walk?

My copy of A Treatise on Shelling Beans arrived. Thanks for the recommendation. I was thinking of reading it in my lunchbreaks at work, but it's a bit of a brick to carry back and forth.

>240 charl08: The Pieterpad reading is new, Charlotte. The route is divided in two parts, and this is the second book. We finished the first part last fall, and will start the next in March. I like to have read all about the route in advance, then start over again when we are actually walking.

I hope you enjoy A Treatise on Shelling Beans.

>239 FAMeulstee: I'm impressed at Worldle in one and a little tempted by Woordle.

>242 RebaRelishesReading: Last two days of Worldle were easy for me, Reba. I wonder how long they can keep the game running, as there are more days in a year, than countries in the world.
You can give Woordle a try.

book 51: Het woud der verwachting by Hella Haasse
library, Dutch, Dutch Canon, English translation In a Dark Wood Wandering, 738 pages
TIOLI Challenge #10: Read a book with an animal in the author's name

The life of Charles of Orleans (1394-1465). He was named after his uncle, King Charles VI.
In the first part we get to know his father, Louis of Orleans, and his mother, Valentine Visconti, a daughter of the Duke of Milan.
Almost during his whole life the Hundred Years War was going on. At the Battle of Agincourt he was taken prisoner by the English, and spend 25 years as a hostage in England.
He married three times, first with his cousin Isabella (daughter of Charles VI), who died giving birth to their daughter Joan. Second with Bonne of Armagnac, who died before his return from England. And third with Marie of Cleves, from this marriage came three children.
Clarles of Orleans is mainly remembered as a poet, most written during his time in England.

Very good historical fiction. It feels like you are in those times, living the life of Charles.

Dutch title translated: The wood of expectation

book 52: Langs de IJssel by Kester Freriks
library, e-book, Dutch, non-fiction, no translations, 96 pages
TIOLI Challenge #4: Read a book with an uneven number of words in the title

The writer walked along the IJssel, from where it splits from the Rhine to the end in the Ketelmeer.
He describes the landscapes, cities and villages along the river.

Title translated: Along the IJssel

book 53: Maangloed by Michael Chabon
library, e-book, translated, original title Moonglow, 417 pages
TIOLI Challenge #13: Read a book that is at least the 4th book you have read by that author

On his deathbed, a grandfather tells the story of his life to his grandson. He was a soldier with a special mission in WWII, married a woman with mental problems, was facinated by space travel, and had a carreer building models for NASA.

I mostly liked the parts in WWII, did care less about the rest. Not my favorite Chabon.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 54: De preek over de val van Rome by Jérôme Ferrari
library, translated from French, Europese literatuurprijs 2014, English translation The Sermon on the Fall of Rome, 239 pages
TIOLI Challenge #4: Read a book with an uneven number of words in the title

Mathieu and Libero have been friends since childhood. Libero grew up on Corsica, Mathieu's parent came from Corsica. They go to university in Paris, and then decide to switch career, going to Corsica to take over a bar. Initially it is a succes, but gradually local problems get overwhelming.

Enjoyable read. The chapters have titles from Augustinus sermon on the fall of Rome.

English and Dutch title are the same

Read, not yet reviewed:
#55: Hersenschimmen (Out of Mind) by J. Bernlef

Reading now:
De ijzeren lelie (The Iron Lily; Mantlemass 5) by Barbara Willard
Pieterpad deel II: Vorden-Maastricht by Toos Goorhuis-Tjalsma & Bertje Jens
De harde kern boek 2 by Frida Vogels

I hope to finish the first today, and won't finish the last two. Moved them to the planning for next month.

>244 FAMeulstee: Great review Anita. The book is on my TBR.

>245 FAMeulstee: That’s a bit of a disappointment, only three stars. There isn’t a long-distance path along the IJssel is there? Some very nice landscapes there.

>249 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella, Hella Haasse was a good writer.
I had hoped for a bit more from Kester Freriks. Looking at Google Maps gave me more sense of the walk than the writing did. Only new I learned was that the IJssel-linie stayed a part of our defence line until the end of the Cold War. Can't gasp how the military thought a 16th century defence would work against any late 20th century enemy!
No long distance path there, there are dikes on both sides.

>250 FAMeulstee: That’s a pity. Well, those old defence lines have given us some nice landscaping features. A very good unintended side-effect. The forts around Amsterdam have all become small nature reserves. Not what our military minds devised of course.

>251 EllaTim: Yes, the old defence lines do add to the landscape, like these, the ones you mention, and near Utrecht is a lot too. In some places (like Bourtange) they are nicely preserved.
Correction, it is a local path "Hanzestedenpad, Streekpad nr. 11, 122 km". I think the book was written to promote it.

book 55: Hersenschimmen by J. Bernlef
1001 books, own, Dutch, English translation Out of Mind, 160 pages
TIOLI Challenge #8: Read a book first published or set in the 1980s

Maarten Klein and his wife Vera are a Dutch couple living in the USA. Maarten is retired, and now notices his memory is fading. His decline goes fast, and is hard on his wife.
We follow Maartens decline from his point of view, wich makes the story poignant.

Back in 1984 it was one of the first novels about dementia. I remember reading it back then, when it made a greater impression than it did now. It is on the Dutch 1001 books list.

Dutch title translated: Delusions (litterally: brain shadows, or brain phantoms)

book 56: De ijzeren lelie by Barbara Willard
own, YA, translated, original title The Iron Lily, 218 pages
TIOLI Challenge #4: Read a book with an uneven number of words in the title

Mantlemass 5
Lilias runs away, when her brother dies of the plague, and her sister in law questions her lawful birth. She marries an iron master, and becomes iron master herself, after her husbands death. She puts up a new iron plant near Mantlemass.

English and Dutch title are the same

February 2022 in numbers
  (Totals for the year between brackets)

23 books read, 7.868 pages, 281,0 pages a day
  (56 books read, 17.234 pages, 292,1 pages a day)

--
books:

own books: 2 (9)
from the library: 21 (47)

male author: 17 (35)
female author: 6 (21)

originally written in Dutch: 6 (10)
translated into Dutch: 17 (46)
- original language:
  Chinese 1 (1)
  English: 12 (27)
  French: 1 (3)
  German: 0 (3)
  Italian 2 (2)
  Norwegian: 0 (1)
  Polish 1 (1)
  Russian: 0 (1)
  Swedish: 0 (6)
  Turkish: 0 (1)

fiction: 20 (48)
non-fiction: 3 (8)

paper books: 13 (35)
e-books: 10 (21)

mystery/police procedural: 2 (5)
childrens/YA: 4 (15)
1001 books: 1
  Total 1001 books since 2008: 226
Dutch Canon: 1
  Total Dutch Canon since 2008: 36 of 125

--
pages:

0 - 100 pages: 1 (3)
101 - 200 pages: 5 (14)
201 - 300 pages: 5 (15)
301 - 400 pages: 6 (11)
401 - 500 pages: 2 (5)
501 - 999 pages: 4 (8)
1000+ pages: 0

longest book 847 pages
shortest book 96 pages
average book 342 pages

--
own books read are on the shelf since:

before 2008: 2 (8)
2017: 1 (1)

--
date first published:

20th century
1910s: 1 (1)
1920s: 1 (1)
1930s: 1 (1)
1940s: 1 (3)
1950s: 1 (1)
1970s: 2 (7)
1980s: 4 (8)
1990s: 2 (5)

21st century
2000s: 4 (7)
2010s: 7 (18)
2020s: 1 (4)

--
ratings:

0 (1)
3 (6)
9 (21)
8 (20)
3 (7)
0 (1)

--
Best books in February


De harde kern boek 1 by Frida Vogels
De Sparsholt-affaire (The Sparsholt Affair) by Alan Hollinghurst
Het woud der verwachting (In a Dark Wood Wandering) by Hella Haasse

=====

walking in January: walked 26 days, 138,4 km; average 5,32 km/day
  (56 days, 312,5 km; average 5,58 km/day)

e-biking in January: biked 2 days, 52,7 km; average 26,35 km/a day
  (3 days, 67,8 km; 22,60 km/day)

Wow - you are not only fast with reading, but also with statistics!
Impressive in every way!
Have a wonderful start into the week, Anita.

>256 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas, you are so kind.
I was in time writing my reviews, so then the statistic can be made :-)
Wishing you a wonderful week.

Impressive, as always :) Have a good March!

>258 zuzaer: Thanks, March reading plans are on the next thread. And we will have a week vacation, walking the next parts of the Pieterpad :-)

>259 FAMeulstee: Had to Google Pieterpad, looks great. Are you going to walk the whole route?

>260 zuzaer: It is a great route, going through beautiful landscapes. We walk small parts, about 10 km per day. We started in March 2020. After 4 weeks walking (a week in spring and fall) we are halfway now. We will start in Vorden this time.

>261 FAMeulstee: sounds great. Have a good time!

>262 zuzaer: Thank you, we will :-)