Wilkie reads, Part 6

My reading in 2013:

January

1. The Moonstone - Wilkie Collins 9/10, 438 p.
2. PAAZ - Myrthe van der Meer 9/10, 351 p.
3. A Place of Greater Safety - Hilary Mantel 7/10, 873 p.
4. The Man Who Forgot His Wife - John O'Farrell 8/10, 393 p.
5. And the Band Played On: Politics, People and the AIDS Epidemic - Randy Shilts 8/10, 630 p.
6. Sans Famille - Hector Malot 8/10, 406 p.
7. Defending Jacob - William Landay 8/10, 421 p.
8. Steve Jobs - Walter Isaacson 7/10, 720 p.

Pages read in January: 4232

February

9. An Utterly Impartial History of Britain - John O'Farrell 7/10, 588 p.
10. Op zee - Toine Heijmans 6/10, 192 p.
11. The Expats - Chris Pavone 5/10, 500 p.
12. Growing Up Amish - Ira Wagler 6/10, 270 p.
13. No Name - Wilkie Collins 7/10, 762 p.
14. Devil's Peak - Deon Meyer 8/10, 409 p.
15. The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher - Kate Summerscale 6/10, 372 p.
16. Verzamelde gedichten - M. Vasalis 9/10, 196 p.
17. Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers - Mary Roach 9/10, 304 p.
18. The Complete Polysyllabic Spree - Nick Hornby 7/10, 278 p.
19. Gedichten - Judith Herzberg 6/10, 75 p.

Pages read in February: 3946

March

20. The Sealed Letter - Emma Donoghue 9/10, 483 p.
21. I, Claudius - Robert Graves 8/10, 468 p.
22. De eurocrisis - Martin Visser 7/10, 240 p.
23. Thirteen Hours - Deon Meyer 9/10, 410 p.
24. No et Moi - Delphine de Vigan 7/10, 248 p.
25. Here Be Dragons - Sharon Kay Penman 9/10, 704 p.
26. Into the Wild - Jon Krakauer 4/10, 205 p.
27. Shakespeare Wrote for Money - Nick Hornby 7/10, 131 p.
28. More Baths, Less Talking - Nick Hornby 7/10, 135 p.
29. The Woman Who Went to Bed For a Year - Sue Townsend 6/10, 437 p.
30. Bij nader inzien - J.J. Voskuil 8/10, 1207 p.
31. The Sisters Brothers - Patrick deWitt 7/10, 328 p.
32. IV - Arjen Lubach 6/10, 319 p.

Pages read in March: 5315

April

33. Ik, Zlatan - Zlatan Ibrahimovic 6/10, 334 p.
34. Sharp Objects - Gillian Flynn 7/10, 328 p.
35. 7 Days - Deon Meyer 8/10, 348 p.
36. Escape from Camp 14 - Blaine Harden 8/10, 242 p.
37. Left Neglected - Lisa Genova 8/10, 432 p.
38. Bonk - Mary Roach 6/10, 320 p.
39. Nothing to Envy - Barbara Demick 8/10, 324 p.
40. Wij zijn maar wij zijn niet geschift - Tim Krabbe 7/10, 416 p.
41. The Orphan Master's Son - Adam Johnson 8/10, 592 p.
42. Injustice - Clive Stafford Smith 5/10, 480 p.

Pages read in April: 3816

May

43. The Secret River - Kate Grenville 10/10, 352 p.
44. The Keeper of Lost Causes - Jussi Adler-Olsen 8/10, 512 p.
45. Hoe sms't een Chinees - Eppo Konig 6/10, 234 p.
46. Dissolution - C.J. Sansom 8/10, 464 p.
47. Der Dativ ist dem Genitiv sein Tod - Bastian Sick 7/10, 240 p.
48. Der Dativ ist dem Genitiv sein Tod: Folge 2 - Bastian Sick 7/10, 268 p.
49. Der Dativ ist dem Genitiv sein Tod: Folge 3 - Bastian Sick 7/10, 274 p.
50. Congo - David van Reybrouck 8/10, 680 p.
51. Verhalen uit de Ambulance - Mariette Middelbeek 8/10, 176 p.
52. The Absent One - Jussi Adler-Olsen 7/10, 685 p.
53. The Observations - Jane Harris 8/10, 546 p.

Pages read in May: 4431

June

54. Het zevende kind - Erik Valeur 9/10, 720 p.
55. Papillion - Henri Charriere 7/10, 612 p.
56. Dead before Dying - Deon Meyer 8/10, 432 p.
57. Dark Fire - C.J. Sansom 9/10, 608 p.
58. Still Alice - Lisa Genova 9/10, 400 p.
59. Of ik gek ben - Michiel Stroink 7/10, 238 p.

Pages read in June: 3010

July

60. Sister - Rosamund Lupton 8/10, 384 p.
61. The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson 7/10, 496 p.
62. Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith 8/10, 512 p.

Pages read in July: 1392

Favourite reads 2013:

Fiction

- The Secret River - Kate Grenville
- Here Be Dragons - Sharon Kay Penman
- Thirteen Hours - Deon Meyer
- Het zevende kind - Erik Valeur
- Still Alice - Lisa Genova
- The Moonstone - Wilkie Collins
- PAAZ - Myrthe van der Meer

Non-fiction

- Stiff: The Curious Lives of Human Cadavers - Mary Roach

Currently reading:

43. The Secret River - Kate Grenville
352 p.

William Thornhill, happily wedded to his childhood sweetheart Sal, is a waterman on the River Thames in London, 1806. Life is tough but bearable until William makes a mistake, a bad mistake for which he and his family are made to pay dearly. His sentence: to be transported to New South Wales for the term of his natural life.

The Thornhills arrive in this harsh and alien land that they cannot understand and which feels like a death sentence. But among the convicts there is a rumour that freedom can be bought, that 'unclaimed' land up the Hawkesbury offers an opportunity to start afresh, far away from the township of Sydney.

When William takes a hundred acres for himself, he is shocked to find aboriginal people already living along the river...

What can I say? Compelling, descriptive, revitalised history. Kate Grenville can really write!

10/10

Diana congratulations on your latest thread.
The lamb leaping into the opening of the thread is a mite scary in truth ~ I don't see me eating lamb for the whole month!
Kate Grenville is a writer I need to get to soon.

Hi Paul, thank you! I'll put in a less scary picture of lambs ;)

I hope this one is better?

Beautiful indeed. I'll get the cooking books out for SWMBO to plan what to do with the other fellow that flew right away!

Yammie! I'll have to think of a way to make SWMBO send a delicious part this way, by computer cable.

I've now started The Keeper of Lost Causes by Jussi Adler-Olsen, the first of the Q series. I read it in Dutch. The Dutch title is 'De vrouw in de kooi', in English this means 'The Woman in the Cage'.

You'll soon see why they gave it that title, Diana. I just finished it, and think you'll find it a gripping read.

Diana the UK English versions also have different titles. I think more literal to the Dutch maybe? I do like the US title though. Especially after getting to know Carl a little.

I am thrilled you are reading this book Diana. I hope you enjoy it. I am a huge fan.

Joe and Roberta, I understand the title. I have a serious problem with this book: can't stop reading!

Looks like I will be sending you the Department Q fan club introductory membership kit. Sounds like you will become a gold member before the book is over.

Let dinner burn and the door go unanswered. You have an important book to read. :)

Ha Roberta, sign me up for the Department Q fan club, because I'm a huge fan allready. :)

And now I'm off to read on...

44. The Keeper of Lost Causes - Jussi Adler-Olsen
512 p.

Wow! This first thriller in the Department Q series was the first book I read by Jussi Adler-Olsen. It's a hell of a page turner and I'm hooked on this author.

8/10

The Giro d'Italia starts now and I'm thrilled by the prospect of 3 weeks of bicycle fun. Finally!

Enjoy your weekend Diana.

Thanks Roberta, you too!

Our dishwasher broke down this morning. Dear husband and sons are preparing to wash by hand, I hope they still know how :)

O boy, Cavendish is strong!

Glad you got caught up like that in The Keeper of Lost Causes, Diana. Me, too. I'm looking forward to reading more in this series.

Me too, Joe, I have the three next books ready in the TBR mountain.

I just picked up a copy of The Keeper of Lost Causes today at a book sale! Any review that starts off with "Wow" gets my attention! Hope you have had a wonderful weekend, Diana.

Looks like your first 2 books of the thread have been well worth the page-turning effort :)

Glad to see that Olsen and Department Q met with your approval ~ I love them too.
Giro Team Time Trial today and probably Sky in Yellow? Have a lovely Sunday. x

Lori, I hope you'll have great fun with The Keeper of Lost Causes! Have a lovely Sunday.

Megan, you're right. My first 10-score and a dangerously good thriller :)

Paul, I'm ready for the Team Time Trial, but I'm too early. Big chance for Sky, I think the Anglo-Saxon teams will perform best, as usual.

Diana- Looks like I've been neglecting you! Congrats on the new thread! I loved all the royalty pics from the last thread.
I loved the Secret River too. And the Department Q book was very enjoyable. I NEED to get to book 2. Hope you are having a terrific weekend.

But now you're here Mark, thank you :)
My weekend is great, the weather is good and I've been outside for most of the day. #lifeisgood

It's going to be a pleasant day here too! Partly sunny and mild, although most of my time will be indoors. Boo.

Boo to indoors. But your man cave will be fabulous once you're ready!

Team Blanco is fastest with 22'33 until now.

Team Sky it is!

45. Hoe sms't een Chinees - Eppo Konig
234 p.

How does a Chinese use texting on his phone? This is a funny non-fiction book with 100 bizarre and strange questions. A few examples:

How do you grow seedless grapes?
Why is yawning contagious?
How much does the Pope earn?
Why do men have nipples?

6/10

No boring days in this Giro d'Italia :)

Woot woot, Cavendish!!

Diana I know nothing about biking but it sounds like you are enjoying yourself with this event.

My friend Teddi got back from home and said she had a lovely time watching the festivities. How nice you have a new King.

What are you reading?

Hi Roberta, how are you? Yes I love the Giro :)
I'm a big sports fan, and biking is my favourite.

I'm reading Dissolution by C.J. Sansom, the first Matthew Shardlake mystery. It's the first Sansom for me and I like it.

Hi Diana,
thanks for nudging me to read Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden. That was a very powerful little book.
I wish you a great weekend!

Diana - Wiggins is a bit careless so far and dropped precious seconds on a couple of occasions he may later regret. The Colombians seem likely to either make or break his tour in truth. Big test on Saturday when he should take the Maglia Rosa but Heysdal and the newcomer Santambrogio look dangerous as well as Nibali.

Bianca, I'm glad you liked Escape from Camp 14. The story stays with me, I guess. I hope your night shifts will be calm!

Paul, I think you're right about Wiggins. I wonder if he'd do better when Froome would be in the team. I like Hesjedal's approach of this Giro, he doesn't wait but attacks.

Wow, great Giro day today! Nibali and Hesjedal did a great job, and Wiggins will not be happy...

46. Dissolution - C.J. Sansom
464 p.

It is 1537, a time of revolution that sees the greatest changes in England since 1066. Henry VIII has proclaimed himself Supreme Head of the Church. The country is waking up to savage new laws, rigged trials and the greatest network of informers it has ever seen. And under the orders of Thomas Cromwell, a team of commissioners is sent throughout the country to investigate the monasteries. There can only be one outcome: dissolution.

But on the Sussex coast, at the monastery of Scarnsea, events have spiralled out of control. Cromwell's commissioner, Robin Singleton, has been found dead, his head severed from his body. His horrific murder is accompanied by equally sinister acts of sacrilege.

Matthew Shardlake, lawyer and long-time supporter of Reform, has been sent by Cromwell to uncover the truth behind the dark happenings at Scarnsea.

I had a slow start with this book, but after that I had a very good read. What I liked most is that the personages, their voices, the smell of the age, came to life. I'll definitely read the other Shardlake books too.

8/10

This Giro is amazing! Nibali in the pink jersey, Dutchie Geesink 3th and young Kelderman in the white jersey!

Today is the start of 2,5 weeks of final exams for my eldest son. He's nervous, but he has prepared very well.

This afternoon is the exam for Dutch.

47. Der Dativ ist dem Genitiv sein Tod - Bastian Sick
240 p.

48. Der Dativ ist dem Genitiv sein Tod: Folge 2 - Bastian Sick
268 p.

49. Der Dativ ist dem Genitiv sein Tod: Folge 3 - Bastian Sick
274 p.

These 3 German books consist of columns. They all describe the German grammar with its difficulties.

7/10, 7/10, 7/10

How are your son's exams going Diana? I hope well.

Hi Roberta. I'm not sure, he thinks he ruined his first exam. The others were better. At this moment, he's doing his exam for Latin. That should be no problem, with 2 classicist parents ;)

Son returned with a big smile, Latin was no problem.

This week was Dutch, Geography, Art and Latin. Next week will be History, English and Mathematics. And his last exam, on May 29, will be French. All other courses have already been finished.

Congo: Een Geschiedenis - David van Reybrouck
680 p.

This is a fat book about the history of Congo. Van Reybrouck has done great research and he writes an extensive story with many details.

8/10

51. Verhalen uit de Ambulance - Mariette Middelbeek
176 p.

Stories of ambulance drivers and nurses about their work.

8/10

Currently reading De fazantenmoordenaars by Jussi Adler-Olsen. This is book 2 in the Department Q series, in English The absent One.

Book 2 in the Department Q series is great!

*immediately back to book*

Woop! for Department Q book 2!

Hi Diana -- love your spring photos! We're just returning from the tropics and enjoying the cooler weather of San Diego, but I do remember well how welcome spring was after a Dutch winter. Enjoy!

>58 wilkiec: wow, that book sounds like t would have some juicy stories in it! Pity its not in my language!

Roberta, woop indeed :)

Reba, you're back! Thank you for sharing your blog, I've enjoyed following you.

Megan, there are some juicy stories in that book. It's very straightforward and describes their work accurate. I don't think it will be translated, it's just a small, unnoticed book.

52. The Absent One - Jussi Adler Olsen
685p.

The second thriller in the Department Q series and it's a good read again. Icy and horrible.

7/10

Yep, back for a week now. Thanks for following my blog. I liked feeling connected while I was away.

Youngest son's birthday today. It seems like yesterday, but my 'baby' is 17 now. O dear :)

Happy birthday, youngest son and "gefeliciteerd" aan zijn ouders!! My "baby" will be 40 in December. You'll be surprised how soon yours will be too.

Happy Birthday to your youngest son, Diana! I know the feeling - our baby boy turned 23 in March. Awesome to watch them mature.

Thank you Reba and Joe! The weekend was great. My boys, 18 and 17 now, my parents, both 71, and we had cake and dinner together.

Last week was very cold with much rain, but today has sun and up to 18 degrees Celsius. Much better :)

Book Art

53. The Observations - Jane Harris
546 p.

Scotland, 1863.
In an attempt to escape her past, Bessy Buckley takes a job working as a maid in a big country house. But when Arabella, her beautiful mistress, asks her to undertake a series of bizarre tasks, Bessy begins to realise that she hasn't quite landed on her feet.

In her debut novel, Jane Harris paints some amazing characters. For me as a non-native speaker, the narrative voice of Bessy, written with really bad grammar, was difficult to deal with. But after the first 86 pages, I could enjoy the story and didn't pay attention anymore.

8/10

This is my problem tonight :)

Oh yes, I can surely relate

Hi Diana- " Icy and horrible." I love it! I need to get to the Absent One, especially since the 3rd book was just released.

Hi Reba, I'm still 'hung over' :)

Hi Mark, yes, read it! You'll love it.

Pfff..

Today's son's last exam, for French. But yesterday evening, some idiot stole the exam and put it on the internet. New exams couldn't be available soon enough, so no exam French today.

Almost 17000 kids in Holland have to return to their school tomorrow afternoon for their new exam French. A lot of them had planned a holiday and their flights are this evening or tomorrow morning. Many angry and frustrated kids.

Son doesn't mind and he's not angry at all; cool kid :-)

I hope the idiot has some plans messed up by someone else and soon!! What a bummer.

Reba, he or she has not yet been found.

Son is not at home yet, but I read comments by others that the 'new' exam of today was too long, too much and too difficult. I'll hear it soon.

#79 Oh, what a pain for all those young people. I hope the new exam went ok.

Hi Heather, it was a mess up of plans for most of them. My son agreed that it was a very long exam, but he didn't think it was too difficult. His grades for French have always been good, so no worries about that.

And now we're waiting until June 13. Then he'll hear if he passed his exams. If so, he has finished school. If not, there's a possibility to have one exam 'in the second round', but only if that one exam can make him pass. If the results of the exams are too bad, he would fail.

Another 13 nervous days ahead ;)

And because my sons differ in age only 19 months, we'll have a nervous round of exams next year again, when youngest son does his last year. That is, if he's allowed to pass this year, but that shouldn't be a problem.

All caught up Diana. Fingers and toes crossed for your son with his exam results. My eldest has her own ordeal to come next year.

See Wiggins has pulled out of the tour. I think the climbs this year will favour Rodriguez, Contador and Nibali. I hope Froome can stay with them and I would (strangely enough for an Englishman) like to see a Frenchie perform (Maybe Pierre Rolland if he can improve his trialling).

Have a lovely weekend.

Diana I was able to go to Jussi Adler-Olsen's books signing this past week. I was already a huge fan, but now I am a HUGE fan! He is very funny. He has 10 Dept Q books planned. He said the outline and synopsis is "in the vault".

He mentioned that he went darker on the second book but would not make all the books that dark. He said he has to put humor in his books because he wants to write thrillers not just crime books.

>72 wilkiec: OMG I love that book art. Really really love it.

Paul, my expectations for the Tour are high, especially for Contador and Froome. Is it possible for Nibali to perform on such a high level again? I think the time between the Giro and the Tour could make it difficult.

Roberta, that must have been a great experience, the Jussi Adler-Olsen book signing! I'm glad you as a HUGE fan can tell me about the 10(!!!) Dept Q books. I own the first 5 now.

Yes, humor in his books is essential, I've missed that in the second book.

Hi Megan, it's cool, isn't it? :)

Het zevende kind - Erik Valeur
720 p.

This is the first novel of a Danish author and it's an enormous success in Denmark. It's been translated in Dutch and since its arrival in last January, my version of April 2013 is the eight edition!

This is an epic story about seven adopted children, who shared their first months in 1961 in the same orphanage. In 2008, there appears to be a secret that will shock the whole nation.

This is an unforgettable story about the lives of seven children who are forever linked. It's clever and enthralling.

9/10

Sounds really good Diana. I hope it gets translated to English down the road.

How is life treating you today?

Roberta, I trust this book will be translated to English, it deserves to be read world-wide.

Life is good, we keep waiting for Thursday to arrive; son finally wants to know if he passed his exams :)

Papillion - Henri Charriere
612 p.

Famous prisoner novel. I've read the French original, but had to keep the Dutch version on the side, because my French has become way to rusty.

7/10

We visited Devil's Island on our trip and they showed the movie that night on board ship. Really interesting place and good film. I've never read the book though. Hope you enjoy it.

Reba, I can imagine Devil's Island was an impressive place to visit! I did enjoy the book, and if I get the chance one day, I'll see the film.

Son has passed all his exams and finished school!!!

Congratulations to your son Diana!

Thank you Roberta!

It was unbearable: there's been a massive exam fraud on one school in Rotterdam, and the government had to investigate this. But finally they found out that my son and his school had nothing to do with it, as most of the other schools in the Netherlands. We had a couple of days that were just like a terrible horror film.

Great news Diana - give your son a hug from all your LT pals.

Hoorah!! Gefeliciteerd allemaal!!!

Paul, I gave him a big LT pals hug :)

Dank je wel Reba, het is een grote opluchting!

Congrats to your son Diana!

Thank you, Tina!

56. Dead before Dying - Deon Meyer
432 p.

Mat Joubert, once a rising star of the South African Police Service, had it all. Then his wife was murdered, and his hopes died with her. Alcoholic, depressed and overweight, he is a shadow of his former self.

Then a new killer appears on the streets of Cape Town, murdering at random. Mat throws himself into the case, viewing it as his last chance for redemption.

This is The debut novel of Deon Meyer. I've read 3 of his novels before, and I admire his constant high level. In my Mountain TBR there are 2 more of his books, and I'm glad I found out about him.

8/10

Diana - I almost bought this one on Friday as I want to go back and read all his pre Benny Griessel books. Looks like a good idea.

Have a lovely weekend.

Sounds most interesting. I'll put him on my wish list.

Paul, you can safely buy Meyer's pre Benny Griessel books! By the way, Benny Griessel is in this novel, too.

Reba, I hope you'll enjoy his books as much as I do.

57. Dark Fire - C.J. Sansom
608 p.

It is 1540 and the hottest summer of the sixteenth century. Matthew Shardlake, believing himself out of favour with Thomas Cromwell, is busy trying to maintain his legal practice and keep a low profile. But his involvement with a murder case, defending a girl accused of brutally murdering her young cousin, brings him once again into contact with the king's chief minister - and a new assignment.....

This is the second Matthew Shardlake mystery by C.J. Sansom. I liked this one even better than Dissolution, the author really brings to life Tudor England.

9/10

Hi all!

We have a couple of extremely busy weeks, so I'm far behind on all threads. I try to lurk as much as possible; soon it will be much calmer and then I'll delurk :)

58. Still Alice - Lisa Genova
400 p.

This book is about a younger woman's descent into dementia through early-onset Alzheimer's disease.

Alice is a fifty-year-old psychology professor at Harvard when she starts experiencing moments of forgetting and confusion. But, like most busy, professional people her age would, she at first attributes these signs to normal aging, too much stress, not enough sleep, and so on. But as things get worse, as things do with this disease, she eventually sees a neurologist and learns that she has early-onset Alzheimer's.

As Alice loses her ability to rely on her own thoughts and memories, as she loses her cerebral life at Harvard, where she'd placed all her worth and identity, she is forced to search for answers to questions like "Who am I now?" and "How do I matter?"

Still Alice is scary and it made me feel humble. It's a well-written, heart-breaking story.

9/10

#97 Belated congratulations to you and your son! :-)

#110 So glad you're enjoying the C. J. Sansom books. I think my favourite of the series was the third one, Sovereign, but they were all good!

#114 :-)

A coincidence that you reviewed Still Alice today. I was talking to someone about dementia yesterday and they mentioned it. Now I know I need to read it.

Diana - Great review of Still Alice. My grandmother had Alzheimer's as did a friend's mother. I'd like to read this, but I don't think I'm brave enough to do so yet. I'm adding this to my obese wish list though, so that when I'm ready to handle all the emotions that will come with reading this, I'll have the title at the ready.

Heather, thank you! :-)

Yes, I really love the C.J. Sansom books, and I'm looking forward to the third one!

Reba and Caro, Still Alice is written through the eyes of the Alzheimer-patient. I think this made the story so alive, so heart-breaking. It's a very good read for everyone who has to deal with (someone who has) Alzheimer's.

59. Of ik gek ben - Michiel Stroink
238 p.

"Whether I'm crazy" is the title of this book. It's the story of Benjamin, a young man in the psychiatric ward of prison. The book describes life in the TBS clinic.

7/10

Guilty!

Pfff, the busy weeks are over, yippie!

School's out for summer, the weather is fresh and wet now. By the end of next week, the weather will know it's summer, we're expecting sun and nice temperatures then.

And now it's time for cycling, today the Tour de France will start!

#121 Guilty as charged! I'm a public books sniffer in second hand shops and library books sales! :)

#112 Still Alice goes on the list. My uncle is suffering from Alzheimer's. It breaks my heart to see this highly intelligent man struggle with things like what day of the week it is.

Diana- I hope you enjoying your weekend. I loved Devil's Peak, so I am looking forward to trying more Meyer.

Diana - Le Tour is underway and in calamitous circumstances. Pity the racers yesterday with the finish changed three times. Hope the sore bodies cope today. Have a lovely weekend.

Hi Diana Pity the racers yesterday with the finish changed three times - I felt sorry for the bus driver!

Roberta, don't you just love it, the sniffing? :)

Go Mark, go Mark, read some more Deon Meyer!!

Paul and Rhian, it was quite an eventful start of the Tour, wasn't it?

I'm suprised to hear that Kasjetsjkin, who didn't fall on Saturday, just abandoned the race, he's the first one.

Rhian, at least the bus driver is a famous man now, but I felt sorry too. So much chaos!

Pages read in the first half of 2013: 24.750

It seems long ago since I finished my last book, but today I've finished another one. About time :)

60. Sister - Rosamund Lupton
384 p.

Beatrice's younger sister Tess is missing. Beatrice wants to find her and starts a dangerous journey to discover the truth.

This is a compelling debut novel and it gets somewhat gothic and frightening.

8/10

"Gothic and frightening"...maybe not one for me.

I don't know Reba. It's not very very gothic...

I think it's a mixture of fiction, psychology and crime.

I've read a lot of fiction and historical fiction these last months, so I think it's time to pick up a non-fiction book. I'll start The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson.

Interesting choice. Do you know about the 1893 World Exposition in Chicago? It was designed by one of the "fathers" of American planologie, Daniel Burnham. The book is half the story of that. Most interesting to me as a planolog. Other half of the story is about some horrific crime.

Reba, I didn't know about the 1893 World Exposition, it's new to me. Looks interesting :)

I was just staring at the home page, thinking I was on a wrong internet site. It took a while to realise it was LibraryThing 2.0...

I'm not fond of salmon-color, so I guess I like this new design better. But I missed my timezone and just restored it.

Big news for Belgium, Hollands neighbour:

Belgian King Albert will abdicate on July 21. His son Prince Philip, married to Princess Mathilde will be the next King of Belgium.

Albert and Paola from Belgium:

Philip, Mathilde and their children:

Happy 4th of July!

Glitters for all LT-ers who have their 4th of July:

Ouch, it does glitter...

Tour de France stage of today is not very exciting at the moment :-)

There should be strong wind, the mistral, but there's only 34 kilometres to go and no strong wind at all.

Beautiful pictures of the Camargue in the Tour!

And more excitement now, Cavendish was in a fall and has returned.

At least the sprint was a great one!

1. Greipel
2. Sagan
3. Kittel
4. Cavendish

How nice, the first African ever to wear the yellow jersey: Daryl Impey.

#146 I love this library.

How are you Diana?

Hi Roberta. Healthwise I'm awful, the rest is okay.

I'm enjoying the Tour de France!

Hi Diana- Just swinging through. Hope all is well.

Hi Mark, it's nice to see you swinging through!

Etappe 7 today:

Yesterday's Tour was almost boring, but today is a good race in a beautiful part of France.

Good work of the Cannondale-team: Peter 'the Hulk' Sagan wins!

We're waiting for pizza's now. Tomorrow, the weather will be nice and the prognoses are good. Yum!

Hope the good weather brings better health for you with it.

Thank you Reba. x

It's good to be outside in this weather, I'm enjoying my garden a lot.

Today's Tour etappe will lead to the mountains, finally!

Sorry to hear your health is bad at the moment, Diana. I have been too caught up in Wimbledon to follow the Tour de France - glad to hear you've been enjoying it.

Heather, did you see the semifinal between Del Potro and Djokovic? Wasn't it great?

The men are now climbing a high mountain, wonderful. :-)

Wow, this etappe is a massacre.

#175 I caught some of it - I was at work for most of it but managed to follow with text updates and switched to the video stream for some of the key points. It looked amazing from the highlights though.

Froome wins and the 2 Dutch Belkin-men Mollema and Ten Dam are 4th and 5th in the GC! Yoohoo!

Heather, it was indeed amazing, it should have been a final.

61. The Devil in the White City - Erik Larson
496 p.

This book is about the realisation of the Chicago World's Fair of 1893. The architects had to face many troubles. There's also the story of a serial killer.

This was an interesting book and I learned about a period in Chicago of which I knew nothing before.

7/10

Ouch, a Sky-man in the Tour crashed and vanished off the side of the road...

He climbed up and seems to be okay.

It's still 5 hours of mountains, but another epic day in the Tour!

What a Tour-day. The 2 Dutch men are now 3th and 4th in the GC.

The Devil in the White City is tagged for the TBR pile.

I'm behind as usual, but I wanted to comment on Still Alice. I work in the field of aging and happened upon this book in my library shortly after its release. It moved me so much that I purchased copies for my bosses & co worker for Christmas. I don't think they were as impressed as I was; I don't even know that they read it. But there is much out there to read for and from the care giver and professional, but virtually nothing from the PERSON'S perspective. Which is why I loved it so. I read it way before LT, but in my own universe back then, it was a 5 star read in my mind!

>145 wilkiec:/146 I love those two images :)

>170 wilkiec: I have just bought a copy of Erik Larsons one about the tornado in Texas, I am looking forward to it! So this one you just read is fiction?

Roberta, I hope you'll enjoy The Devil in the White City, it's a good one.

Tina, it's been a good 2 weeks since I've finished Still Alice, and the story, Alice's voice, stays in my mind. I understand your 5 stars!

Megan, if that book is Isaac's Storm, it's in my mountain TBR too.

No, The Devil in the White City sometimes reads like fiction, but it is real non-fiction and well documented with notes and a bibliography!

No mountains in today's Tour etappe. I guess Cavendish has a good chance to win this stage.

Today's a Time Trial in the Tour. Probably, Chris Froome will be the fast.

62. Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith
512 p.

A book about Stalin's Soviet Union. This is fiction in which you can almost feel life in the Cold War. Strong, gripping, good!

8/10

Tony Martin was very strong in his TT, 36.29 min for 33 km.

I expect him to win today Diana - bit miffed at riders like him who could challenge overall with a little more but who are content just to bide their time and win the TT. Eleven still to set off I expect Froome to get close to Martin and miss out by maybe 20 secs. The two Dutch boys are going well which is interesting and it would be nice if Rui Costa, Martin and the little Colombian do ok. Contador and Evans are not really on song seemingly and I expect Moviestar's team of climbers to wear Froome down in the Alps.

I think you're right, Paul. However, I'm not sure about Contador, he starts at this very moment ;-) He thinks he could win this Tour in the Alps, but Valverde and the young Quintana seem to me the better men. And Froome won't let go easily!

The Dutch boys are no TT specialist, I hope they will do reasonably well.

Lau and Bau have started! Only Valverde and Froome yet to go.

Contador 10th at the first checkpoint. Kreuziger his team-mate 13th but only 2 seconds slower. The dutch boys I expect to do ok and they need to as they only have 7 seconds to stave off those two guys.

Laurens ten Dam 38 seconds at the first checkpoint.

Andy Schleck really terrible, more than 4 minutes.

Mollema 28 seconds at the first checkpoint, 14th.

Froome first at first checkpoint. Valverde and Contador seem to do well.

Mollema is 1 second faster than Contador at the second checkpoint!

And Mollema finishes 11 seconds faster than Contador, that's great!

Great TT, Mollema only 12 seconds behind Valverde in the GC, he can see second place!

Today's Tour de France: flat.

Interesting that someone threw a bucket of urine over Mark Cavendish yesterday. I know that the French are not particularly enamoured of us Brits coming and winning their races but that is a little too much.
I have seen a repeat of his incident with the lead-out rider two stages ago and on balance I think he was the slightly more to blame but it was clearly accidental and he certainly got no advantage from it. Hope he wins today.

A little too much, Paul? I think it's an idiot who does something like that, bah.

Furthermore, I've seen the incident many times (the lead-out rider was Dutch, Dutch television showed it again and again) and I think Cavendish is not to blame. And if he were, so what, it's an accident.
I hope Cav wins today, too. And tomorrow.

The criterium of Boxmeer has decided that Cavendish is not welcome after the Tour, because of this incident. I think they just want to spare the money, it's such a ridicule decision.

O no, big crash with 2 km to go.

Kittel again, Cav second. It's a pity.

But beaten fair and square Diana. Cavendish took it up too soon and became a lead-out for Kittel but well done to him. The crash may be another blow to Sky as Boasen-Hagen looks to be in trouble.
We might talk about books sometime again soon, hehehe.