Diana (Wilkiec) loves to read in 2014, Page 5

Being a big sports fan, I'm excited that next Friday will see the start of the Olympic Games 2014 in Sochi, Russia. I'm sure my reading will suffer from 2 weeks of sports, but I'll survive :-)

My reading in 2014:

January

1. The Path Between the Seas - David McCullough 8/10, 702 p.
2. Liever rechtop sterven dan op je knieën leven - Abraham Moszkowicz 6/10, 272 p.
3. Don't Look Back - Karin Fossum 8/10, 432 p.
4. Dust and Shadow - Lyndsay Faye 6/10, 352 p.
5. Opperlans! - Hugo Brandt Corstius a.k.a. Battus 7/10, 676 p.
6. The Redeemer - Jo Nesbo 8/10, 592 p.
7. Er ist wieder da - Timur Vermes 4/10, 400 p.
8. Wolf Hall - Hilary Mantel 6/10, 674 p.
9. Toen ik je zag - Isa Hoes 8/10, 284 p.
10. The Snowman - Jo Nesbo 9/10, 586 p.
11. The Virgin Suicides - Jeffrey Eugenides 6/10, 288 p.
12. De Verenigde Staten in de Twintigste Eeuw - Maarten van Rossem 7/10, 514 p.

Pages read in January: 5672

February

13. Jack Sheppard - William Ainsworth 8/10, 584 p.
14. The Art of Fielding - Chad Harbach 7/10, 724 p.
15. Imperium - Robert Harris 9/10, 496 p.

Pages read in February: 1804

March

Pages read in March:

April

Pages read in April:

Favourite reads 2014:

Fiction
- Imperium - Robert Harris
- The Snowman - Jo Nesbo
- Jack Sheppard - William Ainsworth

Non-fiction

- The Path Between the Seas - David McCullough

Welcome!

Marianne Vos, who won her seventh world title in cycle cross, at the finish:

R showed me an article in today's newspaper about MS. American doctors think they found an important reason for the start of MS, in bacteria in meat.
R's a vegetarian and tried to persuade me to stop eating meat, but I fear that won't help if you're already MS-patient.

I'm curious if they really discover something new, though.

Bravo to Marianne Vos who, after Jeannie Longo is probably the most complete lady cyslist ever.

Bravo to Diana on another new thread.

I read about that possible disease vector as well, Diana. Any time the source of something is identified, it makes the disease itself a bit clearer and more understandable. That might lead, though not directly it sounds like.

Happy new thread!

Thanks, Paul.

Thank you, Richard. You're right and I hope it can help them along in finding treatments.

Oh, the cat lady organizer! Marvelous once again!

Lucy :-)

Oh, I love the Vos photo and your new thread! I'm something of a sports addict myself, Diana. After watching the 1976 Summer Olympics in Montreal, I got off the couch and started running (I'm old--ha!). It was the best thing I ever did for myself. I started running when the only place you could buy running shoes (New Balance was the only brand) was from a guy who sold them out of his basement. I know it's hard to believe today, but back then it was pretty unusual to see a female running (I lived in Kentucky at the time). Guys used to either honk at me or ask, "Honey, don't you want a ride?" And while I don't run anymore (bad knee), I know what it is to be in or out of shape, and I know how to get myself from "out" to "in"--which is something that my mother and many of her generation didn't know anything about. My mother-in-law, who smoked for 75 years, was very proud of herself because she "never sweat." An odd thing to be proud of, but that was her generation.

Oh, I particularly like the Winter Olympics and the skaters. I've always wanted to skate like that, but I guess that will have to wait for my next life. Does the Netherlands have a good skating team this year?

Happy new thread, Diana. I hope the Olympics go off without a hitch. I used to love to watch the speed skaters and the ice hockey.

Becky, hello fellow sports addict! Thank you for sharing your story, I think it was rather courageous to start running for you in that time and place.

Since I'm seriously ill and disabled, I don't train anymore, as a matter of fact I don't move significantly. But I still love to watch sports!

Do you mean if the Netherlands has a good speed skating team? Becky, we should be able to win some medals, especially Sven Kramer and Ireen Wüst :-)

Julia, I hope so too. Are you going to watch the games this time?

>19 wilkiec:. Yes, speed skating. I will definitely keep an eye out for Kramer and Wüst.

I think one of the things that sports, and particularly the Olympics, does for us is to allow us a positive vicarious experience. Whether we participate in sports or not, I think human beings, on a fundamental level, feel in their DNA an almost universal need to compete and survive and overcome the battle, whatever that battle may be.

#20> Diana, I don't have a television anymore (for about 10 years) so the only watching I will be able to do is online. It does seem that the last Olympics had a lot more events available to watch online, so I'll have to see how it is this year.

Becky, I think so too. Of course, this can also be seen in different ways; husband N and son R don't care for sports, son B and I love it.

I know all events will be online. If you don't care about the language, you can have it all on www.nos.nl :-)

I'm not a big sports fan but there are some I enjoy watching -- mostly individual sports that highlight the amazing things a well trained body can do many of which are olympic sports so I too will probably get more knitting than reading done in the next couple of weeks.

Happy new thread, Diana. Enjoy the Olympics. I enjoy learning about all the athletes and sports that I never watch otherwise.

I'll be anxious to see what you think of The Art of Fielding; I've heard it recommended by many.

Diana, congrats on your new thread. I join you watching the Olympic Games as much as I can. The first week I'm still working, so there will be some holes, but in the second week I'll get more time to watch the Games.

I'm going to be with you on the sports and the Olympics, Diana. I think the TV will be on all the time when somebody is home.
And at work I will have a second screen with the NOS open. Just to hear everything.

Did I say I am a big sports fan?

Diana, I hope they will find some cure for every illness. For you it is MS, I understand, for me it's reumatism and cancer. Let's keep our fingers crossed (when they want to cooperate).

Happy New Thread!!

Hey Diana, great going on the new thread :-)

That's some serious reading Diana although I got off to a slow start to the year.

congrats on the new thread!

Hi Diana, I am looking forward to the Olympics as well, we Canadians do like our winter sports!

Hi, Diana ~ Just dropping by to snag a ringside seat at your shiny new thread.

Dropping in to say hi.

Can't wait for the short-track speed skating at Sochi! Although I suppose you know I won't be rooting for the Dutch... :-)

Reba, well trained bodies are one of the many good reasons to watch (Olympic) sports ;-)

Thank you, Beth!

Barbara, it's nice to know that you'll be watching too. I hope you can see many rebroadcasts in the evening, after work.

Connie, you seem to be a sports-fan too :-)

A-men to finding a cure for every illness.

Hi Stephanie!

John, the start of your year was of course very sad and busy. I hope you and Karen will soon get a calmer period together.

Thanks, Marianne!

Judy, you Canadians are very good at your winter sports! I hope you'll enjoy the Olympics.

Hi Mary, please be seated :-)

Hi Lori!

Suzanne, you're not rooting for the Dutch?

.....

Shame on you ;-)

Obviously, the Netherlands doesn't have a broad spectrum of sporters in winter sports. What we do have, is a long tradition of speed skating and the Dutch have won many medals in this disciplin.

This is Sven Kramer, he'll skate 1500 m, 5000 m, 10.000 m and team pursuit. I think he's able to win 3 medals:

And here's Ireen Wüst, she'll skate 1000 m, 1500 m, 3000 m, 5000 m and team pursuit. Again, able to win 3 medals, maybe more:

Hi Diana- Just checking in. I read and enjoyed The Art of Fielding. I received it, as a Christmas Swap book, a couple years ago. Hope your week is going well.

Hi Mark! I'm glad you enjoyed The Art of Fielding. Mine is a fat book with a small font.

Just finished The Art of Fielding and thinking about comments.

14. The Art of Fielding - Chad Harbach
724 p.

This is a contemporary coming of age novel, situated at Westish College on the shore of Lake Michigan. It's about the lives of five people.

Chad Harbach wrote a good debut novel, that I liked.

7/10

I realize that's not much of a comment, but I don't know what more to tell.

Maybe that there's talk about baseball :-)

>43 wilkiec: Oh myyyy...

I know, Morphy...

And he can skate fast, too.

Fantastic mug. I love it :-D

I'll do my best for catching up with the OG as much as I can.

Barbara :-)

Very far behind!

Love the crazy cat lady organizer! A friend posted that on my FB thread a while back and tagged me in it. I'm not sure what she was trying to say. ;)

>52 wilkiec: Love the mug! I'm going to look around for one like it. Have a great day!

>44 wilkiec:. Go Ireen! I can hardly wait.

*waves* Just catching up. . :)

Well, 7 stars is roughly 3.5 so you didn't scare me away from The Art of Fielding.

Tina, you're friend was just making a compliment ;-)

Mary, I hope you'll find the mug!

Becky, yes: Go Ireen! It's almost Friday.

*waves back at Tamara*

Lori, I'm glad I didn't scare you away and I hope you'll enjoy The Art of Fielding. 3.5 stars is good!

#44 Wow, that is quite a Hunger Game / Divergentish pose she is striking!

I'll start Imperium by Robert Harris about Roman orator Marcus Tullius Cicero.

Is it Piyush? I didn't read/see the Hungergames nor Divergent :-)

I was considering reading The Art of Fielding this year too, your rating is encouraging, will probably move it to my March TBR.

Good idea, Piyush, I hope you'll enjoy The Art of Fielding next month.

True.

Very true indeed! And the Alice in Wonderland mug is very pretty, too. I was less a fan of Harbach's book than you, giving it a 6/10 or 3/5 rating.

Richard, I can understand your 6 for The Art of Fielding. Something in the book made me feel as if I was too old for this coming of age theme; I know it sounds weird.

Not weird at all to me. I found the story perfectly pleasant, but I wasn't in any way impressed or surprised by anything about the book. I'm not sorry I read it, but it hasn't stuck with me.

What a friend of mine calls "television books": The book equivalent of watching television for a diversion.

That's it, you nailed it, Richard. And I like the term "television books".

Sometimes that kind of book is just what one wants, though.

Lovely thread, Diana! Love the mug and the very true t-shirt. And I truly look forward to watching the Olympic competition. My husband is especially looking forward to watching curling. When he was younger, he liveed close enough to the border to watch it on Canadian TV quite a bit, but here we rarely get to see it.

Terri, it's almost time for the Olympic Games! It's a pity you can't watch curling as much as before.

My youngest son B loves to watch ice hockey. More than a year ago, he had a school trip of a week to Berlin, where he visited an ice hockey game of the Berliner Eisbären (Polar Bears of Berlin). He loved it so much, that he tries to follow the German and the American/Canadian competition on the internet as much as possible! He's also longing for the Olympic Games.

Twice the same message is overdone :-)

Have been seeing all the pictures about the half finished hotel rooms in Sochi... Also the controversy over the snowboard course. The fun sure starts early. I'm another who read and liked The Art of Fielding well enough. Just didn't find it transcendent. So many reviewers named it book of the year, my expectations were raised too much I think.

The fun certainly starts early, Marianne. The snowboard course delivered various injured people already.

This morning, I heard about the Americans warning for exploding toothpaste, made by terrorists...

As we speak, a woman almost breaks her neck in the snowboard slopestyle qualification, brr.

Exploding toothpaste? Ye Gods! If they ever confiscate my toothpaste, I'm sunk!

Yep Marianne. So be warned for the exploding toothpaste!

I noted that Shaun White has pulled out of the slopestyle -- I'm hearing some buzz that this may be a little too extreme. If accidents/injuries are routine vs occasional?

That's right, Suzanne. He pulled out because of all the accidents. It seems to be the most dangerous slopestyle circuit in the world.
I watched the women's qualification slopestyle and there were so many accidents. You could see that some women were afraid to go and they just ignored all the difficult parts. It could be too extreme.

Slopestyle can be dangerous, but I think that all those boys and girls had a proper preparation. Yesterday, in the Swiss TV they showed how they have done their training also during summer. It was very interesting.

I know they all had a proper preparation, Barbara. I just hope that there will be no grave injuries.

That I hope, too and that includes all of the OG's participants. I'll keep my fingers crossed.

Me too, Barbara :-)

Tomorrow the Opening, Saturday sports. Finally!

Hi, Diana. I was so far behind reading your thread that I just skimmed through.

But there was our Sven in a picture! But I love Mark Tuitert too and the Mulder twins. Okay, I love sports!

Obviously, I do too. I was trying to post pictures of the 2 Dutchies with the most certain medal options :-)

In relation to beautiful speed skaters, I still remember the torso of Gerard van Velden and "Sanex" Rintje Ritsma!

Tell me about them!!!

My daughter had a big crush on Falco Zandstra when she was 6! And I was all for Ard Schenk!

Olympic Games 2002, Gerard van Velde:

Yes, that was rather awesome

Gianni Romme has those sparkling eyes!

And now it's bedtime with Imperium, a good read.

Sleep tight and happy reading!

i'm just going to watch 'Wie is de mol'.

>90 wilkiec: ...
...
...
...
...
...wow

Thank you, Connie!

Ha, Richard!
I know, right. It's been twelve years, and I actually remember the moment he showed us his torso. Wow.

Google's statement picture for the opening of the Olympic Games:

Great Google! Especially love the rainbow colors!

Marianne, it's also a great tribute to the gay community.

Hi Diana! I'm an Olympicholic too! My calendar is completely empty for the duration of the Olympics but I think I can multitask and read during the dull points. It will be interesting to see if Sven Kramer melts the ice with his steamy good looks.

Hi Lynda! I'd prefer it if he wins first and then he can melt the ice ;-)

Two hours to go before the Opening!

15. Imperium - Robert Harris
496 p.

blurb

Ancient Rome teems with ambitious and ruthless men. None is more brilliant than Marcus Cicero. A rising young lawyer, backed by a shrewd wife, Terentia, he decides to gamble everything on one of the most dramatic courtroom battles of all time. Win it, and he could win control of Rome itself. Lose it, and he is finished for ever.

I've read most of Cicero's work during my University period, and I've always loved his Latin and his phenomenal speeches and letters; that's why I hesitated to pick this book from Mt. TBR.
Robert Harris surprised me with his storytelling and he did a very good job in bringing history to the present. I loved it!

9/10

I'm pondering what to read during the Olympics. Not too heavy, maybe a mystery?

In 30 minutes the television programme will start. Will there be many Russian folklore elements in the Opening?

I'm ready to start. 24 minutes. Diana, I wish you happy OG :-D

We have been watching the programme for almost two hours now! Cool.

I just missed the Dutch team marching in! I was in the kitchen!

Poor Connie, don't worry, they'll show it on the news later :-D

The Russian ballet of War and Peace is beautiful.

Indeed, isn't it :-D

It is Barbara, this is a good part of the show.

The prima ballerina is called Diana, ha ;-)

Yep, and the dance of the dove of peace has given me some goose bumps.

The ballets, the men choirs and the music are great, yes.

The Olympic Games have started!

The Dutch atletes:

I'll start my first book by Jacqueline Winspear, Maisie Dobbs tonight.

Tomorrow in speed skating is 5.000 m. for men. Yes, we're talking Sven Kramer!

Hi Diana, just love Maisie Dobbs along with Daisy Dalrymple in this household.

Diana> I hope you enjoy Maisie. I read the first one and loved it. I didn't like the second one quite so much and avoided reading more for awhile. I'm still behind, but I'm catching up. I know some people liked the second much better than I did.

Speed skating is really fun to watch. But I think the snow-boarding is my favorite.

At first I thought Google was being subtle with the rainbow colors, but the quote underneath was perfectly and gloriously clear:

"The practice of sport is a human right. Every individual must have the possibility of practicing sport, without discrimination of any kind and in the Olympic spirit, which requires mutual understanding with a spirit of friendship, solidarity and fair play." –Olympic Charter

I've really enjoyed the Maisie Dobbs series. Have the last installment on Mt. ToBeRead. Will have to inch that one further up the slope somehow.

Hope you enjoy Maisie Dobbs! It quickly became one of my favorite series. It seems to have ended, though. The author has a new book coming out this year that isn't part of the series.

The Olympics hasn't started for us yet. Our TV networks pretend it's all going on during the evening primetime. The coverage starts in just a few minutes and I'll be tuning in for the opening ceremony.

Hi Diana, like Carrie, the Olympic Opening Ceremony won't start here until this evening which for me is still about 4 hours away.

John, Lori, I only read two chapters, but I like the beginning of Maisie Dobbs :-)

Rhonda, I just watched the snowboarding slopestyle final for men, and it was spectaculair! But again, so many falls.

Marianne, it was a clear statement by Google, wasn't it? I loved it.

Carrie and Judy, do they pretend it's live?? That seems a bit... euh... ridiculous.
I can understand that your coverage is later, because the timezone of Sochi is inconvenient for you. But I wouldn't sell this as "live tv".

That can't be 'live', of course.

Everyone could see that something went wrong in the opening: the fifth Olympic ring did not open.

Everyone? No, not exactly. In Russia, they quickly put on the pictures of the "dress-rehearsal". Only the people in the arena have seen what happened; on Russian television everything was fine.

They did??? Who do they think they are kidding?

Hi Connie! I guess millions of Russians :-)

And those Russians have no access to any internet? Duh!

Yes, they kind of do pretend it's live. I'm sure there are more than a few American viewers who didn't realize they were watching a recording.

Diana- Hope you enjoyed the opening ceremonies! I am not watching it. Bad Mark. Mr. Harris seems to be making the rounds lately. His new one sounds terrific too!
Enjoy your weekend.

Diana, are you like me sitting in front the TV and trying to do some LT :-D? I wish you a lovely weekend

Diana, the speed skating should be finish right now - Dutchs on the places 1 to 3. I keep my fingers crossed.

Diana on the wonderful Dutch guys!!!

Hi, Diana!

This is the only part of the opening ceremonies that I watched, but I did enjoy it:

http://gawker.com/the-russian-police-choir-sang-get-lucky-at-the-openin-15184752...

Carrie, that's strange ;-)

Happy weekend, Mark!

Yeah, Yeah! We did it!! places 1, 2 and 3!

Hoorah for Sven, Jan and Jorrit!!

Barbara, I was without LT, but of course I watched the speed skating.

Yes, they did it:
1. Sven Kramer
2. Jan Blokhuizen
3. Jorrit Bergsma

Three Dutch medals, it's wonderful!!

Amber, that was a beautiful part of the show, I'm glad you enjoyed it, too.

Connie, yes, 1, 2, 3. Awesome!

Here they are:

*waves* love all the olympic talk. :) Ooh, >90 wilkiec:, I'm wiping up my drool puddle.

Tamara, I'm glad you love the Olympic talk :-)

So USA has gold in snowboarding freestyle for men.
Norway has gold in cross-country 15 km pursuit for women.
Norway has gold in biathlon 10 km sprint for men.

One final to go today, skiing freestyle moguls for women.

>142 wilkiec:. Hooray! A question: Why is the Netherlands team wearing orange and black? Is there a significance?

Diana, I love your enthusiasm for the Olympics. Very interesting about Russia's decision not to show the big snafu on television. I felt bad about that but it didn't diminish my enjoyment of the opening ceremony last night. Congrats to the Dutch speed skaters! My thoughts immediately went to Hans Brinker, one of the joys of my childhood.

I think the snafus make it all the more interesting, We had a problem here in the Vancouver Opening Ceremony but it all worked out in the end. Canada is doing well so far with 1 gold, 1 silver and 1 bronze so far.

I'm not Diana, but I'm Dutch so...

Orange is the color of our country. King Willem Alexanders familie name is van Oranje! So that is our color. I don't no why the black is there, but maybe without the black the sportmen would look like carrots!

Thanks, Connie.

How about Ireen!!??

Yepieeee! Congrets on Ireen's success.

Becky, what Connie said ;-)

Orange is the Dutch color.

Donna, speed skating is big in the Netherlands, it's always nice to win in one your biggest sports.

Judy, Canada is doing well!

Connie and Barbara, yes, yes, yes!

Ireen Wüst wins gold in the 3000 m!

Yeah, Yeah, Yeah!!

Happy Connie! :-)

I think every Dutch person is happy with Ireen and Sven!

Great Dutch sweeps of the top skating medals. I couldn't be happier for your country!

Aww, thank you so much, Richard! xx

Ireen Wüst, gold:

What a lovely photo :-D

Barbara :-)

What a great start to the Winter Olympics, Diana. Seems a bit strange watching it from over here in 35 degree celcius temperatures though.

Hooray Ireen and Dutch speedskating!

ETA. Wow, I just watched the 3000M women's race. Ireen was amazing. I didn't think she would catch the Czech woman. It was a great event.

I watched the women's speed skating today. Congrats on the Dutch gold medal! I agree with labwriter, it was a great event! I do love the Dutch uniforms, the orange and black are so striking. It is so much fun to watch the Olympics and I love how it is another way to bring our international community together here on LT.

Paul, I can imagine it's strange!

Becky, Ireen was awesome, wasn't she? I think her chances for more medals are certainly there.

Heidi, yes watching the Olympics is so much fun. I agree about the international aspect, it's even more fun!

The next two weeks are very busy in my family. All free moments I try to watch the Olympic Games, being such a sports fan.

I'm sorry for not visiting many threads at the moment, I'll be around as soon as it's a bit more quiet over here.

Olympic Games:

The short track tournament has just started. This afternoon will have the 500 m for men in speed skating, with four Dutch contenders.

Wow, did you see Jan, Michel and Ronald, Diana!

Wowowowowowowow

1, 2 en 3! alweer.

No! This was unexpected!

500 m men speed skating:
1. Michel Mulder
2. Jan Smeekens
3. Ronald Mulder

1, 2, 3 Dutch again...

I'm speechless.

But I feel a bit sorry for Jan!

He'll be allright, Connie.

Yes I know, but to think you've won for about 20 sec. is so painful!

It is very painful, indeed. But I suppose he'll be so glad with his silver medal in a short while.

I don't think this unique picture will ever come up again:

Congratulations! Just a perfect day :-D

Congratulations, Diana! Outstanding performances.

>180 wilkiec:. You are so right. I just hope we do get some more speed skating medals! So maybe we can keep this up.

I felt very sorry for the Short track people, too!

Way to go, Netherlands! The power of the orange is strong in these Games.

I did watch some skating yesterday, watched Michel Mulder win against that Japanese fellow.

Great day for the Dutch today! :) Really wonderful to watch.

I love the Mulder twins! Gold and bronze, amazing. Sweeeep! in the men's 500M.

Hi Barbara, Joe, Connie, Julia, Piyush, Judy and Becky. They were wonderful!

And this afternoon an unexpected medal in speed skating 500 m for women: Margot Boer won bronze!!

Wowowowo! Congratulations. I'm speechless

Me too. And Margot Boer, too :-)

The Dutch Olympics! So very very happy for all of your many medal-winners.

Speechless? hahaha Margo talked a lot in an interview but it was mostly enthousiastic babble!

This was really unexpected!

Hi Diana - I'm a bit useless when it comes to the Olympics (winter or summer), but I appreciate your enthusiasm!

>192 richardderus:. The Dutch Olympics Wow! Love it.

>164 PaulCranswick: I'd trade ya right now, lol!

I haven't been able to watch any of the Olympics yet, but I feel like I'm getting a good replay by visiting her Diana! Congratulations on all the great Dutch successes!! :)

Richard, the Dutch Olympics sounds so unreal :-)

Connie, it was totally unexpected, never happened before.

Kerry, thank you ;-)

Hi Becky!

Hi Tamara!

Tina, I guess the Dutch successes are mainly limited to speed skating :-)

I'll start a new thread now.