Diana (Wilkiec) loves to read in 2014, Page 11

Youngest son B.'s final exams will start in 12 days. Last year, son R. passed his final exams and we hope B. wil do it this year!

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 8/10, 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.
16. Maisie Dobbs - Jacqueline Winspear 8/10, 320 p.
17. The Rehearsal - Eleanor Catton 5/10, 336 p.
18. MS van binnenuit - Ad Bakx 2/10, 144 p.
19. The Brutal Telling - Louise Penny 6/10, 512 p.
20. Het Marco-effect - Jussi Adler-Olsen 7/10, 512 p.
21. Overleverigheid - Leo Vroman 8/10, 142 p.
22. Het andere heelal - Leo Vroman 8/10, 238 p.
23. The Secret Speech - Tom Rob Smith 8/10, 690 p.

Pages read in February: 4698

March

24. Bush is dom en 37 andere clichés over Amerika - Frans Verhagen, 6/10, 208 p.
25. Big Brother - Lionel Shriver, 9/10, 488 p.
26. Macbeth heeft echt geleefd - Pieter Steinz, 7/10, 240 p.
27. Bury your Dead - Louise Penny, 7/10, 652 p.
28. Trackers - Deon Meyer, 6/10, 736 p.
29. Whatever you Love - Louise Doughty, 8/10, 384 p.
30. Beijing Coma - Ma Jian, 6/10, 670 p.
31. The Sleepwalkers - Christopher Clark, 9/10, 736 p.
32. A Left-Handed History of the World - Ed Wright, 6/10, 256 p.
33. Agent Zigzag - Ben Macintyre, 8/10, 384 p.
34. Eating Animals - Jonathan Safran Foer, 4/10, 352 p.

Pages read in March: 5106

April

35. The Guns of August - Barbara Tuchman, 8/10, 658 p.
36. Australians: Origins to Eureka - Thomas Keneally, 10/10, 760 p.
37. Voodoo Histories - David Aaronovitch, 5/10, 372 p.
38. Misschien wisten zij alles - Toon Tellegen, 8/10, 634 p.
39. The Light Years - Elizabeth Jane Howard, 10/10, 594 p.
40. De Amerikaanse geschiedenis in een notendop - Jan van Opheusden, 7/10, 174 p.
41. Verzamelde gedichten - Lucebert, 8/10, 912 p.
42. Restoration - Rose Tremain, 6/10, 432 p.
43. Merivel: A Man of his Time - Rose Tremain, 7/10, 384 p.
44. A Trick of the Light - Louise Penny, 8/10, 616 p.
45. Poetin - Wierd Duk, 8/10, 98 p.
46. Brain on Fire - Susannah Cahalan, 9/10, 288 p.

Pages read in April: 5922

May

47. De gedichten - P.C. Hooft, 8/10, 820 p.
48. Peter the Great - Robert K. Massie, 9/10, 1110 p.
49. Six Years - Harlan Coben, 7/10, 450 p.
50. Killing Floor - Lee Child, 7/10, 702 p.

Pages read in May: 3082

June

Pages read in June:

July

Pages read in July:

August

Pages read in August:

Favourite reads 2014:

Fiction

- The Light Years - Elizabeth Jane Howard
- Big Brother - Lionel Shriver
- Whatever you Love - Louise Doughty
- Imperium - Robert Harris
- Jack Sheppard - William Ainsworth

Non-fiction

- Australians: Origins to Eureka - Thomas Keneally
- Brain on Fire - Susannah Cahalan
- Peter the Great - Robert K. Massie
- Poetin - Wierd Duk
- The Sleepwalkers - Christopher Clark
- The Guns of August - Barbara Tuchman

Welcome everyone!

Hi Diana. you told me to follow you, so I did!

>11 connie53: You're a good girl, Connie :-)

45. Poetin - Wierd Duk
98 p.

Small book about Vladimir Putin from Leningrad, Russia's president.

8/10

46. Brain on Fire - Susannah Cahalan
288 p.

Brain on Fire: My Month of Madness is the memoir of a young woman.

It started with a headache. Then, within days, twenty-four-year-old New Yorker Susannah Cahalan was having violent fits, hallucinating, blacking out and attacking those around her.

This is the story of one woman's descent into insanity. She pieces together the terrifying lost month of her life, asking what happens when your identity is suddenly destroyed by an unknown cause.

The book is an intense, often terrifying account of the search for a diagnosis. I'm not sure if I'd recommend this to everyone, but to me it was an excellent read.

9/10

Diana - happy new thread! I was several threads behind I think but I am going to try and stay caught up now.

Good luck to your youngest son, B, with his final exams!

I'm overjoyed that The Light Years has made it onto your list of favourite reads so far this year - I've just finished All Change, the final book in the series, and it's a great series.

>15 souloftherose: Thank you, Heather! B really wants to start his University study in August, so he's motivated to work ;-)

The Light Years got 10/10, I loved it and I'm thrilled to have another four books to go in the series.

Happy new thread Diana have a lovely day.

Good luck to 'B' with the upcoming exams, Diana. Yasmyne has hers coming too at about the same time.

Congratulations on another new thread my dear. Still leading the way for Europe this year. xx

Hi Diana, nice new thread my dear and thank you for the friend invite. Good luck to "B" with the forthcoming exams.

Happy new thread, Diana, and congratulations on your sons fine achievements. I am awaiting a phone call right now to see if my elder daughter got the promotion that she interviewed for today. Makes you proud when you see your kids setting goals and making their own way, doesn't it.

Happy new thread, Diana! Sending good luck vibes for your youngest and his final exams!

Congrats for the new thread and for both sons taking another step closer to their goals. Proud Mama!

Diana, on you latest thread. I'll keep my fingers crossed for your son's exam. I'm sure he will pass.
I guess it's raining at your place, too and therefore a lot of happy reading time.

>17 GeezLouise: Thank you Rae, I hope your day is beautiful, too!

Happy New thread, Diana! Glad you loved Brain on Fire. My wife and I both loved it too and I just passed it on to my sister.

hope the week is going well.

>18 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul. What will Yasmyne do after this year, go to another school/college? xx

>19 johnsimpson: Hi John, thank you. It's a pity you and Paul weren't able to meet this year, I think next year is a must!

>20 DeltaQueen50: Judy, I hope you have heard from your daughter now :-)

>21 lkernagh: Lori, thank you!

>22 michigantrumpet: Proud mama it is, Marianne. R. has chosen Psychology, B. has chosen Medical Science and Technology and I'm proud that they both dare to dream and make choices for their own future.

>14 wilkiec: Great review of Brain on Fire. I'm placing it on the tbr pile. I hope they found what was causing this condition.

Happy Day. And, by the way, I love >10 wilkiec:!

>23 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara. It's not pouring, but there is rain and it's a cold day. I'll read after my visit to the physiotherapist.

>25 msf59: Mark, I'm glad you loved Brain on Fire too. It is rather intense, isn't it?

>31 Whisper1: I don't know if I'm allowed to spoiler about the cause, Linda, but it was a rare condition.

This book has helped the disease to become known, so the diagnosis can be made earlier in the process. Less people will have to die because of the disease, so Bravo to the author and 2 excellent doctors!

I've just started the memoir Peter the Great: his Life and World by Robert K. Massie. The start is very promising; mister Massie can write!

47. De gedichten - P.C. Hooft
820 p.

P.C. Hooft was an important Dutch author in the first half of the 17th century. He lived from 1581 to 1647 and wrote plays and poetry. It's old-Dutch and needs concentration to read it.

In this poetry collection, his language is still beautiful.

8/10

Hi Diana, how are you? Today, we finally got some sun, isn't it nice?

>37 Ameise1: Hi Barbara, I'm okay. I'm so glad you've got sun, finally! Hopefully, it's the start of more sun and less rain.

Unfortunately, tomorrow it will rain again. On Sunday it should be over with the bad weather.

Thanks for your kind comment on my thread, Diana! :)

Are you fluent in Dutch??

Hi Diana. I hope your friday and your weekend will be fabulous and sunny.

Hi, Diana! Nice thread! Good luck to B on his exams.

Brain on Fire sounds fascinating! Great review.

I have the Massie Peter the Great on my shelf from a library sale. I've heard good things about it. I look forward to your comments.

Just dropping by to admire your shiny new thread and say hi and Happy Friday!

>35 wilkiec: Diana, I loved that book. You're right about Robert Massie.

Diana, I missed your last thread because of the link not automatically updating. Which also means I am late to the party here. But here I am! And great news about your sons.

>39 Ameise1: It's a pity that you have rain again, Barbara. Time to read more books?

>40 jolerie: Hi Valerie! Yes, I'm fluent in Dutch; I am Dutch and live in the Netherlands. Can I help you with a translation or another thing Dutch?

>41 connie53: Connie, no sun and much wind here. Hope your weekend will be wonderful as well!

>42 tymfos: Thank you, Terri. Peter the Great is a chunkster, and I can recommend it already.

>43 Storeetllr: Hi Mary, happy Friday to you, too!

>44 AuntieClio: >45 AuntieClio: Ha Stephanie, you're in! The sons and we are very happy :-)

B still has a week to prepare for his final exams and he works hard.

>46 wilkiec: Diana, I've read many hours yesterday. Today it's cloudy but not raining.

>52 Ameise1: That's better. Fortunately, Sunday will be there soon :-)

Yep, I'm looking forward to it. :-D

Haha! You could..but I wouldn't understand a thing that you were translating, but I think it's SUPER cool that you are fluent in another language. :)

>54 Ameise1: :-D

>55 jolerie: Valerie, living in such a small country, it's necessary to speak your languages. That's why we learn a bit of English, French, German :-)

Good luck to your son in his coming exams, Diana. I hope he doesn't get too stressed about it.

>58 cameling: Thank you, Caro. B is a relaxed guy, of course there'll be stress, but I think he'll be able to handle it well. We'll see; I can do the stress part for him ;-)

>14 wilkiec: Brain on Fire sounds like an interesting read. She was a journalist, right? I like the idea of a journalist applying her investigative skills to herself, plus the medical condition part is intriguing.

Hi Diana, the weather was not great over here. But it didn't rain. My hopes are high for tomorrow!

Have a wonderful weekend Diana.

>60 Cobscook: Heidi, she still is a journalist for the New York Post and she's able to work fulltime again.

>61 connie53: Connie, I hope today's better. It's rather cold over here, brrrr.

>62 GeezLouise: Thank you, Rae. I hope you and your family have a lovely weekend, too!

Diana, I wish you a Happy Weekend.

>66 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. Beautiful!

Leo Tolstoy

Now that's a great biographical chart, Diana. It's saved me having to read a written biography of Tolstoy. ;-)

>68 wilkiec: Diana, this is gorgeous. I love Tolstoy's book.

>26 wilkiec: Well she has her heart seemingly set on Imperial College London and a degree in GeoPhysics. Sounds like the epitome of boredom to me but first she has to get through this first set of exams and then two years of A Levels or an IB.

Have a lovely weekend my dear. xx

>64 wilkiec:. No it wasn't really. It started rather sunny but as the morning progressed it got more cloudy. And the beginning of the evening it was sunny again, but we had company for dinner, so no reading outside.

Tonight: 'vorst aan de grond'. That is something I did not expect anymore.

Stopping by to wish you a happy weekend, Diana.

>68 wilkiec: - Great chart!

>69 cameling: I'm glad I could be of service, Caro :-)

>70 Ameise1: It's also useful, isn't it? Last year, I had a bad translation of Anna Karenina, that was a pity. Some day I'll read War and Peace...

>71 PaulCranswick: Paul, two years of A Levels will be on the same school in Kuala Lumpur, I guess? That would mean she's at least 2 years from a possible move elsewhere. I'm glad my young men can stay at home while going to University, although B thinks different about moving ;-)

>72 connie53: Connie, it was -7 C over here. Now it's cloudy and 12 C, but this should be the last "colder" day.

>73 lkernagh: Thanks Lori, I wish you the same!

The Brits did very well in cycling last week. The Tour of Turkey is won by Adam Yates, with 4 stages for Mark Cavendish.

The Tour of Romandie is won by Christopher Froome, who also won the time trial today. The last 3 years, the winner of the Tour of Romandie also won the Tour de France. I hope there'll be an exciting competition with Chris Froome, Alberto Contador and a couple of other strong contenders...

Greetings, Diana! Great bio of Tolstoy. He died at a train station?! What's with that?

>80 Carmenere: Hi Lynda! I didn't know about his death at a train station. This bio is very informative and it doesn't take much time to learn ;-)

I have two other bio's stored somewhere, I'll try to locate them and show them.

>75 wilkiec: Diana, War and Peace is better, I think. I've read Tolstoy in German and the translations were good.

I've read both War and Peace and Anna Karenina and I'll admit, they were not easy reads for me. He wouldn't be my go to author, but I see the place and importance he has in Russian history and literature. :)

>82 Ameise1: Barbara, my Dutch War and Peace-translation seems to be good. Some day, when I'm very calm and balanced, I'll start it :-)

>83 jolerie: Then I think it's a great achievement, Valerie, that you finished both books!

Hi Diana, well, my daughter didn't get the job she was going for, but it looks like the she will slot into the position of the fellow who did get the job, which is still a promotion for her, just not quite as big a leap. I told her that small leaps are best.

>86 DeltaQueen50: Promotion for your daughter is great, Judy! I agree about the small leaps, there has to be something to look forward to :-)

Hi Diana- Hope you had a good weekend. i am almost finished with The Accident. I think you might enjoy this one. A fun, fast-paced thriller.

Did you read The ExPats?

>88 msf59: Hi Mark! And yes, book bullet received: I just ordered The Accident :-)
I think I'll enjoy that one more than I did The Expats.

Hey Diana, have a lovely week.

>90 GeezLouise: Thank you, dear Rae! I hope your week is great as well.

Hi Diana, I hope the weather is good at your place. Have a wonderful day.

>92 Ameise1: Barbara, the weather is not that good, it's raining. Still loving your wellness-stay?

Tonight is the first semi-final of the Eurovision Songfestival, in which the Netherlands also participates. R and me are already preparing for it, we love to comment a lot :-)

Diana, I had a back massage this afternoon and it was fantastic.

Wish you a lot of fun with the European song contest :-D

>94 Ameise1: Back massage sounds fabulous, Barbara!

I bet you are commenting on the dresses too, Diana!

Diana, congrats! The Netherlands are qualified!!! :-D

>96 connie53: Well, that's part of the fun, isn't it? :-) We had a great evening, Connie.

>97 Ameise1: Barbara, we'll have another wonderful evening on Saturday, with the final!

48. Peter the Great - Robert K. Massie
1110 p.

Big biography of Tsar Peter the Great. A fascinating, exceptionally well written non-fiction work. Robert K. Massie has written a great narrative history.

9/10

I've started my first Harlan Coben, Six Years. So far, so good.

Hi Diana, I love Coben's book. I've read HOLD TIGHT, Caught, Long Lost and Miracle Cure.

Hi Barbara. I also have Play Dead in my Mountain TBR, but that's all as far as Harlan Coben concerns.

I have all translated ones and read all and loved all.

>104 connie53: That's good to hear, Connie, I hope I'll love mine too.

I found another writer's bio:

Ernest Hemingway

Love that one!

>107 connie53: Me too.

Connie, did you see #yolanthetweet today on Twitter? Did you follow the story? There are many funny variations now :-)

>106 wilkiec: Diana, this is gorgeous. BTW I love Hemingway's book.

>109 Ameise1: I don't think I understand the first picture. Did Hemingway struggle with crying? With bags under his eyes? With a wet face?

with a blue beard??

>108 wilkiec: No I did not. I'm not on Twitter.

>111 connie53: Or with a blue beard ;-)

Diana, he was a heavy drinker and depressive and therefore couldn't looked very handsome.

>113 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara. Now I understand the tears in the first picture :-)

49. Six Years - Harlan Coben
450 p.

My first Harlan Coben is a solid thriller. I thought the story was a bit cluttered, but with enough cliffhangers in it.

7/10

Hi Diana, I gave Zes jaar a 7 too. I have six of his books with a 7. All the other ones are an 8 or 9.

>117 wilkiec: Connie, was Play Dead a 7 or more? That's my other Coben.

Dood spel was an 8!

>118 connie53: That's good news, Connie. I'll look forward to it.

Glad to be of help, Diana.

>35 wilkiec: Diana I'm glad you enjoyed Peter the Great, I did too.

>121 AuntieClio: I'm glad you did too, Stephanie. It's wonderful how Robert K. Massie can write his narrative history. It didn't even feel like a 1110 pages book.

Yesterday, the Giro d' Italia/Tour of Italy started, for three weeks of cycling.

It started with a Team Time Trial around Belfast, in Northern Ireland, and the team of Orica Greenedge won. They'll stay in Northern Ireland for two more days and today's the first stage!

Lol

Diana, I wish you a fantastic weekend and Mother's Day.

>124 wilkiec: Fantastic.

>124 wilkiec: - That is great! I hope you have a wonderful Mother's Day weekend, Diana!

>125 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara. I wish you the same!

>126 lkernagh: Isn't he adorable, Lori ;-) I wish you the same!

Marcel Kittel won the bunch sprint and Dutch Maarten Tjallingi has the most points for KoM. The new leader of the GC is Michael Matthews.

You are so fast, Diana, with all this info! Great job.

>130 connie53: Sometimes I watch and type at the same time, Connie ;-)
Did you see the race? There was so much rain there. Well, just like over here, I guess.

Just the end of it, Diana. But I was getting the living room tidy, so a missed a lot of it. I will be able to watch more attentive tomorrow.

Diana, congratulations on the second place at the European Song Contest :-D

Have a lovely weekend Diana.

>124 wilkiec: Love it!

Thought about you yesterday, Diana, as I settled down to enjoy the Giro in Northern Ireland. The rain made for some treacherous racing but Kittel was awesome. Pity for Dan Martin out of the race in Ireland.

Have a wonderful Mother's Day dear lady. xx

>132 connie53: I hope you'll enjoy the race today, Connie. I guess we can expect another bunch sprint.

>133 Ameise1: Haha, thanks Barbara, did you watch it? It became very exciting and R and I had a great evening!

I didn't like the booing of Russia though. Those girls did their best and they don't have anything to do with Putin's craziness.

>134 GeezLouise: Thank you, Rae, I hope your weekend is wonderful as well!

>135 kidzdoc: Darryl, I think he's very cute :-)

Hi Diana, I was a little bit disappointed to see the giro is not shown on Dutch tv. We have to go to Belgium or Eurosport, but I'm ready for stage 3! I hope you'll enjoy it too.

>136 PaulCranswick: Paul, I was really sorry for Daniel Martin and his team mate. I feared there would be many falls in the rain of yesterday, too, but fortunately that went better than expected.
Marcel Kittel is very strong at the moment, he could win today's race too, who knows.

Thanks for the Mother's Day wishes, I read that Hani's day is great :-)

>141 connie53: Connie, Dutch TV only broadcasts the Tour de France. I always watch Belgian TV for cycling anyway, and it'll start in approximately 5 minutes. Enjoy!

Lots of falls up to now! I always look away when that happens, really scary stuff.

>144 connie53: Indeed Connie, but fortunately no-one had to stop the race.

Well, this was an amazing win by Marcel Kittel!! What a power...

GC leader: Michael Matthews
KoM leader: Maarten Tjallingi, he won the points today, too.

>146 wilkiec: Wow, Kittel put up a big fight to win and won! If you see the view from above it's even more impressive. He came from so far and had so much speed.

>138 wilkiec: Diana, I've only seen the voting, so I'm not able to discuss the event. I wish you a good start into the week ahead.

Hi Diana, happy mother's day my dear.

Wishing you a wonderful Mother's Day Diana!

I know I'm a little late with Mother's Day wishes, Diane, but I am glad you had a happy one!

>147 connie53: Yes Connie, it was unbelievable. He's so strong.

>148 Ameise1: Barbara, I hope you'll have a good return to work today.

>149 johnsimpson: Thank you, John!

>150 jolerie: Thanks Valerie, you too!

>151 Storeetllr: Thank you, Mary!

B has his first day of exams. Today it's the exam of Dutch. I hope it's less difficult than last year, when R did his exams, and Dutch turned out to be very complicated.

According to all the complaints that LAKS has got, it was just as difficult, Diana. I hope he did well.

Have a nice week Diana.

>156 connie53: B thought it was diffcult, but not as bad as last year. He hopes he did just well enough.

>157 GeezLouise: Thank you, Rae. I hope your week is wonderful as well :-)

B's exam of today is Chemistry.

The Giro d' Italia has landed in Italy and continues today. Marcel Kittel for his third victory?

No Marcel Kittel for victory. The TV just started the program and Kittel didn't start today because he's ill with fever, poor guy.

This was a crazy stage with refusing cyclists. Finally, the winner is Nacer Bouhanni.

Kiss of death as usual am I. Poor fellow. Race was a damp squib too.

>163 PaulCranswick: The whole race-day was unnecessary, Paul. At least today's race has 3 hills in it, let's hope for something better :-)

50. Killing Floor - Lee Child
702 p.

This is the first book in the Jack Reacher series, and my first Lee Child. Another series I'm going to read, that's for sure. The book is filled with dead bodies and action with a good plot.

I'll have to get used to Child's style; it reads like he's writing for beginners in English with short sentences and scarce use of clauses.

7/10

B's exam is Biology today. Tonight there'll be three down, five to go!

ooops! I missed nearly a whole thread :( so sorry

No catching up, but at least I can say hello :)

>167 mckait: Don't feel sorry, Kath, it's impossible to keep up with everyone, isn't it?

Hello back :-)

Hi Diana! just seeing your thread reminded me of the giro! So I have to switch the TV on now, thanks!

>169 connie53: Haha, you have 15 km to go, including a hill/mountain :-) You're welcome!

Diego Ulissi won today's stage. Michael Matthews still leads the GC.

I'm not sure what to read next, but I took two books from Mt. TBR. Gulag: A History by Anne Applebaum and Capital in the Twenty-First Century by the French Thomas Piketty.

Yesterday I promised to write you a Villanelle - my first one:
Well this is for you.

VILLANELLES

Developed by the devious french of 19 lines.
They are difficult constructs in that:
Lines 1, 6, 12 and 18 are a refrain
Lines 3, 9, 15 and 19 are another refrain but which rhymes with the first refrain
Lines 2, 5, 8, 11, 14 and 17 all hold the same rhyme.
Simple?

Fiction

If we were characters in books
Who would write the words
That fact in fiction truth forsook.

Earthen axis trembled, shook
Facing a storyline absurd
In which we were characters in books

Writer's cramp those words get stuck
Leaving only platitudes to be averred
When fact in fiction truth forsook.

A crestfallen page askance to look
Upon lines unspoken and so unheard
As if we were mere characters in books.

Volumes we spied upon shelves we took
And its chapters the sensibilities stirred
Though fact in fiction truth forsook

Truth will die and have no luck
When falsehood once recurred;
If we were characters in books
And fact in fiction truth forsook.

For the esteemed Ms. Diana 14/5/14

>173 PaulCranswick: Very well done! Bravo!

*applause*

WOW!!! You've outdone yourself, Mr. Cranswick!!!

Hi Diana!

>174 PawsforThought: >175 AuntieClio: >176 TinaV95: Thank you ladies ( *blushes*). As another parent suffering whilst her daughter takes life defining examinations, I thought I would try to provide Diana with some little relief. xx

>173 PaulCranswick: Like I just said on your thread I love your villanelle, Paul and I also love your explanation of how you composed it.

You're the first person ever who wrote a poem for me and I feel honored. Thank you dear, it's beautiful. xx

>174 PawsforThought: >175 AuntieClio: >176 TinaV95: Hi ladies, I totally agree!

>177 PaulCranswick: That's so sweet! How's Yasmyne doing?

B has no exams today. Three done, five to go. Dutch went reasonably well, Chemistry was very difficult and way too much, but it looks like he managed to make it well enough. Biology, on the other hand, was a bit short and it went well.

Today's stage is won by Michael Matthews, who still leads the GC. Cadel Evans wins time for the GC.

Another crazy day in the Giro with horrible crashes in the last 10 km :-(

You have your own poem, Diana! Wow!

>180 wilkiec: Well she says that she is doing fine, Diana, but I guess only time will tell.

>182 connie53: Wow indeed, Connie!

>183 PaulCranswick: I trust she knows she is doing fine, Paul. Hopefully she'll continue that way.

B has two exams today. This morning, it was German and in the afternoon it's Economics.
He continues to stay relaxed and cool, a rather remarkable quality ;-)

Nacer Bouhanni won the stage today and Michael Matthews stil leads the GC. Fortunately there were less crashes today.

Happy Friday! Saw the racing and thought of you...

>188 michigantrumpet: Hi Marianne! It's a good sign that you think of me when you racing, isn't it? :-) Happy weekend to you.

Last week, reading has become more and more difficult because of an inflammation of the left optic nerve.
My vision is bad and it causes severe headaches. I'm sorry for not visiting threads, I hope I'll do better soon.

First real mountains today in the Giro, with an exciting end. Winner is Diego Ulissi and Dutch Wilco Kelderman is third! Cadel Evans leads the GC now.

I am so sorry about your vision! I have gone through a number of eye problems, it truly is a pain. And the optic nerve is serious.

Don't worry about visiting threads--sometimes a dark room with a heated cloth over your eyes is the only thing

>191 wilkiec: Great stage today although I was a little disappointed that Pierre Rolland didn't hold on for the win.

Have a lovely weekend. xx

Sorry to read about your current vision problems! Here is hoping that things get better for you soon and you have a lovely weekend.

I'm sorry to hear about your worsening optic neuritis, Diana. I pray that it improves soon.

Hi Diana, sorry to hear about your eye problems, hope things improve soon my dear and Karen and I send love and hugs to you.

>193 PaulCranswick: Paul, it seemed there were 2 km too many for Pierre Rolland. Today another attempt perhaps?
Have a wonderful weekend yourself! xx

>192 banjo123: >194 lkernagh: >195 kidzdoc: >196 johnsimpson: Rhonda, Lori, Darryl, John, thank you for your support! I hope you all have a lovely weekend. xx

Creating a new thread in a moment...

New thread is over here: http://www.librarything.com/topic/174275