Ameise1 (Barbara)'s 2nd tour (Part 1)

Welcome to my second year in this fantastic group!

This is my home town Zürich (Switzerland)


I'm 53 years old, married since 25 years and have two daughters. Two cats are also living in our house. I'm working as a primary teacher. I've a wide variety of interests as reading, travelling, music, art and history.

I enjoyed my first year (2014) in this group very much and it would be great to see you here fequently.

January
# 1 The Photograph by Penelope Lively (4 stars)
# 2 Die Ballade vom traurigen Café by Carson McCullers (4 1/2 stars)
# 3 The Book of Gaza: A City in Short Fiction by Atef Abu Saif (4 stars)
# 4 Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro (4 stars) audiobook
# 5 Unsuitable Job for a Woman by p. D. James ROOT - 2015 Read Our Own Tomes Group (3 1/2 stars)

American Author Challenge 2015

January (Carson McCullers): Die Ballade vom traurigen Café (2015-01-03)

British Author Challenge 2015

January
The Photograph by Penelope Lively read in German (2015-01-01)
Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro audiobook (2015-01-16)

Take It or Leave It Challenge


January
6: Read a book by an author who died in 2014
Unsuitable Job for a Woman by P. D. James (2015-01-25)
9.: Read a book whose title contains "yes" or a synonym thereof
The Book of Gaza: A City in Short Fiction by Atef Abu Saif (2015-01-04)
10.: IOU challenge: Read a book by someone whose name ends in I, O, or U
Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro (2015-01-16)
20.: Read a book by an author that has won the Booker Prize but not a book that won the Booker Prize
The Photograph by Penelope Lively (2015-01-01)
22.: Read a book in which one of the author's names has 6 or more letters
Die Ballade vom traurigen Café by Carson McCullers (2015-01-03)

currently reading



currently listening

Can I enter already? :)
Happy 2015 Reading, Barbara!

Hi Barbara! I'm glad you're back for 2015! I will also be reading Nocturnes in January. I put a hold on the audio version yesterday.

Hi Barbara. What a gorgeous shot of Zurich!. Happy reading!

>7 Deern: Nathalie, it's wonderful to have you here. Happy reading to you too.
Being first some sweets from Switzerland: Zuger Kirschtorte

>8 cbl_tn: Hi Carrie, thanks so much for stopping by. I'm looking forward to the reading in 2015. I've to finish first another audiobook before I can start with Nocturnes.

>9 majkia: Welcome Jean, it's wonderful to have you here. Indeed, I live in a fantastic town.

Lovely new thread, Barbara! Your photo of Zürich is quite enticing, and I'll have to pay a visit there on one of my future European trips.

The Zuger Kirschtorte looks very nice, too!

>12 kidzdoc: Welcome, Darryl. It's great to have you here. Zürich is a lovely town. You would certainly love it and we have a lot of fantastic food, too.

Welcome back!

Will share two out of three early reads, Barbara - the McCullers and Penelope Lively for the BAC.

Trust your sophomore year will be as successful as your rookie one. xx

>14 drneutron: Thanks so much, Jim. I'm looking forward to the new challenge.

>15 PaulCranswick: Paul, with the AAC & BAC challenges there are many chances for shared reads. Thanks so much for your encouraging words. xx

Hi Barbara! I love all your stars on the other threads :-) Good luck with all the challenges this year.

>17 susanj67: Thanks so much, Susan. With both author challenges I'll go half way through to the target. That will help to reach it. :-)

Welcome to the 2015 threads! I'll admit to lurking on your threads last year - looking forward to 2015. Zürich really is a beautiful city, lovely photo.

>19 evilmoose: Hi Megan and welcome on my thread. I hope to see you frequantly. Zürich is the biggest town in Switzerland with 400,000 habitants. For other countries it would just be a smll town. It's a cosy town with a wonderful historic centre.

>20 Ameise1: Oh, I've actually visited Zürich before, in 2009, but hadn't realised (or had forgotten) it's so small! We were travelling by bike at the time, so every town seemed much bigger perhaps. I do remember the lake, and lovely chocolate shops, and some wonderful architecture and having fondue with the friends we stayed with in town!

>21 evilmoose: Megan, you are right, by bike every place seems much bigger. Which places did you visit on your bike tour 2009?
Oh, fondue! It's the perfect season now for a good fondue. We eat it very often.

>22 Ameise1: Barbara, we had about 6 months, so we started off with a quick 2 weeks in Japan to cycle and camp with my brother, then *takes a big breath* Ireland, Wales, England, France, Belgium, Netherlands, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Norway, back to Sweden (by train and bus), ferry to Finland, then ferry to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania (with a sight-seeing trip with relatives to Lithuania, Poland and Germany, then catch train to Prague from Vilnius), Czech Republic, Slovakia, Austria, Italy, Switzerland, Germany, France! We finished with a few days in Paris, then catching the train back to London to fly home! My favourite sections were the Alps, and the fjords in Norway, although the whole trip was wonderful.

Hmm, fondue is a fantastic idea for this weather.

>23 evilmoose: Wow, Megan, I'm very impressed. That must have been an absolutely gorgeous tour and doing it by bike you saw more of Europe than most people will ever do.

Hi Barbara - I've "seen" you recently on Diane's and Peggy's threads, so thought I'd come over for a visit! Good luck for your 2015 reading year.

>25 karenmarie: Hi Karen, welcome on my thread. It's a pleasure to have you here. I wish you a gorgeous reading 2015, too.

Hej Barbara, welcome to your second year.

Happy new year Barbara! Looking forward to seeing you around!

>27 paulstalder: Thanks a lot Paul. I have a look to find your thread.

>28 The_Hibernator: Ah Rachel, that's good that you are here.

Dropping my star, Barbara!

>30 Crazymamie: Welcome, Mamie. It's nice to have you here. :-)

Hanging my star on your thread so I can follow you again.

>32 thornton37814: It's so wonderful to have you here, Lori. I've already dropped my star at your new thread.

Here we go!! Making my rounds, finding my friends. :)

Hi Barbara! I am glad that I have located - and now starred! - your thread. I love that you have chosen different books than I have for the January AAC and BAC challenges. Variety is the spice of life!

>10 Ameise1: - Oooohhhh, cake..... YUM!

>34 jolerie: Hi Val, it's great to have you here. I'll be looking for your thread soon.

>35 lkernagh: Lori, I'm so happy that you found my place. I'll find your new shiny one soon.
Yep, those author challenges will be great fun. There are some which are very new to me but that's one reason why I love LT. I learned a lot about different authors whom I probably never would have taken of the library's shelves.

Today, we were at the lunch cinema and saw a very interesting and stirring movie called DURAK the Fool. It isn't unknown the coruption in Russia, but seeing this film made me shudder and sad.

It's a film I can strongly recommend even though it isn't a happy one.

Starred your thread, Barbara! I love your thread topping photo of Zurich! What a gorgeous city!

Thanks for the film recommendation. I'm always on the look out for good movies. I recently watched a Korean movie titled 'Secretly, Greatly' about 3 North Korean spies who had been in South Korea for many years, one having maintained his character as a mentally challenged young man. They suddenly receive orders to return to North Korea or risk being assassinated by their replacements. I thought it was an excellent movie!

>38 cameling: Hi Caro, it's fantastic to have you here. Zürich is a very lovely city. At the moment we have got a lot of snow and it is very quiet. In the buses, trams and trains it's very slippery due to all the melting snow.

Thanks for the movie recommendation. I'll have a lookat our local library if they have a copy.

Today we were in Basel at the Spielzeug Welten Museum. It was the first time we were there but definitely not the last time. It's made and presented so wonderful that I felt being in the midst of a fairy tale. The exhibitions are on four floors. There are more the 6,000 bears, a lot of most beautiful doll's houses (also shops, workshops, etc.). There was also a special exhibition about the history of shoes from 3000 years ago until the future.

I hope you don't mind but there will follow now a load of photos:

_____

________

__________

What an amazing museum! Thanks for sharing the photos, Barbara. You have 2 things I love here ... teddy bears and shoes! I must add the Spielzeug Welten Museum to my bucket list.

>41 cameling: Caro, I'm glad I could help with those items. It is worth visiting it.

Bizarrely it reminded me of a museum in Amsterdam which is ridiculous given that a) I only have one brief memory of said museum, b) we visited on a day trip when I was six, c) I slept through almost the entire day trip in the arms of my parents and d) neither shoes nor bears appear in my memory of it.

How weird the mind is!

Hi Barbara, I have seen you spreading cheer around the threads with your gorgeous pictures and just had to stop by to say thanks! >40 Ameise1:: And then I see all these lovely dollhouses and the cutest bears ever! I would love to go to that museum. In fact, I would love to visit Switzerland! Maybe someday…

>43 lunacat: Jenny, memories are sometimes tricky, but I'm glad that I could give you something to think about a past event. Perhaps you'll find out more about your day trip to Amsterdam. BTW I love Amsterdam. It's a lovely city.

>44 Donna828: Donna, thanks so much for your compliment and those cuty bears. I guess you would like Switzerland. Now I have to search your thread.

Hej Barbara, thanks for all the lovely pictures. I enjoyed the teddy bears very much when we visited the museum (during the Museum's Night). Your pictures make me wanting to go again. Maybe I can make the tour during next year's Museum Night (16 January).

>46 paulstalder: Paul, I love Museum's Night. We had it in September. You're right my husband and me thought, why didn't we visit this museum earlier. It's really a wonderful place.

I've actually got some lovely memories of that day trip as I lost my dad three years later, so any thought of him is good. Anyway, I remember being snuggled in his arms, and the feeling of his shoulder under me, and how frustrated and amused (in equal measure) my parents were.

I can remember the canals, I remember a boat trip, and I remember a huge old-fashioned ship. And the museum, that I think had doll-houses in it? Maybe?

We were talking about that trip over Christmas actually, and how hilarious it was that they'd been 100% certain that on a day trip to Amsterdam with a six year old they wouldn't need a pushchair when I hadn't been using one for a couple of years at home. They sat down for coffee/tea/a drink at about 10am, I fell asleep on someone's lap and they couldn't rouse me at all. So between them and my grandparents they carried me around for a large part of the day, completely fast asleep!

It's a similar situation to being on holiday and, for the first time ever, my mum didn't pack a full change of clothes for me on a day out because she figured as a nine year old, I wouldn't need them and she hadn't used them in forever. That day, I fell over while chasing waves and ended up soaked from tip to toe!

>48 lunacat: Jenny, thanks so much for sharing this memory. I'm impressed how much you still know about this trip. As a mother I can tell you I had all the time changing clothes with me because my daughters never were able to be somewhere without getting soaked. I was so used to it that when we are now on the way I've always the feeling one bag is missing.

>49 Ameise1: Heh - I think it was a while before my mum left without a full change of clothes again!

That moment I remember even more. I'd been having such fun with my Dad, chasing the waves, and as I went to run away from one I tripped over a stone. I felt the water coming right over me, then I looked up and my Dad wasn't looking at me at that second so he didn't know yet, and I was lying face first, completely soaked, and trying to figure out how I could 'fix' it, and how I could make it not have happened so neither my mum or dad realised I was soaked through.

My mum says she remembers seeing me appearing over the sand dunes, holding my Dad's hand, looking very sorry for myself!

Now that is what I call a museum. Thanks for sharing so much culture with us as always, Barbara! :)

ohhh, a museum with teddy bears, and those cute dolls houses, I'd love to see it!

Happy New Beginning, Barb!! Sorry, my friend, I thought I had already been over to say hi! Looking forward to another fun year on the 75! How is the Ishiguro coming along?

>40 Ameise1: Oh, my, visiting this museum would be heaven for me!

Welcome back Barbara. Your wonderful, kind spirit which left beautiful images on many threads, cheered me!

>40 Ameise1: There was also a special exhibition about the history of shoes from 3000 years ago until the future.

Shoes! My nirvana! The bears are cute, but the shoes.... that is my dreamworld come to life! We won't talk about the number of shoes I currently own. It is like my ever growing TBR pile. ;-)

>50 lunacat: It's wonderful to have such mmories of your parents especially your father, Jenny.

>51 jolerie: Val, it's a paradise. There was a little girl, must be the age of yout older son, with her grandmother. It was great fun to observe the little lady and listening what she was babbling. It's very interesting to see the world through little ones eyes.

>52 Deern: Nathalie, you should plan to visit it once.

>53 msf59: Mark, it's great to have here. I thought you've forgotten me ;-). I love 'Nocturnes'. I've finished listening the first story and I'm half way through the second one. They are both different but also have a lot of similarities. It's always a kind of confession about relationship and the narrator isn't only the audiance but should also help to solve the problem.

>54 Whisper1: Linda, it's so wonderful to have you here. I'm glad you like these little cuties. They are so adorable.

>55 lkernagh: Lori, you're very welcome and in this case you would have felt very comfy in this museum. I've to admit that my hubster and I don't have such a lot of shoes but our daughters are shoe freaks and therefore we have a lot at home.

>58 lunacat: Thanks so much, Jenny. Wishing you the same. Will do my tour around the threads later in the day.

Hi Barbara, just a quick post to wish you, Thomas, Isabelle and Marina a Very Happy and Prosperous New Year and have a very enjoyable reading year in 2015 my dear. xx

>60 johnsimpson: Thanks so much, my friend. I wish you a wonderful 2015 too. I'll make my tour later.

Happy New Year! I hope it's a great one!

>62 LoisB: Thanks so much, Lois. I'll be looking forward very positively.

Guten Rutsch, Barbara!

>64 cushlareads: Vielen herlichen Dank. Ich wünsche dir ein grossartiges 2015.

Here's to a happy new year for all of us.

Happy new year!

Thanks for sharing the photos Barbara! And the memories Jenny.

Barbara, my first graphic of the year:



Happy New Year from your friend in Kuala Lumpur

>66 catarina1: Thanks so much, Catarina. I'm looking forward to an intersting 2015 and hope I'll find your new shiny thread soon.

>67 The_Hibernator: Rachel, you're very welcome and thanks so much for your well wishes.

>68 PaulCranswick: Thanks somuch dear friend, I hope will have a splendid reading year.

Ich wünsche Dir und Deiner Familie ein Frohes Neues Jahr, Barbara!

>70 drachenbraut23: Tausen Dank, Bianca. Ich wünsche dir und Alex auch ein spannendes 2015, bepackt mit Gesundheit, Glück und Zufriedenheit.

book 1


B.A.C. Challenge January
TIOLI January Challenge #20

This was a very fascinating reading. The whole story is about memories from different persons about a woman called Kath who died a few years ago. The widower founds a compromising photo of his deceased wife and his BIL. He is obsessed to find out if there were other men in her life. Therefore he starts asking questions and confronts his counterparts to look into their memories and past. During his investigatings all memories are turned upside down and in the end everybody has to learn to live with a new Kath.

I was impressed with how Lively so impressively describes each character. I had always the feeling I was sitting in each person's head and was able to follow their mind. I saw Kath from different points of view sometimes fun-loving or melancholic but mostly as a person who is very lonely.

It's a book I can strongly recommend.

Happy New Year, Barbara! May it be filled with fabulous! And a review already?! Most impressive!! You hit me with a book bullet right off the bat - adding The Photograph to my giant WL.

>72 Ameise1: Mamie is here, hooray. Welcome and I'm very happy that I hit you with a BB.

Happy New Year, Barbara!

>75 scaifea: Thanks so much, Amber. I wish all of us a fabulous reading year.

I wasn't planning to read Penelope Lively for the BAC, but The Photograph sounds fascinating.

I hope you are enjoying a wonderful New Year's Day, Barb!

Happy New Year Barbara! I love the teddy bear tea party. It looks like fun!

>77 arubabookwoman: Deborah, it's absolutely worth reading it. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as I did.

>78 msf59: Mark, after shovelling snow yesterday I enjoyed a wonderful reading day today.

Zürich is lovely! Maybe I need to add it to my travel bucket list....

Wishing you all the best in 2015, Barbara!!

Good review of The Photograph. I have two other of her books to read for this month so that one will go on the BB list.

>81 EBT1002: Yipee, Ellen made it here! Thanks so much for this lovely gif. Yep, a meetup in Zürich wouldbe gorgeous.

>82 catarina1: Thanks a lot, Catarina. It's a book I can strongly recommend.

Congrats on your first book read and a BAC to boot!

Happy New Year Barbara!!

Happy New Year Barbara!! I am glad that you so enjoyed your Penelope Lively book because my first read of the year is her Moon Tiger.

I'm here, I'm here! And you are a star. ;-)

Dropping by to say I love your thread topper. Happy New Year.

Frohes Neues Jahr Dir und Deiner Familie, Barbara!

Talked to a friend yesterday who is from Zürich and whose mother still lives in the region and asked her if she would take me along on one of her monthly visits there, maybe in late spring or summer. You posted so many wonderful pics here that I thought it's high time to visit such a great city which is comparatively easy reach from where I live. If you like we could combine that with a mini-meetup.

Btw. that friend promised to bring some real Zuger Kirschtorte (see >10 Ameise1:) back from one of her next visits. She described it to me in detail yesterday and now I want some. :))

>84 lkernagh: Thanks a lot, Lori. It was indeed a fabulous reading.

>85 SuziQoregon: Juli, it's great to see you here. Thans so much for the well wishes.

>86 Berly: Kim,I read last year Family Album and enjoyed that book very much too. Wishing you happy reading with your book.

>87 AuntieClio: Yeh, Stephanie arrived. Let's start the party. It's wonderful to have you here.

>88 Oberon: Welcome, Erik. Thanks for the compliment. Happy New Year toyou, too.

>89 Deern: Nathalie, that sounds gorgeous. Of cause I would like to meet you. Inbetween enjoy your Zuger Kirschtorte :-).

The shoe museum is amazing!

Happy New Year, Barbara.

>92 sibylline: Yeh, Lucy is here. Welcome, it's fantastic to have you back here. The museum was a bull's eye. I haven't been there before but it's on my list to visit again.

Great review of The Photograph, Barbara! That does sound interesting, so I'll add it to my wish list.

> Thanks so much, Darryl. The book is so fantastic that it wasn't hard to write a review. I hope you'll like it as much as I did.

I'm on page 45 of 320 in The Photograph and not blown away yet, although I'm going to continue with it as I want to tick off one BAC author a month for the year. I can't say any of the characters have gripped me but I'm interested to see where it goes, and the fact you've rated it so highly gives me hope.

>96 lunacat: Jenny, I hope that in the end you'll like it too. First it took me some time to get into but than it grabbed me.

Barabara, welcome to 2015! .... and I'm going to admit to be a little bit scared of the bears in the museum.

Good grief. I knew I was going to miss somebody in my new year's greeting spree, but I certainly didn't intend that it be you! (Well, I didn't intentionally miss anybody really, but certainly not my bringer of weekend prettiness.)
HAPPY NEW YEAR, BARBARA!
Zurich is stunning, and that museum is wonderful. The bears and things are cute, but I could take up residence among those shoes. What an amazing collection! I do adore shoes, and it's a curiosity as to why since my own feet are too long and too narrow for shoes to look good on them.
I hope to get to Moon Tiger this month, and if I like it, I'll remember how much you enjoyed The Photograph. Thank you for the review!

Happy New Year, Barbara! Looking forward to another year with my LT pal.

You've hit me with a book bullet, Barbara. The Photograph sounds intriguing and I have to add it to my obese wish list.

>98 evilmoose: Thanks, Megan. Why are you a bit scared of these bears. Do you have some bad memories or are there just to many of them?

>99 LizzieD: Ah Peggy, thank's so much. I'm glad that I could be of some help with those shoes. I've to admit that the futuristic ones are gorgeous for the eye but probably are very unconfortable to wear.

>100 jnwelch: Joe made it, Joe made it. Let's rock the thread. Thanks a lot, I'm sure we will have a gorgeous year.

>101 cameling: Caro, I hope you'll like it as much as I did. It's a fantastic story.

>102 Ameise1: They look suspiciously as if they might come to life and start wandering around - and I never trust inanimate objects that do that!

Hi Barbara, I'm dropping off a star here. Looking forward to your thread in 2015! I wish you all the best in the new year.

>103 evilmoose: I can understand it.

>104 Trifolia: Hello Monica, thanks so much for your well wishes and welcome. It's great to have you back here.

Happy weekend Barbara!

>106 The_Hibernator: Thanks so much, Rachel. I've to do some work for school which starts on Monday but a lot of reading is also planned.

I had to track down the person responsible for the beautiful photos on everyone's threads every Friday. I don't know if you take the pictures yourself or if you find them but they are always lovely, Barbara, and bring great joy when I stumble across one of them. The threads are too busy for me to keep up with so I only visit a few of them. Please forgive me if I don't visit very frequently. But I do have you starred now and I did enjoy your Penelope Lively review. All the best for 2015!

>108 tiffin: Tui, welcome on my thread and thanks so much for all the compliments. To be frank, the weekend photos are from the world wide web. All the photos I post on my thread about museums, concerts etc. are myownself made ones.
I hope you'll find every now and then your way on my thread.

Happy Saturday Barbara! I hope you have a relaxed and enjoyable weekend with plenty of time for curling up with a good book.

>110 cbl_tn: Carrie, at the moment I'm sitting in front of the computer and I'm preparing for school on Monday. But Die Ballade vom traurigen Cafe which I started to read last night isn't far away. I hope I'm able to finish it today.

Hello Barbara! You've given me my first BB of 2015 - The Photograph by Penelope Lively. I have another of her books on my shelves How It All Began and every book I read a description of sounds wonderful.

Thanks for the inspiration.

>112 karenmarie:, Karen, you're very welcome. How It All Began is on my TBR list for books from my local library. I hope to read it later this year.

book 2


A.A.C. Challenge January
TIOLI Challenge January #22

I'm overwhelmed by McCullers' spelling style and this story. She describs the surroundings rich in details and so vividly that each director wouldn't be able to reproduce it equitably. She inspirits the readers mind to dive into this landscape and the lifes of its protagonists.

Miss Amalia who seems to have a strong personality and is appreciated and redoubtable in equal measure turns out to be a very lonely woman. Therefore she accepts to be mortified by two men. In the beginning it looks like she could be able to turn the tables on them but in the end she gives herself in. Even though there are a lot of people who would like to help her, her ego of independancy won't accept it.

This story makes me pensively because there are still thousands of women who have to endure the violence in a partnership and aren't able to break free.

Happy New Year, Barbara! What amazing photos from the museum!

Wishing you a great year of reading.

>115 Ameise1: Thanks so much, Terri. So far I have read two fantastic books.

Hi Barbara - I really enjoyed your reviews of Das Photo und Die Ballade vom traurigen Cafe. I've just downloaded 2 Penelope Lively books to my ipad this morning from our library - A Stitch in Time and How it all Began. Now I have to get the ipad off the kids again to read them...

I can't remember if I told you on my thread, but we went to that lovely Basel museum 4 or 5 times while we in Basel, including on our very first day there. There are some days in your life that really stick in your memory, and that is one of them. I had just flown in from New Zealand with a 2 year old Teresa (my husband and son went a day ahead of us). Anyway, after Tim and Fletcher met us at SBB in great excitement and we'd taken our stuff to the apartment on the tram, we dragged ourselves round that museum and walked all around the old part of town to keep ourselves from going to sleep too early. Please keep on posting your Swiss pictures because they make me really happy!

Hi Barbara, Happy New Year of reading to you! I love the photos from the museum. Looks like a fascinating place!

I'll soon be starting The Ballad of the Sad Cafe!

>118 cushlareads: Thanks so much, Cushla, for those lovely compliments. You must have been 'stehend k.o.' after such a long flight. I'm glad that I can bring you some good memories with my photos. BTWis your mother tongue German?

>119 Copperskye: Joanne, welcome and thanks so much. I hope you'll enjoy the book as much as I did.

Barbara, I think I just lurked on your threads last year but delurking now to add a belated happy new year!

>114 Ameise1: I've never read anything by Carson McCullers but your review has intrigued me. I'll see whether my library has any of her books.

I am not sure I ever dropped by your thread last year, Barbara, so I am making a point to do it in 2015. Happy Reading!

I remember watching a film of Ballad of Sad Cafe many years ago and I hadn't realised (until recently) that it came from a book, so one to add to my wishlist.

>121 souloftherose: Welcome Heather on my thread. It's nice to have you here. Thanks so much for the well wishes.
Here is another one who is using the local library frequently. Sometimes when I read on a thread about a good book, I'm able to find it in my local library or at least a book from the same author. But there are moments when I can find neither and that can be frustrating.

>122 alcottacre: Stasia, it's nice to have you here. As I can see on your profil we share a similar reading taste and have a lot of books in common.

>123 CDVicarage: Kerry, I hope you find a copy of this book. I don't like seeing films when I've read the book because mostly I'm very disappointed about the film.

>124 Ameise1: I will have to see what books we have in common!

Barbara, your museum photos are great! What a lovely collection. I've only been to one exhibition over Christmas and it didn't really wow me. Well done for finishing two challenge books already!

>125 alcottacre: Stasia, have you put up your own thread? I can't find it.

>126 susanj67: Thanks Susan, the exhibitions were fantastic. I'm glad that I join those challenges. It definitely enlarges my horizon about writers and good books.

Happy Sunday, Barb! I am so glad you loved The Ballad of the Sad Cafe. I will start my copy today. I am also glad you are joining in on the AAC. Smiles...

>128 msf59: Hugs & Waves to Mark. Thanks for leading me to the AAC challenge and hope you'll enjoy the reading as much as I did.

book 3


TIOLI Challenge January #9

In the introduction it's said:

This book seeks to paint a portrait of Gaza through the eyes of its writers, as a city different to the one presented in the media. Gaza is a city like all cities by the sea, where people relax on the beach, where streets have names and the coffee shops their patrons. People love and hate, they are filled with desires and wracked with concerns. They live on a remorseless stretch of land, in a reality that tries to kill their desire to live, yet they do not tire of loving life, as long as there is a way to do so.

This book contains ten short stories which take place in Gaza. Each story is of a different nature even though they have a lot in common.

In A Journey in the Opposite Direction the author is telling us how people would like to leave Gaza and on the other hand how people try to return. It shows us like imprisoned the habitants are feeling, how impossible it is to cross the border either way and how in the end people turn down the desire of an escape or a re-enter and accept the way it is.

The Cloak of the Sea is the story of a young girl who abruptly has to learn that the freedom of an untroubled childhood has ended and even though she is still in her adolescence where the boys still are enjoying a kind of light-heartedness she feels like being dead.

Red Lights shows how one can be able to share the little one has with others who possess less.

The Whore of Gaza is philosophising about the life of women in Gaza and in particular about her life and her situation. She preserves what she has accomplished but it also is aware of a time limit.

A White Flower for David is the story of a special kind of friendship between a Jew and a Muslim which is leading from care to hate and shows how the feelings among the people are boiling.

Dead Numbers and When I Cut Off Gaza's Head are stories about an unfulfilled love not only between two persons but also between life and its circumstances.

Two Men and You and I are stories about expectations, faith and addiction.

Abu Jaber Returns to the Woods is the story about siege, violence and humiliation.

It wasn't an easy-going reading. Also this book has only 118 pages. It took me the whole day to read it. I had to stop after each story and had a lot to think about it. I was agitated, sometimes angry and there were moments I felt very sad. It's a very strong book and I'm glad that I read it.

Happy New Year, Barbara! Love those photos at the Basel museum. Excellent review for Gaza, as well!

I loved your review of Gaza, Barbara. Oh dear, if this keeps up, you're going to be one of the main contributors to my obese wish list! I must try to wear some blinders the next time I visit when you've posted another well written review.

>131 LauraBrook: Laura, thanks so much for stopping by and your compliments. The visit to the museum was indeed fantastic.

>132 cameling: Caro, please don't visit my thread by wearing blinders. I like to enjoy you when you're stopping by. This book is really a must-read, I admit. Perhaps you'll find a copy at your local library. Thanks so much for the compliment about my review.
BTW I was hit with BBs on several threads since the year started and it is only four days old. *sigh*

Great review of The Ballad of the Sad Café, Barbara! It's probably my second favorite book by McCullers, behind The Heart Is A Lonely Hunter, of course.

I also enjoyed your review of The Book of Gaza.

>134 kidzdoc: Thank so much, Darryl, for your encouraging compliments. I liked both readings very much.

So, today it's back to school.

Happy first day back to school, Barbara! Charlie starts back today, too.

>135 Ameise1: You're welcome, Barbara. Have a good day with your pupils today!

>136 scaifea: Thanks, Amber, I hope Charlie enjoyed his first day back at school.

>137 kidzdoc: Darryl, they behaved like angels today. I'm glad because I slept awfully bad due to the full moon which must be very strong this time.

3 books already and the new year has only just begun. You are going to have a fantastic reading year, my friend! :)

Hi Barbara, some great reviews there. Both the Lively book and the Carson McCuller book are on my TBR for the challenges this month.
However, you pretty much intrigued me with your review of The Book of Gaza I have just added it to my WL. *sigh* Already my third BB today. So much to my New Years resolution to read of my TBR :).

>139 jolerie: Val, I was lucky that I went back to work today and therefore had some good reading time. Now, it'll go much slower.

>140 drachenbraut23: Thanks, Bianca. It was just a coincidence that I took The Book of Gaza from my local library. I hadn't have a clue if I would like it. Luckily it turned out to be a great book.

To day I went to my local library to bring back some books and I couldn't resist to take an Alexandra Fuller book - Cocktail Under the Tree of Forgetfulness - because I saw this on a LT friend's thread.

Hi Barbara. I'm just dropping in quickly to wish you and your family a very Happy New Year!



You're off to a fast start already!

>142 humouress: Thanks so much, Nina. What a colourful photo.

Hi Barbara. The Book of Gaza looks very good and I'm adding it to my wishlist on here. I don't read many short stories but usually enjoy them when I do.

I learnt German at school and did one year at uni so it is definitely not my mother tongue! My French used to be better but it's got rusty. My husband and I are trying to keep our German going this year and watched the Heute Show last night on Youtube. I'm considering resubscribing to Spiegel as well but really shouldn't because I can't keep up with other reading as it is. But German and Swiss journalism is so very good and Spiegel and the Neue Zuercher Zeitung used to be brilliant for my vocab and grammar.

>144 cushlareads: Crushla I bow my head. Your German is wonderful. My husband is reading Der Spiegel and in holiday I love to read the NZZ. It takes too much time reading it.
I don't read often short stories even though I like them.

Barbara, I just received an email from Amazon telling me that my copy of The Book of Gaza will arrive tomorrow!

Barbara, you are off to a good beginning with your year of reading. I keep hearing such wonderful things about Penelope Lively. As I don't own any of her books, I'll have to check her out at the local library. I hope your week is going well.

>146 catarina1: Hooray for The Book of Gaza. I hope you'll like as much as I did, Catarina.

>147 Donna828: Thanks Donna, due to have had a holiday break I was able to read so much. I went back to work yesterday and haven't been able to read a page since then.
I'm a frequently visitor of our local library because books are so terribly expensive to buy in Switzerland.

Just stopping in to catch up and to wish you a happy week, Barbara!

>149 Crazymamie: Hi Mamie, thanks so much. I hope you have a great week, too. I took Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness from our local library and will read it later this month.

*grin* Hope you like it as much as I did.

>152 Ameise1: Me too. :-)

Oh, so you don't have Heilige Drei Könige as a holiday in Switzerland?
Wishing you a happy first week back at school at that you find the time and leisure to read some pages.

>153 Deern: Nathalie, here in Zürich it isn't a holiday but there are parts in Switzerland where they have free. The school start went good. Today after school I went for a pedicure and now I feel fantastic. I hope I can readsome pages tonight.

Hi Barbara, you are doing well with your reading so far my dear, hope you and Thomas are ok now you are back at work after the Christmas holidays, love and hugs to you both.

Hi John, thanks so much the start back to work went well and we are back to all the busy things we need to do. No reading time the last two days. Love and hugs to both of you, too.

Oooh, a pedicure! Lovely!

Happy Mid-Week, Barb! Hope the week is going well. We are freezing our fannies off in the Midwest!

>157 scaifea: Ha Amber, I enjoyed every minute.

>158 msf59: Thanks a lot Mark. Sorry to hear that the freezing is now at your place. Here it's onlyin the night and early morning freezing cold during the day it's warmer.

Good to hear that back to school went well

>160 SuziQoregon: Thanks Juli, at school everything is fine.

Trying to catch up. I haven't decided which Lively book to read yet. I had a couple of choices written down based on what our library supposedly owns. I had hoped they'd have some in e-book format so I wouldn't have to make a trip there, but I guess I'll be doing that this weekend.

>162 thornton37814: Hi Lori, for the January authors I have everything. I'm planning for February because I have to take the books from our local library too.

Off to a good start reading this year, I see!

Happy Friday, Barbara! Hoping that your weekend is full of fabulous!

>164 sibylline: Thanks Lucy, I couldn't find to read a page this week only listening to an audiobook so far.

>165 Crazymamie: Thanks a lot Mamie. It was a bit a crazy morning with several pupils vomiting in the classroom. When I came back home I had a headache I don't really feel well. Nevertheless we are soon leaving to meet my siblings and their partners.

Oh, dear! So sorry that you are not feeling well.

Hope you start feeling better, Barbara, and that you have a wonderful weekend.

Oh dang, Barbara. Feel better!

>158 msf59: >159 Ameise1: It's been quite cold here, too, with daytime temperatures at around 25ºC (normal nightime temperatures usually only go down to around 27ºC, you understand). :0)

>166 Ameise1: Gosh! Hope you're feeling better now. Did they paint the classroom over the holidays and not air it properly, or something?

Oh no, sorry to hear you're not feeling well. Hopefully it's just a blip and doesn't turn into a full scale illness.

Oh no! Hope you feel better soon and it's nothing that lasts!

Yikes! Hope you feel better soon!

Oh, hope that wasn't a virus.
I hope you can relax over the weekend, get some good sleep and feel much better soon.

Hi Barbara, hope you have had a good week at school and have a lovely weekend my dear.

Hi Barbara! I hope you have a delightful weekend on tap.

>167 Crazymamie: >168 jnwelch: >169 scaifea: >170 humouress: >171 lunacat: >172 jolerie: >173 SuziQoregon: >174 Deern: Mamie, Joe, Amber, Nina, Jenny Val, Juli and Nathalie, thanks so much for the well wishes. The last few days were emotionally terrible with the Paris' incidents and I'm rather worn-out. On top of that in our school a lot of pupils have the flu and the parents sent them to school. Yesterday morning when one girl started to vomit I had a kind of a knock-on effect among the pupils and several others had to vomit, too. Our cleaner was a big help. First we sent the healthy kids on the playground, then we called for some help for the ill kids and whilst I was organsing the parents to pick up there ill kids the cleaner cleaned the classroom.

>175 johnsimpson: >176 EBT1002: John and Ellen I will definitely try to have a relaxed weekend.

Barbara wishing a lovely weekend to our teacher of the forest:

>177 Ameise1: I'm the same - incidents like this week in Paris can become very draining, mostly because I end up despairing at the world.

Sorry to hear you had such a bad day at work as well. Hopefully you can get in some good recuperative reading time over the weekend.

Happy Weekend, Barb! Hope you can get in plenty of R & R. It sounds like you could use it. Hugs!

>178 PaulCranswick: Paul, what a beautiful alley, thanks so much.

>179 lunacat: Jenny, I keep my fingers crossed that nothing else will happen. I guess we can't use another incident.

>180 msf59: Thanks so much Mark, I'll relax with a lot of tea and a good book.

Tea and a good book sound like the proper cure!

Tea and a good book is the answer to everything. And if it's not the answer? Wine and a good book.

>182 majkia: >183 lunacat: Jean and Jenny , also I'm a terribly adicted coffee drinker, I love tea very much and for relaxing tea and a good book is perfect.

Thinking of you, Barbara.

I'm sure the events in France this week were devastating to all. When I was in France for vacation last March, I remember a discussion with our tour director about guns. At the time, we were discussing similar tragedies as being a predominantly "American" thing - they just didn't happen in France, or Europe). Sadly, now they do.

I also think I stayed in that village at the beginning and end of my trip.

Barbara, it has been an awful week, hasn't it? I hope you can have a relaxed weekend, at least, and the parents at school keep their ill kids at home next week!

> 130 Adding The Book of Gaza to the BlackHole, Barbara. Thanks for the review!

I hope your weekend is a good one. It sounds like you really need it!

>185 scaifea: Thanks so much, Amber.

>186 LoisB: Lois, those things are awful where ever it happens. It's so terrible what religious fanaticism can do and it's always a so-callend 'handful' of those kind of people who makes everybody feel powerless.

>187 susanj67: Thanks, Susan. I really hope that they keep their kids at home.
I had a litlle nap and I'm going back to my reading now.

>188 alcottacre: Stasia, what do you meanwiththe word 'BlackHole'?

>189 Ameise1: Stasia's "Black Hole" is all the books in her TBR list.

I wish you a relaxing weekend, Barbara. I hope you'll be able to digest all the turmoil.

>190 thornton37814: Lori, thanks so much for the explanation.

>191 Trifolia: What a cuty! Thanks so much, Monica, will do so. :-)

My copy of The Book of Gaza arrived this week. I think I am going to reserve it for the Reading Globally 4th quarter read on women writers in translation. I'm interested in the 5 short stories that were written by women.

I hope you have a restful weekend. We here in the US have been following the tragic events in Paris also.

>193 catarina1: Catarina, glad to hear that the copy arrived. I guess the Paris' events havebeen followed around the globe. Sadly, it's something that concernes everybody and everywhere.

Hi Barbara, hope you have had a lovely Saturday my dear and wishing you a fantastic Sunday, love and hugs.

>195 johnsimpson: Thanks so much, John. I took it the easy way.

The weather here is absolutely crazy. Today, it's like late spring very warm but terribly stormy. Tomorrow the forcast tells snow and freezing temperatures.

>177 Ameise1: I'm sorry you had such a rotten day at school. I hope you don't end up with a whole classroom full of sick kids as a result, or a sick teacher!

>197 cbl_tn: Carrie, I keep my fingers crossed that tomorrow morning everybody feels well and the sick pupils stay at home.

Oh, it is terrible to send sick children to school! Hope you don't come down with anything.

Ah the winter thaw! We usually have one of those in late January.

>199 sibylline: Isn't it? I know that most parents have to work and for some it isn't still enough toget through. But that there should be a possibilty for their sick kids. School isn't the solution.
I still have a headache and I keep my fingers crossed that it isn't the start for getting ill.

The last couple of years we hadn't a winter thaw at all.

>189 Ameise1: The BlackHole is all of the books I need to read before I die. It is ever expanding. Thus, I can never die. Right?

>201 alcottacre: Right! And as long there are such a lot of BBs here on LT the BH will grow steadily.

>202 Ameise1: You got it!

Happy Sunday Barbara.

>203 alcottacre: :-)

>204 johnsimpson: Thanks a lot John, wishing you the same. In an hour we have dinner and I guess that I'll go early to bed.

>201 alcottacre: So this is the answer to becoming immortal? Wow, bet all those alchemists trying different things feel pretty stupid now.

>201 alcottacre: >206 lunacat: Black hole--LOL!

Hi Barb! I hope that you are feeling better and that your kiddos are healthier next week, too. Sounds like your classroom needed quite the cleaning!

Hi Barbara. I hope you've had a relaxing Sunday and the headache disappears before tomorrow morning.

>206 lunacat: Jenny, it's the view that makes the day. You can have a half empty glass or a half full glass. I go always for the half full glass. Perhaps all the ancient alchimist hadn't got this kind of view. ;-)

>207 Berly: Kim, I was very happy that the lady who is doing the cleaning was around and together we could solve the mess. The kids were on the playground.

>208 cushlareads: Cushla, even though I took some pills the headache is still there. I go to bed now and hope with a decent sleep I'll feel much better tomorrow.

I went yesterday to my local library and came home with:

3 audiobooks as

1. Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh BAC Challenge February
2. The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield a BB from Terri (tymphos)
3. A Spot Of Bother by Mark Haddon a BB from Lucy (Sibyx)

and 1 book I could buy at the library because they took it out of the system
Mystery by Jonathan Kellerman

Hi Barbara! I'm sorry you've had a rough time with sick kids. I hope that you are dodging the sickness and that by the time you read this your headache is gone.

For me it's coffee and a good book. I'm heading that way as soon as I finish catching up on a couple more threads. Then off to the eye doctor before work - eye exam, selection of new glasses, new prescription. Yay.

Best wishes for a good day!

>211 karenmarie: Hi Karen, my headache is gone, yeh.
New glasses, yeppiiii. I love to buy new glasses even though my ones are always so expensive due to my poorly eyesight and because I need bifocal ones too.

Yay for new glasses! Happy second half of the (work) week, Barbara. Do you also call Wednesday noon "Bergfest"? :)

I second that "yay for new glasses!"

Happy Midweek, Barb! Nice library book haul. I listened to The Thirteenth Tale on audio and it is very good. I completely disliked her next book though.

Good morning/afternoon, Barbara. Glad that headache is gone.

I liked Brideshead Revisited a lot. Hope you have a good time with that one. I'm going to be trying his Scoop for the BAC.

>213 Deern: Nathalie, we don't celebrate 'Bergfest'. Zürich is 'reformiert' and therefore we don't have such a lot of those feasts.

>214 scaifea: Amber, Karen should post some photos when she has got her new glasses.

>215 msf59: Mark, I'm glad to hear that you liked The Tthirteenth Tale listening. Will be a while until I get around to listen to it because first I'll listen Brideshead Revisited due to the BAC.

>216 jnwelch: Joe, it's good to know that you liked Brideshead Revisited with 12 CDs it will take me a while to listen to it. I'll start when I've finished listening Nocturnes which will be probably by the end of the week.

Hi Barbara, so glad to read that your headache has gone my dear, I also got some new glasses at the end of November and love my new styles. Hope you had a good day at work, love and hugs from Karen and I.

John, I think it was this crazy wind that gave me the headache. The weather is so crazy it's unbeliveable. I had a busy day and tomorrow it will be worse. Hugs xx

Ooooh, I really liked The Thirteenth Tale. I hope you enjoy it too!

I'm looking forward to your review of The Thirteenth Tale. I've had a copy of it for a while and just have not gotten to it - too many other books also in line.

>220 jolerie: >221 catarina1: Thanks, Val and Catarina, but I won't listen to it in the near future. First thing will be Brideshead Revisited and these are 12 CDs.

Hi Barb, found and starred you!

>223 connie53: Hi Connie, it's great to see you here. I've missed you. I hope you are fine. Hugs xx

I'm home sick with the flue (sort of)
Yesterday I worked my way through all starred threads and now there are new posts so I can start again. I figured I best keep up with reading before everything is to much again.

Have a nice day, Barb!

>225 connie53: Oh Connie, I'm so sorry to hear that you are ill. Get well soon. Hugs xx

Barbara, I'm so glad you didn't get the flu when all your students were trying their best to give it to you! I feel sorry for that poor cleaner too. I was verklempt about the situation in Paris. It really hit hard for us in Canada. I liked The Thirteenth Tale when I read it a few years ago.

>227 tiffin: Tui, I still keep my fingers crossed that I won't get sick because everybody around me seems to have caught the bug.
The incident at Paris is indeed terrible. I really hope that the humanity has learned something but looking at the history I guess rather no than yes, unfortunately.

Everybody is telling that The Thirteenth Tale is a good book. I'm looking forward to it.

>228 Ameise1: I will add my recommendation about The Thirteenth Tale too

It's not only in Paris but also in Belgium where the police killed two and arrested one that were planning an attack. It's becoming really frightening now.

Hi Barbara, thanks for the message my dear, we are getting better now and hope we have a good weekend. I wish you and Thomas a lovely weekend and send love and hugs from the both of us.

>229 connie53: Connie, I saw the news. It's terrible what is happening in Belgium. My thoughts are with all those people and the police etc.. I keep my fingers crossed that nothing bad will happen.

>230 johnsimpson: Thanks a lot, John. Greetings also from Thomas. We are very tired. I guess we have a kind of bug but not with fever. But we feel cold from the bones and can count them. Ha! Love and hugs for both of you.

My library doesn't have the audio of Brideshead Revisited so I'm thinking about using my iTunes credit to buy it. I will be either reading it or listening to it for the British Author challenge next month.

Carrie, I'm also listening to it for the BAC challenge next month. I started yesterday evening. Due to 12 CDs it will take me into February easily.

book 4 ♫



I liked the listening very much, because before each of the five stories started there was music suitable for the story itself and the stories were very interesting. They are all related to each other because the relationship between the protagonists has to do something with music or were unfulfilled. Sometimes they were sad but also full of love for each character. There were also funny moments and situations where I could snort with laughter.

Happy Saturday, Barb! Glad you enjoyed the Ishiguro. I have not read that one yet.

Hi Barbara! I hope you have a super weekend. I have two Ishiguro books on my shelves, Never Let Me Go and The Unconsoled, both "TBR". Have you read them? If so, which would you recommend first?

>234 Ameise1: I think those of you who listened to the audio rated it higher than those of us who read it.

>235 msf59: Thanks a lot, Mark. I enjoyed the listening very much.

>236 karenmarie: Karen, I'm sorry but I can't help you to chose which one you should read. This Ishiguro was my first one and I had it from the library.

>237 thornton37814: Lori, that could be right that by listening to it with the music was very lovely and set me into the right mood.

That sounds like an interesting Ishiguro book, Barbara. I don't often listen to audio books, but that one's tempting.

Hope you're having a good weekend.

Happy Saturday, Barbara! I have not read Nocturnes - I'll have to see if our library has the audio. Hoping that your weekend is full of fabulous!

Have a wonderful weekend.

Have a great weekend, Barbara! Thanks as always for your lovely Saturday images on our threads.

>239 jnwelch: Thanks Joe, I'm listening to audiobooks when I'm on the way by public transportation or when I'm twice a week at the gym. therefore are audiobooks absolutely perfect.

>240 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie, I take the audios also from our local library and copy them.
I just finished the task description for the two students which will teaching my class from the end of March until the end of May. I hope I'll get this year two ladies which are eager to learn and teach.

>241 majkia: Thanks so much Jean. I hope I'll get some reading done this weekend.

>242 kidzdoc: Darryl, you're very welcome and thanks so much for the well wishes.

Barbara I am glad to hear you are feeling better. I see we shared the read of The Photograph by Penelope Lively. I was both fascinated and repelled by the book. It amazes me how you can know so little of someone that you share your life with. The thought process was very intimate and revealing.

I will look to see if the library has The Ballad of the Sad Cafe. Now I want to read it.



Let's keep headaches and flu away!

>244 luvamystery65: Thanks so much for this wonderful hot drink, Roberta, just the right thing now.

Indeed, it's really interesting to share life with someone and knowing close to nothing about him.
I hope you get a copy of McCullers' book.

Barbara, I hope you can co tinue to keep that flu bug at bay. Sick kids in the classroom sounds like a nightmare. What age children do you teach? The recent events in Europe are very disturbing. I think the whole world is on edge these days. It's hard to lead a normal life knowing that chaos can erupt at any time. Thanks for spreading cheer around our group with your lighthearted pictures!

I just finished my Ishiguro book. The Remains of the Day is my third one by him. I've taken note to listen to Nocturnes for the musical interludes. What a clever idea.

HI Barbara--I hope you are feeling well?! Nic review on the Ishiguro. I have only read one of his, but I enjoyed it very much. I like the idea of an audio of his short stories. Hmmm....Enjoy Sunday!

Good Morning Barb!

>246 Donna828: Donna, it's my target of this winter season that I don't get the flu. Usually every year I got the flu shortly before x-mas or in January/February. Unfortunately it was alway so heavy that it kept me at home in bed for a fortnight.

What is happening in Europe is very sad. Here in Switzerland it's quiet. On the contrary of most countries our politicians, counsellors, mamangers or other famous people are able to walk around without bodyguards, police etc.. We meet them like you would meet your neighbour doing grocery, on the market, at the theatre etc. and we can talk to them about everyday life like with our friends.

We are here not used that life is like being at 'Fort Knox'. Only once a year this is the case like right now. In Davos this upcoming week the World Economic Forum is taking place. Due to all the foreign VIPs from all over the world Davos is like 'Fort Knox' with a lot of police and military.
Luckily, we'll go to Davos in three weeks for our ski holiday and until then the siege is over.

>247 Berly: Hi Kim, I'm fine just a bit more tiered than usually. I could sleep in every day. That's ok on the weekends but during the week it's hard to get up.
It's the only Ishiguro I've heard/read so far. At our local library there isn't another book written by him. I love listening audios when I'm at the gym twice a week. It's much easier doing all exercises when listening a good book. :-)

>248 connie53: Oh Connie, what a fantastic photo. I love when the light is coming through the trees like this. It's a kind of a mystic atmosphere. I wish you a most lovely Sunday and hope that you feel much better.

Happy weekend, Barbara!

I just read Ishiguro's "Nocturnes" as well and agree with Thornton that perhaps the audio version might be a more enjoyable way to experience the book (although I did like it).

It is very sad what's happening as a result of the attacks. Like that old Joni Mitchell song, "we don't know what we've got 'til it's gone".

>251 scaifea: Thanks, Amber. I wish you a lovely Sunday, too.

>252 tiffin: Hi Tui, sometimes the audio can be more enjoyable than the reading. Joni Mitchell's song is so correct. I hope you enjoy your Sunday.

>249 Ameise1: Barbara, I'm glad to know that Switzerland is such an open country. That's how I've always pictured it. I suppose the security has to be tight when foreign leaders visit. I love how you compared it to Fort Knox. What a great analogy! Enjoy the rest of your Sunday.

>254 Donna828: Thanks Donna, I love to live here. I like going abroad for holidays but I'm always happy to come back home.

Happy weekend Barbara! The Book of Gaza looks interesting. Thanks for the review.

>256 The_Hibernator: Hi Rachel, you're very welcome. It was indeed a good reading. Enjoy your Sunday, here it's already dark.

Hi Barbara! I bought the audio of Brideshead Revisited last night so it will be ready to go for the Feb. British Author challenge. I'm almost finished with the 4th of the 5 stories in Nocturnes. So far I've liked them all but I can't say I've loved any of the stories.

Hi Barbara! The Ishiguro sounds very interesting

>258 cbl_tn: Carrie, I liked them too because they were varied and enjoyable. Good to hear that you'll get the Brideshead Revisited as an audio.

>259 SuziQoregon: Hi Juli, it was indeed a good listening.

I was reading yesterday about the sky-rocketing prices of things in Switzerland because of the decision about the franc. Is that an issue for those living in Switzerland or is it just tourists who are going to find it more expensive to visit?

Hello, Barbara! I'm stopping by to wave hi.

Oh! I hope you enjoy A Spot of Bother. As long as it's the right reader it should be marvelous on audio!

I liked Een akkefietje = A spot of bother a lot! Enjoy!

>261 lunacat: Jenny, for the residents a lot of things will be cheaper now, hopefully. Especially all things we buy/order abroad that includes vacation in other European countries, too.

For all visitors who are coming to Switzerland it will be more expensive.

The enterprises are moaning about the situation due to the export. Their products are now too expensive and they fear not to be able to sell at competitive prices. Therefore the result could lead that employees earn less money. Than troubles will get started.

>262 Whisper1: Waves right back to you, Linda. I hope you have a fantastic week.

>263 sibylline: >264 connie53: Lucy & Connie, when I've read Lucy's review and the introduction I thought that I'll like. Seldom my gut feeling is wrong.

Hi Barbara, hope you had a lovely weekend. Thanks for the review of Nocturnes - I'm an audiobooker, so it's always nice to hear recommended listens.

>267 evilmoose: Hi Megan, I did a lot of work for school but got also some reading time. Glad I could help with a recommendation.

Today, I sent my team collegue home. She looked very sick. I told her the earliest time to come back is next Monday. When she was at home she sent me an email to tell me that she is glad that I'm so insistent because she has fever and will go to bed now.

Hope you don't get it!! I love all your photos, here and on my thread. Thanks. : )

Hi Barbara! It sounds as though you've avoided the sickness. Wishing you a relaxing, book-filled weekend.

Sweet Thursday, Barb! Hope the week is going well.

Happy Thursday, Barbara! I wish you a wonderful week.

Good for you, Barbara. Hoping that you don't get it.

Thanks so much Kim, Karen, Mark, Bianca and Mamie.

I'm very busy at the moment due to writing the pupil's reports. Because my team colleague is staying ill at home we are sending back and forth all the reports and that takes a lot of time. Furthermore I spent the whole day at an advanced training and I'm now on the way to my daughter's oboe concert.
There is no reading time in sight for the next couple of days, probably not much LT time too.

Hi Barbara, wishing you that the next days will be more relaxed than expected and that you can squeeze in some reading time. Happy Weekend!

Almost forgot that it's always Zeugnis time in February... those dreaded things. *shudder*
(shuddering because our teachers thought it was a good idea to announce the results in class for everyone to hear, and for each subject, so the weeks before a Zeugnis were always terrible)

I hope you continue to avoid the flu, Barbara. I don't know about Switzerland but there is a very nasty strain making its rounds over here in Ontario. With training sessions, oboe concerts, and doing reports, it sounds as though you need a nap if you get any spare time!

Happy Saturday, Barbara!

>276 Deern: Nathalie, I have to admit that I hate Zeugnis time, too. I've finished all the written reports (uff) and official documents. It took me the whole day.

>277 tiffin: Thanks a lot, Tui. My team colleague is 'deep' in bed and a lot of pupils are ill, too. I still keep up. I've no time to get ill. After finishing all the reports I have to pack all stuff from the cupboards at school in boxing due to the renovation from a part of my class room. That means to decide what I will keep and what will be going.

>278 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie, the same to you, too.

I see you are still buried with stuff to do. I have sent you some help.

>280 Berly: LOL gorgeous, I take those boys. Thanks so much for sending me them, Kim.

Barbara, it sounds like you need a hot beverage and a muffin after all your weekend work :-)

book 5



Well, I finally finished my first ROOT. I took me some time due to a very busy RL without enough reading time.

This is my second book (even though it's the first) of the Cordelia Gray's series. I listened to the second of the series last November. This book is the introduction to Cordelia Gray whom is a) very young and b) the heiress to a privat eye firm which she was becoming in the first part of the story.
Partly the story was very gripping but there were parts where I got the feeling of a bit boreness. After inherited the firm Cordelia got her first case which took her to Cambridge. She was hired to solve the puzzle of the death of a young man whereat it looked like that he commited suicide. By uncovering his and his family's secret Cornelia Gray was able to solve the mystery as well as to establish herself in the world of the privat eyes.

>282 susanj67: Oh Susan, thanks so much. It's just the perfect thing I need.

I'm glad to hear that you have still managed to avoid the illness sweeping through your school. I hope the epidemic ends soon and that you will have some time to relax once your staff is back to full strength.

>286 Ameise1: Thanks a lot, Carrie. The peak of the flu isn't unfortunately in sight. So there are still too many days where a lot of people will get ill.

Happy Sunday, Barb! I hope you are having a nice weekend. Hooray for finishing your Root book.

Thanks so much, Mark. I try to steal some more reading time even though that I know I'll be sorry later because all the other work won't be done.
Happy Sunday to you too.

Hi Barbara! I've read most of P.D. James and enjoyed the books. I have found, however, that re-reads are a big let down.

Do you ever re-read books or once done, always done for you?

Happy Sunday and I hope the rest of your day is the way you want it to be.

>289 karenmarie: Hi Karen, thanks for stopping by. I love P. D. James books very much.

I've to admit that I very seldom re-read a book. There are too many books are waiting to be read so why wasting time with books which I've already read.

Keeping my fingers tightly crossed that you don't go down with the flu as well.

>291 lunacat: Thanks so much, Jenny. I'm sure it will help.

>283 Ameise1: That was the first P.D. James mystery I read, Barbara, and it started me off on reading a whole bunch of hers.

>293 jnwelch: Joe, it's great to hear that you are another fan of P.D. James. I've read a lot of her books, too and I hope to get some more.

Please, join me on my new thread.