Paul S' attempt to read at least 75 books and acquire less books in 2016 ; part 2

Sunset over River Han in Seoul

books read in 2016
1) Lord Peters schwerster Fall : Roman by Dorothy L. Sayers
2) "Einsamkeit 19" : Erzählung by Fr. Lehne
3) Bahnwärter Thiel : novellistische Studie by Gerhart Hauptmann
4) Das Muschelessen : Erzählung by Birgit Vanderbeke
5) Die Taube by Patrick Süskind
6) Tag für Tag in Christus : Andachten fürs ganze Jahr by Neil T. Anderson
7) Die Jagd nach dem gelben Krokodil by Wolfgang Ecke
8) Kaffeepause für die Seele : was Sie aufmuntert und entspannt by Dorothee Dziewas
9) Eifel-Gold : Kriminalroman by Jacques Berndorf
10) Das Geheimnis der Dinosaurier by David Unfred
11) Perry Clifton oder Der Herr in den grauen Beinkleidern by Wolfgang Ecke
12) S Chamäleon Sowieso und anderi Tiergschichte by Elisabeth Heck
13) Fäbu, Regi & Thundi auf der Suche nach dem Schatz vom Thunersee by Eveline Brand
14) Ds Lukas-Evangelium bärndütsch translated by Hans Bietenhard
15) Das Kind von Noah : Erzählung by Eric-Emmanuel Schmitt
16) Pater Brown und der Hammer Gottes by Gilbert Keith Chesterton
17) Das Spiel des Engels : Roman by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
18) Die Todgeweihte : Basileia und die letzten Tage des Mittelalters by Titus Müller
19) Maigret und die junge Tote : Roman by Georges Simenon
20) Die Hetzjagd : Roman by Alejo Carpentier
21) Playgrounds 1972 - A plea for Utopia or the re-cycled empty lot by Cornelia Hahn Oberlander
22) Ich warte auf dich : Gespräche zwischen Gott und Mann by Heinrich Christian Rust
23) Paul und Virginie : nach Bernardin de Saint-Pierre by Emil Ernst Ronner
24) Gut gebrüllt, Löwe by Max Kruse
25) Noah's compass by Anne Tyler
26) Der Löwe ist los by Max Kruse
27) 4 ½ Freunde und die Spur der stinkenden Socke by Joachim Friedrich
28) Jan, wir kommen! : eine Detektivgeschichte für Buben und Mädchen by Knud Meister
29) Jim Knopf und Lukas der Lokomotivführer by Michael Ende
30) 'G' is for gumshoe by Sue Grafton
31) Geheime Botschaften für Tanja by Sophie Rosenberg
32) Wein aus Graubünden : eine Kulturgeschichte by Heribert Küng
33) Unheimliche Ferien für Tanja by Sophie Rosenberg
34) Der rote Kimono : Kriminalroman by Agatha Christie
35) Geschichte der Stadt Basel : dritter Band by Rudolf Wackernagel
36) Jim Knopf und die Wilde 13 by Michael Ende
37) Sturm by Miguel Angel Asturias
38) Der Banküberfall by Damaris Kofmehl
39) Emily und Cambridge : Roman by Caryl Phillips
40) Mord auf Alemannisch : der badische Krimi by Ralf H. Dorweiler
41) Bilderräuber : die grössten Kunstdiebstähle by Mario Giordano
42) Schalkhafte Geschichten by Felix Moeschlin
43) Der Seemann, der die See verriet : Roman by Yukio Mishima
44) Der Schatz auf der Insel by Damaris Kofmehl
45) An account of the Grisons or, a description of the free and independent common-wealth of the Three Rhætish Leagues by John Leonhardi
46) Muttertag : Kriminalroman by Alexander Heimann
47) Sutters Gold : die Lebensgeschichte von General Johann August Sutter by Werner Lüthi
48) Frau Regel Amrain und ihr Jüngster by Gottfried Keller
49) Mord in Monticello : ein Fall für Mrs. Murphy ; Roman by Rita Mae Brown
50) Der Besuch : die Geschichte einer unverhofften Wiederkehr by Adrian Plass
51) Psychopolis : Abschied aus L. A. by Ian McEwan
52) Die Physiker : eine Komödie in zwei Akten ; Neufassung 1980 by Friedrich Dürrenmatt
53) Korea 1945-1960
54) Blumhardts Kampf by Johann Christoph Blumhardt
55) The house at Pooh Corner : the color edition by A. A. Milne
56) Zeit wie Wasser : Roman by Christiane Höhmann

books read by authors coming from:
A
B 2
CDN 1
CH 13
D 16
DK 1
E 1
F
GB 6
Guatemala 1
J 1
Korea North 1
Kuba 1
NL
NZ
S
SF
St. Kitts 1
SU
USA 5

read in
English 7
Swiss German 2
German 46

- translated from:
- French 2
- English 9
- Greek 1
- Spanish 3
- Danish 1
- Dutch
- Korean 1
- Japanese 1
- Finnish
- Icelandic

add-ons listed: 100

57) Maigret hat Angst : Kriminalroman by Georges Simenon (1957). Maigret visits a friend in Fontenay in the Vendée and just comes in time to help solve a crime. A once noble man is killed in his house but then within two days two other killings appear done in the same manner. Maigret isn't actually doing anything than just visiting some people involved. His friend, the judge, seems uneasy because the it looks as if the murder must be found among his social circles ... a mystery a bit lame, I liked other Maigret novels better.

Happy New Thread, Paul and happy weekend.

Thank you, Barbara

58) Otto Stockmayer : Lebenserinnerungen by Jakob Vetter (1917). Stockmayer was one of the leading figures in the German Heiligungsbewegung (holiness movement). Born 1838 in Aalen Württemberg, he studied theology in Tübingen, but also joined the Free Masons. He then got a job as a house teacher in the French speaking part of Switzerland. He once visited Oxford and met several Evangelistic preachers there and got converted. He became a minister in the Free Churches in French speaking Switzerland. Later he moved to Hauptwil SG where he started a counselling house where people got spiritually and physically healed. He was influential in most free churches in Switzerland and Germany, and was a quite well known evangelist. His biograph, Jakob Vetter, was working with him in Hauptwil SG, too, and later founded the German Zeltmission. Fascinating man.

59) Wiedersehen mit Mrs. Oliver : ein Hercule-Poirot-Krimi by Agatha Christie. Mrs. Oliver invites Hercule Poirot to a garden party in the country where she is planning a murder game - people should follow certain hints on the estate and then find a corpse. But the game turns nasty when the corpse is found dead .... Hercule Poirot doesn't find the solution till long after the events ... a complicated not so convincing solution.

A new thread! Sorry the Maigret mystery was not so good. The cover is great though - a period piece. I like the new penguin English translations - but a completely different look, with stylish photos of the 1960s (I think).

>9 charl08: Hej Charlotte. Yes, the cover for Maigret is good - I prefer it to the Agatha Christie cover.

>8 paulstalder: Ah - that one is Dead Man's Folly in English. I know I've read that one although it doesn't show in my LT library. It must have been pre-LT.

>11 thornton37814: yes, that's the original title. I liked reading it but found the plot confusing and the solution Poirot presents a bit far fetched. lahochstetler pointed out that there is a video game based on that mystery, and I can imagine that is quite a good plot to make a game of.

I am open to seductions like these....

perfect setting

>13 paulstalder: Like this a lot - the idea of one book leading to another! (14 looks too chilly where I am now). I am reading Phantoms on the Bookshelves at the moment and it is very much like this - one book recommendation after another!

Love the photos >13 paulstalder: >14 paulstalder:

>15 charl08: This Phantoms on the bookshelves sounds pretty interesting - but my French is too bad to really enjoy reading it in the original, and I haven't found the German edition yet. The German title is 'Meine vielseitigen Geliebten' (My versatile lovers)

>16 Ameise1: I thought to share them when I first saw them :)

60) Gefahr im Zeltlager by Damaris Kofmehl. The class of Mr Gerber is planning a school camp in tents. Also Jörg, the mute 17-year-old run-away, joins them. But someone wants to harm him, secretly puts some drugs in the handlebars of his bike and gives a hint to customs before they cross the border to Germany. The customs officers want to keep him in prison but his friends want to prove his innocence. Part 4 of this well written adventure/mystery series.

>18 paulstalder: Drugs in the handlebars? I'll stick to just attaching my bell.

I just finished Phantoms on the Bookshelves - I love the German title. Such romance. He is responsible for me finding so many books I didn't know existed. I am particularly keen to find a copy of a book about reading in the gulag, which doesn't seem to have an English version Mes Bibliotheques. I also didn't realise that Manguel had written s book about a year of reading, even though I have read and enjoyed The Library at Night.

>19 charl08: They made a specially designed bike from old parts and someone knew about the tour and the bike and came during the night and put the drugs in the handlebars....

Don't know how I missed your start of a new thread Paul but I'll say a slightly belated Happy New Thread!

Lovely photos too - seductive is the right word.

I haven't been to Seoul for a while - you captured a rare quiet moment.

There are not only Christmas hymns there are also Easter hymns. So I start my alphabet again with these.

Auferstanden, auferstanden
ist der Herr, der uns versöhnt.
O wie hat nach Schmerz und Banden
Gott mit Ehren ihn gekrönt!
Dort zu seines Vaters Rechten
über Schmach und Tod erhöht
herrscht er nun in Majestät.
Freut euch seiner, ihr Gerechten,
und ihr, seine Feinde, bebt!
Halleluja, Jesus lebt!

Aus dem Grab uns zu erheben,
ging er zu dem Vater hin.
Laßt uns ihm zur Ehre leben,
dann ist Sterben uns Gewinn.
Haltet unter Lust und Leiden
im Gedächtnis Jesum Christ,
der vom Tod erstanden ist.
Unvergänglich sind die Freuden,
des, der nach dem Himmel strebt.
Singet, preiset, Jesus lebt!

written by Johann Caspar Lavater (1741 - 1801), a Swiss Reformed pastor, reformer, and writer during the Enlightenment.

Risen risen
is the Lord who reconciles us.
O how has to pain and bands
God with honor crowned him!
There to his father's right hand
Raised him beyond shame and death
He now reigns in majesty.
Rejoice in him, ye righteous;
and you, his enemies, tremble!
Hallelujah, Jesus lives!

From the grave us to rise,
he went to his father.
Let us live for his glory,
then dying is our winning.
Keep under lust and suffering
in memory Jesus Christ,
risen from death.
Everlasting are the joys,
of which reaches into the heavens.
Sing, praise, Jesus lives!

Das Blut des Lammes reinigt uns,
das Blut des Lammes reinigt uns.
das Blut des Lammes reinigt uns und machet alles neu,
alles neu, alles neu.
Das Blut des Lammes reinigt uns und machet alles neu.

Der Heiland starb am Kreuz für mich,
der Heiland starb am Kreuz für mich,
der Heiland starb am Kreuz für mich und machet alles gut,
alles gut, alles gut.
Der Heiland starb am Kreuz für mich und machet alles gut.

a passion song by Catherine Booth-Clibborn (1858-1955), British Salvation Army officer

The blood of the lamb cleanses us,
the blood of the Lamb cleanses us.
the blood of the lamb cleanses us and makes all things new,
everything new, everything new.
The blood of the lamb to cleanse us and make all things new.

The Savior died on the cross for me,
the Savior died on the cross for me,
the Savior died on the cross for me and makes everything good,
all good, all good.
The Savior died on the cross for me and makes everything well

>21 PaulCranswick: Hej Paul, pleased to see you in these parts.

We were walking with my aunt-in-law along the river Han, and, yes, it was surprisingly quiet and almost any people around.

Happy weekend, Paul. What a lovely idea posting Easter hymns.

>25 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara. Should have started earlier ... well now, it will last over Easter :)

Christ ist erstanden
von der Marter alle.
Des solln wir alle froh sein;
Christ will unser Trost sein.
Kyrieleis.

Wär er nicht erstanden,
so wär die Welt vergangen.
Seit dass er erstanden ist,
so freut sich alles, was da ist.
Kyrieleis.

A German Easter hymn, appeared in the Apel Codex, a manuscript from around 1500. Probably the oldest liturgical hymn in German.

Christ is risen
from all the torment.
Of we should all be happy;
Christ wants to be our consolation.
Kyrieleis.

If he had not risen,
the world would have passed away.
Since he is risen,
everything rejoices, everything there is.
Kyrieleis.

61) Meeting God in quiet places : the Cotswold parables by F. LaGard Smith. An American has a cottage in the Cotswold in the heart of England and goes for walks then he writes his meditations down about what he sees and feels on the way. Very good spiritual thoughts about my walk with God. Helpful and encouraging.

62) Die rote Katze : aus dem Tagebuch des Kriminalkommissars Allan Wilton by Jules Charpentier. Inspector Creux walks along the inner city of Marseille when a terrified girl runs into him and asks for help. He hits two men unconscious but then the girl has disappeared and Creux is hit badly. The next day three people are shot dead with a machine gun from a fast passing car. In both cases a cat formed with red Pipe cleaners are found. What's the significance of this Red Cat? A French mystery, entertaining read.

Da Jesus an des Kreuzes Stamm
der ganzen Welt Sünd auf sich nahm,
sprach er in seinen Schmerzen
noch sieben Wort, die lasset uns
erwägen wohl im Herzen.

Zum ersten: Vater strafe nicht
an ihnen, was mir jetzt geschicht,
weil sie es nicht verstehen.
Vergib uns, Gott, wenn wir auch noch
aus Irrtum Sünde begehen.

Zum andern er des Schächers dacht:
Fürwahr, du wirst noch vor der Nacht
in meinem Reich heut leben.
O Herr, nimm uns auch bald zu dir,
dir wir im Elend schweben.

by Johannes Böschenstain (1472 - 1539) a German priest who was studying Hebrew and whom Luther brought to Wittenberg. He then was teaching Hebrew and is known as one the founders of Hebrew studies, he also taught Hebrew to Huldrych Zwingli. His songs are based on Biblical texts like this one which is based on the 7 Words of Christ on the Cross.

Since Jesus on the cross
the world's sin took upon himself,
he said in his pain
seven words these let us
consider well in our heart.

For the first: Father do not punish
them for what they do to me now,
because they do not understand.
Forgive us, God, if we also
from error committing sin.

Secondly, thinking of the other thief:
Surely, you will before to-night
live in my kingdom today.
O Lord, take us to you soon,
for we waver in misery.

Erstanden ist der heilig Christ,
Halleluja, Halleluja,
der aller Welt ein Tröster ist.
Halleluja, Halleluja.

Drei Frauen gehn des Morgens früh;
Halleluja, Halleluja,
den Herrn zu salben kommen sie.
Halleluja, Halleluja.

Nun singet alle voller Freud:
Halleluja, Halleluja.
Der Herr ist auferstanden heut.
Halleluja, Halleluja.

a resurrection song with 17 verses, describing the events on Easter morning, by the Bohemian Brethren, 1544

Risen is the holy Christ,
Hallelujah, hallelujah,
a comforter to the world.
Hallelujah, hallelujah.

Three women go early in the morning;
Hallelujah, hallelujah,
to anoint the Lord they come.
Hallelujah, hallelujah.

Now sing all full of joy:
Hallelujah, hallelujah.
The Lord is risen today.
Hallelujah, hallelujah.

Frühmorgens, da die Sonn aufgeht,
mein Heiland Christus aufersteht.
Vertrieben ist der Sünden Nacht,
Licht, Heil und Leben wieder bracht.
Halleluja

Nicht mehr als nur drei Tage lang
mein Heiland bleibt im Todeszwang,
am dritten Tag durchs Grab er dringt,
mit Ehr sein Siegsfähnlein schwingt,
Halleluja

a hymn by Johann Heermann (1585-1647), one of the best known German hymn writers of the Baroque, a pastor in Silesia

Early in the morning, as the sun rises,
my Savior Christ resurrected.
Expelled is the night of sin,
Light, healing and life reintroduced.
Hallelujah

Not for more than three days
my Saviour remains in death,
on the third day through the grave he penetrates,
with honor swings his victory banner,
Hallelujah

Gelobt sei Gott im höchsten Thron
samt seinem eingebornen Sohn,
der für uns hat genug getan.
Halleluja, Halleluja, Halleluja.

Des Morgens früh am dritten Tag,
da noch der Stein am Grabe lag,
erstand er frei ohn alle Klag.
Halleluja, Halleluja, Halleluja.

an Easter hymn by Michael Weiße (1488 - 1534), a Franciscan who later became a preacher of the Unity of the Brethren in Bohemia, he took partly over Zwingli's teachings. He published a hymn book in 1531 with 157 hymns, among these were 137 written or adapted by himself.

Praise God in highest throne
and his only Son,
for us he has done enough.
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.

Early in the morning on the third day,
there was still the stone at the grave,
he rose freely without further obstacles.
Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.

Heil! Jesus Christus ist erstanden!
Aus den zersprengten Todesbanden
tritt siegverkläret Gottes Sohn.
Hoch durch des Himmels Tempelhallen
hört man das Hallelujah schallen,
und Friede glänzt um Gottes Thron.
Heil dem, der ewig liebt,
der Allen Leben gibt,
Jesu Christo, und unserm Gott!
Des Todes Not ist aufgelöst in Morgenrot!

a resurrection song by Albert Knapp (1798 - 1864), he was pastor in Stuttgart since 1836 and is well known for his poetry and hmyns.

Heil! Jesus Christ is risen!
From the scattered bonds of death
occurs victorious the Son of God.
High through the sky's temple halls
you can hear the sound Hallelujah,
and peace shines around God's throne.
Blessed is he who loves eternally,
Gives live to all,
Jesus Christ, and our God!
For Death is dissolved in dawn!

63) Die Fülle in Jesus Christus by Eduard Thurneysen. A lecture given at the first international mission studies conference in Basel 1935. Thurneysen talks about the fullness of Christ - in Him there is salvation and peace. Christianity is not just a source of good thoughts and forces to apply like a pill. Faith in the person of Jesus Christ, the one lying in a manger when he came and hanging on the cross when he left, and rose from the dead. Only such a faith can bring peace and meaning in life. (Already then he was talking about the approaching war.)

Ich geh´ zu deinem Grabe,
du großer Osterfürst,
weil ich die Hoffnung habe,
daß du mir zeigen wirst,
wie man kann fröhlich sterben
und fröhlich auferstehn
und mir des Himmels Erben
ins Land des Lebens gehn.

an Easter song by Benjamin Schmolck (1672 - 1737) from Silesia

I go to your grave,
to you, great Easter Prince,
because I have hope
that you will show me
how to cheerfully die
and happily resurrect
and we, the heirs of heaven
go into the land of life.

Have a glorious weekend, Paul.

Thank you paul.

Suki's mother died yesterday. Suki is sad not being able to be there but comforted by the last words mother said before she died. The funeral will be next tuesday.

>39 paulstalder: Dear Suki, dear Paul, I'm so sorry for your loss. May her soul rest in peace. My thoughts are with you. Gentle hugs xx

Thank you Barbara.

Here is a picture of the banner my mother-in-law prepared herself for her funeral. This banner was hanging at the entrance of the hall wherein people could pay her their last respect.

quoting John 11,25-26 (Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?”) and saying thankyou to everybody to have been part of their and her life.

Here a picture of the flower arrangement

Suki is in the hospital today for her next chemo 'shot'.

64) The day of the Triffids by John Wyndham. The Russians develop a new plant which delivers a pretty good oil - but the plant can also walk and lash out at people and is carnivorous. Bill Masen is stung by such a plant and lays in hospital with his eyes bandaged. When he takes off his bandages he can see again - but everybody had become blind. Some people believe that the debris of a comet blinded everybody who watched these green celestial fires, only a few did not see them and did not become blind --- end of the world and trying to rebuild it. A good SF with some sociological talk about society.

Have a wonderful Easter.

Thanks so much for sharing those photos, Paul. I wish you and your family a relaxed weekend.

Paul, wishing you and Suki a blessed Easter, health, and comfort in your loss!

>45 PaulCranswick: >46 Ameise1: >47 DianaNL: >48 harrygbutler:
Thank you so much for visiting. Suki is coming to turns with the loss of her mother. We would like to find something better for her cancer treatment than the chemotherapy (fighting illness with poison) - but there are not exactly alternatives.
Our son has to work in the hospital during these Easter days, the oldest daughter is in an Easter week in Oberägeri (central Switzerland), the second daughter will show up tomorrow sometime.

65) Tod auf Schloss Bremont : ein Provence-Krimi by Mary L. Longworth. Etienne de Bremont is found dead at the bottom of his catle - apparently fallen out from the loft. But that looks unlikely and then his brother is also killed. Judge Verlaque is asked to investigate and he asks his ex, professor Bonnet, to help him. An easy read with a lot talking about food, wine, and relationships.

66) Der fünfte Zeuge : Roman by Stefan Albert. A young woman is found dead in her flat, bitten by a snake - but she has only constrictor snakes in her terrarium and now the police finds a poisonous snake in there, too. Then a man is killed by scaring his horse when he was riding in the forest. Both work in the Evangelical Church - is that the connection between these two victims? The pastor of the local church is asked to investigate. A nice mystery with some Biblical references - and a librarian among the team of detectives. It has its length but a good German read.

67) Bärndütsch : vier Schweizer Radio-Vorträge in Mundart, gesprochen über den Landessender Beromünster von Werner Zimmermann. 4 radio talks given on Swiss radio in Swiss German during World War II (printed 1942). Zimmermann was a life and economics reformer. In his first talk he explains his view about fate/destiny and free will. We are shaped by the past (our family, our genes, our country history etc.) but with our will we can influence the future.
''s üsser Schicksal isch Ergäbnis vo üsne vergangene Taten u Fäler un vo üsem hüttige Wäsen u Tue. D'Freiheit vom Wille lyt in üsem Entschluss, us allem Schicksal ds Beste wölle z'mache, innerlig dra z'wachse un anderne z'hälfe, sich vo de beste Chreft im eigete Härz la z'leite. Dermit tüe mer d'Würkige vom Schicksal ändere. Mir überchömen en anderi Stralig. Gueti Lüt, u Völcher, hei is lieber u hälfen is ender.' (Our exterior fate is the result of our former doings and mistakes and our present being and doings. The freedom of our willlies in our decision, to make the best of our fate, to grew inwardly and help others to be guided in one's own heart by the best powers. And so we change the course of our destiny. Thus we get a new charisma. Good persons, and good peoples, will like us and will help us more.)
The 2nd talk is more or less about the same: As one needs the sunlight, so one needs the light of love inside of oneself. the 3rd talk is about education: Be aware of the dangers of spoiling a child by not giving clear boundaries. And the last talk is about helping each other during the war: As a soldier he went to farmers in the neighborhood of his post during the war and helped the women whose men are somewhere else at the front during his spare time.
Reading Swiss German is not easy ... especially not such philosophical ideas....

68) Schiffsmeldungen : Roman by E. Annie Proulx. Quoyle's wife left him and was killed in a car accident. He then returns with his two daughters to the ancestral home in Newfoundland. So far, basically everything went wrong what he did. He starts a new life with writing ship news in the local newspaper. Basically a character study of a failure who develops. An interesting description of a life in a remote, crude area.



(recommended by Crazymamie in 2013...)

Winging best wishes and healing thoughts to Suki and yourself and I trust that the cancer treatment, though unpalatable, is effective.

Thank you very much, Paul, for thinking about us and your kind words here.

Wishing you a relaxed weekend, Paul. Suki is in my thoughts.

Thank you, Barbara. Suki had to go to the hospital on Friday because of pain in the neck and the shoulder. It's better now; they couldn't do anything apart from giving some medication. She started a little group of Korean and Latin American women to help them to communicate better in German. Now she will take part in a course (given by Wycliffe) on how to teach German to refugees - a big job at the moment

>57 paulstalder: That's wonderful that she'll be teaching German to refugees. It's so important. Sorry to hear about her pain. I hope it won't increase.

statistics for March

2666 pages, 13 books

10 books were written in German, 2 in English, and 1 in Swiss German

nationalities: CH 3, GB 2, D 3, USA 2, B 1, A 1, CDN 1
dead 6, alive 6
male 7, female 5
collective 1

the oldest book was published 1917 (my edition), 1916 (originally published) , the most recent one in 2012

>58 Ameise1: It's a thing she likes doing and she has a good 'Draht' (rapport) to the foreigners here. She will be doing a good job in listening and understanding some of these women. Herself a foreigner knows what kind of cultural clashes can come upon refugees here.

69) Jesus, unser Friede by Wilhelm Busch. A collection of six sermons by this German pastor. He talks about faith, marriage, sin, and salvation. One sermon is entitled: Wie kann Gott das zulassen? (How can God let things like that happen?). He points out that we humans are very proud of all the technical achievements which are 'good' but as soon as something bad turns out of something we blame God for it. There were so many Germans who hailed Hitler for his achievements and then blamed God for all the bad which came from Hitler and his ideas. Living without God as long as everything goes well and then make God responsible for the bad things which came out of this godless life?
Very good, thought provoking sermons.

Busch himself was a soldier during WW I, then became a pastor and was living in Essen during the bombing of the city in World War II. His most famous collection of sermons is Jesus unser Schicksal. He has the same name as the author of Max and Moritz (so not to be confused).

How kind of your wife to be teaching refugees and sharing her experiences. I hope her treatment is going well.

>62 charl08: She is very kind, and she experienced problems when living in Switzerland and knows many whose German is pretty shaky, and so started to 'teach' some of her friends in a playful way, and now, since she cannot work anymore, such an occupation is quite good for her.

70) Polterabend : Kriminalroman by Alfred Komarek. Simon Polt is helping some neighbors to harvest grapes during a cold night in December order to get a good ice wine. When pressing the grapes they find a corpse inside the winepress. Simon is the local inspector in this Austrian village and so has to take on all the necessary steps to secure the crime scene and then investigate. He is more the type to chat with everybody in the village and thus getting all the information for solving the case - and not the office type who is strictly following police procedure...

'Polterabend' is 'Wedding Shower', which is also hinted at in the story but it is also playing with the inspector's name: Polt - 'Evening with Polt' or 'Polt's Evening'

I will be visiting this part of Austria (Weinviertel = the Wine District) in Juli so that gives me some local color. A mystery with a lot of Austrian charm (and some insights into wine growing).

71) Der Barometermacher auf der Zauberinsel by Ferdinand Raimund. A young guy is landing on an island after a shipwreck, he is an unlucky wretch. But on the island a fairy bestows him with magic items: a wand to turn everything into gold, a trumpet to call an army, and a cloak to transport him to his desired place. But the daughter of the island king steals all the items because he is a fool and fell in love with her ... with a happy end ...

A hilarious Austrian play, first given in Vienna in 1823. That's actually the first play Raimund wrote himself, he was an actor, then didn't get a new play when he needed one, so he wrote one himself - clever.

72) Flucht in die Wüste by Marie Luise Röschli. A youg Swiss family with five kids are having problems with their business and so escape to Eilat in Israel. There the husband works as a welder in Solomon's mines (Timna). They learn modern Hebrew and how to behave in a Jewish society, the children start kindergarten and school there. A simple story of life of a family in a foreign land

73) Salon Moderne by Fabienne Eggelhöfer. I just found that book: pictures of hair saloons in Switzerland. It reminded me of my own collection of such pictures: only two of 'mine' are represented in the book (288 pictures). Not much to read but much to see.

74) Berechtigung und Aufgabe der Predigt : offene Besprechung einer zeitgemässen Frage durch Franz Eugen Schlachter ; mit einer Lebensbeschreibung des Verfassers by Franz Eugen Schlachter. Schlachter was a preacher and Bible translator (he 'wrote' the Die Heilige Schrift des Alten und Neuen Testaments) and gave a lecture on the purpose and task of preaching. Preaching a sermon is still needed nowadays, one cannot replace it. But the preacher needs to believe in the Bible and listen to God for instructions and content of his sermon. The sermon is given in order to preach the Gospel, the good news of God's words and deeds (passed and future).
He declares that sermons should not be boring because it would be a sin to make the Word of God a boring matter (Ich würde deshalb auch entschieden verlangen, dass einer, der predigen will, die Gabe hat, kurzweilig und nicht langweilig zu sein; denn es ist eine Sünde gegen das Wort Gottes, wenn man es langweilig macht... = I would therefore held that someone who wants to preach, has to have the gift, to do so entertaining and not to be boring; because it is a sin against the Word of God, if you do it boring...)

75) Das Brandopfer : eine Erzählung by Albrecht Goes. A young Assistant Librarian moves into a new room above a butcher's shop after WWII. He then got acquainted with the landlady, the butcher's wife, who tells him of her time during Nazi Germany: her butcher's shop became the 'Jew's Butcher', the only shop in town where Jews were allowed to buy meat on Fridays 16-17 o'clock only (the Jews were allowed to use public transport, and their rations were far too small actually). Mrs. Walker didn't know anything about Jews or Jewish but she learnt by listening to them, first skeptically but then more and more sympathetic. She met the formerly affluent, the widows whose men were already taken away, the Rabbi who prayed in the shop, the pregnant women who became the target of some young Nazis ... ... a disturbing, tragic story, also a good piece of German literature.

Happy weekend, Paul.

Thank you, Barbara, it was a quiet weekend - working Saturday morning and enjoying a great church service today. Suki had the second part of her teaching-German-to-foreigners-course on Saturday.

76) Kekkaishi 1 by Yellow Tanabe. A Japanes shounen manga (manga for 'boys'), Yoshimori is a 9-year-old school boy who has the gift to destroy evil spirits who come to the city during the night. So, he is on night duty every night, together with Tokine, an 11-year-girl who has the same gift. But their families are enemies. The girl is has more understanding but the boy has more power in his spells. Nice Japanese tale

That manga was given to me by one of our apprentices in the library. She is a big fan of manga and cosplay. I told her about LT and the TIOLI challenge to read a manga - she has several hundred such books at home and was very pleased to bring me something to read :) and she told me about the difference between shounen (boys) and shoujo (girls) manga.

77) Weisse Apokalypse : Kriminalroman by Jean-Baptiste Baronian. A Belgian mystery. Inspector Hoffmann suffers from the oncoming winter, he has a 'snow allergy', he tells himself, and fights an oncoming cold. But his former superior wants him to take on a delicate case: his niece has disappeared and now Hoffmann should investigate - careful, silent, and quick. A bit a weird story, and a style, I don't like much: The Inspector always talks to himself, so the whole story is told from that perspective.
'You have read this story now. What do you make of it, Monsieur Stalder? You sense the coming headache...'

78) Vom Schaf zum fertigen Wollstoff ed. by the International Wool Secretariat. A large picture book (31.5 x 45 cm) showing the way of the wool from the sheep till the finishing touch with a decatising machine. Nicely showing the machinery and the processes the wool is going through.

79) Kekkaishi 2 by Yellow Tanabe. The 2nd part of this demon bashing manga. The two young heroes are still no friends during day time (in school) but work together during the night against the incoming demons. Light reading. But now shows the Shadow Government up and plays a role which is difficult to understand, but I think mangas are not to be understood.

>72 paulstalder: Hi Paul, I'm jumping into your thread to see how your experience with manga has been so far. You're the only one who has taken me up on my challenge until now who has read more than one volume of any series. I wrote a lot about my reactions to manga on this thread. I've found some I liked and some I didn't. I've enjoyed my exploration of this new-to-me genre and can see myself reading more of it in the future. I hope you've enjoyed this foray into a whole new genre! It's been different. I was hesitant at first to put this out as a challenge, but now I'm happy I did. I'm not so sure about the others who took me up on tis challenge, though! :)

That manga was given to me by one of our apprentices in the library. She is a big fan of manga and cosplay. I told her about LT and the TIOLI challenge to read a manga - she has several hundred such books at home and was very pleased to bring me something to read :) and she told me about the difference between shounen (boys) and shoujo (girls) manga.

That was very nice of your library apprentice!

>75 paulstalder:

I think mangas are not to be understood.

What do you mean by this? Is it that some parts of it are confusing? I find that as well in some of the manga I'm reading.

>76 SqueakyChu: Hej Madeline, thanks for jumping by. I feel honored to be visited by the TIOLI Master.

Yes, we have a very nice apprentice. She had to store a few boxes of mangas in the basement, which hurts her. I tried to discuss the Kekkaishi with her but she is pretty shy and doesn't dare to contradict or correct me on that subject. She is writing her own fan fiction based on some school mangas. She is more into shoujo, but was eager to bring me her best shounen manga.

I think mangas are not to be understood. Well, Kekkaishi plays apparently in a Japanese school which is visited by demons. But the connections between the two worlds are not explained. The same goes for the powers and spells of the humans and the demons. Where does this power come from? How come some can use it others not? If the place gives one all the power one needs, how can one get exhausted and have less power when others are getting stronger every minute? Then comes this shadow cabinet - shadow of what? of the earthly government? Questions like these would be interesting to discuss with the author - but are probably unanswerable.

I also read 해와 달 1-3 (Sun and Moon) last year, a Korean warrior manga, which also tells things which are best unquestioned - don't try too hard to understand everything

>77 paulstalder: don't try too hard to understand everything

Haha! I appreciate your advice. I won't!

One reason I can see for the authors not explaining everything is, if the series becomes popular, there would be lots of questions to be answered in future volumes! :D

One thing I find fun about the many volumes is that the books which don't have self-contained chapters always end with a cliff-hanger, leading me to rush out to find the next volume. I don't do this with other books. In fact, when The Green Mile, a novel by Stephen King came out in small volumes, I waited until I could get all of the volumes at once before reading that book!

>77 paulstalder: 해와 달 1-3 (Sun and Moon) looks interesting. Would you recommend it? How is Korean manga different from Japanese manga?

>78 SqueakyChu: You are right: not explaining things gives always the possibility to change the world during the story :)

>79 SqueakyChu: It's the story of a loser who just wants to be left alone. But the powers around don't let that be and so he is involved because he is very strong and is a fighter when attacked.
I don't know enough about mangas in order to answer your question. The main differences between Kekkaishi and Sun and Moon are the drawings: the Japanese characters are more 'soft', the Korean more 'crude'. The Japanese one is for young men, the Korean for older men, both are fighting stories with heroes which have their own problems and both have some humorous scenes.
Read them, there are only 3 volumes, and the fighting stories are quite fascinating - but don't ask too many whys, understand the flow of the story but the way of each fight and act.

80) Polt muss weinen : Kriminalroman by Alfred Komarek. The first appearance of Simon Polt. The most hated man of this little village north of Vienna is found dead in his wine cellar. Apparently died of fermentation gas of the young wine. But how and where exactly did the gas come from? the inspector investigates. A story of men and their world in the wine cellars of Austria. Intriguing story with a good description of rural life in the Wine District of Austria.

>80 paulstalder: I'm not that much into "fighting" stories, but, if I encounter them, I'll look through them to see if I'd be interested in reading them. So far, the manga I've enjoyed most is humor (Yotsuba&! sci fi (ES: Eternal Sabbath, and just plain weird The Waning of the Moon. :D

>82 SqueakyChu: thanks for the hints. I will have a look out for these mangas in our local library - but I've got some other books, I should read first .... :)

>83 paulstalder: but I've got some other books, I should read first .... :)

Me, too!

Happy Sunday, Paul.

Interesting conversation about Manga. It is a genre about which I am not knowledgable, but am trying to learn. The format is not the problem for me. I have trouble with the story lines, so what both of you have said is helpful to me.

>84 SqueakyChu: go on, then :)

>85 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara

>86 benitastrnad: Mangas are new to me, too. I used to look at them in the library and enjoy the pictures. So Madeline's challenge challenged me to actually read one properly - so far, so good.

81) Wir haben gewusst, dass du früher gehen würdest : drei Jahre Zeit zum Sterben und Leben by Walter Weyrich. Walter was a Methodist pastor, married with four children. Then one day, the doctors diagnosed cancer by Heidi, his wife. Then chemotherapy, radiotherapy etc. Walter writes down his thoughts during these three years she lived after the diagnosis. He studied dying etc during his theological training but now it became personal and practical. The question 'Why us?' comes together with questions the school children ask about death and life after that. She finds some answer in the Bible, in praying and listening to God, and she finds encouragement for herself and her family to believe in His words: he saved her and promised her a future in his presence. The family as a whole trusted this foundation of the Christian faith and kept them together. Not an easy book but very encouraging. It tells his experiences as sad as they were but also gives hints of how and where to find spiritual help.

I received that book as a gift by the author and his second wife during the time my father way dying. It is much more helpful now than it was then. And I called her yesterday and learned that Walter died three years ago. I never met Walter but I remember his second wife with whom I exchanged English dictionaries: She had this huge volume ans she swapped it for my pocket dictionary. And I used her book during my studies in England and it is still around

82) Kekkaishi 3 by Yellow Tanabe. Yoshimori, now 14, and Tokine still fight demons during the night. Yoshimori started to practice more but still is not so good in organizing his strength. Now, an old demon hound, an old friend of his own demon hound, appears and threatens the place. Both hounds were real dogs which one day died and lieve as demon dogs now. And Yoshimori applies a new technique: throwing power strings coming out of his hand in order to hold his enemies. There are now some more backgound facts about the characters.

>89 paulstalder: I see you stuck with the above manga series through volume 3. How many volumes does this series have? Are you going to read all of them? I just had my older son bring me from his home volume s5 through 8 of the Yotsuba&! series! They are such fun to read! He also brought me another series by the same author , thinking I might like that series as well. I might never get back to literary fiction! Ha!

>90 SqueakyChu: The apprentice has only 4 volumes of Kekkaishi (out of 25 or more). So I will read number 4 and then either change or I would have to buy them myself (our library doesn't have them anymore).

I like reading manga, but I think I will quite easily 'get back' to literary fiction :) You don't have to fear that you stay beached with manga - especially when you think about next month's challenge :) or do you plan to make another manga challenge? like 'Read a manga in which the hero is older than me' or 'Read a manga wherein a dog or a cat plays some role'

>91 paulstalder: do you plan to make another manga challenge?

Definitely not! I now need a challenge like; "Read a book that is NOT manga!" LOL!

83) Kekkaishi 4 by Yellow Tanabe. Now an older brother of Yoshimori appears who is more versatile in the kekkai arts but is not the designated heir ....

I will have to consult my son Kyran, Paul, in order to make a contribution to your Manga comments.

I will confine myself momentarily therefore to wishing you a wonderful weekend.

>94 PaulCranswick: I'll wait for your comments as well, Paul. :)

>94 PaulCranswick: Hej Paul, please do come back and give us your son's comments.

84) Die Chronik des Zeichners : Graphic Novel by Hannes Binder. A Swiss graphic novel. A draftsman discovers his great-grandmother's dairy and so tells us the story of the three generations in Schaffhausen (near the Rhine Fall). His grandfather was a comb maker, his father wanted to become an artist, one who draws for news papers and magazines but his parents didn't let him do that, so became a businessman... local color novel. Quite different from Japanese and Korean manga.

85) Müsli für den Mörder : ein Goldy-Bear-Krimi by Diane Mott Davidson. Goldy Bear is party supplier/caterer who discovers a corpse in the snow on the high school campus in Aspen Meadow CO. It happens to be the best pupil of that college on the way to Princeton or another elite university. Then her house and she herself gets attacked. Who is behind all that? An easy read with some cooking recipes of the goodies she prepares for her work. (I didn't try them).

A typical German translation of the title: 'The cereal murders' is translated as 'Müsli für den Mörder' (cereal for the killer) but in Switzerland it means 'Little mice for the killer'. Müsli is a little mouse and Müesli is cereal. Here we eat Müesli for breakfast, Müsli are only eaten by cats.

>94 PaulCranswick: Kyran's view on manga is that it's storyboard has coloured his own views on art and he has in fact produced his own manga for school fairly successfully. He said his favourite series is "Bleach".

Have a great weekend, Paul.

>99 PaulCranswick: My daughter used to do fan art and sell it when she was in high school. Now she is no longer interested in art very much, but I hang onto her pictures! They're really very good.

I'll look for Bleach. I'm still hooked on reading two of the manga series I've started, and my older son gave me another series to try when I finish these two. He said it's a silly series by the same author of the Yotsuba&! series. I'm willing to give it a go.

>99 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul, for coming back and give Kyran's view. I will ask our apprentice if she has 'Bleach' in her collection.

>100 SqueakyChu: so, you managed to make you change your course of reading :)

86) Der Salamander : ein Tanner-Kriminalroman by Urs Schaub. Tanner is now a retired policeman but is still helping his friend. He meets a man at the railway station of his local village (Faoug at the Lake of Morat), without coat during winter time. He senses that this man has had a difficult and sad past. He claims to have been innocently in prison in Spain. A weird detective story with links to Africa, the Foreign Legion, a sect which claims to zap the energy from outer space, a priest who has served in Africa, a prostitute in Geneva ... An entertaining read but not fascinating.
The salamander is a symbol for being cleansed by fire.

87) Olaf, der Elch : eine Weihnachtsgeschichte by Volker Kriegel. Olaf is a normal elk except for his antler shovels - they are far too large, he has to walk sideways through the forest. That makes him to an outsider until one day he meets Santa Claus ... A humorous children story

Olaf is born Olaf is clumsy

Olaf breaks a shovel Olaf meets Santa Claus

88) Fruits basket 1 by Natsuki Takaya. Toru Honda is an orphan and camps outside town. Then she meets a schoolmate who takes her to his home. There they have a community of people who change into animals of the Chinese zodiac when hugged by someone of the opposite sex. Funny idea, a typical shoujo manga

>14 paulstalder: Nice picture, but you have to wonder who comfortable it really is.

>28 paulstalder: Meditation from the English countryside sounds peaceful, Paul. I wonder how easy it would be to find this one.

>107 brodiew2: hej Brodie, I think the lady just stayed long enough on the wooden landing for the picture being taken :)

I don't know about the Cotswold but I've seen some quiet places near High Wycombe (Hertfordshire) and in the Lake District. England has some very peaceful spots, I really enjoyed.

>101 paulstalder: I did change my course of reading! At least my experiment with manga succeeded so well. I'm glad that I found it entertaining. Now I can share some reads with my older son. I'm sure there will be series that will be disagreeable to one or the other of us, but at least we'll have some series that we'll both be able to enjoy. I have found this experience so much fun! I'm glad you enjoyed it as well. Others enjoyed (?) it much less. :D

>106 paulstalder: Uh oh, Paul! You're bound to get me into yet another manga series. I know just where to get Fruits Basket now. I saw the series at my local Friends of the Library book store. :)

>109 SqueakyChu: yes, I think so too, that your challenge brought along some fun reading :)

>110 SqueakyChu: our apprentice has got the first six volumes of Fruits Basket - what should I do with all the others books waiting to be read??

89) Fruits basket 2 by Natsuki Takaya. Toru Honda is now living with the Soma family and gets to know more of them. One changes into a sea horse when hugged :) (representing the dragon ion the zodiac). Toru's classmates get jealous about her living with the best looking student under one roof.

>111 paulstalder: Well, you could set them aside for a while! I've been doing a lot of that lately! :D

Truthfully, the manga are so easy to read. You just pick up one book and finish it in a short sitting.

Ha! we posted at the same time. Volume 2, I see!

I just finished ES; Eternal Sabbath which had eight volumes. I'm so sad that this series ended, although the ending was good. I got really attached to the characters. I saw that happening as well with two other series I've read/am reading. The characters sort of grow on you, if you like them.

>114 SqueakyChu: The characters sort of grow on you, if you like them. Yes, that is my experience, too.

90) Älplerchilbi : Volksstück in 4 Akten by Andreas Zimmermann. A play premiered in 1916 in Weggis at the Lake of Lucerne written by a local hotelier. A man was charged with setting fire to his neighbor's house. He was several years in prison and now came back and worked day jobs in the village and on the alps. The mayor is still angry at him and doesn't allow the man to come back. A funny play about life in an alpine village during the war. Families fighting each other, a town meeting fighting electricity, an invalid coming back from the trenches in France.

91) Die fromme Helene by Wilhelm Busch. There are several Wilhelm Busche, this is the 'Max and Moritz one. Helene grows up in the city but then should go to the countryside to her uncle and aunt because the cities are too wicked for a young girl. But her first act when arriving there is sewing the sleeves and the neck of her uncle's pajamas ... Later she develops a tendency to drink liquor but tries to live pious. A humorous but pretty realistic picture of society

92) Fruits basket 3 by Natsuki Takaya. Yuki and Kyo are always fighting each other (well, one turns into a cat the other into a rat...). And they take the school marathon competition as a personal fight. But another member from the Soma family stops them: he puts a rope over the street and makes the two falling... So, another member of this changeling family is introduced. Toru is still the lively always smiling hero...

93) Haralds Brautfahrt by Heinrich Hofmann. Hofmann composed a choir piece with this German poem about a seafarer going out to sea to find his bride, a 'daughter of the seas, guarded by demons'. He wins her but the gods of the storms attack the ship and all drown...

94) Als Robin nicht mehr singen wollte by Anne Velghe. Robin is new born robin who tries to sing, but his voice is untrained so he is laughed at by the others. But the choir leader takes care of him ... A nice tale of animals caring for each other and showing how important it is to train and educate young ones.

95) Wien : Stadtführer für Kinder by Brigitta Höpler. A nice little city guide for children. It gives a short historical introduction to Vienna and then gives details for 7 city tours, pointing out important and fun things on the way. Very useful for a family outing.

I love Die fromme Helene. Happy weekend, Paul.

Thank you, Barbara!

96) Fruits basket 4 by Natsuki Takaya. A new figure, Ayama shows up and a heart breaking story about Momiji is told. The Ayama humour is a bit weird. But Toru is enjoying herself and is getting a quiet influence on the Soma brothers.

Heh! I'm glad I'm not the only one on LT reviewing more than one book in a manga series. My son introduced me to the series Fullmetal Alchemist which I started last night. Its theme seems to be religion versus science so I told my son I'd like to read more books in that series. He told me there were 20 books in the series, but here on LT I see that there are more like 30 books in that series. Yikes! What did I get myself into?! :D

>125 SqueakyChu: well, I guess you did a good thing making your son introducing you to literature he likes. I still find that interesting when our kids recommend a book or author to me. I try to get hold of it and read it - even when it sounds awful to me. That gives good discussions about all sorts of literature. Did your son read all the 20 books of the series?

today's Sunset in Riehen (coming home from evening service)

>126 paulstalder: Did your son read all the 20 books of the series?

I'll have to ask him. I'm not sure I'm sold on this entire series, though. The further I got into that first volume, the less I liked it. I'll try a couple more volumes before I decide whether or not to go through all of the volumes he has.

>127 paulstalder: What a fabulous sunset!

Gorgeous sun set photos, Paul. Thanks so much for sharing them.

>128 SqueakyChu: >129 Ameise1: thanks, it was a great show of colors

We were driving around yesterday, looking for a dry place. Then we happen to see a huge church on the slopes to the left of our road. It happened to be during a dry spell, so we stopped and went visiting this church. The church (and monastery) is dedicated to St. Trudpert - I never heard of that Irish saint before. He came around 600 to the Black Forest.
There was an interesting fountain in front of the monastery: a crying stone figure. The water dripping out of its eyes into the hands below.

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I couldn't find out the name of the figure yet

Love the sunset pictures - and the sculpture is fascinating. I've not seen one in that style before. I visited a Japanese garden today and there were some beautiful stone sculptures I'd not noticed the last time I visited. Would love to know more about them - time to find a book!

>132 charl08: Hej Charlotte, nice to see you over here. It was a fascinating fountain figure. Hope, you find your book :)

97) Die schönsten Sagen aus Niederösterreich by Wolfgang Morscher. A collection of legends and tales of Lower Austria. A lot of devils and demons around there. Some people behave very bad and then are punished for that and suffer similar sorrows or die suddenly. Some people are treated nicely by demons and given the advice not to tell anybody where their fortune comes from, but ... Good reading

98) Young bride's story 1 by Kaoru Mori. Mongolia in the 13th century. A 20-year-old girl is married to a 12-year-old boy of a a neighbouring clan. She is well trained in hunting and other things, he is still a child. But the clan of the girl wants her back and makes an unfriendly visit. ... very nicely drawn, with a lot of details for ornaments on houses, garments and tools. Not a romance but a historical tale of clan life.

99) Ikkyu 1 by Hisashi Sakaguchi. Shuken's mother is the concubine of the king and has to escape from his relatives. He is sent to a Buddhist temple as a child and gets the name Suken as a monk. He later leaves that temple and follows another master and gets another name: Sojun. A historical manga from middle aged Japan. A lot of historical and Buddhist references. It's a bit complicated to differentiate the different sects of Buddhism in Japan. Shuken wants to be a good monk but also realizes that his nature and the monks around him are still defiled by worldly thinking.

You really are getting the books finished this year Paul. I look forward to seeing what brings up the ton.

>127 paulstalder: I think that startling sky could reaffirm anyone's faith.

Have a wonderful weekend.

>137 PaulCranswick: Hej Paul, I am very pleased about your visit here. I must confess, that I do not spend much time on other threads in LT at the moment. I did a lot a cataloging recently, especially separating different 'Wolfgang König's and 'Wilhelm Busch's and such things - and I read quite a lot.

Yesterday I was at a public podium discussion with Jean Ziegler (Currently member of the Advisory Committee to the United Nations Human Rights Council), Christine Beerli (vice president of the ICRC), Heinz Wanner (climatologist, member of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change) about the present situation of refugees in Europe. Interesting discussion but no solution presented. The political and economic interests are so much stronger than human sufferings.

We recently made some fish with Korean vegetables and Korean beer:
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>139 paulstalder: Most of us Americans don't like the fish staring back at us so we generally chop off their heads!

>140 thornton37814: I feel similarly: I don't like the fish staring at me, so I often said that I don't want to eat fish with eyes ... my children then make fun of that and wag with the fish head and say: 'Hej, look at me!' :) Some Koreans like the fish eye and eat it

Oh, I love your fish dish, Paul and I'm jealous that you could attend a podium discission with Jean Ziegler. *sigh*

>142 Ameise1: It were the Wenkenhofgespräche in Riehen. And the opponent of Jean Ziegler was Alex Reichmuth, journalist with the Weltwoche. They are going to broadcast it on telebasel.

I didn't go yesterday when Charles Lewinsky and Julia Onken came.

>143 paulstalder: Luckyboy. I like Lewinsky's book and Onken is an interesting person, too. Didn't you have got time to see them?

>144 Ameise1: I was too tired. I had another meeting on Wednesday (presenting the new statutes in a Verein) and I am working today, so I already did make bread and gipfeli, got fresh fruits and vegetables, and now I should open the shop to feed all the hungry people here :)

I met Lewinsky in Bern in a wikipedia working session some time ago.

>145 paulstalder: Sounds like you are very busy. Good luck.

fun cooking: burger with smashed potatoes and some veggies:

book keeping
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1869 - and - 1953

100) Herz aus Eisen : der erste Fall der Marie Machiavelli by Anne Cuneo. A Swiss mystery, written originally in French. Marie Machiavelli (don't make jokes about her name, she doesn't like that) is a private eye (private eyes look at the private parts people play, right?) in Lausanne (at the lake of Geneva). One day she gets a visitor: Thomas D. Carlyle (don't make jokes about his name ...), an English gentleman who is looking for a guy who owns him some money, an obscure story. When the case is solved Marie's friend gets raped, the police soon finds a man who is know to molest women when drunk. Did he rape her friend? Marie also travels to London to meet Mr Swift ...
A good story written as a kind of therapy dealing with the wounds of rape (a bit similar to Sue Grafton). Anne Cuneo is more known for her historical fiction.

>149 paulstalder: Nice review. I'm currentky reading Saubere Wäsche by Michael Herzig. I like it so far. I suppose you've read that one.

>150 Ameise1: Thanks, Barbara. Did you read Herz aus Eisen? There they found a corpse in the Zentralbibliothek in the old church. Otherwise most things happen in Lausanne. If you know Lausanne you may follow the characters around that city.

No, I haven't read Herzig yet.

>150 Ameise1: No, I haven't read it. Will have a look to fond a copy of it.

101) Vom Oel zur Seife. A booklet explaining how to make soap, published during World War II by Steinfels AG, a Swiss company making soaps and washing powder. Get some Oil and some lye (no lie) and make soap - in the olden times one used animal fat and ashes, today it is a birt more complicated. Steinfels had some good washing powder when I was a child: Maga, Floris, and Niaxa (NIAXA stands for the French 'Il n'y a que ça' = There is only this).




a scheme for producing soap

>136 paulstalder: I find it interesting that you also are continuing to read manga, Paul. I take it that your kids also like it (like my older son from whom I'm borrowing books). I guess I'll be following your thread more closely then. :D

What I discovered most interesting about manga is that the subject matter among series is often so different. I never expected to find that. Before I read any, I had a preconceived notion that all manga was about teen romance. I'm glad I allowed myself the chance to explore it further. Happily, I am now finding time to read other books alongside my manga. I have a feeling that, for me anyway, manga will be a nice diversion. I find it relaxing because I can sit down and read one chapter at a time just for fun whenever I want.

>154 SqueakyChu: My son occasionally reads manga, but not on a large scale. My daughters don't like it much.

You are right, manga is not manga (apart from being drawn), there are so many different subjects and genres, as different as in the 'letter'-literature.

102) Der Seelenbräu : Erzählung by Carl Zuckmayer. Seelenbräu is a dean of the Catholic Church in a rural village in Austria, near Salzburg. He likes music, likes to sing, but he has his own ideas: he sings loud, always fortissimo and he makes the choir sing in his style. But one day a young teacher appears in the local school who has a different view of music and a different attitude. The battle can begin... a nice, humourous story of this German author who emigrated to Switzerland, describing life in a traditional old village where the roles of the people are all well lived till someone new disturbs that calmness.

103) Globi's Weltreise by Robert Lips. Globi was devised as a symbol for the department store 'Globus' in 1932, the 50 year anniversary. Then in 1935 the first book was published with Globi's travel around the world. Globi is bird and there are still a new volume published each year.

-

- -
Globi's start -- Finding shoes in Instanbul -- Fakir in Bombay

- -
Chasing rabbits in New South Wales -- Finding his own tribe -- Trying harakiri in Tokio

- -
Car driving in Detroit -- Saving a window cleaner in New York -- Christmas in the plantations

- -
Sugarloaf Mountain -- Feeling like Napoleon on St. Helena -- Spooky experience in Cheop's pyramid

- -
As bullfighter in Sevilla -- Visiting an exhibition in Madrid -- Back home again

>157 paulstalder: That looks like a fun read! :)

>160 SqueakyChu: it sure was :) !

104) Der grosse Schnee by Alois Carigiet. Ursli and Flurina are siblings. On the eve of the big sledge-decorating-race they want to prepare their sledge. Ursli paints the sledge and sends his sister to the other village to get some wool remnants for decoration. She doesn't come back because an avanlanche hits the path. Does Ursli find her?
Carigiet is a well known book illustrator in Switzerland.

I love Globi's stories and I'm also a huge fan of Carigiet. Happy Sunday, Paul.

I still have a dozen Globi books at home - some are in a bad shape, but I still keep them.
And I love Carigiet's book illustrations.

105) Licht in der Finsternis by Frank E. Peretti. A fantasy with demons and angels. The anti Christian movements attack a Christian school in Bacon's Corner. They find a little girl who was introduced to a spiritual guide in primary school. Because that spirit caused some tantrums, the mother sent the girl to a Christian school. There they exorcised the demon - but a spiritual movement got wind of that and started a legal battle to have the Christian schools under governmental law and ban that world view. A fascinating thriller with a lot of philosophical, pedagogical, and Christian discussions - and the description of the invisible world of angels and demons.

I just wanted to make my May statistics and now realized, I forgot the April ones. *sigh*

So here we go:
statistics for April

2784 pages, 17 books

17 books were written in German, 0 in English, and 0 in Swiss German

nationalities: CH 6, D 2, USA 1, J 1, A 2, B 1
dead 5, alive 7
male 8, female 4
collective 1

4x Yellow Tanabe, 2x Alfred Komarek

the oldest book was published 1952 (my edition), 1823 (originally published) , the most recent one in 2015

statistics for May

3221 pages, 20 books

19 books were written in German, 0 in English, and 1 in Swiss German

nationalities: CH 6, D 4, CDN 1, J 3, A 2, B 1
dead 9, alive 7
male 11, female 5
collective 1

4x Natsuki Takaya

the oldest book was published 1900 (my edition), 1890 (originally published) , the most recent one in 2012

106) Lotterie des Todes : Kriminalroman by Edgar Wallace. With the money given them by a friend, three men go to an expedition in Africa. When they find a gold mine, their friend flies immediately to them but he doesn't want to keep the promises he made them ...
Not the best mystery by Wallace. The characters appeared so flat to me.

107) Das Geheimnis eines siegreichen Lebens by Georg Steinberger (1865-1904). Steinberger was a German evangelist who was preaching in Thuringia and Switzerland. He writes about the Christian life - not works bring us the victory but faith in Jesus Christ who gave himself for us and so conquered death. Worthwhile reading.

108) Young bride's story 2 by Kaoru Mori. Amira and her boy husband Karluk are getting to know each other better but her clan still wants her back, they even attack the city and they try to catch Amira. The story also shows us how to bake bread, or what preparations a girl has to do in order to get a husband later: she prepares a lot of clothing and linen, nicely embroidered. Richly detailed manga with interesting historical insights.

>170 paulstalder: Sounds interesting!

I'm having a hard time pulling away from manga. I just won a two-volume set of shojo manga from a fellow Bookcrosser so I feel indebted to read those two volumes and review them soon so I can move the books along. In addition, my older son is slowing lending me all of the books in two manga series I'm currently enjoying. One series has 12 volumes; the other series has something like 26 volumes. I like both of the series and fully intend to read both through completion. What have I done to myself?! :D

At least I'll read 75 books this year. Haha!

P.S. It's really fun to see someone I "know" also enjoying an occasional volume of manga. :)
P.S.S. I'm pretty much "hooked" on the manga now as I had formerly been "hooked" on @lyzard's tutored reads of gothic novels. LibraryThing is such a special place. Don't you think?

>170 paulstalder: What have I done to myself?! Well, I guess you found an interesting part of literature, and I also guess, that you will turn to other literature when finished the two series, maybe read a few more title (I'd recommend the Young bride's story 1 - A bride's story in English - to you). Manga is fun to read but it lacks the dense 'wordy' expression of the lettered text. The pictures give details of the story (like clothing ornaments, sky, wall decorations, furniture arrangements, fields and woods etc.) which would not be mentioned in the text but also restricts your own fantasy. I mean, if a character gets a compliment, like 'You look great', I can imagine what I think is 'looking great' and may be disappointed by the artist's materialization of his idea.

LT is a special space, sure :)

109) Wein & Tod : ein Mira-Valensky-Krimi by Eva Rossmann. Mira is a life style journalist living in Vienna. One day she makes an interview with a winegrower, Hans Berthold, in the Weinviertel (Lower Austria, North of Vienna). The next day Hans is shot dead from a hunting stand. Mira goes to help the widow on the winery and puts her nose into the case and solves it with the help of her cleaner woman. A good mystery with a lot of local insights into wine growing and cooking.



Fun fact: Weinlese or Traubenlese is the German word for wine harvest, but 'lesen' also means 'reading'. So people go into the vineyard and lesen die Trauben (read the grapes = harvest the grapes). So one could say, when I read (lese) a book, I harvest (lese) it :)

There is a German shepherd dog on the winery by the name of 'Reblaus' (phylloxera)!!
And the cat's name is 'Gismo'

>172 paulstalder: that you will turn to other literature when finished the two series

I'm reading other literature now, but it takes my about twenty times as long to read a "regular book" as a book of manga.

Another piece of this is that the "cliffhanger" at the end of each volume of manga makes me want to pick up that next volume right away! There's a method to the madness of manga authors and artists.

>173 paulstalder: It's so interesting to learn that the word lessen also means to harvest.

>174 SqueakyChu: madness of manga authors and artists? More a mixture of fun and calculation between the authors and the publishers

110) Fruits basket 5 by Natsuki Takaya. Coming back to Toru Honda and her changeling friends: they are making holidays at a lake in the Soma family holiday house. The tiger shows up: Kisa who doesn't speak anymore because she was always laughed at in school and so retreated to silence, and she bites (as a tiger) Toru. Toru later muffs an exam and has to repeat it... The beginning of this part was quite interesting but to the end it fades off into insignificance

111) Fruits basket 6 by Natsuki Takaya. Toru finds the secret of Kyo, the cat. He changes into a stinking monster. She is afraid but she begs Kyo not to disappear and stay with her, and so she heals them. We learn more about his past and Master Kazuma's and Kagura's involvement in his upbringing ... strange plots this time. Usually the characters lose all their clothes when they change, but Kyo kept his trousers when changed into a monster ... manga

112) The Friends of Eddie Coyle by George V. Higgins. Eddie was caught by the police driving a lorry with booze. Now his trial coming up and he wants ton give the police a good reason to let him go free. So he passes some information concerning a weapon's deal on ... basically a mystery in dialogues in street language (I had to check several words to get the meaning). I didn't get warm with it. the characters all talk the same and are all bastards.

>178 paulstalder: ). I didn't get warm with it. the characters all talk the same and are all bastards.

LOL! Think I'll skip that one!

179 if you like dialogues with american slang - go for it, otherwise you don't miss much.

>180 paulstalder: It doesn't sound appealing. If truth be told, often I prefer foreign literature in English translation over American novels.

113) A daughter of the Narikin by Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto. Yukiko is the daugther of a recent coming to wealth family, her mother has died and her father has married another woman from an old but poor family. Yukiko is in love with someone else but her stepmother wants her to marry someone from her own family so that the riches of Yukiko's father fall into her own family... A tale of traditional and modern Japan (1930s) told in a slow pace. Interesting background and descriptions and discussions on cultural issues.

>182 paulstalder: Sounds like a book I'd like! I'm currently very much "into" reading contemporary Japanese novels. My current read is Diary of a Mad Old Man by Junichiro Tanizaki. I lso ove the slow grace of the Japanese language translated into English.

>183 SqueakyChu: I guess, you would like Etsu Inagaki Sugimoto, her more biographical novel 'Daughter of the Samurai' is better known. But it's definitely not a modern author :)

>182 paulstalder: She was the co-author of the children's book I read for one of the challenges in May: With Taro and Hana in Japan. I enjoyed it; it too featured discussion of customs and culture.

>184 paulstalder: But it's definitely not a modern author

By "modern" Japanese author, I really mean those authors living within the last 100-150 years. They usually no longer write about samurai, but about more contemporary and changing Japanese society - at least about WWII and beyond.

>185 harrygbutler: I heard about her but this was the first book I actually read. It gives some good cultural descriptions.

>186 SqueakyChu: Okay, I thought of a narrower 'modern'. Yes, she wrote after WWI and described the changes of Japanese society, and she herself experienced them having lived in the USA as well.

114) Geschichte der Stadt Basel : erster Band by Rudolf Wackernagel. Now I finished the proof reading of Wackernagel's history of Basel. It gives a detailed description of the Roman period and the Middle Ages.

>187 paulstalder: Some of the really modern Japanese literature is quite "off the wall". I'm also now reading Haruki Murakami's Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World. That is so totally weird I'm not sure if I'll finish it or not. I needed a break from it. Ha! I also recently finished an Early Reviewer book by Ryu Murakami called Sixty-Nine. The stories were well written, but it was quite dark, cruel, and misogynistic.

>173 paulstalder: This is a fun fact! Love this kind of language info. Also enjoying the Japanese lit discussion - I've read so little from Japan good to learn about it.

>189 SqueakyChu: I have four books by Haruki Murakami but always put them aside again when I read a page or the back of the book *sigh*. I don't know exactly what turned me off.

>190 charl08: I like these words with different meanings in other languages. In our library catalog we call our storage room 'Magazin' and so some people come and are looking for a 'magazine' in which they want to find their book. And in order to get a book from the Magazin one must give the Signatur in order to find the book, so they sign the request slip instead of writing the shelf reference down.

115) Polt : Kriminalroman by Alfred Komarek. Simon Polt is now retired from the police and lives as innkeeper and temporary help in the local department store in the Weinviertel (the Austrian wine province). The new policeman and he find a corpse in the vineyard, a beautiful man and some women of the village get uneasy when his picture is published in the local papers... An Austrian mystery with a nice and easy language and fascinating characters. The solution of the murder is not so good, just a bit far fetched.

116) Ich bin gewiss : Ratschläge an Timotheus by David Martyn Lloyd-Jones. Sermons by this Welsh Evangelical. Very good explanations of Paul's letter to Timothy with very practical hints. Because Paul knew in whom he put his faith, he was able to endure everything and be looking forward to the future in eternity.

117) Personalien und Leichenrede gehalten bei der Begräbnisfeier der Frau Ingenieur Anna Gelpke geb. Carmesin den 26. Mai 1902 by Martin Locher. The funeral oration for a quiet, now unknown lady: She was born 1839 in Pomerania, married a Swiss engineer, moved to Switzerland, had 6 children, and was running a pension/guest house in Lucerne. The pastor praises her in his sermon for her faith and caring attitude. Her son gives an obituary and thanks her for her being a good mother.
Good to read such literature from time to time. Dying we must some time, and what then? What stays behind? What will be said about my life? And where do I go?

Paul, you read the most interesting books! Most of them I'd never read myself, but it's fun to just learn about the variety of books we LTers enjoy.

Happy weekend, Paul. I'm soooo behind on LT due to RL. I finish a class (3rd grade) and will get a new one (1st grade) after summer break. No Art Basel this weekend for us.

118) Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers. The wind brings Mary Poppins to Jane and Michael Banks and she stays with them until the wind blows her away again. A classic children's story.

I don't know if Switzerland celebrates Father's Day, Paul, but just in case........

Have a lovely Sunday any how.

Thanks Paul, no, we do not celebrate a father's day, well, some are, but not usually.

Wish you a quiet Sunday, too.

119) Der vierte Kranz : Thriller by Claude Cueni. Marcel marries the daughter of a rich business in Basel. But they get a seriously handicapped child who dies as a little child. Then Marcel finds a fourth wreath at the grave - donated by 'Lucas'. Who is this Lucas? Apparently an old business client who was cheated by Marcel, but this client is already dead, so who is behind all that? The plot is okay, but I didn't get warm with Cueni's writing style, the characters do not come alive.

>197 paulstalder: Such a fun book! I read that classic to my kids when they were young.

120) Jan siegt zweimal : eine Detektivgeschichte für Buben und Mädchen by Knud Meister. Another classic detective story for teenagers from Denmark: Jan is asked to help in the football game of the youth club in Sönderby. If they lose the sports grounds are sold to a business man in order to build an airfield. Jan discovers some strange doings of this business man and gets a warning not to play in the football game.

I totally neglected to add my add-ons. So here we go again.

101) Der fröhliche Bettler : Franz von Assisi by Louis de Wohl
- "Ich brauche Geld", sagte der blasse junge Mann und legte lässig die langen Beine übereinander.
102) Der Bäcker im Berg : Erzählungen by Paul G. Seiler
- Eschenbacher trinkt seinen Kaffee und schaut sich um.
103) Frau Regel Amrain und ihr Jüngster by Gottfried Keller
- Regula Amrain war die Frau eines abwesenden Seldwylers; dieser hatte einen grossen Steinbruch hinter dem Städtchen besessen und seine Zeitlang ausgebeutet, und zwar auf Seldwyler Art.
104) Hedda Gabler : Schauspiel in vier Akten by Henrik Ibsen
- Na, so was - ich glaub wahrhaftig, die sind noch gar nicht auf!
105) Flucht : die Geschichte einer Reise von Deutschland nach Deutschland by Wolfgang Ecke
- Es ist ein milder Septemberabend.
106) Maigret und der Verrückte von Bergerac : Roman by Georges Simenon
- Zufall auf der ganzen Linie.
107) Lektionen des Lebens : ein Reisetagebuch by Hélène Grimaud
- Ich wachte hungrig auf.
108) Henriettas Haus by Elizabeth Goudge
- Es war einmal ein Bahnhof, der wartete auf einen Zug, der Verspätung hatte.
109) Verglühte Schatten : Roman by Kamila Shamsie
- Als er in der Zelle ist, nehmen sie ihm die Fesseln ab und fordern ihn auf, sich auszuziehen.
110) Der Ordinarius : Roman by Valentin Argirov
- Im Oktober 1967, zu Semesterbeginn, wurde der kommissarische Leiter der internen Universitätsklinik, Professor Johannes Cornelius Bertram, Jahrgang 1923, katholisch, verheiratet, kinderlos, zum Ordinarius der inneren Medizin berufen.

-- -- -- --

some more
111) Das Gesamtwerk : mit einem biographischen Nachwort by Wolfgang Borchert
- Wenn ich tot bin,
möchte ich immerhin
so eine Laterne sein,
und die müsste vor deiner Türe sein
und den fahlen
Abend überstrahlen.
112) Maigret und die junge Tote : Roman by Georges Simenon
- Maigret gähnte und schubste die Papiere zum Rand des Schreibtisches hinüber.
113) The secret agent : a simple tale by Joseph Conrad
- Mr. Verloc, going out in the morning, left his shop nominally in charge of his brother-in-law. It could be done, because there was very little business at any time, and practically none at all before the evening. Mr. Verloc cared but little about his ostensible business. And, moreover, his wife was in charge of his brother-in-law.
114) The witchcraft reader by Peter Haining
- Anita was bored; and when she was bored odd things were liable to happen.
115) The food chain : a novel by Geoff Nicholson
- Something creeps in, an awareness, a gut feeling, something felt in the heart, in the bowels.
116) I'm the king of the castle by Susan Hill
- Three months ago, his grandmother died, and then they had moved to this house.
117) Down and out in Paris and London by George Orwell
- The Rue du Coq d'Or, Paris, seven in the morning. A succession of furious, choking yells from the street. Madame Monce, who kept the little hotel opposite mine, had come out on to the pavement to address a lodger on the third floor.
118) Ich wusste, wohin die Reise geht by Hilde Ziegler
- Kurz und gut, von heute an arbeite ich in Berlin.
119) Wenn ein Mann eine Frau : Figuren der Erotik by Peter Zihlmann
- An sich ist das eine alte Geschichte, über die ich mir Gedanken mache.
120) Geheime Botschaften für Tanja by Sophie Rosenberg
- "Bin schon gespannt, wie die Neuen aussehen - ihr etwa nicht?" Tanja verrenkte sich den Hals um besser sehen zu können.

-- -- -- --

and more
121) Abenteuer Familie im Dienst : ein Kursbuch für engagierte Familien in Gesellschaft, Gemeinde und Mission by Andreas Frész
- Ehe und Familie sind ein grundlegender Baustein eines Volkes und des Reiches Gottes.
122) Baby gelandet : sie und er im turbulenten ersten Jahr ; Schreiber vs. Schneider by Sybil Schreiber
- "Arschloch!", denke ich.
123) Der Weg Der gute Weg : ...unseres Lebens mit Jeschua im Land Israel by Benjamin Berger
- Das Jahr 1967 ist ein wichtiges Jahr in der Geschichte des Staates Israel und des jüdischen Volkes.
124) Der schwarze Steg : Roman by Åsa Larsson
- Können Sie sich erinnern?
125) Sonnensturm : Roman by Åsa Larsson
- Dass er stirbt, passiert Viktor Standgård durchaus nicht zum ersten Mal.
126) Das Sigma-Protokoll : Roman by Robert Ludlum
- "Darf ich Ihnen inzwischen etwas zu trinken bringen?"
127) 15 Jahre Projekt Rahab. 59 Jahre Schwestern in der Mitternachtsmission by Bernhardt Jundt
- Wie schon im letzten Jahr fand am Samstag vor Weihnachten im Spittlerhaus eine Feier für Menschen statt, mit denen wir mehr oder weniger regelmässig in Kontakt stehen.
128) Freude und Kraft by Abraham Schranz
- Der Herr will gern uns Freude schenken,
und Kraft zu jedem Tageslauf.
Nach seinem Liebesrat uns lenken,
drum blicken froh zu Ihm wir auf.
129) Mord als Alibi : Roman by Bodil Mårtensson
- Um diese Jahreszeit hätte es bedeutend wärmer sein sollen, als es tatsächlich war.
130) 1977 : Roman by David Peace
- Leeds. Sonntag, 29. Mai 1977.

-- -- -- --

add-ons
131) Max Ettinger (1874-1951) : Jiddisch lebn by Max Ettinger
- Viele Jahrzehnte nach seinem Tode blieb er unbeachtet, sein Werk schlummerte in den Magazinräumen der ICZ-Bibliothek vor sich hin.
132) Die geheime Botschaft des Gilgamesch : 4000 Jahre alte astronomische Aufzeichnungen entschlüsselt by Werner Papke
- Kaum ein Thema der Weltgeschichte hat mehr die Gemüter erregt als das grösste aller Mysterien: Babylon!
133) Die Katze, die Brahms spielte : Roman by Lilian Jackson Braun
- Es war für Jim Qwilleran einer der entsetzlichsten Augenblicke in seiner langjährigen Laufbahn als Journalist.
134) Wo Licht im Wege steht : Kriminalroman by Erle Stanley Gardner
- Sie war ein zierliches Geschöpf, ein kleines, wohlgeformtes Paket Dynamit.
135) Marx, my love : Roman by Christine Grän
- Harter Regen fällt auf das Blechdach, unter dem die Rothaarige Zuflucht gesucht hat.
136) Der zweite Tod : ein Fall für Kommissar Cederström by Daniel Scholten
- Carl Petersson sass in seinem roten Lesesessel im Arbeitszimmer und wartete auf das Ende.
137) Mörderblumen by Agatha Christie
- "Ah!" sagte Mr. Dinsmead beifällig.
138) Der Tod wäscht alles rein : Roman by Marcello Fois
- "Also schicken wir es ab?", hatte Costantino gefragt.
139) Mörder : Roman by Philippe Djian
- Ich arbeitete für einen Mörder.
140) Sturz ins Dunkel : Thriller by Jerry Oster
- Newton hatte unrecht.

-- -- -- --

121) Olga Frohgemuth : Erzählung by Felix Salten. Professor Wohlgemuth is a strict professor for Ancient Greece. His daughter one day disobeys him and leaves the house and he casts her out. But then she discovers the theater and becomes famous ... a tragic tale of life in Vienna by the author of Bambi.

some add-ons:
141) Der Kreis : Roman by Hans Boesch
- Als würde man fahren: graue Striche querüber, Schnee.
142) Die Knilche von der letzten Bank : aus Kindermund und Pennälerheften by Jean-Charles
- Es war einmal, ganz im Hintergrund der Klasse, ein Schüler mit tintenfleckigen Fingern.
143) Frickas Wanderbühne : eine Geschichte aus England für Buben und Mädchen by Mary Evelyn Atkinson
- Die Aufführung war zu Ende.
144) The man who disappeared by Clare Morrall
- Felix Kendall stands in the darkness, outside the friendly circle of light from the streetlamp.
145) The hare with amber eyes : a hidden inheritance by Edmund De Waal
- In 1991 I was given a two-year scholarship by a Japanese foundation.
146) Der Geschichtenerzähler : Roman by Patricia Highsmith
- Das kleine zweistöckige Haus, in dem Sydney und Alicia Bartleby wohnten, stand mitten auf dem flachen Land von Suffolk.
147) Adams Tagebuch : Roman by Knut Faldbakken
- Ich bin ein Dieb.
148) Alle Herrlichkeit auf Erden : Roman by Han Suyin
- Mrs. Parrish zupft sich ihr neues Seidenkleid über den Hüften glatt und äussert sich anerkennend.
149) Das Kajütenbuch oder Nationale Charakteristiken by Charles Sealsfield
- Über den Madeiras und Sherries, und Chambertins und Lafittes, und den gewonnenen und verlorenen Wetten, und Cottonpreisen und Sklavenpreisen, und Banksystemen und Subtreasourysystemen begannen denn doch allmählich die Köpfe heiss zu werden - noch immer aber herrschte ein heiter zuvorkommender, gentlemänischer Ton: - da liess sich, gerade wie der bardolphsnasige Mayordomo eine frische Ladung Bouteillen aufstellte, vom untern Ende der Tafel herauf eine entschiedene Stimme hören: "Wir wollen nicht."
150) Wilder Mann : Krals erster Fall ; Roman by Rainer König
- Laden mit eigenem Geschirr.

-- -- -- --

122) Auf Umwegen by Andrew Smith. Is Finn a normal teenager? Well, are you, if your hit by a horse flying from a bridge, breaking your back and killing your mother? Since then, he suffers from epileptic seizures, and his father wrote a science fiction thriller about aliens coming down to Earth - small wonder, Finn feels as an Alien... Humourous tale about the coming of age of a 'normal' boy.

>204 paulstalder: i recently liszened to The Secret Agent and I liked it.

Happy weekend, Paul.

Paul, hope everything is well with you. your reading numbers are impressive this year!

>210 Ameise1: I put it aside for later reading :) Thanks for the recommendation

>211 PaulCranswick: Thanks. Paul. I am amazed myself, also pleased that I read more than I acquired recently :)

statistics for June

3726 pages, 17 books

15 books were written in German, 2 in English, and 0 in Swiss German

nationalities: CH 4, J 3, A 3, GB 2, USA 2, AUS 1, DK 1
dead 10, alive 6
male 11, female 5
collective

2x Natsuki Takaya

oldest 1902, 1907, and 1910, newest 2015 (all these are first-edition-copies)

I just had some chocolate and then I read on the package 'resealable'. Honestly, why should I reseal an empty package? 'Refillable' would make sense, but 'resealable' ...

123) Young bride's story 3 by Kaoru Mori. Mr. Smith, an anthropologist, leaves for Ankara on the Silk Road. He meets two widows who take him in and he can document their daily life. But then he is imprisoned for fear of being a spy for the West (against the Russians who want to control this land). Interesting twist in the story of the young bride and he younger husband.

124) Chopsticks : a cultural and culinary history by Q. Edward Wang. A fascinating story of the way of eating with chopsticks. There are three ways we eat: either with our hands, with knives and forks, or with chopsticks. Four nations basically eat with chopsticks: China, Korea, Japan, and Vietnam. The word stems from a Pidgin-Chinese word 'chop' meaning 'fast'. Don't make clicking sounds with them and never them sticking vertical in the food! (this would an offering to the dead...). Disposable chopsticks are an ecological issue: A lot of wood is used for them and then they are chemically treated (bleached, impregnated, sterilized ...). Koreans use metal sticks, the others bamboo or other wood, nowadays plastic ones are available, too. Ivory is pretty inconvenient. Chopsticks are often given to newly weds as gift meaning 'closeness', 'togetherness', 'unity', but also hoping for getting a child fast (the Chinese word means literally: 'Fast boys').
The book is well of facts and historic insights, but the writing style is a bit wry.