Sir Furboy's 75 Books in 2017 - Part 5
This is a continuation of the topic Sir Furboy's 75 Books in 2017 - Part 4.
Talk 75 Books Challenge for 2017
This group has been archived. Find out more.
Join LibraryThing to post.
1sirfurboy
This is part 5 of my 2017 reading adventure.
I have read 188 books so far this year in a range of categories including Children & Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Historical, and Non Fiction. I have read a number of geographical reads, including plenty from Italy and France as per my virtual walk (below) and I have read books in English, Welsh, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Old English and Greek (but only easy stuff in Greek so far).
In the last couple of months my progress has stalled as I have hit a busy period, but hopefully I will be reading more between now and the end of the year.
Since I have a Fitbit exercise tracker, I have been keeping an eye on how far I have walked all year and then mapping the mileage against the European Union Long Distance Path network, starting in Palermo Italy. I aim to reach Gibralter by December 31st.
Here is my progress to date:
You can also take a look at that map on Google maps here.
As I travel through each country I have been flavouring my reading with books about, or set in, or in the language of the country I have been travelling through. I am now in Spain and have yet to finish anything Spanish related but have a few on the go. Watch this space!
I have read 188 books so far this year in a range of categories including Children & Young Adult, Fantasy, Science Fiction, Historical, and Non Fiction. I have read a number of geographical reads, including plenty from Italy and France as per my virtual walk (below) and I have read books in English, Welsh, French, German, Dutch, Italian, Old English and Greek (but only easy stuff in Greek so far).
In the last couple of months my progress has stalled as I have hit a busy period, but hopefully I will be reading more between now and the end of the year.
Since I have a Fitbit exercise tracker, I have been keeping an eye on how far I have walked all year and then mapping the mileage against the European Union Long Distance Path network, starting in Palermo Italy. I aim to reach Gibralter by December 31st.
Here is my progress to date:
You can also take a look at that map on Google maps here.
As I travel through each country I have been flavouring my reading with books about, or set in, or in the language of the country I have been travelling through. I am now in Spain and have yet to finish anything Spanish related but have a few on the go. Watch this space!
2sirfurboy
So I went to Paris and promised some pictures. I have now uploaded them, so here we go:
The Eiffel Tower (well obviously!)
Le Louvre
The Cathedral of Notre-Dame. Couldn't help thinking about the bells. The bells rang a lot!
Place de la concorde.
Les Invalides. The dome is covered in gold leaf.
The Eiffel Tower (well obviously!)
Le Louvre
The Cathedral of Notre-Dame. Couldn't help thinking about the bells. The bells rang a lot!
Place de la concorde.
Les Invalides. The dome is covered in gold leaf.
3PaulCranswick
Happy new thread, Sir F.
Paris in the autumn is lovely isn't it?
Paris in the autumn is lovely isn't it?
5PawsforThought
Beautiful photos of Paris - makes me want to go back right this instant. (PS. It's Le Louvre ;) )
7EllaTim
Nice pictures! And I'm glad to see the weather improved during your stay, the dome of the invalides full in the sun, making it stand out like that.
9sirfurboy
>7 EllaTim: Yes the lighting was very good for that shot too. Weather was good in Paris. It was still comfortably warm and we had no rain at all.
And thanks everyone else :)
And thanks everyone else :)
10sirfurboy
189. The Dream of the Rood
I read this in Translation, with notes, and then again in Anglo Saxon. An interesting very early Anglo Saxon poem filled with Christian theology. Rood here is the word we get "rod" from but here refers to the cross.
Without the notes I would have missed this line:
ofer holmwudu, heofonrices weard!
Holm-wood is obscure but Swanton notes several possible ways to find meaning in the term: (1) interpret it as ‘sea-wood’ or even 'tree of life' (2) assume the original reading was holtwudu ‘forest wood’; or (3) take holm in the Old Saxon sense of ‘hill,’ providing a “powerful oblique reference to the gallows of Golgotha.”
Still, "honoured me over holmwood" is a tricky part of this poem, but I like the idea of holmwood as an oblique reference to the cross on the hill of Golgotha.
I read this in Translation, with notes, and then again in Anglo Saxon. An interesting very early Anglo Saxon poem filled with Christian theology. Rood here is the word we get "rod" from but here refers to the cross.
Without the notes I would have missed this line:
ofer holmwudu, heofonrices weard!
Holm-wood is obscure but Swanton notes several possible ways to find meaning in the term: (1) interpret it as ‘sea-wood’ or even 'tree of life' (2) assume the original reading was holtwudu ‘forest wood’; or (3) take holm in the Old Saxon sense of ‘hill,’ providing a “powerful oblique reference to the gallows of Golgotha.”
Still, "honoured me over holmwood" is a tricky part of this poem, but I like the idea of holmwood as an oblique reference to the cross on the hill of Golgotha.
11drneutron
>10 sirfurboy: I've been following a podcast called History of English, and in one of the earlier episodes, the author devoted an episode to this poem, which for me was quite interesting. Since you're reading it in the original, the podcast may be too high level for you, but you might want to check it out.
12sirfurboy
>11 drneutron: Thanks, and not at all. I am sure the podcast will be perfect for me. I will check it out.
13FAMeulstee
Happy new thread!
Thanks for sharing the Paris pictures, it is a beautiful city. I have been to Paris a few times in the previous century, you make me want to visit again.
Thanks for sharing the Paris pictures, it is a beautiful city. I have been to Paris a few times in the previous century, you make me want to visit again.
14lkernagh
Happy new thread and love your walking progress! At this rate, you just might make Gibraltar in time for the new year! Love your pictures of Paris. What a fabulous city!
15sirfurboy
Thanks both.
Yes I am on track to reach Gibralter (although only just).
I have not provided many virtual walking updates recently, which I am sorry for, but I arrived at Cartagena on 5 November. This is an ancient Spanish city, and the similarities between the name and the name of Carthage is no coincidence.
Cartagena was known to the Romans as Carthago Nova, New Carthage. The city was originally founded in 277BC with the same name as old Carthage (Qart Hadasht) and it is replete with ruins dating right back to its founding (some old walls) and plenty of Roman ruins such as this magnificent and huge amphitheatre:
There are many newer buildings from all ages of Spain here, making it an eclectic mix.
The city is a major Spanish port, and a Spanish navy base since the 18th century.
Yes I am on track to reach Gibralter (although only just).
I have not provided many virtual walking updates recently, which I am sorry for, but I arrived at Cartagena on 5 November. This is an ancient Spanish city, and the similarities between the name and the name of Carthage is no coincidence.
Cartagena was known to the Romans as Carthago Nova, New Carthage. The city was originally founded in 277BC with the same name as old Carthage (Qart Hadasht) and it is replete with ruins dating right back to its founding (some old walls) and plenty of Roman ruins such as this magnificent and huge amphitheatre:
There are many newer buildings from all ages of Spain here, making it an eclectic mix.
The city is a major Spanish port, and a Spanish navy base since the 18th century.
16sirfurboy
190. Beowulf
My longest Old English read of the year and maybe my last. I am thinking I may defer other Old English books on my TBR until next year as this one took a while!
Beowulf is an old story, written in Old English but hailing from Southern Scandinavia. It is also one of the best known Old English tales and can be read in several translations, and I believe there is a movie for it too. Elements also find their way into many other stories.
Reading in Old English gave me a different perspective on this. In particular, you cannot really understand the way the alliterative nature of this poetry sounds and flows without reading it in the original. This alliteration reminded me of Cynghanedd in Welsh poetry.
On the other hand, reading it in the original was slow for me. My knowledge of Anglo Saxon is growing, but with a small corpus to read, and no one to speak it with, I will never be fluent in the language. I have learned the core Saxon vocabulary but there were very many words that I had to look up, or that I skipped because I thought I could get the sense of the writing without looking them up. As such my overall appreciation of the rhythm of the story was less than if I read it in translation.
My longest Old English read of the year and maybe my last. I am thinking I may defer other Old English books on my TBR until next year as this one took a while!
Beowulf is an old story, written in Old English but hailing from Southern Scandinavia. It is also one of the best known Old English tales and can be read in several translations, and I believe there is a movie for it too. Elements also find their way into many other stories.
Reading in Old English gave me a different perspective on this. In particular, you cannot really understand the way the alliterative nature of this poetry sounds and flows without reading it in the original. This alliteration reminded me of Cynghanedd in Welsh poetry.
On the other hand, reading it in the original was slow for me. My knowledge of Anglo Saxon is growing, but with a small corpus to read, and no one to speak it with, I will never be fluent in the language. I have learned the core Saxon vocabulary but there were very many words that I had to look up, or that I skipped because I thought I could get the sense of the writing without looking them up. As such my overall appreciation of the rhythm of the story was less than if I read it in translation.
17EllaTim
>16 sirfurboy: Hi Stephen, congratulations on finishing it! I have only heard about it, and never read it, but I have tried to read medieval texts in Dutch, and found it very hard.
I admire your tenacity, but I can understand the wish for something different right now!
I admire your tenacity, but I can understand the wish for something different right now!
18PawsforThought
>16 sirfurboy: Ah, well done for reading that one in the original Old English - what a feat.
I read it a couple of years ago, but in the Swedish translation so it wasn't hard at all. I wonder how similar the original text is to Modern Swedish - usually Old English is moderately easily understood for Scandis.
I read it a couple of years ago, but in the Swedish translation so it wasn't hard at all. I wonder how similar the original text is to Modern Swedish - usually Old English is moderately easily understood for Scandis.
19sirfurboy
Thanks both.
>17 EllaTim: Yes, I am pretty sure I will never read a medieval Dutch text :)
>18 PawsforThought: As you know, I don't speak any Swedish, but my guess is that you would find a lot of the vocabulary quite familiar or guessable. Old English grammar is West Germanic, and has the whole case system in place, but a knowledge of German would help a lot with that (does Swedish still have a case system?).
>17 EllaTim: Yes, I am pretty sure I will never read a medieval Dutch text :)
>18 PawsforThought: As you know, I don't speak any Swedish, but my guess is that you would find a lot of the vocabulary quite familiar or guessable. Old English grammar is West Germanic, and has the whole case system in place, but a knowledge of German would help a lot with that (does Swedish still have a case system?).
20PawsforThought
>19 sirfurboy: I've read the Lord's Prayer in Old English and it's pretty similar (it's basically identical to Modern Icelandic) but Modern Swedish is simpler.
And yes and no - we have two genders but don't conjugate verbs. And we have some mild inflection. It's (nearly) all about word order.
And yes and no - we have two genders but don't conjugate verbs. And we have some mild inflection. It's (nearly) all about word order.
21PaulCranswick
This is a time of year when I as a non-American ponder over what I am thankful for.
I am thankful for this group and its ability to keep me sane during topsy-turvy times.
I am thankful that you are part of this group.
I am thankful for this opportunity to say thank you.
I am thankful for this group and its ability to keep me sane during topsy-turvy times.
I am thankful that you are part of this group.
I am thankful for this opportunity to say thank you.
22Berly
Happy new thread! Jealous of your trip to Paris--love that city! Congrats on finishing the Old English version of Beowulf. Crazy, but impressive. : )
23sirfurboy
>21 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul.
>22 Berly: Thank Berly and thanks for stopping by.
Learning Old English also gave me a huge insight into Tolkien. I was aware of other language influences he had used, and especially the Welsh influence on Sindarin, but in Old English there is a huge word hoard of Old English words found throughout the book, and especially in names. This is no surprise. Tolkien was a scholar who was very familiar with Old English, and who write his own translation of Beowulf. Still it is interesting
Just a tiny fraction of the Old English words I came to recognise in his books are:
morðor - murder
Isengard - Iron yard/enclosure (Old English pronounces the g there as a y)
Middengard - Middle Earth (that is, the world. And again, OE pronounced that g as a y. That is why garden and yard are cognate).
ent - giant
fród - wise
>22 Berly: Thank Berly and thanks for stopping by.
Learning Old English also gave me a huge insight into Tolkien. I was aware of other language influences he had used, and especially the Welsh influence on Sindarin, but in Old English there is a huge word hoard of Old English words found throughout the book, and especially in names. This is no surprise. Tolkien was a scholar who was very familiar with Old English, and who write his own translation of Beowulf. Still it is interesting
Just a tiny fraction of the Old English words I came to recognise in his books are:
morðor - murder
Isengard - Iron yard/enclosure (Old English pronounces the g there as a y)
Middengard - Middle Earth (that is, the world. And again, OE pronounced that g as a y. That is why garden and yard are cognate).
ent - giant
fród - wise
24lkernagh
>15 sirfurboy: - OMG.... Love that picture. I would live there, in a heartbeat!
I read Beowulf in 11th grade as part of the Advanced Literature curriculum and boy, did I struggle with that one. Kudos on finishing it!
I read Beowulf in 11th grade as part of the Advanced Literature curriculum and boy, did I struggle with that one. Kudos on finishing it!
25sirfurboy
Thanks Lori, and sorry for my neglect of LibraryThing of late. I had a busy few months but Christmas is almost here, and I will now try to remedy that neglect and attack my TBR list!
Here then is book 190 of the year:
191. Picts - Anna Ritchie
This is an illustrated history of the Picts as told through their archaeology and particularly the many carved Pictish stones. This book was written in 1989 and consequently it was written before a number of recent ground breaking discoveries, which are well described in a recent episode of "In Our Time", available from the BBC web site or iTunes (as a podcast).
Many years ago I read a book looking at the ancient languages of the British Isles, and at the time that book was written, there was a belief amongst many scholars that Pictish was perhaps a pre-Celtic and non-indoeuropean language that preserved the language spoken in Great Britain (the island) in the Bronze Age. Some then tries to tie that in with evidence of migration from the Iberian peninsular and thus with the Basque language, although I doubt that was ever a widespread view amongst scholars.
This book, fortunately, does not come down on the side of such things but instead provides an interesting survey of the undecipherable Pictish carvings, and presents the archaeological evidence we had at the time of writing.
More recent discoveries have led to a belief that the Pictish language was almost certainly Insular Celtic (i.e. a dialect of Brythonic, and thus a close relative of Welsh). This actually makes much more sense when you look at the broad sweep of history from the time Roman writers first started reporting on Britain, through to the end of the Pictish Kingdom.
Anyway this is a beautiful book for all the illustrations of the Pictish monuments, and a nice introduction to the Pictish peoples.
Here then is book 190 of the year:
191. Picts - Anna Ritchie
This is an illustrated history of the Picts as told through their archaeology and particularly the many carved Pictish stones. This book was written in 1989 and consequently it was written before a number of recent ground breaking discoveries, which are well described in a recent episode of "In Our Time", available from the BBC web site or iTunes (as a podcast).
Many years ago I read a book looking at the ancient languages of the British Isles, and at the time that book was written, there was a belief amongst many scholars that Pictish was perhaps a pre-Celtic and non-indoeuropean language that preserved the language spoken in Great Britain (the island) in the Bronze Age. Some then tries to tie that in with evidence of migration from the Iberian peninsular and thus with the Basque language, although I doubt that was ever a widespread view amongst scholars.
This book, fortunately, does not come down on the side of such things but instead provides an interesting survey of the undecipherable Pictish carvings, and presents the archaeological evidence we had at the time of writing.
More recent discoveries have led to a belief that the Pictish language was almost certainly Insular Celtic (i.e. a dialect of Brythonic, and thus a close relative of Welsh). This actually makes much more sense when you look at the broad sweep of history from the time Roman writers first started reporting on Britain, through to the end of the Pictish Kingdom.
Anyway this is a beautiful book for all the illustrations of the Pictish monuments, and a nice introduction to the Pictish peoples.
26PaulCranswick
Great to see you back Sir F.
>25 sirfurboy: That looks fascinating and reminds me of a Billy Bragg song about the Picts that I used to sort of carry my eldest around the room to when she was a babe in arms 20 years ago.
Have a great weekend.
>25 sirfurboy: That looks fascinating and reminds me of a Billy Bragg song about the Picts that I used to sort of carry my eldest around the room to when she was a babe in arms 20 years ago.
Have a great weekend.
28sirfurboy
192. Ézéchiel - Luis Segond version of the Bible
I have got very behind on my Bible group read, but finished Ezekiel now (in French). There are two weeks left of the year... I will have to pick up the pace quite a lot of I want to finish, although I may be content just to complete the Old Testament.
Ezekiel has similarities to Jeremiah in that he too prophecies the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity, and lives to see it. I think Jeremiah is more famous for this, but Ezekiel is a different perspective on the same thing.
I have got very behind on my Bible group read, but finished Ezekiel now (in French). There are two weeks left of the year... I will have to pick up the pace quite a lot of I want to finish, although I may be content just to complete the Old Testament.
Ezekiel has similarities to Jeremiah in that he too prophecies the destruction of Jerusalem and the captivity, and lives to see it. I think Jeremiah is more famous for this, but Ezekiel is a different perspective on the same thing.
30sirfurboy
Time for a walking update. All images below are licensed under Creative Commons and from Wikipedia.
My last update was for Cartagena in the modern Spanish region of Murcia. A week after I reached there I was at Águilas:
This town was know to the Romans as Aquilae and later Aquila, and formed part of Spanish Carthage until the Arab invasion. Aquila, of course, is the name of the protagonist of Eagle of the Ninth which both I and Anita have read this year. There is no other link with this town and the book though.
Shortly after leaving Águilas I crossed into Andalusia. The next major stop was then Almeria, a Moorish stronghold with various fortifications from 1,000 years ago to see.
A week an a half after Almeria I reached Motril, a port town nestled to the south of the Sierra Nevada national park, from where the American state gets its name (and the name of some American mountains too).
Motril is famed for its long history of sugar cane production.
A week after Motril, and in the middle of last week, I reached Málaga on the Costa del Sol. Málaga and the Costa del Sol have something of a reputation in the UK. The warm and sunny climate, cheap air fairs and the arrival of package holidays made this area of Spain hugely popular with British tourists. However it has also become synonymous with *cheap* package holidays, and as such has a reputation for being unsophisticated and somewhat spoiled. I cannot attest to the truth or otherwise of that, as this is just a virtual walk, but it seems to me that the more unspoiled areas of Andalusia can easily be found if you stay away from the excessively developed locations like Málaga.
Malaga itself does have plenty of history to discover too. Here, for instance, is a Roman amphitheatre:
Total walking distance so far this year: 3984 KM (2476 Miles). Only 100KM short of Gibralter now, so I am almost certain to complete my walking goal for the year.
As always, progress is visible on my google map
My last update was for Cartagena in the modern Spanish region of Murcia. A week after I reached there I was at Águilas:
This town was know to the Romans as Aquilae and later Aquila, and formed part of Spanish Carthage until the Arab invasion. Aquila, of course, is the name of the protagonist of Eagle of the Ninth which both I and Anita have read this year. There is no other link with this town and the book though.
Shortly after leaving Águilas I crossed into Andalusia. The next major stop was then Almeria, a Moorish stronghold with various fortifications from 1,000 years ago to see.
A week an a half after Almeria I reached Motril, a port town nestled to the south of the Sierra Nevada national park, from where the American state gets its name (and the name of some American mountains too).
Motril is famed for its long history of sugar cane production.
A week after Motril, and in the middle of last week, I reached Málaga on the Costa del Sol. Málaga and the Costa del Sol have something of a reputation in the UK. The warm and sunny climate, cheap air fairs and the arrival of package holidays made this area of Spain hugely popular with British tourists. However it has also become synonymous with *cheap* package holidays, and as such has a reputation for being unsophisticated and somewhat spoiled. I cannot attest to the truth or otherwise of that, as this is just a virtual walk, but it seems to me that the more unspoiled areas of Andalusia can easily be found if you stay away from the excessively developed locations like Málaga.
Malaga itself does have plenty of history to discover too. Here, for instance, is a Roman amphitheatre:
Total walking distance so far this year: 3984 KM (2476 Miles). Only 100KM short of Gibralter now, so I am almost certain to complete my walking goal for the year.
As always, progress is visible on my google map
31sirfurboy
193. Friday - Robert Heinlein
A female protagonist acting as a special agent in a speculative future in which the US has become Balkanised. I found this one lying around in a second hand book shop and bought it because I felt I should read more Heinlein.
The author is a good writer, and this story is interesting and original, but ultimately it fails for me on a number of levels. I have decided that reading an author simply because I feel I should read more of their books is not going to work for me!
A female protagonist acting as a special agent in a speculative future in which the US has become Balkanised. I found this one lying around in a second hand book shop and bought it because I felt I should read more Heinlein.
The author is a good writer, and this story is interesting and original, but ultimately it fails for me on a number of levels. I have decided that reading an author simply because I feel I should read more of their books is not going to work for me!
32EllaTim
Hi Stephen. I loved the pictures above!
Wishing you success on getting to your goal of Gibraltar, you are nearly there, I admire your tenacity.
Wishing you success on getting to your goal of Gibraltar, you are nearly there, I admire your tenacity.
33FAMeulstee
>30 sirfurboy: Thanks for the update of your virtual walk, so much interesting historic places in Spain!
And Andalusia, where the beautiful Andalusian horses originate :-)
And Andalusia, where the beautiful Andalusian horses originate :-)
34sirfurboy
Thanks both. Yesterday I passed the 4,000 KM mark for the year.
194. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry - Neil Degrasse Tyson
Lots of people have read this one this year. I think maybe I saw it on Kim/Berly's thread first, but also saw that Roni completed it recently and also several others of you.
It was a good potted history of the universe. I have read other books in this genre, including Brian Greene's "The Elegant Universe". As such, there was plenty here that was familiar, but it was put together well. This book was not just a rehash of the other books, and I found new material in discussion of exoplanets, pulsars and such like. That material will still be familiar to readers of the New Scientist, Scientific American or various astronomy magazines or websites, but it sat nicely within this overview.
The writing was engaging. It was an easy but interesting overview and I can see no major flaws with it.
There was a suggestion that we could reduce packing waste by packing things in spheres (if only they would not roll off shelves) that I would take issue with. A sphere may have the lowest surface area to volume ratio of any shape, but it surely does not take much thought to realise that if you fill a ship's hold with spheres you end up with lots of wasted space between each one!
Still, that was not really an astrophysics issue.
194. Astrophysics for People in a Hurry - Neil Degrasse Tyson
Lots of people have read this one this year. I think maybe I saw it on Kim/Berly's thread first, but also saw that Roni completed it recently and also several others of you.
It was a good potted history of the universe. I have read other books in this genre, including Brian Greene's "The Elegant Universe". As such, there was plenty here that was familiar, but it was put together well. This book was not just a rehash of the other books, and I found new material in discussion of exoplanets, pulsars and such like. That material will still be familiar to readers of the New Scientist, Scientific American or various astronomy magazines or websites, but it sat nicely within this overview.
The writing was engaging. It was an easy but interesting overview and I can see no major flaws with it.
There was a suggestion that we could reduce packing waste by packing things in spheres (if only they would not roll off shelves) that I would take issue with. A sphere may have the lowest surface area to volume ratio of any shape, but it surely does not take much thought to realise that if you fill a ship's hold with spheres you end up with lots of wasted space between each one!
Still, that was not really an astrophysics issue.
35norabelle414
>34 sirfurboy: That's so weird about the packing in spheres, but it coincides with what I've seen of Dr. Tyson elsewhere. He has good ideas sometimes but does not always think through ALL of the ramifications.
36sirfurboy
>35 norabelle414: To be fair, if he was only concerned with the packaging material and nothing else, he might have had a point. It was a very small point in any case.
195. The Minor Prophets - Luis Segond version of the Bible
From Daniel through to Malachi, 13 minor prophets, and 13 books of the Bible, although most of them are only a few chapters long so I will report them all as one. there are some great snippets in these, but an over-arching theme of them all is "do what God commands or bad things will happen" (or "because you didn't do what God commanded, bad things happened). That really does not do them justice though, and they also give some idea bout life in Israel at the time.
With completion of Malachi, I have now finished the Old Testament. With 10 days left of the year it looks rather unlikely that I will read the whole New Testament too this year - especially if I continue in French.
195. The Minor Prophets - Luis Segond version of the Bible
From Daniel through to Malachi, 13 minor prophets, and 13 books of the Bible, although most of them are only a few chapters long so I will report them all as one. there are some great snippets in these, but an over-arching theme of them all is "do what God commands or bad things will happen" (or "because you didn't do what God commanded, bad things happened). That really does not do them justice though, and they also give some idea bout life in Israel at the time.
With completion of Malachi, I have now finished the Old Testament. With 10 days left of the year it looks rather unlikely that I will read the whole New Testament too this year - especially if I continue in French.
37lkernagh
>34 sirfurboy: - Excellent job on the walking!
38ronincats
It is that time of year again, between Solstice and Christmas, just after Hanukkah, when our thoughts turn to wishing each other well in whatever language or image is meaningful to the recipient. So, whether I wish you Happy Solstice or Merry Christmas, know that what I really wish you, and for you, is this:
39sirfurboy
Thanks both, and Happy Christmas to you too.
And now, to report that yesterday evening, I reached my walking target of 4075 KM, 2532 miles since January the first, taking me from Palermo in Sicily to Gibralter.
This was my goal for the year, completed 8 days early. The map is here:
So the question is what to do next. I was thinking of starting somewhere else and doing a walk elsewhere, but now I think I will probably just keep going, walking right round the European coast on the EU long distance paths.
The Full Map is here.
And now, to report that yesterday evening, I reached my walking target of 4075 KM, 2532 miles since January the first, taking me from Palermo in Sicily to Gibralter.
This was my goal for the year, completed 8 days early. The map is here:
So the question is what to do next. I was thinking of starting somewhere else and doing a walk elsewhere, but now I think I will probably just keep going, walking right round the European coast on the EU long distance paths.
The Full Map is here.
40EllaTim
Hurray for reaching your goal, Stephen!
Will you be walking on through Spain? I'm reading a book about travelling through Spain at the moment,
De omweg naar Santiago by Cees Nooteboom
(Roads to Santiago)
It's pretty interesting, and well written.
Will you be walking on through Spain? I'm reading a book about travelling through Spain at the moment,
De omweg naar Santiago by Cees Nooteboom
(Roads to Santiago)
It's pretty interesting, and well written.
41sirfurboy
>40 EllaTim: Thanks. Yes, I will carry on through Spain. There is a choice of paths so I could keep to the coast and walk up the coast of Portugal before re-entering Spain, or I can walk straight up through Spain. I haven't decided which to do yet.
43PaulCranswick
Wishing you all good things this holiday season and beyond.
44Berly
>34 sirfurboy: I remember reading that part about the spheres and thinking, maybe not!! LOL
Congrats on reaching your walking goal!! I cannot tell you how impressed I am and how much I have enjoyed your pictures posted along the way. I got a new FitBit for Christmas, so I am going it will incentivize me to hit the road, too. Keep going!
And Happy Boxing Day!!
Congrats on reaching your walking goal!! I cannot tell you how impressed I am and how much I have enjoyed your pictures posted along the way. I got a new FitBit for Christmas, so I am going it will incentivize me to hit the road, too. Keep going!
And Happy Boxing Day!!
45sirfurboy
>42 SandDune: Diolch. Nadolig llawen a blwyddyn newydd dda i thithau.
>43 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul, have a wonderful new year.
>44 Berly: Thanks. I look forward to seeing your fitbit adventures next year :) Have you joined he LT fitbit group?
>43 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul, have a wonderful new year.
>44 Berly: Thanks. I look forward to seeing your fitbit adventures next year :) Have you joined he LT fitbit group?
46sirfurboy
196. The Quiet Child - John Burley
This was something of a clever crime thriller, but when I finished it, my first thought was "well that was a miserable book." Well written and with a few plot twists to keep you on your toes. It is 1954 in some small Californian town. Six year old Danny McCray does not speak and people seem to get sick around him. Then one day he is kidnapped with his ten year old brother, and lots of the towns folk seem somewhat relieved by that. His father and the sherif set out to find the missing boys and there is some good police work, some nice research about the period and some good writing too, that can keep the reader interested in the story. All the same, it is off my normal genre, and I was not sold on this one.
This was something of a clever crime thriller, but when I finished it, my first thought was "well that was a miserable book." Well written and with a few plot twists to keep you on your toes. It is 1954 in some small Californian town. Six year old Danny McCray does not speak and people seem to get sick around him. Then one day he is kidnapped with his ten year old brother, and lots of the towns folk seem somewhat relieved by that. His father and the sherif set out to find the missing boys and there is some good police work, some nice research about the period and some good writing too, that can keep the reader interested in the story. All the same, it is off my normal genre, and I was not sold on this one.
48Berly
>45 sirfurboy: I am indeed signed up for the LT Fitbit group. Are you?
>46 sirfurboy: Bummer that it wasn't a good one. Onward!
>46 sirfurboy: Bummer that it wasn't a good one. Onward!
50ronincats
The God Stalk group read thread is up in the 2018 group, Stephen, here:
https://www.librarything.com/topic/279620
https://www.librarything.com/topic/279620
51sirfurboy
>48 Berly: Yes, I am signed up for it too.
>49 drneutron: Yep, search for "LibraryThingers who fitbit", or this link may work:
https://www.fitbit.com/group/22JN79
>50 ronincats: Thanks Roni, I will be over to visit soon.
>49 drneutron: Yep, search for "LibraryThingers who fitbit", or this link may work:
https://www.fitbit.com/group/22JN79
>50 ronincats: Thanks Roni, I will be over to visit soon.
52sirfurboy
197. The Bombs that Brought us Together - Brian Conaghan
Last book of the year and it was a good one. Winner of last year's Costa children's book of the year, this is the story of people living in a small town of Little Town that is a break away from Old Country, but Old Country wants it back and threaten it militarily. Charlie Law lives on Little Town, and is a normal young teen with a crush on Erin F. Then refugees from Old Country move in next door and Charlie befriends their son.
There are criminals, soldiers, refugees, bombs and bullets in this story that is hard hitting and gritty, but also often amusing and down to earth. You cannot place any of the locations in the real world. That is deliberate. Old Country and Little Town are just allegories for all the myriad conflicts around the world.
I liked this book, which is a good young adult read. Those who have never read young adult literature might dislike this one for the obvious lack of grounding in the locations, but might still enjoy it for the other classic story elements it wraps up into this story.
Last book of the year and it was a good one. Winner of last year's Costa children's book of the year, this is the story of people living in a small town of Little Town that is a break away from Old Country, but Old Country wants it back and threaten it militarily. Charlie Law lives on Little Town, and is a normal young teen with a crush on Erin F. Then refugees from Old Country move in next door and Charlie befriends their son.
There are criminals, soldiers, refugees, bombs and bullets in this story that is hard hitting and gritty, but also often amusing and down to earth. You cannot place any of the locations in the real world. That is deliberate. Old Country and Little Town are just allegories for all the myriad conflicts around the world.
I liked this book, which is a good young adult read. Those who have never read young adult literature might dislike this one for the obvious lack of grounding in the locations, but might still enjoy it for the other classic story elements it wraps up into this story.
54ronincats
Just a reminder to check in to the God Stalk group read thread if you are still interested, Stephen.
http://www.librarything.com/topic/279620
http://www.librarything.com/topic/279620
