The Bookseller' Reading Log in 2021

I welcome you to my reading log for 2021. My name is Käthe and I am 34 years old. I have been working as a bookseller for almost ten years and have been a book lover since forever. I live with a dog and four rats in Austria.

I love LibraryThing because I get many new recommendations especially when it comes to English writers. There are not many genres I don't read at all. I even give crime novels and thrillers a chance from time to time even though I usually know on page 80 how the whole story is going. ;-)

Favourite authors include T.C. Boyle, D.H. Lawrence, Edward Carey, Philipp Roth, John Steinbeck and John Irving. Favourite female writers include Margaret Atwood, Joyce Carol Oates, Christine Wunnicke, Christa Wolf, Maria Lazar, Hannah Arendt, Rebecca Solnit and Hilary Mantel.

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My reading year 2020 was quite succesful as I reached my 75th book on 11/10/2020. All in all I managed to finish 88 books which is very good for a year that crazy.

My top read in 2020 were the following:

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Last year, I wasn't able to keep everything up to date and visit all other threads. Maybe in 2021, this will finally change. I am looking forward to talk to you.

READING STATISTICS:

Read in 2021:

January (14 books, 3,404 pages)
1. Take a girl like you by Kingsley Amis **1/2
2. Kim Jiyoung, geboren 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo *****
3. Der Tod in ihren Händen by Ottessa Moshfegh **1/2
4. Die Anderen by Laila Lalami ***1/2
5. Das Baby ist meins by Oyinkan Braithwaite ***
6. 25933461::Kindheit by Tove Ditlevsen ****
7. Ferien am Waldsee by Carl Lazlo *****
8. 25935670::Jugend by Tove Ditlevsen ****
9. Der Atem einer anderen Welt by Seanan McGuire **1/2
10. 25992731::Emilio und das Meer by Elisa Sabatinelli ***
11. Camel Travel by Volha Hapeyeva ****
12. 25992702::Einspruch! by Ingrid Brodnig ****
13. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson *****
14. Eine Seuche in der Stadt by Ljudmila Ulitzkaja **


February

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Read the world - my challenge for 2021

I assume that next year travelling will still not be possible, so I spontaneously decided to make reading the world a challenge. I will try to read a book from every country in the world - which is basically a challenge I can't win as it I'd need to read almost 200 books. But it is always nice to look outside the own reading box.

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Afghanistan, Albania, Algeria, Andorra, Angola, Antigua and Barbuda, Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Bahamas, Bahrain, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belarus, Belgium, Belize, Benin, Bhutan, Bolivia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Botswana, Brazil, Brunei, Bulgaria, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Côte d'Ivoire, Cabo Verde, Cambodia, Cameroon, Canada, Central African Republic, Chad, Chile, China, Colombia, Comoros, Congo (Congo-Brazzaville), Costa Rica, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Czechia (Czech Republic), Democratic Republic of the Congo, Denmark, Djibouti, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Egypt, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Estonia, Eswatini (fmr. "Swaziland"), Ethiopia, Fiji, Finland, France, Gabon, Gambia, Georgia, Germany, Ghana, Greece, Grenada, Guatemala, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Guyana, Haiti, Holy See, Honduras, Hungary, Iceland, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Jamaica, Japan,
Jordan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Kiribati, Kuwait, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Latvia, Lebanon, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Madagascar, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Mali, Malta, Marshall Islands, Mauritania, Mauritius, Mexico, Micronesia, Moldova, Monaco, Mongolia, Montenegro, Morocco, Mozambique, Myanmar (formerly Burma), Namibia, Nauru, Nepal, Netherlands, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Niger, Nigeria, North Korea, North Macedonia, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Palau, Palestine State, Panama, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Romania, Russia, Rwanda, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Samoa, San Marino, Sao Tome and Principe, Saudi Arabia, Senegal, Serbia, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Slovakia, Slovenia, Solomon Islands, Somalia, South Africa, South Korea, South Sudan, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sudan, Suriname, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Tajikistan, Tanzania, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tunisia, Turkey, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uganda, Ukraine, United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, United States of America, Uruguay, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Venezuela, Vietnam, Yemen, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
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1. United Kingdom: Take a girl like you by Kingsley Amis 🗸
2. South Korea: Kim Jiyoung, geboren 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo 🗸
3. USA: Der Tod in ihren Händen by Ottessa Moshfegh 🗸
4. New Zealand: These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
5. Nigeria: Das Baby ist meins by Oyinkan Braithwaite 🗸
6. Denmark: Kindheit by Tove Ditlevsen 🗸
7. Hungary: Ferien am Waldsee by Carl Lazlo 🗸
8. Austria: Einspruch! by Ingrid Brodnig 🗸
9. Italy: Emilio und das Meer by Elisa Sabatinelli 🗸
10. Belarus: Camel Travel by Volha Hapeyeva 🗸
11. Russia: Eine Seuche in der Stadt by Ljudmila Ulitzkaja 🗸

Ideas:
Zimbabwe: This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga
Mexico: Das Flüstern der Bienen by Sofia Segovia
Japan: Der Klang der Wälder by Natsu Miyashita
Guinea: Kleiner Bruder by Ibrahima Balde
Mauritius: Black Spartacus by Sudhir Hazareesingh

I hope this one is therefore ok to be mine, Kathy. Welcome back. x

>4 PersephonesLibrary: Hi Paul, yes, the thread is officially open. ;-) Thank you very much for the warm welcome! Happy to be back!

Oh, how do I manage to change the name when I reply directly? It automatically changed to my user name instead of Paul's...

Hi, Käthe! Welcome back to the 75ers!

>7 PersephonesLibrary: I think you just have a typo and mis-numbered your reply - you wanted to respond to >5 PaulCranswick: instead of >4 PersephonesLibrary: right?

Welcome back!

>8 scaifea: You are completly right. Though the number came up automatically - that's what confused me. Thank you very much, Amber! Nice to read you!

>9 drneutron: Thank you, Jim! Glad to be back!

Found this in Lori's (thornton37814) thread and I might use that as well!


1) one-word-title: Jugend by Tove Ditlevsen ✓
2) by or about marginalized group
3) dark or light word in the title
4) character you'd be friends with: Kindheit by Tove Ditlevsen ✓
5) arts & recreation
6) Title describes you
7) You heartily recommend: Einspruch! by Ingrid Brodnig ✓
8) nature or environment: Emilio und das Meer by Elisa Sabatinelli; Iacopo Bruno ✓
9) classical element in the title
10) 2 or more authors
11) impulse read: Take a girl like you by Kingsley Amis ✓
12) contains love story: These violent delights by Chloe Gong
13) (read a CAT or KIT - replaced) animal-related title: Camel Travel by Volha Hapeyeva ✓
14) Southern hemisphere
15) made you laugh
16) suggested by another generation: Ferien am Waldsee by Carl Lazlo 🗸
17) new to you author: Die Anderen by Laila Lalami ✓
18) set somewhere you'd like to visit
19) about history or alternate history: The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson ✓
20) 20 or fewer LT members: Die Vergiftung by Maria Lazar
21) less than 200 pages: Das Baby ist meins by Oyinkan Braithwaite ✓
22) senior citizen protagonist: Der Tod in ihren Händen by Ottessa Moshfegh ✓
23) type of building in the title
24) about time, or time word in title: Kim Jiyoung, geboren 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo ✓
25) about or contains magic: Der Atem einer anderen Welt by Seanan McGuire ✓

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And there is a New Years Readathon going on here: https://www.librarything.com/topic/327991. ❤
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Now, I will just have to finally decide what to read!

Hello, Käthe! Great to see you back here!

Happy reading in 2021, Käthe!

And keep up with my friends here, Kathy. Have a great 2021.

>12 Crazymamie: Thank you, Mamie! Lovely to be back!

>13 FAMeulstee: Anita, and a happy reading year to you!

>14 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul! We will hope for the best or deal with what's coming!

Good morning everyone!

I hope you all arrived sound and safe in 2021!

I will start my New Year Readathon at 9.30 and chose an impulse read: Take a girl like you by Kingsley Amis. Recently I watched the movie with Oliver Reed on whom I have got a huge crush. (Excuse me, single life is hard during lockdowns.) I didn't really get or like the ending of the movie so I decided to read the book if that was any different. So far it is a very fun read.

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I wish you a Happy New Year. May it be better than the old one.

>17 Ameise1: Hi Barbara, thank you for stopping by! Happy New Year to you!

This is going around in several threads and I thought it might be fun to join:

My reading year 2020:

Describe yourself: The Literary Cat

Describe how you feel: Women in Love

Describe where you currently live: Wolf Hall

If you could go anywhere, where would you go: Die Inseln über dem Winde

Your favorite form of transportation is: Carnival

Your favorite food is: Peter Rabbit (sorry)

Your favorite time of day is: Midnight in Chernobyl

Your best friend is: The Swallowed Man

You and your friends are: The Grandissimes

What’s the weather like: Störfall

You fear: Aspekte des neuen Rechtsradikalismus

What is the best advice you have to give: Nimm mein Wort in die Hand

Thought for the day: Wo bist du zur blauen Stunde?

What is life for you: Das kleine Buch vom Glücklichmachen

How you would like to die: Geheimnisse der Hexen

Your soul’s present condition: Talk to me

What was 2020 like for you? Devolution

What do you want from 2021? Dieses ganze Leben

>10 PersephonesLibrary: You're welcome!

>16 PersephonesLibrary: Hm, I'm always looking for a new fantasy boyfriend to add to the pile, so I'll have to put this movie on the watch list...

>20 scaifea: Oh, I am not sure if you'd fall for him just for the movies... because he usually plays the unsympathetic character... but he plays them so well. Okay, now I will stop raving.

This is from the D.H. Lawrence adaptation of "Women in Love" - one of my favourite books read in 2020.

Readathon status

Books read from: Take a girl like you by Kingsley Amis
Books finished: 0
Time reading: ~ 2 hours
Pages read: ~ 90 pages
Time posting: too much

Snacks: final Christmas cookies, Pasta Asciutta, ...maybe later a glas of yesterday's prosecco

Thoughts:
Love drifting from one free time activity to another without having to do anything.
Concerning the book: Despite the fact that it was published in 1960 it is entertaining. Of course, you have to keep the cliches and role models in mind, but it is very interesting to read a "live perspective" of emancipation in the 1960s.

Non-book activities:
* puzzling the "Alice-in-Wonderland" puzzle I got for Christmas while listening to the New Year's Concert by the Vienna Philharmonic Orchestra (Here's the link if you are interested: https://youtu.be/dIPQGHdWbNs)
* taking care of my ratties
* sleeping

Total books finished: 0
Total pages read: ~ 90 pages
Total time reading: ~ 2 hours

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Hope 2021 is filled with good reads for you.

Happy New Year, Happy New Thread and a healthy life with a lot of books!

>23 thornton37814: Thank you, Lori! And the same to you!

>24 SirThomas: That's the goal, Thomas! Thank you for stopping by!

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I haven't managed a lot of read yet. This morning I had to organize the stocktaking in the final bookshop. (It was the seventh stocktaking this week. I think I will never get rid of the *beep* of the scanners ever again.) Now, I am tired. But you know what? There is a WHOLE WEEK OFF ahead of me. I will have to do some chores for sure. But I will mainly spend my time with reading, sleeping, relaxing, etc.

Currently I am reading switching beetwen Take a girl like you by Kingsley Amis and Poems I by D.H. Lawrence. I am not too focused yet, so I'll take my time.

>25 PersephonesLibrary: I really love that graphic. Hooray for a whole week off! Hoping it provides you with plenty of indulgent reading time.

I have not read any D. H. Lawrence, but I want to - do you have any recommendations in that area?

>19 PersephonesLibrary: What was 2020 like for you? Devolution
Hahah. Love it.

>22 PersephonesLibrary: lovely rats :)

>26 Crazymamie: Indeed, it is a much-needed break and my only plans are reading and other lovely activities I enjoy.

Hm, I still haven't read a lot of his work. I enjoyed Women in Love a lot - but you must be fond of "not much happening" and of "a lot of talking" - the novel is completely character-driven. I connected a lot to the characters and sometimes felt the same atmosphere I have felt the past several years in our society.
He writes very sensual and it's also interesting from a psychological as well sociological perspective. And he's got a nice humour.

His most famous book is of course Lady Chatterley's Lover but I haven't found a decent copy of that yet. I don't know why but there aren't a lot of his books available in German anyway. But he isn't difficult to read in the original language.

I can recommend his essays, e.g. Life with a Capital L and I also love his poetry. For the latter you can find a first read here on Gutenberg: http://www.gutenberg.org/files/54058/54058-h/54058-h.htm#png.007


>27 LovingLit: Hi Megan! It was a crazy year, wasn't it! The rats say "thank you kindly"! Thank you very much for stopping by! Happy New Reading Year to you!

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So, my readathon plans have been crashed by me being exhausted. Do you know that feeling when your so busy and there is so much going on but you can't allow yourself to give in? And then the pressure falls of and you just collapse? Like a balloon losing all its air at once? Well, that's pretty much a bookseller's life after Christmas and stocktaking in January. Now, I have got a week off and then we will welcome the bookselling agents from different publishing houses to order the books being published this year.

I have slept a lot and read not so much this weekend so far. But it's only Sunday noon, so there is still some time to go. I am still reading Take a girl like you and poems by D.H. Lawrence.

Happy Sunday!

Käthe, life can be indeed very busy. I'm glad to hear that you have now a week off. Just relax and enjoy life.

OH! Thanks so much for that! I love character driven, so I'm making a note of that. And essays! I might start there.

Hoping you take Barbara's advise.

Ooof, I know that collapsed-balloon feeling well! Mine is usually accompanied by a stress-relief migraine.

I enjoyed Lady Chatterly's Lover when I read it a couple of years ago - I hope you find a good copy soon!

>29 Ameise1: Barbara, those are the only points on my to do list for the week. And a bit of LT.

>30 Crazymamie: Mamie, I am glad I could help. I hope you will enjoy his writing as much as I do.

>31 scaifea: Amber, thank goodness I don't suffer from pain. I just sleep about 18 hours a day (and have the weirdest dreams while sleeping). Great to know you enjoyed it. I'm keeping my eyes open. I don't know why but I am looking somehow for a particular nice copy.

😍

1. Take a girl like you by Kingsley Amis **1/2

I think I have already mentioned that I chose this spontaneously because I have watched the movie. And didn't like the ending a lot. The novel's ending is indeed different from the movie - but it's even worse.
It is a comic novel from the 1960s about the different approaches to sex.

On the one hand we meet the charming, handsome playboy Patrick Standish who doesn't commit to any relationship. On the other hand there's sweet, innocent Jenny Bunn who comes from a loving but very conservative family from the North of England. She wants to wait until marriage before she sleeps with a man. They meet...

You could think that a novel with that premise can only be tacky. It actually isn't. It is well written and entertaining with a good eye for the people and the society in general. Both main characters are on eye-level and I really enjoyed Jenny putting Patrick in his place. And there is an interesting character development going on as well.

It is just the ending - how the issue between those two is finally solved - that makes me want to gag. Here comes a big SPOILER ALERT, as I haven't figured out how to do the button thingy. Don't read that part if you don't want to know how it ends!
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So, both of them are at a party. She drank way over her limits and friends put her to bed. And then suddenly Patrick is there taking advantage of her being basically unconcious. Do I need to continue? I can't imagine that this was even okay in the 1960s. It was just such a disappointment for the whole book. Also, how Jenny delt with the situation afterwards by kind of just shrugging it of with resignation... doesn't fit the whole story beforehand.
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>34 PersephonesLibrary: Excellent review! I think I'll add that one to my list.

To hide text as a spoiler: {spoiler}TEXT{/spoiler} (but change the squiggly brackets for the pointy ones (I don't know what their official name is, but on my keyboard they're on the same keys as the comma and the period?)).

ETA: Just looked them up, and apparently they're called "angle brackets."

>35 scaifea: Amber, thanks for helping me out! I was looking through the threads about stuff you can do in them and couldn't find anything. Next time I will come directly to you to ask. :) I hope you'll enjoy the book - but you really have to read that one while keeping in mind the time it was written.

2. Kim Jiyoung, geboren 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo *****

This is a free reading copy - the book will be published in German in February and it is definitely worth to be read! The story starts in 2015 and we get to know Jiyoung who lives with her husband and her little daughter an appearantly ordinary life. Though suddenly she starts behaving strangely - and seems to believe she's her own mother. In that role she speaks out verities about Jiyoung's role in the family which are inconvinient for her relatives....

Then the narrator takes us back to her birth and tells us in different episodes how it came to this. It's actually a quite standard life and development from elementary school, high school to university and to her first job. As standard as the obstacles put in her way all the time simply because she is a woman. In the end you have actually to question yourself why not every woman on the planet becomes mad.

The novel is very vividly written. It is touching and makes you angry. Though - and this is very important - there is no moral high ground or victimhood in the narration. It simply states the facts - even underlined with quotations from "real" newspapers and studies. Recommended!

>36 PersephonesLibrary: You're welcome! And thanks for the tip!

I hope your week started as smoothly as mine. My company this afternoon: Timmy

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I read Kim Jiyoung, geboren in 1982 basically in one sitting. Next on my list: Der Tod in ihren Händen by Ottessa Moshfegh.

As I usually tend to read more male authors without consciously intending it - I consciously now decided to read more women. Maybe then I'll get to a 50:50 ratio in the end.

Timmy is handsome company! Me, too, with the women authors - I am consciously trying to read more because I do the same thing.

Happy 2021! Your rats are so cute, what are their names?

Thirded on the women authors, sometimes I look at my author gender stats and go "oh nooo..."

>40 Crazymamie: He is, isn't he? He is a rescue dog from Greece and has been with us for four years now. When I think about what he experienced in Greece and how he developed with us - he is an amazing fella.

I am glad I am not alone with the male/female writer gap... This year we will change that! My plan is at the moment to at least always switch when chosing the next book. And to choose women writers before male authors when I am undecisive.

>41 false-knight: Emery, thank you so much. I have got four little noses and their names are basically German rat puns: The white-grey one is Konrat, the brown-white one is Nosferatu, the purely brown one is Rat Pitt.
An albino (not in the images) I called Geheimrat (which is difficut to translate, as it is actually an old title from the monarchy meaning "secret councillor") because he is shy.

Last year I think I managed a ration of a third female writers to two thirds male ones... I definitely want to balance this out this year!

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Reading status:

Oh my, I have slept until noon today which I haven't in a long time. Normally I go harsh on myself when I feel like having wasted my time off.. but not today. I think I really need that at them moment to reenergize.

Books I am currently reading or plan to start (hey, 3/4 women - not bad):
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Bluesalamander recommended Der Atem einer anderen Welt to me for a fantasy book which I downloaded immediately on my PocketBook reader.

>39 PersephonesLibrary: Aw, Timmy looks like such a sweetheart! Just look at that face! Please give him some ear scritches for me.

>43 scaifea: Oh, he is... and look at his little black moustache. So dapper. :)

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OH! I love the mustache!! He is adorable.

>44 PersephonesLibrary: Ohmygosh. *melt*

>42 PersephonesLibrary: I love the names of your rats, Käthe!

>43 scaifea: Timmy looks sweet.

At Pauls thread you mentioned you might have e-mailed with Nathalie (Deern), did you look up if you did?

>45 Crazymamie: I was thinking about getting him a bow tie... ;-)

>46 scaifea: He has mastered "the look" and knows how to use it.

>47 FAMeulstee: I did, Anita. But without success so far. Either I remember it wrong or I had a different mail address. Do we know anything else about her? A last name or anything?

>42 PersephonesLibrary: GEHEIMRAT... ;v;

>48 PersephonesLibrary: I do have a mobile phone number, Käthe, as we met a three years ago. I am not sure if it still works. I might give it a try later this week, but a bit nervous about it, as I rarely use the phone anymore.

>49 false-knight: 😊

>50 FAMeulstee: I understand. It is a weird situation. Please let me know if you find out anything.

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What is it about snow making everything cosier? I woke up to a white surrounding and it keeps snowing. Apart from that I have time off anyway and we are in lockdown there is also a holiday today. What more signs do I need to stay home and read? ;-)

Yesterday, I finished the novel by Ottessa Moshfegh (review will follow) and I have started with Der Atem einer anderen Welt. It's a fantasy novel telling the story of kids who can travel through portals to different fantasy realms. It is not supposed to be a YA story only but it feels like it. I might have enjoyed that a lot through my teenage years - now, I feel a bit too old. But I will continue.

I am just a bit worried as there are news on the rat front: It has turned out that Rat Pitt is actually a girl - and expecting. So there are different decisions to make and I am thinking everything through. I don't want to simply "give her back" (she was given to me as a "boy rat") but I might have no other choice bec of the three boys. And the babies... Sigh. This situation makes me sad.

3. Der Tod in ihren Händen by Ottessa Moshfegh **1/2

I was pretty excited to find this as a free reading copy from the publisher for spring 2021. I have wanted to read something by Moshfegh for a while now.

Seventy-two-year-old widow Vesta has moved with her dog Charlie to a small, rough village in Maine. On a walk with Charlie she finds a little note hinting a possible murder. She starts investigating in her head by imagining the victim and potential suspects. She soon finds echoes of her thoughts in real life driving her even deeper into her imagination...

There are a few aspects I really liked about this novel:
* There is a certain "David-Lynch-Twin-Peaks" atmosphere during the whole story.
* The reflection on writing and (un)reliable narrators.
* The partially very vivid description of the psychological impact.

I don't know if it's the German translation but all in all the writing was very "sluggish".
Vesta doesn't have a very authentic voice from the beginning, so the whole "unreliable" character is actually a premise from the beginning and not a development. Hence, the "revelations" / different steps to madness don't really add anything to the story.
There is a whole lot of fatshaming going on which is simply annoying and disgusting to read. And I really, really could have forgone Vesta killing Charlie.

Nutshell: Moshfegh's basic ideas are great and would have made an extremely intriguing novel. But to "harmonize" them and connect narrative and meta-level a good editor would have been needed. Or at least another round of editing by the author herself.

Dropping my star here. Frohes neues Jahr.

Your reading list looks fascinating. I need to check out some of your top 2020 reads.

>51 PersephonesLibrary: This is a very difficult situation - I wish you all the best!
The pictures are beautiful!
>52 PersephonesLibrary: Too bad that already the third book of the year was not so good - but at least good for the statistics ;-).
My female rate was 30% last year - also not outstanding.
But at least I started the new year with 100%, there are only 2 books, but the third will also be from a woman...

Snow *does* make everything cozier! I hope you enjoy your stay-home-and-read day.

I'm sorry to hear about your rat troubles and I hope you find a good solution that doesn't make you too sad.

And I'm adding your latest read to my list: you had me at "David-Lynch-Twin-Peaks"!

I also think that snow makes everything cozier.

Oh, sorry to hear about Rat Pitt. Hoping you can figure out the right thing for you.

>55 scaifea: Amber, you might want to read the spoiler.

>53 sirfurboy: Welcome - and right back at you! Yes, 2020 I managed some great reads! Let me know if you choose something and how you like it!! Thank you for stopping by!

>54 SirThomas: Thomas, there have been new developments... Oh, and the Moshfegh book wasn't that bad. I didn't hate it. It is just a pity when you see how some small changes would have brought it quite close to an outstanding novel.
I guess 30% are good especially when you consider the ratio of males to females published! I try to get a head start to - just to make sure. :)

>55 scaifea: Of course, I slept a lot again today. Because I read until late past night. But it was totally worth it!
I will talk to the vet tomorrow to see if sterilizing would be an option. And I am going to put an ad in the newspaper to find nice homes for most of the babies. I might keep very few of them but most of them will have to leave.
I hope you'll enjoy it! Will check out your thread to see what you think of it!

>56 Crazymamie: Mamie, thank you! I will try to find the best way for the mama and the little ones...

Well, well, well. This came much faster than expected. When I arrived in the apartment today I have already heard soft squeeking noises from the rat cage. And yes, that babies have arrived. About 19 (in words: NINETEEN!) little gummibears were crawling in the nest. Mother and babies are up and about. Momma was even eager to mix with the older boys again - but only over my dead body.

My plans: Tomorrow I will talk with the vet to see about if I can keep RatPitt somehow. I want to avoid any operation if it's not medically necessary because it is a huge strain on the animal. Then we will have to see if all the babies will make it. I will put ads into the newspapers and will try to find nice homes for them. In the worst case I will have to bring them to the guy who sold me RatPitt as a boy. They have to stay with their mother for 30 days at least anyway, so luckily there is a little bit of time.



I didn't really have the focus to read a lot but I want to seize the evening now.

Oh. My. Word. Nineteen. Yowza. Wishing you luck in placing them all. And congratulations to the new mom.

>59 Crazymamie: It was quite shocking at first, but somehow I am also happy that I can make this experience. I still don't know where Angelina (formerly known as RatPitt) hid all those little ones in her body. She's tiny, too. :)

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Reading is a bit on hold - the rats as well as the events in Washington DC kept me busy.

Books I am currently reading:
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>58 PersephonesLibrary: That is a lot, nineteen! I hope you find nice places for them.

>60 PersephonesLibrary: Not much reading here either, mostly watched CNN last evening and this morning.

>56 Crazymamie: Oooof. Thanks for the tip. Yeah, I can't put it on my list now, because I can't handle that.

>55 scaifea: After Mamie warned me about the spoiler, I think I have to pass. I can't handle dogs getting hurt in stories.

>58 PersephonesLibrary: Wow! I hope it all works out smoothly and you can find homes for all of those wee babies, but also yay for getting to experience such a thing!

>61 FAMeulstee: Anita, it will be a hard task to find names for all of them. Suggestions are welcome. :)
Yes, me, too. I am a bit afraid of January, 20th... I hope they'll take good care of Biden. Because Trumpists will try to interfere.

>62 scaifea: Me, too. I can't handle animal abuse even if it's only fictional. I want to warn people but don't want to spoiler at the same time.
The most important thing is now to keep Angelina away from the boys. :)

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I just found this graphic and thought you might enjoy that, too: It tells you something about the most succeful book in each country for the past 10 years.

Austria: Blackout by Marc Elsberg
UK: Shades of Grey by E.L. James
France: Das Lächeln der Frauen by Nicolas Barreau
Norway: Die Geschichte der Bienen by Maja Lunde
Italy: Meine geniale Freundin by Elena Ferrante

>63 PersephonesLibrary: For naming out puppies in the past, we mostly went for names of gods and names from literature. But I do like your "rat"-theme.

Yes, that is fun to see.
I have read Otje and some others.

>64 FAMeulstee: I just imagine a little baby rat called Zeus...and like that very much. I think that's Oje, ich wachse, a baby book... though it would be the only non-fiction one on the list and this would be weird. To be honest the only one I have read is Roman eines Schicksalslosen by Imre Kertesz - but that one was very impressive.

4. Die Anderen by Laila Lalami ***1/2

Nora Guerraoui is just one of the many voices of this novel but she is the leading one: After the death of her father she is convinced that it was not just an accident. She tries to find out the truth and not only stumbles over an old school friend but also over her dad's secret...

This novel deals with quite a lot of topics: Death, grief, trauma, relationships, love, sibling competition, racism, exile - just to mention a few. But it is not overloaded at all as the different characters take turns in narrating in short chapters. I love novels that are told from different perspectives in general and Lalami did a great job.

>65 PersephonesLibrary: No, not "Oje, ich wachse", it is a childrensbook by Annie M.G. Schmidt, about a girl named Otje. Sadly it is not translated, but some other books are like Die geheimnisvolle Minusch.

I haven't read the Imre Kertez yet, it looks like a good read.

How are the rat-babies doing?

>67 FAMeulstee: What I meant is that the cover on the map is the one for Oje, ich wachse. But Otje sounds lovely as well. I still have to read the Dutch version of Pietje Bell I got in Amsterdam a few years ago. :)

Kertesz was a very intense book to read. He doesn't only deals with what happens in the concentration camps but also how people cope afterwards. That guilt of having survived while others died, or of reminding the others (who collaborated or not) of their responsibilities... it's tormenting.

I will check on the babies later because I want to give them as much peace in their first days as possible. Thank you for asking!
You can get them used to human touch starting with day 5. :)

5. Das Baby ist meins by Oyinkan Braithwaite ***

During lockdown in Lagos male protagonist Bambi gets kicked out by his girlfriend and moves in with his aunt. Aunt Bidemy has lost her husband to Covid and has got her baby to take care of. Though there lives another flatmate, Eshoe who was the deceased's mistress. And who claims the baby is hers...

With 125 pages this one is very short and it fells very much like a play. It is not written as one, i.e. in dialogues, but it has got the feeling of it and reminded me somehow of Huis Clos by Sartre. In the narrowness of the lockdown the three characters for sure are each other's hell.

>68 PersephonesLibrary: Sorry, my mistake, I was sure it was the other book on the map. Presumptions/prejudice in my mind was filtering what my eyes saw. A second look at the map solved that ;-)

I know nothing about baby-rats, so I am interested to read about them.
I do know a very little about baby-mice, as my 2 brothers got two white mice as a pet, "guaranteed both females!", when I was three years old. They were both females AND pregnant.... so in no time we had dozens of mice.
And a fair bit about baby-dogs, as we raised 5 litters between 1998 and 2009.

>70 FAMeulstee: No worries. Hey, in that case I can start a daily rat newsletter. :)

Rat momma news: Day 3
Baby rats are very vivid today, crawling alround in the nest already! ❤ On day 3 they have grown already a bit. You can see now their ears and the toes better. There are first hints of how their fur will turn out but only very pale.


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Currently reading:

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>71 PersephonesLibrary: Thanks for the update, they are growing fast! When do they get fur?
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The Tove Ditlevsen was recently translated into Dutch, I look forward to your thoughts.

>72 FAMeulstee: I just finished Kindheit by Tove Ditlevsen and I can fully recommend it. It's wonderful and I will continue with the second volume Jugend right away!

Quote: "I read in my poetry album while the night wanders past the window — and, unawares, my childhood falls silently to the bottom of my memory, that library of the soul from which I will draw knowledge and experience for the rest of my life."

Found you and dropping a star!!! Love your challenges up top, even when you know you won't make it (reading around the world). 6 books already! Look at you go. : )

Good luck with "mischief" of rats! 19 OMG!! (I had to look up what a group of rats were called. LOL. Alternatives were "colony," "plague," "pack" and "swarm". I would say plague if they were invading my house uninvited, but these are clearly your friends.)

>74 Berly: Welcome, Kim! Thank you very much for stopping by - make yourself comfortable, I'll bring the tea. :)
I am just checking the list to find out from which countries I have got books at home. I own a surprisingly big choice.

Thanks! Oh, I didn't know the English word for it - good to know! Mischief is quite fitting. They are a challenge but I will do my best. :)

6. Kindheit by Tove Ditlevsen ****

A wonderfully touching and vivid report about Ditlevsen's childhood in Denmark in the 1920's. Very poetically without getting cheesy she presents her early years and how the urge to write dominated them. She talks about her family, the difficult relationship to her mother, the inspiring one with her father and the changing one with her brother. I can imagine the girl so well and also the time and society she was born into.

Quote: "I read in my poetry album while the night wanders past the window — and, unawares, my childhood falls silently to the bottom of my memory, that library of the soul from which I will draw knowledge and experience for the rest of my life."

This book is part of a trilogy - I will definitely read the other two books: Jugend & Abhängigkeit

>71 PersephonesLibrary: This is so fascinating! Thanks so much for taking the time to share the baby rat saga with us!

>76 PersephonesLibrary: Adding this one to The List - thanks, Käthe!

>58 PersephonesLibrary: What a surprise for Epiphany. ;-)

Just a short stop to wish you a happy weekend.

>72 FAMeulstee: Anita, I am sorry, I kind of missed to answer your question. On day 5 they should start getting a fur and not feel so nakey anymore.

>77 scaifea: Amber, it makes me happy someone is interested! Usually, when I say, that I have got rats the reaction is "ew".

>78 Crazymamie: Enjoy, Mamie! It is a quick but lovely read!

>79 Ameise1: Barbara! I am glad you are back after that school week! Yes, I didn't really expect that to happen. But it will turn out fine, I am sure.

7. Ferien am Waldsee by Carl Lazlo *****

I was a bit afraid to start reading this account of Lazlo's experiences in different concentration camps. But it is great and I think everybody should read it. It is a "fictionalized" report, so it's not written in classical "witness report" but has got a literary quality to it as well. If you need a comparison it reminded me of Roman eines Schicksallosen by Imre Kertesz.

As I haven't found an English translation I will describe this one more detailed.

The title "Ferien am Waldsee" ("Vacation at Forest Lake") hints to the fact that prisoners of camps had to sign pre-printed postcards which were sent to their families. The stamp usually said "Forest Lake".

The book was published in 1955 and what hit me on the first page was the following (I try my best to translate it):
Some reader will ask himself why it should be necessary to dig in oblivion for the cruel memories about concentration camps in Germany ten years after the War ended; why the deceased and their hangmen have to bear witness of the dead and the deeds. Why can't you see those things as bygone and settled?
This is a typical argument of modern right-wing and Nazi folk here in Austria. And I was really surprised to discover that it has been a thing even at 1955! Back then people wanted to forget and not be reminded of their crimes. Nowdays, they don't want to reflect their hatred and downplay the crimes so that they can get positions of power.

Lazlo goes on and tells about different events during his time in the camps. Many things, torture, selection, starvation, fight to survive, the hierarchy between prisoners... have been described before but it still shocks despite the very "objective" and "clear" tone of the author.

There is one extraordinary scene which is very impressing: When in Auschwitz Lazlo finds a copy of Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet he hides at the toilet barrack and starts reading it. With a view to the Ramp and crematorium he observes the arrival of new prisoners. In the written scene he mixes up the scenes from Romeo&Juliet with the selection happening on the Ramp and the fire in the crematorium. It is disturbing but very effective to confront on the one hand one of the biggest cultural/literary achievements and on the other hand men's biggest crime.

Quote (translated by me):
"You cannot interrogate a survivor about what liberation basically means to him; he won't know. You cannot ask him why he continued to live; he will just smile. But nobody can take that smile from him."

Rat momma news: Day 4
I have tried to count them today and there should be 18 of them. On the picture you can see that their skin is getting darker - that's how their fur will turn out. The fur is supposed to show tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.

>76 PersephonesLibrary: Thanks for the review, Käthe, I will move it towards the top of the TBR list.

>81 PersephonesLibrary: Sounds good too, sadly not in Dutch yet. I will look for the book by Imre Kertesz.

>82 PersephonesLibrary: Thanks for sharing! My first thought was "pigment is starting to show" :-)

Oh my God that's so many rat babies, I had no idea their litters were that big. How's Angelina doing with them? (Their little rat hands…I cry)

I'd never heard of Ditlevsen but that sounds like a really interesting trilogy, I think I'll try to find it soon.

>81 PersephonesLibrary: A very inspiring review, Käthe. I will see where I can find the book.
Have a wonderful Sunday and all the best for your rat babies!

>83 FAMeulstee: Anita, just finished the second book of the trilogy and I liked it equally well. I am sure you will enjoy it!
Ferien am Waldsee was recommended to me and I am glad because that publisher is called "dvb - die vergessenen bücher" ("the forgotten books) and they publish treasures!

>84 false-knight: Emery, the average litter is about 20. Though a friend told me they had 27 once... poor momma. :) Angelina is very ambitious and caring and takes good care of them.
They have kind of "rediscovered" the Ditlevsen-trilogy. As far as I know it's the first translation to German in general and they are translating it to Dutch as well now, as Anita mentioned. It's a great read!

>85 SirThomas: Thomas, thank you very much! You might want to check out the other books by the publisher as well - "dvb - die vergessenen bücher" are a publishing house in Vienna and they publish lost and forgotten treasures!

8. Jugend by Tove Ditlevsen ****

So this is part two of the "Kopenhagen"-trilogy and I enjoyed it as much as the first book.
We accompany Tove Ditlevsen to her first jobs, dates and kisses in the 1930s. While on the political world stage Hitler is coming into power she clings to her dream of becoming a writer meeting different people from the business - with different levels of success.

Again as a reader you dive into the time and can imagine everything very vividly. Ditlevsen doesn't need a lot of words to describe social circumstances. E.g. when she was looking for jobs she was rejected because the pay was too low... "because she wasn't supposed to live from it". Just a short sentence but with a big implication behind it.

Rat momma news: Day 5
They are growing quickly - now, they are about 5 cm long. They start hearing - only very muffled noises but still. You can see first hairs on their skin. Look at the baby, I am melting. ❤

I posted an offer and two people are already interested.

>88 PersephonesLibrary: Look at those tiny toes!

I'm glad that you already have folks interested - that's good news!

>89 scaifea: And the ears and tiny wagging tails. :)

9. Der Atem einer anderen Welt by Seanan McGuire **1/2

Three Fantasy short novels about kids who travel to other worlds (like Narnia, Alice in Wonderland,...). Two are solid and enjoyable to read, number three is very weak, almost annoying.

The writing is a bit inconsistent because parts are very childlike, others very brutal - as if the author couldn't decide if she writes a children's book or an all age story.

Back at work
This week I was back at work again. On Monday at the bookshop to check if everything went well.
Yesterday, the visits of publishing houses' representatives have started. We welcome them twice every year, in January and June, to order our books for the first and second six months of the year.
It is not as stressful as usual because last year I had to drive to the bookstore after the appointments. This year I don't have to because of the lockdown. Well, there is one little silver lining of the lockdown.

The great perk of being a bookseller in this times is a curse at the same time: the advance reading copy. As if the book bullets here on LibraryThing don't let my TBR pile grow quickly enough...

All quiet at the reading front?
Still in this phase I won't be able to read as much as past week because I stare on a computer screen most of the day. But I'll try my best. Today arrived The Warmth of other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson, one of the LT book bullets and maybe this will be on my list next. But I haven't decided yet. :)


Rat momma news: Day 8
The day before yesterday we had a little accident. I prepared the food as usual and cleaned the cage roughly. Then I checked for the little babies - and suddenly momma got very nervous. She bit me and caught me so unfortunately she nicked the artery between thumb and index finger. The result was quite the blood bath and I was first afraid that I would need to go to the hospital. Thankfully that wasn't necessary.
Yesterday I left them alone and today, I slowly started to check on them. But I did only a quick check for the babies so that momma would become trustful again. Hence, no details but just "group pictures".

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Oh, Käthe, sorry about the bite. So glad you didn't have to go to the hospital. Hoping work continues to go smoothly and be less stressful than before.

Oh, no! I'm sorry you got bitten, but like Mamie, I'm very glad it wasn't serious enough for a trip to the hospital.

>93 Crazymamie: >94 scaifea: Thank you, Mamie & Amber! Everything's mostly healed already and we are back on track. :)

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Rat momma news: Day 9
Currently, they are looking more like tiny baby seals if you look at their heads. They are about twice the size compared to their birthday; getting stronger and moving around.

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Today, it has finally started to snow... and hasn't stopped yet. Too good it's Friday tomorrow, so we can enjoy the white wonders at the weekend! I still haven't decided what to read next. As I am working a lot at the computer at the moment, I get a headache in the evening. But hey, no lamentating, just stating. :)

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>92 PersephonesLibrary: Oh, I love the little face on the photo right, his (her) face looks like a little Bullterrier ;-)

>95 PersephonesLibrary: They grow fast!
Enjoy the snow :-)

>95 PersephonesLibrary: The babies are cute!
Enjoy the snow - I think it is something wonderful.
In my area, unfortunately, there is very rarely snow.
I wish you a wonderful weekend, Käthe.

>96 FAMeulstee: I had the same thought! :D They look like everything except rats.

>97 SirThomas: Oh, we have got enough snow today and could give you some! AND the big plus: I have already done my early exercise (aka shoveling snow) for today! Now, I can read! Thank you so much - a lovely weekend to you as well!

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Sooo, I have got a snow day off, as it was impossible to drive today. I immediately got stuck with tires spinning...and not only me. After an hour of snow shoveling I gave up. As the office can't be reached by phone - I have got off today! :D And there is a winter walk scheduled for the afternoon...

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It looks like a fairytale land:


I will try to read a little bit - from one of the following books:
* The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
* These Violent Delights by Chloe Gong
* Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes
* Die Vergiftung by Maria Lazar

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>98 PersephonesLibrary: I love those pictures! especially the last one.

Oh, just look at all that gorgeous snow! *Jealous*

I'm sorry about your headaches, though. I maintain a near-constant battle with them myself. It's not fun.

>100 scaifea: It is lovely when you don't have to get outside! :)
The headaches either happen when it's very stressful, or when I work too much on the computer (stiff neck). I really need to resume yoga on a regular basis. That helped me a lot.

More pictures of today:









Rat momma news: Day 10
Gosh, the babies are so cute. Now, you are supposed to see their sex (according to the rat guides). But honestly, I either have got only boys or you really cannot see any difference yet. They have a very light, soft fur and they feel like silk. They are sleeping a lot and still can't see. But they should be able to differ light from darkness. I try to slowly and carefully get them used to me.

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>98 PersephonesLibrary: I also bought Warmth of Other Suns and will get to it fairly soon, I think. Could do with more of that sun to take care of your pictures in >102 PersephonesLibrary:. It looks cold!

Brilliant to see your thread so busy this year. x

Dropping in to say hello. Have you starred so I don't loose your thread.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend!

I've long wanted to try yoga, but I feel like I need to attend a class to make sure I'm doing things properly. That's definitely not going to happen now until at least post-vaccines.

And those are gorgeous photos of the snow! *sigh* We got just a dusting last night.

>103 PaulCranswick: I have only read about 60 pages of Warmth of Other Suns but I am already captivated. I am sure you will like it!
When it snowed it was about - 3°C, today it's about -14°C. But that's how winters should be here in the Alps. :) Yes, I have improved my participation, haven't I! :D



>104 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita, so happy to see you stopping by! Have a lovely weekend yourself!



>105 scaifea: I found an excellent book where the exercise is well-described. If there were any exercises I was unsure about or thought I could hurt myself if not done properly I left them out. Your body tells you very quickly what's good and what not. But I am not the type for group sport, so I try to avoid that in every way possible. :)

A yoga class is for sure a good idea. We have got many online classes as well here - but then again you can not be corrected if you do something wrong. But hey, then there is a plan for "after the lockdown" which is worth a lot.

The snow is beautiful - I am glad it came for the weekend.

Your snow is so beautiful! I love snow, but we don't get any way down here in Georgia, and I am missing it.

It's amazing how fast those babies are changing - thanks for sharing the journey.

>107 Crazymamie: It's beautiful and dangerous. I don't really know how I feel to drive to work on Monday as they have announced new snow tonight. And I was already quite slithering with my car today. Well, we'll see.
It's so much fun to see them growing and developing! Soon they will open their eyes - and then I will be busy to keep them together! :D

Happy Saturday!

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Snowy Saturday!
It has finally stopped snowing and has gotten very cold. But they have announced more snow for the night from Saturday to Sunday. There were already avalanches and glass roofs collapsing so I hope there won't be too much damage - and people stay safe. There's another advantage of the lockdown - I think it has prevented many, many accidents. Streets are very slippery but many people stay at home.



Reading Saturday!
I have started reading The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson today. It is about the Great Migration from around the 1910s to the 1960s when millions of POC moved from the South to Northern States.
I have only read about 70 pages but am already fully captivated. The report is brutal and unadorned; but written very clearly. Even I as a non native English speaker can read it well. It is touching and makes you angry. And makes you think that you actually wouldn't be surprised or couldn't judge them if - after everything the POC were put through - there'd be a bloody revenge on white folks. I usually wasn't sure about Malcolm X and his approach - but the more I read about slavery, Civil War, Reconstruction or e.g. exploited black prison workers (which was just another form of new slavery) - the more I can understand it. Not that I think violence is a solution - but I can comprehend.



Rat momma news: Day 11 Adorable sleepy heads!

>109 PersephonesLibrary: Their fur is coming in nicely, makes the look so soft.
How are you and mommy-rat doing now?

>106 PersephonesLibrary: You are indeed more active. Well past your number of posts to your thread last year and barely two weeks in! Great to see.

Those are some really pretty pictures! And I bet lockdown doesn't just prevent accidents because people can't go anywhere, but because they've already got enough food at home to be able to be snowed in for a while.

I hope you keep enjoying The Warmth of Other Suns! I haven't read it, but my mother and brother both really liked it. If you decide to read more about roughly the same time period, I can definitely recommend Wayward Lives, Beautiful Experiments by Saidiya Hartman!

They look like a bunch of little cows! Angelina's letting you pick them up, then? (Except for, I guess, that one time.)

>110 FAMeulstee: You can't imagine how silky they feel, Anita! Oh, Angie and me are on a careful way. Basically she's okay with me around and I can clean the cage, get food, etc. as usual. I just have an eye on her to see if something upsets her, then I retreat. When she's out of the cage (the rats usually get regular times outside because they need to move a lot), I check for the babies. This works quite well so far.
Happy Sunday!



>111 PaulCranswick: Limiting my online activities to two platforms is really helping, Paul. :) Happy Sunday!



>112 false-knight: Emery, you are right: People are just used now to not go outside for every little thing. Additionally stores are usually in walking distance.

Wilkerson's book is shocking & amazing. Thank you so much for the recommendation of Wayward Lives - I will definitely get that one! (Funny: While I have been researching for it at my bookstore, I found another read that looks very interesting: Black Skin, White Masks - I'll guess I will get that one, too.)

Cows? That's a new one. :) I heard bullterrier pups, seals, Sphinx cat babies, moles,.. Oh, I tricked the momma a little bit. When she's outside the cage I check for the babies and only take a few with me. That's less stress for her.
Happy Sunday!

Happy Sunday!

It has been snowing again... and I can tell you, shovelling snow for an hour reduces the magic of it exponentially. ;-) But now, I deserve to stay inside and read - continuing with The Warmth of Other Suns. Maybe I'll try to bake the chestnut cookies in the afternoon.



Inspired by Jennifer's (mstrust) thread I have tried the first cocktail from my literary cocktail book Tequila Mockingbird. I tried "The Sound and the Slurry" (gin, creme de cassis and lemon juice). I think that's a drink for summer time as it is very refreshing. Now, I just need to read the book. ;-)

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Happy Monday!



After the snow the past days I decided to stay at home and do home office in the morning. (Look at that early morning picture... it's almost like an impressionist's painting!)

I am still reading The Warmth of other Suns and have reached part 4. I still enjoy it immenseley.

I just find it a tiny bit annoying that the author is switching between the three "protagonists" so often and quickly now. That reminds me of the stupid concept of some documentaries where they start to tell one story, interrupt it to start story two and interrupt that one to start story three - to then continue with story one again... I get it that it's about the parallels and circular ways of the people's destinies. But it makes it harder for me to read it. BUT that doesn't change my opinion that it's an outstanding book!


Lockdown has been extended until February 7. It is a difficult situation in general, as we have got a completely incompetent government. I won't start ranting about it, no worries.
One the one hand there has been a plan to restructure our bookshops anyway for a while. One location will be closed for good, three others sold. This is not Corona's fault but the idea has been around for about two years. It will be much easier to coordinate only three locations. And as we have always had problems to find booksellers or people who could do that work, there will be a great relieve on the staff front.
Still, the lockdown makes me worry about the future of the bookstores.

Don't get me wrong, health is more important. But I wish for competent leaders (instead of populistic PR posterboys) who actually manage the crisis instead of worsening it...

That is a beautiful winter photo! We have not had much of a winter here yet - mostly rain which has washed away the one big snowstorm we had in mid-December.

>116 jayde1599: Hi Jess, thank you. It was a lucky shot. Here in Austria is has snowed more the past three days than some winters combined. Nice reading weather, not so nice for driving. Happy Monday!

Chestnut cookies!! Hope you enjoy Wayward Lives whenever it gets there and you get around to reading it.

Shape-wise they're more pitbull-like than cow-like, yeah, but the coloration. And it's the Year of the Rat turning into the Year of the Ox pretty soon!

Love the snow photos! And hooray for a cocktail - I have that same book! Your babies are growing so fast.

>115 PersephonesLibrary: A beautiful picture, Käthe. HomeOffice also offers advantages ;-).
I'd rather talk about books than politics, but sometimes it would be nice if there was a clear line...
I am also worried about our bookstores, but since yesterday we are allowed to order books and pick up on site. Which I did right away today.

>118 false-knight: Riiiight, that's what I forgot! The cookies! But I have got all the ingredients prepared - so if I get home early enough tomorrow, that's what I am going to do! I tried them the first time when I was on holidays in Corsica and since then I have wanted to bake them myself.
I am looking forward to the Wayward Lives - I could have chosen the ebook but I need that one as print. :)
True, the checkering is very cow-like. I hope they will stay small though!

>119 Crazymamie: I really need the winter edition of the cocktail book, Mamie! With snow outside I don't need ice in my glass. :D I made a final count - by putting them from one box into another - and there are actually 17 of the little fellas.

>120 SirThomas: Indeed, I am lucky that there are tasks I can do while staying in home office. Usually booksellers cannot really do that. :) I noticed I was a bit in a whiny mood on Monday. Sorry for that. I try to keep off politics from now on. :-) Except the good news like Biden's inauguration tomorrow!!
That's awesome - booksellers (and other retailers) need every cent at the moment. (I bought two books as well today, but that does not really count.)

Latest acquisitions from today:
* Bowies Bücher by John O'Connell
* Der Frauenatlas by Joni Seager

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Rat momma news: Day 14:
I have finally counted all the babies in a structured way and tried to "sort" them into boys and girls as far as possible. There are 17 rascals - 9 girls, 6 boys and 2 I am not yet sure. Now, I can start looking for names.

>122 PersephonesLibrary: Some look really alike, I see three similar patterns on them: all dark with white feet and tip of the tail; all dark with white feet and white on the head; white with dark head and spine.
Looking forward to the names :-)

>123 FAMeulstee: I think you can see why I had difficulties to count them. 🙂

>121 PersephonesLibrary: I don't think, you were whiny - Sometimes you just have to let out your frustration, otherwise you'll burst.
We have elections this year - decisions are not always made according to objective criteria :-(.
But you're absolutely right, today is a very good day in terms politics!

>122 PersephonesLibrary: Beautiful picture, they become individuals - good luck with the name search.

>121 PersephonesLibrary: and >125 SirThomas: A friend was speaking with her daughter yesterday:

Mum: Whose birthday is it tomorrow?
Daughter: Uncle Mark's
Mum: And what present is he getting?
Daughter: Joe Biden.

:)

>124 PersephonesLibrary: Completely understandable, Käthe!

>125 SirThomas: Thank you for your understanding, Thomas. :) Yeees, they are growing so fast!

>126 sirfurboy: Stephen - I love this. Just because it's true. I think the world breathed a sigh of relief on Wednesday. I have never experienced something like it so far.

>127 FAMeulstee: :)

Happy Friday!

This week was quite harsh because I didn't feel very well. Must have caught a cold bug or something like it (no, not covid). I basically worked from 8 am to 2 pm and then went home to sleep until the next morning. (except for checking on the rats, of course). I am glad weekend has arrived so I can fully recover.


I didn't manage any reading. Currently I am still reading The Warmth of Other Suns and Der Frauenatlas.
BUT I got many, many new books - mainly ACRs from the publishers:
* Der Klang der Wälder by Natsu Miyashita
* Die Macht des Charlatans by Grete de Francesco
* Einspruch! by Ingrid Brodnig
* Das Flüstern der Bienen by Sofia Segovia
* Kleiner Bruder by Ibrahima Balde
* Camel Travel by Volha Hapeyeva
* Eine Seuche in der Stadt by Ljudmila Ulitzkaja
* Meeresglühen by Anna Fleck
* Emilio und das Meer by Elisa Sabatinelli
* Bruno Bratwurst und die tierisch wilde Meute by Janne Nilsson

Additionally, I bought:
* Black Skin, White Masks by Frantz Fanon
* Caste by Isabel Wilkerson
* This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga

There are a whole lot of women writers plus they are very international, so I am quite optimistic about my "read the world" challenge as well as my female-to-male-authors ratio.


Yesterday T.C. Boyle's German publisher organized a Zoom meeting for the booksellers. I - as a great Boyle-fangirl - had to attend. He talked about his latest novel Sprich mit mir which I read last year and enjoyed a lot and can recommend. Topics were also the political situation in the US, the new optimism, ecology and his new projects.



Rat momma news: Day 17
Squeee! They are so adorable I can't even...
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They have opened their eyes on Wednesday and are getting stronger every day. They mainly stay in the nest and sleep. But they can crawl quite quickly as well already.

>37 PersephonesLibrary: this one sounds like it's worth tracking down!

Looks like you are kept very busy with books, rat babies, literary themed cocktails, and snow!

>130 LovingLit: It's definitely worth to be read, Megan! Yes, you can say I have got all my hands full. But with nice things!

10. Emilio und das Meer by Elisa Sabatinelli, Iacopo Bruno ***

The only reason why I give this children's book for about 8-year-olds three stars are the illustrations. They are lovely and very colourful. The story itself is weak and badly written. (Considering they are claiming the story has been riping for nine years...)

Emilio's family has been pushed out of business by an "evil competitor" mostly because of price-dumping and a modern building. This and because he doesn't like the ocean but gains money from it - those are the two main characteristics to make him evil. I understand that they wanted to build up the "traditional = good" versus capitalistic evil but it doesn't work out well: Emilio is mostly just lamentating how bad and evil the competitor is (not saying how; basically just stating how he doesn't like him) - and this makes Emilio not very sympathetic.

However. Emilio is allowed to go diving for the first time on his eighth birthday and finds the mysterious and famous shining pearl everybody in the coastal village is looking for. They are building a museum so that people can visit the pearl. It gets stolen by the villain. But the ocean wants the pearl back and a huge storm is brooding - endangering Emilio's friend and the villain's daughter. They give the pearl back to the ocean and it calms down again. Funnily, when the whole story is over, the author starts describing the village and its people. Why now? There is not a lot about motives, "reasoning", "cause-and-effect".

So, if you are looking for a children's book with great illustrations, this is something for you. If you want the story to be well written, not so much.

Hi Kathy, found and starred your thread. And those rat babies are really adorable!

>132 PersephonesLibrary: Sorry that one didn't work out. It seems a bit strange to have an eight year old worrying about price dumping an bad capitalists! Thanks for the review though.

Oh, I'm so sorry you haven't been feeling well! I hope the sleep did you some good and that you're on the mend.

And those babies are so adorable!!

>133 connie53: Welkom, Connie! Dank u voor uw bezoek! They are getting fluffier day by day. :)

>134 sirfurboy: That was my thought, Stephen. Textwise it felt more like a draft for a book and a bit to much from a moral highground.

>135 scaifea: It's getting better. I still sleep quite a lot, but I try to take it slowly. Squee, yes, the babies have won my heart. ❤︎

11. Camel Travel by Volha Hapeyeva ****

A heart-warming, fun and entertaining book about Hapeyeva's belarusian childhood. They claim it to be a novel, though it is more a collection of anectodes. But those include the big and small aspects of life. They are well-chosen and written with a lot of humour. Wonderful little book!

12. Einspruch! by Ingrid Brodnig ****

Ingrid Brodnig presents a toolkit against conspiracy myths: She presents their mostly used strategies as well as solutions to meet and counter their attacks. What I like about this book is the importance of appreciative communication. I have noticed how harsh and aggressive some "discussions" have become where people insult each other - especially since COVID. That's why I think a respectful and appreciative behaviour towards others has to be imperative in difficult times like this. Otherwise there will only be a bigger divide in the society....

Hi Käthe, happy Sunday. As I can see I've missed a lot since the last time I was here.
Gorgeous rats photos. I'm sorry to read about the bite.
Lucky you to stay at home with all this snow. I had to go to school and it was more than an adventure.

Happy Sunday! Camel Travel does sound like fun.

>139 Ameise1: Barbara, long time no see. ;-) The babies grow up so fast!! Rat momma and me are on the same page again. Everything's fine - and I think she's looking forward to when the babies become independant.
It was just impossible to drive! Now, it's going well again and the streets are open. I can imagine - so you did have a lot of snow, too!

>140 banjo123: Hi Rhonda, it was really a light and lovely read! Thank you for stopping by!

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I have got new baby pictures.... and I have finally decided on the names!

Boys' names: Al Pawcino, Ratley Cooper, Ratrick Stewart, Rat Damon, Rowan Ratkinson, Humphrey Bograt, Gerat Depardieu, Robert Ratford
Girls' names: Ingrat Bergmann, Ratalie Portman, Gwyneth Pawltrow, Sandrat Bullock, Jennifer Pawrence, Elizarat Taylor, Anne Rathaway, Ratricia Arquette, Ratalie Wood

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>141 PersephonesLibrary: I love the names, Käthe!
They are all so cute on the pictures

All the photos of your babies are so sweet, Käthe! Thanks so much for sharing them with us. And the names you have picked are so great. Made me smile.

I hope you have been feeling a little better each day.

>141 PersephonesLibrary: I love the names and the photos! They are cute!

>141 PersephonesLibrary: Amazing pictures - the names are awesome!
I wish you a good start to the week, Käthe.

>141 PersephonesLibrary: Gerat Depawdieu, surely? They're already so grown up with their open eyes ;v;

Camel Travel looks neat! It looks like some of Hapeyeva's poems, at least, have been translated into English, so I might go hunt those down.

I like those names! A lot!

Ha! Excellent job with the names!!

Thanks - Anita, Mamie, Jess, Thomas, Emery, Connie & Amber! First I wanted to use literary characters. But considering that momma was Rat Pitt first, then Angelina Jolie - I thought an army of actors would fit nicely. :)

>143 Crazymamie: I stayed at home today, I just needed one additional day off.

>146 false-knight: Emery, how could I miss that?! Thanks - of course, he's Depawdieu! I haven't looked for Hapeyeva's poems yet but they are on my list.

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I hope you all had a nice start of the week! I was quite down today so I decided to treat myself with a day off. I watched InkMaster on Youtube (There are two tattoes I'd love to get - hence it's a nice way to see what to take into consideration.). Got chinese food, took a nap and watched the snow falling.

Of course, I read a little and hope to finish part four of The Warmth of Other Suns. Then I started thinking about how to plan the year-long read of Die drei Reiche by Guanzhong Luo. If I decide to read it on a weekly basis it would be about 35 pages per week. Manageable but I am afraid that I will not be discinplined enough to hang on for a whole year. I need to see how other participants are planning to do it.

Today, I spent a lot of time with the rats. The babies are slowly starting to explore their surroundings - and also climb the cage grid! As usually I show you the babies, today I present Konratt to you. Is it me or is this little rascal smiling?

Oh my gosh, the rat babies are so precious! And I love the names you've chosen :)

>150 curioussquared: Natalie, thank you for visiting! :) The babies are already whizzing around like crazy and I have to keep a close eye on them.

I am neglecting my own thread a little bit because I still don't feel well. Today, I went for a Covid test but thankfully it was negative. So, it is really just a fluish bug. I stayed at home today because the test appointment was at 11 am. I have slept more or less the whole day, brought the car to the inspection and checked on the rats. They are running and climbing around and have started to eat normal food. Momma rat still feeds them but not so much anymore. It's day 22 and they are supposed to get more independant and care for themselves.

Because of the headaches I haven't managed to read anything. So, no news there. But a new reading copy arrived: Hawaii by Cihan Acar, a novel SirThomas recommended to me.

>152 PersephonesLibrary: Love the gif, Käthe. I am so sorry that you are still not feeling well. Glad it isn't Covid, and I hope you start felling better very soon. Sleep is probably the very best medicine.

Thank you, Mamie! I will have a long weekend from Friday to Monday. Then I can hopefully get rid of it.

Feel better soon, Käthe.

>155 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara!

>152 PersephonesLibrary: Sorry you don't feel well, Käthe, at least it isn't Covid.
Hope you feel better soon, so you can enjoy your long weekend.

Sorry to hear you are not feeling well. Get plenty of rest and drink lots of tea with honey! Get well soon :)

>152 PersephonesLibrary: Pleased and relieved to see that you tested negative for COVID, Kathe. Whatever the bug is, I hope you rid yourself of it soon. xx

feel better soon!

Feel better soon!
>152 PersephonesLibrary: I hope, you will enjoy the reading, Käthe.

Oh no! Rest up and get well soon.

>152 PersephonesLibrary: I am glad the test was negative, but sorry to hear you are unwell. Gute Besserung.

*hugs*
I hope you're feeling better soon, Käthe.

>157 FAMeulstee: Yes, it was a relieve. It's not so much me who I am worried about - rather about my dad. Since my mom passed away last year, times are hard enough anyway. Thank you, Anita!

>158 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita! That sounds like a good plan which I will follow thorougly. There is one webinar to go today - then I have got time off until Tuesday!

>159 PaulCranswick: Paul, it is embarrasing after all the news and all the talk, it took me a week to think about the possibility that it could be Covid... I am very relieved it's not it. Now, I can focus on eat, sleep, read, repeat.

>160 banjo123: Hi Rhonda, thank you kindly for the nice message!

>161 SirThomas: I am very much looking forward to it, Thomas. And my female-to-male author ratio allows finally to read a male writer. :) Thank you for the well-wishes!

>162 false-knight: Emery, I'll do my best and seize the weekend to recover and relax. Thank you for stopping by!

>163 sirfurboy: Dankeschön, Stephen! I am glad it's not covid. Though, tbh, I thought for a moment "Hey, then you've got it and don't have to worry about it anymore." But no, in the end I'd rather get the vaccine than the disease.

>164 scaifea: Be careful about the 2 meters distance, Amber! ;-) Thank you, 4,5 days off will help a lot, I am sure.

13. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson *****

I saw this on several thread on LT and decided to give it a try - and was not only not disappointed but I am completely thrilled about this one.

Isabel Wilkerson's non-fiction book deals with the Great Migration, going from about 1915 until about 1970, when millions of African-Americans moved from the Jim-Crow-dominated South to the Northern cities of the United States. She interviewed 1200 people for this book and you notice the hard work that went into it. This doesn't mean it is difficult to read or straining. Not at all. She chose three people and their lives to show different destinies during different decades and frames these lives with summeries of what happened on a bigger scale. (Does this sentence make sense?)

It's profound and touching, makes you angry - and leaves you speechless and shocked. Moreover it is actually "epic"... it is maybe a stupid comparison: But when I read the last pages and said goodbye to Ida Mae, George and Robert, I kind of felt like as sad and depressed as at the ending of The Lord of the Rings. I immersed myself into their lives and stories and felt close to them, hoped with them, felt their losses and celebrated their successes.

This personal aspect plus the precious insight I got makes this one a masterpiece in my mind. It really helped me understand the current situation of African-Americans and why there is so much racism e.g. in Florida. I knew but haven't realized somehow how close the 1970s are - and that there are only 16 year between the final end of Jim Crow and my birthday.

14. Eine Seuche in der Stadt by Ljudmila Ulitzkaja **

This is another ACR. Ljudmilla Ulitzkaja created this scenario for a screenplay competition in 1978. It deals with the threat of the pneumonic plague in Moscow in 1939 - and how the strict system of secret service, spies, etc. managed to get hold of all contacts patient one met while he was contagious.

It is not a novel, it is not a short story. It is a more elaborate script (full text) and you notice that while reading it: No characters to bond with, not much characterization, no atmosphere, and a lot of "scene changes".
Don't get me wrong - it is not "bad". It completely fullfills its purpose as a script. But that's neither very interesting nor captivating for a reader.

I took it slowly today - still tired but the headaches have gone, so at least I can read.
Finished The Warmth of Other Suns and Eine Seuche in der Stadt - reviews above. Next on my list is Caste by Wilkerson or Pandora's Jar by Natalie Haynes or... well, I haven't decided yet. :)

As you can't go to coffee shops at the moment we got our own coffee shop at home - I even made a latte with cocoa decoration.



Rat babies:
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>168 PersephonesLibrary: That is an excellent review - if you posted that, I will add my thumb. I am wanting to get to that one this year.

>170 PersephonesLibrary: This looks like a lovely indulgence. And your rat babies are so cute! Thanks so much for sharing them with us - it is fun watching them grow.

>171 Crazymamie:

Thank you very much, Mamie! I wasn't sure if it completely made sense.

Yeees, I really celebrated my long weekend ahead. :) You are welcome. They are a joy to take care. Yesterday one of the babies escaped the cage - but I caught him today calmly and without stress.

Glad to hear your headache's improved, and that you liked The Warmth of Other Suns!

>173 false-knight: Thank you, Emery! Yes, i liked it so much that I continue now with Caste!

Happy fourth anniversary to Timmy!
In 2017 he moved from Greece to our place after being beaten half to death by a bunch of a**holes. After some teething problems, like getting used to cyclists and killing off several hens of our neighbours, everything turned out well. He learned, we learned and have grown together. That shy, scared dog has become goofy and cuddly, funny and energetic. He loves food and hunting, his three cookies before bed time and sleeping on the couch. And of course, long walks on the beach. ;-)

>170 PersephonesLibrary: That dessert looks amazing!

And thanks for the rat baby update! I am completely invested in this story and I'm grateful that you're keeping us updated.

>175 PersephonesLibrary: Ohmygosh. Timmy is so handsome! Please give him some much-deserved ear scritches from me.

>176 scaifea: Thank you - I bought it all by myself. ;-) I was still too tired or lazy to bake the chestnut cookies. Buuut I have got two days off, so maybe Sunday morning..

The rats are an adventure! So is Timmy - such a good boy. He'll get his scratches - as soon as he has fully dried. It has been raining all day long!

I have almost mastered the perfect rainy day remedy:


Yesterday, I have started reading Caste by Isabel Wilkerson. I first thought I'd need a break after The Warmth of Other Suns - but ney, I am already about 70 pages in.

Oh, and it took me until NOW to detect the mistake in my thread's title... Why didn't anyone tell me!? 😂
But in February there will be a new thread (yay!) - and I hope to be able to change that.

>170 PersephonesLibrary: Awww, they are so cute!

>175 PersephonesLibrary: Ear and chin screetches for adorable Timmy, happy anniversary!

>177 PersephonesLibrary: Sorry I missed it too, Käthe, I went to the top of this thread and had to look twice before I noticed.

Anita, Timmy is snoring on the couch after a full day of walks, belly and ear scratches, soup and cottage cheese lunch, naps and treats. 🥰 And I took new pics of the babies - but cannot post them via phone. That is for tomorrow then.

I am not surprised you haven't noticed it. I just felt so dumb when I saw it. 😅

It's time for a wrap up before entering February! I am quite satisfied with the results and the reading progress. And the ratio of male/female writers is acceptable. :) I am not sure if I can keep that level but I will try my best. I am glad to be back and active on LT again!

Books finished: 14
Pages read: 3,404

Female writers: 12
Male writers: 3

Best rated *****: Kim Jiyoung, geboren 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo, Ferien am Waldsee by Carl Lazlo, The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson
Worst rated **: Eine Seuche in der Stadt by Ljudmila Ulitzkaja

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January
1. Take a girl like you by Kingsley Amis **1/2
2. Kim Jiyoung, geboren 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo *****
3. Der Tod in ihren Händen by Ottessa Moshfegh **1/2
4. Die Anderen by Laila Lalami ***1/2
5. Das Baby ist meins by Oyinkan Braithwaite ***
6. Kindheit by Tove Ditlevsen ****
7. Ferien am Waldsee by Carl Lazlo *****
8. Jugend by Tove Ditlevsen ****
9. Der Atem einer anderen Welt by Seanan McGuire **1/2
10. Emilio und das Meer by Elisa Sabatinelli ***
11. Camel Travel by Volha Hapeyeva ****
12. Einspruch! by Ingrid Brodnig ****
13. The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabel Wilkerson *****
14. Eine Seuche in der Stadt by Ljudmila Ulitzkaja **

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Here is the new thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/329317

>180 PersephonesLibrary: Nice January wrap up, Käthe.
I hope to get the first Tove Ditlevsen from the library next week.

>182 FAMeulstee: Ooh, you are going to like that. :) Thank you! :D