MissBrangwen's reading delights in 2024 - II

(Armchair Bookshop in Edinburgh, one of my favourite bookshops.)

Today feels like the first day of spring here - although there was some rain, there was also lots of sunshine and now I am sitting in the living room with the windows open, listening to the birdsong. There is an atmosphere of the new season in the air, so it is the perfect time to start a new thread!

~~~

Hi, I am Mirjam and this is my fourth year in the Category Challenge. In the first three years I encountered a huge reading/online slump each summer, and in 2024 I am determined to avoid that and stay focused on my books!
I live in the north of Germany close to the North Sea, together with my husband. We are both college teachers and besides reading, we love traveling. In 2023 I also joined a choir for the first time in more than fifteen years, and I am happy about the fact that music is back in my life.

I love this group so much because the challenges bring books to my attention that have often lingered on my shelves for many years without really being noticed. I also enjoy the atmosphere, it is such a comforting place with wonderful conversations, inspiration and kindness, and of course lots of BBs!

In 2023 I read about 2/3 books from my shelves and 1/2 new books - I was quite content with that although I aspire to read even more from my shelves. I plan to participate in several CATs and KITs, but not in all of them. If I don't have a book that fits a prompt, I will not participate in that month. Books are eligible to count for multiple challenges. I am also keeping my categories from last year.

~~~

Like last year, I don't have a dedicated theme, but decided to use pictures from my travels from 2023 that have a connection to books.

~~~

My reading year runs from Dec 24 to Dec 23!

Currently Reading

Chronological List - First Quarter

1. Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
2. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
3. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
4. Das Geheimnis der Weihnacht by Tomáš Halík
5. My Dear I Wanted To Tell You by Louisa Young
6. Crimespotting - An Edinburgh Crime Collection by Lin Anderson et al.
7. Der Klang meines Lebens by Patricia Kelly
8. The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
9. Murder on the Enriqueta by Molly Thynne
10. Little Deaths by Emma Flint
11. Slightly Wicked by Mary Balogh
12. Der tote Rittmeister by Elsa Dix
13. Maeshowe and the Heart of Neolithic Orkney by Sally Foster
14. Letters of Note - Love ed. by Shaun Usher
15. Summer in February by Jonathan Smith
16. The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
17. The Hanging Garden by Ian Rankin
18. Die Nesträuber by Brigitte Blobel
19. The Spoilt Kill by Mary Kelly
20. The Crow Folk by Mark Stay
21. Homecomings by Isabella Hargreaves
22. All Quiet On The Western Plains by Isabella Hargreaves
23. Journey's End On The Western Plains by Isabella Hargreaves
24. Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
25. Poet's Corner - Westminster Abbey by James Wilkinson
26. The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
27. Goblin Market and Other Poems by Christina Rossetti
28. Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas
29. Skara Brae by David Clarke
30. The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman
31. Death Is Not The End by Ian Rankin

Chronological List - Second Quarter

32. Slightly Scandalous by Mary Balogh
33. The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
34. Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson
35. Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower
36. Heartstopper Volume 1 by Alice Oseman
37. The Bible - A Very Short Introduction by John Riches
38. The Blind Earthworm in the Labyrinth by Veeraporn Nitiprapha
39. Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth by J.R.R. Tolkien & Christopher Tolkien (ed.)
40. The Cruellest Month by Louise Penny
41. The Nobody by Diane Farr
42. Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood
43. Bridesmates by Sydney Smyth
44. Death Comes As The End by Agatha Christie
45. Pole Poppenspäler by Theodor Storm
46. Lieder (Mittelhochdeutsch/Neuhochdeutsch) by Neidhart von Reuental
47. Bangkok Wakes To Rain by Pitchaya Sudbanthad
48. The Lady Always Wins by Courtney Milan
49. A Little Village Blend by Nathan Burgoine
50. An Elephant Named Maliwan by Thanorm Maha-Paoraya
51. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
52. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint
53. All Creatures Great And Small by James Herriot
54. The Perfect Deal by Sara Breaker
55. The Memory Quilt by Lenora Worth

Chronological List - Third Quarter

56. The Sea Rose by Mariella Hunt
57. The Sea King by Mariella Hunt
58. Steeped in Suspicion by Eryn Scott
59. Stuck With You by Ali Hazelwood
60. Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood
61. Sightseeing by Rattawut Lapcharoensap
62. Lord Muck and Lady Alice by Isabella Hargreaves
63. Love and Other Addictions by Isabella Hargreaves
64. Love at Lost Lagoons by Isabella Hargreaves
65. The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
66. Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
67. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne
68. They Came To Baghdad by Agatha Christie
69. Claiming The Heart Of A Duke by Arietta Richmond
70. Owuors Heimkehr by Stefanie Zweig
71. Slightly Tempted by Mary Balogh
72. Am Hofe des Sonnenkönigs by Vonda McIntyre
73. Galatea by Madeline Miller
74. Herztier by Herta Müller
75. Little Mole's Week by Michal Černik, ill. by Zdeněk Miler & Kateřina Miler
76. Glitterland by Alexis Hall
77. Intriguing The Viscount by Arietta Richmond
78. Zoo Quest For A Dragon by David Attenborough
79. Quest in Paradise by David Attenborough
80. Quest Under Capricorn by David Attenborough
81. David Attenborough In His Own Words publ. by BBC Audio
82. The Roommate by Dervla McTiernan
83. Life Begins On Friday by Ioana Pârvulescu
84. Towards Zero by Agatha Christie
85. A Taste of Murder by Helena Marchmont
86. The Fall of Arthur by J.R.R. Tolkien & Christopher Tolkien (ed.)
87. Three Sea Stories: Typhoon, Falk, The Shadow-Line by Joseph Conrad
88. Lance by Vladimir Nabokov
89. Auf der Suche nach König Artus by Jürgen Wolf
90. Der Feuerturm by Catalin Dorian Florescu

(Armchair Books, Edinburgh)

Rereading Fiction
This category is reserved for fiction. Non-fiction rereads are not included.

1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
2. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
3. The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
4. Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth by J.R.R. Tolkien & Christopher Tolkien (ed.)
5. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
6. Am Hofe des Sonnenkönigs by Vonda McIntyre
7. Herztier by Herta Müller

(Armchair Books, Edinburgh)

Doorstoppers
All books that have more than 600 pages, or more than 500 if the print is tiny.

1. Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon (950pp.)
2. Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth by J.R.R. Tolkien & Christopher Tolkien (ed.) (539pp.)
3. Am Hofe des Sonnenkönigs by Vonda McIntyre (606pp.)

(Literatų gatvė is a street in Vilnius that celebrates many different authors with unique commemorative plaques.)

J.R.R. Tolkien
All books connected to J.R.R. Tolkien in any way.

1. Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth by J.R.R. Tolkien & Christopher Tolkien (ed.)
2. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
3. The Fall of Arthur by J.R.R. Tolkien & Christopher Tolkien (ed.)

(The street in Berlin where Gotthold Ephraim Lessing lived. His house was the smallest white one.)

Classics
All books written before 1974.

1. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
2. Murder on the Enriqueta by Molly Thynne
3. The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
4. The Spoilt Kill by Mary Kelly
5. Goblin Market and Other Poems by Christina Rossetti
6. Death Comes As The End by Agatha Christie
7. Pole Poppenspäler by Theodor Storm
8. Lieder (Mittelhochdeutsch/Neuhochdeutsch) by Neidhart von Reuental
9. An Elephant Named Maliwan by Thanorm Maha-Paoraya
10. The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
11. All Creatures Great And Small by James Herriot
12. 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne
13. They Came To Baghdad by Agatha Christie
14. Zoo Quest For A Dragon by David Attenborough
15. Quest in Paradise by David Attenborough
16. Quest Under Capricorn by David Attenborough
17. Towards Zero by Agatha Christie
18. Three Sea Stories: Typhoon, Falk, The Shadow-Line by Joseph Conrad
19. Lance by Vladimir Nabokov

(These statues in Kaunas commemorate the smugglers who brought Lithuanian books into Lithuania when the country was part of the empire of the Tsar and books in that language were forbidden, as well as the mothers who secretly taught Lithuanian to their children while instructing them in household skills.)

Nonfiction

Autobiography | Memoir | Letters | Biography
Der Klang meines Lebens by Patricia Kelly
Letters of Note - Love ed. by Shaun Usher

History
Maeshowe and the Heart of Neolithic Orkney by Sally Foster
Skara Brae by David Clarke
Auf der Suche nach König Artus by Jürgen Wolf

Politics | Sociology | Critical Theory
The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama

Religion
Das Geheimnis der Weihnacht by Tomáš Halík
The Bible - A Very Short Introduction by John Riches

Travel
Zoo Quest For A Dragon by David Attenborough
Quest in Paradise by David Attenborough
Quest Under Capricorn by David Attenborough

Others
Poet's Corner - Westminster Abbey by James Wilkinson
David Attenborough In His Own Words publ. by BBC Audio



Great Courses

(Mint Vinetu, a bookshop in Vilnius)

Poetry

1. Goblin Market and Other Poems by Christina Rossetti
2. The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman
3. Lieder (Mittelhochdeutsch/Neuhochdeutsch) by Neidhart von Reuental

(Mint Vinetu, a bookshop in Vilnius)

Short Reads
Single short stories and articles (when I do not read the whole collection) read for leisure - texts read for work are not included.

Short stories and other prose
"The Quest of Erebor" by J.R.R. Tolkien - In: The Annotated Hobbit by Douglas A. Anderson, pp.367-377.
"The Natural History & Extinction of the People of the Sea" by Vonda McIntyre (Book View Café on web.archive.org)

Articles and essays

(The Book Nook, a bookshop café in Stirling, Scotland)

Series

Ongoing Series

Bedwyn Series by Mary Balogh (reading in order)
- Slightly Wicked (2/6)
- Slightly Scandalous (3/6)
- Slightly Tempted (4/6)

Neues vom Süderhof by Brigitte Blobel (not reading in order)
- Die Nesträuber (10/23)

Superintendent Battle by Agatha Christie (not reading in order)
- Towards Zero (5/5)

Seebad-Krimi by Elsa Dix (reading in order)
- Der tote Rittmeister (2/4)

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (reading in order - reread)
- Dragonfly in Amber (2/9)

Chronicles of Narnia by C.S. Lewis (reading in order - reread)
- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe (2/7)
- The Horse and His Boy (3/7)

Cormac Reilly by Dervla McTiernan (reading somewhat in order)
- The Roommate (0.7/3)

Chief Inspector Armand Gamache by Louise Penny (reading in order)
- The Cruellest Month (3/19)

Inspector Rebus by Ian Rankin (reading in order)
- The Hanging Garden (9/24)
- Death Is Not The End (9.5/24)

Familie Redlich by Stefanie Zweig (not reading in order)
- Owuors Heimkehr (2.5/4)

New series

Little Village by Nathan Burgoine (not reading in order)
- A Little Village Blend (6/7)

The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman (reading in order)
- The Invisible Library (1/8)

Nobody Series by Diane Farr (reading in order)
- The Nobody (1/2)

Amish Candy Shop Mysteries by Amanda Flower (reading in order)
- Assaulted Caramel (1/8)

Spires by Alexis Hall (reading in order)
- Glitterland (1/6)

All Creatures Great And Small by James Herriot (reading in order)
- All Creature Great And Small (1/5)

The Farseer Trilogy by Robin Hobb (reading in order)
- Assassin's Apprentice (1/3)

Realm of the Elderlings by Robin Hobb (reading in order)
- Assassin's Apprentice (1/16)

Throne of Glass by Sarah J. Maas (reading in recommended order)
- Throne of Glass (1/8)
- Crown of Midnight (2/8)

Heartstopper by Alice Oseman (reading in order)
- Heartstopper Volume 1 (1/5)

Osemanverse by Alice Oseman (reading in order)
- Heartstopper Volume 1 (1/11)

His Majesty's Hounds by Arietta Richmond (reading in order)
- Claiming The Heart Of A Duke (1/17)
- Intriguing The Viscount (2/17)

Pebble Cove Teahouse by Eryn Scott (reading in order)
- Steeped in Suspicion (1/8)

The Witches of Woodville by Mark Stay (reading in order)
- The Crow Folk (1/4)

Shadow Lake by Lenora Worth (reading in order)
- The Memory Quilt (1/3)

Riley Purefoy by Louisa Young (reading in order)
- My Dear I Wanted To Tell You (1/3)

Finished series

Homecomings by Isabella Hargreaves (read in order)
- Homecomings (1/3)
- All Quiet On The Western Plains (2/3)
- Journey's End On The Western Plains (3/3)

The STEMinist Novellas by Ali Hazelwood (read in order)
- Under One Roof (1/3)
- Stuck With You (2/3)
- Below Zero (3/3)

Hedley Nicholson by Mary Kelly (not read in order)
- The Spoilt Kill (1/2)

Up to date series (waiting for next installment!)

Stations of the Heart by Isabella Hargreaves (reading in order)
- Lord Muck and Lady Alice (1/3)
- Love and Other Addictions (2/3)
- Love at Lost Lagoons (3/3)

Lords and Ladies of the Sea by Mariella Hunt (reading in order)
- The Sea Rose (1/2)
- The Sea King (2/2)

(Rheinsberg Castle, which is the location of the Kurt Tucholsky Museum. Both Tucholsky and Theodor Fontane visited this castle.)

Historical Fiction Challenge

1. Set in the country you're from
2. Set in a different country
3. Set in your favourite historical period
4. Set in period you're less familiar with
5. Historical fiction with a speculative element
6. About a real historical figure or a specific event
7. A work of historical fiction of over 500 pages
Bonus: A classic work of historical fiction

Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon - 2, 5, 6, 7
My Dear I Wanted To Tell You by Louisa Young - 2, 6
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig - 2
Der tote Rittmeister by Elsa Dix - 1
Summer in February by Jonathan Smith - 2, 6
The Crow Folk by Mark Stay - 2, 5
All Quiet On The Western Plains by Isabella Hargreaves - 2
Death Comes As The End by Agatha Christie - 2, 4, Bonus
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint - 2, 5
Am Hofe des Sonnenkönigs by Vonda McIntyre - 2, 5, 7
Life Begins On Friday by Ioana Pârvulescu - 2, 5

Reading Through Time - Monthly Topics

January: Janus
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon

February: Aquarius and Amethyst
Der tote Rittmeister by Elsa Dix

March: Medicine, Epidemics, and Plagues
All Quiet On The Western Plains by Isabella Hargreaves

May: International Labour Day
Pole Poppenspäler by Theodor Storm

June: Wonders of the World
Zoo Quest For A Dragon by David Attenborough
Quest in Paradise by David Attenborough
Quest Under Capricorn by David Attenborough

July: Vive la France!
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne

Reading Through Time - Quarterly Topics

January - March: Prehistory
Maeshowe and the Heart of Neolithic Orkney by Sally Foster
Skara Brae by David Clarke

April - June: Ancient/Biblical Times
Death Comes As The End by Agatha Christie
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

July - September: Arthurian Britain
The Fall of Arthur by J.R.R. Tolkien & Christopher Tolkien (ed.)
Auf der Suche nach König Artus by Jürgen Wolf

1. Something themed around food or cooking: Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower
2. A book with an ugly cover: Murder on the Enriqueta by Molly Thynne
3. A book with nothing on the cover but the title and author: Galatea by Madeline Miller
4. A book featuring twins: The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
5. A book about a topic about which you have specific knowledge or expertise: The Fall of Arthur by J.R.R. Tolkien & Christopher Tolkien (ed.)
6. First published in a year ending in 24:
7. Epistolary or diary format: Letters of Note - Love ed. by Shaun Usher
8. The words "Big" or "Little" in the title: Little Deaths by Emma Flint
9. A book from one of the libraries listed under the "Similar libraries" featured on your LT profile page: Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
10. A book about Friendship: Summer in February by Jonathan Smith
11. A three-word title: The Spoilt Kill by Mary Kelly
12. Features a paper based item in the plot: My Dear I Wanted To Tell You by Louisa Young
13. Read a CAT: The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig
14. A short story collection / Anthology: Crimespotting - An Edinburgh Crime Collection by Lin Anderson et al.
15. Title contains a person's name: Pole Poppenspäler by Theodor Storm
16. Set in the city: The Hanging Garden by Ian Rankin
17. A book with fewer than 100 copies on LT: Der Klang meines Lebens by Patricia Kelly
18. Something written by a person of colour: The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman
19. Written by an author 65 or older: Das Geheimnis der Weihnacht by Tomáš Halík
20. A book featuring water: Der tote Rittmeister by Elsa Dix
21. Involves warriors or mercenaries: Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
22. Reread a favorite book: The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
23. A book written in another cultural tradition: The Blind Earthworm in the Labyrinth by Veeraporn Nitiprapha
24. Something that takes place in multiple countries: Homecomings by Isabella Hargreaves
25. Read a current/recent bestseller: Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston

(A collection of books at the Reaching Out Teahouse in Hoi An, which only employs deaf persons.)

CalendarCAT

January
The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig

February
Slightly Wicked by Mary Balogh
Letters of Note - Love ed. by Shaun Usher
Summer in February by Jonathan Smith

March
Die Nesträuber by Brigitte Blobel
The Crow Folk by Mark Stay

April
The Cruellest Month by Louise Penny

May
The Nobody by Diane Farr

June
A Little Village Blend by Nathan Burgoine

July
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne

August
Life Begins On Friday by Ioana Pârvulescu

September
Towards Zero by Agatha Christie
The Fall of Arthur by J.R.R. Tolkien & Christopher Tolkien (ed.)

HistoryCAT

February: Georgian/Regency/Victorian Britain
Slightly Wicked by Mary Balogh

April: Riots, Revolutions and Mayhem
Der Feuerturm by Catalin Dorian Florescu

March: Science and Medicine
All Quiet On The Western Plains by Isabella Hargreaves

May: Middle Ages
Lieder (Mittelhochdeutsch/Neuhochdeutsch) by Neidhart von Reuental

July: Spies in July
They Came To Baghdad by Agatha Christie

(A book café in Hanoi.)

MysteryKIT

January: Short Stories
Crimespotting - An Edinburgh Crime Collection by Lin Anderson et al.

February: True Unsolved Mysteries
Little Deaths by Emma Flint

April: Series
Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower
The Cruellest Month by Louise Penny

May: The Golden Age
Death Comes As The End by Agatha Christie

September: Upstairs/Downstairs
Towards Zero by Agatha Christie

SFFKIT

January: Epic Fantasy
Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis

February: Critters and Creatures
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis

June: Monsters!
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

July: First Contact
Am Hofe des Sonnenkönigs by Vonda McIntyre

AlphaKIT

January: A-Y
Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb
Dragonfly in Amber by Diana Gabaldon
My Dear I Wanted To Tell You by Louisa Young

February: E-F
Little Deaths by Emma Flint
Murder on the Enriqueta by Molly Thynne
Der tote Rittmeister by Elsa Dix
Maeshowe and the Heart of Neolithic Orkney by Sally Foster
Summer in February by Jonathan Smith

March: H-R
The Hanging Garden by Ian Rankin
Homecomings by Isabella Hargreaves
All Quiet On The Western Plains by Isabella Hargreaves
Journey's End On The Western Plains by Isabella Hargreaves
The Hill We Climb by Amanda Gorman
Red, White & Royal Blue by Casey McQuiston
The Cuckoo's Calling by Robert Galbraith
Goblin Market and Other Poems by Christina Rossetti
Death Is Not The End by Ian Rankin

April: O-U
The Audacity of Hope by Barack Obama
Heartstopper Volume 1 by Alice Oseman
Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth by J.R.R. Tolkien & Christopher Tolkien (ed.)

May: N-P
The Nobody by Diane Farr
Lieder (Mittelhochdeutsch/Neuhochdeutsch) by Neidhart von Reuental
Pole Poppenspäler by Theodor Storm
Bangkok Wakes To Rain by Pitchaya Sudbanthad

June: B-J
A Little Village Blend by Nathan Burgoine
The Perfect Deal by Sara Breaker
The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien
Ariadne by Jennifer Saint

July: I-S
Lord Muck and Lady Alice by Isabella Hargreaves
Love and Other Addictions by Isabella Hargreaves
Love at Lost Lagoons by Isabella Hargreaves
The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman
The Sea Rose by Mariella Hunt
The Sea King by Mariella Hunt
Steeped in Suspicion by Eryn Scott
Stuck With You by Ali Hazelwood
Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas
20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne

August: G-M
Galatea by Madeline Miller
Glitterland by Alexis Hall
Slightly Tempted by Mary Balogh
Herztier by Herta Müller
Little Mole's Week by Michal Černik, ill. by Zdeněk Miler & Kateřina Miler
The Roommate by Dervla McTiernan

September: C-V
Towards Zero by Agatha Christie
The Fall of Arthur by J.R.R. Tolkien & Christopher Tolkien (ed.)
Three Sea Stories: Typhoon, Falk, The Shadow-Line by Joseph Conrad
Lance by Vladimir Nabokov

Yearlong: X-Z
Below Zero by Ali Hazelwood
Owuors Heimkehr by Stefanie Zweig
Zoo Quest For A Dragon by David Attenborough
Towards Zero by Agatha Christie

RandomKIT

January: Early Birds
Assassin's Apprentice by Robin Hobb

February: Escape or Rescue
Slightly Wicked by Mary Balogh
The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis

March: World Wildlife Day
Die Nesträuber by Brigitte Blobel
The Crow Folk by Mark Stay

April: Enchanting Garden Visitors
The Blind Earthworm in the Labyrinth by Veeraporn Nitiprapha

June: Initials
The Lady Always Wins by Courtney Milan
Sightseeing by Rattawut Lapcharoensap

July: Favorites
Lord Muck and Lady Alice by Isabella Hargreaves
Love and Other Addictions by Isabella Hargreaves
Love at Lost Lagoons by Isabella Hargreaves

August: Titles
Life Begins On Friday by Ioana Pârvulescu

September: Weather
Three Sea Stories: Typhoon, Falk, The Shadow-Line by Joseph Conrad

Hosting Commitments:

MysteryKIT: September - Upstairs/Downstairs
SFFKIT: December - Bookish Fantasies
HistoryCAT: December - Religions and religious festivals


Book Street Hanoi, a street lined with bookshops and publishers.

Welcome to my second thread of the year 2024!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Mirjam. You are off to a flying start with your reading this year!

Happy new thread! I love all the bookstore/bookshelf pictures.

Happy New Thread! I love the bookstore pictures.

Happy New Thread. It was nice revisiting your travels (especially the bookstores)

Happy New Thread! Love the bookshop pics.

>9 MissBrangwen: Love those statues & the stories of resistance. Do you know, is that a flax wheel?

>30 thornton37814: >31 DeltaQueen50: >32 christina_reads: >33 RidgewayGirl: >34 lowelibrary: >35 dudes22: Thank you all for your kind words!

>36 ReneeMarie: Unfortunately I don't know what kind of spinning wheel it is. But it is a striking memorial.

I continued with Mary Balogh's Bedwyn series and listened to Slightly Scandalous.



Book No 32

"Slightly Scandalous" by Mary Balogh
Series: Bedwyn Series (3/6)
First published in 2003
Tantor Audio
Digital audiobook, 11h 56min
Rating: 3 stars - ***

My own categories: Series - Ongoing Series

This novel tells the story of the older of the Bedwyn sisters, Freya, who spends some time in Bath and meets Joshua, the Marquess of Hallmere. He is an adventurous and funny man and after some turmoil the two end up in a fake betrothal. But before Freya ends it to enjoy her freedom again, she starts suspecting that there is more to Joshua than his utterly carefree façade.

I think that this entry in the Bedwyn series is not as good as the previous ones. I found it hard to warm up to Freya as a character and while I understand why she is that bold and at the same time guarded and secretive, I would have liked to see more development in her, especially when it came to how she treats Joshua. The Bath and Cornwall settings of much of the novel are interesting and described well, but the story of Joshua's background seems a bit overdone at times.

I will definitely continue with this series, but I might need a little break from it now.

Happy new thread! Always good to revisit these bookshops :)

Re >2 MissBrangwen:, I read Call Us What We Carry a year or so ago, and thought it was fabulous.

Happy new thread! I love all the bookshops. There is only one bookshop within 30-50 miles where I live (that I know about) and it is all new books and very very expensive!

Happy new thread, Mirjam. It's lovely to revisit all those fabulous bookstores!

>39 Jackie_K: What I have read so far is fabulous indeed! I have to pause after each poem and reread it because there is so much to take in and ponder. I didn't realize that the poems dealt with the pandemic, otherwise I wouldn't have bought it, but well, maybe now it's time for me to take the plunge and read something about it.

>40 Tess_W: Secondhand bookshops aren't that common in Germany either, which is why I buy most of my secondhand books on my travels or online. But only one bookshop at all in such a radius really is not much!

>41 MissWatson: Thank you, Birgit!

Someone mentioned a new secondhand bookshop in a nearby town. I need to go visit it sometime. It's the second oldest town in Tennessee!

>38 MissBrangwen: Slightly Scandalous was my least favourite book of the series because Freya is so obnoxious. The hero deserved better!

Happy new thread. I've enjoyed revisiting your travels in your pictures.
You're very close to finishing your bingo card already, that's impressive.

>38 MissBrangwen: I think I liked Freyja more than you did, even though I'm not generally a big fan of "feisty" heroines. I hope you enjoy the rest of the series more when you get back to it. The next book, Slightly Tempted, is my favorite of the bunch!

>43 thornton37814: I hope you have a great visit to the new shop.

>44 pamelad: I agree! Towards the end I could only roll my eyes at her.

>45 Helenliz: I didn't even read anything specifically for the Bingo so far, I just filled the squares on the go - it seems like the squares really suit my reading this year.

>46 christina_reads: I'm really looking forward to the next book! As I am listening to them, I do feel like I need a break from the narrator's voice, but sooner or later I will want to find out about what happens to Morgan!

I read Dreams From My Father by Barack Obama years ago and liked it immensely, so I thought that I should read (or listen to) The Audacity of Hope first before hopefully tackling A Promised Land one day.



Book No 33

"The Audacity of Hope" by Barack Obama
First published in 2006
Random House Audio
Digital audiobook, 6h 10min
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: April AlphaKIT - O-U
My own categories: Nonfiction - Politics

Listening to this book felt a bit like time traveling, getting to know a much younger Obama who explains his views and hopes for the future, while today we know how the topics he refers to have developed.
While many of the principles that are laid down are timeless, some things feel a bit dated of course. In the end, I enjoyed listening to the political anecdotes and the stories of Obama's personal life more than a lot of the actual politics - but then, most of those are nothing new in 2024, which is not the book's fault.

I decided to DNF An Unlikely Duchess by Nadine Millard after listening to it for one hour in total (out of 9h 41min). I think it would appeal to many others and Beverley Crick is a good narrator, but for me the story is too funny and the insta love and lust is way over the top. It is not what I look for in a regency romance. This was free on audible, so I can just delete it and do not even have to go through the process of giving it back.

Last week I was under the weather and very tired every day, and I felt a reading slump coming up, which I definitely wanted to avoid! When I came across Mother May I by Joshilyn Jackson yesterday, I was intrigued so much that I decided to download it at once and read it. It worked and I read it almost straight through!



Book No 34

"Mother May I" by Joshilyn Jackson
First published in 2021
William Morrow
ebook, 331pp.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

Bree is in her thirties and has the perfect life: A rich and caring husband, three beautiful kids, a large house, a great social life involving charities. But everything changes in one second when she attends the rehearsal of a play starring one of her daughters and looks away from her baby son's car seat - when she looks back, the car seat is gone. But instead of money, the person who abducted the baby wants her to do something which seems to be connected to her husband's firm.

Which sounds like a straightforward action thriller becomes so much more: A breath-taking page turner that I couldn't put down, but also a novel raising questions about guilt, responsibility, class, money and motherhood. There are gothic vibes, too, the twists are surprising, and I loved the characters.
The only reason I am not giving it four stars is that I wished for a different ending - it all resolves a little to neatly in the end considering the dark topics and atmosphere, and I think that Trey was let off the hook too easily by simply being killed. I would have liked for the conversation between him and Bree to continue.

>50 MissBrangwen: I have Mother May I on my Kindle so I will give it a little nudge closer to the top of my TBR list. :)

Happy New Thread! Glad you are filling up your Bingo card (a plunge I have never taken) and that you had a chance to visit London. What a great way to spend your vacation time!

>51 DeltaQueen50: I hope you enjoy it when you get to it! It was a very pleasant surprise for me (I had never heard of it before).

>52 threadnsong: Thank you! Yes - I am still so happy about that trip!

Last week I had too many serious reads at once and was looking for something light to break it up a bit, so I decided to start Assaulted Caramel by Amanda Flower.



Book No 35

"Assaulted Caramel" by Amanda Flower
Series: Amish Candy Shop Mysteries (1/8)
First published in 2017
Kensington
ebook, 289pp.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

CATs & KITs: April MysteryKIT - Series
BingoDOG: Something themed around food or cooking
My own categories: Series - New Series

Bailey works as a chocolatier in New York and is a rising star in her field, but she travels to rural Ohio to visit her Amish grandparents because her grandfather is seriously ill. She plans to return to New York soon, but that does not work because the body of a businessman is found in the kitchen of her grandparents' candy shop.

I enjoyed this book much more than I expected: The story, the characters, the atmosphere. I only have basic knowledge of the Amish, but I liked how little bits of information were included in an organic way that did not hinder the flow.
The story drags a bit in the second quarter and the murderer lacks a motive - at least it isn't explained - , but otherwise it was a good cosy read and I am looking forward to the next one.

I had come across the Heartstopper series by Alice Oseman so many times on LT and in London I saw it in nearly every bookshop we visited, so I finally caved and bought the first book, Heartstopper Volume 1, despite its weight.
Today I stayed home because I have a cold (again!) and it was a chance to read this book in one sitting.



Book No 36

"Heartstopper Volume 1" by Alice Oseman
Series: Heartstopper (1/5), Osemanverse (1/11)
First published in 2019
Hodder
Paperback, 280pp.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars - ****°

CATs & KITs: April AlphaKIT - O-U
My own categories: Series - New Series

This was the first time I read a graphic novel and I have no experience with this format or anything like it apart from Disney and similar comics that I read in my childhood and my early teens. But I enjoyed it immensely!

This is the story of Charlie and Nick - an overthinking, openly gay boy who has gone through a difficult time, and the popular star of the school's rugby team, who befriends Charlie, which turns his life upside down.
I can only repeat what many others already wrote: This book is heart-warming and cute, and it feels like a hug. While the novel does not shy away from difficult topics (bullying, mental health problems, the difficulty of coming out), there are also so many good things: Friendship, hope, tender moments, safe spaces.
I cannot wait to read the next volume!

Yesterday I finished The Bible - A Very Short Introduction by John Riches. This was the first time I read one of the "Very Short Introduction" books.



Book No 37

"The Bible - A Very Short Introduction" by John Riches
Publisher series: A Very Short Introduction
First published in 2000
Oxford University Press
Paperback, 147pp.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

My own categories: Nonfiction - Religion

This book starts off very well and then becomes less interesting. The first four chapters deal with the different ways of reading the Bible (as a classic or a sacred text), with how and when the different parts of the Bible were written, with the process of the canonization of the different texts and with different translation and productions. All of this was fascinating to me!
After that, the author ventures to many other areas, such as the Bible's influence on art, different readings of the texts or how it was and is used in politics. He provides examples regarding each of the areas, and these are often very particular. I would have preferred more of an overview compared to learning so much about the details of the specific examples.

>56 MissBrangwen: I've read a couple of the Very Brief Introductions and in the case of Globalization, I felt as you in that I really wanted a more broad overview than detailed specifics (that I really didn't care about!).

>57 Tess_W: That sounds similar to this one - I really didn't care about many of the details, either.

The Blind Earthworm in the Labyrinth by Veeraporn Nitiprapha was mentioned on LT somewhere some time ago (I can't remember where) and I took note of it, so when I was looking for Thai novels it was the first one that came to mind and I decided to read it.



Book No 38

"The Blind Earthworm in the Labyrinth" by Veeraporn Nitiprapha
Original Title: ไส้เดือนตาบอดในเขาวงกต (Saiduean Ta Bod Nai Khaowongkot)
First published in 2019
River Books
ebook, 207pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: April RandomKIT - Enchanting Garden Visitors
BingoDOG: A book written in another cultural tradition

This novel is unlike anything I have read before, but I did not worry about that - I just went along for the ride. The protagonists are Chareeya and Chalika, two young sisters who grow up with their emotionally unavailable parents, and Pran, a boy who does not have a real home and spends his time at their house. The novel follows these three for many years, but not in strictly chronologically form. The reader receives snippets from their lives, chapter after chapter, but has to piece together much of it. The things that happen are often heartbreaking: Loves are lost, feelings betrayed, someone dies, children are left to themselves, emotions are hidden. All of this is infused with metaphors and images, more often than not botanical, as well as described through music (there is even a playlist in the end). Many aspects are exaggerated and even appear magical - influenced by Thai classical theatre and popular Thai soap operas - and after reading the last pages, I feel like waking up myself in the humid air of Thailand, amongst a tangle of colorful flowers and listening to tropical birds.

The novel was translated into English by Kong Rithdee, who also added a very interesting introduction about the pitfalls and difficulties of translating from Thai to English.

>54 MissBrangwen: It took me a moment to understand the pun in the title of this cozy mystery. Very clever! And I'm enjoying cozy mysteries these days, so here's to more enjoyment in the genre.

>60 threadnsong: I enjoy them, too, from time to time! I'm sure I'll read more in the future, there are so many!

I decided to abandon Make Me Love You by Johanna Lindsey after 1h 15min. It is not all bad, but I am simply losing interest in the story because it is all over the top and feels like bad regency fan fiction. It is not historical enough and I keep thinking that the plot wouldn't happen like that. I noticed that I avoid listening to it when I have time and would usually do so, and that should not happen!

Hello my dear LT friends! I can't believe it has been three weeks since I posted here last - I have been so busy, but I have missed this group immensely! It is the busiest time for me at work, this year even more so for various reasons. On top of that, my husband and I have been planning our summer travels, and my brother in law came to visit. So yes, everything has been crazy busy, but the worst is over now.

Despite it all I have been reading, even if not that much or that consistently. I finished Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth by J.R.R. Tolkien, and The Cruellest Month by Louise Penny, No 3 of the Gamache books. I will share my reviews soon. Currently I am reading The Nobody by Diane Farr, the first of my May books, and I'm enjoying it a lot so far.

It's amazing how time flies when you're busy. I've been planning summer holidays, too, and they will come round before I'm ready.

>63 MissBrangwen: >64 MissWatson: Yes, I need to sort out our summer holidays too. I realised today there are only just over 6 weeks left before the school summer holidays, I've no idea how we'll fit everything in!

>64 MissWatson: >65 Jackie_K: Definitely! I know it is a cliché, but I feel like this year is even shorter than the ones before!

I have finally read my first Tolkien book of the year! J.R.R. Tolkien has been my very favourite author for nearly twenty-five years, but during the past decade, I have hardly read anything by him for one reason or the other. I really wish to change that, so a few years ago I started a big Tolkien reread. It started out at a snail's pace, but I feel like I am finally getting on track, having read The Silmarillion in December and now Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth. This book was edited by Christopher Tolkien, whom I would credit as a co-author because he has done extensive work on it.



Book No 39

"Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth" by J.R.R. Tolkien, ed. by Christopher Tolkien
First published in 1980
HarperCollins
Paperback, 539pp. (613 incl. index)
Rating: 5 stars - *****

CATs & KITs: April AlphaKIT - O-U
My own categories: Rereading Fiction, Doorstoppers, J.R.R. Tolkien

Naturally people read The Silmarillion first, but I must say that I prefer this book. It includes a selection of very different writings and while they have the disadvantage that most of them are not finished, to me they are fascinating and they show the scope both of J.R.R. Tolkien's and Christopher Tolkien's work.

The texts cover all the three ages and are often rooted in stories from The Silmarillion, but while that book includes stories that are mostly more like retellings or summaries, in this one they are broadened and told more in the style of a novel or novella, by which I mean a slower pace and more direct speech among other aspects.
The stories from the First Age are about the hidden elvish city of Gondolin and about the children of Húrin, humans who became entangled in the fight against Morgoth, a super evil being (Sauron once was his lieutenant), while those of the Second Age are mostly concerned with the island of Númenor (which is kind of the Tolkien version of Atlantis). The stories from the Third Age provide a lot of background information about the characters and events of The Lord of the Rings, such as the original alliance between Gondor and Rohan, an account of how and why Gandalf planned the events of The Hobbit and persuaded Thorin to take a hobbit with him, and more information of what happened to Gollum after Sauron let him go, and how he ended up in Moria where he came across the fellowship. To me, reading the book would be worth it because of those texts alone.

Each text features an introduction by Christopher Tolkien and extensive notes, and these enable the reader to learn a lot about how both father and son worked, and how gigantic this work - and the project of creating Middle-earth - actually was. I am endlessly fascinated by the energy, knowledge, and painstaking labour that went into it, and still does by those who inherited the work from Christopher after his death in 2020.

One additional note: Apart from The Children of Húrin I have not read the relatively new editions of Tolkien tales that were published in recent years: The Fall of Gondolin, Beren and Lúthien and The Fall of Númenor. I have seen that for readers who want to dive further into Tolkien's writings after reading The Lord of the Rings it is now recommended to read these first before exploring The Silmarillion and then Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth. While I have not read those newer publications yet, I can see sense behind that idea and second it.

The other book I read during my LT absence was The Cruellest Month by Louise Penny, the third of the Chief Inspector Armand Gamache books. I thought that it was a perfect fit for April's CalendarCAT!



Book No 40

"The Cruellest Month" by Louise Penny
Series: Chief Inspector Armand Gamache (3/19)
First published in 2007
Hodder & Stoughton
ebook, 454pp.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

CATs & KITs: April CalendarCAT, April MysteryKIT - Series
My own categories: Series - Ongoing Series

I am reading the Gamache books in order and I did not like this one as much as the previous two. A woman who has not lived in Three Pines for long dies during a séance, and it looks as if she has died out of fear. But is that possible? Gamache investigates, but he also has his own problems which are connected to the old Arnot case, a case which has already come up in the previous books.

I did not like the supernatural elements and atmosphere creeping into the story, and I am also not a fan of the Arnot storyline - I'd rather just read about Gamache's current case. But I just love his character and also his wife, and I enjoyed returning to Three Pines and meeting its residents again. While the novel felt a bit lengthy around the middle, it picked up toward the end until I could not put it down.

My next read was The Nobody by Diane Farr, which I chose because I needed an easy read and it filled a CAT and a KIT.



Book No 41

"The Nobody" by Diane Farr
Series: Nobody Series (1/2)
First published in 1999
Intermix
ebook, 224pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: May CalendarCAT, May AlphaKIT - N-P
My own categories: Series - New Series

Two sisters are invited to London for the season by their rich aunt. Caitlin, the elder of the two, does not really hope to find a husband and is quite content, until she falls in love with a viscount during a chance meeting. Unfortunately, the viscount is betrothed...

The plot is not the most original (although attempted murder does occur!), but I did not mind because I enjoyed the reading experience very much. The novel is well-written and the style seems appropriate. There is some humor, but it is not over the top, and I liked the heroine and also the supporting cast. I would have liked the hero to be a bit more fleshed out - to be honest, I couldn't really understand why Caitlin fell head over heels for him - but that is a minor quibble. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

I decided to DNF The Silver Pigs by Lindsey Davis, the first of the Marcus Didius Falco novels. I feel so sorry because it seems to be a favourite of many LT members, but I have read this all evening and I cannot get into it. The style and humor is just not my kind of thing.
I can see the appeal for many readers, and I described it to my husband because I think he might like it. He wants to give it a try, so it will probably remain in the household!

>69 MissBrangwen: I've also enjoyed Diane Farr's pleasant, undemanding, steamless romances. Sometimes that's just what you want.

>71 pamelad: I am glad you like her, too! I forgot to mention the steamlessness in my review. I don't mind steam per se, but in the historical romances I have read so far I often found it to be not necessary and not fitting the atmosphere, so I am glad that Diane Farr does not include scenes like that.

>69 MissBrangwen: Another Farr fan here! So far I haven't hit a dud, though I've enjoyed some more than others. My favorite to this point is Falling for Chloe.

>73 christina_reads: Oh yes, I remember seeing Falling for Chloe in this group! Fortunately it is on my kindle already! :-) I am happy to hear that you enjoyed her other books, too.

I was looking for a quick and easy read because I am still buried in work and very tired but really need some pleasure reading time for my mental health. I chose Under One Roof by Ali Hazelwood which I bought when it was a kindle deal some weeks ago. This was also published in the collection Loathe To Love You, but I only realized that later.
I am fairly new to the genre of contemporary romance, but this author pops up everywhere (online and in bookshops!), so I wanted to give her a try.



Book No 42

"Under One Roof" by Ali Hazelwood
Series: The STEMinist Novellas (1/3)
First published in 2022
Jove
ebook, 119pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****
My own categories: Series - New Series

Mara, an environmental engineer just starting her career after completing her doctorate, inherits a house from her mentor. She is thrilled because she is almost broke and she cannot afford to pay rent. However, she finds out that the house is co-owned by her mentor's nephew, Liam, who has lived in the house for years. Of course he is not happy when Mara arrives on his doorstep.
This is a cute enemies to lovers romance. I had to get over the improbable premise, but once I did, I really enjoyed the story and rooted for the characters. Some of the humor is a bit over the top for my tastes and the sex scene is a bit sudden, but apart from that I loved it and will certainly read more by Ali Hazelwood.

>70 MissBrangwen: I also have DNF'd that very same book, twice!

>76 Tess_W: It is really good to know I‘m not the only one!

I am currently listening to All Creatures Great And Small by James Herriot, but sometimes I have to force myself to continue because although I generally enjoy it, the episodic nature of it makes it a bit hard to stay interested and focused. So I thought that I might listen to some of the shorter audiobooks in my audio library in-between, to mix things up a bit. Bridesmates by Sydney Smyth was the first one I chose.



Book No 43

"Bridesmates" by Sydney Smyth
First published in 2021
Audible Originals
Digital audiobook, 1h 39min
Rating: 3 stars - ***

Cooper returns to his hometown in Montana for his best friend's wedding - defying conventions, he's her bridesmate. But he is not prepared to meet Will, the groom's best man - and Cooper's crush from high school times.
This is a very short novella and I think the story suffers from that. Although I really liked Cooper, his friend (the bride) and his family, it was hard for me to comprehend why he couldn't forget Will all these years and what he really saw in him. There is a lot of sexual content in this story and while I don't have anything against that per se, I would have liked to see what connected the two main characters beyond their mutual attraction. Maybe if it had been a longer story, it would have been possible to show more of that. I am still rating it three stars because as I said, I generally liked the characters, and also the atmosphere of Cooper's home town. Moreover, Teddy Hamilton is an excellent reader when it comes to this type of story.

>78 MissBrangwen: Just a bit of trivia, I roomed for one quarter with the granddaughter of James Herriot in college.

>67 MissBrangwen: I've read and re-read this several times, and I just love how it fills in the gaps of The Silmarillion. I am also interested to see how the recommendation is for readers new to Tolkien should *first* read The Children of Hurin &c before moving onto "Silmarillion." Of course it makes sense; I guess having read them when they first came out, that sequence just stays in my mind. Kudos to you for finishing it!

>79 Tess_W: That's a nice story to tell!

>80 threadnsong: "Of course it makes sense; I guess having read them when they first came out, that sequence just stays in my mind." That's exactly how I feel! I read the books first in the early 2000s when the newer books were not published yet. The sequence I read them in first still feels right to me, although I understand that another sequence might make more sense now.

Death Comes As The End was a natural choice for my next read because I haven't read an Agatha Christie novel for quite some time, this one has been on my shelf for ages and it fits two categories this month/quarter.



Book No 44

"Death Comes As The End" by Agatha Christie
First published in 1944
Fontana
Paperback, 219pp.
Rating: 3 stars - ***

CATs & KITs: May MysteryKIT - The Golden Age
Other LT challenges: Historical Fiction Challenge, Reading Through Time Quarterly - Ancient/Biblical Times
My own categories: Classics

This is a unique Agatha Christie because it is set in Ancient Egypt. I was curious about how that would play out, but I must say that it was not my favourite.

The story takes place on an estate where a large family lives with the servants, tending to the agricultural business and sacred places as well - the head of the family is a priest on top of this other duties. When he returns from his travels one day with a beautiful concubine, many things that have been lurking among the surface come to light, and terrible events follow.

Although the setting and time are so alien, the plot and writing style are typically Agatha Christie. To me this did not really work - I would have preferred another style, more descriptions and a slower pace. I also had a hard time getting into it, and even might have abandoned it if not for my goal of reading everything Agatha Christie wrote. The story picked up in the second half and became more exciting, and I enjoyed the ending and the romantic subplot. But overall, it was too sinister and bleak for me, there were hardly any characters I liked, and just too much malice and ill feelings. It lacked a character like Poirot or Marple to lighten things up a bit.

However, it is interesting that the novel is based on original letters that were written around 1950BC and were found in a tomb in Thebes.
I don't know much about Ancient Egypt, so maybe I would have enjoyed it more if I did.

I used to own a slim edition of Pole Poppenspäler by Theodor Storm but gave it away when we moved because it is also included in one of the Storm collections I have, so I read from this one now. It is quite an old edition, published in 1955, and I bought it secondhand for a very cheap price some years ago. I chose to read this novella now because it fits Reading Through Time's monthly topic and Theodor Storm is one of my favourite authors, so I am slowly making my way through his novellas.
This one has been published as Paul the Puppeteer in English.



Book No 45

"Pole Poppenspäler" by Theodor Storm
First published in 1874
Droemersche Verlagsanstalt
Hardcover, 47pp. (part of a collection of ten novellas plus introduction, 481pp.)
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: May AlphaKIT - N-P
BingoDOG: Title contains a person's name
Other LT challenges: Reading Through Time Monthly - International Labour Day
My own categories: Classics

The narrator is a young man who often visits Paul, a woodturner, and his wife. While the woodturner is a typical Frisian, his wife is obviously from the south of Germany. When the young man hears someone calling Paul Pole Poppenspäler in a sneering way, he asks his friend about it and Paul tells the story of how he met his wife. She was the daughter of a puppeteer who travelled all over Germany. When her family visited the narrator's hometown, the two children experienced as deep friendship and never forgot each other.

The use of a framework plot is typical of Storm's novellas, although in this one it is less engaging than in others I have read. The story almost has gothic vibes when the puppets are described, and the fascination Paul has for them as a boy. But ultimately, this novella deals with themes of belonging, othering, and the coexistence of art and what is seen as an orderly life.

It is not my favourite of Theodor Storm, but I still enjoyed reading it.

>70 MissBrangwen: I finished the book but didn't like it enough to continue with the series :)

>84 bookworm3091: I must say that it is a bit of a relief to find out that I am not the only one who is not a fan!

Just dropping in to say hello! I never seem to get caught up with all the threads I want to visit.

>86 VivienneR: Thanks for stopping by, Vivienne! I hear you, I feel the same!

I'm way behind - apologies.

>59 MissBrangwen: sounds fascinating. I read Arid Dreams a collection of Thai short stories back in 2020 and although the genre sounds very different, the unfamiliarity sounds familiar (if that makes sense?)

Hope your holiday planning goes well. I am doing work events this summer, so mostly looking forward to September, when they will all be over!

>88 charl08: "the unfamiliarity sounds familiar (if that makes sense?)" Oh, it absolutely makes sense! I am currently reading Bangkok Wakes To Rain and I have a similar feeling, although not as strongly as when reading The Blind Earthworm in the Labyrinth because it is more similar to novels I already know.

And no need to apologize! There are so many threads to visit and so much besides LT as well.

>83 MissBrangwen: Working my way through his novellas is also an ongoing project with me. My problem is that many of them are pretty forgettable, because there's no real plot, at least in the short and early ones.

>90 MissWatson: I think I haven't come around to those ones yet, but my collections include some novellas that I have never heard of and I imagine that at one point they will start to blur together.

I bought Lieder (Mittelhochdeutsch/Neuhochdeutsch) by Neidhart von Reuental for a course on medieval poetry when I studied, but I did not use it because all the relevant poems were given to us by the professor. I kept the book to read at a later date, which I finally did.



Book No 46

"Lieder (Mittelhochdeutsch/Neuhochdeutsch)" by Neidhart von Reuental
This edition first published in 1984
Reclam
Paperback, 119pp. + music scores and bibliography
Rating: 3 stars - ***

CATs & KITs: May HistoryCAT - Middle Ages, May AlphaKIT - N-P
My own categories: Classics, Poetry

The poems in this collection were written by a poet called Neidhart in the first half of the 13th century, in the south of Germany and Austria. They are not strictly courtly love songs, although they include some elements of that, but rather humorous songs in which peasants appear who often act unruly and wildly. There are twenty poems in this book, which are divided into summer and winter songs. The poems typically start with a description of the natural world and then become love songs, either describing village dances and gatherings or resembling a courtly song about a lady, who usually is a village girl. Some songs also reference the crusades and conflicts between peasants and the gentry.
Apparently, Neidhart's poems/songs were very popular, even until the 16th century.
This book includes the scores to nine of the texts, as well as an introduction to each poem and a commentary on the language.
Each poem is presented in the original Middle High German and in a Modern High German translation. I first read the original (sometimes understanding more, sometimes less), and then the translation. I must admit, though, that I found the poems rather boring. While I appreciate their historical relevance, their rarity and their elaborate structure, the humor is lost on me and I just cannot really connect to these texts. I'd much rather read romances and epics when it comes to medieval literature.

Bangkok Wakes To Rain by Pitchaya Sudbanthad had been on my wish list for a long time, and now I finally bought it and read it.



Book No 47

"Bangkok Wakes To Rain" by Pitchaya Sudbanthad
First published in 2019
Sceptre Books
ebook, 360pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: May AlphaKIT - N-P

This novel is a kaleidoscope of the city of Bangkok, across time and the city's places, featuring many characters and stories. The earliest stories are set in the 19th century, while some take place in the future when what we know as Bangkok today is under water and people have adapted to a new life above the flooded ruins. In-between these points of time, we travel across the decades, meeting people who are flawed, insecure and real, and all tied to the city in one way or the other.
At first the novel seems to be just a collection of short stories, but then, chapter after chapter, the connections between the stories become apparent. Reading this feels like being a detective or archaeologist, uncovering layers upon layers of threads and events.
While I am fascinated by this approach and the novel is well-written, I found it hard to connect to many of the characters and it did not have the kind of emotional resonance that would make it a five star read to me. Still, it is well worth a read and it sucked me in the further I got into it.

>93 MissBrangwen: I have this on the shelf and altough I had read good reviews of it, I think I bought it for the title as much as anything else!

>93 MissBrangwen: I picked this one up on a whim during an Audible sale last year. This review makes me want to get to it soon. Sounds quite interesting.

>94 clue: Oh yes, the title is wonderful and it was what made me want to read this novel when I first took notice of it!

>95 staci426: I hope you'll enjoy it, it is interesting for sure! I imagine that listening to it might be even more intense.

The worst part of the deadlines is over, but there is still a lot to do and I am very tired, so my concentration is not the best and I plan to read a few short works and novellas before embarking on something longer. The first one I chose was The Lady Always Wins by Courtney Milan.



Book No 48

"The Lady Always Wins" by Courtney Milan
First published in 2012
self-published
ebook, 71pp.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

CATs & KITs: June RandomKIT - Initials

In 1840s England, rail financier Simon Davenant visits his former sweetheart after seven years. Virginia has been widowed for some time and Simon finally sees his chance to woo her. But for some secret reason, he only has three days to persuade her to marry him.

This novella is unlike other historical romances I have read so far. The style is more witty, the hero and heroine are livelier, but they still fit their time. There is a lot of steam in this and I could have done without the explicit scenes, especially in such a short novella. I also had to get used to the style and atmosphere of the story, but towards the end I was totally enthralled and appreciated the development of the characters. I am looking forward to reading more by this author.

My next read was A Little Village Blend by Nathan Burgoine, which was a BB from Amber (scaifea).
This is part of a series, but according to the author it can be read in any order. If you do want to read it in order, it is a bit complicated because there are several short stories that have been published in different books. Roughly, this book is the sixth in the series.



Book No 49

"A Little Village Blend" by Nathan Burgoine
Series: Little Village (6/7)
First published in 2021
Bold Strokes Books
ebook, 66pp.
Rating: 5 stars - *****

CATs & KITs: June CalendarCAT, June AlphaKIT
My own categories: Series - New Series

Siblings Ivan and Anya own a tea shop in a little village. When a good-looking stranger starts getting a drink there regularly and Ivan falls heads over heels for him, Anya reads his tea leaves and warns Ivan: This man is totally wrong for him. The problem is that the tea leaves are never wrong - but what about Ivan's feelings?

I simply loved everything about this story! The tea shop, the village, the cosiness. The touch of magic. All the characters. And there is a husky!

This afternoon I read An Elephant Named Maliwan by Thanorm Maha-Paoraya, another of the Thai books I wanted to read this year. It was translated by Marcel Barang. This short novel was written during World War Two and the first chapters were published as installments in a magazine in 1942, but the publication of the magazine came to a halt. The novel was then published in full in 1946.



Book No 50

"An Elephant Named Maliwan" by Thanorm Maha-Paoraya
Original Title: Phlai Maliwan
First published in 1946
Thai Modern Classics
ebook, 86pp.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

My own categories: Classics

Although this short novel was published in the 1940s, it had a much older feel to me, rather like a 19th-century novella. In the afterword it is said that the first novel written in Thai was only published in 1929, so that might be one reason. The whole structure and characterization has an old-fashioned feel, and that is also supported by the time it is set, in the early 20th century when Thailand was still an absolute monarchy.

The main character, Suriya, is an aristocrat who drinks heavily and knows that he is a disappointment to his wife. When he ends up in a forestry concession by accident, he remains there, prolonging his stay further and further and drinking his days away. He also befriends an elephant who is characterized almost like a human. But of course, this situation cannot go on forever, and one day Suriya must decide what to do.

It was a bit difficult for me to emphasize with Suriya and his actions, and to get used to the setting of the forestry concession where people work hard, drink and sweat. But the story became more interesting chapter after chapter, and I admire the author's careful construction and the characterizations. The last chapter was unexpected and gut-wrenching. I am glad I read this book, even more so as the afterword informs the reader that this is a standard text at Thai schools.

Last week was quite busy again with more deadlines and conferences, and then we spent the weekend in Cologne to visit my mom and extended family who live close to the city, and to do some shopping. There is a big outdoor & sports retailer in Cologne and we usually buy anything specific we need there - we just haven't found a shop as good as that one anywhere in the north.
It was great to spend time with my mom and see my cousins and uncle and aunt (and their dog!), but we were also tired when we were back because the trip involved a lot of driving.
On Tuesday we had a teacher trip to the moors close to the North Sea and it was a very nice day, although the weather was not the best.

With all of this going on I haven't had much time for reading, although I am still reading The Hobbit when I can and enjoying it a lot. I need a lot of time, though, because I am also reading two reference books, The Atlas of Middle-earth (Revised Edition) and Die große Hobbit-Enzyklopädie. After each chapter of The Hobbit I read the respective chapter(s) in the other books. It is rewarding, but it does take time!

I am continuing with my big Tolkien reread, and the next book I read was The Hobbit. This was the seventh or eighth time I read this, more than any other book apart from those of my early childhood.

I own several editions of this book, and the one pictured is the one I actually read. I love this cover, but it is also my reading copy since I bought it second hand and it already has many creases in the spine.



Book No 51

"The Hobbit" by J.R.R. Tolkien
First published in 1937
HarperCollins
Paperback, 368pp.
Rating: 5 stars - *****

CATs & KITs: June SFFKIT - Monsters!, June AlphaKIT - B-J
My own categories: Rereading Fiction, J.R.R. Tolkien, Classics

As always, I struggle when I try to write a review of a book I truly love, even more so since this one is so well-known. This was the first Tolkien book I ever read, aged 15 and already a fantasy reader, but still it opened up a new world to me. Reading The Hobbit today is like coming home, like sitting in Bag End with a nice cup of tea and listening to stories about dark woods and deep caves, about bright swords and golden treasures, about fierce dragons and beautiful elves.
It is like meeting old friends all over again and I love every page of it.

I last reread The Hobbit in 2019, but I wanted to reread it again, this time with some specific background information. So in-between chapters I read parts of the books below.



The Atlas of Middle-earth by Karen Wynn Fonstad

This is almost a classic in its own right! I own the German version since I bought it in 2002 when I was still reading everything in translation (I read The Lord of the Rings in English for the first time in 2003 and never looked back!).
I have browsed this book quite often but never really read it, so this time I read about the relevant location after each chapter or chapters. I will do so again when I reread The Lord of the Rings and The Silmarillion and then review the book as a whole, but I can already say that it greatly enhanced my understanding of the action and the places. I really admire the author for what she has done here.



Die große Hobbit-Enzyklopädie by Damien Bador, Vivien Stocker, Coralie Potot and Dominique Vigot.

This was only published in German last year and was originally written in French. I don't know if there is an English version so far. It draws together all kinds of information about the characters, places, weapons etc. appearing in The Hobbit from across the legendarium, and there are further chapters about Tolkien's sources and the languages he was inspired by. I have yet to read those chapters and will review the book when I have done so. The parts that I have read so far were interesting, but a bit repetitive, and so far the value for me lies a bit more in the beauty of the book and the wonderful illustrations than in the contents.

Short Reads

I still rather like my idea of chronicling my short reads here, although this is my first one this year. I reread "The Quest of Erebor", a text that was published in The Annotated Hobbit, which was edited by Douglas A. Anderson.

Several versions exist of this text. A very short version was published in the Appendices of The Lord of the Rings, but J.R.R. Tolkien wrote a few longer versions originally intended to be included in the Appendices, which were rejected because of the lack of space.
One of the longer versions was published in Unfinished Tales of Númenor and Middle-earth which I read earlier this year, but the longest one was (as far as I know) only published in this book, The Annotated Hobbit.

I decided to read it now because it explains a lot of the background of what happens in The Hobbit: How Gandalf developed the idea of sending Bilbo with the dwarves, and why it was important to him that Smaug would be dealt with before Sauron grew any stronger. The latter aspect is especially fascinating to me because it places The Hobbit within the larger events of The Lord of the Rings apart from the finding of the One Ring.

I read The Annotated Hobbit, including "The Quest of Erebor", in 2019 and recommend it to anyone who would like to learn more about The Hobbit. It is a beautiful book that includes many illustrations - by Tolkien and from many editions of The Hobbit across the world - and also a lot of background information. There are notes on Tolkien's biography where it is crucial to the book as well as notes on linguistics, Tolkien's inspirations and sources, references to his other works and much more.

>101 MissBrangwen: I love your honest phrase I bought it second hand and it already has many creases in the spine. What a well-loved book! It is such a joy to re-read this small volume, and I admire all of the additional books you are using to understand Tolkien's intricate world.

Have you ever read The History of the Hobbit by John Rateliff? I read this back in 2012 when I was preparing for a presentation and found it to be a great and readable research book.

>104 threadnsong: I haven't read it but it is on my shelf. I definitely want to read it at a later point. It is a bit intimidating due to its length but your words are encouraging! May I ask what your presentation was about?

So far I haven't read any of the mythological retelling bestsellers that have been published in recent-ish years, but when I saw Elektra by Jennifer Saint at a reduced price at Waterstones, I simply had to buy it because the cover really spoke to me. As things go, I then spotted Ariadne, the author's first book, as a kindle deal and of course I could not ignore that! As it was Saint's debut, I thought that I should read it first.



Book No 52

"Ariadne" by Jennifer Saint
First published in 2021
Wildfire
ebook, 305pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: June SFFKIT - Monsters!, June AlphaKIT - B-J
Other LT challenges: Historical Fiction Challenge, Reading Through Time Quarterly - Ancient/Biblical Times

As I said above, I have not read Circe, The Song of Achilles or any other novels in that vein so far, so I can only judge Ariadne on its own grounds. And also, I am no expert on the Greek myths, although this book drove me to a googling frenzy and greatly rekindled my interest in these stories - I knew a lot more about them when I was a child than I do now.

The story starts at the Palace of Knossos on Crete where Ariadne and her sister Phaedra grow up in the shadow of the terrible Minotaur. It retells the myth of Theseus fighting it, and all that follows after, over many years of Ariadne's life. What fascinated me was how the author gave life and human emotions and motives to these characters - although there is a mythical atmosphere, I cried and hoped with Ariadne, and more than once I felt her anguish and despair in my body while I read.

The novel is written in an evocative style, using figurative language and conjuring up sounds, smells and landscapes, so much that often these impressed me more than the plot itself. Indeed I wish that the plot sometimes had been less meandering - while there were many chapters that had me on the edge of my seat, sometimes I wanted the story to move faster. Although maybe that was intended to make the reader feel what the characters went through: Waiting for the gods to decide, subjected to their whims and their mercy.

While this book has a few flaws and I especially wonder about the inclusion of some elements (I could have done without the Hippolytus story, for example), altogether I loved reading it and am equally impressed by Saint's prose. I am looking forward to reading Elektra and her other novels, and to discovering the world of mythological retellings beyond this author as well.

>106 MissBrangwen: I think I enjoyed this a little less than you did. Having said that, thank you for the reminder to get to Elektra.

>106 MissBrangwen: Despite reading (and enjoying) some greek myth retellings, I am still pretty nervous about picking them up. Not sure why that is, as I had one of those collected editions adapted for children growing up, and I think I read it cover to cover. Thanks to your review, I am now tempted to pick up Ariadne!

>107 Helenliz: Maybe one reason I liked this more is that this was the first book of this kind that I read, but I see that it has some very positive and also some very negative reviews, so the reactions are mixed!

>108 charl08: I will be interested in your thoughts should you decide to read it! I feel a bit nervous, too, so it was good to just take the plunge with a book that I had never heard about before.

>100 MissBrangwen: The trip to Cologne and to the North Sea and moors sounds lovely--even if the weather wasn't so nice. Perhaps it was a bit like a trip into a Gothic novel?

>101 MissBrangwen: I love that you mentioned your "reading copy" of The Hobbit! I have a reading copy of Pride and Prejudice myself. :)

>105 MissBrangwen: My presentation was on the character of Thorin and introducing him and Dwarves overall to fans of The Hobbit ahead of the release of the first "Hobbit" film later that year. I found Rateliff's book to be well-organized and detailed, both about Dwarves and the overall writing of "The Hobbit."

>106 MissBrangwen: Elektra, one of my favs, off to secure!

>112 threadnsong: Oh, that's an excellent topic! I am looking forward to reading the book, although it will take me some time to get to it.

>113 Tess_W: I hope you enjoy it!

Hi LT friends!

I have just returned from four weeks in Thailand, which is why I haven't visited here for such a long time. But I have been reading a lot and am looking forward to sharing my reviews and to catching up with all of your threads!

>110 thornton37814: It definitely had some of those vibes!

>111 christina_reads: Oh, with so many beautiful editions it does make sense to have a specific reading copy of that book!

>115 MissBrangwen: oh my, how exciting! Hope you had a great time.

>116 Helenliz: We did! I have been there several times before, but it was my husband's first time and it was wonderful to be there with him. We also saw a lot more of the wildlife, and that was amazing!

I finished listening to All Creatures Great And Small by James Herriot before the trip, but I didn't get around to sharing it here. I know that I read some of these stories in a German translation as a child, but definitely not a whole book, so I am not counting it as a reread.



Book No 53

"All Creatures Great And Small" by James Herriot
Series: All Creatures Great And Small (1/5)
Original Title: If Only They Could Talk/It Shouldn't Happen To A Vet
First published in 1970/1972
Macmillan Audio
Digital audiobook, 15h 41min
Rating: 4 stars - ****

My own categories: Classics, Series - New Series

I was looking forward to listening to this very much, and I chose the audiobook narrated by Christopher Timothy, the actor from the original 1970s TV series. I must admit that in the beginning I found it a bit hard to stay focused because of the episodic nature of the story. That changed when I got further into the story, though, and after some time I simply loved it: The good old times vibes, the kind-hearted point of view, the humour, the quiet moments when James pauses to take in the landscape and the quietness of the Yorkshire Dales. It is no wonder that these stories have been so popular for such a long time.

I downloaded The Perfect Deal by Sara Breaker for free on Stuff your E-reader Day on the Romance Bookworms website, which was shared in the ebook bargain basement thread here in our group. Unfortunately I did not like this book at all (but fear not, I also discovered some wonderful ebooks later on!)



Book No 54

"The Perfect Deal" by Sara Breaker
First published in 2004
self-published
ebook, 140pp.
Rating: 1 1/2 stars - *°

CATs & KITs: June AlphaKIT - B-J

This romance story is set at university and involves Elle, a geek and overachiever, and Aaron, the most popular sports king and womanizer. As Elle is tired of being seen as always serious and Aaron wishes to appear as more of a serious person, they make a deal and start fake-dating, and we all know where that leads...
The premise is somewhat of a classic, but the execution is lacking. I never felt like I really got to know these two characters, their actions - especially Elle's - are quite often inexplicable, the language is often sexist without being put in perspective, and most of the time I was just wondering what was going on. Moreover, although usually I don't have a problem with books set in the 2000s, this just felt incredibly dated.
Another point is the language, which is very repetitive.
I feel so sorry for writing such a negative review about a self-published book, but there is hardly anything positive - the only good thing was that it was a short and easy book to read while being jet lagged, and there are a few cute scenes when Elle and Aaron start to spend more time together.

One more thing I wanted to add:
My initial plan for June was to read A June of Ordinary Murders by Conor Brady since it was a perfect fit for both the CalendarCAT and the AlphaKIT. However, I set it aside at page 65 (18%). It is not a bad novel and I definitely want to get back to it at another point, but it is very dense and full of facts about Irish history. While it is interesting, this was not the right kind of novel shortly before or during the trip to Thailand. After we had arrived, I was in for some holiday reading and chose my books accordingly! But the appropriate time for A June of Ordinary Murders will come.

Welcome back -- it sounds like you had an amazing time in Thailand!

>121 christina_reads: Thank you!

The Memory Quilt by Lenora Worth was a BB from Cheryl (LadyoftheLodge). I have never read Amish fiction before (apart from the first book of a cozy mystery series earlier this year, if it can be counted towards that), but this story caught my interest.



Book No 55

"The Memory Quilt" by Lenora Worth
Series: Shadow Lake (1/3)
First published in 2021
Zebra Books
ebook, 288pp.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

My own categories: Series - New Series

The young Amish woman Abigail manages the Shadow Lake Inn with her parents and her two younger sisters. When she finds an injured man on the lakeshore one day, she hides him and tends to his wounds. Jonah, as she calls him, has been shot and has lost his memory. As he slowly recovers, they develop feelings for each other, but can they have a future together when there are so many secrets surrounding him, and he is not Amish?

This is not only a romance novel, but also a mystery, and I really cared about the characters. The story is told slowly and mindfully, and I enjoyed it very much. Some aspects are easily guessed and sometimes I wanted the characters to take a little more action, but overall this is a wonderful book to get lost in. It was also interesting to learn more about the Amish.

Welcome back!

>123 MissBrangwen: I'll have to see if my library has that one. I do love a good Amish fiction/mystery

ETA: They have it in large print.

>124 Tess_W: Thank you!

>125 thornton37814: I hope you enjoy it!

The Sea Rose by Mariella Hunt was another book that I got for free on Stuff your E-reader Day on the Romance Bookworms website, which I discovered through the ebook bargain basement thread. I totally loved this book and I'm so happy that I found it!



Book No 56

"The Sea Rose" by Mariella Hunt
Series: Lords and Ladies of the Sea (1/2)
First published in 2022
self-published
ebook, 263pp.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars - ****°

CATs & KITs: July AlphaKIT - I-S
My own categories: Series - New Series

This historical fantasy novel is set in England during a time that roughly corresponds to the Regency. In this version of England, merpeople do exist - they reside in the sea, but some of their descendants live on land. They are like ordinary humans apart from scales that appear in patches on their bodies. These merpeople are shunned by the humans and live on the outskirts of society. When Peter, a young Earl, flees his home in order to evade an unwanted engagement, he ends up in a village of the mer-descendants, and for the first time witnesses that they are not at all like society depicts them. He is hidden by Rose, a woman who is beautiful, but secretive, and soon Peter's life is turned upside down.

I truly loved this novel because of the excellent world-building: The alternate England seems credible and authentic, and I was drawn into this world more and more with each chapter. The characters were engaging and while the story is told mindfully and with a lot of soul, the plot still was exciting throughout. The love story seemed a little bit superficial at times and I would have liked some of the names to be a bit more fitting, but apart from that this was a wonderful read!

I liked The Sea Rose so much that I had to get straight to the sequel, The Sea King!



Book No 57

"The Sea King" by Mariella Hunt
Series: Lords and Ladies of the Sea (2/2)
First published in 2023
self-published
ebook, 258pp.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars - ****°

CATs & KITs: July AlphaKIT - I-S
My own categories: Series - Up-to-date Series

I wish to avoid spoilers, so I will just say that again, I absolutely loved this book. There is the issue with some of the names and a few actions of the characters seemed a bit illogical to me, but apart from that, I was just captivated by this novel. There are characters from the first book, but also a few new ones who are crafted very well and add life and emotions to the story. We learn more about how the mer-descendants are treated, especially through the experiences of one main character, and the plot gains a wider scope, including more political elements besides the romance and the private lives of the characters.

According to her instagram, the author is currently writing the third installment of the series, and I hope she hurries because I want to read on!

Steeped in Suspicion by Eryn Scott was a freebie from the same source as the previous books I read. I got this in a bundle with books 2 and 3 of the series. After reading two historical fantasy books I felt like some cosy mystery, so I chose this one.



Book No 58

"Steeped in Suspicion" by Eryn Scott
Series: Pebble Cove Teahouse (1/8)
First published in 2020
Kristopherson Press
ebook, 244pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: July AlphaKIT I-S
My own categories: Series - New Series

Rosemary hasn't seen her grandmother for years after her mother broke off contact with the elderly woman after a fight. When her grandmother dies, Rosemary travels to Pebble Cove to sell the house she inherited - a teahouse that was popular with the locals and that is full of charm and memories from her childhood. But then a body is washed up on the beach, and Rosemary suddenly is a prime suspect. Moreover, she meets a ghost who lives in the teahouse - Asher, who died during the First World War as a young man and who is witty, handsome and kind. After the initial shock, they team up to solve the murder.
This is a great cosy mystery and although there are paranormal elements, these do not seem over the top or interfere with the cosiness. While the case was not that exciting to me, I enjoyed the setting and the characters very much. Rosemary is a person I could sympathize with, and although I was a bit hesitant about the ghost, Asher ended up being my favourite character. His storyline and his questions about his past were the most interesting to me, and I am looking forward to learning more about him when I continue with the series.

Taking BBs for both >127 MissBrangwen: and >129 MissBrangwen:

>130 lowelibrary: I hope you enjoy them as much as I did when you get to them!

My next read was Stuck With You by Ali Hazelwood because I was still looking for short and easy reads for my holiday reading. I had enjoyed the first book in this romance series about three young women (each being the protagonist in one of the books) earlier this year and was eager to continue.



Book No 59

"Stuck With You" by Ali Hazelwood
Series: The STEMinist Novellas (2/3)
First published in 2022
Jove
ebook, 108pp.
Rating: 3 stars - ***

CATs & KITs: July AlphaKIT - I-S
My own categories: Series - Ongoing Series

Sadie is an engineer working for a small firm in green engineering. The novella starts when she is stuck in the elevator with Erik, her ex-boyfriend/affair who works for her firm's main and much bigger competitor. The chapters alternate between the pair in the elevator and the weeks before, so the reader witnesses how Sadie and Erik meet, fall in love and separate. And while Sadie is still mad beyond words, now they are finally forced to talk to each other and maybe work out what happened and how they feel now...

I did not like this one as much as the first book in the series, although I still enjoyed some aspects of it - mainly the male protagonist and the structure which made the story more interesting. Unfortunately, it was hard to sympathize with Sadie and I could just shake my head at her behavior sometimes. The insta-love was a bit much, as were the sex scenes.

...I plunged straight into the next one, Below Zero, to finish the series. All three novellas have been published in a collection called Loathe To Love You, but I only realized that after I had purchased the individual volumes. Below Zero was the one that first caught my attention because of the cute cover and the polar setting.



Book No 60

"Below Zero" by Ali Hazelwood
Series: The STEMinist Novellas (3/3)
First published in 2022
Jove
ebook, 121pp.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

CATs & KITs: Yearlong AlphaKIT - X-Z
My own categories: Series - Finished Series

Hannah works on a base in Svalbard for NASA to test equipment for a new Mars rover. When she has an accident, the only person in the vicinity to rescue her is Ian, the man she had a sexual encounter with five years ago and who now is her enemy. In alternating chapters, the reader follows the rescue operation and learns about the pair's first meeting when Hannah was still a student dreaming of working with the Mars rover, the reasons for the break of five years, and what happened when they met at NASA after such a long time.

I love a polar setting and I enjoyed the NASA/Mars rover topic. Both characters are authentically nerdy, yay for that! I adored Ian, but I had my problems with Hannah. Her behavior is so questionable that I must say that more often than not, I just wondered why Ian put up with her. And the ending was just unbelievable - flying to Europe and hiring a sailing boat, to sail out to Svalbard single-handedly, without any support system, in order to save a woman who turned you down so many times? Even if I do believe in real love and romance, that is just over the top..

I started Sightseeing by Rattawut Lapcharoensap before our trip to Thailand and finished when we were there. I read one of the short stories every few days and this worked well for me.



Book No 61

"Sightseeing" by Rattawut Lapcharoensap
First published in 2004
Atlantic Books
ebook, 250pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: June RandomKIT - Initials

Rattawut Lapcharoensap is a Thai-American writer who grew up in Bangkok, and the seven short stories in this collection are all set in contemporary Thailand. As usual when it comes to such collections, I liked some of the stories more than others, but all in all it is a great collection!

One of the best stories, in my opinion, is At The Café Lovely, which is about two young brothers who try to find their way after the death of their father. The relationship of the brothers is portrayed in a humane, realistic way that is emotional and heartbreaking without reverting to clichés.
Another remarkable story is Draft Day which deals with the drafting of young men to the military and the effect it has on their friendship and prospects. It highlights the consequences of corruption and financial inequality in Thailand, and I reflected on it for a long time. This story was like a gut punch.

One I did not enjoy that much was Don't Let Me Die In This Place about an elderly British man who moves to Bangkok so that his son and Thai daughter-in-law can care for him. I found it hard to feel empathy for the narrator who is determined to see everything in a negative light, although there is some development towards the end.

The short stories show different aspects of life in Thailand behind the façades and images that tourists are allowed to - and like to - see: Fraud and deceit, hostility toward Cambodian refugees, the effects of tourism, the lack of perspectives for many people. Most stories also deal with family relationships, especially between parents and their children.
Reading this collection was very worthwhile and I would certainly like to read more by this author, but it looks like he hasn't really wrote anything else since publishing this.

>123 MissBrangwen: I am glad you got around to reading this one which was a BB from me! Sorry I have been absent for awhile due to visit from my sisters.

>135 LadyoftheLodge: Thank you for the BB - I am looking forward to reading the other books in the series!
There is nothing to be sorry about! I was absent myself and haven't been around visiting the threads so far.

More short and sweet books!
I have read one regency novel by Isabella Hargreaves which I did not particularly like, but the Homecomings Series by her was much better, so I wanted to try her other Australian series. The first book is Lord Muck and Lady Alice.



Book No 62

"Lord Muck and Lady Alice" by Isabella Hargreaves
Series: Stations of the Heart (1/3)
First published in 2018
self-published
ebook, 116pp.
Rating: 3 stars - ***

CATs & KITs: July AlphaKIT - I-S, July RandomKIT - Favorites
My own categories: Series - New Series

Alice travels to Australia to work as a governess in rural Queensland. When she flees from her cruel employer, she finds shelter on the cattle station of a handsomer widower, James. James is a rich station owner, but society can never forget that he started as a poor worker and does not have the right upbringing. As he wants his daughter to succeed and move in the best circles, he employs Alice to teach the young girl all she has to know. When feelings develop between James and Alice they try to ignore them because these feeling do not seem appropriate...

The descriptions of life on a cattle station in the 1860s are interesting, as are those of life in colonial Brisbane. The love story is quite foreseeable and a bit superficial. The third-act breakup seemed forced to me and I did not enjoy how the story developed, although I rooted for the couple. I might have enjoyed this more than I usually would simply because of my love for Australia and Queensland especially.

And on to the next one: Love and Other Addictions. The link to the first book is that the male leads are friends and business partners.



Book No 63

"Love and Other Addictions" by Isabella Hargreaves
Series: Stations of the Heart (2/3)
First published in 2020
self-published
ebook, 128pp.
Rating: 3 stars - ***

CATs & KITs: July AlphaKIT - I-S, July RandomKIT - Favorites
My own categories: Series - Ongoing Series

Edith is sent to Australia in order to take care of her brother, who is addicted to opium. Her father hopes that the young man will recover when he is far from home and any temptations. The siblings buy a cattle station and try to settle in.
When Edith meets her new neighbor Robert, she is instantly drawn to the attractive man, and he to her it seems. But then she hears that Robert has always coveted the station they just bought - so is he really interested in her or does he only want to have her land?

Again, a rather simple plot, although I did love the descriptions of 19th-century Australia. In addition to life on cattle stations this novel also includes elements of the gold rush. And although I did not particularly like Edith and Robert and found the obstacles to be quite stupid, I did want to know what happened and kept reading on. I like this author's style because the writing flows easily.

And on to the last one (so far): Love at Lost Lagoons. The male protagonist is another business partner who lives further away in the north of Queensland.



Book No 64

"Love at Lost Lagoons" by Isabella Hargreaves
Series: Stations of the Heart (3/3)
First published in 2020
self-published
ebook, 160pp.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

CATs & KITs: July AlphaKIT - I-S, July RandomKIT - Favorites
My own categories: Series - Up-to-date Series

Elizabeth runs away at night because she learns that she is to marry her brother's disgusting associate. She hides on a wagon and ends up on a cattle station belonging to Walter, an introverted man who lives secluded and works hard. After the initial shock he believes her story and agrees to hide her. But of course the search for her is on - and she soon discovers that her feelings for Walter go beyond mere thankfulness.

This installment is longer and more adventurous than the previous ones, and while I enjoyed all of them for what they were, I liked this one a little more. The plot is exciting and while the love story is a little superficial, I warmed to these characters and their budding relationship. I also enjoyed the descriptions of outback life and the landscape in Queensland, which were special in this one because of the wet season.

Apparently the author has been planning a fourth book focussing on Edith's brother (from book 2), and I would certainly read that one as well, although I wonder when it will come as it has been four years since the publication of this book.

Welcome back! A full four weeks of vacation sounds amazing.

>140 MissWatson: Thank you!

After so many romances, I wanted to read a golden age mystery and started Inspector French's Greatest Case by Freeman Wills Crofts. I had read Mystery in the Channel from this series as a British Library Crime Classic several years ago and had liked it, so I had planned to explore that series further. However, I did not enjoy this book at all and abandoned it after 89 pages/33%.
The beginning was good and I was interested in the case, but I was increasingly bored because nothing really happened in the investigation. Moreover, both Inspector French and his subordinate are insufferable, especially when it comes to their behavior towards women. Flirting with a young, inexperienced woman, inviting her on a date and getting her drunk, just to gain a little bit of information about her employer, is a strategy that seems totally appropriate to these men. And don't get me started on Inspector French's attitude towards his wife.

There was a lack of women in Mystery in the Channel and I criticized this in my review, but it might have been merciful because it spared me from things like those mentioned above. No more Inspector French for me.

Following this disappointment, I relied upon a recommendation from my husband and read The Invisible Library by Genevieve Cogman. While he did not enjoy it all that much, he thought that it might be something for me, and he was right.



Book No 65

"The Invisible Library" by Genevieve Cogman
Series: The Invisible Library (1/8)
First published in 2015
Tor
ebook, 329pp.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

CATs & KITs: July AlphaKIT - I-S
My own categories: Series - New Series

Irene is a kind of spy who works for The Invisible Library - a secret library located between different dimensions/worlds that seeks to acquire a copy of all the books from all the different realities to keep them safe. Just back from one assignment and looking forward to a break, she is instead sent to a steampunk London where magic exists. She has to retrieve an edition of Grimm's Fairy Tales that seems to be rather special and dangerous. On top of that, she is accompanied by Kai, an attractive, but secretive newbie.

The idea of The Invisible Library is appealing and will probably delight any bookworm interested in this kind of premise, but it takes some time to take hold. The first half or so of the book seems incredibly convoluted and there are new concepts, rules and characters in almost every chapter, so it takes some time to understand this world - or rather these worlds! - and to really grasp what is happening. I just went along with the ride and did not worry, and after a certain point, I was rewarded with an exciting read, rooting for the endearing characters and turning page after page. I am looking forward to continuing with this series!

>143 MissBrangwen: I liked that one too, though I never continued with the series. I've made it part of my challenge for this year, so I'll definitely be reading the first three books (all the ones I own), if not more!

>144 christina_reads: Excellent, I'm looking forward to your comments!

For the long journey home (with a lot of waiting times in-between) and the first jet-lagged day back I wanted something absolutely gripping, so I chose Crown of Midnight by Sarah J. Maas.



Book No 66

"Crown of Midnight " by Sarah J. Maas
Series: Throne of Glass (2/8)
First published in 2013
Bloomsbury
ebook, 420pp.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars - ****°

CATs & KITs: AlphaKIT - I-S
My own categories: Series - Ongoing Series

Contains spoilers for Book 1

When I read Throne of Glass I rated it four stars, and I must say that I liked Crown of Midnight even better. I am always wary of overhyped books, but I am glad that I gave in and tried this series.

Calaena is now the King's Champion, which brings its own kind of challenges. She has to kill the King's enemies and other people just as he commands, while in truth, she still hates him bitterly and is trying to learn more about the secrets of the castle and his sinister plans.

This is not a book that touches my soul, but still I was swallowed up by this world from page 1 and could not stop reading. I was also surprised by how intricate and layered the story is becoming and how invested I was by the end! There is friendship, loyalty, bravery, but also a lot of heartbreak. So much that I was not able to continue with the next book straight away, although I am looking forward to reading it when the time has come.

>143 MissBrangwen: Taking a BB for this one.

>143 MissBrangwen: I liked that book, too, and continued with the next three. I need to get back to this...

>147 lowelibrary: I hope you enjoy it when you get to it! I'm eager to continue with the series.

>148 MissWatson: Oh, that's good to hear!

I started reading 20,000 Leagues Under The Sea by Jules Verne some years ago - I think it was in 2019 - but did not make it far. I made several more attempts, but it was so difficult for me to stick to it. This July, when it was perfect for two prompts, I knew that it was my chance to finally see it through!
I read an unabridged translation to English by Mendor T. Brunetti.



Book No 67

"20,000 Leagues Under The Sea" by Jules Verne
Original Title: Vingt mille lieues sous les mers
First published in 1870
Signet Classic
Paperback, 447pp.
Rating: 3 stars - ***

CATs & KITs: July CalendarCAT, July AlphaKIT I-S
Other LT challenges: Reading Through Time Monthly - Vive la France!
My own categories: Classics

When I started reading this, my expectations were very different from what I found. I have never seen any of the film adaptations of this novel, but still, there must be some cultural heritage that planted images in my head that made me expect a novel full of adventure and excitement. Instead, I found a Victorian travelogue chronicling fish and other marine life, days at sea, and an exciting incident only from time to time. I struggled to continue. While I see its worth (the topics of ecology and humanity, Verne's inventive mind, the question of abandoning the world), I was still bored for long stretches and only found it to be a really engaging read for the last 20% or so, mainly the chapters in Antarctica and the ending.
This novel was published first in serialized form and I think that then it might have felt less repetitive and more exciting. I tried reading one chapter at a time myself, but it didn't work because I simply forgot to pick it up or was more eager to return to my main read. Another thing I tried to keep in mind was that it must have had much more impact on its contemporary audience who did not know submarines, who had not seen documentaries of marine life, who had maybe not even seen the sea and who had no access to snorkeling equipment or glass bottom boats. It was another time and the novel must have been marvelous to them.
So while reading it was hard for me, I am glad I did not give up.

This month's HistoryCAT was the perfect opportunity to continue with my Agatha Christie reading. I chose They Came To Baghdad.



Book No 68

"They Came To Baghdad" by Agatha Christie
First published in 1951
HarperCollins
Paperback, 364pp.
Rating: 3 stars - ***

CATs & KITs: July HistoryCAT - Spies in July
My own categories: Classics

After a chance meeting with an attractive young man, Victoria Jones decides to travel to Baghdad to see him again and look for a job there. But when she arrives, she gets entangled in a web of lies, politics and espionage in the wake of the Cold War. A meeting of world leaders is to take place in Baghdad and mysterious incidents are happening.

I seem to like Agatha Christie's whodunnits more than her spy novels, and judging from other reviews, I am not the only one. The first half of this was mostly boring, although I was fascinated by the descriptions of air travel and the streets in Baghdad, even more so because the author wrote from her own experience. The plot picks up in the second half and becomes more exciting. Victoria, to me, is an unlikeable heroine, though. However, the ending of the novel is clever and true to the author's style.

I had a lengthy dentist appointment on Monday morning and felt exhausted and dizzy afterwards, so I chose a short and fluffy book to spend the afternoon. It was one of those I got for free: Claiming The Heart Of A Duke by Arietta Richmond.

If I hadn't filled the "Ugly Cover" square of BingoDOG already, this certainly would have been my choice! I mean seriously, what is that???



Book No 69

"Claiming The Heart Of A Duke" by Arietta Richmond
Series: His Majesty's Hounds (1/17)
First published in 2016
Dreamstone Publishing
ebook, 106pp.
Rating: 2 stars - **

My own categories: Series - New Series

Hunter, the new Duke of Barrington, returns from the war after his father's and older brother's fatal accident, and everyone expects him to marry soon. However, Hunter neither feels up to being a duke, nor is he ready to marry, because he still grieves the death of a woman he loved on the peninsula. But when he meets Nerissa, his neighbor, who was only a child when he left, they develop a deep friendship that might become something more.

Well, this was very superficial and at the same time very over the top. Really not remarkable, although the plot idea was good. It might have been better as a longer novel, with more time to develop the characters and their feelings. Still, it was a fun way to while away an afternoon such as the one mentioned above, and I might continue with the series just for purposes such as that, if I can get over the author's excessive use of commas.

Only this one to go and then I am all caught up! Yay!

Nirgendwo in Afrika (Nowhere in Africa) by Stefanie Zweig was one of my favourite books in 2020 and I also liked the sequel Irgendwo in Deutschland (Somewhere in Germany) as well as her children's novel Ein Mundvoll Erde. All of these novels are semi-autobiographical and are inspired by the author's own history. Her family fled from Nazi Germany to Kenya when she was a child and she grew up there, returning to Germany a decade later as a teenager. But she never felt fully at home in Germany and always longed for Kenya.
As I liked what I had read of her so much, I was looking forward to Owuors Heimkehr, but was quite disappointed.



Book No 70

"Owuors Heimkehr" by Stefanie Zweig
Series: Familie Redlich (2.5/4)
First published in 2003
Fischer
Paperback, 222pp.
Rating: 2 1/2 stars - **°

CATs & KITs: Yearlong AlphaKIT - X-Z
My own categories: Series - Ongoing Series

This is a collection of five short stories and one letter. I must admit that I did not really like either of them.

The last one, which has the same title as the whole collection, is probably the most striking. In this short story, the author imagines how the life of Owuor might have continued after the Redlich family (from Nirgendwo in Afrika) left Kenya. Owuor was their cook and good friend, a father figure to young Regina (as the real Owuor was to young Stefanie) and a mentor to her parents as they tried to navigate life in Kenya. I was eager to read this story because Owuor is such a striking figure in Nirgendwo in Afrika, but I have issues with how he is portrayed in this text, grieving for the Redlich family his whole life. While their connection was certainly special and deep, it still rubs me the wrong way.

The letter that is included is one written by Stefanie Zweig to Sidede Onyulo, who portrayed Owuor in the Oscar-winning film of Nirgendwo in Afrika. While it becomes clear how much seeing Owuor on the screen moved and touched her, the letter is also stereotyping Africans in a way that made me uncomfortable.

The other four stories deal with encounters between Germans who travel to Kenya for various reasons (work or tourism) and how they clash with what they find there. While some of them make a good point and show that tourists often only see what they want to see, and travel somewhere to experience a show and not reality, none of the stories were really interesting to me.

I still have some novels and an autobiography by this author on my shelf and want to get to them, but this book is not her best.

I finished listening to Slightly Tempted by Mary Balogh, the next one in the Bedwyn Series. I have enjoyed this whole series, although the last one was my least favorite - this one made more than up for it, though!



Book No 71

"Slightly Tempted" by Mary Balogh
Series: Bedwyn Series (4/6)
First published in 2004
Tantor Audio
Digital audiobook, 11h 29min
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: August AlphaKIT - G-M
My own categories: Series - Ongoing Series

Lady Morgan, the youngest of the Bedwyn siblings, travels to Brussels with another family. During a ball she meets Gervase, an Earl, and they are highly attracted to each other. Gervase has spent nine years in exile after an incident in which Morgan's oldest brother, the Duke of Bewcastle, was involved. Gervase has always wanted revenge, and involving Morgan in scandal seems to be the perfect way, until he notices that he genuinely likes her.

Apart from some dialogues in the last part of the book, I really enjoyed everything about this! The romance and connection between the two main characters seemed genuine and believable to me, and there wasn't any chapter that was boring or slow. The development of the love story was exciting without much repetition. There are some more historical elements in this involving the Battle of Waterloo, which made it even more interesting.
Once more, Rosalyn Landor excels as a narrator, I almost forget that she is just one person and that this is not an audio play read by different voice actors, but still, she never overdoes it.

I have something else lined up to listen to because I like to switch between different styles and genres, but I am looking forward to the next Bedwyn book so much, especially after the ending of this one!

>154 MissBrangwen: I think Slightly Tempted might be my favorite of the Bedwyn books! Glad to see you enjoyed it too. :)

>155 christina_reads: It's definitely my favourite one so far, as well!

The new term has started and last week was very busy, but today I finished The Sun and the Moon by Vonda McIntyre. I read this novel as a teenager and loved it, and I had wanted to reread it for a long time. It mostly held up, so I am very cheerful!
I read the German translation from back then - Am Hofe des Sonnenkönigs. Usually I would have looked for the English original one, but with this book I did not mind, probably because it is set in France.

There is a film version of this which was produced in 2014 but only shown in cinemas in 2022, but I decided that I will not watch it. The trailer looks totally different from what is described in the book, the story has been altered a lot, and I am not interested. In the wake of this film, the book has also been published as The King's Daughter (Spoiler: In the book, she is not the king's daughter)!



Book No 72

"Am Hofe des Sonnenköigs" by Vonda McIntyre
Original Title: The Sun and the Moon
First published in 1997
Bastei Lübbe
Paperback, 606pp.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars - ****°

CATs & KITs: July SFFKIT - First Contact
Other LT challenges: Historical Fiction Challenge
My own categories: Rereading Fiction, Doorstoppers

Marie-Josèphe has just become lady-in-waiting to Lotte, a niece of Louis XIV, the Sun King. Her brother, a Jesuit, returns from his adventures at sea and brings a pair of sea monsters to the court: The male is dead, but the female is still alive. The King wishes to possess such a creature because it is supposed to bring him immortality. Marie-Josèphe assists her brother with the autopsy and he gives her the task of feeding the female creature. A friendship grows between the human woman and the being from the sea, and Marie-Josèphe realizes that the creature is not a monster. She decides to save it, which means danger and maybe losing everything she cares for, including the favor of the king and of another man whom she has grown to admire.

This novel is long and includes many lavish descriptions of life at court, of the clothing, the food, the rooms, the customs, and its main players. These descriptions were never boring to me, though - not in the end of the 1990s, and not now. On the contrary, I felt like I discovered this world with Marie-Josèphe, I was impressed and enchanted like she was, until she has to decide what is more important: The freedom and life of a friend, or the dazzling theatre of Versailles.
Apart from being a portrait of the court, the novel explores topics of otherness, not only because of the sea monster, but also because of the character of Lucien, a man with achondroplasia.
I love how the relationship between Marie-Josèphe the creature develops, how they learn to communicate, and how their bond grows. There are heart breaking moments in this, but ultimately it is a novel about caring and kindness, and that we should not lose these traits no matter how the world around us reacts.

Short Reads

"The Natural History & Extinction of the People of the Sea"

In the afterword of The Sun and the Moon, the author Vonda McIntyre mentions a short story in the form of a faux encyclopedia article that she wrote in 1993 after listening to a lecture about the mythology of the sea people by Avram Davidson. The novel grew from that short story, as McIntyre felt that there was more to be told and was fascinated by the subject.
The article was illustrated by Ursula K. Le Guin. I do not know when it was first published, but it was republished by Book View Café in the anthology Dragon Lords and Warrior Women. It can also be read for free on the web archive version of the Book View Café website here.

This is truly a short read, but I liked it very much. Events described in the article are referenced in The Sun and the Moon, which made it even more interesting. On the other hand, it is also a rather sad article, even more so because the history is not so different when you think about how humans treat many of their fellow creatures until this day.

>157 MissBrangwen: I only know Vonda McIntyre as a SF writer, I had no idea she also wrote historical fiction. It sounds great!

>159 MissWatson: I think it is the only historical fiction she wrote, and it certainly has SF elements, but it is great and would even have been great without the science and fantastical bits.

>154 MissBrangwen: I'm not mad keen on big age gaps and found Morgan annoying (but not as annoying as Freyja) so although I quite enjoyed Slightly Tempted, I liked some of the others more: Slightly Married, Slightly Wicked and Slightly Dangerous.

>161 pamelad: I found her a bit annoying towards the end, too. And I am looking forward to Slightly Dangerous so much! I cannot really fathom Wulfric as the protagonist, so I am excited about that.

Just having started with the Greek myth retellings, I saw Galatea by Madeline Miller as a Kindle deal last month and had to buy it, of course! This is a very short read, so I squeezed it in today.



Book No 73

"Galatea" by Madeline Miller
First published in 2013
HarperCollins
ebook, 26pp.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars - ****°

CATs & KITs: August AlphaKIT - G-M
BingoDOG: A book with nothing on the cover but the title and author

This is a retelling of the Pygmalion myth from the sculpture's perspective. As it is so short, I don't want to say too much in order to avoid any spoilers. I have never read anything by this author before, and I loved it - I was equally impressed by the writing and by her ability to convey so much in such a short text. Each word is spot on and whole meanings, emotions and stories lie behind each sentence.
I would have wished for the atmosphere to be a little more historical, but that is the only aspect I found a bit wanting. Apart from that I was blown away and will certainly read the novels written by this author one day.

I've read Song of Achilles and Circe and was impressed by both. I'll look out for that one as well.

>164 Helenliz: It is very short indeed, but I hope you enjoy it, too!

I read Herztier (The Land of Green Plums) for the first time in 2010, shortly after Herta Müller had won the Nobel Prize. I was absolutely stunned by it back then. I decided to reread it now because we are planning a trip to Romania in October.



Book No 74

"Herztier" by Herta Müller
First published in 1994
Fischer Verlag
Paperback, 253pp.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars - ****°

CATs & KITs: August AlphaKIT - G-M
My own categories: Rereading Fiction

Like the author, the narrator of the novel belongs to the German minority in Romania and leaves the country for Germany in the 1980s. The protagonists of this work are four friends from rural Romania who document what they see of the activities of the Securitate and write oppositional poems. The story is not linear, but the reader learns about their daily lives, about the measures they take to stay as safe as possible, about the relationships between them and the people around them. There are also glimpses of the narrator's childhood and of the friends' lives in Germany where they still are not safe.

The narration is oddly detached and that makes it a bit hard to become invested in it, but I interpret it as a means of coping with the horror which was a kind of banal reality for these characters. On the other hand, there are lot of metaphors, personifications and images which convey much more than can be guessed at a first glance. To me, the strength of this novel is that the terror, restriction and loss experienced by the characters over a long time is shown in a way that slowly develops and grips you, without any dramatic arcs of suspense or turning points that make your heart beat faster, but like this, it might be even more haunting and powerful.

I will not be online for a week because tomorrow I am traveling to Prague on a class trip with a group of students. I am looking forward to it and my students are a really nice group, but I am dreading the train trip of ten hours a bit! I hope that everything will go well.

I am looking forward to catching up here when I'm back!

>166 MissBrangwen: Oh I hope you love Romania! I have lived and worked there a couple of times over the years, and absolutely love it there. Most recently (2007, so not as recent as I'd like!) I lived in Sibiu, which is wonderful.

So glad you caught us all up with your readings, and hope your trip to Prague is not too dismal. I think I would much prefer 10 hours of a train ride to 10 hours of driving (I say this from the comfort of my couch). I am sure your students and you will get a lot out of this journey.

>127 MissBrangwen: This book sounds great and I put it on my Wishlist. I am looking for more recently written sci-fi and fantasy, and this one seems to fit the bill.

>157 MissBrangwen: OTOH, I love Vonda McIntyre and found Dreamsnake stood up on a 2nd reading. So I'll have to check out this one, as it also piques my interest in the Court of Louis XIV.

>157 MissBrangwen: This book seems to cross all genres: SFF, fantasy, historical fiction, etc. I've put it on my WL....way way at the bottom. I think your review is probably better than book. (I'm not a SFF/fantasy fan)

I have returned from Prague and I had such a good time. The students enjoyed it so much and it was wonderful to see their delight. I also had great conversations with my colleague who accompanied us. And I truly didn't know that Prague is that beautiful! I don't know if any city I have visited so far can compare when it comes to sheer beauty. And everything went well with the train rides!
I really did not expect all of this from a class trip, so although I am very tired, I am also happy and full of positive energy. And also relieved because all the planning and organizing can stop for now and the trip is behind me.

>168 Jackie_K: I have already thought of your connection to Romania when planning the trip, I remember it from your thread! We plan to spend a few days in Sibiu and I am looking forward to it so much.

>169 threadnsong: I am happy to spread the love concerning The Sea Rose, and I hope you enjoy The Moon and the Sun when you get to it.

>170 Tess_W: The sci-fi/fantasy elements are there, but to me, it does feel more like historical fiction than a fantasy novel. But I do understand that it is not a priority for you, especially when there are so, so many books to read in genres you like better!

>171 MissBrangwen: Oh how lovely to have had such a good trip with students. I love Prague but am overdue a return visit I think.

I also loved Romania - I would like to go back and visit some of their wetlands to view all that unspoiled countryside. I have heard that the birdwatching is amazing.

>172 charl08: I hope you get to visit it soon again! And it is good to hear you loved Romania, too. I am so excited about the trip, even more so since everyone seems to like it there so much.

As a child I did not watch much TV, but I loved the stories of Little Mole which were part of a children's program that I used to watch every Sunday after church while my mother was preparing lunch. Zdeněk Miler, the creator of Krtek (Little Mole), was from Prague, and so this beloved figure is very present there, especially in souvenir shops. I couldn't resist buying Little Mole's Week, a cute board book, when I spotted it in a shop.



Book No 75

"Little Mole's Week" by Michal Černík, ill. by Zdeněk & Kateřina Miler
Original Title: Krtekov tjedan
First published in 2012
Albatros Media
Board book, 11pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: August AlphaKIT G-M

In this little book, we follow Little Mole through his week. He tends to his garden, experiences a storm, tidies up and has a party with his friends, which are the rabbit, the mouse, the hedgehog and others. The illustrations are lovely and it is fun to spot the details, such as bees harvesting honey with little buckets or the face of Mrs Storm in the sky.
Little Mole is utterly cute and wholesome and a wonderful trip down memory lane.

I just finished Glitterland by Alexis Hall. The second in the series, Waiting For The Flood, was a cover buy earlier this year, and when I discovered that it was part of a series, I bought this one for kindle to read it first.



Book No 76

"Glitterland" by Alexis Hall
Series: Spires
First published in 2013
Sourcebooks
ebook, 327pp.
Rating: 5 stars - *****

CATs & KITs: August AlphaKIT G-M
My own categories: Series - New Series

This book starts with a lot of trigger warnings: Sexual content, bipolar depression, the topic of suicide, self-harm, ableism, drugs, mental health. And yes, it packs a punch, as all of it is there. But still, it is an incredibly tender book that depicts life and emotions that are raw and true to life, but never in a way that shows off in a "hey, look how brutally I dare to write" manner.

Ash is a young author who has had an Oxbridge education. He is the darling of the literary scene, but he has severe mental illnesses and these stop him from really living his life. When he meets Darian, a glittering man from Essex who is funny and kind and everything that Ash is not, his life is turned upside down. He soon falls for Darian, but he believes that they can never have a chance because of how and who he is - resigned, bitter and without hope. But Darian does not go away and slowly winds his way into Ash's life.

The novel is told from Ash's perspective and mental health is a topic that is always present. Other aspects are the class consciousness and differences in education in Britain. Darian's way of speaking is represented through the writing, and the two men have to overcome their own prejudices as well as the expectations of their friends. There are a lot of sex scenes as well, but they are there to support the characterization, and because of that, although they are detailed, they never felt pornographic to me. The characterizations are deep and the dialogues are long and ring true. I felt for these characters so strongly, and don't know when I ever rooted for a couple that much and felt their pain and happiness that closely while reading. I cannot wait to discover more by this author!

During the trip to Prague I wished to read a little on the train or before sleeping, but I was not able to really concentrate on anything substantial. So I chose Intriguing The Viscount by Arietta Richmond, the second in the His Majesty's Hounds series.



Book No 77

"Intriguing The Viscount" by Arietta Richmond
Series: His Majesty's Hounds (2/17)
First published in 2017
Dreamstone Publishing
ebook, 150pp.
Rating: 3 stars - ***

My own categories: Series - Ongoing Series

Charlton, Viscount Pendholm, has just returned from the war and has taken up work as a spy. The season has begun and at a ball he meets a man that he recognises from France and who gives him an uneasy feeling. This matter is even more complicated because Charlton has already met the man's daughter whom he likes very much.

This short novel is not only a romance, but also a spy story, and the reader learns more about His Majesty's Hounds. I liked this one much more than the first book in the series, however, there are some elements that do not fit the time at all. Still, this was a fun read, although not one to be taken too seriously.

>171 MissBrangwen: Welcome back from Prague! I have heard such good things about its beauty, all the way back to the film "Amadeus" that was shot in Prague. And yes, do take time to breathe in the success you had in planning, the trains, the students, and all the myriad details that go into planning a school trip. Congratulations are in order!

>177 threadnsong: Thank you so much for your kind words!

All of David Attenborough's audiobooks are on my audible wishlist, and when "Wonders of the World" came up as a prompt in the Reading Through Time group, I decided to finally listen to one. I chose The Early Years Collection because it fits the purpose of the group: The travels described took place in the 1950s and 1960s.
At first I wanted to count this as only one book, but now that I have finished I decided to count each book of the collection separately as they are very distinct and are all available as single volumes.



Book No 78 - 81

"The Early Years Collection" by David Attenborough
First published in 1957, 1960, 1963 and 2012
BBC Audio
Digital audiobook, 10h 09min
Rating: 4 stars - ****

Other LT challenges: Reading Through Time Monthly (June) - Wonders of the World
My own categories: Classics, Nonfiction

Zoo Quest For A Dragon
In the first book of the collection, Attenborough describes the beginnings of the series Zoo Quest and how he traveled to Indonesia to capture a Komodo dragon. His stories do not only focus on animals, though, but also on the locals, on a trip to Mount Bromo, the sea voyage to Komodo island and more. It is rather a humourous adventure story than a report about animals. It is a bit lengthy at times, but also has very interesting parts.

Quest in Paradise
The second book is about a trip to Papua New Guinea, which was fascinating to me because it is a country that still feels unknown and that I have not heard much about. Attenborough and his colleagues were looking for the elusive birds of paradise and trekked though the mountains to find it, meeting locals and eccentric expats. The descriptions of the local customs are intriguing and there is also quite a bit of humor in it.

Quest Under Capricorn
In the third book, the author tells us about this trip to Northern Australia, namely to Darwin and Arnhem Land. This was most interesting to me because while I have not visited this part of Australia myself, I know a bit about tourism in that area and it is astounding to see how it has changed in the past decades. I would have liked to know more about the animals and the natural world, but Attenborough includes a lot of details about the Aboriginal people, especially their art, and about white Australians living in the small town of Borroloola, and I enjoyed these parts of the story very much.

David Attenborough In His Own Words
This is a collection of excerpts from BBC interviews ranging from 1975 to 2012. Most interviews include anecdotes from the travels mentioned above, but they also touch on topics such as Attenborough's childhood and family, his personal beliefs, the development of the media and his life as a whole. I liked listening to this very much and it was a good way to round off the collection, as it showed just what an impressive and fascinating, yet humble person David Attenborough is.

I read The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan, the first book in the Cormac Reilly series, in 2022 and loved it, and I also enjoyed its prequel The Sisters, which I listened to last year. The Roommate is the second prequel of the series, and as far as I know it is an Audible exclusive at the moment.



Book No 82

"The Roommate" by Dervla McTiernan
Series: Cormac Reilly (0.7/3)
First published in 2018
Audible Originals
Digital audiobook, 02h 23min
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: August AlphaKIT - G-M
My own categories: Series - Ongoing Series

Niamh is a young primary teacher who lives in a shared flat in the south of Dublin to make ends meet. When her roommate is murdered, she is saddened and shocked, and also stressed by the prospect of having to pay the rent alone. But soon her situation becomes even more dire because her headmistress seems to suspect her of bringing scandal to the school, and things that she cannot explain start to take place. The young policeman Cormac Reilly seems to be the only one there who wants to help her.

This novella is short, but still I was totally drawn into it. The main character is well-crafted, and no elements that are crucial to the plot are missing. The narrator, Aoife McMahon, is excellent. I am looking forward to continuing with this series.

When I was looking for Romanian novels I quickly came across Life Begins On Friday by Ioana Pârvulescu and decided to read it because of the interesting title as well as the time and setting.



Book No 63

"Life Begins on Friday" by Ioana Pârvulescu
Original Title: Viața începe vineri
First published in 2009
Istros Books
ebook, 355pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: August CalendarCAT, August RandomKIT - Titles
Other LT challenges: Historical Fiction Challenge

This novel is like a hidden picture book, or, as Romanian author Mircea Cărtărescu puts it in the afterword: "Like a children's pop-up book from whose pages spring three-dimensional places and people, Life Begins On Friday is a multi-dimensional scale model" (p. 349). The setting is Bucharest, and the year is 1897, precisely the last thirteen days of that year. For these thirteen days we follow a set of characters through their daily lives, while several mysteries occupy them: A precious icon that was stolen, a young man who was wounded in a duel, and a mysterious stranger who was found in the snow. Only the stranger himself and the reader know that he is a visitor from the future.
And so the reader follows them: A policeman trying to unravel the mysteries, the daughter of a doctor entrusting her diary with thoughts of her secret love, the stranger trying to make sense of where he is and what happened to him, and many more people who are somehow tied up in the story. Most are connected by Nicu, an errand boy who delivers messages. Another prominent feature are the newspapers and the men who produce them.
Through all of this runs the thread of hope for the future, the new millennium, excitement for new inventions, advances in the field of medicine, and even the first signs of women's emancipation.
There really is a lot to discover in this novel, and I bet that many aspects went over my head. It took me some time to find my way and there were parts that felt a bit lengthy due to a lack of focus. But there were also very beautiful parts, and all in all it just felt like a bewildering, yet exciting trip to another place and time. It is a novel defying specific genres. The translation by Alistair Ian Blyth feels natural and flowing, and the afterword by Mircea Cărtărescu adds further depth and understanding. There is also a list of characters which is immensely helpful.

August and the beginning of September were full of events and also health struggles and while I have been reading, I am looking forward to (hopefully!) three weeks of September that are more quiet and will provide more time to settle down with a book.

Apart from the class trip to Prague I was quite busy because of the start of term. We celebrated my husband's birthday and last weekend also visited my mom and extended family close to Cologne and attended a church service there in which my cousin was formally introduced as the new youth leader.

I have also had several bouts of migraines that each lasted for three days and have started a new prophylaxis because of that. The weather has been crazy here, so I do hope that I will feel better when the weather stabilizes and autumn arrives.

Yesterday was my birthday and I received some wonderful bookish gifts from my husband:
The new illustrated boxset of The Silmarillion, Unfinished Tales, The Book of Lost Tales Part One and The Book of Lost Tales Part Two
The Brontës by Juliet Barker
The World of Hercule Poirot - 1000 Piece Puzzle

I love all of these gifts so much and they have made me think even more about what I want my challenge to look like next year. I feel like I have grown a bit tired of the CATs and KITs and although I have really enjoyed my reading this year so far, I think I would like to have more room to get to the things I really wish to read, like more Tolkien, more literary classics, more rereads etc. I think this is a perpetual struggle for many in our group. But there are still a few months to this year and there is plenty of time to plan!

>182 MissBrangwen: - So many things! First - Happy Birthday! My sister's birthday was yesterday too, and my other sister and I took her out for a nice birthday lunch.

When I used to get migraine's, it was only in the spring and fall. Allergies, change in air pressure, angle of the sun - who knows. But they'd be bad for a couple of months and then I'd be fine again. It must have been somewhat hormonal too because once I went through the change, I stopped having them.

I too have already been thinking about next year and pulling back from some of the challenges. I was somewhat better this year about not pushing myself every month, but I could pull back even more. OF course, once the decision is made about what they are, I might change my mind.

>182 MissBrangwen: Happy birthday!

I am starting to make plans for next year as well. This year I have been reading CATs and KITs pretty irregularly, and I'm OK with that; for me what's most important is to keep reading, which is frequently whatever strikes my fancy in the moment.

> 182 Happy belated birthday.
I think we are all planning for next year. I have decided to keep a few categories and seriously considering my KITS/CATS.

>183 dudes22: Thank you for the birthday wish and also for sharing your experience with migraines! I do hope that mine will change for the better over time.

"once the decision is made about what they are, I might change my mind."
I know that when I see the new CATs and they look interesting, I will probably wish to do them!

>184 NinieB: Thank you, Ninie! It sounds like you really have found what works for you! I experienced reading slumps very often in the past and found that the challenges kept me reading because I always had plans, but right now I feel like they are a bit confining, too. To keep reading is definitely my main goal as well!

>185 lowelibrary: Thank you, April! It is good to know that I am not the only one who has already started planning.

I continued with Towards Zero by Agatha Christie, as I decided to advance with my project of reading all of her novels and also tick off this month's MysteryKIT which I am hosting.

This novel does not feature Poirot or Marple, but Superintendent Battle appears several times. The five novels featuring him are indicated by LT as a series, but I have not read them in order and so far have only read two of them, this one and Murder Is Easy.



Book No 84

"Towards Zero" by Agatha Christie
Series: Superintendent Battle (5/5)
First published in 1944
Berkley
Paperback, 198pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: September CalendarCAT, September MysteryKIT - Upstairs/Downstairs, September AlphaKIT - C-V, Yearlong AlphaKIT - X-Z
My own categories: Classics, Series

Lady Tressilian, an invalid, but resolute lady, invites a group of guests to her seaside home. Among them are Nevile Strange, a rich tennis player, together with his wife. They decided to come at this time although Nevile's ex-wife is present as well. Soon tensions flare up and everybody is on edge, and then a murder occurs.

This mystery is the best Agatha Christie novel I have read for a long time. It has so many good things: Distinctive and interesting characters, a classic, yet unique and impressive setting, a good flow, but also new ideas, especially when it comes to the structure. Moreover, the style is more literary and I especially enjoyed reading the dialogues. I really thought that I was heading for a five star rating, but then the ending blew it all. The solution is so far-fetched that it is not satisfying, but I could live with that. However, the sudden romance and especially the rushed engagement and the following dialogue are disappointing after such a great novel. The last words of the prospective groom are downright creepy, and the whole relationship seems unhealthy to me. I really would have wished for something else for Audrey after all she went through.
Apart from this, it is a wonderful mystery and I will still remember it as one of my favorites.

>187 MissBrangwen: I first read Towards Zero when I was pretty young--say 13 or 14--and I wasn't bothered by the ending at all, which I attribute to not having a clue about romances or relationships. I agree that it's a really good Christie, even with the ending!

>187 MissBrangwen: Great review! My feelings exactly.

Yesterday we watched the 2007 adaptation of Towards Zero. I think that even if Miss Marple was added to the story, it is quite a faithful adaptation with a lot of dialogue taken directly from the novel. And most characters were very similar to how I imagined them!

>188 NinieB: I think that I wouldn't have minded had I read it at that age! This is why rereading makes for such an interesting experience, to see how our attitudes have changed over time.

>189 kac522: I'm glad we agree on this!

>182 MissBrangwen: Happy belated birthday! Enjoy your lovely new books.

>191 MissWatson: Thank you, Birgit!

My next audiobook was Bunburry - A Taste of Murder, the third in a series of cosy mysteries.



Book No 85

"Bunburry - A Taste of Murder" by Helena Marchmont
Series: Bunburry (3/18)
First published in 2018
Lübbe Audio
Digital audiobook, 2h 42min
Rating: 2 stars - **

Alfie McAlister has become accustomed to the village of Bunburry where he moved after inheriting a cottage from his late aunt.
When a beef farmer is trampled to death by a cow, the police suspect that it was murder and that a gate was left open on purpose by Betty, a member of the Green Party. She had openly accused the farmer because of his cruel methods shortly before his death. But of course Alfie and his two elderly friends, Liz and Marge, are convinced that Betty is not the murderer, and they start investigating.

I did not really like the story line about beef farming, but even worse, not much investigating happens. Alfie drives around and asks a few questions, but that's about it. There is just so little actual plot, even for such a short book, and the relationship between the characters are superficial as well. The ending was even more disappointing because it wasn't even murder!
I still like Alfie as a character and Nathaniel Parker is a good narrator, but I will not continue with this series.

I abandoned Wintergäste by Sybil Volks after 39 pages/7%.
It was a cover buy five years ago, but it was completely different from what I expected it to be. I did not like the characters and the style, and everything seemed exaggerated to me.

I will have to "chat" with you about my trip to Europe next year. My sister and I are going to Auschwitz. But since the major cost is getting there, we want to spend some more time in eastern Europe, but need suggestions!

>195 Tess_W: I am by no means an expert, but I'll help as best as I can!

>165 MissBrangwen: I found Galatea in a book shop last weekend, so bought it. It's rather dinky. Looking forward to it.

Sounds like a great trip to Prague. I hope your students appreciated it and the effort that goes into arranging it all.

Sorry to hear of the migraines. I used to get them, but *touches wood* they've tailed off. Hope the new medication works as intended for you.

Happy birthday to both you & your husband. Nothing says a birthday like a pile of books!

>197 Helenliz: "Nothing says a birthday like a pile of books!"
I totally agree! And I hope you enjoy Galatea. It is a small book indeed.

>164 Helenliz: I read that one and liked it and was eager for more. But apparently she has Long Covid so I dont know what else she can write. Hope she gets better soon!

>163 MissBrangwen: check out natalie haynesbooks. my fav is her take on Medusa stone blind but I liked al of them, another that was a take on the fall of Troy A Thousand Ships

and happy belated birthday!

Happy Belated Birthday! You have received quite a lot of books, and I hope you enjoy each of them.

Like you, I've pulled back from this year's CATS and KITS, though I find that they help me focus on what book in my TBR I will read in a given month.

Can't wait to see your thread for next year!

>200 cindydavid4: I have both of those on my kindle and am looking forward to them very much!

>201 threadnsong: "though I find that they help me focus on what book in my TBR I will read in a given month." That is what I like about them, too, so I'm still trying to find a balance for next year!

And trank you both for the birthday wishes!

>187 MissBrangwen: It is weird how she seems to have felt mysteries needed a romantic tie up as well.

>203 charl08: Weird indeed! I didn't really notice it in the beginning, but it became more apparent the more books I read.

I haven't shared a review in quite some time, not because I haven't been reading, but I did not finish anything in a while because I had started reading so many books. Now I have finished The Fall of Arthur, though, which was written by J.R.R. Tolkien and edited by Christopher Tolkien.



Book No 86

"The Fall of Arthur" by J.R.R. Tolkien & Christopher Tolkien (ed.)
First published in 2013
HarperCollins
Hardcover, 233pp.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars - ****°

CATs & KITs: September CalendarCAT, September AlphaKIT C-V
BingoDOG: A book about a topic about which you have specific knowledge or expertise
Other LT challenges: Reading Through Time Quarterly - Arthurian Britain
My own categories: Tolkien

The Fall of Arthur is a poem which was written by J.R.R. Tolkien in the 1930s. Unfortunately, as so many of his works, he abandoned it and never returned to it. The version published here runs to about forty-five pages and includes Guinevere's affair with Lancelot, Mordred's intrigue and the breaking of the fellowship of the Knights of the Round Table. The poem is written in alliterative verse and although this seems to be rather a simple meter at first glance, it is full of art. Reading this is a moving and fundamental experience because every single word carries meaning. The rhythm creates an archaic atmosphere, which underlines the tradition and old age of these stories.

The poem is followed by four essays and an appendix written by Christopher Tolkien in which the work is placed within the Arthurian tradition and compared to medieval texts, most notably Le More d'Arthur. Christopher Tolkien also examines its relation to The Silmarillion, especially the ways the Arthurian myths might have influenced that work. He also shows the evolution of the poem and includes different versions and alternatives to what he decided must have been the last version. The appendix provides an introduction to Anglo-Saxon poetry and alliterative verse and includes an excerpt of a lecture that J.R.R. Tolkien once held on the topic and in which he used parts of The Fall of Arthur as examples.

This was a reread for me after six years and while I still absolutely loved the poem, I found the last two essays a bit wanting. I would have wished for more conclusions drawn from presenting the evolution of the text and its parallels to The Silmarillion. I really enjoyed reading the other essays and the appendix, though. I do recommend this book to anyone interested in alliterative verse, in the Arthurian legends from an academic point of view, or in Tolkien's work apart from his writings on Middle-earth.

I've finished Three Sea Stories: Typhoon, Falk, The Shadow-Line by Joseph Conrad, which I have owned for several years, although I cannot remember where or when I bought it.



Book No 87

"Three Sea Stories: Typhoon, Falk, The Shadow-Line" by Joseph Conrad
First published in 1902/1903/1917
Wordsworth Classics
Paperback, 284pp.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

CATs & KITs: September AlphaKIT - C-V, September RandomKIT - Weather
My own categories: Classics

This is a collection of three stories, all of them concerned with events at or close to the sea in Asia.

Typhoon
The blurb calls this story Conrad's funniest, but while I saw moments of humor, all in all it was rather an adventure story to me. As can be guessed from the title, this short novel (novella? story?) deals with a typhoon, experienced by the captain of a steam ship. The humorous aspects often concern the Asian passengers who journey home after years of working in other countries and these scenes were a bit disturbing to me because the depiction lacks so much respect. Apart from that, it is an exciting story and I especially liked the descriptions of the noises and the atmosphere of the storm.

Falk
The narrator is a young commander who is stuck in port for various reasons and often visits a family who live on another ship. Falk is another character who possesses the only available tug boat. He is a strange figure and acts in ways that are hard to understand until the reader finally learns more about him.
This story takes a lot of time until it finally unfolds and it was hard for me to remain interested without knowing where it went. All the aspects are tied up in the end, though, and interesting questions are raised in the outcome.

The Shadow-Line
This one was my favourite in the collection. The narrator is a young man who secures his first command and boards his ship full of expectant joy, but his first journey as captain is utterly hard. I liked both the style and the content of this story. It is very dark and the author masterfully creates an atmosphere of doom. Apparently the title and also the story itself are metaphors both for coming of age and for World War One.

I do not know much about Joseph Conrad, but knowing that he was a seaman himself and wrote from experience made me appreciate these stories more and made them more interesting to me, although he is not one of my favourite writers. I am not sure when I will get to Heart of Darkness and Lord Jim, which are on my shelves.

I have totally overcommitted for September, and also haven't had nearly as much time to read as I thought I would have, so when looking for a V book to read for AlphaKIT I chose the shortest one I could find. Early in the month I had abandoned Wintergäste by Sybil Volks, my initial choice, so I needed a replacement.
The shortest V book on my shelf was Lance, a collection of three short stories by Vladimir Nabokov, which coincided with my wish to read a few more literary classics in the remainder the year.



Book No 88

"Lance" by Vladimir Nabokov
Series: Penguin Modern Mini (49)
First published in 1931/1948/1951
Penguin Books
Paperback, 52pp.
Rating: 3 stars - ***°

CATs & KITs: September AlphaKIT C-V
My own categories: Classics

This slim volume contains three short stories. All of them deal with a kind of obsession or mental illness and do not have much of a plot.
The Aurelian was my favourite of the three. The protagonist is a shop keeper who collects butterflies and dreams of going on a collecting trip to faraway countries one day. His daily life seems boring and mundane to him, especially his marriage. I sympathized with this character while simultaneously hating him for how he treated his wife.
Signs and Symbols, is about a family. The son lives in a sanatorium because he is mentally ill and his parents try to visit him on his birthday, but are barred from seeing him. Nabokov masterfully describes the couple's reaction to this when they are home again, and the story touched my heart.
Lance was hard to grasp at first and it needed some time to make sense. The title character is an astronaut and the story mainly tells us about his parents and about how they deal with their son's journey to space. It also has parts that are quite philosophical, and is both a take on as well as criticism of the genre of science fiction. While I appreciate what the author did here, this story wasn't my favourite and it was a bit of a chore to read it.

All three stories are artfully written. The prose is carefully composed and just gorgeous. They are dark stories, but also touching in their humanity.
Like the "Little Black Classics", these "Penguin Modern Minis" offer an introduction to famous authors and I am happy that they made me read these short stories by a writer that I was never particularly interested in.

The last few days have been a whirlwind of work, a concert visit, and preparing for our trip to Romania which starts tomorrow. I haven't shared my last September reads with you, but I'll do so when I am back!

I hope you all have a wonderful start to October and see you in two weeks!

Hope you have a wonderful trip!

Have a great time!

Have a great trip.

Bon Voyage!

Have a wonderful trip to Romania!

Enjoy your trip to Romania and happy reading!

>205 MissBrangwen: Thank you for this review. It is on my Tolkien TBR shelf and I'm glad to know that he wrote about Arthur in such a classic way with verse. I had always thought he disliked stories about King Arthur but it seems my 13 year old self mis-remembered those details.

I am back from Romania! The trip was really interesting and a great experience! Unfortunately my husband had a really bad cold for most of the time, but we still did most of the things we had planned. The landscape and architecture were just beautiful. My favourite experience was seeing brown bears, both in the wild (three bears in a forest on an organized trip with a ranger) and in a large sanctuary.

As always, I am so much looking forward to sharing what I read and to catching up with all of your threads!

>209 christina_reads: >210 Jackie_K: >211 Helenliz: >212 Tess_W: >213 VivienneR: Thank you all!

>214 threadnsong: Somehow I thought the same thing before this book was published! I hope you enjoy this book when you get to it. I think the connection between Arthurian topics, medieval studies and Middle-earth is wonderful.

I still have two September reads to share, and this is the first one. I had wanted to reread Auf der Suche nach König Artus (Searching for King Arthur) by Jürgen Wolf for some time. I had first read it more than ten years ago and wished to refresh my memory because it is such an interesting book.



Book No 89

"Auf der Suche nach König Artus" by Jürgen Wolf
First published in 2009
WBG
Hardcover, 143pp.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars - ****°

Other LT challenges: Reading Through Time Quarterly - Arthurian Britain
My own categories: Nonfiction - History

This book only has 143 pages, but it has a large format, like a coffee table book. Although there are many pictures, most of it is text.
The author provides an overview of the history of King Arthur from the very beginnings until now. This includes the historical evidence of a real Arthur (as little as there is), the first mentions of him in historical texts in the early Middle Ages, the flourishing of Arthurian literature across Europe and even further, and the developments until the publishing of fantasy novels and films in the 20th and 21st centuries. The book covers a lot, but it is written in a concise way. Sometimes I wonder why certain details are included that do not really add anything of value, but all in all, the author does an admirable job of organizing and presenting the sheer unbelievable volume and wealth of knowledge about King Arthur, Arthurian literature and its cultural phenomena.
The book concludes with an appendix of lists and a lot of further information, providing an excellent starting point to dive further into the topic.

welcome back!! another place Ive wanted to visit but likey wont, but i am going to the Romanian festival here in a few weeks so I can pretend

>217 cindydavid4: Thank you! I hope you have fun at the festival!

Next was another Romanian novel, Der Feuerturm (The Fire Tower) by Catalin Dorian Florescu. The author has written several novels, but I chose this one because it is almost completely set in Bucharest.
Unfortunately, it has not been translated to English, nor have any others by this author as far as I can tell.



Book No 90

"Der Feuerturm" by Catalin Dorian Florescu
First published in 2022
C.H. Beck
Hardcover, 361pp.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars - ****°

CATs & KITs: April HistoryCAT - Riots, Revolution and Mayhem

Catalin Dorian Florescu was born in Romania, but moved to Switzerland as a teenager. He writes in German, so I read this novel in the original.

The story is told by Victor Stoica, a factory worker. It spans five generations, from his great-grandparents to his daughter - all of these Stoicas have lived in Bucharest, and their lives have always been tied the fire tower. Victor's male ancestors have all been firemen, and he was the first one who chose another job, although he still loves the tower. It does not only hold his childhood memories, but the stories and recollections of his family, and these make up the novel.

It slowly becomes clear that Victor himself narrates the story from December 1989 - the days leading up to the Romanian revolution. His current experiences are interspersed with the family stories and memories, and the reader slowly learns about Victor's life, too. All of this is ultimately a history of Bucharest or even of Romania: Its wars, its architectural and societal changes, the dictatorship, and in 1989, the hope for change. This history seems even more powerful as it is told through the eyes of the people, their day to day hardships, the little details of their lives.

Although these are heavy topics, the pages just flew by when I was reading this novel. Some aspects were a bit repetitive, but apart from this, it was a wonderful reading experience and a book that I will think about for a long time. The author's way of characterizing usual people and their emotions touched and fascinated me.

I'm so glad you enjoyed Romania, Mirjam! Sorry to hear about your husband's cold though, it's no fun being unwell when you're travelling.

>220 Jackie_K: Definitely no fun, especially because he had to do all the driving!
Oh, and we enjoyed Sibiu so much. What a beautiful city!

>219 MissBrangwen: That sounds very interesting! The name is familiar, I think I've got something in the stacks...

>222 MissWatson: I hadn't heard of this author before, but he was recommended by my KnowHow travel guide.

I have finally started a new thread for autumn and the last quarter of the year - it is here. Please join me over there :-)