(Sir)Thomas reads round retirement in 2025 Part 3

Welcome to my third thread in 2025.


Our favourite holiday place - We're going back there in mid-September...

Hi everybody, my Name is Thomas, I am 63 years young and I live in a small town in northern Baden Wuerttemberg, Germany.
I used to be a COBOL-programmer, project manager, user helpdesk,... - in short, I was responsible for everything in a small project with about 400 users and the variety made it a lot of fun, even if it was stressful.
My librarything name comes from my study time, a friend and I wrote short crime novels in which the other was the role model for the investigator. My friend called my alter ego Sir Thomas.
We would read them to the others in the dormitory, it was a great time, even though I wasn't very talented.
2024 was again a good reading year since I am part of this group - 166 finished books.
This is my 13th year in this awesome group, and every year is going better and better with books and friends.
My library grows and grows, as I can hardly bring myself to throw away a book - it's a good thing that eBooks hardly take up any space on the shelf...

My reading performance in this group:
2013: _84 books
2014: 109 books
2015: _78 books
2016: 107 books
2017: 130 books
2018: 127 books
2019: 151 books
2021: 177 books
2022: 182 books
2023: 188 books
2024: 166 books
2025: 193 books

Reading List for January
2. Kleine freie Männer / The Wee Free Men by Terry Pratchett
1. Das Haus in dem Gudelia stirbt by Thomas Knüwer
3. Sing, wilder Vogel, sing / Sing, Wild Bird, Sing by Jacqueline O’Mahony
4. Fünf Winter / Five Decembers by James Kestrel
5. Weit über der smaragdgrünen See / Tress of the Emerald Sea by Brandon Sanderson
6. Invasion aus dem All by Clark Darlton
7. Emil und die Detektive by Erich Kästner
8. Black As F***. Die wahre Geschichte der USA / Black AF History: The Un-Whitewashed Story of America by Michael Harriot
9. Yallah Mord! by Bülent Ceylan
10. Mad in Hollywood / A Mad Look at Old Movies by Mort Drucker
11. Miss Merkel: Mord auf dem Friedhof by David Safier
12. Das Parfum des Todes / 成為怪物以前 by Katniss Hsiao
13. Quanten. 100 Seiten by Robert Löw
14. Schöpferische Entwicklung / L'évolution créatrice by Henri Bergson
15. Sörensen macht Urlaub by Sven Stricker
16. Die Venusbasis by Kurt Mahr
17. Hilfe für die Erde by W. W. Shols
18. Schwarzes Echo / The Black Echo by Michael Connelly
19. Infinitia by Andreas Brandhorst
20. Mehr vom Leben: Wie mich die Begleitung Sterbender verändert by Johanna Klug
21. Täuschend echt by Charles Lewinsky

DNF. Wie die Welt weiterging: Geschichten für jeden Tag by Monika Helfer

Reading List for February
22. Meinungsfreiheit!: Demokratie für Fortgeschrittene by Volker Kitz
23. Von Mäusen und Menschen / Of mice and men by John Steinbeck
24. A Tempest of Tea / A Tempest of Tea by Hafsah Faizal
25. Geisterfjord / Ég man þig by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
26. Verbrannte Gnade / Scorched Grace by Margot Douaihy
27. Frau Morgenstern und der Abgrund by Marcel Huwyler
28. Lückenleben: Mein Mann, der Alzheimer, die Konventionen und ich by Katrin Seyfert
29. The Deeper Meaning of Liff by Douglas Adams
30. Androidenträume / The Android's Dream by John Scalzi
31. 25 letzte Sommer by Stephan Schäfer
32. Der Dritte Planet / Third From the Sun by Richard Matheson
33. Die unglaubliche Geschichte des Mister C. / The Shrinking Man by Richard Matheson
34. Die Brücke über die Drina / Na Drini ćuprija by Ivo Andrić
35. Ghost Station / Ghost Station by S. A. Barnes
36. Das Milliarden-Gehirn / To Marry Medusa by Theodore Sturgeon
37. Es werden schöne Tage kommen / Beautiful Days by Zach Williams

Reading List for March
38. Haunted Houses Creak by M. H. Altis
39. ONE OF US IS LYING / ONE OF US IS LYING by Karen M. McManus
40. Ein Hut voller Sterne / A Hat Full of Sky by Terry Pratchett
41. Ordnung nebenbei by Gunda Borgeest
42. Campion. Tödliches Erbe / Look to the Lady by Margery Allingham
43. Paradox Hotel / The Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart
44. Schachnovelle by Stefan Zweig
45. Der letzte Mord am Ende der Welt / The Last Murder at the End of the World by Stuart Turton
46. Es ist nicht alles so scheiße, wie du denkst by Henning Schmidtke
47. Miss Merkel: Mord in der Uckermark by David Safier
48. Der Griesgram / Le Grincheux by André Gide
49. Vergessene Zukunft / Against the Fall of Night by Arthur C. Clarke
50. America Fantastica / America Fantastica by Tim O'Brien
51. Alles Liebe vom Tod / From doon with death by Ruth Rendell
52. Ein blitzsauberer Mord by Andreas Suchanek
53. Raumschlacht im Wega-Sektor by K. H. Scheer
54. Mutanten im Einsatz by Kurt Mahr
55. Das Geheimnis der Zeitgruft by Clark Darlton
56. Möchte die Witwe angesprochen werden, platziert sie auf dem Grab die Gießkanne mit dem Ausguss nach vorne by Saša Stanišić
57. Bezahlt wird nicht!: Eine Farce / Non Si Paga! Non Si Paga! by Dario Fo
58. Angry Birds: Operation Omelett / Angry Birds: Operation Omelette by Jeff Parker
59. Die Blaue Stunde / The Blue Hour by Paula Hawkins

Reading List for April
60. Das Kastell / The Keep by F. Paul Wilson
61. Die Hausboot-Detektei - Tödlicher Genuss by Amy Achterop
62. Die Festung der sechs Monde by K. H. Scheer
63. Sträters Gutenachtgeschichten by Torsten Sträter
64. This Book Kills / This Book Kills by Ravena Guron
65. Iowa: Ein Ausflug nach Amerika by Stefanie Sargnagel
66. Das galaktische Rätsel by Clark Darlton
67. Die Spur durch Zeit und Raum by Clark Darlton
68. Kleine Mordgeschichten für Tierfreunde / The animal loverʼs book of beastly murder by Patricia Highsmith
69. Prinz Kaspian von Narnia / Prince Caspian by C. S. Lewis
70. Hellas Channel / Νυχτερινό δελτίο by Petros Markaris
71. Frankie by Jochen Gutsch & Maxim Leo
72. Alles Boulevard: Wer seine Kultur verliert, verliert sich selbst / La civilización del espectáculo by Mario Vargas Llosa
73. Wackelkontakt by Wolf Haas
74. Nicht länger ein Mensch / 人間失格 by Osamu Dazai
75. Stärkende Stille by Margot Käßmann
76. Fremder in einer fremden Welt / Stranger in a Strange Land (Original Uncut) by Robert A. Heinlein
77. Die Geister von Gol by Kurt Mahr

Reading List for May
78. Planet der sterbenden Sonne by Kurt Mahr
79. Die Rebellen von Tuglan by Clark Darlton
80. Der Unsterbliche by K. H. Scheer
81. Der Winterschmied / Wintersmith by Terry Pratchett
82. Modesty Blaise. Die Lady bittet ins Jenseits / Sabre Tooth by Peter O'Donnell
83. SHINING IN THE DARK / Shining in the Dark by Hans-Åke Lilja
84. Schlachthof 5 oder Der Kinderkreuzzug / Slaughterhouse-Five by Kurt Vonnegut
85. Zero Days / Zero Days by Ruth Ware
86. Hase und ich / Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton
87. Lob des Müßiggangs / In Praise of Idleness and Other Essays by Bertrand Russel
88. X 7 antwortet nicht by Stefan Wolf
89. 42 Gründe, das Universum zu hassen / 42 Reasons to Hate the Universe by Chris Ferrie
90. Die Bibliothek der verlorenen Bücher by Alexander Pechmann
91. Der Holländer / De Hollanderby Mathijs Deen

Reading List for June
92. Jack aus den Schatten / Jack of Shadows by Roger Zelazny
93. Kein Zurück / Never Flinch by Stephen King
94. Freitag / Friday by Robert A. Heinlein
95. Owen Meany / A Prayer for Owen Meany by John Irving
96. Ein Wort, um dich zu retten / La vie secrète des écrivains by Guillaume Musso
97. Der Gärtner und der Tod / Градинарят и смъртта by Georgi Gospodinov
98. Nachttod / Nattsångaren by Johanna Mo
99. Er lebe hoch! Loriot zum 100. Geburtstag by Dennis Metz and Steffen Gumpert
100. Die Brüder Löwenherz / Bröderna Lejonhjärta by Astrid Lindgren
101. Finsterhaus / Skuggliljan by Johanna Mo
102. Das Paradies meines Nachbarn by Nava Ebrahimi
103. Handbuch für den vorsichtigen Reisenden durch das Ödland / The Cautious Traveller's Guide to the Wastelands by Sarah Brooks
104. Dunkelwald / Mittlandet by Johanna Mo
105. Und jeden Morgen das Meer by Karl-Heinz Ott

Reading List for July
106. Das Mitternachtskleid / I Shall Wear Midnight by Terry Pratchett
107. Vollidiot by Tommy Jaud
108. 19 doors by Rob Roy O'Keefe
109. Zone One / Zone One by Colson Whitehead
110. Feuer in Berlin / March Violets by Philip Kerr
111. Der Freund / The Friend by Sigrid Nunez
112. Gebrauchsanweisung für Nachbarn by Wladimir Kaminer and Martin Hyun
113. Die Gartenparty / Blow Hot, Blow Cold by Ellery Queen
114. Venus in Gefahr by Kurt Mahr
115. Nebelstunde / Darrgräset by Johanna Mo
116. Der Atomkrieg findet nicht statt by Kurt Mahr
117. Tod einer roten Heldin / Death of a red heroine by Qiu Xiaolong
118. Das Einhörnchen, das rückwärts leben wollte by Walter Moers
119. Pride began on Christopher Street by Christian Handel and Andreas Suchanek
120. Frankenstein : Complete & Unabridged with Illustrations by Mary Shelley
121. Jenseits des Ozeans / Somewhere Beyond the Sea by T. J. Klune
122. Wie man würdelos altert / How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley

Reading List for August
123. Auf Leben und Tod by Eric Wrede
124. Ausgespielt by Theresa Prammer
125. Wie Faschismus funktioniert / How Fascism Works by Jason Stanley
126. Die Bauern / Chlopi by Wladislaw S. Reymont
127. Die Entdeckung des Himmels / De ontdekking van de hemel by Harry Mulisch
128. Das Buch der tausend Türen / The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown
129. Yoko by Bernhard Aichner
130. Feeling Safe: Wie sicher bist du wirklich? / You Shouldn't Have Come Here by Jeneva Rose
131. Der Mordclub von Shaftesbury - Die Tote fällt nicht weit vom Stamm by Emily Winston
132. Aua!: Die Geschichte meines Körpers by Axel Hacke
133. Das gekaufte Leben by Tobias Sommer
134. Der Twyford-Code / The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett
135. Der Fischer und der Sohn / Balıkçı ve Oğlu by Zülfü Livaneli
136. Fangboys Abenteuer / Fangboy by Jeff Strand
137. Das Mörderarchiv: Der Tod, der am Dienstag kommt / How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin
138. Benjamins Parasit / Benjamin's Parasite by Jeff Strand

Reading List for September
139. Der Taucher / De duiker by Mathijs Deen
140. Die Krone des Schäfers / The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett
141. Leichenschilf / Dotter saknad by Anna Jansson
142. Thoras Flucht by Clark Darlton
143. Lyneham by Nils Westerboer
144. Die Farbe der Rache by Cornelia Funke
145. Das Schwert in der Stille / Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn
146. Geheimschaltung X by W. W. Shols
147. Darwin gefällt das: Wie Einsteins Gehirn in einer Lunchbox landete und andere abstruse Einfälle der Menschheit by Anna Bühler and Christian Alt
148. Àmbar / Àmbar by Nicolás Ferraro
149. Die Theologie des Wildschweins / La teologia del cinghiale by Gesuino Némus
150. The Destroyer of Worlds: A Return to Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff
151. Ausgerechnet Sylt by Thomas Herzberg
152. Die Burg by Ursula Poznanski

Reading List for October
153. Böse: Die Psychologie unserer Abgründe / Evil: The Science Behind Humanity's Dark Side by Julia Shaw
154. Willkommen auf Skios / Skios by Michael Frayn
155. Fahr zur Hölle, Mister B. / Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker
156. Alptraumland by by Ronald M. Hahn & Horst Pukallus
157. Wer Zwietracht sät / A Slowly Dying Cause by by Elizabeth George
158. Es währt für immer und dann ist es vorbei / It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over by by Anne de Marcken
159. Das Schicksal ist ein mieser Verräter / The Fault in Our Stars by John Green
160. Unheil / The Fog by James Herbert
161. Herscht 07769 / Herscht 07769 by László Krasznahorkai
162. Picknick der Friseure by Felicitas Hoppe
163. Hummelstich - Ein Mord kommt selten allein by Katharina Schendel
164. Schneewittchen-Party / Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie
165. Der Clan der Magier / A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny

Reading List for November
166. Der Tod in ihren Händen / Death In Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh
167. Der grüne Papst / El Papa Verde by Miguel Ángel Asturias
168. Maurice, der Kater / The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett
169. Agent der Sterne / Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi
170. Asterix in Lusitanien / Astérix en Lusitanie by Fabcaro and Conrad Didier
171. Das Wesen der Dinge und der Liebe / The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert
172. Die Pest / La Peste by Albert Camus
173. Der illustrierte Mann / The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury
174. Der Retter / De Redder by Mathijs Deen
175. Die kleine Hexe by Otfried Preussler
176. Die Kolonie / The Gathering by C. J. Tudor
177. Manche Schuld vergeht nie / Th Frozen People by Elly Griffiths
178. Die Mars-Chroniken / The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury
179. Das Schweigen des Wassers by Susanne Tägder

Reading List for December
180. Dämmersee / Brottsjön by Johanna Mo
181. Auf dem Weg in den Ruhestand by Britta Laubvogel
182. DAS ENDE DER WELT WIE WIR SIE KENNEN / The End of the World as We Know It by Christopher Golden and Brian Keene
183. Kleine Morde erhalten die Nachbarschaft / A Curtain Twitcher's Book of Murder by Gay Marris
184. Die Praktikantin / The Intern by Gregg Hurwitz
185. DNA / DNA by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir
186. Der Intrigant / The Disinformer by Peter Ustinov
187. Jahrestage I. Aus dem Leben von Gesine Cresspahl by Uwe Johnson
188. Assistant to the Villain / Assistant to the Villainby Hannah Nicole Maehrer
189. Cold Eternity / Cold Eternity by S. A. Barnes
190. Hagakure / 葉隱 by Jocho Yamamoto
191. Escape Room. Das Hotel der tausend Augen by Eva Eich
192. Der lange Weg zu einem kleinen zornigen Planeten / The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers
193. Hoch Oben by Joachim Zelter

A great idea from Paul Cranswick was A BOOK A YEAR FOR THE FIRST 64 YEARS OF MY LIFE
This is my updated list:
1961 Ein Mann in einer fremden Welt / Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
1962 Die Physiker / The Physicists: A Play by Friedrich Dürrenmatt
1963 Platon im Stripteaselokal / Misreadings by Umberto Eco
1964 Am Freitag schlief der Rabbi lang / Friday the Rabbi Slept Late by Harry Kemelman
1965 Der Wüstenplanet / Dune by Frank Herbert
1966 Die phantastische Reise / Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov
1967 Die Vergangenheit der Zukunft (Future History) / The Past Through Tomorrow by Robert A. Heinlein
1968 2001 - Odyssee im Weltraum / 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
1969 Papillon / Papillon by Henri Charrière
1970 Und die Großen läßt man laufen / Murder at the Savoy by Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö
1971 Der Exorzist / The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
1972 Sieh doch die Harlekins / Look at the Harlequins! by Vladimir Nabokov
1973 Momo oder die seltsame Geschichte von den Zeit-Dieben und von dem Kind, das den Menschen die gestohlene Zeit zurückbrachte / Momo by Michael Ende
1974 Carrie / Carrie by Stephen King
1975 Dhalgren / Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany
1976 Interwiew mit einem Vampir / Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
1977 Sternentanz / Stardance by Jeanne Robinson & Spider Robinson
1978 Stadtgeschichten / Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
1979 Per Anhalter durch die Galaxis / The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
1980 Der Name der Rose / The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
1981 Cujo / Cujo by Stephen King
1982 Freitag / Friday by Robert A. Heinlein
1983 Christine / Christine by Stephen King
1984 Der Talisman / The Talisman by Stephen King & Peter Straub
1985 Contact / Contact by Carl Sagan
1986 Es / It by Stephen King
1987 Der Elektrische Mönch: Dirk Gently's Holistische Detektei / Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
1988 Fool on the hill / Fool on the hill by Matt Ruff
1989 Hyperion / Hyperion by Dan Simmons
1990 The Stand / The Stand (unabridged) by Stephen King
1991 Sofies Welt / Sophie's World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy by Jostein Gaarder
1992 Fräulein Smillas Gespür für Schnee / Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Høeg
1993 Alpträume / Nightmares & Dreamscapes by Stephen King
1994 Asche zu Asche / Playing for the Ashes by Elizabeth George
1995 Dunkle Kammern / The Dark Room by Minette Walters
1996 The Green Mile / The Green Mile by Stephen King
1997 G.A.S. / Sewer, Gas and Electric: The Public Works Trilogy by Matt Ruff
1998 Wächter der Nacht / The Night Watch by Sergej Lukianenko
1999 Die 13 1/2 Leben des Käpt'n Blaubär / 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers
2000 Das Haus = House of leaves / House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
2001 Jack Taylor fliegt raus / The Guards: A Novel by Ken Bruen
2002 Die Bibel nach Biff : die wilden Jugendjahre von Jesus, erzählt von seinem besten Freund / Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
2003 Ich und die anderen / Set This House in Order by Matt Ruff
2004 Der Turm / The Dark Tower by Stephen King
2005 Olympos / Olympos by Dan Simmons
2006 Am Ende war die Tat / What Came Before He Shot Her by Elizabeth George
2007 Der Tod und der Dicke / Death Comes for the Fat Man by Reginald Hill
2008 Das Spiel des Engels / The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
2009 1Q84 / 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
2010 Raum / Room by Emma Donoghue
2011 5 Dinge, die Sterbende am meisten bereuen / The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing by Bronnie Ware
2012 Ein plötzlicher Todesfall / The Casual Vacancy by J. K. Rowling
2013 Das Dickicht / The Thicket by Joe R. Lansdale
2014 Fiona: Als ich tot war 7 The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham
2015 Opferweg / Saint Odd by Dean Koontz
2016 Lovecraft Country / Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff
2017 Und dann steht einer auf und öffnet das Fenster by Susann Pasztor
2018 Von der Kunst, schlechte Nachrichten gut zu überbringen by Jalid Sehouli
2019 Kurt by Sarah Kuttner
2020 Trauer: Der Reiseführer durch ein fremdes Land by Katrin Brunner
2021 Sörensen am Ende der Welt by Sven Stricker
2022 Was im Verborgenen ruht / Something to Hide by Elizabeth George
2023 Sörensen sieht Land by Sven Stricker
2024 Schwarze Gedanken by André Franquin
2025 Black As F***. Die wahre Geschichte der USA by Michael Harriot

This was also a suggestion from the group: My Nobel Prize list:
1901 Sully Prudhomme - Intimes Tagebuch
1902 Theodor Mommsen - Römische Geschichte
1903 Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson - Meisternovellen
1904 Frédéric Mistral - Mireille
1904 José Echegaray y Eizaquirre - Meisterdramen
1905 Henryk Sienkiewicz - Quo Vadis?
1906 Giosuè Carducci - Gedichte
1907 Rudyard Kipling - Dschungelbücher
1908 Rudolf Christoph Eucken - Sinn und Wert
1909 Selma Lagerlöf - Wunderbare Reise des kleinen Nils Holgerson mit den Wildgänsen
1910 Paul Heyse - Italienische Novellen
1911 Count Maurice Maeterlinck - Das Leben der Termiten
1912 Gerhart Hauptmann - Große Erzählungen
1913 Rabindranath Tagore - Gitanjali
1915 Romain Rolland - Meister Breugnon
1916 Verner von Heidenstam - Karl der Zwölfte und seine Krieger
1917 Karl Adolph Gjellerup - Seit ich zuerst sie sah
1917 Henrik Pontoppidan - Der Teufel am Herd
1919 Carl Spitteler - Prometheus der Dulder
1920 Knut Hamsun - Segen der Erde
1921 Anatole France - Die Schuld des Professors Bonnard
1922 Jacinto Benavente - Der tugendhafte Glücksritter
1923 William Butler Yeats Ausgewählte Werke
1924 Wladyslaw Reymont Die Bauern
1925 George Bernard Shaw - Pygmalion
1926 Grazia Deledda
1927 Henri Bergson Schöpferische Entwicklung
1928 Sigrid Undset
1929 Thomas Mann - Buddenbrooks
1930 Sinclair Lewis
1931 Erik Axel Karlfeldt
1932 John Galsworthy
1933 Ivan Alekseyevich Bunin
1934 Luigi Pirandello - Mattia Pascal
1936 Eugene O'Neill
1937 Roger Martin du Gard
1938 Pearl S. Buck - Die gute Erde
1939 Frans Eemil Sillanpää
1944 Johannes Vilhelm Jensen
1945 Gabriela Mistral
1946 Hermann Hesse - Knulp
1947 André Gide - Der Griesgram
1948 T.S. Elliot
1949 William Faulkner
1950 Bertrand Russell Lob des Müßiggangs
1951 Pär Lagerkvist
1952 François Mauriac
1953 Sir Winston Churchill Meine frühen Jahre
1954 Ernest Hemingway Der alte Mann und das Meer
1955 Halldór Laxness
1956 Juan Ramón Jiménez
1957 Albert Camus Die Pest
1958 Boris Pasternak - Doktor Schiwago
1959 Salvatore Quasimodo
1960 Saint-John Perse
1961 Ivo Andric Die Brücke über die Drina
1962 John Steinbeck Von Mäusen und Menschen
1963 Giorgos Seferis
1964 Jean-Paul Sartre
1965 Michail Sholokhov
1966 Shmuel Yosef Agnon - Nur wie ein Gast zur Nacht
1966 Nelly Sachs
1967 Miguel Ángel Asturias - Der grüne Papst
1968 Yasunari Kawabata
1969 Samuel Beckett - Warten auf Godot
1970 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
1971 Pablo Neruda
1972 Heinrich Böll - Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum
1973 Patrick White
1974 Eyvind Johnson
1974 Harry Martinson
1975 Eugenio Montale - Der Sturmwind und anderes
1976 Saul Bellow
1977 Vincente Aleixandre
1978 Isaac Bashevis Singer - Ein Bräutigam und zwei Bräute
1979 Odysseas Elytis
1980 Czeslaw Milosz
1981 Elias Canetti
1982 Gabriel Garciá Márquez
1983 William Golding
1984 Jaroslav Seifert
1985 Claude Simon
1986 Akinwande Ouwoe Soyinka - Aké, Jahre der Kindheit
1987 Joseph Brodsky
1988 Naguib Mahfouz
1989 Camilo José Cela
1990 Octavio Paz
1991 Nadine Gordimer July's Leute
1992 Derek Walcott
1993 Toni Morrison - Jazz
1994 Kenzaburo Oe Der stumme Schrei
1995 Seamus Heaney
1996 Wislawa Szymborska Auf Wiedersehen, Bis morgen : Gedichte
1997 Dario Fo - Bezahlt wird nicht!: Eine Farce
1998 José Saramago - Die Reise des Elefanten
1999 Günter Grass - Die Blechtrommel
2000 Gao Xingjian
2001 Vidiadhar Surjprasad Naipaul
2002 Imre Kertész
2003 John Maxwell Coetzee Sommer des Lebens
2004 Elfriede Jelinek Schwarzwasser. Am Königsweg - Zwei Theaterstücke
2005 Harold Pinter
2006 Orhan Pamuk Rot ist mein Name
2007 Doris Lessing - Das fünfte Kind
2008 J.M.G. Le Clézio
2009 Herta Müller
2010 Mario Vargas Llosa Alles Boulevard: Wer seine Kultur verliert, verliert sich selbst
2011 Tomas Tranströmer
2012 Mo Yan
2013 Alice Munro - Die Jupitermonde
2014 Patrick Modiano
2015 Svetlana Alexievich - Tschernobyl: Eine Chronik der Zukunft
2016 Bob Dylan - It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall
2017 Kazuo Ishiguro - Der begrabene Riese
2018 Olga Tokarczuk - Ur und andere Zeiten
2019 Peter Handke - Die Angst des Tormanns beim Elfmeter
2020 Louise Gluck Winterrezepte aus dem Kollektiv
2021 Abdulrazak Gurnah Das verlorene Paradies
2022 Annie Ernaux - Der Platz
2023 Jon Fosse - Trilogie: Schlaflos / Olavs Träume / Abendmattigkeit
2024 Kang Han - Die Vegetarierin
2025 László Krasznahorkai - Herscht 07769


Now I have read 69 award winners, 53 to go.

This project is scheduled to run for several years and will not be completed until long after 2025.

And some Series I want to mention - A suggestion from Anita (FAMeulstee)
Thomas Andreasson
Tödlicher Mittsommer - Tod im Schärengarten - Die Toten von Sandhamn - Mörderische Schärennächte - Beim ersten Schärenlicht - Tod in stiller Nacht - Tödliche Nachbarschaft - Mörderisches Ufer - Flucht in die Schären - Das Grab in den Schären

Rönning & Stilton
Die Springflut - Die dritte Stimme - Die Strömung - Schlaflied - Wundbrand - Kaltes Gold - Der gute Samariter - Nattens öga

Isabelle Bonnet
Madame le Commissaire und der verschwundene Engländer - Madame le Commissaire und die späte Rache - Madame le Commissaire und der Tod des Polizeichefs - Madame le Commissaire und das geheimnisvolle Bild - Madame le Commissaire und die tote Nonne - Madame le Commissaire und der tote Liebhaber - Madame le Commissaire und die Frau ohne Gedächtnis - Madame le Commissaire und die panische Diva - Madame le Commissaire und die Villa der Frauen - Madame le Commissaire und die Mauer des Schweigens - Madame le Commissaire und das geheime Dossier

Borne
Borne - Tote Astronauten

Dalziel & Pascoe
A Clubbable Woman - An Advancement of Learning - Der Lüge schöner Schein - Ein nasses Grab - Der Calliope-Club - Der Würger von Yorkshire - Welke Rosen muss man schneiden - Exit Lines - Kein Kinderspiel - Unter Tage - Mord auf Widerruf - Ins Leben zurückgerufen - Der Schrei des Eisvogels - Der Wald des Vergessens - Das Dorf der verschwundenen Kinder - Asking for the Moon - Das Haus an der Klippe - Die rätselhaften Worte - Die Launen des Todes - Welch langen Weg die Toten gehen - Der Tod und der Dicke - Der Tod heilt alle Wunden - Die letzte Stunde naht

Whisky Business Mysteries
Whisky mit Mord - Whisky für den Mörder - Whisky mit Schuss - Ein Whisky auf den Tod

David Hunter
Die Chemie des Todes - Kalte Asche - Leichenblässe - Verwesung - Totenfang - Die ewigen Toten

Carl Mørck/Sonderdezernat Q
Erbarmen - Schändung - Erlösung - Verachtung - Erwartung - Verheißung - Selfies - Opfer 2117 - Natrium Chlorid - Verraten

Bobiverse
Ich bin viele - Wir sind Götter - Alle diese Welten - Himmelsfluss - Perverse Instantiations

Sörensen ermittelt
Sörensen hat Angst - Sörensen fängt Feuer - Sörensen am Ende der Welt - Sörensen sieht Land - Sörensen macht Urlaub

Lynley & Havers
Gott schütze dieses Haus - Keiner werfe den ersten Stein - Auf Ehre und Gewissen - Mein ist die Rache - Denn keiner ist ohne Schuld - Denn bitter ist der Tod - Asche zu Asche - Im Angesicht des Feindes - Denn sie betrügt man nicht - Undank ist der Väter Lohn - Nie sollst du vergessen - Wer die Wahrheit sucht - Wo kein Zeuge ist - Am Ende war die Tat - Doch die Sünde ist scharlachrot - Wer dem Tode geweiht - Glaube der Lüge - Nur eine böse Tat - Bedenke, was du tust - Wer Strafe verdient - Was im Verborgenen ruht - Wer Zwietracht sät

Dexter
Des Todes dunkler Bruder - Dunkler Dämon - Komm zurück, mein dunkler Bruder - Die schöne Kunst des Mordens - Dexter - Double Dexter - Dexter’s final cut - Dexter is dead

von Bodenstein und Kirchhoff
Eine unbeliebte Frau - Mordsfreunde - Tiefe Wunden - Schneewittchen muss sterben - Wer Wind sät - Böser Wolf - Die Lebenden und die Toten - Im Wald - Muttertag - In ewiger Freundschaft - Monster

I'm trying to read my way through the alphabet and have already got quite far.
The entries are not weighted according to my rating.

Titles:
A: Androidenträume
B: Black As F***. Die wahre Geschichte der USA
C: Campion. Tödliches Erbe
D: The Deeper Meaning of Liff
E: Emil und die Detektive
F: Fünf Winter
G: Geisterfjord
H: Das Haus in dem Gudelia stirbt
I: Invasion aus dem All
J: Jack aus den Schatten
K: Kleine freie Männer
L: Lückenleben: Mein Mann, der Alzheimer, die Konventionen und ich
M: Mad in Hollywood
N: Nicht länger ein Mensch
O: ONE OF US IS LYING
P: Das Parfum des Todes
Q: Quanten. 100 Seiten
R: Raumschlacht im Wega-Sektor
S: Sing, wilder Vogel, sing
T: Täuschend echt
U: Die unglaubliche Geschichte des Mister C.
V: Die Venusbasis
W: Weit über der smaragdgrünen See
X: X 7 antwortet nicht
Y: Yallah Mord!
Z: Zero Days

Authors:
A: Adams, Douglas
B: Bergson, Henri
C: Ceylan, Bülent
D: Darlton, Clark
E: Ebrahimi, Nava
F: Faizal, Hafsah
G: Gide, André
H: Harriot, Michael
I: Irving, John
J: Jaud, Tommy
K: Knüwer, Thomas
L: Löw, Robert
M: Mahr, Kurt
N: Nunez, Sigrid
O: O’Mahony, Jacqueline
P: Pratchett, Terry
Q: Queen, Ellery
R: Rendell, Ruth
S: Sanderson, Brandon
T: Turton, Stuart
U: Ustinov, Peter
V: Vargas Llosa, Mario
W: Williams, Zach
X: Xiaolong, Qiu
Y: Yamamoto, Jocho
Z: Zweig, Stefan

And my 75. book over the years - Thank you Jeff (mahsdad) for the idea:

2013: Shining by Stephen King
2014: Am Montag flog der Rabbi ab by Harry Kemelman
2015: Gesund in sieben Tagen Erfolge mit der Vitamin-D-Therapie; ein Leitfaden für die Praxis by Raimund von Helden
2016: Die nackte Sonne / The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov
2017: Die Mausefalle und andere Fallen / Three Blind Mice and Other Stories by Agatha Christie
2018: Von der Kunst, schlechte Nachrichten gut zu überbringen by Jalid Sehouli
2019: Die Geheime Geschichte / The Secret History by Donna Tartt
2020: Mürrische Monster / Demoneater by Royce Buckingham
2021: The Night Beat by Harry Bingham
2022: Eine kurze Geschichte der Menschheit / קיצור תולדות האנושות by Yuval Noah Harari
2023: Der heutige Tag: Ein Stundenbuch der Liebe by Helga Schubert
2024: Einstieg in Linux Mint 21 by Dirk Becker
2025: Stärkende Stille by Margot Käßmann

132. Aua!: Die Geschichte meines Körpers by Axel Hacke

German Title translated: Ouch!: The Story of My Body
Genre: Non Fiction
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2024
Pages: 208

A funny list of the author's body parts and the extent to which they hurt him.
Quite nice.

133. Das gekaufte Leben by Tobias Sommer

German Title translated: The purchased life
Genre: Fiction
Reading Reason: 75 Books Challenge 2025 BINGO
Medium: eBook
First published: 2022
Pages: 336

Clemens Freitag's life has failed him when he buys a whole new life in the East German countryside at auction. With a house, a car, a job, and friends. But little by little, it becomes clear that the person whose life he is now living also had problems.
A good idea, but sometimes she read the book like an instruction manual...

134. Der Twyford-Code / The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett

German Title translated: The Twyford Code
Genre: Crime Fiction
Reading Reason: 75 Books Challenge 2025 BINGO
Medium: eBook
First published: 2022
Pages: 430

Normally, there is a book and then an audiobook. Here, you read transcripts of audio files—and it works very well.
A convict released from prison sets out to find his teacher, she disappeared many years ago. He uses a children's book by an author in which he suspects there are secret codes. He gets help from old friends.
But is everything really as it seems?
A very exciting and well-written story with lots of twists and turns.

135. Der Fischer und der Sohn / Balıkçı ve Oğlu by Zülfü Livaneli

English Title: The Fisherman and His Son
German Title translated: The Fisherman and The Son
Genre: Fiction
Reading Reason: Radio recommendation
Medium: eBook
First published:
Pages: 193

A wonderful story about a fisherman who rescues a baby when he finds drowned refugees at sea.
He and his wife hide the baby, but in a small Turkish village, nothing can be kept secret for long.
Very intense and a pleasure to read.
Inspired by and alluding to Hemingway, but still unique.

Happy new thread

Happy new one, Thomas.

Happy new thread, Thomas!

Happy new thread dear Thomas.

Thank you, Anita, Barbara, Jim and Paul - And thank you for visiting!

Yesterday, my wife had another gastroscopy, so the Friday Wins are a little bit late:

On Saturday, I was able to improve my golf handicap a little.
On Tuesday, we were invited to a friend's birthday party. He turned 70 and we had a wonderful evening.
On Wednesday, I had an eye exam. I need new glasses, but otherwise everything is fine.
On Thursday, it finally rained, and we turned the tomatoes we got from our neighbor into delicious tomato sauce.
Most importantly, yesterday everything was OK. My wife has no varicose veins at the moment, so we are happy!

And ther is another win: LibraryThing 20th Birthday Treasure Hunt

The hunt fun but of course there are books too:


136. Fangboys Abenteuer / Fangboy by Jeff Strand

German Title translated: Fangboys Adventures
Genre: Horror
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge (Thank you again, Jennifer (mstrust))
Medium: eBook
First published: 2011
Pages: 312

A mixture of horror and fairy tale.
Nathan Pepper is born with many long, sharp teeth, which leads him to experience many bizarre adventures after the death of his parents. Funny and only slightly over the top ;-)

137. Das Mörderarchiv: Der Tod, der am Dienstag kommt / How to Seal Your Own Fate by Kristen Perrin

German Title translated: The Murder Archive: Death Comes on Tuesday
Genre: Crime Fiction
Reading Reason: Rummage at the library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2025
Pages: 352

The second volume in the Cozy Crime series.
Annie has arrived in Castle Knoll and is living in the community.
But when a fortune teller is murdered in her house, she has to put her detective skills to work again. In the process, she also uncovers dark stories from the past.
A pleasant read.

138. Benjamins Parasit / Benjamin's Parasite by Jeff Strand

German Title translated: Benjamin's Parasite
Genre: Horror
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge (Thank you again, Jennifer (mstrust))
Medium: eBook
First published: 2009
Pages: 282

What happens when a teacher gets infected by a parasite that changes his nature?
Absolute bloody chaos breaks out.
You can't take the book seriously, but that's not what it's trying to do.
I really enjoyed reading it.

And the statistics of August:

Books read: 16
Pages read: 6,244 (longest 880 / shortest 193 / average 390)

Personal rating:
average rating
highest rating
lowest rating

Author nationalities:

Austria: 2 / 2 / 2
England: 2 / 2 / 2
Germany: 4 / 4 / 4
Netherlands: 1 / 1 / 1
Poland: 1 / 1 / 1
Turkey: 1 / 1 / 1
USA: 5 / 5 / 4

Sum: 16 / 16 / 15

Counting mode: All authors of the books / Main Author(s) or Editor(s) per book / Only different authors

Gender:
female authors: 5 / 5 / 5
male authors: 11 / 11 / 10
n/a: - / - / -

alive authors: 14 / 14 / 13
dead authors: 2 / 2 / 2

date first published:

1900-1909: 1
1990-1999: 1
2000-2009: 1
2010-2019: 2
2020-2029: 11

Media:
Ebooks: 1
Paperbooks: 15

Genre:
Crime Fiction: 3
Fantasy: 1
Fiction: 4
Horror: 2
Non Fiction: 3
Thriller: 3

Reading Reason:
Author: 1
In Memory of Anita: 1
Media: 2
Nobel Prize: 1
Random / rummage: 7
This gorgeous group: 4

I almost forgot, BINGO!


1) The sun on cover/in title: Der Dritte Planet / Third From the Sun by Richard Matheson
The sun is on the english title and the german cover

2) A profession in title: Die Hausboot-Detektei - Tödlicher Genuss by Amy Achterop
Detektei = detective agency

3) Author has your or relative’s 1st or last name: Das Haus in dem Gudelia stirbt by Thomas Knüwer

4) A long title: (5+ words): Möchte die Witwe angesprochen werden, platziert sie auf dem Grab die Gießkanne mit dem Ausguss nach vorne by Saša Stanišić

5) Hollywood!: Mad in Hollywood by Mort Drucker

6) Features fire: Verbrannte Gnade by Margot

7) Medical topic: Lückenleben: Mein Mann, der Alzheimer, die Konventionen und ich by Katrin Seyfert
A story about living with Alzheimer's disease

8) Travel: Paradox Hotel by Rob Hart
Time travel into the past

9) Child as a main character: Kleine freie Männer by Terry Pratchett
Tiffany at the age of 9

10) Features winged creature(s): Angry Birds: Operation Omelett by Jeff Parker

11) Set in your favorite season: Die Bauern by Wladislaw S. Reymont
This was tough, I love every season, in Spring there is new green all over, in Summer there are festivals and we barbecue, in Autumn ther are beautiful colors everywhere and to make a walk in the snow in Winter is great... So I took a book that is set in all of them.

12) Newly in public domain: Frankenstein by Mary Shelley
New published and I got it by Early Reviewers

13) Read a CAT: Geisterfjord by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
February ScaredyKit- Haunted Houses & Haunted Locations and FEBRUARY thread on the Grand European Tour : Nordic Countries

14) Features a birth: Sing, wilder Vogel, sing by Jacqueline O’Mahony

15) Nonhuman narrator: Frankie by Jochen Gutsch & Maxim Leo
Told by a cat

16) Writing about writers: Täuschend echt by Charles Lewinsky

17) Oldest book in your TBR: Das gekaufte Leben by Tobias Sommer

18) A place you've never been: Fünf Winter by James Kestrel
I have never been in Honululu

19) Totally random: Der Twyford-Code by Janice Hallett
I used LibraryThing Roulette

20) A holiday in title: Sörensen macht Urlaub by Sven Stricker

21) A piece of furniture on the cover: Iowa: Ein Ausflug nach Amerika by Stefanie Sargnagel
An armchair

22) Originally published in a language not your own: Black As F***. Die wahre Geschichte der USA by Michael Harriot

23) Features adoption/foster care/nontraditional family: Jenseits des Ozeans by T. J. Klune

24) Either "Library" or "Thing" in title: Die Bibliothek der verlorenen Bücher by Alexander Pechmann
Translatet title: The Library of Lost Books

25) Recommended by a friend or LT member: Invasion aus dem All by Clark Darlton
Thank you again, swynn for the reminder of Perry Rhodan!

Now I have finished the LibraryThing 20th Birthday Treasure Hunt.
It was a great fun again.

Yesterday we had an impressive sunset:

There have been a few distractions over the last two days, so Friday Wins is coming on Sunday instead:
Last Saturday, we made delicious pizza. Our 300°C baking stone was a worthwhile purchase. The pizza was very tasty, but not suitable for a photo...
On Sunday, we grilled some very tasty beef fillets and went for a lovely walk in the sunshine.
On Wednesday, I noticed that there was an unauthorized debit on the club account (I am the treasurer of a small club). I called various places and apparently someone had booked a train ticket and used our account for the direct debit... I canceled the booking online at the bank and the money was immediately returned.
On Friday, we attended a meeting of the city senior citizens' council, where a representative of the Hilver app gave a presentation. The app serves to connect people seeking help with helpers (for shopping, trips to the doctor, conversations, etc.). We had brought it to their attention and were therefore allowed to attend. It was very interesting and informative. Everything is very well thought out and works very well. Now we just have to convince the city to take on the patronage. Afterwards, we had a delicious meal at the restaurant—chanterelle risotto—again not photogenic...
And we went to the gym twice again.

139. Der Taucher / De duiker by Mathijs Deen

German Title translated: The Diver
Genre: Crime Fiction
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge (Thank you again, Ella (EllaTim))
Medium: eBook
First published: 2023
Pages: 256

The second volume in the series about Liewe Cupido.
This time, he has to investigate the case of a diver who was chained to a wreck.
Taciturn and preferring to work alone, he gradually uncovers the solution.
Exciting and well written.

139. Der Taucher / De duiker by Mathijs Deen

German Title translated: The Diver
Genre: Crime Fiction
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge (Thank you again, Ella (EllaTim))
Medium: eBook
First published: 2023
Pages: 256

The second volume in the series about Liewe Cupido.
This time, he has to investigate the case of a diver who was chained to a wreck.
Taciturn and preferring to work alone, he gradually uncovers the solution.
Exciting and well written.

140. Die Krone des Schäfers / The Shepherd's Crown by Terry Pratchett

German Title translated: The Shepherd's Crown
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Reason: 75 books challenge - Group read
Medium: eBook
First published: 2015
Pages: 385

Pratchett's last book.
Tiffany Aching must once again rise above herself to fight the threat to her homeland.
With two witch districts to manage, it's even more difficult, but she has help and powerful forces on her side.
A wonderful book.

42

141. Leichenschilf / Dotter saknad by Anna Jansson

German Title translated: corpse reed
Genre: Crime Fiction
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge (Thank you again, Barbara (Ameise1))
Medium: eBook
First published: 2019
Pages: 496

Kristoffer Barks' daughter disappeared years ago, and he still hasn't gotten over it. Since his work is also suffering as a result, he is transferred to the cold cases department and has to undergo psychotherapy.
He investigates the disappearance of a young woman who looked very similar to his daughter.
Little by little, he uncovers something monstrous.
A bit too many people with strange problems, but very readable.

142. Thoras Flucht by Clark Darlton

German Title translated: Thora's Escape
Genre: Science Fiction
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge (Thank you again, Steve (swynn))
Medium: eBook
First published: 1962
Pages: 130

Thora wants to make contact with the Arkonids and flies to the Venus base in a stolen spaceship. But she is shot down, as is Perry Rhodan, who is following her.
Now they are on their own in the primeval wilderness. And it's not just dangerous animals that await them there.
My favorite series from my youth celebrates its 64th birthday today. The first volume was published on September 8, 1961—and new episodes are still being released!

Speaking of birthdays, Perry Rhodan Heftserie is 64 today and Matt Ruff the author of my favourite book Fool on the Hill is 60.
Happy Birthday to all of you who celebrate today!

>43 SirThomas: I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the book. The second volume is also exciting.
I wish you a great week.

>46 Ameise1: My library has it available, I'm looking forward to it.
Have a wonderful wwekend, Barbara!

>47 SirThomas: Wishing you a fabulous weekend too.

And it is friday again, time for the wins:
On Saturday, we drove to the Langenburg Garden Days. Beautiful weather and around 170 exhibitors around the castle made for a wonderful day. We bought delicious olive oil, vanilla pods, truffle butter, etc.
In the evening, a friend came to visit and we sat on our terrace.
On Sunday, the sun was shining again, so we went for a long walk and had a barbecue on the terrace.
On Tuesday, we were guests at a meeting of the city senior citizens' council and were asked to run for the next election—which makes it clear once again that we are now considered older people.
Yesterday, we had to cancel our street party because rain is forecast for Saturday, but we found a small alternative: now there will be a champagne reception in the underground car park. What's important are the encounters, not the weather.
And we went to the gym twice again.

143. Lyneham by Nils Westerboer

German Title translated: Lyneham
Genre: Science Fiction
Reading Reason: Rummage at the library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2025
Pages: 526

The Earth is uninhabitable, and a group of scientists are trying to terraform an alien planet, but there are difficulties. The story is told on two time levels: on the one hand, there is the mother who is supposed to terraform the planet, and on the other hand, there are the children with their father, who arrive long after her.
A very well-told story with some unexpected twists and turns, in which humanity does not come off so well...

144. Die Farbe der Rache by Cornelia Funke

German Title translated: The Color of Revenge
English Title: The Color of Revenge
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Reason: Rummage at the library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2023
Pages: 352

Volume 4 of the Inkworld series. Five years later—everything seems to be fine, but Orpheus is plotting revenge and finds a way to take out most of the heroes. This time, not with words, but with images.
Dustfinger tries everything to save his friends and embarks on exciting adventures.
It's fun to dive back into the Inkworld.

And there were wordles:

wördle.de #1342 - 3/6
🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜ Hilfe
🟨⬜🟨🟨⬜ Autor
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Tacho

Wordle 15.09.2025 - 3/6
🟨⬜⬜⬜🟩 Hilfe
⬜⬜⬜🟨⬜ Autor
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Woche
wordle.at

wördle.de #1343 - 3/6
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ Hilfe
🟩⬜🟩🟩🟩 Autor
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Aktor

Wordle 16.09.2025 - 5/6
⬜🟨⬜⬜🟩 Hilfe
⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 Autor
⬜🟨🟨🟨🟩 Brise
🟨🟩⬜🟩🟩 Regie
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Serie
wordle.at

145. Das Schwert in der Stille / Across the Nightingale Floor by Lian Hearn

German Title translated: The Sword in the Silence
Genre: Fiction
Reading Reason: 75 Books Challenge in honor of Anita (@FaMeulstee)
Medium: eBook
First published: 2002
Pages: 384

Last year Anita (FAMeulstee) died, at that time her WIKI with her favorites was copied and a group reading was organized.
Her list spans 11 decades, I have resolved to read one of her favorite books every month.

An exciting story set in ancient Japan about a boy who has to find his way in a strange world and slowly grows up. In the process, he develops unexpected abilities.

146. Geheimschaltung X by W. W. Shols

German Title translated: Secret switch X
Genre: Science Fiction
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge (Thank you again, Steve (swynn))
Medium: eBook
First published: 1962
Pages: 130

Perry Rhodan and two of his mutants try to fight their way through the jungle on Venus to reach the Arkonid fortress.
They are hunted by survivors of the invasion of the Eastern Bloc and the planet's fauna.

And it's time for Friday Wins again:
On Saturday, we had our street party — without a barbecue due to the weather, just a sparkling wine reception in the underground car park. We showed a presentation with pictures from the last 10 years, and despite the unusual location, it was very nice.

On Tuesday, I helped with the cooking; we made delicious porcini mushroom risotto. After I received information from Hanserverlag that Matt Ruff's Destroyer of Worlds would not be translated, I bought the original eBook.
It's very good (he's my favorite author, after all), and the eBook reader has the advantage of having a translation program integrated into it.

On Wednesday, my wife and I drank a glass of sparkling wine. A year ago, I received my retirement certificate—I don't miss a thing!

147. Darwin gefällt das: Wie Einsteins Gehirn in einer Lunchbox landete und andere abstruse Einfälle der Menschheit by Anna Bühler and Christian Alt

German Title translated: Darwin likes this: How Einstein's brain ended up in a lunchbox and other bizarre ideas from humanity
Genre: Non Fiction
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2024
Pages: 208

A collection of bizarre stories about bizarre ideas from strange people.
Quite nice for in between...

>52 SirThomas: Hi Thomas. Question: you do two wordles, both German ones, are there differences? And what are the rules for letters that should have an umlaut, are u and ü the same letter?

>53 SirThomas: I remember I loved this one.

>55 SirThomas: A translation program? It can translate just words or whole sentences or pages?

Have a nice weekend, Thomas.

>57 EllaTim: Hi Ella, the first is a German one, the second is fro Austria.
The rukes about the umlauts are the same, but in the German one it is written "ü", in the Austrian Version "ue", so this leads to different numbers of letters...

Yes De stilte van de nachtegalen is a really good book.

The translation program cannot translate entire pages, mainly individual words, but also individual sentences.
You should be somewhat familiar with the foreign language, then it is very helpful.

Thank you, Ella we had.
We had a tiring journey yesterday with traffic jams, but we arrived safely at the North Sea and enjoyed a delicious meal last night.
Mainly steak tartare and risotto, so not really suitable for photos, but we're here for a few more days, so there will certainly be other opportunities.
The weather is a bit chilly and windy, but dry—wonderful!

>58 SirThomas: Thanks for answering my wordle questions Thomas.

Your spending time at the Sea coast again? That’s great. It is so lovely at this time of year, and the weather forecast is good. Enjoy!

My gut feeling tells me that today is your birthday? Maybe I'm wrong by a day. In any case, I wish you a happy birthday.🥳🥳🥳🎂🥂🍀 Enjoy the day and let yourself be pampered. How wonderful that you can spend your birthday at the North Sea.

>59 EllaTim: Thank you very much, Ella. We are enjoying our stay here very much. There is little rain, wind, clouds, and sunshine, and we are having a wonderful time.

>60 Ameise1: Thank you very much, Barbara. You are right.
We went for a walk on the beach today and had a light meal in the vacation apartment.
This evening we have reserved a table at a restaurant that is closed in the spring when we are usually on the island. We are really looking forward to it.
When I looked out of the window after getting up today, I discovered a birthday surprise:

>55 SirThomas: A street party? What a cool thing to do with the neighbours! Sounds like fun.

>61 SirThomas: Marvellous picture, Thomas!

>62 figsfromthistle: Yes it is, Anita.
We live on a very small street with old houses, where the building containing our apartment was constructed. Construction took over two years. To compensate the residents for the inconvenience and to introduce the old and new residents to each other, we organized a street party with free beer.
This has developed into a wonderful tradition, where everyone contributes something and newcomers introduce themselves.

>63 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella.

In addition to the wonderful nature, there was also delicious food.
Here is an example from Tuesday:

And we had a visitor on the balkony:

And it is Friday - time for the wins:
The most important win – we are on vacation on our favorite island and the sun is shining.
We arrived on Sunday. It was exhausting, but we got here safely. And during a coffee break at a rest stop, we met a nice Belgian couple. The man is also an avid reader, and I was able to win him over to LT...
On Tuesday, we had a delicious meal and celebrated my birthday together. I've already posted some pictures.
On Wednesday, we got some fresh North Sea shrimp at the market, which we enjoyed with scrambled eggs and sparkling wine. Simple, but extremely tasty.

They were peeled by the fishermen themselves and contained no preservatives. Normally, they are preserved, transported to Morocco, peeled there, and then transported back to the coast to be sold...
Today, we took a short trip to a nature reserve and enjoyed the sun.

... and there are books:

148. Àmbar / Àmbar by Nicolás Ferraro

Genre: Thriller
Reading Reason: Review in Newspaper
Medium: eBook
First published: 2023
Pages: 314

Àmbar s 15 and traveling through Argentina with her father. She is very good at stitching up gunshot wounds and packing quickly. Her father is a killer, a drug courier, and is himself being hunted. But he has secrets from her—and vice versa.
Sentences like gunshots, hard and laconic.
A pleasure to read.

149. Die Theologie des Wildschweins / La teologia del cinghiale by Gesuino Némus

German Title translated: The Theology of the Wild Boar
Genre: Crime Fiction
Reading Reason: found in the vacation rental
Medium: Paper Book
First published: 2015
Pages: 288

A small village in Sardinia, a man and a woman are killed, their son disappears.
When another body is found, the village is thrown into turmoil—is the village idiot to blame?
Of course, no one tells the police anything.
Somewhat confusing and reasonably suspenseful.

150. The Destroyer of Worlds: A Return to Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff

Genre: Horror
Reading Reason: Author
Medium: eBook
First published: 2023
Pages: 320

I love Matt Ruff, so I read the book in its original language because the publisher told me there would be no German translation. This is the first time Ruff has remained true to the genre. But which one?
It contains horror (a haunted house), fantasy (magical abilities), science fiction (travel to other planets) and is wonderfully written.
Our black characters have to contend with everyday racism and old adversaries.
Maybe I'm biased, but read the book!

>70 SirThomas: well, I need to get that one!

>71 drneutron: I think so...

151. Ausgerechnet Sylt by Thomas Herzberg

Genre: Crime Fiction
Reading Reason: free ebook
Medium: eBook
First published: 2018
Pages: 308

Hannah Lambert investigates in Sylt when a notary is shot dead in a car train. When another murder occurs, she comes under pressure. Things aren't going well in her private life either, but she has good friends and colleagues.
Nice.

152. Die Burg by Ursula Poznanski

Genre: Thriller
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Bookstore
Medium: eBook
First published: 2024
Pages: 400

A castle has been converted into a gigantic escape room controlled by AI.
Before the official opening, a group of people are asked to test it out.
But the game turns into a horror trip when the AI goes out of control.
High tension.

The statistics of September:

Books read: 14
Pages read: 4,497 (longest 526 / shortest 130 / average 321)

Personal rating:
average rating
highest rating
lowest rating

Author nationalities:

Argentina: 1 / 1 / 1
Australia: 1 / 1 / 1
England: 1 / 1 / 1
Germany: 8 / 8 / 8
Italy: 1 / 1 / 1
Netherlands: 1 / 1 / 1
Sweden: 1 / 1 / 1
USA: 1 / 1 / 1

Sum: 15 / 15 / 15

Counting mode: All authors of the books / Main Author(s) or Editor(s) per book / Only different authors

Gender:
female authors: 5 / 5 / 5
male authors: 10 / 10 / 10
n/a: - / - / -

alive authors: 12 / 12 / 12
dead authors: 3 / 3 / 3

date first published:

1960-1969: 2x
2000-2009: 1
2010-2019: 4
2020-2029: 7

Media:
Ebooks: 13
Paperbooks: 1

Genre:
Crime Fiction: 4
Fantasy: 2
Fiction: 1
Horror: 1
Non Fiction: 1
Science Fiction: 3
Thriller: 2

Reading Reason:
Author: 1
In Memory of Anita: 1
Media: 1
Random / rummage: 6
This gorgeous group: 5

And the first three quarters of the year:

Books read: 152
Pages read: 47,187 (longest 880 / shortest 48 / average 310)

Personal rating:
average rating
highest rating
lowest rating

Author nationalities:

Australia: 1 / 1 / 1
Austria: 3 / 3 / 3
Bosnia: 1 / 1 / 1
Bulgary: 1 / 1 / 1
Canada: 1 / 1 / 1
China: 1 / 1 / 1
Greece: 1 / 1 / 1
England: 22 / 22 / 18
France: 3 / 3 / 3
Germany: 61 / 61 / 46
Iceland: 1 / 1 / 1
Iran: 1 / 1 / 1
Ireland: 2 / 2 / 2
Italy: 2 / 2 / 2
Japan: 1 / 1 / 1
Netherlands: 3 / 3 / 3
Peru: 1 / 1 / 1
Poland: 1 / 1 / 1
Scotland: 1 / 1 / 1
Sweden: 7 / 7 / 4
Switzerland: 2 / 2 / 2
Taiwan: 1 / 1 / 1
USA: 36 / 36 / 33
n/a: 1 / 1 / 1

Sum: 157 / 157 / 131

Counting mode: All authors of the books / Main Author(s) or Editor(s) per book / Only different authors

Gender:
female authors: 41 / 41 / 38
male authors: 115 / 115 / 92
n/a: 1 / 1 / 1

alive authors: 104 / 104 / 97
dead authors: 53 / 53 / 34

date first published:
-1899: 1
1900-1909: 2
1920-1929: 2
1930-1939: 3
1940-1949: 3
1950-1959: 5
1960-1969: 22
1970-1979: 4
1980-1989: 5
1990-1999: 5
2000-2009: 9
2010-2019: 17
2020-2029: 74

Media:
Ebooks: 140
Paperbooks: 12

Genre:
Comic: 3
Crime Fiction: 21
Fairy Tale: 1
Fantasy: 14
Fiction: 28
Horror: 10
Non Fiction: 20
Science Fiction: 30
Short Stories: 2
Theater: 1
Thriller: 21
Young Adult: 1

Reading Reason:
Author: 8
Birthday Book: 7
Free Book: 1
Early Reviewers: 3
Nobel Prize: 3
Recommendation real life: 3
In Memory of Anita: 9
Media: 10
Random / rummage: 52
This gorgeous group: 56

It's time for Friday Wins again:
We're still on vacation at the North Sea, enjoying the sun and delicious food.
The Windsurfing World Cup is taking place on the beach, and it's pretty spectacular. We're heading home on Sunday, then I'll have time to LT visits again...

And there is another win:
There is a new Lynley & Havers book - A Slowly Dying Cause.
I bought it as my holiday-book and will start it soon.

153. Böse: Die Psychologie unserer Abgründe / Evil: The Science Behind Humanity's Dark Side by Julia Shaw

German Title translated: Evil: The Psychology of Our Abysses
Genre: Non Fiction
Reading Reason: Radio broadcast
Medium: eBook
First published: 2019
Pages: 320

The author examines the definition of evil and the background to how evil arises.
Quick judgments are usually misleading.
Somewhat dry but interesting.

>77 SirThomas: Windsurfing world cup? Sounds really neat and interesting to watch! Enjoy the rest of your vacation

>80 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita - it was very impressive.
Unfortunately in the first week there was little wind in the first week, so they sailed far away from the shore. But there was a large screen set up to show the races.
Towards the end of the week, a storm came and we saw the jumps right in front of us. It was great.
Now we are back home and busy doing laundry and sorting through the mail.

154. Willkommen auf Skios / Skios by Michael Frayn

German Title translated: Evil: Wellcome on Skios
Genre: Fiction
Reading Reason: Birthday of the author
Medium: eBook
First published: 2012
Pages: 288

A comedy of mistaken identity in which an impostor and a scholar are each taken to the wrong location.
A great satirical mess, enjoyable to read.

155. Fahr zur Hölle, Mister B. / Mister B. Gone by Clive Barker

German Title translated: Go to hell, Mister B.
Genre: Horror
Reading Reason: Birthday of the author
Medium: eBook
First published: 2007
Pages: 256

A lowly demon is kidnapped from hell and tries to find his way on Earth.
He travels through 13th-century Europe and Germany, leaving a trail of destruction in his wake.
A funny horror novel that begins with the words: BURN THIS BOOK.

It's Friday again, time for my personal wins:
Last weekend, we finally had wind, even storms at times, and the windsurfers were finally able to show what they can do. We were able to watch the impressive show from the beach.
On Sunday, we had a strenuous drive in the rain and traffic, but we arrived home safely.
On Wednesday, I played a round of golf with friends in the sunshine; it was a wonderful afternoon.
Yesterday, I was able to borrow an eBook by Nobel Prize winner László Krasznahorkai from the city library — Herscht 07769. When I checked today, I saw that the waiting time is until October 27, 2026.
And we had a pleasant conversation with friends, during which we were able to clear up some disagreements.
A little off topic, but also a win for us — there is the prospect of peace in Gaza.

156. Alptraumland by by Ronald M. Hahn & Horst Pukallus

German Title translated: Nightmare Land
Genre: Horror
Reading Reason: Birthday of the author
Medium: eBook
First published: 1999
Pages: 176

H. P. Lovecraft travels to visit a friend in England. Disturbing events occur at his friend's country estate, ultimately leading to disaster. Told in the style of Lovecraft.

>84 SirThomas: I really like this section, Thomas.

With respect I think it also demonstrates what a thoroughly good person you are as it is a really good mix of personal joys and the selfless pleasure of good news that will benefit millions.

Have a great weekend.

>86 PaulCranswick: Thank you very much, Paul, I am very honored by your praise.
Have a wonderful weekend!

157. Wer Zwietracht sät / A Slowly Dying Cause by by Elizabeth George

German Title translated: He who sows discord
Genre: Crime Fiction
Reading Reason: Author
Medium: Paper Book
First published: 2025
Pages: 752

A mining entrepreneur is brutally murdered, he is the employer of the brother and the father of Thomas Linley's friend Deirdre Trahair.
Barbara Havers is also involved again.
The investigation proves complicated, and when a suspect is arrested, it is not clear whether he really did it.
The motive only slowly becomes clear. Once again, it is wonderfully written and well researched. Even the minor characters have a backstory. Some people find it too detailed, but I like it.
And I would also like a T-shirt with the slogan: At my funeral, take the bouquet off my coffin and throw it into the crowd to see who is next.

>84 SirThomas: Congratulations with your wins, Thomas. Well done.

We’re planning a holiday at the coast for next month, maybe to Texel, the first dutch wadden island.

>88 SirThomas: A new book in this series? I liked them a lot, I’ll look this one up.

Have a good week ahead, Thomas.

>89 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella - I wish you a wonderful vacation.

I buy a book every vacation, and when I saw this one in the bookstore, I knew I had found my vacation book. I love the series.
The original version was published on September 16, and the German version on September 23. I hope it will be available for you soon too.

The same for you, Ella!

158. Es währt für immer und dann ist es vorbei / It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over by by Anne de Marcken

German Title translated: It Lasts Forever and Then It's Over
Genre: Horror
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2024
Pages: 151

The book begins with the words:
I lost my left arm today. It came off clean at the shoulder. Janice 2 picked it up and brought it back to the hotel.
A zombie story with almost no humans. Unconventional, captivating, and unusual.
Poetry with blood and guts.

To counteract all the bad news in the world, we had at work a short video conference every Friday where we announced our personal Friday wins.
It's a tradition I'm happy to continue. OK, today is Saturday, but yesterday was a busy day.

On Saturday, I was invited to the anniversary celebration of the school where I am to become a reading mentor. I went and met the class teacher, who is very nice.
On Sunday, we visited friends shortly before noon, where we drank a glass of sparkling wine together, and in the afternoon we visited other friends for coffee. It was a lovely Sunday.
On Monday, I helped with the cooking. I'm pretty good at making porcini mushroom risotto now.
On Tuesday, we invited our neighbor to dinner at a wine tavern. He always provides us with vegetables and salad.
Yesterday morning, I had my first reading mentor session. I was assigned two girls, and we took turns reading a text and answering questions about it. I got the impression that they enjoyed the session too.
In the afternoon, we attended a senior citizens' party. Since we are running for office in the community, we were invited, even though we are still a bit too young. It feels good to be the young people again...

159. Das Schicksal ist ein mieser Verräter / The Fault in Our Stars by John Green

German Title translated: Fate is a cruel betrayer
Genre: Fiction
Reading Reason: 75 Books Challenge in honor of Anita (@FaMeulstee)
Medium: eBook
First published: 2012
Pages: 336

Last year Anita (FAMeulstee) died, at that time her WIKI with her favorites was copied and a group reading was organized.
Her list spans 11 decades, I have resolved to read one of her favorite books every month.

A powerfull and intense story about Two teenagers with cancer who travel to Holland to meet an author who turns out to be not very nice. Intense and moving.

160. Unheil / The Fog by James Herbert

German Title translated: Misfortune
Genre: Horror
Reading Reason: 75 Books Challenge - 75'ers in the Graveyard - A Halloween Read
Medium: eBook
First published: 1975
Pages: 346

An earthquake releases an eerie fog that sweeps across England and drives people mad.
Bloody and thrilling.

>93 SirThomas: I have that book actually!

And there's a Monday to Friday win. This week, my radio station is broadcasting the annual hit parade with listener requests. I love it.
When else do you get to hear Hocus Pocus by Focus on the radio or Pink Floyd's Welcome to the Machine in full length?
Right now, Black Sabbath's N.I.B. is playing right after Roxette's The Look.
If anyone is interested, SWR1 can also be found on the Internet...

>95 louisisaloafofbreb: It's pretty intense, but definitely recommended reading, Louis.

>97 SirThomas: Yeah, my aunt let me have it, and I started reading it late at night haha

I'm curious to hear what you think of the book.

>92 SirThomas: Porcini mushroom risotto! I need to learn how to make that. I became a member of a food saving initiative, No Waste Army. They use food from farmers that can’t be sold, to make into new ingredients. When you are a member, you receive a surprise pack every three months. In the last one there was a pack of dried Austernpilz for risotto. So, to not let this go to waste I need to learn how to make risotto! What is your secret?

Have fun with you new students.

Hello, SirThomas! You posted kindly on my thread so I thought I'd visit you here. We seem to share a taste for mysteries and other books (not horror, thank you), and I will dip in to your list at some point where I can read the text in English. Alas, I have NO German. Typical American, with very rusty Spanish and not much else. I always admire those like you who can function in multiple tongues.

And I really like your Friday wins posts. We all need to remember the good news of our week, to counter all the miserable news we are bombarded with every day. I may try it myself.

>100 EllaTim: I love the idea of surprise packages—you reduce waste and get to try new foods.
For our recipe, we use a slightly modified recipe for morel risotto from Amrtina Meuth & Bernd-Neuner-Duttenhofer, who have appeared on several cooking shows in Germany.

Thank you for your good wishes, on Friday, I have another lesson at school. I'm looking forward to it and hope the students will have fun too.

The recipe:
The ingredients are for 4 people, we are only two, so we eat the other two portions the next day.

Ingredients:
100g cream
0,25 l water
25g dried mushrooms
2 shallots (we only use one shallot)
2 tbsp butter (or herb butter)
200g risotto rice
¼ l white wine
(we also use red wine, which is spicier with less acidity, but makes the food darker)
Salt, pepper, soy sauce if desired
0.75–1.25 l chicken stock (veal or vegetable stock also works)
(we find that about 0.5 l is enough – if there is not enough stock, you can also dilute with hot water and season to taste...)
60 g butter
60 g freshly grated Parmigiano Reggiano
Coarsely chopped parsley

Preparation:
Bring the cream and water to a boil, pour over the mushrooms, and soak them for 15 minutes (or slightly longer). The cream fat restores some of the mushrooms' natural suppleness.
Remove the mushrooms and pour the liquid through a coffee filter.
Rinse the mushrooms under running water to remove any grains of sand, then chop them coarsely.
Bring the mushroom liquid and broth to a boil and keep hot.
Finely chop the shallots and sauté in 2 tablespoons of butter. Then add the mushrooms and raw rice.
When everything begins to roast and all the juice has escaped from the mushrooms, deglaze with wine, salt and pepper.
Gradually pour in the hot broth with a ladle and simmer gently until the rice is cooked—the rice should never stop bubbling. Stir frequently.
At the end (after about 30 minutes), stir in the 60g butter, then the Parmesan and parsley.
The whole thing should be kept quite liquid, but that's a matter of taste.
Serve in deep plates and provide additional cheese to grate over the top.

It's not very photogenic, but it's very tasty...

>101 ffortsa: Thank you for visiting, Judy.
Yes, we share some preferences, and I have already found some inspiration from you.
It is a shame that many books are not available in some languages. Without this group and LT's ER program, I would never have dared to read English books, and I am glad that my ebook reader has a translation option.

When my boss suggested Friday Wins back then, we were skeptical at first, but it soon won us over. It's so easy to forget the good things that happen when all you hear about in the news are disasters.

>102 SirThomas: Thank you for that, Thomas! It must have taken some time to write it all down. It sounds wonderful, just the recipe for this season!

>104 EllaTim: I was happy to do that.
I hope you will enjoy it as much as we do.

Today's Friday Wins are a little late, as we've been quite busy with both pleasant and unpleasant things, but here we're focusing on the good stuff:
On Wednesday, we had a presentation of the candidates for the senior citizens' council. More visitors than expected came, and I was even able to answer a few questions. Afterwards, we had a nice dinner to mark the end of the season for my golf group.
On Friday, we got our third and last tick vaccination for now, and we tolerated it well. After that, I had a reading mentor assignment, and all three students seemed interested. In the afternoon, we had a meeting of reading mentors in a café to exchange ideas. It was very interesting—and delicious.
At home, we watched the finale of the hit parade via livestream.
When else do you get to hear Iron Butterfly's In-a-gadda-da-vida in full, or Leonard Cohen's Hallelujah followed by Metallica's Master of Puppets? AC/DC's Hells Bells after The Eagles' Hotel California is also a good combination...

161. Herscht 07769 / Herscht 07769 by László Krasznahorkai

German Title translated: Herscht 07769
Genre: Fiction
Reading Reason: Nobel Prize
Medium: eBook
First published: 2021
Pages: 416

A small town in Thuringia, a naive giant, neo-Nazis, wolves, and quantum physics.
When Florian Herscht comes to the conclusion that the universe is in danger, he writes to Angela Merkel to warn her. Bach's music calms him down.
His boss is a neo-Nazi who removes graffiti.
When two residents die in an arson attack, a series of murders begins—is this the actual end of the world?
An intense book, but not easy to read, it consists of a single sentence over 416 pages.

162. Picknick der Friseure by Felicitas Hoppe

German Title translated: Hairdressers' picnic
Genre: Short Stories
Reading Reason: Review in Newspaper
Medium: eBook
First published: 1998
Pages: 96

A collection of grotesque short stories, it reads like the dreams you have just before falling asleep.
Nothing I would want to experience while awake.

Interesting color distribution today:

wördle.de #1389 - 5/6
⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩 Hilfe
⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩 Birke
⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩 Winde
⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩 Mitte
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Sippe

Wordle 28.10.2025 - 4/6
⬜⬜🟩🟨🟩 Hilfe
🟩⬜🟩⬜🟩 Falle
🟩⬜🟩🟩🟩 Felge
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Folge
wordle.at

163. Hummelstich - Ein Mord kommt selten allein by Katharina Schendel

German Title translated: Hairdressers' picnic
Genre: Short Stories
Reading Reason: Review in Newspaper
Medium: eBook
First published: 1998
Pages: 96

Bea von Maarstein inherits the house of her deceased friend in the tiny village of Hummelstich.
She dresses very colorfully and has a parrot. When she begins to suspect that her friend was murdered, she starts investigating and is assisted by the village policeman. Then two more bloody murders occur.
A nice and quite funny read.

Books take you to other countries, other cultures, and other worlds.
Bookstores are your travel guides.
Bookstore loyalty cards take you into your neighbors' homes...
Our neighbor had slammed the door to her apartment and didn't have a key.
I was able to open it easily with my old loyalty card.
She was very happy, but it's actually frightening how easy this is – so when you leave your apartment (with the key), always lock the door.

164. Schneewittchen-Party / Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie

German Title translated: Snow White Party
Genre: Crime Fiction
Reading Reason: 75 Books Challenge - 75'ers in the Graveyard - A Halloween Read
Medium: eBook
First published: 1969
Pages: 224

At a Halloween party, a child who had previously boasted about having witnessed a murder dies.
Ariadne Olicer was guest and calls on Hercule Poirot for help, who has to work hard to solve the case, but he succeeds.
The book doesn't quite fit the theme, but at least the murder took place on Halloween.

165. Der Clan der Magier / A Night in the Lonesome October by Roger Zelazny

German Title translated: The Clan of Magicians
Genre: Horror
Reading Reason: 75 Books Challenge - 75'ers in the Graveyard - A Halloween Read
Medium: Paper Book
First published: 1993
Pages: 301

The story is told in 31 chapters over the period from October 1 to October 31.
A group of people has come together to summon the ancient gods, some to open the gate, others to prevent it. Strange characters and strange helpers. The story is told by Snuff, JACK's dog.
Other figures from horror literature also make an appearance.
A dark reading pleasure.

The statistics of October:

Books read: 13
Pages read: 3,850 (longest 752 / shortest 96 / average 296)

Personal rating:
average rating
highest rating
lowest rating

Author nationalities:

Canada: 1 / 1 / 1
England: 4 / 4 / 4
Germany: 4 / 4 / 4
Hungary: 1 / 1 / 1
USA: 4 / 4 / 4

Sum: 45 / 14 / 14

Counting mode: All authors of the books / Main Author(s) or Editor(s) per book / Only different authors

Gender:
female authors: 6 / 6 / 6
male authors: 8 / 8 / 8
n/a: - / - / -

alive authors: 11 / 11 / 11
dead authors: 3 / 3 / 3

date first published:

1960-1969: 1
1970-1979: 1
1990-1999: 3
2000-2009: 1
2010-2019: 3
2020-2029: 4

Media:
Ebooks: 11
Paperbooks: 2

Genre:
Crime Fiction: 3
Fiction: 3
Horror: 5
Non Fiction: 1
Short Stories: 1

Reading Reason:
This gorgeous group: 4
In Memory of Anita: 1
Author: 1
Birthday Book: 2
Free Book: 1
Nobel Prize: 1
Media: 2
Random / rummage: 1

And it is Friday again, time for the wins:
On Saturday, we had a small party at our neighbour to celebrate birthdays and the 10th anniversary of moving in.
On Tuesday, we went out for a delicious meal. We had actually planned to meet up with friends, but they had colds, so the two of us enjoyed the meal on our own. And in the evening, I was able to help my neighbor get back into her apartment.
And we went to the gym three times this week.

We've been pretty busy lately, but I've managed to read a few books...

166. Der Tod in ihren Händen / Death In Her Hands by Ottessa Moshfegh

German Title translated: Death In Her Hands
Genre: Horror
Reading Reason: Review in Newspaper
Medium: eBook
First published: 2020
Pages: 256

A woman moves into a lonely house. While out walking, she finds a note announcing a murder.
She begins to investigate and gradually pieces together a story that suddenly has an impact on her life.
But who can be trusted—the reader or the narrator? Probably not.
Intense.

167. Der grüne Papst / El Papa Verde by Miguel Ángel Asturias

English Title: The Green Pope
German Title translated: The Green Pope
Genre: Fiction
Reading Reason: Nobel Prize
Medium: Paper Book
First published: 1954
Pages: 465

The story of a banana planter in a banana republic.
Told as an adventure story without neglecting the suffering of the local population.
Recommended.

168. Maurice, der Kater / The Amazing Maurice And His Educated Rodents by Terry Pratchett

German Title translated: Maurice, the tomcat
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Reason: 75 books challenge - Group read
Medium: eBook
First published: 2001
Pages: 288

The Pied Piper of Hamelin told in a completely different way, as only Terry Pratchett can do.

>107 SirThomas: Wow, Thomas. A book of 400+ pages, and all in one sentence! Reading it must have been taxing. I did like your description, but I don’t know if I could take the strain.

>118 SirThomas: Glad there is Terry Pratchett, for some lightness!

>119 EllaTim: It wasn't easy to read, especially after an interruption, but you get used to it over time. Especially since I was lucky that the translator did an extremely good job.

Yes, I love Pratchett too, and I'm excited to see what the group will read next year.

And it is Friday again, time for the wins:

First, an addition to last Friday:
A book takes you to foreign countries, planets, and universes.
A bookstore is your travel guide.
A bookstore's customer card takes you into your neighbors' apartment.
She had closed the door and forgotten the key. With the plastic card, I was able to open the door very easily.
So, when you leave the apartment, always lock the door!

On Friday, we had several visits from adorable Halloween ghosts.
On Sunday, we had our traditional Christmas dinner with my family, a long-standing tradition.
On Tuesday, I had a Shiatsu treatment, and my shoulder problems have already improved significantly.
Today, I had my third session as a reading mentor. I really enjoy it, and I don't think the children are too unhappy about it either...

I love your Friday wins. It looks like you had a great week.
Have a wonderful weekend.

Thank you, Barbara, the same to you.

The week had its downsides, but it definitely ended on a positive note.
Yesterday evening, our bookstore invited us to a book recommendation evening at a café, with sparkling wine, little soups, and lots of books.
Mount TBR has grown considerably again, but I took the new Asterix home with me right away...

>123 SirThomas: Mount TBR has grown considerably again 🤣, why does this seem so familiar to me? 😉

>124 Ameise1: Maybe we have the same ancestors? 😉

>125 SirThomas: 🤣🤣🤣🥳

169. Agent der Sterne / Agent to the Stars by John Scalzi

German Title translated: Agent to the Stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Reading Reason: Author
Medium: eBook
First published: 2005
Pages: 448

What do gelatinous aliens who communicate through foul odors and know Earth from television signals and films such as ET, Alien, Independence Day, and others do to make contact with Terrans?
That's right, they go to Hollywood and hire an agent.
It may not be everyone's cup of tea, but the book is right up my alley.

170. Asterix in Lusitanien / Astérix en Lusitanie by Fabcaro and Conrad Didier

German Title translated: Asterix in Lusitania
English Title: Asterix in Lusitania
Genre: Comic
Reading Reason: book recommendation
Medium: Paper Book
First published: 2025
Pages: 48

A new adventure for our heroes, this time traveling to Portugal.
The series continues in the same vein, but my previous enthusiasm is no longer there.

It's Friday again, a week of ups and downs is coming to an end, here are the wins:
On Monday, the heating broke down again, I called the property management company and within 2 hours the damage was repaired, thankfully it was just a pellet jam that the repairman was able to fix right away.
On Tuesday, we all welcomed our new house mate, she is now 3 weeks old.
On Wednesday, we cleaned the last windows in our apartment—now the rain can come... 😉
Yesterday, my wife had an appointment at the hospital for a checkup. It hasn't gotten any worse, so we're happy.
Today, I went to the dentist. They took X-rays and found nothing unusual. After that, I had my fourth session as a reading mentor. I get the impression that the children enjoy it too.

>127 SirThomas: This sounds like fun, gelatinous aliens!

>128 SirThomas: A new pair of writers, hm. It’s very hard to copy a successful series, I think.

>129 SirThomas: Congratulations on your wins, Thomas. Even though there is a difficult one involved as well, I guess.

>130 EllaTim: Yes it was a fun read.

Maybe it is not the new writers maybe my taste has altered.

Thank you, Ella - It's not always easy, but we have come to terms with the situation. And it's the small things that matter...

171. Das Wesen der Dinge und der Liebe / The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

German Title translated: The essence of things and love
Genre: Fiction
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge (Thank you again, Anita (figsfromthistle))
Medium: eBook
First published: 2013
Pages: 704

Alma Whittaker is an unusual woman in an unemotional family. She is not beautiful, but highly intelligent. Her relationships don't work out and she remains lonely. She is an enthusiastic and competent botanist, but as a woman at the beginning of the 19th century, she has a hard time.
A wonderfully told story about a strong woman who lives her own life.

171. Das Wesen der Dinge und der Liebe / The Signature of All Things by Elizabeth Gilbert

German Title translated: The essence of things and love
Genre: Fiction
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge (Thank you again, Anita (figsfromthistle))
Medium: eBook
First published: 2013
Pages: 704

Alma Whittaker is an unusual woman in an unemotional family. She is not beautiful, but highly intelligent. Her relationships don't work out and she remains lonely. She is an enthusiastic and competent botanist, but as a woman at the beginning of the 19th century, she has a hard time.
A wonderfully told story about a strong woman who lives her own life.

Yesterday, I heard a report on the radio about silent bookclubs.
It sounded wonderful:
You meet once a month, for example in a café. A total of two hours are planned:

Half an hour for greetings and ordering drinks.
One hour of silent reading—everyone reads their own book.
Half an hour for discussion and farewells.

Unfortunately, there isn't one near me.
Has anyone had any experience with this?

Apparently, there are no experiences in the group, but it's time for the wins again:
On Sunday, we had lovely visitors for coffee and had a pleasant afternoon.
Yesterday, I had a doctor's appointment, everything is OK, and I don't have to go back for a check-up for another year.

>135 SirThomas: I've heard of this, but haven't experienced it. But it sounds wonderful!

>136 drneutron: I also think it's a great idea and am now trying to find a few fellow campaigners to get it started here...

And there were books:

172. Die Pest / La Peste by Albert Camus

English Title: The Plague
German Title translated: The Plague
Genre: Fiction
Reading Reason: 75 Books Challenge in honor of Anita (@FaMeulstee)
Medium: eBook
First published: 1947
Pages: 7349

Last year Anita (FAMeulstee) died, at that time her WIKI with her favorites was copied and a group reading was organized.
Her list spans 11 decades, I have resolved to read one of her favorite books every month. Unfortunately, there weren't many books from the 2020s included, but she also had a list of 5-star books, where I found this one.

The plague breaks out in a city in Algeria, and it is sealed off from the outside world. The story is told from the perspective of a doctor who is fighting the disease.
Intense and beautifully written—and frighteningly relevant in terms of human behavior.

173. Der illustrierte Mann / The Illustrated Man by Ray Bradbury

German Title translated: The Illustrated Man
Genre: Science Fiction
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge (Thank you again, Jeff (mahsdad) and Linda (Whisper1))
Medium: eBook
First published: 1951
Pages: 320

A wonderful collection of short stories by the master.
They are still very much worth reading today.

174. Der Retter / De Redder by Mathijs Deen

German Title translated: The Savior
Genre: Crime Fiction
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge (EllaTim)
Medium: eBook
First published: 2024
Pages: 384

The body of a captain is found who could not be rescued during a shipwreck many years ago.
Liewe Cupido begins to investigate and uncovers a crime. At the same time, he tries to get to the bottom of his father's death.
A calm and intensely told story.

175. Die kleine Hexe by Otfried Preussler

English Title: The Little Witch
German Title translated: The Little Witch
Genre: Fairy Tale
Reading Reason: Read aloud day
Medium: Paper Book
First published: 1957
Pages: 128

Yesterday was Reading Loud Day in Germany, so I took this book with me to my reading mentor activity and read it to the children. I think they enjoyed it.
The little witch is only 127 years old and too young to dance on Walpurgis Night. But if she becomes a good witch, she will be allowed to join in next year. So she starts practicing and helping people.
A lovely little story about the double meaning of good.
And after reading it, children will surely no longer be afraid of witches.

Interesting color distribution today:

wördle.de #1410 - 4/6
🟨⬜🟨⬜⬜ Hilfe
🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜ Autor
🟨🟨🟨🟨🟨 Lasch
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 SchalSippe

Wordle 22.11.2025 - 3/6
🟩⬜⬜⬜🟨 Hilfe
🟨⬜⬜⬜🟩 Autor
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Hager
wordle.at

>142 SirThomas: Ooh, well done Thomas!

>141 SirThomas: Sounds like fun, both the books and the reading. I remember our teacher in school reading to us, we loved it. There’s something special about reading aloud that can make it a really nice experience.

>135 SirThomas: And congratulations!

Wishing you a good week ahead.

Thank you, Ella - but I post only the wordle wins 😉

Yes, reading to the children was a pleasure for me too.

Thank you, Ella - I am relieved.

Have a wonderful week too!

176. Die Kolonie / The Gathering by C. J. Tudor

German Title translated: The Colony
Genre: Horror
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge (Thank you again, Jim (drneutron))
Medium: eBook
First published: 2024
Pages: 481

An investigator is sent to Alaska to solve a murder. The locals suspect the nearby vampire colony and are pushing to destroy it.
But Detective Barbara Atkins wants to find the real culprit first.
Quite brutal and not very subtly told, but worth reading.

177. Manche Schuld vergeht nie / Th Frozen People by Elly Griffiths

German Title translated: Some guilt never goes away
Genre: Crime Fiction
Reading Reason: Rummage at the library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2025
Pages: 398

Ali Dawson works on cold cases. However, she doesn't study old files, but travels back in time.
When she travels to the 19th century on a special assignment, her son is accused of murder.
An interesting and exciting read—and the murderer is revealed in chapter 42...

Hello Sir!! It's been a minute or two since I've made the rounds. Glad the Dr. visit went well and congrats on #177 already!! : )

Thank you, Mylady.
It is allways a pleasure to se you here.

And it is friday again, time for the wins:

On Friday, after my reading mentor session, my wife and I went to a restaurant for lunch, where we had a delicious meal.
In the afternoon, I was able to pick up my car, the navigation system has been repaired - under warranty.
In the evening, we attended a wonderful guitar concert, where two musicians played their own songs and covers on acoustic guitars. Two of them touched us deeply: “Hymn” by Barclay James Harvest—my wife and I have a shared history with this song—and “Über den Wolken” by Reinhard Mey. On the previous Wednesday, we had attended the funeral of a friend who had died at the age of 90 after a serious illness. She had chosen this song herself for her funeral, and we thought of her as we listened.
On Sunday, we had a visit from a friend, we had lunch together and had a good time. She made it home safely before the freezing rain started.
On Wednesday, we had a delicious lunch with friends we used to do yoga with.
But you know the saying: Good food is the eroticism of old age...

And another win:

178. Die Mars-Chroniken / The Martian Chronicles by Ray Bradbury

German Title translated: The Martian Chronicles
Genre: Science Fiction
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge (Thank you again, Linda (@Whisper1))
Medium: eBook
First published: 1951
Pages: 272

A wonderful book about humanity destroying everything it comes into contact with, including itself.
Melancholic and still highly relevant today.
Linda recommended There Will Come Soft Rains to me, which is also my favorite story, but Usher II is almost as good, and I felt a quiet satisfaction at the fate of the book banners...

You once asked about 'silent reading'. We have this in Zurich too, but I've never taken part myself.
https://silentreadingrave.com/ueber-uns/

Tom, It makes me smile to see your enjoyment of the writings of Ray Bradbury. I checked a copy of The Martian Chronicles from the library. I hope to read it closer to the weekend. He is without a doubt, one of my favorite authors.

All good wishes for a wonderful holiday season!

>37 SirThomas: Tom, Have you thought of enlarging this photo and framing it? WOW, it is stunni9ng. You really have quite a talent!

>151 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara, that sounds very good.
I would love to try it out, but it's too far away.
I'll have to talk to my favorite bookseller once the Christmas rush is over, maybe something will come up here.

>152 Whisper1: Thank you, Linda - the same to you!

>153 Whisper1: We already have a few own photos on the walls of our apartement, mainly of the North Sea, and they are very calming.
This one is a little too restless on the wall for me in the long run.
Thank you very much for the compliment, but nature played the biggest part—along with the lens of my smartphone camera...

179. Das Schweigen des Wassers by Susanne Tägder

German Title translated: The Silence of the Water
Genre: Crime Fiction
Reading Reason: Rummage at the library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2024
Pages: 336

After an investigative error, Inspector Groth is transferred to eastern Germany shortly after the fall of the Berlin Wall to teach his colleagues the investigative techniques commonly used in western Germany.
Although he grew up in the small town, he has difficulty connecting with his colleagues.
When a body is found in a lake, it initially looks like an accident, but gradually clues emerge pointing to a crime that was committed years ago and never solved.
An atmospheric, well-written crime novel.

The statistics of November:

Books read: 14
Pages read: 4,877 (longest 704 / shortest 48 / average 348)

Personal rating:
average rating
highest rating
lowest rating

Author nationalities:

England: 3 / 3 / 3
France: 3 / 3 / 3
Germany: 2 / 2 / 2
Guatemala: 1 / 1 / 1
Netherlands: 1 / 1 / 1
USA: 5 / 5 / 4

Sum: 15 / 15 / 14

Counting mode: All authors of the books / Main Author(s) or Editor(s) per book / Only different authors

Gender:
female authors: 5 / 5 / 5
male authors: 10 / 10 / 9
n/a: - / - / -

alive authors: 9 / 9 / 9
dead authors: 6 / 6 / 5

date first published:

1940-1949: 1
1950-1959: 4
2000-2009: 2
2010-2019: 1
2020-2029: 6

Media:
Ebooks: 10
Paperbooks: 4

Genre:
Comic: 1
Crime Fiction: 3
Fairy Tale: 1
Fantasy: 1
Fiction: 3
Horror: 2
Science Fiction: 3

Reading Reason:
This gorgeous group: 6
In Memory of Anita: 1
Author: 1
Nobel Prize: 1
Media: 1
Random / rummage: 2
Recommendation real life: 2

And it is time for the wins again:
On Saturday, I cooked porcini mushroom risotto, which turned out to be quite tasty.
On Monday, we celebrated our anniversary and enjoyed delicious beef fillets with morel cream sauce at home

—the black dots on the meat are fermented pepper—yummy!
On Tuesday, we went shopping and enjoyed delicious sushi.
On Wednesday, we received the news that we had both been elected to the senior citizens' council.
Yesterday, we visited two Christmas markets and enjoyed the lights.
And I received the names for the LibraryThing Holiday Card Exchange - The cards are on their way.

Happy Anniversary!!!

Thank you, Linda.

Happy anniversary, Thomas! The food looks delicious, again.

>160 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella, we really enjoyed it, even though we had to cook for ourselves😉.

And it is friday again, time for the wins:
On Sunday, we went on a short vacation to a wellness hotel. The weather wasn't great, but that didn't bother us.
Before breakfast, we went swimming in the outdoor pool, indoor pool, saltwater pool, and onsen pool, later we had a sauna, steam bath,...
In the evening, we enjoyed a delicious five-course meal. We also treated ourselves to a wellness massage, 1 1/2 hours of pure relaxation, it was wonderful.
And of course, there was plenty of time for reading!
Yesterday we returned safely, there were only 3 bills in the mail...

And there were books:

180. Dämmersee / Brottsjön by Johanna Mo

German Title translated: Twilight Lake
Genre: Thriller
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge (Thank you again, Barbara (@Ameise1))
Medium: eBook
First published: 2024
Pages: 513

The last book in the series.
Hanna Duncker must solve the murder of her boss, who recently took early retirement.
In doing so, connections to her father and brother come to light.
Another exciting and good book.

181. Auf dem Weg in den Ruhestand by Britta Laubvogel

German Title translated: On the way to retirement
Genre: Non Fiction
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2025
Pages: 160

A guide to preparing for retirement and living a fulfilling life in retirement. I probably already have too much experience of retirement to learn much new...

182. DAS ENDE DER WELT WIE WIR SIE KENNEN / The End of the World as We Know It by Christopher Golden and Brian Keene

German Title translated: The End of the World as We Know It
Genre: Horror
Reading Reason: Author
Medium: eBook
First published: 2025
Pages: 928

A collection of stories from the world of Stephen King's The Stand.
A wonderful reading experience.

183. Kleine Morde erhalten die Nachbarschaft / A Curtain Twitcher's Book of Murder by Gay Marris

German Title translated: Small murders keep the neighborhood together
Genre: Crime Fiction
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2025
Pages: 426

A small suburb of London where everyone knows everyone else. But perhaps not as well as you might think.
There are lots of murders to be found here, told with entertaining black humor.

184. Die Praktikantin / The Intern by Gregg Hurwitz

German Title translated: The Intern
Genre: Thriller
Reading Reason: Free ebook
Medium: eBook
First published: 2018
Pages: 26

A short story about an intern who gets into danger with her boss, a journalist searching for Orphan X.
Short.

185. DNA / DNA by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir

English Title: The Legacy
Genre: Thriller
Reading Reason: movie review in the newspaper
Medium: eBook
First published: 2014
Pages: 512

A detective has to investigate a series of gruesome murders. He got the job because a scandal has forced the better investigators to step aside. Since a child witnessed the crime, he is assisted by a child psychologist with whom he recently had a one-night stand.
With his team, they track down the perpetrator, but things are not what they seem.
Exciting and atmospheric.

186. Der Intrigant / The Disinformer by Peter Ustinov

German Title translated: The Schemer
Genre: Fiction
Reading Reason: 75 books challenge - Alphabet Challenge
Medium: eBook
First published: 1989
Pages: 176

Two wonderful little stories.
A former secret agent gets bored and starts to plot a little intrigue.
A daughter is dissatisfied with her life and moves out after having a nose job, but her husband also has a secret.
British humor at its finest.

Interesting color distribution today:

wördle.de #1433 - 4/6
⬜⬜⬜⬜🟨 Hilfe
⬜⬜⬜⬜🟩 Autor
⬜⬜🟨🟩🟩 Weber
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 BüßerSippe

Wordle 15.12.2025 - 4/6
⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ Hilfe
⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ Autor
🟩🟨⬜🟩⬜ Indus
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Immun
wordle.at

>162 SirThomas: Welcome back. Sounds like you had a nice relaxing time!

>171 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita, we had!

My first card from the Holiday Card Exchange has arrived - thank you @tardis for the wonderful painting and the book suggestions!
My library had the Chambers and the Aaronovitch available, for the Scalzi I have to look.
I am looking forward for reading joy!

187. Jahrestage I. Aus dem Leben von Gesine Cresspahl by Uwe Johnson

English Title: Anniversaries I: From the Life of Gesine Cresspahl
German Title translated: Anniversaries I: From the Life of Gesine Cresspahl
Genre: Fiction
Reading Reason: 75 Books Challenge in honor of Anita (@FaMeulstee)
Medium: eBook
First published: 70
Pages: 480

Last year Anita (FAMeulstee) died, at that time her WIKI with her favorites was copied and a group reading was organized.
Her list spans 11 decades, I have resolved to read one of her favorite books every month. For December I took a book from her all time favourites list.

From August to December 1967, each day is recounted in a chapter. There are three sections in each chapter: newspaper articles from the New York Times about the Vietnam War, Gesine Cresspahl's daily routine with her daughter, and her mother's life in East Germany in the early 1930s and the rise of the Nazis.
Well worth reading.

>173 SirThomas: I'm so glad it arrived so quickly! Yours was one of two cards I sent to Europe and both arrived before Christmas. I'm impressed with the postal systems :)

>175 tardis: I hope it goes just as quickly in the other direction. I sent three cards to the USA and two to Germany. I haven't received any replies yet. Yours is the only one that has arrived at me – but there's still some time left until Christmas, and I'll be happy to receive mail after that...

It's time again for the (slightly delayed) Friday wins:
On Sunday, I managed to fix the wobbly faucet on the bathroom sink—and I didn't damage anything...
On Tuesday, I was out with my old colleagues and we got a tour of the city library in Stuttgart—win-win—I saw old friends and BOOKS!

On Wednesday, we had a delicious meal and met up with friends in the evening—and I got the first card from the Holiday Card Exchange!

My second card from the Holiday Card Exchange arrived today. Thank you very much, Ina (@inaha), for the beautiful Rilke poem and the lovely wishes!

Wow, Thomas, you have been reading like the wind!

Thanks for visiting my thread. I wish you and your family and friends the best Christmas and a great new year 2026.

Like Judy said, thanks for visiting my thread with Christmas wishes.

I send them right back to you and yours.

Looking forward to a great 2026, see you in the new group (when Jim gets it created)

I wish you a peaceful Christmas time and then all the best for the coming year

>179 ffortsa: Thank you, Judy, the same to you.
This year I read some very short 'books' - next year I will Perry Rhodan not count for the numbers.

>180 mahsdad: Thank you, Jeff, the same to you.
I am also looking forward to the 2026 group with all of you.

>181 paulstalder: Thank you, Paul, the same to you.
Thank you for coming by.

And the last FridayWins for this year:
On Friday, friends visited us and we had a lovely afternoon.
On Sunday, friends visited us for breakfast and we sat together until the afternoon.
On Monday morning, we noticed that the apartment and the water were cold and called the property management company. The repairmen came on the same day, but on Tuesday they had to come back and replace a hot water tank. Our house remained cold, but the other house connected to the same system was warm. On Wednesday, the repairmen connected a pump directly to our house—they will check the (defective?) control unit after Christmas—and it finally got warm!
However, it got cooler again in the evening. I went to the boiler room and was able to fix the problem myself (the temperature in the ash box was too high, so the system had shut down—since everything was cold, I was able to restart the system).
Craftsmen who come at Christmas and a fault you can fix yourself – that's a big win!
Hot water is a wonderful gift that you really appreciate when it stops working...

Have a lovely festive season, Thomas and thank you for your warmth, kindness and generosity of spirit.

Thank you my friend.

Time for updates:

188. Assistant to the Villain / Assistant to the Villainby Hannah Nicole Maehrer

German Title Translated: Assistant to the Villain
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge (Thank you again, Jim (@drneutron))
Medium: eBook
First published: 2023
Pages: 448

In order to help her sick father, Evie secretly gets a job working for the villain.
But he isn't so evil after all, and her feelings become confused. She uncovers a major conspiracy.
A fun read.

189. Cold Eternity / Cold Eternity by S. A. Barnes

German Title Translated: Cold Eternity 😉
Genre: Science Fiction
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge (Thank you again, Steve (@swynn))
Medium: eBook
First published: 2025
Pages: 384

Katerina Halley has to go into hiding and finds work on a freighter that has been flying through the universe for decades and serves as cryo-storage for humans.
She slowly realizes that this was not a good idea, because something sinister is going on on the ship—exciting.

190. Hagakure / 葉隱 by Jocho Yamamoto

English Title: Hagakure
Genre: Non Fiction
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge - Alphabet Challenge
Medium: eBook
First published: 1710
Pages: 243

A collection of advice for samurai, some of which is still relevant today.
Now I have read all the letters of the alphabet, titles and authors...

191. Escape Room. Das Hotel der tausend Augen by Eva Eich

German Title translated: Escape Room. The Hotel with the thousend eyes
Genre: Crime Fiction
Reading Reason: Author
Medium: Paper Book
First published: 2022
Pages: 116

A lonely hotel, six people who have to solve puzzles to win 10 million euros, monitored by cameras at all times.
But then a real murder happens.
Twenty-four chapters, each ending with a puzzle that must be solved to get to the next chapter.
A slightly different Advent calendar—highly recommended.

192. Der lange Weg zu einem kleinen zornigen Planeten / The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet by Becky Chambers

German Title translated: The Long Way to a Small, Angry Planet
Genre: Science Fiction
Reading Reason: Recommendation from LibraryThing Holiday Card Exchange - Thanky you, @tardis
Medium: eBook
First published: 2014
Pages: 544

Young Rosemary Harper signs on to the Wayfarer, a spaceship designed to drill wormholes through space in order to create connections between distant galaxies. It's not a safe job, but the dangers lurk elsewhere.
An exciting story about different species living together. Well worth reading.
The next volumes in the series are already on their way to me.

Yes, craftsmen who come during Christmas, that’s great, and mending the system yourself even more satisfying!

Wishing you the best Christmas Days! Nicely warm and cozy, and lots of good cheer.

Hello Thomas, glad to hear that you are doing well. Yes, there is nothing more annoying than needing tradespeople over the holidays. Luckily, you were able to do it yourself the second time around.
I wish you a relaxing weekend.

>191 EllaTim: Yes it was a relief that I was able to do it myself - It was Christmas Eve followed by two holidays—it would be difficult to find tradespeople.
Thank you very much, Ella, I wish you the same!

>192 Ameise1: Thank you very much, Barbara. Yes, I am very happy and wish you all the best too!

Today, the third card from the Holiday Card Exchange arrived. Thank you very much, @Rhoades, for the beautiful card and the quote from Lenore Hershey.
I have now received three cards: one from Germany, one from the USA, and one from Canada. I have sent two to Germany and three to the USA.

193. Hoch Oben by Joachim Zelter

German Title translated: High Above
Genre: Fiction
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2025
Pages: 160

Jeremy Ash from England causes a car accident and ends up in a hospital in a small German town.
Since he cannot pay the bill, he has to work in a kindergarten.
In doing so, he gets in the way of the omnipresent mayor.
References to Tübingen and its mayor Boris Palmer are unmistakable.
Quiet funny.

I probably won't finish any more books this year, so here are the statistics:
The statistics of December:

Books read: 14
Pages read: 5,116 (longest 928 / shortest 26 / average 368)

Personal rating:
average rating
highest rating
lowest rating

Author nationalities:

England: 2 / 2 / 2
Germany: 4 / 4 / 4
Iceland: 1 / 1 / 1
Japan: 1 / 1 / 1
Sweden: 1 / 1 / 1
USA: 6 / 6 / 6

Sum: 15 / 15 / 15

Counting mode: All authors of the books / Main Author(s) or Editor(s) per book / Only different authors

Gender:
female authors: 7 / 7 / 7
male authors: 8 / 8 / 8
n/a: - / - / -

alive authors: 12 / 12 / 12
dead authors: 3 / 3 / 3

date first published:

-1899: 1
1970-1979: 1
1980-1989: 1
2010-2019: 3
2020-2029: 8

Media:
Ebooks: 13
Paperbooks: 1

Genre:
Crime Fiction: 2
Fantasy: 1
Fiction: 3
Horror: 1
Non Fiction: 2
Science Fiction: 2
Thriller: 3

Reading Reason:
This gorgeous group: 5
In Memory of Anita: 1
Author: 2
Media: 1
Random / rummage: 4
Recommendation real life: 1

And the year 2025:

Books read: 193
Pages read: 31,030 (longest 928 / shortest 26 / average 316)

Personal rating:
average rating
highest rating
lowest rating

Author nationalities:

Argentina: 1 / 1 / 1
Australia: 1 / 1 / 1
Austria: 3 / 3 / 3
Bosnia: 1 / 1 / 1
Bulgary: 1 / 1 / 1
Canada: 2 / 2 / 2
China: 1 / 1 / 1
Greece: 1 / 1 / 1
Guatemala: 1 / 1 / 1
England: 31 / 31 / 26
France: 6 / 6 / 6
Germany: 71 / 71 / 56
Hungary: 1 / 1 / 1
Iceland: 2 / 2 / 2
Iran: 1 / 1 / 1
Ireland: 2 / 2 / 2
Italy: 2 / 2 / 2
Japan: 2 / 2 / 2
Netherlands: 4 / 4 / 2
Poland: 1 / 1 / 1
Peru: 1 / 1 / 1
Scotland: 1 / 1 / 1
Sweden: 8 / 8 / 4
Switzerland: 2 / 2 / 2
Taiwan: 1 / 1 / 1
Turkey: 1 / 1 / 1
USA: 51 / 51 / 44
n/a: 1 / 1 / 1

Sum: 201 / 201 / 167

Counting mode: All authors of the books / Main Author(s) or Editor(s) per book / Only different authors

Gender:
female authors: 59 / 59 / 53
male authors: 141 / 141 / 113
n/a: 1 / 1 / 1

alive authors: 136 / 136 / 124
dead authors: 65 / 65 / 43

date first published:

-1899: 2
1900-1909: 2
1910-1919:
1920-1929: 2
1930-1939: 3
1940-1949: 4
1950-1959: 5
1960-1969: 23
1970-1979: 6
1980-1989: 6
1990-1999: 8
2000-2009: 12
2010-2019: 24
2020-2029: 92

Media:
Ebooks: 175
Paperbooks: 19

Genre:
Comic: 4
Crime Fiction: 29
Fairy Tale: 2
Fantasy: 16
Fiction: 37
Horror: 18
Non Fiction: 23
Science Fiction: 35
Short Stories: 3
Theater: 1
Thriller: 24
Young Adult: 1

Reading Reason:
This gorgeous group: 71
In Memory of Anita: 12
Author: 12
Birthday Book: 9
Early Reviewers: 3
Free Book: 1
Friends: 2
Media: 14
Nobel Prize: 5
Random / rummage: 60
Recommendation real life: 4

Wishing you all a great start to 2026!
I will be back with my new thread in the first days of the year.

See you on the other side Thomas! Have a good New Year’s Eve, and start of the new year.

New Year greetings from Kuala Lumpur. My project is at least physically completed and an addition to the city scape.

Look forward to keeping up with you in 2026

I don't see a 2026 thread for you yet, but I'll be sure to star it when I find it. Happy reading for 2026 and a happy new year.

>199 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella - I will visit you.

>200 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul - me too.

>201 sirfurboy: Thank you, Stephen - I will drop a star at yours too.

And here ist the 2026 thread