MissBrangwen reads by starlight - III

Boierul Ilie, Cisnădioara

Hi, my name is Mirjam and this is my fifth year in the Category Challenge. 2024 was my best reading year since the early 2010s, and I hope that this will continue in 2025!

I live in the north of Germany close to the North Sea with my husband. We are both college teachers and besides reading, we love traveling. I also sing in a choir.

This year my thread looks a little different compared to the previous years and I have many more categories. I don't have a specific numerical goal for each of them, but simply wish to track what I read. I also hope that these categories will make me read what I really want.
Regarding the CATs and KITs, I plan to complete AlphaKIT and most of SFFKIT and MysteryKIT, but I will only drop in and out of the others. My hope is that this will allow for more spontaneous reading. I will also do BingoDOG because it is one of my favourite things about LT!

The Category Challenge is my favourite LT group because I love the kind atmosphere, the comfort it brings, the community spirit and of course all the books it makes me add to my shelves and wish list!

Last year my thread title had a loose connection to Narnia, so this time I was looking for a Middle-earth allusion and while we were watching "The Desolation of Smaug" today, the idea of this title came to my mind. It also fits because I am using multiple pictures from Boierul Ilie in Romania in this thread. We visited this place in October and it was fantastic - probably the closest you can get to Hobbiton outside of New Zealand, and it is even more inspiring because it has all been built on private land over many years by a small team who wish to provide a relaxing and natural space to others. It is not finished yet, so one day it will be even better.

~~~

Again, I don't have a dedicated theme, but use pictures from my travels from 2024 that have a connection to books.

~~~

My reading year runs from Dec 24 to Dec 23!

(Boierul Ilie, Cisnădioara)

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

1. Die Karte von Wilderland by John Howe & Brian Sibley
2. Leaf by Niggle by J.R.R. Tolkien

(Boekhandel Riemer, Groningen)

Australia
All books set in or about Australia.

1. Under The Golden Sun by Jenny Ashcroft
2. Rabbit-Proof Fence by Nugi Garimara
3. Caprice - A Stockman's Daughter by Nugi Garimara
4. Under the Wintamarra Tree by Nugi Garimara
5. The Reunion by Bronwyn Rivers
6. Farewell to Lancashire by Anna Jacobs

(Boierul Ilie, Cisnădioara)

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

1. Leaf by Niggle by J.R.R. Tolkien

(Shakespeare Coffee & Poetry, a book café in Brașov)

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

1. The High Lord by Trudi Canavan (648pp.)
2. Henry VIII - The Heart and the Crown by Alison Weir (724pp.)

(Bookstall at Chatuchak Market, Bangkok)

Diversity
Books by BIPOC and LGBTQIA+ authors.

1. Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
2. The Idea of You by Robinne Lee
3. Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman
4. Der Dichter by Yi Munyol
5. Pageboy by Elliot Page
6. Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde
7. I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver
8. Rabbit-Proof Fence by Nugi Garimara
9. Cambodia In My Dream by Santel Phin
10. She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
11. A Walk in the Park by Rebekah Weatherspoon
12. Green Island by Shawna Yang Ryan
13. Caprice - A Stockman's Daughter by Nugi Garimara
14. The Skeleton Road by Val McDermid
15. Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee
16. Under the Wintamarra Tree by Nugi Garimara

(Shakespeare's First Folio at the British Library, London)

Literary Classics
Books written before 1975 that are somewhat literary - I make this distinction to make sure that I won't simply fill this category with mysteries ;-)

1. Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
2. The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
3. Egmont by Johann Wolfgang Goethe
4. Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde
5. The Breakthrough by Daphne du Maurier
6. Das leidende Weib by Friedrich Maximilian Klinger
7. The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
8. Die Dame mit dem Hündchen by Anton Chekhov
9. Christmas at a Cornish Manor by Clara Venn
10. A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas
11. The Water Ghost of Harrowby Hall by J.K. Bangs

(Cărturești Carusel, Bucharest)

Literary and General Fiction
All novels, novellas and short stories/short story collections that are not strictly genre fiction and not classics.

1. Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
2. Der Dichter by Yi Munyol
3. Der Vater eines Mörders by Alfred Andersch
4. Cambodia In My Dream by Santel Phin
5. Green Island by Shawna Yang Ryan
6. Caprice - A Stockman's Daughter by Nugi Garimara
7. Neunerlei by Anja Jonuleit

(The Lindisfarne Gospels at the British Library, London)

Historical Fiction
All novels written at least sixty years after the time they are set in.

1. The Second Mrs. Astor by Shana Abé
2. Firstborn by Alison Weir
3. Elizabeth of York - The Last White Rose by Alison Weir
4. Children of War by Ahmet Yorulmaz
5. Ithaca by Claire North
6. Under The Golden Sun by Jenny Ashcroft
7. The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell
8. The Golden Prince by Alison Weir
9. Henry VIII - The Heart and the Crown by Alison Weir
10. The True and Terrible Tale of Perotine Massey by Alison Weir
11. I Am Livia by Phyllis T. Smith
12. Green Island by Shawna Yang Ryan
13. Farewell to Lancashire by Anna Jacobs
14. Drei Wünsche by Petra Oelker

(South Kensington Books, London)

Romance

Contemporary Romance
1. The Idea of You by Robinne Lee
2. I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver
3. Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood
4. A Walk in the Park by Rebekah Weatherspoon
5. Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee
6. Ready for the Spotlight by Nikki Haverstock
7. The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez

Historical Romance
8. Once Upon A Christmas by Diane Farr
9. The Winter Companion by Mimi Matthews
10. Slightly Sinful by Mary Balogh
11. The Astronomer's Obsession by K. Lyn Smith
12. Slightly Dangerous by Mary Balogh
13. A Light So Fleeting by Clarissa Kae
14. His By Opening Day by Kat Sterling
15. Regency Rescues by Isabella Hargreaves
16. One Night For Love by Mary Balogh
17. The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen
18. The Art of Victory by Martha Keyes
19. Runaway Christmas Bride by Isabella Hargreaves
20. Married by Christmas by Isabella Hargreaves
21. Watch of Wand'ring Love by Kendall Hoxsey

(Casa Vlad Dracul, Sighișoara, the alleged house of Dracula's namesake)

Mysteries
Mysteries and crime novels of all kind.

Golden & Silver Age Mysteries
1. An English Murder by Cyril Hare
2. The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie

Cosy Mysteries
3. Due or Die by Jenn McKinlay

Historical Mysteries
4. The Lindbergh Nanny by Mariah Fredericks
5. Die kalte Mamsell by Elsa Dix

Police Procedurals
6. Blutmond by Katrine Engberg
7. Blood Red Roses by Lin Anderson
8. The Skeleton Road by Val McDermid
9. The Sleeping and the Dead by Ann Cleeves
10. Torch by Lin Anderson

Psychological Thrillers
11. The Wrong One by Dervla McTiernan
12. Under Her Care by Lucinda Berry
13. The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
14. Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena
15. The Woman in Suite 11 by Ruth Ware
16. The Reunion by Bronwyn Rivers

(Free library in Sibiu)

Fantasy
All non-Tolkien fantasy books.

1. Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
2. Ithaca by Claire North
3. The High Lord by Trudi Canavan
4. Quidditch Through The Ages by J.K. Rowling
5. Critical Role: The Chronicles of Exandria - The Mighty Nein by Lauryn Ipsum (ed.) et al.
6. She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan
7. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
8. The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman

(William Shakespeare and others in the Poet's Corner, Westminster Abbey, London)

Poetry

1. Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman
2. Cambodia In My Dream by Santel Phin

(Boekhandel Riemer, Groningen)

Nonfiction

Autobiography | Memoir | Letters | Biography
1. Pageboy by Elliot Page
2. Rabbit-Proof Fence by Nugi Garimara
3. Under the Wintamarra Tree by Nugi Garimara

History
4. A Brief History of the British Monarchy by Jeremy Black
5. Great Ladies - Forgotten Witnesses to the Lives of Tudor Queens by Sylvia Barbara Soberton

Politics | Sociology | Critical Theory
6. Es ist 5 vor 1933 by Philipp Ruch
7. Du hast die Wahl by Marc Raschke
8. Notes on Nationalism by George Orwell
9. Wann hören wir auf, uns etwas vorzumachen? by Jonathan Franzen

Religion

Others



Great Courses

(A wall painting at the Erasmus Büchercafé, a book café in Sibiu)

Graphics

1. Critical Role: The Chronicles of Exandria - The Mighty Nein by Lauryn Ipsum (ed.) et al.
2. Der Schimmelreiter - Graphic Novel by Theodor Storm & Jens Natter

(Cărturești Carusel, Bucharest)

Series

"Rhona MacLeod" by Lin Anderson: Blood Red Roses (0.5/18), Torch (2/18)
"Bedwyn Series" by Mary Balogh: Slightly Sinful (5/6); Slightly Dangerous (6/6); One Night For Love (0.3/6)
"Black Magician Trilogy" by Trudi Canavan: The High Lord (3/3) - series completed
"Kyralia" by Trudi Canavan: The High Lord (4/7)
"Invisible Library" by Genevieve Cogman: The Burning Page (3/8)
"The Saxon Chronicles" by Bernard Cornwell: The Pale Horseman (2/13)
"Seebad-Krimi" by Elsa Dix: Die kalte Mamsell (3/4)
"Kørner & Werner" by Katrine Engberg: Blutmond (2/5)
"Nobody Series" by Diane Farr: Once Upon A Christmas (2/2) - series completed
"Yuletide Travelers" by Isabella Hargreaves: Runaway Christmas Bride (2/3); Married by Christmas (3/3) - series completed
"The Donovans" by Martha Keyes: The Art of Victory (2/4)
"Parish Orphans of Devon" by Mimi Matthews: The Winter Companion (4/4) - series completed
"Inspector Karen Pirie" by Val McDermid: The Skeleton Road (3/8)
"Library Lover's Mysteries" by Jenn McKinlay: Due or Die (2/15)
"Harry Potter's School Books" by J. K. Rowling: Quidditch Through The Ages (2/3); The Tales of Beedle the Bard (3/3) - series completed
"Lo Blacklock" by Ruth Ware: The Woman in Suite 11 (2/2) - series up to date
"Shadow Lake" by Lenora Worth: "Christmas Eve Baby" (in Amish Christmas Kinner) - (4/4) - series completed

Series not read in order

"Hercule Poirot" by Agatha Christie: The Mystery of the Blue Train (6/36)

Series started in 2025

"Legends & Lattes" by Travis Baldree: Legends & Lattes (1/2)
"The Songs of Penelope" by Claire North: Ithaca (1/3)
"Claes und Rosina" by Petra Oelker: Drei Wünsche (0.5/11)
"The Radiant Emperor" by Shelley Parker-Chan: She Who Became The Sun (1/2)
"The Whitesky Saga" by Waubgeshig Rice: Moon of the Crusted Snow (1/2)
"Something Wonderful" by K. Lyn Smith: The Astronomer's Obsession (1/3)
"Corbyn Family" by K. Lyn Smith: The Astronomer's Obsession (1/7)
"Tudor Rose" by Alison Weir: Firstborn (0.5/3); Elizabeth of York - The Last White Rose (1/3); The Golden Prince (1.5/3); Henry VIII - The Heart and the Crown (2/3); The True and Terrible Tale of Perotine Massey (2.5/3)

(Cărturești Carusel, Bucharest)

Catch all
For all books that do not fit in any of the categories.

1. Was ist eigentlich Demokratie by Tina Ruthe, Sally Lisa Starken & Sophie Schrade (ill.)
2. Alex, abgeholt! by Danielle Graf, Katja Seide & Günther Jakobs (ill.)
3. Ab nach Hause, Luca! by Danielle Graf, Katja Seide & Günther Jakobs (ill.)
4. I Want My Hat Back by Jon Klassen
5. The Tiger Who Came To Tea by Judith Kerr
6. Jane - My First Jane Goodall Little People, Big Dreams by María Isabel Sanchez Vegara & Beatrice Cerocci (ill.)
7. "Wann ist endlich Weihnachten? fragt der kleine Dachs" by Constanze von Kitzing

(Bookstall at Chatuchak Market, Bangkok)

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

Short stories and other prose

Articles and essays

1. A place you've never been: Due or Die by Jenn McKinlay
2. Either "Library" or "Thing" in title:
3. Writing about writers: Der Dichter by Yi Munyol
4. Oldest book on your TBR:
5. A holiday in title: Once Upon A Christmas by Diane Farr
6. A long title (5+ words): Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
7. Features adoption/foster care/nontraditional family: I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver
8. Medical topic: Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman
9. The sun on cover/in title: Under The Golden Sun by Jenny Ashcroft
10. Child as a main character: Von weit her by Robert Munsch, Saoussan Askar & Rebecca Green (ill.)
11. Newly in public domain: The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie
12. Author has your or relative’s 1st or last name: Notes on Nationalism by George Orwell
13. Read a CAT: Under Her Care by Lucinda Berry
14. Totally random:
15. Features a birth: The Winter Companion by Mimi Matthews
16. Nonhuman narrator: Ithaca by Claire North
17. Features winged creature(s): Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
18. A profession in title: The Lindbergh Nanny by Mariah Fredericks
19. Travel:
20. Recommended by a friend or LT member: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree
21. Set in your favorite season: Die kalte Mamsell by Elsa Dix
22. Originally published in a language not your own: Children of War by Ahmet Yorulmaz
23. Hollywood!: Pageboy by Elliot Page
24. A piece of furniture on the cover: Die Karte von Wilderland by John Howe & Brian Sibley
25. Features fire: The Wrong One by Dervla McTiernan

(Bran Castle, known as Dracula's castle, although there really is no resemblance to the one in the novel)

AlphaKIT
This year I am going to choose a paper book from my shelves for each letter, ideally one that I have been meaning to read for a long time.

January: O-S
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
Once Upon A Christmas by Diane Farr
The Castle of Otranto by Horace Walpole
Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
The Second Mrs. Astor by Shana Abé
Slightly Sinful by Mary Balogh

February: G-L
Call Us What We Carry by Amanda Gorman
Egmont by Johann Wolfgang Goethe
Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde

March: A-U
Elizabeth of York - The Last White Rose by Alison Weir
Children of War by Ahmet Yorulmaz
I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver
Der Vater eines Mörders by Alfred Andersch
Under Her Care by Lucinda Berry

April: E-K
Die kalte Mamsell by Elsa Dix

May: D-I
His By Opening Day by Kat Sterling
The Breakthrough by Daphne du Maurier
Regency Rescues by Isabella Hargreaves

June: C-Q
Cambodia In My Dream by Santel Phin
The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell
Quidditch Through The Ages by J.K. Rowling

July: T-W
The Woman in the Window by A.J. Finn
The Golden Prince by Alison Weir
The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving
Henry VIII - The Heart and the Crown by Alison Weir
The True and Terrible Tale of Perotine Massey by Alison Weir

August: J-N
The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen
The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
How It Unfolds by James S. A. Corey
Wann hören wir auf, uns etwas vorzumachen? by Jonathan Franzen
Notes on Nationalism by George Orwell

September: B-M
The Art of Victory by Martha Keyes

MysteryKIT

January: Winter Mysteries
An English Murder by Cyril Hare
Due or Die by Jenn McKinlay

February: Vintage Mysteries
The Mystery of the Blue Train by Agatha Christie

May: Not My Country
Blutmond by Katrine Engberg

July: Series Sleuths
Blood Red Roses by Lin Anderson

SFFKIT

January: Cozy Fantasy
Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

February: The Art of SFF
Die Karte von Wilderland by John Howe & Brian Sibley

April: Women Authors
Ithaca by Claire North
The High Lord by Trudi Canavan

July: Alternative History
She Who Became The Sun by Shelley Parker-Chan

August: Space
How It Unfolds by James S. A. Corey

(Bran Castle)

Other CATs & KITs

January CultureCAT - Migration and Displacement: Von weit her by Robert Munsch, Saoussan Askar & Rebecca Green (ill.)
January ScaredyKIT - Diverse Perspectives: Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
January RandomKIT - Eat, drink and be merry: Legends & Lattes by Travis Baldree

February ScaredyKIT - Haunted Houses: The Wrong One by Dervla McTiernan

March CultureCAT - Neurodiverse Voices: Under Her Care by Lucinda Berry
March ScaredyKIT - Real Life Monsters: The Lindbergh Nanny by Mariah Fredericks
March RandomKIT - Wishes: I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver

April CultureCAT - TTRPG & LARPers: Critical Role: The Chronicles of Exandria - The Mighty Nein by Lauryn Ipsum (ed.) et al.
April NatureKIT - Flying Creatures: Make Way For Ducklings by Robert McCloskey
April RandomKIT - Prime: The High Lord by Trudi Canavan; Die kalte Mamsell by Elsa Dix

May NatureKIT - Plants, Fungi, etc.: Leaf by Niggle by J.R.R. Tolkien
May RandomKIT - Punctuation: Love, Theoretically by Ali Hazelwood

June CultureCAT - Aboriginal Australia: Rabbit-Proof Fence by Nugi Garimara
June ScaredyKIT - Graphic Novels: Der Schimmelreiter - Graphic Novel by Theodor Storm & Jens Natter
June RandomKIT - Invasion: Rabbit-Proof Fence by Nugi Garimara; The Pale Horseman by Bernard Cornwell

July ScaredyKIT - Ghosts: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving

August CultureCAT - Any Culture You Are Not Part Of: Green Island by Shawna Yang Ryan
August NatureKIT - Weather and Climate: Wann hören wir auf, uns etwas vorzumachen? by Jonathan Franzen
August ScaredyKIT - Female Authors: Everyone Here Is Lying by Shari Lapena
August RandomKIT - A Writer: The Girl in the Gatehouse by Julie Klassen; V&A Introduces: Beatrix Potter by Katie Woolley & Ginnie Hsu (ill.); Green Island by Shawna Yang Ryan

Yearlong CultureCAT - South East Asia/Pacific Islanders: Cambodia In My Dream by Santel Phin

(William Wordsworth in the Poet's Corner, Westminster Abbey, London)

Other LT Challenges

Reading Through Time - Monthly challenges & quarterly eras.

The Global Challenge - Tracking my global reading over the years.

Hosting Commitments

February SFFKIT: The Art of SFF
September MysteryKIT: Silver Age Mysteries
September RTT: Highlands & Islands
Yearlong CultureCAT: Bonus CAT 1 - South East Asia/Pacific Islander

Extra

Extra

Boierul Ilie, Cisnădioara

Welcome to my third thread of the year!

Happy new thread, Mirjam! Lovely to see all your photos of bookstores and libraries again!

Happy new thread! I loved revisiting those lovely bookshop pictures again!

>32 christina_reads: >33 Jackie_K: Thank you both!

Yesterday I read The Lady With The Dog by Anton Chekhov. I had selected this for a prompt over at Reading Through Time many months ago, but never got around to it, although it is so short. Now I finally did. My German edition also includes The Darling.



Book No 73

"Die Dame mit dem Hündchen" by Anton Chekhov
Original Title: Дама с собачкой / Dama s sobachkoy
First published in 1899
Diogenes
Paperback, 115pp.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars - ****°

Other LT challenges: Global Challenge (Russia)
My own categories: Literary Classics

The lady of the title is a young woman who takes a holiday in Yalta and meets an older man. Both are unhappy in their respective marriages and fall in love, but see no possibility of being together.
This was the first time that I read Chekhov and I was entranced by his style. I totally loved The Lady With The Dog. It is a slow story and over many pages nothing much happens. On top of that, the characters are not even that engaging or sympathetic. But still, Chekhov has a way of telling the story that made me feel the scene and that fascinated me.

The Darling is the story of a young woman who does not have a personality of her own apart from being pleasant, naive and agreeable. She takes on the interests of any man she spends time with, and this determines her life.
While I did not like this one as much as the first one, I still enjoyed it. It is a spot on portrayal of co-dependency. I did not see it as misogynistic, but as a text showing what might happen to people who do not have chance of creating their own lives.

I cannot wait to read more by Anton Chekhov and I am so happy that I finally picked this up!

Last year I listened to Unrequited, the first book in the The Donovans series by Martha Keyes. I liked it a lot, and now I listened to the second book in the series, The Art of Victory.



Book No 74

"The Art of Victory" by Martha Keyes
Series: The Donovans (2/4)
First published in 2022
Dreamscape Media
Digital audiobook, 8h 22min
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

CATs & KITs: September AlphaKIT - B-M
My own categories: Romance - Historical Romance, Series

Diana Donovan is the only daughter of a navy admiral. She has grown up with her three brothers among the men of the navy and although she is now a lady she has a real spirit and does not shy away from a fight. When her friend Lucy wishes to marry but is denied permission by her guardian, Mr Russell, Diana vows to persuade the man to allow the match. However, she expected Mr Russell to be a crude and old man, so she is surprised to find that her foe is in fact an elegant, rather good looking young gentleman.

I found it hard to warm up to Diana at first, but after some time, the novel really drew me in and I rooted for the couple. The story goes deeper than I expected because both Diana and Mr Russell have issues and doubts that you would not expect at a first glance. There were also some developments that surprised me.
I think that some aspects are too modern and do not fit the time, especially Diana's behavior in the beginning, but all in all I enjoyed this and am looking forward to the next installment of the series.

Happy new thread. It was great to revisit all the bookstores.

>37 lowelibrary: Thank you, April!

I finally finished another Tolkien book, albeit a really short one! I read Leaf by Niggle.
This short story was first published in a magazine and then in several collections, but I read the single story edition that was finally published in 2016.
This was my third or fourth reread of the story, but I hadn't read it for almost a decade.



Book No 75

"Leaf by Niggle" by J.R.R. Tolkien
First published in 1945
HarperCollins
Paperback, 58pp.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars - ****°

CATs & KITs: May NatureKIT - Plants, Fungi etc.
My own categories: Tolkien, Rereading Fiction

Although Tolkien famously disliked allegory, this short story obviously is one. Niggle is an artist who starts his Opus Magnus by painting one leaf, but then the picture starts growing bigger and bigger. There are more and more leaves, it becomes a marvelous tree, the tree is part of a great forest, there are beautiful landscapes behind the forest and so on... Niggle loses himself in the details and cannot come to an end. This is complicated further because there are endless disturbances by things that are unimportant to Niggle. Especially his neighbor is ever pestering him with tasks where he needs support, and one day Niggle goes to town in the pouring rain to fetch something for his neighbor. Niggle becomes ill afterwards, and that changes everything.

This is a strange and curious story that borrows strongly from the Christian faith and topics of purgatory and paradise. It is fun and interesting to read, but you need an open mind because a lot of it is unexpected. Sometimes I would have liked to have a bit more of an explanation of what is happening. I love, however, how the story enables us to understand a bit more of Tolkien's writing process and of how he felt about his works. His love for trees and nature also clearly shines through it.

This edition includes an afterword by renowned Tolkien scholar Tom Shippey (it is an extract from a commentary on one of the collections). This afterword greatly enhances the understanding of the story.

Happy new thread! It was fun revisiting all your delightful photos.

Happy new thread!

>39 MissBrangwen: I read this book first when I was 13, probably in The Tolkien Reader. Your review is so very clear and I am glad it is now a standalone.

I also enjoyed your review of the series of essays by Jonathan Franzen. There does seem to be a call for doing what one can with the resources one has; almost like Gandalf's advice: "All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given to us" in the fallout from climate change.

Happy new thread!

>40 LadyoftheLodge: >42 MissWatson: Thank you, Cheryl and Birgit!

>41 threadnsong: My first read of this was from the Tolkien Reader, too, first the German edition and later the English one. I'm happy to hear you liked my review.

Happy new thread, Mirjam! I love looking at your book shop photos and stop every time at the one in Bangkok at >6 MissBrangwen:. I just can't figure out what would happen if a customer wanted a book from the bottom of the pile - or even the middle!

>44 VivienneR: Haha, yes! Maybe I should have asked for a book from the bottom just to see what happens!

I really had hoped that September would turn out to be a better reading month than the previous ones, but I have not read much, let alone finish a book. My husband and I had a cold and since then we have been feeling really weak, brain fog and all, which makes us believe that we might have had covid (we didn't test because at the time it didn't feel too bad and we just stayed home until it was over). So basically, every evening I just fall asleep because I'm so tired.
Moreover, I am reading multiple books at once (mostly nonfiction), and while I'm making some progress, I'm not finishing anything.
My fiction book has been Lorna Doone by R.D. Blackmore for some time, and while I really enjoy it (or I did when I was feeling better), I must face the fact that it is not the right book for now and I must choose something lighter and shorter to get into the groove again. Brain fog and a long classic in tiny print is not a good combination.

Thinking about my reading and the reminder of the year, I have decided to focus on my personal challenges in the time to come and not on the CATs and KITs. While these are so fun, it seems more important and fulfilling to me right now to read the books that I really want to read for my own reasons (be they deep or simply that I feel like reading a particular book at any given time). I haven't read much in some of my personal categories so far, and I want to focus on that for now.

I have something exciting to report, too: Yesterday we went to Hamburg and attended the opening of the Harbour Front Literature Festival, where Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie received the Prize for Resistant Thinking, awarded for the first time by the Felix Jud Friends Association. Felix Jud is a bookshop in Hamburg that was founded by a man called Felix Jud in 1923. Jud means "jew" and he was requested to change his name by the Nazis (he wasn't Jewish himself). He didn't do it, and what is more, he used his shop window to subtly or not so subtly protest against the regime. He sold banned books in the shop and it was a meeting point of opponents to the Nazis. He spent 16 months in prisons and concentration camps until he was freed by the British.

The prize was given over by the current owner of the bookshop, and the laudatory speech was given by Dr Auma Obama, Barack Obama's half sister. Both Auma Obama's speech as well as Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie's acceptance speech were impressive and on point. The event was held in the Elbphilharmonie - it was the first time I was there and I loved the venue. It is so big, but still feels cozy and intimate because of the architecture and the lighting.
It was an inspirational event and I cannot believe that I saw and heard those two amazing women for real.
There was a book signing afterward but we didn't stay for that because we were tired and needed to head back to Bremerhaven, and the queue was soooo long and everything was crowded. I'm not sad about that, though, because I am so happy that we were able to be there at all. We took some pictures from our seats in the end when the official event was over. You can see Auma Obama, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Alexandra Antwi-Boasiako, a Ghanaian-German presenter who hosted the event.

Above I wrote that now I need something light and short, and today I picked a book that it is indeed short, although not really light. I had wanted to read Caprice - A Stockman's Daughter by Nugi Garimara (Doris Pilkington) since reading Rabbit-Proof Fence earlier this year, though, so I finally did it this afternoon.



Book No 76

"Caprice - A Stockman's Daughter" by Nugi Garimara (Doris Pilkington)
First published in 1991
University of Queensland Press
ebook, 75pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****

Global Challenge: Australia
My Own Categories: Australia, Diversity, Literary and General Fiction

Rabbit-Proof Fence is much more famous, but Caprice - A Stockman's Daughter was the author's first book. It is not a memoir, but a novel, although it reads like a memoir and it might have been heavily influenced by her family's history (I tried to find out more but found conflicting information about this).

The novel is narrated by Kate, who later calls herself Caprice. She was born at the Moore River Native Settlement, an institution where so-called "half-caste" children were educated to make them forget their indigenousness. These children, who became known as the Stolen Generations, were forced to give up their languages, their cultures, their belief systems and their roots.

The novel starts when Kate tries to find out about her grandmother, an Indigenous Australian, and her grandfather, an Irish immigrant. She meets two old friends of her grandparents who tell her the story of her family, including how her grandparents met and married against the odds and how her mother was born and later brought to the Moore River Native Settlement. Kate then recalls how she grew up in often severe circumstances, and then we follow her as she creates a new life for herself.

In many way, this novel is more readable and more accessible than Rabbit-Proof Fence. The language is often beautiful, but also simple, and it feels like the reader is told the stories directly by the characters, in their own words and from their own minds. The horrors that the indigenous people had to endure are told in unembellished, plain words.

However, towards the end the events are rushed a little too much and aspects and events are missing that would have made the story more round and powerful.

This short novel is still worth a read, especially if you are interested in Australian history or in own voices stories of the consequences of colonialism in general.

>46 MissBrangwen: What a wonderful way to begin your recovery! Glad you are feeling better.

>46 MissBrangwen: Oh, that sounds like an exciting day! I’ve never heard of that bookshop before, I’ll have to do rectify that on my next trip to Hamburg.

>48 VivienneR: Thank you for your kind comment!

>49 MissWatson: You really must go there, I am sure you will love it! It is a wonderful shop.

I finished listening to Great Ladies - Forgotten Witnesses to the Lives of Tudor Queens by Sylvia Barbara Soberton. I found this because I was looking for more audiobooks narrated by Elizabeth Jasicki, whose style of narration and voice I like. I only realized later that the author also wrote Medical Downfall of the Tudors, which I have seen around this group.



Book No 77

"Great Ladies - Forgotten Witnesses to the Lives of Tudor Queens" by Sylvia Barbara Soberton
First published in 2017
Tantor Audio
Digital audiobook, 6h 58min
Rating: 4 stars - ****

My Own Categories: Nonfiction - History

This book tells us about the women at the Tudor Court from the reign of Henry VII to the death of Elizabeth I. We get to know the women who were close to the Queens, such as Elvira Manuel, Catherine of Aragon's Spanish chaperone, or Lettice Knollys, a noblewoman who later married Robert Dudley, Elizabeth's favourite.

Rather than focussing on one woman at a time, the book follows the reigns of the Tudor monarchs chronologically. While there is a lot of information about the women surrounding them, there is also a lot of recounting of the general historical facts, which was not what I expected. I would have preferred a different approach. Still, I did learn much, not only about the specific women but also about their situation in general. Many of them sacrificed their whole life time to the respective Queen, and sometimes they got very little out of it. The author writes clearly and includes many quotes from letters and reports, which makes the book more lively.

>46 MissBrangwen: Oh wow, what a wonderful time you spent! The history of the bookstore sounds fascinating, and kudos to Hr. Jud for defying the Nazi regime in such a creative way. I totally get how sometimes, the crowds just get to be too much, and knowing you have been with such luminaries is enough.

>51 MissBrangwen: I like this way of looking at the women in Tudor history beyond the Queens and Henry VIII's wives. Seems there is a lot of examination of Tudor history out there these days.

>52 threadnsong: Thank you for stopping by! Yes, there are so many Tudor books - sometimes it is hard to find the good ones.

>46 MissBrangwen: I also did not think Lorna Dune was for me, although I completed it. Too many battle scenes and not enough dialogue.

Great day at the bookstore. Sounds fun!

>54 Tess_W: I still hope to complete it not too far into the future!

Hi LT friends!

I can't believe that it has been more than six weeks since I visited my thread. Too much has been happening - lots of work and also two bouts of migraine, but also lots of choir practice because next weekend I am taking part in a performance of Haydn's Harmoniemesse.

We also had a wonderful trip to Taiwan in October. We spent 11 days there (the trip was 14 days including the flights) and we had such a great time. It is an underrated destination for sure and we loved the food, the things we did and saw, and the welcoming and friendly people. I had wanted to visit for a long time and I'm so happy we finally made it.

Despite all of this I did read and I have some reviews to share. I did miss LT immensely and I'm looking forward to reading your reviews and catching up here! And it's also almost time to start planning for 2026...

In the end of September I finished The Skeleton Road, the third book in the Karen Pirie series by Val McDermid.



Book No 78

"The Skeleton Road" by Val McDermid
Series: Inspector Karen Pirie (3/8)
First published in 2014
Sphere
Paperback, 455pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****

My Own Categories: Diversity, Mysteries - Police Procedural & similar, Series

I read the first two books in this series a few years ago and enjoyed them a lot, and now that I finally returned to the world of Karen Pirie, I was not disappointed. This was a great read!

When a body is found on the roof of an unused building in Edinburgh, the case brings Karen Pirie to Oxford and also to Croatia, since it is tied up with the history of the Balkan Wars. I'm not saying more to avoid spoilers, but it is a dark and sometimes gruesome story. I learned a lot about the history of the Balkans, and the characters were vivid and real to me. Sometimes it feels a bit like historical fiction because there are many flashbacks, but I did not mind that because all parts of the story were equally compelling.
The ending was a bit weak as I was not convinced by the fact that the last murder was committed - I don't think that it was in character for Maggie, otherwise I would even have given this four and a half stars.

I also liked the underlying topic of geopolitical power and of who gets to write history. It gives the novel more depth without overshadowing the plot.

Welcome back!

Yes, welcome back -- your Taiwan trip sounds amazing!

>58 MissWatson: >59 christina_reads: Thank you both!

The first book I read on the trip to Taiwan was Fake Dates and Mooncakes by Sher Lee. I had bought it as a kindle deal a few months prior.



Book No 79

"Fake Dates and Mooncakes" by Sher Lee
First published in 2023
Macmillan
ebook, 265pp.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

My Own Categories: Diversity, Romance - Contemporary Romance

This is a cute romance set in the Singaporean Chinese community of New York. Dylan lives with his aunt and cousins and helps with the family's take out restaurant. They are struggling to make ends meet, so Dylan decides to take part in a mooncake contest to generate publicity for the restaurant. However, when he meets Theo, a good-looking and incredibly rich customer, it is hard to concentrate on making mooncakes...

I really enjoyed this romance, but it has its flaws. On the one hand, I couldn't believe that Dylan and Theo got on so well and without any friction or conflict despite their totally opposite backgrounds. I think that at least a little bit of adjusting would have made it a bit more realistic. On the other hand, while I found them cute, it wasn't really clear why they loved each other so much, apart from physical attraction. I would have especially liked to learn why Theo fell in love with Dylan.

Despite these flaws, I liked the story and rooted for the couple. It was easy to relate to Dylan, who is the narrator of the novel. There is quite a lot of information about Singaporean Chinese culture, but it fits the story and enhances it, and I enjoyed learning about this.
I'd certainly read more books by this author.

The Woman in Cabin 10 by Ruth Ware holds a special place in my heart because it was the first psychological thriller I ever read and I totally loved it, reading until 3 in the morning because I couldn't stop.
I was surprised to learn that there was to be a sequel, The Woman in Suite 11, and also a bit skeptical because I thought that it was hard to live up to the first book.



Book No 80

"The Woman in Suite 11" by Ruth Ware
Series: Jo Blacklock (2/2)
First published in 2025
Simon & Schuster
ebook, 388pp.
Rating: 3 stars - ***

My Own Categories: Mysteries - Psychological thrillers, Series

A decade has gone past since the events in "The Woman in Cabin 10". Lo is now married with two children, but she longs to work as a travel journalist again. When she is invited to the opening of a luxurious hotel in Switzerland, it seems like it's her chance to get into the game again, especially as she might be able to secure an interview with an elderly tycoon who usually is utterly secretive. Once she has arrived at the hotel, though, she meets several people from her past, and things start to get strange.

Ruth Ware's style is effortless and easy to read without being simplistic, and that is what kind of saved this book. I liked the narrative voice. The plot itself was getting on my nerves, and the novel was a slog over long stretches, despite some surprising twists. It was hard for me to emphasize with Lo because her actions are so naive and I just wanted to shout at her.
I still wanted to know how it ended and there were some good scenes that kept me on the edge of my seat, but still, this does not compare at all to the first book and I wish it was much better.

My next book was Ready for the Spotlight by Nikki Haverstock. I downloaded it for free last year and I am glad that I did not spend any money on it, because it wasn't a good read at all.



Book No 81

"Ready for the Spotlight" by Nikki Haverstock
Series: Celebrity Crushes (1/1)
First published in 2024
Ranch Dog Entertainment
Kindle, 197pp.
Rating: 1 1/2 stars - *°

My Own Categories: Romance - Contemporary Romance

Lynn is a writer who travels to a film set to act as an advisor when one of her scripts is made into a film. It adds to her excitement that Ben Suder, who has been her celebrity crush for years, is the director and also plays a supporting role.
When she meets him for real, he seems to be even better than in her dreams, and then the actress playing his love interest does not appear. Lynn, who has trained as an actress as well, is cast in the role so that filming can go on.

Of course you have to absolutely suspend your disbelief in order to accept the plot, but still, I was interested in reading a romance taking place on a film set. Unfortunately, though, it was written utterly badly. While the prose was ok, it was all tell, not show. Most of the story is told through inner monologue, and the reader never really learns what exactly is so great about Ben, and why Ben falls for Lynn. This causes the novel to be quite boring.
Moreover, Ben and another director/actor are supposed to be the greatest stars on the planet, but their behavior and how they are treated on set just don't reflect that. I found it hard to believe it and think it should have been presented as a little less grand.
Then, there is a horse that runs around with their mate, a goat, and farts and disturbs everyone... I think it is supposed to be funny, but it is just weird in not a good sense and it doesn't add anything to the story.
In addition, there are some awful clichés in the novel (the crazy ex-girlfriend!) that give it a cheap feeling.

I am sorry to have to write such a bad review because I still like the idea and I also enjoyed reading about the setting in rural Arkansas. Lynn was a female main character who felt relatable, but she deserved a better story.

This is billed as a first in a series, but so far there is no second book, and if one is published, I will not read it.

>63 MissBrangwen: Sorry that one was a dud! If you're looking for another romance set on a film set, I enjoyed Let's Make a Scene by Laura Wood when I read it earlier this year!

>64 christina_reads: Thank you for pointing that one out!

After the last book was such a let down, I was looking for another romance, and I chose The Fall Risk by Abby Jimenez since it was so short and I liked the premise.



Book No 82

"The Fall Risk" by Abby Jimenez
First published in 2025
Amazon Original Stories
ebook, 79pp.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars - ****°

My Own Categories: Romance - Contemporary Romance

Charlotte has just moved into a new apartment when she is cut off with her neighbor, Seth, because the stairs to their floor are accidentally knocked down. Now they have to spend the weekend up there in isolation. Charlotte likes to stay on her own anyway because she is hiding from a stalker, and at first it is hard for her to trust Seth, but over the course of the weekend, she learns to open up slowly.

I loved this story to bits because the characters are cute and credible. Their respective best friends are supporting them and they seemed a bit over the top to me, but apart from this I totally enjoyed this and would have loved to read much more about Seth and Charlotte. Although it is such a short story, the characterization and development is well done and despite some heavy topics, the story gave me a warm and hopeful feeling.

This was my first book by Abby Jimenez but I will certainly read more by her!

My next book was The Sleeping and the Dead, a standalone by Ann Cleeves. I started it in Taiwan and finished it when I was home again.
This was only my second book by this author after A Bird in the Hand, which I did not enjoy that much. I wanted to read something more typical by her, but did not wish to start a new series.



Book No 83

"The Sleeping and the Dead" by Ann Cleeves
First published in 2001
Pan Books
ebook, 375pp.
Rating: 3.5 stars - ***°

My Own Categories: Mysteries - Police Procedurals

Peter Porteous is a police detective in Northumberland who likes to work without rush and excitement. One summer day during a heavy drought he is called because a body has been exposed in a lake. The water has vanished because of the drought and a canoeist found the body, tied to a crumbling jetty. Porteous and his Sergeant, Eddie Stout, start to dig up the complex past.

I liked this novel a lot, although there were some parts that dragged a little. I also had issues with the ending because it was very sudden and would have liked more explanations and tidying up. Apart from this, the story and the characters captivated me and I would have liked to read more novels featuring Porteous and Stout - too bad that this novel doesn't have a sequel. I am looking forward to starting the author's series one day, though. I really enjoyed her style in this one.

Hi LT friends!

Another life update from me. I had the best hopes for the remainder of the year, and really got into reading, reviewing and LT again, but then I caught the worst stomach bug ever. It has been plaguing me for two weeks now and it's not over, and most of the time I was so weak that I couldn't do anything but sleeping. But at last the fever is gone now and I feel up to being online again, so I hope to finish some more reviews in the upcoming days. At least I want to finish the last thread of the year in order before I hop onto the new one!

I really have missed LT and cannot wait to catch up, although I am hopelessly overwhelmed and will only be able to read bits and pieces here and there.

I hope you are all well and are having a lovely Advent/Christmas time if you are celebrating!

That does sound like the worst ever. It's bad enough for a few days. It's good to see you back and hope you have the energy to pick up where you had to leave off.

>68 MissBrangwen: Sorry to hear that you’ve been sick, and I hope you feel completely better soon.

So very sorry to hear about your struggle. I hope it will soon be in the rear view mirror.

I am happy to see you back again.

Sending my best wishes and hoping that you are feeling recovered from your bug. I had a bad bout of flu once at this time of year, I do remember it as being quite odd as there was so much festive food around that I had no interest in at all!

>67 MissBrangwen: I hadn't heard of this one at all, will have a look and see if the library system has a copy. I did like the Shetland books (and used to watch Brenda Blethyn as Vera with my mum).

I like Abby Jiminez's writing too.

>68 MissBrangwen: What an awful thing to happen! I am glad to see you’re able to enjoy LT again. Wishing you all the best that you’re fully recovered in time for the holidays!

>69 clue: >70 Charon07: >71 beebeereads: >72 LadyoftheLodge: >73 charl08: >74 MissWatson: Thank you so much for stopping by and for your kind comments!

>73 charl08: I hope you can find a copy! I bought it as a kindle deal some months ago, I doubt that I would have heard about it otherwise.

In the beginning of November, I read Under the Wintamarra Tree, the third and last book written by Nugi Garimara (Doris Pilkington).
I bought this book during my semester abroad in Queensland and read it back then (in 2009), but now it was time for a reread.



Book No 84

"Under the Wintamarra Tree" by Nugi Garimara (Doris Pilkington)
First published in 2002
University of Queensland Press
Paperback, 211pp.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars - ****°

Other LT Challenges: The Global Challenge (Australia)
My Own Categories: Australia, Diversity, Nonfiction - Memoir

This book can be considered a sequel to the much more famous Rabbit-Proof Fence. It shows Molly's life on a cattle station after she escaped from the Moore River Native Settlement, and the birth of her daughter Doris.

"What is the baby's name, Molly?" asked Mrs Dunnet.
"Her name is Nugi," the young mother pronounced.
"Nugi, that's a stupid name," said her employer. "Give her a proper name, call her Doris," she ordered.

This dialogue makes clear how little control Molly had about anything in her life, and soon enough, history repeats itself, as Doris is taken away from her and forced to live in the same place her mother escaped from: The Moore River Native Settlement in the south of Western Australia.

The major part of the book is about Doris's childhood and teenage years in several institutions. The author wrote this memoir in the third person and in simple words, but nevertheless, it is heartbreaking. The reader follows as the young girl grows up at different schools far from home, finding a little comfort where she can, but becoming more and more estranged from her culture. Garimara also shows what this estrangement did to her as she grew up, and what difficulties it caused when she finally met her family again, brainwashed to see her relatives as devil worshippers and uncivilized, wild people.
Later, she becomes a nurse and marries, trying to build a life for herself, but things are never easy.

To me, this is the best book of the three that this author wrote, although all of them are worth reading.

So sorry to hear about your stomach virus, but glad you're on the mend now!

>77 christina_reads: Thank you, Christina!

My next read was Torch by Lin Anderson, the second book in the Rhona MacLeod series. I had previously read the first book and the prequel. So far, I liked Torch the least.



Book No 85

"Torch" by Lin Anderson
Series: Rhona MacLeod (2/18)
First published in 2004
Self-published
ebook, 240pp.
Rating: 3 stars - ***

My Own Categories: Mysteries - Police Procedurals, Series

In this installment of the series, forensic scientist Rhona MacLeod travels between Glasgow and Edinburgh on the trail of an arsonist. Although she is based in Glasgow, she helps the Edinburgh team, even though the chief investigator of the Edinburgh case clearly does not want to have her there.

The case is gruesome and complicated, and although in the first two books I enjoyed and admired the author's concise style, I think that this novel should have been longer. As the plot progressed, it felt disjointed and hard to follow, and sometimes I did not really know what was going on. A few more chapters and explanations would have been good.
I also did not like how Rhona's character develops in this book, especially how she treats her love interest.
However, it was still a gripping read and an interesting case, I just hope that the next book will be as good as the first ones in the series.

In the summer, I visited the National Centre for Children's Books in Newcastle upon Tyne. There was an exhibition of the original illustrations of The Tiger Who Came To Tea by Judith Kerr. The exhibition also included Judith Kerr's original kitchen, which was the model for the one in the book.
The book is not that well-known in Germany, although I had heard about it (I think through LT!), and I had ordered it for our collection of picture books at my school where I teach future kindergarten teachers. In November, I finally got around to reading the book.



Book No 86

"The Tiger Who Came To Tea" by Judith Kerr
First published in 1968
HarperCollins
Board book, 30pp.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

My Own Categories: Catch all

I enjoyed reading this funny and cute story about a tiger who comes to tea and eats and drinks everything there is at home. I especially liked the illustrations and I think that I would have loved the book when I was a child. I do wonder what the message is, though, and I would have liked the ending to be different.

Below you can see two pictures from the exhibition, including Judith Kerr's kitchen.

I was really sad when Jane Goodall passed away on the 1st of October this year, and in November I finally read the picture book about her that we have in our collection at school: Jane - My First Jane Goodall Little People, Big Dreams.



Book No 87

"Jane - My First Jane Goodall Little People, Big Dreams" by María Isabel Sanchez Vegara & Beatrice Cerocci (ill.)
Publisher series: Little People, Big Dreams
First published in 2019
Frances Lincoln
Board book, 24pp.
Rating: 5 stars - *****

My Own Categories: Catch all

As the title suggests, this book from the "Little People, Big Dreams" series is aimed towards younger children, which is apparent in the board book format and the shorter text. It is a wonderful book, though, and I loved reading it. In simple words, it presents Jane Goodall's biography of dreaming about wild animals as a young girl until researching and fighting for them when she becomes a grown woman. The tale is inspiring and teaches children to believe in their dreams and to follow their interests.
The illustrations are stunning and I felt like I could get lost in them. They are so beautiful, but do not overpower the story.

I highly recommend this book and I hope to read and acquire more books from this series.

My next book was The Burning Page by Genevieve Cogman, the third book in the Invisible Library series. It had been almost a year since I read the second book and I was eager to finally return to this series.



Book No 88

"The Burning Page" by Genevieve Cogman
Series: Invisible Library (3/8)
First published in 2016
Pan Books
ebook, 357pp.
Rating: 3 stars - ***

My Own Categories: Fantasy, Series

In this installment of the series, Irene is sent on highly dangerous jobs because she is on probation. However, strange things start to happen and soon it is apparent that the Library itself is in danger of being destroyed forever.

What sounds like an exciting premise unfortunately proved to be quite a dragging story to me. I was really looking forward to this book, but it seemed as if it took an endless time until the story actually started. So much talking and mulling until there finally is some action! I'm also not a fan of the love triangle, as I firmly ship Irene and Kai.

I still like the characters and the world building, and the last chapters were spectacular. I just hope that the next book will be a bit more concise.

>80 MissBrangwen: I had missed this exhibition, it looks lovely.

I recall being surprised when I realised the author was the same as the author of When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit. We had this read to us in the classroom when I was 8 or 9, I think.

I have no idea what Tiger means either.

>83 charl08: I was surprised when I realized that, too! I have not read When Hitler Stole Pink Rabbit yet, but I have it on my kindle.

I bought The Reunion by Bronwyn Rivers as a kindle deal simply because of the blurb and the setting, and I read it almost right away.

This book would work really well for the January ScaredyKIT as well as RandomKIT!



Book No 89

"The Reunion" by Bronwyn Rivers
First published in 2025
Constable
ebook, 333pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****

My Own Categories: Australia, Mysteries - Psychological Thriller

Ten years ago, six teenage friends embarked on an overnight hike in the bush, but tragically, one of them lost his life in the course of the hike. Now, his mother has invited the five surviving friends to a reunion held on the isolated property where the hike started a decade ago. They do not feel good about it but do not want to reject the wish of a still grieving mother. Once they are there, they soon regret their decision, though. The mother seems to be in much more distress than they expected, and the sheer isolation of the place adds to the sinister atmosphere. Above all hangs the question: What did really happen on that hike ten years ago?

This story gripped me from the start and I simply could not stop reading. Layer upon layer of secrets is revealed, and both plot lines were equally compelling to me: What happened on the hike, and what will happen to the friends on the isolated farm?

The setting is absolutely well done. It is described as "Australian gothic", a term I had never heard before, but that is very fitting. Both the property as well as the bush, a setting clearly modeled on the Blue Mountains, are eerie and striking.

I kept thinking about this book long after I had finished it, and I certainly hope that this author will write more.

On the first weekend of Advent I started my Christmas reading. I had read Snowed in for Christmas by Isabella Hargreaves, the first in the Yuletide Travelers series, a couple of years ago and did not really enjoy it, so I had not continued with the series.
In the meantime, though, I had read several other books by the author which I had liked, so now I decided to continue with the series anyway because I was looking for something short and easy.



Book No 90

"Runaway Christmas Bride" by Isabella Hargreaves
Series: Yuletide Travelers (2/3)
First published in 2017
self-published
ebook, 60pp.
Rating: 3 stars - ***

My Own Categories: Romance - Historical romance, Series

This short novella can be read as a standalone. Although it is part of a series, there is no real connection to the first book.

Young Amelia is traveling with her parents to Wellworth Park to spend Christmas with her rich suitor whom she hasn't met so far. Her father has gambled away the family's money and she is to marry the wealthy Major Wellworth, an elderly and infirm invalid (as she believes). Amelia, however, dreams of marrying for love and does not want to throw her life away because of her fathers irresponsible actions, so at the first chance and without meeting the Major, she flees and boards a coach to Bath to seek refuge with her aunt. On the way she meets a good-looking man who assists her - and well, of course it's obvious to the reader who that man really is. Yes, the major might have a war injury, but of course he's not elderly or infirm at all, and when he hears of Amelia's preconceptions, he decides to keep his identity secret and to woo her with his personality.

Although this novella is so short, the story is quite developed and despite some improbabilities, I did enjoy the beginning. The further I read, though, the sillier it became. The back and forth became a bit much and I was fed up with Amelia by the end.

Next, I started Rogue Under the Mistletoe by Amanda Mariel, but I decided to abandon it after two chapters. Although I liked the writing style, it was so anachronistic that I could not bear it. Fortunately, I had not paid anything for it!

On the 1st of December my illness started and I did not read anything for two weeks. When I finally felt like I could read a little, I decided to continue with the Yuletide Travelers series because short and undemanding was the only way I could read at all. So my next read was Married by Christmas.



Book No 91

"Married by Christmas" by Isabella Hargreaves
Series: Yuletide Travelers (3/3)
First published in 2021
self-published
ebook, 79pp.
Rating: 1 1/2 stars - *°

My Own Categories: Romance - Historical romance, Series

Lauren Edwards is a young heiress who is orphaned. Her guardians have arranged a marriage to an earl, which will advance Lauren and her relatives in society. The earl is a cold and heartless man, though, and when Lauren discovers him with his longtime mistress, it is the last straw. She flees and takes refuge with her old governess in the country.
Oliver Masterton, her late father's best friend, is the only of her guardians who means well, and in fact, he has been in love with Lauren for some time. He ignores his feelings, though, because he deems them inappropriate - not knowing that Lauren is in love with him, too, and dreams of marrying him.

As I said in my previous review, I have quite enjoyed several of this author's books, but this one was the worst I have read by her. First of all, the love story gives me the ick - a guardian falling in love with his very young ward, and the way it is portrayed... I could simply not root for this couple and their love did not seem authentic or healthy to me. Moreover, although this novella is so short, the story seemed to drag and there were at last three points before the ending where it easily could have ended already. The plot was improbable and convoluted, and the other guardians were so utterly bad that they just felt like caricatures. The back and forth between the couple felt repetitive and unnecessary. I could go on, but I'll leave it at that.

I still like the author's style and I enjoyed the description of the Christmas preparations and decorations. I'll read more books by this author, but this series is not her best.

I am slowly reading my way through the collection of picture books we have at my school. As it's Christmas time, I wanted to take the chance to finally read "Wann ist endlich Weihnachten? fragt der kleine Dachs" by Constanze von Kitzing. Unfortunately, the touchstone is not working.
My husband brought this home from school so I could read it while still being at home.

The title translates: When will it finally be Christmas? asks the little badger.



Book No 92

"Wann ist endlich Weihnachten? fragt der kleine Dachs" by Constanze von Kitzing
Series: Der kleine Dachs (4/6)
First published in 2022
Fischer Sauerländer
Board book, 18pp.
Rating: 3 stars - ***

My Own Categories: Catch all

The littler badger eagerly waits for Christmas. Every day, he asks his parents when Christmas will finally be there. To make the time pass more quickly, the parents do different activities with their child: Baking cookies, creating paper stars, building a snow badger...

This is a cute story with a topic that many children will relate to. The pictures are clear, but lively, and every double page includes a question which makes the children engage with the story. Some of the questions do not make much sense, though, because it is not an activity book, yet the children are asked to help tidy up or to decorate. I think that this is a bit confusing and more care could have been taken to create questions that make more sense and engage the children in a more meaningful way.

I must also criticize the language of the book, because there are several phrases that are colloquial bordering on the incorrect, and this is a shame because it could have been avoided so easily. It just seems sloppy to me.

All in all, it is a fun and cute book, but not one I'd particularly recommend.

I'm glad to hear you're on the mend, Mirjam - there's a lot of sickness about, and I guess when you work with children you're going to be in the frontline of meeting the germs.

I enjoyed the discussion about The Tiger Who Came to Tea. I never read it as a child, but did read it to my own daughter. It wasn't a favourite, but she did like it.

>90 Jackie_K: Luckily my students are a bit older (from age 16 upwards), but still I am among many people every day.
It's interesting to hear about your experience with The Tiger Who Came To Tea!

Short and undemanding was still all I could manage this week, so as my next read I chose Watch of Wand'ring Love by Kendall Hoxsey. This is part of the series "The Carols of Christmas" (no touchstone), a series of standalone Christmas novellas by different authors all set in 19th century America.



Book No 93

"Watch of Wand'ring Love" by Kendall Hoxsey
Series: The Carols of Christmas
First published in 2025
From Vine to Verse
ebook, 115pp.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

Other LT challenges: Reading Through Time Monthly - Reader's Choice
My Own Categories: Romance - Historical romance

This novella is set in Alta California in 1848, shortly after the end of the Mexican-American War. Constance is a young woman managing a ranch alone with her stepmother because her husband has not returned from the war yet. One day, she finds a wounded deserter hiding in her stable and she decides to hide him and tend to his wounds. But of course, the stranger brings secrets with him, and also dangers she doesn't know about.

I really enjoyed this story that felt cosy and quiet despite some heavy topics. It is a story about loss, acceptance and forgiveness. It is Christian fiction, and the faith of the characters plays a role, but it was fitting the times and the plot and it did not feel like an intruding or artificial element. I liked the main characters and I also enjoyed learning about California's history that I didn't know anything about before.
The writing style is beautiful and I loved the descriptions of the ranch and the town of Monterey. However, the novella should have been edited more carefully, as there were several mistakes and also some repetitions that should have been deleted or altered.
Towards the end, the story became a bit too melodramatic for my tastes.

All in all, I liked this very much, though, and I am looking forward to reading more books in this series.

Apart from many Christmas books on my kindle, I also have a box of Christmas paper books, mostly in German, and I decided to read one of those next. I chose Neunerlei by Anja Jonuleit, again because it is rather short.
I have owned this book for almost ten years and I'm glad that I finally read it, but unfortunately it was an utter disappointment.



Book No 94

"Neunerlei" by Anja Jonuleit
First published in 2011
dtv
Paperback, 94pp.
Rating: 1 1/2 stars - *°

My Own Categories: Literary and General Fiction

Sami is an unhappy author who earns his money writing romantic novels, something he hides and is ashamed of. He is so dissatisfied with his life that he often strolls around the nearby cemetery, contemplating suicide. When Christmas time comes, this adds to his overall bad mood because he is a total grinch. However, one day he finds a jar of spices on an unnamed grave that he sometimes visits. Intrigued, he takes the spices to the apothecary next door to ask her what they are.
A few days later, the same thing happens again: Sami finds a jar of spices on the grave and asks the young apothecary about them. Soon, he and the woman team up to find out who leaves the spices on the grave and why. And while she hates Christmas, too, of course they get into the spirit of Christmas after a while.

This was a really strange story, and not only because of the plot. I had issues with so many things: The portrayal of the personal problems of the characters, the portrayal of women that was a tad misogynistic, the pacing and the solution to the mystery. Moreover, Sami is exoticized throughout the novella and although he is supposed to be of Arabic origin, he is compared to a First Nations American (of course an older, offensive term is used in the book) throughout, because well... apparently they all look the same to the author? Then there is a fast food restaurant owner from Iran who is portrayed in a racist way. It's all just so disturbing and unnecessary. I couldn't believe that this was published in 2011, not in the 1980s or so!

I like how the title of the novella corresponds to the idea of the spices, and there are a few nice Christmas scenes, but overall, this was a terrible read.

Hoping your holidays will be blessed with reading and good health!

>94 Tess_W: Thank you so much, and the same to you!

Two days ago, I finally finished another audiobook: Farewell to Lancashire by Anna Jacobs. I had started it many weeks ago.



Book No 95

"Farewell to Lancashire" by Anna Jacobs
Series: Swan River Saga (1/3)
First published in 2009
Hodder & Stoughton
Digital audiobook, 11h 06min
Rating: 3 stars - ***

Other LT challenges: Reading Through Time Monthly - Reader's Choice
My Own Categories: Australia, Historical Fiction

This novel tells the story of four sisters who live in Lancashire with their father. Although they work in the cotton mill, they are quite educated because their father is a lover of education and knowledge, which is also the reason why they all have Greek names. They lead a simple, but content life and are a very close-knit family. However, when the cotton famine hits, caused by the Civil War in the US, they become very poor. After several more fateful blows, the sisters go to Western Australia and start new lives there.

It was very interesting to learn about the cotton famine which I had never heard about before. I also enjoyed the descriptions of Western Australia and the early days of that colony. What really got on my nerves after some time, though, was that the sisters are so utterly good, like saints, while the antagonists are so absolutely bad, like cardboard characters. It all is so saccharine that the story became boring to me after a while and I had to force myself to go on, which is why it took me so long to finish this. I will not go on with the series because I am simply not interested in these characters anymore.

Last year I read the Shadow Lake series by Lenora Worth about three Amish sisters managing an inn together. When I had finished, I discovered that there was a fourth book in the series, a Christmas novella. Now was the perfect time to read it.
The novella is included in the collection Amish Christmas Kinner with two other novellas belonging to other series, but I only read the Shadow Lake one because I am not interested in the others and do not plan to read those series.

And with this review, I am finally caught up!



Book No 96

"Christmas Eve Baby" by Lenora Worth
Series: Shadow Lake (4/4)
First published in 2023
Kensington Books
ebook, 116pp. (whole collection: 274pp.)
Rating: 3 stars - ***

My Own Categories: Series

This novella feels like one big epilogue to the Shadow Lake series. All the three couples are there, and there is a lot of remembering and chatting about the love stories from the first three books as well as showing just how happy the couples are. I must say that this was quite repetitive, and a bit boring after some time.
The plot itself includes a pregnant woman who arrives at the inn during a snow storm. The story mirrors the Christmas story. Later, more strangers arrive, and they all spend Christmas together. I enjoyed the descriptions of the festivities and the snowy landscape surrounding the inn. I also still liked the characters, but overall, this novella dragged a bit for me and did not have enough of a plot. It was all a bit too sweet and perfect.

I read another book from my box of German Christmas books, and this one was much better: Drei Wünsche by Petra Oelker. The title translates as Three Wishes.

Apparently this is a prequel to a series of historical mysteries by this author, and I am very interested in reading those now.



Book No 97

"Drei Wünsche" by Petra Oelker
Series: Claes and Rosina (0.5/11)
First published in 2011
rororo
Paperback, 127pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****

Other LT Challenges: Reading Through Time Monthly - Reader's Choice, Global Challenge (Germany)
My Own Categories: Historical Fiction, Series

This novella is set in Hamburg in 1773. It tells the story of three women, and each of them wishes for something.
Theda Harling has lost her position as a lady's maid and now has to go back home to the countryside and marry a repulsive civil servant, although she wants nothing more than to stay in Hamburg and work as a maid again.
Elsi is the daughter of a somewhat shady secondhand dealer. She has fallen in love with a seed seller who is in a much better position, but she fears that he sees nothing in her.
Madam Augusta has recently lost her favourite maid and companion and feels very lonely. She wishes for company again, but does not find it easy after spending decades with the woman who had become her confidante.

All this is woven into a lively background of 18th century Hamburg. The descriptions of the city were fascinating to me. I had to get used to the writing style in the beginning, but then I got lost in the story and absolutely loved it. The Christmas market at the Hamburger Dom also plays an important role in the story, and it was so interesting to read about that, as it's the origin of what is nowadays the biggest festival in the north of Germany.

The book also includes some wonderful illustrations by Andrea Offermann which bring the story even more to life.

>98 MissBrangwen: Sounds like a great atmospheric series, but alas, they do not seem to be translated!

>99 Tess_W: Yes, that's a pity! I think you would have enjoyed it.

Last year I listened to At Crighton Abbey by Mary Elizabeth Braddon and loved it. Then I discovered that it was part of a publisher series available on Audible, a collection of Victorian Christmas ghost stories. I listened to another one this year: Christmas Eve at a Cornish Manor by Clara Venn.



Book No 98

"Christmas Eve at a Cornish Manor" by Clara Venn
Publisher Series: Christmas Spirits
First published in 1878
Andrews UK
Digital audiobook, 27min
Rating: 4 stars - ****

My Own Categories: Literary Classics

This is a very short story, but I did enjoy it. Two sisters travel to an isolated manor in Cornwall to spend Christmas with their friends. The atmosphere is medieval and dark, and in the evening, they listen to a ghost story before celebrating Christmas.

The ghostly aspect itself was a bit of a let down, but apart from this, I liked the story very much. The descriptions of Cornwall and the manor were captivating. Natalie Chisholm is a wonderful narrator who really brings the story to life and makes it easy to listen. I also liked the ending involving Christmas carols.

I have owned A Child's Christmas in Wales by Dylan Thomas for many years, and now I finally read it.



Book No 99

"A Child's Christmas in Wales" by Dylan Thomas
First published in 1954
Puffin Books
Paperback, 41pp.
Rating: 5 stars - *****

My Own Categories: Literary Classics

This is a fictionalized account of Christmas as the narrator experienced it as a young boy - the amalgamation of all the Christmas days in his childhood, which were similar to each other. The reader learns about Christmas caroling, about adventures in the snow and at the beach, about visiting relatives who smoke, sing and drink, about presents and wonderful food, ghost stories and postmen braving the weather to deliver letters. All this is told through the lens of the young boy, reality becoming blurred when suddenly there is a hippo in the street or he becomes lost in the snow only to be saved by a St. Bernard dog.

Dylan Thomas has a wonderful way with words, and the text is witty and funny, but also dreamy at the same time.

It is a wonderful read that holds so many surprises. It made me chuckle and swoon, and it really has the atmosphere of childhood, when everything seems larger and more adventurous.
I am glad I finally read this and I am sure I will reread it at some point.

I listened to another audiobook of the Christmas Spirits series: The Water Ghost of Harrowby Hall by J.K. Bangs.



Book No 100

"The Water Ghost of Harrowby Hall" by J.K. Bangs
Publisher Series: Christmas Spirits
First published in 1891
Andrews UK
Digital audiobook, 22min
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

My Own Categories: Literary Classics

Harrowby Hall is haunted by a water ghost. Every Christmas this ghost comes to a particular chamber for one hour, destroying everything in its wake because it brings so much water with it. One day, the master of the house has enough and decides to fight the ghost.

This tale starts a bit spooky, but then becomes rather funny because of the various means the master employs to get rid of the ghost. Contrary to this, though, the ending is rather cruel, which disturbed me a bit. It is an entertaining story, but not one of my favorites.

>102 MissBrangwen: I read A Child’s Christmas in Wales every year at Christmas time and never tire of the figurative language. I own an audiobook version read by the author.

>104 LadyoftheLodge: I just bought the audiobook, too. I'll listen to it next Christmas. I think it will be wonderful!

My new reading year always starts on Christmas Eve, so my reading year 2025 has already ended. I must say that I did not have the best reading year, especially the second half was quite bad this year and I did not read nearly as much as I had planned or wanted to.
I still got to 100 books, but the main reason for that was that I read many short books towards the end - not to get to a specific number, but because I couldn't concentrate on anything longer due to my illness.

Although I feel a bit sad about my statistics this year, here they are:

ROOTS

Books read: 100
Rereads: 3
ROOTs read: 61
New books read: 27
Borrowed books read: 9
Books given away (unread or DNF): 28

Languages and authors

Read in German: 19
Read in English: 81
Read translated from other languages: 5 (1 Danish, 1 Khmer, 1 Korean, 1 Russian, 1 Turkish)

Books by female author: 64
Books by male author: 30
Books by non-binary author: 2
Collabs by authors of different genders: 4

Books by non-white author: 12 (+ 1 collab)

Books by new authors: 56
Books by authors I have read before: 45

Forms

Prose: 75
Poetry: 2
Play: 3
Nonfiction: 9
Graphic (Novel/Nonfiction): 2 (2/0)
Picture books: 10

Hardback: 10
Paperback: 25
Kindle: 47
Audible: 13
Other physical books: 5

First published:

-
1760s: 1
1770s: 1
1780s: 1
-
1820s: 1
-
1870s: 1
-
1890s: 3
-
1920s: 1
1930s: 1
1940s: 3
1950s: 2
1960s: 2
-
1980s: 2
1990s: 6
2000s: 12
2010s: 21
2020s: 42

Favourite novels (excluding rereads):
The Winter Companion by Mimi Matthews
Moon of the Crusted Snow by Waubgeshig Rice
Of Mice and Men by John Steinbeck
I Wish You All The Best by Mason Deaver
Green Island by Shawna Yang Ryan

Favourite (and only!) fiction reread:
Leaf by Niggle by J.R.R. Tolkien

Favourite nonfiction:
Notes on Nationalism by George Orwell

I really hope that 2026 will be a better reading year, but I have a good feeling about it - I am looking forward to the new CATs and KITs so much, and I am finally getting into the reading mojo again.
I also hope that I will be better at keeping up with all of your threads!

You can find my 2026 thread here.

I am looking forward to talking about books with you all, finding inspiration and simply enjoy our love of reading!

Merry Christmas to all who celebrate, and a very happy new year to all my LT friends!

Merry Christmas! I think all of us always want to have a better reading year, no matter. There are just so many books and so little time--even if retired! I also begin my new reading year on Dec 26, started almost 50 years ago, so I could read the new books I received as gifts!

Happy holidays! I'm starting again on the 1st January. I never quite manage all the reading I hope in a year, but the ambitious planning is definitely part of the joy for me. Wishing you a good reading year, and good health.

>109 Tess_W: I also begin my reading year at Christmas, so I am looking forward to getting started.

>109 Tess_W: So many books, so little time - yes!

>110 charl08: Yes, the planning is so much fun! I hope you have a good reading year and a happy Christmas, too!

>111 LadyoftheLodge: I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and good start to your reading year.

I've enjoyed catching up with all your Christmas reading! Wishing you a wonderful reading year in 2026 -- I haven't set up a thread there yet, but I will see you in that group soon!

>113 christina_reads: I'm looking forward to following your thread in the 2026 group!

I'm so glad you're back to feeling better! A stomach bug at this time of the year is no fun at all. And I also enjoyed all of your Christmas reads and always appreciate your honest reviews. I sympathize with not being able to keep up with your reviews and can certainly sympathize with wanting to be able to finish just one more book.

So glad you got to visit Taiwan, and best wishes for a thrilling 2026 reading year!

Happy New Year, Mirjam! Looking forward to more BBs in 2026.

>115 threadnsong: Thank you for your kind words, I hope you have a wonderful reading year, too!

>116 VivienneR: Happy New Year to you, too, Vivienne! I'm looking forward to meeting you in the 2026 group.