Carsten's (ctpress) 2026 - Take and Read

Scenery from one of my hiking trips last year in the northern part of Sjælland.

Welcome to a new year of reading, sharing, chit-chat, and/or deep philosophical musings.

I'm living as a single in Copenhagen, Denmark. 62 years old and working as a journalist, but I hope 2026 will be my last full year of working - already I'm only working three times a week.

I read and reread many classics, theology, and history - but new literature and modern novels will slip through (mainly through a small book club I'm attending).

Love reading (obviously), hiking, going to the sauna, watching movies, and my church fellowship. I've been in this great LT-group since 2010.

Books read in 2026:

July
24. On The Tranquility Of The Mind by Seneca (60) 3,5/5
23. Det skal mærkes at vi lever by Johannes Møllehave og Benny Andersen (2007) 4/5
22. Jamen, bad jeg da for lidt? by Leif Andersen (2000) 4,5/5
21. Veronika decides to die by Paulo Coelho (1998) 3/5
20. Philoctetes by Sophocles (410) 4/5
19. Polycarp's Letter to the Philippians & His Martyrdom by Polycarp and The Church at Smyrna (156) 4/5

June
18. Ett hjärta större än världen by Magnus Malm (2008) 3,5/5
17. The Analects by Confucius (476) 3,5/5
16. An Honest Thief by Fyodor Dostoyevsky (1846) 3,5/5
15. Virgil Wander by Leif Enger (2008) 4/5
14. Den Lykkelige Mand by Arto Paasilinna (1996) 3,5/5
13. Jag lutar åt Gud by Tomas Sjödin (2010) 4/5
12. On Old Age by Cicero (BC 44) 3,5/5
11. A Way of a Pilgrim by Anonymous (1895) 4,5/5

March
10. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis (1950) 5/5
9. On Getting Out of Bed by Alan Noble (2023) 3,5/5
8. Unbreakable: What the Son of God Said About the Word of God by Andrew Wilson (2014) 3/5

February
07. The Gift of Being Yourself
06. These Happy Golden Years
05. Little Town on the Prairie

January
04. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1940) 5/5
03. Guldstykker by Søren Schauser (2020) 3,5/5
02. The Inklings: C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien and Their Friends by Humphrey Carpenter (1978) 4/5
01. Jeg vil bo i Narnia by Henrik Højlund (2025) 4/5

Welcome back, Carsten!

>3 drneutron: Thanks, Jim - and many thanks for setting this group up for another year. Great work!

A good reading year and I just made it to 75 books a few days ago.

Five Best new reads in 2025:

1. On the Banks of Plum Creek by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1937)
2. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry by John Mark Comer (2019)
3. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight by Unknown (1100-1300)
4. Nausea by Jean-Paul Sartre (1938)
3. Winter in Wartime by Jan Terlouw (1972)

Three Best rereads in 2025: (I reread nine books)

1. The Great Divorce by C. S. Lewis (1945)
2. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy (1877)
3. 84, Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff (1970)

Hello Carsten! I love the photo in >1 ctpress:! Beautiful. Wishing you a year of wonderful reading. I hope to read Anna Karenina in '26 due to your enthusiasm. Best wishes too that '26 will be your year to fully retire. As you can imagine retirement is wonderful!

>6 mdoris: Thanks, Mary - yes, it was a beautiful hike, and I'm going back to this area again in the new year.

I love this time when you make plans for a new reading year. I think you will enjoy it. We had one of the best discussions in our book club about Anna Karenina, and afterwards we decided to watch a movie adaptation of the book. They are generally not much for reading classic literature, but this time, it was unanimously agreed that it was a great work of fiction.

Now I'm working on introducing Dostoevsky to the book club, he, he. That will be harder...

I love it too, Carsten.

Welcome back again as the group's Denmark correspondent for another year!

>8 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul - yes, I must try to be the responsible Dane here reporting from a very small country. Looking forward to a new year of reading.

Hello Carsten! Anna Karenina has been on my TBR for awhile. I might try to reaad it this year. It might take me awhile to get through it though. Love the picture in your opening post!

Hello, Monica. Yes, Anna Karenina is a mouthful but very rewarding. Thanks - the photo brings back memories of a lovely hike. I hope to do more of that in the new year.

I'm hoping I get a few more older reads in this year too. The fact that many of your best reads of the year are those classics encourages me!

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

Lovely scenery in your topper, , Carsten! Happy New Year.

>12 thornton37814: Hi, Lori - glad if it is an encouragement. I do love old books and old thoughts. They seem to stay with me for a long time, and at the end of the year are often those I still remember.

>13 PaulCranswick: Happy New Year, Paul - wow, that stands out - beautiful photo. Must be rewarding to ponder upon - maybe not a good idea to watch the movie Skyscraper.

>14 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah and a Happy New Year to you.

>1 ctpress: What a beautiful place!

>5 ctpress: Love the list, Carsten! 84, Charing Cross Road is one of my all-time favorite books.

Happy New Year!

>18 alcottacre: Thanks, Stasia - and a Happy New Year to you.

Yes - a favorite of mine too - actually, I was inspired by your reading last year to pick it up again. So, thanks :)

>19 ctpress: Ha! I re-read it last year too. I am glad that you enjoyed your re-read!

>20 alcottacre: Re-reading is underrated :)

>21 ctpress: I re-read a lot! Not underrated by me. . .

>22 alcottacre: Me, too.

Happy new year, Carsten. Just dropping my star.

Happy New Year, Carsten. That's a great photo at the top.

Happy New Year, Carsten! Love the picture on top.
And as a representative of another small country, I like that you liked Jan Terlouw!

>24 sirfurboy: Happy new year, Stephen - thanks for the star :)

>25 BLBera: Thanks - and a Happy new year to you, Beth.

>26 EllaTim: Hi Ella - Happy New Year - yes, we must promote some literature from our small countries :) I really liked that book. My first from Terlouw.

Happy New Year, Carsten. Retirement is great. I retired at 61. I hope you are able to enjoy it next year. 🤞🤞

You sure seem to love the classics. That is awesome.

>30 msf59: Retirement is great. I need to hear that, Mark. My plan has been to slide easy into retirement with only working half-time - it has certainly made my life more enjoyable with the extra free time.

Retirement has sure been easy for Dave. He was 67 when he retired, but I think he gets lazier every day!

>32 vancouverdeb: Ha, ha - so I gather Dave's enjoying life at the moment. I do wonder how I will respond to retirement - working part time I think my days off, sometimes 4-5 days in a row and some of them feel wasted if I don't plan what to do. I wonder if Dave has read the book - in Danish it's called "Der er så meget vi ikke er nødt til" (There's so much we don't have to do.) That's a liberating thought :)

>30 msf59: Another reMark. It does sound great to retire at 61 - it was not unusual in Denmark two decades ago as the state funded it, but it is considered very early nowadays - my state pension will kick in when I'm 68, so I have to use my private pension only the first few years of retirement. For younger people today in Denmark they will have to work to 71, 72 before they can have state pension - so they need to save up quite a bit to retire early.

Hej Carsten, wish you all the best for 2026, including time to read, time to rest, and peace

>34 ctpress: I retired at 60, but that was only because I had a decent private pension that kicked in at 60 - my state pension doesn't kick in until I am 67. Having to work until 71-72 seems a long time. I don't have any difficulty filling my day at all, but then I am the sort of person who has hobbies. Mr SandDune will be retiring this summer, and I think it will be very important to hire to find some sort of activity where he's meeting people. He's much more of a people person than I am!

>35 paulstalder: Thanks, Paul - and good to see you stop by here.

>36 SandDune: Great you could afford it at 60, Rhian. I don't think I will miss my job very much, but I will miss colleagues, chatting and having fun at work - as you I don't think I will have difficulty filling my day - but I would try to take up some more activities - probably in my local church - so I can meet some more people on a regular basis and get out of the house.

Reading plans for 2026

One of my big plans for this year is re-reading the Narnia-series and Lord of the Rings - I read Magicians Nephew a few months ago and are now reading "The Lion, Witch and the Wardrobe".

I also want to read more about Lewis and Tolkien and specially books about LOTR and Narnia. I'm reading these at the moment:

  

Other series I want to continue with are Lord Peter Wimsey (Sayers), Jeeves and Wooster (Wodehouse) and Laura (Ingalls Wilder).

For long (and I have to admit) slow reads, I'm at the moment halfway up in Dante's Purgatory and aiming for heaven and eternal bliss later in 2026.

Also in poetry I plan to read The Odyssey for the upcoming Nolan-movie and reread Beowulf.

That should get me started...

>38 ctpress: Good luck with your plans for 2026!

>39 BLBera: Thanks, Beth.

Book 1. Jeg vil bo i Narnia by Henrik Højlund
106 pages, hardcover, 4/5 stars.
Date of publication: 2025



The title in English: 'I Want to Live in Narnia' - Danish priest Henrik Højlund have written a fine general introduction to the Narnia-series.

Henrik Højlund recounts how the books early in his life created a fundamental sense that "my life - and the life of the whole world - is a mighty, imaginative drama. The books have given adventurous, inviting, and alluring images to the Bible’s great, coherent story."

He demonstrates this with a lot of examples from the Narnia-books - about creation, conversion, longing, heaven and above all Aslan as a reflection of God's character.

Dave has not read any books on retirement, Carsten , but it sure seems to suit him. If I had not done all the work of getting his government pensions started - we have two here , Old Age Security and Canada Pension Plan- the first everyone gets , the second is based on your work income , plus he has a private company pension, I am not sure if he could have figured out how to retire. A few nights he came home and said I am so tired , I can't eat. So I said - what about retiring ? And then we set that into motion. Enjoy your partial retirement. I am sure you will still stay busy. My brother in law retired at age 57 with a very good private pension, and after a year he was bored and went back to work. He was a cop with Vancouver Police and had a good position, and now is working for the RCMP organizing security for FIFA this summer. I think he will stay on. He is just turning 61 this year.

I might read The Jesus Journey that you mentioned on Linda's thread, Carsten. I am currently reading a devotional and New Testament In A Year.

>42 vancouverdeb: Yes, it is complicated, Deborah - good you took the initiative - I have a private pension, a pension at work, state pension and an additional state pension that varies on how much my private pension is - I had a pension advisor look at the numbers a few months ago and it looked very good with retirement at 64.

We also had a few who retired and after a while they came back to work, freelance for a while, I guess they missed the action at work. With Trump there's never a boring day at work, you know.

I hope Dave has some hobbies or interests he can pursue - there are several things I want to study more, and taking some courses on - we have a great tradition in Denmark for Højskole (Folk High School you might translate it) and you can go there to stay for a weekend, a week or a whole term. I'm looking into it.

>43 vancouverdeb: That ESV daily devotional New Testament in a Year looks good. We are going through parts of the Gospel of John in church this Spring so The Jesus Journey looks like a good companion there. Well, good reading, Deborah.

I should clarify that Dave gets a company pension, not a private pension. I was thinking as in non government supplied. Dave's main hobby is stunt kite flying , which he can do any non rainy day here. There is a fairly large group of people who are into that near to us. Then of course there is walk the dog, which we do three times a day and we share the walking. I am enjoying my devotional and my scandicrime! Yes, Trump! He has really turned me off the news! I just look online for the most part and check the headlines etc. I get more depth as needed. I hope Greenland does not prove a problem with Trump latest " move" in Venezuela. I just cringe at the thought. We are with you, Carsten, and the Danish people.

>45 vancouverdeb: Sounds good for Dave to have hobby that takes him outdoors in beautiful Vancouver. Haven't seen much stunt kite flying around here - but it should be ideal as we are so close to the coast everywhere in Denmark.

It's difficult times for Greenland and Denmark trying to be diplomatic - how do you respond to a man who says: "We want your country". "It belongs to us"? Probably not much comes of it - you've had your share of his outlandish ideas - I guess in jest - to annex Canada as a 51st state. It's all crazy talk, but it creates confusion and anger and that is his fuel.

Karsten, I Want to Live in Narnia sounds fascinating. Also, your opening image is beautiful. You are good with the camera. I imagine these are skills you need in your journalism career.

I retired from Lehigh University, a college in Bethlehem, PA, USA. I oversaw the student publications in the Department of Journalism. When I began, cut and past was the way in which pages were submitted to t he printer. The computer age changed all that in many good ways!

I loved working with the students on their newspaper and yearbook. I also taught the business staff of the newspaper how to go out and get ads and the necessary customer service important to keeping the client.

I also have an accounting degree, and loved overseeing the finances and finding ways to make enough money to print and cover all expenses.

>47 Whisper1: Hi, Linda, nice of you to stop by. You have really experienced a "tectonic" shift technologically with the university newspaper - that must have been very exciting to work as a "news editor" with the students - and also to ease in the computer in doing the newspaper.

In high school (gymnasiet, in Danish) I actually founded the schools newspaper with a school friend as I went to a completely new high school there were only our "year" when we started, so we had the privilege to make our own traditions. That was in the typewriter, copy machine days. That was also the time I did my first semi-serious writing.

I haven't used my own photography in my journalism, but almost every day I pick photos for news articles, and I always look for composition and photos that are interesting to watch, so I guess I have developed that sense for it over the years.

I had a very nice walk at a nearby lake today - a favorite place of mine to take a walk. It takes about an hour to go around the lake - and one and a half hour with the combined meadow. Today the mist, the snow, the dusk - it all made it very calm and beautiful.

>49 ctpress: That is lovely.

>50 BLBera: Thanks, Beth. There were a dreamy atmosphere at the lake today.

>49 ctpress: Hi Carsten, I love those photos. I am a person who loves blue!

>49 ctpress: The photos are lovely , Carsten! Dusk is a lovely time to walk.

>52 mdoris: Yes, a beautiful blue afternoon, Mary.

>53 vancouverdeb: I have taking long walks the last three days, Deborah - snow is not an certainty in Denmark. I don’t think we had snow last winter, so I want to enjoy it as much as I can.

>49 ctpress: Malaysia is not the nicest place to go for long walks, Carsten. Too hot and sticky, Kuala Lumpur's system of pavements (sidewalks) is hit and miss at best. I do miss the cool and sometimes chilly Northern airs.

>54 ctpress: Snow is not a certainly here either, Carsten, which I love! We usually get snow once a year, but not always. Vancouver is ill prepared for it as we get it only once a year. I try to enjoy snow, but I just don't want to slip on a walk, and transportation comes to quite a halt. The rest of Canada does get a lot of snow.

>55 PaulCranswick: I remember many years ago, on my first trip to Asia, Paul - when I stepped out of the airplane in Manila - the humidity was such a shock that I couldn’t believe anyone could live there. It was late in December when I got there. Of course, you acclimatize after a while, and the evenings were quite nice. But not an ideal climate for long walks.

>56 vancouverdeb: Oh, I thought you always had snow in winter, Deborah - I enjoy the snow, but not for long stretches of time, and we normally only have two to three weeks of snow, tops. It can get pretty slippery, as not all pavements are cleared.

Hello Carsten. Happy New Year!

>38 ctpress: I LOVE your reading plans for 2026. What a wonderful bunch of classics you have to look forward too. Years ago I would read Laura Ingalls Wilder alound to my kids. They really enjoyed it. AS s for Narnia and LOTR and the Odyssey, I have loved them all. I'll be watching for your comments.

>49 ctpress: Beautiful snow shots.

>58 brodiew2: Hello, Brodie - nice to hear from you. Yes, I noticed when I was finished with my reading-plans it was all classics or books about the classics - but that's what I get excited about.

I did read The Odyssey years ago, but it was a retelling, so I hope to read the poem in its entirety. There's a new Danish translation I look forward to. Also it's so great to be back in Narnia. I will never be tired of that universe.

I went to a camp last summer and one mother from our church read aloud from Laura Ingalls Wilder to her young boy, and I got inspired to continue with the series. There's so much good solid wisdom and beauty and simple living in those books. Good choice for your aloud reading.

>59 ctpress: Nolan's movie is an exciting prospect, but some of the main casting, from his regular stable of actors has given me pause. I'm cautiously cautious. Dune was similar. I love the story so much and I trust the director despite casting. We'll see. I'm sure it will be better than my worries.

>57 ctpress: I think maybe a lot of people think we have snow in the winter, but not the Vancouver area. We get breezes of the Pacific Ocean and that moderates our temperatures, and brings a lot of rain. I think our weather is likely very similar to yours. My nephew has been living in Amsterdam for over 5 years , and he says our weather is quite similar to Amsterdam ,but we get more rain.

I asked a couple of my friends about 15 years ago - " I wonder what it would be like to live in a Northern Country" and they both said - you do! But I was thinking like Alaska or Northern Canada or something. So , for Canada our weather is quite mild. I mean you don't have to go north for cold weather, just elsewhere in Canada.

>60 brodiew2: Well, Nolan is more misses than hits for me, so I don't set my hopes up too high. I'm not fond of the way he often tells his stories with time shifts, going back and forth, as in Tenet and Oppenheimer. I fear another confusing story.

>61 vancouverdeb: Interesting, that we have the same climate in Copenhagen and Vancouver - a lot of Danes pack the car and go skiing in Sweden just for the day or maybe a weekend - you don't have to drive that far up to get some good snow - I've done that myself.

Book 2. The Inklings: C. S. Lewis, J. R. R. Tolkien and Their Friends by Humphrey Carpenter
287 pages, audiobook, 4/5 stars.
Date of publication: 1978



I have read a few biographies of C. S. Lewis, but this one really made me see his life from a different angle, as you learn more about the interactions with his closest friends in the literature-discussion, beer-drinking, read-aloud-and-criticize fellowship they had. Tuesday mornings and Thursday nights mostly for many years.

Also, it points out the differences between Tolkien and Lewis's personalities - very interesting. Charles Williams was a really odd person, and I didn’t understand most of his views on Christianity and philosophy. I had forgotten how central Lewis's brother, Warnie, was to the Inklings. In reality, it was C. S. Lewis’s group - and it also died when he died.

>64 ctpress: That sounds like an interesting book, Carsten. I don't think I know much about Tolkien's personality and really , very little about C.S Lewis. Charles Williams I have not even heard of. Carsten, if I was not flying phobic, I would head onto a plane and visit you in Denmark, my nephew in Amsterdam and of course, a side visit to England to see the Royal Family,if they will have me. Yes, you can ski on our local mountains. Occasionally they don't get enough snow in the winter, but not often.

>65 vancouverdeb: The Inklings opened my eyes for many of the interactions between them. Tolkien was one of the men who brought Lewis from atheism to Christianity. I tried to read a novel by Charles Williams years ago "Descent of the Dove" but never finished it. He never became a popular writer like Lewis and Tolkien.

It could have been a good European trip for you, Deborah - Copenhagen and Amsterdam and England visiting castles and the royals. I'm sure they could manage to find the time - if not I could easily as a royal insider make arrangements.

In our book club we have talked about making a "field trip" to Oxford visiting the University and sights of Tolkien and Lewis - including the pub Eagle & Child (Bird and Baby) where the Inklings met.

>49 ctpress: I love these photos. What a perfect place to take a stroll, in all seasons. Any cool birds?

Carsten I have just put The Abolition of Man on my "to read" list. Have you read it?

And I love the idea of a bookclub field trip. Good idea!

>67 msf59: I'm not really a bird-watcher, I'm afraid, Mark. But it is a very popular place for birders. Damhussøen has wetland areas and artificial bird islands that provide good nesting places, and many migrating birds visit there. But, no, to me a duck is a duck, and that's about it.

>68 mdoris: Yes, Mary - I have read it two to three years ago, but to be honest, I found the book hard to get through, which is not normal for me with C. S. Lewis. I think his thoughts about education, Tao, and morality were hard to follow. Well, it was a short book, so I might try to tackle it again.

>70 ctpress: Hello Carsten, thank you for the feedback!

>66 ctpress: Finally, you've become a palace insider, Carsten! I've tried so hard to convince you to get on the British Royal Staff, as well as my nephew who lived in the UK and now Amsterdam. What secrets can you tell me ? PM me.

>71 mdoris: I hope it will work better for you, Mary.

>72 vancouverdeb: Ha, ha - yes I worked myself in there with the help of my royal connections with Frederik and Mary in Denmark. Scandalous news are upcoming - you will not believe it :)

Book 3. Guldstykker by Søren Schauser
431 pages, ebook, 3,5/5 stars.
Date of publication: 2020



Title in English: 100 golden pieces (of classical music) - I listened to each piece of music while reading the short passages on it, so it was a slow progress, but a nice way to explore more classical music.

The author has a wonderful sense of humor, and it was partly an introduction to the music itself, but also to what inspired it and its historical setting. A lot of quotes from letters by the composers - certainly a lot of tragedy and suffering also inspired the music.

I did skip listening to the last few pieces by modern composers like John Cage - that’s only noise (at least to me).

Book 4. The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder
448 pages, audiobook, 5/5 stars.
Date of publication: 1940



These times are too progressive. Everything has changed too fast. Railroads and telegraphs and kerosene and coal stoves - they're good to have but the trouble is, folks get to depend on 'em.

An early five-star read and my favorite so far of the Laura books, although On the Banks of Plum Creek comes close (which was one of my favorites last year).

- I admire the ingenuity when things get tough in the bitterly cold blizzards - Ma' and Pa' always have thought of a way to make things a little bit easier - be it a Hail Mary raw pumpkin pie or some wheat coming out of the blue.
- I love the whole family's enjoyment of simple pleasures and different ways to cope with the cold - I mean, 'simple living' and 'tiny houses' have nothing on this family. Try this, folks (or Thoreau).
- I'm fascinated by the realism of this novel - it's grittier and really shows just how hard and life-threatening the homesteading pioneer life could be.

>75 ctpress: lovely review of The Long Winter. There is a wistfulness and peace even among the hardship in these writings.

>74 ctpress: Something to look forward to in the news cycle, instead of the doom and gloom, Carsten! Just a royal scandal! I cannot wait.

>75 ctpress: Nice review of a The Long Winter. I read the series many years ago.

>76 brodiew2: Thanks, Brodie - while reading I keep thinking of the many things we just take for granted that they marvel at as great blessings or even miracles.

>77 vancouverdeb: A royal scandal would be great right now, Deborah :) It has been a crazy week at work. I have never seen a newsroom this stressed than this Wednesday when our foreign minister visited the White House. And every day, a new bizarre statement from Trump - I don't know where it all ends.

I grew up with the tv-series, and read only one, maybe two of the Laura-books when I was young, but this is the first time I'm reading the whole series. It's been a great experience.

>74 ctpress: This sounds great. Last year I read Bob Dylan's The Philosophy of Modern Song, and I listened to each song as I read the essay. It was a great experience. I am learning more about classical music, and this sounds like one I would like. I wonder if I could find it here?

I have fond memories of the Laura Ingalls Wilder books. I read them to my daughter and she read them to her daughter. We did talk about some of the racism in the books, but they are still great reading experiences. And we live in the area that she lived in, so there's that as well.

>80 BLBera: Oh, yes - I remember reading your review last year and was thinking back then about doing the same - glad you reminded me- that could very well be my next musical project. Dylan is one of my favorite musicians.

It's the best way to experience the books together with one's children, I think. And then being able to talk about the racism that comes up - it's a little strange that the mother is so very good at pointing out others faults whenever they don't treat others well, and yet she's unable to see her own animosity towards the Indians. But also good, it's counterpointed with the father's more sympathetic view. It balances it out sort of.

>80 BLBera: Sorry, I forgot to answer your question, Beth. The book Guldstykker about 100 classical music pieces has not been translated into English.

One tip is if you have access to Apples podcast - they have produced a series of one hour podcasts "The Story of Classical Music" - with a lot of classical pieces from the Medieval Era to the Modern Era - I'm actually listening to them again at the moment. They will give you an introduction to the specific Era and famous composers and you can just listen to examples. A great way to explore. (This is also available through their great app Classical - subscription to Apple Music needed).

>79 ctpress: I can imagine it was very stressful in the newsroom this past Wednesday. I read that our PM is considering sending some troops to Greenland. I am very antiwar, very much, I do not wear a poppy on Remembrance Day, but I would back this move. There is no politics ever discussed in my church, but I was glad to today, as always. Let's hope Trump is just bluffing or comes to his senses.

The series I have been reading is a fun light mystery series. If you can find it, give it a try.

>83 vancouverdeb: vancouverdeb: No politics in our church either, thank God - in our church we have an American who has married a Dane - they lived in the United States for several years but finally had enough of the pro-Trump churches they were working in as youth leaders. They were very uncomfortable with it, so they moved to Denmark two years ago.

It seems there's no end to Trump's megalomania - really disturbing times to experience. Luckily for Denmark and Greenland, it seems it is now a European matter as well - do send some troops, Deborah - but be aware that the tariff war will start again.

I will look for that fun mystery series.

>84 ctpress: Smart money is that Trump is bluffing, but I don't understand why he would risk the support of his allies for such an obviously wrong-headed position. The US have military bases on Greenland and I am sure that the parties can speak about how that could be reinforced if America consider that there is a genuine threat from China or Russia there. I have to say that one suspects that it has far more to do with control of mineral wealth than security.

>85 PaulCranswick: Yes, I do think he's bluffing, Paul - it doesn't really make sense because with some cooperation he can for sure expand US military presence and dig for rare minerals - we've tried with no success, but the US would be welcome to invest in it, I'm sure. Another theory is that Trump is obsessed with broadening US territory and that would look good on his CV as a president with Greenland added. Or maybe it's another Art of the Deal to pressure us into some sort of agreement over Greenland that favors USA. Who knows what goes on in his mind?

>81 ctpress: Thanks for the podcast tip. I need some music to soothe my soul.

>87 BLBera: Your welcome. Enjoy the classical music, Beth.

Book 5. Little Town on the Prairie by Laura Ingalls Wilder
307 pages, audiobook, 4/5 stars.
Date of publication: 1941



"This earthly life is a battle," said Ma. "If it isn't one thing to contend with, it's another. It has always been so, and it always will be. The sooner you make up your mind to that, the better off you are, and the more thankful for your pleasures."

True, so true.

A lot of the story takes place at the town's school, and Laura is coping with Nellie returning and conspiring with a teacher from hell. Luckily, it is balanced with Almanso and a blossoming romance.

>89 ctpress: That is possibly my favorite of all the Little House books--at least it was when I was younger.

>89 ctpress: Another peaceful sort of read for these crazy times, Carsten. Glad you enjoyed it. Excellent quote from the book and very applicable these days.

Hello Carsten. I just received my new Amazon order with a Tozer 3-in-1, including The Pursuit of God, The Divine Conquest, and The Crucified Life. I'm excited to get started. I've also recently started The Sacred Romance by John Eldrege and Brent Curtis. I feel like my heart and I haven't been on the same page for some time. Eldrege's works focus so much on the heart, and how we have made works front and center. He claims the heart has been neglected by a large part of Christendom.

>90 thornton37814: Yes, I can understand that - a lot of things are happening to Laura, making friends and her school life. Very entertaining.

>91 vancouverdeb: I really enjoy them as sort of "escapism" understood in a good way - reading of a more saner time than when things moved much less slower. The quote spoke to me - if it's not one thing, then another comes along for sure.

>92 brodiew2: Some fine books to receive, Brodie. I've read The Sacred Romance, but it was many years ago. I remember liking it a lot, and they wrote very differently about the Christian experience than normally - the pursuing heart of God and our longing to be loved - as I remember. Look forward to hearing more of your thoughts on it.

So your set with Tozer for a while. I have The Knowledge of the Holy as a Kindle-book, so that will be my next Tozer.

>94 ctpress: Yes! God's pursuit of our heart. It is a refreshing concept, that requires intimate time with God, something I'm only beginning to explore. Sadly, Amazon doesn't have a hard copy of The Sacred Romance. It looks like Kindle is how I'll have to go with this one.

I look forward to your thought on The Knowledge of the Holy. I read it last year and it blew my mind.

>95 brodiew2: Strange, that they should not have that as a hard copy, Brodie. It was a bestseller.

For many years I have collected quotes from various sources. And I have several by Tozer - actually one from The Knowledge of the Holy.

"What comes into our minds when we think about God is the most important thing about us."

There's a great truth there. One of my friends many years ago were a Tozer-fan. He said that you could flip to any point in any of Tozer's books and you'll something worth quoting. While a bit of an exaggeration, Tozer does have a concise way of writing.

Read in February

  

5. Little Town on the Prairie
6. These Happy Golden Years
7. The Gift of Being Yourself

Hello Carsten, What are your March reading plans? Have you got spring starting there? How is the semi-retirement going?

>98 mdoris: Hi, Mary. We have no snow anymore and are beginning to sense spring in the air - some wonderful sunny days lately - haven't gotten so much reading done as I had hoped due to a lot of church-activities, but I continue to read Laura Ingalls Wilder and now just one book left in the Laura-series. And have just finished The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe so will continue with Laura and Narnia - my longer projects of with Homer's Odyssey and Lord of the Rings are progressing slowly.

The semi-retirement is such a treat - although there's pressure at work with the Iran-war and a Danish election in three weeks time - but good I don't have to be there so much. Looking forward to a trip to Spain in the beginning of April.

>99 ctpress: A trip to Spain in April sounds great, Carsten. Anywhere in particular? Andalusia is one of my favourite places in the world.

>97 ctpress: I'm glad you are reading , Carsten. A trip to Spain sounds lovely. We have had some lovely weather here too ,but possibly 2 cm of snow tomorrow. I hope they are wrong! We had had no snow so far this winter and may it continue.

>100 PaulCranswick: Well, we are going to Andalusia, Paul - That's a good recommendation - Granada and Cordoba are planned, and then we'll see....we will be there one week.

>101 vancouverdeb: Yes, I can understand that, Deborah - I sure hope we have seen the last snow and frost for this winter - ready for some sunnier and warmer days.

How wonderful Carsten, a trip to Spain. i have never been but I sure love manchego cheese that comes from Spain. Please check out the Spanish cheeses for me! I am pleased that the semi retirement plan is going well and that you can avoid some pressures when they ask you to work more! Your reading sounds perfect! Spring has sprung here too with lots in bloom in my garden but there was a snow shower today, not one I loved at all!

>103 ctpress: No snow today, Carsten! We were fortunate. Other areas in Greater Vancouver got a little snow, but no big deal as far as I know. I think it melted and turned to rain quite quickly.

>104 mdoris: Oh, yes manchego cheese is good - I will try some other cheeses, good idea, Mary. Enjoy the spring time - we are still blessed with sunny days and above 10-11 celcius.

>105 vancouverdeb: Happy you escaped the snow, Deborah - hope you'll feel spring in the air. We do here.

Hope all is well, Carsten. Our Danish correspondent is very quiet!

>108 PaulCranswick: I'm ok, Paul - although I haven't read that much in April - also being away for two weeks - on vacation in a summer house the first week, and Andalusia the next. We visited Granada, Cordoba and Sevilla and a great time.

Hopefully I can return to my books in may and get some reading done.

Read in March:

8. Unbreakable: What the Son of God Said About the Word of God by Andrew Wilson 3/5
9. On Getting Out of Bed by Alan Noble 3,5/5
10. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C. S. Lewis 5/5

>109 ctpress: Andalusia is a favourite part of the world for me, Carsten. So pleased you enjoyed visiting.

>111 PaulCranswick: I really did, Paul - I think I'm going back there - so much to see and places to eat.

Not much reading in the last couple of months, although I've started reading a bunch of things without finishing them.

Currently I'm making some progress with three books.

Analects by Confucius
The Seven Storey Mountain by Thomas Merton
The Way of a Pilgrim by Anonymous

also I'm listening to a suspense/thiller novel "You're Next" by Gregg Hurwitz

  

Book 11. A Way of a Pilgrim by Anonymous
155 pages, paperback, 4,5/5 stars.
Date of publication: 1895



This is my third read of this little spiritual classic about a russian pilgrim that walks around in Russia trying to learn how to pray continuously the Jesus Prayer - "Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner". And on the road he meets a lot of people - both good and bad.

Read it again because it has arrived in a Danish translation with a good foreword.

Book 12. On Old Age by Cicero
96 pages, paperback, 3,5/5 stars.
Date of publication: BC 44



Despite the mean and somewhat angry expression on Cicero's face this is a very upbeat and positive look on getting old and being old. He emphasizes the deeper more refined pleasures of intellectual conversation, mentoring the youth, attending your garden, give wise counsel, philosophical contemplation.

The only place I can't follow him is the last part and his relationship with death. That roman stoic - it don't matter at all and we don't know if the soul will live on or not - mentality is so antithetical to Christianity.

>115 ctpress: Good to see you, Carsten!

>116 vancouverdeb: Hi, Deborah - thanks for stopping by - I've finally finished some books - I'm on holiday in a few days but will stay in Denmark during the summer.

Book 13. Jag lutar åt Gud by Tomas Sjödin
221 pages, paperback, 4/5 stars.
Date of publication: 2010



Another good collection of short essays by Swedish priest Tomas Sjödin. Read this in Swedish as it has not been translated into Danish. I like his philosophical musings on everyday life.

Book 14. Den Lykkelige Mand by Arto Paasilinna
189 pages, hardcover, 3,5/5 stars.
Date of publication: 1996



"A wickedly funny satire about money, power, and the joys of small-town life."

I agree - one of Finlands most popular authors - very funny and at times very crazy humor.

Book 15. Virgil Wander by Leif Enger
356 pages, ebook, 4/5 stars.
Date of publication: 2008



Although the novel doesn't have the same leanings into the magical as his more famous novel Peace like a River - it has something else - a lot of quiet melancholy humor and finding solace in everyday life within a small Midwestern town - I liked how the old cinema and kite flying bring people together and help Virgil Wander rebuild his life. Reminded me a lot of Jon Hassler's writing.

Hello Carsten. Hope you are getting a good start to summer. I see lots of reading being done!

>121 mdoris: Yes, Mary - It has been a hot start of the summer with record high temperatures in Denmark the last couple of days. I've been reading a lot lately which is great after a couple of months where I wasn't able to finish any books.

Book 16. An Honest Thief by Fyodor Dostoyevsky
59 pages, hardcover, 3,5/5 stars.
Date of publication: 1846



There are four short stories in my Danish edition. The Honest Thief is the longest but also the best. It's been over two years since I last read something by Dostoevsky and I was glad to get started again with this master storyteller. The next ones on my list are some novellas and tales.

Hello Carsten, Weird how that goes with periods of no reading and then some with reading up a storm. Not sure how/why that all works. We have been going from summer to winter here and today is a winter day and back to my wooly sweaters. Are you okay with the heat you are getting? Have you a place to escape?

>124 mdoris: No, Mary - I'm not ok with the heat, and my apartment gets very hot very quickly, so I can't sleep well at night. Also, I hesitate to travel south (Italy, Greece, etc.) in the summer and wait for autumn. Too hot, too many tourists, and too expensive. Went to Germany last year in July - thought it would be ok, and it was 37-38 Celcius several days.

Yesterday it was record-high temperatures - 37 Celsius - I think we got 34 here in Copenhagen - not very nice. I do live near the ocean, so I go to several places to swim in the summer to cool off.

I like the long bright summer nights - I enjoyed two evenings with friends in their gardens this past week, barbecuing, enjoying some wine, singing midsommer-night songs at a small bonfire (we had Midsommer this week) - just perfect. Now I just look forward to the slight rain and 20 degrees coming in a few days - no, I guess I'm not a "summer-person" :)

Hi Carsten you made your visits with friends sound so wonderful! Hope you get some cooler weather very soon.

I prefer cooler weather too, Carsten. Temps of 18C - to 20 C are nice for me. I'm not keen on high temps at all.

>126 mdoris: Well, Mary, the temperatures are dropping a bit, so it's going in the right direction.

>127 vancouverdeb: I agree, Deborah - it doesn't have to go much higher than that. I did have a terrible night and unable to sleep due to the warm apartment, so most of the day I haven't felt quite myself.

Book 17. The Analects by Confucius
354 pages, hardcover, 3,5/5 stars.
Date of publication: 476



This new Danish edition of The Analects is really impressive, with a lengthy foreword and commentary to each of the sayings. A commentary is really needed as some of them can be hard to understand without context.

But the first one that opens The Analects is easy enough to understand:

To study and practice what you have learned - is this not a pleasure? To have friends visit from distant places - is this not a joy? To go unrecognized by others without harboring frustration - is this not the mark of an exemplary person?"

Book 18. Ett hjärta större än världen by Magnus Malm
288 pages, hardcover, 3,5/5 stars.
Date of publication: 2008



Not exactly a commentary on The Sermon on the Mount, but more reflections on issues like stress and work, the dead ends of individualism, the gap between rich and poor, pursuit of validation, money and status symbols and how Jesus' sermon speaks into this in a modern world. I don't always agree with Malm, but he has a lot of good insight on the struggle of everyday life.

Book 19. Polycarp's Letter to the Philippians & His Martyrdom by Polycarp and The Church at Smyrna
38 pages, paperback, 4/5 stars.
Date of publication: 156



I read this in a norwegian translation of various writings of the early church fathers. Polycarp's letter is drenched in the language of the letters by Paul - almost every second sentence is directly or indirectly from Paul - the account of Polycarp's martyrdom was written down shortly after his death by a member of the church in Smyrna - it is very moving and detailed - it is also in this account that we have the famous words by Polycarp just before he is burnt at the stake:

"For 86 years I have served Jesus Christ and he has never abandoned me. How could I curse my blessed king and savior?"

Book 20. Filoktet by Sophocles
70 pages, ebook, 4/5 stars.
Date of publication: BC 410



In Cicero's book "On Old Age" I read the other day he mentioned Sophocles as an example of one who was creative and industrious in old age as a writer. It made me think that I should read another greek play - in fact he was over 80 when he wrote Filoktet.

>132 ctpress: Good to see you reading and posting , Carsten.

>133 vancouverdeb: Yes, Deborah - it feels good to be back en a good flow with reading again.

Book 21. Veronika decides to die by Paulo Coelho
285 pages, ebook, 3/5 stars.
Date of publication: 1998



My first Coelho novel and I have mixed feelings.

The themes of this novel interested me - Veronica decides to take her own life, she survives and is admitted to an insane asylum - here she finds out her heart is damaged and she only has a few days to live. This makes her reevaluate her choices and appreciate life anew - also through meeting different people - more or less insane - and how they are trapped and could they get their freedom - the knowledge of her imminent death gives her a new freedom to appreciate things in her life she never did before and live life differently.

There are a lot of dream sequences where we don’t know if it is real or fantasy - the other characters and their story lines are not that interesting - it all gets too blurred for my liking.

Then there’s the twist ending - which I liked a lot, but Coelhe doesn’t really pursue it. Hmm…

Hi Carsten, I have just read that Copenhagen is currently rated the #1 best city in the world. Wow!

I thought Vancouver was the best city in the world! Enjoy, Carsten!

And I thought it was Kuala Lumpur!

>136 mdoris:
>137 vancouverdeb:
>138 PaulCranswick:

Ha, ha, Mary, Deborah and Paul - guess you were all wrong - although Vancouver places at a decent 9th place. We did some news stories on it yesterday, obviously. It is indeed Wonderful Copenhagen as we say - according to the study/ranking they point out the great bike paths, world-class dining, harbor swimming areas and baths among other things - I do enjoy that (except for the pricey high-end dining) - although I choose harbor baths where there's a sauna attached to it so I also use it all year round.

>139 ctpress: Carsten, it sounds dreamy, especially the swimming part in the harbor with the sauna afterwards.

>140 mdoris: Yes, Mary - one of my favorite pastimes - it has become quite popular in the last few years and many new places have opened up near beaches and harbors in Copenhagen.

Book 22. Jamen, bad jeg da for lidt? by Leif Andersen
95 pages, paperback, 4,5/5 stars.
Date of publication: 2000



A book about prayer by one of my favorite Danish authors - in May and June I went to a Leif Andersen seminar with three evenings on Doubt and Faith. It was nice to listen and afterwards talk to the man I've been reading for so many years. The title of the book is "Well, did I pray to little?" - a short but honest exploration of the struggles with prayer - prayer-answers or lack thereof.

Book 23. Det skal mærkes at vi lever by Johannes Møllehave og Benny Andersen (2007) 4/5
278 pages, hardback, 4/5 stars.
Date of publication: 2007



Title in English: We Must Feel That We Are Alive

Conversations between the Danish poet Benny Andersen and Danish author and priest Johannes Møllehave - both of whom lost the loves of their lives after many years of marriage, about life and its moments of joy, love, and sorrow - sprinkled with insights from Hans Christian Andersen, and Søren Kierkegaard.

Book 24. On The Tranquility Of The Mind by Seneca
50 pages, paperback, 3,5/5 stars.
Date of publication: 60



Seneca’s De Tranquillitate Animi is a famous classic Stoic essay written as a therapeutic letter to his friend Serenus, who suffered from deep anxiety, restlessness, and dissatisfaction with life.

There are many things that resonated with me in this essay - specifically his thoughts on the importance of contentment in life.

Took this photo yesterday at a birthday party- my two nephews - one has two sons - the other one son (the youngest in the middle) - I like how they are helping him along.

>145 ctpress: That looks like such a beautiful spot Carsten!

>145 ctpress: That is a lovely picture, Carsten! What cute children.

>145 ctpress: What a shame, Carsten, as I cannot see the picture that Deb refers to. Hopefully we I open your thread at home the picture will appear. My office internet sometimes blocks images for reasons I cannot comprehend.

>146 mdoris: Yes, we always take the same walk around a lake near my sisters house.

>147 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah. Its good to see how gentle they are with their little cousin.

>148 PaulCranswick: Ah, irritating problem, Paul. Hope it’ll work out at home.

>145 ctpress: Ah I can see it now, Carsten. They look like good lads.

>151 PaulCranswick: Good it worked, Paul - yes good lads they are - and very active :)

>145 ctpress: That is very sweet. Thanks for sharing.

>153 BLBera: Thanks, Beth - glad you like the photo.