(Sir)Thomas is ready for reading... and other things Part 2

Today we went on a hike for May Day, and this is what we saw.

Welcome to my second thread in 2026.

Hi everybody, my Name is Thomas, I am 64 years young and I live in a small town in northern Baden Wuerttemberg, Germany.
I used to be a COBOL-programmer, project manager, user helpdesk,... - in short, I was responsible for everything in a small project with about 400 users and the variety made it a lot of fun, even if it was stressful.
My librarything name comes from my study time, a friend and I wrote short crime novels in which the other was the role model for the investigator. My friend called my alter ego Sir Thomas.
We would read them to the others in the dormitory, it was a great time, even though I wasn't very talented.
2025 was again a good reading year since I am part of this group - 193 finished books.
This is my 14th year in this awesome group, and every year is going better and better with books and friends.
My library grows and grows, as I can hardly bring myself to throw away a book - it's a good thing that eBooks hardly take up any space on the shelf...

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

Reading List for January
1. Herr Müller, die verrückte Katze und Gott by Ewald Arenz
2. Herr des Lichts / Lord of Light by Roger Zelazny
3. Schwarze Gedanken / Idées noires by André Franquin
4. Jeder im Zug ist verdächtig / Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson
5. Schilf im Wind / Canne al vento by Grazia Deledda
6. Wachen! Wachen! / Guards! Guards! by Terry Pratchett
7. Zwischen zwei Sternen / A Closed and Common Orbit by Becky Chambers
8. Es wird nicht immer so wehtun / I Promise It Won't Always Hurt Like This by Clare Mackintosh
9. Vater und Sohn by E. O. Plauen
10. Das Beste sind die Augen / The Eyes are the Best Part by Monica Kim
11. Tod zur Teestunde / Marble Hall Murders by Anthony Horowitz
12. Wintergeister: Schaurige Geschichten für frostige Nächte / The Winter Spirits: Ghostly Tales for Frosty Nights by Bridget Collins
13. Die Urknallmaschine by Barbara Warmbein
14. Vom Ende einer Geschichte / The Sense of an Ending by Julian Barnes
15. John by Bernhard Aichner
16. Snake-Eater by T. Kingfisher, T.
17. Unter uns die Nacht / Record of a Spaceborn Few by Becky Chambers
18. Alte Sorten by Ewald Arenz

Reading List for February
19. Agatha Raisin und der tote Tierarzt / Agatha Raisin and the Vicious Vet by M. C. Beaton
20. Die Lotsin / De loods by Mathijs Deen
21. Dorn: Zimmer 103 / Dorn: Zimmer 103 by Jan Beck
22. The Stand / The Stand by Stephen King
23. Alt sind nur die anderen / Old seems to be other people by Lily Brett
24. Mord auf der Insel Gokumon / 黒猫亭事件 by Seishi Yokomizo
25. Die dunkle Seite der Sonne / The Dark Side of the Sun by Terry Pratchett
26. Die Galaxie und das Licht darin / The Galaxy, and the Ground Within by Becky Chambers
27. Durch das Raue zu den Sternen by Christopher Kloeble
28. Witwenwald / Skuggan bakom dig by Anna Jansson
29. G.A.S. (GAS): Die Trilogie der Stadtwerke / Sewer, Gas and Electric: The Public Works Trilogy by Matt Ruff
30. Und dann gab's keines mehr / And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
31. Gute Momente by Mely Kiyak
32. Verstummt / Triptych by Karin Slaughter
33. Miss Merkel: Mord auf hoher See by David Safier

DNF. Mord im Nacktschnecken-Milieu: Mysteriöse Kriminalfälle in deinem Garten by Elke Schwarzer

Reading List for March
34. Yellowface / Yellowface by Rebecca F. Kuang
35. Helle Barden / Men at Arms by Terry Pratchett
36. Du bist noch nicht tot / The Devil's Only Friend by Dan Wells
37. The Murder Game – Der Tod isst mit / The Murder Game by Tom Hindle
38. Eines Menschen Flügel by Andreas Eschbach
39. Sörensen geht aufs Haus by Sven Stricker
40. Narren, Diebe und Vampire by Terry Pratchett
41. Dr. No / Dr. No by Percival Everett
42. Ich und die anderen / Set this House in Order by Matt Ruff
43. Das 5x5-Prinzip by Ingo Froböse
44. Ein Psalm für die wild Schweifenden / A Psalm for the Wild-Built by Becky Chambers
45. Zart ist das Fleisch / Cadáver exquisito by Agustina Bazterrica

Reading List for April
46. Astrid Lindgren by Susanne Lieder
47. Der Übergang / The Passage by Justin Cronin
48. Suche nach einer Mitte by Octavio Paz
49. See der Schöpfung / Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner
50. Scherben der Ehre / Shards of Honor by Lois McMaster Bujold
51. Die Bürde des Blutes / A Matter of Blood by Sarah Pinborough
52. Die Farben der Finsternis / The Shadow of the Soul by Sarah Pinborough
53. Der Atem der Apokalypse / The Chosen Seed by Sarah Pinborough
54. Der Wendepunkt / The Turning Point by Simon Beckett
55. Ich denk nicht dran: Ein Vermächtnis zu Lebzeiten by Jo Failer
56. Ein Gebet für die achtsam Schreitenden / A Prayer for the Crown-Shy by Becky Chambers
57. Gugelhupf mit Schuss by Ingrid Werner
58. Dunkle Halunken / Dodger by Terry Pratchett

Reading List for May
59. Lázár by Nelio Biedermann
60. Fantastic Tales of Steampunk by Jeffrey Lyman
61. Hohle Köpfe / Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett
62. Die sieben Tode der Evelyn Hardcastle / The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton
63. Männer mit Erfahrung / Go with Me by Castle Freeman
64. Botanik des Wahnsinns by Leon Engler
65. Astrid Lindgren. Helle Nächte, dunkler Wald by Maria Regina Kaiser
66. Katzentage by Ewald Arenz
67. Terr-or-Treats by Westway, J.J.
68. Tod mit Meerblick by Tanja Janz
69. Geschichte des Herzens / Historia del corazón by Vicente Aleixandre
70. Böser, böser Wolf / Little Red Death by Alexandra Benedict
71. Neustart nach dem Schlaganfall by Helmut Gruhn and Niklas Schaab
72. Widdersehen: Ein Schafskrimi by Leonie Swann
73. Der gefräßige Grinder / The Grinding by Matt Dinniman
74. ë by Jehona Kicaj

Reading List for June
75. Der Totengräber und der Mord in der Krypta by Oliver Pötzsch
76. Das Zeitalter der Sterne / Birthright: The Book of Man by Mike Resnick
77. Sterben und Auferstehen / Hurskas Kurjuus by Frans-Eemil Sillanpää
78. Medizin für Melancholie / Medicine for Melancholy by Ray Bradbury
79. Lauter Irre /The Gropes by Ray Bradbury
80. Komm spielen / Whistle by Linwood Barclay
81. Grelles Licht für darke Leute / Un Lugar Soleado para gente Sombría by Mariana Enriquez
82. Drei Mann in einem Boot / Three Men in a Boat by Jerome Klapka Jerome
83. Lobgesang auf Leibowitz / A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.
84. Tatort Liegestuhl by Astrid Plötner and Anke Kemper Dornenhecke / Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher
86. Schwarzlicht / Box by Camilla Läckberg and Henrik Fexeus
87. Auf zwei Planeten by Kurd Laßwitz
88. Hunde haben Besitzer, Katzen haben Personal by Christian K. Jessen
89. Die literarische Hausapotheke by Stefan Bollmann
90. Miss Merkel: Mord in der Therapie by David Safier
91. Die Vögel / The Birds by Daphne du Murier

Reading List for July
92. Fliegende Fetzen / Jingo by Terry Pratchett
93. Perfect Crime - Wenn niemand dir glaubt / The Woman Who Lied by Claire Douglas
94. A Vamp Revamped: a vampire horror comedy by Erwan D. Atcheson
95. Der Mordclub von Shaftesbury – Tod verpflichtet Emily Winston

Reading List for August

Reading List for September

Reading List for October

Reading List for November

Reading List for December

A great idea from Paul Cranswick was A BOOK A YEAR FOR THE FIRST 64 YEARS OF MY LIFE
This is my updated list:
1961 Ein Mann in einer fremden Welt / Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
1962 Die Physiker / The Physicists: A Play by Friedrich Dürrenmatt
1963 Platon im Stripteaselokal / Misreadings by Umberto Eco
1964 Am Freitag schlief der Rabbi lang / Friday the Rabbi Slept Late by Harry Kemelman
1965 Der Wüstenplanet / Dune by Frank Herbert
1966 Die phantastische Reise / Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov
1967 Die Vergangenheit der Zukunft (Future History) / The Past Through Tomorrow by Robert A. Heinlein
1968 2001 - Odyssee im Weltraum / 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
1969 Papillon / Papillon by Henri Charrière
1970 Und die Großen läßt man laufen / Murder at the Savoy by Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö
1971 Der Exorzist / The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
1972 Sieh doch die Harlekins / Look at the Harlequins! by Vladimir Nabokov
1973 Momo oder die seltsame Geschichte von den Zeit-Dieben und von dem Kind, das den Menschen die gestohlene Zeit zurückbrachte / Momo by Michael Ende
1974 Carrie / Carrie by Stephen King
1975 Dhalgren / Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany
1976 Interwiew mit einem Vampir / Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
1977 Sternentanz / Stardance by Jeanne Robinson & Spider Robinson
1978 Stadtgeschichten / Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
1979 Per Anhalter durch die Galaxis / The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
1980 Der Name der Rose / The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
1981 Cujo / Cujo by Stephen King
1982 Freitag / Friday by Robert A. Heinlein
1983 Christine / Christine by Stephen King
1984 Der Talisman / The Talisman by Stephen King & Peter Straub
1985 Contact / Contact by Carl Sagan
1986 Es / It by Stephen King
1987 Der Elektrische Mönch: Dirk Gently's Holistische Detektei / Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
1988 Fool on the hill / Fool on the hill by Matt Ruff
1989 Hyperion / Hyperion by Dan Simmons
1990 The Stand / The Stand (unabridged) by Stephen King
1991 Sofies Welt / Sophie's World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy by Jostein Gaarder
1992 Fräulein Smillas Gespür für Schnee / Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Høeg
1993 Alpträume / Nightmares & Dreamscapes by Stephen King
1994 Asche zu Asche / Playing for the Ashes by Elizabeth George
1995 Dunkle Kammern / The Dark Room by Minette Walters
1996 The Green Mile / The Green Mile by Stephen King
1997 G.A.S. / Sewer, Gas and Electric: The Public Works Trilogy by Matt Ruff
1998 Wächter der Nacht / The Night Watch by Sergej Lukianenko
1999 Die 13 1/2 Leben des Käpt'n Blaubär / 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers
2000 Das Haus = House of leaves / House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
2001 Jack Taylor fliegt raus / The Guards: A Novel by Ken Bruen
2002 Die Bibel nach Biff : die wilden Jugendjahre von Jesus, erzählt von seinem besten Freund / Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
2003 Ich und die anderen / Set This House in Order by Matt Ruff
2004 Der Turm / The Dark Tower by Stephen King
2005 Olympos / Olympos by Dan Simmons
2006 Am Ende war die Tat / What Came Before He Shot Her by Elizabeth George
2007 Der Tod und der Dicke / Death Comes for the Fat Man by Reginald Hill
2008 Das Spiel des Engels / The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
2009 1Q84 / 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
2010 Raum / Room by Emma Donoghue
2011 5 Dinge, die Sterbende am meisten bereuen / The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing by Bronnie Ware
2012 Das Schicksal ist ein mieser Verräter by John Green
2013 Das Dickicht / The Thicket by Joe R. Lansdale
2014 Fiona: Als ich tot war 7 The Strange Death of Fiona Griffiths by Harry Bingham
2015 Opferweg / Saint Odd by Dean Koontz
2016 Lovecraft Country / Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff
2017 Und dann steht einer auf und öffnet das Fenster by Susann Pasztor
2018 Von der Kunst, schlechte Nachrichten gut zu überbringen by Jalid Sehouli
2019 Kurt by Sarah Kuttner
2020 Trauer: Der Reiseführer durch ein fremdes Land by Katrin Brunner
2021 Sörensen am Ende der Welt by Sven Stricker
2022 Was im Verborgenen ruht / Something to Hide by Elizabeth George
2023 Sörensen sieht Land by Sven Stricker
2024 Schwarze Gedanken by André Franquin
2025 DAS ENDE DER WELT WIE WIR SIE KENNEN by Christopher Golden and Brian Keene
2026 Sörensen geht aufs Haus by Sven Stricker

This was also a suggestion from the group: My Nobel Prize list:
1901 Sully Prudhomme - Intimes Tagebuch
1902 Theodor Mommsen - Römische Geschichte
1903 Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson - Meisternovellen
1904 Frédéric Mistral - Mireille
1904 José Echegaray y Eizaquirre - Meisterdramen
1905 Henryk Sienkiewicz - Quo Vadis?
1906 Giosuè Carducci - Gedichte
1907 Rudyard Kipling - Dschungelbücher
1908 Rudolf Christoph Eucken - Sinn und Wert
1909 Selma Lagerlöf - Wunderbare Reise des kleinen Nils Holgerson mit den Wildgänsen
1910 Paul Heyse - Italienische Novellen
1911 Count Maurice Maeterlinck - Das Leben der Termiten
1912 Gerhart Hauptmann - Große Erzählungen
1913 Rabindranath Tagore - Gitanjali
1915 Romain Rolland - Meister Breugnon
1916 Verner von Heidenstam - Karl der Zwölfte und seine Krieger
1917 Karl Adolph Gjellerup - Seit ich zuerst sie sah
1917 Henrik Pontoppidan - Der Teufel am Herd
1919 Carl Spitteler - Prometheus der Dulder
1920 Knut Hamsun - Segen der Erde
1921 Anatole France - Die Schuld des Professors Bonnard
1922 Jacinto Benavente - Der tugendhafte Glücksritter
1923 William Butler Yeats Ausgewählte Werke
1924 Wladyslaw Reymont - Die Bauern
1925 George Bernard Shaw - Pygmalion
1926 Grazia Deledda Schilf im Wind
1927 Henri Bergson Schöpferische Entwicklung
1928 Sigrid Undset
1929 Thomas Mann - Buddenbrooks
1930 Sinclair Lewis
1931 Erik Axel Karlfeldt
1932 John Galsworthy
1933 Ivan Alekseyevich Bunin
1934 Luigi Pirandello Mattia Pascal
1936 Eugene O'Neill
1937 Roger Martin du Gard
1938 Pearl S. Buck - Die gute Erde
1939 Frans Eemil Sillanpää Sterben und Auferstehen
1944 Johannes Vilhelm Jensen
1945 Gabriela Mistral
1946 Hermann Hesse - Knulp
1947 André Gide - Der Griesgram
1948 T.S. Elliot
1949 William Faulkner
1950 Bertrand Russell Lob des Müßiggangs
1951 Pär Lagerkvist
1952 François Mauriac
1953 Sir Winston Churchill Meine frühen Jahre
1954 Ernest Hemingway Der alte Mann und das Meer
1955 Halldór Laxness
1956 Juan Ramón Jiménez
1957 Albert Camus Die Pest
1958 Boris Pasternak - Doktor Schiwago
1959 Salvatore Quasimodo
1960 Saint-John Perse
1961 Ivo Andric Die Brücke über die Drina
1962 John Steinbeck - Von Mäusen und Menschen
1963 Giorgos Seferis
1964 Jean-Paul Sartre
1965 Michail Sholokhov
1966 Shmuel Yosef Agnon - Nur wie ein Gast zur Nacht
1966 Nelly Sachs
1967 Miguel Ángel Asturias - Der grüne Papst
1968 Yasunari Kawabata
1969 Samuel Beckett - Warten auf Godot
1970 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
1971 Pablo Neruda
1972 Heinrich Böll - Die verlorene Ehre der Katharina Blum
1973 Patrick White
1974 Eyvind Johnson
1974 Harry Martinson
1975 Eugenio Montale - Der Sturmwind und anderes
1976 Saul Bellow
1977 Vincente Aleixandre Geschichte des Herzens
1978 Isaac Bashevis Singer - Ein Bräutigam und zwei Bräute
1979 Odysseas Elytis
1980 Czeslaw Milosz
1981 Elias Canetti
1982 Gabriel Garciá Márquez
1983 William Golding
1984 Jaroslav Seifert
1985 Claude Simon
1986 Akinwande Ouwoe Soyinka - Aké, Jahre der Kindheit
1987 Joseph Brodsky
1988 Naguib Mahfouz
1989 Camilo José Cela
1990 Octavio Paz Suche nach einer Mitte
1991 Nadine Gordimer July's Leute
1992 Derek Walcott
1993 Toni Morrison - Jazz
1994 Kenzaburo Oe - Der stumme Schrei
1995 Seamus Heaney
1996 Wislawa Szymborska - Auf Wiedersehen, Bis morgen : Gedichte
1997 Dario Fo - Bezahlt wird nicht!: Eine Farce
1998 José Saramago - Die Reise des Elefanten
1999 Günter Grass - Die Blechtrommel
2000 Gao Xingjian
2001 Vidiadhar Surjprasad Naipaul
2002 Imre Kertész
2003 John Maxwell Coetzee Sommer des Lebens
2004 Elfriede Jelinek Schwarzwasser. Am Königsweg - Zwei Theaterstücke
2005 Harold Pinter
2006 Orhan Pamuk Rot ist mein Name
2007 Doris Lessing - Das fünfte Kind
2008 J.M.G. Le Clézio
2009 Herta Müller
2010 Mario Vargas Llosa - Alles Boulevard: Wer seine Kultur verliert, verliert sich selbst
2011 Tomas Tranströmer
2012 Mo Yan
2013 Alice Munro - Die Jupitermonde
2014 Patrick Modiano
2015 Svetlana Alexievich - Tschernobyl: Eine Chronik der Zukunft
2016 Bob Dylan - It's a hard rain's a-gonna fall
2017 Kazuo Ishiguro - Der begrabene Riese
2018 Olga Tokarczuk - Ur und andere Zeiten
2019 Peter Handke - Die Angst des Tormanns beim Elfmeter
2020 Louise Gluck - Winterrezepte aus dem Kollektiv
2021 Abdulrazak Gurnah - Das verlorene Paradies
2022 Annie Ernaux - Der Platz
2023 Jon Fosse - Trilogie: Schlaflos / Olavs Träume / Abendmattigkeit
2024 Kang Han - Die Vegetarierin
2025 László Krasznahorkai - Herscht 07769
2026 -


Now I have read 73 award winners, 49 to go.

This project is scheduled to run for several years and will not be completed until long after 2026.

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

Titles:
A: Alte Sorten
B: Die Bürde des Blutes
C:
D: Das Beste sind die Augen
E: Es wird nicht immer so wehtun
F: Die Farben der Finsternis
G: Die Galaxie und das Licht darin
H: Herr Müller, die verrückte Katze und Gott
I: Ich und die anderen
J: Jeder im Zug ist verdächtig
K: Katzentage
L: Die Lotsin
M: Mord auf der Insel Gokumon
N: Narren, Diebe und Vampire
O:
P: Ein Psalm für die wild Schweifenden
Q:
R:
S: Schwarze Gedanken
T: Tod zur Teestunde
U: Die Urknallmaschine
V: Vater und Sohn
W: Wachen! Wachen!
X:
Y: Yellowface
Z: Zwischen zwei Sternen

Authors:
A: Arenz, Ewald
B: Barnes, Julian
C: Chambers, Becky
D: Deledda, Grazia
E: Eschbach, Andreas
F: Franquin, André
G: Gruhn, Helmut
H: Horowitz, Anthony
I:
J: Jansson, Anna
K: Kim, Monika
L: Lieder, Susanne
M: Mackintosh, Clare
N:
O:
P: Pratchett, Terry
Q:
R: Ruff, Matt
S: Stevenson, Benjamin
T: Turton, Stuart
U:
V:
W: Warmbein, Barbara
X:
Y: Yokomizo, Seishi
Z: Zelazny, Roger

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

2013-11-26: Shining by Stephen King
2014-08-12: Am Montag flog der Rabbi ab by Harry Kemelman
2015-11-01: Gesund in sieben Tagen Erfolge mit der Vitamin-D-Therapie; ein Leitfaden für die Praxis by Raimund von Helden
2016-11-28: Die nackte Sonne / The Naked Sun by Isaac Asimov
2017-08-20: Die Mausefalle und andere Fallen / Three Blind Mice and Other Stories by Agatha Christie
2018-08-10: Von der Kunst, schlechte Nachrichten gut zu überbringen by Jalid Sehouli
2019-06-28: Die Geheime Geschichte / The Secret History by Donna Tartt
2020-07-03: Mürrische Monster / Demoneater by Royce Buckingham
2021-05-29: The Night Beat by Harry Bingham
2022-05-22: Eine kurze Geschichte der Menschheit / קיצור תולדות האנושות by Yuval Noah Harari
2023-05-17: Der heutige Tag: Ein Stundenbuch der Liebe by Helga Schubert
2024-06-08: Einstieg in Linux Mint 21 by Dirk Becker
2025-04-27: Stärkende Stille by Margot Käßmann
2026-06-01: Der Totengräber und der Mord in der Krypta by Oliver Pötzsch

Finally my Friday Wins, a tradition I had adopted from my work. Every Friday morning, we had a short video conference where we shared the good experiences of the week with each other to end the weekend on a positive note.

I didn't post anything last week, so here are the winners from the past two weeks:

Last Sunday, we were invited over to our neighbor’s apartment; she was celebrating her birthday with the whole house community, and it was lovely once again.
Last Monday, I was at the golf course in gorgeous weather
Last Wednesday, I was on the course with my golf buddies, and my flight won our internal tournament.
Last Friday, I had another reading mentor session; the kids were happy to see me. In the evening, we went to our favorite bookstore for a “favorite books” night. First, the staff presented books, then customers did; I was there too. Fool on the Hill is my absolute favorite. I did pretty well despite my nervousness
On Sunday, friends stopped by; they were taking a break from a bike ride, and we had a lovely afternoon
On Monday, I had my final checkup after I fainted in January—my heart is fine.

Come in - we are open!

The rapeseed fields are lovely, Thomas.

Happy new thread my dear fellow!

Happy new thread, Thomas!

>21 PaulCranswick: Thank you, my friend.

>22 drneutron: Thank you, Jim.

Happy new thread, Thomas!

>1 SirThomas: Love the picture, you can feel the sunshine from it.

>24 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella.
As the picture shows, it was a wonderful day.
Happy Midweek!

59. Lázár by Nelio Biedermann

German title translated: Lázár
Genre: Fiction
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2025
Pages: 336

The story of the Hungarian noble family, the Lázárs, beginning shortly before World War I and ending after the communist takeover.
Very intense and moving. It took me a while to get into it, but once I did, it was a real treat.

60. Fantastic Tales of Steampunk by Jeffrey Lyman

Genre: Science Fiction
Reading Reason: Early Reviewers win
Medium: eBook
First published: 2025
Pages: 166

61. Hohle Köpfe / Feet of Clay by Terry Pratchett

German title translated: Empty Heads
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Reason: 75 books challenge - Group read
Medium: eBook
First published: 1996
Pages: 385

A must-read from from head to toe.
Sam Vimes and his guard must solve a poisoning attempt on Lord Vetinari—and a series of murders along the way.
What do the golems have to do with this, and who is behind it all?
I love the series, but unfortunately I now have to wait until July for the next volume.
But I still have a book or two (hundred) on Mount TBR...

And the wordles of the day:

wördle.de #1575 - 2/6
🟨⬜🟩⬜🟨 HILFE
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 KELCH

Wordle 06.05.2026 - 6/6
⬜⬜🟩⬜🟩 HILFE
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ AUTOR
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 KELLE
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 WELLE
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 DELLE
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ZELLE
wordle.at

Ambivalent...

And it’s Friday again—time for the Friday Wins:
On Saturday, we were invited to the opening of an exhibition about the Romans and the Limes at the museum; it was an informative and enjoyable afternoon.
On Monday, I played golf in gorgeous weather and played very well (by my standards).
Yesterday, we spent the whole day volunteering and helping out at a festival for seniors; we did some good and had fun.

62. Die sieben Tode der Evelyn Hardcastle / The 7 1/2 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton

German title translated: The 7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle
Genre: Thriller
Reading Reason: Recommendation real Life (Comment carterg2913 at Instagram LibraryThing)
Medium: eBook
First published: 2018
Pages: 608

A man wakes up in a forest with no memory; by a stroke of luck, he finds his way to a dilapidated villa, where he realizes he is trapped in a time loop and must solve a murder in various roles to escape this hell. Slowly, he begins to unravel the mystery, but his hosts have their own agendas, and he faces a ruthless enemy.
Thrilling, gripping, intriguing.
Although I kept losing track of the plot, it was a pleasure to read.

63. Männer mit Erfahrung / Go with Me by Castle Freeman

German title translated: Men with Experience
Genre: Thriller
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2008
Pages: 192

A woman feels threatened by a man, but the sheriff can’t help her because nothing has happened yet.
He refers her to a group of men who don’t have much to do. She is assigned a taciturn guy and an old man as companions and sets off with them in search of Blackway.
Little by little, we learn more about the backstory and discover that the seemingly dim-witted characters aren’t so stupid after all.
The book is as taciturn and lonely as the Vermont landscape.

It’s Friday again—time for the WINS:
Last Friday, I took part in a golf tournament for beginners and managed to lower my handicap—only by 0.2 points, but still...
On Sunday, we visited my wife’s cousin, who had a stroke and is in rehab. They’re slowly realizing that we can help them and are accepting our support.
On Tuesday and Wednesday, my wife attended a very interesting training course to become a dementia ambassador and was able to make many new contacts.
On Wednesday, I met for lunch with the seniors from my workplace; it was nice to see old acquaintances again.
Unfortunately, we don’t have children, but we celebrated Father’s Day yesterday in our own way and went out for a delicious meal.

Sourdough bread, broccoli tartlets / bread with oxheart tomatoes, pork in vinegar sauce, orange butter

appetizer: mint foam with lentils and mint leaves

Schönenberger spring turnips, salted lemon — bean herb — walnut

Breton monkfish “petit bateau,” Roma tomatoes — capers — arugula

Lobenhausen king oyster mushrooms, black garlic — radish — sage

Waldenburg Angus beef steak, green asparagus — jungle pepper — tarragon

Büttelbronn strawberries, yogurt — vanilla — cardamom

The espresso was accompanied by a selection of homemade chocolates

The locations indicate the origin of the ingredients; the chef places a high priority on using local ingredients

64. Botanik des Wahnsinns by Leon Engler

German title translated: The Botany of Madness
Genre: Fiction
Reading Reason: Review in Newspaper
Medium: eBook
First published: 2025
Pages: 208

After his mother was evicted, the author goes to look through her belongings. Due to a mix-up, the trash was kept and the valuable items were thrown away.
He uses this as an opportunity to recount his own and his family’s history—alcoholism, depression, and hospital stays—and his fear of falling into the same cycle. After struggling with the fear of going mad himself and fleeing his family to live abroad, he returns and, as a psychologist, learns that a person is more than just their illness.
Intense and well worth reading - and I like the cover too.

>36 SirThomas: Your food pictures are a delight as always, Thomas. And i really like it too, when a restaurant does that: inform guests where their meals came from. Good information and shows care.
Have a nice week ahead.

Thank you, Ella.
Local and yummy food is a wonderful combination..
Happy Sunday!

The rain hast finally stopped and we have Holiday Feeling at home...

65. Astrid Lindgren. Helle Nächte, dunkler Wald by Maria Regina Kaiser

German title translated: Astrid Lindgren. Bright Nights, Dark Forest
Genre: Biography
Reading Reason: Recommendation by a friend
Medium: eBook
First published: 2021
Pages: 312

A friend of mine runs a book club and asked if I could help her, the next meeting will focus on Astrid Lindgren.
So I read another biography; this one begins with the author’s childhood and ends with her death.
The author focuses on different aspects than Susanne Lieder, so reading another book on the same topic didn’t get boring.

This post ist the answer of all questions of the universe...

>34 SirThomas: >35 SirThomas: looks great.
Hej Thomas, yesterday in our men's cooking club (well, two men are cooking, the other 20 do the eating) we discussed our attitude towards nutrition. The Bible tells us that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, so, taking care of that temple in regards to our eating habits has also a spiritual dimension.
And enjoying a good meal in good company is always a festival.

>43 paulstalder: Thank you, Paul.
I love your cooking club, I think I would be one of the 20 others...
Although—I do enjoy helping out with tasks like cutting and stirring.
And with the spritual dimension you are right, a quote from Teresa von Avila (1515 - 1582) fits here:

Tu deinem Leib des öfteren etwas Gutes, damit deine Seele Lust hat, darin zu wohnen.
Do something good for your body more often, so your soul will enjoy living in it.

Winston Churchill merely quoted it.

It’s Friday—or rather, Saturday—again, time for the Friday Wins:
On Tuesday, we went to a literary breakfast. First, we had a delicious breakfast, then a friend gave a talk about the life of Astrid Lindgren, a very interesting woman.
On Wednesday, my wife had a doctor’s appointment; everything is fine so far.
On Thursday, our neighbor brought us her hamster to take care of (he’s still alive as of today!).
Yesterday I had a reading mentor session; apparently I’m doing a good job, since the kids want to come back.
We managed to make it to the gym twice again this week, and I celebrated my 16th Thingaversary this week.

Since I get most of my books from the public library, I buy very few new books, but I have managed to buy 17 books since my last Thingaversary:

Kein Zurück by Stephen King
Er lebe hoch! Loriot zum 100. Geburtstag: Eine Hommage in Text und Bild by Denis Metz
Lange Beine, kurze Lügen: Michi schenkt euch reinen Wein ein by Michael Buchinger
Beschreibung einer Krabbenwanderung by Karosh Taha
Ernährungsmedizin bei Osteoporose by Samuel Kochenburger
Ausgerechnet Sylt by Thomas Herzberg
Hummelstich by Katharina Schendel
Die Praktikantin by Gregg Hurwitz
The Destroyer of Worlds: A Return to Lovecraft Country by Matt Ruff
Wer Zwietracht sät by Elizabeth George
Asterix in Lusitanien by Fabcaro
Das Ende der Welt wie wir sie kennen by Stephen King
Die Affäre by Jill Childs
Die Selbsthilfe by Josef Schmid
Sörensen geht aufs Haus by Sven Stricker
Ich denk nicht dran: Ein Vermächtnis zu Lebzeiten by Jo Failer
Alte Sorten by Ewald Arenz

And there were three Early Reviewers Wins.

And the win of the day:

wördle.de #1592 - 4/6
⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜ HILFE
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ AUTOR
🟩🟨🟨⬜⬜ KNICK
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 KÖNIG

Wordle 23.05.2026 - 6/6
⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨 HILFE
⬜🟨⬜⬜🟨 AUTOR
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 REUIG
wordle.at

66. Katzentage by Ewald Arenz

German title translated: Cat Days
Genre: Fiction
Reading Reason: Author
Medium: eBook
First published: 2025
Pages: 128

A man and a woman on a business trip spend a night together.
On their way back, they get stranded in Würzburg due to a train drivers’ strike and try to spend the weekend like a cat, living only in the moment. But that’s not so easy.
A beautifully written, poetic story about a budding relationship, featuring lovely illustrations.

67. Terr-or-Treats by Westway, J.J.

Genre: Horror
Reading Reason: Early Reviewers win
Medium: eBook
First published: 2026
Pages: 288

68. Tod mit Meerblick by Tanja Janz

German title translated: Death with a Sea View
Genre: Crime Fiction
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2026
Pages: 304

Three elderly ladies try to solve the mystery of a barrel washed ashore that’s filled with valuable watches.
When a body is found, they step up their investigation and beat the police to the solution.
A nice cozy mystery for a quick read.

69. Geschichte des Herzens / Historia del corazón by Vicente Aleixandre

German title translated: History of the Heart
Genre: Poetry
Reading Reason: Nobel Prize
Medium: Paper Book
First published: 1954
Pages: 477

A collection of award-winning poems—intense and a delight for lovers of the genre.
Now I have read 72 award winners, 50 to go.

Hi Thomas! Nice to see you are doing well. Kids coming back for your mentoring sessions, that must be really satisfying.

>50 SirThomas: Have temperatures gone up where you live as well? This seems like the ideal summer book. And those watches… interesting.

>52 EllaTim: Thanks, Ella, yes, that's it.
Although on my way to school, I'm always unsure if everything will go well. On the way home, though, I feel good.

It's up to 32°C here—way too hot for this time of year; even reading is exhausting, , but this book is a light read—and it's set on the cool North Sea in Sankt Peter-Ording...
The watches play only a minor role.

70. Böser, böser Wolf / Little Red Death by Alexandra Benedict

German title translated: Bad Bad Wolf
Genre: Thriller
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2025
Pages: 368

An author is kidnapped and forced to write about murders that echo Grimm's fairy tales, which the kidnapper then carries out.
A policewoman does everything she can to solve the murders. Little by little, it becomes clear that the two women have a lot in common.
The question arises: who is the writer, and who is the subject of the story?
A gripping read with fairy-tale-like undertones.

71. Neustart nach dem Schlaganfall by Helmut Gruhn and Niklas Schaab

German title translated: Starting Over After a Stroke
Genre: Non Fiction
Reading Reason: Recommendation real Life
Medium: Paper Book
First published: 2023
Pages: 116

A guide for stroke patients that explains, in short, simple, and informative chapters, what you can and should do after a stroke. The many personal accounts from those who have been through it offer a sense of hope.
Highly recommended.

72. Widdersehen: Ein Schafskrimi by Leonie Swann

German title translated: Reunion/Aries: A Sheep Mystery (It is a Wordplay with Wiedersehen (Reunion) and Widder (Aries))
Genre: Crime Fiction
Reading Reason: Author
Medium: Paper Book
First published: 2026
Pages: 384

The flock of sheep returns to Ireland, and once again the shepherd has vanished; Rebecca has disappeared without a trace, and the sheep set out to find her.
A cozy mystery, told from the perspective of sheep, who have a unique view of the world.
Exciting, funny, and well worth reading.
This is the third book in a series that began with Glenkill, which was adapted into a film starring Hugh Jackman and Emma Thompson.

>56 SirThomas: I’m right in the mood for this! What a funny idea.

I can recommend all three of the series, they build on one another, so it makes sense to start with the first volume.

ETA:
It's funny and also a bit philosophical; the last volume introduced me to the problem of the sheep of Theseus.

73. Der gefräßige Grinder / The Grinding by Matt Dinniman

German title translated: The Voracious Grinder
Genre: Horror
Reading Reason: Librarything Lists - Dungeon Crawler Carl was No. 1 in Books Read in 2026, but not available for me
Medium: eBook
First published: 2013
Pages: 336

A tongue-in-cheek horror novel about a monster made up of body parts from infected humans and a hero who wants to rescue his imprisoned wife.
Over-the-top and an easy read.

And it is Friday again, time for the wins (and only the wins) of the week:
On Saturday, we invited our neighbor over for a barbecue and spent a lovely afternoon with her.
On Sunday, a couple we’re friends with came to visit, and we enjoyed the summer weather together on the balcony in the shade.
On Tuesday, my wife went to visit her cousin in rehab; she came back yesterday and was able to organize some help. The trains were very unreliable, but she had already factored that into her plans.
On Wednesday, I played golf with my group in the heat—at least no one fainted...

And the win of the day:

wördle.de #1598 - 6/6
🟨⬜🟨⬜🟩 HILFE
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ AUTOR
🟨⬜🟩⬜🟩 LEHNE
⬜⬜🟩🟩🟩 HÖHLE
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 KÜHLE
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 MÜHLE

Wordle 29.05.2026 - 4/6
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ HILFE
⬜⬜🟨🟨🟨 AUTOR
🟩🟩🟩🟩⬜ TROTT
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 TROTZ
wordle.at

Look at you! Almost to 75 already!! I am a little over halfway there, so not too bad. : )

>60 SirThomas: Sounds lovely! And nice job on Wordle. Haven't done that in a while. Busy on Duolingo.

>62 Berly: Thank you, Kim, I do my best—and have fun doing it!
Good luck with your learning...

74. ë by Jehona Kicaj

German title translated: ë
Genre: Autobiography
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge (Thank you again, Barbara (@Ameise1))
Medium: eBook
First published: 2025
Pages: 176

The book begins with a visit to the dentist; the author suffers from such severe jaw tension that parts of her teeth break off.
The dentist prescribes braces and suggests psychotherapy. She was born in Kosovo and grew up in Germany. Little by little, the reader learns why she has such problems and what horrors her family endured during the Kosovo War.
Intense, harrowing, wonderful written.
The symbol “ë” represents a letter that plays an important role in the Albanian language, even though it is usually not pronounced at all.

Since I won't be finishing any more books today, the statistics of May:

Books read: 16
Pages read: 4,784 (longest 608 / shortest 116 / average 299)

Personal rating:
average rating
highest rating
lowest rating

Author nationalities:

Argentina:
Australia:
Austria:
Belgium:
China:
England: 3 / 3 / 3
Germany: 8 / 8 / 8
Italy:
Japan:
Mexico:
Netherlands:
Spain: 1 / 1 / 1
Sweden:
Switzerland: 1 / 1 / 1
USA: 4 / 4 / 4

Sum: 17 / 17 / 17

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

Gender:
female authors: 5 / 5 / 5
male authors: 12 / 12 / 12
n/a: - / - / -

alive authors: 15 / 15 / 15
dead authors: 2 / 2 / 2

date first published:

1910-1919:
1930-1939:
1940-1949:
1950-1959: 1
1960-1969:
1970-1979:
1980-1989:
1990-1999: 1
2000-2009: 1
2010-2019: 2
2020-2029: 11

Media:
Ebooks: 13
Paperbooks: 3

Genre:
Adventure:
Autobiography: 1
Biography: 1
Comic:
Crime Fiction: 2
Fantasy: 1
Fiction: 4
Horror: 2
Non Fiction: 1
Poetry: 1
Science Fiction: 1
Short Stories:
Thriller: 2

Reading Reason:
This gorgeous group: 2
Author: 2
Birthday Book:
Early Reviewers: 2
Librarything Lists: 1
Nobel Prize: 1
Random / rummage: 4
Recommendation real life: 3
Media: 1

Again interesting colors:

wördle.de #1601 - 5/6
⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩 HILFE
⬜⬜🟩⬜⬜ AUTOR
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 MITTE
⬜🟩🟩🟩🟩 BITTE
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 SITTE

Wordle 01.06.2026 - 3/6
⬜⬜🟨⬜🟨 HILFE
🟨⬜🟨⬜⬜AUTOR
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 TADEL
wordle.at

>64 SirThomas: I'm glad you enjoyed it. 😃

>67 Ameise1: Of course—it was your tip, after all 😉.

75. Der Totengräber und der Mord in der Krypta by Oliver Pötzsch

German title translated: The Gravedigger and the Murder in the Crypt
Genre: Crime Fiction
Reading Reason: Author
Medium: eBook
First published: 2023
Pages: 528

During a not-entirely-legal tour of the crypt at St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna, a body is discovered. Leopold von Herzfeld is put in charge of the investigation. Once again, he receives help from his girlfriend Julia and the eccentric gravedigger Augustin Rothmayer. As the investigation unfolds, he delves deep into Vienna’s spiritualist scene in the final years of the 19th century.
At the same time, children keep disappearing from an orphanage, but hardly anyone takes notice; it’s only when a boy from a wealthy family vanishes that the case gains significance.
Another atmospheric and gripping novel—certainly not my last in the series.

Today's quote is thought-provoking:

Could you really say what a good day is to you if you hadn't also experienced bad days?

There's some truth to that...

>69 SirThomas: Congrats on hitting the goal!

>70 SirThomas: Way to look on the bright side of your bad days. : )

>71 drneutron: Thank you very much, Jim.
It's been a wonderful journey through many countries, and the best part is, it's not over yet...

>72 Berly: Exactly!

76. Das Zeitalter der Sterne / Birthright: The Book of Man by Mike Resnick

German title translated: The Age of the Stars
Genre: Science Fiction
Reading Reason: Media
Medium: eBook
First published: 1982
Pages: 361

The story of humanity's rise and fall in the galaxy, told in short episodes.
Exciting and well-written.

It’s Friday again — time for the wins:
On Saturday, I took part in a golf tournament, came in fourth, and managed to lower my handicap a bit. Later, I picked up my wife from a friend’s house, where I also got some delicious cake.
On Wednesday, we hosted a presentation by the City Senior Citizens’ Council; first there was a talk on nutrition and herbs in ancient Rome, followed by coffee and homemade cake. It went very well, and we had several guests who were all very satisfied.
Yesterday we went out for Asian food; I redeemed the gift certificate my colleagues had given me as a farewell gift when I retired—that was almost two years ago now.
The food was delicious, and we had a wonderful lunch...
And we made it to the gym three times this week.

There were also moments in the spirit of >70 SirThomas:, but here I only want to talk about the good things...

This was our yummy food:

And I forgot another win - last week I finished book No 75!

77. Sterben und Auferstehen / Hurskas Kurjuus by Frans-Eemil Sillanpää

English Title: Meek Heritage
German title translated: Death and Resurrection
Genre: Fiction
Reading Reason: Anniversary of the author's death
Medium: Paper Book
First published: 1919
Pages: 363

The life and death of a farmhand in Finland at the turn of the century.
Very intense.
And another book checked off my Nobel Prize list.

>40 SirThomas: All your posted photos are incredible. But, this one I really enjoyed! How do you take such great photos? Did you take classes, or are you self taught?

>80 Whisper1: Thank you, Linda. I love it too.
Many years ago, I took a one-day photography course, but I can hardly remember it anymore.
The great thing about taking photos with a smartphone is that you can take and view multiple photos. Then you can keep the best one and delete the rest.

>56 SirThomas: I read Glenkill a while ago and enjoyed it very much. Should probably look for the other books of the series.

>82 paulstalder: Ich glaube, die nächsten Bände werden dir auch gefallen, Paul.

78. Medizin für Melancholie / Medicine for Melancholy by Ray Bradbury

German title translated: Medicine for Melancholy
Genre: Science Fiction
Reading Reason: Anniversary of the author's death
Medium: eBook
First published: 1959
Pages: 224

A collection of wonderful stories that have lost none of their charm over the years.

79. Lauter Irre /The Gropes by Ray Bradbury

German title translated: A bunch of lunatics
Genre: Fiction
Reading Reason: Anniversary of the author's death
Medium: eBook
First published: 2009
Pages: 224

The Gropes are a unique family where the women are in charge. When one of the descendants fails to produce an heiress, she leaves her husband and takes her nephew to the estate.
I loved the series about Henry Wilt; this book is just as wild, but somehow it doesn't hold the same fascination anymore.

80. Komm spielen / Whistle by Linwood Barclay

German title translated: Come play
Genre: Horror
Reading Reason: Media
Medium: eBook
First published: 2025
Pages: 453

Annie is a children’s book author who lives in New York with her son. After a terrible year—a child died after trying to reenact a scene from one of her books, and her husband died in a hit-and-run accident—she moves to the countryside to find peace and read (including *Needful Things*). But little by little, eerie things begin to happen, and her son finds himself in danger.
A second narrative thread follows a small-town sheriff investigating a series of disappearances. Could it all be connected to the new store in town that sells model trains?
The book is somewhat reminiscent of Stephen King—it’s suspenseful and well-written—but the master is better.

It’s Friday again—time for the week’s highlights, the Friday Wins:
On Saturday, we enjoyed a guided tour of our church’s crypt; it was very interesting.
On Sunday, we went for a walk and visited some friends—a very pleasant morning.
On Monday, I went to the golf course in pleasant weather; there were four of us in the flight and we got along very well.
On Thursday, we had a board meeting for the small association where I serve as treasurer, and discussed the general meeting; we reached some good conclusions.
Yesterday, my wife attended a regular get-together for dementia ambassadors and made some good connections.

>87 SirThomas: I like that summary of your week, Thomas.

You and your wife are involved in some very worthy undertakings.

>88 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul.
Since we're both retired, we have more time for the things that matter to us...

And another win:
Again interesting colors:

wördle.de #1613 - 3/6
🟩⬜⬜⬜⬜ HILFE
⬜🟩⬜🟩🟩 AUTOR
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 HUMOR

Wordle 13.06.2026 - 3/6
⬜🟩🟩⬜🟩 HILFE
⬜🟩🟩⬜🟩 MILBE
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 WILLE
wordle.at

My reading performance this week hasn't exactly been spectacular, but I've had a lot to do.


81. Grelles Licht für darke Leute / Un Lugar Soleado para gente Sombría by Mariana Enriquez

English title: A Sunny Place for Shady People
German title translated: Fierce light for dark people
Genre: Short Stories
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2024
Pages: 272

A collection of short stories, many of which are a bit offbeat and veer into the supernatural; some of them are unsettling.
But worth reading.

82. Drei Mann in einem Boot / Three Men in a Boat by Jerome Klapka Jerome

German title translated: Three Men in a Boat
Genre: Fiction
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge (Thank you again, Karen O (@klobrien2))
Medium: eBook
First published: 1889
Pages: 234

The story of a boat trip taken by three young men—that's all I need to say; it's a classic.

It’s Friday again—time for the wins:
On Friday, we from the City Senior Citizens’ Council held a joint meeting with city officials and many local organizations to discuss the situation facing senior citizens. It was very interesting, and some good ideas came out of it; perhaps some of them will even be implemented. We plan to hold this event again.
On Saturday, we had a general meeting at the small club where I serve as treasurer, and I was unanimously granted discharge.
On Sunday, I sent in our tax return—one less thing to worry about...
On Tuesday, after a doctor’s appointment, we went out for some delicious sushi.
On Wednesday, my golf group went on an outing; it was my first time playing on that course, and I still came in first in my group.

Since yesterday, we’ve been in the midst of a heat wave with temperatures reaching up to 36°C, but so far we’ve managed just fine—though it’s supposed to stay this hot until Wednesday.

>93 SirThomas: Some good wins again, Thomas!

Sushi!

And 36 degrees. It’s a bit much isn’t it? Do you have airco in your home? Or do you have to improvise, like we?

>94 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella.

We love Sushi, and we sometimes make it ourselves, too, but when you get it at a good restaurant, it's even more enjoyable.

We don't have air conditioning in the apartment, but so far we've managed without it. The apartment is well insulated, and we open all the windows in the evening and at night. Since we have windows facing all directions, there's always good ventilation. But right now it's tough, because it doesn't start to cool down until around midnight, and even then it's still over 20° C.
And it's supposed to stay that way for well over a week🙁

>95 SirThomas: Not cooling down until midnight! That’s not nice. I used to live on the third floor, and used the same strategy, open all windows as soon as it starts to cool down outside. It works well, but when you have to wait until midnight, it’s a long warm evening.
I now live on the downstairs floor, less hot, as there are trees in the garden. Still i have to keep the sun out as much as possible. And airing the house later in the evening is not as easy.
This is climate change, not a coincidence, I’m convinced of that.

>96 EllaTim: We have an attic apartment; unfortunately, there’s no shade from trees, but thankfully it’s well insulated.
I’m also convinced that climate change is real.

83. Lobgesang auf Leibowitz / A Canticle for Leibowitz by Walter M. Miller Jr.

German title translated: In Praise of Leibowitz
Genre: Science Fiction
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge (Thank you again, Jeff (@mahsdad))
Medium: eBook
First published: 1955
Pages: 428

After a devastating nuclear war, humanity is thrown back into the Stone Age, and a group of monks attempts to preserve humanity’s knowledge despite great dangers.
The book is divided into three parts: the first deals with the tribulations and persecution of scientists shortly after the war; the second takes place at a time when civilization is slowly taking shape; and in the third, humanity has colonized space, yet the danger remains of repeating old mistakes. Is there hope?
It’s still a very timely book that’s very well written.

84. Tatort Liegestuhl by Astrid Plötner and Anke Kemper

German title translated: Crime Scene: Deck Chair
Genre: Crime Fiction
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2026
Pages: 237

A small collection of vacation mysteries set across Germany.
Light and quick to read—just right for these hot days we're having right now.

85. Dornenhecke / Thornhedge by T. Kingfisher

German title translated: Thornhedge
Genre: Fairy Tale
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2023
Pages: 144

The story of a sleeping princess behind an impenetrable hedge of thorns and a fairy who does everything she can to keep her from waking up.
But is she really the villain?
A wonderful little story.

86. Schwarzlicht / Box by Camilla Läckberg and Henrik Fexeus

German title translated: Black Light
English Title: Trapped
Genre: Thriller
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2022
Pages: 625

A mentalist is called upon to help a group of police officers solve a series of murders in which magic props play a role.
Little by little, it becomes clear that he has a special connection to the murders.
Thrilling and well-written, with good background information as well.
But almost all the main characters have a tic and secrets—for me, it’s almost a bit too much.
Still, it’s worth reading.

>98 SirThomas: 1955. A golden oldie, and I have never read it. Sounds like just the thing.

An attic apartment can get hot, but it helps when the roof is well insulated.

Tom, congratulations on reaching the 75 book challenge!! Your threads are filled with wonderful books!

>102 EllaTim: I think you might like it, Ella.
Our roof is well insulated, the house is built in 2015 but we have 39° C at day and 23°C at night, so the temperatures are quiet uncomfortable.
For next year we're thinking about getting an air conditioner, right now, everything is sold out...

>103 Whisper1: Thank you Linda, I find a lot of wonderful books at your place, too.

And it’s Friday again—time for the week’s good news:
Not much has happened. It’s been extremely hot all week with record temperatures; we’ve never had heat like this in June before—a win, but an unwelcome one.
On Tuesday, we went to the theater and enjoyed a thought-provoking musical comedy about a group of elderly actors in a long-closed theater who reminisced about the old days and were harassed by their caregiver. They sang themselves, and the audience sang along enthusiastically. And as a bonus, the theater was air-conditioned.
On Wednesday, I teed off with my golf group at 10:00 a.m., but because of the heat, I only played 9 holes; still, I managed to improve my handicap a little.
For lunch at home, we enjoyed delicious tuna—both as tartare and in a sesame crust.
The picture is from last year, but it looked very similar.

And another win:

wördle.de #1626 - 6/6
⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩 HILFE
⬜⬜⬜⬜⬜ AUTOR
⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩 DIEBE
⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩 SIPPE
⬜🟩⬜⬜🟩 WICKE
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 ZINNE

Wordle 26.06.2026 - 3/6
🟨⬜⬜⬜⬜ HILFE
⬜🟨⬜⬜⬜AUTOR
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 SCHUB
wordle.at

It is sunny and extreme hot, our houseleek seems to love it...

>104 SirThomas: 39C is really hot, inside? I can understand that you don’t want that. My house wat at 26C, but it doesn’t cool down much at night, so it’s still unpleasant.
We had a big thunderstorm, and lots of rain last night. So it has cooled down here.

>107 SirThomas: Beautiful! It’s supposed to protect the house from lightning strikes, well I don’t know about that, it’s according to mythology.

>108 EllaTim: No it was outside in the shadow, inside we had 28C. And the nights were hot, too.
For today it is rain in the forecast and a little bit cooler - we will see.
We are on a short vacation and the hotel room air-conditioned - YAY!

Thank you for the photo love, Ella.
The protection from lightning strikes is new to me, thank you for the info.

87. Auf zwei Planeten by Kurd Laßwitz

German title translated: On Two Planets
English Title: Two Planets
Genre: Science Fiction
Reading Reason: BB 75 books Challenge (Thank you again, Steve (@swynn))
Medium: eBook
First published: 1897
Pages: 562

One of the earliest science fiction stories. A balloon expedition to the North Pole discovers a Martian base and is rescued by the Martians.
While some of the technology described is now outdated, the theme and the story itself remain as relevant as ever.
It deals with uncertainty, fear, superiority, mutual respect, and the search for peace.
It’s still very relevant today and is also well written.

88. Hunde haben Besitzer, Katzen haben Personal by Christian K. Jessen

German title translated: Dogs have owners; cats have staff
Genre: Fiction
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2025
Pages: 128

Short stories from the life of a cat and its human, told from the cat's perspective.
The title caught my attention, but the content didn't really.

>110 SirThomas: Glad you liked it, Thomas!

Another Friday has come and gone—time to talk about the positive things: the Friday Wins (we’d rather keep the bad stuff to ourselves):
On Sunday, we went on vacation to a beautiful hotel with a spa and great food—and the best part was that our room had air conditioning.
On Monday, we had a wonderful facial and spent the day doing a little shopping and hanging out at the pool.
On Tuesday, we had an anti-stress massage, and I went to the sauna once—it wasn’t much hotter than it was outside ;-)
On Wednesday, we enjoyed an aromatic oil massage and a refreshing thunderstorm.
On Thursday, we enjoyed a head Shiatsu treatment.
Yesterday we drove back home; on the way, we stopped at an outlet mall and found lots of discounted clothing.
Back home, the apartment was still warm, but it had cooled down a bit outside, and we slowly got the temperature down to a comfortable level.

And there were books:


89. Die literarische Hausapotheke by Stefan Bollmann

German title translated: The Literary Medicine Cabinet
Genre: Non Fiction
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2026
Pages: 303

A collection of book recommendations for every situation in life, described in a very interesting way.
Thank goodness I've already read many of them, but my TBR pile just keeps growing and growing...

90. Miss Merkel: Mord in der Therapie by David Safier

German title translated: Miss Merkel: Murder in Therapy
Genre: Crime Fiction
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2024
Pages: 288

The fourth book in the series. The former chancellor feels empty and burned out and joins a group therapy session. When the therapist is murdered, she herself comes under suspicion and must investigate again to stay one step ahead of the incompetent detective.
Thrilling and funny—a great summer read.

91. Die Vögel / The Birds by Daphne du Murier

German title translated: The Birds
Genre: Horror
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Library
Medium: eBook
First published: 1952
Pages: 74

The literary basis for Hitchcock's masterpiece—brief and gripping.

And the statistics of June :

Books read: 17
Pages read: 5,448 (longest 625 / shortest 74 / average 320)

Personal rating:
average rating
highest rating
lowest rating

Author nationalities:

Argentina: 1 / 1 / 1
Australia:
Austria:
Belgium:
China:
Denmark: 1 / 1 / 1
England: 3 / 3 / 3
Finland: 1 / 1 / 1
Germany: 6 / 6 / 6
Italy:
Japan:
Mexico:
Netherlands:
Spain:
Sweden: 2 / 2 / 2
Switzerland:
USA: 5 / 5 / 5

Sum: 19 / 19 / 19

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

Gender:
female authors: 6 / 6 / 6
male authors: 13 / 13 / 13
n/a: - / - / -

alive authors: 11 / 11 / 11
dead authors: 8 / 8 / 8

date first published:

-1899: 2
1910-1919: 1
1930-1939:
1940-1949:
1950-1959: 3
1960-1969:
1970-1979:
1980-1989: 1
1990-1999:
2000-2009: 1
2010-2019:
2020-2029: 9

Media:
Ebooks: 17
Paperbooks: 0

Genre:
Adventure:
Autobiography:
Biography:
Comic:
Crime Fiction: 3
Fairy Tale: 1
Fantasy:
Fiction: 3
Horror: 2
Non Fiction: 2
Poetry:
Science Fiction: 4
Short Stories: 1
Thriller: 1

Reading Reason:
This gorgeous group: 3
Author: 3
Birthday Book: 3
Early Reviewers:
Librarything Lists:
Media: 2
Nobel Prize:
Random / rummage: 6
Recommendation real life:

And the statistics of the first half of the year:

Books read: 91
Pages read: 32,240 (longest 1,257 / shortest 61 / average 354)

Personal rating:
average rating
highest rating
lowest rating

Author nationalities:

Argentina: 2 / 2 / 2
Australia: 2 / 2 / 2
Austria: 2 / 2 / 2
Belgium: 1 / 1 / 1
China: 1 / 1 / 1
Denmark: 1 / 1 / 1
England: 22 / 22 / 15
Finland: 1 / 1 / 1
Germany: 27 / 27 / 24
Italy: 1 / 1 / 1
Japan: 1 / 1 / 1
Mexico: 1 / 1 / 1
Netherlands: 1 / 1 / 1
Spain: 1 / 1 / 1
Sweden: 3 / 3 / 3
Switzerland: 1 / 1 / 1
USA: 26 / 26 / 20

Sum: 94 / 94 / 78

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

Gender:
female authors: 37 / 37 / 30
male authors: 57 / 57 / 48
n/a: - / - / -

alive authors: 70 / 70 / 59
dead authors: 24 / 24 / 19

date first published:

-1899: 2
1910-1919: 2
1930-1939: 2
1940-1949: 1
1950-1959: 4
1960-1969: 1
1970-1979: 2
1980-1989: 3
1990-1999: 6
2000-2009: 4
2010-2019: 14
2020-2029: 50

Media:
Ebooks: 81
Paperbooks: 10

Genre:
Adventure: 1
Autobiography: 3
Biography: 2
Comic: 2
Crime Fiction: 16
Fairy Tale: 1
Fantasy: 4
Fiction: 16
Horror: 13
Non Fiction: 6
Poetry: 2
Science Fiction: 15
Short Stories: 2
Thriller: 8

Reading Reason:
This gorgeous group: 20
Author: 13
Birthday Book: 8
Early Reviewers: 2
Librarything Lists: 2
Media: 7
Nobel Prize: 2
Random / rummage: 27
Recommendation real life: 10

Hello Thomas, it’s lovely to hear that you enjoyed your holiday. We’ve also managed to cool the house down again this week. Fortunately, the coming nights are set to be cool too.

>101 SirThomas: Sigh a BB 😉

>119 Ameise1: Hi Thomas and Barbara! How nice when everything is cool again, isn’t it? Yesterday it even was a bit chilly, lovely.

Congratulations on reading 91 books! That is amazing!

Sorry for the delay, we had quite a bit of chaos in the neighborhood.

>119 Ameise1: It's great to see you here, Barbara.
Yes, a cool apartment is a wonderful thing; here, it's slowly getting warmer again—and we really need some rain.
It's nice that I can reply to your BBs😉

>120 EllaTim: You are so right, Ella!

>121 Whisper1: Thank you Linda, when it's this hot, there's almost nothing else to do but read.
But I must confess, at lower temperatures I read too...

>115 SirThomas: Oh, I need to get back to the Merkel mystery series ...

>121 Whisper1: "But I must confess, at lower temperatures I read too..."..Tom, you belong here, most are bookaholics.

>123 swynn: I think that might be a good idea, Steve 😉

>124 Whisper1: I know, Linda and I'm so happy to have such wonderful people around me.

It’s Friday again—time for the good news, the “Friday Wins”:
On Saturday, we didn’t feel like cooking, so we picked up some delicious wood-fired pizzas—yummy!
On Sunday, we went for a walk in pleasant weather and visited some friends before enjoying the leftover pizza at home.
On Monday, I took advantage of the cool weather and played a round of golf; I lost 2 balls but found 9! In the evening, we met up with my golf buddies to wrap up the wine festival in our town—a wonderful evening with good wine and friends.
On Tuesday, I took my car in for its inspection; there were no issues.
On Wednesday, I had a financial audit; I reviewed the books of our property management company, also with no issues. Afterward, I went to the conclusion of the emergency meeting of the City Senior Citizens’ Council and helped draft a letter of protest. Some parties on the county council are planning to shut down the care support center, a counseling center for people in need of care. We reached a good outcome—let’s hope it helps...
Today I was back as a reading mentor; the kids look forward to seeing me, which feels good.

There are negative things too, but as I said, we’d rather keep the bad stuff to ourselves.

July had books, too:

92. Fliegende Fetzen / Jingo by Terry Pratchett

German title translated: Flying Scraps
Genre: Fantasy
Reading Reason: 75 books challenge - Group read
Medium: eBook
First published: 1997
Pages: 445

An island emerges, two countries lay claim to it, and a war breaks out. Sam Vimes and his men do their best amid the chaos, and Lord Vetinari plays along in his own way.
Another thoroughly enjoyable read.

93. Perfect Crime - Wenn niemand dir glaubt / The Woman Who Lied by Claire Douglas

German title translated: Perfect Crime - When No One Believes You
Genre: Thriller
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2023
Pages: 400

A thriller writer finds herself in a terrifying situation when the crimes described in her latest book begin to unfold in real life. But the book hasn't even been published yet. Who among her acquaintances is the culprit? Who can she trust, and who can't she?
Thrilling and well-written.

94. A Vamp Revamped: a vampire horror comedy by Erwan D. Atcheson

Genre: Horror
Reading Reason: Early Reviewers win
Medium: eBook
First published: 2026
Pages: 149

95. Der Mordclub von Shaftesbury – Tod verpflichtet Emily Winston

German title translated: The Shaftesbury Murder Club – Death Is a Duty
Genre: Crime Fiction
Reading Reason: Rummage at the Library
Medium: eBook
First published: 2026
Pages: 387

The fifth book in the Cozy Crime series.
A film is set to be shot in Shaftesbury—a documentary about an aristocratic family. When the director is murdered, Penelope has to step back into the investigation and put her matchmaking business on hold. When the cameraman is murdered as well, things get hectic.
Charming, suspenseful, and a good summer read.