boekenwijs' 75 for 2009

Why not give it a try? Normally I read between 60 and 70 books a year, so 75 seems a reasonable goal.




The books I've read:
1. London fields by Martin Amis (3/1) (# 3)
2. Het beste van Wilhelm Busch by Wilhelm Busch (3/1) (# 9)
3. Addition by Toni Jordan (10/1) (# 14)
4. Winterzon by John Grisham (13/1) (# 18)
5. The Va Dinci Cod by A.R.R.R. Roberts (26/1) (# 22)
6. The coffee trader by David Liss (29/1) (# 24)
7. The final solution by Michael Chabon (31/1) (# 25)
8. De verborgen bron by Hella Haasse (5/2) (# 29)
9. Kafka on the shore by Haruki Murakami (21/2) (# 30)
10 Persepolis I and II by Marjane Satrapi (23/2) (# 33)
11 Bingo! by Clark Accord (28/2) (# 37)
12. The world according to Clarkson by Jeremy Clarkson (13/3) (# 40)
13. Labyrinth by Kate Mosse (16/3) (# 41)
14. Een tafel vol vlinders by Tim Krabbé (18/3) (# 44)
15. Een vreemdsoortig onheil by Ken Kalfus (28/3) (# 45)
16. De vreugde- en gelukclub by Amy Tan (6/4) (#47)
17. Alles over Tristan by Tommy Wieringa (11/4) (#48)
18. In the land of invisible women by Quanta A. Ahmed (12/4) (#49)
19. Amerikaan in Parijs by Ernest Hemingway (28/4) (#50)
20. Dagboek van een geisha by Arthur Golden (3/5) (#51)
21. Ik ben geen tegenspreker by Marijke Höweler (4/5) (#52)
22. A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton (10/5) (#56)
23. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling (14/5) (#57)
24. Tweemaal Mariënburg by Cynthia McLeod (17/5) (#59)
25. In cold blood by Truman Capote (31/5) (#60)
26. Taal is zeg maar echt mijn ding by Paulien Cornelisse (1/6) (#66)
27. Indecision by Benjamin Kunkel (7/6) (#68)
28. Erken mij by Esther Verhoef (8/6) (#70)
29. Veranderend licht by Jens Christian Grøndahl (18/6) (#72)
30. De kleur van het duister by Franck Thilliez (20/6) (#73)
31. Brazzaville Beach by William Boyd (28/6) (#75)
32. Lijmen / Het been by Willem Elsschot (4/7) (#76)
33. Lolliepop by Marion Pauw (4/7) (#77)
34. The Dare by John Boyne (5/7) (#78)
35. Tea-bag by Henning Mankell (8/7) (#79)
36. The housekeeper and the professor by Yoko Ogawa (11/7) (#80)
37. The little prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéru (21/7) (#82)
38. Dubbelspel by Frank Martinus Arion (25/7) (#84)
39. Chocolate chip cookie murder by Joanne Fluke (29/7) (#87)
40. Eclips by J. Benlef (1/8) (#88)
41. A clockwork orange by Anthony Burgess (8/8) (#90)
42. Ontmoeting in Venetië by Rosita Steenbeek (17/8) (#91)
43. Berlijn Alexanderplatz by Alfred Döblin (18/8) (#92)
44. De duif by Patrick Süskind (19/8) (#94)
45. Number freaking by Gary Rimmer (23/8) (#95)
46. Mannen die vrouwen haten by Stieg Larsson (27/8) (#97)
47. Echte mannen eten geen kaas by Maria Mosterd (30/8) (#98)
48. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer (5/9) (#101)
49. Never hit a jellyfish with a spade by Guy Browning (6/9) (#102)
50. Logicomix by Apostolos Doxiadius (12/9) (#104)
51. Het diner by Herman Koch (13/9) (#105)
52. De vrouw die met vuur speelde by Stieg Larsson (20/9) (#108)
53. Gerechtigheid by Stieg Larsson (30/9) (#109)
54. De cementen tuin by Ian McEwan (4/10) (#113)
55. Land van sterren by Annie Caulfield (17/10) (#115)
56. De toerist by Olen Steinhauer (20/10) (#116)
57. The history of Mr. Polly by H.G. Wells (1/11) (#119)
58. Giraffe by J.M Ledgard (8/11) (#121)
59. Wetlands by Charlotte Roche (11/11) (#122)
60. The tent by Margaret Atwood (12/11) (#122)
61. Candy for Christmas by Joanne Fluke (14/11) (#123)
62. Mother Tongue by Bil Bryson (19/11) (#125)
63. The uncommon reader by Alan Bennett (21/11) (#126)
64. Studio Zes by Lize Marklund (21/11) (#127)
65. Lucky by Alice Sebold (1/12) (#129)
66. De eenzaamheid van de priemgetallen by Paolo Giordano (5/12) (#133)
67. Haanvroeg by L.H. Wiener (6/12) (#136)
68. Tien met stip by Janet Evanovich (6/12) (#137)
69. No country for old men by Cormac McCarthy (13/12) (#138)
70. Duits dienstmeisje by Simon Vestdijk (13/12) (#139)
71. Blauwe maandagen by Arnon Grunberg (21/12) (#141)
72. Jabberwocky and other poems by Lewis Carroll (22/12) (#144)
73. Kaas by Willem Elsschot (26/12) (#145)
74. This old souse by Mary Daheim (27/12) (#147)
75. Glad ijs by Knut Naerum (31/12) (#153)

N.B. For the people that like to read my Dutch review, they can be found on my weblog (see my profile).

Welcome to the group!

Thanks for your warm welcome alcottacre!

1. The first book of my challenge: London fields by Martin Amis.
I already started this book in November, but read the largest part the last couple of days.

I'm not totally sure what to think about this book. A little too long, in an evironment I don't have feeling with (poor London). What I do like is the idea of the writer of a book walking around in his book (Samson).
The book is a black comedy, playing around darter Keith, middle-class loser Guy and femme fatale Nicola. Nicola sets up a scene with Samson, although, that's what it looks like. The text is well-written even in the Dutch translation. And that makes the book worth reading. And the totally unexpected end of the book.

I just completed Never Surrender by Jerry Boykin. An interesting look at faith issues faced by military personnel.

Welkom Boekenwijs

Good to see more fellow Dutch joining this group :-)

Hi FAMeulstee,

Thanks for your welcome. Saw in your profile that you're reading the total Chronicles of Narnia. The book is also waiting on my shelf, untill now I only read The lion, the witch and the wardrobe

Maybe I should add the other 6 to my reading plan of next year.

By the way, I couldn't find your topic here. I would like to follow it. Maybe I get some Dutch inspiration on LT then.

hi boekenwijs

I never read any of the Narnia books, but in some books I read it was mentioned, so I got curious.

my readings for 2009: Anita's armchair travels in 2009
Oh, that reminds me, I should make a link to my thread here on my profile page. Done ;-)

Anita

I have never read anything by Martin Amis yet, although I have read Lucky Jim by his father. Your review of the younger Amis' book is intriguing enough to make me want to read it. On to the Continent it goes!

@7, Anita, nice plan to make a link in your profile, I'm gonna do that as well.

2. Het beste van Wilhelm Busch by Wilhelm Busch
Already the second book for my challenge. A little tricky because it's thin and officialy also a childrens book. And a book not to be found on LT before I added it. Not that strange, as the way I read it was a 'bulkboek', a book printed like a newspaper. It was popular in 60s and 70s (approx.) and then disappeared. But since a year new 'bulkboeks' exist. And this time not always well-known books, but newly combined works and stories.
The most important story in this book was Max and Moritz, about two annoying little boys causing trouble in the village. With of course no good ending. I liked the pictures in this book and it is said is was the first comic book. And that makes it a nice historical read.

Boekenwijs, regarding your concern over the Busch book being thin and a childrens' book: Remember that this is your thread, and if you want to count childrens' books you can. Each person sets his or her own rules for their threads. Some people count kids books, others do not or set limits on the number of pages if they are going to count the books. It is entirely up to you!

>9 boekenwijs: boekenwijs

As I recall it, there were full-size books published as "bulkboek". And Max und Moritz is a classic!
And, as AlcottAcre said, it is all up to you, it is your challenge and you decide.
The most important thing is: have fun and enjoy your readings :-)

Anita

alcottacre and Anita, of course you're right, I decide what to count. It's more that it's not my normal way of reading :)

@ Anita, I never heard about Max and Moritz before...

Hi Boekenwijs,

Thanks for dropping in on my thread. I'll be following yours as well!

Yvette

3. Addition by Toni Jordan
A book that caught my attention by it saying to be a comedy where counting plays a role. And indeed the book was funny and I liked the way the counting obsession of the main character, Grace, was worked out. It seems realistic to me. Although it's a light read, it also makes clear what can happen to people who take medicines to cure but actually feel more awfull when they do. A nice, cosy read for cold January days.

Addition sounds like a very interesting book. On to Continent TBR it goes!

@ boekenwijs re: I never heard about Max and Moritz before...

That is something I noticed since I started reading the group threads: I don't know (m)any of the childrens books that the Americans or Brits are familiar with. It seems that despite all globalisation, children's lit is still very nation-specific... as a german, I grew up with Max and Moritz, of course.

boekenwijs
I see there is a Dutch translation of Addition available at our library, so I put it on the list.

4. Winterzon by John Grisham (Skipping Christmas)
And on to number four. Again a light read. I surely have to read some thin books after some think ones that were hard to finish in the end of 2008 :). This book I already planned for Chrismas, but didn't get that far by then. Luckely I read another winter/Christmas story then (well, at least playing in December, Midwinteroffer by Anna Jansson).

Skipping Christmas is a fun read. Not a typical Grisham, because it's no juridical thriller, but it's funny and describes an action most of us (or am I the only one) would like: skipping the whole Christmas circus. I'm still waiting for the year I dare to go on holiday the last week of December, just like the Kranks in this book. Going on a cruise, sounds good. Only the neighbours and friends don't like it. But then their daughter comes back from Peru for Christmas...

I really enjoyed this book, an easy read in the train :)

@17: Anita, I didn't know there was a Dutch translation :)

>18 boekenwijs: I loved this book! too funny. so appropriate to the stresses of the series and things we must feel internally. Steph (my husband) and I detoured through a sidestreet while at my folks in Texas and I swear it was the same road from the book! LOL every house except 1 was decorated to the hilt. I wanted to go back for pics but we didn't have time :) Glad you've joined us.

Welcome, and for annoying little boys, have you ever read The Ransom of Red Chief by O. Henry? It's a book, a play, and a funny little old movie. Two kidnappers take off with one little boy--and well, he does some interesting things while he's their captive.

Prop -- Thx for the tip. I'll look up that play.

5. The Va Dinci Cod by A.R.R.R. Roberts
I read the The Da Vinci Code because I couldn't resist the hype. But it just wasn't my kind of book. It was an easy read and enjoyable but that's it.
Last Saturday I found The Va Dinci Cod, a parody. And that's something I see the fun of, normally I will enjoy that. And this time as well. Just a funny read in long, strange and heavy days.

Sounds kind of funny... I may pick it up and take a look if it's in the store next time I'm there!

6. The coffee trader by David Liss
This book I read with the Highly-Rated Book Group. Most likely a book I never would have noticed myself, but which was a pleasurable and interesting read. An interesting story about the trade at the Amsterdam Exchange in the 17th centurary. With a focus on the Portguese Jews and their community with their own rules, protected by the Ma'amad. A stories where nobody trusts anyone and schemes and conspiracies are found everywhere.
The difficulty of the book is, that I didn't like any of the personages. None of them seems to be honest. All want to have money, without taking care about others. Because the trust no-one.

7. The final solution by Michael Chabon
By some reviews on LT and some posts a read on blogs, I became curious after Michael Chabon. The final solution seemed to be a good one to start with and it was. I really loved the writing style. The ambiance in the story was, although depressing, so clear. The story in itself was not even very special, mostly finding a bird that's lost after a murder. (Ok, I'm too short now, as it's a special bird with a special owner, but if I will explain all, the book is no fun read anymore). This book made me hungry for more Chabon. The gentlemen of the road already is waiting on the shelf.

The Gentlemen of the Road is good fun. I have not read a book by Chabon yet that I have disliked, but his The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay is probably my favorite thus far.

Good to hear you enjoy Chabon, Stasia. I heard good things about The amazing adventures of Kavalier and Clay from more people, so I guess I've found a new favorite author!

It's funny because the first book I read by him that I read was The Yiddish Policemen's Union, a book I thought I would love, but did not like as much as I thought I would, and then I read Kavalier and Clay thinking I would hate it, but really enjoyed it.

8. De verborgen bron by Hella Haasse
Time for some Dutch literature (I don't think this book was translated into English). Haasse is a quite famous author for a long time already. This book was first published in 1950. Most of the time she write historical fiction, located in Indonesia. In that time it was still a Dutch colony and Haasse was born there. This book tells about a hidden family history. It's an easy read, no strange things happen. Slowly a family mystery is solved.

9. Kafka on the shore by Haruki Murakami
On my wishlist and on my shelf for a long time already. Finally I found the time to read it. And as always, I should have done this earlier. What a terrific read. Strange things happen, impossible things happen, but it all fits in the story. Telling about it won't make anything clear. I guess it will even make the story stupid and spoiled. I guess the magic of Murakami only works when you read it yourself. Whatever was the reason that Kafka run aways from home, it was predestined to be. Like all the other things happening...

So Murikami is indeed good ;-)
We have Norwegian Wood waiting at the shelf. My husband has something with Japanese writers...
Anita

> 31 Murakami was actually the first Japanse writer I read. And it slightly asks for more. On the other hand, I have my doubts about Japanese literature. When I see what kind of television programs they make, I'm afraid I won't get the jokes.

I've read Droomnummernegen by David Mitchel, a British author who lived in Japan. Although I liked the book, it also was weird.

10. Persepolis I and II by Marjane Satrapi
It's been a long time that I seriously read comics. After all the rumours at LT it was time for my first graphic novel. The story sounded interesting and the reviews were good.
And I'm happy I did. The book is terrific. Although the story about the youth of Marjane in Iran and Austria. Without omitting details. Although it's extremely sad, the story contains humour and details pictures. Which makes it lighter and not less interesting. I'm already waiting for the translations of volume III and IV.

#33: I highly recommend Maus and Maus II by Art Spiegelman - serious subject matter (the Holocaust) in graphic novel form.

> 33, Alcottacre, thanks for your advice. I saw Maus as a recommendation at bookdepository.co.uk. Glad to hear it's a good read, now I definetely should buy it. :)

#33-35 Persepolis was my first graphic novel as well. I'm definitely open to more so I've added Maus on my list because that sounds very interesting.

11. Bingo! by Clark Accord
Since my stay in Suriname almost four years ago I'm interested in their culture and literature. Although the writer now lives in the Netherlands and the story plays there as well, it talks about a subculture in society where a lot of Surinamese people can be found.

This book describes an evening of bingo, where a jackpot of 5000 Euros can be won. People travel from Rotterdam to Amsterdam in special busses to play the game, among them Leanda and Naomi, mother and daughter. The book tells about the excitement of the evening and about how these people hardly can make a living. It made me wonder about all the things in society that are painfull and I don't notice anything about...

Oh, this reminds my of my early years in Rotterdam.
Our students-club rented the bar in the weekends to Surinamese people for dance parties.

So I got to know some of them and later we went to (illegal) casino's and there we tried to gain some money. I remember one evening, when I was with a former Miss Paramaribo, the roulette paid out good for her, four times the number she betted on fell... I am sure they manipulated the roulette, but this time it was to let her win.

Hardly making a living, before we went to Lelystad, we lived for seven in the Oleanderbuurt, Rotterdam South, 70% Turkish people, very few Dutch, and all kind of other nationalities. Most were struggling to survive. Now I live in a complete different world, also many poor people, but very few not Dutch and most have a better perspective for life. Sometimes I miss the solidarity we had with our neighbors in Rotterdam.

>38 FAMeulstee: Anita, I can totally imagine that the solidarity in Rotterdam was higher than it is in Lelystad. This solidarity was also really well visible in Suriname and I see it among the Surinamese people here (i.e. Delft) as well. ALthough there of course also is solidarity among the Dutch themselves. Now I live at a location in Delft where I know my neighbours. When I lived in a HAT-room in the south I had no idea.

But although I know my neighbours now, I still see a large difference with the village I came from in the northern part of the country.

12. The world according to Clarkson by Jeremy Clarkson
I read the columns of Jemery Clarkson placed in the Sunday Times from 2001 to 2003 on a daily basis the last couple of months. And I had a lot of fun from it. I like the way he's looking at the world and it's even understandable for a non-British. I might even start watching Topgear.

13. Labyrinth by Kate Mosse
Finally I read Labyrinth, after the rest of the world did. I liked the way the story is told, with the story of 800 years ago mixed with the story of the present. I liked the excitement and (for me) mysteries were kept untill the end of the book. But when a grail is in a book, it's just not my thing. Conspiracy theories are not invented for me. So I'm sure I don't have to read Sepulchre.

#41: Well, I have never read it, either, so do not feel alone in being the last person in the world never to read it. Now that you have, I had better, too!

>41 boekenwijs:: boekenwijs
sounds good to me, I will look for Het verloren Labyrint in the library :-)

14. Een tafel vol vlinders by Tim Krabbé
Every year in March we have the 'boekenweek' in the Netherlands. In this week extra attention is paid to books. And is has a theme, this year animals. Not really my cup of tea. But I always buy a book and get the giftbook. This year Een tafel vol vlinders.

For the people knowing work of Tim Krabbé will recognize his style in this book. It's a good read, about a father/son relation (although it are not natural father and son). It shows the different behaviour of the son, Bram, when living with his 'father' or mother. And it also shows him growing up and his first love. An interesting read, with a sad end.

15. Een vreemdsoortig onheil by Ken Kalfus
(Dutch translation of A disorder peculiar to the country

The blurb of this book was more promissing than the book itself made true. A couple in a divorce thinks from each other that he/she will be killed on 9/11. And they feel good about it. Just short, because both are still alive. Interesting idea, not worked out nicely.

What I have against the book that the characters are flat and the story isn't deep. It's just about a divorce and people realy hating each other. And 9/11 only plays a small role, like all the other things told in the book about the world. A lot of things happen, but nothing leads to conclusions. It's ok when you look for a light read, don't expect more.

On a couple of topics I saw the list below with 100 books. Looks interesting, so I will give it a try. The part about books I have but didn't read yet, I added.

The BBC apparently believes most people will have only read 6 of the 100 books here:

How do your reading habits stack up? bold those books you've read in their entirety, underline the ones you started but didn't finish, italicize the ones on the shelf you didn't read yet (but plans to do so).

1 Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen
2 The Lord of the Rings - JRR Tolkien
3 Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte
4 Harry Potter series - JK Rowling
5 To Kill a Mockingbird - Harper Lee
6 The Bible
7 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte
8 Nineteen Eighty Four - George Orwell
9 His Dark Materials - Philip Pullman
10 Great Expectations - Charles Dickens
11 Little Women - Louisa M Alcott
12 Tess of the D’Urbervilles - Thomas Hardy
13 Catch 22 - Joseph Heller
14 Complete Works of Shakespeare
15 Rebecca - Daphne Du Maurier
16 The Hobbit - JRR Tolkien
17 Birdsong - Sebastian Faulk
18 Catcher in the Rye - JD Salinger
19 The Time Traveller’s Wife - Audrey Niffenegger
20 Middlemarch - George Eliot
21 Gone With The Wind - Margaret Mitchell
22 The Great Gatsby - F Scott Fitzgerald
23 Bleak House - Charles Dickens
24 War and Peace - Leo Tolstoy
25 The Hitch Hiker’s Guide to the Galaxy - Douglas Adams
26 Brideshead Revisited - Evelyn Waugh
27 Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky
28 Grapes of Wrath - John Steinbeck
29 Alice in Wonderland - Lewis Carroll
30 The Wind in the Willows - Kenneth Grahame
31 Anna Karenina - Leo Tolstoy
32 David Copperfield - Charles Dickens
33 Chronicles of Narnia - CS Lewis
34 Emma - Jane Austen
35 Persuasion - Jane Austen
36 The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe
37 The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini
38 Captain Corelli’s Mandolin - Louis De Bernieres
39 Memoirs of a Geisha - Arthur Golden - next book on my TBR pile
40 Winnie the Pooh - AA Milne
41 Animal Farm - George Orwell
42 The Da Vinci Code - Dan Brown
43 One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
44 A Prayer for Owen Meaney - John Irving
45 The Woman in White - Wilkie Collins
46 Anne of Green Gables - LM Montgomery
47 Far From The Madding Crowd - Thomas Hardy
48 The Handmaid’s Tale - Margaret Atwood
49 Lord of the Flies - William Golding
50 Atonement - Ian McEwan
51 Life of Pi - Yann Martel
52 Dune - Frank Herbert
53 Cold Comfort Farm - Stella Gibbons
54 Sense and Sensibility - Jane Austen
55 A Suitable Boy - Vikram Seth.
56 The Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon
57 A Tale Of Two Cities - Charles Dickens
58 Brave New World - Aldous Huxley
59 The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time - Mark Haddon
60 Love In The Time Of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez
61 Of Mice and Men - John Steinbeck
62 Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov
63 The Secret History - Donna Tartt
64 The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold
65 Count of Monte Cristo - Alexandre Dumas
66 On The Road - Jack Kerouac
67 Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy
68 Bridget Jones’s Diary - Helen Fielding
69 Midnight’s Children - Salman Rushdie
70 Moby Dick - Herman Melville
71 Oliver Twist - Charles Dickens
72 Dracula - Bram Stoker
73 The Secret Garden - Frances Hodgson Burnett
74 Notes From A Small Island - Bill Bryson
75 Ulysses - James Joyce
76 The Bell Jar - Sylvia Plath
77 Swallows and Amazons - Arthur Ransome
78 Germinal - Emile Zola
79 Vanity Fair - William Makepeace Thackeray
80 Possession - AS Byatt.
81 A Christmas Carol - Charles Dickens
82 Cloud Atlas - David Mitchell
83 The Color Purple - Alice Walker
84 The Remains of the Day - Kazuo Ishiguro
85 Madame Bovary - Gustave Flaubert
86 A Fine Balance - Rohinton Mistry
87 Charlotte’s Web - EB White - I also have this out from the library
88 The Five People You Meet In Heaven - Mitch Albom
89 Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
90 The Faraway Tree Collection - Enid Blyton
91 Heart of Darkness - Joseph Conrad
92 The Little Prince - Antoine De Saint-Exupery
93 The Wasp Factory - Iain Banks
94 Watership Down - Richard Adams - I expect to read it once
95 A Confederacy of Dunces - John Kennedy Toole
96 A Town Like Alice - Nevil Shute
97 The Three Musketeers - Alexandre Dumas
98 Hamlet - William Shakespeare
99 Charlie and the Chocolate Factory - Roald Dahl
100 Les Miserables - Victor Hugo (it was an abridged version, but at the moment of reading I wasn't aware of that...)

So that makes:
24 read
4 partially read
27 waiting to be read

So I seem to be interested in half of the books, not even counting the ones I didn't buy (yet) but I do want to read.

16. De vreugde- en gelukclub by Amy Tan
(translation of The Joy Luck Club).

This story is about four mothers and daughters. The mothers were born and raised in China and somehow ended up in America. Their daughters are born and raised in America. This book tells the story of all eight people. All stories are different, but they also are related. An interesting read about surviving in a new society.

17. Alles over Tristan by Tommy Wieringa
(for as far as I know not translated to English)

Since I read Joe Speedboot I knew that I wanted to read all the books by Tommy Wieringa. That are not that many yet, so it seems quite do-able. This book again gave me the feeling. Well written and interesting. Jakob Keller wants to write a biography of the poet Viktor Tristan, a mysterious man. Keller travels to the former living place of Tristan to find family and friends. Resulting in knowing more than he wants and ever will publish...

18. In the land of invisible women by Quanta Ahmed

This book was in the Early Reviewers batch of last November. Normally these books are not available in the Netherlands, but this was an e-book. Out of interest in ET and the topic of this book I decided to read it. A nice read. That it took me so long to finish it is mostly due to the fact that it's an e-book. I definitely prefer a paper-book. Even with a laptop on the couch is not as comfortable.

This book is autobiographical and describes a stay of two years in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Quanta works as a doctor at the IC of a hospital. Although being a muslim, she grew up in the UK and US. In Riyadh she feels a stranger.

This book describes the difference of thinking of the Middle East and the Western world nicely. Furthermore, it gives an interesting view in the difficulties women living there are facing, they may almost do nothing without the man they are married to. Friendship with other women is possible, with men really difficult.

While Quanta described her difficulties, she also describes her growing faith and her visit to Mecca for hadj. An experience she will never forget.

The book is not marvelously written and sometimes things are told more than once, the story is an interesing one.

19. Amerikaan in Parijs by Ernest Hemingway
(Dutch translation of A moveable feast)

I took this book with me while on a weekend trip to Paris last weekend. It seemed a good moment to read this book while walking around the same streets as Hemingway did. And it was, I'm wondering if I would have finished the book otherwise. Nothing really happens. Hemingway is in his twenties and most of the times just goes drinking, writing, gossiping with other writers. At this time in Paris he is poor.

The best story in this book is about the trip he makes with Scott Fitzgerald to Lyon to get Fitsgeralds car from there to Paris. Fitzgerald turns out to be a difficult character, hard to travel with.

It was an easy read, and the circumstances for reading it were fantastic, but I will never be a fan of Hemingway.

20. Dagboek van een geisha by Arthur Golden
(Dutch translation of Memoirs of a geisha)

This was a book I doubted if I wanted to read it. Hyped books always attract me, but also give me a certain warning. The story of this book seemes interesting, but I'm often dissapointed by hyped books. When my mother brought this book home, I decided to read it, and it was a nice read.

I like it that the way of becoming and living as a geisha is explained nicely. It's not such a mystery anymore. And also the story was interesting, you really feel sorry for Sayuri sometimes, although I also disagreed with her sometimes.

All and all, a nice and interesting read.

21. Ik ben geen tegenspreker by Marijke Höweler

Time for a thin one. This is one of the books pulished every month with some short stories written by Dutch author. Especially ment for people that don't read. But I also buy them sometimes, when it's an unknown author I'm curious of or somebody that interests me.

This book was not really my thing. I'm not really made for short stories. I always seem to miss the meaning. And it's too short to know the main character. So this is an author I won't read anything more from, I suppose.

I hope your next read is better for you!

Thanks Stasia. I can assure you it is :)

I'm now reading A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton and I like this detective/mystery. Guess there is a whole series waiting for me :)

And what a fun series it is! I have to catch up on Kinsey's exploits this year, but I have always had fun even when the plots were a bit draggy (happens in every series at some point, I guess). Enjoy!

22. A is for Alibi by Sue Grafton
I found a new detective/mystery serie I should read. I really enjoyed A is for Alibi, a nice detective that lets you think about who did it written with a sense of humour. Always good.

Strange thing: for the first 100 pages I thought Kinsey, the main character and private investigator, was a man. Then she was called miss. Quite a strange occurence...

For as far as I know Grafton finished 'T', so I have some nice reading waiting for me.

23. The Tales of Beedle the Bard by J.K. Rowling
Finally I decided to read this book, as a nice addition to the Harry Potter series that I finished some time ago. The actual reason: having to wait for the reparation of a flat tire (bike) of which I had expected that I had to get my bike the next day. But I could wait for it, 30 minutes. So I bought this book in a neighbouring store and started reading in the sunny park.

I liked the stories, funny and with a moral, like a fairytale should be. The explanation of Dumbledore is okay, but not really necessary in my opinion.

I've often thought about starting Sue Grafton's series, but it just seems so daunting... there are SO MANY of them!!! And more coming!

Though it makes me wonder what projects she could possibly work on after getting to 'Z'. Her life will feel so empty... and after being with the same characters for years and years and years, I bet it'll be ridiculously difficult to start something new.

Either that or she's been writing other stuff on the side at the same time. I really have no idea. LOL.

24. Tweemaal Mariënburg by Cynthia Mcleod
(For as far as I know not translated in English)

Once in a while I'm reading one of the historical fiction books by Cynthia McLeod, a Surinamese writer. Since I stayed in the country for some months four years ago, I'm interested in its history. And these books always tell you some nice history and are an easy and pulling read.

So this book as well, telling about live on a sugar plant in the beginning of the 20th century. It tells the sotry of the white director and the working people from India and Indonesia, the rumours, the beliefs. Interesting, a writer I would read more of.

25. In cold blood by Truman Capote
Wow, what a book and what a story. And maybe the most amazing is that it really happened. How can two people even get in mind to kill a family they don't even know? A terrifying story about a terrible murder and the way the killers feel about it. They don't seem to think that they can be sorry about it. Impressive and a good read, although it might keep you awake at night....

#60: I do not know if you can get hold of it or not, but the film version from 1967 is worth watching as well.

Stasia, thanks for the advice. I will look if I can find it somewhere.

I think the book is better than the film (I almost always do), but I think the '67 film version is worthwhile. I do not know about the remake made in the late '90s.

Seems to be normal, that the book is better than the film ;). I always wait a couple of years before I watch a movie of a book I read. Most likely I then have forgotten some details, which makes it possible to enjoy the movie as well.

According to IMDB 1967 is most popular. Further there is TV series. How handy, those internet resources.

I agree - Internet resources rule!

26. Taal is zeg maar echt mijn ding by Paulien Cornelisse
This was a funny and confronting light read about the way we use our language (Dutch) at the moment. The book is full with anecdotes about how we use words in strange ways, get irritated by that, but also find out that we are doing it ourselves as well.

The stories are very recognizable and I guess books like this exist in every language.

Coincidently, I watched the 1967 version of In Cold Blood (for the first time since I saw it in the theater in 1967!) last weekend and it is indeed very good. A very young Robert Blake as one of the murderers. Now to reread the book. :)

27. Indecision by Benjamin Kunkel

This surely is a book I will recommend to nobody. The story about Dwight who seems to be very indecisive (I didn't notice) and takes (placebo) medicines for this, doesn't do me anything. Furthermore, the story is inconsequent sometimes and doesn't seem to head anywhere.

#68: OK, skipping that one! Hope the next read is better for you.

Yes Stasia, the next one was good, a thin nice thriller:

28 Erken mij by Esther Verhoef

This book was a present because the month July is the month of the thrillers in the Netherlands. A thin book that always works well on a train trip. The story is quite well readable and exciting.
Daphne goes to Paris with her terapist after her last treatment, for a romantic weekend. But everything goes different when the ex of a former client follows them. The most interesting part is the fact that you don't know untill the end of the book who is the bad guy, and even now I'm unsure. And I like those ends, together with a newspaper article on the last page that leaves you with some questions.

And also my next read, Veranderend licht by Jens Christian Grondahl, seems a nice read after the first few chapters.

Glad things are looking up!

29. Veranderend licht by Jens Christian Grøndahl
(original Danish, read in Dutch, in English An altered light)

Good book, although slightly show. Irene, the main character of the book, discovers that her husband has another woman; a divorce follows. Shortly after that, she finds out her father is not her real father. A new future and a new history are waiting to be exlored, which Irene does. All in all a good story, but I might be too young for it, as the middle aged Irene is about twice my age.

30. De kleur van het duister by Franck Thilliez
(original French, seems not to be translated into English)

Normally my 'thrillers' are nothing more than crime, as real thrillers are quite good at causing night mares. So you won't find much Stephen King on my shelves.
But there are some exceptions to confirm the rule (ai, litteral translation of a Dutch verb, guess it won't work). This time I read a thin thriller, mostly in the morning hours.

And it was a good one, beginning with two men stuck in a gave below a gletcher. One can move only a small distance, the other wears a mask. And there is a note with instructions. They have no idea how they ended up there. That slightly becomes clear in the story. In an excellent way. I didn't see the clue coming!

#73: Too bad for me that it is not translated into English. I like thrillers (I am not a Stephen King fan either though).

31. Brazzaville Beach by William Boyd
I bought this book last year when it was hyped on LT. I only couldn't remember why, but it brought high expectations for this read. Partly these came through, as I liked the way the book was set up and it was a good read. On the other hand, it couldn't fully grap me...

The story tells the tragic life of Hope, as she reflects on in from a beach house in Brazzaville Beach. Two story lines are told, one in London and one in Africa. They are intertwined, but it's clear the London part happened before the part in Africa.
Hopes life in London with John, her husband, gets worse while John, mathematician, gets crazy while wanting to become famous. Hope works outside the city as an ecologist. In Africa, she studies the behaviour of chimpanzees and finds strange behaviour among them. Both story lines end tragically and show their connection.

32. Lijmen / Het been by Willem Elsschot
(Translated into English as Soft Soap and The leg)

This are actually two novels, but for ages they are sold and read as one story, as they are good follow-ups. In the first part, Lijmen the story is told of two swindler, selling magazines (in large numbers) to companies with a positive article about them. It's up to them to spread them. In the second part, Het been one of them feels bad about it and wants to refund one of their victims. She only doesn't accept. A strange court case follows.

This book is a nice satire about doing business and it's a lot of fun to read.

33. Lolliepop by Marion Pauw
A nice short story, good for half an hour enjoying the weather outside. Two sisters, a child, relation problems, a gun and a hole in the forest make that this story gives you the feeling everything happen. A typical story in the genre of 'literate thriller' (a Dutch invention to tell that a book is a thriller, but by no meens literate), which might work better for me in a story instead of a whole book.

34. The Dare by John Boyne
Noticing that it's already July and I am not even close to halfway of the 75 books, I deciced that I needed to do some catching up this weekend with some quick reads. The Dare was the last of them.

Since The boy in striped pyjamas I'm charmed by this writer. What a book was that, and although The Dare doesn't have the same impact, it comes close. Also this time a young child is the main character, who tells the way his life goes when his mother hits a small boy with the car. The boy is in coma and it's not sure he will survive. The book tells what effect this has on the family life of Danny, the main character and teller of the story. Again an excellent read.

Now it's time for something thicker again. The weather is getting better and the television worse, so I might catch up by just sitting outside with a book in the evening instead of watching television :). Unfortunately it will be a busy summer at work... Holidays only due in October.

35. Tea-bag by Henning Mankell
Finally I read something by Henning Mankell. I've seen some of the Wallander stories on television, but never read a book out of the series. This time neither, but Tea-bag is a good read as well.

Tea-bag tells the story of a writer who likes himself and a girl who flew from Africa to Sweden. Somehow they meet and Jesper (the writer) gives Tea-bag (the girl) and some other girls a writing course. Jesper finally sees the reality of illegal immigrants and Sweden and the girls get the opportunity to tell their stories.

Next to this heavy story, a lot of humour can be found in this book. This makes it readable and a page turner.

36. The housekeeper and the professor by Yoko Ogawa
Books where math is involved always get my attention. So this book was a 'should-read'. The story is original. A math professor with a memory of only 80 minute (due to a car accident) makes his housekeeper enthousiastic for math. And really loves her son, he helps him with homework and they share a passion for base ball. The three have a very special connection.

It's a an emotional read, the math is okay, although I knew most of it, which makes the explanations a little bit annoying. But the story is good. I recommend this.

#80: If that one was not already on Planet TBR I would add it. It looks like one I will really enjoy if I can ever get my hands on a copy!

37. The little prince by Antoine De Saint-Exupéru

What I nice little story. I can imagine you would like it as a child and as a grown-up (well, sort of) I like it as well. A nice mirror the little prince is giving us of our behaviour by showing us the king, the drunkard and the business man. A cozy classic everybody should read.

#82: . A cozy classic everybody should read.

I agree - and I reread it this year!

38. Dubbelspel by Frank Martinus Arion
(As far as I know not translated)

This book is about four men playing their usual game of domino on a Sunday afternoon at Curacao. They are dreaming about the future, but also thinking about the past. Two of them have a (mostly sexual) relation with the wives of the others. Furthermore they are poor and two of them are kind of busy with building their house.
The story is interessting as I'm quite curious after the Dutch Antilles. On the other hand, the story is slightly slow and that doesn't work for me. But it was an enjoyable read with an unexpected ending.

And I'm halfway! Unfortunately the year is more than half way. I shouldn't have bought that DVD-player yesterday...

Congratulations on hitting the halfway point!

(You can always return the DVD player, right?)

Thanks Stasia!

Yes, I could do that this week (but somehow I feel I won't...) The biggest treat is the large number of movies I taped last month on my hard disk recorder. Luckely I'm not a patient movie watcher, but there are a lot out there I still want to see.

39. Chocolate chip cookie murder by Joanne Fluke
(Volume 1 of the Hannah Swensen Mysteries)

Due to LT I ran into this series and I like it! Cozy mysteries just work sometimes when you've read more difficult stuff and are busy in the rest of your life. Sometimes the story is slightly predictable but it's always fun to find the killer with a semi-detective. And I like the cookie recipes. I really should try some of them.

The book I have goes with another novella (Candy for Christmas). That will be a nice read for coming busy times! I'm hooked to this series!

40. Eclips by J. Bernlef
(I guess not translated)

Kees Zomer, the main character of this book, somehow ends up in the water with his car. When he comes out, the left half of his body seems to be gone. And although thinking works, speaking not totally. He just misses the correct words. Most people don't understand him, but do help him.

The reason for the dicontinuity in his brain is not made clear and it doesn't really matter. Bernlef again plays a came with memories and that's his strong point. A recommended book, especially if you liked Hersenschimmen.

#87: I like that series as well, finding them just nice comfortable reads. Throw in the great recipes and I am sold. I have only used 1 to this point - a recipe for Black and Whites - but they were very good!

41. A clockwork orange by Anthony Burgess

I read this book on high school, when I was about 16. And for an non-native then the slang used in the book made me more concentrate on the words than on the story. Unfortunately, because the story is so good. My English has much improved over the last ten years, so I re-read it. And I'm happy I did. The slang was no problem anmymore and I could really think about the story. Whcih makes you think about the current society. And absolutely must-read classic (and then watch the movie by Stanley Kubrick of course).

42. Ontmoeting in Venetië by Rosita Steenbeek
(not translated)

A short inbetween before finishing Berlijn Alexanderplatz and starting Mannen die vrouwen haten (The girl with the dragon tattoo).

A nice small story about a meeting through a burial entrepreneur. The largest part of the story plays on the graveyard. An interesting location and somewhat uncomfortable location.

Never thought I would enjoy this writer, but maybe this small book has changed that...

43. Berlijn Alexanderplatz by Alfred Döblin
(originally German, in English Berlin Alexanderplatz)

A book I really had to get used to at the beginning. What did I need 500 pages about a just released criminal who killed his wife for? But the story is good, Franz (the criminal) wants to be good, but is too naive. The sidelines with stories about things happening in the streets show something about life in Berlin at the end of the 1920s. Interesting and recommended read.

#92: I already have that one on Planet TBR. Thanks for the reminder - I have to look further afield as I do not believe any of my local libraries have a copy.

44. De duif by Patrick Süskind
(originally German, translated as The pigeon in English)

After seeing Perfume last Saturday I wanted to read something by Süskind again. Just reveived De duif, a thin one for an evening. And a good story that makes you feel sorry for the main character (and you think he's strange). How can one pigeon change the overal feeling of a man so badly? How can a pigeon in the hallway disturb your life so badly. The story gives an interesting view on the so suddenly disturb life of Jonathan. Nice book, disturbing story.

Now starting The girl with the dragon tattoo. Let's see if it lives up to the hype!

45. Number freaking by Gary Rimmer

This book looked more interesting than it was. The facts in the blurb were the best of the book...

In this book a large number of facts is mentioned which end up as calculations you can do with multiple choice answers. The idea is funny, but it's all about the extreme large numbers that you don't get anymore. Just not funny. Not recommended. Luckily it's on the bookmooch wishlist of some people ;)

#95: At least you will be able to get rid of it quickly!

46. Mannen die vrouwen haten by Stieg Larsson
(originally Swedish, translated in English as The girl with the dragon tattoo)

Normally I don't want to follow the hype, but Stieg Larssons books tended to stay in the shops. So at the end I came home with Mannen die vrouwen haten, trilogy part 1. And today I bought the other two...

A good thriller, unexpected (and modern) story, exciting and gives you posibilities to think about the solution yourself. And that's what a thriller should do. The first 150 pages are somewhat though to get through, but after that I couldn't really put it aside.

I definitely will read the other two books this year as well. Not directly, because I didn't sleep enough this week and I should watch (or throw away) some taped television programs. So some other books first, and then on to De vrouw die met vuur speelde.

47. Echte mannen eten geen kaas by Maria Mosterd
(I think not translated (yet?))

In this book, Maria (20) tells her story about being in the power of a loverboy from age 12-16. I've no idea if loverboy is an English word, but it means a boy who seduces girls, promises new clothes and then it turns out she has to be a hooker. Maria tells her honest story of what happened to her and I was shocked by it. I knew these boys are there, but never thought about their impact and power. I noticed that I was looking different and the groups of boys hanging around at the railway station this evening...

Hi! I'm catching up on threads. We do have the word loverboy in English but it has a different meaning. I think the word pimp is closer in meaning to the word loverboy in book #47.

#99: Thanks, I was too lazy to look for the correct word and hoped that we introduced an English word into the Dutch language that has the same meaning in English ;)

48. The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society by Mary Ann Shaffer

After all I read about this book on LT, I surely wanted to read it. Although not totally my taste (too romantic) I enjoyed the book. The way the story is told makes even the story about the Remy almost bearable. The way the book is written, by letters, makes you always want to read the next letter.

The story is intersting, and made me think about the occupation of the Canal Islands. Never thought of that. Never thought about how it is that a part of your country is occupied and that you can do nothing about it.

49. Never hit a jellyfish with a spade by Guy Browning

A very nice book to keep next to your bed. Columns of two pages (originally written for The Guardian) about how to behave in a changing room, how to mow the lawn, how to eat biscuit and how to be married. A lot of fun, smiling guarenteed. So I order two other books by Guy Browning yesterday.

just looked up and found Guy Browning's Guardian page and his article - so I'll give him a read see if I like his stuff first, rather than my usual way of just going ahead and buying the book. Nice to have that option for a change :)

That's smart, never thought of that. I just bought the first book by a recommendation (yes, I'm also to 'just going ahead and buying the book' type ... ;) ).

Whoohoo, I reached 50, 2/3 in little more than 2/3 of the time. And my holiday is still coming (but while I selected two 500+ pages books and the holiday schedule looks busy, I don't think that really helps).

50. Logicomix by Apostolos Doxiadis
(originally Greek (?), read in Dutch, same title in English)

This is a really interesting comic book about the origin of logic, where the main character is Bertrand Russell. It tells about the main characters that contributed to logic and slightly tells about its importance for todays live (no logic, no computers!). Interesting, but not easy, history. There are ideas of which I heard before but I still need time to really understand them.

The book is drawn beautifully and although logic is not easy, the writers try to explain it to the layman. Highly recommended!

51. Het diner by Herman Koch
(Dutch, not translated (yet))

This book is popular in the Netherlands and I understand why. It's really a good read, with lots of humour in a terrible story. Two brothers and their wifes have a dinner and should discuss their sons, who killed a vagrant. Although it started as a 'game', it ended bad. An movies from the security camera have spread, but their children are not immediately recognizable. And one of the brothers is the next Prime Minister...

I totally disagree about the way the parent tread this, but the story is well told. An easy to read story, that makes you think. These parents are not stupid, how can they think of such a solution.

The setting is a way to expensive restaurant. A restaurant way over the top for the author. The funny remarks about this, give the story something light as it heads to turn heavy. I guess it will be translated in the near future.

Took the nerd test, and yes I am a nerd (as if I didn't know....)

52. De vrouw die met vuur speelde by Stieg Larsson
(originally Swedish, English: The girl who played with fire)

Normally when I start in a series, it takes forever to read the next part (Lord of the rings excluded). This time I decided to go on with part two of the Millenium trilogy a few weeks after part 1. And glad I did so. This book is totally different, as far as the story goes. The way characters are described is the same. And I like that, I'm happy to know so much more about Lisbeth Salander. Ans I really hoped that she didn't kill people, I never wanted to believe she did.

It was not according to my plan to go on directly with part 3, The girl who kicked the hornet's nest, but part 2 leaves to many things unanswered. So another 650 pages are waiting for me in the next coming days.

53. Gerechtigheid by Stieg Larsson
(originally Swedish, English: The girl who kicked the hornet's nest

After finishing part 2 I wanted to know how part 3 would end this existing story. It started good, but all the conspirancy and spying is not really my thing. I don't believe a court case like this will ever survive in real life. But no problem, the story is exiting and you want to know how it ends. Good end of the trilogy (and I like Lisbeth even more now).

#109: I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of that one here in the States!

Stasia, I can totally imagine. Part 2 asks to be followed immediately by part 3. I was quite happy I bought them together and could read on.

Well, I got a message from The Book Depository saying they would be shipping my pre-order of the book soon, so I am very glad!

54. De cementen tuin by Ian McEwan
(English: The cement garden)

Once in a while it's time for Ian McEwan. Although his books are always black and somehow scare me, they also attrack me. This time again. Four childeren, of whom first the father dies and shortly after that their mother. And because they don't want to be separated and life in an orphanage, they decide to hide their death. Not too difficult, as the family never has contact with people around.

Scary, and both hard to imagine as understandable how the childeren life on. Good book, I stay a fan of Ian McEwan.

#113: I have not read that one by McEwan. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

55. Land van sterren by Annie Caulfield
(Dutch translation of Kingdom of the film stars: journey into Jordan)

This is a book I only would recommend when travelling through Jordan, a light read about the country you're seeing. That's how I enjoyed the book. The country is beautiful and there is so much to see that you don't have time or energy to read something difficult. And a story about the culture in the country you're visiting then always works out.

The story itself is just another desperate love story between cultures (British girl and Jordan boy).

The book you can live without, visiting Jordan is a really terrific experience!

56. De toerist by Olen Steinhauer
(Dutch translation of The tourist)

A book with too much CIA and spying for me. This is something I will never understand and is also the reason I don't watch NCIS, CIA Miami or that kind of stories.

This book is the story about a spy, who is getting into problems. I didn't get the whole story (maybe to disinterested), but it is well written and read fast.

I guess it's a recommendation for the ones who like these kind of books. I will stick to detectives, cozy mysteries and literature.

I hope your next read is better for you!

Thanks Stasia. I will! Now I'm reading a couple of good reads:
- The history of Mr. Polly by. H.G. Wells
- Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson
- The tent by Margaret Atwood

And I've plans to start The cronicles of Narnia (only read the first book a few years ago.

Hmm, only 57 books read at the moment, wondering if I will make 18 books in 2 months... At least I've finished a large part of the pile with magazines recently. We'll see...

57. The history of Mr. Polly by H.G. Wells.

I never knew that H.G. Wells also wrote non-sci-fi books. So this read was different the expected. But no problem, still a book I liked. The life of Mr. Polly is not really something to covet. A bit of a depressed person, making the wrong choices and not always too friendly. His life story is interesing and includes bad and good times. And I wanted to know what will become of this guy.

#119: I have never heard of that one. I will check it out! Thanks for the recommendation.

58. Giraffe by J.M. Ledgard
(read in Dutch, English title is the same)

A few yours ago I read a review of this book on a website and it immediately took me. It took a while before I finally read the book, but it's worth it. The story is sad (and you know that from the beginning). Giraffes come to Czechoslovakia (1973) and are the largest group of giraffes living together in a zoo. Unfortunately, a virus comes among them in 1975, which might have an effect on the cattle. No need to tell what happens...

The book is written from different perspectives, seen through the eyes of the main characters. This makes it interesting, because you see things in different ways. Also the role of communism is large. The story is well told, highly recommended.

59. Wetlands by Charlotte Roche

Before I decided to buy this book I was slightly sceptic. The things I had read about it were not very promissing, but also made me curious. And I'm glad that I deciced to read it. Not because it's a fantastic good story, because it isn't. But it made me laugh and feel good. Helen is really dirty. And that for her age, only 18.

The story plays in a hospital, where Helen is because she shaved her bum and did that a little to good. Now surgery is needed to repair it. She is terribly un-hygienic and has a heavy sex life, especially for her age. But on the other hand she tries hard to get het divorced parents back together. Recommended if you need some fun and don't mind some dirty stories.

--------------

60. The tent by Margaret Atwood

Last year on of the books of Margaret Atwood was read in the Highly Rated Book Group. Then I decided not to join, as I was to busy and did already have so many unread books on my shelves. But the reaction triggered my attention for this writer.

The tent is a book with short stories. That still is something I'm not very good at. But the stories triggered me and I am planning to read more of her.

61. Candy for Christmas by Joanne Fluke
(additional story in Chocolate Chip Cookie Murder)

This weekend I spent to much time with playing with my new mobile phone and didn't take time to read. Well, I did read Candy for Christmas. Just a cozy Christmas story. No murder this time, but a teenager who ran away. A noce read in an evening. Now I should make the cookies in the receipes...

#123: I have tried a couple of Fluke's recipes and they turned out pretty well so give it a shot!

62. Mother Tongue by Bill Bryson

Bill Bryson is one of my favourite authors. I don't read much non-fiction, but his I always like. This book is about the history of English. How did it start, where do names and swearing come from, what about wordplay? It was a very interesting read. I hope something like this about Dutch exists...

63. The uncommon reader by Alan Bennett

A funny thin book for just in between. Fun to see the Queen finding a book in the driving library and then getting hooked to reading.

And the book also made me think about the low number of people that are readers.

#126: I really like that one. It is just a fun book!

Still wondering if I will ever reach 75 books before the end of the year, but I made some nice progress this week. Only 11 to go. But also busy weekends ahead. We will see...

64. Studio Zes by Liza Marklund
(orginally Swedish, read in Dutch, Studio Sex in English)

This book was already a year on my 'to read soon' list, and I finally read it. It's a good book, exciting untill the end and some things are unexpected (at least for me). A young temporary journalist got the task to describe a murder. She finds a lot of information, but can she stay at the newspaper? And is she right about the murderer?

Nicely written, good story -> recommended.

65. Lucky by Alice Sebold

This book I won last year in the Highly-Rated Book Group. A book I might never have got from the shelves else. But I glad I read it. It is really gripping.

Alice tells the story about how she was raped when she was 19. And about all the things that follow. Very factual. It's all so clear that there were moment I want to throw the book away angry.

A very gripping read with a story you all the time don't want to be true.

#129: I read Lucky when it first came out and I agree with you - a very gripping read.

based on your recommendations, I'm adding Giraffe and Mother Tongue to the wishlist. Mother Tongue should be particularly interesting since I'm studying English.

#131: Nice to hear that people start to read books due to my recommendations. Mother Tongue suits an English study quite well, I believe.

66. De eenzaamheid van de priemgetallen by Paolo Giordano
(originally Italian, in English translated as The solitude of prime numbers)

The title of this book already was intriguing and I was interested in something Italian, as Italy is a country I don't read much books from. The first two chapters already tell two sad stories and grip you immediately. You want to know more about the two main characters and if they have a connection.

The book has some heavy themes, like annorexia and automutilation. But it is good readable, hard to put away. It also is a dark, sad story, I felt sorry for the Alice and Mattia.

A recommended read.

I've seen The solitude of prime numbers at various times and wondered what it was like. Like you I was intrigued by the title. I'll add it to my tbr list.
I also finished the Millenium trilogy and agree that Bk2 needs to be followed immediately by Bk3 which I couldn't do at the time. The story races straight on and I had forgotten a few plot details and had to relearn the cast of characters. Still I enjoyed how everything tied up at the end. Salander was a great character to get to know through the three books.

#133: I am intrigued by the title as well. I will have to look for that one. Thanks for the recommendation!

alcottacre, it's definitely a must-read :)

67. Haanvroeg by L.H. Wiener

Just a thin in-between 'book' (story might be a better word). A nice way to get to know a writer. I now know I won't read more by him. The book is too much autobiografical about a moment in time (1960s) and a way of living (writer on university in bragging student clubs) I don't care about.
This story is quite sad, as it tells about a friend and rival who dies in his twenties.

68. Tien met stip by Janet Evanovich
(Dutch translation of Ten big ones)

Just an easy read. Beforehand you know it will be funny. And it was. And of course Stephanie gets into trouble again and has Morelli and Ranger to get her out. Still wondering about the woman who robbed a car full with crisps...

69. No country for old men by Cormac McCarthy

After reading The road last year I wanted to read more by this author. That was in the period that also the movie No country for old men was in the cinemas. It took me quite a while to start reading this, mainly because of the darkness and heaviness of The road.

But it was a good read. Dark again, starting in the middle of nowhere, with empty trucks and dead men. Moss comes buy and finds millions of dollars in one of the trucks. When he decides to keep it, he is hunted by two parties. Will it be possible to survive?

The book is heavy, but once you're in, you want to read more. Nice in between the main story, is the dairy of the sherrif, reflecting on the growing amount of violence in society.

70. Duits dienstmeisje by Simon Vestdijk
(not translated)

Another thin one. This is part of a longer book by Vestdijk, made it too a thin book. It's a story about two people foolishly in love, while they know it will never last. Not very special, just amusing.

#138: I have The Road home from the library now to read. I may give No Country for Old Men a try after that.

71. Blauwe maandagen by Arnon Grunberg
(originally Dutch, translated in English as Blue mondays)

Typically Dutch literature with too much (paid) sex in my opinion, a theme to be found among young Dutch writers in the '90s. The main charachter suffers from a lack of love and is unable to love himself. His father dies, after a long teenager, when he's a teenager. His mother is strange and still suffers from the War (it's a jewish family). Part of the story is autobiographical, I'm just wondering which part. This book didn't convince me to read more by Grunberg, but maybe his later work is better.

#141: Sounds like one I can safely miss. I hope your next read is better for you!

Hi Stasia,

I guess it will. Sometimes I just don't get why some writers get popular, although a book like this might work for people that hate to read and have to read literature at high school....

The following I've planned up to the end of the year (and which I will hit 75!):
- Jabberwocky and other poems by Lewis Carroll (almost finished)
- This old souse by Mary Daheim (just started, another cozy mystery)
- Cheese by Willem Elsschot (thin, an author I love, nice in the train home for X-mas (as the snow has melted enough by then and the trains drive))
- Glad ijs by Knut Naerum (about skating and politics, with a lot of humour (says the blurb).

Looking forward to all of them!

72. Jabberwocky and other poems by Lewis Carroll

I'm not really a poetry reader and/or lover. But I am a fan of Alice in Wonderland. So poems by Carroll suit me. I enjoyed the small stories that are told in the poems. I should find Through the looking glass somewhere....

73. Kaas by Willem Elsschot
(originally Dutch (Flemish), translated as Cheese

Willem Elsschot is one of my favorite authors. His stories always have something tragic, something in doing business that goes terribly wrong. This time with cheese. As the seller doesn't have experience, is busy bragging and decorating his office, while his son only sells a little cheese and he himself nothing.

Another good read, recommended.

#145: That one looks pretty good. I will see if I can locate a copy. Thanks for the recommendation!

74. This old souse by Mary Daheim

Another cozy mystery, one in the bed-and-breakfast series. By incident I started with number 20 of the series, but that doesn't really matter. The story won't happen for real, I guess, but it's nice to follow Renie and Judith being curious and looking for the murderer of the victim Judith finds in the trunk of her car.

A nice read on a rainy day!

#147: I would probably like that one since I enjoy the cozy mystery genre in general. I will look for some of Daheim's books. Thanks!

Stasia, I'm interested in what you think about it. I started to read cozy mysteries this year, and I'm afraid I got hooked.

Unfortunately, my local library does not have a copy of that one.

BTW - there is a Cozy Mysteries group here on LT if you are interested. They can be found here: http://www.librarything.com/groups/cozymysteries

Thanks for the link, I didn't know that! Unfortunate that your library doesn't have a Manheim...

The local library does have some of Daheim's books, just not the one you mentioned.

Whoohoo! I made it! Never thought in October that I would. But 9 hours before the end of the year I finished book 75!

75. Glad ijs by Knut Naerum.
(Orignally Norwegian, read Dutch translation, no idea if it translated into English)

I've a little bit a double feeling about this book. The idea and the first half of the book are great. During a speed skating tournament a Dutch skater falls, due to a falling Norwegian skater. Otherwise he would have won (and yes, skating is that important in both countries). Discussion about using drugs start between the countries, the situation worsens and the propaganda (Dutch morality seems to suck) is made. No other option than that it will end in a war....

The second half of the book is not that good. A lot of people, what makes it hard to follow everybody, special agencies that are in actuallity the reason for the war, by pointing fingers at different groups.

The idea is good and shows how easy war can start. But some things are highly exagerated, unfortunately.

I've started my 2010 topic:
http://www.librarything.com/topic/80556

Congratulations on reaching 75!

en de beste wensen voor 2010 :-)
Anita

Congrats!