Confessions of a Bookeater

Got wonderful books for Christmas *cackles*

Oooh, pretty. I love attractive sets.

i'm positively green with envy!

*cackles eeeevilly*

I love pretty sets and illustrated edtions, too... I had to have them, even if they contain books I have and have read... (and have been tortured with in school... but I guess they deserve a second chance)

*Oooooh, pretty!*

Ohh those look wonderful!!!

WOW that looks good!

But I dislike german editions between my other books, the title on the back is the other way....
We should have more German books to fill a whole shelf, so maybe you could donate this set to help out? ;-)
Anita

Glad to see you back with us! (Add me to the list of people green with envy, too.)

1. Sharpe's Honour by Bernard Cornwell

... yes, that's the one with the epic food fight in the convent kitchen.

True to form I start out with another Sharpe. I think I will again read a lot of 'Peninsular War' themed material, as well as works by contemporary authors. There are a few fantasy books lined up as well, but I don't think I'll read a lot of sf/f.

Sharpe Quote:

The rolling pin was tapped once into a huge hand. The woman, Sharpe thought, looked big enough to be Patrick Harper’s twin. It was a good job she had chosen the Church, he reflected, for otherwise she would have made some poor man’s life a flaming hell.

Heh. I love that!

Message 7.
When I am reading the titles of my books, Spanish intermixed with English and Chinese, I think of it as a 'neck exercise'- as I have to move it now one way, now the other to read the titles!

@ xieouyang

*grins* that's where the storage method of 'bookpile on floor' comes in handy!

2. Klassiker des Deutschen Humors

A collection of German Humorists from Wilhelm Busch ('Max and Moritz' published in 1865) to Christian Morgenstern ('Gallows Songs', 1905), Ringelnatz ('Kuttel Daddeldu', 1923) and Kurt Tucholsky (Die Weltbühne, 1918-1933)

A good collection of the different author's works.

3. Wallenstein by Friedrich Schiller (1799)

4. Die Geschichte des Fräuleins von Sternheim by Sophie von La Roche (1771)

5. Reise in die Äquinoktial-Gegenden des neuen Kontinents; Vom Orinoko zum Amazonas by Alexander von Humboldt (1799)

6. Die Elfen by Bernhard Hennen

*blushes*

I lost track of what I've been reading...

oh, well.

I'll just post what I read the last few weeks and not worry about the rest...

-Elbenzorn by Susanne Gerdom

-Das Königshaus der Monster by Jonathan Barnes

-Die Legenden der Albae: Gerechter Zorn by Markus Heitz

-Shades of Grey by Jasper Fforde

-Bad Science by Ben Goldacre

-Last Argument Of Kings: The First Law: Book Three: Book Three of the First Law: … by Joe Abercrombie

-Before They Are Hanged: The First Law: Book Two by Joe Abercrombie

-The Blade Itself: Book One Of The First Law (Gollancz S.F.) by Joe Abercrombie

-Jenseitsreisen: Wir bringen Sie über den Jordan. Mit detailiertem Routenpla… by Achim Szymanski

-Sharpe's Enemy, Honour, Regiment

wow. you have right to be so proud . rainbow book types.

#15: Wow! What a great list of books.

@jenniebooks: rainbow book types?

- Sharpe's Siege by Bernhard Cornwell

- He Walked Around the Horses by H. Beam Piper

How was He Walked Around the Horses? I read Piper's Fuzzy books last year and really liked them.

For me, very amusing as it's an Alternate History story dealing with the main 'players' of the Napoleonic Wars. I think if you don't know who the 'real' people are it's not much fun.

For example, von Stein is the Minister of Agriculture and Canning a member of the opposition party ;)

ah, and Napolione Buonaparte's loyalty to the French Monarchy has never been questioned!

I will have to look for it! Thanks for the additional info.

- Werkstatt des Lebens: Durch die Sinne zum Sinn. Ein Werk-, Lehr- und Spielbuch by Otto Schärli

- Entfaltung der Sinne: Ein Erfahrungsfeld zur Bewegung und Besinnung by Hugo Kükelhaus

...to prepare for a visit to the Erfahrungsfeld Schloss Freudenberg

#23: The Schoss sounds like a cool place to visit. Have a great time!

- Der Prophet by Khalil Gibran

... food for thought.

- Kydd by Julian Stockwin

... brain candy.

- The Hussar by George Robert Gleig

Total Immersion (English)

and

Total Immersion (German translation)

Don't buy the book, get the DVD.

I bought the English book first, then struggled with the drills and exercises, became frustrated, bought the German version, read that - I thought there must be someting I just missed by reading in English - struggled more and became really frustrated... and then bought the DVD. Feel better now. Much better.

- Hannibal by Gisbert Haefs

- Reisegeschichten by Ephraim Kishon
- Northanger Abby by Jane Austen
- Sharpe's Revenge by Bernard Cornwell

- Anathem by Neal Stephenson

It's awesome. I've loved Stephenson from book one, and really enjoyed picking up the thread again. All the recurrent themes are there, plus more philosophy. Despite this 'heavy workload' it's an easy, enyoyable read, where it's a lot of fun to figure out who or what the author is referring to. What I partivularly liked is that the story is more centered on the theory and science than the Baroque Cycle, which I thought go too lost in it's characters.

Great, great read.

And now I have a hankering for really well founded (as in sound physics and mechanics) in-space sf...

#30: I own that one. I guess I better get to it soon! Glad to know that you found it a great read.

Thieves' World Aftermath by Robert Asprin

Re-visting old haunts... you have no idea how hard it is to get your hands on English out-of-print books over here...

It's old, it's tie-in, it's a shambles... it's Sanctuary.

No overachieving adolescents, no bright heros, no overcome 'faults' of personality; oh, there are heros, there is magic, there are inescapable destinies, but it's all tempered by the inevitable general human fail ;)

A very refreshing contrast to most recent fantasy, I think.

#30 - Hi. Someone recently recommended Anathem to me, but I didn't realise there were ones that came before it - what do you think I need to read before this one? Thanks, Janet

Ah, sorry I confused you! It's not a series; in fact Stephenson very much writes standalones (The Baroque Cycle excluded). I meant the underlying ideas e.g. programming (both computers and brains), coding, viral information, informational hygiene, human behavioral traits, pattern recognition...

Oh, good, I can stick to my reading plan, then. thanks!

Heckengeflüster by Rose Blight

Fun! Guerrilla gardening! I actually bought this for my mother as she is having a serious attack of gardening, but I started leafing through it and... *GRINS*

"Guerilla gardening?" What exactly is that?

*grins* it's gardening satire... which rose shreds trespassers into a bloody mess or which plant causes boils on wall-climbing children! It's really fun. I think I'll ask my mother to plant some of these near the fence that faces the playgound... I've had rabbits and guinea pigs stolen in the past ;)

Gardening satire - I like the sounds of that, lol!

Thieves' World: Uneasy Alliances by Robert Asprin

Bill Bryson African Diary by Bill Bryson

*wanders off to donate to care*

The Last Hero by Terry Pratchett


Stimmt's? by Christoph Drösser


Mit Kompass und Korsett by Bärbel Arenz


A British Rifle Man by George Simmons

#42: How is A British Rifle Man? That looks like one I would enjoy.

Oh, somehow I've missed the George Simmons memoirs! I've either read, or have in the TBR, memoirs from Harry Smith, John Kincaid and Benjamin Harris, so I shall definitely add this one to the pile. Thanks!

sorry, was internetless... it's a good read. The work was assembled by Willoughby VErner (author of "The History of the Rifle Brigade"). Each chapter contains an exerpt of 'Napier's History of the War in the Peninsula' to give you and idea what is going on in the Campain, Simmons journal entries of the given time and one or two letters to his parents.

As they are 'real' journal entries and observations in the letters, the reader remains very focused on what is happening to Simmons (and to some extend his brothers), while not getting involved in the 'bigger picture' of the whole theater of war. (Very much in contrast to other autors, who have re-arranged and edited their journals and diaries to present a more global picture *cough*Leach*cough*)

Thanks for the input! I will look for the Simmons book.

I hope your internet is up for good now :)

- Ich trink Ouzo, was trinkst Du so? by Stella Bettermann *grins* preparing for my summer holiday...

- Frivolous Cupid by Anthony Trollope

-World game (Doctor Who) by Terrance Dicks

-Mademoiselle Laurence by Heinrich Heine

- Schnee by Orhan Pamuk - weird. Very strange. I'd really like to talk to a 'real' Turk or muslim or inhabitant of Kars about it...

- Stoppelland: Ein Fall für Kommissar Klaus Kattenstroht by Hans-Peter Boer - run of the mill whodunnit with ethnic touches


- Garou: Ein Schaf-Thriller by Leonie Swann - sequel of Glennkill. Not as charming as Glenkill, I guess the idea of sheep-detctives isn't 'new' any more, but still wonderfully sheepy.

- Deutschland. Ein Wintermärchen by Heinrich Heine

- Lausbubengeschichten by Ludwig Thoma

- Die Macht des Blutes by Miguel de Cervantes

- Sharpe's Waterloo by Bernhard Cornwell

One of these days I must get back to the Sharpe series!

Yes! AND watch the series... it's a lot of fun to compare and laugh at the differences! AND how they manage to make the largest battle like a skirmish! AND to mercilessly rip the 'not founded in book!canon' episodes! AND there is the Sharpe drinking game...

I have never watched the TV series. I have just read the first couple of books. I will have to check and see if the video series is available from Netflix.

Definitely try to have a look at the TV series, Stasia: the programmes are excellent, even though there are discrepancies with the books.

yes, they are a lot of fun to watch! *cough* you might want to avoid the 'Gold' episode though... ;)

#55: Why?

errr... *laughs* it's... um...

It has Aztecs.

http://community.livejournal.com/look_sharpe/150728.html

#57: OK, I think I will skip that one!

- Russendisko by Wladimir Kaminer

Reading a lot of job-related books... v. boring for non-vets :/

Neue Ausflüge in die Geschichte Hessens: Eine Reise durch zwei Jahrtausende by Nicolas Wolz

Platon im Stripteaselokal by Umberto Eco

- Rosen für Apoll. Die Geschichte der Griechen by Joachim Fernau

- Faust 1 by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

- Blood Ties (Thieves' World, No 9) by Robert Asprin

- Sharpe's Devil by Bernard Cornwell

- Seaflower by Julian Stockwin

I'm sad to say that I won't read any other books of the series. It's an interesting idea to have your protagonist before the mast, but the writing is just not good...

The characters remain bloodless and one dimensional, the passage of time is treated with disdain, secondary characters pop up out of no-where, the 'seamen lingo' is so butchered that it's at times incomprehensible to non native speakers and largely made up to boot (yes, I did try to look it up).

#64: OK, one I can safely skip!

I hope your next read is a much better one!

I suppose Kent, Forrester and o'Brian did set the bar very high...

Yes, they did!

- Samoa. Die Perle der Südsee by Otto E. Ehlers

- Historien by Herodot

- And Another Thing ... by Eoin Colfer

- Mord im Garten des Sokrates by Sascha Berst

- Die dreizehnte Stunde by Philippa Pearce

- Englische Passagiere by Matthew Kneale

#68: I enjoyed English Passengers. I hope you did too.

@ alcottacre

Oh yes, very much. Definitely a must read and on my list of favourite books! Whereas

- The Painted Man by Peter Brett is just crap.

*mutters* that'll teach me to listen to the recs of younger male salesclerks again...

LOL!

- Der gestiefelte Kater / Märchen aus dem "Phantasus" by Ludwig Tieck (1797 - 1816)

- Sharpe's Trafalgar and Sharpe's Skirmish by Bernard Cornwell

- The Castle of Otrano by Horace Walpole (1764)

#72: I still need to read The Castle of Otranto!

It's epic! *snickers*

*coughs* and *pulls self together*

It's very early Gothic and Phantastic, which translates to very kitschy and cliched for us modern readers ;) but, like 'The Monk' hugely successful and an expression of the 'spirit of the time'. (I hope I'm making any sense)

#74: Yeah, I know it is kitschy and cliched, but since it is given the nod as the first true 'gothic' novel, I think I should at least read it.

- Geht das Wasser um die ganze Insel?: Lustiges und Amüsantes rund um Urlaub... by Frank Thiele

- Unser Jahrhundert by Helmut Schmidt and Fritz Stern

- Das Königsgrab by Elizabeth Peters

- Sharpe's Prey by Bernard cornwell

That will be all for the next couple of weeks, though. I won't be reading but writing! *is very exited*

Good luck with the writing!!

Last post till December!

- Lord Peter - The Complete Lord Peter Wimsey Stories by Dorothy L. Sayers

- Mieterrechte und Mieterpflichten: Tipps und Ratschläge zu Alltagsfragen. and

- Geld sparen beim Umzug: Kündigung, Kaution, Makler, Abstand. both by Deutscher Mieterbund

Well, wherever you are going for November, I hope you have a great time!

To NaNo-land! ;)

NaNoWriMo