MissWatson books a score of Richards – the last arrest

Tämä viestiketju jatkaa tätä viestiketjua: MissWatson books a score of Richards – the second arrest.

Keskustelu2020 Category Challenge

Liity LibraryThingin jäseneksi, niin voit kirjoittaa viestin.

MissWatson books a score of Richards – the last arrest

1MissWatson
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 20, 2020, 3:13 am

Hi, I'm Birgit, I live on the Baltic coast of Germany and this is my seventh year in the challenge. As always, I hope to reduce the TBR, but most likely I'll end up with more books in December than I had in January. Now that bookshops are open again, I have been splurging.

My favourite name for boys has always been Richard, ever since I had my first literary crush on the Lionheart. To mark the year 2020, I have assembled a score of Richards to head my categories. I want to read at least three books in each category.

I have decided to make a small change in the rules: finding books that fit more than one category is fun, and since we have so many interesting KITs this year, it would be a shame to waste such opportunities. Thus, overlap between the main CATs is not allowed, but with the KITS, Bingo and any other challenge I may decide to participate in.

2MissWatson
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 25, 2020, 5:02 am



Thorin Oakenshield. 'nough said. I have taken quite a few BBs for this genre over the years and I hope to read some of them, at last.

January: a book you meant to read last year
End as a hero by Keith Laumer

March: Series
Best served cold by Joe Abercrombie

April: time travel
Herr Mozart wacht auf by Eva Baronsky

June: Aliens
Invasion: Earth by Harry Harrison

August: female writers
Mil euros por tu vida by Elia Barceló

September: International authors
Prinzessin Brambilla by ETA Hoffmann

October: classics
The moon is a harsh mistress by Robert A. Heinlein

November: dystopia
Shovel ready by Adam Sternbergh
Near enemy by Adam Sternbergh

Not really fitting in any month:
Qualityland 2.0 : Kikis Geheimnis by Marc-Uwe Kling

3MissWatson
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 18, 2020, 5:45 am



One for all, and all for one! He was a very convincing Aramis in the Lester (oh, another Richard here!) version of the Musketeers. And he was wonderful in the Iron Mask. (The Count of Monte Cristo doesn't count. Weird wig.)

1. The Bertrams by Anthony Trollope
2. Le Rouge et le Noir by Stendhal
3. Strong poison by Dorothy L. Sayers
4. Hangman's holiday by Dorothy L. Sayers
5. Murder must advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers

4MissWatson
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 5, 2020, 4:42 am



A great knight, not a great king, by all accounts, but who cares about that at twelve? I'll be re-reading old favourites here.

1. Whose body? by Dorothy L. Sayers
2. Clouds of witness by Dorothy L. Sayers
3. Unnatural death by Dorothy L. Sayers
4. Astérix le gaulois by Goscinny and Uderzo
5. Astérix aux jeux olympiques by Goscinny and Uderzo
6. Lord Peter views the body by Dorothy L. Sayers
7. Shovel ready by Adam Sternbergh

5MissWatson
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 24, 2020, 6:23 am



He was an American dancer and created the roles of Romeo and Petrucchio in two famous John Cranko ballets in Stuttgart. And you can't get more classic than Shakespeare, can you?

1. Die Pest in Bergamo by Jens Peter Jacobsen
2. Castle Richmond by Anthony Trollope
3. Mémoires de deux jeunes mariées by Honoré de Balzac
4. Der Zauberberg by Thomas Mann
5. Il gattopardo by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
6. Billy Budd, foretopman by Herman Melville

6MissWatson
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 26, 2020, 2:46 am



C. Northcote Parkinson wrote his PhD dissertation on trade in the Eastern Seas during the French Wars, and he turned this to very good account in his novels about Richard Delancey, RN. This is for the many seafaring books on my shelves.

1. Billy Budd, foretopman by Herman Melville
2. The eyes of the fleet by Anthony Price

7MissWatson
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 26, 2020, 2:47 am



He is famous for his lectures on physics, so a perfect face for the non-fiction CAT.

Hosting August: history

January: journalism
Breaking News by Alan Rusbridger

February: travel
Reise nach Arabien by Thorkild Hansen

March: biography
Die Herrscher Sachsens by Frank-Lothar Kroll

April: Law and order
Die Inquisition by Gerd Schwerhoff

May: Science
The invention of nature by Andrea Wulf

June: Society
Kulturgeschichte des Klimas by Wolfgang Behringer
Grubengold by Franz-Josef Brüggemeier

July: Human science
Sapiens : A brief history of humankind by Noah Yuval Harari

August: History
Die Geschichte des Alten China by Monique Nagel-Angermann

September: Religion and Philosophy
Götter und Kulte der Germanen by Rudolf Simek

October: Arts
Die 101 wichtigsten Fragen: Deutsche Literatur by Oliver Jahraus
Die Kunst der Spätantike by Paul Veyne

November: Food, Home and Recreation
Wiener Küche by Susanne Zimmel
Porcelain by Suzanne L. Marchand

December: Adventures by land, sea or air
The eyes of the fleet by Anthony Price

8MissWatson
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 23, 2020, 7:06 am



He was an Austrian artist, an early expressionist. I confess that he appears here because I needed a name for my Austrian category. His works can be seen in the Leopold Museum in Vienna.

1. Das schwarze Band by Alex Beer
2. Die Schrecken des Eises und der Finsternis by Christoph Ransmayr
3. Die Geschichte der 1002. Nacht by Joseph Roth
4. Die rote Frau by Alex Beer

9MissWatson
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 27, 2020, 4:51 am



He was the founder of modern German egyptology, participated in a Prussian expedition to Egypt in 1842-45 and was a director of the Egyptian Museum in Berlin. I won't confine myself to ancient Egypt, though.

1. Kochen mit den Römern by Linda-Marie Günther
2. Trier : Biographie einer römischen Stadt by Frank Unruh

10MissWatson
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 27, 2020, 5:07 am



I remember him as playing villains in Hollywood and usually ending up on the losing side. But he did so with true grandeza. I'm trying again to read books in Spanish.

1. El secreto del orfebre by Elia Barceló
2. Historia de una gaviota y del gato que le enseñó a volar by Luis Sepúlveda
3. Cuentos míticos latinoamericanos by Osvaldo Calle Quiñonez
4. Mil euros por tu vida by Elia Barceló

11MissWatson
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 20, 2020, 3:17 am



Dr Oetker is a privately held family company based in foods, but with subsidiaries in many other fields. Richard Oetker was the head of the holding company until 2019. He was kidnapped and held for ransom in 1976 which left him with severe injuries.

1. The slave trade by Hugh Thomas
2. Grubengold by Franz-Josef Brüggemeier
3. The next world and the new world: Relief, migration, and the Great Irish Famine by Cormac Ó Gráda
4. Die Hanse by Rolf Hammel-Kiesow
5. Porcelain by Suzanne L. Marchand

12MissWatson
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 17, 2020, 4:49 am



He founded the Ohnsorg Theatre in Hamburg which performs plays in the local dialect. Variations of Low German are still spoken all over Northern Germany. This is the place for books set in Hamburg, Schleswig-Holstein or Mecklenburg-Vorpommern, or written by local authors.

1. Tod in der Speicherstadt by Anja Marschall
2. Das kosmische Kind by 8Wolfgang Seehaber
3. Leichte Sprache als funktionale Varietät der Verständlichkeit by Julia Düver
4. Der Nordseespuk by Tilman Spreckelsen
5. Historia de una gaviota y del gato que le enseñó a volar by Luis Sepúlveda
6. Der Nordseeschwur by Tilman Spreckelsen
7. Die Nordseefalle by Tilman Spreckelsen
8. Die Schätze des Bischofs by Barbara Meyer
9. Konzert ohne Dichter by Klaus Modick
10. Thomas Mann by Klaus Schröter

13MissWatson
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 3, 2020, 3:23 am



My usual reading fare is based in Europe and Western culture, generally speaking. I would like to give more houseroom to different ethnicities, countries, continents, cultures. Little Richard will watch over my GeoCAT readings, and I hope to find time for the TravelKIT.

Hosting July: South America

January: Asia I
A very pukka murder by Arjun Raj Gaind
The Strangler Vine by M.J. Carter

February: Europe
Astérix et la Transitalique by Ferri/Conrad
Das kunstseidene Mädchen by Irmgard Keun

March: Northern Africa and the Middle East
Die Spur by Nagib Machfus

April: Australia, New Zealand, Oceania
In the wet by Nevil Shute

May: A place you want to go
Geschichte Tschechiens by Joachim Bahlcke

June: Space
Planet of no return by Harry Harrison
Invasion: Earth by Harry Harrison

July: South America
Conquistadoren und Azteken by Stefan Rinke
Cuentos míticos latinoamericanos by Osvaldo Calle Quiñonez
Die Konquistadoren by Vitus Huber
Die Welt der Azteken by William H. Prescott

August: East Asia
Balzac et la Petite Tailleuse chinoise by Dai Sijie

September: Arctic and Polar Regions
Die Schrecken des Eises und der Finsternis by Christoph Ransmayr

October: UK, US, Canada
Beat the reaper by Josh Bazell
Murder Must Advertise by Dorothy L. Sayers
Wild thing by Josh Bazell

November: Africa
Eine Frage der Zeit by Alex Capus
Unter dem Frangipanibaum by Mia Couto

January TravelKIT: City vs Country
Le jour d'avant by Sorj Chalandon

February TravelKIT: In translation
Reise nach Arabien by Thorkild Hansen

March TravelKIT: Tourist Meccas
Ein Winter in Wien by Petra Hartlieb
L'écluse N° 1 by Georges Simenon

April TravelKIT: relates to a place where you do not live
Ourika by Claire de Duras
In the wet by Nevil Shute
Herr Mozart wacht auf by Eva Baronsky

June TravelKIT: Legendary places
Le Mont-St-Michel et l'énigme du dragon by Jean Markale

July TravelKIT: Myths and legends from around the world
Cuentos míticos latinoamericanos by Osvaldo Calle Quiñonez
Enemy of God by Bernard Cornwell

September TravelKIT: Festivals and events
Prinzessin Brambilla by ETA Hoffmann

October TravelKIT: Food and drink
Elsässer Erbschaften by Jean Jacques Laurent
Elsässer Sünden by Jean Jacques Laurent

November TravelKIT: Living in a new country
Das Phantom des Alexander Wolf by Gaito Gasdanow

December TravelKIT: related to a place you'd like to visit
Ein dänischer Winter by Sanne Jellings

14MissWatson
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 14, 2020, 5:07 am



He was the first duke of Normandy, who established the Benedictine order on Mont Saint-Michel to replace the monks already there. I'm planning to continue with the Rougon-Macquart cycle, but we all know what happens to plans…

So here's the list of the cycle in Zola's recommended reading order.
La fortune des Rougon done
Son Excellence Eugène Rougon done
La curée done
L'argent
Le rêve
La conquête de Plassans
Pot-Bouille
Au bonheur des dames
La faute de l'Abbé Mouret
Une page d'amour
Le ventre de Paris
La joie de vivre
L'assommoir
L'œuvre
La bête humaine
Germinal
Nana
La terre
La débâcle
Le docteur Pascal

1. Le jour d'avant by Sorj Chalandon
2. La fille de Vercingétorix by Ferri/Conrad
3. Tamango by Prosper Mérimée
4. Le petit Nicolas et les copains by Sempé&Goscinny
5. Le Mont-St-Michel et l'énigme du dragon by Jean Markale
6. Balzac et la Petite Tailleuse chinoise by Dai Sijie
7. Mémoires de deux jeunes mariées by Honoré de Balzac
8. On a marché sur la lune by Hergé

15MissWatson
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 27, 2020, 5:10 am



Georgette Heyer has an amazing number of veterans of the Peninsular War in her Regency novels, but I never knew of any "boy" books set there – until Bernard Cornwell came along and presented a hero after my own heart.

"Salt of the earth, good sergeants, salt of the earth. But I'll be damned if I'll see them promoted." (Dear Arthur, how wrong you were!)

The plan is to read the books CS Forester and AC Doyle wrote about this war.

1. The exploits of Brigadier Gerard by AC Doyle

16MissWatson
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 23, 2020, 7:07 am



Ringo Starr always seemed to be the Beatle who was in it for the fun of making music with friends. And because RandomCat is always fun, here he comes.

January: New Year Resolutions
Der Herr aus San Francisco by Ivan Bunin

February: Published in a leap year
Blutsbrüder by Ernst Haffner

March: Seasons of Love
Ein Winter in Wien by Petra Hartlieb

April: Showers and Flowers
The white rose murders by Michael Clynes

May: Believe in Your Shelf
Beau Geste by P.C. Wren
Der Mann vom Pecos by Lee Hoffman

June: Take to the sea
Der Nordseespuk by Tilman Spreckelsen

July: Picture this!
Die Geschichte von Herrn Sommer by Patrick Süskind

August: Get your groove on!
Wer hat Angst vor Mister Werwolf? by Jörg Hilbert/ Felix Janosa

September: Reccies!
Rotes Gold by Tom Hillenbrand

October: Healthcare Heroes
Arztroman by Kristof Magnusson

November: Lest we forget
Für fremde Kaiser und kein Vaterland by Klas E. Everwyn
Das Phantom des Alexander Wolf by Gaito Gasdanow

December: Goodbye 2020
Die Geschichte der 1002. Nacht by Joseph Roth
Ein dänischer Winter by Sanne Jellings
Die 101 wichtigsten Fragen : Urzeit by Friedemann Schrenk
Gaudy Night by Dorothy L. Sayers
Alles Mythos! 20 populäre Irrtümer über die Wikinger by Claudia Banck
Die rote Frau by Alex Beer

17MissWatson
Muokkaaja: tammikuu 5, 2021, 7:50 am



He was the nephew of Margarethe Steiff and is credited with the design of the famous teddybear, model PB55 in 1902. Wikipedia had no photo of Richard Steiff or the original bear, so one of my own bears steps in. His name is Richard Sean (guess why) and he was made by my sister.

1. Kurt : Wer möchte schon ein Einhorn sein? by Chantal Schreiber
2. Little women by Louisa May Alcott
3. A wrinkle in time by Madeleine L'Engle
4. Die seltene Gabe by Andreas Eschbach
5. The lantern bearers by Rosemary Sutcliff
6. Die Muskeltiere und der fliegende Herr Robert by Ute Krause
7. Teddy Brumm by Nils Werner and Heinz Behling
8. Das Frühstücksmärchen by Fredrik Vahle/Leonard Erlenbruch
9. Rodrigo Raubein und Knirps sein Knappe by Michael Ende/Wieland Freund
10. Kurt – EinHorn kommt selten allein by Chantal Schreiber
11. Gina kommt zum Film by Margarete Fronau
12. Wenn das kein Weihnachten ist! by Hilke Rosenboom

18MissWatson
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 27, 2020, 4:55 am



Strauss' operas are not among my favourites (I prefer Vivaldi and Händel), but since I cannot abide Richard Wagner, he gets to head my category for books about music and musicians.

1. Herr Mozart wacht auf by Eva Baronsky

19MissWatson
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 22, 2020, 3:14 am



The Weizsäcker family have long been prominent in politics and science. Richard von Weizsäcker was German president from 1984–1994 and presided over re-unification.

1. Die Orient-Mission des Leutnant Stern by Jakob Hein
2. Vergessene Kulturen der Weltgeschichte by Harald Haarmann
3. Les années sanglantes by Simone Bertière
4. Giganten der Gotik by Martin Papirowski and Susanne Spröer
5. Orden und Klöster by Georg Schwaiger and Manfred Heim
6. Tambora und das Jahr ohne Sommer by Wolfgang Behringer
7. Verschwörung des Schweigens by Gaston de Béarn
8. Fräulein Nettes kurzer Sommer by Karen Duve
9. Die Reichsgründung 1870/71 by Michael Epkenhans
10. Alles Mythos! 20 populäre Irrtümer über die Wikinger by Claudia Banck

20MissWatson
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 4, 2020, 6:40 am



He played quite a number of villains in his time, one of the scariest ever in Kiss of Death. This is the place for mysteryKIT. I may also join the ScaredyKIT occasionally if I have a book on my TBR for it.

Hosting May: novel to screen

January: historical mysteries
1. Der nasse Fisch by Volker Kutscher
2. A very pukka murder by Arjun Raj Gaind
3. The Strangler Vine by M.J. Carter

February: furry detectives
1. Garou by Leonie Swann

March: Golden Age
1. Un crime en Hollande by Georges Simenon
2. L'écluse N° 1 by Georges Simenon
3. Unnatural death by Dorothy L. Sayers

April: Espionage
1. The Dark Frontier by Eric Ambler

May: Novel to screen
1. The unpleasantness at the Bellona Club by Dorothy L. Sayers

June: Police procedural / Private investigator
1. Der Nordseespuk by Tilman Spreckelsen

July: Genre mashup
1. Bretonische Spezialitäten by Jean-Luc Bannalec
2. Footsteps in the dark by Georgette Heyer

August: International
1. Das schwarze Band by Alex Beer
2. Bretonisch mit Meerblick by Gabriela Kasperski

September: series
1. Rotes Gold by Tom Hillenbrand
2. Kupferglanz by Leena Lehtolainen

October: New to you
1. Im Schatten der Pineta by Marco Malvaldi
2. Elsässer Erbschaften by Jean Jacques Laurent
3. Elsässer Sünden by Jean Jacques Laurent
4. Beat the reaper by Josh Bazell

November: Noir/gumshoe
1. Shovel ready by Adam Sternbergh
2. Near enemy by Adam Sternbergh
3. Red harvest by Dashiell Hammett

December: cozies
1. Mord im Santa-Express by Jan Beinßen

ScaredyKIT
April: Paranormal Die seltene Gabe by Andreas Eschbach
May: Occult Das kosmische Kind by Wolfgang Seehaber
June: Legendary creatures Empire of ivory by Naomi Novik
July: Femmes Fatales Footsteps in the dark by Georgette Heyer
Das Gedächtnis der Insel by Christian Buder
August: Serial Killers Die Nordseefalle by Tilman Spreckelsen

21MissWatson
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 27, 2020, 4:56 am



He was a professor of Chinese studies, worked as a missionary in China for many years and his translations of important philosophical works are still in use today.
Since China is such an important player in the world (again), I feel the need to know more about the country.

1. Balzac et la Petite Tailleuse chinoise by Dai Sijie

22MissWatson
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 12, 2020, 4:17 pm



Possible books for challenging squares:
Year of my birth: La semaine sainte; Things fall apart; The king must die; Gattopardo

1: Die Muskeltiere und der fliegende Herr Robert by Ute Krause
2: Wild thing by Josh Bazell
3: Garou by Leonie Swann
4: Ein Winter in Wien by Petra Hartlieb
5: Ourika by Claire de Duras
6: Mémoires de deux jeunes mariées by Honoré de Balzac
7: Rotes Gold by Tom Hillenbrand
8: The Bertrams by Anthony Trollope
9: Der nasse Fisch by Volker Kutscher
10: Grubengold by Franz-Josef Brüggemeier
11: Le Mont-St-Michel et l'énigme du dragon by Jean Markale
12: The Strangler Vine by M.J. Carter
13: A very pukka murder by Arjun Raj Gaind
14: Il gattopardo by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
15: El secreto del orfebre by Elia Barceló
16: Prinzessin Brambilla by ETA Hoffmann
17: Planet of no return by Harry Harrison
18: Bretonische Spezialitäten by Jean-Luc Bannalec
19: Tambora und das Jahr ohne Sommer by Wolfgang Behringer
20: Astérix le gaulois by Goscinny and Uderzo
21: Konzert ohne Dichter by Klaus Modick
22: Kupferglanz by Leena Lehtolainen
23: Reise nach Arabien by Thorkild Hansen
24: Empire of Ivory by Naomi Novik
25: Breaking News by Alan Rusbridger

23MissWatson
Muokkaaja: tammikuu 5, 2021, 7:52 am

As in previous years, I intend to track the number of pages read per month.




January page count: 2,913
February page count: 2,893
March page count: 3,263
April page count: 3,296
May page count: 3,348
June page count: 2,303
July page count: 3,325
August page count: 1,969
September page count: 2,697
October page count: 3,104
November page count: 2,971
December page count: 3,325

24MissWatson
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 24, 2020, 6:25 am

No matter how ambitious my challenge here, I am always tempted by something else. Here's room for whatever takes my fancy in 2020.

I just had a peek at the 2020 Popsugar Challenge, and it has some very, well, challenging prompts. The advanced section is particularly inventive, I think. There's also some interesting overlap with our challenges here, so I'll have a go at it:

1. A book that's published in 2020 Bretonische Spezialitäten by Jean-Luc Bannalec
2. A book by a trans or nonbinary author
3. A book with a great first line
4. A book about a book club
5. A book set in a city that has hosted the Olympics Blutsbrüder by Ernst Haffner
6. A bildungsroman Balzac et la Petite Tailleuse chinoise by Dai Sijie
7. The first book you touch on a shelf with your eyes closed
8. A book with an upside-down image on the cover Herr Mozart wacht auf by Eva Baronsky
9. A book with a map Tod in der Speicherstadt by Anja Marschall
10. A book recommended by your favorite blog, vlog, podcast, or online book club
11. An anthology
12. A book that passes the Bechdel test
13. A book with the same title as a movie or TV show but is unrelated to it The dark frontier by Eric Ambler
14. A book by an author with flora or fauna in their name Beau Geste by P.C. Wren
15. A book published the month of your birthday Billy Budd, foretopman by Herman Melville
16. A book about or by a woman in STEM A wrinkle in time by Madeleine L'Engle
17. A book that won an award in 2019 Fräulein Nettes kurzer Sommer by Karen Duve
18. A book on a subject you know nothing about Le Mont-St-Michel et l'énigme du dragon by Jean Markale
19. A book with only words on the cover, no images or graphics Der Herr aus San Francisco by Ivan Bunin
20. A book with a pun in the title Die Muskeltiere und der fliegende Herr Robert by Ute Krause
21. A book featuring one of the seven deadly sins Best served cold by Joe Abercrombie
22. A book with a robot, cyborg, or Al character The moon is a harsh mistress by Robert A. Heinlein
23. A book with a bird on the cover The invention of nature by Andrea Wulf
24. A fiction or nonfiction book about a world leader
25. A book with "gold," "silver," or "bronze" in the title Grubengold by Franz-Josef Brüggemeier
26. A book by a WOC
27. A book with at least a four-star rating on Goodreads Little Women by Louisa May Alcott
28. A book you meant to read in 2019 Tambora und das Jahr ohne Sommer by Wolfgang Behringer
29. A book about or involving social media Qualityland 2.0 : Kikis Geheimnis by Marc-Uwe Kling
30. A book that has a book on the cover
31. A medical thriller Beat the reaper by Josh Bazell
32. A book with a made-up language
33. A book set in a country beginning with "C"
34. A book you picked because the title caught your attention Historia de una gaviota y del gato que le enseñó a volar by Luis Sepúlveda
35. A book with a three-word title Clouds of witness by Dorothy L. Sayers
36. A book with a pink cover
37. A Western Der Mann vom Pecos by Lee Hoffman
38. A book by or about a journalist Breaking News by Alan Rusbridger
39. Read a banned book during Banned Books Week
40. Your favorite prompt from a past POPSUGAR Reading Challenge

Advanced
1. A book written by an author in their 20s
2. A book with "20" or "twenty" in the title Alles Mythos! 20 populäre Irrtümer über die Wikinger by Claudia Banck
3. A book with a character with a vision impairment or enhancement (a nod to 20/20 vision)
4. A book set in Japan, host of the 2020 Olympics
5. A book set in the 1920s Der nasse Fisch by Volker Kutscher
6. A book by an author who has written more than 20 books Invasion: Earth by Harry Harrison
7. A book with more than 20 letters in its title Conquistadoren und Azteken by Stefan Rinke
8. A book published in the 20th century Reise nach Arabien by Thorkild Hansen
9. A book from a series with more than 20 books Mémoires de deux jeunes mariées by Honoré de Balzac
10. A book with a main character in their 20s The Strangler Vine by M.J. Carter

25MissWatson
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 27, 2020, 5:05 am

So here we are in the final thread for this year. Time to look at my categories. Some have filled up nicely, others look threadbare. It's always interesting to see how actual reading deviates from the plan. I think the pandemic has thrown things off course more than usual.

Still, I'm on a good way to fill the Bingo and will make time for at least one book for the seafaring books.

I'm looking forward to your company!

26NinieB
syyskuu 27, 2020, 8:09 am

Happy new thread! On your Bingo, I read The Eyre Affair last year, and when I think of it now, the words that come to mind are "charmingly whimsical".

27rabbitprincess
syyskuu 27, 2020, 10:12 am

Happy new thread! I have a bio of Little Richard on my shelves that I hope to get to this month: The Big Life of Little Richard.

28Jackie_K
syyskuu 27, 2020, 11:15 am

Happy new thread! I really enjoyed The Eyre Affair - it was very silly, but I enjoyed trying to spot all the literary references (and there was an hommage to Lord of the Rings which had me howling with laughter).

29MissWatson
syyskuu 28, 2020, 5:23 am

Welcome, visitors!

>26 NinieB: It's on my pile, and I look forward to it!
>27 rabbitprincess: I'll be interested to read your comments.
>28 Jackie_K: Now I am really curious...

30MissWatson
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 28, 2020, 6:42 am

Richard Penniman

I'm adding Enemy of God to the July TravelKIT as it is the second book in his Arthur trilogy. It's better than the first book, but still unsatisfactory. I don't like Arthur, the pacing is uneven and setting this in a definite era is not a wise choice, to my mind. I'll probably read the third book, too, but mostly because I hate to part with books unread, not so much because I want to know how it ends.

ETC

31MissWatson
syyskuu 28, 2020, 5:42 am

Richard Ohnesorg / Bingo: weird title

Konzert ohne Dichter translates as "Concert without poet" which I find sufficiently weird. This is about three days in June 1905, when the artist Heinrich Vogeler travels to Oldenburg where one of his pictures will be shown and he will also receive a prize. He reminisces about the creation of the picture and reflects on the point he has reached in his life: success, fame, a young family, but also an artistic dead end. And there is lots about Rainer Maria Rilke, who often visited Vogeler at Worpswede (famous as an artists' colony) and depended on Vogeler's charity.

32RidgewayGirl
syyskuu 28, 2020, 10:42 am

Happy new thread!

33Jackie_K
syyskuu 28, 2020, 1:35 pm

>29 MissWatson: I should add, I don't mean 'silly' as a negative here - it was light-hearted and funny.

34DeltaQueen50
syyskuu 28, 2020, 5:18 pm

I've enjoyed scrolling through all your "Richards". :) Happy new thread!

35MissWatson
syyskuu 29, 2020, 2:30 am

>32 RidgewayGirl: >34 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Kay and Judy!
>33 Jackie_K: Taking a note of that!

36This-n-That
syyskuu 29, 2020, 10:32 am

Happy new "remainder of 2020" thread and enjoy the rest of your reading prompts. Only three to go for BingoDog. Yay!

37MissWatson
syyskuu 30, 2020, 5:23 am

>36 This-n-That: Thanks. It's funny how the Bingo filled in stops and starts this year.

38kac522
Muokkaaja: syyskuu 30, 2020, 11:58 pm

Happy new thread!

For your birth year, I enjoyed Things Fall Apart--plus, it's not too long.
For epistolary, Lady Susan by Jane Austen is funny, and can be very entertaining as an audiobook.

39Tess_W
lokakuu 1, 2020, 12:13 am

Happy new thread and last thread of 2020!

40MissWatson
Muokkaaja: lokakuu 1, 2020, 2:47 am

>38 kac522: Thanks, Things fall apart is one of those I'm thinking about. I'm currently reading Mémoires de deux jeunes mariées for the epistolary, as I have already read Lady Susan.

>39 Tess_W: Thanks Tess. What a strange year is has been so far, and no end in sight, alas.

In more cheerful news: I'm off to my sister's and will be offline for a few days.

41Jackie_K
lokakuu 1, 2020, 7:54 am

>40 MissWatson: Have a good break, Birgit!

42lkernagh
lokakuu 1, 2020, 5:21 pm

Happy new thread, Birgit! Wishing you a wonderful time at your sister's!

43Tess_W
lokakuu 5, 2020, 5:34 pm

Hope you had a great time!

44MissWatson
lokakuu 6, 2020, 3:37 am

>41 Jackie_K: >42 lkernagh: >43 Tess_W: Thanks, we had fun, the weather was nice, and travelling by train is very relaxing these days: the trains are only half full and always on time. I'll be off next weekend again, for my best friend's birthday, and after that it will be a quiet autumn, I guess.

45MissWatson
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 1, 2020, 7:55 am

Richard Steiff

One of the pleasant surprises of this weekend was the new book about Kurt the grumpy unicorn Kurt – EinHorn kommt selten allein, fresh off the press. A funny and exciting adventure as Kurt and his companions rescue two enchanted animals from a bad prince and meet another unicorn on the way. Full of snarky comments to make the book enjoyable for adult readers.

edited for touchstone, which doesn't work, again

46Tess_W
Muokkaaja: lokakuu 6, 2020, 3:52 pm

>44 MissWatson: Glad you have the opportunity to see your sister, often. Mine lives about 1000 miles away in the desert and we see each other about once a year. She is also not a reader; but I love her dearly. I have never traveled on a train, they are not so nice around where I live nor do they go anywhere I want to go! I read some trivia about unicorns this weekend...I can't remember it...will have to look it up! It was something dumb...but I think it came from mythology.

47Jackie_K
lokakuu 6, 2020, 3:54 pm

>46 Tess_W: Yes, my sister is a long way away too (in Germany, actually - Birgit you are probably nearer to her than I am!). I think train travel is much more advanced, as a rule, in Europe (German trains are excellent and very clean and reliable, in my experience). But with Covid, we won't be seeing my sister and her family any time soon - I have zero desire to get on a plane or busy train right now!

48MissWatson
lokakuu 7, 2020, 5:38 am

>46 Tess_W: That is very far away indeed! But for our rather short distances trains are quite convenient (if punctual!) and usually quiet, so I can read. I find the driving on the autobahn far too stressful to do it myself.

>47 Jackie_K: Well, the much-lauded InterCityExpress trains are mostly 30 years old and it shows. I wouldn't want to spend a whole day travelling this way, but a few hours is okay.

49Tess_W
lokakuu 8, 2020, 1:03 am

>47 Jackie_K:
>48 MissWatson:

Some US cities have intra-city trains and/or subways, but cross country there really isn't much and those that go usually stop in high crime locales in poor inner city neighborhoods.

I'm with your on the highways, Birgit. I'm starting to develop a dizziness at high speeds (70 MPH) when things go flashing by me, so I try to stay off the highways. This hasn't caused me too much trouble. However, when I have to go, I have my husband drive--I call it toad's wild ride--I take 2 blood pressure pills before I ride with him and chance my life!

50MissWatson
Muokkaaja: lokakuu 8, 2020, 6:47 am

Richard Cragun / Richard Sans Peur / Bingo: epistolary / Popsugar: advanced prompt 9

I have finished my lunchtime book: Mémoires de deux jeunes mariées in which two girls who attended convent school together exchange letters detailing their lives. These are very different: Louise is a darling of Paris society and marries a Spanish grandee, and after his death a penniless poet, and both times there is passion and mutual adoration. Renée marries a veteran to suit her family in Provence and finds her happiness in motherhood and silently fostering the political career of her husband.
I was most amazed by a long letter in which Renée describes the joys and (pains!) of breastfeeding: this is not a topic you expect in a 19th century novel written by a man, especially not in such physical detail. Renée is presented as the ideal wife and mother, Louise as selfish and headstrong, but for all that they are vibrant and real characters. I'm really looking forward to my next episode from the Scenes of Private Life.

ETC

51MissWatson
lokakuu 9, 2020, 1:49 am

Richard Widmark

I needed something funny and fluffy and Im Schatten der Pineta delivered in spades. Four old men meet daily in their favourite bar, owned and run by the grandson of one of them, and gossip. Gossip also helps solve the murder of the girl found in a dumpster one hot August night.
The title is translated badly and there were too many typos for my taste, but it won't stop me reading the next instalment.

52MissWatson
lokakuu 13, 2020, 4:55 am

Richard Penniman / Richard Widmark

Elsässer Erbschaften is written by a German under a French pseudonym and set in Alsace. It has the usual problems afflicting books set abroad and written for non-natives: they explain too many things that a Frenchman would know, even a Frenchman who is transferred from the Atlantic seaboard (Bordeaux!) to a small town in Riesling country. This could be overlooked if the rest were okay, but it's not. Major Gabin is with the Gendarmerie Nationale and makes mistakes that have you wondering what they teach these police officers. The passages about introducing him to Alsatian food and wines interrupt the investigation to no purpose and feel like lecturing. There's too much (unconvincing) boule and racing cycles, and the women are caricatures.
I found this in the remainders bin and will happily pass it on. Can't make up my mind yet whether to read the second one, too, and hope for improvement, or pass it on as well...

53MissWatson
lokakuu 14, 2020, 8:49 am

Richard Penniman / Richard Widmark

Elsässer Sünden was only marginally better, so off it goes to a more welcoming home.

54MissWatson
lokakuu 16, 2020, 6:08 am

Richard Starkey

Kristof Magnusson caught my eye when his latest book was reviewed favourably in the FAZ, so I went looking for his other books and came across Arztroman which seemed like the perfect find for this month's RandomCAT. And it was really good.
Anita Cornelius is a doctor who works nightshifts in emergency medicine in a Berlin hospital, going out on calls with a medic whenever they seem to require a doctor. She has separated from her husband amicably, but suddenly things start to shift, first imperceptibly, then faster until it culminates in dramatic change. I liked the way in which we never leave her POV, and her descent into anger and disorientation is subtly described. I don't normally read such "women's fare" about family relationships, but I could relate to Anita for whom work is the focus of her life. Her cases give a great cross-section of Berlin society in her catchment area.

55MissWatson
lokakuu 19, 2020, 6:49 am

Richard Penniman / Richard Widmark / Popsugar: prompt 31

I have finished Beat the reaper for the GeoCAT which features a doctor, formerly a hitman for the Mafia and now in the Witness Protection program. A very American book in theme and style, although I confess I found the constant jumping back an forth between his past and the present unsettling. But it probably reflects his state of mind, often clouded by illegal substances. The author is new to me, and I've got the second book in the series on deck. And this is also the closest I'll ever get to a medical thriller, so another box ticked.

I notice that I am reading lots of mysteries right now. I'm busy at work and don't have much energy left for serious books.

56DeltaQueen50
lokakuu 19, 2020, 12:17 pm

>55 MissWatson: I read Beat the Reaper last year and really enjoyed it. It really takes the reader on a ride! I also have the second one on my shelf and need to fit it into my reading schedule.

57Tess_W
lokakuu 19, 2020, 11:41 pm

>55 MissWatson: Not a big mystery reader, either. However, I do have that book on my TBR!

58MissWatson
lokakuu 20, 2020, 6:52 am

>56 DeltaQueen50: Yes, I often blinked in surprise. I have the second book at hand, but it is heftier and I need to finish some other reads first.

>57 Tess_W: I go through phases with mysteries, and right now historically themed ones look interesting. I usually pick some up when I visit my sister.

59markon
lokakuu 22, 2020, 5:07 pm

>54 MissWatson: Arztroman sounds like a fascinating read.

60MissWatson
lokakuu 23, 2020, 4:01 am

>59 markon: It was, and I really liked his writing style, too.

61MissWatson
lokakuu 23, 2020, 4:15 am

Richard Feynman

For the October Non-Fiction CAT I picked literature. I was surprised to find that I acquired Die 101 wichtigsten Fragen: Deutsche Literatur before I joined LT, it felt like a more recent buy. It's one of those books where I hope for a crash course in a subject I know little about, since German class was not my favourite subject in school. It is a curious format, as the author gets to phrase the questions he wants to answer. He travels from the Middle Ages to the present, and spends most of his time in the 18th and early 19th century, so cue lots of Goethe and the usual suspects. There's little about the late 19th century and even less about the 20th, and there are only two (!!) women authors worthy of mention in this.
The book is also full of theoretical concepts which are never explained (what is a Wirkdisposition, for crying out loud?!). Some of the articles read as if they had been lifted directly from an academic publication. However, the main section names many books already on my radar and treats them in a style accessible to someone not steeped in literary theories, so I'll keep it on hand for next year when I hope to read some classics.

62MissWatson
lokakuu 25, 2020, 10:12 am

Richard Chamberlain / Richard Penniman

Murder Must Advertise provided some much-needed relief after the dry literary theory, and it will always be my favourite Wimsey story. All those sparkling conversation at Pym's Publicity!

One bitter comment on the physical book, though: I replaced my battered US copy with an English edition published by Hodder&Stoughton, seduced by a stylish cover. Why oh why do they spoil it with shoddy printing on abysmally cheap paper? It feels like blotting paper and there are far too many typos.

63MissWatson
lokakuu 25, 2020, 10:37 am

Saturday notes

The weather has turned autumnal, time for chicken soup and staying indoors. There was a review of Boleslaw Prus' novel The doll, another of those "classics in their own country" books virtually unknown in Germany, but apparently the 1954 translation is nothing to write home about. This may take some research...

64NinieB
lokakuu 25, 2020, 1:02 pm

>62 MissWatson: Wouldn't it be nice if the publishers didn't cheap out on the innards!

65MissWatson
lokakuu 26, 2020, 3:21 am

>64 NinieB: I think it's a conspiracy to keep us replacing worn-out copies of our favourites.

66MissWatson
lokakuu 26, 2020, 3:30 am

Richard Penniman / Bingo: Library or thing in the title

Hm, filling this month's GeoCAT with mysteries feels like choosing the easy option, but it happened by accident rather than design. Wild thing was one of the few on my TBR for the Bingo, so I picked it. Unfortunately, this was a major disappointment. I do not like to be harangued about the dangers of climate change in a thriller, thank you very much, especially not on every other page. Plus 50 pages of sources?!

67MissWatson
lokakuu 28, 2020, 9:32 am

Richard von Weizsäcker

I still have a few slots to fill in various categories, but stood in front of the shelves irresolutely and finally picked up Die Reichsgründung 1870/71, a short non-fiction book about the founding of the German Empire. I thought it would provide some insight into the mindframe of the people who populate The Magic Mountain and to some extent it does. As always, I was left with the need for something more detailed. If only I had the time!

68pamelad
lokakuu 28, 2020, 5:23 pm

>67 MissWatson: I hope you get the time to finish The Magic Mountain, which is very rewarding but certainly requires a lot of leisure for contemplation.

69MissWatson
lokakuu 29, 2020, 8:53 am

>68 pamelad: We have a holiday on Saturday, so no tripping down to the farmers market or other distractions and I am looking forward to a long, quiet read. On a less cheerful note, restrictions on meetings have been tightened again so I'll be staying home a lot.

70MissWatson
lokakuu 30, 2020, 5:49 am

Richard Feynman

60 pages into Die Kunst der Spätantike I admit defeat: this is just not my kind of book. It is about the art of late antiquity and how it changed from three-dimensional statuary to two-dimensional Byzantinian mosaics. Or so I thought. After 60 pages out of 160 we are still discussing 2nd century sarcophagi.
The fault may be that this is taken from a larger book, so some theroretical context may be missing (not to mention translation?), but I found this chaotic, badly organised and filled with too many technical terms. Most of his judgments on the quality of the presented examples strike me as subjective, but that is something I generally think about this particular branch of science. Off it goes.

71pammab
lokakuu 31, 2020, 12:12 am

>61 MissWatson: I got excited by Die 101 wichtigsten Fragen: Deutsche Literatur... until I read your review of it. Especially the bit about being full of underdeveloped theoretical concepts -- I don't think my German is active enough for that, unfortunately.

Seems like you've had quite a few duds recently. I hope things pick up for you soon!

72MissWatson
lokakuu 31, 2020, 1:41 pm

>71 pammab: Yes, the mediocre books seem to be piling up. On the one hand I'm glad to clear some space on my shelves, on the other it's high time I return to The Magic Mountain. As for Die 101 wichtigsten Fragen : Deutsche Literatur, I don't know enough about theoretical schools in literature studies to be able to say to which school the author belongs. I just had the impression that he stuck to a set of concepts that I probably wouldn't agree with.

73MissWatson
marraskuu 1, 2020, 7:51 am

Richard Armitage / Popsugar: prompt 22

I even managed to finish a book for the SFF KIT: The moon is a harsh mistress. Very much a book of its time, and the technology is simply quaint. Everything the computer does is printed out, we have phones with landlines and typewriters, you get the picture. And women, even if they have the upper hand in gender relations, are very much consigned to traditional roles. I wondered also at the economic premise: growing grain for earth in hydroponics? Why not do this on earth?

On the other hand there are lots of things I liked. The very first sentence made me sit up: is this narrator someone who has Russian as a native language? What's with the Australianisms? You keep looking for things that inspired this society. So we have a penal colony, (that's where Australia and in a lesser sense Siberia come to mind), it is a thoroughly mixed-race society and a very unusual family organisation, too, that has adjusted to a permanent oversupply of males, and we have a self-aware computer.
How often do you find Russian making an impact on a local dialect in an American SF tale? The phonetic spelling is atrocious, it took me minutes to figure out what it is supposed to be, but at least it was correct. Unlike the misspelled German words. Ah yes, typos. They didn't help with Manuel's way of talking. Heinlein didn't keep up the Russian accent throughout because the sentences would have been incomprehensible.

I won't keep this, but I'm glad I finally read it.

74MissWatson
marraskuu 1, 2020, 8:01 am

Saturday notes

My favourite bakery was closed because of the holiday, so I decided to bake something myself and made an Alsatian Kuglopf. Very yummy.

The FAZ had a review of Benito Cereno which made me think i need to read some Melville. The question is when?

Let's look at October:
The non-fiction books were a mixed lot, only one could really please. Quite a few mysteries, mostly because they are quick reads and I spent a lot of time away from home, most of them so-so. The classic Sayers held up best. I managed to read at least one book for the CATs, but it is difficult to keep up with all the challenges. Some of my categories are still empty, which shows that twenty is too many. I won't let that bother me.

I'm off now to Davos to visit Hans Castorp.

75Tess_W
marraskuu 1, 2020, 10:28 am

>74 MissWatson: LOL, nothing would ever make me think I need to read another Melville!

76MissWatson
marraskuu 2, 2020, 3:57 am

>75 Tess_W: I haven't tried him yet...

77MissWatson
marraskuu 4, 2020, 3:41 am

Richard Penniman

I tossed a coin to decide where to put Eine Frage der Zeit, it would also fit for the RandomCAT.
Three shipbuilders are sent from Papenburg on the Weser to German East Africa in 1913 together with a newly launched ship that has been disassembled to be transported across half the world to Tanganyika Lake where the three men will reassemble it. It is intended to replace the "Hedwig von Wissmann", a small and dilapidated steamship used for patrolling the lake. Then the Great War breaks out, and the Admiralty in London decides to send an expedition corps to Tanganyika Lake with two boats and orders to sink the Wissmann, since the Belgians can't or won't do it. Commander Spicer manages to do so, but what is he to do about the newly risen "Götzen" who is ten times as big and which London knew nothing about?

This tale, far-fetched as it seems, actually happened and the author, who is Swiss, tells it well. It ends rather abruptly, and he doesn't give us a reason. Because little is known of their ultimate fate? Because it had little relation with events on the lake?

The shipyard in Papenburg was the Meyer Werft which still exists and now builds cruise ships.

78pammab
marraskuu 5, 2020, 12:43 am

>73 MissWatson: I've felt very similarly about the classics of SF I've recently read -- a bunch of interesting ideas that I really like, intermingled with a couple tropes that are so dated today that they're a bit off-putting,

79MissWatson
marraskuu 5, 2020, 4:40 am

>78 pammab: I wonder how the current batch will be seen like thirty years from now?

80Danielle0
marraskuu 5, 2020, 4:42 am

Tämä käyttäjä on poistettu roskaamisen vuoksi.

81MissWatson
marraskuu 5, 2020, 4:49 am

Richard Armitage / Richard Coeur-de-lion / Richard Widmark

I picked up Near Enemy for this month's Mystery and SFF CAT, only to find that I had absolutely no memory of what happened in the first book. LT tells me I read Shovel ready in 2016, which is not that long ago...well, it's still on the shelf with the books I hope to swap, so I could refresh my memory. I don't know if I will remember it longer this time, but at least I won't say it was wasted time. It has an interesting plot, at least.

82MissWatson
marraskuu 7, 2020, 4:34 pm

Richard Armitage / Richard Widmark

And the sequel, Near enemy, is also finished. The author is grinding some axe, and it distracts from the story.

83MissWatson
marraskuu 7, 2020, 4:48 pm

Richard Feynman

I had to kill half an hour before my bus left and I spent it in Hugendubel's, drooling over a cookbook about Austrian cuisine. I resisted heroically, and as soon as I got home I took Wiener Küche from the shelf, to see how they overlap. I read this from the first to the last page, enjoying the photos and the vignettes about Viennese cooking. The recipes seem much better, too, and I'm planning to try one of them tomorrow.
The author is mostly self-taught, wrote a blog and the book is based on her posts.

84MissWatson
marraskuu 8, 2020, 7:58 am

Saturday notes

No remarkable books in the FAZ for once, which is a good thing, as I really need to get ahead with the TBR. And I didn't spend much time reading, more in the kitchen. The Viennese cookbook had consequences...for instance, she mentions that they have four different kinds of paprika, from very sweet to hot. I checked my larder and found only one, so off I went shopping. Not quite successfully, I found only three. But I used them immediately for a "butternut goulash" (not from the cookbook, though). Just a stew made with butternut squash, potatoes, sauerkraut and lots of paprika. Very nice, but next time around I need different potatoes. My usual waxy kind remained a little too firm.
Next up is the cookbook version of a proper goulash. Okay, now back to Davos and Hans Castorp.

85SpencerTodd
marraskuu 8, 2020, 8:06 am

Tämä käyttäjä on poistettu roskaamisen vuoksi.

86rabbitprincess
marraskuu 8, 2020, 9:30 am

>84 MissWatson: Mmmmmm potatoes!

Also I did not know there were different kinds of paprika. Neat!

87NinieB
marraskuu 8, 2020, 9:52 am

>84 MissWatson: That sounds wonderful! A great fall recipe.

88Tess_W
marraskuu 8, 2020, 8:27 pm

>84 MissWatson: I knew about the types of Paprika, but only have 2 and regularly only use one. Sounds like a great stew, minus the sauerkraut. I do like sauerkraut, but only with pork!

89MissWatson
marraskuu 9, 2020, 5:06 am

>86 rabbitprincess: Yes, and so versatile!
>87 NinieB: I can see myself trying this with different kinds of squash.
>88 Tess_W: I was amazed by the different colours of paprika. I'm not overfully fond of hot spices, so no chillies. The hot paprika version is quite sufficient for me. And not so fond of sour things either, so I was really happy to find a locally made sauerkraut that is quite yummy when eaten on its own.

90Tess_W
marraskuu 9, 2020, 5:20 am

>89 MissWatson: Am going to go through my too numerous cookbook magazines today and find a "pamphlet" of about 100 pages titled "Viennese Cookbook" published sometime in the 1970's. Time to cook something different!

I, too, prefer the milder kraut; but my husband likes the crispy, sour, caraway seed kraut.

91MissWatson
marraskuu 10, 2020, 2:46 am

Richard Starkey

Für fremde Kaiser und kein Vaterland caught my eyes last year on my book-mooching site. It's a YA book about a boy during the Napoleonic Wars, told in three episodes: how he almost got press-ganged by the Austrian army in 1805 (aged 13), got caught in the draft of the French army in 1812 and deserted just in time before the regiment got sent to Russia and then in 1813 how he avoided recapture. The region where he barely lived, more like starved with his family, changed hands several times during these years, but life never improved for the poor.

92MissWatson
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 13, 2020, 5:53 am

Richard Widmark

Red harvest was a recommendation from LT which surprised me since I own the book. Turns out I had forgotten to enter it when I first joined. That is rectified now and of course I read it, since it fits the noir/gumshoe theme to a T. What I didn't notice the first time around is that my English edition has English spelling and rather too many typos.

ETC

93MissWatson
marraskuu 17, 2020, 4:54 am

Richard Ohnesorg

Thomas Mann is a short biography of the author, focusing on his work, the influence that Lübeck and his origins had on it, the development of his political position. There's little about his private life, which I did not mind. I was hoping for explanations of his writing, and these I got, especially for the "big" novels. Written in 1964, this was republished in 2005 with an amended "further reading" list.
I'm looking forward to finishing Der Zauberberg now, but it will take time. It needs close attention to detail.

94MissWatson
marraskuu 18, 2020, 6:53 am

Reading plans disrupted again, my sister sent me an audiobook that needs to be finished quickly, as it is a library book. How fortunate that I took the day off today for a doctor's appointment (just a checkup) and to set up my 2021 thread. You are welcome there: https://www.librarything.com/topic/326404

I am getting tired of 2020, and I am glad there are only a few weeks left.

95MissWatson
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 20, 2020, 3:35 am

Richard Feynman / Richard Oetker

Porcelain was reviewed in the Economist a while back and I instantly checked if my library has it. It is the history of the industry in Germany, not porcelain as art, and it was quite interesting. Too much time was spent on the travails of Meissen and KPM, in my opinion, and the 18th century. I would have liked to know more about the small, private firms of Thuringia, Franconia and Silesia who made the stuff that you find on flea markets today. But at least Villeroy&Boch was mentioned frequently.
The author's sentences contain way too many commas and subclauses, her spelling of German words and names is erratic (which is regrettable, as it makes finding her sources in library catalogues more difficult) and the section about post-WWII Germany is sloppy, not to mention contains some glaring errors.

ETC

96MissWatson
marraskuu 21, 2020, 10:27 am

Richard Penniman / Richard Starkey

Das Phantom des Alexander Wolf is an unusual book: set in the 1930s in Paris, a first-person narrator who remains nameless, looks back on his time as a combatant in the Russian Civil War where he killed a man. He is reminded of this by finding a book which relates exactly this killing from the other man's point of view – was he not dead when he left the scene? He tries to find the author...
The story is told in one continuous, chronological flow, with lots of lyrical descriptions of the landscape in Russia and his new home, Paris. This is a book where I constantly wondered what the Russian original would look like – in German almost the entire text is phrased in the subjunctive, as required by indirect speech, unlike Russian...
There is also an afterword by the translator which shows remarkable parallels between the author's life and that of his narrator in this story.

97Tess_W
marraskuu 21, 2020, 11:21 pm

>96 MissWatson: Sounds a bit eerie. I put it on my wish list!

98MissWatson
marraskuu 22, 2020, 10:48 am

>97 Tess_W: I'll be interested to know what you make of it when you find it. There are at least two more of his books available in German, and one of them shares a title with a short story by Vsevolod Ivanov (The return of the Buddha) which makes me curious. Oh dear, getting sidetracked again into obscure books!

99MissWatson
marraskuu 22, 2020, 10:59 am

Saturday notes

A literary supplement in the FAZ. Very good review of Ali Smith's Winter, need to put this on my list. Steven Price's Lampedusa on the other hand found no favour, but makes me think Il gattopardo could be my book for the last Bingo square. Éric Hazan's history of Paris is recommended, and there's also Deutschland : Globalgeschichte einer Nation to keep in mind.

100MissWatson
marraskuu 24, 2020, 5:48 am

Richard Penniman

Unter dem Frangipanibaum is a book from Moçambique, and I hardly know what to make of it. In his foreword, Henning Mankell (who has adapted some of the author's books for a theatre group he is involved with in the country) tries to explain the difference between Western and African storytelling, but I still feel that I did not really understand.
The story is partly told by a dead man who lies buried under the tree mentioned in the title and who changes into the body of a police inspector for the seven days he spends in the ancient fortress (converted into an old people's home) to investigate the disappearance of the director. A handful of old men and women live there, tell their stories and claim to have killed him. At the end, the dead man returns to the other world. This is a very, very alien world, and the overall sense is that liberation from colonialism has not made it better. But the language is beautiful.

101NinieB
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 24, 2020, 11:46 am

>100 MissWatson: Mia Couto had caught my attention previously, as a woman Mozambique-an author in translation from the Portuguese. Your description sounds quite intriguing, even though I'm usually not a fan of experimental narrative.

Edited to reflect my mistake!

102Tess_W
Muokkaaja: marraskuu 24, 2020, 10:19 am

>100 MissWatson: That book was on a reading list for a college course I took; although I chose to read something else, it has always been on my radar. I really don't like books such as this, but for some reason I have a strange pull to it. Maybe later rather than sooner! I found when I had initially researched it that the author, works fulltime as an agronomist, so he did in fact write about that of which he was familiar.

103MissWatson
marraskuu 24, 2020, 11:03 am

>101 NinieB: The author is male, actually, and I don't think that his narrative is intentionally experimental. It reflects the way his compatriots see the world, the animist tradition that sees everything inhabited by spirits.
>102 Tess_W: It was a strange experience, but very salutary to be reminded that the way the western-trained mind works is not the only game in town.

104NinieB
marraskuu 24, 2020, 11:54 am

>102 Tess_W: >103 MissWatson: OK, not a woman! Silly mistake on my part, shouldn't have assumed based on the first name.

I haven't read anything that is based on African storytelling. I have, however, tried to read Western experimental narrative and been discouraged. Based on your comments, and a couple of other things I had seen about this book, I silently drew a comparison between Western experimental narrative and the author's style.

105Jackie_K
marraskuu 24, 2020, 1:22 pm

>100 MissWatson: Your review reminded me very much of how I felt when I read Ben Okri's The Famished Road. The language was amazing, but I soon got lost with all the spirits and humans and had no idea what was going on. I'd like to try it again sometime though.

106MissWatson
marraskuu 25, 2020, 3:42 am

>104 NinieB: I made the same mistake until I read the foreword. :-) I'm not familiar with experimental writing, so I can't really compare, but the different voices felt very real and grounded in their own reality to me.
>105 Jackie_K: It was my first foray into African writing, and it is a very different world.

107NinieB
marraskuu 25, 2020, 9:54 am

>106 MissWatson: I thought of this conversation last night as I was reading The Prophet's Camel Bell, Margaret Laurence's memoir of living in Somaliland in the early 1950s. She describes incidents where she was convinced that she had completely failed to communicate, despite having an interpreter, because of different worldviews.

108MissWatson
marraskuu 27, 2020, 4:10 am

Richard Armitage / Popsugar: prompt 29

Qualityland 2.0 : Kikis Geheimnis doesn't really fit into the dystopia theme this month, as it is more a social satire. The author spins his tale of the giant technology firms taking over our lives in a new loop, all the characters from the first book are back and all the gimmicks: elaborate footnotes, fictional ads for fictional services, etc. Some of the products and services he invents are so close to real life you wonder they are not available yet. It can only be a matter of months. The book ends on a cliffhanger, so I guess there will soon be a Qualityland 3.0.

109MissWatson
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 1, 2020, 2:45 am

November roundup

And finally, the last month of this exhausting, sometimes harrowing year has arrived. I'll be glad to wave this one good-bye.
On the reading front, I have finished chapter 6 of Der Zauberberg and decided to take a break after Joachim's death. This hit unexpectedly close, it reminded me of my mother's death.
On the bright side, I managed to finish quite a few books for the various challenges. I liked Das Phantom des Alexander Wolf and Unter dem Frangipanibaum best, both for their wonderful writing and unusual viewpoints.

ETA And now I am off to Austria with Joseph Roth. I'm still waiting for the new translation of Il Gattopardo to arrive...

110MissWatson
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 2, 2020, 3:43 am

Richard Gerstl / Richard Starkey

Die Geschichte der 1002. Nacht was Joseph Roth's last novel, published shortly before his death. He returns to the vanished Austrian monarchy in this melancholy tale. The Shah of Persia comes for a visit, falls for a blonde beauty at a grand reception and the Imperial courtiers fall over themselves to arrange a night with her ... double. A prostitute who resembles her closely. She receives a fabulous gift of pearls for her services, the Shah returns to Persia and we watch how this sudden wealth changes Mizzi's life, and the lives of others involved in the deception. Things do not end happily. A wonderful read, nonetheless.

ETA: This also means I have reached the minimum number of books in my Austria category. Yay!

111MissWatson
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 3, 2020, 3:55 am

Richard Penniman / Richard Starkey

Ein dänischer Winter caught my eye in the historical fiction section because of the slightly Art Nouveau cover. And the topic seemed interesting: Christmas 1929 at Rungstedlund, Karen Blixen's family home in Denmark. A new servant has been hired, (that's the fictional part) and talking with Karen encourages her to pursue her dream of a career as a teacher.
I learned quite a few things about Blixen's family, I didn't know that some of her siblings also wrote books. One more reason to pick up hers, in the near future. I have only vague memories of Meryl Streep as Blixen in that movie, so maybe a biography, too?

ETA: Right now I need light and easy reading after work, and I belatedly realised that this book would also fit the RandomCAT, so I will try to cover all six of the prompts in this month's challenge.

112MissWatson
joulukuu 4, 2020, 6:49 am

Richard Widmark

Mord im Santa-Express caught my eye on the piles with the Christmas books, and I bought it because it is set in an ICE train on a route that I travel when I visit my sister. The chapters are named for the stations where it stops, and during the journey a passenger dies. The main protagonist is a doctor and gets roped in, he has suspicions and tries to find out what happens.
The situation on a late train on Christmas Eve is well captured, I often used to travel on 24 December myself. There's a little romance and no big surprises, since we have only a handful of people on board, and by the time we had arrived in Kassel it reminded me strongly of Murder on the Orient Express. Rather well done, actually.

One thing makes me wonder: the book is clearly set on 24 December 2020, and not one mention of a mouth-and-nose-covering. Did he deliberately ignore the pandemic, or was it written and printed so far in advance?

113MissWatson
joulukuu 6, 2020, 8:21 am

Saturday notes

The FAZ had a very interesting article about three women writers from the Weimar Republic who earned their money writing for newspapers and magazines and whose works are being republished: Milena Jesenská, Gabriele Tergit and Helen Wolff. Something for the wishlist which grows and grows.
And I've been watching documentaries on TV, one about Hergé that sent me off looking for Objectif lune. No luck yet...

114christina_reads
joulukuu 8, 2020, 9:35 am

>112 MissWatson: You would have hit me with a book bullet, but it doesn't seem to be translated into English, and I doubt my 4 semesters of college German are up to the task. :)

115MissWatson
joulukuu 8, 2020, 10:27 am

>114 christina_reads: Well, it was published in Germany last month, and a translation seems unlikely in this time. But I have always found mysteries a good starting point for practising a foreign language: they mostly have plain, everyday language and most of them, like this one, are short. Much easier than Thomas Mann short stories!

116MissWatson
joulukuu 8, 2020, 10:35 am

Richard Cragun

Which brings me to Der Zauberberg. I have finally finished all 1,002 pages of it, leaving Hans Castorp in a muddy battlefield.
What can I say? There's a sense of achievement of having slogged through this, because the disputes between Settembrini and Naphta were a slog. Mann lives up to his reputation for convoluted prose, there are sentences here that wind over half a page. The last chapter felt like a change of direction, with the sudden introduction of Peeperkorn who leaves the scene just as abruptly. But Mann builds up the scene nicely for the final eruption: people growing ever more restless, angry and dissatified; the duel, and then the way everyone leaves tha sanatorium pell-mell to get home (before the borders close, presumably). One to reflect one for a long time.

117DeltaQueen50
joulukuu 8, 2020, 12:30 pm

Congratulations on finishing The Magic Mountain. I quite liked the book although there was plenty that I am sure went over my head. Checking this one off as read is a very satisfying feeling.

118MissWatson
joulukuu 9, 2020, 8:10 am

>117 DeltaQueen50: And there were some memorable scenes in it. I liked the moment where Hans dicovers recorded music, it made me consider how much we have come to take this for granted, like some kind of audible wallpaper. Back then it must have been revolutionary.

119pamelad
joulukuu 9, 2020, 3:50 pm

>116 MissWatson: I agree, definitely thought-provoking. I wish I knew more about Classicism vs Romanticism, a classification that also appeared in A Dance to the Music of Time, where Powell describes Americans as Romantics. I am looking for a book about this, perhaps to read for the Renaissance section of the HistoryCAT.

120MissWatson
joulukuu 10, 2020, 6:45 am

>119 pamelad: That would be an interesting subject. There were similar discussions of this confrontation in one of my earlier reads, Fräulein Nettes kurzer Sommer, which made me realise that my ideas of Romanticism are a little off. I had considered reading Safranski's Romantik, but most of the reviewers criticise his narrow focus on German romanticism. I haven't quite made up my mind yet.

121MissWatson
joulukuu 12, 2020, 4:35 pm

Richard Cragun / Bingo: published in the year of your birth

And I have finally covered my Bingo card with Il gattopardo which turned out to be a five star read. In a moment of hubris I bought an Italian edition in a Milan bookstore (thinking how difficult can this be if you know two other Romance languages?). But I did start out with the German translation, and it has been a fascinating exercise. Piper publishers hold the German rights for translation, and they have three different ones in their catalogue: the original from 1958, a new one from 2005, when additions were added to the text, and another one from 2019 by Burkhard Kroeber who translated all of Umberto Eco's books. That's still only available in hardcover, but I intend to buy it as soon as it appears in paperback, just to see how he does it.
The first thing that intrigued me is that the Italian edition runs to a mere 247 pages in generously-sized font, whereas both German editions have 310 and more in much smaller font size. The secret lies in Tomasi's very spare and economical prose, much use of verbs and adverbial phrases that need long subclauses in German. It looks very elegant in Italian (and yes, I was able to appreciate this after buying and reading a book about Italian verbs), even with the author's idiosyncratic use of commas. The translator of the modern edition tried to emulate this style and it doesn't really work in German, in my opinion. I liked Charlotte Birnbaum's translation from 1958 better, and I will happily re-read the original some time.

122MissWatson
joulukuu 14, 2020, 5:11 am

Richard sans Peur

I was watching a documentary about Hergé the other day which mentioned how painstakingly he researched space exploration before writing On a marché sur la lune, so I was curious. This was my first Tintin adventure and I can see more in my future.

123MissWatson
joulukuu 15, 2020, 3:21 am

Richard Starkey

Watching documentaries usually leads to a raid on the non-fiction shelves, in this case Die 101 wichtigsten Fragen : Urzeit, in which a professor of paleoanthropology tries to explain the world from the Big Bang to the apparition of homo sapiens. This was written in 2006, and the chapter about early humans has already been overtaken by recent research. The rest is marred by lots of typos and the decision to tell the story in reverse: we start with humans and end with the Big Bang. He states his reasons for doing this, but I didn't find them convincing. Not a success, I can happily part with this.

124Tess_W
joulukuu 15, 2020, 4:49 am

>121 MissWatson: Glad The Leopard was a 5-star read. I will be incorporating that into my 2021 challenge. I also have another book by the same name about Marco Polo.

125pammab
joulukuu 15, 2020, 10:36 am

>112 MissWatson: Righto, I am going to get Mord im Santa-Express. It hits *three* themes I have been trying for, and it sounds short and worthwhile!

>116 MissWatson: Congrats on finishing your Mann!

>121 MissWatson: Interesting thoughts on style manifesting as entirely different lengths in translation. Congrats on getting some Italian!

126MissWatson
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 19, 2020, 6:55 am

>124 Tess_W: I hope you enjoy it as well, Tess. If your edition has no notes, it may be a good thing to recap on the Risorgimento first.

>125 pammab: I'll be interested to know how you fare with it. And thanks!

ETC

127MissWatson
joulukuu 19, 2020, 6:57 am

Saturday notes

Nothing remarkable, except an interview with Rudolf Simek on the recent spate of TV series about Vikings. He had some very snarky comments, which reminds me that I wanted to read something for the RTT theme....

128MissWatson
joulukuu 20, 2020, 8:46 am

Richard Starkey

And I have finished Gaudy Night, a book I have been eagerly waiting to read this year, because it was the only Sayers on my shelves I hadn't read before. I've owned it for decades, but never got very far because the peculiarities of Oxford University life baffled me. This time around, with access to the OED and the internet for checking all those quotes, it made sense at last. But it is not among my favourites. It is – how shall I say – very English. The condescending attitude towards the scouts who are always called by their first names is very jarring.

129Tess_W
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 20, 2020, 11:41 am

>116 MissWatson:
>119 pamelad:

I have yet to read Magic Mountain, although it is on my radar. I'm not an expert on classical vs. romanticism, but I would agree that for the most part, Americans would be considered romantics in the sense that "rules" don't apply in literature, art, music, etc; and Americans do not look so much to ancient Greece and Rome for comparative or inspirational purposes.

130MissWatson
joulukuu 22, 2020, 3:20 am

Richard Starkey / Richard von Weizsäcker / Popsugar: advanced prompt 2

Alles Mythos! 20 populäre Irrtümer über die Wikinger was a quick non-fiction read about Vikings, debunking some common myths. Nothing really new here, and the author tends to repeat her quotes from the sagas a little too often, but quite good as a recap. Published in 2014, so it falls into the Obama years for the RandomCAT.

131rabbitprincess
joulukuu 22, 2020, 6:26 pm

I read The Relentless Moon recently and it featured a character named Birgit!

132MissWatson
joulukuu 23, 2020, 7:05 am

>131 rabbitprincess: Wow! That is unusual. The name was fashionable in Germany in the 50ies, along with other Swedish names, but it has never been popular to the point where I had another girl with the same name in the class. That happened to me only once. Not like those unfortunate girls where almost a quarter of the class got up at the call of "Susanne", "Petra" or "Sabine". At least in my neck of the woods, statistics say otherwise.

133MissWatson
joulukuu 23, 2020, 7:11 am

Richard Gerstl / Richard Starkey

And with Die rote Frau I have found a book for the last prompt in this month's RandomCAT. This was a re-read, strictly speaking, but the audiobook I listened to last year was abridged. The author gives vivid descriptions of the difficult times of post-WWI Vienna, the general misery and starvation.

134NinieB
joulukuu 23, 2020, 12:36 pm

>132 MissWatson: I grew up with a Birgit! Her family was from Germany, and she was a little younger than your "fashionable" period.

135MissWatson
joulukuu 24, 2020, 6:21 am

>134 NinieB: Fascinating. I was surprised to meet a colleague named Birgit at work who is also much younger than I am, so it hasn't died out entirely.

136MissWatson
joulukuu 24, 2020, 6:23 am

So – the holidays. I caught a cold and decided that five hours on a train is not a good idea, so I'm staying home. It feels weird, to be honest. I think I'll bake some Christmas cookies today, just to have a little festive feeling. I hope I can get some reading done, too.

137MissWatson
joulukuu 24, 2020, 6:36 am

Richard Cragun / Richard Delancey / Popsugar: prompt 15

The prospect of staying home over the holidays pushed me to make an effort to fill the last categories. I have finished Billy Budd, foretopman which means that I now have at least one book in every category. My copy is ancient and the foreword says it was published in January 1962, so I can check off another prompt in the Popsugar challenge.

And the book? If this is a typical Melville, I am not in a hurry to read more. I don't think I have ever come across such convoluted sentences before in an English-language book. It reminded me of Thomas Mann, where you have to read most sentences twice before you can disentangle which part goes where. It is not helped by the fact that the editor lists every minor text variation in the endnotes, so that every second word is followed by a number for the corresponding note. At the same time, the text is full of typos which garble the meaning. Neither do I have any idea what point Melville was trying to make with this story. It did recall one of the arguments from Gaudy Night that principles kill. But otherwise? Yes, he did his research about the Great Mutiny, and he is happy to show off his erudition, but he never got me interested in the characters. But I think I'll revisit Parkinson's The fireship which is also about the mutiny.

138NinieB
joulukuu 24, 2020, 8:12 am

>136 MissWatson: Oh no! At least we'll always have books. And cookie-baking.

139MissWatson
Muokkaaja: joulukuu 25, 2020, 5:03 am

>138 NinieB: From my kitchen window it looks like a normal sunday. There is only one building with apartments across the square, and only one had put up a Christmas tree. I think the lack of decoration helps with pretending. No loud parties either, so that's a blessing.
I made my favourite cookies and plan to enjoy them.

ETA: Can I offer you some? These are Spekulatius, spiced cookies with walnuts. No icing because that would ruin the flavour.

140rabbitprincess
joulukuu 25, 2020, 8:42 am

Favourite cookies sounds like an excellent holiday plan! I love that placemat, too :) Merry Christmas!

141NinieB
joulukuu 25, 2020, 9:37 am

>139 MissWatson: Mmm, spekulatius!

My mother-in-law makes wonderful German cookies at this time of year. Kipfeln are little crescent moons. The ingredients are basically flour, sugar, butter, and ground almonds.

142DeltaQueen50
joulukuu 25, 2020, 3:19 pm



Sorry you are a little under the weather, Birgit, hope those delicious looking cookies help you to feel better!

143MissWatson
joulukuu 26, 2020, 2:41 am

>140 rabbitprincess: Thanks, I love it too!
>141 NinieB: And lots of vanilla vor Vanillekipferl. Yes, yummy!
>142 DeltaQueen50: Thanks, Judy! I am almost rid of my cough, and my sister is coming today to pick me up – an early birthday present.

Which means I'll be offline for the next week or so. I hope you all have a nice New Year's Eve and we'll meet again in January, safe and sound!

144MissWatson
joulukuu 26, 2020, 2:46 am

Richard Delancey / Richard Feynman

Reporting one more book: The eyes of the fleet looks at frigates and their role in the French Wars from 1795-1815. It is a narrow timeframe which the author frequently ignores when detailing the careers of important admirals. He picks six captains famous for their exploits while commanding frigates and compares and contrasts their careers, among them Lord Cochrane, Edward Pellew and Horatio Hornblower. This is a popular history, and it shows. Lots of repetition, digressions and drawing parallels to the Second World War, presumably because it was more familiar ground to his readers. Anyone who knows their Jack Aubrey or Richard Delancey will find little in here that is new.

145MissWatson
tammikuu 5, 2021, 7:55 am

Richard Steiff

As usual, I managed to find some children's books at my sister's. I finished Gina kommt zum Film and Wenn das kein Weihnachten ist!, a lovely Christmas story.

This brings me to 143 books in total for the year. Not at all bad, considering what went on. See you in the 2021 group!

146christina_reads
tammikuu 5, 2021, 9:10 am

>145 MissWatson: Congratulations -- 143 books is great!

147MissWatson
tammikuu 5, 2021, 9:48 am

>146 christina_reads: Thanks! Staying at home so muchz certainly helped.