(Sir)Thomas reads in 2017 - the fifth year of fun

Happy New Year to all of you and welcome to my thread.

I look forward to a new year full of books and hope that it will be more peaceful than last year.
I hope you all stay healthy, if not, I wish you well.

Books can help you In all living conditions. But as Mark Twain said:
Be careful with health books - You may die from a printing error.
Have fun reading and do not forget to use your own mind.

An overview of my books read in 2017 can be found here:
Books Read in 2017

Welcome back!

Happy reading in 2017, Thomas!

Yes, Happy Reading this year!

I like this: But as Mark Twain said:
Be careful with health books - You may die from a printing error.

>3 drneutron:, >4 FAMeulstee:, >5 karenmarie: Thank you for your good wishes.
I think I will have fun with my reading this year. There will be great books and books to forget.
But this is naot a bad thing. When you read a book that is poor you will appreciate the good ones even ore.

My problem is not the reading - it is writing about it. Perhaps I need another challenge 75 Posts Challenge for 2017.

>5 karenmarie: We read many health books, friends of us too and sometimes The treatment proposals contradict each other. So this quote is a good motto for 2017 - Listen to advices, think about them thoroughly, and make your own decisions. You are the one who has to live with them.

And now to the first books of the year:


1. Der verschlossene Raum / The Hollow Man by John Dickson Carr
A locked room mystery - a man has been murdered and no one was in the room or did leave it. Another man was shot in the middle of the street, the gun lies beside him, there are whitnesses - nobody could have left the scene of the crime.
Everyone gropes in the dark - until Dr. Fell clears the case. Surprisingly, however, in itself logical. By the way the reader gets a lecture on locked-room mystery plots by Dr. Fell.
Old but not outdated - I enjoyed the reading.


2. Das geheimnisvolle Zimmer / The Mystery Of The Yellow Room by Gaston Leroux
Another locked room mystery - But this one is old and outdated.
A young reporter clears a difficult case and convicts a criminal mastermind.
The place on my bookshelf is limited - It is hard to give a book away, here it is easier.

I am part of the group.
I love being part of the group.
I love the friendships bestowed upon my by dint of my membership of this wonderful fellowship.
I love that race and creed and gender and age and sexuality and nationality make absolutely no difference to our being a valued member of the group.

Thank you for also being part of the group.

>6 SirThomas: That sounds like a good challenge! :)

>6 SirThomas: Ha. 75 Posts Challenge. Good review of the Carr book, Thomas. I've read quite a few of his over the years but none recently. I'll have to check that one out.

My mother was a big fan of John Dickson Carr. She read mysteries non-stop.

>8 PaulCranswick: Thank you for your post. Your words correspond to what I feel, but I cannot formulate it so magnificently.
It is great to be here and be a part of this great community!

>9 drneutron: If I manage to post after each book I read, it should not be a problem. So far I have intended it every time and had no success.
New Year New Luck - This year I'll definitely do it.
As the doctor told the patient:
Do not be afraid, I have already done this surgery 100 times - once it has to succeed.

>10 karenmarie: You have to set your goals high ;-).
Glad you liked my review. I loved the Carr book and I think it is not the last one I read by him.
By the way, the suggestion to read it, I got out of the group last year. - Another very good reason to be part of the group.

>11 cammykitty: Your mother seems to have a very good taste. I also read mysteries with pleasure.

Now to my third book of the year:

3. Wer das Dunkel erblickt / The Chatham School Affair by Thomas H. Cook
A young, handsome teacher starts at a school in the country.
She is single and popular with students and colleagues.
After some of the persons involved have died, a witch hunt begins.
A teenager sees a passionate love lead to ruin. He renounces love and tells as an aging man how the disaster came – and his involvement in it.
I waited from the beginning that the disaster finally came – very Long-winded.

And the next one:


4. Nichts ist je vergessen / All Is Not Forgotten by Wendy Walker
Jenny Kramer is brutally raped in the woods outside of a house party.
She is treated with a new drug that clears the memory of it, but her mental state deteriorates more and more.
The narrator, a psychiatrist tries to reconstrukt her memories so that she can process the rape and finally be cured.
Step by step, he tells how he treats her and tries to clarify the deed.
The reader learns a lot about why the protagonists do something - or not. However, only step by step, so that the solution is not too early to foreseeable.
The narrator is not very sympathetic and has his own interests in this case. The narrative style is rather distant, but that suits the book.

In the hotel where i was in my last holidays is a bookcase with the motto "bring one, take one", so you can take a risk by choosing a book.
Sometimes I am positively surprised, sometimes not. The following book is a "not".


5. Die Toten by Christian Kracht
The silent film era comes to an end. A swiss director is sent to Japan by the german UFA to do a film. His fiance, an actress has an affair with a japanese director.
Charlie Chaplin narrowly escapes an assassination attempt. The German wanders through Japan and comes finally home to Swiss, the others travel by ship to the USA.
The Japanese falls from the ship (Charlie Chaplin throws him over the railing), the actress gets no job in Hollywood and dies in misery.
So far to the story.
A writer paints a picture with words. But when the color is applied too thick, you can not see anything.
Greatly phrased sentences - but I felt that the form was the sole purpose of the book. This made it difficult to read.
Thankfully it was quite short. Perhaps it is great literature - but not for me.

Last year I tried again with the Kurt-Wallander-Series and was thrilled.
This year my first books were new ones - with various results.
So the next book is a Wallander story again. I am sure I will enjoy the reading!

>16 SirThomas: I have enjoyed the five Wallander books I have read, Thomas, enjoy!

>17 FAMeulstee: Please excuse me for the late answer.
Last week I was in a conference, when i was back home I laid in bed with a severe cold.
It is a stupid situation, when you are at home with your books, you don't have to work, but you're not even able to read.
So I was only busy sleeping and getting healthy.
Now I am feeling better and the reading is fun again.
Over the years, I bought and read all 12 Wallander books with great pleasure. The second pass is real great again.
Now I have a little luxury problem, between the meetings I went to a local bookstore and bought Der Marsianer, a book which was a long time on my wishlist.
I think I will enjoy the anticipation and finish the Wallander series first.

>18 SirThomas: I am sorry you have been so ill, Thomas, and glad you feel better now.
It is always great to find a book you wanted for a long time, I know :-)

Enjoy your Wallanders, I hope to read the next this month.

>19 FAMeulstee: Thank you Anita.
Yay, it is a little bit like unpacking Christmas gifts as a child.

The enjoyment with the Wallanders is already there:


6. Die Brandmauer / Firewall by Henning Mankell

A taxi driver is murdered, two girls are arrested.
A computer expert dies in front of a cash machine - was it a crime?
Slowly it is shown that the deaths are connected, but not as suspected.
There are more deaths, how are they related?
Traces are intentionally placed - why? by whom?
In addition, there are intrigues behind Kurt Wallanders back.
While he tries to overcome firewalls (not really himself, but his specialists) he realizes that computers can be very helpful, but the world becomes much more vulnerable through networking.
The book is from 1998, but the topic is more topical than ever.

Hi Thomas!

There are few things worse than being too sick to read. I am glad you are feeling better and enjoying your books again.

>21 karenmarie: You're right, it's awful, not being able to read.
Thank you for your participation, Karen.
The cold is very stubborn this time, but at least reading is fun again.

Today we walked a little, because fresh air is good for my bronchia. We stopped by at a public bookcase in a railway building.
After our move, I have placed many books there because I have problems with space. Today I took three books home - it is a much better feeling!

But now back to my Wallander series - it is slowly coming to an end. It is a pity, but other good books are waiting.

7. Vor dem Frost / Before the Frost by Henning Mankell

Anita, a friend of Wallanders daughter Linda is missed.
Animals are burned.
A woman is brutally dismembered.
At the same time it is told how a man survived the massacre in Jonestown (Guyana).
Linda waits impatiently, she has finished her training and wants to work as a police officer.
It is a great Wallander story, but for me a little to much Linda and not enough Kurt.

8. Mord im Herbst / An Event in Autumn by Henning Mankell

The last Wallander book, Mankell wrote, but not the last of the series.
It is rather short.
Kurt Wallander wants to buy a house. During the visit, he stumbles over a corpse.
Now he does not have a house but a murder about 60 years back.
Can he solve the case, even though hardly one of the participants is still alive?
Short, but quiet - with a bang at the end.

How lovely to have that public book case available. Nice that you're on both sides of it - giving and receiving! What books did you take?

>25 karenmarie: Please excuse the delay, we had a hospital check-up. It was in another town and with my mobile I have problems to post.
But now is all OK and we are back home.
The books are not overly demanding, but interesting - I hope:

Für Leichen zahlt man bar / The Passionate Pagan - I liked the german title, a short thriller from 1965 - could be a nice reading
Die Entführung / Long Teeth - the abstract on the back sounded interesting
Die Blonde Witwe / Widow's Wallk - I love the Spenser series

I look forward to the books, but they have to wait a little longer.
In the hotel I finished the Wallander and read a book on my ebook reader the review follows soon.
In the hotel there was also a library, there I also found a book and started:
Rache verjährt nicht / The Woodcutter
The beginning is already good - I knew Reginald Hill already and love Pascoe & Dalziel.

9. Der Feind im Schatten / The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell

The last Wallander book of the series.
Kurt Wallander finally bought a house and a dog - but is he happier now?
He became grandfather, Linda got a daughter.
The father of Lindas life companion disappears, his mother dies.
Was it murder?
Kurt Wallander's investigations lead into the world of spies. But who is spying on whom?
At the same time, he feels more and more symptoms of Alzheimer's disease.
A great end to the series.

10. Diese alte Sehnsucht / That Old Cape Magic by Richard Russo

A melancholy book about the influences parents have on life.
Jack Griffin, a former Screenwriter and now professor at a college falls into a life crisis.
Because the marriage of his parents was a disaster, he does not want any nourishing contact with his in-laws.
He remembers his childhood while he does not manage to scatter the ashes of his father in Cape Cod.
More and more it becomes clear that not all memories can be correct.
Slowly he comes to himself and tries to save his marriage.
A very beautifully written book, melancholic but hopeful.

Hi Thomas!

I've only ever read two series that have official endings: the Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple series by Agatha Christie. Both were very well done, in my opinion, and it was nice to have an ending to two characters I loved, as you obviously love the character Wallander.

Hi Karen,
I like the books of Agatha Christie and her two main investigators, but I didn't read the books with the ending.
I think I'll catch up on occasion.
The end of the Wallander series is not as surprising and unplanned as Sherlock Holmes' end at the Reichenbach Falls.
It has been prepared for several books and is logical in itself.
And unlike Holmes, Wallander did not return.

Hi Thomas!

Agatha Christie's ending books, for Poirot and Miss Marple, were written in the 1940s, but published in the 1970s at the end of each detective's career. I probably read why she did that in her Autobiography: Agatha Christie, but don't remember.

I always love re-reading Agatha Christie, so I always recommend reading her books.

Curtain is the final Hercule Poirot book, and Sleeping Murder is the final Miss Marple book.

>32 karenmarie: Thank you, I'll look for the books.

But now it is time for the next books I read:


11. Rache verjährt nicht / The Woodcutter by Reginald Hill

The lonesame wolf chases his former hunters.
Wolf Hadda was successful had a beautiful woman and daughter. when he was arrested for child pornography and later sentenced.
When he was free again, with the help of a prison psychiatrist, he sets himself to practice vengeance.
Great to read, but a little bit over-egged.


12. The Hunter / Point Blank by Richard Stark

Similar theme, but somewhat more bumpy.
Parker, who lives on robberies, is tricked by his accomplices and his wife.
He revenges himself bloody and at the same time he successfully defeates the local syndicate.
A hard boiled thriller from 1962, you notice something the age.

And the next ones:


13. Der Marsianer / The Martian by Andy Weir

MacGyver om Mars.
A Mars mission has to be canceled because of a sandstorm. Mark Whatney has an accident and is considered dead.
Now he must use his whole ingenuity to survive.
Great.


14. Für Leichen zahlt man bar / The Passionate Pagan by Carter Brown

A wannabe hard-boiled thriller fom 1965.
Danny Boyd is commissioned to kill a man, rejects and tries to warn him.
One against all - chinese spies, heroin mafia, police - Danny overcomes them all and also gets the most beautiful woman in the book.
A not so little bit too much cliché.

After the weekend there are more books to tell about:


15. Schatteninsel / Torajyvät by Marko Hautala

Jenni and Aaron are visiting Aarons son Markus, Jennis ex boyfriend. Markus lives on an island with Jenni's sister. He is ill and wants wants to reconcile.
But is this the real reason?
A thriller? Horror?
Reading this book was like jogging under water. No obstacles, but it is tough.


16. Terror auf Stiles Island / Trouble in Paradise by Robert B. Parker

An experienced crime story about an alcoholic cop in the countryside.
A criminal gang wants to rob a whole island full of rich people. But they made the bill without Jesse Stone.
A nice holiday reading, but not more.
Unfortunately, I just did not have a holiday.

And on the 1st of March the last of February:


17. Monsterkontrolle: Die Schonzeit für Mutanten ist vorbei! / Monster by A. Lee Martinez

Judy works as a assistant at a supermarket when she discovers a Yeti in the fridge.
She calls the animal rescue service. Monster, a human who has a different color every day and Chester, a multidimensional creature in the form of an origami paper are cleaning up the situation.
Every colour gives Monster a different superpower.
There are more cryptobiologicals and at last Monster and Judy have to save the world.
Nice to read, but not more.
By the way the german title is stupid ("Monster control:the closed season for mutants is over"), there is no controlled monster, no Hunting season and there aro absolutely no mutants.

Hi Thomas!

I loved The Martian. My husband and I went to see the movie literally two days after I finished the book, so it was fun to see how the movie stacked up to the book. It did quite well, all in all, except for the ending. They should have left it with him getting safely back to Earth, not a sloppy feel-good ending about him teaching and the class loving him.

Hi Karen!
I think book and movie are different Universes with different natural laws.
Books can work much more with the imagination of the reader than movies.
Viewers and readers often have different claims, so movies have to end sugary.
I often have a stomach ache when I watch a movie where I know the book.
But I think with a bit of distance I'll look at the movie - maybe on the TV.

Hi!

That's a very good point about viewers and readers being different. I guess if you're one or the other but not both, you're safe. I frequently like to see movies of books I love and am a purist. I am mostly doomed to being a tad or more disappointed with movie versions and I agree with your spoiler.

Now to the books of march:
At the moment I have to work with a tablet. There are problems with copy and paste. Sometimes it works, sometimes not. I am not in the mod for work to solve the problem, so the covers will follow later.


18. Totenmaler by Eystein Hanssen

A great book about the hunt for a group of pedophiles with relations to the police.
They arrange their murdered victims in the exact way of famous pictures uf expressionists.
A young investigator and her team are on the track of the criminals and the traitor in their own ranks.
Great to read.



19. Die Entführung / Long Teeth by Marvin H. Albert

A hard boiled investigator on the hunt after a kidnapper. He works alone, but when it is necessary he has contacts to the police, the mafia, the CIA,....
Nice to read but a little one-dimensional.

ETA: Cover added.

Now to some e-books from the public library:



20. Teufelsgold by Andreas Eschbach

What if alchemy works and the philosopher's stone exists?
A great story about the hunt for eternal life and felicity.
If you accept a meteorite with strong radiation as philosopher's stone, the story could work in the real world, it is not too much fantasy or science fiction. And when it doesn't work - who cares! The reading was exciting.



21. Opferweg / Saint Odd by Dean Koontz

Odd Thomas comes home to Pico Mondo to prevent a catastrophy.
A great completition of the saga of a grill cook who can see the dead who are not able to go to the other side.
I loved the reading

ETA: Cover added.

And the next two ones....
The best I could say about them - it was a quick read.


22. Einer flog übers Ordnungsamt by Werner Koczwara

A collection of meanlingless laws and judgments. The book is not better than the theme.
I know Werner Koczwara as a great comedian, live are these stories a pleasure to hear.
As a book it doesn't work.


23. Dumm gelaufen / Thinning the herd by Cynthia Ceilán

Another collection - 600 stupid deaths in short paragraphs.
The Darwin Awards are much better.

ETA: Cover added.

The last two books had only one advantage, the were free.
The next one didn't cost money too - but is worth every cent :-).


24. Drei Killer für ein Halleluja by Anonymus

When you hear that a serial killer wants to kill the pope - what will you do to prevent him?
You hire three serial killers.
What do you get, when you hire three serial killers to prevent the pope?
A lot of corpses.
The book is not serious, it is overxcited, it is great.

ETA: Cover added.

At the moment I have more time to read. But reading is not everything.
Beach walks with sun, sometimes a little rain, wind, delicious food, good wines are a good addition to the books.

ETA: The picture seemed to be invisible sometimes, I changed the URL.

And two other books from the public library:


25. Die Nachhaltigen by Gideon Böss

Boy meets girl in Berlin. Boy wants to impress her and writes a stage play about Hitler and the German Michel witch is performed in a theater with 35 seatings. Girl loves another man who founds a party for sustainability.
Life can be absurd - nice to read.


26. Das geheime Zimmer by Christoph Brandhurst

Girl meets boy. She wants to get out of the province and live her secret dreams.
She finds a man who introduces her into SM, first she likes it, but then she gets more than she had expected.
The book is anounced as a thriller, but I don't think so. It is a little bit one dimensional, too short and the end is somewhat unsatisfactory. Ok, it was worth the price I paid for it - see books #22 and #23 ;-).

ETA: Cover added.

>44 SirThomas: Agreed Thomas - all those things are great accompaniments to books but they don't replace them either!

Have a great weekend.

>46 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul, you are right, without books life is pointless.
Today it is stormy and rainy weather, but with books, it is not unpleasant.
In the north of Germany, where we spent our holidays people are saying "There is no bad weather, there are only unsuitable clothes".
This is right, but we limit ourselves to reading and eating, our outdoor-activities are minor then the last days.
A book and a glas of red wine - who cares about the weather?

Rain and books match each other - and the covers are working again :-).



27. Das Haus / Allhallows Eve by Richard Laymon

A party at All Hallow's Eve in a haunted house and a serial killer, what more do yo need at a rainy day?

The books of the public library are done, but I found some new ones in our holiday apartment, so rain? What rain?



28. Heringsmord by Sina Beerwald

Frieda and Ernst are retired and want to spend their evenings on Sylt, their favourite Island.
They buy a caravan on a campsite in Kampen. They get both new friends - too good friends.
Then there is a corpse - Frieda thinks Ernst has removed a rival and tries to remove the corpse with her friend.
A nice little story with funny moments, just right for a holiday reading.

29. Todesmärchen by Andreas Gruber

A head strong profiler and a serial killer. Five years ago there was a similar series, but this killer is in jail.
A breathtaking story, great written, a pleasure to read.

Back to my own books on the ebook-reader:



30. Totsein verjährt nicht by Friedrich Ani

A child disappeared six years ago, a mentally retarded boy was sent to prison for murder.
The case was closed. A former monk, now a policeman is not satisfied and investigates nevertheless.
I loved the reading.

Hi Thomas!

>41 SirThomas: I really enjoyed the Odd Thomas series too, and the ending was entirely satisfactory for me.

>47 SirThomas: "There is no bad weather, there are only unsuitable clothes". I really like that.

Hi Karen!
Please excuse the delay, the week after our holidays was hard.
But now I find a little time again to read and write.

The Odd Thomas series is really great, unfortunately I have not yet read all the books, I still have to make up.
The end fits perfectly to the overall picture. Should I wish for a continuation? It could be great, but I do not think so. It's as good as it is.

The saying about weather and clothing is true, it is not only a sugarcoat on bad weather.
Rain and storm can be really fun. Especially on the North Sea coast it is always an experience.
But it depends on the situation - If you are planning a barbecue party outdoor, suitable clothes are not very helpful in the rain ;-).

And another little work is done:
From post >40 SirThomas: to >45 SirThomas: the pictures and covers should be working now too.

And now to the books:
The spring of serial killers goes on.



31. Siebenschön by Judith Winter

Emilia Capelli gets a new partner, Mai Zhou. She can not cope with her, but when a serial killer makes the city unsafe, they have to get together.
The dead do not seem to have anything to do with each other, but then a connection is shown.
Thrilling and good to read.

Hi Thomas!

I appreciate series that are ended logically and completely. I don't remember feeling irritated with things left hanging. I remember the Odd Thomas series as having a good ending, too.

Hi Karen!
The ending of the Odd Thomas series is great and conclusive in itself. There is nothing I want to change.
But look at the situation: people wake up in a world full of adventures after their death. This could be the beginning of a great series too.
The World-of-Tiers series by Philip José Farmer has a similar starting position.
I feel like I had a delicious chocolate bar and I am happy and satisfied - I know it's enough, but the desire to continue eating is still there.

And the next two books:



32. Das Zeichen auf der Stirn by Nicole Drawer

Another serial killer, he murders criminals who were not convicted, he wants to punish sinners.
A male inspector, a female psychologist / profiler with personal problems.
Everything is known somehow, but nice to read.



33. Harvey Penick's Golf-Weisheiten: Das kleine rote Buch / Harvey Penick'S Little Red Book by Harvey Penick

A book about golf: lessons, aphorisms, memoirs, wise sayings.
I heared that Harvey Penick was a great golf coach with a lot of wisdom. In this book he remains a little preserved.

34. Jack Taylor fliegt raus / The Guard by Ken Bruen

Jack Taylor is an ex police officer - he was fired because he slapped a politician in a traffic control.
Now he works as aprivate eye in Galway, Ireland. A mother does not believe that her daughter has committed suicide.
He has a little problem - he is a heavy alcoholic. You don't know should you like him or should you hate him.
He is is how he is, a difficult character who destroys his life by alcohol.
The book is great written and ingeniously translated by Harry Rowohlt.

In 2013, I was introduced by Kathy (PersephonesLibrary) to this series and shortly afterwards found the second volume of the series in a bookstore.
I read it and became addicted. In this holiday I found this book and now my addiction is revived - the third book is ordered.
Thank you Kathy.
This group is great - great books, gread threads great members I love to be here!

35. Die blonde Witwe / Widow's Walk by Robert B. Parker

Another private eye, but Spenser is smooth. He has no addictions, he is straight. In a Western he would be a guy with a white hat.
A dead banker, a suspicious widow. Spenser solves the case.
Nice to read but pale by comparison with Jack Taylor.

Hi Thomas! Congratulations on lots of good reading.

Hi Karen! Thank you - I try my best ;-).

The last two weeks I lost track of my reading, but now I will be up to date:



36. Von unten betrachtet geht es nur nach oben by Jens Sembdner

Jens Sembdner is part of the music band "Die Prinzen". 2001 his wife died by suicide. In this book he describes how he found back to live, it is an autobiography too.
The book is very well written and can help others to understand people who have lost a loved one - and help themselves a little bit to get out of the valley of darkness.



37. Jack Taylor liegt falsch / The Killing of the Tinkers by Ken Bruen

Jack Taylor investigates in the milieu of the Tinkers, traveling people, outcasts like him, the drinker.
The second reading is fun again.



38. Der Weg der Trauer by Monika Müller and Matthias Schnegg

This book has two findings:

1. Every mourner has his own way to deal with grief - and this is the only correct one
2. The advice for the companion: Be there

189 pages are a bit much for these findings. For the training of mourning companions too little, too dry for sufferers.

Sorry for the absence, here are the read books till today:



39. Der elfte Gast / Elva by Arne Dahl

A strange letter brings the former members of the A group back together on a strange castle.
Each of the 10 members tells a strange story, then the eleventh guest appears....
I think Arne Dahl had nightmares after he had dissolved the investigator group, as a remedy, he wrote this book.
It is not a nightmare to read the book, but it is nearby.
The appearance of the writer himself in the book is strange too, Stephen King e.g. did it much better



40. Brook und der Skorpion by Cornelius Hartz

Another Serial Killer-story, but well written and good to read. It makes appetite for the next books of the series.



41. Herztod by Katharina Peters

A psychologist on the hunt for a killer in Hamburg, she has problems with the colleagues, but she is successfull. Nice to read.



42. Der Puzzlemörder von Zons / Fatal Puzzle by Catherine Shepherd

Zons is a small town in Germany, in the year 1495 the town watch is on the hunt for a murderer.
In the present a young journalist wants to write an article about the murders. Then killings also happen here.
The two stories are told parallel - and they are related. A good idea and well done.



43. Ein gutes Omen / Good Omens by Terry Pratchet and Neil Gaiman

Described are the last 11 years before Armageddon. It is triggered by an 11 year old child. An angel and a demon try to prevent it. They are supported by a friendly witch, an army of witch finders.
The Riders of the Apocalypse are driving Motorcycles, Pestilence has retired, environmental pollution does now the job.
What is to say about the book? Read it and have fun!
It is one of my favourite books - after every reading I love it more.

OK, long warm evenings, time to read on the balcony, but no time to blog.
Today it is too muggy and windy outside, so here are the books:



44. Roter Drache / Red Dragon by Thomas Harris

Profiler Will Graham on the hunt for a serial killer. The first book of the Hannibal Lecter series, then the book was great, now it is still good.



45. Das Schweigen der Lämmer / The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris

Clarice Starling on the hunt for a serial killer. Hannibal Lecter is asked for help. He helps, but plays his own game. Great.



46. Erntezeit / The Reaper of Zons by Catherine Shepherd

The second book of the series, good written, but the nearby the same story as the first book, the murder weapon is different...



47. Hannibal / Hannibal by Thomas Harris

Clarice Starling is hampered in her career, Hannibal Lecter seems to be unmasked in Italy. Their paths cross again.
In the first two books the reader was middle in the story, in this book he hovers over it. Nice to read.

and the rest ... until now ;-):



48. Kalter Zwilling by Catherine Shepherd

The third book of the Zons-series, the well-known pattern, but a pleasure to read.



49. Dino Park /Jurassic Park by Michael Crichton

A great action story about an island full of dinosaurs.
A breathless reading pleasure.



50. Hannibal Rising / Hannibal Rising by Thomas Harris

How little Hannibal became Hannibal Lecter - when he was a child, his sister was eaten, now he himself is a cannibal.
I suspect that Thomas Harris wanted to make money again with Hannibal Lecter and for a continuation of Hannibal, the ideas were missing.
Good to read anyhow.

>6 SirThomas: Hey, 50 books and 64 posts until the middle of June.
It looks good for both of my challenges!

Looking good!

Hi Thomas!

I'm glad I read The Silence of the Lambs, but Hannibal spooked me so much that I've avoided all future books.

Hi Karen,
you're right, Hannibal is more spooky, but in The Silence of the Lambs I had the feeling to be in the middle of the action.
Reading Hannibal was like hearing somebody talk about it.

Now to the books:



51. The Lost world / The Lost world by Michael Crichton

The first book was great, the second rather good. Many scenes were written in the intention to get more money for the film rights.
But nice to read.



52. Thrill / The Tenth Justice by Brad Meltzer

Talking too much is not good, a supreme court clerk remembers very quickly. Ben Addison talks abut a judgment before publication, how he is being blackmailed.
His friends are in danger too, whom can he trust?
I finished the book with effort.



53. Auf den Flügeln der Angst by Catherine Shepherd

The next book of the Zons-series, The same place, the same two times, but different plots.
Now a woman who thinks she was a murderer (but what is reality?), then a story about a drug smuggler. There are relationships between the stories, but not so strong as in the former books.
Great to read.



54. Mondlicht steht dir gut / Moonlight Becomes You by Mary Higgins Clark

Maggie Holloway finds after years her step mother, a short time later she is murdered. Maggie hunts the murderer.
Is there a relationship with the retirement home in the neighborhood?
The book begins with Maggie being buried alive in a coffin, but the thrill is not very high.

the next ones:



55. Tiefschwarze Melodie by Catherine Shepherd

Until now the last book of the Zons-series. Again the story plays now and then. But there is every time something new.
I loved the reading.



56. Kuschelmuschel / Switch Bitch by Roald Dahl

Four great stories - I like the humour of Roald Dahl.



57. Der große Schlaf / The Big Sleep by Raymond Chandler

The first book of the Philip Marlowe series.
Nothing more to say as - great!



58. Freitag / Friday by Robert A. Heinlein

A great adventure story, a dystopia, a parable about racism, ....
This was not my first reading of the book - and not my last.

That is a nice set of books you have read through this year. Also I have starred your thread in the hope of finding new German books I may add to my TBR.

Thank you.
Please excuse the delay, I was otherwise busy, my thread is not up to date, too.
But you brought me to an idea, I will read some German-speaking authors from my TBR.
Unfortunately there are no autors included as Friedrich Ani, Andreas Eschbach, Sebastian Fitzek, Walter Moers or Martin Suter, but I like to be surprised by the other authors.
Let's see what the future brings.

Now it is time for the next books...



59. London Boulevard by Ken Bruen

Mitchel is released from prison, gets a job as a debt collector and a job as a caretaker at a former film star.
The book is
hardboiled
laconically
straight
It's fun to read it.
The book reminds me of Dan Simmons' Joe Kurtz series



60. Kraft des Bösen / Carrion Comfort by Dan Simmons
There are people who are able to enter into the minds of others, and to control those people.
A few people are trying to fight them.
It seems to be something little for over 1,000 pages, but it is graet to read.
In the end, I thought "what, already done?"

Some german books:


61. Brennender Zorn by Claudia Frenzel
After some professional as well as private problems, Commissioner Hanno Kaltwasser has moved from Munich to Berlin
A dead man hangs in a burned-out villa - suicide?
Kaltwasser also investigates the past.
A rock solid crime story.



62. Als ich meine Mutter im Sexshop traf by Robert Neuendorf
A collection of embarrassing confessions from an internet site.
Well, yes...

>73 SirThomas: Als ich meine Mutter im Sexshop traf: Actual confessions? Did he just download a load of stuff and republish it? Or is this fiction somehow?

>74 sirfurboy: I think it is republished from "beichthaus.com".
fiction or not fiction - that is the question. Some of them are definitively fiction, some of them could be true.
In the long run it is tiring.

>75 SirThomas: Thanks. Yes, I think I will give it a miss in any case. :)

>76 sirfurboy: you won't miss a lot :).

But it is time for some books:


63. Schneckenkönig by Rainer Wittkamp
Martin Nettelbeck comes back to active duty after being suspended because of an assault.
A dead black man, neo-Nazis, a missionary work - a solid story.



64. Das Licht der Toten by Cyrus Darbandi
A melancholic, profound policeman, his profound brother, a Mafia courier, a Mafia killer,...
An almost poetic and melancholic writing style, with very well developed figures. But - must be all protagonists profound and melancholic?
Nothing for a quick vacation reading, but a very good book.



65. Golanhöhen by Marc-Oliver Bischoff
The novel takes place in a deprived area in Frankfurt.
A dead woman - suicide? A dead baby - murder? A young father as investigator - exhausted!
A pleasure to read.



66. Steife Prise / Snuff by Terry Pratchett
A discworld novel of the city watch.
Sam Vines is on holiday, but the crime finds him there too - or is he looking for the crime?
The same location, the same people, but not the same spirit.
There is a saying of old people: everything used to be better - here it is justified.

By the way - books enrich your life, also my musical taste.
In Schneckenkönig Martin Nettelbeck is a big fan of the trombone, he plays the instrument himself.
He doesn't like other music, House not at all.
His new workmate plays Trombohemian by Lars von Licht -House-, Nettelbeck is not amused, but then he hears the trombone.
I am not a fan of House or trombone, but I gave this pice of music a chance - it is great.
So read and you will hear!
Or drink - Jonathan Hemlock and Laphroaig was another recommendation for me.
Both, Trombohemian and Laphroaig are a little bit strange, not for every day, but worth to give them a chance.

Hello SirThomas!

I just looked at your gallery pictures and am absolutely charmed at seeing your Elizabeth George books in the Kitchen Cupboard!

Hi Karen,
the picture is not quite serious.
Although,... I have many books and little space, especially since the move.
Maybe I should take it into mind, but I think there will be trouble with SWMBO ;-).
(I have borrowed the abbreviation from PaulCranswick).

>80 SirThomas: Maybe time to get an e-reader?

>81 sirfurboy:
I am the proud owner of an e-reader and a lot of ebooks.
It is great for holidays, the suitcase can be closed again ;-).
And I have a number of books with me whereever I am.

But there are several reasons for paper books:

• Call me old-fashioned, but I love to touch a book, to turn over the pages. Reading a paper book is a completely different feeling than reading an e-reader.


• I like to read in the bathtub, if an old paperback falls into the water, the damage is relatively small.


• A paper book is easier to lend to a friend.


• A filled bookcase looks much better than a small electronic box.


• Often I stand in front of the bookcase and look at the back of the books and enjoy the sight. Then I decide what I will read next (again).


• There are no price reduced ebooks on rummage tables.


• ...

So I think the number of paper books will increase farther, but possibly slower as the ebooks.
And the problem of space shortage will be there too.

All your reasons for paper books are good, especially just looking at them and enjoying the sight. I read about 5-10% of my books on my Kindle, mostly for very heavy books or when I go out of town.

Yes, I like your list of reasons for paper books. Most e-books I read are library books, and I love to be able to lend books from home :-)

>83 karenmarie:, >84 FAMeulstee:
Thank you, reading surrounded by books is twice the fun.
Lending library ebooks has the advantage that you don't have to worry about the end of the loan period.
When the deadline expires, the book is simply no longer readable. It does not have to be returned.

Now its time again for books:



67. Die Bestimmung des Bösen by Julia Corbin
A serial killer, a biologist examines the crime scenes, her friend, a commissioner - her parents had a dark past.
Bit by bit, more and more connections arise.
The book is great written, the author is a biologist and explains the insect attack of the corpses without boring the reader.
I like the book.



68. Schattenpakt / Viper moon by Lee Roland
A Fantasy story about the fight between good and bad.
A young girls tries to rescue children in the dark areas of the town.
Heroes and Monsters - not great literature but a great reading pleasure.



69. Süden und das Gelöbnis des gefallenen Engels by Friedrich Ani
The first book of the Tabor Süden series.
An investigator for missing persons with an alcohol problem. He has unconventional methods of investigation.
A desperate woman reports her husband as missing. But is she really desperate and is he really in danger?
The style of the book is a little bit unconventional, a bit exhausting to read, but interesting.



70. Süden und der Straßenbahntrinker by Friedrich Ani
A man goes to the police and tells them he's back. They do not need to look for him anymore.
But he was not missing.
Tabor Süden investigates nevertheless.
The second book is better - maybe I just got used to Ani's style better.

And the next ones:



71. Anno Dracula / Anno Dracula by Kim Newman
72. Der rote Baron / The Bloody Red Baron by Kim Newman
73. Dracula cha cha cha / Judgment of Tears by Kim Newman
What if Van Helsing didn't kill Dracula and Dracula married Queen Victoria?
The three books are great A wild ride through history and literature.
First the Victorian period in England, then the first world war on the front, to the end of Rome in the late 1950s. There are more powerful beings than vampires.
The staff is great:
- The main characters from Dracula
- Bram & Florence StokerSchweinskopf al dente ebook
- Jack the Ripper
- Sherlock & Mycroft Holmes and the Diogenes Club
- Jack the Ripper
- Kurt Barlow
- Barnabas Collins
- Jekyll & Hyde
- Inspector Lestrade
- Dr. Moreau
- Dr. Caligari
- Carmilla
- Billy the Kid
- Manfred von Richthofen - a natural born flyer
- Joseph Merrick
- Orson Welles
- Oscar Wilde
- James Bond
- Ernst Stavro Blofeld - the man with the cat, or is it different?
- Zombies
- ...
Sometimes it is obvious, sometimes the character is only indicated.
Great ideas, great action, great written - I love the books.

It's time for books again:



74. Der Dienstagabend-Club / The Tuesday Club Murders by Agatha Christie
They sit together and discuss criminal cases.
Miss Marple sits inconspicuously in the corner and has the solution.
Always a pleasure.



75. Die Mausefalle und andere Fallen / Three Blind Mice and Other Stories by Agatha Christie
Another collection of short stories.
Old but not old fashioned.

Both Challenges are mastered:
75 books and 75 posts.
To new shores, let's see what's gonna come.

Congratulations, Thomas, on reaching 75 books & posts :-)

Congrats!

Congratulations on reaching 75 books. I hope you continue to post up the rest of your reads this year in this thread.

Congratulations on reading 75 books and posts!

I agree with you about Agatha Christie short stories - Old but not old fashioned.

>90 FAMeulstee:, >91 drneutron:, >92 sirfurboy:, >93 karenmarie: Thank you, without you I would never have come so far!
>92 sirfurboy: With the goals it is as with the horizon: the closer you get the more it goes back.
I think 100 is also a nice number ;-).

>94 SirThomas: Yes, 100 is a good number. I am looking forward to seeing what else you read.

And on the way to 100 the next ones:



76. Cliffhanger by Tim Binding
Al Greenwood pushes his wife off the cliff.
When he comes home, she's already there.
Whom did he murder?
Not quite my kind of humor. I love black humor, but this is rather gray.



77. Fischnapping / Rump Stake by Tim Binding
Part 2 of the adventures of Al Greenwood, His wife admits his murder and he comes out of prison.
The first part was better.



78. Der seltsame Mr. Quin / The Mysterious Mr. Quin by Agatha Christie
Mystery & crime in a bunch of stories.
Mysterious Mr. Quin as catalyst for Mr. Satterthwaite to solve mysteries.
A little bit paranormal elements but great stories.

>96 SirThomas: Cliffhanger sounds like a dark plot. I can imagine how that might go... does his wife suspect something? Does she use it against him?

It's a complicated story:
A young girl is missing, Al's illegitimate daughter, he thinks he had murdered her.
When her dismembered corpse is found in a dummy tank at the parade ground it is clear, this is not Al's victim.
The wife of the investigating police officer is missing too - did he kill her?
At the end he is sent to prison for murdering his daughter - this is what his wife Audrey did in this night. And she directed the suspicion to Al.
He thinks he had murdered the police officers wife Michaela.

In the second book Audrey confesses her murder and goes to prison.
Al comes fre and has to steal a koi from the police officer of part one.
This order comes from Michaela, the police officers wife. She is alive and has a lesbian love affair with Audrey.
Michaela had seen Al's victim an want to make a deal: fish vs information. But she plays with marked cards...
Al's legitimate daughter comes from Australia, she finds him guilty for murdering her fiancee.
It is all a mix-up with suspense and humour but I found no proper access to the books.

>98 SirThomas: Thanks for that.

>99 sirfurboy: you are welcome

And the next challenge is done - this was post #100 ;-).
Step by step into the future...

and the next books:



79. Die Ersten ihrer Art / More Than Human by Theodore Sturgeon
A poetic science fiction story about the evolution of mankind, told by the fate of PSI-gifted children.
Calmly told and great to read.



80. Anonyme Untote: Eine Zombie-Liebesgeschichte / Breathers: A Zombie's Lament by S.G. Browne
Just another Zombie-story? Yes, but what a!
If you've never have read that book, then you probably wouldn't understand.
This was a recommendation I found at the 75 Books Challenge for 2013 I love this group!



81. Paradies Pollensa / Problem at Pollensa Bay and other stories by Agatha Christie
A collection of short stories with old friends, Hercule Poirot, Parker Pine, Harley Quin.
Nice to read, but there are better books from the queen of crime.

>100 SirThomas: Congratulations on post #100, onward to book #100! :-)

>102 FAMeulstee: thank you
... and the next books on the way to 100:



82. Ich, der letzte Mensch / I Am Legend by Richard Matheson
A vampire story and a story about being human.
A great story and lots of stuff to think about. The question of who the monster is is not always unambiguously answerable.



83. Kurt Ostbahn, Blutrausch by Günter Brödl
A little confused detective thriller about a musician as a detective.
More alcohol flows than blood.
The "Wiener Schmäh" might have been better come into effect in an audio book.

Hi Thomas and congratulations on meeting your 100-post goal. You're looking very good on your 100-book goal, too!

>104 karenmarie: Thank you, I will do my best, the weather is slowly getting worse, so the chances are getting better and better:)



84. Die Anbetung / Odd Thomas by Dean Koontz
The adventures of a grill cook who can see the indecisive dead, trying to ease their transition.
I had already read some books of the Odd Thomas series, it was great to read the beginnings.



85. Seelenlos / Forever Odd by Dean Koontz
Odd Thomas looking for his kidnapped friend.
Again a pleasure to read how a "normal" cook tries to cope with life.

By the way - the german titles are somehow odd too:
Translated into english again:
The Worship
Soulless
Shadow night

Edit: Typo and retranslated title of the third book

Hi Thomas!

I loved the Odd Thomas series.

Bad outside weather is good for reading, that's for sure!

Yeah, the series is great, Dean Koontz is an author with ups and downs, Odd Thomas is clearly an UP!
The next one is again part of the series:



86. Schattennacht / Brother Odd by Dean Koontz
Odd Thomas seeks peace and quiet in a monastery, but he cannot escape his gift.
After a time of rest he sees Bodachs again. Can he save the children in the orphanage?
Again very exciting, I love the thoughts that Odd Thomas makes about his life and his destiny

and now for something completely different:



87. Die Chaos-Kompanie / Phule's Company by Robert Asprin
Funny SF - quite nice.
A commander and his butler is being transferred for disciplinary reasons to a bunch of losers - and makes them to winners.
If you believe in yourself, you can achieve anything if you doubt yourself, nothing.

And again a completely different subject.
Soon there will be an anniversary of an event that fits the theme. I also came across the topic in another thread.



88. Vier minus drei: Wie ich nach dem Verlust meiner Familie zu einem neuen Leben fand by Barbara Pachl-Eberhart
The author lost her husband and her two children in a car accident. In this book she describes how she found back to live. The book is hopeful and makes you confident. Her way would certainly not be my way, but it is how book #38 says: Every mourner has his own way to deal with grief - and this is the only correct one.



89. Frau Prinz pfeift nicht mehr by Asta Scheib
Small town war in the big city. An evil neighbor dies, who's the killer of Mrs Prinz?
Many have motives. A crime novel with a surprising end. Rather funny written, a holiday reading - stupid that I must work.

Hi Thomas!

I've never been inclined to read anything else by Dean Koontz. Are there any you'd particularly recommend?

Hi Karen,
please don't overstate my post about Koontz's downs, they are higher than the UPs of some other authors ;-).
I didn't read yet all of his books on my shelf - there's been a tremendous increase lately.
Beside the Odd Thomas series I would recommend Tür ins Dunkel (The Door to December) and Flüstern in der Nacht (Whispers).
Der Geblendete (From the Corner of His Eye) and Bote der Nacht (One Door Away from Heaven) weren't quite as good in my opinion.

Thanks, Thomas! I've only got From the Corner of his Eye on my shelves, so will be on the lookout for the first two mentioned.

Now I want to pick up a great Idea from PaulCranswick :
A BOOK A YEAR FOR THE FIRST 50 YEARS OF MY LIFE
Present thoughts based on what I have read and the CK (Original publication date) of LT.
Because of my age, I have 5 Books more so:

A BOOK A YEAR FOR THE FIRST 55 YEARS OF MY LIFE
1961 Ein Mann in einer fremden Welt / Stranger in a Strange Land by Robert A. Heinlein
1962 Die Physiker / The Physicists: A Play by Friedrich Dürrenmatt
1963 Platon im Stripteaselokal / Misreadings by Umberto Eco
1964 Am Freitag schlief der Rabbi lang / Friday the Rabbi Slept Late by Harry Kemelman
1965 Der Wüstenplanet / Dune by Frank Herbert
1966 Die phantastische Reise / Fantastic Voyage by Isaac Asimov
1967 Die Vergangenheit der Zukunft (Future History) / The Past Through Tomorrow by Robert A. Heinlein
1968 2001 - Odyssee im Weltraum / 2001: A Space Odyssey by Arthur C. Clarke
1969 Papillon / Papillon by Henri Charrière
1970 Und die Großen läßt man laufen / Murder at the Savoy by Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö
1971 Der Exorzist / The Exorcist by William Peter Blatty
1972 Sieh doch die Harlekins / Look at the Harlequins! by Vladimir Nabokov
1973 Momo oder die seltsame Geschichte von den Zeit-Dieben und von dem Kind, das den Menschen die gestohlene Zeit zurückbrachte / Momo by Michael Ende
1974 Carrie / Carrie by Stephen King
1975 Dhalgren / Dhalgren by Samuel R. Delany
1976 Interwiew mit einem Vampir / Interview with the Vampire by Anne Rice
1977 Sternentanz / Stardance by Jeanne Robinson & Spider Robinson
1978 Stadtgeschichten / Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin
1979 Per Anhalter durch die Galaxis / The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
1980 Der Name der Rose / The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco
1981 Cujo / Cujo by Stephen King
1982 Freitag / Friday by Robert A. Heinlein
1983 Christine / Christine by Stephen King
1984 Der Talisman / The Talisman by Stephen King & Peter Straub
1985 Contact / Contact by Carl Sagan
1986 Es / It by Stephen King
1987 Der Elektrische Mönch: Dirk Gently's Holistische Detektei / Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams
1988 Fool on the hill / Fool on the hill by Matt Ruff
1989 Hyperion / Hyperion by Dan Simmons
1990 The Stand / The Stand (unabridged) by Stephen King
1991 Sofies Welt / Sophie's World: A Novel About the History of Philosophy by Jostein Gaarder
1992 Fräulein Smillas Gespür für Schnee / Smilla's Sense of Snow by Peter Høeg
1993 Alpträume / Nightmares & Dreamscapes by Stephen King
1994 Asche zu Asche / Playing for the Ashes by Elizabeth George
1995 Dunkle Kammern / The Dark Room by Minette Walters
1996 The Green Mile / The Green Mile by Stephen King
1997 G.A.S. / Sewer, Gas and Electric: The Public Works Trilogy by Matt Ruff
1998 Wächter der Nacht / The Night Watch by Sergej Lukianenko
1999 Die 13 1/2 Leben des Käpt'n Blaubär / 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear by Walter Moers
2000 Das Haus = House of leaves / House of Leaves by Mark Z. Danielewski
2001 Jack Taylor fliegt raus / The Guards: A Novel by Ken Bruen
2002 Die Bibel nach Biff : die wilden Jugendjahre von Jesus, erzählt von seinem besten Freund / Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal by Christopher Moore
2003 Ich und die anderen / Set This House in Order by Matt Ruff
2004 Der Turm / The Dark Tower by Stephen King
2005 Olympos / Olympos by Dan Simmons
2006 Am Ende war die Tat / What Came Before He Shot Her by Elizabeth George
2007 Der Tod und der Dicke / Death Comes for the Fat Man by Reginald Hill
2008 Das Spiel des Engels / The Angel's Game by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
2009 1Q84 / 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
2010 Raum / Room by Emma Donoghue
2011 5 Dinge, die Sterbende am meisten bereuen / The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing by Bronnie Ware
2012 Glaube der Lüge / Believing the Lie by Elizabeth George
2013 Das Dickicht / The Thicket by Joe R. Lansdale
2014 Der Seidenspinner / The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith
2015 Opferweg / Saint Odd by Dean Koontz
2016 Mind Control / End of watch by Stephen King

Sometimes it was very hard to decide, therefore the closest losers were the following ones:

1973 Der Experte / The Loo Sanction by Trevanian
1985 Das Parfum / Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind
1990 Ein gutes Omen. Die freundlichen und zutreffenden Prophezeiungen der Hexe Agnes Spinner / Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett
1991 In einer kleinen Stadt / Needful Things by Stephen King
2001 Der Schatten des Windes / The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
2005 Verblendung / The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson
2009 Der Feind im Schatten / The Troubled Man by Henning Mankell
2011 Der Marsianer / The Martian by Andy Weir

Some books I read a long time before, so this list might look different at another point in time.

>82 SirThomas: Another reason for paper books:
Have you ever tried to have an author sign an EBook reader? ;-)
Although...
The last books I read were ebooks.
On this subject I don't see either or. I see both as well as.

>113 SirThomas: Thomas, thanks so much for doing that - really interesting list!

We managed to share one book in Room and one of your possibles The Shadow of the Wind was in my list.

I have read and really enjoyed the Peter Hoeg and Ken Bruen books you listed. The Sci-fi and horror are not really my genre but I recognise many of the titles but the Scandi stuff is very much to my taste.

Hi Thomas!

>113 SirThomas: - I'm still working on mine, a labor of love!

Excellent list.

>113 SirThomas: Mine is also a work in progress, as only a few of my books read have the Original publication date on LT... only 800 books for my list to go, thanks Paul! ;-)

>117 FAMeulstee: I routinely study the inside pages publication information when I catalogue my books both on my spreadsheet and here on LT, Thomas. This enables me to divine the original publication dates.

Have a great weekend.

First, sorry for my delay, lately it's been hard to find time and opportunity to take care of LT and you.
Even reading was not easy.

The idea of this lists is great and I love to see the opinions of others. My tbr is growing and growing...

>115 PaulCranswick: Thank you, two books doesn't seem to be much, but with millions of books, it's not so little.
The Scandi stuff is my taste too and it was sometimes hard to decide against a specific book of this genre.
I love to see your and other lists, they give me the opportunity to look beyond my own experience.
My great fear is to miss a good book because I don't know anything about it ;-).

>116 karenmarie: Thank you, I love your list too, we share two books too - and one of my closest losers list.
And a lot of authors.

>117 FAMeulstee: You did it meanwhile, congratulations - a great list and a source of inspiration for me.

>118 PaulCranswick: I knew I had to do my list quick and without think about it too long and I had no time to look for the date book by book.
So I used the following way:
I went to "your books" with a style that contained the original publication date of common knowledge.
Then I used the printer symbol (show printable catalog), so I had my complete books in one page.
There I used the search function of my browser for the year I wanted.
This I did in the .de and the .com page, so I think, this covered the most of my books.

>119 SirThomas: Thank you, I would never thought of a list like that, if Paul hadn't started.

Comparing our lists, we have one book in common The Name of the Rose and I have read (before LT times) Papillon, Momo and Sophie's World. Some others are on mount TBR. I love the Wallander books, so I will get to The Troubled Man someday.

It is much fun seeing the lists pop up on the threads :-)

Mount TBR is growing and growing - some of your books in your list have been there - Vonnegut & Irving e. g., some have increased the mountain - Lloyd Alexander & Ursula Le Guin.
I noticed Klaus Kordon on your list, I read Krokodil im Nacken before my LT-time, it is a very good book, too.
The Neverending Story was shortlisted, but had no chance against Douglas Adams.
Sometimes I think with more peace and quiet, my list might look a little different.
Especially when I look at the lists of others.
But then I would never have finished.
Therefore, I am happy about all the suggestions I get from you awesome people and I read and read and read...

Klaus Kordon is my favourite German YA writer. Most of his earlier books are available in Dutch, sadly Krokodil im Nacken isn't.
I think every list is influenced by time and mood, just like our reading

If every list were carved in stone, there would be no development whatsoever, which would be sad.

But now back to the books - 2 in 10 days - this can be increased:



90. Ready Player One by Ernest Cline
You are reading a book - you are playing computer games - you are in a computer game!
Searching for easter eggs in a virtual reality playing games and hearing music of the eighties - those were the days.
A great book.



91. Leviathan erwacht / Leviathan Wakes by James Corey
A space opera with war and peace, heroes and space battles.
And a great story too.

And the next book at a shorter interval, not a feat - with 50 pages:



92. Elbenbiss by Tonja Züllig
An author with a writer's blockade helps a sexually addicted Elbe, a vegetarian werewolf and a vampire who cannot see blood.
Nice ideas, funny and easy to read.

And another short book:



93. Bis zum Nullpunkt des Seins by Kurd Laßwitz
A SF novel from 1871, a triangular story about the war between art and science.
The end is pretty grim.
From today's point of view very little action, much philosophy, but very interesting.
I also Like the idea of a perfume piano, especially the description of the effects on the neighbours.

Today I finished a book and there is a little time to talk about the other I finished. Not that I have read both books very quickly. Reading started earlier - I often read several books at the same time.



94. Niemalsland / Neverwhere by Neil Gaiman
An average Londoner lands in the fairytale realm below London. It's pretty bloody out there.
He faces the challenge, grows beyond himself and finds to himself.
Exciting, great, captivating.



95. Prinzessin Insomnia & der alptraumfarbene Nachtmahr by Walter Moers
Another fairy tale - more poetic.
This time Walter Moers plays too much with words. This makes it difficult to follow the story.
Princess Dylia suffers from insomnia. A personified nightmare named Havarius Opal visits her and tries to drive her mad. They travel through her brain and experience various adventures.
The book's features and coloured illustrations are very nice, which makes it rather unsuitable as an ebook. That's why I put it on the shelf al hardcover ;-).

Hi Thomas!

>94 SirThomas: I've added Neverwhere to my wish list. I've read 3 by Gaiman and loved them. I just went to our Friends of the Library Sale. I'm Treasurer and worked all 3 days, but managed to buy 57 books when not busy (45 for me and 12 for my daughter). Believe it or not, I'm 'booked out' for a bit!

>126 SirThomas:, >127 karenmarie: Neverwhere is my fave of his, though his collection of others' short stories called Unnatural Creatures is pretty good too!

>127 karenmarie: Congratulations for your book stack increase ;-).
A german writer - Loriot said "A life without pugs is possible, but senseless."
For me the dogs are the books.
>128 drneutron: Thank you for the recommendation, I love short stories.

My favourite book from Gaiman is a co-production with another great writer - Terry Pratchett:
Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch, see book #43 this year.

I love being recommended great books in this group.
And I am happy when my descriptions can help others to find good books.

At the moment I'm in rehab, it's nothing serious, but I'm very busy and I don't come to LT that often.
Also, the w-lan is not very stable.
But the biggest problem is:
I fight with the beast in me:

nevertheless there are books read:



96. Im Netz der Spinne / Along came a spider by James Patterson
The first book of the Alex Cross series, it is a page-turner.
Alex Cross hunts a serial killer, an insane genius who plans everything exactly. Very good to read



97. Jack Taylor fährt zur Hölle / The Magdalen Martyrs by Ken Bruen

This time Jack Taylor is supposed to be looking for a woman who has done good, but is that true?
Between his alcohol crashes, he solves the case, but there are casualties as always.
Great writing and translation.



98. Du hast mich auf dem Balkon vergessen by Anna Koch

A collection of drunken text messages - the same thing as Als ich meine Mutter im Sexshop traf

and the next ones:



99. So was von tot / The killing kind by Chris Holm
A killer wants to kill a killer who kills killers.
A little to much, but nice to read - good for a holiday reading - much thrill less depth



100. Denn zum Küssen sind sie da / Kiss the Girls by James Patterson
The second book of the Alex Cross series, the protagonists continue to develop, the tension increases.
This time the family of Alex Cross is also affected, His niece was kidnapped.

The 100 are done, on to new shores...



101. Süden und die Frau mit dem harten Kleid by Friedrich Ani
This book is a letter to a person Tabor Süden met in the course of an investigation. Which then disappeared.
A very interesting reading.
I love the series with the melancholic undertone.

Hello Thomas!

I'm sorry to hear that you're in rehab but glad that it is nothing serious. And I like your beast - a smiling sloth!

Congratulations on reaching 100.

I translated what you wrote about yourself to English and love what you wrote about 26 letters:

...still surprised and delighted about what can happen when 26 letters are always arranged differently.

Hi Karen,
thank you for your sympathy, I am in my second week and its getting better and better.
When I saw the sloth on a postcard, I immediately thought that this was in line with my current mood. This, the massages, walking tours,.. - and the WLAN are the reason why I am not so often in LT.
Last year I read 107 books, this year seems to be better. But I read for reading and not for records. Otherwise I ad to chose books with less pages ;-).

I am pleased that you love what I wrote about the 26 letters - every book is its own universe - and I love to discover them.

And books are read too:



102. Süden und das Geheimnis der Königin by Friedrich Ani
The book begins with a bloodbath, then a starved man is found. This leads Tabor Süden on the trail of a disappeared woman.
He travels to Italy to solve the case, where the bloodbath dissolves.
The beginning is too reckless and has little to do with history - at the end of the day there will be an enlightened that chickens are slaughtered by dogs. This would not have been necessary for history. The book isn't bad, but the others in the series I've read are better.



103. Das Unsterblichkeitsprogramm / Altered Carbon by Richard Morgan
Death is abolished, the mind is stored in an implant and can be transferred to other bodies.
Takeshi Kovacs is woken up from stasis to solve a murder - or was it suicide?
He's a mixture of James Bond and Philip Marlowe.
Excitingly written with great ideas.

The WLAN is back again, the weather is not very good, so there are some books again:



104. Gefallene Engel / Broken Angels by Richard Morgan
Another body, another planet, a war.
Takeshi Kovacs tries to find a Martian gate to the Universe - exciting again.



105. Heiliger Zorn / Woken Furies by Richard Morgan
Another body, another planet, another war.
The completion of the series, very good again, but slowly things are replays.



106. Fettsack / Slob by Rex Miller
A policeman chases a serial killer with heavy overweight and falls in love with the widow of a victim.
Nice writing, kind of unemotional.



107. Süden und das Lächeln des Windes by Friedrich Ani
Tabor Süden is looking for a child. When another child disappears, the search becomes complicated.
Family abysses open up, the big silence one finds private happiness.
Melancholic, calm and yet exciting.

Soon the third week is over and I'm recovering really well, but I don't get to read as much as I thought.
it's much too beautiful outside in autumn, so I'm on the road a lot and hike.

_______

Glad to read your recovery is going well, Thomas.
With so much beauty outside, reading isn't the only option ;-)

Yes, it is beautyful, at the weekend the weather was rather stormy, so there are some books again:



108. Süden und der Luftgitarrist by Friedrich Ani
This time the investigators are personally concerned.
Martin Heuer appears at an air guitar championship, one participant disappears, Süden and Heuer start their search. Again, they plunge into family destinies.
Great to read.



109. Gwendys Wunschkasten / Gwendy's Button Box by Stephen King and Richard Chizmar
A short story in book form.
Richard Farris (R. F. again?) gives Gwendy a box to keep, which can be destructive but can change her life in a positive way. Will it stay that way?
Not bad, but too short.



110. Leben bis zuletzt by Sven Gottschling and Lars Amend
A book about dying and palliative care, the author is himself a palliative care physician.
It is frightening how little modern medicine is prepared for dying, and doctors are rarely able to deal with it.
Very well written, very informative, but also very easy to understand for laymen.
No one has to die agonizingly, you can alleviate all the pains, fears, breathlessness.
A few quotes that impressed me:
For (artificial) nutrition:
"the dying man does not die because he doesn't eat, he doesn't eat because he dies."
To the doctors:
"The old doctor speaks Latin,
the modern English,
the good one with the patient."
The book gives me hope and confidence for the time that will come - hopefully only in many years.

Edit:
#108 had the right content, but the wrong title.
The curse of copy & paste

and on with books (and scrabble - another beautiful activity):



111. Die Legende vom heiligen Trinker / The Legend of the Holy Drinker by Josef Roth
A rather short book about the inability of an alcoholic to repay a debt.
A recommendation from another book - Jack Taylor fährt zur Hölle.
So books lead to books.



112. Meer der Finsternis / Odd Hours by Dean Koontz
Odd Thomas tries to prevent an attack and helps the spirits of the dead.
Magnificent.



113. Der Lüge schöner Schein / Ruling Passion by Reginald Hill
Another great series: Dalziel and Pascoe.
Peter Pascoe wants to visit friends and finds them murdered.
The investigations weren't easier if you are concerned yourself.



114. Ein nasses Grab / An April Shroud by Reginald Hill
Pascoe on honeymoon, Dalziel on holidays, he has a car breakdown and is taken to a family that has its own secrets.
There are dead people, but what was an accident, what was murder?
Dalziel enlightens, but in his own way.

Back at home and at work, you are quickly back to your daily routine.
My batteries are charged, it is easier than before the cure.
Now we have november rain, a warm home and books:



115. Mord auf Widerruf / Bones and Silence by Reginald Hill
Andy Dalziel sees a murder, or was it something else?
Dalziel and Pascoe investigate, but the suspect is very clever.
At the same time, Dalziel gets a role in a play, Pascoe wants to prevent a suicide.
Again a pleasure to read.



116. Akt der Liebe / Act of Love by Joe R. Lansdale
The first published book from Lansdale, you can see the potential, but it is still a bit bumpy.
Marvin Hanson is chasing a serial killer.
The book is bloody and drastic and has inspired many others.



117. Gauklersommer / Leather Maiden by Joe R. Lansdale
An unemployed journalist comes home to Camp Rapture and gets a job as a columnist.
He writes about a missing girl and starts investigating. His brother is being blackmailed, he was having a relationship with the girl.
Later, a fellow warrior helps him survive and solve the case.
Light and relaxed, exciting and a pleasure to read.

>123 SirThomas: I very much enjoyed Ready Player One. I think a movie adaption is due for this.

>143 sirfurboy: Your wish seems to come true - it will be a Stephen Spielberg movie. It will start 2018-03-30 in USA, in Germany 2018-04-05.
The start in other countries is not known to me, but it may also be somewhere in this time.
I'm quite curious and excited. It could be a great thing, but mostly I liked the books better than the movie so far, but there are exceptions.
I hope this will be one - and if not, I'm still happy with the book.

I agree, books are nearly always better than the movies. However, Ready Player One seems to be written with a screenplay in mind. It is a classic 3 Act story structure, just like all the best movies are.

>145 sirfurboy: You're right, I think I'm going to watch the movie - it should be worth it just because of the music ;-).

Weekend, november rain, scrabble and books:



118. Schlechtes Chili / Bad Chili by Joe R. Lansdale
Another great book of the Hap and Leonard series.
A biker is murdered, Leonard is suspected to be the murderer. Hap was bitten by a squirrel. Gays are beaten up and filmed. Fat is beeing stolen...
I love it.

and now to two slightly quieter books, the films are also pretty good:



119. Mord im Orientexpress / Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie
A murder on the train, who's the killer?
Hercule Poirot knows it at the end.
That's all you have to say.



120. Und dann gabs keines mehr / And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie
Again the problem with the locked room, this time an island.
Ten bodies all murdered, or was it different?
The reader has the chance to clarify everything - I needed the message in a bottle.
Agatha Christie can still be read today

Hi Thomas!

Lots of good reads - I really want to see the new movie version of Murder on the Orient Express. And Then There were None is also vintage Christie and I've reread both of them more than once over the years.

>147 karenmarie: Thank you - I'm curious about the movie, too.
I only have a small problem with my ears, the cinema is too loud for me and my tinnitus. But there are also DVD's - and earplugs.
I'll let me be surprised.

Now to some books:



121. Spiritual Care - über das Leben und Sterben by Brigitte Boothe and Eckhard Frick
136 pages of blabla with examples without context and explanations, but many footnotes.
Then the first mention of Spritual Care, but no clue what it is supposed to be.
The book has no system, maybe I'm just too uneducated to understand it.
I don't have to buy a book for the one statement I could remember:
"You have to be aware of your finiteness and enjoy life."



122. Asterix in Italien by Jean-Yves Ferri and Didier Conrad
I thought I was too old for Asterix - then my 79 year-old neighbor borrowed me the book.
I read it - everything was better in the old days.
The sparks didn't fly, the characters are well known, but the story is uninspired and not so cunning anymore.
Maybe I'm too old after all ;-).

>148 SirThomas: Sorry to hear you did not enjoy Asterix. I am considering reading these again (but in French) - perhaps next year. I will let you know then whether I agree with your review!

This is a time of year when I as a non-American ponder over what I am thankful for.

I am thankful for this group and its ability to keep me sane during topsy-turvy times.

I am thankful that you are part of this group.

I am thankful for this opportunity to say thank you.

Hoffnung
Nicht aufgeben trotz
großer Dunkelheit,
sondern ein kleines Licht
anzünden. Nicht mit dem
Schlimmsten rechnen,
sondern mit einem kleinen
Wunder. Den Kopf nicht
hängen lassen, sondern
ihn an die Schulter guter
Freunde lehnen.
Die Hände nicht in den
Schoß legen, sondern sie
dem Glück entgegenhalten.
Sich trotz allem nicht
verschließen, sondern die
Tür zum Herzen öffnen.

(Jochen Mariss)

Ein besinnliches Weihnachtsfest,
ein zufriedenes Nachdenken
über Vergangenes,
ein wenig Glaube an das Morgen
und Hoffnung für die Zukunft
wünschen wir von ganzem Herzen.

hope
Do not give up despite
of great darkness,
but light a little light. Not reckon
with the worst,
but with a little
Miracle. Not hang the head, but
lean it on the shoulder
of good friends.
Don't sitting idly twiddling the thumbs
but hold them to happiness.
Don't close up in spite of everything,
but instead open the
door to the heart.

A contemplative Christmas,
a content reflection
about the past,
a little faith in tomorrow
and hope for the future
we wish with all our heart.

I hope the English version is reasonably understandable.

Hi Thomas!

The English version works for me! It's quite beautiful and I thank you for sharing.



Wishing you and yours all good things this holiday season.

It is that time of year again, between Solstice and Christmas, just after Hanukkah, when our thoughts turn to wishing each other well in whatever language or image is meaningful to the recipient. So, whether I wish you Happy Solstice or Merry Christmas, know that what I really wish you, and for you, is this:

Wishing you all good things this holiday season and beyond.

>152 karenmarie: >153 ronincats: >154 PaulCranswick: Thank you all.
With you and the other members of this marvellous group there are many many many reasons for hope.

Peace, Health, and Happiness in 2018

>156 karenmarie: Thank you, I wish you the same.
And a lot of good reading in 2018!

And finally, the rest of the books from 2017:



123. Schwarze Fluten / Odd Apocalypse by Dean Koontz
The story takes place on the country estate of a powerful film producer.
This time there's some science fiction to the mystery.
I love the series.



124. Sorry, Ihr Hotel ist abgebrannt by Stephan Orth and Antje Blinda
A collection of holiday disaster, nearly a disaster.



125. Der Metzger muss nachsitzen by Thomas Raab
He was bullied in school, now he leads a quiet life as a furniture restorer.
Then he finds the body of a former classmate.
In the course of his investigations, he meets many old acquaintances and teachers and learns that he has unimagined qualities.
Exciting, funny, nice to read.



126. Der Metzger sieht rot by Thomas Raab
Metzger is in love - and goes to a football match for her sake.
The goalkeeper dies - murder?.
Butcher begins to investigate after Daniela was badly injured while she was investigating.
Another comic thriller with "Wiener Schmäh".



127. Abgrundtief / Deeply Odd by Dean Koontz
Odd Thomas fights a satanic sect and gets unexpected help.
Great.



128. Opferweg / Saint Odd by Dean Koontz

See >41 SirThomas: also on the second reading in the same year.



129. Das Ding aus einer anderen Welt / Who Goes There? by John W. Campbell

A classic.
A little bit dusty, but still good.



130. Das Spiel / In the Dark by Richard Laymon

How far are you ready to go?
A librarian receives money and an invitation to play a game that is becoming increasingly cruel.
exciting, but a bit unbelievable and too much splatter for the story



131. Der Metzger geht fremd by Thomas Raab
Daniela's in rehab.
Metzger visits her, both investigating in a family tragedy.
Nice to read, but not quite as great as the first two volumes.

And now....
Bye bye 2017
Welcome 2018
I am looking forward to a new reading year in this great group.