(Sir)Thomas' way through the year - with books and friends (Part 2)

Welcome to my first second thread!


Isn't September beautiful?

My Name is Thomas, I am 58 years young and I live in a small town in northern Baden Württemberg, Germany.
2015 we moved from a house with attic and cellar into an apartment without theese spaces. So I had to separate from books. This was hard, but with a little help from time and my ebook-reader I recovered from the shock. - Today it's not that bad.
This is my 7th year in this awesome group, and every year is going better and better.
And this year I took the big step and opened a second thread.

From my calendar:

In today's world, five times more is used in drugs
for male potency and silicone for women,
than for curing Alzheimer's patients.

As a result, in a few years we have
old women with big tits and old men with hard penises,
but none of them can remember what it's good for."

Drauzio Varella (Brazilian oncologist, Nobel Prize winner in medicine)

Reading List for the first 8 months:
1. Macht's gut und danke für den Fisch / So Long, and Thanks for All the Fish by Douglas Adams
2. Komm, süßer Tod by Wolf Haas
3. Einmal Rupert und zurück / Mostly Harmless by Douglas Adams
4. Und übrigens noch was ... / And Another Thing... by Eoin Colfer
5. Die Nacht des Zorns / The Ghost Riders of Ordebec by Fred Vargas
6. Erhebung / Elevation by Stephen King
7. Einstein's beach house by Jacob M. Appel
8. Der Goldene Kompass / The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
9. Das Magische Messer / The Subtle Knife by Philip Pullman
10. Das Bernstein-Teleskop / The Amber Spyglass by Philip Pullman
11. Das große Peanuts Buch by Charles M. Schulz
12. Die verrückten Abenteuer des Larry Laffer by Steve Whitton
13. Die Rätsel von Badger's Drift / The Killings at Badger's Drift by Caroline Graham
14. Der Teufel von Chicago / The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson
15. Requiem für einen Mörder / Death of a Hollow Man by Caroline Graham
16. Silentium! by Wolf Haas
17. Wie die Tiere by Wolf Haas
18. Der goldene Esel / Asinus aureus by Apuleius
19. Der Sexmaniak / (Underground Sketchbook) by Tomi Ungerer
20. Eklips by Tomi Ungerer
21. Alias 1. Die Anwerbung / Alias. Recruited by Lynn Mason
22. Ich und die anderen / Set This House in Order by Matt Ruff
23. Jagd der Vampire / Those Who Hunt the Night by Barbara Hambly
24. Das grobmaschige Netz / Mind's Eye by Håkan Nesser
25. Das vierte Opfer / Borkmann's Point by Håkan Nesser
26. Das ewige Leben by Wolf Haas
27. Das falsche Urteil / The Return by Håkan Nesser
28. Bretonische Verhältnisse / Death in Brittany by Jean-Luc Bannalec
29. Die Deus-Maschine / The Deus Machine by Pierre Quellette
30. Die Chirurgin / The Surgeon by Tess Gerritsen
31. Der Meister / The Apprentice by Tess Gerritsen
32. Todsünde / The Sinner by Tess Gerritsen
33. Schwesternmord / Body Double by Tess Geritsen
34. Miss Seetons kann's nicht lassen / Miss Seeton Draws the Line by Heron Carvic
35. Sexbomber / The erection set by Mickey Spillane
36. Sex im 21. Jahrhundert / Sex in the 21. century by Michael Parry
37. Menschenjagd in Manhattan / One lonely night by Mickey Spillane
38. Fünf / Five by Ursula Poznanski
39. Auf der Suche nach dem verlorenen Geschmack by Martina Meuth and Bernd Neuner-Duttenhofer
40. Die Eisprinzessin schläft / The Ice Princess by Camilla Läckberg
41. Der Prediger von Fjällbacka / The Preacher by Camilla Läckberg
42. Ein Ort für die Ewigkeit / A Place of Execution by Val McDermid
43. Das letzte Ritual / Last rituals by Yrsa Sigurdardottir
44. Einstein, Quantenspuk und die Weltformel by Janick P. Mischler
45. Der Krieg mit den Molchen / War with the Newts by Karel Capek
46. Mind over Medicine / Mind Over Medicine by Lissa Rankin
47. Der Brenner und der liebe Gott / Brenner and God by Wolf Haas
48. Kurt by Sarah Kuttner
49. Ein Bär im Betstuhl / Rovasti Huuskosen petomainen miespalvelija by Arto Paasilinna
50. Der Rote Löwe / The Red Lion & The Elixir of Eternal Life by Mária Szepes
51. Wer schlafende Hunde weckt / Where the Bodies Are Buried by Christopher Brookmyre
52. Das Mädchen mit dem Stahlkorsett / The Girl in the Steel Corset by Kady Cross
53. Kommissar Platow: Der Westend-Würger by Martin Olden
54. Die Farbe des Himmels by Britt Reissmann and Silvija Hinzmann
55. Wir sind unfassbar: Neue ungewöhliche Todesanzeigen by Matthias Nöllke and Christian Sprang
56. Blackout - Morgen ist es zu spät / Blackout: A Novel by Marc Elsberg
57. Sorry, wir haben die Landebahn verfehlt by Stephan Orth and Antje Blinda
58. Katzenwiege / Cat's cradle by Kurt Vonnegut
59. Das Geheimnis des weißen Bandes / The House of Silk: A Sherlock Holmes Novel by Anthony Horowitz
60. Mit dem Kühlschrank durch Irland / Round Ireland with a fridge by Tony Hawks
61. M.A.S.H by Richard Hooker
62. Aufzeichnungen eines Unsichtbaren / Memoirs of an Invisible Man by Harry F Saint
63. Die Form des Wassers / The Shape of Water by Andrea Camilleri
64. Der Hund aus Terracotta / The Terra-Cotta Dog by Andrea Camilleri
65. Perry Mason und das ambulante Aktmodell / The Case of the Reluctant Model by Erle Stanley Gardner
66. Der talentierte Mr. Ripley / The Talented Mr. Ripley by Patricia Highsmith
67. Keiner von uns / The Black House by Patricia Highsmith
68. Der Gärtner war's nicht by Tatjana Kruse
69. Die stählerne Festung / The castle of iron by L. Sprague De Camp and Fletcher Pratt
70. Ein Mann sieht rot / Death Wish by Brian Garfield
71. Der Genitiv ist dem Streber sein Sex: und andere Erkenntnisse aus meinem Leben 2.0 by Markus Barth
72. Endstation Donau by Edith Kneifl
73. Angerichtet, herzhaft und scharf!: Aus meinem Tage- und Rezeptebuch by Vincent Klink
74. Hände weg von Zeitmaschinen / Starburst by Alfred Bester
75. Die Geheime Geschichte / The Secret History by Donna Tartt
76. Brennerova by Wolf Haas
77. Der brennende Mann / The Stars My Destination by Alfred Bester
78. Demolition / The Demolished Man by Alfred Bester
79. Was ich euch nicht erzählte / Everything I Never Told You by Celeste Ng
80. Eine unbeliebte Frau by Nele Neuhaus
81. Mordsfreunde by Nele Neuhaus
82. Tiefe Wunden by Nele Neuhaus
83. Schneewittchen muss sterben by Nele Neuhaus
84. Die Mädchen von der Englandfähre / Fatal Crossing by Lone Theils
85. Bringt mir den Kopf des Märchenprinzen / Bring Me the Head of Prince Charming by Robert Sheckley and Roger Zelazny
86. McJesus / Cross Dressing by Bill Fitzhugh
87. Kind der Sterne / Starbrat by John Morressy
88. Ein herrliches Chaos / A Splendid Chaos by John Shirley
89. Wer wind sät by Nele Neuhaus
90. Böser Wolf / Bad Wolf by Nele Neuhaus
91. Origin / Origin by Dan Brown
92. Der Kruzifix-Killer / The Crucifix Killer by Chris Carter
93. Der Retter von Dent-All / Prostho Plus by Piers Anthony
94. Kaliber .50 / Calibre .50 by Robert Sheckley
95. Olympiade der Techniker / Profession by Isaac Asimov
96. Polt muß weinen by Alfred Komarek
97. Der Mann mit der Ledertasche / Post Office by Charles Bukowski
98. Die Auferstehung by Karl-Heinz Ott
99. Die Lebenden und die Toten / I Am Your Judge by Nele Neuhaus
100. Länger als sonst ist nicht für immer by Pia Ziefle
101. Die Blutlinie / Shadow Man by Cody McFadyen
102. Blumen für Polt by Alfred Komarek
103. Himmel, Polt und Hölle by Alfred Komarek
104. The Stand : 'Das letzte Gefecht' / The Stand: The Complete and Uncut Edition by Stephen King
105. Tod eines Tenors / Evanly Choirs by Rhys Bowen
106. Polterabend by Alfred Komarek
107. Polt by Alfred Komarek

Reading List for September:
108. Die Töchter der Kälte / The Stonecutter by Camilla Läckberg
109. Im Wald by Nele Neuhaus
110. Der Herrscher Pterodactyls / The Purple Pterodactyls by Lyon Sprague DeCamp
111. Schrödingers Katze. Das Universum nebenan / Schrödinger's Cat: The Universe Next Door by Robert Anton Wilson
112. Das Insekt / Trauma by Graham Masterton
113. Wo bist du? by Martin Olden
114. Grau / Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron by Jasper Fforde
115. Das fünfte Element / The Fifth Element by Terry Bisson

Reading List for October:
116. Das Institut / The Institute by Stephen King
117. Auf immer verloren - Spuren jüdischen Lebens in Hohenlohe-Franken by Eva Maria Kraiss
118. Warum nur? Trost und Hilfe für Suizid-Hinterbliebene by Freya von Stülpnagel
119. Weiblich, ledig, untot / Undead and Unwed by Mary Janice Davidson
120. Die unwahrscheinliche Pilgerreise des Harold Fry / The unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
121. Der kleine Prinz / The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
122. Der Nachtzirkus / The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
123. Azazel / Azazel by Isaac Asimov
124. Succubus Blues / Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead
125. Das flüssige Land by Raphaela Edelbauer
126. Jetzt regnet's Ohrfeigen / Che pioggia di sberle, bambola! by Carlo Manzoni
127. Unter Haien / Swimming with Sharks by Nele Neuhaus
128. Schmutzengel / Dust Angel by Jutta Profijt

Reading List for November:
129. HERKUNFT by Saša Stanišic
130. Die vergessene Generation: Die Kriegskinder brechen ihr Schweigen by Sabine Bode
131. Muttertag by Nele Neuhaus
132. Schwerter und Teufelei /Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Leiber
133. Für den Fall ...: Der neuzeitliche Helfer in schwierigen Lebenslagen by Loriot
134. Schwerter gegen den Tod / Swords Against Death by Fritz Leiber
135. Der grüne Brand / The green rust by Edgar Wallace
136. Kriegsenkel: Die Erben der vergessenen Generation by Sabine Bode
137. Ein Monat auf dem Land / A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr

Reading List for December:


138. Phantastische Tierwesen und wo sie zu finden sind / Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Joanne K. Rowling
139. Eines Tages geht der Rabbi / Someday the Rabbi Will Leave by Harry Kemelman
140. Kühlfach 4 / Morgue Drawer Four by Jutta Profijt
141. Im Kühlfach nebenan / Morgue Drawer Next Door by Jutta Profijt
142. Kühlfach zu vermieten / Morgue Drawer For Rent by Jutta Profijt
143. Kühlfach betreten verboten / Morgue Drawer: Do Not Enter! by Jutta Profijt
144. Knast oder Kühlfach by Jutta Profijt
145. Die Suche nach dem Auge der Welt / The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
146. Humboldt und der weiße Tod by Jana Thiem
147. Dexter - Die schöne Kunst des Mordens / Dexter by design by Jeff Lindsay
148. Der Mann, der den Mond verkaufte / The Man Who Sold the Moon by Robert A. Heinlein
149. Saeculum by Ursula Poznanski
150. Relic: Museum der Angst / Relic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
151. Attic / Attic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child

I am a bit late, but the books of September will come soon

>2 SirThomas: LOL to keep from crying, Thomas. Is that top shot a golf course or a park? It is lovely. And, Happy New Thread!!

Happy new one!

Happy new thread, Thomas!

I also love September, and the first signs of autumn...

Happy new thread!

>9 ronincats: Thank you, Roni. Yes, the picture was taken ao a golf course nearby.
My wife and I were looking for a sport we could do together outside. She's smaller than me and in poor health.
So (Nordic) walking or cycling are unfortunately out of the question.
That's why we started playing golf together.
It is a lot of fun, but more demanding than we thought.
I love playing nine holes early in the morning before work. That's how the picture came into being.
When you play east, the sun blinds. But my shots are so short that I still find the ball ;-).

>10 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita.

>11 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Anita.
Yes, the colors of autumn are gorgeous.

>12 drneutron: Thank you, Jim.

Congratulations on your first second thread, Thomas!

I am another fan of autumnal days despite September inevitably seeing me a year older every year.

Thank you, Paul.
I am a September child, too.
Here, the grape harvest starts in September, so I like to compare myself with a great wine - the older, the better ;-).
We've had some special experiences in life - so every birthday is a good birthday.

>15 SirThomas: I am sure that you are a great vintage, Thomas!

>16 PaulCranswick: :))

As promised some books of september...


108. Die Töchter der Kälte / The Stonecutter by Camilla Läckberg
A child is murdered. The parents are well known with Erica Falck & Patrik Hedström.
At the same time a story from the past is told - about a very spoiled young girl who falls into misfortune. Little by little it becomes clear how the stories are connected.
Again very exciting and emotional.


109. Im Wald by Nele Neuhaus
A murder happens. It turns out it is connected with the disappearance of a child in 1972. This child was Oliver von Bodenstein's best friend.
Then more murders happen - someone tries to cover something up. The investigation is difficult when you know all the suspects personally.
I like the series a lot, but here everything is a bit too much.

Two murder cases with personal connection to the investigators one after the other, interesting coincidence.

110. Der Herrscher Pterodactyls / The Purple Pterodactyls by Lyon Sprague DeCamp
A collection of stories with banker W. Wilson Newbury. He has strange and bizarre adventures.
Nice.


111. Schrödingers Katze. Das Universum nebenan / Schrödinger's Cat: The Universe Next Door by Robert Anton Wilson
A book about quantum physics, parallel universes, social criticism,...
An author who writes about an author who wrote this book. Not an easy subject, but still fun.

Happy new thread, Thomas!

Thank you, Paul.

112. Das Insekt / Trauma by Graham Masterton
Bonnie Winter is cleaning bloody crime scenes. Thereby she finds unusual insect larvae.
Do they mean something?
She has a good-for-nothing man and son.
Short chapters, crisp headlines. The horror is slowly increasing.
Bit by bit Bonnie's life goes down the drain.


113. Wo bist du? by Martin Olden
An American on vacation in Frankfurt. His girlfriend disappears.
Martin Olden investigates and uses his own methods.
Quite nice.

114. Grau / Shades of Grey: The Road to High Saffron by Jasper Fforde
I love the phantastic ideas of Jasper Fforde, this one is another good example.
A world (after a catastrophe), where the people can see only one colour - your status depends on which color you can see.
But there are artificial colors that everyone can see.
Doctors heal with colours, colours are used as drugs.
Eddie Russet travels with his father to the province to replace a deceased doctor. Here the rules are apparently not so strict.
The book begins as easy as a children's book and slowly gets darker and darker.
A nice quote when Eddie refuses an expedition on the grounds that everyone who has tried it has died so far:
"That's right. But until death comes, there's a hundred percent chance of survival."

Now to the last book of september:


115. Das fünfte Element / The Fifth Element by Terry Bisson
I love the movie.
Reading the book was like seeing it again, but as movie it is much better.

Stats will come tomorrow, for today I have a picture from this morning:



A good start into October.

And the numbers of September - I admit, the poorest performance this year:

Books read: 8
Pages read: 2,725 (longest 560 / shortest 141 / average 341)

Personal rating:
average rating
highest rating
lowest rating

Author nationalities:

England: 2 / 2 / 2
Germany: 2 / 2 / 2
Sweden: 1 / 1 / 1
USA: 3 / 3 / 3

Sum: 8 / 8 / 8

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

Gender:
female authors: 5 / 5 / 3
male authors: 2 / 2 / 2

date first published:
20th century: 1979 (2 books), 1997
21th century: 2002, 2005, 2009, 2014, 2016

...and the Stats for the first 9 months:

Books read: 115
Pages read: 38,585 (longest 1,198 / shortest 61 / average 335)

Personal rating:
average rating
highest rating
lowest rating

Author nationalities:

Algeria: 1 / 1 / 1
Austria: 14 / 14 / 5
Czech Republic: 1 / 1 / 1
Denmark: 1 / 1 / 1
England: 14 / 14 / 10
Finland: 1 / 1 / 1
France: 3 / 4 / 3
Germany: 27 / 27 / 19
Hungary: 1 / 1 / 1
Iceland: 1 / 1 / 1
Ireland: 1 / 1 / 1
Italy: 2 / 2 / 1
Scotland: 2 / 2 / 2
Sweden: 6 / 6 / 2
USA: 47 / 57 / 42

Sum: 122* / 133 / 91

Counting mode: Main Author(s) or Editor(s) per book / all authors of the books / only different authors
* Some books with 2 main authors

Gender:
female authors: 40 / 41 / 28
male authors: 82 / 92 / 63

date first published:
1st century: 170
20th century: 1936, 1946, 1950, 1951, 1953, 1955, 1956, 1958, 1959, 1961, 1962, 1963, 1968 (2 books), 1969, 1971 (3 books), 1972 (3 books), 1978, 1979 (2 books), 1984, 1987 (2 books), 1988 (2 books), 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992 (2 books), 1993 (2 books), 1994 (2 books), 1995 (3 books), 1996, 1997 (3 books), 1998 (3 books), 1999 (3 books).

21th century: 2000 (2 books), 2001 (3 books), 2002, (4 books), 2003 (5 books), 2004 (2 books), 2005 (4 books), 2006 (2 books), 2007, 2009 (6 books), 2010 (4 books), 2011 (7 books), 2012 (4 books), 2013, 2014 (8 books), 2015, 2016 (2 books), 2017 (3 books), 2018 (2 books), 2019.

There are literature days in the area.
There are several events, among others the whole city reads a book (Länger als sonst ist nicht für immer by Pia Ziefle - this was my book #100):
In addition there are several reading circles in which one can exchange oneself.
Unfortunately, the meetings were not well attended (although sparkling wine was served as a welcome ;-) ).
On Monday the author herself was a guest and we could ask her questions.
It was very interesting to hear how Pia Ziefle herself thinks about her protagonists.
It also surprised me how much research was necessary for the book and how many things play a role even though they are not directly addressed in the book.
Ira's grandparents, for example, do not appear in the book at all, yet they and their generation influence the thoughts and actions of the parents and thus also her.
This makes the book much more accessible.
It was a very pleasant experience for us.

A long rain weekend - wonderful: reading time!


116. Das Institut / The Institute by Stephen King
A child is abducted and ends up in an institute where experiments are carried out with him.
What purpose do they serve? Luke and his new friends begin to defend themselves.
The book is terrifying, not because of the supernatural abilities of the children, but because of the machinery of the institute. Does the good (?) intention justify every means?
The book begins slowly and escalates to a fulminant finale.
Stephen King is my favorite writer, but there are better books by him (unfortunately also much worse).
In The Stand I felt as if I was playing along myself, here I look through a window into a room where there is a TV with the book on.
The Stand was longer, but my reading was faster.


117. Auf immer verloren - Spuren jüdischen Lebens in Hohenlohe-Franken by Eva Maria Kraiss
A wonderful book about the few remaining traces of Jewish life in our region.
It is divided into several areas: synagogues - buildings with special history - war memorials - cemeteries.
There is a small history and beautiful pictures of what is still visible.
The book makes me perceive my surroundings more attentively.
Hopefully we will learn from our history.

Another saying from my calendar:

Woanders weiß man selber, wer man ist - hier wissen es die anderen. Das ist Heimat.
In other places you know who you are - here the others know. This is home.

Sommerfest

And a book:

118. Warum nur? Trost und Hilfe für Suizid-Hinterbliebene by Freya von Stülpnagel
A little fine book for those who have lost a loved one through suicide.
The author knows what she's talking about, she has lost her son.
The book gives help through explanations, poems and pictures.
One should not conceal what has happened, even to children. Not every detail has to be described.
The most difficult thing is to deal with feelings of guilt and accusations - even against oneself.
It is important to forgive yourself.

Some quotes of the poems:

Meine beiden Gesichhter
Geht's dir gut
werde ich gefragt
im Vorübergehen.
Doch, gut, sage ich
Und zeige
Das passende Gesicht
Mein gutaussehendes Gesicht.

Mein anderes Gesicht
Verberge ich liebevoll
Unter meiner Kleidung.
Zuhause ziehe ich
Mich aus.
Dann darf es Trauer tragen

My two faces
You all right?
I'm asked
in passing.
But, well, I say
And show
The right face
My handsome face.

My other face
I hide lovingly
Under my clothes.
At home I move
Me out.
Then it may bear grief

Renate Salzbrenner

Nicht müde werden
Nicht müde werden
sondern dem Wunder
leise
wie einem Vogel
die Hand hinhalten.

Don't get tired
Don't get tired
but to the miracle
quiet
bird-like
hold out the hand.

Hilde Domin

Dass Menschen in Schuld geraten
Dass Menschen in Schuld geraten
ist schlimm;
aber sich schuldig fühlen und
nicht an Vergebung glauben zu können -
ist die Hölle.

That people get into debt
That people get into debt
is bad;
but feeling guilty and
not being able to believe in forgiveness -
is hell.

Eugen Drewermann

Geschichte
Schweigend sass der alte Indianer mit seinem Enkel am Lagerfeuer, Die Bäume standen wie dunkle Schatten, das Feuer knackte und die Flammen züngelten in den Himmel.
Nach einer langen Weile sagte der Alte "Manchmal fühle ich mich, als ob zwei Wölfe in meinem Herzen miteinander kämpfen, Einer der beiden ist traurig, verzweifelt und mutlos. Der andere ist liebevoll, zuversichtlich und mutig."
"Welcher der beiden wird den Kampf um dein Herz gewinnen?", fragte der Junge.
"Der, den ich füttere", antwortete der Alte.

Story
Silently the old Indian sat with his grandson at the campfire, the trees stood like dark shadows, the fire cracked and the flames flickered into the sky.
After a long while, the old man said, "Sometimes I feel as if two wolves are fighting in my heart, one is sad, desperate and discouraged. The other is loving, confident and courageous."
"Which of the two will win the battle for your heart," the boy asked.
"The one I'm feeding," the old man replied.

unbekannt

My wife is an honorary grief counselor, therefore I am in contact with the topic.
It's enriching for my own life, too.

... and now to something completely different...

119. Weiblich, ledig, untot / Undead and Unwed by Mary Janice Davidson
Betsy Taylor wird überfahren und erwacht als Vampir im Leichenschauhaus.
Sie ist anders als die anderen und kann ihren Blutdurst unterdrücken - sie ist die Königin der Vampire.
Man kann das Buch nicht ernst nehmen - und soll es auch nicht.
A fun read.

120. Die unwahrscheinliche Pilgerreise des Harold Fry / The unlikely pilgrimage of Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce
Harold Fry is retired and his marriage is frozen.
He receives a letter from a former colleague who once helped him. She dies of cancer in a hospice.
Actually, he only wants to write a short letter, but on the way to the mailbox he just walks on and on. From the south of England to the north.
He slowly finds his way back to himself and realizes what went wrong. His wife is also torn from her lethargic routine.
A very touching and beautiful book.

Belated happy new thread, Thomas! You're getting through so many books so quickly!

Since he writes in German; have you read anything by Peter Handke the controversial new Nobel Laureate?

Have a great weekend, Thomas.

>33 mstrust: Thank you Jennifer - rainy weather helps.

>34 PaulCranswick: I haven't read him yet, mostly for two reasons:
1) His books have been treated at school - that's a deterrent and lasts a long time!
2) His political attitude to war criminals.

Maybe I should give him a chance.

But earlier I liked the Felidae series - at least the beginning.
According to various statements by Akif Pirinc̜ci he is no longer included in my library. Space problems also helped with cleaning up.

121. Der kleine Prinz / The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
A children's book with depth - beautiful. Very suitable for adults, especially in today's world.
Many quotations are world-famous, today the history of the waterpill seller has particularly appealed to me.
If you take the pills you don't have to drink any more and you save 53 minutes per week.
The little prince's answer: "If I had fifty-three minutes left, I'd walk leisurely to a fountain..."

We have a special relationship to it, our wedding ceremony almost 35 years ago was based on it.
Today we were at an exhibition opening with lithographs from the book.
It wasn't very crowded, but it was beautiful.
It started with a short speech, followed by a short biography of the author. Then the story of the book with short readings.
In between flute music.
Then we looked at the pictures - very touching.
The hat-elephant was even built as a model to open - fun for the children.

>35 SirThomas: I should have read Handke in school, too. But somehow could let that pass me :)
I found the Die Angst des Tormanns beim Elfmeter not too bad, the rest I don't like.

>36 SirThomas: We read this lovely little book at the same time, Thomas.

>37 paulstalder: Thank you, Paul, perhaps I'll give it a chance.

>38 PaulCranswick: Yes, and it's really worth reading, Paul.

122. Der Nachtzirkus / The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern
Two magicians measure their powers, they let their students compete against each other. But they know neither the rules nor the opponent.
A circus serves as a backdrop, but it is more than just an arena.
At first the reader doesn't know what is happening and why, I was almost as confused as the protagonists.
The book only opens up little by little, but then it draws you under its spell.

That's been waiting on my shelf for a few years now. I'm glad to see you liked it!

It's wonderful how books connect the world.

123. Azazel / Azazel by Isaac Asimov
The author invites a friend (a moocher) to a meal so that he can tell him stories about his 2cm tall demon who can fulfill wishes.
Unfortunately the wish fulfillment has unwanted side effects.
A collection of humorous short stories, quite nice to read.

124. Succubus Blues / Succubus Blues by Richelle Mead
Georgina Kincaid is a succubus, she's friends with goblins and vampires.
Her boss is a demon. When supernatural beings are killed, she is suspected. An angel also begins to investigate.
Cheeky, exciting and funny - but no more.
Sometimes I was reminded of Charlaine Harris.

125. Das flüssige Land by Raphaela Edelbauer
This book was on the shortlist for the "Deutscher Buchpreis 2019".
Raphaela Edelbauer paints with words, but sometimes there is too much colour in the picture.
Reading the book is likebeeing in an exhibition and looking at and enjoying one picture sentence after another.
But this is not my way of reading.
Ruth, a prospective physics professor, travels to the birthplace of her deceased parents to arrange their funeral.Der Ort ist sehr abgelegen, es ist nicht sicher, ob er real ist,, oder ob sie sich im Medikamentenrausch befindet.
In the centre of the village there is a big hole, which threatens to swallow the village.
The people are very strange, also the landscape, also the time is not linear.
Maybe I'm just too stupid, but I didn't understand the intention of the book.

...out for pumpkin-hunt....

>46 SirThomas: And... have you found them all?

...and done...
It was a lot of fun again.

I finished this morning too. Fun, and I like collecting pumpkins.

Collecting and eating - both are recommended!

126. Jetzt regnet's Ohrfeigen / Che pioggia di sberle, bambola! by Carlo Manzoni
A "Super-Thriller" - a parody. Everything is very exaggerated.
A private eye, he feeds on bourbon - his dog too.
Beautiful women, stupid cops.
Assassinations on the golf course.
Fast to read.

127. Unter Haien / Swimming with Sharks by Nele Neuhaus
Alex Sondheim is the undisputed star of Wall Street, but she works in a dubious company.
A handsome mafia godfather.
A mayor who wants to take action against corruption.
Love, hate, murder,...
A good read, but a bit too much of all and a bit too long.
The von Bodenstein und Kirchhoff series is much more matured.


128. Schmutzengel / Dust Angel by Jutta Profijt
Corinna is dismissed and becomes self-employed with housekeeping and cleaning.
She finds a corpse and tries to solve the problem.
Not quite as funny as the morgue drawer series, but good.

Yesterday we were again at an event of the literature days.

An author's reading with a meal and a jazz band.
It was a great evening with Martin Walker and Jo Bauer.
Jo Bauer read in German, Martin Walker in English from the Bruno novels.
In between a great jazz band played, Martin Walker can even sing quite well ;-).

Serkan Güzelcoban (a former Michelin-starred chef) cooked:
starter
Warmly stained wild salmon | Variation of beetroot | Caviar lemongrass cream fraiche | Brioche | Wild herbs
main course
Coq au vin of corn chicken with oriental flavours Braised vegetables | Truffled potato mousse line
dessert
Chocolates Moelleux | Exotic fruits | Baked Tonka bean cream

It was a beautiful evening.

Sounds great!

It was.
I am still amazed that such an event is possible in the province.

>53 SirThomas: The diner you had looks tasty, Thomas.

It was tasty in every way, Anita.

I think I'll borrow some more Bruno novels from the city library.
Later... when I have reduced the size of the TBR stack a bit.
Let's hope for the best...

On Thursday I am at a reading by Saša Stanišic - by then I should have read his book.

>57 SirThomas: Are you reading his latest book, Thomas, the one that won the German book prize?

Yes, Herkunft.
It's the book he's gonna read from.
I've already started and think it's very good.

Yesterday we were again at an event of the literature days.
This time in a DIY store in the color department. That fits, Pia Ziefle is a learned silkscreen printer.
She read from her book Länger als sonst ist nicht für immer - only read about one person - Lew - and showed the historical background via a beamer. Very interesting.
There were about 100 people there.
And there were presents!
An advertising brochure of the hardware store, a rinsing sponge and a "Muggabatschr" (fly swatter).
But the most important gift was:

Now that's a literary town! Such a cool idea and unexpected idea to have it in a DIY store.

It began with a joke by the author, when she responded to the curator's question about the desired place for a reading by saying she didn't care, she would also read in a DIY store.
So the idea began to grow...

I really like the idea of the Literature Days, they take place every year in a different city.
Our curators really tried hard and the readers come in droves.
Best of all, most events are free!
The events are subsidized by the city and the country and there are also sponsors.

Unfortunately the event only lasts three weeks, maybe something will stay. The idea of having an entire city read a book and then talking about it is very worth preserving.

Yesterday we were at the next event:

Saša Stanišic read from his new book Herkunft.
Unfortunately I couldn't finish reading in time, but it didn't matter.
Saša Stanišic is not only very good at writing, he is also a great entertainer. The reading was fantastic, the audience was enthusiastic. There were over 500 people, he won the German Book Prize, which attracts people. (The other events were a bit less busy.)
Afterwards he signed up in the Golden Book of the city and then signed his own books.
He didn't notice that I hadn't read the whole book yet ;-).

>53 SirThomas: I would have liked to come to this, I like reading Martin Walker

>60 SirThomas: nice bookmark, Thomas, we call a "Muggabatschr" a "Fleugetätscher", there is a music band with the name Guggumüsig Fleigutätscher (http://www.fleigutaetscher.ch/) in the Wallis

>63 SirThomas: I bet you will finish Herkunft soon enough, Thomas.
So Saša Stanišic isn't only a good writer, he is also a good performer, some people have it all.

>64 paulstalder: It would have been worth it - I will remember this great evening for a long time.
Thanks for the link, Fleigutätscher are great. The band looks familiar to me, did they ever walk through Freiburg im Breisgau and make music?

>65 FAMeulstee: Meanwhile I've finished the book, it's great.
He even spoke the audio book himself, unfortunately it has been shortened. I listened briefly, it's not as good as his live performance.

We also had some literary events, again in unusual places:

Jo Lendle at a dance school.
Jo Lendle is a publisher at Hanser-Verlag.
We sat in the mirrored practice room and learned a lot about the creation of books. In between a very good guitar player from our area played.
The motto was "An unforgettable evening" - this was mainly because almost all microphones had either dropouts or very strong feedback.

A lyric evening in a 600-year-old little church.
Wolfgang Metz is a Catholic priest and read from his book brannte uns nicht das herz?. In between, a very good musician played quiet jazz pieces on the trombone.
Poetry is not necessarily my taste, but the evening was very beautiful.

A quote:
Der kuss des altars

wenn du zu beginn
den altar küsst
dann küsst ER dich zurück
und fragt dich darin

liebst du MICH

antworte darauf
mit allem
was du jetzt feierst
antworte so
dass es am besten
alle erkennen

und wenn du zum schluss
den altar küsst
dann küsst ER dich zurück und flüstert dir zu

ICH dich auch

The kiss of the altar

if you're going to start
kissing the altar
HE will kiss you back.
and asks you

Do you love ME?

answer it
by all
what you're celebrating now
answer like this
that it is for the best
that all rcognize it

And when you're at the end
kissing the altar
then HE kisses you back and whispers to you

I love you too

The stats for October:

Books read: 13
Pages read: 4,762 (longest 752 / shortest 69 / average 366)

Personal rating:
average rating
highest rating
lowest rating

Author nationalities:

Austria: 1 / 1 / 1
England: 1 / 1 / 1
France: 1 / 1 / 1
Germany: 4 / 4 / 4
Italy: 1 / 1 / 1
USA: 5 / 5 / 5

Sum: 13 / 13 / 13

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

Gender:
female authors: 9 / 9 / 9
male authors: 4 / 4 / 4

date first published:
20th century: 1943, 1962, 1988
21th century: 2004, 2005, 2007, 2010, 2012, 2013 (2 books), 2018, 2019 (2 books)

129. HERKUNFT by Saša Stanišic
Saša Stanišic plays with words and tells his life story.
The last part is interactive, after a short chapter the reader is asked a question, depending on the answer he continues reading on another page. So there are several alternative stories.
A beautiful book.

>67 SirThomas: Very cool events. It sort of gives the impression that a talk or reading could happen anywhere, in the grocery store or pet store, ha!

As long as I don't have to sing “West End Girls“, I'll go anywhere. ;-)

This weekend we had the last events of the Literature Days - it's a pity that it's over now.
On Saturday we were at the ecumenical peace prayer, on this day 2 big commemoration days are celebrated - "Reichsprogromnacht" and Fall of the Wall.
On Sunday we were at a reading of Raphaela Edelbauer Das flüssige Land. She also explained the history of the book, I got a better access to the book afterwards.

A lot was offered, unfortunately we could not keep all appointments, but 14 times we were on the way:
- Reading circle about the book Länger als sonst ist nicht für immer (in the bookshop)
- Reading circle about the book Länger als sonst ist nicht für immer with the authoress (in the bookshop)
- Exhibition with lithographs from Der kleine Prinz (in the tin museum)
- Opening event with Günter Schneidewind and a theatre performance by pupils (in a school)
- Menu Surprise with Martin Walker (in an old theater)
- Hike with reading from the experiences on the Way of St James of a local teacher
- Reading by Pia Ziefle (In a hardware store)
- Reading by Saša Stanišic (in the convention house)
- Reading by Jo Lendle (in a dance school)
- Reading by Wolfgang Metz (in an old church)
- Music and Theatre on the theme of the Literature Days - On Borders (in the catholic church)
- Reading by Heribert Prantl (in the protestant church)
- Ecumenical prayer for peace (on the market place)
- Reading by Raphaela Edelbauer (in the town hall)

I read something, too:


130. Die vergessene Generation: Die Kriegskinder brechen ihr Schweigen by Sabine Bode
A book abut the generation of my parents. It describes what they experienced during and after the war. What was concealed and how it still has an effect today.
A very interesting book, which helped me to better understand the behaviour of my parents afterwards.


131. Muttertag by Nele Neuhaus
A dead man is found, there are bodies under the dog kennel.
A serial killer is hunted who strikes on Mother's Day.
This time not Oliver von Bodenstein is personally affected, but Pia Sander - her sister is in danger.
I love the series, it's still exciting and good to read, but it's time for something else, also for the author.
A protagonist says: "if this were a thriller, there would be too many protagonists" as true.
Pia's husband compares her to a character in another thriller.


132. Schwerter und Teufelei /Swords and Deviltry by Fritz Leiber
Exciting stories about Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser, how they leave their homeland and move into the world.

>72 SirThomas: I hope this inspired other cities. I'm glad you had a good time attending all the readings.

>72 SirThomas: A lot of interesting events, Thomas. Is this an annual event?

>74 mstrust: Yes, this is very worth repeating. I hope that something of it will be preserved for the next years.

>75 FAMeulstee: It is an annual event, but unfortunately (for me) every year in another city. It is an event of the state of Baden-Württemberg, which also covers a large part of the costs.
The cities can apply as hosts, there is a long waiting list.
But the good thing is that you don't need a big event to enjoy literature. The great suggestions and BB of the magnificent 75-group are also very well ;-).

And another birthday-book - Vicco von Bülow aka Loriot had his anniversary yesterday:


133. Für den Fall ...: Der neuzeitliche Helfer in schwierigen Lebenslagen by Loriot
I love the way he caricatures the world with a pointed feather.
Black humor included.

And some books for realaxing:


134. Schwerter gegen den Tod / Swords Against Death by Fritz Leiber
More adventures with Fafhrd and the Gray Mouser - epic fantasy in short stories. I like it.


135. Der grüne Brand / The green rust by Edgar Wallace
Quickly written - quickly read.
A woman in danger, a detective protecting her.
A diabolical villain with a cunning plan.
And a happy ending - what more could you want?

The Literature Days are over, but there are still a few events.
Yesterday we were at Marian Grau, who read from his book Bruderherz. The organizer was the local hospice association.
Marian is a now 17 year old pupil who grew up with an older severely handicapped brother whom he loved deeply.
After his death he discovered his love for travelling and has a blog about it. Later he published the book.
In the meantime he has travelled to 42 countries. The lecture was very interesting and touching, as was the book.

Thomas I hadn't realised that Bad Wurttemberg contained such an array of cities from Stuttgart to Karlsruhe to Mannheim to Heidelberg. I suppose that there are plenty of contenders to host your state's annual literary fair.

Have a great weekend.

Your Literature Days sound amazing! I'm glad you were able to take advantage of them.

Wow, Thomas, tell me how you manage to read so many books. Any advice?
Wishing you a wonderful weekend.

After a weekend with family and friends almost without books, everyday life has me back again.
I was busy witch unpacking and installing a new printer - and assembling a new printer table, too.

>80 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul, the weekend was very fine.
It is very diverse here in Baden-Württemberg - but you can find pearls everywhere if you look for them.
Last year the Literature Days took place in Ludwigsburg, next year 3 cities will hosting it together: Isny, Wangen and Leutkirch.
This year it was great that we could visit most of the events on foot. I hope that there will also be literary events in Öhringen in the coming years.

>81 ronincats: Thank you Roni, I'm very sorry it's over already.
But it's still all good, I can read everywhere, I have the group for the exchange - what more could you want?

>82 Ameise1: Thank you Barbara.
How do I manage to read so many books?
Are there really that many? OK there are a couple of books, but I can't keep up with Anita in any way ;-).

I take every opportunity to read, at lunchtime in the office, after work, when I am at home and it is not yet time for dinner, after dinner.
If the TV program isn't so interesting for me, I also read on the side, often the TV set stays out with us.
I also spend a lot of time reading on weekends and holidays.
I'm also a fast reader, which has the advantage that I don't get bored when I read a book again. But you can also see it as a disadvantage that I don't read very thoroughly ;-).
Another point might be that many books were not very time-consuming to read.

Well, I'm impressed. I definitely can't manage that reading pace. Too many things to do.

This year I must have improved my reading skills:
I've never read so many books before (since 2013 when I started in this group):
2013: _84 books
2014: 109 books
2015: _78 books
2016: 107 books
2017: 130 books
2018: 127 books
2019: 136 books so far

136. Kriegsenkel: Die Erben der vergessenen Generation by Sabine Bode
A book abut my generation. It describes How the experiences of our parents and grandparents influence us.
My wife and I recognized many things from our own life path.
The book continues the theme from my book #130 - Die vergessene Generation: Die Kriegskinder brechen ihr Schweigen .

>85 SirThomas: Looks like 2019 is a stellar reading year for you, Thomas!

Your numbers are more steady than mine, ranging from 13 to 534 in the same years.

I hope you can maintain your stability, Anita.

Another step for a stellar year (not the quantity - the quality!):

137. Ein Monat auf dem Land / A Month in the Country by J. L. Carr
A beautiful little book. Very poetic, the sentences don't seem honed and polished, but seem to have simply grown.
A traumatized soldier of the First World War comes to a small village to restore a wall painting in the church.
He begins to work and to heal.

After a busy week with many business trips and few books it is time for statistics:

The stats for November:

Books read: 9
Pages read: 2,328 (longest 561 / shortest 96 / average 259)

Personal rating:
average rating
highest rating
lowest rating

Author nationalities:

England: 2 / 2 / 2
Germany: 5 / 5 / 4
USA: 2 / 2 / 1

Sum: 9 / 9 / 7

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

Gender:
female authors: 3 / 3 / 2
male authors: 6 / 6 / 5

Last month, the ratio of male to female was more feminine.

date first published:
20th century: 1919, 1960, 1970 (2 books), 1980
21th century: 2004, 2009, 2018, 2019

The literature days are over, but there was a reading - a colleague read from Radio Heimat at the hotel after the meeting in the evening.
She did it very well and it was a pleasant evening.

Has it really been three weeks already?
It was a time full of work, meetings and a beautiful Pre-Christmas holiday without time for LT.
But now we are back and I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a peaceful time.


(Again a picture at the hotel)

There was little time for other things, but there was time for books:


138. Phantastische Tierwesen und wo sie zu finden sind / Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Joanne K. Rowling
Interesting facts about the magical animal world, nice to read.

139. Eines Tages geht der Rabbi / Someday the Rabbi Will Leave by Harry Kemelman
Another crime story about rabbi small and his problems with his comunity.
quite nice.

I have rediscovered an old series.
It's about Pascha, a car thief, who is murdered and as a ghost can only be understood by the coroner who autopsied him.


140. Kühlfach 4 / Morgue Drawer Four by Jutta Profijt
Pascha tries to find his murderer.
thrilling and funny.


141. Im Kühlfach nebenan / Morgue Drawer Next Door by Jutta Profijt
Murders in a monastery.
A dead nun helps Pascha solve the case.


142. Kühlfach zu vermieten / Morgue Drawer For Rent by Jutta Profijt
A new boss of the morgue causes chaos. He thinks only economically and rents the coolers to undertakers.
A little overexcited.


143. Kühlfach betreten verboten / Morgue Drawer: Do Not Enter! by Jutta Profijt
A car accident.
Four kids in comas, helping Pasha with the investigation.


144. Knast oder Kühlfach by Jutta Profijt
A friend of the coroner is accused of murder.
He does not defend himself. Pascha must get back into action.
Which is not so easy, since Martin's girlfriend is having a baby.

Have a wonderful holiday, Thomas!

Thank you Jennifer, the same to you.
Yesterday we were in the church and watched the nativity play of the children, it was very lovely.
Today it is rainy and stormy, a great weather for reading.

Now to the last outstanding books:


145. Die Suche nach dem Auge der Welt / The Eye of the World by Robert Jordan
Epic Fantasy, great written.
The fight of evil against good, magicians and jugglers. Magical beings as friends and enemies.
Rand al'Thor, a country boy is hunted by the Dark Lord and protected by a good sorceress.
He's beginning to realize he's more than just a little country boy.
I have a strange association:
The power from Star Wars in the Lord of the Rings' world.
Normally I am a fast reader, but this one took me a long time to read it.


146. Humboldt und der weiße Tod by Jana Thiem
A body is found in the Elbe. Apparently, the woman starved to death. Other women are missing. Commissioner Humboldt begins an investigation. Does the nearby sports clinic have anything to do with it?
His sister is a prostitute and disappears too. A journalist knows where she is and investigates on her own.
Nice writing, but too many coincidences for my taste.


147. Dexter - Die schöne Kunst des Mordens / Dexter by design by Jeff Lindsay
Another thrilling novel with lots of blood.
This time Dexter himself is hunted and his family is put in danger.
A nice contrast to the peaceful (?) Christmas time.


148. Der Mann, der den Mond verkaufte / The Man Who Sold the Moon by Robert A. Heinlein
A couple of short stories by the master.
Funny and satirical - I like it.

And now I will enjoy the weather with books.

Whether you celebrate Christmas, Hanukkah, Solstice, some other tradition or none at all, this is what I wish for you!

Thank you for keeping me company in 2019.......onward to 2020.

Best wishes this holiday season!!

>98 ronincats: Thank you for all the wishes, Roni, the same to you!
>99 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul - and thank you for let me keep company.
>100 Berly: Thank you Kim - I love the idea of love, peace and joy all over the world.

And two more books:


149. Saeculum by Ursula Poznanski
Medieval role plays in the middle of the forest - great fun!
Bastian does not want to go to a medical congress with his overpowering father and plays along. The others are surprised that a newcomer is present.
But then other players disappear and the area around them is said to be cursed.
Graves open, the food is spoiled.
Mistrust is spreading.
The walls of civilization crumble, then the stalker of a fellow player appears - is a perfidious plan behind it all?
A rousingly written youth book.


150. Relic: Museum der Angst / Relic by Douglas Preston and Loncoln Child
Murders in the museum - a monster is sighted. An exhibition should definitely be opened on schedule.
There are more deaths and a frightening background.
The first novel with Aloysius Pendergast. Exciting and well written.

Congratulations on reaching 2 x 75, Thomas!

Thank you, Anita. That was the penultimate book this year. Today at noon we drive to a New Year's Eve menu, there is not much time to read.

The last one:


151. Attic / Attic by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
The second novel with Aloysius Pendergast.
A rich daughter is murdered.
Investigations reveal that many homeless people were also murdered.
Are the killers connected to the monster in the museum?
The investigators from Relic are getting back to work - against much resistance.

And The stats for December:

Books read: 15
Pages read: 5,217 (longest 900 / shortest 128 / average 348)

Personal rating:
average rating
highest rating
lowest rating

Author nationalities:

England: 1 / 1 / 1
Germany: 7 / 7 / 3
USA: 8 / 8 / 6

Sum: 16 / 16 / 10

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

Gender:
female authors: 8 / 8 / 4
male authors: 8 / 8 / 6

A balanced finish

date first published:
20th century: 1950, 1985, 1990, 1995 (2 books)
21th century: 2001, 2009 (3 books), 2010, 2011, 2012 2014, 2015.

The whole year in numbers:

Books read: 151
Pages read: 50,665 (longest 1,198 / shortest 61 / average 338)

Personal rating:
average rating
highest rating
lowest rating

Author nationalities:

Algeria: 1 / 1 / 1
Austria: 15 / 15 / 6
Czech Republic: 1 / 1 / 1
Denmark: 1 / 1 / 1
England: 18 / 18 / 14
Finland: 1 / 1 / 1
France: 4 / 5 / 4
Germany: 42 / 42 / 26
Hungary: 1 / 1 / 1
Iceland: 1 / 1 /1
Ireland: 1 / 1 / 1
Italy: 3 / 3 /2
Scotland: 2 / 2 / 2
Sweden: 6 / 6 / 2
USA: 63 / 73 / 52

Sum: 160 / 171 / 115

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

Gender:
female authors: 59 / 60 / 39
male authors: 101 / 111 / 76

>92 SirThomas: Oh, Iove the Rabbi Small Series. You remind me to go back to it.

Thanks so much for introducing Jutta Profijt's books. My library has got some of them.
Wishing you a wonderful New Year's party.

Alles Gute zum neuen Jahr. I hope you find many good books and find plenty of time to enjoy them.

Another resolution is to keep up in 2020 with all my friends on LT. Happy New Year!

>107 Ameise1: Thank you Barbara, that I can give something back for the wonderful book recommendations of you and this group.
Jutta Profijt's books offer lots of fun, let me know how you liked them.
Our New Year's party was very fine - we had a great dinner, the menu list will be part of my 2020-thread.

>108 sirfurboy: Vielen Dank, Stephen - this is also my hope for me and for you!

>109 PaulCranswick: Thank you Paul, I will make these intentions my own.

Now it is time to say goodbye 2019 and let's welcome 2020 with (Sir)Thomas is reading through the world and the year