Anita (FAMeulstee) keeps on going where the books take her in 2020 (5)

Welcome to my fifth 2020 thread!

I am Anita Meulstee, 57, married with Frank since 1984. We live in Lelystad, the Netherlands. We both love modern art and books.
I read (almost) everything, from childrens and YA books to more serious literature, mysteries, historical fiction, fantasy and I try not to forget to throw some non-fiction into the mix.

Here a picture of the artwork Jardin d'émail by Jean Dubuffet. It is located in the sculpture garden of the Kröller-Müller museum. In the last years it was conservated ( https://krollermuller.nl/en/conservation-jardin-d-email ) and now it can be visited again. We hope visit the museum this month.


Our latest walking project is walking the dikes that surround the Flevopolder, the largest artificial island of the world.
Once a week we go by car to the place where we ended the week before. We walk about 3 km (and back), the total distance is 144 km, and we have walked 48,6 km now. Today we will walk the next part.
.
Left: the province Flevoland (red) is in the middle of our country.
Right: Map of the Flevopolder and in red the part that we have walked until now.
 

total books read in 2020: 157
26 own / 130 library / 1 other

total pages read in 2020: 55,998

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books read in August 2020 (13 books, 4,436 pages, 0 own / 13 library)
book 157: De man op het balkon (The Man on the Balcony) by Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö, 206 pages, TIOLI #10 (msg 253)
book 156: Saigoku by Cees Nooteboom, 200 pages, TIOLI #5 (msg 252)
book 155: Meer dan een broer (At Night All Blood Is Black) by David Diop, 154 pages, TIOLI #11 (msg 251)
book 154: Stille blik (Gallows view) by Peter Robinson, 299 pages, TIOLI #14 (msg 246)
book 153: Een kille rilling (The Frozen Dead) by Bernard Minier, 582 pages, TIOLI #5 (msg 245)
book 152: Een stad vol Chasch ; Onder de Wankh (City of the Chasch ; Servants of the Wankh) by Jack Vance, 376 pages, TIOLI #8 (msg 244)
book 151: Mani (Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese) by Patrick Leigh Fermor, 351 pages, TIOLI #14 (msg 243)
book 150: Hoe ik talent voor het leven kreeg (Two blankets, three sheets) by Rodaan Al Galidi, 472 pages, TIOLI #11 (msg 213)
book 149: De jacht op het recht by Inez Weski, 255 pages, TIOLI #5 (msg 212)
book 148: Wapenbroeders (Sworn Brother, Viking 2) by Tim Severin, 349 pages, TIOLI #5 (msg 211)
book 147: Een kwestie van vertrouwen (A Question of Belief) by Donna Leon, 302 pages, TIOLI #5 (msg 210)
book 146: Een beetje meer naar rechts (Dog Will Have His Day) by Fred Vargas, 346 pages, TIOLI #5 (msg 209)
book 145: De schaduw van de wind (The Shadow of the Wind) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, 544 pages, TIOLI #1 (msg 181)

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books read in July 2020 (18 books, 5,319 pages, 2 own / 15 library / 1 other)
book 144: De ontbieder (The Caller) by Juliet Marillier, 362 pages, TIOLI #7 (msg 140)
book 143: Ravenvlucht (Raven Flight) by Juliet Marillier, 318 pages, TIOLI #7 (msg 139)
book 142: Verboden magie (Shadowfell) by Juliet Marillier, 320 pages, TIOLI #7 (msg 132)
book 141: Het geslacht Wiarda by Theun de Vries, 750 pages, TIOLI #1 (msg 131)
book 140: Moussa, of de dood van een Arabier (The Meursault investigation) by Kamel Daoud, 149 pages, TIOLI #13 (msg 130)
book 139: De kleine Johannes I by Frederik van Eeden, 151 pages, TIOLI #12 (msg 129)
book 138: Gezichtsverlies (About face) by Donna Leon, 316 pages, TIOLI #9 (msg 128)
book 137: Gedenkschriften by Lodewijk Napoleon, 230 pages, TIOLI #13 (msg 127)
book 136: Hardlopen met Sherman (Running with Sherman) by Christopher McDougall, 368 pages, TIOLI #7 (msg 126)
book 135: Wij zijn licht by Gerda Blees, 224 pages, TIOLI #6 (msg 79)
book 134: De vreemdeling (The Stranger) by Albert Camus, 127 pages, TIOLI #13 (msg 78)
book 133: Neem mij terug, Suriname by Astrid Roemer, 166 pages, TIOLI #12 (msg 77)
book 132: De wand (The Wall) by Marlen Haushofer, 224 pages, TIOLI #6 (msg 76)
book 131: Ver weg van het stadsgewoel (Far from the madding crowd) by Thomas Hardy, 435 pages, TIOLI #8 (msg 75)
book 130: Het feest (The Party) by Elizabeth Day, 336 pages, TIOLI #7 (msg 57)
book 129: Uit het leven van een hond by Sander Kollaard, 160 pages, TIOLI #12 (msg 56)
book 128: Het beste wat we hebben by Griet Op de Beeck, 319 pages, TIOLI #12 (msg 55)
book 127: De tweede slaap (The Second Sleep) by Robert Harris, 364 pages, TIOLI #12 (msg 15)

July 2020 reading plans
De vertellingen van duizend-en-één nacht translated by Richard van Leeuwen, 3215 pages (118/3215)
Ideeën by Mutatuli 3846 pages (783/3846)

TIOLI August 2020
#1 Read a book with at least 750 conversations on LibraryThing
- De schaduw van de wind (The Shadow of the Wind) - Carlos Ruiz Zafón, 544 pages (e-library)
#2: Read a book from one of the lists on fivebooks.com
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#3: Read a book about a doll, or for which there is a doll
-
#4: Read a book where one of the title words starts or ends with the letter "P"
-
#5: Read a book which came into your possession since March 15
- Een beetje meer naar rechts (Dog Will Have His Day) - Fred Vargas, 346 pages (library)
- Een kille rilling (The Frozen Dead) - Bernard Minier, 582 pages (e-library)
- De jacht op het recht - Inez Weski, 255 pages (e-library)
- Een kwestie van vertrouwen (A Question of Belief) - Donna Leon, 302 pages (e-library)
- Saigoku - Cees Nooteboom, 200 pages (library)
- Wapenbroeders (Sworn Brother, Viking 2) - Tim Severin, 349 pages (e-library)
#6: Read an article from the New York Review of Books, The New Yorker or Vanity Fair
- 4 articles from "De Groene Amsterdammer"
#7: Read a book by an author who has been longlisted for the Woman's Prize for Fiction (formally the Orange Prize)
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#8: Read a book for the August CFF Mystery Challenge Challenge
- Een stad vol Chasch ; Onder de Wankh (City of the Chasch ; Servants of the Wankh) - Jack Vance, 376 pages (e-library)
#9: Read a book for the PAST / PRESENT / FUTURE Rolling Challenge
-
#10: August birthstone challenge - read a book with a predominantly lime green cover
- De man op het balkon (The Man on the Balcony) - Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö, 206 pages (library)
#11: A book where the first word of the title is longer than the second
- Hoe ik talent voor het leven kreeg - Rodaan Al Galidi, 472 pages (library)
- Meer dan een broer (At Night All Blood Is Black) - David Diop, 154 pages (library)
#12: Read a book by Louis L'Amour
-
#13: Read a book by an author who shares a first name with my parents or their descendants
-
#14: Read a book published before 2010
- Het menselijk tekort (Man's Fate) - André Malraux, 277 pages (library 9/9)
- Mani (Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese) - Patrick Leigh Fermor, 351 pages (library)
- Stille blik (Gallows view) - Peter Robinson, 299 pages (e-library)

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TIOLI July 2020
#1: Read book #7
- Het geslacht Wiarda - Theun de Vries, 750 pages
#2: Stormy Weather - read a book with the word storm or a synonym of storm in the title
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#3: Read a book about a 'dramatic geopolitical event'
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#4: Read a Book with a Connection to the U.S. Naval Academy
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#5: Read a book for the JULY rolling challenge
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#6: Read a book by a female author that you haven’t read before
- De wand (The Wall) - Marlen Haushofer, 224 pages (library)
- Wij zijn licht - Gerda Blees, 224 pages (borrowed from my father)
#7: Read a book translated by a woman
- Het feest (The Party) - Elizabeth Day, 336 pages (library)
- Hardlopen met Sherman (Running with Sherman) - Christopher McDougall, 368 pages (e-library)
- Verboden magie (Shadowfell) - Juliet Marillier, 320 pages (e-library)
- Ravenvlucht (Raven Flight) - Juliet Marillier, 318 pages (e-library)
- De ontbieder (The Caller) - Juliet Marillier, 362 pages (e-library)
#8: Read a book with a title you feel is uplifting or cheerful or inspiring
- Ver weg van het stadsgewoel (Far from the madding crowd) - Thomas Hardy, 435 pages (e-library)
#9: Read a book that is at least number 7 in a series
- Gezichtsverlies (About face) - Donna Leon, 316 pages (e-library)
#10: Read a book with portions of more than one image on the cover separated by straight lines
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#11: Read a prequel (list the series)
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#12: Read a book with 151 pages or more (list the number of pages)
- Het beste wat we hebben - Griet Op de Beeck, 319 pages (library)
- De kleine Johannes I - Frederik van Eeden, 151 pages
- Neem mij terug, Suriname - Astrid Roemer, 166 pages (e-library)
- De tweede slaap (The Second Sleep) - Robert Harris, 364 pages (library)
- Uit het leven van een hond - Sander Kollaard, 160 pages (e-library)
#13: Read a book that fits a Seattle Public Library Summer Book Bingo Category (list the category)
- Gedenkschriften - Lodewijk Napoleon, 218+12 pages (library)
- Moussa, of de dood van een Arabier (The Meursault investigation) - Kamel Daoud, 149 pages (e-library)
- De vreemdeling (The Stranger) - Albert Camus, 127 pages (library)
#14: Finish a book that you had got stuck on
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#15: July birthstone challenge - read a book with a predominantly bright red/ pink cover
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#16 Read a book that takes place in space
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#17: Read a book with the same title or first words as one of the surahs of the Quran
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Reading plans in 2020
My childrens/YA project was finished in 2019.
- This year I want to tackle some big tomes (1,000+ pages). Goal read 12 big tomes.
- Reading my own books is not top priority this year, ROOT goal set at 24.

I join the TIOLI (Take It Or Leave It) challenges each month.

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Big tomes I might read in 2020:
Dutch translation of the complete Tales from the thousand and one nights, 3215 pages
Ideeën (1-7) by Multatuli, 3846 pages
Man zonder eigenschappen (The man without qualities) by Robert Musil, 1785 pages
De razende Roeland (Orlando furioso) by Ludovico Ariosto, 1783 pages
De essays (The complete essays) by Michel de Montaigne, 1557 pages
✔ Menselijke voorwaarden (Human condition) by Junpei Gomikawa, 1440 pages
✔ De hunnen by Jan Cremer, 1419 pages
De kracht van Atlantis (Atlas shrugged) by Ayn Rand, 1373 pages
✔ De geschikte jongen (A suitable boy) by Vikram Seth, 1366 pages
✔ Jozef en zijn broers (Joseph and his brothers) by Thomas Mann, 1343 pages
✔ Het achtste leven (voor Brilka) (The eighth life (for Brilka)) by Nino Haratischwili, 1275 pages
✔ Max, Mischa & het Tet-offensief by Johan Harstad, 1229 pages
Luitenant-kolonel de Maumort by Roger Martin du Gard, 1077 pages
✔ Heer van chaos (Lord of Chaos), Robert Jordan, 1054 pages
Baron by Theun de Vries, 1016 pages

Totals since 2008:

books read in January 2020
book 1: Saga's van de Westfjorden en omstreken translated by Marcel Otten (thread 1, msg 64)
book 2: De Cock en dood door hamerslag by A.C. Baantjer (thread 1, msg 65)
book 3: Huishouden (Visitation) by Jenny Erpenbeck (thread 1, msg 80)
book 4: De legende van Swanhilde (The Half-Drowned King) by Linnea Hartsuyker (thread 1, msg 81)
book 5: Ziggy by Bram Hulzebos (thread 1, msg 82)
book 6: Tirza by Arnon Grunberg (thread 1, msg 132)
book 7: Stenen voor een ransuil by Maarten 't Hart (thread 1, msg 133)
book 8: Stommelen stampen slaan (Spill simmer falter wither) by Sara Baume (thread 1, msg 134)
book 9: Pompeii het dagelijks leven in een Romeinse stad (Pompeii: The Life of A Roman Town) by Mary Beard (thread 1, msg 136)
book 10: Het achtste leven (voor Brilka) (The Eighth Life (for Brilka) ) by Nino Haratischwili (thread 1, msg 137)
book 11: Waarom vuilnismannen meer verdienen dan bankiers by Rutger Bregman (thread 1, msg 155)
book 12: Een stille vlam (A quiet flame, Bernie Gunther 5) by Philip Kerr (thread 1, msg 156)
book 13: De verrader (The sellout) by Paul Beatty (thread 1, msg 158)
book 14: Grensgangers by Aline Sax (thread 1, msg 164)
book 15: De jongens van Nickel (The Nickel Boys) by Colson Whitehead (thread 1, msg 165)
book 16: Ochtendwind (Dawn wind) by Rosemary Sutcliff (thread 1, msg 178)
book 17: Erik, of het klein insectenboek (Eric in the Land of the Insects) by Godfried Bomans (thread 1, msg 179)
book 18: Anne van het Groene Huis (Anne of Green Gables) by L.M. Montgomery (thread 1, msg 180)
book 19: Buurtsupermens (Convenience Store Woman) by Sayaka Murata (thread 1, msg 181)
book 20: Sovjetistan (Sovietistan) by Erika Fatland (thread 1, msg 182)
book 21: Moederdag by Nele Neuhaus (thread 1, msg 183)
book 22: Vrouwen & macht (Women & Power: A Manifesto) by Mary Beard (thread 1, msg 184)
book 23: Het nieuwe land by Eva Vriend (thread 1, msg 219)
book 24: Het moerasmeisje (Where the Crawdads Sing) by Delia Owens (thread 1, msg 221)
book 25: Zoon van het Noorden (Odinn's child, Viking 1) by Tim Severin (thread 1, msg 222)
book 26: Eskimoland by Niko Tinbergen (thread 1, msg 223)

books read in February 2020
book 27: Oorlogsvlieger (Flight to Arras) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (thread 2, msg 28)
book 28: De beer en de nachtegaal (The bear and the nightingale) by Katherine Arden (thread 2, msg 29)
book 29: Het meisje in de toren (The girl in the tower) by Katherine Arden (thread 2, msg 31)
book 30: Spaar de spotvogel (To kill a mockingbird) by Harper Lee (thread 2, msg 32)
book 31: Schaduw van de vos (Shadow of the Fox) by Julie Kagawa (thread 2, msg 49)
book 32: De buitenjongen (The Wild Boy) by Paolo Cognetti (thread 2, msg 50)
book 33: De dood van Murat Idrissi (The death of Murat Idrissi) by Tommy Wieringa (thread 2, msg 51)
book 34: De zeven gehangenen (The Seven Who Were Hanged) by Leonid Andrejev (thread 2, msg 52)
book 35: Doodgeverfd (In the Frame) by Dick Francis (thread 2, msg 53)
book 36: De Engelse patiënt (The English Patient) by Michael Ondaatje (thread 2, msg 54)
book 37: Tot in de hemel (The overstory) by Richard Powers (thread 2, msg 84)
book 38: Buzz Aldrin, waar ben je gebleven? (Buzz Aldrin, what happened to you in all the confusion?) by Johan Harstad (thread 2, msg 85)
book 39: Ondergeschikt (Inferior) by Angela Saini (thread 2, msg 86)
book 40: Duister glas (Through a Glass, Darkly) by Donna Leon (thread 2, msg 87)
book 41: De wind in de wilgen (The Wind in the Willows) by Kenneth Grahame (thread 2, msg 88)
book 42: De geschikte jongen (A Suitable Boy) by Vikram Seth (thread 2, msg 90)
book 43: De laatste der Mohikanen (The Last of the Mohicans) by James Fenimore Cooper (thread 2, msg 100)
book 44: Er is geen daar daar (There There) by Tommy Orange (thread 2, msg 101)
book 45: Grand Guignol by Louis Ferron (thread 2, msg 102)
book 46: De laatste betovering (The last enchantment) by Mary Stewart (thread 2, msg 103)

books read in March 2020
book 47: De jungleboeken (The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book) by Rudyard Kipling (thread 2, msg 134)
book 48: De tuin (The Weather Detective: Rediscovering Nature's Secret Signs) by Peter Wohlleben (thread 2, msg 135)
book 49: De ontsnapping van de natuur by Thomas Oudman & Theunis Piersma (thread 2, msg 136)
book 50: Een jihad van liefde by Mohamed el Bachiri (thread 2, msg 138)
book 51: Italiaanse schoenen (Italian Shoes) by Henning Mankell (thread 2, msg 140)
book 52: Het water komt by Rutger Bregman (thread 2, msg 146)
book 53: De H is van havik (H is for hawk) by Helen Macdonald (thread 2, msg 147)
book 54: Zweedse laarzen (After the Fire) by Henning Mankell (thread 2, msg 148)
book 55: Vuurtorenwachter (The Lost Boy) by Camilla Läckberg (thread 2, msg 150)
book 56: Spinoza by Theun de Vries (thread 2, msg 210)
book 57: Reis door Armenië (An Armenian sketchbook) by Vasili Grossman (thread 2, msg 211)
book 58: Het lijden van de jonge Werther (The Sorrows of Young Werther) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (thread 2, msg 212)
book 59: De Hunnen by Jan Cremer (thread 2, msg 213)
book 60: Klopjacht (Blood sport) by Dick Francis (thread 2, msg 214)
book 61: Muizen en mensen (Of Mice and Men) by John Steinbeck (thread 2, msg 215)
book 62: Geef me de ruimte! by Thea Beckman (thread 2, msg 216)
book 63: Triomf van de verschroeide aarde by Thea Beckman (thread 2, msg 216)
book 64: Het rad van fortuin by Thea Beckman (thread 2, msg 216)
book 65: Wie wat vindt heeft slecht gezocht by Rutger Kopland (thread 2, msg 231)
book 66: Moord op de moestuin by Nicolien Mizee (thread 2, msg 232)
book 67: De avond is ongemak (The Discomfort of Evening) by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld (thread 2, msg 233)
book 68: Platero en ik (Platero and I) by Juan Ramón Jiménez (thread 2, msg 234)

books read in April 2020
book 69: De bekeerlinge (The Convert) by Stefan Hertmans (thread 3, msg 59)
book 70: De asielzoeker by Arnon Grunberg (thread 3, msg 60)
book 71: Het fantoom van Alexander Wolf (The Spectre of Alexander Wolf) by Gajto Gazdanov (thread 3, msg 61)
book 72: Wanderlust (Wanderlust) by Rebecca Solnit (thread 3, msg 63)
book 73: Dit alles zal ik je geven (All This I Will Give to You) by Dolores Redondo (thread 3, msg 64)
book 74: Blauwe maandag (Blue Monday) by Nicci French (thread 3, msg 65)
book 75: Wij slaven van Suriname by Anton de Kom (thread 3, msg 71)
book 76: Anton de Kom by Alice Boots and Rob Woortman (thread 3, msg 127)
book 77: Dichter in de jungle by Roelof van Gelder (thread 3, msg 128)
book 78: De offerplaats (In the Woods) by Tana French (thread 3, msg 129)
book 79: Mama's laatste omhelzing (Mama's Last Hug) by Frans de Waal (thread 3, msg 130)
book 80: De pest (The Plague) by Albert Camus (thread 3, msg 131)
book 81: Tijl (Tyll) by Daniel Kehlmann (thread 3, msg 132)
book 82: Het probleem met bokken en schapen (The Trouble with Goats and Sheep) by Joanna Cannon (thread 3, msg 133)
book 83: De voorlezer (The Reader) by Bernhard Schlink (thread 3, msg 148)
book 84: Telefoon voor de dode (Call for the Dead) by John le Carré (thread 3, msg 149)
book 85: Dinsdag is voorbij (Tuesday's Gone) by Nicci French (thread 3, msg 150)
book 86: Cheops by J.H. Leopold (thread 3, msg 151)
book 87: Zwarte winter (Doomsday book) by Connie Willis (thread 3, msg 152)
book 88: Kinderspel (Suffer the Little Children) by Donna Leon (thread 3, msg 154)
book 89: Smeltend ijs by Arnaldur Indriðason (thread 3, msg 157)
book 90: Alle doden vliegen hoog : Amerika by Joachim Meyerhoff (thread 3, msg 160)
book 91: Ideeën van Multatuli. Eerste bundel by Mutatuli (thread 3, msg 162)

books read in May 2020
book 92: Het Haagse stadhuis by Adri Duivesteijn (thread 4, msg 11)
book 93: Oude wegen (The Old Ways) by Robert Macfarlane (thread 4, msg 12)
book 94: Eline Vere (Eline Vere) by Louis Couperus (thread 4, msg 13)
book 95: Jozef en zijn broers (Joseph and his Brothers) by Thomas Mann (thread 4, msg 14)
book 96: Duyvels End (World's End) by T.C. Boyle (thread 4, msg 15)
book 97: Droommeisje (Girl of His Dreams) by Donna Leon (thread 4, msg 70)
book 98: Sil de strandjutter by Cor Bruijn (thread 4, msg 71)
book 99: 1793 (The Wolf and the Watchman) by Niklas Natt och Dag (thread 4, msg 72)
book 100: Ik zal de wereld nooit meer zien (I Will Never See the World Again) by Ahmet Altan (thread 4, msg 73)
book 101: Niels Holgerssons wonderbare reis (The Wonderful Adventures of Nils) by Selma Lagerlöf (thread 4, msg 96)
book 102: Djinn patrouille op de paarse lijn (Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line) by Deepa Anappara (thread 4, msg 97)
book 103: Edelman, bedelman, schutter, spion (Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy) by John Le Carré (thread 4, msg 98)
book 104: Het gevaar (The Danger) by Dick Francis (thread 4, msg 99)
book 105: Candide, of Het optimisme (Candide) by Voltaire (thread 4, msg 100)
book 106: Ik, Robot (I, Robot) by Isaac Asimov (thread 4, msg 101)
book 107: Aarde, lucht, water en vuur by Empedokles (thread 4, msg 102)
book 108: Kleine brandjes overal (Little fires everywhere) by Celeste Ng (thread 4, msg 103)
book 109: De mystieke masseur (The Mystic Masseur) by V.S. Naipaul (thread 4, msg 104)
book 110: Wanneer wordt het eindelijk weer zoals het nooit is geweest by Joachim Meyerhoff (thread 4, msg 105)
book 111: De acht bergen (The Eight Mountains) by Paolo Cognetti (thread 4, msg 106)

books read in June 2020 (15 books, 7,716 pages, 3 own / 12 library)
book 112: Max, Mischa & het Tet-offensief by Johan Harstad (thread 4, msg 146)
book 113: Engeleneiland (Buried Angels) by Camilla Läckberg (thread 4, msg 148)
book 114: Zonder paniek geen paradijs by Joachim Meyerhoff (thread 4, msg 149)
book 115: Heer van chaos (Lord of Chaos) by Robert Jordan (thread 4, msg 150)
book 116: Heer van de vliegen (Lord of the flies) by Willliam Golding (thread 4, msg 156)
book 117: De brief voor de koning (The Letter for the King) by Tonke Dragt (thread 4, msg 157)
book 118: Geheimen van het Wilde Woud (The Secrets of the Wild Wood) by Tonke Dragt (thread 4, msg 157)
book 119: Station Elf (Station Eleven) by Emily St John Mandel (thread 4, msg 158)
book 120: Wij (We) by Jevgeni Zamjatin (thread 4, msg 178)
book 121: De genialiteit van vogels (The Genius of Birds) by Jennifer Ackerman (thread 4, msg 179)
book 122: Menselijke voorwaarden (Human condition) by Junpei Gomikawa (thread 4, msg 180)
book 123: Vrouwen in gevecht (Fearless Females) by Marta Breen and Jenny Jordahl (thread 4, msg 181)
book 124: De Midaksteeg (Midaq Alley) by Nagieb Mahfoez (thread 4, msg 182)
book 125: Een stralende toekomst (The Great Believers) by Rebecca Makkai (thread 4, msg 184)
book 126: Van de koele meren des doods (The Deeps of Deliverance) by Frederik van Eeden (thread 4, msg 185)

Monthly statistics
26 books / 8,690 pages / 285.4 pages a day in January 2020 in numbers
20 books / 7,299 pages / 251.7 pages a day in February 2020 in numbers
22 books / 6,686 pages / 215.8 pages a day in March 2020 in numbers
23 books / 8,168 pages / 272.3 pages a day in April 2020 in numbers
20 books / 7,735 pages / 249.5 pages a day in May 2020 in numbers
15 books / 7,716 pages / 257.2 pages a day in June 2020 in numbers
18 books / 5,319 pages / 171.6 pages a day in July 2020 in numbers

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Previous threads in 2020
book 1 - 26: thread 1
book 27 - 68: thread 2
book 69 - 91: thread 3
book 92 - 126: thread 4

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My readings in previous years
413 books (110,873 pages / 303.8 pages a day) read in 2019/1, 2019/2, 2019/3, 2019/4, 2019/5, 2019/6, 2019/7, 2019/8, 2019/9, 2019/10
534 books (111,906 pages / 306.6 pages a day) read in 2018/1, 2018/2, 2018/3, 2018/4, 2018/5, 2018/6, 2018/7, 2018/8, 2018/9, 2018/10, 2018/11, 2018/12, 2018/13
453 books (110,248 pages / 302.0 pages a day) read in 2017/1, 2017/2, 2017/3, 2017/4, 2017/5, 2017/6, 2017/7, 2017/8, 2017/9, 2017/10, 2017/11, 2017/12, 2017/13
253 books   (72,474 pages / 198.0 pages a day) read in 2016/1, 2016/2, 2016/3, 2016/4, 2016/5, 2016/6
  29 books   (10,079 pages /   27.6 pages a day) read in 2015
  17 books     (3,700 pages /   10.1 pages a day) read in 2014
  13 books     (3,692 pages /   10.1 pages a day) read in ROOT 2013
  53 books   (18,779 pages /   51.3 pages a day) read in 2012/1, 2012/2, 2012/3
  84 books   (30,256 pages /   82.9 pages a day) read in 2011/1, 2011/2
121 books   (38,119 pages / 104.4 pages a day) read in 2010/1, 2010/2, 2010/3, 2010/4
  78 books   (21,470 pages /   58.8 pages a day) read in 2009/1, 2009/2
130 books   (35,151 pages /   96.0 pages a day) read in 2008

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Lists on my WikiThing
My best books by year list on the WikiThing
Working on: Five star reads; Nobel prize winners; Booker prize winners; Dutch prize winners

Series I read, a list to keep track

Alan Banks by Peter Robinson (re-read 1/20)
1 Stille blik; 2 Nachtlicht; 3 Tegenstroom; 4 Zondeval; 5 Schijnbeeld; 6 Woensdagkind; 7 Zwanenzang; 8 Innocent Graves (not translated); 9 Dead Right (not translated); 10 Verdronken verleden; 11 Kil als het graf; 12 Nasleep; 13 Onvoltooide zomer; 14 Vuurspel; 15 Drijfzand; 16 Hartzeer; 17 Duivelsgebroed; 18 Overmacht; 19 Uitschot; 20 Dwaalspoor; 21 Dankbare dood; 22 Slachthuisblues; 23 When the Music's Over (not translated); 24 Sleeping in the Ground (not translated); 25 Careless Love (not translated); 26 Many Rivers to Cross (not translated)

Bernie Gunther by Philip Kerr 5/12
1 Een Berlijnse kwestie; 2 Het handwerk van de beul; 3 Een Duits requiem; 4 De een van de ander; 5 Een stille vlam; 6 Als de doden niet herrijzen; 7 Grijs verleden; 8 Praag fataal; 9 De man zonder adem; 10 De vrouw van Zagreb; 11 De schaduw van de stilte; 12 Pruisisch blauw; 13 Vergeven en vergeten; 14 Metropolis

Broeder Cadfael by Ellis Peters 8/20
1 Het heilige vuur; 2 Het laatste lijk; 3 Het gemene gewas; 4 De kwade knecht; 5 De eenzame bruid; 6 De kille maagd; 7 Het vege lijf; 8 De duivelse droom; 9 De gouden speld; 10 Een wisse dood; 11 Een hard gelag; 12 De ware aard; 13 Een witte roos; 14 Het stille woud; 15 De laatste eer; 16 Het rechte pad; 17 Een zijden haar; 18 Een lieve lust; 19 De heilige dief; 20 De verloren zoon

De Cock by A.C. Baantjer 53/70

Erica Falck & Patrik Hedström by Camilla Läckberg 9/11
1 IJsprinses; 2 Predikant; 3 Steenhouwer; 4 Zusje; 4.1 Sneeuwstorm en amandelgeur; 5 Oorlogskind; 6 Zeemeermin; 7 Vuurtorenwachter; 8 Engeleneiland; 9 Leeuwentemmer; 10 Heks

Frieda Klein by Nicci French 2/8
1 Blauwe maandag; 2 Dinsdag is voorbij; 3 Wachten op woensdag; 4 Donderdagskinderen; 5 Denken aan vrijdag; 6 Als het zaterdag wordt; 7 Zondagochtend breekt aan; 8 De dag van de doden

George Smiley by John Le Carré 4/9
1 Telefoon voor de dode; 2 Voetsporen in de sneeuw; 3 Spion aan de muur; 4 Spion verspeeld; 5 Edelman, bedelman, schutter, spion; 6 Spion van nobel bloed; 7 Smiley's prooi; 8 De laatste spion; 9 Een erfenis van spionnen

Guido Brunetti by Donna Leon 18/25
1 Dood van een maestro; 2 Dood in den vreemde; 3 De dood draagt rode schoenen; 4 Salto mortale; 5 Acqua alta; 6 Een stille dood; 7 Nobiltà; 8 Fatalità; 9 Vriendendienst; 10 Onrustig tij; 11 Bedrieglijke zaken; 12 De stille elite; 13 Verborgen bewijs; 14 Vertrouwelijke zaken; 15 Duister glas; 16 Kinderspel; 17 Droommeisje; 18 Gezichtsverlies; 19 Een kwestie van vertrouwen; 20 Dodelijke conclusies; 21 Beestachtige zaken; 22 Het onbekende kind; 23 Tussen de regels; 24 Ik aanbid je; 25 Eeuwige jeugd; 26 Wat niet verdwijnt; 27 Vergiffenis

John Rebus by Ian Rankin 3/18
1 Kat & muis; 2 Blindeman; 3 Hand & Tand; 4 Ontmaskering; 5 Zwartboek; 6 Vuurwerk; 7 Laat maar bloeden; 8 Gerechtigheid; 9 Door het lint; 10 Dode zielen; 11 In het duister; 12 Valstrik; 13 Lazarus; 14 Een kwestie van bloed; 15 De rechtelozen; 16 Gedenk de doden; 17 Laatste ronde; 18 Cold case;

Konrad Sejer by Karin Fossum 4/12
1 Eva's oog; 2 Kijk niet achterom; 3 Wie de wolf vreest; 4 De duivel draagt het licht; 5 De Indiase bruid; 6 Zwarte seconden; 7 De moord op Harriet Krohn; 8 Een andere voorkeur; 9 Kwade wil; 10 De waarschuwer; 11 Carmen Zita og døden (not translated); 12 Veenbrand; 13 De fluisteraar

Martin Beck by Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö 4/10
1 De vrouw in het Götakanaal; 2 De man die in rook opging; 3 De man op het balkon; 4 De lachende politieman; 5 De brandweerauto die verdween; 6 De man die even wilde afrekenen; 7 De verschrikkelijke man uit Säffle; 8 De gesloten kamer; 9 De politiemoordenaar; 10 De terroristen

Martin Servaz by Bernard Minier 1/5
1 Een kille rilling; 2 Huivering; 3 Verduistering; 4 Schemering; 5Weerzin

Oliver von Bodenstein & Pia Kirchhoff by Nele Neuhaus 9/9
1 Een onbeminde vrouw; 2 Moordvrienden; 3 Diepe wonden; 4 Sneeuwwitje moet sterven; 5 Wie wind zaait; 6 Boze wolf; 7 De levenden en de doden; 8 Het woud; 9 Moederdag

Het rad des tijds (Wheel of Time) by Robert Jordan (and Brandon Sanderson) 7/15
0 Een nieuw begin; 1 Het oog van de wereld; 2 De grote jacht; 3 De herrezen draak; 4 De komst van de schaduw; 5 Vuur uit de hemel; 6 Heer van chaos; 7 Een kroon van zwaarden; 8 Het pad der dolken; 9 Hart van de Winter; 10 Viersprong van de schemer; 11 Mes van Dromen; 12 De naderende storm; 13 De Torens van Middernacht; 14 Het licht van weleer

Sister Fidelma by Peter Tremayne 1/18
1 Absolutie voor moord; 2 Lijkwade voor een aartsbisschop; 3 Moord in de abdij; 4 De listige slang; 5 Het web van Araglin; 6 De vallei van het kwaad; 7 De verdwenen monnik; 8 Dood van een pelgrim; 9 Vrouwe van het duister; 10 Het klooster van de dode zielen; 11 De gekwelde abt; 12 De nacht van de das; 13 De leprozenbel; 14 Moord uit de golven; 15 Een gebed voor de verdoemden; 16 Dansen met demonen; 17 Het valse concilie; 18 De duif des doods

List of Nobel Prize for Literature winners:
(in bold the writers I have read)

1901 Sully Prudhomme
1902 Theodor Mommsen
1903 Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
1904 Frédéric Mistral
1904 José Echegaray y Eizaguirre
1905 Henryk Sienkiewicz
1906 Giosuè Carducci
1907 Rudyard Kipling
1908 Rudolf Christoph Eucken
1909 Selma Lagerlöf
1910 Paul Heyse
1911 Maurice Maeterlinck
1912 Gerhart Hauptmann
1913 Rabindranath Tagore
1915 Romain Rolland
1916 Verner von Heidenstam
1917 Karl Adolph Gjellerup
1917 Henrik Pontoppidan
1919 Carl Spitteler
1920 Knut Hamsun
1921 Anatole France
1922 Jacinto Benavente
1923 William Butler Yeats
1924 Władysław Reymont
1925 George Bernard Shaw
1926 Grazia Deledda
1927 Henri Bergson
1928 Sigrid Undset
1929 Thomas Mann
1930 Sinclair Lewis
1931 Erik Axel Karlfeldt
1932 John Galsworthy
1933 Ivan Boenin
1934 Luigi Pirandello
1936 Eugene O'Neill
1937 Roger Martin du Gard
1938 Pearl S. Buck
1939 Frans Eemil Sillanpää
1944 Johannes Vilhelm Jensen
1945 Gabriela Mistral
1946 Hermann Hesse
1947 André Gide
1948 T.S. Elliot
1949 William Faulkner
1950 Bertrand Russell
1951 Pär Lagerkvist
1952 François Mauriac
1953 Sir Winston Churchill
1954 Ernest Hemingway
1955 Halldór Laxness
1956 Juan Ramón Jiménez
1957 Albert Camus
1958 Boris Pasternak
1959 Salvatore Quasimodo
1960 Saint-John Perse
1961 Ivo Andrić
1962 John Steinbeck
1963 Giorgos Seferis
1964 Jean-Paul Sartre
1965 Michail Sjolochov
1966 Sjmoeël Joseef Agnon
1966 Nelly Sachs
1967 Miguel Ángel Asturias
1968 Yasunari Kawabata
1969 Samuel Beckett
1970 Aleksandr Solzjenitsyn
1971 Pablo Neruda
1972 Heinrich Böll
1973 Patrick White
1974 Eyvind Johnson
1974 Harry Martinson
1975 Eugenio Montale
1976 Saul Bellow
1977 Vincente Aleixandre
1978 Isaac Bashevis Singer
1979 Odysseas Elytis
1980 Czesław Miłosz
1981 Elias Canetti
1982 Gabriel Garciá Márquez
1983 William Golding
1984 Jaroslav Seifert
1985 Claude Simon
1986 Wole Soyinka
1987 Joseph Brodsky
1988 Nagieb Mahfoez
1989 Camilo José Cela
1990 Octavio Paz
1991 Nadine Gordimer
1992 Derek Walcott
1993 Toni Morrison
1994 Kenzaburo Oë
1995 Seamus Heaney
1996 Wisława Szymborska
1997 Dario Fo
1998 José Saramago
1999 Günter Grass
2000 Gao Xingjian
2001 V.S. Naipaul
2002 Imre Kertész
2003 John Maxwell Coetzee
2004 Elfriede Jelinek
2005 Harold Pinter
2006 Orhan Pamuk
2007 Doris Lessing
2008 J.M.G. Le Clézio
2009 Herta Müller
2010 Mario Vargas Llosa
2011 Tomas Tranströmer
2012 Mo Yan
2013 Alice Munro
2014 Patrick Modiano
2015 Svetlana Alexievich
2016 Bob Dylan
2017 Kazuo Ishiguro
2018 Olga Tokarczuk
2019 Peter Handke

Books acquired in 2020: 38

July (6)
Februari : roman uit het bezettingsjaar 1941. Deel 1 : De vreemde wet - Theun de Vries
Februari : roman uit het bezettingsjaar 1941. Deel 2: De vogelvrijen - Theun de Vries
Februari : roman uit het bezettingsjaar 1941. Deel 3: De opstand - Theun de Vries
Het meisje met het rode haar - Theun de Vries
Wieken tegen de tralies - Theun de Vries
Het wolfsgetij of Een leven van liefde - Theun de Vries

June (1)
Menselijke voorwaarden - Junpei Gomikawa

May (5)
Middaguur - Dörte Hansen
Inventaris van enkele verliezen - Judith Schalansky
Ten oosten van Eden - John Steinbeck
Jaag je ploeg over de botten van de doden - Olga Tokarczuk
Uit elkaar - Bette Westera

April (8)
Dit alles zal ik je geven - Dolores Redondo
Pieterpad deel I: Pieterburen-Vorden - Toos Goorhuis
Pieterpad deel II: Vorden-Maastricht - Toos Goorhuis
De eenzaamheid van de priemgetallen - Paolo Giordano
Nachtwegen - Gajto Gazdanov
De straat en het struikgewas - Armando
Telefoon voor de dode - John le Carré
Het verhaal van Aeneas - Vergilius

March (11)
CRUX by Ralph Keuning
Werner Tübke by Ralph Keuning
Wolfgang Mattheuer by Ralph Keuning
Seizoensroddel by Jan Baeke
Habitus by Radna Fabias
Boeddhisme in alle eenvoud by Steve Hagen
Generaal zonder leger by Özcan Akyol
Onze verslaggever in de leegte by Dimitri Verhulst
Wanderlust by Rebecca Solnit (e-book)
Leon & Juliette by Annejet van der Zijl
Het water komt - Rutger Bregman

January (7)
Essay over de geslaagde dag - Peter Handke
Misverstand in Moskou - Simone de Beauvoir
Wandeling - Thomas Bernhard
Kali : een voorwinterverhaal - Peter Handke
De pensionering van meneer Bougran - Joris-Karl Huysmans
De Thibaults. Deel 1 - Roger Martin de Gard
De Thibaults. Deel 2 - Roger Martin de Gard

That's it, come in!

Just in time to wish you a happy new thread Anita!

And very belated congratulations on 75 books. I'm glad I've found you again.

Happy new thread, Anita.

book 127: De tweede slaap by Robert Harris
library, translated, original title The Second Sleep, 364 pages

started 2020-07-01
finished 2020-07-02
TIOLI Challenge #12: Read a book with 151 pages or more (list the number of pages)

1468, a young priest makes his way to a small village to bury the recently died local priest.

I have loved/liked most books by Robbert Harris. The idea of this story is great, and so are the first few chapters. But after that I had trouble to read on. I didn't like how it ended.

English and Dutch title are the same

>13 humouress: Thank you, Nina, always happy to see the first visitor!
Did you notice I picked up The Wheel of Time again?

>14 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul.

Happy Sunday, Anita! Happy New Thread! I hope you are all doing well.

Happy new thread, Anita!

>1 FAMeulstee: I like your walking project. 3 km a day makes it really doable. That dyke is quite familiar, have visited it, and especially the Oostvaardersplassen area since 1977. Such a lot of changes it has seen! But still a good place for birds.

>3 FAMeulstee: The Wall I have seen the movie made of the book. Quite impressive. I wanted to read the book then, but I never got to it. I'll be interested to know what you think of it.

>17 msf59: Thank you, Mark, happy Sunday to you!
All is well in our little corner of the world.

>18 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella.
Not only birds, a few weeks ago we saw a bee orchid at the dyke:

First time I drove over the Oostvaardersdijk was in 1989.

I haven't seen te movie of The Wall, I found the book when I was browsing the library catalogue and decided it sounded good.

BTW: I got a mail from the library yesterday that the The Human Condition DVDs have arrived, will pick them up next week.

Happy new thread!

>1 FAMeulstee: what a nifty idea. I like it.

We don't have any dikes, or dams for that matter, in the area.

>16 FAMeulstee: Thank you Anita. Yes, I did notice you've picked up The Wheel of Time again, when I was entering my books in the June TIOLI wiki. I'll have to start again myself and update the threads.

Thanks for the reminder!

>19 FAMeulstee: That's such a pretty flower.

>20 thornton37814: Thank you, Lori!

>21 fuzzi: Thanks, Lor.
There are dikes and dams all over our country. More than half would be flooded without them.

>22 humouress: Glad you did, Nina.
I haven't updated the Wheel of Time threads, sorry.

Most orchids are pretty, even the ones that grow in our cold climate ;-)

>19 FAMeulstee: Beautiful Anita. My sister has been looking for them in Shropshire, where she lives. She had been given a tip off of where to find them, but so far no success.

>24 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you, Caroline. I hope your sister succeeds in finding a bee orchid. Over here they are becoming more common than they used to be, due to the warmer climate.

Happy new thread from very windy Lancashire. I've tried to take some cuttings this morning: fingers crossed they take.

The bee orchid is beautiful, thanks for posting the picture. Good luck with your walking project.

>26 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte, lots of wind here too. Crossing fingers and toes for you.
It will be a windy walk today in Almere walking our next 3 km, but it looks like it will stay dry.

Hi Anita, and happy new thread!

I read The Wall in the summer of 2002 for my RL book club and hosted the discussion for it. I only made foods mentioned in it, which was a lot of fun. It was a very powerful book.

Happy new thread, Anita. I love your walking project. My best friend and I have been talking about doing another walk. I wonder if there are hotels spaced near the dijk at 8 or 9 km distances... May need to investigate.

Also love the Kröller-Müller museum. We haven't been there for many, many years. Time for a new visit.

Happy new thread!

>1 FAMeulstee: How fascinating!

Hi Anita my dear, Happy New Thread , i love your reading stats since 2008, i am 1100 books behind you and 55,000 pages behind you dear friend.

I hope that you and Frank are both well and have had a good weekend and i hope you have had better weather than we have had of late. Sending love and hugs to both of you dear friend.

>19 FAMeulstee: What a find, Anita. It's beautiful. And to think the only plants that used to grow there were reeds.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread! The bee orchid is gorgeous!!

Happy New Thread, Anita!

>1 FAMeulstee: So interesting. I know so much of the Netherlands is reclaimed land from the sea; it's just amazing to see.

Happy New Thread Anita! I missed most of your last one but I thought I'd swing through early on this one. You've read so many books in the first half of the year; I hope the second half of 2020 (what a year!) brings more wonderful reading for you.

>28 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen!
Looking forward to reading The Wall. Making only foods mentioned in it makes me curious ;-)

>29 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba.
There is one long distance walking path going through our province: the Pionierspad (200 km, see https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pionierspad ), walking around the Flevopolders is also fun. There are hotels in Almere and Lelystad, and some B&Bs elsewhere in the province.
Late in September we have planned a week away to continue our Pieterpad walk.

>30 quondame: Thank you, Susan.

>31 johnsimpson: Thank you, John, it is fun to keep the numbers. I didn't realise I am that far ahead of you. I sometime regret I never kept up anything about my reading before LT. It just never occured to me that I could.
We had a good weekend, thank you. We have stormy and wet weather, with enough dry in between to do our walk. I like the cooler weather :-)
Love and hugs to you and Karen.

>32 EllaTim: I was very pleased when I saw the bee orchids, Ella. And a bit sad when I saw the next week the dyke there was mowed. I looked at waarneming.nl and saw there are more places in the province where they grow.
The reeds are still everywhere, especially near water.

>33 drneutron: Thank you, Jim.

>34 SilverWolf28: Thank you, SilverWolf, and welcome on my thread.

>35 ronincats: Thank you, Roni.
All land in our province was water in the past. If I think about it, it is amazing.

>36 EBT1002: Thank you, Ellen! Glad to see you. I do keep up with your threads, mostly lurking.
I am happy with my readings thus far, and hope to find again some unexpected great reads in the next 6 months of 2020.

Happy New thread, Anita! Lots of good reading ahead for you!Ooff, I have sore knee from too much walking . But I'll still have to walk the tomorrow!

Happy new thread!

Your walking project is interesting. Quite a good idea!

Happy new Thread, Anita.
Thank you very much for sharing the artwork and have fun on your walks.
I read the wall a long time ago and have very good memories of it.

>40 vancouverdeb: Thank you, Deborah, the books treat me well.
Be careful with that knee, an injury would make it impossible to walk...

>41 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita.
We were looking for a new walking project. Our previous project was walking all 65 bike/foot-bridges and -tunnels in Lelystad.

>42 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas. The hardest part of the past months was not being able to visit museums. I am looking forward to go again.
Good to know there is much love for The Wall in this group :-)

Happy new thread, Anita! You seem to be fairing well with walks and books--keep it up!! : )

>37 FAMeulstee: good to know. Thank you, Anita.

Happy new thread, Anita. Lovely topper, unusual art. I'd love to do a walking project like yours. Unfortunately, we are having a miserable heat wave that doesn't look to break until mid-July. It's already at least 2 weeks or more. Over 30C every day and barely a drop of rain. Global warming, indeed. I don't go outside unless I must.

Hi, Anita, and Happy New Thread! Hope you had a lovely weekend and that a safe and pleasant week lies ahead for you.

>15 FAMeulstee: I tried but couldn't finish this one, Anita. I loved Harris's Cicero books and Pompeii, but this one just didn't do it for me.

>44 Berly: Thank you, Kim, and a bit of gardening in between walking and reading :-)

>45 RebaRelishesReading: You are welcome, Reba.

>46 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley, sorry the weather is so hot at your place :-(
I am glad our heatwave lasted only a few days. At those days we walked in the morning, before it got too hot to do anything at all.

>47 Storeetllr: Thank you, Mary!
You are right about The Second Sleep, it was disappointing. Besides the Cicero trilogy and Pompeii, I also enjoyed Fatherland and Conclave, my favorite is An Officer and a Spy.

Ooh, I've not read An Officer and a Spy, will have to add it to the wishlist. I liked Enigma - I don't think the film did it justice though.

Wet again here, so I'm let off watering the garden again. Hurray!

Happy new thread, Anita!

>15 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita! I actually liked the ending of A Second Sleep. I was curious to see how he would deal with the ending and I certainly didn’t expect the ending that happened.

>49 charl08: Enigma is on my list.
Also wet and cool here, and no water needed outside.

>50 bell7: Thank you, Mary!

>51 SandDune: We all read in our own way, Rhian. I am glad you liked the ending. I didn't see it coming either.

Happy New Thread and congrats on your statistics for the first half of the year!

Your walking project looks looks so fun. I'll have to think if I can do something similar around here. There is a 50 mile path that parallels the highway from Hamilton to Missoula ....

I loved The Great Believers when I read it last year. The ending made me cry. I can't think of the last book I cried over.

I loved Midaq Alley, too, but I haven't read anything else by Mahfouz. I have the Palace Walk on Planet TBR.

>53 streamsong: Thank you, Janet.
We love our walking projects, it is fun to explore our province. Our first project was here in our city. A 50 mile path sounds good to me.
The Chicago part of The Great Believers was very good, although it didn't make my cry. The last book that did was Of Mice and Men earlier this year.

book 128: Het beste wat we hebben by Griet Op de Beeck
library, Dutch, no translations, 319 pages

started 2020-07-02
finished 2020-07-03
TIOLI Challenge #12: Read a book with 151 pages or more (list the number of pages)

Lucas is a judge, one day during a trial he walks away from his job and goes to a bridge. He wants to jump, but is afraid. Then he notices a house for sale near the bridge and decides to buy it. He leaves his wife and moves into the house. He finds himself a new "job", patrolling the bridge to save lives of people who come there to commit suïcide. For the first time in his life he tries to deal with his past, growing up in a toxic family with an abusive father, where everything was smothered in deep silence.

Title translated: The best we have

book 129: Uit het leven van een hond by Sander Kollaard
e-library, Dutch, Libris Literatuurprijs 2020, no translations, 160 pages

started 2020-07-03
finished 2020-07-03
TIOLI Challenge #12: Read a book with 151 pages or more (list the number of pages)

Henk wakes up on a hot Saturday in summer. He is a middle aged man, works in a hospital and lives with his dog Schurk (villain/rascal). This day he finds out his dog has a heart problem and doesn't have much time left. This is also the day he meets Mia, a nice woman he gets involved with, and it is the day his niece has her birthday.

Lovely prose, larded with glimpses from past and future, an enjoyable read. Winner of the Libris Literature Prize 2020.

Title translated: From the life of a dog

book 130: Het feest by Elizabeth Day
library, translated, original title The Party, 336 pages

started 2020-07-04
finished 2020-07-05
TIOLI Challenge #7: Read a book translated by a woman

Martin Gilmour and Ben Fitzmaurice have been best friends since boarding school. Ben comes from a wealthy family, Martin was admitted to this school because he was an excellent student. At the start of the book we find Martin questioned at a police station, some time after Bens 40th birthday. In alternation chapters: Martin at the policestation, his wife Lucy in a psychatric hospital and Martin and Ben through the years; we slowly find out what went wrong.

Growing up privileged or not privileged, it makes all the difference. A nice, very Brittish, but a bit predictable read.

English and Dutch title are the same

Yesterday we visited my father. The restaurant had opened up again two weeks agao, and this week outside visitors were welcome again. It was all on short notice, so we arrived ony 15 minutes before we were expected at the table. As always we had a lovely diner, a bit odd Frank and I next to eachother and my father at 1,5 meter distance...

Earlier this year a book was published Wij zijn licht. The story was inspired by the death of my oldest sister 3 years ago. The was a lot of publishity and the writer made up a story about it. I was doubting if I wanted to read it, but my father was curious, so he did read it and was completely off balance afterwards :-(
He would like it if I read it too, so I gave in and took it home. Now it is staring from the shelf. Still not sure if I like to read the ideas of an outsider, based on newspaper articles, about my sisters and their two housemates.

>58 FAMeulstee: What an unsettling prospect Anita. I can understand your wariness, especially as your father found it put him off balance. Maybe Frank can read it first and help you decide, or prepare you.

Glad you were able to get together though.

>59 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you, Caroline, for always leaving a message when I need some support.
I'll have to tackle it myself, Frank only reads a few books a year and hasn't read anything in the last few months. I prepare myself with reading reviews.

I find the idea of a true story book based on nothing more than newspaper articles completely offputting, not to mention unethical. No interviews with the authorities? No interaction with the family? That's just wrong, imo. (I don't know the details of your sister's death, but I don't think that matters in this case.)

It's great you were able to get together (well, within 1.5 meters, anyway) with your dad though.

>58 FAMeulstee: Wow, that sounds like a tough assignment. I agree with Mary, too, that it seems pretty unethical to have not contact with the family when you're writing about a real-life situation. Wishing you strength.

>61 Storeetllr: >62 RebaRelishesReading: The book is fiction, Mary and Reba, it is only inspired by the true events. But recognisable for insiders. The writer might have contacted my sister, but I am not on speaking terms with her and neither is my father.

My oldest sister starved to death, she lived with three others, one of them my other sister. The whole group stopped eating back then as they believed the light of the sun gives enough to survive... with the death of my oldest sister as a result, she weighed less than 30 kilo's at her end :'(
There was an police investigation for possible neglect, but the case was dismissed.

>63 FAMeulstee: What a sad and difficult lump of family history. In these particular times I can see a novelist of a certain cast would be drawn to the horrifying, killing, delusion. I do hope that it was carefully and insightfully handled, if handled it was.

>64 quondame: Thank you, Susan.
My oldest sister was also suffering from depression for years, but refused regular treatment. I hope she decided deliberate this was a way out for her, but I will never be sure.

I will soon find out how the author handled it...

>58 FAMeulstee: Sorry to read this Anita. Hope you are coping okay despite the book.

>66 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte, I just picked it up from the bookshelf to read and get done with.

Hi Anita!

>58 FAMeulstee: I’m glad you and Frank got to have dinner with your father, even if you were seated 1.5 meters from him.

I can’t imagine reading a book about family members written by an outsider even if it is ‘only’ fiction. I hope your father is recovered from the upset of reading it and hope that your reading of it leaves you with perhaps more understanding but not so much upset.

That definitely must be a difficult subject, especially for your family. I hope it is decently handled and wish you strength reading it.

>58 FAMeulstee: I am very sorry you have to deal with this now Anita. I agree with the others that it is strange that someone writes a book about your family without talking to you. It's easy to say it's fiction but she uses your family's situation, and your father was upset about it.
If you decide to read it, I hope you can see it with some distance!

{{Anita}}. You really don't have to feel obligated to read it. You don't owe it to anyone. I am sure that your father would understand if you simply told him no, you can't or don't want to. I think it's very courageous of you to attempt it but honestly, please do what is right for you.

That book sounds like a difficult prospect, Anita, but its probably best just to find out what it says rather than have it looming over you.

I love the idea of your walking project. You have such interesting things to see outside.

I'm so sorry to hear of this book about your sister. Family relationships can be so hard at times, but to have something published, I can't imagine. I'm not sure what your should do, but as Shelley said, you need not feel obliged to read it. Take care, Anita, and hugs!

Thanks everyone who left a message. It is a comfort to be able to share this here and all the heartwarming reactions do make a difference.

I have finished the book and didn't find it upsetting, just odd to recognise my family members (and myself) under an other name. There were enough notable differences from reality to read it as fiction.
It had the most unusual perspectives, each of the 25 chapters is written from an other perspective: from people involved, things, emotions. A bit like Orhan Pamuk did in My name is Red.

I think it was upsetting to my father because it brought the whole situation back to him.
ETA: And he never found closure, because of the disturbed relation with my living sister.

--

>68 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen, the book gave me some things to think about.

>69 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba, I am glad it is done.

>70 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella, it was all over the newspapers back then. She isn't the only writer who was inspired by an article in a newspaper, and I have never felt any objection to those kind of books. But indeed it is different if it is about your family.

>71 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley, I did anyway. And it turned out not as bad as I feared.

>72 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Meg, you are right. It was looming over me, and I am glad it is done now.
Yesterday we walked the next part, only 2.5 km, as we had to park our car a bit further from the route.

>73 vancouverdeb: Thank you, Deborah, it was odd. But as Frank said to me: now we have appeared in a book, so we are immortal now ;-)

book 131: Ver weg van het stadsgewoel by Thomas Hardy
1001 books, e-library, translated, original title Far from the madding crowd, 435 pages

started 2020-07-04
finished 2020-07-08
TIOLI Challenge #8: Read a book with a title you feel is uplifting or cheerful or inspiring

I liked the writing of this classic romance, it is beautiful and poetic. Also liked the descriptions of the hard life of the farmers in the 19th century. The romance part wasn't my thing.

Dutch title translated: Far away from the city turbulence

book 132: De wand by Marlen Haushofer
library, translated from German, English title The Wall, 224 pages

started 2020-07-08
finished 2020-07-09
TIOLI Challenge #6: Read a book by a female author that you haven’t read before

One morning a middle aged Austian woman finds herself locked out from the rest of the world by a glass-like wall. She tries to survive in the company of a dog, a cat and a cow.

What a great story, this writer has fabulous imagination.

English and Dutch title are the same.

book 133: Neem mij terug, Suriname by Astrid Roemer
e-library, Dutch, no translations, 166 pages

started 2020-07-08
finished 2020-07-10
TIOLI Challenge #12: Read a book with 151 pages or more (list the number of pages)

A man leaves Suriname in 1970, he goes to the Netherlands to forget his girlfriend who left him.
He has a hard time adapting to the cold climate, the different culture, and finding a job.

Dutch title translated: Take me back, Suriname

book 134: De vreemdeling by Albert Camus
1001 books, library, translated from French, English title The Stranger, 127 pages

started 2020-07-10
finished 2020-07-11
TIOLI Challenge #13: Read a book that fits a Seattle Public Library Summer Book Bingo Category (list the category)

Merseult is a stoic man, he doesn't show emotions and he doesn't care much about the world. When he is on trial because of murdering an Arabic man, these traits turn against him.
If not crying on your mothers funeral is part of the reason he got the death penalty, I would be convicted easely, as I even didn't attend my mothers funeral....

Thoughtprovoking story.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 135: Wij zijn licht by Gerda Blees
borrowed from my father, Dutch, no translations, 224 pages

started 2020-07-11
finished 2020-07-11
TIOLI Challenge #6: Read a book by a female author that you haven’t read before

Three women and a man live together. One night one of the women dies. When a doctor is called to acknowledge her death, he refuses to make a certificat of natural death. The police is noticed and the three are put in a cel at the policestation and interogated the next day. It turns out the woman died of starvation, the group stopped eating as they believed they could live from sunlight alone.

The book is written from very unusual perspectives, each of the 25 chapters is written from an other thing or abstract: the night, the crime scene, a slice of bread, the neighborhood etc. A bit like Orhan Pamuk did with colors in My name is Red.

As I wrote above >58 FAMeulstee: >63 FAMeulstee: >74 FAMeulstee: I had a hard time starting this book, as it is based on the death of my oldest sister, who lived with my other sister and two others. My other sister never shared details about it, so the rest of the family stayed in the dark about the exact circumstances.

It is a well written and sometimes funny book, with enough notable differences from the real story (of course as I percieve it), so I could read it as fiction. Although in my head I sometimes changed the names to the real ones.
Anyway I am glad it is done.

Dutch title translated: We are Light

I like the idea of undertaking walking projects; I've never thought of doing that.

>79 FAMeulstee: I'm glad that you had the courage to read the book, Anita, and even happier that you could read it without it upsetting your equilibrium and even found it funny at times. Though I wonder what kind of perspective a slice of bread has?

>79 FAMeulstee: Phew. Glad that is behind you Anita, and that you were able to distance it a bit.

>80 humouress: Our walking projects are fun, Nina, just by walking tiny bits each time we enjoy and get to know our province.
The slice of bread is persuading one of the characters to be eaten, but as she stopped eating, she turns her back on it. But it is hard to get the bread out of her mind. So the slice of bread tries very hard to make a case for itself ;-)

>81 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you, Caroline. I called my father today and we talked a bit about the book and all that has happened. He recently tried to come to terms with my sisiter and hired a mediator. Sadly this didn't work out.

Hi, Anita. Happy New Thread.

I haven't been sure about reading Far from the Madding Crowd. It sounds like you'd recommend it?

>74 FAMeulstee: I'm glad you didn't find it as upsetting as you feared. And Frank even making a joke about it, very good!

>75 FAMeulstee: Sounds like something I'd like, on the TBR list.

>76 FAMeulstee: Ditto. After the movie we had a discussion about the ending.

>83 jnwelch: Thank you, Joe.
I liked it, especially the writing is beautiful. The story itself was good enough, but I am in no hurry to read more Thomas Hardy. But you might like it better :-)

>84 EllaTim: After a nearly sleepless night I must admit I was more upset than I thought, Ella. Has more to do with the talk with my father yesterday, than reading the book, I think.
Enjoy those two books. Has the movie of The Wall a different ending, or didn't you like the end?

>85 FAMeulstee: Sorry to hear that, Anita. It's made me wonder about my planned reading of Rodham the novel by Curtis Sittenfeld based on an alternative version of Hillary's life - I've heard the author (seemingly) defending it on the basis that HRC will never read it, but...

>85 FAMeulstee: I hope he can deal with it. But I think it's quite natural to be upset when you see your father's equilibrium upset!

No, I don't know if it was a different ending, but we found it upsetting.
To think she finally finds someone else, a man she could have shared her loneliness with, and then it turns out he kills her cow, and she kills him? Am I remembering it right? So the author chooses by this ending to keep her alone behind that wall. Is the wall symbolic for our distrust of others?

>86 charl08: It all depends on how respectful it is written, Charlotte.

>87 EllaTim: Then it was nearly the same ending, Ella.
She finds the man after he has killed her bull. Her dog goes after him, she calls the dog back, dog comes to her and he kills her dog too. So she shoots him before he can do more harm to her animal family. And I understood that she did so, her animals are closer to her than an unknown murdering stranger, although he was probable the last other person in her world.
Not sure about the wall being distrust. The woman thinks it is a result of a new kind of nuclear war, and she was accidently on the "right side", as everyone on the other side of the wall is dead, except for the plants and trees.

>88 FAMeulstee: I don't remember the part about the dog, but it's some time ago I saw the movie. Her animal family was all the family she had left, and of course she wanted to protect them. But of course we wanted the only other human being left to be a decent person! But by killing her animals he showed clearly what he was like.
Yes, it was unheimisch , that feel of emptyness. It made me think of the neutron bomb, remember that? In the eighties? Every human being would be dead, and all structures still standing?

>89 EllaTim: Yes, I remember. I was at the protests against the neutron bombs and the cruise missiles.

ETA: The Wall was written in 1963!

>82 FAMeulstee: Sorry your father's attempt to re-engage with your sister didn't work Anita, but he tried. Some things just can't be fixed.

>91 Caroline_McElwee: Sadly my sister isn't fixable, Caroline. But that is hard on my father...

>74 FAMeulstee: I'm so glad that you were able to read the book, Anita. So often our thoughts are much worse than the reality. Sorry to hear about your father's unsuccessful attempts to reconcile with your sister.

>79 FAMeulstee: What a totally disorienting experience. It is very interesting to me that your father's response was so much different from yours. It's natural he would have a harder time with the unfixable relationship to your other sister. Siblings are challenging to maintain relationships to but your children, well, his pain is understandable.

Closing in on double 75...you'll be there before we know it!

((((Anita))))

Hi Anita!

I’m sorry to hear about your sleepless night and upsetting discussion about the book with your father. I hope you’re doing better now.

>76 FAMeulstee: I also gave this book 4.5 stars when I read it.

>93 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Meg, that is often true. There is a Dutch saying "Een mens lijdt dikwijls het meest door het lijden dat hij vreest" = A man often suffers the most from the suffering he fears.
My sister won't say sorry for what she did, and my father still has hope she will do so.
I am glad I cut all ties with her years ago.

>94 richardderus: Thank you, Richard. Indeed for me it is so much further away, I haven't been in contact with my sisiter since the eary 2000s. A child is not the same as a sibling.
It will be a bit later than the last three years, I'll get there. I won't get to 400 or 500+ books this year.

>95 ronincats: Thank you, Roni, much appriciated.

>96 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen. Most upsetting was that my fathers memory seems to fade. He had no recollection of the fact I don't have any contact with my sister for years. Not sure if he might not want to remember. I had him on the phone today, and at first he didn't know I also phoned him yesterday.
Yes, glad we agree on that one.

Yesterday we watched the first film of The Human Condition trilogy directed by Masaki Kobayashi, and it was impressive. Not exactly like the book, but very true to the book. Two more to go.

Happy Friday, Anita.

>99 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara, happy weekend to you.

Yesterday we went to the Waterloopbos (Waterway wood) near Kraggenburg.
Here water-engeneers made scale models of waterworks, like harbors, tunnels and dikes, to test. It was closed down in 1996, as computermodels had taken over.



The pictures on the left are of an 1:20 scale model of the Delta works, it was altered by RAAAF (collective of artists) into landart. Water is still flowing everywhere, the models have become ruins, as nature takes its place. It was a wonderful place to walk around.

>101 FAMeulstee: What fun Anita! There is something appealing about any scale model, but when there's water involved even more so. Have a nice weekend.

>101 FAMeulstee: We did a short river cruise along the Danube - Budapest to Linz and back - a few years ago, and we saw some wonderful scenery, towns and cities along the way, but by far the most memorable and exciting part was going up and down in a lock at one stage!

>101 FAMeulstee: Wow, that looks fascinating. It looks like you can get really close too.

Hello Anita, sorry to hear that your father's memory is fading, that's hard.

And how odd to have a book that is based on your family tragedy. I am glad it wasn't too hard for you to read.

>101 FAMeulstee: Oh my! What a delightful way to repurpose a redundant site.

Happy week's reading!

>102 EllaTim: It was beautiful at the Waterloopbos, Ella.
Thanks, we had a nice weekend, walked 3 km at the dyke near Almere and saw a Stock Dove (holenduif), that was a lifer for me :-)
Stock Dove (NMP)

>103 CDVicarage: Thank you, Kerry. One day I also want to do a river cruise, water is always facinating.
We have a small lock very near, and we sometimes stop to see the boat going up or down in the lock. A bit further are two very big ones, so the boats can go both ways at the same time. We have been there a few times to see the river cruise ships and the big riverboats ging from the Markermeer to the IJsselmeer.

>104 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte.
Yes there are small pathways to the scale models. When it was still functioning they were known worldwide, getting assignments from all over the world.

>105 banjo123: Thank you, Rhonda, getting old is no fun. Last Sunday it got even worse, he fell and bruised his ribs.
Yes, it was odd to read the book. In this case the truth is much worse than the imagination of the author.

>106 richardderus: Thank you, Richard. It had almost been destroyed. A developer wanted to tear it all down to create a holiday park. Luckely some people took action, so it was preserved.

--
Reading is down significantly this month, for the first time in 4 years I dropped below 200 pages a day.
Even reading the threads goes slow.

>11 FAMeulstee: Six books by Theun de Vries entered the house today :-)

>108 FAMeulstee: Nice! I got an ARC today of a book I am really looking forward to reading, so I'm pretty pleased with that!

>108 FAMeulstee: Enjoy your ARC, Charlotte.

I had some of those books on my wishlist for a long time, as Theun de Vries is one of my favorite authors. He wrote many books between the 1930s and 1990s. Lately I noticed many books by him are available in second hand book shops, people die and their heirs get rid of the books. So when I saw these titles for a very reasonable price, I had to buy them ;-)

>110 FAMeulstee: That's even better if they were a bargain. I'm looking forward to the second hand bookshops / charity shops opening again, hoping I can find a few bargains with everyone clearing out during lockdown.

>111 charl08: I bought them online, the second hand book webshops didn't close.

Hi, Anita - Glad you were able to read that book based on your sister's death. What a cruel way to lose a loved one. I'm so sorry your dad was triggered by the book, but it's understandable he would be. {{{Hugs}}} to you both.

The Wall sounds interesting. I may have to see if I can find a copy here in the U.S.

>107 FAMeulstee: We passed there yesterday evening. Saw a fox, and some 20 kemphaantjes (Ruff). Not looking as beautiful as the one beneath, the season is over, but recognisable.



Congratulations on your lifer!

>108 FAMeulstee: Good finds!

>112 FAMeulstee: Yes, I've been buying online too - but real bookshops so much more fun!

>107 FAMeulstee: Hooray for the lifer, Anita! This is always an exciting event!

>114 EllaTim: Not familiar with the kemphaantje, Ella. Is that one in the photo?

>116 msf59: That's a male, Marc. It has those nice plumes around the neck for showing off, and when it's fighting other males. It's becoming rare here, so it's special to see them.

Hi Anita!

>97 FAMeulstee: It’s disconcerting when parents forget things. I’m sorry to hear it’s happening with your father. My parents are both gone, but it’s happening with my neighbor Louise. She’ll be 86 in October and she forgets she’s told me things and so I hear them again. I don’t call her out on it because it would only upset her.

>107 FAMeulstee: Congrats on your lifer, sorry your reading is down this month. I hope it's very temporary and isn't related to your thyroid (?) issue.

>113 Storeetllr: Thank you, Mary. It was a very sad way to loose my eldest sister. My dad still has trouble with it. My other brother died of a heart attack a year before and the next year my mother went to a nursing home, where she died last year. All that was too much for him.
I hope you can find a copy of The Wall.

>114 EllaTim: Where did you pass, Ella? The Oostvaardersdijk? We were at the Gooimeerdijk near the A27.
We sometime see foxes near the Oostvaardersplassen, and occasionally a roe. What a luck to see ruffs there, I have never seen them.
Yes, I was very happy with all these books by Theun de Vries :-)

>115 charl08: Browsing through the shelves is best, Charlotte, but usually we come home with way too many books. So we mostly avoid real bookshops, until we give in and buy some books ;-)

>116 msf59: Thank you, Mark, it was a lucky coincidence.
Yes it is a ruff at the picture, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruff Their habitats are in Europe, Asia and Africa.

>118 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen, at the moment my father still appriciates if I tell him he forgot. Not sure if he will stay that way. At the end of the month he will be 90. I did the same like you with Louise, with my mother when she was telling the same over and over again.
Clever you, mentioning thyroid! We just came to the conclusion it might be my thyroid meds. I probably went down too much in spring, anticipating a hot summer again (the dose I need depends on temperature, more in winter and less in summer).
I have all the symptoms: reading less, less energy, sleeping longer, weight gain, return of anxiety/phobia and a few others, but didn't put them together. So now I started upping the dose to see if that works out in a few weeks time.

>119 FAMeulstee: It was the Oostvaardersdijk. There's a broad flat shallow mud part of the lake, where we first saw the fox in the middle of the mud part. I guess he was trying to catch mice. And then those ruffs, foraging in the shallow border of the mud near the water. They are not easy to recognise, I looked in waarneming.nl to check.

Smart Karen, to catch it at once. The summer is a lot cooler than last summer. It must be awkward for you Anita, having to change your medication, every season. But at least you know what the problem is.

Happy weekend, Anita.

>120 EllaTim: Ah, I know where that is, Ella. You were lucky to spot the ruffs :-)
I do that too, checking at waarneming.nl when I see an unusual bird.

Yes it is, and upping the dose is harder than lowering. On the other hand it is good I finally found out what the parameter is for my dosage of thyroid meds. It only took 8 years ;-)

>121 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara, the same to you.

Hi Anita, Hope you're feeling better soon. I admire your patience with it all.

>119 FAMeulstee: I hope the tinkering with your meds will improve things soon for you Anita.

>123 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte, it is a never ending story. But it is better than it was before the thyroid problem was detected.

>124 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you, Caroline, I will get there again.

book 136: Hardlopen met Sherman by Christopher McDougall
e-library, non-fiction, translated, original title Running with Sherman, 368 pages

started 2020-07-11
finished 2020-07-13
TIOLI Challenge #7: Read a book translated by a woman

The writer rescues a donkey names him Sherman and gets involved in burro racing with him. Through the people he meets with Sherman he writes about autism, depression, aging, injuries, and the Mennonite/Amish in Lancaster County, where the writer lives.
The story felt a bit disjointed, at the end I found out the chapters were originally written for a magazine and later put together for this book.

Dutch and English title are the same

book 137: Gedenkschriften by Lodewijk Napoleon
library, non-fiction, translated from French, no English translation, 230 pages

started 2020-07-05
finished 2020-07-14
TIOLI Challenge #13: Read a book that fits a Seattle Public Library Summer Book Bingo Category (list the category)

Named Lodewijk Napoleon by the Dutch, known in the rest of the world as Louis Bonaparte, was a brother of Napoleon Bonaparte. When Napoleon declared himself Emperor, he decided that the Netherlands should become a kingdom and put his brother on the throne as King of Holland. The brothers grew apart because Louis really cared about the Dutch and did everything in his power to protect them from the French and his brother.
He became soon popular, because of his empathic reaction on a big disaster in Leiden, where a ship loaded with gunpowder exploded. He went immediately to Leiden and gave a large sum of money for reliefs.

Louis wrote etensively about his time as King in Documens historiques et réflexions sur le gouvernement de la Hollande (over 1000 pages), this book contains a small part of the original writings.

After the French were defeated, the allies decided that The Netherlands should be a kingdom and Willem I was put on the throne. And Louis Bonaparte was forgotten and rarely mentioned as first monarch.

Dutch and English title are the same

book 138: Gezichtsverlies by Donna Leon
e-library, translated, original title About face, 316 pages

started 2020-07-10
finished 2020-07-15
TIOLI Challenge #9: Read a book that is at least number 7 in a series

Commissario Brunetti book 18.
I liked this installment better than the previous books.

Dutch title translated: Loosing face

book 139: De kleine Johannes I by Frederik van Eeden
1001 books, own, Dutch, Dutch Canon, no translation in this form, 151 pages

started 2020-07-13
finished 2020-07-15
TIOLI Challenge #12: Read a book with 151 pages or more (list the number of pages)

The three original books together are translated as The Quest, I plan to read the next 2 soon.

A fairytale like story about the boy Johannes, who is introduced to the wonders of nature, love, knowledge, and death by differet characters.

Dutch title translated: The little John I

book 140: Moussa, of de dood van een Arabier by Kamel Daoud
e-library, translated from French, English translation The Meursault investigation, 149 pages

started 2020-07-15
finished 2020-07-18
TIOLI Challenge #13: Read a book that fits a Seattle Public Library Summer Book Bingo Category (list the category)

This book is a response to The Stranger by Albert Camus, a book I read earlier this month.
Douad gives a voice to the brother of the unknow Arab, who was killed by Meursault in The Stranger.

Dutch title translated: Moussa, or the death of an Arab

book 141: Het geslacht Wiarda by Theun de Vries
own, Dutch, no translations, 750 pages

started 2020-07-16
finished 2020-07-24
TIOLI Challenge #1: Read book #7

Family history set in Friesland. Starts with 3 short stories set in 8th and 17th century. The next two books are about the two sons of farmer Wychman Wiarda and their offspring in the 19th and early 20th century, when industrialisation slowly took over the homework (butter, cheese) of farmers in Friesland. One brother does well, the other brother lives a marginal life of poverty as worksman at farms and as peat gatherer.

I love this book, I remember vividly when I read it the first time. I had a summer job as receptionist and only got 3 or 4 visitors a day, and mayby 10 telephone calls. The remaining time I was reading this book :-)

Title translated: The Wiarda dynasty

book 142: Verboden magie by Juliet Marillier
e-library, YA, translated, original title Shadowfell, 320 pages

started 2020-07-20
finished 2020-07-26
TIOLI Challenge #7: Read a book translated by a woman

Neryn is a girl who is gifted with magical powers. That is not good, as magicans are killed when they are found by the troops of the king. She fled with her father after their village was destroyed. After her father dies, she tries to reach a safe haven in the north.

First book of 3, not a great read, but entertaining enough to start the next one right after finishing this one. I guess I need some lighter reads now.

Dutch title translated: Forbidden magic

>107 FAMeulstee: I don’t think I have ever seen a stock dove, Anita. I did see a stoat yesterday though which I was very excited about.

Sorry to hear about your issues with your father - We are having similar issues with my mother who is now 98.

>133 SandDune: Thank you, Rhian, it is not easy with aging parents.
A stoat, they are not easy to spot, they are so fast.

I am happy to hear that your thyroid meds are being adjusted again, Anita. I hope you are soon feeling 100 %. I take an antidepressant for anxiety, depression and panic attacks , so I have an idea of what you struggle with. My panic attacks are pretty much gone with the antidepressant, but I realized the other day that with the lock-down, I've gotten a little anxious about going further distances from the familiar. I'll have to get back at it soon. Take care, Anita.

>130 FAMeulstee: The title change for the translation is so different, Anita. This kind of choice is fascinating. I'd love to have been a fly on the wall for that conversation at the publisher.

I hope things stabilize for your father. One of the most difficult things I found with my aging parents was that the baseline kept changing and what was 'normal' was continually new.

Many hugs on the fictionalized story detailing your sister's situation.

>126 FAMeulstee: I have Running With Sherman on my list of books for reserving at the library.

There has been a bit of a movement lately to take horses out for walks, with the idea that a hundred hours of horse walking (not riding) will build trust between you and your horse. I have a rather silly two year old who has been not handled enough since my knee injury. I should give it a try.

>135 vancouverdeb: Thank you, Deborah, anxiety and panic is hard to live with. I am glad that now I know it is only temporary, it will be gone when my thyroid meds are at the right dose again. I hope you feel better soon.

>136 charl08: The English title "The Meursault investigation" is closer to the original French title "Meursault, contre-enquête", Charlotte, but not exactly the same. I think the Dutch publisher thought most Dutch readers wouldn't recognise the name Meursault....

>137 streamsong: Thank you, Janet. Today my father celebrates his 90th birthday, tomorrow we come together at my brothers house to celebrate. Indeed he is more coherent one day and less the other day. I try to go with the flow, althoug that is not always easy.
Have fun with Sherman. Yes, I have heard about walking horses, it feels like a more natural way to become friends.

book 143: Ravenvlucht by Juliet Marillier
e-library, YA, translated, original title Raven Flight, 318 pages

started 2020-07-26
finished 2020-07-28
TIOLI Challenge #7: Read a book translated by a woman

Neryn is a girl who is gifted with magical powers. That is not good, as magicans are killed when they are found by the troops of the king. She goes on a search to find the ancient Guardians, who can teach her to use her powers in a wise way.

Second book of 3, slightly better than the first. Still in need of lighter reads.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 144: De ontbieder by Juliet Marillier
e-library, YA, translated, original title The Caller, 362 pages

started 2020-07-28
finished 2020-07-30
TIOLI Challenge #7: Read a book translated by a woman

Neryn is a girl who is gifted with magical powers. That is not good, as magicans are killed when they are found by the troops of the king. Now Neryns education is finished, she and the rebels plan to take over power.

Final book of 3, statisfying conclusion.

English and Dutch title are not the same, but do mean the same.

That was it for July, with reading only 171.58 pages a day on average, it is my worst reading month since June 2016...

Tomorrow I will be at my brothers place to celebrate my fathers 90th birthday, his birthday is today, but my nephews (+ his wife and 2 sons) quarantaine only ends tomorrow, so the celebration was postponed a day. Wich is a good thing, as today it was above 30 degrees Celsius, that is way too hot for both me, my father and some of the other family.

July stats willl follow tomorrow evening or the day after.

>141 FAMeulstee: Wishing you a nice celebration day with your father, and nephews family, Anita. No, way too hot today for anything special.

I hope the celebration went beautifully!

Happy birthday to your father Anita. I hope it was both cooler, and a happy day.

Happy weekend, Anita. Fingers crossed that you feel 100% soon.

>142 EllaTim: >143 richardderus: >144 Caroline_McElwee: >145 Ameise1: Thank you, Ella, Richard, Caroline and Barbara.

The whole family gathered at my brothers place (except my sister).
It was the first time in years I saw my sister in law, the wife of my deceased brother, and her two daughters.
The children of my brother came both with their partners. My nephew and his wife have two adorable little boys. It was the first time I saw the youngest, as they live in Brasil. My niece is expecting a baby in November.

>146 FAMeulstee: A belated Happy Birthday to your dad , Anita . I hope the day went well. And I hope you are soon feeling better.

Oh a happy birthday to your dad, and glad to hear so much of the family was able to gather together.

>147 vancouverdeb: Thank you, Deborah, I have never attended a more pleasant family gathering ever ;-)
Feeling better will come in time, the good thing is I that I know it will be.

>148 bell7: Thank you, Mary.
I had my photocamera with me, but completely forgot to take pictures.

July 2020 in numbers

18 books read (5,319 pages, 171.6 pages a day)

own 2 (11 %) / library 15 / other 1

9 male author / 9 female author
6 originally written in Dutch / 12 translated into Dutch
16 fiction / 2 non-fiction

18 books in TIOLI Challenges
9 e-books
3 1001 books
3 childrens/YA
3 mystery/police procedural
0 poetry

--
pages:
0 - 100 pages: 0
101 - 200 pages: 5
201 - 300 pages: 3
301 - 400 pages: 8
401 - 500 pages: 1
501 - 999 pages: 1
1000+ pages: 0

longest book 750 pages
shortest book 127 pages
average book 357 pages

--
own books read were on the shelf since:
before 2008: 2

--
date first published:

19th century: 3

20th century
1940s: 1
1950s: 1
1960s: 1
1970s: 1

21st century
2000s: 1
2010s: 9
2020s: 1
--
ratings:
  1 x
  1 x
  6 x
  6 x
  4 x

--
Best books in July


Het geslacht Wiarda by Theun de Vries


De wand (The Wall) by Marlen Haushofer

===

Walking in July: walked 23 days, 119.9 km; average 5.18 km/a day
(e-)biking in July: biked 8 days, 176.7 km; average 22.09 km/a day

2020 totals to date:

144 books read (51,396 pages, 241.3 pages a day)

own 26 (18 %) / library 117 / other 1

88 male author / 56 female author
39 originally written in Dutch / 106 translated into Dutch
114 fiction / 30 non-fiction

135 books in TIOLI Challenges
68 e-books
24 1001 books (total 170)
  5 Dutch Literary Canon (total 30/125)
16 childrens/YA
24 mystery/police procedural
  3 poetry

pages:
0 - 100 pages: 5
101 - 200 pages: 28
201 - 300 pages: 27
301 - 400 pages: 47
401 - 500 pages: 20
501 - 999 pages: 10
1000+ pages: 7

longest book 1511 pages
shortest book 32 pages
average book 357 pages

--
own books read were on the shelf since:
before 2008: 16
2011: 1
2016: 1
2017: 2
2019: 4
2020: 2

--
date first published:
5th century BC: 1
13th century: 1
18th century: 2
19th century: 7

20th century
1900s: 5
1910s: 2
1930s: 4
1940s: 8
1950s: 5
1960s: 7
1970s: 11
1980s: 2
1990s: 8

21st century
2000s: 15
2010s: 65
2020s: 1

--
ratings:
  9 x
12 x
61 x
39 x
21 x
  1 x
  1 x

===

Walking in 2020: walked 186 days 1,032.9 km; average 5.55 km a day
(e-)biking in 2020: biked 27 days 480.2 km; average 17.79 km a day

>146 FAMeulstee: It's wonderful that the family was able to gather and that your father is still able to participate and enjoy them.

A belated Happy Birthday to your dad, Anita
I'm glad you had a wonderful day.
This is an impressive statistic - even if it was your worst reading month since June 2016...
Best wishes for your health!

>146 FAMeulstee: >149 FAMeulstee: I'm so glad you all had such a special time Anita.

>146 FAMeulstee: I'm glad to hear that you had such a wonderful family gathering.

Hi Anita! Belated Birthday to your father from me, too!

>149 FAMeulstee: I’m so glad to hear that it was such a pleasant family gathering.

Even though it's manipulating your thyroid meds again, I'm glad that you know the reason for your recent symptoms. I know that it's always a very slow process, so I guess being patient is a must.

>152 richardderus: I am still a bit overwhelmed that it was possible, Richard, an almost complete family gathering without drama! This has only ever happened before in small gatherings.

>153 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas.
I have had much worse times with reading, but I was getting used to reading a lot ;-)
Thanks, my health will improve, it just takes some time.

>154 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you, Caroline. It was very special, as I explained to Richard above.

>155 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara, it was very good.

>156 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen.
I can't recall any family gathering without drama, we had some very traumatic ones through the years.
Yes, patience is a must. The problem is it changes very slowly, and almost always deteceted too late. All symptoms can have other causes, it is adding them all together to realise it is happening again.

>101 FAMeulstee: that is sooooo cool! what an interesting site to visit.

>150 FAMeulstee: 18 books in one month! Le sigh :) I thought it was kinda light for 2020, but one month.... :)

Glad to hear you had a nice family meet up. Cheering you on for your recovery, hope you feel better soon. (18 books is still v impressive!)

Hi, Anita. Just checking in the from the Midwest. I hope all is well there and you both are staying healthy.

>158 LovingLit: Yes it was a great place to visit. Megan. I am sure we will visit again, as there is a lot more to explore.
Well, it is that I rather got used to much larger numbers... ;-)

>159 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte. I am heading in the right direction, and the heatwave that will come tomorrow will also help a bit. Not looking forward to 8-10 hot days...
Love those cheering sheep!

>160 msf59: Thank you, Mark, all is well.

>161 FAMeulstee: Nice to see you looking forward to warm weather, Anita.

My close Dutch friend informed me yesterday that his parents have tested positive for Covid-19 but so far have only mild symptoms.

>162 PaulCranswick: Not exactly looking forward, Paul, but it could be a rare occasion of having a positive side this time ;-)
So sorry for your friends parents, as I understand even mild Covid-19 can lead to long lasting healthproblems.

We are still lucky, as no one of our family and friends has caught it yet, no cases in our neighborhood either. The closed case was Franks manager at work, he got it early in March, and seems to have recovered well.

Reading is still slow, no books finished yet this month!

Today Frank and me took pictures of eachother on our e-bikes:
 

Nice pics!

>164 FAMeulstee: How now nice to see you both! As much as hats and glasses allow, but I can see that you needed them.

>165 drneutron: Thank you, Jim.

>166 CDVicarage: Thanks, Kerry, we are at the start of a heatwave. Not going outside without hat and sunglasses. With hot weather we prefer the bike, as it is cooler than walking on hot pavement.

>164 FAMeulstee: Nice photos. The bike looks maybe a little too small for Frank?

>168 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul. Larger didn't work, he tried a few before we got this bike. He has trouble enough to get onto this one, being not agile at all on his bad days. And I wasn't able to convince him of the benefits of a ladies model.

>164 FAMeulstee: Great to see you both Anita.

Hi Anita!

>164 FAMeulstee: Good idea - great photos, so glad you shared them.

>164 FAMeulstee: Nice pictures, Anita. You both look 😎

>164 FAMeulstee: Looks wonderful, Anita!

>170 Caroline_McElwee: >171 karenmarie: >172 EllaTim: >173 charl08: Thank you, Caroline, Karen, Ella and Charlotte.

Visual proof we do use our e-bikes ;-)
Today we biked throug the Hollandse Hout, a wood nearby. It was nice and cool under the trees.

Nice to hear that the family meet up was drama free!

>164 FAMeulstee: Great photos! Looks like you are in your element :) Have a great weekend

Great pics of you and Frank on your e-bikes! I've been trying to get outside and walking again, starting slow this week but hopefully more regularly next.

>175 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita, I was so glad it was a very nice family gathering.
We are both very content with our e-bikes :-)

>176 bell7: Thank you, Mary!
We walk and bike together, that makes it easier to keep up with it. I hope you find your way back to walking regular.

--
>2 FAMeulstee: Yay! I finally finished my first book of August :-)

A great idea the e-bike. When I get back to the UK permanently it will be one of my first buys.

You and Frank are looking great!

>178 PaulCranswick: E-bikes are really great, Paul, I wonder if they are as popular in the UK as over here.
We are in the midst of a heatwave, and a trip with the e-bike is much cooler than walking on the hot pavement.

>179 ronincats: Thank you, Roni.

book 145: De schaduw van de wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
e-library, translated from Spanish, English translation The Shadow of the Wind, 544 pages

started 2020-07-30
finished 2020-08-08
TIOLI Challenge #1 Read a book with at least 750 conversations on LibraryThing

A bit disappointing read, many raving reviews for this book about books. Yes, it is about books, but it is also a very dark and violent tale. The male characters are well drawn, the female charcters not so much. Overal very well written, but I never realy liked the story.

English and Dutch title are the same

>164 FAMeulstee: I keep forgetting that Frank has slimmed down so much. I wondered for a moment who that was!

Both of you seem to enjoy the electric bikes a good deal, so yay!

>182 richardderus: Completely understandable, Richard. We were just talking about that the other day, when we were looking at a 12 year old picture of Frank with his previous bike, over 30 kilo's is an enormous difference.

Yes, we both love our e-bikes it is nice to alter between walking and biking.

You both look great, Anita! I love your dress! I'll bet that e - bikes are most popular in the Netherlands. My nephew moved from Canada to the UK , and now is working in Amsterdam. He right away bought a bike - just a plain bike, not an ebike when he moved to Amsterdam and says everyone gets around by bike. A friend of mine visited the Netherlands and she came home and purchased an e- bike, she enjoyed it so much in the Netherlands. They are fairly popular here, but according to my nephew, the bike lanes in the Netherlands are fabulous and spacious compared to here in Canada.

Oh, I love your biking pictures!

Surely the Netherlands is the world's most bike-using country! But then, I lived there quite happily for 7 years and I can't ride a bike (I have been on one for a short time a few times in my life but, really, I cannot ride on two wheels).

>164 FAMeulstee: LOVE the biking photos, Anita!

Sorry, The Shadow of the Wind didn't work for you. I am a big fan of that one.

>181 FAMeulstee: I was another rare person who had some problems with this book Anita, I put it mostly down to the translation. It would normally be candy for me.

>180 FAMeulstee: I don't think that they are so popular in the UK, Anita.

>181 FAMeulstee: I remember loving the book, Anita, but it is quite some time since I read it.

>184 vancouverdeb: Thank you, Deborah! I find dresses are the best clothes to wear, when the weather is hot. We are having an unusually long heatwave, already lasting a week, so I am wearing my summer dresses all the time.
I hope your nephew can stand the heat, it must be awful hot now in a city like Amsterdam. I think almost everyone has a bike, even my father at 90 still rides his bike once in a while.

>185 banjo123: Thank you, Rhonda. We are enjoying our bike rides :-)

>186 RebaRelishesReading: Yes bikes all around her, Reba. I think it is more difficult to learn biking when you are older. The kids here start very young on small bikes with two small extra wheels next to the back wheel.

>187 msf59: Thank you, Mark!
We don't always have the same taste in books, I can understand what others love in The Shadow of the Wind. I might try the next book someday, as my reading funk didn't help to like this book.

>188 Caroline_McElwee: I didn't think it was the translation, Caroline. There were parts that I liked, and there are many quotable sentences, but the whole was dark and very male orientated.

>189 PaulCranswick: I would think that e-bikes have potention to become more populair in hilly terrain, Paul. Bikes are perfect for mostly flat roads, the little help of the e-bike motor is great going up hill.

Sorry for my late replies, reading less means I visit LT less. My daily routine on LT with marking a book read, or currently reading was broken. It looks like the tide has turned, as I finished more two books :-)

We are still suffering in a recordbreaking heatwave. I can't work on my laptop for more than half an hour. The laptop is on a thick fibreboard and cushion, and still my legs get hot and I start sweating all over in about 30 minutes... :-(
I will catch up with the treads when temperatures get normal again.

>190 FAMeulstee: E-bikes are a tremendous help in hilly terrain. Wonderful. Also for transporting heavy loads, we were passed yesterday by a guy with a large transport bike. In fact he was so large, fast and heavy that I started to think he should wear a helmet.

>191 FAMeulstee: It is hot, isn't it. Getting steadily warmer in the apartment as well. There finally was some wind yesterday late in the evening, and it helped cooling down a bit.

I use an iPad , it stays cooler than a laptop, but I get overheated as well.

I do enjoy the swimming children in the river and some canals. We see them on the way to the allotment.

Glad your reading is picking up again!

Hi, Anita.

I love the photos of you and Frank on your e-bikes. I didn't realize Frank had lost a lot of weight; he was pretty slim when we saw you two.

A book slump for you is like getting a whole lot of reading done for most of us. :-) But I'm glad the slump has passed. I wasn't as enchanted as most readers by Shadow of the Wind either.

>164 FAMeulstee: Oh Anita, such great photos of you two. I love my e-bike and would never give it up again. I hope you and Frank can go on great tours.

>192 EllaTim: Oh, helmet wearing for regular bikes is supposed to be the rule here. Not that we are known for being ruly.

>195 quondame: A helmet is not usual here. But riding a bike is not a sport here, but transport, so not fast. Nowadays, with e-bikes speed has gone up. When i see people wearing a helmet they usually are tourists.

We are all wearing helmets here in Switzerland and with an e-bike it is an obligation.

>192 EllaTim: E-bikes are limited, if you go faster than 25 km/h the help stops and you have to do it all by yourself. Mine gives an error on the display, so if I go downhill fast, I put the help off.

Today the temperature is finally dropping, it will take some time before the house has cooled down. The bricks absorb the heat, so the walls cool down slow. Downstairs we topped at 26°C. Upstairs the airco kept it below 23°C, and keeps the air dry which also adds to a cooler feeling. A few times a day I went upstairs for half an hour to cool down.

>193 jnwelch: Thank you, Joe.
I know I read a lot more than most. I am still not at my usual speed, but at least it is getting better and not worse.

Yes, Frank lost a lot of weight since December 2017, when his diabetes was found and we changed our way of life. When you saw him he had lost about 15 kg and he lost 15 more since. Here a picture from September 2017, before he started to loose weight:


Apart from the much smaller waist, you can notice best in his face, here 2014, 2018, and last month:
  
I think when we met, Frank was about the picture in the middle.

>194 Ameise1: Thank you, Barbara, indeed I can't imagine going back to a normal bike. We made good use of the e-bikes in the recent heatwave, biking is cooler as walking on hot pavement. Our next goal is a 45 km tour, we will see when we get there.

>195 quondame: >196 EllaTim: >197 Ameise1: A helmet is required if your motorised bike (motor-bike or e-bike) can go faster than 25 km/h. The e-bikes we have quit their support at that speed, so a helmet isn't required. E-bikes that go faster are called speed pedelecs, and a helmet is required for those. For speed biking it is recommended.

>198 FAMeulstee: Wow, Anita, Frank looks wonderful in that last picture. It's great that he managed to lose so much weight, it's usually not easy.

>199 FAMeulstee: Living in the anarcho state of Amsterdam, I am not surprised when a heavy freight bike passes us at more than 25 km per hour, with the driver not wearing a helmet.

>200 EllaTim: Loosing weight worked because it wasn't the goal, Ella. Franks goal was to get rid of the diabetes, and within a year he could quit with the pills. By then our new diet and daily execise had sunk in, so he kept loosing weight slowly (so did I). We seem to have reached a balance in weight in the last 6 months.

Do you mean the transport bikes like the one I have, or the carrier bikes with three wheels? I think there is no helmet requirement for three wheeled bikes.

>201 FAMeulstee: It's Great that he managed to get rid of diabetes, and he looks great as well!

It was a carrier bike. It is strange that there is no helmet required, but than there is such a lot of new transportation, when it comes to e-bikes or related stuff, I don't think government can keep up.

>201 FAMeulstee: That is still very impressive, Anita. Even though Frank lost weight to get rid of diabetes, eating less and losing weight is not easy. Good for him and both of you!

>202 EllaTim: Riding a motorised carrier never required a helmet, as the chance on injuries is much less on three wheels. So the regulation for e-carriers followed the same path.
Interesting article from the Fietsersbond, why they are against bike helmets: https://www.fietsersbond.nl/ons-werk/verkeersgezondheid/fietshelmen/ (Dutch)

>203 vancouverdeb: Thank you, Deborah. Change in diet was the largest part, no sugar, no alcohol, less carbs and a lot more vegetables. Not easy, but he was motivated enough to stick to it.

>204 FAMeulstee: Read your link. I think this fast-going carrier drew my attention, not because of the risk for him, but because of the risk for other bikers on the same biking path. With that speed and that mass on a narrow path, but there a helmet is no use of course.

>204 FAMeulstee: There's been some research here that suggests that car drivers are more careful when they see a cyclist without a helmet than one with. Although cyclists would have less (fewer?) accidents here I think if we had your amazing network of dedicated cycle paths.

I love the three wheeler bikes with the children's seats built in. Great Dutch innovation. Although I'm not sure I'd try to cycle it anywhere with hills.

Thank you for sharing the photos, Anita, they are wonderful.
I wish you and Frank a wonderful weekend.

>205 EllaTim: I think the best solution would be to ban all cars from the city ;-)
It would give cleaner air and a lot of jobs for carrier bikers, who could use the main street.

>206 charl08: And as the article stated, people would use the bike less if a helmet was required. It has to be taken, stored, can get stolen/lost, it is an extra hassle.
With some motorised help it would be doable, even in hilly terrain. Some neighbours have a bike like that, but then adjusted for their dogs.

>207 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas.
The weekend is still very warm, but it looks like later next week the temperatures will finally drop.

book 146: Een beetje meer naar rechts by Fred Vargas
library, translated from French, English translation Dog Will Have His Day, 346 pages

started 2020-08-06
finished 2020-08-10
TIOLI Challenge #5: Read a book which came into your possession since March 15

I am a fan of the Adamsberg series by Fred Vargas, I enjoyed them all. So when I saw an other book by Fred Vargas at the library, I had to read it. This book turned out to be the second book of the Three Evangelists series. So now I have to hunt down the other two books, as they are not available in the libraries of my province.

A murder mystery that starts with finding human remains in feces of a dog in Paris, and is resolved in a small village in Brittany. An enjoyable read.

Dutch title translated: A little more to the right (is the same as the original French title "Un peu plus loin sur la droite")

book 147: Een kwestie van vertrouwen by Donna Leon
e-library, translated, original title A Question of Belief, 302 pages

started 2020-08-08
finished 2020-08-11
TIOLI Challenge #5: Read a book which came into your possession since March 15

Book 19 of the Brunetti series.
Not the best installment, but it is always nice to spend some time with Brunetti in Venice.

Dutch title translated: A question of trust

book 148: Wapenbroeders by Tim Severin
e-library, translated, original title Sworn Brother, 349 pages

started 2020-08-12
finished 2020-08-14
TIOLI Challenge #5: Read a book which came into your possession since March 15

Second book of the Viking trilogy.
Further adventures of the viking Thorgils in the 11th century. Traveling from England to Iceland, though Scandinavia and ending in Constantinopel. Christianity is on the rise, but Thorgils still worships the old gods.
I liked it slightly better than the first book, I hope to get to the last one soon!

Dutch title translated: Armsbrothers / Brothers in arms

book 149: De jacht op het recht by Inez Weski
e-library, Dutch, non-fiction, 255 pages

started 2020-08-14
finished 2020-08-16
TIOLI Challenge #5: Read a book which came into your possession since March 15

After seeing lawyer and criminal law specialist Inez Weski in "Zomergasten" (=Summerguests, a Dutch tv-program since 1988, that takes the whole evening. An in-depth studio interview with a notable Dutchman, Belgian or other Dutch-speaking foreigner, interspersed with cinema or television footage selected by the guest, which is subsequently discussed.), I wanted to read her book and found it in the e-library.

The book was similair to her tv appearance, criticising the gouvernment about taking away rights of defendants, giving the police more and more tools that can't be traced in court etc., with some poignant examples. Larded with the art (books, paintings, sculptures, museums) she loves.

Dutch title translated: The hunt on justice

book 150: Hoe ik talent voor het leven kreeg by Rodaan Al Galidi
library, Dutch, English translation Two blankets, three sheets, 472 pages

started 2020-08-11
finished 2020-08-18
TIOLI Challenge #11: A book where the first word of the title is longer than the second

The poignant autobiographic story of Semmier Kariem, a refugee from Irak, who ends up in a Dutch AZC (Asylum Seeker Centre) for nine years. The dishearting bureaucratic ways of the Immigration Services and other offices, that slowly drives him mad. And some stories of the many other refugees, who are in the same situation. Eventually he is saved by the General Pardon in 2007.
The writer uses the Dutch language in a lovely poetic way, larded with humor, this makes reading bearable.

It is sad to realise how the rise of rigt-wing xenophobes has changed the way we treat refugees.

Dutch title translated: How I got talent for life
The English title refers to one of the bureaucratic rules, at the AZC you get two blankets and three sheets, those must be returned if you leave. If returned, but not administered, you won't get them again, as administration is true.

>208 FAMeulstee: That would be something! But we'd need some better public transport as well. You do a lot of biking, but I have difficulties with it, thanks to back problems.

>213 FAMeulstee: >214 EllaTim: Two book bullets, and especially the last one! Thanks, Anita, I wouldn't be able to read as much as you do, and I am getting a list of treasures from following your threads.

>214 EllaTim: Of course, Ella. And all taxi's electric would help too.

The most dreadful thing was that after the general pardon, Rodaan Al Galidi failed his "inburgeringstest", so the IND can still deport him :-( It must be awful living under these circumstances. In my opinion is his book Hoe ik talent voor het leven kreeg more than proof he adapted to Dutch living.

Both books describe the awful turn justice takes, when focussed on removing a few bad apples from our society at all costs.

>213 FAMeulstee: Sounds like a hard read, Anita. I must pick up Welcome to Britain again, which is an immigration lawyer's perspective on our system. UK government does not come off very well, I'm finding it hard reading that people deliberately set up an awful system.

Congratulations on reaching the double 75, Anita.

>216 charl08: It was hard, Charlotte, but doable because he kept a positive attitude and some humor in the story. I am afraid both our governments are on the same path. Ours is a bit tempered, because it is a multi-party government.

>217 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas!

>213 FAMeulstee: Happy Double 75!

>219 richardderus: Thank you, Richard!

--
The heat wave is nearly gone, last night broke records with a minimum temperature of 23.7°C minimum at night in Lelystad! And today it was warm again with 28.6°C. But tomorrrow and the days after look a lot better . I might be able catch up with the threads :-)

Happy 150! Congratulations!

Wow!! Just wow! Congrats, Anita

>221 quondame: Thank you, Susan!

>22 humouress: Thank you, Shelley!

--
I am glad reading is picking up again, although August is going to be worse than July was. But number of pages read is now going up, instead of down.

And I completely forgot to mention, in July we watched three movies and also three in August.


Between July 15th and July 28th we watchted The Human Condition trilogy, after the book by Junpei Gomikawa that I read in June. This trilogy contains three full length films: No Greater Love (1959), The Road to Eternity (1959) and A Soldier's Prayer (1961) directed by Masaki Kobayashi. The films are true to the book and recommended.


--

On August 12th we watched Die Wand after the book by Marlen Haushofer (see msg 76). Again a good film true to the book, and recommended.


--
 
Yesterday we watched Guardians of the Galaxy and Guardians of the Galaxy 2. The second film was mentioned by Inez Weski in "Zomergasten" (see msg 212) and she showed a scene of the second film that picked our interest. Both good adventure stories with lots of humor. Our favorite character was Groot!
for both

Congratulations on 2x75, Anita, even if you are down on your astonishing reading feats of the last few years.

Have a lovely weekend.

Congratulations on your double 75 Anita!

There's too much for me to catch up on but I'm glad your family gathering for your father's birthday went so well.

>225 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul, enjoy the last hours of your weekend :-)
In life and reading there are ups and downs, I will see what the remaining months will bring in reading.

>226 humouress: Thank you, Nina!
Happy to see a message from you, and I don't expect you read it all. The family gathering went surprisingly well :-)

Congrats on 150 books for 75x2, Anita! Glad to see you enjoyed the Guardians of the Galaxy films too, and I agree, I loved Groot too.

2X 75! Congrats.

>224 FAMeulstee: Thanks for the movie recommendation. Looks good.

Hi Anita!

>213 FAMeulstee: Congratulations on 75 x 2!

>228 bell7: Thank you, Mary!
It were both good enjoyable films. I read they are working on a third film :-)

>229 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita.
You are welcome. We watched the first 4 films because I loved the books, and since Frank doesn't read that much I thought this would be a good way to share the experience.

>230 karenmarie: Hi Karen, thank you!

Congrats on 150 books, Anita. Awesome!

>232 jnwelch: Thank you, Joe!

>213 FAMeulstee: I hadn't noticed that you have finished book 150. Congratulations!

>234 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella.

--
Sorry again for not being around again. I am 5 reviews behind and my reading is slowing down again.
The temperature went down from above 30°C halfway August to below 20°C since August 25th, that means I need more thyroid pills a day. Upping the dose must be done slowly, upping a quarter of a pill in a week is the maximum possible, that means at least a month to go before all is well again. :-(

Sorry to hear that Anita. The weather is crazy enough (or at least, it has been here: we've got reports of a wheat shortage here after a terrible growing season for farmers) without having to worry about health implications. Hope you feel more like yourself soon.

I loved Groot too. Someone at work had one of the little dancing ones you could stick on a surface. Pointless, but funny.

>235 FAMeulstee: It's a rotten feeling, being out of balance, and I'm so sorry you're going through it again. Sending hugs.

Adding my sympathy on the health front Anita. The dramatic ups and downs of temperature are doubly frustrating for you.

>236 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte, some farmers here have also lost a great part of their crop. First the drought and then way too much rain.
I don't feel very bad, just a bit slow and it is hard to focus on anything.

>237 richardderus: Thank you, Richard, hugs back to you. At least I have a clue now, so I can adjust the Thyrax. And it is a good thing that lowering the dose in spring is much easier.

>238 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you, Caroline, it is a hassle. Especially changing my reading expectations so often. Climate change with more extremes is bad news for me.

---
I hope to finish one more book this month. The second one will be transferred to next month.

Best wishes for you, Anita. The temperatures should remain relatively stable this week.
You read at least 1000% more books than I do for the rest of the month. - I will not finish any more today ;-)
I wish you a wonderful week.

Adding to the well wishes Anita! Take good care of yourself!

The temperatures have now dropped so much that it's really starting to feel cold, I added an extra blanket and felt like starting the central heating.

>240 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas, best wishes in return.
I had 100 pages to go this morning in The Man on the Balcony, at this moment 30 pages left. Must be doable in 3 hours ;-)

>241 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella. I am very happy with these temperatures, I function best between 15° and 20°C. I can imagine that feels cold for others.
Ever since we lived in Schiedam, in an appartment with collective heating, we have kept the dates of november 1st (then the heating started) and may 1st (then the heating stopped) for our own heating to start and stop.

book 151: Mani : reizen door het zuiden van de Peloponnesus by Patrick Leigh Fermor
library, non-fiction, translated, original title Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese, 351 pages

started 2020-07-25
finished 2020-08-22
TIOLI Challenge #14: Read a book published before 2010

Patrick Leigh Fermore traveled to Mani more than once, he used his notes to write this book.
Some of it is as beautiful as his other travel books, some parts went over my head (like the chapter on icons). Nice bits about the history of Greece in Ottoman times, and their fight for independence.

Dutch and English title are the same

book 152: Een stad vol Chasch ; Onder de Wankh by Jack Vance
e-library, translated, SF, original titles City of the Chasch and Servants of the Wankh, 376 pages

started 2020-08-18
finished 2020-08-23
TIOLI Challenge #8: Read a book for the August CFF Mystery Challenge Challenge

Adam Reith is stranded on a planet, and his fellow earthlings are destroyed with their spacecraft. Oddly this planet is partly inhibited by humans, together with different alien races. Making some friends on his way, Adam keeps dreaming of returning to Earth.

First two books of the Tschai, Planet of Adventure series. Nice worldbuilding and adventure, not really my kind of book. No desire to read the next two books.

Dutch titles translated: A city full of Chasch and Among the Wankh

book 153: Een kille rilling by Bernard Minier
e-library, translated from French, English translation The Frozen Dead, 582 pages

started 2020-08-23
finished 2020-08-25
TIOLI Challenge #5: Read a book which came into your possession since March 15

Police officer Martin Servas works in Toulouse and is investigating the murder of a homeless man, when he is called to a small village near the French Pyrenees to investigate the death of a... racehorse. He is not amused, the horse belongs to a very wealty and prominent man, so his superiors insist on his cooperation.
During the investigation, working together with Irene Ziegler, a local police officer, men are murdered and there seems to be a link to a jail for very dangerous psychiatric prisoners.

A thrilling and chilling story, on the edge of what I can handle in violence and suspence. Very well written.

First book of the Martin Servaz series. Not sure yet if I dare to read the next book.

Dutch title translated: A cold shiver

book 154: Stille blik by Peter Robinson
e-library, translated, original title Gallows view, 299 pages

started 2020-08-25
finished 2020-08-26
TIOLI Challenge #14: Read a book published before 2010

Inspector Alan Banks recently moved from London to small and quiet city Eastvale. Then in a short time there is a murder, some burglaries and a man who likes to peep at women undressing, all coming down at once to the local police. Are the cases related?
Inspector Banks and his team have to work hard to solve them all.

First book of the Inspector Banks series. I read all books available in Dutch translation back in 2017. After the previous book I needed a more mellow police procedural, so I decided to read this one again.

Dutch title translated: Silent look

You're at cruising altitude with your reading, Anita. I'm glad you're trying out genres not always to your liking, too. I'm bad at cocooning in areas I love already, so I know it can be a struggle to read outside those places.

>247 richardderus: Thank you, Richard. I am just not able to quit a book that I have started ;-)
And indeed I do love to explore most genres.

>242 FAMeulstee: I think it's a good idea to try and get used to a lower temperature before starting central heating. Waiting until november is a bit long for me. Last year i really felt chilly a lot and needed a higher room temperature than usual.

>245 FAMeulstee: I think this would be a bit too chilling for me.

>249 EllaTim: We got to lower temperatures because of Franks dust-mite allergy, Ella. I had read somewhere dust-mites are way less active below 18°C, so we went 1° down each year, until we reached 16°C as regular temperature during the day. Last year we went up to 17°C, we both lost a lot of weight and get cold sometimes ;-)

book 155: Meer dan een broer by David Diop
library, translated from French, English translation At Night All Blood Is Black, 154 pages

started 2020-08-26
finished 2020-08-27
TIOLI Challenge #11: A book where the first word of the title is longer than the second

Alfa Ndiaya and his more-than-a-brother Mademba Diop have left Senegal, to fight in WW1 with the French against the Germans. When Mademba is deathly wounded, he ask Alfa to end his life, but Alfa is not able to do it. A decision he will regret for ever. The white soldiers fighting together with Alfa do like his revenge on the Germans at first, bit slowly they start to fear Alfa.

A beautiful tale about a gruesome war. The prose is excellent, with many repetitions, like you are listening to a storyteller. Recommended!

Dutch title translated: More than a brother
The original French title is Frere d'âme, wich means Soulbrothers.

book 156: Saigoku by Cees Nooteboom
library, non-fiction, Dutch, no English translation, 200 pages

started 2020-08-22
finished 2020-08-28
TIOLI Challenge #5: Read a book which came into your possession since March 15
'
Cees Nooteboom and Simone Sassen (photographer) visited 33 temples near Kyoto, the Saigoku Kannon Pilgrimage, a well known Japanese pilgrimage. Nooteboom writes about each temple, and refers to the places that occur in The Tale of Genji. Some temples he has visited before, and he adds sometimes what he wrote about it back then.

Larded with the beautiful pictures by Simone Sassen.

book 157: De man op het balkon by Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö
library, translated from Swedish, English translation The Man on the Balcony, 206 pages

started 2020-08-29
finished 2020-08-31
TIOLI Challenge #10: August birthstone challenge - read a book with a predominantly lime green cover

The third book in the Martin Beck series, originally written in 1967, doesn't feel outdated at all. Except of course the lack of modern communication.
Martin Beck and his team are under pressure, as a serial killer has young girls as a target. Fear is spreading in Stockholm, but the killer does strike again.

While the story itself is as thrilling and chilling as The Frozen Dead (see msg >245 FAMeulstee:), it is much easier to read, as the details are not expanded to thrilling scenes.

Dutch and English title are the same.

August 2020 in numbers

13 books read (4,436 pages, 143.1 pages a day)

own 0 (0 %) / library 13

9 male author / 4 female author
2 originally written in Dutch / 11 translated into Dutch
10 fiction / 3 non-fiction

13 books in TIOLI Challenges
7 e-books
0 1001 books
0 childrens/YA
5 mystery/police procedural
0 poetry

--
pages:
0 - 100 pages: 0
101 - 200 pages: 2
201 - 300 pages: 3
301 - 400 pages: 5
401 - 500 pages: 1
501 - 999 pages: 2
1000+ pages: 0

longest book 582 pages
shortest book 154 pages
average book 341 pages

--
no own books read

--
date first published:

20th century
1950s: 1
1960s: 2
1980s: 1
1990s: 1

21st century
2000s: 2
2010s: 6

--
ratings:
  2 x
  3 x
  6 x
  2 x

--
Best books in August


Hoe ik talent voor het leven kreeg (Two blankets, three sheets) by Rodaan Al Galidi
Meer dan een broer (At Night All Blood Is Black) by David Diop

===

Walking in August: walked 14 days, 70.0 km; average 5.00 km/a day
(e-)biking in August: biked 17 days, 344.2 km; average 20.25 km/a day

2020 totals to date:

157 books read (55,832 pages, 228.8 pages a day)

own 26 (17 %) / library 130 / other 1

97 male author / 60 female author
41 originally written in Dutch / 116 translated into Dutch
124 fiction / 33 non-fiction

148 books in TIOLI Challenges
75 e-books
24 1001 books (total 170)
  5 Dutch Literary Canon (total 30/125)
16 childrens/YA
29 mystery/police procedural
  3 poetry

pages:
0 - 100 pages: 5
101 - 200 pages: 30
201 - 300 pages: 30
301 - 400 pages: 52
401 - 500 pages: 21
501 - 999 pages: 12
1000+ pages: 7

longest book 1511 pages
shortest book 32 pages
average book 356 pages

--
own books read were on the shelf since:
before 2008: 16
2011: 1
2016: 1
2017: 2
2019: 4
2020: 2

--
date first published:
5th century BC: 1
13th century: 1
18th century: 2
19th century: 7

20th century
1900s: 5
1910s: 2
1930s: 4
1940s: 8
1950s: 6
1960s: 9
1970s: 11
1980s: 3
1990s: 9

21st century
2000s: 17
2010s: 71
2020s: 1

--
ratings:
  9 x
14 x
64 x
45 x
23 x
  1 x
  1 x

===

Walking in 2020: walked 200 days 1,102.9 km; average 5.51 km a day
(e-)biking in 2020: biked 44 days 824.4 km; average 18.74 km a day

Some good reading there Anita. >251 FAMeulstee: goes on my list.

I do like Patrick Leigh Fermor's work. I read Mani years ago.

>256 Caroline_McElwee: At Night All Blood Is Black was a very good read, Caroline, I hope you like it as much as I did.

I loved Patrick Leigh Fermor's other books On Foot to Constantinople. The only book left (in Dutch translation) is now A Time to Keep Silence, but that one is hard to find.