MissBrangwen goes on a reading adventure - II

Hi, I am Mirjam and I have been a LibraryThing member since March 2012. This is my third year in the Category Challenge. I live in the north of Germany close to the North Sea, together with my husband. We are both college teachers and besides reading, we love traveling and are happy to do so now that it is possible again.

I love this group because it allows me to meet so many other readers, having friendly chats and being inspired all the time, and also because the categories make me pick up books from my shelves that I have sometimes overlooked for years.
Like many others, I plan to read mainly from Mount TBR in 2023, and I plan to participate in several CATs and KITs, but not in all of them. If I don't have a book that fits a prompt, I will not participate in that month.

Books are eligible to count for multiple challenges.

~~~

I don't have a dedicated theme, but decided to use pictures from my travels from last year that have a connection to books. I cheated a little bit, though, because the pictures from the Trinity College Library are from 2017 - we visited in 2022, too, but there was some scaffolding, so the older pictures are much better.

The pictures are:
1,2,4,5,6,9 - Trinity College Library, Dublin, Ireland
3 - Copy No 1 of "Ulysses" at the Museum of Literature, Dublin, Ireland
7 - Artwork of James Joyce at Eason's Bookshop, O'Connell Street, Dublin, Ireland
8 - The Opium & Study Room, Pinang Peranakan Mansion, Georgetown, Malaysia
10 - The Winding Stair Bookshop, Dublin, Ireland
11 - Kinokuniya, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
12, 13 - H.S. Sam Book Store, Georgetown, Malaysia

~~~

I thought about this thread title because while I was quite happy with my overall reading in 2022, I definitely wish to read more Tolkien in 2023!

~~~

My reading year runs from Dec 24 to Dec 23!

Currently Reading

Chronological List - First Quarter of 2023

1. A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny
2. Into The Water by Paula Hawkins
3. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
4. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
5. Die kleine Seenadel - "Jeder ist wichtig" by Nicole Bernard
6. Where The Sky Begins by Rhys Bowen
7. In Distant Fields by Charlotte Bingham
8. Nachts ist es leise in Teheran by Shida Bazyar
9. Bunburry - Murder at the Mousetrap by Helena Marchmont
10. The Killings at Badger's Drift by Caroline Graham
11. Dunkel by Ragnar Jónasson
12. Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
13. Der eiserne Wolf im barocken Labyrinth - Erwachendes Vilnius by Cornelius Hell
14. Letters of Note - Music ed. by Shaun Usher
15. Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon
16. Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne
17. A Collection of First World War Poetry ed. by Janet Borsbey and Ruth Swan
18. The Figure in the Carpet by Henry James
19. The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie
20. Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
21. In The Shadow Of Wolves by Alvydas Šlepikas
22. The High House by Jessie Greengrass
23. Spare by Prince Harry
24. Bunburry - A Murderous Ride by Helena Marchmont
25. Gedichte - Eine Auswahl by Johannes Bobrowski
26. The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
27. Die Schattenfrau by Åke Edwardson

Chronological List - continued

28. The Draycott Murder Mystery by Molly Thynne
29. Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay
30. How To Plan Your Trip To Off The Beaten Track Countries by Joan Torres
31. Destination Unkown by Agatha Christie
32. The Autumn Bride by Anne Gracie
33. Tofylis, or The Marriage of Zosė by Žemaitė
34. The Illustrated Poets: Robert Burns ed. by Daniel Burnstone
35. Zurück zur ersten Liebe by Teresa Zukic
36. Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer
37. Der letzte Wunsch by Andrzej Sapkowski
38. Ostende: 1936, Sommer der Freundschaft by Volker Weidermann
39. The Sisters by Dervla McTiernan
40. Die Straßen von Wilna by Czesław Miłosz
41. Krokodilwächter by Katrine Engberg
42. Sleepless Over You by Sydney Smyth
43. A Convenient Fiction by Mimi Matthews
44. Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
45. The Outcast Dead by Elly Griffiths
46. The Ghost Fields by Elly Griffiths
47. A Bird in the Hand by Ann Cleeves
48. Slightly Married by Mary Balogh
49. Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief by Rick Riordan
50. The Titanic Story by David Hutchings
51. Der Mann, der lächelte by Henning Mankell
52. Aunt Bessie Decides by Diana Xarissa
53. The Great Roxhythe by Georgette Heyer
54. Snowed in for Christmas by Isabella Hargreaves
55. The Christmas Ruse by Jennie Goutet
56. This Year It Will Be Different by Maeve Binchy
57. Der Jahrhundertsturm by Richard Dübell
58. The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien
59. Her Christmas Secret by Melissa McClone
60. Der alte Mann und der Bär - Eine Weihnachtsgeschichte by Janosch
61. A Yuletide Kiss by Sabrina Jeffries, Madeline Hunter & Mary Jo Putney
62. What Child Is This by Rhys Bowen
63. Ein Mord zu Weihnachten by Francis Duncan

Rereading Fiction
This category is reserved for fiction! Non-fiction rereads are not included.

1. "Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon
2. "The Silmarillion" by J.R.R. Tolkien

Doorstoppers
All books that have more than 600 pages, or more than 500 if the print is tiny.

1. J.K. Rowling: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
2. J.K. Rowling. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows
3. Charlotte Bingham: In Distant Fields
4. Diana Gabaldon: Outlander

J.R.R. Tolkien
All books connected to J.R.R. Tolkien in any way.

1. "The Silmarillion" by J.R.R. Tolkien

Classics
All books written before 1973. Notice Thomas Lefroy of Jane Austen fame in the picture!

1. "A Collection of First World War Poetry" ed. by Janet Borsbey and Ruth Swan
2. "The Figure in the Carpet" by Henry James
3. "The Moving Finger" by Agatha Christie
4. "Gedichte - Eine Auswahl" by Johannes Bobrowski
5. "The Draycott Murder Mystery" by Molly Thynne
6. "Destination Unknown" by Agatha Christie
7. "Tofylis, or The Marriage of Zosė" by Žemaitė
8. "The Illustrated Poets: Robert Burns" ed. by Daniel Burnstone
9. "Powder and Patch" by Georgette Heyer
10. "The Great Roxhythe" by Georgette Heyer

Nonfiction

Politics | Critical Theory

Religion
"Zurück zur ersten Liebe" by Teresa Zukic

History
"The Titanic Story" by David Hutchings

Health

Travel
"Der eiserne Wolf im barocken Labyrinth - Erwachendes Vilnius" by Cornelius Hell
"How To Plan Your Trip To Off The Beaten Track Countries" by Joan Torres

Autobiography | Memoir | Letters | Biography
"Spare" by Prince Harry
"Letters of Note - Music" ed. by Shaun Usher

Others
"Die Straßen von Wilna" by Czesław Miłosz

Poetry
I used to read a lot of poetry in the past and hope to get into it again.

1. "A Collection of First World War Poetry" ed. by Janet Borsbey and Ruth Swan
2. "Gedichte - Eine Auswahl" by Johannes Bobrowski
3. "The Illustrated Poets: Robert Burns" ed. by Daniel Burnstone

Short Reads
Single short stories and articles (when I do not read the whole collection) read for leisure - texts read for work are not included.

Short stories and other prose
1. Georgette Heyer: The Transformation of Philip Jettan, Chapter Twenty - Mademoiselle de Chaucheron Rings Down the Curtain

Articles and essays
1. Ted Nasmith: Introduction to the Tolkien Calendar 2023

Series

Ongoing Series

Miss Marple by Agatha Christie (reading in order)
- The Moving Finger (3/12)

Erik Winter by Åke Edwardson (reading in order)
- Die Schattenfrau (2/13)

Ruth Galloway by Elly Griffiths (reading in order)
- The Outcast Dead (6/15)
- The Ghost Fields (7/15)

Kurt Wallander by Henning Mankell (reading in order)
- Der Mann, der lächelte (4/12)

Parish Orphans of Devon by Mimi Matthews (reading in order)
- A Convenient Fiction (3/4)

Mountain Rescue Romance by Melissa McClone (reading in order)
- Her Christmas Secret (2/5)

Cormac Reilly by Dervla McTiernan (reading somewhat in order)
- The Sisters (Prequel 1)

Armand Gamache by Louise Penny (reading in order)
- A Fatal Grace (2/18)

Isle of Man Cozy Mystery by Diana Xarissa (reading in order)
- Aunt Bessie Decides (4/26)

New series

The Bedwyn Saga by Mary Balogh (reading in order)
- Slightly Married (1/6)

Mordecai Tremaine by Francis Duncan (not reading in order)
- Ein Mord zu Weihnachten (4/7)

Kørner & Werner by Katrine Engberg (reading in order)
- Krokodilwächter (1/5)

Outlander by Diana Gabaldon (reading in order)
- Outlander (1/9)

Chance Sisters by Anne Gracie (reading in order)
- The Autumn Bride (1/4)

Chief Inspector Barnaby by Caroline Graham (reading in order)
- The Killings at Badger's Drift (1/7)

Bunburry by Helena Marchmont (reading in order)
- Bunburry - Murder at the Mousetrap (1/16)
- Bunburry - A Murderous Ride (2/16)

Library Lover's Mystery by Jenn McKinlay (reading in order)
- Books Can Be Deceiving (1/13)

Percy Jackson by Rick Riordan (reading in order)
- Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief (1/7)

Camp Half-Blood Chronicles by Rick Riordan (reading in order)
- Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief (1/25)

The Witcher by Andrzej Sapkowski (reading in order)
- Der letzte Wunsch (1/9)

His Dark Materials by Philip Pullman (reading in order)
- The Golden Compass (1/3)

Finished and up-to-date series

Harry Potter by J.K. Rowling (reading in order)
- Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (6/8)
- Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (7/8)
- Harry Potter and the Cursed Child (8/8)

Other Challenges
There are so many historical novels and even more classics on my Mount TBR and I hope that these challenges will help me to finally read them. Books listed here are allowed to overlap with other categories or challenges, but not within these three.

Historical Fiction Challenge
(From Katie Lumsden)

1. Set in the country you're from: Der Jahrhundertsturm by Richard Dübell
2. Set in a different country: Where The Sky Begins by Rhys Bowen
3. Set in your favourite historical period: The Autumn Bride by Anne Gracie
4. Set in period you're less familiar with: The Great Roxhythe by Georgette Heyer
5. Historical fiction with a speculative element: Outlander by Diana Gabaldon
6. About a real historical figure or a specific event: Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
7. A classic work of historical fiction: Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer
Bonus: a work of historical fiction of over 500 pages: In Distant Fields by Charlotte Bingham

1900 - 1950 Challenge
(via kac522)

1. Author from your country
2. Author not from your country
3. Classic in its Genre
4. Not a Novel
5. References WWI or WWII: A Collection of First World War Poetry ed. by Janet Borsbey and Ruth Swan
6. 1900 - 1910
7. 1911 - 1920
8. 1921 - 1930: The Draycott Murder Mystery by Molly Thynne
9. 1931 - 1940
10. 1941 - 1950: The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie

Classics Challenge
(via kac522)

1. A 19th century classic: The Figure in the Carpet by Henry James
2. A 20th century classic:
3. A classic by a woman author
4. A classic in translation: Tofylis, or The Marriage of Zosė by Žemaitė
5. A children's classic
6. A classic crime story: Destination Unknown by Agatha Christie
7. A classic travel or journey narrative, fiction or non-fiction
8. A classic with a single-word title
9. A classic with a colour in the title
10. A classic by an author that's new to you
11. A classic that scares you
12. Re-read a favourite classic

1. A topic you don't usually read: Destination Unknown by Agatha Christie
2. Next in a series you've started: The Moving Finger by Agatha Christie
3. A book that taught you something: Der eiserne Wolf im barocken Labyrinth - Erwachendes Vilnius by Cornelius Hell
4. Switched/Stolen identities: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
5. A book on the cover: Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay
6. 4+ LT rating: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
7. Set on a plane, train or ship: The Titanic Story by David Hutchings
8. A bestseller from 20 years ago: Der Mann, der lächelte by Henning Mankell
9. STEM topic: The High House by Jessie Greengrass
10. Features an inn or hotel: Murder at the Dolphin Hotel by Helena Dixon
11. Features a journalist/journalism: Sleepless Over You by Sydney Smyth
12. Small town/rural setting: Where The Sky Begins by Rhys Bowen
13. Read a CAT: Dunkel by Ragnar Jónasson
14. Number/quantity in title: Zurück zur ersten Liebe by Teresa Zukic
15. Local or regional author: Die kleine Seenadel - "Jeder ist wichtig" by Nicole Bernard
16. Author is your zodiac sign: Into The Water by Paula Hawkins
17. A popular author's first book: Between Shades Of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
18. Art or craft related: The Killings at Badger's Drift by Caroline Graham
19. Author under 30: Nachts ist es leise in Teheran by Shida Bazyar
20. Memoir: Spare by Prince Harry
21. Features a member of the cat family: The Golden Compass by Philip Pullman
22. Involves an accident: A Fatal Grace by Louise Penny
23. >1000 copies on LT: Harry Potter and the Cursed Child by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne
24. Plant in the title or on the cover: In Distant Fields by Charlotte Bingham
25. Features music or a musician: Letters of Note - Music ed. by Shaun Usher

ClassicsCAT

February: Before 1900
"The Figure in the Carpet" by Henry James

April: Classic Mysteries/Detective Novels
"The Draycott Murder Mystery" by Molly Thynne
"Destination Unknown" by Agatha Christie

SeriesCAT

January: A Series That Is New To You
"Bunburry - Murder at the Mousetrap" by Helena Marchmont

February: A Series In Translation
"Dunkel" by Ragnar Jónasson

March: Child and YA Series
"The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman

April: No need to Read in Order/Read as One-Off
"The Sisters" by Dervla McTiernan

August: A series you have been meaning to get back to
"Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon

November: Historical series
"Slightly Married" by Mary Balogh

December: A book set in a country/region in which you do not live
"Her Christmas Secret" by Melissa McClone
"Ein Mord zu Weihnachten" by Francis Duncan

GeoCAT

January: Central & Eastern Europe
"Between Shades of Gray" by Ruta Sepetys

February: A Place You Would Like To Visit
"Der eiserne Wolf im barocken Labyrinth - Erwachendes Vilnius" by Cornelius Hell

KiddyCAT

January: Picture books
"Die kleine Seenadel - 'Jeder ist wichtig'" by Nicole Bernard

November: Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends
"Percy Jackson and The Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan

December: Holiday Stories
"Der alte Mann und der Bär - Eine Weihnachtsgeschichte" by Janosch

MysteryKIT

January: Movie and TV detectives
"The Killings at Badger's Drift" by Caroline Graham

February: Classic Settings
"Murder at the Dolphin Hotel" by Helena Dixon
"The Moving Finger" by Agatha Christie

March: Paranormal Mysteries
"Rivers of London" by Ben Aaronovitch

September: College/university setting
"The Outcast Dead" by Elly Griffiths

November: Senior Sleuths/Kid Sleuths
"Aunt Bessie Decides" by Diana Xarissa

December: Cozy Mysteries
"Ein Mord zu Weihnachten" by Francis Duncan

SFFKIT

January: Cobwebs and Dust
"Harry Potter and the Cursed Child" by J.K. Rowling, John Tiffany and Jack Thorne

March: To The Dark Side With You!
"The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman

December: Wrap Up
"The Silmarillion" by J.R.R. Tolkien

AlphaKIT

January: I-S
"Into The Water" by Paula Hawkins
"In Distant Fields" by Charlotte Bingham
"Die kleine Seenadel - 'Jeder ist wichtig'" by Nicole Bernard
"Nachts ist es leise in Teheran" by Shida Bazyar

February: F-J
"Dunkel" by Ragnar Jónasson
"The Moving Finger" by Agatha Christie
"The Figure in the Carpet" by Henry James

March: A-G
"Rivers of London" by Ben Aaronovitch
"In The Shadow Of Wolves" by Alvydas Šlepikas
"The High House" by Jessie Greengrass
"The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman
"Gedichte - Eine Auswahl" by Johannes Bobrowski

April: D-W
"The Draycott Murder Mystery" by Molly Thynne
"Destination Unknown" by Agatha Christie
"Der letzte Wunsch" by Andrzej Sapkowski
"Ostende: 1936, Sommer der Freundschaft" by Volker Weidermann

September: E-V
"The Outcast Dead" by Elly Griffiths

October: H-N
"A Bird in the Hand" by Ann Cleeves

November: L-T
"Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan
"The Titanic Story" by David Hutchings
"Der Mann, der lächelte" by Henning Mankell

December: R-Y
"The Great Roxhythe" by Georgette Heyer
"The Christmas Ruse" by Jennie Goutet
"Der Jahrhundertsturm" by Richard Dübell
"What Child Is This" by Rhys Bowen
"This Year It Will Be Different" by Maeve Binchy
"A Yuletide Kiss" by Sabrina Jeffries, Madeline Hunter & Marie Jo Putney

Yearlong: X-Z
"Tofylis, or The Marriage of Zosė" by Žemaitė
"Zurück zur ersten Liebe" by Teresa Zukic
"Aunt Bessie Decides" by Diana Xarissa

RandomKIT

January: Hidden Gems
"In Distant Fields" by Charlotte Bingham

February: Second or Two
"Letters of Note - Music" ed. by Shaun Usher

March: Water, water everywhere
"Rivers of London" by Ben Aaronovitch
"The High House" by Jessie Greengrass

April: Seven ages of (wo)man
"The Autumn Bride" by Anne Gracie

May: Royal Names
"Powder and Patch" by Georgette Heyer

July: The Muppets
"A Convenient Fiction" by Mimi Matthews

August: Tell me something good!
"Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon

November: A Little Light
"Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan

December: O (Christmas) Tree
"The Christmas Ruse" by Jennie Goutet
"Der Jahrhundertsturm" by Richard Dübell
"Her Christmas Secret" by Melissa McClone
"Ein Mord zu Weihnachten" by Francis Duncan

Hosting Commitments:

MysteryKIT: February - Classic Settings
GeoCAT: June - South Asia and South East Asia
RandomKIT: November

Extra

Extra

Welcome to my second thread of the year!

My first read in April was The Draycott Murder Mystery by Molly Thynne which was a free kindle book some time last year. This novel was originally published as The Red Dwarf in the UK.



Book No 28

"The Draycott Murder Mystery" by Molly Thynne
Original Title: The Red Dwarf
First published in 1928
Dean Street Press
ebook, 205pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: April ClassicsCAT - Classic Mysteries/Detective Novels, April AlphaKIT - D-W
Other challenges: 1900-1950 Challenge - 1921-1930
My own categories: Classics

Young farmer John Leslie comes home to his farm one stormy night and finds a luxuriously clad woman who has been shot in his sitting room. He calls the police and, as he has no alibi, he is soon the main suspect and brought to London. However, his aristocratic fiancée as well as the circle of upper class friends she moves in are convinced of his innocence and set out to prove it.
There are quite a lot of characters, but the reader mainly follows Allen Fayre, who has recently returned from India and has too much time on his hands, so he cannot help himself but try to support the star lawyer who has taken on the case at the fiancées bidding.
I enjoyed this novel very much because I liked the characters and the story, and it is well written. The style is quite literary. The author was aristocratic herself, and apart from the whodunit she paints a vivid portrait of the 1920s in the English countryside as experienced by her class. She wrote five more crime novels and I am looking forward to reading them in the future.

Happy new thread! Looking forward to seeing what's coming up in the next few months!

Happy new thread! The photos are amazing -- all those glorious bookshelves! The Molly Thynne book also looks interesting -- I'm adding her to my list!

Happy new thread, Mirjam! Your photos are so beautiful.

Happy new thread! Loved seeing the thread toppers again. Could almost smell the library looking at the photos :)

>31 Jackie_K: >32 christina_reads: >33 VivienneR: >34 rabbitprincess: Thank you all! I‘m glad you like photos. It always gives me joy to see them, too.

>32 christina_reads: I was pleasantly surprised by that book and really wish to read more by that author!

>29 MissBrangwen: Good to know that if you can’t find a book you want you can always hire a big racing motorbike instead.

>36 pamelad: Haha, yes! :-)

Books Can Be Deceiving by Jenn McKinlay was a BB by Amber (scaifea), or rather, the series was and I decided to start with the first one. This was the last book I read on the trip to Vilnius.



Book No 29

"Books Can Be Deceiving" by Jenn McKinlay
Series: Library Lover's Mystery (1)
First published in 2011
Berkley Prime Crime
ebook, 268pp.
Rating: 3 stars - ***

BingoDOG: A book on the cover
My own categories: Series - New Series

Lindsey Norris has started a new job as the director of the Briar Creek Library half a year ago after breaking up with her fiancé. She has introduced a few new activities to the library, like the crafternoons when a circle of women do crafts and talk about the books they have read, and like that she has made a few friends and already feels at home in the small town. Her best friend Beth, who is the children's librarian and an inspiring children's book author, suddenly finds herself to be the prime suspect of a murder investigation, but Lindsey is convinced of her innocence and sets out to find the truth.

There is nothing really new here of course, but I still enjoyed the cosiness of the small community at Briar Creek. The setting is a big plus because it is a coastal town, so the action takes place around the small islands off the coast and there is lots of boating, which I loved to read about. I also liked the characters, but must say that the writing style could be improved because the dialogue felt stilted most of the time.
I don't think I will seek the next one out soon, but I liked it enough to want to meet the characters again and see how the romance that has only tentatively started so far develops.

Happy New Thread! Your Bingo card is really filling up fast.

>39 dudes22: Thank you! Yes, I am surprised myself!

I felt in the mood for travel reading when we came back and therefore chose How To Plan Your Trip To Off The Beaten Track Countries, a short ebook by Joan Torres that I received from him a couple of years ago. I used to read his blog during the pandemic and it was wonderful to do some spectacular armchair traveling in those times, even though I will never travel as adventurously as he does, and I do not support all of his views.
I do not think that this ebook is available anymore as I could not find the link on the author's new website.



Book No 30

"How To Plan Your Trip To Off The Beaten Track Countries" by Joan Torres
Self-published
ebook, 40pp.
Rating: 3 stars - ***

My own categories: Nonfiction - travel

In this short ebook, Joan Torres, who is a very experienced traveller, explains the basics of traveling in countries that are not on the main tourist trail. He first lists the advantages of such trips as opposed to traveling to typical destinations and then makes a distinction between countries that do not have a touristic infrastructure at all and others that have touristic hotspots, but are less crowded in other regions. The short chapters mainly consist of practical tips in a listing format and also include some breathtaking pictures, for example of the mountains of Azerbaijan and a street scene in Saudi Arabia. Because of the structure and the style, reading this book rather felt like reading a long blogpost. The tips are also somewhat superficial and very broad, and from an ebook I expected more comprehensive and detailed info and a deeper coverage of the topics included. On the other hand, I received this ebook for free, so there really is nothing to complain about!

Destination Unknown is one of the many Agatha Christie Fontanas that I bought from secondhand shops in 2016 and 2017. I nearly bought every single one I saw, and I still have so many to read.



Book No 31

"Destination Unknown" by Agatha Christie
First published in 1954
Fontana
Paperback, 191pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: April ClassicsCAT - Classic Mysteries/Detective Novels, April AlphaKIT - D-W
BingoDOG: A topic you don't usually read
Other challenges: Classics Challenge - A classic crime story
My own categories: Classics

This is only the second spy thriller that I have read (the other one being The 39 Steps) and I neither have much experience with this genre, nor am I particularly interested in it. I only read this because it was written by Agatha Christie. And well, I really enjoyed it!

Hilary Craven has nothing to live for as her daughter has died and her husband has left her, when she is recruited by the secret service and agrees to impersonate the wife of a brilliant scientist who has vanished, as have several other scientists recently. The book was written in 1954 and it is firmly set in its time against the backdrop of the Cold War. Soon Hilary is off to Morocco and the adventure unfolds.

Of course most of the story is rather improbable, but reading it was gripping and fun and I read it almost in one sitting.

>42 MissBrangwen: Haha I love that you have the completely nutty Fontana paperback cover! I have the same one.

>41 MissBrangwen: I'd like to see a book about countries that want us to travel there, where tourists would be an asset rather than a liability. These days when I travel to some places, I'm conscious of local people who can no longer afford to live there, as in Venice or even Byron Bay, and environmental damage. I really like Italy and would like to go back, but many places are swamped by tourists, and I'm one of them.

>43 rabbitprincess: I love those, too, and this one is especially absurd, isn't it?

>44 pamelad: Yes, I totally understand your thoughts. Travel can be wonderful but it also has so many downsides and it is a challenge to make conscious decisions and do more good than harm.

>45 MissBrangwen: To me the toad looks like he is resolutely trying to ignore the weird skeleton guy waving beside him. « Don’t engage, just ignore him, he’ll go away eventually… »

>42 MissBrangwen: That is an absolutely ridiculous cover! I'm glad you liked the book, though -- I think some of Christie's thrillers, especially this one and They Came to Baghdad, are underrated.

I am late to the party here! But I love your photos. I am so glad to see Trinity here, as your photos brought back fond memories of our trip to Ireland.

>46 rabbitprincess: Haha, yes! The pearls make sense in this cover, but I cannot fathom why there is a weird ghost and a stoic toad. The best of these I have is Crooked House with a huge duckling on the cover!

>47 christina_reads: I have not read They Came to Baghdad yet, but I totally agree about Destination Unknown. I did not expect much since I had basically never heard about it, but I was so pleasantly surprised.

>48 LadyoftheLodge: Thank you for your kind comment! I am happy that I could bring some memories to you. Ireland is a wonderful travel destination for sure.

Happy new thread, Mirjam. And congrats on the way your Bingo card is filling up!

>50 MissWatson: Thank you! I am really surprised about my BingoCard this year because I just filled the squares up on the go, I did not read anything specifically for the Bingo. The last few squares will be a bit harder, though!

The Autumn Bride, or rather the series Chance Sisters by Anne Gracie, was a BB from christina_reads. I was looking for a new historical romance to listen to on audiobook and this was perfect for that purpose. Never mind the utterly pointless, inappropriate cover that does not befit the novel at all!!!



Book No 32

"The Autumn Bride" by Anne Gracie
Series: Chance Sisters (1)
First published in 2013
Tantor Audio
Digital audiobook, 10h 54min
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

CATs & KITs: April RandomKIT - Seven ages of (wo)man
Other challenges: Historical Fiction Challenge - set in your favourite time period
My own categories: Series - New Series

The Chance sisters are four young women - not all of them biological sisters - who find themselves in dire circumstances until they are taken under the wing of an aristocratic elderly lady who passes them off as her nieces. All is well until her nephew, Lord Davenham, comes home from Asia - of course he knows that the girls are not who they claim to be. He is set on finding out the truth about them, but then he develops feelings for the eldest sister.
Although it is foreseeable in most parts and the plot is improbable, I really enjoyed this novel. The story is well written and I rooted for the characters because I liked them a lot. The audiobook is narrated by Alison Larkin who does a splendid job.
I am looking forward to listening to the next one!

>52 MissBrangwen: The next one is the best one!

>53 pamelad: I'm looking forward to it!

I bought Tofylis, or The Marriage of Zosė by Žemaitė a couple of weeks ago in Vilnius because it caught my eye and looked like something I would like. I read it in one sitting this morning.
Žemaitė was the pen name of Julija Beniuševičiūtė-Žymantienė, a Lithuanian writer born in 1845. This story was first published in 1897, and not in Lithuania, but in the US. Lithuanian books had to be smuggled into Lithuania because it was a part of the Tsar's empire at the time and works written in Lithuanian were forbidden.
This edition was published by Paper and Ink, the text was translated by Violeta Kelertas.



Book No 33

"Tofylis, or The Marriage of Zosė" by Žemaitė
Original Title: Topylis
First published in 1897
Paper and Ink
Paperback, 76pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: Yearlong AlphaKIT - X-Z
Other challenges: Classics Challenge - A classic in translation
My own categories: Classics

I cannot really say that I enjoyed this story, the reason being that it is very gloomy and depressing. Nevertheless, it is interesting and worth reading. It is a short tale about a young peasant woman called Zosė, who works as a maid on an estate. She is caught up in a web of miseries. At first she is deeply in love with Tofylis, the dazzling huntsman, but when he finally marries her, the marriage is a deeply unhappy one. In addition, Zosė is pursued by her employer and her mother blames her instead of supporting her.
The story is mainly told in inner monologues and dialogues, which makes it a bit constructed at times and hems the reading flow a bit. On the other hand, like this Zosė's pain and loss of hope is presented in a direct, unembellished style. She is caught within the constraints of her class and her gender, and the author makes this clear in an unmediated way.

I bought this small book titled The Illustrated Poets: Robert Burns, which was edited by Daniel Burnstone, on my first trip to Scotland eleven years ago. I have never really looked at it, though, until I decided to read it a couple of weeks ago.



Book No 34

"The Illustrated Poets: Robert Burns" ed. by Daniel Burnstone
Series: The Illustrated Poets
This edition first published in 1994, poems originally published between 1784 and 1794
Lomond Books
Hardcover, 72pp.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***

My own categories: Classics, Poetry

This is a small souvenir type book, so if you are looking for a comprehensive collection of the poems written by Scotland's national poet, this is not the one. However, it served my purpose of getting to know his works a little just to get an impression.

The collection includes twenty-four poems, originally published between 1784 and 1794. They are divided into six categories: Drink, death, love, friendship, marriage and animals. The section on animals only contains one poem, though!
I liked the love poems best, they are simple, but touching and moving because Burns expresses so much in such modest lines. The poems on marriage, in contrast, are quite misogynistic. The poems on drink were the hardest to understand because of the vocabulary and because they told stories that were hard to follow.
All in all, I got used to the Scots writing fairly quickly (it helped to read them aloud in my mind), and I am happy to have read these, but will not seek out more as this was quite enough.

The books includes several pictures as well, and I enjoyed these (they show Scottish scenes from the writer's lifetime), but I would have liked a bit more info. Only a couple of the pictures show the painters name, and there isn't any other information apart from a list of art galleries in the beginning of the book (it does not even say which picture is presented in which gallery). In addition, the book misses a list of the poems and their publication date, so I had to make my own while I read. A short biography of Robert Burns would also have been nice. I think that even in such a small book, these things should be included.

Recently I was looking for books about christianity and Zurück zur ersten Liebe (Back to the first love) by Teresa Zukic appealed to me. She seems like an extremely unlikely author compared to what I usually read (even more so because of the cover of the book!), but her instagram account feels authentic and I wanted to give the book a try.



Book No 35

"Zurück zur ersten Liebe" by Teresa Zukic
First published in 2020
Herder
ebook, 135pp.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

CATs & KITs: Yearlong AlphaKIT - X-Z
BingoDOG: Nummer or quantity in title
My own categories: Nonfiction - religion

This book includes so many aspects and topics that it is hard to write something concise about it. The general theme is New Beginnings, and the author starts out with her own biography. As a child she was a competitive gymnast, then had to switch to athletics because of an injury, and as a young adult she completely started over as a nun, only to found her own community when she was in her forties.
But this book is not a biography, as she writes about many religious topics and about life in general: New beginnings in faith, leaving fear and anxiety behind, new ideas that the German churches sorely need, and new developments that might come in the wake of the pandemic.
This was one disadvantage of the book: It was written in the summer of 2020, and the author was clearly full of hope that the pandemic would bring some kind of change - regarding the environment, the payment of and respect for key workers, and human interactions. Looking back almost three years later, it is safe to say that nothing of that did happen in the long term, and so it was a bit depressing to read about all of that.
I also wished for a more structured tale, as, mostly towards the end of the book, it was sometimes hard for me to follow Zukic's train of thought, and it sometimes read as if she was just brainstorming.
Apart from that, though, I liked this well enough and will seek more by this author as her words are heartwarming and authentic. Her messages appear a bit simplistic, but that is ok as she clearly tries to reach a wide audience and wishes her books to be understood also by those who are not used to reading complicated texts.

Just catching up with your thread and saw your enthusiasm for The Golden Compass in your previous thread. I love this entire series too. I was so excited last summer when we took a boat tour while visiting Oxford and I discovered the boat's name was Pantalaimon!

>58 mathgirl40: Oh, that's really cool!!! I'm glad to hear you love those books as well. I hope to continue with the series soonish!

Hello and making a stop in to see your new thread. I was fascinated by your review of the Lithuanian book; I did not know that during the Tsar's time, writing a book in Lithuania was banned. First the Tsars, then the Soviets - what a tough thing for this country! And kudos to the author for writing honestly about the strictures of gender and class.

>60 threadnsong: Thank you for visiting! Lithuania has a very troubled history indeed.

I haven't visited here in quite a while because I had so much work to do, and when I had some free time I did not feel like reading or spending more time online. But things are looking better now and I hope to get back to my books and to LT!

I can't believe that it has been almost a month since I have finished reading a book! I haven't had any free weekend during that time, work has been a quite overwhelming, and I was busy with other things as well, such as family visits. I also served as a poll worker for our state elections last weekend.

But this weekend is a bank holiday weekend (Ascension) and I have finally started reading again! Oh, how I have missed it.
These are my current reads:

Ostende: 1936, Sommer der Freundschaft by Volker Weidermann - biographical novel
Der letzte Wunsch by Andrzej Sapkowski - fantasy short stories
Questions for Ada by Ijeoma Umebinyuo - poetry
Powder and Patch by Georgette Heyer - audiobook
Die Straßen von Wilna by Czesław Miłosz - nonfiction

Last year I started a new bookish project: Listening to all the Georgette Heyer romances in publishing order. I began with The Black Moth. The second one is The Great Roxhythe on most lists, but that one will only be available on audible from the end of May, so I listened to Powder and Patch first.



Book No 36

"Powder and Patch" by Georgette Heyer
Original Title: The Transformation of Philip Jettan
First published in 1923
Penguin
Digital audiobook, 6h 37min
Rating: 2 stars - **

CATs & KITs: May RandomKIT - Royal Names
Other challenges: Historical Fiction Challenge - A classic work of historical fiction
My own categories: Classics

This romance mainly takes place in Georgian England. Philip Jettan falls in love with beautiful Cleone, but he is not sophisticated enough for her tastes, so she rejects him. Philip leaves for France and when he returns months later, he is totally transformed: He speaks French, wears the latest Parisian fashion, duels and writes poetry, and is hardly recognizable. Now that all the ladies wish to catch this fashionable man, Cleone realizes that the down to earth Philip of the old days was not so bad after all. Of course, misunderstandings, intrigues and woes of the heart ensue.

Listening to this was laborious because the story frankly was stupid to me, especially Cleone's behavior. I just wanted to shake her. The portrayal of Paris was interesting, but nearly everything in this novel felt over the top. Still, I wished to know how things developed and I enjoyed some of the dialogues, although others included a lot of harmful stereotypes about women, which was annoying.

The original title of this was The Transformation of Philip Jettan, it was republished as Powder and Patch in 1930, minus the last chapter. I was curious and read it on Project Gutenberg, but was rather disappointed because Philip and Cleone travel to Paris and Philip is portrayed as truly transformed and digging his new self. To me it would have felt more authentic if he had thrown away his wig and the couple had continued to live a quiet life in the country. I really don't get the message of this, if there is any.

>63 MissBrangwen: I was also disappointed by Powder and Patch and prefer Georgette Heyer's Regency romances and the Alistair-Audley series, though I've avoided An Infamous Army because of the battles.

>64 pamelad: I‘m looking forward to getting to the really good ones!

My husband has loved the Witcher series, written by Andrzej Sapkowski, for a long time and in 2020, during the first lockdown, we watched the first season of the Netflix series together. I had wished to read the books since then and now I finally started, reading the first one, Der letzte Wunsch (The Last Wish).
The series was originally published in Polish and I read the German edition (translated by Erik Simon) owned by my husband. It was a bit awkward because some of the names are slightly different in English (or at least in the Netflix series), but apart from that it didn't matter, and it felt homely to sit down with a chunky German fantasy paperback.



Book No 37

"Der letzte Wunsch" by Andrzej Sapkowski
Series: The Witcher (1)
Original Title: Ostatnie życzenie
First published in 1993
dtv
Paperback, 380pp.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars - ****°

CATs & KITs: April AlphaKIT - D-W
My own categories: Series - New Series

It took me some time to get used to Sapkowski's style, but when I finally did, I did not want to put this book down. This is not a first book in the traditional sense (as in most other fantasy series), but it introduces the reader to its world through a series of stories. These stories are connected through a continuing frame story: Geralt of Rivia, a Witcher, stays in a temple to rest and reflect on his life. His memories and flashbacks make up the short stories. In this world, Witchers are mutants who are paid to fight monsters, but it becomes clear that sometimes the horrid creatures are not the only monsters.
Sapkowski draws heavily from Slavic mythology, but also from Grimm's fairytales and other stories. He creates a fascinating and turbulent world that is as funny as it is dark, as sexy as it is dangerous. But still, there is an underlying sentiment that goes deeper. Geralt knows that he will always be different and more often than not, those who seek his help fear and hate him at the same time.
I did not want this to end and now I cannot wait to read the next book!

I bought Ostende: 1936, Sommer der Freundschaft in my local bookshop in 2016 because I had seen the author, Volker Weidermann, on TV and liked him. He presented the new version of Das literarische Quartett, which had been the most famous German TV show dealing with books for many years. Weidermann stopped working for the show in 2019 because he wanted to concentrate on writing. I dare say it was a good decision because I loved this book and definitely want to read more of his works in the future.
This book was published in English as Summer Before The Dark.



Book No 38

"Ostende: 1936, Sommer der Freundschaft" by Volker Weidermann
First published in 2014
btb
Paperback, 157pp.
Rating: 5 stars - *****

CATs & KITs: April AlphaKIT - D-W

The title of this biographical novel already tells us the scene: It is 1936, and the main characters meet in O(o)stend(e) to spend one last glorious summer there, one summer to pretend that everything is good, that the darkness will not come, that they are happy.
In the centre of the story there are Stefan Zweig and Joseph Roth, connected by a strong friendship, but there are also Irmgard Keun, Ernst Toller, Egon Erwin Kisch and a handful of other writers, as well as their wives and associates: All of them exiled, trying to find a way in this new world, needing to come to terms with the hatred of their home countries of Germany and Austria, but some of them also still hoping against reason that everything will be alright.

The story does not have a real plot, but it does not matter. I could not stop reading because the author puts scene after scene together like a mosaic, painting a vivid and emotional picture of this unique place and time, where a circle of friends come together once more before everything falls apart, and they drift from each other through further exile, sickness, suicide.
It is a short work, but I savored every sentence, every word.

I read The Ruin by Dervla McTiernan last year and loved it. It is the first book in the Cormac Reilly series, a police procedural taking place in Dublin. The Sisters is one of two prequels to the series that sadly, as far as I know, are Audible exclusives at the moment.



Book No 39

"The Sisters" by Dervla McTiernan
Series: Cormac Reilly (Prequel 1)
First published in 2019
Audible
Digital audiobook, 3h 08min
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: April SeriesCAT - No need to Read in Order/Read as One-Off
My own categories: Series - Ongoing series

This short novel is set in 2004. The main characters are a young police woman, Carrie, who ten years later also appears in "The Ruin", and her sister Aifric, who has just started her career as a barrister. The two sisters have very different personalities, but they also have one similarity: They are both trying to start a successful career and to break into the boys' club.
Aifric is assigned a difficult case: A young man is being accused of murdering his girlfriend after a night out, and he doesn't have an alibi. But Aifric has a gut feeling that something is not right, and Carrie is drawn into the case when she reads the file.

Of course this story is short and thus, the characters are not as developed as in a longer novel and the ending comes a bit sudden. But still, I loved the author's style, I was pulled into the story at once, and could hardly stop listening. The people seemed real to me and the obstacles that the two young sisters encounter are all too credible. The narrator, Aoife McMahon, does an excellent job.
I plan to listen to the second prequel, "The Roommate", very soon.

>67 MissBrangwen: - This sounds like something I'd like. Unfortunately, our whole state library system is installing a new online catalog system this weekend so I can't see if any of the libraries have it until tomorrow. But I've made a note.

When I was looking for books about Vilnius before our trip in April, I came across this beautiful one published by Hanser Verlag: Die Straßen von Wilna by Czesław Miłosz. The curious thing is that I wasn't able to find any other information about the book and its contents. It is not included in the bibliographies of Czesław Miłosz that I found, and I don't know if it is a work standing on its own (it looks like it from the publishing information included in the book) or a collection composed by Hanser (which somehow seems more likely to me). Moreover, there is an English version shown on LT (Beginning with my streets), but upon a closer look, this is an entirely different book containing different texts, at least in part.
Well, I read this one and I liked it very much.



Book No 40

"Die Straßen von Wilna" by Czesław Miłosz
Original Title: Miasto młodości / Vilnius - Wilno - Vilnia / Dykcyonarz wilénskich ulic / Platońskie dialogi / Dialog o Wilnie
First published in 1997 (this edition/German translation at least)
Hanser
Hardcover, 175pp.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars - ****°

My own categories: Nonfiction - Others

This book consists of three parts that are interspersed by a couple of poems. In the first part, the author gives an overview of the history of the city, and like that, of Lithuanian history. This might sound a bit dry, but it is not, because Miłosz is a masterful storyteller and thus, this slice of history is immensely readable and highly fascinating. To be honest, I think most historical facts that I remembered during our trip came from this chapter and not from the travel guide we also had with us.
The second part is a description of some of the streets of Vilnius. Miłosz, who spent parts of his childhood and later also studied there, connects the streets with his personal memories, and thus, he paints a somewhat nostalgic picture of Vilnius before World War Two. He writes about the activities he took part in as a child, the people he met, the buildings and atmosphere of the streets.
The third part includes a letter Miłosz wrote to the writer Tomas Venclova, and Venclova's reply. Venclova is an ethnic Lithuanian, unlike Miłosz, who was of Polish descent and wrote in Polish (and is considered a Polish author). These two letters cover a lot of ground and deal with Lithuanian history, with many other writers the two have known, and especially with the ciity's position between Polish and Lithuanian culture, its unique status of being a provincial town, but also a capital, its changing hands for so many times. There are many interesting - and still relevant! - thoughts in these letters, especially when the writers reflected on possibilities of the future. The letters were written in the late 1970s, and they hoped for a democratic Lithuania with Vilnius as its capital, but also feared that nationalism would remain a danger to Europe. It was almost eerie to read their predictions now, 45 years later.

>69 dudes22: I hope you'll be able to find it once the system is working again!

>67 MissBrangwen: Oh, that sounds very promising!

>70 MissBrangwen: That sounds intriguing. Going off to look at the English book to see what its contents are.

>72 MissWatson: I think it is something you might like!

>73 markon: The description on Amazon - at least the one I found - sounds as if Beginning with my streets is a bit longer and contains more texts than the German book I read. I do think that it includes the text that is part 2 in my book.

>74 MissBrangwen: Actually, I already own it. I must have buried it very deep in the TBR. Time for a dig, I think.

I missed your new thread. I've been read all Heyer's romances in publication order. I'm at The Toll Gate.

>75 MissWatson: Excellent! I'll be interested in your review once you get to it.

>76 Helenliz: Wow, you're already past the half way mark!

I am still not reading that much because I am grading so many papers and exams, so I just don't feel like more reading when I have some time off. I have also finally started to sort my travel photos, which is a big project that desperately needs to be done. It is fun, but it also cuts into my reading time. However, we spent a long weekend in Denmark over the Whitsunday weekend and there I managed to read Krokodilwächter by Katrine Engberg (Danish original: Krokodillevogteren, English edition: The Tenant). There was a lot of publicity for it when it was first published in Germany, and I rather tend to first avoid hyped up books, but I am happy that I finally got to it because I liked it very much.



Book No 41

"Krokodilwächter" by Katrine Engberg
Series: Kørner & Werner (1)
Original Title: Krokodillevogteren
First published in 2019
Suhrkamp
ebook, 506pp.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars - ****°

My own categories: Series - new series

This novel is set in Copenhagen and starts with a brutal murder: A young student is killed in the flat she shared with another girl. The murder seems to be connected to the elderly woman who owns the house and lives upstairs, or rather to something she wrote. Jeppe Kørner and Anette Werner, two very different characters, are assigned to the case, but there is no trace of the killer and they are at a loss.
Although the murder is a bit too brutal for my reading tastes, I loved everything else about this novel: The characters, the style, the composition. I could not stop reading and it simply never got boring, but not in a cheap, page-turner type of excitement. I really cared about the story. The only thing I criticize is that in the end, things became a bit too far-fetched in my opinion, and I would have wished for a simpler solution.
The Copenhagen setting is well done, too, I loved the descriptions of the city and the mentioning of streets and places, but it did not overshadow the plot or feel artificial.
I highly recommend this novel and will definitely continue with this series.

Hello! Stopping in to say hello and see what great books you've read.

>66 MissBrangwen: Thank you for finally describing the plot of "Witcher" in a concise manner. I've seen it advertised, and with so many other streaming shows that I want to watch but haven't had time for, this sounds like it should go closer to the top.

>67 MissBrangwen: What a fascinating glimpse into that one sweet, special time period.

Just stopping by to say hello! Hope you are re-living your travels through the organization of your photos.

>79 threadnsong: Yes, The Witcher can be a bit confusing at first but I think it's worth it!

>80 Tess_W: Thank you, Tess!

Hi all, long time no see! I have been so busy with other things and have just returned from four weeks in Vietnam. I have read a little bit but not too much. Just wanted to say that I am ok and I will come around and visit some of the threads here soon! And when autumn comes around, I'll probably read more, too!
I hope you are all well!

One of the things that I did finish since I last posted here was Sleepless Over You by Sydney Smyth. I listened to When Harry Met Harry by the same author last year and liked it a lot, so I wished to listen to more and chose this one. Unfortunately I did not like it very much!



Book No 42

"Sleepless Over You" by Sydney Smyth
First published in 2021
Audible Originals
Digital audiobook, 5h 35min
Rating: 2 1/2 stars - **°

BingoDOG: Features journalist/journalism

Matt Mazola is an influencer who shares content about his dog on instagram. When he listens to the story of Hugo on a podcast, he becomes obsessed with the idea that Hugo is the man of his dreams, although he tries to fight these feelings. Hugo is a widower who is certain that he will not find love again after loosing the love of his life, although his daughter tries everything to persuade him to meet new men, which is why she decides to speak on the podcast.
As you can probably see, the premise is somewhat far-fetched. I could live with that, but I found the execution just boring and very, very slow. For long parts the story deals more with several problems within Matt's family instead of the love story, as well as with how unfulfilled he feels because of his influencer life. I couldn't stand the whining, and I just wanted the plot to go on.
The reason I still give it 2 1/2 stars is that I really liked Hugo's character, and also Matt's (apart from the influencer aspects). The story is narrated very well, too.

I must admit that I have never watched "Sleepless in Seattle", so I don't know how similar the stories are.

This novel is not available in print or as an ebook, it is an audible original that was only published as an audible audiobook so far. I was not able to find out anything more about Sydney Smyth, other than that they have published two more of such audible originals, both also contemporary romances featuring gay characters.

>81 MissBrangwen: Wow, a four-week trip! Amazing! Hope you had a great time :) Glad to see you back!

>83 rabbitprincess: Yes, it was a wonderful trip and I seriously enjoyed every single day!

The beginning of term is a bit stressful as always, and I am off to Amsterdam on a field trip this coming week, but I really hope to spend more time on LT after that!

Welcome back!

>84 MissBrangwen: Have a nice time in Amsterdam!

Long time no see!

I feel like this weekend, I have some free time and calm around me for the first time in ages, and so I am finally posting something here! I cannot believe that it has been almost three months.
Those three months were good, but very busy. Work was frantic yet again, and my husband and I traveled to Scotland for two weeks, so the planning of that took some time as well. I have also, for the first time in more than fifteen years, joined a choir. I love it, but it definitely takes away from my reading time!
I have been reading, but definitely not as much as I would like - but I felt like I needed a break from the internet, and also somewhat from books. Nevertheless, in the past few weeks I really got into it again!

I will post the books I read since August here and I am also ready to post my new thread in the 2024 group, with a few lessons learned. I definitely overdid it this year and started over-motivated, which resulted in complete abandonment half way through. So next year, I will take it easier and participate in less challenges and groups.

But - it is still 2023 and there are still some wonderful books to be discovered this year! And many things to catch up in this group!

I read this book, A Convenient Fiction by Mimi Matthews, during our trip to Vietnam because I was looking for an easy read that I knew I would enjoy. It is the third book of "The Parish Orphans of Devon" which was a BB from christina_reads and it was the series that got me started on historical romances, A genre that I now enjoy very much!



Book No 43

"A Convenient Fiction" by Mimi Matthews
Series: Parish Orphans of Devon (3)
First published in 2019
Perfectly Proper Press
ebook, 354pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: July RandomKIT - The Muppets
My own categories: Series - Ongoing series

This is the delightful third book of the "Parish Orphans of Devon" series and while the first one is still my favourite, I liked this more than the second one.
The male protagonist is Alex Archer, the one orphan that we have not met so far because he left his circle of friends a long time ago. In this story he meets Laura Hayes, who lives together with her disabled brother and whose finances have been controlled by a sinister solicitor since her father has died. Of course the two are drawn to each other, and bit by bit we learn about Alex's past and why he left Devon as a young man.

I loved both of the main characters, and while the plot is of course a bit predictable, it was exciting enough to hold my interest throughout. I also enjoyed the connections to the first two installments and learning more about the back story of the orphans as well as meeting some of the characters already known. I cannot wait to read the fourth book, although I will be said to finish this wonderful series!

>87 MissBrangwen: Ooooo I hope you had an amazing time in Scotland! Where all did you go?

>87 MissBrangwen: Oh hello and welcome back! I can't wait to hear about your adventures in Scotland and catch up on all the reading you have done. And besides, where would we be without ambition??

>89 rabbitprincess: >90 threadnsong: Thank you for your comments! It's good to be back on LT!
We have travelled to Scotland before (it was my husband's second trip and my sixth trip) and plan to go there much more often, so we did not have the urge to go everywhere and do everything! We are lucky because flight times are short from where we live, and if we have more time we can even go by train or by car and ferry. It was still a rather special trip because it was the first time we went to the UK since the pandemic.
We spend one week in Edinburgh and visited some of the obvious highlights there that my husband hadn't visited before, such as the castle and Holyrood Palace. We also visited several bookshops :-)
Then we hired a car and did two day trips, one to Midhope Castle, Blackness Castle (both Outlander filming locations) and Stirling, and another one to St Andrews and the villages of the East Neuk. We had to cancel the third day trip we had planned because of a storm, but we did not mind that much.
Then we drove to the Isle of Skye and spent three days there. It was wonderful - I had only been there for one day before when it had been very, very rainy, so it was like visiting the first time. We had sunshine for three days and we also visited some smaller places apart from the obvious highlights, which was so nice because it was not so crowded. The landscape is spectacular - so far I have not seen anything like that in Europe!
Then we drove back to Edinburgh, spent one night in an airport hotel and then back home.
It was simply a wonderful trip and I am thinking of it every day!

This was the third time I read Outlander by Diana Gabaldon, after the year 2000 (in German) and the year 2020. It was time for another reread because of the trip to Scotland and because we wanted to rewatch the series and I wished to have the books fresh in my mind before that. I started reading this when I wasn't at home, so I bought a kindle edition, and I must say that it was much easier reading than using the paperback edition.



Book No 44

"Outlander" by Diana Gabaldon
Series: Outlander (1)
First published in 1991
Delacorte Press
ebook, 1022pp.
Rating: 5 stars - *****

CATs & KITs: August SeriesCAT - A series you have been meaning to get back to, August RandomKIT - Tell me something good!
My own categories: Rereading fiction, Doorstoppers, Series - New Series
Other challenges: Historical Fiction Challenge - Historical Fiction With A Speculative Element

What can I say? I simply love this book, the settings, the story, the characters. It is comfort reading to me, despite the dark themes that occur. It is a long read for sure, but I do not mind because I enjoy the descriptions and the dialogues.
This kindle edition includes an interview with the author, which was interesting, too.
No doubt when I read this first, as a teenager, a lot of it went over my head because I was so young and also I did not know anything about Scottish history. But even upon this third reread I discovered that I felt different about some aspects compared to my reading in 2020. With each reread, as you know the plot already, you are able to concentrate more on the characters and their words and actions, and your personal experience might influence your reading experience as well.

Welcome back. I'm a bit jealous about your trip to Scotland!

>93 MissWatson: Thank you, Birgit!

My next two reads were from the Ruth Galloway series by Elly Griffiths - The Outcast Dead and The Ghost Fields, books 6 and 7 of the series.



Book No 45

"The Outcast Dead" by Elly Griffiths
Series: Ruth Galloway (6)
First published in 2014
Quercus
Paperback, 443pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: September AlphaKIT - E-V, September MysteryKIT - College/University Setting
My own categories: Series - ongoing series

While this was not my favourite book of the series, it still was one of the really good ones. I enjoyed both the historical case and the contemporary case. Both have to do with the abduction of children, but the connection does not seem forced. Judy and Cathbad appear quite a lot in this story and this was another plus for me because I enjoy reading about them. There are also a couple of new characters and the development of Ruth's private story line takes a turn that I support and that makes the story more exciting.
Reading a book of this series always feels like coming home and meeting friends, which is why these books are real comfort reads to me despite the dark and sinister cases!



Book No 46

"The Ghost Fields" by Elly Griffiths
Series: Ruth Galloway (7)
First published in 2015
Buchverlag
Paperback, 384pp.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

CATs & KITs: October RandomKIT - Treats, not tricks
My own categories: Series - Ongoing series

To me, the seventh book of the Ruth Galloway series is a bit weaker than the previous entries. It took me a lot of time to really get into the story and some aspects just seemed too incredible to me (including the end which is totally far-fetched). And once again, my pet peeve: Ruth getting into a totally dangerous situation although it is obvious that she risks her life by doing so. Moreover, after a promising development in the last book when I thought that finally the Ruth/Nelson storyline would take a turn, everything is stuck again! I just want to shake Ruth!
So altogether this is not my favorite book, but I still enjoyed reading it because the characters feel like friends to me and as always, I loved the descriptions of the Norfolk landscape and how the author creates a special atmosphere using this natural world, believable characters and historical facts.

>88 MissBrangwen: I read Matthews' The Work of Art and I really liked it!

>91 MissBrangwen: Sounds lovely!

Welcome back, Mirjam! So glad you enjoyed A Convenient Fiction. It's one of my favorites in the series too...perhaps it's time for a reread.

>96 Tess_W: Oh, I have that one on my kindle as well! Good to know that you enjoyed it.

>98 christina_reads: Thank you, Christina! I am so happy that I got that BB from you :-)

I bought A Bird in the Hand by Ann Cleeves in a bookshop on holiday because I had heard good things about the author here on LT and it was the only first one in a series that was available.



Book No 47

"A Bird in the Hand" by Ann Cleeves
Series: George & Molly Palmer-Jones (1)
First published in 1986
Bello
Paperback, 226pp.
Rating: 2 stars - **

CATs & KITs: October AlphaKIT - H-N

This story takes place in a community of bird watchers (twitchers - I term I had never heard before). I found this idea intriguing, but the execution was rather disappointing.
The amateur detective is George, a retired staff member of the Home Office, who is asked by the father of one of the young birdwatchers to investigate the murder of a famous birdwatcher.
Unfortunately, this book was a slog and I will not continue with this series. I took me ages to read it considering that it is so slim, and the story just seemed to drag on. The twitcher aspects, while they might be realistic, seemed alien to me and I couldn't quite picture the characters and scenes because of that.
While some parts of the story are very detailed, I still could not really get into it and had trouble imagining the characters. Sometimes I felt like reading something set in the 1950s, although I think that it is supposed to be set in the 1980s.
Still, the plot is crafted cleverly and the solution caught me off guard! The setting is also an interesting one.
I will definitely try one of the more famous series written by Ann Cleeves, but will not continue with this one. Maybe readers will enjoy it more if they actually were twitchers or know someone who was.

Slightly Married by Mary Balogh came up once in a while in this group and I got several BBs for it, so I decided to finally listen to it. I am so happy I discovered this genre through LT because sometimes a story like that is just what I need, and this one got me through a stressful time this autumn.



Book No 48

"Slightly Married" by Mary Balogh
Series: The Bedwyn Saga (1)
First published in 2003
Tantor Audio
Digital audiobook, 10h 57min
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

CATs & KITs: November SeriesCAT - Historical series
My own categories: Series - new series

I really enjoyed my first Mary Balogh book, although there were some aspects that I found a bit too shallow. I listened to this on audible and the narrator, Rosalyn Landor, was fantastic.
The first half of the book was a bit boring to me at times because the characters were too flat - Eve simply too good, Aidan simply too stiff. The story moved very slowly and felt too predictable, even for a Regency romance. I still enjoyed the narration, though, and the general atmosphere idea of it, as well as many of the dialogues.
In the second half, the story became better and better and I could not stop listening because I was so enthralled. I did enjoy the twists and turns, and the development of Aidan made me cry several times because it was so touching. I just did not want the story to end and at the same time wished to finally get to the end in order to see these characters receive their well-deserved happy ending.
I will definitely continue with this series!

I have always wanted to read the Percy Jackson series by Rick Riordan, and my husband has it on his kindle and shared it with me. Last weekend I felt like a light and easy read and like something different, so I decided to finally start with the first book, Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief, and I devoured it within two days.



Book No 49

"Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief" by Rick Riordan
Series: Percy Jackson / Camp Half-Blood Chronicles
First published in 2005
ebook, 324pp.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°
Puffin Books
CATs & KITs: November KiddyCAT - Fairy Tales, Myths and Legends, November AlphaKIT - L-T, November RandomKIT - A Little Light
My own categories: Series - New Series

Percy Jackson is a young teenager who lives with his mom and highly unpleasant stepdad. He causes so much trouble that he has to visit a new school every year, and he was diagnosed with dyslexia and ADHD. But can all the crazy stuff that happens to him really be attributed to that? Of course not, and when some very strange incidents happen, he has to face the fact that he is much more unusual than he thought he was. Suddenly, mythology becomes alive and he finds himself in a world full of adventures, perils and incredible experiences.

Although there were certain aspects in this book that I criticize, overall I loved reading it and had so much fun. It is different to what I usually read and fantasy connected to the real worlds is not always my thing. However, I liked the premise of this book and I rooted for Percy so much. Everything is over the top, but somehow it works for the most part (although sometimes I was rolling my eyes a bit).
I must say that some parts were a little too fast-paced for me and I got a bit tired of the succession of episodic adventures. All in all, though, I am looking forward to continuing with this series and I have missed the characters since I turned off my kindle!

>101 MissBrangwen: Slightly Married and the next book, Slightly Wicked, were my favourites in this series.

>102 MissBrangwen: I also read this book for the first time this year. I have a series category planned for next year so I can finish the series.

>103 pamelad: I'm looking forward to listening to Slightly Wicked!

>104 lowelibrary: It is one of my goals, too, to focus more on series next year.

>102 MissBrangwen: Percy was my comfort read on a flight home one time when I was still working for the university full time. I went to a conference and finished reading the selections I took along. I was not feeling well and I am a nervous flier anyway. I bought Percy Jackson and the Lightning Thief in the airport book shop and it kept me sane for the entire flight home. Thank you, Percy!

>88 MissBrangwen: I discovered that I have three of this series on my Kindle. Thanks for the reminder!

>106 LadyoftheLodge: Thank you for sharing your story with this book! I agree that it is such a comforting read.

>107 LadyoftheLodge: Oh, I hope you'll like this series as much as I do!

I bought this little book, The Titanic Story by David Hutchings, as a souvenir on a trip to Ireland ten years ago when I visited Titanic related sites in Cóbh and Belfast. It had been on my tbr since then! Now I chose it as a quick read to fill up a Bingo square, but I actually liked reading it much more than expected and the content surprised me.



Book No 50

"The Titanic Story" by David Hutchings.
First published in 2008
The History Press
Hardcover, 121pp.
Rating: 4 1/2 stars - ****°

CATs & KITs: November AlphaKIT - L-T
BingoDOG: Set on a plane, train or ship
My own categories: Nonfiction - History

This book is rather small and does not look like much, but reading it was very interesting. It does not only retell the night of the Titanic's sinking, but starts much earlier with the history of the White Star Line, the development of the ocean liner industry in general, and the construction and first voyages of the Olympic, the Titanic's sister ship. Of course, since the book is short, all of this is presented in a concise manner, but it still manages to pack a lot of background. Sometimes the style is a little wordy and the sentences seem too complex for what they really say, but apart from that, the text is very readable although it contains so much information in such a small space.
The story continues with the building of the Titanic, her launch and voyage to Cherbourg and Cóbh (Queenstown), her days at sea, the sinking and the aftermath. There is information about some of the passengers, the technical details, the interior in the different classes etc.
The book contains a lot of pictures, and these really fascinated me because there were many that I had never seen before, a lot of them from the author's own collection. Some of those pictures actually gave me goosebumps because I felt like getting closer to the Titanic than ever before.
I am happy that I finally read this book and I learned many new aspects, although it would have been worth it for the pictures alone.

I binged the first three Wallander books by Henning Mankell in 2020, but stopped after that for no particular reason. Searching for a book to fill my last remaining BingoDOG square I realized that book 4, Der Mann der lächelte (The Man Who Smiled), was a perfect fit!



Book No 51

"Der Mann der lächelte" by Henning Mankell
Series: Kurt Wallander (4)
Original Title: Mannen som log
First published in 1994
dtv
Paperback, 377pp.
Rating: 5 stars - *****

CATs & KITs: November AlphaKIT - L-T
BingoDOG: A bestseller from 20 years ago
My own categories: Series - Ongoing series

When I started the Wallander series, I absolutely loved the first book, liked the second a lot as well, but was a bit disappointed by the third. I am so happy that the fourth book lived up to my expectations again. I see that many other LT reviews are not that favorable, but I just devoured this book. I think that one reason might be translation - I read it in German, not in English, and I gather that some readers were dissatisfied with the English translation. The reason I point this out is that I just adored the language and style, and while I don't know the Swedish original, it seems that the translator, Erik Gloßmann, has done an excellent job. Reading this novel, I felt like I could just fall into the descriptions of the dark and wet autumn weather, the gloomy and desolate landscapes, the lonely country roads of Skåne.
The case itself is one that would usually not peak my interest - high finance, global companies, the world of lawyers and managers - it is something I do not care reading about. But in this case it did not bother me because Wallander is such a relatable character to me and I saw it all through his eyes.

I hope that I will not wait another three years until I read the next Wallander book!

The next book I read was Aunt Bessie Decides, the fourth book in the Isle of Man Cozy Mystery Series by Diana Xarissa. I needed some comfort reading and as always, the story provided just that.



Book No 52

"Aunt Bessie Decides" by Diana Xarissa
Series: Isle of Man Cozy Mystery (4)
First published in 2014
self-published
Paperback, 223pp.
Rating: 3 1/2 stars - ***°

CATs & KITs: November MysteryKIT - Senior Sleuths/Kid Sleuths, Yearlong AlphaKIT - X-Z
My own categories: Series - Ongoing Series

Aunt Bessie is an elderly lady who lives on the Isle of Man in a small cottage on the beach. She bakes cookies, reads crime novels, and also helps the police solve crimes happening on the island. The crime in this specific book occurs during a Shakespeare play produced by a troupe from the US and staged in the ruins of Peel Castle. A former member of the troupe, who is a famous TV star now, is murdered during the performance.
I enjoyed the Shakespeare/theatre theme of this novel, and as always, I loved Bessie and her friends and the comforting atmosphere of the story. The pace is slow and there is a lot of eating, tea drinking and chatting, but still there is a bit more meat to this case than the previous ones, which is why I liked this book a little more. Towards the ending, though, the plot it so unrealistic that it got on my nerves, which is why this is only three and a half stars and not four as I thought while reading the main part. Nevertheless, I enjoyed reading this novel very much and will certainly continue with the series.

>111 MissBrangwen: - I'll be reading that next year for my "X" book in the AlphaKit.

>112 dudes22: Yes, Diana Xarissa is always a safe bet to cover that letter! :-)

Last year I started the project to listen to all of the Georgette Heyer romances on Audible in their publication order. The Great Roxhythe was the third one I listened to, although it was the second one published, but I was waiting for the audiobook which only came out this year.



Book No 53

"The Great Roxhythe" by Georgette Heyer
First published in 1923
Blackstone Publishing
Digital audiobook, 13h 07min
Rating: 2 stars - **

CATs & KITs: December AlphaKIT - R-Y
Other challenges: Historical Fiction Challenge - Set in period you're less familiar with
My own categories: Classics

I had a hard time with this book and found it to be a real slog, although there were aspects that I liked.
The story takes place during the reign of King Charles II. Roxhythe is an aristocrat and the king's favourite. He supports him and carries out intrigues and plots for him, and they are very close friends. Roxhythe employs a secretary, Christopher Dart, who is from the opposite political spectrum, but he is totally devoted to Roxhythe, just as Roxhythe is devoted to the king.
The story deals with these two relationships, but it was very hard to follow because it consists almost completely of long dialogues. To me it was very dry, with a few exceptions when the feelings of the characters were in the spotlight or there was a narrative voice that summed up the following events and developments. Apart from that, it was just men, men, men - namedropping - the odd woman who is mostly regarded with misogyny - endless intrigues, plots and schemes.
The narrator of the audiobook, Stefan Rudnicki, has a fantastic voice, but I thought that he read this a bit monotonously - or maybe it just is the text and you cannot make more of it.

I must add that I do not know a lot about this time period, so the story might be more interesting to readers who are more familiar with Charles II.

I don't remember how I discovered Snowed in for Christmas by Isabella Hargreaves, but it was free on kindle.



Book No 54

"Snowed in for Christmas" by Isabella Hargreaves
Series: Yuletide Travelers (1)
First published in 2016
History in Focus
ebook, 55pp.
Rating: 2 stars - **

This novella starts with a carriage accident in a snowstorm that forces Robert (Viscount Landers), his fiancé Augusta and Augusta's companion Eleanor to seek shelter in a hut in the woods. Robert kind of inherited Augusta together with his title after his elder brother had died, but the incidents after the accident reveal that they are not suited to each other, and soon Robert realizes that he is much more attracted to Eleanor.

I think this story might have been better if it had been longer. Just a little more than 50 pages is too short even for such a basic plot. I liked Robert and Eleanor, but they could not rise much above stereotypes because there was no room. Apart from that, there were several anachronistic aspects that cut into my enjoyment of the story.

I do not regret reading this novella because it was still a good way to spend an hour after a long car drive, when I wouldn't have been able to do much else apart from stupidly scrolling on my phone. But altogether, this was not great and I will not continue with the series. I am surprised that it has such good reviews on Amazon.

I have a heavy cold and today I could not read, but I listened to The Christmas Ruse by Jenny Goutet. I discovered this on Audible and decided to give it a try.



Book No 55

"The Christmas Ruse" by Jenny Goutet
First published in 2020
Millefeuille Press
Digital audiobook, 2h 01min
Rating: 4 1/2 stars - ****°

CATs & KITs: December AlphaKIT - R-Y, December RandomKIT - O (Christmas) Tree

The premise of this novella sounds simple, but I liked the execution of the plot very much.
Lord Nicholas Cranleigh is invited to Cothill Manor, where his sister resides with her husband, for a Christmas ball. There he meets Lavinia Dresden, the daughter of an impoverished gambling addict, who is planning to betroth her to a man he is highly indebted to. Of course this man is a scoundrel and abhorrent in all possible ways.
It seems that Lord Cranleigh's sister wants to try her hand as a matchmaker to save her friend from such a terrible fate. But when he meets Lavinia, he truly falls in love and has only a few days to save her.

This plot is not anything new, but I did love the story - the main characters, the development of their love, the setting of the manor house, and also the narrator of the audiobook, Stevie Zimmermann. There is no steam, but lots of romance, and an atmosphere that feels true to the time it is supposed to take place in. Moreover, even though the book is so short, the story did not feel rushed to me.

I am looking forward to discovering more of this author's work!

>109 MissBrangwen: What an interesting book. One forgets that the history of the Titanic *does* include, well, the advent of ocean liners and their use on the high seas.

>116 MissBrangwen: I do hope you feel better!

>116 MissBrangwen: Oh, sorry to hear that. I hope it won't last long!

>117 threadnsong: >118 MissWatson: Thank you! Thankfully I'm a bit better today.

I started This Year It Will Be Different by Maeve Binchy yesterday because it was on my reading plan for this month and, being ill and not able to concentrate that well, I thought it might be good to just read a story from time to time. Well, the stories are so short and so easy to read that I have already finished the collection. I did not like it very much, so this might also have played a role - I wanted to be over and done with these stories.



Book No 56

"This Year It Will Be Different" by Maeve Binchy
First published in 1996
Dell
Paperback, 259pp.
Rating: 2 stars - **

CATs & KITs: December AlphaKIT - R-Y

I have loved several of Maeve Binchy's novels which is why I am always looking for more, although there have been some that I did not enjoy that much. I still expected to like this book of short stories, but frankly, I did not. There are fifteen short stories in the collection and I liked two, found one to be ok, and disliked the others to various degrees.

The reason is that the stories are full of people who loathe each other and are mean to each other. There are lots of men who cheat on their wives, women who put up with it (both the wives and the lovers), elderly people who bossy around their adult children, characters who give up hope,... Just why are these Christmas stories? It is certainly not what I expected from Maeve Binchy.
While of course it does not all have to be candlelight and sugarcoating, I was not up for the degree of despair, negativity and also misogyny in these stories.

Of course Maeve Binchy was a good writer and she managed to say a lot within a few pages, so it might have been a different reading experience if my expectations had been different.

Just to point them out:

My favourite story was "A Typical Irish Christmas" about a widower who travels to Ireland for the first Christmas after his wife passed away. I liked this a lot, but it was much too short.

I also enjoyed "Miss Martin's Wish" about a young teacher who finally realizes her dream of traveling to New York years after the cancellation of her wedding.

>111 MissBrangwen: I've got book 1 in that series, hopefully cued up for 2024!

>121 Tess_W: I hope you enjoy it! Although I never give it that many stars, it is a reliable favourite if I wish to read a calm and non-stressful book.

I finished another audiobook because I did not feel well enough to read more, but listening was ok, and it was not that long.
It is snowing so much here! When I look outside, the landscape is so white - I have seldom seen something like this in my adult years. I think the last time was in 2010, so it is something special (although I read that climate change might be a reason for this unusual snow). Der Jahrhundertwinter (The Winter of the Century) by Richard Dübell is set during a snowstorm, so it was very fitting to listen to this.



Book No 57

"Der Jahrhundertwinter" by Richard Dübell
Series: Jahrhundertsturm (1.5)
First published in 2015 (story within the story first published in 2011)
Audible Studios
Digital audiobook, 4h 49min
Rating: 3 stars - ***

CATs & KITs: December AlphaKIT - R-Y, December RandomKIT - O (Christmas) Tree
Other challenges: Historical Fiction Challenge - Set in your own country

The frame story of this shorter novel is set in Prussia on the 24th of December, 1845. Louise von Briest and her husband Alvin are waiting to celebrate Christmas Eve on their estate with their friend Paul who is traveling to them by train. But the train does not arrive and they realize that there must have been an accident because of a snowstorm. Alvin and another friend, Otto von Bismarck (yes - the historical Bismarck), decide to organize a search party on horseback in order to find the train and save the lives of Paul and the other passengers who might be injured and snowed in without any food or warmth.
Louise and her young son stay on the estate, worried and anxious. To calm the boy, Louise tells him the story of a medieval knight traveling through a snowy forest with his children. The novel alternates between the two stories - Louise, the searchers and Paul, who leaves the train wreck with a few other men to find help, and the medieval knight and his children.

I enjoyed the 19th century story much more than the medieval one, and it was what I had signed up for - before buying the book, I had not realized that the story that Louise tells her son is longer than the frame story itself. Moreover, while it has a sort of Christmassy message in the end, it is an immensely brutal story, filled with dead people and animals. The knight and his children are pursued by a pack of wolves and have to fight them repeatedly, and this is repetitive as well as horrible. While I understand that the hardships are there to get the message across, I think that so much brutality is unnecessary. I felt sick sometimes from the detailed descriptions. The cover of the book, as well as the subtitle A Christmas Novel, suggest a very different content and atmosphere.

The 19th century story was better and the atmosphere reminded me a little of Fontane at times. It is very Prussian and I liked Paul's enthusiasm for trains as well as the inclusion of a local legend. Still, I had expected more Christmas content (the subtitle!!!). There is also a love triangle between Louise and the two friends and I was not interested in that in the least.

This novel is part of a series (it is an addition between books 1 and 2), but I will not read the whole series.

I finally did what I wanted to do all year: I reread The Silmarillion by J.R.R. Tolkien! Considering that this was supposed to be my Tolkien year, it is pretty sad that I only read one Tolkien book and only this late in the year, but I am happy about it nonetheless. And I see it as a start for more Tolkien in 2024!
I read a beautifully illustrated edition featuring pictures by Ted Nasmith, published in 1998. It is big and heavy, so it was a bit uncomfortable to read it, but the artworks are stunning.
My favourite picture was this one: By Moonlight in Neldoreth Forest.



Book No 58

"The Silmarillion" by J.R.R. Tolkien
First published in 1977
HarperCollins
Hardcover, 367pp.
Rating: 5 stars - *****

CATs & KITs: December SFFKIT - Wrap Up
My own categories: Rereading Fiction, J.R.R. Tolkien

This book has many negative reviews, and I think that is because most readers expect it to be a novel, which it is not. It is a monumental work that contains writings of Tolkien's mythology, published after Tolkien's death, edited by his son Christopher. So yes, there are endless characters and places, a lot of stories (each of those could fill a proper novel when told in detail), the language is often archaic. But as said above: It is not meant to be easy or catchy. This is the essence of Tolkien's work over several decades, and my advice is to just go with the flow and don't worry. If you enjoyed "The Lord of the Rings" and wish to learn more about Middle-earth, just give "The Silmarillion" a chance. You will find spell-binding characters, tragedy and heartbreak, but also joy and love and passages that are incredibly beautiful.
Rereading this book reminded me why Tolkien has been my favourite author for more than twenty years - because no other writing has ever illuminated my life like this.

>124 MissBrangwen: I love this review! Lord of the Rings is one of my all-time favorite books.

>125 christina_reads: Thank you so much! It was hard to write anything concise, so I am happy about your words.

Last year I started the Mountain Rescue Romance series by Melissa McClone because I like the topic of mountain rescue and the first book was a free kindle book. I finished the second book, Her Christmas Secret, today.



Book No 59

"Her Christmas Secret" by Melissa McClone
Series: Mountain Rescue Romance (2)
Original Title: Christmas Magic on the Mountain
First published in 2010
Cardinal Press
ebook, 259pp.
Rating: 2 1/2 stars - **°

CATs & KITs: December SeriesCAT - A book set in a country/region in which you do not live, December RandomKIT - O (christmas) tree
My own categories: Series - ongoing series

While I enjoyed the first book of this series very much, the second one did not live up to my expectations. Even for a cliché story like this, where you know what story you get and how it will end, this was simply too shallow and sometimes downright cringeworthy.
Zoe Carrington is an ultra rich socialite and party girl, but in order not to ruin her mother's politic aspirations, she has to go into hiding for some time. In the village of Hood Hamlet in Oregon she meets Sean Hughes, the owner of a snowboard company, who gives her a lift. When he has an accident and needs a carer, she moves in with him and takes on the role of a pretend girlfriend to stop his mother's interfering.
Apart from the utterly predictable plot, I thought that a lot of the dialogue - especially towards the end - was badly written. It was also hard for me to sympathize with the problems of someone as rich and sheltered as Zoe, and her transformation was hard to believe. Unfortunately, there was almost no mountain rescue in this story and the mountain rescue team does not appear a lot.
However, I still liked the atmosphere of Hood Hamlet as well as Sean as the male protagonist. There were some chapters I really enjoyed and I do hope that book 3 is better - I will read it because the female protagonist is one of my favourite side characters.

I read some books by the popular German author Janosch in my childhood, and when I saw this little book, Der alte Mann und der Bär - Eine Weihnachtsgeschichte, in a bookshop some weeks ago, I bought it spontaneously. The title translates as The Old Man and the Bear - A Christmas Story.



Book No 60

"Der alte Mann und der Bär - Eine Weihnachtsgeschichte" by Janosch
First published in 1985
Reclam
Paperback, 45pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: December KiddyCAT - Holiday Stories

Janosch, who was born in 1931, enjoys cult status in Germany and some of his creations, especially the famous Tigerente (tiger duck), are a part of popular culture. Janosch has a special style that conveys a lot in very little words, being philosophical and humane at the same time. He illustrates his stories in a distinctive style.
This story is not as well known as some others, but I was excited to read it.
The protagonist is an old man who works very hard and earns very little, but he saves all of his money to buy as many birds as possible from a bird catcher during Christmas time. He then sets them free and also tends to any birds that are weak or ill. As he gets older, he cannot work that much and only has money to buy one small, ailing bird. The old man does not have any food left or any wood to start a fire, so he takes the bird to the bear for help.
This was one of the saddest stories I have ever read, it tucked at my heartstrings from beginning to end. The old man dies soon after reaching the bear's cave, and the bear and the bird die in the end, too, because the humans do not help them on Christmas Eve. It's incredibly sad! But it is also beautiful because of Janosch's gentle words and the comforting message in the end.
While Janosch is foremost a children's author, this story can be read by adults just as well.

It's lovely to reread those old stories from our childhood. I hope by now you have recovered from your cold!

Enjoy the holidays!

>129 VivienneR: I thought I had recovered, but now I have a new one - or still the same that has returned? But I am determined to enjoy Christmas and I wish the same to you!

A Yuletide Kiss, a book featuring three novellas written by Sabrina Jeffries, Madeline Hunter and Mary Jo Putney, was included in my audible subscription. As I was looking for Christmas stories and it starts with one of the letters of this month's AlphaKIT, I decided to give it a try.



Book No 61

"A Yuletide Kiss" by Sabrina Jeffries, Madeline Hunter & Mary Jo Putney
First published in 2021
Recorded Books
Digital audiobook, 10h 28min
Rating: 2 1/2 stars - **°

CATs & KITs: December AlphaKIT - R-Y

The three novellas take place simultaneously over Christmas in a coaching inn. The roads are blocked because of snow and some weary travellers are stranded and have to spend Christmas together.

When We Finally Kiss Goodnight by Sabrina Jeffries
Flora Younger and Konrad Juncker have met seven years ago in Bath and Konrad had courted her, but then disappeared, crashing her hope of finding a suitable match. Now she works as a lady's companion. When they suddenly run into each other in the inn, it is instant love again - but Konrad, now a famous playwright, has a secret that keeps him from opening up to Flora.
I did not enjoy this story very much because I just wanted Flora to run away. I simply could not condone or understand Konrad's actions and the love scenes were cringeworthy.

An Unexpected Christmas Gift by Madeline Hunter
Jenna Waverly, the owner of the inn, has bought it with her inheritance in order to be independent. She works hard, but the inn can hardly survive, and her brother's lifestyle is not helping. When she finds an injured stranger in the woods, she nurses him and falls in love with him - but what was his true purpose to visit the inn?
This was my favourite story. Jenna and Lucas are both likable characters, the love story felt authentic and I rooted for them.

When Strangers Meet by Mary Jo Putney
Years ago in India, Daniel Faringdon rescued Kate McLeod when her despicable uncle auctioned her off to marry the highest bidder. As the ceremony was performed by a drunkard, Daniel believed the marriage to be invalid, and they lost contact after Kate relocated to England to live with her extended family. When they meet each other at the inn, she informs him that the marriage was valid after all, but she wishes to annul it because she is about to be betrothed to another man - but Daniel realizes that he wants her for a real wife.
This story was exceedingly boring to listen to because it mostly consists of long dialogues - as Daniel and Kate try to get to know each other in order to decide if they want to be married, they muse endlessly about the past, their current situation and the possible future. I could not feel any chemistry between them and the plot only picked up pace towards the end. The only advantage of this story was that it featured a cat!

I initially liked the idea of three stories taking place at the same time, but the concept lost its appeal to me rather quickly because while the love stories were different, the underlying action was, of course, the same and I got tired of that. It was still ok to listen to this in anticipation of Christmas, but I am not rushing to read anything else by these authors.

>131 MissBrangwen: Only one out of three is disappointing. And the idea of simultaneous stories set at a coaching inn sounds so inviting.

>132 VivienneR: I totally agree with you!

In the beginning of the year I listened to Where The Sky Begins by Rhys Bowen and enjoyed it a lot. I made a plan to listen to What Child Is This for Christmas, which I did yesterday.



Book No 62

"What Child Is This" by Rhys Bowen
First published in 2018
Audible Studios
Digital audiobook, 1h 28min
Rating: 3 stars - ***

CATs & KITs: December AlphaKIT R-Y

This audiobook almost has the effect of a radio play because it consists mostly of dialogues and there are not a lot of narrative passages.
The story is set in London in 1940, during the Blitz. Maggie and Jack, who have lost their young daughter (it is not exactly said when), are bombed out on Christmas Eve. They seek shelter in a tube station, but abandon this plan shortly after because Maggie cannot endure it. On their way to a park, they find an old, abandoned mansion and decide to stay there. During the night, they find their own kind of Christmas miracle, although they have to see if their luck will hold...
I found it difficult to like and identify with Maggie and Jack, which made it hard to fully engage with the story. It became better towards the end, though. I appreciated the historical detail, but it seems like the story just stopped when it became really interesting. I would have liked to see how things developed.

The last book of my reading year was Murder for Christmas by Francis Duncan, which I read in a German translation that my husband bought spontaneously a few years ago - a cover buy that hold its promises!



Book No 63

"Ein Mord zu Weihnachten" by Francis Duncan
Series: Mordecai Tremaine (4)
Original Title: Murder for Christmas
First published in 1949
Dumont
Paperback, 335pp.
Rating: 4 stars - ****

CATs & KITs: December SeriesCAT - A book set in a country/region in which you do not live, December MysteryKIT - Cozy Mysteries, December RandomKIT - O (christmas) tree
My own categories: Series - New Series

As the title suggests, this is a murder mystery set during Christmas. The location is a country house. Former tobacco trader and amateur sleuth Mordecai Tremaine has received an invitation to spend the holidays there and meets an illustrious group of hosts and guests. And of course, a body is found unter the Christmas tree...
This mystery has all the ingredients needed: Interesting characters, a compelling case, a clever and likable investigator and a classic setting. I rather liked Tremaine, who - not unlike Miss Marple - takes advantage of his inconspicuous appearance to find out things that the police miss. And of course I did not guess the murderer!
This book is part of a series comprised of seven books, and five have been reprinted in recent years. I would definitely like to read the other four, too!

And with this my reading year ends because it is my tradition to start my new reading year on Christmas Eve, when my husband and I both start a new book. Please join me in my 2024 thread!

And of course: Merry Christmas to all those who celebrate!

Merry Christmas! I've read several of the Francis Duncan books, and I think if you like one, you'll like them all!

>137 christina_reads: That's very good to hear!

>124 MissBrangwen: Oh yay you read The Silmarillion! I read it when it first came out and I found the wording stuck in my head for a while. It is a great book to return to, especially because it has such foundations for LOTR. And I have the same edition you do, with Ted Nasmith's illustrations and the final Silmaril going into the Sea!

>139 threadnsong: Wow, that's amazing that you have the same edition! Isn't it beautiful?

>140 MissBrangwen: Yes, yes it is an amazing edition. I think Ted Nasmith is still doing the illustrations for the Tolkien calendar?

>141 threadnsong: Not every year, but sometimes I think!