Anita (FAMeulstee) goes on where the books take her in 2023 (10)

Welcome to my tenth thread in 2023!

I am Anita Meulstee (60), married with Frank (61) since 1984. We live in Lelystad, the Netherlands. We both love modern art, books and walking.

Impressions from our walking holiday in Limburg following the Pieterpad. We walked from just before Venlo until just past Sittard, 70,5 km in six days.


We arrived at the holiday park in Posterholt on Friday, September 29th. We had a lovely cottage (picture above top left).

Saturday September 30th we walked 11.7 km from the Genooy Chapel through the city of Venlo, and then over the german-Dutch border to Maalbekerhöhe. On the road at the border we saw many boundary markers like the one in the picture above bottom right. I was wearing my new Columbia hat, thanks Anne (AMQS)!

Sunday October 1st we went for 12.6 km from Maalbekerhöhe to Swalmen. First through the woods along the border again, partly on the German side, with a depth on the Dutch side. It was a bit warm, but it didn't bother us, as we were in the shade of the trees most of the day.
That evening we went out for diner in a nice restaurant in Posterholt.

On Monday October 2nd we shortened our walk to 9.6 km because it got very warm, 27°C / 80°F. We skipped 2 km in Swalmen, and started in the wood just past the village. Some nice views over the fields like the picture above top right. In the middle, second row right, Frank at a stop where we were using our walking stools. We ended just outside Roermond.


The weather predictions for Tuesday October 3rd were bad, a lot of rain. But the most rain fell before we went out to walk, and we had only a little drizzle twice for less than 20 minutes. We walked 12.1 km to Montfort, and ended next to Castel Montfort, now a ruin, but once a large fort at the border of the Dukedom of Gelre, picture in the middle at the bottom.

On Wednesday October 4th the weather was perfect, clouded 17°C. We walked 12.3 km from Montfort to Susteren though lovely landscapes and woods. A marking (picture left top) where a 5th century treasure was found a few years back. The picture in the middle is a anthill next to the path, it was rather large and we spent some time looking at the busy ants.
That evening we went out for diner again in the same restaurant in Posterholt.

Our last walking day, Thursday October 5th, went from Susteren to Sittard. Again very good weather, with a bit more sunshine. 12.1 km, and the last km went uphill, we survived ;-)
Took Guido to the trainstation, where he took the train home.
We had a nice and quiet last evening together and went home the next day.

Left: the whole Pieterpad; right: the part we walked
 

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I have been hanging around in this group a few months after finding LibraryThing in March 2008. I skipped one year (2013), when my reading dropped to almost nothing. This was a side effect of taking Paxil. In 2015 I was able to wean off Paxil, and a year later my reading skyrocketed. The last years it is slowing down sightly, my initial "reading hunger" has waned a bit.

I read (almost) everything, from childrens and YA books to more serious literature, mysteries, historical fiction, fantasy, and I try not to forget to throw some non-fiction into the mix.

total books read in 2023: 235
25 own / 210 library

total pages read in 2023: 78,940

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currently reading:

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books read in October 2023: 20 books, 7,712 pages, 3 own / 17 library)
book 216: De kleine blonde dood by Boudewijn Büch, 217 pages, TIOLI #4 (msg 45)
book 217: Leven na leven (Life After Life) by Kate Atkinson, 525 pages, TIOLI #11 (msg 46)
book 218: Door het lint (The Hanging Garden; John Rebus 9) by Ian Rankin, 381 pages, TIOLI #11 (msg 47)
book 219: Ik moet je verraden (I Must Betray You) by Ruta Sepetys, 365 pages, TIOLI #10 (msg 74)
book 220: Broeder ezel by Liesbeth Goedbloed, 185 pages, TIOLI #7 (msg 75)
book 221: Het Mussolinikanaal (The Mussolini Canal) by Antonio Pennacchi, 512 pages, TIOLI #12 (msg 84)
book 222: Het bezoek van de lijfarts (The Royal Physician's Visit) by Per Olov Enquist, 326 pages, TIOLI #3 (msg 85)
book 223: Osebol (Osebol) by Marit Kapla, 816 pages, TIOLI #4 (msg 86)
book 224: De stille kracht (The Hidden Force) by Louis Couperus, 270 pages, TIOLI #10 (msg 92)
book 225: Skippy tussen de sterren (Skippy Dies) by Paul Murray, 663 pages, TIOLI #11 (msg 93)
book 226: De zonderlinge avonturen van het geniale bommenmeisje (The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden) by Jonas Jonasson, 352 pages, TIOLI #1 (msg 122)
book 227: Gevallen god (A God in Ruins) by Kate Atkinson, 479 pages, TIOLI #12 (msg 123)
book 228: Tante Poldi en de Siciliaanse leeuwen (Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions) by Mario Giordano, 304 pages, TIOLI #11 (msg 124)
book 229: De zon en de wereld by Arjen Duinker, 47 pages, TIOLI #7 (msg 125)
book 230: De grote cirkel (Great Circle) by Maggie Shipstead, 672 pages, TIOLI #11 (msg 138)
book 231: De dood is een zware klus (Death Is Hard Work) by Khaled Khalifah, 221 pages, TIOLI #3 (msg 139)
book 232: Tussentijds by Peter Zantingh, 175 pages (msg 140)
book 233: Een vlecht van heilig gras (Braiding Sweetgrass) by Robin Wall Kimmerer, 480 pages, TIOLI #11 (msg 141)
book 234: Kind van alle volken (Child of All Nations) by Pramoedya Ananta Toer, 375 pages, TIOLI #11 (msg 142)
book 235: Roadtrip (Two Steps Onward) by Graeme Simsion & Anne Buist, 348 pages, TIOLI #11 (msg 143)

October 2023 reading plans

TIOLI October 2023
#1: Read a book with the number of title letters divisible by 5
- De zonderlinge avonturen van het geniale bommenmeisje (The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden) - Jonas Jonasson, 352 pages (e-library)
#2: Read a book whose title or subtitle includes the word “devil” or one of its synonyms
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#3: Read a book by or about someone who died on or after February 29, 2020
- Het bezoek van de lijfarts (The Royal Physician's Visit) - Per Olov Enquist, 326 pages (e-library)
- De dood is een zware klus (Death Is Hard Work) - Khaled Khalifah, 221 pages (e-library)
#4: Read a book that has a title word that starts with an O, an N or a D (October, November & December)
- De kleine blonde dood - Boudewijn Büch, 217 pages (e-library)
- Osebol (Osebol) - Marit Kapla, 816 pages (e-library)
#5: Read a book with a word in the title that can refer to a non-written art
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#6: Read a short story or collection of short stories with a supernatural theme
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#7: Read a book where adding or removing a letter makes a new title
- Broeder ezel - Liesbeth Goedbloed, 185 pages (e-library)
- De zon en de wereld - Arjen Duinker, 47 pages
#8: Read a book for the Shadows & Shivers Bingo rolling challenge
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#9: Read a book with a title containing at least 2 of the following - a religious title, a royal title, and/or a political title
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#10: Read a book by an author you've read at least three books by in the past, but none so far in 2023
- Ik moet je verraden (I Must Betray You) - Ruta Sepetys, 365 pages (e-library)
- De stille kracht (The Hidden Force) - Louis Couperus, 270 pages (library)
#11: Read a book with 300 pages or more
- Door het lint (The Hanging Garden; John Rebus 9) - Ian Rankin, 381 pages (e-library)
- De grote cirkel (Great Circle) - Maggie Shipstead, 672 pages
- Kind van alle volken (Child of All Nations) - Pramoedya Ananta Toer, 374 pages (library)
- Leven na leven (Life After Life) - Kate Atkinson, 525 pages (e-library)
- Roadtrip (Two Steps Onward) - Graeme Simsion & Anne Buist, 348 pages (e-library)
- Skippy tussen de sterren (Skippy Dies) - Paul Murray, 663 pages
- Tante Poldi en de Siciliaanse leeuwen (Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions) - Mario Giordano, 304 pages (e-library)
- Een vlecht van heilig gras (Braiding Sweetgrass) - Robin Wall Kimmerer, 480 pages (e-library)
#12: Read a book that could be described as a "saga"
- Gevallen god (A God in Ruins) - Kate Atkinson, 479 pages (e-library)
- Het Mussolinikanaal (The Mussolini Canal) - Antonio Pennacchi, 512 pages (library)
#13: Read a book with a family connection (state the connection)
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#14: Read a book narrated by a woman with a reference to a female character in the title
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November 2023 reading plans

TIOLI November 2023
#1: #1: Read a book (F or NF) by an Israeli or Palestinian author
- Mijn wilde tuin (My Wild Garden) - Meir Shalev, 316 pages (e-library 19/11)
#2: Read a book where the title completes the phrase, "I am thankful for..."
- Wij drieën: een familiekroniek (The three of us: a family story - Julia Blackburn, 364 pages (library 23/11)
#3: Read a book where a color is part of the title
- Het rood en het zwart (The Red and the Black) - Stendhal, 563 pages (e-library 17/11)
#4: Read a book whose title includes some kind of food
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#5: Read a book where the author's name consists of 11 or fewer letters
- Verstand en gevoel (Sense and Sensibility) - Jane Austen, 414 pages (e-library 8/11)
- De kop in het zand - Jan Guillou, 293 pages (library 23/11)
- Het liefdeslied van Queenie (The Love Song of Miss Queenie Hennessy) - Rachel Joyce, 365 pages (library 23/11)
- Verlaten (The lost man) - Jane Harper (10), 416 pages (e-library 12/11)
#6: Read a book where the last word of the title is an animal or plant
? Knielen op een bed violen - Jan Siebelink, 445 pages (e-library)
#7: Read a book you've been eagerly awaiting
- Inès en de vreugde - Amundena Grandes, 1040 pages
#8: Read a book including a main character over the age of 50
- Een lieve lust (The Summer of the Danes; Cadfael 18) - Ellis Peters, 237 pages (library 1/12)
#9: Read a book with a female detective character
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#10: In honor of Louisa May Alcott’s birthday, read one of her novels, a biography of her, a pastiche or homage to her
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#11: Read a book written by a Nobel Prize winner
- De andere naam : Septologie I-II (The Other Name: Septology I-II) - Jon Fosse, 357 pages
? Het gouden boek (The Golden Notebook) - Doris Lessing, 591 pages
#12: Read a book to escape your current situation
- Een vrouw (A Woman) - Sibilla Aleramo, 271 pages (e-library 21/11)
#13: Read a book which features birds, flying, or migration in the title or text
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#14: Read a book you bought this year
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#15: Read a work of 100 pages or less
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books read in January 2023
book 1: De fundamenten by Ramsey Nasr
book 2: Bestaat er een raarder leven dan het mijne? Jef Last (1898-1972) by Rudi Wester
book 3: Levensgevaar (Rivierdelta 2) by Arttu Tuominen
book 4: Broers (Brothers) by Bernice Rubens
book 5: Mijn dertigjarige oorlog (No surrender: my thirty-year war) by Hiroo Onoda
book 6: Het schemeren van de wereld (The twilight world) by Werner Herzog
book 7: Eigen welzijn eerst by Roxane van Iperen
book 8: Wolven op het ruiterpad by Tijs Goldschmidt
book 9: Rotterdam: ode aan de inefficiëntie by Arjen van Veelen
book 10: Doctor Vlimmen by Mr. A. Roothaert
book 11: Vlimmen contra Vlimmen by Mr. A. Roothaert
book 12: Vlimmens tweede jeugd by Mr. A. Roothaert
book 13: Het weeshuis in de azuurblauwe zee (The house in the cerulean sea) by T.J. Klune
book 14: Job: roman over een eenvoudige man (Job: the story of a simple man) by Joseph Roth
book 15: Vogels van West- en Midden-Europa by Philip J.K. Burton
book 16: De raaf by Louis Beyens
book 17: Zwartboek (The black book; John Rebus 5) by Ian Rankin
book 18: Met lichte tred by Ton Lemaire
book 19: Onheilstijding (A dying fall; Ruth Galloway 5) by Elly Griffiths
book 20: Leven en lot (Life and fate) by Vasili Grossman
book 21: Vallende stenen (Konráð 4) by Arnaldur Indriðason
book 22: De opwindvogelkronieken (The wind-up bird chronicle) by Haruki Murakami
book 23: De uitverkorene (The elected member) by Bernice Rubens

books read in February 2023
book 24: De bijzondere woorden van Gioia by Enrico Galiano
book 25: Verweven leven (Entangled life) by Merlin Sheldrake
book 26: Transit (Transit) by Anna Seghers
book 27: Vissen hebben geen voeten (Fish have no feet) by Jón Kalman Stefánsson
book 28: Perenbomen bloeien wit by Gerbrand Bakker
book 29: De zaak van Münster (Münster's case; Van Veeteren 6) by Håkan Nesser
book 30: Verzen van nu by Garmt Stuiveling
book 31: Koning Lear (King Lear) by William Shakespeare
book 32: Pony (Pony) by R.J. Palacio
book 33: Verwilderd (Bewilderment) by Richard Powers
book 34: Karel en Elegast - Anonymus
book 35: De veensoldaten by Wolfgang Langhoff
book 36: Zwarte seconden (Black seconds; Konrad Sejer 6) by Karin Fossum
book 37: Het hart is een eenzame jager (The heart is a lonely hunter) by Carson McCullers
book 38: Toen ik dit zag by Rutger Kopland
book 39: Wilde rozen en andere verhalen by Konstantin Paustovski
book 40: De memoires van Norton, filosoof en hond (Norton's philosophical memoirs) by Håkan Nesser
book 41: De alchemist (The alchemist) by Paulo Coelho
book 42: Laatste zomernacht by Maarten 't Hart
book 43: Uit de bek van de walvis (From the mouth of the whale) by Sjón
book 44: Reisverslag van een kat (The travelling cat chronicles) by Hiro Arikawa
book 45: Madame le Commissaire en de verdwenen Engelsman (Isabelle Bonnet 1) by Pierre Martin
book 46: Het gele behang en andere verhalen by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
book 47: Dat weet je niet by Jens Christian Grøndahl
book 48: Wat bomen ons vertellen (Tree story) by Valerie Trouet
book 49: De val (The fell) by Sarah Moss
book 50: Zo begint het slechte (Thus bad begins) by Javier Marías
book 51: Eurotrash by Christian Kracht
book 52: Een jaar in scherven by Koos van Zomeren
book 53: Vang de haas (Catch the rabbit) by Lana Bastašić

books read in March 2023
book 54: Madame le Commissaire en de uitgestelde wraak (Isabelle Bonnet 2) by Pierre Martin
book 55: De werkplaats van de duivel (The devil's workshop) by Jáchym Topol
book 56: De ontdekking van de natuur by Hans Mulder
book 57: De niet verhoorde gebeden van Jacob de Zoet (The thousand autumns of Jacob de Zoet) by David Mitchell
book 58: Haas (The year of the hare) by Artro Paasilinna
book 59: Het boek van de doodgraver by Oliver Pötzsch
book 60: Jasper en zijn knecht by Gerbrand Bakker
book 61: Pelgrim zonder God by Herman Vuijsje
book 62: Niet alleen by Tim Voors
book 63: Vluchtig verlangen (Transient desires; Brunetti 30) by Donna Leon
book 64: De verliefden (The infatuations) by Javier Marías
book 65: Duitse les (The German lesson) by Siegfried Lenz
book 66: Hoe duur was de suiker? (The cost of sugar) by Cynthia Mc Leod
book 67: De foltering van Eldorado by Albert Helman
book 68: Het geluk van de wandelaar (The gentle art of tramping) by Stephen Graham
book 69: De rode ruiterij (Red cavalry) by Isaak Babel
book 70: Wereld & wandel van Michael K (Life & times of Michael K) by J.M. Coetzee
book 71: Het schot dat niemand raakte (The bullet that missed) by Richard Osman
book 72: Dwars door de Lage Landen by Arnout Hauben
book 73: Het plezier van wandelen (Walking: one step at a time) by Erling Kagge
book 74: Boud by Eva Rovers

books read in April 2023
book 75: De geschiedenis van het pad (In praise of paths) by Torbjørn Ekelund
book 76: Onder buren by Juli Zeh
book 77: Joe Speedboot (Joe Speedboat) by Tommy Wieringa
book 78: Madame le Commissaire en de dood van de politiechef by Pierre Martin
book 79: Het hoofdkussenboek (The pillow book) by Sei Shōnagon
book 80: Het meisje met de luidende stem (The girl with the louding voice) by Abi Daré
book 81: De wandeling (The walk) by Robert Walser
book 82: Ademloos (Whiteout; Dark Iceland 4) by Ragnar Jónasson
book 83: Erfgoed (Heritage) by Miguel Bonnefoy
book 84: Slechts een diefstal (Stolen) by Ann-Helén Laestadius
book 85: Een heel leven voor je (The life before us) by Romain Gary
book 86: Pelgrim langs Tinker Creek (Pilgrim at Tinker Creek) by Annie Dillard
book 87: Titanic : de laatste beelden (Titanic: the last great images) by Robert Ballard
book 88: De winnaars (The winners) by Fredrik Backman
book 89: Ik weet waarom gekooide vogels zingen (I know why the caged bird sings) by Maya Angelou
book 90: De brug met drie bogen (The three-arched bridge) by Ismail Kadare
book 91: Historiën (Histories) by Publius Cornelius Tacitus
book 92: Vuurwerk (Mortal causes; John Rebus 6) by Ian Rankin
book 93: Erasmus : dwarsdenker by Sandra Langereis
book 94: Trage paarden (Slow horses) by Mick Herron
book 95: Lessen in chemie (Lessons in Chemistry) by Bonnie Garmus
book 96: Regeneration : De klimaatcrisis opgelost in één generatie (Regeneration: ending the climate crisis in one generation) by Paul Hawken

books read in May 2023
book 97: Madame le Commissaire en het mysterieuze schilderij by Pierre Martin
book 98: Knecht, alleen by Gerbrand Bakker
book 99: Het gelijk van Spinoza (Looking for Spinoza) by Antonio Damasio
book 100: De patiënten van dokter García by Almudena Grandes
book 101: Michael Kohlhaas (Michael Kohlhaas) by Heinrich von Kleist
book 102: Aristoteles en Dante duiken in de wateren van de wereld (Aristotle and Dante dive into the waters of the world) by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
book 103: De eigenwijze helden van Sassoen by Nairi Zaryan
book 104: Kalevala : het epos der Finnen (Kalevala) by Elias Lönnrot
book 105: Hemel en hel (Heaven and hell) by Jón Kalman Stefánsson
book 106: Herfst (Autumn) by Ali Smith
book 107: Anders : Gender door de ogen van een primatolooog (Different: gender through the eyes of a primatologist) by Frans de Waal
book 108: Zuidstraat by Denis Henriquez
book 109: Sinaasappels zijn niet de enige vruchten (Oranges are not the only fruit) by Jeanette Winterson
book 110: Gaandeweg by J.J. Voskuil
book 111: Zipper en zijn vader (Zipper and his father) by Joseph Roth
book 112: Landlijnen (Landlines) by Raynor Winn
book 113: Riskante relaties (Dangerous liasons) by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
book 114: Mekka, in de tweede helft van de negentiende eeuw (Mekka in the latter part of the 19th century: daily life, customs and learning) by Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje
book 115: Schol in de Noordzee by Roelke Posthumus en Adriaan Rijnsdorp
book 116: Ali en Nino (Ali and Nino) by Kurban Said
book 117: Het glazen hotel (The glass hotel) by Emily St. John Mandel
book 118: De woede van het vuur (The fury in the fire) by Henning Mankell
book 119: Jan Terlouw : jeugdboekenheld op het Binnenhof by Joep Boerboom
book 120: Bloedbroeders (Blood brothers) by Ernst Haffner
book 121: Mens of wolf? by An Rutgers van der Loeff-Basenau
book 122: Tsjik (Why we took the car) by Wolfgang Herrndorf
book 123: Het drijvende koninkrijk (The kingdom by the sea) by Paul Theroux

books read in June 2023
book 124: De moeder van Frankenstein by Almudena Grandes
book 125: De tovenaar (The magican) by Colm Tóibín
book 126: 't Manco (A void) by Georges Perec
book 127: Een algemene theorie van het vergeten (A general theory of oblivion) by José Eduardo Agualusa
book 128: Bier in de snookerclub (Beer in the snooker club) by Waguih Ghali
book 129: Ik mooi praten (Me talk pretty one day) by David Sedaris
book 130: Het korte maar wonderbare leven van Oscar Wao (The brief wondrous life of Oscar Wao) by Junot Díaz
book 131: Schuilplaats voor andere tijden (Time shelter) by Georgi Gospodinov
book 132: Stoner (Stoner) by John Williams
book 133: Inktzwart hart (The ink black heart; Cormoran Strike 6) by Robert Galbraith
book 134: Monddood (Rivierdelta 3) by Arttu Tuominen
book 135: De diepst verborgen herinnering van de mens (The most secret memory of men) by Mohamed Mbougar Sarr
book 136: Lieg met mij (Lie with me) by Philippe Besson
book 137: Bruggenbouwers (De grote eeuw 1) by Jan Guillou
book 138: Het verdriet van de engelen (The sorrow of angels; Heaven and hell 2) by Jon Kalman Stefánsson
book 139: Kerewin (The bone people) by Keri Hulme
book 140: De belijdenis van de stilte by A. Roland Holst
book 141: 1q84 (1Q84) by Haruki Murakami
book 142: Driedaagse reis (Three day road) by Joseph Boyden
book 143: Laat maar bloeden (Let it bleed; John Rebus 7) by Ian Rankin

books read in July 2023
book 144: Natuuramnesie by Marc Argeloo
book 145: Aan open zee (By the open sea) by August Strindberg
book 146: Het hart van de mens (The heart of man) by Jón Kalman Stefánsson
book 147: Niet te stoppen (On the come up) by Angie Thomas
book 148: Dandy uit het noorden (De grote eeuw 2) by Jan Gillou
book 149: Sneeuw, hond, voet (Snow, dog, foot) by Claudio Morandini
book 150: Ten oosten van Eden (East of Eden) by John Steinbeck
book 151: Het puttertje (The goldfinch) by Donna Tartt
book 152: Hoe je geliefde te herkennen by Tomas Lieske
book 153: Circusnachten (Nights at the circus) by Angela Carter
book 154: De stenen dagboeken (The stone diaries) by Carol Shields
book 155: Rabbit rent (Rabbit, run) by John Updike
book 156: De jongen die het paard van Attila stal (The boy who stole Attila's horse) by Iván Repila
book 157: Hoffman's honger (Hoffman's hunger) by Leon de Winter
book 158: Godverdomse dagen op een godverdomse bol by Dimitri Verhulst
book 159: De Cock en moord in reclame (De Cock 59) by A.C. Baantjer
book 160: De vrouw die terug moest (For the missing) by Lina Bengtsdotter
book 161: Wat doe ik hier (What am I doing here) by Bruce Chatwin
book 162: Ik = cartograaf by Jeroen Theunissen
book 163: Portret van een dame (The portrait of a lady) by Henry James
book 164: Aarde der mensen (This earth of mankind) by Pramoedya Ananta Toer
book 165: De hongerende weg (The famished road) by Ben Okri

books read in August 2023
book 166: Een geest in de keel (A ghost in the throat) by Doireann Ní Ghríofa
book 167: Eeuwige vriendschap (von Bodenstein en Kirchhoff 10) by Nele Neuhaus
book 168: De kartuize van Parma (The charterhouse of Parma) by Stendhal
book 169: Het geheime dagboek van Adrian Mole 13¾ jaar (The secret diary of Adrian Mole aged 13¾) by Sue Townsend
book 170: Het eiland van de verdwenen bomen (The island of missing trees) by Elif Shafak
book 171: Winterthur by Alexander Nieuwenhuis
book 172: Melkboer (Milkman) by Anna Burns
book 173: Pleegkind (Foster) by Claire Keegan
book 174: De blauwe schuit by Yamamoto Shūgorō
book 175: De belofte (The promise) by Damon Galgut
book 176: De tuin van de avondnevel (The garden of evening mists) by Tan Twan Eng
book 177: Lentehonger by Sander Kollaard
book 178: Stechlin (The Stechlin) by Theodor Fontane
book 179: Weerzin (Martin Servaz 5) by Bernard Minier
book 180: De akte van mijn moeder (The acts of my mother or No live files remain) by András Forgách
book 181: Oud genoeg om dood te gaan (Natural causes) by Barbara Ehrenreich
book 182: Met moeder mee by Joyce Roodnat
book 183: Casino Royale (Casino Royale) by Ian Fleming
book 184: Het verdriet van België (The sorrow of Belgium) by Hugo Claus
book 185: Ogentroost by Yolanda Entius
book 186: Spion van nobel bloed (The honourable schoolboy) by John Le Carré
book 187: De vlammenwerpers (The flamethrowers) by Rachel Kushner
book 188: Een geslaagde grap (A perfect hoax) by Italo Svevo
book 189: Honderd jaar eenzaamheid (One hundred years of solitude) by Gabriel García Márquez
book 190: Het is te koud om te sterven by Christian Frascella

books read in September 2023
book 191: De beloning by Stine Jensen
book 192: In ongenade (Disgrace) by J.M. Coetzee
book 193: De horizon by Wiesław Myśliwski
book 194: Hamsters in je hersenen by Joachim Meyerhoff
book 195: Gerechtigheid (Black and Blue; John Rebus 8) by Ian Rankin
book 196: Langs de rivier (River) by Esther Kinsky
book 197: Half leven by Aya Sabi
book 198: Tussen rood en zwart by Jan Guillou
book 199: Kartonnen dozen by Tom Lanoye
book 200: Zijde (Silk) by Alessandro Baricco
book 201: Het verdwenen kind by Esther Vermeulen
book 202: De zeven broers (Seven Brothers) by Aleksis Kivi
book 203: Terug naar Oegstgeest (Back to Oegstgeest) by Jan Wolkers
book 204: Schittering by Margaret Mazzantini
book 205: Zomerboek (The Summer Book) by Tove Jansson
book 206: Wij zijn licht (We Are Light) by Gerda Blees
book 207: Winter (Winter) by Ali Smith
book 208: Corpus delicti (The Method) by Juli Zeh
book 209: Arsène Lupin, gentleman-inbreker (Arsène Lupin, Gentleman-Burglar) by Maurice Leblanc
book 210: Over het verlangen naar een sigaret by Rutger Kopland
book 211: De kikkerbruid by Alet Schouten
book 212: Een klein leven (The Road) by Vasili Grossman
book 213: Kleine dagen by Bernard Dewulf
book 214: De ogen van Osiris by Oliver Pötzsch
book 215: Kassa 19 (Checkout 19) by Claire-Louise Bennett

Reading plans in 2023
Reading books from the 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die list
Read some big tomes (1000+ pages)
Read books by Nobel Prize for Literature winners

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

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Some big tomes I might read in 2023:
Ideeën (1-7) by Multatuli, 3846 pages
De razende Roeland (Orlando furioso) by Ludovico Ariosto, 1783 pages
De kracht van Atlantis (Atlas shrugged) by Ayn Rand, 1373 pages
✔ 1q84 (IQ84) - Haruki Murakami, 1296 pages
✔ Inktzwart hart (The ink black heart) - Robert Galbraith, 1190 pages
Vestdijk, een biografie - Wim Hazeu, 1051 pages

--
Some other books I want to read in 2023, as my library wishlist got out of control:
Het verhaal van een leven (The story of a life) - Aharon Appelfeld, 210 pages
Een ander land (Another country) - James Baldwin, 578 pages
De mandarijnen (The mandarins) - Simone de Beauvoir, 732 pages
Oorlogsgedruis (Undertones of war) - Edmund Blunden, 359 pages
Anatomie van een moment (The anatomy of a moment) - Javier Cercas, 539 pages
✔ Wat doe ik hier (What am I doing here?) - Bruce Chatwin, 337 pages
✔ Wereld en wandel van Michael K (Life and times of Michael K) - J.M. Coetzee, 222 pages
Jean-Paul Sartre : zijn biografie (Sartre: a life) - Annie Cohen-Solal, 610 pages
Het valse leven (Tree of life) - Maryse Condé, 398 pages
De tweeënveertigste breedtegraad (The 42nd parallel) - John Dos Passos, 445 pages
✔ Het bezoek van de lijfarts (The royal physician's visit) - Per Olov Enquist, 325 pages
De stille Amerikaan (The quiet American) - Graham Greene, 239 pages
✔ Duitse les (The German lesson) - Siegfried Lenz, 511 pages
✔ Kalevala (The kalevala) - Elias Lönnrot, 331 pages
De huid (The skin) - Curzio Malaparte, 413 pages
De verloofden (The betrothed) - Alessandro Manzoni, 651 pages
Sjostakovitsj : zijn leven, zijn werk, zijn tijd - Krzysztof Meyer, 576 pages
Een staat van vrijheid (In a free state) - V.S. Naipaul, 285 pages
Een beloofd land (A promised land) - Barack Obama, 896 pages
✔ De hongerende weg (The famished road) - Ben Okri, 492 pages
✔ Mekka, in de tweede helft van de negentiende eeuw (Mekka in the latter part of the 19th century) - Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje, 643 pages
✔ Aan open zee (By the open sea) - August Strindberg, 207 pages
Laatste ronde (Last orders) - Graham Swift, 289 pages
✔ Het drijvende koninkrijk (The kingdom by the sea) - Paul Theroux, 375 pages
De Moeras-Arabieren (The marsh Arabs) - Wilfred Thesiger, 287 pages
✔ Aarde der mensen (This earth of mankind) - Pramoedya Ananta Toer, 457 pages
✔ Rabbit rent (Rabbit run) - John Updike, 300 pages
Rembrandt - Theun de Vries, 303 pages
Wilt Tjaarda - Theun de Vries, 296 pages
Herinneringen van Hadrianus (Memoirs of Hadrian) - Marguerite Yourcenar, 346 pages
✔ Landlijnen (Landlines) - Raynor Winn, 351 pages

Trying to read an author from every country in the world

Afghanistan: Khaled Hosseini
Albania: Ismail Kadare
Algeria: Kamel Daoud
Angola: José Eduardo Agualusa
Argentina: Alberto Manguel
Armenia: Nairi Zaryan
Aruba: Denis Henriquez
Australia: John Marsden
Austria: Marlen Haushofer
Azerbaijan: Kurban Said
Belarus: Svetlana Alexievich
Belgium: Els Beerten
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Saša Stanišic
Brazil: Malba Tahan
Bulgaria: Elias Canetti
Cameroon: Ferdinand Oyono
Canada: Naomi Klein
Chile: Isabel Allende
China: Cao Xueqin
Colombia: Gabriel García Márquez
Croatia: Slobodan Šnajder
Curaçao: Frank Martinus Arion
Czechia: Pavel Kohout
Danmark: Tove Ditlevsen
Dominican Republic: Junot Díaz
Egypt: Nagieb Mahfoez
Finland: Väinö Linna
France: Annie Ernaux
Georgia: Nino Haratischwili
Germany: Uwe Johnson
Ghana: Yaa Gyasi
Greece: Yanis Varoufakis
Hungary: Miklós Bánffy
Iceland: Hallgrimur Helgason
India: Vikram Seth
Indonesia: Pramoedya Ananta Toer
Iran: Hushang Moradi Kermani
Iraq: Rodaan Al Galidi
Ireland: Paul Murray
Israel: David Grossman
Italy: Elena Ferrante
Japan: Junpei Gomikawa
Lithuania: Romain Gary
Malaysia: Tan Twan Eng
Mexico: Mariano Azuela
Morocco: Fayza Oum'Hamed
Netherlands: Ilja Leonard Pfeijffer
New Zealand: Margaret Mahy
Nigeria: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Norway: Marta Breen
Palestine: Sayed Kashua
Peru: Mario Vargas Llosa
Poland: Olga Tokarczuk
Portugal: António Lobo Antunes
Romania: Herta Müller
Russia: Konstantin Paustovski
Senegal: Mohamed Mbougar Sarr
Slovakia: Sándor Márai
South Africa: Trevor Noah
South Korea: An Na
Spain: Almudena Grandes
Suriname: Anton de Kom
Sweden: Henning Mankell
Switzerland: Charles-Ferdinand Ramuz
Syria: Khālid Khalīfah
Tibet: Tenzin Gyatso
Trinidad and Tobago: V.S. Naipaul
Turkey: Orhan Pamuk
Ukraine: Isaac Babel
Venezuela: Miguel Bonnefoy
United Kingdom: Robert Macfarlane
United States: John Steinbeck
Vietnam: Viet Thanh Nguyen


visited 72 states (32%)

Tickers

Totals since 2008:

My reading in previous years
2008: 130 books -   35,152 pages   (96.0 ppd)
2009:   78 books -   21,470 pages   (58.8 ppd)
2010: 121 books -   38,209 pages (104.7 ppd)
2011:   84 books -   30,256 pages   (82.9 ppd)
2012:   53 books -   18,779 pages   (51.3 ppd)
2013:   13 books -     3,692 pages   (10.1 ppd)
2014:   17 books -     3,700 pages   (10.1 ppd)
2015:   29 books -   10,080 pages   (27.6 ppd)
2016: 253 books -   72,391 pages (197.8 ppd)
2017: 453 books - 110,222 pages (302.0 ppd)
2018: 534 books - 111,906 pages (306.6 ppd)
2019: 413 books - 110,873 pages (303.8 ppd)
2020: 226 books -   79,216 pages (216.4 ppd)
2021: 288 books -   94,339 pages (258.5 ppd)
2022: 323 books - 102,275 pages (280.2 ppd)

--
Previous threads in 2023
book 1 - 23: thread 1
book 24 - 53: thread 2
book 54 - 74: thread 3
book 75 - 96: thread 4
book 97 - 123: thread 5
book 124 - 143: thread 6
book 144 - 165: thread 7
book 166 - 190: thread 8
book 191 - 215: thread 9
--
Monthly statistics
January: 23 books / 8,293 pages
February: 30 books / 7,531 pages
March: 21 books / 6,990 pages
April: 22 books / 7,384 pages
May: 27 books / 9,034 pages
June: 20 books / 8,968 pages
July: 22 books / 7,927 pages
August: 25 books / 8,306 pages
September: 25 books / 6,795 pages

Lists on my WikiThing

The best books I have read, by year first published
My Five star reads
The best 50 books I have read (fiction)
The books by Nobel prize winners I have read
The Booker prize winners I have read
The Pulitzer prize winners (fiction) I have read
The winners of some Dutch literary prizes
Countries I have visited with reading around the world

Series I read, a list to keep track

Alan Banks by Peter Robinson (re-read 4/20)
1 Stille blik; 2 Nachtlicht; 3 Tegenstroom; 4 Zondeval; 5 Schijnbeeld; 6 Woensdagkind; 7 Zwanenzang; 8 Innocent Graves (not translated); 9 Dead Right (not translated); 10 Verdronken verleden; 11 Kil als het graf; 12 Nasleep; 13 Onvoltooide zomer; 14 Vuurspel; 15 Drijfzand; 16 Hartzeer; 17 Duivelsgebroed; 18 Overmacht; 19 Uitschot; 20 Dwaalspoor; 21 Dankbare dood; 22 Slachthuisblues

Ari Thór Arason (Dark Iceland) by Ragnar Jónasson 4/4
1 Sneeuwblind; 2 Inktzwart; 3 Poolnacht; 4 Ademloos

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

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

De Cock by A.C. Baantjer 59/70

Cormoran Strike by Robert Galbraith 6/6
1 Koekoeksjong; 2 Zijderups; 3 Het slechte pad; 4 Witte dood; 5 Kwaad bloed; 6 Inktzwart hart; 7 Stromend graf

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

De grote eeuw by Jan Guillou 3/10
1 Bruggenbouwers; 2 Dandy uit het noorden; 3 Tussen rood en zwart; 4 De kop in het zand; 5 Blauwe Ster; 6 Echte Amerikaanse jeans; 7 1968; 8 Zij die dromen doden slapen nooit; 9 De tweede hoofdzonde; 10 Het einde van het verhaal

Guido Brunetti by Donna Leon 30/31
1 Dood van een maestro; 2 Dood in den vreemde; 3 De dood draagt rode schoenen; 4 Salto mortale; 5 Acqua alta; 6 Een stille dood; 7 Nobiltà; 8 Fatalità; 9 Vriendendienst; 10 Onrustig tij; 11 Bedrieglijke zaken; 12 De stille elite; 13 Verborgen bewijs; 14 Vertrouwelijke zaken; 15 Duister glas; 16 Kinderspel; 17 Droommeisje; 18 Gezichtsverlies; 19 Een kwestie van vertrouwen; 20 Dodelijke conclusies; 21 Beestachtige zaken; 22 Het onbekende kind; 23 Tussen de regels; 24 Ik aanbid je; 25 Eeuwige jeugd; 26 Wat niet verdwijnt; 27 Vergiffenis; 28 De troonopvolger; 29 Duister water; 30 Vluchtig verlangen; 31 Liefdadigheid; 32 So Shall You Reap (not translated)

Isabelle Bonnet by Pierre Martin 4/6
1 Madame le Commissaire en de verdwenen Engelsman; 2 Madame le Commissaire en de uitgestelde wraak; 3 Madame le Commissaire en de dood van de politiechef; 4 Madame le Commissaire en het mysterieuze schilderij; 5 Madame le Commissaire en de dode non; 6 Madame le Commissaire en de dode minnaar; 7 Madame le Commissaire und die Frau (not translated); 8 Madame le Commissaire und die panische Diva (not translated); 9 Madame le Commissaire und die Villa der Frauen (not translated)

John Rebus by Ian Rankin 9/23
1 Kat & muis; 2 Blindeman; 3 Hand & Tand; 4 Ontmaskering; 5 Zwartboek; 6 Vuurwerk; 7 Laat maar bloeden; 8 Gerechtigheid; 9 Door het lint; 10 Dode zielen; 11 In het duister; 12 Valstrik; 13 Lazarus; 14 Een kwestie van bloed; 15 De rechtelozen; 16 Gedenk de doden; 17 Laatste ronde; 18 Cold case; 19 Saints of the Shadow Bible (not translated); 20 Even Dogs in the Wild (not translated); 21 Rather Be the Devil (not translated); 22 Een web van leugens; 23 Een lied voor duistere tijden

Konráð by Arnaldur Indridason 4/4
1 Smeltend ijs; 2 Boven water; 3 Smeulend vuur; 4 Vallende stenen; 5 Razende storm

Konrad Sejer by Karin Fossum 6/14
1 Eva's oog; 2 Kijk niet achterom; 3 Wie de wolf vreest; 4 De duivel draagt het licht; 5 De Indiase bruid; 6 Zwarte seconden; 7 De moord op Harriet Krohn; 8 Een andere voorkeur; 9 Kwade wil; 10 De waarschuwer; 11 Veenbrand; 12 De fluisteraar; 13 De verduistering; 14 Zwanenzang

Martin Servaz by Bernard Minier 5/7
1 Een kille rilling; 2 Huivering; 3 Verduistering; 4 Schemering; 5 Weerzin; 6 Afdaling; 7 Afrekening

Oliver von Bodenstein & Pia Kirchhoff by Nele Neuhaus 10/10
1 Een onbeminde vrouw; 2 Moordvrienden; 3 Diepe wonden; 4 Sneeuwwitje moet sterven; 5 Wie wind zaait; 6 Boze wolf; 7 De levenden en de doden; 8 Het woud; 9 Moederdag; 10 Eeuwige vriendschap

De Rougons-Macquarts (The Rougon-Macquarts) by Émile Zola 4/20
1 Het fortuin der Rougons; 2 De buit; 3 De buik van Parijs; 4 De verovering van Plassans; 5 De misstap van pastoor Mouret; 6 Zijne excellentie Eugène Rougon; 7 De nekslag; 8 Liefde; 9 Nana; 10 In troebel water; 11 In het paradijs voor de vrouw; 12 Levensvreugde; 13 De mijn; 14 Het werk; 15 Het land; 16 De droom; 17 Het beest in de mens; 18 Het geld; 19 De ondergang; 20 Dokter Pascal

Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle 4/8
1 Een studie in rood; 2 De vallei der verschrikking; 3 De hond van de Baskervilles; 4 Het teken van de vier; 5 Het laatste probleem; 6 Het avontuur van de duivelsklauw; 7 Zijn laatste buiging; 8 De onbekende avonturen van Sherlock Holmes

De tandeloze tijd by A.F.Th. van der Heijden 1/11
0 De slag om de Blauwbrug; 1 Vallende ouders; 2 De gevarendriehoek; 2.1 Weerborstels; 3.1 Het hof van barmhartigheid; 3.2 Onder het plaveisel het moeras; 3.4 Doodverf; 4 Advocaat van de hanen; 5 De helleveeg; 6 Kwaadschiks; 8 Stemvorken

Van Veeteren by Håkan Nesser 6/11
1 Het grofmazige net; 2 Het vierde offer; 3 De terugkeer; 4 De vrouw met de moedervlek; 5 De commissaris en het zwijgen; 6 De zaak van Münster; 7 Carambole; 8 De dode op het strand; 9 De zwaluw, de kat, de roos en de dood; 10 Van Veeteren en de zaak-G; 11 De vereniging van linkshandigen

Books acquired in 2023: 31

January (2)
Het gouden boek - Doris Lessing
Episoden uit het leven van Lulu - Almudena Grandes

February (4)
Job: roman over een eenvoudige man - Joseph Roth
Beton - Thomas Bernhard
Correctie - Thomas Bernhard
Watten - Thomas Bernhard

March (6)
Waar alles nog toegaat zoals het hoort - Jef van Gool
Vernietigen - Michel Houellebecq
De eerlijke vinder - Lize Spit (bookweek gift)
Boto Banja - Raoul de Jong (bookweek essay)
DealersDochter - Astrid Roemer
Brave new world : zestien schilders voor de eenentwintigste eeuw - Hans den Hartog Jager

April (4)
Spion van nobel bloed - John le Carré
Natuuramnesie - Marc Argeloo
Kroniek van Eldorado. I: Folteraars over en weer - Albert Helman
Kroniek van Eldorado. II: Gefolterden zonder verweer - Albert Helman

May (1)
Dagen in huis - Roelof ten Napel

June (1)
Wilde dood - marwin vos

August (2)
Melkboer - Anna Burns
Wraakengelen : 1500 jaar oorlog op de Balkan - Borislav Čičovački

October (11)
Drenthepad : Streekpad 6 by Jolanda Denekamp
De andere naam : Septologie I -II by Jon Fosse
Ik is een ander : Septologie III - V by Jon Fosse
Een nieuwe naam : Septologie VI - VII by Jon Fosse
De grote cirkel by Maggie Shipstead
Het ijzig hart by Almudena Grandes (e-book)
Inés en de vreugde by Almudena Grandes (e-book)
De drie bruiloften van Manolita by Almudena Grandes (e-book)
De patiënten van dokter García by Almudena Grandes (e-book)
De moeder van Frankenstein by Almudena Grandes (e-book)
Ravi en de laatste magie by Sanne Rooseboom (kinderboekenweekgeschenk 2023)

Welcome!

Happy Saturday, Anita. Happy New Thread! How was the walking trip? Nice weather?

Happy new thread, Anita. I love having a peek at your walking vacations. Thanks for posting those photos!

>16 msf59: Thank you, Mark.
We had a very good time in Limburg. One day was very warm for October (27°C / 80°F), so we shortened our walk that day. All dry, except for Wednesday, when we had a little drizzle.
I will update the first message later with a more extensive report of our week.

>17 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley. We had a very good time, all three (Frank, our frien Guido & me) in a good mood all week :-)

>1 FAMeulstee: First message is updated with a report of our week :-)

I hope to catch up with the threads tomorrow.

Hello Anita. Happy new thread, lovely pics and info about your walking trip in Limburg.

Thank you for staying up with my thread, and I hope to be a more regular visitor here again.

>20 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen.
We booked for our last trip to Limburg, in March 2024 we will walk the last part of the Pieterpad.
We also discussed further plans with Guido, he wants to continue to be our driver for our walking vacations. As he liked our stay in September 2020 in Drenthe best, we will start our next walking project there. In November 2024 we hope to start walking the Drenthepad and booked our stay in the same accomodation.

Always happy to see you on my thread :-)

Happy new thread, Anita! I really enjoyed reading about your walking trip and seeing the pictures. It sounds like an excellent trip, and you had mostly good weather too! Sorry about the one really hot day.

Happy new thread, Anita!

Happy new thread, Anita!

Happy new thread and welcome back! What a wonderful walking vacation you had. Looks like there was a lot to take in.

Happy new thread Anita!

I hope your vacation has been as delightful as it looks!

Happy new one, Anita.

I think a walking holiday is such a great idea and the Netherlands with its absence of serious topography makes for excellent leisure walking.

>22 atozgrl: Thank you, Irene!
We really like to take our vacations this way. We don't have to travel far, we always know where to go next time, and walking is a nice way to explore other parts of our country.
Usually the weather is cool at the end of March and early October (we do this twice a year), but this year it was rather cold in March, and warm in October. Frank and I both can handle the cold way better.

>23 drneutron: Thank you, Jim!

>24 bell7: Thank you, Mary!

>25 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita!
It was a lovely part of the Pieterpad, the last mostly flat part. Next time we get to a more hilly part of our counrty. Only 40 km left to go, so that should be doable in 6 days, even with the steep hills.

>26 quondame: Thank you, Susan!
Yes, it was as delightful. Only the time just flew by, before I knew it I was back home again ;-)

>27 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul.
We will get to more serious hills in the last part. The south of Limburg isn't flat at all. We will end at the Sint-Pietersberg (Mount Saint Peter), at over 100 meters. The highest top of our country is at the tripoint between Germany, Belgium and the Netherlands at 322.4 meters. Not much compared to real mountains, but rather daunting for a woman of the very flat Flevopolder (the highest point in our province is an artificial hill of 29 meters LOL).

Happy new thread, Anita.
Thank you for your travel report with the beautiful pictures.
I have only just returned myself from my holiday (with a focus on chilling out and enjoying the local food) but reading it makes me want to go for a walk....
Have a wonderful sunday.

>31 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas.
You are very welcome, we really enjoy our holidays walking the Pieterpad. Although we might insert one or two lazy days in the future. I hope you do go for a walk, and enjoy!

We will go over to my brother and his wife this afternoon, and go out for dinner together. To an Indian restaurant this time, looking forward to it :-)

I hope you have an enjoyable Sunday too!

Hi Anita my dear, Happy New Thread. Your walking holiday sounds wonderful, walking is something that both Karen and I need to do more of.

I hope that your dinner with your Brother and his wife is a good one, we love a good Indian Restaurant and i was pleased that the one Karen had booked for my 60th birthday in Seahouses was really lovely and gave me a chance to try a totally new Asian dish. Sending love and hugs to both of you from both of us.

Happy new thread, and glad that you enjoyed the vacation!

>28 FAMeulstee: I agree! I like walking best when the weather is on the cool side. Cold is better than hot.

Have a great week!

>33 johnsimpson: Thank you, John.
We love our walking holidays. We didn't know how far we would get, when we started in 2020. And now we are about to finish next year :-)
We had a tasty diner with my brother and his wife, good food and good company, what more could we wish for? Glad to know you also love a good Indian diner.
Love and hugs right back to you and Karen from both of us.

>34 banjo123: Thank you, Rhonda. Our vacation flew by, as always, when having a good time.

>35 atozgrl: Indeed, Irene, you can put more clothes on against the cold, but there is a point you can't put more clothes off because the hot... ;-)

Happy New Thread!!
Love the pictures, beautiful country!!

>38 hredwards: Thank you, Harold!
Glad you love my pictures. We had not been in this part of our country before, so the beauty was a surprise to us. Walking is a nice way to explore.

Happy new thread, Anita. Great stats. Thanks for sharing pictures from your walking vacation.

Happy New 🧵! Love your notes and photos of your walking tour. The countryside is beautiful and has some really interesting features. Thanks so much for sharing!

Love hearing about your walking holidays. They make me want to go again but, realistically, I don't see that happening so I'll just have to enjoy yours vicariously.

>40 Kristelh: Thank you, Kristel.
Always happy to share my pictures here. It is nice to explore my country by foot.

>41 Storeetllr: Thank you, Mary!
We had a good time, and walked through many lovely landscapes. Next year the last part, where we will be going through the only part of our country with many hills.

>42 RebaRelishesReading: I am always thinking of you, Reba, when we are walking the Pieterpad. So you do travel with me :-)

book 216: De kleine blonde dood by Boudewijn Büch
library, e-book, Dutch, no translations, 217 pages
TIOLI Challenge #4: Read a book that has a title word that starts with an O, an N or a D (October, November & December)

The writer explores his problematic relation with his father, who suffered from PTSD after WWII. He also descibes the time with his son, who died very young.

I like Büch's non-fiction works better.

Title translated: The small blond death

book 217: Leven na leven by Kate Atkinson
library, e-book, translated, original title Life After Life, 525 pages
TIOLI Challenge #11: Read a book with 300 pages or more

Intriguing story, exploring different possible outcomes of one life.
Ursula Todd is born in February 1910, and we follow her through time, living the life that could have been. Each life has a different outcome, in her first story she dies right after birth, The End. Next time she survives, and on nad on, with small varieties in her life and and the life of others.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 218: Door het lint by Ian Rankin
library, e-book, translated, original title The Hanging Garden, 381 pages
TIOLI Challenge #11: Read a book with 300 pages or more

John Rebus book 9
Rebus has to go after a possible WWII war criminal. It is not sure it is the same man, as his trail back in time isn't complete. His daughter Sam ends up in hospital, after being hit by a car. And meanwhile the gangs are on the edge of a war. Cafferty is still in jail, and other gangs hope to get some of his trade to their own.

As always a good constructed story. More family dynamics, beause of Sam.

Dutch title translated: Through the line
  ('Door het lint gaan' is a Dutch saying meaning 'loosing it' or 'going crazy')

Hi Anita. Lovely pictures of your trip again. Walking is a very good way to travel and enjoy the landscape. I’m always surprised how much there is to see in just a few miles.

>48 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella, we had a good time.
Agreed, and even more to see if you look from different angles, like taking the same road back and forth (as we did a few times when we saw a bench a few 100 metres from the route). Sitting in the car, while Guido was driving us to our start, or from the end, gave again an other perspective.
The most surprising part was walking into Sittard along a straightened brook, with a lot of green along it. It took us all the way to the center of the city, so the walk between the city buildings was short there.

Happy new thread Anita! Lovely photos :)

>44 FAMeulstee: Oh how sweet, Anita!! Thank you!

Your walk looks lovely, Anita. Thank you for sharing it.

Your walking holiday looks lovely Anita. I'm glad you are enjoying it!

I really loved Life After Life. I'm glad you did too.

>50 curioussquared: Thank you, Natalie. We had a lovely time.

>51 RebaRelishesReading: Ever since you mentioned you would love to walk a part of the Pieterpad, Reba :-)

>52 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte.
We really like these short vacations, going through parts of our country we are not familiar with.

>53 vancouverdeb: Thank you, Deborah, we had a good time again.
Life after Life was really good. I immediately got the next book about the Todd family, A God in Ruins, from the library, and hope to read it later this month.

ETA: I had mixed up the letters in some words

I’ve read both Life After Life and A God in Ruins. I like her writing.

>56 Kristelh: I am looking forward to A God in Ruins, Kristel. I have a few other books to read first.

--
Read, not yet reviewed:
#219: Ik moet je verraden (I Must Betray You) by Ruta Sepetys
#220: Broeder ezel by Liesbeth Goedbloed
#221: Het Mussolinikanaal (The Mussolini Canal) by Antonio Pennacchi

Reading now:
Het bezoek van de lijfarts (The Royal Physician's Visit) by Per Olov Enquist
De stille kracht (The Hidden Force) by Louis Couperus

Happy new-ish thread, Anita!

>1 FAMeulstee: I love the pictures from the walking tour which sounds wonderful!

>54 FAMeulstee: I still would like to but I just don't see it happening. My dear friend that I walked in England with is game but we've never been able to figure out the logistics. Love doing it vicariously with you though.

>58 alcottacre: Thank you, Stasia!
It has been wonderful again. It was a very good idea to go on walking vacation back in 2020, doing it ever since :-)

>59 RebaRelishesReading: It is still fun to think of it, Reba, even if it won't happen.
We all have dreams, and only a few may work out in reality. Shouldn't keep us from dreaming!

Hello Anita, and happy Thursday to you!

>36 FAMeulstee: We had a tasty diner with my brother and his wife, good food and good company, what more could we wish for? Perfect.

>46 FAMeulstee: My dad suffered from PTSD too, but it was never diagnosed, he never mentioned the war, he wasn’t abusive but he was distant. I ache for him and wish I knew more about what he went through in Europe. I was chatting with a new friend at a birthday party last Sunday. Her father was in Europe, he, too, only shared funny stories about food, he suffered from PTSD. He, like my father, were grateful for Truman’s decision to drop the bombs in Japan, because both were staging to go to the Pacific theater. Sigh. War’s awful, beyond awful, in what it does to people.

>47 FAMeulstee: There are any one of a number of books out there that explore this theme, and I enjoy each one. I’m thinking of one in particular, but can’t remember the title, but in it the protagonist has different deaths via suicide before deciding to choose an outcome where she lives.

>57 FAMeulstee: Getting close to 75 x 3…

>60 FAMeulstee: I am hoping that I can convince my husband (once he is retired) to do something similar. I do not just want him sitting around all day long, lol.

>60 FAMeulstee: Indeed you're very right, Anita

>61 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen, happy Thursday!

It was perfect, all four of us go along well. My brother and I both expressed how odd it was that all our other siblings are gone now.

Back in the days no one was diagnosed, psychic problems were mostly ignored. Very sad.
War is awful indeed, and it is so sad there are still so many wars going on in the world. Creating new victims with PTSD :'(

Do you mean Matt Haig's The Midnight Library?
If I remember well Matt Haig explored those possibilities towards the main character to show life could be well worth living.
This one was exploring the possibilities in an other way. Just little differences that make a life can take an other turn. Like being at a specific place during the Blitz is the difference between death and living on.

Just finished #222 :-)

>62 alcottacre: It might work, Stasia.
We started walking together every day after our last dog died, and Frank was diagnosed with diabetes. At first only 20-30 minutes a day, but slowly we got the hang of it, and upped our daily milage. Two years later we thought that we might be able to start these walking holidays. Both our daily walks, and the longer distances when we are away, are still enjoyable.

>63 RebaRelishesReading: :-)

I tried getting my husband up early to walk for a while. But he just simply hates mornings.

>66 The_Hibernator: We always walk in the afternoon, or early evening, when we are at home. My husband is not a morning person either. When we are away, he goes to bed earlier, so we can start our walk between 11:30 and noon. No way I can make him walk any earlier :-)

Read, not yet reviewed:
#219: Ik moet je verraden (I Must Betray You) by Ruta Sepetys
#220: Broeder ezel by Liesbeth Goedbloed
#221: Het Mussolinikanaal (The Mussolini Canal) by Antonio Pennacchi
#222: Het bezoek van de lijfarts (The Royal Physician's Visit) by Per Olov Enquist
#223: Osebol (Osebol) by Marit Kapla

Reading now:
De stille kracht (The Hidden Force) by Louis Couperus
Skippy tussen de sterren (Skippy Dies) by Paul Murray

And October is now the month we acquired the most books. Eleven books entered the house in the last week.

We want to walk the Drenthepad after we finish the Pieterpad in March. Of course the first step is to buy the book :-)
Drenthepad : Streekpad 6 by Jolanda Denekamp.

After the announcment of the Nobel Prize in Literature we needed to get some books by the winner
De andere naam : Septologie I -II (The Other Name: Septology I-II) by Jon Fosse
Ik is een ander : Septologie III - V (I is Another: Septology III-V) by Jon Fosse
Een nieuwe naam : Septologie VI - VII (A New Name: Septology VI-VII) by Jon Fosse

I found De grote cirkel (Great Circle) by Maggie Shipstead in a local LFL

Finally the Dutch translation of the first book of Episodes in an interminable war was published:
Inés en de vreugde by Almudena Grandes (e-book). It is a big tome, so I got the e-book.

Then I decided I wanted my own copy of the other books from this series.
All are big tomes (the only shorter one is already on the shelves), so all as e-books:
De drie bruiloften van Manolita by Almudena Grandes (e-book)
De patiënten van dokter García by Almudena Grandes (e-book)
De moeder van Frankenstein by Almudena Grandes (e-book)

And one more big tome for my Almudena Grandes collection
Het ijzig hart (The Frozen Heart) by Almudena Grandes (e-book)

And then I got the free Childrens Book Week Gift with above books:
Ravi en de laatste magie by Sanne Rooseboom (e-book, kinderboekenweekgeschenk 2023)

>61 karenmarie: I’m sure my dad had PTSD from his experience in WWIII for which he self-medicated with alcohol. The only thing he ever said about those years was that he loved Edinburgh (where he was stationed for awhile toward the end) and that he made some friends there that he continued to correspond with after the war.

>64 FAMeulstee: I really enjoyed The Midnight Library.

>70 Storeetllr: I am very grateful that your fathers came over here in WWII, it would be a whole other country I would be living in now, if they had not. It is sad that PTSD wasn't recognised, and they had to find other ways to cope.

I enjoyed Midnight Library too, Mary :-)

I think many people had PTSD from both WW1 and WW11. Both of my grandfathers fought in WW11. My paternal grandpa died very young of a stroke, in his 40's, so I never met him. My other grandpa rarely spoke about the war. He was hit by some shrapnel and lost part of his big toe, and of course as a young child I noticed that and asked after it. He told me " best part of the War- I got to stay in the hospital. ". He did have a drinking problem for a while, and I recall he worked at Veteran's Land Act here in Canada after the war. He was the " boss" , I guess, and he would get a lot of calls in the middle of the night from drunk, unhappy colleagues, and he would sometimes have to let them go - fire them. It was hard on him.

>72 vancouverdeb: Indeed, Deborah, sorry it also affected your family.

My mother had only one brother, who was in the army at the start of WWII. He went in hiding, and joined the resistance later in the war. After the war he went to Indonesia to fight in the army again. He didn't become a nicer person because of all that.
My FiL was taken to Germany for forced labour, a few days after his 17th birthday, when all men between 17 and 40 were seized in Rotterdam in 1944. Part of the forced labour was picking up bodies after the allied bombings... He suffered all his life, and it got worse when he got older.

book 219: Ik moet je verraden by Ruta Sepetys
library, e-book, YA, translated, original title I Must Betray You, 365 pages
TIOLI Challenge #10: Read a book by an author you've read at least three books by in the past, but none so far in 2023

Ruta Sepetys writes great historical fiction for young adults. This book is about the last years under communist dictator Nicolae Ceaușescu in Romania. He was celebrated in the West, because he was the only one within the Warsaw Pact who seemingly took his own way, not always in line with the Soviet-Union. Meanwhile he supressed his people in horrible ways. The Securitate (sercret police) kept everyone in line with informants all over the place. Most of the agricultural produce was exported, leading to famine.

In this place seventeen year old Cristian Florescu grows up. One day he is blackmailed by the Securitate to be an informant. He tries to undermine his task, in hope this will cause less harm. Meanwhile the Iron Curtain is falling, and other countries of the Warsaw Pact get rid of their communist leaders.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 220: Broeder ezel by Liesbeth Goedbloed
library, e-book, Dutch, no translations, 185 pages
TIOLI Challenge #7: Read a book where adding or removing a letter makes a new title

Anna grew up in a very strickt protestant family. Now she is in Italy, walking towards the Monterosso with a donkey. She tries to make peace with her past, with religion, her parents, and her little brother who drowned. The donkey followes her, and sometimes she follows the donkey.

The writer is also a poet, this leads to beautifu poetical prose. The story itself didn't really grab me.

Title translated: Brother donkey

Happy Sunday, Anita. I loved both Life After Life and A God in Ruins. I hope she returns to this quality of writing.

I Must Betray You sounds really good. I have really enjoyed her earlier books. I finished Skippy Dies. A very good novel. I hope you are enjoying your reread.

>76 msf59: Thanks, Mark, happy Monday!
Glad to know you liked both books by Kate Atkinson. A God in Ruins is now near the top of the pile.
I also enjoyed all Sepetys books, The Fountains of Silence and I Must Betray You are my favorites.
Almost halfway with Skippy Dies, enjoying it again!

I spent my evening with the Halloween Treasure Hunt!

Found them all :-)

Found you again! Happy new thread Anita!

Your walking tour is amazing and inspiring. Singapore is similarly flat but I'm not a morning person and anyway my husband won't walk before work (too hot and humid, even before the sun comes up) but always claims he's too tired in the evenings. I go out sometimes with Jasper but these past few weeks, I've been trying to get the house back in order. I see you've nearly finished the Pieterpad and have plans for your next walk already! 27 degrees is hot for this time of the year. Or even for mid-summer, in London.

ETA: thanks for the heads-up on the Treasure Hunt.

>79 humouress: Thank you, Nina!

Sorry it isn't easy for you to make a walk with your husband a part of your daily routine. Maybe try a very short walk with him in the evening, like 10 or 15 minutes?
Yes, we hope to finish the Pieterpad next time. I never thought our walking could lead to that, when we started a daily walk ;-)
September and early October have been unusual warm here. I am so glad the temperatures have finally dropped a few days back.

Have fun with the Halloween Hunt!

>78 FAMeulstee: Thanks for the head up re The Halloween hunt, Anita! Always fun! :-)

>81 vancouverdeb: You are very welcome, Deborah.
I got them all rather quick. Not sure if this one was easy, or I got better at it ;-)

I just got them all too, Anita, I did need to check a few hints on talk, but like you, I got them much quicker than I usually do.

book 221: Het Mussolinikanaal by Antonio Pennacchi
library, translated from Italian, English translation The Mussolini Canal, 512 pages
TIOLI Challenge #12: Read a book that could be described as a "saga"

The Peruzzi family moves to the new land South of Rome in the 1930s. The swamps have been turned into agricultural lands, and poor farmers from the North get a chance to earn their own farm here.
The narrator is directly talking to us, telling all he knows about his family. First they were socialists, but when Musolini started his own fascist movement, the family followed him.

With the Peruzzi family we go through the World Wars, the Colonial War in Ethiopia, and the first years after WWII.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 222: Het bezoek van de lijfarts by Per Olov Enquist
1001 books, library, e-book, translated from Swedish, English translation The Royal Physician's Visit, 326 pages
TIOLI Challenge #3: Read a book by or about someone who died on or after February 29, 2020

Historical fiction. The young idealistic physican Johann Friedrich Struensee (1737-1772), is sought to take care of the Danish King Christian VII. The king is almost completely mad, and Stuensee earns his trust, and so becomes the ruler of the Danes. He also gets an affair with the king's wife, Queen Caroline Mathilde, originally an English princess. Struensee tries to change Denmark into a country of Enlightenment, but the upper class doesn't like his ways.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 223: Osebol by Marit Kapla
library, e-book, translated from Swedish, English translation Osebol, 816 pages
TIOLI Challenge #4: Read a book that has a title word that starts with an O, an N or a D (October, November & December)

The writer interviewed the inhabitants of the small village Osebol, where she was born. Some came recent to the village, others have been living there all their life. She lets them speak in their own voice, written down in a poetic way. A lovely insight in rural Sweden.

English and Dutch title are the same

>83 vancouverdeb: Well done by both of us :-)
I found the two needed hints on the talk thread.

I haven't been here before now?! Howinahell'd that happen?!

Anyway, *smooch*

>88 richardderus: Your are here now, Richard dear, that is all what matters.
I think there was something with you feeling not well...

*smooches* right back at you.

>89 FAMeulstee: Yes indeed, I've been dog-sick with two different diseases for a week. Yuck!

*smooch*

>90 richardderus: Glad you feel good enough to come here, Richard dear!
I hope you get rid of it soon.

*smooch*

book 224: De stille kracht by Louis Couperus
library, Dutch, Dutch Canon, English translation The Hidden Force, 270 pages
TIOLI Challenge #10: Read a book by an author you've read at least three books by in the past, but none so far in 2023

The downfall of a Dutch regent Otto van Oudijck in colonial Dutch Indies, after a conflict with the family of an ancient Javanese ruler. The Dutch seem to rule, and the Javanese seem to obey, but under the surface there is more. Not only the regent and his family, the whole Dutch community slowly slides down, believing there are hidden forces at work.

Dutch title translated: The silent force

book 225: Skippy tussen de sterren by Paul Murray
own, translated, awarded, DJP 2012, original title Skippy Dies, 663 pages
TIOLI Challenge #11: Read a book with 300 pages or more

Daniel Juster, nicknamed 'Skippy', is a 14 year old student at a Catholic boarding school in Dublin. He died at the first pages of the book, and then we go back to the events that lead to his death.
Skippy shares his room with Ruprecht Van Doren, a nerd, who loves to follow the latest discoveries in physics. Skippy falls in love with Lori, who attents the girls school near Skippy's school.
Besides Skippy and his friends we follow a history teacher, Howard Fallon, who attended the school himself, and returned after a failed carreer in finance.
Although there is a lot of humor in the story, boys in puberty have a tough life, the events leading up to Skippy's death are dark, and in traditional Catholic way hidden and ignored by those in charge.

This was a reread, as I joined the group read. I read this book first time back in 2015 and it was my favorite that year. It was an enjoyable read again, although it lost half a star in my rating. Back then I hadn't read as much as I have now. Meanwhile I also have read Robert Graves, many references to this writer in the book, so I recognised more this time around.

Skippy tussen de sterren won the Dutch prize for best translated book for young adults (Dioraphte Jongerenliteratuur Prijs) in 2012.

Dutch title translated: Skippy between the stars

And now congratulations on reaching 3*75, Anita!
Have a wonderful day.

>93 FAMeulstee: Thomas spotted it well! Congratulations on your 3x75. And on a good reread.

I have stalled on Skippy Dies but I will pick it up again. It is a bit dark, but good.

Congratson3X75.

>93 FAMeulstee: Triple goal! The hat trick, in the English sporting metaphor. I'm glad that it was a pleasant reading experience for you, Anita, even if a half-star less of one than before. Not only have we all read a lot since 2015, but the Culture has changed A LOT in those eight years, and things just hit us different than they did then.

Thursday *smooch*

>94 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas.
We were back from our bike ride just before the rain started :-)

>95 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella.
It was nice to revisit Skippy and his friends.

>96 Kristelh: Thank you, Kristel!

>97 richardderus: Thank you, Richard dear!
Indeed, both the metaphor and the pleasant experience. I did read a lot since then, my best reading years started in 2016. I was glad the story still kept my interest, you never read the same book the same way again.

An some more *smooches*

Congratulations on triple 75 Anita!

>100 humouress: Thank you, Nina!

Congrats on 3x75, Anita!!

Congratulations on your 225!

>102 curioussquared: Thank you, Natalie!

>103 quondame: Thanks, Susan!

Congratulations on that astounding number of books read!!! I truly have no idea how you do that and you do it every year!!

>105 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba!
I am just able to spend a lot of hours each day on reading :-)

Hi Anita, and happy Friday to you.

>64 FAMeulstee: Yes, you got it. The Midnight Library. I loved that book, but several people in my RL book club didn’t. It made them uncomfortable.

>70 Storeetllr: Hi Mary on Anita’s thread… *smile* Most in that generation simply didn’t talk about emotions or their experiences in the war. I’m sorry about your dad’s self-medicating with alcohol. My dad drank and my sister says he was an alcoholic, but compared to my mother’s blatant and destructive alcoholism, his drinking was minor, non-confrontative, and not dangerous to any of us.

>73 FAMeulstee: My goodness, Anita. How awful for your uncle and FiL. I do not have any relatives who I knew to speak of who ever experienced war in our country. I obviously had ancestors who were affected by the US Civil War of 1861-1865, but I have no knowledge through anecdotes or documentation of what they experienced.

>78 FAMeulstee: Brava for getting all the clues on the Hunt. As I wrote on quondame’s thread, I always try to get enough to get the badge. This time I got 3. I may play around a bit before it ends, but do not have a need to get them all.

>93 FAMeulstee: Congrats on 75 x 3! It was an enjoyable read again, although it lost half a star in my rating. Back then I hadn't read as much as I have now. I like looking up old ratings with a re-read but do not change them in my LT catalog. I appreciate your self-awareness of why it lost half a star – so many more books to refine your ratings now.

>107 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen, happy Friday.

Glad I named the right book. I liked The Midnight Library, didn't make me uncomfortable, but I wasn't smitten by the writing style.

The war came here, so nearly everyone experienced some. On these two the war had the most impact, as far as I know.
My parents were to young to be serious damaged by the war. My mother did remeber seeing the smoke of the burning city of Rotterdam in May 1940. My father was more affected by the poverty of his family in the crisis years in the 1930s.

I can not resist the hunts, and can't stop until I have found all answers :-)
I admire your restraint!

Thanks again. At that time, first time reading Skippy Dies, I had read a little over 500 books since 2008. Now I am at more than 3,000... So that is a huge difference, and indeed way more books to compare.

Read, not yet reviewed:
#226: De zonderlinge avonturen van het geniale bommenmeisje (The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden) by Jonas Jonasson
#227: Gevallen god (A God in Ruins) by Kate Atkinson

Reading now:
De grote cirkel (Great Circle) by Maggie Shipstead
Tante Poldi en de Siciliaanse leeuwen (Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions) by Mario Giordano

Happy Saturday, Anita. Good review on Skippy Dies. I am glad to see that you thought highly of it, on your reread and I am glad you joined us on the shared read.

I loved Great Circle. I hope you feel the same.

>110 msf59: Thank you, Mark, happy Sunday!
I was happy with the shared read, I would not have read Skippy Dies again without the group read.

Great Circle started well, not far in yet. Some library books nearly expire, and have to go first.

Hi Anita my dear, congrats on 3 X 75 books read for the year so far.

Hi, Anita!

>78 FAMeulstee: I have a love/hate relationship with the Hunts. In general, I love them, but I get really frustrated with myself when I have trouble finding some of the clues. I struggled with a couple on this most recent one, but finally got them all. Congrats on finishing it!

I hadn't realized that there is a treasure hunt on! I have to go and look. they are always fun.

Congrats on reading 225 books!

>112 johnsimpson: Thank you, John.

>113 scaifea: Thanks, Amber, good you got them all!
I am a completist, ever since I started with the Hunts, I have to complete them. Sometimes frustrating indeed, but with some help I always get there.

>114 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita.
Enjoy the Haloween Hunt!

Read, not yet reviewed:
#226: De zonderlinge avonturen van het geniale bommenmeisje (The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden) by Jonas Jonasson
#227: Gevallen god (A God in Ruins) by Kate Atkinson
#228: Tante Poldi en de Siciliaanse leeuwen (Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions) by Mario Giordano
#229: De zon en de wereld by Arjen Duinker
#230: De grote cirkel (Great Circle) by Maggie Shipstead

Reading now:
De dood is een zware klus (Death Is Hard Work) by Khaled Khalifah
Een vlecht van heilig gras (Braiding Sweetgrass) by Robin Wall Kimmerer

--
I hope to get to the reviews tomorrow, today we will visit my father

Hi Anita! Happy Thursday to you. I hope your visit with your father goes well.

I bought Braiding Sweetgrass a while back but don't have any plans on reading it yet. I am reading a wonderful nature book, though, An Immense World, by Ed Yong.

Sweet Thursday, Anita. I LOVED both A God in Ruins & Braiding Sweetgrass. I am hoping you felt the same way.

Hi Anita! Hope your reading is going well today.

>117 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen, happy Friday to you.
We had a good time with my father. Dinner was all you can eat with mussels, I love them, so I ate a lot, and so did my father :-)
Sadly Frank is allergic to mussels, so he was well served with schnitzels.

I am not far into Braiding Sweetgrass, even had to renew it. The Ed Young books sounds good.

>118 msf59: Thank you, Mark, sweet Friday.
I was less charmed by A God in Ruins, I liked Life after Life way better. Braiding Sweetgrass started well, but I keep being distracted by other books, so I am not far into it yet.

>119 The_Hibernator: Thank you, Rachel.
We went to my father, so it was a slow reading day. Today should be better for me and the books :-)

book 226: De zonderlinge avonturen van het geniale bommenmeisje by Jonas Jonasson
library, e-book, translated from Swedish, English translation The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden, 352 pages
TIOLI Challenge #1: Read a book with the number of title letters divisible by 5

Nombeko Mayeki is born in a South-African township. This brilliant black girl has to go to work at age five, she learn to read on her own, but that doesn't give her opportunities in life, as no one in South-Africa is interested in the abilities of a black girl.
Diamonds, and an atomic bomb change her life, and she ends up in Sweden, where she meets the twins Holger & Holger.

Not as funny as the books about The One Hundred Year Old Man, still a bit of fun between more serious parts.

Dutch title translated: The eccentric adventures of the genius bombgirl

book 227: Gevallen god by Kate Atkinson
library, e-book, translated, original title A God in Ruins, 479 pages
TIOLI Challenge #12: Read a book that could be described as a "saga"

The life of Teddy Todd, Ursula’s younger brother from Life after Life, who became a pilot for the RAF in World War II.

Teddy is almost the only likable character in this book, besides his granddaughter Bertie. I hoped to learn more about Teddy's time in Germany as POW, but nothing about it, so I was a bit disappoited after loving Life after Life.

Dutch title translated: Fallen God

book 228: Tante Poldi en de Siciliaanse leeuwen by Mario Giordano
library, e-book, translated from German, English translation Auntie Poldi and the Sicilian Lions, 304 pages
TIOLI Challenge #11: Read a book with 300 pages or more

The narrator's aunt moves to Sicily after retirement, and the death of her husband. She is German, and her husband came from Sicily, so there are in-laws living near. Auntie Poldi becomes an amateur sleuth, when her handyman disappears.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 229: De zon en de wereld : gedichten voor twee stemmen by Arjen Duinker
own, poetry, VSB Poëzieprijs 2005, no translations, 47 pages
TIOLI Challenge #7: Read a book where adding or removing a letter makes a new title

Two poems in this book, one in print (The world) and one on CD (The sun), recited by the author and Kees 't Hart.
I first listened to the CD. Repetition of words, spoken by two voices, gets into a rythm that goes beyond the words. Sadly this poem isn't printed, so you can't read along.
The second poem is printed, and I could imagine how it could sound. Again a lot of returning sentences and words.
Very special and intriguing, I might reread some day.

Winner of the VSB Poetry Prize in 2005.

Title translated: The sun and the world

Read, not yet reviewed:
#230: De grote cirkel (Great Circle) by Maggie Shipstead
#231: De dood is een zware klus (Death Is Hard Work) by Khaled Khalifah
#232: Tussentijds by Peter Zantingh
#233: Een vlecht van heilig gras (Braiding Sweetgrass) by Robin Wall Kimmerer

Reading now:
Kind van alle volken (Child of All Nations) by Pramoedya Ananta Toer
Roadtrip (Two Steps Onward) by Graeme Simsion & Anne Buist

Looking forward to your reviews. I really enjoyed Great Circle and have heard very good things about Braiding Sweetgrass.

>125 FAMeulstee: Sounds interesting! I often find it hard to follow spoken poetry, so a written text to follow along usually is welcome.

>127 RebaRelishesReading: I hope to get to my reviews tomorrow, Reba. If not they will have to wait until Friday, as Frank & I go to Rotterdam for two nights.
I liked part of Great Circle, Marian's story. The present day part with Hadley not so much. Braiding Sweetgrass was good.

>128 EllaTim: Indeed, Ella, the spoken part was harder to follow. Had to play it more than once to get some of it. I searched the internet, but sadly didn't find any text of the spoken part.

Finally made it over to your thread, and scanned through everything I missed. There was a lot! I saw the new Treasure Hunt when I first logged into LT after getting back home. I'm like you, I feel compelled to try to get them all. Fortunately, this was one of the easier hunts for me.

Wishing you a great week of reading! And congrats on getting over 225!

>130 atozgrl: Thank you, Irene!
The hunts are fun, glad you got them all. Indeed a relative easy hunt this time.

Thanks again, with two nights from home reading will be a bit less than usual.

We are about to leave for two nights in Rotterdam.
I finished Kind van alle volken (Child of All Nations) by Pramoedya Ananta Toer, and hope to finish my last October book on our way in the train.

The reviews, starting my next thread, and catching up with the threads, will have to wait until we are back.

>132 FAMeulstee:, Have a nice time away Anita.

>132 FAMeulstee: I'm looking forward to the new thread and reviews. *smooch*

>132 FAMeulstee: I went to add this to the wishlist, found the series was already there tagged to you. Some very detailed reviews on the book page about the translation and the author's history, fascinating stuff, I had no idea. I'll try and get hold of the series.

>133 Kristelh: Thank you, Kristel.
We had a good time, and are back home. I was rather tired, better now after a good sleep in my own bed.

>134 richardderus: Thank you, Richard dear.
Reviews will come today. Not sure I will get to my next thread, that might have to wait a day.

>135 charl08: I hope you can find a copy, Charlotte.
Toer suffered under Dutch colonialism in Indonesia, and again when the USA feared for communism in South-East Asia, helping Sukarno into power. He and other left-wing supporters were prisoned again. The quartet is named after the island Buru, where he was prisoned.

book 230: De grote cirkel by Maggie Shipstead
own, translated, original title Great Circle, 672 pages
TIOLI Challenge #11: Read a book with 300 pages or more

I really liked the adventurous story of Marian Graves, who became an aviator in the first half of the 20th century.
I didn't care about the story of Hadley Baxter, an actress who is casted to play Marianne in a movie in the 21st century.
Four stars for Marianne, two stars for Hadley, makes three stars for the whole.

I found this book in a Little Free Library, and will return it there.

Dutch title translated: The great circle

book 231: De dood is een zware klus by Khaled Khalifah
library, e-book, translated from Arabic, English translation Death Is Hard Work, 221 pages
TIOLI Challenge #3: Read a book by or about someone who died on or after February 29, 2020

When his father, Abd al-Latief, dies, his youngest son, Boelboel, has promised his father to bury him in his ancestral village. But this is not easy in civil war torn Syria. Together with his brother Hoessein, and his sister Fatima, they take their fathers body in a van to get to Anabiya. Before the war you could get there in a day, but now it takes much longer, and a lot of bribes, to get there. Brothers and sister have grown apart, and all they want is to get back to their homes. But first this horrendous last journey with the degrading body has to be done.

With this book I added an author from Syria to my world list >9 FAMeulstee:

Dutch title translated: The death is a hard task

book 232: Tussentijds by Peter Zantingh
library, e-book, Dutch, no translations, 175 pages

A young father travels by train through Germany, where the scars of recent floodings are still visible, to see his wife. Climate change caused the floodings, this summer has been again the hottest. For his little boy this is his third summer, does he have a future on this changing earth? Or should he not have been born?

Dutch title translated: Meanwhile

book 233: Een vlecht van heilig gras by Robin Wall Kimmerer
library, e-book, non-fiction, translated, original title Braiding Sweetgrass, 480 pages
TIOLI Challenge #11: Read a book with 300 pages or more

The writer combines scientific research, as a professor in environmental biology, with the old wisdom of natives, where plants and trees are teachers for humans.
A plea to stop exploring earth.

Dutch title translated: A braid of holy grass

book 234: Kind van alle volken by Pramoedya Ananta Toer
library, translated from Indonesian, English translation Child of All Nations, 375 pages
TIOLI Challenge #11: Read a book with 300 pages or more

Second book of The Buru Quartet
Set in the Dutch Indies, at the end of the 19th century.
The further life Minke, the native Javanese boy, who is growing up, torn between his Javanese roots and the Dutch occupiers. He has lost Annelies, and his mother in law is about to loose the company she has maintained.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 235: Roadtrip by Graeme Simsion & Anne Buist
library, e-book, translated, original title Two Steps Onward, 348 pages
TIOLI Challenge #11: Read a book with 300 pages or more

After walking the Camino de Santiago a few years back in Two Steps Forward, Martin from Yorkshire Zoe from California meet again. This time to walk the pilgrim's path to Rome, the Chemin d'Assise, with Zoe's frien Camille, who is ill and needs help to get from her home in France to Rome. Camille's husband, Gilbert, Martin's daughter Sarah, and Bernhard, a young engeneer from Germany complete the cast.
Sometimes funny, but to much religious angst and penance.

Dutch title is in English ;-)

HAppy Friday!

>141 FAMeulstee: That was a great read for me as well.

Hope you are having a nice few days in Rotterdam.

Happy Friday, Anita. Sorry that A God in Ruins & Great Circle weren't bigger hits for you. I absolutely loved both. Every book hits us differently, right? Have a great weekend.

>144 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita.
Glad you also loved Braiding Sweetgrass.
We are back home now, we did enjoy our rainy stay in Rotterdam. It is always good to be back there for a while.

>145 msf59: Can't like them all the same, Mark.
I had other expectations for A God in Ruins, and only liked the historical part of Great Circle. But we will keep on reading, and sometimes like a book the same ;-)
Happy weekend!

On the last day of October 'our' robin returned. I like to think it is the same bird that hangs around in our garden each year from fall to spring.


European Robin (not my picture)

We had a good time in Rotterdam, despite the rain. Luckely it was dry for some hours on Wednesday, so we could visit the Arboretum Trompenburg. We enjoyed the fall colors.
 

At the arboretum a Blue Grey Heron stood in the water, and stayed there long enough to take a picture:

>148 FAMeulstee: What a great picture of the Blue Heron! That neck looks scary and fascinating - the way the black streak flows down obscured by the wisps of feathers that stick out.

Not even trying to catch up, Anita, but I have to say that I love the pictures in >148 FAMeulstee:.

Have a fantastic Friday!

>149 quondame: Thank you, Susan. I have never been so close to a heron, and didn't notice the back of the long neck ever before I took this picture.
And correction, in English it should be Grey Heron, in Dutch we call it blue.

>150 alcottacre: Thank you, Stasia, happy Friday!
I still need to catch up after only a few days away, so I completely understand.

October 2023 in numbers
  (Totals for the year between brackets)

20 books read, 7,712 pages, 257.1 pages a day
  (235 books read, 78,940 pages, 260.5 pages a day)

--
books:

• own books: 3 (25)
• from the library: 17 (210)

• male author: 13 (167)
• female author: 7 (68)

• originally written in Dutch: 5 (57)
• translated into Dutch: 15 (178)
  - original language of translated books:
    • Albanian: 0 (1)
    • Arabic: 1 (1)
    • Armenian: 0 (1)
    • Bulgarian: 0 (1)
    • Czech: 0 (1)
    • Danish: 0 (1)
    • Dutch (Middle): 0 (1)
    • English: 9 (76)
    • Finnish: 0 (5)
    • French: 0 (9)
    • German: 1 (26)
    • Hungarian: 0 (1)
    • Icelandic: 0 (7)
    • Indonesian: 1 (2)
    • Italian: 1 (7)
    • Japanese: 0 (6)
    • Latin: 0 (1)
    • Norwegian: 0 (3)
    • Polish: 0 (1)
    • Portugese: 0 (2)
    • Russian: 0 (4)
    • Serbian: 0 (1)
    • Spanish: 0 (6)
    • Swedish: 3 (14)

• fiction: 19 (189)
• non-fiction: 1 (46)

• paper books: 6 (122)
• e-books: 14 (113)

• mystery/police procedural: 2 (31)
• childrens/YA: 1 (10)
• 1001 books: 1 (39)
    Total 1001 books since 2008: 319
• Dutch Canon: 1 (4)
    Total Dutch Canon since 2008: 46 of 125

--
pages:

0 - 100 pages: 1 (15)
101 - 200 pages: 2 (35)
201 - 300 pages: 3 (56)
301 - 400 pages: 7 (71)
401 - 500 pages: 2 (26)
501 - 999 pages: 5 (30)
1000+ pages: 0 (2)

• longest book 663 pages (1296 pages)
• shortest book 47 pages (32 pages)
• average book 386 pages (336 pages)

--
date first published:

2nd century: 0 (1)
11th century: 0 (1)
13th century: 0 (1)
17th century: 0 (1)
18th century: 0 (1)
19th century: 0 (8)

20th century
1900s: 1 (2)
1910s: 0 (3)
1920s: 0 (4)
1930s: 0 (6)
1940s: 0 (2)
1950s: 0 (5)
1960s: 0 (12)
1970s: 0 (8)
1980s: 2 (19)
1990s: 2 (18)

21st century
2000s: 1 (21)
2010s: 10 (62)
2020s: 4 (60)

--
ratings:

0 (3)
3 (22)
7 (90)
5 (74)
5 (44)
0 (1)
0 (1)

--
best books in October


Ik moet je verraden (I Must Betray You) by Ruta Sepetys
Skippy tussen de sterren (Skippy Dies) by Paul Murray
Kind van alle volken (Child of All Nations) by Pramoedya Ananta Toer

>151 FAMeulstee: We call Ardea herodias the Great Blue Heron in the U.S. and the wiki pics look the same. Not sure I've ever seen one though I am in the range.

>153 quondame: The one I pictured is Ardea cinerea, Susan, it lives in Europe, Africa and Asia. The Ardea herodias, his American look alike, is almost the same, but is slightly larger according to Wikipedia.

>154 FAMeulstee: It is possible that I saw birds on my few trips to Europe, in fact they must've been featured at the Tower Tour. But, other than the ravens, no names were attached!

Pretty arboretum photos! *smooch* for an excellent October's reads.

>155 quondame: That is always the problem with bird sightings, Susan, no name tags ;-)
Ardea cinerea is now very common over here, and I think the same in the rest of Western Europe. They were more rare in the 1970s, I remember it was special to see one.

>156 richardderus: Thank you, Richard dear!
I am pleased with my October numbers.

Love the pictures. Interesting how different the robin is from ours. I would trade our robins for yours any day. I'm not a fan of robins. Your heron does look like our blue heron. Minnesota has the Great Blue and Florida has the little blue.

>148 FAMeulstee: Lovely pictures! I'm glad you had a break in the rain to make a visit. Great Blue Herons are common here where I live, and they do indeed look a lot like your Grey Heron. I don't think I'd heard of the Grey Heron before.

I'm glad you had a good trip to Rotterdam, Anita! Lovely pictures! We also have many Great Blue Herons around. Such an elegant looking bird. They look very much like your Grey Heron.

>158 Kristelh: It is the only robin I know, Kristel. Curious little birds, they can sit near watching what humans are doing. Not related to the American robin.
The heron is a close relative of your blue herons.

>159 atozgrl: Thank you, Irene. We love to visit the arboretum when we are in Rotterdam. It is such a nice, quiet place, where you feel far from the noise of the city.
Grey herons are native to our part of the world, so you would have to cross the Atlantic to see them.

>160 vancouverdeb: Thank you, Deborah, I love all herons. In the last years the great white herons (called great egret in English) are moving north, and I see them regular now.

Time to move on to my next thread.