Jebronse's 999 Challenge

Charlas999 Challenge

Únete a LibraryThing para publicar.

Jebronse's 999 Challenge

Este tema está marcado actualmente como "inactivo"—el último mensaje es de hace más de 90 días. Puedes reactivarlo escribiendo una respuesta.

1jebronse
Editado: Nov 5, 2008, 10:36 am

My 888 isn't finished yet, and here I am, planning my 999 ;-)

I think this will be it. Might still change them later on.

I. Prize winners
II. Bella Italia
III. Around the world
IV. Laughing out loud
V. Things I'd like to know about
VI. Bravest of the Gauls
VII. Policemen
VIII. Should've read this decade
IX. Fatties

2jebronse
Editado: Dic 1, 2009, 1:49 pm

I. Prize winners

Nobel Prize, Booker Prize, Prix Goncourt, Premio Strega. That's it.

1. Jonathan Littell - De Welwillenden (Les Bienveillantes - Prix Goncourt 2006) - jan09
2. Paolo Giordano - De eenzaamheid van de priemgetallen (La solitudine dei numeri primi - Premio Strega 2008) - jan09
3. JM Coetzee - Wachten op de barbaren (Nobel Prize 2003) - jul09
4. Ernesto Ferrero - N. (Premio Strega 2000) - jul09
5. V.S. Naipaul - Miguel Street (Nobel Prize 2001) - jul09
6. Arundhati Roy - Het einde van illusies (Booker Prize 1997) - sep09
7. Boris Pasternak - Dokter Zjivago (Nobel Prize 1958) - oct09
8. Jonathan Littell - Het droge en het vochtige (Prix Goncourt 2006) - oct09
9. Benjamin Black - Schimmenspel (aka John Banville, Booker Prize winner 2005) - nov09

I've tried to list up some possible entries in message 20 below.

3jebronse
Editado: Nov 30, 2009, 11:40 am

II. Bella Italia

Books by Italian authors.

1. Amara Lakhous - De lift op piazza Vittorio (mar09)
2. Andrea Camilleri - De vleugels van de sfinx (may09)
3. Giulio Leoni - De kruistocht van de duisternis (may09)
4. Domenico Cacopardo - De zaak Gaetano Chillè (jun09)
5. Primo Levi - Het periodiek systeem (jul09)
6. Gianrico Carofiglio - Gerede twijfel (Ragionevoli duti (jul09)
7. Ottavio Cappellani - Romeo en Julia op Sicilië (sep09)
8. Aldo Palazzeschi - Gezusters Materassi (nov09)
9. Roberto Saviano - Het tegenovergestelde van dood (nov09)

I'll just read what comes up during the year. Shouldn't be a problem.

4jebronse
Editado: Dic 1, 2009, 1:50 pm

III. Around the world

Books from around the world.

1. North America: Michel Faber - Het vuurevangelie (The Fire Gospel) (jan09)
2. Western Asia: Juan Gómez-Jurado - Contract met God (Contrato con Dios) (jan09)
3. Europe: Frode Grytten - De razende rivier (apr09)
4. Southern Africa: Malla Nunn - Een mooie plek om te sterven (jun09)
5. Central America and Carribean: V.S. Naipaul - Miguel Street (jul09)
6. North Africa: Davide Longo - Een ochtend in Irgalem (aug09)
7. Eastern Asia: Arundhati Roy - Het einde van illusies (sep09)
8. South America: Jonathan Sonnst - Mevrouw de dictator (sep09)
9. Australia and New Zealand

5jebronse
Editado: Dic 1, 2009, 1:59 pm

IV. Laughing out loud

Books that made me laugh and were intended to do so.

1. Ken Bruen - Priester (Priest) (jan09)
2. Erlend Loe - Tang (Tatt av kvinnen) (mar09)
3. Bavo Dhooge - Stiletto Libretto (mar09)
4. Kurt Vonnegut - Armageddon achteraf (mar09)
5. Jonathan Goldstein - Dames en heren, de Bijbel! (apr09)
6. Arne Dahl - Bijbelse wateren (apr09)
7. Andrea Camilleri - De vluegels van de sfinx (may09)
8. Félix Fénéon - Het nieuws in drie regels (jul09)
9. Erling Jepsen - De kunst om in koor te huilen (aug09)

6jebronse
Editado: Nov 12, 2009, 12:25 pm

V. Things I'd like to know about

Science, history, or anything that interests me, mostly non fiction.

1. Jos Bouveroux & Luc Huyse - Het onvoltooide land (may09)
2. Steven Taylor - De triomf van Caesar (may09)
3. Hendrik Vos en Rob Heirbaut - Hoe Europa ons leven beïnvloedt (jun09)
4. Tom Holland - Perzisch vuur (jul09)
5. Rosaria Capacchione - Het goud van de camorra (jul09)
6. Paul Harris - De geheimhouder (sep09)
7. Chris Baty - No plot? No problem! (sep09)
8. Jonathan Littell - Het droge en het vochtige (oct09)
9. Curzio Malaparte - Techniek van de staatsgreep (nov09)

Message 25 (see below) has some possible entries.

7jebronse
Editado: Oct 16, 2009, 5:52 pm

VI. Bravest of the Gauls

Belgians are the bravest of the Gauls, Julius Caesar said. Are Belgians also the bravest of all writers?

1. Ludo Schildermans - Het pigment (jan09)
2. Dimitri Verhulst - Mevrouw Verona daalt de heuvel af (mar09)
3. Nico De Braeckeleer & Kees Krick - Kleurenblind (may09)
4. Erwin Mortier - Godenslaap (jul09)
5. Van Loock & Sluszny - Amulet (jul09)
6. Bavo Dhooge - Springers (aug09)
7. Jonathan Sonnst - Mevrouw de dictator (sep09)
8. Paul Baeten Gronda - Kentucky, mijn land (oct09)
9. Bart Moeyaert - Graz (oct09)

8jebronse
Editado: Dic 1, 2009, 1:59 pm

VII. Policemen

Policemen from 9 different countries.

1. Finland: inspector Harjunpää in Het duivenritueel (Harjunpää ja pahan pappi) by Matti Y. Joensuu (jan09)
2. Norway: inspector Harry Hole in De sneeuwman (Snømannen) by Jo Nesbø (jan09)
3. France: inspector Adamsberg in De eeuwige jacht (Dans les bois éternels by Fred Vargas (mar09)
4. Sweden: Nils Forsberg in Poortwachter (Grindväktaren) by Kristian Lundberg (mar09)
5. USA: Ali Lateef in Lowboy by John Wray (apr09)
6. Belgium: Liese Meerhout in Engel by Toni Coppers (may09)
7. Iceland: Erlendur in Onderkoeld by Arnaldur Indridason (jun09)
8. Italy: Salvo Montalbano in Montalbano en het verdwenen kind by Andrea Camilleri (oct09)
9. Germany: Bernie Gunther in Als de doden niet herrijzen by Philip Kerr (nov09)

9jebronse
Editado: Dic 1, 2009, 1:53 pm

VIII. Should've read this decade

Books I bought since 2000 that are finally going off the TBR pile.

1. 2000: Het Alfabethuis by Jussi Adler-Olsen (jul09)
2. 2001: N. by Ernesto Ferrero (jul09)
3. 2002: Wachten op de barbaren by J.M. Coetzee (jul09)
4. 2003: Tea-Bag by Henning Mankell (aug09)
5. 2004: Empire Falls by Richard Russo (may09)
6. 2005: Een al te mooi meisje by Jan Seghers (jul09)
7. 2006: Mevrouw Verona daalt de heuvel af by Dimitri Verhulst (mar09)
8. 2007: Winternacht by Arnaldur Indridason (apr09)
9. 2008: Modelklas by Pat Barker (may09)

Check out message 17 to see what I'm planning to read!

10jebronse
Editado: Dic 1, 2009, 1:56 pm

IX. Fatties

+500 pages

1. Jonathan Littell - De Welwillenden (jan09)
2. F.M. Dostojewski - De gebroeders Karamazow (feb09 - 960 pages)
3. Stieg Larsson - De vrouw die met vuur speelde (feb09 - 568 pages)
4. Stephen L. Carter - De paleisraad (apr09 - 588 pages)
5. Stieg Larsson - Gerechtigheid (apr09 - 651 pages)
6. Michael Cox - Het geheime leven van Miss Esperanza Gorst (jun09 - 558 pages)
7. Karin Slaughter - Genesis (aug09 - 516 pages)
8. Boris Pasternak - Dokter Zjivago (oct09 - 700 pages)
9. Iain Pears - De val van Stone (nov09 - 701 pages)

11jebronse
Oct 31, 2008, 6:57 pm

Este mensaje fue borrado por su autor.

12jebronse
Editado: Ene 24, 2009, 7:43 am

Este mensaje fue borrado por su autor.

13jebronse
Editado: Nov 2, 2008, 8:22 am

Suggestions are welcome, especially for Prize Winners. I think I should read Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio, this year's Nobel Prize winner, but I'm not sure which book.

I'll have to think about other winners, but I'm quite sure I'll read Paolo Giordano's first book, which won the Italian Premio Strega.

14RidgewayGirl
Nov 3, 2008, 9:05 pm

Oooh, I like the idea of reading crime novels from nine different countries. I look forward to seeing what you come up with. Henning Mankell for Sweden? Hurry up and fill that category in so that I can read them before this challenge starts!

15jebronse
Nov 4, 2008, 3:55 am

I don't think I'm going to fill the categories in advance. I'll just see what comes up. Except perhaps the Should've read years ago's.

The policemen category depends on what will be published in dutch next year. If Henning Mankell writes a new book, I'll probably read it; he's one of my favourites. Other 'usual suspects' are Andrea Camilleri's Montalbano and Fred Vargas's Adamsberg. Or Harry Hole by Jo Nesbø. I don't think it will be a problem filling that one ;-)

16jebronse
Nov 4, 2008, 12:50 pm

I'm already changing my categories :-(

Actually, I'm combining two categories to one: Should've read years ago and A decade of reading. I don't mind getting books off my TBR pile, but 18 's a bit too much. I'll read a TBR book for every year since 2000 instead.

So now I'm looking for one more categorie. I'll have a look around elsewhere.

17jebronse
Nov 4, 2008, 3:58 pm


Should've read this decade: I'm planning to read these.

1. 2000: Jussi Adler-Olsen - Het alfabethuis
2. 2001: Gillian Slovo - Rood stof
3. 2002: Eduardo Mendoza - Het avontuur van de dameskapper
4. 2003: Henning Mankell - Tea-Bag
5. 2004: Bernard Schlink - De oude zonden
6. 2005: Elvin Post - Vals beeld
7. 2006: Michael Connelly - De Lincoln-advocaat
8. 2007: Michael Chabon - De jiddische politiebond
9. 2008: Gregor von Rezzori - Memoires van een antisemiet

18jebronse
Nov 5, 2008, 10:39 am

I've changed my remaining category to Things I'd like to know about. Scientific or historical books, mostly non fiction, but it could be fiction too, if it has an interesting subject.

19cmbohn
Nov 6, 2008, 1:39 pm

I had a Books That Made Me Laugh Out Loud for my 888 challenge. I think it was my favorite one. Lots of PG Wodehouse and Terry Pratchett.

20jebronse
Editado: Nov 10, 2008, 11:28 am

In the category 'Prize winners' these are possible:

Nobel Prize:
Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio (2008) - ?
Orhan Pamuk (2006) - ?
John Maxwell Coetzee (2003) - Waiting for the Barbarians
José Saramago (1998) - ?
Halldór Laxness (1955) - ?
Luigi Pirandello (1934) - Dagboek van Serafino Gubbio, cameraman
Booker Prize
Aravind Adiga - The White Tiger (2008)
Peter Carey - True History of the Kelly Gang (2001)

Prix Goncourt
Jonathan Littell - De welwillenden (2006)

Premio Strega
Paolo Giordano - La solitudine dei numeri primi (2008)
Ernesto Ferrero - N (2000)
Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa - Il gattopardo (1959)

I need help selecting the Nobel Prize winner's books. I'm thinking Independent people by Laxness, My name is red by Pamuk and Blindness by Saramago. As for Le Clézio, I don't have a clue.

Has anyone read some of these books / authors?

21LisaMorr
Nov 6, 2008, 5:18 pm

I really like your Books I Should've Read This Decade - my Other/TBD category may morph into that.

22jebronse
Nov 6, 2008, 5:22 pm

Thanks. I'd have to do that about 15 times to get rid of the whole pile, but it's a good start ;-)

23woordenaar
Nov 7, 2008, 4:34 pm

I've read Death With Interruptions (Het verzuim van de dood) by Saramago, maybe you read that, and also put Reaper Man (Maaierstijd) by Terry Pratchett on your Laughing out Loud list. Those book got a simulair theme.

24jebronse
Nov 10, 2008, 11:26 am

Thanks. I didn't know Terry Pratchett yet. I'll see what I can find.

25jebronse
Nov 15, 2008, 11:10 am

These could eventually show up in the Things I'd Like To Know About category:

1. Ilan Pappe - The ethnic cleansing of Palestine
2. Tom Holland - Persian fire
3. Adam Hochschild - King Leopold's Ghost
4. Christopher Hitchens - God is not great
5. Geert Mak - In Europa
6. David Rothkopf - Superclass

I don't know about the others yet. I think I'll have some interesting fiction too.

26Lunarreader
Dic 4, 2008, 3:08 pm

Hello,
a tip for the +500 pages category : A fraction of the whole now translated in dutch as Een fractie van het geheel, by Steve Toltz
I could use him in my runner's up category, given the fact that he was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.

27jebronse
Dic 4, 2008, 3:09 pm

Thanks, Lunar!

28mrspenny
Dic 13, 2008, 6:56 am

#20 For your Prizewinner's category, can I suggest The Atom Station by Halldor Laxness - Nobel Prize 1955; and Tempo di Uccidere by Ennio Flaiano which won the Strega Prize in 1947. The English edition is entitled A Time to Kill and is translated by Stuart Hood.

29jebronse
Dic 13, 2008, 7:45 am

Thanks, mrspenny. Laxness will most probably appear in my Prize Winners list. I'll see if I can find The Atom Station in Dutch. As for Tempo di Uccidere, I don't think it was ever translated to Dutch. Otherwise, it would be a great idea.

30jebronse
Editado: Ene 24, 2009, 7:45 am

First book in the Challenge will be De welwillenden (Les bienveillantes) from Prix Goncourt winner Jonathan Littell. Also fits into the Fatties category.

Edit: I'll only include it as a prize winner, for the time being.

31Lunarreader
Ene 2, 2009, 1:02 pm

A happy new year too you and success with this fattie, nice start ! Tell me how you liked it when finished, OK ?

32jebronse
Ene 2, 2009, 2:26 pm

#31

Will do ;-)

33KrisM
Editado: Ene 3, 2009, 5:04 pm

Hi,
some suggestions for Bella Italia - my top 10 Italian books read since 2006:

5 stars
Leonardo Sciascia - De dag van de uil
Wu Ming - 54
Curzio Malaparte - Kaputt
Sandro Veronesi - Kalme chaos ** book much better than film **

4 stars
Roberto Saviano - Gomorra
Curzio Malaparte - De huid
Italo Calvino - Een dag op het stembureau
Alessandro Baricco - Dit verhaal
Erri De Luca - Montedidi
Carmine Abate - De Moto Guzzi van Skanderbeg

34jebronse
Ene 4, 2009, 8:53 am

Thanks, Kris. You have great taste ;-)
Very good choices in Italian literature. I've already read most of them, but I'll look out for Calvino, De Luca and Abate.

35jebronse
Ene 11, 2009, 2:29 pm

Finished my first book (but I'll include it in two categories: Prize Winners and Fatties): De Welwillenden (Les Bienveillantes by Jonathan Littell.

36jebronse
Ene 17, 2009, 10:01 am

I just finished a book by Matti Y. Joensuu about inspector Harjunpää: Het duivenritueel (The Priest of Evil in English). Nice book, and I believe there's more to come.

37jebronse
Editado: Ene 24, 2009, 7:45 am

Number 3 is The Fire Gospel (Het vuurevangelie) by Michel Faber. Nice book, but not completely what I expected it to be.

38jebronse
Editado: Ene 24, 2009, 7:46 am

No.4: Het pigment by Flemish writer Ludo Schildermans. Excellent crime novel set in the world of art and museums.

39woordenaar
Ene 22, 2009, 3:06 am

How about your Around the world category? Michel Faber, America? The novel is set in America? Because Michel Faber is born in Holland, grown up in Australia en living in Schotland (Well, that IS around the world, isn't it?)

40jebronse
Ene 22, 2009, 6:33 am

The novel is set in America. The main character is Canadian, but it's set mostly in the USA. And a bit in Mosul, Iraq, but not enough to add it to Western Asia.

41jebronse
Ene 24, 2009, 2:16 pm

No.5: Priest by Ken Bruen in the LOL category. Perfect wisecracks, but an incredibly sad story. Great book.

42RidgewayGirl
Ene 25, 2009, 11:57 am

I have a book by Ken Bruen floating around somewhere. I think I may just have to read it next now. Which category shall I put it in, hummmm...

43jebronse
Ene 25, 2009, 2:07 pm

RidgewayGirl

I'll recommend it to you, so you can put it in your recommended category ;-) Unless you have a German translation, of course :-)

44RidgewayGirl
Ene 26, 2009, 11:09 am

I'm happily in the middle of The Dramatist. I do like his grim, sardonic sense of humor. The story is bleak and not overfull of hope, but there is a thick layer of humor overlaying it all. My beloved Scandinavians are not at all cheery, even sarcastically, so I am enjoying this enormously.

And thank you for the recommendation! Now I have a place to put this!

45jebronse
Ene 26, 2009, 1:43 pm

No. 6: Contract met God (Contrato con Dios) by Spanish author Juan Gómez-Jurado. It's like Indiana Jones on speed :-) It's mostly set in Jordan, so I'll put it in the Around The World list.

46jebronse
Ene 31, 2009, 1:07 pm

No. 7: De sneeuwman (Snømannen) by Jo Nesbø, one of the best crime writers I know. Amazing book.

47jebronse
Feb 2, 2009, 4:07 pm

No. 8: De eenzaamheid van de priemgetallen (La solitudine dei numeri primi) by Paolo Giordano, which won the Premio Strega in 2008. Heartbreaking.

48jebronse
Feb 22, 2009, 8:41 am

Finally finished number 9: F.M. Dostojewki's The Karamazow Brothers.

49RidgewayGirl
Feb 22, 2009, 11:48 am

Congratulations on finishing The Brothers Karamazov! I'm bogged down in Book Six, but will prevail!

50jebronse
Feb 22, 2009, 3:17 pm

Good luck, RG!
I have to admit I skipped a few chapters, but I have read at least 90% of the book. Good enough for me ;-)

51jebronse
Feb 28, 2009, 10:31 am

No.10: De vrouw die met vuur speelde (The girl who played with fire) by Swedish author Stieg Larsson. I liked the first part of the trilogy more.

52sneeuwvlokje
Mar 1, 2009, 8:47 am

No. 13 I have just read Revolutions of JMG Le Clézio and enjoyed it. The book describes a family history in France and goes back 200 years when an ancestor went to the island Mauritius. I gave it 4 stars.

53jebronse
Mar 1, 2009, 10:11 am

Thanks, Sneeuwvlokje!

54RidgewayGirl
Mar 1, 2009, 1:12 pm

I'm still looking forward to diving into The Girl who Played with Fire, but I'm a little calmer. Will you be reading the final book in the trilogy?

55jebronse
Mar 1, 2009, 3:01 pm

I will, I bought it last week. But it'll probably have to wait a few weeks or months.

56jebronse
Mar 5, 2009, 12:27 pm

No.11: Tang by Norwegian writer Erlend Loe. Sometimes funny, but mostly pretty boring.

57jebronse
Mar 16, 2009, 5:25 pm

No.12: Stiletto Libretto by Flemish author Bavo Dhooge. It did make me laugh :-)

58jebronse
Mar 19, 2009, 5:02 pm

No.13: Armageddon achteraf by Kurt Vonnegut (LOL).

59jebronse
Mar 26, 2009, 1:35 pm

No.14: De eeuwige jacht (Dans les bois éternels) by Fred Vargas. Marvelous writer. I love Adamsberg!

60jebronse
Editado: Mar 29, 2009, 3:11 pm

No.15: Poortwachter (Grindväktaren) by Kristian Lundberg. Didn't like it very much. Quite depressing book about crime in Malmö.

61RidgewayGirl
Mar 29, 2009, 3:57 pm

Ooh, a depressing Scandinavian crime novel. Sounds right up my alley. I wonder if it's been translated into something I could read. Off to check...

62jebronse
Mar 30, 2009, 3:58 pm

No.16: De lift op piazza Vittorio (Scontro di civiltà per un ascensore a piazza Vittorio) by Amara Lakhous. It's about emigrants in Rome and all sorts of prejudices. Sometimes funny, too.

63jebronse
Mar 31, 2009, 4:02 pm

No.17: Third book in three days: Mevrouw Verona daalt de heuvel af by Flemish writer Dimitri Verhulst. Very beautiful novel.

64jebronse
Abr 5, 2009, 8:51 am

No.18: De razende rivier (Flytande björn) by Frode Grytten. Crime novel set in Odda, Norway. Fits into my Around the world category.

65Lunarreader
Abr 5, 2009, 12:58 pm

you should find some new excuses to read more scandinavian crime novels ;-)
maybe one with more then 500 pages, one with a gaul as his/her ancestor ... or one that makes you laugh.

66jebronse
Abr 5, 2009, 2:33 pm

Sadly, not one of them has won a Nobel prize ;-)

I finished Lowboy today, by John Wray. It's not a crime novel, but it does have a policeman as one of the main characters. So that's no.19.

67jebronse
Editado: Abr 8, 2009, 4:03 pm

Finished no.20: Winternacht (Vetrarborgin) by Arnaldur Indridason. I could add it to the policemen category, but I'll probably read the new Indridason later this year. I'll add this one to the TBR category.

I like Indridasons books, but this one slightly less than the others.

68jebronse
Abr 10, 2009, 1:59 pm

No.21 is Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bible by Canadian Jonathan Goldstein. Just as good as I expected it to be. Not very.

69jebronse
Abr 14, 2009, 4:48 pm

No.22: De paleisraad (Palace Council) by Stephen L. Carter. Really really great book!

70jebronse
Abr 24, 2009, 12:18 pm

No.23: Gerechtigheid by Stieg Larsson, third and best part of the Millennium trilogy.

71RidgewayGirl
Abr 24, 2009, 7:48 pm

I'm glad you enjoyed the last of the Larsson books. I'm reluctant to start the second because, well, there will only ever be three of them.

72ivyd
Editado: Abr 25, 2009, 1:23 pm

>70 jebronse: & 71

I just finished The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo and thought it was wonderful. It's hard for me to believe that the next two can be even better!

But I'm just the opposite, RidgewayGirl: I'll read them as soon as I can get my hands on them! Guess I'm not very good at deferred gratification...

73jebronse
Abr 26, 2009, 9:08 am

> 71 & 72

And the sooner you've read them, the sooner you can read them for the second time! ;-)

74jebronse
Abr 27, 2009, 12:57 pm

No.24: Bijbelse wateren by Arne Dahl (De största vatten). One of my favourite writers.

I read to much funny books, and too little about things I like to know about. I'll have to do something about it.

75Lunarreader
Abr 27, 2009, 3:35 pm

Maybe you should find out how too laugh with something you didn't know about before ;-)

76jebronse
mayo 3, 2009, 3:19 pm

No.25 is half Dutch, half Flemish: Kleurenblind by Nico De Braeckeleer and Kees Krick. Not at all my cup of tea, I'm afraid.

77jebronse
mayo 4, 2009, 3:56 pm

No.26, from my favourite writer, Andrea Camilleri: De vleugels van de sfinx. Always a pleasure, reading about Montalbano :-)

78RidgewayGirl
mayo 4, 2009, 7:41 pm

Hmm, I keep hearing about Andrea Camilleri. I have one of his around here and I may have to read it soon.

79woordenaar
mayo 14, 2009, 3:40 am

For your "Things I'd like to know about": het spiegelende brein
I haven't read it, but got it recommended. Should be something like E=mc² by Bodanis, but now all about the brain.

80jebronse
mayo 14, 2009, 12:30 pm

Sounds good, W!

81jebronse
mayo 14, 2009, 5:18 pm

No.27: Brussels police woman Liese Meerhout in Engel by Toni Coppers.

82jebronse
mayo 19, 2009, 3:58 pm

No.28: Giulio Leoni's De kruistocht van de duisternis (La crociata delle tenebre), starring Dante Alighieri. Didn't like it.

83jebronse
mayo 21, 2009, 3:34 pm

No.29: Modelklas by Pat Barker. Very good, as always.

84jebronse
mayo 26, 2009, 4:15 pm

I read Empire Falls by Richard Russo, which is a great book. Now I'm wondering why I left it lying around since 2004. Stupid!

85RidgewayGirl
mayo 26, 2009, 5:29 pm

Empire Falls is good, isn't it? I've heard mixed things about Life Class, but since you enjoyed it, I'll put it back on the mental "must read" list.

86jebronse
mayo 28, 2009, 11:30 am

Finally something I wanted to know about! Het onvoltooide land by Jos Bouveroux and Luc Huyse about the unfinished Belgian state. Good book. (no.31)

87jebronse
mayo 31, 2009, 1:42 pm

No.32: De triomf van Caesar by Steven Saylor, which says just about everything about Caesar's triumph.

88jebronse
Jun 1, 2009, 5:35 am

No.33: Very interesting book to read just before next week's elections: Hoe Europa ons leven beïnvloedt by Hendrik Vos en Rob Heirbaut.

89jebronse
Jun 6, 2009, 10:01 am

No.34: De zaak Gaetano Chillè by Sicilian author Domenico Cacopardo. Interesting but a bit too slow.

90jebronse
Jun 11, 2009, 2:31 pm

No.35: Onderkoeld by Arnaldur Indriðason, starring Erlendur, Icelandic cop.

91jebronse
Jul 11, 2009, 10:23 am

No.36: Een mooie plek om te sterven by Malla Nunn (South Africa).

92jebronse
Jul 11, 2009, 10:34 am

I went on vacation in the French alps, and besides walking and sightseeing, I read a lot.
37. Het geheime leven van Miss Esperanza Gorst by Michael Cox (558 pages)
38. Het Alfabethuis by Jussi Adler-Olsen (from my TBR pile; actually I'm cheating a bit as the book was published in 2000 and I only bought it in 2003)
39. Het periodiek systeem by Primo Levi (Italian novel, great writer)
40. Wachten op de barbaren by J.M. Coetzee (Nobel Prize winner 2003)
41. Een al te mooi meisje by Jan Seghers (could also fit into the policemen category, but it 's also been on my TBR list for far too long)
42. Godenslaap by Erwin Mortier (one of the best Flemish writers of the moment)
43. N. by Ernesto Ferrero (Premio Strega 2000)
44. Gerede twijfel by Gianrico Carofiglio (Italian, again. If you like Camilleri and other Italian crime writers, you should try Carofiglio too. Splendid books.

I'm over half way, and so is the year 2009 :-)

93RidgewayGirl
Jul 11, 2009, 11:01 am

Sounds like a wonderful vacation. When I lived in Europe, we would take the dog and stay in the Austrian Alps. Lots of fresh air and hiking and good food and reading.

How did you like The Periodic Table? It has sat on my shelf unread for some time. It seems so weighty and worthy that my summer brain can't pick it up.

94jebronse
Jul 11, 2009, 11:19 am

I liked it very much. Each chapter is about an element of the periodic table, but it isn't all about chemistry. It rarely is, actually. Levi tells about his life and his jewish ancestors, about his professional carreer. World War II is only briefly handled, as he wrote an other book about it (Se questo è un uomo - If This Is A Man). I didn't find it very weighty, he even made me laugh more than once.

95Lunarreader
Jul 11, 2009, 4:14 pm

Hello,
given your list of books read while on holiday and walking in the alps i suspect that you read while walking ;-)

96jebronse
Jul 11, 2009, 4:28 pm

I actually did once ;-)

97jebronse
Jul 13, 2009, 6:34 pm

45. Perzisch vuur (Persian Fire) by Tom Holland. Excellent non fiction about the battles between Greece and Persia, the first war between East and West.

98jebronse
Jul 15, 2009, 4:31 pm

46. Het goud van de camorra (L'oro della camorra) by Rosaria Capacchione, about the economic interests of the Casalesi clan.

99jebronse
Jul 25, 2009, 6:20 pm

47. Amulet by Van Loock & Sluszny. Flemish book, a bit disappointing.

100jebronse
Jul 27, 2009, 3:47 pm

48. Miguel Street, great novel by Nobel prize winner V.S. Naipaul. I'll add it in the Around the World category though. I can't imagine finding some other Carribean book. But I can imagine reading another Naipaul book for the prize winners category :-)

101RidgewayGirl
Jul 27, 2009, 8:00 pm

Try A Bend in the River, which is my favorite, or, for non-fiction, A Turn in the South, where he travels through the American South (in the 1980s, I think). Both are excellent, but I suspect that everything by Naipaul is excellent.

102jebronse
Jul 31, 2009, 7:39 am

49. Het nieuws in drie regels by French author Félix Fénéon. Funniest book I read this year. It's a collection of news stories from a 1906 newspaper. All stories are 3 lines maximum.

103RidgewayGirl
Jul 31, 2009, 10:55 am

I've heard about that book. It seems like the perfect book to stash in the guest WC!

104jebronse
Jul 31, 2009, 8:45 pm

>103 RidgewayGirl:
LOL. I suppose it would be perfect :-)

105jebronse
Ago 9, 2009, 11:59 am

50. Genesis by Karin Slaughter. It's not bad, but not really my style.

106jebronse
Ago 10, 2009, 2:04 pm

51. Springers by Bavo Dhooge, from his youth science fiction thriller series starring Mike Snow. You wouldn't think I'd like stuff like that, but I do ;-)

107jebronse
Ago 16, 2009, 12:52 pm

52. De kunst om in koor te huilen by Danish author Erling Jepsen. Sort of a tragic comedy.

108jebronse
Ago 21, 2009, 4:55 pm

53. Een ochtend in Irgalem by Davide Longo, set in Ethiopea, which in my book counts as North Africa.

109jebronse
Ago 23, 2009, 3:29 pm

54. Tea-Bag by Henning Mankell (TBR-2003). Not his best book.

110jebronse
Sep 2, 2009, 12:00 pm

55. Romeo en Julia op Sicilië by Sicilian author Ottavio Cappellani. Funny, but quite chaotic.

111jebronse
Sep 23, 2009, 3:31 pm

56. Mevrouw de dictator by Flemish writer Jonathan Sonnst. Wasn't very impressed.

112jebronse
Sep 27, 2009, 8:49 am

57. I've added De geheimhouder (The Secret Keeper) by Paul Harris to the Things I'd Like To Know About category. I was writing my review of the book when I realised that now I know stuff about the Sierra Leone civil war that I didn't know before. Excellent thriller, by the way.

113Lunarreader
Sep 27, 2009, 2:54 pm

The Sierra Leone civil war ? The Sierra Leone what ?
You keep amazing me, Jeb... Did you know before this book that there even has been such a civil war over there ? ... I can tell that you're getting as resourcefull as me to find a category for your books ;-)
Still, a great idea for a 2010 category, one can put almost any book in there, thanks !

114jebronse
Sep 27, 2009, 3:59 pm

Well, I THINK I knew there had been something going on in Sierra Leone :-) Could have been some other African country too ;-)
Anyway, I'm glad I'm totally up to date now :-)

115jebronse
Sep 28, 2009, 4:08 pm

58. No plot? No problem by NaNoWriMo founder Chris Baty, to get prepared for my november writing challenge.

116jebronse
Sep 30, 2009, 3:13 pm

59. Het einde van illusies by Arundhati Roy about the Indian nuclear bomb and a dam they're building. Or at least, they were ten years ago.

117jebronse
Oct 4, 2009, 11:15 am

118jebronse
Oct 14, 2009, 5:05 pm

61. Het droge en het vochtige by Jonathan Littell. Interesting book about fascism, and Léon Degrelle in particular.

119RidgewayGirl
Oct 14, 2009, 8:24 pm

I'm eying that book. It's fairly thick, so I need to wait for the right moment.

120jebronse
Oct 15, 2009, 3:16 am

RidgewayGirl
You probably mean Les Bienveillantes (The Kindly Ones), the first book I read this year. It's in my Prize Winners category. This one only has about 130 pages (in the dutch translation). It's non fiction, an interesting psychoanalytic study of fascism. The original title was Le sec et l' humide. I don't think it was translated into English yet.

121RidgewayGirl
Oct 15, 2009, 11:09 am

Of course it was. I read the author, but just figured the Dutch must translate to some version of The Kindly Ones.

122jebronse
Oct 16, 2009, 5:54 pm

62. Graz by Flemish writer Bart Moeyaert. Beautiful little book. Also: first finished category!

123jebronse
Oct 18, 2009, 3:59 pm

63. Montalbano en het verdwenen kind starring Andrea Camilleri's inspector Montalbano. Pleasant as ever.

124jebronse
Oct 23, 2009, 6:40 pm

64. Dokter Zjivago by Boris Pasternak, Nobel prize winner in 1958. I'm done with Russian writers for a while.

125jebronse
Nov 5, 2009, 1:38 pm

65. De val van Stone by Iain Pears. Nice ending, but not nearly as good as Het goud van de waarheid.

126jebronse
Nov 8, 2009, 10:03 am

66. So Schimmenspel (The lemur) is not the book John Banville won the Booker Prize for, but I'm running short in time, so I'll allow it in this category. Banville wrote it as Benjamin Black.

127Lunarreader
Nov 9, 2009, 3:49 pm

John Banville won the Booker indeed for De Zee, not my favorite i must say although i'm not sure if it is due to the book or due to the translation into Dutch. In Dutch it has a very strange use of words.

128RidgewayGirl
Nov 10, 2009, 9:04 pm

I wonder how well some languages translate. I have found it more enjoyable to read Scandinavian crime novels in German, because the translation is smoother-- in English, Swedish in translation can sound stilted.

129jebronse
Nov 12, 2009, 12:27 pm

67. Techniek van de staatsgreep by Curzio Malaparte. Interesting.

130jebronse
Nov 17, 2009, 11:48 am

68. Gezusters Materassi by Aldo Palazzeschi. Very nice!

131jebronse
Nov 29, 2009, 4:22 pm

69. Als de doden niet herrijzen by Philip Kerr. Actually, Bernie Gunther isn't a cop anymore in this book, so it doesn't really count. But who cares? ;-)

132RidgewayGirl
Nov 30, 2009, 12:24 am

I love Bernie Gunther and his inability to keep his mouth under tight control. I didn't know there was a new one (set before the others?) so I'll have to go hunt down a copy.

133jebronse
Nov 30, 2009, 11:39 am

RidgewayGirl

The first part is set in Berlin in 1934, the second part in Cuba, 1954. So it's set before as well as after his previous book ;-)

134jebronse
Nov 30, 2009, 11:42 am

70. Het tegenovergestelde van dood by Roberto Saviano. Italian category finished too.

Eleven more to go. I am now officially not going to make it. Not without overlaps anyway ;-)

135Lunarreader
Nov 30, 2009, 4:22 pm

Well, here are your potential overlaps, in your already finished books. Tips from a true specialist in the matter ;-)

V.S. Naipaul : nobel prize winner in 2001
Bavo Dhooghe : winner of the Diamond Bullet (ok, it's not the Strega but hey, change your scope ....)
Erwin Mortier : Godenslaap, winner of the AKO literatuurprijs ... again, you shouldn't see it so narrow in your prize winners
Arundhati Roy won the Booker, for another book then the one you've read, but hey ... who cares
Empire Falls by Russo won the Pulitzer price

so that's it for prize winners, you can have your category filled.
Want any more tips ? i'll have to search longer i guess .. ;-)

136jebronse
Dic 1, 2009, 12:41 pm

I know, I could do that. But I still don't have a 'South America', and frankly, I don't even like South American books :-)
Plus, I don't really feel like reading a 2001 and 2002 book. We'll see. Maybe I'll think different before the month ends ;-)

137jebronse
Dic 1, 2009, 2:02 pm

Wow. This really was easy, Lunar. Turns out I only have one book left: something Australian :-)
I have Kate Grenville's Het verre paradijs in front of me, but all suggestions are welcome!

138jebronse
Dic 1, 2009, 2:04 pm

Wait a minute. Wasn't there something about an Australian sheep farm in Stieg Larsson's trilogy?
Shoot. That was in the first part, which I read in 2008 :-(

139jebronse
Ene 2, 2010, 9:21 am

Well, I didn't make it. I filled up 80 out of 81. That's quite good, isn't it? ;-) I kind of lost interest in november. I won't be doing a 101010. I'm just going to read what I like to read, without having to worry whether it 'll fit into a category. I enjoyed my 999 though. It's typically me to nót complete it :-)