Anita (FAMeulstee) goes there where the books take her in 2021 (7)

Welcome to my seventh 2021 thread!

I am Anita Meulstee (58), married with Frank (59) since 1984. We live in Lelystad, the Netherlands. We both love modern art, books and walking.

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 year it is slowing down, 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.

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Walking
Our local walking project: walking the dikes that surround the Flevopolder, the largest artificial island of the world.

Once in a while we go by car to the place where we ended the previous time. We walk about 3 km (and back), the total distance is about 142 km. We have walked over 133 km, and 8,6 km left to go.

Left: the province Flevoland (red) is in the middle of our country.
Right: Map of the Flevopolder, the red line is the part that we have walked until now.
 

Pets in my life: Youri and Dorka

Youri, a Belgian Sheepdog, was my first own dog and thus very special to me.
He came in May 1983 at the age of 18 months. I was his fourth owner. Before me he had older men as owners, and arriving at my place he had absolute NO intention to do anything for me.
Luckely I had Bobo (the Kuvasz, see my May thread) staying with me for a few weeks, and she didn't accept Youri's behaviour. When I had to call him twice, she went after him and brought him back. After two weeks Youri reluctantly started to listen to me. Then I moved in with Frank, Youri accepted this addition to the household without problem. Youri adored my father in law, and older man, like he had in his puppy days.
For years Youri wasn't sure if he would stay with us forever. Completely surprised when we turned up after he statyed a week at my uncle's place, or a day with a friend. It took four years before he was sure of his place with us, the remaining years he was a loyal companion.
Youri died in February 1995.

From left to right: Youri in 1983; Youri at our wedding in 1984; last picture of Youri, January 1995
  

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Dorka was our second dog. in 1993 we moved to a larger house and thought we would have space for another dog.
So we went to our local shelter. There we saw some "just nice" dogs, but in the last kennel there was a big white dog laying in the far corner. It looked like a Kuvasz... Indeed, the dog in the shelter was a Kuvasz, and so, Dorka entered our life.
Although I was the one who wanted a Kuvasz, Dorka became Frank's dog.
It was love at first sight! She hated it when he had to leave the house without her; how could she watch over him if she was not near?
The love like Dorka and Frank had, I don't think I'll ever see it again. If you have them from puppyhood, like our later dogs, it is different.
Dorka was eight years old when she came to live with us and had a tumor. In the following year she had surgery twice to remove other tumors. Unfortunally, the last one had spread and the vet told us that after this surgery, there were no more options.
She lived almost 2 years with us. The last two weeks of her life she taught Nemo, our first Chow Chow, how to behave and then she had no more energy left.

Left: Dorka and Frank; right Dorka in 1995
 

total books read in 2021: 169
46 own / 123 library

total pages read in 2021: 53.608

--
currently reading:
De vertellingen van duizend-en-één nacht deel 2 (2/3) translated by Richard van Leeuwen, 1112 pages, started 01-01-2021
Ideeën van Multatuli. Derde bundel by Multatuli, 782 pages, started 2021-02-01

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books read in July 2021 (24 books, 9.501 pages, 8 own / 16 library)
book 146: De tegenstrever (The Adversary) by Julian May, 478 pages, TIOLI #15 (msg 52)
book 147: Kapitein Corelli's mandoline (Captain Corelli's Mandolin) by Louis de Bernieres, 563 pages, TIOLI #14 (msg 53)
book 148: Aristoteles & Dante ontdekken de geheimen van het universum (Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe) by Benjamin Alire Sáenz, 384 pages, TIOLI #3 (msg 54)
book 149: Bij gaslicht by F. Bordewijk, 157 pages, TIOLI #6 (msg 55)
book 150: Een jaar uit het leven van Gesine Cresspahl (Anniversaries: From a Year in the Life of Gesine Cresspahl) by Uwe Johnson, 1596 pages, TIOLI #5 (msg 58)
book 151: Bonjour tristesse by Françoise Sagan, 126 pages, TIOLI #4 (msg 80)
book 152: De ziener by Simon Vestdijk, 227 pages, TIOLI #16 (msg 85)
book 153: Tokio mon amour (A Tokyo romance) by Ian Buruma, 238 pages, TIOLI #8 (msg 88)
book 154: Eeuwige jeugd (The Waters of Eternal Youth; ; Brunetti 25) by Donna Leon, 318 pages, TIOLI #11 (msg 90)
book 155: De Peloponnesische oorlog (The History of the Peloponnesian War) by Thucydides, 967 pages, TIOLI #1 (msg 124)
book 156: De N.V. Mateor by Havank, 252 pages, TIOLI #16 (msg 125)
book 157: De Patrick Melrose-romans (The Complete Patrick Melrose Novels) by Edward St Aubyn, 848 pages, TIOLI #2 (msg 126)
book 158: Pluk de dag (Seize the Day) by Saul Bellow, 144 pages, TIOLI #10 (msg 127)
book 159: Heidi: kind van de bergen (Heidi) by Johanna Spyri, 216 pages, TIOLI #13 (msg 146)
book 160: De rekening (The invoice) by Jonas Karlsson, 157 pages, TIOLI #6 (msg 147)
book 161: Het behouden huis (An Untouched House) by Willem Frederik Hermans, 79 pages, TIOLI #12 (msg 148)
book 162: Shuggie Bain (Shuggie Bain) by Douglas Stuart, 445 pages, TIOLI #7 (msg 149)
book 163: Hele verhalen voor een halve soldaat by Benny Lindelauf, 279 pages, TIOLI #9 (msg 165)
book 164: De gouden speld (Dead Man's Ransom; Cadfael 9) by Ellis Peters, 204 pages, TIOLI #6 (msg 166)
book 165: De outdoorwaanzin by Are Kalvø, 336 pages, TIOLI #6 (msg 167)
book 166: Het stille huis (The House in the Forest) by Michèle Desbordes, 218 pages, TIOLI #12 (msg 182)
book 167: De trein naar Pavlovsk en Oostvoorne by Toon Tellegen, 189 pages, TIOLI #2 (msg 183)
book 168: Huivering (A Song for Drowned Souls; Martin Servaz 2) by Bernard Minier, 600 pages, TIOLI #11 (msg 184)
book 169: De gevangene (The Captive; In search of lost time 5) by Marcel Proust, 512 pages, TIOLI #13 (msg 185)

July 2021 reading plans
Ideeën by Mutatuli, 3846 pages (1252/3846)
De vertellingen van duizend-en-één nacht deel 2 translated by Richard van Leeuwen, 1112 pages

TIOLI July 2021 SWEEP
#1: Read a book with a "military" tag (List the full tag)
- De Peloponnesische oorlog (The History of the Peloponnesian War) - Thucydides, 967 pages (library & e-library)
militairy history
#2: Read a book whose title contains a place you could visit
- De Patrick Melrose-romans (The Complete Patrick Melrose Novels) - Edward St Aubyn, 848 pages (library)
- De trein naar Pavlovsk en Oostvoorne - Toon Tellegen, 189 pages
#3: Read a book with at least two characters in its title
- Aristoteles & Dante ontdekken de geheimen van het universum (Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe) - Benjamin Alire Sáenz, 352 pages (library)
#4: Read a book about a vacation or with the word vacation in the title or a word indicating a vacation, highlight the word
- Bonjour tristesse - Françoise Sagan, 126 pages (library)
#5: Read a book that has been long/shortlisted for or won a translation prize
- Een jaar uit het leven van Gesine Cresspahl (Anniversaries: From a Year in the Life of Gesine Cresspahl) - Uwe Johnson, 1596 pages
#6: Read a book with a title with 3 words or less
- Bij gaslicht - F. Bordewijk, 157 pages (e-library)
- De gouden speld (Dead Man's Ransom) - Ellis Peters, 204 pages (library)
- De rekening (The invoice) - Jonas Karlsson, 157 pages (e-library)
- De outdoorwaanzin - Are Kalvø, 336 pages
#7: Read a book where the main title’s initials can be used for an acronym that can be found in a search engine. What do the initials stand for?
- Shuggie Bain (Shuggie Bain) - Douglas Stuart, 445 pages (library)
#8: Read a book with a connection to the Tokyo summer Olympics
- Tokio mon amour (A Tokyo romance) - Ian Buruma, 238 pages (e-library)
#9: Read a book for the "Samesies" challenge
- Hele verhalen voor een halve soldaat - Benny Lindelauf, 279 pages
#10: Read a book whose title gives advice or an order
- Pluk de dag (Seize the Day) - Saul Bellow, 144 pages
#11: Read a book with an adjective in the title
- Huivering (A Song for Drowned Souls) by Bernard Minier, 600 pages (e-library)
- Eeuwige jeugd (The Waters of Eternal Youth) - Donna Leon, 318 pages (library)
#12: Read a book which has a word in the title considered a dwelling place
- Het behouden huis (An Untouched House) - Willem Frederik Hermans, 79 pages
- Het stille huis (The House in the Forest) - Michèle Desbordes, 218 pages
#13: Read a book available at Project Gutenberg
- De gevangene (The Captive) - Marcel Proust, 512 pages (e-library)
- Heidi - Johanna Spyri, 216 pages (e-library)
#14: Read a book that triggers an ear worm
- Kapitein Corelli's mandoline (Captain Corelli's Mandolin) - Louis de Bernieres, 563 pages (e-library)
#15: Read a book by or about a U.S. President or by an author with the same initials
- De tegenstrever (The Adversary) - Julian May, 478 pages
#16: Help me sort out my birthday gifts by reading the appropriate books
- De ziener - Simon Vestdijk, 227 pages
- De N.V. Mateor - Havank, 252 pages (e-library)

Reading plans in 2021
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 2021:
Ideeën (1-7) by Multatuli, 3846 pages
Man zonder eigenschappen (The man without qualities) by Robert Musil, 1785 pages
De razende Roeland (Orlando furioso) by Ludovico Ariosto, 1783 pages
✔ Een jaar uit het leven van Gesine Cresspahl (Anniversaries: From a Year in the Life of Gesine Cresspahl) by Uwe Johnson, 1596 pages
✔ De essays (The complete essays) by Michel de Montaigne, 1557 pages
De kracht van Atlantis (Atlas shrugged) by Ayn Rand, 1373 pages
De vertellingen van duizend-en-één-nacht deel 2 translated by Richard van Leeuwen, 1112 pages
Luitenant-kolonel de Maumort by Roger Martin du Gard, 1077 pages
De vertellingen van duizend-en-één-nacht deel 3 translated by Richard van Leeuwen, 1047 pages
Baron by Theun de Vries, 1016 pages

Totals since 2008:

Books read in Januari
book 1: Bankier (Banker) by Dick Francis
book 2: Ik kom terug by Adriaan van Dis
book 3: De kille maagd (The Virgin in the Ice; Cadfael 6) by Ellis Peters
book 4: 1177 v.Chr. : het einde van de beschaving (1177 BCE: The Year Civilization Collapsed) by Eric H. Cline
book 5: De dood in Rome (Death in Rome) by Wolfgang Koeppen
book 6: De laatste dag by Beppe Fenoglio
book 7: Wie vlucht en wie blijft (Those Who Leave and Those Who Stay; Neapolitan Novels 3) by Elelna Ferrante
book 8: Het onbekende kind (The golden egg; Brunetti 22) by Donna Leon
book 9: Treindromen (Train Dreams) by Denis Johnson
book 10: Angstige mensen (Anxious people) by Fredrik Backman
book 11: Boven water (Konráð 2) by Arnaldur Indriðason
book 12: De tocht van de tienduizend (The Anabasis) by Xenofon
book 13: De levende berg (The Living Mountain) by Nan Shepherd
book 14: Het Rosie resultaat (The Rosie result) by Graeme Simsion
book 15: De nachtstemmer by Maarten 't Hart
book 16: Reis door de Oriënt by Gustave Flaubert
book 17: Gewaagd leven by Astrid Roemer, 239 pages
book 18: Ideeën van Multatuli. Tweede bundel by Mutatuli

Books read in Februari
book 19: Morgen toen de oorlog begon (Tomorrow, when the war began; Tomorrow 1) by John Marsden
book 20: Het verhaal van het verloren kind (The Story of the Lost Child; Neapolitan Novels 4) by Elelna Ferrante
book 21: Over paden : een ontdekkingstocht (On trails : an exploration) by Robert Moor
book 22: Tegenstroom (A Necessary End, Inspector Banks 3) by Peter Robinson
book 23: Ik, Claudius (I, Claudius) by Robert Graves
book 24: Veranderingen (Change) by Mo Yan
book 25: Het holst van de nacht (The Dead of the Night) by John Marsden
book 26: Nachtvlucht (Night Flight) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
book 27: Kindertijd (Childhood) by Tove Ditlevsen
book 28: Denken aan vrijdag (Friday on my mind) by Nicci French
book 29: Sodom en Gomorra (Sodom and Gomorrah; In search of lost time 4) by Marcel Proust
book 30: Rinkeldekink by Martine Bijl
book 31: Beminde (Beloved) by Tony Morrison
book 32: Lijken op liefde by Astrid Roemer
book 33: Alleen : de Pacific Crest Trail by Tim Voors
book 34: Het nut van de wereld by J.M.A. Biesheuvel
book 35: Het enige verhaal (The Only Story) by Julian Barnes
book 36: Jeugd (Youth) by Tove Ditlevsen
book 37: Huis van volmaakte eenzaamheid (House of Splendid Isolation) by Edna O'Brien
book 38: Afhankelijkheid (Dependency) by Tove Ditlevsen

books read in March
book 39: Een kroon van zwaarden (A Crown of Swords, Wheel of Time 7) by Robert Jordan
book 40: Een kille dageraad (A Killing Frost, Tomorrow 3) by John Marsden
book 41: De avond valt (Darkness, Be My Friend, Tomorrow 4) by John Marsden
book 42: Butcher's Crossing (Butcher's Crossing) by John Williams
book 43: Ik ben er even niet (I'm Off Then) by Hape Kerkeling
book 44: Bergje by Bregje Hofstede
book 45: Bezoek van de knokploeg (A Visit from the Goon Squad) by Jennifer Egan
book 46: Confrontaties by Simone Atangana Bekono
book 47: Het uur van de wraak (Burning for Revenge, Tomorrow 5) by John Marsden
book 48: Wandelparadijs Nederland: te voet door alle provincies by John Jansen van Galen
book 49: Tussen de regels (By its cover, Brunetti 23) by Donna Leon
book 50: Christus kwam niet verder dan Eboli (Christ Stopped at Eboli) by Carlo Levi
book 51: De omweg naar Santiago (Roads to Santiago) by Cees Nooteboom
book 52: Camino (Two steps forward) by Graeme Simsion and Anne Buist
book 53: Kameleon, ahoy! by H. de Roos
book 54: Groene Heinrich by Gottfried Keller

books read in April
book 55: De Cock en de dwaze maagden by A.C. Baantjer
book 56: Wachten op het donker (The Night is for Hunting, Tomorrow 6) by John Marsden
book 57: Een andere kant van vrijheid (The Other side of Dawn, Tomorrow 7) by John Marsden
book 58: Oeroeg (The Black Lake) by Hella Haasse, 79 pages
book 59: De duivelse droom (The Devil's novice) by Ellis Peters
book 60: De man die kon rekenen (The Man Who Counted) by Malba Tahan
book 61: Zondeval (The Hanging Valley, Inspector Banks 4) by Peter Robinson
book 62: Meisje, vrouw, anders (Girl, woman, other) by Bernardine Evaristo
book 63: Van oude mensen, de dingen die voorbijgaan (Old People and The Things That Pass) by Louis Couperus
book 64: Over liefde en over niets anders by Toon Tellegen
book 65: Jheronimus Bosch: Visioenen van een genie (Hieronymus Bosch: Visions of Genius) by Matthijs Ilsink
book 66: Drie dingen over Elsie (Three Things About Elsie) by Joanna Cannon
book 67: De waarheid over honden (The Truth about Dogs) by Stephen Budiansky
book 68: De naam van mijn vader by Rindert Kromhout
book 69: De vriend (The friend) by Sigrid Nunez
book 70: De vergelding (The dark vineyard) by Martin Walker
book 71: De drie musketiers (The Three Musketeers) by Alexandre Dumas
book 72: Leon & Juliette by Annejet van der Zijl
book 73: Alles tegen (Odds Against) by Dick Francis
book 74: Het jaar van de tuinier (The Gardener's Year) by Karel Čapek
book 75: Winnetou (Winnetou) by Karl May
book 76: Verloren woorden (The lost words) by Robert Macfarlane
book 77: Smalle paden (Thin Paths) by Julia Blackburn
book 78: Foon by Marente de Moor
book 79: Archief van verloren kinderen (Lost Children Archive) by Valeria Luiselli
book 80: De drieëntwintig dagen van de stad Alba (The Twenty-three Days of the City of Alba) by Beppe Fenoglio
book 81: Tussen Orinoco en Amazone (In Trouble Again) by Redmond O'Hanlon
book 82: Afscheid van Berlijn (Goodbye to Berlin) by Christopher Isherwood
book 83: Volwassenen onder elkaar (Adults In The Room) by Yanis Varoufakis
book 84: De Schotse marsen (The Marches) by Rory Stewart
book 85: De heilige Rita (The Blessed Rita) by Tommy Wieringa
book 86: De jaren (The Years) by Annie Ernaux

books read in May
book 87: De 3 bestaat niet by Gerbrand Bakker
book 88: De vermiste prins (The Missing Prince, Rangers Apprentice 15) by John Flanagan
book 89: Een vrouw in de poolnacht (A Woman in the Polar Night) by Christiane Ritter
book 90: De eerste wandelaar by Flip van Doorn
book 91: Grijs verleden (Field Grey, Bernie Gunther 7) by Philip Kerr
book 92: Het geheime netwerk van de natuur (The Secret Network of Nature) by Peter Wohlleben
book 93: Een paleis voor de doden by Herman Clerinx
book 94: Overtuiging (Persuation) by Jane Austen
book 95: Ik aanbid je (Falling in Love, Brunetti 24) by Donna Leon
book 96: Het zout der aarde (Salt of the Earth) by Józef Wittlin
book 97: De hengelaars van Castelnau (The origin of the world) by Pierre Michon
book 98: Het pad der dolken (The Path of Daggers, Wheel of time 8) by Robert Jordan
book 99: De Cock en de dode tempeliers by A.C. Baantjer
book 100: Brekebeen (Bonecrack) by Dick Francis
book 101: Wit konijn, rode wolf (White Rabbit, Red Wolf) by Tom Pollock
book 102: Asterix en het gouden snoeimes (Asterix and the Golden Sickle) by René Goscinny
book 103: Vlucht van de havik (Celtic bride) by Margo Maguire
book 104: Als het zaterdag wordt (Saturday Requiem, Frieda Klein 6) by Nicci French
book 105: Een lied voor Achilles (The Song of Achilles) by Madeline Miller
book 106: De betovering van lijsten (The infinity of lists: from Homer to Joyce) by Umberto Eco
book 107: Piranesi (Piranesi) by Susanna Clarke
book 108: Portnoy's klacht (Portnoy's Complaint) by Philip Roth
book 109: In het licht van de vuurtoren (The lightkeeper's daughters) by Jean E. Pendziwol
book 110: De onbeduidende Jude (Jude the Obscure) by Thomas Hardy
book 111: De passievrucht (A Father's Affair) by Karel Glastra van Loon
book 112: De vergaderzaal by A. Alberts
book 113: De zwarte heuvel (On the black hill) by Bruce Chatwin
book 114: Rituelen (Rituals) by Cees Nooteboom
book 115: De bibliotheek bij nacht (The library at night) by Alberto Manguel
book 116: Getemde schoonheid (Briana) by Ruth Langan
book 117: Ik wou (I Wish) by Toon Tellegen
book 118: Quarantaine by Ilja Leonard Pfeiffer
book 119: Claudius de God (Claudius the God) by Robert Graves
book 120: De Cock en de blijde Bacchus by A.C. Baantjer
book 121: Zondagochtend breekt aan (Sunday Silence) by Nicci French

books read in June
book 122: De dag van de doden (The Day of the Dead, Frieda Klein 8) by Nicci French
book 123: De essays (The Complete Essays) by Michel de Montaigne
book 124: Connemara: Luisterend naar de wind (Connemara. Listening to the Wind) by Tim Robinson
book 125: Vrijwilliger in Spanje (Volunteer in Spain) by John Sommerfield
book 126: De zwarte diamant (Black Diamond) by Martin Walker
book 127: Circe (Circe) by Madeline Miller
book 128: In Siberië (In Siberia) by Colin Thubron
book 129: БAM : een reis van niets naar niets by Jelle Brandt Corstius
book 130: Sneeuwblind (Snowblind) by Ragnar Jónasson
book 131: Robinson Crusoe (Robinson Crusoë) by Daniel Defoe
book 132: Het geluid van de berg (The Sound of the Mountain) by Yasunari Kawabata
book 133: Wat wij zagen by Hanna Bervoets
book 134: Geachte Muizenpoot en achttien andere gedichten by F. ten Harmsen van der Beek
book 135: De tijgerkat. Herinneringen aan mijn kindertijd en andere verhalen by Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa
book 136: Cliënt E. Busken by Jeroen Brouwers
book 137: Wraak en andere novellen (Legends of the Fall) by Jim Harrison
book 138: De gierzwaluw by Remco Daalder
book 139: Een roos van vlees (A Rose of Flesh) by Jan Wolkers
book 140: Het veelkleurig land (The Many-Colored Land) by Julian May
book 141: De 90ste verjaardag van Louis van Roosgaarde by Jan Terlouw
book 142: De gouden halsring (The Golden Torc) by Julian May
book 143: De druiven der gramschap (The Grapes of Wrath) by John Steinbeck
book 144: Johannes Viator by Frederik van Eeden
book 145: De troonveroveraar (The Nonborn King) by Julian May

Monthly statistics
January: 18 books / 5.137 pages / 165,7 ppd
February: 20 books / 5.689 pages / 203,2 ppd
March: 16 books / 5.805 pages / 187,3 ppd
April: 32 books / 9.247 pages / 308,2 ppd
May: 35 books / 9.682 pages / 312,3 ppd
June: 24 books / 8.547 pages / 284,9 ppd

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Previous threads in 2021
book 1 - 18: thread 1
book 19 - 38: thread 2
book 39 - 54: thread 3
book 55 - 86: thread 4
book 87 - 121: thread 5
book 122 - 145: thread 6

--
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)

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Lists on my WikiThing
My best books by year list.
My Five star reads.
The books by Nobel prize winners I have read

Working on: Booker prize winners; Dutch prize winners

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; 23 When the Music's Over (not translated); 24 Sleeping in the Ground (not translated); 25 Careless Love (not translated); 26 Many Rivers to Cross (not translated)

Bernie Gunther by Philip Kerr 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 12/20
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 56/70

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Op zoek naar de verloren tijd (In Search of Lost Time) by Marcel Proust 5/7
1 De kant van Swann; 2 In de schaduw van meisjes in bloei; 3 De kant van Guermantes; 4 Sodom en Gomorra; 5 De gevangene; 6 De voortvluchtige; 7 De tijd hervonden

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

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

1901 Sully Prudhomme
1902 Theodor Mommsen
1903 Bjørnstjerne Bjørnson
1904 Frédéric Mistral
1904 José Echegaray y Eizaguirre
1905 Henryk Sienkiewicz
1906 Giosuè Carducci
1907 Rudyard Kipling
1908 Rudolf Christoph Eucken
1909 Selma Lagerlöf
1910 Paul Heyse
1911 Maurice Maeterlinck
1912 Gerhart Hauptmann
1913 Rabindranath Tagore
1915 Romain Rolland
1916 Verner von Heidenstam
1917 Karl Adolph Gjellerup
1917 Henrik Pontoppidan
1919 Carl Spitteler
1920 Knut Hamsun
1921 Anatole France
1922 Jacinto Benavente
1923 William Butler Yeats
1924 Władysław Reymont
1925 George Bernard Shaw
1926 Grazia Deledda
1927 Henri Bergson
1928 Sigrid Undset
1929 Thomas Mann
1930 Sinclair Lewis
1931 Erik Axel Karlfeldt
1932 John Galsworthy
1933 Ivan Boenin
1934 Luigi Pirandello
1936 Eugene O'Neill
1937 Roger Martin du Gard
1938 Pearl S. Buck
1939 Frans Eemil Sillanpää
1944 Johannes Vilhelm Jensen
1945 Gabriela Mistral
1946 Hermann Hesse
1947 André Gide
1948 T.S. Elliot
1949 William Faulkner
1950 Bertrand Russell
1951 Pär Lagerkvist
1952 François Mauriac
1953 Sir Winston Churchill
1954 Ernest Hemingway
1955 Halldór Laxness
1956 Juan Ramón Jiménez
1957 Albert Camus
1958 Boris Pasternak
1959 Salvatore Quasimodo
1960 Saint-John Perse
1961 Ivo Andrić
1962 John Steinbeck
1963 Giorgos Seferis
1964 Jean-Paul Sartre
1965 Michail Sjolochov
1966 Sjmoeël Joseef Agnon
1966 Nelly Sachs
1967 Miguel Ángel Asturias
1968 Yasunari Kawabata
1969 Samuel Beckett
1970 Aleksandr Solzjenitsyn
1971 Pablo Neruda
1972 Heinrich Böll
1973 Patrick White
1974 Eyvind Johnson
1974 Harry Martinson
1975 Eugenio Montale
1976 Saul Bellow
1977 Vincente Aleixandre
1978 Isaac Bashevis Singer
1979 Odysseas Elytis
1980 Czesław Miłosz
1981 Elias Canetti
1982 Gabriel Garciá Márquez
1983 William Golding
1984 Jaroslav Seifert
1985 Claude Simon
1986 Wole Soyinka
1987 Joseph Brodsky
1988 Nagieb Mahfoez
1989 Camilo José Cela
1990 Octavio Paz
1991 Nadine Gordimer
1992 Derek Walcott
1993 Toni Morrison
1994 Kenzaburo Oë
1995 Seamus Heaney
1996 Wisława Szymborska
1997 Dario Fo
1998 José Saramago
1999 Günter Grass
2000 Gao Xingjian
2001 V.S. Naipaul
2002 Imre Kertész
2003 John Maxwell Coetzee
2004 Elfriede Jelinek
2005 Harold Pinter
2006 Orhan Pamuk
2007 Doris Lessing
2008 J.M.G. Le Clézio
2009 Herta Müller
2010 Mario Vargas Llosa
2011 Tomas Tranströmer
2012 Mo Yan
2013 Alice Munro
2014 Patrick Modiano
2015 Svetlana Alexievich
2016 Bob Dylan
2017 Kazuo Ishiguro
2018 Olga Tokarczuk
2019 Peter Handke
2020 Louise Glück

Books acquired in 2021: 26

January (2)
De dood in Rome - Wolfgang Koeppen
Veerman - Emile Verhaeren

February (5)
In weerwil van de woorden - Dimitri Verhulst
Ik wou - Toon Tellegen
Gebroken wit - Astrid Roemer
De melancholie van het verzet - Lásló Krasznahorkai
De reparatie van de wereld - Slobodan Šnajder

March (2)
Olga en haar driekwartsmaten - Astrid Roemer
Alles tegen - Dick Francis

April (4)
Hele verhalen voor een halve soldaat - Benny Lindelauf
Winnetou - Karl May
Bloedgeld - Dick Francis
Brekebeen - Dick Francis

May (13)
Wandelingen door Nederland met pen en potlood. Deel 1 - J. Craandijk (e-book)
Wandelingen door Nederland met pen en potlood. Deel 2 - J. Craandijk (e-book)
Wandelingen door Nederland met pen en potlood. Deel 3 - J. Craandijk (e-book)
Wandelingen door Nederland met pen en potlood. Deel 4 - J. Craandijk (e-book)
Wandelingen door Nederland met pen en potlood. Deel 5 - J. Craandijk (e-book)
Wandelingen door Nederland met pen en potlood. Deel 6 - J. Craandijk (e-book)
Wandelingen door Nederland met pen en potlood. Deel 7 - J. Craandijk (e-book)
Nieuwe wandelingen door Nederland met pen en potlood - J. Craandijk (e-book)
Radetzkymars - Joseph Roth
De wereld van gisteren - Stefan Zweig
Het zout der aarde - Józef Wittlin
Cliënt E. Busken - Jeroen Brouwers
Wat wij zagen - Hanna Bervoets

Welcome!

Happy new thread, Anita!

>14 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Paul!

Happy new thread, Anita!

Happy new thread, Anita. I love your dog stories and photos!

Happy new one Anita. I love the topper memories of your time with your pets.
Although it really makes me wish I had the space for a dog!

Can I ask you about how you record when you get a book? I use my wishlist a lot so most books I end up buying have already been added to my LT records. I am wondering if I could try using the 'date acquired' fields instead. Or maybe the reading dates, although that might open up a can of worms, as I am good at putting books down for ages.

Happy Friday, Anita! Happy New Thread! I like your dog toppers and I like hearing about your walking routine. A good time to spot some interesting birds, right?

Hi Anita. Happy new thread.

Your photos and stories of your pets are marvelous, and I thank you for sharing. I particularly like the photo of Youri at your wedding.

Happy New Thread, Anita!

I love the stories of your animals.

And congrats! on your reading numbers. All very impressive!

I loved Circe. And you have reminded me that I also have not yet read The Song of Achilles.

>17 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas!

>18 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley, it is nice to bring back those memories.

>19 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte. When Youri came, I lived in a small students room, with two large dogs for a few weeks (I moved fairly soon to a small appartment). I wouldn't do that again ;-)

Yes, that is what I do, I always fill the "date acquired". Sometimes I read a library book, and want my own copy, so the date added is long before the date acquired.
When I came to LT I added all my books in about a week. So all books added in March 2008 were on the shelves at that time. And after that I kept record with "date acquired".

>20 msf59: Thank you, Mark!
We have had many dogs through the years, loved them all.
Last week I spotted two lifers, completely forgot to mention: when walking the dike we saw a whinchat and only a mile from home a wood sandpiper.

>21 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen.
It is fun to share the memories. Youri and Dorka made a nice couple, black and white, and almost the same hight. That is the only picture where Youri is somewhat visible on our weddingday, we have a few others where he looks more like a slight shadow.

>22 streamsong: Thank you, Janet!
Glad you enjoy the stories of my pets through the years. It still feels a bit odd without.
The books still treat me well :-)
I hope you get to The Song of Achilles, I thought it was as good as Circe.

Happy new thread, Anita. I enjoyed the stories of your dogs. I really miss having a dog.

Happy new thread, Anita.

Hi Anita my dear, happy new thread. Hope all is well with you and Frank and we both send love and hugs to both of you dear friend.

>25 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba.
I also miss having a dog sometimes. But then I get my dog fix with walking my neighbor's dogs :-)

>26 ArlieS: Thank you, Arlie.

>27 johnsimpson: Thank you, John, all is well here.
Wishing you and Karen a happy weekend.

>28 FAMeulstee:, Thanks Anita, same to you my dear.

Happy new thread!

Congratulations on the lifers!

Happy new thread, Anita! The stories of your dogs are incredibly sweet - thanks for sharing!

Happy new thread!

Awww...I've never seen Youri before, what a sweet photo that wedding one is.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Anita!

Happy new thread, Anita.

>30 quondame: Thank you, Susan!
We saw many birds last week, and were happy to add these two to the list.

>31 bell7: Thank you, Mary!
We shared our life with dogs for nearly 35 years, so lots of stories to tell.

>32 drneutron: Thank you, Jim!

>33 richardderus: Thank you, Richard.
Youri was a very good dog, I always had a soft spot for shepherds and black dogs.

>34 swynn: Thank you, Steve!

>35 BLBera: Thank you, Beth.

Read, not yet reviewed:
#146: De tegenstrever (The Adversary) by Julian May
#147: Kapitein Corelli's mandoline (Captain Corelli's Mandolin) by Louis De Bernieres

Reading now:
Een jaar uit het leven van Gesine Cresspahl (Anniversaries: From a Year in the Life of Gesine Cresspahl) by Uwe Johnson
De Peloponnesische oorlog (The History of the Peloponnesian War) by Thucydides
Aristoteles & Dante ontdekken de geheimen van het universum (Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe) by Benjamin Alire Sáenz

>38 FAMeulstee: "Oorlog" not "Krijg"? I thought the latter meant "war."

Well, that's the fun of figuring new stuff out! Happy week-ahead's reads!

>39 richardderus: "Krijg" has two meanings, Richard, on it's own it is a verb (krijgen) that means get or receive.
Long ago "Krijg" did mean war, think 17th, 18th century. It still does in combination, like "krijgsgevangene" means prisoner of war, "krijgskunde" the art of war (or militairy science), and "krijger" warrior.
Now we always use "oorlog" for war.

Hi Anita. Scrolling trough your new thread. And I hope it's a good one. Luckily i see you on the ROOTers too. So we have been in touch and you know what's going on.

>41 connie53: Thank you, Connie, my thread at the ROOTers is quiet compared to here.
You have a lot going on at the moment.

Belatedly wishing you a happy new thread! You are so lucky to have shared your life with such wonderful dogs. Youri and Dourka sound like perfect companions.

>43 Sakerfalcon: Thank you, Claire. They were perfect companions, although I would not keep a Kuvasz in the middle of a city ever again. People wanted to pet Dorka, and she was wary to strangers.

Read, not yet reviewed:
#146: De tegenstrever (The Adversary) by Julian May
#147: Kapitein Corelli's mandoline (Captain Corelli's Mandolin) by Louis De Bernieres
#148: Aristoteles & Dante ontdekken de geheimen van het universum (Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe) by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
#149: Bij gaslicht by F. Bordewijk
#150: Een jaar uit het leven van Gesine Cresspahl (Anniversaries: From a Year in the Life of Gesine Cresspahl) by Uwe Johnson

Reading now:
De Peloponnesische oorlog (The History of the Peloponnesian War) by Thucydides
Bonjour tristesse by Françoise Sagan
De ziener by Simon Vestdijk

>45 FAMeulstee: YAY for the double-75! Congratulations, Anita!

>45 FAMeulstee: Congratulations on 150!

Congratulations, Anita! I'm a snail compared to you.

Hi Anita my dear, congratulations on 2 X 75 for the year so far.

Wow, congratulations Anita. I've not quite made 50 yet.

>46 richardderus: Thank you, Richard dear!
And #150 was a such great read, 6 out of 5 stars if I could give them :-)
A very big tome, where I thought at the start "What did I start? How will I ever get through this?". Then I got completely absorbed, so near the end I felt sorry that there were no more pages left...

>47 quondame: Thank you, Susan!

>48 kidzdoc: Thank you, Darryl, so nice to see a message from you!
Some in this group are even faster ;-)
And the most important is still that you enjoy your reads, never mind how few or how many.

>49 johnsimpson: Thank you, John.
We will see where it ends this year :-)

>50 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you, Caroline.
I can spend most of my time on reading, while you have your work to do.

book 146: De tegenstrever by Julian May
own, translated, original title The Adversary, 478 pages
TIOLI Challenge #15: Read a book by or about a U.S. President or by an author with the same initials

Fourth and last book of the Saga of the Exiles.
An exiled human conquers the throne, leading the Tanu in the last battle against the Firvulag.
Meanwhile Marc Remillard, once the leader of the human rebellion against the Galactic aliens in the 21st century, tries to stop his children. They want to get away from Marc's plans with them, as he still believes in his rebellion.

The story of Marc, and his family was published later in the Galactic Milieu series.

Dutch and English title are the same.

book 147: Kapitein Corelli's mandoline by Louis De Bernieres
1001 books, library, e-book, translated, original title Captain Corelli's Mandolin, 563 pages
TIOLI Challenge #14: Read a book that triggers an ear worm

In World War II, the Greek island Cephallonia is occupied by the Italian. Doctor Iannis and his daughter Pelagia live on the island. When Captain Corelli has to live with them, a romance between him and Pelagia starts.

I didn't like this book as I hoped I would. The story itself is not bad, but somehow there is a gap between the language used, and the time and place of the story.

Dutch and English title are the same.

book 148: Aristoteles & Dante ontdekken de geheimen van het universum by Benjamin Alire Sáenz
library, YA, translated, original title Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe, 384 pages
TIOLI Challenge #3: Read a book with at least two characters in its title

15 year old Ari is a loner, his siblings are much older, and he isn't much interested in his classmates. One day he meets Dante at the swimming pool, and they become friends.

A nice story about growing up, and finding out who you are.

Dutch and English title are the same.

book 149: Bij gaslicht by F. Bordewijk
library, e-book, Dutch, no translations, 157 pages
TIOLI Challenge #6: Read a book with a title with 3 words or less

Six unconnected short stories. I read it because the second story is set in Schiedam, and got a raving review somewhere (I don't recall where).
The stories are set in the first half of the 20th century. All well crafted, but to dark to be likable.

Dutch title translated: By gaslight

Happy new thread Anita! And congratulations on double 75!

Somehow I missed you starting your thread. I, too, am loving the stories of your pets. Kuvaszs (not a breed I've heard of before) sound perfect for training other dogs :0) Lots of people want to pet Jasper (although some are scared of his enthusiasm) and he loves the attention. Normally I'm torn between being careful (having grown up in a country where it would have been possible to get rabies) and indulging him but now I think we have to be more circumspect with covid. Apparently dogs and cats can carry it but I'm not sure if they suffer from it - will have to look that up.

I'm glad you can still get your dog fix without setting off Frank's allergies.

book 150: Een jaar uit het leven van Gesine Cresspahl by Uwe Johnson
1001 books, own, translated from German, English translation Anniversaries: From a Year in the Life of Gesine Cresspahl, 1596 pages
TIOLI Challenge #5: Read a book that has been long/shortlisted for or won a translation prize

In 366 chapters, with the date as header, we follow Gesine Cresspahl, and her ten year old daughter Marie, from August 21st 1967 until August 20th 1968. They live in New York, where Gesine works as a translator at a bank.

Most days start with an article from The New York Times, following the news in those years: the war in Vietnam, the assasination of Martin Luther King and Robert Kennedy, the Prague Spring.
The daily life of Gesine: on her way in the metro to her work at the bank, walking through the neigborhood, her friendship with a fellow East-German, who teaches at university.
Gesine tells the tales of her youth in a small village in Mecklenburg to Marie: first the rise of Nazi-Germany, then the war, the liberation, the English occupation, the Russian occupation, East-Germany, leaving her country, living in exile.

An absolutely fabulous and great read, a true classic. Both timelines, in New York and Mecklenburg, took me right into these worlds. Nearing the end I felt sorry I had to leave the characters.

Dutch title translated: A year from the life of Gesine Cresspahl

>56 humouress: Thank you twice, Nina!

Kuvaszok (the Hungarian plural of Kuvasz) are LGDs (Livestock Guardian Dogs), bred to protect their flock (or village). This makes them wary of strangers, and indeed the older dogs teach the young ones their job. So teaching other dogs comes naturally. They look like a big, white Golden Retriever, but have an opposite character. Dorka would step back when someone tried to pet her, and if that din't help she would audible clap her teeth one cm before the hand, next step would be biting. Bobo was better socialised in her youth, she allowed petting, but obviously didn't like it.
Jasper sounds like a typical Golden, lovable dog who loves humans.
I have heard of dogs, cats and ferrets carrying Covid, some even can get ill. I somewhere read that there is progress in an animal Covid vaccine.

>53 FAMeulstee: Hmm, that was one from The Modern Library list that I was considering reading. Perhaps it works better in English.

>60 quondame: I hope you like it better, Susan.
I had similair problems with his later book The dust that falls from dreams.

Congratulations on the double 75!!!

>24 FAMeulstee: Congrats on the 2 Lifers. I had not heard of either the whinchat or wood sandpiper. Good for you.

Happy Friday, Anita. Congrats on hitting #150! Wow!

>62 hredwards: Thank you, Harold, we are reading at the same speed this year.

>63 msf59: Thank you, Mark, and thank you :-)
We have some other birds here in Europe. I had to look up some of the birds you mentioned through the years. And some birds can be seen on both sides of the Atlantic.

Hi Anita. I really liked your dog stories.

>55 FAMeulstee: I like that cover. A real Salamander and fitting for Bordewijk.

>58 FAMeulstee: A Five star read. The book sounds like a real must. Congratulations, it's always so great to find something you really love.

And Congratulations on reaching 2x75!

(I don't understand why my iPad wants to use capitals every other word)

>65 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella, dogs were an important part of my life.
The Bordewijk cover is also a perfect illustration for the first story, where a dog-woman is one of the main characters.
Yes, it was a great read, I am so overly happy it was published in Dutch translation last year!
And thank you again.
(I am glad I always use my laptop ;-) )

Anniversaries: From a Year in the Life of Gesine Cresspahl sounds fabulous, Anita. I would have been six to seven years old when it was written, living not far away just west of NYC with my family and having maternal grandparents equally close in the Bronx. Despite its heft it sounds like an essential read, and so I've just ordered it.

>67 kidzdoc: Thank you, Darryl, it was fabulous to me :-)
I just went back to Nathalie's thread (Deern) from 2014, as I remembered she also raved about Anniversaries, that was where I first heard about this book (link to Nathalies'review in her 2014 thread). It looks like back then there was only an abridged edition available in English, the full translation was published in 2018 in two volumes.

>58 FAMeulstee: Thanks for this review Anita, it does sound wonderful. And thanks to Darryl for mentioning the size: after nearly braining myself with The Eighth Life for Brilka several times, whilst trying to read in bed, I think I will get an ebook copy of this one!

>69 charl08: You are very welcome, Charlotte, I rarely rave like this about a book. Yes, Anniversaries is a big tome, but it was published in English translation in two volumes in 2018. That might be easier to handle. My shoulders still complain a bit, as I did read a paper copy ;-)
Sorry you still struggling with The Eighth Life : for Brilka

>68 FAMeulstee: Thanks for the link to Nathalie's great review of Anniversaries, Anita! Her comments confirm that I made the right decision in buying it. You're right; New York Review Books published a two volume edition of it in 2018.

ETA: Has anyone heard from Nathalie recently? I miss her.

>69 charl08: You're welcome, Charlotte.

Congratulations on 150, Anita!
And then also such a good book - I wish you a wonderful sunday.

>71 kidzdoc: It was Nathalie's review that led me to Anniversaries, Darryl, so I was glad to share it here.
No I haven't heard from her in over a year, I miss her too. Maybe she kept in touch with Barbara?

>72 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas, it was indeed a great read :-)

Wow, Anita. twice 75 books read. Congrats!

>74 connie53: Thank you, Connie!

Read, not yet reviewed:
#151: Bonjour tristesse by Françoise Sagan
#152: De ziener by Simon Vestdijk
#153: Tokio mon amour (A Tokyo romance) by Ian Buruma
#154: Eeuwige jeugd (The Waters of Eternal Youth) by Donna Leon

Reading now:
De Peloponnesische oorlog (The History of the Peloponnesian War) by Thucydides
De Patrick Melrose-romans (The Complete Patrick Melrose Novels) by Edward St Aubyn
De N.V. Mateor by Havank

I got my second vaccination.

It was even more an ordeal than the first time. At first the security guard just plain refused to let Frank go with me. The valium prevented a full blown panick attack, but it was close. Then the attending doctor came, Frank was allowed to come and the shot given.
I think everyone at the vaccination site was a bit more stressed than last time, as the numbers of Covid infections have risen very fast. In a week time we went from less than 1.000 to nearly 10.000 confirmed cases a day.

Back home now and so glad it is done!

Congratulations, Anita, for getting through the second vaccine. Pity that the people there couldn't be more sensitive. I suspect the vast majority of people coming to get vaccinated don't need support with them so an exception or two shouldn't be such a big deal. Especially since Frank is a close relative (and he has had his second shot already, hasn't he?). They should be ready to encourage and help as many people as possible have a successful experience so that they won't be reluctant to return, should that be necessary. Anyhow, it's done and you are as protected as you can be right now and that is great news and what really matters! Congrats!

>77 FAMeulstee: Anita, that sounds like they are really a bit paranoid right now. But you've got your second shot and that's good thing.

book 151: Bonjour tristesse by Françoise Sagan
1001 books, library, translated from French, English translation Bonjour tristesse, 126 pages
TIOLI Challenge #4: Read a book about a vacation or with the word vacation in the title or a word indicating a vacation, highlight the word

A vacation at the Côte d'Azur. Cecile and her father, Raymond, are spending a summer at a nice villa near the Mediterranean Sea. Raymonds present girlfriend, Elsa, went with them. They have a good time, until Anne arrives. Anne was a good friend of Cecile's mother, and much more serious than both Cecile and Raymond. Anne want to marry Raymond, and gets rid of Elsa in no time. Cecile doesn't want to give up her frivoleous luxury life, and thinks out a plot to get rid of Anne.

Not a great story, but amusing, and rather well written. It is amazing that it was written by a 18 year old in the 1950s. It must have been a sensation back then.

Dutch and English title are exactly the same, it is the original French title

I'm glad that you've received your second vaccination (which one?), Anita, but I'm sorry that it was such a stressful ordeal for you.

Cases of COVID-19 seem to be rising much more rapidly in Western Europe than in the United States at the moment, but given the vaccine hesitancy and the intransigence of unedcuated, science denying and government distrusting conservatives there are pockets where cases are increasing much more rapidly than in other areas of the country.

>78 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley.
I hadn't expected this much trouble. The first time went much easier, although not completely flawless. If the first time had been this bad, I doubt if I had dared to go again. On the invitation was said you could take someone with you, if needed. I have no clue why the vaccination centre here made their own rules.
Yes, Frank got his second shot last month.
Some clients at Frank's work had similair trouble, so he was forewarned. I am very glad it is done!

>79 connie53: Something like that, Connie. Or just unlucky.
I am very happy I got the second shot, now hoping for few side effects again.

>81 kidzdoc: I got Pfizer, Darryl.
I will never be completely calm around doctors (in function, not you), needles, medical places etc. But it is done, and I hope I won't need to go to that place ever again.

The goverment opened up way to fast in June. They let young people come together straight after getting a vaccine, as they were trying to get many of them vaccinated. That worked out very wrong, so restrictions are back now. At least most Dutch want to be vaccined, latest research said 85% of all adults wants to be vaccinated and/or is vaccinated.

>82 FAMeulstee: Congratulations on getting your second shot, Anita! I am sorry it was so stressful for you! But I am glad you got it, as that second shot will give you a lot of necessary extra protection.

>81 kidzdoc: Here, the problem was caused by our government relaxing the rules too fast, and telling lies to young people. "Get that shot today, so you can go dancing tonight". Well, no need to tell what the result was.

book 152: De ziener by Simon Vestdijk
own, Dutch, no translations, 227 pages
TIOLI Challenge #16: Help me sort out my birthday gifts by reading the appropriate books

Pieter Le Roy is a very unlikable character. He is a voyeur, and an intriguer. He likes to follow young couples and watch nearby. He gets molestated sometimes, but feels that is worth it. He also writes anonymous letters to stirr things up. In the end he uses his skills to bring a couple together.

Dutch title translated: The seer

>84 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella. All things medical are always stressful to me, and today got worse through the people involved. I am glad it wasn't this bad the first time, as I would have been more reluctant to go back.
Frank's goal was indeed getting that second shot for me, and he did well :-)

>77 FAMeulstee: Congrats on getting your second shot. I'm due for mine next week. They wouldn't let anyone else go in with you? Interesting. Morgan went with me for my first one and I'm sure he will for the second as well. But hey, we have cats wandering around in the hospitals so maybe they're just lax. ;)

>56 humouress: Cats can definitely get Covid, though I think it's slightly different from ours. My cat got it a couple of months ago and nearly died. She's recovered now, thank goodness.

book 153: Tokio mon amour by Ian Buruma
library, e-book, non-fiction, translated, original title A Tokyo romance, 238 pages
TIOLI Challenge #8: Read a book with a connection to the Tokyo summer Olympics

Ian Buruma went to Tokyo in the 1970s to study Japanese cinema. Later he started photographing and went on some tours with experimental theatre acts. Fourty years later he wrote down what he remembered of this time in his life. Always being an outsider (gajin) isn't easy, but it also has advantages.

It was a fun read, athough I got a bit tired of unfamiliair names. I might have liked it better if I knew more about Japanese cinema and theatre.

Dutch title translated: Tokyo mon amour (= my love in French)

>87 ursula: Thank you, Ursula. They tried to prevent Frank from coming with me, but they failed.
I wouldn't mind having cats (and dogs) in hospitals, would make things much easier to me! Pets are great companions and stress relievers.

book 154: Eeuwige jeugd by Donna Leon
library, translated, original title The Waters of Eternal Youth, 318 pages
TIOLI Challenge #11: Read a book with an adjective in the title

Commissario Brunetti book 25
Brunetti tries to find out more about a girl who nearly drowned 15 years ago. He manages to get the case opened again. Then the main witness of back then is murdered, so a second investigation starts.

Liked the story, but I was a bit disappoited that Brunetti gave in to corruption/using favors to get his chief with him in reopening the case. I loved that a dog and horses were in this book.

Dutch title translated: Eternal Youth

YAY for your 2nd shot!
I'm glad it worked out in the end.
Sometimes I have the feeling that "special" people work in the vaccination centers. My brother was sent home again because he has a skin allergy, he went straight to his family doctor, got a certificate and went back. There he got the shot from another doctor without any problems, no one wanted to see the certificate again.
His family doctor told him that he also had problems, he did not have a certificate from his family doctor that he is a medical - he is his own family doctor - Catch22.
His receptionist then sent him a certificate in his name on his smartphone...

>77 FAMeulstee: Glad you are fully vaccinated Anita, but a shame they had to add to the stress.

>91 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas!
I am sorry your brother and his family doctor had also problems when they went for their vaccination.
It is a hughe project to get everyone vaccinated, but I wish it could go without these problems.

>92 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you, Caroline. I was glad the first time went better, and that it is done now.

Hooray for your second shot and that reasonable doctor!

>85 FAMeulstee: Simon Vestdijk wrote a book called The Garden Where the Brass Band Played about a boy called "Noel" (I think) that I read some time ago. I picked it up because he was born in Harlingen, which is a town near where I'm from in South Texas's name too.

I remember liking it fine; his translations are fairly hard to find, though.

>94 richardderus: Thank you, Richard dear, in two weeks I am fully protected :-)

Simon Vestdijk wrote many books, we have all his novels (52) on the shelves. I am slowly going though all these. He also wrote novella's, poetry and essays. He used to be a very populair writer, but nowadays his books aren't read much anymore.
The Garden Where the Brass Band Played is his most famous book, and the main character is called Nol. Vestdijk himself also liked this book best.

So I guess this South-Texan town was founded by Dutch/Frisian?

>95 FAMeulstee: No, interestingly enough; by a Choctaw Native American. But it was named for y'all's Harlingen because it was founded (in 1904) to be a nexus for several canals. That town's still a major shipping point for many crops grown nearby (bulk onion growing, grapefruits, and orange juice concentrate).

>96 richardderus: How interesting, Richard dear, I would never have guessed.
Our country is full of canals, many other places that could be used to name that place ;-)

>83 FAMeulstee: I'm glad that you're comfortable around me, Anita! I promise that I'll never wear a white coat or openly carry a stethoscope or physician's bag when we next meet.

I hope that you don't have to return there, as well.

That's encouraging that 85% of Dutch citizens want to be vaccinated. If that happens then the Netherlands should achieve herd immunity, and significantly slow down if not stop the pandemic. You're probably aware that the vaccination campaign in the United States is highly politicized, with a wide variation in vaccination rates in our states; 75% of eligible residents in Maine have received at least one dose of the mRNA vaccines, Pfizer-BioNTech or Moderna, versus 37% in Mississippi. There are lower rates of vaccination amongst African Americans, Native Americans and Latinx compared to Whites and Asians, vaccine hesitancy is playing a significant role, but the biggest difference in who is vaccinated and who is willing to be vaccinated (and who steadfastly refuses to do so) is political affiliation: a sizable minority of adults who identify as Republican or Independent say that they will not get the vaccine, whereas only a tiny minority of those who identify as Democrat say that they will. Georgia, where I live, has a relatively low vaccination rate, as only 44% of eligible citizens have received at least one dose of the SARS-CoV-2 vaccine, but there is almost certainly a significant difference in vaccination rates in metro Atlanta as compared to rural areas in the state. One region of Georgia was recently identified as one of 13 hot spots for COVID-19, but it is in the southeastern part of the state, far away from Atlanta or any other major cities in Georgia.

>84 EllaTim: Ugh. We had a somewhat similar problem in certain states in the United States, particularly ones headed by Republican governors, like Georgia. Our governor opened the state so early and recklessly last year that even former President Trump openly said that he was moving too quickly (he did so mainly due to pressure from extreme conservatives here, after they threatened to hold a protest march outside of the state capitol building in downtown Atlanta), and he clashed with the mayors of several of the major cities, particularly Atlanta and Savannah, who mandated far more strict public health measures, and the influential business community here.

From The New York Times:

New coronavirus cases in the Netherlands skyrocketed by more than 500 percent last week, according to the health authorities, a surge in cases that forced the country’s prime minister, Mark Rutte, to publicly apologize on Monday for having lifted restrictions too hastily.

As new daily cases increased from 500 on June 25, a day before restrictions were dropped, to over 10,000 on Saturday, Mr. Rutte’s government reimposed several measures, including ordering clubs and bars to close at midnight and reinstating a policy to serve only seated and spaced customers.

On Monday, Mr. Rutte said he was sorry about the previous lifting of the measures. “We thought it was possible, but it wasn’t,” he said.

Mr. Rutte’s government had reopened most of the country’s economy on June 26, pushing forward a projected date for easing restrictions by three weeks. Clubs, bars and restaurants reopened under a government-sponsored testing plan that in many cases failed to work because some bouncers and other staff members had not been properly trained. Mask mandates were also lifted except on public transport, in high schools and airports.

In the weeks that followed, the health authorities reported more than 100 superspreader events, including in clubs, on party boats and in student societies. More than 1,000 people were infected at a festival that gathered 20,000 people in the city of Utrecht this month.

As of Wednesday, around 65 percent of the population in the Netherlands has received at least one dose of a coronavirus vaccine, and 39 percent have been fully vaccinated, according to a New York Times tracker.

Yikes.

>98 kidzdoc: Thank you, Darryl, I didn't think you would take any of those with you on travel ;-)

Yes, those are encouraging numbers. And I am afraid those numbers were part of our governments desicion to open up faster than planned. This was against the advice of medical experts.

I still find it unbelievable that vaccination can be politized, and has such an dramatic impact in those states.

>99 kidzdoc: Yikes indeed, The New York Times properly described what happened.

--
Meanwhile the floodings in the Dutch province Limburg, and in Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany are dominating the news. People have died, are stuck on their roof (in Germany), and are evacuated. It is frightning to see what is happening there.

Glad to read you are now double vaccinated given the increase in numbers. I do feel for the (non-introvert) young people who must have been desperate to get back to "normal" but those figures really are shocking. I was on a local beach yesterday. It was tempting to look around at families enjoying themselves and just try to forget the bug.

I'm so happy we live a bit more to the North, Anita. Although all that water will have to pass our town. Maas and Roer are coming together here (but luckily not near our house).

Hi Anita!

>45 FAMeulstee: Belated congrats on 75 x 2!

>77 FAMeulstee: I’m so sorry that your second dose experience was even worse than the first one. I just looked at a graph of daily new cases in the Netherlands, and it’s shocking. 498 on June 27, 10426 on July 14. In the US there were 9847 new cases on June 27 and 35447 new cases on July 14. More cases, obviously, but a smaller percentage between the two dates.

>100 FAMeulstee: I still find it unbelievable that vaccination can be politicized, and has such an dramatic impact in those states.

It's true, unfortunately. There is a front page article in today's issue of The New York Times, titled Delta Variant Widens Gulf Between ‘Two Americas’: Vaccinated and Unvaccinated, which mentions that "Infections, hospitalizations and deaths are rising swiftly in some states with low vaccination rates like Arkansas, Missouri, Texas and Nevada, and are beginning to show small upticks in all of the others." The hospital system I work for, Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, posts a weekly Virometer, which shows the number of positive tests for over a dozen respiratory viruses that we can test for, including influenza, RSV and SARS-CoV-2. Tuesday's report noted that 10 patients tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, versus two the previous week. Many people took advantage of the Independence Day holiday the weekend before last to travel to beaches and parks and participate in large public gatherings with friends and strangers; several of my local Facebook friends, mainly nurses I work with, posted photos of them and their children on beaches, in parks and in the neighborhoods, none of whom are wearing masks or engaging in social distancing. Fortunately the mRNA vaccines are effective against the delta variant of SARS-CoV-2, but children under 12 years of age are not yet eligible to receive the vaccine and are completely unprotected.

I just heard on the National Public Radio (NPR) program Morning Edition that the US Surgeon General, Dr Vivek Murthy, will release an advisory later today to combat misinformation about COVID-19 and the SARS-CoV-2 vaccines, in an effort to educate vaccine hesitant and vaccine refusing Americans to get vaccinated.

The U.S. Surgeon General Is Calling COVID-19 Misinformation An 'Urgent Threat'

The Biden administration is also taking steps to get vaccines to smaller towns and rural areas where COVID-19 infections are rising rapidly. NPR had a story last week about a hospital in a small town in Missouri that was inundated with adult cases of COVID-19, whose ICU was completely full and unable to accept any more patients.

Meanwhile the flooding in the Dutch province Limburg, and in Belgium, Luxemburg, Germany are dominating the news. People have died, are stuck on their roof (in Germany), and are evacuated. It is frightening to see what is happening there.

There was no mention of the flooding in Western Europe in yesterday's and today's editions of The New York Times (I'm one of the few dinosaurs who gets a newspaper delivered daily) did not mention it. It was mentioned during the 6 am Morning Edition report less than half an hour ago, which mentioned that nine people, including two firefighters, had died, and within the hour there appeared an article on the web page of The New York Times about the flooding Western Europe.

Deadly Flooding Rips Through Western Europe, Leaving Dozens Stranded

Fierce Storm Inundates London, Causing Flash Flooding

Included in the article from yesterday about the flooding in London was a short video showing the flooding on Portobello Road in Notting Hill; lately I've been staying in Notting Hill during my vacations to London, and I almost always visit the Portobello Road Market while I'm there.

>102 connie53: I'm glad to read that you and Peet are safe, Connie; hopefully the rest of your family is as well. I assume that Sanne is not affected. The wife of my best friend from medical school is from Liège, and I read that the area was also affected. I'll post that NYT article to my Facebook timeline shortly and tag Murielle, as I think her father and brother still live in Liège. I'll tag Sanne as well.

>99 kidzdoc: I suspect that in a couple of weeks time that same article will appear again, although with references to "Netherlands" changed to "England". I fully expect boris's policy of lifting all restrictions and letting people take "personal responsibility" for their actions to be a disaster. But unlike Rutte, Johnson won't apologise.

I"m glad that you have both your vaccinations now Anita and I hope you won't have to go through anything like that stress again.

>101 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte,
I also feel for them. I was more extravert when I was a teenager, and it would have been a nightmare to be locked up back then with my parents for such a long time. But indeed it is shocking how fast the numbers are rising. I can understand your feelings when you were at the beach.

>102 connie53: I saw that two neighborhoods at your place are evacuated, Connie. I hope you can stay where you are. Does the flood affect Peets surgery?

>103 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen.
Well in the end I got my vaccination, so mission accomplished. Today we took an extra long walk to clear our minds.
Cases are rising shockingly fast, it will take time to turn the tide.

>104 kidzdoc: Thanks for your explanation, Darryl. I hope the Biden administration can turn the tide.
The flooding is terrible, now 49 dead in Germany and at least 7 in Belgium. It has been all over the news all day, together with the rising Covid cases, and the death of Peter R. de Vries, a crime journalist who was shot last week.

>105 Sakerfalcon: That will probably happen, Claire, when in the UK all restrictions are lifted on the 19th.
Thank you, I am glad it is done. Feeling happy I will be fully protected in 13 days.

My copy of Anniversaries by Uwe Johnson arrived in the mail yesterday. It's a two-volume set from NYRB (New York Review Books) Classics, ends at page 1668, and the two books plus the case they come in weighs 4.96 lb, or 2.24 kg. It easily surpasses My Struggle: Book Six by Karl Ove Knausgaard as the largest novel in my library; that book is practically a novella in comparison, with only 1161 pages.



I'll probably start reading Anniversaries in the fourth quarter of this year, or in early 2022. Until then I'll use it as part of my daily exercise routine. My kitchen scale screamed when I put the book on it, so I may need to buy a new one.

>108 kidzdoc: Beautiful edition, Darryl, thanks for sharing!
I immediately had to weigh my hardback, it is only 1,65 kg, luckely our kitchen scale goes up to 5 kg ;-)
My copy is printed on very thin paper, we call it "dundruk" ("thinprint"), I couldn't find an exact translation for that.
Anniversaries is only second in one volume, as Vezamelde gedichten (Collected Poems) by Simon Vestdijk is the largest with 1587 + XXVII = 1614 pages

>109 FAMeulstee: Nice! The print in the NYRB Classics edition of Anniversaries is very tiny, so much so that I may need to use a magnifying glass to read it!

I am very much looking forward to it, as my lived with my parents just west of Manhattan Island during the first 13 years of my childhood, from 1961 to 1974, and we frequently visited Manhattan and the Bronx, where my maternal grandparents lived.

>110 kidzdoc: I hope you can manage without magnifier, Darryl, or maybe with reading glasses? ;-)
My shoulders were not very happy with 1,65 kg, half of the time reading I used a cushion on my lap to read it.

I do hope you will love it, like I did. I am sure you will recognise some, as you lived near in that time.

>111 FAMeulstee: I hope so, too. It's a bit of a struggle to find the right position of this book with my progressive lenses, which are trifocals without the lines, whose lower levels are meant for reading. I wouldn't be able to read it for long without a magnifying glass at this point, although I may need an adjustment on my prescription glasses as well.

Given your description of Anniversaries, the few sentences that I read, and the timely topic, both in years and location, I also think I'll love it.

>112 kidzdoc: I am lucky, I still can read without glasses. I only need glasses for distance, so I rarely use them inside.

Read, not yet reviewed:
#155: De Peloponnesische oorlog (The History of the Peloponnesian War) by Thucydides
#156: De N.V. Mateor by Havank

Reading now:
De Patrick Melrose-romans (The Complete Patrick Melrose Novels) by Edward St Aubyn
Heidi by Johanna Spyri

>109 FAMeulstee: My family calls that "Bible paper" as it's just the bibles (and yes, many in the house when growing up) that tend to be printed on it. I googled it and the other technical name is Scritta paper and I'm wrong, I had forgotten that dictionaries are often printed on it too.

Amused at the weighing of the books. I wonder about the heaviest book in other people's collections. I have some art coffee table type ones which are very substantial!

>115 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte. Indeed bibles and dictionaries are the most common printed on Scritta paper.

And reading about heaviest book I went on in my own library. The coffee table art books are here too, the heaviest book is not in that collection. It is De wereld Bosatlas, a coffee table world atlas on heavy paper, 639 pages, nearly 6 kg (5.92 to be precise).
The heaviest and longest novel is Orlando Furioso in 2 volumes, 1783 pages, 3.38 kg.

And have you started searching and weighing your own books? ;-)

Happy Sunday, Anita. I hope you are having a nice weekend. I had not heard of Anniversaries: From a Year in the Life of Gesine Cresspahl. I will add it to the list but it is one BIG BOY!! I did read the first book in the My Struggle series but did not continue. Someday?

>117 msf59: Thank you, Mark, Happy Sunday to you!

Yes, Anniversaries is a very big tome, I hope I can spread the love a bit.
I also recommend finishing My Struggle. So many books :-)

Read, not yet reviewed:
#155: De Peloponnesische oorlog (The History of the Peloponnesian War) by Thucydides
#156: De N.V. Mateor by Havank
#157: De Patrick Melrose-romans (The Complete Patrick Melrose Novels) by Edward St Aubyn
#158: Pluk de dag (Seize the Day) by Saul Bellow
#159: Heidi: kind van de bergen (Heidi) by Johanna Spyri
#160: De rekening (The invoice) by Jonas Karlsson

Reading now:
Shuggie Bain (Shuggie Bain) by Douglas Stuart
De gevangene (The Captive) by Marcel Proust
Het behouden huis (An Untouched House) by Willem Frederik Hermans

Oh boy oh joy, you're reading Shuggie Bain!! I'm so glad when people read it, whether or not they end up liking it, because it's just so...real. So fully felt and completely formed into itself.

Anyway, yay again!

Oh dear; I was just contemplating adding reading dates to my LT catalogue and wondering if I'm trying to keep track of too much detail. Please don't introduce the concept of weighing books to me.

>116 FAMeulstee: I'm not going to be weighing anything: might make me think twice about reading some of the books!

>120 richardderus: About half way now, Richard dear, it is a very intense read. It does feel real, I love Shuggie!

>121 humouress: LOL! I don't fill in dimensions and weight, Nina, it was just an one time excersise to fing the heaviest book. I do add those dates. The beauty of LT is that everyone can use it to his own liking.

>122 charl08: I wouldn't dare to keep you from reading, Charlotte!

book 155: De Peloponnesische oorlog by Thucydides
library, translated from Ancient Greek, original title The History of the Peloponnesian War, 967 pages
TIOLI Challenge #1: Read a book with a "military" tag (List the full tag)

Account of the wars between Athens and Sparta in the 5th century B.C.
The cities had an different political system, and tried to get other cities under their rule. A large part is about the Athens going to conquer Sicily.
The work is unfinished, as Thucydides died.

War is cruel in any century. This was the greatest war of Thucydides time, many others since...

Dutch title translated: The Peloponnesian War

book 156: De N.V. Mateor by Havank
library, e-book, Dutch, no translations, 252 pages
TIOLI Challenge #16: Help me sort out my birthday gifts by reading the appropriate books

Havank wrote 30 books about "The Shadow", a policeman in Paris, published between 1935 and 1959.
This is book 6, where rich people are extorted. When they don't pay, murder and/or kidnapping follow. The Shadow and his chief try to find the perpetrators.

The mystery isn't bad, but I can't handle the racism of the time. Maybe later books are better, I might give Havank one more chance.

Title translated: Mateor Inc.

book 157: De Patrick Melrose romans by Edward St Aubyn
1001 books, library, translated, original title The Complete Patrick Melrose Novels, 848 pages
TIOLI Challenge #2: Read a book whose title contains a place you could visit

Containing Never mind, Bad news, Some hope, Mother's milk (on the 1001 books list), and At last.
Five episodes of the life of Patrick Melrose, born in Brittish upperclass. His father is a very mean character, who abuses his son. His mother is always busy taking care of others. Patrick gets addicted to everything available (and can afford his addiction, because he is very rich). The second book contains a vivid description of the search and use of drugs, uppers, downers, heroin, coke, and everything else he can find. The euforia shortly followed by the need to use more. This situated in New York, where he went to collect his fathers body. He eventually conquers his addiction, and tries to be a better husband and father to his two sons. The last book is set around his mother's death, she disinherits him.

A very tragic story, bearable because of the humorous way it is told.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 158: Pluk de dag by Saul Bellow
1001 books, own, translated, Nobelprize, original title Seize the Day, 144 pages
TIOLI Challenge #10: Read a book whose title gives advice or an order

Wilhelm is in his fourties, he hasn't been able to live up to his fathers expectations. Failing in every career he tried, he has left his wife and children, and just lost his last job. He is in serious need of money, his father won't help him, so he falls for the tricks of a con man.

Not the great read I had hoped for, but a decent one. We have a lot of Saul Bellow on the shelves, as Frank was a fan in his younger days.

English and Dutch title are the same

>124 FAMeulstee: I'm glad you liked Thucydides! Pericles' funeral oration is one of the most powerful pieces of literature I've ever read, despite the fact that the Greek is also some of the most difficult we have.

>125 FAMeulstee: It's a problem for me as well, Anita. I have come to realize that, if my experience of a book requires a lot of rationalizations simply to make myself finish it, I can do without the story.

It's not as though there's a shortage of stories I *want* to read that *don't* require mental gymnastics.

>128 scaifea: So was I, Amber, and I agree about the funeral oration. And there were more impressive parts, the start of written history is impressive itself.
Greek is difficult, I never came further than the first pages of the textbook at school. First we had one page about a beautiful godess (I think it was statue), and then two pages about Thrasyboulos (funny to see that name in this book) standing on his head. And then I quitted ;-)
Next one will be The Histories by Herodotus, probably later this year.

>129 richardderus: Thank you, Richard dear. I used to read easier over these kinds of blatant racism, forgivable because of the time it was written. But it bothers more now, maybe because I see the consequences more clear.
No, there won't be a shortage of books I want to read.
I don't regret reading this one, as it made me more aware of what I do want to read.

I have been struggling to get round the threads, Anita, with my house move, etc so I am sorry that my congratulations for 2x75.

>131 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul.
I know you were busy, so I am just glad to see you had a little spare time to get round a bit.

Read, not yet reviewed:
#159: Heidi: kind van de bergen (Heidi) by Johanna Spyri
#160: De rekening (The invoice) by Jonas Karlsson
#161: Het behouden huis (An Untouched House) by Willem Frederik Hermans
#162: Shuggie Bain (Shuggie Bain) by Douglas Stuart

Reading now:
De gevangene (The Captive) by Marcel Proust
Hele verhalen voor een halve soldaat by Benny Lindelauf

>133 FAMeulstee: a friend of mine just abandoned Shuggie Bain, she just doesn't like sad stories. Naturally, I can't wait to read it, as I like a gritty read.

>130 FAMeulstee: Oooh, as much as I like Thucydides, I love Herodotus so much more! He's an absolute blast, but don't expect much actual history - I have my myth students read him...

>134 LovingLit: Your friend was right, Megan, if she doesn't like sad stories Shuggie Bain is not for her. It is very sad, and bleak, and heartwrenching beautiful.

>135 scaifea: That is high praise, Amber. In a way myths are (part of) history, I think. At least for the ancient Greek.

>136 FAMeulstee: Oh, just wait. Herodotus is way more myth than actual history. I love the disbelief in students who read him for the first time and say, "Wait, I thought he was an historian?!" But he's an amazing storyteller.

>136 FAMeulstee:, >134 LovingLit: Movie it up the pile, Megan, Anita is exactly correct: It is very sad, and bleak, and heartwrenching beautiful.

>137 scaifea: Yes, I do know, Amber. I loved Metamorphoses when I read it three years back.
I tried to argue that the ancient Greek might have seen myths as a part of history.

>138 richardderus: Thank you, Richard.
I hope to feel up to write a few reviews tomorrow. Or the day after tomorrow.

Hi Anita, just passing by. I could add lots of things for the TBR from your thread, but my reading is not going so well. I do think I'll start weighing some books, I have some heavy ones as well;-)

You and Amber have made me curious about those Greeks.

No need to review Heidi for me, that's an old familiar.

>140 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella, always good to see you here.
Looking forward to the weight of your heaviest book ;-)

I also read Heidi in my youth, but found out now those editions (Heidi and Heidi en Peter) were adapted by Annie Winkler-Vonk. She did alter the story, so the story wasn't completely familiar.

Here they come: heaviest single book Botanica with 3.5 kg.
And if I can add a book in five parts: Nederlandse Oecologische Flora 1,75 + 1,80 + 1,80 + 1,80 + 2,2 = 9,35 kg.

It’s obvious where my interest lies, isn’t it?

An adaptation of Heidi. Whatever for?

>142 EllaTim: That is fun, Ella. I had to look at Botanica, as I didn't know that book.
My mother had the first three parts of the Nederlandse oecologische flora.

At that time most "translations" were adaptions, or abridged versions. It was common in childrens books to change names, surroundings, cities, etc. Everything transferred to the "known world". That slowly changed since the 1970s.
Heidi is an exception, as the story stays in Switserland, but some story lines were changed. No idea why, just because it was always done?

A belated Happy New Thread, Anita. Congratulations on getting so many books read! I'm impressed you took on reading The History of the Peloponnesian War. Kudos!

I'm sorry that On the other hand, I was happy to see your positive reaction to Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe. Amber tipped me off to that one, and it's become a family favorite.

>144 jnwelch: Thank you, Joe!
I am reading again some big tomes this year, and must say they were all very statisfying reads.
I think I read somewhere a next Aristotle and Dante book came out recently, looking forward to it.

book 159: Heidi by Johanna Spyri
library, e-book, translated from German, English translation Heidi, 216 pages
TIOLI Challenge #13: Read a book available at Project Gutenberg

Very young Heidi has lost her parents. After a short while with her aunt, she is dumped at her grandfathers place, high up the mountain. They live happily, Heidi often spends her day with the goatherd Peter. Then her aunt returns and forces Heidi to go to Frankfurt to be a companion for a crippled girl named Klara.

I read Heidi in my youth, we had the Dutch adaption. The story I read now was a true translation, and slightly different from the story I rembembered. It is sugar sweet and a very religious at times.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 160: De rekening by Jonas Karlsson
library, e-book, translated from Swedish, English translation The invoice, 157 pages
TIOLI Challenge #6: Read a book with a title with 3 words or less

A man gets an incredibly high invoice, the amount is absurd. He finds out it is a price tag on happyness.

Mildly fun read, makes you think about the worth of happiness, and what happiness is.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 161: Het behouden huis by Willem Frederik Hermans
own, Dutch, English translation An Untouched House, 79 pages
TIOLI Challenge #12: Read a book which has a word in the title considered a dwelling place

Near the end of WWII a Dutch man fights together with the Sovjets and other partizans. He looses his companions on the way, and ends up in an empty house. When German soldiers arrive, he acts like he is the owner of the house.

A lot is packed in this short novella. It describes the cruel and absurd sides of war, with touches of very black humor.

Dutch title translated: The saved house

book 162: Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart
library, translated, Booker Prize, original title Shuggie Bain, 445 pages
TIOLI Challenge #7: Read a book where the main title’s initials can be used for an acronym that can be found in a search engine. What do the initials stand for?

Raw account of a boy growing up in the poor parts of Glasgow with an alcoholic mother in the 1980s. After his father and siblings have left, Shuggie tries to take care of his mother, with all the love he can give. Meanwhile he also struggles with his identity. Being gay isn't accepted in this macho environment.

A very sad, and bleak, and heartwrenching beautiful story.

English and Dutch title are the same

Read, not yet reviewed:
#163: Hele verhalen voor een halve soldaat by Benny Lindelauf
#164: De gouden speld (Dead Man's Ransom) by Ellis Peters

Reading now:
De gevangene (The Captive) by Marcel Proust
De outdoorwaanzin by Are Kalvø
Het stille huis (The House in the Forest) by Michèle Desbordes

>147 FAMeulstee: Interesting Anita.

>149 FAMeulstee: I must read this soon.

Happy Saturday, Anita. Hooray for Shuggie Bain. 5 stars sounds about right. I know this is difficult subject matter for some readers, but I am glad it worked for you.

>106 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita, No, it did not get in the way with Peets surgery as you will know from my ROOTers thread. The two parts of our town that were affected are on the other side of town. So we did not notice anything. We just heard a lot of sirens from police, firefighters and ambulances because we are next to the A73/A2 (Venlo-Maastricht).

Peets surgery kept me away from LT for a few days so I'm trying to catch up slowly.

>148 FAMeulstee: *ow*ow*ow* Book-bulleted me, Anita.

>151 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you, Caroline.
Looking at the reviews from The Invoice I hoped for a more fun read.
I really recommend Shuggie Bain.

>152 msf59: Thank you, Mark. Suggie was an intense read, and felt true all along.

>153 connie53: Glad your part of town was not affected by the flood, Connie, and that all went well with Peet. Wishing him a speedy recovery.

>154 richardderus: I hope you can find a copy, Richard dear.

Yes indeed! It's a Kindle edition put out by a translations-only publishing company called Archipelago Books. This is its Kindle sales number, if anyone wants to get it from Amazon: B078VW8D34

I'm glad that you loved Shuggie Bain, Anita. I didn't get far in it, not because I didn't like it, so I'll have to get back to it later this summer.

>156 richardderus: It's even available at my library. Not sure if I want to read it, but it's there if I do.

>156 richardderus: I am surprised that it is available, Richard dear.

>157 kidzdoc: I am sure you will get back to Shuggie Bain, Darryl. Sometimes a book has to wait for the right time to read it.

>158 quondame: Even more surprising, Susan.

>159 FAMeulstee: You're right, Anita.

I was just looking at The Booker Prizes' Twitter page, to find out what time this year's Booker Prize longlist would be announced on Tuesday, and on it was a short video by Douglas Stuart, the author of Shuggie Bain, about his new novel, Young Mungo, which will be published in April 2022.

Five years in the writing, Young Mungo is a vivid portrayal of working-class life and a deeply moving and highly suspenseful story of the dangerous first love of two young men: Mungo and James. Born under different stars—Mungo a Protestant and James a Catholic—they should be sworn enemies if they’re to be seen as men at all. Their environment is a hyper-masculine and sectarian one, for gangs of young men and the violence they might dole out dominate the Glaswegian estate where they live. And yet against all odds Mungo and James become best friends as they find a sanctuary in the pigeon dovecote that James has built for his prize racing birds... Young Mungo is a gripping and revealing story about the bounds of masculinity, the push and pull of family, the violence faced by many queer people, and the dangers of loving someone too much.

Stuart said that he started this book before Shuggie Bain, and that it draws from his own life. I'm all but completely certain that I'll buy it shortly after it comes out.

>160 kidzdoc: Looking forward to Douglas Stuart's next book, Darryl.
Thanks for sharing. Racing pigeons reminds me of my deceased brother, he used to have racing pigeons... Yesterday it was 5 years ago that he died.

>161 FAMeulstee: Always sad, the anniversaries of lost lived ones Anita. But also sweet with memories I hope.

>162 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you, Caroline.
No good memories of the last years, as he broke with me a few years before. But very many sweet memories of the previous years. And through time the shadow of the last years fades away.

Read, not yet reviewed:
#163: Hele verhalen voor een halve soldaat by Benny Lindelauf
#164: De gouden speld (Dead Man's Ransom) by Ellis Peters
#165: De outdoorwaanzin by Are Kalvø
#166: Het stille huis (The House in the Forest) by Michèle Desbordes
#167: De trein naar Pavlovsk en Oostvoorne by Toon Tellegen

Reading now:
De gevangene (The Captive) by Marcel Proust
Huivering (A Song for Drowned Souls) by Bernard Minier

book 163: Hele verhalen voor een halve soldaat by Benny Lindelauf
own, YA, Dutch, awarded, Woutertje Pieterse prijs 2021, no translations, 279 pages
TIOLI Challenge #9: Read a book for the "Samesies" challenge

Six brothers, the eldest has to go to the war. When he arrives at the border, he tells a story to the guard. The the next brother has to go, he also tells a story to the guard at the border, and so on. All older brothers hope the war will be over before the youngest has to go.

Frame tale, each brother tells a fairylike story about terrible things people can do, and in the end it all comes together.

Dutch title translated: Whole stories for a half soldier

book 164: De gouden speld by Ellis Peters
library, translated, original title Dead Man's Ransom, 204 pages
TIOLI Challenge #6: Read a book with a title with 3 words or less

Brother Cadfael book 9.
The civil war continues, and is near. The sheriff of Shropshire, is wounded in battle, and in the hands of the enemy. An exchange is agreed on, but the sheriff dies. Cadfael finds out it was murder, and investigates.

Dutch title translated: The golden pin

book 165: De outdoorwaanzin by Are Kalvø
library, translated from Norwegian, no English translation, 336 pages
TIOLI Challenge #6: Read a book with a title with 3 words or less

The writer, a Norwegian comedian, can't get it why all his friends fall for hiking, and all other kind of outdoor activities. He likes the city, café's, concerts, crowds, and he can't imagine what fun is in walking all alone through the Norwegian woods and mountains. His partner likes outdoor activities more than he does, so they agree on an experiment: they will go hike together. Then follows an hilarious account of the writers experiences during a six day hike in pouring rain.
A next experiment in spring is cross-country skiing, with two more friends added. As there are more people at the slopes, the writer likes this a bit more, although a lot goes wrong on the way.

Fun read :-)

Dutch title translated: The outdoorcraze

>136 FAMeulstee: Crossing Shuggie Bain off the list, then ;0)

>146 FAMeulstee: I was going to ask how Heidi was changed, but I think you answered the question.

>167 FAMeulstee: That sounds funny; I laughed just reading your description.

Happy Wednesday, Anita. I hope you are having a good week. Still HOT here, so it is keeping me off the trails. I did see Bree yesterday and she looks lovely. We are all getting very excited.

>168 humouress: Indeed, Nina, Shuggie Bain is probably not your kind of book.
Yes, it was very funny. I really needed a lighter read :-)

>169 msf59: Thak you, Mark. How long has Bree to go, rather soon I think?
We have cool (and wet) summer weather now, sorry it is still hot at your place.

>167 FAMeulstee: Makes me wish I'd learned Dutch! That sounds like a book I'd enjoy a great deal.

Happy Thursday wishes, Anita!

>171 richardderus: In this case Norwegian would do too, Richard dear :-)
Happy Thursday!

It's available in German - and my public library even has it available. I just borrowed the ebook and can't wait to get started.
Happy Thursday to you all!

Catching up and dropping in to say hello.

>167 FAMeulstee: Looks like a great read. A funny read is just what I need right now :) I shall look for it in German.

Hello Anita. I enjoy the images of Frank, and you and your wedding. And, of course, your dogs.

>167 FAMeulstee: Sounds like fun, Anita.
(Six days walking in the rain? I'd go home!)

>173 SirThomas: I hope you like it as much as I did, Thomas!

>174 figsfromthistle: So glad to see you here, Anita!
I hope you can find a copy.

>175 Whisper1: Thank you, Linda.

>176 charl08: It was fun, Charlotte.
I wouldn't go home, but would skip one or two days to do something else.

Read, not yet reviewed:
#166: Het stille huis (The House in the Forest) by Michèle Desbordes
#167: De trein naar Pavlovsk en Oostvoorne by Toon Tellegen
#168: Huivering (A Song for Drowned Souls) by Bernard Minier
#169: De gevangene (The Captive) by Marcel Proust

Reading now, won't finish this month:
Hart van de winter (Winter's Heart, Wheel of Time 9) by Robert Jordan
De klokkenluider van de Notre Dame (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) by Victor Hugo

Hi Anita, just a quick hello. I didn't realize I hadn't visited in 15 days. I hope you and Frank are doing well.

>179 karenmarie: We are well, Karen, thank you.

--
Tomorrow is my fathers 91st birthday, so I won't be around much here.

>180 FAMeulstee: Happy birthday to papa! And I'm very interested to read your thoughts on this Tellegen, too.

book 166: Het stille huis by Michèle Desbordes
own, translated from French, English translation The House in the Forest, 218 pages
TIOLI Challenge #12: Read a book which has a word in the title considered a dwelling place

A family moves to a big lonely house near the coast. The father was in the military, in the colonies, but now he is retired. The mother dies soon after the move, and the three daughters are raised by their father and the housekeeper. They always stay strangers to the locals, although the dauthers do attend the local school. Then WWII breaks out, and the family falls apart.
The story is told by a local woman, who worked some years for the family. She came when the housekeeper got old, and needed help.

It took a while before the story grabbed me. It started very slow, about halfway it picked up, and the characters started to grow on me.

Dutch title translated: The quiet house

book 167: De trein naar Pavlovsk en Oostvoorne by Toon Tellegen
own, Dutch, no translations, 189 pages
TIOLI Challenge #2: Read a book whose title contains a place you could visit

Toon Tellegen's grandfather came from Russia, found refuge in the Netherlands after the Russian Revolution. In this book he wrote down tall tales told by his grandfather. About his family, an illusionist who could change a mouse into an elephant, the palace of the Czar, a family of tightrope walkers, and many more.

Title translated: The train to Pavlovsk and Oostvoorne

book 168: Huivering by Bernard Minier
library, e-book, translated from French, English translation A Song for Drowned Souls, 600 pages
TIOLI Challenge #11: Read a book with an adjective in the title

Martin Servaz, book 2
Policeprocedural, set in the south of France, near the Pyrenees.
A teacher is murdered, and one of her students is found at the swimming pool, probably drugged. Martin thinks the serial killer from the previous book has struck again.

I hesitated to go on with this series. I did read the first book last year, and it was near the edge of what I could handle (thrilling, violent). This one was slightly easier to handle, or maybe it was just me coping better with the story.

Dutch title translated: Shivering

book 169: De gevangene by Marcel Proust
1001 books, library, e-book, translated from French, English translation The Captive, 512 pages
TIOLI Challenge #13: Read a book available at Project Gutenberg

In Search of Lost Time, book 5
The narrator has a relationship with Albertine, she lives in his house in Paris. He is overly jealous, and spends a lot of time thinking what Albertine might be doing while she isn't near, so he tries to keep her inside as much as possible. This way Albertine is his captive, while he is the captive of his jealous love.

English and Dutch title are the same

>183 FAMeulstee: Oh, that sounds lovely! I'm regretting more and more the absence of Dutch in my readerly toolkit.

>167 FAMeulstee: I note the title of the German translation is "Free. Air. Hell."

I often shake my head over titles of German translations, but that one seems to have nailed it.

>183 FAMeulstee: Oh, too bad about no translation for that one.

>186 richardderus: Yes it was, Richard dear. It is impossible to read in every language.
Luckely a lot gets translated :-)

>187 swynn: It is an completely other title, Steve, but in this case right to the point.
I always hope if people express their interest for a translation here, a publisher might pick it up ;-)

July 2021 in numbers

24 books read (9.501 pages, 305,5 pages a day)

own 8 (33 %) / library 16

18 male author / 6 female author
6 originally written in Dutch / 18 translated into Dutch
22 fiction / 2 non-fiction

24 books in TIOLI Challenges
  8 e-books
  4 1001 books
  4 mystery/police procedural
  3 YA

--
pages:
0 - 100 pages: 1
101 - 200 pages: 5
201 - 300 pages: 8
301 - 400 pages: 2
401 - 500 pages: 2
501 - 999 pages: 5
1000+ pages: 1

longest book 1596 pages
shortest book 79 pages
average book 396 pages

--
own books read were on the shelf since:
before 2008: 5
2008: 1
2020: 1
2021: 1

--
date first published:

4th century BC: 1
19th century: 1

20th century
1920s: 1
1930s: 1
1940s: 1
1950s: 4
1980s: 3
1990s: 2

21st century
2000s: 1
2010s: 7
2020s: 2

--
ratings:
  2 x
10 x
  8 x
  3 x
  1 x

--
Best books in July


Een jaar uit het leven van Gesine Cresspahl (Anniversaries: From a Year in the Life of Gesine Cresspahl) by Uwe Johnson
Shuggie Bain (Shuggie Bain) by Douglas Stuart
===

walking in July: walked 25 days, 141,8 km; average 5,67 km/a day
e-biking in July: biked 6 days, 145,7 km; average 24,28 km/a day

2021 totals to date:

169 books read (53.608 pages, 252,9 pages a day)

own 46 (27 %) / library 123

118 male author / 51 female author
  42 originally written in Dutch / 127 translated into Dutch
132 fiction / 37 non-fiction

169 books in TIOLI Challenges
  56 e-books
  27 1001 books (total 207)
    0 Dutch Literary Canon (total 35/125)
  17 childrens/YA
  28 mystery/police procedural

pages:
0 - 100 pages: 13
101 - 200 pages: 25
201 - 300 pages: 54
301 - 400 pages: 44
401 - 500 pages: 18
501 - 999 pages: 13
1000+ pages: 2

longest book 1596 pages
shortest book 42 pages
average book 317 pages

--
own books read were on the shelf since:
before 2008: 26
2008: 2
2009: 1
2010: 1
2015: 1
2016: 2
2019: 3
2020: 3
2021: 7

--
date first published:
4th centry BC: 2
16th century: 1
18th century: 1
19th century: 8

20th century
1900s: 1
1910s: 1
1920s: 3
1930s: 9
1940s: 4
1950s: 8
1960s: 10
1970s: 6
1980s: 15
1990s: 20

21st century
2000s: 13
2010s: 55
2020s: 12

--
ratings:
  5 x
17 x
58 x
56 x
27 x
  4 x
  2 x

===

Walking in 2021: walked 195 days 1157,9 km; average 5,94 km a day
e-biking in 2021: biked 17 days 364,7 km; average 21,45 km a day

My next thread is up.