Ameise1 (Barbara)'s 2nd tour (Part 10)

Welcome on my tenth thread.

This will probably be my final thread for this year. Autumn is over and winter is round the corner. Therefore I post a photo of my home town Zürich in its winter cloth.



You can see Predigerkirche (church) and the big building in the back is a part of the University of Zürich.

January
# 1 The Photograph by Penelope Lively (4 stars)
# 2 Die Ballade vom traurigen Café by Carson McCullers (4 1/2 stars)
# 3 The Book of Gaza: A City in Short Fiction by Atef Abu Saif (4 stars)
# 4 Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro (4 stars) audiobook
# 5 Unsuitable Job for a Woman by p. D. James ROOT - 2015 Read Our Own Tomes Group (3 1/2 stars)

February
# 6 Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness by Alexandra Fuller read in German (4 stars)
# 7 Daisy Miller by Henry James (3 1/2 stars)
# 8 The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (3 stars)
# 9 Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh (4 1/2 stars)
#10 Tod auf der Fähre by Anne Gold (4 stars)
#11 The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield (5 stars)
#12 Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo (4 stars)
#13 Signatures by James A. Hetley (3 1/2 stars) Early Review
#14 Labyrinth by Kate Mosse (4 1/2 stars)
#15 Close to Destiny by Adria J. Cimino (4 stars)

March
#16 The Madonna of Leningrad by Debra Dean read in German (4 stars)
#17 A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon (3 1/2 stars)
#18 Der Apfelbaum by Daphne du Maurier (4 1/2 stars)
#19 Black Diamond Martin Walker (4 stars)
#20 The Sanctuary Seeker by Bernard Knight ROOT - 2015 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)
#21 Canada by Richard Ford (4 stars) audiobook (listened in German)
#22 Der Büchersack by W. Somerset Maugham (4 stars) audiobook (listen in German)
#23 Fear in the Sunlight by Nicola Upson ROOT - 2015 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)

April
#24 Shadow Tag by Louise Erdrich (4 1/2 stars)
#25 The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter ROOT - 2015 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)
#26 Snobbery with Violence by M. C. Beaton (3 1/2 stars)
#27 Tick Tock by James Patterson (3 stars)
#28 Amulet by Roberto Bolano (4 stars)
#29 The Calling of the Grave by Simon Beckett (4 stars)
#30 The Forgotten Garden by Kate Morton (4 1/2 stars) audiobook (listen in German)
#31 Pirate Latitudes by Michael Crichton (3 1/2 stars)
#32 The Shadow Of Your Smile by Mary Higgins Clark (4 1/2 stars)

May
#33 Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (4 stars)
#34 House of Meetings by Martin Amis (4 1/2 stars)
#35 The Millstone by Margaret Drabble (3 1/2 stars)
#36 Only One Life by Sara Blædel (4 1/2 stars)
#37 A Season for the Dead by David Hewson ROOT - 2015 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)
#38 The Crossing Places by Elly Griffiths (4 stars)
#39 The Finish by Angela Elliott (4 stars) Early Review
#40 Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin (4 stars) audiobook (listened in German)
#41 Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (3 stars)

June
#42 All The Little Live Things by Wallace Stegner (4 1/2 stars)
#43 The Girl in the Polka-dot Dress by Beryl Bainbridge (3 1/2 stars)
#44 The Bridge Of Sighs by Olen Steinhauer ROOT - 2015 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 1/2 stars)
#45 The Legacy by Katherine Webb (4 1/2 stars)
#46 Dark Dawn by Matt McGuire ROOT - 2015 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)
#47 Spiel mit dem Tod by Anne Gold (4 1/2 stars)

July
#48 And Thereby Hangs a Tale by Jeffrey Archer (5 stars)
#49 The Devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson (4 1/2 stars)
#50 Waterblue Eyes by Domingo Villar (4 stars)
#51 The Crowded Grave by Martin Walker (4 1/2 stars)
#52 Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (3 1/2 stars)
#53 The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown ROOT - 2015 Read Our Own Tomes Group (3 1/2 stars)
#54 Back Of Beyond by C. J. Box ROOT - 2015 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 1/2 stars)

August
#55 Sepulchre by Kate Mosse (4 stars)
#56 The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl ROOT - 2015 Read Our Own Tomes Group (4 stars)
#57 The Death Maze by Ariana Franklin (4 1/2 stars)
#58 Hollywood: A Third Memoir by Larry McMurtry ROOT - 2015 Read Our Own Tomes Group (3 1/2 stars)
#59 The Third Man by Graham Greene (4 stars)
#60 Friends Lovers Chocolate by Alexander McCall Smith (4 stars)
#61 Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths (4 1/2 stars)
#62 A Bodkin for the Bride by Patrice Greenwood (4 stars) Early Review

September
#63 Grey Souls by Philippe Claudel (4 stars)
#64 Shalimar The Clown by Salman Rushdie (4 1/2 stars)
#65 Small Island by Andrea Levy (4 1/2 stars)
#66 Restless by William Boyd (4 1/2 stars)
#67 The Violent Bear It Away by Flannery O'Connor (2 stars)

October
#68 Nacht im Central Park by Guillaume Musso (4 1/2 stars)
#69 Black Swan Green by David Mitchell (4 stars)
#70 Quicker Than The Eye by Ray Bradbury (5 stars)
#71 Das Jesus-Video by Andreas Eschbach (4 1/2 stars)
#72 A Pelican at Blandings by P.G. Wodehouse (3 stars)
#73 Flight Behaviour by Barbara Kingsolver (4 1/2 stars)
#74 Andrew's Brain by E.L. Doctorow (4 1/2 stars)

November
#75 People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks (4 1/2 stars)
#76 The Distant Hours by Kate Morton (4 stars)
#77 Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (3 stars)
#78 Relics of the Dead by Ariana Franklin (4 1/2 stars)
#79 Der Jesus-Deal by Andreas Eschbach (4 stars)

December
#80 Verfallen by Esther Verhoef (4 stars)
#81 The Orientalist by Tom Reiss (4 1/2 stars)
#82 Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey (5 stars)
#83 We Had It So Good by Linda Grant (4 stars)
#84 Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee child (4 stars)
#85 Murder on the Eiffel Tower by Claude Izner (4 1/2 stars)
#86 Everyone in their Place by Maurizio De Giovanni (4 1/2 stars)
#87 He Sees You When You're Sleeping by Carol Higgins Clark (4 1/2 stars)
#88 The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths (4 stars)

American Author Challenge 2015

January (Carson McCullers): Die Ballade vom traurigen Café (2015-01-03)
February (Henry James): Daisy Miller (2015-02-03)
March (Richard Ford): Canada (2015-03-25)
April (Louise Erdrich): Shadow Tag (2015-04-03)
May (Sinclair Lewis): Main Street (2015-05-04)
June (Wallace Stegner): All The Little Live Things (2015-06-08)
July: skipped
August (Larry McMurtry): Hollywood: A Third Memoir (2015-08-15)
September (Flannery O'Connor): The Violent Bear It Away (2015-09-27)
October (Ray Bradbury): Quicker Than The Eye (2015-10-09)
November (Barbara Kingsolver): Flight Behaviour (2015-10-19)
December (E.L. Doctorow): Andrew's Brain (2015-10-21)

British Author Challenge 2015

January
The Photograph by Penelope Lively read in German (2015-01-01)
Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro audiobook (2015-01-16)
February
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (2015-02-11)
Brideshead Revisted by Evelyn Waugh audiobook in German (2015-02-12)
March
Der Apfelbaum by Daphne du Maurier (2015-03-08)
April
Der Büchersack by W. Somerset Maugham (2015-03-27)
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (2015-04-04)
May
House of Meetings by Martin Amis (2015-05-05)
The Millstone by Margaret Drabble (2015-05-07)
June
Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (2015-05-31)
the Girl in the Polka-dot Dress by Beryl Bainbridge (2015-06-13)
July
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (2015-07-13)
August
The Third Man by Graham Greene (2015-08-16)
September
Shalimar The Clown by Salman Rushdie (2015-09-14)
Small Island by Andrea Levy (2015-09-20)
October
Black Swan Green by David Mitchell (2015-10-08)
November
Restless by William Boyd (2015-09-26)
December
A Pelican at Blandings by P.G. Wodehouse (2015-10-12)
Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel (2015-11-21)

Take It or Leave It Challenge


January
6: Read a book by an author who died in 2014
Unsuitable Job for a Woman by P. D. James (2015-01-25)
9.: Read a book whose title contains "yes" or a synonym thereof
The Book of Gaza: A City in Short Fiction by Atef Abu Saif (2015-01-04)
10.: IOU challenge: Read a book by someone whose name ends in I, O, or U
Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro (2015-01-16)
20.: Read a book by an author that has won the Booker Prize but not a book that won the Booker Prize
The Photograph by Penelope Lively (2015-01-01)
22.: Read a book in which one of the author's names has 6 or more letters
Die Ballade vom traurigen Café by Carson McCullers (2015-01-03)

February
5: Read a book with a number in the first sentence
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (2015-02-11)
8: Read a book with something you could love in the title
Daisy Miller by Henry James (2015-02-03)
11: Read a book with a pitch or a catch
Brideshead revisited by Evelyn Waugh (2015-02-12)
12: Read A Book With a Three Word Title but the first word cannot be "The"
Pray for Silence by Linda Castillo (2015-02-15)
13: Rolling Challenge: Read a book which title starts with the letters H, A, R, or T
Tod auf der Fähre by Anne Gold (2015-02-14)
16: Read a book with the letter U, V, or W in the title
Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness by Alexandra Fuller (2015-02-01)

March
2: Read a book whose title includes the name of a country other than the one in which you currently reside
Canada by Richard Ford (2015-03-25)
3: Read the third book in a series
Black Diamond by Martin Walker (2015-03-14)
6:Read a book where the author's last name has more syllables than his or her first name
Der Apfelbaum by Daphne du Maurier (2015-03-08)
10: Read a Book Where the Author's Last Name Could also be a First Name
The Madonnas of Leningrad by Debra Dean (2015-03-01)
15: Read a book of which at least three books in the "LibraryThing Recommendations" section are featured in your collections
A Spot of Bother by Mark Haddon (2015-03-07)

April
4: Read a book whose title or author includes a job title or occupation
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (2015-04-04)
9: Read a book that has been published by a small press
Schattenfangen (Shadow Tag) by Louise Erdrich (2015-04-03)

May
7: Read a regional novel
Main Street by Sinclair Lewis (2015-05-04)
8: Read A Book That Has A Word In The Title That Means A Female
Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin (2015-05-31)
14: Read a book about systemic oppression
House of Meetings by Martin Amis (2015-05-05)
18: Read a book by an author whose first name starts with a J, or whose surname starts with a D
The Millstone by Margaret Drabble (2015-05-07)

June
6: Read a book with a summery cover
All The Little Live Things by Wallace Stegner (2015-06-08)
12: Read a book with a word in the title that starts with either D, I, or Y
The Girl in the Polka-dot Dress by Beryl Bainbridge (2015-06-13)

July
2: Read a book with a connection to water
Waterblue Eyes by Domingo Villar (2015-07-04)
12: Read A Book That Was Originally Published Before the Year 2000
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (2015-07-13)
20: Read a book that has to do with a maze or labyrinth
The Lost Symbol by Dan Brown (2015-07-24)
22: Read a book with the name of a city in the title
The Crowded Grave by Martin Walker (2015-07-11)

August
1: Read a book with an insect named on page 33
The Dante Club by Matthew Pearl (2015-08-13)
2a/b: Read a book with a title which contains a word that makes you think of marriage
Friends Lovers Chocolate by Alexander McCall Smith (2015-08-23)
A Bodkin for the Bride by Patrice Greenwood (2015-08-29)
3: Read a work featuring a character from folklore
Janus Stone by Elly Griffiths (2015-08-23)
6: Read a book which fits a category of the Seattle Public Library's Summer Book Bingo
Hollywood: A Third Memoir by Larry Mc Murtry (2015-08-15)
10: Read A Book With Numbers in the Title
The Third Man by Graham Greene (4 stars) (2015-08-16)

September
5: Read a book whose title includes something you might find on a map
Small Island by Andrea Levy (2015-09-20)
10: Read a book with at least 3 consecutive vowels in alphabetical order in the title
Grey Souls by Philippe Claudel (2015-09-07)
21: Read a book which title contains a word relating to music
The Violent Bear It Away by Flannery O'Connor (2015-09-27)

October
1: Read a book whose author's last name contains a three-letter combination which is an English word if spelled backward
Nacht im Central Park by Guillaume Musso (2015-10-03)
6: Read a book where a word in the title starts with any of the six central letters of the English alphabet K,L,M,N,O, or P
A Pelikan at Blandings by P.G. Wodehouse (2015-10-12)
8.: Read a book with a coloured object in the title
Black Swan Green by David Mitchell (2015-10-08)
17.: Read a book where one (and only one) of the title words has 4 letters
Quicker Than The Eye by Ray Bradbury (2015-10-09)

December
9: Read a book with the color blue on the cover or the word blue somewhere in the title
We Had It So Good by Linda Grant (2015-12-20)
12: Read a work of fiction by a woman or women which was not written in English
Verfallen by Esther Verhoef (2015-12-08)
13: Read a book by an author who has published at least 12 books
Bad Luck and Trouble by Lee Child (2015-12-21)
14: Finish a book you started before 01/Dec/15
The Orientalist by Tom Reiss (2015-12-13)
17: Read a book with something Parisian in the title or plays in Paris
Murder on the Eiffel Tower by Claude Izner (2015-12-24)

currently reading

 The House at Sea's End

currently listening

Good day, Barbara! I've read 12 of the books on your list for the year and have just started Wolf Hall. Late congratulations on reaching 75.

Best wishes for a wonderful weekend.

Happy Saturday, Barb! Happy New Thread! Love the Predigerkirche topper! Lovely!

Hope you are enjoying a nice weekend.

>10 karenmarie: Hi Karen, I had indeed a fab reading year so far. I hope you'll like Wolf Hall more than I did. Being first some speciality from Zürich 'Zederbrot' which is made with ground almond, lemon zest and juice, sugar and egg white.

>11 msf59: Thanks so much, Mark. Yesterday we hoisted my siblings with partners and had a fab evening.

This morning, after my Saturday shopping on the market, I went to the library and took the following:

1. Verfallen by Esther Verhoef audiobook (German)
2. Abscheu by Esther Verhoef audiobook (German)
3. Elizabeth is Missing by Emma Healey audiobook (German)
4. We Had It So Good by Linda Grant

Happy new thread! I love the photo of Zurich. You live in a beautiful city!

Congratulations on the new thread, Barbara. Beautiful photo up top.

Those books in >14 Ameise1: are all new to me, so I'll look forward to hearing your reactions to them.

Hope you're having a good weekend.

>15 cbl_tn: Thanks so much, Carrie. Zürich is indeed a beautiful city.

>16 jnwelch: Thanks so much, Joe. I'm looking forward to those audios and book. At the moment I'm still reading The Orientalist and I enjoy it very much.

>Great photo up top. Looks fantastic.

>18 Oberon: Thanks so much, Erik. It's nice to see you here.

Beautiful thread picture. Snow suits Zurich. The biscuits also look very good.

In a odd book coincidence, the focus of The Orientalist turned up in the book I just finished, Young Stalin - he wrote one of the early Stalin biographies.

>20 charl08: Thanks so much, Charlotte.

Yes, he wrote a biography and Stalin lived in their house in Baku for a short time. Bey also said that Stalin wasn't loved in Baku but for him as a young adult the meeting with him was very interesting. The Orientalist is like a history book of the Orient in the early 20th century. It's gripping and sometimes I have to giggle about Bey.

Happy new thread, Barbara. The university building looks golden.

>22 humouress: Doesn't it? Thanks for stopping by, Nina.

Happy new thread Barbara, hope you have had a lovely Saturday my dear.

>24 johnsimpson: Thanks so much, John. In comparison to your day I had quitw a lovely one.

>1 Ameise1: Lovely home city, Barbara. Happy New Thread!

Congratulations on your latest very seasonal looking thread, Barbara. xx

>26 EBT1002: >27 PaulCranswick: Thanks so much, Ellen and Paul. Zürich is a wonderful place to live. Yesterday it was snowing and today it's snow/rain. Well, just a bit crazy weather.

Happy new thread, Barbara!

>29 scaifea: Thanks, Amber. :-)

Hej Barbara, happy new thread. Great picture of university and Predigerkirche.

>31 paulstalder: Thanks so much, Paul. Zürich has some lovely sujets ;-)

Ooh! Beautiful picture on the top of your thread! I'm glad we don't have snow, but it sure is pretty to look at. Gorgeous buildings too.

Beautiful new thread, Barbara. Congratulations on reaching 75. Your cookies are pretty although they could use a few sprinkles. :)
Scout helped me decorate these. We'll do some stars and trees soon. She really enjoyed it.

I loved Flight Behavior - it's one of my favorite Kingsolvers.

>33 vancouverdeb: Glad you like it, Deb. Well, I like snow. I love all four seasons at their time. In winter we go skiing therfore we need snow. Don't we? What I doesn't like is 'wet' snow.

>34 BLBera: Thanks so much Beth. Your cookies look yummie. We make lots of different types of cookies but no sprinkles :-)

Congrats on your new thread! You guys are making me hungry for cookies!!

Hope you had a good weekend Barbara!

Hi Barbara, happy new thread and happy new week!

Still no snow here, just some cold days, but today it's 15°C or more again between noon and 3pm. It's still strange for me seeing the Italian tourists on the Christmas markets drinking beer because it's too warm to have gluehwein.

>36 Berly: Thanks so much, Kim. It's definitely time for the x-mas cookies, isn't it?

>37 The_Hibernator: Great to see you here, Rachel. I had a good weekend, thanks.

>38 Deern: Thanks so much, Nathalie. Here we go back to warm weather, too. Tomorrow, it's the 1st of December and it doesn't feel like that.

Today, we had Patrick Addai at our school. He made three readings for the grades 1-3. It's always my job to invite an author at our school and I LOVE this job. Patrick Addai is living in Austria but original comes from Ghana. His African stories are gorgeous and during the reading with drums and music we felt like being at a African village. I invited him for lunch in a restaurant and we had a nice chat.
Here some photos (a colleague of me is reading):

__

Love those pictures, Barb! It looks like a lot of fun.

# 79 ♫ Listen in German



This is the sequel of Das Jesus-Video which I listened to last month. Whereas in the last book a video of Jesus was found this time the story describes the way how this video was made. The story tells the preparation for the time travel and the interviews of the returnees. It shows also what can happen with religious fanaticism.
It was a gripping listening.

>41 connie53: Thanks so much, Connie. We had a lot of fun and the kids sang the songs the whole rest of the day. It was a great day.

>12 Ameise1: yum! They look great. I have just made m first batch of dough for my Latvian Christmas biscuits. They must only be made in December, or else....well, I'm not sure what. But seriously, they are Xmas only :)

>40 Ameise1: what a cool day for the kids. Drumming is like a license to roam for kids, make noise and hit something, cool.

>44 LovingLit: Thanks so much, Mega. We had a fabulous day, indeed.
What kind of xmas biscuits are the Latvian one?

Hi Barbara, hope you have had a good Monday my dear, sending love and hugs.

>40 Ameise1: A few years ago when my son was in day care, they had African drummers in, so the kids could learn about different types of drums and rhythms. It was so much fun! (It was a great day care, always doing something interesting like that.)

>46 johnsimpson: John, with the author Patrick Addai at our school we had an absolutely fabulous day.

>47 humouress: Nina, it wasn't only the drums, music and dancing which made our day but also his gorgeous stories.
And yes, kids love rhythms. It such a lot of fun.

Love the kids' expressions in those photos. Thank you for sharing them.

Love the photos of Zurich and of the cookies! YUM!

>49 charl08: Thanks, Charlotte. It was gorgeous.

>50 thornton37814: Ha, cookies, well, it's the right season, isn't it? Thanks, Lori, for stopping by.

>40 Ameise1: Oh, very cool, Barbara!!

>52 scaifea: Isn't it, Amber. I'm looking always forward to host an author. Mr. Addai was wonderful.

Bringing authors into the school for the children - that is a wonderful thing that you are doing, Barbara. Mr. Addai's visit must have been very enjoyable as well as educational for them. It looks like all his books as well as the Wikipedia page are in German.

>54 catarina1: It is indeed fabulous to have authors at school, Catarina. He is writing in German. Due to getting famous his books are translated in several languages but not in English so far I suppose.

Well, I'm a very proud mum. Isabelle my elder daughter was in Tanzania last February with a youth group she cared. There she had several projects and one was to write a picture book about a Tanzanian girl. Well, today I got a hot of the press example.

__

Good for your daughter!

Happy Friday, Barb! Hooray for your daughter! How exciting!

Hope you have a nice weekend planned.

Happy weekend Barbara! Will the picture book be on sale to order? Sounds like a great project that I'd like to support. If only available in Switzerland I could ask my friend to bring me one from one of her family visits.

(err... and am I the only one who can't see the pics, neither here on PC nor on my ipad? or the only one who doesn't know how to see them?)

>56 Ameise1: I can't see any pictures, it only says 'Photo not found' *sniff*

Your daughter had a good and productive time in Tanzania apparently.

>57 The_Hibernator: >58 msf59: Thanks so much, Rachel and Mark. She can be very proud of her first storybook.

Mark, I've to write a lot of xmas letters for all parents whom are supporting our school during the year regulary. I hope that I find enough time to do some reading, too.

>59 Deern: Nathalie, I see Isabelle this weekend. I'll ask her if she could send you a copy. If you could PM me your adress, I'll give it to her. The book costs 29.- CHF and the mailing costs will come too.

The catholic church of Lucerne is so fascinated about her book that they asked her to think about it to make it more public with an ISBN number. Isabelle is a bit afraid of it because than it's not only the church's name on it but also the name of Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts because it was her project during the last academic year. The catholic church publishing house would support her.

>60 paulstalder: Paul, the photos should be fixed now. I hope you're able to see them. The participants of this journey had to write a journal and the idea was that they would write together the book. In the end Isabelle got all the journals and was writing the story herself. The paintings are all from the teenagers.

>56 Ameise1: Looks lovely Barbara. What a great way to remember the trip too.

>63 Oberon: Thanks so much, Erik. We are all very proud of her.

>56 Ameise1: Congrats to your daughter on becoming an author. You must be very proud.

>65 charl08: Thanks so much, Charlotte. We are very proud of her, indeed.

Thanks Barbara, for fixing the pictures. Congratulations to your daughter on achieving that.
Where can I order a copy? Will it available in a normal book shop?

>67 paulstalder: Paul, PM me your adress and if it's ok, I'll give it Isabelle on Sunday. She will send you a book with a Einzahlungsschein. The costs with the mailing in Switzerland is 36.-.

Hi Barbara, congrats to Isabelle on being a published author, you must all be very proud of her, give her my best wishes my dear. Sending love and hugs to you all.

>69 johnsimpson: Thanks so much, John. We are very proud of her. For her project she got even very good marks from the Lucerne University of Applied Sciences and Arts. Love and hugs to both of you. xx

I have been at the library this morning and came back with four audios as

• The Tea Rose by Jennifer Donnelly Listen in German
  
• Bad Luck And Trouble by Lee Child
  
• The Black Tower by P. D. James
  
• The House of Silk by Anthony Horowitz
  

Die Teerose was well received when I passed my copy on to the Frauenbibliothek. I'd like to listen Horowitz.

I enjoyed House of Silk. Imagine it would be a very atmospheric listen on audio!

>72 paulstalder: Paul, I saw that Die Teerose is a trilogy. I'll have to get the two other ones, too. Have you read all of them?

>73 charl08: Good to hear, Charlotte. I'm looking forward to this listening.

Hi Barbara! Congrats on Isabelle's book.

I have found a recipe for Zederbrot and I have everything already in the house to make them. They sound wonderful.

You'll like Bad Luck and Trouble - it was my first Lee Child and I immediately went out and got and read the first 13. Now I stay caught up.

Wishing you a lovely weekend.

>75 karenmarie: Thanks so much, Karen. I hope you'll like the Zederbrot.

It's my first Lee Cild too. Sounds like another series to go.

H Barbara - James' The Black Tower was one of my favorites.

Your daughter's book sounds great.

Have a wonderful weekend.

Hi Barbara! I hope you have an excellent weekend!
Lee Child is a good one to have found.

>77 BLBera: Thanks so much Beth. I've read a lot of Jame's books and I'm looking forward to this one.

>78 EBT1002: Thanks so much, Ellen. I'm really looking forward to that listening.

Happy Saturday, Barb. Hopefully you are finding time for the books today.

>80 msf59: Thanks, Mark. I did already some reading in The Orientalist. There are such a lot of infos in it that I can't read it as quickly as I do with other books.

Happy weekend Barbara!

>82 The_Hibernator: Thanks, Rachel.

Hi, Barbara! How wonderful about your daughter's book!

>84 tymfos: Thanks so much, Terri. We all are hapoy with her.

Hi Barb, I read the news about your daughter writing her book just a few minutes ago. That must be a very special feeling. I bet you are a very proud mum! It looks great!

>86 connie53: Hi Connie, thanks so much. We are very proud of her. It was a big and long way to fulfil it. I think I'm as much proud as you are with your daughter. Isn't it fabulous to have such offspring?

Yes, it is! And of course you are as proud as I am.

:-D

I just thought you needed a cute image.

>35 Ameise1: I love the different seasons, too, Barbara. Our Missouri summers are too hot and humid, ut they make me appreciate the crisp autumn days. Only a sprinkling of snow so far for us.

>56 Ameise1: How proud you must be of your author daughter. What a great way to remember a specIal trip. The cover is amazing. Thank you for sharing Isabelle's accomplishment with us.

Oh wow! What a proud mom you must be, Barbara! How exciting that your daughter Isabelle has a published book! That is really special!

Quickly dropping by to return all your visits and pictures to me.

Congratulations on your daughter's book!

>90 EBT1002: Oh thanks so much, Ellen. How beautiful. That could be our Stitch. She looks very similar. I know she is strolling around a lot but never thought she made it as far as Seattle ;-).

>91 Donna828: >92 vancouverdeb: >93 humouress: Donna, Deb and Nina, we are very proud of her. It is a wonderful kind of memory when holding her Tanzania adventure in hands. She found an experienced bookbinder who has done a wonderful job.

Hi Barbara, thanks for updating the pics! I'll PN you my address and will pay by bank transfer it that's okay. The book is for me, so no "Christmas hurry" involved. :)

I will also add my congratulations on your daughter's book, Barbara.

Wishing you a lovely week ahead.

>95 Deern: Thanks so much, Nathalie. I asked Isabelle about shipping it aboard. So I'm waiting for her answer.

>96 PaulCranswick: Thanks so much, Paul. We are all very happy.

How did I miss your daughter's book up there before?! That's amazing!! What a Proud Momma Moment for you!!

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>98 scaifea: Thanks so much, Amber. It's really a wonderful moment holding her strybook in my hands.

# 80 ♫ Listen in German



This was a very gripping listening. Eve, a young journalist, who has lost her employment is visiting her childhood and best friend Dianna who is living in a little French village. When Eve arrived at Dianna's house it is empty and there is no trace of her friend. Even more everybody she meets in the village faces her in an unfriendly way. Soon, she has to face threats, fear and violence. When she finally meets her friend it lasts only a short time because Dianna is dying. Eve's target is to find Dianna's muderer and to find justice. Due to her investigation she not only expose the murderer but also finds a new job as a journalist.

I went to the library and came home with the following audio books

• The Silkworm by Robert Galbraith Listen in German
  
• The Wild Rose by Jennifer Donnelly Listen in German
  
• Revolution by Jennifer Donnelly Listen in German
  
• Trackers by Deon Meyer Listen in German
  

Galbraith's The Cuckoo's Calling was lent out and also Donnely's The Winter Rose. I'll get them as soon as they are back at the library.

I love, love visiting here to see the wonderful photos, and to follow the great books and conversations. Thanks again Barbara for all you do to make the 75 challenge group feel special. Your lovely images posted throughout the threads take a lot of time to do, yet you are consistent in your outreach. Thank you for that!

>103 Whisper1: Thanks sooooo much, Linda. This is a wonderful beauty. xx

Hi Barbara, hope you have had a good week my dear, sending love and hugs.

>105 johnsimpson: thanks so much, John. It was a quiet week because Marina is the whole week together with her scouts mates. They are sleeping in their scout house which is on the other side of the city and they go from there to school or work.

Have a lovely weekend Barbara.

This is my home area in England, as I may get to see it shortly

>107 PaulCranswick: Oh, how beautiful, Paul. I hope you'll be able to be there over xmas.

Happy weekend to you and yours, too. xx

Happy weekend Barbara. Hope you have a good one.

Happy Saturday, Barb! Happy weekend! Hope you can squeeze in plenty of R & R. Fingers crossed.

>109 charl08: >110 msf59: Thanks so much Charlotte and Mark. To tell the truth it will be filled with plenty of R&R. big grins

Excellent kitty picture, cute mouse with candy accordion picture, and lovely Yorkshire picture!

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, Barbara!

>112 karenmarie: Thanks so much, Karen. My weekend is filled with R&R.

Have a restful and relaxing weekend, Barbara! I'll make another (caramelized onion, mixed mushroom and Gruyere) quiche for lunch now, and then start reading and relaxing after I'm done.

>114 kidzdoc: Oh, I have to try your quiche one day, Darryl. I love quiche because you can fill it with everything you can find in the fridge.

That quiche is amazing, Barbara! I just finished making another one, and it still knocks my socks off. Here's a link to the recipe, in case you don't have it handy:

http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ellie-krieger/caramelized-onion-mushroom-and-...

Happy Weekend, Barbara!

>116 kidzdoc: Thanks so much for the recipe, Darryl. Will try it within the next two week. I probably change it a bit à la mode de Barbara but will tell you what changes I did.

>117 connie53: Thanks so much, Connie. I hope you have a great weekend, too.

# 81 Read in German



This book took me a long time to finish it but it was worth every single page. It's not only the biography of Lev Nussimbaum alias Essad Bey alias Kurban Said but also the historical events in Europe and Middle East during the first half of the 20th century. Those events mostly known to me revealed facts that were far different memories for me. I learned a lot about that time and and I think because certain events have been never worked off, the battles go on.
Essad Bey is a colorful character who the political realities could adapt to most. With this fictional character he could move on all parquet. There were moments where I was not sure if he had his Jewish past stripped completely or just covered. In any case I got the feeling to be met by a fantastic charlatan who tried to survive the events and to find his place among the authors.

Happy Sunday, Barb! We can't get enough of that R & R, can we?

>120 msf59: So true, Mark. It's the first weekend since weeks I've got plenty of R&R.

Have a wonderful, relaxing Sunday, Barbara.

>122 BLBera: thanks so much, Beth. I definitely have it.

>119 Ameise1: I want to pick this up Barbara. - he had such an unlikely life. Sounds like a William Boyd novel. Thanks for the review.

>124 charl08: Thanks so much, Charlotte. I'm glad that I read it. I learned a lot and see the Middle East from another point of view.

Happy weekend Barbara! I'm so glad you got some rest this weekend. I'm looking forward to Christmas weekend for the same reason. I'll just sit there and read. (And cook, and go to parties, and.... oh. Wait...)

>126 The_Hibernator: :-) Well, I hope you'll get some rest, Rachel. Wishing you a good start into the new week.

Stopping by to wish you a fabulous week, Barbara! We were out last night for dinner, celebrating my husband and my eldest's son's birthday's. December gets very crowded! My sister - in - law is from Germany and she is going home for Christmas this year , to her parents in Sinsheim , and her brother lives in Berlin ( the old East Berlin ). My brother - her husband, is an airline pilot and as he has to fly a lot of trips over Christmas, she and their two kids are going home for Christmas. The two kids were born here in Canada, but both speak a fair bit of German. It will be nice for my sister in law to be with her family!

Hi Barbara, didn't make it in time for the weekend, so I wish you a happy week instead. When do the holidays start in Zuerich, is it your last week already?

>128 vancouverdeb: oh, thats sounds great that your SIL with her kids can spend xmas with her parents in Germany. It's so wonderful when children can grow up billingue. It's a fortune to speak two languages fluently.
Happy belated Birthday to your son, Deb.

>129 Deern: Hi Nathalie, I have to work until Friday and than I have two weeks of holiday. Will you go to your parent's place?

>107 PaulCranswick: What a lovely photo Paul!

>131 Whisper1: Hi Linda.

Hope your last week at work goes well. No snow here yet (I secretly want a white Xmas).

>133 charl08: No snow here, too and it doesn't look like will get some in the near future. It's too warm.
Another four days wheras the last one will be a special one.

> It is a very great thing if a child can grow up speaking more than one language indeed! Though I was taught French from grade 8 to 12 , just one course per year, I have completely lost my french, except for the very basics. Where I live , the majority of people speak Catonese or Mandarin as a second language. My sister in law, by contrast, speaks French ( her father is from Tunisa ) and German ( mom is German ) and my sister in law already had a good grasp on English when she met my brother . That English was further refined when she moved to Canada. So their two kids speak English, French and German. Such an advantage, as you say. Thanks for the birthday wishes for my son and husband.

>135 vancouverdeb: Oh, three languages, what a fortune for them. My grandmother was French so my mother grew up billingue and we were speakinig French with my granny. At school we started French at grade 7 now it's at grade 5. English I learned at grammar school now the kids start learning it at grad 2. After my studies and a three month trip in Australia I didn't use English for more than 20 years. It was like to start a new language when I made my English diploms.
Sorry, that I missed your hubster's birthday. Happy Birthday to him too.

>130 Ameise1: Yes, I'm flying from Verona on Sunday and stay for a week. I'll return to work on the 28th.
They said there won't be any rain (or snow) until Christmas as it looks. It hasn't rained in about 2 months now and it's far too warm on most days. The air quality is really bad.

>137 Deern: Not much rain here, too. Wishing you a nice flight and a great week with your family.

# 82 ♫ Elizabeth is Missing Listen in German



This was an impressive listening about Maud an elderly woman who is suffering from dementia. Her best friend Elizabeth isn't anymore at her house and can't be reached. Maud's dementia is at an advanced stage and therefore she is working with lots of stickies where she writes down her thoughts. Her bag is full of these stickies and the mess to find the right piece of paper is getting bigger. But it's not only her friend she is missing there is also an unsolved puzzle about the disappearance of her sister some 70 years ago.
Emma Healey has written a masterpiece with this story. It is so difficult to imagine the thoughts and feelings of people with dementia. Healey shows a great love for Maud and the people who are caring for her. This story includes all the stages of spiritual decay, mixing the past with the present, to be always hungry, no time feeling, people no more recognise, the feeling not being understood.

For me this book is a must-read. My FIL is suffering from dementia. I saw so much of him in this story.

Hi Barbara,

Congratulations on your daughter's book! It looks fabulous and what a cool thing to do.

>140 cushlareads: Thanks so much, Cushla. It is really a wonderful memory.

Adding my congratulations to your daughter, Barbara!

Thanks for your enticing review of Elizabeth is Missing. Your comments reminded me to look for it just now, as Rhian had also given it 5 stars. The Kindle version is currently on sale for $1.99 in the US, so I just purchased a copy of it.

>142 kidzdoc: Thanks so much, Darryl. We are proud of her.

I'm glad you like my comment on Elizabeth is Missing. I hope you'll like it, too.

>139 Ameise1: I was also impressed by the sensitivity of the author of Elizabeth is Missing. Sometimes a hard read for me as the picture of dementia was a bit too accurate. It will be interesting to see what she writes about next.

<37> Elizabeth Is Missing is now on the tbr pile. I recently saw a wonderful depiction of this wicked disease as experienced by Glen Campbell and his family. It was so sad, but yet so remarkable how his family rallied round him.

>144 charl08: >145 Whisper1: Charlotte and Linda, due to my FIL suffering of dementia this book came just at the right time for me. It is so strong and full of love. A lot of pictures came up during the listening. It is difficult to care for such a person. My FIL is a happy person but for my MIL it's very hard. We have to look for her that she gets enough time to be with her friends which is very important. Than we take him with us. He likes that very much.

As Franks aunt (for who Frank does all care as he is left as her only family member) and my mother both suffer from dementia this might be an interesting read...
The best book I ever read about dementia was Hersenschimmen by J. Bernlef, I think it is translated in English, German and some other languages.

>147 FAMeulstee: Anita, this book I can strongly recommend. I haven't read the book you mentioned. Will have a look for it.

I went to the library and cam home with

• Middlemarch by George Eliot (BAC 2016 / Audiobook
  
• Land of Marvels by Barry Unsworth (BAC 2016)
  
• The House of Impossible Loves by Cristina López Barrio (Audiobook / German)
  

Happy Friday, Barb! I appreciate you telling me about your travels on FB. I am sooooooooooo jealous!

And hooray, for Middlemarch. I loved that book. I have still not read Unsworth.

>150 msf59: Hi Mark, I love your EathPorn photos on FB. Today I was impressed by the Chinese Great Wall. Well, it was really more a climbing than a walking when we were there and I always thought how they could transport the goods on it?

There are some nice authors on all challenges (AAC, BAC and CAC). I can't lay hands on all suggested authors but I'll do my best next year.

Today we had our very special final day at school before the holiday. The kids could walk around through the whole buildings and join different activities. I had a story reading room and lots of the smaller pupils joined me to hear the stories of The Happy Lion series which I was reading and performing the whole morning. I loved this series as a kid and therefore it was an easy task to inspire the students.

>152 Ameise1: What a *wonderful* idea! I love the stations set-up!

>153 scaifea: Me too, Amber. It's always great fun.

>152 Ameise1: Good for you, Barbara! Those are lucky kids. Hope you get a chance to meet my storyteller wife some day. You seem like kindred spirits.

>155 jnwelch: Yes, yes, yes, I would be very happy to meet her and you of course too.
I love telling stories.

A belated congratulations to you and your daughter on her book! And I hope that you have a pleasant and relaxing holiday vacation.

>157 catarina1: Thanks so much, Catarina. We'll have several family gatherings but there is also plenty of R&R.

Sounds like a lovely end to the year at school, Barbara. I loved The Happy Lion books. Have a restful break!

>159 cushlareads: Thanks so much, Cushla. Will do so. :-)

To answer your question way up there...(>45 Ameise1:) the Latvian Christmas Biscuits are a spicy crosby biscuit made with honey and malt. They are bout out ones, best used with icing and sprinkles. I make them every year.

>161 LovingLit: Thanks, Megan. That sounds delicious.

I came back from the library with another great book haul. So I'm ready for the holiday as well as the challenges for January 2016.

• The Vows of Silence by Susan Hill (BAC 2016 / German)
  
• The Beginner's Goodbye by Anne Tyler (AAC 2016)
  
• The House at Sea's End by Elly Griffiths (the 3rd in the Galloway series)
  
• Everyone In Their Place by Maurizio De Giovanni (A new series for me - Commissario Ricciardi from Naples)
  

Happy Saturday, Barb! I liked The Beginner's Goodbye. Short & sweet. Good choice.

>164 msf59: Thanks, Mark. I'm looking forward to that reading.

Have a lovely weekend, Barbara. xx

book 83



This was an interesting reading about a couple, their families and friends during 50 years. It starts out in 1968 and the young couple feels being a part of the big family who wants to change the social conventions. While society changes remain some of the protagonists in this time stuck while others adapt to the changes. Because most live under the same roof is the coexistence not always easy, as many emotions are not expressed and the majority feels misunderstood. It always needs a dramatic experience as a farewell, a separation or the death of that individual characters are open to others.
Grant writes with a great love and a lot of understanding for her characters. As a reader you get great understanding of their actions.

>166 DianaNL: Thanks so much, Diana. xx

I hope you have a Christmas break now too, Barbara!

Happy week and happy Christmas for you and yours!

>169 connie53: Thanks so much, Connie. I'm off work for two week. We start with our xmas gathering on Tuesday followed by Wednseday and Thursday.
Happy Christmas for you and yours, too.

Happy weekend Barb!

ETA: Well, ok. Happy beginning of a new week!

>163 Ameise1: Great library haul, Barbara! I'm a keen fan of Susan Hill and eagerly awaiting the next installment in the Simon Serralier ( sp) series. I've read and enjoyed The House at Sea's End, and I am a fan of Anne Tyler too. Happy Christmas to you and yours!

>171 The_Hibernator: Thanks, Rachel.

>172 vancouverdeb: Deb, I've read some Hill book but not from the Searralier series. I love her writing style. I've never have read Tyler before.

Well, the The Vows of Silence is number 4 in the " Simon Serrailler" series by Susan Hill . You may find yourself wanting to read the entire series by Susan Hill . I know I am very keen on them!

>174 vancouverdeb: My local library has a lot of this serie. Therefore I'll go on with it. Thanks for the recommendation.

Spread the word - the 2016 group is up!

http://www.librarything.com/groups/75booksin2016

>176 drneutron: Yippie, thanks so much, Jim.

Elizabeth is Missing sounds really good. I think I'll add it to my List.

Barbara, that series by Susan Hill is excellent, but if you can get your hands on the earlier ones, I recommend reading them in order. There are a lot of ongoing characters and story lines. The first one is The Various Haunts of Men, followed by The Pure in Heart and the Risk of Darkness, and then The Vows of Silence.

I hope you enjoy your time off work over Christmas!

>178 tymfos: Thanks so much Terri for your advice. Unfortunately my local libraray doesn't have the earlier books. Nr three they have but it's noted as missing. Well, I start with nr four and hope to be able to put my hands on earlier ones later.

Elizabeth is Missing is a fantastic story. I hope you'll like it, too.

This evening we had our first xmas dinner. My father was coming over. he is leaving for Thailand on Thursday.

What a great book haul!!!! Soon I will post all the books I accumulated in 2015. Alas, as usual, I've collected more than I've read.

All good wishes for a wonderful holiday Barbara. I so enjoyed all the images you post throughout. You give weekly gifts to so many here in the group. And, we are blessed!!

>180 Whisper1: Thanks so much, Linda. It was a wonderful year with the 75 family. It enriched my reading immensly and I'm vety grateful for that. I hope you seeing the upcoming year, too.

Wishing you and yours a wonderful Merry Christmas.

It is a blessing to have you in the 75 family. I joined the first year the group was together. My reading is also enriched. And, I've made a lot of good friends along the way.

book 84 ♫



This was a quick enthralling listening. Reacher has to solve the puzzle why members of his old army unit got killed respectively are in danger. During his investgations he learns about his colleagues lifes how they found their privat life and how they settled down.
To find the evil one is a bit tricky because he changes the appearance and the name frequently but with the help of friends, they come to him soon on the track.

Hi, Barb! It sounds like you are enjoying your time off. I hope than includes plenty of reading time. Fingers crossed.

Bookish Christmas wishes to you and your family Barbara!

>184 msf59: Ha, Mark, I'm fully in the reading swing. :-)

>185 souloftherose: Thanks so much, Heather. I wish you a most wonderful Christmas, too.

Fröhliche Weihnachten Dir und Deiner Familie, Barbara - Alles Gute!! :)))

>187 Deern: Vielen lieben Dank, Nathalie, das wünsche ich dir und deiner Familie von Herzen auch. xx

Have a great Christmas Barbara!

Thanks so much, Rhian. What a beautiful chrismas tree. Wishing you and yours Merry Christmas.

For my Christmas/Hanukkah/Solstice/Holiday image this year (we are so diverse!), I've chosen this photograph by local photographer Mark Lenoce of the pier at Pacific Beach to express my holiday wishes to you: Peace on Earth and Good Will toward All!

>191 ronincats: thanks so much, Roni. What a beautiful photo. Wishing you Happy Holidays, too.

Merry Christmas, Barbara!

>193 Copperskye: Thanks do much, Joanne. I wish you a wonderful Christmas together with your family, too.

Have a great holiday, my friend!

>195 msf59: Thanks so much, Mark. Wishing you and your family a wonderful Merry Christmas, too. xx

BTW can't see your posted pic. :-(

Hi Barbara, sending Christmas greetings to you, Thomas, Isabelle and Marina, hope you have a lovely day tomorrow. Sending love and hugs to you all from the pair of us.

P.S. I met up with Paul last night and we chatted about you and they were all nice things, so nice to be really good friends from meeting on here.

Happy holidays!

And thank you very much for sending a Törli every day :-)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year, Barbara!

There is no chance that I will manage to get caught up with your threads Barbara so I will just wish you and your family a wonderful holiday season!

Have a lovely holiday, Barbara and thank you for being so active and for bringing so much cheer to so many in 2015.

Happy Winter Solstice, Barbara! (I know, I'm about two days late, but the sentiment is heartfelt!).

Wishing you a happy Christmas with your family and a year full of wonderful reading.

Merry Christmas Barb!

Thanks so much, Karen, Lori, Paul, Ellen, Catarina and Rachel for your beautiful photos and well wishes. We had our third and last christmas gathering, tonight and will have some quiet upcoming days now.

Wishing you all a wonderful time, too.

Merry Christmas, Barbara! Lovely to have some quiet days now!I am just starting into our Christmas festivities and must go get dressed! :)

Merry Christmas, Barbara, and a very happy 2016 too!

>206 vancouverdeb: >207 LizzieD: Thanks so much, Deb and Peggy. I wish you a wonderful Merry Christmas, too.

# 85 Read in German

Murder on the Eiffel Tower
BB from Caro (cameling)

This was a fast-paced gripping reading. It's the first book of the Victor Legris series and it drew me into it so that I have to read the other books of this series, too.
This first book takes place during the Paris World Exhibition 1889 where several people are dying of a stab in the neck. The newspaper are full of speculations and everybody is thinking that it must be a kind of killer bee which is the cause of death.
Victor Legris who is a bookseller and shutterbug gets involved in solving the puzzle. He leads the bookstore along with his Japanese mentor Kenji Mori and their assistant Joseph. Victor meets Tasha Kherson, a young artist, in whom he falls in love. During his investigation he doubts more and more his friends and no longer knows whom he can still trust. This leads to many tensions and confusions that are not always conducive to the solving of the case.

Merry Christmas, Barb! Enjoy the day, my friend.

>210 msf59: Will do so, Mark. My credo is reading, reading, reading. :-)

I hope you and your family had a wonderful Christmas, Barbara. Thank you for all the lovely images you send out to LTers over the course of the year. I like your reading credo!

>212 Donna828: Thanks so much, Donna. There is another reading day ahead. :-).

>213 luvamystery65: Muchas grazias, Roberta.

Hope, you had good Christmas days. And wish you quiet rest of the holidays this year.

>215 paulstalder: Thanks so much, Paul. We had some nice family gahterings.

book 86 Read in German

 Everyone in their Place

This is the third book of a great mystery series from Naples in the early 30s. I love its protagonists as Commissario Ricciardi who is a clever introvert thinker and his work colleague Brigadiere Maione who is on diet. Both men are able to work hand in hand without needing much words. They have to solve the murder of a Duchess who does not have the best reputation in society. They soon are faced with too many culprits but neither fits to 100%. Therefore, they must apply various methods of investigation also unusual ones. Commissario Ricciardi faces a completely other problem to solve, too. He is fallen in love with his neighbour's daughter but it takes a long time until he sees it.
The reading was enthralling and amusing. It's wonderful to go back in a time where investigations take their time due to have neither modern means of communication and means of transport.

All good wishes for a wonderful New Year Barbara. It is wonderful to visit your thread in 2015. I look forward to visiting more often in 2016.

>218 Whisper1: Thanks so much, Linda. I'm looking forward to following your readings in 2016.

Happy Saturday, Barb. It is gloomy and damp here but I am trudging along. I hope you are curled up with the books.

>220 msf59: Hi Mark, here it was a sunny warm day. I still have the feeling of spring than winter. It's so strange this weather.
I just finish a book from a new mystery series to me and started He Sees You When You're Sleeping. So far I'm deep into reading :-).

>217 Ameise1: Don't think I've come across this series before, so have downloaded a sample to try put the first book. Sounds good!

>222 charl08: Charlotte, I've ordered the first book from my favourite bookshop because my library has only this third one and the following ones.
I'm keen to read all if them.

>224 Berly: What may be hidden in this books? Thanks, Kim, for dropping it here.

Best wishes!

Sorry your library lacks the earier ones in the Susan Hill series. I hope you like the one you managed to get!

I'd not heard of the Commissario Riccardi series. It sounds good!

Thanks so much, Terri, for the lovely Sig photo.

Well, you know, we take the books which are available, isn't it.
That I stumbled over the Commissario Ricciardi series is a coincidence. I was looking for something else.

Here to wish you a happy New Year!

New family member Tenzing Norcat:

Happy Sunday, Barb! Another gloomy/chilly one in the Midwest but at least there is no snow...yet.

Happy Sunday Barbara. Time spent with family has afforded lots of downtown time for reading.

I own a copy of He Sees You When You Are Sleeping . I will try to find it when I return home tomorrow.

>228 sibylline: Thanks so much, Lucy. What a nice photo of your new family member. I love kitties. They are so cute.

>229 msf59: Happy Sunday to you, too, Mark. In the morning it was chilly now it's warm and sunny again.
We've been at the Kunsthaus. We saw a special exhibiotion called A Golden Age' 17th century Dutch art. All paintings are from privat collections, so no chance to see zhem again.

>230 Whisper1: Happy Sunday, Linda. I'm half way through and I love it. Just the right book for the holiday season. I hope you'll enjoy it too.

Merry Belated Christmas, Barbara! I am so glad to get back to reading and " normal life' :)

>232 vancouverdeb: I know this feeling, Deb. Enjoy it. I'm deep into reading and I enjoy it so much. :)

Hi Barbara! Just dropping in to say I hope you had a wonderful Christmas and are enjoying time off.

>234 karenmarie: Thanks so much, Karen. I love my readings over this time of the year.

Hi Barbara, hope you had a wonderful Christmas my dear.

>236 johnsimpson: We had all our gatherings before christmas and therefore we had some lovely quiet days filled with lots of readings.

Barbara, one of my primary goals in 2016 is to get all books in my house organized. Truly, they are scattered throughout the rooms, making it very difficult to find one I want to read. I long for a large room with floor -ceiling shelves.

Happy new week Barb!

>238 Whisper1: Linda, our books are fortunately organised throughout the whole house. We have different shelves each one is filled filled with another genre as children books, Swiss authors, crimes/mysteries, travel books, historical fictions, history, fantasy, English books etc. Therefore it's much easier to find something.

>239 The_Hibernator: Thanks so much Rachel. Wishing you a great one, too.

# 87



This was a perfect quick reading for the holiday season. Sterling Brooks who is since 46 years waiting infront of the gates of heaven finally arrives at the last judgement. To his disappointment, he is not admitted to go over the bridge before he has fulfilled a task. He is sent back on earth to help Marissa whose beloved father and granny have been put into the Witness Protection Program. It's close to Christmas when also is Marissa's birthday and she has given in any hope to see them again. Sterling, who was very selfish during his life, is touched by the heartbroken girl and sets out all the stops to help her.

Yesterday morning we visited 'A Golden Age' exhibition with 17th century Dutch art which are from privat collections. Those colourful paintings rich in details are gems. I was impressed by the accuracy of faces, fur and leaves which needed magnifying glass to be painted.
(The quality of the pics are poorly. Sorry for that. I'm not so good taking pics with my smartphone.)

      

You're so much better at taking smartphone pics than I am. Thank you for sharing them.

Beautiful paintings. Looks like a wonderful exhibition. I think the historical pictures of people socialising are fascinating. How we used to be.

>243 Deern: >244 charl08: Thanks so much, Nathalie and Charlotte. Because there weren't so many people I was able to have a very close look to the faces and details - so impressive.

I brought back some books and audios to the library and finally was able to get The Cuckoo's Calling. So I'm ready to jump on the Galbraith train.

Happy Holidays, Barbara!

I love the Reacher books; I'm glad you had a good time with Bad Luck and Trouble. A lot of the series was already out when I started a few years ago, and I just gobbled them up. Now I wait impatiently for each new one to come out.

>242 Ameise1: Looks like a great exhibit.

>247 jnwelch: Joe, I'm looking out for other books of this series. The library should have some. (Fingers crossed)

>248 Oberon: Erik, It was a very nice exhibition. These pictures are all from privat collections, therefore it was the only time to see them.

We have a membership at the Kunsthaus Zürich and can go when ever we like to go. There will be some very good exhibitions the upcoming year.

>246 Ameise1: I gave that one to my dad for Christmas and he started reading the same evening which says a lot! I hope you'll enoy it.

>250 Deern: Nathalie, my elder daughter Isabelle got the first two of this series (in German) from my brother as a xmas present. I had already The Silkworm on my mp3 and was waiting for The Cuckoo's Calling. Finally I got it today.

>209 Ameise1: I read that one some time ago in English.

An early Happy New Year to you and yours, Barbara! I hope 2015 wraps up nicely for you. :)

I just finished the Silkworm! Loved both in the series. Enjoy.

>252 thornton37814: Lori, I will definitely continue this series in 2016. All the places and streets are so familiar to me.

>253 LauraBrook: Thanks so much, Laura. Wishing you zhe same, too. I hope seeing you in 2016, too.

>254 Berly: Kim, I'm looking forward to the listening in 2016.

Gorgeous gallery of pictures, Barbara! I've enjoyed a nice Christmas, but this evening we are to go to my son and daughter in law's place for dinner and then of course, there is New Years! I am looking forward to 2016. Nice and sunny here !

>256 vancouverdeb: Thanks so much, Deb. Enjoy your evening with your family. It's sunny here, too but also getting colder.

Glad you had what sounds like a lovely Christmas Barbara, and merry book reading in the new year!

>258 evilmoose: What a wonderful photo, Megan. Thanks so much.

book 88  Read in German

 The House at Sea's End

This was a fast-paced gripping reading. This time Ruth Galloway isn't struggling with 'old bones' more with her role as a mother and going on with her work even when that means solving murder mysteries. Some bones from German soldiers (WWII) were found. DCI Nelson, his team and Ruth with her team have to dig deep into old cliques. Unfortunately, these researches sparked further murders and therefore died a witness after another.

So, this was my last book for this year. I'm very happy that I was able to read 88 books.

Dear friends and visitors, I would be very happy when you join me on my 2016 thread