Anita (FAMeulstee) keeps on going where the books take her in 2020 (6)

Welcome to my sixth 2020 thread!

I am Anita Meulstee, 57, married with Frank since 1984. We live in Lelystad, the Netherlands. We both love modern art and books.
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.

--
On August 19th we went to Museum Schokland. Like last year they had an exposition on the former island, 15 artworks along a walking route in the open air.

Left: De piramide van Schokland (The Pyramid of Schokland) by Irem Kaneli and Stijn Smit, the different earth layers beneath, layed upon eachother in a pyramid form.
Right: Pas by Matthijs Muller, a construction with small bubble levels, as reference to the polder that is manmade.
 

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

Once a week we go by car to the place where we ended the week before. We walk about 3 km (and back), the total distance is 144 km, and we have walked 55 km now.
Left: the province Flevoland (red) is in the middle of our country.
Right: Map of the Flevopolder and in red the part that we have walked until now. The blue line is the Knardijk, the first constructed dike for the northern part. We did this dike by bike last Monday.
 

total books read in 2020: 194
29 own / 164 library / 1 other

total pages read in 2020: 66.510

--
currently reading:
De vertellingen van duizend-en-één nacht vertaald door Richard van Leeuwen, 3,215 pages, started 2020-01-01
e-book: Ideeën van Multatuli. Tweede bundel by Mutatuli, 469 pages, started 2020-04-30

e-book: Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre) by Charlotte Brontë, 555 pages
De lotgevallen van de brave soldaat Švejk (The Good Soldier Svejk) by Jaroslav Hasek, 876 pages

--
books read in October 2020 (16 books, 4.557 pages, 1 own / 15 library)
book 194: Jaag je ploeg over de botten van de doden (Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead) by Olga Tokarczuk, 297 pages, TIOLI #15 (msg 209)
book 193: Ben X by nDurlie, 108 pages, TIOLI #15 (msg 208)
book 192: De witte veer (The Absolutist) by John Boyne, 318 pages, TIOLI #15 (msg 207)
book 191: In de schaduw van meisjes in bloei (In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower) by Marcel Proust, 747 pages, TIOLI #7 (msg 206)
book 190: Bericht voor de koning (King's man) by Tim Severin, 320 pages, TIOLI #8 (msg 195)
book 189: De schimmelruiter (The Rider on the White Horse) by Theodor Storm, 136 pages, TIOLI #8 (msg 194)
book 188: Dodelijke conclusies (Drawing Conclusions) by Donna Leon, 316 pages, TIOLI #13 (msg 193)
book 187: Hallo witte mensen by Anousha Nzume, 140 pages, TIOLI #15 (msg 192)
book 186: De schippers van de Kameleon by H. de Roos, 128 pages, TIOLI #12 (msg 191)
book 185: De winter van de heks (The Winter of the Witch) by Katherine Arden, 444 pages, TIOLI #12 (msg 190)
book 184: De odyssee van Mohamed by Mohamed El Bachiri, 118 pages, TIOLI #15 (msg 180)
book 183: Als de doden niet herrijzen (If the Dead Rise Not) by Philip Kerr, 446 pages, TIOLI #13 (msg 179)
book 182: Een wereld valt uiteen (Things fall apart) by Chinua Achebe, 175 pages, TIOLI #13 (msg 161)
book 181: Nachtlicht (A Dedicated Man) by Peter Robinson 253 pages, TIOLI #13 (msg 160)
book 180: Frankusstein (Fran Kiss Stein) by Jeanette Winterson, 373 pages, TIOLI #15 (msg 159)
book 179: Zomerlicht, en dan komt de nacht (Summer Light and Then Comes the Night) by Jón Kalman Stefánsson, 238 pages, TIOLI #15 (msg 158)

--
books read in September 2020 (21 books, 5.955 pages, 2 own / 19 library)
book 178: De man van veel by Karin Amatmoekrim, 263 pages, TIOLI #9 (msg 125)
book 177: Kop in de wind by Wilfried de Jong, 171 pages, TIOLI #13 (msg 124)
book 176: Het veld by Robert Seethaler, 240 pages, TIOLI #4 (msg 123)
book 175: Gemeengoed (Commonwealth) by Ann Patchett, 319 pages, TIOLI #1 (msg 122)
book 174: De kleine Johannes III by Frederik van Eeden, 233 pages, TIOLI #5 (msg 121)
book 173: De kleine Johannes II by Frederik van Eeden, 146 pages, TIOLI #4 (msg 120)
book 172: De stenen hemel (The Stone Sky) by N.K. Jemisin, 350 pages, TIOLI #6 (msg 97)
book 171: De Obeliskpoort (The Obelisk Gate) by N.K. Jemisin, 351 pages, TIOLI #6 (msg 96)
book 170: De minstreel en de drakenpup (The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup) by Rosemary Sutcliff, 44 pages, TIOLI #15 (msg 95)
book 169: Het vijfde seizoen (The Fifth Season) by N.K. Jemisin, 416 pages, TIOLI #6 (msg 94)
book 168: Wit is ook een kleur by Sunny Bergman, 143 pages, TIOLI #4 (msg 92)
book 167: Leeuwentemmer (The Ice Child) by Camilla Läckberg, 371 pages, TIOLI #9 (msg 90)
book 166: De eenzame bruid (The leper of Saint Giles) by Ellis Peters, 198 pages, TIOLI #1 (msg 89)
book 165: De kant van Swann (Swann's way) by Marcel Proust, 608 pages, TIOLI #12 (msg 88)
book 164: Paard, paard, tijger, tijger by Mette Eike Neerlin, 141 pages, TIOLI #12 (msg 71)
book 163: Nacht van de draak (Night of the Dragon) by Julie Kagawa, 366 pages, TIOLI #15 (msg 70)
book 162: Ziel van het zwaard (Soul of the Sword) by Julie Kagawa, 415 pages, TIOLI #6 (msg 69)
book 161: Wachten op woensdag (Waiting for Wednesday) by Nicci French, 496 pages, TIOLI #12 (msg 68)
book 160: Briljant groen (Brilliant Green) by Stefano Mancuso & Alessandra Viola, 175 pages, TIOLI #9 (msg 67)
book 159: Het menselijk tekort (Man's Fate) by André Malraux, 277 pages, TIOLI #5 (msg 33)
book 158: Mijn zusje, de seriemoordenaar (My Sister, the Serial Killer) by Oyinkan Braithwaite, 232 pages, TIOLI #3 (msg 32)

September 2020 reading plans
De vertellingen van duizend-en-één nacht translated by Richard van Leeuwen, 3215 pages (118/3215)
Ideeën by Mutatuli, 3846 pages (831/3846)

TIOLI October 2020
#1: Read a book whose first line includes an odd number
-
#2: Read a book written by an author who does not fit the binary gender/sexuality stereotype
-
#3: Read a book with a fiery or autumnal title
-
#4: Read a book with a three-word title in the format "The {Colour} {Noun}"
? De zwarte ruiter - Simon Vestdijk, 180 pages
#5: read a book by a controversial author
-
#6: Read a book for the October CFF Mystery Challenge Challenge
-
#7: Read a book by an author you've read since March 15, 2020
- In de schaduw van meisjes in bloei (In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower) - Marcel Proust, 747 pages (e-library)
#8: Read a book whose title contains a Halloween Costume
- Bericht voor de koning (King's man) - Tim Severin, 320 pages (e-library)
- De schimmelruiter (The Rider on the White Horse) - Theodor Storm, 136 pages (library)
#9: Read a book where the word "air" appears in the title
-
#10: Read a non-fiction book about the natural world or built environment
-
#11: Read a book in which a word in the title best describes 2020 for you
-
#12: Read a book with a predominantly multicoloured cover OR a predominantly gold cover
- De schippers van de Kameleon - H. de Roos, 128 pages (e-library)
- De winter van de heks (The Winter of the Witch) - Katherine Arden, 444 pages (e-library)
#13: Read a book that is part of a series
- Als de doden niet herrijzen (If the Dead Rise Not) - Philip Kerr, 446 pages (library)
- Dodelijke conclusies (Drawing Conclusions) - Donna Leon, 316 pages (e-library)
- Nachtlicht (A Dedicated Man) - Peter Robinson 253 pages (e-library)
- Een wereld valt uiteen (Things fall apart) - Chinua Achebe, 175 pages (library)
#14: Read a book that is at least your 10th by the same author
-
#15: Read a book by a living author born after 1945
- Ben X - nDurlie, 108 pages
- Frankusstein (Fran Kiss Stein) - Jeanette Winterson, 373 pages (e-library)
- Hallo witte mensen - Anousha Nzume, 140 pages (library)
- Jaag je ploeg over de botten van de doden (Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead) - Olga Tokarczuk, 297 pages
- De odyssee van Mohamed - Mohamed El Bachiri, 118 pages (library)
- De witte veer (The Absolutist) - John Boyne, 318 pages (library)
- Zomerlicht, en dan komt de nacht (Summer Light and Then Comes the Night) - Jón Kalman Stefánsson, 238 pages (library)
#16: Read a book by Andre Norton
-

other books from the library/e-library, moved to November TIOLI:
- Jane Eyre (Jane Eyre) - Charlotte Brontë, 555 pages (e-library 3/11)
- De lotgevallen van de brave soldaat Švejk (The Good Soldier Svejk) - Jaroslav Hasek, 876 pages (library 12/11)

--
TIOLI September 2020
#1: Read a book whose title is or contains the name of your school
- De eenzame bruid (The leper of Saint Giles) - Ellis Peters, 198 pages (library)
- Gemeengoed (Commonwealth) - Ann Patchett, 319 pages (library)
#2: Read a book that has the word lie or a synonym for lie in the title
-
#3: Read a book by a woman author: Alphabet challenge
- Mijn zusje, de seriemoordenaar (My Sister, the Serial Killer) - Oyinkan Braithwaite, 232 pages (e-library)
#4: Read a book for The Numbers Game
- De kleine Johannes II - Frederik van Eeden, 146 pages
- Wit is ook een kleur - Sunny Bergman, 143 pages (e-library)
- Het veld - Robert Seethaler, 240 pages (e-library)
#5: Read a 20th century book
- Het menselijk tekort (Man's Fate) - André Malraux, 277 pages (library)
- De kleine Johannes III - Frederik van Eeden, 233 pages
#6: Read a book by an author who is not only from a different country than you, but also from a different continent
- Het vijfde seizoen (The Fifth Season) - N.K. Jemisin, 416 pages (library)
- De Obeliskpoort (The Obelisk Gate) - N.K. Jemisin, 351 pages (library)
- De stenen hemel (The Stone Sky) - N.K. Jemisin, 350 pages (library)
- Ziel van het zwaard (Soul of the Sword) - Julie Kagawa, 415 pages (library)
#7: Read a book whose title starts with a preposition
-
#8: Read a book with a strong emotion or feeling in the title
-
#9: Read a book where the number of pages added together is 11 ore more
- Briljant groen (Brilliant Green)- Stefano Mancuso & Alessandra Viola, 175 pages (e-library)
- Leeuwentemmer (The Ice Child) - Camilla Läckberg, 371 pages (e-library)
- De man van veel - Karin Amatmoekrim, 263 pages (library)
#10 Read a book where the author's name and the title on the spine are in two different colors
-
#11: Read a book whose title completes the sentence "Please tell me..."
-
#12: Birthstone challenge for September - read a book with a predominantly dark blue cover
- Paard, paard, tijger, tijger - Mette Eike Neerlin, 141 pages (library)
- De kant van Swann (Swann's way) - Marcel Proust, 608 pages (e-library)
- Wachten op woensdag (Waiting for Wednesday) - Nicci French, 496 pages (e-library)
#13: Read a book featuring a sport that's currently "in season"
- Kop in de wind - Wilfried de Jong, 171 pages (e-library)
#14: Read a book that was published in September, 2020
-
#15: Read a book that features a dragon
- Nacht van de draak (Night of the Dragon) - Julie Kagawa, 366 pages (library)
- De minstreel en de drakenpup (The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup) - Rosemary sutcliff, 44 pages (library)

Reading plans in 2020
My childrens/YA project was finished in 2019.
- This year I want to tackle some big tomes (1,000+ pages). Goal read 12 big tomes.
- Reading my own books is not top priority this year, ROOT goal set at 24.

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

--
Big tomes I might read in 2020:
Dutch translation of the complete Tales from the thousand and one nights, 3215 pages
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
De essays (The complete essays) by Michel de Montaigne, 1557 pages
✔ Menselijke voorwaarden (Human condition) by Junpei Gomikawa, 1440 pages
✔ De hunnen by Jan Cremer, 1419 pages
De kracht van Atlantis (Atlas shrugged) by Ayn Rand, 1373 pages
✔ De geschikte jongen (A suitable boy) by Vikram Seth, 1366 pages
✔ Jozef en zijn broers (Joseph and his brothers) by Thomas Mann, 1343 pages
✔ Het achtste leven (voor Brilka) (The eighth life (for Brilka)) by Nino Haratischwili, 1275 pages
✔ Max, Mischa & het Tet-offensief by Johan Harstad, 1229 pages
Luitenant-kolonel de Maumort by Roger Martin du Gard, 1077 pages
✔ Heer van chaos (Lord of Chaos), Robert Jordan, 1054 pages
Baron by Theun de Vries, 1016 pages

books read in January 2020
book 1: Saga's van de Westfjorden en omstreken translated by Marcel Otten (thread 1, msg 64)
book 2: De Cock en dood door hamerslag by A.C. Baantjer (thread 1, msg 65)
book 3: Huishouden (Visitation) by Jenny Erpenbeck (thread 1, msg 80)
book 4: De legende van Swanhilde (The Half-Drowned King) by Linnea Hartsuyker (thread 1, msg 81)
book 5: Ziggy by Bram Hulzebos (thread 1, msg 82)
book 6: Tirza by Arnon Grunberg (thread 1, msg 132)
book 7: Stenen voor een ransuil by Maarten 't Hart (thread 1, msg 133)
book 8: Stommelen stampen slaan (Spill simmer falter wither) by Sara Baume (thread 1, msg 134)
book 9: Pompeii het dagelijks leven in een Romeinse stad (Pompeii: The Life of A Roman Town) by Mary Beard (thread 1, msg 136)
book 10: Het achtste leven (voor Brilka) (The Eighth Life (for Brilka) ) by Nino Haratischwili (thread 1, msg 137)
book 11: Waarom vuilnismannen meer verdienen dan bankiers by Rutger Bregman (thread 1, msg 155)
book 12: Een stille vlam (A quiet flame, Bernie Gunther 5) by Philip Kerr (thread 1, msg 156)
book 13: De verrader (The sellout) by Paul Beatty (thread 1, msg 158)
book 14: Grensgangers by Aline Sax (thread 1, msg 164)
book 15: De jongens van Nickel (The Nickel Boys) by Colson Whitehead (thread 1, msg 165)
book 16: Ochtendwind (Dawn wind) by Rosemary Sutcliff (thread 1, msg 178)
book 17: Erik, of het klein insectenboek (Eric in the Land of the Insects) by Godfried Bomans (thread 1, msg 179)
book 18: Anne van het Groene Huis (Anne of Green Gables) by L.M. Montgomery (thread 1, msg 180)
book 19: Buurtsupermens (Convenience Store Woman) by Sayaka Murata (thread 1, msg 181)
book 20: Sovjetistan (Sovietistan) by Erika Fatland (thread 1, msg 182)
book 21: Moederdag by Nele Neuhaus (thread 1, msg 183)
book 22: Vrouwen & macht (Women & Power: A Manifesto) by Mary Beard (thread 1, msg 184)
book 23: Het nieuwe land by Eva Vriend (thread 1, msg 219)
book 24: Het moerasmeisje (Where the Crawdads Sing) by Delia Owens (thread 1, msg 221)
book 25: Zoon van het Noorden (Odinn's child, Viking 1) by Tim Severin (thread 1, msg 222)
book 26: Eskimoland by Niko Tinbergen (thread 1, msg 223)

books read in February 2020
book 27: Oorlogsvlieger (Flight to Arras) by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry (thread 2, msg 28)
book 28: De beer en de nachtegaal (The bear and the nightingale) by Katherine Arden (thread 2, msg 29)
book 29: Het meisje in de toren (The girl in the tower) by Katherine Arden (thread 2, msg 31)
book 30: Spaar de spotvogel (To kill a mockingbird) by Harper Lee (thread 2, msg 32)
book 31: Schaduw van de vos (Shadow of the Fox) by Julie Kagawa (thread 2, msg 49)
book 32: De buitenjongen (The Wild Boy) by Paolo Cognetti (thread 2, msg 50)
book 33: De dood van Murat Idrissi (The death of Murat Idrissi) by Tommy Wieringa (thread 2, msg 51)
book 34: De zeven gehangenen (The Seven Who Were Hanged) by Leonid Andrejev (thread 2, msg 52)
book 35: Doodgeverfd (In the Frame) by Dick Francis (thread 2, msg 53)
book 36: De Engelse patiënt (The English Patient) by Michael Ondaatje (thread 2, msg 54)
book 37: Tot in de hemel (The overstory) by Richard Powers (thread 2, msg 84)
book 38: Buzz Aldrin, waar ben je gebleven? (Buzz Aldrin, what happened to you in all the confusion?) by Johan Harstad (thread 2, msg 85)
book 39: Ondergeschikt (Inferior) by Angela Saini (thread 2, msg 86)
book 40: Duister glas (Through a Glass, Darkly) by Donna Leon (thread 2, msg 87)
book 41: De wind in de wilgen (The Wind in the Willows) by Kenneth Grahame (thread 2, msg 88)
book 42: De geschikte jongen (A Suitable Boy) by Vikram Seth (thread 2, msg 90)
book 43: De laatste der Mohikanen (The Last of the Mohicans) by James Fenimore Cooper (thread 2, msg 100)
book 44: Er is geen daar daar (There There) by Tommy Orange (thread 2, msg 101)
book 45: Grand Guignol by Louis Ferron (thread 2, msg 102)
book 46: De laatste betovering (The last enchantment) by Mary Stewart (thread 2, msg 103)

books read in March 2020
book 47: De jungleboeken (The Jungle Book and The Second Jungle Book) by Rudyard Kipling (thread 2, msg 134)
book 48: De tuin (The Weather Detective: Rediscovering Nature's Secret Signs) by Peter Wohlleben (thread 2, msg 135)
book 49: De ontsnapping van de natuur by Thomas Oudman & Theunis Piersma (thread 2, msg 136)
book 50: Een jihad van liefde by Mohamed el Bachiri (thread 2, msg 138)
book 51: Italiaanse schoenen (Italian Shoes) by Henning Mankell (thread 2, msg 140)
book 52: Het water komt by Rutger Bregman (thread 2, msg 146)
book 53: De H is van havik (H is for hawk) by Helen Macdonald (thread 2, msg 147)
book 54: Zweedse laarzen (After the Fire) by Henning Mankell (thread 2, msg 148)
book 55: Vuurtorenwachter (The Lost Boy) by Camilla Läckberg (thread 2, msg 150)
book 56: Spinoza by Theun de Vries (thread 2, msg 210)
book 57: Reis door Armenië (An Armenian sketchbook) by Vasili Grossman (thread 2, msg 211)
book 58: Het lijden van de jonge Werther (The Sorrows of Young Werther) by Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (thread 2, msg 212)
book 59: De Hunnen by Jan Cremer (thread 2, msg 213)
book 60: Klopjacht (Blood sport) by Dick Francis (thread 2, msg 214)
book 61: Muizen en mensen (Of Mice and Men) by John Steinbeck (thread 2, msg 215)
book 62: Geef me de ruimte! by Thea Beckman (thread 2, msg 216)
book 63: Triomf van de verschroeide aarde by Thea Beckman (thread 2, msg 216)
book 64: Het rad van fortuin by Thea Beckman (thread 2, msg 216)
book 65: Wie wat vindt heeft slecht gezocht by Rutger Kopland (thread 2, msg 231)
book 66: Moord op de moestuin by Nicolien Mizee (thread 2, msg 232)
book 67: De avond is ongemak (The Discomfort of Evening) by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld (thread 2, msg 233)
book 68: Platero en ik (Platero and I) by Juan Ramón Jiménez (thread 2, msg 234)

books read in April 2020
book 69: De bekeerlinge (The Convert) by Stefan Hertmans (thread 3, msg 59)
book 70: De asielzoeker by Arnon Grunberg (thread 3, msg 60)
book 71: Het fantoom van Alexander Wolf (The Spectre of Alexander Wolf) by Gajto Gazdanov (thread 3, msg 61)
book 72: Wanderlust (Wanderlust) by Rebecca Solnit (thread 3, msg 63)
book 73: Dit alles zal ik je geven (All This I Will Give to You) by Dolores Redondo (thread 3, msg 64)
book 74: Blauwe maandag (Blue Monday) by Nicci French (thread 3, msg 65)
book 75: Wij slaven van Suriname by Anton de Kom (thread 3, msg 71)
book 76: Anton de Kom by Alice Boots and Rob Woortman (thread 3, msg 127)
book 77: Dichter in de jungle by Roelof van Gelder (thread 3, msg 128)
book 78: De offerplaats (In the Woods) by Tana French (thread 3, msg 129)
book 79: Mama's laatste omhelzing (Mama's Last Hug) by Frans de Waal (thread 3, msg 130)
book 80: De pest (The Plague) by Albert Camus (thread 3, msg 131)
book 81: Tijl (Tyll) by Daniel Kehlmann (thread 3, msg 132)
book 82: Het probleem met bokken en schapen (The Trouble with Goats and Sheep) by Joanna Cannon (thread 3, msg 133)
book 83: De voorlezer (The Reader) by Bernhard Schlink (thread 3, msg 148)
book 84: Telefoon voor de dode (Call for the Dead) by John le Carré (thread 3, msg 149)
book 85: Dinsdag is voorbij (Tuesday's Gone) by Nicci French (thread 3, msg 150)
book 86: Cheops by J.H. Leopold (thread 3, msg 151)
book 87: Zwarte winter (Doomsday book) by Connie Willis (thread 3, msg 152)
book 88: Kinderspel (Suffer the Little Children) by Donna Leon (thread 3, msg 154)
book 89: Smeltend ijs by Arnaldur Indriðason (thread 3, msg 157)
book 90: Alle doden vliegen hoog : Amerika by Joachim Meyerhoff (thread 3, msg 160)
book 91: Ideeën van Multatuli. Eerste bundel by Mutatuli (thread 3, msg 162)

books read in May 2020
book 92: Het Haagse stadhuis by Adri Duivesteijn (thread 4, msg 11)
book 93: Oude wegen (The Old Ways) by Robert Macfarlane (thread 4, msg 12)
book 94: Eline Vere (Eline Vere) by Louis Couperus (thread 4, msg 13)
book 95: Jozef en zijn broers (Joseph and his Brothers) by Thomas Mann (thread 4, msg 14)
book 96: Duyvels End (World's End) by T.C. Boyle (thread 4, msg 15)
book 97: Droommeisje (Girl of His Dreams) by Donna Leon (thread 4, msg 70)
book 98: Sil de strandjutter by Cor Bruijn (thread 4, msg 71)
book 99: 1793 (The Wolf and the Watchman) by Niklas Natt och Dag (thread 4, msg 72)
book 100: Ik zal de wereld nooit meer zien (I Will Never See the World Again) by Ahmet Altan (thread 4, msg 73)
book 101: Niels Holgerssons wonderbare reis (The Wonderful Adventures of Nils) by Selma Lagerlöf (thread 4, msg 96)
book 102: Djinn patrouille op de paarse lijn (Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line) by Deepa Anappara (thread 4, msg 97)
book 103: Edelman, bedelman, schutter, spion (Tinker, tailor, soldier, spy) by John Le Carré (thread 4, msg 98)
book 104: Het gevaar (The Danger) by Dick Francis (thread 4, msg 99)
book 105: Candide, of Het optimisme (Candide) by Voltaire (thread 4, msg 100)
book 106: Ik, Robot (I, Robot) by Isaac Asimov (thread 4, msg 101)
book 107: Aarde, lucht, water en vuur by Empedokles (thread 4, msg 102)
book 108: Kleine brandjes overal (Little fires everywhere) by Celeste Ng (thread 4, msg 103)
book 109: De mystieke masseur (The Mystic Masseur) by V.S. Naipaul (thread 4, msg 104)
book 110: Wanneer wordt het eindelijk weer zoals het nooit is geweest by Joachim Meyerhoff (thread 4, msg 105)
book 111: De acht bergen (The Eight Mountains) by Paolo Cognetti (thread 4, msg 106)

books read in June 2020
book 112: Max, Mischa & het Tet-offensief by Johan Harstad (thread 4, msg 146)
book 113: Engeleneiland (Buried Angels) by Camilla Läckberg (thread 4, msg 148)
book 114: Zonder paniek geen paradijs by Joachim Meyerhoff (thread 4, msg 149)
book 115: Heer van chaos (Lord of Chaos) by Robert Jordan (thread 4, msg 150)
book 116: Heer van de vliegen (Lord of the flies) by Willliam Golding (thread 4, msg 156)
book 117: De brief voor de koning (The Letter for the King) by Tonke Dragt (thread 4, msg 157)
book 118: Geheimen van het Wilde Woud (The Secrets of the Wild Wood) by Tonke Dragt (thread 4, msg 157)
book 119: Station Elf (Station Eleven) by Emily St John Mandel (thread 4, msg 158)
book 120: Wij (We) by Jevgeni Zamjatin (thread 4, msg 178)
book 121: De genialiteit van vogels (The Genius of Birds) by Jennifer Ackerman (thread 4, msg 179)
book 122: Menselijke voorwaarden (Human condition) by Junpei Gomikawa (thread 4, msg 180)
book 123: Vrouwen in gevecht (Fearless Females) by Marta Breen and Jenny Jordahl (thread 4, msg 181)
book 124: De Midaksteeg (Midaq Alley) by Nagieb Mahfoez (thread 4, msg 182)
book 125: Een stralende toekomst (The Great Believers) by Rebecca Makkai (thread 4, msg 184)
book 126: Van de koele meren des doods (The Deeps of Deliverance) by Frederik van Eeden (thread 4, msg 185)

books read in July 2020
book 127: De tweede slaap (The Second Sleep) by Robert Harris (thread 5, msg 15)
book 128: Het beste wat we hebben by Griet Op de Beeck (thread 5, msg 55)
book 129: Uit het leven van een hond by Sander Kollaard (thread 5, msg 56)
book 130: Het feest (The Party) by Elizabeth Day (thread 5, msg 57)
book 131: Ver weg van het stadsgewoel (Far from the madding crowd) by Thomas Hardy (thread 5, msg 75)
book 132: De wand (The Wall) by Marlen Haushofer (thread 5, msg 76)
book 133: Neem mij terug, Suriname by Astrid Roemer (thread 5, msg 77)
book 134: De vreemdeling (The Stranger) by Albert Camus (thread 5, msg 78)
book 135: Wij zijn licht by Gerda Blees (thread 5, msg 79)
book 136: Hardlopen met Sherman (Running with Sherman) by Christopher McDougall (thread 5, msg 126)
book 137: Gedenkschriften by Lodewijk Napoleon (thread 5, msg 127)
book 138: Gezichtsverlies (About face) by Donna Leon (thread 5, msg 128)
book 139: De kleine Johannes I by Frederik van Eeden (thread 5, msg 129)
book 140: Moussa, of de dood van een Arabier (The Meursault investigation) by Kamel Daoud (thread 5, msg 130)
book 141: Het geslacht Wiarda by Theun de Vries (thread 5, msg 131)
book 142: Verboden magie (Shadowfell) by Juliet Marillier (thread 5, msg 132)
book 143: Ravenvlucht (Raven Flight) by Juliet Marillier (thread 5, msg 139)
book 144: De ontbieder (The Caller) by Juliet Marillier (thread 5, msg 140)

books read in August 2020
book 145: De schaduw van de wind (The Shadow of the Wind) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (thread 5, msg 181)
book 146: Een beetje meer naar rechts (Dog Will Have His Day) by Fred Vargas (thread 5, msg 209)
book 147: Een kwestie van vertrouwen (A Question of Belief) by Donna Leon (thread 5, msg 210)
book 148: Wapenbroeders (Sworn Brother, Viking 2) by Tim Severin (thread 5, msg 211)
book 149: De jacht op het recht by Inez Weski (thread 5, msg 212)
book 152: Een stad vol Chasch & Onder de Wankh (City of the Chasch and Servants of the Wankh) by Jack Vance (thread 5, msg 244)
book 151: Mani (Mani: Travels in the Southern Peloponnese) by Patrick Leigh Fermor (thread 5, msg 243)
book 150: Hoe ik talent voor het leven kreeg (Two blankets, three sheets) by Rodaan Al Galidi (thread 5, msg 213)
book 153: Een kille rilling (The Frozen Dead) by Bernard Minier (thread 5, msg 245)
book 154: Stille blik (Gallows view) by Peter Robinson (thread 5, msg 246)
book 155: Meer dan een broer (At Night All Blood Is Black) by David Diop (thread 5, msg 251)
book 156: Saigoku by Cees Nooteboom (thread 5, msg 252)
book 157: De man op het balkon (The Man on the Balcony) by Maj Sjöwall & Per Wahlöö (thread 5, msg 253)

Monthly statistics
26 books / 8.690 pages / 285,4 pages a day in January 2020 in numbers
20 books / 7.299 pages / 251,7 pages a day in February 2020 in numbers
22 books / 6.686 pages / 215,8 pages a day in March 2020 in numbers
23 books / 8.168 pages / 272,3 pages a day in April 2020 in numbers
20 books / 7.735 pages / 249,5 pages a day in May 2020 in numbers
15 books / 7.716 pages / 257,2 pages a day in June 2020 in numbers
18 books / 5.319 pages / 171,6 pages a day in July 2020 in numbers
13 books / 4.436 pages / 143,1 pages a day in August 2020 in numbers
21 books / 5.955 pages / 198,5 pages a day in September 2020 in numbers

--
Previous threads in 2020
book 1 - 26: thread 1
book 27 - 68: thread 2
book 69 - 91: thread 3
book 92 - 126: thread 4
book 127 - 157: thread 5

--
My readings in previous years
413 books (110.873 pages / 303,8 pages a day) read in 2019/1, 2019/2, 2019/3, 2019/4, 2019/5, 2019/6, 2019/7, 2019/8, 2019/9, 2019/10
534 books (111.906 pages / 306,6 pages a day) read in 2018/1, 2018/2, 2018/3, 2018/4, 2018/5, 2018/6, 2018/7, 2018/8, 2018/9, 2018/10, 2018/11, 2018/12, 2018/13
453 books (110.248 pages / 302,0 pages a day) read in 2017/1, 2017/2, 2017/3, 2017/4, 2017/5, 2017/6, 2017/7, 2017/8, 2017/9, 2017/10, 2017/11, 2017/12, 2017/13
253 books   (72.474 pages / 198,0 pages a day) read in 2016/1, 2016/2, 2016/3, 2016/4, 2016/5, 2016/6
  29 books   (10.079 pages /   27,6 pages a day) read in 2015
  17 books     (3.700 pages /   10,1 pages a day) read in 2014
  13 books     (3.692 pages /   10,1 pages a day) read in ROOT 2013
  53 books   (18.779 pages /   51,3 pages a day) read in 2012/1, 2012/2, 2012/3
  84 books   (30.256 pages /   82,9 pages a day) read in 2011/1, 2011/2
121 books   (38.119 pages / 104,4 pages a day) read in 2010/1, 2010/2, 2010/3, 2010/4
  78 books   (21.470 pages /   58,8 pages a day) read in 2009/1, 2009/2
130 books   (35.151 pages /   96,0 pages a day) read in 2008

--
Lists on my WikiThing
My best books by year list on the WikiThing
Working on: Five star reads; Nobel prize winners; Booker prize winners; Dutch prize winners

Totals since 2008:

Series I read, a list to keep track

Alan Banks by Peter Robinson (re-read 2/20)
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 6/12
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 9/20
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 53/70

Cormoran Strike by Robert Galbraith 4/5
1 Koekoeksjong; 2 Zijderups; 3 Het slechte pad; 4 Witte dood; 5 Kwaad bloed

Erica Falck & Patrik Hedström by Camilla Läckberg 10/11
1 IJsprinses; 2 Predikant; 3 Steenhouwer; 4 Zusje; 4.1 Sneeuwstorm en amandelgeur; 5 Oorlogskind; 6 Zeemeermin; 7 Vuurtorenwachter; 8 Engeleneiland; 9 Leeuwentemmer; 10 Heks

Frieda Klein by Nicci French 3/8
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 19/25
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 1/5
1 Een kille rilling; 2 Huivering; 3 Verduistering; 4 Schemering; 5 Weerzin

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

Op zoek naar de verloren tijd (In Search of Lost Time) by Marcel Proust 2/7
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) 7/15
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

Sister Fidelma by Peter Tremayne 1/18
1 Absolutie voor moord; 2 Lijkwade voor een aartsbisschop; 3 Moord in de abdij; 4 De listige slang; 5 Het web van Araglin; 6 De vallei van het kwaad; 7 De verdwenen monnik; 8 Dood van een pelgrim; 9 Vrouwe van het duister; 10 Het klooster van de dode zielen; 11 De gekwelde abt; 12 De nacht van de das; 13 De leprozenbel; 14 Moord uit de golven; 15 Een gebed voor de verdoemden; 16 Dansen met demonen; 17 Het valse concilie; 18 De duif des doods

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

Books acquired in 2020: 38

July (6)
Februari : roman uit het bezettingsjaar 1941. Deel 1 : De vreemde wet - Theun de Vries
Februari : roman uit het bezettingsjaar 1941. Deel 2: De vogelvrijen - Theun de Vries
Februari : roman uit het bezettingsjaar 1941. Deel 3: De opstand - Theun de Vries
Het meisje met het rode haar - Theun de Vries
Wieken tegen de tralies - Theun de Vries
Het wolfsgetij of Een leven van liefde - Theun de Vries

June (1)
Menselijke voorwaarden - Junpei Gomikawa

May (5)
Middaguur - Dörte Hansen
Inventaris van enkele verliezen - Judith Schalansky
Ten oosten van Eden - John Steinbeck
Jaag je ploeg over de botten van de doden - Olga Tokarczuk
Uit elkaar - Bette Westera

April (8)
Dit alles zal ik je geven - Dolores Redondo
Pieterpad deel I: Pieterburen-Vorden - Toos Goorhuis
Pieterpad deel II: Vorden-Maastricht - Toos Goorhuis
De eenzaamheid van de priemgetallen - Paolo Giordano
Nachtwegen - Gajto Gazdanov
De straat en het struikgewas - Armando
Telefoon voor de dode - John le Carré
Het verhaal van Aeneas - Vergilius

March (11)
CRUX by Ralph Keuning
Werner Tübke by Ralph Keuning
Wolfgang Mattheuer by Ralph Keuning
Seizoensroddel by Jan Baeke
Habitus by Radna Fabias
Boeddhisme in alle eenvoud by Steve Hagen
Generaal zonder leger by Özcan Akyol
Onze verslaggever in de leegte by Dimitri Verhulst
Wanderlust by Rebecca Solnit (e-book)
Leon & Juliette by Annejet van der Zijl
Het water komt - Rutger Bregman

January (7)
Essay over de geslaagde dag - Peter Handke
Misverstand in Moskou - Simone de Beauvoir
Wandeling - Thomas Bernhard
Kali : een voorwinterverhaal - Peter Handke
De pensionering van meneer Bougran - Joris-Karl Huysmans
De Thibaults. Deel 1 - Roger Martin de Gard
De Thibaults. Deel 2 - Roger Martin de Gard

That's it, come in!

Happy New Thread, Anita, and again beautiful pictures - Thank You!

>14 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas, for being my first visitor on my new thread!

Usually I do not manage to be with the first visitors, I am glad that I made it with you.

Happy new thread, Anita.

I'd like to see the pyramid, the different layers look really interesting.

Happy new thread, Anita!

Happy new thread!

>17 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte.
Each layer was named, and the oldest was from 150,000 years ago. It was mentioned that each layer was part of a horizon once. The blue top stand for both the air and the floods from the past.

>18 harrygbutler: Thank you, Harry!

>19 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita.

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread!

Happy new thread, Anita.

>21 quondame: Thank you, Susan!

>22 drneutron: Thank you, Jim, and for all you do!

>23 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba.

New thread orisons, Anita!

Happy new thread Anita my dear, sending love and hugs to you and Frank from both of us dear friend.

>25 richardderus: Thank you, Richard!
I had to search the meaning of "orison", and decided you could not mean prayers, so we will keep it at mystical contemplation :-)

>26 johnsimpson: Thank you, John, love and hugs back to you and Karen.

Happy New Thread, Anita!!

Happy new thread, Anita.

157 books to date is down on your recent years but still mightily impressive.

>28 ronincats: Thank you, Roni!

>29 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul.

Yes, I know, and defenitly better than my readings before 2016!
Already two finished this month, looks like this month is going to be a better one :-)

Happy new thread, Anita. Such fascinating art and I think your walking project is great. Thanks for those maps; it's quite an accomplishment.

book 158: Mijn zusje, de seriemoordenaar by Oyinkan Braithwaite
e-library, translated, original title My Sister, the Serial Killer, 232 pages

started 2020-08-31
finished 2020-09-01
TIOLI Challenge #3: Read a book by a woman author: Alphabet challenge

I had high hope for this book, other readers I trust liked it very much.
Sadly I didn't like the characters, and didn't like the story. I did like the setting and some of the other characters.
Maybe I expected too much...

Dutch and English title are the same.

book 159: Het menselijk tekort by André Malraux
1001 books, library, translated from French, English translation Man's Fate, 277 pages

started 2020-08-27
finished 2020-09-03
TIOLI Challenge #5: Read a 20th century book

Gripping book about Shanghai in 1927: all factions, from left to right, have joined in the Kuomintang to fight the Northern warlords. After an uprise by communists, Chiang Kai-shek decides to wipe them out. We follow some characters in the time of the uprise and their inevitable end. Cruelty on both sides, Russian advisors who have orders to hang on to Chiang Kai-shek, despite the cruel circumstances for the workers. Desperate men who become terrorists... A very engaging read.

The Dutch translation is by Eddy du Perron, a personal friend of Malreux. He dedicated this book to him.

Dutch title translated: The human insufficiency

>31 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley.
In August the walking project was a bit delayed because of a long heatwave. We hope to do better in September.

>33 FAMeulstee: Sounds good!

And it's in a penguin classics edition too... v tempting.

>32 FAMeulstee: I didn't like it either, Anita.

>35 charl08: Go for it, Charlotte, you might like it.

>36 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba, glad I am not the only one.

Happy New Thread, Anita.

Sorry to see that My Sister, the Serial Killer didn't work better for you. That was one of my pleasanter reading surprises last year.

>37 FAMeulstee: Thank you, Joe.

I am glad you enjoyed it better! :-D
I just can not relate to someone who helps out covering up a murder, let alone multiple murders.

Happy new thread Anita!

>33 FAMeulstee: First book bullet!

The heat wave is really over and done with, so will your walking project suffer from the rain?

>1 FAMeulstee: Love that pyramid. 150.000 years ago, was it still ice age then?

>40 EllaTim: Thnak you, Ella!

No, we walk in all weather, only extreme heat keeps us from walking. Our last walk on the Eemmeerdijk near Zeewolde was on 30 August, we had rain for the first half hour. The raincoats worked well.

That is even before the last ice age!
Have you decided yet if you are going to Schokland to see it yourself?

Half an hour of rain is doable. Rain all the time is misery, but that's what I think.

We haven't decided yet. Been too busy. Transport is a bit of a problem, we don't have a car, only a small Canta. You know for invalids, driving that gives us a lot of freedom, but sitting too long is hard for me, back pain.

But we still want to go!

Happy new thread, Anita!

I love maps - thanks for both of them at the top.

>32 FAMeulstee: Too bad about that one. I was hoping it would be better. I will push it to the bottom of my TBR pile.

Hi, Anita! Happy new thread!

happy new thread!

>42 EllaTim: We don't mind rain, Ella, as it washes the pollen from the air. Frank is allergic to almost every kind of pollen. And we have AGU-rain coat & pants, they keep us dry, even with torrential rain.
Schokland is difficult to reach with public transportation. It looks like the nearest bus-stop is 5,5 km away.

>43 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen.
I also love maps, we have much in common!

>44 figsfromthistle: You might like it better than I did, Anita. Some others in this group liked it much better than I did.

>45 Storeetllr: Thank you, Mary!

>46 banjo123: Thank you, Rhonda!

Happy new thread, Anita!

Happy new thread! Sorry you didn't like My Sister the Serial Killer--I didn't love it, but I definitely liked it. You are killing both the books and the walks--keep it up!

Happy new thread, Anita! Good to see that you are keeping up your walking tours. Outdoors seems so much more inviting in these pandemic days.

>48 lkernagh: Thank you, Lori!

>49 Berly: Thank you, Kim!
Can't like them all. Maybe I expected to much.
Yes, reading is getting back on track and we walk (or bike) every day.

>50 Familyhistorian: Thank you, Meg!
We are well on our way rounding the Flevopolder.
At the end of September we will walk the next parts of the Pieterpath (Long Distance Path from the north to the south of our country), we did the first two parts in March.

>51 FAMeulstee: Sounds really good, Anita. Good luck with the next stage of your walking!

>52 charl08: We are looking forward to it, Charlotte!

--

We have been away, stayed at the Fletcher Hotel in Amsterdam. Frank always wanted to stay there someday, and now they had a nice offer for a two nights stay.
We visited the Cobra Museum in Amstelveen, at 7,6 km from the hotel. We walked to the museum and back, a nice try out for our walking plans later this month. The walking went easy, we took a rest both ways on a terrace next to the river Amstel in Oudekerk aan de Amstel.

Happy Saturday, Anita. Sorry I missed the opening of your new thread. I need to do better visiting my friends. I hope you are having a nice time in Amsterdam. I visited there, while in the Army, during the early 1980s. A fine city.

>53 FAMeulstee: looks like an intriguing hotel Anita, did it live up to expectations?

>54 msf59: Thank you, Mark, always happy to see a message from you!
We had a pleasant stay in Amsterdam.

>55 Caroline_McElwee: Yes it did, Caroline.
We had a round window in the room, and looked at the lake on the other side of the highway. The hotel is located between two highways, but inside you could not hear the noise. The restaurant is at the top floor, we had diner there twice, great view!
I took some pictures, haven't transferred them to my computer yet, will do later this week.

--
Today we went further with our walking project (>1 FAMeulstee:), and driving home through the Oostvaardersplassen (the nature reserve near our place) we saw a raven (Corvus corax), a lifer!
The last raven in our counrry died in 1944. In the 1970 they were reintroduced, and the last ten years they are expanding thoughout our country.
When checking the Dutch birding website I saw a picture of the same bird that was taken earlier today, I recognised the bird because the picture was taken very near where we saw it and as it was ringed with a bright orange/red ring.

>52 charl08: That looks like a fun place to stay!

>53 FAMeulstee: I have seen that hotel! Good for you, a few days off.
Were there a lot of other guests? I do wonder how hotels are doing these days, we often pass the Hilton and can count how many windows have a light in the evening, not many.

And how did you like the Cobra Museum?

And a raven, Wow!

>53 FAMeulstee: Wow, that's an interesting building. Great that you got a mini-vacation!

>57 banjo123: Yes it was, Rhonda.
Here a picture I took from beneath, looking up at the hotel. It shows the glass wall around the building.


>58 EllaTim: We drive along the hotel every time we go to The Hague, Ella.
Yes there were other guests, I think about 1/3rd of the rooms had guests. It was all organised neatly, only at breakfast it was a little overcrowded, at the coffee machines it was impossible to keep enough distance.
I think most hotels need the government pays to keep going.

The Cobra museum was good, downstairs was an exposition with works from Cobra, upstairs "This is Surrealism! The Boijmans Masterpieces". I will put some pictures up later today.

We were very pleased to spot the raven. My first thought was: that is a very large crow ;-)

>59 The_Hibernator: Thank you, Rachel. The building intrigued us for years, so that is why we wanted to stay there :-)

Left: my own picture of the hotel, taken from the other side, right: the view from our room, with the Oudekerker plas.
 

Some works from the COBRA exposition.


Carl-Henning Pedersen - I Solomons Rige (In Solomons Kingdom, 1939)


Anton Rooskens - Magische figuur (Magical Figure, 1957)


Piet Ouborg - Speelse geometrie (Whimsical Geometry, 1948)

And some works from the Surrealism exhibition. Most works we had seen at the big exposition in Rotterdam a few years back But it is always nice to see Dalí, Magritte, Man Ray and others again!


Leonora Carrington - Again, the Gemini are in the Orchard (1947)

 
René Magritte, left: Le miroir vivant (The Living Mirror, 1928); right: La reproduction interdite (Not to be Reproduced, 1937)

>62 FAMeulstee: Love the Pedersen.

>63 FAMeulstee: And I'm a big fan of Leonora Carrington.

Sounds like you've had a satisfying visit Anita.

>52 charl08: What a wonderfully creative-looking hotel! I'm glad Frank got to tick off a life-list item with you staying there.

And what fun to see a raven where there were none for so long.

>62 FAMeulstee:, >63 FAMeulstee: Lovely works. I enjoy the Surrealist movement's art.

>64 Caroline_McElwee: We both hadn't seen Pedersen and Leonora Carrington ever before, Caroline. Would be nice to see more from them.
We are so happy museums are open again!

>65 richardderus: It is a striking building, Richard, both outside and inside.
According to the Dutch birding website there are ravens there for some years. Still very happy we finally saw one.
I remeber a visit to ravens kept in large aviaries during a vacation in the early 1970s. I think those were the original breeding pairs for the reintroduction, if I remember well.
It was nice to see the two Magrittes near eachother, I had seen them both before, but never noticed the similairity.

book 160: Briljant groen by Stefano Mancuso & Alessandra Viola
e-library, non-fiction, translated from Italian, English translation Brilliant Green, 175 pages

started 2020-09-01
finished 2020-09-04
TIOLI Challenge #9: Read a book where the number of pages added together is 11 ore more

95% of earthly biomass is vegetable, humans and animals only 5%.
In "Brilliant Green: The Surprising History and Science of Plant Intelligence" the writers explain what sience has recently figured out about plants. They are much more intelligent than we often think.

I liked this book, but most research I had read before in Peter Wohleben's The Hidden Life of Trees, although that book is more anecdotal.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 161: Wachten op woensdag by Nicci French
e-library, translated, original title Waiting for Wednesday, 496 pages

started 2020-09-05
finished 2020-09-06
TIOLI Challenge #12: Birthstone challenge for September - read a book with a predominantly dark blue cover

I liked the third Frieda Klein book better than the previous two. The story was less scary, more towards a conventional "whodunnit". Looking forward to the next book.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 162: Ziel van het zwaard by Julie Kagawa
library, translated, original title Soul of the Sword, 415 pages

started 2020-09-06
finished 2020-09-08
TIOLI Challenge #6: Read a book by an author who is not only from a different country than you, but also from a different continent

I have read Shadow of the Fox, the first book of this trilogy, earlier this year. I liked the adventure, but got sometimes lost with all the gods, demons, oni and other creatures from Japanese mythology. It left me curious what would happen next. So when I saw that the next two books were available at the library I took the opportunity to read on.
I wasn't disappointed, the adventure went on, and I slowly got used all creatures :-)

English and Dutch title are the same

book 163: Nacht van de draak by Julie Kagawa
library, translated, original title Night of the Dragon, 366 pages

started 2020-09-08
finished 2020-09-09
TIOLI Challenge #15: Read a book that features a dragon

The last book of this fantasy series, set in a medieval Japan, had some surprises, and an unexpected ending.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 164: Paard, paard, tijger, tijger by Mette Eike Neerlin
library, YA, translated from Danish, awarded, Gouden Lijst 2018, no English translation, 141 pages

started 2020-09-12
finished 2020-09-13
TIOLI Challenge #12: Birthstone challenge for September - read a book with a predominantly dark blue cover

Honey was born with a harelip, it was mended, but the scar is visible. She lives with her mother and older (braindamaged) sister.
It is a challenging life sometimes, but it gets worse when she can't say no, and says "yes", if someone asks if she is Karen... that was how she ended up in a Chinese class for starters and learned that "mama huhu" means "horse, horse, tiger, tiger" and is used to say that things are not very well, but could have been worse.
Taking the wrong bus brings her to a hospice, where she meets Marcel, who spends his last weeks there. Again the result of a mix-up, as it was Marcel's granddaughter who was expected. And Honey didn't say no, when asked.

A funny book that deals with some heavy topics.

Dutch title translated: Horse, horse, tiger, tiger

Hi Anita! I hope you and Frank are doing well.

Nice pics of your hotel and thank you for sharing the art work.

>68 FAMeulstee: I loved this series, I hope you continue to like it.

I don’t think I’ve ever mentioned that I appreciate your putting the Dutch title translated: in each of your reviews.

>72 karenmarie: Well, we were doing well when you wrote, Karen.
But I had a little selfinflicted accident with my e-bike today, almost home I took a turn wrong and fell. My head bumped on the pavement and now I have a swelling near the top of my head. No dizzyness, a slight headache, I can still read, so nothing too bad. I might reconsider getting a bike helmet.

I like Frieda Klein enough to continue.

The Dutch title translated is Richards fault ;-)
He kept asking, so I made it a permanent feature.

Ouch, sorry to hear about the bump, but glad it won't impede reading Anita.

>73 FAMeulstee: Yuck Anita! Hope it's better soon.

>71 FAMeulstee: Sounds good. And now I wonder what the Danish title was. Oh: Hest, hest, tiger, tiger.

Bike helmets are good, Anita!

>74 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you, Caronline, with reading I keep my head still. That is the only thing, sudden movement makes the headache a bit worse. So I will keep myself on a strickt diet of reading and internet on the laptop ;-)

>75 EllaTim: The bump didn't grow as much as I feared, Ella. And I still have a sturdy scull -)

>76 ronincats: Considering, Roni. Can't buy on now, as trying a helmet would hurt... Next week!

>73 FAMeulstee: I'm *so* demanding, no?

*smooch*

>78 richardderus: In a very good way, Richard.

*smooch*

Oh sorry to hear about the accident. Glad the bump was not as severe as you initially thought it would be.

Hope you're fully recovered, Anita. That sounds like a bit of a shock.

>80 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita, I had some muscles protesting but all is back to normal now.

>81 charl08: It was, Charlotte, even more for Frank as he was right behind me and saw it happen.
Now looking forward to our vacation next week!

>73 FAMeulstee: Sorry to hear about your mishap, Anita, and thank heavens for bike helmets. I never used to wear them out training but in races the old leather "helmets" were compulsory but I don't think would have been much use to me in a real prang.

Have a lovely and headache free weekend.

>83 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul. The bike helmet should arrive next week, until then no biking for me.
I think even a leather "helmet" is better than nothing. I did have a scarf on my head, that might have helped a little bit...

>84 PaulCranswick: I am happy to say that the headache is completely gone.
Happy weekend to you!

I wish you a wonderful weekend, Anita.
I am very happy that nothing bad happened - and a helmet is a very good thing.

>86 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas, the same to you.
I hope the helmets arrive next week, so we can use the e-bike again.

book 165: De kant van Swann by Marcel Proust
1001 books, e-library, translated from French, English translation Swann's way, 608 pages

started 2020-09-09
finished 2020-09-15
TIOLI Challenge #12: Birthstone challenge for September - read a book with a predominantly dark blue cover

The first book of "In Search of Lost Time", or Remembrance of Things Past".
The memories of 19th century youth in France, colored by the years in between. A world that is so far away now, and yet still the same in some aspects.

It was not easy to get into the story, long sentences that need to be read twice to comprehend. Yet it is addictive, a bit in the same way I had to read all "My struggle" books by Knausgaard.

I didn't plan to read Proust this year, I just stumbled upon him in the e-library. The last book (of 7) became recently available, and I don't like to start a series if I can't read them all ;-)
Got book 2 from the e-library now.

Dutch title translated: Swann's way, or Swann's side

book 166: De eenzame bruid by Ellis Peters
library, translated, original title The leper of Saint Giles, 198 pages

started 2020-09-14
finished 2020-09-16
TIOLI Challenge #1: Read a book whose title is or contains the name of your school

The fifth Brother Cadfael book.
As always an enjoying read and a fairly good mystery, with some nice details.

Dutch title translated: The lonely bride (I guess the publisher thought that "leper" was ofputting/difficult for Dutch readers)

book 167: Leeuwentemmer by Camilla Läckberg
e-library, translated from Swedish, English translation The Ice Child, 371 pages

started 2020-09-15
finished 2020-09-17
TIOLI Challenge #9: Read a book where the number of pages added together is 11 ore more

The ninth Fjälbacka book, only one more to go :-(
This one was a bit much on cruelty by the perpetrator. Otherwise a good story, as always.

Dutch title translated: Liontamer (the same as the original Swedish title)

Good luck with the rest of Proust, Anita. I've never read anything by him, and feel like I "ought to". But maybe not yet...

book 168: Wit is ook een kleur by Sunny Bergman
e-library, non-fiction, Dutch, no translations, 143 pages

started 2020-09-17
finished 2020-09-19
TIOLI Challenge #4: Read a book for The Numbers Game

Columns originally written for papers and magazines about racism, discrimination, feminism and other wrongs in Dutch society. Some are better, some a bit less.

Dutch title translated: White is also a color

>91 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte. I haven't started book 2 yet, but hope to make some time next week.

You ought to do nothing at all! I didn't expect to read Proust now, and I certainly didn't think I would get to the next book so soon. I will see where I strand.

book 169: Het vijfde seizoen by N.K. Jemisin
library, translated, original title The Fifth Season, 416 pages

started 2020-09-17
finished 2020-09-19
TIOLI Challenge #6: Read a book by an author who is not only from a different country than you, but also from a different continent

And now for something completely different, a fantasy/SF like I have never read before. Great imaginative world, with many layers, and many issues we deal with presently.
It took some time to really get into the story, but when I got there I was glad I took the next two books from the library too.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 170: De minstreel en de drakenpup by Rosemary Sutcliff
library, translated, original title The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup, 44 pages

started 2020-09-19
finished 2020-09-21
TIOLI Challenge #15: Read a book that features a dragon

The only Rosemary Sutcliff book in Dutch translation I had not read yet.

Sutcliff wrote a short fairytale about a minstrel and a young dragon. The dragon is stolen and the minstrel doesn't give up his search.
Sadly it was illustrated by a mediocre illustrator, so I am glad I never bought this book.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 171: De Obeliskpoort by N.K. Jemisin
library, translated, original title The Obelisk Gate, 351 pages

started 2020-09-20
finished 2020-09-22
TIOLI Challenge #6: Read a book by an author who is not only from a different country than you, but also from a different continent

Not much to add to my thoughts about The Fifth Season in msg #94: a fantasy/SF like I have never read before. Great imaginative world, with many layers, and many issues we deal with presently. The story moves on and some things get clearer. On to the next book!

English and Dutch title are the same

book 172: De stenen hemel by N.K. Jemisin
library, translated, original title The Stone Sky, 350 pages

started 2020-09-22
finished 2020-09-23
TIOLI Challenge #6: Read a book by an author who is not only from a different country than you, but also from a different continent

Not much to add to my thoughts about the two previous books: a fantasy/SF like I have never read before. Great imaginative world, with many layers, and many issues we deal with presently. The story moves on into a mostly statisfying ending.

English and Dutch title are the same

I'm glad you enjoyed the Broken Earth trilogy, Anita. That was one of my favorites a few years ago (I enjoy a lot of fantasy and science fiction).

>63 FAMeulstee: What great art work. I haven't been active in LT. Mainly, grief has taken hold and brought depression. I finally picked up Will's ashes today. I had some that were scattered at his favorite lake. Those remaining will be buried at his family plot.

I hope you are well. Much Love.

>93 FAMeulstee: I still find the "ought" thing hard to shake off, Anita.
I hope I would never tell anyone they should read something, but do feel for some classics that I have a bit of a hole in my education. Proust comes up so much in discussions of memory and autobiography, but I do wonder how much reading the translation would shape my read.

Hi Anita! I hope your current streak of good books (even if a few have mediocre illustrations) continues into next week.

>98 bell7: Thank you, Mary, I can understand you loved this trilogy.
I read some fantasy and not much science fiction.

>99 Whisper1: Thank you, Linda, it is so good to see a message from you on my thread!
((((hugs))))

>100 charl08: You really "ought" to shake off the "ought", Charlotte ;-)
Ther are so manyy books, you better read what you like, or are attracted to at a certain moment.
But if you feel up to it, I think Proust is worth your time.

>101 richardderus: I hope so too, Richard.
I don't expect much reading next week, tomorrow we leave for a short vacation.

--
Tomorrow we will go to Midlaren, a small place at the border of the provinces Groningen and Drenthe. We will continue our walk of the Pieterpad, a long distance trail from the north to the south of our country. We started with the first two parts last March and hope to do the next three now. The weather predictions are not very good, much rain expected. The rain is not going to stop us, so we packed our rainsuits.
Our friend Guido will go with us again, sadly without his Chow Chow Endo, as Endo had fast growing cancers and was put to sleep last month.

Enjoy your walk Anita, Endo will be with you in spirit.

Have a lovely time, Anita. Agree with Caroline, about the spirit of Endo.

>103 Caroline_McElwee: Thank you, Caroline, we will. Endo was from the last litter that was born here. It was funny, he always liked to see us, but hated it when he had to stay with us for some days a few years back, when Guido was in hospital.

>104 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley.
They are watching over us, the dogs that shared their lives with us. Endo is now reunited with his mother Chimay, and the littermates who went before him.

>102 FAMeulstee: Hope your raincoats are effective, Anita, and that you get some good photos in between the raindrops. I am missing the ability to just hop on a train and go somewhere new for a walk. Maybe in 2021?!

Hi Anita!

I’m glad you’re completely recovered from your fall.

>94 FAMeulstee: I am (im)patiently waiting for the Library to get back its copy. There’s a lot of good buzz here on LT about it and the series.

>102 FAMeulstee: Have a lovely time, Anita, rain notwithstanding.

>106 charl08: I feel the same way about our kitties - they are watching over us.

Enjoy your walk, Anita. You're making my feet itch :)

>106 charl08: Thank you, Charlotte, the raincoats will do their job.
The hollidaypark is more crowded as 6 months back, almost all houses are filled. Many people need a break...

>107 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen, I hope you get that copy soon.
Today has been dry, maybe we are lucky again tomorrow.
Yes, I think they become our guardian angels.

>108 RebaRelishesReading: Thank you, Reba, tomorrow we start!

--
The WiFi is lousy here, took nearly 15 minutes to load my own thread :-(
It may be better in the morning.

Have a good time walking Anita. Real autumn weather, but that can be nice sometimes as well.

>110 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella.
We walked our first 10 km all dry today, from Groningen to Haren. It looks like we can walk dry again tomorrow afternoon.

We are back home.
We had a great time in Drenthe, walking the Pieterpad. We walked six days in a row, between 10 and 12.5 km a day. With our last walk yesterday we finished part 5 (of 26); 89 km done, 409 km to go.

An impression of our vacation:

Top row: the holiday cottage; a signpost with distances to Pieterburen (start) and St. Pietersberg (end) there were more of these along the way; an old barge in a canal.
Middle row: Frank in front of a "hunebed" (dolmen) in his rain suit (we had two rainy days and 4 dry days); a windmill; landscape with brook.
Bottom row: A "hunebed" (dolmen) with a 19th century farm right next to it; me; at the Ballooërveld the heath was nearly in bloom

Six September reviews to go, I hope to get them done tomorrow. September stats will follow after the reviews are done.
Now catching up with the threads, mostly lurking ;-)

>112 FAMeulstee: Welcome back Anita!

Looks like you had a very nice trip. Love that misty picture of the heath. Between 10 and 12,5 km is a nice, not too demanding distance as well.

>114 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella, we had a great time.
It was the first time ever I didn't want to go home at the end of our stay.
We walked in the afternoon, Frank needs at least 10 hours of sleep, so he is always up a bit late. A few hours to wake up and have breakfast. Some bread and tea with us for late lunch on our way.
The heathfield was lovely and (mostly) empty. There were other people walking the Pieterpad in both ways. Recognisable on carrying the Pieterpad book. I have demolished my book, taking only the pages I need that day :-)

> 112 Wonderful pictures, Anita, I'm glad that you had such a great vacation.
I hope you can settle in again at home and wish you both a wonderful weekend.

>112 FAMeulstee: Looks lovely Anita.

Happy you're home, and that you enjoyed the vacation!

>116 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas, it was very good. We still walk a bit more than usual back home. Frank goes back to work on Thursday, so the vacation isn't over yet.

>117 Caroline_McElwee: The province Drenthe is a lovely part of our country, Caroline. Lots of nature, 54 dolmen and few inhabitants.

>118 richardderus: Thank you, Richard dear, life is good at the moment :-)

book 173: De kleine Johannes II by Frederik van Eeden
1001 books, own, Dutch, Dutch Canon, no translation in this form, 146 pages

started 2020-09-23
finished 2020-09-24
TIOLI Challenge #4: Read a book for The Numbers Game

The second book about Johannes, the three original books together are translated as The Quest.

A fairytale like story about the boy Johannes, who is growing older. He meets a man, who came walking over the sea to him. His name is Marcus, who tries to help people. Johannes travels around in The Netherlands and Germany with the fair and stays a while with his aunt.

Dutch title translated: The little John II

book 174: De kleine Johannes III by Frederik van Eeden
1001 books, own, Dutch, Dutch Canon, no translation in this form, 233 pages

started 2020-09-24
finished 2020-09-25
TIOLI Challenge #5: Read a 20th century book

The last book about Johannes, the three original books together are translated as The Quest.

Johannes meets the darker parts of the world in polluting industries and exploited workers. Markus speaks both on socialist meetings and in church. After his speach in church he is taken away to a psychiatric hospital. Meanwhile Johannes meets old friends in his dreams and watches the death of Pan (nature). With Marjon, a girl from the fair he visits Markus, but Markus dies shortly after his release from mental hospital. Johannes and Marjon stay together and decide to live on as a pair.

Dutch title translated: The little John III

book 175: Gemeengoed by Ann Patchett
library, translated, original title Commonwealth, 319 pages

started 2020-09-26
finished 2020-09-27
TIOLI Challenge #1: Read a book whose title is or contains the name of your school

Two families in California merge, when after two divorces the man of one family marries the woman of the other. We get to see parts of their life, looking back at the end of the life of one of the parents.

Fair read, but not memorable.

The Dutch title is a literal translation of the word "commonwealth", without the other meaning of "Commonwealth", as that is "Gemenebest" in Dutch.

book 176: Het veld by Robert Seethaler
library, translated from German, no English translation, 240 pages

started 2020-09-21
finished 2020-09-28
TIOLI Challenge #4: Read a book for The Numbers Game

From the cemetery of Paulstad we hear the stories the death tell from their graves. Together they give a portrait of this Austrian city through the years.

Title translated: The field

book 177: Kop in de wind by Wilfried de Jong
library, e-book, Dutch, no English translation, 171 pages

started 2020-09-28
finished 2020-09-29
TIOLI Challenge #13: Read a book featuring a sport that's currently "in season"

Short stories about cycling in France, the Netherlands and New York. Wilfried de Jong is comedian, tv-presentator and writer, I like him better on TV.

Title translated: Head in the wind

book 178: De man van veel by Karin Amatmoekrim
library, e-book, Dutch, no English translation, 263 pages

started 2020-09-28
finished 2020-09-30
TIOLI Challenge #9: Read a book where the number of pages added together is 11 ore more

Fiction based on facts about Anton de Kom, writer of Wij slaven van Suriname (We slaves of Suriname), the first Dutch black history book. In 1939 Anton was taken to a psychiatric hospital. He was overstrained because the secret service still followed him around, and he could not find a job. He tried to write a second book, that didn't go well either. He started to act out to neighbours and family and was finally admitted.
The book describes his stay in the psychiatric hospital, larded with memories of his past.

Title translated: The man of many, or The man of a lot

September 2020 in numbers

21 books read (5.955 pages, 198,5 pages a day)

own 2 (10 %) / library 19

7 male author / 14 female author
5 originally written in Dutch / 16 translated into Dutch
18 fiction / 3 non-fiction

21 books in TIOLI Challenges
8 e-books
2 1001 books
4 childrens/YA
3 mystery/police procedural
0 poetry

--
pages:
0 - 100 pages: 1
101 - 200 pages: 6
201 - 300 pages: 5
301 - 400 pages: 5
401 - 500 pages: 3
501 - 999 pages: 1
1000+ pages: 0

longest book 608 pages
shortest book 44 pages
average book 284 pages

--
own books read were on the shelf since:
before 2008: 2

--
date first published:

20th century
1900s: 2
1910s: 2
1930s: 1
1980s: 1
1990s: 1

21st century
2010s: 13
2020s: 1

--
ratings:
  1 x
  9 x
  7 x
  4 x

--
Best book in September


Het menselijk tekort (Man's Fate) by André Malraux
===

Walking in September: walked 22 days, 166,3 km; average 7,56 km/a day
(e-)biking in September: biked 8 days, 161,6 km; average 20,20 km/a day

2020 totals to date:

178 books read (61.787 pages, 225,5 pages a day)

own 28 (16 %) / library 149 / other 1

104 male author / 74 female author
46 originally written in Dutch / 132 translated into Dutch
142 fiction / 36 non-fiction

169 books in TIOLI Challenges
  83 e-books
  28 1001 books (total 172)
    5 Dutch Literary Canon (total 30/125)
  20 childrens/YA
  32 mystery/police procedural
    3 poetry

pages:
0 - 100 pages: 6
101 - 200 pages: 36
201 - 300 pages: 35
301 - 400 pages: 57
401 - 500 pages: 24
501 - 999 pages: 13
1000+ pages: 7

longest book 1511 pages
shortest book 32 pages
average book 347 pages

--
own books read were on the shelf since:
before 2008: 18
2011: 1
2016: 1
2017: 2
2019: 4
2020: 2

--
date first published:
5th century BC: 1
13th century: 1
18th century: 2
19th century: 7

20th century
1900s: 7
1910s: 4
1930s: 5
1940s: 8
1950s: 6
1960s: 9
1970s: 11
1980s: 4
1990s: 10

21st century
2000s: 17
2010s: 84
2020s: 2

--
ratings:
  9 x
15 x
73 x
52 x
27 x
  1 x
  1 x

===

Walking in 2020: walked 222 days 1269,2 km; average 5,72 km a day
(e-)biking in 2020: biked 52 days 986,0 km; average 18,96 km a day

>121 FAMeulstee: Watching the Death of Pan, the book sounds ahead of it's time suddenly. I have read it, years ago, and liked book 1 best then. Maybe it was most like a fairy tale.

Good reading September overall, Anita.

Your vacation photos are wonderful, Anita. So good that you were able to do this and enjoy it so much.

Quite a lot of good reading...apart from the disappointment of Kop in de Wind, of course. Some people are funny on the page, not in person, and other way around...rare is the funny to read and hear.

Happy new week.

some interesting reading you have done. Wish you a good start into the new week

>129 jessibud2: Thank you, Shelley, it was good to stay somewhere else for a week :-)

>130 richardderus: Thank you, Richard dear. Some should keep doing what they do best. Although opinions may differ in this case (3 other LT members rated it 4 stars).
Happy new week to you.

>131 paulstalder: Thank you, Paul, the same to you.
I miss you at the TIOLI challenges.

Does the Pieterpad go through the Hoge Veluwe?

>133 RebaRelishesReading: No, the Pieterpad stays in the east of our country:


The Long Distance Walking Paths LAW 2 (Trekvogelpad), LAW 3 (Marskramerpad) and LAW 4 (Maarten van Rossumpad) do go through the Veluwe.
We might walk LAW 3 (Marskramerpad) someday after we finish the Pieterpad.

>128 EllaTim: Sorry, I forgot to answer you, Ella.
Yes he was ahead of his time, although he wasn't the only one referring to the death of Pan at the time. Book II and III are realy one story, I liked them slightly better than the first book.

September numbers are better than the previous two months.

Happy Sunday Evening. Falll approaches and with this the nights arrive earlier as the darkness begins at 5:30. I usually read more during the cold weather. I will take a break on working so hard on the house and getting rid of so many items in the basement. I've experienced additional pain as a result of my obsession.

I remember when you had the lovely litter of puppies. They were so delightful to see.

Hi, Anita. I hope you had a good weekend. It looks like your fast-approaching #200 reads. That is impressive. Since, I have retired my numbers have dropped off a bit but I am getting plenty of print reading time in.

Hi Anita!

>112 FAMeulstee: Great montage, good info about your holiday. I’m glad you had such a wonderful time.

>126 FAMeulstee: and >127 FAMeulstee: As always, interesting statistics.

>134 FAMeulstee: That sent me to the map :) I thought the Huge Veluwe was much farther east that it actually is. I will have to rearrange my day-dream trip along the Pieterpad.

>136 Whisper1: Happy Monday to you, Linda.
I am happy the fall is here, cooler days and nights, I will take the rain withour complain.
That is a lot of work, I hope the additional pain was worth it...
Yes, that was a lovely litter and we had a lovely time with them.

>137 msf59: Thank you, Mark, we came back home on Friday and used the weekend to settle at home again.
My reading numbers are dropping too. After 4 years of reading like mad, my reading "hunger" is lessening. And I read more demanding books, that need some pondering after reading.

>138 karenmarie: Thank you, Karen, I am glad we could get away for a week. I feel refreshed and happy :-)
Numbers are better than last two months, but I think I have to settle reading less than I have done in the last years. Well, it was fun while it lasted.

>139 RebaRelishesReading: LOL, memory can play funny tricks, Reba. I hope the map did set you straight. Even without the Veluwe, the route of the Pieterpad goes through many other nature reserves.

>140 FAMeulstee: We want to go back to the Kroller-Muller Museum (don't know how to make umlauts on the computer) and as I was day-dreaming about a walking vacation on the Pieterpad I thought "Oh, we could spend a couple of days in the Hoge Veluwe as a rest stop in the middle". If we ever do the trip we'll have to make a side-trip I guess :) There are MANY issues that would have to be resolved for the trip to happen, but it's a lot of fun thinking about it.

>141 RebaRelishesReading: Daydream trips are good, Reba, and so is thinking about possible trips.
I would LOVE to meet you!

>132 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita. I lost somehow interest in books and reading and I couldn't think of any good challenge anymore ... frustrating. At the moment I put more energy in 'populating' findagrave-cemeteries with tomb stones. But my interest in reading is coming back slowly

>143 paulstalder: You are not the only one, Paul, the books will patiently wait until you are ready for them again.

>126 FAMeulstee: Incredible stats, Anita! Have a wonderful rest of the week.

>145 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita. It is fun to gather the numbers and make the stats each month :-)

Hi Anita >125 FAMeulstee: sounds fascinating. I've emailed Peirene to ask if they might translate it (on the basis that if you don't ask...).

It's very windy and wet here, so my enthusiasm for going walking is not great just now. Fortunately I have to for work, otherwise I think I would just hibernate for a bit.

Hi, Anita.

I'm so glad you liked the Fifth Season/Broken Earth trilogy. It took me a while, too, to get into the first one, because the world she created and what was happening there were both so different from anything else I'd read. But once I got oriented, what a good series. Like you, I found it a satisfying ending. I'm pretty sure she won awards for all three.

Lovely photos from your vacation with Frank.

>142 FAMeulstee: en ik jou, Anita! Misschien wordt het een keer mogelijk.

>147 charl08: That would be great, Charlotte.

>148 jnwelch: Thank you, Joe, we had a good time walking in Drenthe.
Indeed N.K. Jemisin created a completely other kind of world in her story. All three books won the Hugo.

>149 RebaRelishesReading: You never know what might happen, Reba. My compliments, your Dutch is good :-)

>122 FAMeulstee: I abandoned A Spool of Blue Thread earlier this year. I feel like I dont need to try any more Tyler books. (even if the cover of yours is cool)

I love the spirt level art you have as a thread-topper! Very cool.

Just dropping by to wish you well, Anita.

>134 FAMeulstee: I wish the climate here was more conducive to long distance walks.

>151 LovingLit: Thank you, Megan. The idea behind the artwork in my topper was good, taking earth layers and put them above ground.
You mixed up the "Anne/Ann" I think, this book was by Ann Patchett. Anne Tyler is on my list, I will approach with caution ;-)

>152 PaulCranswick: Thank you, Paul.
I had to look up the meaning of conducive. You mean that the humidity makes it more difficult?
We didn't do the full 20-25 km a day, only half of it. The two rainy days, didn't stop us, as we have good rain suits.

---
Reading is slow again, only three books finished this month. I am more in a "doing" mode at the moment. I make good use of it as long as it lasts, doing some much needed cleaning in the house. The bookcases are cleaned, the curtains washed, fallen leaves are removed from the paths in the garden and we walked/cycled a fair distance each day.

>151 LovingLit: I also abandoned Ann Tyler's A Spool of Blue Thread I found it boring and it could not hold my interest. I very much enjoyed her early books. Dinner at the Homesick Restaurant was the first I read, and I loved it, as well as The Accidental Tourist.

>153 FAMeulstee: Yes, spot on, Anita. The climate/humidity here saps your energy.

>153 FAMeulstee: I agree with you Paul, while it isn't humid here in Pennsylvania plays tricks with the weather this time of year. I am experiencing more headaches because of it. Throughout any one of these early fall days, it can be 75, and and hour later down by ten degrees. The morning dew clings coldly to the deck steps and Lilly tries not to fall when she goes in the yard. Nights are arriving earlier, and bringing cool weather.

Anita, I am also cleaning around the house. I am making great progress with the basement. I discovered that Will truly was a hoarder. I know I hoard books, but his selections make me shake my head, and sometimes smile, other times I feel overwhelmed. With the help of my grand daughter, we jointly carry heavier items up the steps and out to the car where we drive them three blocks away where there is a service agency that resells what they can to help poorer people.

It is a great way to not feel remorse of getting rid of Will's items. He has about 200 vinyl records. I haven't worked on that task yet.

All good wishes.

>155 PaulCranswick: Glad I did understand right, Paul. I dislike both heath and humidity, so Malaysia is not on my list ;-)

>156 Whisper1: So we are house cleaning together, Linda :-)
Must be hard to go through Will's belongings (((hugs)))

book 179: Zomerlicht, en dan komt de nacht by Jón Kalman Stefánsson
library, translated from Icelandic, English translation Summer Light and Then Comes the Night, 238 pages

started 2020-09-30
finished 2020-10-04
TIOLI Challenge #15: Read a book by a living author born after 1945

Life in a small village in the northwest of Iceland, where the long summer is followed by dark winter days. Small incidents are giving lots to talk about in a community, where apparently not much happens. The story is told by a collective "we", the anonimous inhabitants of the village.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 180: Frankusstein by Jeanette Winterson
library, e-book, translated, original title Fran Kiss Stein, 373 pages

started 2020-10-04
finished 2020-10-06
TIOLI Challenge #15: Read a book by a living author born after 1945

Going back and forth between Mary Shelley writing Frankenstein and present time, where transgender doctor Ry falls in love with Victor Stein, who explores the posibilities of AI, looking for a way to "download" the human mind.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 181: Nachtlicht by Peter Robinson
library, e-book, translated, original title A Dedicated Man, 253 pages

started 2020-10-06
finished 2020-10-07
TIOLI Challenge #13: Read a book that is part of a series

Second book with DCI Banks (re-read).
A man is found murdered. Investigating the case, inspector Alan Banks finds he was a well loved former professor, who settled in the village some years ago. He had some minor troubles with some of the residents of the village, but nothing much for inspector Banks to go for.

Dutch title translated: Nightlight

book 182: Een wereld valt uiteen by Chinua Achebe
1001 books, library, translated, original title Things fall apart, 175 pages

started 2020-10-08
finished 2020-10-09
TIOLI Challenge #13: Read a book that is part of a series

Okonkwo grows up in pre-colonial Nigeria. He becoms an important warrior in his tribe, despite the many debts his father left him. When he accidentally kills someone, he is banished for seven years from his tribe. When he returns white man are taking over, forcing their belief and rules.

Impressive read.

Dutch title translated: A world falls apart

>161 FAMeulstee: Always fascinating to read the Dutch title translated, Anita.

I was really pleased to see an advert for this new series of translations into English from small press Strangers Press, with funding from the Dutch govt. https://www.strangers.press/product-page/verzet-full-set
Couldn't resist as one of them is by Karin Amatmoekrim.

I heard back from my query to the publisher about translating Amatmoekrin's novel after your review.
The contact from the book club at Peirene got back to me asking if I could send them a translation sample - I think she thought I was asking for work! I had to explain I couldn't translate a book if my life depended on it. Hopefully they will still look at Amatmoekrin's books though - it looks as though they are already translated into German.

>162 charl08: This Dutch title kept at least close to the original, Charlotte.

Thank you for the link, it is always nice to see Dutch writers translated. I must admit knowing only a few of those. I have put a few on my library wishlist.

So Karin Amatmoekrim got translated, that might give a better chance at a translation of De man van veel.

>161 FAMeulstee: That's an old favorite of mine, so I'm always pleased to know when others have enjoyed it.

Happy weekend to come!

>164 richardderus: Always good when we both like a book, Richard. When did you read it?
Happy Wednesday, Thursday and Friday :-)

--
I am glad we visited my father last Sunday, as our country goes into near lockdown again for at least four weeks. We are still allowed to visit, but all not urgent travel is discouraged.

>165 FAMeulstee: Good for you, visiting your father while it's possible Anita. I do think travel to visit elderly parents should be considered essential travel, people can get very lonely when the situation lasts. I am hesitant to visit my mother, what with numbers so high in Amsterdam. For now I'm just calling more often.

>166 EllaTim: It is still allowed only discouraged, Ella, they learned from the first lockdown. I do call my father more often too.

We could not visit my father earlier, as he was in quarantaine for 10 days after an employee of the place where he lives tested positive.
Frank is now back at work. Between March and May there were regular clients in quarantaine, so we didn't visit my father at all. At the moment all is well at Franks workplace, but we won't be visiting my father in the next months.

>167 FAMeulstee: I'm glad you found an opportunity to visit your father! And I hope that Franks clients stay safe. Everybody knows how to handle this better than before, but it still seems important to stay safe.

>165 FAMeulstee: I've read Things Fall Apart three times since 1981. Last time was 2002 or so, with my confused daughter for a class.

So glad you got the chance to visit your father.

Yes, we're back on strict measures too, Anita. Hope you and Frank and your dad stay well.

The new translations look great, I'm looking forward to reading them.

>168 EllaTim: Thank you, Ella, so were we.
There are way to many people who don't handle better now, keeping distance seems to get worse than before :-( And then all people who went to café's and bars yesterday evening before they would close.... I am afraid the numbers will be much worse in the next days.
The only positive is that the very ill Covid patients spend less days on the IC.

>169 richardderus: Three times is a lot, Richard. I hope you could shine some light on the book for your daughter back then.
So were we, it was just in time. Now it is back to calling my father three times a week.

>170 charl08: Sadly the numbers are rising everywhere, Charlotte. I hope you and your family stay healthy too!
I guess I will see some reviews on your thread soon :-)

Hi Anita! Your vacations sound and look wonderful and you are doing so well with the walks. Not to mention the books. Book #182 already! It may be a slow year for you, but I will probably never hit that number in a year. Hoping for a round 100. Glad you got to see your Dad, hope he and you and Frank all continue to be safe and well.

>171 FAMeulstee: I guess I'm a bit more optimistic than you are right now, Anita. Yes, lots of places are still too busy, so I have decided to avoid all shops where i don't feel safe. Leaving just the eko shop, and my Turkish greengrocer. Yesterday evening all cafe's and restaurants were crowded, but today everything was closed, my street was quiet and empty. What a relief! I have been watching people too close together and crowding at cafe terraces all summer. Complained twice to the authorities without result. You could see it going wrong from early august, so I'm really relieved everything is shut.
Day before yesterday Marc had to visit the hospital, the AVL and finally everyone there had to wear a mask. Again such a relief. So i do see progress, just hoping that it will be enough.

>172 Berly: Thank you, Kim. We had some good walks again this week, after a lot of rain we had some dry weather and made good use of it.
I have had very good and very bad reading years since I joined here. This year is slower than the last three, but WAY better than 2013 and 2014 :-)

>173 EllaTim: Mostly I am sad it has come this far again, Ella. We live in a quiet part of town, so it never gets really crowded around here. Today when we were biking about half of the people tryed to keep distance. Masks are still rare here, except in public transportation.

Dropping by to wish you a wonderful weekend!

Let's hope that the new stricter measures will help!

Hi Anita!

I loved The Accidental Tourist when I read it the year it came out, but have not been inclined to read any more by her. A Spool of Blue Thread was a RL book club selection in 2016 and I didn’t read it. I’ve got Ladder of Years on my shelves but realize in writing this that I won’t ever read it. I just took it down and have taken it out of my catalog.

I, too, hope the lockdown works to bring the numbers back down.

Also in partial lockdown here again. Spike in the numbers seems to have been caused by politicians going backwards and forwards to Sabah on Borneo for local elections and flouting the quarantine rules. Needless to say they are not too popular here at the moment.

Have a lovely weekend.

>175 figsfromthistle: Thank you, Anita, I hope you also had a great weekend.
We hope so, as the numbers are getting up fast.

>176 karenmarie: Hi Karen!
I haven't read any of Anne Tyler's books yet. Her name came up, but not because of me ;-)
The second wave seems to get even worse than the first. It will take a while before the numbers go down again.

>176 karenmarie: Sorry Malaysia is struggling the same battle, Paul. Here the numbers went up after summer vacation. In spring it was after winter holidays.

---
Today we booked a holiday cottage for our next walking vacation. We will walk the next parts of the Pieterpad in March 2021, and Guido will be our driver again.

book 183: Als de doden niet herrijzen by Philip Kerr
library, translated, original title If the Dead Rise Not, 446 pages

started 2020-10-10
finished 2020-10-12
TIOLI Challenge #13: Read a book that is part of a series

Bernie Gunther book 6.
The book starts in Berlin, 1934, when Bernie has taken a job as hotel detective, after he left the police. In Berlin the preparations for the Olymics have started, lots of buildings must be build, and for some that includes making lots of money. The final part of the book takes place in Havanna, 1954, where Bernie lives after he left Argentina.

As all Bernie Gunther books, a good and fast read.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 184: De odyssee van Mohamed by Mohamed El Bachiri
library, non-fiction, translated from French, no English translation, 118 pages

started 2020-10-14
finished 2020-10-14
TIOLI Challenge #15: Read a book by a living author born after 1945

Mohamed el Bachiri lost his wife in the terrorist attack in Brussels, March 2016. He wrote Een jihad van liefde (A jihad of love) about how he tried to cope, and refused to give hate a place. He loved his wife, and it was hatred that took her life.
In this book he writes about his life together with his children after the loss of his wife. How help was promished, but never materialised. How hatred and racism still poisons the world. How we could make the world a better place if we embrace, instead of distrust.
There was a lot to think about after reading this book.

Title translated: The odyssee from Mohamed

>178 FAMeulstee: You are really making me want to do a walking vacation again.

>180 FAMeulstee: What a wonderful man he sounds like he is.

I wish his help had arrived. It is grotesque to promise but not deliver such important support.

Hi Anita my dear, just stopping by to see how you and Frank are, sending love and hugs to both of you from both of us dear friend.

>181 RebaRelishesReading: :-)
It will be possible again some day, Reba.

>182 richardderus: Indeed, Richard dear.
He was promised psychological help. He got a few meetings, but then the budget was cut and the sessions would cost him 50 euro. For a metro driver that was way to costly. The first thing the teacher of his son said was "We make no exceptions". It is amazing he stayed sane.

>183 johnsimpson: Thank you, John.
We are doing fine. Covid cases are rising fast again, luckely still no cases involving family or friends.
Stay safe, love and hugs back to you and Karen.

>184 FAMeulstee:, Hi Anita my dear, Covid cases are on the rise here as well and now we are having area mini lockdowns, we now have a scale of three tiers, currently we are in tier two but there is talk of us being moved into the highest level of lockdown, tier three, which will mean we can't really move around. For this reason we are all going to see Amy and Andy on Sunday as this might be the last time we see them until Christmas.

Although we are both fine and Covid free, we don't want to risk anything after the weekend with Amy being 13 weeks pregnant, although both Karen and Andy working in supermarkets where some customers don't wear masks due to health reasons and some wear masks incorrectly.

>185 johnsimpson: It is the whole country overe here, John, on level 3 (of 4). No complete lockdown yet, but everyone is urged to stay at home as much as possible. Sadly work that can't be done at home involves risks. At the moment all clients at Franks workplace are fine, so no worries there now.

Hi Anita! It's really frustrating how the COVID keeps us isolated, isn't it? It must be tough not to be able to see your father.

>187 banjo123: It is affecting me more now, Rhonda. I didn't mind much at the first wave, I enjoyed the quiet time. I hope visiting will be possible again next month. Until then I phone my father two or three times a week.

book 185: De winter van de heks by Katherine Arden
library, e-book, translated, original title The Winter of the Witch, 444 pages

started 2020-10-13
finished 2020-10-15
TIOLI Challenge #12: Read a book with a predominantly multicoloured cover OR a predominantly gold cover

Last book of the Winternight trilogy, a nice mixture of historial fiction, fairytales and magic in medieval Russia. This book leads us to a statisfying conclusion.

English and Dutch title are the same.

book 186: De schippers van de Kameleon by H. de Roos
library, e-book, Dutch, no translations, 128 pages

started 2020-10-15
finished 2020-10-16
TIOLI Challenge #12: Read a book with a predominantly multicoloured cover OR a predominantly gold cover

The twins Sietse an Hielke live in a small village in Friesland. They often get in trouble. In this first book they get a boat and name it Kameleon (Chameleon). It looks like a very slow boat, but they used a motor of a car, so it is actually very fast, despite its look.

Nostalgia, I must have read dozens of this series from the library when I was young.

Title translated: The skippers of the Chameleon

book 187: Hallo witte mensen by Anousha Nzume
library, non-fiction, Dutch, no translations, 140 pages

started 2020-10-16
finished 2020-10-17
TIOLI Challenge #15: Read a book by a living author born after 1945

Introduction to how racism works in Dutch society. Lots of information, each chapter ends with recommendations to read further.

Title translated: Hello white people

book 188: Dodelijke conclusies by Donna Leon
library, e-book, translated, original title Drawing Conclusions, 316 pages

started 2020-10-15
finished 2020-10-18
TIOLI Challenge #13: Read a book that is part of a series

Commissario Brunetti book 20.
An elder woman is found dead in her appartment. The coroner concludes she died of an heart attck, but Brunetti thinks there is more to it.

Not the best book in the series, but enjoyable enough.

Dutch title translated: Deadly conclusions

book 189: De schimmelruiter by Theodor Storm
library, translated from German, English translation The Rider on the White Horse, 136 pages

started 2020-10-18
finished 2020-10-18
TIOLI Challenge #8: Read a book whose title contains a Halloween Costume

German classic.
19th century, nothern Germany. A traveler ends up in a tavern during a storm, just after he saw a shadow of a white horse and his rider. When he mentions this encounter, the local teacher tells him the story of a local dikemaster, who lived 100 years before.

A very good read, Theodor Storm was a great storyteller. Dikes and polders feel very Dutch to me, I have learned now there also are polders in Germant (and Danmark).

English and Dutch title are almost the same, in Dutch you can put it in two words: The whitehorserider

book 190: Bericht voor de koning by Tim Severin
library, e-book, translated, original title King's man, 320 pages

started 2020-10-18
finished 2020-10-21
TIOLI Challenge #8: Read a book whose title contains a Halloween Costume

Third book of the Viking trilogy.
Further adventures of the viking Thorgils in the 11th century. He learns a lot in his years in Constantinopel. Eventually he follows Harald back to Scandinavia, hoping he will restore the way of the "Old Gods".

Good historical fiction, well researched.
I liked it slightly less than the previous book, but the ending was great.

Dutch title translated: Message for the king

>188 FAMeulstee: It hasn't really been over. There was a short period where it felt safe, but then numbers started rising again. I haven't seen my mother for ages. And I am afraid it will take a lot of time before it is safe again.

>191 FAMeulstee: I must have read lots of this series too.

>196 EllaTim: After the summerholidays the numbers went up again.
I think every avid young reader in the Netherlands has read at least some of the Kameleon series :-)

>197 FAMeulstee: Our library had a large number of them. I wasn't a very big fan, but I must have read every book they had in the children's section, so these as well. Though I skipped most of the blue cover Jules Verne books.

The Kameleon collection is like the adventure books I used to read, it sounds like...a little boat, a few friends, adventures. I can't remember the series' name, darn it! But anyway, those books are great fun for a kid the right age.

Wonderful weekend's reading!

>198 EllaTim: I can't remember reading Jules Verne as a child, so the small village library probably didn't have them.

>199 richardderus: Thank you, Richard dear, I hope the books treat you well.
Yes, like that, simple, straightforward, predictable.
The fist book was published in 1949. After H. de Roos died in 1991, it is continued by an other writer.

Happy Saturday, Anita. Thanks for the reminder on the horned lark. It turns out, that I have seen several of these, during one winter outing a couple of years ago. They were feeding in an open area. Not a great look but good enough.

It looks like you are fast-approaching 200 books. That might be a low number for you but I am impressed.

>201 msf59: You are welcome, Mark.

Low and high numbers in reading only exist in comparison with previous years. For me 200 is low compared with the last four years, and high compared with the four years before those.

Hi Anita. It is good to learn out how the pandemic is impacting other countries. Just as it impacts various countries, various states, and even counties are impacted. The paper reports the numbers rather frequently.

My granddaughter had to be tested a few weeks ago because she had all the tell-tale signs. Fortunately her primary care doctor was on top of it. He said he really thought she simply had a cold, but tested her nevertheless. The test results came in the next day. She was free of the virus, and did indeed have a cold.

Be safe my friend. You are very special to so many of us here in the 75 challenge group.

Hi, Anita! I'm sorry to hear that the pandemic has significantly worsened in The Netherlands and most of Western Europe, although the scientists and public health experts — at least those not beholden to Donald Trump — predicted that this would happen months ago. I hope that it will be safe enough for all of us to travel, with restrictions, by next summer, and that I can visit you, Frank and my other Dutch friends in 2021.

>203 Whisper1: Thank you, Linda. Every country has its own strategy on the pandemic, some do better and some not.
Glad you granddaughter tested negative, must be a relief.

>204 kidzdoc: Thanks, Darryl, numbers rising already started in August. For the government is isn't easy to walk the fine line between public health and economy. And then there is the growing number of people who believe it is a a hoax and those who are tired of any kind of restrictions...
Not sure yet if next summer will be possible, although I do hope so!

book 191: In de schaduw van meisjes in bloei by Marcel Proust
library, e-book, translated from French, English translation In the Shadow of Young Girls in Flower, 747 pages

started 2020-10-07
finished 2020-10-24
TIOLI Challenge #7: Read a book by an author you've read since March 15, 2020

The second book of "In Search of Lost Time", or Remembrance of Things Past".
The memories of 19th century youth in France, colored by the years in between. A world that is so far away now, and yet still the same in some aspects.
The narrator is now in his teens and falls in love. At first his admiration is directed to Gilberte, Swanns daughter. When he spends the summer with his grandmother at the Normandic coast, he falls in love with Albertine.

English and Dutch title are the same

book 192: De witte veer by John Boyne
library, translated, original tirle The Absolutist, 318 pages

started 2020-10-22
finished 2020-10-26
TIOLI Challenge #15: Read a book by a living author born after 1945

Shortly after the end of WWI, Tristan Sadler is on his way to meet the sister of Will Bancroft, a friend who died in France. He wants to return the letters she wrote to her brother.

The author tries to cover a lot, maybe to much: gay love (still a crime back then), the horror of the trenches, betrayal, war crime, insubordination. Maybe that makes that the characters don't really come to life.

The ending is heartbreaking.

Dutch title translated: The whithe feather

book 193: Ben X by nDurlie
library, YA, no translations, 108 pages

started 2020-10-27
finished 2020-10-27
TIOLI Challenge #15: Read a book by a living author born after 1945

Graphic novel, adaption of Niets, was alles wat hij zei by Nic Balthazar
Ben is autistic and gets bullied at school. To forget hs troubles he plays online computergames, where he is a hero. When the bullies go way over the line, Ben isn't able to live on...

Hearbreaking story.

Title translated: Ben X (pronounced "ben niks" is "am nothing")
The title of the original book: Nothing, was all that he said

book 194: Jaag je ploeg over de botten van de doden by Olga Tokarczuk
own, translated from Polish, Nobel prize, English translation Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead, 297 pages

started 2020-10-27
finished 2020-10-29
TIOLI Challenge #15: Read a book by a living author born after 1945

Janina is an old fragile woman, plaged by some diseases that come with older age. She and a few others live permanently in a remote Polish village, all other inhabitants are only there in summer. She practices astrology, looks after the empty houses in winter, teaches English one day a week at the local school, and translates William Blake with a friend.
After a neighbour is found dead, other villagers are murdered. Janina believes it is done by the animals, as all killed men were hunters.

An intriguing book, with many questions inside, like animal rights, the role of religion, male dominance, justice etc.

English and Dutch title are the same

October 2020 in numbers

16 books read (4.557 pages, 147,0 pages a day)

own 1 (6 %) / library 15

10 male author / 6 female author
3 originally written in Dutch / 13 translated into Dutch
14 fiction / 2 non-fiction

16 books in TIOLI Challenges
7 e-books
2 1001 books
3 childrens/YA
3 mystery/police procedural
0 poetry

--
pages:
0 - 100 pages: 0
101 - 200 pages: 6
201 - 300 pages: 3
301 - 400 pages: 4
401 - 500 pages: 2
501 - 999 pages: 1
1000+ pages: 0

longest book 747 pages
shortest book 108 pages
average book 285 pages

--
own books read were on the shelf since:
2020: 1

--
date first published:

19th century: 1

20th century
1910s: 1
1940s: 1
1950s: 1
1980s: 1

21st century
2000s: 4
2010s: 7

--
ratings:
  2 x
  7 x
  4 x
  3 x

--
Best books in October


Jaag je ploeg over de botten van de doden (Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead) by Olga Tokarczuk
De odyssee van Mohamed by Mohamed El Bachiri
===

Walking in October: walked 23 days, 146,6 km; average 6,37 km/a day
(e-)biking in October: biked 8 days, 179,7 km; average 22,46 km/a day

2020 totals to date:

194 books read (66.344 pages, 217,5 pages a day)

own 29 (15 %) / library 164 / other 1

114 male author / 80 female author
49 originally written in Dutch / 145 translated into Dutch
156 fiction / 38 non-fiction

185 books in TIOLI Challenges
90 e-books
28 1001 books (total 174)
  5 Dutch Literary Canon (total 30/125)
23 childrens/YA
35 mystery/police procedural
  3 poetry

pages:
0 - 100 pages: 6
101 - 200 pages: 42
201 - 300 pages: 38
301 - 400 pages: 61
401 - 500 pages: 26
501 - 999 pages: 14
1000+ pages: 7

longest book 1511 pages
shortest book 32 pages
average book 342 pages

--
own books read were on the shelf since:
before 2008: 18
2011: 1
2016: 1
2017: 2
2019: 4
2020: 3

--
date first published:
5th century BC: 1
13th century: 1
18th century: 2
19th century: 8

20th century
1900s: 7
1910s: 5
1930s: 5
1940s: 9
1950s: 7
1960s: 9
1970s: 11
1980s: 5
1990s: 10

21st century
2000s: 21
2010s: 91
2020s: 2

--
ratings:
  9 x
17 x
80 x
56 x
30 x
  1 x
  1 x

===

Walking in 2020: walked 245 days 1415,8 km; average 5,78 km a day
(e-)biking in 2020: biked 60 days 1165,9 km; average 19,43 km a day

16 books this month, given the problems and interruptions to your peace (even if there were some good ones), is pretty good going! And many good books at that.

Happy Sunday, and a good week ahead.

>212 richardderus: Thank you, Richard dear.
Not many books, and mainly good books, so it was a good month.

Happy Sunday to you!

On to the next thread!

I am so far behind on your thread :( Sorry.

But:

>208 FAMeulstee: That looks like a sad story, but it also sounds like it has been well done and with a good message behind it. Clever wordplay too (because of Ben 10).

>215 sirfurboy: Don't feel bad about being behind, Stephen, I am glad when you do visit my thread :-)

Yes it was a very sad story, well told.