Wednesday, 15 April 2026
Tuesday, 14 April 2026
Top 5 Tuesday ~ Religion
Top Five Tuesday was originally created by Shanah @ Bionic Book Worm, but is now hosted by Meeghan @ Meeghan Reads. To participate, link your post back to Meeghan’s blog or leave a comment on her weekly post. I found this on Davida's Page @ The Chocolate Lady.
Meeghan had to take some time out, but luckily, she's back and has given us new topics.
Meeghan had to take some time out, but luckily, she's back and has given us new topics.
And here is a list of all the topics for the rest of the year.
Brooks, Geraldine "People of the Book" - 2008
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This week’s topic is Religion.
I have read quite a few books about religion, all kinds of religion. So, I tried to list some books about different ones.
Buddha "The Dhammapada" (Sanskrit: धम्मपद) - ca. 300 BC
Harari, Yuval Noah "Sapiens. A Brief History of Mankind" (Hebr.: Ḳizur Toldot Ha-Enoshut/קיצור תולדות האנושות) - 2014
Mahfouz, Naguib "Children of Gebelawi" (aka Children of our Alley; arab: اولاد حارتنا Awlād ḥāritnā) - 1959
Schaik, Carel van & Michel, Kai "The Good Book of Human Nature: An Evolutionary Reading of the Bible" - 2016
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📖 Happy Reading! 📖
📚 📚 📚
Top Ten Tuesday ~ Me
"Top Ten Tuesday" is an original feature/weekly meme created on the blog "The Broke and the Bookish". It was created because they are particularly fond of lists. It is now hosted by Jana from That Artsy Reader Girl.
Since I am just as fond of them as they are, I jump at the chance to share my lists with them! Have a look at their page, there are lots of other bloggers who share their lists here.
I have found several books with topics or titles dear to my heart, that would describe me. First I thought, I'll sort them by importance but I found that too hard, so I stuck with my usual order: alphabetical
This week's topic is Me. (Example titles: Well Traveled could describe you if you like to travel, Hotshot Doc could describe you if you’re an awesome doctor, Falling into Place could describe a life where things are starting to work out, An Infinite Love Story could describe your relationship, It Could Have Been Her could describe a thing you’re happy you avoided or a path you could have taken but didn’t. You can explain your choices or not, and they can be as specific or as abstract as you’d like.)
I have found several books with topics or titles dear to my heart, that would describe me. First I thought, I'll sort them by importance but I found that too hard, so I stuck with my usual order: alphabetical
I'm a book blogger, so I love reading. And I also love lists, as this challenge shows us.
Daughter
Gordimer, Nadine "Burger's Daughter" - 1979
Of course I'm a daughter. You are either a son or a daughter of somebody. My parents passed away more than ten years ago but I will always be their daughter.
Of course I'm a daughter. You are either a son or a daughter of somebody. My parents passed away more than ten years ago but I will always be their daughter.
Mother
Gorky, Maxim (Максима Горького) "Mother" (RUS: Мать/Matj) - 1906/07
I am the mother of two sons and I would like to be seen as the mother in this book, a mother who doesn't just care about her own children but also about their friends and other young people who are our future.
I am the mother of two sons and I would like to be seen as the mother in this book, a mother who doesn't just care about her own children but also about their friends and other young people who are our future.
A Needle and a Thread
I have always loved arts and crafts, I've been sewing clothes for the whole family, knitted jumpers and other essentials, but I even enjoyed crafting with paper even more.
Music
Seth, Vikram "An Equal Music" - 1999
Who doesn't like music???
Who doesn't like music???
Wife
Shalev, Zeruya "Husband and Wife" (Hebr: בעל ואישה) - 2000
I've been married for almost 43 years, so I definitely am a wife.
Shalev, Zeruya "Husband and Wife" (Hebr: בעל ואישה) - 2000
I've been married for almost 43 years, so I definitely am a wife.
Travels
Smiley, Jane "The All-true Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton" - 1998
Smiley, Jane "The All-true Travels and Adventures of Lidie Newton" - 1998
Travelling was always a great passion of mine.
Kitchen/Cooking
Takahashi, Yuta "The Chibineko Kitchen" (J: ちびねこ亭の思い出ごはん 黒猫と初恋サンドイッチ/Chibinekoteino omoidegohan kuronekoto hatsukoisandoitchi) - 2020
Even though hubby loves cooking, you will also find me in the kitchen often.
Books
Tung, Debbie "Book Love" - 2005
Of course, I absolutely love books. Our house is full of novels and non-fiction books.
Tung, Debbie "Book Love" - 2005
Of course, I absolutely love books. Our house is full of novels and non-fiction books.
Green
Ulitzkaya, Lyudmila "Imago" or "The Big Green Tent" (RUS: Зеленый шатер = Zelenyi shater) - 2010
Green is my favourite colour and most of my clothes have some sort of green, there is green in all our rooms and if I could have had it, our car would have been green.
Ulitzkaya, Lyudmila "Imago" or "The Big Green Tent" (RUS: Зеленый шатер = Zelenyi shater) - 2010
Green is my favourite colour and most of my clothes have some sort of green, there is green in all our rooms and if I could have had it, our car would have been green.
📚Happy Reading 📚
Monday, 13 April 2026
Krasznahorkai, László "Satantango"
Krasznahorkai, László "Satantango" (Hungarian: Sátántangó) - 1985
Whoever knows me, is aware that I love Nobel Prize laureates and that I try to read at least one book of every new recipient (plus a few more of some former ones).
This year, it was a Hungarian author that I had never heard of. But that is often the case. This was his first novel for which he received a lot of praise. Qutie a few of his books (including this one) were also turned into films.
But, as I said, for me he was completely new, probably for most Westerners. I had no idea what I was going to read. The story tells us about an almost abandoned village somewhere in the middle of nowhere. People have lost all hope that anything good will still come to them.
We get to know them one by one. First you have the feeling that these are short stories that have nothing to do with each other. But, gradually, the pieces fit togethers and we get to know the whole dilemna.
The story reads almost like dystopia. But you have to make yourself clear that this was the reality for many people behind the Iron curtain. And that there are still people there who want them to go back to that. They should read this book and see where all this leads.
Book Description:
"In the darkening embers of a Communist utopia, life in a desolate Hungarian town has come to a virtual standstill. Flies buzz, spiders weave, water drips and animals root desultorily in the barnyard of a collective farm. But when the charismatic Irimias – long-thought dead – returns to the commune, the villagers fall under his spell. The Devil has arrived in their midst."
László Krasznahorkai received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 2025 "for his compelling and visionary oeuvre that, in the midst of apocalyptic terror, reaffirms the power of art".
I contribute to this page: Read the Nobels and you can find all my blogs about Nobel Prize winning authors and their books here.
Friday, 10 April 2026
The 1961 Club
This book challenge takes place twice a year and concentrates on one year and one year only. I call it "Read the Year Club". This time, 1961 was picked. For more information, see Simon @ Stuck in a Book and Kaggsy @ Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings (here is Karen's invite and here is Simon's). If you are looking for inspiration, there are a few books from that year that I read already:
I have picked a story by a fascinating author of whom I always wanted to read more:
Bruckner, Karl "The Day of the Bomb" (GE: Sadako will leben) - 1961
Buck, Pearl S. "A Bridge for Passing" - 1961
Grass, Günter "Cat and Mouse" (GE: Katz und Maus. Danziger Trilogie 2) - 1961
Griffin, John Howard "Black like me" - 1961
Heller, Joseph "Catch-22" - 1961
Juster, Norton "The Phantom Tollbooth" - 1961
Lem, Stanisław "Solaris" (PL: Solaris (powieść)) - 1961
Lewis, Oscar "The Children of Sanchez" - 1961
Naipaul, V.S. "A House for Mr. Biswas" - 1961
Scott, Mary "Tea and Biscuits" - 1961
Stone, Irving "The Agony and the Ecstasy" - 1961
Tanpınar, Ahmet Hamdi "The Time Regulation Institute" (TR: Saatleri Ayarlama Enstitüsü) - 1961
Tau, Max "The Country I Had to Leave" (GE: Das Land, das ich verlassen mußte) - 1961
Tau, Max "The Country I Had to Leave" (GE: Das Land, das ich verlassen mußte) - 1961
Yates, Richard "Revolutionary Road" - 1961
Another book that is also on my list:
Rawls, Wilson "Where the Red Fern Grows" - 1961 (Goodreads)
This challenge takes place from 13 to 19 April 2026.
I have picked a story by a fascinating author of whom I always wanted to read more:
Steinbeck, John "Travels with Charley" (Goodreads)
Wednesday, 8 April 2026
Godfrey, Jennie "The List of Suspicious Things"
This book was chosen unanimously by our local German book club for our discussion in March 2026. An interesting story about two girls who want to find a killer. A serial killer. What they mainly do is "investigating" the people around them, i.e. nosing around. Of course, as we can imagine, they cause more evil than good with that.
I might never have picked up this book in the book shop, it looked more like chick lit than anything else. And it being a Sunday Times bestseller doesn't really recommend it to me, either. But, the member who suggested it, had read it and said it was good. And I know she has a great taste.
Besides the story of the "Yorkshire Ripper", there are many different subjects in this book, growing up, first love, mental illness, racism, almost any topic that can come up.
While I quite liked the book overall, I was not too keen on the ending. Maybe the author wanted to get away from something too cozy but it could have been different. It should have been different.
We had a wonderful conversation about this book. So many fates were touched upon.
We also found out that "the cover features a raven to symbolize the themes of curiosity, intelligence, and the menacing atmosphere and the milk bottle represents British school life from the time. The bird is the dark, dangerous intrusion of the outside world, reflecting the fear felt in Yorkshire during the time of the murders." (AI)
From the Back cover:
"Maggie Thatcher is prime minister, drainpipe jeans are in, and Miv is convinced that her dad wants to move their family Down South.
Because of the murders.
Leaving Yorkshire and her best friend Sharon simply isn’t an option. So, Miv and Sharon decide to make a list: a list of all the suspicious people and things down their street. People they know. People they don’t.
But their search for the truth reveals more secrets in their neighbourhood, within their families - and between each other - than they ever thought possible.
What if the real mystery Miv needs to solve is the one that lies much closer to home?"
Tuesday, 7 April 2026
Top Ten Tuesday ~ Places on My Bucket List
"Top Ten Tuesday" is an original feature/weekly meme created on the blog "The Broke and the Bookish". It was created because they are particularly fond of lists. It is now hosted by Jana from That Artsy Reader Girl.
Since I am just as fond of them as they are, I jump at the chance to share my lists with them! Have a look at their page, there are lots of other bloggers who share their lists here.
This week's topic is Books About/Set In Places on My Bucket List.
I have been to many places in Europe but there always some countries and/or towns that I'd really like to see. If you are missing a certain country where you think I certainly would love to go, it's probably because I've been there before, often several times.
I have been to many places in Europe but there always some countries and/or towns that I'd really like to see. If you are missing a certain country where you think I certainly would love to go, it's probably because I've been there before, often several times.
Austria/Vienna
Hamann, Brigitte "The Reluctant Empress" (GE: Elisabeth, Kaiserin wider Willen) - 1981
Hamann, Brigitte "The Reluctant Empress" (GE: Elisabeth, Kaiserin wider Willen) - 1981
Cyprus
Şafak, Elif "The Island of Missing Trees" - 2021
Italy/Rome/Milan/Florence
Goethe, Johann Wolfgang von (Goethe German) "Italian Journey" (aka Letters from Italy) (GE: Italienische Reise) - 1817
Japan
Takahashi, Yuta "The Chibineko Kitchen" (J: ちびねこ亭の思い出ごはん 黒猫と初恋サンドイッチ/Chibinekoteino omoidegohan kuronekoto hatsukoisandoitchi) - 2020
New Zealand
Russia/St. Petersburg
Spain/Catalonia/Barcelona
Ruiz Zafón, Carlos "The Shadow of the Wind" (E: La sombra del viento - El cementerio de los libros olvidados #1) - 2001
📚Happy Reading 📚
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