#ThrowbackThursday. August 2015

I've been doing ThrowbackThursdays for a while but I noticed that I wrote a lot of reviews in a short time when I first started. So, I post more than one Throwback every week. These are my reviews from August 2015. 

Doerr, Anthony "All the Light We Cannot See" - 2014 
Anthony Doerr managed to write a different kind of war story, a story about the little people, on either side of the war, those that had not much to say about what was happening to them and who paid the highest price. 

Multatuli (Eduard Douwes Dekker) "Max Havelaar" (NL: Max Havelaar of de koffiveilingen der Nederlandsche Handelmaatschappy) - 1959

Eduard Douwes Dekker aka Multatuli should probably be called the Dutch Charles Dickens. At least, he's from the same era and is just as popular in the Netherlands as Dickens is in the United Kingdom.

His book seemed to have opened the eyes of many Dutch people at the time as to what colonialism really meant. "Max Havelaar" is also called "the book that killed colonialism" and was chosen as the most important book in Dutch literature in 2002.

Orsenna, Érik "Grammar Is a Sweet, Gentle Song" (French: La grammaire est une chanson douce) - 2001
An interesting story that explains grammar not only to children but also to learners of the French language. 

Shakespeare, William "Hamlet" - 1599/1602 
You always hear about the Danish Prince, the Skull, "To be or not to be", Elsinore, Ophelia, Rosenkrantz & Guildenstern etc. etc. But you never know the whole story until you have seen the play or read the fascinating story.

Zweig, Stefanie "Nowhere in Africa" and "Somewhere in Germany" - 1995+1996 * Book Club Questions - Nowhere in Africa - Somewhere in Germany (German: Nirgendwo in Afrika + Irgendwo in Deutschland) - 1942 

We are writing the year 1938 and attorney Walter Redlich manages to flee Nazi Germany in the last minute. They move to Kenya where he is hired as the manager of a farm. They are all experiencing this new country differently, Regina, 9 years old, embraces the life on the new continent, learns the languages, finds friends and cannot imagine another life. 

This is an almost-autobiography of author Stefanie Zweig who is one of my favourite authors. 

Happy October!

Happy October to all my Friends and Readers

New Calendar picture with this
beautiful watercolour painting by Frank Koebsch
"Ganz in Familie auf der Kranichwiese"
"All in the family on the crane meadow"

Frank says to this picture:
"Es ist immer wieder spannend, die Kraniche auf den Wiesen und Feldern zu beobachten. Gerade wenn im Herbst für die Vögel des Glücks der Tisch reichlich gedeckt ist."
"It's always exciting again to watch the cranes in the meadows and fields, especially when the table is richly laid in autumn for these birds of joy." 

Another beautiful picture. I love when the cranes fly in autumn and you can see their formations in the sky. A couple of years ago I was lucky to have the opportunity to take a picture of one.

Isn't that just beautiful?

Read more on their website here. *

* * *

September, my favourite month, was more a month of concerts but next month, there will be some plays in the theatre again. Otherwise, it was pretty quiet, some meetings with friends, some visits to the restaurant and an outing on a boat with my sick brother and his wife.

* * * 

Our Jane Austen read (see #Reading Austen project) this month was "Northanger Abbey" which has always been my least favourite novel by Jane Austen. However, I have quite enjoyed it this month. I can hardly believe that the year is almost over.

* * *

Not really a saying or a proverb this month but a word that is very important to Germans at this time of year:
Übergangsjacke

If you have learned German in school (or have a little feeling for languages), you probably know that Jacke means jacket. Übergang can usually mean passage, segue or crossing but in this case, it means transition. This is a jacket that you wear when it might be too cold for your summer jacket or too hot for your winter one. So, you wear your "Übergangsjacke" for a while until it gets colder.

Do you have a word for jackets like that in your language?

* * *

* You can also have a look under my labels Artist: Frank Koebsch and Artist: Hanka Koebsch where you can find all my posts about the two artists. 

🍁 I wish you all a very Happy October! 🍁

Top 5 Tuesday ~ Classic Retellings

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.

And here is a list of all the topics for the rest of the year.

* * *

This week’s topic is Classic Retellings 

I absolutely love classics and am not always happy when someone uses someone else's idea for a story. But here we have some great novels where a story from the past was set in our times.

Atwood, Margaret "Hag-Seed. The Tempest Retold" - 2016

I have never read The Tempest by William Shakespeare but know the story. This is Margaret Atwood's view.

Kingsolver, Barbara "Demon Copperhead" - 2022

One of my favourite contemporary authors retells one of my favourite classics:
Dickens, Charles "David Copperfield" - 1850

McCall Smith, Alexander "Emma. A Modern Retelling" - 2015

Another one of my favourite stories in a modern setting.

Austen, Jane "Emma" - 1816 (The Motherhood and Jane Austen)

Smiley, Jane "A Thousand Acres" - 1991

Another Shakespeare play transported: King Lear.

Wroblewski, David "The Story of Edgar Sawtelle" - 2008
And Shakespeare #3:

Shakespeare, William "Hamlet" - 1599/1602 

* * *

📖 Happy Reading! 📖

📚 📚 📚

Ihimaera, Witi "The Whale Rider"

Ihimaera, Witi "The Whale Rider" - 1987

We discussed this in our international online book club in September 2025.

This was a weird book for me. I so wanted to like it because I love stories about ancient times and other cultures. And this is exactly it. But, in my opinion, this is more a book written for those who know the language of the Maori than for those who want to learn about it. Let's not forget, this is supposed to be a children's book. But it is just of foreign language sentences that aren't explained anywhere. No glossary in the end, no footnotes. I hated that and it made me dislike the whole book.

It also took me a long time to get into the book, to be able to follow the characters and the actions. That might have to do with the lack of explanations but if I didn't get it, how is a child supposed to?

Someone on the internet suggests "The Bone People" by Keri Hulme (Goodreads) instead. I shall try to get a look at that one.

However, this was not the opinion of all the members. The book got good remarks on writing, language and flow. Although the characters were not deeply introduced and the plot felt light, the book opened up a wide range of themes to talk about. So, here come their remarks: 

•     The group found it interesting to read about Maori culture and the balance between preserving old traditions, adapting to modern influences, and acknowledging needed changes. This led to reflections on the rights of native peoples, gender equality, and even broader environmental topics like whale hunting, Greenpeace activity in 1980s New Zealand, and the causes of whale strandings (from human activity to natural phenomena) and overall Marine legends and migration patterns.
  
  
•     The group also noted the characters’ travels to Australia and Papua New Guinea, which brought in questions of racial divides between whites, refugees (e.g. from Indonesia), and indigenous peoples.
  
  
•     Stylistically, they felt the story was easy to read, almost poetic. The mix of Maori language, folklore, legend, and nature descriptions gave it a melodic, fairytale-like quality. What was especially enjoyed was the fairytale-like quality of the writing. Looks like the Finnish members had a glossary at the back of their copies — being used to foreign words in text, from living in a small-language country, however, they all chose to take the meaning from context rather than wanting to interrupt the flow of reading to check. I would have welcomed a list like that but my copy didn't have that. I like to look up words I don't know so I know them exactly.
  
  
•     The group agreed the story would be suitable for all ages, despite it being shelved as a book for adults in Finland (not my British copy, the one without the explanations where I think it should include more information). Especially in the 1980s context when books for younger readers were less "polished" of sadness after all stories of a chosen child, who needs to overcome difficulties and prove their worth and right to lead is a common theme in stories for younger readers. If it were written today though, it might be much longer and more graphic in its depictions of whale deaths and cultural conflicts. Instead, the group appreciated Ihimaera's calm, restrained style, which told the story in a minimalistic yet powerful way. 
  
  
• Overall, the group really enjoyed the fairytale style and poetic tone, and found it to be an easy but rewarding read that gave them much to reflect on. None of us had watched the movie based on the book, but thought it might be interesting to do. Usually we try to think of other books we have read that connect to the one we discuss, for this we thought of a few of the fairytales and fantasy we have read, and some of the stories about racial divide in Africa, but none of the club had read anything from the Maori culture before.

One of the descriptions says:

"A mystical story of Maori culture The birth of a daughter, Kahu, breaks the lineage of a Maori tribe. Rejected by her grandfather, Kahu develops the ability to communicate with whales, echoing those of the ancient Whale Rider after whom she was named.

This magical and mythical novel tells of the conflict between tradition and heritage, from the perspective of Kahu's grandfather, and Kahu's destiny to secure the tribe's future. Age 11+ Ideal for studying multi-cultural texts, gender and environmental issues."

From the back cover:

"Eight-year-old Kahu craves her great-grandfather's love and attention. But he is focused on his duties as chief ofa Maori tribe in Whangara, on the East Coast of New Zealand - a tribe that claims descent from the legendary 'whale rider'. In every generation since the whale rider, a male has inherited the title of chief. But now there is no male heir - there's only Kahu. She should be the next in line for the title, but her great-grandfather is blinded by tradition and sees no use for a girl. Kahu will not be ignored. And in her struggle she has a unique ally: the whale rider himself, from whom she has inherited the ability to communicate with whales. Once that sacred gift is revealed, Kahu may be able to re-establish her people's ancestral connections, earn her great-grandfather's attention - and lead her tribe to a bold new future."

#ThrowbackThursday. July 2025

I've been doing ThrowbackThursdays for a while but I noticed that I wrote a lot of reviews in a short time when I first started. So, I post more than one Throwback every week. These are my reviews from July 2015. 

Azevedo, Francisco "Once Upon a Time in Rio" (Portuguese: O Arroz de Palma) - 2008

A beautiful story of an immigrating family, a Portuguese couple that settles in Brazil, has their children and their work. Their son tells the story over a whole century. How his aunt collected the rice thrown at his parents' wedding and passed it on as a lucky charm.

Dickens, Charles "Little Dorrit" - 1857

Dickens' father spent some years in the Marshalsea prison which he used as the main setting for this novel. I think this fact and that he was forced to work for the family at a very young age, has made a huge impact on the author.

Eliade, Mircea "Marriage in Heaven" (Romanian: Nuntă în cer) - 1938

An interesting novel. Quite philosophical. Two men reminisce about their lives and their encounter with a special woman, both have different kind of fantasies, different kind of attitudes but both are unlucky in love and pour out their hearts to each other. 

The author was a Romanian historian of religion, philosopher, and fiction writer. His background certainly had an influence on his writing.

Lahiri, Jhumpa "Interpreter of Maladies" - 1999

This is a lovely collection of short stories, some of them even interlink, so it doesn't seem like there are a hundred small stories that you forget right away. Jhumpa Lahiri has created some wonderful characters that you won't forget that easily.

Oates, Joyce Carol "The Sacrifice" - 2015

A meticulous rendering of a crime, almost reads like a non-fiction account, you have to remember the whole time that this is fiction. Mind you, I was sure events like this have happened and then I read that this is a retelling of a story that has happened in 1987 to a 14 year old girl called Tawana Brawley. A book about racism and prejudice, terror and violence, poverty and exploitation, the role of religion and state.

Sendker, Jan-Philipp "Whispering Shadows" (German: Das Flüstern der Schatten) - 2007

This novel is so much more than a crime story, it gives an insight into today's China of which we still know far too little. The author reports about the grief of a man who has lost his son. And he talks about the slow healing after a heavy blow. The book is both philosophic and informative.

Eccleshare, Julia "1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up"

Eccleshare, Julia "1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up" - 2009

While reviewing a children's book, I found this list on Wikipedia: 1001 Children's Books You Must Read Before You Grow Up. And discovered, that there is a book with all the descriptions.

I wish this would have existed when my kids were little but I think we still did quite well. I have listed all the books I can remember reading with my boys thoug I have not reviewe all of them. I also sorted them in chronological order rather than by age as on the list. This means, if you are looking for a book for a certain age-group, you better consult the original list. Some of those books are not for 3-year-olds. Or - even better, get the book.

Defoe, Daniel "Robinson Crusoe" - 1719

Defoe, Daniel "Gulliver's Travels" - 1726

Bürger, Gottfried August "The Adventures of Baron Münchhausen" (GE: Wunderbare Reisen zu Wasser und zu Lande – Feldzüge und lustige Abenteuer des Freiherrn von Münchhausen) - 1786

Lamb, Charles and Mary "Tales from Shakespeare" - 1807

Grimm, Jacob und Wilhelm "Grimm's Fairy Tales" - 1812
(Jorinda and Joringel. Eight Fairy Tales/GE: Jorinde und Joringel. Acht Märchen der Brüder Grimm) - 1812

Hawthorne, Nathaniel "The Scarlet Letter" - 1815

Moore, Clement Clarke "A Visit from St. Nicholas" ('Twas the Night Before Christmas) - 1822

Andersen, Hans Christian "Fairy Tales" - 1837

Dickens, Charles "A Christmas Carol" - 1843 

Dumas, Alexandre "The Three Musketeers" (F: Les Trois Mousquetaires) - 1844

Hoffmann, Heinrich "Struwwelpeter" (GE: Der Struwwelpeter) - 1845

Busch, Wilhelm "Max and Moritz" (GE: Max und Moritz) - 1865

Carroll, Lewis "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" - 1865

Alcott, Louisa May "Little Women Series" - 1868-86

Twain, Mark "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer" - 1876

Spyri, Johanna "Heidi" (GE: Heidis Lehr- und Wanderjahre + Heidi kann brauchen, was es gelernt hat) - 1880/81

Stevenson, Robert Louis "Treasure Island" - 1881/82  

Twain, Mark "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" - 1884

Burnett, Frances Hodgson "Little Lord Fauntleroy" - 1886

Baum, L. Frank "The Wizard of Oz" - 1900 

Potter, Beatrix "The Tale of Peter Rabbit" - 1902

Molnár, Ferenc "The Paul Street Boys" (H: A Pál-utcai Fiúk) - 1907

Montgomery, L. M. "Anne of Green Gables" - 1908

Burnett, Frances Hodgson "The Secret Garden" - 1911

Milne, AA "Winnie the Pooh" - 1926

Hergé "Tintin" (F: Tintin) - 1929

Kästner, Erich "Emil and the Detectives" (GE: Emil und die Detektive) - 1929

Ingalls Wilder, Laura "Little House Books" - 1932-71

de Brunhoff, Jean "The Story of Babar" (F: Histoire de Babar le petit éléphant) - 1934

Leaf, Munro "The Story of Ferdinand" - 1936

Streatfeild, Noel "Ballet Shoes" - 1936

Tolkien, J.R.R. "The Hobbit" - 1937

Bemelmans, Ludwig "Madeline" - 1939

Rey, H.A. "Curious George" - 1941-1966 

Blyton, Edit "Five on a Treasure Island" - 1942

Forbes, Ester "Johnny Tremain" - 1943

Estes, Eleanor "The Hundred Dresses" - 1944

White, E.B. "Stuart Little" - 1945

Smith, Dodie "I Capture the Castle" - 1948

Lewis, C.S. "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" - 1950

Schulz, Charles M. "Peanuts" - 1950
(Advent with the Peanuts"/Advent mit den Peanuts) - 1979/80

Salinger, J.D. "Catcher in the Rye" - 1951

White, E.B. "Charlotte's Web" - 1952

Bradbury, Ray "Fahrenheit 451" - 1953

Saint-Exupéry, Antoine "The Little Prince" (F: Le Petit Prince) - 1953

Golding, William "Lord of the Flies" - 1954

Jansson, Tove "Moominsummer Madness" (FIN: Vaarallinen juhannus/Farlig midsommar) - 1954 

Zion, Gene "Harry, the Dirty Dog" - 1956

Awdry, Rev. Wilbert "Thomas the Tank Engine" - 1956-2011

LeSieg, Theo (=Dr. Seuss) "The Cat in the Hat" - 1957

Ryan, John "Captain Pugwash" - 1957

Bond, Michael "A Bear Called Paddington" - 1958

Goscinny, René "Little Nicholas" (F: Le Petit Nicolas) - 1959

Goscinny, René; Uderzo, Albert "Asterix the Gaul" (F: Astérix le Gaulois) - 1959

Eastman, P.D. "Go, Dog, Go!" - 1960

Lee, Harper "To Kill a Mockingbird" - 1960 

LeSieg, Theo (=Dr. Seuss) "Green Eggs and Ham" - 1960

Dahl, Roald "James and the Giant Peach" - 1961

Juster, Norton "The Phantom Tollbooth" - 1961

Rawls, Wilson "Where the Red Fern Grows" - 1961

Berenstain, Stan and Jan "The Berenstain Bears" - 1962ff.

L’Engle, Madeleine "A Wrinkle in Time" - 1962

Preußler, Otfried "The Robber Hotzenplotz" (GE: Der Räuber Hotzenplotz) - 1962

Bridwell, Norman "Clifford" - 1963-2015

Bruna, Dick "Miffy" (NL: Nijntje) - 1963

Peyo "The Black Smurfs" (F: Les Schtroumpfs Noir) - 1963

Sendak, Maurice "Where The Wild Things Are" - 1963

Brown, Jeff "Flat Stanley" - 1964

Dahl, Roald "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" - 1964

Silverstein, Shel "The Giving Tree" - 1964

Biro, Val "Gumdrop" - 1966

Lionni, Leo "Frederick" - 1967

Freeman, Don "Corduroy" - 1968

Kerr, Judith "The Tiger Who Came to Tea" - 1968

Scarry, Richard "What Do People Do All Day" - 1968 et al.

Carle, Eric "The Very Hungry Caterpillar" - 1969

O'Dell, Scott "Island of the Blue Dolphins" - 1969

Tison, Annette; Taylor, Talus "Barbapapa" - 1970

Hargreaves, Roger "Mr. Men" - 1971ff.

Adams, Richard "Watership Down" - 1972

Briggs, Raymond "Father Christmas" - 1973

Silverstein, Shel "Where the Sidewalk Ends - 1974

dePaola, Tomie "Strega Nona" - 1975

Smucker, Barbara "Underground to Canada" - 1977

Ahlberg, Janet & Allen "Each Peach Pear Plum" - 1978

Barrett, Judi "Cloudy With a Chance of Meatballs" - 1978

Briggs, Raymond "The Snowman" - 1978

Ende, Michael "The Never Ending Story" (GE: Die unendliche Geschichte) - 1979

Hill, Eric "Where's Spot?" - 1980

Cunliffe, John Arthur "Postman Pat" - 1981

Browne, Anthony "Gorilla" - 1983

Dodd, Lynley "Hairy Maclairy from Donaldsons's Dairy" - 1983

Holabird, Catherine/Craig, Helen "Angelina Ballerina" - 1983

Pausewang, Gudrun "The Cloud" (GE: Die Wolke) - 1987
- "The Last Children" (GE: Die letzten Kinder von Schewenborn oder … sieht so unsere Zukunft aus?) - 1983

Numeroff, Laura "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie" - 1985

Ahlberg, Janet & Allan "The Jolly Postman or Other People's Letters" - 1986

Jacques, Brian "Redwall" - 1986

MacLachlan, Patricia - Sarah, Plain & Tall Series - 1986-2004

Munsch, Robert "Love You Forever" - 1986

Murphy, Jill "Peace at Last" (Five Minutes Peace) - 1986

Paulsen, Gary "Hatchet" - 1986

Ihimaera, Witi "The Whale Rider" - 1987

King-Smith, Dick "The Hodgeheg" - 1987

Waddell, Martin "Can't You Sleep, Little Bear" - 1988

McKee, David "Elmer" - 1989

Rosen, Michael "We're Going on a Bear Hunt" - 1989

Scieszka, Jon; Smith, Lane "The True Story of the Three Little Pigs" - 1989

LeSieg, Theo (=Dr. Seuss) "Oh, the Places You'll Go" - 1990

Inkpen, Mick "Kipper" - 1991

Scieszka, Jon; Smith, Lane "The Stinky Cheeseman" - 1992

Buchholz, Quint "Sleep Well, Little Bear" (GE: Schlaf gut, kleiner Bär) - 1993

Cannon, Janell "Stellaluna" - 1993

McBratney, Sam "Guess How Much I Love You" - 1994 

Pullman, Philip "Northern Lights" - 1995

Hesse, Karen "Out of the Dust" - 1997

Rowling, J.K. "Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone" - 1997 

Sachar, Louis "Holes" - 1998

Curtis, Christopher Paul "Bud, Not Buddy" - 1999

Donaldson, Julia "The Gruffalo" - 1999

Colver, Eoin "Artemis Fowl" - 2001

Allende, Isabel "City of the Beasts" (E: La ciudad de las bestias) - 2002

Hartnett, Sonya "Thursday’s Child" - 2002

Zusak, Markus "The Messenger" - 2002

Funke, Cornelia "Inkheart" (GE: Tintenherz) - 2003 

Haddon, Mark "The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-time" - 2003

Cottrell Boyce, Frank "Millions" - 2004

Boyne, John "The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas" - 2006

From the back cover:

"This is the best and most authoritative guide to classic and contemporary children’s literature today. It is the latest in the best-selling 1001 series, and its informative reviews are the key to differentiating the "must-read" books from all the rest in the realm of children’s books. Whether you are a parent seeking to instill a love of reading in your child, an educator or counselor looking for inspiration, or a young reader with a voracious appetite, this guide to the best writing for children and young adults covers the spectrum of children’s literature. It is organized by age group—from board books to YA novels and all the gradiations in between. Each entry features evaluations by a team of international critics complete with beautifully reproduced artwork from the featured title. The beloved classics are here, but the guide also takes a global perspective and includes the increasingly diverse contributions from African American and Latino authors and illustrators—not to mention important books from around the world."

Benedetti, Mario "The Truce"

Benedetti, Mario "The Truce" (Spanish: La Tregua) - 1960

Diana from Thoughts on Papyrus recommended this book to me. It's not very long, so I read it in between other things. Despite its brevity, it contains a lot, practically everything you need for a long life.

It's about a man nearing retirement. Well, much earlier than most people retire, but the situation is still realistic. He's wondering what he's going to do with the rest of his life. Then he falls in love with a co-worker, and she falls in love with him. After raising his three children alone after the untimely death of his wife, this is a new beginning for him.

In his diary, we can follow his thoughts. It also deals with religion; among other things, he says: "Frankly, I don't know if I believe in God. Sometimes I think that if God really existed, such doubts shouldn't upset him." I think this quote alone says a lot about the book, which I really enjoyed. It's a calm narrative that nevertheless has a lot to say.

From the back cover:

"'Perhaps that moment had been exceptional, but still, I felt alive. That pressure on my chest means being alive.' Forty-nine, with a kind face, no serious ailments (apart from varicose veins on his ankles), a good salary, and three moody children, widowed accountant Martín Santomé is about to retire. He assumes he'll take up gardening, or the guitar, or whatever retired people generally do. What he least expects is to fall passionately in love with his shy young employee Laura Avellaneda. As they embark upon an affair, happy and irresponsible, Martín begins to feel the weight of his quiet existence lift - until, out of nowhere, their joy is cut short. The intimate, heartbreaking diary of an ordinary man who is reborn when he falls in love one final time, this beloved Latin American novel has been translated into twenty languages and sold millions of copies worldwide."