Byatt, A.S. "Ragnarok. The End of the Gods"

Byatt, A.S. "Ragnarok. The End of the Gods" - 2011

A retelling of the Norse mythology. I'm not really into fantasy but was interested in this book for two reasons, I thought Norse myths might be interesting and I like A.S. Byatt.

Was it a good enough reason to pick up the book? Not really, the stories were not interesting enough for me to really get engaged.

The best part of the book were the author's "Thoughts on Myth" at the end of the stories where she explains where certain words come from and why she was re-writing something that has been written already a hundred times before.

Still, the author has a great way of telling any story, I guess. That's why I still enjoyed reading the book.

From the back cover:

"The gods have abandoned the earth. A great battle is afoot that could destroy everything. The time of Ragnarok has begun...

Into her account of the end of the gods, the Booker Prize-winning author A. S. Byatt weaves the story of a young girl evacuated to the British countryside during the Second World War. Struggling to make sense of her life, she is given a book of Norse myth, and her inner and outer worlds are transformed."

I have also read "Possession" by A.S. Byatt. It is one of my favourite books. 

My favourite books 2014

My Favourite Books 2014:

Bradbury, Ray "The Martian Chronicles" - 1950
Harris, Joanne "Blackberry Wine" - 2000
Karystiani, Ionna (Ιωάννα Καρυστιάνη) "The Jasmine Isle" (Μικρά Αγγλία/Mikra Anglia) - 1997
Mathis, Ayana "The Twelve Tribes of Hattie" - 2013
Nafisi, Azar "Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books" - 2003
Palma, Félix J. "The Map of the Sky" (El mapa del cielo) - 2012
Pamuk, Orhan "The White Castle" (Beyaz Kale) - 1985
Roth, Charlotte "Als wir unsterblich waren" [When We Were Immortal] - 2014
Ruiz Zafón, Carlos "The Midnight Palace" (El Palacio de la Medianoche) - 1994
See, Lisa "Peony in Love" - 2007
Sendker, Jan-Philipp "Das Herzenhören" (The Art of Hearing Heartbeats) - 2002
Seth, Vikram "Two Lives" - 2005
Shields, Carol "The Stone Diaries" - 1993
Tanpınar, Ahmet Hamdi "The Time Regulation Institute" (Saatleri Ayarlama Enstitüsü) - 1961
Tartt, Donna "The Goldfinch" - 2013

I have already published my list in my statistics here but I like to have a link that I can refer to.

Statistics 2014

Last year, I saw someone publishing statistics about the kind of books they read.
I followed that idea and made my own list which you can see here (going back to 2009) and here (2013).

And these are the results of my reading lists for 2014:

* Statistics 2014 *

Challenges
I took part in six online challenges,
Around the World in 12 Books Challenge 2014  
I read books from 27 different countries this year.
2014 Postal Challenge  
I read 21 books containing letters.
Reading Challenge - Chunky Books 2014  
My result were 22 chunky books (more than 450 pages) including 5 super chunky ones (more than 750 pages).
The Motherhood + Jane Austen Book Club  
I read all six Jane Austen novels with this book club.
The "Piggybank" Challenge 2014     
I read 77 books last year, not as many as I would have liked to but certainly more than average.
What's in a Name 2014 Reading Challenge  

I read three books in category 1, one in category 2, three in category 3, 15 in category 4 and two in category 5.

Books Read: 77
Pages read: 28,879

Books dating from which year:
Pre 1800s: 00
1800s: 9
1900-1949: 6
1950-1999: 26
2000s: 36 (1 of which from 2014)

Male Authors: 43
Female Authors: 33

Nobel Prize Winners: 6

Fiction: 68
Non-Fiction: 10

Chunky Books - more than 450 pages: 22, more than 750: 5
Oldest Book:
Austen, Jane "Sense & Sensibility" - 1811
Newest Book:
Roth, Charlotte "Als wir unsterblich waren" - 2014
Longest book: 1,296
Joyce, James "Ulysses" - 1922 - 1,296 pages
Shortest book: 85
Ruiz Zafón, Carlos "Der Fürst des Parnass" (El principe de parnaso) - 2012
Longest book title:
Dallaire, Roméo "They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children"
Shortest Book Title:
Austen, Jane "Emma"
Funniest Book:
Dahl, Roald "The Best of Roald Dahl"
Saddest Book:
Dallaire, Roméo "They Fight Like Soldiers, They Die Like Children"
Weirdest Book:
NDiaye, Marie "Rosie Carpe" - 2001
New author (for me) that I would like to read more from: Tanpınar, Ahmet Hamdi

Translated Books: 17
4 from Spanish and Turkish2 from Italian and Swedish
1 from Finnish, Greek, Hebrew, Norwegian, Polish

Books read in another language:
12 German, 2 French, 1 Dutch

Numbers in Book Titles: two, six, seven twelve, twelve, 22, 1927
Place Names in Book Titles: Alexanderplatz, America, Andros, Berlin, Greece, Green Gables, Lisbon, Mansfield, Martian, Northanger, Parnass, Saltkråkan, Soho, Tehran, Venice
Names in Book Titles: Anne, Antje, Daniel, Emma, Faber, Franz, Hannah Coulter, Hattie, Franz Biberkopf, Herr Mustermann, Jesus, Lolita, Nero, Peony, Pickwick, Podmanitzki, Poirot, Rosie, Shakespeare, Sophie, Stone, Ulysses, Zarathustra, Zuckerman
Colours in Book Titles: Red, White

My Favourite Books:
Bradbury, Ray "The Martian Chronicles" - 1950
Harris, Joanne "Blackberry Wine" - 2000
Karystiani, Ionna (Ιωάννα Καρυστιάνη) "The Jasmine Isle" (Μικρά Αγγλία/Mikra Anglia) - 1997
Mathis, Ayana "The Twelve Tribes of Hattie" - 2013
Nafisi, Azar "Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books" - 2003
Palma, Félix J. "The Map of the Sky" (El mapa del cielo) - 2012
Pamuk, Orhan "The White Castle" (Beyaz Kale) - 1985
Roth, Charlotte "Als wir unsterblich waren" [When We Were Immortal] - 2014
Ruiz Zafón, Carlos "The Midnight Palace" (El Palacio de la Medianoche) - 1994
See, Lisa "Peony in Love" - 2007
Sendker, Jan-Philipp "Das Herzenhören" (The Art of Hearing Heartbeats) - 2002
Seth, Vikram "Two Lives" - 2005
Shields, Carol "The Stone Diaries" - 1993
Tanpınar, Ahmet Hamdi "The Time Regulation Institute" (Saatleri Ayarlama Enstitüsü) - 1961
Tartt, Donna "The Goldfinch" - 2013

With my books, I visited places in the following countries:
Africa (2): Namibia and several different countries
Asia (6): China, India, Iran, Israel, Kazakhstan, Myanmar/Burma
Europe (16): Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, The Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Russia, Scandinavia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, United Kingdom
North: America (3): Canada, Guadeloupe, USA
Australia/Oceania (2): Australia, New Zealand
South America (0):
Extra-terrestrial (1):
Countries "visited" in total: 30

You may find some even greater statistics by better bloggers than me at "Stuck in a Book" and "Ready When You are, C.B."

Reading Challenge 2015

I usually try to join a couple of reading challenges every year. This year, I found one that combines several ones here. I will give this a try but might only fulfill it partly this year. I might do some that fit in two or more categories but you never know. Looks interesting in any case.

1.    A book with more than 500 pages
2.    A classic romance
3.    A book that became a movie
4.    A book published this year
5.    A book with a number in the title
6.    A book written by someone under 30
7.    A book with nonhuman characters
8.    A funny book
9.    A book by a female author
10.    A mystery or thriller
11.    A book with a one-word title
12.    A book of short stories
13.    A book set in a different country
14.    A nonfiction book
15.    A popular author's first book
16.    A book from an author you love that you haven't read yet
17.    A book a friend recommended
18.    A Pulitzer Prize-winning book
19.    A book based on a true story
20.    A book at the bottom of your to-read list
21.    A book your mom loves
22.    A book that scares you
23.    A book more than 100 years old
24.    A book based entirely on its cover
25.    A book you were supposed to read in school but didn't
26.    A memoir
27.    A book you can finish in a day
28.    A book with antonyms in the title
29.    A book set somewhere you've always wanted to visit
30.    A book that came out the year you were born
31.    A book with bad reviews
32.    A trilogy
33.    A book from your childhood
34.    A book with a love triangle
35.    A book set in the future
36.    A book set in high school
37.    A book with a colour in the title
38.    A book that made you cry
39.    A book with magic
40.    A graphic novel
41.    A book by an author you've never read before
42.    A book you own but have never read
43.    A book that takes place in your hometown
44.    A book that was originally written in a different language
45.    A book set during Christmas
46.    A book written by an author with your same initials
47.    A play
48.    A banned book
49.    A book based on or turned into a TV show
50.    A book you started but never finished

Find my results here.

Merry Christmas

* Frohe Weihnachten * Merry Christmas * Joyeux Noël * Vrolijk kerstfeest * Feliĉan Kristnaskon * Feliz Navidad * Geseënde Kersfees * Шчаслівых Калядау * Sretan Bozic * Честита Коледа * Bon Nadal * Sretan Božić * Veselé vánoce * Glædelig jul * Häid Jõule * Hyvää joulua * Nollaig shona duit * Καλά Χριστούγεννα! * Mele Kelikimaka * Boldog Karácsonyt * Selamat Hari Natal * Buon Natale * Жаңа жыл құтты болсын! * Hristos Razdajetsja * Noeli Nziza * Priecīgus Ziemassvētkus * E schéine Chrëschtdag * Mbotama Malamu * Linksmų Kalėdų * Среќен Божиќ * Selamat Hari Natal * Танд зул сарын баярын болон шинэ жилийн мэндийг хүргэе * God jul * Bon Pasco * Maligayang pasko at manigong bagong taon * Frohe Wiehnachten *Wesołych Świąt * Um Santo e Feliz Natal * Crăciun fericit * Жаңа жыл құтты болсын! * С Рождеством * Христос се роди* Veselé vánoce * Krismasi Njema * God jul * Schöni Wiänachtä * Mutlu Noeller * Веселого Різдва * ميلاد سعيد عيد الميلاد * Շնորհավոր Նոր Տարի * 聖誕節同新年快樂 * חג מולד שמח * क्रिसमस की शुभकामनाएँ *メリークリスマス * 메리 크리스마스 * कृसमस को शुभकामना * کریسمس مبارک * کرسمَس مبارک *

Döblin, Alfred "Berlin Alexanderplatz"

Döblin, Alfred "Berlin Alexanderplatz: The Story of Franz Biberkopf" (German: Berlin Alexanderplatz: Die Geschichte vom Franz Biberkopf) - 1929

An urban story, the first German book to use the stream-of-consciousness style, often compared to "Ulysses". None of those descriptions sound extremely inviting to a lot of people. After having read "Ulysses" earlier this year and since I was always interested in this book, even if just for the title, I started reading it a while ago. I usually read more than one book at a time so I won't finish them too soon but that wouldn't have been a problem here.

If I have said about "Ulysses" that it was the most difficult book I have ever read, I probably have to put this as number two. I found it slightly easier, not because of the language it was written in but because of the way it was written. There was more of a story to follow in "Berlin Alexanderplatz", there was more reality to get into. Maybe also, because I have read more about this topic. Germany in the anti-war time, the prophetic vision of the apocalypse. What were people thinking, how did they live, where did it all lead? Having said that, that way I probably missed parts of the non-realistic bits.

The novel is the story of Franz Biberkopf and starts with his release from prison. Throughout the book, we see how he cannot find a way back into normal life, just as the Weimarer Republik couldn't get back to a normal state after World War I. There are a lot of allusions to the political time as well as to biblical stories, there are so many layers in this book. I need to reread it one day.

Apparently, it belongs to the 100 most meaningful books of all times. I can understand how it got on that list. It's tough to read but definitely worth it.

See more comments on my ThrowbackThursday post in 2025.

From the back cover:

"Berlin Alexanderplatz is one of the masterpieces of modern European literature and the first German novel to adopt the technique of James Joyce. It tells the story of Franz Biberkopf, who, on being released from prison, is confronted with the poverty, unemployment, crime and burgeoning Nazism of 1920s Germany. As Franz struggles to survive in this world, fate teases him with a little pleasure before cruelly turning on him.

Alfred Döblin (1878-1957) studied medicine in Berlin and specialized in the treatment of nervous diseases. Along with his experiences as a psychiatrist in the workers' quarter of Berlin, his writing was inspired by the work of Hölderlin, Schopenhauer and Nietzsche and was first published in the literary magazine, Der Sturm. Associated with the Expressionist literary movement in Germany, he is now recognized as one of the most important modern European novelists."

Bradbury, Ray "The Martian Chronicles"

Bradbury, Ray "The Martian Chronicles" - 1950

"The Martian Chronicles", a highly interesting novel about the human invasion on another planet. A dystopian novel that couldn't envisage anything better. Or worse.

The whole story is separated into several different short stories, each of which could be read separately but only together do they form a full picture of the extent what the human race can do. That doesn't mean they should necessarily do it.

I think the Martian Chronicles should be seen, as any dystopian literature, as a warning to us. The author doesn't necessarily talk about what we could be doing to the planet Mars but also about what we are doing to our own planet. If we don't stop what we are doing, we will end up like the Martians, non-existent. We should see this book as a parable and learn from it.

I loved Ray Bradbury's "Fahrenheit 451" but I think I liked "The Martian Chronicles" even better. His style is agreeable, easy to get, yet full of allusions and side remarks. Anyone who likes this sort of genre should read his books.

See more comments on my ThrowbackThursday post in 2025.

From the back cover:

"Leaving behind a world on the brink of destruction, man came to the Red Planet and found the Martians waiting, dreamlike. Seeking the promise of a new beginning, man brought with him his oldest fears and his deepest desires. Man conquered Mars - and in that instant, Mars conquered him. The strange new world with its ancient, dying race and vast, red-gold deserts cast a spell on him, settled into his dreams, and changed him forever. Here are the captivating chronicles of man and Mars - the modern classic by the peerless Ray Bradbury."

Ray Bradbury received a special Pulitzer Prize citation in 2007 for "his distinguished, prolific and deeply influential career as an unmatched author of science fiction and fantasy."