Ameise1 (Barbara)'s 2nd tour (Part 6)

Welcome to my sixth thread.

I would like to introduce another typical Zürich institution Schwarzenbach Kolonialwaren. The shop exists since 1864 in the historic centre. They have their own coffee roasters and it smells heavenly when they are roasting coffee once a week. They sell exotic and native dried fruit, tea rarities, spicery from all over the world, special oils and vinegars and all products are from exquisite high quality and equivalent the costs are high too. Needless to mention that I won't go shopping there regularly but now and then I can't resist to buy something.

______

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

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

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

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

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

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

July
#48 And Thereby Hangs a Tale by Jeffrey Archer (5 stars)
#49 The Devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson (4 1/2 stars)
#50 Waterblue Eyes by Domingo Villar (4 stars)
#51 The Crowded Grave by Martin Walker (4 1/2 stars)
#52 Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (3 1/2 stars)

American Author Challenge 2015

January (Carson McCullers): Die Ballade vom traurigen Café (2015-01-03)
February (Henry James): Daisy Miller (2015-02-03)
March (Richard Ford): Canada (2015-03-25)
April (Louise Erdrich): Shadow Tag (2015-04-03)
May (Sinclair Lewis): Main Street (2015-05-04)
June (Wallace Stegner): All The Little Live Things (2015-06-08)

British Author Challenge 2015

January
The Photograph by Penelope Lively read in German (2015-01-01)
Nocturnes by Kazuo Ishiguro audiobook (2015-01-16)
February
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters (2015-02-11)
Brideshead Revisted by Evelyn Waugh audiobook in German (2015-02-12)
March
Der Apfelbaum by Daphne du Maurier (2015-03-08)
April
Der Büchersack by W. Somerset Maugham (2015-03-27)
The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter (2015-04-04)
May
House of Meetings by Martin Amis (2015-05-05)
The Millstone by Margaret Drabble (2015-05-07)
June
Clockwork Orange by Anthony Burgess (2015-05-31)
the Girl in the Polka-dot Dress by Beryl Bainbridge (2015-06-13)
July
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (2015-07-13)

Take It or Leave It Challenge


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

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

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

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

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

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

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

currently reading



currently listening

Hi Barbara! Happy New Thread! I love the store photos in your opening message. It looks like my kind of place! I can almost smell the aroma by just looking at the pictures.

Happy new thread!

I'd love to go into Schwarzenbach Kolonialwaren - the smell of coffee alone would draw me, but you got me thinking about quality dried fruits too. And was that chocolate-covered orange peel I saw on their website? Yum.

Happy Sunday!

Carrie, being first something special from Schwarzenbach

>10 Ameise1: That's lovely - thanks!

>8 LoisB: Welcome and thanks, Lois.

>9 karenmarie: Karen, it is indeed a place worth to stay, smell and look.

>11 cbl_tn: You're very welcome, Carrie.

Happy New Thread, Barb! Love the "shop" toppers!

>14 msf59: Thanks so much, Mark. Isn't it beautiful? I love such shops.

Lovely new thread and coffee!!! Shops devoted to coffee are almost as high on my list as bookshops!

>16 sibylline: Thanks so much, Lucy. Schwarzenbach i s like being in the land of milk and honey.

Happy new thread my dear, the Schwarzenbach photo's are fabulous and Karen says this is her kind of shop, just a shame she hasn't got the money to spend there or at least not on a regular basis. Hope you have had a lovely Sunday.

>18 johnsimpson: Hi John, please tell Karen that neither me can shop there on a regular basis. So far it was a very relaxed weekend and no work tomorrow due to Whit Monday.

Happy new thread, Barbara! That store in your thread topper looks and sounds wonderful!

Shop looks like a great piece of history - I do love the smell of a proper coffee shop. Happy new thread, too. Thanks for the answer about the running track - I'm tempted to send a letter to my council asking about installing one in the park (!)

Congratulations on the new thread, Barbara. Schwarzenbach Kolonialwaren looks and sounds wonderful. I'll hope to have or get some coffee there some day.

>20 tymfos: Thanks so much, Terri. It is a wonderful place.

>21 charl08: Thank you for stopping by, Charlotte. Schwarzenbach is still run by the same family.
We have a lot of 'Finnenbahnen' in Switzerland. It's very comfy to run on it. Some of them have lamps like that one which is the closest to my home (15min).

>22 jnwelch: Joe, it would be a great pleasure to have you here and have a cup of coffee. Be sure it wouldn't be one because Café Schober is on the other side and also the Dada house. We would be kept busy for a long time.

Happy new thread, Barbara!

>24 scaifea: Thanks so much, Amber.

Hi, Barb! Hope you had a nice weekend!

>26 msf59: Thanks so much, Mark. I just finished everything I need for school tomorrow and now it's definitely time for reading

Your top pictures are gorgeous, Barb, as usual!

>28 connie53: Thanks so much, Connie. :-)

Nice new thread, Barbara! The photos of the Schwarzenbach Kolonialwaren are gorgeous; I think I can smell the coffee roasting from here.

>30 kidzdoc: Thanks so much, Darryl. I hope this smell helps you to get well soon.

Today our school had its sport day. We left school by bike or on foot. Than we had a lot of games and sport events. At noon there was a big barbecue and in the afternoon we had to go back as we came. As the organizer I was very busy and had no time for a break. Now, I'm very tired but happy that everything went well.

>31 Ameise1: That sounds like a wonderful - if very busy for you - day at school! What a great event to put together for your students! Again, I have to say that I'd love for Charlie to attend your school.

Happy Friday, Barb! Hope you have a nice R & R weekend planned. Fingers crossed.

>32 scaifea: Thanks so much, Amber. It was indeed a fabulous day and Charlie would be very welcome.

>33 msf59: Thanks so much, Mark. Tomorrow we go to a big concert of Marina's youth band but I will do some reading, too.

Happy weekend, Barbara.

Hi Barbara, hope you are having a nice weekend my dear, love and hugs from both of us.

>35 cameling: Oh, thanks so much, Caro. It's so beautiful.

>36 johnsimpson: Thanks so much, John. We just came back from Marina's concert. It was gorgeous. They celebrated the 55th anniversary of the youth band and they got new uniforms which are very fancy. All formations played fantastic.

Wishing you and Karen a wonderful weekend. Love and hugs xx

Hi Barbara! It sounds like you're having a lovely weekend. I'm glad you enjoyed Marina's concert.

>38 cbl_tn: It was indeed fabulous, Carrie. I'm very tired this morning even though I've slept enough.

Happy Sunday, Barb! Sounds like you had a lovely time at Marina's concert. Hope you are enjoying the day.

>40 msf59: Thanks so much, Mark. I hope you have a lovely Sunday, too.

I booked today all hotels which are needed for our summer holiday. We'll stay for two nights in Geneva before leaving by plane for Biarritz in France. In Biarritz we stay three nights. Marina will be at her host family after two nights. She'll attend a language camp for two weeks. Thomas and I have booked a cottage in the Pyrenee during this time. It's very close to the Spanish border. So we'll visit interesting spots in both countries. After that we'll spend one night in Biarritz where Marina will join us the following day when we'll leave for Paris by train. There we have rented a flat in the centre for one week. After that we'll go by train back home.

book 40 ♫ Listen in German Mistress of the Art of Death



This was a very gripping listening. I love mysteries which are set in mediaeval times and this one didn't disappoint me. It's about a female physician who learnt her skill in Salerno. She is specialised in reading bones and therefore she got the call from the English king to investigate the murders of children which the Jewish population was accused of.
She had to hide her profession because there weren't any female physicians at that time and women who had healing energy were accused of witchcraft.

book 41 Read in German


BAC June

I've to admit that I'm not such a huge fan of this story. I read it in German but it's based on the British edition. This is important because I learned from all Burgess' addenda that there is a major difference. In the US edition there is missing the end which was for Burgess very important and therefore this end is also missing in Stanley Kubricks film adaption.

I didn't like the story itself not due to the language, this wasn't the difficulty, but to all the violence and brainwashing. Burgess said that this was important to him to show the good and the ill. For me it was mostly too brutal.
What I really liked were all his addenda. These were very good insights and helped me to understand his motivation to write this story.

Sounds like a lovely holiday you've got planned. I've never been brave enough to try the Burgess. Just doesn't sound like my cup of tea.

A Clockwork Orange is a difficult book in every way. Brave of you to take it on and persevere.

>44 charl08: Thanks so much, Charlotte. We are looking forward to our holiday which will be fom the 15th of July until 8th of August. I won't read another Burgess, too.

>45 sibylline: Thanks so much, Lucy. To be frank, I only read it due to the BAC June. I never would have chosen it from the library on my own. Well, now I've done the experience but once is enough for me.

>43 Ameise1: I'm going to try that one, but I don't know that I'll like it. I've always had the impression that I wouldn't which is why I've never tried it. I guess I'll find out.

>48 Ameise1: Hi Lori, I wish you good luck. I'm looking forward what you're thinking of it.

Hi Barbara, checking in here before returning to the old threads to see how the Schluchsee stay went. Another batch of wonderful pics (where have all the Kolonialwarengeschäfte gone?) that remind me that I still didn't make it to Zuerich. :(

I remember feelung quite torn re. Clockwork Orange because in a strange way all the violence was fascinating and that was because of the language. I wonder if the translation was able to deliver the same atmosphere. That mix made it quite a masterwork for me but not one I was happy with. And I never dared watching the movie, but I love"Hier kommt Alex" by die Toten Hosen which for many years I knew as a football song before I learned it had been written for a Clockwork Orange Musical. It transfers the insanity very well.

Hi Barbara - Happy new thread. Schwarzenbach Kolonialwaren looks wonderful! I also loved Mistress of the Art of Death; what other medieval mysteries have you read. I do like them, too and am always looking for something new.

>49 Deern: Indeed, Nathalie, there aren't many Kolonialwaren stores around. Don't worry about Zürich. We'll be here when ever you find time to come.
Well, the language in Clockwork Orange is fascinating. I love this kind of slang and in the German translation it was very easy to know what they mean. I didn't need the vocab in the middle of the book. But I don't like this kind of violence and therefore it wasn't a story for me.

>50 BLBera: Thanks so much, Beth, for dropping by. I will continue with this serie. There was once a serie I unfortunately forgot the name of the author which I liked very much. It was set in the mediaeval times in Southwark (London) and the main character was a priest who was solving murders in his parish. I really loved them. I had those books from the library but they don't have them anymore. Well, it's more than 20 years ago. Perhaps you've read those books too and could help me with an author's name. My guess would be that he starts with an H but I'm not sure.

Hi, Barbara! I liked Mistress of the Art of Death very much, too. I must continue the series, as I have the next waiting on my shelf.

>52 tymfos: Terri, I'm still waiting for the next one. I ordered it from my local library but somebody else still has it. I really like this serie.

I don't know the name of that medieval series either, but I'm really hoping someone else does as it sounds really good!

>50 BLBera:, >54 charl08: I'd be interested also if anyone can recall the name of that series. My maternal grandmother came from that area of London and I'm always interested in finding out more about the area.

Also Barbara, it sounds like you are going to have another wonderful vacation. I still think about your trip to England last year - those photos were wonderful. It would be a dream to be able to replicate your trip. I hope you will be sharing with us again.

>54 charl08: >55 catarina1: Thanks so much for thinking about this serie which I can't remember the name of the author. I hope somebody can come up with one.

Catarina, I'll post photos here on LT.

Happy Wednesday, Barb! Hope the week is going well. Our weather is back to being gorgeous. No complaints here.

>57 msf59: Thanks, Mark. We have summer temperatures here for the whole week. Tomorrow, I'll go with my class on a field trip. Walking, barbecue and fun.
This afternoon I have an appointment with my beautician, so a lot of rest and spoiling. :-)

>58 Ameise1: Nice!

>59 kidzdoc: Isn't it? :-D

Barbara, your upcoming summer vacation sounds delightful. I will be going to Colorado to see my youngest granddaughter. It is a beautiful mountainous state but I rarely get up to the mountains because I'm more interested in playing with a toddler! I have never attempted to read Clockwork Orange…and now my decision has been justified. I am not a fan of violence. Enjoy the rest of your week! Your field trip sounds like fun.

>61 Donna828: Donna, I can fully understand that playing with your granddaughter is way up your list. I love the mountains. In summer because it's not so hot and in winter for skiing.
Clockwork Orange isn't a book I would recommend but that is my very personal opinion. I know there are a lot of people who like this book.

Today, I went with my class on a field trip. The weather was gorgeous. Deep blue sky and rather hot with 30C. Luckily we spent the most of the time in the wood which was great. For lunch we had a barbecue. Some boys who know how to make a fire were aloud to do it on there own. I just stood close by but they made it fantastic and we had marvellous sausages. They got enough time to play in the ravine which they enjoyed very much.
Some photos of the boys who made the fire.

__

>63 Ameise1: Once again I'm struck by how lucky your class is to have you, Barbara. Looks and sounds like a great time.

>64 jnwelch: Thanks so much, Joe, for your lovely words. Once a scout always a scout therefore I think the kids should learn to make a proper fire even though they are only eight years old.

That looks like so much fun - and it send me straight back to similar field trips when I was a kid.

Oh, Biarritz, such a beautiful region! You'll sure love it! :)

Hi Barbara--What a great field trip! Personally, I could use a few quiet days at home. : 0

Happy Weekend. Love the pictures of the kids enjoying making fires. As you say, once a scout... :-)

Great photos of your field trip, Barbara!

Happy Friday, Barb! The field trip looks like a lot of fun. I love a bonfire.

Wow, what a field trip! I love how often your class is out of the classroom!

>66 Deern: Thanks so much, Nathalie. It was indeed a great day.
We are looking forward to Biarritz. Today in six weeks we'll be there.

>67 Berly: Hi Kim, nice to see you. We had a great day, that's true. I won't get such a quiet weekend. We'll go to a special exhibition which is called Breaking The Silence which is only here in Zürich for ten days.

>68 charl08: Hello Charlotte, yes, I'm a scout and therefore I love being in the forest and outdoor. Today, a lot of the kids were very tired but it's also very hot. We have 31C (87.8 F).

>69 kidzdoc: Thanks so much, Darryl. I would like to be more often outdoor with the kids and I take this freedom once a week, also it's usually only for two hours.

>70 msf59: Happy Friday to you too, Mark. We had a lot of fun and sausages from the bonfire are always the best ones.

>71 scaifea: Thanks so much Amber. Me too, I could spend more hours oudoor with the kids but I can only take two hours a week or from time to time a field trip like yesterday.

Happy Weekend to you!

>73 LoisB: Thanks so much, Lois. It's 10.35pm here and still 27C (80.6F). We don't have air condition, so I hope that I can sleep.

10:30 and it is still 80 degrees! It must have been really warm during the day.

Congratulations, Barbara, on winding down another school year so well! The sports day and the field trip sound great!
Your vacation plans sound even greater!!! Enjoy! I'm sure you deserve the time off!!!!

>75 catarina1: Catarina, luckily we hsd a thunderstorm around midnight and the temperature dropped a few grade C.

>76 LizzieD: Thanks so much, Peggy. There are still 5 weeks school until the break and to be frank the worst once because I have to write all student's report next to teaching. So in about four weeks the most part should be finished. (Fingers crossed)

Happy weekend, Barbara!

>78 kidzdoc: Thanks so much, Darryl. This morning I went to the market than some work for school and now I'm reading. It's over 30C so definitely too hot for me. Tomorrow will go to the exhibition 'Breaking the Silence (see the link in >72 Ameise1:).

I hope your weekend is going well, Barbara. Your summer holiday sounds wonderful.

I'm a bit dazed that the American version of A Clockwork Orange is incomplete - I mostly hated it when I read it in college, to tell the truth.

>79 Ameise1: 'Breaking the Silence' sounds interesting; I look forward to your description of it.

30 C is Atlanta weather! It will reach 32 C (89 F) here today, but that isn't unusual for early June.

>80 karenmarie: Hi Karen, I was astonished to read there are two version of Clockwork Orange and that the US one is missing the end.
Yes, I'm looking forward to our summer holiday trip. :-)

>81 kidzdoc: Darryl, I've to admit that I don't like heat. Up to 25C it's wonderful. More than that I don't feel well more stressed and everything over 30C is definitely out of order for me, especially when I have to work and we don't have air condition.
I'll report tomorrow after the exhibition what my impressions are.

I'm with you on the heat issue, Barbara - I'm not a fan, either. Charlie's school isn't air-conditioned, either, and it can get pretty miserable in there.

>83 scaifea: Amber, you have my deepest understanding and sympathy. It's 7pm and still 30C, so we'll eat dinner much later.

Thank you for posting your lovely photos. They make me smile!

>85 Whisper1: Linda, you're very welcome. :-)

book 42 Read in German All The Little Live Things


AAC June

This is a wonderful book. It's written with great care for all protagonists. A retired couple is living now in California. They bought quite a big piece of land where there new house was built. This story tells the living together with the neighbours whom are people like everybody knows. Each family has their struggle be it due to parenthood, money, self-discovery, cancer or finding peace with their past.
Stegner leads us through their lives with a lot of emotions, wonderful pictures of fauna and flora and as a reader I felt like being amongst them.

Hi Barbara, your reading is going really well my dear, hope you have had a good day, sending love and hugs.

>88 johnsimpson: Thanks so much, John. I've read more books than last year st this date so yes, I'm very happy with my reading.
I had a day full of meetings but luckily they went well. I requested also for an author who will come in winter to our school. I had to propose four authors and now I've to wait until September then I'll know which one will come. Love and hugs right back to you xx

Which four authors did you propose?

Patrick Addai
Katja Alves
Anja Fröhlich
Bettina Göschl

If you had to choose, who would you ideally like to come to school?

Well, I like all four but I think Patrick Addai would be the kids favourite one because he is from Ghana and he will tell the story how he had learned it at his village with drums and dances.
Who will come depends how fast I made the order. There is a group who makes the decision for the whole canton Zürich. I chose for the grades 1 to 3 for our school.

Hi, Barbara! Your field trip sounds great!

>94 tymfos: Thanks so much, Terri.

Hi Barbara - just stopping in to say hello and wish you a marvelous weekend.

Have a lovely weekend, Barbara!

>96 karenmarie: >97 Deern: Thanks so much Karen and Nathalie. Wishing you a lovely one too.

Happy weekend, Barbara!

Happy Friday, Barb! Hope you had a good week and have a nice weekend planned.

>99 LoisB: Thanks, Lois.

>100 msf59: Thanks, Mark. Will do a lot of work for school and hopefully some reading too.

Barbara, can I just say THANK YOU for the weekend wishes and lovely pics you leave on my thread almost every week, even when I'm AWOL for over a month?
{{{big hug}}}

>102 Deern: Nathalie, you're very welcome. Thanks so much for the big huge. Love it :-).

What a great trip with your kids, Barbara. They're so lucky to have you. it looks like they had fun and learned as well.

I hope you have a good weekend.

Hope you have a great weekend, Barbara.

>104 cameling: Thanks so much, Caro. This morning we spent another two ours in the wood. The boys had some troubles with red ants. Luckily I had enough Fenistil cream with me.
What a beautiful photo. I would like to be on this sailing boat.

>105 jnwelch: Thanks so much, Joe. I've to do some work for school but it's also planned to get enough reading time.

book 43 Read in German The Girl in the Polka-dot Dress


BAC June 2015

This was a nice reading. I loved Bainbridge's spelling style. Within the story I liked the journey through the USA from the view of two completely different persons who were looking both to find a Mr. Wheeler. Whereas Harold was looking to the task ahead, Rose was living in the past and her memories of Mr. Wheeler were more important than what she would intend to to do once they would find him. During there trip they met a lot of different people which were mostly connected to Harold and his past but also some completely strangers whereat Rose found a better way to communicate with them.

Have a great weekend, Barbara!

>108 kidzdoc: Thanks so much, Darryl. Wishing you great meet-ups :-).

Happy Saturday, Barb! I was considering The Girl in the Polka-dot Dress for the BAC. We will see...

>110 msf59: Well, Mark, I don't know if I would/could recommend this book. It was indeed a fast reading one but not so gripping.
Enjoy your trip to New Glarus.

Oh no, not red ants! I had a traumatic walk through the woods when I was about 3 or 4, involving me accidentally standing on a red ant hill and them retaliating by climbing into my pants...

>112 scaifea: Amber, red ants aren't funny and they find their way everywhere. The boys were very brave and the Fenistl cream helped a lot.

Hi Barbara, I am afraid we have sickness bugs in the Simpson household and so it has not been a good start to the weekend and I don't think tomorrow will be any better. I hope you are having a nice weekend dear friend.

Oh dear, get well soon my friends. Thinking of you and sending lots of healing vibes. xx

book 44



This was a very gripping fast-paced reading. It's the first book of the Eastern Bloc series and I'll definitely read the other four books, too. The story of this books takes place in 1948 in an eastern capital. It's shortly after WWII and the establishment of the Cold War is forming. Important persons are looking for a good comfortable place within the polit office. Corruptions is among the agenda when Emil Brod a young homicide inspector has his first day at the People's Militia. All his work colleagues and his chief are thinking that he is a spy amongst them and therefore they avoid him and sometimes with brutal violence. His first case brings him straight back to connections of WWII. By and by he finds the path but has to pay it by being beaten heavily. During his recovery he gains the trust of his colleagues and chief but is told to let the case drop. Brod won't let go and finally solved the puzzle.

Hi Barb, just visiting and reading what you haven been reading!

Connie, the Steinhauer was a ROOT book. I loved it very much.

Always good to read a book you love!

You almost always have good reading going on, Barbara. You have now reminded me that I've never read any B. Bainbridge although I have a couple waiting. If I could ever fall out of love with BIG books, I'd make a lot more progress toward my 75!
Hope you're enjoying your weekend. Two more weeks before all the heavy end-of-school stuff is done? May they go easily!

>119 connie53: Indeed. :-)

>120 LizzieD: Peggy, I read some very good books this year and the AAC and BAC helped to get know some new authors to me too.
There are still four weeks to go until the end of the school year.

>63 Ameise1: wow, looks like heaps of fun! I love a good fire.
Oh, and hello :)

>122 LovingLit: Hello and welcome to my thread, Megan. We had indeed a fabulous time and the kids love sausages from those fires.

Love the photos of the field trip in the woods. Looks like fun.

>124 SuziQoregon: Hi Juli, we had a lot of fun that day.

Hi, Barb! Glad you enjoyed the Bridge of Sighs. I have had that on on my WL for years. I have never read that author.

>126 msf59: Mark, I can strongly recommend this book and will definitely read the rest of this series, too.

>116 Ameise1: I am not that into crime or thriller books, but this one looks like it might have a bit of history thrown in too? And I do need to learn more about the Cold War, which confuses me at the moment.

Megan, the cold war was very complex and there are such a lot of very interesting books (fiction/non-fiction). This is a theme one could read for the rest of his life.

>116 Ameise1: I have The Tourist on the shelves and still haven't gotten around to reading it. I think it's the first in a different series. Your review of The Bridge of Sighs makes me want to bring him (well, his work) on vacation!

>130 EBT1002: Hi Ellen, I've the series of 'The Tourist' too but haven't read it so far. I love Steinhauer's spelling style and will definitely continue with his series.

>63 Ameise1: I always associate you with wooded glades Barbara and wish I had spent more time on such trips as a student!

Thanks for keeping me on your rounds despite my long absences. My favourite Swiss teacher by a country mile!

>116 Ameise1: This sounds great, will have a look for this. I find this period/ regional setting interesting, but have only really read a couple of Philip Kerr's Bernie Gunther books that deal with it - I'm sure there are more as you say >129 Ameise1:

>132 PaulCranswick: Paul, I'm glad to see you from time to time on FB so I konow that you're well.
Glad you like my trips into the wood.

>133 charl08: Charlotte, I always liked to read books after WWII from the Eastern Block. They are so interesting. There are also some great spy stories.

Hi Barbara! I have finally made my way over to your new thread. The Schwarzenbach Kolonialwaren is my dream store! It must be absolutely amazing to visit in person and experience all the wonder.

>42 Ameise1: - Yay, you enjoyed The Mistress of the Art of Death! Such a perfect blending of historical fiction, humour and quasi-cozy mystery. The other stories in the series are just as good, IMO. I was saddened when I saw news of the author's death.

>63 Ameise1: - Looks like a fun field trip!

>116 Ameise1: - Oh, is that book available as an English translation?

>135 lkernagh: Hi Lori, it's great to see you. Schwarzenbach is a wonderful store but also ve4y expensive but it's also fntastic just to look and smell.

I'm still waiting for the second book of Franklin's series. I hope that I get it before the summer holiday.

We had a lot of fun at the field trip.

Steinhauer's book are in English so go on and read them.

Happy Friday, Barb! Hope the week went well and you have a nice weekend planned.

>137 msf59: Thanks so much, Mark. I've lots of work for school and I'm not able to join my family which will go to 'art Basel' on Sunday.

I'm sorry that you won't be able to see Art Basel. I've read about that event - it must be wonderful to see.

>139 catarina1: Catarina, Art Basel is indeed one of the best art event but this year my family has to go without me.
Thomas and I were at my brother's place for dinner tonight. My sister was there too. We had spent a great time.

After the shopping on the local market I went to the library and picked up Spiel mit dem Tod by Anne Gold. It's the second book from this series which I started earlier this year.

Hi Barbara! I'm sorry you have to miss Art Basel and time with your family. I hope that your weekend is productive and that you're able to finish all your school work.

I'll have to see if my public library has Olen Steinhauer's Eastern Bloc series. It sounds like one I would enjoy.

>142 cbl_tn: Thanks so much, Carrie. This time of the year is always very busy at school.

I hope your library has got Steinhauer's series.

I'm also sorry that you'll miss 'art Basel' with your family, Barbara. I hope that you're having a productive day.

>144 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl, I was able to make a great progress in collecting all notes which I need to write the reports for each pupil. I should be able to start writing them next weekend.
Furthermore I prepared a vegetable lasagne for my family when they came back from Art Basel.

# 45 ♫ Listen in German The Legacy


BB from Monica (JustJoey4)

This was a very gripping listening about a family history. Two sisters went back to their late grandmother's manor. There was a legacy that they wouldn't inherit the house because it was thought that their missing cousin should be the legal owner of it.
When the two sisters arrived around Christmas time they got threw back into their family history which was a great secret. Erika couldn't let go to dig out all the secrets whereas her sister would have liked to keep it buried. They meet people from their past but also from their ancestors and in the end Erika was able to put together all pieces.

Hi Barbara - I hope you've had a lovely weekend.

>147 BLBera: Hi Beth, I had to work a lot for school but now I do some reading :-)

Hi, Barbara!


glitter-graphics.com

>149 tymfos: Hi Terri, thanks for the gif. Wishing you Happy Summer, too.

Yum - vegetable lasagne! Happy week Barbara (and thanks once again for the lovely weekend pic)! Hope that Zeugnis work will be done soon.
Are they still being handwritten in Switzerland? I spoke to a primary school teacher from Bolzano 2 weeks ago and she said it still has to be done this way here and it needs full concentration because the paper is "vindimiert" and they can't make any errors.

Hi Barb, just wanting to wish you a beautiful week!

>151 Deern: Hi Nathalie, we are doing the Zeugnis on the computer. Each child gets to the official Zeugnis (two pages) and an extra report for each subject which is much more detailed so they compare the improvement from one term to the next one. This part gives a lot of work for me.
The vegetable lasagne was delicious and non left-over.

>152 connie53: Hi Connie, thanks so much. It will be another busy one. On Wednesday evening we attend a concert of Marina's youth band. Friday is Thomas' birthday and at school it's like being in a bee house. Another three weeks and holiday will start.

Haha, My Peet's birthday is on Sunday! He celebrates his 65th birthday.
My four weeks at school will be rather calm. My job looks similar to yours, but my busiest time in in the beginning of the school year.

>154 connie53: Thomas will be 54. When starts retirement age in the Netherland? Here in Switzerland it's for women 64 and men 65. So Peet would be a lucky man here.

book 46



This was very gripping but also a bit jumpy reading. It's the first book of the DS O'Neill series. The second one was reliesed last year. It takes place in Belfast.
This is DS O'Neill's first case at the CID. He doesn't have much friends there only his mentor DI Jack Ward who is helping him. CI Charles Wilson on the other hand is making O'Neill's life very hard and is looking forward to finding a reason to kick him out.
When they find the victim there was no clue who this young boy is and who could be the killer. O'Neill is fishing in murky waters and therefore arouses suspicion within Belfast's underworld like drug dealers, corrupt builders and former detainee. To solve the puzzle he needs not only luck and patience but also the distrust within the gangs.

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

>157 johnsimpson: Thanks so much, John. I was busy doing work for school. Thomas and Marina were at Art Basel and came home very excited. The start into the new busy week was a good one.

>156 Ameise1: I don't think I've read any crime fiction set in Belfast so I'll look out for that series Barbara. Thanks!

You are always dropping by to wish us a great weekend, so I thought I'd wish you a happy week. I realize I'm a day late (and probably a dollar short too)!

>159 charl08: Charlotte, I saw and bought this book when I was in Manchester in 2012. Now I've looked up on the internet and saw that the second book was reliesed last year.

>160 thornton37814: You're welcome, Lori. Thanks so much for the week wishes. This morning it's raining again.
Well, I suppose that 'a dollar short' must be a phrase but what for is the meaning here?

Hi Barb! Just checking in. I hope the week is going well.

>162 msf59: So far so good, thanks Mark. Hope your start into your new weeke goes well, too.

On my way from the hairdresser to the library I stumbled over a jerb and bumped into an iron chair with head. The guys from that bar were most kindful. They helped me to stand up, sit down on a chair and brought a glass of water. After a while I got up picked the audio from the library and went home by bus. Now I feel a bit dizzy and bruised and Thomas is looking regulary how I'm doing.

>164 Ameise1: Oh dear! I hope the head feels better soon. I'm glad there's someone at home with you to check on you.

>160 thornton37814: >161 Ameise1: "A day late and a dollar short" is an idiom you occasionally hear in the U.S. I'm not sure where the phrase originated.

>165 cbl_tn: Thanks so much, Carrie. I could sleep well and feel much better. Thanks for the explanation.

>161 Ameise1: I see Carrie explained the phrase. It supposedly dates back to the 1890s, but no one knows exactly when it first appeared. It has been used in movies, songs, etc.

>167 thornton37814: Thanks so much, Lori. It's so interesting to learn where phrases come from and where they are used mostly.

Oh my! I'm sorry about your mishap and trust that you are getting back to 100%. It's scary to hit your head. Take care!!!

>169 LizzieD: Peggy, my head feels much better than yesterday and this morning. I'll be cafeful at the moment what ever I'm doing.

I hope you're fully recovered from your mishap, Barbara. Be careful with a head injury!

>171 karenmarie: Thanks so much, Karen, my head feels good this morning.

Hi, Barb! Big Waves from the Midwest! Hope all is well!

Glad you're feeling ok after your accident. Careful!

>173 msf59: Big waves right back to you, Mark. Hugs

>174 charl08: Thanks so much, Charlotte. I try to be careful.

>156 Ameise1: Oh that one sounds interesting!

Sorry about your fall. Glad your head is feeling better.

>176 SuziQoregon: Thanks, Juli.

Hi Barbara, a flower from my garden. Have a good weekend.

>178 charl08: Thanks so much, Charlotte. This must be a special kind of carnation, isn't it? It's beautiful.

>164 Ameise1: - Head injuries always make me cringe. I had a corner of a paving stone accidentally impact my head when I was a wee girl of 4 years old. The boy who threw the stone was actually trying to aim for a cat who was causing mischief with their caged pet bird and I was in the wrong place at the wrong time. My mom was home at the time and rushed me to the hospital with a face cloth over my bleeding head. Good news is there was no serious damage but to this day I am very protective of my head and as a child hated kids who thought it was fun to thump other kids on the head with their hands.

Glad to see that you are feeling okay after your accident.

I hope you have a lovely weekend.

>180 lkernagh: Oh Lori, what a dreadful experience. I'm fully agree that that kids shouldn't thump other kids on the head with their hand. Just yesterday I had to talk about this with my pupils that this is absolutely forbidden. They see these always on TV and think that's funny.

Yesterday evening my head didn't feel so good but this morning it's okay.

I wish you a lovely weekend, too. Mine is filled with lots of work for school.

Yesterday, most of my pupils finished another art project Fish - painting like Paul Klee. I'm very proud of the outcome of the 8 years old pupils.

Yesterday, we celbrated my hubsters 54th birthday. Today, after the shopping on the local market I went to the library and came home with:

1. The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin Audiobook (German)
2. The Devil in the Marshalsea by Antonia Hodgson BB from Charlotte (German)
3. Waterblue Eyes by Domingo Villar a Spanish mystery (German)

Happy Saturday, Barb! I hope you have a wonderful weekend planned and make room for those books!

>184 msf59: Hi Mark, I try to squeeze some reading time into the weekend.

Student art project looks wonderful. Very pleasing!

I think I have read that Stegner- it is a good one.

>186 sibylline: Thanks so much, Lucy. I love art and I'm always looking out for new projects which I can do with my pupils.

I loved this Stegner book very much.

Have a great weekend! I don't have the nice flowers to share like you do, but I just wanted to stop in and wish you one on your thread.

>188 thornton37814: Thanks so much, Lori, how kind of you.

LOVE those fish!!! I'm always amazed at the wonderful things that teachers get their students to do in the art line --- even those students who as a general rule aren't particularly creative visually. I would have been one of those, and I would have been thrilled to have done something like those fish.

>190 LizzieD: Thanks so much, Peggy. Your compliment is worth gold because I know that you're an artist. I like art very much and therefore also the teaching of it.

>182 Ameise1: Wow, I like those a lot, Barbara. Great project.

Hope you have a wonderful weekend.

>192 jnwelch: Thanks so much, Joe. I like doing art with kids very much and my pupils are very good at it.

So far I have a wonderful weekend.

# 47 Read in German



This is the second of the Kommissär Ferrari series and I liked it very much. After a partying night and a thick head Kommissär Ferrari is introduced to a woman who fears that her husband will commit suicide. Not quite believing her, he talks to her husband and gets the feeling that this man couldn't be suicidal.
The very next morning he is called to a death scene where he learns that the man he met the day before sprang from a roof. A media group is already there and had filmed the jump. Ferrari is suspicious and therefore he starts investigating the death and the victim's surrounding. He looks into this case from every angle and comes to the conclusion that this must be a murder but to proof it, is a very difficult task and needs exceptional investigation.
It was a very gripping reading and took me until the very end to see the outcome.

Happy birthday - a little late - to your husband, Barbara! And I love those paintings up there; you're students are very talented!

>195 scaifea: Thanks so much, Amber, also from Thomas.
I love how my pupils are painting. It's always great fun.

>182 Ameise1: wow, they are lovely pictures. I love seeing my nearly-7-year-old coming up with artworks that are more and more precise. Little Lenny is still in the scribble-and-run phase of art :)

>197 LovingLit: Isn't it great when they are painting and drawing, Megan? Keep from each stage a piece. These are wonderful memories.

book 48 ♫



This was the most fabulous listening this year. There are 15 short stories which keep the reader/listener gripped from the first word until the very last one. Jeffrey Archer is a master not only in telling stories but also with a great British black humour which in all those 15 tales are fulfilled as a masterpiece. The stories start harmlessly but quickly turn into a speed and the outcomes are always a surprise. Archer is playing with the human's foolishness but also with its sneakiness.
It's a book I can strongly recommend.

Happy Wednesday, Barb! I have not read Jeffrey Archer since the 1980s. I can't believe he is still chugging along.

>200 msf59: Hi Mark, I love his books and that one was fabulous.

Hi Barbara, have a lovely Wednesday my dear. By the way I have a new thread up.

>201 Ameise1: Hi John, I was just over at your new shiny place. We must have been cross posting.

The heat is terrible here. We have 35C (95F) and it's getting hotter the next few days. I don't know how to survive.

Today I saw my dermatologist because I found some new spots with white skin cancer. So she did some therapy. One is a small cyst which we have to observe. It's very close to my right eye and if it is growing quickly she'll send me to another expert because it's too close to my eye that she'll do an op.

I hope the dermatologist sorts things out for you my dear and if she is unsure then get you to an expert PDQ.

>204 johnsimpson: John, she isn't unsure, it's only too close to the eye that she would't do the op. We'll see after my summer holiday what this cyst has done and if neccessary she'll send me to another specialist.

Liking that strong recommendation for that Jeffrey Archer book, Barbara. I've not read him before.

>206 jnwelch: Joe, I love Archer's books very much and this one was a 'bull's eye'. :-)

>203 Ameise1: Good to hear that the doctor is watching you carefully - hoping for the best outcome for you.

It seems like sweltering heat is being found in a number of countries right now. Here is hoping that you are managing to stay cool. Good to know your doc is monitoring the cyst. Here is hoping all goes well.

>208 charl08: >209 lkernagh: Thanks so much, Charlotte and Lori. I've a wonderful doctor. She is doing a great job.

The heat is crazy. We have 36C (96.8F) and it's still going up the next few days. I don't know what to do to cool down.

Happy Friday, Barb. Hope you have a nice weekend planned, filled with plenty of R & R.

>210 Ameise1: Feature on TV few nights ago suggested:

Breathing in over glass of Ice
Chilling your sunscreen
Drinking herbal tea
Eating spicy food

I'm not convinced any would help that much! We had spectacular lightning storms last night, and the rain and drop in temp that followed was just wonderful. Happy weekend!

>211 msf59: Hi Mark, thanks so much. We'll go to an open air concert this evening, than I've to write the finish of all the reports and reading is also on the list.

>212 charl08: Thanks so much, Charlotte. The end of the heat and rain isn't in sight here. It's still getting hotter and the nights don't cool down. We are around 37C during day time and the nights around 24C and I sleep badly. I drink only water and a few coffees.
On a lighter note, I've finished The Devil in the Marshalsea last Wednesday and should write my thoughts this weekend. I liked it very much.

Happy weekend to both of you, too.

book 49 Read in German The Devil in the Marshalsea


BB from Charlotte (charl08)

Even though this book has close to 500pp it was a very fast-reading one and I finished it in a short time. It was very gripping and enjoyable. The story is set in the late 18th century. It's the story about the life at Marshalsea which was a debt prison in Southwark Borough. This prison was divided into two parts, one was for the very poor people who died like flies in that prison the other part was for people from a 'better' social rank who had families or friends who provided them with food or money or they were so corrupt that they found a way to survive this imprisonment.
The main character, a young fellow who had faith in his best friend and some inmates, didn't have a clue that he was the cue ball of those persons. Due to gaining their better positions they used him in a brutal way. He got just enough support not to die but had to suffer a lot. During the four days he was imprisoned he had to solve a murder but was close to be a victim himself.

Hi Barbara - if I'm reading your posts right, it looks like your husband has the same birthday as me -June 26. Happy late birthday to him.

Your temperatures are like ours were last week - we'd say high 90s - and we broke a record for the number of days about 95F (35C). I hope for cooler temperatures for you. Today our is supposed to be cooler - 86F/30C. Very humid though, which makes it feel much hotter.

I hope you're having a lovely weekend.

>215 karenmarie: What a coincident. Happy belated birthday to you.

It's indeed very hot and no AC so it's hard to do something. Therefore I'm reading.

"Therefore I'm reading." Enough, said. Enjoy!

>217 msf59: :-)

book 50 Read in German Waterblue Eyes



This is the first of the Detective Inspector Leo Caldas' series which is placed in Vigo/ Galicia (Spain). It shows some similarities with the Montalbano series because food and wine are very important but also a special colleague which is joining him. Leo Caldas is regulary guest at a radio station and therefore he is well known to a lot of people and this helps very much to get informations.
In this story a famous saxophone player was found brutally murdered in his apartment. Soon it leads to the gay scene but also to a privat hospital and its wealthy owner. It was a fast-paced and gripping reading. I'll definitely will read the second of this series, too.

Somehow I missed The Devil in the Marshalsea on Charlotte's thread, but I am taking the BB now on your thread, Barbara! Sounds like my kind of read!
Here is hope you continue to find ways to stay cool. I find placing a bowl of ice cubes in front of a desk fan is a nice way to get a cool breeze on an otherwise stifling day.

>220 lkernagh: Thanks so much for the bowle with ice cubes, Lori. Just the thing I can need. We're leaving within the next two hours for an openair concert. I hope I won't faint from the heat.

The Devil in the Marshalsea was a great reading. I hope you'll enjoy it as much as we did.

Hmm. You've intrigued me with the Leo Caldas series, Barbara. I'm a big Montalbano fan. I've put this one on the WL (in English).

Hope you have a great weekend.

>222 jnwelch: Thanks Joe, we just came back from a girgeous open air concert.

Happy Sunday, Barbara!

>224 scaifea: Thanks so much, Amber. Wishing you the same.

Hi Barbara, I am glad you liked The Devil in the Marshalsea as I have it on my TBR pile. The photo's of the open air concert you went to last night looked gorgeous my dear.

>226 johnsimpson: Thanks so much, John. We had a gorgeous night at the concert. I hope you'll enjoy the book as much as I did.

It's 10.30pm here and I would like to sleep but it's still 27C.

So sorry that it is so warm there still late at night. I don't know what I would do without AC here in Baltimore what it is going to be close to 90 F (which I think is around 30 C) several days this week - that and the humidity is a killer.

>228 catarina1: Catarina, I feel like 100 and my strengths are low but I've a new work day ahead.

HI Barbara - I love the fish tiles; your students did a marvelous job. You've been doing some great reading, too. I added Waterblue Eyes to my wishlist. The Devil in the Marshalsea was already there, thanks to Charlotte.

>230 BLBera: Hi Beth, thanks so much for your compliment and I had indeed some great reading so far.

So much to catch up on here, Barbara. I'm glad your head injury didn't cause you too much discomfort--the student art work is Fantastic! -- Happy Belated Birthday to your husband -- and thank you for all the great book reviews. You are a very busy lady!

More heat sympathy..... This was the cool day of the week here - 90°, but it's not supposed to top 100° the way it did a couple of weeks ago. In fact, this is just typical July weather for us, including the high humidity. Anyway, I hope you soon cool down. I don't think you're supposed to be this hot.
I'm glad that you have a good dermatologist who is keeping up with those skin cancers.
Happy Summer Holiday!!!!

>232 Donna828: Hi Donna, thanks so much. It's nice to have you here. Only another four days at school and tha our summer holiday starts.

>233 LizzieD: Peggy, we are definitely not used to such a long period of this kind of heat. The last time was twelf years ago but with the climat changing it will be so more frequently, I suppose. Indeed my dermatologist is a fantastic lady.

>199 Ameise1: the only of Archer's I have read is his prison diaries (2, or was it 3 that he wrote?). They were fairly harrowing in sections. The worst one was well warned....but of course I read it and now have an awful violent scene in my head that one of his prison buddies bragged about.
*shudder*
Anyway...long story short...I have not read any of his fiction!

>235 LovingLit: Hi Megan, I'v read the following Jeffery Archer so far: Paths of Glory; He Loved Two Women... And One of Them Killed Him, First Among Equals, False Impression and And Thereby Hangs a Tale. I loved them all.

Quick hello, Barbara! Hope you're doing well and reading wonderful books.

Hi Barbara, Dark Dawn sounds interesting but I'm not sure it's available in the states yet. :( I read The Ghosts of Belfast by Stuart Neville a few years ago and loved the Belfast setting.

Your students' art work is beautiful! There's a couple that should be framed!

>237 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. :-)

>238 Copperskye: Hi Joanne, I haven't read The Ghosts of Belfast. Those fish are for the July calender sheet. For the Christmas 2015 present each pupil makes for each month a calender sheet. I always make this project with the kids when they are in the second year at my class (we keep the kids three years before they move on to another teacher). The parents love this present very much.

Happy Hump Day, Barb! Hope the week is going well.

>240 msf59: Hi Mark, so far so good. The temperature dropped finally due to some short rain at midnight. So I can breath again. Only two days of work to go and than starts our summer holiday. Woohoo.

I went to the local library and came back with two audios:

1. H Is for Hawk by Helen MacDonald (because everybody else is reading/listening it)
2. Friends Lovers Chocolate by Alexander McCall Smith

Hope you like H is for Hawk. I don't think I've read anything else like it.

And hurray for your holiday, of course. Hope you enjoy it.

>242 charl08: Thanks Charlotte, we are leaving next Wednesday but I'm happy that I have to work only two days. :-)

bbok 51



This is another fantastic book of the Bruno Courrèges' series. I really love this series and that one was a gripping reading.
Bruno is called to an archaeological excavation where a body was found which isn't as old as the the other ones. More or less at the same time he is called by the Brigadier who is involved to organise a meeting between French and Spanish ministers and therefore ETA alarms are counted among the agenda. Bruno has not only to make this meeting safe by looking into everybody's files but also to solve kidnapping, violence against duck producers and keeping the new magistrat at arm length.
It was a fast-paced reading, the food which was described made my mouth waters but in the very end Bruno lost a very good friend and partner which made me feel sad.

Wow, Barbara, sound like you've done some really good reading. This last one sounds great, as does the Jeffery Archer one, and the one a while back set in Belfast. I may be adding one or more of them to my reading list . . . which is already too long . . .

Sorry to hear about your nasty head bump and the troubling skin issues.

Wishing you a great weekend!

>245 tymfos: Thanks so much, Terri. I had indeed some great reading. My own list is growing steadily due to all BBs so I know what you mean.
Since today my five weeks summer holiday has started. We are leaving next Wednesday for France. I'll take only books from my shelves with me and non from the library.
My head feels ok and my skin looks white with all the sun cream (50+).

Wishing you a great weekend, too.

Safe travels!

>247 tymfos: Thanks, Terri.

Enjoy your trip!

Happy Sunday, Barb! I hope you enjoy H is For Hawk as much as I did. It is one of my favorite reads of the year.

>249 lkernagh: Thanks so much, Lori. Will do so.

>250 msf59: Many thanks, Mark. I saw it on your thread as well and I've read that you like itvery much. I've uploaded it on my mp3 player.

>244 Ameise1: woah, ominous sounding title!

I'm stopping by to say hello and to thank you once again for your lovely images posted on my thread each week. I want you to know how much they cheer me. Thanks!!!!!!!!

>252 LovingLit: Isn't it, Megan? And so true. Have you ever read a Martin Walker mystery? If not, give it a try, tbey are enjoyable.

>253 Whisper1: Oh Linda, you're very welcome. I'm glad you like them and they bring you some joy.

5 weeks! *Swoon!* Have a wonderful trip!

I have the first Martin Walker book on my kindle. I need to get to it!

>255 Copperskye: Joanne, we'll be 3 1/2 weeks away and 1 1/2 week at home.
I hope you enjoy the book as much as I do. It's a wonderful series.

book 52 ♫ Listen in German


BAC July

The story itself wasn't really my taste. There was too much snobbery on the part of Mrs. Dalloway. There were other characters which were much more interesting like Septimus and his post trauma from the war or the stories from the servants, teacher and shopkeepers which I liked more.
What I was really fascinated was the language. It is very detailed and as a reader/listener one got the feeling to be a part of the story as an observer.

Please, join me on my new thread.