(Sir)Thomas' 2013 Challenge

Welcome to my thread.
This is my first challenge and I think I will enjoy it.

January
0. Die Tribute von Panem 1. Tödliche Spiele by Suzanne Collins (finished December 2012)
1. Die Tribute von Panem 2. Gefährliche Liebe by Suzanne Collins
2. Die Tribute von Panem 3. Flammender Zorn by Suzanne Collins
3. Detektiv Nobody's Erlebnisse und Reiseabenteuer Bd. 1 by Robert Kraft
4. und noch ein Küsschen! : Weitere ungewöhnliche Geschichten by Roald Dahl
5. Seide by Alessandro Baricco
6. Spenser auf der Flucht by Robert B. Parker
7. Oups vom Planet des Herzen by Kurt Hörtenhuber
8. Träume von Babylon. Ein Detektivroman 1942 by Richard Brautigan
9. Schneller als der Hunger by Gunnar Steinbach
10. Die Häupter meiner Lieben by Ingrid Noll
11. Stockinger. Der letzte Bergbauer by Dieter Weißbach

February
12. Chronic City by Jonathan Lethem
13. Die Zeit, die Zeit by Martin Suter
14. Nullzeit by Juli Zeh
15. Leopard by Jo Nesbø
16. Ho'oponopono by Ulrich E. Dupree
17. Meer der Finsternis by Dean Koontz
18. Candlelight Döner by Asli Sevindim

March
19. Der manipulierte Tod und das menschliche Sterben by Robert Schlund
20. Die Frau und der Affe by Peter Hoeg
21. Ein kalter Mord by Colleen McCullough
22. Bahnhofsmission by Michael Krug
23. Bye Bye, Crazy Chick! by Joe Schreiber
24. Verwesung by Simon Beckett
25. Schafkopf by Andreas Föhr
26. Frauen lügen by Eva Ehley
27. Der Zeuge by Daniel Silva
28. Der Tod ist ein bleibender Schaden by Eoin Colfer
29. Herzblut by Volker Klüpfel and Michael Kobr

April
30. Kühlfach betreten verboten by Jutta Profijt
31. Das Buch ohne Staben by Anonymus
32. Raum by Emma Donoghue
33. Jack Taylor liegt falsch by Ken Bruen

May
34. Der Rote by Bernhard Kegel
35. Die Radleys by Matt Haig
36. Jagd auf Mrs. Pollifax by Dorothy Gilman
37. Dornröschen war ein schönes Kind by Ross Macdonald
38. Wir töten nicht jeden by Carlos Salem
39. Räuberbier by Harald Schneider
40. Muttertier n Rabenmutter by Nives Mestrovic and Sonja Liebsch

June
41. Triffst du Buddha, töte ihn! by Andreas Altmann
42. 5 Dinge, die Sterbende am meisten bereuen by Bronnie Ware
43. Die Bibliothek der Schatten by Mikkel Birkegaard
44. Joyland by Stephen King
45. Maria, Mord und Mandelplätzchen: 24 Weihnachtskrimis von Sylt bis zur Zugspitze by Michelle Stöger

July
46. Business Class: Geschichten aus der Welt des Managements by Martin Suter
47. Gewitter über Pluto by Heinrich Steinfest
48. Der Erinnerer by Robert Haasnoot
49. Die Reise des Elefanten by José Saramago

August
50. Herr aller Dinge by Andreas Eschbach
51. Der Tod und der Dicke by Reginald Hill
52. Ausgerechnet Golf by Nicole Raichle
53. An Odd Quartet by Michael Brookes
54. Tim Frazer by Francis Durbridge

September
55. IQ84 (Buch 3) by Haruki Murakami
56. Golf. Die Platzreife by Robert Hamster
57. Golfregeln in Frage und Antwort by Deutscher Golf Verband e. V.
58. Die Frau mit dem roten Tuch by Jostein Gaarder
59. Der Derbysieger by Edgar Wallace

October
60. Ein seltsamer Ort zum Sterben by Derek B. Miller
61. Die Flüsse von London by Ben Aaronovitch
62. Golf Made Easy by Nicklas Watson
63. Denn dein ist die Sünde by Elizabeth George
64. Das geheimnisvolle Haus by Edgar Wallace
65. Das Geheimnis der gelben Narzissen by Edgar Wallace
66. Mary Ann im Herbst by Armistead Maupin

November
67. Christmasland by Joe Hill
68. Opferlämmer by Jeffery Deaver
69. Fever _ Schatten der Vergangenheit by Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child
70. Aschenputtel by Kristina Ohlsson
71. Der Poet der kleinen Dinge by Marie-Sabine Roger
72. Die Violine des Teufels by Joseph Gelinek
73. Das Gesetz der Vier by Edgar Wallace
74. Shining by Stephen King
75. Doctor Sleep by Stephen King

December
76. Das silberne Dreieck by Edgar Wallace
77. Der entwendete Brief by Edgar Allan Poe
78. Das Geheimnis der Marie Rogêt by Edgar Allan Poe
79. Der Exorzist by William Peter Blatty
80. Spieler Eins by Douglas Coupland
81. Salamitaktik by Ralf H. Dorweiler
82. Mäh!: Geschichten aus intelligenten Schwärmen und anderen Krisenherden by Matthias Reuter
83. Halloween Horror: Gruselgeschichten für die schaurigste Nacht des Jahres by Wolfgang Hohlbein
84. Die lange Erde by Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter

Hi, Thomas...and welcome!

To me, the challenge groups are the most fun part of being a LibraryThing member. Hope you enjoy this group as much as I have.

Welcome!

Welcome to the group!

Thank you all for the warm welcome, I’m glad to be here.

Welcome to the 75!

I take it you already read Hunger Games before January? What did you think of the series?

Thank you, Kathy for the welcome. You're right, I finished the first book in December.
I enjoyed the series very much. Absorbing read, you could really immerse yourself in the story and lose yourself in it.
The characters mature throughout the story and are very well drawn and not at all stereotypical, you get to know the bad guys better, they are not only evil, and the good do things, that can be rather have expected by the other side.
Although it is Science Fiction, if you look at the world today, the step into the Capitol is not so big.

Back from a short wellness trip.
You have to wait until it is time for the next massage, you lie in the relaxation room after sauna, you have to wait until its time for dinner, you have to wait until your beloved wife is back from shopping.
Great - you have time to read ;). The hotel had a large bookcase, so I was in Paradise.

Here we go:
Spenser auf der Flucht:
Well written and exciting, as we are used by Robert Parker.

Oups:
The book was in the hotel room, a nice little treatise about the happiness in the little things of life.

Träume von Babylon. Ein Detektivroman 1942:
I was familiar with the name of the author, Ted Brautigan is a character by Stephen King, so I took the book.
It is a great book, wonderful ideas, a sword in the shoulder holster under the toga - marvelous.

Schneller als der Hunger:
Short storys with black humour, a pleasant and quick read, but it has not convinced me.

Die Häupter meiner Lieben:
entertaining and easy to read, just right for the holidays.

Stockinger:
Und ewig singen die Wälder in Bavaria, a little bit smaller, only one generation, but very impressive.

Back in normal life, little time to read.
And a book that is hard to read:

Chronic City:
Not the worst book I've read, but far from the best.
Reading proved to be rather tough, i had no real access to the book.

Die Zeit, die Zeit:
A nice little book, easy to read.
But if time doesn't exist, why am I always out of time?

Another book with "Time" in the title
"Nullzeit" is the period, a diver can stay underwater without observing decompression upon surfacing.

Nullzeit:
The book is called psycho-thriller, I think this is a bit exaggerated, but it is exciting and very well written.
I enjoyed the reading.

Thomas, hallo und willkommen! You are going to love this group. But be warned that your wishlist and your shelves will be growing, because you're going to find many "inside tips". Have fun and a great reading year!

P.S. What did you think about Die Zeit, die Zeit? I always consider it when I'm in a bookshop, but always decide against it....

Sorry for the delay, I was absent.
Danke für das Willkommen und die Warnung, Kathy.
But its too late, I am already infected by the book-challenge-virus ;-).
So many books, so little time.
I am a fan of Martin Suter and like the way he writes.
This also applies to Die Zeit, die Zeit. The idea of time travel through recovering the environment to the desired date is interesting, but not well thought out.
Why do you have to rebuild the house and the garden, why not only one room or the whole street?
What about museums or the reconstructed birth house of historical persons? They are always unmodified.
When I return from holidays, my habitation is unchanged, so according to this theory I travel back in time and move back into the same holidays - fun or scary?
These and other problems are not addressed.
And the end of the book is absolutely unsatisfactory.
If you like Suter, you can enjoy the book, but there are better ones.
I would recommend Small World

Guten Abend, Thomas! Well, well, LibraryThing claims another victim. :)
Small World is already on my wishlist! I really need to take some time off to read it soon.
Ich wünsche noch einen schönen Mittwoch!

You are right, Kathy. David Lodge is also a very good author.
I enjoyed Saubere Arbeit and I think Schnitzeljagd is a good addition of my wishlist.
Or is it just a Touchstone-detour? ;)
Anyway - a good book is a good book is a good book!

You can see, I'm getting a little bit braver. Short reviews and ratings of the books I read.
I hope my english is comprehensible, if not I put the blame on the internet-translators ;).

Leopard:
Exciting written, easy to read, but totally unbelievable:
A drug-and alcohol-addicted ex-policeman is fetched from Hong Kong and is just so sent to Africa.
He is clean, if the plot requires it, he drinks, or take opium, he is clean again.
He survives the most abstruse assassination attempts, is seriously injured and shakes everything from himself like Superman.
If you dont think too much, it's not bad.

Ho'oponopono:
I'm sorry.
Please forgive me.
I love you.
Thank you.

Four principles that will help you to resolve conflicts.
A small book about the Hawaiian forgiveness ritual to forgive yourself and others.
It sounds simple, but it works.
The book is a gift of a good friend in serious times.

Meer der Finsternis:
Odd Thomas has strange companions, the ghost of Frank Sinatra, a ghost dog, he can find people and places with a kind of inner magnetism and he saves the world, or a big part of it.
I was trapped from the story very fast and it was a pleasure to read.
Ironically, despite of the fantasy elements the story of Odd Thomas was less unbelievable than the story of Harry Hole because it was internally consistent.

And Now for Something Completely Different

Candlelight Döner: Geschichten über meine deutsch-türkische Familie:
The book describes the life of a German-Turkish family.
It is read fast, but a little bit boring.

#20: That reminds me a little bit of Ken Bruen's Jack-Taylor-series. It's about a former policeman who starts working as a P.I.. But he struggles with his life and is an alcoholic and drug addict. I like these crime novels very much.

#23: It's a pity that you didn't fully enjoy Candlelight Döner, because the title sounds promising.

And don't worry about your English. Nobody's perfect - and you will only get better when you write your messages in English. :)

Ken Bruen sounds interesting but my wish list is growing and growing :).
A good alternative to Candlelight Döner is Maria, ihm schmeckt's nicht! by Jan Weiler, it is very entertaining.

Der manipulierte Tod und das menschliche Sterben:
When a family member is dying, you wonder what you can do to help.
Dying is a part of life that is often supplanted and if it happens, you are totally helpless.
This book offers guidance on how to assist the dying and what "Sterbehilfe" means in the Christian sense.
Not help to die, but help the dying.

Die Frau und der Affe:
The book is linguistically very fine, the idea of intelligent "human" animals suggests to think about our civilization, but somehow something seems to be missing.
Good to read but not not entirely convincing.

Now to some ebooks from the public library. I was late, so the books I wanted were already on loan. So I choosed some books by blind pick :-).

Ein kalter Mord:
Uneven, too much protagonists, the reader is often confused.
No paragraphs when the location or the person changes.
I stood outside looking into the story, in a good book I am in the story.

Bahnhofsmission:
A journalist investigates for the police, he's even got a gun from the commissar. It's not very believable.
The story is partly like chewing gum.
Some good ideas, but not more.

The last book from the public library, I had no big choice, but this was a good one:

Bye Bye, Crazy Chick!:
Short, fast, crazy. It has not a high demand, but it makes you breathless at reading.
Very good to forget the real world around you.
And that's what a good book should do.

Now to the books I found in the holiday home, there is a bookshelf with many books, some of them sound interesting and I'll give them a chance.
The first book is:
Verwesung:
If you like the David Hunter series, you will enjoy the book.
But it is not the best of the series, I exposed the killer very early, there are only a few new ideas.
But its nice to read.

Schafkopf:
A funny bavarian crime story and a good holiday reading.

Frauen lügen:
Another regional crime story from the other side of Germany.
Nice to read but nothing to remember, although...
I know the location because I am in holiday there. Despite the snow in spring the island is much better than the book ;-).

The last book of the holiday home:
Der Zeuge:
A thriller with a real background, historical facts are very well integrated into the story.
I enjoyed the reading.

Dear Thomas,

I think I own Die Frau und der Affe, maybe I have to put it a little bit up my reading list.
Is Verwesung the one by Beckett? I'm looking for some time to read a Beckett for months!

So you're still on holidays? I envy you for all the reading time! But I shouldn't lamentate, because I take a day off tomorrow.

Have a nice week!

Hi Kathy,

yes, Verwesung is the fourth volume of the David Hunter series from Simon Beckett.
The series is really worth the reading time.

Our holidays ended last weekend and this week there was no time to read or LT.
It was an SOS Trip.

What we expected: (Spring on Sylt)
Sun - a little bit rain - long walks on the beach - very good food - The first flower buds...

What we got: (Snow on Sylt)
and

But we also had:
and

We bought fur hats and enjoyed the holidays. We had walks and delicious fish, dyke lamb and other goodies.

Next year we'll try it again.

Hi Thomas, thanks for the clarification.
I'm sorry to hear about your holidays, but at least these pictures are marvellous!
I wish you a happy Easter weekend with some less snow and much more sun!

Thank you for the good wishes, Kathy.
The bad weather affected us barely, there is a proverb at the North Sea:
"Es gibt kein schlechtes Wetter, es gibt nur unpassende Kleidung".
So, our holidays were fine.

Back to the books, the last two of the first part of my challenge:

Der Tod ist ein bleibender Schaden / Plugged:
I saw it in a bookstore on my holiday and remembered my 75 Books Challenge for 2013 wishlist, so I bought it.
I knew Eoin Colfer not from the Artemis Fowl series, he finished Douglas Adams' Hitchhikers trilogy with the 7. part.
This book was good enough to want to read more.
And I have not regretted it. The book is fast, crazy, a little bit noir, Dan McEvoy is cool and sympathetic.

It was the first book I bought on the recommendation of the group but its not the last, thank you Faith (dk_phoenix). The 75-books-challenge-virus has slammed.

Herzblut:
When I began to read the 7. part of the regional crime series, I asked myself, what can come new.
And many looked familiar, but the authors have always new ideas, so Kommissar Kluftinger goes Yoga.
He even creates new positions: "Die kalbende Kuh bekommt die Presswehen (The calving cow gets the contractions)".
Its not everyone's humor, but I like it. The book is funny, exciting and very good to read.

I wish everyone Happy Easter and happy reading for the 75 Books Challenge for 2013!

Hi Thomas,

that saying about weather and clothes is actually used in Austria, too (mountains). :)

I only read the first book Milchgeld by Klüpfl/Kobr and it's just not my cup of tea. But I am not blaming the books. I don't read very much crime novels anyway and if I do, they need to be dark.
Moreover these "Lokalkrimis" (regional crime novels) are published very inflationary. And the concept of a "bodenständiger" detective and a snobby pathologist was somehow too familiar. ;) Weird fact, the Münsteraner Tatort is the only one I watch from time to time.

I'm glad that you enjoyed Herzblut. Maybe Milchgeld was only a weaker volume - are the others better?

Have a nice Easter Sunday.

Hi Kathy, as you mentioned yesterday week halfmonth, you didn't like Milchgeld.
The series was weak somewhat for the last two books, Herzblut is better again.
I think, you wouldn't enjoy any of the books, because the basic concept is very similar.
But this shouldn't be a problem, there are a lot of alternatives.
A poetry reading by the authors I can highly recommend, it is more a stage play than a reading and very entertaining.
Apologies for the delay, I had to buy a new PC and do a lot of other things, now I hope I have a little more time for the really important things ;-).

P.S. in a grab box I found the second book of the Jack Taylor series, I'm curious to see how it will be to read.

April is already half over and I barely had time to read.
But two books are better than nothing:

30. Kühlfach betreten verboten ****
Pascha, a former car thief, now a ghost and still a chav helps four kids in coma, whose souls are searching for their kidnapped teacher.
I like the disrespectfully speech of pascha and the idea of a ghost who can only communicate with his forensic pathologist.
The book is very refreshing.

31. Das Buch ohne Staben / The Eye of the Moon ****
Vampires, werewolves, criminals, immortals, mummies and The Bourbon Kid who raises the body count.
A wild journey through the night and a good book to escape reality.
I think I have to read the whole series.

#41: Yes, fortunately there is a huge variety of crime novels I can choose from. :) Oh my, I hope that you'll enjoy Jack Taylor... Are you reading it in English or German? I ask because the translation by Harry Rowohlt is a little bit requiring getting used to...
Don't worry about the delay... everybody is busy from time to time. :) At the moment I don't really find the time or mood to read a lot. Business and private life is very busy. That's why I'm quite tired at the moment and rather waste my time on the PC or watch an episode of a series on DVD right before falling asleep....Shame on me...
Somehow Das Buch ohne Staben sounds very intriguing, especially the "escape reality"- part.

Ich wünsch Dir einen schönen Wochenbeginn!

Thank you for your patience, Kathy, I usually read in German, because I don't like to have a dictionary beside the book.
You are right, I had to get used to the translation of Harry Rowohlt, but after the first few pages I think it fits very well to the book.
... and so far I like it very much.

32. Raum / Room *****
Jack is five years old, he lives with his mother in ROOM, she had been abducted by "Old Nick" seven years before.
Now she wants to escape from hell that is the only world Jack knows.
But outside the Room is there a heaven or just another hell?
It is a great book, it gave me a lot of stuff to think about it.
But most disturbing is, that things like the described deeds of Old Nick already happened in reality, and it can happen in your neighborhood.
ETA: And it happened again - see the news about Cleveland this week!

33. Jack Taylor liegt falsch / The Killing of the Tinkers ****1/2
Another book I read on recommendation of th 75-group, (thank you Kathy) and another book about an alcoholic investigator.
The same basic theme but totally different.
Reading the book is like starting a career as a alcoholic.
The first sip:
Strange, a little bit bitter, not overwhelming but interesting.
The next pages:
You get used to the taste.
After a (short) while:
It's becoming better and better how did I manage my life before without it?
After the last page:
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO - I need more!!!!!!!!!!!!

34. Der Rote ***
A seaquake expels sperm whales and brings a huge giant squid on the surface.
A good idea, well researched, partly exciting but over many pages I had the feeling of reading a textbook and not a novel.

35. Die Radleys ***1/2
An average family in the middle of England, the father is a doctor, the mother a housewife, the son is the doormat of the school, the daughter lives vegan and yet feels ill.
Everything would be normal if they were not vampires.
A nice idea, good to read, but the kick is missing.

Back from a short Pentecost holiday trip.
The hotel had a small bookshelve, so I tried two of them:

36. Jagd auf Mrs. Pollifax / Mrs. Pollifax Pursued ***
Mrs. Pollifax finds a girl hiding in the attic, flees with her to a fairground, which is a hiding place of the CIA.
She discovers the murderer and prevents a coup d'état in Africa.
A pinch of James Bond, a bigger pinch of Miss Marple, Mr. Stringer* is a CIA agent, has no bicycle but sends a helicopter to rescue.
Too much cliché, the individual parts do not fit together, the nineties are the wrong time for a character like Miss Marple, but nice to read.
* Mr. Stringer is Miss Marples sidekick in the movies of the sixties.

37. Dornröschen war ein schönes Kind / Sleeping Beauty ****
A girl disappears, an oil spill threatens the beaches, a family has secrets and Lew Archer is breathless in the middle.
A good old hard boiled detective story.

38. Wir töten nicht jeden ***1/2
A contract killer, Juan Pérez, is sent to a naturist campsite. He goes with his two kids and has the tent next to his ex-wife and her new lover, a judge - happenstance?
He doesn't know who is the victim, but other Killers of the organization are present, too.
Perhaps its a trap for himself? So Juan is totally confused, because he also fells in love with a beautiful (innocent?) girl.
Who will survive at the end?
It is nice to read, but the book seems to be assembled with a construction kit - now we need a piece thrill, now a piece fun, now it's time for love and sex....
Good to be read at the beach on holidays - but I had not the opportunity to do so.

Now to some free ebooks from Sony Reader Store, one at Father's Day, one at Mother's Day.
You can guess which book came when.

39. Räuberbier ***1/2
Kommissar Palzki investigates in a brewery, the name of the brewer is Panscher (adulterator), a (crazy) Doctor has the name Metzger (Butcher).
There are murder, black distillery, medical tests and horrible christmas cookies.
The book is a little bit too funny, but is well written and amusing.

40. Muttertier n Rabenmutter ***1/2
Two friends, Maxi & Hanna find themselves after a long time.
Maxi is married and in parental leave, Hanna is single parent, since her friend died.
They solve their problems with kindergarten and to find a job with young children.
I do not belong to the target group, but the book was quite amusing.

41. Triffst du Buddha, töte ihn! ****
The autor describes his experiences in a meditation center in India.
Ten days Vipassana, he don't wants enlightenment, he wants to learn how he copes better with daily life.
The book is written like a travel diary, it is very refreshing and entertaining.
Sometimes he's a little bit too cynical (to others, but to himself too).
The title of the book "If You Meet The Buddha On The Road, Kill Him" is not
murderous, it is a metaphor in Buddhism.

Guten Abend, Thomas!

You have no idea how relieved I was to hear that you enjoyed "Jack Taylor". Recommending something is such a responsibility. :) And the steps you mentioned - from taking a sip until addiction - that is so true. I made the same experience: First I had to get used to it and then I couldn't imagine it any other way.

Interesting insight on Room. I was thinking about giving it a try, but somehow the topic is just too real and too current. If you think that all through - e.g. the number of people who vanished - and then think about that they might be living in your neighbour's cellar... It's horrifying - just don't start.

Concerning Triffst du Buddha, töte ihn!: "Cynical" sounds good, I love "cynical".

Now to three very good books, completely different, but worth to read:

42. 5 Dinge, die Sterbende am meisten bereuen / The Top Five Regrets of the Dying: A Life Transformed by the Dearly Departing ****1/2
Bronnie Ware describes how she learned to master her life and find to herself by accompanying dying.
The autobiography is written very diverting and it gives you food for thought, but the German subtitle - Insights that will change your live - is mistranslated.
If you don't expect to be a complete different person after reading the book, it can help you by reading and learning from others.
I hope, it is no spoiler, if I quote the five regrets:
1) I wish I'd had the courage to live a life true to myself not the life others expected of me.
2) I wish I didn't work so hard.
3) I wish I had the courage to express my feelings.
4) I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends.
5) I wish I had let myself be happier
This sounds not earthshaking, but worth to think about it.

43. Die Bibliothek der Schatten / The Library of Shadows ****
Reading has a great influence to readers and listeners, we all know this truism.
In this book it is directly: Some people have the gift to influence others or even to kill them by reading or listening. They keep it as a secret.
A lost son discovers the gift after the death of his father and the struggle between good and evil begins.
Very entertaining and I dived into the story

44. Joyland / Joyland ****1/2
Devin Jones, a college student, takes a summer job at a small amusement park in North Carolina in 1973, he is interested in the story of a real ghost in the ghost train, a girl who was murdered there, so he extends his stay.
A beautiful women with her handicapped son crosses his way and they they are drawn into a murderous maelstrom.
Stephen King is a great storyteller, not only the horror, but the the description of life in the 70's.

Next Christmas is nearer than last Christmas! Have you already purchased your gifts?
Time is running out!
According to the topic:
45. Maria, Mord und Mandelplätzchen: 24 Weihnachtskrimis von Sylt bis zur Zugspitze ***1/2
A collection of 24 short crime stories on the topic Christmas. Some of them are really good, some are boring, overall a nice reading pleasure.
I read it between 2013-06-24 and 2013-06-26, at half time to Christmas so I think I'm prepared for Santa and friends.

46. Business Class: Geschichten aus der Welt des Managements ****
A collection of short storys from the middle management about people who do ridiculous things for a promotion, in the final punch you can often see, how the shot backfires.
An unmasking look behind the scenes at the leadership level, evil, funny, and always entertaining.
If the stories should not be true, so they are at least well invented ;-).
A very good book for a warm summer evening on the patio and a good glass of wine.

Gewitter über Pluto ****1/2
A Porn Actor in midlife crisis quits his job during the shoot and opens a knitwear shop.
His financial backer, the grande dame of the Vienna underworld gives him the money with the condition to save someone's life in 7 years.
It's a Love Story, a crime story, a science fiction story and a little bit fairy tale.
The narrative style is sometimes very poetic, but fits very well, you can dive in in another world.
I liked the book very much.

Der Erinnerer ***1/2
The narrator is the last scion of a family of town writers who goes back generations. He writes speeches, newspaper reports, and he writes a sort of reference book for an unknown prison inmates whose identity remains hidden until the end. He is a dream interpreter, too, many villagers have the same dream of a holy dune slack.
The book is set in a small village in the Netherlands around 1900.
There are aggressive ravens, a rabbit desease, superstition, strict Calvinist faith and a good story.
the book is full of atmosphere, but for me, the spark doesn't jump over.

Die Reise des Elefanten / The Elephant's Journey José Saramago ***1/2
In 1551 the Portuguese King John the Third gives the Austrian Archduke (and later Emperor) Maximilian - an elephant. The journey of the elephant Solomon with its mahout Subhro from Lisbon to Vienna is the content of the book. It is relatively short, very well written but it sometimes reads like a long journey on foot.

Herr aller Dinge ****
What if nanotechnology was invented eons ago and a ingenious tinkerer (re)invents nanomachines with the idea of wealth for all?
The described technology is not so far away from today, the effects described are well conceivable
Andreas Eschbach is a great storyteller, it is a pleasure to read.

Der Tod und der Dicke / The Death of Dalziel ****1/2
I found the book in a bargain bin and thought, give it a chance - and it took it!
I like books with a good story, thrill and a little bit British humour, here all fits perfect together.
Reginald Hill writes not so complex as Elisabeth George and not so facile and funny as Martha Grimes, so it is a great holiday reading.
I think i will read more books of the series.

52. Ausgerechnet Golf ****
An average couple begins with golf and falls in love with the sport.
The book is very funny, easy to read - even if you don't play golf.
Very good for a hot summer day in the hammock.

53. An Odd Quartet ****
My first book of Member Giveaway, so I received it for free. But it is worth to pay for it.
From the Author:
"An Odd Quartet is a collection of four dark short stories, each with a twist in the tale."
He promised not too much, I enjoyed the reading and the -sometimes surprising- twist. The book is not a work for days, but has given me a fun hour.
As a bonus, there were Drabbles - 100-word stories which are also very enjoyable.

54. Tim Frazer / The World of Tim Frazer ****
An old-fashioned story how an engineer turns to a secret agent. He is looking for his fraudulent business partner and friend and ends up in a spy story.
No high standard, but very nice to read.

55. IQ84 (Buch 3) / 1Q84: Book 3 ***1/2
The first two books where overwhelming, the third is a pleasure to read too, but I remain unsatisfied.
Too many loose ends, I do not expect that everything will always be explained.
It has its own charm to let some things in the dark, but here is too much missing for me.
For me it is like a child who has myriads of dolls and plays with them games of fantasy. But then the mother says we go to holiday, you can take only 2 or 3 with you, so only the favorite dolls are going on tour.
The child plays the same games, but they are incomplete.

My wife and I are on a Golf trial course, It gives us fun and we want to reach at least the course qualification.
It is a sport which may be exerted together with different physical conditions.
For the theory test we ave prepared us with a few books:

56. Golf. Die Platzreife *****
A compendium of practical tipps and theoretical knowledge. we found many tips in addition to our golf teacher.

57. Golfregeln in Frage und Antwort *****
This book contains the multiple chice tests and the answers with explanations. It is very well suited for exam preparation

58. Die Frau mit dem roten Tuch / The Castle in the Pyrenees ***1/2
A cople meets again 30 years after they breaked up. They try to explain an event that has led to the separation. They killed a woman in a car accident, but they found no body, when they came back and the woman appeared to them again later.
She became religious, he is an agnostic, both searched for reasons for the phenomenon. The book is partly lengthy, but it is thought-provoking and phiolosophic.

59. Der Derbysieger / Down Under Donovan ***1/2
A typical Wallace, the Good are good and the Bad are bad and ugly, the girls are pretty and gets the Good.
Milton Sands, an adventurer meets , a rich heir, Eric Stanton.
Then he opens a detective agency, seeks the lost sister of Eric Stanton, a stolen formula for flexible glass and uncovers a fraud in horse racing.
He falls in love with his secretary, who - Spoiler Warning! - is the lost sister and to be married against her will to one of the villains. But - of course - there is a happy end!
Either way often seen in movies, read many times, but always nice to read for in-between.

60. Ein seltsamer Ort zum Sterben / Norwegian by Night ****1/2
Sheldon Horowitz, an ex Marine, ex Sniper, ex New Yorker is witness of a murder. He tries to save the little son of the victim.
There are only a few problems: he is 82 years old, has the beginning of alzheimer and is not familiar to Norway, where he lives now at his granddaughter.
It is an exciting story with subtle humor and very good written, from the main story to the details.
I enjoyed the reading a lot!

61. Die Flüsse von London / Rivers of London ***1/2
Peter Grant, a London Police Constable investigates a murder, sees a ghost and becomes a sorcerer's apprentice at a secret section of the London Police.
The Book is nice to read, but I found no proper access to it.

62. Golf Made Easy: A guide intended to correct common golf mistakes, enable you to trust your golf swing, build up your game and score more for the recreational golfer ***1/2
After reading the first chapters, my reaction was: what a useless book I know that I should warm up, I should use the Practice Greens, I should read the score card.
If I go out in the rain, I know I could get wet, nobody has to point out this for me and I had the impression that the advices in this book would be on the same level. Some advices are such obvious, but in the totality they can help the beginner to score better.
So read the book, Follow the advices and enjoy the game.

63. Denn dein ist die Sünde / Two Of The Deadliest ***1/2
A collection of short stories - some are excellent, some are on a lower level.
Not ambitious but a nice and quick read.

64. Das geheimnisvolle Haus / The Secret House ***1/2
65. Das Geheimnis der gelben Narzissen / The Daffodil Mystery ***1/2
Two Wallaces written by the same construction manual but good to read after a stressful day.

66. Mary Ann im Herbst / Mary Ann in Autumn ****1/2
Do you know the feeling coming home after a long absence?
Everything is familiar, some things have changed, so there are surprising moments too.
Mary Ann Singelton has cervical cancer and comes back to her friends to find healing in several ways.
The Tales of the City are back and I love them.

67. Christmasland / NOS4A2 ****1/2
A mother tries to save her kidnapped child.
An often read story, but this is really good.
Joe Hill does not have to shun any comparison with his father.
He is not a clone but has his own style and I enjoyed the reading a lot.

68. Opferlämmer / The Burning Wire ****
Electricity, vital and lethal.
The proven investigator duo Lincoln Rhyme and Amelia Sachs on the trail of a killer who uses electricity to murder.
At the same time they try to thwart an assassination of the watchmaker.
An interesting book written by a known pattern but with some surprises.

69. Fever _ Schatten der Vergangenheit / Fever Dream ***1/2
Agent Pendergast investigates the death of his wife 12 years before, it was not an accident, she was murdered, so he searches for the murderer.
The story is fairly exciting, but the book has not convincing.

70. Aschenputtel / Unwanted ***1/2
It is the first book of Kristina Ohlsson and sometimes it is obvious.
Fredrika Bergman is new to the investigative team and has problems to be accepted.
Children are kidnapped and murdered and she comes first on the right track.
The book is nice to read but not more.

71. Der Poet der kleinen Dinge / Vivement l'avenir ****
The world is ugly, people are selfish, There are no goals and no future.
The world is beautyful, life is beautyful, the future is bright.
Alex travels around in the world, from auxiliary job to auxiliary job, she wants no bindings.
She lives in sublet at Marlène and Bertrand and works at the local chicken farm.
Almost against her will, she becomes friends with Gérard, Bertrands disabled brother who is only a millstone around the neck of Marlène.
With Rosswell, as she calls Gérard because of his appearence like an alien, she becomes friends with two other loosers and together they look to the future.
The book is like a calm river and teaches us to see the small beauties of life even if it may look horrible at first glance.

72. Die Violine des Teufels / El l violin del diablo ***1/2
A star violinist is murdered and her Stradivarius has disappeared.
In this thriller you learn a lot about music history, violins and Paganini.
Reading the book is like reading a musical score, you can imagine how it might sound.
With other authors (eg Ken Bruen) you are sitting in the concert hall and enjoy the miusic.

73. Das Gesetz der Vier / The law of the four just men ***1/2
Another typical Wallace, nice to read for in between.
A bunch of short stories about vigilantism.

74. Shining /The Shining ****1/2
One of the best books of my favourite writer.
It is a pleasure to read and again and again...

74. Doctor Sleep ****1/2
HOORAY!! The challenge is coped! 75 Books and a full month left.

Doctor Sleep is a worthy continuation of SHINING. Danny Torrance has grown up, the events in his youth have left their marks and He tries to drown his shining in alcohol.
With the help from the AA he manages to stop drinking and tries to save Abra, a Child with a lot of shining.
She is haunted by a kind of vampires who don't drink blood, they need the last breath of people with shining.
The book is great, it helps to know the first one, but you can enjoy Doctor Sleep without having read it.

Congrats!

Back from a short pre Christmas Holiday in Turkey it is time to complete the list of December so far:

76. Das silberne Dreieck /The Law of the Three Just Men ***1/2
And again the same, but nice to read.

77. Der entwendete Brief / The Purloined Letter ****
Auguste Dupin is a precursor of Sherlock Holmes and the story is a pleasure to read again.

78. Das Geheimnis der Marie Rogêt / The Mystery of Marie Roget ***
This is a documentation of the resolution of a murder, but not a readable story.
The logic is compelling, but it is hard to read.

MERRY CHRISTMAS and a HAPPY NEW YEAR to all of you!

The next 6 books I've borrowed for the holidays from the online lending library.
They are not necessarily for Christmas, but good for the holidays

79. Der Exorzist / The Exorcist ****1/2
A long time ago I saw the movie and enjoyed it, now I read the book and it was great.
It is very good written and scary.

80. Spieler Eins / Player One: What Is to Become of Us: A Novel in Five Parts ****
The oil price rise and the world goes down.
4 strangers are stranded in a bar when the disaster begins. It is a joy to witness how they deal with it and grow on it.

81. Salamitaktik ****
A test thief, his ex-girlfriend, an old policman, a puking petty criminal, a turkish killer with heart, and a story with a kick.
Salamis are lost, a woman dies during a beauty treatment and all try to clear up the mess
It was a pleasure to read.

82. Mäh!: Geschichten aus intelligenten Schwärmen und anderen Krisenherden ***1/2
Short stories and life reflections of a comedian
Nice to read, but not the right one for me.

83. Halloween Horror: Gruselgeschichten für die schaurigste Nacht des Jahres ***1/2
4 short novels about Halloween from 4 german authors. There are better books about Halloween, but it is nice for in between.

84. Die Lange Erde / The Long Earth ****
Terry Pratchett and Stephen Baxter write SciFi.
There are billions of Earths without human beings, easy to access with a little electronic and a potato. A Man who can change without electronic aid and a robot with a human soul explore these worlds in an airship.
It is less Pratchett than expected, but a pleasure to read.