EllaTim, final touches of 2024

Hi everybody, my name is Ella. Living in Amsterdam, with hubby Marc.
I'm active in my community, and we have an allotment garden on the other side of the town.

I like to read fantasy, but also lots of other stuff.

For my culling books project, here’s the LFL map of Amsterdam:
https://www.google.com/mymaps/viewer?mid=15tEYpDFqfkNYBFAHRxNeM6AAxWBRxXcb&h....

Picture above is the Groote Museum, part of Artis, Amsterdam Zoo, that I would like to visit this month.

Books read in 2024:

January:
1. Acqua Alta by Donna Leon (It/USA, reread) ****
2. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (UK, audio) ****
3. The Wolves of Willoughby Chase (UK) ****
4. Het Monster Trotteldrom (dutch, comic) by Marten Toonder ****
5. Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain (USA) ****
6. De Achterblijvers by Anne Vroegindeweij (Dutch, audio) ****
7. The Lantern Bearers by Rosemary Sutcliff (UK) ****1/2
8. Death of Faith by Donna Leon (reread)****
9. Black Hearts in Battersea by Joan Aiken (UK) ****1/2

February:
10. Misleiding by Maria Adolfsson (Sweden) ***
11. Arrows of the Queen by Mercedes Lackey ***
12. Arrow’s flight by Mercedes Lackey (fantasy) ***
13. Arrow’s Fall by Mercedes Lackey ***
14. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (USA) *****

Rereading Mercedes Lackey:
15. Magic’s Pawn ***
16. Magic’s Promise ***
17. Magic’s Price ***

March:
18. Maar ik ben Frederik, zei Frederik by Joke van Leeuwen (dutch) ****
19. De Eik was hier by Bibi Dumon Tak (dutch) ****
20. Farthing by Jo Walton (UK) ****
21. Pogingen iets van het leven te maken by Hendrik Groen (dutch) ****
22. The Magician’s Nephew (UK) ***1/2 by C.S. Lewis
23. Het Bloemenmeisje by Anya Niewierra (dutch, audio) ***

April:
24. Nettle and Bone by T. Kingfisher (USA) ****1/2
25. Tooth and Claw by Jo Walton (UK) ****
26. Demon Daughter by Lois McMaster Bujold (USA) ****

May:
The Sharing Knife series by Lois McMaster Bujold
27. Beguilement ****1/2
28. Legacy ****
29. Passage****1/2
30. Horizon***1/2

31. De Herberg met het Hoefijzer by A. den Doolaard (dutch, 1933) ***1/2
32. Tijl by Daniel Kehlmann (Germany) *****
33. Quartet in Autumn by Barbara Pym (UK) ****1/2
34. Mozart in Praag by Jaroslav Seifert (Czech) **
35. The Book of Form and Emptiness by Ruth Ozeki (USA) ****1/2

June:
36. Ha’penny by Jo Walton (UK)****1/2
37. Blauwe Maandag by Nicci French (UK) ***1/2
38. Tuesday’s Gone by Nicci French (UK) ****
39. The Poet’s Dog by Patrica MacLachlan ****1/2 Reread, for Anita
40. The King’s General by Daphne du Maurier (UK) ****
41. Niets om het lijf by Hilma Wolitzer (USA) ***

This needs some work, obviously!

Books read in 2024, part two:

July:
42. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (UK) ****1/2
43. The colors of space by Marion Zimmer Bradley (US) ***
44. De Kinderen van het Achtste Woud by Els Pelgrom (Dutch) ****

August:
45. Het Wonder van Frieswijck by Thea Beckman (dutch) ***1/2

September:
46. Dragonsong by Anne McCaffrey (USA, fantasy) ***1/2
47. Dragonsinger by Anne McCaffrey ***1/2
48. Dragondrums by Anne McCaffrey ***
49. Het Weer en de Tijd by Joke van Leeuwen (dutch) **1/2
50. De Spiegel Barstte by Agatha Christie (UK, audio) ***1/2
51. Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen (UK) reread ****

October:
52. Longbourn by Jo Baker (UK) ****
53. Old Goriot by Honoré de Balzac (France) ***1/2
54. Buddenbrooks by Thomas Mann (Germany) ***1/2
55. The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (USA) ****
56. Er kan wel wat zout uit by Peter van Straaten (Dutch, comics). ****
57. Leven en Lot by Vassili Grossman (Rus) *****

November:
58. Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin (UK) ****
59. The Wedding by Dorothy West (USA) ****
60. Veranderen: methode by Edouard Louis (France) ****
61. Antonia’s dochter by Giulia Caminito (Italy) ***1/2France) ****
62. The Serpent's Tale by Ariana Franklin (UK) ****
63. Grave Goods by Ariana Franklin (UK) ***
64. The Fraud by Zadie Smith (UK) ****
65. Van het Westelijk Front geen nieuws by E.M. Remarque (Germany) *****

December
67. Station Tokio Ueno by Miri Yu (japan) ***1/2
68. Spaanse Burgeroorlog by Eric Storm (Dutch, audio) ***1/2
69. The adventure of the Christmas Pudding by Agatha Christie (Eng, audio) ***
70. Uniform Justice by Donna Leon (USA/Italy) ****
71. Ancillary Justice by Ann Leckie (USA, SF) ****
72. Ancillary Sword by Ann Leckie (USA, SF) ****
73. Ancillary Mercy by Ann Leckie (USA, SF) ****

Reading plans:
I was planning to read Noreena Hertz. She is an economist who has written about globalization, and the world-wide epidemic of loneliness that seems to be going on. I thought she was very interesting. I can notice some of this in my own neighbourhood, where people have a hard time meeting each other. The Lonely Century

On my list there is still Nino Haratischwili.

Reading through my own thread I remember that I was dealing with fatigue at the start of the year. I am doing better, when it comes to that!

BAC: https://www.librarything.com/topic/355015

Wildcard: Blast from the Past

January: Joan Aiken &
Arthur Conan Doyle: The Hound of the Baskervilles &

February: Emma Newman & Ronald Firbank
Started on one by Emma Newman, but didn’t finish it.

March: Welsh Authors
Farthing by Jo Walton. &

April: Barbara Pym & Anthony Trollope

May: Portal Fantasy

June: Kiran Millwood Hargrave & DH Lawrence: started Lady Chatterly's Lover

July: Animal Tales

August: KJ Charles & Winston Churchill

September: The 1980s

October: Gothic Fiction

November: EM Delafield & TH White

December: Books Acquired in 2024
Shall I try to use the Wildcard? What did I acquire this year? Orbital?

Participating in War room:
MONTH - BY - MONTH IN THE WAR ROOM

JANUARY - The Ancients (Greeks, Romans etc)
Options: The Iliad? Cassandra or The Last of the Wine
FEBRUARY - The American War of Independence
MARCH - The War of the Roses: The Sunne in Splendour &
APRIL - Wars of Religion
De vuuraanbidders by Simon Vestdijk
MAY - The Napoleonic Wars
JUNE - The English Civil War
JULY - Colonial Wars
AUGUST - World War Two
SEPTEMBER - The American Civil War
OCTOBER - American Follies (Korea, Vietnam, Afghanistan and the Gulf Wars)
NOVEMBER - World War One
DECEMBER - The Spanish Civil War
WILDCARD - Pick your own fight!

See: https://www.librarything.com/topic/355667#

Series:
The Brunetti series by Donna Leon.
Just finished nr 5: Acqua Alta
6: Death of Faith

Last of my starter posts.
My reading year was disrupted by my moving house this year. Such a good thing to happen, as my new house is really quiet, and I can sleep at night.
I will do some much belated summing up!

But for now: everybody welcome to visit. December is a good month for reading and visiting.

Happy new (and last) thread of the year, Ella!

>8 jessibud2: Hi Shelley! Thank you. Hasn’t the year gone fast!

Happy new thread, Ella. x

Hi Paul! Thanks. Did you notice I finally got my books read listed?

Reading now: All Quiet on the Western Front
Listening to: Literatuurgeschiedenis by Joep Leerssen.
(Title translates to: Literary History). I think this is more or less what we studied in school, but a lot more interesting!

Happy new one!

>11 EllaTim: Hahaha I did indeed notice.
That reminds me to try to update where we all are with our respective reading.

Happy New Thread, Ella, have a wonderful week!

>12 EllaTim: Thanks, Anita!
>13 figsfromthistle: Great, Paul. I didn’t mean to push you to anything, though.
>14 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Thomas.

65. Van het westelijk front geen nieuws by E.M. Remarque (Germany) *****



Very impressive. Chilling. One gets a look at what war is like, and what it does to the soldiers taking part. Enlisted from sheer naivety, and because of the push of their elders.

I’ve been to Belgium, to the part of Flanders where there was so much fighting. Nice little towns, but they had to be rebuilt from nothing, everything had been destroyed to the ground.

I’ll be looking for the book he wrote after this one.

Happy New Thread, Ella. I love the Groote Museum topper. I also loved All Quiet. The original film was pretty great too.

>18 msf59: Hi Marc! Nice to see you here.

Happy new thread Ella!

>1 EllaTim: What a lovely building.

>20 quondame: Hi Susan, thank you.

The building has just been completely renovated. I can't wait to see what it looks like inside.

Started listening to an audio lecture Spaanse Burgeroorlog by Eric Storm. It’s quite interesting, but it does take effort to listen to. This had just one star as a rating in my library app, here on LT it was rated 2,5 stars, but thanks to just one rating! On Goodreads it has nearly four stars. Just one review, and so negative, not very reliable. And it’s still a controversial subject I guess.

Happy new thread!

Thanks, Jim!

I felt a bit in a reading slump. The December weather here is no help, grey sky, rain, wind. You have to light the lamps in the middle of the day.
So I started a reread: Ann Leckie’s Imperial Radch cycle.
Ancillary Justice
Ancillary Sword
Ancillary Mercy

They are quite engrossing, good stories, and interesting.

I hope tomorrow the weather will have improved a bit. We’re visiting my family.

Happy New Thread, Ella! I gorgeous picture of the Amsterdam Zoo. I too am in reading slump, mainly I am too busy to read at the time. I really enjoyed All Quiet On the Western Front, and glad you did too.

Happy New Thread, Ella! That's a beautiful opening photo. Will you be able to share some photos of the interior when you visit?

I loved All Quiet on the Western Front when I read it this past year. I had not read it before - it's interesting how we miss reading some classic titles.

I totally understand the grey days and early darkness casting a damper. Only two more weeks until the days start get longer!

>26 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. I hope you get time and energy back to read.

>27 streamsong: Hi Janet. I'll keep my camera at the ready, when we are there.

Saturday we visited my family. A lighter and brighter day, even some sun and blue skies. Today back to grey, and chilly.

67. Station Tokio Ueno by Miri Yu (japan) ***1/2



A story told by a homeless elderly man. He's had to take care of his extended family all his life, working hard in Tokyo, while they lived at a great distance from him. He hardly got to know them. He has had bad luck all his life. After receiving his pension his wife dies. His granddaughter wants to care for him, but he doesn't want to be a burden on her, and goes back to Tokyo. Where he starts living as a homeless person.
It's a touching novel, a hard and lonely life. The author based the story on conversations with homeless people. Sometimes I found it hard to understand, why the description of the Redouté Roses?
Interesting, and it gives you a feel for some of Japanese culture and society, maybe better than other stories can.

A day out with a friend. We visited a small museum, the Willet-Holthuysen, then lunch in a cafe, and then as a last treat a visit to our favorite bookshop, Scheltema.
We visited the Ramsj department, of course, and I bought

A Winter Book by Tove Jansson,

and a book of essays Inkijk by Hella Haasse. She’s a well-known dutch writer.

68. Spaanse Burgeroorlog by Eric Storm (Dutch, audio) ***1/2

A series of audio lectures on Spanish history around the Civil War. Starting from the nineteenth century the author explains what was happening in Spain, and Spanish politics. And how the Civil War came to happen. Also the aftermath, how Franco held power in the country, and how after Franco modernization and democratic renewal took place.
Interesting.

Good review of Station Tokio Ueno. I will add it to the TBR. Your job is done.

Happy Wednesday, Ella.

>31 msf59: Hi Marc! My job is done! That’s always good to hear. I’ll be taking it easy now;-)

>28 EllaTim: What an interesting cover!

>29 EllaTim: I have not hear of this writer before. I will have to check which books are available at the library.

Happy rest of the week :)

I'm gradually getting a little time to read. Muffin is darling and adjusting really well, Ella . Our weather has been a mix here - quite few sunny days, but the rain is returning any time - maybe tomorrow.

>33 figsfromthistle: Hi Anita! I always look at covers too.

Hella Haasse has been translated. Good luck finding one of her books in your library. I checked on one of her translated books: In a Dark Wood Wandering through WorldCat. I can find it in Canada, but mostly in university libraries.

>34 vancouverdeb: Hi Deborah. That’s good to hear, not the rain, but Muffin doing so well.

Having a sleepless night. Woke up at 5.30. A bit too early for me. Reading in bed, with a cup of coffee.

Yeah! Wordle in five. Yesterday I flunked it, too many options.

Thinking about my top five reads of the year. I see I have rated some books really high, but have forgotten all about them. A top read should be memorable, I think?

Our cat visitor decided to turn up. I heard him scratching at the door first, but thought it was mice. Then a soft meow. Hey! There you are. He’s been gone for months. We thought he’d escaped and gone missing. I was glad to see him, and of course he hoped for some titbits from me, but there was nothing suitable.

He’s a nice ginger.

Listening to a set of audio lectures on history of literature. Well told, interesting. I should probably hae been more attentive at school. But I am enjoying this now. Literatuurgeschiedenis by Joep Leerssen.

I listened to an Agatha Christie story on Youtube.

69. The adventure of the Christmas Pudding
In which Hercule Poirot clears up the theft of a famous and expensive ruby, and has a real English Christmas.

A nice and gentle story. Nice before bedtime.

Mr. Cat has worms. I am not letting him in for the moment. Did a search in the neighborhood to find his owner. Found the direct neighbour who promised to alert the owner. Well. Cat did not appreciate getting locked out. I’m sorry boy.

Woordle in three! adieu, storm, kolom
(Woordle is Wordle in dutch).

Wordle 1.279 3/6

🟨⬛⬛⬛⬛
🟩⬛🟨🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
adieu, smart, stray

70. Uniform Justice by Donna Leon (USA/Italy) ****

This was a reread. It’s a good story, no happy ending.

We’ve been very busy, not in a happy way. A friend who is going to die. I’m just reading lighter stuff, rereading, nothing too demanding.

I'm sorry that you have a friend near death Ella. That is busy and not in a good way. Hugs to you.

>42 vancouverdeb: Thanks, Deborah. The hug is much appreciated today. This has been a roller coaster. She has chosen assisted death, euthanasia, or whatever it is called, for mostly mental reasons. It’s hard to accept for her friends.

Oh that's really hard to accept.
I hope you can cope with the situation and send virtual hugs too.

>41 EllaTim:, >43 EllaTim: - I am so sorry to hear this, Ella. It's never easy to watch or accept the death of anyone we love. But, on the other hand, I wish her peace and I think she will have that now. I have thought about this a lot and I understand and respect that she is able to make that choice, HER choice so that she may have that peace. In the end, isn't that what we all want, to go peacefully, at a time and in a way that will allow us that grace?

{{hugs}} to you, Ella

Ella, here is a coincidence (or maybe just LT karma).

I had never heard of the author you mention in >29 EllaTim:, Hella Haasse. I finished a book today and was looking on my shelves for a next one to begin. The name jumped out at me. The book by her that I have is a historical novel called The Scarlet City about 16th Century Italy. I have decided to choose something smaller, that maybe I can finish in the 10 days remaining in the year but I just had to tell you!

>44 SirThomas: Thank you, Thomas. Thanks for the hug, and yes it is hard to accept.

>45 jessibud2: Well said Shelley! I agree with what you are saying! But for me personally I am still finding it hard. I would so much have wanted for improvement in her situation. But that’s what WE want, isn’t it?

>46 jessibud2: Coincidence! Synchronicity;-) No those 10 days in a busy time of the year are too short.

Woordle in two! (Dutch Wordle)
adieu, azuur

A treecreeper in my garden today.
https://youtu.be/19gwRplZZGg?si=XngAzOuvPfYRLlyl

Small and brown, very hard to make a decent photo.

>49 EllaTim: - Wow, great video, Ella! How lucky you got to capture it.

Our friend died this afternoon. A sad day.

Wordle 1.279 3/6

🟨⬛⬛⬛⬛
🟩⬛🟨🟨🟨
🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩
adieu, smart, stray

>50 jessibud2: Hi Shelley. I worded it wrong, I see. The clip from YouTube as I didn't manage to make my own photo. I wish I was that good!

My best five of the year:
1. Leven en Lot by Vassili Grossman (Rus) ***** Life and Fate
2. Van het Westelijk Front geen nieuws by E.M. Remarque (Germany) *****
3. Tijl by Daniel Kehlmann (Germany) *****
4. Bel Canto by Ann Patchett (USA) *****
5. Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (UK) ****1/2

Looking back I see I have given several books very good scores, while I now have only a vague memory of the book's contents. And some that I rewarded less, now have left a real impression.

Number one is without question Life and Fate.

A reread:
Ann Leckie’s Imperial Radch cycle.
71. Ancillary Justice ****
72. Ancillary Sword ****
73. Ancillary Mercy ****

I get sloppy keeping count of what I am reading, when I am busy, or something is going on in life.
74. Knot of Shadows by Lois McMaster Bujold (USA, fantasy) ****
75. The Children of the New Forest by Frederick Marryat (Eng) ***

{{hugs}} Sorry for your loss, Ella. I do understand how this is affecting you.

>55 EllaTim: Thanks Shelley!

I talked to her for the last time only last evening. Glad it was a good talk, (through WhatsApp). And I could say something of my regrets, and how I was wishing her well, also in her own choice now.

>54 EllaTim: It happens to me often enough that I'll call up memories from books that didn't impress me all that much at first reading.

>58 quondame: Hi Susan! Yes, isn’t that interesting?

>60 johnsimpson: Thanks John! And a Merry Christmas to you too.

Sorry to hear that your friend died yesterday. Euthanasia can be hard to accept. I never had to deal with that as yet. Merry Christmas to you and Marc!

Congrats on reading 75 books!

>51 EllaTim: I am sorry to hear about the passing of your friend.

Thinking of you at this time, Ella (and Marc).

>62 vancouverdeb: >63 figsfromthistle: >64 PaulCranswick: >Thanks Deborah, Anita and Paul!

We’re home from spending Christmas with family.
Listening to some lovely music:
https://youtu.be/Dd48DzKV7tM?si=UWyB-gR48B0Xj7i0

YouTube can be a real gift. I would never have found this music without it.

>65 EllaTim: - That is beautiful, Ella.

Family. Our friend’s family is definitely weird. They have organized her funeral in such a manner that it’s very hurtful to my husband, and to one of her best friends. Both of them have been banned from the funeral itself, and were only allowed a viewing before the funeral. Separate from the rest of the family. And this when both of them have been super important for our friend.
I understand that this must have been painful and difficult for them as well. But still…

Sorry people, it’s not a happy thread at this moment.

Hi Ella!

I’m glad you were able to move house this year. Quiet and good sleep are never to be underestimated.

>41 EllaTim: I’m sorry to read about your friend, >51 EllaTim: sorry to read that she died.

>67 EllaTim: How awful of your friend’s family to ban Marc and one of her best friends. I’m sure your friend would have been appalled. Hang in there, my dear.

>68 karenmarie: Hi Karen. Thank you! Yes, it has hit him hard.
I really don’t get what they are so afraid of.

Lists of best books, all the papers are publishing lists, here some links, for later reference:

https://www.parool.nl/kunst-media/beste-boeken-2024-tips~bd237acd/
https://www.volkskrant.nl/kijkverder/v/2024/dit-zijn-de-beste-boeken-van-2024-vo...

When you have to wait for your books to arrive in the public library it usually takes time. I’ll be looking at those lists again later.

>67 EllaTim: I am so sorry to hear the Marc and one of your friend's best friends have been banned from the funeral. How sad, and it does not really make sense.