November is at an end and time to wrap up the three challenges I participated in this year. Apart from German Literature Month I had a go at Nonfiction November and Novellas in November. German Literature Month is hosted by Lizzy’s Literary Life . It is the first time I participate and I will just have to see how many books I can read. Hopefully, at least one a week, according to the schedule: Week 1 – First time for everything - The Sandman by E.T.A. Hoffmann - gave me a new favourite author. Week 2 – Second Helpings - I rarely re-read books, but choose Herman Hesse's Steppenwolf. I have not yet finished it, but have a feeling I have already read it. Fits well in other words. Week 3 – Firm Favourites (Author or Publisher, if stated) - nothing to fit here . Week 4 – Something Different - Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka - can't say I entirely understood this novella, but that happens sometimes. Week 5: Read as you please / group read - The Life and Opinions of Tomcat Murr – E T A Hoffmann - wanted to follow this since Hoffmann is the new favourite, but could not find it quick enough. For the future. I do read German authors from time to time, so I take the opportunity to mention some of the books here. They are all some of my favourite books. Buddenbrooks is at the top. I love Robert Seethaler's 'A Whole Life' such a wonderfully, sensitive book. Stefan Zweig is always a treat, but most of the books here can be recommended. Fallada, Hans - Alone in Berlin Handke, Peter - A Sorrow Beyond Dreams: A Life Story (Wunschloses Unglück) Krien, Daniela - Kärlek i fem akter (Liebe im Ernstfalle/Love in Five Acts) Mann, Thomas - Buddenbrooks Mann, Thomas - Death in Venice Mann, Thomas - Mario and the Magician Mann, Thomas - Tonio Kröger Mann, Thomas - Tristan Neuhaus, Nele - Snow White must die (Schneewittchen muss sterben) Neuhaus, Nele - Big Bad Wolf (Böser Wolf) Roth, Joseph - The Radetzky March Schlink, Bernhard - The Reader Schlink, Bernhard - Homecoming Seethaler, Robert - A Whole Life Sendker, Jan-Philipp - The Art of Hearing Heartbeats Süskind, Patrick - Parfymen (Das Parfum, The Perfumer) von Goethe, J.W. - The Sorrow of Young Werther Von Schirach, Ferdinand - Fallet Collini (Der Fall Collini/The Collini Case) Zweig, Stefan - Amok

I seldom read modern, present day, relation dramas. This is part of my 'Borrow and Read' bookclub, and it was a really nice to read Daniela Krien's latest book, Love in Five Acts (Die Liebe in Ernstfall) a German author. "Bookseller Paula has lost a child, and a husband. Where will she find her happiness? Fiercely independent Judith thinks more of horses than men, but that doesn't stop her looking for love online. Brida is a writer with no time to write, until she faces a choice between her work and her family. Abandoned by the "perfect" man, Malika struggles for recognition from her parents. Her sister Jorinde, an actor, is pregnant for a third time, but how can she provide for her family alone? Love in Five Acts explores what is left to five women when they have fulfilled their roles as wives, mothers, friends, lovers, sisters and daughters. As teenagers they experienced the fall of the Berlin Wall, but freedom brings with it another form of pressure: the pressure of choice. Punchy and entirely of the moment, Love in Five Acts engages head-on with what it is to be a woman in the twenty-first century ." We follow five women and how they handle their every day life. They are all looking for something, not really knowing what they are looking for. For several of them a happy life is torn to pieces when the partner finalises the relationship. As we follow one by one, we realise that there is a common factor between them. Relationship, boy friends, lovers and friends. I found this novel fascinating. Maybe because I don't often read these kind of relation dramas. It gives a good picture on what it is to be a woman today. The pressure of making a career, having men in your life, children and when should they come? How do you find a good partner? On-line dating? And what happens if you don't find the partner you want to be the father of your child? What happens if you find him, but he goes on to another woman. A clear cut take on the problems for modern women. Well told, lots of recognition in the different relationships. The different views of men and women. All in all, I really liked this novel and its stories. A rather short book, divided into five chapters, one for each woman. Is there a solution at the end? You just have to read it and see.

I think all women get shivers when they hear the name Salpetriere Asylum. From the beginning a gunpowder factory, which in mid-17th century turned into a hospice for poor women who were disabled, mentally ill or epileptic. With time it was turned into a prison where they put women they wanted to get rid off, mostly female outcasts. Later on anyone could put a woman there, if they thought she was suffering from hysteria or showing signs of strange behaviours. Victoria Mas has written a horrifying story of one woman who was put to the asylum by her father. His reason? She should see spirits. "The Salpetriere Asylum: Paris, 1885. Dr. Charcot holds all of Paris in thrall with his displays of hypnotism on women who have been deemed mad and cast out from society. But the truth is much more complicated—these women are often simply inconvenient, unwanted wives, those who have lost something precious, wayward daughters, or girls born from adulterous relationships. For Parisian society, the highlight of the year is the Lenten ball—the Madwomen’s Ball—when the great and good come to gawk at the patients of the Salpetriere dressed up in their finery for one night only. For the women themselves, it is a rare moment of hope. Genevieve is a senior nurse. After the childhood death of her sister Blandine, she shunned religion and placed her faith in both the celebrated psychiatrist Dr. Charcot and science. But everything begins to change when she meets Eugenie—the 19-year-old daughter of a bourgeois family that has locked her away in the asylum. Because Eugenie has a secret: she sees spirits. Inspired by the scandalous, banned work that all of Paris is talking about, The Book of Spirits, Eugenie is determined to escape from the asylum—and the bonds of her gender—and seek out those who will believe in her. And for that she will need Genevieve's help". A fascinating story and an insight into the world of an asylum. There we meet women who are crazy, but also women who found refuge within the walls. The story of Eugenie and Genevieve is one of professional nurse against an inmate that has to be treated according to the rule. And Genevieve lives by the rules, this is her protection against the world, and her private sorrows. But Eugenie opens up her frozen heart, and before Genevieve know it, she is on the road to a very different life. Both Genevieve and Eugenie are two well-defined characters. You feel their will to do something with their lives, although it looks different for the two women. They both live with the realisation that as a woman you cannot control your life. Victoria Mas' story is guiding us through the various conflicts of these women's lives in a steady pace. At the back of our mind, a thought of disaster is lingering, and it is not until the very end that we get the answers to our fears. An excellent novel, with well describing Paris and the asylum in the 18th century. A twist in the end makes this book and even better read.

Time for another classic spin with the Classic Club . Head over there for a full set of rules, they are simple. Update your Spin list, or create one with 20 classic novels your want to read. It should be published before before next Sunday 11th December, 2022. I am at the very last minute this time, but I always keep an updated list under my Challenge label. On Sunday 11th, December , the Classic club will post a number from 1 through 20. The challenge is to read whatever book falls under that number on your Spin List by the 29th January, 2023 . I am eagerly looking forward to see which classic comes up. I did manage to read the last challenge which was Death Comes to the Archbishop by Willa Cather. Let's see what comes up this time. Here is my list. My Spin List (as of 10 December 2022) 1. The Master and Margarita by Michail Bulgakov 2. The Bride of Lammermoor by Sir Walter Scott 3. Daisy Miller by Henry James 4. The Seahawk by Rafael Sabatini. 5. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoj 6. Women in Love by D.H. Lawrence 7. Child Harold by Lord Byron 8. House of Mirth by Edith Wharton 9. The Red and the Black by Stendhal 10. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 11. Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak 12. The Wings of the Dove by Henry James (last spin) 13. Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence 14. Tom Jones by Henry Fielding 15. To Have and Have not by Ernest Hemingway 16. Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton 17. The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham 18. The Brothers Karamazov by Fjodor Dostoevsky 19. The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier 20. A Writer's Notebook by Somerset Maugham

The Classic Spin is done and this month's number is 6. For me this is Women in Love by D.H. Lawrence. Not my favourite author, but I will do my very best to read it. I think I have to do a New Year’s promise to read all the Spin books next year. We are going to Portugal for Christmas and New Year. I have a Penguin book of Lawrence’s novel. I will bring it with me, and I can leave it behind for someone else to enjoy it.

First of all I want to apologise for, hopefully, temporary problems with the blog. I managed to get the home page working, but it seems that the last post posted will also show up at the top of the labels' pages. I am trying to solve it, but alas, so far no success. Maybe this is an indication that I should look for another provider, and make my own web-site. I am still working on a Wix web-site and might be close to let it go public. If you encounter problems with access, please leave a comment (if possible) what the problem is, or send me an email thecontentreader(at)gmail.com. In the meantime ... Sometimes you are lucky with your choice of books. While visiting my parents I took another look at the common book cases and found one book I could not resist. I have neither heard of the book, nor the author. The summary of the story caught my attention. "On a summer day, a young woman alighted from a bus in the small Cape Cod village of Chatham and took up residence in a cottage on the edge of Black Pond's dark waters. She was embarking on a voyage she could not foresee --- one that would bring catastrophe to her, to those she loved, and to the town of Chatham itself. Now, seven decades later, only one living soul knows the answer to the question that irrevocably shattered hearts, a town, and a way of life: What really happened on Black Pond that day?" The story is told by Henry, now an aging lawyer, who was a teenager at the time. He givs us glimpses of what happened but not chronologically. The story goes back and forth from now to the past, as glimpses of present day life. It is a psychological thriller, very skilfully woven. The young, beautiful lady from overseas with a shimmer over her past life in Africa joins the school as an art teacher. She lives in an old house by the lake. On the other side of the lake lives a male teacher with his family. As the two teachers become friends, the gossip is live in the villages. But nobody really know what is going on. One day everything comes to a close when an accident happens. Or, was it an accident. As Henry relives the tragedy of the time, we slowly get an insight into the village life and its people. It is dramatic in a quiet way. We know there is a mystery lingering in the past, but it is only in the very end that we realise the consequences and get to know what really happened. One of the best books I have read this year. It reminds me a little bit of Into the Water by Paula Hawkins, in its narration of calm and quiet, which does not seem to go along with the dramatic events. It is beautifully written as well. I read somewhere he got a reward for this book. Well deserved. I am now eager to find other books by him. Any of you who have read something by Cook? Please let me know.

So far into December, and I realise I have not yet done the November Wrap-up. I had a really good reading month, reading 15 books. Mainly due to the three challenges I participated in; Nonfiction November, Novellas in November and German Literature Month. Great challenges all of them. The Library at Christiansborgs Castle in Copenhagen My own challenge a nonfiction from my TBR shelves: The Lodger, Shakespeare on Silver Street by Charles Nicoll a fiction from my TBR shelves: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk by Nikolai Leskov a translated novel outside of the English- and Swedish speaking countries: The Sandman by a classic tale: Metamorphoses by Franz Kafka a book from my Wish list: none Nonfiction November I read four nonfiction books. Three of them with a history theme, and one with an economic theme. Beard, Mary - Gudar och människor (How do we Look? The Eye of Faith) Nicholl, Charles - The Lodger, Shakespeare on Silver Street Cervenka, Andreas - Girig-Sverige (Greedy Sweden) Blom, K. Arne/Moen, Jan - Skånska stenar berättar (What old stones tell us) Novellas November I was happy to read these books by theme from the host. On top of that I read another three novellas. I will definitely continue reading more. Short Classics - The Sandman by E.T.A. Hoffmann (German author) Novellas in Translation - Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (original in German). Short Non-Fiction - The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry German Literature Month Not really following the theme of the hosts, but managed a few German books. The Sandman by E.T.A. Hoffmann Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse (still reading Books read in November Hoffmann, E.T.A. - The Sandman Garai, Indrajit - The Bridge of Little Jeremy Tolstoj, Leo - How Much Land Does A Man Need? Cook, Thomas H. - The Chatham School Affair Kafka, Franz - Metamorphoses Beard, Mary - Gudar och människor (How do we Look? The Eye of Faith) Mas, Victoria - The Mad Women's Ball (Le bal des Folles) de Saint-Exupéry, Antoine - The Little Prince Schulman, Alex - Malma station (audio book) Mas, Victoria - The Mad Women's Ball (Le Bal des Folles) Bainbridge, Beryl - Master Georgi Nicholl, Charles - The Lodger, Shakespeare on Silver Street Cervenka, Andreas - Girig-Sverige Leskov, Nikolai - Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk Krien, Daniela - Kärlek i fem akter (Liebe im Ernstfalle/Love in Five Acts) Blom, K. Arne/Moen, Jan - Skånska stenar berättar (NF)

We are nearing the end of November and are already on week 4 in Nonfiction November challenge. This week is hosted by Rebekah @ She Seeks Nonfiction . I find this weekly challenge difficult. Mainly since I read mostly historical nonfiction, and I am not sure it changes anyones world views. I will probably go a slightly different path, so, let's see where I end up. Week 4: Worldview Changers: What nonfiction book or books has impacted the way you see the world in a powerful way? I went to my book shelves to check out my nonfiction books. I choose three of them that has impacted me. Maybe not changed my world views but the historical events had a great impact on many people. The Sleepwalkers , How Europe Went to War in 1914 by Christopher Clark This must be the most thorough research and writings on the first world war. Mainly centered on the origins of the war. The main event, we are told, are the shots in Sarajevo killing Archduke Franz Ferdinand, heir to Austro-Hungarian throne and his wife, the Duchess of Hohenberg. Well, as Christopher Clark shows, there are a few other events leading up to this devastating war. "The British historian A.J.P Taylor and the American historian Barbara Tuchman wrote that ’the war was a result of rigid planning, train schedules and treaty commitments. That is, it was the final stop in a chain of events that could not stop the train, once it started’. It is a very good description and after having read Clark’s book you can see how all decisions from the persons and countries involved, although aimed at not starting a war, on the contrary, lead directly to war." (from my review, link above). The book is called a master piece and that is no understatement. Well researched, well written, and an easy read even for the average reader. I guess it does teach us something, and changes our views on politics and politicians. My final paragraph in the review reads. "What amazed me, was how supposedly, responsible emperors, kings and politicians acted. Many times due to small reasons of self interest, making a decision without a proper back ground, without thinking of the greater picture, a lack of knowing what the others were doing, interpreting what they were doing, rightly or wrongly. It was like these people were sitting with the map of Europe and made their next move with a chess piece. Rather scaring. " I think this book did change my view on how the world is working. Prince of Princes: The Life of Potemkin by Simon Sebag Montefiore Another fantastic book about a person who seems to have been greater than life. A story about a great statesman and his relationship and love for Catherine the Great. In a way it has a bearing in what is happening today. Potemkin was promoted to Field Marshal in 1783 and took over the control of Crimea when it was annexed. He was a powerful man in the area and founded several cities, among them Kherson and Odessa. Apart from the historically interested people today, his name is mostly associated with ‘Potemkin village’. This goes back to the time when Catherine the Great was visiting him. The time was short and he wanted to make her believe he had achieved more than he had. He thus used painted façades to fool Catherine. These façades hid the fact there was nothing behind. Maybe he inspired the movie industry? Just a few days ago the world heard the news that when the Russians evacuated the city of Kherson they took the bones of Potemkin, buried in St Catherine's Cathedral, with them. Being the founder of the city his bones have a significance and great importance to the Ukrainians. For Russia as well, as they see Potemkin as being behind the conquest of the area in 1783. A Rage to Live by Mary S. Lovell I leave the war scene and go into exploration. Why not talk about one of the greatest, Sir Richard Burton. Mary S. Lovell is one of my favourite historical biographers. She writes so well, take you into other people's life, in a respectful way, and make you never want to leave. Sir Richard Burton is another man, greater than life. The achievements he did during his life time and the will to always learn new things. A brilliant mind, charismatic person, linguist, he spoke 24 languages, scholar, translator (he translated the Arabian Nights ) and a daring adventurer. What is not to love here? Reading about such people you feel rather small yourself. At the same time it gives you an insight in what man can do, if you put your mind to it. Everything seemed open to him. He was not afraid of trying new things and adventures. I guess you can say that he opened up the world to me in a way. Following in his fot steps, even if you are sitting in the sofa at home, he teases you to follow him. Do you think there is one book that everyone needs to read for a better understanding of the world we live in? A difficult question. I don't think there is one book that would do that for mankind. You probably have to widen your perspective with nonfiction books about different areas of society and different parts of the world. We all live different lives, and there is not one book that can make a better understanding of the world, for all people around the globe. A variety of nonfiction is the answer I think. Which should give me a big kick in the behind to start reading more than historical nonfiction.

We have reached the final week of November and it is time for a wrap-up. The month went very fast, but I am rather pleased with what I read. Having had a little bit of hybris, I also signed up for Novellas and German Lit Month for November. 'It is what it is' as a famous person said. For week 5 we have the following challenge. Week 5: (November 28-Dec 2) – New to My TBR: It’s been a month full of amazing nonfiction books! Which ones have made it onto your TBR? Be sure to link back to the original blogger who posted about that book! Pro tip: Start this draft post at the beginning of the month and add to it as your TBR multiplies. (Jaymi @ The OC Bookgirl ) For once I did do some notes when I found a very interesting book, which I have failed to do previous years. Even so, there have been a lot of interesting books during this month, so here are just a few I paid extra attention to (in now special order). What's Nonfiction Tunnel 29 by Helena Merriman and The Ratline and East West Street by Philippe Sands. They also come with thrilling podcasts on BBC Radio 4 Intrigue. Got totally hooked on The Ratline and Murder in the Lucky Holiday Hotel. Now it is time for the books. Another totally addicted podcast is Crooked Media's Wind of Change. Could not wait to finish this one to find out the ending. The Supernatural, One Mans Search for the Truth About Ghosts by Will Storr. Sounds like an intriguing read. Maybe we will find something out? Readerbuzz Around the World in 80 Books by David Demrosch (Books-about-Books) Hard Times: An Oral History of the Great Depression by Studs Terkel's (about the Great Depression) pairing with Kristin Hannah's fiction book, The Four Winds . You might also consider reading John Steinbeck's The Grapes of Wrath . The last book has been on my list for a long time. It is always interesting to read such books together with a nonfiction, so good pairing here. Bookfever Ancient History Fangirl another podcast that sounds interesting. The Woman Who Would Be King by Kara Cooney Antigone Rising: The Subversive Power of the Ancient Myths by Helen Morales Cities that Shaped the Ancient World by Editor: John Julius Norwich Bookfever and I share a love for history. Adventures in reading, running and working from home Small Town Girl, Love, Lies and the Undercover Police by Donna McLean Skylark: The compelling novel of love, betrayal and changing the world by Alice O’Keeffe I think this is a pairing fiction/nonfiction. A present day criminal case. books are my favourite and best My Year of Rest and Relaxation by Ottessa Moshfegh- Sounds like a book we all need to read. Reading Life The Anna Karenina Fix: Lessons in Happiness From Russian Literature by Viv Groskop. Always good with some lessons in happiness. I am just asking myself whether Anna Karenina is an example? Hm, a must read I think. Let's Read Why We Read by Josephine Greywoode. Sounds like it could give us a reason for our obsessions. ***** Thank you all for your suggestions and inspirations. I have really enjoyed this month, and to follow what you read. That takes me to what I read myself. I read 14 books this month of which four nonfiction Gudar och människor (How do we Look? The Eye of Faith) by Mary Beard. She takes us back to the ancient world and forward to investigate how artists have visualised man. Very interesting. The Lodger, Shakespeare on Silver Street by Charles Nicholl. Nicholl takes us back to the small street of London in pursuit of real life accounts on Shakespeare's life. He is mentioned in a couple of law documents, and around this Nicholl looks at his neighbours, fellow writers/actors and life in general in the centre of London. Girig-Sverige by Andreas Cervenka. Cervenka won a best nonfiction prize for this book about Greedy Sweden. It is about the economy and financial world in Sweden, and how some people can become very, very rich due to the system. You just have to know how to do it. Very interesting insight into the financial back alleys, but all legal. Skånska stenar berättar by K. Arne Blom and Jan Moen. Skåne, or Scania is the southern province of Sweden, once belonging to Denmark. Here you can find traces of early settlements and history, carved in stone or remembered by a stone or plaque retelling the story. Interesting and a tip for excursions. Considering I read books for Novellas in November and German Literary Month I am quite pleased with these four books.

In my series on books I keep on my shelves after I have read them, I have come to the letter E. Nonfiction Sonja by Anne Edwards An excellent biography of Sonja, the wife of Leo Tolstoy. If you are interested in knowing more, I can recommend the excellent podcast Significant Others hosted by Liza Powel O'Brien who talks about the women (mostly, I guess) behind great authors, and other famous men, and how they influenced and helped their husband. Very interesting. There is one episode on Sonya Tolstoy. A woman of great bravery. "A sympathetic account of Sonya Tolstoy's struggle for independence reveals Sonya to be a forerunner of today's modern woman, showing how her intense love for Tolstoy was diminished by his refusal to see her as her own person." Siri and Blekingegatan 32 by Lena Einhorn Lena Einhorn is one of my favourite authors. In these two books she looks at the lives of Siri von Essen (in Siri), married to August Strindberg and Greta Garbo (in Blekingegatan 32). Interesting and well researched. Historiens 100 viktigaste svenskar (The 100 most important Swedes in history) by Niklas Ekdal A look into important Swedes and the achievements through history. There are many inventors which is still visible in Swedish society today, with big companies like Tetra Pay, Alfa Laval, Aga, ABB, Ericsson and many others. Carl von Linné is there of course, as is Queen Kristina from the 16th century who abdicated, turned catholic and lived the rest of her life in Rome. Alfred Nobel who does not need further introduction. From the literary world we find: Astrid Lindgren, August Strindberg, Carl Michael Bellman, Selma Lagerlöf, Ellen Key, Vilhelm Moberg, Fredrika Bremer, Carl Jonas Love Almqvist, Alva and Gunnar Myrdal, Emanuel Swedenborg, Gustaf Fröding, Jan Guillou, Lars Norén of which some might be familiar to you. Ett annat liv (Another life) by Per Olov Enquist An autobiography of one of our best authors and dramatists. The Wicked Wit of Winston Churchill compiled by Dominique Enright Nobody can deny that Winston Churchill was very with. Probably one of the most quoted persons in history, possibly together with Oscar Wilde. Always fun to read. Omgiven av idioter (Surrounded by Idiots) by Thomas Erickson This is a book on how to understand those that are impossible to understand. Erickson guides us through our way of communicating with each other. How we misunderstand people with other views or outlook on life than ourselves. Very funny and serious at the same time. It gives you a few hints how to act yourself. Fiction Duchess of Milan, A novel of the Renaissance by Micha If you are interested in historical fiction this is a great book. "Once upon a time, in fifteenth-century Italy, two women faced each other with a ruthlessness and brilliance no man has ever matched. Enter their world of splendor and depravity, of passion and wickedness... It is Italy's most dazzling and dangerous age, and as Beatrice d'Este and Isabella of Aragon match wits and feminine cunning, it is a dance to the death to decide which one of them will be crowned - Duchess of Milan." I read it many years ago, but it is still with me. I have tried to find something else by Michael Ennis, but not successful so far.

Checking out letter F to see which authors and books I have saved because I love these books. Nonfiction Effie: The Passionate Lives of Effie Gray, John Ruskin and John Everett Millais by Suzanne Fagence Cooper An interesting story about a woman at the centre of the Victorian art world. A woman who had to fight herself out of an unhappy marriage. "The scandalous love triangle at the heart of the Victorian art world. Effie Gray, a Scottish beauty, was the heroine of a great Victorian love story. Married at nineteen to John Ruskin, she found herself trapped in a loveless and unconsummated union. When her husband invited his protégé John Everett Millais away on holiday, she and Millais fell in love. Effie would inspire some of Millais's most haunting images, and embody Victorian society's fears about female sexuality. Effie risked everything by leaving Ruskin. She hoped to find fulfilment as Millais's wife, becoming a society hostess and manager of his studio, but controversy and tragedy continued to stalk her. Suzanne Fagence Cooper has gained exclusive access to Effie's family letters and diaries to reveal the reality behind the scandalous love-triangle. She shows the rise and fall of the Pre-Raphaelite circle from a new perspective, through the eyes of a woman who was intimately involved in the private and public lives of its two greatest figures. Effie's charm and ambition helped to shape the careers of both her husbands. Effie is a compelling portrait of the extraordinary woman behind some of the most famous Pre-Raphaelite paintings." A Circle of Sisters by Judith Flanders A fascinating story about four sisters who, by their social interactions, lived at the very heart of political and cultural society. " THE MACDONALD SISTERS--Alice, Georgiana, Agnes, and Louisa--started life in the teeming ranks of the lower-middle classes, denied the advantages of education and the expectation of social advancement. Yet as wives and mothers they would connect a famous painter, a president of the Royal Academy, a prime minister, and the uncrowned poet laureate of the Empire. Georgiana and Alice married, respectively, the pre-Raphaelite painter Edward Burne-Jones and the arts administrator Edward Poynter; Louisa gave birth to future prime minister Stanley Baldwin, and Alice was mother to Rudyard Kipling. "A Circle of Sisters brings to life four women living at a privileged moment in history. Their progress from obscurity to imperial grandeur indicates the vitality of nineteenth-century Britain: a society abundant with possibility. From their homes in India, America, and England, the sisters formed a network that, through the triumphs and tragedies of their families and the Empire, uniquely endured. " Hidden Lives by Margaret Forster Here Margaret Forster takes a look at her own family in this fascinating biography of a woman having to make sacrifices. "Margaret Forster's grandmother died in 1936, taking many secrets to her grave. Where had she spent the first 23 years of her life? Who was the woman in black who paid her a mysterious visit shortly before her death? How had she borne living so close to an illegitimate daughter without acknowledging her? The search for answers took Margaret on a journey into her family’s past, examining not only her grandmother's life, but also her mother’s and her own. The result is both a moving, evocative memoir and a fascinating commentary on how women’s lives have changed over the past century." Daphne du Maurier by Margaret Forster Margaret Forster is a favourite biographer of mine. Well researched and with a writing style that makes a take on anyones life an exciting experience. "Rebecca, published in 1938, brought its author instant international acclaim, capturing the popular imagination with its haunting atmosphere of suspense and mystery. du Maurier was immediately established as the queen of the psychological thriller. But the more fame this and her other books encouraged, the more reclusive Daphne du Maurier became." How to read novels like a professor by Thomas C. Foster If you are interested in how to read and analyse novels this is the book for you. Interesting take on literature and its handicraft. "Of all the literary forms, the novel is arguably the most discussed . . . and fretted over. From Miguel de Cervantes's Don Quixote to the works of Jane Austen, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, and today's masters, the novel has grown with and adapted to changing societies and technologies, mixing tradition and innovation in every age throughout history. Thomas C. Foster—the sage and scholar who ingeniously led readers through the fascinating symbolic codes of great literature in his first book, How to Read Literature Like a Professor—now examines the grammar of the popular novel. Exploring how authors' choices about structure—point of view, narrative voice, first page, chapter construction, character emblems, and narrative (dis)continuity—create meaning and a special literary language, How to Read Novels Like a Professor shares the keys to this language with readers who want to get more insight, more understanding, and more pleasure from their reading ." Marie Antoinette by Antonia Fraser Another favourite biographer, and what can be more challenging than to have a look into the life of Marie Antoinette. A thorough guide through her unhappy life. " Marie Antoinette's dramatic life-story continues to arouse mixed emotions. To many people, she is still 'la reine méchante', whose extravagance and frivolity helped to bring down the French monarchy; her indifference to popular suffering epitomised by the (apocryphal) words: 'let them eat cake'. Others are equally passionate in her defence: to them, she is a victim of misogyny. Antonia Fraser examines her influence over the king, Louis XVI, the accusations and sexual slurs made against her, her patronage of the arts which enhanced French cultural life, her imprisonment, the death threats made against her, rumours of lesbian affairs, her trial (during which her young son was forced to testify to sexual abuse by his mother) and her eventual execution by guillotine in 1793. " Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France by Leonie Frieda Catherine de Medici must be one of the most fascinating women in history. Here we get all the nitty gritty details of a woman who were put at the throne and had to survive. " Poisoner, despot, necromancer -- the dark legend of Catherine de Medici is centuries old. In this critically hailed biography, Leonie Frieda reclaims the story of this unjustly maligned queen to reveal a skilled ruler battling extraordinary political and personal odds -- from a troubled childhood in Florence to her marriage to Henry, son of King Francis I of France; from her transformation of French culture to her fight to protect her throne and her sons' birthright. Based on thousands of private letters, it is a remarkable account of one of the most influential women ever to wear a crown. " Fiction The Age of Desire by Jennie Fields An historical fiction on Edith Wharton's time in Paris. "She is the darling of Parisian society. A famous author whose novels have captivated readers. He is a charming young journalist with nothing to lose. While novelist Edith Wharton writes of grand love affairs, she has yet to experience her own. Her marriage is more platonic than passionate and her closest relationship is with her literary secretary, Anna Bahlmann. Then Edith meets dashing Morton Fullerton, and her life is at last opened to the world of the sensual. But in giving in to the temptation of their illicit liaison, Edith could lose everything else she holds dear..." I followed up this historical novel with a nonfiction. Mysteries of Paris: The Quest for Morton Fullerton by Marion Mainwaring, where she follows in Wharton's foot steps in search for the truth of the affair. The African Queen by C.S. Forester A classic tale, made more classic by the film with Katherine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. It is both serious and funny, a great read. "As World War I reaches the heart of the African jungle, Charlie Allnutt and Rose Sayer, a dishevelled trader, and an English spinster missionary, find themselves thrown together by circumstance in German Central Africa. Fighting time, heat, malaria, and bullets, they make their escape on the rickety steamboat The African Queen... and hatch their own outrageous military plan. Originally published in 1935, The African Queen is a tale replete with vintage Forester drama - unrelenting suspense, reckless heroism, impromptu military manoeuvres, near-death experiences - and a good old-fashioned love story to boot." The Sage of Waterloo by Leona Francombe A wonderful tale of a rabbit's view on the battle of Waterloo. "The extraordinary debut of a classical pianist turned novelist, The Sage of Waterloo is a playful retelling of a key turning point in human history and a slyly profound reflection on our place in the world. William is a white rabbit living at Hougoumont, the historic farm on the site of the Battle of Waterloo. Under the tutelage of his grandmother Old Lavender, William attunes himself to the echoes and ghosts of the battle, and through a series of adventures he comes to recognize how deeply what happened at Waterloo two hundred years before continues to reverberate. Nature, as Old Lavender says, never truly recovers from human cataclysms. Brimming with the wonder and narrative power of Andrea Barrett or Anthony Doerr and full of vivid insights about Napoleon, Wellington, and the battle itself, The Sage of Waterloo is a beguiling tale of fate, human folly, and the wisdom of the natural world."

Winston Churchill is probably the most quoted man in the world, possibly with the exception of Oscar Wilde. According to some reports he said “the only statistics you can trust are the ones you have falsified yourself.” Another prime minister, Benjamin Disraeli, also had a view on statistics, saying there were “three kind of lies: lies, damn lies and statistics.” Nevertheless, it is interesting with statistics, and I have enjoyed reading yours. My last post highlighted some statistics, but I forgot to mention which genres I have read. An interesting exercise, since I had no idea how much I have read from each genre. All in all, I have to be satisfied since I have been reading, more or less, the same number of books from each of the genres. Top 10 books read in 2022 It turned out to be 13 books, but three of them are in a series, so I count that as one. If Winston Churchill can do it, I can do it. No special order. Maja Lunde - The History of Bees, The End of the Ocean and Przewalski's Horse (excellent trilogy, fourth is coming, on the future of our planet). Maggie O'Farrell - Hamnet (favourite author who never fails you. This year I will read her latest The Marriage Portrait.) Jennifer Saint - Ariadne (wonderful tale of Greek mythology. Looking forward to Elektra and Atalanta.) Ferdinand von Schirach - The Collini Case (a trial where the accused pleeds guilty, but don't want to say why he did it. His defense lawyer looks into his history and find a gruesome story of bravery and sadness.) Paul Auster - The Brooklyn Follies (Auster does not need any further introduction. As always an engaging story of life in New York.) Taylor Jenkins Reid - The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugh (fascinating story of an aging, popular movie star and her life. Want to read more by her.) Laura Dave - The Last Thing He Told Me (a different mystery of a husband disappearing, leaving his wife and child without a clue. When the police and security forces start asking about the business of her husband, she realises she does not know much about it.) Ulf Kvensler - Sarek (a Swedish thriller set in the national park of Sarek in the north of Sweden. Two couple set out, but only two persons return, and their stories do not match. Totally thrilling and beautiful descriptions of wild life.) Andreas Cervenka - Girig-Sverige (a look on Swedish ekonomic life, and how people can get super rich by legal means. Informative and shocking as well.) That was my best books for 2022. I did like most of the books I read, in one way or the other. I did start a few other books that I did not read, because I did not find them interesting. One book I read since it was for a book club, The Devil and the Dark Water by Stuart Turton. I did not like, or understand, this book at all. Found it boring and the story uninteresting, although it is a historical fiction, which I usually love. The end result is that 2022 was a very good reading year. Looking forward to 2023, new books, new stories and new challenges. My own challenge theme for January will be "Portugal", since we are here for three weeks, travelling around in the north. I have already read one book Lisbon, War in the Shadow of the City of Light, 1939-45 by Neill Lochery, and am now starting A Short History of Portugal by H. Morse Stephens. Hoping also to finish The History of the Siege of Lisbon by José Saramago, and hopefully some poetry by Fernando Pessoa. More about all of them in another post.