DDM Reading Week 8-15 May, 2023 , hosted by heavenali is in full swing. Liz Dexter at Adventures in reading, running and working from home is collecting your reviews (under link). I started the week by reading The King's General , and continued with The Parasites. This is also a re-read, and I don't remember too much of it. I read it ages ago, and the only thing I do remember is that I found the three "parasites" rather irritating. This was not my feeling the second time around. Since I read it for the first time, I have read and reviewed many books, and it probably, and hopefully, has given me a possibility to see the novel in a new light. The three main characters; Maria, Niall and Celia are fascinating people to say the least. DDM has created a confusing family constellation with the Delaney family. The father, an opera singer, the mother a ballet dancer that rather dances other dances. Maria is the daughter of the father, Niall the son of the mother, and Celia the daughter of both the Delaneys. The parents travel around Europe and take the children with them on their tours. Rather egoistic parents, who are totally dedicated to their arts. The only calming and constant person in their lives is the Truda, who helps out with the children, and everything else of practical kind that needs to be done. The narration is somewhat confusing since it goes, rather irrationally, from person to person. But, somehow it works very well, since it follows the parallelle lives of the three siblings. The novel starts when Charles, the husband of Maria, tells the siblings they are nothing more than parasites. The comment makes them look at their own lives, their up-bringing, and their actions, trying to be honest with themselves. We get flash backs of their upbringing, of the action of their parents, and their own. It is a fascinating story. The three siblings have inherited the artistic veins of their parents. Maria becomes a famous actress, Niall composes popular songs, and Celia is good at drawing and writing. She is the one that might have the toughest burden, to take care of their father when the mother dies. As we reach the end and the siblings have come to the point where they admit that there might be something wrong with how they live their lives, there is some hope of change. However, their egoism, and the habits of a life time, is difficult to beat. This time around I really loved the book, and am happy that I decided to re-read it. I found the story and characters fascinating. The irritating I felt the first time, was not there. Maybe, because I am older, and life teaches you things. One can have opinions on the characters, but I am more interested in the author's ability to build such characters. It seems she was inspired by her own time in the theatre world, and possibly from her own family. It is in the end a book I can highly recommend.

DDM Reading Week 8-15 May, 2023 , hosted by heavenali is over, but I have just recently finished the last book I wanted to read, The Glass Blowers . Liz Dexter at Adventures in reading, running and working from home is collecting your reviews. This is the last of the three books I already had on my shelves, and which I read ages ago. However, can't remember too much of them. The Glass Blowers is actually a family saga about her own ancestors. That puts the book in a different light. It tells the story of the glass blower family Busson, before, during and after the French revolution. Several of the siblings are trying their best to keep up with the parents heritage. Their sons Robert, Pierre, Michael and Francois, and their daughters Sophie and Edmé. The story is told by Sophie after her daughter, many years later, met a man with partly the same surname as they have. He turns out to be a grandson of her brother Robert. This is revealed at the very beginning of the book, so no spoiler. It seems many readers are not so fascinated by this book by DDM. I can partly agree. It is the least likeable of the three books I read. I think it is due to the rather long parts of the fighting during the revolution. I also did find it a little bit too long. On the other hand, when you read something about the revolution it is usually about the royals or the nobility. I have a feeling this is the first time I get an account on what happened, on the ground, to ordinary people. DDM well describes the confusion during the first years after the revolution. The different fractions fighting against each other, the sense of chaos; who is in charge? Even the siblings sometimes end up on different, or opposite sights. It is all made up by the end of the book, where you meet the family many years later. The descriptions on how peoples fared during times of turmoil, how they came out of it and how it affected their lives I found interesting. I also liked very much the ending. Even more so when I read DDM's afterwords that it was based, if even loosely, on her own family. She did a lot of research so the story is most likely based on realistic accounts. This was it for now with DDM reading. I am still going to continue reading her books. I have really come into her way of writing with these three books, and the six novellas I read. Looking forward to more.

September has passed and we have been travelling around in our camper van. Visiting Montenegro, Albania and Greece, where we are now. I prepared for the Greek trip by buying a few books related to the Greek gods and classical times. I started out very slow with the reading in September, but managed eight books in the end. The Forsyte Saga I finished the last five books in the series: In Chancery, Awakening, To Let, The White Ape and The Silver Spoon. The two last books seem to be a continuation of the original saga. I found them slightly less interesting than the earlier ones. However, the saga is fantastic, and it was such an easy read. Still felt rather up to date today, when you look at the British society. The Greek books Circe by Madeline Miller (read in August) Ithaca by Claire North Electra by Jennifer Saint I did not like Ithaca by Claire North at all. Maybe because I find the story of Penelope rather boring. Although, I must say that North made her into a woman of action, and seemingly in control, trying to overcome the suitors' attention. Adding a political aspect to the situation, even including a visit from Elektra and Orestes, in their search of their mother Clytemnestra. Although the prose is beautiful, possibly with a little bit too much of lyrical descriptions, the story as such did not interest me. I loved Jennifer Saint's Ariadne , so was eager to read more by her. I still have Atalanta to read. I did like Elektra as well, but still think I prefer Ariadne . It tells the story of Clytemnestra, Cassandra and Elektra. I don't know why she decided to call the book by Elektra's name since I have a feeling the other two characters are more present. Beautifully written, with three excellent portraits of the women and their sorrows. Review will come. Thrillers A summer has to have a few thrillers on the reading list. I managed to bring two very good, and thrilling ones, from my TBRs. Fingersmith by Sarah Waters . On the list for 25 best books of the 25 last years by Greg at Supposedly Fun , I was lucky to have brought this one with me on my trip. "Sue Trinder is an orphan, left as an infant in the care of Mrs. Sucksby, a "baby farmer," who raised her with unusual tenderness, as if Sue were her own. Mrs. Sucksby’s household, with its fussy babies calmed with doses of gin, also hosts a transient family of petty thieves—fingersmiths—for whom this house in the heart of a mean London slum is home. One day, the most beloved thief of all arrives—Gentleman, an elegant con man, who carries with him an enticing proposition for Sue: If she wins a position as the maid to Maud Lilly, a naïve gentlewoman, and aids Gentleman in her seduction, then they will all share in Maud’s vast inheritance. Once the inheritance is secured, Maud will be disposed of—passed off as mad, and made to live out the rest of her days in a lunatic asylum. With dreams of paying back the kindness of her adopted family, Sue agrees to the plan. Once in, however, Sue begins to pity her helpless mark and care for Maud Lilly in unexpected ways...But no one and nothing is as it seems in this Dickensian novel of thrills and reversals.It is an excellent thriller which takes you in different directions and it is only at the very end that you know what will happen. " You think you know exactly what is happening in this novel, but you are wrong. Before the end the story develops into different directions, and once you think you know where it's going, it goes in another direction. Excellent thriller that keeps you stuck until the very end. Trace by Patricia Cornwell , I have had on my TBRs for ages. I think I have read another book by her. This one was very hard to put down, and I read it over two days, although a rather thick book, and I had other things to do. "Dr. Kay Scarpetta, now freelancing from South Florida, returns to the city that turned its back on her five years ago. Richmond, Virginia's recently appointed chief medical examiner claims that he needs Scarpetta's help to solve a perplexing crime. When she arrives, however, Scarpetta finds that nothing is as she expected: Her former lab is in the final stages of demolition; the inept chief isn't the one who requested her after all; her old assistant chief has developed personal problems that he won't reveal; and a glamorous FBI agent, whom Scarpetta dislikes instantly, meddles with the case. Deprived of assistance from colleagues Benton and Lucy, who are embroiled in what appears to be an unrelated attempted rape by a stalker, Scarpetta is faced with investigating the death of a fourteen-year-old girl, working with the smallest pieces of evidence --- traces that only the most thorough hunters can identify. She must follow the twisting leads and track the strange details in order to make the dead speak --- and to reveal the sad truth that may be more than even she can bear ..." I really enjoy the characters that surrounded Scarpetta, as well as the lady herself. The story was engaging, and very mysterious. A lot of forensic stuff that shows that Cornwell is well researched. Maybe, there was slightly too much details and side stories here and there, but I could not put this book down. Certainly, have to look for more books by her. Well, that was my reading in September. I have no special plans for my October reading, more than reading Atalanta and the other books that I have brought with me. Trying to leave them behind as they have been read, hoping to have some words via BookCrossing.

For once I am following live the presentation of this years' laureate of the Nobel Prize in Literature. I have not read a lot of pre-guesses of who will win, but saw a list of betting odds. I must admit I am not familiar with half of the names. I am hoping for Haruki Murakami, but have the feeling that he is just too popular. In 45 minutes we will know. 13.00 - Now is the presentation. ... and it is Jon Fosse, a Norwegian author. "The Nobel Prize in Literature for 2023 is awarded to the Norwegian author Jon Fosse , “for his innovative plays and prose which give voice to the unsayable.” His immense oeuvre written in Norwegian Nynorsk and spanning a variety of genres consists of a wealth of plays, novels, poetry collections, essays, children’s books and translations. While he is today one of the most widely performed playwrights in the world, he has also become increasingly recognised for his prose." Congratulations to him. I have not read anything by him, but it seems it is time to do so.

Another classic spin from the Classic Club has taken place. I did not have time to post my list in advance, but here is an updated one. 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. The Duchess of Malfi by John Webster 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. The Grand Hotel by Vicki Baum 14. Tom Jones by Henry Fielding 15. For Whom the Bell Tolls by Ernest Hemingway 16. Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton 17. The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham 18. An Appetite for Violets by Martine Bailey 19. The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier 20. The World of Yesterday, Memoirs of a European by Stefan Zweig The spin number this time is #2, The Bride of Lammermore by Sir Walter Scott for me. Wanted to read this for some time, so hopefully I will manage to read it until 3 December. Hope you got a book you like.

This is probably the most hyped book of the year. I do like Fantasy, but seldom read it. Thinking back, I think this book might be the first one. I have watched Fantasy on the telly though, if that counts for something, and like it. First to my mind comes Game of Thrones (although it went on too long) and A Discovery of Witches which I really loved. I have had some other fantasy authors on my radar, but so far they did not make it to be read. Not too late though. It is always with a little bit of anticipation that you start a very hyped book. I am also aware that the main audience are aimed at much younger people than me, who probably interprets it quite different. Nevertheless, I did read it. There might be spoilers ahead. Here is the summary: "Twenty-year-old Violet Sorrengail was supposed to enter the Scribe Quadrant, living a quiet life among books and history. Now, the commanding general—also known as her tough-as-talons mother—has ordered Violet to join the hundreds of candidates striving to become the elite of Navarre: dragon riders. But when you’re smaller than everyone else and your body is brittle, death is only a heartbeat away...because dragons don’t bond to “fragile” humans. They incinerate them. With fewer dragons willing to bond than cadets, most would kill Violet to better their own chances of success. The rest would kill her just for being her mother’s daughter—like Xaden Riorson, the most powerful and ruthless wingleader in the Riders Quadrant. She’ll need every edge her wits can give her just to see the next sunrise. Yet, with every day that passes, the war outside grows more deadly, the kingdom's protective wards are failing, and the death toll continues to rise. Even worse, Violet begins to suspect leadership is hiding a terrible secret. Friends, enemies, lovers. Everyone at Basgiath War College has an agenda—because once you enter, there are only two ways out: graduate or die ." I did like the main story, and I loved the world of the dragons. They made up the nicest characters in the plot. They bond with humans and keep the bond until one of them dies; the dragon, or the human. Their lives are intermingled. The school, I guess you can call it that, and the tests the students have to finalise to make it to graduation are hard and ruthless. Most pupils don't make it. Those who survive form a tight bond, unless you end up being the enemy of a few of them. It seems it is ok to kill each other if you do it fairly.(?) The survival of the fittest is the theme here. Although we mostly follow life at the school, as the story evolves, we realise that their world are isolated, and the world around them might not be as safe as the leaders make them believe. Rebellions happened many years earlier, and it might not be the end of it yet. The week point of the book is the characters. The narrator, Violet is small, rather weak physically and have to train extra hard to make it to the next level. Destined for the profession of a scribe at the library, she was not prepared for this violent life. Xaden is the rebel, a third year graduate and also the wing leader, son of a former rebel who was executed. Thus he holds a grudge against Violet, since it was her mother, the general and leader of their world, who ordered the execution. On the other hand, Xaden's father killed Violet's beloved brother Brennan. There you go. Xaden is as tough as they get. Dain is the childhood friend Violet grew up with and still have feelings for. Rhiannon is another graduate who becomes a good friend. Liam is a second year graduate, friend of Xaden, and appointed body guard to Violet. Unfortunately, Violet is not a very likeable character. Strange really, since she is the heroine of the story, and the narrator. Maybe the language she speaks, maybe her actions and her thoughts. Dain is another unlikeable character, making uncalled for comments and overprotecting Violet in a strange way. Xaden is the most likeable character, at least until he gives in and acknowledge his love for Violet. Rhianna and Liam are my favourites. The love interest is quite easily detected already at the beginning of the book. Violet's and Xaden's dislike of each other, fuels other feelings. Dain is there to make the love triangle, but does not cause any serious threat. Understandably, Violet chooses Xaden, and that is perfectly all right. Violet is attracted to Xaden from the very beginning, although it takes some time before she acknowledge it to herself. However, the physical attraction is strong and every time she sets eyes on him, and his body, she goes weak, stops breathing, admiring his muscles etc. Her reactions are recurring through the novel and gets rather tiresome. Once Xaden acknowledges his feeling for Violet, he turns a bit silly as well. Personally, I prefer sex scenes where things are hinted at. To read details of it all, I find rather boring. These scenes could have been hotter with a different approach. I did like the story of the book, and the dragon world. I must admit I was hooked from page one. It is an easy read. The prose is not very good and the dialogues are simple. They work best with the interaction with the dragons. The love story could have been told in a better way. It fails since, I think, the character of Violet is not worthy the character of Xaden. Although she starts out as a weak person physically, she is mentally stronger, has her own will, is different from others, and will end up the best in the end. The more I was reading, the more I thought I will not read the second book coming out soon. However, as we near the end of the book, the political story takes off again. There is a terrible fight with dragons and other magical creatures which is well written and makes for exciting reading. Violet is made aware that the political scene is not what it seems, and there might be another rebellion coming soon. The last chapter is narrated by Xaden, for a reason unknown to me. Could as well has continued with Violet's narration. Here comes a cliff hanger which I will not reveal here, but it makes me have to read the coming book. The author has created an interesting world with exciting political turmoil. The only thing missing is to improve the characterisation. There are too many clichés that are difficult to ignore. I have not read anything else by Yarros, so can't say wether this is her usual way of writing or not. I must admit though, due to the cliff hanger I am bound to read the next one.

German Literature Month is coming up in November which is hosted by Lizzy Siddal . Head over to her post for more information and her list of books to read. There is only one rule, to read anything you want in any language you want as long as it was originally written in German. I am looking through my TBR shelves to see what I have, which was written in German. Turns out to be only two books: The World of Yesterday, Memoirs of a European by Stefan Zweig and Tornet (der Turm, The Tower) by Uwe Tellcamp. The last one is a very, very, very thick book, which I have just started. I am also interested in reading some poetry by Rainer Maria Rilke, as well as his Letters to a Young Poet. Maybe a good idea to read a book from my Classic list, Vicki Baum's Grand Hotel. Some more books might turn up after I have read other participants' posts.

Paris in July is nearing its end. It has been a very active month from so many participants. Thank you Emma @ Word and Peace for taking over after Tamara @ Thyme for Tea and hosting this year. Thank you also to Deb Nance @ Readerbuzz for collecting all the links to the many posts. I still have to catch up on reading some of them. It has been a busy month with a lot of activities from Emma's side. Here a wrap-up of what I did this month. Reading Notre-Dame de Paris (The Hunchback of Notre Dame) by Victor Hugo (read in June) Axel von Fersen and Queen Marie Antoinette (The Greatest Love Story of the 18th Century) by Margareta Beckman The Elusive Pimpernel by Baroness Orzcy Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar by Maurice Leblanc Michael Strogoff: The Courier of the Czar by Jules Verne Napoleon, A Concise Biography by David A. Bell (audio) I did not write a post about the Hugo and Verne novels. Both classics and as such still vital today. I was much impressed by Jules Verne's story, which can be considered as historical fiction. Showed a good knowledge of a far away country, customs and politics. Other activites Chateau life - through three YouTubers renovating French castles Brigitte Bardot - a tv-series about her life Bingo With a little bit of goodwill, I have possibly four in a vertical row. First row - 1, 3 and 4 (1. Notre-Dame de Paris, 3. Arsène Lupin, 4. Brigitte Bardot (tv-series, but still ...) Second row - none Third row - 1, 2, 3 and 4 - BINGO (1. Napoleon, 2. The Courier of the Czar, 3. A play, could I choose The Hunchback of Notre Dame as a film? 4. Other: Chateau life. Fourth row - none My month in Paris came out more productive than I thought it would. I got to read some French classics and lingered in the modern world with Castles and Brigitte Bardot. A varied month. I am already longing for next year and hope to see you back in Paris. I have discovered new bloggers which is always very nice. I have enjoyed your takes on anything French, being inspired to visit places, cafés, restaurants and museums next time I am in Paris. Au revoir! À bientôt.

Most of my reading this month was related to Paris in July. I did read a couple of books outside that meme. I read 9 books this month and here they are: Ahrnstedt, Simona - Ett otänkbart öde Beckman, Margareta - Axel von Fersen och drottning Marie-Antoinette, 1700-talets stora kärleksäventyr (NF) Orczy, Baroness - The Scarlet Pimpernel Leblanc, Maurice - Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar Kylhammar Martin - Ett hemligt liv, Verner von Heidenstam och Kate Bang (NF) Verne, Jules - Michael Strogoff: The Courier of the Czar Hemingway, Ernest - To Have and Have not Bell, David A. - Napoleon - A Concise Biography Nyberg, Andreas, Red. - Världens största konspirationer Apart from the books I mentioned in my Paris wrap-up I read Ett otänkbart öde by Simona Ahrnstedt. A romantic, historical fiction. During the last years Ahrnstedt has mostly written modern novels, with erotic under tones, but now she has gone back to her initial historical fiction, which I like. It was a little slow in the beginning but picked up around midway. Ett hemligt liv (A Secret Life) by Martin Kylhammar is a biography about Verner von Heidenstam (a very famous Swedish national icon and author), and Kate Bang a Danish woman who had a relationship with him for 20 years. They were also living together, although discretely at the time. We are talking beginning of 20th century. It is a fascinating story of two intellectuals, falling in love and arranging their life as it suited them. Heidenstam was furthermore 30 years older than Bang. Not always easy, especially, since Heidenstam was a very famous person in Sweden. Kylhammar has made extensive research, and also managed to get never before privat correspondence from Kate Bang's family. Two fascinating lives, lived out in private for good and worse. To Have and Have Not by Ernest Hemingway - A classic tale by Hemingway. It was not as I remember it from the film, it seems they did quite a lot of changes. I am not a big fan of Hemingway, although I love The Old Man and the Sea and The Sun Also Rises , and this did not come down as a favourite. I found it rather confusing. I can see though that the way he writes about people would have been quite refreshing in those days. Världens största konspirationer (The World's Greatest Conspiracies) by Andreas Nyberg. Aren't we all a little bit fascinated by conspiracy theories? Most of the time we probably ask ourselves how people can believe in them, and other times we might believe in them ourselves. Here are eight of them, most of which you will probably recognise. The Murder of Olof Palme - still unsolved with a lot of theories behind who did it. Landing on the moon - was it a fake landing or did it really happen? The Murder of John F. Kennedy - is there still something to conspire in? UFOs - obviously not finished yet, since as US whistleblower testified in a Congressional hearing just the other day. The Free Masons - after The Da Vinci Code conspiracy theories got new feeding. Charles XII - the Swedish warrior king who was shot in 1718 at Fredriksten's fortress in Norway. The question is: was he shot by the Norwegians or by one of his own men, tired of the constant wars? I read recently that the latest investigation, most likely, showed that the shot came from the Norwegian side. Probably still up for debate though. The Great World Conspiracy - still going on, probably got new nutrition after The Da Vinci Code. Is the Illuminati's main aim to take world control by acting in the background, influencing politicians and other powerful people? And ... who are the people behind it? Estonia - the greatest sea disaster in the Baltic. It sank in 1994 and a majority of the people aboard died, mostly Swedes. The debate has been going on about explosions or other external reasons for the accident. People are still trying to make it into something else than an accident. Just a couple of weeks ago and unusual dive to check out the front piece of the ship was done. In spite of the fact that in 1995, Sweden, Finland, and Estonia agreed on designating the place where the ferry was lying as a grave site. No new finds were made to the cause of the accident. It was a good reading month, and I enjoyed the different kind of books. Now I am looking for August. I am travelling for the next couple of months, but did bring around 25, or something, books to read on the way. These are books I leave behind in campings and other places where you can plant a book. I have registered them with Book Crossing labels and hope to find that it has travelled a bit. Thank you Deb Nance @ Readerbuzz for introducing me to BC. To read in August? Definitely the books I have brought with me. Since we are heading for Greece at the end of the month, via Croatia, Montenegro and Albania I am set up for books about Greece. The two new books for sure, then we have a huge Greek guide book from The Rough Guide. There will be a lot to read as well. Following a few YouTubers' book vlogs, I am eager to mix my TBRs and nonfiction with a few newer books. I seldom read new books, and it feels like a discrepancy since there are so many good one published all the time. As you saw from my last blog post, I have three to read in the near future.

The other day I visited one of the book stores here in Innsbruck. Wagner’sche Buchhandlung. It is always nice to look around there, maybe sit down in one of the armchairs and check out the books. They have a small, but good English section. There was a whole section of Fantasy books, maybe a hint for me? I did not buy any of these, but could not resist three books that have been on my radar for a while. Atalanta and Elektra by Jennifer Saint. I really loved her book about Ariadne , so have high hopes on these. Bought as preparation for our Greek travels. Babel by R.F. Kuang has been on my list for a while. I know it has got various reviews; some love it some don't. I am still curious about it. I also bought this beautiful book on how to decorate your home with books. A lot of nice ideas. I just wish I had a bigger flat. I enjoyed looking through it while taking a cappuccino and banana bread at the nice café on the second floor. Situated on a terrace towards inner yards of the surrounding houses, it was a peaceful and quiet place. They even had some hanging chairs that would have been nice to linger in. Unfortunately, occupied. I got a comfortable chair though with the black one on the photo. I love book stores like this, where you can walk around looking at books and then rest your tired feet in a café. I think it will not be the last time I go there. They even serve breakfast which could be nice to try.

Novellas in November is hosted by Cathy of 746 Books and Rebecca of Bookish Beck . There is a theme for each week to help us on the way. I will see how I manage since I do not usually read many novellas. Week 1 (starts Wednesday 1 November): My Year in Novellas During this partial week, tell us about any novellas you have read since last NovNov. Week 2 (starts Monday 6 November): What Is a Novella? Ponder the definition, list favourites, or choose ones you think best capture the ‘spirit’ of a novella. Week 3 (starts Monday 13 November): Broadening My Horizons Pick your top novellas in translation and think about new genres or authors you’ve been introduced to through novellas. Week 4 (starts Monday 20 November): The Short and the Long of It Pair a novella with a nonfiction book or novel that deals with similar themes or topics. Week 5 (starts Monday 27 November): New to My TBR In the last few days, talk about the novellas you’ve added to your TBR since the month began. There is also two buddy read options this year, one contemporary and one classic. Please join in reading one or both at any time in November! Western Lane by Chetna Maroo (2023) is on this year’s Booker Prize longlist; whether or not it advances to the shortlist on Thursday, it promises to be a one-of-a-kind debut novel about an eleven-year-old girl coming to terms with the loss of her mother and becoming deeply involved in the world of competitive squash. A Room of One’s Own by Virginia Woolf (1929), an extended essay about the conditions necessary for women’s artistic achievement, is based on lectures she delivered at Cambridge’s women’s colleges. This feminist classic is in print or can be freely read online (Internet Archive or Project Gutenberg Canada). What should I read? I don't usual read many novellas, so must rely on my fellow bloggers to find a few good novellas. From Books Are My Favourite and Best I find a few interesting suggestions. Breakfast at Tiffany’s by Truman Capote (100pp) Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton (99pp) Eve in Hollywood by Amor Towles (91pp) Nostalgia Has Ruined My Life by Zarah Butcher-McGunnigle (76pp) Come Rain or Come Shine by Kazuo Ishiguro (78pp) The Forester’s Daughter by Claire Keegan (67pp) From Greg and book vlog Supposedly Fun , Glaciers by Alexis M. Smith. From Words&Peace , Jakob von Gunten by Robert Walser. From my own TBR shelves I have few novellas, but I think that Doctor Copernicus by John Banville is rather short. That will probably be more than enough for November, considering the German Literature Month, and hopefully, Nonfiction November. I have not yet seen anything about this year's event, but hope it will be continuing. In the meantime I will think about the weekly themes for the novellas.

I bought this book together with Elektra , to read something from Greece mythology during my trip there. Atalanta is not a goddess but an ordinary human, born to the King of Arcadia. He was hoping for a son and left her as a baby on the mountainside. A mother bear takes care of her and raises her alongside her own cubs. All under the protective eye of the goddess Artemis. As one can imagine she grows up to master survival in nature. Having a pleasant life with Artemis coming to visit from time to time, otherwise growing up under the watchful eyes of the nymphs. She becomes a hunter, excels in running and survival skills. One day Artemis sends her on a quest. She is supposed to join Jason and his Argonauts on their quest for the golden fleece. When she sets out on her journey she discovers a very different world out there. The novel retells the story of the Argonauts and their adventures as they are searching for the golden fleece. Atalanta, the only woman among men, has to show that she can be on the same level as they. As the journey proceeds, her skills come in handy when she discovers that the men can be easily fooled away from the path. Although I liked the independent female character of Atalanta, I did not really take to her. The story was interesting, especially since I wanted to learn more about Jason and the Argonauts, but I did not find the search very exciting. A lack of engagement in the characters. However, the prose is beautiful and was enjoyable. I did like the ending which came as a great surprise. As with Elektra the cover is gorgeous. My favourite story of Jennifer Saint is still Ariadne.