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.

Week 1 of Nonfiction November is here. Thank you so much to this year's hosts for taking up the challenge. Heather of Based on a True Story is the host for week 1. She lives in Ohio with her husband, surrounded by lots and lots of critters! Sounds wonderful. Week 1 (10/30-11/3) Your Year in Nonfiction: Celebrate your year of nonfiction. What books have you read? What were your favorites? Have you had a favorite topic? Is there a topic you want to read about more? What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November? (Heather) What books have you read? Lisbon, War in the Shadows of the City of Light, 1939-45 by Neill Lochery Kärlek och kärnfamilj i folkhemmet by Jonas & Orvar Löfgren Det omaka paret, Tjeckernas och slovakernas historia by Ingmar Karlsson Seven Kinds of People You Find In a Bookshop by Shaun Bythell Aldrig mer trött (Never again tired, my transl.) by Pia Norup Aktier, 3 steg till ekonomiskt oberoende (Shares, 3 steps to ekonomic independence) by Ola Lauritzson Tusen år i Uppåkra (Thousand years in Uppåkra) by Dick Harrison Christensen, Inga - Vikingarna i det frankiska riket (A more academic book about the vikings in the Frankish empire) by Inga Christensen Casanova in Venice by Michel Delon & Michèle Sajous D'Ori Messages From a Lost World, Europe on the Brink by Stefan Zweig Tio lektioner i svensk historia (Ten lessons in Swedish history) by Ola Larsmo Kärlek i hatets tid (Liebe in Zeiten des Hasses/Love in a Time of Hate) by Florian Illies Sanningen är alltid oförskämd, Biography of August Strindberg by Göran Hägg Van Gogh's Ear by Bernadette Murphy Axel von Fersen och drottning Marie-Antoinette, 1700-talets stora kärleksäventyr by Margareta Beckman Ett hemligt liv, Verner von Heidenstam och Kate Bang by Martin Kylhamma Napoleon - A Concise Biography by David A. Bell Världens största konspirationer by editor Andreas Nyberg Marie Antoinette by Stefan Zweig A Fortune Teller Told Me by Tiziano Terzano That is 20 books out of the 101 books I have read so far. What were your favorites? As usual my favourite nonfiction is within History. The best book, even including fiction, this year is Florian Illies' Love in the Time of Hate, Art and Passion in the Shadow of War, 1929-39 . It is such a different take on the sad history of Europe during this time. Making it more real by looking into the loves and lives of creative people. Can highly recommend it. Other favourites are: The love story between Axel von Fersen and Marie Antoinette, with an insight into their relationship and correspondence. Ett hemligt liv , "A Secret Life" about the love story between Verner von Heidenstam, a Swedish national poet and his long time partner Danish Kate Bang which took place in the beginning of the 20th century. Napoleon - A Concise Biography was very interesting and makes for more reading about this unusual man. Looking forward to the upcoming film by Ridley Scott which premieres in Sweden on 22 November. I guess where you are it is already in the cinemas. Most of the books are about history which is a big interest of mine. Biographies are also interesting I find. Bernadette Murphy's quest to find out what happened when Van Gogh cut off is ear, is a thrilling detective story. Several of the nonfiction books I have read in connection with our travels. Always interesting to read up on local history, customs and traditions. Is there a topic you want to read about more? I am interested in the Evolution and have a couple of books on that subject. Travels, Culture and Traditions are other subjects. What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November? To be inspired by other people's reading of nonfiction. I so often just stay with history and biographies, but would like to be inspired by other areas as well. Considering the dire circumstances in the world today, I don't read so much of contemporary nonfiction. For the time being I am happy to sink into another world with my nonfiction reading. What am I reading? Having just come back from two months travelling with a camper van through Montenegro, Albania and, mostly, Greece, I am letting myself sink into the Ancient Greek and Roman Worlds with The Classical World, An Epic History of Greece and Rome by Robin Lane Fox. It promises to be a very interesting read, and I can go back to remember the ancient places we visited in Greece.

One of my favourite challenges is coming up, Nonfiction November. Four of the five bloggers are new hosts for this year's event. Welcome and thank you for keeping the tradition going. The Hosts Liz , blogs at Adventures in reading, running and working from home , is an editor, transcriber, reader, reviewer, writer and runner. She likes reading literary fiction and nonfiction, travel and biography. Frances blogs about the books she has read at Volatile Rune and is a published poet, reviewer, sometime storyteller and novelist. Heather of Based on a True Story lives in Ohio with her husband, surrounded by lots and lots of critters! Rebekah reads and writes about social justice, atheism, religion, science history, and more on She Seeks Nonfiction . Lisa blogs about the books she’s read at Hopewell’s Public Library of Life . How it works Each Monday, the weekly host will post a topic prompt and include a linkup where you can link your posts, connect with other bloggers, and dive deeper by reading and sharing nonfiction book reviews. Feel free to use our official Nonfiction November graphics, too! Here are the topic prompts for each week: Week 1 (10/30-11/3) Your Year in Nonfiction: Celebrate your year of nonfiction. What books have you read? What were your favorites? Have you had a favorite topic? Is there a topic you want to read about more? What are you hoping to get out of participating in Nonfiction November? (Heather) Week 2 (11/6-11/10) Choosing Nonfiction: What are you looking for when you pick up a nonfiction book? Do you have a particular topic you’re attracted to? Do you have a particular writing style that works best? When you look at a nonfiction book, does the title or cover influence you? If so, share a title or cover which you find striking. (Frances) Week 3 (11/13-11/17) Book Pairings: This week, pair up a nonfiction book with a fiction title. Maybe it’s a historical novel and the real history in a nonfiction version, or a memoir and a novel, or a fiction book you’ve read and you would like recommendations for background reading. You can be as creative as you like! (Liz) Week 4 (11/20-11/24) Worldview Shapers: One of the greatest things about reading nonfiction is learning all kinds of things about our world which you never would have known without it. There’s the intriguing, the beautiful, the appalling, and the profound. What nonfiction book or books have impacted the way you see the world in a powerful way? Is there one book that made you rethink everything? Do you think there is a book that should be required reading for everyone? (Rebekah) Week 5 (11/27-12/1) 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! (Lisa) What will I read? I have just been on a two month vacation with our camper van, visiting Croatia, Montenegro, Albania and Greece. Most of the time was spent in Greece, and I brought with me a few Greek fiction books to read. Greece has a varied history from Ancient times to Hellenism, Roman times, Byzantium and Ottoman times. A little bit of influence by the Venetians and the Franks as well. I have collected a few nonfiction books from my shelves which covers part of that history. I will not be able to read them all, but will see how far I can go. My main interest in nonfiction is history and biographies, but I am sure you will inspire me to read something in other areas. Homerisk hemkomst (Homerian homecoming my trans.) by Sven Delblanc 29 filosofer (29 philosophers) by Gunnar Fredriksson Byzantium by John Halton Byzantium - The Surprising Life of a Medieval Empire by Judith Herrin Turkiets historia (The History of Turkey) by Ingmar Karlsson The Classic World - An Epic History of Greece and Rome by Robin Lane Fox Working IX to V, Orgy Planners, Funeral Clowns, and Other Prized Professions of the Ancient World (2020) by Vicki León Byzantium II: The Apogee John Julius Norwich Byzantium III: The Decline and Fall John Julius Norwich Most of the books have been on my shelves for some time, so a good opportunity to tackle them. Looking forward to seeing what you will be reading.

German Literature Month has started. It is hosted by Lizzy Siddal . Here's a list of the rules, which I think I forgot last time. Reading schedule Nov 1-7 Read as you please Nov 8-14 Poetry Nov 15-21 Read as you please Nov 22-28 Rulebreakers Nov 29-30 Read as you please The extension into the first week of December to catchup on reviewing will be maintained. My reading It seems I am behind with everything this November. Probably due to a long absence due to travelling, and all there is to catch up on when you arrive home. Furthermore, I enrolled in three challenges this month; Nonfiction, Novellas and German Literature. This post covers week one and two. Week one - read as you please I started the week by reading Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke. This is quite a fantastic novella, or letters. Rilke received a number of letters from a poet he did not know. Kindly he answered the letters, but they are not only letters, more like short essays, where Rilke discuss the man's efforts to write poetry, but also overall questions on life in general. It seems Rilke did write extensive letters to people who contacted him, which must be considered very generous. It was nice to read these letters in preparation for his poetry. Week two - poetry While being in Innsbruck recently, we had a dinner guest who cited a poem by Rainer Maria Rilke by heart. It sounded so beautiful, so I decided to by his poems and read them in German. I found Gedichte , which I have already started. There are quite a lot of poems, and longer ones as well, so I am not sure I will be able to finish it this month. I read very slowly in German. Will do my best though. Week three - looking forward The World of Yesterday, Memoirs of a European by Stefan Zweig is one of his master pieces. Looking forward to reading this one for German Literature Month and for Nonfiction in November.

Frances is this week's host for Nonfiction November. She blogs about the books she has read at Volatile Rune and is a published poet, reviewer, sometime storyteller and novelist. Thank you so much for hosting and keeping this challenge alive. This week has a few interesting questions on how we choose which nonfiction to read. Week 2 (11/6-11/10) Choosing Nonfiction: What are you looking for when you pick up a nonfiction book? Do you have a particular topic you’re attracted to? Do you have a particular writing style that works best? When you look at a nonfiction book, does the title or cover influence you? If so, share a title or cover which you find striking. (Frances) My thoughts What are you looking for when you pick up a nonfiction book? It has to be a subject that is interesting. If the back cover text is inspirational, I can go outside my comfort, or interest, zone. Do you have a particular topic you’re attracted to? My interests lie mostly with history, biographies of interesting persons, the evolution, human behaviour etc. Do you have a particular writing style that works best? Not exactly, however, I like when a nonfiction is written almost like a fiction. Modern historians seem to write their facts in a very thrilling and easygoing way, which make their books interesting to read. Some academia is ok, but not too much. When you look at a nonfiction book, does the title or cover influence you? I think the title often is a guide to the subject of the nonfiction book. So that is important. I love a good cover, but if I find the subject interesting I would read it even if the cover is not so good. If so, share a title or cover which you find striking. I love a good cover, but can't think of any in a haste. I took a look on my bookshelves and found these, three, favourite books, which I find striking. Jag tänker på Linné, Han som såg allt by Karin Berglund (I am thinking of Linné, He who saw everything by Karin Berglund The Brontës by Juliet Barker The Mitford Girls, The Biography of an Extraordinary Family by Mary S. Lovell Week one Since I visited my parents (250 km from where I live) I took the opportunity to listen to a nonfiction. I am not much for listening to books, but it worked very well with this book. When you sit in a car you can't do much else either, so a win-win situation. I listened to Kampen om Romarriket (The struggle for the Roman Empire, my translation.) by Eva Queckfeldt. She looks at the power play and intrigues that characterised Rome's political elite between 100 BC to 20 BC. It is a dirty story where power hungry men did not stop at anything. There were bribery, murder, betrayal and love. We meet some of the most famous men in Roman history. It is interesting and intriguing, and I was drawn into this eventful years of the 2nd century BC, the last years of the Republic. I liked it so much, I downloaded another book by her, about Women in the Roman Empire, which I am listening to. Women, as we know, are not very visible in historical sources, and even less so in the 2nd century BC. There is always Cleopatra of course, but very few others. As we come into the first century AD, during the Empirical time in Rome, there are more written sources on women. Not there yet. I am also reading The Classic World - An Epic History of Greece and Rome by Robin Lane Fox. So much into the Greek and Roman worlds for the time being. Have you stayed more in tune with our own times? Or what are you reading.

Novellas in November is hosted by Cathy of 746 Books and Rebecca of Bookish Beck . Thank you for keeping up the tradition. Week two is already here, and I have hardly got used to week one. Week 2 : What Is a Novella? Ponder the definition, list favourites, or choose ones you think best capture the ‘spirit’ of a novella. During week 1 I read Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton. I have not pondered too much on the 'spirit' of a good novella. Now, when thinking of it, I presume that Ethan Frome is a very good example of a good novella. Although it covers only a short time, it seems that we know the characters. There is a story before the the novell starts, the story itself, and an ending continuing into the future. Although we are only meeting the characters in the middle of the story, we seem to know their whole life. It is actually the first book I read by Edith Wharton. It was a great surprise and her writing is wonderful. "Ethan Frome works his unproductive farm and struggles to maintain a bearable existence with his difficult, suspicious and hypochondriac wife, Zeena. But when Zeena's vivacious cousin enters their household as a hired girl, Ethan finds himself obsessed with her and with the possibilities for happiness she comes to represent." It is a sad and tragic story of love and hardship set against a harsh environment. Ethan's efforts to try to solve the situation leads to devastating consequences for all of them. I loved this story, sad as it is. Mostly because of Wharton's wonderful prose which is so lively and vivid. She makes her characters come alive and we feel we have known them a long time. A wonderful novella, and a good start to Novellas in November. Some years ago, I read The Fall of the House of Usher by Edgar Allan Poe. I just remember that I did not really grasp the story and the ending. It is now a limited series on Netflix, and someone said it was very good. I am thinking of re-reading the novella this week, as I watch the tv-series. Have you read it? Seen the series? What do you think about it?

Novellas in November is hosted by Cathy of 746 Books and Rebecca of Bookish Beck . Thank you for keeping up the tradition. Looking forward to see what you all are reading. I usually do not read a lot of novellas, so am eager to get inspired by your reading. 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. I must have been inspired last year for it turns out I have read 13 novellas this year. Here they are: The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas The Sealed Angel by Nikolaj Leskov Don't Look Now by Daphne du Maurie The Apple Tree by Daphne du Maurie The Birds by Daphne du Maurie Not After Midnight by Daphne du Maurie The Blue Lense by Daphne du Maurie The Man Without Shelter by Indrajit Garai Foster by Claire Keegan Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. Hat vid första ögonkastet by Lovisa Wistrand Passion eller paria by Lovisa Wistrand En natt att glömma by Lovisa Wistrand Reading this year I don't really have a very fixed list of what to read. I will let myself be inspired. I did listen to Galatea by Madeline Miller, and this is a very short story. I have also started Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, and I really like her writing. I don't think I have ever read anything by her. She is one of those authors where you tend to watch the movies, but not read the book. Obviously, I have to change my mind here. From my initial post I would like to read the following novellas. Come Rain or Come Shine by Kazuo Ishiguro (I have never read anything by him) Glaciers by Alexis M. Smith (new author to me, comes recommended) Jakob von Gunten by Robert Walser (sounds like an interesting author, which I can also mix with German Literature Month).

A little bit late, but here is my October Wrap-up. It was a rather slow month in number of books I read. Adding three novellas improved the numbers to eight. On top of that, I reach my number 100 book this year, which was Italo Calvino's If On a Winter's Night a Traveler. Here are the books I read. A Fortune Teller Told Me by Tiziano Terzano (NF) - " Tiziano Terzani (14 September 1938 – 28 July 2004) was an Italian journalist and writer, best known for his extensive knowledge of 20th century East Asia and for being one of the very few western reporters to witness both the fall of Saigon to the hands of the Viet Cong and the fall of Phnom Penh at the hands of the Khmer Rouge in the mid-1970s." (from Wikipedia) . He was a foreign correspondence for Der Spiegel, among others. This book was published in 2002. A fortune teller told him that he should not fly for a year, because something bad could happen. This made Terzano move around with other means of transportation, and it is discoveries during these travels that he reflects over in the book. It is an interesting subject, another way of living and experiencing the world around you. A slow pace of traveling gives you the opportunity to discover much more of what is going on around you. He has a great knowledge of SE Asia, and although the stories and politics are twenty years old, it is an interesting read. Atalanta by Jennifer Saint - another book in my Greek reading. I loved Saint's book Ariadne, but am not so excited by either Atalanta and Elektra. Although Saint writes beautifully, and tells the ancient myths in her own, well researched, I think, style. Definitely worth a read if you are interested in the Greek myths. Atalanta is part of Jason's search for the Golden Fleece, and it is a story I want to know more about. Better off Dead by Lee and Andrew Child The Murders at Fleet House by Lucinda Riley. I found these two books in a camping in Croatia. Both very easy to read. I have never read anything by Lee Child, but must admit this is not my cup of tea. Too violent for no reason at all. The story, I guess it works, but not more. Jack Reacher, I did not really like him. Lucinda Riley's book though was very good. This is one of her very first books, which was not published until after her death. For some reason it was not accepted by publishers at the time. I wonder why, since this was such a thrilling book, I could not put it down, until I had finished. I forced myself to put it down to eat something, so you might understand how much I liked it. Hat vid första ögonkastet, Passion eller Paria and En natt att glömma by Lovisa Wistrand. Three Swedish novellas about Regency England and high society. Very predictable and nothing worth remembering. I read them since I needed something totally relaxing, nothing to analyse, or to consider. Maybe it was an antidote to the next book. If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino - I have heard so much about Calvino from my blogger friends and was curious to read something by him. I must admit, I did not like him. At least this book. There was one chapter, eleven I think, with thoughts about books, which I could relate to. The rest was really a total enigma to me. It is probably on a higher level than I can relate to. I will try something else by him in a while, but I am afraid he is not for me.

We are already into week 3 of Nonfiction November. The theme this week is Book Pairings. It is hosted by Liz who blogs at Adventures in reading, running and working from home , is an editor, transcriber, reader, reviewer, writer and runner. She likes reading literary fiction and nonfiction, travel and biography. Week 3 (11/13-11/17) Book Pairings: This week, pair up a nonfiction book with a fiction title. Maybe it’s a historical novel and the real history in a nonfiction version, or a memoir and a novel, or a fiction book you’ve read and you would like recommendations for background reading. You can be as creative as you like! The book pairing is always a difficult one for me. I would ideally have read both the nonfiction as well as the fiction books I choose. After some consideration and thought, I found these two pairings. Homerisk hemkomst (Homeric Homecoming, my trans.) by Sven Delblanc and The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer. In two essays, the author takes a look at the Iliad and the Odyssey. Interpreting the Iliad in the light of research through times. He is not overly impressed by the research, which he thinks is doomed to age. At the back cover Delblanc gives the following advice: A good piece of advice for the reader: give up on all Homeric research. First, read a simple tutorial in Greek mythology. Then read the two works of poetry at a slightly slower pace than today's simpler novels. You will soon re-read them. And re-read them and re-read them, with ever-growing benefit and pleasure. Might be the way to go about these two classic epics. I continue with a biography about Thomas Mann and his family; Familjen Mann (Die Manns) by Tilmann Lahme. Excellent biography about a troubled family with many talented people. I would pair it with The Magician by Colm Tóibín, a historical fiction of the Mann family. If you have an interest in Thomas Mann, his family and his time, both of them are worth reading. Nonfiction wrap-up A short summary on what I have been reading the last week. In principle I am stuck in the Roman Empire. Not a bad place to be though, although you tend to be affected by all the corruption, intrigues, murder and mayhem that is going on. I read, or listen to actually. I am not a fan of audio books, but have noticed that nonfiction works rather well. Kampen om romarrike t (The Struggle for the Roman Empire, my translation.) by Eva Queckfeldt. Covering the period from 100 B.C. to 20 B.C., considering the most interesting and eventful part of its history. This is the time where we find the great names that have gone down through history; Julius Caesar, Marcus Anthony, Cicero, Cato the Younger, Pompey, and many more. Romarrikets kvinnor, makt, mord och moderskap by Eva Queckfeldt. About the women of the Roman Empire. Not always easy to find a lot of written accounts about women, and very few writings by themselves. Queckfeldt gives us what there is to know. The undertitel is power, murder and motherhood, which explains very well the situation these women lived under. Listening to Alexander the Great by Philip Freeman, so have moved a little bit back in time to Hellenistic Greece. Very interesting account of his life and struggles as he tries to conquer the east.

Novellas in November is hosted by Cathy of 746 Books and Rebecca of Bookish Beck . I seem to have missed week 2, so two themes for this week. 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. I read Cathy's post for last week, where she mentions that a novella to her is between 100 - 200 pages. I guess I could agree to that, although, as she also says, there are shorter stories than 100 pages that very well qualify for a novella. She posted a very good quote by Ian McEwan, of which I agree: "What still lures me is the sense, probably an illusion, that just ahead of me, always just out of my reach and completely without definition, is the perfect and beautiful thing, probably a novella, that unwraps everything around it, the ultimate human story that illuminates our brilliance and stupidity." Ian McEwan In Swedish we don't have the word novella. We call a short story 'novell'. It means that we have a roman/novel or a novell/short story. In Sweden, it is said, a short story can be 2, 10 or 100 pages, but there is no fixed length. Usually it has a main story and it keeps to this one story. The characters are already developed when the story starts. I read that Hemingway once was asked to write a full story in six words. He came up with. "For Sale: baby shoes, never worn." These six words tells an infinite story. The novellas I have read are probably more short stories than novellas. But, I don't really distinguish between the two. It will be my own little rebellion. I really enjoyed Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton . It is the first novel/novell I read by her, and was overwhelmed by the story and the beauty of the prose. I also enjoyed Glaciers by Alexis M. Smith. From Goodreads: "Isabel is a single, twentysomething thrift-store shopper and collector of remnants, things cast off or left behind by others. Glaciers follows Isabel through a day in her life in which work with damaged books in the basement of a library, unrequited love for the former soldier who fixes her computer, and dreams of the perfect vintage dress move over a backdrop of deteriorating urban architecture and the imminent loss of the glaciers she knew as a young girl in Alaska. Glaciers unfolds internally, the action shaped by Isabel’s sense of history, memory, and place, recalling the work of writers such as Jean Rhys, Marguerite Duras, and Virginia Woolf. For Isabel, the fleeting moments of one day can reveal an entire life. While she contemplates loss and the intricate fissures it creates in our lives, she accumulates the stories—the remnants—of those around her and she begins to tell her own story." 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. Most of my reading are translations. I rarely read Swedish short stories. I have enjoyed the stories I have read, and discovered, thanks to Novellas in November. Last year I discovered E.T.A. Hoffmann, and I have just downloaded 4-5 of his novellas, or they might be short stories. They are leaning towards the horror/spooky side, which is a genre I hardly ever read. I do get scared by such stories. However, they are for listening, and if I listen during the day, it might be ok. Novellas in November - Wrap-up What have I read so far? Miller, Madeline - Galatea (very short) Rilke, Rainer Maria - Letters to a Young Poet (NF) (interesting correspondence between the poet and unknown aspiring poet) Wharton, Edith - Ethan Frome (wonderful, sad tale of Ethan Frome and his hard life) Smith, Alexis M. - Glaciers (great, cosy read, on history and memories, losses, wishes, and how life has its turns). Highly recommended.