Two new, free books and the largest Abbey Monastery Library

I have been 'on the road' for about six weeks. We have been driving around Croatia, Slovenia and Austria in our camper van. Busy most of the time and not so much time for reading, as you might have noticed. Not a lot of action on my blog lately. Now we are back in Innsbruck and I am ready to dive into the blogging again. I will also go through all your blogs on my Feedly which by now has some 700 entries. There might be a few late comments.

In most camping sites people tend to leave their finished books behind. It is always a pleasure to see what other people are reading during their holidays. In the area where we were (Croatia) there are mostly German and Austrian tourists so most books in German. Although I speak German it would take me forever to finish a book, so they are out. 

At the beautiful camping in Zaostrog I ran into some luck. I found two books, and one in Swedish. Yay! Both books seem to be very interesting. 

Aren't the covers just georgious?

Binas historia/Bienes historie (The History of Bees; US title) by Maja Lunde

Maja Lunde is a Norwegian author and scriptwriter (mostly children's books). 

"In the spirit of Station Eleven and Never Let Me Go, this dazzling and ambitious literary debut follows three generations of beekeepers from the past, present, and future, weaving a spellbinding story of their relationship to the bees, to their children, and to one another against the backdrop of an urgent, global crisis.

England, 1852. William is a biologist and seed merchant who sets out to build a new type of beehive, one that will give both him and his children honor and fame.

United States, 2007. George is a beekeeper fighting an uphill battle against modern farming, but he hopes that his son can be their salvation.

China, 2098. Tao hand paints pollen onto the fruit trees now that the bees have long since disappeared. When Tao's young son is taken away by the authorities after a tragic accident, she sets out on a grueling journey to find out what happened to him.

Haunting, illuminating, and deftly written, The History of Bees joins these three very different narratives into one gripping and thought-provoking story that is just as much about the powerful bond between children and parents as it is about our very relationship to nature and humanity."

Although written in 2015, it seems to be a book just right in time.

The Virago Book of Women Travellers (Edited by Mary Morris with Larry O'Connor

Women travellers, especially in the old days, have always fascinated me. Most of them did something which was not always 'comme il faut' in their own time.

"Three hundred years of wanderlust are captured here as women travel for peril or pleasure, whether to gaze into Persian gardens or imbibe the French countryside, to challenge the fierce Sahara or climb and impossible mountain." 

The book covers the following travellers:

Gertrude Bell, Isabella Bird, Box-Car Bertha, Willa Cather, Alexandra David-Need, Joan Didion, Isak Dinesen, Christina Dodwell, Isabelle Eberhardt, Amelia Edwards, M.F.K. Fischer, Sarah Hobson, Mary McCarthy, Rose Macaulay, Ella Maillart, Beryl Markham, Lady Mary Wortley Montagu, Robin Morgan, Mary Morris, Dervla Murphy, Kate O'Brien, Maud Parrish, Vita Sackville-West, Freya Stark, Frances Trollope, Rebecca West, Edith Wharton and Mary Wollstonecraft. 

Many names are familiar, but there are also some I have never heard about. It will thus be very interesting to read about them.

Welcome into my library

The World's Largest Monastery Library

On the way back to Innsbruck we passed by the village of Admont in Styria, Austria to visit the Admont Abbey. It houses the world's largest monastery library (link to website) and it is a beauty. Not only the impressive number of books, but the architecture and art in Baroque style makes it a wonder to visit. On the website you can look at the library in 3D, which might be better than my photos. Nevertheless, I add a few of my own photos. Take a special look at the floor. It makes you quite dizzy to look down when you walk over it. Enjoy!