Blogging Anniversary - 10 years

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A while ago I checked when I did my first blog post, in order to celebrate with an anniversary post. Well, that day came and went without any reaction from me. Better late than never, so here a reminder of my very first blog post from 24 October 2012.  The book was New Finnish Grammar  by Diego Marani. Marani is an Italian novelist, translator and newspaper columnist. While working as a translator for the European Union he invented a language ‘Europanto’ which is a mixture of languages and based on the common practice of word-borrowing usage of many EU languages. It was a suitable book to start with, being a book about letters, languages and memories. With a beautiful prose, the novel went directly to my heart.  "One night at Trieste in September 1943 a seriously wounded soldier is found on the quay. The doctor, of a newly arrived German hospital ship, Pietri Friari gives the unconscious soldier medical assistance. His new patient has no documents or anything that can ide...
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German Literature Month 2022 - Wrap-up

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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 (Book 21) - 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 

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