Book Report: October 2020

I walked a long distance trail this month so I was able to read a couple more books than normal. Despite traveling with my e-reader, I still focused on getting through my to-read pile of physical books, which I much prefer anyway. Nothing really blew me away in this batch but still a few books I enjoyed and can recommend. Two out of Spain: Fernando Aramburu’s Homeland, translated by Alfred MacAdams, and The Invisible Guardian by Dolores Redondo, translated by Isabelle Kaufeler. And from the Swedish, the always impressive Lina Wolff and her short story collection Many People Die Like You, translated by Saskia Vogel.

October stats in brief: 12 books read (11 in English translation); 10 novels and 2 short story collections; 3142 pages; 9 languages represented from 10 countries; 4 ebooks and 8 real books; authors: 6 male and 6 female; translators: 5 male, 5 female and 1 team.

Photo courtesy of Ben White on Unsplash.

Gotha Station

Before I step foot on the Rennsteig, I am alerted to the throwback I will experience in Thuringia. I am in a unified Germany, but salient is the fact that I am traveling from the former West to the former East. I am not feeling nostalgia for better days, but the vibe of the Gotha station alerts me to what I am missing, the inner discomfort of daily life. The station is clearly rundown, in need of care, cash, and a bit of maintenance. However, I love the simplicity, the lack of artifice, its charming decrepitude. I am only passing through for a train transfer, which happens without a hitch, but I cannot help compare the developed eyesore of a station I have travelled from with the quiet and tired patterns found in this little outpost. The twenty minutes I spend here are insufficient.

Book Report: September 2020

There were two outstanding books I read this month: Soviet Milk by Nora Ikstena and The Heart by Maylis De Kerangal. They have been sitting on the sidelines for quite some time and I am glad I finally got around to both of them. Soviet Milk follows the lives of three generations of Latvian women and The Heart is a French novel which explores loss, grieving, identity, and human connections. Both are well worth reading.

September stats in brief: 11 books read (9 in English translation); 8 novels and 3 short story collections; 2443 pages; 6 languages represented from 9 countries; 4 ebooks and 7 real books; authors: 4 male and 7 female; translators: 3 male and 6 female.

Convergence

While I worked on this difficult and enjoyable puzzle, I anticipated the clarity that would arrive as I increasingly interlocked random pieces. The result, while outstanding, beautiful, and inspiring, failed to provide the clarity and understanding I was searching for. Still, it was wonderful to interact with this Jackson Pollock masterpiece. Thanks to the awesome Pomegranate puzzle company out of Portland, Oregon for issuing this mind-blowing distraction.

Book Report: August 2020

Another great reading month, but honestly, they are all good reading months, as long as I get to read. The standouts for me are the incredible Tender is the Flesh by Augustina Bazterrica and the disappointing Berlin Alexanderplatz by Alfred Döblin, which I had high hopes for based on all the hype but really did not excite me all that much.

August stats in brief: 9 books read (all in English translation); 8 novels and 1 short story collection; 2114 pages; 6 languages represented from 8 countries; 4 ebooks and 5 real books; authors: 3 male and 6 female; translators; 5 male, 4 female, and 1 team.

Book Report: July 2020

A good summer reading month! I ventured into some reading that I usually do not pay attention to and was repaid with a couple of outstanding novels. Simply because of my reading preferences I miss out on books coming from the UK, as well as the vast offerings coming from Asian countries. Luckily, I spread my attention and experienced Daisy Johnson’s ‘Everything Under’ and Han Kang’s ‘The Vegetarian,’ two wonderful stories I highly recommend. I can also add to that list ‘Tropic of Violence’ by Natacha Appanah, an impressive French language read that blew me away.

July STATS in brief: 10 books read (8 in English translation); 3 short story collections; 7 novels; 2422 pages; 8 languages represented, 9 countries; 7 ebooks and 3 real books; authors: 2 male, 7 female; translators: 3 male, 5 female.

Saint George's Bookshop Berlin

One of the first things I do when I visit Berlin, is trade in my finished books for some new ones at a wonderful bookstore: Saint George’s Bookshop. They treat me well there and always have a great selection of used and new books to choose from. This time, my trade yielded five books for my to-read shelf: offerings from Lithuania, Brazil, Argentina, France, and Mexico. Most of my book buying these days consists of ebooks, so it is a bit strange to shop in a store and walk out with physical copies, but I much prefer it and cannot wait to open these books. When you visit Berlin, be sure to stop by and purchase some great reading at this classic and well-stocked bookstore.

Upcycling: Lamps

When I lived in the states, I spent a lot of time shopping for junk I could turn into usable and attractive furniture, what later received the name upcycling and became overwhelmingly popular. I got the furniture building gene from my father who spent hours working in his shop on furniture projects and home remodelling. Though I was never very good at turning my visions into reality and machinery continued to be a mystery no matter how much I tried, my siblings consistently turn out impressively phenomenal products. What went wrong? Still, I have in my home several pieces from my visionary time and my efforts at recycling, staying out of the particle board world, and worthwhile distractions.

I found the Waring blender above, actually a pair of them, at a swap meet. They are nearly identical with slight differences in the pitcher. I paid to have them wired as lamps, and then again with EU fittings. One illuminates my desk and the other a reading nook. Every time I switch one on, I imagine the drinks someone must have made with them some time ago and fight the urge run to the kitchen for a margarita. I prefer these simple lamps over the more modern desk lamp I recently used, being one of a kind, historical, and a rejection of our throw away culture. (I gave away my old lamp, I didn’t throw it away, so someone is getting some use out of it!)

Jude the Obscure

One of the few books I did not sell with the rest of my collection is Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy. I read this book sometime within the past ten years and enjoyed its bleakness and the exploration of unhappiness, societal oppression, and other issues enough to believe I would give it a second reading. That time has come, sooner than I imagined, but with the added pleasure of having the book read to me. So, I can enjoy the pleasure of Hardy’s narrative while puzzling away. A fine way to spend an evening. The reader is Michael Ian Black and he presents his reading with commentary through his podcast, Obscure. I found it through Pocket Casts but I am sure it is widely available. It’s kind of like a mini book club, but from the comfort of my home and enhanced with a glass of wine. Thanks Michael Ian Black!

Trail to the Horizon

One of my more time-consuming distractions is building 1000 piece puzzles. The search for matching colors, patterns, or shapes. is extremely meditative and relaxing. I generally build puzzles with art masterpiece reproductions, so this one is a little different. I chose it though because one of the things I love experiencing when I am hiking is a view of the trail disappearing into the horizon. Does it end there, hold surprises, or continue with more of the same just over the rise? Sometimes I never get to the point I can see but am always pleased by the continuing horizon in the distance. Below I have included some of the trails which extend to the horizon that I have stumbled upon throughout my worldwide hiking.