2021 European Reading Challenge

Click HERE for guidelines and sign-ups.

HOST: Gilion Dumas @ Rose City Reader

DATES: January 1, 2021 - January 31, 2022

Gilion's annual European Reading Challenge is always one of my favorite challenges, even though I don't always do as well as I'd like. But last year I signed up to read three books, and managed to get them all read. So for the 2021 challenge, I think I'll stick with that number, and sign up as a "Business Traveler" (the Three-Star Level).

The idea of the challenge is to read books by European authors or set in European countries. You can see the list of countries on the announcement page. I don't have any specific books in mind for next year, but I'm hoping to explore a couple of places I've never visited before.

During the year, I'll be tracking my progress and keeping my lists over on my challenge blog (HERE). 

 

2020 European Reading Challenge: Wrap-Up Post

Now that December's here, I guess it's time to start wrapping up some reading challenges. I didn't join many challenges in 2020, so there's not all that much wrapping up to do.

First on the list is Rose City Reader's European Reading Challenge: always one of my favorite challenges, though I don't always do a great job with it. For 2020, I joined up at the "Business Traveler" level and committed to read just three books. And I was only half successful -- I did manage to read my three, but didn't get any reviews posted. (Sorry about that. Didn't really post many reviews to the blog this year. Must do a better job in 2021!) Here's what I read (links are to descriptions at GoodReads):

The Circus, by Jonas Karlsson (set in Stockholm, Sweden) 

Murder She Wrote: Gin & Daggers (Murder, She Wrote #1), by "Jessica Fletcher" and Donald Bain (set in UK, mostly London)

Snow (St. John Strafford #1), by John Banville (set in Ireland) 

Of those three, Snow was my favorite, although I enjoyed them all. I was just a bit disappointed in The Circus, only because I thought it didn't really come up to the quality of Karlsson's earlier two novels, The Room (which I loved) and The Invoice. But that's a high standard, and it was still a fun read. And I can't believe it took me so long to read my first Murder She Wrote mystery, since I loved the TV series so much. I can see a lot more Jessica in my future.

As I said, I do love this challenge -- it helps me discover new authors and read books I might otherwise ignore. Thanks so much to Gilion for doing the hosting. I'll definitely be joining up for 2021, if she keeps it going.

 

2020 European Reading Challenge

Hosted by: Gilion Dumas @ Rose City Reader
Dates: January 1, 2020 - January 31, 2021 (this is a 13-month challenge)

Click HERE for all the guidelines and sign-ups.

Gilion's annual European Reading Challenge is always one of my favorite challenges, even though I really didn't do well with it this year – only read one book instead of the four I was hoping for. Hard to believe that I didn't read any books not set in the US or UK, but that does seem to be the case. Not much of a world traveler, am I?

So I'm giving it another try in 2020, but this time I'll be signing up at the Three Star "Business Traveler" Level, and committing to just three books. Surely I can manage three quick trips outside the English-speaking world?

During the year, I'll be tracking my progress and keeping all my book lists over on my challenge blog (HERE).

2019 European Reading Challenge

Host: Rose City Reader
Dates: January 1, 2019 - January 31, 2020

Click HERE for guidelines and sign-ups.

Signing up for the 2019 European Reading Challenge, hosted by Gilion over at her Rose City Reader blog — always one of my favorite challenges. For 2019 I'm stretching just a teensy bit and signing up at the Four-Star Level ("Honeymooner") — four books. During the year, I'll be tracking my progress over on my challenge blog.

Wrapping Up 2018: Reading Challenges (Part 1)

I know December is just getting started, but it's such a busy month, I really don't know how much time I can expect to have for reading. So I'm going to go ahead and wrap up a few of the reading challenges I've had going in 2018. As usual, I didn't do as well as I'd hoped -- I did get some reading done but didn't get a lot of reviews written. I could go into all the reasons, but that would drain years from all our lives. So, without further ado....

1. 2018 European Reading Challenge.

This was hosted by Gilion @ Rose City Reader, and I signed up for a total of three books (the "Business Traveler" level). Here's what I read, with links to a couple of reviews:

1. United Kingdom: How to Be Human. Paula Cocozza
2. Ireland / Irish Author: The Dead House. Billy O'Callaghan
3. Italy: A Long Time Coming. Aaron Elkins (set in Milan)

If I had to choose a favorite from these three, I think it would be How to Be Human. A real surprise and not at all what I was expecting. Actually, all of the authors were new to me, and I enjoyed them all. That's one of the things I like about these reading challenges -- the little nudge they give me to try new things.


2. 2018 Historical Fiction Reading Challenge.

Hosted by Amy @ Passages to the Past. My goal was five books ("Victorian Reader"), and I managed to get six read, but didn't review them all. My list:

1. Holmes Entangled. Gordon McAlpine (2018; set in early 20th Century)
2. The Cottingley Secret. Hazel Gaynor (2017; set in early 20th Century)
3. Pale Horse, Pale Rider: Three Short Novels. Katherine Anne Porter (1939; pre-WWI setting)
4. When You Reach Me. Rebecca Stead (2009; set in 1970s) 
5. A Morbid Taste for Bones (Brother Cadfael #1). Ellis Peters (1977; set in Medieval Wales)
6. A Shadow on the Wall. Jonathan Aycliffe (2000; set in Victorian England)

Of the group, I'd probably pick A Shadow on the Wall as my favorite (nice and spooky), but I enjoyed all the others too. Hard to believe I've gone this long without reading one of the Brother Cadfael books, but now I've got another mystery series started.


3. 2018 Mount TBR Reading Challenge.

This annual challenge is hosted by Bev @ My Reader's Block. I signed up at the first level ("Pike's Peak") and wanted to read at least 12 books from my various must-read stacks and shelves. I did pretty well, and actually read 15 books, although I didn't get them all reviewed. What I read:

1. Five Children and It. E. Nesbit 
2. Just Kids. Patti Smith 
3. A Murder Is Announced (Miss Marple #5). Agatha Christie  
4. Vintage Murder (Roderick Alleyn #5). Ngaio Marsh 
5. Time Out of Joint. Philip K. Dick 
6. The Cottingley Secret. Hazel Gaynor 
7. The Quiet American. Graham Greene  
8. Pale Horse, Pale Rider: Three Short Novels. Katherine Anne Porter 
9. At the Mountains of Madness. H.P. Lovecraft 
10. When You Reach Me. Rebecca Stead 
11. The Mystery of the Blue Train (Hercule Poirot #6). Agatha Christie 
12. A Morbid Taste for Bones (Brother Cadfael #1). Ellis Peters 
13. The Night She Died (Inspector Thanet #1). Dorothy Simpson 
14. Last Bus to Woodstock (Inspector Morse #1). Colin Dexter 
15. Last Seen Wearing (Inspector Morse #2). Colin Dexter 

Some really good stuff there, and it would be hard to pick a favorite. I'm very happy the challenge gave me the push I needed to get back to the Inspector Thanet and Inspector Morse books, a couple of the mystery series I've read and enjoyed in the past.

..........

I have a few more challenges I need to wrap up, but I'll save that for a later post. Thanks so much to all the hosts for keeping these going, and to all the other participants for giving me lots of great ideas about what to read next.

Reading Report: The Dead House

Written by Billy O'Callaghan
Arcade Publishing, May 2017
Kindle edition, 224 pages

Publisher's Description:

Maggie is a successful young artist who has had bad luck with men. Her last put her in the hospital and, after she’s healed physically, left her needing to get out of London to heal mentally and find a place of quiet that will restore her creative spirit. On the rugged west coast of Ireland, perched on a wild cliff side, she spies the shell of a cottage that dates back to Great Famine and decides to buy it. When work on the house is done, she invites her dealer to come for the weekend to celebrate along with a couple of women friends, one of whom will become his wife. On the boozy last night, the other friend pulls out a Ouija board. What sinister thing they summon, once invited, will never go.  

Ireland is a country haunted by its past. In Billy O'Callaghan's hands, its terrible beauty becomes a force of inescapable horror that reaches far back in time, before the Famine, before Christianity, to a pagan place where nature and superstition are bound in an endless knot.

My Thoughts:

This is a wonderfully atmospheric and eerie thriller, told in first person by art agent Michael Simmons who befriends Maggie, the young artist at the center of the spooky goings-on. Put in hospital by her latest lover, Maggie turns to Michael for help while she's healing. He provides a spare room and emotional support. And when Maggie is able to get back into the world again, he visits her one weekend to view the remote cottage in Ireland she's chosen as her new home and inspiration. During the visit Maggie and her guests indulge in a little seemingly harmless play with a Ouija board, unknowingly unleashing the ancient evil that inhabits the house.

Yes, I know that sounds like a pretty standard haunted house tale, and in the hands of a lesser talent it could be trite and even a bit silly. But Billy O'Callaghan does a beautiful job of keeping it fresh and genuinely disturbing. Once I finished reading The Dead House, I actually turned back to the beginning and read parts of it over again! (I never do that.) This was O'Callaghan's debut novel and I'm definitely hoping there'll be more to come.

Rating: ★★★★

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(Note: I received my copy of this book from the publisher, free of charge, through the NetGalley website in exchange for an honest review. No other compensation was received, and no one tried to influence my opinion of the book.)

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Read in August 2018

Qualifies for the following challenges: European Challenge, Monthly Key Word Challenge .

2018 European Reading Challenge

Host: Rose City Reader
Dates: January 1, 2018 - January 31, 2019

Click HERE for guidelines and sign-ups.

Another of my favorite challenges. I didn't do so well with the 2017 edition, so I'm scaling back a bit for 2018 -- signing up at the Three Star ("Business Traveler") level, which means I'll be committing to three books. During the year, I'll be tracking my progress over on my challenge blog.

2017 European Reading Challenge

Hosted by: Rose City Reader

Dates: January 1, 2017 - January 31, 2018

Click here for challenge guidelines and sign-ups

This is always one of my favorite challenges, so I figured I might as well go on and sign up for 2017 even though I haven't wrapped up the 2016 edition yet.

I'm signing up at the "Five Star (Deluxe Entourage)" level, so I'll be reading five books by different European authors, or set in five different European countries. I don't have a list of books to read, but during the course of the challenge, I'll be tracking my progress and doing all my list-keeping over on my challenge blog (HERE).

This Too Shall Pass

Milena Busquets
Translation by Valerie Miles
Hogarth, May 2016
176 pages

Publisher's Description:

Blanca is forty years old and motherless. Shaken by the unexpected death of the most important person in her life, she suddenly realizes that she has no idea what her future will look like. 

To ease her dizzying grief and confusion, Blanca turns to her dearest friends, her closest family, and a change of scenery. Leaving Barcelona behind, she returns to Cadaqués on the coast, accompanied by her two sons, two ex-husbands, and two best friends, and makes a plan to meet her married lover for a few stolen moments as well. Surrounded by those she loves most, she spends the summer in an impossibly beautiful place, finding ways to reconnect and understand what it means to truly, happily live on her own terms, just as her mother would have wanted.

My Thoughts:

Apparently Milena Busquets' short novel This Too Shall Pass was quite a sensation in Europe, but it's gotten a cooler reception over here. And I think I can understand all the mixed reviews.

In the book Blanca's mother has just died; to deal with her grief, the 40-year-old "orphan" decides to return to a place she remembers fondly from her childhood. And she also decides that just about everyone she's ever met should go along. And they do. Making for lots of interesting and confusing situations.

Blanca is definitely a maddening character, imperfect (to say the least!) and self-involved — and her relationship with her mother is something any psychiatrist would probably love to get a chance at. Let's just say it was very close, prickly, and ... well, a little weird. The book is narrated in Blanca's voice, so we get her thoughts and opinions throughout. And many of her comments about her mother sound very much as if she were speaking about/to a dear friend or "significant other" rather than a parent. But then, you sort of get the distinct impression that her mother was the significant other in Blanca's life. At one point (p.75 in the ARC), while mentally addressing her absent mother, she says:

I guess you were partly aware that you were the love of my life, and no other stormy love affair would ever come close to outdoing yours.

And knowing she feels that way makes her extreme feelings of loss and confusion a little easier to understand and tolerate.

But with all her problems and foibles, Blanca is also very human, funny and warm-hearted. So although I started out agreeing with the nay-sayers, I ended up enjoying the book quite a bit. Not sure I'd actually recommend it — it's probably not for everyone. But I'll be looking for more of Busquets' work in the future.

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(Full Disclosure: I received my copy of This Too Shall Pass free of charge, from the publisher, through Library Thing's Early Reviewer program. No other compensation was received, and no one attempted to influence my opinion.)

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● Qualifies for the following reading challenges: Books In Translation Challenge,  European Challenge, 2016 Women Challenge, Women's Fiction Challenge.

A Christmas Escape

Anne Perry
Ballantine Books, October 2015
176 pages

Publisher's Description:

Lonely Charles Latterly arrives at his small hotel hoping that the island’s blue skies and gentle breezes will brighten his spirits. Unfortunately, there’s no holiday cheer to be found among his fellow guests, who include a pompous novelist, a stuffy colonel, a dangerously ill-matched married couple, and an ailing old man. The one charming exception is orphaned teenager Candace Finbar, who takes Charles under her wing and introduces him to the island’s beauty. But the tranquility of the holiday is swiftly disrupted by a violent quarrel, an unpleasant gentleman’s shocking claims of being stalked, and the ominous stirrings of the local volcano. Then events take an even darker turn: A body is found, and Charles quickly realizes that the killer must be among the group of guests.

My Thoughts:

Not a great deal to say about this one. A little bit of Christmas in July.

For years now, I've been hearing about Anne Perry's annual Christmas books and they've always sounded very intriguing. A Christmas Escape (set on the Mediterranean island of Stromboli) was my introduction to the series, and it was a happy first experience. I would have been even happier if the mystery had been just a little more — well, mysterious. But even though the whodunnit aspect was less than thrilling, the story in general was charming and held my interest all the way through.

The plot wrapped up a little more quickly than I expected it to, but it's a short book, so I suppose some abruptness is to be expected. Definitely a fast read — I finished in a couple of hours, which is almost unheard of for me. In general, a very pleasant read, and I'll be looking for more of Perry's holiday treats.

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(Full Disclosure: I received my copy of A Christmas Escape free of charge, from the publisher, through Library Thing's Early Reviewer program. No other compensation was received, and no one attempted to influence my opinion.)

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● Qualifies for the following reading challenges: European Challenge, Historical Fiction Challenge, 2016 Women Challenge.

2016 European Reading Challenge

Hosted by: Rose City Reader

Dates: January 1, 2016 - January 31, 2017

Click here for challenge guidelines and sign-ups

As I believe I've mentioned (possibly several times by now), I'm trying to cut back on reading challenges for 2016. But the European Reading Challenge, hosted at Rose City Reader, is always one of my favorites and one I can't resist.

I'm signing up at the Four Star ("Honeymooner") Level, so I'll be reading four books. Haven't decided what books I'll read, but I'm hoping this will help me make a dent in my much-too-long TBR pile. During the year, I'll be tracking my progress and doing all my list-keeping on my challenge blog (HERE).

2015 Challenge Wrap-Ups: European, Foodies, and Nonfiction

Three more challenge wrap-ups for 2015. Didn't do terribly well with all of these, even though I did enjoy the books I read for them (mostly). And I want to say a huge thank-you to all the hosts!

The 2015 European Reading Challenge was hosted by Gillian @ Rose City Reader. One of my favorite challenges. I signed up at the Three-star "Business Traveler" level (read 1-3 books), and actually read four books:

1. The Third Man. Graham Greene (Vienna, Austria) 
2. The Room. Jonas Karlsson (Sweden)
3. The Witch of Painted Sorrows. M.J. Rose (Paris, France)
4. The Fifth Gospel. Ian Caldwell (Vatican City, Rome, Italy)

No reviews -- I might add one or two in the next few days. Or maybe not.

Foodies Read 2015 was hosted by Vicki @ I'd Rather Be At the Beach. I signed up at the first level, "Short Order Cook" (read 1-3 books), and just read one book that would qualify:

• Backstabbing in Beaujolais. by Jean-Pierre Alaux, Noël Balen (trans. by Anne Trager)

Obviously, I'm not much of a cook, even if the orders are very short.

The Nonfiction Reading Challenge was hosted by Jen @ The Introverted Reader. I had high hopes for this one -- I really do want to try to read more nonfiction. But in 2015, I read only one book that would qualify as nonfiction:

• Last Man Standing: Tales from Tinseltown. Roger Moore

Waiting to see if this challenge will be repeated in 2016. If it is, I might have to give it another go.

More wrap-ups to come....

2015 European Reading Challenge

European Reading Challenge 2015

Dates: January 1, 2015 - January 31, 2016

Hosted by: Gilion Dumas @ Rose City Reader

For 2015, Gilion at Rose City Reader is once again hosting the European Reading Challenge -- where participants read books by European authors, or books set in European countries, no matter where the author comes from. For more info and to sign up, see the challenge announcement page.

There are several levels of participation:

1. Five Star (Deluxe Entourage): Read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries.
2. Four Star (Honeymooner): Read four qualifying books.
3. Three Star (Business Traveler): Read three qualifying books.
4. Two Star (Adventurer): Read two qualifying books.
5. One Star (Pensione Weekender): Read just one qualifying book.

I signed up at the "Honeymooner" (Four Star) level last year, and had a pretty easy time with that, but for 2015 I'm playing it a little safer and going with "Business Traveler" (Three Star/three books). During the year, I'll be tracking my progress over on my challenge blog (and here, if I can remember):

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Challenge Wrap-Up: 2014 European Reading Challenge

The 2014 European Reading Challenge was hosted by Rose City Reader (thanks, Gilion!), and runs through the end of next month. I signed up at the Four Star Level -- "Honeymooner," four books. Here's what I read, with links to the two reviews I managed to get posted:

1. FRANCE: The Only Problem. Muriel Spark
   (Even though the book is about English characters, written by a Scot, the action takes place in France.)
2. UK (Wales): Love Story, with Murders. Harry Bingham 
3. SPAIN: The Good Suicides. Antonio Hill
4. PORTUGAL: The Two Hotel Francforts. David Leavitt 

European Reading Challenge 2014

DATES:  January 1, 2014 - January 31, 2015
HOSTED BY:  Rose City Reader

Technically, the 2013 edition of this challenge is still running (until the end of January), but I know I won't be reading any more qualifying books this month.  (You can take a look at my wrap-up post for that one.)  So, I'm signing up for the 2014 challenge.

Basically, the idea is to read books by European authors, or books set in European countries regardless of where the author comes from.  Go to the challenge announcement page (HERE) to see all the guidelines and sign up, and to see the list of eligible countries.  There are five levels of participation, and I'm signing up for the Four Star Level (Honeymooner / 4 books).  I signed up for five books last year, but found that four was a much more comfortable goal. 

I don't really have a definite list of books I intend to read, but there are several I'm thinking about:

• The Collector of Dying Breaths. M.J. Rose (set in France) 
• Death in Berlin. M.M. Kaye (set in Germany) 
• Identity. Milan Kundera (author born in Czechoslovakia) 
• Istanbul Passage. Joseph Kanon (set in Turkey)
• This Rough Magic. Mary Stewart (set in Greece) 
• The Two Hotel Francforts. David Leavitt (set in Portugal)

2013 Reading Challenge Wrap-Ups

Now that Christmas has come and gone, I think it's time to wrap up a few more challenges.  I'll start with two that sort of go together.

Books in Translation Reading Challenge 2013

Hosted by: Introverted Reader

I signed up for this one at the "Beginner" Level (1-3 books), and actually read three books.  Never managed to get reviews posted, but I suppose that could still happen before the year ends.  What I read:

1. Chéri. Colette (translated by Roger Senhouse)
2. Ignorance. Milan Kundera (translated by Linda Asher)
3. Invisible Cities. Italo Calvino (translated by William Weaver)

I enjoyed Ignorance quite a lot, but struggled with Invisible Cities and Chéri.  But I had fun with the challenge and want to thank Introverted Reader for hosting.  If a 2014 edition were offered, I'd definitely consider signing up again.

European Reading Challenge 2013

Hosted by: Rose City Reader

Signed up at the Five Star (Deluxe Entourage) Level, and should have read at least five books, but only read four.  Still, I consider that pretty successful, given my overall reading record for 2013.  Here's what I read:

1. Cold Remains. Sally Spedding (Wales, UK)
2. Ignorance. Milan Kundera (mostly set in Czechoslovakia)
3. Inferno. Dan Brown (Italy)
4. Chéri. Colette (France)

Again, not many reviews (just that one for Cold Remains).  Of the four, I suppose Ignorance was my favorite, although Inferno was fun (not the best Dan Brown book I've read, but still very entertaining).

This was a great challenge, and I'm thinking seriously of signing up for the 2014 edition.  Rose City Reader deserves a huge thank-you for hosting.

So, that's two more wrap-ups.  More to come....

2013 European Reading Challenge

Hosted by: Rose City Reader
Dates: 1 January 2013 - 31 January 2014
See the challenge announcement / sign-up page HERE

Read books by European authors, or books set in European countries.  There are five levels of participation:

• Five Star (Deluxe Entourage): Read at least five books by different European authors or five books set in different European countries. 
• Four Star (Honeymooner): Read four qualifying books. 
• Three Star (Business Traveler): Read three qualifying books. 
• Two Star (Adventurer): Read two qualifying books. 
• One Star (Pensione Weekender): Read just one qualifying book.

I'm gonna go all out here, and sign up at the Five Star "Deluxe Entourage" level.  I don't have a firm idea of what I'll read, but these are a few books I'm considering:

A Death in Vienna. Frank Tallis (Austria)
Ignorance. Milan Kundera (Czech Republic)
Istanbul Passage. Joseph Kanon (Turkey)
The Old Devils. Kingsley Amis (Wales)
Stone Virgin. Barry Unsworth (Italy)

Whatever I read, I'll be tracking my progress on my challenge blog (HERE).