Book Challenge: 26 Books to Read in 2015 - Part 2

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Back in April I chose to pursue a challenge: 26 books to read in 2015.

From the beginning I knew, that it would be impossible to do nr. 19 on the list: "A book you were supposed to read in school but didn’t" - I loved books, so I always read the books we were told to read and we did not have a list of suggested reading (most schools here do not make such a list - even though I like the idea) - but I have completed the remaining 26 requirements :o)

1.    A book you own but haven’t read: From a Buick 8 – Stephen King

2.    A book that was made into a movie: The Old Man and the Sea – Ernest Hemmingway

3.    A book you pick solely because of the cover: Murder of a Needled Knitter – Denise Swanson

4.    A book your friend loves: The Rose Labyrinth – Titania Hardie

5.    A book published this year: A Vintage Wedding – Katie Fforde

6.    A book by an author you’ve never read before: Becoming Dickens - Robert Douglas-Fairhurst

7.    A book by an author you love: Peter Pan Must Die – John Verdon

8.    A book at the bottom at your “to be read” pile: The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared - Jonas Jonasson

9.    A book with a color in the title: Hvidsten Gruppen - Axel Holm – hvid is white in Danish

10.  A book set somewhere you’ve always wanted to visit: The Perfect Match – Katie Fforde - Cotswold, UK

11.  A book you started but never finished: Always Looking Up – Michael J Fox - started February 2013

12.  A book a lion, a witch or a wardrobe: Brobyggerne – Jan Guillou - lion

13.  A book with a female heroine: The Fire – Katherine Neville 

14.  A book set in the summer: Purl Up and Die - Maggie Sefton

15.  A book of poems: Stik - Stine Dige & Marie Ladefoged

16.  A book you learned about because of this challenge: The Boston Girl - Anita Diamant

17.  A book that will make you smarter: Vælg Fra - Birgitte Sally

18.  A book with a blue cover: Always Looking Up – Michael J Fox

19.  A book you were supposed to read in school but didn’t: **DOES NOT EXIST**

20.  A book “everyone” but you have read: All the Light we Cannot See - Anthony Doerr

21.  A book with a great first line: Pride and Prejudice - Jane Austen - "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be in want of a wife"

22.  A book with pictures :11 meter frihed – Christian Liebergreen

23.  A book from the library: Library of Souls - Random Riggs

24.  A book you loved…read it again: Le Petit Price – Antoine de Saint-Exupéry

25.  A book that is more than 10 years old: Hallo'ween - Agatha Christie

26.  A book based on a true story: Team Tvilling – Peder & Steen Mondrup

I could have mentioned several books next to some of the 25 requirements completed, but having read 102 books throughout the entire year I have chosen only to list one book

October 2015 in Books

A whooping amount of 19 books read in October!! :o) A staycation (body really needed the rest), a second round of MS attack medicine and participation in the Dewey's 24 Hour Readathon helped reaching that number of books read.

Having read that vast number of books does not mean, that I am low on neither a reading list nor physical unread books. I actually expect that the number on my to-read list might grow as getting new inspiration at the annual book fair in Copenhagen next weekend

39 Steps by John Buchan
United Kingdom
E-book / Library Book


The Woman in Danchurchsocial* (Salvation Army) by Henning Mortensen
(Original Title: Kvinden i korshæren)
Denmark
E-book / Library Book / October BookFriend book

On Writing by Stephen King
USA
Library Book

Knot the Usual Suspects by Molly MacRae
USA

Purl Up and Die by Maggie Sefton
USA

Dyer Consequences by Maggie Sefton
USA

Pan's Secret* by Michael Katz Krefeld
(Original Title: Pan's hemmelighed ) 
Denmark

The Hundred Year Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson
(Original Title: Hundraåringen som klev ut genom fönstret och försvan) )
Sweden

The Wisdom of Eleanor Roosevelt edited by Donald Wigal
USA

Countdown to Murder* by Gretelise Holm
(Original Title: Nedtælling til mord ) 
Denmark

After You by Jojo Moyes
United Kingdom

Innocence by Dean Koontz
USA

Becoming Dickens by Robert Douglas-Fairhurst
United Kingdom
Library book

Bitches* by Gretelise Holm
(Original Title: Møgkællinger)
Denmark

Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee
USA
E-book / Library Book

Moment of my Life* Edited by Lars Henriksen and Daniel Øhrstrøm
(Original Title: Mit livs øjeblik)
Denmark

Hallowe'en Party by Agatha Christie
United Kingdom
E-book / Library Book

Britt-Marie Was Here by Fredrik Backman
(Original Title: Britt-Marie var här)
Sweden

Christmas with Rosamunde Pilcher
Germany
Library Book

*Literal title: the book has not been published in English version, so title is not an official title of the book

A Stitch Before Dying

3rd book in the Black Sheep Knitting Mystery series by Anne Canadeo.

 

Maggie is invited to host some knitting events/workshops at a Berkshire spa resort and eyes the chance for the knitting group to go there together for the weekend. The theme is definately spiritual and tries to use knitting as a meditative craft, where one can drift away in calm thoughts, relax and become one with the knitting. Something different for Maggie but definately intriguing as knitting is her big passion.

 

Random Knitting - Mindfull Knitting (with a touch of Yoga) and at a spa resort in beautiful fall colored suroundings - what could be a better way for the ladies to rejuvinate themselves?

 

When a murder occur at the peaceful place, they start to look at the odd ends to see if they can connect them.

 

Can help thinking about a quote from one of my favorite authors:

 

"Sitting with one's knitting, one just sees the fact."    Agatha Christie

 

 

Classic Movie: Death on the Nile (1978)

The title of an Agatha Christied story that sprung into my head when I was standing in front of a pyramid in Egypt less than two months ago. Got to see the 1978 movie (marked by age and many screenings) at a local cinema last Sunday and it truly felt like being 3 places at the same time: being entertained in the cinema darkness, being in Agatha Christie's bookworld and back in Egypt amazed by the seights. 10 minutes into the movie I realized why the thought of the book had occured: the newly wed Doyles are at the pyramids and sfinx at the Giza Plateau - the same place I was visiting.

Fascinating that one sees new details, when seing the film where it is supposed to be seen: at the cinema - despite knowing the plot and having seen it a lot of times on tv. Agatha Christie's stories about Hercule Poirot seem to be timeless and still manages to intrigue people of all ages :o)

Seizing the Unexpected Chance

I am one of those people that can spend a LOT of time in museums' Egyptian sections amazed by that old civilization that created those huge structures - and loving Agatha Christie's "Death on the Nile" because of the scenery (both at land and on the boat).

When suddenly getting the chance to actually stand in front of pyramids - being able to stretch my arm out and just touch the lover stones, feeling incredibly tiny and humble - I seized it. This was merely a couple of days ago and the experience has not completely sunk in yet. It was so hectic and the surroundings likewise, but never felt uncomfortable one single moment.

Think of a Number

Reading this I thought of Agatha Christie's Miss Marple. It is a good mystery (who-did-it) book, where the main character does not want a great deal of attention but rather to be allowed to investigate circumstances of a crime.

Imagine getting a letter in the mail, where the anonymous sender asks you to think of a number. After you thought of a number, the sender contacts you once more, and reveals exactly that number, that you thought off. Would that not be creepy? The retired police investigator, Dave Gurney, is contacted by the letter's reciepient (they know each other from colleague but lost contact) and asked to look at this matter as an consultant.

Page after page you are drawn deeper into the story with more details that you are unable to connect, and you have to read on to figure this out. So why the Miss Marple comparison? Well Gurney and Marple are both looking at actual facts and not some random whimsical facts - a great attention to details that needs some mindpuzzling, an art they are both excellent at.

John Verdon's book is simply one of those, that you do not want to put down until you have read the last page - the one recommending this book to me had warned me about that fact, and I am so glad that she lured me into reading this.

Miss Marple Met Sherlock Holmes

Now, would that not be an interesting story to read? What made me write this, was simply due to 2 DVD covers being on my table at the same time, making me realise that the new BBC Sherlock Holmes, has also been in one of the new ITV Agatha Cristie movies, as one of the locals assisting Miss Marple to solve a murder mystery.

Crazy how coincidences like this can make your mind go "What if....?" :o)