tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post5031866051150466081..comments2024-03-28T22:42:54.810-07:00Comments on Bitter Tea and Mystery: 2020 European Reading ChallengeTracyKhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-16909589753693804862020-01-29T21:00:40.324-08:002020-01-29T21:00:40.324-08:00Thanks, Christophe, I appreciate the response. I w...Thanks, Christophe, I appreciate the response. I will go for Gun Before Butter then, assuming I can find my copy.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-72469017437237404212020-01-29T18:58:13.363-08:002020-01-29T18:58:13.363-08:00I definitely prefer Gun Before Butter to Because o...I definitely prefer Gun Before Butter to Because of the Cats, which I found disappointing if not worse.Christophehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01978885973806549838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-58246713697525141562020-01-28T19:50:05.326-08:002020-01-28T19:50:05.326-08:00Christophe, thanks for the suggestions. I listed T...Christophe, thanks for the suggestions. I listed The Pledge because I have a copy of that one. I have heard that The Judge and his Hangman is good, maybe I will find a copy of that one someday. <br /><br />I have read Love in Amsterdam and I may choose Gun Before Butter for the Netherlands. You prefer that to Because of the Cats?TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-1238599851592445262020-01-28T17:26:16.798-08:002020-01-28T17:26:16.798-08:00"The Pledge" by Durrenmatt is good, but ..."The Pledge" by Durrenmatt is good, but I prefer "The Judge and his Hangman" by the same author and also set in Switzerland.<br /><br />If you need inspiration for the Netherlands, I would suggest the first two Van der Valk books by Nicholas Freeling, "Love in Amsterdam" (aka Death in Amsterdam) and "Gun before Butter". Christophehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01978885973806549838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-18446731452468423092020-01-27T15:40:50.497-08:002020-01-27T15:40:50.497-08:00I like to read books from many different countries...I like to read books from many different countries, Col, but I am primarily motivated by the books I currently have that will fit the challenge. I do hope to add at least one or two countries not read about before.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-15483089927143295302020-01-26T13:18:01.136-08:002020-01-26T13:18:01.136-08:00Good luck again. I hope to do better this year wit...Good luck again. I hope to do better this year with some European reading.col2910https://www.blogger.com/profile/06422138069939709043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-56177196876284306632020-01-03T17:57:24.504-08:002020-01-03T17:57:24.504-08:00Might be hard to find but Xavier Rynne (not his re...Might be hard to find but Xavier Rynne (not his real name) did one book for each of the four sessions of the Second Vatican Council. They make interesting reading if only for the struggles between the traditionalist and progressive wings of the Roman Catholic Church.John Kerryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16075332500361769629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-79135103978535384342020-01-03T15:01:16.947-08:002020-01-03T15:01:16.947-08:00Thanks, Tracy (and John), will make a note of thos...Thanks, Tracy (and John), will make a note of those as those are two countries I've never covered and it would be nice to do so. Cathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06371069000185280668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-60168098449962594712020-01-02T09:48:28.656-08:002020-01-02T09:48:28.656-08:00Thanks for those suggestions, John. I imagine thos...Thanks for those suggestions, John. I imagine those would be interesting books.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-17858581791954777552020-01-02T01:20:15.865-08:002020-01-02T01:20:15.865-08:00Peter Hebblethwaite wrote a book on the elections ...Peter Hebblethwaite wrote a book on the elections pf John Paul I and John Paul II, The Year of Three Popes. As well Malachi Martin nd Andrew Greeley wrote novels about a Papal election.John Kerryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16075332500361769629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-25880549185793371172020-01-01T17:23:43.907-08:002020-01-01T17:23:43.907-08:00I meant to mention that I think I found out about ...I meant to mention that I think I found out about that Simenon book from you, Cath. <br /><br />For Vatical City, I just recently discovered that a book I have had for a long time is set there: A City for the Dead by David Hewson. Katrina at Pining in the West had one for Vatican City on her list: In the Name of the Family by Sarah Dunant. So I plan to look into that. <br /><br />I have a book set in Albania by Ismail Kadare, The Ghost Rider. He has written a lot of books, some others that I am interested in.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-89945272351640062912020-01-01T15:33:28.595-08:002020-01-01T15:33:28.595-08:00That's the one I read for Belgium this year, I...That's the one I read for Belgium this year, I don't believe I'd read anything for that country before for the European challenge. Simenon also set one of his Maigret books in The Netherlands, which was rather good. Do you have something in mind for Albania and the Vatican City? Intrigued to know what.Cathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06371069000185280668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-65350907287971429762019-12-31T17:54:23.853-08:002019-12-31T17:54:23.853-08:00I agree, Katrina, many of the books I read for thi...I agree, Katrina, many of the books I read for this challenge lead me to new authors and I learn a lot also.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-47649480866892008832019-12-31T17:30:36.091-08:002019-12-31T17:30:36.091-08:00I hope you do have success at reading more for thi...I hope you do have success at reading more for this challenge this year, John. I can sympathize with having boxes of books still unpacked from moving. TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-44002058563647936972019-12-31T16:24:19.191-08:002019-12-31T16:24:19.191-08:00I think I've joined in already, anyway I inten...I think I've joined in already, anyway I intend to. I don't know any of those books, this challenge doesn't half broaden our reading habits.Katrinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18138715309807238198noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-18322010281860786832019-12-31T12:11:34.444-08:002019-12-31T12:11:34.444-08:00You got me interested in this one last year but du...You got me interested in this one last year but due to various circumstances I didn't get it finished. Going to try again this year even though a lot of my books are still in boxes from our move in September.John Kerryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16075332500361769629noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-34192370267429538452019-12-31T09:28:01.628-08:002019-12-31T09:28:01.628-08:00I like looking for books from different countries,...I like looking for books from different countries, Margot, and I have a lots on my TBR shelves too. I will be ordering the second book in the Department Q series by Jussi Adler-Olsen for Denmark. I am way behind on reading Jo Nesbo's Harry Hole series.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-73796605473964447702019-12-31T09:22:24.199-08:002019-12-31T09:22:24.199-08:00This is my favorite challenge too, Cath. This year...This is my favorite challenge too, Cath. This year I hope to add some books for countries I have not included before. I will be getting a copy of Dancer at the Gai-Moulin by Simenon for Belgium, and I also plan to read something from Albania and Vatican City.TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-10818137351907746202019-12-31T09:12:40.765-08:002019-12-31T09:12:40.765-08:00I agree, Prashant. I have always read crime fictio...I agree, Prashant. I have always read crime fiction novels for this challenge, but I hope to try a travel guide or two this time. TracyKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08303342674824383688noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-43423971570653851782019-12-31T08:03:45.175-08:002019-12-31T08:03:45.175-08:00This should be a really interesting challenge, Tra...This should be a really interesting challenge, Tracy. And you've got some solid choices for books, too. I hope you'll enjoy exploring them.Margot Kinberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08599589137890528065noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-67247738562885195742019-12-31T04:06:34.781-08:002019-12-31T04:06:34.781-08:00I'm in for this one too next year, it's my...I'm in for this one too next year, it's my favourite challenge in fact. Will look forward to seeing what you read. Good luck!Cathhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06371069000185280668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4167054806459662988.post-62471036245800534072019-12-31T02:18:07.254-08:002019-12-31T02:18:07.254-08:00I quite like the breadth of this challenge, Tracy....I quite like the breadth of this challenge, Tracy. Plenty of room in the reading category. Travel guides would be interesting. Prashant C. Trikannadhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16079354501998741758noreply@blogger.com