European Reading Challenge 2022

  Two years ago I stumbled over an exciting reading challenge: The European tour. 
  The first year life happened, and I did not read a single of these books, nor did I write a review of anything at all.
  Last year I read one book, then ... Blogger acted up, Corona happened ... well,  I just forgot.

So here I go again.

   The rules for participation are simple. Commit to the challenge, link up, read one or more books by authors from, or happening in different European countries. Only one book per author and country.
   If you want to compete for a prize at least five books must be read and reviewed. The prize winner is the one with the most books read and reviewed between 1 January 2022 and 31 December 2022.

List of countries:

Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vatican City.

I think I can do this and go for the glorious FIVE STAR (DELUXE ENTOURAGE): Read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries.

Tentative list - subject to changes, supplements, augmentations and re-postings without notice: 

United Kingdom: Screwtape Letters by British C. S. Lewis, I think it happens in England as well, or maybe Brideshead Revisited. (Evelyn Waugh)
Sweden: Pippi Longstocking - love her!
Poland: Dolina Issy or another book by Czesław Miłosz - I still! have to brush off my Polish.
Italy - Don Camillo.
Norway: Sigrid Undset's Olav Audunssøn i Hestviken - but in Danish not Norwegian.
Germany: Das Glasperlenspiel by Hermann Hesse.
Denmark (Is this cheating as I am Danish?): Any book I happen to read and like during these 12 months.

European Reading Challenge

  Last year stumbled over an exciting reading challenge: The European tour. 
  Then life happened, and I did not read a single of these books, nor did I write a review of anything at all. So here I go again.

   The rules for participation are simple. Commit to the challenge, link up, read one or more books by authors from, or happening in different European countries. Only one book per author and country.
   If you want to compete for a prize at least five books must be read and reviewed. The prize winner is the one with the most books read and reviewed between 1 January 2021 and 31 January 2022 - an extra month of grace given ;) 

List of countries:

Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vatican City.

I think I can do this and go for the glorious FIVE STAR (DELUXE ENTOURAGE): Read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries.

Tentative list - subject to changes, supplements, augmentations and re-postings without notice: 

United Kingdom: Screwtape Letters by British C. S. Lewis, I think it happens in England as well, or maybe Brideshead Revisited. (Evelyn Waugh)
Sweden: Pippi Longstocking - love her!
Poland: Dolina Issy or another book by Czesław Miłosz - I have to brush off my Polish.
Italy - Don Camillo - I just found a new one.
Norway: Sigrid Undset's Olav Audunssøn i Hestviken - but in Danish not Norwegian.
Germany: Das Glasperlenspiel by Hermann Hesse.
Denmark (Is this charting as I am Danish?): Any book I happen to read and like during these 13 months.

Reading Challenges - February List

  This year I have decided to join two reading challenges:

  As always my trusty D12 with one face for each month of the year, will play a prominent role.
  I'll let it roll it on the first (or close to) of every month, letting it decide which book to bring with me on train rides and elsewhere in the month to come.
  January's roll gave me a 7: Classic with a Person's Name in the Title. For the Back to the Classics Challenge.
  I chose The Dragon and the George from my Christmas gift of old, second hand Science Fiction and Fantasy books.
  This book also counts for the United Kingdoms category of European Reading Challenge.

February 1st ... and I got a 12. Time to dust off Dr. Zhivago, book and movie. Also counting for Russia in the European Reading Challenge. I just have to find an edition without those posh transcriptions of Russian names. When for instance the name Afanasyev is written Afanas'ev and Olga written Ol'ga, I stumble over those small thingies - every time. I might have to find an English translation.

 The categories and my ideas 
          - to be extended, supplemented, updated and re-posted from time to time:

1. 19th Century Classic.  Through the Looking Glass A long time want to read
2. 20th Century Classic. Glasperlenspiel (Glass Bead Game).
3. Classic by a Woman Author. Pilgrimage: The Book of The People
4. Classic in Translation. Almost any books I read in Danish or German ;)
5. Classic by a Person of Color. Katitzi og Swing (Name in English?) by Katitzi Taikon - I hope a Roma count as non-white (they are, according to me) and I have long had this childrens' auto-fiction on my to read-list..
6. A Genre Classic. Time to peruse my Christmas gift.
7. Classic with a Person's Name in the Title: The Dragon and the George. ✔️
8. Classic with a Place in the Title. The Clocks of Iraz, 
9. Classic with Nature in the Title. The Wind in the Willows, also a long time want to read.
10. Classic About a Family. Brideshead Revisited? Nope it sure belongs to 12. Off to the library and second hand stores, when I get a 10.
11. Abandoned Classic. Dr. Zivago, or maybe Marts 1970 - I tried both too many times. 
12. Classic Adaptation. Brideshead Revisited fits here for sure, but on a second thought so does Dr. Zivago. I loved the film, when I saw it. I dreamed of living in Russia, even going to the extreme of teaching myself Cyrillic letters and handwriting - I can't read my diary from way back then any more ;)  

-- 🗺 --

  For the European Reaiding Challenge, I aim high. I signed up for the FIVE STAR (DELUXE ENTOURAGE): Read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries.
  But I fully intend to at least try to win the JET SETTER PRIZE for the participant who reads and reviews the greatest number of qualifying books (more than five).

Countries to 'visit': 

Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vatican City.

 So many books ... so little time

The Dragon and the George - Review.

This book was written by Gordon R. Dickson in 1976

  It is a fantasy novel set in a parallel England, where dragons, magic creatures, magicians, bowmen, outlaws and knight errants roam the lands. Dragons call all human beings a George, from Saint George and the Dragon.
  It is a story of good versus evil, honour versus cowardice and avarice. Where virtues and vices are part of the daily pattern of life, and life is harsh, yet more colourful.

  Our protagonist, the George, named  Jim Eckert, and who is doctor in medieval history is together with his fiancee, another George, named Angie Farrell, magicked into this world, and into the body of a dragon, Gorbash. The story tells of Gorbash/Jim's quest to find Angie, and return to his own body and his own world.
  During this journey he makes strange friends and meets even stranger foes. He learns a lot about himself and about the true meaning of courage. The book ends on a happy note, speaking of an armistice if not more between the dragons and Georges of this realm. How it all ends for Jim Eckert, I won't reveal.

• Read for fun, from my Christmas gift pile.
•  For the European Reading Challenge this should count as United Kingdom even though it is an alternative England, The wolf Aragh at least keeps insisting that he is indeed an English wolf.

 

European Reading Challenge

I stumbled over an exciting reading challenge: The European tour.  

The rules for participation are simple. Commit to the challenge, link up, read one or more books by authors from, or happening in different European countries. Only one book per author and country.
If you want to compete for a prize at least five books must be read and reviewed. The prize winner is the one with the most books read and reviewed between 1 January 202 and 31 January 2021 - an extra month of grace given ;) 

List of countries:
Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vatican City.

I think I can do this and go for the glorious FIVE STAR (DELUXE ENTOURAGE): Read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries.

Tentative list - subject to changes, supplements, augmentations and re-postings without notice: 

United Kingdom: Screwtape Letters by British C. S. Lewis, I think it happens in England as well, or Brideshead Revisited.
Sweden: Pippi Longstocking - love her!
Poland: Dolina Issy or another book by Czesław Miłosz - I have to brush off my Polish.
Italy - Don Camillo - I just found a new one.
Norway: Sigrid Undset's Olav Audunssøn i Hestviken - but in Danish not Norwegian.
Germany: Das Glasperlenspiel by Hermann Hesse.