Talking About January’s Books

It is time to talk about books again. To be precise it is time talking about January’s books. I am very excited to start the new year with such a strong reading month. I know there will be times when I can hardly finish one book. Life happens. So I enjoy that this month where some great books came my way. That I was able to already tackle my reading goals.

Please, if this introduction makes you feel like you didn’t read enough, don’t. I do not want to put any pressure on anyone and I really don’t think the number of books we read, own or want has any meaning. Reading is great. Some people read very slowly – my dad for example – but the books stay with him.

So without further ado lets dive in.

The Book of Lost Names by Kristin Harmel | ★★★★☆

Goodreads says: Eva Traube Abrams, a semi-retired librarian in Florida, is shelving books one morning when her eyes lock on a photograph in a magazine lying open nearby. She freezes; it’s an image of a book she hasn’t seen in sixty-five years—a book she recognizes as The Book of Lost Names. The accompanying article discusses the looting of libraries by the Nazis across Europe during World War II—an experience Eva remembers well—and the search to reunite people with the texts taken from them so long ago.
What I thought: I enjoyed this immensely. The story is very engaging. I loved the old Eva and the young version. I enjoyed the mood and atmosphere of the story. The tension between the characters, the caution they all had towards each other. But on the other side found joy, love and happy moments. I love that there is a true element to the story. I did try to research a bit more but unfortunately couldn’t find much info. I will have a look into the other books of this author.
Medium: audiobook from the library
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: German title “Das Buch der verschollenen Namen”
Recommend to: Interested in WWII stories that are based on true incidents.

The Stationary Shop by Marjan Kamali | ★★★★☆

Goodreads says: Roya is a dreamy, idealistic teenager living in 1953 Tehran who, amid the political upheaval of the time, finds a literary oasis in kindly Mr. Fakhri’s neighborhood book and stationery shop. She always feels safe in his dusty store, overflowing with fountain pens, shiny ink bottles, and thick pads of soft writing paper. When Mr. Fakhri, with a keen instinct for a budding romance, introduces Roya to his other favorite customer – handsome Bahman, who has a burning passion for justice and a love for Rumi’s poetry – she loses her heart at once. As their romance blossoms, the modest little stationery shop remains their favorite place in all of Tehran. A few short months later, on the eve of their marriage, Roya agrees to meet Bahman at the town square, but suddenly, violence erupts – a result of the coup d’etat that forever changes their country’s future. In the chaos, Bahman never shows. For weeks, Roya tries desperately to contact him, but her efforts are fruitless. With a sorrowful heart, she resigns herself to never seeing him again.
The Stationery Shop is a beautiful and timely exploration of devastating loss, unbreakable family bonds, and the overwhelming power of love.
What I thought: I really really enjoyed this story. I found the characters very well crafted with all their flaws, desires and dreams. It was heart breaking at times. I also enjoyed to learn more about the culture and the traditions of Tehran in the 50s. I am fan of stories that happen in two different times with going back and forth between the timelines. And I feel like after this book it is time for me to read a Rumi poetry book.
Medium: audio book from the library
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: not translated to German it appears.
Recommend to: Everyone loving to dive into different cultures and traditions and wants to learn about historical events on the way.
Read Around the World: Filed under Turkey

Chillpreneur by Denise Duffiel-Thomas | ★★★★☆

Goodreads says: Denise Duffield-Thomas made herself a millionaire by helping women realise that they could manifest anything they dreamed of if they took consistent action. In Chillpreneur, she’s teaching women how to align their goals with the universe and earn six figures (or more!) without losing. Through exercises and real-life stories, Denise shows you how to avoid making the (many) mistakes she and other women have made, how to boost your confidence and smash through your money blocks, and start making your business dreams a reality. Unlike her previous books, this title is full of practical advice about taxes, pricing, converting, and making it to the top – and it will make you laugh out loud. Being a Chillpreneur isn’t about being at the beach all day – it’s about finding the path of least resistance to fabulous money. It’s about taking a relaxed, imperfect approach and giving yourself permission to find the shortcuts for minimum effort and maximum results. It’s about making twice the money for half the work.
What I thought: I was positively surprised by this book. I wasn’t expecting too much and just wanted to listen to something Even though there have been no major revelations it it a nerv. It made me think about my business and my life. The options I have, the dreams I am afraid to dream. It made me think bold. It also sparked more than one interesting conversation. For that alone it was a good book. I also enjoyed that each chapter had followup exercises – which I haven’t done but that I was able to download as a google doc. This is a book I may want to read/listen to again. I would prefer to have it as a physical copy to make notes.
Medium: audio book from the library
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: no translations found.
Recommend to: Everyone starting a business, needing some motivation when being in a slump and wanting to learn more about money blocks.

Eisesdunkel by Bernadette Calonego | ★★★★☆

Goodreads says: A bloody axe in the snow. Blood spatter on manuscript pages. An author disappears without a trace from a lonely forest cabin. Is the disappearance related to her book about a true crime? Did she get too close to the killer? Detective Sergeant Calista Gates is determined to find out, because the book is about the violent death of twelve-year-old Becca, who was once Calista’s school friend. The young police chief is back in her hometown of Vancouver. There she is being examined by brain researchers after surviving a brutal assault. But soon she is off to the wilderness in the interior of British Columbia, where little Becca met her death tied to a tree twenty-three years ago.
What I thought: Thriller and crime is not usually a genre I read much. However I do like the books written by Bernadette Calonego. This is the fourth in a series and I haven’t read book 2 and 3. However I could still follow as they only loosely connect each other. I liked this book a lot. It was fast paced. I couldn’t stop reading. I always enjoy the setting in the Canadian wild. I like that Calonego included the indigenous people. I find it very interesting how she manages to include the way of life in remote areas in her books. If you follow her on Instagram you can see images and it makes it so much more fun reading the books because you get a feeling for the landscapes.
Medium: ebook, read on kindle, bough myself
Original Language and Title: German
Publications: will be translated in English as the previous books from this author
Recommend to: Everyone liking thriller and suspense novel and especially if you like the Canadian outback.

Uprooted by Naomi Novik | ★★★✶☆

Goodreads says: Agnieszka loves her valley home, her quiet village, the forests and the bright shining river. But the corrupted wood stands on the border, full of malevolent power, and its shadow lies over her life. Her people rely on the cold, ambitious wizard, known only as the Dragon, to keep the wood’s powers at bay. But he demands a terrible price for his help: one young woman must be handed over to serve him for ten years, a fate almost as terrible as being lost to the wood.
What I thought: Ahhhh I wanted to love this book a bit more than I actually did. I have a really really hard time getting into it. Not sure if it was because I only was able to read 2-3 pages at a time. Once I was reading more. it was easier. But maybe that is Novik’s writing. I remember with “Spinning Silver” it was similar. I guess there are slowly developing and are not as fast paced as books nowadays often are. I loved the setting of the book. I didn’t really need the love story as it didn’t really do anything to the overall plot. I was at times a bit annoyed that Agnieszka was so very special without really doing anything and overpowering all the old wizards. That didn’t sit right with me. I would have loved to hear more about why the names are chosen in such a way and what the meaning of it was/is.
Medium: paperback from my shelf, self bought
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: German title “Das Dunkle Herz des Waldes”
Recommend to: Loving fairytale retellings, fantasy and Eastern Europe folklore

Healing Herbal Teas by Sarah Farr | ★★★✶☆

Goodreads says: Freshly blended herbal teas offer more healing power than do pre-packaged tea bags. In Healing Herbal Teas, master herbalist and author Sarah Farr serves up 101 original recipes that not only offer health advantages but also taste great. Formulations to benefit each body system and promote well-being include Daily Adrenal Support, Inflammation Reduction, and Digestive Tonic. Additional recipes that address seasonal needs such as allergy relief or immune support will attune you to the cycles of nature, while instruction on the art of tea blending will teach you how to develop your own signature mixtures to give your body exactly what it needs. This book is an enchanting and delectable guide to blending and brewing power-packed herbal teas at home.
What I thought: The focus of this book were the100 different. recipes. After a first glance I when I received the book I was a bit overwhelmed as I saw lots of ingredients I would not have at hand or was not willing to get. But after reading it front to cover I found more than enough blends I want to try or gave me an inspiration to start with. Interesting was the use of mushrooms in tea blends. I enjoyed that there are also so called sun teas that need no boiling water but use the. heat of the sun to extract the plants nutrients. I would have preferred a glosser or some more information on the used terminology. Even as an herbal enthusiast for a couple years now I am having a hard time understanding it all. The book is definitely an interesting read but maybe very very niche and you would need an enormous pantry to make them all. Nothing feasible in a two person household with one tea drinker.
Medium: paperback from my shelf.
Original Language and Title: English hardcover, paperback, ebook
Publications: German title “Heilende Kräutertees”
Recommend to: Everyone enjoying teas and likes to make own blends.
This copy was provided to me by the publisher, my opinion remains my own.

Smoke gets in your Eyes by Caitlin Doughty | ★★★✶☆

Goodreads says: Most people want to avoid thinking about death, but Caitlin Doughty—a twenty-something with a degree in medieval history and a flair for the macabre—took a job at a crematory, turning morbid curiosity into her life’s work. Thrown into a profession of gallows humor and vivid characters (both living and very dead), Caitlin learned to navigate the secretive culture of those who care for the deceased.
What I thought: I am torn about this book. I wanted to like it more (love seems a weird choice of word here). First said, I do believe it is important to see death as part of life. I did grow up with that believe attending my first funeral with five or six years. I have seen all my grandparents and my father in law after they had died. I have also sat with my grandpa in his last hours. So I would say I was a bit more aware then the targeted audience of the book.
The book is very centered on the United States. Reading the book I had the feeling that in Europe or Germany we do not go to the length of preparing a body for viewings. I was taken back when seeing a body in the Dominican Republic as it looked so very fake. I guess that is more towards what funeral rites are in the US. That said, I did learn a few things I was not aware (how so), that made me think, that make me appreciate people doing the job.
At times I didn’t like the way the book was written. Doughty trails of telling about her love life, and other incidents that do nothing for the book and are just page fillers. Often times the tone of voice was not the way I felt this book should be written. But that was my own discomfort obviously. I do believe her other book where she talks about funeral rites throughout the world may hold more information and interest for me.
Medium: paperback, from my shelf
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: German title “Fragen Sie Ihren Bestatter“
Recommend to: Everyone wanting learn more about the death industry, needs to loose the fear of death or has a morbid fascination.

The Fault in Our Stars by John Green | ★★★☆☆

Goodreads says: Despite the tumor-shrinking medical miracle that has bought her a few years, Hazel has never been anything but terminal, her final chapter inscribed upon diagnosis. But when a gorgeous plot twist named Augustus Waters suddenly appears at Cancer Kid Support Group, Hazel’s story is about to be completely rewritten. Insightful, bold, irreverent, and raw, The Fault in Our Stars is award-winning-author John Green’s most ambitious and heartbreaking work yet, brilliantly exploring the funny, thrilling, and tragic business of being alive and in love.
What I thought: It was an entertaining time listening to this audio book. I did expect a bit more. I remember a few years back everyone was raving about it. It is targeted to a younger audience and I can see that it is a big hit there. I probably would have enjoyed this book much more 25 years ago. It doesn’t hurt listening or reading this book but I wouldn’t put it up too high on the TBR.
Medium: audiobook from the library
Original Language and Title: English
Publications: German title “Das Schicksal ist ein mieser Verräter”
Recommend to: Everyone loving teenage love stories that are a bit deeper.

Books I couldn’t finish

This year I will also list the books or audiobooks I started but that for some reason will not be finished. I want to keep a bit of track how many pages those books end up being.

• Das Glück des Zauberers by Sten Nadolny – a library audio book that I quickly abandoned
• The other black girl by Zakiya Dalila Harris – a library audio book I have loaned twice and never managed to stay with it. Should I give a go a third time?
• Self-Esteem in Love Relationships by Marianna Cimmino – a load of crap… sorry → ca. 40/88 pages read
• Chase Tinker and the House of Magic by Malia Ann Haberman – the writing was so cringy… like a first grader was writing…
• A long cold winter by Lindsey Smith and others – very boring. not available anymore. probably for a reason… → 7/33 pages read

New books on the shelves

I decided in 2022 I will also share how many books make it to my TBR list (only books I own otherwise we would sit here in years) and occupy my shelves right above the reading chair and also on my digital home on the kindle. Feel free to ask me in a few weeks if I have read it yet. HA

• The Lost Galumpus by Joseph Helgerson – a kindle freebie
• The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde – a kindle freebie
• The many Fortunes of Maya by Nicole D. Collier – a kindle freebie
• Animal farm by George Orwell – a belated Christmas present
• The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón – a book from the swapping library

Let’s hear it: What book did you enjoy this past month? What book was a total fail? Is there a new book that moved into your home?