Well, funny enough, I have never read a Danish crime novel. They are called Krimi in Danish, and they take up a sizeable chunk of the real estate in mainstream Danish bookstores! But I have in fact begun to feel a slight urge to venture in to the realm... I just looked at my subscription to a Danish streaming service (which is like Kindle Unlimted but 1000X better) and, unfortunately, only one of his books are in there. It is a Christmas book. -- Here is an update on my 10X10 categories. My volume of reading has not been great this year, but I have loved most of the books that I have read. I allow overlaps in my challenge. At the moment, it appears that Digte by Yahya Hassan managed to tick the most boxes for me: In Danish, Nordic, Poetry, and Politics. 1960s (3) In Danish In a Foreign Language (4). I am now counting Dutch and Latin, too. Non Tropical Islands (2) Good Catholic / Bad Catholic (0) Fantasy (4) Nordic (4) Poetry (1) The American South (5) Around the World (2) A perpetual challenge. New countries only (added Canada and the Netherlands) Politics (2)

We had the tornado warning today, too. This is the second one I have been through here, and I don’t feel like we have a great safe space. Hugs! On days like that I usually challenge myself to stay up until 9 so that I don’t wake up at three AGAIN.

Happy Birthday, @tuesdayschild !!!!!!!! I finished Alberta and Freedom (1931) this week. This is the second part of a trilogy by Norwegian author Cora Sandel. It is surprising to me that Cora Sandel is not better known outside of Norway. She is a really big name in Norwegian literature. The trilogy is semi-autobiographical. The first book, Alberta and Jacob, takes place in rural Norway. The second book takes place in Paris in the 1920s. I did not like this book as much as the first book. There was a scene at the end that I though depicted Africans in a racist manner. That nearly spoiled the book for me. And the Starving Artist social scene became tiresome. But I certainly liked it enough to finish the trilogy. The writing is excellent, a bit Virginia Woolf-ish, I think. I have just started Absalom, Absalom. I did a reread of The Sound and The Fury earlier this year, and I am very much looking forward to another Faulkner.

Has anyone been to the Edgar Allen Poe House? It is free! https://www.nps.gov/edal/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm (Thank you for the thread, Garga! We are about to spend a weekend in Philadelphia, too.)

Thank you for the warm welcome back. Yes, my Latin class ended on May 16. We completed the first Cambridge Book. And I got a perfect paper on the NLE Intro Level exam!

Yes! I should have more time to read now 🙂

Hello, BaW friends. I have been away from this thread for several weeks, and I have missed all of you! I have been wrapped up in wrapping up my homeschool career. The youngest finished up on May 10, and we had our graduation party on Sunday. It has been a bit of a whirlwind. I'll try to read through the most recent threads to see what everyone has been up to. A week ago, I went to hear Neil Gaiman speak. It was such a wonderful evening. He talked about making The Good Omens show, and he read three short stories to us.

All good thoughts, thank you. I have this irrational fear of waking up on May 2 and finding out that we didn't do some unknown thing and then he won't have a place at the school. It is silly, I know. The deposit secured his place. Mind you, I was one of those people who had the final exam dream years after I graduated. I'm surprised I haven't had the "we forgot to deposit" dream yet, lol.

I'll nudge him to get this part done ASAP. Housing is guaranteed, but I wonder if the selection is best if done promptly.

DS indeed needs to complete his housing application and some other forms. They are all due June 1, so we will get to them as soon as the DE finals / AP exams crunch passes.

Please reassure me that we have not missed some crucial step. I think we have done what we need to do, but the fear of dropping the ball this late haunts me! Deposit to the chosen school has been paid. The other schools have been notified that he will not attend. He has set up his email account and checks it regularly. We are registered for an orientation session.

Congrats! DS18 received his Silver in time for college apps, and he is continuing forward towards the Gold.

I started reading 1966: The Year the Decade Exploded, a social history of 1966 told through the lens of the music. It is divided into 12 chapters, January through December. Each chapter talks about the #1 hits that month, musicians that were on the rise, the youth culture, and the current events. I am on April, and I would say it is limited to what was happening in (or relevant to, e.g. Vietnam) the USA and the UK. I'm really enjoying it, and I have started making a Spotify playlist to go along with it. @Robin M I thought of you while reading the January chapter! One of the very first songs discussed is Simon & Garfunkel's "The Sound of Silence." It was the first #1 US song of 1966.

Nice bingo, @Quill ! (I am at a minor league baseball game with my family. I brought my book because baseball is about five innings too long).

Good for you! I spent countless hours on the course descriptions. It really is a big task.

I missed posting last week. Perfect for National Poetry Month, I am in the midst of a book by a young Danish poet: Digte by Yahya Hassan. In 2013, at the young age of 18, Yahya Hassan became a literary sensation in Denmark. He is of Palestinian heritage, and both he and his poems have stirred up a lot of controversy over the years. I think he is enormously talented, and I hope he continues to write and to publish. I finished two books this week: The Blood of Emmett Till. At least four stars, and maybe five. My recent trip to the National Museum of African American History and Culture prompted me to read this, and I learned a lot. It fit into two of my 2019 categories: The American South and the 1960s. The murder occurred in 1955, but I can't think of a better place to being reading about the 1960s than this book. The Outsiders. Five stars. I can't believe I never read this before! I think it just might be one of my all-time favorite YA novels. And it is mind-boggling to me that S.E. Hinton wrote it while she was still in high school. It fits into two of my categories: the 1960s and 50 states (Oklahoma). ETA: I think I finished The Goblin Emperor since the last time I posted. 5 stars. Many, many thanks to those who recommended it! I recall that several of you have read it.

I would love that! Since it is on topic, here is an anecdote: We have moved a lot, and I was used to presenting my kids' vaccination records when enrolling them in school. I asked the administrator at the high school if I should give him a copy of my son's vax record, and he replied "Why? Is there something wrong with him that I need to know about?" The recommended vaccines also differ somewhat, which I find interesting.

While living in Denmark (2011-2016), I became a lot lot lot more liberal. I was a free spirit in my youth, and then I had my more conservative phase. Now, I feel like I maybe I've got my old self back. I was never anti-vax. Vaccines are awesome. I hate being sick 🙂

Hi, everyone. I missed most of last week's thread, but plan to go back and read it. I had houseguests from both Denmark and NC last week, which was quite wonderful. One of the highlights of the week was showing my Danish friend around Washington DC. This was her second trip to the USA, but first time on the East Coast. We did tons of things, but I want to talk a bit about the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture. This was my second time there, and both times I spent three hours...and did not have time to absorb everything. My friend said it was one of the best museums she has ever visited, and I concur. Somehow, I managed to miss the Memorial to Emmett Till the first time. It is in a corner off the walking route, so unless you look at the map it is easy to miss. Emmett Till's body was exhumed in the 2000s, and the original casket is now the focus of a memorial room to him. It is a powerful exhibit, and now I really want to read The Blood of Emmett Till. Other reading notes: I started Doris Lessing's The Golden Notebook before my guests arrived. I got to about page 100 and found it meh. I had no desire to continue after setting it aside for a week. Instead, I have started The Goblin Emperor which I am loving so far. @Quill You asked about cultural memoirs. You might like Cafe Europa: Life After Communism by Slavenka Drakulic. It is certainly not as lighthearted as The Year of Living Danishly, but I found it an insightful read. The author is Croatian, but the book roams around Europe a bit. Oh, and I also have Chesapeake Requiem on my TBR. If you read it, I would love to know your thoughts.

@tuesdayschild I am glad to know that I can keep my hopes up for Harold. Despite the ending of #3, I plan to continue the series. I will note the spoiler tag for the future. I knew there was a way to do that, but could not recall the details. Fwiw, I typed my spolier in black then changed the font color after typing!

@tuesdayschild Let's hope I did this right. Wow, I feel much better now just typing that out. Awful ending revealed below. It is in white text. Can you read it? News from Thrush Green (Thrush Green #3) Phil (a female) is an attractive single mom. She is in her early 30s. Her husband has abandoned her for another woman. She starts to put her life together by moving to the cozy village of Thrush Green. Her son is six years old. At about the 75% mark, her estranged husband dies in an auto accident. So now she is REALLY eligible, and two men are smitten with her. The classic love triangle. Richard is about her age, but they are not really compatible. Richard is a bit of an annoying guy, but he is not a jerk, so if Phil had ended up with Richard, that would have been OK. Harold is about 60 years old and has never been married. He lived an exciting life in Africa and has retired to the cozy village of Thrush Green. It is no secret to the reader that Harold is in love with Phil. Harold just isn't sure of himself. What about the age difference - would that be fair to Phil? Has he been a bachelor too long to be a good husband? Harold is a great guy in all regards. Page 215: Enter Frank. Frank is Harold's friend. Frank is 55 . Harold introduces Phil to Frank, because Frank is an editor and Phil is a writer. Frank and Harold have an intimate talk, and Harold admits to Frank that he is in love with Phil. He asks for Frank's advice. Frank says "Try your luck." Harold is still hesitant. Frank suggests that Harold put the whole affair out of his mind for a month or two, and then maybe his feelings will be clear. Page 231: Richard tries his luck with Phil, but is gently rejected. Page 237: Harold has reluctantly decided that marriage is not for him. Perhaps, as Frank had once suggested, his own feelings were actually "a compound of pity and protectiveness." Page 238: Phil tells Harold that "Frank has asked me to marry him." And then she asks Harold if he will give her away! Page 239: Phil and Harold have a conversation that breaks my heart. THE END What cozy world permits a back-stabbing friend to get the girl?

Can you (or someone) tell me how to type with the spolier tag?

Do whatever makes you happy! I don't remember what I did for my 40th, but I went on a very special weekend trip with my mom for my 50th. It was just the two of us, and we will never forget it.

@aggieamy I probably would have thrown the book if it hadn’t been a library book! And you are absolutely correct about the genre expectations. This ending blew it.

@Robin M Thanks for the Nora Roberts link. I am a bit lost, as the blog assumes one knows what happened. But I am very interested in the story. Nora Roberts sounds like a force to be reckoned with. It also seems like she is willing to stand up for victimized writers who don’t have her financial resources. I have yet to read any of her books or visit her bookstore yet, and I feel remiss about that. @Quill I liked The Year of Living Danishly, too. Glad you are enjoying it! Maybe we need to take a day trip to Nora Robert’s bookstore someday! It is near Antietam. — I just finished News at Thrush Green (Thrush Green #3) by Miss Read. Wow, what a shocker that was. I was blissfully enjoying my comfort read and tthen at the very very end Miss Read hit me with an ending that I HATED. I can’t remember the last time an ending made me so angry!