Of course my students have to work on tasks why reading The Houns of the Baskervilles - especially because it is the easy version of Black at. 💪

Finished another audiobook while driving through Iceland. I was thinking that this Christie murder mystery is a very psycological one which I didn‘t expect. Of course I did not see the turn coming.

Even though this time there weren‘t two narratives which somehow (strangely) are combined in the end, but the happy go lucky life of Nancy & her friends becomes more apparent. The structure & narratives of the series so far are somewhat the same & become predictable. Even the last two titles almost seem the same. But again, the series was written for teenagers, not scrutinizing adults.

You just did! In the book 5 of the series! At Shadow Ranch! 🙈

Me trying to keep up with my reading while travelling Iceland in this weird winterlike spring. Hopefully, I will be prepared for today‘s discussion. 💪💪💪
#nancydrewbr @Librarybelle

We finished listening to this one while driving through Iceland today. Since I am a language teacher I found the chapters about the history of slang words (e.g. cunt) very interesting. In general the book gives a more funny and interesting overview rather based on exciting incidents than on science but that is completely fine.

Even though I liked this collection of short stories or excerpts of novels of Icelandic authors very mucc, I think the title and the description are a little bit misleading. I assumed it would be short stories taking place in Iceland written by Icelandic authors portaying the Icelandic way of life. But half of them are placed somewhere else. I didn‘t like those very much, but they still display the diversity of Icelandic authors.

Me preparing for the upcoming yearly holiday in Iceland with a nice colection of Icelandic stories. Currently it is snowing like hell there, so I am enjoying the nice weather here. 😊

This is an interesting dystopian storie. In am undefined future big cities like New York have been closed because they are inhabitable due to air pollution and overpopulation. Now they are a summer holiday attraction. But what happens when the doors close at the end of the summer? Something the 16 year okd Ron is going to find out the hard way.
Definitely a dystopian future that‘s not so far in the future anymore. The story was published in 1978.

Today I went to a tour of the cabinet of sentimental trivial literature in Solothurn (I live nearby). I opens once a month only and is somewhat a insider. I don‘t think it gets visited mich even though it is a nice small museum displaying the literature for the working class in the 19th century. It was very interesting and I realized I inherited some of the mentioned books from my grandparents. 😊

On my way back from the theatre, killing time in the train by reading. The person next to me reads a printed book as well instead of checking the phone. Life is good. 😊

I got this gem in a little free library and went through it in two days even though my work week is pretty heavy and normally I am not able to read after work. It is a nice collection of Poirot stories - some shorter, some longer. Of course the style is an easy one that‘s why the reading went so smoothly but I really enjoyed it.

Definitely on your side, Mr Poirot! 🤣

I was fed up after having to read The Little Prince in school years ago. I could never understand the hype about that story. So I was pretty biased when coming across another of de Saint-Exupery‘s stories. I was positivly surprised. Night Flight is written as light as a feather - or the wind carried by the wind.

Already, beneath him, through the golden evening, the shadowed hills had dug their furrows and the plains grew luminous with long-enduring light. For in these lands the ground gives gives off this golden glow persistently, just as, even when ghe winter goes, the whiteness of the snow persists.
What a first paragraph! 😮

I didn‘t like this student‘s version much because it left out the whole voodoo narrative. i am not sure if it was particularly thrilling for my students. But then the original is so full of stereotypes and degrading language at least this was not given in this version.

I am currently reading four different novels with four different classes. Of course they are the students versions which are easier and have less different narratives but I get mixed up a lot - especially when the lessons are one after another. Last time it told the students The Hound of the Baskervilles was written by Ian Fleming. 🙈

Finally finished this one with my own class of 8th graders this week. Most of the boys wanted to read it because they have watched the movie. They thought it would be easy read, but they forgot Mrs Wolff is their teacher. Of course I had them tackle different problems while reading, not only consuming it. We‘ll see if it was worth it.

I finished reading the easy version of Romeo & Juliet with my 8th grade students. Even though the text was changed a lot they did not catch some parts of the the story. And I did not like the easy version because some of the best known quotes of this play have been changed. I prefer the original.

I am currently reading the abriged version of my favourite Shakespeare tragedy because we are going to visit the theatre soon. 💪💪💪💪

And again, this is how it looks like when the students get to know Mrs Wolff‘s recommendation of the month. 😊

I don‘t know what to make out of this one. The narrative with the curse was very interesting and would have been enough for me. I don‘t understand why there has to be a second narrative that mysteriously tangled to the first one? It is complete unnecessary and most explanations unlikely. I wonder if the series goes on like this? If yes, then it is quite foreseeable.

I am trying to keep up with my Nancy Drew reading - a bit late for today‘s discussion. But then I came across Ned - who is he? It sounds like he is Nancy‘s love interest, but he never came up before. And why is he in Europe?
I just went through a word search of the four first books to check if I missed something. But there wasn‘t anything. 🙈

It seems like the authors of Zeit Crime magazine have read my mind lately - or listened in on my commute. This is an interesting overview over her novels. Her favourite way of murdering someone is by poison for example, 34 protagnostis died due to it. Or that „And then there was none“ is the most sold murder mystery worldwide with a number of sold copies of over 100 million. 😮😮😮

I went through my old games to find a chess game for this picture and actually did. Even though I learned how to play chess and never got hooked. That playing chess can structure your life and keep helping you to stay alive in situations of utmost insanity is a nice message. What really made me angry were the last words of the world champion who did not recognize the talent of his oppenent.

I „play“ chess literally, whilst the others - the actual chess players - mean business (intranslate word play with the adjective serious).

This is yet another novel with a hint in the German title. 🙈 But as I know realised the original does so as well. While listening I kept on wondering how Poirot could end up in series of political murders, that‘s not a regular task for him.

I finished this one in the bathtub yesterday. The problem of grandkids not wanting to visit because they seem to be boring is one most grandparents can relate to, but the this granny does cope with it in a very peculiar way. What a nice story. 🦹‍♀️🦹‍♀️🦹‍♀️

The moment the Queen catches you in the act of stealing the Crown jewels - in her nightgown and Corgy slippers. 🤣🤣🤣

So, I went through another Discworld audiobook last week. I did have some difficulties to follow the Rincewind narrative because it seemed pretty chaotic. It was still funny though, but I don‘t not remember having such peoblems while actually reading it.

Me driving home into the sunset today - while listening to Terry Pratchett.

I don‘t know why the German title has to give away the major clue that you know who did it right away. 🙈 But it is always a delight to follow Poirot coming to the same conclusion. 😊

This is a nice little free library I saw in Avenches when I checked out the Roman theatre there. Unfortunatly, I could not find anything in there because Avenches is located in the French speaking part of Switzerland and I don‘t speak French. 🙈

I like the Poirot novels in which Mrs Oliver appears to be his enthusiastic sidekick. They are such an odd and funny pair.
This story did come up with so many suspects, I definitely did not see the ending coming.

Today I found out that Jan Assmann is dead. 😭😭😭 He was a well-known German egyptologist and was famous for his cultural theories.
Once I had the chance to see one of his lectures at the Egyptian Museum in Leipzig and got his autograph. Back then I wanted to tell him that I‘ve read most if his books and that he is very important for me, but the only thing I was able to say (quivering in front of this authority) was: „For Maria, please“.

One decision that changes everything: Puberty is already not easy for Niko, he is the outsider of the class. But then he helps beautiful Sera and everything becomes chaotic.
This is a nice novel about a deep friendship between two students in a superficial highschool world.

This coming of age novel is written from two different points of view of two teenagers. Like teenagers‘ fast-paced thoughts the book switches between them constantly. It is interesting to experience a story through the eyes of two characters.

This is a nice story for kids talking softly and with dignity about topics most adults try to avoid with euphemisms.
Old John moves in with his daughter‘s family. His grandkids love it, but at some point he gets sick…

Reading school literature for one of my classes now. Even though we‘ve read Peter Härtling back when I went to school, I never came across this one.

This is a short coming of age novel of a Swiss author. It is written in a fast paced stream of consciousness style and talking about an outsider meeting another (non outsider, jock) teenager with the same family problems. Both of them are not sure what to make of it. The book definetely portays the life of teenagers well.

I can see you. You‘re running up the stairs. Slamming the door. Thewoing yourself on the bed. Head under cushion, hands on the ears.
Nevertheless you can still hear your parents. Even as they fall silent and this depressing silence takes over the house. (…) But in your head they are still arguing. In your head you can hear the voices. Like an echo that doesn‘t die away.

In this Nancy Drew novel nothing was not missing: an impersonator, a time bomb, a diamond theft, a submarine and a fire, What can be possible used in the next ones? The books are definitely getting better, I hope the pace of improvement can be kept.

Currently I am finishing the fourth book of the series. This time I am prepared for tomorrow‘s monthly discussion with @Librarybelle
💪💪💪💪

The Series is definitely getting better. The plot is quite forseeable (maybe it‘s me as an Agatha Christie fan), but still quite suspenseful. I‘ve read the 50er novel in one run and looking forward to no. 4. 😊

I have to admit the novels are getting more interesting and suspenseful one by one. I cannot wait to turn/swipe to the next P
page. 💪💪💪

The old mansion with squeaky floorboards, a dark attic with old costumes and things moving around on their own were definitely more exciting than the first novel. And that there are two mysteries to solve makes it more suspenseful. I was as disappointed and pissed off as Nancy when she couldn‘t find the entrance to the hidden staircase. 🤬

Since I am analyzing literature with my students in my English classes, I cannot stop wondering whether the alliterations in some of the chapter titles are used on purpose or just a „lucky“ coincidence. The question is: Can a mishap be mysterious??? 🤔🤔🤔😜

So, a few months behind the Litsy discussion group I finished the first Nancy Drew novel. The ebook I bought seems to be the older 1930 version and I stumbled across the portrayal of Jeff Tucker. Anyway the story tries to build suspense and I think this is okay for the target audience of teenagers. But as an adult it strikes me weird to give away the major clue in the title. 🙈

The German kids have been using the English word „cringe“ a lot lately. I have to admit that it expresses the feeling perfectly I got while reading the first of the Nancy Drew novels. I know it was published in 1930 and back then it was a different time, but it makes me cringe to read the stereotypical portrait of Jeff Tucker.

Another one of the witches: I actually read The Phantom of the Opera and saw the musical version (the opera not yet) and the Terry Pratchett version is definitely the best one. I was laughing so hard. 🤣🤣🤣