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Varske

Varske

Joined March 2018

My wealth is in my books.
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Order Out of Chaos by Ilya Prigogine, Isabelle Stengers
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Feel Free: Essays by Zadie Smith
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Hope In The Dark by Rebecca Solnit
review
Varske
Pickpick

I gave this to my daughter for Christmas but had to buy myself another copy after I started reading it. It‘s revealing about what women did in the war and what they still thought about (haircuts, clean clothes). But it‘s rather Soviet in style (or perhaps women still framed their memories in a Soviet way). I preferred Night of Stone by Catherine Merridale.

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Varske
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The description provided is simply wrong. It‘s a classic written by LaoTzu (at least that‘s what we believe). This is an English version by an accomplished writer, who does not understand Chinese. Her version is a recasting of it for modern times, without the male-only authority.

Looking forward to comparing it with my other versions.

Also mine has a quite different cover.

6 likes1 stack add
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Varske
Feel Free: Essays | Zadie Smith
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Instead the evidence is to be ‘believed‘ or ‘denied‘ as if the scientific papers are so many Lutheran creeds pinned to a door.

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Varske
Lion: A Long Way Home | Saroo Brierley
Mehso-so

I haven‘t seen the film, but I must have seen the trailer for it,because there were no surprises in the book. It‘s ghost written, but once you know the story the book doesn‘t actually add much.

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Varske
Pickpick

Read half of this when doing my anthropology masters, and now reading it again. It‘s about Holocaust survivors and their children visiting and revisiting Czernowitz, a city that now exists only in memory, although I visited the town of Chernivtsy 20 years ago.

A bit weird reading it on a long weekend in Athens, revisiting a place I used to live, 15 years ago. When I look up from the book, not sure where I really am. #memoirs #holocaust

Swe_Eva I‘d say that‘s a great book, that picks you up and completely transports you away to its world. 7y
7 likes2 stack adds1 comment
review
Varske
Pickpick

I didn‘t remember this well, so it was nice to reread. More serious than I remember as well. Interesting and reflective on the problems of being an escaped prisoner of war, dependent on the willingness of ordinary people to provide food and shelter.

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Varske
Untitled | Unknown
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TrishB I so want this set.....❤️ 7y
Varske Me too: as somebody else pointed out, it‘s less than 1 dollar a book. And I haven‘t read any of them. 7y
asiriusreader Welcome to Litsy! 7y
9 likes1 stack add3 comments
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Varske
Forbidden Journey | Ella K. Maillart

This is a very interesting book by the so-called ‘companion‘ of Peter Fleming on his journey through Turkestan in the 30s (see the book publishers blurb. Actually Maillart is an experienced explorer and traveller in her own right, which makes her book an interesting comparison with his, particularly as I dont think she is ever mentioned in his book. #twolives #travel #memoirs

StillLookingForCarmenSanDiego Welcome to Litsy 🖐🌞🦋 7y
8 likes1 comment
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Varske
News from Tartary | Peter Fleming

Actually this is one of the few books, where both people on a life/journey have written about their experiences. Paired with Ella Maillart‘s Forbidden Journey. #twolives #travel #memoirs

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Varske
Mehso-so

I‘m rereading this after my writing group suggested it as a model for how memoirs are written. I always thought it more as travel writing like his other books. Actually I liked his wife‘s book better, last time I read them both. It will be interesting to see what I think after rereading them both now. #travel #memoirs

Not many books where two people have written about the same life/journey with their own different point of view. #twolives

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Varske
The Long Good-bye | Raymond Chandler
Mehso-so

I didn‘t enjoy this as much as the others by him that I just reread. Perhaps it‘s a bit long. Perhaps it‘s the book itself, old with brown pages falling out of the binding. I must have got it secondhand unlike the other books. Now it‘s a bit unloved. Perhaps I just read too many at once, and got bored.

6 likes1 stack add
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Varske
The Lady in the Lake | Raymond Chandler
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A good explanation of the difference between intra and inter variation. Or why racial profiling is not good. #cats #feminism.

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Varske
Ali and Nino | Kurban Said
Pickpick

One of my favourite disappearing books, which you have to read if you go the Caucasus.

5 likes1 stack add
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Varske
High Window | Raymond Chandler
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7 likes1 stack add
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Varske
The High Window | Raymond Chandler

I had to add this as to the stack “to read”, although it is a re-read. Whenever I move and have to unpack my books again, I find so many old friends I had forgotten about. I try to tag them in LibraryThing, so I remember to actually do it, but generally I forget.

I seem to be rereading crime mostly this year. #reread

5 likes1 stack add
blurb
Varske

Sorry have lost your comment about travel. Still finding my way round Litsy.

Of course I remember you, as Goodreads is sending me your updates, even though I haven‘t updated mine for ages. That‘s how I found this book. I really like Élif Shafak. Thanks for bringing it to my attention.

Miss_Kim You should come to Canada and visit me 😁📖 7y
Varske I was in Canada with my daughter last year for a couple of weeks, but I didn‘t think to contact you. How is your inn doing (I hope I remembered right). But we really loved Canada. 7y
Miss_Kim So glad you liked it! We‘re doing great but still miss the Balkans and Eastern Europe ❤️ 7y
6 likes3 comments
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Varske
The Prague Cemetery | Umberto Eco
Mehso-so

I got started, but found the beginning antisemitic and anti- almost everyone else, a bit disturbing. Eventually I realised it was just some typical attitudes at the time. But somehow it didn‘t encourage me to carry on, although the plot was very interesting about two people who seemed to inhabit each other‘s lives. Or one split identity. Perhaps curiosity will make me eventually go back to find out more.

Anna40 This book focuses on the rise of antisemitism in the 19th century. If you ever decide to read it again, I recommend reading this article. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/281391349_Umberto_Eco's_The_Prague_ceme... 4y
3 likes1 comment
review
Varske
Pickpick

This is one of favourite books. But it‘s also one of the books that I frequently have to replace. It seems I lend it and people never give it me back.

Anyone have a sensible and polite way to remember who has got the book? Of course I could note on LibraryThing, but it seems rude to do it in front of them, and then it seems I must always forget to do it.

RaimeyGallant I take a picture of them with the book. Works like a charm. 7y
RaimeyGallant And welcome to Litsy! #LitsyWelcomeWagon Some of us put together Litsy tips to help new Littens navigate the site. It's the link in my bio on my page in case you need it. Or if you prefer how-to videos, @chelleo put some together at the link in her bio. P.S. I joined LT yesterday. Two friends so far. Woot! 7y
Chelleo Welcome 🤗 7y
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Chelleo @RaimeyGallant Genius! I‘ve stopped lending books (mainly because mine have been in storage for so long and I give lots away) 7y
RaimeyGallant Guilt photo: works every time. @Chelleo 7y
Varske @RaimeyGallant. Thanks for the tip. I guess I should give that a try. 7y
8 likes6 comments
review
Varske
Pickpick

I was surprised to find I hadn‘t ever read this book, chosen by my Bookclub. I suppose I was put off by the image of Audrey Hepburn in little black dress and pearls, from the film. I imagined it was an early form of chick lit. Nothing could be further from it. The writing reminded me of Raymond Chandler so I shall have to read his books again. My only complaint about the book, is the story is too short.

BiblioTori Welcome to Litsy!! Hope that you love it, here. ✨ 7y
mrozzz Welcome WELCOME 👋🏻☺️ And as always, thanks for the tag @Jess7 💗 7y
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julesG Welcome to Litsy! 7y
tammysue Hello - welcome to Litsy!! 👋🏻🌸📚😊 7y
Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Welcome to Litsy 📚👏🏻🎊 7y
britt_brooke I still need to read this! In Cold Blood is so good. Capote‘s writing really blew me away. If you haven‘t read it, I definitely recommend it. 7y
britt_brooke And welcome to Litsy! 7y
TheLibrarian Welcome!! 7y
mrp27 Agree, a great read!! Welcome to Litsy! 📚📚📚 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage Welcome to Litsy @Varske and thanks @Jess7 for the introduction! 7y
12 likes1 stack add11 comments