December Reading + Reading List Update

This will be this year's final post. I'm a little sorry that I didn't post more than just the books I've been reading for the past few months, but - at least that, at least that.

So here, the final books for this year:

Paul Watzlawick, Anleitung zum Unglücklichsein
Fun in parts, a little sad in others when I recognised which of the things presented I did myself. Eye-opening, maybe not, but a reminder about certain issues, things to watch out for. I also liked the way it was written. Research notes but still easy and fun.

Literatur für AussteigerInnen, Oder wie sich die Welt ohne Auto bewegt
The second of those small green books our local public transport handed out some time ago. Several short stories about how public transport influences/improves people's lives. Actually quite good. Some stories can be downloaded here as audiobooks, for free.

Paul Wilson, Das kleine Buch der Freude
With useful tips like "Go to your nearest ocean beach and take a deep breath" (haha), recommending to drink (yeeees, drinking Baileys might just make me happy, eventually, for a short while, but...really?), and stating thrice that thinking positive thoughts will make life so much better (...what else is new?), this really wasn't that exciting/helpful/great.

Gregory Maguire, Mirror Mirror 
I bought this one on a whim from a fellow student. I wasn't sure what to expect. I certainly didn't expect this. Beautiful use of language, very atmospheric, the BEST version of dwarfs I have ever seen and probably will ever see again, and a lovely combination of fairytale, history, fantasy, religion...except for the a little sudden ending a complete winner.


Banana Yoshimoto, Kitchen, incl. Moonlight Shadow 
I listened to the German audiobook a short while ago but decided I also wanted to read it. Right choice, too. So much beauty in so little space. I also really liked the short story that was included. Melancholy, both of them, but also sweet and hopeful.

Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, Nachtflug
Since I previously only knew The Little Prince, this was quite a different experience. Short, beautiful, sad. It felt to me like quite a male book, being about the adventure of flying back in the 1930s and the hard decisions you need to make, the things you give up for that sort of adventure. Brief sentences, very little comfort. Still, beautiful. The last third was quite hard, because you can sense what's about to happen, the whole atmosphere, so well. I can't bring myself to say it was enjoyable, because it was too tense for that, but I liked it, definitely.

Das kleine Kamasutra
One of those tiny, cheap books produced so you can buy them as gag gifts or something like that. Not very good, but at least it took only 30 minutes max out of my life, and now I can give it away happily.

So, I managed to read a few more of the books from the list I posted in July, but not all of them. Now, what I will do is, I will look through the remaining 14 (at least I managed 17, so more than half, YES) and let go of a few of them, but certainly not all. For example, I started Der gold'ne Topf, but the first few chapters were mainly confusing and odd, so I'm not really sure I want to continue. But I'm not just giving away Ficciones or V for Vendetta because there wasn't enough time. I achieved my goal, I read loads of books, some of which I'd been meaning to read for ages, and I was able to get rid of some of them as well (getting rid = taking them to Bookcrossing meetups and zones and releasing them again). So all in all, the list was a success.

My goal for January is to read all of my Manga Power books (30 of them), and then give them away to make some space on our bookshelves. Should work. I think.
One more month until One Piece 65. Need to keep myself occupied.