Ivor chose this month’s country, & Mia & I both think it’s a great one for the club to read. (If you have no idea why Ivor is the one choosing the country, click here.)
It’s a well known country from a literature standpoint & one which we think a number of members will have read books from so we’re excited to see all of your suggestions. We also have one very prominent book club member who’s been with the book club for a while who lives in this country!
Rather than give you hints of well known things about this country to have you guess which land we’re adventuring to next, here are some unique facts* that may or may not strike a bell:
If you ask someone the time from this country & are told “half three”, the time is in fact half past two (i.e., 2:30). They count the minutes to the next hour rather than after.
A famously mad king of theirs became a recluse atop a castle in part because he started losing his teeth in his twenties.
The world’s narrowest street is in this country. It’s only 1 foot (31 cm) wide at its narrowest point!
Mark Twain, not known for being a fan of the language, declared: “I never knew before what eternity was made for. It is to give some of us a chance to learn [this language].” (My mom who speaks 10 different languages agrees this one’s hard, but says she loves it because of its difficulty & adores many of its uniquely descriptive words.)
The term “ecology” was first coined by a biologist from this country in 1866.
So what country are we reading next?
It’s Germany!
I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention German food especially because here in NYC I’m seeing so many delicious German baked goods for Christmas right now! So it inspired me to find some great German cookbooks to try out this month. A German foodie friend now living in the US recommended these three:
The 1st contains the most popular recipes gleaned from every corner of the country celebrating the food & the tradition of Germany.
The 2nd emphasizes the lighter side of German cooking from a German native who’s fused the cuisine with lots of fresh American produce.
The 3rd contains the very best recipes for Germany’s cookies, cakes, tortes, & breads, passed down through the generations. Perfect for the holidays. Yum!
HAVE ANY BOOK SUGGESTIONS for January?
Just let us know your German fiction & non-fiction suggestions by Fri., Dec. 14 11PM ET. (That’s NYC time! See it converted to your time below.)
We'll use 2 suggestions from book club members, 2 suggestions from Ivor, 1 suggestion from Mia (the book club co-admin), & 1 of my suggestions to compile a list of 6 books on which book club members will provide their thoughts. The book judged as best from the list will then be read.
Please note - We're specific in our books, they must:
Largely occur in the location specified unless the world described is an alternate reality
Be written by an author born there who has spent a good portion of their life there
Exist in paperback & ebook available on both Amazon & Kindle at least in the US & hopefully elsewhere
* Bridge, Adrian. (2015 October 2) Twenty things you didn't know about Germany. The Telegraph. Retrieved from https://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/lists/Twenty-things-you-didnt-know-about-Germany.