That was August on winstonsdad

I can’t remember the last time I felt I had blogged enough to be worthy of doing a round-up of my months blogging .Last month was Woman in translation month and through this blog we took a journey around the world . We started in Mexico with The story of my teeth by Valeria Luiselli , the tale of a man selling his teeth as thou they were famous teeth .We then head north to Sweden and a woman falling in love with an artist in a story about how we view love Wilful disregard by Lean Andresson .Then we head to France and a dead bar owner and his customers tell the story of his life and his death in Bar Balto by Faiza Guene .Then a u turn and back up north to Finland and The second book by Sofi Oksanen , when doves disappeared the story of two men during and after the war in Estonia .Then I did a post about my lack of Ferrante fever , I d try to read book one again but be honest still not getting it !!But this next one was a small victory in the type of books I read the exchange of princesses by Chantal Thomas was a great historic novel about a young princesses in France and Spain .Then onto Crime in post war Czechoslovakia and Innocence or murder on the steep street by Heda Margolius Kovaly best known for her memoir she took a slip of American hardboiled crime style and made it her own in Czech style crime in this novel .I then pulled five old reviews from Winstonsdads 500 plus books in translation reviewed .Then we head back on our Journey and to Brazil The passion according to GH by Clarice Lispector is one woman story of how she killed a cockroach the day before in a white room , stunning and the final push I need for the complete  stories which I got this weekend by her .Then I lament the lack of female nobel winners . The I was Asia bound with one of the books of the year The vegetarian by Han Kang the story of one woman after she turned vegetarian in Korea told from three views .The back to France for a third book and Heloise is bald by Emile De Turckheim the story of one girl growing with an older man the apple of her eye .Then back to Korea and another fable tale with the Hen who dreamed she could fly by Sun – Mi Hwang a hen escapes her home and discovers the wider world .Then a non fiction book by a Croatian writer Thank you for not reading By Dubravka Ugresic , a witty and serious look at the world of books from the trivia of western publishing and the reverence of the soviet years of being a writer .Then a slice of great Danish fiction with this should be written in the present tense by Helle Helle , one girls waste years of being at university and not going there but elsewhere .Not bad 12 reviews from woman in Translation .The find of the month was Innocence or murder on a steep street a real gem a slice of american in europe that thankfully missed the censors shredder .

I look forward to this month tomorrow I intend to review a nobel hopeful from Ukraine , then I am doing a classic book from Nigeria , that will start a number of reviews of African based or related books . How is your month looking ?

That was the month that was February 2014

Well after a bright start in January to my blogging year my blog went of the rails slightly last month ,but I had Amanda in hospital thankfully she is ok now and near the end of the month I have used the last of my holidays for 2013/4 so have actually just done not a lot and recharged my batteries but now start to wind back up with the Iffp longlist out in a little under a week I need to review and catch up on books I may have to read for that .but last month I managed to read 11 books and reviewed 8 books also had Pushkin press fortnight which I loved the fact so many people joined in celebrating a publisher I love .I also had a great interview with Hélène Gestern q& a .Also added the Blogging meet up in June in Sheffield 

Polychrome by Joanna Jodełka poland
Oliver VII by Antal Szarb
Every promise by Andrea Bajani Italy
Journey into the past by Stefan Zweig austria
the break by Pietro Grossi Italy
Amok and other stories by Stefan Zweig Austria
Death in Pont-Aven by Jean-Luc Bannalec france
The late Monsieur Gallet by Georges Simenon Belgium
A french novel by Frederic Beigbeder france
Pigs foot by Carlos Acosta Cuba
Dead star by Alavro Bisama Chile

I ve already read two great books in march and am looking forward to reading the new Andres Neuman novel and doing Shadow Iffp post .What are your plans for March ?

That was the month that was Jan 2014

Well I got 2014 off with a bang I managed to review 19 books on the blog which is the most I have acheived for a couple of years  and I  have read 16 books also my best ever start for a year .So I decide it is about time I brought back the month end round up posts  .A great start here is what I read in January –

1. the art and craft of approaching your head of department to submit a request for a raise by Georges Perec france
2. The confusion of young Törless by Robert Musil Austria
3. Naomi by Jun’ichirō Tanizaki Japan
4. Pietr the Latvian by Georges Simenon Belgian
5. Miruna ,a tale by  Bogdan Suceavă Romanian
6. The restaurant of love regained by Ito Ogawa Japan
7. Zenith Hotel by Oscar Coop – Phane france (review in march )
8. The people in the photo by Helene Gestern france (review in feb)
9. The lonely hearts club by Raul Nunez argentina
10. The last day of a condemned man by Victor Hugo France
11. Botchan by Natsume Soseki Japan
12. The space between us by Zoya Pipzad Iran
13. The infatuations  by Javier Marias spain
14. The castle of whispers by Carole Martinez France
15. The front seat passenger by Pascal Garnier france
16. Crumbs by Miha Mazzini  Slovenia

As you see a real mix but with French novels and Japanese to the fore .I think the real gem of the month is Zenith Hotel a book that comes out in march but one that I read and instantly called the best book I had read for a long time .I enjoyed taking part in Tony’s January in Japan event again .

Books read 2014 to date – 16

Countries read from – 9

Next month – Well Pushkin press fortnight is at the end of the month I have a couple I read last year to review for that and also halfway through a couple on my kindle .I’ve a new French crime series to start .

What were your highlights for January ?

New blog translating Turkish literature

I happened to have seen this link to a newish blog that is translating Turkish Prose and poems to English .As I feel there is never enough in English from Turkish it’s great to see a translator putting her work Online lets hope she gets some interest and some more fiction and poetry comes to use in English .
go and visit word prism

That was the month that was January 2013 – a quarter million milestone

Well the nights are starting to lighten its been a busy month here at Winston’s tower ,some how shocked how I managed to get 14 books read this month but a number where rather short .I had a number of night shifts and was off for the last five days of the month .I managed to have a little more time than normal to read .Any way favourite book of the month Train to Budapest by Dacia Marani ,which I shall review early next month ,other honorable mentions go to The eleven by Pierre Michon and the two Donald Antrim reissues I read .A good book finding month as many of you may know I tend to have tight book finances ,when it comes to what is available to spend sad to say I had to return to Amazon after nearly a year just because of cost and availability of the books I want for three books ,I hope in summer trips out to cities with Amanda will mean I can buy books in shops I want .But the other side of this is I am a huge second-hand buyer and this month saw me hit gold with a number of penguins a Roman Gary ,Andre Gide ,Henrich Boll and a Samuel Beckett novel .Which eased my conscious re using amazon as some of  these books  are out of print and will be reviewed on here which I hope will get people to find them all out as they are   all writers I feel the need to read and think other people should these are the ones that explain modern literature in France and Germany as they tend to inspire or have been read by most modern writers in these countries .So the month ahead well here at Winston towers two dates spring to mind ,the first is valentines day as a romantic at heart I’ve my book ready for the day and will be spending time myself with the darling Amanda .The other date in my diary is Amanda’s birthday which may not be so bookish as she isn’t a huge reader but sure we will have a lovely time and I ll get her some great gifts .For the blog I sit on the verge of a quarter million views in my stats sometime today or tomorrow I will pass that total so thanks to every one who visits on a regular or just once all welcome  great that you all come and visit the blog .The picture at the top was taken in the middle of the month out with Winston in the middle of the snow .

What was your favourite book last month ?

Plans for next ?