My Month in Books (and an Exhibition) | March 2025
Time and water. Iceland, Sápmi, and Skagen painters. Reading classics by the 'Queen of Crime' for the first time. Birds.
It was an interesting reading month, but isn’t it always? So many intriguing topics to read about, so many wonderful books to explore.
Inspired to read classics by the ‘Queen of Crime’ for the first time, I met Hercule Poirot and Arthur Hastings in Cornwall and accompanied Poirot to a staged murder hunt as part of a summer fête in Devon.
Inevitably, I was drawn to the north again. This time I travelled to Skagen (Denmark), Sápmi and Iceland.
I read a memorable book about global warming and learned more about birds.
Fiction books
Peril at End House, Agatha Christie
Can you believe it? I’ve actually never read a book by Agatha Christie.
This is all the more surprising as her books incorporate so many ingredients that I love: cosy crime, clever plots, an ingenious detective, humour, history (at least from a contemporary reader’s point of view) - and it’s so very English which is always a big plus for me, as I’m an Anglophile at heart.
The reason I finally delved into the work of the Queen of Crime was Victoria's fabulous post.
I chose Peril at End House rather by chance, it sounded interesting, it sounded exciting. First published in 1932, the book features private detective Hercule Poirot as well as Captain Arthur Hastings.
Poirot and Hastings vacation in Cornwall, meeting young Magdala "Nick" Buckley and her friends. Actually retired, Poirot gets drawn to another case when he is convinced that someone wants to murder the young woman. They meet all of her friends at her home called End House. Though he aims to protect Nick, a murder happens that provokes Poirot to mount a serious investigation.
I really enjoyed the story, the writing style, the witty dialogue between Poirot and Hastings, the humour - and it was exciting, too. I like to puzzle and think along. That's what really appeals to me. I'm a big fan of crime novels that rely on intellect, observation and cleverness. I found all that here.
A very amusing and just lovely read! I finished it in a day and a night and was already looking for the next novel!
Dead Man’s Folly, Agatha Christie
The eLibrary provided me with the next book straight away. I’m not a big fan of e-books, but I have to admit they came in handy on a Sunday morning, the next novel just one click away.
When Hercule Poirot is invited to a country house by the famous crime writer Ariadne Oliver, he gladly accepts the invitation out of respect for her famous “intuition”. A murder hunt organized by Mrs. Oliver will take place at Nasse House as part of a garden party, which Poirot is to accompany “professionally”. But soon a murder takes place and the game turns serious.
This time without Hastings, but I liked it nontheless a lot. The Queen of Crime really knows how to tell exciting stories. This case was again so clever, simply brilliant!
Fun Fact: The house and garden in which the novel is set are Christie's own in Devon: Greenway House in Greenway Estate, but in the novel called Nasse House.
Definitely not my last detective story by Agatha Christie. The first two books were so great, now I really want to read more!
Non-fiction books
On Time and Water, Andri Snær Magnason
In his very personal book on the subject of global warming and climate change, Icelandic author Magnason writes of the melting glaciers, the rising seas and acidity changes that haven't been seen for 50 million years and which will change life on Earth fundamentally.
The author combines memoir, anecdotes and experiences of his ancestors, the history of Iceland, science, literature, economics, politics and cultural references. Everything is covered, making the book so multifaceted and comprehensive.
He includes conversations with his grandparents and interviews with the Dalai Lama, among others.
“When the glaciers are gone, what is Iceland? Land?”
Magnason asks why we do not realise the extent of the threat or do not take it seriously. He wonders why we recognise it, but still do too little, nothing effective or not the right thing. He muses whether global warming is a term the human brain simply cannot digest, if we don’t have the capacity to wrap our heads around such change and destruction, to understand the trouble we are in. Why don’t we panic, but continue about our day, still not knowing our boundaries?
“Earth’s mightiest forces have forsaken geolocial time and now change on a human scale. Changes that previously took a hundred thousand years now happen in one hundred. Such speed is mythological; it affects all life on Earth, affects the roots of everything”.
This book shows how delicate the networks on which our survival depends are, how precarious all natural life is.
It’s at the same time a scientifically sound book, rich in stories and anecdotes, and a rousing and urgent appeal.
The scientific findings weren’t new to me, of course, but Magnason has such a way with words and with interweaving science with personal history that I have never found anywhere else. Rarely has a book impressed me so deeply. Highly recommended!
Vorfahrt für Rentiere: Lappland für Anfänger, Tilmann Bünz
Note: It’s a German title and translates roughly as Give way to reindeer: Lapland for beginners.
As I’m always on the lookout for interesting non-fiction books about Scandinavia, I chose this one because I realised that I surprisingly didn’t know that much about the Sápmi region, which stretches over four countries (Norway, Sweden, Finland, Russia), and the Sámi, the indigenous people of the north of Fennoscandia.
The book takes us on a long journey by night train from Stockholm to the coast of the Arctic Ocean. We are there when the last free reindeer herds make their way down to the valley, race through the winter forest with dog sledges, find out why the whole world is so crazy about the Northern Lights and learn much more about this wild, unique and vast region and the people who live there.
The book combines encounters with Sámi and other inhabitants, their respective points of view, history, politics, economics, and the author’s own impressions from several trips. It’s partly a travel guide, but more a report about the people who live there, about history, conflicts and changes due to global warming.
As interesting as the content is, the writing style unfortunately made it a rather tiring read for me. The book is written in a rather choppy, fragmented style, it jumps back and forth a lot, there are usually only snippets that the author tells and very little is told in one go. The narrative doesn't really get going. There's no spark, everythings remains strangely distant. Such a pity!
I’d love to learn more about the region and its people, but I think I’ll have to find another book for that. (Any suggestions?)
Exhibition: The Place of Longing at the Northern Tip of Denmark (Skagen Painters) / Der Sehnsuchtsort an der Nordspitze Dänemarks (Skagen-Maler)
Whilst we’re on the subject of my long-lasting love for Scandinavia, I’d like to smuggle in a wonderful exhibition that I visited last week.
Around 1880, the small fishing village of Skagen on the northernmost tip of Denmark was a particular centre of attraction for artists who - turning their backs on academic studio painting - had discovered an ideal place here in the summer months for the open-air painting they favoured. The simple, unspectacular life of the fishermen and their families, the beach, the sea, the high sky and not least the special light of the place provided sufficient subject matter for their much-praised, atmospheric paintings.
A private collector from Hamburg began collecting paintings by the Skagen painters 25 years ago and has since amassed an impressive number of high-quality oil paintings by this popular group of artists.
The Museum Langes Tannen in Uetersen showed about 70 paintings from this important collection for the first time. It was an incredible exhibition and they were - rightly so - overrun with visitors. I’m so glad I got the chance to see it in the very last week of its run.
I’ve been to Skagen several times, it’s one of my favourite places when I’m on holiday in Denmark. So of course I’ve also visited the Skagen’s Museum with their exceptional collection of artworks created by remarcable painters.
The light and the sky, the vastness, the landscape, the atmosphere, they really are very special, even today, and incredibly inspiring.
I'm not an art expert at all. It’s more about the feelings that arise when looking at a painting than about analysing or knowledge. For me as a writer, paintings have often proved to be a wonderful source of inspiration.
Let’s see if this visit leads to a new idea, but either way, I had a lovely afternoon!
Non-fiction books: Birds
Birdwatching With Your Eyes Closed: An Introduction to Birdsong, Simon Barnes
My enthusiasm for birds started with this book, and I’ve already written about it in an earlier post. So this is just a brief summary. (Read my longer review here.)
English author Simon Barnes takes the reader twice from winter into the depths of spring and teaches us to recognise one birdsong after the other as the chorus grows louder and more varied. The book is a love declaration to birds and birdsong, written with a humorous and pragmatic approach. Along the way, I also learnt about the science of birdsong, the difference between song and call, the physiology of songbirds and much more.
Simon Barnes’s podcast presents audio sample of 66 birds here on the publisher’s website.
I loved the book! Highly recommended!
Oiseaux à reconnaître / Magie der Vögel, Emmanuelle Kecir-Lepetit
I found this book by chance at my library. Originally a French title, there doesn’t seem to be an English edition. But I just had to include it in this month’s book reviews because it’s a particularly beautifully designed book.
This book, which is actually aimed at children, is an encyclopaedia of the native birds of Europe and appealed to me simply because of its presentation. It’s a slim portrait format in an aesthetic design with bright colors and clear and warm illustrations by Léa Maupetit.
At the beginning of the book, some general features are introduced, then 37 birds are presented in detail, categorised according to their habitats: in the garden, in the forest, in the open field, by the water.
A double-page portrait is dedicated to each bird: on the left-hand page a lively introduction to the characteristics of the respective bird, on the right-hand page a full-page bird illustration, which also emphasises some of the special features of the respective bird species.
The book is written in a colloquial language, suitable for children, but is also entertaining for adults. I really enjoyed the book and learned something about the birds I see regularly.
I’m looking forward to April and new reading adventures!
Curious about my previous reading months?
My Month in Books | February 2025
Thanks for sharing Claudia! And I must confess that I’ve never read a book of Agatha Christie too. At least you did now… 😊
What a beautifully immersive reading month, Claudia!
Your thoughts on 'On Time and Water' really resonated with me. It’s unsettling how our brains struggle to process slow-moving disasters, yet change is happening at a pace we can’t afford to ignore.
Thank you for sharing your reflections—I always leave your posts feeling inspired and curious 🙏💞✨