June Wrap Up : Reading, ,Latvia, and My Heroic Cat

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A brief look back at the 5 books I read in June (literary, horror, classics, and contemporary), first impressions of Riga, Latvia, my new home, and the story of how my cat, Zvyezda, saved the day on our way from France to Latvia.
#booktube #reading #books #latvia
Music used in this video
John Adams, Fellow Traveler
BookTube channel with a focus on Canadian books
‪@BookwormAdventureGirl‬
I have, books of psychological horror and dark literary fiction.
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Edifice Complex - Karim immigrates to Paris and has his tenuous grip on reality further jeopardised when he develops an erotic, obsessive relationship with a residential building set for demolition.
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The Orthography of Madness and Misgivings - a short-story collection representing 3 years of my career and 5 countries I was living in while creating dark surreal fiction
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Опубликовано:

18 сен 2024

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Комментарии : 48

@rooroo8392 2 месяца назад

Aww, I love that Zvyezda saved the day! She truly is a star!

@Michael_Wertenberg 2 месяца назад

😸😻

@cecethompson914 10 дней назад

Poisonwood Bible is very good!

@literarylove123 2 месяца назад

Happy one year BookTube anniversary! "I have forgotten how to have fun." I felt that. I'm sorry Pet Sematary didn't work for you. I'm a very passionate Stephen King fan, but I totally get why his books aren't for everyone. I'm happy to hear that you're enjoying Riga. Thank goodness for Zvyezda! She really did save the day - and the sanity of everyone on the flight.

@Michael_Wertenberg 2 месяца назад

Thank you. I'm happy you are so understanding of my Stephen King take (not the case for everyone). And maybe Riga will show me how to have fun again? Stranger things have happened...

@lesliepowell-mccarty7067 2 месяца назад

Unfortunately, I don't travel much anymore but my father was a globetrotter. He enjoyed Latvia and the people he met. I'm happy to hear you have met some good people there. Give that precious flight-saver a hug for me. She's amazing. Oh and thanks for the Craig Davidson recommendation!

@Michael_Wertenberg 2 месяца назад

Hug delivered!😍😻

@homolibrariensis8132 Месяц назад

Sounds like an amazing opportunity to live in a lovely new place! I only spent a few days in Riga but it was in the fall and one night my friend and i were crossing the big bridge in the middle and see beautiful and intricate wooden statues and designs and people gathered around. It was a pagan festival and they lit them all on fire and had music and dancing. It was a fantastic night.

@Michael_Wertenberg Месяц назад

Sounds fun! I'm looking forward to that. Thanks for sharing.

@onourpath 2 месяца назад

Ah, glad you're almost settled! Wow, bookclubs, comedy shows, and demon seed flight companions? Who knew Latvia would offer such great entertainment. Zvyezda deserves a trophy for that flight service! I'm a big fan of Moshfegh, but I haven't read Lapvona yet. I loved Eileen, Death in her Hands, and My Year of Rest and Relaxation. McGlue was ok. I haven't read her short stories yet. She might be a bit of an aquired taste -- not sure. My favorite read for June is Hello, Beautiful by Ann Napolitano -- so, so good! 💚😭💚 Let's see the apartment! Thanks for the update. 🐺💚

@Michael_Wertenberg 2 месяца назад

I will definitely NOT be showing this sad apartment. But if I move into a nice one in a few months, I might show that one... I hadnit heard of Ann Napolitano. Just looked up Hello, Beautiful. Sounds amazing! On my radar now. Thanks for that😀

@onourpath 2 месяца назад

@Michael_Wertenberg you must have picked the best wall in the place as your backdrop because it looks fine from this end, lol. You might check out Prophet Song as well -- what a book! It's the Booker winner this year, and it is such an exquisite, achingly gorgeous book, particularly for the US at this time. It's likely to be my favorite this year.

@Michael_Wertenberg 2 месяца назад

@@onourpath Yes, you've sold me on Prophet Song. TBR. And yeah, I picked the only 'filmable' wall in the place. The lighting could be better too...

@BookwormAdventureGirl Месяц назад

Congrats on one year and welcome to your new home. I've only been in Latvia for a few hours. Lapvona is still on my tbr. Hoping to read Demon Copperhead soon. I loved the Poisonwood Bible. Craig Davidson is also on my TBR shelf so I'm so glad to hear you enjoyed it. Your cat is a superhero! 😊💙

@Michael_Wertenberg Месяц назад

Thanks😽I think almost every book ever written is on your TBR; I'm not surprised Lapvona is on it, too🙃

@CliffsDarkGems 2 месяца назад

Great Wrap-Up and Happy Anniversary Michael! Awesome that you joined a local book club. I read The Poisonwood Bible by Kingsolver and really enjoyed it. Hope you find the Stephen King party one day! 🤣 Or maybe you should just start your own. I am so happy that you are settling in and making friends. Sounds like a great city, love open green spaces. Zvyezda... hero kitty! 😺What an awesome story! Hope you find a better apartment soon.

@Michael_Wertenberg 2 месяца назад

Thank you for the kind words, Cliff! I was worried that I would upset you and other King fans with my take on Pet Semetary, but I am compelled to give my honest thoughts -- and suffer the consequences accordingly.

@CliffsDarkGems 2 месяца назад

@@Michael_Wertenberg You will never upset me my friend! We all have individual, unique tastes and I fully appreciate that not everyone is into King. I will be reading Ritual by Adam Neville this month. Would you criticize me if I did not enjoy it, I think not. There are always rabid, obsessed fans but I am not one of them.

@Michael_Wertenberg 2 месяца назад

@@CliffsDarkGems Fair point. I can't imagine criticizing you for not liking The Ritual. But I look forward to your take on it.

@angelwalker979 2 месяца назад

Glad you're 'almost' settled. I could've used Z on a flight from Seattle to Vancouver one time. Wasn't a long flight but it seemed like it with one of those squalling kids. I kind of feel the same about King. I like a couple of his older books but the worst book I've ever read was Under the dome and I've pretty much avoided his books since. 🙅‍♀️ take care, kisses for Z!😘❤️

@Michael_Wertenberg 2 месяца назад

Kisses delivered! I'm happy to hear I'm not alone on my Stephen King? Island.

@angelwalker979 2 месяца назад

@Michael_Wertenberg no, I told you before I didn't like the Shining either. We are probably the only 2 ppl who don't and now we both have targets on our backs 😂🤦‍♀️

@N0Bueno 2 месяца назад

Welcome back, Michael! You're like an old friend and I felt "ghosted" after your last video in France! May I have your permission to add your book-club story to my file of story ideas? I think it's a fantastic premise! For example: Young person on the proverbial "backpacking through a foreign land before starting college" uses the "book-club" method to meet new people. After reading the book with what appeared to be a sacrificial lamb on the cover, and a story that was surprisingly "light on lamb", she starts having bizarre hallucinations of satanic rituals . . . and murder! The premise can go anywhere, actually, and can be applied to any genre. I love it!

@Michael_Wertenberg 2 месяца назад

I love the idea! Run with it!😁

@Michael_Wertenberg 2 месяца назад

I always enjoy a good pun. Well done!😅

@BrentDavis75 2 месяца назад

Happy one year anniversary! Zvyezda has the magic - I could tell the moment I first saw her. I'm glad Latvia is proving to be agreeable. As far as Stephen King goes, I've actually enjoyed his later work a fair bit, especially his more crime-y stuff. Have you tried Gerald's Game? It seems to appeal to many who aren't very sold on King as the ultimate horrormeister.

@Michael_Wertenberg 2 месяца назад

😁😻I've heard good things about Gerald's Game. But I'm taking an extended break from Mr. King.

@BrentDavis75 2 месяца назад

@@Michael_Wertenberg Fair enough.

@johnwalsh4857 2 месяца назад

yah Latvia, was in Riga for 3 days back in 2018 winter. bussed from Tallinn Estonia, interestingly the Lux bus company which I used is much better than greyhound, clean bathroom, free coffee, and airplane level entertainment system with good wifi. complete opposite to teh North Am Greyhound. Got delayed for 4 hours since a cargo truck overturned blocking the highway between Tallinn and Riga, so we got a free taxi ride to Riga all paid for by the Lux company you dont get that service for Greyhound. Anyways like Riga, party town, told the Brits come to Riga to party in the old part of the city. lots of history walked around my excellent 3 star hotel in the old city. Also found interesting are the musuems to the Soviet occupation of Latvia and the Latvian armed force in the Russian empire. After that went to Vilnius via the Lux Bus again. yep well worth the 20 Euros I paid each way.

@Michael_Wertenberg 2 месяца назад

Nice! I'll definitely keep that in mind when i visit Tallinn and Vilnius. Thanks for sharing

@johnwalsh4857 2 месяца назад

@@Michael_Wertenberg Yah in Tallinn stayed at the excellent hotel St. Barbara which interestingly used to be medieval hospital and graveyard several hundred years ago yep lots of dead black death plague victims are supposedly still buried in the St. Barbara hotel Tallinn Estonia, well the hotel clerk I talked to denied that the place is haunted never so hauntings when I was there in 2018. However the hotel prices were super cheap , like 50 CAD per night (these days its like 150 CAD per night). the Hotel resto was excellent, with the night waitress was excellent great customer servivce, the morning shift waitress total bitch.

@Tetsujin-28 2 месяца назад

This looks like it might be an interesting video, but I've unsubscribed (3 times now) because Pet Sematary is the greatest book evah! Stand Up routines and book clubs. You are the ultimate cosmopolitan. For now I'm happy to hear that you and Zvyezda are safe in that apartment with the unfinished wall that does quite line up with the other wall. I enjoyed reading Eileen (Ottessa Moshfegh). "How Zvyezda Calmed the Possessed Child of the Devil". I look forward to that short story. Love the channel.

@Michael_Wertenberg 2 месяца назад

Yeah, I'm going to get a lot of flack for my King takes, but I sincerely want to understand the appeal! So far, it has escaped me. The wall is finished but that's a fireplace. I think I should put logs in it so that it's more obvious. It's going to be difficult to make videos that have any aesthetic appeal in this sad apartment I've rented. I'll try though....

@Tetsujin-28 2 месяца назад

@@Michael_Wertenberg You are 100% correct with the Folksey/Folklore thing.

@johnwalsh4857 2 месяца назад

I noticed of all the baltic states, Latvia was the friendliest , yep noticed lots of Russians, also the flavour of the Baltic states is similiar but different from each other like Estonia seemed to be more Finnish, Latvia more Russian, Lithuania more Polish. of the three Latvians seem to be the most friendly. Yah when I was in Riga I met drunk Russians who yelled at me hail Putin hahahah. the beggars in Riga seem to know good english with their babushka hats

@Michael_Wertenberg 2 месяца назад

😃So far, I haven't heard any "Hail Putin", but maybe times have changed?

@johnwalsh4857 2 месяца назад

@@Michael_Wertenberg yah that was in 2018.

@mariaradulovic3203 2 месяца назад

Zvjezda? A star?

@Michael_Wertenberg 2 месяца назад

Yep. It was prophesied that she would be the star of the house which is why I gave her that name.😀

@christine7956 2 месяца назад

Finally, another person that can't with Stephen King.

@Michael_Wertenberg 2 месяца назад

Hi Christine. We are few, but we are not alone!

@bluemaiden5 Месяц назад

Same. He's... "ok". I really liked "1922" but was annoyed with "Elevation". I felt like he was patting me on the head and asking "Are you getting it?" And "Fairy Tale" was too frigging long!!!

@SuperStrangSshadow 2 месяца назад

Unsubscribe. Check. Ignore. Check. Block. Check. (Still crying about Pet Sematary😢) Joke aside, hope you don't see my Goodreads comment as a hate comment, if so I apologize. My humor/sarcasm is terrible sometimes. Say hi to queen Z from me 'cause you both save my day. And tell her she has the best catdad.❤💕

@Michael_Wertenberg 2 месяца назад

Thank you for the kind words😁(off to check in on Goodreads now....)

@Michael_Wertenberg 2 месяца назад

Oh yeah, I didn't take it as hate. I know you love that book. I wish I could understand why/how? But I suppose I have my 'triggers' that aren't universal. Any mention of premonitions and the book loses a star (Pet Semetary) didn't have many stars to begin with, so... tough review.

@SuperStrangSshadow 2 месяца назад

@@Michael_Wertenberg I'm relieved you didn't block me or something. I don't need horror to be realistic but scary and thought-provoking. And I find it more interesting when people disagree about a book. I like another book that you despise but I might not say which one it is yet. I dare you to read The Terror by Dan Simmons with me this summer. It is not the big book thing that scares me but some of the aspects of it. And it would be nice of you to say hi to me from time to time. I'm not always sarcastic. ❤😇

@Michael_Wertenberg 2 месяца назад

@@SuperStrangSshadow A buddy read of The Terror. Could be. I think it would be a slow read, though. But definitely maybe. Let me get back to you on that.