Dave’s review of 2025 on Goodreads > Likes and Comments

(Correct title is Alberta and Little Red Riding Wolf) It was fantastic :)

Merry Christmas, Dave.

Will check out in a lonely place. Ty
Happy Holidays

Nancy wrote: "(Correct title is Alberta and Little Red Riding Wolf) It was fantastic :)"

ty!

david wrote: "Merry Christmas, Dave."
that and any other reasons to celebrate, back at ya.

Jim wrote: "Will check out in a lonely place. Ty
Happy Holidays"

mid twentieth century noir... serial killer book, but not graphic

A wonderful summary, Dave. I enjoyed reading about your reading year. Happy New Year!

Vanessa wrote: "A wonderful summary, Dave. I enjoyed reading about your reading year. Happy New Year!"

Ty, Vanessa! Happy new year to you, too!

That is certainly some chunky list :) I must have a peek at these graphic novels at my local public library! Thanks for taking the time to share your observations throughout the year up to the end of 2025! May you enjoy a beautiful year 2026, Dave!

P.E. wrote: "That is certainly some chunky list :) I must have a peek at these graphic novels at my local public library! Thanks for taking the time to share your observations throughout the year up to the end ..."

ty, P.E.! Like you, I am a serious reader of literary fiction, but one of my goals is to introduce people to the true Golden Age of graphic novels. So many interesting and important things going on.

Thank you for sharing your 2025 year in reading, Dave. You are a wonderfully generous reader and reviewer to follow on Goodreads. You have inspired me to order a copy of Georges Simenon's first Maigret title as well as a copy of Jason Lute's Berlin for my husband's birthday.
PS: I began following you because of your last name. Although I was born in Ohio over 70 years ago, both of my parents are from Holland, MI, and they have the last names to prove it. The Christian Reformed church and Calvin College played a major role in my family's story.

Great list. The epistolary poetry sounds esp. intriguing. And who would've thought that Simenon would base one of his books in my home state? I'm forever trying to track down the two Simenons that Hemingway checked out of Sylvia Beach's bookstore, Shakespeare & Co., but I guess they're out of print (at least in English... my French is spottier than a dalmatian).

Barbara wrote: "Thank you for sharing your 2025 year in reading, Dave. You are a wonderfully generous reader and reviewer to follow on Goodreads. You have inspired me to order a copy of Georges Simenon's first Mai..."

Thanks, Barbara, nd thanks for the news of the cultural connection. Berlin is an amazing tome of a work. The first Maigret did not bolw me over. I think you have to get to know the grumpy guy over time as he reveals \his heart. Glad to have connected with you here. Yeah, I went to Calvin College and continue to be--through my family--affected by the (Dutch) Christian Reformed Church. And I'm close to you age, 72.

Ken wrote: "Great list. The epistolary poetry sounds esp. intriguing. And who would've thought that Simenon would base one of his books in my home state? I'm forever trying to track down the two Simenons that ..."

What were those two books? What titles?

But you may know Simenon, during the war, was suspected of possibility being a Nazi collaborator, which was (I think--I haven't read a biography) never proved to be true. Well, Wikipedia says, "During the war, Simenon sold the film rights to five of his novels to Continental Films, which was funded by the German government and banned the participation of Jews." Though his brother was convicted of collaboration, and so it was possibly seen by many as guilt by association? At any rate, Simenon and and his family came to the US to live for several years, and he continued to write here. There are western ones, New York ones. And I am now reading a non-Maigret, Three Bedrooms in Manhattan, which I have heard is pertinent to his leaving his wife for another woman.

But Jenn Morea's poetry is not in itself in letters; it's based in part on the letters of Carson.

Great review of your reading year, Dave. Diolch yn fawr from Wales!

Thanks for the clarification on Morea's poetry.

Here are the titles of the Simenon books EH spoke so highly of (he no doubt read them in French):

L'Ecluse Numéro 1
La Maison du Canal

He also raved about a book Gertrude Stein recommended by Marie Belloc Lowndes called The Lodger. Maybe it's out of print.

Judith wrote: "Great review of your reading year, Dave. Diolch yn fawr from Wales!"

Judith, in Wales! Happy new year!

Ken wrote: "Thanks for the clarification on Morea's poetry.

Here are the titles of the Simenon books EH spoke so highly of (he no doubt read them in French):

L'Ecluse Numéro 1
La Maison du Canal

He also rav..."

TY, Ken... . i'm on the hunt...

Ken wrote: "Thanks for the clarification on Morea's poetry.

Here are the titles of the Simenon books EH spoke so highly of (he no doubt read them in French):

L'Ecluse Numéro 1
La Maison du Canal

I had read Lock #1 in my chronological journey through the Miagret books, and gave it three stras, but that was early, when I didn't fully appreciate what he was doing. My review seems now naive, a bit ignorant, and I'd surely today rate it higher. John Banville has a list somewhere posted on Goodreads of his five favorite Simenon novels, and one of these early novels of Maigret makes his list.

La Maison du Canal, or The House on the Canal, one of his roman durs, I have not yet read. But I can see why any great writer such as Hem would appreciate and learn from Simenon. Early on, in Paris, he read a lot.

Thanks for poking around, Dave. I found an English translation on Lock No. 1. It would've helped if I didn't assume "L'ecluse" meant "The Clue."

I was unable to find an English translation, at least here on GR, for The House on the Canal.

Ken wrote: "Thanks for poking around, Dave. I found an English translation on Lock No. 1. It would've helped if I didn't assume "L'ecluse" meant "The Clue."

I was unable to find an English translation, at lea..."
1952 book, hardcover, in my library system. Only English translation I saw here.

Thanks for sharing this, and all these book reviews all year round. I'm impressed by the way you stubbornly and hyperactively keep on looking and exploring the world of books and graphic novels. It's a balm to the dark clouds that surround us. Best wishes!

Marc wrote: "Thanks for sharing this, and all these book reviews all year round. I'm impressed by the way you stubbornly and hyperactively keep on looking and exploring the world of books and graphic novels. It..."

Very nice of you to say so, Marc, whose reviews on such a wide range of novels and history inspire me. One of the very best readers/reviewers in all of Goodreads, my friends. Follow him.

Dave wrote: "Marc wrote: "Thanks for sharing this, and all these book reviews all year round. I'm impressed by the way you stubbornly and hyperactively keep on looking and exploring the world of books and graph..."
You can't see it, but I'm blushing. Thanks!

Can't wait to check out "Crumb" by Dan Nadel. Thank you!

Scott wrote: "Can't wait to check out "Crumb" by Dan Nadel. Thank you!"

It's a really good biography. You learn a lot about the guy/

Dave wrote: "Scott wrote: "Can't wait to check out "Crumb" by Dan Nadel. Thank you!"

It's a really good biography. You learn a lot about the guy/"

Have you seen the documentary, Crumb (1994)? Very good.