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I hope everyone will enjoy choosing a city to “visit” during October. The tasks are only suggestions - you may want to read about a city you don’t know, or even a fictional city!

1 Read a book set in a city you know well, or the capital city of your country
2 Read a book set in a city you would like to visit

World Cities Day template:

Book(s) read
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2:

Book(s) read
✅Completed 8.10.25
2/2

1:They Came To A City by J.B. Priestley(1943)✔4/10/25★ ★ ★ ★ ★
2.A Moveable Feast: The Restored EditionbyErnest Hemingway(autobiographical-set in Paris 1921,published 1964)✔8/10/25★ ★ ★ ★ ★ superb!WOULD RECOMMEND!

World Cities Day

1. A city I have visited many times in books but never in person: Tenant for Death by Cyril Hare
London, England


2. A city I visited once as a child: Too Many Women by Rex Stout New York, New York

World Cities Day

Book(s) read
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1. Read a book set in a city you know well, or the capital city of your country
2. Read a book set in a city you would like to visit
✔Miss Pym Disposes - Josephine Tey (Birmingham, England) (1946)

Kathy, I’ll be interested to know your opinion of this book. I have mixed feelings about Josephine Tey’s books but haven’t read this one. I used to visit Birmingham regularly at one time but haven’t been back there for ages. My lasting memories are of an amazing city, full of interesting buildings & wonderful canal side walks.

October – a month of cities.

“I live uptown,
I live downtown,
I live all around…”
The Doors – The Changeling

1. Read a book set in a city you know well, or the capital city of your country.
Isaac Babel – Odessa Stories 1931

2. Read a book set in a city you would like to visit.
John Dos Passos – Manhattan Transfer 1926

Tr1sha wrote: "Kathy, I’ll be interested to know your opinion of this book. I have mixed feelings about Josephine Tey’s books but haven’t read this one. I used to visit Birmingham regularly at one time but haven’..."

I’ll share my opinion, Trish. Birmingham sounds cool!

World Cities Day :

Book(s) read
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1: Suraj Ka Satwan Ghoda by Dr. Dharmveer Bharati 5 stars City: Prayagraj ( Allahabad)
2:

World Cities Day:

Book(s) read

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1. Read a book set in a city you know well, or the capital city of your country: En skugga blott by Maria Lang 1952 . Maria Lang is called Sweden's Agatha Christie. The title means "Only a Shadow". It's set in our capital Stockholm.

2 Read a book set in a city you would like to visit

World Cities Day:

Book(s) read
2/2

1: The Adventure of the Clapham Cook: a Hercule Poirot Short Story, Agatha Christie, 10/12/25, 4*
(Clapham is an area in south west London.)

2: Miss Pym Disposes, Josephine Tey, 10/16/25, 2*
(I used to visit Birmingham frequently, but haven’t been back for several years.)

I finished my book. See message 5.
2. Read a book set in a city you would like to visit
✔Miss Pym Disposes - Josephine Tey (Birmingham, England) (1946)

I said it was set in Birmingham but I don't know where I got that idea. It's set at the fictional Leys Physical Training College. Since the author, Josephine Tey attended Anstey Physical Training College, the speculation is that Anstey is where the book takes place.

This was an excellent mystery with a lot of build up of the characters and their life at the physical training college. It took awhile to get going because of this but I became invested in the characters. The last part of the book was amazing.

Kathy wrote: "I finished my book. See message 5.
2. Read a book set in a city you would like to visit
✔Miss Pym Disposes - Josephine Tey (Birmingham, England) (1946)

An interesting description, thank you Kathy. You have convinced me! I haven’t read enough classics for a while, so have just downloaded a copy of this.

Tr1sha wrote: "Kathy wrote: "I finished my book. See message 5.
2. Read a book set in a city you would like to visit
✔Miss Pym Disposes - Josephine Tey (Birmingham, England) (1946) ..."

I hope you enjoy it, Trisha.

World Cities Day template:

Book(s) read
2/2

1: Los Angeles, California a popular vacation city. Farewell, My Lovely by Raymond Chandler (1940) 292 pages, October 5, 2025 4*
2: Although this story is about a trip down the Danube River, it begins in Vienna which would be a lovely place to visit someday. The Willows by Algernon Blackwood (1907) October 8, 2025, 4*

I hope you get a chance to visit Vienna some day, Lynn!

Good choices, Lynn. The Willows is a great book - I may have to read it again! Vienna looks amazing. Imagine being there for the New Year’s Day concert, it always looks wonderful on television.

Sorry, Kathy. I agree the last part was interesting but for me it wasn’t enough to compensate for the first 70% or so which I found very tedious. I haven’t really enjoyed any of her books so far but hoped this one might be better. I’m glad you enjoyed it, I’m sure others in the group would like it too so thank you for discussing it.

“In the town where I was born
Lived a man who sailed to sea
And he told us of his life
In the land of submarines.”
The Beatles
1. Read a book set in a city you know well, or the capital city of your country.
I lived in Odessa for a month.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Isaac Babel – Odessa Stories 1931

2. Read a book set in a city you would like to visit.
New York City
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐John Dos Passos – Manhattan Transfer 1926
Venice - Rome - Paris
⭐⭐⭐⭐Miklós Szentkuthy – Marginalia on Casanova 1939
Geneva - Paris - Split
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Georges Perec – Portrait of a Man 1960
London
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐Alexander Baron – The Lowlife 1963
New York City
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐F. Scott Fitzgerald – All the Sad Young Men 1926

You always have such interesting book choices, Vit!

I agree with Rosemarie. I like your choice of cities.

Thank you, Rosemarie and Tr1sha. This is my favourite group at the Goodreads. And it helped me to find many fine books.