Connie ROOTs again in 2019 part 2

I'm known to most of you, but here is a small introduction.
I'm Connie (66) and I live in the Netherlands (which might explain my English being a bit off sometimes). I work at a school for girls and boys between 12 and 19. I do not teach, but are an administrative assistant.

I've been reading ROOTs when they were called BOMBs in 2012 so this is my eight year. And I'm loving all the people I got to know here.

Since I can't rehome books (I just can't part with them) they just move to another room in the house. My favorite genres are Fantasy and Thrillers, but I like novels too. Especially in summer when it warm and sultry.

I'm married to Peet (68) and we have one son Jeroen (36) and one daughter Eveline (33)
Jeroen lives with his girlfriend Rianne (31) near by and they have a daughter Lonne (1 year old)
Eveline lives with her boyfriend Cyrille (36) in another town, Maastricht, half an hour from us by car.
They have a little girl, Fiene who turns 3 in June.
One day a week we take care of her and I love that very much. She is a smart little girl and funny too. And she loves books!

And some great news to share with you. Eveline and Cyrille are expecting their second child in august. YEAH!! And it's a third granddaughter for me and Peet.

Fiene



Lonne almost 1 year old

This is where I will keep a list of the ROOTs I read in 2019.
My rules are simple: A book counts as a ROOT when it had been on my shelves for more than 6 months.

My To-read list is now (2019/05/01) 470 books long. But that lists includes ebooks too. And I don't count ebooks as ROOT, because they are not taking shelve space. Got to find out a way to split that list.




01. De bekering - Jodi Picoult - book -
02. Regen en sterren - Maeve Binchy - book -
03. Een fractie van het geheel - Steve Toltz - book -
04. De vrouw in het raam - A.J. Finn -
05. De acht bergen - Paolo Cognetti -
06. IJsval - Kitty Sewell -
07. Leugenaars - Ida Jessen -
08. Een wankel evenwicht - Rohinton Mistry -
09. Verbonden door het lot - Nora Roberts -
10. Op zoek naar de bron - Nora Roberts -
11. De kracht van het hart - Nora Roberts -
12. Als je het licht niet kunt zien - Anthony Doerr -
13. De bazin - Petra Hammesfahr -
14. Jacoba, dochter van Holland - Simone van der Vlugt -
15. Het legioen van vlammen - Anthony Ryan -
16. Het stervende licht - George R.R. Martin -
17. Mars - Andy Weir -
18. Donker water - Robert Bryndza -
19. Kijk niet terug - Nora Robert -
20. Vermoorde getuige - J.D. Robb -
21. Witte Oleander - Janet Fitch -
22. De roodborst - Jo Nesbø -
23. Roerloos - Joy Fielding -
24. Dodelijke Ambitie - Joy Fielding -
25. Water & vuur - David Hair -
26. Staal & stormweer - David Hair -
27. De scharlaken vloed - David Hair -
28. Maanvloed - David Hair -
29. De goddeloze oorlog - David Hair -
30. De bloedrode rivier - David Hair -
31. De gifhouten bijbel - Barbara Kingsolver -
32. De torenheer - Anthony Ryan -
33. De vuurkoningin - Anthony Ryan -
34. Winkie - Clifford Chase -
35. De moordopdracht - James Dashner -
36. De viruscode - James Dashner -
37. De drie zusjes - Alice Hoffman -
38. De glazen boeken van de dromeneters - Gordon Dahlquist -
39. De bekentenissen van Petrus - Jeroen Windmeijer -

** Currently reading.

This is where I will keep track of all books read in 2019: ROOTs, new and shiny treebooks, ebooks.

This first post is for January, February and March.

001. Vlak voordat ik stierf - S.K. Tremayne - FF-challenge 2019 January - book -
002. De bekering - Jodi Picoult - FF-challenge 2019 January- ROOT # 1 - book -
003. Regen en sterren - Maeve Binchy - FF-challenge 2019 January - ROOT # 2 - book -
004. Het meisje in de toren - Katherine Arden - book -
005. Een fractie van het geheel - Steve Toltz - ROOT # 3 - book -
006. The Masked City - Genevieve Cogman - FF-challenge 2019 February - ebook -
007. De vrouw in het raam - A. J. Finn - ROOT # 4 - book -
008. Schaakmat - Joanne Harris - FF-challenge 2019 February - ebook -
009. De acht bergen - Paolo Cognetti - ROOT # 5 - book -
010. IJsval - Kitty Sewell - ROOT # 6 - book -
011. Leugenaars - Ida Jessen - ROOT # 7 - book -
012. Maan - Lucinda Riley - book -
013. Een wankel evenwicht - Rohinton Mistry - FF-challenge 2019 March - ROOT # 8 - book -
014. Witte dood - Robert Galbraith - book -
015. Het evenwicht - Martin Bril - FF-challenge 2019 March - ebook -
016. Verbonden door het lot - Nora Roberts - FF-challenge 2019 March - ROOT # 9 - book -
017. Op zoek naar de bron - Nora Roberts - ROOT # 10 - book -
018. De kracht van het hart - Nora Roberts - ROOT # 11 - book -
019. De ontdekking - Harlan Coben - book -
020. Totaal door het dolle heen - Karen Joy Fowler - book -

To be continued in post >4 connie53:

This is where I will keep track of all books read in 2019: ROOTs, new and shiny treebooks, ebooks.

This is for April, May and June

021. Transcriptie - Kate Atkinson - book -
022. Als je het licht niet kunt zien - Anthony Doerr - ROOT # 12 - book -
023. De bazin - Petra Hammesfahr - ROOT # 13 - book -
024. De kinderen - Ida Jessen - ebook -
025. Jacoba, dochter van Holland - Simone van der Vlugt - ROOT # 14 - book -
026. De olijfboom - Lucinda Riley - book -
027. Het legioen van vlammen - Anthony Ryan - ROOT # 15 - book -
028. De dochter van de klokkenmaker - Kate Morton - book -
029. Het keizerrijk van as - Anthony Ryan - book -
030. Kom je spelen? - M.J. Arlidge - book -
031. Het stervende licht - George R.R. Martin - ROOT # 16 - book -
032. Mars - Andy Weir - ROOT # 17 book -
033. Station Elf - Emily St. John Mandel - book -
034. Verlaten - Jane Harper - book -
035. De bruggenbouwer - Markus Zusak - book -
036. Donker water - Robert Bryndza - ROOT # 18 - book -
037. Kijk niet terug - Nora Roberts - ROOT # 19 - book -
038. Vermoorde getuige - J.D. Robb - ROOT # 20 - book -
039. Gouden kooi - Camilla Läckberg - book -
040. De obeliskpoort - N.K. Jemisin - book -
041. Het huis in Bellevue Gardens - Rachel Hore - book -
042. Laatste adem - Robert Bryndza - book -
043. De laatste roos van de zomer - Santa Montefiore - book -
044. Witte Oleander - Janet Fitch - ROOT # 21 - book -
045. De roodborst - Jo Nesbø - ROOT # 22 - book -
046. De vergeten Deverill - Santa Montefiore - book -
047. De weg naar Voorgoed - Harrie Geelen - book -
048. Laatste weduwe - Karin Slaugther - book -
049. Roerloos - Joy Fielding - book -
050. Dodelijke ambitie - Joy Fielding - book -
051. Water & vuur - David Hair - book -
052. Staal & stormweer - David Hair - book -
053. De scharlaken vloed - David Hair - book -
054. Maanvloed - David Hair - book -

To be continued in post >5 connie53:

This is where I will keep track of all books read in 2019: ROOTs, new and shiny treebooks, ebooks

This is for July, August and September.

055. De goddeloze oorlog - David Hair -
056. De bloedrode rivier - David Hair -
057. Kruistocht in spijkerbroek - Thea Beckman -
058. De gifhouten bijbel - Barbara Kingsolver -
059. Zonderling - Laini Taylor -
060. Het Italiaanse meisje - Lucinda Riley -
061. Huis vol leugens - Nicci French -
062. De torenheer - Anthony Ryan -
063. De vuurkoningin - Anthony Ryan -
064. Winkie - Clifford Chase -
065. Noah Barleywater gaat ervandoor - John Boyne -
066. Lampje - Annet Schaap -
067. De aardbeiendief - Joanne Harris -
068. Niemand hoort het - Linwood Barclay -
069. Achtervolging - Linwood Barclay -
070. De moordopdracht - James Dashner -
071. De viruscode - James Dashner -
072. De labyrintrenner-files - James Dasher -
073. Stad vol ballonnen - Femke van der Laan -
074. De drie zusjes - Alice Hoffman -
075. De glazen boeken van de dromeneters - Gordon Dahlquist -
076. De bekentenissen van Petrus - Jeroen Windmeijer -
077. Mijn dochter in Frankrijk - Barbara Keating & Stephanie Keating -
078. De boekbinder - Bridget Collins -

This is where I will keep track of Chunksters, books with more than 500 pages




February:

01. Een fractie van het geheel - Steve Toltz - 640 pages
02. Maan - Lucinda Riley - 603 pages

March:

03. Een wankel evenwicht - Rohinton Mistry - 582 pages
04. Witte dood - Robert Galbraith - 732 pages

April:

05. Als je het licht niet kunt zien - Anthony Doerr -542 pages
06. Het legioen van vlammen - Anthony Ryan - 680 pages
07. De dochter van de klokkenmaker - Kate Morton - 539 pages
08. Het keizerrijk van as - Anthony Ryan - 645 pages

May:

09. Kom je spelen? - M.J. Arlidge - 509 pages
10. De bruggenbouwer - Markus Zusak - 570 pages

June

11. De weg naar Voorgoed - Harrie Geelen - 580 pages

July

12. De gifhouten bijbel - Barbara Kingsolver - 523 pages
13. De torenheer - Anthony Ryan - 745 pages

August

14. De vuurkoningin - Anthony Ryan - 778 pages
15. De glazen boeken van de dromeneters - Gordon Dahlquist - 887 pages

This is where I will keep track of all my bought books in 2019




January

01. Het huis in Bellevue Gardens - Rachel Hore
02. De moordopdracht - James Dashner
03. De viruscode - James Dashner
04. De labyrintrenner-files - James Dashner
05. Maan - Lucinda Riley

Februari

06. Bloed op het zand - Bradley P. Beaulieu
07. Totaal door het dolle heen - Karen Joy Fowler
08. Kruistocht in spijkerbroek - Thea Beckman
09. Witte dood - Robert Galbraith
10. De weg naar voorgoed - Harrie Geelen

March

11. Voorgoed weg - Harrie Geelen
12. De ontdekking - Harlan Coben
13. De dochter van de klokkenmaker - Kate Morton
14. De bruggenbouwer - Markus Zusak
15. Transcriptie - Kate Atkinson

April

16. Station Elf - Emily St. John Mandel
17. De wereld vergaat niet - Kate Atkinson
18. De olijfboom - Lucinda Riley
19. Kom je spelen - M.J. Arlidge
20. De Obeliskpoort - N.K. Jemisin
21. Het keizerrijk van as - Anthony Ryan

May

22. Verlaten - Jane Harper
23. Laatste adem - Robert Bryndza
24. Gouden kooi - Camilla Läckberg
25. De vergeten Deverill - Santa Montefiore
26. De laatste roos van de zomer - Santa Montefiore

June

27. De Boekbinder - Bridget Collins
28. Laatste weduwe - Karin Slaughter
29. De aardbeiendief - Joanne Harris

July
30. Zonderling - Laini Taylor
31. Huis vol leugens - Nicci French
32. Jongen verslindt heelal - Trent Dalton
33. Een sluier van speren - Bradley P. Beaulieu
34. De leesclub aan het einde van de wereld - Sophie Green
35. Het Italiaanse meisje - Lucinda Riley
36. Gebroken - B.A. Paris
37. Lampje - Annet Schaap

August

38. De eeuwige tijd - Deborah Harkness
39. Niemand hoort het - Linwood Barclay
40. De offers - Jeroen Windmeijer
41, Mijn dochter in Frankrijk - Barbara Keating & Stephanie Keating

Boekenweekgeschenk 2019 Jas van belofte - Jan Siebelink
Juni maand van het spannende boek - Dolores Dolly Poppedijn - Thomas Olde Heuvelt

Cursief = gelezen

This will take a while to fill, so please be patient!

Happy new thread, Connie. Your granddaughters are gorgeous!

Happy new thread! I just love that picture of Lonne, she's adorable! And how is Fiene nearly 3 already?! Time goes so fast!

I love the new pictures that come with new threads. Precious girls!

Connie, they are so darling! I know you're excited to have another one on the way. At what age do children begin school where you live?

Happy new thread! Lonne's gotten so big! :D Great photos :)

Happy new thread, Connie. Great pics of your grandchildren.

Thanks everyone!

Forgot to tell you what I'm currently reading. And have been reading in the last few days.



I finished Het keizerrijk van as by Anthony Ryan at the end of April. And gave it

This is the translation of The Empire of Ashes 645 pages

My review.

Well-written third and final part of the Draconis Memoria trilogy. Many battles and fights. A little too much actually, but I'm glad I read the series. Clee and Lisanne are appealing figures who carry a large part of the book.

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Also finished in April De dochter van de klokkenmaker by Kate Morton and gave that one

This is the translation of The Clockmaker's Daugther 541 pages

My review.

Great book. It is all so cleverly designed. The story takes place in several periods between 2017 and 1862 with the main character, Birchwood Manor, a country house on the banks of the Thames in Oxfordshire and the ghost that came to live there in 1862 at the end of the summer. A third important element is also a very precious gem, the Radcliffe Blue.
Everything that happens that summer in 1862 naturally affects the times thereafter. I think I will read the book again soon because I think that I will get more from the story that I have overlooked the first time reading it and I will have prior knowledge about the outcome.

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Started and finished Kom je spelen? by M.J. Arlidge

This is the translation of A Gift forDying 509 pages

This is the blurb

With just one look, she knows how and when you will die . . .

Nothing surprises Adam Brandt anymore. As a forensic psychologist, he's seen and heard everything. That is, until he meets Kassie. Because she claims to have a terrible gift - with one look into your eyes, she can see when and how you will die. Adam doesn't believe her, obviously. But then a serial killer starts wreaking havoc across the city, and only Kassie seems to know where he'll strike next. Against all his intuition, Adam starts to believe her. He just doesn't realise how dangerous this trust might be . . .

This is my review.

A standalone from M.J. Arlidge. It is well put together but is a bit dark. Kassie is a young girl with a bizarre talent. When she looks into people's eyes, she sees when they die. And the way they die.
Adam is a child psychologist who tries to help her but cannot really believe what Kassie is trying to tell him. When a number of horribly mutilated bodies are found in Chicago, it looks like Kassie is involved. And of course she is, but not in the way the police think. The book reads super fast through the short chapters.

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Currently reading for the May challenge for my RL Bookclub: Read a book about space travel.



Het stervende licht by George R.R. Martin

This is the translation of Dying of the Light 339 pages

The Blurb

A whisperjewel has summoned Dirk t’Larien to Worlorn, and a love he thinks he lost. But Worlorn isn’t the world Dirk imagined, and Gwen Delvano is no longer the woman he once knew. She is bound to another man, and to a dying planet that is trapped in twilight. Gwen needs Dirk’s protection, and he will do anything to keep her safe, even if it means challenging the barbaric man who has claimed her. But an impenetrable veil of secrecy surrounds them all, and it’s becoming impossible for Dirk to distinguish between his allies and his enemies. In this dangerous triangle, one is hurtling toward escape, another toward revenge, and the last toward a brutal, untimely demise.

Lovely pics of your grand-daughters, Connie. Wishing you well with your new thread, you're off to a great start already - I envy your ability to read so quickly!

>18 floremolla: It's spring-break here, Donna. And not too much spring. So when the sun shines I run out with my books and read!

Hi Connie, wishing you a lovely weekend for reading outside!

>20 MissWatson: Ohh, I do hope so. So far it doesn't look very sunny the next couple of days, but things can change rapidly.

And it is still clouded and no sun at all. So I made myself comfy in my chair and try to read in Het stervende licht.
That is a very strange book. It's SF and that is not really my genre. Strange worlds and strange rules.

>22 connie53: I really have to be in the right mood for SF. Though I find if the writing is really good then it is easier to suspend disbelief and just go with the world that has been created.

I'm used to fantasy so I can go with all worlds created. I don't know what it is in this book that's just not doing it for me.

Dropping in to say hi, and congratulations on the upcoming granddaughter!

>25 mstrust: Thanks Jennifer, always nice to have visitors.

We are very happy to get another granddaughter. And curious what her name will be. Eveline, my daughter, is feeling good, but she is also getting very big. I asked her if she is certain there is just one baby in there.

Happy new thread, Connie!

I can hardly believe Fiene is nearly three years now, seems only a short while ago when she was born.
Lonne looks ver cute on the picture, I bet you are a very proud grandmother.

>27 FAMeulstee: I am. Really proud of them both.

Your grands are gorgeous! I can't believe how big Fiene is already. I mean, wasn't she six months old a few weeks ago?

LOL. It is going very fast with the grandkids. One day you have to carry them and feed them and the next day they go to preschool and you can have a real conversation with them.

But if its a serious question: No, that was Lonne, who celebrated her first birthday on April 12. Fiene will be 3 years old on June 11.

But Thanks ;-))

Finished ROOT # 16 for the year.

Het stervende licht by George R.R. Martin

My review:

I know for sure now, SF is not my thing. In the beginning I really did not understand this book at all. A strange planet with a very special culture. Dirk receives a message from his ex-partner Gwen with a request to help her, according to a promise made a long time ago, and he travels to the planet Worlorn. There he gets involved in all kinds of feuds between families and tries understand it all . About halfway in the book, I was more clear about a lot of things and I also wanted to know how it would end with Dirk. But I never found out because the end is terribly vague.

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Currently reading for the May challenge for my RL Bookclub: Read a book about space travel.



Mars by Andy Weir

This is the translation of The Martian, 333 pages

The Blurb

Six days ago, astronaut Mark Watney became one of the first people to walk on Mars. Now, he's sure he'll be the first person to die there. After a dust storm nearly kills him and forces his crew to evacuate while thinking him dead, Mark finds himself stranded and completely alone with no way to even signal Earth that he's alive--and even if he could get word out, his supplies would be gone long before a rescue could arrive. Chances are, though, he won't have time to starve to death. The damaged machinery, unforgiving environment, or plain-old 'human error' are much more likely to kill him first. But Mark isn't ready to give up yet. Drawing on his ingenuity, his engineering skills--and a relentless, dogged refusal to quit--he steadfastly confronts one seemingly insurmountable obstacle after the next. Will his resourcefulness be enough to overcome the impossible odds against him?

I finished Mars by Andy Weir and gave it

My Review:

I didn't have very high expectations for this book, but what a good book this is! Mark is a positive young man who is accidentally left behind on Mars by his teammates, presumed dead. He keeps a log of his attempts to survive. In the beginning, many technical things are described (such as making water). But if you take all of that for true (and it probably is) and just get carried away in the story, it's a story of a man who doesn't want to give up. Who tackles every accident and every setback with humor. Great book. I laughed out loud and occasionally with teary eyes

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Started Station Elf by Emily St.John Mandel

This is the translation of Station Eleven, 381 pages

The Blurb

One snowy night Arthur Leander, a famous actor, has a heart attack onstage during a production. Jeevan Chaudhary, is in the audience and leaps to his aid. A child actress named Kirsten Raymonde watches in horror as Jeevan performs CPR, pumping Arthur's chest as the curtain drops, but Arthur is dead. That same night, as Jeevan walks home from the theater, a terrible flu begins to spread. Hospitals are flooded and Jeevan and his brother barricade themselves inside as life disintegrates outside. This novel charts the strange twists of fate that connect five people: the actor, the man who tried to save him, the actor's first wife, his oldest friend, and a young actress with the Traveling Symphony, caught in the crosshairs of a dangerous self-proclaimed prophet.

>32 connie53: I'm glad you liked The Martian. I was a bit skeptical myself at first, because few books are as good as the hype promises, but then I enjoyed it very much. So funny.

>33 MissWatson: I enjoyed The Martian as well and was equally surprised. Yay for books that surprise us.
>32 connie53: No, not a serious question, just a wonder of where the time flies. Does it go south for the winter?

>34 enemyanniemae: I thought you might mean that not as a serious queation, EAM. ;-))

Finished Station Elf by Emily St. John Mandel

My Review

A unique book, very good and also well written. I really enjoyed it very much. It is the story of a number of survivors of a major flu epidemic that has wiped out almost the entire world population. These people roam the area from different starting-points around Lake Michigan for years, looking for a place to live safely. A large group of musicians and actors have been traveling around for almost 20 years and visit the small settlements that were established in abandoned motels, schools and small farms. in these settlements they perform Shakespeare or play sonatas from the time before the Flu. It is mainly about survival and loyalty to your group, about friendship that can last for years on memories only.

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Started in De bruggenbouwer by Markus Zusak
This is the translation of Bridge of Clay, 567 pages.

The blurb

Five Dunbar brothers are living – fighting, loving, grieving – in the perfect chaos of a house without grown-ups. Today, the father who left them has just walked right back in.
He has a surprising request: Who will build a bridge with him?

It is Clay, a boy tormented by a long-buried secret, who accepts. But why is Clay so broken? And why must he fulfil this extraordinary challenge?
Bridge of Clay is about a boy caught in a current, a boy intent on destroying everything he has in order to become everything he needs to be. Ahead of him lies the bridge, the vision that will save both his family and himself.
It will be a miracle and nothing less.
At once an existential riddle and a search for redemption, this tale of five brothers coming of age in a house with no rules brims with energy, joy and pathos.

>36 connie53: I'm glad you loved Station Eleven as much as I did! I also just finished Bridge of Clay last month so I'm interested to hear your thoughts :)

>37 curioussquared: Hi Natalie. I will certainly post my review here. Did I read about Station Elf on your thread? That must be the case.

Sounds like you have had some good reads lately. I share the skepticism against very hyped books, but I'm getting quite keen on The Martian It sounds like a great read which challenges the reader in more ways than one.

>38 connie53: I think you did! I read it back in January. Happy reading!

>40 curioussquared: Yes, that must be it. De bruggenbouwer is almost finished. I guess one or two more days of reading to be done. So far, so (very) good.

>39 Henrik_Madsen: Hi, Henrik. It is, just give it a try.

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Bought and finished Verlaten by Jane Harper and I gave it

This is the translation of The Lost Man, 415 pages

The Blurb;

He had started to remove his clothes as logic had deserted him, and his skin was cracked. Whatever had been going through Cameron's mind when he was alive, he didn't look peaceful in death. Two brothers meet at the remote border of their vast cattle properties under the unrelenting sun of the outback. In an isolated part of Australia, they are each other's nearest neighbour, their homes hours apart. They are at the stockman's grave, a landmark so old that no one can remember who is buried there. But today, the scant shadow it casts was the last hope for their middle brother, Cameron. The Bright family's quiet existence is thrown into grief and anguish. Something had been troubling Cameron. Did he choose to walk to his death? Because if he didn't, the isolation of the outback leaves few suspects...

My review;

Take the outback in Australia, miles of fencing, full of thousands of cows, a sizzling heat. Take 3 brothers, 1 daughter-in-law, 1 grandson, 2 granddaughters, a grandmother and a resident employee, who is called Uncle Harry. And take the writer Jane Harper. Those are all the ingredients you need for a super exciting book that reads like a train. It's like you're peeling an onion. Layer after layer disappears and what comes in its place is the image of a family that lives with secrets and resolutely tries to keep doing as normally as possible. Really a totally unexpected ending.

De bruggenbouwer by Markus Zusak is finished.

My Review

This is the story of the five Dunbar boys, Matthew, Rory, Henry, Clay and Tommy. Their mother died and their father fled. Now they live with five brothers in their home and Achilles, the mule, T (elemachus) the pigeon, Hector the cat, Rosy the dog and Agamemnon, the goldfish. The story is told by Matthew, who, as the oldest, took responsibility for his brothers. And the story goes in all directions. He tells a story from the past and then he jumps to the end or to the middle to tell a little story about what happened there. But you can always keep track of where, how and who.
Then the father returns and asks his sons for help with the construction of a bridge. Clay is the only one who finally gives in and who decides to follow his father. The book is called "Bridge of Clay" in English. And that can be explained both literally and figuratively. Clay builds his bridge and builds a bridge between his brothers and his father. Highly recommended.

I'm now reading Donker water by Robert Bryndza
This is the translation of Dark Water, 358 pages, ROOT

The blurb:

Beneath the water the body sank rapidly. Above her on dry land, the nightmare was just beginning. When Detective Erika Foster receives a tip-off that key evidence for a major narcotics case was stashed in a disused quarry on the outskirts of London, she orders for it to be searched. From the thick sludge the drugs are recovered, but so is the skeleton of a young child. The remains are quickly identified as seven-year-old Jessica Collins. The missing girl who made headline news twenty-six years ago. As Erika tries to piece together new evidence with the old, she must dig deeper and find out more about the fractured Collins family and the original detective, Amanda Baker. A woman plagued by her failure to find Jessica. Erika soon realises this is going to be one of the most complex and demanding cases she has ever taken on. Is the suspect someone close to home? Someone is keeping secrets. Someone who doesn't want this case solved. And they'll do anything to stop Erika from finding the truth.

and



Ik ben Eleanor Oliphant by Gail Honeyman
This is the translation of Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine, 329 pages, ebook.

The blurb;

Eleanor Oliphant has learned how to survive - but not how to live Eleanor Oliphant leads a simple life. She wears the same clothes to work every day, eats the same meal deal for lunch every day and buys the same two bottles of vodka to drink every weekend. Eleanor Oliphant is happy. Nothing is missing from her carefully timetabled life. Except, sometimes, everything. One simple act of kindness is about to shatter the walls Eleanor has built around herself. Now she must learn how to navigate the world that everyone else seems to take for granted - while searching for the courage to face the dark corners she's avoided all her life. Change can be good. Change can be bad. But surely any change is better than... fine?

Finished Donker water by Robert Bryndza and give it

My review

Third book by Robert Bryndza about inspector Erika Foster. Exciting and well written. When a diving team dives up the body of a small child in addition to the suitcase with drugs they searched for, Erika investigates the case and what must have happened. That reveals a lot of secrets and has an unexpected end.

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Kijk niet terug by Nora Roberts
This is the translation of Shelter in Place, 492 pages, ROOT

The blurb

It was a typical evening at a mall outside Portland, Maine. Three teenage friends waited for the movie to start. A boy flirted with the girl selling sunglasses. Mothers and children shopped together, and the manager at the videogame store tending to customers. Then the shooters arrived. The chaos and carnage lasted only eight minutes before the killers were taken down. But for those who lived through it, the effects would last forever. In the years that followed, one would dedicate himself to a law enforcement career. Another would close herself off, trying to bury the memory of huddling in a ladies' room, hopelessly clutching her cell phone until she finally found a way to pour her emotions into her art. But one person wasn't satisfied with the shockingly high death toll at the DownEast Mall. And as the survivors slowly heal, find shelter, and rebuild, they will discover that another conspirator is lying in wait -- and this time, there might be nowhere safe to hide.

Hi Connie, I have Eleanor Oliphant on my bedside table, lent to me by a friend. I must pick it up soon.

Bridge of Clay is my online book groups August read. I am looking forward to it.

>46 HelenBaker: That is such a good read, Helen. Enjoy.

Hi Connie! I hope you're doing well - you are definitely getting a lot of good reading in.

I thought I posted when I first saw your new thread, but see I didn’t, so a very belated happy new thread. Your granddaughters are beautiful.

SF isn’t my favorite genre either, but I also loved The Martian and Station Eleven.

>41 connie53: I’ve skipped your review because The Lost Man is on my shelves, waiting for me to pick it. *smile*

>48 karenmarie: You should get it of the shelves, don't wait to long, Karen.

I'm doing fine, although Peet is not getting any better. He still is depressed and can't seem to find things to do. We hope he will get better soon, but I don't know if that is going to happen soon.

Finished Kijk niet terug by Nora Roberts

My Review

Exciting, romantic and humorous. I read the story of Simone, Reed and Cici with great pleasure. It starts with a drama, of course, but then Reed, who is a police inspector, has to find the person who tries to find the survivors and kill them. Meanwhile Simone and her grandmother Cici have found a beautiful place where they can practice their painting and sculpturing. And, as with all books by Nora Roberts, it ends well.

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Started in



Vermoorde getuige by J.D. Robb.
This is the translation of Witness in Death, 333 pages, ROOT.

The blurb

There was always an audience for murder. Opening night at New York's New Globe Theatre turns from stage scene to crime scene when the leading man is stabbed to death right on centre stage. Now Eve Dallas has a high profile celebrity homicide on her hands. Not only is she primary detective, she's also a witness - and when the press discovers that her husband, Roarke, owns the theatre, there's more media interest than either can handle. The only way out is to move fast. Question everyone - and everything. And in the meantime, try to tell the difference between the truth - and really good acting...

The story is set in 2059!

So glad to hear Markus Zusak has another good one! Look forward to your comments on Eleanor Oliphant. I'm hoping Peet does find some interests, am sending good wishes to both of you.

edited: spelling oops

Hello Connie. I've seen the movie of The Martian and enjoyed it. I was inspired by your post about it, so I put it on my wishlist for one of my swap sites and it was available today, so I requested it. :)

>51 detailmuse: Thanks, MJ.

>52 Quaisior: I like to hear what you have to say about the book, Q.

I finished Vermoorde getuige by J.D. Robb today.

My Review

Full of expectation I started in this book because J.D. Robb is a pseudonym of Nora Roberts, but it disappointed me a bit. The story is set in 2059 and that fact does really nothing important to the story. The plot could also have made it, but it was now possible to use all sorts of gadgets that might have been invented by then. Eve Dallas can of course also enjoy all the options that Roarke, her wealthy and influential man, can offer her. Sometimes against her will, but still... Shame about the possibilities that the story has

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Bought and started in Gouden kooi by Camilla Läckberg
Original Swedisch. This is the translation of En bur av guld, 364 pages.

The Blurb

To the outside world, Faye seems to have everything: a perfect man, a beloved daughter and a luxury apartment in Stockholm's most chic neighborhood. But dark memories from her childhood in Fjällbacka haunt her and she feels more and more trapped in a golden cage. Once she was a strong woman with ambitions, but she gave up everything for Jack. When he leaves her, her entire world collapses. Suddenly she has nothing at all anymore. At first she is desperate, but then she decides not to just give up and plans a ruthless revenge plan.

Well, Gouden kooi by Camilla Läckberg was not that good.

My Review

What should I think about this book? No idea, it is well written, but I think Faye is really a bitch and a very unpleasant person. She has reasons to do something, but what she does is too extreme for my taste. That was a bit disappointing, but I have been thinking about this book all day. That, of course, is also worth something and that therefore I give it a 7.

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De obeliskpoort by N.K. Jemisin
This is the translation of The Obelisk Gate part two in the series The Broken Earth, 350 pages

The Blurb in spoilerfont because of major spoilers about part 1

Essun--once Damaya, once Syenite, now avenger--has found shelter, but not her daughter. Instead there is Alabaster Tenring, destroyer of the world, with a request. But if Essun does what he asks, it would seal the fate of the Stillness forever. Far away, her daughter Nassun is growing in power--and her choices will break the world.

>50 connie53: The In Death series is one of my favourite, Connie. I hope you enjoyed it.

Finished De obeliskpoort by N.K. Jemisin -

My review;

Nicely written but sometimes difficult to see what the writer meant to tell. I want to see the picture in my head After all, it is a very different world with very different races and I did not always succeed. But luckily I understood the big plan. Now we have to wait and see if part 3 is also translated.

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Started reading Het huis in Belleveu Gardens by Rachel Hore
This is the translation of The House on Bellevue Gardens, 332 pages

The blurb

Rosa has arrived in London from Poland to look for her younger brother Mikhal. He is supposed to be staying with their English father, but when she visits the house she finds it's locked up and there's no sign of either of them. She urgently needs work and somewhere to live while she continues her search, but what can she do and where can she go? Stef is running away from her boyfriend Oliver and the claustrophobic life she's been living in his opulent flat. Frightened, friendless and far from her family, she needs somewhere to hide. Rick is living in a limbo, a shy young man hiding from the world to write and draw and dream. How will he find fulfillment? All three find refuge at 11 Bellevue Gardens, the shabbiest house of a smart white-painted Georgian terrace in North London. Here, its owner Leonie herself once found sanctuary. Now, out of gratitude, she opens her house to others in need. However, as she helps Stef and Rosa and Rick to find their way, Leonie finds that once again the very foundations of her own life and happiness are under threat.

I finished Het huis in Bellevue Gardens by Rachel Hore and give it

My Review;

This is such a lovely and cozy novel. Great to read, you don't really have to think about it and just enjoy all the complications but you know almost for sure that everything will end well. Another great book by Rachel Hore.

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Now reading Laatste adem by Robert Bryndza
This is the translation of Last Breath, 357 pages.

The Blurb

He's your perfect date. You're his next victim.
When the tortured body of a young woman is found in a dumpster, her eyes swollen shut and her clothes soaked with blood, Detective Erika Foster is one of the first at the crime scene. The trouble is, this time, it's not her case. While she fights to secure her place on the investigation team, Erika can't help but get involved and quickly finds a link to the unsolved murder of a woman four months earlier. Dumped in a similar location, both women have identical wounds; a fatal incision to their femoral artery. Stalking his victims online, the killer is preying on young pretty women using a fake identity. How will Erika catch a murderer who doesn't seem to exist? Then another girl is abducted while waiting for a date. Erika and her team must get to her before she becomes another dead victim, and, come face to face with a terrifyingly sadistic individual. Gripping, tense and impossible to put down.

HI Connie! I hope you're doing well.

I took your advice in >49 connie53: and read The Lost Man in 2 days. Fantastic book and I really loved your review!

>58 karenmarie: Glad you enjoyed it, Karen!

Finishes Laatste adem by Robert Bryndza and gave it

My review:

In fact all of Robert Bryndza's books are exciting. Erika is a detective with the London police and takes her job very seriously. She had to fight as an immigrant from Slovakia to become a valued and renowned agent. Together with Kate Moss and James Peterson, she forms a good team. And now they have to team up again as two gruesomely murdered girls are found in garbage containers and Erika discovers a connection between the two murders and suspects that more girls will follow. That requires action form Erika, Moss and Peterson.

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De laatste roos van de zomer by Santa Montefiore
This is the translation of The Last Secret of the Deverills, 395 pages.

I read this for the June-challenge for my RL bookclub: read a book with a title that mentions a flower or animal.
Roos is the Dutch word for Rose. That is not mentioned in the English title at all.

The blurb

Ireland, early 1939. Much has changed for the Deverill family and a new generation is waiting in the wings. But eyes are once again turning towards Europe where the storm clouds of war are building. In Dublin, Martha Wallace's feelings of rejection have turned,. in an instant, to happiness. Martha came home from America, desperate to track down her birth mother. But instead she has lost her heart to the impossibly charming JP, scion of the Deverill family. Bridie Doyle has come a long way from her humble roots. Now Countess di Marcantonio and mistress of Castle Deverill, she is determined to make the splendid surroundings her home. Her flamboyant husband Cesare has other ideas. And, as his eye strays away from his wife, those close to the couple begin to question his true identity. Ktity Deverill believed that life with her husband Robert and their two children was her destiny, until the return of Jack O'Leary, her first love, as irresistible to her now as he was when they met, years before. But this time Jack's heart belongs elsewhere...

Finished De laatste roos van de zomer by Santa Montefiore yesterday and gave this book

My review;

The residents of Ballinakelly and Deverill Castle have a succession of misunderstandings and complications to deal with. Extra-marital relationships, unrequited love, misunderstood intentions. It was a bit hard to get into this book, because it had been a while since I read the second part in this series and lots of things that happened then were not that clear anymore. This was a nice read, but not a great one.

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Witte Oleander by Janet Fitch
This is the translation of White Oleander, 450 pages
I read this for the June-challenge for my RL bookclub: read a book with a title that mentions a flower or animal.


The blurb

Astrid is the only child of a single mother, Ingrid, a brilliant, obsessed poet who wields her luminous beauty to intimidate and manipulate men. Astrid worships her mother and cherishes their private world full of ritual and mystery - but their idyll is shattered when Astrid's mother falls apart over a lover. Deranged by rejection, Ingrid murders the man, and is sentenced to life in prison. White Oleander is the unforgettable story of Astrid's journey through a series of foster homes and her efforts to find a place for herself in impossible circumstances. Each home is its own universe, with a new set of laws and lessons to be learned. With determination and humor, Astrid confronts the challenges of loneliness and poverty, and strives to learn who a motherless child in an indifferent world can become.

I finished Witte Oleander this afternoon and give it almost a five star book!

My Review:

Very good story, but about a bleak subject. Astrid's mother Ingrid is an enthusiastic poet but not your average mother. She has her own ideas about parenting and Astrid doesn't know any better. Then her mother falls in love and for a moment Astrid thinks that she will have a father and that they will form an ordinary family. But Ingrid is dumped by her lover and she can't have that. Ingrid dumps lovers and not the other way around. She stalks Barry and eventually kills him and gets a life sentence. And Astrid goes as a foster child to various families who all shape her in a positive or negative way into a young woman who tries to break free from her mother. Beautifully written.

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De roodborst by Jo Nesbø
This is the translation of Rødstrupe, Original Norwegian, 477 pages
I read this for the June-challenge for my RL bookclub: read a book with a title that mentions a flower or animal.
Roodborst is the Dutch word for Redbreast.

The blurb

Harry Hole, drunkard, loner and brilliant detective is reassigned to surveillance after a high profile mistake. He's bored by his new job until a report of a rare gun being fired sparks his interest because of its possible links to Neo Nazi activity. Then a former soldier is found with his throat cut. Next Harry's former partner is murdered. Why had she been trying to reach Harry on the night of her death? The investigation leads Harry to suspect that the crimes have their roots in the battlefields of the Eastern Front. In a quest that takes him to South Africa and Vienna, Harry finds himself perpetually one step behind the killer. He will be both winner and loser by the novel's nail-biting conclusion.

I finished De roodborst by Jo Nesbø

My review;

Against all expectations this was an exciting book. In the beginning it did not look like I would end up liking it this much. Harry Hole is a very odd inspector with the Norwegian police in Oslo and in this book he investigates the connection between a number of WWII veterans and a murder committed in the present (2000). That brings him into a complicated story about desertion and revenge.

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Water & vuur by David Hair

This is the translation of the first half of Mage's blood, part 1 of the series The Moontide Quartet. 370 pages

The last sentences needs some explanation. The series by David Hair has 4 books in the English version. In the Netherlands each book is divided in 2 books, so there should be 8 books of the Dutch version. But the Dutch publishing house decided not to continue with translating after 3 (=6) books, so if I decide to read the whole series I have to read book 4 (7/8) in English.

The Blurb

Most of the time the Moontide Bridge lies deep below the sea, but every 12 years the tides sink and the bridge is revealed, its gates open for trade. The Magi are hell-bent on ruling this new world, and for the last two Moontides they have led armies across the bridge on crusades of conquest. Now the third Moontide is almost here and, this time, the people of the East are ready for a fight -- but it is three seemingly ordinary people that will decide the fate of the world.

>61 connie53: I think I read White Oleander soon after it came out, so years ago, but it was so well written that I remember much more of the plot than I do for more recently read books. It sticks.

>63 mstrust: Yes it does! I think that it's the things that happen to Astrid that are so recognizable from real stories of fostercare.

Also reading De vergeten Deverill by Santa Montefiore
This is the translation of The forgotten Deverill, 476 pages
And nowhere is

The book by David Hair was not what I needed and wanted to read right now. I needed some fluffier read for the long weekend.

No blurb available in English so I tried to translate the Dutch blurb.

The seventeen year old Arethusa Deverill is an untamed beauty. She refuses to accept that women are only capable of getting married and having children. To escape a marriage proposal, she convinces a cousin of her father to invite her to the ball season in London. She doesn't care about the aristocratic men trying to court her there, but when the Madison Brothers from New York come to the ball, her life changes dramatically.

Nantucket, Massachusetts, 1962. When, after the death of Arethusa Clayton, her will states that she wanted to scatter her ashes on a hill near the Irish castle Deverill, her children are amazed. They have never heard of the castle, although they know that their mother's maiden name was Deverill and that she fled poverty in Ireland as a young woman. Even greater, and more unpleasant, is the surprise when it turns out that Arethusa leaves a third of her legacy to a stranger. If there is no family member of their mother on the funeral, daughter Faye realizes that she actually knows nothing about her. After her death, why did Arethusa want to return to the country she seemed to dislike in life?

Finished De vergeten Deverill by Santa Montefiore last Sunday and forgot to mention that here.

My review;

The concluding fourth part of the Deveril series (although you can never know for sure, anything is still possible). And I just read the last pages with tears in my eyes. The story of Arethusa Deverill, told through her diary to her daughter Faye, is painful and would not occur that easily anymore at this time. At least I hope so. The story is worth a 9, but it will be an 8 because I have got irritated by lots of repetitions of certain sentences that occur regularly. Faye tells you again and again that she should do what she wants and not what others think she should want. That became quite annoying.

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Started reading another book too.



De weg naar voorgoed by Harrie Geelen

Original Dutch book. The title meaning: The Road to Forever. 580 pages

This is the first part in the never-ending story "Can you tell me the way to Hamelen, sir?"
In this trilogy everything happens that Harrie Geelen could not use for the TV series. In this book he can ignore boring things like gravity, time, money and space. In 'The Road to Forever', the first part of the trilogy, the Hamelens come into a world where people do not exist at all. There are dwarfs, scallywags, gnomes and civil servants; further giants in every size, biting chickens and sensitive rugs. There is also a monster with a sweater of infinite wool, an invisible lady-in-waiting of Tasty smells and a sworn piece of Soap that works at State security. "Can you tell me the way to Hamelen, sir?" is about nothing; at most by mistake about everything.

>61 connie53: I think it's time for me to get to White Oleander.

I looked at your list in >2 connie53:, congratulations on so many stars for so many of your ROOTs!

I've been reading a lot of books recently, but I did not add them here yet. So here they are.

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Laatste weduwe by Karin Slaughter
This is the translation of The Last Widow, 492 pages

The Blurb:

The routine of a family shopping trip is shattered when Michelle Spivey is snatched as she leaves the mall with her young daughter. The police search for her, her partner pleads for her release, but in the end…they find nothing. It's as if she disappeared into thin air. A month later, on a sleepy Sunday afternoon, medical examiner Sara Linton is at lunch with her boyfriend Will Trent, an agent with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation. But the serenity of the summer's day is broken by the wail of sirens.Sara and Will are trained to help in an emergency. Their jobs – their vocations – mean that they run towards a crisis, not away from it. But on this one terrible day that instinct betrays them both. Within hours the situation has spiraled out of control; Sara is taken prisoner; Will is forced undercover. And the fallout will lead them into the Appalachian mountains, to the terrible truth about what really happened to Michelle, and to a remote compound where a radical group has murder in mind…

My Review;

Being a fan of Karen Slaughter, I had to read this book of course. The subject does not really suit me. I am not fond of cults and their way of doing things. So it's all rather oppressive and dark. But well worked out and well written. And nice to see Will and Sara in her books again.

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Roerloos by Joy Fielding
This is the translation of Still Live, 348 pages, ROOT

My Review;

Someone from my bookcub had read this book and it sounded interesting and differen. And that was true. It is written from the perspective of Casey Marshall who was injured by a hit and run accident. Casey is in a coma, she sees nothing, she cannot talk and cannot move. But she hears everything that happens around her. Slowly the people around her bed tell more and more about what happened to her and to each other. The conversations often become personal. There is the spouse, the two girlfriends, the sister, the physical therapist and the nurse. Casey gradually gets more and more functions back. Then she hears that the accident was not an accident but an attempt to kill her.

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Dodelijke ambitie by Joy Fielding,
This is the translation of Charley's Web, 405 pages, ROOT

My Review;

Second book by Joy Fielding that I read this week and that may be the problem. The book is certainly exciting to read and I was completely misled by the story. But Joy does use many of the same sentences to describe something in the two books. They were quite remarkable in book 1, they got me smiling sometimes. But now it I noticed she used those sentences again in book 2. So two consecutive books by the same author is not a good idea. Bit it was a great and exciting story. And not a love story, marketed as a thriller.

Hi Connie, I hope you're having a nice weekend! I've been so busy lately in RL I barely have time to skim the threads. Still reading, though.

Happy weekend, Connie!

>69 MissWatson: >70 Jackie_K: Thanks Ladies!

I've been anway form LT for a week or so.

I've started reading in the books written by David Hair

He wrote a series about the Sun surge quartet. He wrote 4 books (as far as I know) in English. The Dutch publisher devided each book into two books. But stopped translating after book (Dutch) 6/ (English) 3.

So far I've read the first two books and found them very entertaining.

Here we go!

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Water & Vuur by David Hair -
This is the translation of the first half of the first book Mage's blood, 399 pages.

The Blurb;

Most of the time the Moontide Bridge lies deep below the sea, but every 12 years the tides sink and the bridge is revealed, its gates open for trade. The Magi are hell-bent on ruling this new world, and for the last two Moontides they have led armies across the bridge on crusades of conquest. Now the third Moontide is almost here and, this time, the people of the East are ready for a fight -- but it is three seemingly ordinary people that will decide the fate of the world.

My review

This book is the first of a series and it takes some time to get into the story, but if you get it after 50 or so pages this book is really great. The story switches between some main characters and each person lives in his/her own country. It reads real quick and is't good old-fashioned fantasy, just the way I like it, with magicians, strange creatures and countries competing with each other. Immediately moved on to book 2

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Staal & Stormweer by David Hair -
This is the translation of the second half of the first book Mage's Blood, 405 pages.

The same blurb as above!

My Review;

Great sequel to part 1 of this series. The search for a sacred artifact continues and Alaron, Cym and Ramita boldly overcome all kinds of setbacks. Starting in in part 3.

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De scharlaken vloed by David Hair
This is the translation of the first half of the second book Scarlet Tides, 424 pages

The Blurb

The Moontide has come, and a scarlet tide of Rondian legions is flooding into the East, slaughtering and pillaging in the name of Emperor Constant. But the Scytale of Corineus, the source of ultimate magical power, has slipped through the emperor's fingers. His ruthless Inquisitors are desperately seeking the artefact, before it falls into the hands of those who would bring down the Empire. But there are some who have pledged to end the cycle of war and restore peace to Urte. They are the unlikeliest of heroes: a failed mage, a gypsy and a lowly market-girl. As East and West clash more violently than ever before, Urte will discover that love, loyalty and truth can be forged into weapons as deadly as swords and magic.

De scharlaken vloed by David Hair was finished yesterday.

My review;

Another great part in this series. The main characters get more and more depth and you get to know them better and better. My favorite is Alaron and Ramon is a close second. I am really curious how the story continues. So book 4 will be my next book.

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Maanvloed by David Hair

This is the second half of the second book Mage's blood 333 pages.

The blurb;

While the Rondian legions sow death and destruction in Antiopia, the real war is fought in the shadows. The failed magician Alaron Mercer and the gypsy girl Cymbellea di Regia, with whom he is hopelessly in love, have the legendary Scytale of Corineus in their hands and the Inquisition is on their heels.
In the meantime, Ramita Ankesharan, the pregnant widow of Antonin Meiros, must do everything to stay out of the clutches of the soul drinkers, magicians who feed on the souls of their victims, so that she can safely give birth to her magical children - children who may break the Urte war cycles, according to Meiros.

Book 4 is also finished,

Maanvloed by David Hair

My review

Fourth book in the series and it all stay solidly on the same level. Exciting with very appealing main characters. I am especially happy when another chapter comes from the perspective of Alaron. That's just a nice normal young man. Not complicated, sometimes a bit awkward, but sympathetic to the people he finds on his path. And in the end he is able to make good use of his magic at the moments that matter. I have already started in part 5.

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De Goddeloze Oorlog by David Hair This is a book I read for the July challenge on my bookclub: Read a book with on the cover or in the title some religious word. God is such a word
This is the translation of the first half of the third book Unholy War, 465 pages

The Blurb

the East is rising, bringing equal measures of hope and despair to the magical world of Urte. For Elena Anborn and Kazim Makani, Salim's victory is a call to arms against the renegade spymaster Gurvon Gyle. For Queen Cera Nesti of Javon, it is a beacon as she seeks new ways to overthrow her husband, the usurper king, and reclaim Javon for her brother. For Ramon Sensini, trapped behind enemy lines with the shattered remnants of the Southern Army, it is more evidence of a world gone mad. And while the armies of east and west clash in ever-more-bloody conflict, emperors, Inquisitors, Souldrinkers and assassins all have their attention turned elsewhere as they hunt the Scytale of Corineus. This artefect is the key to ultimate power, and it's in the hands of the most unlikely of guardians: failed mage Alaron Mercer and market-girl Ramita Ankesharan, pregnant widow of the world's greatest mage. What they choose to do with the Scytale could change the world forever.

Hi Connie!

Congrats on reading 55 books so far this year. You're well on your way to the 75 goal, and only 7 more ROOTs to go too.

Congrats on your retirement, Connie!

Thanks Chèli. I get a lot of reading done because it is to hot to do anything else.

Thanks Meg.

I've bought to many books with all the gift cards I got for my retirement, so I've upped my book buying challenge to 60 instead of 50.

6 books have found a space on my shelves in the last week.



De aardbeiendief by Joanne Harris
This is the translation of The Strawberry Thief Chocolat 4

The blurb:

Vianne Rocher has settled down. Lansquenet-sous-Tannes, the place that once rejected her, has finally become her home. With Rosette, her 'special' child, she runs her chocolate shop in the square, talks to her friends on the river, is part of the community. Even Reynaud, the priest, has become a friend. But when old Narcisse, the florist, dies, leaving a parcel of land to Rosette and a written confession to Reynaud, the life of the sleepy village is once more thrown into disarray. The arrival of Narcisse's relatives, the departure of an old friend and the opening of a mysterious new shop in the place of the florist's across the square - one that mirrors the chocolaterie, and has a strange appeal of its own - all seem to herald some kind of change: a confrontation, a turbulence - even, perhaps, a murder...



Zonderling by Laini Taylor
This is the translation of Strange the Dreamer

The blurb

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around ? and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever. What happened in Weep two hundred years ago to cut it off from the rest of the world? What exactly did the Godslayer slay that went by the name of god? And what is the mysterious problem he now seeks help in solving? The answers await in Weep, but so do more mysteries?including the blue-skinned goddess who appears in Lazlo's dreams. How did he dream her before he knew she existed? and if all the gods are dead, why does she seem so real?



Huis vol leugens by Nicci French
This is the translation of The Lying Room

The blurb;

It should have been just a mid-life fling. A guilty indiscretion that Neve Connolly could have weathered. An escape from twenty years of routine marriage to her overworked husband, and from her increasingly distant children. But when Neve pays a morning-after visit to her lover, Saul, and finds him brutally murdered, their pied-à-terre still heady with her perfume, all the lies she has so painstakingly stitched together threaten to unravel.
After scrubbing clean every trace of her existence from Saul's life—and death—Neve believes she can return to normal, shaken but intact. But she can't get out of her head the one tormenting question: what was she forgetting?
An investigation into the slaying could provide the answer. It's brought Detective Chief Inspector Alastair Hitching, and Neve's worst fears, to her door. But with every new lie, every new misdirection to save herself, Neve descends further into the darkness of her betrayal—and into more danger than she ever imagined. Because Hitching isn't the only one watching Neve. So is a determined killer who's about to make the next terrifying move in a deadly affair….



Jongen verslindt heelal by Trent Dalton
This is the translation of Boy Swallows Universe

The blurb

1983: A lost father, a mute brother, a mum in jail, a heroin dealer for a stepfather and a notorious criminal for a babysitter. It's not as if Eli's life isn't complicated enough already. He's just trying to follow his heart, learning what it takes to be a good man, but life just keeps throwing obstacles in the way - not least of which is Tytus Broz, legendary drug dealer. But Eli's life is about to get a whole lot more serious. He's about to fall in love. And he has to break into prison on Christmas Day, to save his mum. A story of brotherhood, true love and the most unlikely of friendships.



Een sluier van speren by Bradley P. Beaulieu
This is the translation of A Veil of Spears part 3 in series: Song of Shattered Sands

The Blurb

Since the Night of Endless Swords, a bloody battle the Kings of Sharakhai narrowly won, the kings have been hounding the rebels known as the Moonless Host. Many have been forced to flee the city, including Çeda, who discovers that the King of Sloth is raising his army to challenge the other kings' rule. When Çeda finds the remaining members of the Moonless Host, now known as the thirteenth tribe, she sees a tenuous existence. Çeda hatches a plan to return to Sharakhai and free the asirim, the kings' powerful, immortal slaves. The kings, however, have sent their greatest tactician, the King of Swords, to bring Çeda to justice for her crimes. But the once-unified front of the kings is crumbling. The surviving kings vie quietly against one another, maneuvering for control over Sharakhai. Çeda hopes to use that to her advantage, but whom to trust? Any of them might betray her. As Çeda works to lift the shackles from the asirim and save the thirteenth tribe, the kings of Sharakhai, the scheming queen of Qaimir, the ruthless blood mage, Hamzakiir, and King of Swords all prepare for a grand clash that may decide the fate of all.



De leesclub aan het einde van de wereld by Sophie Green
This is the translation of The Inaugural Meeting of the Fairvale Ladies Book Club

The blurb

1978. Life in Australia's vast Northern Territory isn't always easy. Telephones are not yet common, and the treacherous seasons make even travelling to the next town a struggle. But Sybil Baxter is finding a way to connect . . .
Bringing together her daughter-in-law Kate, who is finding it hard to adjust to married life, and her old friend Rita, often far away working hard for the Flying Doctors, Sybil starts a book club. Joined by Sallyanne, a mother of three with a trouble marriage, and Della, who moved to the country looking for adventure, they come together to bond over their favourite stories.
But as life throws up challenges to each of its members, the club might just provide these five women with what they need more than anything: a friendship capable of overcoming any distance and weathering all seasons.

>78 connie53: Excellent book haul! If you want to send a few degrees of heat my way that would be great...!

>78 connie53: I could miss 5 degrees easily. That would bring it down to 25C here. There were days when it was 34 degrees C. But it has cooled down to a nice 25C

Finished De bloedrode rivier by David Hair book 6 and gave it

My review;

Book 6 in the Dutch version of the series by David Hair and the last one translated into Dutch. Greatly written and the end seems near. Unlikely couples form, some based on friendship, some based on love. Very curious about books 7 and 8 (part 4 in the English-language series). That will be a challenge

Started and finished yesterday Kruistocht in spijkerbroek by Thea Beckman. This is a book I read for the July challenge on my bookclub: Read a book with on the cover or in the title some religious word. Crusade is such a word.
Original Dutch young adult book. The book is translated into English too Crusade in jeans

The Blurb

Fifteen-year-old Dolf uses a prototype time machine and gets stuck in the Middle Ages. Trying to find his way back to the twentieth century, he joins a children's crusade of almost ten thousand children on their way to the Holy Land. Dolf helps the children defy the terrible mountains, conquer disease and fight evil knights. Slowly, Dolf begins to realize that the real danger does not lurk behind the next mountaintop, but rather within the crusade itself.

Crusade in Jeans was first published in 1973. It became an overnight success, making Thea Beckman one of the most popular authors of juvenile books in Europe. In 1974, Crusade in Jeans was awarded The Golden Pen (the most prestigious Dutch national award for children's books). In 1976, the Province of Trento, Italy, named it the Best European Historical Juvenile Book. In 2006, the book was turned in an award-winning movie picture featuring Emma Watson, Michael Culkin, Joe Flynn and Stephanie Leonidas. Awards included top honors at Toronto Sprockets (2008) and the Children’s Jury Award at the Chicago International Film Festival (2007).

My review;

I have never read this book in my younger years, but I have heard many good things from people at my ff-reading club. So when the book was offered cheaply, I just bought it, also a bit for the grandchildren when they are a bit older. Nice book based on a true event. Dolf is of course the hero. Well written and I would probably have given it 5 stars if I had been 12 or 13.

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Now I started my third and last contribution to that Challenge; Read a book with on the cover or in the title some religious word. Bible is such a word.
This is the translation of The Poisonwood Bible, 523 pages.

The Blurb:

The year is 1959 and the place is the Belgian Congo. Nathan, a Baptist preacher, has come to spread the Word in a remote village reachable only by airplane. To say that he and his family are woefully unprepared would be an understatement: "We came from Bethlehem, Georgia, bearing Betty Crocker cake mixes into the jungle," says Leah, one of Nathan's daughters. But of course it isn't long before they discover that the tremendous humidity has rendered the mixes unusable, their clothes are unsuitable, and they've arrived in the middle of political upheaval as the Congolese seek to wrest independence from Belgium. In addition to poisonous snakes, dangerous animals, and the hostility of the villagers to Nathan's fiery take-no-prisoners brand of Christianity, there are also rebels in the jungle and the threat of war in the air. Could things get any worse?

In fact they can and they do. The first part of The Poisonwood Bible revolves around Nathan's intransigent, bullying personality and his effect on both his family and the village they have come to. As political instability grows in the Congo, so does the local witch doctor's animus toward the Prices, and both seem to converge with tragic consequences about halfway through the novel. From that point on, the family is dispersed and the novel follows each member's fortune across a span of more than 30 years.

Congratulations on the retirement. A solid book haul is a great way of starting both summer and life after work.

>82 Henrik_Madsen: I know! That's why I asked for giftcards ;-))

So, Summer break and retirement with lots of free time. I intend to read, Duhh and clean some of the rooms we don't use that much, like the attic and the garage. It's a mess with stuff put down in places they don't belong.
And I intend to visit all threads in the near future (again).

>84 connie53: Good luck with the cleaning-out project, Connie.

>85 MissWatson: Thanks, Birgit!

Finished De gifhouten bijbel by Barbara Kingsolver yesterday and give it

My review;

Great book! I did not expect that. It is the story of a family that is sent to a small village in the Congo. The father, Nathan, is totally blind to African traditions and customs and tries with all his might to spread Christianity among the villagers. The mother, Orleanna, is struggling to provide her family with clean water and food. The four daughters are very different. Rachel is a 'teenage girl' who really only cares about her hair and her clothes and therefore hates the primitive circumstances. Leah and Adah are twins. Leah is the only one who can somewhat get along with father. Adah is not fully developed in the womb and has a form of Hemiplegia, but she has a very rich spiritual life and is actually very gifted, just like Leah. Ruth May is the youngest, five years old, who also adapts best to the new situation. We read the story of their lives, alternately seen through the eyes of one of the four girls. Each chapter therefore has its own style and choice of words. The series of 4 stories is preceded by a chapter by Orleanna. We follow the mother and the daughters through the hardships, the fanaticism of Nathan and the distances that grow, both between Orleanna and Nathan and between Nathan and the villagers.
Congo is heading for independence and war and in that grim atmosphere mother and daughters are on their way to a future without a father. You follow them until they all reach middle-age.
Beautifully written.

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Started reading in Zonderling by Laini Taylor
This is the translation of Strange the Dreamer

The dream chooses the dreamer, not the other way around ,and Lazlo Strange, war orphan and junior librarian, has always feared that his dream chose poorly. Since he was five years old he's been obsessed with the mythic lost city of Weep, but it would take someone bolder than he to cross half the world in search of it. Then a stunning opportunity presents itself, in the person of a hero called the Godslayer and a band of legendary warriors, and he has to seize his chance to lose his dream forever.

Yesterday we had a surprise baby shower for Eveline. We secretly went to a little village in the south near Maastricht and met in a brasserie that belongs to the sister and brother-in-law of Cyrille. Eveline was not too surprised. She thought there might be something going on and had her suspicions. Clever girl!

Here we are at the end of the party. some people had already left, including Cyrille's mum so she is missing from the picture.

Very nice photo!

Hi Connie. Congrats on the retirement, and what a lovely photo of the baby shower!

Thanks, Ladies!

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Finished Zonderling by Laini Taylor and give it

My review

Many people I know have been enthusiastic about this book, but when I started it I didn't see it that way. But gradually it became very fun and exciting. The story of Lazlo Strange and Saria is complicated, because she is the blue girl in his dreams and he is the only person who can see her. There are pieces in it that I have really read with tears in my eyes. Highly recommended, but you need to push through in the beginning. And now we hope that the sequel will also be translated.

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Started reading Het Italiaanse meisje by Lucinda Riley
This is the translation of The Italian Girl, 492 pages. First published in 1996 as Aria. So it's one of Lucinda's earlier books.

The blurb

Rosanna Menici is just a girl when she meets Roberto Rossini, the man who will change her life forever. In the years to come, their destinies are bound together by their extraordinary talents as opera singers and by their enduring but obsessive love for each other - a love that will ultimately affect the lives of all those closest to them. For, as Rosanna slowly discovers, their union is haunted by powerful secrets from the past. Rosanna's journey takes her from humble beginnings in the back streets of Naples to the glittering stages of the world's most prestigious opera houses. Set against a dazzling backdrop of evocative locations, The Italian Girl unfolds into a poignant and unforgettable tale of love, betrayal and self-discovery.

>88 connie53: That's a wonderful baby shower photo, Connie!

Happy retirement, Connie!

>88 connie53: Lovely picture of the baby shower.

That is a lovely picture, Connie! Not long to go now till the new baby!

>94 Jackie_K: I know, she is really big, Jackie! I spend some of my time helping here with household things and keeping Fiene occupied.

>92 Familyhistorian: >93 FAMeulstee: Thanks Anita and Meg. It was a wonderful afternoon. Jeroen and I were looking for Duplo blocks (kind of Lego) for Lonne to play with and we found some scrapbooks Eveline made when she was 11. Read all about the Spice Girls! So I took those books with me to give to her. All her friends were reminiscing the Spice Girls for a long time.

Great pictures, Connie. I hope you have a lovely weekend and weather that allows reading in the garden!

>95 connie53: Ahahaha are those the labels from the Spice Girls--themed lollipops? We had those here too and would collect the stickers :)

>72 connie53: I've got that series (at least the first book) on the TBR. I think I'll try to get to it sooner after reading your review. Thanks!

>98 majkia: You're welcome, Jean.

>96 MissWatson: Thanks Birgit

>97 rabbitprincess: Yes they are! She put everything in that scrapbook she could find.

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Finished Huis vol leugens by Nicci French and will give it

My review:

What shall I say about this book? It is a bit of a disappointment, this book. A new Nicci French is always reason to rejoice, but this is confusingly written. The style feels different than in the earlier books. The story itself is also confusing. Occasionally I could not make out what was happening

New book still to choose.

I chose De torenheer by Anthony Ryan. Part 2 in the series Ravens Shadow


This is the translation of Tower Lord 745 pages

Vaelin Al Sorna is tired of war. He's fought countless battles in service to the Realm and Faith. His reward was the loss of his love, the death of his friends and a betrayal by his king. After five years in an Alpiran dungeon, he just wants to go home. Reva intends to welcome Vaelin back with a knife between the ribs. He destroyed her family and ruined her life. Nothing will stop her from exacting bloody vengeance - not even the threat of invasion from the greatest enemy the Realm has ever faced. Yet as the fires of war spread, foes become friends and truths turn to lies. To save the Realm, Reva must embrace a future she does not want - and Vaelin must revisit a past he'd rather leave buried.

Hi Connie, just catching up on your thread. Lovely photos, your daughter is looking very well. There is never enough time even in retirement and especially with new grand babies.
This morning I spent a couple of hours looking after my new grandson so Michelle could have a shower and go and do some errands. It is a bleak winter's day here and not one you want to take a 2 month old out in.
I have a bin full of Duplo for my grand kids. despite my Paeroa grandson being 7 he still loves it and his constructions are now quite complex. He and my 9 year old granddaughter often build together. It will serve his young brother well, too. My other Auckland grandchildren, aged 4 and 7, have just returned from a trip to England where they stayed in the Legoland Hotel for three nights. They loved it. they and their parents are huge Lego collectors.

Poisonwood Bible is great. I am a big fan of Barbara Kingsolver.

Hi Connie!

I thought I had visited your thread earlier, but I guess I was mistaken. Great pictures of the family. And looks like a lot of good books so far this year. Hope everything is going well..

Thanks for visiting my thread, Helen en Lora. Temps were up to 39C yesterday and today they have reached a new all time high for the Netherlands. 41C. So we do as little as possible. I just read in the shade en try to catch some wind (very little wind today though)

Hi Connie, I hope you're holding up well in this heat. It is way too much for our latitudes. Enjoy the shade!

Hi Connie!

>95 connie53: Looks like a diaper 'cake' in the background, am I right?

What devastating heat. Doing as little as possible is the safest and smartest thing to do.

>104 MissWatson: Yes, I do. but it's a bit to much and for 4 days in a row. With temps in the night of 22,9 C. This was the hottest night ever measured. We had some rain an hour or so ago, but instead of lowering the temp it stays the same but more humid.

>105 karenmarie:, Yes you are right, decorated with babysocks. Very cute.

>106 connie53: It's similar here too Connie - way too hot. Yesterday my daughter's holiday club emailed us to say please could children bring in a change of clothes today because they were going to have a water fight, and I just thought - I want to come to holiday club too! I was sitting at work getting hotter and hotter and dreaming of getting caught in a water fight!

What an amazing stretch of heat for where you are, Connie. We mostly hear about the heat in the eastern US. I didn't realize it was as bad in Europe. I hope you are back to normal temperatures soon!

>103 connie53: >107 Jackie_K: Come to Jakarta, it's only 32 C.

An FB friend of mine lives in Alaska and she's been having higher temperatures than Jakarta quite regularly this past couple of months.

It's that global warming that doing this. Today it's cooler, just 25C. So much more bearable.

Oops, forgot to mention a finished ROOT

De torenheer by Anthony Ryan and gave it

My review;

The disadvantage of reading a fantasy series of this size is that you should actually read them one after the other. And that was not the case with me because I read part 1 in 2014. So that was just coming in. Most of the time I just start and some things automatically fall into place. That was also the case here. And once I got there, it turned out to be an exciting and entertaining story. There are different story-lines that are each told by a different character. Vaelin, Reva, Lyrna and Frentis are these main characters. That way you always read a different part of the big picture. A big 8

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Now reading the third installment in these series De vuurkoningin by Anthony Ryan



The Blurb

In the thrilling conclusion to the bestselling Raven's Shadow trilogy, Vaelin Al Sorna must help his queen reclaim her Realm. Only his enemy has a dangerous new collaborator, one with powers darker than Vaelin has ever encountered. The Ally is there, but only ever as a shadow, unexplained catastrophe or murder committed at the behest of a dark and vengeful spirit. Sorting truth from myth is often a fruitless task. After fighting back from the brink of death, Queen Lyrna is determined to repel the invading Volarian army and regain the independence of the Unified Realm. Except, to accomplish her goals, she must do more than rally her loyal supporters. She must align herself with forces she once found repugnant -- those who possess the strange and varied gifts of the Dark -- and take the war to her enemy's doorstep. Victory rests on the shoulders of Vaelin Al Sorna, now named Battle Lord of the Realm. However, his path is riddled with difficulties. For the Volarians have a new weapon on their side, one that Vaelin must destroy if the Realm is to prevail: a mysterious Ally with the ability to grant unnaturally long life to his servants. And defeating one who cannot be killed is a nearly impossible challenge, especially when Vaelin's blood-song, the mystical power that has made him the epic fighter he is, has gone ominously silent

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Also bought a new book. You know that feeling that you want to have a book, but it's a children's book and you're not exactly a child? I had this feeling about this particular book. And past it in many bookstores, had it in my hands but put it back on the shelves with some reluctance. Yesterday I came across it in the children's bookstore (De kleine tovenaar - The little wizard) and it was displayed nicely with a big poster and such. So I decided this was a sign and bought it.



Lampje by Annet Schaap who also did the illustrations.

Lampje = little light

The Blurb

This is a story about the sea. About mysterious sea creatures and ferocious pirates. About the Black House of the Admiral, of where they say a monster lives. About a gray lighthouse on an island that is just stuck to the mainland. About Lampje, the daughter of the lighthouse keeper, who climbs the sixty-one steps every evening to light the light. About a stormy evening, when the matches are gone and everything goes wrong.

But especially about being brave and being able to do more than you ever thought.

>111 connie53: Gorgeous cover on Lampje!

Thanks for sharing about the shower, it looks so fun!

>110 connie53: It is unusual that it is cooler at your place, today it was still hot in Lelystad with 32.3°C...

>111 connie53: Enjoy Lampje! I thought it was a lovely story.

>112 rabbitprincess: I thought so too.

>113 detailmuse: It was fun. And Eveline enjoyed it very much. As did Fiene. She, of course knows everyone who visited.

>114 FAMeulstee: Today it's rainy and about 20C outside. And I guess the more north you move the hotter it gets. Good to hear it is a lovely story.

I finished De vuurkoningin by Anthony Ryan yesterday and gave it

My review (a bit short)

Just like the previous part, this book is entertaining and exciting. A lot of major battles take place. But that is nowhere boring or annoying. It's just part of the story.

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And I started another ROOT Winkie by Clifford Chase
This is the translation of Winkie, 233

The Blurb

In Cliff Chase's scathingly funny and surprisingly humane debut novel, the zeitgeist assumes the form of a one-foot-tall ursine Everyman — a mild-mannered teddy bear named Winkie who finds himself on the wrong side of America's war on terror. After suffering decades of neglect from the children who've forgotten him, Winkie summons the courage to take charge of his fate, so he hops off the shelf, jumps out the window, and takes to the forest. But just as he is discovering the joys and wonders of mobility, Winkie gets trapped in the jaws of a society gone rabid with fear and paranoia. Having come upon the cabin of the mad professor who stole his beloved, Winkie is suddenly surrounded by the FBI, who instantly conclude that he is the evil mastermind behind dozens of terrorist attacks that have been traced to the forest. Terrified and confused, Winkie is brought to trial, where the prosecution attempts to seal the little bear's fate by interviewing witnesses from the trials of Galileo, Socrates, John Scopes, and Oscar Wilde.

Finished Winkie by Clifford chase and I will give this book

My Review;

At first I was really surprised how much I liked this book, but somewhere after page 50 it was going in the wrong way. I could not understand what was happening. Things were weird and strange. I just continued reading because it was a book for the monthly challenge on my RL bookclub: read a book about things that can communicate with the main character in the book. So talking animals, talking trees.

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Now reading, for the same challenge Noah Barleywater gaat ervandoor by John Boyne
This is the translation of Noah Barleywater runs away an ebook with 147 pages.

The blurb,

Eight-year-old Noah's problems seem easier to deal with if he doesn't think about them. So he runs away, taking an untrodden path through the forest. Before long he comes across a shop. But this is no ordinary shop. It is a toy shop, full of the most amazing toys, and brimming with the most wonderful magic. And here Noah meets a very unusual toymaker.The toymaker has a story to tell, and it's a story of adventure and wonder, and broken promises. He takes Noah on a journey. A journey that will change his life. And it could change yours too

>117 connie53: Wow, that does sound like a really weird book. I hope your next book works out better!

>117 connie53:. Connie I bought this book earlier this year but have yet to read it. I will be interested in your thoughts on it.

>119 HelenBaker: And finished it yesterday afternoon,

My review;

Noah runs away from home, because he can't stay there anymore. He walks to a nearby village and through another village until he sees a peculiar tree in the third village with an even more peculiar house behind it. When he walks into the house it turns out to be a shop filled with wooden toys and lots of wooden puppets. The shopkeeper is an old man who takes the boy to the kitchen and gives him food. There the shopkeeper tells him the stories that belong to a number of special puppets. He tells the story of his childhood and Noah finds the courage to go home again. A sweet little book with a message. Just face what is coming on your path and enjoy what you have while you still have it

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now reading Lampje by Annet Schaap This will probably fit in the August challenge as well.



Original Dutch children's book, 324 pages

The blurb

This is a story about the sea. About mysterious sea creatures and ferocious pirates. About the Black House of the Admiral, they say a monster lives there. About a gray lighthouse on an island that is just stuck to the mainland. About Lampje, the daughter of the lighthouse keeper, who climbs the sixty-one steps every evening to light the light. About a stormy evening, when the matches are gone and everything goes wrong.

But especially about being brave and being able to do more than you ever thought.

>117 connie53: I read Winkie years ago, Connie, and I have to say I agree with your comments.

>32 connie53: Like almost everyone else, I also loved The Martian :). Glad you liked it, too. It's one of those books I feel fairly safe recommending to just about anybody.

Glad to see you seem to be doing well, and congrats on another grandchild!

>121 readingtangent: Thanks, Elizabeth! Granddaughter is expected somewhere in the next week. So I'm almost glued to my mobile.

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Finished Lampje by Annet Schaap and give it

My review;

What a wonderful and great children's book this is! I would have loved to have read that if I had been 10 or 11, and now that I am over 65, I think it is really a wonderful book. With a sweet story about courage and perseverance and friendship and loyalty. Beautiful illustrations (by the writer) and short chapters. This will be one of my favorite books to read to my granddaughters when they are a bit older.

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De aardbeiendief by Joanne Harris
This is the translation of The Strawberry Thief, 366 pages

The Blurb

Vianne Rocher has settled down. Lansquenet-sous-Tannes, the place that once rejected her, has finally become her home. With Rosette, her 'special' child, she runs her chocolate shop in the square, talks to her friends on the river, is part of the community. Even Reynaud, the priest, has become a friend. But when old Narcisse, the florist, dies, leaving a parcel of land to Rosette and a written confession to Reynaud, the life of the sleepy village is once more thrown into disarray. The arrival of Narcisse's relatives, the departure of an old friend and the opening of a mysterious new shop in the place of the florist's across the square - one that mirrors the chocolaterie, and has a strange appeal of its own - all seem to herald some kind of change: a confrontation, a turbulence - even, perhaps, a murder...

And



De glazen boeken van de dromeneters by Gordon Dahlquist
This is the translation of The Glass Books of the Dream Eaters, 877 pages !!!!

The blurb;

It begins with a simple note: Roger Bascombe wishes to inform Celeste Temple that their engagement is forthwith terminated. But Celeste, for all her lack of worldly experience, is determined to find out why her fiance should have thrown her over so cruelly. Adopting a disguise, she follows her erstwhile lover to the forbidding Harschmort manor, where she discovers a world--by turns seductive and shocking--she could never have imagined, and a conspiracy so terrifying as to be almost beyond belief.

>122 connie53: Happy to see you liked Lampje as much as I did, Connie.
Very suited to read to your granddaughters in some years.

>123 FAMeulstee: I can't wait to read it to Fiene an Lonne!

Finised De aardbeiendief by Joanne Harris

My review;

This book a bit difficult to get into. Part 4 in the series and I couldn't remember much about the earlier books. So it took some getting used to. I read it yesterday and still the impression that I have left is a bit vague. Most of the characters come from the previous parts, with Vianne Rocher and her daughter Rosette as main characters. Nice to read but not really impressive.

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Bought yesterday and now reading



Niemand hoort het by Linwood Barclay
This is the translation of A Noise Downstairs, 315 pages

The blurb

College professor Paul Davis is a normal guy with a normal life. Until, driving along a deserted road late one night, he surprises a murderer disposing of a couple of bodies. That's when Paul's "normal" existence is turned upside down. After nearly losing his own life in that encounter, he finds himself battling PTSD, depression, and severe problems at work. His wife, Charlotte, desperate to cheer him up, brings home a vintage typewriter?complete with ink ribbons and heavy round keys?to encourage him to get started on that novel he's always intended to write. However, the typewriter itself is a problem. Paul swears it's possessed and types by itself at night. But only Paul can hear the noise coming from downstairs; Charlotte doesn't hear a thing. And she worries he's going off the rails. Paul believes the typewriter is somehow connected to the murderer he discovered nearly a year ago. The killer had made his victims type apologies to him before ending their lives. Has another sick twist of fate entwined his life with the killer?could this be the same machine? Increasingly tormented but determined to discover the truth and confront his nightmare, Paul begins investigating the deaths himself. But that may not be the best thing to do. Maybe Paul should just take the typewriter back to where his wife found it. Maybe he should stop asking questions and simply walk away while he can. . .

And as an ebook



Achtervolging by Linwood Barclay
This is the translation of Chase first part in a Young Adult series about Jeff & Chipper. 165 pages

The blurb

Chipper is a very special dog. As part of a top-secret, multi-million dollar experiment to create the ultimate canine spy technology, Chipper's whole life has been spent within the walls of a secret organization known only as The Institute. Chipper is supposed to be more machine than mutt, but something's wrong and The Institute knows it. He's about to be terminated. Across the state, twelve-year-old orphan Jeff Conway is working all hours at his aunt Flo's lakeside cabin business. He misses his parents, his old life, and the dog he had to leave behind. When Chipper escapes and his and Jeff's paths collide, dog and boy find themselves tangled up in the most dangerous game of chase imaginable...

Hi, Connie! You're doing such a good job of reading ROOTs! My ROOTs have made up just about a third of my reads so far this year, so I need to be more mindful.

Hi Connie! You are really getting som books read. Well done 8-)

>125 connie53: Yaaaaay! I haven't read that Linwood yet, but it's on my shelves! (I still have The Twenty-Three and Parting Shot to read.)

>128 rabbitprincess: And don't wait too long, RP!!

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Niemand hoort het by Linwood Barclay

My Review;

You can always rely on a book by Linwood Barclay, and that is no different with this book. Paul Davies is seriously injured when he catches someone trying to bury a few corpses. Eight months later, things are starting to look a bit better. Paul decides to do some research himself into the 'Why'. He thinks that he can process the last traces of the trauma better that way. But nothing is less true. Paul hears sounds and nobody else hears them. Even his wife Charlotte doesn't really believe him. That makes the investigation even more compelling. Anna White, his psychologist, tries to guide him and to stop him. She too becomes involved in the search. The end is very, very surprising.

Achtervolging by Linwood Barclay

My Review

A Young Adult book by Linwood Barclay. That promises something and this book certainly keeps that promise. Chipper is a dog that escapes from an institution where he has been "adapted" to act as a spy for the government. But he failed a bit because he can't concentrate well on his task, but is distracted by every squirrel crossing his path. That is why he will be killed so that they can reuse all implants. But he is smart and knows how to escape. He goes looking for Jeff. On the way he is chased and has to use all kinds of tricks to stay free. When he finds Jeff, they flee together with the girl next door, Emily. Certainly an exciting book for children aged 10-12.

Now reading a ROOT that has been on my shelves since January 2019.



De moordopdracht by James Dashner Touchstone is not working properly! Have to see how to sort that out.
This is the translation of The Kill Order, 365 pages

The blurb

When sun flares hit the Earth, intense heat, toxic radiation and flooding followed, wiping out much of the human race. Those who survived live in basic communities in the mountains, hunting for food. For Mark and his friends, surviving is difficult, and then an enemy arrives, infecting people with a highly contagious virus. Thousands die, and the virus is spreading. Worse, it's mutating, and people are going crazy. It's up to Mark and his friends to find the enemy - and a cure - before the Flare infects them all.

And finished De moordopdracht today and give it

My Review

I really liked the Labyrinthrenner books, and when I heard there were 2 prequels I bought them too and I don't regret that. In this first prequel there is a lot of fighting, Mark and the others have to fight through one after the other problem, but it is reasonable nice reading material.

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Now reading the second prequel in this series



De viruscode by James Dashner, 347 pages

The blurb

Once there was a world's end. The forests burned, the lakes and rivers dried up, and the oceans swelled. Then came a plague, and fever spread across the globe. Families died, violence reigned, and man killed man. Next came WICKED, who were looking for an answer. And then they found the perfect boy. The boy's name was Thomas, and Thomas built a maze. Now there are secrets. There are lies. And there are loyalties history could never have foreseen. This is the story of that boy, Thomas, and how he built a maze that only he could tear down. All will be revealed.

Still waiting for Granddaughter number 3. I practically sleep on my mobile phone.

I finished 3 book today!

De viruscode by James Dashner -

My Review:

De viruscode is about the origin of the labyrinth and about Thomas and Teresa, 2 young people who are taken away from their parents because they are immune to the virus that has made so many people insane. They are examined and monitored in their development because the institute where they life hopes to find a cure for the virus. Fortunately not as many fights as in De moordopdracht.

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De labyrintrennerfiles - James Dashner -

My Review~

Not so much to tell about this companion book. Just some documents and mails from the book put into one little book of 52 pages?

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Stad vol ballonnen - Femke van der Laan -

My review;

Nice book with the columns that Femke van der Laan wrote after the death of her husband, the mayor of Amsterdam Eberhard.
The white balloons are the difficult things that people carry with them like a balloon around their wrists. The memories that will always remain.

Yesterday, on her father's birthday, our third granddaughter was born.

Her name is Marie Louise Petronella, Marie is what we call her in daily live. Louis and Petronella are after both her granddads, Lou and Peter.

She weighs 4325 gram and is 53 cm. So she is a big girl

Congratulations Connie! On reaching your goal, of course, but most of all on your new granddaughter. She's a lovely girl!

>134 connie53: Oh what a beautiful girl! Congratulations to the whole family!

Congratulations, Connie! She's beautiful and I love her name.

>137 karenmarie: You have to love her name, Karen Marie! And thank you!

>135 MissWatson:, >136 Jackie_K: Thanks ladies

Congratulations and happy birthday to granddaughter and her dad!

>134 connie53: Welcome to LT, Marie. Congratulations, Connie.

Congratulations on your new granddaughter! She's adorable!

Thanks Robert and Jennifer!

>138 connie53: Well, yes, because of Marie. But what I really meant was that it's quite wonderful that she's name after her grandfathers in such a beautiful way.

>134 connie53: Congratulations, Connie!

Congratulations on your newest granddaughter, Connie.

>143 karenmarie:. Okay, I understand. Fiene was named after her great-grandmother Josephine, Cornelia after me and Maria after her other grandmother. So it was too be expected, but Peet is very happy with it.

>144 FAMeulstee:, >145 Familyhistorian: Thanks, Marie is so adorable.

Here is a picture Eveline composed

In green, Fiene
In pink, Marie

And I finished another ROOT to donate to the grand total.



De drie zusjes by Alice Hoffman,
This is the translation of The Story Sisters, 353 pages

My Review;

In the beginning I had some problems with this book. I found it vague and a bit unusual. But as I progressed I thought it did get better. It is about 3 sisters and how their lives evolved during the 15 to 20 years that the story follows them. Elv is the oldest and gets addicted to drugs and crime, Meg is the middle one, she is the quietest and reads many books, (There are also many references to the books of Nathaniel Hawthorne and Virginia Woolf), Claire is the youngest and she is the faithful shadow of her oldest sister. It is also the story of Annie, their mother, and Natalia, their grandmother. Good story.

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Now reading another strange book.



De glazen boeken van de dromeneters by Gordon Dahlquist

This is the translation of The Glass Book of the Dream Eaters, 887 pages (so this might take a while, but it's a ROOT)

The Blurb:

It begins with a simple note: Roger Bascombe wishes to inform Celeste Temple that their engagement is forthwith terminated. But Celeste, for all her lack of worldly experience, is determined to find out why her fiance should have thrown her over so cruelly. Adopting a disguise, she follows her erstwhile lover to the forbidding Harschmort manor, where she discovers a world--by turns seductive and shocking--she could never have imagined, and a conspiracy so terrifying as to be almost beyond belief.

Congratulations Connie on your 3rd beautiful granddaughter. A very special name too.

Eveline did a good job on the comparison photo, Connie! Same outfit, same blanket. Very thoughtful.

>149 karenmarie: Thanks, Karen. I will let her know! ;-))

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Finished another ROOT # 38 and # 75 for the year. (another challenge completed!)



De glazen boeken van de dromeneters by Gordon Dahlquist

My Review;

An unlikely trio enters into battle against the plans of a number of prominent people in Victorian London. Celeste Temple, a young woman who has just arrived in the city and was dumped by her fiancé, "Cardinal" Chang, an assassin and detective hired to find someone and Doctor Svenson, the personal physician of the crown prince of Meckelenburg who has come for the crown prince's engagement. Their adventures take them to a dark country house where all kinds of practices are going on that have to do with blue glass. That blue glass is chemically processed and can absorb all feelings, memories and sentiments of people, so that people become numb. In the beginning it was very, very strange, but after about 100 pages it caught me completely. A huge book of 887 pages that I have been carrying everywhere for two weeks to miss nothing and lose no reading time.

Now I have to choose a new book to read.

Congrats on finishing 75 books, Connie! I hope your next one is a good one, to enjoy reading outside. We have been promised lovely summer weather for the weekend.

Congrats on 75 from me, too, Connie, and 2 past your goal of 36 ROOTs.

Congratulations on hitting 75!

Well done on the 75, great achievement! I'll be happy if I've done that by the end of the year!

Thanks all! I've reached all sorts of challenges,
year challenge (75),
ROOT challenge (36),
Chunksters (15),
BFB (BigFatBooks) (6)

>151 MissWatson:. Yes I know, it will be 30 to 33 degrees C until Wednesday. And then only slightly cooler. So summer all over again.

Finished another one!



De bekentenissen van Petrus by Jeroen Windmeijer

Original Dutch book. Translated titleThe confessions of Petrus, 311 pages

The Blurb

In the autumn of 1996, a spectacular bronze visormask was found in the excavation of the Roman camp Matilo in Leiden. However, there are persistent rumors that something was also found on the same day that was scrupulous concealed - a discovery that could shed a whole new light on history as we know it and, moreover, shake the Catholic Church to its foundations. .. Peter de Haan, archaeologist at Leiden University, and history student Judith Cherev discover an age-old document and become embroiled in an extremely dangerous adventures

My Review

The Dutch Dan Brown is perhaps a bit too much, but Jeroen Windmeijer is coming a long way. The story begins with Peter de Haan, archaeologist and teacher at the University of Leiden and the history student Judith Cherev who is talking to him when Peter receives a phone call about an excavated mask that should be a breakthrough. Peter takes Judith to the excavation and then an exciting chase through Leiden unfolds. The beginning is written full speed, but when many letters are shown in the middle of the story, it all slows down a bit. The end is then again written with enough speed the keep the attention.

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Now reading a book bought today



Mijn dochter in Frankrijk by Barbara Keating & Stephanie Keating,
This is the translation of To my daughter in France 443 pages

The Blurb:

And to my daughter in France, I bequeath the remainder of my Estate." These words, read from the will of Irish academic Richard Kirwan, come as a complete surprise to his grieving family. Solange de Valnay's perfectly ordered world is shattered when she discovers the identity of her true father for the first time. But the truth of Richard Kirwan's liaison with her mother cannot remain buried, and the Kirwan children and their half-sister must overcome their differences and confront the past that unites them. What emerges is an extraordinary tale of an impossible but irresistible love affair, of passion and blind heroism, of sacrifices made for love and honor, and of four families whose resistance to the German forces, occupying France during the Second World War, binds them across borders and cultures and through war and peace.

Congrats on reading 75 books, Connie!

Congratulations!

Mijn dochter in Frankrijk by Barbara Keating & Stephanie Keating was amazing,

My Review;

What a beautiful story about love, loyalty, infidelity, suffering and sorrow and everything in between. The story is set in 1970 in Paris, Dublin, Geneva and the Languedoc and in the Second World War, in about the same places. It shows how complicated relationships can be and that people can be connected in the most unusual ways. Furthermore, I can't say much about it without spoiling.

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Now Reading Het Pauluslabyrint by Jeroen Windmeijer
Original Dutch: Translation of the title The Labyrinth of Paul, 389 pages

The Blurb

When the mayor of Leiden wants to give the starting signal for placing underground waste containers, he collapses with digger and all in a bog hole. There appears to be an underground corridor there. A boy is also found. He doesn't seem injured, but he is still covered with blood.
When university teacher Judith Cherev and professor Arnold van Tiegem disappear shortly thereafter, archaeologist Peter de Haan is forced to investigate. He comes across a part of national history that had not been hidden for centuries for nothing. Leiden shakes to its foundations. Hora est, but whose hour has come?

When I started reading I soon found that Peter de Haan (the main character) does the same stupid things he did in the first book I read recently. >155 connie53:
So I decided there needed to be more time in between his books, so I started another book



De boekbinder by Bridget Collins
This is the translation of The binding, 464 pages

The blurb;

Emmett Farmer is working in the fields when a letter arrives summoning him to begin an apprenticeship. He will work for a Bookbinder, a vocation that arouses fear, superstition and prejudice - but one neither he nor his parents can afford to refuse. He will learn to hand-craft beautiful volumes, and within each he will capture something unique and extraordinary: a memory. If there's something you want to forget, he can help. If there's something you need to erase, he can assist. Your past will be stored safely in a book and you will never remember your secret, however terrible. In a vault under his mentor's workshop, row upon row of books - and memories - are meticulously stored and recorded. Then one day Emmett makes an astonishing discovery: one of them has his name on it.

Please, follow me to my new thread.