Connie ROOTS again in 2020; part 2

Hello ROOTers

I'm so happy to be back for another year of ROOTs reading

I'm known to most of you, but here is a small introduction.
I'm Connie (67) and I live in the Netherlands (which might explain my English being a bit off sometimes). I recently retired from my job and now I have time to read a lot.

I've been reading ROOTs when they were called BOMBs in 2012 so this is my ninth year. And I'm loving to be among 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's warm and sultry.

I'm married to Peet (69) and we have one son Jeroen (37) and one daughter Eveline (34)
Jeroen lives with his girlfriend Rianne (32) near by and they have a daughter Lonne (2 years old)
Eveline lives with her boyfriend Cyrille (38) in another town, Maastricht, half an hour from us by car.
They have a little girl, Fiene (4 years old) and a newborn baby-girl named Marie (1 year old).

This is where I will keep a list of the ROOTs I read in 2020.
My rules are simple: A book counts as a ROOT when it has been on my shelves for more than 6 months.

My To-read list is now (2020/05/01) 422 books long.




01. De wereld vergaat niet - Kate Atkinson - book -
02. Het spel van de engel - Carlos Ruiz Zafón - book -
03. Vlucht uit New York - Guillaume Musso - book -
04. De gevangene van de hemel - Carlos Ruiz Zafón - book -
05. Het labyrint der geesten - Carlos Ruiz Zafón - book -
06. Wit - Ted Dekker - book -
07. De Steen des Afscheids - Tad Williams - book -
08. De belegering - Tad Williams - book -
09. De eeuwige tijd - Deborah Harkness - book -
10. Matched - Ally Condie - book -
11. Jongen verslindt heelal - Trent Dalton - book -
12. Gebroken - B.A. Paris - book -
13. Koud bloed - Robert Bryndza - book -
14. Gevangen - Kelley Armstrong - book -
15. De Darkest Powers trilogie - Kelley Armstrong - book -
16. Het eerste boek - Harman Nielsen - book -
17. Vergeet haar niet - Nora Roberts - book -
18. De snijkamer - Jilliane Hoffman - book -
19. Drakenmeester - Margaret Weis - book -
20. Staartjagers zang - Tad Willams - book -
21. Schadevolle jaren - Richard Russo - book -
22. Het meisje met de vlechtjes - Wilma Geldof - book -
23. Het leven van Pi - Yann Martel - book -
24. Een onafwendbaar einde - Elizabeth George - book -
25. In wankel evenwicht - Elizabeth George - book -
26. Lichaam van de dood - Elizabeth George - book -
27. De stenen hemel - N.K. Jemisin - book -
28. Muze - Laini Taylor - book -
29. Oryx en Crake - Margaret Atwood - book -
30.Het jaar van de vloed - Margaret Atwood - book -
31. MaddAddam - Margaret Atwood - book -
32. 22-11-1963 - Stephen King - book -
33. Het geheime bondgenootschap - Philip Pullmann - book -
34. De zoon - Jo Nesbø - book -
35. Date met de dood - Charlaine Harris - book -
36. De leugenaar - Lisa Gardner - book -
37. De zwaluw en de kolibrie - Santa Montefiore - book -
38. De dame - Daniel O'Malley - book -
39. Naaste familie - Deborah Moggach - book -
40. De verre echo - Val McDermid - book -
41. Zeemansgraf - Val McDermid - book -
42. Een duister domein - Val McDermid - book -
43. Bloed op het zand - Bradley P. Beaulieu - book -

This is where I will keep track of all books read in 2020: ROOTs, new and shiny treebooks, ebooks.

This first post is for January, February and March.




001. De wereld vergaat niet - Kate Atkinson - book - ROOT # 01 -
002. Het spel van de engel - Carlos Ruiz Zafón - book - ROOT # 02 - BFB # 1 - FF-challenge # 1 -
003. Vlucht uit New York - Guillaume Musso - book - ROOT # 03 -
004. De gevangene van de hemel - Carlos Ruiz Zafón - book - ROOT # 04 - FF-challenge # 2 -
005. Het labyrint der geesten - Carlos Ruiz Zafón - book - ROOT # 05 - BFB # 2 -
006. Wit - Ted Dekker - book - ROOT # 6 - FF-challenge # 3 -
007. Een onmogelijke keuze - Clare Mackintosh - ebook - FF-challenge # 4 -
008. De Steen des Afscheids - Tad Williams - book - ROOT # 7 - BFB # 3 - FF-Challenge # 5 -
009. De zevenvoudige dood van Evelyn Hardcastle - Stuart Turton - book - FF-Challenge # 6 -
010. Het meisje met alle gaven - M.R. Carey - ebook -
011. De belegering - Tad Williams - book - ROOT # 8 - BFB # 4 - FF-Challenge # 7 -
012. Zon - Lucinda Riley - book - BFB # 5 - FF-Challenge # 8 -
013. De eeuwige tijd - Deborah Harkness - book - ROOT # 9 -
014. Matched - Ally Condie - book - ROOT # 10 - FF-Challenge # 9 -
015. Crossed - Ally Condie - ebook -
016. Reached - Ally Condie - ebook -
017. Jongen verslindt heelal - Trent Dalton - book - ROOT # 11 -
018. Gebroken - B.A. Paris - book - ROOT # 12 - FF-challenge # 10 -
019. Koud bloed - Robert Bryndza - book - ROOT # 13 -
020. Wild - Harlan Coben - book - FF-challenge # 11 -
021. Gevangen - Kelley Armstrong - book - ROOT/LOT # 14 - FF-challenge # 12 -

This is where I will keep track of all books read in 2020: ROOTs, new and shiny treebooks, ebooks.

This post is for April, May and June.




022. De Darkest Powers trilogie - Kelley Armstrong - book - ROOT/LOT # 15 - BFB # 6 - FF-challenge # 13 -
023. Het eerste boek - Harman Nielsen - book - ROOT/LOT # 16 - FF-challenge # 14 -
024. Vergeet haar niet - Nora Roberts - book - ROOT/LOT # 17 - FF-challenge # 15 -
025. De snijkamer - Jilliane Hoffman - book - ROOT/LOT # 18 -
026. De dood van Harriet Monckton - Elizabeth Haynes - book - BFB # 7 -
027. Het stenen matras - Margaret Atwood - book - FF-challenge # 16 -
028. Drakenmeester - Margaret Weis - book - ROOT/LOT # 19 - FF-Challenge # 17 -
029. Stille schreeuw - Angela Marsons - book -
030. Staartjagers zang - Tad Williams - book - ROOT/LOT # 20 - FF-Challenge # 18 -
031. The Boy on the Bridge - M.R. Carey - ebook -
032. De oude magie - Mariëtte Aerts - ebook -
033. Schadevolle jaren - Richard Russo - book - ROOT/LOT # 21 - FF-Challenge # 19 - BFB # 8 -
034. Het meisje met de vlechtjes - Wilma Geldof - book - ROOT/LOT # 22 - FF-challenge # 20 -
035. Het leven van Pi - Yann Martel - book - ROOT/LOT # 23 - FF-Challenge # 21 -
036. Een onafwendbaar einde - Elizabeth George - book - ROOT/LOT # 24 - BFB # 9 - FF-challenge # 22 -
037. In wankel evenwicht - Elizabeth George - book - ROOT/LOT # 25 - BFB # 10 -
038. Lichaam van de dood - Elizabeth George - book - ROOT/LOT # 26 - BFB # 11 -
039. De vlinderkamer - Lucinda Riley - book - BFB # 12 -
040. In hechtenis - Nicci French - book - FF-challenge # 23 -
041. De stenen hemel - N.K. Jemisin - book - ROOT/LOT # 27 -
042. Muze Laini Taylor - book - ROOT/LOT # 28 - FF-Challenge # 24 -
043. Oryx en Crake - Margaret Atwood - book - ROOT/LOT # 29 - BFB # 13 -
044. Het jaar van de vloed - Margaret Atwood - book - ROOT/LOT # 30 - BFB # 13 -
045. MaddAddam - Margaret Atwood - book - ROOT/LOT # 31 - BFB # 13 -
046. Naar de overkant - Santa Montefiore - book - FF-challenge # 25 -
047. De zevenvoudige dood van Evelyn Hardcastle - Stuart Turton - book - re-read -
048. 22-11-1963 - Stephen King - book - ROOT/LOT # 32 - FF-challenge # 26 -BFB # 14 -
049. Drakensteen - Mariëtte Aerts - ebook - FF-challenge # 27 -
050. Wat jij niet ziet - M.J. Arlidge - book -
051. The House in the Cerulean Sea - T. J. Klune - ebook - FF-Challenge # 28 -
052. Verzwegen - Karin Slaugther - book - BFB # 15 -
053. Mijn naam is Morgen - Damian Dibben - ebook -
054. Stormbrekers - Mariëtte Aerts - ebook -
055. Zilverbloed - Mariëtte Aerts - ebook -
056. Het geheime bondgenootschap - Philip Pullman - book - ROOT/LOT # 33 - BFB # 16 -
057. The Starless Sea - Erin Morgenstern - ebook - BFB # 17 -

This is where I will keep track of all books read in 2020: ROOTs, new and shiny treebooks, ebooks.

This post is for July, August and September.




058. The Ten Thousand Doors of January - Alix E. Harrow - ebook -
059. Winterland - Kim Faber & Janni Pedersen - book -
060. De zoon - Jo Nesbø - book - ROOT/LOT # 34 -
061. Date met de dood - Charlaine Harris - book - ROOT/LOT # 35 - FF-challenge # 29 -
062. De meeste mensen deugen - Rutger Bregman - ebook -
063. Nog lange niet - M.J. Arlidge - book - FF-challenge # 30 - BFB # 18 -
064. Starworld - Audrey Coulthurst & Paula Garner - ebook -
065. Drie uur - Rosamund Lupton - book -
066. De leugenaar - Lisa Gardner - book - ROOT/LOT # 36 -
067. De zwaluw en de kolibrie - Santa Montefiore - book - ROOT/LOT # 37 -
068. De dame - Daniel O'Malley - book - ROOT/LOT # 38 -
069. Naaste familie - Deborah Moggach - book - ROOT/LOT # 39 - FF-challenge # 31 -
070. De verre echo - Val McDermid - book - ROOT/LOT # 40 -
071. Zeemansgraf - Val McDermid - book - ROOT/LOT # 41 -
072. Een duister domein - Val McDermid - book - ROOT/LOT # 42 -
073. De vrouw die niet opgaf - Val McDermid - ebook -
074. De donor - Clare Mackintosh - ebook -
075. De man die zijn sporen wiste - Val McDermid - ebook -
076. Geschonden graf - Val McDermid - ebook -
077. De ijzige verloofde - Christelle Dabos - ebook -
078. Mal - Harman Nielsen - book -
079. Vlught - Angie Sage - ebook -
080. Elixer - Angie Sage - ebook -
081. Queeste - Angie Sage - ebook -
082. Sirene - Angie Sage - ebook -
083. Bloed op het zand - Bradley P. Beaulieu - book - ROOt/LOT # 43 -
084. Duyster - Angie Sage - ebook -
085. Vuer - Angie Sage - ebook -
086. De kleine bakkerij aan het strand - Jenny Colgan - ebook -
087. Zomer in de kleine bakkerij - Jenny Colgan - ebook -
088. Een verre kust - Jenny Colgan - ebook -
089. Cafe zon & zee - Jenny Colgan - ebook -
090. Het eindeloze strand - Jenny Colgan - ebook -
091. Wintereiland - Jenny Colgan - ebook -
092. Het dubbele geheim van de familie Lessage - Sandrine Destombes - ebook -
093. Grote kleine leugens - Liane Moriarty - ebook -
094. Het geheim van mijn man - Liane Moriarty - ebook -
095. Wat Alice vergat - Liane Moriarty - ebook -
096. Bijna echt gebeurd - Liane Moriarty - ebook -
097. Nog één keer feest - Liane Moriarty - ebook -
098. Alles voor jou - Liane Moriarty - ebook -
099. De boekwinkel op de hoek - Annie Darling - ebook -
100. Het leugenhuis - Anne B. Ragde - ebook -
101. Het wenshuis - Anne B. Ragde - ebook -
102. Het droomhuis - Anne B. Ragde - ebook -

This is where I will keep track of all books read in 2020: ROOTs, new and shiny treebooks, ebooks.

This post is for October, November and December.

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




01. Het spel van de engel by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, 552 pages
02. Het labyrint der geesten by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, 845 pages
03. De Steen des Afscheids by Tad Williams, 679 pages (without the Appendix)
04. De groene Engeltoren, de belegering - Tad Williams, 672 pages (without Appendix)
05. Zon - Lucinda Riley - 728 pages
06. De Darkest Powers trilogie - Kelley Armstrong - 952 pages
07. De dood van Harriet Monckton - Elizabeth Haynes - 505 pages
08. Schadevolle jaren - Richard Russo - 563 pages
09. Een onafwendbaar einde - Elizabeth George - 550 pages
10. In wankel evenwicht - Elizabeth George - 576 pages
11. Lichaam van de dood - Elizabeth George - 621 pages
12. De vlinderkamer - Lucinda Riley - 512 pages
13. MaddAddam - Margaret Atwood - 1271 pages
14. 22-11-1963 - Stephen King - 879 pages
15. Verzwegen - Karin Slaughter - 542 pages
16. Het geheime bondgenootschap - Philip Pullman - 636 pages.
17. The Starless Sea - Erin Morgenstern - 504 pages
18. Nog lange niet - M.J. Arlidge - 524 pages
19. Bloed op het zand - Bradley P. Beaulieu - 703 pages

This is where I will keep track of all my bought books in 2020 (excluding ebooks)




January

No books bought

February

01. De zevenvoudige dood van Evelyn Hardcastle - Stuart Turton
02. Boven water - Margaret Atwood
03. Koning van Katoren - Jan Terlouw
04. Zon - Lucinda Riley

March

05. De dood van Harriet Monckton - Elizabeth Haynes
06. Stille Schreeuw - Angela Marsons
07. Drie uur - Rosamund Lupton

April

08. Het stenen matras - Margaret Atwood
09. In hechtenis - Nicci French

May

10. De vlinderkamer -Lucinda Riley
11. Naar de overkant - Santa Montefiore

June

12. Verzwegen - Karin Slaughter

July

13. Nog lange niet - M.J. Arlidge
14. Zonder gezicht - Robert Bryndza
15. Mal - Harman Nielsen
16. Stad van tranen - Kate Mosse

August

17. Stiletto - Daniel O'Malley

Bookweek gift Leon & Juliette by Annejet van der Zijl
Birthday present from Peet Wild by Harlan Coben en Als laatste het hart by Margaret Atwood
Won by Lottery Winterland by Kim Faber and Janni Pedersen
Bookweek gift Wat jij niet ziet by M.J. Arlidge

Cursive is read

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And for Book Bullets that hit me here.




01. De zevenvoudige dood van Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton - BB by Karenmarie - Read
02. The ten thousand doors of January by Alix E. Harrow - BB by This-n-That - Read
03. Starworld by Audrey Coulthurst - BB by Curioussquared - read

Cursive is on the shelves

And here we are in a new thread. Welcome.

Happy new thread, Connie

Happy new thread, Connie. So well organised! I hope you and your family are doing well.

Happy new thread! I love love love that picture in the opening post!

Thanks Ladies and Gentleman! I will try to add some stats to the first post too.

Finished Het meisje met de vlechtjes by Wilma Geldof and give it

My Review:

This book tells the true story of Freddie Oversteegen (15) and her sister Truus (17) who join the resistance in Haarlem at a young age. Freddie looks much younger and can easily move around on the bike to deliver resistance papers and stuff like that. When they are asked by Frans van der Wiel to join his group, they do so without thinking long. Their mother is a communist who has been hiding German Jews for a while and leaves it to the sisters to make a decision. During the war their assignments became more and more difficult and even people are liquidated. The fact that it is non-fiction makes it a very intriguing book.

Loved seeing the updated picture of your granddaughters.

Hope that you and your whole family are well.

We are doing fine. We stay home all the time.

Maybe I should tell something about our Lives in times of Corona.

My daughter Eveline has a job on the eye-department of a hospital. She is a kind of office-manager there. She now is home with Fiene and Marie (since schools and daycare are closed) and tries to be a mum and work from home too. Her partner Cyrille is a kind of entrepreneur. Has been all his life. He founded a recycle-company for electrical appliances. Made it big and sold it for a nice amount of money. Since Corona he and a friend of his have been developing and manufacturing mouth masks for Intensive care units. So he is working very hard these months.

My son Jeroen is an IT-developer for Center Parcs, (A holiday resort with holiday homes al through Europe). He is now working 50% and from home for the other 50% he gets compensated by the government until this lock-down is over. He takes care of Lonne too, since his partner Rianne is working at home for the city-counsel. She is a specialist in family matters and works with those families who are in trouble. But home visits are not allowed and she uses video-calling a lot and has to write reports. So she works from the attic where she has laptops and multiple screens.

Peet and I stay home most of the time. We are now in week 7 from the lock-down and I have been to the shopping mall three times to buy things from the drugstore. Peet is not very good in finding body-lotion or wet wipes.

So these are the measurements:

* Wash your hands and wrists frequently and certainly every time after you have been out of the house and before preparing food or visit to the toilet.
* Keep a distance from everyone not belonging to your household. 1,5 meter or more
* Sneeze of cough in your elbow or upper arm
* Use paper handkerchiefs and throw them away after use
* Stay at home, just go out for groceries or for a walk or a bike ride keeping your distance.

Daycare and elementary school will start on May 11. But I do not know if Lonne, Fiene and Marie will start then. Eveline is very reluctant to let them go and there is no penalty for school absenteeism now. The government has decided that parents can choose to let their children go or keep them home for a few more weeks. I don't know what Jeroen and Rianne have decided.

So this is what we do in the Netherlands.

Happy new thread, Connie! One of the provincial governments here (Quebec) is also opening up daycares and elementary schools around the same time. High schools will remain closed until the fall. A lot of parents are concerned about the move.

In Ontario, where I am, they're starting to allow seasonal businesses such as garden centres to open if they have curbside pickup and can allow physical distancing, and to allow outdoorsy venues to start preparing for the season (e.g., marinas, golf courses), but they are not allowed to be open to the general public yet.

Happy new thread, Connie.

>16 connie53: Sure life has changed a lot....

Happy new thread, Connie!

I love that picture of your granddaughters. Such sweet faces.

>16 connie53: Thank you for the Corona update, it’s very informative. Good luck to you and Peet and your children/spouses/grandchildren. Since our stay-at-home order on March 30, I’ve only gone to the grocery store, the pharmacy (drive-through), our bank (drive-through), the Post Office to pick up any mail for the Friends of the Library, and the chiropractor because I hurt my back (it’s much better now). I've still got almost half a tank of gas that I put into my car on the last day before stay-at-home!

There’s a new normal now, isn’t there?

There certainly is. And I fear it will stay that way for a long time.

>16 connie53: The real world has become very small, somehow. All the best for you and the family, Connie.

For you too, Birgit. It's so strange to live in these times

But there are always books.

So now I'm reading another ROOT

Het leven van Pi by Yann Martel



The blurb

One boy, one boat, one tiger . . . After the tragic sinking of a cargo ship, a solitary lifeboat remains bobbing on the wild, blue Pacific. The only survivors from the wreck are a sixteen year-old boy named Pi, a hyena, a zebra (with a broken leg), a female orang-utan -- and a 450-pound Royal Bengal tiger. The scene is set for one of the most extraordinary and best-loved works of fiction in recent years.

>22 connie53: A wonderful book. Have you seen the film?

Finished Het leven van Pi by Yann Martel and I give the book

My Review:

At first it is rather difficult to get into the story but after a page or 40 it gets to you big time. Pi's story begins in a zoo in India, where his father is in charge. When the situation in India worsens, Pi's parents decide to emigrate to Canada. Some of the animals find a good home in other zoos around the world. A number are sold to zoos in America and the family travel by sea on a freighter accompanying those animals on their way to their new homes. Then the boat perishes and at the last moment Pi is dropped on a lifeboat and the freighter disappears under the waves. Then Pi makes a frightening discovery. He shares the boat with a zebra, a hyena, an orangutan and a Bengal tiger. Pi sits on the boat and floats away with the current and then begins a journey that will take 227 days. Yann Martel describes this life with many details and reflections that are absolutely intriguing to read.

Now reading another ROOT.

Een onafwendbaar einde by Elizabeth George part 14 in the series about Thomas Linley and Babara Havers.

I don't know when I've read the first 13 books, but they are not listed in my LT books, so probably before my LT-membership.



The blurb

Abandoned (albeit involuntarily) by his parents, Joel and two siblings are dumped on the doorstep of his aunt's house. Kendra, childless and with two marriages behind her, is doing her best to turn her life around; responsibility for three troubled children is not what she had in mind. Drugs, neglect, violence and poverty are commonplace in North Kensington. Joel does his best to look out for his family, but that involves a Faustian pact. And the Devil will have his pay.

Connie, your granddaughters are beautiful! I'm glad to hear you are doing well. I saw your post on the previous thread about Richard Russo's book. I have yet to read Russo, but he's from the same small city in NY (Gloversville) that I grew up in and I'm interested in his fictional depictions of the town. I also see that he wrote a memoir about growing up in Gloversville, so I hope to be able to get that book soon. Our libraries are all closed here and will remain closed for a while yet. Things aren't nearly as bad here as they have been in NY City, but we are still getting new cases diagnosed every day.

Happy new thread, Connie!
Our Governor just eased some of the restrictions yesterday, allowing appointment only businesses to start back up. In a few days restaurants will be able to open up with restricted, distanced seating. But our state wasn't hit nearly as badly as many others and we're already in the 100s (Fahrenheit) so maybe that entered into the decision.

thanks Quaisior and Jennifer.

Today we get to hear which restrictions are eased. There is a debate of the government this afternoon and then things will be decided. I hope hairdressers will be opened and perhaps the outside facilities from restaurants.

100 Fahrenheit = 37,7 Celsius. Wow that's summer!

Yes, Hairdressers will be opened next week. I'm going to make an appointment tomorrow.

Finished Een onafwendbaar einde by Elizabeth George and give it

My review:

I was expecting an exciting Linley / Havers story, but I got a very disturbing story about 3 young children who were dumped by their grandmother, who they were entrusted after their father's death and their mother being admitted to a mental institute, to the care of their aunt. Aunt Kendra does not understand children and certainly not children with such a background. It soon goes terribly wrong with the girl Ness (15) and Joel (11) also runs into all kinds of difficulties. Not only does he take care of his mentally disabled brother Toby (7), but he also has to deal with a number of criminals who force him to do things to protect his brother. Things he doesn't really want to do. At the end there is still a link with Linley and Havers.

Now reading In wankel evenwicht by Elizabeth George



The burb

In spoilerfont because of...spoilers

It is barely three months since the murder of his wife and Thomas Lynley takes to the South-West Coast Path in Cornwall, determined to walk its length in an attempt to distract himself from his loss. On the forty-third day of this walk, he sees a cliff climber fall to his death a death apparently witnessed by a surfer in a nearby cove. Shortly afterwards, Lynley encounters a young woman from Bristol whose personal history is a blank before her thirteenth year. These events propel him into a case that brings Barbara Havers from London and thrusts both detectives into a world where revenge is only one of the motives they must sift through to identify a killer.

And Bought

De vlinderkamer by Lucinda Riley



The blurb

Posy Montague is approaching her seventieth birthday. Still living in her beautiful family home, Admiral House, set in the glorious Suffolk countryside where she spent her own idyllic childhood catching butterflies with her beloved father, and raised her own children, Posy knows she must make an agonizing decision. Despite the memories the house holds, and the exquisite garden she has spent twenty-five years creating, the house is crumbling around her, and Posy knows the time has come to sell it. Then a face appears from the past - Freddie, her first love, who abandoned her and left her heartbroken fifty years ago.

Happy new thread, Connie.

Our restriction are due to be a bit less restrictive after the Victoria Day long weekend (May 18). This will include hair salons, restaurants (yay!) and libraries (double yay!) once they figure out how to do it with social distancing. Here in BC's Lower Mainland (Vancouver area) our garden centres have had their outdoor areas open all along because it has been time to plant for a long time.

>28 connie53: Happy new haircut! I know a lot of people are really desperate for a haircut now, but it will be a while longer before we get the chance here. I only tend to get a haircut twice a year so I'm used to it (I'm due one soon, my last haircut was in October or November, but I can last a bit longer before it gets too awful!).

Looks like you're getting a lot of good reading in.

Stay well, and take care!

I finished In wankel evenwicht yesterday and give it

My review:

A book with Thomas Linley is always a pleasure to read and this big one is no exception. Occasionally I found it a bit messy because often there is a change of character without indication. But otherwise it felt very familiar.

Now reading the next book in the series

Lichaam van de dood by Elizabeth George



The blurb

While DI Thomas Lynley is still on leave, Isabelle Ardery is brought into the Met as his temporary replacement. The discovery of a body in a Stoke Newington cemetery offers Isabelle the chance to make her mark with a high profile murder investigation. Persuading Lynley back to work seems the best way to guarantee a result: Lynley's team is fiercely loyal to him and Isabelle needs them - and especially Barbara Havers - on side. The Met is twitchy: a series of PR disasters has undermined its confidence. Isabelle knows that she'll be operating under the unforgiving scrutiny of the media, so is quick - perhaps too quick - to pin the murder on a convenient suspect. The murder trail leads Lynley and Havers to the New Forest, and the eventual resolution of the case. Its roots are in a long-ago act of violence that has poisoned subsequent generations and its outcome is both tragic and shocking.

Hi Connie!

Glad you're able to get your haircut soon - we're still in a more serious lockdown than that, with only a few things less restrictive starting on May 8 (none of which I'll take advantage of since our county is 8th worst of 100 in my state). My May 12th appt. went by the wayside, but since I got a 'pandemic' haircut on March 17th, I'm still not looking too shaggy.

Our library opened for limited hours this week, not that I am short of books but I visited today and came away with two. Tomorrow is haircut day, although I have been quite happy to grow some extra length as we approach our winter.

My Laptop is seriously ill. My brother came to get him to see if he can be fixed. For now I'm using an old one that belonged to my brother in law.

And summer is here! So out in the garden I go.

Glad to find your new thread and really enjoying catching up. Your grand-daughters are so joyful, beautiful!! I hope reality improves and worries ease and you can be with them soon.

Hi all, my brother fixed my laptop! So Yeah, I'm online again.

Peet had a small stroke on Friday evening, which was very scary. I was cool and collected when it happened but afterwards I kind of collapsed. He got blood-thinners and could go home on Saturday. I did not expect that. He was really talking gibberish, but that were all the symptoms he showed. Of course he did not want to spend the night in the hospital and he got very mad about that. Now things look better and I hope I will never have to go through that again.

>36 connie53: Oh my, what a schock. It was a good thing, that you were there and able to handle it properly and to get Peet the help he needed. That's how we all want to react in such a situation, but you just never know, what you will do, until it actually happens.

One of my employees had a small stroke at home two weeks ago. It dissolved by itself, but he has clearly been shaken up by the experience, and it would be very strange if you didn't react strongly too. You just have to take the necessary time to relax and reflect. Wishing you all the best.

>36 connie53: That must have been so scary for both of you. I hope he is recovering well and following doctor's orders to minimise the chances of a recurrence.

>36 connie53: Scary indeed! Best wishes to Peet for a speedy recovery.

>36 connie53: Connie well done on taking the appropriate action, as often a mini stroke precedes a major stroke, as was the case with my mother. I arrived after the event and did not recognise the symptoms i.e. weakness on left side. I wanted to take her to the Dr's but as her doctor was on leave she refused to go. I have regretted not over-ruling her decision ever since. The following morning I received a phone call from a neighbour and she had had a major stroke and never recovered, dying four months later. My brother who was a doctor assures me it was inevitable as she was unable to take blood thinners.
My mother-in-law benefited from my increased knowledge and recognition, however, when she suffered a mini stroke in the supermarket with me, she too was talking gibberish. I drove her straight to the doctors and she was treated accordingly.

It is a frightening experience and I am sure Peet is in good hands with you to watch over him. Take care of yourself.

>36 connie53: Oh, Connie, how awful. I can understand the cool and collected when needed and then collapsing after. I hope he’s fine and that you’re calmer and less stressed.

What a terrible experience for you, Connie, and you have all my respect for being able to stay calm during the crisis. all my best wishes that things work out well.

>36 connie53: Oh what a scary thing to happen. I work on a stroke unit, and can say that your quick action was absolutely the right thing to do and will have made a big difference to the outcome. Hugs, and please take care xx

That's really awful. I'm glad that Peet has gotten the care he needs, and I hope you're doing okay too.

I'm sorry to hear about Peet's stroke, but glad things are looking better. I'm sorry you had to go through that!

He is doing much better now. The medication seems to do the trick.

>46 connie53: That's great to hear Connie!

>46 connie53: I'm so pleased to hear this, and hope he continues to recover quickly and fully.

I've read a few books in the past few weeks

Muze by Laini Taylor 5 stars
De stenen hemel by N.K. Jemisin 3,5 stars
In hechtenis by Nicci French 4 stars
De vlinderkamer by Lucinda Riley 4 stars
Lichaam van de dood - Elizabeth George 4 stars

Now reading Oryx en Crake by Margaret Atwood

I have bought the very big book which includes all 3 parts of the Maddaddam series. But will count them as three books for ROOT reading.



The blurb

A novel of the future explores a world that has been devastated by ecological and scientific disasters. "Oryx and Crake is at once an unforgettable love story and a compelling vision of the future. Snowman, known as Jimmy before mankind was overwhelmed by a plague, is struggling to survive in a world where he may be the last human, and mourning the loss of his best friend, Crake, and the beautiful and elusive Oryx whom they both loved. In search of answers, Snowman embarks on a journey--with the help of the green-eyed Children of Crake--through the lush wilderness that was so recently a great city, until powerful corporations took mankind on an uncontrolled genetic engineering ride. Margaret Atwood projects us into a near future that is both all too familiar and beyond our imagining.

Never thought this would be such an appropriate story in this time of Corona.

>36 connie53: So sorry, Connie, that must have been a shock to see it happening!

>46 connie53: Glad to read Peet is doing better now.

Glad to read that Peet is recovering well, I hope that you both continue to be well after the shock and worry.

Hi Connie. I’m glad to read that Peet’s doing well with the medication.

>50 connie53: I read Oryx and Crake in February, loved it, gave it 4.5 stars. I’ve got the other two on my shelves, just need the right push. I agree about counting them as three separate reads of course!

Finished Oryx and Crake and Het jaar van de vloed by Margaret Atwood and give both books

My review of book 1

This is a book that is exactly about what we are currently experiencing. A global epidemic that pretty much wipes out the entire population of the world. Very oppressive but with a certain sense of humor and in a good writing style. Jimmy (The Snowman) is the narrator of the story of Oryx and Crake. The snowman lives alone in a tree by the beach and acts as a caretaker and intermediary between the Crakes and their 'gods' Crake and Oryx. The Crakes are a group of people created by Crake where Oryx teaches them small lessons about nature. The snowman remembers, sitting in his tree, how it all started. Not only about his life and his friendship with Crake, but also about the course of the epidemic.

My review of book 2

Second part in the series that started with the story of Oryx and Crake and the snowman, Jimmy who told their story. In this part it seems that the book is about very different people. Toby and Ren are the main characters. Both women tell the story of Adam One and his Gardeners of the Lord. A group of people who have built their own enclave on top of a building in the chaotic city. They have created a garden on the roof and they try to grow as much food as possible themselves. We have been following the story of this group for about 20 years. Until the end of the world as we know it.

Now reading MaddAddam by Margaret Atwood

BTW: I noticed this title is a palindrome.



The blurb in spoiler font because of....

Toby and Ren return to the MaddAddamite cob house after rescuing Amanda and assuming the duties of the Craker's religious overseers while Zeb searches for the founder of the pacifist green religion he left years earlier

In this final volume of the internationally celebrated MaddAddam trilogy, the Waterless Flood pandemic has wiped out most of the population. Toby is part of a small band of survivors, along with the Children of Crake: the gentle, bioengineered quasi-human species who will inherit this new earth.

As Toby explains their origins to the curious Crakers, her tales cohere into a luminous oral history that sets down humanity's past-and points toward its future. Blending action, humor, romance, and an imagination at once dazzlingly inventive and grounded in a recognizable world, MaddAddam is vintage Atwood-a moving and dramatic conclusion to her epic work of speculative fiction.

And Finished!

My Review

Third part in this trilogy and actually it was slightly different from the first two parts. The story is told by Toby and Zeb and Blackbeard, one of the young people Crake created. Blackbeard learned to write from Toby and he learned that amazingly quickly. So he can write in Toby's diary. His stories are factual representations of what happens with emotion as surprise. Toby stories have much more different emotions because she is one of the survivors after the epidemic that almost completely eradicated humanity. Within these stories, Zeb tells his story from birth to now. Furthermore, I will not tell too much because there is a danger for spoilers for those who still want to start the trilogy

Now reading

Naar de overkant by Santa Montefiore



the blurb;

Marigold has spent her life taking care of those around her, juggling family life with the running of the local shop, and being an all-round leader in her quiet yet welcoming community. When she finds herself forgetting things, everyone quickly puts it down to her age. But something about Marigold isn't quite right, and it's becoming harder for people to ignore. As Marigold's condition worsens, for the first time in their lives her family must find ways to care for the woman who has always cared for them. Desperate to show their support, the local community come together to celebrate Marigold, and to show her that losing your memories doesn't matter, when there are people who will remember them for you . . .

Finished Naar de overkant by Santa Montefiore and give it

My review:

Gripping book about Marigold and her family. She lives with her husband and her adult daughter Suze and her mother in a small rural village in England. Marigold is a caring woman who runs a shop cum post office. Her daughter Daisy lives with her boyfriend Luca in Italy but after she has ended that relationship she returns to her parents' house. Meanwhile, Marigold is not doing well. She gradually becomes more and more forgetful and eventually she can no longer hide it by using notebooks. Her family supports her and when dementia is finally diagnosed, the entire village joins forces to keep Marigold at home for as long as possible. There is also a romance for Daisy and you always see that coming in the books by Santa Montefiore

Now Rereading De zevenvoudige dood van Evelyn Hardcastle by Stuart Turton for my RL Bookclub.



The blurb:

Evelyn Hardcastle will be murdered at 11:00 p.m. There are eight days, and eight witnesses for you to inhabit. We will only let you escape once you tell us the name of the killer. Understood? Then let's begin ... Evelyn Hardcastle will die. Every day until Aiden Bishop can identify her killer and break the cycle. But every time the day begins again, Aiden wakes up in the body of a different guest. And some of his hosts are more helpful than others ... The most inventive debut of the year twists together a mystery of such unexpected creativity it will leave readers guessing until the very last page.

Started on the 12 of June and finished today: 22-11-1963 by Stephen King -

Awesome book. This book shows that changing the future by intervening in the past does not always work out as well as you hope. It's 2011 and Jake Epping, an adult-education English teacher, gets to know Al who runs a burger shop and lives near a time hole. He calls it a rabbit hole. He has been going up and down to the past on a lot of occasions to get meat for his famous burgers. The meat in 1958 is much cheaper. When Jake gets to know Al, Al has already worked out an idea to prevent the murder of John F. Kennedy by preventing Lee Oswald from shooting the president, but Al is too sick and too old to do it himself. He always comes back in 1958 and so would have to wait a long time before he can take out Lee. But he made a notebook full of notes about Lee Oswald live.
Jake decides to do it for Al and because he also wants to alter a few things that happened at that time, including the tragic story of the family of one of his students.
So Jake goes back to 1958 with a new identity, George Amberson. And then he starts his assignment. But not all of that goes without a struggle. If he changes things and goes back to 2011 and then back to 1958, all changes will be undone. So it has to go right the first time. In the time that he has to spend in the past, he gets a job at a high school and gets to know Sadie Dunhill and falls in love with her. That only makes it more complicated, of course. I am not going to tell you much because I don't want to say anything about the outcome.

Started in The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune



The burb

A magical island. A dangerous task. A burning secret. Linus Baker leads a quiet, solitary life. At forty, he lives in a tiny house with a devious cat and his old records. As a Case Worker at the Department in Charge Of Magical Youth, he spends his days overseeing the well-being of children in government-sanctioned orphanages. When Linus is unexpectedly summoned by Extremely Upper Management he's given a curious and highly classified assignment: travel to Marsyas Island Orphanage, where six dangerous children reside: a gnome, a sprite, a wyvern, an unidentifiable green blob, a were-Pomeranian, and the Antichrist. Linus must set aside his fears and determine whether or not they're likely to bring about the end of days. But the children aren't the only secret the island keeps. Their caretaker is the charming and enigmatic Arthur Parnassus, who will do anything to keep his wards safe. As Arthur and Linus grow closer, long-held secrets are exposed, and Linus must make a choice: destroy a home or watch the world burn.

and in Wat jij niet ziet by M.J. Arlidge a Novella, which I got for free yesterday when I bought another new book



The blurb

Emma Forbes is in love. Since she met ex-soldier Mark, she can't think of anything else. Mark has been mentally and physically damaged by his time in the military, but his scars only make him more attractive. At last, blind-born Emma can take care of someone, instead of always being cared for herself. Then the city is startled by a series of horrific burglaries. A mysterious figure sneaks into houses in the middle of the night, where he attacks, humiliates and mercilessly tortures his unsuspecting victims. The police have only one lead: the perpetrator has a striking scar on his neck. Is it a coincidence, or does Emma's unconditional love blind her to who Mark really is?

The book I bought is Verzwegen by Karin Slaughter



the blurb;

He watches.
A woman runs alone in the woods. She convinces herself she has no reason to be afraid, but she's wrong. A predator is stalking the women of Grant County. He lingers in the shadows, until the time is just right to snatch his victim.
He waits.
A decade later, the case has been closed. The killer is behind bars. But then another young woman is brutally attacked and left for dead, and the MO is identical.
He takes.
Although the original trail has gone cold – memories have faded, witnesses have disappeared – agent Will Trent and forensic pathologist Sara Linton must re-open the cold case. But the clock is ticking, and the killer is determined to find his perfect silent wife….

>58 connie53: The House in the Cerulean Sea is one of my books of the year so far. I hope you love it too!

Hi Connie!

Congrats on the entire MaddAddam trilogy, re-reading The 7 Deaths of Evelyn Hardcastle, and one of my favorites by King, 11/22/63.

Thanks ladies

>59 curioussquared: I like it a lot too. It's so delightful and hopeful.

>60 karenmarie: I know! I've been reading a lot of very good books lately.

Finished Wat jij niet ziet by M.J. Arlidge

My review:

Fine short story by this writer. I like reading his books anyway and this story was well written again. A little bit predictable, but fine.

Finished The House in the Cerulean Sea by TJ Klune and give it

My Review:

Delicious, hopeful and wonderful. Linus Barker's life is turned upside down when he is sent to investigate an orphanage by order of his superiors. This orphanage stands on an island in a sun-drenched, sky-blue sea. And Linus comes from the city where it has been doing nothing but rain for months. When he gets on the train with his cat Calliope, the journey of a lifetime begins. Six magical children live on the island and are lovingly raised by Arthur Parnassus. Each child has its own magical powers. Linus has 4 weeks to complete his research into the well-being of these children. And investigate whether this house can continue to exist. In the course of these weeks Linus will start to love these special children. And his view of the world is changing enormously. And when he also finds love in the form of Arthur, he makes a decision.

Now reading Verzwegen by Karen Slaughter see >58 connie53:

Finished Verzwegen by Karin Slaughter and give it

My review:

Another great book by Karin Slaughter. The story is horrifying. Girls are murdered, raped and mutilated in the woods. The first few are several years earlier and Jeffrey Tolliver, Lena Adams and Sara Linton are doing their best to avoid subsequent casualties. If they can lock someone up for the murders, it seems like everything is over, but years later Sara, Will Trent and Faith Mitchell have to solve some more murders. The man who was arrested for the murders earlier wants to talk and has now collected so much material about other girls that they have to take it seriously

You're closing in on your goal, Connie! Only 10 to go!

I hope you're well, and you are getting to see a bit more of your family.

So sorry to hear about Peet's stroke. But glad to hear you were able to be there for him. Hope it never happens again and that you both stay well.

Also glad your computer got fixed.

And your granddaughters are beautiful!

Hi Connie, I hope you are having a lovely weekend with lots of sunshine.

Thanks, Jackie, Lora and Birgit.
This weekend was Fathers-day weekend but we did not get any visitors. Peet celebrates his 70th birthday next Sunday so we invited our kids, kids in Law and grandkids to come over in the afternoon. We can all sit in the garden and keep some distance. We are promised a kind of heatwave so ideal for sitting in the garden.

Currently reading two books (or really four, but two are a bit neglected)

e-books:

Stormbrekers by Mariëtte Aerts, part 4 in a Dutch series.



The blurb:

Raben and Calli have made the crossing to the eastern countries and are working for a family of storm singers on their storm boat the Cheron. But it does not bother between Calli and the Family and then the ship is also threatened by air pirates. Calli's dream is to visit the Kraaienburcht, the place where powerful Elementalists once lived. After all, those are the people from whom she inherited her gift. What no one knows is that in the meantime some old, powerful magicians have awakened. They have their own plans for the world and have caught sight of the Seven Islands. Stormbreakers is the fourth part of The Chronicles of the Seven Islands.

And the neglected ones are;

Vlught by Angie Sage
Ascendant's Rite by David Hair

The tree-book is Het geheime bondgenootschap by Philip Pullman, ROOT, BFB



The blurb

It is twenty years since the events of La Belle Sauvage- The Book of Dust Volume One unfolded and saw the baby Lyra Belacqua begin her life-changing journey. It is almost ten years since readers left Lyra and the love of her young life, Will Parry, on a park bench in Oxford's Botanic Gardens at the end of the ground-breaking, bestselling His Dark Materials sequence. Now, in The Secret Commonwealth, we meet Lyra Silvertongue. And she is no longer a child . . . The second volume of Philip Pullman's The Book of Dust sees Lyra, now twenty years old, and her daemon Pantalaimon, forced to navigate their relationship in a way they could never have imagined, and drawn into the complex and dangerous factions of a world that they had no idea existed. Pulled along on his own journey too is Malcolm; once a boy with a boat and a mission to save a baby from the flood, now a man with a strong sense of duty and a desire to do what is right. Theirs is a world at once familiar and extraordinary, and they must travel far beyond the edges of Oxford, across Europe and into Asia, in search for what is lost - a city haunted by daemons, a secret at the heart of a desert, and the mystery of the elusive Dust.

>67 connie53:. Glad your family are able to join you to celebrate Peet's birthday. It sounds very pleasant. Hope it goes wonderfully. Happy Special Birthday to Peet.

>67 connie53: Oh, a special birthday to celebrate! All my best wishes for a lovely party, Connie.

Thanks for the congrats, Birgit and Helen.

Finished Stormbrekers and Zilverbloed by Mariëtte Aerts both get

My review of Stormbrekers
How wonderful the books by Mariëtte Aerts are to read. Nice and uncomplicated, adventurous and with a lot of magic. Not too much depth, but just enjoy reading. Totally my thing for summer days.

Zilverbloed



The blurb

Raben and Calli return to Kironos, where they join the secret covenant led by the former ruler's eldest son; Together with his younger brother Arden, Enzor opposes the ideas of their father and the monk Himmondar, and tries to realize his own plans with the help of a number of friendly guards. Since everything indicates that the Three Scholars have now left their Orbis and are on their way to the capital, to take control of the Seven Islands from there, a showdown seems inevitable ...

My review

Fifth and last part of this series. I have enjoyed reading the entire series and this section gives the reader a reasonable ending. As far as I am concerned, it could have been a little less repetitive. Sometimes I really thought, "Yes, I know that by now." And that was actually the only downside, that and a somewhat messy ending.

Now reading The starless sea by Erin Morgenstern



The Blurb

Zachary Ezra Rawlins is a graduate student in Vermont when he discovers a mysterious book hidden in the stacks. As he turns the pages, entranced by tales of lovelorn prisoners, key collectors, and nameless acolytes, he reads something strange: a story from his own childhood. Bewildered by this inexplicable book and desperate to make sense of how his own life came to be recorded, Zachary uncovers a series of clues—a bee, a key, and a sword—that lead him to a masquerade party in New York, to a secret club, and through a doorway to an ancient library hidden far below the surface of the earth. What Zachary finds in this curious place is more than just a buried home for books and their guardians—it is a place of lost cities and seas, lovers who pass notes under doors and across time, and of stories whispered by the dead. Zachary learns of those who have sacrificed much to protect this realm, relinquishing their sight and their tongues to preserve this archive, and also of those who are intent on its destruction. Together with Mirabel, a fierce, pink-haired protector of the place, and Dorian, a handsome, barefoot man with shifting alliances, Zachary travels the twisting tunnels, darkened stairwells, crowded ballrooms, and sweetly soaked shores of this magical world, discovering his purpose—in both the mysterious book and in his own life.

Still reading in The Starless Sea by Erin Morgenstern

Finished another one Het geheime bondgenootschap by Philip Pullman 636 pages, ROOT and BFB



The blurb:

The second volume of Philip Pullman's The Book of Dust sees Lyra, now twenty years old, and her daemon Pantalaimon, forced to navigate their relationship in a way they could never have imagined, and drawn into the complex and dangerous factions of a world that they had no idea existed. Pulled along on his own journey too is Malcolm; once a boy with a boat and a mission to save a baby from the flood, now a man with a strong sense of duty and a desire to do what is right. Theirs is a world at once familiar and extraordinary, and they must travel far beyond the edges of Oxford, across Europe and into Asia, in search for what is lost - a city haunted by daemons, a secret at the heart of a desert, and the mystery of the elusive Dust.

My Review:

Great sequel to La Belle Sauvage. And there will be a third part that we hope we don't have to wait for too long. We follow Lyra and Malcolm in their quest. Lyra searches for Pantalaimon who has detached herself from her and is looking for Lyra's imagination that she has lost. And Malcolm searches for Dust. It is wonderfully written and I flew through it.

Hi Connie!

Happy 70th birthday to Peet! I hope the family party is a lot of fun.

We hope so too!.

Finished The Starless Sea and loved it,

my review:

What a great and original book this is. It contains everything you can expect from a good fantasy book. Adventures, mysterious persons and places, cats and owls, appealing characters who still keep their mystery. What I find very special are the romantic couples. I have rarely come across a book in which homosexuality belongs so seamless in the book. Definitely a winner.

Now reading Winterland by Kim Faber & Janni Pedersen - book



The Blurb.

Due to a professional misstep, inspector Martin Juncker is sent from Copenhagen to a small and boring provincial town. His only challenge: the tensions surrounding the local asylum seekers center. When a bomb explodes in the heart of Copenhagen and Juncker's former partner Signe Kristiansen is put on the case, he feels completely left out. The investigation is difficult, until Kristiansen suddenly gets a golden tip.
Meanwhile, to Juncker's surprise, a murder case ends up on his desk. It seems like a robbery got out of hand, but when it turns out that the victim had ties to neo-Nazis, it soon becomes clear that there is a link with Signe's case. And winter in Copenhagen has only just begun ...

The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow - ebook


A BB by This and That

The blurb

In a sprawling mansion filled with peculiar treasures, January Scaller is a curiosity herself. As the ward of the wealthy Mr Locke, she feels little different from the artefacts that decorate the halls: carefully maintained, largely ignored and utterly out of place. But her quiet existence is shattered when she stumbles across a strange book. A book that carries the scent of other worlds and tells a tale of secret doors, of love, adventure and danger. Each page reveals more impossible truths about the world, and January discovers a story increasingly entwined with her own.

>74 connie53: I'll be interested to see how you like the Alix Harrow book, I was browsing the library's online catalog a few days ago and thought it looked good.

>74 connie53: I love the cover to The Ten Thousand Doors of January. The floral art round the edges on a black background seems very much the style of the moment, but I do really like it!

>75 clue:, >76 Jackie_K: So far I like it a lot. This was a BB by ROOTer This-n-That. So I'm grateful to her for mentioning this book. And it's a story within a story and about books! So what can go wrong.

The Starless Sea, The Secret Commonwealth, and the Ten Thousand Doors of January are all on my radar, Connie, although The Secret Commonwealth is the only one I own so far. Glad to see you liked/are liking them!

>73 connie53:. I gave The Starless Sea 4*. I enjoyed the setting. Incredible imagination but I did feel a little confused at times. Glad you enjoyed it too.

>78 curioussquared: I hope you will do too, Natalie.

>79 HelenBaker: I had the same feeling, Helen. I thought it was me and reading the book in English, which is not my first language. So I'm glad it is kind of confusing for people who are native speakers too. ;-))

Finished The Ten Thousand Doors of January by Alix E. Harrow and give it

My review:

January Scaller is a girl growing up in a large country house under the watchful eye of Mr. Locke. Her father works for Mr. Locke and sets off for him to find and bring back all kinds of separate unique objects. She lives a fairly isolated life and spends her time reading. Somewhere in the house there is a chest in which she finds things from time to time. One day she finds a book; "The Ten Thousand Doors". And from that moment the journey of January begins, in which the doors to other worlds play a major role. January discovers the story of her parents and their history and the role of Mr. Locke. With a great supporting role from her dog Bad.

Now reading Starworld by Audrey Coulthurst & Paula Garner

BB by Curioussquared



The Blurb:

In a novel in two voices, a popular teen and an artistic loner forge an unlikely bond - and create an entire universe - via texts. But how long before the real world invades Starworld?Sam Jones and Zoe Miller have one thing in common: they both want an escape from reality. Loner Sam flies under the radar at school and walks on eggshells at home to manage her mom's obsessive-compulsive disorder, wondering how she can ever leave to pursue her dream of studying aerospace engineering. Popular, people-pleasing Zoe puts up walls so no one can see her true self: the girl who was abandoned as an infant, whose adoptive mother has cancer, and whose disabled brother is being sent away to live in a facility. When an unexpected encounter results in the girls' exchanging phone numbers, they forge a connection through text messages that expands into a private universe they call Starworld. In Starworld, they find hilarious adventures, kindness and understanding, and the magic of being seen for who they really are. But when Sam's feelings for Zoe turn into something more, will the universe they've built survive the inevitable explosion?

>81 connie53: I hope you enjoy!

70 cheers for Peet!! So glad he recovered quickly (hope you also have!) and glad for being able to celebrate with family.

Finished Winterland by Kim Faber & Janni Pedersen -

My Review:

Strong debut by these two Danish writers. Exciting with a good plot and strong characters who both struggle with situations in their personal lives. Martin Juncker with his demented father, Signe Kristiansen, with an event in her past that marks her collaboration within the police. I think those storylines really add something to the book. I look forward to new books from this duo.

I choose another book from my shelves which is a ROOT.

My RL Bookclub had a tradition of sending a box of books around. The instigator of the event fills a carton box with books she/he wants to get rid of and sends it to the next one of the list of members who subscribed to the event. She/he takes books out and puts the same amount of books back and sends it to the next one. The last one to get the box is the one where it started.

And that's how this book ended on my shelves.

De zoon by Jo Nesbø



The blurb;

Sonny is a model prisoner. He listens to the confessions of other inmates at Oslo jail, and absolves them of their sins. Some people even whisper that Sonny is serving time for someone else: that he doesn't just listen, he confesses to their crimes. Inspector Simon Kefas is a dedicated police officer Simon has worked for the Oslo police force for years. He's just been assigned a new murder investigation and a new partner, all on the same day. Both of them knew Sonny's father. To Sonny he was the man he idolised, to Simon he was his best friend. Both were left devastated when his corruption was revealed. But neither of them knew the truth.

Hope Peet is still doing well, and happy birthday to him!

Thanks Jean. I will pass it on.

Hi Connie!

>74 connie53: streamsong read and reviewed The Ten Thousand Doors of January, and I asked Bill to get it for me for my birthday last month. It’s up next for me. I’m deliberately skipping your >81 connie53: review, will come back to it after I read the book myself.

>85 connie53: Interesting tradition in your book club. I can see how it would be a great way to give and get books.

I hope you and Peet are having a good weekend.

>88 karenmarie: Hi Karen! I immediately read streamsongs review and I completely agree with her. I hope you love it too and can read it real soon,

Finished De zoon by Jo Nesbø

My review:

This book started out confusing, but after a while it was easy to read and still quite exciting. The hero becomes a villain and the villain becomes a hero. New people were constantly brought up and you did not know in advance whether they were going to play a major, minor or really minor role. That takes a bit of your memory. In the end it turned into an 8.

Hi Connie
Hope things are well with you and your family - it is so good that it is possible to see people again, even if it is more limited than normal.

>85 connie53: I love the idea of the travelling treasure box of books. It must be fun to see what shows up and if there are some of your own books which make their way back again.

Hope the weather is a bit more sunny in the Netherlands.

>91 Henrik_Madsen: Hi Henrik. I don't think the weather has more sun then in Denmark. We are to close to your country for that.

And yes, it was fun to open a box and see books you can choose from. And to decide which of your own books you have to part.

We are alright Coronawise but Peet is still depressed and is currently under treatment of a geriatrician. He may be suffering from mild signs of dementia also. And that is really worrying. But tests are scheduled for the coming weeks.

Currently reading

De meeste mensen deugen by Rutger Bregman

Original Dutch, non fiction, ebook



the Blurb

If you only read one book this year, make it this one' CATHY RENTZENBRINK
'This book must be read by as many people as possible - only when people change their view of human nature will they begin to believe in the possibility of building a better world' GRACE BLAKELEY
'It'd be no surprise if it proved to be the Sapiens of 2020' GUARDIAN

It's a belief that unites the left and right, psychologists and philosophers, writers and historians. It drives the headlines that surround us and the laws that touch our lives. From Machiavelli to Hobbes, Freud to Dawkins, the roots of this belief have sunk deep into Western thought. Human beings, we're taught, are by nature selfish and governed by self-interest.
Humankind makes a new argument: that it is realistic, as well as revolutionary, to assume that people are good. The instinct to cooperate rather than compete, trust rather than distrust, has an evolutionary basis going right back to the beginning of Homo sapiens. By thinking the worst of others, we bring out the worst in our politics and economics too.
In this major book, internationally bestselling author Rutger Bregman takes some of the world's most famous studies and events and reframes them, providing a new perspective on the last 200,000 years of human history. From the real-life Lord of the Flies to the Blitz, a Siberian fox farm to an infamous New York murder, Stanley Milgram's Yale shock machine to the Stanford prison experiment, Bregman shows how believing in human kindness and altruism can be a new way to think - and act as the foundation for achieving true change in our society.
It is time for a new view of human nature.

>92 connie53: I'm wishing you and Peet the best. I hope his testing goes well.

>92 connie53: Best wishes from me, too.

Finished De meeste mensen deugen by Rutger Bregman and give it

My Review:

Great, hopeful and inspiring book that I can get a lot out of. I saw Rutger Bregman on TV before and even then I loved his ideas. Actually, it just confirms what I always thought. Be positive, trust that people want to do the right thing and can be trusted. And don't be afraid to be good and friendly to the people you meet in your life too.

Now reading Nog lange niet by M.J. Arlidge



The blurb

''You have one hour to live.''

Those are the only words on the phone call. Then they hang up. Surely, a prank? A mistake? A wrong number? Anything but the chilling truth... That someone is watching, waiting, working to take your life in one hour.
But why?
The job of finding out falls to DI Helen Grace: a woman with a track record in hunting killers. However, this is A case where the killer seems to always be one step ahead of the police and the victims.
With no motive, no leads, no clues - nothing but pure fear - an hour can last a lifetime...

>96 connie53: I felt the same after reading De meeste mensen deugen, Connie.

>97 FAMeulstee: Very inspiring isn't it, Anita?

Finished:

Nog lange niet by M.J. Arlidge -

My review:

This book by M.J. Arlidge does not disappoint. It is another exciting and well-written book, with many story-lines that are neatly tied together. The past catches up with 4 friends who have been kidnapped for a while in their teens. Now, a few years later, they receive a phone call telling them they have an hour to live. Terrifying, of course

And:

Starworld by Audrey Coulthurst & Paula Garner -

My review:

Very nice book about friendship and love, loyalty and family. Zoë is a popular girl with a secret and Sam is an artistic girl who has a very secluded life at school. When Zoë finds out how well Sam can sketch and draw, they befriend and create a secret world they call Starworld through What's app. Here they can visit the universe and experience fantastic things. Through this contact, they also learn more and more about their real life and the secrets they carry with them. Together they can handle those things, but then there is an event that rips them apart.

Now Reading:



Drie uur by Rosamund Lipton

The blurb

In a rural English village in the middle of a snowstorm, the unthinkable happens: the school is under siege. From the wounded headmaster barricaded in the library, to teenage Hannah in love for the first time, to the pregnant police psychologist who must identify the gunmen, to the terrified 8-year-old Syrian refugee, to the kids sheltering in the school theatre still rehearsing Macbeth, all must find the courage to stand up to evil and try to save the people they love . . .

And



De ijzige verloofde by Christelle Dablos
Original French, ebook

the Blurb;

Ophelia runs a small museum and possesses an unusually strong ability to “read” an object’s history with her hands. She’s never had any interest in marriage, but when the Doyennes, the matriarchal heads of her extended family, arrange a marriage for her with a powerful foreigner, she is forced to accept her fate. She is sent with him and a chaperone to his home, where political machinations and scandals are a way of life, and the backstabbing can be literal as well as figurative. Can Ophelia trust anyone in this place — including her enigmatic fiancé?

Finished Drie uur by Rosamund Lupton and give it

My review:

A very exciting book about a hostage situation in an English school. In three places children between 6 and 18 are taken hostage by several hostage takers. But no ransom is demanded, they want to kill all children and teachers. The cause of this hostage taking must be the admition of two Syrian brothers, Rafi and Basi. While the police are doing everything they can to end the hostage situation within the 3-hour period given to them, some of the children show that they can also help. Driven by love and trust, they try to save everyone.
Well written, you are on the edge of your seat all the time.

Hi Connie! That's a beautiful picture of your granddaughters at the top.

Good for you for handling your husband's mini-stroke so well. I hope his health continues to be good.

I like your reviews; I already have The House in the Cerulean Sea on hold from a previous book bullet (probably Natalie, too) but you've given me some other ideas.

>100 humouress: Thanks, Nina. For all the compliments. My husband is still doing well. Although his depression is still around, but he can handle that much better now. Some of his medication are stopped and I think that helps a lot.

Started ROOT # 36 yesterday and finished it this afternoon

De leugenaar by Lisa Gardner -



The blurb

It was a case guaranteed to spark a media feeding frenzy—a young mother, blond and pretty, disappears without a trace from her South Boston home, leaving behind her four-year-old daughter as the only witness and her handsome, secretive husband as the prime suspect.

But from the moment Detective Sergeant D. D. Warren arrives at the Joneses' snug little bungalow, she senses something off about the picture of wholesome normality the couple worked so hard to create. On the surface, Jason and Sandra Jones are like any other hardworking young couple raising a four-year-old child. But it is just under the surface that things grew murky.

With the clock ticking on the life of a missing woman and the media firestorm building, Jason Jones seems more intent on destroying evidence and isolating his daughter than on searching for his "beloved" wife. Is the perfect husband trying to hide his guilt—or just trying to hide? And will the only witness to the crime be the killer's next victim?

My review:

Very intriguing story where you are constantly misled. When Sandra Jones disappears, her husband is of course the first suspect, but after some time there are more and more possible tracks that point to other men. Meanwhile, Sandra's husband Jason also tries to take care of their 4-year-old daughter Ree.
B.B. Warren and Miller must investigate the disappearance and they too are puzzled.
Well worked out story.

Have a lovely weekend, Connie!

Thanks Birgit!

Finished another ROOT



De zwaluw en de kolibrie by Santa Montefiore -

The blurb

The war has ended and Rita Fairweather is waiting for George Bolton, her childhood sweetheart, to return home to Devon. She wants their future to be a continuing reassurance of their past. But George comes back as a man changed by the horrors he has experienced.

Unable to settle back into a small-town life, George decides to travel to Argentina. And Rita promises to wait. But George faces irresistible temptation and an agonising choice. As the years pass, Rita keeps her word, but how long should she wait for the love of the life?

My review;

Bit of an average romantic story. Nice to read but predictable. And of course everything ends well for everyone.

I've read 4 more books since my last post.

De dame by Daniel O'Malley



The blurb:

The body you wear was once mine. " This is how the letter begins that a woman finds in her pocket when she wakes up in a London park, surrounded by dead people with white gloves on. Without any memory, she relies on instructions from her former self to discover her identity and track down those who want to destroy her.

My review:

Why did I keep this book on my shelves for so long? Because I was so pleasantly surprised. I had classified it under 'Novels', but it is really fantasy. When Myfanwy Thomas opens her eyes she is completely wet from the rain and she is lying in a park surrounded by dead people. She has no idea who she is and how she got to where she is now. Thanks to two letters in her jacket pockets, she can slowly discover what happened. More letters follow with new clues. When she goes to 'her' work, she ends up in an office that discovers and resolves supernatural events before normal people know there is a supernatural world out there. And Myfawny herself also has supernatural powers. There is a sequel that I must also read but which has not been translated yet.

Naaste familie by Deborah Moggach -



The burb

The three English Hammond sisters have each gone their separate ways. Louise, the oldest, lives in rural Beaconsfield with her husband and two adolescent children and leads an apparently perfect housewife's life. Prudence makes a career in the publishing world and maintains a passionate relationship with her married boss. And Maddy, the maverick, meets a gardener and falls head over heels in love.

Then their father has a heart attack and he runs off with a young nurse. The sisters are suddenly confronted with the pain of Dorothy, their mother, because of her broken marriage. The divorce also triggers a number of dramatic developments that have far-reaching consequences for all family members.

My review

Once bought in the distant past as a result of the TV series made from this book. A complicated family story. An older couple with 3 adult daughters. A daughter has an apparently perfect marriage, complete with a beautiful house and handsome children. The middle daughter is having an affair with her married boss. The youngest daughter returns from her volunteer work in Africa and so everyone is back home. Then the father has a heart attack. But after his recovery he starts a relationship with his young nurse April. And then life around the sisters also begins to crumble. Their mother has no idea what to do without her husband and that brings the sisters together to take care of their mother. Well written, but a bit of drama for one book.

De verre echo by Val McDermid -



The blurb

Scotland, December 1978 In a blizzard late at night, four students walk home drunk. By coincidence, they end up with the battered body of a young woman. Rosie Duff has been raped and left for dead in an ancient cemetery. And the only suspects are they, the friends who found her. Twenty-five years later, the unsolved Rosie Duff case is once again taken up by the police. But at the same time, someone with a completely different idea about justice takes action.

My review:

What a surprise to read another book by Val McDermid. I still have a few on the shelves and when I was looking for a new book to read, I saw them again and took the first one. These are really exciting books. In the middle of the night in a snowstorm, 4 young men find a seriously injured girl, Rosie, who they all know from the student bar where she is working. The boys make a frantic effort to save her but fail. And when it turns out that Rosie was raped and attacked with a knife, they are all under suspicion. Twenty-five years later, this murder case becomes one of the cold cases that the police are working on again. An exciting and well-structured story. In retrospect I had already seen some hints that are woven into the story quite subtly. And by 3/4 of the book, I also had an idea of the real killer.

Zeemansgraf by Val McDermid -



The blurb:

A very old body with strange tattoos is found in the Lake District. Is it really from a sailor who returned to England after the Bounty mutiny? Did he tell anyone the true story about that history?
Jane Gresham searches for the secret manuscript that she thinks should now be somewhere in his native village. But anyone who she asks about it dies immediately afterwards.

My review:

If a more than a hundred years old body is found in a bog area in the Lake district, Jane Gresham thinks it could be the body of Fletcher Christian. Fletcher is one of the men who took part in the mutiny on the Bounty. Jane investigates, but it is not without effort. There are also deaths in the present, and they all seem to be related to her quest. Well written with storylines that come together neatly at the end.

Wow, you are really getting some reading done, Connie. And some interesting sounding books, too!

>105 connie53: I loved The Distant Echo (De verre Echo)! Karen Pirie is my favourite of Val McDermid's characters. The Tony Hill and Carol Jordan series is too scary for my tastes.

Also, I've had The Rook (De Dame) on my to-read list forever. One of these days I will finally borrow it from the library.

Have a great weekend!

Thanks, Henrik and RP.

Currently reading: Een duister domein by Val McDermid



The Blurb:

Twenty-five years ago, a woman and her baby son were kidnapped and held to ransom. Catriona Grant ended up dead and little Adam's fate has remained a mystery ever since.
When a new clue is discovered in a deserted Tuscan villa – along with grisly evidence of a recent murder – cold case expert DI Karen Pirie is assigned to follow the trail.
She's already working a case from the same year. During the Miners' Strike of 1984, pit worker Mick Prentice vanished. Where did he really go? And is there a link to the Grant mystery?

The truth is stranger – and far darker – than fiction.

Bought some books too



Zonder gezicht by Robert Bryndza

Original Title: Nine Elms

The Blurb:

Kate Marshall was a promising young police detective when she caught the notorious Nine Elms serial killer. But her greatest victory suddenly became a nightmare.
Fifteen years after those catastrophic, career-ending events, a copycat killer has taken up the Nine Elms mantle, continuing the ghastly work of his idol.
Enlisting her brilliant research assistant, Tristan Harper, Kate draws on her prodigious and long-neglected skills as an investigator to catch a new monster. But there's much more than her reputation on the line: Kate was the original killer's intended fifth victim . . . and his successor means to finish the job.



Stad van tranen by Kate Mosse

Original title: The City of Tears

The blurb

France. Neighbors have become enemies, countless lives have been lost, the country has been torn apart over matters of religion, citizenship and sovereignty. But now a precarious peace is in the balance: a royal wedding has been negotiated by Catherine de' Medici and Jeanne d'Albret, an alliance between the Catholic Crown and Henri, the Huguenot king of Navarre. It is a marriage that could see France reunited at last.
Meanwhile in Puivert, an invitation has arrived for Minou Joubert and her family to attend this historic wedding in Paris in August. But what Minou does not know is that the Joubert family's oldest enemy, Vidal, will also be there. Nor that, within days of the marriage, on the eve of the Feast Day of St Bartholomew's, Minou's family will be scattered to the four winds and one of her beloved children will have disappeared without trace . . .



Mal by Harman Nielsen

Original Dutch

The blurb

Mal wanders. From home to school she always had her own path, where she could be free, alone, on her way to a place of her own, but this brooding afternoon has brought her somewhere she has never been before.
They descend deeper into the city. Mal no longer hears the strange music. Footsteps, on the other hand, do sound more often than she likes after the warning she received in the store. And, as predicted, the streets are getting darker, though perhaps because of the billowing clouds now drifting in front of the two moons. Between the high facades it starts to smell like rain.
Is she imagining it or is she really being followed? Is someone out for her freedom? In any case, she is no longer alone here. Yet she ventures on, even though she doesn't know the way, because she has to find her place for herself ..

Hi Connie!

I read The Ten Thousand Doors of January this month and loved it. I gave it 4 stars, too.

>101 connie53: I’m glad to hear that Peet is able to handle his depression better now.

>105 connie53: I have 7 books by McDermid on my shelves and have only read one – I'm like you and I wonder why? I have the first in the Tony Hill/Carol Jordan series tbr, and will bring it into the Sunroom to remind myself to read it.

You’ve almost met your ROOT goal. Good going!

Finished ROOT # 42 and reached my ROOT goal!

Een duister domein by Val McDermid and give it another

My review:

More and more impressed by the talent for thriller writing of Val McDermid. This story is well put together. Two story-lines that are effortlessly intertwined in the end.

Started another book by Val McDermid part 3 in the Karen Pirie series.

De vrouw die niet opgaf



The blurb

When a skeleton is discovered hidden at the top of a crumbling, gothic building in Edinburgh, Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is faced with the unenviable task of identifying the bones. As Karen's investigation gathers momentum, she is drawn deeper into a dark world of intrigue and betrayal.
Meanwhile, someone is taking the law into their own hands in the name of justice and revenge -- but when present resentment collides with secrets of the past, the truth is more shocking than anyone could have imagined . . .

>111 connie53: Congratulations on reaching your goal! And hurray for reaching it with A Darker Domain. I just got that one from the library :D

Congratulations Connie! I hope to reach my goal in August or September at the latest. This year is going fast to me!

Congratulations on reaching your goal - and so early in the year!

Congratulations!

Hooray, well done for meeting your goal! I'm glad you're enjoying Val McDermid. Her books aren't to my taste, but she's such an interesting and entertaining woman that I'm always happy to see an interview with her.

Well done, Connie. Congratulations.

Thanks, guys!

Finished De vrouw die niet opgaf by Val McDermid and give it

My review:

Part 3 in the series about detective Karen Pirie. This time, the cause of the crimes is in the Balkans and the war between the Croats and the Serbs. when a skeleton is found on the roof of an empty building in London in the present, Karen must investigate a particularly complex case. How can a man be murdered on top of the roof without traces of how he got there? The book has three storylines; Karen's research, that of two investigators working for the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the story of Maggie Blake. Val McDermid manages to bring these lines together in a believable way, as she does in all her books

Started in part 4 De man die zijn sporen wiste



The blurb;

When a teenage joyrider crashes a stolen car and ends up in a coma, a routine DNA test could be the key to unlocking the mystery of a twenty-year-old murder inquiry. Detective Chief Inspector Karen Pirie is an expert at solving the unsolvable. With each cold case closed, justice is served. So, finding the answer should be straightforward, but it's as twisted as the DNA helix itself.
Meanwhile Karen finds herself irresistibly drawn to another case, one that she has no business investigating. And as she pieces together decades-old evidence, Karen discovers the most dangerous kinds of secrets. Secrets that someone is willing to kill for . .

Congratulations on reaching your goal! I've got The rook on my shelves somewhere, too. Great review!

Congrats, Connie!

Way to go, Connie! Congratulations.

Thanks, Ladies.

Yesterday I had my first, not so good, experience with downloading an ebook. It ended up on my mobile phone and no way for me to get it on my Kobo. So I read it on my phone.

De Donor by Clare Mackintosh -



The blurb;

When Lizzie's daughter Meg is given a life-saving heart transplant, Lizzie feels hugely grateful to the nameless donor. Then she receives a letter from the donor's mother, Karen, asking to meet, and it seems like the least she can do.
But as soon as Karen is welcomed into their lives, Lizzie feels something isn't right. And before long, she can't help but worry that by inviting Karen in, she might have put Meg in danger

My review:

Novella by one of my favorite writers Everything was a bit too quick, too clear. It could have been better if there was a bit more suspense and tension. Nice little book for a quick read

And another one finished De man die zijn sporen wiste by Val McDermid -

My review:

Part 4 in the series starring Karen Pirie. A bomb attack in the past, a group of young joyriders, DNA that pops up unexpectedly, a man murdered on a bench in the present. All these are the loose ingredients that are linked together by Karen and thus form an exciting thriller.

Now reading part 5 Geschonden graf by Val McDermid



The blurb:

When a body is discovered in the remote depths of the Highlands, DCI Karen Pirie finds herself in the right place at the right time. Unearthed with someone's long-buried inheritance, the victim seems to belong to the distant past - until new evidence suggests otherwise, and Karen is called in to unravel a case where nothing is as it seems.
It's not long before an overheard conversation draws Karen into the heart of a different case, however - a shocking crime she thought she'd already prevented. As she inches closer to the twisted truths at the center of these murders, it becomes clear that she's dealing with a version of justice terrifyingly different to her own . . .

Congratulations on reaching your goal, Connie! I see you are really into the Val McDermid books. I recently read some and need to hunt up some more. I enjoyed seeing her in the recent online event Two Crime Writers and a Microphone.

Congratulations on reaching your goal, Connie!

--
If you need help downloading to your Kobo, you can PM me. I might be able to help.

I saw on the August thread that you made your goal. Congratulations to you!

>126 Merryann: Thanks, Mary Ann.

>125 FAMeulstee: Thanks, Anita. I'm not planning on buying any more ebooks in the future, but if I need help I will let you know.

And I've reached my goal for my grand total for 2020. 80 books read (treebooks and digital ones)

Congratulations on reaching your goal, Connie!!

>127 connie53:. A very impressive effort and still 5 months to go, Connie.

Well done, Connie.

Congrats, Connie!

>127 connie53: Excellent reading this year!!

Thanks!

Wishing you a lovely weekend, Connie! I hope the heat doesn't get too much for sitting in the garden.

>134 MissWatson: I wander around the garden with my chair, little table and book, from one tree to another. Wherever there is shade.

Finished a few books.

Geschonden graf by Val McDermid -

my review:

This book is ingeniously put together as her other books are, you can actually expect that from a writer like Val McDermid. During the excavation of 2 old motorcycles from the Second World War, a body is found too, but that turns out to be a lot younger then WOII. Karen Pirie happens to be in the neighborhood and is asked by her friend, forensic investigator River Wilde, to come and have a look. Eventually she ends up in the world of 'The strongest man in the world' competitions. There is also an investigation into a series of rapes of prostitutes, at least one of which has been fatal. Despite the opposition from her boss, Karen together with her assistant Jason Murray, knows how to solve every case

And then I read 3 books by Angie Sage the first one gets , the other two

Hi all!
The last 9 days were too hot to do anything than sit in the shade and read. We had a tropical heatwave, which means all days with temps above 30 degrees Celcius. So I read all 6 ebooks written by Jenny Colgan I had on my Kobo.
De kleine bakkerij aan het strand
Zomer in de kleine bakkerij
Café zon & zee
Een verre kust
Het eindeloze strand
Wintereiland

All nice and cosy and romantic.

Now I'm reading Het dubbele geheim van de familie Lessage by Sandrine Destombes



The blurb

August, 1989. In the small village of Piolenc, in the French Vaucluse, Solène and Raphaël, eleven-year-old twins of the Lessage family, disappear. Three months later, one of the two is found. Death. June, 2018. Children disappear again in Piolenc. Like a macabre echo from thirty years ago, the nightmare starts again, sending the village into a frightened state of shock. All leads refer to the old case and everyone involved seems to be losing their innocence. 'The Double Secret of the Lessage Family' is a phenomenal psychological thriller with an ending that will leave you in awe.

I don't think it is that awesome and I have almost finished it. Perhaps something spectacular will happen in the last 30 pages

Hi Connie - hope you're having a good week!

Hi Connie! That heatwave was truly exhausting, I didn't do much myself. We're having pleasant cool weather now, how about you?

Hi Jackie and Birgit. Today we will reach 30C again. So I will do not much more than read. It was nice to have a few days with lower temps. I could do some cleaning and ironing.

On the reading:

My review of Het dubbele geheim van de familie Lessage

This could have been an exciting story if it had been written less sloppily. I was quickly annoyed by Captain Julien Fabregas and kept asking him to do this research or find that out first. That happened eventually, but much too late, and then he regretted it, again and again. The story itself sounds good, but I find the way it was written really unbelievable and full of psychological theories I did not understand. A pity, it could have been so much better

I also read Grote kleine leugens by Liane Moriarty



The blurb:

Perfect families, perfect houses, perfect lives. Three mothers, Jane, Madeline and Celeste appear to have it all, until they find out just how easy it is for one little lie to spiral out of control . . . Single mum Jane has just moved to town. She's got her little boy in tow - plus a secret she's been carrying for five years. On the first day of the school run she meets Madeline - a force to be reckoned with, who remembers everything and forgives no one - and Celeste, the kind of beautiful woman who makes the world stop and stare, but is inexplicably ill at ease. They both take Jane under their wing - while careful to keep their own secrets under wraps. But a minor incident involving the children of all three women rapidly escalates: playground whispers become spiteful rumours until no one can tell the truth from the lies . . It was always going to end in tears, but how did it end in murder?

My review;

Imagine a group of parents bringing their 5 year old children to kindergarten for the first time. The buzz in the schoolyard. Mothers, and here and there a father, who get to know each other. A whispered sentence that takes on a life of its own and is passed on wrongly by different people to the several cliques that are formed. Starring Jane, a single mother, Madeline, a kind, caring but very impulsive mother who, with her 2nd husband Ed, also tries to keep the daughter from her first marriage involved in her new family. And Celeste with Perry, a charismatic couple. There is so much gossip and scheming in the schoolyard that it must go wrong. And that happens: things go horribly wrong at the annual parents' party.

Now reading Het geheim van mijn man by Liane Moriarty



The blurb:

Cecilia discovers an old envelope in the attic. Written in her husband John-Paul's hand, it says: 'to be opened only in the event of my death'. Curious, she opens it - and time stops. John-Paul's letter confesses to a terrible mistake which, if revealed, would wreck their family as well as the lives of others . . . Cecilia wants to do the right thing, but right for who? If she protects her family by staying silent, the truth will worm through her heart. But if she reveals her husband's secret, she will hurt those she loves most . . .

I have a Liane Moriarty addiction. I've read 4 by now

Het geheim van mijn man gets

My Review;

This book begins with 3 women who are all at a crossroads in their lives, Tess, Liam's young mother, discovers the infidelity of her husband with her best friend. Rachel, who after the death of her daughter can finally give her love again to her grandson Jacob and Cecilia who finds a letter from her husband, telling her to open it after his death. Only he is still very much alive. Three generations of women whose lives somehow come into contact with each other. Written with a lot of humor, but they are all serious subjects. What if you have to choose between honesty and loyalty? Between your family and the truth? Should you cling to a biased idea and respond from that thought? Very nice to read and think about.

Wat Alice vergat gets



My review

What happens when you wake up in an unfamiliar environment and it turns out that you have forgotten 10 years of your life. Alice finds out when it happens to her. Her last memories are that she is pregnant with her first child, 29 years old and very much in love with her husband Nick. When she wakes up in the gym she is 39, almost divorced and has 3 children. What happened? Step by step she finds out and so do we. And not all discoveries are fun.... And who is Gina.

Bijna echt gebeurd gets



My review

It starts with a BBQ. 3 couples and 3 children come together. Erica and Olivier have invited Clementine and Sam, with their children Holly and Ruby, for tea, because they have something to discuss, Clementine and Erica have a strange kind of friendship since elementary school, but that friendship is rather complicated. But then the plans change because Erica and Olivier's neighbors, Vid and Tiffany, spontaneously invite everyone over for a BBQ. The little girls can then play with their daughter Dakota and the adults can socialize. But then something dramatic happens that unsettles all mutual relationships. And the children also change because of it. A story of loyalty, trust, love and fears

Now reading Nog één keer feest



The Blurb

Sophie Honeywell always wondered if Thomas Gordon was the one who got away. He was the perfect boyfriend, but on the day he was going to propose, she broke his heart. A year later he married his travel agent, while Sophie has been mortifyingly single ever since. Now Thomas is back in her life because Sophie has unexpectedly inherited his aunt Connie's house on Scribbly Gum Island—home of the famously unsolved Munro Baby mystery.

Sophie moves onto the island and begins a new life as part of an unconventional family, where it seems everyone has a secret. Grace, a beautiful young mother, is feverishly planning a shocking escape from her perfect life. Margie, a frumpy housewife, has made a pact with a stranger, while dreamy Aunt Rose wonders if maybe it's about time she started making her own decisions.

As Sophie's life becomes increasingly complicated, she discovers that sometimes you have to stop waiting around—and come up with your own fairy-tale ending.

Nog één keer feest is finished and gets

My review;

Everything on Scribbly Gum Island revolves around the Baby Munro Mystery. Connie and Rose discover a baby in an abandoned house. The parents have disappeared without a trace. And this year the island is celebrating the 73rd anniversary of that day. At that time there were only 2 houses on the island and now there are 6. In each house lives someone from the family that now consists of 4 generations of mainly women.
Connie and Rose, with Enigma (the Munro baby),
Enigma's daughters: Margie, married to Ron, and Laura.
Grace (Laura's daughter), married to Collum with their son Jake.
The children of Margie; Veronika and Thomas, married to Deborah and their daughter Lily.

As you can expect from Liane Moriarty, there are lots of things going on. Grace feels like a degenerate mother because she doesn't care at all for her newborn son Jake. Thomas is actually still terribly in love with Sophie, who ended their relationship just when he wanted to propose to her.
The whole story begins when Sophie learns from Thomas that Connie has passed away and left her house to Sophie. Sophie is baffled. She's only seen Connie a few times and doesn't understand why she gets that house. But she moves to the island and becomes completely absorbed with the family and falls hopelessly in love with one of the men.
Rose and Connie have opened the house where Baby Munro was born to the public and an entire business empire has blossomed around it. But there is also a secret and that can never go well.
The story is well put together, but I thought it was a bit messy. But that could also be due to the layout of my ebook.

And I started my last book by Liane Moriarty

Alles voor jou



The blurb

Hypnotherapist Ellen O'Farrell has been single for a while, which is why she's so taken with her handsome new boyfriend, Patrick.
But Patrick has a confession: he has a stalker, an ex-girlfriend who won't leave him alone.
Ellen is a little disturbed - yet also curious. Who is this woman, and what would drive her to this obsessive behaviour? In fact, Ellen almost thinks she'd quite like to meet her.

What she doesn't realise is that she already has . . .

Hi Connie!

>141 connie53: Not a bad addiction to have at all! I've read 3 of the 5 Moriarty's on my shelves and haven't been disappointed. Maybe it's time to try to try a different genre for a bit and read Truly Madly Guilty or Big Little Lies. I've been 'stuck' in mysteries for a while and am not thrilled with what I'm reading.

You are on a roll with the Liane Moriarty! I've only read What Alice Forgot but enjoyed it overall, and Big Little Lies is a very popular TV series on HBO, and I've heard good things about the book too. Maybe I should try some others!

I finished another one Alles voor jou and it gets
This was the one book I did not really like. I find that books have a rhythm when reading. And this book has a desperate rhythm.

My review:

Ellen has a new boyfriend, but Patrick has an ex who is stalking him. She actually thinks that is interesting because that makes Patrick special in her eyes. There is someone who likes him too and wants him back. But she does not know that she already knows this woman from her hypnosis practice. I did not like the way this book was written, a bit sloppy.

Now reading De boekwinkel op de hoek by Annie Darling



The blurb

Once upon a time in a crumbling bookshop, Posy Morland hid in the pages of romantic novels.

So when Bookend's eccentric owner, Lavinia, dies and leaves the shop to Posy, she must put down her books and join the real world. Because Posy hasn't just inherited an ailing business, but also the attentions of Lavinia's grandson, Sebastian, AKA The Rudest Man In London™.
Posy has six months to transform Bookends into the shop of her dreams but as Posy and her friends fight to save the bookshop, she's drawn into a battle of wills with Sebastian, about whom she's started to have some rather feverish fantasies…

I came by to thank you, Connie, for recommending the Martin Servas series by Bernard Minier last year. I finished the first book Een kille rilling this week. It was a bit on the scary side, but I am sure I will read the next books. It was a library book, so it won't be mentioned on my ROOT thread.

Hi Anita, glad you liked it. And enjoy the next books.

I finished De boekwinkel op de hoek by Annie Darling and give it

My review:

A real summer book and you know it will end well. When Posy inherits the bookshop from Lavinia, who she sees as some sort of grandmother, she must come up with a plan to make that shop profitable again. But she has to deal with Sebastian, Lavinia's grandson. He gets the bookshop if Posy has not been able to make anything of the shop after 2 years. Not really high-quality literature, but enjoyable reading.

And finished Het leugenhuis by Anne B. Ragde and give it



The Blurb;

Just before Christmas on a farm in Northern Norway, 80-year-old Anna Neshov, matriarch of a troubled family, is taken gravely ill. Her three sons have been quietly immersed in their work: one an undertaker, one a window-dresser, and the eldest running the family farm, but now they are forced to reunite for the first time in many years. Their personalities are as disparate as their careers, and tensions mount from the second they meet, climaxing over Christmas dinner when the matter of inheritance prompts the revelation of disturbing family secrets. Anne B. Ragde has created an engrossing dark comedy brought vividly to life through extraordinary characters. While perfectly in tune with their professions the Neshov sons as a family are little short of dysfunctional; nevertheless, the real theme of the novel is a sense of belonging. The farm itself defines this, with its power to draw people back to their roots, whether they like it or not.

My review;

Wonderful story that begins with Anna, an eighty-year-old woman, who has a stroke just before Christmas and is taken to the hospital. When her situation gets very serious, her 3 sons have to overcome a lot to go back home. Only Tor still lives there with their father, the other 2 (Margido and Erlend) both left home years earlier after some big arguments. Tor's daughter Torunn is also warned. She has only seen her father once, but it's her grandmother so they have to warn her too. They do not want to sleep on the polluted and dilapidated farm. But when Anna dies they have to. The first part of this book tells the life story of the 3 sons and the granddaughter. The second part is about the time they spend on the farm in the days before the funeral, about the conversations they have, and about a terrible secret that unsettles all relationships.

Starting in Het wenshuis by Anne B. Ragde



The blurb;

After the death of their mother, the old Anna Neshov, her three sons Tor, Margido and Erlend have to go on with their lives. This turns out not to be that easy, since their father has revealed a family secret that completely turns the mutual relationships upside down and that has major consequences, including for Tor's daughter Torunn.
They are forced to face the reality and have to look for new certainties and new dreams for the future. That means they have to make radical choices, with Erlend's choice in Copenhagen being the most surprising ...
Will they manage to keep the family together? How strong is the bond between these people, who hardly know each other?

Hi Connie. I really like the sound of Berlin Poplars so have added it to my wishlist. Thanks for the recommendation.

I hope you love them as much as I do/did

Congratulations on meeting goal, Connie, and on such an enjoyable reading spree! I also really liked Big Little Lies -- a lively structure and quite funny.

I finished part 2 and part 3 of the Neshov trilogy and give both books

My review of Het wenshuis

This book seamlessly picks up where book 1 left off. Tor goes his own way on the farm, his brothers and daughter hardly realize that the farm is not going well. And when he hits his leg with the ax while chopping wood, it continues to go downhill. He can no longer work with a leg bandaged firmly and has to leave the work to a young man, Kai Roger, who will take care of the pigs and the rest of the farm until he recovers. The bills pile up and Torunn also comes to the farm to help. Margido tries to help as much as he can, but he, as a demure undertaker, has never learned to let his feelings show. Erland and Krumme make a big decision. And Torunn begins to languish under the pressure of everything that is expected of her. Again beautifully written with a dramatic ending

Het droomhuis

The Blurb

At Neshov Farm, Torunn is struggling. After her father's suicide, she must do all she can to run the farm and look after the pigs. Meanwhile, expectations are high in Copenhagen: Erlend and his partner Krumme are expecting two babies with the lesbian couple Jytte and Lizzi. The four travel to the family farm to unveil their plans for the future.

My Review:

Third part in the series about the Neshov family. The story just continues. For me this could have been one book. Erlend and Krumme have been able to realize their great wish for a child with the help of a lesbian couple who also wanted to have children. And now they have big plans for the farm. They want to turn it into a large luxury home for everyone, but on the farm, Torunn is still trapped in a terrible depression. Together with Kai Roger she tries to keep the farm running and take care of her 'grandfather'. But decline and despair set in. I find the ending a bit unsatisfying otherwise I would have given it 4 1/2 stars.

>151 detailmuse: Thank you, MJ! I loved all books by Liane Moriarty

Still reading in three books. Two e-books
Ascendant's rite by David Hair

I've been reading the first 6 books as tree-books in Dutch. The publisher in the Netherlands made 6 books out of the 3 English instalments. And stopped translating, so in order to finish the series I decided to read the last one (2 for the Netherlands) in English. But now the publisher announced they were going to translate the remaining one and again in two books so they are on my wishlist. I think they get more money that way.

and De mooiste tijd van ons leven by Claire Lombardo



The blurb

When Marilyn Connolly and David Sorenson fall in love in the 1970s, they are blithely ignorant of all that awaits them. By 2016, their four radically different daughters are in a state of unrest. Wendy, widowed young, soothes herself with booze and younger men; Violet, a litigator turned stay-at-home-mom, battles anxiety and self-doubt; Liza, a neurotic and newly tenured professor, finds herself pregnant with a baby she's not sure she wants by a man she's not sure she loves; and Grace, the dawdling youngest daughter, begins living a lie that no one in her family even suspects.

And Een sluier van speren by Bradley P. Beaulieu



The blurb

Since the Night of Innumerable Swords, a bloody battle that the rulers of Sharakhai barely survived, the kings have been hunting the rebels of the Moonless Horde. Many have been forced to flee the city, including Çeda, who has learned that the Party King is assembling an army to challenge the rule of the other kings.
When Çeda finds the remaining members of the Moonless Horde, now known as the Thirteenth Tribe, she is not very confident about their survival. She hatches a plan to return to Sharakhai and free the asirim, the powerful, immortal slaves of the kings. The kings, on the other hand, have sent their greatest tactician, the Sword King, to bring Çeda to justice.
But the once-tightly united rule of the kings is crumbling. They secretly compete with each other to gain control of Sharakhai. Çeda hopes to use that to her advantage, but who can she trust? Any of them could betray her.
While Çeda works to free the asirim from their chains and save the Thirteenth Tribe, the kings of Sharakhai, the crafty queen of Qaimir, the ruthless blood mage Hamzakiir and the Sword King, all prepare for a great battle that will destroy the fate of all can determine.

Follow me to my new thread!