BOOKS: Emily the Strange - Rob Reger & Buzz Parker

Series: Emily the Strange
Book 1: Emily's Book of Strange
Book 2: Emily the Strange - Seeing Is Deceiving
Author: Rob Reger & Buzz Parker
Genre: graphic novella
Publisher: Chronicle Books 2001/2003
Pages: Hardcover 32
Language: English
Rating: 8/10
Summary: Images in black, white and red with glossy highlights show cartoongirl Emily giving her point of view on life

Spoilerfree Review
I'm of course years behind discovering Emily the Strange, I understand she was all the rage in the nineties (of the last century;) I did see her around on buttons and shirts, but wasn't aware there were books. When I saw these books in the bargain bin, I was intrigued by the awesome graphic design. The use of colour and space is amazing and more interesting than the so called insights in text. But because I love seeing series on my bookshelfs, I'll probably add other parts if I find them.

BOOK: The Three Incestuous Sisters - Audrey Niffenegger

Title: The Three Incestuous Sisters
Author: Audrey Niffenegger
Genre: Visual Novel (art)
Publisher: Random House (2004)
Pages: Hardcover, 176
Language: English
Rating: 8/10
Summary: A novel in pictures about three sisters and their complicated relationship with each other and the man that shows up in their lives.

Review
Now Audrey Niffenegger is worldfamous for her novel The Time Traveler's Wife, but before she wrote that, she designed this huge artbook with a story, that she made and published with her friends. It's been rereleased after her breakthrough, but still hard to find. I'm glad I found it in a bookstore while I was in Iceland.
The illustrations cover the whole of the right page, while on the left are a few lines of text. The paintings have a primitive style and limited colours, which add to the gloom and doom of the story about the three sisters who fight to the death after a man comes into their lives.
I didn't catch the incestuous part of the title, but it is a rather messy story. All in all it fits with the Niffenegger books I already owned; stories about women who know what they want.
I like it.

BOOK: The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom

Title: The Five People You Meet in Heaven
Author: Mitch Albom
Genre: Fiction
Publisher: Sphere, 2003
Pages: Paperback, 208
Language: English
Rating: 8/10
Summary: Eighty-three year old Eddie dies and ends up in heaven, which is quite different from what he imagined.

Spoilerfree Review
Earlier I reviewed Mitch Albom's autobiographical debut Tuesdays with Morrie and you may remember that didn't really appeal to me. But at the end of that book there was a preview of the first chapter of his first novel and I was charmed by that, so I decided to give the author another chance.
The Five People You Meet In Heaven begins with the tragic death of Eddie, the mechanic of a small amusement park on a pier. He wakes up in heaven, where he -indeed- meets five people. Each one of them has an explanation for him how to move forward. I found this idea a beautiful concept and Albom's execution is even better than I had expected. Very touching.

BOOK: Mrs Dalloway - Virginia Woolf

Title: Mrs Dalloway
Author: Virginia Woolf
Genre: Novel
Publisher: Wordsworth Classics 2003 (1925)
Pages: Paperback, 141
Language: English
Rating: 6/10
Summary: The 1920's: a day in the life of middle aged Clarrisa Dalloway, who's hosting a party tonight.

Spoilerfree Review
I noticed the lack of female authors on my readinglist and asked for recommendations online; more than one person mentioned Virginia Woolf and when I found a whole series of her books with delightful covers, I bought four of her classics. I decided to read them chronologically, so I started with Mrs Dalloway which was first published in 1925.

It's the story of the middle aged Clarissa Dalloway who is getting ready to host an informal party at her house. While she is fixing her dress and keeping an eye on the staff's preparations, she reminisces about her childhood and thinks about how she met her husband.
In the mean time we also meet and follow a couple of other people, who are in one way or another involved with Mrs Dalloway, either in the past or present.
Each new scene is from another person's perspective and written in 'monologue interieur' or interior perspective. With twenty people walking around in London, all of them with their own -confused- thoughts, it got rather crowded in my brain.
The book is very well written and quite obviously a classic, but I found it very exhausting to read. There is no exterior explanation or description of any of the people and it's sometimes hard to distinguish between their thoughts. I did love the dialogues and it's good to read people basically have the same struggles with life, but I was very tired when I finished it.

BOOK: The Greatest Show On Earth - Richard Dawkins

Title: The Greatest Show On Earth
Author: Richard Dawkins
Genre: Religion, Science
Publisher: Black Swan 2010 (2009)
Pages: Paperback, 445
Language: English
Rating: 9/10
Summary: Richard Dawkins explains the evidence in favor of the Theory of Evolution

Review
After reading The Devil's Chaplain and especially The God Delusion I'm a fan of Richard Dawkins. His background in biology is impressive and it serves him well in his explanations about evolution, but I mostly love him for his fight against religion and its dubious consequences.

In The Greatest Show On Earth Dawkins offers a whole lot of evidence for the Theory of Evolution. He explains how available fossils prove beyond doubt how life evolved, but he also shows that even if we didn't have fossils, there is enough other scientific material to give us information about the development of life.
The missing link is not an argument against it, no matter how much creationists would like it to be.
A must read for everyone who wants to know more about life's history or those who love to get their points of view affirmed with a healthy dose of cynicism.

BOOK: The Bride's Farewell - Meg Rosoff

Title: The Bride's Farewell
Author: Meg Rosoff
Genre: Teens
Publisher: Penguin, 2009
Pages: Paperback, 186
Language: English
Rating: 7/10
Summary: Pell Ridley sneaks out of the house on the evening before her wedding and takes off with her horse to live life on her own.

Spoilerfree Review
While browsing in a bookstore in London I discovered Rosoff had written a new book. Since I had devoured her previous work, I had to buy it. This is once again a completely different story and environment from her other books; this time it's about a young girl in fictitious middle ages.
Young Pell Ridley doesn't want to be confined by marriage, even if she would marry her best friend and longtime neighbour, so she leaves her family the night before her wedding. Unbeknown to her, her mute little brother Bean follows her. He refuses to go back home, so she drags him along on her journey. Pell wants to find a job, but that's not easy; her only talent is working with horses and that is considered a man's job. Plus no one is really eager to take responsibility for a single young woman and a silent (weird) child.
But eventually Pell meets a rough and mysterious stranger who is willing to give her a job...

I had to get used to the seemingly imaginary era the story was set in and the sometimes curious tone of the story; it's mostly told from Pell's point of view but takes unsettling sidesteps to events she knows nothing about. (Without the "meanwhile, on the other side of town" introduction, it takes you out of the mainstory nevertheless.)
I like that not everything is explained though and it is an interesting read. If Rosoff is aiming to write as many different books as possible, she certainly succeeded so far. I wonder what she comes up with next.

BOOK: Our Tragic Universe - Scarlett Thomas

Title: Our Tragic Universe
Author: Scarlett Thomas
Genre: Novel
Publisher: Canongate Books (2010)
Pages: Hardcover, 425
Language: English
Rating: 9/10
Summary: Meg -still working on that big break through novel- has been living a quiet excistence with her unemployed boyfriend, whom she once dumped her first long term partner for. To pay the rent she writes mostly pulpfiction under the name of a ficticious sci-fi author. Occasionally she reviews scientific non-fiction. When she accidently receives a semi spiritual book to write about, it seems to inspire her to change her own life.

Spoilerfree Review
On my want-list because of a "if you love this author, you will like this one too" suggestion next to an article about David Mitchell and when I saw it in a shop in London I definitely had to buy it, because it looked absolutely gorgeous. This edition has a graphically designed hardcover in black and gold with -get this- BLACK PAGES. Very cool. As it turns out the story fits the presentation. My most beloved discovery of this year.

Even though I constantly wanted to kick Meg into action, I had to keep reading to find out if she would recognize her own potential. I have little patience (and understanding) for people in failing relationships and the main-character isn't the only one in this book. But there are so many wonderful thoughts and insights and in the end the story even may have made me a little less judgemental about apparent losers. Maybe;)
Highly recommended.

BOOK: Wings Of Equity - Sean Kennedy

Title: Wings Of Equity
Author: Sean Kennedy
Genre: Steampunk
Publisher: Dreamspinnerpress (2010)
Pages: Paperback, 248
Language: English
Rating: 8/10
Summary: Ezra Kneebone designed his own airship and hopes to build a whole fleet together with his best friend and pilot Jazz. The bounty on the head of a flying Robin Hood, known as Icarus, is just the kind of money they need to get their business started. But when Icarus saves his life, Ezra isn't so sure the man should be in jail, even if Icarus managed to steal... his heart. (hehehehehe)

Spoilerfree Review
A delightful steampunk novel. For those unfamiliar with the term: this means Victorian era elements in a science fiction setting. Kennedy manages to build a marvelous, yet believable world and the discriptions of the flying-machines and actions in the sky are very vivid. The dialogues are sparkling as usual and of course there is plenty of unresolved sexual tension between the men before they figure things out. It was refreshing to have two women in a 'longterm commited relationship' as supporting characters. Loved it.

BOOK: Majas Morsas Kompis Sambo - Katarina Kieri

Title: De Vriend van de Vriendin van de Moeder van Maja
(The Boyfriend of the Friend of Maja's Mother)
Original Title: Majas Morsas Kompis Sambo
Author: Katarina Kieri
Genre: Short stories
Publisher: Van Goor (2009)
Pages: Hardcover, 143
Language: Read in Dutch, translated from Swedish
Rating: 7/10
Summary: Seemingly random stories about a group of teenagers

Spoilerfree Review
Bought for Children's bookweek and chosen for the awesome (translated) title and even better styling of the cover. Filled with individual stories from the point of view of Swedish teenagers who all turn out to be in the same school. It's up to the reader to make connections, even though the stories are stand alones. But as it turns out people's impressions of classmates are mostly misconceptions.
Very interesting construction and a message worth thinking about.

10 Word Reviews: A woman's touch

STATISTICS:
Title: Yuri Monogatari
Author: Collection of several artists/authors
Genre: Manga (lesbian)
Publisher: ALC Publishing (2004)
Pages: Paperback, 137
Language: English
Rating: 6/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: Manga comics with lesbian characters
10 WORDS REVIEW
Had expected less cliches and shameful generalisations and better drawings


STATISTICS:
Title: To The Lighthouse
Author: Virginia Woolf
Genre: Novel
Publisher: Wordsworth Classics 2003 (1927)
Pages: Paperback 154
Language: English
Rating: 6/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: Observations of family visiting beachhouse
10 WORDS REVIEW
Lacks plot, instead confusing overdose of characters with internal monologues.

Also see longer review about Woolf's debut Mrs Dalloway.


STATISTICS:
Title: Yesterday's Weather
Author: Anne Enright
Genre: Short stories
Publisher: Vintage Random House 2009
Pages: 306
Language: English
Rating: 7/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: Separate stories about various women
10 WORDS REVIEW
Emotional peek into the different lives of every day women

BOOK: Spijt! - Carry Slee

Title: Spijt! (Regret!)
Author: Carry Slee
Genre: Children's, Teens, Drama
Publisher: FMB Uitgevers 2010 (1996)
Pages: Hardcover, 239
Language: Dutch
Rating: 8/10
Summary: David sees how Jochem is being bullied, but doesn't know what to do. Until things go very wrong.

Spoilerfree Review
Bought as part of a whole 'classic'-collection; all of Carry Slee's previous books are republished in beautiful hardcovers with black and white photos and golden titles; I just couldn't resist buying the whole series for Children's bookweek. This was her first book aimed at teenagers and it deals with a big issue: what do you do when someone in your class is being bullied? Do you speak up or do you keep quiet out of fear of being picked on yourself?
Confrontational and tougher than I had expected. Slee has got a magnificent grasp of the teen-lingo and I understand why she is the most popular Dutch author in the genre. And even though I couldn't handle another teenage drama right after this one, I am looking forward to reading the rest of her books.

BOOK: Mees Kees in de Gloria - Mirjam Oldenhave

Title: Mees Kees in de Gloria (Hip Hip Hooray for Master Kees)
Author: Mirjam Oldenhave
Genre: Children's, Family
Publisher: CPNB Children's BookWeek 2010
Pages: Paperback, 91
Language: Dutch
Rating: 6/10
Summary: Mees Kees is a teacher in training and hero of Tobias, who is trying to hide the problems at home.

Spoilerfree Review
This book was written especially for Children's bookweek, loosely inspired by this year's theme about visual arts. To my surprise it's part of a series; I thought authors had to write an original story when they were given the honour of this job. Oh well, at least Mees Kees has the kids in his class drawing images, so it fits the theme. But the maincharacter in this story is Tobias, who struggles with not getting enough attention at home. Mees Kees deals with this very subtly and manages to make Tobias open up. There is no clear ending or solution, I guess I have to buy the next book in the series to find out what happens. I won't. I liked the book, but I'm a little too old for this (yes, that's possible;).

BOOK: Last Night At Twisted River - John Irving

Title: Last Night At Twisted River
Author: John Irving
Genre: novel, family
Publisher: De Bezige Bij (2009)
Pages: Hardcover, 554
Language: English
Rating: 7/10
Summary: In a story spanning five decades, we follow the lives of three generations, starting with a father and son's last night at Twisted River.

Spoilerfree Review
Even though John Irving's previous novel was a little disappointing, I stuck to my tradition of buying everything he writes. Last Night At Twisted River is once again a huge book with an extensive familyhistory. The story covers about fifty years and three generations with granddad, father and son in the lead. Women have a big influence on their life, but as is Irving's habit they mostly play their parts in the background.
I was happy to find this book an easier read than 'Until I Find You', which felt too personal to be comfortable. It was a relieve to see Irving return with the kind of story I love; ordinairy people dealing with their extraordinairy lives. A must for fans of his work.

BOOK: De Zwarte Met Het Witte Hart - Arthur Japin

Title: De Zwarte Met Het Witte Hart (The Two Hearts of Kwasi Boachi)
Author: Arthur Japin
Genre: Novel, history, family
Publisher: Arbeiderspers (1997)
Pages: Paperback, 430
Language: Dutch
Rating: 9/10
Summary: Arthur Japin debut novel tells the formerly unknown story about two young princes from Ghana who were given to King William The First in the early nineteenth century.

Spoilerfree review
I ignored this first book by Arthur Japin for a long time and not just because the original Dutch title made me a little uncomfortable ("The Black Man With The White Heart"). Back then I had a strong prejudice against Mr. Japin himself for being an actor on a soap-opera. Only after he was commissioned to write a novel for bookweek in 2006 (a free gift to buyers of books), did I manage to change my preconceived notions of him as a writer. Since then I have caught up with all the books he wrote, but I saved The Two Hearts Of Kwasi Boachi until last. I'm glad I did, because now I was aware of Japin's different writing styles. Although this book is not one of his most difficult to read, it does require focus.
The story is told by Kwasi himself in a flashback style that's not completely chronological, so the reader needs to pay attention to the timeline to work out Kwasi's life experience.
The book is based on the true story of Kwasi and his cousin Kwame, two Ghanese princes who arrived in The Netherlands in 1837. They were being given to King William to show the good will of their own King (and father and uncle) in negotiations about a weapons sale and (illegal) slave trading. They were promised an education that would benefit their country when they would eventually return.
Kwame and Kwasi -who were about ten years old at the time- did go to school and were taken care of by the Dutch authorities, but the boys had a very different way of handling the situation. While Kwasi tried to adjust to the society that he was forced to live in, Kwame refused to deny his roots and kept longing to go back to Ghana.
It is this different point of view that the book makes you think about. Is Kwasi's way of dealing better than Kwame's? Is one way of living better than the other? The answer is not as clear cut as I initially thought. On both sides there are more issues to consider before you can pick a side, if that is possible at all.

It is painful to read about the slave trade (that by then was illegal, but still in practice thanks to loopholes in the law) and about the boys struggling to find an identity in a society very different from the one they were born into. It's also a fascinating read with a lot of personal background information about Dutch history. Japin based his novel on the diaries of Kwame and official documents from the government. The story is not limited to the relationship between Africa and The Netherlands, but includes parts of Europe and Indonesia (The West Indies) as well. It overlaps with a famous Dutch novel by Multatuli (The Max Havelaar) that everyone in The Netherlands is required to read in highschool and I think the story of Kwasi and Kwami should also be included on the readinglist. Because despite, or more likely, thanks to the personal tone of voice it taught me a lot about my country and that dark period in our history.

BOOK: The Boy - Germaine Greer

Title: De Jongen (The Boy)
Author: Germaine Greer
Genre: Art, History
Publisher: Meulenhoff 2003
Pages: Paperback, 256
Language: Dutch (translated from English)
Rating: 6/10 (text) 8/10 (photos)
Summary: Essay about the different depictions of boys and young men in art through the ages; from the Roman era and the Middle Ages to modern day paintings and statues.

Review
I confess I bought this book because of the beautiful boy on the cover and the promise of more images of glorious men inside. That kind of proves Greer's point about the changed perception of men in art, which is only recently accepted as titillating for women. In the past, art was meant for and made by men, not to arouse but to admire (and possibly inspire). At least that's what I understood to be the main conclusion of this book.
Greer's language is rather scientific and requires a basic knowledge of arthistory. I've only had some arthistory in school and can't really judge her essay based on that, so I won't. I did find the writing a bit messy, but the book is filled with loads of beautiful paintings to compare or simply enjoy.
All in all it took me nearly two years to finish reading the whole book, but only looking at the pictures would have taken me less time and would have probably given me the same amount of satisfaction (maybe even more;).

BOOK: Wall and Piece - Banksy

Title: Wall and Piece
Author: Banksy
Genre: Art (Graffiti)
Publisher: Lebowski 2009 (2005)
Pages: Paperback, 240
Language: Dutch (translated from English)
Rating: 9/10
Summary: Photobook from graffiti artist Banksy, who became famous thanks to his thought provoking stencil art all over London.

Review
No one knows who he is, yet he is well known through his work. From the many examples in this book it's clear that Banksy is not simply a name-tagger; his graffiti artwork often expresses a big (political) idea and is more than merely decoration. Especially the stencils take a lot of preparation and planning.
Next to beautiful photos of his work, Banksy also offers comments on infamous actions (like putting up fake art in musea). It's a perfect coffeetablebook as it is a great book to leaf through and talk about.
Here is an example of his work: Kissing Policemen.

BOOK: Alle Verhalen - Arthur Japin

Title: Alle Verhalen
Author: Arthur Japin
Genre: Short stories
Publisher: Singel Pockets, 2005 (1996)
Pages: Paperback, 412
Language: Dutch
Rating: 8/10
Summary: A collection of all stories written by Arthur Japin, including travelstories but also Magonian stories about his childhood, partly set in the imaginary world created by his father (who killed himself when Arthur was twelve).

Spoilerfree review
There are many different stories and it's hard to tell which parts are true personal anekdotes and which parts are made up. Most stories have a bitter twist and it's extra painful to realize that they feature actual people.
If you've read Japin's diaries you have some background information that is helpful. It doesn't make the stories hurt any less, but at least you know that the little boy who's the maincharacter in a lot of stories turns out to be okay. Although that one story about grown up Arthur meeting two of his 'characters' while traveling the GoldCoast makes you aware that reality doesn't always end with a happily ever after.

BOOK: Het Zijn Net Mensen - Joris Luyendijk

Title: Het Zijn Net Mensen (People Like Us: Misrepresenting the Middle East*)
Author: Joris Luyendijk
Genre: Investigative journalism, politics, media
Publisher: Podium, 2006
Pages: Paperback, 220
Language: Dutch
Rating: 8/10
Summary: *Recently published in the UK with the new title: "Hello Everybody!: One Journalist’s Search for Truth in the Middle East". Joris Luyendijk was a correspondent in that area for five years. This book is not about what happened in the world during that time, but gives a peak behind the scenes of foreign journalism and the workings of the media. Joris discovers it's nearly impossible to gather reliable information both in democracies and in dictatorships.

Review
I was already aware that most of what we hear and see in the media is always a little bit tainted by the source of the news, but Joris' experiences are truely baffling. The way authorities regulate and orchestrate the amount of information and the hierarchic organisation of the newsmakers are a big influence on what exactly the people will get to hear.
An example of affecting perception: what if the foreign media would translate the names of Arabic newspapers and tv stations in their own language? So 'Life', 'The Middle East' and 'The Pyramids' in stead of 'Al Hayat', 'Sharq Al-Awsat' and 'Al-Ahram'. And not 'Al-Jazira', 'Al-Manara' and 'A-Mustagbal', but 'The Island', 'The Lighthouse' and 'The Future'. How much more humane doesn't that sound to western ears? And that's just on the outside. Of course there are usually more than two sides to each story, but wat if you can't even verify either? And what if all the news did already go through the spindoctors of both parties in the conflict before it gets out? Why don't journalists tell people when they are not sure whether their sources are reliable?

I found it to be a depressing report, but it's definitely a book every alert newsreader should read and it should absolutely be part of the curriculum of any school of journalism.

BOOK: When I Knew - Robert Trachtenberg

Title: When I Knew
Author: Robert Trachtenberg (Ed.)
Genre: Sexuality, Sociology
Publisher: ReganBooks, 2005
Pages: Paperback, 119
Language: English
Rating: 9/10
Summary: Robert Trachtenberg asked people to tell him about the moment they knew they were gay.

Review
A beautifully designed book with old family pictures, short quotes, cartoons and personal stories from homosexual men and women about that first realisation. Often very touching, some were simply funny and others made me angry; all of them worth reading. Highly recommended.

BOOK: I Am What I Am - John Barrowman

Title: I Am What I Am
Author: John Barrowman (with Carol E. Barrowman)
Genre: Autobiography
Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books Limited, 2009
Pages: Hardcover, 248
Language: English
Rating: 7/10
Summary: Follow up to Anything Goes with even more personal anekdotes about John's life on and off screen.

Spoilerfree review
Not as revealing as his first book, but just as much fun to read. I once again adored the stories about his family, friends and fellow famous people. John talks a lot about Torchwood and the talentshows he was a judge for (musicals Joseph and Maria for instance) which is possibly more enjoyable if you have seen the shows. But for fans of John an absolute must have. If only for all the photos that are included.

BOOK: Dwaalsporen - Jacques Brooijmans

Title: Dwaalsporen
Author: Jacques Brooijmans
Genre: Teens, Sexuality
Publisher: Clavis, 2001
Pages: Hardcover, 199
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7/10
Summary: Joost and Daniël live in a fosterhome and become good friends, mostly because their situation at home is quite similar. They both have parents who struggle with life and they both feel different from other boys. Daniël often prefers to behave like a girl.

Spoilerfree review
The author obviously aimed to write for teenagers and for some reason tried to make it sound like the boys had this big adventure, which to me was a bit overdone.
Now the tension in the story has nothing to do with the complex subject of homosexuality/transvestism/transsexuality; the difference between those gender issues isn't even made clear. Instead this story focuses on Joost's memories of Daniël. Their history together is only slowly revealed and it's obvious you're supposed to think something REALLY BAD happened. Because of this big build up the ending could only be disappointing and that was indeed exactly as expected.
A missed opportunity that nevertheless needs a follow up.

BOOK: Een Schitterend Gebrek - Arthur Japin

Title: Een Schitterend Gebrek (In Lucia's Eyes)
Author: Arthur Japin
Genre: novel, historic figures
Publisher: SingelPocket 2009 (2003)
Pages: Paperback 239
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7/10
Summary: 18th century Venice: 14 year old Lucia falls for 17 year old Casanova. For both of them it's their first big love, but then Lucia suddenly disappears and Casanova feels betrayed. Lucia's life takes a turn for the worst. What happened?

Spoilerfree review
It took me a while to understand who was telling the story, but as the English title reveals, that turned out to be Lucia looking back on her teenage experience. But she starts telling about her life somewhere in the middle, which was a little confusing. Through her eyes we learn how her running away influenced Casanova's view of women.
I didn't find the writing as accesible as the short stories by Japin I read before and Lucia is not an easy girl to care about. I didn't like her decisions very much, even though she seems to be grown into a very smart woman. In the end I did find it to be a heartbreaking story, though.

BOOK: Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom

Title: Tuesdays With Morrie
Author: Mitch Albom
Genre: non-fiction, death
Publisher: Sphere 2008 (1997)
Pages: Paperback, 210
Language: English
Rating: 7/10
Summary: Fortysomething sportsjournalist Mitch Albom sees his old (and sick) sociology professor Morrie Schwartz on tv and decides to pay him a visit. They end up meeting every week for long conversations about life and death.

Spoilerfree review
Mitch has a very comfortable style of writing and he is not afraid to talk about his uncertainties and feelings; he admits he feels guilty about staying out of touch with Morrie for the past twenty years. The two of them have rather emotional and deep talks in which Morrie's deteriorating health and impending death are openly spoken about. Unfortunately I was too cynical to get attached to either of the men. I fear I'm heartless. I can see why people would love this book, but it was probably too personal for me to care, if that makes sense.

BOOK: What I Was - Meg Rosoff

Title: What I Was
Author: Meg Rosoff
Genre: Teens
Publisher: Penguin, 2007
Pages: Paperback, 199
Language: English
Rating: 9/10
Summary: Written in first person and until the end the main character doesn't tell his name. We do know that he is a teenage boy, who has been kicked off several boardingschools until he is sent to St Oswalds, located in a far away coastal village. He is a loner and doesn't connect with any of his classmates, but when he discovers a beachhut and its intriguing occupant Finn, he tries to be friends.

Spoilerfree review
As in Rosoff's How I Live Now the main character falls prey to idolizing his 'object of affection', even if he has to emphasize all the time that what he feels for Finn is not a crush (it can't be). Because Finn doesn't talk much, as a reader you only get the point of view of the narrator. He learns a lot of survivaltechniques from Finn: fishing, repairing the hut and cooking amongst other things. There are hardly any conversations, just a lot of innermonologues and there is plenty going on in his head. His relationship with Finn comes with many doubts, but it's mostly a motivation to stay at St Oswalds. He may not pay a lot of attention to the official curriculum, but it sure turns out to be an educational schoolyear. Exceptional story.

BOOK: How I Live Now - Meg Rosoff

Title: How I Live Now
Author: Meg Rosoff
Genre: Teens
Publisher: Penguin, 2004
Pages: Paperback, 211
Language: English
Rating: 9/10
Summary: In a fictitious near future, fifteen year old Daisy from New York is sent to her family in England, where she should be safe for the fastly extending World War. Despite (or thanks to) these threatening circumstances she falls in love. With her cousin. It doesn't last long until the war reaches England as well and while Daisy's aunt gets stuck somewhere in Europe, Daisy and her cousins (3 older boys and one younger girl) try to survive on the farm, until the army shows up and seperates them.

Spoilerfree review
After I read Meg Rosoff's Just In Case, I had to buy her other books. This is her debut.
Told through the eyes of teenage Daisy and especially in the beginning very much written in 'american cheerleader/like, you know' style, the troubles in the rest of the world are not the focus of the story. Daisy's has more important issues in her life. But when the situation gets grim enough that the war can't be ignored any longer, her perspecive and tone of voice change and become more adult. I did find her continuing undivided attention towards her cousin Edmund a bit tiresome, but I suppose that's love.
I found it really interesting how the war developed, even if the author never explains the situation or shows the big picture. Of course the details of war are often unclear for the people who are in the middle of it and the confusion, but also the acquiescence with the state of the world became very understandable through Daisy's point of view.
Impressive story in a very surprising style.

BOOK: The Descent Of Man - Charles Darwin

Title: The Descent Of Man (The Concise Edition)
Author: Charles Darwin (selection by Carl Zimmer)
Genre: science, biology, evolution
Publisher: Plume, Penguin Group 2007 (1870)
Pages: Paperback, 416
Language: English
Rating: 8/10
Summary: This is a sort of follow up to The Origin Of Species, about the evolution of plants and all animals. The Descent Of Man specifically explores the cultural and behavioral development of people (for instance the origin of language and moral). In this edition scientist Carl Zimmer added his own modern day essays in between the sections.

Review
Carl Zimmer chose to edit out a couple of chapters in the second part of the book about sexual selection and procreation since Darwin kind of loses himself in extensive comparisons with birds (also his favorite example animal in tOoS;). The full original title of the book is The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex. I got this book as a present and at first I was disappointed that I hadn't received the original and complete edition, but after -once again- struggling with Darwin's excessive writing style I was glad I had some guidance while reading. Especially because some of Darwin's point of views were coloured by the era in which he lived. Which I found odd, since he manages to approach most other aspects of evolution rather neutral and scientifically. But the way he looks at primitive tribes and women is not very pleasant. So it was good to have Carl Zimmer put those issues in a present day perspective. It was a long read, but I'm very pleased to have finished the book. Educational for those who are interested in the subject.

10 Word Reviews: We believe the glory of the word

STATISTICS:
Title: Onmacht
Author: Charles Den Tex
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: De Geus / St.CPNB (for Thrillerbookmonth 2010)
Pages: Paperback, 92
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: Son knows about stepfather's cheating
10 WORDS REVIEW
A lot of interesting storylines, but author missed a turn.


STATISTICS:
Title: Inherit The Wind
Author: Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee
Genre: Play, Religion
Publisher: Dramatists Play Service Inc. 2000 (1951)
Pages: Paperback, 90
Language: English
Rating: 7/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: Evolution on trial in Biblebelt
10 WORDS REVIEW
Saw the play earlier; too many characters, but good stuff.


STATISTICS:
Title: De Klank Van Sneeuw
Author: Arthur Japin
Genre: Short stories
Publisher: SingelPocket 2009 (2004)
Pages: Paperback, 119
Language: Dutch
Rating: 8/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: Two women in the spotlights
10 WORDS REVIEW
Fascinating point of view on showbusiness and state of mind.


STATISTICS:
Title: Duel
Author: Joost Zwagerman
Genre: novel
Publisher: De Arbeiderspers/ St.CPNB (for Bookweek 2010)
Pages: Hardcover, 95
Language: Dutch
Rating: 8/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: Museum director's art project derails
10 WORDS REVIEW
In-depth set up leads to very interesting turn of events.


STATISTICS:
Title: xkcd: vol O
Author: Randall Munroe
Genre: comic, science
Publisher: Breadpig, 2009
Pages: Paperback, 111001 ;)
Language: English
Rating: 10/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: Collection of webcomic plus additions
10 WORDS REVIEW
Jokes are occasionally too nerdy, often recognizable and always brilliant.


STATISTICS:
Title: Mobilhome
Author: Dirk van Weelden
Genre: novel
Publisher: De Bezige Bij / ECI
Pages: Hardcover, 210
Language: Dutch
Rating: 5/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: Explorations of town and mind
10 WORDS REVIEW
Starts off promising, but author soon loses himself in drivel.

BOOK: Just In Case - Meg Rosoff

Title: Just In Case
Author: Meg Rosoff
Genre: Teens
Publisher: Penguin Books, 2006
Pages: Hardcover, 230
Language: English
Rating: 9/10
Summary: Fifteen year old David has the eery feeling that Fate has it in for him. He decides to change his identity and become a different person so Fate won't be able to track him down.

Spoilerfree review
Found in the bargainbin, this book caught my eye because of its cover. The text on the back about how 'Every minute of every day, a million things happen. [...] A fifteen-year-old boy falls in love. Or has sex. [...]' made me buy it...

I thought David's paranoia was simply an extreme case of puberty until Fate himself speaks up. David's transformation in itself is a fun read and recognizable for anyone who struggled to figure out their identity. It's an awkward surprise when Fate admits to the reader he (she?) is indeed playing a game.
And even though David's (new) life eventually becomes a little extreme, it is still a very believable story.
Cool idea, excellent execution. I highly recommend this book and will definitely search for the author's debut 'How I Live Now', because I love her style.

BOOK: The Wild Things - David Eggers

Title: The Wild Things
Author: Dave Eggers
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
Publisher: Hamish Hamilton, 2009
Pages: Paperback, 279
Language: English
Rating: 7/10
Summary: Based on the children's book Where The Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, this is David Eggers' interpretation of the story about a boy who runs away from home and ends up on an island full of monsters.

Spoilerfree review
After his debut A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius rocked my socks, I made it a habit to put any new book by David Eggers on my wishlist. I didn't find out The Wild Things wasn't an original new story until after I had seen the film 'Where The Wild Things Are'. I had never heard of the classic children's book that was based on; I went to see the film because of director Spike Jonze. It was a pleasant surprise he wrote the screenplay together with David.
This book is an adaptation of David's view on the screenplay, which is not quite the same as the final version of the film. David explains in his foreword how he probably projected his own experiences on the boy, just like Spike had done in the film.
I guess I would have enjoyed the book more if I hadn't seen the film, since the images and plot were still fresh on my mind when I started reading and now the scenes that weren't exactly as seen just didn't feel right. Combined with the unusual large letterfont in my edition, it made for a bit of an uncomfortable read, even if it was now easy to imagine the monsters.
Those creatures are clearly a metaphor of the boy's emotions; it's his way of dealing with his parents divorce and his teensister's struggle with puberty. But it doesn't matter whether the story is a dream, fantasy or reality; everybody will recognize feelings from their childhood. The story made me very curious about the original book, I will certainly try to find that.
I recommend the story, but if I had to choose between the film and David's book, I'd pick the film as my favorite version.

BOOK: Her Fearful Symmetry - Audrey Niffenegger

Title: Her Fearful Symmetry
Author: Audrey Niffenegger
Genre: Novel
Publisher: Jonathan Cape, 2009
Pages: Paperback, 390
Language: English
Rating: 8/10
Summary: Two American twinsisters inherit an appartment from their English aunt (their mother's estranged twinsister). Despite their mother's objections the girls decide to move to London.

Spoilerfree review
The long awaited second novel after The Time Traveler's Wife. Niffenegger's first book had such an original premise, that I was wondering what kind of story she would come up with next. Of course it was too much to expect a similar surprising story, but 'Her Fearful Symmetry is just as gripping.
In London the girls come to live on the middle floor of a building with three apartments; their aunt's lover lives downstairs and the upstairs apartment is occupied by a man with serious OCD who never goes outside. As it turns out their aunt never left the building either!
The characters won me over after the first three pages; they are such complete humans, with parts to love and hate. It's a joy to get to know all of them through their dialogues and thoughts. Even if the plot itself isn't as exciting as The Time Traveler's Wife, this still is an intriguing story and I recommend the book wholeheartedly.

BOOK: Tin Toeval - Guus Kuijer

Title: Tin Toeval en het Geheim van Tweebeens-eiland
Author: Guus Kuijer
Genre: Children's
Publisher: Wolters-Noordhoff, 2003
Pages: Paperback, 139
Language: Dutch
Rating:6,5/10
Summary: On a short trip across an Amsterdam canal, Tin Toeval's grandma falls in love with the ferryboat captain. The three of them set out to sea to find the treasure of pirate Hark the Shark....

Spoilerfree review
I had bought this for my neighbour's daughter's 9th birthday, but since I hadn't read it yet, I decided to keep it for myself (Hey, I couldn't risk giving her a book that was potentially unsuitable;) and I gave her a book from the same author: "Grown ups are best turned into soup".)
When I was young, I would devour Guus Kuijer's books; I loved the grown up tone of voice and funny but thoughtful dialogues. (I still do; last year I recommended his Book Of Everything)
Most of his books are about the day-to-day life of ordinairy kids, this book starts out the same, but in the second chapter it suddenly changes in some sort of fairytale. I found that very confusing and more than a little disappointing. I'm sure it's an enjoyable story, but it was too much of a fantasy for me.

BOOK: Spiegeljongen - Floortje Zwigtman

Title: Spiegeljongen
Author: Floortje Zwigtman
Genre: Historical, gay, teens
Publisher: De Fontein, 2010
Pages: Hardcover, 607
Language: Dutch
Rating: 9/10
Spoilerfree summary: The final part in the 'Green Carnation'-trilogy about young Adrian in late 19th century London.
In part one Adrian is introduced into the flamboyant circle of Oscar Wilde and he finds work as an artist’s model. When London’s beau monde decamps to Europe for the summer holidays Adrian ends up without any income until he finds employment in a male brothel.
In part two things look up when Adrian can get back to work as a model and finds love in the arms of a painter. But when Oscar Wilde is convicted of "gross indecency" with other men, London becomes a very dangerous place for gay men and a lot of Adrian's friends decide to leave or go undercover.
In part three Adrian tries to deal with losing friends and finds himself in very dangerous company to travel to France.

Spoilerfree review
I reread the first two parts before I started in the final book; even if I had been waiting for that to be released since 2007(!). I was glad I did, because it was as pleasantly painful a journey as when I first read the books. Zwigtman writes in Dutch but has a way with words that makes it feel as if you are reading in English. The picture that is painted of London in Victorian times feels right, even if the characters speak Dutch.
Unlike the first two books this time Adrian's company seems a bit over the top, but since I know Zwigtman to do very extensive research (as is obvious by the long time we had to wait for book 3;) I fear even the crazy and evil people are probably real.
I thought Adrian had already suffered every possible heartache, but in this book he is really put through the wringer. He is even driven to a point when he is no longer the sympathetic lead of the story. And I still couldn't let him go. This was the roughest read so far, but thoroughly worth the wait.

The first two books are now available in German, I hope they will eventually be translated to English, because this is a must read for all my friends. More information and a sample in English can be found here.

BOOK: Het Aquarium van Walter Huijsmans - Bas Haring

Title: Het Aquarium van Walter Huijsmans
Author: Bas Haring
Genre: Environment, Philosophy
Publisher: Lemniscaat, 2009
Pages: Paperback, 119
Language: Dutch
Rating: 6/10
Summary: Bas Haring wonders why we worry about the future; would it really be such a bad thing if nature as we know it disappears?

Spoilerfree review
Another book I was looking forward to: I loved Bas Haring's previous books about evolution and computers (respectively Cheese and The Iron Will). This time he tries to explain why we shouldn't be upset about the decline of the environment. I understand the point he is trying to make, but this is very much philosophy in theory. If you talk in circles long enough it's possible to make any issue irrelevant. Of course the environment is not as concrete as his previous subjects, but I had expected a more substantial essay. This is a missed opportunity in my opinion.

BOOK: Het Dovemansorendieet - Maarten 't Hart

Title: Het Dovemansorendieet
Author: Maarten 't Hart
Genre: Biology, food
Publisher: De Arbeiderspers, 2007
Pages: Hardcover, 161
Language: Dutch
Rating: 5/10
Summary: Well known author, biologist and skinny man Maarten 't Hart talks about the sense and nonsense of diets, based on his own experience with food.

Spoilerfree review
I read Maarten 't Hart's novels in highschool and I remember them as being a little twisted. Add to that his biology background and I thought his food-book would offer an interesting view on loosing weight. But as it turns out Maarten's own opinion makes for a rather bitchy book, and not in a fun way. The food he himself is familiar with is not on the menu of the average person; it's all rather old fashioned and even elitist. At first I thought his tone of voice was meant to be sarcastic, but when he was rather nasty about fellow author/biologist Midas Dekker's book Physical Exercise (an awesome cynical anti-sports book I loved), I understood. He was actually serious about us going back to eating simple bran and vegetables from the Middle Ages. Good plan, Maarten, you stay skinny, I rather enjoy eating my food. Disappointing.