BeeLikeJ's Library

The big link post

2020-12-30T10:27:00.000+01:00

For those who care more about fiction published on paper: a quick link to all my posts about books!

For an explanation of fandom and our language, go here!

This post is for those who already speak fangirl: it has shiny links to my favorite fandom hangouts (bookmarks) and recommended stories (recs). Plus as a bonus: pictures of the happy couples to illustrate the squee:)

Buffy The Vampire Slayer (and Angel)
I was introduced to fanfiction by the BBC-messageboard on Buffy The Vampire Slayer; my first slash pairing was Angel/Spike. I love them even more when Buffy is in the mix. And the best part? It's totally canon. Thank you, Joss.
Buffy-recs & Buffy-bookmarks & Picture of Angel & Spike!

CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
But it wasn't until after I discovered the CSI-fandom that I really got into fanfiction. I'm a big fan of Nick/Greg (my OTP), because of the subtext-chemistry in canon (I'm a believer!). I also enjoy Nick/Gil and Greg/Gil and even Nick/Gil/Greg (OT3!). Smart guys are such a turn on:) CSI-recs & CSI-bookmarks & Picture of Nick & Greg

Harry Potter
I used to think books didn't need an addition, since we can already read what the characters are thinking. But when I found Harry Potter fanfiction I learned there is a lot more to tell about Remus/Sirius.
Potter-recs & Potter-bookmarks & Picture of Remus & Sirius!

Hornblower
I love rule 34! After watching miniseries Hornblower I just knew there had to be fanfiction about Mr. Hornblower and Mr. Kennedy (with or without Capt. Pellew;).
Hornblower-recs & Hornblower-bookmarks & Picture of Horatio Hornblower & Archie Kennedy!

RPS: J2
Most recently I crossed another line: RPS (real person slash). I had secretely read some CSI-RPS before, but always felt a little dirty. Not so much when I discovered CW-fanfic. I'm especially a fan of Jensen/Jared (J2).
J2-recs & J2-bookmarks & Picture of Jared & Jensen!

Random fandom
Occasionally I try other fandoms. Here are a couple I liked: (Links to recs)

Due South: Fraser/Ray Kowalski

Bad Wolf On Campus: Merton/Tommy

The Forsaken: Desert Vampires Nick/Sean (rare fandom for obscure vampire-movie with Kerr Smith and Brendan Fehr, who also star in RPS-fic;)

Doctor Who: Mickey/Jake

Books Books Books

2020-05-17T14:44:00.002+02:00

Links to all my bookreviews (and bookbabbles)
"I don't get your crazy system." - My system? It's called the alphabet.
- By author
- By title

REVIEWS LISTED by AUTHOR
All reviews are in English. Titles of books are in original language and in Dutch (if read in translation) plus -if available- in English. Outside links to my bookcommunity are indicated with a *.

A

Aciman, André - Call Me By Your Name

Albom, Mitch - The Five People You Meet in Heaven

Albom, Mitch - Tuesdays With Morrie

Armstrong, Nancy - Bad Girls Of Pulpfiction

Bakker, Gerbrand - Bruiloft Zonder Bruidspaar

Banksy - Wall and Piece

Barrowman, John - Anything Goes

Barrowman, John - I Am What I Am

Benali, Abdelkader - De Grammatica Van Een Niemand

Bernlef, J. - Hersenschimmen (Out Of Mind)

Bernlef, J. - De Pianoman

Bernlef, J. - Sneeuw (Snow)

Besson, Philippe - En l'absence des hommes (Bij Afwezigheid Van Mannen / In Absence Of Men)

Besson, Philippe - Son Frère (Zijn Broer / His Brother)

Boccaccio, Giovanni - Slimme Vrouwen, Tien Verhalen Uit Decamerone

Brooijmans, Jacques - Dwaalsporen

Brouwers, Jeroen - Liefste In De Verte

Chambers, Aidan - Breaktime

Chambers, Aidan - Dance On My Grave (Je Moet Dansen Op M'n Graf)

Chambers, Aidan - Now I Know

Chambers, Aidan - Postcards From No Man's Land

Chambers, Aidan - This Is All

Chambers, Aidan - The Toll Bridge

Chaon, Dan - You Remind Me Of Me

Chapman, Matthew - 40 Days and 40 Nights

Cicero - De Oratore

Claus, Hugo - Een Slaapwandeling

Claus, Hugo - De Zwaardvis

Coelho, Paulo - Veronika Decide Morrer (Veronika Decides To Die)

Dantzig, Rudi van - De Bruid Staat Rechts Van U

Darwin, Charles - The Descent Of Man

Darwin, Charles - The Origin Of Species

Dawkins, Richard - A Devil's Chaplain

Dawkins, Richard - The God Delusion

Dawkins, Richard - The Greatest Show On Earth

Dekkers, Midas - Piep

Dorrestein, Renate - Laat Me Niet Alleen

Dragt, Tonke - De Brief Voor De Koning

Dragt, Tonke - Geheimen Van Het Wilde Woud

Dragt, Tonke - Verhalen Van De Tweelingbroers

Eggers, David - A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius*(synchronized reading per chapter)

Eggers, David - The Wild Things

Eliot, George - The Mill On The Floss

Enright, Anne - Yesterday's Weather

Everett, Rupert - Red Carpets And Other Banana Skins

Ferguson, Will - Happiness™

Fokke & Sukke - Het Afzien Van 2009

Ford, Catt & Kennedy, Sean - Dash & Dingo In Search Of The Tasmanian Tiger

Fry, Stephen - The Ode Less Traveled

Gaiman, Neil & Pratchett, Terry - Good Omens

Goldman, Todd Harris - Girls Are Weirdos (but they smell pretty)

Greer, Germaine - The Boy

Greer, Germaine - The Female Eunuch

Glastra Van Loon, Karel - De Liefde Komt Altijd Te Laat

Haasse, Hella S. - Oeroeg

Hagen, Hans - Vlammen

Hanley, James - Boy

Haring, Bas - Het Aquarium van Walter Huijsmans

Haring, Bas - Voor Een Succesvol Leven (For A Successful Life)

Hart, Kees 't - De Revue

Hart, Maarten 't - Het Dovemansorendieet

Hartinger, Brent - Geography Club

Hemmerechts, Kristien - De Tuin Der Onschuldigen

Henderson, Bobby - The Gospel Of The Flying Spaghetti Monster

Hofstadter, Douglas R. - Metamagical Themas; reviews by chapter: Science, Numbers, Default sexism

Irving, John - Last Night At Twisted River

Japin, Arthur - Alle Verhalen

Japin, Arthur - De Klank Van Sneeuw

Japin, Arthur - Een Schitterend Gebrek

Japin, Arthur - Zoals Dat Gaat Met Wonderen

Japin, Arthur - De Zwarte Met Het Witte Hart

Kellendonk, Frans - Mystiek Lichaam

Kennedy, Sean & Ford, Catt - Dash & Dingo In Search Of The Tasmanian Tiger

Kennedy, Sean - Tigers And Devils

Kennedy, Sean - Wings Of Equity

Kieri, Katarina - Majas Morsas Kompis Sambo (De Vriend van de Vriendin van de Moeder van Maja)

Krabbé, Tim - Een Tafel Vol Vlinders

Kronenberg, Yvonne - Mannenwerk

Kuijer, Guus - Het Boek Van Alle Dingen (The Book Of Everything)

Kuijer, Guus - Tin Toeval

Kushner, Tony- Angels In America

Lawrence, Jerome & Lee, Robert E. - Inherit The Wind

Levy, Ariel - Female Chauvinist Pigs

Loesje - Heb Je In Je Hoofd Nog Ruimte Voor Waanzinnige Plannen

Loesje - Ik Heb Altijd Een Roos Klaar Staan Op Het Balkon,
Voor Het Geval Dat

Loon, Paul van - Dolfje Weerwolfje (Alfie The WereWolf)

Luyendijk, Joris - Het Zijn Net Mensen

Luyendijk, Joris - Een Tipje Van De Sluier

Mayall, The Rik - Bigger Than Hitler, Better Than Christ

Messud, Claire - The Emperor's Children

Mitchell, David - Black Swan Green

Monkton, Edward - The Lady And The Chocolate

Moor, Margriet de - De Verdronkene

Mulisch, Harry - Twee Vrouwen (Two Women)

Munroe, Randall - xkcd: vol O

Niffenegger, Audrey - Her Fearful Symmetry

Niffenegger, Audrey - The Three Incestuous Sisters - Audrey Niffenegger

Niffenegger, Audrey - The Time Traveler's Wife

Ohba, Tsugumi (writer) & Obata, Takeshi (artist) - Death Note

Oldenhave, Mirjam - Mees Kees in de Gloria

Pratchett, Terry & Gaiman, Neil - Good Omens

Pullman, Philip - The Amber Spyglass (part 3/3 His Dark Materials)

Pullman, Philip - His Dark Materials (trilogy)

Pullman, Philip - Lyra's Oxford (sequel to His Dark Materials)

Pullman, Philip - Northern Lights
(aka The Golden Compass - part 1/3 His Dark Materials)

Pullman, Philip - Once Upon A Time In The North
(prequel to His Dark Materials)

Pullman, Philip - The Subtle Knife (part 2/3 His Dark Materials)

Reger, Rob & Parker, Buzz - Emily the Strange

Ritzerfeld, J. - De Amazone

Roach, Mary - Bonk

Rosoff, Meg - The Bride's Farewell

Rosoff, Meg - How I Live Now

Rosoff, Meg - Just In Case

Rosoff, Meg - What I Was

Roth, Philip - Portnoy's Complaint

~~Rowling, J.K.~~ Scamander, Newt - Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

Rowling, J.K. - Harry Potter And The HalfBlood Prince*(synchronized reading per chapter)

~~Rowling, J.K.~~ Whisp, Kennilworthy - Quidditch Through The Ages

Rowling, J.K. - The Tales Of Beedle The Bard

~~Rowling, J.K.~~ Scamander, Newt - Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them

Scheen, Kjersti - Månefeen (Maanmeisje)

Schmidt, Annie M.G. - Jippus et Jannica

Schutten, Jan Paul - De Wraak Van Het Spruitje

Slee, Carry - Spijt!

Smith, Susan - Kijk Naar Me

Taïa, Abdellah - L'armee Du Salut (Broederliefde)

Tex, Charles Den - Onmacht

Thewlis, David - The Late Hector Kipling

Thijssen, Theo - De Gelukkige Klas

Thomas, Scarlett - Our Tragic Universe

Thomése, P.G. - Eerder Thuis Dan Townes

Thomése, P.G. - Schaduwkind (Shadowchild)

Trachtenberg, Robert - When I Knew

Verbeke, Annelies - Groener Gras

Verhoef, Ester - Erken Mij

Verhoef, Esther - De Perfecte Partner

Verhulst, Dimitri - Problemski Hotel

Vestdijk, Simon - Meneer Visser's Hellevaart (Mr. Visser's Perdition)

Voskuil, J.J. - Bestiarium

Weelden, Dirk van - Mobilhome

Westerman, Frank - Stikvallei

~~Rowling, J.K.~~ Whisp, Kennilworthy - Quidditch Through The Ages

Woolf, Virginia - Mrs Dalloway

Woolf, Virginia - To The Lighthouse

The Xenophobe's Guide To The Dutch

Yerli, Nilgün - Weg Van Nederland

Zwagerman, Joost - Duel

Zwigtman, Floortje - Spelregels

Zwigtman, Floortje - Spiegeljongen

REVIEWS LISTED by TITLE
All reviews are in English. Titles of books are in original language and in Dutch (if read in translation) plus -if available- in English. Outside links to my bookcommunity are indicated with a *.

#

40 Days and 40 Nights - Matthew Chapman

Het Afzien Van 2009 - Fokke & Sukke

Alfie The Werewolf (Dolfje Weerwolfje) - Paul van Loon

Alle Verhalen - Arthur Japin

De Amazone - J. Ritzerfeld

The Amber Spyglass (part 3/3 His Dark Materials) - Philip Pullman

Angels In America - Tony Kushner

Anything Goes - John Barrowman

Het Aquarium van Walter Huijsmans - Bas Haring

L'armee Du Salut - Abdellah Taïa

Bad Girls Of Pulpfiction - Nancy Armstrong et al

Bestiarium - J.J. Voskuil

Bigger Than Hitler, Better Than Christ - The Rik Mayall

Bij Afwezigheid Van Mannen - Philippe Besson

Black Swan Green - David Mitchell

Het Boek Van Alle Dingen - Guus Kuijer

Bonk - Mary Roach

The Book Of Everything - Guus Kuijer

Boy - James Hanley

The Boy - Germaine Greer

Breaktime - Aidan Chambers

The Bride's Farewell - Meg Rosoff

De Brief Voor De Koning - Tonke Dragt

Broederliefde - Abdellah Taïa

De Bruid Staat Rechts Van U - Rudi van Dantzig

Bruiloft Zonder Bruidspaar - Gerbrand Bakker

Call Me By Your Name - André Aciman

Dance On My Grave - Aidan Chambers

Dash & Dingo In Search Of The Tasmanian Tiger - Catt Ford & Sean Kennedy

Death Note - Tsugumi Ohba (writer) & Takeshi Obata (artist)

Decamerone, Tien Verhalen: Slimme Vrouwen - Giovanni Boccaccio

The Descent Of Man - Charles Darwin

A Devil's Chaplain - Richard Dawkins

Dolfje Weerwolfje - Paul van Loon

Het Dovemansorendieet - Maarten 't Hart

Duel - Joost Zwagerman

Dwaalsporen - Jacques Brooijmans

Eerder Thuis Dan Townes - P.F. Thomese

Emily the Strange - Rob Reger & Buzz Parker

The Emperor's Children - Claire Messud

En l'absence des hommes - Philippe Besson

Erken Mij - Esther Verhoef

Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them - ~~J.K. Rowling~~ Newt Scamander

Female Chauvinist Pigs - Ariel Levy

The Female Eunuch - Germaine Greer

The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom

For A Successful Life - Bas Haring

Geheimen Van Het Wilde Woud - Tonke Dragt

De Gelukkige Klas - Theo Thijssen

Geography Club - Brent Hartinger

Girls Are Weirdos (but they smell pretty) - Todd Harris Goldman

The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins

The Golden Compass (US-part 1/3 His Dark Materials) - Philip Pullman

Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

The Gospel Of The Flying Spaghetti Monster - Bobby Henderson

De Grammatica Van Een Niemand - Abdelkader Benali

The Greatest Show On Earth - Richard Dawkins

Groener Gras - Annelies Verbeke

Harry Potter And The HalfBlood Prince - J.K. Rowling*(synchronized reading per chapter)

Happiness™ - Will Ferguson

A Heartbreaking Work Of Staggering Genius - Dave Eggers*(synchronized reading per chapter)

Heb Je In Je Hoofd Nog Ruimte Voor Waanzinnige Plannen - Loesje

Her Fearful Symmetry - Audrey Niffenegger

Hersenschimmen - J. Bernlef

Het Zijn Net Mensen - Joris Luyendijk

His Brother - Philippe Besson

His Dark Materials (trilogy) - Philip Pullman

How I Live Now - Meg Rosoff

I Am What I Am - John Barrowman

Ik Heb Altijd Een Roos Klaar Staan Op Het Balkon, Voor Het Geval Dat - Loesje

In Absence Of Men - Philippe Besson

Inherit The Wind - Jerome Lawrence and Robert E. Lee

Je Moet Dansen Op Mijn Graf - Aidan Chambers

Jippus et Jannica - Annie M.G. Schmidt

Just In Case - Meg Rosoff

Kijk Naar Me - Susan Smith

Laat Me Niet Alleen - Renate Dorrestein

The Lady And The Chocolate - Edward Monkton

Last Night At Twisted River - John Irving

The Late Hector Kipling - David Thewlis

De Liefde Komt Altijd Te Laat - Karel Glastra van Loon

Liefste In De Verte - Jeroen Brouwers

Lyra's Oxford (sequel to His Dark Materials) - Philip Pullman

Majas Morsas Kompis Sambo - Katarina Kieri

Månefeen (Maanmeisje) - Kjersti Scheen

Mannenwerk - Yvonne Kronenberg

Mees Kees in de Gloria - Mirjam Oldenhave

Meneer Visser's Hellevaart - Simon Vestdijk

Metamagical Themas - Douglas R.Hofstadter; reviews by chapter: Science, Numbers, Default sexism

The Mill On The Floss - George Eliot

Mr. Visser's Perdition - Simon Vestdijk

Mobilhome - Dirk van Weelden

Mrs Dalloway - Virginia Woolf

Mystiek Lichaam - Frans Kellendonk

Northern Lights (UK-part 1/3 His Dark Materials) - Philip Pullman

Now I Know - Aidan Chambers

The Ode Less Traveled - Stephen Fry

Oeroeg - Hella S. Haasse

Once Upon A Time In The North
(prequel to His Dark Materials) - Philip Pullman

Onmacht - Charles Den Tex

De Oratore - Cicero

The Origin Of Species - Charles Darwin

Our Tragic Universe - Scarlett Thomas

Out Of Mind

De Perfecte Partner - Esther Verhoef

De Pianoman - Bernlef

Piep - Midas Dekkers

Portnoy's Complaint - Philip Roth

Postcards From No Man's Land - Aidan Chambers

Problemski Hotel - Dimitri Verhulst

Quidditch Through The Ages - ~~J.K. Rowling~~ Kennilworthy Whisp

Red Carpets And Other Banana Skins - Rupert Everett

De Revue - Kees 't Hart

Schaduwkind - P.G. Thomése

Een Schitterend Gebrek - Arthur Japin

Shadow Child - P.G. Thomése

Een Slaapwandeling - Hugo Claus

Slimme Vrouwen, Tien Verhalen Uit Decamerone - Giovanni Boccaccio

Sneeuw - J. Bernlef

De Klank Van Sneeuw - Arthur Japin

Snow - J. Bernlef

Son Frère - Philippe Besson

Spelregels - Floortje Zwigtman

Spiegeljongen - Floortje Zwigtman

Spijt! - Carry Slee

Stikvallei - Frank Westerman

The Subtle Knife (part 2/3 His Dark Materials) - Philip Pullman

Een Tafel Vol Vlinders - Tim Krabbé

The Tales Of Beedle The Bard - J.K. Rowling

This Is All - Aidan Chambers

The Three Incestuous Sisters - Audrey Niffenegger

Tigers And Devils - Sean Kennedy

The Time Traveler's Wife - Audrey Niffenegger

Tin Toeval - Guus Kuijer

Een Tipje Van De Sluier - Joris Luyendijk

To The Lighthouse - Virginia Woolf

The Toll Bridge - Aidan Chambers

De Tuin Der Onschuldigen - Kristien Hemmerechts

Tuesdays With Morrie - Mitch Albom

Twee Vrouwen - Harry Mulisch

Two Women - Harry Mulisch

De Verdronkene - Margriet de Moor

Verhalen Van De Tweelingbroers - Tonke Dragt

Veronika Decide Morrer - Paulo Coelho

Veronika Decides To Die - Paulo Coelho

Vlammen - Hans Hagen

Voor Een Succesvol Leven - Bas Haring

De Vriend van de Vriendin van de Moeder van Maja - Katarina Kieri

Wall and Piece - Banksy

Weg Van Nederland - Nilgün Yerli

What I Was - Meg Rosoff

When I Knew - Robert Trachtenberg

The Wild Things - David Eggers

Wings Of Equity - Sean Kennedy

De Wraak Van Het Spruitje - Jan Paul Schutten

The Xenophobe's Guide To The Dutch

xkcd: vol O - Randall Munroe

Yesterday's Weather - Anne Enright

You Remind Me Of Me - Dan Chaon

Yuri Monogatari

Zijn Broer - Philippe Besson

Zoals Dat Gaat Met Wonderen - Arthur Japin

De Zwaardvis - Hugo Claus

De Zwarte Met Het Witte Hart - Arthur Japin

BOOKS: Emily the Strange - Rob Reger & Buzz Parker

2011-04-17T13:00:00.000+02:00

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

2011-04-17T12:57:00.001+02:00

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

2011-04-17T12:53:00.001+02:00

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

2011-04-17T12:50:00.001+02:00

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

2011-04-17T12:47:00.001+02:00

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

2011-04-17T12:44:00.001+02:00

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

2011-04-17T12:41:00.001+02:00

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

2011-04-17T12:38:00.001+02:00

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

2011-04-17T12:36:00.000+02:00

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

2011-04-17T12:27:00.005+02:00

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

2011-04-17T12:24:00.001+02:00

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

2011-04-17T12:22:00.000+02:00

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

2011-04-17T12:20:00.001+02:00

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

2011-04-17T12:15:00.002+02:00

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

2011-04-17T12:12:00.002+02:00

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

2011-04-17T12:11:00.000+02:00

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

2011-04-17T12:07:00.002+02:00

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

2011-04-17T12:02:00.001+02:00

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

2011-04-17T12:00:00.000+02:00

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

2011-04-17T11:58:00.001+02:00

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

2011-04-17T11:54:00.002+02:00

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

2011-04-17T11:48:00.001+02:00

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

2011-04-17T11:46:00.000+02:00

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

2011-04-17T11:44:00.001+02:00

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

2011-04-17T11:40:00.002+02:00

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

2011-04-17T11:37:00.001+02:00

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

2011-04-17T11:27:00.005+02:00

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

2011-04-17T11:25:00.002+02:00

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

2011-04-17T11:21:00.001+02:00

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

2011-04-17T11:17:00.002+02:00

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

2011-04-17T11:13:00.003+02:00

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

2011-04-17T11:08:00.002+02:00

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

2011-04-17T11:05:00.001+02:00

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

2011-04-17T11:02:00.001+02:00

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.

Fandom Picturepost!

2010-12-26T12:35:00.016+01:00

A picture says more than a thousand words
Sometimes the spark between people (characters;) is so obvious, it's hard to believe not everyone noticed it. Subtext is ofcourse often subtle and hidden under the surface of the real story (canon). But enthusiasm can make a lot of things look like something they're not *g*. I collected pictures of my fandoms that show moments between characters that feed the fangirl fantasy. Just look at them and tell me you still don't get it. It's chemistry, it's comfort, it's all of the above.

Pictures are in chronological order of me entering into fandom
No manipulations have been made. Use your imagination. Enjoy.

Buffy The Vampire Slayer: Angel/Spike (and Buffy)

Of course Angel/Buffy is the ultimate canon relationship, but when Spike was reunited with his Grandsire, you could tell they had quite a history together. I can't help but feel that Spike's initial interest in Buffy was really because she was his competition... Of course later he tried to make Angel jealous. But seriously: Angel/Spike intimacy has been more than subtly suggested in canon. True fact people.
Angel/Spike/Buffy-Fanfiction

CSI: Nick/Greg

These guys have been oozing chemistry from the first scene they are in together (in the pilot!). From that awkward conversation about anal swabs on, there has been more teasing, looking longingly and "casual" touching than I can handle without squeeing. Flirting with a capital F. They hit a bit of a rough spot in Season 5, but ten (10!) years from the start they are still ~~together~~ my OTP.
Nick/Greg-Fanfiction

Harry Potter: Remus/Sirius

If you have read the Harry Potter books, you will know there is a lot more to Remus Lupin and Sirius Black than is shown in the films. Especially the 'Marauder'-era is left out; when they were students at Hogwarts with Harry's dad.
I suspect the scene that started fandom, was in The Prisoner of Azkaban (book 3), in which "[Lupin] embraced Black like a brother". That seems innocent enough, but taken into consideration that it's written from young Harry's point of view, it begs exploration of the relationship. You'll be happy to know several fangirls have written essays to explain why we think these men are more than just good friends. Here is a long one that will convince you we are right: The Case For R/S by elwing_alcyone. WARNING: SPOILERS FOR FINAL BOOK! (We can explain J.K. Rowlings conclusion away too;)
Remus/Sirius-Fanfiction

Hornblower: Horatio/Archie

Ahw, just look at these guys. Horatio Hornblower and Archie Kennedy suffered the wrath of the evil captain together, when they first set foot aboard whatever ship they met on. And of course there was that time when Archie was captured and Horatio had to rescue him and bring him back from insanity, holding him in his arms to comfort him. Good stuff. Lovely.
Hornblower/Kennedy-Fanfiction

RPS: Jared/Jensen (J2)

Do I really need to explain? Sigh. El Oo Vee Ee.
Jared/Jensen (J2)-Fanfiction

The who whatting the how with the huh?

2010-12-25T22:26:00.001+01:00

I have knowledge! (A work in progress;)

Fanfiction = A piece of fiction utilizing characters and situations from a pre-existing work including (but not limited to) books, television programs, films, and comic strips. Written by fans of the original work. Often used to play out AU scenarios and/or various romantic pairings not found in the original work. Typically separated into het, slash, and general genres.

AU = alternate universe

Het = straight romance or erotica (pr0n!)

Slash = gay/lesbian romance or erotica (pr0n!)

pr0n! = porn (NC 17)

OTP = One True Pairing, favorite combination of two characters.

O3P/OT3 = favorite combination of three characters.

CW = the CW network, a corner in TV-land where lots of pretty boys and girls live.

RPS = Real Person Slash. Stories featuring famous people. It's a fantasy-universe.

Manip: a manipulation of an image, usually made into a more intimate situation than the original

J2 = Jared Padalecki and Jensen Ackles, actors, currently playing the Winchester brothers in series SuperNatural.

Other pretty in the J2 universe = Tom Welling (young superman in Smallville), Michael Rosenbaum (villain in Smallville) Chad Michael Murray (from One Tree Hill)

FYI: I watched Buffy and Angel religiously, same goes for the original CSI. I don't care much for SuperNatural.

BOOK: Zoals Dat Gaat Met Wonderen - Arthur Japin

2010-03-14T14:02:00.002+01:00

Title: Zoals Dat Gaat Met Wonderen, Diaries 2000-2007
Author: Arthur Japin
Genre: Autobiography, diary
Publisher: privé-domein, De Arbeiderspers (2008)
Pages: paperback, 454
Language: Dutch
Rating: 9/10
Summary: A chronological collection of impressions and thoughts written down between 2000 and 2007 when actor/author Arthur Japin was working on his next books after his succesful debut 'The Two Hearts of Kwasi Boachi' an unknown story about two young princes from Ghana who were given to King William The First in the early nineteenth century.

Review
Arthur Japin reminds me of Stephen Fry; he is as charming and erudite and despite reassurance from everyone surrounding him, still very insecure about his appearance. He presented the Dutch edition of QI. He was originally famous as an actor in a daily soap-opera but never really felt comfortable as an idol. Eventually he quit acting and started writing. His first novel was a worldwide succes and although he does now occasionally act again, he is mainly a well respected author.
After his book debuted, it was translated in several other languages and he travelled all over the world to promote it. In his diaries there are many fragments about his travels and conversations he had with various (unknown and famous) people along the way.
While traveling he was also working on several books. If you've read any of his novels, you will recognize where he found his inspiration and how he researched the background of his characters.
My favorite snippets are his personal observations and thoughts about the loves of his life. Arthur has been together with publisher Lex Jansen since 1979 and in 2000 he also fell in love with -young- American author Ben Moser. I was mesmerized by Arthur's emotional struggle and how they eventually handled the issue really shook up my previous point of view on the subject. The three of them currently live together in Amsterdam.
I've learned so much from Japin's approach of life. He is able to capture a lot in just a few sentences and nearly every paragraph made me think. Mostly about how I perceive other people. It's a little disconcerting to feel my inner cynic melt.
Not that Arthur is always positive or optimistic, but he does emphasize constantly that love is the most important thing in the world. Like I said: it's a little disconcerting, but I'm definitely inspired to read his books.

BOOK: This Is All - Aidan Chambers

2010-03-14T13:59:00.001+01:00

Title: This Is All, The Pillow Book of Cordelia Kenn
Author: Aidan Chambers
Genre: Teens, family
Publisher: Definitions (2007), 2005
Pages: paperback, 808
Language: English
Rating: 8/10
Summary: Cordelia Kenn kept a diary from her fifteenth birthday. Now she is nineteen and pregnant and from her writings and memories she composes a pillowbook for her unborn daughter to share her own experiences as a teen.

Spoilerfree review
This is a huge book and as part of the unconnected teen-series by Aidan Chambers the first that is written in a female voice. (Although the author explains in his afterword how the other "Dance" books also all have female protagonists). It's also the biggest book.
Cordelia tells about her first boyfriend; how they met, how they had sex, all in intimate detail. Her discovery of love is the heart of the story, but she also talks a lot about the other people in her life; her aunt who offers her a second home after her mother died and her teacher who helps her deal with teen-life. In between it becomes clear how her mother's death affected Cordelia and her father.
I loved her voice and openess. I recognized the journey to (semi) adulthood and the questions and challenges along the way.
The book is divided in several pillowbooks, that all have their own style, depending on Cordelia's mood and experience at the time of the described events and discoveries. Sometimes it's poetic and lyrical, other times very systematic with subjects alfabetically organized. It makes for a very dynamic book. Beautiful.

BOOK: Boy - James Hanley

2010-03-14T13:58:00.001+01:00

Title: Boy
Author: James Hanley
Genre: Drama
Publisher: One World Classics Ltd (2007), 1931
Pages: paperback, 175
Language: English
Rating: 7/10
Summary: Twelve year old Fearon has to quit school because his parents need the extra money. His father gets him a job in the shipyard. Fearon is treated very roughly and runs away from home. He stows away on a freighter, hoping to start a new life. When he is discovered and put to work he learns quickly that a ship full of rugged seamen is not a very safe place for an innocent young boy.

Spoilerfree review
I accidentally bought this book as a present based on the title and cover. But after carefully reading the summary I decided it was too harsh to give away.
This book was supressed for more than fifty years by a prosecution for obscenity. It is indeed a rather disturbing story, but one that definitely needs to be available for the public.
I found the old English language sometimes difficult to understand, mostly because of the use of a lot of ancient expressions and dialects. Regardless of the label of obscenity I thought the author often tried to cover up the lewdness which made it hard to figure out what was going on.
But even though it's not easy to read, the book is worth the effort.

My edition included an essay on the writer and extended notes on the book.

BOOK: Postcards From No Man's Land - Aidan Chambers

2010-03-14T13:54:00.001+01:00

Title: Postcards From No Man's Land
Author: Aidan Chambers
Genre: Teens, History (WWII)
Publisher: Definitions (2007), 1999
Pages: paperback, 331
Language: English
Rating: 8/10
Summary: On request of his grandmother English teen Jacob Todd travels on his own to The Netherlands for the commemoration of the Battle of Arnhem where his grandfather fought in WorldWar II. Jacob has his own mission too; he wants to visit the Anne Frank house. In between staying with old friends of his grandmother he gets lost in Amsterdam.
Intermixed with Jacob's adventures elderly Dutch woman Geertrui tells her story of love and betrayal in times of war, linking Jacob with her family in a way he never suspected. It makes him question his place in the world.

Spoilerfree review
It's both weird and interesting to read an outsider point of view of your own country. Jacob experiences a strong feeling of alienation because he doesn't understand the language. Of course I had no problem with the Dutch messages he receives and thus missed a bit of the intended mystery. I did enjoy his journey though, and could relate to the overwhelming sense of awe when traveling in an unknown place. The people Jacob meets along the way are all very intriguing.

It was strange to hear Geertrui's history in English; at first I felt like translating it back to Dutch. But it didn't take long for me to get engrossed by her words. I really felt as if I was living with her in that period of time.
Switching between Jacob's journey in the present time and Geertrui's life during the war was also something I had to get used to. But it's a well handled device to discover similarities (and differences) between their experiences.
As usual Aidan Chambers does not shy away from the more intimate issues in life.It was a revelation to realize teens in the forties struggled with the same feelings as today's youth.
Despite my initial doubts about yet another war-related history lesson, I ended up getting very emotionally involved with both Jacob and Geertrui. Recommended!

COMIC: Fokke & Sukke, Het Afzien Van 2009

2010-03-14T13:51:00.002+01:00

Title: Fokke & Sukke, het afzien van 2009
Author: Reid, Geleijnse & Van Tol
Genre: Comic
Publisher: Uitgeverij Catullus
Pages: paperback, 112
Language: Dutch
Rating: 9/10
Summary: Cartoon characters Fokke and Sukke discuss newstopics from 2009

Review with sample comic
Fokke & Sukke are very popular cartoon characters in The Netherlands. In addition to a daily comic in a national newspaper (NRC) and a weekly comic in the TV guide (VARA) they also appear on daily talkshow DWDD. There is a huge archive on their website. The comic is made since 1997 by three former students and there is no subject they don't cover. I'm trying to collect all their books and I loved this latest collection from 2009. It has many observations and jokes about the news that instantly make you remember what happened in the last year. I translated one of my favorites:

:-)
Their ten year anniversary book is available in several languages, including English. Details on the website (scroll down:)

BOOK: The Origin Of Species - Charles Darwin

2010-01-09T17:21:00.001+01:00

Title: The Origin Of Species
Author: Charles Darwin
Genre: Science, Biology
Publisher: Collector's Library (2004), 1859
Pages: hardcover, 526
Language: English
Rating: 9/10
Summary: In this book Darwin outlines his theory of "descent with modification" in which he proposes that species have not been independently brought into being by a creator, but have arisen from a single common ancestor and have evolved and differentiated over time through the process of natural selection.

Review
If you kept an eye on the books I read in the past year, you already know the subject of evolution -and consequently the debate about religion- is high on my list of interests. After reading a couple of modern day books about it, I felt it was time to tackle the one that started it all.
I must admit I struggled with Darwin's writing; he uses a lot of long sentences before he gets to the point. But once I got used to his style I thouroughly enjoyed his extensive explanations. He goes out of his way to make the reader understand what he means and offers an overwhelming amount of examples to make his point. His enthusiasm is heartwarming; his many references to pigeons made me smile and reminded me of Sesame Street's Bert. But of course Darwin does not limit himself to one species to prove his theory; he applies it to the whole living world; from animals and plants to geology, Darwin covers it all. In addition he mentions a lot of other researchers and gives credit where it's due. He's also not afraid to doubt his conclusions, which is of course the basis of science and a reason to keep searching for answers to any questions that arise.

I remembered a lot of the scientific information from high school biology and found it wonderful to gain more in depth knowledge on the subject. I loved the detailed research that was provided and how Darwin makes comparisons between his conclusions and the teachings of creationists. I wasn't aware that Darwin already touched on the issue of religion. I had always thought that debate started after he published his theory. I was also surprised that he doesn't mention the word 'evolution'; as stated in the summary it's not part of the theory. Not until the final chapter does Darwin even use the word 'evolve'!
As I understand it his theory of "descent with modification" was the basis for what is now called 'the evolution theory', which is not a belief, but a scientifically accepted explanation of the development of life.

The composition of the book makes it very suitable as a reference guide; every chapter ends with a summary and the final part offers a recapitulation and conclusion of the whole book.

I loved this book and recommend it to everyone.

BOOK: Dash & Dingo In Search Of The Tasmanian Tiger - Catt Ford & Sean Kennedy

2010-01-09T17:20:00.002+01:00

Title: Dash & Dingo In Search Of The Tasmanian Tiger
Author: Catt Ford & Sean Kennedy
Genre: Adventure, Romance
Publisher: DreamSpinnerPress 2009
Pages: paperback 294
Language: English
Rating: 6/10
Summary: When Jack "Dingo" Chambers whirlwinds into his office, British archivist Henry Percial-Smythe isn't too pleased. But when Dingo invites him to travel to Australia to search for the near extinct Tasmanian Tiger, Henry doesn't have to think long. This could be the last chance to preserve the creature. Although the men try to keep their focus on saving the rare animal, in between fighting off poachers they can't help being distracted by each other.

Spoilerfree review
After reading Sean Kennedy's first book Tigers and Devils I was looking forward to his new book. I wasn't sure what to expect from a story that was co-written. I've known Sean to be fascinated by the Tasmanian Tiger for years and his personal love for that now extinct creature did shine through in both the main characters' s enthusiasm. Their interaction with the Tasmanian Tigers was very exciting to read. But I felt the main adventure was reduced to the background by the amount of sexscenes.
Don't get me wrong: I like a bit of porn in between the adventures, but I hadn't expected the overload of it in this story. I wasn't aware this book was meant to be erotica, especially after reading Tigers and Devils, which is a character-driven romance. And while I could relate to the people in that book, I couldn't get a grip on Jack and Henry. I had problems visualizing them and they often seemed to switch personalities. I am aware people other than me have a variety of emotions and are capable of change, but with these guys it often felt forced to fit the occasion. Despite the enjoyable physical scenes the men never really came to life for me.

I did get a good sense of the era (1934) and loved the descriptions of the way the men traveled from England to Australia and through Tasmania. A lot of the dialogues made me smile and grin. Some conversations were maybe a little predictable, although that probably wouldn't have bothered me if I had managed to perceive the characters better.

Since the book ended with a hint of a new adventure, I'm curious to find out if Dash and Dingo will be able to convince me they are indeed more than just bodies to enjoy.
Because however pleasant those sexscenes were, I'm convinced they could be even better when there are actual characters involved.

BOOK: Månefeen - Kjersti Scheen

2010-01-09T17:19:00.000+01:00

Title: Månefeen (Maanmeisje)
Author: Kjersti Scheen
Genre: Teen, drama
Publisher: Lemniscaat 2005 (1993)
Pages: hardcover, 157
Language: Dutch (translated from Norwegian)
Rating: 7/10
Summary: Fourteen year old Cindy is a good student,athlete and a popular girl in school. When she falls in love, she gets insecure and starts to feel uncomfortable in her body. To gain control over her life again she stops eating.

Spoilerfree review
Every year during the "Children's Bookweek" I purchase a teenbook, mostly from the excellent Lemniscaat collection. Their covers are beautiful and the stories are usually not too cliché, even if they deal with subjects that have been written about a thousand times before. This story about anorexia is no exception.
Even though I now apparently reached that age where teen-struggles make me roll my eyes more than ever before, I still recognized the inner turmoil and drama. Food has been an issue in my life as well, although I use it for comfort not punishment. I didn't really relate to Cindy's fight with food, but I completely understood the being in love confusion.
Despite the drama, it's a sweet story; to me it seemed the author has a bit too much faith in people; everybody is so very understanding, it sometimes made me nauseous. But even if it at times her family and friends seem too good to be true, it's clear Cindy's journey is not an easy one and the book doesn't provide solutions or an 'all's well that ends well'. I consider it another worthy addition to my teen-collection.

BOOK: The Mill On The Floss - George Eliot

2010-01-09T17:18:00.000+01:00

Title: The Mill On The Floss
Author: George Eliot
Genre: Novel, family, drama
Publisher: Penguin Popular Classics (1994), 1860
Pages: paperback, 534
Language: English (read parts in Dutch)
Rating: 6/10
Summary: Maggie and her brother Tom grow up living in the Dolcote mill near the river Floss in small town St. Ogg's, England around 1830. When their father ends up in debth their lives change drastically and they are forced to leave their comfortable surroundings.

Spoilerfree review
I found an old Dutch edition of this book on my shelf but bought the original English version to read.
I was amused when two characters were having a rather negative conversation about 'Dutchmen' and I wondered how that had been translated. As it turns out, the translator probably didn't think it was funny at all and LEFT THE WHOLE BIT OUT! The Dutchmen weren't even mentioned!
After that I was determined to definitely read the rest of the book in English. But I struggled a lot with the language and accents so after a while I decided to speed things up and read a couple of chapters in translation. Even in the old language (early twentieth century Dutch) it was a lot easier to comprehend than the original English. But when I tried to compare another reference I noticed not only missing bits but also completely changed texts and I once again returned to the English paperback.
In the end I learned the Dutch translation was mostly missing the parts that I didn't like about the book. In between the story the narrator goes off to give his/her opinion on the characters and events. I found this to be very distracting. At the beginning of the book I thought this person would turn out to be a part of the story, but he/she never actually reveils his/her name or source of information. (I mentioned the same issue in my review of The Adventures Of Tom Sawyer which was written in the same era, maybe a sign of the times?)

The main story of Maggie and Tom was not very satisfying for me. I didn't like either one of the characters as Maggie is too much of a cry baby and Tom is too arrogant to care about. I did understand that both of them were obviously products of their upbringing; Maggie was always told she was a naughty girl and good for nothing because she didn't fit in with the expectations people had of females in her class. Tom was taught to be a man and surpress his feelings. Even though they are brother and sister they approach each other according to these (ancient) stereo-types. I got all that, but the context of their struggles just wasn't fascinating enough for me to care. The story jumps in time to events that aren't even that interesting and after a while Maggie's inner turmoil is mostly annoying.
Maybe I wanted to like this story too much, because it came highly recommended by a good friend. But while I think I understand the appeal, it didn't work for me.

10 Word Reviews; how do you like them sprouts?

2010-01-09T17:15:00.001+01:00

STATISTICS:
Title: Oeroeg
Author: Hella S. Haasse
Genre: novel
Publisher: Querido 1948
Pages: paperback, 105
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: Dutch classic about Colonial Indonesia

10 WORDS REVIEW
Friendship tainted by class-difference saddened me; historical and emotional rollercoaster.

STATISTICS:
Title: De Wraak Van Het Spruitje (The Revenge of the Brussel's Sprout)
Author: Jan Paul Schutten
Genre: Children's book, educational, food
Publisher: CPNB, 2009
Pages: paperback, 94
Language: Dutch
Rating: 8/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: Trying to make sprouts appealing

10 WORDS REVIEW
Nice effort, but still not convinced they're worth a bite.

BOOK: Anything Goes - John Barrowman

2010-01-09T17:14:00.000+01:00

Title: Anything Goes
Author: John Barrowman (with Carol E. Barrowman)
Genre: Autobiography
Publisher: Michael O'Mara Books Limited, 2008
Pages: 245, paperback
Language: English
Rating: 9/10
Summary: 40-ish actor/entertainer John Barrowman (Captain Jack Harkness on Doctor Who and Torchwood) talks about his dazzling life on stage, the (big) screen and behind the scenes.

Spoilerfree review
I'm always a bit apprehensive when a not-very-old person (shut up) decides to share his "life" story. Granted, me and John go way back: I was already a fan in his Children's BBC days in the early nineties, but I was wondering if he had enough to tell to justify an autobiography already.
When I saw his quest on The Making of Me in which he investigated whether being gay is innate at birth or acquired later in life, I was tempted to buy the book. But it wasn't until after I saw him on stage in La Cage Aux Folles and he made me cry with his performance of "I Am What I Am", that I couldn't ignore his book any longer.
I'm thrilled to say that his exuberant attitude translates to the page very well.
I dare anyone who hasn't fallen for John Barrowman yet to not be head over heels at the end of the first chapter. When he tells us about his response to the news that he was gonna be in Doctor Who, you can't help but smile and squee about his enthusiasm. The book takes off from there and John jumps back and forth in time to explain how he grew from pretty boy performer to leading man in Torchwood.
The book did slightly remind me of Rupert Everett's book 'Red Carpets And Other Banana Skins', but only because he and John are both actors from the same generation. The tone of both books is very different; unlike Rupert's bitchy account of showbiz, John focusses on the joy he finds in working with fellow thespians. Sure he can gossip like the best of them, but it's never spiteful (with exception of that one guy who was being a total bitch and had it coming). I'll take enthusiasm over bitterness anytime. John is of course surrounded by people who love him, but it's obvious he gives as good as he gets.
I loved this book and love John even more for not hiding anything. Even if he can get a little overwhelming, he is clearly not playing a part; he truely is as dazzling as his smile.

I hear there is already a sequel, I will definitely read that and whatever John writes next.

BOOK: Dolfje Weerwolfje - Paul van Loon

2010-01-09T17:12:00.001+01:00

Title: Dolfje Weerwolfje (Alfie The Werewolf*)
Author: Paul van Loon
Genre: Children, Fairytale
Publisher: Libris, 1996
Pages: 141, Hardcover
Language: Dutch (*English available in 2010!)
Rating: 8/10
Summary: On the eve of his seventh birthday something strange happens to Dolf; while he can't keep his eyes off the full moon he gets all furry and growly... He's turning into a werewolf!

Spoilerfree review
I still read children's/teen books even if I haven't been the target audience for a very long time. Paul van Loon is one of the most popular writers in the Netherlands and famous for his scary books for kids, but I had never read any of them. For Children's Bookweek his books have been released in a new hardcover-version and I finally bought one.

I was only ten lines in when I understood why he is loved so much.
His language is extremely funny and filled with throw-away thoughts that are very familiar. (Being scared and excited at the same time while staring at the moon, Dolf imagines the stars are shining especially bright just for his birthday:)
The book is written in short sentences and clearly aimed at children, but it never talks down to them. Dolf's adoptive family is not quite mainstream (his father likes to wear dresses) but this is not an issue. Although Dolf does worry that being a werewolf may be a step too far to be accepted.
I am a little sad that I feel too old to continue with the series. I was very satisfied with this introduction to Dolf and I'm sure kids who read it will want to have all the parts of the collection. And then continue with Paul van Loon's other books. If only I could be a kid again.

BOOK: Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them - Newt Scamander

2010-01-09T17:10:00.000+01:00

Title: Fantastic Beasts And Where To Find Them
Author: ~~J.K. Rowling~~ Newt Scamander
Genre: ~~Fantasy~~ Biology, Encyclopedia
Publisher: Obscurus Books (2001) in cooperation with Arthur A. Levine Books
Pages: Hardcover, 42
Language: English
Rating: 8/10
Summary: An A to Z guide to the world of magical creatures. According to the foreword by Albus Dumbledore, headmaster of Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, these beasts are all fictional. They seem pretty real though.

Spoilerfree review
Not only is this book filled with descriptions of beasts you may already know because of their encounters with Harry Potter, it also features many creatures that are not even mentioned in ordinairy fairytales. From the different kinds of dragons to the exclusive unicorn, this is a very educational read. I especially liked the footnotes which mention why Centaurs and Merepeople are also considered 'beasts'. This book is so full of information, it's a valuable addition to anyone's library.

BOOK: Quidditch Through The Ages - Kennilworthy Whisp

2010-01-09T17:09:00.001+01:00

Title: Quidditch Through The Ages
Author: ~~J.K. Rowling~~ Kennilworthy Whisp
Genre: ~~Fantasy~~ History, sports
Publisher: Whizz Hard Books (2001) in cooperation with Arthur A. Levine Books
Pages: Hardcover, 56
Language: English
Rating: 8/10
Summary: From the library of Hogwarts, School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, this book teaches about the origin of wizard-sport Quidditch. Nowadays the sport is played with state of the art brooms and other magical equipment, but it hasn't always been that sophisticated.

Spoilerfree review
I'll just come out and say it: I'm not a fan of Quidditch. Mostly because I do not care about sports or at least not care enough to go crazy about it. But I love to be educated about history and this book gives plenty of interesting information to even entertain me. I imagine it's all the more fun if you're mad about the game:) I recommend it to everyone who read about all the Quidditch matches at Hogwards:)

BOOK/PLAY: Angels In America - Tony Kushner

2010-01-09T17:06:00.001+01:00

Title: Angels In America
Author: Tony Kushner
Genre: Drama, Transcript of a play (1990)
Publisher: Nick Hern Books (2007)
Pages: Paperback, 289
Language: English
Rating: 10/10
Summary: 'A Gay Fantasia On National Themes' is the subtitle of this two part play. It tells the story of several interlinked people dealing with big issues of life, death and politics.
The first part 'Millenium Approaches' takes place in the late eighties when the USA -and the rest of the world- was struggling with AIDS, right wing politics and religion. The future seemed bleak.
The second part 'Perestroika' is more optimistic as the nation moves into the nineties and there may be a glimmer of hope for compassion, reason and healing.

Spoilerfree review
I first saw this through the TV-series that was made of the play in 2003. That's a little more structured than the original play, but watching it still was an overwhelming experience. I saw the play last year when it was performed by Dutch group Toneelgroep Amsterdam. Even in my own language the plot is too complex to explain. The characters connect on so many levels, I can't even begin to summarize. The actors all play several parts to emphasize their connections and show the metaphorical meaning of the characters and actions. It's just such an amazing story and it captures the confusing doom and gloom of the eighties perfectly.

I wish I could tell you about how Louis can't handle the illness of his lover Prior and how Prior has hallucinations and is talking to The Angel. Or about how he meets Harper who lives in a fantasy world because her husband Joe can't admit he's gay because his Mormon faith assures him that can not be. Or about how Joe's boss, right wing ~~asshole~~ attorney Roy Cohn is in the closet to preserve his power in politics.
But it's all so much more complicated than even those little summaries suggest, and no description can do it justice.
I really can't do anything but urge you to read this play or, better yet, watch it if you get a chance. Since it's not performed often (due to its massive lenght of five hours) you probably won't be able to, so you should definitely track down a DVD of the mini-series. It will be worth it.

BOOK; Tigers And Devils - Sean Kennedy

2010-01-09T17:04:00.002+01:00

Title: Tigers And Devils
Author: Sean Kennedy
Genre: Romance
Publisher: DreamSpinnerPress (2009)
Pages: Paperback, 363
Language: English
Rating: 8/10
Summary: Simon's life is going along nicely: he has a good job and friends he loves. He doesn't need anyone else in his life, no matter how much his friends push him to go out more. Even if anyone would be interested in him, he is not looking for someone to mess with his reasonably comfortable existence. He's perfectly fine spending his time working, hanging out with his friends and watching football together.
Then his friends drag him to a party where he meets famous footballer Declan and as it turns out Simon wasn't wrong about relationships making life complicated.

Spoilerfree review
For the sake of full disclosure let me first say that I know the author. We've never met in person, but we have shared enough personal stuff online that I consider him a friend. That wouldn't in any way stop me from critisizing his book though. I would absolutely say it if I thought it sucked, but the honest truth is that I loved it. The dialogues in this book are brilliant; they had me grinning and cringing, depending on the situation. Varying from comfortable talks amongst friends to miscommunication and awkward conversations they are all a joy to read. I loved hanging out with these people. Obviously I related most to Simon, because I'm as apprehensive about relationships as he is. I was nearly biting my nails while he struggled to figure out if it is all worth it. I may have even learned a thing or two. Huh.

BOOK: 40 Days and 40 Nights - Matthew Chapman

2010-01-09T17:02:00.000+01:00

Title: 40 Days and 40 Nights
Author: Matthew Chapman
Genre: Non fiction; Courtroom report
Publisher: HarperCollins books (2007)
Pages: Hardcover, 272
Language: English
Rating: 7/10
Summary: Following the case of Kitzmiller v. Dover in which a group of parents sued the Dover highschoolboard for wanting to put Intelligent Design on the science curriculum, Matthew Chapman talks to people on both sides of the argument. He also compares the case to the Scopes trial from 1925 when a teacher was put on trial for teaching Evolution.

Review
Written like a movie script with extensive descriptions of appearances and backgrounds of all the people involved, this is a fascinating read. In- and outside the courtroom Matthew Chapman gives both defendants and opponents ample opportunity to talk about their point of view, even if his own opinion is assumed and known. He is after all the great great grandson of Charles Darwin, a fact he has to mention at every opportunity. Obviously he isn't trying to be objective about the issue and there is more than just a little arrogance shining through, but to his credit he doesn't hide it.
What I found most surprising about this case and book was how little differences there are between the people involved. They may be on opposite sides of the argument, but their backgrounds are eerily alike. Being an avid atheist and supporter of the Theory of Evolution, I had hoped to be able to point and laugh at the losers. But I couldn't.
Matthew Chapman makes a great case in favour of keeping an open mind. I just hope the people who believe in Intelligent Design learned that as well.

BOOK: De Revue - Kees 't Hart

2010-01-09T17:00:00.001+01:00

Title: De Revue
Author: Kees 't Hart
Genre: Novel
Publisher: ECI (2000)
Pages: Hardcover, 285
Language: Dutch
Rating: 6/10
Summary: Written from the first person perspective of a man whose been working for an archive-sorting business for over twenty years. On a job in Amsterdam he receives an invitation for a reunion and he remembers when he used to live there as a student, working backstage on the Revue.

Review
The whole premise of the book is leading towards reveiling a 'Big Dark Secret In The Past' that the main character is obviously struggling with. When he was a student he shared the top-floor of a house with one of the chorus-dancers. He had some sort of awkward relationship with the girl, even if he was already dating his future wife. Apparently something dramatic happened that made him run away from the Revue. He tracks down former employees to get a grip on the past. The build up to the reunion is very dramatic and the tiny hints about what happened are intriguing enough to keep reading, but as it turns out the 'Big Dark Secret' maybe wasn't as big and dark as he made it to be, in fact it wasn't even a secret. I was slightly disappointed.

10 Word Reviews: The grass is always greener....

2009-09-26T23:22:00.001+02:00

STATISTICS:
Title: De Bruid Staat Rechts Van U (The Bride Is On Your Right)
Author: Rudi van Dantzig
Genre: Romance, Drama
Publisher: De Bijenkorf (1997)
Pages: Paperback, 78
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: Husband's boyfriend makes three.

10 WORDS REVIEW
Love is blind, I'm annoyed she can't see.

STATISTICS:
Title: Erken Mij (Acknowledge Me)
Author: Esther Verhoef
Genre: Thriller
Publisher: Ambo-Anthos (2009)
Pages: Paperback, 90
Language: Dutch
Rating: 6/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: Therapist screws (with) her (head).

10 WORDS REVIEW
Not my favorite genre, but I liked the bloody mess.

STATISTICS:
Title: Groener Gras (Greener Grass)
Author: Annelies Verbeke
Genre: Short stories
Publisher: De Geus (2007)
Pages: Hardcover, 222
Language: Dutch
Rating: 6/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: Common people on the edge.

10 WORDS REVIEW
Disturbing disconnected stories made me feel rather sad about mankind.

BOOK: The God Delusion - Richard Dawkins

2009-09-26T23:20:00.000+02:00

Title: The God Delusion
Author: Richard Dawkins
Genre: non-fiction
Publisher: Random House Group Ltd (2006)
Pages: Paperback, 420
Language: English
Rating: 9/10
Summary: In his inimitable, compelling, humorous style Richard Dawkins explains his view on belief in a supernatural god. Dawkins criticizes the idea of God in all its forms: from the sex-obsessed tyrant of the Old Testament to the much milder (but still illogical) "Great Watchmaker" praised by believers in intelligent design. He attacks the argument that religion is the foundation of ethics and shows the great improbability of a supreme being. He shows how religion fuels war, welcomes intolerance and encourages child abuse. The author makes clear that faith in God is not only irrational, but potentially lethal.

Review
In an earlier review of Richard Dawkins' The Devil's Chaplain I already explained that his view on religion was very similar to mine. In that book he already touches on the issue of subjecting children to religion. In The God Delusion he takes it a step further and asks the reader to stand up against this form of child abuse. I agree with him that even the mildest form of religious upbringing has the potential to sow the seed of fundamentalism. The danger with religion is the dismissal of reason, simply because someone was brought up to believe in a supernatural source that needs to be followed.
I'm so glad I learned that I'm not alone in not believing and this book sure helps me to be a proud atheist.
The Bible and other holy books certainly have great literary and historical value, but The God Delusion has reason and science on its side. I'll take that over inconsistencies and belief any day.

BOOK: Female Chauvinist Pigs - Ariel Levy

2009-09-26T23:19:00.001+02:00

Title: Female Chauvinist Pigs
Author: Ariel Levy
Genre: non-fiction, feminism
Publisher: Pocketbooks (2005)
Pages: Paperback, 214
Language: English
Rating: 7/10
Summary: Women and the rise of Raunch Culture; why do young women feel the need to look and act like porn stars? Is this the final stop of feminism? Ariel Levy explores this strange phenomenon of female empowerment.

Review
Acting sexy is not the same as embrasing your sexuality. I know this, you know this, but apparently a lot of girls confuse the two.
Levy shows that pornography has become part of the mainstream of American culture. One of the examples she uses is the nude photoshoot for Playboy by Olympic athletes. Apparently they find that looking good naked gives more prestige than their athletic performance. American gyms offer courses in 'cardio-striptease'. Between 1992 and 2004, the number of breast enlargements in the U.S. increased from 32,607 to 264,041 per year.
Levy concludes "This is our establishment, these are our role models, this is haute couture and low culture, this is sport and politics, this is television, this is publishing and pop music and medicine , and -good news!- if you play the game you are a strong and powerful woman. Because we have decided that an emancipated woman openly proclaims her sexuality. As the only sign of sexuality we recognize is a direct reference to red light entertainment, we have the rancid aesthetics of a titty-bar or a photo shoot for Penthouse woven through our entire culture."
Levy here does not so much protest the fact that men sometimes enjoy porn or prostitution, but she (and I) object the fact that women copy this world and base their sense of self and self-esteem upon it.

I liked this book and finished it fast, because I was fascinated by the subject. I felt Levy could have dug a little deeper, but it sure is a good effort to poke all those women who can't tell the difference between having real power and simply getting attention.

BOOKs: Death Note - Tsugumi Ohba (writer) & Takeshi Obata (artist)

2009-09-26T22:58:00.002+02:00

Title: Death Note
Author: Tsugumi Ohba (writer) & Takeshi Obata (artist)
Genre: Manga
Publisher: Dark Kana (2007 translation, original 2003)
Pages: 12 parts, about 200 pages each
Language: Dutch (original Japanese)
Rating: 7/10
Summary: University student Light Yagami finds a supernatural notebook dropped on Earth by a shinigami - a death god. Light discovers the book is a Death Note; when someone's name is written in the book, that person will die. He decides to use the book to cleanse the world of evil and starts to kill off criminals. This does not go unnoticed and the public nicknames the anonymous vigilante Kira ("killer" in Japanese english). A detective known only by the initial L. is put on the case to find out who's taking the law in his own hands.

Spoilerfree review
My first manga! I noticed part 1 because it looked cool; it had a black cover with Light holding a scythe and behind him the shinigami on a mountain of skulls. I like skulls. I leafed through the book and liked the drawings, so I decided to give it a try.
I wasn't dissapointed; the story was intriguing and the characters were complicated enough to entertain. I ordered the bookstore to save me a copy every month. (The shopgirl was excited to meet a fellow fan; she gave me a big promotional banner and additional goodies.)

The plot offers a good subject for discussion; can you make the world a better place by eliminating the apparent bad people? Light doesn't seem to have a conscious and doesn't feel guilty about killing people, but he creates a society where suspicion and paranoia rule; Kira decides whether people deserve to live or die. Curious detective L. represents reason -even though he himself is a little detached from the real world-, but he realizes soon enough Kira leaves no room for negotiation; the power of the Death Note makes Light feel like a god.

Unfortunately after book 7 the story kind of drags on; I had the feeling Tsugumi Ohba never meant the story to go beyond a showdown between Light and L. I was very dissapointed it continued after that. In the first half of the series every possible outcome is already handled and apart from the addition of new characters the second half simply feels like a repeat of the original plot.
That gave me the opportunity to find more flaws in the story; such as the horribly shallow depiction of women, who act like puppets as soon as they meet a man. What's also annoying is how the rules of the DeathNote keep piling up to a point where no-one even knows what the book does anymore.
The series is turned into animes and a couple of actual movies. I'm only interested in the first ones, since I understand they are about the initital cat and mouse play between Light and L. That was definitely a good story. Too bad it didn't end there.
Unless I find a manga with strong women and a completed plot, I'm very hesitant to give the genre another go.

BOOK: The Emperor's Children - Claire Messud

2009-08-08T16:59:00.001+02:00

Title: The Emperor's Children
Author: Claire Messud
Genre: novel
Publisher: Picador (2006)
Pages: 581
Language: English
Rating: 7/10
Summary: Three thirty year old friends who have gotten used to hang with each other, find themselves in new relationships that take them all in different directions. They are forced to confront their desires and expectations, because getting involved with other people not only affects their own lives, it also changes their friendships.

Spoilerfree review
This book was introduced to me with "It's about two women and a gay guy", to which I replied "And what about the sexual preference of the women? Is it relevant that the guy is gay?". In case you were wondering: the women are straight and as I suspected, it is irrelevant to the story.
It's a book about friendships and love and what you are willing to give up to settle in a 'romantic' relationship. I don't think it matters what gender you are when it comes to struggling with those human issues.

Socialite Marina is desperate to step out of the shadow of her father, who is a well known journalist, but she doesn't seem to understand the concept of work. Her best friend Danielle has a job that takes up all her time and finds it hard to step beyond her comfort-zone. Julius pretends to be more succesful than he really is and never tells either of his friends he has to take on temp-jobs to pay the rent.

For those of you who know me, it's obvious I identified with Danielle, since her profile seems a lot like mine. For a while I did go along with her and I could indeed relate to her point of view of the world. I recognized how she had decorated her home and life.
But apparently growing up means eventually you will have the need to find a mate and you are willing to do whatever it takes to hold on to whomever you catch, no matter your personality. Huh.
There are no really big dramas or adventures here and although it was interesting to follow the thoughtprocess of all these different people I didn't really understand the point of the book.
Maybe that's because I have the emotional content of a teaspoon. I did enjoy the book and its colourful language, but the story left me feeling disappointed in people all over again. Why would I want to be with one of those creatures?

BOOK: The Late Hector Kipling - David Thewlis

2009-08-08T16:58:00.001+02:00

Title: The Late Hector Kipling*
Author: David Thewlis
Genre: Novel
Publisher: Picador (2007)
*Advanced reading copy from uncorrected proofs
Pages: 342
Language: English
Rating: 8/10
Summary: Life is pretty good for Hector Kipling; his paintings are appreciated, he has his health, loving parents and a beautiful girlfriend. There is the occassional discussion with his friends Kirk and Lenny about who is the most talented (obviously he is, even if Lenny gets more recognition), but all in all: the future is bright. Until a couple of seemingly insignificant incidents cause him to stop and reconsider and his life starts to unravel with alarming speed.

Spoilerfree review
I loved the ease with which main character Hector paints the scenes; he is very to the point even in the most extreme situations. I could not relate to the massive amount of drinking and other substance abuse and often was quite disgusted by Hector's behavior. But despite not being familiar with the environment he lives in and my disdain of the 'artists' he associates with, the stupid conversations he has with his friends and colleagues sound oddly familiar to me.
(I quoted some scenes in my lj while I was reading the book: any material quoted from the book should be checked against a finished copy or with the publisher.)

This is not a book for the faint-hearted as it is filled with grime and it has a massive gross-out factor -especially at the end the depravity in both art and life reach a high-, but I relished the language and found the way things turn out very satisfying.

BOOK: Good Omens - Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman

2009-08-08T16:56:00.001+02:00

Title: Good Omens
Author: Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: The Random House (1990)
Pages: Paperback, 402
Language: English
Rating: 6/10
Summary: According to the Prophecies of Agnes Nutter the "End Of Times" is nigh. The angel Aziraphale and the demon Crowley have become accustomed to their comfortable situations in the human world and join together to try and stop The Son Of Satan from reaching his full potential. Will they be able to prevent the four horsemen of the Apocalypse from reaching their goal?

Spoilerfree review
The beginning of this book made me grin thanks to its tongue-in-cheek depiction of the events in the Garden Of Eden, but only ten pages in it managed to rub me the wrong way and I never recovered to fully enjoy the rest of the story. (I got very grumpy when I read the line: "He should of been here hours ago."). Which is too bad, because the book is a potentially awesome parody of religion and its doom-scenarios, including loop holes in all the dogmas.
I'm not so petty to base my low opinion about this book solely on the use of hair-raisingly bad grammar, I understand it was only used in dialogue to represent a big part of the english-speaking community. But it was a symptom of the biggest bug I had with this book which is the over-awareness of the basic joke. The authors get carried away with the overload of options to poke fun at and there are so many nudge-nudge-wink-wink moments it's exhausting. You can almost hear them giggling in between the lines.
I loved the encounters between Aziraphale and Crowley and I would have loved the book if it had been only about their relationship. Sadly in the end there was simply too much going on and the story turns into a big slapstick chase. I like my humour a little less in-my-face.

BOOK: Now I Know / The Toll Bridge - Aidan Chambers

2009-08-08T16:50:00.003+02:00

Title: Now I Know / The Toll Bridge
Author: Aidan Chambers
Genre: Teens
Publisher: Randomhouse (1987/1992)
Pages: Paperback, 229/195 (two books in one)
Language: English
Rating: 6/10 and 8/10

Now I Know - Summary: Nik is researching a film about Jesus when he meets Julie, a girl who passionately believes in a Christian God. While their relationship evolves, young police officer Tom is trying to find out what happened with a body found hanging on a makeshift cross in the scrap yard.

Now I Know - Review
This was a tough read, not only because of the subject matter, but also because of the confusing parallel story of Tom. His report is not told in chronological order and the switch between different points of view on top of seperate timelines was difficult to follow. Nik's use of film-script style in between his personal story was not making it any easier to understand what was going on.
But the hardest thing to comprehend were Julie's beliefs. I'm an atheist myself and even though I grew up with the idea of a Christian God, in the last few years I found it more and more incomprehensible that people still hold on to that. No matter how hard Julie tries, I just can not go along with her. I was annoyed that Nik was willing to forget his own standards because of his romantic feelings for her.
At the end of the book author Aidan Chambers talks about his motives for writing this story, which he admits is his most difficult to date. His explanation made me feel a little better, but I still have a lot of issues with it. I think mostly because all of his other books have characters that seem to be on my wavelenght and I just got used to loving all of them.
The plot of Now I Know is certainly intriguing, but I was too distracted by the excruciating conversations between Nik and Julie to really enjoy this.

-----

The Toll Bridge - Summary: Jan is not ready to decide what he wants to do after school and takes a job as keeper of a toll bridge. He wants to use this time to make up his mind about his future. He hopes living alone will help him find out who he really is. Then he meets Tess and Adam who also face turning points in their lives.

The Toll Bridge - Review
After reading Now I Know (see above) The Toll Bridge was a welcome return to a more reassuring view of life. As with Aidan Chamber's earlier books Dance On My Grave and Breaktime I immediately felt a connection with the main character. I understood completely when Jan was not thrilled to have company on his journey to self-awareness. And just like him I eventually appreciated having people around who of course turn out to be very important for his development.
Jan is telling the story as a memory and there are in between comments by Tess. On the first page there is a dedication to Adam, so I had a sense of dread for what was going to happen. But whatever theories I came up with about Adam, they all paled in comparison to his real history. Until Adam's past is uncovered, it is fascinating to see Jan handle his own issues of growing up and dealing with people. Even the recognisable struggle with ordinairy life is intense. I love how Jan never questions his own feelings, but takes everything that happens in his stride. Even if he himself doesn't necessarily experience it quite as matter-of-factly as that, you know everything is going to work out in the end. Although maybe not as comfortably as you hope.

BOOK: Breaktime/Dance On My Grave - Aidan Chambers

2009-08-08T16:47:00.002+02:00

Title: Breaktime/Dance On My Grave
Author: Aidan Chambers
Genre: Teens
Publisher: Randomhouse (1978/1982)
Pages: Paperback, 133/246 (two books in one)
Language: English
Rating: 8/10

Dance On My Grave - Summary: During the summer of his 16th birthday, Hal takes out a friend's boat for a day's sailing. When he gets in trouble on the water he is rescued by 18 year old Barry Gorman. Their ensuing relationship brings Hal the intense emotions of his first teenage love.
Dance On My Grave was reviewed earlier in june 2008

------

Breaktime - Summary: Can real life be captured in literature? Morgan argues what you read in books can never be a true account of experiences, because feelings have to be structured or embellished to be readable. Ditto decides to prove his friend wrong. He sets out to describe everything that happens to him in the next view weeks as honest and incoherent as it occurs. It's for Morgan and us to figure out if his story is real or a game with words after all.

Breaktime - Review
This story is told in different styles depending on the feelings Ditto wants to express. Sometimes it results in poetry, other times in a factual account of events as they unfold. It reminded me of A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius by Dave Eggers; that book is also filled with fragmented thoughts in whatever style feels right for the occasion. But Breaktime is a work of fiction and AHWOSG is said to be an autobiography. Which from the start made me go with Ditto's point of view: I think it is possible to get pretty close to real life in literature. Whether or not Ditto's story is believable to you depends on how far you are willing to accept his adventures.
I felt he sometimes loses himself in form rather than substance, but if I remember correctly it's exactly how a teen brain sidetracks on occasion. In fact it is how my old mind still processes life; which is not usually neat and organized, but more than often scrambled and incomprehensible.
I liked the whirlwind of emotions and in the end I don't even care if it's all true; it was an interesting ride, just like life itself.

10 Word Reviews: about humans and other animals

2009-06-11T22:29:00.003+02:00

STATISTICS:
Title: Een Tafel Vol Vlinders (A Table Full Of Butterflies)
Author: Tim Krabbé
Genre: Novel
Publisher: Prometheus (CPNB, 2009)
Pages: Hardcover, 90
Language: Dutch
Rating: 8/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: First stepfather's story, then son's.

10 WORDS REVIEW
Shift in point of view changes perspective in shocking way.

STATISTICS:
Title: Piep (Peep)
Author: Midas Dekkers
Genre: Essays
Publisher: Contact (CPNB, 2009)
Pages: paperback, 60
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7.5/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: Essays about animals in literature

10 WORDS REVIEW
Not as sarcastic as his usual style, but entertaining nevertheless.

STATISTICS:
Title: Ik Heb Altijd Een Roos Klaar Staan Op Het Balkon, Voor Het Geval Dat (I Always Keep A Rose Ready On My Balcony, Just In Case)
Author: Loesje
Genre: Politics, Sociology, History
Publisher: A.W. Bruna, 2008
Pages: Hardcover, 175
Language: Dutch, some others (see excerpt/picture below;)
Rating: 9/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: Posters that changed the world

10 WORDS REVIEW
In hindsight these provocative statements make an even bigger impact.

Do You Have Room In Your Head For Amazing Plans?
More about Loesje

3 BOOKS by Tonke Dragt

2009-06-08T21:22:00.001+02:00

Title: Verhalen Van De Tweelingbroers (Stories Of The Twinbrothers)
Author: Tonke Dragt
Genre: Children's Adventure
Publisher: Leopold,1961
Pages: Hardcover, 346
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7/10
Summary: Twinbrothers Jiacomo and Laurenzo look exactly alike, but have different ambitions. Laurenzo loves to create beautiful jewelry and studies to be a silversmith. Jiacomo doesn't want to settle down, but is eager to explore the world and considers a career as a thief to pay for his travels. As expected their likeness gets both of them in trouble.

Review
For these twelve seperate stories about the two brothers, Tonke Dragt was inspired by motives that have been used in legends and fairytales for ages. The apparent predictability of these kinds of stories is what she is aiming for. The result is an enjoyable collection of adventures, with the occasional original twist. Lessons learned are obvious, but never patronising, neither to the characters nor to the reader. It's very convenient that the source of the original tales is mentioned at the beginning of each chapter, because these stories make you long to read more fairytales.

Title: De Brief Voor De Koning (The Letter For The King)
Author: Tonke Dragt
Genre: Children's Adventure
Publisher: Leopold,1962
Pages: Hardcover, 444
Language: Dutch
Rating: 9/10
Summary: On the night before he is to become a knight, fifteen year old Tiuri breaks his vows when a mysterious figure asks for his help. He takes on the challenge to pass on a letter to one of the most famous knights in the kingdom of Dagonaut. But things do not go as expected and Tiuri has to deliver the message to the king of neighbouring country Unauwen himself. While tensions between the two nations are rising, he is faced with a dangerous journey.

Review
Generations before and after me have been mesmerized by this original story. The book won 'the Award of Awards' for best Dutch children's book written between 1955 and 2004. It's one of those stories that keeps a special place in your heart for the rest of your life. Tonke Dragt has the ability to create wonderful worlds that come across like a genuine piece of history. Even though the names of people and places sound like nothing we know, it feels very familiar. That doesn't mean we can anticipate what's going to happen; the characters have a mind of their own and Tiuri's journey is never predictable, alsothanks to the people he meets on the way.
This is one of those children's books that is not limited to any age, because it keeps you on your toes and you have to deal with life and death situations just like in the real world. I love the adult and matter of fact tone of the book. Even though Tiuri may be considered too young for his unexpected assignement, he is treated with respect and that is exactly how I felt while reading. I recommend this book with a passion, just like the million or so people before me.

Title: Geheimen Van Het Wilde Woud (Secrets Of The Wild Forrest)
Author: Tonke Dragt
Genre: Children's Adventure
Publisher: Leopold,1965
Pages: Hardcover, 465
Language: Dutch
Rating: 8/10
Summary: The stand alone follow-up of De Brief Voor De Koning (The Letter For The King) with the continuing adventures of young knight Tiuri. There is a threat of war between the kingdom of Eviellan and neighbouring countries Dagonaut and Unauwen. Tiuri and his fellow knights are on a quest to find the mysterious Red Knight who seems to be the instigator of the upcoming battle.

Review
The Secrets Of The Wild Forrest is a worthy sequel to Tonke Dragt's most famous book The Letter For The King. This time Tiuri is not only dealing with war, but he also falls in love. Of course he doesn't allow himself to be distracted by women and bravely soldiers on. But when the dust settles he has some important decisions to make.
Being the socially awkward person I am, I prefered the lack of these emotional issues in the first book. However, I love the women he encounters; unlike what you may expect in a book based on the middle ages, they are very strong individuals. So even though I'm not a fan of the weakness and doubts that come with crushes, I enjoyed the development of all the relationships, also because those romantic explorations are only a tiny part of the story and don't really interfere with the main part of the book. The most important story is all about big exciting battles and with the lovey-dovey stuff kept to a minimum, that is my kind of book.

BOOK: Mystiek Lichaam - Frans Kellendonk

2009-05-25T22:41:00.000+02:00

Title: Mystiek Lichaam (Mystical Body)
Author: Frans Kellendonk
Genre: Novel
Publisher: Salamander Klassiek
Pages: 202
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7/10
Summary: Old grumpy Gijsselhart is not dealing very well when his adult children return home. He adores his daughter Magda, but she's not his little girl anymore and she got herself pregnant. He is disappointed in his son Leendert, who's gay - another reason to despise him. When Magda invites the father of her baby into the house, Gijsselhart and Leendert both hate him and seem to bond together to get rid of him.

Review
This book was a gift and came highly recommended, but I found the characters too annoying. The point of view of an antisemite homophobe is not a very enjoyable read, especially not if he gets to indulge in all his hate and ignorance. The story is filled with flash-backs and very confusing. Once I put everything together I realized non of the characters are likable; these people are all scheming bastards and doomed to fail in life. There is simply nothing uplifting about the story and I felt very depressed afterwards. Read at your own risk.

BOOK: Slimme Vrouwen (Smart Women) - Ten stories from Decamerone

2009-05-25T22:40:00.000+02:00

Title: Slimme Vrouwen (Smart Women) - Ten stories from Decamerone
Author: Giovanni Boccaccio
Genre: short stories
Publisher: Salamander Klassiek
Pages: 108
Language: Dutch (translated from Italian)
Rating: 6/10
Summary: A selection of stories from Decamerone (1350 AD), a classic book from the Middle Ages known for its depiction of strong women, which is quite remarkable since in that time in history women were not very important. These stories show where the real power lay.

Review
While the summary sounds promising, the way these women show their supposed strength is quite despicable. Apparently the only way a woman can have some sort of leverage over a man, is by cheating on him and then rubbing it in his face to get her way after all. Charming. It would have been nice to see some variations in the plots, but most of the stories start and end exactly the same with only different names and surroundings in between. It's very noble the translator wants us to believe these stories were written to teach about equality in relationships, but I suspect they were not so much meant to educate as to titillate. If you like the kind of set ups with a rich lady, her drunk husband, the farm hand and the occasional priest added for a bit of spice, this might be the collection for you. I like my stories and women with a little more depth.

BOOK: The Tales Of Beedle The Bard - J.K. Rowling

2009-05-25T22:38:00.001+02:00

Title: The Tales Of Beedle The Bard
Author: J.K. Rowling
Genre: Fairytales
Publisher: Bloomsbury, 2008
Pages: Hardcover, 108
Language: English
Rating: 8/10
Summary: From the universe of Harry Potter: a collection of (bedtime) stories written for young wizards and witches, accompanied by notes from Professor Dumbledore.

Spoilerfree review
To my surprise these stories were more than just a variation on the well-known fairytales of our world; they have original characters and unexpected endings. Everybody who is familiar with Harry Potter already knows that magic is not the answer to all of life's dilemmas and besides the usual lessons to be learned, that is the one that's added especially for the intended audience. If you happen to miss the moral of a story, Dumbledore's notes will clear it up. His added point of view gives this book the same tone of voice as the Harry Potter books and makes it must read for every fan.
Once again J.K. Rowling does not shy away from gore and adult insights; I especially liked the not so subtle stabs at censorship. My favorite tale is The Warlock's Hairy Heart, because that was very bloody and all about me. No, really. If you want to know what makes me tick: that story tells it all.

BOOK: Een Tipje Van De Sluier - Joris Luyendijk

2009-05-17T20:07:00.002+02:00

Title: Een Tipje Van De Sluier (A Tip Of The Veil)
Author: Joris Luyendijk
Genre: non fiction, sociology, religion, politics
Publisher: Podium, 2001
Pages: Paperback, 107
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7/10
Summary: A step by step explanation of Islam, its history, influence on culture and the different interpretations around the world. Joris Luyendijk (1971) studied politics and Arabic and lived in Cairo, Beiroet and Jerusalem. He's a journalist and writer.

Review
I've been a fan of Joris ever since he presented interview-series 'Zomergasten' on Dutch TV. He is very eloquent and knowledgable on the subject of Islam. I loved his boek "Een Goede Man Slaat Soms Zijn Vrouw" (A Good Husband Sometimes Beats His Wife) about his year at the university of Cairo in the 90s. That book is filled with conversations between him and fellow-students and shows the misunderstandings between his Western point of view and their way of thinking. I expected the same intriguing stories in this book. I was disappointed to find a serious lack of humour; when the tip of the veil is lifted it only reveals facts and figures about Islam.
That would have been interesting if there were any new insights, but due to events in the world since 2001, I already knew most of the history and information that are provided. If only I had known this book was more of a tourguide than a personal account, I would have passed on it and read his latest book "People Like Us". That is still on my list, but in the mean time I recommend A Good Husband Sometimes Beats His Wife. Even though that was written in 1998, it is still relevant today, because it doesn't focus on numbers but on people.

BOOK: Happiness™ - Will Ferguson

2009-05-17T14:40:00.001+02:00

Title: Happiness™ (originally published as 'Generica*')
Author: Will Ferguson
Genre: novel
Publisher: Canongate, 2003 (*Penguin 2001)
Pages: Paperback, 309
Language: English
Rating: 8/10
Summary: Edwin de Valu is an editor for self-help books. His job is to go through manuscripts and find the next big thing, or at least the book that will make the publisher some money. Edwin hates his job, his wife, his life. When he once again fucks up at a meeting and needs to impress his boss fast, he desperately mentions a massive manuscript he had already dismissed as worthless. The author promisses it will be the self-improvement book that will make every other book redundant. It offers solutions for EVERYTHING: how to stop smoking, become rich, lose weight, how to have a phenomenal sex life, etcetera. To Edwin's relieve the book is a best-seller. What's even more of a surprise: it seems to work! Suddenly there’s a shift in the country; people actually manage to stop smoking, they make money, they lose weight. As for the phenomenal sex life... exactly: everyone is… happy. It's annoying and unnatural. It has to stop.

Review
I LOVED IT! The book starts as a satire on the publishing industry with lots of (in)jokes at the expense of editors. It's so filled with sarcasm that at first I wondered how the manuscript was approved. After a couple of pages I knew why: it's brilliantly written. Although there are some very absurd scenes, most of the conversations, day-dreams and especially the inner monologues are very recognizable. Since I'm a true cynic I of course did not buy that self-help crap for a minute. If those methods worked, there wouldn't be any of those books, isn't that ironic.
I found it very amusing to read about a world where life is turned upside down and was very pleased to be confirmed in my suspicion that nothing good could come of it. I was as irritated as the main character about the happiness cult. I understood completely why he couldn't just let it be. But I did feel he stepped out of character at the final third of the book. It was hard to go along with the story and it was quite a drop from the high I felt while reading the first part of the book.
But even if I was a bit unsettled by the solution, this book is still very much recommended. I will definitely check out other work by Will Ferguson. I just hope his next editor will be a bit more on his case *g*.

BOOK: Bad Girls Of PulpFiction

2009-05-16T19:10:00.003+02:00

STATISTICS:
Title: Bad Girls Of PulpFiction
Author: Nancy Armstrong etc.
Genre: Parody
Publisher: Running Press
Pages: unknown (tiny booklet;)
Language: English
Rating: 8/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: Cult novel covers and quotes

10 WORDS REVIEW
Awesome collection of delicious pictures and seductive excerpts, see picture!

BOOK: A Devil's Chaplain - Richard Dawkins

2009-05-16T19:07:00.003+02:00

Earlier I posted two excerpts of this book. Now I've had ~~some~~ a lot of time to let it all sink in, I wrote that proper review I promised.
The last couple of years I've become very interested in atheism. One of the first names you come across when researching that subject is Richard Dawkins. He wrote a lot of books and because I didn't have a clue where to start reading, my brother lend me this collection of essays.

Title: A Devil's Chaplain
Author: Richard Dawkins
Genre: Essays on religion and science
Publisher: Phoenix 2004
Pages: Paperback, 304
Language: English
Rating: 8,5/10
Summary: A collection of articles and lectures with many themes, varying from biology and evolution to history and religion. Richard Dawkins discusses the relation between these subjects and what part they play in morality and education. There are also some very personal essays; memories of his travels and eulogies of his colleagues and friends. The final chapter is a letter to his daughter about believing.

Review
I loved this book very much. It gave me some great insights on several fields of science, but I found the parts about religion the most interesting. I was thrilled to recognize his point of view. It was a relieve to know I'm not alone and I cherish the wonderful arguments he used to explain why religion does not comply with science. I was also very pleased that both Richard Dawkins and Latha Menon -who collected and selected the articles- emphasize that "[B]eing a scientist and rationalist does not mean a life of soulles grind, or misery and meaninglessness, but one that is immensely more enriched, more precious."
Because that is what made this such a joy to read: the enthousiasm about discovering and discussing the world in all its magic.

Excerpt
This is the part that touched me most.
From chapter 3: The Infected Mind
"[...] Religions provide the prime example of memes and meme complexes (mind parasites, or an analogy with computer viruses). To describe religions as mind viruses is sometimes interpreted as comtemptuous or even hostile. It is both. I am often asked why I am so hostile to 'organized religion'. My first response is that I am not exactly friendly towards disorganized religion either. As a lover of truth, I am suspicious of strongly held beliefs that are unsupported by evidence.

[...]

The reason organized religion merits outright hostility is that, unlike belief in [fairytales or] Russel's teapot, religion is powerful, influential, tax-exempt and systematically passed on to children too young to defend themselves. Children are not compelled to spend their formative years memorizing loony books about teapots. Government-subsidized schools don't exclude children whose parents prefer the wrong shape of teapot. Teapot-believers don't stone teapot-unbelievers, teapot-apostates, teapot-heretics and teapot-blasphemers to death. Mothers don't warn their sons off marrying teapot-shiksas whose parents believe in three teapots rather than one. People who put the milk in first don't kneecap those who put the tea in first. [etc.]"

I now know which of his books I want to read first: I have put The God Delusion on top of my wishlist.

B for Books: 3 recommendations, 1 not so much

2009-05-16T19:01:00.002+02:00

Do you also have problems to find the time (and words) to write essays on the books you've read? But still want to tell people about them? Why not try this method: summaries in only five words (5!) and my opinion in ten (10!) Ready, set, GO!

STATISTICS:
Title: De Liefde Komt Altijd Te Laat (Love Always Arrives Too Late)
Author: Karel Glastra Van Loon
Genre: Short Stories
Publisher: B for Books
Pages: 61
Language: Dutch
Rating: 8/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: Journalist travels through war-struck Armenia

10 WORDS REVIEW
Point of view made me feel like tourist of war.

STATISTICS:
Title: Liefste In De Verte (Darling From A Far)
Author: Jeroen Brouwers
Genre: Short Stories
Publisher: B for Books
Pages: 42
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: His memories of catholic boardingschool

10 WORDS REVIEW
Written like a film, but it's not very eventful.

STATISTICS:
Title: Kijk Naar Me (Look At Me)
Author: Susan Smith
Genre: Short Stories
Publisher: B for Books
Pages: 40 (*read about 10)
Language: Dutch
Rating: 4/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: She can not resist him

10 WORDS REVIEW
*Two smokers; it would have been torture to read on.

STATISTICS:
Title: Mannenwerk (A man's job)
Author: Yvonne Kronenberg
Genre: Short Stories
Publisher: B for Books
Pages: 46
Language: Dutch
Rating: 9/10
5 WORDS SUMMARY: Differences between men and women

10 WORDS REVIEW
One of my favorite authors on the subject of relationships.

BOOK: The Gospel Of The Flying Spaghetti Monster

2009-05-16T18:57:00.001+02:00

Title: The Gospel Of The Flying Spaghetti Monster
Author: Bobby Henderson
Genre: Essay on religion; Fable; Parody
Publisher: Harper Collins 2006
Pages: Hardcover, 215
Language: English
Rating: 7/10

Summary: Many people around the world believe that the universe was created by a Flying Spaghetti Monster. This book explains all. You are encouraged to read the gospel and compare it to other theories, like Intelligent Design or the theory of Evolution and decide for yourself what makes the most sense.

Review
Ever since I found the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster I've been intrigued by the enthousiasm of the congregation, so of course I had to study its origins. The gospel was written as a very elaborate spoof on Intelligent Design, but from where I'm sitting this 'theory' is a clever analogy to any belief system. If you are willing to accept a less serious point of view, you will enjoy this. I recommend this book to everyone who wants to think outside the box.

BOOKs: His Dark Materials etc - Philip Pullman

2009-05-16T18:41:00.005+02:00

Title: His Dark Materials
Author: Philip Pullman
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Laurel-Leaf books
Pages: trilogy, 3 paperbacks:

Northern Lights (The Golden Compass in USA!), pages: 351

The Subtle Knife, pages: 288

The Amber Spyglass, pages: 465

Language: English
Rating: 7/10

Summary: His Dark Materials is a trilogy of fantasy novels and follows the coming-of-age of two children from different worlds, Lyra and Will, as they wander through a series of parallel universes against a backdrop of epic events.

Extended summaries of each book + spoilerfree reviews
It's impossible to give a comprehensive summary without spoiling any of the surprising events and inventions in the books, so this might seem incoherent and incomplete, but I don't want to give anything essential away.

The first book -called The Golden Compass in the US, but originally titled Northern Lights- is about Lyra, a young girl who lives in an alternative world not unlike our own, but different mostly because people have compagnions in the shape of an animal, known as daemons. Lyra's animal spirit is not settled yet, his name is Pantalaimon and they have a strong bond. When Lyra learns about a scheme to seperate children from their daemons, she decides to find out more about the grown-ups who are so very obsessed with the innocent spirits of children.

The second book -The Subtle Knife- starts in our own known world with Will, a young boy who needs a place to hide and stumbles upon an entry into a parallel universe. Eventually he meets Lyra and they join forces to fight the people that hurt the children from Lyra's world.

In the final book -The Amber Spyglass- revelations are made about the why and how of the operation. It seems like whatever solution Lyra and Will come up with to stop the wrongdoings, it will change the future of all the universes for ever.

I'm not a fan of the fantasy-genre; it takes a lot of persuasion to make me try a book in this category. I was lured into trying His Dark Materials after reading about the religious perspective or rather the promise of an atheist point of view towards fantasy. At the time this was an issue that was very important to me and I was just finding out how many people actually share my non religious outlook on life.

Although I was a bit worried about people talking to animals -and more importantly those animals talking back- I was intruiged to find out what the fuss about these books was all about.
And despite my discomfort with the relationship between the characters and their daemons, I soon found myself lost in the complicated (alternative) world of Oxford and Lyra's mysterious family and friends.

I must admit I only got really into the story once violence was introduced. The way Philip Pullman describes a fight was pleasantly intense for what is intentionally a children's book. There is blood and disaster and death all around. Even in more heavily doses than the well known Harry Potter books. I loved it.

Now don't get me wrong: that violence has nothing to do with the atheist part of the books. Truth be told to me the only obvious link to (non) religion are the run ins Lyla has with the church in her world. It is clear that organisation is very much in control and in charge of the government. But to me that didn't seem very different from our own world. I think you can easily read the story without even giving that issue a second thought.
Obviously there are a lot of people who have different opinions about that. It was not until after I read the books and did some research for this review that I found out what deeper meaning might be hidden in the books. Supposedly there is an atheist agenda that is supported by this story. If you are curious to know more about this, just google 'Pullman'/'atheist'/'dark materials' and your eyes will be opened. (Notice my sarcasm. Oh please, notice the sarcasm)
Here I'll just copy part of a review that summs up why I eventually fell for these books.

"In a visual world it is all too easy to let others take over your imagination. You accept other peoples' visions as your own. It is convenient, easy, saves your effort but in effect makes your creative abilities go first numb and then dead. This is a book which may help re-awaken what you might have forgotten ever having. Or what you never had, brought up in front of a TV screen.
It would be a spoiler to give out any hints about the content - anyway, it is too complex to be summed up in a review in any but a ridiculous way. The important part is that Pullman creates a whole new world in his book, a world at an angle to ours and he gives you a chance to join him in the trip this book is, imagining the world he describes. If the book had nothing more to offer (and it is hardly the case) this alone would make it a perfect choice."

There you have it: if you are into fantasy, you should definitely get these books. If you are like me and are apprehensive of the genre, this might be the perfect introduction. You should give it a try. The only reason the 7/10 is not an 8 is because of my personal issue with the talking animals *g*.

Title: Once Upon A Time In The North
Author: Philip Pullman
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 100
Language: English
Rating: 7/10
Summary: Another glimpse into the world of His Dark Materials; it's 35 years before the trilogy, and young aeronaut Lee Scoresby arrives in the North, looking for work and adventure. When he learns about a corrupt corporation and a sleazy politician who are obstructing a schooner's Captain from claiming his own cargo, Lee throws himself recklessly onto the side of good, operating on instinct and fearlessness. He finds an ally in armored bear Iorek Byrnison.

Short spoilerfree review
This booklet is awesome for those who've read His Dark Materials and want to know more about how much loved characters Lee and Iorek met. It's a short story, but it comes with some great extras for fans of the original novels, such as newspaperclippings and letters between characters, that give extra background information.

Title: Lyra's Oxford
Author: Philip Pullman
Genre: Fantasy
Publisher: Random House
Pages: 50
Language: English
Rating: 7/10

Summary: A short story set a couple of years after trilogy His Dark Materials, accompanied by all sorts of goodies from that fascinating universe, like a fold-out map of the alternate-reality city of Oxford.
Lyra and Pantalaimon rescue a witch's daemon being pursued by a frenzied pack of birds. The daemon tells them he is seeking an alchemist. Lyra and Pan try to guide the daemon to the home of this man, but it is a journey fraught with more danger than they had at first anticipated.

Short spoilerfree review
This is not really a follow up to His Dark Materials, but more a stand alone story that happens afterwards. Not as informative as I had hoped; fun for those people who loved Lyra the most and want to know how she dealed after the events of the original novels. I liked the extras that came with this booklet and the story was exciting, but not particularly satisfying to me.

BOOK: Veronika Decides To Die - Paulo Coelho

2009-05-16T18:34:00.002+02:00

Title: Veronika Decides To Die (Veronika decide morrer)
Author: Paulo Coelho
Genre: Novel
Publisher: Thorsons
Paperback: 208 pages
Language: English
Rating: 5/10

Summary: Young and -apparently- pretty Veronika is not satisfied with the monotony of her life and decides to kill herself. The end... (Now wouldn't that have been a great short story...) Unfortunately Veronika is 'saved' just in time and she wakes up to find herself alive and admitted to a mental hospital. When she is told she damaged her body and still only has a few days left to live, surrounded by supposedly mad people, she starts to evaluate her life.

Review
I didn't like this book at all. First I thought it was because of the crooked translation from Portuguese to English, but seeing as it is an "international bestseller", it must be me. I struggled with the simple language and the run-away sentences. I also had a problem with the continuous switching point of view, especially when it changes in the middle of scenes.
I assume the addition of stories of other patients was to show the extensive range of madness, but the inclusion of a chapter about the writer himself was completely redundant. His own experience with psychiatry and his relationship with Veronika's doctor does not authenticate the story for me. If anything it made the characters look like caricatures and the doctor came across as a mad scientist.

As for the subject and the main character; I could not identify with Veronika at all. I understand some (most?) people are afraid to live their life to the fullest for whatever reason, but to need a near death experience to appreciate your life is just too pathetic to me. Even in my darkest days of depression I do not need that obvious conclusion shoved in my face. What a load of duh.

BOOK: Sneeuw - J. Bernlef

2009-05-16T18:29:00.002+02:00

Title: Sneeuw (Snow)
Author: J. Bernlef
Genre: Family saga
Publisher: Salamander 1973
Pages: Paperback, 126
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7,5/10

Summary: Jan Razelius is lying in the hospital after barely surviving a car-crash in which his wife died. He doesn't remember what happened, although every time he comes near the place of the accident memories come floating back. But he still can't make sense of it even after he is discharged and gets back home in care of his daughter An and nurse Margaretha. Jan tries to go on living as best as he can, he even starts a physical -but not emotional- relationship with Margaretha. She stays with him after he is healthy again. But Jan never really gets over his wife. Daughter An is the spitting image of her mom and he gets more and more confused about his feelings for her.

Spoilerfree and therefore slightly cryptic review
This was the third book of Bernlef on my bookpile of 2008, after I succesfully ignored his work ever since his bestseller Out Of Mind was read by everyone in highschool. But when I read the Dutch bookweek-present The Pianoman which he wrote last year, I got addicted to his comfortable way of telling a story. So after reading that I finally put the aforementioned Out Of Mind on my readinglist. I borrowed it from my mom together with this older book 'Snow'.
This story is rather awkward in comparison with the other two books I read. Jan Razelius is clearly very unhappy and can't get a grip on his life anymore. He feels guilty about the accident and is aware he's neither a good lover nor a good father to the women who take care of him. What happens when his thoughts finally spin out of control doesnt' really come as a surprise. Although his actions may be understandable, they certainly aren't acceptable to both the protagonist as well as the reader. This book left me feeling sad and a little disgusted. I imagine that is what Jan felt too. Read at your own risk.

BOOK: Hersenschimmen - J. Bernlef

2009-05-16T18:23:00.002+02:00

Title: Hersenschimmen (Out Of Mind*)
Author: J. Bernlef
Genre: Stream of consciousness
Publisher: Querido 1984
Pages: 160
Language: Dutch
Rating: 9/10

Summary: This story is told from the perspective of Maarten Klein, 72 year old pensioner, who moved from the Netherlands to the U.S.A. after WorldWar II. He lives with his wife Vera in small seatown Gloucester, Massachusetts. Maarten doesn't realize he is suffering from Alzheimer. He does initially manage to cover up his forgetfullnes and messy mind. It takes his wife and his doctor some time to figure out what the problem is. Eventually they hire a nurse to keep an eye on Maarten, but changes from his daily routine make him even more confused and scared. He doesn't understand what's going on and is afraid his wife will leave him.

Spoilerfree Review: When I was in highschool this book was on everyone else's reading list, so of course I didn't want to read it. I'm glad I didn't give it a try back then, because I'm convinced the story wouldn't have had the impact on me it had now. Not to dismiss the brain of every 17 year old girl, but I certainly am more capable of dealing with this subject after a couple of extra years of life experience.

Bernlef manages to pull you into the brain of Maarten while it is falling apart. Because the point of view is coming from within Maarten, it's not immediately obvious what is going on with him. As a reader you share his initial irritation about this silly forgetfullness. When Maarten's condition gets worse and his memories mix with unrecognizable present times, it feels like you can follow him. You can almost understand what it must be like and you feel Maarten's fear of the unknown.
Both Maarten and Vera are trying very hard to keep on caring for each other. But you know they will eventually reach the point where they can't continue together. Despite the tragic subject, this story is written with a lot of comfort and it's a beautiful read; but it did leave me feeling very hopeless.

*The title translates literally to 'Brain shadows', but is available in English as 'Out Of Mind', which somehow feels a little disrespectful to me.

BOOK: The Female Eunuch - Germaine Greer

2009-05-12T22:40:00.000+02:00

Title: The Female Eunuch
Author: Germaine Greer
Genre: Essay (on feminism)
Publisher: Harper Perennial 1970
Pages: Paperback, 371
Language: English
Rating: 8/10

Summary: When Germaine Greer's The Female Eunuch was first published it created a shock wave of recognition in women, one that could be felt around the world. It went on to become an international bestseller, and a landmark in the history of the women's movement. Positing that sexual liberation is the key to women's liberation, Greer looks at the inherent and unalterable biological differences between men and women as well as at the profound psychological differences that result from social conditioning.

Review
I stole the summary, because I couldn't find the words myself. I had wanted to read this book ever since I read the follow up The Whole Woman. That book analyses the invasive ways in which the health industry persuades women into having their bodies and reproductive systems "managed" and it infuriated me. So I had high expectations for the book that made Germaine Greer famous; the one that inspired women to make themselves be heard.

The language was sometimes a little too scientific for me and the amount of data and subjects is overwhelming, but even if some parts went over my head, I did recognize most of the situations Greer uses as examples. I found it to be an intriguing document of its time. It didn't so much make me angry as sad, because I realized it's not even dated yet on a lot of subjects.
To recommend this book and show how relevant it still is, I copied part of the foreword Germaine Greer wrote for the 21st Anniversary Edition. She talks about how much we seem to have achieved in the past twenty-odd years: it's now possible for women to compete in sports, run businesses and talk openly about sex and more. So...
"What more could women want?
Freedom, that's what.
Freedom from being the thing looked at rather than the person looking back. Freedom from self-consciousness. Freedom from the duty of sexual stimulation of jaded male appetite, for which no breast ever bulges hard enough and no leg is ever long enough. Freedom from the uncomfortable clothes that must be worn to titillate.[...]
The freedom I pleaded for twenty years ago was freedom to be a person, with the dignity, integrity, nobility, passion, pride that constitute personhood. Freedom to run, shout, to talk loudly and sit with your knees apart. [...] Freedom to learn and freedom to teach. Freedom from fear, freedom from hunger, freedom of speech and freedom of belief. Most of the women in the world are still afraid, still hungry, still mute and loaded by religion with all kinds of fetters, masked, muzzled, mutilated and beaten. The Female Eunuch does not deal with poor women (for when I wrote it I did not know them) but with the women of the rich world, whose oppression is seen by poor women as freedom.
[...]
You can now see the female Eunuch the world over; all the time we thought we were driving her out of our minds and hearts she was spreading herself wherever blue jeans and Coca-Cola may go. Wherever you see nail varnish, lipstick, brassieres and high heels, the Eunuch has set up her camp. You can find her triumphant even under the veil."

BOOK: Vlammen - Hans Hagen

2009-05-12T22:38:00.001+02:00

Title: Vlammen (Flames)
Author: Hans Hagen
Genre: Children's tragedy
Publisher: Querido 2008
Pages: Paperback, 95
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7,5/10
Notes: This book was written for 'Kinderboekenweek 2008'; (children's bookweek 2008) and was a gift with a purchase of a children's book.

Summary: An exciting week in the life of young Bo; he watches his grandfather's houseboat go up in flames, his big brother makes him hide an envelope with hundreds of euros and on top of it all he falls in love with Rachèlle.

Spoilerfree Review:
It's a rather harsh story, especially for younger kids, but despite the painfully true to life events, it mostly reads as a big adventure. Bo has a lot of issues to solve, both good and bad. It's not a fairytale, so not all ends well, but it's more inspiring than a happily ever after.

Quick reviews: Nilgün Yerli & Hugo Claus

2009-03-09T16:00:00.001+01:00

Title: Weg Van Nederland
(Away from/Nuts about The Netherlands)
Author: Nilgün Yerli
Genre: Short Story
Publisher: B for Books
Pages: Hardcover, 62
Language: Dutch
Rating: 6,5/10

Summary: A couple of columns and a short story written especially for this series of tiny booklets that are published to introduce people to reading. Nilgün Yerli tells us what it’s like living in The Netherlands, while not being born there.

Review
I was not impressed by these short stories. They read like essays for a school-assignment. A highschool-assignment. I didn’t learn anything new and insightful. A failed attempt to make me care.

Title: Een Slaapwandeling (Sleepwalking)
Author: Hugo Claus
Genre: Short Story
Publisher: De Bijenkorf 2000
Pages: Paperback, 73
Language: Dutch
Rating: 8/10

Summary: Luc is sleepwalking through the long hallways of his deteriorating mind. (I know. I’m sorry. Taken from the backcover;)

Review
It’s a good thing the title already explains Luc’s state of mind, otherwise this story would be very confusing. Although it starts rather normal with small talk in the kitchen, where he tells his wife about his morning. Meeting an old friend triggers memories and those force Luc to wander around through the past and present trying to find answers to questions long forgotten. (See, what this story made me do?) Well written and enjoyable, even if the structure feels a little ‘done before’.

Title: De Zwaardvis (The Swordfish)
Author: Hugo Claus
Genre: Short Story
Publisher: De Bezige Bij 1989
Pages: Paperback, 95
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7,5/10

Summary: A young divorcee and her messed up kid, a small town teacher and a drunk handyman, who used to be a respected veterinarian. Four points of view on the events during one slow summerday in the country. Someone has commited a crime, but it’s not clear who the real victim is.

Review
A reread from the eighties, that had left me apprehensive of Hugo Claus’ writing. I have forgotten why; I thought it was because of his foul language, but to my surprise this book has nothing of the shocking sort. Not that filth isn’t something I could have handled, but I remember labeling him as some kind of disgusting writer. Maybe my opinion was based on an interview, maybe i was just in a bad mood when I read the book back then. Either way: it’s time to admit my mistake.
This is an intruiging story about misunderstanding and lust. What a lovely combination. Not one character comes away with their behavior. I was especially hit by the thoughts of little kid Maarten, who is severely indoctrinated by a religious teacher (not the one telling part of the story). The way he regards his mother after learning about sin is very disturbing. But most of the characters left me a little shaken. Human nature at its worst. Just as I suspect people to be.

BOOK: De Tuin Der Onschuldigen - Kristien Hemmerechts

2009-03-09T15:59:00.002+01:00

Title: De Tuin Der Onschuldigen (The Garden Of The Innocent)
Author: Kristien Hemmerechts
Genre: Family saga
Publisher: Pandora 1999
Pages: Paperback, 223
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7/10

Summary: Three sisters are on their way to a small village in Spain where they used to spent their summervacations wth their parents. Behind the wheel is Judith, the eldest, who organized the trip. She feels overly protective for Heleen, the sister in the middle, who’s very nervous when she’s not taken care of by her mother or husband; she needs structure to survive. In the backseat sits actress Nora, always the main character in the family dramas. During the long ride they travel through their childhood memories.

Review
Bought in a second hand store because I read my name on the back;) I tend to stay away from stories about sisters, since I really can’t relate.This book was no exception. The whole dynamic between women is utterly strange to me; the petty bickering always gets on my nerves.
Although the women are shown at their worst during the roadtrip, most of the book deals with the different points of view of the sisters on the events that happened in the past. As it turns out their personalities as kids shine through in their adult behaviour. Even though they are related, they have their own memories and way of dealing. The family secret that is eventually revealed is not that spectacular, but I was mostly annoyed by their characters. Judith is too controlling (obviously the eldest daughter;), Heleen is too brainless and Nora is too selfabsorbed for me to care about either one of them. Even though they complement each other (a little too) perfectly, I’m so glad I never had to deal with sisters.

BOOK: Two Women - Harry Mulisch

2009-03-09T15:56:00.002+01:00

Title: Twee Vrouwen (Two Women)
Author: Harry Mulisch
Genre: Romance
Publisher: De Bezige Bij 1975
Pages: Paperback, 131
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7,5/10

Summary: Laura, whose husband left her for another woman, meets Sylvia, a young woman from the provinces: they become lovers. The relationship soon strains under the weight of their differences in upbringing, age and education.

Review
Published for ‘The Netherlands is reading 2008’, this book was handed out at libraries for free, so we as a nation could read and discuss it. Obviously there was a lot of media-attention for it, which is usually a reason for me to avoid a book. I’m not a member of the library because I prefer to keep the books I read, but my mom got an extra copy and despite my dislike of Harry Mulisch (I was rather disappointed with the ending of ‘The Discovery Of Heaven’) I decided to give it a go. Once again I learned that my preconceptions often prevent me from discovering beauty. *slaps head* While reading it I knew why Mr. Mulisch is considered one of our great writers; his language and story-structure is simply brilliant. Again the ending fell a bit short for me, but I enjoyed getting there immensely.

BOOK: The Book Of Everything - Guus Kuijer

2009-02-07T22:57:00.000+01:00

Title: Het Boek Van Alle Dingen (The Book Of Everything)
Author: Guus Kuijer
Genre: Children's tragedy
Publisher: Querido 2004
Pages: Hardcover 102
Language: Dutch (available in English!)
Rating: 9/10

Summary: Thomas knows what he wants to be when he grows up: happy. But how do you do that? His neighbour, whom he's sure is a witch, knows: 'if you want to be happy you have to stop being afraid'. But Thomas has a lot to worry about: his religious father is very controlling and the rest of the family has to move around cautiously as not to do anything that will invoke his wrath.

Review
I don't want to give anything away and that is not easy with a book about everything. It's a children's book written in a very mature style. As usual Guus Kuijer addresses the readers with a sincerity that is not very common in children's literature. It's what I love about his books. The voice of main character Thomas is taken very seriously; his thoughts and actions are of the same importance as all the decisions made by the adults in his life.
Thomas is not allowed to read any other books than the Bible, but he manages to get his hands on some classic literature (like Nobody's Boy by Hector Malot) and he learns to think for himself and starts to question his father's opinion and power.
The story is not all doom and gloom; Thomas is not completely alone is his quest for happiness. His sister has a mind of her own and challenges their dad too, his neighbour not only introduces him to books, but also to music and Thomas talks to Jesus about his problems. And even though the latter doesn't offer much practical support, he does give Thomas perspective on his father's way of thinking.

This is a gripping story about coming of age and dealing with the constricting side of religion. I highly recommend it.

BOOK: Bonk - Mary Roach

2009-02-07T18:14:00.001+01:00

Title: Bonk - The Curious Coupling Of Sex And Science
Author: Mary Roach
Genre: Non fiction, Science
Publisher: Canongate 2008
Pages: Paperback, 303
Language: English
Rating: 7,5/10

Summary: Mary Roach went behind closed doors to find out the how and why of research into human sexual physiology. What has been going on for centuries in laboratories, brothels, Alfred Kinsey's attic, and, more recently, MRI centers, pig farms, and sex-toy labs?

Review
This is very informative and funny book. The only critique I have is that Roach sometimes tries to be funnier than the subject. As if people observing others having sex in the name of science isn't amusing enough. But giggling aside, this is an interesting look into laboratories and other research facilities. It makes you wonder why investigating this essential part of human life doesn't get the funding it deserves. Most researchers have to be incredibily inventive to manage to do the tests, because the subject of sex is surrounded with suspicion. (Because obviously people who are interested are perverts) I was pleasantly surprised to learn they don't have any problems finding willing subjects. And it is to everyone's credit they were all willing to talk to Roach about the experiments; we get an incredibily insightful look from both sides of the testing experience.

An entertaining and educational read. Recommended.

BOOK: Girls Are Weirdos - Todd Harris Goldman

2009-02-07T18:11:00.002+01:00

Title: Girls Are Weirdos (but they smell pretty)
Author: Todd Harris Goldman
Genre: Comic
Publisher: Workman Publishing 2007
Pages: Hardcover, 80
Language: English
Rating: 6/10

Summary: Single picture cartoons with a lot of text about all kinds of supposedly girly subjects -from Accesorizing to Undies- by a man who proofs men really never grow up.

Review: Meh. I loved the title and some of the cartoons are funny and even clever, but a lot of the observations are rather familiar and/or insulting, and made me roll my eyes. ("I'm a huge fan of the silent treatment and wish you girls used it more often". haha). Good for a little giggle, but not very original.

Book: Jippus et Jannica - Annie M.G. Schmidt

2009-01-18T22:50:00.003+01:00

Title: Jippus et Jannica
Author: Annie M.G. Schmidt
Genre: Children
Publisher: Athenaeum
Pages: Paperback 140
Language: Latin. Original Dutch included.
Rating: 9/10

Summary: A Latin version of stories about childhood favorites Jip and Janneke. Translated to interest people for ancient languages. Such a joy to read.

For your entertainment I'm sharing an exerpt and the adorable cover.

Cover, left page in Dutch, right page in Latin (click to read;)

Recommendations: CSI Nick & Greg

2008-12-10T21:49:00.003+01:00

Here are (some of) my favorite Nick/Greg authors and stories. (a WIP;)

I'm pretty sure the first Nick/Greg stories I read were by Caroline Crane, founder of the Nick/Greg archive What Makes The Desert Beautiful. When she was in the proces of moving her fic to her own journal, I saved my favorites in this library:

Sweet Cool Water (NC17)

The Fetish Series (NC17)

Four Things...(and one) (PG13)

All The Way To Paris (NC17)

Sunglasses At Night (NC17)

NEW: Caroline's Complete CSI Fic Directory: check it out, it's massive!

FANFIC: Sunglasses At Night by Caroline Crane

2008-11-28T19:30:00.000+01:00

Posted with permission from the author. See notes in sidebar.
Title: Sunglasses At Night by Caroline Crane
Rating: NC17 (See happy reading in sidebar!)
Fandom: CSI
Pairing: Nick/Greg
Summary: "What? You don't want to play good cop/bad cop?"
Warnings: PWP

It's days like this he's glad he doesn't date women anymore. He's spent the better part of the night shift reassuring Catherine that she still looks good, and when he wasn't doing that he was busy wondering why so many women feel like they need to get a whole bunch of work done just so they can feel good about themselves. He doesn't get it, and no matter how hard Catherine tries to compare it to keeping in shape, he'll never get it.

So he's glad to be home, glad for the chance to peel off his clothes and stand under a hot shower until he can't smell the antiseptic ammonia of the plastic surgery clinic anymore. He doesn't glance in the mirror to check himself out when he gets out of the shower, but it surprises him that he has to force himself not to, and okay, maybe Catherine had a small point. But it's still not the same, he tells himself as he wraps a towel around his waist and pulls the bathroom door open.

To find Greg standing in the hallway, leaning against the wall in his CSI jacket and those damn sunglasses. And if he'd known Greg was actually going to wear them he never would have dug out his old uniform, but he can't help smiling when Greg pulls them down to peer at Nick over the top of the mirrored lenses.

"How do I look?"

"Like a cop."

"Sara says I look like a porn star," Greg says, pushing himself off the wall to follow Nick into the bedroom.

"What does Sara know about porn?" Nick asks, but as soon as Greg opens his mouth he holds up a hand. "I don't want to know."

Greg smirks, unzipping his jacket to toss it on the end of the bed, and it kind of ruins the effect, but Nick doesn't say anything. Because he's not interested in encouraging Greg's weird fantasies, and anyway, Greg's never needed his encouragement.

"So, do you want me to frisk you?" He didn't hear Greg cross the room, but suddenly there's a hand on his hip and that voice right next to his ear, and Nick can't help the shudder that rolls through him. It gets him an appreciative little chuckle, then Greg's mouth is pressed against his neck and his other hand's traveling down Nick's side. "That a yes?"

And he's way too tired to play games, but he's been thinking about this since Catherine started on her 'you're a guy, you wouldn't understand' routine, so he turns in Greg's grip until they're face to face, hands on Greg's shoulders to push him back toward the bed. He reaches up with one hand to pull the glasses away, but before he gets them off Greg's reaching up to stop them.

"What? You don't want to play good cop/bad cop?"

"I don't want to play anything," he says, the words coming out as more of a growl than he really intended, but it gets his point across because Greg lets him pull the glasses off. He drops them in the vicinity of the nightstand, not really caring where they land because Greg's hands are still on his skin and he's still wearing way too many clothes.

"Hey, careful with those."

"I'll get you a new pair," Nick murmurs against Greg's skin, still moving backwards until they hit the mattress with a soft bounce.

"I don't want a new pair," Greg answers, hands tugging at Nick's towel as Nick works on the buttons of his shirt, "I like those."

"They're just glasses."

"They're your glasses."

The words are murmured against his mouth, and Nick wants to pull back to see Greg's expression, but Greg's tongue is already pushing past his teeth and he's already pushing up against Nick, fingers digging hard into Nick's shoulders and it's all Nick can do to get his shirt open. He gives up Greg's chest is bare, shirt bunched around his shoulders and hips lifting off the bed to let Nick slide his jeans down. He rolls off Greg long enough to let him kick them off, the fabric getting tangled in his shoes until he remembers and kicks those off too.

And it's kind of hot, watching Greg get so turned on that he forgets how to undress himself, but it's taking way too long so Nick slides off the bed to tug his jeans and boxers off the rest of the way. When he looks up again Greg's leaning up on his elbows, skin flushed with need and knees splayed and Nick doesn't think before he's pushing up on his knees to take Greg in his mouth.

His hands are flat against the mattress, tongue tracing the underside of Greg's cock until he's moaning and thrusting up in search of more, hot and wet and when Nick's mouth closes around him he makes a strangled noise in the back of his throat that tells Nick just how long he's been thinking about this.

He splays one hand across Greg's hip, holding him against the mattress as he pushes his other hand between Greg's legs, past his balls to press against the taut skin there until Greg's moaning something unintelligible and pushing down against Nick's hand. Seeking more, trying to get Nick inside him and this is the part Nick likes best. Likes knowing just how much Greg wants him, seeing it in the way his body begs for more and hearing it in the way Greg murmurs his name in that breathy, broken voice.

He pulls his hand away, ignoring Greg's disappointed murmur and reaching up, fingers pressed against Greg's mouth until he takes the hint and sucks Nick's fingers inside. And he's pretty sure he could come just from this, because he can feel the pressure of Greg's mouth all the way to his groin and when Greg finally lets Nick's fingers slip out of his mouth again he's almost disappointed.

But he knows where this is going, so he ignores his own need and lifts Greg's hips to push two wet fingers inside. He watches Greg's face, cock twitching at the sight of his mouth dropping open in a silent sigh before he closes his own mouth around Greg's cock again. He's moving faster now, watching Greg rock between his mouth and his fingers until he loses control and comes with a low, broken moan.

Nick waits until he stops shaking to pull off and spit into his hand, then he wraps a slick palm around his own cock and strokes a few times, eyes closed tight to keep himself from coming. It's been a long, boring night and he's not sure how much control he's got left, but he fights back the urge to come and crawls back onto the mattress, over Greg and pushing his knees apart. And Greg's still panting, whole body stained red and shaking with the effort to catch his breath, but he leans up to meet Nick anyway, hand at the back of his neck to pull him down for a hard kiss.

He hooks one leg around Nick's waist as Nick slides inside, pausing when he's all the way in to catch his breath before he pulls out and thrusts forward again. They're moving slow, Greg's leg wrapped tight around him to pull him a little deeper with each stroke, and Nick knows he's not going to last long. He pulls his mouth away from Greg's, hands braced on either side of Greg's shoulders to watch Greg's eyelids flutter with each thrust.

He can tell Greg's fighting to keep his eyes open, knows he wants to watch Nick watching him and that makes it even hotter. Because Nick's never really liked being watched – at least not until Greg came along – and he still hasn't gotten over how easy it is for Greg to relax and just let him look. Like he wants the attention – like he craves it, like he's just been waiting for Nick to finally notice that he's been standing right here all this time.

And maybe he was, but he never complains about how long it took for Nick to catch on. As soon as he thinks it Greg tightens around him, pulling him in even deeper once, then one last time before Nick comes. His fingers are still pressed hard against Nick's biceps, ten spots of red on his skin that he'll still be able to feel even after the marks fade. He collapses on top of Greg, panting against his neck until his heart stops beating fast enough to fly right out of his chest.

Greg's hands leave his arms to slide up his back, fingers absently rubbing through Nick's hair and Nick laughs against his neck.

"Feels good," Greg says, and Nick can hear the smile in his voice. "Soft."

And he's not complaining, because he's spent plenty of time with his own hands in Greg's hair. Before they started dating he always thought it looked hard, like it would be stiff if he touched it. But it's soft, just as soft as Nick's shaved head and even though he'd never admit it, he kind of likes the feel of Greg's fingers massaging his scalp.

"So this is what wearing my sunglasses to work makes you think about."

"They remind me of you," Greg answers, breath warm against Nick's neck and sending a fresh shiver down his spine. "Maybe I should give you mine, give you something to remind you of me."

"Trust me, G," Nick says, shifting until he finds a patch of warm skin to press his lips to, "I don't need a reminder."

fin

BOOK: De Gelukkige Klas - Theo Thijssen

2008-10-26T14:20:00.003+01:00

Title: De Gelukkige Klas
Author: Theo Thijssen
Genre: Novel (1926)
Publisher: Salamander Klassiek (Classics)
Pages: Hardcover 277
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7/10

Summary: The (fictional) diary of teacher Staal, writing about a year in the life of his class in an elementary school in 1926. The students are all from poor families and most of Staal's co-workers (and his wife) think those children don't need to learn anything, because they'll end up in shitty jobs or unemployed anyway. But Staal has ideals and wants the best for 'his' kids. Mostly he wants them to be happy.

Spoilerfree Review
What I like best about reading books that were written a long time ago is to recognize how people haven't changed one bit over time. They still have the same doubts and discussions these days. I'm sure if a present day teacher kept a diary, it would say exactly the same about the different kids in the class. The cheeky one, the shy one, the helpfull one, the mean one; all types are present. And you come to care about each and every one of them. When Mr. Staal has to decide who will benefit from the free language classes after school, you too want all the kids to get that chance.
Although Staal's thoughts and writing are often naive, he is certainly one of those teachers the kids will remember.

BOOK: Meneer Visser's Hellevaart - S. Vestdijk

2008-10-26T14:18:00.000+01:00

Title: Meneer Visser's Hellevaart (Mr. Visser's perdition)
Author: Simon Vestdijk
Genre: Novel (1936)
Publisher: Salamander Klassiek (Classics)
Pages: Hardcover 340
Language: Dutch
Rating: 6/10

Summary: A day in the life of Mr. Visser, a small town man on a power trip. Written from his point of view, this is a disturbing look inside the mind of a sadist. Mr. Visser is obsessed with showing his superiority. Better to hurt others before they have a chance to find out what a sad little man he really is. He enjoys to make (and watch) people squirm. Especially his wife is an easy victim for his perverted pleasures. He loves to play nasty tricks on her and then tell his 'friends' all about how scared she got.
Today he is summoned by the police commissioner about an incident involving one of his tennants. Mr. Visser is slightly worried, but spends most of his day thinking about ways to get back at everybody who can potentially harm him. Any information he digs up about his friends and enemies will be used against them.

This brought back some bad memories, a very personal review
This story made me feel very uncomfortable. I had a rough time getting into the brain of Mr. Visser, not in the least because I recognized his unpleasant behavior. I don't want to give a certain member of my family too much credit, but this hit a little too close to home. It's an awfully good book, but if you are looking for a character to love you will not find it. This is a very raw look at the dark side of humans: the ability to hurt other people by playing with their feelings and messing with their minds. It's something I inherited and I definitely do not need to be reminded of having that power. It brings out the worst in people. The story made me shiver.

BOOK: Metamagical Themas - Douglas R. Hofstadter

2008-10-05T19:19:00.004+02:00

Title: Metamagical Themas:
Subtitle: Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern
Author: Douglas R. Hofstadter
Genre: Science
Publisher: Basic Books (Perseus)
Pages: Paperback -unknown- read up until page 400 (Oct2008)
Language: English.
Rating: 9/10

I've been reading this book for a while, but I haven't finished it yet. As it was on loan from brotherdearest, who wanted to share it with more people, I had to return it to him after getting about half way (page 400;) Despite it being a rather scientifical book, it has touched me emotionally. I have been sharing the awesome in my live journal, I am now parking those exerpts and reviews by chapter here.

Comments are encouraged!

Metamagical Themas:
Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern
Douglas R. Hofstadter
Section II, Chapter 5:
Sense & Society: World Views in Collision
"How come Truth is such a slippery beast"
When I was younger, I used to believe that once something had been discovered, verified, and published, it was then part of Knowledge: definitive, accepted, and irrevocable. Only in unusual cases, so I thought, would opposing claims then continue to be published. To my surprise, however I found that the truth has to fight constantly for its life! That an idea has been discovered and printed in a "reputable journal" does not ensure that it wil become well known and accepted. In fact, usually it will have to be rephrased en reprinted many different times, often by many different people, before it has any chance of taking hold. This is upsetting to an idealist like me, someone more disposed to believe in the notion of a monolithic and absolute truth than in the notion of a pluralistic and relative truth (a notion championed by a certain school of anthropologists and socioligists, who un-self-consciously insist "all systems of belief are equally valid", seemingly without realizing that this dogma of relativism not only is just as narrow-minded as any other dogma, but moreover is unbelievably wishy-washy!). The idea that the truth has to fight for its life is a sad discovery. The idea that the truth will not out, unless it is given a lot of help, is pretty upsetting.

Read discussion on 'Truth' here

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Metamagical Themas:
Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern
Douglas R. Hofstadter
Section II, Chapter 6:
Sense & Society: On Number Numbness
A rather mathematical chapter
"A computer doing a billion operations per seconds would really be moving along. Imagine breaking up one second into as many tiny fragments as there are seconds in 30 years. That is how tiny a nanosecond - a billionth of 1 second - is. To a computer, a second is a lifetime! Of course, the computer is dawdling compared with the events inside the atoms that compose it. Take one atom. A typical electron circling a typical nucleus makes about 10¹⁵ orbits per second, which is to say, a million orbits per nanosecond. From an electron's-eye point of view, a computer is as slow as molasses in January.[...]

At the other end of the scale, there is the slow, stately twirling of our galaxy, which makes a leisurely complete turn every 200 million years or so. And within the solar system, the planet Pluto takes about 250 years to complete an orbit of the sun. Speaking of the sun, it is about a million miles across and has a mass on the order of 10³⁰ kilograms. The earth is a featherweight in comparison, a mere 10²⁴ kilograms. [...]

These large and small numbers are so far beyond our ordinary comprehension that it is virtually impossible to keep on being more amazed. The numbers are genuinely beyond understanding - unless one has developed a vivid feeling for various exponents. And even with such an intuition, it is hard to give the universe its awesome due for being so extraordinarily huge and at the same time so extraordinarily fine-grained. Number numbness sets in early these days. Most people seem entirely unfazed by words such as "billion" and "trillion"; they simply become synonyms for the meaningless "zillion".
This hit me particularly hard a few times after I had finished a draft of this column [May 1982]. I was reading the paper, and I came across an article on the subject of nerve gas. It stated that President Reagan expected the expenditures for nerve gas to come to about $800 million in 1983, and $1.4 billion in 1984. I was upset, but I caught myself being thankful that it was not $10 billion or $100 billion. Then, all at once, I really felt ashamed of myself. That guy had some nerve gas! How could I have been relieved by the figure of a "mere" $1.4 billion? How could my thoughts have become so dissociated from the underlying reality? One billion for nerve gas is not mereley lamentable; it is odious. We cannot afford to become number-number than we are. We need to be willing to be jerked out of our apathy, because this kind of "joke" is in very poor taste.

Survival of our species is the name of the game. I don't really care if the number of mosquitos in Africa is greater or less than the number of pennies in the gross national product. [...] I don't care a hoot about pointless, silly images of colossal magnitudes. What I do care about is what a billion dollars represents in terms of buying power: lunches for all the schoolkids in New York for a year, a hundred libraries, fifty jumbo jets, [...] and so on.

[...] I want people to understand the very real consequences of those very surreal numbers bandied about in the newspaper headlines as interchangeably as movie stars' names in the scandal sheets. [...] At bottom, we are dealing with perceptual questions, but ones with life-and-death consequences!"

It's quite difficult to find a fragment to summarize the awesome pieces. I hope this made sense. You are invited to discuss the subject or point out typos:) Feel free to comment with a ? or a request for an explanation/addition;) Read discussion on 'Numbers' here

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Metamagical Themas:
Questing for the Essence of Mind and Pattern
Douglas R. Hofstadter
Section II, Chapter 7: Sense & Society:
Changes in Default Words and Images, Engendered by Rising Consciousness
I had planned a long explanation about why this particular part of the book made me cry (in public!). But I can't find the words to express how much this piece touched me. I guess it was a combination of recognition (some sort of relieve that I wasn't imagining this issue) and powerless anger (it that even an expression in english?) - because I know this battle isn't over.

In this column Hofstadter talks about the deep, hidden, and oft-denied connections between subconscious imagery and discriminatory usage in everyday language. More specifically: default sexism.

It's about how we say "Come on, guys" to a group of people of mixed gender or even a group of girls and how if you would say "Come on, girls" to any other group it's considered demeaning. Or how we have different titles for a married woman and a single woman (who is -in addition- known by her 'maiden' name) I could quote more accurately, but it would just make me angry and upset again, and then I lose the ability to get my point across.

If the examples above make you wonder why I'm making such a big deal of this, you should definitely read the magnificent piece Hofstadter wrote to illustrate the issue. It may not hit you as hard as it hit me, but it will make you think.

Before I give you the link to the article, I'll let Hofstadter tell you why he wrote it: "I was provoked to write the following piece about a year after the column on sexism came out. [November 1982] It came about this way. One evening I had a very lively conversation at dinner with a group of people who thought of the problem of sexist language as no more than that: dinner-table conversation. Despite all the arguments I put forth, I just couldn't convince them there was anything worth taking seriously there. The next morning I woke up and heard two most interesting pieces of news on the radio: a black Miss America had been picked, and a black man was going to run for president. Both of these violated default assumptions, and it set my mind going along two parallel tracks at once: What if people's default assumptions were violated in all sorts of ways both sexually and racially? And then I started letting the default violations cross all sorts of lines, and pretty soon I was coming up with an image of a totally different society, one in which... Well, I'll just let you read it."

A Person Paper on Purity in Language

Read discussion on 'Default sexism' here

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B for Books: four quick reviews

2008-09-28T21:39:00.003+02:00

Title: De Perfecte Partner (The Perfect Partner)
Author: Esther Verhoef
Genre: Short Story
Publisher: B for Books
Pages: Hardcover 46
Language: Dutch
Rating: 5/10

Summary: Claudia is obsessed by plastic surgery and more specifically famous surgeon Marc Wagner. He loves to operate on her. She thinks it's love.

Spoilerish review
Maybe I'm prejudiced against people who go for plastic surgery merely for aesthetic reasons, but I thought this was very cliche. I didn't like Claudia from the start, no matter if Dr. Wagner is made to be the bad guy here. The question whether he not only screwed with her body, but also her mind is not relevant. The fact that in the end she doubts what actually happened between them outside the operatingroom (did she imagine their relationship?) simply confirms my belief that she wasn't very stable to begin with.

Title: Stikvallei (Choke Valley)
Author: Frank Westerman
Genre: Short Story
Publisher: B for Books
Pages: Hardcover 59
Language: Dutch
Rating: 6/10

Summary: Fumes from a craterlake in the highlands of Cameroon kill hundreds of people and animals. Volcanologist Haraldur Sigurdsson wants to find out what happened. Was there a vulcanic eruption or did the government allow nuclear testing, as the rumour among the survivors suggests?

Spoilerfree review
The story starts as lesson in history and mentions more occasions of toxic fumes before trying to seperate facts from fiction. This educational tone in combination with the introduction of many characters made it hard to care for the cause. Despite the intriguing whispers about a conspiracy I wasn't drawn in. This event deserved a more in depth investigation.

Title: Eerder Thuis Dan Townes (Home Before Townes)
Author: P.F. Thomese
Genre: Short Stories
Publisher: B for Books
Pages: Hardcover 46
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7.5/10

Summary: Two stories about roadtrips with J. Kessels. In the first one the men end up in the seedy nightlife in Hamburg. The second story has them travelling to a small town somewhere in the Netherlands to an obscure concert by Bluessinger Townes.

Spoilerfree review
Written from the point of view of an unnamed author, who obviously has a manly crush on J. Kessels in all his grumpy glory. I'm not a fan of this unpredictable character. He's a man with no regard for his travelcompanion and wants things done his way. However: the adventures of the two men are amusing and -sadly- recognisable. They drift trough towns without directions, and end up meeting people they'd rather not have or -even better- dreamed about spending time with. Yeah, I've been there. It was just as (un)cool without the drinking and the smoking. I prefer my own sober experiences, even if I love P.F. Thomese's writing.

Interested in P.F. Thomese? I wrote a review of his book Shadow Child earlier.

Title: De Grammatica Van Een Niemand (The Grammar of a Nobody)
Author: Abdelkader Benali
Genre: Short Story
Publisher: B for Books
Pages: Hardcover 46
Language: Dutch
Rating: 7/10

Summary: The Writer (who refers to himself by his profession and is the Nobody in the title) travels back to the small town in Morocco where he was born. While he remembers his childhood and moving to the Netherlands, he gradually accepts who his is to his family and to himself.

Spoilerfree reviewThis seems like a personal story, but by using the third person point of view it feels rather detached. I guess that is exactly what the writer was going for, but I already had problems relating to his feelings and the style only pushed me farther away. But in the end I did get a good impression of what it must be like for a foreing person to have to adjust to an unknown society. Mission accomplished.

FYI: Abdelkader Benali first novel Wedding By The Sea has been internationally praised and is still available in lots of languages.

BOOKbabbles: Cartoony comedy to feed your brain

2008-09-28T21:32:00.002+02:00

Title: Heb Je In Je Hoofd Nog Ruimte Voor Waanzinnige Plannen
(Do You Have Room In Your Head For Amazing Plans?)
Author: Loesje
Genre: Politics
Publisher: A.W. Bruna
Pages: Paperback 192
Language: Dutch
Rating: 8/10

Summary: Slogans, thoughts and smart arse comments on politics, the economy, the world, love and other important stuff

More about Loesje
If you have ever been in the Netherlands, you probably have seen the posters signed by Loesje. Maybe she even turned up in your country;) The anonymous organisation behind that girl's name has been around since the early eighties and started plastering posters with comments on politics and society all over the Netherlands. I have been a fan from when I was a wee girl. Nowadays this activist group is also a writer's collective and regularly publishes books to get people to think. You can find international posters and information on the official website. Have some of my favorites:

STOP DREAMING ABOUT THAT KNIGHT - AND PUT ON YOUR SHINING ARMOUR

Title: The Lady and the Chocolate
Author: Edward Monkton
Genre: Poetry
Publisher: Harper Collins
Pages: Hardcover (no page numbers;)
Language: English
Rating: 9/10

Summary: An irresistible story from one of the world's most bizarre thinkers. It might just be genius. A lady and a chocolate bar have a life-changing conversation. Includes drawings:)

Snippet + author's website
"No chocolate," said the Lady. "I do not need you..." - "Ah," said the Chocolate, "but think of the rich, SILKY pleasure as I touch your lips."... Guess who wins in the end?
I love most, if not all poems by Edward Monkton. So I'm pimping his website: Interesting thoughts.

BOOK: Portnoy's Complaint - Philip Roth

2008-09-28T21:09:00.000+02:00

Title: Portnoy's Complaint
Author: Philip Roth
Genre: Novel
Publisher: Vintage
Pages: Paperback 274
Language: English
Rating: 8/10

Summary: -"A couch side confessional by 33-year-old Jewish-American Alexander Portnoy to his psychiatrist. It's a sexually explicit exploration of Jewish identity that caused a storm of controversy when it was published in 1969."- Well, that's what I stole from a review I found on the internet. I wouldn't call it specifically Jewish, I would label it 'male' identity... Portnoy talks about his parents and how he feels they are to blame for how he deals with life. Specifically for how he can't handle relationships and for his everlasting obsession with sex.

Spoilerfree review
As with most books that are deemed 'classics' now, I had a bit of trouble understanding what the fuss was about. (I had the same with 'Catcher In The Rye' and 'Breakfast At Tiffany's'). That's doesn't mean the book was dissapointing, on the contrary: this was a very amusing read. Alexander Portnoy makes such a big deal over nothing, I had fun mocking him while he was pouring his heart out. The way he talks about his parents, with a mixture of love and disgust is something I think everybody can recognize. But a lot of his complaints come across as unnecessary whining by a grown up man, who is too dissapointed with his life to handle the boring truth.
Or it is possible that I'm such a sexual deviant that I fail to see what's wrong with him. Read it and let me know.

BOOK: Problemski Hotel - Dimitri Verhulst

2008-09-28T21:06:00.000+02:00

Title: Problemski Hotel
Author: Dimitri Verhulst
Genre: Creative nonfiction
Publisher: Contact
Pages: Hardcover 110
Language: Dutch
Rating: 8.5/10

Summary: Bipul Masli, once a photographer in his own country, now lives in a Belgian facility for refugees. He is waiting for a decision from the authorities whether he will be allowed to stay and work in Belgium. In the mean time he observes his fellow refugees from all over the world. Each one of them has his and her own story to tell.

Spoilerfree review
Dimitri Verhulst, an investigative journalist, had himself locked up in the asylum seekers' centre for several days for a Belgian magazine. He then wrote a magazine article, but the experience would not let go of him and he wrote this book with several short stories. In his epilogue he lets the reader know "about half of these stories are made up, but none of them contains a lie."
Before reading this book I already had a preconception about asylum seekers and how they are treated in western 'civilisation' and even though I knew about the appalling conditions in these centres, this book still hit me in the gut. Especially since the refugees are not described as being helpless or in need of pity. They are people willing to go far to have a life worth living. I may not like them or agree with their point of view on the situation in the part of the world they fled from. But after reading about how they are treated like second rate people, who are not allowed to be in control of their life, I did understand why some of them exaggerate their story, even if the truth is already horrid enough. It pains me that 'we' make people defend their decision to seek a better life. This book made me even more cynical about us ever getting it right. The book offers no solutions, but I hope it inspires people to think about the issue. Highly recommended.

It's available in English!

BOOK: Red Carpets And Other Banana Skins - Rupert Everett

2008-09-28T21:01:00.001+02:00

Title: Red Carpets And Other Banana Skins
Author: Rupert Everett
Genre: Autobiography
Publisher: Abacus (Edition May 2007)
Pages: Paperback 406
Language: English
Rating: 8/10

Summary: Actor Rupert Everett (probably best known for his role in My Best Friend's Wedding) gives a very detailed insight in his life so far. Not afraid to name names and to show the dirtier side of showbiz, he tells us all about the struggles and the victories behind the scenes.

Review with excerpt
I was looking forward to reading this book; I first saw Rupert in The Comfort Of Strangers (a film I watched for Christopher Walken) and I have paid attention to his work ever since. Plus I was promised some juicy gossip about other famous people *g*. The book certainly delivers on that issue, maybe even to a greater extent than I had hoped for. It confirmed some of my suspicions about the sillyness of the glitter and glamour. But the book is more than just a tabloid from a reliable source: it's really Rupert's life journey. Of course that is not all fun, some parts of the book deal with death and disease: he lost quite a few friends along the way. I was also saddened by his acounts of the homophobia he encountered in Hollywood.
It's a captivating story, from the first 'Tales From The Crib' about "Roo's" upperclass childhood until his rise and fall and rise in the Lubed Desert. The massive amount of pictures that are included are fascinating too.

I have only one tiny complaint, that I would like to illustrate with this little snippet from the chapter called 'London':
"At some point, biking from one latitude to another within that shimmering pink triangle, indulging, as I almost invariably did when alone, in waking dreams of the legendary screen career that was awaiting to unfold before me, I was beckoned from a passing Rolls-Royce and joined instead, for a brief amateur career, the ranks of the oldest profession.In the prevailing winds of change I was simply fulfilling my duty as a Thatcher youth. 'Get on your bike and work,' was Norman Tebbit's message to the unemployed. (He was Thatchers's gruesome henchman.) I got off mine and jumped into a passing limousine.

However, more than enough has been said about my brief foray into commerce, both by myself and others, so I will only quote my bank manager [...].

NONONONONONONO! Rupert: just because it was said before, doesn't mean everybody heard you. Dammit.

I also would have liked to read something about the plastic surgery, because I seriously think he ruined his face with that. But I still love his voice and that comes across all through the book, whether he talks about his 'Nanny' or his adoration for Julie Andrews...
I highly recommend this.

BOOK: Dance On My Grave by Aidan Chambers

2008-06-30T22:14:00.000+02:00

Title: Dance On My Grave (Je Moet Dansen Op Mijn Graf)
Author: Aidan Chambers
Genre: Teenromance
Publisher: Querido
Pages: Paperback 238
Language: English. Read in Dutch.
Rating: 8/10
Summary: During the summer of his 16th birthday, Henry (Hal) takes out a friend's boat for a day's sailing. He gets into difficulties and is rescued by 18 year old Barry Gorman. Their ensuing relationship brings Hal the intense emotions of his first teenage love.

"Promise me..."
The first page of the book has a newspaper clipping about the title and gives away what happened to Barry, although in true 'objective' fashion, it doesn't tell the whole heartbreaking story.
But after that introduction, Hal is the one giving us the true events and he doesn't hold back (apart from the more intimate events in his life;). I had to get used to the style, not only because it is clearly a book aimed at teens, but mostly because it's quite direct and open.
It's a very honest story, especially since on occasion Hal corrects himself en retells the same part from a more emotional point of view, without trying to make himself look more sophisticated or grown up. And he's also not afraid of letting us see the not so pretty sides of himself and his boyfriend.
Much more than teendrama, this is a bitter but beautiful coming of age story. I highly recommend it. I am going to buy the original as soon as possible and am curious about other books by Aidan Chambers.