BOOK: Dolfje Weerwolfje - Paul van Loon

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.