Connie ROOTs again in 2025 - part 1

Hello all my co-ROOTers.

I'm known to most of you but here is a small introduction.

I'm Connie, 72 years old and I live in Roermond a small town in The Netherlands.

I'm a retired secretary at a college and was looking forward to a nice retirement with my husband, Peter. Sadly enough he has been living in a care-centrum for about 2,5 year due to a fall and a surgery that did not go well. But he has adjusted to living there and is doing better mentally about living there.

We have a son, Jeroen (42) who lives with his partner Rianne (37) and their daughter Lonne (7) in Roermond, near my home.
And a daughter, Eveline who (39) lives with her partner, Cyrille (41) and their daughters Fiene (8) and Marie (5) in Maastricht

I'm a very proud grandmother and have lots of children's books. All my girls love books and reading.

I have read books for as long as I can remember and bought a lot of books too. So there is enough ROOTing to be done.

My current to be read pile includes books and E-books. As of today there are 757 ROOT-possibilities and 4 books on the go.

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As usual some pictures of my family.

Here are the girls



Marie, Lonne and Fiene. You see part of my livingroom too.

Marie just a few days ago on the 27th of last December

They were visiting 'The Efteling' a park with all kinds of fast rides and fairy tales.

Fiene and Eveline, my daughter. This was on December 7th while celebrating Sinterklaas with gifts and a nice dinner. Again in my house with a glimpse of the kitchen.

This is Lonne with tortilla wraps made by her and her mother Rianne for last Christmas diner at their own home

For my RL Book-club I will read books for the challenges we set for 2025
I will keep a list of them here.

Totaal: 39

01. 25
01. 3x Agnes - Peter van Straaten

02. Ampersand
01. Legendes & lattes - Travis Baldree
02. De laatste steen - M.J. Arlidge & Steph Broadribb
03. Duizend & ik - Yorick Goldewijk

03. Award-winners
01. Blackout - Connie Willis

04. Library
01. De kat die een bibliotheek ging redden - Sosuke Natsukawa
02. De verborgen bibliotheek van Warschau - Madeline Martin
03. The Library of Lost and Found - Phaedra Patrick

05. Biography
01. Beladen huis - Christien Brinkgreve

06. Brrr (cold)
01. Moon of the Crusted Snow - Waubgeshig Rice
02. Ice - Sarah Beth Durst

07. Creative/Art
01. Aarde - John Boyne

08. Family member
01. De tweede dochter - Jodi Picoult
02. Mijn eigen kind - Jacquelyn Mitchard

09. Flora
01. Raven's Shadow - Patricia Briggs
02. Moon of the Turning Leaves - Waubgeshig Rice

10. Forumless writer
01. Someone you can build a nest in - John Wiswell

11. Illustrated
01. Moeder Doorn - Juliet Marillier
02. Matabia of een lange donkere nacht - Marion Bloem
03. Between - L.L. Starling

12. Vegetables or Fruit
01. Sinaasappels zijn niet de enige vruchten - Jeanette Winterson

13. Short title
01. Vuur - John Boyne
02. Breathe - Sarah Crossan

14. Map.
01. De nomade - Anya Niewierra

15. Punctuation marks

16. Multiple from 2015

17. Monochrome
01. All Clear - Connie Willis

18. Older person
01. De bewaarder van gevonden voorwerpen - Ruth Hogan

19. Writer and title same letter
01. Het eiland van Anna - Eva Vriend

20. Quick death
01. Misleid - Harlan Coben

21. Brand new
01. Het verkeerde kind - M.J. Arlidge & Julia Crouch
02. The Corn Bride - Mark Stay
03. Als scheuren in de aarde - Clare Leslie Hall

22. Tea
01. Boeken, thee & troost - Hika Harada

23. Filmed
01. De jongen zonder gisteren - Jur Deitmers
02. Wij - David Nicholls
03. Drink, Slay, Love - Sarah Beth Durst

24. Quadruped
01. Gezinsverpakking - De Chabotten
02. Liften naar de hemel - Lex Paleaux

25 Pun in title
01. Guns Will Keep Us Together - Leslie Langtry

I will count a book or E-book as a ROOT if it has been on my shelves for more then 4 months.

01. Moeder Doorn - Juliet Marillier -
02. Moon of the Crusted Snow - Waubgeshig Rice -
03. Gezinsverpakking - De Chabotten -
04. Blackout - Connie Willis -
05. All Clear - Connie Willis -
06. De nomade - Anya Niewierra -
07. Het eiland van Anna - Eva Vriend -
08. Aarde - John Boyne -
09. De laatste steen - M.J. Arlidge & Steph Broadribb -
10. Duizend & ik - Yorick Goldewijk -
11. De verborgen bibliotheek van Warschau - Madeline Martin -
12. Someone you can build a nest in - John Wiswell -
13. Sinaasappels zijn niet de enige vruchten - Jeanette Winterson -
14. Er stromen rivieren in de lucht - Elif Shafak -
15. De tweede dochter - Jodi Picoult -
16. De dagen die komen - Melissa Da Costa -
17. Schaduwen van de tijd - Santa Montefiore -
18. The Library of Lost and Found - Phaedra Patrick -
19. Mijn eigen kind - Jacquelyn Mitchard -
20. De bewaarder van gevonden voorwerpen - Ruth Hogan -
21. Guns Will Keep Us Together - Leslie Langtry -
22. Stand By Your Hitman - Leslie Langtry -
23. I Shot You Babe - Leslie Langtry -
24. Wij - David Nicholls -
25. The Lost - Sarah Beth Durst -
26. Between - L.L. Starling -
27. Conjured - Sarah Beth Durst -

Books read in 2025

January, Februari, March

01. Legendes & Lattes - Travis Baldree - E-book - Forumchallenge # 1 - OB # 1 -
02. Moeder Doorn - Juliet Marillier - Book - ROOT # 1 - Forumchallenge # 2 -
03. Raven's Shadow - Patricia Briggs - E-book - Forumchallenge # 3 -
04. Moon of the Crusted Snow - Waubgeshig Rice - E-book - ROOT # 2 - Forumchallenge # 4 -
05. Gezinsverpakking - De Chabotten - Book - ROOT # 3 - Forumchallenge # 5 -
06. Ice - Sarah Beth Durst - E-book - Forumchallenge # 6 -
07. Moon of the Turning Leaves - Waubgeshig Rice - E-book - Forumchallenge # 7 -
08. Blackout - Connie Willis - E-book - ROOT # 4 - Forumchallenge # 8 - BFB # 1 -
09. All Clear - Connie Willis - E-book - ROOT # 5 - Forumchallenge # 9 - BFB # 2 -
10. Het verkeerde kind - M.J. Arlidge & Julia Crouch - Forumchallenge # 10 -
11. De nomade - Anya Niewierra - Book - ROOT # 6 - Forumchallenge # 11 -
12. De kat die een bibliotheek ging redden - Sosuke Natsukawa - Book - Forumchallenge # 12 -
13. Het eiland van Anna - Eva Vriend - Book - ROOT # 7 - Forumchallenge # 13 -
14. Matabia of een lange donkere nacht - Marion Bloem - Book - Forumchallenge # 14 -
15. Aarde - John Boyne - Book - ROOT # 8 - Forumchallenge # 15 -
16. Liften naar de hemel - Lex Paleaux - Book - Forumchallenge # 16 -
17. Practical Potions and Premeditated Murder - Wren Jones - E-book - Foreign Fantasy # 1 -
18. De laatste steen - M.J. Arlidge & Steph Broadribb - Book - ROOT # 9 - Forumchallenge # 17 -
19. Misleid - Harlan Coben - Book - Forumchallenge # 18 -

Books read in 2025

April, May, June

20. Duizend & ik - Yorick Goldewijk - Book - ROOT # 10 - Forumchallenge # 19 -
21. Beladen huis - Christien Brinkgreve - Book - Forumchallenge # 20 -
22. Boeken, thee & troost - Hika Harada - Book - Forumchallenge # 21 -
23. De verborgen bibliotheek van Warschau - Madeline Martine - E-Book - OOT # 11 - Forumchallenge # 22 -
24. Someone you can build a nest in - John Wiswell - Book - ROOT # 12 - Forumchallenge # 23 -
25. Vuur - John Boyne - Book - Forumchallenge # 24 -
26. De jongen zonder gisteren - Jur Deitmers - book - Forumchallenge # 25 -
27. Sinaasappels zijn niet de enige vruchten - Jeanette Winterson - E-book - ROOT # 13 - Forumchallenge # 26 -
28. The Corn Bride - Mark Stay - Book - Forumchallenge # 27 -
29. Als scheuren in de aarde - Clare Leslie Hall - Book - Forumchallenge # 28 -
30. The Amber Owl - Juliet Marillier - E-book - Foreign Fantasy # 2 -
31. Er stromen rivieren in de lucht - Elif Shafak - Book - ROOT # 14 -
32. De tweede dochter - Jodi Picoult - Book - ROOT # 15 - Forumchallenge # 29 -
33. De dagen die komen - Melissa Da Costa - Book - ROOT # 16 -
34. Schaduwen van de tijd - Santa Montefiore - Book - ROOT # 17 -
35. De verhalenverzamelaar - Evie Woods - E-book - OB # 2 -
36. The Library of Lost and Found - Phaedra Patrick - E-book - ROOT # 18 - Forumchallenge # 30 -
37. Mijn eigen kind - Jacquelyn Mitchard - Book - ROOT # 19 - Forumchallenge # 31 -
38. De bewaarder van gevonden voorwerpen - Ruth Hogan - E-book - ROOT # 20 - Forumchallenge # 32 -
39. Geheimen van de zee - Santa Montefiore - Book -
40. Guns Will Keep Us Together - Leslie Langtry - E-book - ROOT # 21 - Forumchallenge # 33 -
41. Stand By Your Hitman - Leslie Langtry - E-book - ROOT # 22 -
42. I Shot You Babe - Leslie Langtry - E-book - ROOT # 23 -
43. The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society - C.M. Waggoner - E-book -
44. Wij - David Nicholls - E-book - ROOT # 24 - Forumchallenge # 34 -
45. Je bent prachtig - Ann Napolitano - E-book -
46. The Lost - Sarah Beth Durst - E-book - ROOT # 25 -
47. Between - L.L. Starling - E-book - ROOT # 26 - Forumchallenge # 35 - Foreign Fantasy # 3 - BFB # 3 -
48. Into the Wild - Sarah Beth Durst - E-Book -
49. De erfgenamen - A.C. Porter - E-book -
50. Drink, Slay, Love - Sarah Beth Durst - E-book - Forumchallenge # 36 -
51. Enchanted Ivy - Sarah Beth Durst - E-book -
52. Conjured - Sarah Beth Durst - E-book - ROOT # 27 -
53. The Lies Among Us - Sarah Beth Durst - E-book -
54. The Year of What If - Phaedra Patrick - E-book -
55. Spy Ring - Sarah Beth Durst - E-book -
56. Catalyst - Sarah Beth Durst - E-book - ROOT # 28 -

Books read in 2025

July, August, September

57. 3x Agnes - Peter van Straaten - E-book - Forumchallenge # 37 -
58. The End of Dragons - Mark Stay - Book - ROOT # 29 -
59. Breathe - Sarah Crossan - E-book - Forumchallenge # 38 -
60. Resist - Sarah Crossan - E-book -
61. Where the Heart Should Be - Sarah Crossan - E-book -
62. Het heksenboek van Ellie Briar - A.G. Slatter - Book - ROOT # 30 -

Books read in 2025

Oktober, November, December

Books bought in 2025

01. De val van Tammy Davidson - Lex Passchier
02. Het heksenboek van Ellie Briar - Angela Slatter
03. Meester spion - Tjerk Noordraven
04. Het verkeerde kind - M.J. Arlidge & Julia Crouch
05. Onyx Storm - Rebecca Yarros
06. We moeten je iets vertellen - Marlies Slegers
07. De kat die een bibliotheek ging redden - Sosuke Natsukawa
08. Beladen huis - Christien Brinkgreve
09. De krater - Gerwin van der Werf
10. Liften naar de hemel - Lex Paleaux
11. Dwaalspoor - Robert Bryndza
12. Misleid - Harlan Coben
13. Geheimen van de zee - Santa Montefiore
14. Als scheuren in de aarde - Clare Leslie Hall
15. Boeken, thee & troost - Hika Harada
16. Vuur - John Boyne
17. The Corn Bride - Mark Stay
18. Nachtgoud - Karen Swan
19. De verhalenverzamelaar - Evie Woods
20. Stormgloed - Karen Swan
21. The book that held her heart - Mark Lawrence
22. Het kind in de golven - Michel Bussi
23. A Language of Dragons - S. F. Williamson
24. The Sunlit Man - Brandon Sanderson
25. Honderd dagen - Emelie Schepp
26. Jij zal briljant zijn - Jennifer E. Smith

Cursief is gelezen

BFB's in 2025. I hope to read 8 books with more than 500 pages!

01. Blackout - Connie Willis - 511 pages -
02. All Clear - Connie Willis - 646 pages -
03. Between - L.L. Starling - 734 pages -

BookBullets

01. The Wizard's Butler - Nathan Lowell - Found

On the right back to front: Eveline, Jeroen and Rianne
On the end Fiene
On the left back to front: Me, Lonne and Marie



Same but with Cyrille in front taking the picture.

Welcome to all visitors

I sincerely wish you a happy, healthy and fulfilling new year. May all your wishes come true. Happy reading 2025.



These are such wonderful family photos. Thank you so much for sharing them with us.
I will of course also follow you in 2025.

Hi Barbara. How nice to see you a my first visitor. I wish a very good year for you and Thomas and the whole family. May it be light, peaceful and wonderful.

Ontaarde moeders by Renate Dorrestein - Did Not Finish

First ROOT for the year will be an original Dutch book

The title translates into 'Degenerate mothers'.

The blurb NOT my review

Thirty-seven years ago, Meijken was last outside, as a bride. After that, it never happened again, until she receives a visit from her brother-in-law Zwier and his daughter Mary Emma. Four generations of mothers and daughters are locked up together in a secret whose key seems to be lost. But Zwier's unexpected arrival makes Meijken suddenly have enough of being an obedient daughter. Then she has to conclude that even Mother Earth is not able to offer her daughters safety or protection.

I stopped reading this book because I did not like it at all.

Happy New Year, Connie! Nice to get reacquainted with you and your growing family, they're beautiful! I'm so sorry to read of your husband's situation.
Good luck with your challenge this year!

>18 Carmenere: Thank you!

Happy New Year, Connie, and good luck with your 2025 reading goals!

Also reading

"

Legendes & Lattes by Travis Baldree - Forumchallenge # 1 - OB # 1

Dutch translation

The blurb NOT my review

>After a lifetime of bounties and bloodshed, Viv is hanging up her sword for the last time. The battle-weary orc aims to start fresh, opening the first ever coffee shop in the city of Thune. But rivals old and new stand in the way of success. Not to mention the fact that no one has the faintest idea of what coffee even is. If Viv wants to put the blade behind her and make her plans a reality, she won't be able to go it alone. But the true rewards of the uncharted path are the travelers you meet along the way. And whether drawn together by ancient magic, a flaky pastry, or a freshly brewed cup, they may become partners, family, and something deeper than she ever could have dreamed.

and



Raven's Shadow by Patricia Briggs - Forumchallenge # 3

Original English version

The blurb NOT my review

Seraph is a Raven mage, and among the last of the Travelers who ensure that the city of Colossae is safe from evil. Unwelcome by those who fear magic, the wizard clans have been decimated by the very people they've sworn to protect. But Seraph is spared a similar fate by the ex-soldier Tier--and together they build a life where she is no longer burdened by her people's responsibility. But now Tier is missing--or dead--and Seraph's reprieve from her duty is over. Using her magic to discover her husband's fate, Seraph realizes the prison that holds the evil entity known as Stalker is weakening--and only Seraph can fulfill her ancestors' oath...

What a lovely family. I'm sorry about your new living arrangements and I hope both you and your husband adjust quickly. All the best in 2025 !

I come here for the books and stay for the photos!...or maybe vice-versa :) Beautiful family -- happy 2025 to you all.

Thanks, MJ and Cécile. Nice words and compliments

>22 Cecilturtle: Peet has lived in the care centre for about 2,5 year now and we found a way to live with that given. We can't change and have to accept what we can't change.

(maybe I should alter some of my first post. )

Happy new year, Connie! I always love seeing your beautiful family.

I've got Legends and Lattes on the pile for this month too.

Happy new year, Connie! What a beautiful family you have!

Glad you have returned! Happy 2025 reading.

Best wishes for a great 2025 Connie!

Thank you all for those lovely words.

Beautiful family! Good luck this year!

Thank you.

Finished my first book for the year

Legendes & Lattes by Travis Baldree - E-book - Forumchallende # 1 - OB # 1 -

My review

Funny story full of creatures, such as orcs and gnomes, dwarves and other fantasy figures, in addition to ordinary people.
Viv used to have her own gang but she wants to improve her life. As a final act in her criminal career, she kills a creature from which she extracts a stone that is supposed to have the power to attract prosperity and good people. With this stone she goes in search of a place to realize her dream, a coffee house. She finds an old horse stable that she buys and starts renovating. More and more creatures join her.
Tandri, a female succubus becomes her assistant and often comes up with good ideas. Cal, a gnome, who is very good at building things and woodworking and Timble, a ratkin (no idea what that is), with an unexpected talent for baking pastries.
Gradually she gets more and more regular customers and her fame in the city grows further.
However, she also has a big enemy from her past and he threatens to throw a spanner in the works.

Funny and well written. Not really very sophisticated, but very easy to read and I enjoyed it very much.

Congrats on finishing your first book. 😃

Happy New Year, Connie, I wish you a wonderful 2025! Thank you for sharing the lovely pictures of your family.

Happy New Year. Already rooting!

>17 connie53: I did DNF the book in this post after 35 pages. It was awful and I did not like it at all. I'm not going to spend precious reading time on it, even it is for a challenge.

Hi Connie, and Happy New Year.

I love the photos of your family, and look forward to trying to keep up with threads this year.

Congrats on your first ROOT.

Thank you, Karen. I did not finish my first ROOT but stopped reading because is was awful and I want to read books that I like or even love, and not because I 'have' to.



But I started one today. Moeder Doorn by Juliet Marillier - ROOT # 1 - Forumchallenge # 2 - 4 short stories based on fairy tales.

The blurb NOT my review

Walk into a fairy tale world that's not quite what you might expect.
Lara's life of lonely drudgery changes when she gains an unlikely friend and learns that acts of kindness can bring their own rewards.
High-born Niamh knows the kennel boy is her soulmate, but when she seeks help from the Otherworld, her future takes a surprising turn.
Bella runs away from home on a stormy night and finds shelter in a strange old house, where she meets a shy kitchen hand, his autocratic mother, and a mouse.
Young soldier Katrin makes her weary way homeward after a terrible defeat. A chance encounter with an old woman plunges Katrin into an adventure involving dogs, treasure and a lost tinder box.
These four tales celebrate courage and kindness. They are about being to true to yourself and recognising the good in others.

Happy new year, Connie! Such lovely photos of your family :) Glad to see you liked Legends and Lattes -- it's a fun read!

It’s so lovely to see the girls growing up, Connie. Thanks for sharing!

You're welcome, Birgit.

Finished Moeder Doorn by Juliet Marillier - ROOT # 1 - Forumchallenge # 2 -

My review.

Nice little book with 4 retellings of fairy tales. In all 4 stories a woman/girl plays the leading role. Not spectacular but pleasant to read.

Wonderful family photos, Connie! Thanks for sharing them. Good luck with your ROOTing!

Thanks, Meg.

Finished Raven's Shadow by Patricia Briggs - Forumchallenge # 3 -

My review

Seraph is a Raven witch and one of the last Travelers. When her brother is burned at the stake, she too will suffer the same fate. But there is Tier, a former soldier, who saves her by telling her that he is married to her. They leave together and actually get married. 20 years later they have 2 sons, Jes and Lehr and 1 daughter, Rinnie. All 3 children are now young adults and have also been given a kind of magic. When Tier does not return from his journey one day, they go looking for him. However, Tier has been captured by a group and is now in a cell at the head of the emperor Phoran. Tier also has a magical talent, he is a bard who can influence people with his voice.
Phoran is known at court as a usually drunken good-for-nothing. But Phoran wants more. When he meets Tier, a friendship develops and Tier helps him to become the emperor he would like to be. The wizards who rule the country on his behalf take this very badly. Because that group has developed a lucrative way to profit the most from it themselves.
I thought it was a nice story and will definitely read part 2 soon. English is usually a bit more difficult for me to understand in fantasy. But that should not be a reason not to do it.

Moon of the crusted snow - Waubgeshig Rice (Canadian/Indian - writer) - ROOT # 2 - Forumchallenge # 4


With winter looming, a small northern Anishinaabe community goes dark. Cut off, people become passive and confused. Panic builds as the food supply dwindles. While the band council and a pocket of community members struggle to maintain order, an unexpected visitor arrives, escaping the crumbling society to the south. Soon after, others follow.


The community leadership loses its grip on power as the visitors manipulate the tired and hungry to take control of the reserve. Tensions rise and, as the months pass, so does the death toll due to sickness and despair. Frustrated by the building chaos, a group of young friends and their families turn to the land and Anishinaabe tradition in hopes of helping their community thrive again. Guided through the chaos by an unlikely leader named Evan Whitesky, they endeavor to restore order while grappling with a grave decision.

lovely photos, and wow, your challenges are so thought out, so detailed. Enjoy and Happy Rooting

Thank you for sharing your lovely family photos with us. I hope you have a great reading year!

Thank you, Rebecca.

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>44 connie53: Finished this book today and I loved it. ROOT # 2 - Forumchallenge # 4 -

My review
This is a very good story, very impressive and educational. Evan and Nicole are young First Nations Canadians who live in the far north of Canada. They were driven there in the past by the white Canadians. They live in a small village with their tribesmen and have known each other since they were little. They now have two children and they have a good life. Evan hunts and fishes, just like everyone else. And they take care of each other, their parents and their friends. One day at the beginning of winter, the power goes out and that causes problems. The village council organizes all kinds of things for the residents. And when it takes longer and heating also becomes a problem and there is no more supply for the store, they have to ration the remaining food. Two of the young men who are studying outside the village in a larger city eventually return home and tell that the rest of the country apparently has the same problems with electricity and such. There is also chaos in that city and terrible things happen. Then a strange man comes to their village who seems nice and wants to help, but Evan and his friends Tyler and Isaiah don't trust him, and rightly so. I was very impressed by it because it is a story that could easily happen here in Europe with the Poetin situation. I still have to look for part 2 and I really hope to find it soon. Because I want to know how it ends.

I found your thread and got it starred. Happy New Year! And good reading in 2025.

Thank you, Benita. I starred yours too.

Gezinsverpakking - De Chabotten - ROOT # 3 - Forumchallenge # 5

The blurb NOT my review

The Chabotten – four brothers, two parents and a dog. One family, seven voices. For this Book Week gift, all seven of them provided a story about their family existence. The voices of the Chabotten contrast, merge, admire, sigh, sing and bark. And sometimes fall silent.

The family Chabot are well known in The Netherlands, father Bart is a poet and writer, mother Yolanda is a GP. Son Sebastiaan is a writer, Splinter is a writer, anchorman and political scientist, Maurits is a historian and journalist and Storm is a furniture designer. I don't know what the dog, Bril (glasses) does.

>50 connie53: Finished this book and it gets

My review

Nice book about and by the Chabot family. Each of the family members has written a chapter, even the dog Bril. Mother Yolanda knits the chapters together with small pieces of text. I enjoyed reading it. The family is very attached to each other and live in their messy house, quite closed off from the outside world. When they are outside, they are almost all the center of attention, so this may have been formed as a kind of counterpart.
Everything revolves around the reversal of life. First the parents take care of their children and now the sons have to take care of their aging parents and Bril, the dog of the house, who is also deteriorating.

Starting in Magical Midlife Meeting by K.F. Breene - ROOT # 4

The blurb NOT my review

It's time for a magical battle Jessie isn't sure she's prepared for. Elliot Graves has been a thorn in Jessie's side since before she agreed to take the house magic. He has constantly brought the fight to her doorstep.Not this time. With the help of Austin's shifters, the Ivy house crew will meet Elliot Graves in one of the most dangerous places imaginable - his home turf. But not before another creature joins the circle.

Een handvol sneeuw - Jenny Erpenbeck

De blurb NOT my review

Consists essentially of five "books," each of which leads to a different death for an unnamed woman protagonist. How could it all have gone differently? the narrator asks in the intermezzos between. The first chapter begins with the death of a baby in the early twentieth-century Hapsburg Empire. In the next chapter, the same girl grows up in Vienna, but her strange relationship with a boy leads to another death. In the next scenario, she survives adolescence and moves to Russia with her husband. Both are dedicated Communists, but our heroine is sent to a labor camp. She is spared in the next chapter with the help of someone's intervention and returns to Berlin to become a respected writer.

I decided to DNF this book. I think it's horrible. Not the story as such but the way this is executed. There is a daughter, a mother, a grandmother and a great grandmother. But because the woman who tells a particular part of the story changes, the rolls change too. And I really don't know who is who.

One of my new years resolutions was, to stop reading and DNF a book when I don't like or understand the story.

A sensible thing to do...

>37 connie53: "I did not finish my first ROOT but stopped reading because is was awful and I want to read books that I like or even love, and not because I 'have' to."

I so much agree. About age 53 I realized I've hit the halfway point (or passed it!). I'm a lot more free about DNF with only 30-40 years left! 🤣

Beautiful family.

>54 connie53:, >55 mstrust:, >56 ritacate: I'm exercising DNF muscles too. That said, I hope I enjoy Erpenbeck's Visitation :0

>54 connie53: I started DNF-ing books last year. I had always been able to finish a book to be certain I understood all the good/badpoints. I worry this is part of my brain change- but I, suddenly, do not understand why I should read a book that is beyond enjoyment. Since, I have lost the ability to enjoy books in quite the same manner that used to be normal - I've decided to focus more on the enjoyment part, as it is clearly, more difficult to achieve now.

>54 connie53: Good decision, Connie. If it isn’t working for you, you shouldn’t spend precious time on it.

>55 mstrust:. Love that picture. Al tough I cloud not trow it away since it was an E-book.

>56 ritacate:. Thank you, ritacate

>57 detailmuse:. I hope your exercising will help in getting better at DNFing.

>58 EGBERTINA:. I think it comes with age and the wisdom of life, Egbertina and has nothing to do with your brain. There is not that much time left and I want to spend that reading fun or entertaining books.

>59 MissWatson:. Thank you, Birgit.

De Nomade by Anya Niewierra - ROOT # 6

Original Dutch

The blurb NOT my review

The 37-year-old documentary maker Olga Liebke lives with her eccentric father in the Harz Mountains. Olga has a close bond with the man who is now suffering from dementia. Her mother died in childbirth and she has no other family. At least, that is the story.

But then her father tells memories that do not rhyme with the history as she knows it. She begins to doubt her background and discovers documents from the former Soviet Union.

Olga travels to the triangle of Poland, Lithuania and Belarus and stumbles upon a terrifying secret.

>61 connie53: this sounds fascinating.

It is. I hope it will be translated sometime soon. But I have heard that mentioned in The Netherlands. So just wait and see

I have 5 books by her.

De Camino
De Nomade
Het dossier
Vrij uitzicht
Het bloemenmeisje

Almost all 4star books

Here we go



In my bedroom there is a kind of walking-closet with cupboards. Above the hanging clothes is space for books (in my mind anyway)

Here the rows start with read thrillers and novels in alphabetical order









And in the tall cupboard we go on



Then there are two spare bedrooms that with 2 x 2 Ikea cupboards

On with read thrillers and novels





The unread books begin on the right side on one of the lower shelves.

Here the read Fantasy books begin on top



Then downstairs in the living room we go on with read Fantasy











In the dining area



Unread fantasy start on the lower third shelve on the right

And then there are the children books

in one of the spare bedrooms



And in the dining area



And that's it.

Wow! Thanks for inviting us into your home, Connie.

You're welcome. There will be coffee and tea and juice.

I love your bookshelves and closet bookshelves!

Thanks Jennifer.

Wonderful! Thank you for sharing with us. I love seeing the variety of how we organize, how we approach reading, the different books we all learn towards.
Ingenuous closet space in your bedroom.

Thanks, ritacate.

Wow Connie, please can you come and help me sort out my shelves too?!

Interesting discussion about DNFing. I've started doing that (still rarely, but occasionally) in the last few years and it is very freeing. This year I have even contemplated giving away books which I haven't even started, but know that I'm unlikely to read with my tastes changing with age. This is a huge step for me! (mind you, knowing me I'll probably only get rid of about 5 books even if I do try to cut down!)

I did give a way a box of books to the thrift store recently. Writers I'm not interested in anymore read and unread. My son took them with him when he planned on going there. Once they were in the cardboard box I forgot them.
No regret at all.

I would gladly help you, Jackie, if only I was 20 years younger.

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



Started in Ice by Sarah Beth Durst - Forumchallenge # 6

The blurb NOT my review

When Cassie was little she thought her mother had been taken prisoner by trolls because of a deal she'd made with the Polar Bear King. Just a fairy tale to soothe a child whose mother had died. But on her eighteenth birthday, the "fairy tale" comes true when the Polar Bear King comes to take Cassie for his bride. Realizing she has the power to save her mother, Cassie makes her own deal with the bear and finds herself on a journey against time, traveling across the brutal Arctic to the land east of the sun and west of the moon. It is a journey that will teach Cassie the true meaning of love and family--and what it means to become an adult.

>64 connie53: I'm really jealous of your walk-in closets - how neat and elegant!
For many years now, I've given away most of the books I've read. It makes room for new! There are only a few favourites that remain. Sometimes a tough choice, but I've never regretted a book I gave away.

Connie, beautiful bookshelves! The first picture reminds me of rolling shelves which I've thought seem fabulous.

>73 Cecilturtle: My usual practice, too -- favorites, books I'm likely to re-read, reference books and some beautiful books.

I’m sorry the Erpenbeck didn’t work out for you and I hope you’re enjoying your current read more.

Your bookshelves are truly impressive, and very nicely organised. We have had to resort to double shelving in places and it’s nowhere near as pleasing to look at.

Thanks, Rebecca. For your compliments. I did find a book that I really enjoyed and finished it.

Ice by Sarah Beth Durst - Forumchallenge # 6 -

My review

I have become a big fan of Sarah Beth Durst in a short time. I think her writing is really beautiful.
This story is a retelling of the fairy tale 'To the land east of the sun and west of the moon'. I don't know that fairy tale so I can only say something about this version of it.
Cassie is a young woman who lives with her father and a number of technicians and researchers at a center on the North Pole. They are also concerned with the polar bears that live there and try to give them a tracking tag. Cassie knows a lot about how ice and snow can behave. Her mother died much earlier. At least that is the story she was told. However, her grandmother tells her a different story, namely that her mother made a deal with the trolls who live in 'the land east of the sun and west of the moon'. Her grandmother does not tell her exactly what that deal is.
On one of her trips Cassie encounters a very large polar bear and one who turns out to be able to talk. Bear tells her that her mother can come back if a deal is made with the trolls. Bear and Cassie spend a lot of time together and one day she leaves to go and live with him. He also turns out to be able to take on a human form and they get kind of married Polar bear style.
Bear sets out to find her mother, but the deal he makes doesn't work out well for Bear and Cassie is determined to find her way to the land east of the sun and west of the moon to get Bear back. That will be a tough and dangerous journey.
Beautiful book and a beautiful story.

Because the first book was an impressive and beautiful story so I decided to read this second book in the series.

Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice

For the past twelve years, a community of Anishinaabe people have made the Northern Ontario bush their home in the wake of the power failure that brought about societal collapse. Since then they have survived and thrived the way their ancestors once did, but their natural food resources are dwindling, and the time has come to find a new home.

Evan Whitesky volunteers to lead a mission south to explore the possibility of moving back to their original homeland, the "land where the birch trees grow by the big water" in the Great Lakes region. Accompanied by five others, including his daughter Nangohns, an expert archer, Evan begins a journey that will take him to where the Anishinaabe were once settled, near the devastated city of Gibson, a land now being reclaimed by nature.

But it isn't just the wilderness that poses a threat: they encounter other survivors. Those who, like the Anishinaabe, live in harmony with the land, and those who use violence.

>73 Cecilturtle:
I too love the walkin closets. Easy to get into and fit into a small space. I need something like that here in this house.

I also give away books once I have read them. I can't keep every book in this little house, even though I am giving it a good try, so I give them away once I have read them. I do keep a few reference books and poetry anthologies, but most of the books go out when I am done with them.

>76 connie53:
I like Sarah Beth Durst as well. Have you read her Queens of Renthia series? That is one that I have on my TBR list.

No, I did not read them.

>76 connie53: this encourages me to read my version of East of the Sun, West of the Moon.

>81 ritacate:. Nice, I hope you like it.

You are super organised with your bookcases. We have ours all over the house. The only thing that's really organised is the Swiss literature, everything else is everywhere.

Thanks Barb. I love my bookcases and try to keep it as organized. When I read a book it has to go to the right spot. I some times have to shuffle books around to create a spot. But I do enjoy that a lot.

Ohhh my. LT has renewed there book pages. And I don't like it at all.

I noticed it too. It's a bit of a struggle but I'm sure we'll handle it one day.

I hope so, because now I'm totally in shock!

If we find out any good tricks and tips, we can share them with each other. Maybe there is someone in the group who has an affinity for IT.

I did find what I was looking for. So that's one thing solved for me. I thought that wat was before should be somewhere now. So I clicked on everything I use and all other sections. Panic is slowly disappearing. ;-))

What did you look for and where did you find it?

Personages under common knowledge.

I've found this link:
https://blog.librarything.com/2025/01/new-work-page/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR...

I did see that page too.Very small letters, but could be helpful.

It's always a shock when LT changes something – the "add books manually" page looks totally different today. Surprisingly, one does get used to it after some days...

I saw this yesterday, I'm sure I'll get used to it although I don't know if I'll like it better.

Finished Moon of the Turning Leaves by Waubgeshig Rice and the book gets

My review

This sequel to Moon of the Crusted Snow is just as powerful as that book and takes place about 12 years later. Evan and a few others have decided to go south to the Great Lakes between Canada and the US to see if they can settle there. The climate will be better there and they also hope that the conditions will be better in terms of energy and such. In those twelve years they have become accustomed to life after the blackout without electricity and gas. But the winters are long and cold and they long for a place where they can feel at home. With 6 people they travel south on foot: Evan, his daughter Nangohns, his friend Tyler, Cal and Amber and an older man J.C.
It is about 1000 km. walk and on the way they encounter all kinds of situations, both good and bad. I will not tell you too much about that because of spoilers. But this book has made just as much of an impression on me as the frist book.
Nangohns in particular is a strong young woman. She is sharp and often only needs an observation to draw a good conclusion. Beautifully written, not bombastic but with respect for nature and the people who live there. Shed some tears at the end. Actually I want another book like that.

Started in my first BFB for the year, but it covers a lot more categories.

Blackout door Connie Willis - 511 pages - ROOT # 4 - Forumchallenge # 8 - BFB # 1

De blurb

Oxford in 2060 is a chaotic place, with scores of time-traveling historians being sent into the past. Michael Davies is prepping to go to Pearl Harbor. Merope Ward is coping with a bunch of bratty 1940 evacuees and trying to talk her thesis adviser into letting her go to VE-Day. Polly Churchill's next assignment will be as a shopgirl in the middle of London's Blitz. But now the time-travel lab is suddenly canceling assignments and switching around everyone's schedules. And when Michael, Merope, and Polly finally get to World War II, things just get worse. For there they face air raids, blackouts, and dive-bombing Stukas--to say nothing of a growing feeling that not only their assignments but the war and history itself are spiraling out of control. Because suddenly the once-reliable mechanisms of time travel are showing significant glitches, and our heroes are beginning to question their most firmly held belief: that no historian can possibly change the past.

May I ask - What is BFB?

>98 EGBERTINA: Big Fat Books challenge. Books with more than 500 pages. I'm a member of that group too.

>99 connie53: oh. thank u. that used to be so easy. sigh.

Finished the book in >97 connie53: and this book gets

Blackout by Connie Willis

My review

I was very charmed by the book 'Doomsday Book' and wanted to read a book by Connie Willis again. And so I choose this book.
I thought it was a very impressive and exciting book. Three young time travelers come from 2060 to England during WWII. The idea is that they observe the people of that time to see how 'people' reacted to the war that increasingly destroys London and Engeland and tears families apart.

Merope goes to the countryside where she goes to work on an estate that has been opened to evacuated children from London. There her name is Eileen. She has a lot of trouble with a some of those children.

Polly goes to London and has to get a job in one of the big department stores to observe the adults and their reaction. She ends up in a group of people who form a bond over time and spend most nights together in a bomb shelter.
Michael goes to Dover under the name Mike, at least that is the intention, but at the end of the time jump he ends up in a village 30 km away.

It turns out that everything went wrong with the planning of the time travel and that has major consequences for the three young people. They become increasingly involved in the things that happen, make friends and discover that the places from which they could get picked up no longer work.
And there is no rescue team from the future.
Straight on to the sequel.
It was intended as one book but published in two parts.

Started in All Clear by Connie Willis - - ROOT # 5 - Forumchallenge # 9 - BFB # 2

The Blurb NOT my review

In Blackout, award-winning author Connie Willis returned to the time-traveling future of 2060 -- the setting for several of her most celebrated works -- and sent three Oxford historians to World War II England: Michael Davies, intent on observing heroism during the Miracle of Dunkirk; Merope Ward, studying children evacuated from London; and Polly Churchill, posing as a shopgirl in the middle of the Blitz. But when the three become unexpectedly trapped in 1940, they struggle not only to find their way home but to survive as Hitler's bombers attempt to pummel London into submission. Now the situation has grown even more dire. Small discrepancies in the historical record seem to indicate that one or all of them have somehow affected the past, changing the outcome of the war. The belief that the past can be observed but never altered has always been a core belief of time-travel theory -- but suddenly it seems that the theory is horribly, tragically wrong. Meanwhile, in 2060 Oxford, the historians' supervisor, Mr. Dunworthy, and seventeen-year-old Colin Templer, who nurses a powerful crush on Polly, are engaged in a frantic and seemingly impossible struggle of their own -- to find three missing needles in the haystack of history.

Dropping in the say hi, and hope you had a good weekend!

I have been wanting to read Blackout and All Clear as well. I look forward to your assessment of the second book and of the two books together.

>85 connie53: Connie I was taken aback by the changes also.

>94 MissWatson: There is an 'add books manually page'? I have often needed to do this as new New Zealand titles are often slow to be registered, especially from small publishing companies. Where do I find this please?

>106 HelenBaker: Use add books in the top black row. It's just the same as it was. At least that's what I use.

>106 HelenBaker: What Connie said: In the brown menu bar I click the "Add books", and then I need to scroll down a little to "Other options". The inputting fields are a little different now. I haven’t really played around with it to customise the boxes for my inputs.

Finished All Clear by Connie Willis - Forumchallenge # 9 - BFB # 2 - ROOT # 5 -

My review

What a great book this is. It is actually the last half of a very thick book. We are back with Polly, Merope and Michael and also with Colin, who plays an important role in this part. The book is set in 1940, 1941, 1944, 1945, 1995, 2060 and fortunately the main characters can travel through time.

Because the main characters change names I made a list of names they use and their relationships.
I am not going to tell too much about what happens because I do not want to spoiler. It is a very impressive book and the big themes are loyalty, hope, trust, sacrifice and perseverance. All things that we can all use in these uncertain times. Just enjoy it.

Now reading Het verkeerde kind by M.J. Arlidge & Julia Crouch - Forumchallenge # 10

The blurb NOT my review

When 3-month-old Max is abducted, his parents are plunged into their worst nightmare. Devastated mum Sarah only took her eyes off him for a second, but that doesn't stop her guilt. Even husband Jake can't hide his anger that their little boy went missing on her watch. By contrast there are smiles and celebration at a caravan park in Lincolnshire, as baby Blaze is introduced to the Star family. Jenna and Gary are delighted with the new addition to their family. He is their fourth child and a real object of delight to their eldest - fifteen-year-old Willow - who once again will raise the child. But trouble is brewing for the Star family. Willow is concerned by the desperate online appeals from Sarah and Jake, baby Max has neonatal diabetes and without regular treatment will die. As baby "Blaze" becomes seriously ill, Willow makes a shocking discovery. What is the truth about her family? And how far will they go to hide their deadly secret?

>110 connie53: this sounds good! It's not at my libraries yet, but I see it's very new, so it should be coming soon.

>111 ritacate: I love every book by M.J. Arlidge. He wrote lots of books with Helen Grace as detective, but this is a stand-alone.

>112 connie53: I will add Helen Grace to my 'want to read' list. I think I'm falling farther behind by being in this group! 🤣 Everyone is introducing me to so many new authors that aren't on my shelves and BUYING their books to count as a ROOT seems counterproductive! But I am enjoying the reading. 🥰

That's one of the risks you take by joining. 🤣

>109 connie53:
It sounds like I need to get All Clear and BlackOut found. They are both in a moving box somewhere in the car port. Maybe with warmer weather I will find them.

They are certainly worth a search, Benita.

Finished Het verkeerde kind by M.J. Arlidge & Julia Crouch and the books gets - Forumchallenge # 10 -

My review

Great book, exciting and a bit predictable. I miss the real M.J. Arlidge feeling a bit. The cover says that he came up with the plot and that Mrs. Crouch gave the story her own interpretation.
I was especially impressed by Willow, who is such a strong young girl, and her little brothers are also impressive enough for their age.
I don't want to say too much about the story. It was well put together, although I would have liked to see a plot twist.

>63 connie53: On with this book De nomade by Anya Niewierra

And finished the book in >63 connie53: and the book gets

My review

Well written and well documented novel about the area between Lithuania, Belarus and Poland. You get a lot of information about the history of that region, but then in the story of Olga Liebke. She is a documentary maker and goes on a research into her origins and discovers disturbing things and the truth about her family. Just like in her previous books it is clear that Mrs. Niewierra can turn extensive research into an exciting thriller. A must for those who want to know more about the events in that part of the world.

>119 connie53: this sounds really good. I will have to hope it comes out in English!

They are translating some of her books. And they are all excellent reads.

De kat die een bibliotheek ging redden by Sosuke Natsukawa - Forumchallenge # 12

The blurb NOT my review

13-year-old Nanami spends most of her free time in an abandoned library. One day, she notices that her favorite books are gradually disappearing from the shelves. She warns the library staff, but no one takes her seriously. Then she sees a suspicious man in a gray suit between the bookshelves. When a talkative cat comes to her aid, they go on a crazy adventure full of dangerous challenges.

‘A gem of a book if you like reading and books (and cats!).

Started in this book a few days ago

Finished the book in >122 connie53: en this book gets

My review

I had no idea what to expect from this book but it would be about books and a cat. That is reason enough for me to read it.
In fact, it is quite philosophical. It is about greed versus generosity, about only thinking about yourself versus also caring for others.

Nanami is a 13-year-old girl with asthma. Her father raises her very protectively and also somewhat restricts her actions. However, she is allowed to go to a library where she spends many hours. There she meets the cat Tiger, who speaks to her and takes her through a magical corridor where she ends up with a gray man, whom she had seen walking around earlier and who kept taking books illegally.
He does this because he thinks that books have a bad influence on humankind. They only give them romantic ideas about being together and loving and caring. That is why he thinks that humanity should no longer read books. The situation becomes increasingly grim. The gray man grows bigger and changes into a chancellor, a general and a king. The servants in their castles are getting grayer in appearance. But Nanami remains herself and tries to answer the men as best she can and finally she escapes through a sea of ​​flames with the wounded cat in her arms.

Het eiland van Anna by Eva Vriend - ROOT # 7 - Forumchallenge # 13

I started this book in 2024 but because I was reading too many books at the same time I decided to finish the pile book by book.

The blurb NOT my review

Anna Diender was not born there, but she felt connected to it in everything. To Schokland, that magical place in the middle of the austere Flevopolder. For a long time, Schokland was a lively fishing island in the Zuiderzee. It was the home port of Anna's great-grandparents. Until the government decided to evacuate the island in 1859. Later, with the closure and reclamation, it disappeared from the map for good. But this certainly did not mean the end of the Schokland story for Anna and for many thousands of descendants. In Het eiland van Anna, Eva Vriend shows how history can continue to have an effect for generations. Using the ordinary fisherman's daughter as an example, she brings the vanished island to life. She talks about the hardships, the many floods and the dramatic evacuation. About roots, migration and identity. But above all, it is about how everyone is looking for a 'home'. And that can also be, as in Anna's case, an island that has long since ceased to exist.

Finished Het eiland van Anna by Eva Vriend and the book gets

My review

This book describes the history of Schokland and its inhabitants and their descendants, which forms a beautiful historical overview.
Schokland was an island in the Zuiderzee. It had been flooded several times in the past and became smaller over the centuries. The inhabitants were mainly fishermen and their families. Eventually, in 1859, the government decided to remove the islanders and relocate them to various other villages around the Zuiderzee. They received a small compensation and were allowed to break down their houses, take everything with them and rebuild them elsewhere.
The author takes us through all the generations of Anna Dienders' family. What they did and how they held their own through all the adversity and poverty. They were large families where many of the children died before they were adults. The fishermen often died in shipwrecks, which caused their families to sink even further into poverty. Anna died in 1988.

Started in this book yesterday

Practical Potions and Premeditated Murder by Wren Jones

The blurb NOT my review

Sella is tired of being a failure.

She has a lovely, cozy shop—an heirloom from her mother—, a snarky feline familiar, and one, single friend to call her own. It should be enough. But Sella's magical abilities left a stain on her hometown, and even years away didn't repair her reputation. The life of a kitchen witch is rough when everyone thinks Sella's magical blends of coffee and tea will leave them with boils instead of the intended “motivation” or “self-compassion.”

But when a murder shakes the town and Sella's best friend becomes suspect one, failure is a luxury they can't afford. Luckily, the murdered woman—a confident ghost with a fiery determination for justice—is ready to help… and she's more than Sella ever bargained for. With her friends, her familiar, and a bit of magic, Sella is ready to prove herself once and for all.

Although, perhaps she should brew a strong cup of “courage” first.

Just in case.

>125 connie53: This sounds interesting.

Now reading

Matabia of een lange donkere nacht by Marion Bloem - Forumchallenge # 14

The blurb NOT my review

It wasn't a shell or a pebble. It was just like a chewed candy. A matabia, Werner said. If you have that with you, you don't have to be afraid. Nothing will happen to you. This is the story of the Indian girl Sylvia who lives in the Netherlands. During the long, exciting evening when she is home alone with her brother and sister, she thinks about the country her parents come from. And about all the ghosts and spirits that go with it!

And finished today too. It only a little book for children with lots of illustrations. Forumchallenge # 14 -

My review

Sylvia, about 7 years old, has to babysit her sister and baby brother for the first time when her parents go out for the evening. And Sylvia takes that very seriously, but she is especially afraid that evil men will come. She hears every sound the house makes and sees things moving that aren't there. Then she thinks of a shell she got from a friend she once had. Werner gave it to her and said it would protect her from all evil things.

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



Someone you can build a nest in by John Wiswell - Forumchallenge # 15

The blurb NOT my review

Shesheshen is a shapeshifter, who happily resides as an amorphous lump at the bottom of a ruined manor. When her rest is interrupted by hunters intent on murdering her, she constructs a body using a metal chain for a backbone, borrowed bones for limbs, and a bear trap as an extra mouth. However, the hunters chase Shesheshen out of her home and off a cliff. Badly hurt, she's found and nursed back to health by Homily, a warmhearted human, who has mistaken Shesheshen as a fellow human. Homily is kind and nurturing and would make an excellent coparent: an ideal place to lay Shesheshen's eggs so their young could devour Homily from the inside out. But as they grow close, she realizes humans don't think about love that way. Shesheshen hates keeping her identity secret from Homily, but just as she's about to confess, Homily reveals why she's in the area: she's hunting a shapeshifting monster that supposedly cursed her family. Shesheshen didn't curse anyone, but to give herself and Homily a chance at happiness, she has to figure out why Homily's twisted family thinks she did. As the hunt for the monster becomes increasingly deadly, Shesheshen must unearth the truth quickly, or soon both of their lives will be at risk. And the bigger challenge remains: surviving her toxic in-laws long enough to learn to build a life with, rather than in, the love of her life.

You have so many books and I love it!

>130 handshakes: Thanks, I love them too.

Aarde by John Boyne - Book - ROOT # 8 - Forumchallenge

The blurb NOT my review

It's the tabloid sensation of the year: two well-known footballers standing in the dock, charged with sexual assault, a series of vile text messages pointing towards their guilt. As the trial unfolds, Evan Keogh reflects on the events that have led him to this moment. Since leaving his island home, his life has been a lie on many levels. He's a talented footballer who wanted to be an artist. A gay man in a sport that rejects diversity. A defendant whose knowledge of what took place on that fateful night threatens more than just his freedom or career. The jury will deliver a verdict but, before they do, Evan must judge for himself whether the man he has become is the man he wanted to be.

Finished Aarde by John Boyne and the book gets

My review

I've been thinking about this book for a while now. And I think 'disturbing' is the right word. And that's not what I'm used to from John Boyne.
It's the story of Evan, a young football star who has nothing in common with football, but happens to have the right feet and movements for it. He would have preferred the right hands to paint because he wants to make art and become famous with it.
His father really treated him poorly in his youth and that has left its mark on Evan. His mother is a sweet, caring woman who was and is actually dominated by her husband.
The fact that Evan is a homosexual also plays a major role.
And now Evan is on trial for complicity in a rape committed by his friend and teammate Robbie. Robbie is the son of a famous politician with a dubious past in male prostitution and an old acquaintance of Evan's, who was also involved in male prostitution.
It is certainly well written. Throughout the book, Evan tells how things have been going for him since his teenage years. And that is very well done. Characters are introduced and they appear to have different roles. But I found it an uncomfortable book with terrible moments. 4 stars for the writing which is excellent.

Hi Connie, this is great review.
I wish you a lovely Sunday.

Thanks, Barb. Same to you and Thomas!

Liften naar de hemel by Lex Paleaux - Forumchallenge # 16 - - Original Dutch

Started the 17th and finished today.

The Blurb

Sixteen-year-old Quintin has just been released from a juvenile detention center when he takes another wrong turn. His parents are at their wits' end and send him to a remote area in Canada, where he must survive in a strict religious community. Time seems to have stood still here for decades, and the affection and guidance that Quintin yearns for are hard to find. His unloving host family sees him primarily as a free domestic helper, and the farmer to whom he is outsourced sees it as his job to get Quintin back on the right track, with a firm hand.

Despite the harsh circumstances, Quintin continues to look at the world with an open mind. He enjoys the rugged country and makes unexpected friends: with a toddler, a calf and a homeless Indian. And then there is Mike, a pastor's son in whom he finds a kindred spirit. Will his Canadian adventure mean a turnaround for the boy who does not want to behave or will he be traumatized again?

My review

After all the glowing recommendations on the cover and on two pages, this book can hardly disappoint and it didn't. It is a story that is quite intense and introduces us to Quintin, a 16-year-old boy who is sent to Canada by his parents for six months to stay out of trouble in the Netherlands. He has just been released from a juvenile detention center, but has gone down the wrong path again. They think it will do him good to start a new life somewhere far away with hard work and to discover what he wants to do with that life. He ends up in the deeply religious Decker family. He is there during the weekend and during the week he works on the Fletchers' farm. And he has to work hard, from early in the morning until late at night with only rarely a friendly word. He does make a few strange friendships with, among others, the calf Drum, the Indian who begs in the shopping center, and with Ruth Decker, the Deckers' 3-year-old daughter. But especially his friendship with Mike, the son of the pastor Bauer, is incredibly important to him.
In order not to give away too much of the ending, I will say nothing about it except 'I cried big tears' at the end.

Now starting in De laatste steen by M.J. Arlidge & Steph Broadribb - Book - ROOT # 9 - Forumchallenge # 17

The blurb NOT my review

When Jennie Whitmore arrives at her school reunion, she immediately regrets her decision. Why would she choose to surround herself with people who were never nice to her? Who still aren't, even now she's a police officer? The only person who truly looked out for her all those years ago was charming, beautiful Hannah. Until the day she disappeared. Jennie is ready to finally put White Cross Academy behind her, the old school building demolished the morning after the party. But with the demolition comes a call: a teenage girl's remains have been found on the grounds. The instant drop in Jennie's stomach tells her that the remains might be Hannah's, but when she's called in to examine them, the truth becomes undeniable. Hannah didn't run away and abandon Jennie thirty years ago; in fact, she never left White Cross at all. Suddenly, Jennie has a murder to solve. The murder of her best friend. But can she do so before her colleagues discover just how closely connected she is to the victim? Before a mystery stalker makes good on his threats to silence her for good?

Finished Practical Potions and Premeditated Murder by Wren Jones Foreign Fantasy # 1 and the book gets

My review

Cozy story about the Kitchen Witch, Sella and her friends who are trying to solve a murder. Sella once did something with her fire magic and because of that she was gone for quite a few years but now she is back and has a shop in magical potions. She makes coffee with some extra ingredients that work for example to give someone hope or calmness or whatever her customers need. When a ghost shows herself to her, she realizes that this girl, Cali, has just been murdered and turns to her to find her murderer. Together with Cali, her friend Lorhna and talking cat Beejee, her familiar, she starts investigating. Nice uncomplicated reading and a nice story.

>137 connie53: And finished this one and the book gets

My review

A new collaboration between two writers, with M.J. Arlidge creating the plot and Steph Broadribb writing the story. I don't think that's the best idea. I thought the same about an other book in this project 'The Wrong Child'.
This time the story is told by Jennie Whitmore. Thirty years ago she wanted to run away to London with her best friend to become a photographer. But Hannah Jennings doesn't show up at the bus stop and Jennie goes back home. Hannah wanted to become a top model and build an international career.
Thirty years later the school they attended is demolished and the demolition workers find a skeleton during the work that turns out to be Hannah's. Jennie is now a detective with the police and she is assigned the case. The investigation brings Jennie to the old darkroom crew of which she, like Hannah, was a member at the time.
This is the point where I'm starting to have doubts about that. Jennie herself was part of that group so that seems to me to be a conflict of interests. But although the chief inspector also has his reservations, Jennie manages to convince him that she can remain objective. In the meantime, you can also read, in italics, what Jennie thinks and feels. And that is not at all objective. Furthermore, it is a reasonable story, but it could have used a better editor, because it is full of repetitions, which are only useful if you spend half a year reading this.

Misleid by Harlan Coben - Forumchallenge # 18

Started today

The blurb, NOT my review

Present day is hard enough for Kierce, but his past isn't through with him yet...
MALAGA, 2000. Sami Kierce, a young man backpacking in Spain with friends, wakes up one morning. He is covered in blood. There's a knife in his hand. Beside him, the body of a woman. Anna. Dead. He begins to scream.
NEW YORK CITY, 2025. Kierce, now a disgraced detective, is teaching night classes when he recognises a familiar face in the crowd. Anna. It's unmistakably her. But as soon as he makes eye contact with her, she runs. For Kierce there is no choice. He knows he must find this woman and solve the mystery that still haunts his every waking moment. His investigation will bring him face-to-face with his past. Soon he discovers that some secrets should stay buried . . .

>140 connie53: Oooo - I like Coben - I hope this is a good one!

>140 connie53: >141 Cecilturtle: This book is finished, it was excellent and gets

My review

What a wonderfully exciting and complicated book by Harlan Coben. That man can really write so well, but you have to pay attention to all the little details.
The characters in the book are described by him as having dirty spiky hair or being a 'gunman', but of course they also have their own names. I always make notes so I can look back every now and then.
This book is the sequel to Fool me once. You can't read it without reading that book first, otherwise you won't understand a few important details.

Sami Kierce is a former police officer who was dismissed from the police-force and now earns his meager living as a private detective. He has also gathered a group of amateur would-be detectives around him who he teaches tracking and doing research online. And who he occasionally uses to do some detective work for him.
This book has 2 timelines.
The first takes place in 2000 and then Sami is in Málaga and he has a short romance with Anna that ends in a bloodbath and a dead Anna, and Sami doesn't know if he caused that
The second takes place in 2022 in New York where Sami one evening, during his lesson to the amateur detectives, sees Anna walk in and he recognizes her immediately. Anna immediately runs away again and when he goes after her, an exciting search for Anna and the solution to this riddle begins.

Starting in Beladen huis by Christien Brinkgreve

Origineel Dutch the title meaning something like 'Loaded house'

The blurb NOT my review

After the death of her husband, a woman clears out her house. Room by room, she reflects on memories, grief, and the choices we make out of love in this loving, courageous book.

Beladen huis is the story of a woman after the death of her husband. After his death, she realizes that their house has become overgrown with belongings and melancholy. As she clears out the rooms, space slowly opens up in her feelings for him. She wants to find out how he used to be, how she used to be, and understand why their life together turned out the way it did. Memories return, the effects of the past become visible, material and psychological processing go hand in hand. Beladen huis is a courageous memoir about the space you take up in a relationship, in a family, in society, as a mother and as a woman, about loneliness, fear, and the choices we make out of love.

Started today

Duizend & ik by Yorick Goldewijk

Original Dutch

The blurb NOT my review

For Eight, every day is the same. Every day she lives according to a strict doctrine that prepares her for a meaningful existence overseas. Every day she merges into a mass of thousands of other girls who look exactly like her.

But Eight feels different. She feels like someone and that is a problem. Because being someone is forbidden, and can put her in great danger. Then she sees her among the others and there is no way back for Eight. She will have to escape. Together with her.

Now half way through the book, it is rather weird but intriguing.

Finished the book in >145 connie53: and the book gets

My review

A very strange book, but intriguing.
Eight is a girl who lives in a city, where only girls live who look exactly like her. She does the same things every day, but in the meantime she thinks and resists the monotonous existence, without cause or reason, that she suffers. She makes contact with no one. No one actually makes contact with anyone. Until she sees another girl standing on the square where they gather, who really looks at her. She tries for a long time to find that girl and when she succeeds, Thousand and she decide to run away and try to cross the sea. But that plan falls apart when the people who are guarding her start investigating her and an unexpected end presents itself.

>143 connie53: I love the sound of this one, Connie. I can't see it on amazon though, so I suspect it hasn't been translated.

>146 Jackie_K: I thought the same, and did the same :) no result on amz.

I don't think it's translated either. I will try to find some facts. I will get back to you about that.

I can't find anything about a translation of any of her books and ze wrote lots of them, all none fiction.

>143 connie53: This book is finished and gets

My review

An impressive book, with a heavy theme. After the death of her husband A., the author tries to investigate how their relationship, which was so wonderful in the beginning, crumbles before her eyes. Not only her marriage but also her house is literally overloaded with things that have been kept for too long.

A. completely collapses after his retirement. He had an important job at the GGZ (mental health bureau), but also seems to be inclined to melancholy. All this is caused by the death of his sister Dokie, when he was 4 years old and Dokie 7 years old. She was like a mother to him. He has a great fear of being abandoned and that is why he prefers not to get attached to anyone and keeps them all at a distance, including his wife. As she slowly, room by room, tidies up and, helped by her sister and her sons, sorts and throws things away, the house and Christien get more space to breathe and to allow joy into her house and her head again.

Much of what is described in this book comes uncomfortably close to my own situation, and that makes it all the more impressive. I recognize that my husband also fell in a deep hole after his retirement and the bouts of melancholy that made him participate less and less in family things, although that had a different cause. Nothing to do with fear of abandonment

>150 connie53: In a much different manner, I can relate to this theme. I dont own "things" other than books and some teaching supplies. As I prepare for upcoming neurology appointment, I am writing down issues. Sometimes, I think, if only I could change this about the house- it would help. There are the obvious changes like all one level living- which wont work in this house. But, also, a feeling of emptier spaces. (and believe me- by American standards, my home is already empty) Having my library all in one room would be a dream. So, that even when I dont read anymore , I could just sit in there and breathe my books. lol

That feeling of emptying things no longer requisite and the fact that your MC also revisits her life as she goes - just sort of resonates.

(It sort of bothers me that nobody will ever know the joy a certain book might have brought into my life)

Thanks, Egbertina for your thoughts. A former collegae I had dinner with recently did suggest I could get rid of a book once I read it. I could have gotten rid of her right there. The thought of not being surrounded by my books is daunting. So I do understand how you feel about your books.

Started and finished Boeken, thee & troost by Hika Harada - Forumchallenge # 21 -

The blurb

Sango moved from a small town to Tokyo to run a bookstore. It is located in a special district of Tokyo where there are many bookstores, universities and restaurants. The store was closed for a year after the unexpected death of the owner, Sango's brother Jiro. Sango reopens the bookstore, even though she has no experience, she has never even worked in a store.

Fortunately, she gets help from the neighbors and her second cousin Mikiki often comes by. Mikiki studies in Tokyo and decides to help Sango. She especially enjoys the conversations with the customers about literature, her great passion. But what does she really want in life? In the meantime, Sango has her own problems. Wasn't her departure to Tokyo also an escape from love? And did she know her brother Jiro as well as she thought?

My review

Cozy book about a second-hand bookshop in Tokyo where a number of people meet regularly and talk about books and the things that keep them busy while enjoying tea or coffee.
After the death of her older brother, Sango takes over the shop and travels to Tokyo. She likes to read books, but she does not know anything about running a shop. She gets help from her second cousin Mikiki, a young student of classical literature. Both ladies have a different talent. Based on their great love for books, they can often recommend a book when someone is looking for the right book for the moment or for the solution to a problem. In the meantime, some romantic developments also take place. Cozy book for relaxed reading.

>153 connie53: I'm rather enjoying this trend of cozy Japanese books; they are a nice change of pace!

>154 Cecilturtle: I do too, Cécile.

Started at the end of march and finished today

De verborgen bibliotheek van Madeline Martin by Madeline Martin - ROOT # 11 - Forumchallenge # 22 -

The blurb

All her life, Zofia has found comfort in two things during times of hardship: books and her best friend, Janina. But no one could have imagined the horrors of the Nazi occupation in Warsaw. As the bombs rain down and Hitler's forces loot and destroy the city, Zofia finds that now books are also in need of saving.
With the death count rising and persecution intensifying, Zofia jumps to action to save her friend and salvage whatever books she can from the wreckage, hiding them away, and even starting a clandestine book club. She and her dearest friend never surrender their love of reading, even when Janina is forced into the newly formed ghetto.
But the closer Warsaw creeps toward liberation, the more dangerous life becomes for the women and their families – and escape may not be possible for everyone. As the destruction rages around them, Zofia must fight to save her friend and preserve her culture and community using the only weapon they have left - literature.

My review

Warsaw 1939. Young Zofia, Janina and Maria are best friends when the Germans invade Warsaw. The Germans have lists of books that they have banned and Zofia and her father hide these books under the floor-shelves of their house. The book club decides to read books on this list

Zofia and her friends go to help in the Warsaw library and also start secure books there that are banned by the occupiers. Many Polish classics but also books from other countries that are against the Germans. These books are stored in a secret part of the library. The book club also meets there to discuss one of the banned books every few weeks. Maria is killed very early in a shooting. Later a few more people join the club, Danuta, Kazia and Darek.
But the war is getting more and more intense. Zofia's brother Antek joins the Polish army.
The Jewish people all have to live in a designated area of ​​the city, which is then surrounded by a 3-meter high wall and Janina and her parents have to live there too because they are of Jewish descent. Zofia joins a resistance movement with which they commit small acts of sabotage.
It is a very moving book that describes a part of WWII that I knew very little about and I am glad that I do now. You are never too old to learn.

>129 connie53: Finished this book today and the book gets

Someone you can build a nest in by John Wiswell - ROOT # 12 - Forumchallenge # 23

This was a difficult book to read in English. When I do that a mostly read them on my reader which has a dictionary build in, but a paper book does not have that and that makes it rather difficult to read. Fantasy has its own language and specific words that a thriller doesn't have

My review

Strange, but fascinating. That's the first thing I can say about this book.

Shesheshen is a shapeshifter. She lives in a nest made from one of her parents and is wanted by Baroness Wulfyre, who wants to kill her. A group of hunters of the baroness find her in her nest and Shesheshen changes into a human body made from the indigestible remains of victims, to make it a bit more solid. The hunters drive Shesheshen out of her nest and she flees and falls off a cliff where she is found by Homily, the daughter of the baroness who tends to her wounds with lots of care and love. Shesheshen cannot betray herself to Homily so she is forced to continue as a human. Homily and Shesheshen quickly become friends and Shesheshen falls in love with Homily. And the love is mutual. But how can she tell Homily what she is and how long can she keep her disguise. She initially thought that Homily would be a good nest to raise their children in, but eventually she also understands that she can't do that at all and doesn't want to do that.
Then Homily tells her that she was hunting a shapeshifting monster and can Shesheshen, who has taken the name Siobhan, help her catch this monster that has put a curse on the Wulfyre family? There is no other option than to go with Homily to the city and the Baroness' house to investigate why the family thinks this and to explain that she certainly didn't do it.

It is certainly a nice book, despite the strange things that happen. Throughout the book you feel the care and love that Shesheshen and Homily feel for each other and when Shesheshen finally confesses her secret, Homily is really a hero in my eyes.

Started in The Amber Owl by Juliet Marillier

The blurb NOT my review

Stasya lives in an isolated farming village on the edge of the mysterious Heartwood Forest with her unusual dog for company. Thought odd by the locals, she is tolerated for her rare gift with animals. Engaging with her fellow humans is difficult, with one exception: goatherd Lukas, who shares her love of storytelling. The peace of Heartwood is shattered when a group of soldiers descends, under orders from the Ruler of the Northlands. Their mission: to hack a path through the forest and find the fabled treasure said to lie deep within. The task is clearly impossible. The forest is alive with bears and wolves, and the old tales speak of evil spirits, monsters and uncanny beings. Nobody has ever gone deep into Heartwood Forest and returned safe and well. When Stasya raises her voice in protest, she is removed from her beloved home and transported to court - a different world. Word of her special skills has reached the Ruler's ears, and Lady Elisabeta has a job for her. But Stasya will not break her vow to protect the forest, even under the most appalling threat.

Started and finished today.

Vuur by John Boyne - Forumchallenge # 24 -

The blurb

On the face of it, Freya lives a gilded existence, dancing solely to her own tune. She has all the trappings of wealth and privilege, a responsible job as a surgeon specialising in skin grafts, a beautiful flat in a sought-after development, and a flash car. But it wasn't always like this. Hers is a life founded on darkness. Did what happened to Freya as a child one fateful summer influence the adult she would become - or was she always destined to be that person? Was she born with cruelty in her heart or did something force it into being? In Fire, John Boyne takes the reader on a chilling, uncomfortable but utterly compelling psychological journey to the epicentre of the human condition, asking the age-old question- nurture - or nature?

My review

The main character, Freya, is an unusual and cruel woman who works as a doctor with burn victims. She does this with skill, verve and passion. Which is the complete opposite of what she does in her spare time.
I found it a particularly painful book to read. I don't want to say too much about it (spoilers), but Freya was undoubtedly treated cruelly in her youth and especially when she was twelve, by the 14-year-old twin brothers, Arthur and Pascoe.
Her mother Beth had her when she was 16 and her mother Hannah had her daughter Beth also when she was 16. That is not a good environment to grow up in. But Freya has found a way to deal with it that is downright criminal.
Very uncomfortable to read, but well written by John Boyne with an unexpected and somewhat open ending

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De jongen zonder gisteren - Jur Deitmers - Forumchallenge # 25

Original Dutch

The blurb NOT my review

The Boy Without Yesterday is the true story of Jur Deitmers, who as a 21-year-old Harvard student loses all his memories due to encephalitis. When he slowly but surely regains consciousness in the hospital, he no longer knows who his mother is, for example. But also friendship and things like humor suddenly turn out to be a challenge. He has since obtained a university degree, but his memory only goes back seven years.

In this book you will read his special story, supplemented with insights from neuroscience, psychology and philosophy. How does Jur view the world, us? What can we, with our acquired habits and beliefs, learn from his open mind?

Hi Connie, I'm returning your visit and reading through your very long thread. Those are lovely photos of your family. I'm happy that Peet has settled into his new(ish) environment. You've done some good rooting already this year.

>64 connie53: Gosh, is that all?

Hi Nina, tanks for visiting!

Finished De jongen zonder gisteren by Jur Deitmers - Forumchallenge # 25 -

My review

This is the true story of and told by Jur Deitmers. A young boy who spends part of his university studies at Harvard University in Boston US. During Spring Break, Jur goes to Mexico with his American friend Kevin. There, Jur becomes seriously ill and his parents go to San Diego US as soon as possible. They have arranged for their son to be transported there by ambulance-plane because that is the nearest hospital where they have the expertise to treat Jur. The little hospital in Mexico has only three beds and are unequipped to treat someone as severely ill as Jur is. Then they fly to San Diego themselves and stay there for 5 weeks. Jur has encephalitis and his memory is completely gone. When they are back in the Netherlands, Jur can't remember anything. He has to learn to ride a bike, learn to walk. He has no idea what humor is, what the social codes are, what some expressions mean.

"Come around coffee time." We know that is somewhere between 10:00 and 11:00 a.m., but he also drinks coffee in the afternoon!"

The only thing he still has is his language. He doesn't recognize his mother. But together they will get through it. So far his memory has not returned either. Jur has found a way to move on and now has a completely different outlook on life. Much more positive and he chats with everyone, people on the train, market people and old and young people alike.
I think it is a very beautiful story and looking through Jur's eyes can be very refreshing.

The book is interspersed with pieces about the condition, about how your brain works and such. Told by all kinds of specialists

Now reading Sinaasappels zijn niet de enige vruchten by Jeanette Winterson - ROOT # 13 - Forumchallenge # 26

The blurb NOT my review

The coming-of-age story of Jess, the adopted daughter of a deeply religious woman, who grows up isolated and insulated in the north of England in the 1960's. Jess meets Melanie, and the two teenagers fall in love, greatly upsetting Jess's mother and her congregation.

Started today in The Corn Bride by Mark Stay - Forumchallenge # 27

The blurb NOT my review

It’s May 1941, and the war is in full swing. Yet in the quiet Kentish village of Woodville a happy event is on the horizon, as Faye Bright interrupts her training with the British Secret Service to return home and marry her true love, Bertie.

But as preparations get underway, a ghostly premonition throws a spanner in the works. Who is the Corn Bride, and is her burning visage a warning, or a threat to the happiest day of Faye’s life?

As Faye and the witches investigate, it’s soon apparent that there’s much more on the line than dress fittings, decorations and Bertie’s stag do. For an old enemy is stirring in the shadows, bent on vengeance. And he’s not above crashing a wedding to get it.

Will the happy couple make it to the church on time?

Or will getting hitched spell Faye’s doom?

I really love the books by Mark Stay. I did buy all his books. And this is part 5 in the Witches of Woodville series.

>163 connie53:
That is an interesting looking series. I love the name Witches of Woodville. Historically it is both accurate and obscure. Woodville is the family surname of Elizabeth Woodville, who was Queen of England because her husband was Edward IV, King of England. Elizabeth's mother was Jacquetta of Luxemburg, whose second husband was Richard Woodville. Both Elizabeth and Jacquetta were accused of being practicing witches and Jacquetta was actually tried for being a witch. Therefore, it seems appropriate for an author to name a town of witches after two very prominent witches.

>164 benitastrnad: That is interesting information, Benita. Thanks.

Sinaasappels zijn niet de enige vruchten by Jeanette Winterson is finished and gets

My review

The good thing about this book really passes me by. I understand that it was not normal to talk about homosexuality at that time, let alone write about it. And the parts that are actually about Jeanette were nice. But I just couldn't place the mythical stories in between. So I only liked half of the book. Too bad.

The Corn Bride by Mark Stay is finished and gets

My Review

As usual, Mark Stay does not disappoint. This fifth book in the Witches of Woodville series is just as delightful a read as the previous books.
Faye, one of the witches, returns to Woodville for her wedding to Bertie. She has a week's leave from her training in London. But of course it is not as simple as it seems, because Otto Kopp, a German Nazi officer has also appeared near Woodville. He has already been defeated twice by Faye and he wants revenge. Faye has to come up with a plan, together with the other witches, Miss Charlotte and Mrs Philomena Teach, and with the help of Bertie and Faye's father, Terrence. And the wedding also has to be prepared.
Of course, several things go completely wrong again and Faye and her friends have to do everything they can to save the village and defeat Otto Kopp.

I really enjoyed this. Just read it and enjoy. And now wait for book 6.

De zusjes Boleyn by Philippa Gregory - ROOT # 14 - Forumchallenge # 28

The blurb NOT my review.

When Mary Boleyn comes to court as an innocent girl of fourteen, she catches the eye of Henry VIII. Dazzled by the king, Mary falls in love with both her golden prince and her growing role as unofficial queen. However, she soon realizes just how much she is a pawn in her family's ambitious plots as the king's interest begins to wane and she is forced to step aside for her best friend and rival: her sister, Anne. Then Mary knows that she must defy her family and her king, and take her fate into her own hands.

I'm not going to finish this book. The letters are to small for my eyes and the colour to light gray. I will find something else to read.

Scheuren in de aarde by Clare Leslie Hall - Forumchallenge # 28 -

Started yesterday and finished today

The blurb NOT my review

Beth and her gentle, kind husband Frank are happily married, but their relationship relies on the past staying buried. But when Beth's brother-in-law shoots a dog going after their sheep, Beth doesn't realize that the gunshot will alter the course of their lives. For the dog belonged to none other than Gabriel Wolfe, the man Beth loved as a teenager--the man who broke her heart years ago. Gabriel has returned to the village with his young son Leo. As Beth is pulled back into Gabriel's life, tensions around the village rise and dangerous secrets and jealousies from the past resurface, this time with deadly consequences. Beth is forced to make a choice between the woman she once was, and the woman she has become. A sweeping love story with the pace and twists of a thriller, Broken Country is a novel of simmering passion, impossible choices, and explosive consequences that toggles between the past and present to explore the far-reaching legacy of first love

My review

What a great book this is. It starts as a chance meeting between Beth and Gabriel. Beth is the daughter of teachers and grew up in a family where everything revolves around books and reading. Gabriel is the only son of parents from the upper classes. He lives on an estate and is now home for the summer, just like Beth. When they literally bump into each other, there is an immediate attraction between them. And when they discover that they both love reading, the ice is broken. They start a passionate affair and have to say goodbye at the end of the summer because Gabriel is going to Oxford. Years later, Beth hears that Gabriel has returned to the estate with his son Leo. She herself has now married Frank, who was already in love with her when they were still on the school bus. They live together on the farm of Frank, his brother Jimmy and their father David. The farm is close to the estate and it is inevitable that they will meet again. I don't want to say anything more about the story. The book is very well written and switching between the timelines makes it exciting. Things are hinted at and there are many clues that can be interpreted in multiple ways. The ending left me in tears. Really a beautiful story and very well worked out.

Started in two books today



Er stromen rivieren in de lucht by Elif Shafak

The blurb NOT my review

This is the story of one lost poem, two great rivers, and three remarkable lives - all connected by a single drop of water. In the ruins of Nineveh, that ancient city of Mesopotamia, there lies hidden in the sand fragments of a long-forgotten poem, the Epic of Gilgamesh.
In Victorian London, an extraordinary child is born at the edge of the dirt-black Thames. Arthur's only chance of escaping poverty is his brilliant memory. When his gift earns him a spot as an apprentice at a printing press, Arthur's world opens up far beyond the slums, with one book soon sending him across the seas: Nineveh and Its Remains.
In 2014 Turkey, Narin, a Yazidi girl living by the River Tigris, waits to be baptised with water brought from the holy sit of Lalish in Iraq. The ceremony is cruelly interrupted, and soon Narin and her grandmother must journey across war-torn lands in the hope of reaching the sacred valley of their people.
In 2018 London, broken-hearted Zaleekhah, a hydrologist, moves to a houseboat on the Thames to escape the wreckage of her marriage. Zaleekhah foresees a life drained of all love and meaning - until an unexpected connection to her homeland changes everything.

and



De tweede dochter by Jodi Picoult

The blurb NOT my review

Conceived to provide a bone marrow match for her leukemia-stricken sister, teenage Kate begins to question her moral obligations in light of countless medical procedures and decides to fight for the right to make decisions about her own body. New York Times bestselling author Jodi Picoult is widely acclaimed for her keen insights into the hearts and minds of real people. Now she tells the emotionally riveting story of a family torn apart by conflicting needs and a passionate love that triumphs over human weakness. Anna is not sick, but she might as well be. By age thirteen, she has undergone countless surgeries, transfusions, and shots so that her older sister, Kate, can somehow fight the leukemia that has plagued her since childhood. The product of preimplantation genetic diagnosis, Anna was conceived as a bone marrow match for Kate -- a life and a role that she has never challenged ... until now. Like most teenagers, Anna is beginning to question who she truly is. But unlike most teenagers, she has always been defined in terms of her sister -- and so Anna makes a decision that for most would be unthinkable, a decision that will tear her family apart and have perhaps fatal consequences for the sister she loves. My Sister's Keeper examines what it means to be a good parent, a good sister, a good person. Is it morally correct to do whatever it takes to save a child's life, even if that means infringing upon the rights of another? Is it worth trying to discover who you really are, if that quest makes you like yourself less? Should you follow your own heart, or let others lead you?

>169 connie53:. Hi Connie. I can certainly understand not reading a book with tiny print. When I buy books now, I look at the size of the print prior to purchasing them. If the book is required reading for a class or book club, I check to see if it is available in electronic format where one can adjust the print size.

I try that too, but this one I can't find digital. So out the door it goes.

>152 connie53: 🤣🤣🤣
That's a little how I feel every time I hear or read about tiny houses and getting rid of everything I'm not actively using. In a tiny house I couldn't host family for Christmas, friends for dinner, murder mystery parties, etc. Sometimes we go through seasons of interests. I think it's so much more about finding the specific things that feed our souls and others can help us understand, but not make the decision for us.
>151 EGBERTINA: re: your pleasure in a book, I've thought similar things as I've sat weeding my garden. Will anyone else appreciate this, continue it, or will it all be razed for a cookie cutter housing development? I realized as long as I'm enjoying working in and looking at my garden, it's worth it.

>174 ritacate: absolutely. i wish i could still garden i would need beds raised to the standing level

Finished The Amber Owl by Juliet Marillier and the book gets

My review

I love Juliet Marillier's way of writing. They are always stories where things don't go so well or even downright bad at first. And that is also the case here. But then the main characters find each other and together they fight against evil. Supporting each other and treating each other with respect and working on solving possible problems are important in most of her books. And that happens also in this book.
It is the story of a brutal queen who wants to do everything in her own way without taking into account what she does to people. In this case, those are the inhabitants of a small village. The commander of the small army she has sent there in search of the origin of a piece of amber that was found by Stasya and Lucas, two young friends from the village is a cruel men. The queen wants to know where the amber was found and to benefit herself from it. One of the men, Aleksis, who has come with the commander in his capacity as advisor and observer for the queen, tries to protect Stasya and Lucas and the only way to do this is to take them with him and make sure they stay out of the hands of the commander.
Stasya is a young woman with a great talent. She can make contact with animals and hears their thoughts that circulate in nature. Together with Aleksis, Lucas and some of his men they set off and that road is full of danger. Not only are they pursued by the commander's men, but they also have to travel over dangerous terrain and in addition they all carry their own story and worries with them.
A story full of hope and support and also about the power of stories.

>171 connie53: How did you enjoy this read? I remember being glued to the book but was disappointed by the ending. I felt it was a cop out.

>177 Cecilturtle: Do you mean the Shafak book or the Picoult book?

>178 connie53: The Picoult book (although I like Shafak too)

>179 Cecilturtle:. I'm still reading it, Cécile. At this moment I'm rather glued to the Shafak book. You will read my review here when I finished both.

>162 connie53: I really liked Winterson's memoir Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? on audio and made a note to read the fictionalized version...but with your notes now I think I'll just let it be.

Finished the first book in >171 connie53: Er stromen rivieren in de lucht by Elif Shafak and the book gets

My review

Another great book by Elif Shafak. Three timelines naturally converge. It is the story of Arthur, a young boy born in 1840 with an impeccable memory. He can even remember his birth. His mother is a young woman who searches the sewers and banks of the Thames for things she can sell to make money. Shortly after his birth, a snowflake falls on his lips while he is breastfeeding for the first time. To him, snow tastes like breast milk. His great memory gets him noticed by a few people who offer him odd jobs. When he accidentally finds a clay tablet with a script that no one can decipher, he becomes obsessed with it and eventually he can read it. It is a poetic song from a distant past. But there are missing tablets and eventually he leaves for ancient Mesopotamia with a grant to do excavations. The other story lines are that of Narin in Turkey in 2014, a Jesidi girl and the journey she undertakes with her grandmother and in 2018 the girl Zaleekhah in London.
And it is the story of the Thames and the Tigris. And the journey that water makes from dewdrop to river.
The events are largely historical. The persecution of the Jesidi's and their flight to Mount Sinjar. There also existed a man like Arthur.
Furthermore, I think you should read the book yourself. It is written in a compelling way and is very educational.

De tweede dochter by Jodi Picoult is finished and gets

My review

Brian and Sara have a son, Jesse, and a daughter, Kate. When Kate is diagnosed with a serious form of leukemia, the parents come up with the idea of ​​having a third child who has genetic similarities and can serve as a donor for Kate. At first, Kate is supposed to receive blood from Anne's umbilical cord and the doctors think that this will solve a lot. But that is not the case and bone marrow donations and even more needles and operations follow, for which Anne is always a donor. But when Anna would have to donate a kidney, this idea is put to rest by Anna herself. She may be thirteen but she is determined to do something about it. She hires a lawyer, Campbell Alexander, and starts a lawsuit against her parents.
This was already an intense book, but at the end I saw that the ending was very dramatic and also predictable for me.

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Started yesterday De dagen die komen by Melissa Da Costa

The blurb NOT my review

Amande had never imagined that pain could be so intense. She retreats to a remote house in Auvergne to fully experience her grief. The days follow one another, the sun shines brightly, but Amande does not see it. When she accidentally stumbles upon the garden calendars of the former resident of the house, she decides to breathe new life into the old, neglected garden. With the help of Mrs. Hugues' handwritten notes, Amande gets to work. Over the seasons, she draws from this contact with the earth the strength to blossom again and to open herself up to unique encounters. And each new day becomes a promise for the future. In this courageous and emotional novel, Mélissa Da Costa invites us to open our senses and our hearts wide.

>183 connie53: Finished this book today and the book gets

My review

Devastated by the death of her husband Benjamin, who died in a motorcycle accident, and the subsequent premature birth and death of their daughter Manon, Amande withdraws from her familiar surroundings and rents a dilapidated old house in the countryside of the Auvergne in France. The first few days she does little but grieve and think about what happened to her. But she still has to do some shopping and do something about the house. After a while she finds old year calendars from the previous and now deceased resident, Lucie Hugues, and when she leafs through them she comes across all kinds of notes and recipes about what Lucie did in the garden and when, and what dishes she could make from them. This makes her curious and with even older calendars she starts making a schedule to see what she could do. During a visit from Lucie's daughter, Julie, who comes to pick up some of her mother's things, she hears that Lucie started keeping those calendars after the death of her husband Paul. Lucie intended to do something every day to get out of her grief. This also gives Amande hope that she too can find a way back to a normal life. And she tackles the garden full of energy. She is overjoyed with her first harvested cabbages and so she slowly comes back into contact with the outside world and it turns out that there are people around her who also loved Benjamin and deal with his death in a different way. Very hopeful book and again written by a skilled writer.

Schaduwen van de tijd by Santa Montefiore - ROOT # 17

The blurb

When Pixie Tate is summoned to the wild Cornish coast to unravel a curious mystery at the stately St Sidwell Manor, she knows that something quite extraordinary must be hiding in its shadows. Over 100 years ago, in the dark of night, a child vanished from his bed never to be seen again - and Pixie must now discover the truth of those final moonlit hours. As she loses herself in the past, secrets are revealed, love affairs exposed and, ultimately, Pixie will be forced to make a devastating choice that will change her life forever.

>185 connie53: The book is finished and gets

My review

Pixie Tate calls herself a time glider. She can flow into another body and other time with her mind to free a trapped soul. S
he and her business partner Ulysess are asked to come to St. Sidwell Manor. The brand new owners Bruce and Olivia Talwyn have just arrived in the Manor with their children Zack and Tabitha. Bruce has inherited the house from Mrs. Emily Delaware, a woman who claims in her will that Bruce is her only living relative. Bruce has no idea how this came about.
When they arrive at the estate just before Christmas, everyone is kept awake at night by someone's sobbing. But they can't figure out what is making the sound. When Olivia's aunt comes to celebrate Christmas, she advises the family to hire Pixie and Ulysess.
Pixie investigates the house and finds the ghost of a sad woman in the room where a little boy had slept before. In order to free this woman from the curse that makes her wander around there, Pixie puts herself in the body of the newly arrived governess Hermione Swift in 1895. Interesting first part in the new series with Pixie in the lead role. Entertainingly written but without really unexpected plot twists

Starting in De verhalenverzamelaar by Evie Woods

The blurb NOT my review

Thornwood Village, 1910. Anna, a young farm girl, volunteers to help an intriguing American visitor, Harold Griffin-Krauss, translate 'fairy stories' from Irish to English. But all is not as it seems and Anna soon finds herself at the heart of a mystery that threatens the future of her community and her very way of life.

New York, 2010. Captivated by the land of myth, folklore and superstition, Sarah Harper boards a plane bound for the West Coast of Ireland and finds herself walking in the footsteps of Harold and Anna one hundred years later. But once there, she finds she has unearthed dark secrets - secrets that tread the line between the everyday and the otherworldly, the seen and the unseen.

>187 connie53: and finished it!

My review

This was another great book by Evie Woods. The story has 2 timelines, one set in 1910 in Ireland and one set in 2010 in the same place in Ireland.

The main character in 1910 is Anna, a young farmer's daughter who meets a young American who asks her if she can help him meet villagers who can tell him stories about events that have happened to them, or second-hand stories that have to do with folklore and the fairy world, about 'the Good People'. She could also help him with interpreting from Irish to English. Anna finds that very exciting and throws herself into it with complete dedication.

In 2010, Sarah, an American woman, ended up in the village where Anna lived, in a completely spontaneous way. She took a plane to Ireland at an airport in the USA on her way to her parents in another state without really thinking about it. And now she lives for the time being in the house that once belonged to Anna's parents witch she does not know until she finds a book in a hollow tree that turns out to be Anna's diary.

Both women are dealing with a loss. Anna, who cannot come to terms with the death of her sister and Sarah, who lost her baby after a 7-month pregnancy and is therefore estranged from her husband. The book is therefore also about loss and mourning, but is also hopeful about the future. I expected a slightly different ending, but this is actually fine too. Not all stories end rosy and reality can sometimes thwart your wishes.

Started yesterday in two new books

A tree-book



Mijn eigen kind by Jacquelyn Mitchard - ROOT # 17 - Forumchallenge # 30

The blurb NOT my review

At twenty-four, Gordon McKenna thinks he's already heard the worst news of his life when he learns that his sister Georgia is fatally ill. Then Georgia and her husband die in a car accident, leaving behind their baby daughter, Keefer.
Gordon and his parents are able to survive their sorrow only by devoting themselves to the care of the beloved one-year-old. But the decision of who will raise Keefer is far from over, and soon Gordon's most basic assumptions about his family will be challenged in ways so provocative that he will be driven to disbelief and then to outrage.
The ordeal will test the bonds of this closely knit family, challenging even love's ultimate capacity to heal.

And as E=book



The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick - ROOT # 18 - Forumchallenge # 31

The blurb NOT my review

Librarian Martha Storm has always found it easier to connect with books than people--though not for lack of trying. She keeps careful lists of how to help others in her superhero-themed notebook. And yet, sometimes it feels like she's invisible. All of that changes when a book of fairy tales arrives on her doorstep. Inside, Martha finds a dedication written to her by her best friend--her grandmother Zelda--who died under mysterious circumstances years earlier. When Martha discovers a clue within the book that her grandmother may still be alive, she becomes determined to discover the truth. As she delves deeper into Zelda's past, she unwittingly reveals a family secret that will change her life forever. Filled with Phaedra Patrick's signature charm and vivid characters, The Library of Lost and Found is a heartwarming and poignant tale of how one woman must take control of her destiny to write her own happy ending.

Finished The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick and the book gets - ROOT # 18 - Forumchallenge # 30

My review

Martha is a young woman who has lost herself a bit. She would love to become a librarian and therefore does volunteer work in the library and fills out many job applications but is always rejected. Martha has more of a connection with books than with people although she really tries very hard. But people take advantage of that a bit. They bring her their laundry when their washing machine is broken and stays that way for weeks. She takes care of the fish and plants of a neighbour when he is on holiday, hems the legs of her nephew's trousers when her sister brings a bag full of them. Her dining room table is full of things that she has promised to glue and repair. Martha even keeps a list of them in a book. But that changes when she finds a book at her front door that is full of fairy tales and an assignment for her from her grandmother Zelda. In disbelief she sees the year of the assignment, but that can't be right, because her grandmother (and best friend) died 3 years earlier as far as she knows. Now she wants to investigate that. In doing so, she also realizes that she has to learn to say 'no' to all those people who keep asking her things. And she has to clean up the mess around her and make sure her head stays tidy. She starts with that and when she goes on a quest to find out what happened to grandma, she discovers an unexpected family secret and a new love
A well-written book that I really enjoyed.

Started in De bewaarder van gevonden voorwerpen by Ruth Hogan - Forumchallenge # 32 - ROOT # 20

The blurb NOT my review

Lime green plastic flower-shaped hair bobbles-Found, on the playing field, Derrywood Park, 2nd September. Bone china cup and saucer-Found, on a bench in Riveria Public Gardens, 31st October. Anthony Peardew is the keeper of lost things. Forty years ago, he carelessly lost a keepsake from his beloved fiancée, Therese. That very same day, she died unexpectedly. Brokenhearted, Anthony sought consolation in rescuing lost objects-the things others have dropped, misplaced, or accidently left behind-and writing stories about them. Now, in the twilight of his life, Anthony worries that he has not fully discharged his duty to reconcile all the lost things with their owners. As the end nears, he bequeaths his secret life's mission to his unsuspecting assistant, Laura, leaving her his house and and all its lost treasures, including an irritable ghost. Recovering from a bad divorce, Laura, in some ways, is one of Anthony's lost things. But when the lonely woman moves into his mansion, her life begins to change. She finds a new friend in the neighbor's quirky daughter, Sunshine, and a welcome distraction in Freddy, the rugged gardener. As the dark cloud engulfing her lifts, Laura, accompanied by her new companions, sets out to realize Anthony's last wish: reuniting his cherished lost objects with their owners. Long ago, Eunice found a trinket on the London pavement and kept it through the years. Now, with her own end drawing near, she has lost something precious-a tragic twist of fate that forces her to break a promise she once made. As the Keeper of Lost Objects, Laura holds the key to Anthony and Eunice's redemption. But can she unlock the past and make the connections that will lay their spirits to rest?

Finished Mijn eigen kind by Jacquelyn Mitchard and the book gets

My review

My first objection to this book is that there are far too many characters. And that I sometimes had the impression that the editor had not done his job properly. Every now and then I had the idea that a different name was used for a character than previously in the book. Nevertheless, the subject of the book is interesting. It is mainly about an extended family that is confronted with the death of a young couple in a tragic accident. They are Ray Jr. and Georgia. They leave behind a young daughter, around 1 year old, Keefer. The parents of both young people and their godparents end up in a battle over who will take care of Keefer. Ray's parents want that just as much as Georgia's parents. But then there is the fact that Georgia, like her brother Gordon, is adopted. Gordon, as a brother, also has a right to Keefer. But then there is the fact that the law makes a distinction between blood relatives and adopted relatives. A fierce battle ensues, complete with an army of lawyers, judges and all sorts of experts in the field of child rearing and such. When Keefer first lives with Ray's parents for a year and she is completely estranged from Georgina's parents and the fight has even reached the press, Gordon decides to end the case in a completely different way than others had thought.
It might have been a 7 for me if it hadn't been so messy at times and there had been far fewer characters.

>191 connie53: Finished the book and it gets

My review

What a beautifully written book this is, and that for a debut novel. I am really impressed. It is so well put together!
Anthony Peardew is waiting for his fiancée Therese, but she does not show up and as he walks away, defeated, he loses a medallion that he had kept for her. A little later he discovers that Therese has died at the same time. He then becomes the keeper of lost objects. He documents everything he finds and stores it in drawers and on shelves. And he writes a little story about each object. When he suspects, after years of collecting, that his time on earth is almost up, he finds an enthusiastic assistant in Laura. And he is so impressed by her that he leaves her everything he owns in his will. Laura begins the task he has given her: to search for the people who have lost or misplaced those things and to return the objects to them. Laura is delighted with the beautiful house 'Padua' with its large garden full of rose bushes that he designed and planted together with Therese. And a gardener, Freddy, who preferred outdoor work over a job as an IT-er and the girl next door Sunshine, who has a passion for making tea and has Down syndrome but also some clairvoyance. And ghost that wanders around.
Freddy designs a website where all the objects that Anthony has collected have to be put in for people to see and maybe to come and get the things they have lost.

Back to the moment that he lost the medallion. It is picked up by Eunice. Who has kept it all those years. She goes to work for a publisher and comes across Anthony's stories. The publisher, Bomber is a nice man and Eunice soon falls in love with Bomber, who as a homosexual cannot feel the same for her.

Gradually people come forward who have seen their lost objects on the website.
And then the two stories fit together seamlessly. I enjoyed it immensely. And I can even see a reread coming.

Started last Tuesday and finished today Geheimen van de zee by Santa Montefiore -

The Blurb NOT my review

In the vibrant setting of Gilded Age New York, Pixie Tate returns in a compelling story of mystery, love, and a discovery that will change her life.

Pixie Tate is invited to the opulent Aldershoff Hotel on Fifth Avenue. Once one of New York’s most beautiful Gilded Age family homes, it is now a haunted house. Pixie is asked to investigate what happened to Lord Ravenglass in the past.

Meanwhile, Pixie yearns for the man she has fallen in love with, Cavill Pengower. This desire draws him, through the law of attraction, to Pixie. But Cavill doesn’t recognize her, and she can’t reveal the truth about who she really is. Can Pixie stay focused on her mission or will love lead her astray?

My review

I love Pixie Tate. What a wonderful girl she is. Pixie calls herself a time glider. She can glide through time and take over someone's body somewhere along the timeline and observe what happened in that time. She does this when a spirit appears somewhere that is apparently too restless to continue, to the light, as Pixie calls it. This is the second part of the trilogy and I hope that part 3 will come soon.
In this part, Pixie and her companion Ulysses Lozano are asked by the owner of a luxury hotel in New York. The hotel used to be a lavish home of the Aldershoff family. Alma Aldershoff even lived there until she was 15 and she is now well into her nineties. She has reserved a room with her daughter and a few friends to use a Ouija board to search for information about a diamond that her father has hidden somewhere. She needs the money badly because the family has lost a lot of money due to one of the ancestors. But unfortunately her father doesn't show up, but that ancestor, Lester, does. And Lester goes completely crazy in the room where they are. The ladies flee and the salon is a gigantic mess. When Lester's ghost doesn't want to leave but keeps appearing to scare the guests Pixie is called and she has to find out what Lester did in the past to be so angry and not leave the hotel.

She goes back to 1911 via time gliding. And ends up in the body of Constance Fleet who is about to accompany her cousin Lester from London to New York where he is visiting his fiancée. They travel on the Titanic, so I won't say anything more about that because we all know how that ends. In any case, she ends up in a lifeboat. Because all the important people all end up in New York including Cavill Pengower, Pixie's great love who she met in the first part of the series during a case. Well written and I want even more Pixie.

Now reading Guns Will Keep Us Together by Leslie Langtry - E-book - ROOT # 21 - Forumchallenge # 33

The Blurb NOT my review.

Dakota Bombay prided himself on his Bond-like image--bad-guy killer by day, lady-killer by night. But his life gets both shaken and stirred by an irate grandmother demanding a marketing plan for the family assassination business, a precocious six-year-old son he never knew he had, and a mysterious redheaded funeral director who's got him intrigued in more ways than one. Suddenly the perennial playboy is knee deep in pie charts and play-dates, while juggling the demands of the not-so-family-friendly family business. Throw in a team of rival assassins, and Dak's dreams of living trigger-happily ever after just may be put on ice.

Started yesterday in Dief van de nacht by Holly Black - ROOT # - BFB # 3

The blurb NOT my review

Charlie Hall has never found a lock she couldn't pick, a book she couldn't steal, or a bad decision she wouldn't make. She's spent half her life working for gloamists, magicians who manipulate shadows to peer into locked rooms, strangle people in their beds, or worse. Gloamists guard their secrets greedily, creating an underground economy of grimoires. And to rob their fellow magicians, they need Charlie. Now, she's trying to distance herself from past mistakes, but going straight isn't easy. Bartending at a dive, she's still entirely too close to the corrupt underbelly of the Berkshires. Not to mention that her sister Posey is desperate for magic, and that her shadowless and possibly soulless boyfriend has been keeping secrets from her. When a terrible figure from her past returns, Charlie descends back into a maelstrom of murder and lies. Determined to survive, she's up against a cast of doppelgängers, mercurial billionaires, gloamists, and the people she loves best in the world - all trying to steal a secret that will allow them control of the shadow world and more.

Finished Guns Will Keep Us Together and the book gets

My Review

The Bombay family is a family of murderers on request. But only real bad people. The grandparents form the council of the family, they accept orders and choose one of their children or grandchildren to commit the murder. All family members are named after a state in the US or another country on earth. There is some competitiveness and there are some who really hate each other.
One of the grandsons is Dakota, a playboy who has a new blonde girlfriend every day. He always works together with his cousin Paris. One day someone shows up at the door of his apartment with a little boy. The man tells him that Louis is his son and that his mother recently died. So Dakota is expected to continue raising him. Dakota is immediately completely impressed by the intelligent boy and takes him into his heart.
When Dakota later meets Leonie, a somewhat distant red-haired lady, he is completely bemused and very impressed by her.
Paris and Dakota are ordered to eliminate five people from a competing group. Then the adventures begin. This is just an over the top story, funny at times but not really high quality. I enjoyed it.

These books are so fun to read so I started part 3 on the 16th of May



Stand By Your Hitman by Leslie Langtry - ROOT # 22

The blurb NOT my review

Missi Bombay invents things-fatal flowers, Jell-O bullets, stroke-inducing panty hose, and other ways to kill a target without leaving any trace behind. Living a solitary life on her family's island, she's a great asset to her family of assassins. Unfortunately, the family that kills together also meddles together, and when Missi's mom decides her daughter's life is a little too solitary, she packs Missi off to Costa Rica for an undercover assignment on a low-budget Survival reality TV show. Amidst the ridiculous challenges, tribal voting, and late-night sneaking to the nearby resort, Missi finds herself not only scoping out her family's latest target, but also Lex Danby, the hottest contestant on the island. But Missi's hormones get put on the back burner when someone starts sabotaging the show and Missi is squarely in the sights of the deadly culprit.

>199 connie53: Finished this book and it gets

My review

I love these books so much that I want to read all 4 of them, just because they are so hilarious and over the top. This time Mississippi Bombay goes on an assignment. She usually works on her family's tropical island, where she invents devices and gadgets that make it easier for her other family members to eliminate the people assigned to them. Missi's mother thinks it is high time Missi finds a new man and she signs her daughter up for a kind of Expedition Robinson experience. And to investigate whether Isaac, someone who is also going, is indeed as bad as the information her mother has received. And if so, she has to eliminate him. Missi leaves reluctantly.
On the island she meets eleven other players and a game master, Alan with his young assistant Julie.
It is indeed a kind of Expedition Robinson but then very low budget. Moreover, Alan uses a large part of the budget to give himself a good time with booze and women in the luxury resort that is next to the camp of the expedition. The people at the resort can see a lot of what is happening clearly.
Missi's team consists of Isaac, Lex, Sami, Silan and Cricket. And soon Missi and Lex develop feelings for each other. When Missi's 17 year old sons, Monty and Jack, show up hidden in the treetops, the chaos is complete. They have been sent by Missi's mother to keep an eye on things and pass on information to her. Continue in part 4.

Started in I Shot You Babe by Leslie Langtry - ROOT # 23

The blurb NOT my review

Coney Island Bombay is one hot assassin with an Ivy League PhD who travels the world operating carnival rides. He also likes to knit and has a pet guinea pig named Sartre. Even in his wild family of killers, Cy stands out. But after a series of run-ins with perennial grad student Veronica Gale, the cool cat is starting to feel a little hot under the collar. In her research, Ronnie Gale has seen a lot. Problem is, she hasn't actually done a lot. The mysterious Cy Bombay seems about to change all that with a whirlwind adventure that will take them from a small-town county fair to the outer reaches of Mongolia. But when love is on the line and there's a murder to be solved, will Ronnie really be willing to climb out of the ivory tower and get a little down and dirty?

Finished this book and it gets

My review

This last part was also very nice to read. This time Coney Bombay is the main character. Coney sometimes works at the fair with the attractions and he gets an assignment from the family council and he has to get rid of someone. Just like all his other family members do and have done. He also drives through the country in his camper together with his guinea pig named Sartre. He studied psychology but he didn't like the idea of ​​teaching students year after year.
When he is approached at the fair by a student, Veronica Gale, who is working on her thesis, he immediately likes her.
A while later he goes to a friend he met at the fair and who has now returned to his family in Mongolia. He goes there to train to participate in wrestling matches and his friend and his friend's father help him with his training. He is astonished by two things; Veronica is there too and he is given the assignment to kill Arje Dekker. Arje will also participate in the wrestling matches. I won't say too much more but it's all very hilarious and I think it's a shame that the series is clearly over now.

The Village Library Demon-Hunting Society by C. M. Waggoner

Librarian Sherry Pinkwhistle keeps finding bodies - and solving murders. But she's concerned by just how many killers she's had to track down in her quaint village. None of her neighbors seem surprised by the rising body count...but Sherry is becoming convinced that whatever has been causing these deaths is unnatural. But when someone Sherry was close to ends up dead, and her cat, Lord Thomas Crowell, is possessed by what seems to be an ancient demon, Sherry realizes she is going to need an exorcist more than a detective. With the help of her town's new priest and an assortment of friends who dub themselves the "Demon Hunting Society," Sherry needs to solve the murder and get rid of the demon.

Hi Connie -- you've been reading up a storm! Hope all is well with you and the family.

>202 connie53: That’s a curious title. I hope the book lives up to it?

>203 curioussquared: Hi Natalie, all is well over here. Summer is coming so I'm happy.

>204 MissWatson: Hey Birgit, good to see you here. I will visit your thread soon-ish.

It's a real cosy tale and I like it so far.

Finished the book in >202 connie53: and it gets

My review

I found this a nice book to read. Sherry is a librarian who is a bit older and has read quite a few Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple books. She lives in a small town somewhere in America where there are a lot of murders for such a small town. And Sherry has a talent for solving those murders. When her own boyfriend is also murdered and her cat (Lord Thomas Cromwell) suddenly starts talking, she realizes that something strange must be going on. Then other people suddenly start talking in a different way and when Sherry wants to drive to another city, that is impossible. She doesn't get further than the city limits. Then she starts investigating .

The book is quite nice and pleasant to read, but a bit superficial. It doesn't really go into depth.

Started in Wij by David Nicholls - ROOT # 24 - Forumchallenge # 34

The blurb NOT my review

Douglas Petersen may be mild-mannered, but behind his reserve lies a sense of humor that, against all odds, seduces beautiful Connie into a second date . . . and eventually into marriage. Now, almost three decades after their relationship first blossomed in London, they live more or less happily in the suburbs with their moody seventeen year-old son, Albie. Then Connie tells him she thinks she wants a divorce.

The timing couldn't be worse. Hoping to encourage her son's artistic interests, Connie has planned a month-long tour of European capitals, a chance to experience the world's greatest works of art as a family, and she can't bring herself to cancel. And maybe going ahead with the original plan is for the best anyway? Douglas is privately convinced that this landmark trip will rekindle the romance in the marriage, and might even help him to bond with Albie.

Narrated from Douglas's endearingly honest, slyly witty, and at times achingly optimistic point of view, Us is the story of a man trying to rescue his relationship with the woman he loves, and learning how to get closer to a son who's always felt like a stranger. It is a moving meditation on the demands of marriage and parenthood, the regrets of abandoning youth for middle age, and the intricate relationship between the heart and the head.

.

Finished Wij by David Nicholls and the book gets

My review

In this book, the first-person narrator, Douglas Petersen, tells the story of his marriage to Connie Moore.
He is a scientist and Connie a painter, but Connie shows that she is attracted to him, although their worlds could not be more different.

In the 'now', Connie has said that she will soon be leaving Douglas, but that they will first make the tour of Europe that Douglas has planned down to the last detail. Their son Albie is leaving home after the summer and they want to make this trip so that they can be together for a long time. Albie does not have his father's enthusiasm and has completely different plans. Douglas has planned the trip around the most famous museums in Europe, but Albie is not really interested in that. When he meets a girl at one point, he runs away with her when they are in Italy. Douglas wants to find Albie at all costs and bring him back to Connie. Good writing and interesting to read, but it was a bit too long for me.

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Now started in another E-book

Je bent prachtig by Ann Napolitano

The blurb NOT my review

William Waters grew up in a house silenced by tragedy, where his parents could hardly bear to look at him, much less love him. So it's a relief when his skill on the basketball court earns him a scholarship to college, far away from his childhood home. He soon meets Julia Padavano, a spirited and ambitious young woman who surprises William with her appreciation of his quiet steadiness. With Julia comes her family; she is inseparable from her three younger sisters: Sylvie, the dreamer, is happiest with her nose in a book and imagines a future different from the expected path of wife and mother; Cecelia, the family's artist; and Emeline, who patiently takes care of all of them. Happily, the Padavanos fold Julia's new boyfriend into their loving, chaotic household. But then darkness from William's past surfaces, jeopardizing not only Julia's carefully orchestrated plans for their future, but the sisters' unshakeable loyalty to one another. The result is a catastrophic family rift that changes their lives for generations. Will the loyalty that once rooted them be strong enough to draw them back together when it matters most?

Finished the book in >208 connie53: and the book gets

My review

I am a bit searching for what I think of this book. On the one hand it is a beautiful family story and on the other hand I could put it aside for a while and then I didn't think about it anymore.
It is a story about the 4 Padavano sisters. Julia who is almost a year older than her sister Sylvie and the twins Emeline and Cecelia. The sisters are devoted to each other and grow up fairly carefree under the watchful eye of their mother Rose and their father Charlie. Rose is a God-fearing woman who thinks quite straightforward. When Cecelia gets pregnant as a teenager and wants to keep the baby without revealing the father's name, Rose throws her out of the house. Cecelia gives birth to a daughter named Izzy. Julia marries the young basketball player William and has a daughter Alice with him. But the marriage does not last and Julia leaves with Alice, still a baby, to New York where she becomes a respected businesswoman. William falls into a depression and is mainly pulled out of it by Sylvie, whom he later marries. That makes the family dynamics even more complicated. Alice thinks her father is dead, but eventually her mother tells her the truth and she goes looking for him and recognizes herself in him.
In the present, all the women are together again, when a dramatic event takes place.

Starting in The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst - ROOT # 25

The blurb NOT my review

It was only meant to be a brief detour. But then Lauren finds herself trapped in a town called Lost on the edge of a desert, filled with things abandoned, broken and thrown away. And when she tries to escape, impassible dust storms and something unexplainable lead her back to Lost again and again. The residents she meets there tell her she's going to have to figure out just what she's missing--and what she's running from--before she can leave. So now Lauren's on a new search for a purpose and a destiny. And maybe, just maybe, she'll be found....

Against the backdrop of this desolate and mystical town, Sarah Beth Durst writes an arresting, fantastical novel of one woman's impossible journey...and her quest to find her fate.

Finished The Lost by Sarah Beth Durst - ROOT # 25 and the book gets

My review

I really liked this book. Lauren's mother is seriously ill and Lauren has a hard time dealing with it. On the day her mother gets the results that are most likely a kind of death sentence, Lauren drives her car in a completely different direction than it should and she keeps driving until her car breaks down in the middle of a dust storm. She has arrived in the town of Lost. A magical place where not only people live who have lost something but also all kinds of lost things, even lost houses.
She meets a little girl, Claire and The Finder, Peter with whom she falls hopelessly in love. Lauren has a talent, or actually two, she can draw very well and would have preferred that to the job she has. And she can talk to the residents until they really know what they have lost. When she finally realizes what she has lost, she returns home, but she doesn't really want to be there.
I don't want to tell the ending of the story, then the surprise is completely gone.

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Between by L.L. Starling - ROOT # 26 - Forumchallenge # 35 -Foreign Fantasy # 3 - BFB # 3

The blurb NOT my review

Sasha Pierce hasn't had a single dream since she was a child... until she accepts a substitute teaching position in the charmingly witchy village of Old Middleton. Her first dream in twenty-five years ought to be enchanting, but her wonder quickly turns to shock when she realizes that it's not a dream at all, but an entirely different sort of magic. Catapulted into the fairy tale kingdom of Between through an ancient portal, Sasha's astonishment is swiftly upgraded to panic when she accidentally performs a supposedly impossible feat and is declared the True Queen of Between ... and betrothed to its infuriatingly handsome sorcerer-king. Lorn, Shadow King of Between, is desperate to break free from Between's clutches. Magically tethered to the ramshackle kingdom, he wages a daily battle to save his disreputable subjects from rampaging magical creatures, sinkholes, and catastrophes of the distressingly lethal variety. To avoid an early grave, he needs an escape plan, not a wife... until he learns that this magic-less mortal holds the key to his freedom. Unwilling to leave her world to accept the crown--or the husband--Sasha must race against the clock to disentangle herself from this fairy tale. But her empty throne leaves a dangerous rift between their worlds. As dark forces descend upon Old Middleton, the two must make a choice: work together or unleash fairy-tale chaos upon their realms.

Finished Between by L.L. Starling - ROOT # 26 - Forumchallenge # 35 - Foreign Fantasy # 3 - BFB # 3 -

My review

What a wonderful book this is. I enjoyed it immensely. I found it very funny and, although it may not be of a high standard, very readable.

The story is told from two perspectives, that of Sacha and that of Lorn.
Sacha is a young woman from our world and Lorn is the king of one of the countries of the Otherworld. Lorn's country, Between, is a sentient country and that country has decided that he/she/they wants a queen and that it will be Sacha. At the age of 5, she was already one of the dreamers who walked towards Between in a dream and now she is going back.
In the first part, the story is told by Sacha and in the second part by Lorn. You would think that would be boring, but you do learn more about the reasons why Lorn does what he does. I can't wait for part 2. I won't say things about the story but it very funny. I constantly had a smile on my face

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Started yesterday in Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst

The blurb NOT my review

Having escaped from the Wild and the preordained fairy tale plots it imposes, Rapunzel, along with her daughter Julie Marchen, tries to live a fairly normal life; but when the Wild breaks free and takes over their town, it is Julie who has to prevent everyone from being trapped in the events of a story.

Finished Into the Wild by Sarah Beth Durst and the book gets

My review

In itself a well thought out story, but I didn't really care for it.
Julie is the daughter of Rapunzel, Zel to her friends, and she has no idea who her father is. Years before her birth, all of Zel's friends escaped from The Wild. An enchanted forest where all fairy tale characters relive their stories endlessly. However, Zel has found a way to tame The Wild, and now it is a plant under Julie's bed that tries to grow and take over the area of ​​the village again.
One day that happens and Julie's mother and grandmother disappear into The Wild and Julie goes looking for them there. She has to find a way to change the stories so that everything ends differently. She gets help from Puss in Boots and from Cindy, formerly Cinderella.

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Started and finished De erfgenamen by A.C. Porter and this book gets

The blurb NOT my review

The story of the breathtaking historical thriller The Heirs by A.C. Porter begins in 1945. Four Jewish orphans have been living in a very daring hiding place since the beginning of the war: near the town of Berchtesgaden at the foot of the Obersalzberg, where almost the entire Nazi leadership - including Adolf Hitler himself - has a summer residence.

In record time, the young Ezra Walsh becomes one of the most important advisors to John F. Kennedy, the promising presidential candidate. But when her brother Elias is brutally murdered, she is forced to face a deep-rooted secret from her past.
An international game of cat and mouse unfolds, in which Ezra of all people poses the greatest threat to JFK's political career. In the meantime, one victim after another falls, and she too must fear for her life...

My review

I really tried my best, but I found this book unbelievable and forced. And I also felt a bit frustrated because my feeling around JFK made that I just couldn't believe it. I finished it because it won the annual prize on Hebban. But no, really no idea why.

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The End of Dragons by Mark Stay

The blurb NOT my review

To Survive, They Must Kill The Last of Her Kind.

The Lapis Moon is gone. Magic is dying. The world has moved on.

Mages, however, are an endangered species. Sander Bree is scraping a living as a mage for hire, Rosheen Katell is in hiding with her brother Oskar. All mages are outlawed, exiled, dodging assassins and the wrath of Archbishop Yorath Pasco who would gladly have them skewered in public.

Then a dragon attacks a small fishing village on the Parthalan coast. Dragons aren’t supposed to exist in these enlightened times, and so the Archbishop suggests a deal: if Sander and Rosheen use their magic to slay the dragon without fuss then their slates will be wiped clean. Of course, they encounter personal betrayals, political backstabbing, criminal shenanigans and a bloody great dragon in a rollicking adventure that will keep you on the edge of your seat.

Read in the last couple of days Drink, Slay, Love by Sarah Beth Durst - E-book - Forumchallenge # 36 -

The blurb

Vampire romance takes a snarky turn in this humorous novel, coming soon to TV screens as a Lifetime Original Movie! Pearl is a sixteen-year-old vampire...fond of blood, allergic to sunlight, and mostly evil...until the night a sparkly unicorn stabs her through the heart with his horn. Oops. Her family thinks she was attacked by a vampire hunter (because, obviously, unicorns don't exist), and they're shocked she survived. They're even more shocked when Pearl discovers she can now withstand the sun. But they quickly find a way to make use of her new talent. The Vampire King of New England has chosen Pearl's family to host his feast. If Pearl enrolls in high school, she can make lots of human friends and lure them to the King's feast--as the entrées. The only problem? Pearl's starting to feel the twinges of a conscience. How can she serve up her new friends--especially the cute guy who makes her fangs ache--to be slaughtered? Then again, she's definitely dead if she lets down her family. What's a sunlight-loving vamp to do?

My review

I really liked this book. Unicorns and vampires. It can't get any better if you like fantasy.
Pearl is a vampire and one day she is stung by a unicorn with its horn and slowly she starts to change. She discovers that she can withstand the sun and can no longer go outside alone in the dark.
The king of the vampires chooses Pearl's family to organize a gathering of all the vampires in Connecticut and although Pearl's parents are shocked by the change in Pearl, they send their daughter to a public high school so that she can choose victims for the king who can provide the king with blood. But Pearl also notices that she is starting to like some people. She becomes friends with Bethany and is completely impressed by Evan, a very handsome boy at school.
Then she has a great idea. She will use the school's annual prom to provide the king with his food. The prom is organized in the same building that the vampires use to receive the king. This takes place in the underground vaults. I won’t say much more. Spoilers!

Started yesterday in Enchanted Ivy by Sarah Beth Durst

The blurb NOT my review

What Lily Carter wants most in the world is to attend Princeton University just like her grandfather. When she finally visits the campus, Grandpa surprises her: She has been selected to take the top-secret Legacy Test. Passing means automatic acceptance to Princeton. Sweet! Lily's test is to find the Ivy Key. But what is she looking for? Where does she start? As she searches, Lily is joined by Tye, a cute college boy with orange and black hair who says he's her guard. That's weird. But things get seriously strange when a gargoyle talks to her. He tells her that there are two Princetons--the ordinary one and a magical one--and the Key opens the gate between them. But there are more secrets that surround Lily. Worse secrets. When Lily enters the magical Princeton, she uncovers old betrayals and new dangers, and a chance at her dream becomes a fight for her life. Soon Lily is caught in a power struggle between two worlds, with her family at its center. In a place where Knights slay monsters, boys are were-tigers, and dragons might be out for blood, Lily will need all of her ingenuity and courage--and a little magic--to unite the worlds and unlock the secrets of her past and her future.

>215 connie53: The book is finished and gets

My Review

Lily Carter is a young girl who has to enroll at a university. She lives with her mother and grandfather in a large house, where she and her mother have their own floor. Mother Rose is a bit strange, very much into nature and sometimes confused. That seems to be getting worse and worse. Grandpa Richard wants Lily to go to Princeton, where he and Rose also went and The tradition must continue. The three of them go there for a weekend to look around. Lily is especially impressed by the gargoyles that seem to be everywhere. At one point she thinks that one of the gargoyles is sticking its tongue out at her, but of course that is not possible. Lily has to take a test and find the Ivy Key. If she finds it, she is immediately accepted at Princeton. She gets help with this from Tye, a boy with orange-striped black hair. He gives her hints without asking. She also meets her grandfather's friends, The Old Boys, who all studied at Princeton and Jake Mayfair, the grandson of one of grandfather's friends.
On her search for the Ivy Key, all sorts of unexpected things happen. And as Lily gets closer to her goal, she discovers even more moving gargoyles and realizes that two worlds must exist side by side. And in addition, it turns out that her grandfather and her mother have not told her things about the family history.

As expected, another great book and I still have a few more to go. Wonderful prospect.

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Conjured by Sarah Beth Durst - ROOT # 27

The blurb NOT my review

Eve has a new home, a new face, and a new name-but no memories of her past. She's been told that she's in a witness protection program. That she escaped a dangerous magic-wielding serial killer who still hunts her. The only thing she knows for sure is that there is something horrifying in her memories the people hiding her want to access-and there is nothing they won't say-or do-to her to get her to remember.

At night she dreams of a tattered carnival tent and buttons being sewn into her skin. But during the day, she shelves books at the local library, trying to not let anyone know that she can do things-things like change the color of her eyes or walk through walls. When she does use her strange powers, she blacks out and is drawn into terrifying visions, returning to find that days or weeks have passed-and she's lost all short-term memories. Eve must find out who and what she really is before the killer finds her-but the truth may be more dangerous than anyone could have ever imagined.

Finished Conjured by Sarah Beth Durst - ROOT # 27 -

My Review

What a great book this is. And what a creative woman Sarah Beth Durst is to come up with such a story. The main character is Eve. A girl with a faltering memory but she is expected to help the federal police to unmask a murderer who has many dead children on his or her conscience. Eve comes from another world and is in a witness protection program. Her contacts are Malcolm Harrington and Nicky Gallo. She goes to live with Nicky in a house and Nicky plays her aunt. She also gets a job in a library where she meets Zach. It is love at first sight. And they discover that Zach can use the magic that Eve has.
Nicky introduces her to three other teenagers, Aiden, Victoria and Topher.
When Eve uses her magic without Zach's intervention, she usually falls unconscious and when she comes out she has forgotten everything she knew before.
Eve and Zach decide to go in search of the circus where Eve once lived to find out the truth about her faltering memory and her origins.

I was really on the edge of my seat to find out what happened and it was something I didn't see coming at all. Amazing and an absolutely breathtaking story.

Looks like you had a good run of exciting books, Connie.

Yes I did, Birgit. Thank you for visiting my thread.

I love the books by Sarah Beth and have a few more on the TBR-pile and started in my nest one half an hour ago




The Lies Among Us by Sarah Beth Durst

The blurb NOT my review

After her mother dies, Hannah doesn't know how to exist without her. Literally. In fact, Hannah's not even certain that she does exist. No one seems to see or hear her, and she finds herself utterly alone. Grief-stricken and confused, her sense of self slowly slipping away, Hannah sets out to find new purpose in life--and answers about who (and what) she really is. Hannah's only remaining family is her older sister, Leah. Yet even Leah doesn't seem to notice her. And while Hannah can see and hear her sister, she also sees beautiful and terrible things that don't--or shouldn't--exist. She learns there's much more to this world than meets the eye and struggles to make sense of it all. When Hannah sees Leah taking the same dangerous path that consumed their own mother--where lies supplant reality--she's desperate to get through to her. But facing difficult truths is harder than it looks...

And the book is finished and gets

My Review

Hannah is a woman who lived with her mother for many years. She has an older sister, Leah. But now her mother has passed away. And now Hannah lies with her mother in a coffin in a cemetery. Because Hannah died when she was two and her mother has told so many lies that some people believe that Hannah still lives with her mother. In fact, she does and she has even grown and grown older. Hannah decides to step out of the coffin and go live with her sister.
Leah has distanced herself from her mother because she can no longer stand all the lies.
But then she discovers that she is slowly adopting her mother's habit. A little lie here and a little lie there. Hannah goes out with Leah and her friend to a few obscure bars where the customers don't take the truth very seriously either. And Hannah sees the lies moving like gunk across the floor. When Hannah sits down at the bar, she suddenly starts talking to a man, Sam, who can apparently see her. That is a pleasant surprise. But then he disappears and Hannah goes looking for the one person who can see her, touch her and talk to her.
The story is actually about lies that become real. If you tell something about a new car you bought (not really) it will appear somewhere along the curb. If you imagine a fiancé who will come to pick you up to keep a difficult man at bay, that man will also appear as a ghost. If you imagine a house and brag about it, that house also exists somewhere. Strange but fascinating story.

Started yesterday in The Year of What If by Phaedra Patrick

The blurb NOT my review

On the verge of her second marriage, Carla Carter knows she's found the one. She and her fiance?, Tom, met through Logical Love, a dating agency she founded for the pragmatically minded, and she's confident that, together, they'll dispel an old family curse claiming Carter women are unlucky in love. But when Carla's superstitious family insists she visit a fortune teller before her big day, the tarot reveals that the love of Carla's life is not Tom, but one of the men she dated on a gap year--twenty-one years ago. With her wedding just weeks away, Carla sets off across Europe, tracking down her exes from that unforgettable year to prove the fortune wrong. From Spain to Portugal, Italy to France, will one of them be her perfect match? And could a face from Carla's past help her rewrite her entire family history forever?

Did a lot of reading in the weekend. It´s really hot in the Netherlands, somewhere around 35 degrees C. So all you can do is read in the garden somewhere in the shade.

fininshed The year of What if by Phaedra Patrick and the book gets

My review

Carla Carter is happy with her fiancé Tom and they are getting married. The preparations are in full swing and in a month they will be husband and wife. But then Tom has to go to Canada to present one of his invented board games at a convention and Carla has a hard time with that. To distract herself, she goes with her grandmother and a few other female relatives to a distant cousin who can predict the future. In Carla's family, there is a story about a curse and that means that the marriages of the women do not last long. For Carla, divorced from Aaron, and the very superstitious family members it should be a day out but the fortune teller tells Clara that Tom is not meant for her. That would be really akward because Carla owns a business where they match people based on scientific research and that is how she found Tom. The fortune teller also tells that one of the men Carla met way during her gap year in college, is still waiting impatiently for her. With Tom in Canada, Carla goes on a vacation in Europe for a while and visits all of her exes. With the curse on her ancestors in mind, she also tries to find out things about those ancestors.
Well written and a great story that I enjoyed.

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Started and finished Spy Ring by Sarah Beth Durst and give this cute children's book

The blurb NOT my review

With codewords and secret signals perfected, best friends Rachel and Joon are ready to spend their summer practicing spycraft, especially if they can uncover secrets like the one Joon's parents have been keeping, that his family is about to move out of town. When eavesdropping leads them to a ring rumored to have belonged to Anna "Nancy" Smith Strong, according to local Long Island legend, the only female member of George Washington's famed Culper Spy Ring, they think they've hit the jackpot. Then they discover Nancy left a coded message in the ring! Decoding her message leads to another cryptic clue, and then another, and soon Rachel and Joon are racing to decipher a series of puzzles that must surely lead to hidden treasure! But can they solve the final mystery before Joon's moving day? And just what did the centuries-old spy hide away, and why?

My review

Funny book for older children (10 to 13 years) about Rachel and Joon, two friends who go in search of the truth behind a group of spies who spied for George Washington. When they eavesdrop on a conversation between Rachel's parents, they discover that there is a ring that, according to the story, belonged to Anna Smith Strong, alias Nancy. Using an inscription in the ring, which they secretly took, they follow clues and discover who Nancy really was.

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And started in Catalyst by Sarah Beth Durst - ROOT # 28

The blurb NOT my review

Zoe must figure out how to keep a giant kitten safe in this magical adventure about change, expectation, and accepting all for who they truly are--regardless of shape or size. Zoe named the kitten Pipsqueak, because she was so tiny, and promised to always take care of her. Then the kitten grew. And grew. Now she's bigger than a horse--and talking as well! Fleeing into the woods to escape the curious eyes of the Internet, Zoe and her best friend, Harrison, must keep the giant cat hidden as they desperately search for a way to return her to normal size. If they don't succeed, Pipsqueak may never be safe again. But why did she grow so large in the first place? And what if trying to change her back leads to even greater danger?

Finished the book above and it gets - ROOT # 28

My review

When Zoe finds a cute little kitten near her house, she takes it inside. Her parents are used to Zoe bringing animals home and have actually forbidden her to do so. Her mother in particular has a hard time with that, but a kitten is something different than a skunk and she is allowed to keep the kitten on the condition that she takes care of the cat and that it stays in her room and, when it gets bigger, in the garden. Zoe takes the kitten to her room with great joy. When she wakes up the next morning, it is not a kitten, but a big cat. And it keeps growing. She keeps Pipsqueak hidden for a long time, but tells everything to her neighbor and best friend Harrison. When hiding it becomes increasingly difficult, they decide to go to Aunt Alecia, who lives quite a distance away from them. But they come up with a plan. And with the help of Harrison's cousin Surita, they set off on a long trek where they are in for a big surprise.

>222 connie53: Oh my, 35°C and more sounds awful. I hope there’s lots of cool shade in your garden.

Where the bath is is a fine place to sit, Birgit.

Here in Scotland (unlike Europe and southern/central England) we have grey cloudy skies, although it does still feel quite warm. We had rain overnight which is a blessing, as the Highlands were dealing with some big wildfires. I remember living in Romania in summer 2007 when the temperatures got into the mid-40s - I have no idea how I managed to get any work done, the thought of those temperatures now has me wanting to find the deepest freezer I can and climb in!

The heat wave in Europe made the CBS evening news here in the US. The said that the cause of the heat dome over Europe is the extraordinarily warm water temperatures of the Mediterranean Sea. And of the warmer water temperatures of the Atlanta.

It has been hot here as well. Not overly hot, but hot. So far this year, every month has been above average in temperature and lower than average in rainfall. All this is portents of things to come due to climate change.

>225 connie53: Just looking at water makes me feel cooler...

Or holding your wrists under cold water.

Yesterday I'v read 5 novella's by Mark Stay. All ROOTs but I won't count them because they were really short around 28 pages each.

I want to mention them here

The Druid at Thieves Holm
Caesar on Watling Street
Mrs Teach's Séance
The Last Night of the Witchfinder General
I'll See You in My Dreams
The Memory Thief
Two Chickens for Laura Long Arms

Started yesterday en finished today 3 x Agnes by Peter van Straaten - Forumchallenge # 37 -

The cover is a really bad one, quality wise. But I could not find anything beter. And I do know the link is not really pointing to the right book about Agnes, there are simply too many books about her
The book is based on the columns Peter wrote and illustrated for a National Dutch newspaper. And that was a while ago.

My review

Funny columns processed in 3 stories about Agnes and Arthur. Agnes is a woman in her forties and Arthur is her boyfriend. A lot, a lot of wine is drunk, certainly in the second story when they go to buy a house from friends in Italy. Occasionally a bit too much wine and a bit too much sex, but I can imagine that, if you read them in a newspaper, that can be fine.

>229 connie53:
You can also wrap a wet cloth around your neck. That makes you feel cooler.

Thanks for the tip, Benita.

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Finished The End of Dragons by Mark Stay - Book - ROOT # 29 -

My review

This is the second part of a series of 3 books about the end of magic. That is clearly noticeable, because there are many loose ends and there are also many characters who play a role. For me, Mabyn (Mab) was very cute. She is a 10-year-old girl who protects the only remaining dragon who mourns the death of her partner and unborn child in a cave near her village.

The lapis moon has exploded and pieces of that moon are everywhere. There is still magic in the pieces and all the magicians collect as many of them as possible. The new leader of the country wants to put an end to all magic. That is why he has launched a manhunt to eliminate all the magicians. So Sander Bree and Rosheen Katell have to hide.
A lot happens and it is nice to read and now we have to wait for part 3.

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Started yesterday in Breathe by Sarah Crossan

The blurb NOT my review

Ever since the Switch, when the oxygen levels plummeted and most of humanity died, the survivors have been protected in glass domes full of manufactured air. Protected . . . or trapped? Or controlled? Alina's a revolutionary who believes we can save the environment. Quinn's a Premium who's never had to worry about having enough air. His best friend, Bea, is an Auxiliary who's never worried about anything but having enough air. When the three cross paths, they will change everything. Sarah Crossan's thrilling and provocative novel is about passion, about yearning for something better, and about breaking free for the very first time.

Now also looking for a tree-book to read.

Finished Breathe by Sarah Crossan this afternoon and the book gets

My review

I really like this book and am already reading the sequel. By cutting down almost all the trees, the oxygen level in the world has seriously decreased and all the inhabitants now live in cities under a dome. They have to live there with oxygen masks on. The inhabitants are divided into three classes, each living in their own part of the city. The elite and the people who have the say live in Premium and there are 2 other parts of the city.
Of course there are also people who resist. They have gathered in an old football stadium far from the city. And they do everything there to let nature recover.
There are 3 main characters Quinn who is the son of one of the leaders of the city and his best friend Bea, who belongs to the lowest class. There is also Alina, who is part of the resistance.
Everyone blindly believes what the leaders prescribe, but is everything they say true? When Quinn and Bea want to leave the dome on a weekend camping trip, they meet Alina and their adventure begins and they have to decide who they want to believe.

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Started in part two Resist by Sarah Crossan

The blurb in spoiler and NOT my review

Three teen outlaws must survive on their own in a world without air, exiled outside the glass dome that protects what's left of human civilization. Gripping action, provocative ideas, and shocking revelations in a dystopian novel that fans of Patrick Ness and Veronica Roth will devour.

Bea, Alina, and Quinn are on the run. They started a rebellion and were thrown out of the pod, the only place where there's enough oxygen to breathe. Bea has lost her family. Alina has lost her home. And Quinn has lost his privileged life. Can they survive in the perilous Outlands? Can they finish the revolution they began? Especially when a young operative from the pod's Special Forces is sent after them. Their only chance is to stand together, even when terrible circumstances force them apart. When the future of human society is in danger, these four teens must decide where their allegiances lie. Sarah Crossan has created a dangerous, and shattered society in this wrenching, thought-provoking, and unforgettable post-apocalyptic novel.~

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Started yesterday in a tree book too

Het heksenboek van Ellie Briar by A.G. Slatter

The blurb Not my review

Ellie Briar is the first non-witch to be born into her family for generations. The Briar family of witches run the town of Silverton, caring for its inhabitants with their skills and magic. In the usual scheme of things, they would be burnt for their sorcery, but the church has given them dispensation in return for their protection of the borders of the Darklands, where the much-feared Leech Lords hold sway.

Ellie is being trained as a steward, administering for the town, and warding off the insistent interest of the church. When her grandmother dies suddenly, Ellie's cousin Audra rises to the position of Briar Witch, propelling Ellie into her new role. As she navigates fresh challenges, an unexpected new ability to see and speak to the dead leads her to uncover sinister family secrets, stories of burnings, lost grimoires and evil spells. Reeling from one revelation to the next, she seeks answers from the long dead and is forced to decide who to trust, as a devastating plot threatens to destroy everything the Briar witches have sacrificed so much to build.

Finished Resist by Srah Crossan and the book gets

My review

The second book in the Breathe series. Back in the world where oxygen is scarce and it's crucial to always have an oxygen machine with you.
The main characters are now part of Vanya's group, Petra's sister, who was in charge of the Grove, but the Grove has been razed to the ground by the government. Vanya has a completely different approach to the oxygen problem. Through training and meditation, people become accustomed to lower oxygen levels. One of Vanya's main goals is more people, so pairs are formed with the intention of having babies as quickly as possible. And Vanya wants to overthrow the government and kill everyone in the Pod by attacking the oxygen plants. There are many more skirmishes and misunderstandings, and ultimately, the ending is still a surprise.
A little less exciting than the first book. Perhaps because the writing seems a bit more chaotic.
I did have an unofficial and unedited version, which could be the reason.

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And started in Where the Heart Should Be by Sarah Crossan

The blurb NOT my review

Ireland, 1846. Nell is working as a scullery maid in the kitchen of the Big House. Once she loved school and books and dreaming. But there's not much choice of work when the land grows food that rots in the earth. Now she is scrubbing, peeling, washing, sweeping for Sir Philip Wicken, the man who owns her home, her family's land, their crops, everything. His dogs are always well fed, even as famine sets in. Upstairs in the Big House, where Nell is forbidden to enter, is Johnny Browning, newly arrived from England: the young nephew who will one day inherit it all. And as hunger and disease run rampant all around them, a spark of life and hope catches light when Nell and Johnny find each other. This is a love story, and the story of a people being torn apart.

And finished and the book gets

My review

Beautifully written, but with a terrible subject. In 1845, Ireland was ravaged by the potato famine. A fungus destroyed the entire potato crop, and the population lived mainly on those potatoes. Nell Quinn and her family had little to nothing to eat, and nothing left to sell at the market. Nell was taken out of school and got a job at the Great House of Lord Wicken, who also owned the land where their family lived, and he still demanded the rent for the house and land.
At the Great House, Nell went to work in the kitchen and met John Browning, a boy who made a deep impression on her and who was Lord Wicken's heir. When they fell in love, it was an impossible but unavoidable complication. And the misery only worsened when the men, including Nell's father, plotted to take down Lord Wicken. But Nell and John continued to see each other.
The book is beautifully written in short, simple words, yet very poetic. The arrangement of the words themselves, sometimes just words below each other, is beautifully done.

Finished Het heksenboek van Ellie Briar by A.G. Slatter - Book - ROOT # 30 -

My review

I'm not sure what to think of this book. It's exciting, but a bit messy.
It's about the Briar family. For Generations this is a family of witches, who must ensure that the village of Silverton remains safe from the inhabitants of the Darklanders around them. But now there's a girl who isn't a witch, and that's Ellie Briar. She's been tested time and again by her grandmother, Gisela, and nothing ever happens. As she grows older, she takes over as steward for her great-aunt Maud. And she does it well. But then she falls and bumps her head, and suddenly she discovers a talent after all. She can communicate with spirits and help them by listening to their stories and forgiving them for their sins. When Gisela also dies, only her four cousins ​​remain: sisters Nia and Eira, Audra (now the head witch), and Ellie herself. But then dead animals start turning up everywhere, and when Ellie, on a tour of Silverton's farms, discovers that some are completely abandoned, she's at a loss. The town also has problems that demand solutions. And it all comes down to Ellie. She does have help from Father Huw, who appears to be a cleric but is actually a witch of sorts, and from Sandor, the ghost of her great-great-grandfather.
As mentioned: it's a bit messy, and that turns a potential 8 into a 7.

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Started in Hey, Zoey by Sarah Crossan - Forumchallenge # 39

The blurb NOT my review

43-year-old Dolores O'Shea is logical, organized, and prepared to handle whatever comes her way. She keeps up with her job and housework, takes care of her mentally declining mother, and remains close with her old friends and her younger sister who's moved to New York. Though her marriage with David, an anesthesiologist, isn't what is used to be, nothing can quite prepare her for Zoey, the $8,000 AI sex doll that David has secretly purchased and stuffed away in the garage. At first, Zoey sparks an uncharacteristically strong violence in Dolores, whose entire life is suddenly cast in doubt.
But then, Dolores and Zoey start to talk...and what surfaces runs deeper than Dolores could have ever expected, with consequences for all of the relationships in her life, especially her relationship to herself. Provocative, brilliant, and tender, Hey, Zoey is an electrifying new novel about the painful truths of modern-day connection and the complicated and unexpected forms that love can take in a lifetime.

Started 2025-07-12

Door duisternis gesmeed by Rebecca Yarros - Book - ROOT # 31 - BFB # 4

After nearly eighteen months at Basgiath War College, Violet Sorrengail knows there's no more time for lessons. No more time for uncertainty. Because the battle has truly begun, and with enemies closing in from outside their walls and within their ranks, it's impossible to know who to trust. Now Violet must journey beyond the failing Aretian wards to seek allies from unfamiliar lands to stand with Navarre. The trip will test every bit of her wit, luck, and strength, but she will do anything to save what she loves--her dragons, her family, her home--and him.

>1 connie53: Beautiful granddaughters! Aren't grandchildren life's finest reward? I certainly think so.

>238 BookDoc16: I do agree with that, BD. They are really great and I will be happy when they return from their holiday in Italy.