Connie ROOTs again in 2026 - part 1

Hello all my co-ROOTers

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

I'm Connie, 73 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 4 years due to a fall and a surgery that did not go well.
Peter died last Oktober 2 and we do miss him a lot.

We have a son, Jeroen (43) who lives with his partner Rianne (37) and their daughter Lonne (8) in Roermond, near my home.
And a daughter, Eveline who (40) lives with her partner, Cyrille (43) and their daughters Fiene (9) and Marie (6) 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.

The family

In the back Rianne, Jeroen and Eveline
Cyrille is taking the picture and is on the left
The Girls. Fiene, Lonne and in front Marie

Fiene, just left the library and she can't wait to be home to read her book.



And somewhere on holiday in a rented cottage



All three girls at my place with Santa Claus (december 6)



Lonne on holiday too, last summer



Lonne reading



Marie with a lego set she got from Santa Claus.

And all three

For my RL Book-club I will read books for the challenges we set for 2026
I will keep a list of them here.

Totaal: 29

Other forummember
01. Goblins & Greatcoats - Travis Baldree

Occupation
01. The Left-Handed Booksellers of London - Garth Nix
02. Door de ogen van een gynaecoloog - Koen Deurloo

Ownership
01. Nu ben je van mij - Lisa Regan
02. De dochter van de ambassadeur - Pam Jenoff

Cosy Mystery
01. Peach Pies and Alibis by Ellery Adams
02. The Path of the Crooked by Ellery Adams
03. Guidebook to Murder - Lynn Cahoon

Down Under
01. The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village - Joanna Nell

Triple dragons
01. Waar is de kleine draak - Joachim Krause

Humorous dialogue
01. The Tea Ladies of St. Jude's Hospital - Joanna Nell

Youth book
01. Toen kwam Tjeerd - Sanne van Havelte

Latin America
01. De kolonel krijgt nooit post - Gabriel García Márquez

Moon
01. De laatste ravendochter - Merel Godelieve
02. Onder de sterren - Virginie Grimaldi
03. De wens - Heather Morris

Multiple covers
01. Buitengewoon briljante wezens - Shelby van Pelt
02. The Teller of Small Fortunes - Julie Leong

Multiple from 2016
01. The Last Voyage of Mrs. Henry Parker - Joanna Nell

Non fiction
01. Dierenarts in New York - Amy Attas
02. Maar jij bent een goeie - Sofyan Mbarki

Parents
01. Het kind in de golven - Michel Bussi

Space ships

Bad guy

Collection of stories

Initials
01. Somewhere Beyond the Sea - TJ Klune
02. Sterftij - S.K. Tremayne
03. De Zilveren Rivier - S.A. Chakraborty

Female main character
01. Door het vuur - M.J. Arlidge
02. Mrs. Winterbottom Takes a Gap Year - Joanna Nell
03. Zonder afscheid - Harlan Coben & Reese Witherspoon

Weapon
01. Spaans vuur - Wouter van Mastricht

ROOTs read in 2026

01. Door het vuur - M.J. Arlidge -
02. The Left-Handed Booksellers of London - Garth Nix -
03. Toen kwam Tjeerd - Sanne van Havelte -
04. We moeten je iets vertellen - Marlies Slegers -
05. Het kind in de golven - Michel Bussi -
06. Somewhere Beyond the Sea - TJ Klune -
07. Sterftij - S.K. Tremayne -
08. Peach Pies and Alibis - Ellery Adams -
09. Goblins & Greatcoats - Travis Baldree -
10. De laatste ravendochter - Merel Godelieve -
11. De kraanvogels vliegen naar het zuiden - Lisa Ridzén -
12. Buitengewoon briljante wezens - Shelby van Pelt -
13. Spaans vuur - Wouter van Mastricht -
14. Lucht - John Boyne -
15. Onder de sterren - Virginie Grimaldi -
16. Guidebook to Murder - Lynn Cahoon -
17. Honderd dagen - Emelie Schepp -
18. The Last Voyage of Mrs. Henry Parker - Joanna Nell -
19. The Tea Ladies of St. Jude's Hospital - Joanna Nell -
20. De Gemerkte man - Robert Galbraith -
21. Jouw kind is de volgende - M.J. Arlidge & Andy Maslen -
22. Dierenarts in New York - Amy Attas -
23. Albatros - Yorick Goldewijk -
24. The Teller of Small Fortunes - Julie Leong -
25. The Keeper of Magical Things - Julie Leong -
26. In an Absent Dream - Seanan McGuire -
27. De Zilveren Rivier - S.A. Chakraborty -
28. The Enchanted Greenhouse - Sarah Beth Durst -
29. Krekel - Annet Schaap -
30. Zonder afscheid - Harlan Coben & Reese Witherspoon -
31. De Pumpkin Spice Café - Laurie Gilmore -
32. Come Tumbling Down - Seanan McGuire -
33. De Stilte voor de storm - Clare Leslie Hall -
34. Het boekwinkeltje in Venetië - Rebecca Raisin -
35. De laatste sterren aan de hemel - Kate Hewitt -
36. De dochter van de ambassadeur - Pam Jenoff -
37. Door de ogen van een gynaecoloog - Koen Deurloo -

Books read in 2026

Januari, February, March

01. Door het vuur - M.J. Arlidge - ROOT # 01 - Forumchallenge # 01 -
02. The Left-Handed Booksellers of London - Garth Nix - ROOT # 02 - Forumchallenge # 02 -
03. The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village - Joanna Nell - Forumchallenge # 03 -
04. Toen kwam Tjeerd - Sanne van Havelte - ROOT # 03 - Forumchallenge # 04 -
05. We moeten je iets vertellen - Marlies Slegers - ROOT # 04 -
06. Het kind in de golven - Michel Bussi - ROOT # 05 - Forumchallenge # 05 -
07. The Raven Scholar - Antonia Hodgson - Foreign Fantasy # 01 - BFB # 01 -
08. Waar is de kleine draak - Joachim Krause - Forumchallenge # 06 -
09. Somewhere Beyond the Sea - TJ Klune - ROOT # 06 - Forumchallenge # 07 -
10. The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home - Joanna Nell -
11. Sterftij - S.K. Tremayne - ROOT # 07 - Forumchallenge # 08 -
12. De kolonel krijgt nooit post - Gabriel García Márquez - Forumchallenge # 09 -
13. Peach Pies and Alibis - Ellery Adams - ROOT # 08 - Forumchallenge # 10 -
14. Goblins and Greatcoats - Travis Baldree - ROOT # 09 - Forumchallenge # 11 -
15. Nu ben je van mij - Lisa Regan - Forumchallenge # 12 -
16. De laatste ravendochter - Merel Godelieve - ROOT # 10 - Forumchallenge # 13 -
17. The Path of the Crooked - Ellery Adams - Forumchallenge # 14 -
18. De kraanvogels vliegen naar het zuiden - Lisa Ridzén - ROOT # 11 -
19. Buitengewoon briljante wezens - Shelby van Pelt - ROOT # 12 - Forumchallenge # 15 -
20. The Way of the Wicked - Ellery Adams -
21. Spaans vuur - Wouter van Mastricht - ROOT # 13 - Forumchallenge # 16 - BFB # 02 -
22. Een rugzak vol - Pieter Koolwijk -
23. Lucht by John Boyne - ROOT # 14 -
24. Onder de sterren - Virginie Grimaldi - ROOT # 15 - Forumchallenge # 17 -

Book read in 2026

April, May, June

25. Guidebook to Murder - Lynn Cahoon - ROOT # 16 - Forumchallenge # 18 -
26. Honderd dagen - Emelie Schepp - ROOT # 17 -
27. Mrs. Winterbottom Takes a Gap Year - Joanna Nell - Forumchallenge # 19 -
28. The Last Voyage of Mrs. Henry Parker - Joanna Nell - ROOT # 18 - Forumchallenge # 20 -
29. The Tea Ladies of St. Jude's Hospital - Joanna Nell - ROOT # 19 - Forumchallenge # 21 -
30. De gemerkte man - Robert Galbraith - ROOT # 20 - BFB # 3 -
31. Jouw kind is de volgende - M.J. Arlidge & Andy Maslen - ROOT # 21 -
32. Dierenarts in New York - Amy Attas - ROOT # 22 - Forumchallenge # 22 -
33. De Wens - Heather Morris - Forumchallenge # 23 -
34. Albatros - Yorick Goldewijk - ROOT # 23 -
35. The Teller of Small Fortunes - Julie Leong - ROOT # 24 - Forumchallenge # 24 -
36. The Keeper of Magical Things - Julie Leong - ROOT # 25 - Foreign Fantasy # 2 -
37. In an Absent Dream - Seanan McGuire - ROOT # 26 -
38. De Zilveren Rivier - S.A. Chakraborty - ROOT # 27 - Forumchallenge # 25 -
39. The Enchanted Greenhouse - Sarah Beth Durst - ROOT # 28 -
40. The Faraway Inn - Sarah Beth Durst -
41. Krekel - Annet Schaap - ROOT # 29 -
42. Zonder afscheid - Harlan Coben & Reese Witherspoon - ROOT # 30 - Forumchallenge # 26 -
43. De Pumpkin Spice Café - Laurie Gilmore - ROOT # 31 -
44. De letter M - Natasha Pulley - OB 2026 #1 -
45. Come Tumbling Down - Seanan McGuire - ROOT # 32 -
46. De stilte voor de storm - Clare Leslie Hall - ROOT # 33 -
47. Maar jij bent een goeie - Sofyan Mbarki - Forumchallenge # 27 -
48. Het boekwinkeltje in Venetië - Rebecca Raisin - ROOT # 34 -
49. De laatste sterren aan de hemel - Kate Hewitt - ROOT # 35 -
50. De uren van de nacht - Kate Hewitt -
51. Vianne - Joanne Harris - OB # 2 -
52. De dochter van de ambassadeur - Pam Jenoff - ROOT # 36 - Forumchallenge # 28 -
53. Door de ogen van een gynaecoloog - Koen Deurloo - ROOT # 37 - Forumchallenge # 29 -

Books read in 2026

July, August, September

Books read in 2026

Oktober, November, December

BFB's in 2026

Book or E-books with over 500 pages

01. The Raven Scholar - Antonia Hodgson - 627 pages -
02. Spaans Vuur - Wouter van Mastricht - 606 pages -
03. De gemerkte man - Robert Galbraith - 1059 pages -

Books bought in 2026
01. Krekel - Annet Schaap
02. Een rugzak vol - Pieter Koolwijk
03. De stilte voor de storm - Clare Leslie Hall
04. Maar jij bent een goeie - Sofyan Mbarki
05. Als dromen fluisteren - Mélissa da Costa
06. De grootste fout - M.J. Arlidge & Lisa Hall
07. De dikke Kolletje - Pieter Feller
08. The Sinister Booksellers of Bath - Garth Nix
09. Limbusland - Pieter Koolwijk
10. De mysterieuze bakkerij - Evie Woods
11. De schaduw van Negen - Ben Guterson
12. De wens - Heather Norris
13. Het licht tussen onze vingers - Benny Lindelauf
14. Vroeger woonden wij hier - Marcus Kliewer
15. Geschenk van de zee - Julia Kelly
16. The Faraway Inn - Sarah Beth Durst
17. De verborgen deur - Selma Noort
18. Willow en het magisch woud - Sabine Bohlmann

N.b. Clare Leslie Hall and Clare Empson are one person.

Italics is read

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Welcome to my first thread for 2026

I wish you a healthy and happy New Year filled with many exciting books. May all your wishes come true

Thanks, Barbara! Same to you.

Still reading in Door het vuur by M.J. Arlidge - ROOT # 1 - Forumchallenge # 1 for this year.

The blurb NOT my review

Helen Grace is sure she made the right decision to quit her job as a detective. Until the day she looks out from her window to see a desperate young woman being beaten by two thugs. Still a force to be reckoned with, Helen races into the night and strikes the men down. For a moment, it feels like she doesn't need her badge to do good, but as she leads the girl to safety, she's struck from behind, regaining consciousness just in time to see the victim being dragged into a white van. Helen's determined to find the woman and save her, but even begging her former colleagues to help gets her nowhere. It's clear it'll be up to her alone to make the rescue. Taking matters into her own hands, Helen uncovers more vulnerable women connected to the first who desperately need her help. But fighting crime as a maverick is a dangerous game. One that could cost Helen her life, and the life of those she holds most dear.

Wishing you all the best in 2026!

Thank you, Jennifer

Welcome back, Connie! Hope you and the girls have a great reading year!

Welcome back, Connie! Wishing you everything good this year.

Happy new year, Connie! Good luck achieving your goal in 2026!

Thanks, ladies! Same to you all.

Welcome back, Connie, and Happy New Year! Thanks for sharing the pictures of your family. They look happy, and you've got some readers there.

It's good to see the pictures of your girls, Connie. How nice that they are growing up to be readers. Best of luck with your ROOTing.

Thanks Irene and Meg.

Happy New Year and happy year of reading, Connie!

Thanks, Darryl! Good to 'talk' to you again.

Happy New Year, Connie, and lots of happy reading to you! It’s amazing to see how much the girls have grown up.

>28 MissWatson: Thanks, Birgit. I know, it's great to see them grow up. I now even have a grandson-in-law as Fiene has a 'boyfriend'.

>29 connie53: Wow, she is growing up.

Happy New Year, Connie. Thanks to Barb for giving me an update on your situation. Sorry to hear about your husband's passing. It sounds like you have had a tough couple of years.

Your grand-daughters are beautiful. Enjoy every moment.

>31 msf59: Thank you, Mark. It's was really though, him being in a care home. I really do miss him, but he was tired of living the way he did and we were all at peace with him passing and happy he moved on to a better place. He hated the way he had to live and in the end he was really cross at everyone and everything.

Finished Door het vuur by M.J. Arlidge and the book gets - ROOT # 1 - Forumchallenge # 1

My review

A truly gripping book, starring Helen Grace, Charlie Brooks, and Emilia Garanita as determined women. Initially, I found it a bit chaotic, but by the end, I couldn't bear to read on for fear that important figures, in my opinion, would die.
This book also exposes the abuses undocumented immigrants are subjected to: exploitation, malnutrition, and a hopeless existence. When I think about it, all the main characters are strong women. And the men are usually rather unpleasant, from adulterers to straight-up criminals.
It begins with Helen witnessing an assault and chase from her hotel room and trying to save the woman who is the victim. Despite having resigned from the police force, Helen investigates and discovers that the victim, Selima, was trying to escape from two men working for a waste management company exploiting a large number of undocumented women from Turkey.
The story quickly develops into a race against time. Especially when one of the other women manages to escape. Helen takes care of Viyan, but the gang finds her again, and then everything accelerates to an ending I didn't see coming.
A truly fantastic book, with one minor annoyance that occasionally slowed the pace: Helen's overly long musings. I'd think, "Don't whine so much." If that hadn't been the case, the book would definitely have gotten another half star.

Starting in The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix - ROOT # 2 - Forumchallenge # 2

The blurb NOT my review

In a slightly alternate London in 1983, Susan Arkshaw is looking for her father, a man she has never met. Crime boss Frank Thringley might be able to help her, but Susan doesn't get time to ask Frank any questions. He is turned to dust by the prick of a silver hatpin in the hands of Merlin, a young left-handed bookseller (one of the fighting ones). With the right-handed booksellers (the intellectual ones), they are an extended family of magical beings who police the mythic and legendary Old World when it intrudes on the modern world... in addition to running several bookshops. Merlin and his sister Vivien, are on a quest to find the Old World entity who used ordinary criminals to kill his mother. As they tread in the path of a botched or covered-up police investigation from years past, their quest overlaps with Susan's

>1 connie53: this is an amazing thread and wishing you much Happy Rooting for 2026

Thank you, Anisha. Just pop in whenever you like.

Lovely to see your beautiful family, Connie. The grandchildren are getting big. Hope 2026 is full of happy adventures and great reads for you all!

Thank you, Donna.

Also started in The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village by Joanna Nell - Forumchallenge # 3

The blurb NOT my review

The life of 79-year-old pensioner Peggy Smart is as beige as the decor in her retirement village. Her week revolves around aqua aerobics, appointments with her doctor, and taking ever more inventive steps to hide her dwindling faculties in order to avoid giving up her independence. The highlight of Peggy s day is watching her handsome neighbour Brian head out for his morning swim. She dreams of inviting him to an intimate dinner, but as a woman of a certain age, she fears she has become invisible, even to men in their eighties. However, a chance encounter with an old friend - the glamorous fashionista Angie Valentine - sets Peggy on an unexpected journey of self-discovery.

oh, no, connie! i'm so sorry to hear about Peter. my condolences to you and your family.

Thanks Scott!

Finished yesterday The Left-Handed Booksellers of London by Garth Nix and the book gets

My review

Susan doesn't know who her father is. Her mother is rather vague with her answers. When she goes looking for answers with Frank Thringley, an acquaintance of her mother's, she witnesses Merlin, a very handsome young man, stab him with a hatpin, turning Frank into a pile of dust. This is, of course, very unusual, and Susan is thus introduced to the left-handed Booksellers of London. Merlin is not only a bookseller but also a man belonging to a large family of magical people who try to prevent the magical Old World from coming into contact with the modern world. There are left-handers, like Merlin, who tackle the practical side of things, and right-handers, like Merlin's sister Vivien, who tackle the more scientific side. Merlin and Vivien are searching for their mother's murderer. And Susan, Merlin, and Vivien set out together because the clues point in the same direction. Aided by Merlin's extended family, who are searching for new clues. Exciting story, well written but for me sometimes difficult to follow because the English of a fantasy book is a bit harder to follow.

Finished The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village by Joanna Nell and it gets - Forumchallenge # 3


My review

What a delightful book this is. At first, it seemed like a typical romance novel, but it quickly captivated me. Not least because Peggy is a seventy-nine-year-old woman, just a little older than me. Her husband recently passed away, and now she lives in a retirement village with a number other older people. They do aqua aerobics, and it's all rather calm and gentle. Peggy has a slight crush on one of the men and tries everything to be near him. And then one day, Angie Valentine comes to live in the village. Angie was a well-known figure in the fashion world, had four husbands, and increased her fortune with each divorce. But she was also a childhood friend of Peggy's, and the ladies still get along well. Angie also brings life back to the village and gets some of the members involved in the evening events organized for the village, which are all rather tame. Angie tries to get Peggy out of her "beige" existence and takes her to a clothing store where she gets a completely new look. She also gives her a new haircut and shows Peggy how she can easily look better and just have fun with friends and do crazy things. Peggy's son and daughter try to thwart their mother. A walker is delivered, and her daughter is convinced that Peggy has dementia because she's quite forgetful and not as sure-footed anymore after a fall when she broke her wrist. And Peggy thinks her children want her in a nursing home as soon as possible.
But Angie changes all that. I found it a refreshing read. It's a hopeful book, and I couldn't help laughing. Especially when the group wanted to buy a karaoke machine. And they were completely distraught.

"Lachlan (salesperson) asked, "Do any of you have a tablet? This model is compatible with a tablet." Peggy relaxed a little, sensing her feet on solid ground once more. She knew a thing or two about tablets. 'Bloody dozens of them, said Celia before Peggy had a chance to share her expertise. The seniors looked at the machine dubiously. Lachlan continued to talk them through a list of apparently contradictory features on offer: Woofers and subwoofers, hard drives and software, wired versus wireless. Celia challenged Lachlan to explain how music could possibly be stored in a cloud."

>42 connie53: Hi Connie
Happy Rooting! I've read this one too, a few years ago and agree with your rating. Nix seems to steadily deliver with fantasy stories, if you are interested in more of his books try his Sabriel series, ( I think its YA).

>44 kaida46: I read those and many more by him in the past and I agree with you. I really liked them

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Now starting in We moeten je iets vertellen by Marlies Slegers - ROOT # 5

The blurb NOT my review

After her moving Briefjes voor Pelle, Marlies Slegers returns with "We Have to Tell You Something," a beautiful young adult novel about letting go, acceptance, and love. Thirteen-year-old Hazel's parents are getting a divorce, and she's sent to live with her grandmother. She's not looking forward to it at all, because how can she keep her parents together if she's gone? While cleaning out her grandmother's cluttered house, she finds a box full of photos and belongings belonging to her father and a stack of secret letters from her grandfather. Hazel realizes that her mission to keep her parents together is hopeless. Meanwhile, on the island, she meets Kean, the dreamy boy who recites poems, his special cousin Raaf, and her grandmother's blind dog, Vincent. That summer, she learns all about letting go and acceptance, in all its forms...

And a very old one for the Forumchallenge of my real life book-club: Read a book from before you were 18 yo.



Toen kwam Tjeerd by Sanne van Havelte - ROOT # 3 - Forumchallenge # 4

The blurb NOT my review

After Lies Wessels's marriage to Henk van Eek, Maddie Monod has returned to the South of France, where she lives in a small apartment in Antibes.

However, she finds it utterly boring on her own and feels increasingly aimless and useless in society. This becomes especially clear to her when she visits Lies and Henk, who have finally settled down to their liking in a nearby town.

There, she meets Tjeerd Huizinga, a tall, blond Frisian man, and the first man not immediately smitten with her beauty. He tells her briefly and concisely what he thinks of a life like hers; she doesn't admit that she herself is already aware of this, and so, on the few occasions they do speak, there is more disagreement than harmony.

Maddie then leaves for the Netherlands and tries to find a job, as her monthly allowance has been significantly reduced.

She meets Tjeerd several times, but due to a serious reason, he has so little faith in people that he keeps avoiding her to avoid another disappointment.

It looks like you've got off to a strong start to reading in 2026, Connie! I hope you're keeping well.

I really enjoyed The Left Handed Booksellers of London when I read it. You've reminded me that I should get back to the Helen Grace books, Connie. Looks like you are doing well with your ROOTs.

Thanks, Jackie and Meg.

Finished Toen kwam Tjeerd and the boek gets - ROOT # 03 - Forumchallenge # 04

My review

A book from my childhood that I have fond memories of. But as I've gotten older, I've gained more experience with books. The story is rather dated, but that's to be expected, since it's from 1946. The language was so different back then, and so were the expressions. It's just very sloppy writing, and every now and then it jumps from one thing to another without any apparent purpose or cause.
Maddie is a very beautiful girl who gets a lot of attention from men. She's had one boyfriend after another, always breaking up because it wasn't working out for her. But when she meets Tjeerd, everything suddenly changes. She notices he makes a deep impression on her, but Tjeerd, who is equally impressed by her, suddenly acts very strangely, and she doesn't see him again for a while. She sometimes catches a glimpse of him, but something always happens that gives the other person the wrong impression.
When WWII breaks out, Tjeerd is sent to the front and returns devastated. He's severely malnourished, but he and Maddie are doing well, and he rents a room in the house where Maddie also has a room. When he can no longer walk, it turns out he has sciatica.
This improves when they move into a cottage on the heath, where he can rest and eat well.
It all ends with a wedding.

Starting in Het kind in de golven by Michel Bussi - ROOT # 05 - Forumchallenge # 05

The blurb NOT my review
Maddi Libéri is a successful doctor living an idyllic life in the South of France. On the morning of her son's tenth birthday, they walk to the beach together. The boy presses for a quick swim, but when the surf is too rough, she sends him off to buy a baguette instead. He never returns. Ten years later, Maddi stands at the spot where she last saw her son. A pilgrimage of sorts. And she can't believe her eyes. There, standing at the water's edge, is a young boy--and he looks exactly like her son. Same face, same suit ... even the same birthmark. Rattled, Maddi becomes obsessed with the boy. She upends her life to get closer to him. And the more she learns about her son's doppelganger, the more unhinged she becomes. Dangerous secrets brought to light put people's lives at risk, and plot twists reveal truths you'll never see coming

Still reading the book in >45 connie53: We moeten je iets vertellen

>50 connie53: is this your first Bussi? He tends to stick to same format/narrative ploys, but the first read is always a great thriller!

>51 Cecilturtle:. Yes, it is my first book by him. I discovered it in my favorite bookstore.

https://dekleinetovenaar.nl/winkel

It's originally a children's bookstore but it expanded and has now a adult section and jigsaw puzzles with book related thema's, like Mrs. Marple and Hercule Poirot. I try to avoid that store but I get drawn in sometimes.

>52 connie53: Enjoy!
Your bookstore sounds like mine: I walked out with a Mrs. Marple puzzle!!

>53 Cecilturtle: I have that one too.

We moeten je iets vertellen by Marlies Slegers is finished and gets - ROOT # 04

My review

A beautiful and moving children's book that describes various topics in a hopeful way: dementia, divorce, homosexuality, autism, falling in love, death, and making memories.
Hazel is thirteen when her parents announce their divorce. Summer vacation has just begun, and the family trip (father, mother, two daughters, and a son) to Italy is canceled. Hazel is sent to her grandmother's house to spend the holiday on one of the Wadden Islands. And Hazel doesn't like that at all. Her older sister is going abroad with a friend, and her younger brother is allowed to go with a friend and his parents.
When she arrives on the island, there's no one to pick her up, and she doesn't know the way to her grandmother's house. Fortunately, she does get there, but then it turns out that her grandmother has forgotten she was coming. And grandmother forgets more than that. The house is rather neglected. Hazel tries to tidy it up and finds letters hidden in a drawer, written in French. She also meets Kean and his nephew Raaf, who is autistic. The story describes everything beautifully. It's never preachy or negative. A truly excellent children's book.

>55 connie53: That sounds lovely. It doesn't look like her books have translations to English, but I put this in my wishlist to watch.

I don't know if it will ever be translated, MJ. I hope for you it will be.

Starting in The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson - BFB # 01

The blurb NOT my review

From an electrifying new voice in epic fantasy comes The Raven Scholar, a masterfully woven and playfully inventive tale of imperial intrigue, cutthroat competition, and one scholar's quest to uncover the truth. Let us fly now to the empire of Orrun, where after twenty-four years of peace, Bersun the Brusque must end his reign. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders compete to replace him. They are exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists--the best of the best. Then one of them is murdered. It falls to Neema Kraa, the emperor's brilliant, idiosyncratic High Scholar, to find the killer before the trials end. To do so, she must untangle a web of deadly secrets that stretches back generations, all while competing against six warriors with their own dark histories and fierce ambitions. Neema believes she is alone. But we are here to help; all she has to do is let us in. If she succeeds, she will win the throne. If she fails, death awaits her. But we won't let that happen. We are the Raven, and we are magnificent.

LT says it has 672 pages, my E-book says 2045 pages. I think my copy is in fault here.

I've been away for a night to celebrate the 40th birthday of Eveline and sitting for Fiene and Marie overnight when their parents had some meet up with the new prince Carnival. The new prince is a friend of Cyrille (who was prince two years ago. Cyrille and Eveline are now very busy with all things Carnival. Next weekend I will be there again sitting Fiene and Marie.

Not much reading done there. To busy crocheting sweaters for several pluche animals and trying to teach the girls how to crotchet.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/gQ2XaG7d3nk

How appropriate. That could be me.

>60 connie53: 😂😂😂🥳🥳🥳 could be me too as many other LTers.

>60 connie53: AH HAHAHA! Joining that club!

Finished Het kind in de golven by Michel Bussi - ROOT # 5 - Forumchallenge # 5 -

I had to think about this book for a long time, both during and after reading it. The story is incredibly complex, and every time you think you've figured it out, there's a twist I certainly didn't see coming.
It's very much about reincarnation, but it's really about mother and child. And how that can work through other relationships. Maddi is a general practitioner and mother of Esteban. On his tenth birthday, he drowns at sea. Maddi can't believe it, but when his body is found almost a month later, she's forced to believe it.
Years later, she sees a boy at the same seaside spot, and that boy, Tom, looks exactly like Esteban, but comes from a different part of France. Maddi searches for a general practice to take over near where Tom lives and moves to the Auvergne. She wants to find out how that resemblance came about. She meets some locals, such as Nectaire, the town clerk, his sister Aster, and Savine, a social worker.
And she also finds Tom and his mother. But then the story takes a complete turn. I won't say much about that to avoid spoilers. I thought that last part was a bit far-fetched, and it made the whole story feel a bit surreal.

De kraanvogels vliegen naar het zuiden door Lisa Ridzén - ROOT # 06

The blurb NOT my review

Bo, 89, was once a strong man who worked his entire life at a sawmill. Now his body is gradually failing him. His peaceful existence is rarely interrupted by anything other than visits from home care, the weekly phone call with his only friend, Ture, and memories of the past, which increasingly take the place of real life. In the void left by his wife after her admission to a nursing home, he has one source of comfort and security: his faithful dog, Sixten. But Bo's son, Hans, wants to take Sixten away from him because he is no longer able to properly care for the animal.

The threat of losing his dog evokes a multitude of emotions in Bo. Although he longs for a better relationship with his son than he once had with his own father, he struggles to find the right words to express his love for Hans. Hesitantly, father and son try to reach out to each other, but Bo's stubborn struggle to keep Sixten, his last source of joy, prevents their rapprochement.

The Cranes Fly South is a deeply moving and tender novel about growing old, maintaining control over your own life, friendship, and the special bond between humans and animals.

>60 connie53: Oh my! I love this!

And came here to say I'm so sorry about your husband's passing.

Thank you, Lisa.

>60 connie53: Excellent!

>58 connie53: Wow. I really like this book a lot. I'm now halfway in the book and I'm really having a great time. It's different and strange but so good.

If you are into fantasy than this is a book to read.

Do any of you have trouble with the stars? I have 5 squares and no idea how to select them.

Finished The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson and the book gets

My review

I'm definitely giving this book 5 stars (but my star ratings aren't working). I thoroughly enjoyed it, and now I have to wait for the second book.

The first storyline is about Neema, a young woman who works in the archives. Eight tribes live on the island: Bear, Fox, Oxen, Monkey, Raven, Tiger, Hound, and Dragon.
Neema belongs to the Raven tribe and is very interested in the island's history. The emperor belongs to the Bear tribe. He often talks to Neema about what she's learned from her research, and now he's reached his maximum reign. He will have to abdicate, and to choose a new emperor, a contest will be held in which a younger member of each tribe will compete for the crown.

A second storyline concerns the Valit family: father Andren, mother Yasila, the twins Ruko and Yana, and youngest sister Nisthala. They belong to the Tiger tribe. A few years earlier, Yana was banished by Ruko, and the family began to fall apart. Andren tries to kill the emperor to take the throne himself, but this is prevented, and Andren disappears.

Ruko is invited to the competition, and Neema is also forced to participate. But it's a fierce battle with dangerous tasks.

I won't say anything more because this is a well-crafted story with many unexpected twists that occasionally kept me reading with bated breath.

A very fun character is Sol (a solitary Raven in the form of a raven who becomes Meena's companion). Sol is fantastic.

>70 connie53: All is fixed now.

Okay, I get a real awful feeling reading this book. I will not finish it.

Somewhere Beyond the Sea - TJ. Klune - Forumchallenge # 07 - ROOT # 06

The blurb NOT my review

Arthur Parnassus has built a good life on the ashes of a bad one. He’s headmaster at an orphanage for magical children on a peculiar island, assisted by the love of his life, Linus Baker. And together, they’ll do anything to protect their extraordinary and powerful charges.

However, when Arthur is forced to make a public statement about his dark past, he finds himself fighting for those under his care. It’s also a fight for the better future that all magical people deserve. Then, when a new magical child joins their island home, Arthur knows they’ve reached breaking point. The child finds power in calling himself a monster, a name Arthur has tried so hard to banish to protect his children. Challenged from within and without, their volatile family might grow stronger. Or everything Arthur loves could fall apart.

Waar is de kleine draak - Joachim Krause - Forumchallenge # 06 -

The blurb NOT my review

The three-headed dragon has just kidnapped a princess. Can you help find her? Join him on an adventure to Dragon Land. There's plenty to see and do.

The short texts and peepholes in this thick board book invite you to explore. The adventures of the colorful dragons and the many hidden jokes make this book a fun quest for all little dragon friends, time and again.

My review

Much read to the girls. They wanted to reread it every time they were here. Now they are a bit to old for it, but it fitted in the forumchallenge on my RL-book club. So I reread it once more.

I will not count this book as a ROOT

Today I will be traveling to the girls in Maastricht again for an other night of sitting.

Have a lovely time with the girls, Connie!

I'm back after a now and then chaotic weekend. With lots of carnaval-ling (I was there because Eveline and Cecile where attending a gala ball and I did take care of the girls. Cardbordgames, reading to them en such things.)

Just got home .

Welcome home. Enjoy the quiet.

Thanks, that only lasted until this morning because I had my turn in the school-library of Lonne's school. Which is fun but also very loud sometimes because the library is situated in an open space between classes and there were lots of kids with wooden hammers doing their best to make a lot of noise. ;-))

Indeed, that’s anything but quiet!

Tomorrow another morning in the library.

Today nothing but Olympic skating.

What fun, the carnaval and costuming (and grand-girls)!

>83 connie53:
I watched the women's 1000 yesterday and was so excited for the two women that won. I also had fun watching the women's skiathalon on Sunday. There are some mighty women athletes out there.

>86 benitastrnad: I was reading that this is a women's Olympics: they're getting all sorts of medals and the photographer pool was a majority of women. There's even an event where the women are now competing the same distances as men (cross-country skiing, I think). So encouraging!

To all, thanks for the posts. Yes, I really was so excited for Femke Kok and Jutta Leerdam. They are awful women.

Back from the library. Now on to the carnaval-ling stuff. That will start on Saturday next for me, when Lonne is going to stay a night. On Tuesday the other girls will spend a night here.

For this afternoon I'planning on reading in Somewhere beyond the Sea and watching the Olympics and the government debates.

Finished Somewhere Beyond the Sea by TJ. Klune - ROOT # 06 - Forumchallenge # 07 -

My review

I loved the first book in this series, full of hope, and this book is the same. Even though things go wrong, Arthur and Linus remain optimistic and support each other and their children in everything.
At the beginning of the book, Arthur returns to the island where it all began. He's determined to fill the house with the sound of magical children who aren't welcome anywhere else. With Zoë's help, he renovates the house, and later, Linus and the first children arrive. These are the children: Lucifer "Lucy" (Antichrist), Sal (Shapeshifter), Phee (Forest Sprite), Talia (Gnome), Chauncey (Amorphous Green Boy), and Theodore (Wyvern). After a while, Arthur and Linus also decide to take David, a Yeti, into their family.

It all begins when Arthur is asked to give a statement to a committee from the Ministry of Education about his "school." Things don't go quite as planned, as the committee chair, Jeanine Rowder, is determined to take the children away from Arthur and Linus. She sends an inspector, Harriet Marblemaw, but the children fiercely resist the investigation. The ending is predictable, as this book is just as hopeful as the first. The ending really hit home, and I shed a few tears.

Starting in The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home by Joanna Nell

The blurb NOT my review

At nearly ninety, retired nature writer Hattie Bloom prefers the company of birds to people, but when a fall lands her in a nursing home she struggles to cope with the loss of independence and privacy. From the confines of her 'room with a view' of the carpark, she dreams of escape. Fellow 'inmate', the gregarious, would-be comedian Walter Clements also plans on returning home as soon as he is fit and able to take charge of his mobility scooter. When Hattie and Walter officially meet at The Night Owls, a clandestine club run by Sister Bronwyn and her dog, Queenie, they seem at odds. But when Sister Bronwyn is dismissed over her unconventional approach to aged care, they must join forces -- and very slowly an unlikely, unexpected friendship begins to grow. Full of wisdom and warmth, The Great Escape from Woodlands Nursing Home is a gorgeously poignant, hilarious story showing that it is never too late to laugh -- or to love.

>90 connie53: Finished this book and it gets

My review

I finished reading it today, and I thought it was a lovely story, largely set in a nursing home. Hattie Bloom and Walter Clements are admitted there because they can't live at home temporarily. Hattie fell from a tree and broke her hip. Walter is already there and has just purchased a Tesla scooter to ride. We also meet Nurse Bronwyn and Queenie, her dog. Bronwyn always works the night shift and has a very alternative perspective. Many of the residents can't sleep at night, so they gather together, and Bronwyn has them do things like fold laundry, shell beans, and even repair electrical appliances. She uses what the residents used to do as their professions. This makes the residents feel useful and valued again. The residents who spend these nights together call themselves "The Night Owl Club."
Then Queenie, in her enthusiasm, causes an accident and the management discovers that Bronwyn brings her dog to work.
She is fired, and Hattie and Walter do everything they can to get her back. This book provides a clear picture of the bleak way elderly people in nursing homes sometimes live. It also highlights what they themselves can do to give meaning to their final years. My own experience with my husband in such a home also illustrated this.

Starting in Sterftij by S.K. Tremayne - ROOT # 07 - Forumchallenge # 08

The blurb NOT mt review

Surrounded by the Blackwater estuary, The Stanhope hotel sits on a beautiful remote island. Tonight is the grand reopening, and organiser Hannah watches the guests with pride. But as drinking descends into debauchery, drunken revellers wade into the water, unaware of the treacherous tide at The Drowning Hour. They are never seen again. Tormented by a terror of water, Hannah is stuck on the island over winter. Whispers about That Night begin to circle. Someone knows what really happened in The Drowning Hour - and Hannah isn't safe.

>90 connie53:, >91 connie53: This interested me and I was waiting for your review. If you subscribe to Netflix, I see that "A Man on the Inside" is available in The Netherlands -- in season 1, a retiree poses undercover as a resident in a senior-living facility to solve a crime. It's light and heart-warming.

>93 detailmuse: I did have a subscription but it's been a long time since I've seen anything on Netflix.

Finished Sterftij by S.K. Tremayne - ROOT # 07 - Forumchallenge # 08 and the book gets

My review

I finished reading this book yesterday evening, and I've been pondering about it for quite a while. And I'm still not sure. I found it rather confusing, but intriguing.
Hannah works and lives on a small island off the coast of England. She does PR for a large, luxury hotel, which is the only building on the entire island. Earlier in the year several guests drowned there when the weather conditions created a dangerous situation, the so-called 'Drowning hour'. Because of that event, she developed a phobia of water, and now she doesn't dare leave the island. Her sister, Katalina, was also on the island at the time. When a smear campaign against the hotel breaks out and the guests stay away, Hannah becomes one of the few remaining residents. I don't want to give too much away about the story and how it unfolds. But I found it a bit forced towards the end. Still, I'm giving it 3 stars because I wanted to know how it ended.

De kolonel krijgt nooit post by Gabriel García Márquez - Forumchallenge # 09

The blurb NOT my review

Fridays are different. Every other day of the week, the Colonel and his ailing wife fight a constant battle against poverty and monotony, scraping together the dregs of their savings for the food and medicine that keeps them alive. But on Fridays the postman comes - and that sets a fleeting wave of hope rushing through the Colonel's ageing heart.

>96 connie53: And finished this novelle today. It was only a small book and it gets

My review

I have no idea why this author ever won a Nobel Prize. I thought it was a rather pathetic little book.
The colonel has been waiting for his promised pension for years. Every Friday, he goes to the post office to receive the letter, so he knows it will finally be paid, but it never does. Meanwhile, their fighting cock gets more to eat than the colonel and his wife. There must be a deeper meaning behind it, but I couldn't find it.

Starting in Peach Pies and Alibis by Ellery Adams - ROOT # 08 - Forumchallenge # 10

The blurb NOT my review

Ella Mae LeFaye's Charmed Pie Shoppe is wildly popular in Havenwood, Georgia, which is not surprising since Ella Mae can lace her baked goods with enchantments. The shop's extraordinary success seems destined to continue when Ella Mae meets an engaged couple who hire her to handle the dessert buffet at their wedding. But Ella Mae has a lot on her plate. She is also searching for the origin of her magical powers, and hoping to determine if the spark of attraction she feels for the handsome Hugh Dylan is authentic or just her new abilities gone awry. Then Ella Mae discovers a high-standing member of the community dead, and a wedding guest becomes seriously ill at the event she's catering. Now she'll have to use all her sleuthing skills and culinary talents to prove that her pies don't contain a killer ingredient.

I switched from part 4 to part 2. I seem to have missed 2 and 3.

>98 connie53: Finished this book today and the book gets

My review

What wonderful books Ellery Adams writes! This is the second installment in the Charmed Pie Shoppe Mysteries series. It's a fantastic read, never tedious or boring. The focus is, of course, Ella Mae LeFaye and her aunts. Ella Mae has returned to Havenwood after finding about her husband infidelity and has opened her Pie Shop, which is a resounding success. She's helped by Reba, her mother's loyal former housekeeper. But things get so busy in the shop and restaurant that she needs a waitress. When she meets Maurelle, the friend of a bride for whom Ella Mae is catering the wedding, she finds a kind, hardworking waitress.
Of course, Opal and her daughter, Loralyn Gaynor, are also present in the book. Later, it turns out that Adelaide, Ella Mae's mother, has a long-running vendetta with Opal, a vengeance that has been going on for generations. Then, a dead woman is found. And later, another woman is poisoned, and Ella Mae must do everything she can to find the culprit.

The differences between the magical families are only set aside when there's a festive gathering on the June and December solstices. Ella Mae surprises everyone when she attends, because it means she too has discovered her magical powers, which are stronger than usual. And there, something happens that will irrevocably change Ella Mae's life.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book.

>97 connie53: It's funny: I either love his books or can't finish them! There seems to be no in-between!

Goblins & Greatcoats by Travis Baldree - ROOT # 09 - Forumchallenge # 11

The blurb NOT my review

A goblin with too many pockets and a disturbing affinity for cutlery, a rain-soaked night, four adventurers, a pair of corpses, a junk-drawer knife, some unfortunate taxidermy, and a beleaguered Gatewarden…

These are the primary ingredients in a locked-room mystery that can only be solved by the Territory's most unlikely detective.

Her name is Zyll.

Her eyes are keen, her teeth are sharp, and the chaos of her passing leaves no murder unsolved.

And finished this book as it was a very small one. I gave it

My review
A short story in this series. A murder has been committed, and Zyll, a goblin, appears at the inn. She sees the victim lying there, talks with the victim's friends, and solves the murder.

Starting in Nu ben je van mij by Lisa Regan - Forumchallenge # 12

The blurb NOT my review

When Isabelle Coleman, a blond, beautiful young girl goes missing, everyone from the small town of Denton joins the search. They can find no trace of the town's darling, but Detective Josie Quinn finds another girl they didn't even know was missing. Mute and unresponsive, this mysterious girl has clearly has been damaged beyond repair. All Josie can get from her is the name of a third girl and a flash of a neon tongue piercing that matches Isabelle's. The race is on to find Isabelle alive, and Josie fears there may be other girls in terrible danger. When the trail leads her to a cold case labeled a hoax by authorities, Josie begins to wonder is there anyone left she can trust.

>97 connie53:, >100 Cecilturtle: Interesting! I loved Love in the Time of Cholera but am hesitating to read others, specifically One Hundred Years of Solitude.

>97 connie53: I've read several of his books (a book-loving friend of mine has gifted me almost all of his books for some reason - I've never asked if she had read them all herself!) and really loved some of them (Of Love and Other Demons and Love in the Time of Cholera), hated The Autumn of the Patriarch and I gave this one 3.5 stars, but didn't write a review. I have five more of his novels and his autobiography/memoir yet to read... Wish me luck, LOL!

>105 LisaMorr: I DNFed Autumn of the Patriarch - I hardly ever do that! BUT
>104 detailmuse: I Loved One Hundred Years of Solitude !

So he writes very different books. You love/hate them. Or both.

>106 Cecilturtle: well, I'll have to move One Hundred Years of Solitude up the list! And I totally get the DNFing of Autumn of the Patriarch; I finished it just to see if something else would happen, and it was pretty short, thankfully....

>107 connie53: Exactly!

>103 connie53: finished this book today and the book gets

My review

A gripping, but somewhat sloppily written, story. The translation could also have used a better editor.
Josie Quinn is a detective with the Denton police department and is assigned to investigate the disappearance of a young girl.
That girl is not found, but Josie finda a girl whose disappearance went unnoticed. Then begins a story of police corruption and horrific abuse of girls and young women. And several men who must remain silent to avoid revealing their own role. I'll definitely read more books in this series, but not right now.

Starting in De laatste ravendochter by Merel Godelieve - ROOT # 10 - Forumchallenge # 13

Original Dutch

The blurb NOT my review

A centuries-old castle, a gripping family saga, an epic love story, and a young woman with special powers…

Duncannon Castle is all Erin has left of her mother, and she does everything she can to keep her family castle standing. But costs are mounting, and the B&B guests are staying away. Her only hope is an American film studio, but when they choose a different castle as the set for a new film, even that hope seems to fade.

Desperate, Erin turns to the voice deep beneath the castle, one that has whispered to her for years and always helped her. The next morning, the other lord is dead, and the film crew is on its way.

Duncannon seems saved, but that same evening, things go wrong, and when all the guests are in bed, Erin turns to the voice one last time…

>110 connie53: Finished this book today and it gets - ROOT # 10 - Forumchallenge # 13

My review

Although this book has some minor flaws in the editing, I found it an enjoyable read. It tells the story of the women of the Tuar family. The firstborn daughter of each generation inherits a magical power that can do good or evil. And that's Erin for the final generation, whom we follow from a young girl, through a teenager, to her death.
Erin has the power to kill, and she must do so occasionally to survive. She usually draws on the power of animals or plants.
As a young girl, she meets Mactíre (Mac), a gypsy son. He lives in the family castle and is concerned about its condition. To generate money, she tries to secure a film production company to film in the castle. There, she meets Raven West. From that moment on, a story unfolds that I enjoyed reading. I don't want to say too much more about it.

Starting in The Path of the Crooked by Ellery Adams - Forumchallenge # 14

The blurb NOT my review

Cooper Lee was at a crossroads. Her boyfriend of five years had just left her for another woman, she was living in an apartment above her parents' garage, and her job as a copier repairperson was feeling a little, well, repetitious. Hoping for a fresh start and a new outlook on life, she joins the Bible study group at Hope Street Church. The last thing she expects while studying the Bible is a lesson in murder. When Brooke Hughes, the woman who first invited Cooper to Hope Street, is found murdered in her home, all signs point to her husband as the culprit. But Wesley Hughes was an elder at Hope Street Church, and the members of the Bible study are filled with disbelief that such a kind and loving man could take a life, much less his wife's. Unwilling to let an innocent man and friend be railroaded into prison, the Bible group decides to investigate on their own. As Cooper and this humorously diverse group of people-including a blind folk artist, a meteorologist with a taste for younger women, and a soft-spoken web designer who might be out to catch Cooper's eye-dig deeper into the clues, they're about to discover that finding the truth sometimes takes a leap of faith.

>112 connie53: Finished this book out in the garden today and the book gets - Forumchallenge # 14

My review

I really enjoyed this book. Ellery Adams simply writes pleasant stories that always have happy endings, even though there are murders involved.
This time, Cooper Lee is the main character. She has just been dumped by her partner, Drew, and is living again with her parents. She has a job repairing photocopiers. When she has to repair one, she meets Brooke Hughes. She likes the woman a lot and she tells Brooke her story, who tells her an uplifting story and recommends that she talk to the people at Hope Church Bible Club. When she does, she is immediately taken in and feels at ease. Nathan, in particular, makes an impression on her. Then the group hears that Brooke has been murdered, and they decide to try to solve the crime because they don't believe Brooke was killed by her own husband, who is known to be a very religious and honest man.
This does put the group in danger, but ultimately, everything is resolved.
Enjoyed reading it.

Finally finished De kraanvogels vliegen naar het zuiden by Lisa Ridsén

see >64 connie53: and the book gets

My review

I'd heard a lot of good things about this book, so I had high hopes. Not that it was bad, but it made me a little sad. It reminded me a lot of the last years with my husband.
Bo is 89 years old and lives alone with his dog, Sixten. His wife, Frederika, has dementia, lives in a nursing home. But Bo isn't doing well either. He's becoming forgetful and has difficulty walking. He lives in a rather remote area, and it's becoming increasingly difficult to walk Sixten. His son, Hans, has decided that Sixten can no longer stay with Bo and has told Bo, who is very angry. The story is told in short chapters, and we read how Bo's thoughts become increasingly confused, how he eats and drinks less, and how he becomes incontinent. When his best friend, Ture, dies, Bo gives up completely.

I think the author, whose debut book this is, describes such a process well. A beautiful but sad story.

Starting in Buitengewoon briljante wezens by Shelby van Pelt - ROOT # 12 - Forumchallenge # 15

The blurb NOT my review

After Tova Sullivan's husband died, she began working the night shift at the Sowell Bay Aquarium, mopping floors and tidying up. Keeping busy has always helped her cope, which she's been doing since her eighteen-year-old son, Erik, mysteriously vanished on a boat in Puget Sound over thirty years ago. Tova becomes acquainted with curmudgeonly Marcellus, a giant Pacific octopus living at the aquarium. Marcellus knows more than anyone can imagine but wouldn't dream of lifting one of his eight arms for his human captors--until he forms a remarkable friendship with Tova. Ever the detective, Marcellus deduces what happened the night Tova's son disappeared. And now Marcellus must use every trick his old invertebrate body can muster to unearth the truth for her before it's too late.

>115 connie53: and finished this book and I give it

My review

Another fantastic and unique book, featuring an octopus, Marcellus, as one of the main characters. The other main character is Tova, who cleans the Aquarium at night, where Marcellus is one of the residents. Not that she needs it; she has plenty of money in her savings account, but she enjoys being useful. Her husband has died, and her son Erik has been missing since he was 18. He's supposedly a grown man now. But it's unclear exactly what happened to him.

In the four years he's lived in the Aquarium, Marcellus has collected many small objects, both in and out of the water, because Marcellus is clever, very clever.
He's found a way to slide around outside his own tank for a while. He uses a tentacle to unscrew a screw, after which he can pull the pump out of the hole in the glass wall and out through that hole. Where he can survive without water for exactly 17 minutes. And he's formed a bond with Tova. Tova's arms are always covered in suction cup marks because they sometimes hold each other's "arms."
And Marcellus has a secret.
Then Cameron comes into the picture. He's gone a bit wild and bought an old camper van and is now searching for the man he thinks is his father. I won't reveal too much, because then it would spoil the surprise for the next reader.
I was especially surprised by the chapters from Marcellus's perspective. They were brilliant. It's a well-written and very special book.

Starting in Spaans Vuur by Wouter van Mastricht - ROOT # 13 - Forumchallenge # 16 - BFB # 2

Original Dutch book

A ROOT from 2010, so a deep one.

The blurb NOT my review

Maastricht, 1635. In the darkness of the city, a Spanish assassin prowls, disguised as a monk, his knife hidden in the sleeve of his robe. He kills without discrimination. His victims seem chosen at random, but behind every murder lies a well-thought-out plan. The result of his actions: fear and panic among the population.
In Maastricht, a fierce religious conflict rages between Catholics and Calvinists. The city is besieged by the Spanish armies, citizens are incited to treason, and army units are being assembled. It seems only a matter of days before the city falls back into Spanish hands.

Against this backdrop of the Eighty Years' War, Evan Sharpe, an interpreter in Frederick Henry's army, is ordered to find out who this ruthless murderer is. His quest takes him past churches and monasteries, to shady inns with cheating card players, whores, and shady innkeepers, and a grueling pilgrimage leads him—straight through hostile Spanish territory—to the pilgrimage site of Scherpenheuvel.
He meets a lost love, and the first pieces of the puzzle fall into place...

Piece by piece, Sharpe unravels the plot, and gradually it becomes clear who is behind the city's betrayal. Brewers, masons, marl cutters, deserted soldiers, and people of all stripes cross his path. And they all have their own hidden agenda...

The plot of Spanish Fire is based on two true events: the—never fully resolved—escape of several Spanish officers and the attempted betrayal of the city to the Spanish from within.

Finished The Way of the Wicked by Ellery Adams and the book gets

My review

A hopeful book with all members of the Hope Church group out and about together with an existing group of people who go door-to-door to bring food to those struggling to make ends meet. When the volunteers find a dead body upon arriving at a door, the Hope Church members try to figure out who the perpetrator might be. Meanwhile, Cooper and Nathan are becoming a real couple. A cosy read.

>116 connie53: I also loved Tova and Marcellus. Hope van Pelt publishes another novel!

>119 detailmuse: O Yes!! I do hope that too.

>115 connie53: oh! I definitely want to read this one!

>121 LisaMorr: You should, Lisa.

Hi, Connie, I thought I would drop by and see how you are doing. It look like you've been reading a lot of good books.

I've got a question for you. I see that you use the colored stars for your ratings. I was using them too, but several of the images (but not all of them) broke for me about a week ago, and they haven't come back. I see that yours are not broken, and on inspection, they are using a different link. I can use the link you are using to fix most of my problem stars. But do you by any chance have a link for 2 1/2 stars? That's the only one I have left that is still broken.

Hi Connie, thank you for dropping by my thread! I hope life is treating you well right now.

I'm very tempted by Remarkably Bright Creatures, I've heard so many good things about it. But I have nearly 800 books on Mt TBR, so I guess I need to be realistic...!

>123 atozgrl: Hi Irene. I hope this link works for you. Perhaps this only works for me.

https://hosting.photobucket.com/albums/v706/Egwene1/-sterren/.highres/stars_two_...

>124 Jackie_K:. Let temptation rule, Jackie. One more won't hurt.

>107 connie53: He does. People do. I love the books I've read, but there are others I haven't bothered with. I have read Love in the Time of Cholera and One Hundred Years of Solitude a few times. I've also read The General in His Labyrinth. He uses magical realism, which I love but I know isn't everyone's cup of tea. I haven't read many of his other books, just a collection of short stories Penguin put out for their 60th anniversary, but I enjoyed that one. From the books I've read, I've learned about Colombia's history and how it impacted the ordinary people. I think of his books as the literary equivalent of paintings by Breughel the Elder - there's hidden meaning in there.

>125 connie53: Thank you so much! That link works great. I'm not sure why the links I have broke. I really appreciate it!

>128 atozgrl: You're welcome. Happy to help, Irene.

>116 connie53: Hi Connie! Glad you liked it, that one is on my wish list!

Finished Spaans vuur by Wouter van Mastricht - ROOT # 13 - Forumchallenge # 16 - BFB # 02 -

My review

An epic story starring Evan Sharpe. It primarily concerns the struggle between the Spaniards and the Dutch population of Maastricht in 1635. The Spaniards want to capture Maastricht and ensure it becomes a Catholic stronghold. It is therefore also a battle between Catholics and Calvinists.

A murderer named The Spaniard lurks through the city, eliminating people more or less at random, purely because he can. But also to instill fear in the population of Maastricht. It is, too, a battle.

Evan is an interpreter in Frederik Hendrik's army and has been tasked with tracking down The Spaniard and capturing or eliminating him.

There is also a girl he has set his eyes on. When she falls into The Spaniard's hands, Evan is determined to save her.
Lots of politics and conspiracies, scheming and atrocities. The book offers a fascinating glimpse into how people were treated in those times.

Started on March 21 Een rugzak vol by Pieter Koolwijk - Children's book

The blurb NOT my review

On the table stands the most hideous backpack in the whole world. A large brown one, with a leather bottom, lots of pockets, and leather straps. It looks like it came out of the Second World War. Or maybe even the First. At least, that is how it smells.

Obi has to take the train to his mother, because she can't pick him up and his father can't take him. And on top of that, he has to wear that stupid old backpack, because he lost his other one.

As if all that weren't bad enough, he also spends a little too much money on a pocket knife, leaving him without enough to buy a train ticket. So Obi decides to walk to the next station. Of course, that goes completely wrong. And then he hears something in his backpack as well…

Pieter Koolwijk has done it again. He writes a story full of Koolwijkesque characters that makes you laugh, makes you hold your breath, sometimes makes your stomach turn, and makes you understand all too well what is happening inside Obi's increasingly full backpack.

>132 connie53: And finished and the book gets

My review

Pieter Koolwijk writes wonderful books, also for adults.

Obi travels from his father to his mother by train. He is given a bank card with enough money for a train ticket and for a treat. And a new backpack from the thrift store. An ugly backpack. Too big, with too many pockets and too many straps. When he wants to exchange the backpack, he just buys a pocket knife. When he wants to buy his train ticket at the station, it turns out the pocket knife was more expensive and he doesn't have enough money for the ticket.

Then Obi decides to just walk to the next station, but then everything goes wrong. He is robbed by a grandpa and grandma and loses his phone and bank card. Fortunately, he is picked up by Saar and her mother Babs. They are willing to take him home.

He discovers all sorts of things in his backpack. A seed, a droplet, a little flame, a cloud, a worm and a trumpet.

These objects are actually synonyms for his feelings. Droplet gets bigger when Obi is sad. A seed becomes a twig and then a large plant that shrinks when Obi does unusual or weird things.

Saar and he experience all kinds of adventures, but Obi learns that he doesn't have to be afraid of everything and that he can solve quite difficult problems by himself.

A nice book and a story that is also lovely for adults to read.

Started in Lucht by John Boyne - ROOT # 14

The blurb NOT my review

From internationally bestselling author John Boyne, a contemplative story about one man trying to move forward from the trauma of his youth to become a better father to his son. Being in limbo, 30,000 feet in the air, offers time to reflect and take stock. For Aaron Umber, it's an opportunity to connect with his 14-year-old son as they travel halfway across the world to meet a woman who isn't expecting them. Unsettled by his past, and anxious for his future, Aaron is at a crossroads in life. The damage inflicted upon him during his youth has made him the man he is, but now threatens to widen the growing fissures between him and his only child. This trip could bind them closer together, or tear them further apart. In this penetrating examination of action and consequence, fault and attribution, acceptance and resolution, John Boyne gives us a redemptive story of a father and a son on a moving journey to mend their troubled lives.

>134 connie53: Lucht (Air in English) sounds very interesting, so I'll look for it.

The Free Library of Philadelphia doesn't have that book, but it does have The Elements. I'll have to borrow it to see if Air is included in it, as I see that it's a four part series based on the elements.

>135 kidzdoc: Hi Darryl! Yes, this is the fourth part in the series.

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Starting in Onder de sterren by Virginie Grimaldi - ROOT # 15 - Forumchallenge # 18

Original French book

The blurb NOT my review

Anna’s life is at a turning point. She has sky-high debts, her 17- and 12-year-old daughters are struggling with all kinds of problems, and she is essentially working non-stop. And then she gets fired. She can use the severance pay to pay off her debts, or she can do something totally impulsive, something she would never actually dare to do: it is now or never.

She borrows her father’s camper van, puts her stunned daughters in the back, and starts driving north. The goal: not to go under, to keep her family together, and hopefully catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights somewhere…

Under the Stars is a beautiful and moving novel, and an ode to life.

Finished Lucht by John Boyne and the book gets

My review

A wonderful concluding installment of the Elements series. Everything comes together here. I had almost forgotten how this series really interlocks. It wasn't until the end that things came together, and I reread my reviews of the earlier parts. This book is a hopeful conclusion to the series.

It is the story of Aaron and his son Emmet. For most of the book, they are on a plane traveling from Sydney (where they live) to Galway in Ireland. They are going there for the funeral of Vanessa, Emmet's grandmother and the mother of Rebecca, Emmet's mother. On the plane, Aaron tries to connect with his son. But Emmet is 14 and basically thinks everything is stupid. Slowly, however, they start talking to each other and things get worked out.
I won't say too much about it, but this is a beautiful ending.

ROOT # 16

The blurb NOT my review

On a warm summer evening, Amanda Sundin disappears without a trace. Exactly one year later, her husband Johan is found seriously injured. It seems as though someone is targeting the couple, but why?

Although she has only just moved to Motala with her children, Detective Maia Bohm is assigned to the case. However, the murder case is not the only thing occupying her mind: her thirteen-year-old son Tim urgently needs a donor heart. When Maia comes to the terrifying realization that her son's fate also depends on the case, she lets nothing and no one stop her. Not even the truth…

Finished yesterday Onder de sterren by Virginie Grimaldi - ROOT # 15 - Forumchallenge # 17 -

My review

This is essentially a lovely book about a mother and her two daughters' search for more connection. Anna worked in a restaurant and raised her daughters, aged 17 (Chloé) and 12 (Lily), alone somewhere in the south of France. When she is fired because the owner wants his girlfriend to work there, she receives a nice sum that could pay off all her debts, but she decides to take the girls on a road trip to Scandinavia to see the Northern Lights and to strengthen the bond with her daughters. Along the way, they join a group of other travelers with the same idea. That goes very well.

However, the translation is terrible. It seems as if the translators ran the book through AI and didn't look at the final result. That made it very uncomfortable for me to read at times.

>139 connie53: Your comment is excellent and the AI possibility distresses me. I know the smallest bit about literary translations, but that bit includes that it's not a literal translation but is an art in itself that pays attention to everything that makes something a work of literature.

>139 connie53: I was a translator for over 20 years and still occasionally dabble in it. It comforts me to know that humans still have a role to play (not that I ever doubted it) while my colleagues fret about being replaced. I see a transformation of the work, but certainly not a replacement. We've come a long way from the automatic translations of the 80s when I started but I doubt we'll ever have the finesse of a human translation.

This was really horrible. Lots of double words in a sentence. Sentences that did not use the Dutch way a sentence is build, holding on to the French way of building sentences. I can understand the translators used AI, but please,
check the logic of a sentence.

It must have been a good book for you to put up with a bad translation.

The importance of good translation can't be over stated. Jose Saramago was heartbroken when the man who translated his books into English died at a young age. He wrote a tribute essay about him and how those good translations changed Saramago's life. Those transaltions turned Saramago into an international figure and was probably one of the reason's why he won the Nobel Prize for Literature.

Guidebook to Murder by Lynn Cahoun - ROOT # 17 - Forumchallenge # 18

The blurb NOT my review

In the gentle coastal town of South Cove, California, all Jill Gardner wants is to keep her store-Coffee, Books, and More-open and running. So why is she caught up in the business of murder? When Jill's elderly friend Miss Emily calls in a fit of pique, she already knows that the city council is trying to force Emily to sell her dilapidated old house. But Emily's gumption goes for naught when she dies unexpectedly and leaves the house to Jill, along with all of her problems . . . and her enemies. Convinced that her friend was murdered, Jill is finding the list of suspects longer than the list of repairs needed on the house. But Jill is determined to uncover the culprit-especially if it gets her closer to South Cove's finest, Detective Greg King. The problem is, the killer knows that she's on the case-and is determined to close the book on Jill permanently.

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>143 benitastrnad: That's a great way to honor a translator, Benita,

>144 connie53: Finished this book and it gets

My review

I love Cozy Mystery books, and this one certainly belongs in that category.

Jill has a shop in a small town somewhere in California, combining books with a restaurant. She has a few good friends, including Emily, an old lady, and Amy.
One day, she finds Emily dead in her bed. When the coroner discovers that it was not a natural death, she meets Greg King, the local police officer. Later, she also discovers that she has inherited Emily's old, dilapidated house and some money. And then you have all the ingredients for an enjoyable story with a romantic twist and some people after the money and the house.

>145 connie53: Sounds good...but you failed to give us the title!

That's mentioned in the post above >144 connie53: ;-))

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Mrs. Winterbottom Takes a Gap Year by Joanna Nell

The blurb NOT my review

It's never too late for the adventure of a lifetime... Heather Winterbottom has worked side by side with her husband as GPs in their idyllic rural practice for over forty years. But as the time comes to hang up their stethoscopes, the Winterbottoms discover that they have rather different visions of retirement... Heather dreams of exploring the Greek Islands, of escaping the shackles of her routine life and embracing an exciting new adventure. Alan dreams of growing his own vegetables. When things come to a head at a family lunch, Heather announces that she has decided to take a year off. From her old life, from her marriage - from Alan. Alone in beautiful Greece, Heather embarks on her very own odyssey - complete with peak experiences, pitfalls and temptations. But what if coming home is the biggest adventure yet?

>147 connie53: Oh, I see it, sorry.

No reason to say sorry, Luanne.

>115 connie53:
That sounds really exciting. My library has a copy of it. I’ve added it to my never-ending 😅 list.

Sunny Easter greetings from rehab 🌞.

Hi Barb! How great to see you here. I can see you are doing better and there is sun there and sitting outside with ice-cream. Enjoy and give my love to Thomas.

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Finished Honderd dagen by Emelie Schepp and the book gets

My review

This is not only the story of Maia and her family, but also of the importance of organ donation. That makes it all the more impressive.

Maia is a police detective who has just been transferred to another city. This way, she can live with her mother and be close to her terminally ill son Tim. And while she works, her mother can look after Ella, her little daughter.
When she starts at her new post, she is immediately confronted with a suspected assault. Exactly one year earlier, Amanda Sundin disappeared without a trace, and now her husband is found seriously injured. Maia and Greg, her colleague, investigate the case, which is quite complicated. But it is mainly about the terminally ill Tim, who is waiting for a new heart. Eventually, the case is solved, but there are quite a few plot twists to get there, a little bit to many for my taste. However, thanks to the impressive story of the organ donation, it still gets an 8.

Starting in Jouw kind is de volgende door M.J. Arlidge and Andy Maslen - ROOT #

Hi Connie! You're getting a lot of good books read - well done!

>150 Ameise1: I wish you a quick convalescence but I won't lie: I'm jealous of your ice cream. It snowed here in Ottawa :(

Finished Mrs. Winterbottom Takes a Gap Year by Joanna Nell and the book gets

My review

This is a delightful book with a wonderful protagonist in Heather Winterbottom. The story begins with Heather and her husband Alan retiring at the same time. Both are general practitioners and now have to find new ways to fill their days. Alan throws himself, quite unexpectedly, into planting a vegetable garden, but Heather had hoped they could go on a trip to Greece together.

Alan wants nothing to do with that, and when Heather discusses it with her friend Esme, Esme asks why she can't go alone.
And so she does. Then Esme passes away, and when Heather receives her friend's urn, she takes it along to scatter the ashes somewhere in Greece.
When she meets Dennis, an older but charismatic man, he takes her in his boat to various islands in the Ionian Sea. Heather is impressed by Dennis, but she is married and hopes Alan misses her now that she is gone. Heather and Dennis explore a few of the islands, including Ithaca.
Throughout the book, you feel the author's love for Homer and for Greece and its history. Of course, it all ends well. A tear or two shed here and there.

Started in The Last Voyage of Mrs. Henry Parker by Joanna Nell - ROOT # 19, Forumchallenge # 20

The blurb NOT my review

As the wife of retired ship's doctor Dr Henry Parker, Evelyn is living out her twilight years aboard the Golden Sunset. Every night she dresses for dinner - gown, tiara, runners - and regales her fellow passengers with stories of a glamorous life travelling the world in luxury as well as showing off her superior knowledge of everything from ships' customs to biographical details of her heroine, Florence Nightingale. The crew treat her with deference. And forbearance. But when Henry goes missing, Evelyn sets off to search every part of the grand ocean liner to find him, casino, nightclub and off-limits areas included. Misadventures are had, new friends are made, scandalous behaviour noted - all news to Evelyn. If only she could remember the events of the night before as clearly as she can recall the first time she met Henry on a passage from England to Australia in 1953 and fell in love, abandoning her dreams to become a midwife to be a wife instead - and the long-ago painful events that left Evelyn all at sea. Why is it so hard to remember some things and so hard to forget others? And where is Henry? The Last Voyage of Mrs Henry Parker is a love letter to the memories we make over the course of a lifetime, and how the heart remembers what matters, even when the mind has long forgotten.

Wow connie53 you are rolling along nicely with 19 ROOTs!! Congratulations, it looks like you've been able to get a lot of satisfying reading in!

>157 kaida46: I did indeed, Deb. I really loved most of the book I'v read.

Finished the book in >156 connie53: and the book gets

My review

A heartwarming story about Evelyn Parker. She has been living with her husband, Henry, on a cruise ship for years. Henry is the ship's doctor there, and Evelyn is often able to help him with smaller matters because she is trained as a nurse and midwife. But now Henry has disappeared, and Evelyn is desperately searching for him. Right from the start of the book, you, as a reader, know that Evelyn is very confused. She clings with all her might to the fact that Henry must be somewhere, and with a map of the ship, she walks through every possibility of where he might be. However, Evelyn has the feeling that the ship has changed its layout, and that there are all kinds of unknown people who have taken the place of the faces she knows.

Fortunately, she finds friends in a couple, Nola and Frank, who keep a watchful eye on her.

Henry is nowhere to be found, and Evelyn is becoming increasingly desperate.

The story is actually very sad and painful to read at times, because you get a sort of idea of ​​what it can be like when you slowly develop dementia.

Started yesterday in The Tea Ladies of St. Jude's Hospital by Joanna Nell - ROOT # 19

The blurb NOT my review

The Marjorie Marshall Memorial Cafeteria has been serving refreshments and raising money at the hospital for over fifty years - long after anybody can remember who Marjorie Marshall actually was. Staffed by successive generations of dedicated volunteers, the beloved cafeteria is known as much for offering a kind word and sympathetic ear (and often unsolicited life advice) as for its tea and buns. Stalwart Hilary has worked her way up through the ranks to Manageress; Joy, the cafeteria's newest recruit, has been late every day since she started; seventeen-year-old Chloe, the daughter of two successful surgeons, is volunteering during the school holidays because her mother thinks it will look good on her CV. And when they discover the cafeteria is under threat of closure, this unlikely trio must band together to save it.

Hi Connie, I see you made good use of the holidays to finish so many books!

I'm on a perpetual holiday, Birgit. Just like you. ;-))

Yes, but strangely I still enjoy the days differently when there’s an official holiday.

>163 MissWatson: Yes, I can see that too

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Finished The Tea Ladies of St. Jude's Hospital by Joanna Nell ROOT # 19 - Forumchallenge # 21 and the book gets

My review

A delightful book about an unlikely friendship and collaboration between the over-70s Hilary and Joy and a just-turned-18 Chloe.

They all come together as volunteers in the cafeteria at St. Jude's Hospital. Hilary started there to fill her empty days after discovering that her marriage to Jim was based on deceit, causing them to lose their beautiful, upscale home and be expelled from the golf club. Jim invested and lost pretty much all their money. Hilary left him and is living with her sister Nancy again in their childhood home. Nancy never married but took care of their parents. Joy has just recovered a bit from the period when her husband Len was seriously ill and has time again to work a few hours a day in the cafeteria. Chloe needs to do some volunteer work for her portfolio and to get through the summer holidays away from her parents, both medical specialists at the hospital.
The cafeteria is quite run-down; nothing has been renovated or replaced for decades. When the hospital management decides to modernize the hospital's main hall, it turns out that a new restaurant is also part of the plan, and the cafeteria is removed from the floor plan. But the ladies won't let that happen, and they launch an offensive against the not-so-honest management.

Really enjoyed it.

Starting in De gemerkte man by Robert Galbraith aka J.K. Rowling - ROOT # 20 - BFB # 3

The blurb NOT my review

A dismembered corpse is discovered in the vault of a silver shop. The police initially believe it to be that of a convicted armed robber - but not everyone agrees with that theory. One of them is Decima Mullins, who calls on the help of private detective Cormoran Strike as she's certain the body in the silver vault was that of her boyfriend - the father of her newborn baby - who suddenly and mysteriously disappeared.
The more Strike and his business partner Robin Ellacott delve into the case, the more labyrinthine it gets. The silver shop is no ordinary one: it's located beside Freemasons' Hall and specializes in Masonic silverware. And in addition to the armed robber and Decima's boyfriend, it becomes clear that there are other missing men who could fit the profile of the body in the vault.
As the case becomes ever more complicated and dangerous, Strike faces another quandary. Robin seems increasingly committed to her boyfriend, policeman Ryan Murphy, but the impulse to declare his own feelings for her is becoming stronger than ever.

I hope you enjoy The Mistress of Husaby when it gets to the top of your pile.
Visiting your page is always dangerous for me as so many of your books sound appealing to me! For better or worse many are not available in English on Libby and I forget to take a list when I actually visit the library for paper books.
Thank you for your wonderful reviews.

>166 ritacate: You'r welcome, Ritacate. Always nice to have visitors here.

Still reading in my BFB De gemerkte man by Robert Galbraith

I'm on page 804/1059 and I really enjoy his/her books (Robert Galbraith is J.K. Rowling )

The book has lots of people in it. And everybody plays some kind of role in the story.

>167 connie53: interesting - I didn't know Robert Galbraith was a pseudonym.
it's always rewarding to come at the end of a BFB. I'm at page 800 of 900 in Shantaram - it's a great read, but I'll be looking forward to moving to something new!

Finished De gemerkte man and the book gets

My review

A complex and long story with many characters, a great many. And they all play a more or less important role. A dead body is found in a silverware shop. The victim has no hands, no feet, no genitals, and his head has been beaten into oblivion. There are five possible men missing, so it becomes a case requiring extensive investigation for Cormoran Strike and Robin Ellacott, who have been asked to find one of the men, Rupert Fleetwood.

Robin suspects that her boyfriend Ryan Murphy wants to propose to her, and she has mixed feelings about it, especially when she discovers that Ryan has started drinking again.

Cormoran desperately wants to share his feelings for Robin with her, but every time an opportunity seems to present itself, something goes wrong and it never happens.
Those are the storylines at play here. It is too much to explain everything that happens, but the events pile up. Robin is followed by a scary man who catches her a few times and then tells her that they have to drop the case, otherwise...

The book is, as I have come to expect, very ingeniously constructed, and you have to read attentively to follow it all. And the book has a more or less open ending with room for a sequel in the series.

Starting in Dierenarts in New York by Amy Attas - ROOT # 21 - Forumchallenge # 22

The blurb NOT my review

When it comes to a sick pet, people are at their most vulnerable. Even if they have a Monet hanging on the wall or an Oscar in their trophy cabinet, if their cat has a cold or their dog has a rash, the world revolves solely around their pet for a moment. In Vet in New York, Amy Attas tells the most shocking, heartbreaking, and hilarious stories from the thirty years she spent treating the cats and dogs of prominent New Yorkers as a veterinarian. And one thing is certain: pets are not only super cute, they also make us better people..

Finished Jouw kind is de volgende by M.J. Arlidge & Andy Maslen - ROOT # 21 -

My review

Although I am less enthusiastic about the previous collaborations between M.J. Arlidge and other writers, this one pleasantly surprised me.

It begins with a video sent to Annie containing footage of herself at her daughter Isla's funeral, but Isla is simply sitting in her room at that moment.

Annie is instructed to transfer £1,000 every month to a bank account in the Cayman Islands, otherwise the video will become reality. But Annie does not have that much money. She has just divorced, and they are struggling to make ends meet.
At the same time, Michael, who has just become a widower, notices that his wife was transferring £1,000 every month to a bank account in the Cayman Islands. Michael stops the direct debit, and not long after, his son Aaron becomes the victim of a hit-and-run after which the driver fled the scene.

Annie and Michael get in touch with each other and decide to investigate themselves. This leads to considerable difficulties for them. For the scammers are not averse to violence. This story is well put together and was really exciting. Great book.

Started in

De wens by Heather Morris - Forumchallenge # 23

The blurb NOT my review

Jesse is 15. She loves her friends, her little brother, and her parents—even when the latter two are fighting again. But above all, she loves gaming. So now that she is so sick, she does little else.

Alex is 29. He doesn't really like anything. To be honest, he isn't even sure how to. His schedule is empty, just like his life sometimes feels.

Then Jesse makes a wish that brings them together: a video experience that captures her life. Something to leave behind, in case she is no longer here.

One hopelessly optimistic teenager. One lonely twenty-something. And maybe a happy ending?

Finished two books today.

Dierenarts in New York by Amy Attas - ROOT # 22 - Forumchallenge # 22 -


My review

This book is funny at times, but above all, very informative. Amy has known since her early teens that she wanted to become a veterinarian, and she succeeded. All kinds of celebrities appear throughout, such as Paul McCartney, Joan Rivers, and Billy Joel, who all have their pets examined and treated by Amy. Amy has adopted a unique method as a veterinarian in a metropolis. She makes house calls to sick animals and their owners. This had been attempted before, but Amy is very successful with it. Initially, she travels around by taxi with an assistant, but constantly finding a different taxi isn't practical, so later she uses a chauffeur-driven car.

Amy has nothing good to say about puppy mills and describes a number of harrowing cases.

Each chapter has a different theme: 'Animals bring people together' - 'Pets with a disability' - 'People who misbehave' - 'Days with a golden edge'.

I read the book with great pleasure.

And

De wens by Heather Morris - Forumchallenge # 23 -

My review

A very emotional book about the terminally ill teenage girl Jesse and the nearly thirty-year-old Alex, a game designer.

A request arrives at Alex's company asking them to fulfill a wish of a seriously ill girl. The management of Alex's company thinks that this could be good PR and that they could really use it. So Alex is asked to design a 'game' for her, but it is not that simple, because Jesse wants a virtual reality environment for her parents and little brother Sam, in which they can return to happier moments in their lives. And that is quite different from what the management thinks it is. Alex leads a reclusive life with his dog Max and also has an entire home office with screens and PCs where he creates his own designs.
To know exactly what Jesse actually wants, Alex has to come out of his shell and go talk to her at the oncology center where Jesse is staying.

As Alex tries to understand what Jesse means, he realizes that he cannot make this wish come true on his own. He decides to ask one of his colleagues to help. His immediate boss is not very happy about this until the director gets involved himself, and soon the entire department is working on the project.
Meanwhile, Alex becomes impressed by the atmosphere and camaraderie among the young people in the department, the dedication of the nursing staff, and the social worker, Kelly.
This is primarily the theme of the book: collaboration, trust, and pulling each other out of the slump when necessary.

Warning: you might want to have the tissues ready for the last 50 pages.

Now reading Albatros by Yorick Goldewijk - ROOT # 23

Original Dutch.

The blurb NOT my review

Sometimes you wake up and know immediately that something is wrong. You don't know how you know, but you know, as certain as the sun shining through your window.

For as long as Abel can remember, sounds of war have been heard, but one day it is quiet. When he goes to see what is going on, he discovers that his mother has turned into a stag. His father is missing without a trace. Once outside, it seems like everyone has become an animal.

In search of remaining humans, Abel crosses the river to the hostile North. It is precisely there that he finds the only other human who has not turned into an animal: the cynical, hateful Cat.

Condemned to each other's company, they set out on a journey. Abel because he wants to find other humans, Cat because she wants to see the sea, and both because they want to know what on earth is going on…

Finished Albatros by Yorick Goldewijk - ROOT # 23 and the book gets

My Review

When Abel wakes up one morning, it is much later than expected. As he hurries downstairs, he encounters his mother, who has suddenly transformed into a deer. When he then also finds a dog that still resembles his father, he understands that something terrible has happened.
There are many animals on the street, and not a single human is to be seen. His mother can still talk, but it sounds very strange. She advises him to go look for other people. So Abel goes searching and takes his father along. He, too, seems to still resemble his old father, but that quickly diminishes. His mother runs off and finds another group of deer with whom she joins.
Abel searches, but the only thing he finds is a note from a girl saying that she is also still human and is looking for others. Abel sees that the girl, Kat, lives on the other side of the border in the north and belongs to a country with which they have been at war for a very long time. But Abel has to take the leap. He packs his backpack with food and clothes and leaves for the border, which he can cross effortlessly, and heads to the address on the poster.
Kat is a bit older than him and particularly catty. But they are now dependent on each other and set off for the city of Mariposa and the sea. They pick up a scooter somewhere along the way, allowing them to travel faster.
What they don't know is that they are being watched by Ella, who is the instigator of all these events.
A remarkable book that shows what war can do and how enemies can and must become friends when they are dependent on each other for peace.

>175 connie53: That sounds like a good one! I hope I find it in English one day.

Started in De Zilveren rivier by S.A. Chakraborty - ROOT # 25 - Forumchallenge # 24

The blurb NOT my review

Bestselling author S.A. Chakraborty's acclaimed Daevabad Trilogy gets expanded with this new compilation of stories from before, during, and after the events of The City of Brass, The Kingdom of Copper, and The Empire of Gold, all from the perspective of characters both beloved and hated, and even those without a voice in the novels. The River of Silver gathers material both seen and new-including a special coda fans will need to read-making this the perfect complement to those incredible novels. A prospective new queen joins a court whose lethal history may overwhelm her own political savvy... An imprisoned royal from a fallen dynasty and a young woman wrenched from her home cross paths in an enchanted garden... A pair of scouts stumble upon a secret in a cursed winter wood that will turn over their world... Now together in one place, these stories of Daevabad enrich a world already teeming with magic and wonder. From Manizheh's first steps towards rebellion to adventures that take place after The Empire of Gold, this is a must-have collection for those who can't get enough of Nahri, Ali, and Dara and all that unfolded around them.

>176 LisaMorr:

Hi Lisa, One of his books is translated and that one was a great book too



The blurb

Movies showing nowhere by Yorick Goldewijk is the compelling and imaginative story of 12-year-old Cato. On the very day she was born, her mother left that world. Cato’s father has been absent ever since, even when he is simply sitting across from his daughter at the table. Cato has resigned herself to it by now. Or so she thinks.

When she finds a mysterious ticket for an abandoned cinema at home and discovers that it is open again, Cato decides to go take a look. She soon discovers that there is something strange going on with the cinema, and that the films playing there are no ordinary ones. The cinema seems to be connected to the past.
In search of adventure and the truth about her mother, Cato is swept along on a dangerous journey through time and memories, straight to a place deep in her heart. A place she had always managed to keep hidden from herself. Until she faces a choice that will change her life and her father's forever.

>178 connie53: Thank you - I will look for that one!

Started in The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong - ROOT # 24 - Forumchallenge # 24

The blurb NOT my review

A fortune teller finds an unexpected family on her journeys in this heartwarming and charming fantasy debut. Tao, an immigrant fortune teller, lives in a wagon and roams the dusty outskirts of the kingdom of Eshtera. Fleeing a troubled past, she travels between villages telling only small fortunes: whether it will hail next Thursday; what boy will kiss which barmaid; when the cow will calve. Big fortunes come with big consequences...which she wants to avoid at all costs. Life on the road can be lonely but, to Tao's surprise, companionship comes unexpectedly. She encounters Mash and Silt, an ex-mercenary and semi-reformed thief; the oddball pair endear themselves to Tao and enlist her in the search for Mash's lost daughter. Next the trio finds Kina, a brilliant baker, with a knead for adventure. And, finally, Fidelitus rounds out their party, a cat smart enough to mark the travelers as ready suppliers of fish. As they journey together across Eshtera, confronting small-minded villagers and philosophizing trolls alike, Tao's unlikely new friends break down her walls and unravel her secrets. Ultimately, Tao must decide what's more important: her hard-won freedom, or reuniting a family not her own

Finished The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong - ROOT # 24 - Forumchallenge # 24 and the book gets

My Review

What a delightful book this is. One of those that makes you feel hopeful.

Tao is a young Shinn woman who came to live in Eshtera through her mother's second marriage. There, she stands out because her appearance is so different. Her stepfather isn't exactly pleased with her either, so she leaves the town where she lives and sets off in a caravan pulled by a donkey. She earns a living by predicting people's futures. Not necessarily the big things, but small details that don't do much harm.

Then she meets two friends, Silt and Mash, who decide to travel with her. Mash, a former mercenary, is looking for his missing daughter Leah, and Tao has predicted that he will give his daughter a small kitten in the future. Silt is a former thief (mostly). As a fourth person, Kina also joins (a baker's apprentice; she makes misshapen pastries that taste delicious).

Together, the four of them are much stronger than alone. Each has a different talent, and they only strengthen one another. They go in search of Mash's daughter and along the way they encounter all kinds of strange or magical characters, including a Troll and a Phoenix.

Wonderful story, well written.

Started in The keeper of Magical Things - Julie Leong

The blurb NOT my review

Certainty Bulrush wants to be useful - to the Guild of Mages, to the brother who depends on her, and to anyone else she can help. Unfortunately, her tepid magic hasn't proven much use to anyone. So when Certainty is offered the chance to earn her magehood, she jumps on it. Never mind that the assignment is to transport minor artefacts to the dull, unmagical village of Shpelling, or that it involves working with Mage Aurelia, a brilliant, unfairly attractive overachiever who's managed to alienate everyone around her. In Shpelling, the two must deal with testy villagers, an unruly catdragon, and their growing attraction to each other, while avoiding any incidents that could further damage the Guild's testy relationship with the kingdom's citizens. But magic is fickle - sooner or later, it is bound to spell trouble...

Finished The Keeper of Magical Things by Julie Leong and the book gets

My review

Utterly delightful story.
Certainty is a young woman who desperately wants to become a mage and has been accepted into the Magical School. She can talk to objects and thus discover what they are made for, but her powers do not extend any further. After 6 years at the academy, she has not progressed any further and is still a Novice.

Aurelia is also a mage; she can talk to people from a large distance, that is called Farspeak and she is heavily dominated by her parents. She is also very beautiful. But she now has a secret from everyone: she has lost her ability to farspeak.

When an excess of magic arises in the palace that disrupts matters, Certainty and Aurelia are sent on a mission with two containers of magical objects whose function is insignificant or unknown. They go to the village of Shpelling, where they must catalog the objects and put them in 2 buildings they get to use.

The inhabitants of Shpelling are quite skeptical and wary, as their village has already fallen victim to magic. There are no bees left to provide trees with pollen, and the village is completely neglected. Certainty is a compassionate woman, and when she comes across objects that can help the villagers, she starts changing small things, causing the village to slowly brighten up again. Aurelia also begins to slowly thaw now that she is free from her parents' influence. A friendship develops between the two women. But then things go horribly wrong, and Certainty has to do her utmost to defend herself during a trial.
I really enjoyed this book and could hardly put it down.

Starting in In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire

I wanted to have a digital book going too for when it's harder to take a tree-book out.
This is the fourth instalment in the Wayward Children series.

The blurb NOT my review

1964. Katherine Lundy is a very serious young girl who would rather study and dream than become a respectable housewife and live up to the expectations of the world around her. When she finds a doorway to a world founded on logic and reason, riddles and lies, she thinks she's found her paradise. Alas, everything costs at the goblin market, and when her time there is drawing to a close, she makes the kind of bargain that never plays out well... for anyone. Will Eleanor West's Home for Wayward Children be able to help her?

You've had quite a few high-scoring reads recently, Connie! Hope you and your lovely family are all well.

Thanks Jackie, we are doing just fine. Springbreak is over and the girls are of to school tomorrow morning. And so will I. I have my library morning at Lonne's school.

Finished In an Absent Dream by Seanan McGuire - ROOT # 26 -

My review

Katherine Lundy, never Kat or Katie, is the daughter of the primary school principal. She keeps a bit of away from her classmates, but doesn't really find that difficult. She loves rules and security. One day, she finds a tree in her path, and in that tree is a door. When she steps through the door, she arrives at the Goblin Market and meets The Archivist, who tells her that she is not allowed to use her own first name, so she lets herself be called Lundy. She also meets the girl Moon, who takes her on to the market. And there she has to learn the rules of the game, because for everything you want, something must be given in return. Lundy enjoys herself there, but she still returns to her parents' home a few times. She gets to know her younger sister Diana better, who desperately wants an older sister.

The Archivist tells her that she must decide where she wants to live before her 18th birthday: at the Goblin Market or with her parents and sister. And then Lundy asks for a spell that she believes will make that possible. But you get nothing for free, and the consequences are much more severe than Lundy had thought.

And on with the next instalment in the series

Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire

The blurb NOT my review

When Jack left Eleanor West's School for Wayward Children she was carrying the body of her deliciously deranged sister-whom she had recently murdered in a fit of righteous justice -- back to their home on the Moors. But death in their adopted world isn't always as permanent as it is here, and when Jack is herself carried back into the school, it becomes clear that something has happened to her. Something terrible. Something of which only the maddest of scientists could conceive. Something only her friends are equipped to help her overcome. Eleanor West's "No Quests" rule is about to be broken. Again.

Hi Connie! Looks like you have enjoyed more good books, and my TBR pile grows every time I check up on everyone's progress threads. Happy reading!

>189 kaida46: That happens a lot, Deb

Finished De Zilveren Rivier by S.A. Chakraborty and the book gets

My review

I was really impressed by The Daevabad books, but it has apparently been too long since I read them. I really struggled to follow the stories in this collection. The strange names of the characters don't really help either, although they do fit the world, of course.

Otherwise, there isn't much to say.

Starting in The Enchanted Greenhouse by Sarah Beth Durst

Dutch Edition

The blurb NOT my review

Terlu Perna broke the law because she was lonely. She cast a spell and created a magically sentient spider plant. As punishment, she was turned into a wooden statue and tucked away into an alcove in the North Reading Room of the Great Library of Alyssium. This should have been the end of her story . . . Yet, one day, Terlu awakes in the cold of winter on a nearly-deserted island full of hundreds of magical greenhouses. She's starving and freezing, and the only other human on the island is a grumpy gardener. To her surprise, he offers Terlu a place to sleep, clean clothes and freshly baked honey cakes - at least until she's ready to sail home. But Terlu can't return home and doesn't want to - the greenhouses are a dream come true, each more wondrous than the next. When she learns that the magic that sustains them is failing - causing the death of everything within them - Terlu knows she must help. Even if that means breaking the law again.This time, though, she isn't alone. Assisted by the gardener and a sentient rose, Terlu must unravel the secrets of a long-dead sorcerer if she wants to save the island and have a fresh chance at happiness and love.

My book does not only have a nice spine but also a beautiful 'belly'.

Finished The Enchanted Greenhouse and the book gets

My review

What a delightful book this is. Possibly even more amazing than The Spellshop, and that was a joy to read as well.

It is more or less the sequel to that book, with Terlu Perna as the common character. Terlu created Cas, the living and talking spider plant, back then, and she is put on trial for it at the beginning of this book. She is convicted, and the mages turn her into a statue. At first, she stands in the library, but later she is moved to a broom closet and subsequently transported to the island of Belde, where Yarrow lives. There is a spell attached to the statue, and with it, he awakens Terlu from her petrified existence. Yarrow single-handedly cares for a very large number of greenhouses, each adapted to the plants that grow and bloom in the realm. All of Yarrow's family members have left the island because the deceased mage Laiken sent them away in groups. It is too much work for Yarrow alone. And Terlu wants to help him. But things do not go entirely smoothly. A number of the greenhouses have already collapsed. Terlu delves into the papers Laiken has left everywhere. But she can use some spells to bring a few plants back to life. Aided by a dozen plants led by Lotti, a rose, they try to save as many as possible. But Laiken's spirit still resides in his high tower. With great difficulty, Lotti manages to communicate with Laiken, and everything ends well.

The underlying layer consists of the story of Terlu and Yarrow, who both have problems with their families and must try to solve that situation, while something beautiful also blossoms between them.

A delightful, hopeful book.

Started in The Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst

The blurb NOT my review

When Calisa arrives at her great-aunt’s bed and breakfast for the summer, she’s shocked to find it run down rather than cosy. Grumpy and eccentric, Auntie Zet is determined to keep anyone from messing with her beloved inn . . . even though she clearly needs the help.

To convince her great-aunt to keep her around, Calisa sets to work fixing up the inn, enlisting extra help from the groundkeeper’s (handsome) son. But the longer she stays, the surer she is that there’s something strange about the B&B – and its residents. Something almost . . . otherworldly.

The inn is hiding a magical secret – but secrets are like doors. Once Calisa opens this one, she won’t be able to go back . . .

Finished the Faraway Inn by Sarah Beth Durst and the book gets

My review

Calisa is sent to her great-aunt by her mothers, Kate and Elise. Calisa has caught her boyfriend Ethan with another girl, and to get away from that, her mothers suggest she go help at Kate's Aunt Zet's B&B. After a long train journey, she finally arrives at a dilapidated and neglected house and meets her Aunt Zet for the first time. Aunt Zet is not happy with the arrival of her great-niece and allows her to stay for one night, after which she must leave. Calisa decides to make herself useful in the kitchen, which needs to be cleaned first. There she meets the first guest, Mulligan, and the son of the missing handyman, Jack.
When one night turns into two, then three, and Aunt Zet stops talking about leaving, Jack and Calisa start tackling the house and garden. But strange things start happening at the B&B. When Calisa opens a closet door and sees a gray cloud, she quickly closes the door again, and upon reopening it, it is just a broom closet. She hears voices from a locked room speaking a strange language. And strange guests arrive, including Kendra and Melidor. At one point, Calisa and Jack enter one of the grey clouds behind every closet door and end up at a night market with very strange creatures walking around. And then Aunt Zet disappears, and Jack and Calisa must do everything they can to find her.

Sarah Beth Durst writes beautiful stories full of imagination, but always with a deeper layer. Here, it is about dealing with loss, wanting and being able to see the truth even when it is easier to deny it, accepting the nasty things that happen, and sticking to your opinion no matter what people think or say.

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Started in Krekel by Annet Schaap

The blurb NOT my review

Eliza had six brothers. Five drowned at sea, says her stepmother, says her father. But Eliza doesn't believe a word of it. She wants to search for them, even if it means going all the way to the White Cliffs. She sets off, together with the little brother she still has: Cricket. A scaredy-cat, a crybaby, a burden, really.

Everything goes wrong, but Eliza and Cricket keep searching. Through the storm. Against the wind. Against what everyone says and thinks.

Krekel by Annet Schaap and the book gets - ROOT # 29

My review

Simply written but very powerful book by Annet Schaap.

Krekel is the sixth of the Tacker brothers, and together with his little sister Elisa, they go in search of their missing 5 older brothers.

The Tacker family is a wealthy family living in a large house. The family's mother died during Krekel's birth, and their father blames the little boy for it—completely unfairly, of course. While their father mourns, 6-year-old Elisa takes care of her little baby brother. Her mother taught her how to do that.
When her father brings a new woman home, everything changes; her brothers disappear. They have gone to sea as sailors, it is said. But they don't give a word, and father and his new wife say that they perished at sea. But the gardener Nick, a somewhat strange man, says that they should be at the White Cliffs.
Now Elisa wants to go in search of her 5 oldest brothers, and she takes Krekel with her. Miss Amalia, a schoolteacher, is on vacation now, and when she meets the children, she takes them under her wing. Together with the skipper Berg, they embark on an exciting journey.

It is a delightful book. Sometimes things change suddenly, and the story takes a completely different direction than you expect. Well written and with a great sense of language. Highly recommended.

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Zonder afscheid by Reese Witherspoon & Harlan Coben - ROOT # 30

The blurb NOT my review

Maggie McCabe is teetering on the brink. A highly skilled and renowned Army combat surgeon, she has always lived life at the edge, where she could make the most impact. And it was all going to plan ... until it wasn’t. Upside down after a devastating series of tragedies leads to her medical license being revoked, Maggie has lost her purpose, but not her nerve or her passion. At her lowest point, she is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague, an elite plastic surgeon whose anonymous clientele demand the best care money can buy, as well as absolute discretion. Halfway across the globe, sequestered in the lap of luxury and cutting-edge technology, one of the world’s most mysterious men requires unconventional medical assistance. Desperate, and one of the few surgeons in the world skilled enough to take this job, Maggie enters his realm of unspeakable opulence and fulfills her end of the agreement. But when the patient suddenly disappears while still under her care, Maggie must become a fugitive herself—or she will be the next one who is ... Gone Before Goodbye.

>196 connie53: The Corben-Witherspoon book sounds fun! I look forward to your review

Finished Zonder afscheid by Harlan Coben & Reese Witherspoon and the book gets

Mijn review

This is probably the first Coben book I didn't understand at all.

I don't know if it's because of the collaboration with Reese Witherspoon or not, but I found it too confusing.

Too many technical terms, too many vague characters.

Maggie, Marc, and Trace are plastic surgeons specializing in trauma surgery. They perform many medical procedures during wars and the like in Africa. During one of these attempts to save people, Marc is killed—that is the story—and Trace disappears without a trace. Marc's body is never truly identified.

Afterwards, under the influence of pills that keep her going, Maggie makes mistakes that result in her no longer being allowed to practice medicine.

Then she receives an offer to travel to Russia and operate on a wealthy oligarch there. She is promised that all her debts will be paid and that she will receive a few million more besides.
She has to perform various operations on the oligarch that will make him look completely different.

And that is where things went wrong, and I could no longer keep all the storylines straight.

And I’ll leave it at that. Not really recommended.

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Started yesterday in De Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore - ROOT # 31

The blurb NOT my review

When Jeanie's aunt gifts her the beloved Pumpkin Spice Café in the small town of Dream Harbor, Jeanie jumps at the chance for a fresh start away from her very dull desk job. Logan is a local farmer who avoids Dream Harbor's gossip at all costs. But Jeanie's arrival disrupts Logan's routine and he wants nothing to do with the irritatingly upbeat new girl, except that he finds himself inexplicably drawn to her. Will Jeanie's happy-go-lucky attitude win over the grumpy-but-gorgeous Logan, or has this city girl found the one person in town who won't fall for her charm, or her pumpkin spice lattes...

I needed something light and cozy.

>198 connie53: oh no! lol - what a disappointment. Thanks for taking one for the team!

>199 Cecilturtle: You're welcome, Cécile. Glad to be of service.

De Pumpkin Spice Café by Laurie Gilmore - ROOT # 31 - is finished and the book gets

My review

This is a really weird book. Jeanie moves from her job in Boston to a small village to temporarily take over her aunt's café, because her boss had just passed away and she found him dead in his office and needs a change of environment.
Logan is a local farmer who brings vegetables and fruit weekly for the drinks served there. Logan once wanted to marry a girl, but that didn't end well. He is a bit wary now. But Jeanie and Logan are attracted to each other. And that continues throughout the entire book. One moment they are kissing a little (sometimes a bit more), the next they don't understand each other well and become defensive. Many things are misinterpreted. This goes on throughout the entire book, and the love scenes are described quite explicitly. I just scanned those pages because that was a bit too much

>194 connie53: When I read your thread, I always have more titles to add to my TBR list! Maybe if I start getting some of them now I can use them for next years ROOT books!

>202 kaida46: That's what I do too, buying books and waiting for four months.

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De Letter M by Natasha Pulley - OB # 1

The blurb NOT my review

Joe Tournier has a bad case of amnesia. His first memory is of stepping off a train in the nineteenth-century French colony of England. The only clue Joe has about his identity is a century-old postcard of a Scottish lighthouse that arrives in London the same month he does. Written in illegal English-instead of French-the postcard is signed only with the letter "M," but Joe is certain whoever wrote it knows him far better than he currently knows himself, and he's determined to find the writer. The search for M, though, will drive Joe from French-ruled London to rebel-owned Scotland and finally onto the battle ships of a lost empire's Royal Navy. In the process, Joe will remake history, and himself.

>201 connie53: uh oh - that one is on my TBR. Maybe I'll save it for mindless read.

>204 Cecilturtle: Very wise, Cécile

De letter M by Natasha Pulley is finished and the book get

My Review

A very intriguing and occasionally very complicated story in which time travel plays a major role.

It begins with Joe Tournier, a technical engineer, being sent to a small island where the lighthouse has broken down. Things go wrong, because when he gets back on a small boat, they suddenly find themselves in another century where England has fallen into French hands.
From there, the story jumps from one century to another.

One of the other main characters is Missouri Kite, who has taken Joe under his wings.
I think I need to read it again, because I only understood half of it.

Finished Come Tumbling Down by Seanan Mcguire - ROOT # 32 and the book gets

My Review

5th installment in the Wayward Children Series.

In which Jack or Jill suddenly appears in Eleanor West's basement.

Jill has forced Jack to switch bodies so that Jill can become a vampire, as she has always wanted. Staying in Jill's infected body exacerbates Jack's compulsive disorder, but worse still, Jill's actions have created an imbalance in the Moors' power dynamics, something that can no longer be tolerated. Jack asks her friends at school to help her with one final mission – a mission that could put a definitive end to Jill's plans and ambitions. Jack also does this so he can live with Alexis. But that is not possible as long as she is in the wrong body.

It is a fine book in itself, which is essentially about the loyalty between the children living together under Eleanor's wings.

and



De stilte voor de storm by Clare Leslie Hall - ROOT # 33 -

The blurb NOT my review

Catherine lives a normal life with her loving husband, Sam, and their two children. But many parts of her past are shrouded in mystery...and that's the way she likes it. Keeping the past buried keeps her safe. When a former flame resurfaces, something inside of Catherine gives way, releasing a flood of trauma she had thought was buried long ago. Lying in the hospital after a complete breakdown, language eludes Catherine. The shock of her painful past has left her mute, unable to explain to Sam or her children the root of her anguish. As Catherine's fragmented memories of her university days sharpen, the threads of her past and present start to coalesce. Catherine is transported back in time to her love affair with Lucian, a charismatic and complicated artist, with whom she shared a passion that was destined to end in tragedy. Fifteen years after the fateful end of their romance, Catherine must finally confront the events that brought her to crisis, while the fragile pieces of her life, so delicately balanced, begin to shift--and threaten to shatter

My review

This book takes place across different timelines, namely 15 years ago, 4 months ago, and the present. In the first two timelines, Catherine has a brief relationship with Lucian. In the present, she is admitted to a psychiatric ward because she no longer responds to anything and stops speaking. Her husband Sam and their children Joe and Daisy are loyal visitors, but Catherine does not respond to anything.

Catherine meets Lucian for the first time when she is nineteen, and they have a passionate relationship until Catherine suddenly disappears. Later, she marries Sam, her childhood boyfriend. The second time she meets Lucian again, they have just gotten together with Sam, and she decides to separate for a while after Sam has been unfaithful to her. They have a relationship again for several months, but this also triggers traumas from Catherine's past.
They have to work through this, and due to Catherine's admission, Lucian sets out to investigate what might have been the reason Catherine disappeared so suddenly from his life 15 years earlier.
Good, but it could have been a bit shorter. I had had a feeling for a while what had happened.

Now reading Maar jij bent een goeie by Sofyan Mbarki

The blurb NOT my review

Sofyan Mbarki outlines a different perspective on migration. A hopeful plea for the Netherlands as a home for everyone.

In the classroom, in juvenile detention, in a taxi, and in local politics: Sofyan Mbarki has dealt his entire life with the social pain caused by migration and the debate surrounding it.

For instance, national politicians almost carelessly dismiss Dutch people with a migration background—who contribute to our society and prosperity every day—as ‘the integration problem’. Meanwhile, those same politicians barely achieve concrete changes. At the same time, Dutch people without a migration background living in poverty are told that they have ‘white privilege’. Yet solutions are indeed possible. Mbarki takes a hard line regarding our addiction to cheap labor, the propping up of outdated industries, and simplistic ideas about what constitutes belonging.

>207 connie53: Finished Maar jij bent een goeie by Sofyan Mbarki and the book gets

My review

This book really pleasantly surprised me. The writer is so good at portraying what happens in the Netherlands on the streets, in families, in cities, and in politics.

The author is the Deputy Mayor of Amsterdam and a member of the Labour Party. And his parents emigrated from Morocco.

There are so many things in the book that make me think about what I do. And what my role is, or what it should be. A very good book that everyone should read.

Started in Het boekwinkeltje in Venetië by Rebecca Raisin

The blurb NOT my review

When Luna loses her mother, she is left alone. Without any other family, she feels lost – until she finds a stack of old letters among her mother's belongings. The letters lead her to Venice, to an enchanting but dilapidated bookstore on one of the canals. Once arrived in the romantic city, Luna hopes to unravel the secret of her mother's past. Will she find the answers she is looking for? And will she perhaps even find the place where she truly belongs?



and in Het Rozenveld by Philip Pullman

The blurb NOT my review

Lyra Silvertongue is alone in a city haunted by daemons, searching for her beloved Pan. Malcolm Polstead isn’t far behind, searching for Lyra. And they are both racing toward the desert of Karamakan, following the trail of roses said to hold the secret of Dust.
Their allies and enemies are converging on the mysterious red building at the heart of the desert: Marcel Delamare and the military might of the Magisterium; the radical Men from the Mountains; scientists, scholars, and spies; troops of witches and other people of the air. And awaiting them all is a previously unseen and chilling new threat that will change everything.
The intertwining odysseys of Malcolm and Lyra, their journeys both internal and external, will test their limits and challenge even their most dearly held beliefs.

Yesterday I finished Het boekwinkeltje in Venetië and the book gets

My review

When Luna finds a stack of letters from a certain Giancarlo after her mother's death, she has no choice but to travel to Venice. The letters beg Ruby, Luna's mother, to return to him. But apparently, that hasn't happened. Luna is a young girl who travels the world with a friend, Gigi, and now they are going to Venice to look for Giancarlo. He supposedly has a bookstore on one of the canals. When they find a neglected second-hand bookstore, Luna devises a plan, presents it to Giancarlo, and gets hired, along with Oscar. Giancarlo will later choose between them. The two get to work and it becomes a success; thanks in part to Gigi, who is a vlogger, the bookstore gets a YouTube hit.
Everyone eventually finds a partner. This is simply a friendly and pleasant story that is perfect to read on a sunny summer day.

Starting in De laatste sterren aan de hemel by Kate Hewitt - ROOT # 35 -

The blurb NOT my review

It is thirty kilometers to the nearest city, an insignificant dot on the map amidst the endless pine trees. No one has been here for ten years. Now I pick up a rusty bucket from its nest of autumn leaves and turn to my daughter. Suddenly, I remember how, as a little girl, I helped my mother pick wild strawberries here. Maybe this isn't a punishment. Maybe this is the new start for my family.

Alex’s life is at a turning point: her husband has lost his job, their house has been foreclosed, and the once-close bond with her three children is all but broken. Now that they have nowhere else to go, the family retreats to Alex’s parents’ cottage by a lake deep in the Canadian woods. It seems like heaven on earth: for miles, there is nothing to be found but pine trees. No neighbors, no noise, no stress.

This is the ideal setting to mend family ties, until the unimaginable happens. Alex and her family are cut off from the outside world as the country is plunged into complete chaos by an attack and the government disappears. When the power goes out, the internet connection fails, and food supplies run out, the isolated family is left entirely to fend for themselves. Is their bond strong enough to weather this catastrophe together?

Finished De laatste sterren aan de hemel by Kate Hewitt - ROOT # 35 and the book gets

My review

When Daniel loses his job and he, his wife Alex, and their daughters lose their home as a result, they decide to move into Alex's parents' vacation home, deep in the Canadian wilderness. The house is quite neglected, but they can still live there reasonably well. And then disaster strikes. Several major American cities are hit by nuclear bombs and completely destroyed. The electricity goes out everywhere, there is no Wi-Fi, and therefore no news about what is happening. Their son Sam has just started university in America, but he is also coming to join them. That becomes difficult, of course, because there is no air traffic anymore due to the radioactive fallout. They decide that Daniel will go and fetch Sam.

Militias form, looting takes place, and fear and distrust are everywhere.

Alex tries to gather as much supplies as possible in the relatively quiet region where they live. While Alex, Mattie, and Ruby try to survive, the group around them grows larger. They take in Darlene, the woman who house-sat for Alex's parents, and her daughter Kerry. I found this a very exciting book and finished it in a day.

De uren van de nacht by Kate Hewitt

Found part 2 in the series and started it immediately

The blurb NOT my review

Seven months ago, our family moved to my parents' remote lakeside house. I hoped the change would get us back on track. Instead, our world completely collapsed.

Alex is distraught. The lakeside house, the last safe place for her and her family, has burned down. They are living in the woods and have no idea what tomorrow will bring. Dangers lurk everywhere. Meanwhile, Alex is trying with all her might to keep her family together. But just when they need each other so badly, the distance between them seems greater than ever. Will they manage to find each other again? And what future can Alex still offer the children? She must protect her family, no matter what comes their way.

Finished De uren van de nacht by Kate Hewitt and the book gets

Mijn review

The sequel to De laatste sterren aan de hemel is even more intense and suspenseful than the first part.

We are back with Alex and her family, who are on the run again after the destruction of their cottage in the woods. They hear about a place where people are trying to rebuild something and decide to move there. But naturally, that is not easy. Between the chapters dealing with the present, there are also chapters that tell the story of the time when Daniel and his son Sam were on their way to the cottage.

I won't reveal too much, only that I found it quite oppressive at times. The world there has become so cruel, and right now I can easily imagine that such an event could happen in the current world—perhaps, hopefully, with slightly less intensity and destruction.

I can easily imagine a part 3 coming, and I would very much welcome that. There are a few loose ends that hold that possibility.

Hi Connie, just saying Hi as I check out the ROOT Threads. Happy Reading!

>215 kaida46: Thanks, Deb.

Started in Vianne by Joanne Harris

The blurb NOT my review

On a warm July evening, Sylviane Rochas scatters her mother's ashes in New York and lets the changing wind blow her to the French seaside town of Marseille. For the first time in her life, Vianne holds the future in her own hands. Charming her way into a job as a waitress in a local bistrot, she knows that she is not here to stay - when her child is born in a few months, she must be gone. As she discovers the joy of cooking, making recipes her own with the addition of bittersweet chocolate spices, she realises that it possesses its own magic in this town full of secrets. Yet Vianne will never forget her mother's warning: that there is danger in revealing the true desires of those around her - and she must flee these cobbled streets before it's too late...

>217 connie53: That is a gorgeous cover!

>218 MissWatson: Thanks Birgit. The book is finished and gets

My review

This is the prequel to the Chocolat series by Joanne Harris. It is a beautiful story about Vianne, who ends up in Marseille after the death of her mother and finds shelter in Louis's bistro. Vianne is newly pregnant, and although she had a nomadic existence with her mother, she is happy to have some peace and quiet in one place for a while. There, she meets various people, all of whom have their own secrets. Emile, a friend of Louis and a regular customer at the bistro; Stéphane with his dog, who wanders homeless through Marseille; and Guy and his partner Mahmed, who want to build a chocolate shop.

The book focuses heavily on recipes, as Louis's deceased wife had a collection of recipes and Vianne wants to try them all. She also learns from Guy how various chocolate products are made.

There is some magic in the book. For instance, Vianne can see things around other people, allowing her to better understand them and show them which dish or chocolate they need. A nice story, but a bit too much repetition.

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De dochter van de ambassadeur by Pam Jenoff

The blurb NOT my review

Brought to the peace conference by her father, a German diplomat, Margot Rosenthal initially resents being trapped in the congested French capital, where she is still looked upon as the enemy. But as she contemplates returning to Berlin and a life with Stefan, the wounded fiance she hardly knows anymore, she decides that being in Paris is not so bad after all. Bored and torn between duty and the desire to be free, Margot strikes up unlikely alliances: with Krysia, an accomplished musician with radical acquaintances and a secret to protect; and with Georg, the handsome, damaged naval officer who gives Margot a job--and also a reason to question everything she thought she knew about where her true loyalties should lie. Against the backdrop of one of the most significant events of the century, a delicate web of lies obscures the line between the casualties of war and of the heart, making trust a luxury that no one can afford

Finished De dochter van de ambassadeur - ROOT # 36 - Forumchallenge # 28 and the book gets

My review

Margot Rosenthal is the daughter of a German diplomat, and the book begins just after World War I.

Her father participates in discussions regarding how the countries that played a role in the war will shape their cooperation.

Before the war, Margot had become engaged to Stefan, who survived the war but was seriously wounded. Margot was actually supposed to go to him and help him with his recovery. However, she notices that her feelings have diminished somewhat and stays with her father in Paris. There, she meets the charming Georg, and their feelings are intense almost immediately. Margot starts helping Georg with his work. She translates documents for him.

She also meets Krysia, a Ukrainian woman who plays the piano beautifully.
Essentially, it is a story that constantly revolves around misunderstandings, and no one is actually who they claim to be. They all keep things from each other or do not tell the whole truth. And that can never end well, and indeed, it does not.
A fine story, but not great.

Starting in Door de ogen van een gynaecoloog by Koen Deurloo - ROOT # 37 - Forumchallenge # 29

The blurb NOT my review

When Dr. Koen Deurloo attended his first birth during his clinical rotations, he knew for sure: this was what he wanted to do for the rest of his life. In this book, he offers a unique behind-the-scenes look at the obstetrics department.

As a gynecologist, Koen manages pregnancies and deliveries that require extra care. Sometimes intense, but it is also the place in a hospital where there is a great deal of joy. From mother-assisted caesarean sections to unexpected or long-awaited pregnancies, from difficult decisions when things don't seem to be going well to the immense joy when a healthy baby is born: Koen experiences it all.

Hi, Connie! You're getting through your ROOTs fast!

Finished Door de ogen van een gynaecoloog by Koen Deurloo - ROOT # 37 - Forumchallenge # 29 and the book gets

My review

In this book, the author explains in a clear and straightforward manner what his work as a gynecologist entails and what is possible in today's world. That is so much more than when I gave birth over 40 years ago.
Drawing on a considerable number of true stories, and with the permission and assistance of the parents, he describes all kinds of births and how more and more scenarios are possible. He discusses collaboration with midwives and social workers. It is a pleasure to read, even the stories that do not end well. Because that is part of it too.

Starting in Live Before Man by Margaret Atwood (touchstone book isn't working)

The blurb NOT my review

Elizabeth has just lost her latest lover to suicide while Nate, her husband, is working up to run off with Lesje. And Lesje? She would rather be studying dinosaurs than distracted by men. As Elizabeth, Nate and Lesje find themselves imprisoned by walls of their own construction the ghost of Elizabeth's dead lover hangs over them. Under his shadow, and in the spell of love, their lives will collide and entangle towards a single tragicomic climax.

>198 connie53: Oh gosh, Connie, this sounds worse than I thought it would be when I heard Reese Witherspoon interviewed about it - her description of how they worked together on the book sounded like a jumble and I felt sorry for Harlan Coben!

Follow me to my second thread.