Connie is back

Picture made in the summer of 2014. A meet-up with my book-club in Scheveningen, The Netherlands. And what does one do when a book-club meets. Right, comparing the e-readers!

Hello dear friends.

My name is Connie. I'm 61 years young (62 in March, yikes)
Married to Peet
One son: Jeroen (try to pronounce that!)
One daughter: Eveline
A son in law: Cyrille
A daughter in law: Rianne

I'm Dutch (that might explain some mistakes in my English)
I'm a reader although 75 books a year is a bit much for me.
This is my second year in the 75-ers.

I work at a Highschool and am a assistant to the deans at our school. Although a dean in Holland is something else than a dean in the UK of US.
We help students choose their subjects in the third year and with choosing their next study at an University or College. We have almost 1700 students total.

If you want to ask me something, please feel free to do so. I will be happy to explain.

I was really thinking about not starting a 75-er Thread. But since some people were asking where my thread could be found.

I'm back again!

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About My ROOT reading:

My goal is 26 Books of the shelves. That will leave room for new books (just bought) or books that have not been on my shelves long enough.

ROOTs that will count are books that have been on my shelves for more then 12 months. To make the challenge more of a challenge I will read an ABC by last name of the author.




ROOTs read in 2015:

01-A. Kelley Armstrong - Gebeten - 355 pages -
02-B. Luc Besson - Arthur en de Wraak van Malthazard - 173 pages -
03-C. Justin Cronin - De zomergast - 411 pages - *
04-D.
05-E.
06-F.
07-G.
08-H.
09-I.
10-J.
11-K. Stephen King - De wind door het sleutelgat - 317 pages -
12-L.
13-M. George R.R. Martin - Een feestmaal voor kraaien - 739 pages -
14-N. Patrick Ness - Het mes dat niet wijkt - 479 pages -
15-O.
16-P.
17-Q.
18-R.
19-S.
20-T.
21-U.
22-V.
23-W.
24-X.
25-Y.
26-Z.

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Extra ROOT's read in 2015

25. Patrick Ness - Het donkere paradijs - 511 pages -
26. Patrick Ness - Lawaai dat nooit stopt - 527 pages -

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Total ROOTS in 2105 (the 26 for the ABC and some extra ones)

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Other books read in 2015:

01. Diana Gabaldon - Met het bloed van mijn hart (Deel 1) - 549 pages -
02. Peter James - Doodsklok - 379 pages -

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Ebooks read in 2015:

01. Rachel Joyce - De onwaarschijnlijke reis van Harold Fry - 268 pages - *

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Total number of books read in 2015




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Books bought in 2015:
01. James Dashner - De schroeiproeven
02. David Hair - Water en Vuur
03. Charlaine Harris - Date met de dood
04. Michel Faber - Het boek van wonderlijke nieuwe dingen
05. Graeme Simsion - Het Rosie Project
06. Daniel O'Malley - De dame
07. Peter James - Doodsklok
08. Jessie Burton - Het huis aan de Gouden Bocht
09. Harlan Coben - Gevonden

means: Read

Welcome to everyone!

Welcome back, Connie!

Thanks Darryl! You are really very quick! I was still working on my first post!

So, what I've read:

Met het bloed van mijn hart (the first part) by Diana Gabaldon



This is the translation of In My Own Hearts Blood

This part (8) in the Outlander series is published in The Netherlands in two separate books.
book 1 has 549 pages
book 2 has 626 pages.

So it would be a very big book and not very easy to handle. I'm glad they did it this way. It's still a big one, but easier to hold and carry around in my handbag if need be.

For ROOT # 1
I'm reading Een feestmaal voor kraaien by G.R.R. Martin on my Kobo, but I prefer a real book and I can't seem to get into this one. I've been reading it since July last year. Other books seem to be getting in the way of ending it. Well, never mind.



This is the translation of A Feast for Crows

ROOT (# 2).

Het mes dat niet wijkt by Patrick Ness.



This is the translation of The Knife of Never Letting Go
Part 1 of the Chaos trilogy.

This is the blurb!

Todd Hewitt is the only boy in a town of men. Ever since the settlers were infected with the Noise germ, Todd can hear everything the men think, and they hear everything he thinks. Todd is just a month away from becoming a man, but in the midst of the cacophony, he knows that the town is hiding something from him -- something so awful Todd is forced to flee with only his dog, whose simple, loyal voice he hears too. With hostile men from the town in pursuit, the two stumble upon a strange and eerily silent creature: a girl. Who is she? Why wasn't she killed by the germ like all the females on New World? Propelled by Todd's gritty narration, readers are in for a white-knuckle journey in which a boy on the cusp of manhood must unlearn everything he knows in order to figure out who he truly is.

My Secret Santa on my book club 'gave' this book to me.
We don't exactly give books (to expensive for some) but just make some recommendations for one other person that is participating in the Secret Santa Thing.

And this book has been on my shelf since December 2013 so it's a ROOT!!

my first bought books of the year.

David Hair - Water en vuur part one in the series De brug der getijden



This is the translation of Mage's Blood, part 1 in the Moontide Quartet

Most of the time the Moontide Bridge lies deep below the sea, but every 12 years the tides sink and the bridge is revealed, its gates open for trade. The Magi are hell-bent on ruling this new world, and for the last two Moontides they have led armies across the bridge on crusades of conquest. Now the third Moontide is almost here and, this time, the people of the East are ready for a fight -- but it is three seemingly ordinary people that will decide the fate of the world.

James Dashner - De schroeiproeven part two in De Labyrinthrenner series.



This is the translation of The Scorch Trials, part 2 in the Mazerunner series

After surviving horrific conditions in the Maze, Thomas is entrapped, along with nineteen other boys, in a scientific experiment designed to observe their responses and gather data believed to be essential for the survival of the human race.

We had a meeting of our book club! It was very nice, good food, drinks and nice people to talk with, mostly about books.
We always have a book switch. People bring books to give away or swap. I got one book of the table.



Date met de dood by Charlaine Harris
This is the translation of Dead until dark

Dead Until Dark is the first book in Charlaine Harris's series The Southern Vampire Mysteries / Sookie Stackhouse novels. In this first installment, the author introduces the character of Sookie Stackhouse, a young telepathic waitress from the fictional town of Bon Temps, Louisiana, and her world, an alternate history where vampires, shapeshifters and other supernatual beings coexist with humans. In Dead Until Dark Sookie begins a romantic entanglement with her vampire neighbor and is faced with a series of murders in town.

It sounded very interesting so it's mine now.

I'm now completely into the Chaos Trilogy by Patrick Ness. I just finished Het mes dat niet wijkt and I liked it a lot. Really a lot.



Het donkere paradijs

This is the translation of The Ask and the Answer
The titles have nothing in common.
The ask and the answer translates into De vraag en het antwoord.
Het donkere paradijs would translate into The dark paradise.
I really don't know how they thought up this translation, but you know; Publishers are funny sometimes.

And Het mes dat niet wijkt is my first finished ROOT of the year. Reading another book by Patrick Ness (it is a ROOT also) will not fit in my ABC-ROOT list. But I like these books so much I can't see myself reading another book right now. I have to know where the story will end. I will just have to read some additional ROOTs this year.

Just finished Het donkere paradijs by Patrick Ness and loved it! A big . ROOT #3. Yeah!!

And starting ROOT #4

Lawaai dat nooit stopt by Patrick Ness.


This is the translation of Monsters of Men
Again an odd translation
Lawaai dat nooit stopt translates into Noise that never stops
Monsters of Men would make something like "Monsterlijke mannen" of "Monsters van mannen".

Just because you can't read anything else before you know what will happen to Todd and Viola. You need to go on reading.

Yeah, COnnie! I found you, and I have dropped my star! I have that Patrick Ness trilogy, and you are reminding me that I need to get to it. Also LOVE Sookie Stackhouse! Those books are a lot of fun.

Glad to see you here, Connie and it looks like you've done some great reading!

I understand the problems with more than one thread. I've decided to not have one in the ROOTS group this year and to instead just comment on the monthly thread. It's such a great, friendly place though, that I'll miss it.

>12 streamsong: That's what I decided too, Janet, but the other way around. But I was missing everyone over here. So here I am again.

>11 Crazymamie: You just do that, Mamie. It certainly is worth your time.

Welcome back Connie. I'll probably comment more here than in ROOTS, but it looks like you've made a great start!

Welcome back!

I'm glad you came back, Connie! :) Nice reads!

Thanks! It's good to be back.

>16 saraslibrary: Hi Sarah. Do you have a thread somewhere? I can't find it!

Happy Sunday.

It's early over here and I am out of bed for an hour or so. It's now 08.25 and I had my first coffee and orange juice. Did my sudoku's (I'm kind of addicted and start my day with at least one to wake up my mind).
No real plans for today. Maybe some ironing and watch speed skating on TV. And of course some reading.
I was home the past few days with a nasty cold that did not turn into a flue kind of thing. Back to work tomorrow.

Just noticed your thread, Connie and I am so pleased to see you back again for 2015.
I also have to say that I was surprised at the age you gave us up top. I hope I look half as good as you do when I reach your number. xx

Well Thanks! I have dried up really well! (that's a Dutch expression, and it's dried UP not OUT, LOL)

Howdy Connie! I am glad you are back and decided to make a thread. I love the topper. I don't have a thread in 75 this year. I will be visiting as many as I am able to.

The Chaos trilogy sounds good. I will add it to my list.

Happy Sunday!

Thanks Roberta! Is there some other group where I can find your thread? I don't want to loose sight of you.

>22 connie53: Glad you found me Connie. Thank you for taking the time.

>23 luvamystery65: LOL, I checked out your profile and the groups you were in and there you were number 2 in the thread-list!

Oh, I'm *so* glad that you decided to have a thread again, Connie - I would have missed you terribly if you didn't!

That's why I set it up, Amber. I missed you all too.

>18 connie53: Yes, I do have several threads going this year, but my main one is on the 100 Books Challenge (yep, I made the giant leap from 75 to 100; we'll see if I can actually make it, though--lol).

Btw, I love sudokus, too, though I have one puzzle that is just kicking my butt (and it's a medium/easy one, too--argh!). The downside to those puzzles is that it eats into my reading time. :(

Boo on the cold! And double boo on having to go back to work tomorrow. Just take it easy like you plan to and hopefully you'll feel 100%. :)

>27 saraslibrary: You say it takes you more than half an hour or so to solve a medium sudoku? I solve the sudoku in the newspaper and two online. Monday they are all gentle ones and that's really easy for me. I like them to be diabolical or extreme. Or with the extra's like the X or the blocks.

There you are! I have dropped a star.

Hi Meg, glad to see you here!

>28 connie53: Yes, because I have too many distractions (work, pets, home, etc). I'm a beginner at Sudoku, so it'll take me awhile to get where you are. :) I prefer the numbers than crossword puzzles. I have yet to see any with X's or blocks. That'll be fun to try! I hope. ;)

I remember when my brother talked me into making one several years ago. I told him a was a letter girl and not someone who is great with numbers. He said you could do a sudoku with letters of even with symbols as long as you had nine of them to work with. It was just a game of logic thinking. So I tried one with him helping me and I thought it was fun and good for the brain. Now I'm kind of hooked.

The one with the X has a complication (duh). The X has to be filled with 1 to 9 too.

I like crosswords too!

Just updating on the book things:

I'm reading Lawaai dat nooit stopt by Patrick Ness right now. This is the third part in the Chaos trilogy and I'm loving it.
The story continues with Todd and Viola and a third person in introduced to the plot. What's special about these books (among other things) is the layout of the text. Each person has his/her own font.
Now on page 211/527.

Okay, this thread I can see and comment on but the one you sent me, I was stuck. I thought I was in a Twilight Zone episode. LOL.

I am glad you are enjoying the last Chaos Walking book. I love Ness. Have you read A Monster Calls?

Yes I did Mark. And loved it!

Glad you can see and comment now.

Do you have a separate thread in Dutch, because I think that is what was coming up.

No, I don't have a thread in the Dutch language, just in English. But sometimes the www..... is .nl and sometimes it's .com.

All the headings were in Dutch. Like, I said very strange. I better stop reading dark and creepy books. LOL.

I see the headings in Dutch too!

Glad to see I am not losing my mind...

No you're not!

Happy New Thread, Connie. I had to switch to the Duch site that I was able to post here.
How are you today? I hope you feel much better. L&h xx

Glad you've rejoined us again this year and that you've enjoyed the Chaos Walking series. For some reason I found the third book a bit of a disappointment but loved the first two.

Hi Connie, just found you and so I had to post, hope everything is well with you and the family my dear. I will be starring your thread so I can keep up to date with things, I am just nosy really, lol.

Just letting everyone know - I did indeed have a link to the Netherlands site. The Threadbook now points to this thread. Thanks to Mamie for letting me know!

Yay! I can star and post to Connie's thread! (Thanks, Mamie! Your link worked!)

Wow, what a lot of visitors! Thanks to Mamie for somehow making everything work. But now I want to know what I did wrong. Can someone tell me?

Barb, John, Heather, Mary and Jim: welcome to my world.

>42 Ameise1: I feel better, Barb. I went to work again today. I thought I was up to it, but it was a bit exhausting. Lots of students had applied for days off to go visit an university or college to get information about certain studies or accompanying a student for a day, one that is already studying at an University or college.
So I had to enter these days into the system we use and into my spreadsheet so we can have a nice overview of who went were.

I've been busy all day and was glad I could go home again at 3.30 p.m.

>43 souloftherose: I feel the same way, Heather. This third book is, though interesting, just a bit to long. But nevertheless I am enjoying it. Almost finished, just 110 pages to go.

Connie, take it easy this evening. Just relax.

Finally found you Connie!

I actually tried to post a message yesterday but when I opened your thread, it went all weird on me......all the english changed and I couldn't star it. All's good now! (Thanks Mamie) :)

Thanks Valerie!

That must have been a scary thing to happen. Just out of curiosity: Which of the English changed? Just the headings? Or something else too?

I think I have to thank Mamie a lot!

Everything.....so basically anything that was in English changed to a different language.

Even my posts?

No...actually not your posts I don't think. I was too distracted by all the foreign language that I didn't even know where to click..hah! It was just anything directly related to the LT site.

Okay, then maybe you have just seen some Dutch! LOL.

That's what I deal with every day! Everything is in English!

Yikes! I read (haha, I mean I looked at) all the posts in Dutch and quickly gave up. I'm really impressed that you do so well in English ~ actually, I had been following your thread last year for quite awhile before I twigged that you were Dutch and not English-speaking.

Anyway, I just stopped by to say thanks for getting me all excited about jigsaw puzzles again. I bought a lovely jigsaw puzzle calendar and have started putting it together. There are 6 small double-sided puzzles that, when finished, are glued together so they're permanent and then used as the picture on a white-board calendar. (Hard to describe, but there's a picture on my thread that may clarify: https://www.librarything.com/topic/186192#4997795).

Hi Connie! I am glad to see I was not the only one losing my mind yesterday. LOL.

>55 Storeetllr: Glad to be of service, Mary. And thanks for the compliments. I spend so much time on LT that I'm starting to think in English. I can't imagine that LT translates text into Dutch on it's own! That is really weird. I wonder if the same thing happens when I open an English thread on the .nl site. Will it translate into Dutch too?

>56 msf59: So now you are part of a mind losing group, Mark!
It could have been a good way to start learning Dutch!

Aha! Found you and starring you. I'm so glad you're back.

Thanks Steph!

I just finished ROOT number 4 but one that extra on top of the ABC challenge I mean to read.

Lawaai dat nooit stopt by Patrick Ness.

I thought this third part in the trilogy was just as strong as the other two books in the series.

This is a beautiful story for Young Adults but grown ups will enjoy it too. It's about faith and trust, love and hate, war and peace seen through the eyes of a boy (Todd) who is born on the New World but his parents came from the Old World, A girl (Viola)who has just arrived from the Old World and a young man (1017)that is one of the original people of the New World.
The story is not told by those three. The language is different for each of them.
Todd does not know how to read or write and you can see that (incorrect spelling). Viola language is clean and correct. 1017 speaks with the internal speech of his whole land. And all three have their own font in the books! Excellent.

I've started a new ROOT yesterday evening.
I wanted to start with my ABC-challenge and picked Gebeten by Kelley Armstrong from the shelves.


This is the translation of Bitten
355 pages. On the shelves since 2009

This is the blurb, NOT a review

Ever since her parents were killed in a car accident when she was five, Elena Michaels has longed for a normal family life. Smart, beautiful, and engaged to be married, Elena hopes to fulfill that dream when disaster strikes. Not only has her fiancé lied about his secret life as a werewolf, but he's made her one, too. She has no choice but to join him at Stonehaven, the upstate New York home of an elite pack of werewolves.

In an attempt to break away, she moves to Toronto to lead a normal life. Working as a journalist, Elena now lives with her new architect boyfriend, works out in the basement gym of their high-rise apartment, lunches with girlfriends from the office, and—once a week, at four in the morning—runs naked and furred through a downtown Toronto ravine, ripping out the throats of her animal prey. But when a band of outlaw werewolves threatens the Stonehaven pack, Elena's feral instincts drive her back there to join the defense. What follows is a war for territory, for pride, and ultimately for Elena herself.

Happy Saturday, Connie! I hope you are enjoying a fine weekend and getting plenty of reading in.

I hope so too, Mark.

Our son came over for coffee and a chat. And now we have just returned from grocery shopping. I'm hoping for a quiet afternoon and some reading.

Have a great weekend, Connie!

So far so good, Darryl. This morning we were hit by freezing rain for 15 minutes and after that a whole lot of snow. It was advised to stay home. My son drove over and told us it was very slippery out there. Now the sun is shining, the temps are up to above zeroC. And the snow is slowly melting.

Did I say that I don't like snow? I don't like snow. So I hope this will be last for this winter. I need some spring!

>65 connie53: It was cold and rainy in Atlanta yesterday, and it rained from late Thursday night until early this morning. Fortunately it was warm enough here for us to escape any snow; otherwise I'd probably be stuck in the hospital all weekend, as Atlanta and its drivers don't handle frozen precipitation very well.

Yeah Connie! I've just discovered your new thread! So happy to see you are back!
Might it really be the last snow of the winter?! In the midwestern US we'll surely have 3 more months of it and dreadfully cloudy gray skies.
Hope the remainder of your weekend is relaxing.

Stopping in to wish you a lovely Saturday, Connie - may it be filled with fabulous!

Thanks for visiting!

>66 kidzdoc: We had a lot of accidents on the high ways this morning, Darryl. 150, mostly with just damage to the cars. And there are always madmen (and women) driving with the usual speed (or more) through our neighbourhood. We were just getting in our car at the grocery store when a woman, her arms filled with groceries, was almost run over by a car. She had to jump to the side to escape. There are stupid and irresponsible drivers everywhere.

>67 Carmenere: We have had winters without any snow, Lynda, so it could be possible. And I really hope so. And Yeah!! You found me!

>68 Crazymamie: Thanks Mamie. Always a pleasure to see you.

>61 connie53: *bam*. BB with this. Straight to the WL, do not pass "Go."

Hi Connie, I hope you had a wonderful weekend. I'm so busy with my real life so there is no photo this weekend.

Real life is so important, Barb.

I will just act as if you posted one! No worries.

Hi Connie, I hope you have had a lovely weekend my dear.

Glad to see you back here again, Connie.

I hope your snow clears up - we're supposed to get 3 - 5 inches tomorrow. So I'm hoping for a stay-home-and-read day!

The snow has melted completely during the night. No below zero night over here. It's raining now and 6C.

I just came back from a heavy day at school. 4 hours of testing students to see what they like to do when they grow up. Tomorrow 5 hours of the same AND a evening of hosting a PTA meeting. On those days I'm doubly aware of my limitations in moving around. My knee is not getting any better then this and my hips are not good (osteoarthritis) too and getting worse. So walking much is a challenge.

Sorry to hear about the knee and hip issues, Connie. Hope you can find some relief soon.

If I were to do a test now about what I would like to do once I grow up, I'm pretty sure it would say, full time book reader and LT thread addict. :)

>77 jolerie: LOL, Valerie. A full time book reader would be nice if it would bring money into the house! I think my test would take me exactly to what I'm doing now.

There has been a virus going round and some people are home sick for four weeks with the flue. I'm doing fine, relatively speaking. Just coughing a lot. But no fever.

Today was another day of testing some classes. But also some time to get the results sorted out. Tomorrow will be another 'calm' day. So I can make the sets of results ready to go to the class teachers. He or She will have them ready for the PTA evening next week.

And the weekend I'm off to visit my Best Girlfriend, Vera. Shopping, talking, nice dinner, wine!

Here's hoping that you don't fall under the flu spell! And your weekend ahead sounds wonderful!

Happy Friday, Connie! I hope you are feeling better! Have a lovely weekend visit with Vera!

Thanks, Mark and Amber. I will enjoy it, I know. That's always the case. We have been best friends for 35 years so we know each other trough and trough.

Hi Connie, enjoy your friend's visit. I hope you won't catch the flu again. I keep my fingers crossed.

Thanks Barb.

Hi Connie, I wish you a lovely weekend.

Hi Connie, hope you are having a good weekend my dear and getting some reading in. Love and hugs to you from the both of us.

Popping in to finally drop a star, Connie!

I hope you are still flu-free!

Flufree! Yes I still am.

I had a wonderful weekend with my BFF Vera. We did talk a lot. Vera is a very good cook and she proved that again last night. Excellent dinner and lovely company.

Oh, yay for wonderful weekends with BFFs!
My own BFF is in cooking school right now and I can't wait until he visits so he can cook me a gourmet meal! Ha!

>87 DorsVenabili: Welcome to my world, Kerri!

>86 johnsimpson: and >85 Ameise1:: thanks guys!

>89 scaifea: I know what you mean, Amber. We usually go out for dinner when I visit her, but with the weather so unpredictable and to safe some of our money for the summer holiday we decided to stay home.
We had:
1. a little bowl of tomato bisque
2. Carpaccio
3. Filled Portobello mushrooms
4. Spaghetti with spinach and shrimps, garlic and herbs
5. Lemon sorbet ice.

It was very delicious.

On the book-thing:

For the February Challenge of my book-club I choose to read. The theme is Shapeshifters.

De wind door het sleutelgat - Stephen King The Dark Tower 4.5


This is the translation of The Wind Through the Keyhole
317 pages and a ROOT because it is on the shelves since January 2013

Sent by his father to investigate evidence of a murderous shape shifter, a "skin man," Roland Deschain takes charge of Bill Streeter, a brave but terrified boy who is the sole surviving witness to the beast's most recent slaughter. Roland, himself only a teenager, calms the boy by reciting a story from the Magic Tales of the Eld that his mother used to read to him at bedtime, "The Wind through the Keyhole." (The novel can be placed between Dark Tower IV and Dark Tower V.)

Wow, Connie, what a delicious meal.

It was, Barb, and we took our time so it lasted about 2 hours because we always have a lot to talk about.

>90 connie53: Oh, wow, that meal sounds amazing!

Hi Connie, your meal sounded wonderful and that you had a good natter.

Excuse me while I wipe away my drool. That meal has some of my all time favourite things. :)

Finally found and starred your thread, Connie.
What a wonderful meal and while having 5 courses, it sounds light and fresh, not too heavy.

And it were all little portions, so not too heavy indeed.

>96 Deern: I'm glad you found me, Nathalie ;-))

>95 jolerie: And what are those, Valerie? just curious.

>94 johnsimpson: Thanks John. I had to Google 'natter' but yes we had!

Bought three new books today

Michel Faber - Het boek van wonderlijke nieuwe dingen
Translation of The Book of Strange New Things



The Blurb!!
It begins with Peter, a devoted man of faith, as he is called to the mission of a lifetime, one that takes him galaxies away from his wife, Bea. Peter becomes immersed in the mysteries of an astonishing new environment, overseen by an enigmatic corporation known only as USIC. His work introduces him to a seemingly friendly native population struggling with a dangerous illness and hungry for Peter’s teachings—his Bible is their “book of strange new things.” But Peter is rattled when Bea’s letters from home become increasingly desperate: typhoons and earthquakes are devastating whole countries, and governments are crumbling. Bea’s faith, once the guiding light of their lives, begins to falter.

Graeme Simsion - Het Rosie Project
Translation of The Rosie Project



The Blurb!!
Don Tillman is getting married. He just doesn't know who to yet. But he has designed the Wife Project, using a sixteen-page questionnaire to help him find the perfect partner. She will most definitely not be a barmaid, a smoker, a drinker, or a late-arriver. Rosie Jarman is all these things. She is also fiery and intelligent and beautiful. And on a quest of her own to find her biological father - a search that Don, a professor of genetics, might just be able to help her with. The Wife Project teaches Don some unexpected things. Why earlobe length is an inadequate predictor of sexual attraction. Why quick-dry clothes aren't appropriate attire in New York. Why he's never been on a second date. And why, despite your best scientific efforts, you don't find love: love finds you.

Daniel O'Malley - De Dame
Translation of The Rook



The Blurb!!
Myfanwy Thomas awakes in a London park surrounded by dead bodies. With her memory gone, her only hope of survival is to trust the instructions left in her pocket by her former self. She quickly learns that she is a Rook, a high-level operative in a secret agency that protects the world from supernatural threats. But there is a mole inside the organization and this person wants her dead.

As Myfanwy battles to save herself, she encounters a person with four bodies, a woman who can enter her dreams, children transformed into deadly fighters, and an unimaginably vast conspiracy. Suspenseful and hilarious, THE ROOK is an outrageously inventive debut for readers who like their espionage with a dollop of purple slime.

I just thought "gosh, I haven't heard from Connie in a long time" and then discovered I didn't have you starred!! Glad that's fixed now. Hope you're having a good 2015 and I'm looking forward to keeping in touch now that the star is firmly in place.

Hi Connie! I hope you can put The Book of Strange New Things on top of your current book stack. It is such a great book and I look forward to your thoughts.
The Rosie Project is a lot of fun too!

Hi Reba! Glad you found me! My 2015 is a bit wobbly so far. Flu and lots of work things going on over here. I'm looking forward to Spring. Or at least some warmer weather.
Just one more week and then a week off work. It's Carnival in this part of the Netherlands. I'm not one to go out all dressed up, but a week vacation is nice.

Hi Mark! You do not want to know how many books are on top of the TBR. It's no stack any more. It has grown to mountain like proportions. But I will get there eventually.

Hi Connie, when does spring come to the Netherlands?

>102 Familyhistorian: I hope soon! But it usually gets better around the middle of March.

Yesterday I went to Den Bosch with 10 of my fellow members of my bookclub. We were asked to function as a panel to discuss fantasy books seen from the point of view of a reader. First there was a panel of Dutch writers and then it was our turn to sit up front. I was in the audience to support the five members on the panel. And to take pictures. This is one of them



Then there was time for drinks and food. The evening ended with a grand gala. I did not participate in the gala. I had to get home by train and I do not own a dress to fit the occasion and no desire to buy or rent one.

It was a very pleasant day and our panel did very well. Of course we discussed the forever growing TBR most fantasy readers have. A lot of the audience members recognized that problem and there were lots of "yes, yesses" from the room.

>103 connie53: Wow, what a fantastic event. I'm glad you were able to join it.

Despite LOTR being permanently on my best of lists, I always disdained fantasy as a genre. Last year I read the first installment of the Riftwar saga by Feist : Magician: Apprentice and got myself rehooked a bit. I am reading the second book at the moment.

Have a lovely Sunday.

@ Barb: Yes it was really very nice to attend. And not being alone but with a lot of my friends made it extra special.

For the people who know Zjak. She is on the panel too. Second one from the left.

@ PaulC: Feist was my first read fantasy writer. And his books got me hooked too. In hindsight my first writer was Frank Herbert (Dune), but I did not realize those books were fantasy. I just read every book I could lay my hands on. Feist was the turning point for me.

Hi Connie! Enjoy your vacation! How is Carnival in the Netherlands celebrated? Parades? A feast on Fat Tuesday?

>107 Carmenere: The Carnival starts next Friday and ends on Tuesday night at 00.00 hour. (Although lots of people keep partying). Every city, town or village has his own parade. In my town on Monday.
I don't celebrate carnival, I used to though. People dress up and when the weather is good go out to squares and dance and drink. When the weather is wet or very cold they go inside bars and cafés.

Here are two pictures of my son Jeroen and his girlfriend Rianne





And two of my daughter Eveline and her boyfriend Cyrille

Cool pictures! It looks like so much fun!

Hello Connie!

The Carnival costumes are fantastic.

I have added the Stephen King to my wishlist.

Have a lovely week.

Lovely Carneval photos. Myownself don't like to dress up but I like to see all the others in there costumes.

Finished book number 6 for this year.

De wind door het sleutelgat by Stephen King and I loved it. It's a story in a story in a story but it's never complicated and it reads really quick.

Now I'm looking for another book to fit in the Challenge for February (Shapeshifters) on my bookclub.

Morning, Connie! Fun photos - thanks for sharing.

Morning Mamie! Here the sun is setting. it's 5.00 p.m.

Oops! Evening, Connie!

Strange to realize there is so much time difference between LT-members and we still feel really close to one another.

I always liked Carnaval when we lived in Brabant. Unlike Mardi Gras, in New Orleans, Carnaval had a big family component which I really appreciated. I loved that and the children's bike parades on Koninginnedag.

>117 RebaRelishesReading: You lived in Brabant? How nice! Where did you live? And yes, the bike parades are really cute. I remember decorating the bikes of my kids with red, blue and white paper with some orange details. they were so excited and jumping up and down for joy. And riding their decorated bikes for days till the rain bleached the colours of the paper.

I hope it will be warm enough for you soon, Jackie.

Today another afternoon partly spend in the garden with a book.

I finished ROOT # 6 Een feestmaal voor kraaien by George R.R. Martin and started # 7 Arthur en de Wraak van Malthazard by Luc Besson.

The book by Martin gets

It took me 6 months to finish this book and although I was drawn into the book when I started reading in it again a few days ago, I think a book that takes this long to finish must miss something. Or be a bit overwhelming. I think the latter might be the case. Too many people, too many houses, too many intrigues. I got confused by the complexity of it all. Now I've finished it I was wondering if I should start in the fifth part in the series. (Divided over two books in The Netherlands) or just let it be for a while.

As you can see I decided to read another book for ROOTs.



This is the description of the IMDb site about the movie. NOT my review

Arthur did as a boy what only grandpa, a fellow nature buff, did as an adult: pass, as white man, the Bogo tribe's tests of harmony with the natural worlds of trees, minerals and animals. To answer a mysterious call fro help from the Mimimoy people, he enters their world miniaturized. By the time he works out with friends it was a trick, the mastermind has already escaped, ready to strike in our world.

Also reading De onwaarschijnlijke reis van Harold Fry by Rachel Joyce as an e-book.



This is the description of the book, NOT my review

Recently retired, Harold Fry lives in a small English village with a wife who seems irritated by everything he does. Little differentiates one day from the next until a letter arrives in the mail from a woman he hasn't heard from in twenty years. Queenie Hennessy, in hospice, is writing to say goodbye. Harold pens a quick reply, but a chance encounter at the corner mailbox convinces him that he must deliver it in person. So Harold sets off on a six-hundred mile journey because, he believes, as long as he walks, Queenie will live.

Hi, Connie! Happy Friday and Happy Carnivale! You've been so busy lately! Your dinner with your BFF sounds like so much fun! And the fantasy fic panel too. Have a great weekend!

Thanks, Mary! I'm glad I'm off work for 9 days now. Time to read, relax, catching up here and some household things. Carnival is not really my thing any more, but I love the free time and the fact that there is no pressure to do anything at all!

Yay for time off! 9 days sounds like bliss. Are you going to go anywhere or just stick close to home for some R&R?

Enjoy your time off Connie. Have a lovely weekend.

Hi Connie, hope you have a lovely weekend my dear and enjoy your nine days holiday, Karen sends her love to you as do I. I wonder how many Valentines you will get?

Connie, I wish you a fantastic time. I hope the weather is fine so you can sit in the garden and read.

Happy carnival weekend, Connie and happy holiday! Didn't know carnival in the Netherlands is so much like the Rheinische Karneval in Mainz, Köln and Düsseldorf, but it's quite close and the Rhein crosses the NL, so of course it brings the carnival all the way from Switzerland.

Thanks all! So nice to welcome visitors to my thread.

I will go nowhere at all. Just stick close to home and read a lot. I won't get near to any carnival thing. The weather looks nice again, but today we have to go to a funeral. My sisters Mother in Law died a few days ago and of course we have to go to support my sister and her husband.

@ John: No Valentines yet and I do not expect any. Peet promised to buy a book for me. So we will go to the bookstore in a few hours. ;-))

Oh, Connie, so sorry to hear about the death of your sis MIL. I'm thinking of your sister and the whole family. xx

Enjoy your time off Connie. Sorry to hear about the death of your sister's MIL.

>119 connie53: I also found A Feast For Crows a bit of a slog compared to the earlier books - just so much to keep track of!

Happy Weekend, Connie! I hope you can kick back and enjoy your books.

>130 msf59: I hope so too, Mark.

Enjoy your holiday, Connie! All that free to time read sounds wonderful!

Peet gave me a book for Valentine's day. From one of my favourite authors of a good thriller !!!

Doodsklok by Peter James

This is the description, NOT my review!!

Some will wait a lifetime to take their revenge..

A vicious robbery at a secluded Brighton mansion leaves its elderly occupant dying. And millions of pounds' worth of valuables have been taken. But, as Detective Superintendent Roy Grace, heading the enquiry, rapidly learns, there is one priceless item of sentimental value that the old woman's powerful family cherish above all else. And they are fully prepared to take the law into their own hands, and will do anything, absolutely anything, to get it back.

Within days, Grace is racing against the clock, following a murderous trail that leads him from the shady antiques world of Brighton, across Europe, and all the way back to the New York waterfront gang struggles of 1922, chasing a killer driven by the force of one man’s greed and another man’s fury.

>133 connie53: I hope you enjoy your Valentine's Day book! :) And I love the Carnival pictures. It looks like fun. :)

Thanks Sara. These pictures were last year's. I still have to figure out how to get pictures from my mobile phone to my laptop.

Happy Sunday, Connie.

Thanks, Barb.

Today is going to be a lazy Sunday. Nothing to do if I don't want to do it. I'm taking a small break from ironing. Just a few more items and then the basket is empty for the moment. Another batch of laundry is whirling in the washer. The sun is shining but temps are still low, 4 or 5 C. In a hour or so the sun will reach my favourite place in the sun and out of the wind. I will go out and finish ROOT # 7 and start a new book. Probably the book Peet gave me yesterday, because that one is screaming to be read.

Happy Sunday Everybody.

>137 connie53: Lazy Sundays are wonderful. I am having one myself - no schoolwork, no job hunting, lots of reading and game playing.

I hope you enjoy your day, Connie!

Oh! those pics are so cool, Connie! They certainly must put a lot of time and effort into their costumes.
Thanks for reminding me that I've got laundry calling out to me too. Have a wonderful day with ROOT #7 and the new arrival!

Hooray for a lazy Sunday - we're having one of those, too!

Thanks!

I have spend a few hours in the sun in the garden with my books. And all my plans for today worked out just fine. Finish one book and start de new and shiny one Peet bought me yesterday.

Books by Peter James always come up to my expectations. This is the ninth book about Policeman Roy Grace (on of my favourite policemen) and I'm enjoying every letter in the book.

"I have spend a few hours in the sun in the garden with my books." Wow! That sounds lovely. We are still ridiculously cold here in the Midwest. Ugh!

I know. I was certainly surprised by the fine weather. I will send you some sun, Mark

>135 connie53: Good luck with that! :) Sometimes I send my pics from my cell phone to my email account and download them that way. But I have a dinosaur of a phone, so I'm sure there's a simpler way.

We're having some tremendously good weather here, too, Connie! :) Sun and everything. That's one reason why I like living in the Northwest. Mild summers, mild winters. It works for me. :) Enjoy your reading!

Thanks, Sara. Here it's almost midnight. I hope tomorrow will be another lovely day for everyone.

Oh, yeah, I forgot about time differences. :) I've got my fingers crossed you guys get another good day!

Hi Connie! Just stumbled across your thread and thought I'd leave my mark. You've read some interesting books this year, so far.

ETA: I LOVED The Rook.

>147 The_Hibernator: Thanks, Rachel. Glad you found me! And good to hear you loved De dame

I miss a spring day in Europe in this land of no seasons Connie. xx

Have a lovely week my dear.

A book for Valentine's day = perfect! And I love that it's a favorite author for you, too. Your Sunday sounds just wonderful, Connie.

Sitting in the garden and reading sounds like heaven. We had some lovely unseasonably warm days the last few weeks- just enough to trick everyone to thinking about spring - but now we're back to snow. we won't see reading outside weather until April.

Sounds like you got the perfect, thoughtful Valentine. Lucky girl!

>151 streamsong: Thanks. I'm more than halfway in the book now. And loving it. Although I'm primarily a fantasy reader I like to read a good thriller and Peter James is one of my favourite writers in that genre. He always delivers.

It was nice out in the garden, about 11C but with warm clothes it was really nice just sitting there with my book. Undisturbed! Everyone in the neighbourhood, including Peet, went down-town for the carnival parade. I don't care for that at all. Staying home is more my kind of thing.

I first cleaned the bathroom and did some work on my jigsaw puzzle. I started a new one yesterday evening. Perhaps I've shared this one with you last year, but for those who do not know yet this is The Bizarre Bookstore 2

Very cool puzzle, Connie - how many pieces does it have? My daughter Rae LOVES to do puzzles!

>153 Crazymamie: 1000 pieces, Mamie. And of course there is a number 1 too. The puzzle has lots of little funny details.

I will make some photo's of them once I finished it and put them here.

What a great puzzle! It has been a while since I did one... 2 years? I was addicted to the nanoblocks for a short while but I had quickly worked my way through those then available in Italy. This one is a puzzle I'd love to do! It has so many colors and gives you much to look at.

Edit: checked amazon DE and there's also one with a kitchen cupboard!! :)

That's the size that Rae likes to do.

>155 Deern: If you google there are lots of his puzzles: Colin Thompson

Check it out: http://www.colinthompson.com/page35.htm

If I had room enough I would love to make the 5000 pieces puzzle. The others look like fun too!

Hi Connie, I think Amy has the Bizarre bookshop No1 puzzle, she loves them as do I, hope you had a good weekend my dear and have a lovely week. Love and hugs to you and all the family.

Thanks John. Right back at you!

Love the bizarre bookstore puzzle, Connie! I think I mentioned that all your talk of jigsaw puzzles on your last year's threads got me interested again in jigsaw puzzles? So I bought a calendar for 2015 that includes six smallish 2-sided puzzles that you glue together and can then use in the calendar. Plus I've been borrowing puzzles from the local library. Anyway, I love putting them together, but I don't have room for bigger puzzles, so I was pleased to discover a virtual jigsaw puzzle app for my new Kindle Fire tablet . There are different levels of expertise (larger to smaller puzzle pieces), and you use the touch screen to move them around. I'm really enjoying them, though I do prefer real-life puzzles.

>150 scaifea: mrsdrneutron and I have been using a jigsaw puzzle app on our iPads too. Really fun, but yeah, I like real puzzles better too.

>160 Storeetllr: it exists also for ipad and while I'm posting this it's already downloading. Thank you!

>157 connie53: Wow, that one is way scarier, but absolutely stunning to look at. I'll soon try one of the smaller ones.

Good morning! A cloudy, grey and drizzly day. The forecast for this afternoon is better. It should clear up and be sunny again.

It's Tuesday and the last day of the carnival. To end the carnival there is an event that's called: Bacchus verzuipen. It means drowning Bacchus, the God of wine/beer/alcohol . In the beginning of the year a new Bacchus is proclaimed and today a doll that is dressed like Bacchus is thrown into the river Roer (Hence the name of our town: Roermond = where the Roer uitmondt/debouches into the river Maas)




About the puzzle: I think I have 150 pieces to fit in and then I'm finished! I've got to find this puzzle app for my ipad. That would be fun too. Tomorrow (Wednesday) I'm going to my brother as usual and I will take two new puzzles home. He and his girlfriend are buying new puzzles all the time and I borrow them from time to time.

About the Books: Still reading Doodsklok and De onwaarschijnlijke reis van Harold Fry.

>162 Deern:: I know what you mean, Nathalie. I would like to try the 5000 pieces puzzle but I've no idea where I find room to do that. So I guess it will never happen.

Hi Connie! Wow, that bizarre bookstore puzzle looks like quite a challenge. Good luck. Hope you have a good week.

So far so good, Mark.

Finally finished my household things including laundry, ironing, changing the beds, dusting and vacuuming the bedrooms. With some breaks off course to check LT and do some jigsaw puzzling.

I choose the new book for my ROOT-ABC. I'm not going to read it just now, but I like to plan.
De zomergast by Justin Cronin covering the letter C. Now I'm settling at the table with tea and my current book.

Ooooh....puzzles! Another hobby that requires a lot of patience and the end product is worth framing. Wow...5000 pieces is a lot! :)

>167 jolerie: I know. but if I had the room for it (or the table to lay it) I would be tempted to buy it.

Connie, it looks like you have a wonderful day, too. xx

>169 Ameise1:. Yes I did. I hope you did too, Barb --> running to your thread!

Hi Connie, I do feel a lot better today my dear and thank you for your kind message. I hope you have had a good day at the carnival. Love and hugs to you my dear.

Good morning! The day started clod, grey and misty. Nothing much planned today. Some reading of course. Maybe I will clean some of the drawers in the kitchen. This evening I will go to see my brother (as I do every Wednesday). A nice quiet day ahead.

I finished my jigsaw yesterday evening. Pictures of the details will follow soon.

Sounds like a reading day. We have another most beautiful day with deep blue sky and will go skiing.

Plans were changed. We went to Maastricht and visited our daughter and son-in-law, had coffee and a chat and then went down town to do a bit of shopping.

Of course we had to visit the famous Book-church. And a few books ended in my hands. One cannot enter a bookshop without buying a book!

Jessie Burton - Het huis aan de Gouden Bocht



This is the text on the backside, NOT my review!!!

When 18 year old Nella Oortman travels to Amsterdam to meet her new husband, she finds her life will be very different than she could ever have imagined.
Nella’s new husband, Johannes Brandt, is a 39 year old merchant trader in the city of Amsterdam. His successful business has allowed Johannes to have a nice home, servants, and some of the finer things in life. Nella arrives to find Johannes’ sister, Marin, at home but not Johannes. In fact, Johannes deftly dodges his new bride for as long as he can, claiming his business keeps him away from home.
To make up for his absence, Johannes gives Nella a gift-a miniature replica of her new home. She is also given the means to furnish it as she wishes. As Nella orders pieces to complete the cabinet sized house, she receives more than she bargained, or paid, for. Somehow, the miniaturist she hires creates exact replicas of their real life counterparts as if he or she has been in the home before. Nella also receives pieces that she did not order, but still perfectly match items in her home. As her life in repressive Amsterdam starts to take dangerous twists and turns, Nella has to wonder whether the mysterious miniaturist is foretelling her future with each new reproduction or orchestrating her destruction.

Harlan Coben - Gevonden (Mickey Bolitar 3)



This is the text on the backside, NOT my review!!!

It’s been eight months since Mickey Bolitar witnessed the shocking, tragic death of his father. Eight months of lies, dark secrets, and unanswered questions. While he desperately wants answers, Mickey’s sophomore year of high school brings on a whole new set of troubles. Spoon is in the hospital, Rachel won’t tell him where he stands, his basketball teammates hate him . . . and then there’s Ema’s surprise announcement: She has an online boyfriend, and he’s vanished.

As he’s searching for Ema’s missing boyfriend (who may not even exist!), Mickey also gets roped into helping his nemesis, Troy Taylor, with a big problem. All the while, Mickey and his friends are pulled deeper into the mysteries surrounding the Abeona Shelter, risking their lives to find the answers until the shocking climax, where Mickey finally comes face-to-face with the truth about his father.

One cannot enter a bookshop without buying a book! Well of course. It would just be wrong to leave empty handed. Just wrong. :D

Glad to hear that you had a fantastic day in Maastricht.

>174 connie53:, Hi Connie, glad you had a lovely day in Maastricht seeing your daughter and son-in-law. It would have been a crime not to have gone to the book church and like you I always seem to end up with books in my hands, they must magically appear in my hands as I don't pick any up (Pinocchio nose now). If I go into a shop with books alone and then meet up with Karen and have a carrier with book(s) in it I tell Karen that a man thrust them at me and ran off and she just laughs and tells me I am fibbing. Love and hugs to you my dear.

>174 connie53: The book church is on my list of 'must visit' book places. One day!

Haha, You are all all right. You can't. Especially not if you are in that book church.

>178 charl08: That is certainly worth a visit, Charlotte. If you ever do I will guide you through Maastricht AND the book church!

>177 johnsimpson: Can I borrow that fib, John?

>176 Ameise1: Thanks Barb and Valerie!

>118 connie53: finally getting back again. I lived in Hoeven, Brabant in the 1970's. Here's my son ready for the Koninginnedag parade in Hoeven in 1977.

Ah, thanks Reba. Those were the days. It's just as I remember them. Is your son the one in the middle?

As promised some pictures with details of the jigsaw puzzle.

Just notice the slightly altered titles and the little persons that are accompanying them:







Just for fun:



So true!

>182 connie53: Looks great fun, Connie. I really should follow the last picture less often!

LOL Paul! Me too.

Love the puzzle photos, Connie!

>182 connie53: Sign me up for 'where the fried things are'. Sounds like a book after my own heart.

>186 charl08: LOL, will do, Charlotte.

Just finished my ninth book for the year Doodsklok by Peter James. An excellent thriller. I really enjoyed it.

I'm now starting to read a ROOT book for my ABC-Challenge.
I choose De zomergast by Justin Cronin



This is the text on the backside of the book, NOT my review

Set primarily in a rustic fishing camp on the northern tip of Maine, the first 50 pages of Justin Cronin's The Summer Guest read like a lazy fishing expedition--most of the time is simply spent waiting for something to happen. Thankfully, this expansive family saga goes on to explore countless intriguing topics, including love, war, disease, loss, betrayal, and redemption. The book revolves around the story of Harry Wainwright, a wealthy entrepreneur who falls in love with the camp as a young man and returns decades later for one last day of fishing before he succumbs to terminal cancer. With Harry as a centerpiece, Cronin artfully weaves the tales of Joe and Lucy Crosby, the camp's owners; their daughter Kate; and Jordan, the camp's guide; into a complex web of family drama. Using history as both a backdrop and a main character, Cronin guides readers from World War II to Vietnam, with the story reaching its climax on a late summer day in 1994.

A puzzle about books? That's double awesome. :)

>188 jolerie: and there are two of them by Colin Thompson, both very awesome.

>179 connie53:, Of course you can borrow the fib Connie, it comes in handy with our partners, lol.

Connie, just found and starred you too :)

I LOVE the puzzle, Connie! Great job!

>190 johnsimpson: Thanks John.

>191 evilmoose: Welcome Megan! Nice to see you here

>192 msf59: I started a new one, Mark. 1500 pieces. Called the Building site

Connie, the sujet of your new puzzle looks fantatic.

Stopping in to catch up with you, Connie. I am loving all the photos of the puzzle - so fun! I had to call my daughter Rae in here to see them, as she just adores puzzles. She has a birthday coming up, so I may try to track that one down. The 5,000 piece would be so much fun, wouldn't it?! Like you, we have no place for something like that, but oh, how I wish we did!!

Happy Friday to you - hoping that your weekend is filled with fabulous!

>194 Ameise1:, >195 Crazymamie: thanks for stopping by!

I'm really doing good with the puzzle right now. Alternating between reading, some jigsaw, some LT is really very relaxing.

The puzzle looks like this right now:





If you are going to look for the puzzle, Mamie, just search for Colin Thompson. He made some awesome puzzles, like this one



But of course the bizarre bookshop puzzles are specially made for readers ;-))

I really like my current book De zomergast by Justin Cronin. I think he has a nice way with words.

Now I'm going to dress for dinner out with Peet.

Connie what do you do with the puzzles after you've completed them? They all look so great.
Have fun at dinner. :)

>197 jolerie: I simple put them back into their box.

Thanks, dinner was delicious. We had a good time (and maybe one rosé wine to many).

I had Beef carpaccio with truffle mayonnaise and Parmesan cheese which is the best I've tasted around here
and Irish beef tenderloin with mushrooms and port gravy which was delightful!!

Yummie, what a delicious dinner.

It certainly was, Barb!

You have some lovely puzzles, Connie! I might shellac (or whatever people use...) that book store one.

Shellac! That's a new word to me. But I know what it means now. Once you have shellaced a puzzle, you can't make it again. And that's what I like to do. And besides, I don't have an empty wall to hang it. They are all covered with bookcases ;-))

Happy Saturday, Connie! Wow! You sure love your puzzles. Good luck with that one, my friend.

>203 msf59: I really do. I will sit during the evening when all is calm. And think: just one more piece to fit in and then I will go to bed. Before I know it, another hour has past. Well, less sleep in that case. Luckily I don't need much sleep. 6 hours can be enough.

Happy weekend, Connie.

I love the puzzle photos, Connie! Thanks for sharing them with us.

Thanks Barb and Darryl.

I'm going to start a new thread so please feel free to follow me.