As you might know, I am an avid reader of basically anything. There are enough posts on this blog in the category Reading Material. When I was younger, my parents would not allow me to read while eating breakfast/lunch/dinner, so I frequently resorted to reading the packages of milk, cereal or whatever was handy. Just to be able to keep reading.

I think one of the greatest things I ever learned from my parents is reading and a love for reading. I can remember numerous hours where all four of us (mom, dad, sister and I) would sit around the living room, each with our own book.

This love of reading has of course never left me. Perhaps during my university years I read a little less, mainly because for my English Lit courses, I had to read a mandatory list of books that I otherwise would not have read. But all this time, whenever I found a new book, I would read. And read. And read.

I cannot imagine nor fathom how many books I have read over the years. At some point during these years, I stopped reading Dutch books, because I found that the English books were more suited to my taste (as always, whenever there are more books written, you tend to find more books you actually enjoy).

Some time in 1998, when I was in Edinburgh, a friend of mine suggested I start reading the Harry Potter books. Book Two had just been published, I believe. Bookstores didn't spend too much attention to them, but I had seen them lying around. As I knew these were children's books, I told her I wasn't interested. It is not as if I never read children's books anymore, but I only read the ones I had grown up reading, I never read any new ones, and certainly not new English ones. She insisted I read them, but I never got around to borrowing her copies, or buying any for myself.

Fast forward to April 5, 2000 (good policy, always add dates/places/events/etc to the french title page of your book, including your name) when I bought Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone. I must not have found any other books to my liking, and I remebered my friends positive review of the book.


read more

The Order of the Phoenix - Simspons style

(and my character)

As this entry will contain spoilers for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Book 7), I have decided that - even after 2 weeks - I should put my thoughts on the book behind the read more section.

Without further ado:

read more

Waiting for phonecall from sister that she has arrived at train station, where she will take a tram to the bookstore, and I will follow by bike.

Can't wait to start reading!

Please know, I will not be posting any spoilers for at least a week (or until I will burst from telling them to someone).

[UPDATE]

Sister and I bought our books and we raced back to my house. We started reading immediately around 1:30PM. We finished around 9:30PM. I will post a review once I have been able to straighten all the ideas and opinions running through my mind right now. I might even reread some bits and pieces before I do. I can say this: loved the book, good ending, but there is one scene/action that I totally do not agree with!

Book Meme [via Jennifer]

A book that made you cry
The Lovely Bones - Alice Sebold

A book that scared you
The Plot Against America - Philip Roth

A book that made you laugh
Lucy Talk - Fiona Walker

read more

Be Aware!

Please, everyone, spread this far and wide.

The Admin Team of PhoenixSong.net have recently learned that there is a “leaked” file of Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows floating around the internet, specifically in bit torrent form. While people obviously have different opinions on “spoilers” in general, this one is especially troublesome because it is actually a plagiarized version of our own Melindaleo’s fan fic, “The Seventh Horcrux”, available legitimately at PhoenixSong: http://www.phoenixsong.net/fanfiction/story/3517/
Please be aware that Melindaleo was in no way involved in re-titling her fan fic as the seventh book or in trying to pass it off as a leaked copy of the seventh book. Someone else did this without her knowledge or permission, and she has been quite upset and worried, especially about the fact that people may be being duped by this situation.

Plagiarism (stealing someone’s work and passing off as belonging to someone else) is a serious crime and one that shouldn’t be taken lightly. If you encounter posts about this story elsewhere, please share this information in any way you feel you can — private blogs, posts, whatever. Because this is being shared in a bit torrent format, it is especially difficult to get it removed from sites as a stolen work, but perhaps we can at least all help get the *real* author/title information to people instead. Thanks, all!

[from Bartsspace]

Which is your favorite Penguin book/title?

Penguin Parade @ Museum Meermanno

Penguin Official Website

Alfred the Great: Asser's Life of King Alfred & Other Contemporary Sources (Penguin Classics)

One of the many perks of living in The Hague is its public library. Rows and rows of books, divided per subject per floor. Compared to Leiden, their English section is to drool over!

Tomorrow (yes they're open on Sundays in the autumn/winter months) I'll probably bring back the books I've already finished (took me only a week).

One of the books I picked up last week is The Almond Picker by Simonetta Agnello Hornby. As I've taken this book on the train to work each day, my reading has been slow, but not because of lack of trying. I'll be travelling to Amsterdam for my sister's birthday today (Happy Birthday, Marianne!), so I have a good chance of finishing it.

The amazon entry (click the image) has a very good description. I think this book gives you a great view of life on the island of Sicily, Italy in the early sixties.

Holland is six kinds of weather per day

Holland is enkele plaatselijke buien

Holland is rain.

...

Holland is narrow staircases

Holland is zegels plakken

Holland is gratis aanbieding met de fles - een plastic eierdopje.

Holland is grey plastic garbage sacks

Holland is bouwvakkersvakantie

Holland is shops where

ze hebben het wel, maar niet in voorraad.

Holland is greeting-cards

met de mond geschilderd

Holland is somebody's

verjaardag

every other day

Holland is buried under flowers like a corpse...

Ethel Portnoy (NL Wikipedia)

I'm in the middle of reading Paolo Coelho's The Zahir.

It's an interesting read so far, and I have decided to take my time. Some time ago, I'd already seen it at bookstores and I had read the blurb, but it wasn't until I opened the book that my interest really peaked.

As if it was meant to be, Coelho starts his book with Constantin Kafavis' Ithaca poem.

This is the first Coelho I'm reading, but I'm sure I'll read his other masterpieces as well!

Finally finished: The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova

Wow what a read! Haven't had a good chance to talk to my aunt about this book (she gave it as a birthday present to me), but it had me hooked for a good time!

As I ended up reading this book while in bed before sleeping, I frequently ended up putting it down, because it was sometimes very spooky and terrifying. But well worth it!

I can recommend this to anyone who's interested in history, but also to readers who enjoy a good vampire story.

Received as a present today: The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova

As part of my birthday present, my godmother visited me today in Leiden. She'd promised me a gift, but we also visited the exhibition about Rembrandt van Rijn's mother - specifically the use of family members by Rembrandt and his colleagues/students.

The exhibition was wonderful, very detailed and interesting. Afterwards off to have lunch (at Vooraf en Toe). Walking towards the bookstore, we decided to take a detour via Aan Tafel and Het Klaverblad.

All in all a good day, although the weather could have been a bit warmer!

Gekregen van mijn ouders:

Weet je wat ik ook nooit weet van Judith Herzberg.

Op de website van De Harmonie staat het als volgt omschreven:

Deze uitgave in een doosje is een waardige aanwinst in deze serie. Het bevat een wel heel bijzonder, ongepubliceerd gedicht dat door zijn aparte vorm zowel verrassend is om te geven als om te krijgen.

De officiele blurb op de achterkant zegt het volgende:

Hoe beschrijf je ravages? Meestal heb je aan een paar woorden genoeg. Dan begrijp je het wel, of nooit. Het zware werk wordt in je hoofd voltooid.
Of niet.

read more

I haven't read the book.

I won't read the book.

But the whole media-frenzy surrounding it makes for an interesting read.

A Million Little Pieces.

James Frey.

Oprah.

Read this editorial: Patrick Gavin: The 'O' is for 'Opportunism' [via The Huffington Post]

As recommended to me by my good friend Ingrid:

Title: The Intelligencer
Author: Leslie Silbert
ISBN: 0743432932
List price: $14.00

[amazon link]

Step into the world of Kit Marlowe, well-known playwright and spy for Queen Elisabeth I.


read more

Title: The Plot Against America
Author: Philip Roth
ISBN: 1400079497
List price: $14.95

[amazon link]

What if ...


read more

Nora Roberts writing as J.D. Robb:

1. Naked in Death
2. Glory in Death
3. Immortal in Death
4. Rapture in Death
5. Ceremony in Death
6. Vengeance in Death
7. Holiday in Death
8. Midnight in Death (Silent Night) (read it - don't need to have it) (anthology)
9. Conspiracy in Death
10. Loyalty in Death
11. Witness in Death
12. Judgment in Death
13. Betrayal in Death (thanks, Jadie!)
14. Interlude in Death (anthology)
15. Seduction in Death
16. Reunion in Death
17. Purity in Death (thanks, Jadie!)
18. Portrait in Death
19. Imitation in Death
20. Remember When (JD Robb/Nora Roberts crossover)
21. Divided in Death
22. Visions in Death
23. Survivor in Death (birthday present from Sofie)
24. Origins in Death (to be published)

Until the next JD Robb books is published in paperback, I almost have my collection ready.

Pass the word!

Banned Books Week (BBW) celebrates the freedom to choose or the freedom to express one’s opinion even if that opinion might be considered unorthodox or unpopular and stresses the importance of ensuring the availability of those unorthodox or unpopular viewpoints to all who wish to read them. After all, intellectual freedom can exist only where these two essential conditions are met.

Banned Book Week Proclamation

[one short note: this is a USA Banned Book List - I have no idea if 'banned' books exist in the Netherlands¹ at the moment - after all freedom of speech is not just an 'american' thing!]

The 100 Most Frequently Challenged Books of 1990–2000²
[I have read all books in bold]


read more