Wouter's bookshelf: all en-US Thu, 08 May 2025 15:34:13 -0700 60 Wouter's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA[Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop]]> 199437939 There was only one thing on her mind.

'I must start a bookshop.'

Yeongju did everything she was supposed to, go to university, marry a decent man, get a respectable job. Then it all fell apart. Burned out, Yeongju abandons her old life, quits her high-flying career, and follows her dream. She opens a bookshop.

In a quaint neighbourhood in Seoul, surrounded by books, Yeongju and her customers take refuge. From the lonely barista to the unhappily married coffee roaster, and the writer who sees something special in Yeongju - they all have disappointments in their past. The Hyunam-dong Bookshop becomes the place where they all learn how to truly live.

A heart-warming story about finding comfort and acceptance in your life � and the healing power of books.]]> 301 Hwang Bo-Reum 1526662264 Wouter 0 currently-reading 4.09 2022 Welcome to the Hyunam-dong Bookshop
author: Hwang Bo-Reum
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2025/05/08
shelves: currently-reading
review:

]]> Fahrenheit 451 13079982 Sixty years after its original publication, Ray Bradbury’s internationally acclaimed novel Fahrenheit 451 stands as a classic of world literature set in a bleak, dystopian future. Today its message has grown more relevant than ever before.

Guy Montag is a fireman. His job is to destroy the most illegal of commodities, the printed book, along with the houses in which they are hidden. Montag never questions the destruction and ruin his actions produce, returning each day to his bland life and wife, Mildred, who spends all day with her television “family.� But when he meets an eccentric young neighbor, Clarisse, who introduces him to a past where people didn’t live in fear and to a present where one sees the world through the ideas in books instead of the mindless chatter of television, Montag begins to question everything he has ever known.]]> 194 Ray Bradbury Wouter 4 3.97 1953 Fahrenheit 451
author: Ray Bradbury
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.97
book published: 1953
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/06
date added: 2025/05/06
shelves:
review:
Dystopian novels like this are always unsettling in their own way. Bradbury's style is more about his language than the plot; it's written fantastically and is pleasing to the literary mind. Oh, how terrible a world without books would be.
]]> <![CDATA[Trompettist in Auschwitz: herinneringen van Lex van Weren]]> 1703431 110 Dick Walda 9010031462 Wouter 4 3.95 1980 Trompettist in Auschwitz: herinneringen van Lex van Weren
author: Dick Walda
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1980
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/04
date added: 2025/05/04
shelves:
review:
Een erg krachtig en indrukwekkend verhaal, intiem opgeschreven, zelfs in donkere tijden biedt muziek verlichting. Het moge duidelijk zijn dat we verhalen als deze nooit mogen vergeten.
]]> Het wordt ook steeds gekker 210192058
Lieke Hester is hoofdagent bij de Politie Burgwallen in Amsterdam. Al jaren schrijft ze over haar vak, met het hart op de tong en een flinke dosis humor. Onverschrokken en (bijna) altijd goedgemutst deelt ze wat zij en haar collega’s dagelijks op straat meemaken, waardoor je als buitenstaander een unieke en openhartige kijk achter de schermen krijgt.

Van overlastveroorzakers op het Centraal Station tot winkeldieven en dealers, en van undercoveroperaties tot lijkvindingen en moordonderzoeken: in Het wordt ook steeds gekker staan nieuwe je-gelooft-je-oren-nietverhalen uit Liekes dynamische leven bij de politie. Het resultaat is een grappig, spannend en ontroerend boek, dat laat zien dat geen dag hetzelfde is als agent.]]> 320 Lieke Hester 9402715169 Wouter 4 Het kan ook nooit normaal al mooi en bijzonder, en dit boek borduurt ze daar krachtig op voort. Lieke, wat een sterk mens ben je!]]> 4.08 Het wordt ook steeds gekker
author: Lieke Hester
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.08
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2025/05/03
date added: 2025/05/03
shelves:
review:
Ik vond de verhalen van Lieke in haar boek Het kan ook nooit normaal al mooi en bijzonder, en dit boek borduurt ze daar krachtig op voort. Lieke, wat een sterk mens ben je!
]]> Under the Whispering Door 53205888 Welcome to Charon's Crossing.
The tea is hot, the scones are fresh, and the dead are just passing through.

When a reaper comes to collect Wallace from his own funeral, Wallace begins to suspect he might be dead.

And when Hugo, the owner of a peculiar tea shop, promises to help him cross over, Wallace decides he’s definitely dead.

But even in death he’s not ready to abandon the life he barely lived, so when Wallace is given one week to cross over, he sets about living a lifetime in seven days.

Hilarious, haunting, and kind, Under the Whispering Door is an uplifting story about a life spent at the office and a death spent building a home.]]> 376 T.J. Klune 1250217342 Wouter 4 4.11 2021 Under the Whispering Door
author: T.J. Klune
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/29
date added: 2025/04/29
shelves:
review:
This was my first book by T.J. Klune, and I had no idea what to expect - but even so, it still exceeded all my expectations! Yes, it's a bit slow at times, but it's written beautifully. The characters are lovely, and the whole story feels like a warm hug. It touches on grief and love in such a gentle, comforting way that really sticks with you. I wouldn’t mind setting foot in Charon’s Crossing for a cup of tea and some scones myself - or even crossing over when the time comes!
]]> The Woman in Me 63133205 The Woman in Me is a brave and astonishingly moving story about freedom, fame, motherhood, survival, faith, and hope.

In June 2021, the whole world was listening as Britney Spears spoke in open court. The impact of sharing her voice—her truth—was undeniable, and it changed the course of her life and the lives of countless others. The Woman in Me reveals for the first time her incredible journey—and the strength at the core of one of the greatest performers in pop music history.

Written with remarkable candor and humor, Spears’s groundbreaking book illuminates the enduring power of music and love—and the importance of a woman telling her own story, on her own terms, at last.]]> 288 Britney Spears 1668009048 Wouter 4 3.83 2023 The Woman in Me
author: Britney Spears
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/25
date added: 2025/04/25
shelves:
review:
Finally, Britney's story, told in her own words. As always with these kinds of memoirs, there are many sides to a story, but it's clear that Britney had a tough past, growing up to become one of the biggest pop stars out there. She's come a long way, and it's great to see her voice shine through. For me, she'll always be the 16-year-old girl singing "Baby One More Time."
]]> <![CDATA[The Kamogawa Food Detectives (Kamogawa Food Detectives, #1)]]> 154488299 The Kamogawa Food Detectives is the first book in the bestselling, mouth-watering Japanese series for fans of Before the Coffee Gets Cold.

What’s the one dish you’d do anything to taste just one more time?

Down a quiet backstreet in Kyoto exists a very special restaurant. Run by Koishi Kamogawa and her father Nagare, the Kamogawa Diner serves up deliciously extravagant meals. But that’s not the main reason customers stop by . . .

The father-daughter duo are ‘food detectives�. Through ingenious investigations, they are able to recreate dishes from a person’s treasured memories � dishes that may well hold the keys to their forgotten past and future happiness. The restaurant of lost recipes provides a link to vanished moments, creating a present full of possibility.

A bestseller in Japan, The Kamogawa Food Detectives is a celebration of good company and the power of a delicious meal.]]> 201 Hisashi Kashiwai 0593717716 Wouter 3 3.70 2013 The Kamogawa Food Detectives (Kamogawa Food Detectives, #1)
author: Hisashi Kashiwai
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2013
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/23
date added: 2025/04/23
shelves:
review:
Maaaajor Before the Coffee Gets Cold vibes, a couple of short stories, all set in the same little restaurant. Japanese novels always give me such warm and cozy vibes, and this one is no exception. Perfect for some light, feel-good reading!
]]> The Reformatory 62919847 A gripping, page-turning novel set in Jim Crow Florida that follows Robert Stephens Jr. as he’s sent to a segregated reform school that is a chamber of terrors where he sees the horrors of racism and injustice, for the living, and the dead.

Gracetown, Florida
June 1950

Twelve-year-old Robbie Stephens, Jr., is sentenced to six months at the Gracetown School for Boys, a reformatory, for kicking the son of the largest landowner in town in defense of his older sister, Gloria. So begins Robbie’s journey further into the terrors of the Jim Crow South and the very real horror of the school they call The Reformatory.

Robbie has a talent for seeing ghosts, or haints. But what was once a comfort to him after the loss of his mother has become a window to the truth of what happens at the reformatory. Boys forced to work to remediate their so-called crimes have gone missing, but the haints Robbie sees hint at worse things. Through his friends Redbone and Blue, Robbie is learning not just the rules but how to survive. Meanwhile, Gloria is rallying every family member and connection in Florida to find a way to get Robbie out before it’s too late.

The Reformatory is a haunting work of historical fiction written as only American Book Award–winning author Tananarive Due could, by piecing together the life of the relative her family never spoke of and bringing his tragedy and those of so many others at the infamous Dozier School for Boys to the light in this riveting novel.]]> 576 Tananarive Due 1982188340 Wouter 5
And yet, the ending is filled with love and hope - if you can see past the gore and horror that darken the final chapters. The Reformatory was my first book by Due, but it absolutely won’t be my last.

"He had learned that the dead walked beside the living. Sometimes the dead could help you fly." ]]> 4.44 2023 The Reformatory
author: Tananarive Due
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2025/04/21
date added: 2025/04/21
shelves:
review:
This book made me shiver, got me angry, and left me hopeful. Let me tell you - it's so. damn. good! I hadn’t heard of Tananarive Due before, but she wields such a sharp pen and harbors such a dark mind. Her writing style is impeccable, rich with horror and soul, touched by the quiet gravity of racial memory. The moments of racism that shimmer through gave me serious goosebumps and left me seething with anger and helplessness.

And yet, the ending is filled with love and hope - if you can see past the gore and horror that darken the final chapters. The Reformatory was my first book by Due, but it absolutely won’t be my last.

"He had learned that the dead walked beside the living. Sometimes the dead could help you fly."
]]> The Rival 211003860 Rivals-to-lovers gets an academic send-up in this charming and irresistible romantic comedy from Emma Lord, New York Times bestselling author of Tweet Cute and Begin Again!

At long last, Sadie has vanquished her lifelong academic rival � her irritatingly charming, whip smart next door neighbor, Seb � by getting the coveted, only spot to her dream college. Or at least, so she thinks. When Seb is unexpectedly pulled off the waitlist and admitted, Sadie has to compete with him all over again, this time to get a spot on the school’s famous zine. Now not only is she dealing with the mayhem of the lovable, chaotic family she hid her writing talents from, as well as her own self doubt, but she has to come to terms with some less-than-resentful feelings for Seb that are popping up along the way.

But the longer they compete, the more Sadie and Seb notice flaws in the school’s system that are much bigger than any competition between them. Somehow the two of them have to band together even as they’re trying to crush each other, only to discover they may have met their match in more ways than one.]]> 320 Emma Lord 1250904021 Wouter 3 3.55 2025 The Rival
author: Emma Lord
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2025
rating: 3
read at: 2025/04/10
date added: 2025/04/10
shelves:
review:
It's cute! It's fun! And it's well written! But still, for some reason, I had a hard time actually paying attention, my thoughts kept wandering off the plot. However, the characters were charming, the banter was snappy, and it still made for a cozy, enjoyable read. It also made me really excited to read more of Emma's YA rom-coms!
]]> Revival 20926278
In a small New England town, over half a century ago, a shadow falls over a small boy playing with his toy soldiers. Jamie Morton looks up to see a striking man, the new minister. Charles Jacobs, along with his beautiful wife, will transform the local church. The men and boys are all a bit in love with Mrs. Jacobs; the women and girls feel the same about Reverend Jacobs—including Jamie's mother and beloved sister, Claire. With Jamie, the Reverend shares a deeper bond based on a secret obsession. When tragedy strikes the Jacobs family, this charismatic preacher curses God, mocks all religious belief, and is banished from the shocked town.

Jamie has demons of his own. Wed to his guitar from the age of thirteen, he plays in bands across the country, living the nomadic lifestyle of bar-band rock and roll while fleeing from his family's horrific loss. In his mid-thirties—addicted to heroin, stranded, desperate—Jamie meets Charles Jacobs again, with profound consequences for both men. Their bond becomes a pact beyond even the Devil's devising, and Jamie discovers that revival has many meanings.

This rich and disturbing novel spans five decades on its way to the most terrifying conclusion Stephen King has ever written. It's a masterpiece from King, in the great American tradition of Frank Norris, Nathaniel Hawthorne, and Edgar Allan Poe.]]> 405 Stephen King 1476770387 Wouter 4
And, so far, so good. But eventually something will happen. Something always does. And when it does....]]> 3.78 2014 Revival
author: Stephen King
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2014
rating: 4
read at: 2025/04/03
date added: 2025/04/03
shelves:
review:
Damn, why don’t Stephen King’s books scare me anymore? I wanna feel the goosebumps, man! It started off a bit slow, but in typical King fashion, all that story-building was necessary to make the second half even more intense and awesome. It’s your classic King-Supernatural-HookySpooky, those last chapters are unsettlingly creepy!

And, so far, so good. But eventually something will happen. Something always does. And when it does....
]]> <![CDATA[First-Time Caller (Heartstrings, #1)]]> 213243908 A hopeless romantic meets a jaded radio host in this cozy, Sleepless in Seattle-inspired love story from beloved author B.K. Borison.

Aiden Valentine has a secret: he's fallen out of love with love. And as the host of Baltimore's romance hotline, that's a bit of a problem. But when a young girl calls in to the station asking for dating advice for her mom, the interview goes viral, thrusting Aiden and Heartstrings into the limelight.

Lucie Stone thought she was doing just fine. She has a good job; an incredible family; and a smart, slightly devious kid. But when all of Baltimore is suddenly scrutinizing her love life-or lack thereof—she begins to question if she's as happy as she thought. Maybe a little more romance wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Everyone wants Lucie to find her happy ending... even the handsome, temperamental man calling the shots. But when sparks start to fly behind the scenes, Lucie must make the final call between the radio-sponsored happily ever after or the man in the headphones next to her.]]> 448 B.K. Borison 0593641191 Wouter 4 4.05 2025 First-Time Caller (Heartstrings, #1)
author: B.K. Borison
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.05
book published: 2025
rating: 4
read at: 2025/03/26
date added: 2025/03/26
shelves:
review:
Although it's really well-written and very fun to read, I have a feeling I'll forget about it soon. The characters are cute, and the plot is adorable, but something about it feels a bit bland. It's not that it lacks spice, though, because oh my.
]]> Schillen 223658568 Schillen is een kwetsbaar verhaal over identiteit en transitie, en de moed om de schil te pellen.]]> 80 Thorn de Vries 9044551140 Wouter 5 4.01 Schillen
author: Thorn de Vries
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.01
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/21
date added: 2025/03/21
shelves:
review:
Zoveel liefde voor dit kleine boekje! ^^
]]> Gender Queer: A Memoir 42837514 Gender Queer is here. Maia's intensely cathartic autobiography charts eir journey of self-identity, which includes the mortification and confusion of adolescent crushes, grappling with how to come out to family and society, bonding with friends over erotic gay fanfiction, and facing the trauma of pap smears. Started as a way to explain to eir family what it means to be nonbinary and asexual, Gender Queer is more than a personal story: it is a useful and touching guide on gender identity—what it means and how to think about it—for advocates, friends, and humans everywhere.]]> 240 Maia Kobabe 1549304003 Wouter 5 4.25 2019 Gender Queer: A Memoir
author: Maia Kobabe
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/18
date added: 2025/03/18
shelves:
review:
Ohmygosh, I started reading this one because I'm running out of space on my e-reader and it's the biggest file on there, but damn damn damn, I'm ordering a physical copy right. this. moment. It's so wholesome, it's so empowering, I love the illustrations, and eir story is so powerful. E doesn’t hold back - sharing eir journey, the bumps, but also the joys of finding eir community - and that's so lovely to read. Maia, thank you for sharing this with us - I feel like I've been wrapped in the coziest, most affirming hug. For anyone struggling to figure out their own identity, you're loved, and you'll get there. <3
]]> <![CDATA[Stay in the Light (The Watchers, #2)]]> 203579112
When Mina encounters a stranger near her home, she fears the worst - for she knows the figure is not what it seems. Soon, people she has encountered start to disappear.

Mina knows the Watchers' power is growing. She flees for her life, but when she reports her fears she finds her sanity questioned. Can she convince people that the Watchers are real, and ready to strike - or will she suffer the fate she has dreaded since she first encountered those malevolent beings?

A chilling modern twist on the Gothic horror novel, perfect for fans of Kealan Patrick Burke, T. Kingfisher and classic horror.]]> 320 A.M. Shine 180454793X Wouter 3 3.89 2024 Stay in the Light (The Watchers, #2)
author: A.M. Shine
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.89
book published: 2024
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/17
date added: 2025/03/17
shelves:
review:
Ouch, my expectations were way too high for this one. It’s great to learn more about the history of the Watchers - where they came from, why they’re so obsessed with keeping humans as pets, and their fascination with studying them. But the rest felt a bit bland to me; it’s not really scary or thrilling. The best character is Madeline, for sure, and that’s saying a lot considering she’s absent for most of the book. I kept waiting for that same creeping dread, the feeling of being watched, but it never quite landed. Maybe I hyped it up too much, or maybe some mysteries are scarier when left unsolved.
]]> Love, Theoretically 61326735
Honestly, it’s a pretty sweet gig—until her carefully constructed Elsie-verse comes crashing down. Because Jack Smith, the annoyingly attractive and broody older brother of her favorite client, turns out to be the cold-hearted experimental physicist who ruined her mentor’s career and undermined the reputation of theorists everywhere. And that same Jack who now sits on the hiring committee at MIT, right between Elsie and her dream job.

Elsie is prepared for an all-out war of scholarly sabotage but…those long, penetrating looks? Not having to be anything other than her true self when she’s with him? Will falling into an experimentalist’s orbit finally tempt her to put her most guarded theories on love into practice?]]> 389 Ali Hazelwood 1408725797 Wouter 3 4.07 2023 Love, Theoretically
author: Ali Hazelwood
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/03/11
date added: 2025/03/11
shelves:
review:
I'm actually not too sure how to rate this one. YAY for women in STEM and standing up to their mentors in general, but the rest felt a bit meh for me. The characters had potential, but their chemistry didn't fully click for me. The romance felt a bit forced, and the smut - well, it's typical smut, all right. However, it's written well enough, and I will for sure read more by Ali Hazelwood(which is, by the way, a fantastic name!).
]]> The Song of Achilles 13623848 Alternate cover edition of ISBN 9780062060624.

Achilles, "the best of all the Greeks," son of the cruel sea goddess Thetis and the legendary king Peleus, is strong, swift, and beautiful, irresistible to all who meet him. Patroclus is an awkward young prince, exiled from his homeland after an act of shocking violence. Brought together by chance, they forge an inseparable bond, despite risking the gods' wrath.

They are trained by the centaur Chiron in the arts of war and medicine, but when word comes that Helen of Sparta has been kidnapped, all the heroes of Greece are called upon to lay siege to Troy in her name. Seduced by the promise of a glorious destiny, Achilles joins their cause, and torn between love and fear for his friend, Patroclus follows. Little do they know that the cruel Fates will test them both as never before and demand a terrible sacrifice.]]> 408 Madeline Miller Wouter 5 4.30 2011 The Song of Achilles
author: Madeline Miller
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.30
book published: 2011
rating: 5
read at: 2025/03/04
date added: 2025/03/04
shelves:
review:
I've always been interested in Greek mythology, and I've definitely put off picking up this book for way too long. I really, really enjoyed reading about both Achilles and Patroclus - their story was beautifully told, and I found myself completely immersed in their world. Madeline Miller really knows how to captivate her audience, and I cannot wait to pick up another of her stories!
]]> <![CDATA[A Friend Called Alfie (Alfie, #6)]]> 50761927 The Sunday Times bestseller returns for a sixth book! Alfie and his mischievous kitten George are back for more adventures � this time with a puppy in tow�

At Christmas time we all need a friend�

Alfie and his kitten, George, have always known that a human is for life and not just for Christmas. So when George learns that one of the residents of Edgar Road has been taken into hospital, he realises it’s up to him to provide some comfort at this difficult time of year.

The only problem is that they now have a little puppy in tow � Pickles the Pug, who is convinced he can be a cat if only he sticks with his new found friends.

As George tries to do everything he can to make the world � and its humans � happier, Alfie struggles to keep Pickles in check and out of trouble. Because even the best laid plans can be destroyed by a well-meaning � but mischievous � little puppy�

Join Alfie, George � and now Pickles � as they come to the rescue of some lonely souls. The perfect read for fans of James Bowen from the Sunday Times bestseller.

]]> 313 Rachel Wells 0008354618 Wouter 3 4.20 2019 A Friend Called Alfie (Alfie, #6)
author: Rachel Wells
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/24
date added: 2025/02/24
shelves:
review:
Alfie, with George at his side, is always fighting crime and always looking cute! Once again, this is a really cute and lazy read in which Alfie gets a new friend, but this time, it's not a cat. Meet Pickles the pug!
]]> The Lonely Londoners 612888
In the hopeful aftermath of war they flocked to the Mother Country � West Indians in search of a prosperous future in the "glitter-city."

Instead, they have to face the harsh realities of living hand to mouth, of racism, of bone-chilling weather and bleak prospects. Yet friendships flourish among these Lonely Londoners and, in time, they learn to survive.]]> 142 Sam Selvon 0582642647 Wouter 3 3.71 1956 The Lonely Londoners
author: Sam Selvon
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.71
book published: 1956
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/18
date added: 2025/02/18
shelves:
review:
Seeing a wonderful stage adaptation of The Lonely Londoners in London last week inspired me to pick up this great little book. It’s a story about friendship, loneliness, and perseverance, told through multiple smaller stories that come together as a whole. Written in a curious yet fitting tone, it perfectly suits the voices of its characters. The novel captures the struggles and triumphs of West Indian immigrants in 1950s London, Sam Selvon’s unique narrative style brings humor and life to the characters, making it feel as if you’re watching it all unfold right before your eyes.
]]> Black Sheep 69704909
Nobody has a “normal� family, but Vesper Wright’s is truly...something else. Vesper left home at eighteen and never looked back—mostly because she was told that leaving the staunchly religious community she grew up in meant she couldn’t return. But then an envelope arrives on her doorstep.

Inside is an invitation to the wedding of Vesper’s beloved cousin Rosie. It’s to be hosted at the family farm. Have they made an exception to the rule? It wouldn’t be the first time Vesper’s been given special treatment. Is the invite a sweet gesture? An olive branch? A trap? Doesn’t matter. Something inside her insists she go to the wedding. Even if it means returning to the toxic environment she escaped. Even if it means reuniting with her mother, Constance, a former horror film star and forever ice queen.

When Vesper’s homecoming exhumes a terrifying secret, she’s forced to reckon with her family’s beliefs and her own crisis of faith in this deliciously sinister novel that explores the way family ties can bind us as we struggle to find our place in the world.]]> 289 Rachel Harrison 0593545850 Wouter 3
I'm leaving. I'm going. And this time -this time- I won't look back.]]> 3.57 2023 Black Sheep
author: Rachel Harrison
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.57
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/14
date added: 2025/02/14
shelves:
review:
This was my first time reading a book by Rachel Harrison, and I'm sorry to say; I wasn’t blown away. It felt a bit predictable, and I’m not a big fan of all-destroying-apocalypse-endings. Speaking of endings, though, that may have been the best part of the book. However, I am curious to read more of her work.

I'm leaving. I'm going. And this time -this time- I won't look back.
]]> <![CDATA[Wrath of the Triple Goddess (Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Senior Year Adventures, #2)]]> 199190261
Percy, Annabeth, and Grover settle into Hecate’s seemingly endless mansion and start getting acquainted with the fussy, terrifying animals. The trio has been warned not to touch anything, but while Percy and Annabeth are out at school, Grover can’t resist drinking a strawberry-flavored potion in the laboratory. It turns him into a giant frenzied goat, and after he rampages through the house, damaging everything in sight, and passes out, Hecuba and Gale escape. Now the friends have to find Hecate’s pets and somehow restore the house, all before Hecate gets back on Saturday. It’s going to take luck, demigod wiles, and some old and new friends to hunt down the animals and set things right again.]]> 322 Rick Riordan 1368112382 Wouter 4
"That was incredible!" said the lion.
"That was horrible!" said the horse.
"STROOPWAFELS!" said the dog.]]> 4.14 2024 Wrath of the Triple Goddess (Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Senior Year Adventures, #2)
author: Rick Riordan
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/11
date added: 2025/02/11
shelves:
review:
What better opportunity to start reading a new Percy Jackson book than actually going to see The Lightning Thief on West End?! And I liked this one! Not as much as The Chalice of the Gods in this new senior year—what’s-it-called—series, but it was really entertaining. And how can you not love Nope, the hellhound puppy?! Can't wait for the next one!

"That was incredible!" said the lion.
"That was horrible!" said the horse.
"STROOPWAFELS!" said the dog.
]]> De verwarde cavia 29231764
Oké...Een cavia op een kantoor tussen de mensen: het klinkt wat onwerkelijk, maar voor iedereen die maar een blauwe maandag met collega’s heeft gewerkt, zullen de kantooravonturen in De verwarde cavia heel herkenbaar zijn.

Van de symbiotische relatie met het koffiezetapparaat tot passief-agressieve e-mails en duizelingwekkende perikelen rond de lief- en leedpot.]]> 190 Paulien Cornelisse 9082430207 Wouter 3 3.49 2016 De verwarde cavia
author: Paulien Cornelisse
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.49
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2025/02/08
date added: 2025/02/08
shelves:
review:
Ik houd echt van de taalgenialiteit van Paulien, maar de humor voelt dit keer net iets meer als die van een opgetogen hamster dan van een verwarde cavia. De hoofdstukken voelen een beetje los van elkaar, waardoor het geheel mij toch wat minder pakt.
]]> The Passing Playbook 42969261
At Oakley, Spencer seems to have it all: more accepting classmates, a decent shot at a starting position on the boy's soccer team, great new friends, and maybe even something more than friendship with one of his teammates. The problem is, no one at Oakley knows Spencer is trans—he's passing.

So when a discriminatory law forces Spencer's coach to bench him after he discovers the 'F' on Spencer's birth certificate, Spencer has to make a choice: cheer his team on from the sidelines or publicly fight for his right to play, even if it means coming out to everyone—including the guy he's falling for.]]> 304 Isaac Fitzsimons 1984815407 Wouter 4 4.12 2021 The Passing Playbook
author: Isaac Fitzsimons
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.12
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/02/02
date added: 2025/02/02
shelves:
review:
This book, you guys, is amazing! Spencer's determination to earn and keep a spot on the team while fighting for queer goals (ha, get it?) is truly exhilarating—not without its tears and heartbreak moments, but with such an amazing and hopeful payoff. It’s the kind of story that makes you want to cheer, cry, and hug the book all at once. Go team!
]]> No Place Left to Hide 209823376 Some secrets just won't stay hidden in this twisty new thriller from New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author Megan Lally!

To Brooke, image is everything. She works hard to maintain perfect grades, perfect looks, a perfect life—especially after "the incident" that threatened it all. Getting into her dream university puts her that much closer to a fresh start. How can she say no to celebrating with all her classmates?

Hanging out with her crush by the bonfire is the perfect end to the night. Except it isn't the end. An old truck starts aggressively tailing Brooke and her best friend on the isolated road toward home. Someone thinks they know the truth about "the incident," and they won't stop until it's all out in the open. This terrifying drive is about to bring out Brooke's worst fears…if she survives it.]]> 259 Megan Lally 1728270146 Wouter 5 3.55 2025 No Place Left to Hide
author: Megan Lally
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2025
rating: 5
read at: 2025/01/29
date added: 2025/01/29
shelves:
review:
Megan Lally, you’re a genius maniac. In your acknowledgments, you write that second books are hard and that you’re afraid you don’t know how to write books anymore. Are you kidding me? You absolutely know how to write books, and this didn’t seem hard at all. Your writing is impeccable, and as a reader, you’re just sucked right in. It filled me with dread, and that ending! How? It’s disgusting and thrilling at the same time. When is your next book coming out? Because I’ll have to talk to my doctor before being able to read another one of your psycho twists.
]]> Home Field Advantage 58724914 In this sweet and funny new f/f romance from the author of Cool for the Summer, a cheerleader and the school's newest quarterback are playing to win, but might lose their hearts in the process.

Amber McCloud’s dream is to become cheer captain at the end of the year, but it’s an extra-tall order to be joyful and spirited when the quarterback of your team has been killed in a car accident. For both the team and the squad, watching Robbie get replaced by newcomer Jack Walsh is brutal. And when it turns out Jack is actually short for Jaclyn, all hell breaks loose.

The players refuse to be led by a girl, the cheerleaders are mad about the changes to their traditions, and the fact that Robbie’s been not only replaced but outshined by a QB who wears a sports bra has more than a few Atherton Alligators in a rage. Amber tries for some semblance of unity, but it quickly becomes clear that she's only got a future on the squad and with her friends if she helps them take Jack down.

Just one problem: Amber and Jack are falling for each other, and if Amber can't stand up for Jack and figure out how to get everyone to fall in line, her dream may come at the cost of her heart.

Dahlia Adler's Home Field Advantage is a sparkling romance about fighting for what - or who - you truly want.]]> 304 Dahlia Adler 1250765846 Wouter 4 3.82 2022 Home Field Advantage
author: Dahlia Adler
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/25
date added: 2025/01/25
shelves:
review:
This was so damn cute and frustrating at the same time! I couldn't stop smiling, even when I wanted to scream at some of the characters -ugh, homophobes- but all the cuteness between Amber, Jack, and the guys more than made up for it. It seems I'm really into queer, sports - themed books, and I can't wait to read more from Dahlia!
]]> <![CDATA[System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)]]> 65211701 Am I making it worse? I think I'm making it worse.

Everyone's favorite lethal SecUnit is back.

Following the events in Network Effect, the Barish-Estranza corporation has sent rescue ships to a newly-colonized planet in peril, as well as additional SecUnits. But if there’s an ethical corporation out there, Murderbot has yet to find it, and if Barish-Estranza can’t have the planet, they’re sure as hell not leaving without something. If that something just happens to be an entire colony of humans, well, a free workforce is a decent runner-up prize.

But there’s something wrong with Murderbot; it isn’t running within normal operational parameters. ART’s crew and the humans from Preservation are doing everything they can to protect the colonists, but with Barish-Estranza’s SecUnit-heavy persuasion teams, they’re going to have to hope Murderbot figures out what’s wrong with itself, and fast.

Yeah, this plan is... not going to work.]]> 245 Martha Wells 1250826977 Wouter 4
Do you know where we're going next? I asked ART.]]> 4.19 2023 System Collapse (The Murderbot Diaries, #7)
author: Martha Wells
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/21
date added: 2025/01/21
shelves:
review:
So, this was an amazing journey. The whole series is written exceptionally well, and it's almost impossible to stop reading because you just have to know what happens next. It's full of quirky sassiness, adventure, and friendship, all wrapped in a big blanket of science fiction. Murderbot, I'll miss you!

Do you know where we're going next? I asked ART.
]]> <![CDATA[Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries, #6)]]> 53205854 No, I didn’t kill the dead human. If I had, I wouldn’t dump the body in the station mall.

When Murderbot discovers a dead body on Preservation Station, it knows it is going to have to assist station security to determine who the body is (was), how they were killed (that should be relatively straightforward, at least), and why (because apparently that matters to a lot of people—who knew?)

Yes, the unthinkable is about to happen: Murderbot must voluntarily speak to humans!

Again!]]> 168 Martha Wells 1250765374 Wouter 4 4.25 2021 Fugitive Telemetry (The Murderbot Diaries, #6)
author: Martha Wells
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/18
date added: 2025/01/18
shelves:
review:
Beep-boop, let's go! Just one more Murderbot buddy-cop disaster to go, this one’s gonna be a blast!
]]> <![CDATA[Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries, #5)]]> 52381770
It worries about the fragile human crew who've grown to trust it, but only where no one can see.

It tells itself that they're only a professional obligation, but when they're captured and an old friend from the past requires urgent assistance, Murderbot must choose between inertia and drastic action.

Drastic action it is, then.

]]> 350 Martha Wells 1250229863 Wouter 4 4.44 2020 Network Effect (The Murderbot Diaries, #5)
author: Martha Wells
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.44
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/16
date added: 2025/01/16
shelves:
review:
This one is a taaad slower to get through because it's like twice the size of the other ones, but that just means twice as much sassiness from Murderbot. And honestly, who wouldn't want double the snarky inner monologue?
]]> <![CDATA[Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries, #4)]]> 35519109
Having traveled the width of the galaxy to unearth details of its own murderous transgressions, as well as those of the GrayCris Corporation, Murderbot is heading home to help Dr. Mensah—its former owner (protector? friend?)—submit evidence that could prevent GrayCris from destroying more colonists in its never-ending quest for profit.

But who’s going to believe a SecUnit gone rogue?

And what will become of it when it’s caught?]]> 163 Martha Wells Wouter 4 4.38 2018 Exit Strategy (The Murderbot Diaries, #4)
author: Martha Wells
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/11
date added: 2025/01/11
shelves:
review:
Can Murderbot be my friend, pretty please? I'm still cracking up at all the sassiness, luckily, there's more to go!
]]> <![CDATA[Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries, #3)]]> 35519101
And Murderbot would rather those questions went away. For good.

]]> 158 Martha Wells 1250191785 Wouter 4 4.21 2018 Rogue Protocol (The Murderbot Diaries, #3)
author: Martha Wells
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.21
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/09
date added: 2025/01/09
shelves:
review:
I could literally read a whole book about Murderbot just watching cat videos, and I would love it. Its sarcastic vibe in dealing with every situation it's thrown into is just a mood.
]]> <![CDATA[Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries, #2)]]> 36223860 alternate cover for ISBN 9781250186928

It has a dark past � one in which a number of humans were killed. A past that caused it to christen itself “Murderbot." But it has only vague memories of the massacre that spawned that title, and it wants to know more.

Teaming up with a Research Transport vessel named ART (you don’t want to know what the “A� stands for), Murderbot heads to the mining facility where it went rogue.

What it discovers will forever change the way it thinks.]]> 158 Martha Wells Wouter 4
I was just as shit at being a security consultant as any human.]]> 4.23 2018 Artificial Condition (The Murderbot Diaries, #2)
author: Martha Wells
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.23
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/08
date added: 2025/01/08
shelves:
review:
I adore Murderbot. Gosh, this is so much fun! I'm literally reading every free minute I have. I can't stop, I think I'm officially obsessed! On to the next one!

I was just as shit at being a security consultant as any human.
]]> <![CDATA[All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)]]> 32758901 "As a heartless killing machine, I was a complete failure."

In a corporate-dominated space-faring future, planetary missions must be approved and supplied by the Company. For their own safety, exploratory teams are accompanied by Company-supplied security androids. But in a society where contracts are awarded to the lowest bidder, safety isn’t a primary concern.

On a distant planet, a team of scientists is conducting surface tests, shadowed by their Company-supplied ‘droid--a self-aware SecUnit that has hacked its own governor module and refers to itself (though never out loud) as “Murderbot.� Scornful of humans, Murderbot wants is to be left alone long enough to figure out who it is, but when a neighboring mission goes dark, it's up to the scientists and Murderbot to get to the truth.]]> 144 Martha Wells Wouter 4 4.11 2017 All Systems Red (The Murderbot Diaries, #1)
author: Martha Wells
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/07
date added: 2025/01/07
shelves:
review:
I literally flew through this book like a spaceship through a wormhole. It was so much fun to read! Can Murderbot be my friend, please? I can't wait to read more of its adventures.
]]> <![CDATA[The First to Die at the End (Death-Cast, #0)]]> 59723790
It’s the night before Death-Cast goes live, and there’s one question on everyone’s mind: Can Death-Cast actually predict when someone will die, or is it just an elaborate hoax?

Orion Pagan has waited years for someone to tell him that he’s going to die. He has a serious heart condition, and he signed up for Death-Cast so he could know what’s coming.

Valentino Prince is restarting his life in New York. He has a long and promising future ahead and he only registered for Death-Cast after his twin sister nearly died in a car accident.

Orion and Valentino cross paths in Times Square and immediately feel a deep connection. But when the first round of End Day calls goes out, their lives are changed forever—one of them receives a call, and the other doesn’t. Though neither boy is certain how the day will end, they know they want to spend it together…even if that means their goodbye will be heartbreaking.

Told with acclaimed author Adam Silvera’s signature bittersweet touch, this story celebrates the lasting impact that people have on each other and proves that life is always worth living to the fullest.]]> 550 Adam Silvera 0063240807 Wouter 4
"You have to live, Orion." Valentino tapped his chest. "This heart isn't my heart or your heart. It's our heart. I love you, Orion. Live enough for the both of us."]]> 3.98 2022 The First to Die at the End (Death-Cast, #0)
author: Adam Silvera
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2025/01/04
date added: 2025/01/04
shelves:
review:
This one was much better than They Both Die at the End. What made me rate that one lower was that I didn’t fully understand the whole Death-Cast concept. However, this book being about the launch day made it much clearer what it’s actually about. Also, Valentino and Orion are more likable characters, and I’m a bit biased because I’ve now been to NYC (where I hadn’t been before), and that city has my heart. There are a lot of pages, but it didn’t feel that way to me - I flew through it, and it made me feel all sorts of things. Awesome!

"You have to live, Orion." Valentino tapped his chest. "This heart isn't my heart or your heart. It's our heart. I love you, Orion. Live enough for the both of us."
]]> <![CDATA[Faking Christmas (Christmas Escape)]]> 62005119 One little white lie.

That's all it took. Now I'm suddenly having to fake-date my work nemesis to get me through a week at a Vermont Christmas lodge with my family.

The problem? I can't stand Miles Taylor. Not only that, but I don't date people I work with. But I can handle it. I've had practice faking my emotions for years. So it shouldn't matter that Miles never lets me get away with anything. And that he happens to boil my blood hotter than a steaming pot of wassail. So when he throws his annoying grin my way or forces me on dates he knows I'll hate, I'll just grit my teeth and smile.

Or maybe not. Did I mention that Miles is the one person in the world I can't seem to fool?

When my emotions begin feeling less like a sham and his arms feel way too comfortable, it makes me think that maybe Miles had a plan of his own. And I'm starting to like it a lot more than mine.]]> 340 Cindy Steel Wouter 3 4.14 2022 Faking Christmas (Christmas Escape)
author: Cindy Steel
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/31
date added: 2024/12/31
shelves:
review:
Although it's your basic, predictable, smutty rom-com, it has been surprisingly fun to read this one at Christmas. It gives me major "The Proposal" vibes, especially with Grandma Annie shouting, "To tell her that he loves her!". So are you into some light and quick reading around the holidays? This is it.
]]> Pride and Prejudice 56969366 This is an alternative cover edition for ISBN 9780141439518

Since its immediate success in 1813, Pride and Prejudice has remained one of the most popular novels in the English language. Jane Austen called this brilliant work "her own darling child" and its vivacious heroine, Elizabeth Bennet, "as delightful a creature as ever appeared in print." The romantic clash between the opinionated Elizabeth and her proud beau, Mr. Darcy, is a splendid performance of civilized sparring. And Jane Austen's radiant wit sparkles as her characters dance a delicate quadrille of flirtation and intrigue, making this book the most superb comedy of manners of Regency England.

With its 'light and bright and sparkling' dialogue, its romantic denouement and its lively heroine, Pride and Prejudice is Jane Austen's most perennially popular novel. The love story of Elizabeth Bennet and Fitzwilliam Darcy, who misjudge, then challenge and change each other, is also a novel about the search for happiness and self-knowledge in a world of strict social rules, where a woman must marry well to survive.]]> 400 Jane Austen Wouter 4 4.26 1813 Pride and Prejudice
author: Jane Austen
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.26
book published: 1813
rating: 4
read at: 2024/12/28
date added: 2024/12/28
shelves:
review:
Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is a true piece of classic literature that tells an adventurous tale of love. It's great fun exploring its deep characters, and its timeless wit and social commentary make it a thoroughly enjoyable read even today.
]]> <![CDATA[The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet]]> 55145261 A deeply moving and mind-expanding collection of personal essays in the first ever work of non-fiction from #1 internationally bestselling author John Green

The Anthropocene is the current geological age, in which human activity has profoundly shaped the planet and its biodiversity. In this remarkable symphony of essays adapted and expanded from his ground-breaking, critically acclaimed podcast, John Green reviews different facets of the human-centered planet - from the QWERTY keyboard and Halley's Comet to Penguins of Madagascar - on a five-star scale.

Complex and rich with detail, the Anthropocene's reviews have been praised as 'observations that double as exercises in memoiristic empathy', with over 10 million lifetime downloads. John Green's gift for storytelling shines throughout this artfully curated collection about the shared human experience; it includes beloved essays along with six all-new pieces exclusive to the book.]]> 304 John Green 0525555218 Wouter 0 to-read 4.37 2021 The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet
author: John Green
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.37
book published: 2021
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2024/12/27
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Iris Kelly Doesn't Date (Bright Falls, #3)]]> 61087733
Perfectly happy to ignore her problems as per usual, Iris goes to a bar in Portland and meets a sexy stranger, Stefania, and a night of dancing and making out turns into the worst one-night stand Iris has had in her life (vomit and crying are regretfully involved). To get her mind off everything and overcome her writer's block, Iris tries out for a local play, but comes face-to-face with Stefania—or, Stevie, her real name. When Stevie desperately asks Iris to play along as her girlfriend, Iris is shocked, but goes along with it because maybe this fake relationship will actually get her creative juices flowing and she can get her book written. As the two women play the part of a couple, they turn into a constant state of hot-and-bothered and soon it just comes down to who will make the real first move…]]> 400 Ashley Herring Blake 0593550587 Wouter 3 4.11 2023 Iris Kelly Doesn't Date (Bright Falls, #3)
author: Ashley Herring Blake
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/12/18
date added: 2024/12/18
shelves:
review:
Uhm cool. So this is the last Bright Falls story, and I'm not gonna lie, it's the best of the three. It's cute, queer and full of struggling love. Also, yay for theatre+NYC!
]]> <![CDATA[The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3)]]> 18687705
In these three books, which form one continuous narrative, Tolkien created the saga of the Hobbits of Middle-earth and the great War of the Rings. Praised by such writers and poets as W. H. Auden, Richard Hughes and C. S. Lewis, “The Lord of the Rings� � that special world of beauty and terror and meaning � holds a secure place among the books that will live.
--back cover]]> 432 J.R.R. Tolkien Wouter 5
Bilbo woke up and opened his eyes. 'Hullo, Frodo!� he said. 'Well, I have passed the Old Took today! So that's settled. And now I think I am quite ready to go on another journey. Are you coming?' 'Yes, I am coming,' said Frodo. �The Ring-bearers should go together.'

Tolkien’s writing is magical and detailed, making it easy to get lost in - but in the best way possible. The world-building is exceptional, and the characters are richly developed. The story feels timeless, like it will always have something to teach us. It’s a journey I could take a hundred times and still find something new to love. Thank you, professor, for shaping my life; my heart will forever be lost in Middle-earth.

Gandalf said; 'Well, here at last, dear friends, on the shores of the Sea comes the end of our fellowship in Middle-earth. Go in peace! I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil.']]> 4.70 1955 The Return of the King (The Lord of the Rings, #3)
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.70
book published: 1955
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/13
date added: 2024/12/13
shelves:
review:
And so, here we are at last. Three -or four if you count The Hobbit- large books come together to create one epic adventure. This must be the eleventh time I’ve read this masterpiece, and it never fails to amaze me. With every reread, I discover new details, memorize more hobbit surnames, and long even more for my own little Hobbithole in the Shire.

Bilbo woke up and opened his eyes. 'Hullo, Frodo!� he said. 'Well, I have passed the Old Took today! So that's settled. And now I think I am quite ready to go on another journey. Are you coming?' 'Yes, I am coming,' said Frodo. �The Ring-bearers should go together.'

Tolkien’s writing is magical and detailed, making it easy to get lost in - but in the best way possible. The world-building is exceptional, and the characters are richly developed. The story feels timeless, like it will always have something to teach us. It’s a journey I could take a hundred times and still find something new to love. Thank you, professor, for shaping my life; my heart will forever be lost in Middle-earth.

Gandalf said; 'Well, here at last, dear friends, on the shores of the Sea comes the end of our fellowship in Middle-earth. Go in peace! I will not say: do not weep; for not all tears are an evil.'
]]> <![CDATA[The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2)]]> 6428447
One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

Frodo and his Companions of the Ring have been beset by danger during their quest to prevent the Ruling Ring from falling into the hands of the Dark Lord by destroying it in the Cracks of Doom. They have lost the wizard, Gandalf, in a battle in the Mines of Moria. And Boromir, seduced by the power of the Ring, tried to seize it by force. While Frodo and Sam made their escape, the rest of the company was attacked by Orcs. Now they continue the journey alone down the great River Anduin—alone, that is, save for the mysterious creeping figure that follows wherever they go.]]> 448 J.R.R. Tolkien Wouter 5 4.62 1954 The Two Towers (The Lord of the Rings, #2)
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.62
book published: 1954
rating: 5
read at: 2024/12/08
date added: 2024/12/08
shelves:
review:
And thus concludes the second part of this legendary saga about a small hobbit and his quest to destroy a piece of jewelry. Usually, the second half with Frodo and Sam’s bromance - featuring third-wheel Gollum - feels a bit like a long stretch, but on this how-many-times-have-I-reread, it truly captivated me. And now, onward to the third and final part! The conclusion awaits and promises to be as epic as the long winding road that brought us here.
]]> <![CDATA[The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)]]> 13356706 THE LORD OF THE RINGS

One Ring to rule them all, One Ring to find them, One Ring to bring them all and in the darkness bind them

In ancient times the Rings of Power were crafted by the Elven-smiths, and Sauron, the Dark Lord, forged the One Ring, filling it with his own power so that he could rule all others. But the One Ring was taken from him, and though he sought it throughout Middle-earth, it remained lost to him. After many ages it fell into the hands of Bilbo Baggins, as told in The Hobbit. In a sleepy village in the Shire, young Frodo Baggins finds himself faced with an immense task, as his elderly cousin Bilbo entrusts the Ring to his care. Frodo must leave his home and make a perilous journey across Middle-earth to the Cracks of Doom, there to destroy the Ring and foil the Dark Lord in his evil purpose.

--back cover]]> 407 J.R.R. Tolkien 0547928211 Wouter 5 So Frodo and Sam set off on the last stage of the Quest together.

And so, the first part of this marvelous story comes to an end. A full review will follow after part three, but does it even need one? There’s no story as epic as this tale. Every chapter is a journey, every word a treasure - a treasure as big, if not bigger, than Smaug’s hoard.
]]> 4.45 1954 The Fellowship of the Ring (The Lord of the Rings, #1)
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.45
book published: 1954
rating: 5
read at: 2024/11/29
date added: 2024/11/29
shelves:
review:
So Frodo and Sam set off on the last stage of the Quest together.

And so, the first part of this marvelous story comes to an end. A full review will follow after part three, but does it even need one? There’s no story as epic as this tale. Every chapter is a journey, every word a treasure - a treasure as big, if not bigger, than Smaug’s hoard.

]]> <![CDATA[The Body Farm (Kay Scarpetta, #5)]]> 6539
From Author’s Website]]> 351 Patricia Cornwell 0425201449 Wouter 2 4.08 1994 The Body Farm (Kay Scarpetta, #5)
author: Patricia Cornwell
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1994
rating: 2
read at: 2024/11/19
date added: 2024/11/19
shelves:
review:
Yeah, no. This wasn't up to par with the rest of Cornwell's books. It almost seems like the first part was written by someone else. The ending was boring as well. Hopefully, the next Scarpetta will be better!
]]> I Hope This Doesn't Find You 124932739 I Hope This Doesn't Find You is Never Have I Ever meets To All the Boys if Lara Jean wrote hate emails instead of love letters.

Sadie Wen is perfect on paper: school captain, valedictorian, and a "pleasure to have in class." It’s not easy, but she has a trick to keep her model-student smile plastered on her face at all times: she channels all her frustrations into her email drafts. She'd never send them of course -- she'd rather die than hurt anyone's feelings -- but it's a relief to let loose on her power-hungry English teacher or a freeloading classmate taking credit for Sadie's work.

All her most vehemently worded emails are directed at her infuriating cocaptain, Julius Gong, whose arrogance and competitive streak have irked Sadie since they were kids. "You're attention starved and self-obsessed and unbearably vain . . . I really hope your comb breaks and you run out of whatever expensive hair products you've been using to make your hair appear deceptively soft..."

Sadie doesn't have to hold back in her emails, because nobody will ever read them... that is, until they're accidentally sent out.

Overnight, Sadie’s carefully crafted, conflict-free life is turned upside down. It's her worst nightmare -- now everyone at school knows what she really thinks of them, and they're not afraid to tell her what they really think of her either. But amidst the chaos, there's one person growing to appreciate the "real" Sadie -- Julius, the only boy she's sworn to hate...]]> 320 Ann Liang 1338827154 Wouter 4 4.17 2024 I Hope This Doesn't Find You
author: Ann Liang
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/14
date added: 2024/11/14
shelves:
review:
Very cute and fast-paced, written well and super easy to read. The story had a lovely charm that kept me hooked from start to finish, who wouldn’t be scared sh*tless if your rants leaked out?! I can't wait to read more of Ann Liang's books. This one made me so happy, and I’d recommend it to anyone looking for a quick, feel-good read!
]]> Moonwalk 1062902 Moonwalk is the only book about his life that Michael Jackson ever wrote. It chronicles his humble beginnings in the Midwest, his early days with the Jackson 5, and his unprecedented solo success. Giving absolutely unrivalled insight into the King of Pop's life, it details his songwriting process for hits like Beat It, Rock With You, Billie Jean, and We Are the World; describes how he developed his signature dance style, including the Moon Walk; and opens the door to his very private personal relationships with his family, including sister Janet, and stars like Diana Ross, Berry Gordy, Marlon Brando, Quincy Jones, Paul McCartney, and Brooke Shields. At the time of its original publication in 1988, MOONWALK broke the fiercely guarded barrier of silence that surrounded Michael Jackson. Candidly and courageously, Jackson talks openly about his wholly exceptional career and the crushing isolation of his fame, as well as the unfair rumors that have surrounded it. MOONWALK is illustrated with rare photographs from Jackson family albums and Michael's personal photographic archives, as well as a drawing done by Michael exclusively for the book. It reveals and celebrates, as no other book can, the life of this exceptional and beloved musician.]]> 283 Michael Jackson 0385247125 Wouter 4
"If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change. Start with the man in the mirror. Start with yourself. Don't be looking at all the other things. Start with you."

Michael achieved something that no one had ever done before him and probably never will again. This book shines a light on every aspect of his journey to becoming the King of Pop.

"What one wishes is to be touched by truth and to be
able to interpret that truth so that one may use
what one is feeling and experiencing, be it despair
or joy, in a way that will add meaning to one's life
and will hopefully touch others as well.

This is art in its highest form. Those moments of
enlightenment are what I continue to live for."
-Michael Jackson]]> 4.35 1988 Moonwalk
author: Michael Jackson
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.35
book published: 1988
rating: 4
read at: 2024/11/12
date added: 2024/11/12
shelves:
review:
So, I'm back in my Michael Jackson era. Seeing the musical MJ just a couple of days ago inspired me to read his biography. He talks about his childhood, being in the spotlight from the mere age of five, and his journey to becoming the pop phenomenon who released Thriller at just twenty-four. I've always liked his music and found Michael to be a very interesting individual who truly struggled with the challenges thrown at him from every angle. It's not easy being that famous, and I respected him a lot for it.

"If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change. Start with the man in the mirror. Start with yourself. Don't be looking at all the other things. Start with you."

Michael achieved something that no one had ever done before him and probably never will again. This book shines a light on every aspect of his journey to becoming the King of Pop.

"What one wishes is to be touched by truth and to be
able to interpret that truth so that one may use
what one is feeling and experiencing, be it despair
or joy, in a way that will add meaning to one's life
and will hopefully touch others as well.

This is art in its highest form. Those moments of
enlightenment are what I continue to live for."
-Michael Jackson
]]> <![CDATA[More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #2)]]> 199295788 In this charming and emotionally resonant follow up to the internationally bestselling Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, Satoshi Yagisawa paints a poignant and thoughtful portrait of life, love, and how much books and bookstores mean to the people who love them.

Set again in the beloved Japanese bookshop and nearby coffee shop in the Jimbocho neighborhood of Toyko, More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop deepens the relationship between Takako, her uncle Satoru , and the people in their lives. A new cast of heartwarming regulars have appeared in the shop, including an old man who wears the same ragged mouse-colored sweater and another who collects books solely for the official stamps with the author’s personal seal.

Satoshi Yagisawa illuminates the everyday relationships between people that are forged and grown through a shared love of books. As time passes, Satoru, with Takako’s help, must choose whether to keep the bookshop open or shutter its doors forever. Making the decision will take uncle and niece on an emotional journey back to their family’s roots and remind them again what a bookstore can mean to an individual, a neighborhood, and a whole culture.]]> 176 Satoshi Yagisawa 0063278715 Wouter 3 3.90 2011 More Days at the Morisaki Bookshop (Days at the Morisaki Bookshop, #2)
author: Satoshi Yagisawa
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.90
book published: 2011
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/10
date added: 2024/11/10
shelves:
review:
It's cozy and sweet, full of books and wonder, and I think that perfectly sums it up.
]]> An Abundance of Katherines 49750 Katherine X just wanted to be friends
Katherine XVIII dumped him in an e-mail
K-19 broke his heart

When it comes to relationships, Colin Singleton's type happens to be girls named Katherine. And when it comes to girls named Katherine, Colin is always getting dumped. Nineteen times, to be exact.

On a road trip miles from home, this anagram-happy, washed-up child prodigy has ten thousand dollars in his pocket, a bloodthirsty feral hog on his trail, and an overweight, Judge Judy-loving best friend riding shotgun--but no Katherines. Colin is on a mission to prove The Theorem of Underlying Katherine Predictability, which he hopes will predict the future of any relationship, avenge Dumpees everywhere, and finally win him the girl.

Love, friendship, and a dead Austro-Hungarian archduke add up to surprising and heart-changing conclusions in this ingeniously layered comic novel about reinventing oneself.]]> 229 John Green 0525476881 Wouter 3 3.54 2006 An Abundance of Katherines
author: John Green
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.54
book published: 2006
rating: 3
read at: 2024/11/05
date added: 2024/11/05
shelves:
review:
It's not as good as John Green's other books, but damn is it cute! A bit predictable though, but that's easily forgiven when it is this much fun to read.
]]> <![CDATA[The Hobbit, or There and Back Again]]> 5907 Written for J.R.R. Tolkien’s own children, The Hobbit met with instant critical acclaim when it was first published in 1937. Now recognized as a timeless classic, this introduction to the hobbit Bilbo Baggins, the wizard Gandalf, Gollum, and the spectacular world of Middle-earth recounts of the adventures of a reluctant hero, a powerful and dangerous ring, and the cruel dragon Smaug the Magnificent. The text in this 372-page paperback edition is based on that first published in Great Britain by Collins Modern Classics (1998), and includes a note on the text by Douglas A. Anderson (2001).]]> 366 J.R.R. Tolkien Wouter 5
“You are a very fine person, Mr. Baggins,
and I am very fond of you; but you are only quite a little fellow
in a wide world after all!"

]]> 4.29 1937 The Hobbit, or There and Back Again
author: J.R.R. Tolkien
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.29
book published: 1937
rating: 5
read at: 2024/10/31
date added: 2024/10/31
shelves:
review:
How can I ever describe what reading The Hobbit is like? I've read it so many times that I've lost count. It's a masterpiece; a part of my soul is woven into Tolkien's work. I vividly remember reading this magnificent little book when I was just nine years old, huddled up on my bed for hours, lost in Middle-Earth with a little fellow named Bilbo. So, I can't tell you why you should read it—you'll have to experience it yourself. Let's go on an adventure!

“You are a very fine person, Mr. Baggins,
and I am very fond of you; but you are only quite a little fellow
in a wide world after all!"


]]> <![CDATA[Cruel & Unusual (Kay Scarpetta, #4)]]> 85379 An earlier cover edition for this ISBN can be found here

Virginia Chief Medical Examiner Kay Scarpetta is called in to autopsy the body of convicted murderer Ronnie Waddell after his execution. Several days after the execution, a young boy is discovered murdered in the fashion of Waddell's earlier killings, with Waddell's prints near the body. Scarpetta, along with FBI Agent Benton Wesley and Detective Pete Marino, try to discover how a dead inmate could have possibly committed another murder after his death. As the story progresses she seeks the assistance of her 17-year-old niece Lucy after she discovers a strange folder on her computer.]]> 407 Patricia Cornwell 0380718340 Wouter 3
"It is my intense concern for the living that makes me study the dead,"' I said. "What we learn from the dead is for the benefit of the living, and justice is for those left behind."]]> 4.14 1993 Cruel & Unusual (Kay Scarpetta, #4)
author: Patricia Cornwell
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.14
book published: 1993
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/28
date added: 2024/10/28
shelves:
review:
I liked this one the least so far, it's all over the place.

"It is my intense concern for the living that makes me study the dead,"' I said. "What we learn from the dead is for the benefit of the living, and justice is for those left behind."
]]> Gek van mezelf 57424758
'Gek van mezelf' geeft een kijkje in de denkpatronen en acties van iemand die te bang is om te leven en hoe hij leert leven.]]> 224 Alwin Ritstier 9400511833 Wouter 4 3.67 Gek van mezelf
author: Alwin Ritstier
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.67
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/23
date added: 2024/10/23
shelves:
review:
Zoals velen ben ik via Vet Gezellig bij Alwin terecht gekomen, na vele voornamelijk eet gerelateerde vlogs toch maar eens zijn boek opgepakt. Mooi om via de vele persoonlijke verhalen de Alwin achter de camera te leren kennen, fijn geschreven en op momenten zeer herkenbaar!
]]> <![CDATA[The Big Ask: A life-affirming teen rom-com from award-winning author Simon James Green (Dyslexia-friendly)]]> 203883640 Alfie Parker has bagged the hottest date to prom � hasn’t he? Bestselling LGBTQ+ writer Simon James Green makes his Barrington Stoke debut with a life-affirming teen romance.

Harvey is popular, cool, plays football and has been in a relationship with his girlfriend Summer for as long as anyone can remember. Alfie is not popular, not cool, has a sick note so he doesn’t have to play any sport, and has been in a relationship with his Xbox since forever. So when Summer dramatically dumps Harvey just a few days before the school prom, no one is expecting Alfie to ask Harvey to be his date. Least of all Alfie. But sometimes amazing things can happen when you take a chance …]]> 120 Simon James Green Wouter 4 4.01 The Big Ask: A life-affirming teen rom-com from award-winning author Simon James Green (Dyslexia-friendly)
author: Simon James Green
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.01
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/21
date added: 2024/10/21
shelves:
review:
This is such a wholesome little book! I absolutely adore all of Simon's books, and this one is especially cute. It's more aimed towards a younger audience, showing that diversity is alright, and that it's perfectly fine to figure out your true self.
]]> The Arrival 920607
Shaun Tan evokes universal aspects of an immigrant's experience through a singular work of the imagination. He does so using brilliantly clear and mesmerizing images. Because the main character can't communicate in words, the book forgoes them too. But while the reader experiences the main character's isolation, he also shares his ultimate joy.]]> 132 Shaun Tan Wouter 3 4.33 2007 The Arrival
author: Shaun Tan
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2007
rating: 3
read at: 2024/01/01
date added: 2024/10/20
shelves:
review:
This wasn't at all what I was expecting. Without words and full of wonderful images, it has no trouble getting the message across!
]]> Het kan ook nooit normaal 59688220
Lieke Hester is hoofdagent bij politiebureau Burgwallen in Amsterdam. Ze blogt en vlogt als Liekeschrijft, haalt graag ijskoffie in Amsterdam-Noord en is gek op de reuring van de Wallen. In Het kan ook nooit normaal doet ze een boekje open over haar leven als agent. Haar inspirerende, beangstigende, spannende, grappige en altijd bijzondere verhalen zijn een ode aan haar werk, haar dappere collega's en alle hulpverleners.]]> 317 Lieke Hester 9402709673 Wouter 4 4.03 2022 Het kan ook nooit normaal
author: Lieke Hester
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2022
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/20
date added: 2024/10/20
shelves:
review:
Nadat ik Lieke heb gezien bij Bureau Burgwallen ben ik erg nieuwsgierig geworden naar al haar verhalen, zeer interessant om te lezen. Soms verdrietig, en soms heftig, maar ik heb vooral ook heel veel moeten lachen!
]]> Infamous 60784559
But following their debutante ball Rose is suddenly talking about marriage, and Eddie is horrified.

When Eddie meets charming, renowned poet Nash Nicholson, he invites her to his crumbling Gothic estate in the countryside. The entourage of eccentric artists indulging in pure hedonism is exactly what Eddie needs in order to forget Rose and finish her novel.

But Eddie might discover the world of famous literary icons isn't all poems and pleasure . . .]]> 336 Lex Croucher 125087565X Wouter 3 3.43 2022 Infamous
author: Lex Croucher
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.43
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/16
date added: 2024/10/16
shelves:
review:
It's cute, it's funny, and it's quick! All the things I like in a book like this.
]]> The Strange 61272810
Since Anabelle’s mother left for Earth to care for her own ailing mother, her days in New Galveston have been spent at school and her nights at her laconic father’s diner with Watson, the family Kitchen Engine and dishwasher as her only companion. When the Silence came, and communication and shipments from Earth to its colonies on Mars stopped, life seemed stuck in foreboding stasis until the night Silas Mundt and his gang attacked.

At once evoking the dreams of an America explored in Ray Bradbury’s The Martian Chronicles and the harder realities of frontier life in Charles Portis True Grit , Ballingrud’s novel is haunting in its evocation of Anabelle’s quest for revenge amidst a spent and angry world accompanied by a domestic Engine, a drunken space pilot, and the toughest woman on Mars.

Nathan Ballingrud’s stories have been adapted into the film Wounds and the Hulu series Monsterland , The Strange is his first novel.]]> 304 Nathan Ballingrud 1534449957 Wouter 4 3.75 2023 The Strange
author: Nathan Ballingrud
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.75
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/10
date added: 2024/10/10
shelves:
review:
This is Ballingrud’s first novel? That’s pretty astonishing. The Strange is an easygoing science fiction novel, perfect for those who aren’t familiar with the genre. It’s also quite unique in its approach; Ballingrud doesn’t just throw around technical and scientific terms, there’s a lot of psychology involved, with a big focus on friendship. I definitely recommend this one!
]]> <![CDATA[Wij waren, ik ben. Weg uit Ruinerwold]]> 62837860
In dit boek beschrijf ik mijn leven. Mijn vaders geloof en overtuigingen waren mijn realiteit: naar school ging ik niet, ik bestond niet eens voor de buitenwereld, en ik had geen vrienden. Er waren alleen de geesten die om ons heen dwaalden en waarmee we praatten. Bidden was onze enige redding, God zat altijd in mijn hoofd.

Dan komen de eerste scheurtjes in mijn geloof, en dat worden er geleidelijk steeds meer. Het internet is de sleutel voor mijn ontwikkeling. Ik zoek een weg naar de vrijheid voorbij schuld, angst, verdriet, onzekerheid. Maar wanneer mijn gedachten eindelijk vrij zijn, voel ik me meer opgesloten dan ooit. Ik wil weg uit de boerderij waar ik samen met mijn familie verborgen voor de buitenwereld leef. Maar wie gaat mij helpen?]]> 296 Israel van Dorsten 949330423X Wouter 4 4.00 Wij waren, ik ben. Weg uit Ruinerwold
author: Israel van Dorsten
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/07
date added: 2024/10/07
shelves:
review:
Het is en blijft moeilijk om non-fictie, en dan zeker een persoonlijk verhaal als dit, te beoordelen. Want hoeveel sterren geef je aan het verhaal van een Nederlandse jongeman wiens leven zo plotseling in de schijnwerpers van de media verscheen? Het is bizar, verwonderlijk en haast ontastbaar. De gebeurtenissen die Israel beschrijft, lijken soms zo onwerkelijk dat ze eerder thuishoren in een film dan in de realiteit. Het is zware kost waar je je even doorheen moet bijten, maar het is zeer zeker een aanrader.
]]> Gothic 59909683
A continent away, a mysterious woman makes inquiries with her sources around the world, seeking the whereabouts of a certain artifact her family has been hunting for centuries. With the help of a New York City private detective, she finally finds what she’s been looking for.

It’s in the home of Tyson Parks.

Meanwhile, as Tyson begins to use his new desk, he begins acting... strange. Violent. His writing more disturbing than anything he’s done before. But publishers are paying top dollar, convinced his new work will be a hit, and Tyson will do whatever it takes to protect his newfound success.

Even if it means the destruction of the ones he loves.

Even if it means his own sanity.]]> 408 Philip Fracassi 1587678403 Wouter 4 3.78 2023 Gothic
author: Philip Fracassi
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2023
rating: 4
read at: 2024/10/05
date added: 2024/10/05
shelves:
review:
This book sure is eerie, with plenty of creepy vibes and a fair share of gore, but it doesn't quite match the horror of The Boys in the Valley. The spooky stuff is definitely there, but sometimes it feels like there’s more blood than story. The supernatural twists are fun but feel a bit overdone. Still, if you’re into horror, it’s definitely a must!
]]> Always the Almost 60784592 A trans pianist makes a New Year's resolution on a frozen Wisconsin night to win regionals and win back his ex, but a new boy complicates things in Edward Underhill's heartfelt debut YA rom-dram, Always the Almost.

Sixteen-year-old trans boy Miles Jacobson has two New Year’s resolutions: 1) win back his ex-boyfriend (and star of the football team) Shane McIntyre, and 2) finally beat his slimy arch-nemesis at the Midwest’s biggest classical piano competition. But that’s not going to be so easy. For one thing, Shane broke up with Miles two weeks after Miles came out as trans, and now Shane’s stubbornly ignoring him, even when they literally bump into each other. Plus, Miles� new, slightly terrifying piano teacher keeps telling him that he’s playing like he “doesn’t know who he is”—whatever that means.

Then Miles meets the new boy in town, Eric Mendez, a proudly queer cartoonist from Seattle who asks his pronouns, cares about art as much as he does—and makes his stomach flutter. Not what he needs to be focusing on right now. But after Eric and Miles pretend to date so they can score an invite to a couples-only Valentine’s party, the ruse turns real with a kiss, which is also definitely not in the plan. If only Miles could figure out why Eric likes him so much. After all, it's not like he’s cool or confident or comfortable in his own skin. He’s not even good enough at piano to get his fellow competitors to respect him, especially now, as Miles. Nothing’s ever been as easy for him as for other people—other boys. He’s only ever been almost enough.

So why, when he’s with Eric, does it feel like the only person he’s ever really not been enough for...is himself?]]> 320 Edward Underhill 1250835208 Wouter 3
I am queer.
I am trans.
I am full of joy.]]> 4.06 2023 Always the Almost
author: Edward Underhill
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2024/10/02
date added: 2024/10/02
shelves:
review:
It's queer, it's fun, and it's adorable! It's also a 3.5 star read. Miles is a wonderful character, as is Nina, but the rest feel a little bland. I don't really know how to describe it. It's definitely a uniquely and musically written rom-com, though. The romance is very cute, but it sometimes feels overshadowed by the somewhat slower pacing. Still, it's a sweet read for anyone who loves heartwarming queer stories. There's a lot of talent with this writer!

I am queer.
I am trans.
I am full of joy.
]]> The Butcher of the Forest 127281143
At the northern edge of a land ruled by a monstrous, foreign tyrant lies the wild forest known as the Elmever. The villagers know better than to let their children go near—once someone goes in, they never come back out.

No one knows the strange and terrifying traps of the Elmever better than Veris Thorn, the only person to ever rescue a child from the forest many years ago. When the Tyrant’s two young children go missing, Veris is commanded to enter the forest once more and bring them home safe. If Veris fails, the Tyrant will kill her; if she remains in the forest for longer than a day, she will be trapped forevermore.

So Veris will travel deep into the Elmever to face traps, riddles, and monsters at the behest of another monster. One misstep will cost everything.]]> 160 Premee Mohamed 1250881781 Wouter 4 3.87 2024 The Butcher of the Forest
author: Premee Mohamed
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/27
date added: 2024/09/27
shelves:
review:
This is such a weird, yet suspenseful little book! A haunting story that mixes dark fantasy with folklore, creating a magical, fairytale-like tale of survival and wonder. It is set in a mystical, cursed forest on the edge of a village, where those who enter never return.
]]> Jay's Gay Agenda 55200702
Then, against all odds, Jay's family moves to Seattle and he starts his senior year at a new high school with a thriving LGBTQIA+ community. For the first time ever, Jay feels like he's found where he truly belongs, where he can flirt with Very Sexy Boys and search for love. But as Jay begins crossing items off his list, he'll soon be torn between his heart and his hormones, his old friends and his new ones...because after all, life and love don't always go according to plan.

From debut novelist Jason June comes a moving and hilarious sex-positive story about the complexities of first loves, first hookups, and first heartbreaks—and how to stay true to yourself while embracing what you never saw coming.]]> 368 Jason June 0063015153 Wouter 4 3.50 2021 Jay's Gay Agenda
author: Jason June
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.50
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/25
date added: 2024/09/25
shelves:
review:
This is such a cute and wholesome story! I had a blast following along with Jay's struggles and triumphs as he ticks off boxes on his Gay Agenda. It's a classic YA rom-com with a big blanket of queer sparkles draped over it. The writing style is very open and easy to read, and I can't wait to read more stories from Jason June (which is a fantastic name, by the way)!
]]> <![CDATA[The Tower of Nero (The Trials of Apollo, #5)]]> 48717744 416 Rick Riordan 1484746457 Wouter 5 4.46 2020 The Tower of Nero (The Trials of Apollo, #5)
author: Rick Riordan
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/22
date added: 2024/09/22
shelves:
review:
Our little Apollo is all grown up! I absolutely tore through this series so fast, and I can't help but love it. Apollo’s journey from arrogant god to selfless hero comes full circle, ending with a small victory leap around all our favorite places and people. And don’t Meg’s adventures just scream for a spinoff series? Or maybe even a gardening book, that could work as well. :)
]]> <![CDATA[The Tyrant’s Tomb (The Trials of Apollo, #4)]]> 28006109 In his penultimate adventure, a devastated but determined Apollo travels to Camp Jupiter, where he must learn what it is to be a hero, or die trying.

It's not easy being Apollo, especially when you've been turned into a human and banished from Olympus. On his path to restoring five ancient oracles and reclaiming his godly powers, Apollo (aka Lester Papadopoulos) has faced both triumphs and tragedies. Now his journey takes him to Camp Jupiter in the San Francisco Bay Area, where the Roman demigods are preparing for a desperate last stand against the evil Triumvirate of Roman emperors. Hazel, Reyna, Frank, Tyson, Ella, and many other old friends will need Apollo's aid to survive the onslaught. Unfortunately, the answer to their salvation lies in the forgotten tomb of a Roman ruler . . . someone even worse than the emperors Apollo has already faced.]]> 439 Rick Riordan 1368001440 Wouter 5
Our journey of thousands of miles could not begin with a rocket ship, so we'd have to find another way. Horses? Eagles? A self-driving car that was programmed not to fly off highway overpasses? We'd have to trust in the gods for some good luck. (Insert HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA here.)]]> 4.29 2019 The Tyrant’s Tomb (The Trials of Apollo, #4)
author: Rick Riordan
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.29
book published: 2019
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/18
date added: 2024/09/18
shelves:
review:
Aaaaand GO! On to the last one.

Our journey of thousands of miles could not begin with a rocket ship, so we'd have to find another way. Horses? Eagles? A self-driving car that was programmed not to fly off highway overpasses? We'd have to trust in the gods for some good luck. (Insert HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA-HA here.)
]]> <![CDATA[The Burning Maze (The Trials of Apollo, #3)]]> 28006096 Thanks a lot, Dad.

With the help of some demigod friends, Lester managed to survive his first two trials, one at Camp Half-Blood, and one in Indianapolis, where Meg received the Dark Prophecy. The words she uttered while seated on the Throne of Memory revealed that an evil triumvirate of Roman emperors plans to attack Camp Jupiter. While Leo flies ahead on Festus to warn the Roman camp, Lester and Meg must go through the Labyrinth to find the third emperor--and an Oracle who speaks in word puzzles--somewhere in the American Southwest. There is one glimmer of hope in the gloom-filled prophecy: The cloven guide alone the way does know. They will have a satyr companion, and Meg knows just who to call upon. . . .]]> 448 Rick Riordan 1368024122 Wouter 5
Perhaps this quest had ended on a suspended fourth chord. We still had much to do. But from now on, I would be more than Lester. I would be more than an observer. I would be Apollo. I would remember.]]> 4.24 2018 The Burning Maze (The Trials of Apollo, #3)
author: Rick Riordan
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.24
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/15
date added: 2024/09/15
shelves:
review:
I don't think I even need to review this one, as it is basically just one long story isn't it? But apparently one with unnecessary deaths now and then, not too happy about that, but hey, on to the next one!

Perhaps this quest had ended on a suspended fourth chord. We still had much to do. But from now on, I would be more than Lester. I would be more than an observer. I would be Apollo. I would remember.
]]> <![CDATA[The Dark Prophecy (The Trials of Apollo, #2)]]> 30145666
After experiencing a series of dangerous--and frankly, humiliating--trials at Camp Half-Blood, Lester must now leave the relative safety of the demigod training ground and embark on a hair-raising journey across North America. Fortunately, what he lacks in godly graces he's gaining in new friendships--with heroes who will be very familiar to fans of the Percy Jackson and the Olympians and Heroes of Olympus series. Come along for what promises to be a harrowing, hilarious, and haiku-filled ride. . . .]]> 432 Rick Riordan 1484746422 Wouter 5 More of Meg's Demeter nature skills please. ]]> 4.09 2017 The Dark Prophecy (The Trials of Apollo, #2)
author: Rick Riordan
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2017
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/11
date added: 2024/09/11
shelves:
review:
YES APOLLO YES! I'm so excited!
More of Meg's Demeter nature skills please.
]]> <![CDATA[The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo, #1)]]> 26252859
By making him human.

After angering his father Zeus, the god Apollo is cast down from Olympus. Weak and disorientated, he lands in New York City as a regular teenage boy. Now, without his godly powers, the four-thousand-year-old deity must learn to survive in the modern world until he can somehow find a way to regain Zeus's favour.

But Apollo has many enemies—gods, monsters and mortals who would love to see the former Olympian permanently destroyed. Apollo needs help, and he can think of only one place to go... an enclave of modern demigods known as Camp Half-Blood.]]> 376 Rick Riordan 148473274X Wouter 5 4.13 2016 The Hidden Oracle (The Trials of Apollo, #1)
author: Rick Riordan
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.13
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2024/09/08
date added: 2024/09/08
shelves:
review:
Yeeees! It's GREAT to be back in this world again. Riordan's stories always keep me on the edge of my seat, impossible to lay down. Up to the next!
]]> The Lost Story 199927030 The Chronicles of Narnia, this wild and wondrous novel is a fairy tale for grown-ups who still knock on the back of wardrobes—just in case—from the author of The Wishing Game.

As boys, best friends Jeremy Cox and Rafe Howell went missing in a vast West Virginia state forest, only to mysteriously reappear six months later with no explanation for where they’d gone or how they’d survived.

Fifteen years after their miraculous homecoming, Rafe is a reclusive artist who still bears scars inside and out but has no memory of what happened during those months. Meanwhile, Jeremy has become a famed missing persons� investigator. With his uncanny abilities, he is the one person who can help vet tech Emilie Wendell find her sister, who vanished in the very same forest as Rafe and Jeremy.

Jeremy alone knows the fantastical truth about the disappearances, for while the rest of the world was searching for them, the two missing boys were in a magical realm filled with impossible beauty and terrible danger. He believes it is there that they will find Emilie’s sister. However, Jeremy has kept Rafe in the dark since their return for his own inscrutable reasons. But the time for burying secrets comes to an end as the quest for Emilie’s sister begins. The former lost boys must confront their shared past, no matter how traumatic the memories.

Alongside the headstrong Emilie, Rafe and Jeremy must return to the enchanted world they called home for six months—for only then can they get back everything and everyone they’ve lost.]]> 352 Meg Shaffer 0593598873 Wouter 4
And since fairy tales have happy endings, this means one of two things. Either this isn't a fairy tale... Or it's only the beginning.

PLEASE.]]> 3.78 2024 The Lost Story
author: Meg Shaffer
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/09/05
date added: 2024/09/05
shelves:
review:
Damn! Damn, damn, damn, this was fun! It's advertised as Narnia for adults, and that's exactly what it is. It's really well-written and full of fantasy, with plenty of references to some of the best fantasy novels out there. My only complaint is that it's just way too short. When do the next six books come out? Pretty please? This story is for those who still open wardrobes, hoping they'll end up in Narnia; for those still waiting for Gandalf to show up at their door and take them on an adventure; and for those willing to be swept away to a faraway country by a cyclone. I’m still looking for these portals, and if you are too, this book is perfect for you.

And since fairy tales have happy endings, this means one of two things. Either this isn't a fairy tale... Or it's only the beginning.

PLEASE.
]]> <![CDATA[Past Present Future (Rowan & Neil, #2)]]> 199310463
When longtime rivals Rowan Roth and Neil McNair confessed their feelings on the last day of senior year, they knew they’d only have a couple months together before they left for college. Now summer is over, and they’re determined to make their relationship work as they begin school in different states.

In Boston, Rowan is eager to be among other aspiring novelists, learning from a creative writing professor she adores. She’s just not sure why she suddenly can’t seem to find her voice.

In New York, Neil embraces the chaos of the city, clicking with a new friend group more easily than he anticipated. But when his past refuses to leave him alone, he doesn’t know how to handle his rapidly changing mental health—or how to talk about it with the girl he loves.

Over a year of late-night phone calls, weekend visits, and East Coast adventures, Rowan and Neil fall for each other again and again as they grapple with the uncertainty of their new lives. They’ve spent so many years at odds with each other—now that they’re finally on the same team, what does the future hold for them?]]> 384 Rachel Lynn Solomon 1665901950 Wouter 4 3.83 2024 Past Present Future (Rowan & Neil, #2)
author: Rachel Lynn Solomon
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.83
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/31
date added: 2024/08/31
shelves:
review:
Oh! I liked this one waaay more than the first one for some reason. Okay, okay, it may be because NYC is heavily featured, and I just miss that city too much. It’s awesome to continue reading about Rowan and Neil's relationship—their struggles, triumphs, and adventures through college. Overall, it’s just really cute!
]]> <![CDATA[Around the World in Eighty Days]]> 54479 252 Jules Verne 014044906X Wouter 5 3.95 1872 Around the World in Eighty Days
author: Jules Verne
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1872
rating: 5
read at: 2021/02/08
date added: 2024/08/29
shelves:
review:
It was time for a lone awaited re-read! Hard to put down, marvelous story. I cannot wait to read more Verne stories.
]]> On the Bright Side 200359329
Ellie’s Deaf boarding school just shut down, forcing her to leave the place she considered home and return to her hearing family. Back in a mainstream school, Ellie quickly becomes the subject of hateful rumors. That’s when her guidance counselor pairs her with Jackson, a student who’s supposed to help her adjust. Can the boy who tries to say the right things, and gets it all wrong, be the lifeline Ellie needs?

Jackson has been avoiding his teammates ever since some numbness in his legs cost them an important soccer match. With his senior year off to a lonely start, he’s intrigued when he’s asked to help the new girl, initially thinking it will be a commendable move on his part. Little does he know Ellie will soon be the person he wants most by his side when the strange symptoms he’s experiencing amount to a life-changing diagnosis.

Exploring what it means to build community, Anna Sortino pens a story about the fear of the unknown and the beauty of the unexpected, all wrapped up in a poignant romance that will break your heart and put it back together again.]]> 320 Anna Sortino 0593697863 Wouter 5 Give Me a Sign, I got so excited when On the Bright Side was announced. Hopefully, there will be a third book carrying Anna Sortino’s name very soon because you’ve got to look out for this girl! Now I truly want to learn ASL.]]> 4.01 2024 On the Bright Side
author: Anna Sortino
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.01
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/25
date added: 2024/08/25
shelves:
review:
I absolutely adored this one! It’s so damn cute and amazingly written. Both characters feel authentic and pure, with very relatable, real-world struggles going on in their lives. The building of their relationship is not without its bumps and bruises, but it makes for a solid bond, which is amazing to see. After reading Give Me a Sign, I got so excited when On the Bright Side was announced. Hopefully, there will be a third book carrying Anna Sortino’s name very soon because you’ve got to look out for this girl! Now I truly want to learn ASL.
]]> <![CDATA[All That Remains (Kay Scarpetta, #3)]]> 232123 373 Patricia Cornwell 0684193957 Wouter 4 4.08 1992 All That Remains (Kay Scarpetta, #3)
author: Patricia Cornwell
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.08
book published: 1992
rating: 4
read at: 2024/08/20
date added: 2024/08/20
shelves:
review:
Full of suspense and mystery, you don’t really find out what happened until the last few pages, which makes it all the more satisfying when the truth is finally revealed. This is the best of the three I've read so far, so it makes sense to give it 4 stars.
]]> <![CDATA[Taal is zeg maar echt mijn ding]]> 6464859 different cover 212 Paulien Cornelisse 9025438830 Wouter 4 3.65 2009 Taal is zeg maar echt mijn ding
author: Paulien Cornelisse
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2009
rating: 4
read at: 2024/01/01
date added: 2024/08/20
shelves:
review:
De afgelopen maanden heb ik telkens kleine stukjes uit dit rode boekje gelezen. Er staan zoveel korte verhaaltjes in dat dit ook de beste manier is, omdat alles achter elkaar lezen je niet de mogelijkheid geeft goed na te denken over wat je nu eigenlijk gelezen hebt. Paulien is en blijft de taalkunstenaar van Nederland!
]]> Alfie in the Snow (Alfie, #5) 40174279 The Sunday Times bestseller returns for a fifth book! Alfie and his mischievous kitten George are back for more adventures � as the snow falls can Alfie and George save Christmas?

Edgar Road is very quiet in the lead up to Christmas when suddenly a new family moves in. Can they make their house a home in time for the festive season?

At the end of Edgar Road a man twitches his windows and refuses to be drawn into the community spirit. But is all he just looking for a bit of kindness?

As the snow starts to fall, Alfie and George have their work cut out for them to bring the street together in time for Christmas.

A heart-warming feel-good novel that is perfect for the festive season. For fans of Cathy Bramley and Holly Hepburn.

]]> 353 Rachel Wells 0008295778 Wouter 3 4.18 2018 Alfie in the Snow (Alfie, #5)
author: Rachel Wells
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2024/08/13
date added: 2024/08/13
shelves:
review:
It's always so much fun to get back to Alfie, solving problems with George at his side! We'll miss you, Tiger mum!
]]> <![CDATA[206 Bones (Temperance Brennan, #12)]]> 5957702 The #1 New York Times bestselling author and producer of the Fox television hit, Bones, returns with a spectacular new Tempe Brennan novel.

There are 206 bones in the human body. Forensic anthropologists know them intimately, can read in them stories of brief or long lives and use them to reconstruct every kind of violent end. 206 Bones opens with Tempe regaining consciousness and discovering that she is in some kind of very small, very dark, very cold enclosed space. She is bound, hands to feet. Who wants Tempe dead, or at least out of the way, and why? Tempe begins slowly to reconstruct...

Tempe and Lieutenant Ryan had accompanied the recently discovered remains of a missing heiress from Montreal to the Chicago morgue. Suddenly, Tempe was accused of mishandling the autopsy -- and the case. Someone made an incriminating phone call. Within hours, the one man with information about the call was dead. Back in Montreal, the corpse of a second elderly woman was found in the woods, and then a third.

Seamlessly weaving between Tempe's present-tense terror as she's held captive and her memory of the cases of these murdered women, Reichs conveys the incredible devastation that would occur if a forensic colleague sabotaged work in the lab. The chemistry between Tempe and Ryan intensifies as this complex, riveting tale unfolds. Reichs is writing at the top of her game.]]> 308 Kathy Reichs 0743294394 Wouter 3 3.94 2009 206 Bones (Temperance Brennan, #12)
author: Kathy Reichs
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.94
book published: 2009
rating: 3
read at: 2021/02/23
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves:
review:

]]> Radio Silence 25322449
What if everything you set yourself up to be was wrong?

Frances has been a study machine with one goal. Nothing will stand in her way; not friends, not a guilty secret � not even the person she is on the inside. Then Frances meets Aled, and for the first time she's unafraid to be herself.

So when the fragile trust between them is broken, Frances is caught between who she was and who she longs to be. Now Frances knows that she has to confront her past. To confess why Carys disappeared�

Frances is going to need every bit of courage she has.

Engaging with themes of identity, diversity and the freedom to choose, Radio Silence is a tour de force by the most exciting writer of her generation.]]> 496 Alice Oseman Wouter 5 4.18 2016 Radio Silence
author: Alice Oseman
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2016
rating: 5
read at: 2024/08/07
date added: 2024/08/07
shelves:
review:
It's been a while since I've read an Alice Oseman book, and oh, how I've missed it! Her books always feel so genuine and cozy, and they are really well-written, they're a joy to read. The same is true for Radio Silence; it's unique and fun, relatable and pure. Perfect for anyone who has ever felt a bit lost.
]]> Children of the Corn 17826887
From the unrivaled master of horror and the supernatural, Stephen King. �Children of the Corn,� first collected in the extraordinary collection Night Shift in 1973 and then adapted into a horror film franchise of the same name, is a terrifying and unforgettable classic of the genre.]]> 50 Stephen King Wouter 4 3.89 1977 Children of the Corn
author: Stephen King
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.89
book published: 1977
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/31
date added: 2024/07/31
shelves:
review:
I remember my mother always telling me about this scary boy called Malachai when we were driving along a cornfield. This story is definitely short but fun and scary at the same time! Amazingly written as always, which is truly incredible considering it's just around 50ish pages.
]]> <![CDATA[Beyond the Wand: The Magic & Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard]]> 61062194 From the magical moments on set as Draco Malfoy to the challenges of growing up in the spotlight, get a backstage pass into Tom Felton’s life on and off the big screen in this #1 New York Times bestseller.

Tom Felton’s adolescence was anything but ordinary. His early rise to fame in beloved films like The Borrowers catapulted him into the limelight, but nothing could prepare him for what was to come after he landed the iconic role of the Draco Malfoy, the bleached blonde villain of the Harry Potter movies. For the next ten years, he was at the center of a huge pop culture phenomenon and yet, in between filming, he would go back to being a normal teenager trying to fit into a normal school.

Speaking with great candor and his signature humor, Tom shares his experience growing up as part of the wizarding world while also trying to navigate the muggle world. He tells stories from his early days in the business like his first acting gig where he was mistaken for fellow blonde child actor Macaulay Culkin and his Harry Potter audition where, in a very Draco-like move, he fudged how well he knew the books the series was based on (not at all). He reflects on his experiences working with cinematic greats such as Alan Rickman, Sir Michael Gambon, Dame Maggie Smith, and Ralph Fiennes (including that awkward Voldemort hug). And, perhaps most poignantly, he discusses the lasting relationships he made over that decade of filming, including with Emma Watson, who started out as a pesky nine-year-old whom he mocked for not knowing what a boom mic was but who soon grew into one of his dearest friends. Then, of course, there are the highs and lows of fame and navigating life after such a momentous and life-changing experience.

Tom Felton’s Beyond the Wand is an entertaining, funny, and poignant must-read for any Harry Potter fan. Prepare to meet a real-life wizard.]]> 288 Tom Felton 1538741369 Wouter 5 4.28 2022 Beyond the Wand: The Magic & Mayhem of Growing Up a Wizard
author: Tom Felton
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2022
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/31
date added: 2024/07/31
shelves:
review:
Oh, how I disliked Draco, but the more I learn about Tom, the more I like him! He’s a wonderful guy, a fantastic actor, and an awesome human being. About 60% of this book consists of him telling you about working on Harry Potter, but that’s to be expected and more than okay as he does so in a hilarious and fascinating way. It’s great how he not only talks about everything being all good and glorious but also about some dark moments he experienced after his massive success. I’ll never forget him dancing like nobody was watching backstage at Comic-Con a few years back. Tom, you rock!
]]> <![CDATA[Concrete Rose (The Hate U Give, #0)]]> 52822210 International phenomenon Angie Thomas revisits Garden Heights seventeen years before the events of The Hate U Give in this searing and poignant exploration of Black boyhood and manhood.

If there’s one thing seventeen-year-old Maverick Carter knows, it’s that a real man takes care of his family. As the son of a former gang legend, Mav does that the only way he knows how: dealing for the King Lords. With this money he can help his mom, who works two jobs while his dad’s in prison.

Life’s not perfect, but with a fly girlfriend and a cousin who always has his back, Mav’s got everything under control.

Until, that is, Maverick finds out he’s a father.

Suddenly he has a baby, Seven, who depends on him for everything. But it’s not so easy to sling dope, finish school, and raise a child. So when he’s offered the chance to go straight, he takes it. In a world where he’s expected to amount to nothing, maybe Mav can prove he’s different.

When King Lord blood runs through your veins, though, you can't just walk away. Loyalty, revenge, and responsibility threaten to tear Mav apart, especially after the brutal murder of a loved one. He’ll have to figure out for himself what it really means to be a man.]]> 368 Angie Thomas 006284671X Wouter 5 4.38 2021 Concrete Rose (The Hate U Give, #0)
author: Angie Thomas
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.38
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/28
date added: 2024/07/28
shelves:
review:
Damn. This is such a compelling and perfect prequel to The Hate U Give. It delves into the younger years of Starr's dad Maverick, giving him a face and backstory setting up a strong home for his family. Thomas masterfully explores themes of family, responsibility, and resilience through Maverick's journey from a teenager facing tough choices to a young man taking care of his family and friends. The story is raw and authentic, capturing the struggles of navigating life in a rough neighborhood while grappling with fatherhood and loyalty. Thomas's powerful storytelling and strong character development make her a literary powerhouse.
]]> <![CDATA[Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail (Bright Falls, #2)]]> 58800142 An interior designer learns to rebuild her love life from the ground up with zero blueprints in this new romantic comedy by Ashley Herring Blake, author of Delilah Green Doesn't Care.

For Astrid Parker, failure is unacceptable. Ever since she broke up with her fiancé a year ago, she’s been focused on her career—her friends might say she’s obsessed, but she’s just driven. When Pru Everwood asks her to be the designer for the Everwood Inn’s renovation that will be broadcasted on a popular home improvement show, Innside America, Astrid knows this is the answer to everything that is wrong with her life. It’ll be the perfect distraction from her failed love life, and her perpetually displeased mother might finally give her nod of approval.

However, Astrid never planned on Jordan Everwood, Pru’s granddaughter and lead carpenter for the inn’s renovation, who despises every modern design decision Astrid makes. Jordan is determined to preserve the history of her family’s inn, particularly as the rest of her life is in shambles. When that determination turns into a little light sabotage, ruffling Astrid’s perfect little feathers, the showrunners ask them to play up the tension. But somewhere along the way, their dislike for each other turns into something quite different, and Astrid must decide what success truly means. Is she going to pursue the life that she’s expected to lead, or the one she wants?]]> 400 Ashley Herring Blake Wouter 3 4.03 2022 Astrid Parker Doesn't Fail (Bright Falls, #2)
author: Ashley Herring Blake
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2022
rating: 3
read at: 2024/07/25
date added: 2024/07/25
shelves:
review:
I liked this one more than Delilah's, it's cute, it's queer, and it's fun. There's also a hell of a lot of spice though, just so you know. Oh and a woman in carpentry? Yay for that.
]]> The Dead Zone 29430666
"There was only blackness and that universal emptiness... Cold limbo. Johnny Smith stayed there a long, long time."

When Johnny Smith was six-years-old, head trauma caused by a bad ice-skating accident left him with a nasty bruise on his forehead and, from time to time, those hunches…infrequent but accurate snippets of things to come. But it isn’t until Johnny’s a grown man—now having survived a horrifying auto injury that plunged him into a coma lasting four-and-a-half years—that his special abilities really push to the fore. Johnny Smith comes back from the void with an extraordinary gift that becomes his life’s curse…presenting visions of what was and what will be for the innocent and guilty alike. But when he encounters a ruthlessly ambitious and amoral man who promises a terrifying fate for all humanity, Johnny must find a way to prevent a harrowing predestination from becoming reality.]]> 579 Stephen King 1501143816 Wouter 4 4.05 1979 The Dead Zone
author: Stephen King
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.05
book published: 1979
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/21
date added: 2024/07/21
shelves:
review:
This is an interesting one. It wasn't what I was expecting but that's not a bad thing in this instance. The story itself is really interesting, has some great psychological challenges, and a surprising ending. There have been some boring parts without a lot happening, but overall it's a solid book. And there are some great similarities between this POTUS-to-be and a certain ex-president, *cough* Tr*mp *cough*, which is both funny and disturbing. However, I do prefer King's horror/thriller ones over these psychological/higher-power ones. But it's nicely written, so it's a recommendation for sure!
]]> Frambozenzomer 215079095
Zomers kunnen soms verrukkelijke verrassingen in petto hebben. Op het kamp ontmoet Thomas Fender, de knappe zoon van de kampleidster. Fender is net klaar met zijn eindexamen en helpt voor het eerst mee op het kamp. Hij is alles wat Thomas ooit hoopt te zijn: slank, zelfverzekerd en� uit de kast. Er lijkt iets tussen hen op te bloeien, maar durft Thomas zijn onzekerheden opzij te zetten en aan Fender te vertellen wat hij echt voor hem voelt?]]> 285 Lucas Versteeg 9000394732 Wouter 4 4.03 2024 Frambozenzomer
author: Lucas Versteeg
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/10
date added: 2024/07/10
shelves:
review:
We maken kennis met Fender en Thomas, 2 jonge jongens die veel van elkaar verschillen, maar er op zomerkamp samen achter komen dat ze toch meer gemeen hebben dan ze in eerste instantie zelf dachten. Geschreven vanuit beide perspectieven, wat een leuke en speelse wisselwerking geeft, maar vooral vriendschap en wholesomness vloeien als een rode draad door het boek. Samen met een klein groepje kampgenoten leren ze hun problemen bespreekbaar te maken, te accepteren en om een manier te vinden om te gaan met hun gevoelens en eetgewoontes. Het verhaal zelf is sterk, soms wat cliché - maar dat zie je wel vaker in dit genre -, je voelt dat er goed naar eigen ervaringen geluisterd is, en juist dat maakt het heel oprecht en lief. Het leest niet zo soepel, is wat hakkelig of kinderlijk, en dat is niet heel gek bij een nieuwe en jonge auteur denk ik, dus dat is vergeefbaar. De warmte en liefde bieden meer dan genoeg compensatie voor de geringe schrijfervaring. Ik merk dat ik het lastig vind dit boek een aantal sterren te geven, het worden er toch 4, wat volgens mij voor een eerste boek heel netjes is! Lucas, je bent een toffe gozer vol potentie, ik kijk uit naar je volgende verhaal!
]]> Incidents Around the House 199757490 A chilling horror novel about a haunting told from the perspective of a young girl whose troubled family is targeted by an entity she calls “Other Mommy,� from the New York Times bestselling author of Bird Box

To eight-year-old Bela, her family is her world. There’sMommy,Daddo,and Grandma Ruth.But there is also Other Mommy, a malevolent entity who asks her every day: “Can I go inside your heart?”�

When horrifying incidents around the house signal that Other Mommy is growing tired of asking Bela the same question, over and over . . . Bela understands that unless she says yes, soon her family must pay.

Other Mommy is getting restless, stronger, bolder. Only the bonds of family can keep Bela safe but other incidents show cracks in her parents' marriage. The safety Bela relies on is on the brink of unraveling.

But Other Mommy needs an answer.

Incidents Around the House is a chilling, wholly unique tale of true horror told by the child Bela. A story about a family as haunted as their home.]]> 367 Josh Malerman 0593723120 Wouter 4 Coraline mixed with Olde Heuvelt’s Hex and with a touch of Stephen King. Suspenseful higher power kind of sh*t. The middle got a bit repetitive and the ending was a tad predictable -that's why I couldn't give it the full five stars, altough it's close- but also satisfactory. Just close your eyes and hide under your blanket when you hear your closet door creak open tonight…]]> 3.61 2024 Incidents Around the House
author: Josh Malerman
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.61
book published: 2024
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/08
date added: 2024/07/08
shelves:
review:
Guys, you gotta watch Josh Malerman, everything he writes is just fantastic. And this one, it’s his best one yet! Creepy as f*ck, told from the perspective of a child without being childish. Neil Gaiman’s Coraline mixed with Olde Heuvelt’s Hex and with a touch of Stephen King. Suspenseful higher power kind of sh*t. The middle got a bit repetitive and the ending was a tad predictable -that's why I couldn't give it the full five stars, altough it's close- but also satisfactory. Just close your eyes and hide under your blanket when you hear your closet door creak open tonight�
]]> <![CDATA[Homebody: Discovering What It Means To Be Me]]> 211653177 The unmissable YA graphic novel Homebody from debut creator Theo Parish - for fans of the global hit Heartstopper and a must read for anyone who's ever felt like they don’t belong.

Hello! I’m Theo. I like cats, Dungeons & Dragons . . . and I’m trans and non-binary.

Theo grew up in a household with a loving family and relaxed gender roles, but the pressures of the outside world to fit into society’s expectations can make life feel, well . . . confusing! Theo knows that there is no one way to be, but inspired by superheroes, role playing games and comic con, they find confidence to rebuild their image in a way that feels truly themselves.

In their debut graphic novel Homebody, author-illustrator Theo Parish takes readers through a beautifully heart lifting story of discovering what it means to live life on your own terms and what it means to feel at home in the world.

‘The most radical act of self love is living authentically in a world that takes every opportunity to squeeze you into a box of someone else’s design.�]]> 224 Theo Parish 1035017628 Wouter 5 4.57 2024 Homebody: Discovering What It Means To Be Me
author: Theo Parish
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.57
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/07/03
date added: 2024/07/03
shelves:
review:
Gosh, this is so heartwarming and empowering! Wonderfully told and illustrated, it feels like a warm blanket hugging you close, Theo’s journey exploring who they are and about loving themselves is really uplifting. It’s a fast and light read, but don’t forget to look at all the cute drawings! Theo, it was awesome meeting you, and I can’t wait for your next novel. :)
]]> <![CDATA[The Watchers (The Watchers, #1)]]> 58321103
Mina finds herself in a room with a wall of glass, and an electric light that activates at nightfall, when the Watchers come above ground. These creatures emerge to observe their captive humans—and terrible things happen to anyone who doesn't reach the bunker in time.

Afraid and trapped among strangers, Mina is desperate for answers. Who are the Watchers? Why are these creatures keeping them imprisoned? And, most importantly, how can she escape?]]> 310 A.M. Shine 1801102120 Wouter 4 3.82 2021 The Watchers (The Watchers, #1)
author: A.M. Shine
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/07/01
date added: 2024/07/01
shelves:
review:
Upon seeing the trailer for the movie at the cinema I was instantly intrigued. However, me being a scared little mouse I can't ever see a Thriller movie without shitting myself. So, I went and got the book, and damn. It’s really good, full of dread, who hasn’t had the feeling someone, or something, is watching you in a scary and dark forest? Or catching a glimpse of being watched in your mirror’s reflection? It’s one of life’s certain fears really. The plot is strong, the beginning just sucks you in and holds you in its grasp, filling you with anxiety and dread. Some chapters could’ve been cut to make it a bit more compact and even scarier but that’s the only fault I could find. Can’t wait for the sequel, Stay in the Light to be released later this year.
]]> <![CDATA[Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands (Emily Wilde, #2)]]> 134119076 When mysterious faeries from other realms appear at her university, curmudgeonly professor Emily Wilde must uncover their secrets before it’s too late, in this heartwarming, enchanting second installment of the Emily Wilde series.

Emily Wilde is a genius scholar of faerie folklore who just wrote the world’s first comprehensive encyclopaedia of faeries. She’s learned many of the secrets of the Hidden Ones on her adventures . . . and also from her fellow scholar and former rival Wendell Bambleby.

Because Bambleby is more than infuriatingly charming. He’s an exiled faerie king on the run from his murderous mother and in search of a door back to his realm. And despite Emily’s feelings for Bambleby, she’s not ready to accept his proposal of marriage: Loving one of the Fair Folk comes with secrets and dangers.

She also has a new project to focus on: a map of the realms of faerie. While she is preparing her research, Bambleby lands her in trouble yet again, when assassins sent by his mother invade Cambridge. Now Bambleby and Emily are on another adventure, this time to the picturesque Austrian Alps, where Emily believes they may find the door to Bambleby’s realm and the key to freeing him from his family’s dark plans.

But with new relationships for the prickly Emily to navigate and dangerous Folk lurking in every forest and hollow, Emily must unravel the mysterious workings of faerie doors and of her own heart.]]> 370 Heather Fawcett 0593500202 Wouter 5 4.28 2024 Emily Wilde’s Map of the Otherlands (Emily Wilde, #2)
author: Heather Fawcett
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.28
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/06/26
date added: 2024/06/26
shelves:
review:
This series is so good! Just like the first book I can't fault this one at all. It's magical, it's whimsical, and it's adventurous, just fantastic! Can't wait for the third book.
]]> <![CDATA[Act Your Age, Eve Brown (The Brown Sisters, #3)]]> 51824384
Jacob Wayne is in control. Always. The bed and breakfast owner’s on a mission to dominate the hospitality industry—and he expects nothing less than perfection. So when a purple-haired tornado of a woman turns up out of the blue to interview for his open chef position, he tells her the brutal truth: not a chance in hell. Then she hits him with her car—supposedly by accident. Yeah, right.

Now his arm is broken, his B&B is understaffed, and the dangerously unpredictable Eve is fluttering around, trying to help. Before long, she’s infiltrated his work, his kitchen—and his spare bedroom. Jacob hates everything about it. Or rather, he should. Sunny, chaotic Eve is his natural-born nemesis, but the longer these two enemies spend in close quarters, the more their animosity turns into something else. Like Eve, the heat between them is impossible to ignore—and it’s melting Jacob’s frosty exterior.]]> 400 Talia Hibbert 0062941283 Wouter 3 4.06 2021 Act Your Age, Eve Brown (The Brown Sisters, #3)
author: Talia Hibbert
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.06
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2024/06/16
date added: 2024/06/16
shelves:
review:
More of the same, but it's the cutest one! How fun and cozy it must be to run a bed and breakfast together. I'm a bit done with romantic smut after this one tho!
]]> The Picture of Dorian Gray 5297 272 Oscar Wilde Wouter 5
“He loathed his own beauty, and flinging the mirror on the floor crushed it into silver splinters beneath his heel. It was his beauty that had ruined him, his beauty and the youth that he had prayed for. But for those two things, his life might have been free from stain. His beauty had been to him but a mask, his youth but a mockery. What was youth at best? A green, an unripe time, a time of shallow moods, and sickly thoughts. Why had he worn its livery? Youth had spoiled him.�
]]> 4.13 1890 The Picture of Dorian Gray
author: Oscar Wilde
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.13
book published: 1890
rating: 5
read at: 2024/06/10
date added: 2024/06/10
shelves:
review:
I’ve always wanted to read Oscar Wilde, but kept putting it off for some reason because I’m going to see a stage adaption of Dorian Gray in two months, I reckoned it was time to start. This is a classic all right, everybody should read this magnificent work of art. It’s Shakespearian in style, but much easier for the modern mind to grasp. It’s about love, friendship, hatred, and cruelty when the outside gets more attention than the inside. Wilde, you’re a genius!

“He loathed his own beauty, and flinging the mirror on the floor crushed it into silver splinters beneath his heel. It was his beauty that had ruined him, his beauty and the youth that he had prayed for. But for those two things, his life might have been free from stain. His beauty had been to him but a mask, his youth but a mockery. What was youth at best? A green, an unripe time, a time of shallow moods, and sickly thoughts. Why had he worn its livery? Youth had spoiled him.�

]]> <![CDATA[Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde, #1)]]> 60657589
Cambridge professor Emily Wilde is good at many things: She is the foremost expert on the study of faeries. She is a genius scholar and a meticulous researcher who is writing the world's first encyclopaedia of faerie lore. But Emily Wilde is not good at people. She could never make small talk at a party--or even get invited to one. And she prefers the company of her books, her dog, and the Fair Folk.

So when she arrives in the hardscrabble village of Hrafnsvik, Emily has no intention of befriending the gruff townsfolk. Nor does she care to spend time with another new arrival: her dashing and insufferably handsome academic rival Wendell Bambleby, who manages to charm the townsfolk, get in the middle of Emily's research, and utterly confound and frustrate her.

But as Emily gets closer and closer to uncovering the secrets of the Hidden Ones--the most elusive of all faeries--lurking in the shadowy forest outside the town, she also finds herself on the trail of another mystery: Who is Wendell Bambleby, and what does he really want? To find the answer, she'll have to unlock the greatest mystery of all--her own heart.]]> 336 Heather Fawcett 059350013X Wouter 5 3.98 2023 Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries (Emily Wilde, #1)
author: Heather Fawcett
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2023
rating: 5
read at: 2024/06/05
date added: 2024/06/05
shelves:
review:
Oh yes! The raving readers aren't wrong; I liked this a lot! It's whimsical, it's adorable, and it's adventurous, packed full of wonder and awe. It gave me Narnian and Katherine Applegate's Endling vibes, I loved how much faerie lore is included throughout the book. The banter between Emily and Bambleby is fun, and it's great to see Emily's growth as a scholar. I cannot wait for the next book, and want to know more about Shadow and the little brownie called Poe.
]]> <![CDATA[Take a Hint, Dani Brown (The Brown Sisters, #2)]]> 49976087 Talia Hibbert returns with another charming romantic comedy about a young woman who agrees to fake date her friend after a video of him “rescuing� her from their office building goes viral...

Danika Brown knows what she wants: professional success, academic renown, and an occasional roll in the hay to relieve all that career-driven tension. But romance? Been there, done that, burned the T-shirt. Romantic partners, whatever their gender, are a distraction at best and a drain at worst. So Dani asks the universe for the perfect friend-with-benefits—someone who knows the score and knows their way around the bedroom.

When brooding security guard Zafir Ansari rescues Dani from a workplace fire drill gone wrong, it’s an obvious sign: PhD student Dani and ex-rugby player Zaf are destined to sleep together. But before she can explain that fact, a video of the heroic rescue goes viral. Now half the internet is shipping #DrRugbae—and Zaf is begging Dani to play along. Turns out, his sports charity for kids could really use the publicity. Lying to help children? Who on earth would refuse?

Dani’s plan is simple: fake a relationship in public, seduce Zaf behind the scenes. The trouble is, grumpy Zaf’s secretly a hopeless romantic—and he’s determined to corrupt Dani’s stone-cold realism. Before long, he’s tackling her fears into the dirt. But the former sports star has issues of his own, and the walls around his heart are as thick as his... um, thighs.

Suddenly, the easy lay Dani dreamed of is more complex than her thesis. Has her wish backfired? Is her focus being tested? Or is the universe just waiting for her to take a hint?]]> 400 Talia Hibbert 0062941259 Wouter 3 3.98 2020 Take a Hint, Dani Brown (The Brown Sisters, #2)
author: Talia Hibbert
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.98
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/28
date added: 2024/05/28
shelves:
review:
Allright, honestly it's more of the first book - Get A Life, Chloe Brown - but slightly worse in terms of cringy sex-scenes, predictableness, and no Smudge the Cat! Boo. But it's a fast, cute, and fun in between read so it's okay.
]]> The Ghosts We Keep 49439243 Perfect for fans of Adam Silvera and Becky Albertalli, this book will rip your heart out before showing you how to heal from tragedy and celebrate life in the process.

When Liam Cooper's older brother Ethan is killed in a hit-and-run, Liam has to not only learn to face the world without one of the people he loved the most, but also face the fading relationship with his two best friends.

Feeling more alone and isolated than ever, Liam finds themself sharing time with Marcus, Ethan's best friend, and through Marcus, Liam finds the one person that seems to know exactly what they're going through, for the better, and the worse.

This book is about grief. But it's also about why we live. Why we have to keep moving on, and why we should.]]> 336 Mason Deaver Wouter 4
I’m gonna share the following quote again, because damn does it hit;
"And I wish that you were here,
But you've left me alone.
Gone off on a journey,
That'll never bring you home."
]]> 4.02 2021 The Ghosts We Keep
author: Mason Deaver
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/21
date added: 2024/05/21
shelves:
review:
This was gooooood, and emotionaaaal! Mason really does know how to write, can’t fault it in any way. It was much more emotional and heavy than I thought, so do look at the trigger warnings, it got heavy for me at one point. It’s about grief, coming out/being closeted, and friendship. The story took a different path than I thought, it’s not a love story, but a story about dealing with grief and about learning how to move on, with unexpected help.

I’m gonna share the following quote again, because damn does it hit;
"And I wish that you were here,
But you've left me alone.
Gone off on a journey,
That'll never bring you home."

]]> <![CDATA[Gesundheit!: Bringing Good Health to You, the Medical System, and Society through Physician Service, Complementary Therapies, Humor, and Joy]]> 945082
� Tells the story of Patch Adam's lifetime quest to transform the health care system

� Released as a film from Universal Pictures, starring Robin Williams

Meet Patch Adams, M.D., a social revolutionary who has devoted his career to giving away health care. Adams is the founder of the Gesundheit Institute, a home-based medical practice that has treated more than 15,000 people for free, and that is now building a full-scale hospital that will be open to anyone in the world free of charge. Ambitious? Yes. Impossible? Not for those who know and work with Patch. Whether it means putting on a red clown nose for sick children or taking a disturbed patient outside to roll down a hill with him, Adams does whatever is necessary to help heal. In his frequent lectures at medical schools and international conferences, Adams's irrepressible energy cuts through the businesslike facade of the medical industry to address the caring relationship between doctor and patient that is at the heart of true medicine.

All author royalties are used to fund The Gesundheit Institute, a 40-bed free hospital in West Virginia. Adams's positive vision and plan for the future is an inspiration for those concerned with the inaccessibility of affordable, quality health care.

Today's high-tech medicine has become too costly, impersonal, and grim. In his frequent lectures to colleges, churches, community groups, medical schools, and conferences, Patch shows how healing can be a loving, creative, humorous human exchange--not a business transaction.]]> 227 Patch Adams 089281781X Wouter 3 3.95 1992 Gesundheit!: Bringing Good Health to You, the Medical System, and Society through Physician Service, Complementary Therapies, Humor, and Joy
author: Patch Adams
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.95
book published: 1992
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/18
date added: 2024/05/18
shelves:
review:
I wanted to read this book since watching Patch Adams starring Robin Williams, who portrayed Patch amazingly. Both Patch and Robin have a knack and passion for making people laugh. This book though, is not easy, it almost reads like a scientific/medical paper so you have to keep your head in the game. The Gesundheit! Institute is an amazing place and philosophy, wonderful to read about, and Patch is such an interesting, likable, and funny character!
]]> Blockade Billy 7940591
Every effort was made to erase any evidence that William Blakely played professional baseball, and with good reason. Blockade Billy had a secret darker than any pill or injection that might cause a scandal in sports today. His secret was much, much worse... and only Stephen King, the most gifted storyteller of our age, can reveal the truth to the world, once and for all.]]> 112 Stephen King 1587672286 Wouter 3 "Bloh-KADE! Bloh-KADE! Bloh-KADE!"

Yeah, ehm, alright, I'm not sure how to rate this one. It's short and entertaining, but that's it really. I'm not really into sports, and I don't know much about baseball, although I've been to see the Yankees, Go Yankees! But King can make a shopping list interesting if he wants to, so it's a fun in-between!

ROAD CLOSED BY ORDER OF BLOCKADE BILLY ]]> 3.46 2010 Blockade Billy
author: Stephen King
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.46
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/14
date added: 2024/05/14
shelves:
review:
"Bloh-KADE! Bloh-KADE! Bloh-KADE!"

Yeah, ehm, alright, I'm not sure how to rate this one. It's short and entertaining, but that's it really. I'm not really into sports, and I don't know much about baseball, although I've been to see the Yankees, Go Yankees! But King can make a shopping list interesting if he wants to, so it's a fun in-between!

ROAD CLOSED BY ORDER OF BLOCKADE BILLY
]]> <![CDATA[Body of Evidence (Kay Scarpetta, #2)]]> 132336 403 Patricia Cornwell 0743493915 Wouter 3 4.04 1991 Body of Evidence (Kay Scarpetta, #2)
author: Patricia Cornwell
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1991
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/13
date added: 2024/05/13
shelves:
review:
Well written, surprising plot, and kept me on the edge of my seat. Still not sure about the style though, but excited to continue reading about Kay's career.
]]> Malorie (Bird Box, #2) 44510181 Bird Box. This time, Malorie is front and center, and she will confront the dangers of her world head-on.

Twelve years after Malorie and her children rowed up the river to safety, a blindfold is still the only thing that stands between sanity and madness. One glimpse of the creatures that stalk the world will drive a person to unspeakable violence. There remains no explanation. No solution.

All Malorie can do is survive.
But then comes what feels like impossible news. And with it, the first time Malorie has allowed herself to hope. Someone very dear to her, someone she believed dead, may be alive.

Malorie has a harrowing choice to make: to live by the rules of survival that have served her so well, or to venture into the darkness and reach for hope once more.]]> 301 Josh Malerman Wouter 4 Bird Box, it's amazingly creepy, well written, and made me so excited for its sequel Malorie. And it did not disappoint! It's one of my favorite dystopian series out there, ending with a hopeful note, just screaming for another installment. ]]> 3.78 2020 Malorie (Bird Box, #2)
author: Josh Malerman
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2024/05/07
date added: 2024/05/07
shelves:
review:
I ADORED Bird Box, it's amazingly creepy, well written, and made me so excited for its sequel Malorie. And it did not disappoint! It's one of my favorite dystopian series out there, ending with a hopeful note, just screaming for another installment.
]]> The Goodbye Cat 157487250
Against the backdrop of changing seasons in Japan, we meet Spin, a kitten rescued from the recycling bin, whose playful nature and simple needs teach an anxious father how to parent his own human baby; a colony of wild cats on a popular holiday island show a young boy not to stand in nature’s way; a family is perplexed by their cat’s undying devotion to their charismatic but uncaring father; a woman curses how her cat will not stop visiting her at night; and an elderly cat hatches a plan to pass into the next world as a spirit so that he and his owner may be in each other’s lives forever.

Bursting with love and warmth, The Goodbye Cat exquisitely explores the cycle of life, from birth to death—as each of the seven stories explores how, in different ways, the steadiness and devotion of a well-loved cat never lets us down. A huge bestseller in Japan, this magical book is a joyous celebration of the wondrousness of cats and why we choose to share our lives with them.]]> 285 Hiro Arikawa 0593815718 Wouter 3 3.91 2021 The Goodbye Cat
author: Hiro Arikawa
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2024/05/04
date added: 2024/05/04
shelves:
review:
Unfortunately it's not as good as The Travelling Cat Chronicles, but damn it's always nice to read Japanese stories! They just have something, I don't know what it is, but they're cozy and warm, and full of wonder!
]]> <![CDATA[The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting: The Tragedy and The Glory of Growing Up (A Memoir)]]> 57062720 A searing memoir from Harry Potter star and activist Evanna Lynch about the bravery it takes to embrace ourselves and our dreams while navigating the battle between perfection and creativity.

Gradually, I began to feel this dawning awareness that womanhood was coming for me, that it was looming inevitably, and it didn't feel safe . . . While those around me tried to expedite it, simulate it, exacerbate it, I tried to strangle it.

Evanna Lynch has long been viewed as a role model for people recovering from anorexia, as the story of her casting as Luna Lovegood in the Harry Potter films grew to almost mythic proportions--a tale of how she faced disordered eating as a young girl, found solace in a beloved book series, and several years later landed the part of her favorite character. But that is not the whole story.

Even after recovery, there remains a conflict at the very core of her being: a bitter struggle between the familiar, anesthetizing pursuit of perfection and the desire to fully and fearlessly embrace her creativity. In her book, Evanna confronts all the complexities and contradictions within herself and reveals how she began to conquer her self-hate while facing her fear of leaving the neatness and safety of girlhood for the unpredictable journey of being a woman. Revealing a startlingly accomplished voice, Evanna delves into the very heart of a woman's relationship with her own body. Unwilling to let the darkness of her eating disorder eclipse her dreams, Evanna explores the pivotal moments and choices in her life that led her down the path of creativity. Taking the reader through her personal journey, she reveals how by channeling her fears of the messy, uncharted future into joyful, ambitious endeavors, she reaches toward acceptance of the wild, sensual, and unpredictable reality of womanhood.

Honest, electrifying, and inspiring, this is a story of the tragedy and the glory of growing up, of mourning girlhood and stepping into the unknown, and how that act of courage is the most liberating thing a woman can do.]]> 463 Evanna Lynch Wouter 5
Stay spangly and take your B12!
]]> 4.53 2021 The Opposite of Butterfly Hunting: The Tragedy and The Glory of Growing Up (A Memoir)
author: Evanna Lynch
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.53
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/30
date added: 2024/04/30
shelves:
review:
From the moment Luna Lovegood appeared on screen I was in awe with Evanna, full of wonder, beauty, and totally whimsical. Her story, written down in this book, is much more ponderous than I ever expected. The first three-quarters of the book is all about Evanna’s struggles and journey with her eating disorder, which hits you pretty hard. However, it’s wonderful to read how magic and creativity helped overcome her greatest struggles in her early teens, and how she navigates through dark days and emerges victorious in the young woman that she is. Written wonderfully and engaging, emotional and tough, it’s an truly amazing story. She’s an inspiration in perseverance and activism, inspiring me to treat the world with respect and love, veganize my own life, and see the beauty in the smallest things.

Stay spangly and take your B12!

]]> Origin (Robert Langdon, #5) 32307358 This an alternate cover for B01LY7FD0D

Robert Langdon, Harvard professor of symbology and religious iconology, arrives at the ultramodern Guggenheim Museum Bilbao to attend a major announcement--the unveiling of a discovery that "will change the face of science forever." The evening's host is Edmond Kirsch, a forty-year-old billionaire and futurist whose dazzling high-tech inventions and audacious predictions have made him a renowned global figure. Kirsch, who was one of Langdon's first students at Harvard two decades earlier, is about to reveal an astonishing breakthrough . . . one that will answer two of the fundamental questions of human existence.

As the event begins, Langdon and several hundred guests find themselves captivated by an utterly original presentation, which Langdon realizes will be far more controversial than he ever imagined. But the meticulously orchestrated evening suddenly erupts into chaos, and Kirsch's precious discovery teeters on the brink of being lost forever. Reeling and facing an imminent threat, Langdon is forced into a desperate bid to escape Bilbao. With him is Ambra Vidal, the elegant museum director who worked with Kirsch to stage the provocative event. Together they flee to Barcelona on a perilous quest to locate a cryptic password that will unlock Kirsch's secret.

Navigating the dark corridors of hidden history and extreme religion, Langdon and Vidal must evade a tormented enemy whose all-knowing power seems to emanate from Spain's Royal Palace itself . . . and who will stop at nothing to silence Edmond Kirsch. On a trail marked by modern art and enigmatic symbols, Langdon and Vidal uncover clues that ultimately bring them face-to-face with Kirsch's shocking discovery . . . and the breathtaking truth that has long eluded us. Origin is stunningly inventive--Dan Brown's most brilliant and entertaining novel to date]]> 482 Dan Brown Wouter 4 3.87 2017 Origin (Robert Langdon, #5)
author: Dan Brown
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2017
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2024/04/24
shelves:
review:
This is, for me, the best book in the Robert Langdon series.
]]> This Is Me Trying 61838467 Perfect for fans of Nina LaCour, This is Me Trying is a profound and tender YA contemporary novel exploring grief, love, and guilt from author Racquel Marie.

Growing up, Bryce, Beatriz, and Santiago were inseparable. But when Santiago moved away before high school, their friendship crumbled. Three years later, Bryce is gone, Beatriz is known as the dead boy’s girlfriend, and Santiago is back.

The last thing Beatriz wants is to reunite with Santiago, who left all her messages unanswered while she drowned alone in grief over Bryce’s death by suicide. Even if she wasn’t angry, Santiago’s attempts to make amends are jeopardizing her plan to keep the world at arm’s length―equal parts protection and punishment―and she swore to never let anyone try that again.

Santiago is surprised to find the once happy-go-lucky Bea is now the gothic town loner, though he’s unsurprised she wants nothing to do with him. But he can’t fix what he broke between them while still hiding what led him to cut her off in the first place, and it’s harder to run from his past when he isn’t states away anymore.

Inevitably drawn back together by circumstance and history, Beatriz and Santiago navigate grief, love, mental illness, forgiveness, and what it means to try to build a future after unfathomable loss.]]> Racquel Marie Wouter 5
I promise to continue meeting myself on the other side of every bad day.]]> 4.11 2024 This Is Me Trying
author: Racquel Marie
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.11
book published: 2024
rating: 5
read at: 2024/04/23
date added: 2024/04/23
shelves:
review:
My blurb for this book would be: MY GOD RACQUEL HOW CAN YOU WRITE LIKE THIS? It's uncanny how good the writing is, I felt so connected to all of its characters and things felt so familiar. Stuff being said and done towards Olive made me feel mad and aching to hit Rick, -like knock him out hit-, because damn, toxic. Bea is both sweet and struggling with a LOT of stuff, and I see so much from myself in Santi I just want to hug him real good. Racquel, you're a goddess, I cannot wait for your next masterpiece!

I promise to continue meeting myself on the other side of every bad day.
]]> Attachments 8909152 "Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you..."

Beth Fremont and Jennifer Scribner-Snyder know that somebody is monitoring their work e-mail. (Everybody in the newsroom knows. It's company policy.) But they can't quite bring themselves to take it seriously. They go on sending each other endless and endlessly hilarious e-mails, discussing every aspect of their personal lives.

Meanwhile, Lincoln O'Neill can't believe this is his job now—reading other people's e-mail. When he applied to be "internet security officer," he pictured himself building firewalls and crushing hackers—not writing up a report every time a sports reporter forwards a dirty joke.

When Lincoln comes across Beth's and Jennifer's messages, he knows he should turn them in. But he can't help being entertained—and captivated—by their stories.

By the time Lincoln realizes he's falling for Beth, it's way too late to introduce himself.

What would he say . . . ?]]> 323 Rainbow Rowell Wouter 4 Eleanor & Park, it's original, it's a romcom, and it's a meet-cute. You can trust Rainbow Rowell to make you feel all warm and cozy. The chapters are quick and easy, and it's pretty hard to lay the book down. So, go and make yourself a cup of hot tea, grab a blanket, and get ready to be cozy, you're gonna like this one!

"Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you..."]]> 3.86 2011 Attachments
author: Rainbow Rowell
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/17
date added: 2024/04/17
shelves:
review:
Ouch! This is cute. I liked this one way better than Eleanor & Park, it's original, it's a romcom, and it's a meet-cute. You can trust Rainbow Rowell to make you feel all warm and cozy. The chapters are quick and easy, and it's pretty hard to lay the book down. So, go and make yourself a cup of hot tea, grab a blanket, and get ready to be cozy, you're gonna like this one!

"Hi, I'm the guy who reads your e-mail, and also, I love you..."
]]> Gezinsverpakking 209016891 Gezinsverpakking over hun familiebestaan. De stemmen van de Chabotten contrasteren, smelten samen, bewonderen, verzuchten, zingen en blaffen. En vallen soms stil.]]> 95 Bart Chabot 9059656008 Wouter 2 3.25 2024 Gezinsverpakking
author: Bart Chabot
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.25
book published: 2024
rating: 2
read at: 2024/04/14
date added: 2024/04/14
shelves:
review:
Van de Chabotten ken ik alleen Splinter vrij goed, een huppelende jongeman, die strooit met glitters en confetti. Samen met Bril toch wel mijn meest favoriete Chabot. Met boekenweekgeschenken heb ik meestal geen hele goede ervaringen, en ook met deze is dat helaas weer het geval. Hoe komt dat toch? Vaak word er geprobeerd zoveel mogelijk in de maximaal 29.000 woorden te vertellen, waardoor het een heel verwarrend boekje word. En daarbij vaak ook nog eens resulteert in een verhaal dat heel erg anders is dan het vertrouwde werk van de schrijver, of in dit geval een heel gezin van schrijvers. Het meest heb ik genoten van de stukjes over lieve hond Bril, toch wel de spil van dit verhaal.
]]> <![CDATA[Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, #1)]]> 6534 342 Patricia Daniels Cornwell 0743477154 Wouter 3 4.04 1990 Postmortem (Kay Scarpetta, #1)
author: Patricia Daniels Cornwell
name: Wouter
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1990
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/14
date added: 2024/04/14
shelves:
review:
I'm so used to reading Kathy Reichs that it takes an effort to get used to the style Patricia Cornwell uses when writing. They often get compared to each other, with good reason, and Reichs should be crowned in my opinion. However I did enjoy reading Postmortem, these kind of books are always fun to read. Altough it's a bit predictable and not as detailed as you should want, and the ending, the killer, wasn't really satisfactory, unfortunately. But I am looking forward to continuing the series, stay tuned!
]]> <![CDATA[Get a Life, Chloe Brown (The Brown Sisters, #1)]]> 43884209
� Enjoy a drunken night out.
� Ride a motorcycle.
� Go camping.
� Have meaningless but thoroughly enjoyable sex.
� Travel the world with nothing but hand luggage.
� And... do something bad.

But it’s not easy being bad, even when you’ve written step-by-step guidelines on how to do it correctly. What Chloe needs is a teacher, and she knows just the man for the job.

Redford ‘Red� Morgan is a handyman with tattoos, a motorcycle, and more sex appeal than ten-thousand Hollywood heartthrobs. He’s also an artist who paints at night and hides his work in the light of day, which Chloe knows because she spies on him occasionally. Just the teeniest, tiniest bit.

But when she enlists Red in her mission to rebel, she learns things about him that no spy session could teach her. Like why he clearly resents Chloe’s wealthy background. And why he never shows his art to anyone. And what really lies beneath his rough exterior…]]> 384 Talia Hibbert 0062941208 Wouter 3 Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute four stars and liked that one way better this one is going to be three stars!]]> 3.78 2019 Get a Life, Chloe Brown (The Brown Sisters, #1)
author: Talia Hibbert
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.78
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/09
date added: 2024/04/09
shelves:
review:
Jeez, it's cute yes, but damn the sex scenes are cringe and slightly uncomfortable! However it's written well, and a joy to read. I'm actually excited to read the next two books in this series. Not sure if I would wanna rate this three of four stars but considering I've rated Highly Suspicious and Unfairly Cute four stars and liked that one way better this one is going to be three stars!
]]> <![CDATA[Spiegeltje spiegeltje aan de wand]]> 64645885 In Spiegeltje spiegeltje aan de wand legt Maaike aan de hand van de DSM-5 en gesprekken met anderen uit wat BDD inhoudt, vertelt ze zonder terughoudendheid wat de ziekte met haar heeft gedaan en wat ons, bijvoorbeeld door invloed van sociale media, misschien nog wel te wachten staat.

Inmiddels is onze Hoofdzaken-reeks een begrip geworden bij lezers, boekhandelaren en binnen de ggz.]]> 240 Maaike Schmitz 9463494332 Wouter 3
"Fuck it; Ja, precies dat dus. Soms moet ik dit gewoon even heel hard schreeuwen (of denken) want die mening van anderen, DIE BOEIT ME DUS NIET!]]> 3.69 Spiegeltje spiegeltje aan de wand
author: Maaike Schmitz
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.69
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2024/04/03
date added: 2024/04/03
shelves:
review:
Er zit veel herkenning in dit boek, omdat onzekerheid en "wat-vinden-andere-mensen-van-mij" toepasbaar is op vele diagnoses en persoonlijkheden. Alle boeken uit de Hoofdzaken-serie lezen erg gemakkelijk en vlot, al hebben ze wel flink wat herhaling in processen en gebeurtenissen. Zelf was ik nog niet bekend met de term Body Dysmorphic Disorder, kortweg BDD, maar Maaike beschrijft haar leven met BDD op een openhartige en toegankelijke manier. Net zoals de andere boeken uit deze serie zeker een aanrader om te lezen als je ook maar enige interesse in psychologie en het doen en laten van verschillende soorten mensen hebt.

"Fuck it; Ja, precies dat dus. Soms moet ik dit gewoon even heel hard schreeuwen (of denken) want die mening van anderen, DIE BOEIT ME DUS NIET!
]]> <![CDATA[Kill Joy (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, #0.5)]]> 55761476
Pippa Fitz-Amobi is not in the mood for her friend's murder mystery party. Especially one that involves 1920's fancy dress and pretending that their town, Little Kilton, is an island called Joy. But when the game begins, Pip finds herself drawn into the make-believe world of intrigue, deception and murder. But as Pip plays detective, teasing out the identity of the killer clue-by-clue, the murder of the fictional Reginald Remy isn't the only case on her mind ... Contains mature content, for older readers.]]> 130 Holly Jackson Wouter 4 3.74 2021 Kill Joy (A Good Girl's Guide to Murder, #0.5)
author: Holly Jackson
name: Wouter
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2024/04/01
date added: 2024/04/01
shelves:
review:
I like you, Pip! It's been really fun to get back into Pip's world, even though it's a short little book. It sets up Pip's character in a fun and playfull way, leading up to her later famous Andie Bell school project. Yay for murder mysteries! And yay for long bus rides perfectly suited for finishing reads!
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