Connie is back - part four

Here they are. My children of which I'm very proud. Eveline and Jeroen
This was in our garden when Jeroen celebrated his 28th birthday.

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

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

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

If you want to ask me something about The Dutch or The Netherlands, please feel free to do so. I will be happy to explain. Other questions are also appreciated.

I'm a member of this group and of the ROOTers.

About My ROOT reading:

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

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




ROOTs read in 2015:

01-A. Kelley Armstrong - Gebeten - 355 pages -
02-B. Luc Besson - Arthur en de Wraak van Malthazard - 173 pages -
03-C. Justin Cronin - De zomergast - 411 pages -
04-D. Lieneke Dijkzeul - Wat overblijft - 284 pages -
05-E. Moeder Everma - Vogeltje - 141 pages -
06-F. Lynn Flewelling - Koninklijk Orakel - 488 pages -
07-G. Nicci Gerrard - In het maanlicht - 383 pages -
08-H. Elizabeth Haynes - Waarheen je ook vlucht - 440 pages -
09-I. Ian Irvine - De schaduw op het glas - 592 pages -
10-J. Robert Jordan - Het Pad der Dolken - 563 pages -
11-K. Stephen King - De wind door het sleutelgat - 317 pages -
12-L. Benny Lindelauf - Negen open armen - 241 pages -
13-M. George R.R. Martin - Een feestmaal voor kraaien - 739 pages -
14-N. Patrick Ness - Het mes dat niet wijkt - 479 pages -
15-O. Mirjam Oldenhave - Mees Kees, een pittig klasje - 84 pages -
16-P. James Patterson - Ooggetuige - 331 pages -
17-Q. Anna Quindlen - Bont en blauw - 272 pages -
18-R. Michèle van Rees - Nr. 19 - 192 pages -
19-S. Karin Slaughter - Veroordeeld - 477 pages -
20-T. Charles den Tex - Stegger - 176 pages -
21-U. Lisa Unger - Mooie leugens - 333 pages -
22-V. Simone van der Vlugt - Aan niemand vertellen - 293 pages -
23-W. Margaret Weis - Drakenvrouwe - 335 pages -
24-Z. Carlos Ruiz Zafón - Het middernachtspaleis - 264 pages -

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Extra ROOT's read in 2015

25. Patrick Ness - Het donkere paradijs - 511 pages -
26. Patrick Ness - Lawaai dat nooit stopt - 527 pages -
27. Nicci Gerrard - Het voorbijgaan - 304 pages -
28. Benny Lindelauf - De hemel van Heivisj - 396 pages -
29. Carlos Ruiz Zafón - Septemberlichten - 232 pages -
30. Erin Kelly - De verdorde roos - 347 pages -
31. Julie Kibler - Kom naar huis - 349 pages -
32. G.R.R. Martin - Een dans met draken deel 1: Oude vetes, nieuwe strijd - 673 pages -
33. G.R.R. Martin - Een dans met draken deel 2: Zwaarden tegen draken - 664 pages -
34. Joanne Harris - Chocolat - 352 pages -
35. Joanne Harris - Rode schoenen - 461 pages -
36. Joanne Harris - De zoetheid van perziken - 411 pages -
37. Ian Irvine - De toren bij de kloof - 638 pages -
38. Ian Irvine - Duister is de maan - 651 pages -
39. Jodi Picoult - De tiende cirkel - 379 pages -
40. Janet Evanovich - Tien met stip - 287 pages -
41. Ian Irvine - De weg tussen de werelden - 626 pages -
42. Brandon Sanderson - De held van weleer - 703 pages -
43. Martijn Lindeboom - Het gebroken zwaard - 169 pages -
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Total ROOTS in 2105 (the 24 for the ABC and some extra ones)

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Other books read in 2015:

01. Diana Gabaldon - Met het bloed van mijn hart (Deel 1) - 549 pages -
02. Peter James - Doodsklok - 379 pages -
03. Harlan Coben - Gevonden - 327 pages -
04. Elizabeth George - Schaduwkant - 328 pages -
05. Connie Willis - Experiment - 239 pages -
06. Tess Gerritsen - Sterf twee keer - 318 pages -
07. Linwood Barclay - Geen veilige plek - 382 pages -
08. Nicci Gerrard - Huis van herinneringen - 320 pages -
09. Jessie Burton - Het huis aan de gouden bocht - 374 pages -
10. Nicci French - Denken aan vrijdag - 334 pages -
11. Diana Gabaldon - Met het bloed van mijn hart - 626 pages -
12. Graeme Simsion - Het Rosie project - 330 pages -
13. Graeme Simsion - Het Rosie effect - 424 pages -
14. Camilla Läckberg - Leeuwentemmer - 369 pages -
15. SJ Watson - Tweede leven - 389 pages -
16. Kate Mosse - De nacht van de vogels - 347 pages -
17. Harlan Coben - De vreemde - 347 pages -
18. Paula Hawkins - Het meisje in de trein - 357 pages -
19. Deborah Harkness - Het boek des levens - 606 pages -
20. Marco Kunst - Kroonsz - 337 pages -
21. Claire North - De eerste vijftien levens van Harry August - 382 pages -
22. S. K. Tremayne - IJstweeling - 318 pages -
23. Samuel Bjørk - Ik reis alleen - 398 pages -
24. Tess Gerritsen - Meisje vermist - 254 pages -
25. Karin Slaughter - Mooie meisjes - 476 pages -
26. Elizabeth Haynes - Alles wat overblijft - 443 pages -
27. Kate Atkinson - Leven na leven - 525 pages -
28. Michel Faber - Het boek van wonderlijke nieuwe dingen - 637 pages -
29. Elizabeth Haynes - In de schaduw van de maan - 434 pages -
30. Kate Atkinson - Gevallen god - 468 pages -
31. Alexander Münninghoff - De stamhouder - 330 pages -
32. David Mitchell - Doorgang - 206 pages -
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Ebooks read in 2015:

01. Rachel Joyce - De onwaarschijnlijke reis van Harold Fry - 268 pages -
02. Elizabeth Haynes - Bij het vallen van de nacht - 303 pages -

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Total number of books read in 2015




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Books into the house in 2015:
01. James Dashner - De schroeiproeven
02. David Hair - Water & Vuur
03. Charlaine Harris - Date met de dood
04. Michel Faber - Het boek van wonderlijke nieuwe dingen
05. Graeme Simsion - Het Rosie Project
06. Daniel O'Malley - De dame
07. Peter James - Doodsklok
08. Jessie Burton - Het huis aan de Gouden Bocht
09. Harlan Coben - Gevonden
10. Elizabeth George - Schaduwkant
11. David Hair - Staal & Stormweer
12. John Boyne - De jongen die zijn vader zocht
13. Patrick Rothfuss - De muziek van de stilte
14. Camilla Läckberg - Leeuwentemmer
15. Dimitri Verhulst - De zomer hou je ook niet tegen
16. Nicci Gerrard - Huis van herinneringen
17. Linwood Barclay - Geen veilige plek
18. George R. R. Martin - De verborgen geschiedenis van Westeros
19. Nicci French - Denken aan vrijdag
20. Graeme Simsion - Het Rosie effect
21. SJ Watson - Tweede leven
22. Asa Larsson - Zonnestorm
23. Ida Jessen - Leugenaars
24. Kate Mosse - De nacht van de vogels
25. Harlan Coben - De vreemde
26. Cathy Kelly - Wat wil je nou?
27. Cathy Kelly - Wat ze wil!
28. Susan Oudot - Hartsvriendinnen voor altijd
29. Paula Hawkins - Het meisje in de trein
30. Elizabeth Haynes - In de schaduw van de maan
31. Elizabeth Haynes - Alles wat overblijft
32. David Hair - De scharlaken vloed
33. Tess Gerritsen - Meisje vermist
34. Marion Pauw - Grijs gebied
35. James Dashner - De doodskuur
36. Andy Weir - Mars
37. S. K. Tremayne - IJstweeling
38. Karin Slaughter - Mooie meisjes
39. Anne Bishop - Rode letters
40. Garth Nix - Clariël
41. Kate Atkinson - Gevallen god
42. Kate Atkinson - Achter de schermen
43. Anthony Doerr - Als je het licht niet kunt zien
44. Patricia Briggs - Onder de maan
45. Patricia Briggs - In het bloed
46. Anne Bishop - Zwarte veren
47. Christina Baker Kline - De kindertrein
48. David Lagercrantz - Wat ons niet zal doden
49. Nina George - De boekenapotheek aan de Seine
50. David Mitchell - Doorgang
51. David Mitchell - De niet verhoorde gebeden van Jacob de Zoet
52. David Mitchell - Tijdmeters
53. Ann Leckie - Het recht van de Radch
54. David Hair - Maanvloed
55. Kate Morton - Aan de rand van het meer
56. Peter James - Als de dood
57. David Mitchell - De geestverwantschap
58. David Mitchell - Dertien

means: Read

Welcome to all visitors!

Hi Connie, what a lovely photo to start your thread with. I can understand why you're a proud mom.

>4 Trifolia: Thanks! I know. We must have done something good.

Your children look so happy!

Hi Connie, lovely new thread my dear and a gorgeous thread topper. Madeira was lovely, we stayed in the same hotel as six years ago. The Madeira wine is lovely and i got a taste for it back again as most restaurants give you a small glass as soon as you are sat down and we have ended meals with a slightly sweeter glass which we paid for, the first was freebie from the restaurant. Hopefully Karen is going to send photo's to my phone so that I can put them on my thread.

Happy new thread, Connie. What a great looking duo in the thread topper. No wonder you are a proud Mama!

Happy New Thread, Connie and happy Sunday - and what a lovely thread topper pic of your kids!

Your son and daughter are so handsome, Connie!

Happy New Thread!

Happy New thread, Connie! Love the photo of your children. Good looking kids!

Hope you are having a nice weekend.

Thanks, Mark and Amber!

Lovely topper photo: your youngsters look very happy.

>13 charl08: There was a party going on! So they were rather happy ;-))

And I finished the book by G.R.R. Martin yesterday.

I read another one that I finished an hour or so ago.



Lisa Unger - Mooie leugens

This is the Blurb NOT my review.

If Ridley Jones had slept ten minutes later or had taken the subway instead of waiting for a cab, she would still be living the beautiful lie she used to call her life. She would still be the privileged daughter of a doting father and a loving mother. Her life would still be perfect—with only the tiny cracks of an angry junkie for a brother and a charming drunk with shady underworld connections for an uncle to mar the otherwise flawless whole.
But that’s not what happened. Instead, those inconsequential decisions lead her to perform a good deed that puts her in the right place at the right time to unleash a chain of events that brings a mysterious package to her door—a package which informs her that her entire world is a lie.
Suddenly forced to question everything she knows about herself and her family, Ridley wanders into dark territory she never knew existed, where everyone in her life seems like a stranger. She has no idea who’s on her side and who has something to hide—even, and maybe especially, her new lover, Jake, who appears to have secrets of his own.

I liked this story. I wanted to know what was going on so I read all day, but I don't really like books written in the first person and I hate it when the 'I' is talking to me and asking me questions. But the story was a good one.

Now I'm reading part 2 of part 5 Een dans met draken : Swords against Dragons by G.R.R. Martin

Today started slowly. Up by seven this morning and it promise to be another hot day. Up to 32C. So I plan to sit in the garden, just reading and doing nothing.

Happy new thread! What a lovely thread topper picture!

Going back to your previous thread, I am glad to see that summer has returned for you. Nothing like getting a second dose of the wonderful warm, sunny weather to make the transition into August not seem as though summer is half over. *Gulp* I cannot believe I just wrote summer is half over. Where does the time go?!

I hope you have a lovely week, Connie.

Happy New thread, Connie! Beautiful pic of your beautiful children!

Thanks Lori and Mary.

I don't want summer to be over. I want a third and a fourth and an fifth dose of it.

I hope you are enjoying A Dance With Dragons. I gave it 4 stars but I remember it also being long and tedious. There is no reason, that book should have been a 1,000 pages. I hope it is working better for you.

>20 msf59: I know what you mean, Mark. But I don't really mind. I love the story and I am a big fan of the series.

>19 connie53: Me too, Connie. The daylight is already getting shorter - at least a half hour less on both ends. :-( I know it means more time for reading and that it's so cozy cuddled up with a book, but I love the summer days and flowers.

>22 streamsong: I always read more when I can sit outside. When I'm in the house there are lots of others things to do.

Finished another ROOT James Patterson - Ooggetuige

Today is a beautiful day. Sunny and up to 26C. I will spend my afternoon in the garden reading.
This morning I did some ironing and I have to vacuum the livingroom too. This evening Jeroen and Rianne are coming over for dinner. So it's a happy day.

I have done some reading Connie and am just checking some threads and I will be cleaning the living room, dining room and kitchen soon.

I'm done with house hold things, sitting outside in the shade eating a sandwich and checking LT. ;-))

>27 connie53: Perfect!

>25 connie53:, >27 connie53: A perfect day, in my book!

Thanks Darryl and Mary.

Dinner was nice. We could sit outside and enjoy a nice meal of fried potatoes, a salad and a chicken stew (I think you might call it a stew).

Today will be the same as yesterday but a few degrees warmer. Tomorrow Peet and I leave for a night in a hotel in Durbuy (Belgium). I will make some pictures to post here.

Fried potatoes and salad sound like the perfect meal on a warm summer night, I could do that this weekend (no meat for me).
Have fun in Durbuy!

>31 Deern: It was, Nath. And we had some salad left so we made sandwiches with it for 'dinner' this evening.

Hi Connie, so glad you have had a nice day my dear and enjoy your stay in Durbuy and have fun, love and hugs dear friend.

Happy New Thread, Connie. What a great opening photo of your children. Enjoy Belgium.

Thank, John and Barb. We will be leaving in an hour or two.

Nous somme la.

Have a great trip. I'll be looking forward to more wonderful photos.

>36 connie53: That didn't take long, Connie. Have a pleasant stay in Belgium.

Enjoy your stay in Belgium, Connie! I look forward to seeing your photos.

Enjoy Durbuy. I suppose you'll extend your visit to the surrounding area, since a walk through this village takes 1 hour at the most ? :-)

Well, we are back home. The day and evening in Durbuy was very good. We walked through the town and because I have trouble walking long distances we had lunch outside the hotel near the river, walked a bit more, drank tea and beer on the square. Walked some more. Had dinner on the terrace of our hotel. And went to sit and watch the people sitting on another terrace.
The night was a complete disaster. The mattresses were terrible, the pillows also and when we woke up there were eight large spiders on the walls. Peet got them all and I lost my fear of spiders a long time ago. Which is a good thing, otherwise I would have screamed.

Here are some pictures from the Littlest town in the world.

The Castle:







The streets:





The square with restaurants and shops:









The river Ourthe:







Some funny or artistic things

I finished ROOT #25 today

G.R.R. Martin - Een dans met draken deel 2: Zwaarden tegen draken

And started ROOT #26.

Joanne Harris - Chocolat



This is the blurb NOT my review

Vianne Rocher and her 6-year-old daughter, Anouk, arrive in the small village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes--"a blip on the fast road between Toulouse and Bourdeaux"--in February, during the carnival. Three days later, Vianne opens a luxuriant chocolate shop crammed with the most tempting of confections and offering a mouth-watering variety of hot chocolate drinks. It's Lent, the shop is opposite the church and open on Sundays, and Francis Reynaud, the austere parish priest, is livid.

One by one the locals succumb to Vianne's concoctions. Joanne Harris weaves their secrets and troubles, their loves and desires, into her third novel, with the lightest touch. There's sad, polite Guillame and his dying dog; thieving, beaten-up Joséphine Muscat; schoolchildren who declare it "hypercool" when Vianne says they can help eat the window display--a gingerbread house complete with witch. And there's Armande, still vigorous in her 80s, who can see Anouk's "imaginary" rabbit, Pantoufle, and recognizes Vianne for who she really is. However, certain villagers--including Armande's snobby daughter and Joséphine's violent husband--side with Reynaud. So when Vianne announces a Grand Festival of Chocolate commencing Easter Sunday, it's all-out war: war between church and chocolate, between good and evil, between love and dogma.

The photo's of your trip to Durbuy are fabulous Connie, I can see why you had a good day my dear.

Oh dear, I'm so sorry to hear about the night disaster. How awful! The photos look gorgeous. Thanks so much for sharing them. Makes the heat your walking more terrible?

Enjoy Chocolate. I loved this reading.

I don't do spiders. They are so intelligent and so fast! Having been bitten by a couple of times over the years is another reason why I don't like spiders. I love spider webs, just not spiders.

Wonderful pictures of your trip!

I think I could live in Durbuy... :)

Great photos of Durbuy, Connie! I'm sorry that the hotel room was a nightmare, though.

Too bad about the hotel, but it seems you had a good time in Durbuy otherwise.

Thanks, boys and girls.

Now reading part two in the Chocolat series
The first book was a great read and gets

Rode schoenen by Joanne Harris



Since she was a little girl, the wind has dictated every move Vianne Rocher has made, buffeting her from place to place, from the small French village of Lansquenet-sous-Tannes to the crowded streets of Paris. Cloaked in a new identity, that of widow Yanne Charbonneau, she opens a chocolaterie on a small Montmartre street, determined to still the wind at last and keep her daughters, Anouk and the baby, Rosette, safe." "Her new home above the chocolate shop offers calm and quiet: no red sachets hang by the door; no sparks of magic fill the air; no Indian skirts with bells hang in her closet. Conformity brings with it anonymity - and peace. There is even Thierry, the stolid businessman who wants to take care of Yanne and the children. On the cusp of adolescence, an increasingly rebellious and restless Anouk does not understand. But soon the weathervane turns ... and into their lives blows the charming and enigmatic Zozie de l'Alba. And everything begins to change.""Zozie offers the brightness Yanne's life needs. Anouk, too, is dazzled by this vivacious woman with the lollipop-red shoes who seems to understand her better than anyone - especially her mother. Yet this friendship is not what it seems. Ruthless, devious, and seductive, Zozie has plans that will shake their world to pieces. And with everything she loves at stake, Yanne must face a difficult choice: Run, as she has done so many times before, or stand and confront this most dangerous enemy.

>45 lkernagh: lol, I don't much "do" spiders either. I try to be rational about it as there are very very few poisonous varieties here, but they are just so creepy! I blame the film Arachnophobia....

>50 LovingLit: Good thing I didn't see that movie. ;-))

Finished Rode schoenen by Joanne Harris Very nice, lovely read. And I decided to just read on in part 3 De zoetheid van perziken because I just a into the story right now.



This is the blurb NOT my review

When Vianne Rocher receives a letter from beyond the grave, she has no choice but to follow the wind that blows her back to Lansquenet, the beautiful French village in which eight years ago she opened a chocolate shop and first learned the meaning of home.

But returning to one’s past can be a dangerous pursuit. Vianne, with her daughters, Anouk and Rosette, finds Lansquenet changed in unexpected ways: women veiled in black, the scent of spices and peppermint tea—and there, on the bank of the river Tannes, facing the church, a minaret. Most surprising of all, her old nemesis, Father Francis Reynaud, desperately needs her help.

Can Vianne work her magic once again?

Yesterday I finished De zoetheid van perziken and I'm glad I read the whole trilogy in one week. This last book takes us back to Lansquenet and all the people we read about in book 1. I loved the whole series and this book gets too. The one thing that bothered me a little is all the repeats I found. Certain sentences were used too much like 'In Lansquenet you don't have to lock your doors, there is no crime" or "the place on his shoulder were my head fits in just right".

Oops, I did it again. I started another book and I intended to finish the one I'm currently reading first! I really did. Let me tell you how it happened. It's a rainy, stormy and cold Sunday and on Tuesday my best friend Vera is coming over to stay a few days. So I decided that is was a good day for household chores. And the downstairs part of the house was on my list (tomorrow upstairs). So I got the vacuum cleaner and some dust clothes and started my work. Straightening my books and all of a sudden I was reading in Leven na leven by Kate Atkinson. When I visited my sister Hetty last Monday it was on her living-room table and she was impressed by it. So that book had been calling me softly for a few days now.



This is the blurb NOT my review.

What if you could live again and again, until you got it right?

On a cold and snowy night in 1910, Ursula Todd is born to an English banker and his wife. She dies before she can draw her first breath. On that same cold and snowy night, Ursula Todd is born, lets out a lusty wail, and embarks upon a life that will be, to say the least, unusual. For as she grows, she also dies, repeatedly, in a variety of ways, while the young century marches on towards its second cataclysmic world war. Does Ursula's apparently infinite number of lives give her the power to save the world from its inevitable destiny? And if she can -- will she?

Happy Sunday, Connie! I hope you are having a nice weekend. I also hope you enjoy Life After Life, as much as I did. Her follow-up is excellent too. A God in Ruins may even be better.

Hi Mark, it starts very promising! And my sister started in Gevallen God but she discovered it was a second part in the series. So she got this book from the library to read first.

Your opening photo is lovely. And, thanks for sharing your vacation photos.

>54 connie53: I find it very easy to be distracted from the cleaning by books too!

>58 charl08: Glad I'm not the only that suffers from getting distracted from cleaning, Charlotte. But I got the job done! And did some ironing too.

>57 Whisper1: Thanks Linda!

> 54 - That's why I prefer an e-reader because I'm always distracted by "real" books. I hope you enjoy Life after Life as much as I did. I thought it was intriguing.

Happy weekend, Connie.

Thanks, Barb!

I finished Leven na leven and I really loved it! It's really a very good book with lots of humour in it. I liked the style it is written in, light although Ursula has a lot to deal with (WW I and II). I'm now planning to buy the sequel Gevallen God

Hi Connie, Happy Sunday my dear, hope you had a lovely Saturday.

We had a quiet and lovely weekend, John.

I'm now reading Het boek van wonderlijke nieuwe dingen van Michel Faber. Very good till now.



This is the blurb NOT my review

It begins with Peter, a devoted man of faith, as he is called to the mission of a lifetime, one that takes him galaxies away from his wife, Bea. Peter becomes immersed in the mysteries of an astonishing new environment, overseen by an enigmatic corporation known only as USIC. His work introduces him to a seemingly friendly native population struggling with a dangerous illness and hungry for Peter’s teachings—his Bible is their “book of strange new things.”

But Peter is rattled when Bea’s letters from home become increasingly desperate: typhoons and earthquakes are devastating whole countries, and governments are crumbling. Bea’s faith, once the guiding light of their lives, begins to falter.

Suddenly, a separation measured by an otherworldly distance, and defined both by one newly discovered world and another in a state of collapse, is threatened by an ever-widening gulf that is much less quantifiable. While Peter is reconciling the needs of his congregation with the desires of his strange employer, Bea is struggling for survival. Their trials lay bare a profound meditation on faith, love tested beyond endurance, and our responsibility to those closest to us.

>41 connie53: What incredible photos!

Thanks, Linda! Durbuy is a lovely little town.

I finished Het boek van wonderlijke nieuwe dingen and I loved it.

Although there is much talk about God and the bible (The Book of Strange New Things) I think it's more about the relationship between Peter (on another planet) and Bea (on earth). It is an example of how difficult it is to communicate with mails only. I would have liked the ending to be less open.

I'm now reading In de schaduw van de maan by Elizabeth Haynes



This is the Blurb and NOT my review.
In the crisp, early hours of an autumn morning, the police are called to investigate two deaths. The first is a suspected murder at a farm on the outskirts of a small village. A beautiful young woman has been found dead, her cottage drenched with blood. The second is a reported suicide at a nearby quarry. A car with a woman's body inside was found at the bottom of the pit. As DI Louisa Smith and her team gather evidence, they discover a shocking link between the two cases and the two deaths--a bond that sealed their terrible fates one cold night, under a silent moon.

Another new book in to the house.

Gevallen god by Kate Atkinson



Part two in the Todd family series, or rather a companion book to Leven na leven

From Amazon!

Kate Atkinson's dazzling Life After Life explored the possibility of infinite chances, following Ursula Todd as she lived through the turbulent events of the last century again and again. Her new novel tells the story of Ursula Todd's beloved younger brother Teddy--would-be poet, RAF bomber pilot, husband, and father--as he navigates the perils and progress of the 20th century. For all Teddy endures in battle, his greatest challenge is facing the difficulties of living in a future he never expected to have. The stunning companion to Life After Life, A God in Ruins explores the loss of innocence, the fraught transition from the war to peace time, and the pain of being misunderstood, especially as we age. Proving once again that Kate Atkinson is "one of the finest writers working today" (The Chicago Tribune), A God in Ruins is the triumphant return of a modern master

Hi Connie

I see you finished A Dance With Dragons, these two are still waiting for me... I bought them and a few weeks later I could not read them :-(
I am not sure to I reread book 4 first before I start, or just dive in, as it was some years ago when I read he first 4 books... What would you say?

I look forward to your comments about A God in Ruins, Connie!

>69 FAMeulstee: You could dive in, Anita. I did too but I'm watching the series so that might help a bit. You could skim book 4! or look for an recap on Wikipedia. I know they are there because I've used them not too long ago.

>70 kidzdoc: So far it's good but not that captivating as Leven na leven. I'm almost halfway now.

Happy Sunday, Connie. We're back to the heat here. I hope at your place the weather is nice so you're able to do soe reading in the garden.

It was really hot here today, up to 30C (even more I think)

Here it was 33C. Tomorrow will be the same. The weather should change on Tuesday.

Hi Connie, hope you have had a good weekend on my dear, we have had all the family here for Sunday lunch and Amy and Andy are staying for the full weekend. Sending love and hugs.

Happy Monday, Connie! We've had lovely, cool, fall-like weather here for a couple of weeks, but this week is suppose to be nasty hot again (90sF), which is inconvenient, since the kids start school tomorrow - in an un-air-conditioned building!

>74 Ameise1: We had some heavy storms last night. Not here but in some regions in the Netherlands. Today is hot and clammy and there is supposed to be another big storm coming this way. By tomorrow it will be cooler and rainy.

>75 johnsimpson: Thanks John. The weekend was very relaxed. Did some ironing in the morning when the weather was still cool and then into the garden with my books.

>76 scaifea: I will be thinking of Charlie in school. We have no air-condition at school but my room is always very cool since it is on the lowest floor and. Above us is a classroom (music lessons) that protrudes from the rest of the building. So my room never gets direct sunlight. That's very handy on a hot summers day.

I started my (# 29) ROOT-abc book today. For the letter Q and it's a re-read since it's the only book I have by an author whose name starts with Q.

Bont en blauw by Anna Quindlen



From Amazon

For eighteen years, Fran Benedetto kept her secret. And hid her bruises. And stayed with Bobby because she wanted her son to have a father. And because, in spite of everything, she loved him. Then one night, when she saw the look on her ten-year-old son's face, Fran finally made a choice--and ran for both their lives.--

Now she is starting over in a city far from home, far from Bobby. And in this place she uses a name that isn't hers, and cradles her son in her arms, and tries to forget. For the woman who now calls herself Beth, every day is a chance to heal, to put together the pieces of her shattered self. And every day she waits for Bobby to catch up to her. Because Bobby always said he would never let her go. And despite the flawlessness of her escape, Fran Benedetto is certain of one thing: It is only a matter of time.--

>70 kidzdoc:. I finished Gevallen god by Kate Atkinson yesterday and I give it an 8,5.

I expected something like Leven na leven but this book is really different. It's just one life to begin with. (and just a hint for a second live in the end). The book is parallel to Leven na leven and could be a life of Ursula that is not told in 'her' book. It's about Teddy, his daughter Viola (a real pain in the you know what) and his grandchildren, Sun(ny) and Moon (Bertie). Of course Ursula is there too. I loved the way the family connections were told and the part where Teddy is a pilot of a bomber in WW II. That confronted me with some numbers about what happened during a air fight. I really did not know about that.
The story was strong but I had trouble with the time hopping that happened constantly.

I finished this book and give it just like I did in 2005 when I read it for the first time. Very impressive story about a women who is badly abused by her husband on a regular basis.

I'm now going to read another ROOT De schaduw op het glas by Ian Irvine for my abc



From Amazone

ONCE THERE WERE THREE WORLDS, each with their own human species. Then, fleeing out of the void came a fourth species, the Charon. Desperate, on the edge of extinction, they changed the balance between the worlds forever. Karan, a sensitive with a troubled heritage, is forced to steal an ancient relic in repayment of a debt. It turns out to be the Mirror of Aachan, a twisted, deceitful thing that remembers everything it has ever seen. At the same time, Llian, a brilliant chronicler, is expelled from his college for uncovering a perilous mystery. Thrown together by fate, Karan and Llian are hunted across a world at war, for the Mirror contains a secret that offers each species survival, or extinction!

>80 connie53: This sounds like it could be a difficult subject matter to read.

I know, Linda. But I like this kind of stories and it takes fantasy to read Fantasy (Duh)

Today I brought home another book.

Achter de schermen by Kate Atkinson



From Amazone:

Ruby Lennox was conceived grudgingly by Bunty and born while her father, George, was in the Dog and Hare in Doncaster telling a woman in an emerald dress and a D-cup that he wasn't married. Bunty had never wanted to marry George, but here she was, stuck in a flat above the pet shop in an ancient street beneath York Minster, with sensible and sardonic Patrica aged five, greedy cross-patch Gillian who refused to be ignored, and Ruby...Ruby tells the story of The Family, from the day at the end of the nineteenth century when a travelling French photographer catches frail beautiful Alice and her children, like flowers in amber, to the startling, witty, and memorable events of Ruby's own life.

Hi Connie, hope you are having a good Sunday my dear, sending love and hugs.

I've been away from the boards most of the summer because travels left me busy and with poor internet connectivity. We're back at our place in New York for a couple of days (where internet is good) so I'm going to spend today trying to catch up with computer things a bit. I love the photos of your trip and the neat way of hiding spoilers. Is that something new to LT or did you create it yourself?

Happy Sunday, Connie! Hope you are having a nice weekend. For some reason, I have not read Behind the Scenes at the Museum and I LOVE Atkinson. Bad Mark!

>84 RebaRelishesReading: Hi, Reba. Glad you took some of your limited time to visit my thread. I'm honoured! And no, I did not create that, it's something LT offers: spoiler and /spoiler with the pointy brackets you use to make words italic or bold.

>85 msf59: I'm having a very nice weekend, Mark. We just came home from visiting Rianne, the girlfriend of our son. She celebrated her birthday this afternoon. She turned 28. Peet is watching soccer (Turkey - the Netherlands) and I'm doing some catching up on LT.
Tomorrow is another work day for me.

I brought another book into the house

Als je het licht niet kunt zien by Anthony Doerr



From Amazone:

Marie-Laure has been blind since the age of six. Her father builds a perfect miniature of their Paris neighbourhood so she can memorize it by touch and navigate her way home. But when the Nazis invade, father and daughter flee with a dangerous secret. Werner is a German orphan, destined to labour in the same mine that claimed his father's life, until he discovers a knack for engineering. His talent wins him a place at a brutal military academy, but his way out of obscurity is built on suffering. At the same time, far away in a walled city by the sea, an old man discovers new worlds without ever setting foot outside his home. But all around him, impending danger closes in.

>87 connie53: - You know, I really like that cover and prefer it to the cover the books being distributed here in North America. That cover with the story premise is an instant sell to me. The North American cover, not so much. Interesting how strong an impression the cover art can give to a potential reader.

>88 lkernagh: I agree, it's a much better cover. Even with the N.A. cover I liked the book a lot however.

I finished De schaduw op het glas today and I really liked it. It's old-fashioned fantasy and I'm really loving that kind of fantasy. I gave it

And I started on part two right away.



Ian Irvine - De toren bij de kloof

From Amazon and in spoiler font!

Tensor of the Aachim blames the other three human species for the woes suffered by his people actually caused by his leadership. His desire is pandemic destruction at a level never seen in known history. His scheme gels when Yggur the Sorcerer destroys Thurkad, forcing the Great Conclave attendees to flee for their safety. Tensor abducts Lilan the Chronicler and steals the magical Mirror of Aachan that a millennium ago belonged to his race and reflects all it has seen. Through the Twisted Mirror, Tensor plans to eradicate all he loathes.
Karan borders on lunacy without Lilan to anchor her, but only she can find Tensor, Lilan, and the mirror, that is if her mind remains sane long enough to hold a rationale thought. She and the likes of Yggor and Shand the hermit magician will meet in a desperate gathering of the magic at a bastion long lost to time in the midst of the Dry Sea Desert with the fate of Santhenar and probably the other two orbs at stake.

Happy weekend, Connie.

Thanks Barb. Lovely flowers! Autumn in all its glory.

I finished De toren bij de kloof today and gave it a 7.

Now I'm reading a original Dutch book De stamhouder by Alexander Münninghoff.



There is no English blurb available because it is not (yet) translated.

It's about a family describing the lives of three generations starting before WWII and of course the family drama's.

I finished De stamhouder this afternoon and gave it . Very well written true story by Alexander Münninghoff. He is the heir or maybe I should say the Lineage holder. He tells about his grandfather (a very rich Dutchman who gets very rich before and during WWII) and his father (who is kind of a loser) and about himself (known Dutch journalist). I googled a lot while reading and everything checked out. It was very informative and I liked the way he writes. Never emotional, always keeping a distance, but not cold.

Now I'm starting another ROOT

Duister is de maan by Ian Irvine



Rulke the Great Betrayer is free at last, to use the deadly construct he has spent a thousand years perfecting. To succeed he needs just one thing - Karan's sensitive talent. Karan and her lover Llian are lost in the Nightland, in an alien palace that is collapsing around them. Only Rulke can open the gate and send them home to Santhenar, but Karan is terrified that he will corrupt Llian first. Yggur and Mendark, sworn enemies, struggle to tame the power of the rift. They must seal the gate before Rulke brings forth his construct. If they fail he will ravage the world. And if they succeed, Karan and Llian will be trapped in the Nightland for eternity.

Hm...if I can get hold of a copy, De Stamhouder might be good exercise in Dutch for me. I sounds quite interesting.

>94 RebaRelishesReading: That would be a big challenge, Reba. Good luck with your search for a copy.

Happy Sunday, Connie.

Thanks, Barb! Lovely picture.

I finished ROOT # 33 and started ROOT # 34

Duister is de maan by Ian Irvine was a nice read. Not very spectacular but nice! And because that was part 3 in the series I'm now reading part 4 De weg tussen de werelden. After this book the series is finished.



From LT:

There is a dark full moon on mid-winter's day. The foretelling has come to pass. As the dark moon rises, Rulke begins to open the way between the worlds. If he succeeds, the world will be overwhelmed by the dread armies of the world.

Hi Connie, hope you have had a good weekend my dear, sending love and hugs.

Love and hugs right back at you, John!

Connie hope you are having a lovely weekend. xx

I've started another ROOT because of the challenge for October. My book-club is challenged to read a total of 15 (since it is 2015) books. The book has to have something to do with 'Tien" (Ten). It could be a part 10 in a series of with 'ten' in the title.

The book I chose is De tiende cirkel by Jodi Picoult



This book has been on my shelves for ages. I added it to LT in 2010

This is the blurb, Not my review

Trixie Stone is an imaginative, perceptive 14 year old whose life begins to unravel when Jason Underhill, Bethel High's star hockey player, breaks up with her, leaving a void that can only be filled by the blood spilled during shameful self-mutilations in the girls' bathroom. While Trixie's dad Daniel notices his daughter's recent change in demeanor, he turns a blind eye, just as he does to the obvious affair his wife Laura, a college professor, is barely trying to conceal. When Trixie gets raped at a friend's party, Daniel and Laura are forced to deal not only with the consequences of their daughter's physical and emotional trauma, but with their own transgressions as well. For Daniel, that means reflecting on a childhood spent as the only white kid in a native Alaskan village, where isolation and loneliness turned him into a recluse, only to be born again after falling in love with his wife. Laura, who blames her family's unraveling on her selfish affair, must decide how to reconcile her personal desires with her loved ones' needs.

>101 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul. My weekend was rather hectic yesterday and very quiet today.

Yesterday we had a family gathering. This time it was Peets side of the family, 20 people in all. Peets two sisters and his brother and the children with their partners and 3 grandchildren. We first had coffee and apple-pie. Then we went to the museum to get a guided tour on Pierre Cuypers, a famous architect who was born and raised in my home-town Roermond.

http://www.cuypershuisroermond.nl/home.html?lang=2

That was a very interesting tour and we stayed there for an hour and a half. Then home again for drinks and dinner. Peet and the children were great hosting and cooking and making sure everyone was having fun. I was exhausted from climbing stairs (a lot of them) in the museum, so they let me get rested. It was very nice weather so we moved some chairs into the garden and had a very good time.

Today was quiet, I did some reading outside, some ironing and laundry. Tomorrow it's a working day again.

Sounds like a fun family reunion. Hope you've recovered today.

>92 connie53: Always intrigued by books not available in English. I think it's like wanting to know about a secret...

Thanks Charlotte. I'm doing well again. A nice and not to busy day will do that.

About unavailable books: I know the feeling.

Happy weekend, Connie.

Happy Saturday, Connie. Looks like you are getting plenty of fine reading in. Glad you liked the Doerr.

>107 msf59: I have not read the Doerr yet, Mark. But I liked the reviews and the blurb enough to buy it.

>106 Ameise1: Thanks Barb.

Hej Connie, wish you a quiet weekend

Hi Connie, I finally read up on your weekend in Durbuy. Fantastic pics, but the spiders would have killed me!!

You read some great books, I didn't know "Chocolat" is a trilogy, I put it on my WL.

>110 Deern: Thanks, Nathalie! I did not know that until I wanted to know what other books Joanne Harris had written.

Have a lovely weekend both in and out of your garden. xx

Thanks!

Weekend is almost over now. Peet is watching sports on tv (and almost falling asleep). It's getting dark outside (19.15 hour). Tomorrow back to school ;-))

I finished De tiende cirkel by Jodi Picoult and gave it

I liked the story but I've read better books so a 7 is all it gets.

I went and bought me some books!

Here they are:

Patricia Briggs - Onder de maan



From dust jacket:

Mercy Thompson's next-door neighbor is a werewolf. She's fixing a VW bus for a vampire. But then, Mercy Thompson isn't exactly normal herself. Mercy is a shapeshifter, and though she was raised by werewolves, she can never be one of them, especially after the pack ran her off for having a forbidden love affair. So she's turned her talent for fixing cars into a business and now runs a one-woman mechanic shop in the Tri-Cities area of Washington State. But Mercy's two worlds are colliding

Patricia Briggs - In het bloed



Mechanic Mercy Thompson has friends in low places-and in dark ones. And now she owes one of them a favor. Since she can shapeshift at will, she agrees to act as some extra muscle when her vampire friend Stefan goes to deliver a message to another of his kind. But this new vampire is hardly ordinary-and neither is the demon inside of him."--Publisher's description.

Anne Bishop - Zwarte veren



After winning the trust of the Others residing in the Lakeside Courtyard, Meg Corbyn has had trouble figuring out what it means to live among them. As a human, Meg should be barely tolerated prey, but her abilities as a cassandra sangue make her something more. The appearance of two addictive drugs has sparked violence between the humans and the Others, resulting in the murders of both species in nearby cities. So when Meg has a dream about blood and black feathers in the snow, Simon Wolfgard--Lakeside's shape-shifting leader--wonders whether their blood prophet dreamed of a past attack or of a future threat. As the urge to speak prophecies strikes Meg more frequently, trouble finds its way inside the Courtyard. Now the Others and the handful of humans residing there must work together to stop the man bent on reclaiming their blood prophet--and stop the danger that threatens to destroy them all.

Christina Baker Kline - De kindertrein



Penobscot Indian Molly Ayer is close to 'aging out' out of the foster care system. A community service position helping an elderly woman clean out her home is the only thing keeping Molly out of juvie and worse.... As she helps Vivian sort through her possessions and memories, Molly learns that she and Vivian aren't as different as they seem to be. A young Irish immigrant orphaned in New York City, Vivian was put on a train to the Midwest with hundreds of other children whose destinies would be determined by luck and chance. Molly discovers that she has the power to help Vivian find answers to mysteries that have haunted her for her entire life--answers that will ultimately free them both. Rich in detail and epic in scope, Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline is a powerful novel of upheaval and resilience, of unexpected friendship, and of the secrets we carry that keep us from finding out who we are.

Nice book haul, Connie.

Another one for my ROOT challenge and for the challenge for my bookclub: read something connected with ten!

Janet Evanovich - Tien met stip



Stephanie Plum, girl bounty hunter, the terror of Trenton, the bane of her boyfriend Joe Morelli's existence, and the delight of her crazy grandma's heart, is in the wrong place at the wrong time--as usual. Just happening to be indulging her nachos jones at a local deli when it's robbed by the notorious Red Devils, Plum is the eye witness who could put the gang leader, known as the Junkman, behind bars... if he just lets her live long enough. Looking for a place to hide out from the killer until the cops catch up with him, Stephanie sneaks into her fellow bounty hunter Ranger's apartment without telling Morelli, who's not overly fond of him. All the usual suspects in this long-running series are along for a wilder than ever ride, including Lula the gun-toting ex-hooker, Grandma Mazur, Stephanie's pregnant sister Valerie and her fiancé, as well as a host of minor characters who bring Trenton's seedier environs to life.

I've only read the first three of the Plum's serie. I should go on with them.

>117 Ameise1: I think it's a series you can read as stand-alones, Barb. I've read part 1 up to 7 and now I needed a book with a ten in the title, so I skipped 8 and 9.

Happy Friday, Connie! I was surprised how much I liked Orphan Train. It was a good read.

Have a great weekend.

One of my favourite places in Holland to one of my favourite Dutch ladies. Have a lovely weekend, Connie

>120 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul! Is that Castle Old Valkenburg (Schaloen) near Maastricht? Lovely!

>119 msf59: Thanks Mark, that's good to know.

Have a lovely weekend, Connie. Quiet over here?

Happy weekend, Connie.

Thanks Paul and Barb!

Yes it's quiet over here. But I have nothing much to tell.

I'm currently reading De weg tussen de werelden by Ian Irvine, Het pad der dolken by Robert Jordan and De smaak van venijn by Alan Bradley.

Finished Tien met stip by Janet Evanovich

And I'm doing a lot of work at home and at school. Busy, busy, busy!

I wish you a quiet weekend - it seems you need one.

Well Robert, That is not going to happen! Today I cleaned the whole house and tomorrow (Sunday) we are expecting a couple of friends for the night. They will be arriving around 11.00 am. We are going to visit our son Jeroen and his girlfriend. Our friends have not seen their new house and on Monday we are going to daughter Eveline and her boyfriend. But no fear, we have autumn break and the weather is going to be great for that week! 19 C in the afternoon. So I will be out in the garden with my book.

>126 connie53: Robert? Anyway, you seem to be so busy, we better leave you working your weekend out. Hope you can everything as planned.

Howdy Connie!

>127 paulstalder: Sorry, Paul, Paul, Paul!!

>128 luvamystery65: Hi Roberta!

Happy Sunday Connie my dear.

Hi Connie, just to let you know that Diana (Wilkiec) is back with her new username DianaNL.

Thanks, John! It was a great day and today was too

Herman and Marjolein are our friends since we met in Austria when we went cross country skiing for the first time. That was in 1980 round Christmas and new years. So our kids grew up with Herman and Marjolein always in the background.

Today we went to Maastricht with them to visit Cyrille and Eveline.
We had coffee and 'kruimelvlaai' (A kind of cobbler famous in Limburg)



After that we went to the building where Cyrille has started his Recycling business Weelec.



Cyrille took us on a guided tour through the premises and told Herman all about Safe and Permanent Recycling of Electronic waste. It's amazing to see a washer fall into this 40 meters long, 6 meters high machine and get shredded into little pieces of iron, plastic, copper and such



You can see the small yellow screw in the middle and understand how small those pieces are. The machine selects all kinds of things. You just have to program the machine to this or that element.

Then we went for lunch to the "onze lieve vrouweplein' or 'Square of our beloved lady" (Maria, mother of Jezus)



It was really very nice weather so we had a table in the sun, eat some lovely sandwiches and chatted away. Then we went back to our town again and had to say goodbye to Herman and Marjolein. They had to drive for almost two hours before they were home.

Yesterday was a good day too. Then we went to visit Jeroen and Rianne. And had coffee and drinks at their place.

Wonderful photos, Connie. Great to hear that you had a fab time.

Hi, Connie! Love the photos and the cobbler looks wonderful. Yum!

how nice to see a picture of the olv-plein :-)
it was in a café there, when we spend a few days near maastricht in may 1984 that frank asked me to marry him...

and thanks for mentioning the tv-series when i asked. earlier this month we were some days in beekbergen and watched the 4 seasons of game of thrones on dvd. yesterday i started reading Een dans met draken and that started where the dvd ended.

(sorry for not using capitals, but i am typing lefthanded and that goes so slow)

>135 FAMeulstee: Hi Anita! That's so very romantic. And capitals are very overrated! Sorry to hear you can't use your right hand.

>134 msf59: Thanks Mark.

>164 lkernagh: LOL!

I finished another ROOT today, that's # 35 De weg tussen de werelden by Ian Irvine.
And with that I finished another series too. I thought this 4th part was to much. It was a lot of repetition, a lot of running away through desolate country side, a lot of everything that was already said in part 1, 2 and 3. But I needed to know how it ended so I just read on and now I'm glad it's finished. It's not a bad story but it's tooooooo long.

Started another ROOT

Veroordeeld by Karin Slaughter



The Blurb not my review!

Atlanta, 1974. It's Kate Murphy's first day on the job, and the Atlanta Police Department is seething after the murder of an officer. Before the day has barely begun, she already suspects she's not cut out to be a cop. Her male uniform is too big, she can't handle a gun, and she's rapidly learning that the APD is hardly a place that welcomes women. Worse still, in the ensuing manhunt, she'll be partnered with Maggie Lawson, a cop with her own ax to grind (and a brother and uncle already on the force)--a strategy meant to isolate Kate and Maggie from the action. But the move will backfire, putting them right at the heart of it.

It's really nice to read a Slaughter again and due to the very nice weather I'm half way through this book all ready.

>132 connie53: Ooo that vlaai -- Boy would I love some of that!! We really do need to get back to Maastricht sometime soon. It's such a lovely city.

I know! Just say when and I'll be there.

Hi Connie, sending love and hugs to you my dear.

Thanks, John!

Lovely to see the photos and congratulations to Cyrille for starting a recycling business!

>142 lkernagh: I will let him know, Lori! He started it two years ago and it's really going well. It's one of a kind in Europe. Nothing is thrown away, everything is sold or re-used.

Great photos! The reccycling business sounds quite fascinating, I would have loved to see that washer automatically being shredded into separate small pieces. And that square in Maastricht looks lovely.
I must find a recipe for kruimelvlaai. Among the few foods I really, really miss here is anything with streusel/crumble (which by the way in my dialect in Germany are called Krümmel). They just don't do it, as they don't do cheesecake, and you can't eat strudel all the time. And this one seems to be filled with vla, so it's two great things in one cake! :)

>144 Deern: There are all kinds of recipes to find on the internet, Nathalie. I think it's a kind of custard and vanilla they use to make the 'vla'.

Happy Wednesday, Connie! Chilly and rainy in the Midwest. Send me dry thoughts.

>146 msf59: --------> Dry thoughts! Lots of them.

>132 connie53: mmh, Streuselkuchen! Any left? I like that, my wife made that occasionally
Thanks for sharing the pictures

>148 paulstalder: Sorry, Paul. If you have had that, you understand there is not a single crumb left. But I have something else for you.

>149 connie53: Where is the nearest airport to that piece of elementary food? Please wait with finishing till I come, please. I bring some coffee, capsules or beans?

Coffee and Maastricht Airport! Just come on over!

rats, no flights till 1.11. !! and that is already full *sniff*

Ahhhhh, too bad!

>114 connie53: You've got three really good books there, Connie, as I can personally attest. Two of my favorite series, in fact!

>132 connie53: I've never had kruimelvlaai, but it looks scrumptious! And I loved reading about the recycling business and the pics. I'd give a lot to have seen that washer torn to bits. LOL Did you need earplugs?

>154 Storeetllr: Yes we did need earplugs and a safety vest. And even with the earplugs you could hear the noise of the machines and you could feel the floor shake too.

Here you see a part of the machine in the background. You can see the assembly line going up. That's how the washers get dumped into the machine.

Happy Friday, Connie! Thanks for the "dry thoughts". They worked. Yah!

Hope you have a nice weekend planned.

I finished another ROOT, probably the last one for October. # 4 for October, # 36 for the year.

I liked the book Veroordeeld by Karin Slaughter a lot. It's fast going, the story is very well put together and the ending is a surprise. That might be the only thing that bothered me about it. I would have liked some clues about who did it and make my own deduction about the killer.

I'm now reading another ROOT Aan niemand vertellen by Simone van der Vlugt.



This is a book by a Dutch writer.
Translation of the title: Tell no one

This is the translation of the back cover
Lois is a detective in the murder squad. When the maimed body of a young man is found there is no clue at all. But when a second murder takes place everything fits.

>156 msf59: Thanks Mark, I'm sure it will be a good weekend. Tomorrow I will travel to Utrecht for a meet up of my book club. I think the group will be rather big, like 13 or 14 people.
Sunday will be a quiet day with lots of reading.

Sounds like you're having a great weekend planned. Book people and reading. Enjoy! :)

Thanks, Nathalie!

You are doing a wonderful job on your ROOTS this year, Connie. (Hangs head in shame.)

Thanks, Roni. I love ROOTing.

This is what I did yesterday:

Yesterday was the meet up with my FF-leesclub friends in Utrecht. And since it was Halloween we all wore something to fit in the theme.

Here is our group for the official picture.



I bought some books:



And a bag:



These are the books I bought

Wat ons niet zal doden by David Lagercrantz This is the fourth part in the Millennium series that was started by Stieg Larsson



She is the girl with the dragon tattoo. Lisbeth Salander. An uncompromising misfit whose burning sense of injustice and talent for investigation will never respect boundaries of state or status. He is a campaigning journalist. Mikael Blomkvist. A lone wolf whose integrity and championing of the truth bring him time and again to the brink of unemployment - and prosecution. The call comes in late at night: a superhacker has gained access to critical, top secret U.S. intelligence. Blomkvist knows only one person who could crack the best security systems in the world. This case has all the hallmarks of Salander. She is accused of acting without reason, taking risks just because she can, but though they have lost touch, Blomkvist knows Lisbeth better than that. There must be something deeper at the heart of this - maybe even the scoop that Millennium magazine so desperately needs for its survival. A tangled web of truth that someone is prepared to kill to protect...

De boekenapotheek aan de Seine by Nina George



On a beautifully restored barge on the Seine, Jean Perdu runs a bookshop; or rather a 'literary apothecary', for this bookseller possesses a rare gift for sensing which books will soothe the troubled souls of his customers.

The only person he is unable to cure, it seems, is himself. He has nursed a broken heart ever since the night, twenty-one years ago, when the love of his life fled Paris, leaving behind a handwritten letter that he has never dared read. His memories and his love have been gathering dust - until now. The arrival of an enigmatic new neighbour in his eccentric apartment building on Rue Montagnard inspires Jean to unlock his heart, unmoor the floating bookshop and set off for Provence, in search of the past and his beloved.

You can't really see what I was wearing in my hair. It was this

How cool that your face-to-face book club meeting included dressing with Halloween in mind. I love the hairpiece you wore!

>164 lkernagh: Thanks Lori!

Especially the boys did a very good job.

Here they are:

Gorgeous photos my dear and it looks like you had a lovely weekend, sending love and hugs to you my dear.

>162 connie53: I wonder where I apply for the job of 'book apothecary on the Seine'. That sounds rather wonderful. Hope the book is good too.

Very cool ~ both the meetup and the books acquired!

The meetup looks wonderful and those guys really made an effort! Ew... spider in your hair! Okay, glittery spider, but still a spider. :)

Well, that's about the only spider I've ever seen that I like! Ha! And the guys look great!

Hi, Connie! Hooray for book club meet-ups and new books!

Love the photos. Nice costumes. Thanks for sharing.

I finally found you! Thanks for posting the link to your thread on Mark's thread. I have been looking for your thread ever since your meetup with Daryl. I now have you starred and will return off and on and make a posting from time-to-time.

I had a great time looking through the pictures on this thread and I have to say that your real life book group looks much more interesting than mine. I love the fact that you can get 13 to 14 people together for a meeting. I have that many on the e-mail list, but only have 3 or 4 who attend the meetings.

Halloween, here in Alabama, is usually a big event, but this year it was raining and so there were not many people out and about on Saturday. I went to my local Starbucks because I thought I would see people in costume, but I didn't seen anybody other than the Starbucks employees who were in costume. It was a washout, as they say here.

WOW such a lot of visitors

Thanks, John, Charlotte, Mary, Nathalie, Amber, Mark and Benita! It's great having you here.

>172 benitastrnad: Glad you found me, Benita! Sorry to hear your Halloween day was a bit wet ;-))
We try to meet a few times a year. Some of the people I have know for 15 years or so. So we all have become friends and we have a forum to chat on a daily basis. That helps a lot.

This months challenge for my ff-leesclub is read a book connected to "Mist".

So I chose De held van weleer by Brandon Sanderson
Part three in the Mistborn series and a ROOT



From the back cover:

To end the Final Empire and restore freedom, Vin killed the Lord Ruler. But as a result - the lethal form of the ubiquitous mists - is back, along with increasingly heavy ashfalls and ever more powerful earthquakes. Humanity appears to be doomed." "Having escaped death at the climax of The Well of Ascension only by becoming a Mistborn himself, Emperor Elend Venture hopes to find clues left behind by the Lord Ruler that will allow him to save the world. Vin is consumed with guilt at having been tricked into releasing the mystic force known as Ruin from the Well. Ruin wants to end the world, and its near omniscience and ability to warp reality make stopping it seem impossible. Vin can't even discuss it with Elend lest Ruin learn their plans. The conclusion of the Mistborn trilogy fulfills all the promise of the first two books. Revelations abound, connections rooted in early chapters of the series click into place, and surprises, as satisfying as they are stunning, blossom like fireworks to dazzle and delight.

It's funny for me to see Halloween celebration, especially at that scale, in Holland. Many years ago when I lived there All Saints Day was a holiday but Halloween was unknown.

>175 RebaRelishesReading: It's slowly taken over Holland, Reba. I think in the big cities there are more events around Halloween. And Utrecht is one of our big cities. When we walked to the train station in the evening there were lots of people dressed up. Here in my little town I did not notice one thing.

Very cool costumes! Plus one of my favorite series - I love Sanderson's stuff.

>176 connie53: Utrecht is one of the largest and one of the nicest (imho). Ik ben daar afgestudeerd in 1983.

>177 drneutron: I love Sanderson too.

>178 RebaRelishesReading: I prefer Utrecht too. Amsterdam is not my favourite city. Jouw Nederlands is nog erg goed, Reba!

Dank je wel!

I read in our local newspaper that Halloween is rapidly approaching becoming the number two holiday worldwide in terms of money spent on the holiday and events associated with the holiday.

Here in Alabama we are preparing for a big football game with Louisiana State University and Tuscaloosa is filling up. Traffic was bad this afternoon and will only get worse with the weekend approaching. I intend to spend Saturday out-of-town at a studio glass factory 150 miles away from Tuscaloosa and the football game.

>181 benitastrnad: I would too, Benita! I really don't like big crowds and avoid them as much as possible.

>180 RebaRelishesReading:

Hi Connie, hope you are well my dear, sending love and hugs.

I told a friend of mine today that when I retire I am going to make sure that there is no chance that anything close to resembling ESPN's Game Day will be within 100 miles of my front door. I am thoroughly sick of all the added traffic and headache that these kinds of events bring with them. The merchants here in town love these football games as they have lots of additional revenue. The city government says that they bring in lots of tax revenue, but for most of us, who can't afford a ticket to the game, or simply don't like the idea of huge men in tight pants hitting each other for entertainment, these games are a bother.

On-another-note, did you see the welcome home that the New Zealand rugby team got? That mass Haka was magnificent!

Today I had rare day off. I had lunch with some of my old lady friends (they are all retired) and I had a wonderful time with them. We laughed and laughed. I can't wait until I retire and can join their ranks full time.

We meet together monthly for a pot luck lunch. This month I did vegetables. I did balsamic glazed onions and some braised sweet potatoes. One of the other ladies did a turkey breast and we had salad and bread, and some fancy individual pumpkin cakes for desert. The food and the great time were a much needed respite from the horrid environment that my workplace has become.

>186 connie53: that sounds like a great group to join, Benita. The food sounds delicious too.

>187 Whisper1: No I did not see the Haka, but I'm sure I can find it somewhere on youtube.

Found it! Amazing. (and a bit intimidating: that are some big men)

>20 msf59: Since this book seems science fiction like, I think you might like a book I recently re-read. I highly recommend The Sparrow by Mary Doria Russell.

I liked the Halloween costumes!

>187 Whisper1: Thanks for the suggestion, Linda. There was a translation of this book you are talking about but it's not available any more.

Happy Friday, Connie! Hope you have a lovely weekend planned.

>187 Whisper1: I LOVED The Sparrow, Linda and I have a serious crush on MDR. I also read and enjoyed the follow-up, Children of God.

Hi Connie, wishing you a very happy weekend my dear, sending love and hugs.

I also have read and loved The Sparrow and Children of God. Both are great books.

One of the three local libraries has a copy of Children of God. I plan to reserve it tonight.

Thanks for stopping by! The sparrow is not available in Dutch. And I had a copy of Kinderen van God but I gave it away because of not being able to find The sparrow

Okay I did some reading on the train in Stegger. It was very nice to be with Vera for the weekend. We did some shopping and we had to go to a kind of bookstore. She wanted to buy a card to send to her daughter to congratulate her on getting a certificate for haptonomics and I wandered of to the book section because I heard a book calling softly to me. I went through the titles to find out which book it was and found it!

Doorgang by David Mitchell
This is the translation of Slade House



Turn down Slade Alley - narrow, dank and easy to miss, even when you're looking for it. Find the small black iron door set into the right-hand wall. No handle, no keyhole, but at your touch it swings open. Enter the sunlit garden of an old house that doesn't quite make sense; too grand for the shabby neighbourhood, too large for the space it occupies.

A stranger greets you by name and invites you inside. At first, you won't want to leave. Later, you'll find that you can't.

This unnerving, taut and intricately woven tale by one of our most original and bewitching writers begins in 1979 and reaches its turbulent conclusion around Halloween, 2015. Because every nine years, on the last Saturday of October, a 'guest' is summoned to Slade House. But why has that person been chosen, by whom and for what purpose? The answers lie waiting in the long attic, at the top of the stairs...

I started in this book this morning while waiting for Vera to wake up. (I'm a terrible sleeper, so I wake early) and continued on the train back home. So far I love this book so much. I had my wish-list grow with several titles by David Mitchell.

We went out for dinner, watched Dr. Zjivago, chatted a lot. A very cosy nice weekend.

>193 connie53: this sounds like a nice read for the darker season. I'll see how you like it in the end and maybe add it to my tbr despite my mixed Mitchell feelings. Have a nice start into the week!

Hooray for Slade House!! It is a good one! Hope you had a nice weekend.

>194 Deern: I added some additional knowledge to the quote about this book. The story ends at Halloween 2015! Thanks for the well wishes

>195 msf59: I did Mark. A very nice one.

I realized it's my thingaversary today! 6 years on LT!

I think I buy my thingaversary books in November and not just today. If I do it right I would have to buy 6+1 book today, but I have to pay for what I buy and that would be rather expensive.

So far I've bought:
1. Doorgang by David Mitchell

And ordered 3 more that should arrive tomorrow.

Only 3 more to go!

Happy 6th Thingaversary Connie, hope you are having a good day my dear.

Happy Thingaversary!!

Happy Thingaversary - hope you find some good books to celebrate!

Happy Thingaversary !

Happy Thingaversary!

I missed my own thingaversary !! I missed it end of October, and coming here reminded of it. Ah, well. 'You've got enough books, already!' my wife complained...

Thanks guys!

I brought 3 more books for my Thingaversary into the house. Here they are!

Tijdmeters by David Mitchell



From BOL.com the description of this book:

One drowsy summer's day in 1984, teenage runaway Holly Sykes encounters a strange woman who offers a small kindness in exchange for 'asylum'. Decades will pass before Holly understands exactly what sort of asylum the woman was seeking . . .

The Bone Clocks follows the twists and turns of Holly's life from a scarred adolescence in Gravesend to old age on Ireland's Atlantic coast as Europe's oil supply dries up - a life not so far out of the ordinary, yet punctuated by flashes of precognition, visits from people who emerge from thin air and brief lapses in the laws of reality. For Holly Sykes - daughter, sister, mother, guardian - is also an unwitting player in a murderous feud played out in the shadows and margins of our world, and may prove to be its decisive weapon.

De niet verhoorde gebeden van Jacob de Zoet by David Mitchell



From LT the description of this book:

1799, Dejima in Nagasaki Harbor. Jacob de Zoet, a devout and resourceful young clerk, has a chance encounter with Orito Aibagawa, the disfigured daughter of a samurai doctor and midwife to the city's powerful magistrate. The borders between propriety, profit, and pleasure blur until Jacob finds his vision clouded, one rash promise made and then fatefully broken--the consequences of which will extend beyond Jacob's worst imaginings.

Het Recht van de Radch by Ann Leckie



From Amazone

On a remote, icy planet, the soldier known as Breq is drawing closer to completing her quest.

Breq is both more than she seems and less than she was. Years ago, she was the Justice of Toren--a colossal starship with an artificial intelligence linking thousands of corpse soldiers in the service of the Radch, the empire that conquered the galaxy.

An act of treachery has ripped it all away, leaving her with only one fragile human body. And only one purpose--to revenge herself on Anaander Mianaai, many-bodied, near-immortal Lord of the Radch..

Mmmmm De niet verhoorde gebeden van Jacob de Zoet sounds good!
Haven't been to the library for ages, this book might be a good reason for a visit.

And belated Happy Thingaversary!!

Thanks, Anita! I like the way David Mitchell writes his stories. I like the way he uses humour, very subtle, but you feel like you have had a smile on your face the whole time you were reading.

Happy Thingaversary, Connie! Happy #6!! It's been nice having you around. Smiles...

Nice haul. I love the cover you have for Jacob de Zoet. That Japanese ocean art is striking.

Thanks, Mark and Charlotte.

I just finished Doorgang and gave it ****1/2. I really loved it! Although it's a mix of fantasy and horror it stays light. That's what is the strength in the writing of David Mitchell.
Today I did order all other books translated by him to complete my Thingaversary 2015.
I have to wait for them to arrive because they are re-printed. But I'm patient. And I have my ROOT-ABC to finish.

Belated Happy TA Connie!
Wow, 4.5 stars for Slade House, that's clearly a BB for me!.

Number 5 for my Thingaversary came into the house today

Maanvloed by David Hair



The Moontide has come, and a scarlet tide of Rondian legions is flooding into the East, slaughtering and pillaging in the name of Emperor Constant. But the Scytale of Corineus, the source of ultimate magical power, has slipped through the emperor's fingers. His ruthless Inquisitors are desperately seeking the artefact, before it falls into the hands of those who would bring down the Empire. But there are some who have pledged to end the cycle of war and restore peace to Urte. They are the unlikeliest of heroes: a failed mage, a gypsy and a lowly market-girl. As East and West clash more violently than ever before, Urte will discover that love, loyalty and truth can be forged into weapons as deadly as swords and magic.

>197 connie53: Now you really should let me help you with that!

Have a lovely weekend, Connie.

>212 PaulCranswick: Thanks Paul. But I've got it covered. 5 books into the house, 2 ordered.

Hi Connie, hope you have had a good Saturday my dear.

Busy days over here, so I've not been on LT for a while. But I'm still reading.

Current books:
De held van weleer by Brandon Sanderson
Stegger by Charles den Tex
Het pad der dolken by Robert Jordan

Hi connie, I wish you a relaxed Sunday.

Happy Sunday, Connie! I am glad you loved the Mitchell. I think it will be one of my favorites of the year.

Hope you had a good weekend.

Wishing you a lovely Sunday. Your Thingaversery books sound like fun.

Morning Connie, hope you are well my dear and that it is not as chilly with you as it is here in Walton.

>219 johnsimpson: Evening John! Yes it was chilly, there was even some frost on the car and on the road. But it will be better tomorrow.

Flying by and waving !

It froze here in this part of Alabama (Tuscaloosa) and that is early in the winter to have a freeze. It got all of my plants including my tomatoes so I said good-bye to the fresh tomatoes.

>222 benitastrnad: It's rather warm for November over here in The Netherlands. 9C today. So I don't complain.

I got two more books (and they not for my thingaversary. I just needed to have them to make my collection complete(

Als de dood by Peter James

#10 in the series about Roy Grace



This is the blurb NOT my review

When Red Westwood meets handsome, charming and rich Bryce Laurent through an online dating agency, there is an instant attraction. But as their love blossoms, the truth about his past, and his dark side, begins to emerge. Everything he has told Red about himself turns out to be a tissue of lies, and her infatuation with him gradually turns to terror.

Within a year, and under police protection, she evicts him from her flat and her life. But Red's nightmare is only just beginning. For Bryce is obsessed with her, and he intends to destroy everything and everyone she has ever known and loved - and then her too . . .

Aan de rand van het meer by Kate Morton



This is the blurb NOT my review

A missing child...June 1933, and the Edevane family's country house, Loeanneth, is polished and gleaming, ready for the much-anticipated Midsummer Eve party. Alice Edevane, sixteen years old and a budding writer, is especially excited. Not only has she worked out the perfect twist for her novel, she's also fallen helplessly in love with someone she shouldn't. But by the time midnight strikes and fireworks light up the night skies, the Edevane family will have suffered a loss so great that they leave Loeanneth forever. An abandoned house...Seventy years later, after a particularly troubling case, Sadie Sparrow is sent on an enforced break from her job with the Metropolitan Police. She retreats to her beloved grandfather's cottage in Cornwall but soon finds herself at a loose end. Until one day, Sadie stumbles upon an abandoned house surrounded by overgrown gardens and dense woods, and learns the story of a baby boy who disappeared without a trace. An unsolved mystery...Meanwhile, in the attic writing room of her elegant Hampstead home, the formidable Alice Edevane, now an old lady, leads a life as neatly plotted as the bestselling detective novels she writes. Until a young police detective starts asking questions about her family's past, seeking to resurrect the complex tangle of secrets Alice has spent her life trying to escape...

>223 connie53: we don't get cold enough during the day for 9C to count as rather warm! Today we are very warm at 27C. A little too warm, actually. The kids are ratty :/

>224 LovingLit: Hahahaha, That depends on where you live of course. Maybe I should have added: for the time of the year ;-))

But I would love 27C for the rest of the year(s). I'm a summer-girl.

Hi Connie, hope you are well my dear.

27 C = 80 F. That's definitely too warm for me. It will reach 18-19 C in Philadelphia today, which is my kind of weather.

It was very warm in Tuscaloosa today - and yesterday as well. It got above 70 F here. I decided to clean up my flower beds after the hard freeze last weekend and I worked up a sweat. It wasn't as humid as it gets in the summer but it was still hot work. Getting outside helped me work off all the holiday food from yesterday.

I started another book today for the December challenge of my book club.

The theme is Together. So it has to be a book written by two or more writers.
I choose a collection of short stories by 10 writers and illustrators.



Het gebroken zwaard by Martijn Lindeboom

It is part fiction and part non-fiction.
The stories are build around Archaeological subjects that were found in the northern part of the Netherlands. Each subject, like Roman coins or parts of pottery and such, are used in the story. So far I've read about flint arrowheads and dolmens. I like it a lot and I learn a lot.

Just saying "hi" and wishing you a lovely advent time!
Slade House was great fun btw, thanks for giving me that BB! :)

>230 Deern: Good to hear, Nathalie!

Wishing you a lovely weekend, Connie.

Happy Saturday, Connie! Just checking in. I hope all is well. Happy reading!

So far so good, Mark

And I finished the first ROOT for December Het gebroken zwaard

>229 connie53: That sounds like a great idea for interlinking stories.

Another one bites the dust!

Het pad der dolken by Robert Jordan

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, Connie.

That's a lovely picture, Barb! Thanks.

Wishing you a wonderful Sunday, Connie. xx

Happy Sunday, Connie! Popping in to say hi! Hope the reading is going well.

Thanks, Guys! So far my Sunday is just fine. Yesterday we went to visit my daughter and her boyfriend. We talked a lot about the baby that is due in June and we had some gifts for him/her. We had a lovely afternoon.

Now reading Drakenvrouwe by Margaret Weis ROOT # 40 for the year and counting for the ABC-challenge.



This is the blurb NOT my review

Mistress of Dragons is the first volume in an epic fantasy trilogy entitled The Dragonvarld. Here is a world where men and dragons coexist amid political intrigue and dark magic, where the uneasy balance of power between the two is on the verge of coming undone, threatening to unleash waves of destruction that will pit humans against humans as well as dragons against men for the domination of the world. Humanity's very survival is at risk.

And I bought two new ones!
Dertien by David Mitchell



This is the blurb NOT my review

Black Swan Green tracks a single year in what is, for thirteen-year-old Jason Taylor, the sleepiest village in muddiest Worcestershire in a dying Cold War England, 1982. But the thirteen chapters, each a short story in its own right, create an exquisitely observed world that is anything but sleepy. A world of Kissingeresque realpolitik enacted in boys’ games on a frozen lake; of “nightcreeping” through the summer backyards of strangers; of the tabloid-fueled thrills of the Falklands War and its human toll; of the cruel, luscious Dawn Madden and her power-hungry boyfriend, Ross Wilcox; of a certain Madame Eva van Outryve de Crommelynck, an elderly bohemian emigré who is both more and less than she appears; of Jason’s search to replace his dead grandfather’s irreplaceable smashed watch before the crime is discovered; of first cigarettes, first kisses, first Duran Duran LPs, and first deaths; of Margaret Thatcher’s recession; of Gypsies camping in the woods and the hysteria they inspire; and, even closer to home, of a slow-motion divorce in four seasons.

De geestverwantschap by David Mitchell



This is the blurb NOT my review

A gallery atendant at the Hermitage. A young jazz buff in Tokyo. A crooked British lawyer in Hong Kong. A disc jockey in Manhattan. A physicist in Ireland. An elderly woman running atendant at the Hermitage. A young jazz buff in Tokyo. A crooked British lawyer in H tea shack in rural China. A cult-controlled terrorist in Okinawa. A musician in London. A transmigrating spirit in Mongolia. What is the common thread of coincidence or destiny that connects the lives of these nine souls in nine far-flung countries, stretching across the globe from east to west? What pattern do their linked fates form through time and space?"

"Many forces bind these lives, but at root all involve the same universal longing for connection and transcendence, an axis of commonality that leads in two directions - to creation and to destruction. In the end, as lives converge with a fearful symmetry, Ghostwritten comes full circle, to a point at which a familiar idea - that whether the planet is vast or small is merely a matter of perspective - strikes home with the force of a new revelation. It marks the debut of a writer of astonishing gifts.

Connie, I wish you a wonderful weekend.

Thanks Barb! Nice picture, I only need a chair and a book!

Unfortunately, we don't have a fire place but I was reading in comphy chair by candle light the most part of the afternoon.

>223 connie53: Als de dood has a lovely cover. :)

Happy weekend!

>246 The_Hibernator: I know! The title does not fit the cover, or vice versa ;-))

Yesterday I started in a book I have been looking forward to for a long time. It has waited patiently for me to finish my ROOT books and now it's time.

De geheimen van de nar by Robin Hobb



In spoiler font because of uhhh.....spoilers.

Long ago, Fitz and the Fool changed the world, bringing back the magic of dragons and securing both the Farseer succession and the stability of the kingdom. Or so they thought. But now the Fool is near death, maimed by mysterious pale-skinned figures whose plans for world domination hinge upon the powers the Fool may share with Fitz’s own daughter.

Distracted by the Fool’s perilous health, and swept up against his will in the intrigues of the royal court, Fitz lets down his guard . . . and in a horrible instant, his world is undone and his beloved daughter stolen away by those who would use her as they had once sought to use the Fool—as a weapon.

But FitzChivalry Farseer is not without weapons of his own. An ancient magic still lives in his veins. And though he may have let his skills as royal assassin diminish over the years, such things, once learned, are not so easily forgotten.

Now enemies and friends alike are about to learn that nothing is more dangerous than a man who has nothing left to lose.

Hi, Connie! hope you had a good weekend. Getting ready for the holidays?

I want to read Black Swan Green. I have it on shelf.

>249 msf59: Will you let me know what you think of it, Mark?

The weekend was both quiet and festive! My daughter celebrated her 30th birthday. She and one of her girlfriends had a party in a café in Maastricht. The girlfriend turned 30 a few weeks ago and they choose a day in between the two days to celebrate it together. We stayed in a hotel so Peet could drink some beers and we had a great time. The remainder of the weekend was quiet with reading and some household things.

Hi Connie!

Thank you, Lynda!

A very Merry Christmas to you and your lovely family, Connie!

Merry Christmas!

Happy holidays!

Hi Connie, sending Christmas greetings to you, Peet and the family my dear. Hope you have a wonderful day tomorrow, sending love and hugs. We got your Christmas card yesterday, thank you my dear.

P.S. I met up with Paul last night and we chatted about you in a very nice way, so nice to have made so many really good friends on here.

Thanks everyone!

I want to wish everyone the best for 2016

And one that is too funny!

Hi Connie, wishing you and your family the very best this holiday season.

Merry Christmas, Connie! Have a wonderful holiday with the family.

^Love the cartoon. LOL.

Thanks Mark

And thanks Lori, that's a very pretty picture!

Have a lovely holiday, Connie

Merry Christmas Connie!

<259 -- love it!!

Gelukkig feestdagen, Connie.

>259 connie53: LOL!

And may you have a lovely New Year filled with wonderful books and all your favorite things!

Thank you so much for >259 connie53:. That one put a great big grin on my face!

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas Connie :)

Hi Connie, wishing you and the family a very Happy New Year my dear and sending special love and hugs.

Thanks John! I won't be joining the 75ers this year. It took too much time to keep up with everybody's threads. I will find your thread to keep in contact with you and Karen!

>271 connie53: Gelukkig Nieuwjaar Connie!

I am sorry to read you won't join us next year.

"I won't be joining the 75ers this year." What? Hope you reconsider, Connie. We will miss you.

Happy New Year, my friend.

I might, Mark. But I was really overwhelmed with the fast moving threads and the amount of members. I was trying to follow a lot of them. And then I felt guilty about not keeping up with everybody.

I first want to tackle my upcoming surgery and I will give it some thought after that happens and I'm feeling up to surfing LT again.

>274 connie53: That is wise Connie. The threads are really busy the first couple of months in the year. Take time for yourself and start your thread later. I'll keep in touch.

Happy New Year to you and your family, Connie!
We'll be missing you here. But as someone who's dropped in and out a lot over the last 3 years I just want to say that LT isn't a closed place and maybe you'll return at some point, whenever you feel like it.
All the very best to you and always "Happy Reading"!! :)

Wait, what?! You're not making a 2016 thread?! You know, just because you have a thread doesn't mean that you need to feel pressured to keep up with all the other threads - we're happy to visit you on your own thread!

>274 connie53: I hope your surgery goes well, when is it planned?

Oh, I had this thread open for a while while making tea, so we crossposted and I didn't read >274 connie53: before now. Get well soon! You'll be in my thoughts.

Sorry to read that you won't be making a 2016 thread but I totally understand. It is a trial to keep up with things in the 75 group, it is so darn large! I will continue to follow your reading over on the ROOTs group.

Happy New Year, best wishes for 2016 and healthy healing vibes for your upcoming surgery, Connie!

Best wishes for the New Year and I hope that you are able to find time to join the 75ers later in the year. I look forward to following your ROOTs threads.

Thanks Guys.

My surgery is planned for January 14. I will get a full knee replacement. I'm not sure what to expect afterwards. It may take a long time and lots of physical therapy. But I will be thinking of you all and maybe I will return.

Happy new year Connie! Best of luck for the operation and also sorry to hear you may not be creating a 2016 thread. We would love to have you join us again but LT shouldn't feel like a burden so I do understand if you feel you need to take some time out. I hope you have lots of good reading (and jigsawing) in 2016. I have starred your 2016 ROOT thread so will hopefully keep up with you there.

My dad had both of his knees replaced about 20 years ago and he's still going strong. The key seems to be making sure that you do the daily exercises they give you. Best of luck - you'll do great!

Good luck with the surgery, I hope the recovery goes as smooth as possible!

>271 connie53: Sorry to see you won't be with the group next year, Connie. I will strive to visit FB now and then to keep up with you. Wishing you a wonderful 2016 my dear and hope you come and visit us now and then. xx

Thanks, Paul. I'm thinking about joining here sometime after my surgery. I think my FB page is not that interesting, but you are welcome to visit me there.

Hi Connie, I hope the knee op goes ok my dear and I will be thinking of you on that day and will keep in touch via Facebook, sending love and hugs.

Happy New Year and good luck on the operation. I hope you heal up quickly!