Friday, May 17, 2013

Reading Round Up #2 - week 19

Last week I read 2 books but both I didn't finish. Mainly because they had to be back at the library and I couldn't renew them. Do you know those times when you have books on hold and none come through for weeks, and then suddenly they all came through at once? Well that is what happened here and I just couldn't keep up. Which books did I read?


First I read Everybody has Everything by Katrina Onstad. I came across this book on a blog, but I can't remember which one. Normally it wouldn't been have a book what I would have picked up, but the review sounded interesting and made me curious. Ana and James seem to have the perfect life but then their best friends have a car accident, leaving Marcus dead and Sarah in a coma. Unexpectedly they become the legal guardians of their 2.5 year old son Finn.

The book tells the story now, and sometimes in flashbacks of the past through memories. Both Ana and James have voices in the book. They switch regularly so you get both point of views. While James loves parenthood, and seems to do it all natural, it is more difficult for Ana. The book is mainly about her struggle and insecurity about parenthood, and the question if she wants to have children at all. The book is interesting enough, but sometimes a bit slow, yet I kept going back to it. I couldn't finish it fast enough though, and because the book is a bit predictable, I do not really mind. I would have finished it with enough time, but I don't think I will borrow it again just to finish it. Read more about it on Goodreads.


De Bijbel Voor Ongelovigen (the bible for non-believers) by Guus Kuijer, was one that I had on hold for a long while. The title says it all, it are the stories from the bible, told in such a way that people who wouldn't pick up a regular bible would read this. The book starts strong, the story of Adam and Eve is told in a humorous way, and I enjoyed it. There were discussions between Adam and God which had me laugh out loud. Sadly the humor didn't really last throughout the other stories. However I noticed that the stories are told in a modern way and there was room to criticize God, people did openly in the stories. Yet it is all done in a respectful way. There are persons in the book, who strongly believe in God and there are persons who questions them and that made a nice balance. It was also the cause of most conflicts in the book of course.

Why didn't I finish it? Again time plays a factor here. These aren't stories that I want to finish in on go. It is slow reading and that left me about half way in when I needed to return it. But what I read, I did enjoy. And because it are all separate stories, the chance is bigger that I will pick this one up again, if I come across it. Also more information about this book can be found on Goodreads.


Challenges: Library Challenge and Ik Lees Nederlands Challenge.
Currently I am reading The Handsmaid's Daughter. More on that next time :)


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