I've always loved reading, ever since i was a kid. Actually, i've loved it so much that i learned reading (and writing) by myself wich allowed me to skip my 1st grade year and go directly to 2nd grade! But with the years, i kind of stopped reading, so my 2014 new year's resolution was to read more. I thought it would be fun to write reviews of the books i read. Hope you'll enjoy it!
The first book i read this year was The UnDutchables, by Colin White and Laurie Boucke. It's a really funny book about the Netherland's culture and its inhabitants as the cover says. It was super fun to read, especially because i am Dutch, and i recognised my family and myself so much in it. It describes "the cloggies" (as they call us in the book) in a really humoristic way. I liked it alot, but i don't know if people who don't know any of the Dutch culture would appreciate it that much, because the humor would probably be hard to understand. Here's an extract of a chapter that i found particulary funny, it's about the Dutch birthday parties :
"The event somehow resembles an open house. After entering, you will be ushered into the living room which, for the occasion, will resemble a doctor's waiting room, with chairs arranged in a circle. On them will be seated an array of relatives interspersed with the odd friend and neighbour. The relatives will welcome you to what at first appears to be a group therapy session, with all the appeal thereof.
The welcoming ceremony consists of walking around the room and shaking hands with each person. For some unknown reason, the relatives will extend their congratulations to you, the guest -- then mutter their name unintelligibly. Normal etiquette allows for this so that you should have an opportunity to enter into forced conversation with the person later on, you can always reopen the chat by asking for the name again.
Just when you feel you cannot put on another false smile, the tension will be alleviated by the entrance of coffee and cake. You should now join in with the echoed expression of ecstasy, enthusiastically exclaiming to no one in particular, "Lekker!" "
The second book i read is To Kill a Mockingbird, by Harper Lee. This is considered a classic, and won the Pulitzer Prize in 1961. It's a fiction about a little girl, named Scout. It's the story of her and her brother, father, and friends in America when segregation was still "normal". I liked it because it shows us a world that is really different from what it is now. For this book, i don't have an extract but a quote, that is quite famous and that i really like: "You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view-until you climb into his skin and walk around in it". I like this quote so much, because it is, obviously, so true! I really wanted to see the movie but i couldn't find it.
Finally, the last book i'm gonna talk about today is the very well known The Perks of Being a Wallflower, by Stephen Chbosky. If you don't already know the book, here's it's summary:
"Charlie is a freshman. And while he's not the biggest geek in the school, he is by no mean popular. Shy, introspective, intelligent beyond his years yet socially awkward, he is a wallflower, caught between trying to live his life and trying to run from it. Charlie is attempting to navigate his way through uncharted territory : the world of first dates and mixed tapes, family dramas and new friends ; the world of sex, drugs, and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, when all one requires is that perfect song on that perfect drive to feel infinite. But Charlie can't stay on the sideline forever. Standing on the fringes of life offers a unique perspecive. But there comes a time to see what it looks like from the dance floor."
This was a sweet, funny and sad story all in one. I found it sooooooo good! And by the way, the movie is also extreamly good, here's the trailer for you if you haven't seen it yet.
Well, i hope you enjoyed these reviews, next week's will stand in the theme of John Green! See you then xx
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