Boekenfestijn

This weekend book lovers rejoiced in Antwerp Expo as it was the annual Boekenfestijn: two big halls filled with thousands of low priced books and almost equally as many people bruising you with their trolleys trying to get through while they stack up on blissful bargains. Trust me, it can get pretty brutal out there.
Although I hate crowds, the presence of so many books gives me such an adrenaline rush that I’m able to simply ignore the noise, the heat and shoving and go in search of hidden treasure seeing as you never find what you are looking for yet always end up leaving surprised and satisfied, well I do anyway.

This year however, I have to admit that it was pretty slim pickings: lots of reoccurring titles, Dutch literature (the horror) and hobby material which usually baffles me but, I did eventually end up leaving with 3 novels and some cook books which cost me a little over €25 while my sweet pea just left empty-handed and agitated proving once again that it’s not for the faint hearted.

The Glass Demon

Last year I had the opportunity to interview British author Helen Grant, who is now living in Belgium’s quaint Tervuren, about her debut novel The Vanishing of Katharina Linden which has earned her a nomination for the prestigious Carnegie Medal and has now also been translated into Dutch as De Verdwenen Meisjes. It’s a mesmerizing YA whodunit that revolves around Pia, an inquisitive and brave young girl who decides to investigate the multiple disappearances of other girls is the quiet and rural German town of Bad Münstereifel where Helen and her family actually lived for several years.

Her new novel The Glass Demon is also filled with a brooding Grimm-like atmosphere, spooky occurrences and wonderful characters just like its predecessor. This time, teenage Lin and her family move to Germany so her father, who is a Medievalist academic, can do some research on the Allerheiligen glass window which has been missing for centuries. As legend goes, it is haunted by an evil spirit called Bonschariant. When they arrive however, nothing is what it seems. Lin and her family are plagued by mysterious deaths, all recreations of old bible stories and broken glass is left at every scene. Someone or something is desperately trying to get rid of Lin's family and trying to protect the glass window.

The Glass Demon is a great old fashioned ghost story / supernatural thriller with a warm pounding heart at its core. The story is filled with clever twists, scary nerve-wrecking scenes and effortlessly glides towards a satisfying and heart-stopping conclusion. Helen is a master of suspense, suggestion and dramatic scenery. Every chapter ends with a staggering cliffhanger making you devour this book in no time. The combination of contemporary family issues and age old folklore works rather well, adding some more spice to this already fragrant mix.

As characters go, I really loved Lin. She was a realistic and gutsy protagonist not some infuriating damsel in distress. She truly carries this story with bravery and grace and is assisted by a colorful cast of side characters on her quest towards the nature of evil.

Beautiful prose combined with a fairytale-like setting, mix in some sinister and sensational characters and top off with gruesome ghouls and you’ve got a recipe for success that just happens to be entitled The Glass Demon. Well done Helen!

One Day

One Day is a brilliant new novel by David Nicholls in which each chapter covers the lives of the two protagonists on 15 July, St. Swithen's Day, for twenty years.

Emma and Dexter wake up one morning at university after a drunken one-night-stand in 1988. Dexter is handsome and cavalier while Emma is clever and to the point. They lie in bed, discussing their hopes and dreams and imagine what their life will be like at 40. It becomes immediately clear that they are both pretty clueless. Reminiscent of When Harry met Sally, they remain close but head down different paths. Dexter becomes a presenter of a late-night TV show and Emma finds herself working in a Mexican restaurant in Kentish Town. When they hit 30, Emma finally comes into her own while Dexter’s life is in shambles. Until they meet again…

One Day is about the dark side of growing up, which is filled with compromises, disillusionment and loneliness but don’t get me wrong, this book is also laugh out loud funny and poignant. Featuring some very memorable scenes and moving characters, it is unpretentious and profound. The dialogue flows so effortlessly and kind of brings the works of Nick Hornby to mind, only better if you ask me. The social and political satire which occasionally pops up is pure Jonathan Coe.

David Nicholls is a great comic writer and has created a wise and compassionate tale that is also unbearably sad at times. This light love story is a very persuasive and endearing account of a close friendship and intricately illustrates how people change when they grow older. The only downside to Nicholls’ structure is that by returning to the same day each year some of the most important events in their life are never recounted.

One Day is a wonderful book that really touched me. It was bold, funny, tender and hits a little too close to home at times.

Sometimes, when things were going badly, she wonders if what she believes to be a love of the written word is really a fetish for stationary. The true writer, the born writer, will scribble words on scraps of litter, the back of bus tickets, on the wall of a cell. Emma is lost on anything less than 120gsm.

I can honestly say that it’s been a while since I’ve been able to relate to a character like that but my god, Emma was spot on! I'm definitely going to keep track of Nicholls. And like all things good and British, a film adaptation will probably be just around the corner.

Wolf Hall

This month's book club book was Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel and I have to admit that I didn't finish it. It wasn't because I ran out of time but because I read One Day by David Nicholls instead. I simply could not get into this book and am surprised I even got half way.

The concept of last year's Booker Prize winner is vaguely interesting: retelling Henry VIII's relationship with Anne Boleyn from Thomas Cromwell's viewpoint and his consecutive rise to power. I wasn't exactly motivated after leafing through it seeing as I already knew most of the story and there was a huge list of characters at the beginning, immediately insinuating that you'll get lost around page 3. But I'll try anything for book club ;-)

Although I'm not a fan of historical fiction, I actually wanted to read this book. Ironic, right? Mantel did a great job researching and realistically depicting this era but sadly I found the book too detailed and thus slightly tedious. The main character, Cromwell, actually got on my nerves and that's never a good thing.

It's obvious why she won the Booker Prize and maybe someday I'll finish but the longer I wait, the less likely it seems.

Yumi

During my weekly visit to the Antwerp bookstores, I stumbled across a glorious new children’s book that combines my love for Kokeshi cuteness with well, books.

Yumi is a kokeshi and the main character in French illustrator Annelore Parot’s gorgeous new series of Japanese inspired activity books. Yumi portrays a day in the life of a kokeshi which is filled with fun, friends and fashion. This book is incredibly girly and very pretty and is strangely enough aimed at 2 to 6 year olds. Although the story is simple even bordering on silly, the drawings are bright and beautiful and filled with games of the Where’s Waldo persuasion.

I’d never buy this book for a small child though, seeing as the illustrations are quite intricate and the subject matter isn’t something they can relate to but I’m guessing grown-ups and older girls will love these delicious designs although they (excluding myself) would never get this book because it’s an activity book and not exactly groundbreaking literature or art. Quite a pickle.

All things considered, it’s just damn cute!

Dick Bruna

Last weekend we visited the Dick Bruna House in Utrecht which was a real eye opener. Everybody knows Dick Bruna or should I say his adorable little creation Miffy, originally called Nijntje in Dutch. He is in a nutshell, one of the most successful and loved Dutch authors alive today who also happens to be an artist, illustrator and graphic designer.

Before Miffy was born, he reluctantly started working for his father's publishing company A.W. Bruna and Zoon, now entitled Bruna, where he illustrated and designed book covers, posters and promotional materials. The covers of the Zwarte Beertjes paperbacks became his most popular along with his designs for Simenon’s Maigret series which star graphic silhouettes of a pipe on various backgrounds.

Bruna has also authored and illustrated over 100 children’s books in his own unique style which consists out of heavy graphic lines, simple shapes and primary colors. The first Miffy book was produced in 1955 and almost 30 others have followed but it wasn’t until 1963 that Bruna finalized her now legendary look. His style is instantly recognizable and was inspired by Matisse.



The Miffy books which also feature her friends and family, contain sixteen pages of story. Each page has one illustration and four lines of verse, the last word of the second line rhymes with the last of the fourth. They are written about things that children can understand or situations they will face and they always have a happy ending.

Bruna's books have now been translated into 40 different languages and over 85 million copies have been sold all over the world.

Now I remember reading a few of his books when I was a little girl, especially the one where Snuffie the dog has little ones who poop in the end, powerful and provocative stuff for a four year old. After that I kinda lost interest. His books are sweet and simple for kids but not exactly awe inspiring to more mature readers. Yet after visiting the fun filled Dick Bruna House and seeing the evolution of his style and many (grown up) book covers, it made me realize that behind his treacherously simple style lays a sophisticated genius.

New horizons

I am happy to announce that I've got a new job! Since I left UZA in December, I've been spending most of my time freelancing for Flanders Today, reading, averting family crises and wondering what I was going to do career wise.

I love to write but seeing as the chances are slim to non-existent that I'll be able to make a full-time living out of it, I was forced to look elsewhere. Standaard Boekhandel made me realize that I really like working with books, but not the way they do it. At UZA I learned a very valuable lesson, namely that writing your own texts and rewriting others' are worlds apart and what can I say, I just like doing my own thing. So what does an ex-lit major who does NOT want to teach do?

In January I started browsing the job ads every now and again hoping I would find a vacancy that would be A) interesting B) part-time so I can keep on freelancing and C) in Antwerp seeing as Standaard Boekhandel also taught me that commuting isn't for me. This turned out to be quite a daunting task. Previous jobs have made me realize that when I'm not completely satisfied, I simply quit so I wasn't going to take just any job this time, it had to be perfect.

Two years ago I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life and tried anything remotely interesting but now, several experiences down the line I'm starting to get a clear picture of how I envision my future. I've been home almost 5 months now and I have to admit, I've enjoyed every minute of it which is funny because the 6 months I spent at home before my first job, sent me in a downwards spiral of melancholy and madness.

I now know that there's nothing on earth that gives me as much satisfaction as writing and books which is why I want them to be part of my life and future and now they will be. I will keep on freelancing for Flanders Today for as long as they'll have me and if one day we do part ways, I'll always have my recreational writing to brighten my day. Books however, will now surround me both at home and at work, joy!

This summer I'll start working at De Groene Waterman, an independent bookstore in the center of Antwerp. No commuting, no late nights, no repetitive routines and no Saturdays like Standaard Boekhandel, just three days of books, emails, orders and organizing cultural and literary events. My patience and perpetual nagging have finally been rewarded.

Sunshine Cleaning

Sunshine Cleaning was another Sundance favorite in 2009. It’s a dramedy starring Amy Adams and Emily Blunt. Based on a true story, Christine Jeffs’ movie revolves around Rose Lorkowski (Adams), a former high school cheerleading captain who is now a thirty-something single mother and cleans houses for a living. Her son is quite a hand full and she is forced to send the little critter to a special school which naturally costs a lot of money. Luckily she is sleeping with a married cop who can advise her and he suggests getting into the lucrative business of crime scene cleaning. Together with her equally disillusioned sister Norah (Blunt) she starts up Sunshine Cleaning and embarks on a voyage of personal growth and hygiene.

Now, given the peculiar subject matter involving human remains, Sunshine Cleaning is a very captivating and optimistic movie full of hope and hardship. It tackles real issues such as loss, single parenthood and the working class environment in an offbeat and endearing way aided by powerful performances by its two leading ladies who also have great chemistry together. They play sisters who are still coming to terms with their mother’s suicide when they were kids and this delicate subject is intricately intertwined in the melancholy mish mash of everyday life, resulting in a poignant and brilliant tale.

Created by the producers of Little Miss Sunshine who once again brought Alan Arkin along for the ride, this movie is about family, intricate human emotions and will satisfy even the most cynical viewers. The only downside to this quirky fictional endeavor is its length. Lasting only 82 minutes, the ending is sudden and slightly painful seeing as this film has the power to suck you in and make you feel like you lost a trusted friend just when things were getting good.

Great writing, engaging characters and wonderful performances, what more could you ask for besides another half hour or so?

Millennium Trilogy

I finished the last part of the renowned Millennium Trilogy yesterday, The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest. I am usually not an avid fan of detective / crime fiction but Swedish author Stieg Larsson had me hooked with his powerful characters, creative twists and Swedish names.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo started with a cunning conspiracy and introduced us to the insatiable Mikael Blomkvist and the legendary Lisbeth Salander. The sequel, The Girl who Played with Fire, delved deeper into the meticulous mysteries surrounding Salander. It was harrowing, brutal and oh so good. It also ended with a major cliffhanger forcing you to endure The Girl who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest.

I happily started reading this 744 page bastard but was soon overwhelmed by long winded and reoccurring synopsizes of the previous novels, too much detail, too much politics, too many pages and not enough action (the main character literally lays there) leading up to a bland and predictable conclusion where everyone gets their just deserts.

The final part of this trilogy, in my humble opinion, simply lost its edge and was entirely created to tie up some loose ends which is such a shame but in its entirety, it’s still the best (and only) crime series that I’ve read. Definitely worth a plunge in the deep end.

Moleskine Passions

I love books, with or without words in them. Whenever I see a colorful notebook with intricate patterns, gorgeous texture, cute drawings or just plain polka dots, I have to have it. Currently I’m using no less than 7 notebooks to scribble in, with subjects ranging from fictional fantasies to recipes and everything in between.

These little books aren’t just fun and practical but also essential to an anal organizer like myself who likes to keep track of basically everything. And apparently I’m not the only one. The legendary Moleskine has introduced a new collection of notebooks specially designed for your life passions: Recipe, Wine, Book, Film, Music and Wellness. In these 6 journals, you can organize information, comments, memories, clippings, reviews,…


Needless to say, I desperately crave the book journal. I’ve always wanted to keep a book journal seeing as I’ve usually forgotten everything 6 months down the line but for some reason I never got round to it. Sure, I can always access my Shelfari account but that doesn’t come with a fully embossed cover, 3 ribbon place marker, a double expandable inner pocket, alphabetically organized sections, 6 tabbed sections to personalize, a free customized bookmark, several adhesive labels: 40 to be used on the blank tabs, 150 colored with icons and 12 to customize the cover.

I’m getting giddy just by thinking of it.