The books I read in the last 3 months

Vacation time has become Jo Claes time in our family.  Both Jan and I and Kabouter had brought a Jo Claes to Gran Canaria. And then we started switching them around. 


Jo Claes - Het Skelet in de Hanengang

One of the last books and it's relatively small...so I read it in the last 3 hours at the pool in one go.  Funny enough inspector Berg needs to solve a potential murder that took place in the first World War.  Talk about a cold case.  


Jo Claes - Tot de dood ons scheidt

Another murder case to be solved that is linked to an old death.  I know this tomb on the graveyard not far from our home and I must admit that after our vacation I want for a stroll and took pictures of this tomb.  After being dragged into this love story from Louise...it was confusing and disappointing against all rationality that this tomb does not belong to Louises lover :p. 

PADI - Open Water course 

I dutifully refreshed all my course material after nog having dived for 12 years.  And then unfortunately I didn't go diving.  But it's good that it got refreshed :). 

Jodi Picoult - Keeping Faith

I had brought plenty of books to our vacation and even bought a novel in the airport to leave behind and swap in the hotel library.  But on the first day I spotted a Jodi Picoult in that hotel shelf, so I prioritised reading this first above all. 
And it was a classic Picoult, with a controversial topic and the storyline viewpoints alternating between characters for which each you develop a sympathy or at least an understanding.  The topic remains open: does this little girl has visions of the Virgin Mary or not and can she perform miracles? But it's mainly a story of people's relationships, motherhood, professional ambitions and all of that clashing into one another.  Oh yes, I read this in 2 days and was annoyed when I had to put it down to meet up with some people 60 pages before the end. 

Matthew Quick - Maak me gek

I took this book from the library because of the humor sticker on it. With this cover, I thought it would be smooth reading.  But that disappointed a bit.  It's the story of a man clearly struggling with some mental illness, returning home after many years in a psychiatric institution althiugh he has no clue he's been of society for so many years. He lives in the illusion to pick up his old live...but in doing so, with an incredible naive positive mindset, he does succeed to tough people's lives and build up something new.  I had to grow into the book and it took me a long time but it was touching after all.  And refreshing that the main character was not some sort of hero. 


John  Preston - The Dig

The story of a historic dig where they discover a historic early medieval ship  on the estate of an English widow. All of this happens at the verge of World War II breaking out.   
I 'd love to find out more about this discovery of which you can visit the results in the British Museum but the book itself didn't catch me too much. 


Olga Grjasnowa - God is niet verlegen

This is not a religious book, as you might imagine when seeing the title. In fact, God is far far away and not mentioned.

This book is about 2 young people in Syria when the civil war breaks out.  They participate in resistance against the Assad regime, face oppression and very soon the horrors of torture, IS armies, death and destruction that becomes their new reality.  One of them manages to flee to Beirut earlier and then moves on the dangerous refugee journey via Turkey to Europe, the 2nd person only manages so much horror later. But the journey with smugglers, overloaded boats at sea is also a story full of death and horror.  And once arriving in Europe and applying for refugee status doesn't give the relief you'd expect in a society that doesn't value the competences they bring and feel hostile to these foreigners. 

The book is written in quite a factual narrative without too much details "the streets are filled with corpses"  "he's forced to watch the victim getting decapitated" and the story moves on quickly. That's very fortunate as I'd not be able to let all facts sink in more. 

Despite the horrible topic, I "liked" reading this book as it brings a story from a viewpoint we rarely hear. The author is a former migrant/refugee herself.  I was a little afraid to read and to continu reading , knowing it would not be a happy story.  But I'm glad I did.