Gastblogger Maartje tipt Schim & schaduw en De kroon

"Als je het eerste deel van De Selectie leest, kun je daarna niet meer stoppen met lezen."

 
Deze week hebben we een review van onze eerste gastblogger: Say hello to Maartje!:) 

Maartje zit nog op de middelbare school en in haar vrije tijd leest ze ofcourse! Daarnaast werkt ze met plezier een paar uurtjes bij Boekhandel Dominicanen en daar duikt ze natuurlijk ook regelmatig in de boeken.

Dit zijn volgens Maartje 2 series die je absoluut gelezen moet hebben:

Wink, Poppy en Midnight door Ana

"Ik heb heel erg van het boek genoten omdat het me heel anders deed voelen dan de YA boeken die ik normaal lees."

Wink, Poppy en Midnight van April Genevieve Tucholke.

(Click here for the review in English)

Hallo mede-boekenleeuwen

Mijn eerste review begin ik met ‘Wink Poppy en Midnight’ van April Genevieve Tucholke.

Laten we eerst eens kijken wat de achterkant over het boek zegt:

Elk verhaal heeft een held.
Elk verhaal heeft een schurk.
Elk verhaal heeft een geheim.

Wink, Poppy en Midnight by Ana

"I really enjoyed this book because it made me feel very different from a lot of other books I’ve read."

(Klik hier voor de Nederlandse recensie)

Hello fellow booklions

I will start my first with 'Wink Poppy Midnight’ by April Genevieve Tucholke.

First, let's see what the back cover says about the book:

Every story needs a hero.
Every story needs a villain.
Every story needs a secret.

Duizend Hoog door Rika

"Ik vond het echt een uniek boek, niet eentje die je echt met een ander kunt gaan vergelijken"

Duizend hoog door Katharine McGee

Duizend Hoog, een boek dat zich afspeelt in 2118. Waar het leven in de Toren erop gemaakt is om van alle gemakken te voorzien. Hoe hoger je woont, hoe hoger jouw status is. De Toren telt maar liefst duizend verdiepingen, hoe hoger je komt, hoe minder appartementen, en hoe duurder het wordt. Op de duizendste verdieping woont Avery Fuller, zij is perfect, althans dat denkt iedereen. Ze is genetisch gemaakt uit de beste genen van haar ouders. Ze gaat veel om met Eris Dodd-Radson en Leda Cole. Ze zijn beste vriendinnen en vertellen elkaar alles, totdat ze elkaar na de vakantie terug zien. Leda verbergt een geheim, en Eris, die eerst genoot van een zorgeloos leventje, wordt ineens geconfronteerd met een verraad zo groot dat haar wereld instort.

Holding up the Universe by Caroline

"Writing about this opens doors to people who don't know about these things."

Holding up the universe by Jennifer Niven

Hey all!

I just finished reading Holding up the Universe, by Jennifer Niven!

I was given this book by the Dominicanen bookshop in Maastricht for review, thank you!

"Everyone thinks they knows Libby Strout, but no one's ever looked past her weight to see who she really is. Since her mum's death, Libby's been hiding, but now she's ready for high school. I want to be the girl who can do anything.

Everyone thinks they know Jack Masselin too - sexy, aloof, and too cool for school. But Jack's swaggering confidence is hiding a secret he must keep at all costs.Be charming. Be hilarious. Don't get too close to anyone.

Then Jack meets Libby. And their worlds change.Because sometimes when you meet someone, the whole universe just comes into focus."

This was a cute, quick read! I enjoyed it! However, I must say that it is incredibly weird to read a book in which your name is used. One of the mean characters was called Caroline and I kept cringing on the inside, hahaha ^-^.

Additionally, if you liked Eleanor and Park, you'll most likely like this too :)

Holding up the Universe is about Jack and Libby - the popular guy and the new, overweight girl - who meet each other in a somewhat awkward way that changes each other's lives.

Libby is known for being America's Fattest Teen - she had to be rescued from her own house in her early teen years, which of course created a lot of hate towards her from her peers at school. Going back to the years later, she built herself a confidence that is often seen as violent and aggressive by other students.

Jack built himself a character - someone who is popular and confident in every sense of the word - because he has a mental condition called prosopagnosia. This is a condition where you can't recognize faces. Imagine seeing someone new, and when they turn away, you could not describe them anymore. Or not being able to describe your family, save for a few distinguishing features.

I think that this book handled face-blindness very well. I had no idea it could be so severe, and I can only imagine the situations it can get you in on a bad day.

Although I liked Jack as a character, I had a harder time with Libby. She was deffinetly unique and incredibly strong, but I had a hard time with her aggressiveness, sensitivity and stubbornness. I can understand it, but I feel like it was slightly overplayed.

Jennifer Niven is really quite a good author! She brings in many contemporary things such as music and books into the story, and she does one thing I absolutely love - short chapters! :D It's the best thing to read a book with short chapters - you just flip though them and don't see the pages go :) Also, she didn't fall into the insta-love trap.

I had a bit of a hard time with Jack and Libby together because it did feel like it was done very suddently, with a lack of chemistry at the beginning, but in the end (way end) I did think it was cute. I feel like the beginning of their relation could have been researched a bit more.

(Also, I'm sorry for this but I feel like I need to metion this little rant:)
A lot of people are criticizing this book because it is 'romanticizing mental ilness' and 'body-shamming by trying to be anti-body-shamming'. And yeah, I can get that - mental/physical illnesses/conditions are nothing to be tossed around lightly. Most of us might never know what it is to have one, and might never understand. My brother is very, very dyslexic. He's 14 and was diagnosed when he was 8, and I'm still trying to figure out what being dyslexic is like. I mean sure he has a hard time reading and can't memorize tha 2x3=6, but can solve a rubik's cube in less than a minute and is amazing with computers.

But putting down an author for writing about characters who are 'different' - in the sense of what we see in fashion magazines or in 'mentally healthy' people - is so, so disappointing. I understand it is a 'marker' of a person, or a label, and of course these types of topics are incredibly, excrutiatingly difficult to be accurate about when you don't personally experience them, but this book was good! You could tell how much research was done into understanding the circumstances the characters were in. I barely knew about prosopagnosia until now. Writing about this opens doors to people who don't know about these things. Instead of blaming an author for 'not knowing what he/she is writing about', try thanking them for trying to understand.

(rant over thanks for bearing with me ^^)

I'm giving this book a 4/5 feathers. Very cute and light read, but there were some things I had a little bit of a harder time with.



Have you read Holding up the Universe? What did you think about it? Let me know! :)

Have a great day!

Caroline.

Ana: Great books to give or to read these holidays!

Hello fellow booklions

The holidays are almost upon us so here are a two book recommendations you could gift a friend who loves to read or yourself because there is no better moment to treat yourself. I chose two very different books but I hope you’ll enjoy both of them!

The first book I picked, is Angelfall by Susan Ee, which is the first book in the Penryn and the End of Days trilogy. It tells the story of Penryn, her younger sister and their (crazy) mother. Angels have descended from heaven to demolish the world and wreak havoc, while Penryn and her family are just trying to survive. One uneventful night Penryn’s sister is captured and Raffe’s wings are torn off. Penryn decides to rescue this enemy angel and they make a deal to rescue her sister and get Raffe’s wings attached to his body again.

Susan Ee is an incredible writer that sketches the world around you as you make your way through the story and creates a story so epic and action-packed you will not be able to put it down. All the characters are very unique and you get to experience this angel apocalypse which turns out to be very different than you’d expect. Angels can be bad guys too! I would recommend getting the whole trilogy in one go so you can binge read it while you have some time off this holiday. I hope you enjoy it just as much as I did!

The second book I have in store for you is Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins. This story is about a girl called Anna (how coincidental) that is sent to school in Paris. We all know Paris as the city of love and she indeed falls in love with a French guy named Étienne. This story is not what you expect and will take you on a roller-coaster of emotions during the year Anna stays in Paris. The book is very sweet and romantic and one of my favourite romantic books to read. Don’t judge the book too fast by it’s cover and title and give it a go if you need a 'pick me up' from all the cold outside. I hope you enjoy this book! 

Until next time.

Ana

De ideale kerstcadeau's volgens Ana

Hallo mede-boekenleeuwen

De feestdagen komen er al snel aan dus bij deze twee boekentips die je aan iemand die van lezen houdt cadeau kan doen of aan jezelf natuurlijk want het is nu het perfecte moment om jezelf een beetje te verwennen. Ik heb twee heel verschillende boeken uitgezocht maar ik hoop dat beide boeken je bevallen!

Het eerste boek dat ik heb uitgekozen is Angelfall van Susan Ee, dit is het eerste deel uit de Penryn and the End of Days trilogie. Het boek gaat over Penryn, haar jongere zusje en hun (gestoorde) moeder. Er zijn engelen uit de hemel op aarde gekomen om de aarde te verwoesten en chaos te creëren, terwijl Penryn en haar familie proberen te overleven. Op een ongelukkige avond wordt het zusje van Penryn ontvoerd en worden de vleugels van Raffe afgescheurd. Penryn besluit om deze vijandige engel te redden en ze sluiten een deal om het zusje van Penryn te redden en de vleugels van Raffe weer aan zijn lichaam vast te laten maken.

Susan Ee is een geweldige schrijfster die de wereld om je heen in het verhaal gaandeweg opbouwt en een episch verhaal vol actie creëert dat je niet kan neerleggen. Alle personages zijn uniek en je maakt de engelen-apocalypse mee die heel anders blijkt te zijn dan je verwacht. Engelen kunnen ook slechteriken zijn! Ik raad aan de trilogie in één keer te kopen zodat jij hem helemaal kan lezen nu het nog vakantie is. Ik hoop dat je ervan geniet!

Het tweede boek dat ik wil aanraden is Anna and the French Kiss door Stephanie Perkins. Het verhaal gaat over Anna (hoe toepasselijk) die een jaar naar school gaat in Parijs. We kennen Parijs allemaal als de stad van de liefde en ze wordt inderdaad verliefd, namelijk op een jongen genaamd Étienne. Het verhaal is niet wat je verwacht en neemt je mee op een achtbaan van emoties doorheen het jaar dat Anna in Parijs is. Het boek is heel lief en romantisch en een van mijn favoriete romantische boeken. Beoordeel het boek niet te snel op de titel en de cover en lees het eens als je een 'pick me up' nodig hebt van het koude weer buiten. Ik hoop dat je het boek leuk vindt!

Tot de volgende keer.

Ana

Things to Make and Do in the Fourth Dimension by Caroline

"This is probably the most enjoyable book about maths ever written."

Things to make and do in the fourth dimension by Matt Parker

Hey all!

I just finished reading Things to Make and Do in the Fourth Dimension, by Matt Parker. And surprise, it's non-fiction!

Thank you so much to the Young Adult Dome team at the Maastricht Dominicanen bookstore for letting me borrow this book to review it, I highly appreciate it!

"This is probably the most enjoyable book about maths ever written."

From impossibly small pizza slices to computers built out of dominoes, unfathomable knots to multi-dimensional drinking straws, Matt Parker introduces the amazing, essential, riotous world of numbers that is all around us, absolutely everywhere."

For some reason when I picked up this book, I thought it was a piece of fiction about a math nerd. And in some ways, it does read in that way! I didn't think I would ever enjoy a non-fiction about math of all things, but I ended up having fun reading this!

Things to Make and Do in the Fourth Dimension is all about the mathematics that we see in our everyday lives, yet that we never talk about in math classes. And I'm not talking about the fact that serving a volleyball makes an arc, or the secrets of integrals. This book talked about shapes and codes and pizza. It talks about comic strips and coloring in maps. It even gives you fun challenges to try out with things like straws or paper! Here's one of my favorites; try it out and be amazed!

"Imagine a shape which cannot be cut in half. Not some hypothetical maths shape - a real one you could build out of paper. A shape which, if you took a pair of scissors to it and cut all the way through it, would remain in one piece. It is possible for such a shape to exist, and you can make one right now. Start with two long strips of paperand join the first one end to end so that it forms a loop, then join the other one up in the same way, but with one end turned over so there's a twist in the loop. If you cut along the centre line of the non-twisted loop, you'll go all the way around and cut it completely in half, leaving two thinner loops. Not so for the twisted loop. It is a shape which cannot be cut in half."

This is the opening paragraph of a chaper on rediculous shapes. Being quite curious about it I tried it out, and thought the trick was so interesting that I made my whole family try it out!

This book shows a lot of tricks like this and explains how and why they work, on all kinds of scales and dimensions. It also talks about numbers - usually huge numbers that are hard to imagine. But it's written in such a way that you can somewhat understand just how huge these numbers actually are. Below is a part that I bookmarked just because it was written so nicely. It is about factorials, namely factorial(52). This basically does 52 x 51 x 50 x 49 x ... x 2 x 1.

"That's a number with sixty-eight digits. A truly huge number. To say it the long way, there are 800,000 billion billion billion billion billion billion billion ways a pack of (52) cards could be shuffled. There are only about 1 million billion billion stars in the observable universe. And the universe is only about 4 hundred million billion seconds old..."

It goes on for a bit more, and it's actually really mind-blowing!

Matt Parker is able to put math in such a way that it is easily accessible to almost anyone. He writes in a way that is understandable and covers a wide range of topics that can capture the interest of anyone. I personally have never been a big algebra person, yet I love geometry! the geometry chapters were amazing, in my opinion!

I was honestly amazed by how accessible and understandable this book was. I've never felt comfortable with maths but this book might have just changed my mind!

I'm giving this book a 4/5 crosses! Deffinetly worth a try!

More of Caroline: justanotherbookishblog.blogspot.nl

Perfect Christmas gifts according to Irina

Hello, lovely readers !!

I hope all of you are slowly settling in the Christmas mood and daydreaming of sleeping in late, eating delicious food and getting some well-deserved rest. Yes, I myself am a great fan of this holiday and am a firm believer in spending it with your loved and closest ones. Which also means gift shopping (ughhh..*sigh*)

Yesterday I spent 6 hours browsing all the stores (some of them twice or even three times..) to find the perfect gift for each & everyone. Believe me when I tell you – HARD WORK, they should suggest this routine as weight loss workout. My struggles made me realize that I am not alone in this so I decided to save you some of the trouble looking and suggest some great books that would fit all ages, moods and tastes to be the ultimate Christmas present:

1. “Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone” by J.K. Rowling – the illustrated edition by Jim Kay

Yes, well of course I shall suggest this – it is my favorite book..but the fact is that this is one of the most beautiful illustrated books I have seen in my life. Jim Kay managed to represent our beloved world perfectly by highlighting the best moments throughout the story. So if you have a Potter fan – that is your gift; a beloved child or teenager? – the gift; if you want to surprise someone with a mix of great illustrations with a greater story – that is the gift !! And they even have the second book now !! Don’t hesitate – this is the universal gift (and that is not just the Potter fan speaking, I promise !!)

2. "A Court of Thorns and Roses” & the sequel “A Court of Mist and Fury” by Sarah J. Maas

I would always suggest Sarah J. Maas as one of the best authors I have ever read. Her books combine the YA and fantasy/fiction genres in the perfect manner producing the universal book for all ages. The Court represents the 2nd series of the author following the “Throne of Glass” series (ongoing, currently published 5 out of 6 books). Her stories are addictive with a little bit of everything – strong characters, epic battles, distant lands and myths and beautiful love stories – all the perfect ingredients to keep you hooked from cover to cover.

I hope my Christmas choices will help reduce the challenges of gift-shopping so if you haven’t even started – Boekhandel Dominicanen is right on your way to pick up those copies, warm yourself up with a cup of coffee/tea and feel the Christmas vibe. And if that isn’t enough for you – they even pack the gifts and they always look pristine (if you are not the best with wrapping paper)! But as they say “A picture is worth a thousand words” soo..here is one of my trusted friend holding a gift, ready to make someone happy.

I wish you love, health and happiness and a very merry Christmas!!

Hello to blogger Caroline!

Hey all! My name is Caroline and I have been a YA blogger since 2015! I am so happy to be a part of the Young Adult Dome team, hopefully we will help you find your next favorite book!

I am a 20-year-old student from France and the US, but have lived in Maastricht for many years, and love this city. 

In my everyday life, I am a chemistry student in Maastricht, a YA-enthusiast, an archer and a music lover. I stumbled into blogging between two homework assignments, and have highly enjoyed it ever since. For me, almost nothing beats reading a book about magic with fluffy socks and a cup of caramel tea.

Personally, narrowing down my shelf to determine my favorite books is - as Alice puts in in Alice in Wonderland - unpossible. Harry Potter, The Infernal Devices, Throne of Glass, Percy Jackson, The Giver and Stravaganza have all held the title of 'favorite' at some point in my life - and that's not even considering all of my favorite standalones!

However one story that I always come back to is The Giver, by Lois Lowry. It is a book that can be read over and over again, each time with a different perspective on the story.

I hope you all have a great day!


"You could rattle the stars. You could do anything, if only you dared." - Sarah J. Maas, Throne of Glass

Reviews of Caroline >>

Harteloos door Rika

"Lang voordat ze de schrik van Wonderland was, was de Hartenkoningin een meisje dat ontzettend graag verliefd wilde worden."

Harteloos door Marissa Meyer

Harteloos gaat over het verhaal van Lady Catherine Pinkerton, dochter van de Markies en Markiezin van Rotsschildpadbaai. Catherine droomt ervan om samen met haar beste vriendin en dienstmeisje Mary Ann een bakkerij te openen, maar haar ouders vinden dit niet passend voor haar. Ze willen het beste voor haar, ze willen dat ze trouwt met de koning en hartenkoningin wordt. Dit is echter niet wat Catherine wilt, de koning is een onzekere man die problemen liever uit de weg gaat dan ervoor kiest om deze op te lossen. Zodra Catherine op een bal van de koning de hofnar ontmoet, wordt ze verliefd, en vanaf dat moment is ze nog vastberadener om haar eigen lot te bepalen. Maar wat als jouw lot nu al vast staat?

Harteloos is een prachtig boek over liefde in een land vol magie, vreemde wezens en nog vreemdere vrienden. Het boek speelt zich af in hetzelfde land als Alice in Wonderland, voor de oorlog tussen de Red Queen en de White Queen. Sommige wezens zul je vast wel herkennen in het boek. Het boek is geschreven vanuit het standpunt van de jonge hartenkoningin, de zo gehate Red Queen uit Alice in Wonderland. Echter dit boek zet haar op een volledig andere manier neer, als een prachtige jonge vrouw met dromen, die verliefd wordt en tegen haar ouders in gaat om haar eigen geluk te vinden. Catherine is iemand die vecht voor wat ze wil, die sterk is en toegewijd. Ze is niet iemand die snel opgeeft, maar hoe zal dat aflopen wanneer ze vol zit met wraakgevoelens? Hoe zal dat haar hart veranderen?

Het is een prachtig en meeslepend verhaal waar ik werkelijk van heb kunnen genieten, van de eerste tot de laatste pagina. Als je Alice in Wonderland al hebt gelezen dan heb je altijd wel al een beeld van de personen, vooral van de hartenkoningin. In Harteloos wordt haar verleden zo prachtig verteld, zo onverwachts, maar het doet het verleden van de hartenkoningin zeker recht! Wanneer je Alice in Wonderland niet hebt gelezen is dit natuurlijk geen probleem. Omdat dit het verhaal van ervoor is kun je deze ook heel goed los lezen en dat zal zeker niets af doen aan het verhaal.

Dit boek verdient zeker weten 5 crosses!

Het is een prachtig en meeslepend verhaal waar ik werkelijk van heb kunnen genieten, van de eerste tot de laatste pagina! - Rika

Welkom in de Young Adult Dome Rika!

Hoi!

Ik ben Rika, 22 jaar jong en een enorme boekenwurm. Ik vind het ontzettend leuk om hier mijn mening te delen over de boeken die ik lees, en hopelijk mijn enthousiasme voor lezen over te brengen.

Ik ben geboren in een klein dorpje in de buurt van Roermond, geboren en getogen Limburger, dus ik voel me ook zeker thuis hier in Mestreech. Ik studeer aan de Universiteit van Maastricht, waar ik nu bezig ben met mijn tweede jaar van de Master opleiding Biomedical Sciences.

Mijn vrije tijd besteed ik voornamelijk in boekenwinkels, het liefst natuurlijk in combinatie met een lekker kopje koffie of thee, wat je het beste kunt vinden bij Boekhandel Dominicanen. Je zult me daar dus ook regelmatig vinden. Verder hou ik van muziek, niet alleen luisteren maar ook maken, en ben ik ook wel vaker achter de lens in de natuur te vinden.

Mijn favoriete boek is Alice in Wonderland, van kleins af aan hou ik zo ontzettend van dit sprookje. Wonderland is mijn plek om even lekker weg te kruipen en te genieten van een wereld waar iedereen raar, gek, anders is.

Mijn favoriete quote is dus ook van Alice in Wonderland, eentje waar ik me helemaal bij thuis voel:

“How do you know I’m mad?” said Alice.
“You must be,” said the Cat, “or you wouldn’t have come here.”

De eerste recensie van Rika komt vanavond online!

Nieuwe blogger in onze Dome: welkom Ana!:)

Hallo mede-boekenleeuwen,

Aangezien dit mijn eerste post is, zou ik mij willen voorstellen aan jullie allemaal.

Ik heet Ana. Ik ben 18 jaar oud en woon momenteel in België, hoewel ik wel ben geboren in Nederland. Ik studeer rechtsgeleerdheid aan de universiteit van Maastricht. Naast rechten geniet ik ook van heel veel andere dingen zoals lezen (lijkt me wel duidelijk), lange wandelingen in de regen en dansen/vals meezingen met muziek.

Ik lees graag omdat ik door boeken kan vluchten uit de realiteit, al is het maar voor even. Ik hou eigenlijk van allerlei boeken, maar ik lees vooral fictie. De Harry Potter boeken zijn mijn favoriete boeken!

Ik heb ook een heleboel favoriete quotes maar deze van J.K. Rowling zal me altijd bijblijven.

 ‘What’s comin’ will come, an’ we’ll meet it when it does.’ – Hagrid

Dus laten we dat vooral doen, mede-boekenleeuwen. Laten we lezen en samen genieten van boeken op deze mooie blog!

Tot de volgende keer.

Ana's eerste recensie van 'Wink, Poppy en Midnight' lees je binnenkort op deze blog!

Tales of the Peculiar by Ransom Riggs

By Blogger Irina

"His writing style is so vivid you feel the need to read “just one more” until you realize you are at the back cover"

Tales of the peculiar by Ransom Riggs

Hello, hello, lovely readers!! As this is my first review for the Young Adult Dome I must apologize for the long post that is inevitable to come. I shall be excused though, since I am overly excited and delighted to be a part of the magic Boekhandel Dominicanen represents for me. This was the first place I went to (outside of my home) when I came to the Netherlands over a year ago and since then have found solitude, happiness and excitement there (and as a vivid bookworm spend a small fortune of course he he). But let’s get straight to the book!  

Let’s begin with a short THANK YOU to whomever is responsible for the introduction of the so-called companions to book series in YA. You know, you read all the books and then feel heartbroken and hungover and just not ready to move on to the next book, but your favorite (at the moment not so favorite) author is already busy with another project and is “done” with your beloved world. And then like a miracle you receive the companion – most often a pre-story, shorter than the other books in the series – and hurray a little Christmas. So thank you, person-that-thought-of-this, may you live a long and happy life !!  

My first encounter with this book was a love at first sight – just look at the covers!! It reminds me of the old botany books I used to steal from my grandparent’s library. Everything represents the eternal class of vintage style hardcovers - the ornate golden drawings, silk ribbon bookmark, the capital letter (or so called initial) standing out and the gorgeous drawings at the beginning of each chapter. I was so excited to receive this as my first task and to add this masterpiece to my lovely book collection of course.  

I started reading on a cold winter’s evening aaand.. read it in one go. Believe me, I wished I could be able to enjoy these slower, maybe one tale per evening. But his writing style is so vivid you feel the need to read “just one more” until you realize you are at the back cover. I had the privilege to see him this April at the Yalfest in Utrecht and even then he stood out from all the other authors. Even his daily conversations sound like captivating fairytales. Needless to say after that encounter I went to buy all three of his books.. 

The book is the perfect gift for all those peculiar among us, both as a companion to the series and a stand-alone; to a beloved person or, let’s face it – yourself (sorry-not-sorry). All tales have their own style and sense of story, some I liked more than others, but all were to my taste and left a deep impression. They reminded me of the magical feeling I got every time I read (and re-read) the Grimm’s fairytales as a child. The introduction by Millard Nullings (for more info check the Peculiar world) gave the final entertaining touch to this book, making you dive deep in the imagination of Ransom (which I have to say is a place I enjoyed very much!). 

And to finish my review accordingly, here is a quote I find befitting:   
 “So please enjoy these Tales – before a crackling fire on a chilly night,…and if you must read them aloud (which I highly recommend) make certain your audience is peculiar.” 

We welcome blogger Irina to the Young Adult Dome!:)

Hello everyone,

My name is Irina and I am excited to become a book reviewer for the Young Adult Dome and share my bookish thoughts with all of you !!

I am 25 y. old, born in Sofia, the capital of beautiful Bulgaria. I came here for my Master’s studies in Biomedical sciences.

In my world coffee or tea are happiness exchange currencies; travelling happens as often as possible; music is life & rain is great and gives the opportunity to jump in puddles.

My all-time favorite books are – surprise, surpriiiiseee – the Harry Potter books (all of them, as often as possible). Thank you, J.K. Rowling, sincerely !!

My favorite quote is (no surprise anymore) from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, one known by many:

“After all this time?”
“Always,” said Snape.”

I hope you all have someone loving you as much as Snape loves Lily!!

Find me on Goodreads :]

Irina's first review of 'Tales of the peculiar' will be online this afternoon!

Fantastic Beasts and where to find them by JK Rowling

By blogger Caroline

"Featuring a cast of remarkable characters, this is epic, adventure-packed storytelling at its very best"

Fantastic beasts and where to find them by J.K. Rowling

Hey all!

I just finished reading the screenplay for Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them! I also watched the movie on Friday. So I thought I could review both at once!

When I heard that JK Rowling was making a new addition to the wizarding world that was all about the magical creatures you hear about, I could not wait to see it and read it! Honestly I would read anything that she publishes that relates to magic. The world that she created is so incredibly vast and beautiful that it is hard not to go back to it.

Note: I would like to thank the Dominicanen Boekhandel in Maastricht for giving me a copy of this! Thank you so much! This does not alter my opinions in any way.

So I won't stall any longer - here is my review for Fantasic Beasts!

Gorgeous covers are my weakness

When Magizoologist Newt Scamander arrives in New York, he intends his stay to be just a brief stopover. However, when his magical case is misplaced and some of Newt's fantastic beasts escape, it spells trouble for everyone…

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them marks the screenwriting debut of J.K. Rowling, author of the beloved and internationally bestselling Harry Potter books. Featuring a cast of remarkable characters, this is epic, adventure-packed storytelling at its very best.

Whether an existing fan or new to the wizarding world, this is a perfect addition to any reader's bookshelf.

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them is a prequel to the much-beloved Harry Potter series. It takes place in 1920's New York, where the Salem Witch Trails have been brought back to light, and where witches are shunned by the general public. The peace between the humans and magic folk (no-majes vs wizards) is balancing on a thin line - any evidence of wizardry in New York could start a war between the two groups.

Enter Newt Scamander, a magizoologist who has a suitcase full of magical creatures that escape into New York City. Naturally, this causes mayhem. He his helped by Tina, Queenie and a muggle (I really have to get used to saying no-maj now ^^), Jakob, to find the creatures before too many people can notice them.

At the same time, Grindewald is on the loose - he is a notorious wizard, known for murdering muggles in Europe. 

I absolutely loved it. This movie shows you everything that you learn about with Harry Potter in a real-world setting, basically how magic is used in a wizard's adult, every-day life. Some of my favorite spells like alohomora are used and it makes you warm and fuzzy on the inside to hear such spells again! There's the Harry Potter theme song playing from time to time, and references to the original series that made me smile!

It was really interesting to see the Wizarding world in another country - muggles become no-majes, the Ministry of Magic is MACUSA, Hogwarts is Ilvermorny, etc. It makes you think, what about other countries? It also makes you realize how big the wizarding world is - just as vast as our own.

The beasts were incredibly creative! They were some mixes of animals that are common to us, such as stick insects or manta rays, but with a twist to them. Honestly the movie put them in such a beautiful way!

I already have to stop, sadly, but I cannot wait to see the second part of this quintology! I might expand on this later :)

I give it 5 crosses!

Me before you, by Jojo Moyes

Blogger Caroline: 'This book was heartbreaking, addictive'

Me before you by Jojo Moyes

Hey all!

I just finished reading Me Before You, by Jojo Moyes!
I mean legit read most of it in one sitting, sat there in feels, had lunch and came up to review it.

The thing is, when you're a book reviewer/blogger, you know that there're three main types of reviews that are really difficult to write: 

- For books that you didn't like
- For the second book in a series
- For a book whose ending end so massive / impressive / crushing that the rest of the book just kinda   seems like a blur

Let's guess which one Me Before You falls under xD



"Lou Clark knows lots of things. She knows how many footsteps there are between the bus stop and home. She knows she likes working in The Buttered Bun tea shop and she knows she might not love her boyfriend Patrick.

What Lou doesn't know is she's about to lose her job or that knowing what's coming is what keeps her sane.
Will Traynor knows his motorcycle accident took away his desire to live. He knows everything feels very small and rather joyless now and he knows exactly how he's going to put a stop to that.
What Will doesn't know is that Lou is about to burst into his world in a riot of colour. And neither of them knows they're going to change the other for all time."

So, how to review a book that leaves you so crushed?

I'm gonna do my best! ^^

Note: This will probably will be full of spoilers. Instead of doing a spoiler section, I'm just going to leave spoilers in this. DO NOT READ IF YOU HAVE NOT READ THE BOOK!

So Me Before You is about Louise and Will. Louise lost her job and starts working for Will and his family. Will is quadriplegic - he can not move anything below his 4/5th vertebrae. This leaves him in a wheelchair and having to have caretakers. He is depressed and knows one thing - when and how he wants to die. Louisa sets herself a mission with the help of her sister - to change Will's mind and to show him that life is worth living, even if he cannot live it as he used to.

This book was heartbreaking, addictive, and overall a nice read - I can see the hype around it!

I liked the way it was written! It was simple writing that was easy to understand, yet when different characters narrated their own parts, you could tell the narration was different. Each of the characters had an important part in the story, and each of them was amazing.

I feel like I could really understand some of the characters and their decisions. Louise is 26 and somewhat lost in her life - having lost her job, she doesn't really know what she wants to do with her future. When she meets Will and they finally start to get along, he opens her horizons and making her realize that she can do more with her life than just let it pass without seeing the world and having experiences like scuba diving. Her character development in this book was really amazing! She learned so much from Will.

Before his accident, Will was full of life - he would skydive, rock climb, travel the world, and had a generally active lifestyle. His accident changed him as a person. Incredibly sarcastic and pragmatic, he and Louise did not get along at first. Whenever she tried to help or to make his life brighter, he would shut her down with rude comments. But eventually, he opens up to her and keeps nudging her to try things she would never do otherwise - getting a tattoo, traveling or even going to a classical violin concert. And she slowly learns that she enjoys it. Yet his handicap leaves him unhappy with his life. He lost his friends, people look at him with pity, he can't go on the same adventures as he used to, and his daily routine his full of medicine and having to be helped. He once cut his wrists but was saved by the doctors. He promised his parents to stay alive for another 6 months, but at the end of that time, he arranged to go to Switzerland in an institute where people can undertake euthanasia. He feels like it's the one thing he can control in his life.

 

Lou comes from a family that's in the lower class. They are a fan of the fact that she works for a rich family - they need the money she can make, but eventually grow to like Will as a person as well. Her sister is really helpful for her situation as a helper.

Will's family is quite rich, yet has many problems. His sister is overly protective of him, and his father practically sees him as a nuisance.

I loved the part when they were at the wedding and they danced together.
I loved the part when Lou was choosing a dress and Will and Nathan were being fashion critics
I loved the part when Will gave her the stripey bumblebee stockings for her birthday
I just really really enjoyed the little moments they had that made both of them smile.

One thing that surprised me is that although I cried in the end when they said goodbye, and with the letter he left her, it didn't hit me as much as I thought it would. I think it's because the hype around it is for the fact that it is a book that will make you cry. I think that just because I was expecting to cry, I didn't... Does that even make sense?

I really liked the message of spreading your wings and living - that was an amazing message! I just had a harder time with the idea that life as someone in a wheelchair withe quadriplegia was so awful that the only thing to do was to... stop.

Overall, I really liked this book! It was so sweet in so many ways and crushed me in the end. I'm giving it a 5/5! :D Even tough there was an idea I didn't like so much, it was somewhat understandable, and there were other things that covered for it :)



 
Have you read Me Before You? What did you think of it? Let us know! :D

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Harry Potter and the cursed child

 

Blogger Jolein: 'Eindelijk weer een Harry Potter boek!'  

 

Eindelijk een nieuw Harry Potter verhaal! Toen ik deel 7 uit had gelezen, viel ik in een gat. Na jaren de Harry Potter boeken te hebben verslonden en sommige delen wel 10x te hebben gelezen, kwam er een einde aan de reeks. En nu, jaren later, verscheen er tóch nog een Harry Potter boek!

Ik kon niet wachten tot de Nederlandse versie verscheen en kocht hem in het Engels. Wat was het heerlijk om weer terug te duiken in de wereld van Zweinstein, dooddoeners, zwerkbal en boterbier! 

Harry, Ron en Hermelien zijn inmiddels volwassen en hun kinderen volgen lessen op Zweinstein. We volgen zijn zoontje Albus die voor het eerst naar Zweinstein gaat. Hij raakt bevriend met niemand minder dan de zoon van Harry's rivaal Draco Malfidus. Samen ondernemen ze een gewaagd avontuur, dat absoluut niet de afloop heeft die ze willen...

Het boek is, zoals jullie weten, een toneelscript, maar na een paar bladzijden merk je daar niks meer van! Het verhaal zit vol spanning en verrassende wendingen. Je wordt meegenomen naar gebeurtenissen uit eerdere delen en je doet een schokkende ontdekking...

Voor de Harry Potter fans een échte MUST READ!

Aanstaande zaterdag 19 november verschijnt Harry Potter en het vervloekte kind in het Nederlands. Dus heb je hem nog niet gelezen? Zeker doen!

Er is net een flinke voorraad binnengekomen bij Boekhandel Dominicanen:

Ik geef het boek 4 crosses.

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De leukste tips, reviews, ratings en alles wat je als échte booklover zeker moet weten vind je hier! 

De bloggers van deze Dome zullen je de komende tijd laten weten welke boeken een absolute must read zijn en zullen je precies vertellen waarom en welke rating het boek krijgt. Natuurlijk kun jij jezelf ook laten horen! So… what do you think?

Oh ja, we geven in de Young Adult Dome natuurlijk ook leuke prijzen weg. Ik bedoel wie wil nou niet als eerste het nieuwe exemplaar van de nieuwe Percy Jackson ontvangen?

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