The curious indicent of the dog in the night-time

YES, I will try and start updating some more. Especially outfits, because I'm pretty satisfied with my dressing as of late. But my batteries keep running out, or I forget to take pictures. You know the excuses.

ANYWAYS.

The curious incident of the dog in the night-time by Mark Haddon is the latest book I've read. I can describe my opinions on this book in one word: WOW. I am in LOVE with this book, and Marks writing.

I'll give you a quick explanation of the story. It's about a teenage autistic boy who discovers a murdered dog in the front lawn of his neighbours from across the street. He decides to start investigating it, but that is quite a challange since he has never been further than the end of his street on his own, and he doesn't like people very much. He quickly discovers a WHOLE LOT.

The whole book is just wonderful, the way Haddon discribes the thoughts of an autistic boy is outstanding. So simple and logical, yet so smart and funny. It's just all perfect. He nails it, I'd say.

The book also made me think about 'Extremely loud and incredibly close' by Jonathan Safran Foer. It's similar in the way that it's about two young boys, with similar funny habits and thoughts, who go on to investigate something. I know I can't even quite capture why they remind me of each other, but they are defenitely the best two books I've ever read.

I just love, love, love it. If anyone has any recommendations along the lines of those two books, I need to hear it ASAP!

XOXO

Things I love

I remember the first book I learned to read myself. It was a story about kittens doing naughty things (like knocking over a vase of flowers), and I was about three. Allright, so I didn't actually read it myself, but I knew it by heart, every sentence and every page. When I finally learned to read at the age of six, I was dying to get my hands on everything that had letters on it. I almost ate books for breakfast. And that hunger for reading never really stopped.

At school I follow a minor called 'Creative Writing', and though it focusses mainly on journalism, there was a small course on small stories. Stories that are only a few pages, and are usually plain bizarre. I adore that. I actually applaud bizarre, in many things in life. Since my teacher has the best story-reading-voice ever (so soft, I would hire her to read to my kids!!), she got me thinking about my youth, and fairytales.

I don't remember getting nighttime stories, really, but I'm pretty sure my parents used to read to me. Especially fairytales. Why else would they still have a spot in my heart?

That is why I just bought this book. The complete collection of fairytales of the Brothers Grimm. I knew I wanted to buy a big book of fairytales, I just didn't know by whom. It was either Grimm or Hans Christian Anderson. I chose Grimm, because of their bizareness. Their stories are a lot more violent, and honoustly, I'm pretty sure at least one person dies a violent death in at least 90% of the faitytales. I love that, I laugh at that, because it's such a contrast to what parents want to tell their children.

And the rolling heads are so normal too, they are a metaphor for the evil losing. I love the creativeness of the fairytales, and I'm pretty sure I will buy a collection by Hans Christian Anderson too, and ofcourse Roald Dahl.

This book contains 200 fairytales, and I bought it for €29,95 online (in Dutch).

XOXO

Ps. There are drawings in it too, and don't you just love the red side with golden letters? It looks sooo good on the shelves too.

recent buys!

A quick picture of my new booties! They are brown, leather, and have fake fur. And good grip in the snow. I don't get cold feed anymore, and don't slip! I had to say goodbye to my old booties (my true loves), but these are proper replacement I think!


My favorite book-series are the Shopaholic ones. They are hilarious. So when I didn't get this book for Sinterklaas, I had to go and buy it myself! I had it giftwrapped. It's hilarious already, and I just started!


I bought these adorable soup bowls, in taupe, my favorite interior design colour. I HAD to have them, to match my coffee cups. And then I also bought this little cooking thing.. just to make my €5 amount on my gift card!

What to do on a free evening?

I love to put my pyama on, and take out a book. Especially when it's cold, and inside it's warm and cosy. In thise case the book I'm readin is Anne Frank's Diary. 'Het Achterhuis' is the name we have for it in Holland, am not sure it's the same in other countries. It means 'the backhouse', where they hid.

I'm not sure what to think of it. It's quite a big book. And it's amazing to think this has all happened, every bit. That the girl who wrote this went trough so much.

BUT, not the be a cultural-monster. It DOES get a bit boring halfway trough the story. The old dutch sayings are adorable, and her ramblings are too, but in the end she's just a teenager talking about teenage problems most of the time. And that for about 400 pages is a bit long for me..

I do always get chills though, when I hear or read about the holocaust. And I'm pretty sure I'll cry at the end of this book, like I do at every movie or book about the WO2.

xoxo