Review: Serpent and Dove by Shelby Mahurin

Title: Serpent and Dove (Book 1)
Author: Shelby Mahurin
Publisher: HarperTeen (September 2019)

This is a hard review for me to articulate because I really did love this book, but it has massive flaws that bothered me throughout the narrative.

Lou, our protagonist, reminds me a little too much of Celaena Sardothien with her badassery and sass, however all it did was make me want to return to the Throne of Glass universe (which I will do when my books arrive from South Africa in the next week or two). But, she at least isn't a complete carbon-copy and carries her story well.

The story is well-paced and told from alternating points-of-view which suits the duality of this story. We need both sides as these are very different characters from different worlds and seeing their opinions of the other side is imperative to the plot. This is, at the core, a romantic fantasy and it makes for fun reading.

I did also have a problem with the romance and the building of sexual attraction between the two leads. There were times where their interactions felt a little forced and this is perhaps due to this being the author's debut novel. I just wasn't rooting for the couple as hard as I have other fictional couples and don't feel the need to look up fanart or any of that fun stuff to fill the void left until the next book releases.

***Also going to make a note that there is pretty descriptive sex in this for a book aimed at teens. There is no "fade to black" here kids, so be aware if you are getting this for a younger teen.***

But if you like YA fantasy and hate-to-love romance tropes, this is worth picking up.

7/10

Review: Now Entering Addamsville by Francesca Zappia

Title: Now Entering Addamsville
Author: Francesca Zappia
Publisher: Greenwillow Books (October 2019)

Eliza and her Monsters is one of my favorite reads of the past few years. I was really excited for this one, as I also love a good spooky read and expected the author to deliver with a fun story and quirky characters.

Alas, Now Entering Addamsville was a bit of a letdown for me. The story had so much potential, but I wonder if Zappia was rushed to produce this in time for Halloween release, as the story felt rushed and half-formed.

What should have been a creepy mystery felt like a bunch of scenes thrown together in which we get told how much the town hates Zora and the injustice of it all. There was not much plot to hold this up and, while I liked the supporting cast of characters, felt very little for Zora herself.

I guess if you are looking for a read like this, you would be better off with The Raven Boys by Maggie Stiefvater.

I have not written this author off and will definitely check out her next book, but this time with fewer expectations.

3/10

Review: A Very Large Expanse of Sea by Tahereh Mafi

Title: A Very Large Expanse of Sea

Author: Tahereh Mafi

Publisher: HarperTeen (October  2018)

I did not have a good time reading the Shatter Me series, Tahereh Mafi's debut work. I found them to be very generic with a Special Snowflake heroine and a weird writing style that made getting though the book kind of jarring. If you have read them, you will know exactly what I am talking about.

I was therefore not excited when I heard Mafi was taking a foray into contemporary. This book flew under my radar for ages and I only decided to read it because my local library had a copy.

Well, color me surprised. I read A Very Large Expanse of Sea in a single sitting and loved it. Set shortly after the events of 9/11, this book deals with the themes of racism and prejudice in a very clever way. I know nothing about the author's personal history, but this felt so real that I don't doubt this book was written from her own personal experience wearing a hijab in a time when people were looking for a reason to hate.

I felt really connected to Shirin, a complex character whose journey through this prejudge as her personal growth kept me turning the pages. I felt angry at the prejudice she experienced.

However, in spite of the themes in this books, I felt that this was ultimately a hopeful story and I highly recommend it to any fan of YA contemporary.

8/10

My 5 Favorite English Bookstores in the Netherlands

I have now been a resident in the Netherlands for just over a month and of course I had to indulge in a little bit of book tourism, as I wanted to find out which stores had the best selection of English titles.

I thought this information might be useful for other who are visiting or moving here so I decided to list my five favorite spots to visit for a browse.

1. Donner Boekhandel (Rotterdam)

This is an amazing bookstore based in the heart of Rotterdam's shopping district. It offers a wide selection of both English and Dutch titles and has a coffee shop and a selection of quality art supplies as well.

Donner also has an interesting history. It is the largest independent bookstore in the Netherlands and was crowdfunded when a bookstore chain called Polare folded and the staff wanted to try and retain as many jobs as possible and save the historical store. The store has been around since 1912 and in the current location since 1988.

This is a much-loved and popular destination for readers and I was especially impressed at the selection of English YA titles. There is also a whole section dedicated to all things Harry Potter.

If you ever are in Rotterdam, a city worth visiting regardless, definitely pop into Donner for a browse.


2. American Book Center (Amsterdam)

The most prominent bookstore in the Netherlands for English titles, ABC is family-owned and has branches in Amsterdam and The Hague. Established in 1972, they offer a massive selection of English titles across all genres. I was particularly impressed with their Fantasy and Sci-Fi section as they seem to make an effort to keep whole series of books in stock.

The Amsterdam store has a small coffee shop where you can enjoy a drink and a pastry while choosing what books you want to take home with you.


3. Broese Booksellers (Utrecht)

This bookstore has been around since 1753 and is a short walk from Utrecht Centraal train station.

While primarily offering Dutch titles, you can find a selection of English books. This bookstore also has a dedicated Harry Potter section as well as a decent English Fantasy selection.

It has a warm feel with very helpful staff who are present on the floor.


4. Waterstones (Amsterdam)

The popular UK chain has a store in Amsterdam along the main shopping street. They have been in Amsterdam since 1998 and the store even feels very English in the design and layout.

Spanning 3 floors, Waterstones offers a great selection of titles and you may even find some Waterstones exclusive editions of popular titles in stock.

There is no coffee shop, but you will find comfy seats where you can sit and browse.

The Fantasy selection is perhaps a bit lacking compared to the other stores mentioned, but I love their selection of YA and Graphic Novels.


5. Athenaeum (Various Locations)

While their offering of English titles is quite small, I do still like these bookstores as you will find some of the more popular English titles.

This is a chain with various stores across the Netherlands. There is even one in my town, Haarlem.


Of course, I have also visited the library and am very pleased at the variety of English titles available. This is also a great option for those looking to live here and I highly recommend looking at the library in your area. Of course, the offering of English titles will differ from library to library.

There are other bookstores I really want to look at and may do a follow-up post at a later time. Until then, I hope I provided some insight into what you can expect should you be looking to do some book shopping in the Netherlands.

Welcome! New Year, New Blog, New Goals

Welcome to my new little project, Books on Benches!

This is a blog where I will not only be posting book reviews, I will also be doing some commentary on life in the Netherlands as an expat (I come from South Africa), restaurant reviews and more.

I did run a blog titled UrbanisedGeek for a long time, but I thought it was time for a fresh start and a complete re-brand. While some of the content will be similar, I feel like I have outgrown my old blog and this is an opportunity for a clean slate.

I am passionate about books and reading and have been a blogger for going on 10 years now. I admit that I have been the most consistent or regular blogger, but I hope to change that this year with regular posts as I have set some personal goals for myself in terms of my reading.

Every year, I take part in the Goodreads Reading Challenge, a popular tool that enables you to set a reading goal for the year and track your progress. It is quite fun as you can also see how well your friends are doing at meeting their own reading goals. I much prefer this idea to a reading challenge where one has to reads books based on a checklist of criteria they need to meet. This might force you to read books you might not have looked at before, but I also want to read books I want to and not for the sake of some arbitrary checklist no one actually cares about.

So, this year I am keeping it simple. 100 books. 100 reviews. I can manage that, right? That in between finding a job and adjusting living in a new country. I got this.

I know it's going to take some time to build up an audience here and if you did find me from my previous blog, thank YOU for sticking around!

You can also follow me on Instagram @booksonbenchesnl for a taste of Dutch life and, of course, photos of books on benches!

Happy 2020 everyone!