Do You Read Me? The American Book Center Blog http://www.abc.nl/blog Thu, 24 Jul 2014 12:20:33 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.1 en hourly 1 Our social media in summer standby mode http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46864 http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46864#comments Thu, 24 Jul 2014 09:00:18 +0000 Sophie http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46864 Dear lovely readers,

From now until about the third week of August, the ladies behind ABC’s social media are in various stages of almost-on-vacation, actually-on-vacation, and just-back-from-vacation.

That means that this blog, our Twitter and our Facebook streams will all slow down considerably.  They’re not going to dry up, mind you, just trickle down to not much for a little while.  It also means that we will be rather slower than usual in answering any queries you might have on them.

Our best advice is to call or mail the stores instead: 020-6255537 and info@abc.nl for ABC Amsterdam / 070-3642742 and dh@abc.nl for ABC The Hague.

(In fact, if you’re in a hurry, mailing or calling the stores is ALWAYS the best option, whether we’re on vacation or not.)

And in case you’re curious, here’s what we’ll be reading:

  • Karin (Marketing Director, Events planner and ABC News Mailings):  I will be traveling on the US West Coast for 3 weeks and only have time for 1 book: Sisterland (ebook here) – chosen by my book club, to be discussed late August. Just finished The Fault in Our Stars (ebook). Yes, I almost cried (my best friend died of a brain tumor when she was only 18) and now I can also go see the film with my 13 year-old, non-reading teen daughter and cry my eyeballs out. Last but not least: currently reading and loving: Sand by Hugh Howey (ebook).
  • Ester (Tweetybird): The most recent part of the White House Chef mystery books, Home of the Braised, and the long-awaited third part of Deborah Harkness’s All Souls Trilogy, The Book of Life!
  • Sigrid (Facebook helmswoman):  I’m reading The Hormone Cure by Sara Gottfried and Balance Your Hormones by Patrick Holford (ebook).  I’m learning so much! Every woman (and man) should read this. although it’s more about female hormones, since the truth is that we have more of them and it’s all a bit more complicated for women.  Yesterday I kept being horribly tempted because we had these delicious caramels on the counter, but because of these books I’m now really aware of how a big sugary dosis like that completely deregulates your system!  For the Health section in Amsterdam I’ve now ordered a book on testosterone to balance things out.
  • Sophie (Blogmistress and ABC News Mailings):  I’ll be finishing Pat Barker’s Regeneration trilogy (ebook)(half way through book 2 now), and after that I’ll finish the latest part of the Outlander saga, Written in My Own Heart’s Blood by Diana Gabaldon (ebook)(reluctantly, as it’ll mean another four- or five-year wait until the next book in the series)(I mean, really, YOU KNOW NOTHING, Game of Thrones fans!).  Also hoping to start on Smiler’s Fair and something non-fiction-y (The Sleepwalkers?  Unruly Places?  Not decided yet.)

Thanks for your patience and understanding!  Sunny regards,

The Social Medialites

Illustration by Pietari Posti/Debut Art, via guardian.com.

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Prize draw winners: Otherbound and The Fault in Our Stars (twice) http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46495 http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46495#comments Tue, 22 Jul 2014 10:00:19 +0000 Sophie http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46495 Win a SIGNED copy of Otherbound by Corinne Duyvis: Hannie + Carola van der Drift

Q: Name at least one other Young Adult novel that you loved that deals with LGBT issues.

The Host by Stephenie Meyer.”

“Lately for some ‘reading challenges’ I’ve been reading a few very good LGBT themed Young Adult novels.
My favourites by far were Ask the Passengers by A.S. King and How to Repair a Mechanical Heart by J.C. Lillis. I also greatly enjoyed Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe by Benjamin Alire Sáenz. As for sci-fi, I recommend Adaptation by Malinda Lo :)

Want more Young Adult LGBT recommendations? Have a look at this list of 25 must-read books on the theme compiled by epicreads.com and also the Guardian’s still-being-added-to list started during their LGBT-themed week on their Children’s Books site.

Ebook available for The Host, Ask the Passengers, and Adaptation.

Win a The Fault in Our Stars book poster:  Willemijn van Vuure, Darice de Cuba, Lauren Hoeve (Lauren has a great YA book blog!), Nadia Huisman + Minne Los

Q: You’ve read EVERYTHING by John Green. What author should you read next?

“After you’ve read everything by John Green, you might experience what is known as a book hangover. Because although John Green’s books are amazing, some are also quite sad. So to get over this you’ll need another cute and funny read but without the (spoiler alert!) death involved. I think a great book for this is Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.”

“After reading a very good book it’s very hard to decide on a next one. It always seems none can compare to how good the last book was. I want to read something just like it but most of the times I can’t find anything. I need to read non-fiction or another genre to lower my expectations again before going to the next fiction book.
After The Fault in Our Stars I started with the Odd Thomas series by Dean Koontz. I read the first one years ago and saw the movie a while back.
On some level Hazel and Odd are the same; you are constantly in their heads. They are very well spoken, intelligent, sarcastic and have a good dry humor for their age. Both defy society norm; terminal cancer at 16 and a fry cook that sees ghosts. Also Odd has his own infinity love story with Stormy.
Odd Thomas is not as good as The Fault in Our Stars, not even close (although the first book is very good on its own), but it’s perfect for me while I lower my expectations again :)

David Levithan.

“This is like the hardest question ever because no author is quite like John Green, and I couldn’t make one choice so here’s a small list: (If this is not allowed, just take the first one and pretend the rest wasn’t there. I’m sorry, I really like books.)(Blogmistress’s note: OF COURSE this is allowed!  We love books, too, so the more recommendations from the heart, the better.  :-))
1. Rainbow Rowell. The internet is already obsessed with her, it’s time the outside world gets to know her! She has written two young adult books and one adult book. Her new adult book Landline is coming out July 8th!
2. Robyn Schneider. Her book The Beginning of Everything is so much like John Green’s work, I always recommend it for people who like him. I just got the urge to re-read it…
3. David Levithan. John has co-written Will Grayson, Will Grayson with this awesome guy, and not enough people are checking out David Levithan’s solo stuff! Especially Boy Meets Boy is amazing. I’m slowly collecting the rest of his stuff!
4. Gayle Forman. Not exactly similar to John Green in that many ways but I think that most people who like John will like Gayle Forman’s books too. She has written two duologies: If I Stay (which is being turned into a movie) + the sequel Where She Went, and Just One Day + the sequel Just One Year (and the ebook novella Just One Night). Just One Day is up there with my all-time favourite books, and that’s a hard list to get on to!”

“John Green is still alive and writing. I will be waiting for his next book!  But while I’m waiting for his next book, I’ll be reading Cassandra Clare books.”

ANDREW SMITH!!!!  Or me, of course. :)

“When you’ve read EVERYTHING by John Green, read EVERYTHING by John Corey Whaley next!”

Francesca Lia Block! Her Weetzie Bat series is quirky and colourful and great fun. And on top of that the books carry a great underlying message of inclusiveness and accepting & even celebrating our differences. It’s a crying shame Block and her books are not more widely known.”

“After you’ve read everything by John Green, you should read more books by David Levithan.”

“The next author you should read is: Stephen Chbosky.”

“The next author I would read would be Jesse Andrews. His book Me and Earl and the Dying Girl makes a great follow up to The Fault In Our Stars.”

Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Great, great book! With a wonderful plot twist as well, and so much more. After reading the novel, go watch the movie too!”

“My answer would be David Levithan, because he and Green co-wrote Will Grayson, Will Grayson, which is my favourite book. I love how the book dragged me into the story, it made me feel like I was living those words and not just reading them. Levithan’s way of writing and thinking are similar to Green, but with a certain twist, so you’re not just constantly re-reading different versions of what is basically the same story.”

“My answer to the question would be Stephen Chbosky, The Perks of Being a Wallflower.”

David Levithan!”

“If I’ve read everything by John Green (which I haven’t… YET) I’d read more books by Rainbow Rowell! I heard she’s amazing, and she’s recommended by John Green himself!”

Ebook available for The Fault in Our StarsFangirl, Odd Thomas, Landline, The Beginning of Everything, Will Grayson, Will Grayson, Boy Meets Boy, If I Stay, Where She Went, Just One Day, Just One Year, Just One Night, City of Bones, Winger, and Weetzie Bat.


Win one of these amazing The Fault in Our Stars goodies: Rebecca van der Elst, Eline Corée, Mandy Eveline Blom, Timo Daniels, Natalia Cobas, Mutena Ayas

Q: Besides all the John Green novels, what is your favorite Young Adult book (fiction or non-fiction, English or Dutch)?

The Good Luck of Right Now by Matthew Quick!!”

Across the Universe by Beth Revis is my favorite YA novel :D :D

The Perks of Being a Wallflower by Stephen Chbosky.
Just like John’s books, this is one I can read over and over without getting bored.”

“Besides all the John Green novels, my favorite Young Adult book is Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell.”

Mockingjay/Spotgaai.”

Momo en de tijdspaarders by Michael Ende (English title: Momo).
But frankly now I feel bad for all the other beautiful books I read at that time and were just at beautiful…  Shame on you: you do know that there are so many books in that time period. Every one of them beautiful in their own way! (yes, it was very mean to ask for just one favorite YA book.  :-))
Thea Beckman: Kruistocht in spijkerbroek (hooray for the really good Dutch writers)(English title: Crusade in Jeans).
Tonke Dragt: Awesome fantasy books, made me fall in love with fantasy at the age of 6 or 7 (yes, before early adulthood but kept on reading them in that time..)(Most famous title in English: The Letter for the King).
Marion Zimmer Bradley: The Darkover series (and all the other stuff she wrote).
Paul Biegel: De tuinen van Dorr (and every other book he wrote, but this one was the most beautiful at that time).
Sorry for the long list. I don’t want to insult all the other books that made a big impression on my life (and yes, I forgot lots of books already….).  I really love your bookstore. Spending lots and lots of money there ;)  People’re always so nice and friendly and know what they’re talking about!” (Thanks!  *blush*)(also, working here doesn’t make not spending money here any easier…  :/)

“My answer has to be The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger.”

“Besides all the John Green novels, my favourite YA novel is Winger by Andrew Smith.”

“My favorite book is Harry Potter.”

“My other favorite YA novel is The Spectacular Now by Tim Tharp.”

“My current favourite YA books are Fangirl by Rainbow Rowell and Anna and the French Kiss by Stephanie Perkins.”

“Mijn favoriete young adult boek is The Perks of Being a Wallflower.
Ik vind de brieven die Charlie verstuurt erg speciaal, vooral omdat hij alles kwijt kan wat hij kwijt wilt.
Het boek heeft mij erg geraakt, ook vanwege de film die ik als eerste had gezien.
Ben mede door de film en het boek, erg benieuwd naar The Fault in Our Stars!
Ik heb het boek al gelezen, en ik ga natuurlijk binnenkort ook naar de film, en dan verder doorgaan met boeken lezen van John Green!”

City of the Beasts by Isabel Allende.”

“First of all, it is obviously impossible to pick just one book as my favourite… But, if I was forced to choose, I reckon I’d pick something by Louisa M. Alcott. Probably An Old-Fashioned Girl or Little Women. Am not sure if they are thought of as YA books nowadays, but I remember reading them as a teen and absolutely loving them, so there. :)

“My favourite YA novel besides John Green’s books is Everybody Sees The Ants by A.S King.”

Me and Earl and The Dying Girl is my other favorite YA novel!”

“My favorite Young Adult book is Harry Potter.”

Ebook available for The Good Luck of Right Now, Across the Universe, Fangirl, Mockingjay, Darkover Landfall, Winger, The Spectacular Now, An Old-Fashioned GirlLittle Women and Everybody Sees the Ants.


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You Review a Local Author: The Price of Peace – Ron Muyzert http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46244 http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46244#comments Sat, 19 Jul 2014 10:00:39 +0000 Guest http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46244 Reviewed by Sheila Schenkel

It’s Wednesday morning and Dutch diplomat Rob Ginsberg is on his way to the West Bank. He’s on a mission to find out what’s happening with a large sum of money collected on Dutch streets, now that it’s being transferred to a political movement called New Palestine. It’s the beginning of a full-on spooks story.

Khalil Abu Hassan, leader of New Palestine, wants peace. As soon as possible. Peace for the Palestinians, peace with the Israelis, peace for future generations. And yet he’s under suspicion of using the € 75,000 donation for terrorist acts.

Visiting Abu Hassan at Birzeit University, Ginsberg ends up in the middle of the planning of an attack on Israel. As always, the questions are: who’s behind the attack, and when and where is it going to take place? When Ginsberg offers a ride to Abu Hassan’s assistant Lidia Shamas, he sets off on the infamous Path of No Turning Back.

Whilst unfolding the story of the donation, author Ron Muyzert lifts the veil of history, sharing his factual knowledge of Israel and the way its politicians ensure a state of their own. While diplomat Ginsberg’s story is fictional, he learns stories from the past that are real. Muyzert manages to keep that balance. Unfortunately, the characters as well as their dialogues remain a bit wooden.

The Price of Peace could have done with a few side stories. Perhaps the love story of Ginsberg and his Dutch girlfriend could have been given some more depth, or perhaps we could have gotten some more insight into the relationships of his boss Paul Kramer?

That being said, this book makes a very interesting read — especially if you’re at all fascinated by the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

You Review a Local Author: Books with an orange connection, reviewed by ABC customers.

The Price of Peace was first published in Dutch, as De prijs van vrede, by Uitgeverij Van Gennep (2012).  Ron Muyzert is a senior diplomat in the Dutch foreign service. He served as Ambassador in Bolivia and Cuba. From 2000 to 2003 he was Head of the Dutch Representative Office in Ramallah.  He launched the English translation of his book at ABC The Hague in March 2014.

The Price of Peace is self-published on ABC’s Espresso Book Machine.

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You Review: Fourth of July Creek – Smith Henderson http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46241 http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46241#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2014 13:00:32 +0000 Guest http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46241 Reviewed by Didi Groenhoff

Even though he often feels powerless and is certainly not always welcome, social worker Pete gives his all to help deprived children and their parents in a small town in Montana. This is the real America, where for many people life is a struggle. Pete sees it all, and tries to reach out. But he’s not entirely the hero he seems to be. In his personal life he meets the same struggles as the people he works with. Despite being a lonesome man that spends many of his evenings seeking company in bars, Pete tries to break with his family which he finds stifling. And then there’s his daughter Rachel, who he hardly ever sees because she is living with her mother. Leaving his personal problems untouched Pete acts only to help people he hardly knows and is not personally attached to. And what interesting people they are…

The story is brilliantly told. Using only a few words Smith Henderson sets each scene in such a way that you virtually see it happen in front of your very eyes. Reading this book will be a source of jealousy for everyone that once tried to write himself.

But the best thing about Fourth of July Creek is not the catching story or the amazing style. The most fascinating accomplishment is that Smith Henderson succeeds in tying this narrative of ordinary people living in the rough Montana mountain lands to big American themes like Freedom and Religion. In between the lines he discusses the complicated relationship between the Citizens and their State, and the question of who bears what responsibilities and rights. Henderson forces us to think about the foundations of the USA, where they led to success and where they resulted in failure. Placing the story in the late 70’s and early 80’s shows us that what we consider to be problems of our time might not be quite that. Touching on all these big subjects does not do any harm to the narrative, flooding my brain with thoughts and considerations and leaving me truly astounded after finishing.

This book is not a critique on the American way of life, nor does it celebrate it. It sets you thinking. Just like a good book should.

You Review: The latest releases, reviewed by ABC customers.

Ebook available of Fourth of July Creek.

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Bookbits for July 18th, 2014 http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=45896 http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=45896#comments Fri, 18 Jul 2014 09:00:09 +0000 Sophie http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=45896
  • First and foremost, rest in peace to all aboard the crashed Malaysian Airlines flight.  Best wishes and ’sterkte’ to everyone who knew someone on the flight.  It hardly seems fair the sun shines so brightly today.
    • R. I. P. also to Nadine Gordimer, Nobel Prize laureate who was a strong voice against apartheid in South Africa.  She is probably best known for her novel July’s People (banned in South Africa at the time).
    • Travel site Skyscanner made a list of the 22 Most Beautiful Bookshops in the World – and ABC Amsterdam’s on it, hooray!  I do secretly wish that one day someone will discover the beauty in ABC The Hague.  ;-)
    • For those of you who love books and food (…but really, who doesn’t?): there’s a fantastic literary supper club in Amsterdam called The Bookish Banquet.  Featuring fine dining (and I really mean fine dining) all themed around one book.  Looks absolutely smashing.  :-)
    • And finally, for all you David Mitchell aficionados, head on over to Twitter to read a new short story that he is tweeting on his account (you can read it in order via the SceptreBooks account).  It might tide you over until his new book The Bone Clocks comes out in September.
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    You Review: The Oversight – Charlie Fletcher http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46238 http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46238#comments Thu, 17 Jul 2014 13:00:01 +0000 Guest http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46238 Reviewed by Natalie Gerritsen

    The natural and supernatural world have lived on the same Earth for millennia, but the supernatural side has always kept its distance from the ‘normal’ side and indeed, the natural world doesn’t even know the supernatural world exists. The balance is kept by The Oversight, a society of men and women with the blood of both sides in them, who guard and protect both sides and punish those who bring harm to the peace.

    The Oversight used to have hundreds in its ranks, but due to a mysterious disaster, the society only has five members left, who try their best to protect London in the 1850’s. Every member has the ability to use magic and most have their own special talents.

    One day a young girl with her own powers and holes in her memory is delivered to The Oversight. Could she be an asset or is she planted there, and if so, by whom? Soon it becomes clear an enemy is coming for The Oversight and the weakened group may not be strong enough to win. But, as the book cover says, if The Oversight falls, so do we all…

    I love urban fantasy and it’s nice to see it translates well to the 19th century. Charlie Fletcher did a nice job of making every member of The Oversight a very unique person, without making their talents feel like superhero tricks. They are members of The Oversight after all and not the X-Men.

    Fletcher uses very small chapters, which I usually like, because it invites you to keep reading ‘one more’. This time, however, the story shifted too quickly between different storylines, which made it a bit harder to get invested in the characters. I really loved the story, the setting and the people in it, but it took a little bit too long to get sucked into it. I still liked it enough to buy the promised sequels once they’re published, though.

    You Review: The latest releases, reviewed by ABC customers.

    Ebook available for The Oversight, as well as of his other books: Stoneheart, Ironhand, Silvertongue, Dragonshield and Far Rockaway.

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    Book Review: Pretty Deadly, vol 1: The Shrike – Kelly Sue DeConnick and Emma Rios http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46228 http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46228#comments Thu, 17 Jul 2014 10:00:11 +0000 Sophie http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46228 Reviewed by Michael Minneboo

    Pretty Deadly is a western, but different from what you’ve read before. Writer Kelly Sue DeConnick and artist Emma Rios team up to bring a sort-of fairytale about Death’s daughter Ginny, a vengeful beauty with a face that bears the skull marks of her father, riding on a horse made of smoke.

    Plenty of female heroes and villains in this one, so it is safe to say Pretty Deadly isn’t your typical Western with male gunslingers having a shoot-out at the climax of the story. Apart from guns being drawn, the protagonists are very capable with swords as well, bringing some samurai action within the setting of the old West.

    Besides being a metaphysical Western, Pretty Deadly is also a story about storytelling. The tale is narrated to us by a butterfly and a dead rabbit, or rather a rabbit’s skeleton. Also, the comic begins with Sissy, a young girl dressed in a vulture cloak, and her blind companion Fox. They are beggars performing cantares de cego (“songs of the blind”) in the middle of town: a beggar song about Deathface Ginny – born from a woman who is kept prisoner by her husband, a Mason, because he is consumed with the idea that other men admire her. Feeling desperate, the woman prays for her death and when Death enters her prison, he falls in love with her. After he grants her her wish, Death is left with their daughter. He raises her in the world between the living and the dead, to be a spirit of vengeance, to punish those who would do wrong by the innocent.

    Interestingly, Sissy and Fox tell the story aided by a banner filled with sequential images, like a comic, each panel introducing the main characters of their little tale. The banner is of course another storytelling device within the story.

    After the performance they collect their money from the crowd and one viewer, by the name of Johnny Coyote, pulls Sissy towards him. He gives her some money and allows her to steal a very important piece of paper. This gets Alice on their trail: a female gunslinger/samurai who is anxious to get the binder back in her possession.

    Later on we’ll discover there is a lot more to Sissy and Fox than meets the eye.

    In the action sequences, artist Rios combines long shots with inserts of close ups, as if she takes her cues from fast-paced action sequences in films. In an interview with Paste Magazine she said she took a lot of inspiration from motion pictures and manga comics:

    ‘Yup, I watched and re-watched a western movie once per day for months. I also watched samurai films. My particular muses here were (Sergio) Leone and (Masaki) Kobayashi, because both of them work with very particular aesthetics and tempo, close to the oneiric. Also, books: classic European stuff like The Bouncer or Blueberry, recents like Gus & His Gang by Blain, or poetic manga like Matsumoto’s Takemitsu Zamurai or Igarashi’s Witches.’ (Source: Paste Magazine)

    An original and interesting comic, with Rios’s great-looking artwork and DeConnick’s prose with its poetic quality, makes Pretty Deadly vol.1: The Shrike an even more enjoyable read.

    Michael Minneboo is a journalist specialised in comic books and visual culture. Read more of his work on his website, www.michaelminneboo.nl.

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    Store Bits: avid young readers, tattoos, 8 editions of 1 book, food bazaar, we love bloggers day, impromptu author visit and WNBR http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=45768 http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=45768#comments Wed, 16 Jul 2014 09:00:00 +0000 Sophie http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=45768 First off, how about some pictures of kids reading at ABC The Hague?  These avid young readers were on holiday all the way from Germany!  As you can see, Geronimo Stilton and Darth Vader and Son are quite engrossing…  :-)  Thanks for visiting us, and we hope we’ll see you again on your next holiday.

    ***

    Marten, Photography buyer at ABC Amsterdam, wants a bit of attention for the book Why I Love Tattoos.  It’s only € 29,99 and full of beautiful pictures of tattooed people and their stories.

    “Through more than 50 portraits of inspiring people who tell the story behind their tattoos, photographer Ralf Mitsch delves into a personal fascination with adorning one’s own body with permanent ink. As a teenager in the 1980s, he noticed how those who had tattoos generally came from social strata with little to do with ruling class norms, or just wanted to rebel. Their decorated skin told a kind of life story in an ever-changing patchwork. Nowadays, tattoos are a fashion item, worn by people from all walks of life. A person covered in tattoos is a painting, full of surprises. Mitsch wants to get under the skin and discover the real motivation: is it about documenting their lives, or simply an addiction?”

    ***

    Simone, Fiction buyer at ABC The Hague, has got herself a record: 8 (eight!) editions of William Golding’s classic (and ABC Favorite) Lord of the Flies.  In honor of the book’s 60th anniversary.

    ***

    Our Pleun, Cookbooks buyer at ABC Amsterdam, smiled the rainclouds away at the Food Bazaar Amsterdam, where we had a pop-up store.

    ***

    We had a fabulous first ever WE LOVE BLOGGERS! Day last month:

    “Fifteen writers came to ABC to We Love Bloggers Day on June 21, 2014 – what a great afternoon. Some are professional bloggers, one has a published book or two, some make an income from a private blog, 6 nationalities, ages from 25 to 65. Some of us hung around until closing, sharing experiences, tools and disciplines and generally talking about creativity and ‘how we work.’ Sitting on bean bags (I had forgotten how creative sitting on the floor makes me), we just talked.” – guest of honor Carrie Ballard, recapping the day on her blog.

    ***

    Look who dropped by ABC Amsterdam last week to sign some copies of her book Otherbound!  That’s Amsterdammer Corinne Duyvis, almost ready to fly off to the US for a bonafide book tour.  Happily for us she’ll also be doing a signing and a Q&A with us at the end of August.  :-)

    ***

    And finally, spotted outside ABC Amsterdam: the World Naked Bike Ride tour stops at a hot dog stand.

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    Win one of these amazing The Fault in Our Stars goodies! http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46463 http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46463#comments Tue, 15 Jul 2014 09:00:01 +0000 Sophie http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46463 This past week we received these special The Fault in Our Stars goodies from Penguin, John Green’s UK publisher:

    You are looking at:

    • 2×1 rubber wristband
    • 1 T-shirt (size M but actually XXS)
    • 1 cotton bag
    • 1 cd with the official movie soundtrack
    • 1 notebook
    • 2×2 movie tickets to go see the film

    Amazing stuff, no?  And we realise most of you have seen the movie already, but surely going again won’t be any kind of hardship, right?  That’s why we’re giving you all the opportunity to win one of these amazing goodies! All you have to do is answer the following question:

    Besides all the John Green novels, what is your favorite Young Adult book (fiction or non-fiction, English or Dutch)?

    Mail your answer to win@abc.nl by July 21st (this coming Monday). Please include “TFIOS goodies” in the subject header.  We will put everyone’s name in a hat and pick winners at random for each goodie.  The names of the winners, along with everyone’s answers, will be put on this blog some time next week (along with the winners of the TFIOS book poster prize draw from last week and the winners of the Otherbound prize draw).

    And just in case: this prize draw is only open to residents of The Netherlands, and you have to be able to pick up your goodies at either ABC Amsterdam or ABC The Hague.  Or have an evil a trusted minion who can pick up the swag for you.

    Also, if you happen to be planning a visit to Amsterdam in honor of TFIOS…  Here’s a great photo tour of the locations pivotal in the book, and the movie’s Dutch site has a great walking tour, too.

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    Meet the Buyers: Travel Guides http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46128 http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46128#comments Fri, 11 Jul 2014 09:00:29 +0000 Sophie http://www.abc.nl/blog/?p=46128 The days are long, it’s mostly dry and sometimes even sunny, and everyone is zombie-walking their way to their summer vacations. It must be July! High time to introduce you to the dapper gentlemen who make sure you have plenty of holiday destinations to choose from in our Travel Guides sections.

    Meet MaxM from ABC Amsterdam and Tom from ABC The Hague:

    How long have you been the section’s buyer?

    MaxM: Since 2013.

    Tom: I’m not entirely sure. Since 2002? 2004? Quite a while.

    What guides, besides those on The Netherlands, do you always try to keep in stock?

    MaxM: Those on Indonesia, Croatia, Japan, Berlin and Portugal.

    Tom: Pretty much everything, really. Except the guides on Antarctica. But I really do try to have the entire Lonely Planet and Eyewitness guide collections in stock at all times. Rough Guides are a little less popular.

    Do you take a travel guide with you when you go on vacation?

    MaxM: No. I once bought one when I went to South Africa, but I didn’t use it. So out of habit I don’t buy them because I don’t really need them.

    Tom: Yes. The way I travel I can only bring one guide with me, though, so it’s always the Lonely Planet for me. It has more info than the others about logistics, cheap accommodation, etc. I do look in other guides for information, though. Once I travelled to Rome with three other people, and every one of us had a different type of guide! That was great for comparisons.

    Personal preference: Lonely Planet, Rough Guide or Eyewitness guides?

    MaxM: Rough Guides. They offer more depth about the country’s culture and cultural institutions rather than purely information, which the Lonely Planets offer more of. They are also less frequently published than Lonely Planets, which to me seems like they have a better value.

    Tom: Lonely Planets, as I just explained. Eyewitness guides are beautiful to look at. Rough Guides I’m not that familiar with, so it takes me a longer time to look up the information I need.

    What has been the top-selling, non-Netherlands guide in 2014 so far?

    MaxM: The Lonely Planet Japan. No matter how many I buy for the section, I always sell out quickly!

    Tom: The past few years I’ve noticed that Croatia and Denmark have been relative bestsellers. Usually it’s the guides to France and Spain.

    If you could visit any destination in the world, where would you go?

    MaxM: Seoul and Tokyo. Seoul because it is the StarCraft capital in the world. I don’t play the game as much anymore, but I would love to soak up how unbelievably huge it is there. Tokyo because it is a country unto itself. It’s an enormous city, very densely populated, yet everything stays orderly. I’ve always wanted to go there.

    Tom: I would like to visit Pitcairn and Socotra. Pitcairn because it’s one of those islands in the middle of the Pacific Ocean that take forever to reach. The trip would be quite costly, but I would love to make it once. Socotra is an island off the Yemen coast. It has some spectacular nature, but because of its location it’s quite a dangerous place to travel to.

    There are ebooks available for travel guides to Indonesia, Croatia, Berlin, Portugal, Antarctica, South Africa, Rome, Japan, Denmark, France, Spain, Seoul, Pitcairn (in the LP South Pacific) and Socotra (in the LP Oman, UAE and Arabian Peninsula). In fact, there are ebooks available for practically all travel guides! Check our Advanced Search for the destination of your choice.

    Still not sure where your summer plans will take you? Check out our Nice Price: Travel recommendations list. It’s been freshly updated with our latest travel guide bargains.

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