Marian Hellema

Boekenworm, geschiedschrijver, geinteresseerd in digitale samenleving, Engelstalige fictie, snufje filosofie erbij, rondslenteren met mijn fototoestel. Voormalig ICT-erfgoedspecialist.

Dutch bookworm, history writer, interested in literary fiction, digital society, all with a pinch of philosophy. Love wandering around with my photo camera. Used to work as freelancer in digital heritage sector.

(New followers approved manually, sorry if that seems unfriendly. My posts are deleted after 4 weeks)

Website met mijn boeken: https://www.marianhellema.nl

Last Notes

2026-07-31 17:58:59 UTC

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Hot Chocolate on Thursday
by
Michiko Aoyama (tr. by E. Madison Shimoda)
The Marble Cafe in Tokyo is a small cafe where this charming book starts, owned by the Maestro. Each chapter hops to a different character who tells us about their life. They are all connected to each other as family, friends or by chance encounter. They all have some influence on each other's lives, sometimes without even knowing it. For many of them, the Cafe and the Maestro play some important role.
I really loved this heartwarming book of intertwined stories.

2026-07-29 18:37:59 UTC

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The things we never say
by
Elizabeth Strout
A new Strout is always a treat and this one is no exception.
It's 2024. Artie is in his late fifties and is thinking about his life, about free will (does it exist?) and the changes in his country with the re-election of Trump. Meanwhile his daily life goes on with his wife and son, his boat, his students, friends and neighbours. He loves them, but it seems impossible to really know them.
The strength of Strout's writing is that she doesn't need spectacular developments. Her characters are wonderful and I loved the slightly sad mood.
Longlisted for this year's Booker Prize.

2026-07-24 08:46:16 UTC

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The Correspondent
by
Virginia Evans
Sybil is in her seventies. She is an old-school writer of letters. She writes to family and friends, but also to authors of books she has read, like Joan Didion.
The book consists entirely of her correspondence. Through the letters you slowly get to know her, her past and her current life, with some surprises along the way. Sybil is not an easy woman, but you gradually come to love her.
Books of correspondence are not an easy genre, I think, but this one works really well. I enjoyed it very much.
This book won the Women's Prize for Fiction. Well deserved for Virginia Evans!

2026-07-18 17:28:48 UTC

Excuses voor de zelfpromotie, maar ik ben zo blij met mijn nieuwe boek: "Met het circus mee - Nederland in het jaar 1901".
Te downloaden (gratis) op zenodo.org/doi/10.5281/zenodo.19879733 of te bestellen bij de boekhandel.
In 1901 toerde het spectaculaire Amerikaanse circus Barnum & Bailey door Nederland, met zijn 'freakshow', exotische dieren en uitgekiende logistiek. Dit boek reist met het circus mee en schetst onderweg een levendig beeld van Nederland. Een land vol wereldverbeteraars, vegetariërs, feministes, zondagheiligers, spellinghervormers, prostitutiebestrijders en meer.
#Boeken
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2026-06-17 06:06:30 UTC

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Nee, ik heb er ook weinig kijk op. Ik vraag me bv af of het inderdaad veel uitmaakt welke browser je gebruikt. Zit het hem niet meer in de zoekmachine die je vanuit je browser gebruikt?
Ben benieuwd of je nog een goed antwoord vindt op je vraag!

2026-06-16 14:01:35 UTC

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Vandaag zag ik Waterfox genoemd. Heb me er verder niet in verdiept, maar ze beloven geen AI. Ken jij het?

2026-05-26 10:33:04 UTC

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Goed nieuws, heel veel dank voor de niet aflatende strijd!

2026-05-13 20:54:45 UTC

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Haha, thank you for this good story, I didn't know it! Reminds me of a colleague, who used some of her kitchen cabinets for books, saying "I don't need them for pots and pans, because I seldom cook".

2026-05-13 19:55:12 UTC

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When we bought our house, our main wish was to have a "library" and this is what it looks like. Three walls of books, floor to ceiling, all English language fiction (the rest of the house is full of other books). The fourth wall has a window with a good couch in front. The little ladder is the finishing touch. We're really happy with it.
The piano is in the middle, because we couldn't afford a separate music room, haha.
And yourself, Bob on Books?
@npub1q60…kp90
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2026-05-05 11:16:56 UTC

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Anna Quindlen - After Annie
37 year old Annie suddenly dies. The book follows her daughter, husband and best friend in the first year after. Slowly they learn to live without her, while she is still part of their life somehow. Through their eyes you get to know Annie, her love of life and what she meant to all of them.
A beautiful, touching book without being too sentimental or dramatic. Highly recommended.

2026-04-26 05:41:13 UTC

#SilentSunday
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2026-04-12 07:05:07 UTC

#SilentSunday
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2026-04-10 08:07:19 UTC

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Everyday People - Stewart O'Nan (2001)
Pittsburgh in the 1990s. This book is about a group of people in a neighbourhood where all of them suffer from the consequences of gang violence. Some of them are involved, others stay away from it. But like all everyday people, each of them has their own dreams. The art of graffiti plays an important role.
O'Nan creates a whole world from their different perspectives, unique voices and stories. He is such a good writer!

2024-09-10 09:34:30 UTC

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Amazing how similar our book tastes are :)
Carol Shields is another one of my favourite writers.