The best reading tips for April 2024

Susan Smit recently published Everything That Moves, about Isadora Duncan, the American pioneer of modern dance. Which books inspired her?

“Inspiration for Everything that moves I got it when my mother pointed to a house in Noordwijk and said: ‘The artist Isadora Duncan lived there.’ She went into hiding because she had a child with her lover. I was immediately fascinated.”
€23.99 (Lebowski)

“A book that inspired meused to be Under another sky by philosopher Joke J. Hermsen, about being at home and feeling displaced at the same time, nostalgia for the past and longing for the future.”
€23.99 (Prometheus)

“A book that everyone should readis Every ending is a new beginning by Pema Chödrön. She is a Buddhist nun and this book is about moving with life’s constant changes. I was born wistful, and this book really helps me.”
€22.99 (Ten Have)

“I was moved by Call me by your name by André Aciman, about a boy’s first love for a slightly older man.”
€15.99 (Ambo|Anthos)

“The last book I readis Primal soup by Bregje Hofstede, about a young woman who becomes a mother and looks back on her loves. She writes sensorially and plays with the design of the text. In fact, it is a work of art.
€22.99 (Das Mag)

“I had to laugh out loud to Conversations with friends by Sally Rooney. The dialogues are so sweet and real.”
€8.99 (Ambo|Anthos)

“A book that helped when I was heartbrokenused to be Hotel Heartache. I wrote it together with Marion Pauw, who had also just had a break-up. It was healing to put into words what such a crisis does to you, and that you can also use it in a positive way.”
€21.99 (Lebowski)

“My favorite line from a book is ‘Nobility resides in the heart, not on it a business card‘, from The Black with the White Heart by Arthur Japin. He writes a lot of beautiful sentences anyway.”
€17.50 (De Arbeiderspers)

“The book I would have liked to write myselfis God’s sleep from Erwin Mortier. Because of the rich language, the staging, the spirit of the times. I always have a few of his books at home to give away, I’m a missionary.” €24.54 (De Arbeiderspers)

Princess Diana

The 18-year-old noble Diana grew up in a family with quarreling and then divorced parents. She fervently hopes to be rescued by a handsome prince. Then she meets Prince Charles, who must marry to secure the future of his country. It seems like a match made in heaven.
The Princess, Wendy Holden €23.99 Ambo|Anthos

Cooking in 1835

England, 1835. Eliza Acton dreams of publishing her poetry, but her publisher advises her to write a cookbook. To her surprise, she discovers her culinary talents. She hires poor Ann Kirby to help her and a special friendship develops that transcends social classes.
Miss Eliza’s English Kitchen, Annabel Abbs €24.99 (Bruna)

Adoption

Jasmine Yang arrives in New York with no money or family and is looking for the child who was taken from her at birth. Editor Rebecca Whitney has everything together perfectly, including her adopted Chinese daughter whom she loves dearly. When the women meet, everything changes.
She who stayed behind, Jean Kwok € 21.99 (Bookstore)

Impossible choice

To find peace in a turbulent time, Hope retreats to the family home in Sunset Beach. There she meets Tru, a man who is trying to come to terms with his family past. They soon face a difficult choice: their family or their happiness?
Living for Love by Nicholas Sparks is the latest Libelle Bookazine, € 4.50.

Herman

Herman (Stefan de Walle) is in his mid-fifties, father of two adult children and leads a quiet life. Until his wife Annelies (Eva Van der Gucht) suddenly leaves him after sixteen years of marriage and he has to fend for himself. Through trial and error, Herman learns to shape his own life. Eva Van der Gucht not only plays Herman’s wife, but also his daughter, mistress and therapist.
In Dutch theaters until early June

You are beautiful

When introverted William Waters marries the bubbly Julia Padovano, he is naturally accepted into her chaotic, loving family. Then the darkness from Williams’ past surfaces, leading to a family rift.
You are beautiful, Ann Napolitano € 24.99 (Luitingh Sijthoff)

Impressive

A moving and poignant story about love, loss, pain, betrayal and making choices. When you finish this book, you will feel like you have gone on quite a journey.
Lydia Buijst ★★★★★

Highly recommended

So many beautiful sentences! I reread some of them a few times because the imagery was so striking. The characters feel like you know them personally. This is by far the most beautiful book I have read in a long time.
Maartje Fleur ★★★★★

Read!

What a beautiful book! I was immediately drawn into it. It reads and surprises, with amazement, understanding, laughter and tears. You would like to meet the main characters, so you sympathize with them.
Ellen van der Vaart ★★★★★

Beautiful!

The book grabbed me from the first page and touched me. The sisters come to life as you read. And the smooth writing style allows you to fly through the 440 pages in no time.
Jeanette Philipse ★★★★★