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The Virgin Suicides — Jeffrey Eugenides
When you see the title you would think you’re in for a thriller/horror type of story, but you couldn’t be more wrong. It’s a very gripping but disturbing story about five teenage sisters who commit suicide. Heavy stuff? Not really. The way the story is told is very open and factual, even funny at times,…
The Turn of the Screw — Henry James
A new governess is hired to care for the two children, Flora and Miles, living at Bly. She takes up a friendship with Mrs. Grose who has been there much longer. Everything goes well with the governess and dear sweet Flora until her brother Miles comes home, expelled from school. The governess is puzzled by…
Three to See the King — Magnus Mills
There is a man on his own in a little self made tin house in the middle of nowhere. He is content with his life far away from people and therefore trouble. He has his daily schedule of shuffling the sand (that every night by wind clusters against his house) away from his door, his…
To Kill a Mockingbird — Harper Lee
A very moving story in which a young girl tries to make sense of her world in the 1930s in a small fictional town called Maycomb (Alabama). Together with her brother Jem and her vacation friend Dill she explores her surroundings and figures out the people living in it. All is good and kind of…
Pride and Prejudice — Jane Austen
I’m not in the habit of rereading books—with two exceptions: the Asterix comics and Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice is a classic that is detailed observations of early 19th-century society all written with depth and a lot of humor. The book follows Elizabeth Bennet, the second oldest daughter of five, as…
Ordinary People — Judith Guest
If you want to be swept away and read and read and read, pick up this book with believable characters in a profound story.Just a magnificent book. Sort of Catcher in the Rye, but then ten times better. Conrad Jarrett is an 18-year-old man, who lost his brother a year before and doesn’t know how…
New Cardiff — James Webb
Colin is heartbroken. His, what he thought, girlfriend Vera is marrying somebody else and he got the invitation to the wedding to prove it. In this state of mind, he travels to America and gets off the bus in New Cardiff. The reason? He liked the memorial statue. In the first minutes he is there…
Olivia Joules and the Overactive Imagination — Helen Fielding
Bridget Jones meets James Bond — result: Olivia Joules (that’s “J.O.U.L.E.S. the unit of kinetic energy”), another character of Helen Fielding’s fantastic mind. In the mood for an easy read and hilarious story? Pick up this book and you’ll have a great couple of days. Olivia is a serious (well, actually not too serious) journalist. When…
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Fahrenheit 451 — Ray Bradbury
Guy Montag is a fireman; not a fireman that extinguishes fires, but one that ignites them. He lives in a time (somewhere in the future) when having books is illegal. When the people who own them are found out, the fire brigade is called to burn down the house together with the books. Guy is…
The Suicide Shop — Jean Teulé
The Tuvache family is not the happiest of families on earth. Better yet, husband, wife, and their two children are kind of depressed and negatively minded all the time. It’s not that they are bothered by this fact, it’s just the way they are, the way they like to be, and even the way they…
The Tournament — John Clarke
What will happen if Hemingway plays tennis against Heidegger, or T.S. Eliot against Marx? And what are their statements afterwords? You will read it in this book. A reporter gives all of us a coverage of the biggest sports event of the decade. Each nation is fielding their greatest names and each of those names…
The Haunting of Hill House — Shirley Jackson
Dr. Montague is an occult scholar and he wants some solid evidence about the phenomenon called haunting. He sets his eyes on Hill House, a big mansion up in the hills, to conduct his study. The house is said to be haunted and anybody who tried living there moved out after only three or four…
Cocktail Time — P.G. Wodehouse
Frederick, Earl of Ickenham, is still a boy at heart. He is loud, some would say obnoxious, optimistic, and sociable very present. But when he hangs out of a window in his favorite pub and catapults the hat off of his brother-in-law, a grumpy barrister, he couldn’t have imagined what kind of actions he sets…
The Colour of Magic — Terry Pratchett
There is a flat world lying on a giant turtle and four big elephants. On this world, Discworld, various strange creatures live; magicians, trolls, wizards among many others. One of the wizards is Rincewind and he has a mission. He has to keep another wizard, the tourist Twoflower, under control in his quest to see…
There is a House — Kieron Connolly
Paul Conroy is a writer. A writer with a writers block and only the first line of his new book: There is a house.He writes about life, love, friends, boyfriends of friends, being a father, being a friend, being a terrible dancer, making a complete idiot of himself, his sanity, his wallflower and — not…
The First Wives Club — Olivia Goldsmith
When her best friend Cynthia commits suicide and leaves a message in which she states a big part of her reason was her husband Gil, Annie knows she wants to get even with him. Together with her two friends, Brenda and Elise, she begins the First Wives Club. They want to take all their first…
Elements of Style — Wendy Wasserstein
Frankie is a pediatrician in the Upper East Side of New York. Her clients are the high society of the city and throughout the book Frankie is the binding factor for all of the other characters we get to meet. There is Judy the wannabe, Samantha the accomplished and Barry the Hollywood movie-maker, amongst others….
Death by Chocolate — Toby Moore
In a not too distant future, being f*t (read fat) is illegal. Laws to imprison people who have a too high percentage of body f*t have been made and a Health Enforcement team is working the streets of New York to spot anyone who is overweight (‘humonsters’). Matt Devlin is one of the agents working…
Monster — Naoki Urasawa
Two children, twins, are brought into the hospital after their adoptive parents are brutally murdered. The girl is in shock, the boy has severe head trauma. Doctor Kenzo Tenma, a Japanese man working and living in Germany, saves the life of this young boy called Johan against the wishes of the director of the hospital, and father…
Midnight in the Garden of Good & Evil — John Berendt
If you are not a big fan of non-fiction — like me — don’t be alarmed by the genre description. It reads like fiction: thriller, drama, wit, you’ll get all and at very high quality at that. You will read like there is no tomorrow. It is a great book! A New York journalist is staying…
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Fried Green Tomatoes at the Whistle Stop Cafe — Fannie Flagg
Two main stories are being told in this impressive book. The first is the relationship between Evelyn and Mrs. Threadgoode in the 1980s. The second one is the story about two women running a cafe in Whistle Stop in the 1930s and all the people around them. Through different perspectives and lifetimes the reader gets…
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Bluethroat Morning — Jacqui Lofthouse
58 year old Harry Bliss is trying to understand the suicide of his wife Alison six years ago. Doing so he returns to “the scene of the crime” together with the 19-year-old daughter of his best friend. She, Helen, looks a lot like Arabella, the second wife of his great-grandfather, who also killed herself in…
Chocolat — Joanne Harris
Vianne Rocher and her daughter Anouk come to a little town in France. Vianne opens a chocolate store opposite the church. Vianne is seen as a danger to many people in the village, especially Father Reynaud, but there are some more open-minded people as well that embrace her and her very special sweets. With Vianne…
The Corinthian — Georgette Heyer
The Corinthian Richard Wyndham is destined to marry a woman he doesn’t really like because both the families will benefit by this arrangement. The night before he is going to ask for her hand, he spends in a pub. Going home a little tipsy, he sees how a young person climbs out of a window…
The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy — Douglas Adams
Just before planet Earth is being destroyed alien Ford Prefect, who has lived on earth for fifteen years as an out-of-work-actor, saves human Arthur Dent, who already is having a bad day because his house is scheduled to be demolished that morning. Reason for destruction: the planet has to give way for an intergalactic freeway….
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Plot Twist
“I thought you were a woman.”“But I’m not.”“No, you’re definitely not…” (swoons)(Personal stuff gets in the way.)“I love you.”“I love you too.” (about Plot Twist)
Chocolate stones
Chocolate stones,melting frogs on top.Paper turkeys,looking for recognition.No angel in sight.
Lies and Weddings
“You have to marry for money.”(He doesn’t.) (about Lies and Weddings)
Hands
I stopped working for PostNL.
PostNL
In April I started working for PostNL. This drawing is a reference to their logo.
Tree
Chest Pockets
I made these chest pockets to put on apparel on my website. I don’t use them anymore, maybe I should start again. They are kind of cute.
Two Flowers
Spring
Spring is in the air. This flower is proof!
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Puzzled
Drops
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My 62nd doodle, and the first one in five years. Send this drawing as an e-card:
Family
Send (one of) this family as an e-card:
Dreaming of Thinking
Send this drawing as an e-card:
Wall Piece
This drawing I made after looking at the wall across my house. I marked the outlining on the bricks of the bit of wall I drew.
Blocks
Seed
The Fork
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The Goal
The orange dot in the bottom right corner wasn’t intentional, but it ultimately completes the picture.
Abraxas
I made this drawing called Abraxas after reading Demian by Hermann Hesse. Abraxas is a god of both good and evil.
Tjoek
A pen drawing, made during class when we were reading “Tjoek” by Vincent Mahieu. And a drawing using my usual markers, based on the pen drawing.
De Touwtjes in Handen – In Control
Nou dan, dames en heren, welke kamer zal ze kiezen? Kamer nummer 1, kamer nummer 2, òòòhòf…………kamer nummer 3!!? Welke moet ze kiezen? Publiek? Drieeee…drieeee…twee…drieeeeeeee…één…Nou je hoort het hè? Het publiek zegt drie, maar wat zeg jij? Ga je met het publiek mee, of doe je wat jezelf wil? Bob zit achter de dikke bordeauxrode…
Three Flowers
In 2017 and 2018 I sold this drawing on a small multipurpose card, (bookmark or as a present card), at the bookstore where I worked.
Organized Chaos
Mikado or Forest
The EE-BEES
I made this drawing to use on bags and apparel on my webshop. I thought it was fun to draw bees because my shop was called EEBEES. Before I settled on above drawing for my webshop I drew some other bees as well.
Urban Meets Nature
Urban Meets Nature: There is less and less space for nature. The city looms over the small stroke of green.
The Scream
Robin
I drew this cute little Robin to print on apparel and bags I sold at my online shop EEBEES. It is also the image for my online/social presence.
The Original
This drawing from 1995 I consider the start of my way of drawing: (heavy) black lines, bright colors and mostly loose and abstract shapes.
Ladybird
Designed for my online shop EEBEES (which is not in the air anymore). The red half is already colored, and the other half will have the color of the product it is on.
Tessi
June 26th 2006 – January 3rd 2019
The Hunger Games trilogy
“Phew, I survived the first Hunger Games.”(Together with someone else; not supposed to happen.)“Phew, I survived the second Hunger Games.”(Not supposed to happen.)“I saved the world, but nearly everybody I care about is dead.”(Nightmares aside, she lives happily ever after.) (about The Hunger Games trilogy)
Fahrenheit 451
“Books are bad for people.”“Okay, let’s burn them!”(The books that is, not the people.) (about Fahrenheit 451)
Pride and Prejudice
“I love you against my will.”“I hate you.”(Mr. Darcy writes a letter.)“I still love you.”“I love you too.” (about Pride and Prejudice and the official text on The Project Gutenberg)
The Black Dagger Brotherhood series
“I want to make love to you.”“But I have a race to rescue.”“Oh, that’s right.”“But I have a minute now.”“Hooray!” (about the Black Dagger Brotherhood series)
Waiting for Godot
“What are we doing?”“We’re waiting for Godot.”“Why?”“I don’t know.” A lot of weird communication and characters later… “What are we doing?”“We’re waiting for Godot.” (about Waiting for Godot)
Twelve Angry Men
“He’s guilty.” (x11)“No, he’s not.” (x1)“Convince us then.”“Okay.”(A very long and hot while later…)“He’s not guilty.” (x12) (about Twelve Angry Men and the official text)
Pygmalion
“Ah—ah—ah—ow—ow—ow—oo! I want to talk proper English.”“It’s a bet! I can do that within eight months! (But you will be my slave while I teach you.)”“Ah—ah—ah—ow—ow—ow—oo! It’s a deal.” (After eight months she speaks like a real lady and is emancipated: good for her, not good for him.) (about Pygmalion and the official text at…
Proof
“I hope I’m not going to end up as mad as my dad.” (about Proof and/or watch the play)
Monster on the Hill
“I’m a depressed monster on a hill.”“Why?”“Because I’m not feared!”“Then let’s get going.” (They go on a voyage.) “I’m a happy monster on a hill.”“Why?”“Because I’m feared!” (about Monster on the Hill)
What We Did on Our Holidays
“I’m on a shitty vacation at a caravan park with a slut of a wife, a son who goes bestial and a daughter who goes through a religious crisis. I hate my life and I’m gonna do something radical.” (He does.) (about What We Did on Our Holidays)
The Tiny Wife
“I think I’m shrinking.”“Can I do something to prevent it?”“I don’t know.” (about The Tiny Wife and/or watch the book trailer)
The Quiet American
“I have to take sides.” (He does.) “Now I have to live with my decision.” (It’s hard.) (about The Quiet American)
The Old Man and the Sea
“I haven’t caught a fish in a very long time and now I’m gonna.” (He catches a really big fish after a three-day struggle, but by the time he is home again, the fish is completely eaten by sharks.) “I have caught a fish and have only a skeleton to show for it.” (about The…
Jeeves series
W: “A friend of mine is in trouble.”J: “I have a plan.”(The plan turns bad.)J: “I have a second plan.”W: “You saved the day.” (about the Jeeves series)
The First Wives Club
“Our husbands left us, the bastards.”“Let’s retaliate and give them hell.”(They did.) (about The First Wives Club)
Concrete Island
“I drove off a highway in my car and stranded in a wasteland below a motorway intersection. I wanted to get out, but then I didn’t, but I did. And then I met two weirdos also living there I could exploit. And I still wanted to get out, but then I didn’t, but really I…
The Catcher in the Rye
“People are hypocritical phonies and I feel alienated. I love whining about that because I’m sixteen.” (about The Catcher in the Rye)
A Discovery of Witches
“Jeez, I’m a real witch with powers?”“Yes, and I’m a vampire.”“But then we shouldn’t be talking.”“I know, but you need me to fix the universe for our species.”“I do?”“Yes, and we can’t fall in love.”“But we already have.”“Damn, then let’s try to fix the universe so we can be together.”“Sounds like a brilliant plan.” (Fixing…
Lost
“My twenty-something girl, whom I don’t like, has disappeared and I’m not handling it well.”“But I’m your daughter too and I, together with your friends and family, want to help.”“Yes you are, and I know you want to, but you all are not important. I wish my twenty-something girl, whom I don’t like, came back…
The …In Death series
“I want to shag you.”“But I have murders to solve.”“Damn.”“Okay, I have a minute now.”“Hooray!” (about the …In Death series)
Death and the Penguin
“I write obituaries.”(A penguin walks through the house.)“Turns out I write obituaries for the Mafia.”(A penguin looks at the refrigerator.)“I’m in big trouble.”(A penguin wants a bath.)“I think I know a way out.”(A penguin looks up at him.) (about Death and the Penguin)
White House Chef series
“There’s been a murder!”“I’m a(n) (executive) chef at The White House, but sure, I will help solve the murder.”(After she is told numerous times to butt out, not get involved and not put herself in danger by Special Agents and everybody else, who are wondering why it’s always her in the middle of the situation,…
Tattoo Shop Mystery series
“There’s been a murder!”“I’m a tattoo artist, but sure, I will solve the murder.”(After she is told numerous times to butt out, she solves the murder.)“Now it’s time to get another tattoo for myself.” (about the Tattoo Shop Mystery series)
Asterix and the Picts
“Let’s save the day.”“Okay.”(Journey with pirates, Romans and Picts)“We did it.”“Let’s have a feast!” (about Asterix and the Picts)
Vijftig Procent Stilte – Fifty Percent Silence
I wrote this play back in 2005. I only checked the spelling, before placing the piece here. I would now, being 2024, have written the play a bit differently probably. I deliberately choose to place this original version, with all its faults and my visible inexperience, here. At this moment, only the Dutch version is…
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Het Sterrenmeisje – The Girl of Stars
Inhoudsopgave Contents hoofd in paniek de maan die vandaag slechts een streepje mag schijnen ziet mijn hoofd in paniek en mijn benen die ritmisch hun rondjes maken panic in the head the moon which today is allowed to shine only a stripe sees the panic in my head and my legs which rhythmically make their rounds wat te doen waarom handelen -waarom tegen je aanliggen-waarom praten -waarom zeggen jij bent lief- als…
Het Bidprentje – The devotional picture
HET BIDPRENTJEeen waargebeurde herinnering Met de viool op mijn rug sta ik voor het torenhoge flatgebouw en kijk omhoog. Allemaal deuren, allemaal rood, allemaal met een kijkgat. Bij welke moet ik naar binnen? Mijn moeder maakt met een rukje aan mijn hand duidelijk dat we het grijze betonnen gebouw nu echt in moeten. Daar sta ik…
De Tweedehands Filosoof – The Secondhand Philosopher
I wrote this short play back in 2003, as the final assignment of the first year play writing at the Schrijversvakschool. With this play, I got into the second year, during which I wrote Fifty Percent Silence. DE TWEEDEHANDS FILOSOOF Personages: Johan (43), Marlies (39, vrouw van Johan), Ingrid (27, zus van Marlies), Bart (34,…
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