Wednesday 19 May 2010

Books...

As you all must know by now, I love to read!
My mum and dad had a bookshop when I grew up.
There was a constant supply of books at hand.
So I spend a lot of holidays in my 'camping chair', reading.
Reading in bed the whole night under the duvet with a flashlight was also one of the things I loved doing, especially during holidays.
Of course it made my mum and dad wondering sometimes why I was so tired the next day!

Since I have to travel a lot lately, because of work, my reading has gone up again.
My friends and family know my love for books, so they gave me a few for my birthday last April. You're probably wondering why this is so special to write a blog about it.

Well... with those books was a book about Africa. That probably doesn't sound very exciting, because of course... there are loads of books about Africa.
Well this book is so special, because it's a story about an English woman travelling with her young children and husband to Africa with absolutely no idea where they will end up.
Even this could be nothing special, as I said earlier... loads of books about Africa!
But what was it then that made the book already special without reading it?
Well, that's very simple!
The author herself gave me this book as a present for my birthday!
Of course I let her put a signature in the book, you never know...she probably will be really successful in writing and publishing her books!

This was a great gift!
I had to finish another book I was reading before I could start with the Africa book.
I must say I really really enjoyed it. And I read it in a few days.
I was looking forward to my train journey's.

It's a lovely story about life in Africa.
Stories about daily life in Africa.
The stories are told in such a way it makes you feel like you're there as well.
It made it easier for me to imagine that probably because I have the privilege of knowing the author. So I saw her walking around in her own stories and going through adventures and the normal daily things. It is a bit odd of course, because I know her now and she went to Africa in the eighties, much younger!! I once met one of her daughters, she and her sister were a baby and toddler back then. But even if you don't know the characters in the book personally,
it's a lovely story.

One of my friends has been to Africa and became very curious about the book, so she borrowed it so she can read it herself.

I asked Vallerie Poore (the author) if I could write something about her book on my blog. Because I'd like you all to know about this lovely story.
She said yes, so here it is !



African Ways by Vallerie Poore












If you are interested, you can mail Vally, or find it at bol.com.
She also wrote a book about her first year(s) on a barge in Rotterdam.
That book I will get next time we will see Vally. I can't wait to read it!

This is Vally's blog: http://vereeniging.blogspot.com/

4 comments:

  1. I'm honoured Simone, and it was a great pleasure to give it to you. I'm just really glad you enjoyed it so much! xx

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  2. It certainly was a great book. We have our own copy, and I loved it.

    xx
    AM

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  3. How cool it must have been to have parents who owned a bookshop! It's still my dream. xx

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  4. @Anne-Marie, it is isn't it! Did you also read Waterways? I'm really curious.

    @Vally: As I suggested earlier, start your own bookshop on the Vereeniging! A floating bookshop, has to be a succes!

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