Dutch Book haul

Submitted: 4th January 2026

Dutch Book haul

Teaching myself Dutch via novels perhaps sounds odd to most people. However, it worked for Swedish so here goes!

I have a strange brain that creates patterns and links between words and shapes so this is the ideal way for me to learn a new language. I get books I know the story of already and then learn words that way.

So the books –

Always Remember: The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, the Horse and the Storm, New from Charlie Mackesy

This is such a gorgeous book. I got the first one in Dutch so had to have the second!

The Murder in the Vicarage – Agatha Christe

A favourite Christie of mine and one very easy to follow. Lots of good words and phrases here so it will be a very useful teaching tool! As well as a good excuse to read it again and have a cute mini HB on my shelves.

The Affair at Styles – Agatha Christie

Again, a favourite Christie and one I wanted to add to my collection. Any excuse eh?

dutch book haul

The Lost Bookshop Evie Woods

I love this book so much I bought it in German just because it had gorgeous spredges. I do read a bit of German but slowly. Still, I had to have this book in Dutch as well, I want to read this again and so this is going to be the BEST learning tool as I know the book off by heart already.

I am also a child and giggle at the word Boekwinkel. I know.

Jaws – Peter Benchley

Some good writing here and some excellent dialogue. Off in the basket it went. I have just read this in
English and was shocked at how different it was to the film. So I was going to buy it anyway. The Dutch shark just beat the English one to it.

Bit disappointed Jaws didn’t have a sharp name in Dutch. Ah well…..

Amsterdam by Kiki van Dijk

Recommended by the bookseller (thank you!) and so when she told me it was about a girl who lives in Amsterdam but one day finds her boyfriend killed in the building, I was intrigued. When she then said, as the girl gets used to her new normal, she finds messages which indicate that the killer may not have stopped with the boyfriend. Someone is watching her…..

This is a challenge as my Dutch is ok but this is the book that is going to improve it and once I think I know the ending, I will check it online. Like a test to myself. It’s a weird way of learning – I did tell you!- but I keep myself entertained 😉

One more book….

I saw the bookseller wrap a book for someone else in this fun paper so I said this was for a gift so she would wrap it for me. Haha. Sad or genius? Again I say the latter. I will read this and let you know but it’s a Japanese book about life itself. I love Japanese philosophy and again, this one will provide both wisdom and vocabulary hopefully.

It also had the most gorgeous cherry blossom spredges. Just sayin’

Susan x

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