About
I’m an avid reader and with this blog, I keep track of what I’ve been reading and engage in discussion with other readers.
On this blog you can also occasionally find other things that interest me, like cooking. I’m not a great cook by any means, but I’ve been trying out new things recently and I’m enjoying that a lot.
I’m fluent in English and Dutch, live in the Netherlands, and studied and worked in England for 15 years! You can read my Dutch blog here.
I’ve got a PhD in Psycholinguistics and worked as a university teacher and researcher for several years. In 2013 I founded Book Helpline, a book editing business. From time to time I post on this blog about books we’ve edited. If you are writing a book, get in touch!
I hope you’ll enjoy my blog and please leave a comment – I love comments!
My email address can be found here. On Twitter I’m @Leeswammes.
Leeswammes' Blog 
Thanks for visiting my blog! I’ll add your blog to my blog roll so I can start following you as well!
I’ll post the answers to the trivia question from last week and post this past week’s trivia question on my blog this weekend. I’ve just been lazy about posting lately.
I love your blog. I actually have A Room with a View sitting on my TV stand waiting to watch. If I like it I’ll definitely pick up the book.
Thanks for linking up with me! I now follow your blog via Google Friends but I’m not sure how that works. Could I follow it with RSS or email? Didn’t see the option (I’m quite new to all this).
Hope you enjoy A Room With A View. I don’t think I’ve seen it. Hope it’s a bit more lively than the book.
I do have an RSS link. It’s http://littlebookish.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default
Also, I’m going to e-mail you some info about the Frederick Douglass book I mentioned to you, and I added Tulip Fever and Girl with the Pearl Earring to my To Be Read list. Thanks so much for suggesting them!
Hey, have you considered adding Google Friend Connect to your site? That would make it easier for folks that don’t want emails to follow your blog. It’s a good way to increase your readship too.
Cheers,
Janna
Thanks for the suggestion Janna, but I think I can’t! I tried to do this, but Google Friend Connect uses javascript and wordpress does not allow that. Also, I subscribed to GFC with a few blogs, but I think it’s a Blogger thing – I can only follow those people if I log in to blogger.
But you don’t mind emails so you can follow my blog, do you? 🙂
They could also sign up through Google Reader by following your RSS feed, right?
Yes, definitely!
I subscribed to your email so that I can now follow you very easily. Thanks.
That’s nice to hear. Thanks, Mystica!
Thanks for stopping by my blog today and taking the time to comment!
Like you, I also enjoy both reading and cooking, though I can’t imagine cooking two meals in one night! I’m fortunate in that my husband and two boys – ages 12 and 16 – are all adventurous eaters, so I can make a wide range of foods for us.
I’m also in a book group (well, two actually, and sometimes I catch a third one at the library if I can squeeze it in!) It looks like we enjoy a lot of the same kinds of books, too, so I will enjoy exploring your blog some more. Nice to “meet” you –
Sue
http://www.greatbooksforkidsandteens.com
http://www.bookbybook.blogspot.com
You’re so lucky, Sue, with a husband and 2 kids that like to try out meals. We’re a divided family. 🙂 Son1 and me will try a lot (not quite anything) and Son2 and husband want to keep to what they know.
Three book groups is a lot, but it’s always nice to meet up with like minded people!
Thanks for visiting my blog! You’re right; all readers are different and will love different books (free will and all that…)
🙂
Hi, nice to meet you !
Great to discover another book blogger in Europe 🙂
I love your blog and am sending you an award. You can pick it up at http://2manybooks2littletime.wordpress.com/2010/10/01/the-versatile-blogger-award/
Congratulations!
Thank you, Weekend Reader!!! So kind of you.
What a wonderful blog! I would love to read Tulip Fever.
I have a book on more or less the same subject, set in the same period in Amsterdam and also not written by a Dutch author! It’s called The House of Windjammer written by V.A. Richardson.
Set in 17th century Amsterdam where the House of Windjammer is completly dependant on whether their ships from the Colonies arrive or not: no ships loaded with goods:no (family) income. As the family lose their fleet, they fall into the clutches of the 17th century bankmanager (all belonging to the same ruling social elite), good for social and financial problems. The tulip mania also plays a part in this book and the family’s misery.
I really enjoyed the book, read it years ago but I suppose you could now compare the situation then to the current financial/economic crisis now!
Hey Marijke, nice to see you here on my blog!
How about I give you Tulip Fever and you give me The House of Windjammer and then we compare the books? I would love to read that book and thanks for the recommendation!
Good idea! Have spent all afternoon reading (and ignoring things that should be done) ! The new bookcases look really nice! Now I can get a proper look at all your books!
have a nice sunday! Marijke
Reading is just what you need sometimes, Marijke. The things that should be done won’t run away – or maybe they will, if you wait long enough. 🙂
Thanks for the WIAN4 suggestions on my blog 🙂 And have a lot of fun with the Steampunk challenge. I love the genre and I can highly reccommend Gail Garriger’s books.
I’ve read the first Gail Garriger book, Marion and I love it. I’m not sure I recommended the WIAN4 challenge – not doing it myself…. 🙂
I love your blog and you have great tips for new bloggers! I noticed you are doing the same thing with books as I’m attempting to do with movies. I started writing reviews on the movies I watch as an indulgence and as a way to keep track of what I’m watching and what I thought of it. Anways I wanted to thank you for your great tips and I’ll be sure to follow your blog from now on. – Lara 🙂
Hey Lara, thanks for your nice comment. Isn’t it fun how a small hobby can turn into something a bit bigger? There is a great community of book bloggers around. Hope you have the same for movie bloggers.
Oh, well on the updated page for #bloggiesta!
I’m going to attempt SEO now, though I don’t know where to start!
Maw books sent two links about SEO on twitter, I’ll email the to you.
Nice blog! I just missed the bloggiesta but I might do my very own one next weekend. Seems like we got some similar interests, reading books and cooking 🙂 I’ll be sure to follow you from now on.
Next weekend is as good a time as any, Lian. You didn’t leave your blog link – would love to have a look at your blog!
Sorry, it’s http://liannouwen.wordpress.com/ I started it about a month ago so there’s still a lot of room for improvement 🙂 Any comments are welcome.
I will have a look, Lian!
Ok, this might be a silly question but I’m still new to WordPress and I would like to know how I can change my profile that it will automatically include my blog whenever I post a comment somewhere. Do you know how to do that?
I could have written your first paragraph in “about” about myself!
Noticed you are reading Franzen’s Freedom – amazing book – read and wrote about it when it first came out.
It’s actually The Corrections I’m reading, but I’m considering suggesting Freedom for my real-life book group as so many people seem to like the book.
Glad I stumbled over your blog – I joined the Off the shelf challenge as well 🙂 I read a lot of English books as well although I haven’t had the opportunity to live there, yet. Interesting reviews!
Thanks, missingneedle. I’ll check out your blog too!
Great new look to your blog!
Thanks Abby.
You have a great blog! It´s nice to read about all those books you read. I´ve awarded you the Versatile Blogger Award. Check it out at my blog!
Thanks, Lian. That’s so nice of you!
So pleased I came across your blog this morning…so nice to met you Eliza Keating
Hi Elizabeth, thanks for your nice comment! I hope you’ll find lots of book ideas on my blog.
Hi, have you read “The Unconsoled” by Kazuo Ishiguro? I’d love to hear your opinion about it.
Great blog! It’s so good to find another cool book blog 🙂 I am surely going to be a regular visitor of your blog.
Thanks, Dovereader. Hope to see you around! 🙂
I had a little question, but I didn’t know where to post it, so I tought this was the right place on your blog.
I saw that you are a member of the transworld publishers book group too. A couple of days ago I posted a comment on there blog because I wanted to take part too. But I saw my comment isn’t still accepted and the last comments are from august 4. Is it normal this takes so long? Or do they stop with the challenge if they have enough participants?
Katrien, you can always email me with a question – my email address is on the right-hand side, under Who Is.
But to answer your question, I don’t know. Last time (in March) even people that entered late were given review books, as far as I know, but there weren’t quite so many people. Also, I know the publishers are in an area in London where they have problems at the moment, and I think yesterday they had to leave early. But really: I don’t know. I hope you’ll be able to join in after all!
Pingback: Versatile blogger award goes to… Bibliophage’s Buffet? « Bibliophage's Buffet
Hi LS
Congratulations, I’ve awarded you the Versatile Blogger award. Keep up the great posts!
Here is the link, with the badge:
Sandy
Thanks very much, Sandy! I’m honored. Nice to be appreciated.
You have quite a wonderful set of book reviews on here. 😀
I’ve nominated your blog for the Liebster Blog Award, i love reading your blog and wanted to share it with others 🙂
That’s so nice, thank you!
Really you have an excellent eye for detail . I think ur interest in pshycolinguistics reflects in reviews 🙂
Hi There
I’m very impressed. You read such a diverse selection of books. I’m lookikng forward to reading more. Do you have any children’s books that you would suggest?
Mommy, thanks for your comment. Children’s books? It depends really what age you’re thinking of. For the smallest, I love Debi Gliori, a little older, get into the silly rhymes of Dr. Seuss, and even older, they’ll love Roald Dahl.
Interesting blog
Hi, I follow your blog to keep me updated with books. 🙂 Thanks for sharing the review. Btw, I was wondering, do you use ebook reader? If yes, would you be so kind to share your experience? 🙂 Thanks a lot!
Thanks for visiting my blog, Elizabeth. I do use an ereader some of the time. I find it easy to use, but I much prefer to handle a paper book. I don’t mind reading ebooks if it’s an easy story but for the “better” books, I prefer to be able to easily browse back and forward in the book, an I don’t find that so handy on the ereader.
I can tell I am going to enjoy your blog. Where I had read the same book, we agreed completely. Where I had not, I was interested to explore your recommendation. This will be good for me too, because I am an English professor, but I always feel that I do not read enough. Part of that is that I get hung up on what to read. I can spent so long trying to pick the book, I never get around to reading it. Your blog will help with that I can tell. Thanks.
Very nice blog, congratulations!
I saw you used to have two blogs, one in Dutch and one in English. I’ve recently started blogging, I like it a lot, but I am really struggling with this language issue. Perhaps you have some tips or advice for me on this, based on your own experience ?
Hi Judith,
Thanks for adding Reprobate to your reading list. I enjoyed your reviews of other books and I’m now following your blog. My wife is a software tester too, at Mirabeau.
I hope you enjoy the Amsterdam Assassin Series.
Hi Martyn, Thanks for your comment. I’m not sure when I will read Reprobate but I’ll definitely review it here wen I do. So, are you Dutch? I have the feeling you are, but am not sure. 🙂
Some people tend to think I’m an expat, but I’m born and raised in the Amsterdam area. If you’re not sure, that’s good. Most readers find it hard to imagine I’m not a native speaker.
By the way, if you haven’t read Reprobate yet, I can also offer you the latest version with glossary and spanking new cover. Would you like epub or .mobi?
Nice, Martyn, ePub would be lovely. I can’t promise when I’ll read it, I have about 100 books on the physical to-read pile and I read them mainly on the basis of a random number generator. Seriously!
Send me an email at katlasieltjes@yahoo.com and I’ll send you an epub in attachment.
Hello! Thank you for stopping on my bog, (I guessed it was you because no one else from netherlands would visit my page lol). Just wanted to make sure, as it is new, is it clear that the blog is both in french and english? You have to scroll down a review to get the english. Thank you. I added you as blog that I follow 🙂
Thanks for explaining. I didn’t notice that your blog is bilingual! I can read French a bit, but it’s not easy for me.
Thank you it is good to have some feedback. I will try to make it clearer!But well done already for being able to read a bit of french!
From my school i had to choose between 4 blog to write an reaction at. All the blogs are blogs about reading books. To be honest i don’t like one of the blogs because it is just not in my interested and it’s to much text and i think it difficult to read in English. I am also from the Netherlands, like the writher from the blog. I choose this blog because when I read the ‘about me’ the person who wrote the blog seems nice to me. And i feel like a little connected because he is also from the Netherlands.
Thanks, Doris! I’m actually a ‘she’ from Houten, near Utrecht. English is difficult at first, but if you read a little bit every day, it will become easier. Good luck!
Pingback: Literary Blog Hop … Book #Giveaway | Word by Word