Book Reviews Archives - Addicted to Writing

Review for Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing by Olga Mecking

Posted on January 21, 2021 Written by Pinar Tarhan

US cover edition for Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing by Olga Mecking.

I’ve just finished reading Olga Mecking’s wonderfully entertaining, educational, and relaxing book Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing (aff. link). Worry not, I’ll explain in my review how this book is all that and why.

But before I get to what the book is about and my review, let me tell you a bit about Olga and the wonderful concept of niksen.

Olga Mecking & Niksen

Olga Mecking is a Polish journalist, freelance writer, author, and novelist. She’s been living in The Netherlands for 11 years, and she has experienced the culture firsthand. She first wrote about the concept of Niksen for Woolly magazine, but it was her essay for The New York Times’ Smarter Living section that really kicked things off. For more about how the book came to be and how Olga nikses herself, you can read my interview with her.

Niksen is basically doing nothing for the sake of doing nothing. Yes, it is enjoyable and recharges you. And it is a beautiful way to find inspiration and peace of mind in these hectic times.

The Book: Niksen isn’t your average wellness book

For one thing, Olga isn’t fond of wellness trends, especially if they preach their methods work for everyone – when their instructions followed to a t. She finds that these kinds of trends and books cause more stress because they don’t consider your personal circumstances and the culture you live in.

I’m glad Olga takes into account why and when niksen might be good for you, and when you probably shouldn’t attempt or force it.

She talks to many experts in her book, including business psychologists and other authors. One of my favorite experts featured is Gretchen Rubin. Rubin’s book on habits (aff. link) is a life-changer because she views everything through a personality lens, making changing easier and probable.

Back to the book Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing

What the book covers

– What Niksen is,

– Why we should consider practicing it,

– When and how we might implement it into our lives,

– How other cultures have embraced Niksen,

– Potential roadblocks,

– How she experiences it herself,

and more.

Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing is a fast read. And it’s also not.

It’s easy to read this book (aff. link) fast. Olga’s conversational and friendly style can have you devouring it in one cozy setting. But I resisted the urge.

Whenever, there was a cultural, personal, or professional reflection on how much and how we niks, I stopped and thought about my relationship with niksen.

While I am notoriously bad at niksing on a couch, especially if there are electronics or books or notebooks around, I have my own ways. Olga mentions this in the book:

I love going to coffee shops (when there is no pandemic, of course) and working on whatever project there. My favorite shops tend to provide the best atmosphere for niksen: comfortable seating, great (but not-too-loud) music, and a gorgeous view. So, every once in a while, I mentally get lost with my coffee in my hand. It doesn’t take too long before I feel the urge to write something down, but I do it.

I also find it hard to get up in the mornings. Because I don’t usually have to be up by a certain hour, I take my time. I am awake, but I don’t rush. I literally do nothing. My eyes can be open or closed. I just enjoy the moments before another hectic day starts.

As I read the book, I consciously tried to add more niksen to my week.

The benefits appeal to me. I like it when I engage in it. Yet, the concept can sometimes scare me. I was a hyperactive child, and as an anxious/busy adult with a hyperactive mind, I worry I should be doing something. Something worthwhile.

But I am trying to recover from that train of thought. There is a reason a lot of creative ideas (in addition to relaxation) find us in the shower.

I read the book slowly but surely, true to the spirit of niksen.

Recommended for:

I recommend reading Niksen: Embracing the Dutch Art of Doing Nothing to curious minds, anxious professionals, restless souls, and anyone who thinks they need to slow down a bit.

If you find yourself constantly wishing for more time, especially more time to wind down, you should read this book.

Reading it has a soothing effect. It will also show you that you are not alone.

Another thing I love about this book is that it doesn’t claim to be a be-all-end-all for wellness. In fact, both the writer and the book are highly skeptical of trends and one-size-fits-all advice. Olga even features a section detailing who shouldn’t be niksing and why.

As someone who hates standardized advice, this makes the book even more my cup of tea.

Who shouldn’t read Niksen?

I honestly can’t think of many people. But if you are extremely happy with your life, have time management skills and productivity levels you are proud of, and you couldn’t care less about a concept that is about doing nothing on purpose, then you probably shouldn’t read it.

Rest of the world? Give it a shot.

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Passport Control: Review for Gila Green’s Novel

Posted on November 30, 2018 Written by Pinar Tarhan

I’ll try to keep the plot summary short and sweet as to avoid spoilers. There are several twists, and they are pretty jaw-dropping.

Plot Summary

Due to some personal issues with her father, Jewish Canadian university student Miriam decides to study for a year in Israel. However, the culture shock is more than she ever imagined, and she finds herself pressured to choose sides on many occasions. She hopes that her estranged uncle might provide a welcome distraction, and he seems happy enough to host her in his house with his wife. But family bonding is short-lived, and Miriam will come to learn that her family is a lot more complicated than it initially seemed. Just like living and studying in Israel…

Review

I absolutely loved Passport Control (aff.link). It was interesting to follow the (mis)adventures of Miriam. She is certainly an engaging and relatable protagonist. Usually, when I read first-person POVs, I’m left wondering what it would be like to get in the head of other characters. I’m more into omniscient storytelling in both what I read and write. But Miriam delivered. I didn’t feel the need to know the inner workings of other characters’ minds.

This is not to say the novel doesn’t feature interesting secondary characters. It certainly does. But none are as vulnerable, relatable, and interesting as Miriam.

I keep mentioning how relatable Miriam is, even though we have more differences than similarities.

For instance, I’ve felt like a fish out of water when I spent a term with four roommates in my university’s dormitory, but these people were from the same country. I was in the city I was born and raised in. They shared the same religion (or at least the lack of it). We were the same age. But still, culturally and personally, we couldn’t be more different. I felt completely alone until I found my own people, and that took a while. But Gila Green has captured those feelings so well. (Conversely, I spent two semesters in another country with people from all over the world. I’d never felt more at home.)

There are other aspects of the story where I felt her pain about the actions of some family members, as well the pain of passport troubles, but I’m not going to reveal who and what. We can discuss privately after you’ve read the novel.

The title of the novel is just perfect. It is relevant and catchy without revealing any of the twists. But it makes even more sense after you learn more and more.

To sum it up, I recommend this emotional page-turner. In addition to the tensions, drama, and conflicts, it is a fun read that makes you look forward to reading more from Gila Green. And stay tuned, because an interview with her is coming up soon.

Interview with Author Carmen Radtke on Her Novel “The Case of the Missing Bride”

Posted on November 16, 2017 Written by Pinar Tarhan

October went in a bit of a blur. I took a translation project that I grossly underestimated in terms of both time and money, which in turn “reactivated” the nerve entrapment in my wrists.

But worry not, I’m back, and I’ve interviewed a great writer for my return post, Carmen Radtke. My good friend Radtke’s page-turning and addictive mystery The Case of the Missing Bride was released on September 5, 2017, and has been giving readers a new favorite author ever since.

So without further ado, here’s Carmen with my most pressing questions. Enjoy!

How and when did you start writing?

I’ve always written, since I discovered that I could use a pen and paper to make up poems (when you’re seven, any rhyme will do) and stories (the hamster and the stolen diamonds could’ve become a classic had I but known about the concept of a second draft).

Is it any wonder I became a newspaper journalist, sticking to facts and deadlines so tight I rarely got to explore the concept of a second draft?

Most reporters want to write a novel one day, lavishing time on crafting one immaculate sentence after another. Me too. Which is why, with impeccable timing, my first novel was partly written under my desk, while I typed away like a woman obsessed between earthquakes in Christchurch, New Zealand.

Can you tell us a bit about your book?

The Case of the Missing Bride is set in 1862 and tells the story of a group of young, impoverished Australian women, travelling half-way across the world, to marry prosperous Canadian miners. When one of the brides is missing after a stormy night, it’s thought of as an accident, but one girl knows better and embarks on a secret mission to find a killer.

These women really existed – I found a short paragraph online, during an idle research into “imported brides.” They set out in high hopes from Melbourne, but when they reached San Francisco for a stopover, they vanished without a trace. I can’t imagine a world where this would have ended well for them. Maybe that is why I couldn’t let it go. In my novel, at least I can save most of them, and give them some of the happiness the real life did not hold in store for them.

What genres do you prefer to read and write? Who are some of your favorite authors?

As a reader, I’m polygamous, voracious and insatiable. I love historical fiction, mysteries, grittier crime, comedy, thriller, some fantasy and science-fiction … After moving half-way around the world twice, I still have the complete works of Agatha Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers, Rex Stout, Ngaio Marsh, plus Janet Evanovich, Dick Francis, Terry Pratchett, Tony Hillerman, Elizabeth Peters … On second thought, in about two-thirds of the books on my shelves, there usually is a crime of some kind involved.

Strangely enough, my next novel also features crime of some kind. A Matter of Love and Death (Bombshell Books) will be released on 29 November, under the pen-name Caron Albright. It’s historical again, set in Australia in 1931, during the Great Depression and comes complete with a plucky heroine, a dashing nightclub-owner, artists and crooks.

What are you working on now?

I’m currently working on a screenplay – a contemporary Romantic Comedy makes a change from the crimes of the past and the heartbreak of current events. If I get stuck or bored, I – like most writers – have a file, loosely labelled ideas.

Where can we follow and read you online?

You can follow me on Twitter: @carmenradtke1, connect on Facebook (Carmen Radtke) or visit my website https://scribbler25.wixsite.com/mysite.

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The Little Shop of Happy Ever After: Book Review for Jenny Colgan’s Delightful Novel

Posted on August 15, 2017 Written by Pinar Tarhan

Jenny Colgan, The Little Shop of Happy Ever After

* This post contains affiliate links.

Shy and bookish 29-year-old Nina lives in Birmingham, works as a librarian and loves her job. So what if her roommate/good mate Surrinder complains about how many books they have in the house?

But when the library closes and she needs to apply to a job she’d hate, she does something crazy: She decides to run a bookshop out of a van. She already has some inventory, and it will cost her all her money, but what other options does she have?

The van of her dreams, however, is in a Scottish village. A few more hurdles cause her to start her dream in that village. And while she becomes the town’s sweetheart, she doesn’t get along so well with her grumpy farmer landlord Lennox. Certainly not as well as she gets long with Marek, the Litvanian train engineer who just might be the romantic hero she has read about all her life. But happy afters don’t really happen in real life, do they?

The Little Shop of Happy Ever After is the ultimate romantic comedy for book lovers. Yes, it helps if you love romance and aren’t allergic to romantic storylines. But what is not to love about a fast-paced, sweet (and sometimes really sexy), fun, and honest novel about new beginnings and finding love? Of course, I love reading and writing sweet yet sexy romcoms.

It should be noted that I love Scotland (never been, but I’m hoping to change it someday), and this is my second Jenny Colgan novel. My first was also a great romcom set in England and Scotland, Where Have All the Boys Gone.

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I read the book while on vacation, but it’d have made a great anywhere.

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