@RebecccaJ I don’t have any recommendations for you of Dutch authors because I mostly read English-speaking authors that have been translated and generally ones that are easy to read - I’ve read many Agatha Christie books in different languages - mainly because she is widely translated and the stories are easy to read. I recently read John Le Carre’s book The Spy Who Came in From the Cold (Spion Aan de Muur), Isobel Kuhn’s In the Arena (In de Arena) and Patricia Wentworth’s The Chinese Shawl (De Chinese Sjaal). You have to remember that I haven’t spoken Dutch since age 10 so my vocab has to be pretty generic. I also tend to get the Young Adult books like Hunger Games because they are written for youth and often the vocabulary isn’t quite as deep, although I’m currently plowing through a Harry Potter book (the play) in Spanish that is constantly being put away for “later” because the vocabulary is so steeped in magic, not the words I’d normally encounter. I love reading in another language - makes me feel like I’m using my brain!
@RebeccaJ - I learned to sign when I was pregnant with my daughter, just as a general interest course, but the instructor was herself hearing impaired, and introduced me to the deaf community. They were such a lovely group of people and welcomed me into their lives. I began by attending a Bible study with them led by a certified interpreter, and slowly became more proficient until I was sharing interpreting duties with her at Sunday church services. As I became more involved in their social life, my understanding of the language improved. I was then approached by a night school instructor if I would take her classes as she could no longer do it. Basically the same type of course I began with - general interest. I never became certified as my strength is interpreting, but not reverse interpreting (what they were signing). I still struggle with that. I haven’t done any interpreting in over 25 years (no hearing impaired in my current circles), but keep it up by signing songs or snippets of TV programs. It is a beautiful language and signing at a young age, as you have with your child, has definitely been proven to help with verbal language (I also used to teach baby sign for new parents at the local public health classes). Trust she is doing well now.
@annekepoot, yes, she speaks very well now. We still sign across crowded rooms, but simple things like “Stop that!” or “it’s time to go.” Our teachers were always part of the deaf community too - either children of deaf parents who were certified interpreters, or in one case, a deaf woman. When my daughter was three and ready for school, but still non-verbal, we fought for, and won, a placement for her in the hearing-impaired class. We figured that if she never spoke, she would need sign language presented as a language - not just a handful of signs like they use in the special-education classes, or like they use with N-T (neuro typical) babies growing up. She was in that class for three years.
I am also a language nerd. I speak Spanish and French, and am now learning Dutch. But I’ve also studied to a smaller degree, Italian and Hebrew, and have sung in several other languages. And I’ve traveled to other countries and worked hard to be able to say at least a few words in each of those languages.
Wow - a lot of my fav authors as well - Beaton, Connelly, James, Sayers, Grimes - great writers.
Just a question - do we go back to our original post and edit to add books as we go, or are we supposed to be putting in new posts as we finish books?
However you feel comfortable. There’s really no rules here. If you add a new post as you finish, it’s more likely others will see it and may be inspired to read your selection.
@TexasPurl Thanks - I’ll add as I go.
- The Foundling - Paul Joseph Fronczak - “The true story of a kidnapping, a family secret and my search for the real me.”
- Eat to Beat Disease - William W. Li - “The new science of how your body can heal itself.”
- Silent Spring - Rachel Carson
- All about ADHD - Thomas Phelan
- The Alzheimer’s Solution - Dean Sherzai
I finished another book today…
Indianapolis: The true story of the worst sea disaster in U.S. Naval history and the fifty year fight to exonerate an innocent man, by Lynn Vincent and Sara Vladic
It is very well written, lots of research, interviews with survivors, fascinating story. Not an easy read…the parts that describe the sailors’ days in the ocean do get a bit graphic (5 days adrift, injuries, limited food and water, sharks). As a history major this is the type of book I love (100 pages of end notes, bibliography) and the story is one that more people need to know about.
- Ten Big Ones…Janet Evanovich (Audio) Private Investigator Mysteries
- Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls
- The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
Needed a little palate cleanser, so reading “Shatner Rules, Your Key to Understanding the Shatnerverse and the World At Large”, by William Shatner with Chris Regan. There are many laugh out loud funny parts!
I hadn’t heard of this, I’ll have to look for this for DH.
- The Dirt on Ninth Grave…Darynda Jones (Audio) Private Investigator Mysteries/Supernatural
I finished Next Year in Havana today. It was okay; not one of my favorites. I’ve started The Library of Lost and Found by Phaedra Patrick and am liking it so far.
- The Silent Patient - Alex Michaelides. 3.5 stars
- Home Front - Kristin Hannah 5 stars
I really loved Home Front! The Silent Patient kept my interest, but was just a so so story for me.
Now reading 48. The Life Intended - Kristin Harmel 4 stars
- The Man of Legends…Kenneth Johnson - Metaphysical Fiction
- The Curse of Tenth Grave…Darynda Jones (Audio) Private Investigator Mysteries/Supernatural
Yes, this was not an easy read.
@LibraryKntr, currently reading BiblioTECH and I’m really enjoying it! It is both thought-provoking, and engaging to read. I now have the American Library Association, and the Digital Public Library of America bookmarked as sites of interest. Was proud to see OCLC mentioned in the book. Thank you for listing this book! 
I joined an online Fiction Book Club through our library. Each weekday, you are emailed a chapter of a book. The books change weekly. That way, you get to sample and see what books you like. Pretty cool. It is called Online Book Club powered by Dear Reader.