FINALLY, Spring has arrived! Even though the weather has been very Dutch (rain, sooo much rain), I still feel energized and ready to jump into May! But first: some of my favorites from April😊

I Read…

SEVEN FACELESS SAINTS by M.K. Lobb!

Fantasy meets murder-mystery, set in an alternate version of renaissance Italy, with childhood sweethearts-turned-enemies working together to find a killer? YES, PLEASE!

I was super excited for this book to come out! Though I was a little disappointed with the lack of chemistry between Roz and Damian, the story is intriguing, and the narrative raises interesting questions about faith and loyalty. The descriptions of the political and religious system are not super detailed, but this just keeps the pace of the story. I mean, the tension is HIGH!!

Overall, Seven Faceless Saints is an impressive debut and worth checking out if you’re looking for a dark fantasy story with plenty of magic, mystery, and romance!

I Watched…

The third season of The Mandalorian!

Yeah, I don’t know…this series has always prioritized an episodic way of storytelling: each of its “Chapters” delivers a standalone story. But where the first two seasons seemed to also have an overarching storyline and a clear end goal in mind, I felt completely lost in space (excuse the horrible pun) during season three. I wasn’t sure what to make of the overarching storyline until the final chapters.

It’s one thing to have a side-quest with Mando hunting down a bounty and being a badass, but did we really need an episode to see Syril Karn working some desk job and establish that Elia Kane was a spy for the Empire?

In so many ways I really loved this season, but it was also weird and repetitive and just…weird…

I Listened to…

Former U.S. President Barack Obama in the Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam!

Okay, I must admit: Obama’s visit to Amsterdam was on the 1^st of May, but since I’m writing this blog only today, I say it still counts for April Favorites (I have spoken😉).

Sooo, in a packed Ziggo Dome, Obama sat down for an unscripted interview. He spoke openly about being elected based on a narrative of change, then quickly discovering the limitations of the presidential office and the subtle art of the possible: change (and progress) is often slow, so one must draw hope from small steps. He encouraged the audience to be persistent, to keep working—even though at times, things get frustrating.

The key to keep going? Better is good! Better may not be as good as the best, and better may not be perfect, but better is surprisingly hard to obtain:

“Do not let people tell you the fight’s not worth it because you won’t get everything that you want…Better’s always worth fighting for.”

Better is definitely an improvement. Small improvements add up over time, eventually leading to significant progress (revisions, anyone…?)

On that note: be proud of the better you’ve achieved and keep on writing, folks (Obama said so😉).