Saturday 24 December 2016

Merry Christmas!



Dear all, wishing you a very merry and blessed Christmas time. Hope you enjoy the day with family, friends, relaxing activities and good food!

Friday 2 December 2016

Christmas cards!

I'm slowly getting into the holiday spirit! What better way to enhance that then to send you guys some Christmas cards (per the LiveJournal tradition).

Would you like to receive a Christmas or holiday card from The Netherlands? If you'd like one, you can leave your address in the comments. You can delete the comment right after you made it (for privacy reasons) as the comments are send to my email address.

Monday 21 November 2016

8 Bookish and Not-So-Bookish Thoughts (12)

Bookish and Not-So-Bookish Thoughts is a weekly blogging event hosted by Bookishly Boisterous.
It allows book bloggers (and non-book bloggers) to write about pretty much anything, bookish or otherwise (i.e. sharing exciting plans for the weekend,
rants on things they've encountered during the week etc.)


Phew, it´s been almost half a year since I last did one of these ´Thoughts´ posts! High time for another random update of many areas of my life ;-)

1. Personally, I've been rather busy. After my PhD defense in June, I got an extension of my contract until the end of 2016. I was ofcourse really happy to still have a job! I've been working really hard as our group is trying to fit as much experiments as possible into these few months, before the project (and funding...) really ends. And ofcourse, at the same time, I have to keep on applying for new jobs as well. I've decided to take a 'sabbatical' in January and February. I need time to breathe, recharge and do things I've been wanting to do for years but didn't have the time for. So, who knows, I might post a lot of reviews in these months....

Monday 17 October 2016

Television review: Doctor Thorne



Doctor Thorne, the physician of the town of Greshamsbury, lives a quiet life with his niece Mary. Mary, though her parentage is a mystery, is often in the company of the Greshams, the squire and his family. This all changes when the relationship between Mary and Frank, the heir of Greshamsbury gets romantic. Suddenly, questions of money and class rear their head and threaten to tear friends and family apart.

Wednesday 12 October 2016

Book review: A season to love



Willa Hart has been through too much, first loosing her husband and then seeing her young daughter battle cancer, to enjoy live unreservedly. Her brother challenges her to let go more and Willa takes the first small steps by accepting a part-time job. Then she meets the new town doctor, Patrick McCade, an adventurer by heart. They quickly strike up a friendship and Patrick sets out to show Willa how to be adventurous in everyday live. However, Patrick is only in town for a short time, but will this keep him and Willa from developing more than just a friendship?

Sunday 2 October 2016

Television review: Legends of Tomorrow season 1


Time master Rip Hunter travels back from the future to the 21st century to assemble a team of heroes and villains. He wants them to help him destroy the immortal dictator Vandal Savage, who took over the world and killed his family in the time where Rip came from. However, the team members don't easily work together and the group is hunted by the Time Masters, who believe they are destroying the time line.


Monday 26 September 2016

Book review: The Salvation of Doctor Who



This booklet is part of The Pop in Culture series of Bible studies in which pastor Matt Rawle finds insight and inspiration in pop culture classics. In twenty short inspirational chapters, stories from Doctor Who are connected to Bible passages that teach us about who we are, how we have to understand time and how we live in a world where evil seems to reign.


Monday 29 August 2016

Trip to Heidelberg!


Hello dear readers! It's been a while (again) since I've written, but to make it up, I've got a big, photo-filled post about my latest holiday from two weeks ago. This time I got on a train to go to Heidelberg, which is in the south of Germany, in the state of Baden-Württemberg.


Sunday 24 July 2016

Television review: ANZAC Girls



The six-part miniseries ANZAC Girls tells the true and ofeten overlooked stories of the women from Australia and New-Zealand who served as nurses during World War I. In 1914, Alice, Hilda, Elsie, Olive and Matron Grace Wilson arrive in Egypt and soon find out that war is not the 'splendid adventure' they thought it was as they have to deal with the horror of wounded men from the Gallipoli campaign.

Monday 27 June 2016

PhD defense!

Hello all! Last week Tuesday, June 21st 2016 was (finally) my PhD defense! It was a very special day and I wanted to share some of it with you through some pictures. 
A little bit of background for you all. In November 2011 I started my PhD at Utrecht University in the veterinary faculty on the use of so-called host defense peptides as alternative antimicrobials, especially in poultry. In The Netherlands, the thesis defense day is more of a ceremonial and celebratory identity than in many other countries. Meaning that you cannot actually 'fail' and the actual defense is open for the public. Ofcourse it's still nerve-wracking, as you want to answer the questions of the committee well. All your colleagues, family and friends are watching and you will remember this the rest of your life.

But, first things first, I promised to show you my finished thesis books. They came around the beginning of June and what a feeling it is to have stacks of books writting by yourself in front of you!! The days afterwards I handed them around to colleagues, collaborators, friends and family and soon the stacks had all but dissapeared.



Sunday 15 May 2016

8 Bookish and Not-So-Bookish Thoughts (11)

Bookish and Not-So-Bookish Thoughts is a weekly blogging event hosted by Bookishly Boisterous. It allows book bloggers (and non-book bloggers) to write about pretty much anything, bookish or otherwise (i.e. sharing exciting plans for the weekend, rants on things they've encountered during the week etc.)

1. Hello everyone! I've been rather AWOL lately.... My life and most of my free time has been swallowed by preparations for this little thing called my PhD defense in June... Lots of organising, preparing, last minute changes to the manuscript, filling in forms, etc. However, it's all coming together and last week I held the proof print of my thesis in my hands! It looks great, all official and shiny ;-) In less than two weeks I most likely have the final products and will ofcourse show it to you guys as well! 


Sunday 17 April 2016

Television review: Galavant season 2


In this surprising second season of the adventure comedy Galavant, Isabella is engaged against her will to her eleven-year old cousin, Galavant is trying to find an army to free her and Richard the former king of Valencia is trying to find a new role for himself while his wife Madelena and former best friend Gareth rule his kingdom.

How to describe Galavant? It's clear this is one-of-a-kind show. Not a period drama persé, but an adventure vaguely set in Medieval times with romance, singing and a lot of laughs. After thoroughly enjoying the first season of the show, I was so happy it was renewed for a second run, even though the viewing figures were not that great for such an expensive show. And really, this second season was even better than the first in my opinion, more creative and with unexpected plot-changes.


Thursday 31 March 2016

Movie review: Populaire (2012)


In 1958, becoming a secretary is small-town-girl Rose Pamphyle's greatest dream. She is overjoyed when she is hired by the moody insurance agent Louis Échard. Louis soon learns that Rose is an uncommonly fast typist and decides to train her for the national speedtyping competition, making a bet with his friend Bob that Rose can win. As Louis and Rose spend much time together, sparks begin to fly, but Louis only wants Rose to concentrate on winning the competition.


Sunday 27 March 2016

Book review: Sense and Sensibility (The Austen project)



The Austen project is a series of six contemporary novels, modern interpretations of Jane Austen’s major works and written by well-known authors. The project was started to celebrate the 200-year anniversary of Austen’s works and the first book written for the project was Sense and Sensibility by Joanne Trollope.  The story is well-known I think, the Dashwood family, consisting of Mrs. Dashwood and her three daughters, sensible architecture student Elinor, romantic guitar adept Marianne and teenager Margaret have to move to a small cottage in the middle of nowhere after their husband and father dies. Elinor and Marianne both fall in love, but are their men really what they seem to be?

Wednesday 23 March 2016

The Happy Tag

It's been a little while since this tag was making the rounds on many of the blogs I read, but I really liked the idea, so here is my take on The Happy Tag, which has only one rule: to list things that make you happy in a number of categories.

If any of you want to play as well, please do!

Books:


Saturday 19 March 2016

Television review: Poldark series 1


In the late 18th century, Ross Poldark returns to his family and home in Cornwall after having served in the army. Upon his return, he finds his father dead, the mine he owned closed and his beloved Elizabeth engaged to his cousin Francis. Ross starts on rebuilding his families estate, but has to fight against the greedy Warleggan bankers. He rescues the young woman Demelza and offers her a place as his kitched maid.

Anyone even a little interested in period drama can hardly have missed the buzz that this tv-series created when it aired on the BBC last year. It was hailed as everything from 'the next Downton Abbey' to 'the next Pride and Prejudice' and scored high ratings. So ofcourse I was curious!


Monday 7 March 2016

Book review: Coming up Roses


After a difficult break-up, Daisy is happy she can house-sit for her parents and just withdraw from the world for a while. But as she works on the neglected garden at her parent’s house, she can’t help but be drawn into the life of the village. She makes unexpected friends in fellow-gardener Thomas, Ned the vet and Elaine and Jo. She becomes a part of committees and helps at the allotment. Just when Daisy really starts to feel at home she discovers her beloved garden is under threat by property developers. Together with her new friends Daisy has to fight to maintain the place she’s come to love.

Wednesday 24 February 2016

Television review: Wolf Hall



Thomas Cromwell, born as the son of a blacksmith, has worked himself up to secretary of Cardinal Wolsey. After the downfall of the cardinal because of his critisism of King Henry VIII, Cromwell becomes an advisor of the King himself. He quickly grows in importance and has to walk a tight rope to escape being sucked into the treachery and intrigue at Henry's court.

Friday 12 February 2016

Thesis talk

I submitted my PhD thesis yesterday! Four years of work on paper and now out of my hands :-S

  

The thesis will now be read by the so-called 'reading committee' of 5 professors. And then I will have to have the thesis designed and printed as a booklet. And then there's the thesis defence date at the 21st of June. So, I'm not completely done, but this is one big step nonetheless!
(No more writing and editing, no more evening and weekend work in the coming time, more time to read and relax!)

Monday 8 February 2016

Book review: Dear Mr Knightley


Samantha Moore grew up in foster care and learned to survive by hiding in books. In the company of her beloved fictional characters she feels save. After college and a failed attempt at a big city job, Samantha gets the opportunity of a lifetime when the anonymous benefactor who calls himself Mr Knightley offers her a scholarship to Medill School of Journalism. The only condition is that Samantha writes regular letters to Mr Knightley. Samantha starts her education, but finds out writing isn't as easy as she thought and neither is growing up. But when she starts making real friends in her classmate Ashley, fellow foster kid Kyle and famous novelist Alex Powell her life really starts to change.


Sunday 17 January 2016

Television review: 24 Hours in the Past



In 24 Hours in the Past, six British celebrities go back to the 19th century to live the life of the Victorian working class. They will live and work at four different places: the dust yard, the coaching inn, the potteries and end up in the worst place of all: the workhouse!

Saturday 9 January 2016

Period Drama Challenge


Old-Fashioned Charm

Look at this: Miss Laurie from Old-Fashioned Charm is organizing a Period Drama Challenge again, like she did in 2013! The challenge is given to inspire people to review the period dramas they watch and I'm going to join. I'm choosing the level Period Drama Lover, which means I plan to review 8 productions between now and July 2nd.

I'm watching Poldark at the moment (and loving it so far!), when I finish that (and review ofcourse), I have some other period dramas on my TBW (to be watched) list:

Series/mini-series:
Indian Summers (1930's, Channel 4)
Home Fires (WWII, BBC)
ANZAC girls (WWI, Australian production)
Passing Bells (WWI, BBC)
When Calls the Heart series 2 (1910s, Hallmark)

Movies:
The red baron (WWI)
The Monuments Men (WWII)
Summer in February (Edwardian)
Red Tails (WWII)
Brooklyn (1950s)
Belle (Georgian)

What do you think of my list? Are there any you've already seen and you would suggest me to watch ASAP? Do you have other suggestions?

Maybe some of you would like to join as well? Then click the banner, which will bring you to Miss Laurie's blog!

Wednesday 6 January 2016

End of the Year - Book Survey



Here we are again with the annual End Of Year Book Survey, hosted by The Perpetual Page Turner. I had a lot of fun looking back at my reading in 2015 and answering these questions. I hope you enjoy reading about it and let me know your thoughts if you've also read some of the books I mention here!

2015 READING STATS


Number Of Books You Read: 59. A little less than last year, when I read 66 books, but considering how busy I've been, I'm quite satisfied!
Number of Re-Reads: Only 1,5/2 (I reread Lady Susan and The Watsons by Jane Austen, but they are both so short, I wonder if you can call it 2)
Genre You Read The Most From: Historical fiction/historical romance


Friday 1 January 2016

Christmas Specials 2015


A bit late maybe, but I've been busy 'holidaying'! Still, here are my thoughts on the Christmas specials this year!