On the 23rd  of January we had our first Book Club of the year. Although January can be a cold and gray time of the year here in the Netherlands, the chosen book, The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, was an easy read, bringing hope and light to the new year. It was the story of Nora Seed, a woman who is given the opportunity to experience different lives she might have had if she had made different choices.

Tuesday 19th of December 2023 might go down in history as a sad rainy day, but hereby there will be a mention about the brave people that travelled all the way from Tilburg to the tiny village of Alphen to discuss The Discomfort of Evening written by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld. While we choose this book from the options of Dutch literature masterpieces, this contemporary award-winning novel divided opinions amongst the book club members.

On 7 November 2023 TIC’s Book Club met to discuss Goodbye Sarajevo, which is a poignant and gripping memoir that offers a deeply personal account of the Bosnian War’s impact on one family. Written by Atka Reid and Hana Schofield, the book provides a unique perspective on the conflict, focusing on the experiences of two sisters, Atka and Hana, who find themselves on opposite sides of the world as war tears apart their hometown of Sarajevo.

The TIC Book Club met recently to discuss our book choice, Berlin, by Bea Setton. The author had lived in Paris, London, and Berlin, so she chose the latter to tell a story of young Daphne, a 26-year-old woman who was trying to find her way. There had been considerable expectations on her from her well-to-do parents, however Daphne took ludicrous jobs and lived in borrowed apartments.