Home Feed
Home
Search
Search
Add Review, Blurb, Quote
Add
Activity
Activity
Profile
Profile
#TheNetherlands
blurb
JillR
The Safekeep | Yael van der Wouden
post image

The Women‘s Prize for Fiction 2025 winner is announced on Thursday; here‘s my thoughts on the short list:-

The Safekeep, Yael Van der Wouden ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
All Fours, Miranda July ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tell Me Everything, Elizabeth Strout ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Good Girl, Aria Aber ⭐️⭐️⭐️
Fundamentally, Nussaibah Yunis ⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Persians, Sanam Mahloudji ⭐️⭐️

Overall, as I‘ve seen so many others say, I‘m disappointed with the SL. I suspect All Fours will win!

BarbaraBB I feel more or less the same about the books on the shortlist as you do. I hope The Safekeep will win but All Fours would be my guess too. 2h
3 likes1 comment
blurb
perfectlywinged
The Safekeep | Yael van der Wouden
post image

So far this is giving Call Me By Your Name (but instead of a peach, a pear). 🍐

Jari-chan Just taking a break from reading this book, just to this post 😁 14h
7 likes1 comment
blurb
TheLudicReader
The Safekeep | Yael van der Wouden
post image

20% off at Indigo for teachers is a siren call, especially when having a plum plus card gets you an additional 10% off. What‘s a bookworm to do?

AmyG I loved The Safekeep. Enjoy! 6d
Lesliereadsalot Agree with @AmyG Terrific book! 6d
37 likes2 comments
review
mija333
post image
Pickpick

So far so good! The fact that I usually like books that have been translated makes me think I need to move.

review
LeafingThroughLife
The Safekeep | Yael van der Wouden
post image
Pickpick

Well-written with beautiful depictions of idyllic Dutch countryside, its deeply unlikable characters, paranoid staid Isabel and artificial encroaching Eva, made this book initially hard to get into. I saw the first “twist” coming but it‘s the second one that takes this book from the ordinary to the extraordinary. Passion, paranoia, and revenge intermingle in this story of the long shadow of history. Well done.

AmyG Wonderful book. 1mo
31 likes1 comment
review
BookishRedhead
post image
Pickpick

(By the same author)
Interesting and funny.
Fun way to learn about the slang to add into your learning.
The cartoons make it more funny!

review
fredthemoose
The Safekeep | Yael van der Wouden
post image
Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Totally fine and nothing special. Book about Perl Jam told by a music critic and without new interviews or perspectives of the band. I wanted something that didn‘t ask much of me and this fit the bill. If you‘re into music biographies and/or Pearl Jam, it‘s worth a look.

BarbaraBB Eddie Vedder was so cool in those days! 2mo
Ruthiella Have you read this book @TheBookHippie ? 2mo
TheBookHippie I did and I was EH…. 😂🤷🏻‍♀️ my love remains though ♥️🙃 2mo
See All 10 Comments
TheBookHippie @BarbaraBB He is STILL cool 😂♥️✊🏼 he still puts on amazing concerts 🎉 2mo
fredthemoose @BarbaraBB He was and is! My Gen X heart will always have a soft spot for him and 90s grunge in general 2mo
fredthemoose @TheBookHippie I totally agree—the book was not nearly as good as the subject! 2mo
TheBookHippie @fredthemoose just saw him less than a year ago for a couple of concerts he was on fire. 🔥 2mo
BarbaraBB @TheBookHippie @fredthemoose That‘s true, he still rocks and I still love Pearl Jam, but Eddie Vedder more and more looks and sounds like Bruce Springsteen - who I like a lot less than Pearl Jam 😀 2mo
fredthemoose @BarbaraBB oooh… I‘d never thought of that before but you totally have a point… 2mo
BarbaraBB @fredthemoose I‘m sorry to have brought this up. I hope you can un-see it ☺️ 2mo
45 likes10 comments
review
fredthemoose
The Safekeep | Yael van der Wouden
post image
Pickpick

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ I liked this, although maybe a bit less than others here. Interesting story of two women, or a woman and a family in the aftermath of post-WWII Netherlands. The subject and twist were interesting and the book was well written. I found the resolution of the main relationship not believable, which left me a little less enthusiastic than I might have been otherwise. #WPF25

Tamra I agree, I wasn‘t all that enthusiastic. Felt like it was trying too hard to be literary. 2mo
47 likes1 comment
review
JillR
The Safekeep | Yael van der Wouden
post image
Pickpick

“An exhilarating tale of twisted desire, histories and homes.” I started out being clever, thinking I knew what this was about, where it was going. It turns out I really didn‘t, and I LOVED realising I‘d misjudged it entirely. I‘m not saying anything more for fear of spoilers. It‘s not an easy read in terms of the subject, on several levels, but after a slow start I couldn‘t put it down, it delivers a real gut-punch. Loved it (love the cover too)

squirrelbrain That‘s exactly how I felt about this too! 2mo
TrishB A great read 👍🏻 2mo
sarahbarnes Yes! So good. 2mo
Chelsea.Poole Well put! Same here. 2mo
Centique Totally agree! 2mo
49 likes1 stack add5 comments
review
Centique
The Safekeep | Yael van der Wouden
post image
Pickpick

This book was loved by so many friends last year that I didnt think it could live up to the hype. Well it more than did that. I‘ll be surprised if this isnt the best book i read this year. Glorious writing and complex characters, a sprawling old house and a spiralling tension. I thought it was PERFECT.

Ruthiella Great review! 👍 2mo
BarbaraBB What a review. I loved it too and am hoping it‘ll win the Women‘s Prize 2mo
squirrelbrain Great review for a fabulous book! 2mo
See All 21 Comments
Centique @Ruthiella @squirrelbrain thank you 😘 I feel like im a bit in love with this book now! 2mo
Centique @BarbaraBB me too! 🤞🤞🤞 2mo
Bookwormjillk I loved it too 2mo
CarolynM Great review. And I see it‘s on the a Women‘s Prize shortlist. I will have to bump it up the TBR😊 2mo
Cathythoughts Great review ❤️ I really enjoyed it too and I recommended for our Bookclub… great discussion! 2mo
Centique @CarolynM its so good! I hope you love it too. Go in without reading blurbs/synopsis if possible 👍 2mo
Centique @Bookwormjillk @Cathythoughts 😘 great company to be in! 2mo
Billypar This is at the top of my list this year too. It was also the exact right book I needed for the moment: I've been more distracted lately, and this was one of the few recent reading experiences where I felt truly immersed in the action. 2mo
Centique @Billypar i feel very much the same! The start of the year i have struggled to finish books. Just hitting a streak of really good books now which i hope will get my reading mojo back 💕 2mo
Reggie This review was PERFECT! Stacked! 2mo
Reggie lol I had stacked it already, but I would again if I could. 2mo
Centique @Reggie thank you! I was going to add in my comments OMG Reggie you have to read this - but i keep saying that lately! Anyway this book has a lot of feelings - love suppressed feelings getting released 😍 2mo
Rissreadswithcats I‘m sure I have this waiting on my shelf. I will go check. It‘s my turn to pick a book soon for my bookclub. Maybe I‘ll choose this! Great review! 2mo
Suet624 I really liked this one too! 2mo
Centique @Rissreadswithcats oooh that would be exciting! Theres a bit of sexy times in here as long as your bookclub isn‘t like a group of nuns or something! 😂 2mo
Centique @Suet624 its my favourite this year for sure! 2mo
Rissreadswithcats Definitely not a group of nuns! Smart, fierce women who like to read and love to eat and drink! 2mo
Centique @Rissreadswithcats i love it! Sounds like my kind of book club! The one i was part of a few years ago was very nice but they were all law school friends, super smart but some were really conservative. 😬 2mo
62 likes4 stack adds21 comments