Book Swap

Easter Monday still free? Come join us for a walk between two of Utrecht's most beautiful castles! 🏰 We start from the bus stop Haarzuilens, Kasteel de Haar and make our way through nature to Slot Zuylen, two stunning spots that are worth a visit any time of year. The walk is around 2,5-3 hours and there will be plenty of time to explore both castles and take a break in between. A nice way to spend a hopefully sunny day, get some fresh air, and meet some new people along the way.

If you are living in The Netherlands, by now, you may well have noticed the amount of open water. If you enjoy cycling in the city, you may wish to feel safer as you navigate the bridges and canals. And you may also want to get ready for visiting the beach, pools or the many lakes this summer. Learning how to swim takes approx 1 year and it all starts with the very first lesson. New comers enroll via our website and pay € 30,50, this is the first lesson and a goody bag. After the class you agree with the personal swim coach how to continue to obtain your final objectives. Enrolling is only possible via [www.your-personal-swim-coach.nl ](https://www.your-personal-swim-coach.nl/)hence a rvsp via meetup is not enough.

A great ride along the Vecht and Gein rivers. You will love this route. Please ride single file along the winding river as there can be cars around each corner. **Route:** https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/441606271 GPX: https://drive.google.com/file/d/17-T_pT_GH3QKSFcH1WWgfArvxSdAkVzO/view?usp=sharing **Afterwards:** Drinks at Polder https://maps.app.goo.gl/tbt5DDG7YLU3uWvaA **Rules:** \- Download the route to your cycling computer so you can always find your way home \- Make sure to arrive on time \- Before you ride\, decide as a group how you want to ride: you can split up in a fast and a slow group or stay together\, but make sure to discuss what pace you are going to ride and whether you are going to wait if someone is slower than the group\, or not\.

Samen sporten, gewoon voor de fun, elke week een divers programma, met allerlei verschillende sporten. Je hoeft niet de beste te zijn, maar wel zin hebben om samen te spelen en te leren. Tijdens een training doen we verschillende spelletjes, basketbal, voetbal. volleybal, spikebal, honkbal. Kom je ook, de bal ligt bij jou!! Eerste keer meedoen is altijd gratis, daarna kan je beslissen of dit voor jou is, of niet!! Dus kom een keer proberen. Kan je niet op deze dag, we sporten ook op andere dagen nl Zondag om 9:30 of Maandag om 20:30 Stuur mij een berichtje als je op die dagen een keer wil proberen! The amount of people rsvp'd to this game doesn't match the real number of people at the event, as Meetup is only used for promotion purposes.

New Year, New Sport! 🏐 ​Whether you've never played volleyball before or it’s been many years since you last hit the court, you are very welcome to join our Beginner Group! ​We train every Monday at 9 PM at Gymnasium Bibian Mentel in Zeeburgereiland. ​Come learn the basics, get moving, and meet new people in a fun, relaxed environment. ​Get more info here: ​WhatsApp Group: https://chat.whatsapp.com/EnPEK1bHLiTGdpqz6Vtbm4 ​Instagram: @brazucavolley

This is one for the early birds, but gets you back into the city by 7.45-8am, so you can still make it in time for work. **Route:** https://connect.garmin.com/modern/course/441546437 GPX: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1L3O5N_7rzLdy8d5QbCsnhMnY0EyudJ2n/view?usp=sharing **Afterwards:** Coffee at Coffee Company https://maps.app.goo.gl/WDTpAJ6TurQwFANd8 **Rules:** \- Download the route to your cycling computer so you can always find your way home \- Make sure to arrive on time \- Before you ride\, decide as a group how you want to ride: you can split up in a fast and a slow group or stay together\, but make sure to discuss what pace you are going to ride and whether you are going to wait if someone is slower than the group\, or not\. \- The end of the route is a coffee stop that opens at 7:30am so you can socialize

We’ll go for a relaxed 45-minute walk through Amstelpark, following the designated paths. With spring in full bloom, the park is looking especially beautiful—perfect for a refreshing stroll and good company. 🌸 🌷 🌹 🪻 🌿 After the walk, we can grab a drink at the mini golf & pancake restaurant, which is also the meeting point🥞🍹 Please bring comfortable shoes and only sign up if you are really joining. Looking forward to seeing you there!

'KAFKA ON THE SHORE' by Haruki Murakami 'The aging Nakata, tracker of lost cats, who never recovered from a bizarre childhood affliction, finds his pleasantly simplified life suddenly turned upside down. There is a savage killing, but the identity of both victim and killer is a riddle. Kafka on the Shore follows the fortunes of two remarkable characters. Kafka Tamura runs away from home at fifteen, under the shadow of his father's dark prophesy. The aging Nakata, tracker of lost cats, who never recovered from a bizarre childhood affliction, finds his pleasantly simplified life suddenly turned upside down. Their parallel odysseys are enriched throughout by vivid accomplices and mesmerising dramas. Cats converse with people; fish tumble from the sky; a ghostlike pimp deploys a Hegel-spouting girl of the night; a forest harbours soldiers apparently un-aged since WWII. There is a savage killing, but the identity of both victim and killer is a riddle. Murakami's new novel is at once a classic tale of quest, but it is also a bold exploration of mythic and contemporary taboos, of patricide, of mother-love, of sister-love. Above all it is an entertainment of a very high order.' ***Please read the book and join us for a lively discussion (in English) about the contents during our afternoon book club meeting.*** \-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\-\- **PLEASE NOTE:** This is an IN-PERSON event in Amersfoort, The Netherlands. Please cancel your attendance in advance if you are unable to join, so that those on the waitlist can participate. Looking forward to seeing you all IN REAL LIFE then! Best regards, Sandra

Do you love books, or have you been wanting to get into reading more? Then this might just be the event for you! At this book swap everyone brings one or a few books they no longer need. We put them all out on the table and from there it's up to you, see if something catches your eye and take home whatever you'd like to read next. Any language is welcome, so bring whatever is sitting on your shelf! At the end of the evening you can take back the books you brought that weren't picked up, or leave them with the organiser who will donate them to a local secondhand shop. This event is organised on a weekday evening as a nice little break in the middle of the week to meet fellow book lovers over a good drink. **Bonus for the walkers 🚶‍♀️** After the event the organiser will walk back to Utrecht Centraal for anyone who wants to join. It's a relaxed 25 to 30 minute walk alongside the water for some extra movement and a calm way to end the evening. ⚠️ If you're unsure whether you can make it, please free up your spot for someone else.

*"Born with alexithymia, Yunjae has always struggled to understand emotion, but after tragedy turns his life upside down, friendship begins to pull him toward a world he has never fully known."* 🕒 **HOW IT WORKS** This is a relaxed, social meetup where readers come together to chat about our current book — *no spoilers are off-limits!* There are no formal rules — just good company, friendly conversation, and plenty of bookish tangents. 💬 **STAY CONNECTED** Join our WhatsApp Community to discover upcoming reads, take part in polls, and join our bookish chats. 👉🏽 [Join here](https://chat.whatsapp.com/LWEUqDWrMZSLCj1ThrAyVU) 📖 You can grab a copy at [The American Book Center](https://abc.nl/book-details/almond/$9780062961389) ✨ **RSVP Reminder** Spots are limited — if you can’t make it, please update your RSVP so someone else can join. (Repeat no-shows may be waitlisted)

This Month's Book: *On A Sunbeam* by Tillie Walden Join us for discussion at the Granville Public Library from 6 to 7pm. Follow us on Instagram: @granvillepridebookclub

**Our April novel is: *The Hong Kong Widow* by Kristen Loesch** **This month’s novel blends gothic atmosphere with historical fiction and chilling horror, set against the haunting backdrop of China. The book is 368 pages in print and 10 hours and 42 minutes on audiobook.** In 1950s Hong Kong, Mei is a young refugee of the Chinese Communist revolution struggling to put her past in Shanghai behind her. When she receives a shocking invitation—to take part in a competition in one of the city's most notorious haunted houses, pitting six spirit mediums against one another in a series of six séances over six nights, until a single winner emerges—she has every reason to refuse. Except that the hostess, a former Shanghainese silent film star, is none other than the wife of the man who once destroyed Mei’s entire life. It is promised the winner will receive a fortune, but there is only one prize Mei wants: revenge. Decades later, the final night of that competition has become an infamous urban legend: The police were called to the scene of a brutal massacre but found no evidence, dismissing it as a collective hallucination. Mei knows what she saw, but now someone else is convinced they know what she did. She must uncover the truth about the last night she ever spent in that house—even if the ghosts of her past are waiting for her there. . . .

Let's bedazzle some books while we discuss our April pick: Bloodguard by Cecy Robson! Book description: One hundred years. Tens of thousands of gladiators. And today, only one will rise… Everything in the Kingdom of Arrow is a lie. Leith of Grey thought coming to this new land and volunteering to fight in the gladiator arena—vicious, bloodthirsty tournaments where only the strongest survive—would earn him enough gold to save his dying sister. He thought there was nothing left to lose. He was wrong—and they took everything. His hope. His freedom. His very humanity. All Leith has left is his battle-scarred body, fueled by rage and hardened from years of fighting for the right to live another day. Then Leith meets Maeve, an elven royal who is everything he despises. Everything he should hate. Until the alluring princess offers him the one thing he needs most: a chance to win the coveted title of Bloodguard—and his freedom. But in a kingdom built on secrets and lies, hope doesn’t come cheap. Nor will his ultimate revenge… Event: Please bring your own book, journal, bookmarks, etc to bedazzle. If you have bedazzling supplies, please bring them as well. I will supply gems, glue, and picker tools, but if you have certain colors in mind, you may want to bring your own.

* Second ever book club! April meet up. All are welcome. * The book will be Play Nice by Rachel Harrison (determined by votes from March Book Club. Let me know if you’d like a free digital copy of the book) * This event will be at the main library, meeting room 1B, the location will not be changed for this event due to the number of people attending, we will just add more chairs if needed! * Feel free to come whether or not you’ve started or finished the book ◡̈ * Small snacks will be provided. You’re welcome to bring your own snacks & drinks too! Starting in June I will try to keep future book clubs at the Dublin Library. Now that I understand their reservation system, I will be on top of it with booking that location as soon as the date is released for the month. Thanks for your understanding with the varying locations in the meantime.

Join us for our April Book Club gathering where we will come together to discuss *[Stop Me if You've Heard This One](https://www.kristenarnettwriter.com/stopmeifyouveheardthisone)* by [Kristen Arnett](https://www.kristenarnettwriter.com/about) in a safe and welcoming environment. Make new friends who share your passion for books and connect with fellow LGBTQ book enthusiasts.

We’ll be having a game night! Bring a game, snack, drink or just yourself!

Calling all founders, CEOs, lawyers, doctors, and entrepreneurs to join our special *Founder Edition* of Sip & Read meetup event. Let's sip on fine wine and discuss our first book **The 5AM Club- Own Your Morning Elevate Your Life, by Robin Sharma**. We will pair this book with our favorite wine at **Wine on High** and engage in thought-provoking discussions on startup businesses and entrepreneurship, and network with like-minded individuals in a cozy book club setting. Come prepared to discuss this month's book. At the end of each book club meeting, we will take next book and venue suggestions from the participants for the next meeting. Whether you are a book lover, women entrepreneur, or a content creator, this event is perfect for sharing ideas and insights with other funders and founders in the entrepreneurial world. Don't miss out on this unique opportunity to connect, learn, and grow together. Sign up now to reserve your spot! *Fun fact! This meetup was established in 2015 and had over 1,000 members. I had to shut down operations while attending law school, but we're back!!*