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Tom’s Year In Books

Tom’s 2024 Year in Books

Take a look at Tom’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.

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Tom Kenis

Goodreads Author

Born

in Genk, Belgium

Website

http://www.tomkenis.com

Twitter

tomkenis

Genre

Literature & Fiction, Mystery & Thrillers, Contemporary

Influences

Don DeLillo, Tom Robbins, Tom Wolfe, Douglas Adams, Bill Bryson, [a:Mi ...more

Member Since

June 2011

URL

https://www.goodreads.com/tomkenis

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I am migrating to thestorygraph.com, an Amazon-less alternative to Goodreads. This page will no longer be updated.

Tom Kenis has a background in Islamic Studies and International Affairs, but he blurs it on Zoom calls. He has worked in Brussels, Berlin, Cairo, and Ramallah.

Tom writes fiction and irreverent commentaries on this meshuggah epoch in English and Dutch. Pet peeves: the lovely Middle East and the not-so-lovely interventionist Upper West (a non-orientalist, humanist take), democracy, climate, human rights, sustainability, technology & renewable energy.

In 2014 Tom published a speculative thriller (De Kansmachine) with Manteau of Dutch publisher WPG, after self-publishing a quasi-political romp around the Middle East (Sinai) in 2011 I am migrating to thestorygraph.com, an Amazon-less alternative to Goodreads. This page will no longer be updated.

Tom Kenis has a background in Islamic Studies and International Affairs, but he blurs it on Zoom calls. He has worked in Brussels, Berlin, Cairo, and Ramallah.

Tom writes fiction and irreverent commentaries on this meshuggah epoch in English and Dutch. Pet peeves: the lovely Middle East and the not-so-lovely interventionist Upper West (a non-orientalist, humanist take), democracy, climate, human rights, sustainability, technology & renewable energy.

In 2014 Tom published a speculative thriller (De Kansmachine) with Manteau of Dutch publisher WPG, after self-publishing a quasi-political romp around the Middle East (Sinai) in 2011. From Ramallah, he penned a satirical column for the Jerusalem Post, deliriously attended a summer at Naropa University's Jack Kerouac School of Disembodied Poetics in Boulder, enjoyed a Passaporta residency at Stijn Streuvels' Lijsternest, and full-on aced the Harvard Advanced Fiction Writing summer course.
During the annus horribilis of 2020, Tom curated a testimonial-based exhibition on Belgian colonial history for Het Stadsmus, Hasselt. He is currently preparing his next novel: The Mosquito Thief.

Meanwhile, Tom keeps the lights on through: makeshiftpublishing.com

MakeShiftPublishing develops communication strategies that help organisations articulate their values, engage stakeholders, and amplify their impact. We combine strategic storytelling with qualitative insights to craft messages that resonate and deliver results.

With a proven track record across international development, multilateral organisations, and industry associations, we bring expertise in navigating diverse sectors and audiences. From high-level strategy to hands-on implementation, our tailored approach ensures your unique needs are met.

Drawing on experience in Europe, the Middle East and Central Africa, MakeShiftPublishing bridges local knowledge with a global perspective. Whether you aim to boost visibility, foster engagement, or turn complex data into compelling narratives, MakeShiftPublishing is here to help you succeed. ...more

107 posts
Tom Kenis's Blog

The chicken come home to roost.

The Russian attack on Ukraine shows the need for Europe to become independent from Russian gas. Not that the world isn’t used to conflicts that are in some way related to the supply of fossil fuels, mainly to industrialised countries. Petrodollars financed and armed Iraq’s Saddam Hussein, who developed his country, and murdered its minorities. He was our friend until he invaded a neighbouring coun

Combine Editions
Tom Kenis’s books

Average rating: 3.92 · 12 ratings · 4 reviews · 2 distinct works

	De kansmachine really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 9 ratings — published 2014	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
	Sinai 3.67 avg rating — 3 ratings — published 2011 — 3 editions	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

* Note: these are all the books on Goodreads for this author. To add more, click here.

Tom is Currently Reading

Tom Kenis is currently reading

The Secret Agent

by Joseph Conrad

bookshelves: currently-reading, abandoned

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Tom Kenis said: " Joseph Conrad is a genius, and The Heart of Darkness a masterpiece.
The Secret Agent, in contrast, is nigh unreadable. About 50 pages in, I'm throwing in the sponge. ...more "

May 20, 2024 10:54PM · see review

Tom Kenis is currently reading

Operation Shylock: A Confession

by Philip Roth

bookshelves: currently-reading

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Nov 14, 2022 08:47AM

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Tom’s Recent Updates

Tom Kenis rated a book liked it Re: Colonised Planet 5, Shikasta (Canopus in Argos #1) by Doris Lessing	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
“Something peculiar is going on, but I don’t know what.” Doris Lessing’s Shikasta defies easy classification—a dense, sprawling mosaic that blends speculative fiction, allegory, political commentary, and spiritual exploration. Think: Paradise Lost me ...more
Dec 31, 2024 12:32AM · like · see review
Tom Kenis rated a book it was amazing A Beginner's Guide to Dying by Simon Boas	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
I had the great fortune of becoming friends with Simon, my first memories of him swathed in the smoky air of Ziryab, a bar and restaurant in downtown Ramallah, back in 2005. Simon was a luminous presence: charismatic, fiercely intelligent, endlessly ...more
Dec 28, 2024 10:34AM · 4 likes · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of A Beginner's Guide to Dying by Simon Boas. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — A Beginner's Guide to Dying by Simon Boas <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tom Kenis rated a book really liked it The Scarlet Papers: The Times Thriller of the Year 2023 by Matthew Richardson	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Quite the ripper.
Dec 28, 2024 01:00AM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of The Scarlet Papers by Matthew Richardson. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — The Scarlet Papers by Matthew Richardson <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tom Kenis is now following David J. Chalmers Author of The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental ...
Dec 26, 2024 03:03AM · like
Tom Kenis wants to read Philosophy of Mind: Classical and Contemporary Readings by David J. Chalmers	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 26, 2024 03:03AM · like
Tom Kenis wants to read The Conscious Mind: In Search of a Fundamental Theory by David J. Chalmers	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 26, 2024 03:02AM · like
Tom Kenis wants to read If I Must Die: Poetry and Prose by Refaat Alareer	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 06, 2024 10:56AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of If I Must Die by Refaat Alareer. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — If I Must Die by Refaat Alareer <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tom Kenis wants to read Mao II by Don DeLillo	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 04, 2024 09:03AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Mao II by Don DeLillo. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Mao II by Don DeLillo <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tom Kenis wants to read Margins of Reality: The Role of Consciousness in the Physical World by Robert G. Jahn	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
Dec 03, 2024 03:23AM · like · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Margins of Reality by Robert G. Jahn. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Margins of Reality by Robert G. Jahn <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">
Tom Kenis rated a book really liked it Encounters: Experiences with Nonhuman Intelligences by D.W. Pasulka	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
The idea of UFOs has traditionally suggested that our planet is being visited by 'others' by means of advanced metallic craft scooting over from other solar systems, or even from within our own. There exists plenty of evidence, from declassified gove ...more
Nov 27, 2024 11:52PM · like · see review · preview book See a Problem? We’d love your help. Let us know what’s wrong with this preview of Encounters by D.W. Pasulka. Problem: Details (if other): Thanks for telling us about the problem. Not the book you’re looking for? Preview — Encounters by D.W. Pasulka <iframe sandbox id="wrongBookKindlePreviewScreen">

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Tom’s Quotes

“Common thistle is everywhere,” she said. “Which is perhaps why human beings are so relentlessly unkind to one another.”
― Vanessa Diffenbaugh, The Language of Flowers

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