Europe's smallest library

I live next door to Europe's smallest library, or at least London’s. The library is located in one, octagon shaped room that holds three walls of fiction and fiction crime, a few shelves of non-fiction and a small section with children and young adult books.

But the size of the library is compensated by their nice staff and their customer loyalty card, which gives you one free rental movie after five takeouts and you will be entered for the grand price where you can win a month of free rental movies! Little things make me happy.
Josefine

My recommendations: Goodbye Mr. Chips by James Hilton

Sorting out books

The Swedish writer Staffan Stolpe writes in his book In the shadow of a small ouzo (my translation) that he uses a system to sort out his old books. For every one new book he brings into his library, he sorts out three old books.
Sure, it sounds like a good system. Your taste in books and writers certainly changes over the years, I would for example not re-read my old Danielle Steel books, but at the same time I wouldn’t give them up either. They are a part of my life and part of who I was a few years ago. To throw them out would be like to throw out my old pictures. That might explain why I have a big box of photos and other memorabilia stacked away at home…But anyway, the books are a part of my life.
What do you do with your books? Sort them out as they don’t interest you more or collect them for sometime in the future?
Josefine


My recommendations: In the shadow of a small ouzo by Staffan Stolpe.

New Years resolutions reviewed

It has been more than six months since I decided on my “book” New Years resolution. This is what I wrote then:

My New Year resolution is to read at least six writers that are new to me. It wouldn’t be too difficult to read a new writer every other month.

So how did it go? The new writers I have read so far this year are:

1. Susanna Alakosi
2. Marjaneh Bakhtiari
3. Geraldine Brooks
4. Joanne Harris
5. Ove Lagerkvist
6. Alice Sebold
7. Karen Blixen
8. Marita Jonson
9. Björn Kumm
10. Staffan Stolpe
11. Tina Thunander

Almost double! Looking back, I probably should have set a higher goal. But knowing me, I tend to stick to the same writers year in and year out. Perhaps my New Years resolution helped me along the way and see some new openings.
How did your New Years resolutions hold up? Did they last longer than January 2?
Josefine

My recommendations: The lovely bones by Alice Sebold

New city, new books

I'm back after a long absence I am back in the game again.

Even though a move causes many extra things to do, move out of the old apartment, move into a new. Pack, unpack. Load truck, unload truck etc…I think you get my point. This is the time when I read the most. I can read several books a week when I move. It makes me calm and it fills up all this extra times when there is nothing else I can do but wait for another person or government official to act.
The good news is that I now have plenty of stuff to fill my blog with the coming weeks.

The second thing for me to do, is walk around to all the bookstores in my neighborhood to see what they have to offer, not to mention the libraries. But that’s for another time. Now I will finish a new book.
Josefine

My recommendations: The kings comedienne by Agneta Pleijel

The best book ever

I found this on Karen Clark’s blog Get on with it. I have to read that book when it hits the bookstands!



Josefine

Because I am moving and will have limited Internet access, it might take a while until my next post. But hang in there, I’ll be back.

Children's books

Did you have a favourite book as a child? There are so many to choose from for me, but if I have to choose. I can point to some books written by a Swedish author Jan Lööf, which I can still remember very vividly. His stories were different and funny, the pictures in the books were awesome and fit perfectly to the quirky stories. The book is still at my parents’ house where I sometimes find myself looking through them.
When I got older I read a lot of Maria Gripe’s Young Adult books. They were mysteries and thinking books all at the same time. I think I read everyone of her books that had come out when I was in that age.
Tell me about some of your favourites!
Josefine

My recommendations: Around the world in eighty days by Jules Vernes

Hooked on ONE author

I often get hooked on one writer. I read one of their books, love it and I just HAVE to read everything else they’ve ever written. So, off I go to the library, check out the book and sit down in my favourite chair to be entertained. However, entertained isn’t always the case. Often when I read an author’s different books to close to each other, I get disappointed. It is probably not the book in itself; it is just me being tired of their way of writing. My solution: a system, where I write down all the books and authors I want to read, and save them for later. The list is long of writers and books I want to read, some of them are Alexander McCall-Smith, Stephen King, Philippa Gregory, Antony Beevor and the list goes on….
The Swedish author Kajsa Ingemarsson is one of the many writers I have on my list. After reading one of her books, I wanted to throw myself into all her other books, But I stopped myself and waited. It took me a couple of months before I picked up her next book and it was as good as the first one. Now I have to wait another couple of weeks (at least) before I pick up her third book.

To read one writer or one genre is good in a way, you feel safe and know what you get. But there is also the feeling of reading the same book over and over again. I think it is important to every now and then, take a chance and throw yourself into the unknown. Pick up an author or genre you haven’t read before. (I know I have used those same words, not long ago, but I really believe it) Explore the unknown, or simply do like my sister, join a book club and see what new books they will send you each month.
Josefine

My recommendations: Small yellow lemons by Kajsa Ingemarsson