Book of the year 2009

To not have a TV has its advantages, I have had so much extra time this year to just enjoy books. It has therefore been more difficult to choose my favourite book for 2009. However, after much deliberation I choose The Outcast by Sadie Jones. It was one of the few books I read this year that I just couldn’t put down and wished it never ended. Jones’ writing is easy to read and her characters were well written. The outcast is also one of the books I have recommended to most people this year. I look forward to read her latest book Small wars, which was published this past autumn.
Josefine

My recommendations: The reluctant fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid (a close second for book of the year)

The Olympic games of authors

I have always like a challenge and I read on Bookcrossing.com that one of the members had decided to read at least one author from all the countries sending a delegation to the Olympic Games in London 2012, before the games begins. Surrounded by London 2012 preparations, it feels right to take up the challenge. Who’s with me?
My rule to be able to count the author/book is that I have read or re-read it after December 1, 2009 (when I started). Firstly I will look to the country the author was born in then I have to see how strictly I will stick to it (it can be complicated when it comes to ex. Yugoslavia and the Soviet Union). Currently I can tick off Peru (Allende) and Australia (Brooks), I will keep you updated on my quest.

And if I don’t get to the computer again this year, I wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Josefine

Ps. To further increase my knowledge of the authors I will also compile a short bio of each of them as I finish their book.

My recommendations: The house of the spirits by Isabel Allende

Nobel Prize in litterature 09

Again a woman has been awarded with the Nobel Prize in literature, which is given out in Stockholm tomorrow. This year it was awarded to the German speaking Romanian Herta Müller. I haven’t read any of Müller’s books yet, but that seems to be the case with me. I never discover these writers until have been awarded. I might have to add some of her books to my ever growing “want to read list”.
I am still waiting for Joyce Carol Oates to get the honours or why not another Swede. It has been 35 years since a Swedish person was awarded the Nobel Prize in literature, and with a wink to patriotism, I think it is time for another.

Also, my hat off for all the women winning this year, five of them in total. One of the organisers said it would be nice to have less black and white on the podium this year and I can only agree.
Josefine

My recommendations: Watch the TV coverage of the Nobel Prize tomorrow evening, if for no other reason than to see what the queen and princesses are wearing.

Books under the tree this year

I have started to write my Christmas list for the books I wish for this year. It is usually a long list of books I have seen during the year but haven’t had the opportunity to buy yet. So far, my short list looks like this:

The history of love by Nicole Krauss –
This book has been on my list for a while now but I never get ready to buy it, I will hope for Santa instead.
The white queen by Philippa Gregory –
I liked her books about the Tudors and it will be interesting to see what this new series is about.
The camel bookmobile by Masha Hamilton –
Just the name perks my interest.
Thames: Sacred River and London: The Biography by Peter Ackroyd –
Now when I live in London, it feels like I should read this two heavy books.
Heaven can wait by Cally Taylor –
I have followed her journey from writing and editing the book to its publishing and now I look forward to getting a copy.

If I don’t get them for Christmas this year, I can always look forward to see some of them at the big book sale in Sweden at the end of February.
Josefine

My recommendations: By someone a book this year for Christmas. Who doesn’t want a hard gift this year?

Chinese novels

Chinese consumer products have flooded the market for several years, if not decades, which have also spurred the general interest for China. More and more Chinese authors are now translated and published in the western world. I have recently read two different authors from China. Empress Orchid by Anchee Min is probably one of my more recent favourites. She takes us into the Forbidden City in the last decades of the last Chinese emperor, where we meet one of his last empresses Orchid.
Moving forward to the 21st century, we find Z lost in London and the words of the English language. A concise Chinese-English dictionary for lovers by Xiaolu Guo is cleverly written as we can follow Z’s road to learning the English language as the sentences becomes more and more complex and she finally masters the different pronoms, verbs and tenses.
Josefine

My recommendations: The death of woman Wang by Jonathan D Spence

Awful Library Books

The blog Awful Library Books is one of the funniest blogs I have seen in a long time. It is terrible to see what they find at their midwestern library. It reminds me a bit about my old school library. Researching for a paper there was no use in going there because most likely you wouldn’t find anything that was relevant anyway.
The two librarians who run the site have of course met resistance to what they do. The reoccurring comments seems to be about the question of keeping old books if the information is relevant and there is no money to buy a newer version. To me it depends from book to book, but in general I would say that there is nothing worse than looking for some good research and all you come up with is a book that was printed in the 60s or 70s. Then I prefer to find nothing at all.
If nothing else this is a funny blog.
Josefine

My recommendations. The mark of an angel by Nancy Huston

Reading time

I’m craving some reading time! NaNoWriMo is taking up a lot of my time.
When things get hectic at work I always appreciate the company of a book more. It forces me to sit down, relax and just enjoy the book. Thoughts keep swirling in the back of my mind and sometimes I have to have a notepad next to me so that I can write down things I need to do. However, at the same time I can feel myself relax with that book, sink in to its magical world far away from all the musts. I feel happier and after I can take on the world again!
Josefine

My recommendations: Any books that will help you relax in a stressful world