I caved in

As the frenzy has settled I have finally got around to reading Harry Potter. I borrowed the first book from the library (Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone). I have long avoided reading them as I thought the madness around J.K. Rowling and her books was too much. It is difficult for me to read and enjoy a book that everyone wants you to have an opinion about. Now I have decided to give it a shot, and yes, I will tell you all what I thought about it.
Josefine

My recommendations: Lord of the Flies by William Golding

Amsterdam in one afternoon

It doesn’t happen often, mostly a few times per year, last weekend was the first time this year I finished a book in one afternoon. I started Ian McEwan’s book Amsterdam in the morning with my first cup of coffee. Some hours later and as many cups of coffee I had finished the whole thing.
It was a shorter novel, but the history drew me in and I couldn’t put down the book the whole day. It is quit a dark novel that most of his books are but the intrigues drew me in and I had to keep reading. It had twists and turns on every page without making it in to a soap opera. All in all a well spent afternoon.

I love the combination of a good book and the time to finish it in one long sitting and I look forward to next time it happens
Josefine

My recommendations: The prosperous thief by Andrea Goldsmith.

The book or the movie

The set up is perfect, Robert Downing Jr. and Jude Law as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson I was excited to see the result.
I spent December re-reading some of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s stories, to be ready for the big release on New Years Day (we are a bit late in Sweden). I had read the reviews and was therefore not as surprised as other people seemed to be of the characters Guy Ritchie had recreated. I thought he had done a brilliant job portraying the two and put some action into the stories.
I liked the movie a lot and would see a sequel when it comes out. What did you think?
Josefine

My recommendations: The Best of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

100e posts

I’ve reached the one hundred mark. I have read more books, but those are for later posts. It has given me much to think about books, how I approach a book and what books and authors I read. Through writing about books I have gotten much inspiration and insight into what I read. I hope i can continue this for one hundred more posts and I hope that I have had some impact on you, my readers. Let me know what you think. Is there something you’re missing?
I'll see you in a future book.
Josefine

Around the world: Argentina

A contribution to my Around the World posts

In my quest to expand my reading from Swedish and English speaking authors I found The Tango Singer by Tomás Eloy Martinez. It is a novel that takes you to a hot, dancing, loving South America and Argentina. The American college student Bruno, goes to Buenos Aires and becomes captivated by an elusive tango singer who has never been recorded or released a record but still holds the whole City’s tango lovers in his grip. He shows up without notice, without a stage and sings before he disappears again. It is the feeling in his voice that makes everyone stop whatever they are doing and just enjoy his voice.
It is a well-written book that makes me want to pack my bags and go to Argentina and sit in a bar, listen to tango and watch them dance. Martinez has managed to weave together the story about a city with the destiny of a man who has lost his belief in humans a long time ago.
Josefine

My recommendations: the Cellist of Sarajevo by Stephen Galloway

Russian literature

I have read a few books by Russian authors lately, the Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov and Doctor Zjivago by Boris Pasternak. It is far from many, but I must say that I have found an interest in their complicated histories filled with characters with different names.
It took me quite sometime to get in to Doctor Zjivago, mostly because I expected the book to act in one way and got lost when it didn’t. I decided to re-start the whole thing and leave my mind blank from the first page and the results followed!
Now maybe I will be brave enough to try one of the larger book as well as Crime and Punishment and War and Peace
Josefine

My recommendations: Doctor Zjivago by Boris Pasternak

Chasing Harry Winston

I must admit, when I started to read Chasing Harry Winston by Lauren Weisberger, I thought I was in for one of those entertaining but fairly predictable chicklit books. They are enjoyable to read on holidays when you don’t want to consider anything else. However, I found myself chuckle several times during the read and indulge myself so much in the book, that I missed not one but two stops on the Metro. It’s witty, funny and nothing like Weisberger's other book The Devil wears Prada.
A must read for any lover of well-written chicklit.
Josefine

My recommendations: Burning the map by Laura Caldewell