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

Nine Parts of Desire

Since I read March by Geraldine Brooks I have been trying to find more books by her, and I found it in her non-fiction book Nine Parts of Desire about the women in the Middle East. It was an interesting book and Brooks have no doubt great knowledge about the countries and women she writes about. However, I can’t help but feel that this is book is somewhat outdated and a newer version should be published. Much has happened since the book was published in 1995, especially the spread of Islamic fundamentalism, which of course gives implications for women (and men as well).

On another point, it would be interesting to read about Muslim women as refugees in western countries. Perhaps any of you have read a similar book, let me know.
Josefine

My recommendations: The broken pictures by Azar Mahloujian

Book of the year 2008

The book of the year was difficult to choose from since I this year I have read much and broad (if you remember my last years resolution). Finally I set my mind on March by Geraldine Brooks. I have mentioned it here before, but a brief recap of the book tells us that it is about the whereabouts of Little Women’s (Louisa May Alcott) father during the American Civil War.
I have decided on March because of its story, which captures every reader who read Little Women and now we finally find out some more about their mysterious father! The second reason is Brook’s talent in putting words on a paper that makes sense and won’t disappoint you. It makes the book easy to read without loosing its appeal to a good story.

Every year I give a new years resolution, however this year I was undecided o what it was going to be, until my siblings made the decision, when they gave me the Swedish version of 1001 books you must read before you die.
Looking through it, there were some I had already read, but there were still plenty to go. I therefore decided that my new years resolution would be to read at least one book from each chapter (there are five: before 18th century, 18th century, 19th century, 20th century and 21st century).
What is your new years resolution this year or don’t you give any resolutions?
Josefine

My recommendations March by Geraldine Brooks

Fanfiction

One of the first books I read in English (my mother tongue being Swedish) was Little Women by Lousia May Alcott and I loved it. So you can imagine my feeling when I picked up Geraldine Brooks book March from the library. March tells the story of the Little Women’s father. In Alcott’s book you only know that their father is away at the American Civil War, but you never find out what happened to him there, this is the story Brooks tells us.

Fan fiction is a genre that interests me because you can do so much with the minor characters in a book that the writer never develops. Who isn’t curious to know what happened to Friday before he met Robinson Crusoe or how Frau Remarque dealt with her son being sent to war. There may be people disagreeing with me, but in my opinion, the writer of fan fiction ventures into those unknown paths that the writer merely didn’t have time to cover in their book.
Josefine

My recommendations: Good evening Mr. Holmes by Carole Nelson Douglas.