Lemons in Andalusia

Just as Staffan Stolpe’s In the shadow of a small Ouzo is trying to explain Greece, Chris Stewart tries to explain to us in his book Driving over lemons how it is to live as a foreigner in Spain. He writes about buying and maintaining a small farm in Andalusia. Just the process of buying the property would make any northern European cringe. But it doesn't stop there, when the house is bought, there are so many other things to fix to make it inhabitable. There is always something happening that wasn’t supposed to happen.

I like these kind of books, it gives the reader an insight into someone else’s life, that you might not be interested to live, but still wants to hear about. Stewart’s book is both humoristic and well written and it is worth the experience of a small Spanish village.
Josefine

My rekommendations: Sucka mitt hjärta men brist dock ej av Mark Levengood.

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.