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

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