Books

These are my top six books for this year. In alphabetical order! Alex by Alexander Stubb and Karo Hämäläinen This is the story so far of Alexander Stubb as told by himself in co-operation with Mr Hämäläinen. Alexander Stubb has been the Prime Minister of Finland a few years ago. At this moment he working…

First book in an epic historical fiction trilogy

Book: The Retreat Author: Mark Edwards Published: 2018 Publisher: Thomas and Mercer Pages: 356 (read as an e-book) It may have been the title, that first sparked my interest. I have been to a retreat - not a retreat for writers - but - it was a good experience. Both retreats were set in a…

Talk about washing one's family laundry publicly. This is what comes to mind as I listen to Mary L. Trumps new book Too much and Never Enough - How My Family Created the World's Most Dangerous Man. Yet if I say that, it also implies that I am disapproving Mary L. Trump discussion…

Are you familiar with Chicano literature? I have now entered that territory! Rudolfo Anaya is an American writer. He was raised in New Mexico where he then worked as a teacher, first in a school and later in the University of New Mexico. The llano he so lovingly describes must have nursed his soul…

I was surprised by this book. I mean, maybe I should not have been. It is published by Penguin and Roddy Doyle is an Irish writer, who has managed to get some of his books made into films. For me he was unknown. I bought Roddy Doyle's Charlie Savage purely because of the title. It…

I saw this reviewed some time ago. Being Finnish myself, I wished to get to know Antti Tuomainen a little, as I had not read any of his books earlier. So, I had high expectations. I like Nordic Noir, detective stories are okey now and then and I like black humour as well. Unfortunately I…

Sometimes you come across a book that you feel to be like a friend. The Bell in the Lake by Lars Mytting is such a book for me. I feel especially lucky, as I find myself reading two especially good books in a row! I mean I also liked Art Malik reading The Beekepeer of…

I am glad to have read, actually listened to, this book. The Beekeeper of Aleppo by Christy Lefteri is the kind of book that I could have devoured in one sitting, had I no other commitments in life. It is a lovingly written story of Nuri and Afra and their journey from their home and…

I bought February Flowers by Fan Wu in order to participate into a discussion on a FB group - Women Reading Great Books. It had good reviews, pretty flowers on the cover, it was February and my knowledge of Chinese literature was just about zero. I had also just finished the book I had been…

Uganda has beauty. The wonders of nature are there for all to see. Enjoying a sunset is probably not the first thing one associated with camps for internally displaced people. It is not the first thing you associate with a fighter or a leader of Lord's Resistance Army. One does not visualize a camp dweller…

What are you doing? Or what are you trying to do? This is what I wonder after having finished Peter Carey's A Long Way from Home published 2017 in his native country Australia. In this historical fiction, Peter Carey writes about three characters and their interaction with the addition of a son of one, who…

I was walking to work this week, and it just occurred to me that I should read The Boy with the Striped Pyjamas. I had seen the film quite a while back and I also have books waiting to get their turn, but I got this book anyway - as an audible. I started it…

I made it! I have now read this book! Margaret Atwood is without a doubt a great writer. She certainly has imagination. She can create worlds of her own. She has insights. She has things to say. The Handmaid's Tale is also much talked about. Yet I struggled with the book. I started it in…

It is the goat. The goat pulled me in. I have a soft spot for spooky goats. There are those in my favorite book Pacific Viking. I was also pulled Richard Savin, the author, posting on Book Connectors that he likes to put in personal likes in his books. Kind of unnoticed, he believes. I,…

You Learn by Living. Indeed you do. What and how much will depend on you, your family, community, country and time. A fulfilling and useful life is especially important to Eleanor Roosevelt. To live a useful and fulfilling life, you need to be responsible, to be able to hold your values, dig the facts and…