Hello, May! Before anything else, it’s time to have a look at the reading list for April. As you might remember, my goal is to read 52 books this year or one book per week. So, how did I do? Last month l read a total of 15 books. Let’s take a look at all the books, hopefully, some of these will inspire you!
Reading List for April 2017
🇬🇧 The Tao of Travel, Paul Theroux
This is a fascinating collection of thoughts and stories all related to travel and by some of the greatest travel writers in history. In my opinion, this is a very inspiring book and a must-read for anyone who wants to discover the world.
🇫🇮 Risteyskohdat (original title: The Crossing Places), Elly Griffiths
This is an OK crime novel set in England. Not the best I’ve read, but a good way to spend a relaxing evening.
🇬🇧 Blue Light Yokohama, Nicolás Obregón
Another crime novel – I quite enjoy reading them when I want some escapism from reality. And what better way to escape when a novel takes you all the way to Japan. I agree with Goodreads, where this novel is described in the following words: “beautifully written, hauntingly original first novel“.
🇸🇪 I det förflutna (original title: The Distant Hours), Kate Morton
This is the perfect book for you if you like a novel with a lot of pages. I quite enjoyed this book, the plot was alright with a lot of secrets, twists, and turns.
🇸🇪 En officer och en spion (original title: An Officer and a Spy), Robert Harris
I learned about the Dreyfus Affair in school and this thriller takes the reader back to the explosive last years of 19th century Paris. Read the NY Times review of the book here >>
🇬🇧 Numero Zero (original title in Italian: Numero Zero), Umberto Eco
Eco’s seventh novel is a satire of the tabloid press, as well as a compelling journey through 20th century Italy.
🇸🇪 Genomskinliga ting (original title: Transparent Things), Vladimir Nabokov
Nabokov is one of the great Russian writers of the 20th century. This rather thin book is an eccentric journey through some of Nabokov’s central themes – time and memory, the individual and loneliness, consciousness, dreams, and reality.
🇸🇪 Århundradets kärlekssaga, Märta Tikkanen
Märta Tikkanen is one of the most famous Swedish-speaking Finnish writers. The title of this book translates as “The Lovestory of the Century” and it is filled with strong poems about the difficult relationship between a man and a woman. One central theme is alcoholism.
🇫🇮 Ruotsi. Matkoja vieraassa maassa (original title in Swedish: Sverige. Resor i ett främmande land), Jörn Donner
Jörn Donner is a Finnish writer, film director, actor, producer, politician, founder of Finnish Film Archive, and the only Finn who has won an oscar. He has also spent many years living in Sweden. Ruotsi/Sverige is a collection of thoughts, ideas, and an attempt to understand Sweden in 2014. The writer addresses such important themes as immigration, politics, national identity, and absurd news.
🇫🇮 Pää edellä, Kirsi Heikkinen & Tiina Huttu
Based on psychology and brain development, this piece tries to answer a very import question: how to raise your baby so that s/he will grow up to become a happy adult?
🇫🇮 Budapestin synnit (original title in Hungarian: Bűnös Budapest), Vilmos Kondor
The sequel to Budapest Noir is a dark Hungarian crime thriller set in 1939 Budapest. It involves nazis, drugs, and corruption. It also awakens a curiosity in Hungarian history and society. I recommend this novel to anyone interested in Hungary.
🇸🇪 Roten till det onda, Ingmar Karlsson
The root of evil is a very suitable title for a book that seeks to explain how the actions of France and Britain in the early 20th century came to affect the Middle East and world politics of today.
🇸🇪 Oskuldens tid (original title: The Age of Innocence), Edith Wharton
I must confess that American literature is not my strength. The winner of the 1921 Pulitzer Prize, The Age of Innocence is set in upper-class New York City in the 1870s. The social commentary is ironic.
🇬🇧 The Secrets of Wishtide, Kate Saunders
England, 1850. I have a thing for old-fashioned British crime stories and this is no exception (even though the story itself is from the 21st century). The charm is still there when Mrs. Laetitia Rodd sets out to solve a mystery that includes inappropriate love, murder, and family secrets.
🇸🇪 Adjö Cowboy (original title in Croatian: Adio kauboju), Olja Savičević
This is such a beautiful novel! I have already written about it here.
I hope you enjoyed my reading list for April – did any of these books catch your attention? What was on your reading list for April?
As books pretty much defined April, here’s a final thought for May:
“I declare after all there is no enjoyment like reading! How much sooner one tires of any thing than of a book! — When I have a house of my own, I shall be miserable if I have not an excellent library.”
-Jane Austen
“The Root of Evil” sounds intriguing. Is this a non-fiction book? It seems so difficult to grasp this whole concept of globalization. It was very interesting to see it in effect in Israel. I wrote a travel log of my journey there, which is on my blog. If you’re looking for some back-up/intermittent reading, and a contemporary snapshot of the culture there, you should check it out.
I’m currently reading two books, “Guns, Germs, and Steel” by Jared Diamond, and “The Forest Unseen” by David George Haskell. The first is a theory on how the civilizations of the world came to be, and how they were able to conquer one another. The second is the study of a small patch of old-growth forest in the Appalachian mountains of Tennessee, told in a fashion more poetic and philosophical than scientific.
Hi Charlie! And thanks for your comment. Roten till det onda, or “The Root of Evil” is non-fiction, written by a former Swedish diplomat. Unfortunately, it’s only available in Swedish, I think.
Thank you for your tips, both books sound very fascinating.
/Susann