Psychological suspense in a single setting

Yikes, I just realized it's been a month since I last posted. I've been ripping through books so quickly (I'm sure some of you can relate) there has never seemed to be enough time to sit down and post a review. But I'm here today to do just that!

Longtime readers of the blog will know that I'm a huge fan of Swedish authors. In fact, some of my favorite books from the last couple of years come from that beautiful country. So when I saw Camilla Sten's The Lost Village on LibraryReads it was a no-brainer. This is a psychological suspense thriller where our main character is trying to uncover what happened in the past while simultaneously trying to unravel the very real danger of what is happening to them in the present. Alice has grown up hearing stories from her grandmother about her hometown where the inhabitants (all 900 of them including Alice's great grandparents and great aunt) vanished without a trace in the 1950s. Well, almost all of the inhabitants vanished. A murdered woman (tied to a pole and stoned to death) and a crying baby were all that was found when the police arrived on the scene. Alice has always been interested (read: obsessed) in her grandmother's story and now that she's got a film degree she's determined to make a documentary to uncover the truth of what happened there. So the reader is bounced between Now where Alice and her small crew are scouting the location and Then with Elsa (Alice's great grandmother) as the tale of what really happened slowly unfolds. 

The beginning did drag a bit but around the halfway point it picked up significantly and by the last third of the novel the action is basically nonstop. [A/N: I preferred the Then sections somewhat more than the Now as the characters were more likable. 😬] She has another psychological suspense thriller slated for 2022 (this is the English translation if I'm not mistaken) and is also working on a YA series (labeled as dark and atmospheric). If you're in the mood for a suspenseful book that takes place in a single setting then I think this is a great option. 7/10

Source: Amazon

What I'm currently reading: A Fatal Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum: Murder in Ancient Rome by Emma Southon

**If you're interested in buying any of these books or any books really, you can click here. This will re-direct you to AbeBooks which is a site I use all of the time to find used books at an excellent price. A lot of the time I don't even pay for shipping! Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made through this link. You will not be charged anything additional for my commission. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

Take a minute and hug the cranky folks in your life

I had to wait what felt like a decade but I finally got to see what all the hype was about when I read A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman. This is a Swedish to English translation so I went into this one fairly confident I was going to love it based on my track record. (For example, I read The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared last year.) And I was right! The story centers on Ove who everyone sees as a cranky old man completely set in his own ways aka a total curmudgeon. However, the reader gets to see what goes on behind closed doors and so from the very start we know that all Ove wants is to kill himself. (This is a very funny book, trust me.) Yes, he wants to commit suicide except that every time he turns around someone in the neighborhood is approaching him with a problem. He's Mr. Fix-It in a pair of clogs. A man born of routines and logic is soon forced into a group of people who use those dreaded things called feelings to inform all of their decisions. We get to discover who Ove really is through flashbacks as well as his reactions to those around him. For a man that doesn't seem to hold much stock in that feeling malarkey it's soon readily apparent that he's not some automaton obsessed with Saab automobiles. (Although he really is obsessed with Saab vehicles.) It's a reminder that surface impressions are generally completely erroneous and that still waters truly run deep. This is such a beautifully wrought story bursting at the seams with heart and humor. If you're looking for a great character study with a lot of biting wit then I think this one is for you. 10/10

**If you're interested in buying this book or any books really, you can click here or here. The first will re-direct you to AbeBooks and the second will re-direct you to The Book Depository. These are great websites for purchasing books (AbeBooks carries inexpensive used and out-of-print books and The Book Depository ships free everywhere in the world). Full disclosure: I will receive a commission on all sales made by following either of these links. I wouldn't recommend a site that I didn't use and you are under no obligation to purchase anything. :-) **

How to Government Step 1: Atomic Bombs

Jonas Jonasson has a gift for political satire couched in extraordinary tales of endurance and intelligence. His characters are at once completely believable and extraordinary caricatures. You want to believe that people like this really do exist (and sometimes you shudder at the thought). The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden is a story of a girl who started at the bottom but struggled her way up through any means necessary. Hers is a story of patient determination to succeed and attain a happy, "normal" life. Much like the other book of his that I reviewed, this book is a rollicking (and at times quite raunchy) ride from beginning to end. For me, it was a solid 10/10. If you enjoy political satires with a bite then I think you'll enjoy this one.

What's next? Nobody knows.

Except for me. I always know.

 Feed by M.T. Anderson

People are connecting themselves directly to the Internet via feeds to their brains. That's it. That's what drew me to this book because I am masochistic and have a real fear of technology destroying us all.

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova

A young woman stumbles upon letters written by her father which detail a quest to find out the truth about Vlad the Impaler (aka the guy who inspired Dracula). She must decide if she wants to follow in her father's footsteps and seek to unravel the mysteries that might just cross over into modern times...

  

No Place Like Oz by Danielle Paige

We finally get to find out how Dorothy returned to Oz and what caused her to change from its savior to its ultimate enemy.

The Wizard Returns by Danielle Paige

Everyone assumed that when the Wizard floated off in his hot air balloon that he had returned to The Other Place but he didn't and when he woke up he discovered that he had no memory of who he was. Hooray we finally find out (I hope) what side he's actually on and maybe if he has a plan to dethrone Dorothy.

Atomic bombs + vodka + an old codger = comedic gold

Jonas Jonasson has created a fan for life. That sounds super dramatic and I suppose it is but it's true nonetheless. Irreverent humor abounds in this story about a centenarian who has truly grabbed life by the horns or in his case by the neck of the vodka bottle. Allan Karlsson, the Swede, traveled the world and made his mark in the political sphere despite having no interest in the topic whatsoever. Along the way, he managed to meet a variety of people which unless the reader has lived under a rock will be immediately recognized (and lampooned). The story begins with his escape through a window on his 100th birthday (yes, the title is literal) and follows Allan on a fantastic journey in which he makes new friends while simultaneously giving the reader a glimpse into his extraordinary past. Jonasson seamlessly works in the past with the present and I, for one, never found it jarring. A blending of true historical events with a humorously outlandish twist, The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared, is a must-read. (PS I just found out it was the most sold book in Sweden for 2010. Hooray!)




THEY'VE MADE IT INTO A MOVIE. THIS IS AMAZINGLY EPIC. (http://worldmovies.com.au)

I'm almost afraid that no book could ever be as epic as that movie poster right there but just in case there is something out there on the same level I'm going to keep reading. ;-) My next read is The Martian by Andy Weir and it is his debut novel. The story follows the plight of an astronaut named Mark Watney who is stranded on Mars and his struggle to survive there. Considering my interest in the Mars Rover I just had to give this book a try (and all of the bookish newsletters that I follow kept recommending it to me). Soooo here we go!!

Also, I want to give a shoutout to The Bloggess (aka Jenny Lawson) who has announced she will be going on a book tour later this year to promote her newest book, Furiously Happy. You may recall that I reviewed her previous book Let's Pretend This Never Happened a few years ago and LOVED it. I am 100% going to be checking out her newest book (about her struggles and triumphs against depression) and if at all possible visiting her on tour. You guys should look into doing the same! XD

The lure of discovery and adventure

It might come as a surprise to some of you but I actually have a Bachelor's in Anthropology. That's one of the main reasons why I was drawn to The Lost World of the Old Ones. One of the focuses of this book is the examination of the archaeological record of the peoples who once occupied the Southwestern United States. Around 1300 AD the Fremont people seemingly disappeared from the region and the reasons for this have never fully been explained. David Roberts is a climber (mountaineer? scrambler?) who also happens to be a writer for such publications as National Geographic. This is the second book that he has written which focuses on this particular area of the world but according to the preface this book delves more into the why and the how of the Fremont peoples lives and 'disappearance'. His fascination and passion for the topic are evident in his attention to detail (and sometimes his dreamy prose). You probably won't be surprised to learn that I plan on doing more research on this topic by checking out some of the books he referenced as source material (especially Steve Lekson's groundbreaking work The Chaco Meridian which caused significant backlash among the archaeological elite). If you have an interest in archaeology or simply want to learn more about the wonders of the Southwest (of which there are many) then I recommend you give this book a try. It's made me want to go hiking of all things! O_O

The Pilling figurines are remnants of the Fremont culture. They were located in Range Creek Canyon in Utah (and had quite a journey to the College of Eastern Utah Prehistoric Museum - the story is in the book). (Image courtesy of  Brian Lee.)

As I've mentioned before, I seem to have a penchant for Swedish authors. In my defense, I had no idea that the book I had picked out to read next fell under that umbrella. It's The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Jonasson. With a title like that is it any wonder that I just had to read this one? The story is all about Allan Karlsson who turns 100 but doesn't feel that his adventures are entirely finished so...he climbs out of the window of his nursing home and sets off. This story isn't just about what happened after he climbed out of the window though. Allan had many adventures before he even set foot through the nursing home's doors as a munitions expert who rubbed elbows with everyone from Winston Churchill to President Truman. Join me on this newest literary adventure!

This book should come with a warning

*I'm going to break one of my rules and give you guys a tiny spoiler. This is also a warning for those of you who might be triggered by sexual assault. Even though I had seen both film adaptations for Let the Right One In I was completely unprepared for what lay ahead for me in this book. Whereas gore, violence, and death have little to no effect on me some of the themes in this book gave me nightmares. There are graphic depictions of pedophilia, male castration, sodomy, and rape. If you want me to give you the page numbers so that you can otherwise enjoy this novel I think I can make that happen.*

Now with that bit out of the way I can focus on the rest of the book. Let the Right One In is a unique spin on the vampire tale. There are several mini stories that converge on the two main characters: Oskar and Eli. Oskar is a bullied boy with a thirst for revenge. Eli is the mysterious 12 year old who moves in next door and bewitches Oskar almost immediately. Eli is also a vampire. (This isn't a spoiler because this is a vampire novel, ya'll. Someone had to be a vampire.) This is no Twilight. That isn't to say that there aren't romantic tones but it's completely different from Edward and Bella. For one thing, they're 12 year olds. For another...well I don't want to give that part away. Lindqvist is a fantastic writer (and since it's been translated I'm sure it's even better in Swedish). There are so many themes that are covered in this book: bullying, discovering your true self, alcoholism, drug addiction, abuse (emotional and physical), and true love just to name a few. And because I have some kind of masochistic streak I've just discovered that he revisited these characters in a short story collection titled Let the Old Dreams Die which of course I've just added to my TRL. XD

I decided to go in a slightly different direction after reading Let the Right One In and so next up is Ellen Degeneres's Seriously...I'm Kidding. From what I can tell this is basically Ellen's stand-up in book format. O_O

Case Solved!

First, I want to say that I might be in love with Erik Larson.  It might be too soon to tell but this is two books that I really enjoyed now.  Thunderstruck kept me riveted right until the very end.  Extremely well-written and interesting.  Also, I find the footnotes absolutely enthralling (and humorous).  Read it, people!!

Now for the disappointing news...I started up Faceless Killers and I'm going to have to pronounce it unpalatable.  Hear me out!!  Let me start off by saying that I had high expectations going into this and I think that might partly be why I'm so distraught right now.  I was expecting something dramatic and mindblowingly gut-wrenching.  Instead I get choppy sentences and confusing passages where I have no clue if the person is narrating their thoughts or speaking aloud.  This could all be due to poor translation, however.  Maybe if I was Swedish and reading the original my socks would be rocked right off of my feet.  But I'm not Swedish and my socks are decidedly stuck on (or they would be if it weren't so atrociously hot and humid up here).  I made it forty pages in and to the fourth chapter but I'm going to have to call it quits. 

This is the moment in the blog when I let you in on a secret: if you don't like a book you don't have to plod your way through to the very end.  That's right, folks!  If you've started up a book and you find yourself just wishing that the darn thing was over with already, you might want to just put it down and start something new.  Sooo I'm going to read Charles and Emma: The Darwins' Leap of Faith by Deborah Heiligman.  You can probably guess from the title that the book is centered on Mr. & Mrs. Darwin.  What you don't know from the title (or maybe you're familiar with this book and this is all redudant to you) is that this is a nonfiction book for young adults.  WHAT?  Yep, I do believe if you read my intro you will see that I bounce around to all different areas of literature.  I have heard great things about this book and it was on my wish list for forever.  From what I've heard, the story centers on Charles Darwin's wife and how her place in his life shaped him as a man and as a scientist.  I've always found Darwin interesting (I did after all major in Anthropology) but I know almost nothing about his life outside of academia.  I'm going to start this thing up tonight and I'll let you all know how it goes!!

Library, here I come!

So, I'm headed to the library after work today to pick up Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell.  This is the first in a series of stories about a Swedish detective (these have been translated into English obviously) named Kurt Wallander. 

There are two reasons why I'm going to check this out:
1. I love crime novels.
2. I've been watching the British miniseries called Wallander with Kenneth Branagh which is fantastic!

I have to finish up Thunderstruck but I think I can manage that tonight (I'm so close to the ending that I can taste it) and start up this new one.  I'll keep you guys posted on what I think!