The Content Reader

Every year, in the end of February, there is a big book sale going on in Sweden. Yes, I know, I should not buy any more books before reading all the unread books I already have. But, I am weak when it comes to temptations. So, not only did I place a post order, I was lured to the actual shop buy a promotion of "buy 4 pay for 3", which led to me buying 6 books. Here are the titles: Ett jävla solsken (A Bloody Sunshine , my transl.) by Fatima Bremmer, about Ester Blenda Nordström, and investigating, female journalist in the beginning of the last century. She worked anonymously as a maid in order to write articles on how life for the maids were. The articles were turned into a book. From there she went to bigger expeditions, of which one was to a dangerous volcano area in Siberia. Always interesting to read about pioneer women. Die Manns by Tilman Lahne about the family of Thomas Mann. I loved his Buddenbrooks  and it should be an interesting biography. The Muse by ...

Slowly, slowly I am getting used to the audio books. Some are more suitable than others to be listened too. I find it difficult though to blog about audio books. While writing I often go back to look at passages in the books, and that is not possible here. Anyway, I am getting there. Wedlock: How Georgian Britain's Worst Husband Met His Match by Wendy Moore (excellently narrated by Rachel Atkins) was quite a long audio book. I have listened to it over several months. You might think that this is a fiction book while reading it. Big mistake and it just shows that real life often is more dramatic and terrible than anything you can make up. Mary Eleanor Bowes was the only child of rich parents. She got a good education for a woman at the time. She married, accordingly, the Earl of Strathmore, with whom she had five children. Eleven years later the Earl died of tuberculosis. So far so good.

I read this comedy by Shakespeare as part of a challenge from the Classic Club  in co-operation with Rachel @ Hibernator's Library  -   2019 Year of Shakespeare . The idea is to read a Comedy for Jan - April -  The Taming of the Shrew , a historical drama for May - Aug -  King John  and a Tragedy for Sep - Dec -  Hamlet . At the same time  Hamlette's Soliloquy  announced the February blog party of  We Love Shakespeare Week . Hitting two birds with one stone, I read  The Taming of the Shrew.    I find it very difficult to read Shakespeare, that is maybe why I expose myself to the challenge. On top of it, I promised Hamlette's Soliloquy to write a review of The Taming of the Shrew. So, here we go. The story, in short, is set in Padua, where wealthy Baptista Minola has two marriageable daughters. The older one, Katherine, is vicious and ill-tempered and the young one, Bianca, is beautiful and mild. Bianca has suito...

This is an audio book I downloaded without knowing too much about it. However, the introduction sounded like something I would like.  "Selchester Castle in 1953 sits quiet and near-empty, its corridors echoing with glories of the past. Or so it seems to intelligence officer Hugo Hawksworth, wounded on a secret mission and now reluctantly assuming an altogether less perilous role at Selchester. The Castle’s faded grandeur hides a web of secrets and scandals—the Earl has been missing for seven years, lost without a trace since the night he left his guests and walked out into a blizzard. When a skeleton is uncovered beneath the flagstones of the Old Chapel, the police produce a suspect and declare the case closed. Hugo is not convinced. With the help of the spirited Freya Wryton, the Earl’s niece, he is drawn back into active service, and the ancient town of Selchester is dragged into the intrigues and conspiracies of the Cold War era. With a touch of Downton Abbey, a whispe...

This is a book that I have had for a long time. I did start reading it years ago, but never finished it. Time to start again, since this was the book for the Book Challenge by Erin : 5 points - read a book that is at least 200 pages. My pocket version is 579 pages. Irving Stone is mostly known for his biographical novels, or which A Lust for Life  about Vincent van Gogh, and The Agony and the Ecstasy  about Michelangelo are his most famous. The Greek Treasure  is about Heinrich Schliemann and his Greek wife Sophia and their quest to find the city of Troy and Priam's treasure. It is a fascinating book in many ways. The characters, their goals in life and the pride in their achievements. Heinrich Schliemann was born in Germany, but had the world as his home. He was a self-made man and made three fortunes in different countries. He spoke many languages and said he could learn a language in six weeks. He was interested in the classics and learned Greek just to be able...

Back to this, one of my favourite challenges! A book beginning and a quote from page 56. This week's book is a new purchase, a non-fiction book that sounds interesting. It is Prisoners of Geography, The maps that tell you everything you need to know about global politics , by Tim Marshall. From the back cover: "All leaders are constrained by geography. Their choices are limited by mountains, rivers, seas and concrete. Yes, to follow world events you need to understand people, ideas and movements - but if you don't know geography, you'll never have the full picture." The book covers the following countries and regions; Russia, China, USA, Western Europe, Africa, The Middle East, India and Pakistan, Korea and Japan, Latin America, The Arctic. Book beginnings on Fridays hosted by Rose City Reader "It has become a truism to think, and to say, that we live in exceptionally unstable times. The world, we are told, has never been more unpredictable. S...