It was quite some time since I had a look at the books I keep on my shelves after reading them. Due to lack of space I have come to the conclusion that I can only keep books I really love. I seldom re-read books, but I like to be reminded of those I love and therefore keep them. It is nice to take them out from time to time and remember the stories. Mostly, I do keep nonfiction books, since they are always useful when you want to look up a fact of some kind.
For the letter K, referring to the first letter of the author's surname, I have kept six nonfiction and three fiction.
Nonfiction
The Women I Think About At Night by Mia Kankimäki
Påven som kom ner på jorden by Kristina Kappelin
Shah of Shahs by Ryszard Kapuscinski
Imperium by Ryszard Kapuscinski
On Writing by Stephen King
Ett hemligt liv by Martin Kylhammar
The Women I Think About At Night is a wonderful, low toned book by Finnish author Mia Kankimäki. Here she blends her interests in travelling and biography and follow in the footsteps of earlier female travellers and pioneers. She asks the reader: "What can a forty-something childless woman do? Bored with her life and feeling stuck, she leaves her job, sells her apartment, and decides to travel the world." She takes on her her trips and meetings with remarkable women, blending it with thoughts about life in general. It is a rather interesting tale.
Påven som kom ner på jorden means "The Pope who came down to earth" is Kappelin's story of the present pope. The book came out as he was rather new in office and she recalls the story of his life and missions. Kappelin was, for many years, a freelance correspondence in Rome and is well acquainted with the Italian, and Vatican societies. She is now head of Villa San Michele on Capri, once built by Swedish doctor Axel Munthe, and still a very popular tourist spot these days.
Shah of Shahs and Imperium are two of Ryszard Kapuscinski's excellent books on people and politics. Many years since I read them, but still remember them as excellent in analysing the Shah of Iran and a Soviet Union seen from another perspective. Well worth a read.
On Writing I think does not need any further introduction. It is the bible on writing for anyone interesting in the task.
Ett hemligt liv (A Secret Life) the story of the love affair between Swedish author Werner von Heidenstam and Danish socialite Kate Bang. A love story that had to take place privately, in spite of the very public von Heidenstam, since they were never married. Kylhammar has done extensive research and also had access to new, private papers. Excellent biography of one of the national idols of Sweden and a remarkable woman, far ahead of her time.
Fiction
Pirater och vulkanutbrott på Island and Mysteriet med guldgubbarna by Kim M. Kimselius
The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Kimselius book are for young adults and she writes about two teenagers Theo and Ramona who travel in time to exciting historical places. She is very popular in Sweden, and I read the books since I took a writing class by her. Her books are well researched and a pleasure to read.
The Historian is a vampire kind of story. It is a mix of genres going into the Gothic, adventures and detective fiction, mixed with a lot of history. Partly based on Bram Stoker's Dracula, but I would say a story entirely by itself. It took me quite a while to read it, but it had so many elements of history and folklore so I found it very interesting.
Have you read any of the books? Or any of the authors? Please let me know what you think.