In my series on books I keep on my shelves after I have read them, I have come to the letter E.
Nonfiction
Sonja by Anne Edwards
An excellent biography of Sonja, the wife of Leo Tolstoy. If you are interested in knowing more, I can recommend the excellent podcast Significant Others hosted by Liza Powel O'Brien who talks about the women (mostly, I guess) behind great authors, and other famous men, and how they influenced and helped their husband. Very interesting. There is one episode on Sonya Tolstoy. A woman of great bravery.
"A sympathetic account of Sonya Tolstoy's struggle for independence reveals Sonya to be a forerunner of today's modern woman, showing how her intense love for Tolstoy was diminished by his refusal to see her as her own person."
Siri and Blekingegatan 32 by Lena Einhorn
Lena Einhorn is one of my favourite authors. In these two books she looks at the lives of Siri von Essen (in Siri), married to August Strindberg and Greta Garbo (in Blekingegatan 32). Interesting and well researched.
Historiens 100 viktigaste svenskar (The 100 most important Swedes in history) by Niklas Ekdal
A look into important Swedes and the achievements through history. There are many inventors which is still visible in Swedish society today, with big companies like Tetra Pay, Alfa Laval, Aga, ABB, Ericsson and many others. Carl von Linné is there of course, as is Queen Kristina from the 16th century who abdicated, turned catholic and lived the rest of her life in Rome. Alfred Nobel who does not need further introduction. From the literary world we find:
Astrid Lindgren, August Strindberg, Carl Michael Bellman, Selma Lagerlöf, Ellen Key, Vilhelm Moberg, Fredrika Bremer, Carl Jonas Love Almqvist, Alva and Gunnar Myrdal, Emanuel Swedenborg, Gustaf Fröding, Jan Guillou, Lars Norén of which some might be familiar to you.
Ett annat liv (Another life) by Per Olov Enquist
An autobiography of one of our best authors and dramatists.
The Wicked Wit of Winston Churchill compiled by Dominique Enright
Nobody can deny that Winston Churchill was very with. Probably one of the most quoted persons in history, possibly together with Oscar Wilde. Always fun to read.
Omgiven av idioter (Surrounded by Idiots) by Thomas Erickson
This is a book on how to understand those that are impossible to understand. Erickson guides us through our way of communicating with each other. How we misunderstand people with other views or outlook on life than ourselves. Very funny and serious at the same time. It gives you a few hints how to act yourself.
Fiction
Duchess of Milan, A novel of the Renaissance by Micha
If you are interested in historical fiction this is a great book.
"Once upon a time, in fifteenth-century Italy, two women faced each other with a ruthlessness and brilliance no man has ever matched. Enter their world of splendor and depravity, of passion and wickedness... It is Italy's most dazzling and dangerous age, and as Beatrice d'Este and Isabella of Aragon match wits and feminine cunning, it is a dance to the death to decide which one of them will be crowned - Duchess of Milan."
I read it many years ago, but it is still with me. I have tried to find something else by Michael Ennis, but not successful so far.