May is over and we have entered June. In Sweden this is considered to be the first of the summer months. Weather wise we don't talk of summer, although it seems there were some sunny and very warm days recently. I am still in Innsbruck and here it has been raining for the last couple of days. In spite of not so good weather my May reading was very slow. I ended up reading only six books. Sometimes it seems I read a lot but I never finish a book. Well, May was such a month. Anyway, let's have a look at what I did read.
Övergivenheten by Elisabeth Åsbrink
This title translates like "The Abandonment" and is a partly auto biographic book about the authors family. Elisabeth Ã…sbrink is most famous for nonfiction books, excellent books on various, interesting and personal topics. This novel was about three generations of women during the 20th century, during wars and migration and what it did to these women, and how each generation had a different remedy for how to live.
Wilful Behaviour and Uniform Justice by Donna Leon
We visited Venice once again so I took up where I ended with my earlier reading on Donna Leon's detective stories from Venice. Always a pleasure to meet Chief Inspector Brunetti, his colleagues and family during his search for culprits in Venice.
The Searcher by Tana French
I am a big fan of Tana French and have loved everything I have read by her. But this was a strange, very, very slow story of almost nothing.
"Retired detective Cal Hooper moves to a remote village in rural Ireland. His plans are to fix up the dilapidated cottage he's bought, to walk the mountains, to put his old police instincts to bed forever.
Then a local boy appeals to him for help. His brother is missing, and no one in the village, least of all the police, seems to care. And once again, Cal feels that restless itch.
Something is wrong in this community, and he must find out what, even if it brings trouble to his door."
Sorry, but can't recommend this one. I have understood that there is a continuation of the story in her new novel "The Hunter". Will not go into that one. However, there are other books by her I have not yet read, so I can always go back to her.
The House of Mirth by Edith Wharton
I read the classic The House of Mirth for the Classic Spin and the first spin book I finished in a while. It is definitely the best read this month, I really liked to the story of high class society in New York at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. My review under link above.
Rivieran inom räckhåll, Med tåg till de bästa upplevelserna i södra Frankrike by Kristina Svensson och Maria Unde Westerberg
The Riviera within reach is a set of travel guides for going by train in Europe. I happened to run into the author Maria while here in Innsbruck. I got fascinated by her books and bought this one and her other book on Languedoc. I do want to travel more by train in the future. It is another pace in life. You can read more about are meeting in the article "Ticket on a train" in my latest newsletter.
That was it for May. I have already read some of your wrap-up and it seems you have been busy reading and reviewing.
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