November Wrap-up - including challenges

November was a bad literary month for me. I did read, but it seems I hardly finished a book, and only reached five books. I was not able to follow my two challenges - Nonfiction November and Novellas in November. I only posted four posts, and they were only introductions to the challenges. My excuse is that I have been very busy during the end of October up until now. First I was on a three week trip to South Korea and Japan. Although I did read a few books during that trip, I did not have much time to blog. Coming home saw a huge amount of administration and activities, leaving me with just the tip of the nose above water level.

December will also be busy, the calendar is rather full already, and over Christmas and New Year we will go to Egypt for a ten day classical tour. We have not been back to Egypt since we left the country in 1994. I worked there for 3,5 years and met my husband there. Now we are going back to show our son Hannes and his girlfriend the country. The most anticipated visit will be the new Egyptian museum. Having seen some videos on youtube it seems fabulous.

Ok, we are here to talk about books, so let's start. November it was ...

Read in November

1. Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris

2. Curtain: Poirot's Last Case by Agatha Christie

3. ​A Shilling for Candles by Josephine Tey

4. Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin​

5. Utan spår (Without Trace) by Anders Sundkvist

Act of Oblivion by Robert Harris

After having read three books by him, Harris is becoming one of my favourite authors. I have read An Officer and a Spy about the Dreyfus affair, and V2: A Novel of World War II about the building of V2 and bombing of London. Act of Oblivion is the thrilling story of the hunt for two of the persons who signed the death sentence for Charles I. They managed to fly to the US and the hunt continues for several years. The story is so well built up and it gets more exciting as we near the end. Harris is well researched in history and it is really a pleasure to read his books.

Detective stories

Neither Agatha Christie nor Josephine Tey need a closer introduction. AC's book is about the last case of Poirot and it was ok, a little bit sad of course. I have followed Poirot for many years, and have also seen the tv-series of this case. JT's story was a little bit slow, but had a surprising ending. A well written account on how the police is working and how to have a break through in the investigation, although it seems hopeless.

Notes of a Native Son by James Baldwin

I have wanted to read Giovanni's Room for a long time, but got hold of this partly auto biography. It is a collection of essays where Baldwin explores important topics of his time; race, identity and the Black experience in America. He mixes personal memories with social critique.

Baldwin is blending personal memoir with social critique, and reflects on his turbulent relationship with his father. Racism in daily life and how it is to live as a Black man in a segregated society. His analysis are sharp, and he examines how hatred - both personal and societal - shapes individuals and communities. His conclusions is that to understand each other we have to show empathy, and confront injustices.

It is a thought worthy book, and although the harsh realities of life he describes is difficult to read, it is all written in wonderful prose. His writings give way to deeper thoughts about how people live and how our lives are so differently shaped. It is also a mirror of the time he lived in. It was written in 1955 and the first edition was not a success. But, already reprinted two years later, it received good reviews. Today, it is considered a classic. I am even more excited now to read Giovanni's Room.

Utan spår (Without Trace) by Anders Sundkvist

This is Sundkvist's first crime novel and it takes place in Luleå which is in the north of Sweden.

"In the June twilight, a shipment of drugs washes up in the Luleå archipelago—a discovery that looks like a windfall for small-time crooks Dagge and Branislav, until it becomes clear the shipment was meant for far more dangerous hands. Detective Demian Vide has traded the pressure of Stockholm for what he hopes will be quieter police work in his hometown. But Luleå offers anything but calm. Tasked with mentoring rookies Khaled and Julia, he soon finds himself in the middle of two thorny investigations: mapping the city’s drug network to learn who lost the shipment, and reopening the troublingly flawed case of journalist Lisa Wegelin, who vanished two years earlier. As the threads tighten, it becomes evident that nothing about these cases is as simple as it seems."

It was a very good first try and the crime story was very interesting. Well-built characters add to a good work, and a surprising ending, although I was on the track rather early.

Nonfiction November and Novellas in November

As you see, no nonfiction read in November, and only Baldwin's novella. I did read a few novellas in October. Under the link a few short posts on those I read.

I am still reading these which I hopefully will finish before going away.

Thirst for Love by Yukio Mishima (200 pages)

Perdu by Paride Rombi (165 pages)

Den sista vargen by Laszlo Krasznahorkai (127 pages)

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