January has reached its end and it is time for a reading wrap up. For January I have two challenges; FINDS hosted by AnnaBookBel, reading Nordic literature, my own challenge, and the Classic Spin (Women in Love by D.H. Lawrence). I have started the book, but am only in the very beginning. Will continue reading though. FINDS Here are my choices for books from each country. Finland - They Know Not What They Do by Jussi Valtonen Iceland - Cold as Hell (1st Áróra series) by Lilja Sigurdadottir Norway - The Ice Palace by Tarjej Vesaas Denmark - Silence in October by Jens Christian Gröndahl Sweden - The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald Reading I have read the books from Finland, Iceland and Norway (review to come). I have started the Danish book, but don't like it so will probably leave that one. I have also started the Swedish one, which is great and a review should come soon. My challenge a nonfiction from my TBR shelves chosen by a random generator a fiction from my TBR shelves chosen by a random generator a translated novel outside English- and Swedish speaking countries a classic tale a book from my Wish list I had several books to read for FINDS and a book club, so did not do a random generator this months. I managed, nevertheless, to fulfil the five criteria for the month. Nonfiction from TBR shelves - 1 book: Lochery, Neill - Lisbon, War in the Shadows of the City of Light, 1939-4 Fiction from TBR shelves - 8 books (see Read) Translated novel outside English- and Swedish speaking countries - 4 books (Portuguese, Finnish, Icelandic and Norwegian) A classic tale - 1 book - The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas A book from my wish list - The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas All in all, I am pleased with the outcome of the month. Time to have a look a February. a nonfiction from my TBR shelves chosen by a random generator - History of Europe 1598-1715 by Henry Offley Wakeman (e-book) a fiction from my TBR shelves chosen by a random generator - Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence. Why not? As I am reading Women in Love for the Classic Spin, it might be a good idea to read the two books I have by him. a translated novel outside English- and Swedish speaking countries - Royal Highness by Thomas Mann (e-book), German a classic tale - Child Harold's Pilgrimage by Lord Byron (suitable since I visited the Montserrate palace in Portugal which so inspired Byron on his visit, that he added a verse of the beauty of the place in this poem. See The Content Reader Newsletter for more information). a book from my Wish list - The Glass Woman by Caroline Lea (audio book) I also have to read/listen I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy for one of my book clubs. That should keep me busy in February.

FINDS is hosted by AnnaBookBel and the goal is read to read one book per Nordic country during the first five weeks in 2023. My goals for FINDS is: Finland - They Know Not What They Do by Jussi Valtonen Iceland - Cold as Hell (1st Áróra series) by Lilja Sigurdadottir Norway - The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas Denmark - Silence in October by Jens Christian Gröndahl Sweden - The Readers of Broken Wheel Recommend by Katarina Bivald As of mid January I have just finished Valtonen’s book. It turned out to be rather long, but a very interesting book. Sigurdadottir’s Cold as Hell from Iceland turned out to be shorter and faster to read, so I have finished that one as well. They Know Not What They Do is a more solid story that it lets you imagine from the beginning. First of all, when I checked out the internet for the title of the novel, a biblical quote came up. Of course, once seeing this I do understand the title of the book. Maybe because it is in English, I did not make the connection to the biblical quote. The quote is from Luke 23:34: “Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” Jesus also used these words when he was crucified as regards the people who sentenced him. “On the surface, Joe Chayefski has it all. A great job, a beautiful wife and two perfect daughters. But when the lab he works in as a neuroscientist is attacked, Joe is forced to face the past and reconnect with the son he abandoned twenty years earlier. As Joe struggles to deal with the sudden collision of his two lives, he soon finds he needs to take drastic action to save the people he loves.” The main characters of the story is Joe and his first wife, Finnish Alina and their son Samuel. Joe never really comes to turn with living and working in Finland. He has partly given up his academic career to be with his family. The story starts around 1960s or 70s before the explosion of global access via computers and internet. He leaves his family to go back to the States when his son is just a few months old. Unfortunately, for all involved there is no contact between father and son. The mother, Alina, is a somewhat unreliable character. It is difficult to get a grip of her. Unsure of herself, in her early motherhood, it takes years for her to find a meaning in life. She seems not to encourage a relationship between her ex husband and son. Samuel grows up with an over protecting mother, who also instills a certain ambivalence in him. Although never talking about it, he does miss contact with his father. He has inherited his interest for natural science and is doing very well at school. However, on his first job, he happens to see something that totally changes his direction in life. The father, Joe, is making a great, academic career when he returns to the state. He marries Miriam and they have two daughters. Both of them are successful and have a great life. From time to time he thinks about his other life, but it does not make in impact in his present life. Not to reveal too much of the quite intense story that starts out like a normal love affair, but twenty years later turns into a nightmare. Valtonen has managed to include a lot of societies problems today into this family drama; the climate question and its impact on, above all, young people, scientific research and its moral dilemmas, the IT explosion and its intrusion into the private sphere. He is doing it very well, highlighting the focus from different sides of the spectrum. The drama is evolving in a thrilling way, as we follow Joe, Alina and Samuel and their attempts to control their surroundings. It is a very good story, although I thought it slightly too long. But he keeps up the tension to the very end, and you really want to know how it ends. The ending is somewhat surprising, or … maybe not. An excellent thriller about the world of today. If I would summarise the main point in one word, I would say it is about communication. Or the lack of it.

FINDS is hosted by AnnaBookBel and the goal is read to read one book per Nordic country during the first five weeks in 2023. This is a new to me Icelandic author, and this is the first book in her Aróra series. "Icelandic sisters Áróra and Ísafold live in different countries and aren't on speaking terms, but when their mother loses contact with Ísafold, Áróra reluctantly returns to Iceland to find her sister. But she soon realizes that her sister isn't avoiding her … she has disappeared, without trace. As she confronts Ísafold's abusive, drug-dealing boyfriend Björn, and begins to probe her sister's reclusive neighbours – who have their own reasons for staying out of sight – Áróra is led into an ever-darker web of intrigue and manipulation. Baffled by the conflicting details of her sister's life, and blinded by the shiveringly bright midnight sun of the Icelandic summer, Áróra enlists the help of police officer Daníel, as she tries to track her sister's movements, and begins to tail Björn – but she isn't the only one watching…” I liked the summary of the story and thus choose this novel for my Icelandic FINDS. It did not really engage me like my favourite Icelandic authors Arnaldur Indriðason and Ragnar Jónasson. The story with the missing sister seems more like a sideline as Áróra flies to Iceland to look for her. She gets involved with an Icelandic criminal. It turn out that she is a private financial investigator so goes into investigating him. She also meet Daniel, a police on holiday, sort of relative who agrees to help her out. It seems to be less the story of the missing sister as the story of her professional life and her love life. Parallell we follow the neighbour of her sister, a man with a peculiar life. As the story evolves we slowly find out what happened. However, the people who investigate does not get very far with the case. On top of this, the story ends with them finding knowing the sister is dead, (no spoiler since the reader knows this from the very beginning) just to get a hint that Áróra will investigate what really happens in book #2. A female protagonist who is tough in an unusual business, made me feel this was something I would like. Unfortunately, the story is a little bit too thin to engage me. Maybe it would go along as a story about a young woman with an unusual profession, but hardly as the thrilling Icelandic murder mysteries we are used to.

We are just back from three weeks in Portugal, where we spent the holidays. As we arrived in Lisbon we walked out of our hotel, very conveniently situated centrally in the old city, to get a feeling for our surroundings, and to find somewhere to eat. We did not find anything to our immediate liking so in the end we let someone drag us into an old restaurant, Café Martinho da Arcana (funded 1782) at the corner of the Praca do Comércio, down by the sea. Turned out to be a marvellous, old restaurang with dark wood from the floor, half way up the wall, painted walls above, light yellow as they liked it in the old days. Table with white table clothes, which made us feel going back in time. We got a small table in an alcove, ordered fish and a bottle of vinho verde and sat down to enjoy. The waiter who told us that the restaurant was the favourite place of author Fernando Pessoa. He came more or less every day, and they even keep his table free to this day. It is decorated with an espresso cup, a glass of water and a bowl for sugar. There is also a number of his books on the table. As you see from the picture I was allowed to sit down in his place. Fernando António Nogueira Pessoa (1888-1935) was a Portuguese poet, writer, literary critic, translator, publisher and philosopher; one of the most significant literary figures of the last century, and considered one of the greatest poets in Portuguese. Very prolific writer as can be imagined when you see all his professions above. I had his book The Book of Disquiet , but let go of it after just a few pages, it seemed far more than I could grasp. Maybe I should try another of his books, or poetry for that matter, now that we have shared the same seat. Back at our table again, the waiter pointed to a photo on the wall behind me, and said, there is another Portuguese writer who used to come here. He received the Nobel Prize in literature, and he used to sit here. I realised that I had taken the seat of José Saramago. Even more funny since I brought his book The History of the Siege of Lisbon with me. I have been trying to read that one for a long time, but it is not an easy book either. However, having shared his seat, I just have to finish it. José de Sousa Saramago (1922-2010) won the Nobel Prize in 1998 for his "parables sustained by imagination, compassion and irony with which he continually enables us once again to apprehend an elusory reality.” Maybe a reason I find it difficult. Walking around Lisbon the following days we found traces of Pessoa's Lisbon. We bought a lottery at his favourite tobacco shop ”Boa Hora” and saw his tomb in the Mosteiro dos Jerónimos. Two of the most famous Portugues authors and I ran into them in one day. There are small things in life that can make you happy. I did manage to finish Saramago's novel about Lisbon. I don't know if it was the atmosphere of Lisbon and the area where he used to live, or the novel improved half way.

My first post for German Literature Month hosted by Lizzy’s Literary Life . It is the first time I participate and since I am following another two challenges, I try to combine reading where possible. Week 1 – First time for everything - The Sandman by E.T.A. Hoffmann - I really loved this book and Hoffmann's writing. A mystery, dark and spooky tale. The Sandman is a folklore character who is said to throw sand in the eyes of children to help them fall asleep. The protagonist and narrator is Nathanael, most likely suffering from post traumatic stress due to an encounter with the sandman in his childhood. The whole story has a dark, psychological and unreal touch taking us into another world. What is real and what is suggested by our thoughts? Week 2 – Second Helpings - I rarely re-read books and since I have not read that many novellas. I wanted to read Hesse for some time, so will choose (a novella) Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse - I am still reading this book, and I have a feeling I have already read it. Totally suitable for this the second week in other words. Week 3 – Firm Favourites - Rainer Maria Rilke , I will choose one book with his poems. Have not got to this yet. It seems he is Austrian, but I presume it is all right since he wrote in German. Week 4 – Something Different - Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka - already read this for Novellas in November. For someone like me who do not like insects it was a rather terrifying read. What does Kafka want to say with the novel? Alienation: people who are different are looked down upon? Work - the employer takes out everything they can from you? Family - he worries about the family which he supports. Once the family realises he can not work anymore, they take their act together and start working themselves, and manage very well. Using other people for their own means?

I seldom read modern, present day, relation dramas. This is part of my 'Borrow and Read' bookclub, and it was a really nice to read Daniela Krien's latest book, Love in Five Acts (Die Liebe in Ernstfall) a German author. "Bookseller Paula has lost a child, and a husband. Where will she find her happiness? Fiercely independent Judith thinks more of horses than men, but that doesn't stop her looking for love online. Brida is a writer with no time to write, until she faces a choice between her work and her family. Abandoned by the "perfect" man, Malika struggles for recognition from her parents. Her sister Jorinde, an actor, is pregnant for a third time, but how can she provide for her family alone? Love in Five Acts explores what is left to five women when they have fulfilled their roles as wives, mothers, friends, lovers, sisters and daughters. As teenagers they experienced the fall of the Berlin Wall, but freedom brings with it another form of pressure: the pressure of choice. Punchy and entirely of the moment, Love in Five Acts engages head-on with what it is to be a woman in the twenty-first century ." We follow five women and how they handle their every day life. They are all looking for something, not really knowing what they are looking for. For several of them a happy life is torn to pieces when the partner finalises the relationship. As we follow one by one, we realise that there is a common factor between them. Relationship, boy friends, lovers and friends. I found this novel fascinating. Maybe because I don't often read these kind of relation dramas. It gives a good picture on what it is to be a woman today. The pressure of making a career, having men in your life, children and when should they come? How do you find a good partner? On-line dating? And what happens if you don't find the partner you want to be the father of your child? What happens if you find him, but he goes on to another woman. A clear cut take on the problems for modern women. Well told, lots of recognition in the different relationships. The different views of men and women. All in all, I really liked this novel and its stories. A rather short book, divided into five chapters, one for each woman. Is there a solution at the end? You just have to read it and see.

November is at an end and time to wrap up the three challenges I participated in this year. Apart from German Literature Month I had a go at Nonfiction November and Novellas in November. German Literature Month is hosted by Lizzy’s Literary Life . It is the first time I participate and I will just have to see how many books I can read. Hopefully, at least one a week, according to the schedule: Week 1 – First time for everything - The Sandman by E.T.A. Hoffmann - gave me a new favourite author. Week 2 – Second Helpings - I rarely re-read books, but choose Herman Hesse's Steppenwolf. I have not yet finished it, but have a feeling I have already read it. Fits well in other words. Week 3 – Firm Favourites (Author or Publisher, if stated) - nothing to fit here . Week 4 – Something Different - Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka - can't say I entirely understood this novella, but that happens sometimes. Week 5: Read as you please / group read - The Life and Opinions of Tomcat Murr – E T A Hoffmann - wanted to follow this since Hoffmann is the new favourite, but could not find it quick enough. For the future. I do read German authors from time to time, so I take the opportunity to mention some of the books here. They are all some of my favourite books. Buddenbrooks is at the top. I love Robert Seethaler's 'A Whole Life' such a wonderfully, sensitive book. Stefan Zweig is always a treat, but most of the books here can be recommended. Fallada, Hans - Alone in Berlin Handke, Peter - A Sorrow Beyond Dreams: A Life Story (Wunschloses Unglück) Krien, Daniela - Kärlek i fem akter (Liebe im Ernstfalle/Love in Five Acts) Mann, Thomas - Buddenbrooks Mann, Thomas - Death in Venice Mann, Thomas - Mario and the Magician Mann, Thomas - Tonio Kröger Mann, Thomas - Tristan Neuhaus, Nele - Snow White must die (Schneewittchen muss sterben) Neuhaus, Nele - Big Bad Wolf (Böser Wolf) Roth, Joseph - The Radetzky March Schlink, Bernhard - The Reader Schlink, Bernhard - Homecoming Seethaler, Robert - A Whole Life Sendker, Jan-Philipp - The Art of Hearing Heartbeats Süskind, Patrick - Parfymen (Das Parfum, The Perfumer) von Goethe, J.W. - The Sorrow of Young Werther Von Schirach, Ferdinand - Fallet Collini (Der Fall Collini/The Collini Case) Zweig, Stefan - Amok

I think all women get shivers when they hear the name Salpetriere Asylum. From the beginning a gunpowder factory, which in mid-17th century turned into a hospice for poor women who were disabled, mentally ill or epileptic. With time it was turned into a prison where they put women they wanted to get rid off, mostly female outcasts. Later on anyone could put a woman there, if they thought she was suffering from hysteria or showing signs of strange behaviours. Victoria Mas has written a horrifying story of one woman who was put to the asylum by her father. His reason? She should see spirits. "The Salpetriere Asylum: Paris, 1885. Dr. Charcot holds all of Paris in thrall with his displays of hypnotism on women who have been deemed mad and cast out from society. But the truth is much more complicated—these women are often simply inconvenient, unwanted wives, those who have lost something precious, wayward daughters, or girls born from adulterous relationships. For Parisian society, the highlight of the year is the Lenten ball—the Madwomen’s Ball—when the great and good come to gawk at the patients of the Salpetriere dressed up in their finery for one night only. For the women themselves, it is a rare moment of hope. Genevieve is a senior nurse. After the childhood death of her sister Blandine, she shunned religion and placed her faith in both the celebrated psychiatrist Dr. Charcot and science. But everything begins to change when she meets Eugenie—the 19-year-old daughter of a bourgeois family that has locked her away in the asylum. Because Eugenie has a secret: she sees spirits. Inspired by the scandalous, banned work that all of Paris is talking about, The Book of Spirits, Eugenie is determined to escape from the asylum—and the bonds of her gender—and seek out those who will believe in her. And for that she will need Genevieve's help". A fascinating story and an insight into the world of an asylum. There we meet women who are crazy, but also women who found refuge within the walls. The story of Eugenie and Genevieve is one of professional nurse against an inmate that has to be treated according to the rule. And Genevieve lives by the rules, this is her protection against the world, and her private sorrows. But Eugenie opens up her frozen heart, and before Genevieve know it, she is on the road to a very different life. Both Genevieve and Eugenie are two well-defined characters. You feel their will to do something with their lives, although it looks different for the two women. They both live with the realisation that as a woman you cannot control your life. Victoria Mas' story is guiding us through the various conflicts of these women's lives in a steady pace. At the back of our mind, a thought of disaster is lingering, and it is not until the very end that we get the answers to our fears. An excellent novel, with well describing Paris and the asylum in the 18th century. A twist in the end makes this book and even better read.

Time for another classic spin with the Classic Club . Head over there for a full set of rules, they are simple. Update your Spin list, or create one with 20 classic novels your want to read. It should be published before before next Sunday 11th December, 2022. I am at the very last minute this time, but I always keep an updated list under my Challenge label. On Sunday 11th, December , the Classic club will post a number from 1 through 20. The challenge is to read whatever book falls under that number on your Spin List by the 29th January, 2023 . I am eagerly looking forward to see which classic comes up. I did manage to read the last challenge which was Death Comes to the Archbishop by Willa Cather. Let's see what comes up this time. Here is my list. My Spin List (as of 10 December 2022) 1. The Master and Margarita by Michail Bulgakov 2. The Bride of Lammermoor by Sir Walter Scott 3. Daisy Miller by Henry James 4. The Seahawk by Rafael Sabatini. 5. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoj 6. Women in Love by D.H. Lawrence 7. Child Harold by Lord Byron 8. House of Mirth by Edith Wharton 9. The Red and the Black by Stendhal 10. The Grapes of Wrath by John Steinbeck 11. Doctor Zhivago by Boris Pasternak 12. The Wings of the Dove by Henry James (last spin) 13. Sons and Lovers by D.H. Lawrence 14. Tom Jones by Henry Fielding 15. To Have and Have not by Ernest Hemingway 16. Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton 17. The Razor's Edge by W. Somerset Maugham 18. The Brothers Karamazov by Fjodor Dostoevsky 19. The House on the Strand by Daphne du Maurier 20. A Writer's Notebook by Somerset Maugham

The Classic Spin is done and this month's number is 6. For me this is Women in Love by D.H. Lawrence. Not my favourite author, but I will do my very best to read it. I think I have to do a New Year’s promise to read all the Spin books next year. We are going to Portugal for Christmas and New Year. I have a Penguin book of Lawrence’s novel. I will bring it with me, and I can leave it behind for someone else to enjoy it.

First of all I want to apologise for, hopefully, temporary problems with the blog. I managed to get the home page working, but it seems that the last post posted will also show up at the top of the labels' pages. I am trying to solve it, but alas, so far no success. Maybe this is an indication that I should look for another provider, and make my own web-site. I am still working on a Wix web-site and might be close to let it go public. If you encounter problems with access, please leave a comment (if possible) what the problem is, or send me an email thecontentreader(at)gmail.com. In the meantime ... Sometimes you are lucky with your choice of books. While visiting my parents I took another look at the common book cases and found one book I could not resist. I have neither heard of the book, nor the author. The summary of the story caught my attention. "On a summer day, a young woman alighted from a bus in the small Cape Cod village of Chatham and took up residence in a cottage on the edge of Black Pond's dark waters. She was embarking on a voyage she could not foresee --- one that would bring catastrophe to her, to those she loved, and to the town of Chatham itself. Now, seven decades later, only one living soul knows the answer to the question that irrevocably shattered hearts, a town, and a way of life: What really happened on Black Pond that day?" The story is told by Henry, now an aging lawyer, who was a teenager at the time. He givs us glimpses of what happened but not chronologically. The story goes back and forth from now to the past, as glimpses of present day life. It is a psychological thriller, very skilfully woven. The young, beautiful lady from overseas with a shimmer over her past life in Africa joins the school as an art teacher. She lives in an old house by the lake. On the other side of the lake lives a male teacher with his family. As the two teachers become friends, the gossip is live in the villages. But nobody really know what is going on. One day everything comes to a close when an accident happens. Or, was it an accident. As Henry relives the tragedy of the time, we slowly get an insight into the village life and its people. It is dramatic in a quiet way. We know there is a mystery lingering in the past, but it is only in the very end that we realise the consequences and get to know what really happened. One of the best books I have read this year. It reminds me a little bit of Into the Water by Paula Hawkins, in its narration of calm and quiet, which does not seem to go along with the dramatic events. It is beautifully written as well. I read somewhere he got a reward for this book. Well deserved. I am now eager to find other books by him. Any of you who have read something by Cook? Please let me know.

So far into December, and I realise I have not yet done the November Wrap-up. I had a really good reading month, reading 15 books. Mainly due to the three challenges I participated in; Nonfiction November, Novellas in November and German Literature Month. Great challenges all of them. The Library at Christiansborgs Castle in Copenhagen My own challenge a nonfiction from my TBR shelves: The Lodger, Shakespeare on Silver Street by Charles Nicoll a fiction from my TBR shelves: Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk by Nikolai Leskov a translated novel outside of the English- and Swedish speaking countries: The Sandman by a classic tale: Metamorphoses by Franz Kafka a book from my Wish list: none Nonfiction November I read four nonfiction books. Three of them with a history theme, and one with an economic theme. Beard, Mary - Gudar och människor (How do we Look? The Eye of Faith) Nicholl, Charles - The Lodger, Shakespeare on Silver Street Cervenka, Andreas - Girig-Sverige (Greedy Sweden) Blom, K. Arne/Moen, Jan - Skånska stenar berättar (What old stones tell us) Novellas November I was happy to read these books by theme from the host. On top of that I read another three novellas. I will definitely continue reading more. Short Classics - The Sandman by E.T.A. Hoffmann (German author) Novellas in Translation - Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (original in German). Short Non-Fiction - The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry German Literature Month Not really following the theme of the hosts, but managed a few German books. The Sandman by E.T.A. Hoffmann Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Steppenwolf by Herman Hesse (still reading Books read in November Hoffmann, E.T.A. - The Sandman Garai, Indrajit - The Bridge of Little Jeremy Tolstoj, Leo - How Much Land Does A Man Need? Cook, Thomas H. - The Chatham School Affair Kafka, Franz - Metamorphoses Beard, Mary - Gudar och människor (How do we Look? The Eye of Faith) Mas, Victoria - The Mad Women's Ball (Le bal des Folles) de Saint-Exupéry, Antoine - The Little Prince Schulman, Alex - Malma station (audio book) Mas, Victoria - The Mad Women's Ball (Le Bal des Folles) Bainbridge, Beryl - Master Georgi Nicholl, Charles - The Lodger, Shakespeare on Silver Street Cervenka, Andreas - Girig-Sverige Leskov, Nikolai - Lady Macbeth of Mtsensk Krien, Daniela - Kärlek i fem akter (Liebe im Ernstfalle/Love in Five Acts) Blom, K. Arne/Moen, Jan - Skånska stenar berättar (NF)