Novellas in November is hosted by Cathy of 746 Books and Rebecca of Bookish Beck . Thank you for keeping up the tradition. Looking forward to see what you all are reading. I usually do not read a lot of novellas, so am eager to get inspired by your reading. Week 1 (starts Wednesday 1 November): My Year in Novellas During this partial week, tell us about any novellas you have read since last NovNov. I must have been inspired last year for it turns out I have read 13 novellas this year. Here they are: The Ice Palace by Tarjei Vesaas The Sealed Angel by Nikolaj Leskov Don't Look Now by Daphne du Maurie The Apple Tree by Daphne du Maurie The Birds by Daphne du Maurie Not After Midnight by Daphne du Maurie The Blue Lense by Daphne du Maurie The Man Without Shelter by Indrajit Garai Foster by Claire Keegan Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan. Hat vid första ögonkastet by Lovisa Wistrand Passion eller paria by Lovisa Wistrand En natt att glömma by Lovisa Wistrand Reading this year I don't really have a very fixed list of what to read. I will let myself be inspired. I did listen to Galatea by Madeline Miller, and this is a very short story. I have also started Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton, and I really like her writing. I don't think I have ever read anything by her. She is one of those authors where you tend to watch the movies, but not read the book. Obviously, I have to change my mind here. From my initial post I would like to read the following novellas. Come Rain or Come Shine by Kazuo Ishiguro (I have never read anything by him) Glaciers by Alexis M. Smith (new author to me, comes recommended) Jakob von Gunten by Robert Walser (sounds like an interesting author, which I can also mix with German Literature Month).

A little bit late, but here is my October Wrap-up. It was a rather slow month in number of books I read. Adding three novellas improved the numbers to eight. On top of that, I reach my number 100 book this year, which was Italo Calvino's If On a Winter's Night a Traveler. Here are the books I read. A Fortune Teller Told Me by Tiziano Terzano (NF) - " Tiziano Terzani (14 September 1938 – 28 July 2004) was an Italian journalist and writer, best known for his extensive knowledge of 20th century East Asia and for being one of the very few western reporters to witness both the fall of Saigon to the hands of the Viet Cong and the fall of Phnom Penh at the hands of the Khmer Rouge in the mid-1970s." (from Wikipedia) . He was a foreign correspondence for Der Spiegel, among others. This book was published in 2002. A fortune teller told him that he should not fly for a year, because something bad could happen. This made Terzano move around with other means of transportation, and it is discoveries during these travels that he reflects over in the book. It is an interesting subject, another way of living and experiencing the world around you. A slow pace of traveling gives you the opportunity to discover much more of what is going on around you. He has a great knowledge of SE Asia, and although the stories and politics are twenty years old, it is an interesting read. Atalanta by Jennifer Saint - another book in my Greek reading. I loved Saint's book Ariadne, but am not so excited by either Atalanta and Elektra. Although Saint writes beautifully, and tells the ancient myths in her own, well researched, I think, style. Definitely worth a read if you are interested in the Greek myths. Atalanta is part of Jason's search for the Golden Fleece, and it is a story I want to know more about. Better off Dead by Lee and Andrew Child The Murders at Fleet House by Lucinda Riley. I found these two books in a camping in Croatia. Both very easy to read. I have never read anything by Lee Child, but must admit this is not my cup of tea. Too violent for no reason at all. The story, I guess it works, but not more. Jack Reacher, I did not really like him. Lucinda Riley's book though was very good. This is one of her very first books, which was not published until after her death. For some reason it was not accepted by publishers at the time. I wonder why, since this was such a thrilling book, I could not put it down, until I had finished. I forced myself to put it down to eat something, so you might understand how much I liked it. Hat vid första ögonkastet, Passion eller Paria and En natt att glömma by Lovisa Wistrand. Three Swedish novellas about Regency England and high society. Very predictable and nothing worth remembering. I read them since I needed something totally relaxing, nothing to analyse, or to consider. Maybe it was an antidote to the next book. If on a Winter's Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino - I have heard so much about Calvino from my blogger friends and was curious to read something by him. I must admit, I did not like him. At least this book. There was one chapter, eleven I think, with thoughts about books, which I could relate to. The rest was really a total enigma to me. It is probably on a higher level than I can relate to. I will try something else by him in a while, but I am afraid he is not for me.

We are already into week 3 of Nonfiction November. The theme this week is Book Pairings. It is hosted by Liz who blogs at Adventures in reading, running and working from home , is an editor, transcriber, reader, reviewer, writer and runner. She likes reading literary fiction and nonfiction, travel and biography. Week 3 (11/13-11/17) Book Pairings: This week, pair up a nonfiction book with a fiction title. Maybe it’s a historical novel and the real history in a nonfiction version, or a memoir and a novel, or a fiction book you’ve read and you would like recommendations for background reading. You can be as creative as you like! The book pairing is always a difficult one for me. I would ideally have read both the nonfiction as well as the fiction books I choose. After some consideration and thought, I found these two pairings. Homerisk hemkomst (Homeric Homecoming, my trans.) by Sven Delblanc and The Iliad and The Odyssey by Homer. In two essays, the author takes a look at the Iliad and the Odyssey. Interpreting the Iliad in the light of research through times. He is not overly impressed by the research, which he thinks is doomed to age. At the back cover Delblanc gives the following advice: A good piece of advice for the reader: give up on all Homeric research. First, read a simple tutorial in Greek mythology. Then read the two works of poetry at a slightly slower pace than today's simpler novels. You will soon re-read them. And re-read them and re-read them, with ever-growing benefit and pleasure. Might be the way to go about these two classic epics. I continue with a biography about Thomas Mann and his family; Familjen Mann (Die Manns) by Tilmann Lahme. Excellent biography about a troubled family with many talented people. I would pair it with The Magician by Colm Tóibín, a historical fiction of the Mann family. If you have an interest in Thomas Mann, his family and his time, both of them are worth reading. Nonfiction wrap-up A short summary on what I have been reading the last week. In principle I am stuck in the Roman Empire. Not a bad place to be though, although you tend to be affected by all the corruption, intrigues, murder and mayhem that is going on. I read, or listen to actually. I am not a fan of audio books, but have noticed that nonfiction works rather well. Kampen om romarrike t (The Struggle for the Roman Empire, my translation.) by Eva Queckfeldt. Covering the period from 100 B.C. to 20 B.C., considering the most interesting and eventful part of its history. This is the time where we find the great names that have gone down through history; Julius Caesar, Marcus Anthony, Cicero, Cato the Younger, Pompey, and many more. Romarrikets kvinnor, makt, mord och moderskap by Eva Queckfeldt. About the women of the Roman Empire. Not always easy to find a lot of written accounts about women, and very few writings by themselves. Queckfeldt gives us what there is to know. The undertitel is power, murder and motherhood, which explains very well the situation these women lived under. Listening to Alexander the Great by Philip Freeman, so have moved a little bit back in time to Hellenistic Greece. Very interesting account of his life and struggles as he tries to conquer the east.

Novellas in November is hosted by Cathy of 746 Books and Rebecca of Bookish Beck . I seem to have missed week 2, so two themes for this week. Week 2 (starts Monday 6 November): What Is a Novella? Ponder the definition, list favourites, or choose ones you think best capture the ‘spirit’ of a novella. I read Cathy's post for last week, where she mentions that a novella to her is between 100 - 200 pages. I guess I could agree to that, although, as she also says, there are shorter stories than 100 pages that very well qualify for a novella. She posted a very good quote by Ian McEwan, of which I agree: "What still lures me is the sense, probably an illusion, that just ahead of me, always just out of my reach and completely without definition, is the perfect and beautiful thing, probably a novella, that unwraps everything around it, the ultimate human story that illuminates our brilliance and stupidity." Ian McEwan In Swedish we don't have the word novella. We call a short story 'novell'. It means that we have a roman/novel or a novell/short story. In Sweden, it is said, a short story can be 2, 10 or 100 pages, but there is no fixed length. Usually it has a main story and it keeps to this one story. The characters are already developed when the story starts. I read that Hemingway once was asked to write a full story in six words. He came up with. "For Sale: baby shoes, never worn." These six words tells an infinite story. The novellas I have read are probably more short stories than novellas. But, I don't really distinguish between the two. It will be my own little rebellion. I really enjoyed Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton . It is the first novel/novell I read by her, and was overwhelmed by the story and the beauty of the prose. I also enjoyed Glaciers by Alexis M. Smith. From Goodreads: "Isabel is a single, twentysomething thrift-store shopper and collector of remnants, things cast off or left behind by others. Glaciers follows Isabel through a day in her life in which work with damaged books in the basement of a library, unrequited love for the former soldier who fixes her computer, and dreams of the perfect vintage dress move over a backdrop of deteriorating urban architecture and the imminent loss of the glaciers she knew as a young girl in Alaska. Glaciers unfolds internally, the action shaped by Isabel’s sense of history, memory, and place, recalling the work of writers such as Jean Rhys, Marguerite Duras, and Virginia Woolf. For Isabel, the fleeting moments of one day can reveal an entire life. While she contemplates loss and the intricate fissures it creates in our lives, she accumulates the stories—the remnants—of those around her and she begins to tell her own story." Week 3 (starts Monday 13 November): Broadening My Horizons Pick your top novellas in translation and think about new genres or authors you’ve been introduced to through novellas. Most of my reading are translations. I rarely read Swedish short stories. I have enjoyed the stories I have read, and discovered, thanks to Novellas in November. Last year I discovered E.T.A. Hoffmann, and I have just downloaded 4-5 of his novellas, or they might be short stories. They are leaning towards the horror/spooky side, which is a genre I hardly ever read. I do get scared by such stories. However, they are for listening, and if I listen during the day, it might be ok. Novellas in November - Wrap-up What have I read so far? Miller, Madeline - Galatea (very short) Rilke, Rainer Maria - Letters to a Young Poet (NF) (interesting correspondence between the poet and unknown aspiring poet) Wharton, Edith - Ethan Frome (wonderful, sad tale of Ethan Frome and his hard life) Smith, Alexis M. - Glaciers (great, cosy read, on history and memories, losses, wishes, and how life has its turns). Highly recommended.

Week 5 of Nonfiction November is hosted by Lisa. She blogs about the books she’s read at Hopewell’s Public Library of Life . The question for week 5 is about the books we have been inspired by this month, and which we would like to have a closer look at. Week 5 - New To My TBR: It’s been a month full of amazing nonfiction books! Which ones have made it onto your TBR? Be sure to link back to the original blogger who posted about that book! I am hopeless of keeping track of who blogged about which books. This year I did a short list of books I am interested in, and even managed to note down the blogger who recommended them. For sure I have been inspired by many more of you, and I still have to read some of the blogs. November was a busy month for me, so I have not even managed to write anything about the books I have read. They will all be mentioned in my November Wrap-up. What inspired me I have to mention Stephanie at Bookfever11 specifically. She has a similar interest in history books as I have. She has recommended several historians that are her favourite authors of history. Mainly, she reads about Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. Two areas of which I have read a few books this month, and am eager to read more about. Maybe I will become an expert one day. The link above is for her web-site, so you have to search for the nonfiction posts. Galileo's Daughter by Dona Sobel - Marianne @ Let's Read (about the great man himself and his daughter). Third Culture Kids by David D. Polloch & Ruth van Reken - Marianne @ Let's Read (about kids growing up abroad and how it effects them, good or bad?) Packing My Library by Alberto Manguel - Kaggsy's Bookish Ramblings (About Alberto Manguel packing his 40.000 books library. A true Herculean task). Zealot: The Life and Times of Jesus of Nazareth by Reza Aslan (the true story of what really happened?) & Thinking, Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman (how most of our decisions are made by our unconscious rather than conscous mind) & The Omnivore’s Dilemma by Michael Pollan (about what we eat, and what is good and bad for us) - Whatmeread That was some of the nonfiction that inspired me to read more this month. I am happy to note that there are some books outside the history books. I would like to thank Liz, Frances, Heather, Rebekah and Lisa for hosting this event. You must have had a very busy month, considering all the comments that have been going around. I was very busy this month, so did not have time to follow it as much as I would have liked. But the comments and posts are still there, so I will enjoy some more posts even in December. I did manage to read four books, which is not bad considering the other two challenges I am following in November (NovNov and German Literature Month). All of them are about Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. They were all interesting and I learned a lot more about this time in history. Still continuing to read a few other books about the era. Thank you all for your reviews and being an inspiration for other kind of books as well.

Busy November is over and many of us participated in several challenges this month. Nonfiction November, Novellas in November and German Literary Month. All three interesting challenges. I did my best to read for each of them, but it was difficult. Furthermore, I have been busy catching up with businesses at home, after being away for three months. Well, well, I should not complain, all is happy doings. Time for a Wrap-up which this month relates to the three challenges. Nonfiction November I seem to have 'snowed in' on Ancient Greece and the Roman Empire, and it seems to continue. I have several books about this time, and the following era of the Byzantine Empire on my TBR shelves. My ambition is to read them all in the first half of 2024. After having visited Greece and its ancient sites in September and October, I feel that I want to know more about this time, and the influence they had on the Roman Empire. Kampen om Romarriket (The Fight for the Roman Empire) by Eva Queckfeldt, a Swedish historian. She covers the tumultuous times during the years 100 - 20 B.C. It is exciting, and we meet some of the most famous people of this era. She has also written a book about women in the Roman Empire, with the sub title Power, Murder and Motherhood. Romarrikets kvinnor by Evas Queckfeldt. Women did not have a lot to say, but there were some who stood out and tried their best. Homerisk hemkomst (Homeric Homecoming, my trans.) by Sven Delblanc. In two essays, the author takes a look at the Iliad and the Odyssey. Interpreting the Iliad in the light of research through times. He is not overly impressed by the research, which he thinks is doomed to age. At the back cover Delblanc gives the following advice: A good piece of advice for the reader: give up on all Homeric research. First, read a simple tutorial in Greek mythology. Then read the two works of poetry at a slightly slower pace than today's simpler novels. You will soon re-read them. And re-read them and re-read them, with ever-growing benefit and pleasure. Might be the way to go about these two classic epics. De kom, de såg, de segrade (Veni, vidi, vici in third person plural) by Daniel Hermansson. A history teacher, with a history pod finally sat down to write a book about his favourite era. The people referred to are Alexander the Great, Hannibal, Scipio Africanus and Julius Caesar. They are considered the best military strategist in history. Nobody came close to such military genius until Napoleon turned up in the 18th century. Interesting book, not overwhelming with battle description, but mixed up with the political situation at the time. Going back to the Hellenic time and Alexander the Great . I listened to Philip Freeman's book with the same name. An interesting story of Alexander from beginning to end. How he grew up, taking control of Macedonia after his father's murder, and his quest to conquer the east. A remarkable man who showed good and bad sides to the people around him. One wonders what drove hime, and how he managed to inspire the people around him. The soldiers were away fighting for 10 years, under very hard conditions. An excellent odyssey over his life. Two poetry books at the end. I don't know if they can be regarded as nonfiction, but I put them here. Still in the Roman times with the wonderful poems of Catullus . They are a description of life, and love, at the time. Sometimes quite chocking even for our times. His love poems are dedicated to his muse, Lesbia, supposed to be Clodia Metelli, married to Q. Metellus Celer. This beautiful poem is one of many dedicated to her. For those of you who have seen The Outlander might recognise a few lines in the middle. Finally I also read a book of 100 poems from around the world, and times, that has been translated into Swedish. All the famous poets are represented here, and a few I have never heard about. Novellas in November I read three novellas for this challenge: Galatea by Madeline Miller More a short story, but I mention it anyway. It concerns the myth of Galatea and Pygmalion. A marble sculptor has received a gift from a goddess. His masterpiece, a beautiful woman, has been given life. The sculptor expects her to please him, but she has a mid of her own. Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton My first read by Wharton and it is a good one. A wonderfully, sad story of Ethan Frome, and his harsh life, both work and private wise. When he falls in love with their inmate, a cousin of his wife, life takes a more dire turn. Beautifully written and the characters go directly to your heart. Glaciers by Alexis M. Smith Isabel is a thrift-store shopper looking for memories of things past. She works with damaged books in a library, and she holds an affection for a colleague, a former soldier who keeps to himself. After a few chance meetings at work they go out together. Both of them have memories, good and bad. As Isabel listens to stories around her, she goes back in her mind to remember her own story. A wonderfully written account of childhood and family memories, and how memories form people and their relationships. German Literature Month Unfortunately, I did not have so much time to read books for this challenge. I only read Letters to a Young Poet by Rainer Maria Rilke . Rilke received letters from an aspiring poet who wrote him to ask his advice. Rilke's letters are not only trying to advise him, be he talks about life and what affects us. Ten letters, all very interesting. I am still reading The World of Yesterday by Stefan Zweig. His look on what life was and what it has turned into, nearing the second world war.

It was some time, since I looked at which books I save on my shelves. Last note was in January with the letter H. Meaning, authors last name starting on this letter. Due to lack of space, I only save fiction books that I really love. For nonfiction, I save most, but some of the go for recycling. I combine the letters I and J since I only have three books for these two letters. Nonfiction Two of the three books are nonfiction, and this is my favourite read for this year. Love in a Time of Hate , Art and Passion in the Shadow of War, 1929-39 by Florian Illies. A great book that looks at history through art and passion. The other book is also very interesting, and is about one of Africa's explorer. Stanley, The Impossible Life of Africa's Greatest Explorer by Tim Jeal. I read this many years ago, it was published in 2007. For anyone interested in the great explorers and their lives. This is a thorough look at the, not always happy, life of Henry Stanley. Very interesting. Fiction Why I did save this one, I am not entirely sure. Probably because of all the hype at the time. I don't think I will ever re-read it, but here it is. Fifty Shades of Grey by E.L. James. I don't think it needs an introduction.

December has come and gone, and it is time to make a wrap up of the month's reading. I read 7 books in December. The month started very slow, so I was happy to have read at least these books. Herodotos, Den förste globalisten by Sture Linnér. Linnér managed to inspire me to buy Herodotus' Histories . Herodotos (c. 484 - c. 425 BC) was a Greek historian and geographer from Halicarnassus, then part of the Persian Empire, now Bodrum in Turkey. He was one of the first to look into historical events, he traveled extensively and is considered as the father of history. Looking forward to read his book. The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards. On a winter night in 1964, Dr. David Henry is forced by a blizzard to deliver his own twins. His son, born first, is perfectly healthy. Yet when his daughter is born, he sees immediately that she has Down's Syndrome. Rationalizing it as a need to protect Norah, his wife, he makes a split-second decision that will alter all of their lives forever. He asks his nurse to take the baby away to an institution and never to reveal the secret. But Caroline, the nurse, cannot leave the infant. Instead, she disappears into another city to raise the child herself. So begins this story that unfolds over a quarter of a century - in which these two families, ignorant of each other, are yet bound by the fateful decision made that long-ago winter night. Norah Henry, who knows only that her daughter died at birth, remains inconsolable; her grief weighs heavily on their marriage. And Paul, their son, raises himself as best he can, in a house grown cold with mourning. Meanwhile, Phoebe, the lost daughter, grows from a sunny child to a vibrant young woman whose mother loves her as fiercely as if she were her own. A fascinating story of how a spur of the moment decision changes the lives of the people involved. Even those who have no idea of what happened. Turned out to be the best fiction book I read this year, and I can highly recommend it. My review under link above. Pilkastaren by Gunnar Sebring (audio) - a psychological and philosophical thriller that keeps you stuck to the story until the very end. Över en vinterfika (Over a winter coffee) and anthology of short stories about life and its dwindling ways. Ancient Greece by Eric Brown - very good, short introduction to ancient Greece and its times and important people. 20 filosofer (20 Philosophers) by Gunnar Fredriksson - the author looks at the most important philosophers from ancient time up until present time. Great, short introduction to the people, their lives and thoughts. Very good introduction for a deeper reading. Fyra historiska mysterier (Four historical mysteries) by Clas Svahn - the author looks at four mysteries that still fascinates people. The secret of the Rosetta stone, the hunt for captain Kidd's treasure, the secrets of Edgar Allan Poe and the curse of the Pharaohs. Interesting look into history and its secrets.

The start of a new year it is a good time to reflect on your reading the year before. I read 117 books in 2023, which I think is a record for me. As usual going from one book to the next without any real planning. At the end of the year, and thanks to Nonfiction November, and our trip to Greece with a focus on the Ancient times, I did enter into reading about ancient Greece and the Roman Empire. Really interesting, and something I will continue to do in the new year. But, let's not go ahead of time, let's look at 2023. Statistics The 117 books I read are spread over the following genres: Thrillers - 33 - 28% Nonfiction - 29 - 25% Fiction - 26 - 22% Classics - 15 - 13% Novellas/Short Stories - 11 - 9% Poetry - 3 - 3% I am pleased with the spread. The big number of thrillers relate to my binge reading of Agatha Christie and Donna Leon, which I think will continue this year. Also happy about the number of Classics. Best books Nonfiction I read a lot of good nonfiction books, here five of them that stood out: Love in a Time of Hate by Florian Illies Van Gogh's Ear by Bernadette Murphy Sanningen är alltid oförskämd - a biography of August Strindberg by Göran Hägg Ett hemligt liv - a biography about the relationship between Verner von Heidenstam and Kate Bang by Martin Kylhammar Axel von Fersen and Marie Antoinette - the love affair between the two by Margareta Bäckman Napoleon - A Concise Biography by David A. Bell Fiction The Memory Keeper's Daughter by Kim Edwards Circe by Madeline Miller Classics I have to mention: The Forsyte Saga by John Galsworthy Poetry The Poems by Catullus Novellas Ethan Frome by Edith Wharton Foster and Small Things Like These by Claire Keegan Glaciers by Alexis M. Smith Plans for 2024 I am still thinking on plans for 2024. The problem is, when I make up a plan I tend to do something totally different. Maybe it is just a good thing to Carpe Diem also the reading. I know I want to participate in a few of my favourite challenges. There are so many interesting challenges out there, but I cannot follow them all. Paris in July and Nonfiction November are two I usually follow. I will join Brona's books on her reading of George Orwell which will go on for the whole year, in your own rhythm. There might be a few others I will pick up. Mostly if they coincide with my main aim: to lower my TBR shelves. My TBR shelves I did read 62 books from my shelves last year, which is also a record. Of course a few new entered the space. I am left with 158 for 2024, and a good aim would be to be under 100 books at the end of the year. I do add, and read, also newly purchases so some of the books are not that old. However, I try to choose those that has been there for a while. Good luck with your reading plans, they will be interesting to follow.

I really loved Saint's book Ariadne , and was happy to find two more books by her. Totally suitable since I have been on a two month trip with our camper van to Montenegro, Albania and Greece. Most of the time we spent in Greece, and I was eager to read something connected to the country. Even if it was from mythology. I find its mythology so interesting and love reading books about them. The protagonists I don't really know why Jennifer Saint named the book Elektra since it is the story of three women; Clytemnestra (wife of Agamemnon), Cassandra (priestess daughter of Priam, king of Troy) and Elektra (daughter of C and A). We follow them as the war of Troy is about to start, and until the end ten years later. Clytemnestra , devastated when Agamemnon sacrifices their eldest daughter Iphigenia to the gods, to get a fair wind so they could sail to Troy. During the war she takes care of state affairs in Mycenae, but revenge is what keeps her alive. She intends to kill her husband when he returns home. " I rolled my eyes. Odysseus was here as one of Helen's suitors just like the rest of them, but of course nothing that man did was as it seemed. " (Clytemnestra) Cassandra , one of king Priam's and queen Hecuba's daughters. She became a priestess and seer, but was cursed by Apollo when she refused his advances. The curse was to never be believed when she speaks of the future. She tried to prevent Paris from playing a role in Troy, and to tell the king that Troy would fall. " Beauty and love were gifts, perhaps - even if I knew that Helen's beauty was a terrible thing, and incitement to war and chaos. " (Cassandra) Elektra , the youngest daughter of the king and queen of Mycenae. She is horrified by the death of her sister, but still holds a love for her father. Her relationship with her mother is troubled. " I don't think I could put one foot in front of the other if it wasn't for my hatred. It fuels me, it drives me forward, it roars inside me, obliterating anything else that ever was or could be. " (Elektra) The background I did not take to Elektra at all, and found the other two women more interesting as characters. They seemed to have more space in the book as well. One has to understand that Elektra was only five (I think) years old when her sister died. After the sacrifice, her mother had no love to give her other children, due to her grief for Iphigenia. Maybe that is why Elektra directed all her love for her absent father. He was not the best of parents, but she had had a special relationship with him while he still was at home. She grows up under the dreary atmosphere of the palace. Furthermore, her mother takes Aegisthus as a lover. Agamemnon killed his father so no less feelings of revenge here. As Elektra grows up, she decides to take her destiny in her own hands, and to get away from her mother. Cassandra's story is connected to the Trojan war, and her efforts to tell her father the outcome of the war. No-one listens to her, however hard she tries to tell them what she knows. She spends her time in the temple of Apollon, but he has deserted her as well. Through her we see the war of Troy. The outcome I am sure you all know the story, and I will not reveal which way Jennifer Saint takes her characters. I was not so enthralled by this novel as of Ariadne. I found the character of Elektra rather uninteresting. Clytemnestra is the one that I thought saved the book, with her story when she first met Agamemnon, their marriage, his departure for Troy and return. She has character, takes control of her life and follow up on her decisions. Although terrible ones. Cassandra's tale was also interesting, far away from the other two women, and a totally different life from theirs. Her fight to be believed, and tragedy when she was not. The curse of Apollo that affected her life in such a hard way. She is full of character, independence and a will to try everything she can against all odds. It was nevertheless a suitable book to read since we also visited Mycenae. And, what a wonderful cover. For those interested in our visits to archeological sites in Greece, I have a few newsletters about the trip. You find them under The Content Reader Newsletter .

In January I read seven books, which I considered fine since I somehow had a dip in my reading inspiration. The books were: The Discipline of Desire by Ryan Holiday (NF) From IX to V. Orgy Planners, Funeral Clowns, and Other Prized Professions of the Ancient World by Vicki León (NF) Romarrikets undergång by Dag Sebastian Ahlander (NF) Doctor Copernicus by John Banville Aldermans arvinge by Gabriella Håkansson Tankar efter en pandemi - och lärdomarna inför nästa by Anders Tegnell (NF) A Month in the Country by J.L. Carr Four of them were nonfiction and three fiction. The nonfiction mostly related to the Roman Empire, leading me into the Stoics. The other nonfiction is Anders Tegnell's book about the pandemic. He was the face outside from the Public Health Authority and became world known, mostly because Sweden took another way than most other countries. Very interesting and a review will follow. Of the fiction books Banville and Håkansson will come up in another post I am preparing (even the posts are slow these days). Watching a Swedish evening program there was a review of J.L. Carr's A Month in the Country which has been translated into Swedish (finally one could say). A wonderful book to read, especially when you feel a little bit down, the world seems to going to pieces and turbulences everywhere. Tom Birkin, A World War I veteran is employed to uncover a mural in a village church in Yorkshire. He suffers from PTSD after his experiences in the trenches. His wife has left him for another man and his life is somewhat low. There is a sense of loneliness as he arrives at the village where he sees no-one. His first meeting with the vicar is strained and he spends his first night in the bell tower of the church in a somewhat depressed mode. Soon he befriends another veteran who has been hired to look for a grave outside the churchyard walls. In the old days not everyone was allowed to be buried inside the walls. There is a little bit of mystery there. As the days pass by he befriends other people in the village and becomes involved in village matters. He is fascinated by his work and the mural he discovers under the whitewashed ceiling. The novella deals with the times after a war when people have lost their beliefs, melancholy and nostalgia is prevalent. As he uncovers the mural and becomes part of the small world around him he is healing from his wounds. The narrator writes the novel many years later and looks back at those days which he still remembers like the best months of his life. It is a slow, meditative novella, but fascinating and you go through it with a sense of calmness, people caring for each other, and another pace of life. Maybe that is what we need sometimes.

This is of course a tricky question because it is different from book to book, from reader to reader. As usual I have been reading several books parallell, but mostly I have been reading two books. It took me forever to read them. They are: Doctor Copernicus by John Banville (247 pages) and Aldermanns arvinge by Gabriella Håkansson (813 pages) Do you believe me when I say that it took me over one month to finish these two books. I usually read a few pages from Banville's book and one or two chapters from Håkansson's book. Although they quite differ in size I finished them more or less at the same time. Håkansson's novel was easy to read. Rather 'big' font and space on the pages. Banville's novel has smaller font, and no space, just very tight text almost every page. It is more of a biography, or historical fiction, so the text is somewhat more complicated, with thematic and technical words as regards the world of Copernicus. Neither of the books were giving me the inclination to continue reading. It was more like I have to finish the books. Why did I just not give up, you might ask. Good question. I simply don't know. I had somehow set my aim to finish both of them. Banville's book mainly because I bought it when he held a talk in a book shop in Brussels. Signed book and all. This is the first book in a trilogy, and I bought, and have the other two; Newton's letter and Kepler . Of the three Kepler was the one I liked best. Another reason why I wanted to finish Copernicus is that we visited Torun in Poland last summer, the town where Copernicus was born. We visited his house, now a museum. It is a beautiful, medieval town and a pleasure to walk around the old city. I wrote about it in my newsletter To find the sun . To know that we know what we know, and to know that we do not know what we do not know, that is true knowledge. Nicolaus Copernicus Doctor Copernicus by John Banville Nicholas Koppernigk, or Copernicus which is his more famous name, was a Renaissance polymath, active as a mathematician and astronomer. He worked as a Catholic canon, a kind of religious title. His research led him to a new model of the universe, that placed the Sun rather than Earth as its center. He might have realised that his theory would be controversial, and he postponed the publication of it, On the Revolutions of the Celestial Spheres , until just before his death. Banville gives us a man of "painful reticence" as it is stated at the back cover. That is true. He is a man hunted by something unnamed. Although he discovers faults with other accepted theories of the day, he is reluctant to put forward his own ideas. He is living in a world of wars and conflicts between kings, princes and the church. His brother is haunting him with his life style; he sees conspiracies all around him, and would most of all like to withdraw from the world. "He found that city (Cracow) strangely altered, no longer the forlorn gloomy terminus he had known during his university years, but a bustling waystation cheerful with travellers and loud with the uproar of foreign tongues. To be sure, the change was not in the city but in him, the traveller, who noticed now what the student had ignored, yet he chose to see his new regard for this proud cold capital as a sign that he had at last grown up into himself and his world, that he was at last renouncing the past and turning his face toward an intrepid manhood; it was all nonsense, of course, he knew it; but still, he was allowed for a few days at least to feel mature, and worldly-wise, and significant." Aldemanns arvinge (Aldemann's heir) by Gabriella Håkansson The story takes place in 19th century London. William Aldermann is an orphan, has inherited a huge fortune and grows up in a palace on Harley Street. His father had an anarchistic tradition of ideas and he has put the continuation of these ideas on the shoulders of his son. The idea is to denounce God, the laws and the state and make a revolution. Old friends to his father are appointed custodians of the legacy. It is just one problem; the father hid his plans for the continuation of the fight to change the world. The society of his father is called Dilettanti. Many of the members are now old and see the world differently. However, there are still a few hardcore members who want to continue the fight. They live in the world of Ancient Greece and surrounds themselves with statues, books and everything that can make that time alive again. I found it interesting since Ancient Greece is a favourite topic. However, the book was far too long, dragged out and all in all, not much happened. It could not really engage me, but I could not just drop it either. It is the first book in a trilogy, but I don't think I will continue reading.