Fantasy/sci fi covers
Found out that this site BoingBoing links to a bunch of very funny fake sci fi/fantasy book covers. Find them here: Part 1, Part 2, Part 3.
Saker som min sambo och jag tyckte olika om
Author: Sabina Strand
When Sabina Strand's partner dumped her (over the phone) two months after they moved in together... well, she wasn't thrilled. She started writing a blog about the relationship they had, and now that blog has turned into this book.
Saker som min sambo och jag tyckte olika om is almost without exception sarcastic. Strand's ironic rants about the ex are certain to make you smile a couple of times. Unfortunately she chose to paint a very one-sided picture of the ex, which after a while leads you to wonder how fucking naive she actually was, continuing to date such an unsympathetic bastard.
Too much is about how heart-broken she was after he left her, how much she cried and how wonderful her friends were for being there for her. Frankly, I don't give a damn.
When Sabina Strand's partner dumped her (over the phone) two months after they moved in together... well, she wasn't thrilled. She started writing a blog about the relationship they had, and now that blog has turned into this book.
Saker som min sambo och jag tyckte olika om is almost without exception sarcastic. Strand's ironic rants about the ex are certain to make you smile a couple of times. Unfortunately she chose to paint a very one-sided picture of the ex, which after a while leads you to wonder how fucking naive she actually was, continuing to date such an unsympathetic bastard.
Too much is about how heart-broken she was after he left her, how much she cried and how wonderful her friends were for being there for her. Frankly, I don't give a damn.
La nuit de l'erreur
Author: Tahar Ben Jelloun
La nuit de l'erreur starts out very promising, with the mystery of an unmarked grave. A girl named Zina is born, destined to be a cursed woman, bringing destruction to the men around her. Completely void of empathy, she plays a dangerous game with the men she meet.
About 1/4 of the book is about how Zina grows up in Marocco - the author skillfully painting the picture of the city Tangier, with its rich culture and history ever-present. This part is written in first person from Zina's perspective - and truly interesting. Then, Zina disappears. Instead of Zina we have to read about a bunch of depressed, middle aged men who's only concern in life is how meaningless life is and how devious and dangerous women are. Har the har.
Unfortunately overall impression of La nuit de l'erreur was one of boredom.
La nuit de l'erreur starts out very promising, with the mystery of an unmarked grave. A girl named Zina is born, destined to be a cursed woman, bringing destruction to the men around her. Completely void of empathy, she plays a dangerous game with the men she meet.
About 1/4 of the book is about how Zina grows up in Marocco - the author skillfully painting the picture of the city Tangier, with its rich culture and history ever-present. This part is written in first person from Zina's perspective - and truly interesting. Then, Zina disappears. Instead of Zina we have to read about a bunch of depressed, middle aged men who's only concern in life is how meaningless life is and how devious and dangerous women are. Har the har.
Unfortunately overall impression of La nuit de l'erreur was one of boredom.
Lolita
Author: Vladimir Nabokov
Genre: Tragicomedy
Lolita is one of those famous classic books. It is famous because millions of people read it over the years and found it utterly disturbing. I can understand why.
Lolita is about this full-grown man who during his whole life is attracted to pre-teens, until he ultimately falls in love with 12-year-old "Lolita". This is not the reason why the books is disturbing.
The disturbing part is that the whole book is written from the man's perspective, which makes the reader relate to him. You will find yourself cheering for him, thinking: "oh my god, just kiss her already!" And that, my friend, is disturbing.
Do not forget to take some French classes before reading Lolita, because Nabokov keeps putting in words and long long sentences completely in French. I took German. I am annoyed.
Genre: Tragicomedy
Lolita is one of those famous classic books. It is famous because millions of people read it over the years and found it utterly disturbing. I can understand why.
Lolita is about this full-grown man who during his whole life is attracted to pre-teens, until he ultimately falls in love with 12-year-old "Lolita". This is not the reason why the books is disturbing.
The disturbing part is that the whole book is written from the man's perspective, which makes the reader relate to him. You will find yourself cheering for him, thinking: "oh my god, just kiss her already!" And that, my friend, is disturbing.
Do not forget to take some French classes before reading Lolita, because Nabokov keeps putting in words and long long sentences completely in French. I took German. I am annoyed.
Ett tal till min systers bröllop
Author: Linda Skugge
Anybody ever notice how English-speaking people Write Titles with Upper-Case Latters while Swedes seem to prefer the dull lower-case ones? Just an observation. Ett tal till min systers bröllop left me feeling very upset - in the sense that I would pace around my room muttering things under my breath until I got depressed and pessimistic with the world. I don't know about you, but I don't like to feel that way over a mediocre book. Really.
Anybody ever notice how English-speaking people Write Titles with Upper-Case Latters while Swedes seem to prefer the dull lower-case ones? Just an observation. Ett tal till min systers bröllop left me feeling very upset - in the sense that I would pace around my room muttering things under my breath until I got depressed and pessimistic with the world. I don't know about you, but I don't like to feel that way over a mediocre book. Really.
Those lapses you get in personal judgement sometimes...
Linas kvällsbok 1&2
Author: Emma Hamberg
Genre: Junior highschool ick
Linas Kvällsbok 1 is a very typical example of Swedish junior highschool (högstadium) literature. Meaning the main character is a mousy-haired girl with small boobs and non-existant self esteem who whines about how she has never gotten kissed and everybody else is so cool boo-hoo. Linas Kvällsbok 2 is a bit less typical and well-suited to read one of those boring days when you have nothing better to do. But... whatever.
Where Rainbows End
Author: Cecilia Ahern
Genre: Chick lit
Where Rainbows End tells its story exclusively by the letters, mails, text messages (et cetera) that the main characters send to each other. Cecilia Ahern is good at taking advantage of this, leading to some pretty funny situations. Except from that little originality, the book is typical middleaged lady litterature and not much more than a book to read on the beach a sunny day.
Author: Emma Hamberg
Genre: Junior highschool ick
Linas Kvällsbok 1 is a very typical example of Swedish junior highschool (högstadium) literature. Meaning the main character is a mousy-haired girl with small boobs and non-existant self esteem who whines about how she has never gotten kissed and everybody else is so cool boo-hoo. Linas Kvällsbok 2 is a bit less typical and well-suited to read one of those boring days when you have nothing better to do. But... whatever.
Where Rainbows End
Author: Cecilia Ahern
Genre: Chick lit
Where Rainbows End tells its story exclusively by the letters, mails, text messages (et cetera) that the main characters send to each other. Cecilia Ahern is good at taking advantage of this, leading to some pretty funny situations. Except from that little originality, the book is typical middleaged lady litterature and not much more than a book to read on the beach a sunny day.
Vägen till Jerusalem
Author: Jan Guillou
Genre: Historical novel
Series: The Knight Templar (Crusades) (1st of 3 books)
Vägen till Jerusalem is the first book in Guillou's famous trilogy about the Swedish Crusaders. We get to know a little boy named Arn as he grows up at a monestary, whereafter he leaves it as a teenager. Totally oblivious about the viles of the outside world, he accidentally manages to get robbed, accused of murder and guilty of having "dubious connections" with two different women. Poor little Arn...
Author Jan Guillou writes the book in an old-fashioned way and, seriously, the book is worth reading solely for the language. This is, in Swedish. If you are not Swedish or if you do not find templar knights to be very fascinating, you can skip it without a bad conscience.
Genre: Historical novel
Series: The Knight Templar (Crusades) (1st of 3 books)
Vägen till Jerusalem is the first book in Guillou's famous trilogy about the Swedish Crusaders. We get to know a little boy named Arn as he grows up at a monestary, whereafter he leaves it as a teenager. Totally oblivious about the viles of the outside world, he accidentally manages to get robbed, accused of murder and guilty of having "dubious connections" with two different women. Poor little Arn...
Author Jan Guillou writes the book in an old-fashioned way and, seriously, the book is worth reading solely for the language. This is, in Swedish. If you are not Swedish or if you do not find templar knights to be very fascinating, you can skip it without a bad conscience.
