Bookoholic13's Alphabet Challenge

What a great idea for a challenge! I'm not giving myself a time limit on this and I won't be reading in order.

I'll be disregarding articles (the, an, a).

EDIT: I was going to add å, ä, and ö, but the pickings are far too slim or non-existent, so that idea is gone...

I won't use the same book for both categories, so I'll be doing 52 books total.

Author Alphabet

A: Andersson, Lena - Duck City
B: Bradley, Alan - Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie
C: Crumb, Robert - The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb
D: Dunn, Mark - Ella Minnow Pea
E: Etzioni-Halevy, Eva - The Triumph of Deborah
F: Flygt, Torbjörn - Verkan
G: Gavron, Assaf - Almost Dead
H: Hage, Rawi - De Niro's Game
I: Indriðason, Arnaldur - Jar City
J: Jiji, Jessica - Sweet Dates in Basra
K: Kitchell, Jennifer - Girl with Skirt of Stars
L: Lapidus, Jens - Aldrig Fucka Upp
M: Myhre, Lise - Stora boken om Nemi
N: Nesbø, Jo - Fladdermusmannen
O: Orlev, Uri - Run, Boy, Run
P
Q: Quartey, Kwei - Wife of the Gods
R: Ravel, Edeet - Look For Me
S: Shabi, Rachel - We Look Like the Enemy
T: Taikon, Katarina - Katitzi
U
V: Vapnyar, Lara - There Are Jews in My House
W: Westerfeld, Scott - Specials
X
Y: Yolen, Jane - Briar Rose
Z: Zenatti, Valerie - A Bottle in the Gaza Sea

Title Alphabet

A: American Widow by Alissa Torres
B: The Beekeeper's Apprentice: Or On the Segregation of the Queen by Laurie R. King
C: The Collaborator of Bethlehem by Matt Beynon Rees
D: The Devil's Star by Jo Nesbø
E: Emma by Kaoru Mori
F: French Milk by Lucy Knisley
G: Gaza - en kärlekshistoria by Catrin Ormestad
H: Hur man botar en fanatiker och om att skriva (How To Cure a Fanatic) by Amos Oz
I: Isprinsessan (The Ice Princess) by Camilla Läckberg
J: Jag är en varulvsunge by Gunnel Linde
K: Kackerlackorna by Jo Nesbø
L: Låt den rätte komma in (Let the Right One In) by John Ajvide Lindqvist
M: A Man and a Woman and a Man by Savyon Liebrecht
N
O: Of Guns and Mules by David Lawrence-Young
P: Pretties by Scott Westerfeld
Q
R: Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki
S: Short Girls by Bich Minh Nguyen
T: Ten Thousand Lovers by Edeet Ravel
U: Uglies by Scott Westerfeld
V: V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd
W: A Wall of Light by Edeet Ravel
X
Y
Z

Welcome on board :) Will you post the English titles if your Swedish books are translated?

#4

Thank you! Great challenge - thanks for opening the group up! I'll use the Swedish title for the purpose of the challenge, but I'll definitely provide the English title (if available) and I do write my reviews in English.

Short Girls by Bich Minh Nguyen

This is first and foremost a story about two sisters and their (developing a) relationship, and second a story about immigration and assimilation. Nguyen manages to reveal the sisters' past without writing a lumbering exposition, and their experiences growing up are woven into the overall narrative without being intrusive. The description of their developing relationship and better understanding of each other is what makes this a particularly good story - the two have such different personalities that it seems like they would never have anything in common, but Nguyen makes the transition not only believable, but plausible and even probable. There is much talk about the agonies of being short, and I think those parts could have been cut down quite a bit. It is a fast, sometimes sad, sometimes funny read - Nguyen's writing is very readable and she seems a natural story-teller. I must admit I chuckled knowingly once or twice at the descriptions of Vietnamese culture; my best friend's husband is Vietnamese, and some of the things Nguyen describes (food, social interaction, etc.) struck me as very true indeed!

Girl with Skirt of Stars by Jennifer Kitchell

I wouldn't call this the most original of stories - Tony Hillerman spent years describing the lives of the Navajos and their issues with non-Navajo people and government. What, then, does Kitchell's debut novel bring to the table? Well, for starters, it's not really a mystery although there are mystery-events in the story. Mainly, it's a political novel that tries to highlight the history of the Southwest and what ills have been done its indigenous peoples.

Kitchell's strength is that she presents such a truthful view into the mind of the Navajo - her descriptions of their beliefs are absolutely spot-on. Another strength is her breath-taking descriptions of the landscape - she really manages to bring the reader along on the Grand Canyon-journey while illustrating its importance to the native peoples living around it.

The political story-line is, however, not as enticing. The president-to-be is a stereotypical "slimy" politician who doesn't even care about his own family, and the assassin character is a stereotypical psychopath, complete with overbearing mother and all. One-dimensional "bad guy" characters are inherently uninteresting, so, although the Mountain Meadows history is worth reading about, those parts just didn't pique my interest very much.

All in all, it's a very good debut novel that showcases Kitchell's knowledge and sensitive understanding of the Navajo people. Had she concentrated only on that part, we may have gotten a deeper understanding of our characters - there are many questions left unanswered - which I would have preferred. It's still a great achievement and I will definitely want to read more of Kitchell's fiction.

American Widow by Alissa Torres

I really wanted to love this - I really, really did. And some parts are great and poignant, especially those that deal with her personal relations ship with her son and husband. Unfortunately, the story that I assumed would be dealing with her grief and coming to terms with the awful events of 9/11, mainly becomes a story about the intricacies of how to apply for financial aid and how mixed messages and bureaucracy made the applications very difficult. There are some parts that are heart-wrenching, but there are others that makes the book seem mainly like Ms. Torres' getting back at the "machine" that made her run from agency to agency in order to get her reimbursements. Had the story been a more personal one, this may have become a prime contender for the 9/11 legacy, but unfortunately it falls a bit short.

Isprinsessan (The Ice Princess) by Camilla Läckberg

I really love how Läckberg brings to life this part of Sweden and its (sometimes "special") type of people. Normally, I would be annoyed if there were so many different threads in one mystery-novel, but here it gives such a flavor to the environment that it's a joy to read. I'm wondering how the English translation reads, since the some quirks in the language is truly reflecting how people talk in the Fjällbacka area, but I think that even if you miss the flavor or nuances of the language, it's still a great mystery with a very genuine and truthful (flaws and all) love story added in. The only issue I had is that sometimes a character will figure something out, but won't tell the reader which is a bit annoying, but hopefully just a symptom of a first novel. Immediately on finishing, I added the rest of the series to my "to buy" list.

Aldrig fucka upp by Jens Lapidus

Lapidus' first novel, Snabba Cash, was nothing short of a revelation - "what, a Swede can write like this!?" It even started a new genre in Sweden, "Stockholm Noir," since Lapidus did with Stockholm what James Ellroy has done with Los Angeles. This second novel follows the same format (three main characters telling the story in separate chapters) and has a few characters in common (we still follow Mahmud in the first person and the others from Snabba Cash have cameos) and the story again deals with the underbelly of Stockholm. Is it as good then? Not quite, unfortunately. The story is a little too similar to its predecessor, not just the format. And (and this is a big "and"), the humor just isn't there in the same way it was in Snabba Cash. For a sophomoric novel, though, it's still a great read, and I can't wait until Lapidus gets translated into English so I can share with my fellow (non-Nordic) readers (keeping my fingers Xed in hopes that there is a translator out there who is adequately knowledgeable about gang-slang to do a proper job!).

Låt den rätte komma in (Let the Right One In) by John Ajvide Lindqvist

I don't normally read horror, but vampires is an old love, and since it's raised so much talk internationally and it's Swedish I felt I had to pick this up. And I wasn't disappointed. Lindqvist has done really well with integrating vampires into the Swedish countryside without it seeming awkward or forced. In a way, it doesn't even seem supernatural, strange as that sounds. The story really is about outcasts and revenge and people who live on the fringes of society, whether they're drunks or pedophiles or, indeed, vampires. Eli can even seem like a part of Oskar - a part that can get away with the vengeful deeds Oskar, as a regular human, cannot. I was especially pleased that there is no "romantic" element (which seems to be the current trend in vampire fiction), to lessen the urgency and danger of the story. The stakes are extra high because of the youth of the boys and the story is really about how vulnerable these children are - each for a different reason, of course. Most likely I'll not read more of Lindqvist's fiction, but I wouldn't hesitate to recommend this, especially if you look beyond the basic plot to see the characters' various ways of surviving in a rather harsh and, sometimes, truly vicious world.

The movie is well worth watching too. They skipped the overt pedophile references and it's a lot less gory than the book.

Ten Thousand Lovers by Edeet Ravel

I was absolutely blown away but this, the first in Edeet Ravel's Tel Aviv-trilogy - a series about war and its effect on people who fall in love in its midst. Ten Thousand Lovers is told through sections, a few pages devoted to each section. Some sections are about young Lily, a Canadian immigrant to Israel, some are about an older Lily, now living in London writing her memoirs, and the remaining sections are about language - the various meanings of words and the connection between Hebrew and Arabic and the various connotations that come out when languages intermix.

The order in which the sections are presented is what gives the story its urgency, because the reader is sometimes presented with an outcome of an event, but the actual event has not yet been told. The stakes are very high for the reader and you just want to read on to find out how the things that happened happen.

To call a non-thriller book a "page-turned" is rare, but this is truly it. I absolutely loved spending time with Lily and Ami and to follow how the progression of their love story and to see how they overcome the obstacles they face. The language sections are an intricate part of the equation in that they explain a lot of political and cultural issues which are part of Lily and Ami's life (in addition to being just plain interesting). This is one of my favorite reads so far this year and I know I will reread this more than once.

Look For Me by Edeet Ravel

Although this second part of the trilogy suffers quite a bit from comparison with its predecessor, it is still an interesting read. This installment too is presented in sections, pre- and post- Daniel's disappearance. The search for Daniel is at the basis of the novel's story, but the overriding impact comes from the depictions of Dana's peace activism and her experiences with Palestinians and her descriptions of their living conditions. As others have noted before me, the resolution to the Daniel storyline is quite unexpected and unsatisfying, but Ravel still manages to portray her characters' emotions convincingly. I only wish she would have hinted earlier about the parts of Daniel's personality that cased his disappearance, because that would have made the ending more plausible. With a little suspension of belief of belief, though, this is still a powerful part of Ravel's trilogy about love in a time of war.

A Wall of Light by Edeet Ravel

This last installment of Ravel's trilogy about love in the midst of war follows the family members of a previous character in the series. Here too, the story is told in sections, this time from the viewpoints of three different characters from three different generations. Of the three, Sonia comes across as the main character because she talks to the reader directly, and her past history and her search for love become urgent to us. Anna's story is told in one-sided letters, so the intrigue of her sections comes from questions about what is written between the lines and what possible responses might have been. Noah's portions are told through his journal entries and they are nothing short of hilarious - he has a fantastic voice and a wonderful sense of humor. It's great to listen to him, first as a young child, and as we follow him through his teenage years, toward adulthood.

What is really particular about Ravel's novels is her ability to create characters that seem real. You get a feeling that you could run in to these characters in real life. The trilogy as a whole presents a universe where characters have to deal with their personal lives during a politically difficult time and they comment, quite severely, on how a society in flux affects the individual and his or her choices.

Duck City by Lena Andersson

I appreciate how important the message is - too many people are succumbing to obesity-related diseases and the food industry is not taking a whole lot of responsibility for the problem. However, the satire here is much too heavy-handed and, although Larsson has made a conscious decision to use Donald Duck & Co. as characters in order to further her satire, I find having known characters is just distracting. It's really unfortunate as I think the grotesqueness of the story is well done, but most of it gets lost because I keep feeling like it should have been a cartoon rather than a novel. Really great idea, but the execution made it a miss for me.

Verkan by Torbjörn Flygt

This may look like a crime novel at first sight, but it's anything but. Rather, it takes a close look at the failures of the legal system and the downsides of the democratic social system. At its core is prosecutor Claes Backe and his internal struggle between doing what is legally right and what is morally right. When do you give up on a crystal clear case? When your witnesses take flight because they've been threatened? When do you turn a blind eye? When your minister wife is sheltering refugees from extradition? When do you join the local neighborhood watch group cum militia? When you realize that they may go too far unless you're there to make sure things don't get out of hand?

Rather than being a whodunit, then, Flygt's story sets up serious moral issues and, because he presents all sides of the argument, it forces the reader to examine their own opinions, or form new ones instead. Although not a perfect novel in many ways, it's really interesting how he has created a story where the reader will vehemently disagree with the characters' actions and then, a mere pages later think, "well, I may not agree, but I understand," and then, yet another few pages later, "I probably would have done the same." Rather than just being a regular novel, it's a series of questions, tied together by a story, and it works quite well as both.

bookoholic13 - I love the reviews you have provided on the Edeet Ravel novels. So far the only Ravel novel I have read is Your Sad Eyes and Unforgettable Mouth which I thoroughly enjoyed....I have added to my TBR pile and will be looking for more Ravel novels to read.

Happy Reading!

#18

Thanks!! Your Sad Eyes and Unforgettable Mouth is on my wishlist and I'll definitely have to move it further up the list!

Great reviews! I'm definitely tracking down the Edeet Ravel novels--I've never heard of this author before.

#20

Thanks! Ten Thousand Lovers was really fantastic, so try that one first!!

French Milk by Lucy Knisley

When I saw this, I immediately thought it'd be something I would like. Food and graphic novel in one book - nice! And it is, very nice actually! Although, why this young woman insists on eating foie gras at every meal is a mystery to me. Whenever I hear those words, I visualize the foie gras-process in my head - it's not appetizing! I think she did a really great job at capturing the essence of a traveler's visit to Paris and I'm quite jealous at all the great places they went. What a fantastic idea for a travelogue - I would copy it if I could only learn how to draw. The big problem I had with it was Knisey's own character - the fact that she manages to act like a young teenager when she is 22 years old is a little annoying. Or perhaps I was a very adult 22-year-old (way back when) without angst who can't really sympathize? It's possible... It's definitely worth a read, especially if you're a foodie. Warning: If you like flea markets, you may die of jealousy or find yourself immediately booking a flight to France.

The Beekeeper's Apprentice: Or On the Segregation of the Queen by Laurie R. King

I mainly picked this up because I'm a huge fan of Sherlock Holmes stories. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but I think King has done a really decent job in evoking the great man. Her way of telling the story and her descriptions of the time are really reminiscent of Conan Doyle. I think because Holmes is not the main character, it's easier to accept the premise - we are after all listening to Mary Russell's voice rather than Dr. Watson's, so it couldn't possibly be the same. King is doing very well in keeping (at least some hints of) Holmes' very dry humor, which I also appreciated. The mystery isn't quite up to "real" Holmes standard, but I enjoyed it and will probably read more in the series at some point.

Emma by Kaoru Mori

I must say that I loved this story - it's beautifully drawn without the huge exclamations I've seen in other Manga, the pacing is very even and calm with a story-arc like a regular period novel, and, so far (I've only read the first two in the series yet), there are no peculiar supernatural events. The characters are easy to sympathize with and the period is presented with loving detail - it's obvious that Kaoru Mori has done her homework! Admittedly, I probably enjoyed this more than other Manga because it's similar to Western graphic novels, but I that's only to be expected, I think. I will definitely read the whole series (at this time, nine have been released and number 10 will be released next month).

Rurouni Kenshin by Nobuhiro Watsuki

I read quite a lot of graphic novels, but this was my first attempt at Manga. It was definitely readable, even though the sword-wielding type of literature is not my favorite. I'm not well-versed in Japanese history and can't vouch for those parts of the story, but I don't feel it distracts in any way. I'm willing to accept the probability of Nobuhiro Watsuki's universe and the characters within it. I was really surprised that there was so much humor in the book - at first glance it seemed like pure action - and I actually laughed out loud at some of the drawings. It really appeals to me that these uber-strong characters can sometimes fall of their butts and be complete asses without losing any respect.

Run, Boy, Run by Uri Orlev

Although this is written for a younger reader and the pacing is very repetitive at times, I enjoyed reading about this young boy's experiences running from the Nazis in WWII Poland. The stakes are very high (life and death), and Srulik's persona is probable and likeable. The real clincher of the story is, of course, that it is based on a real person that Uri Orlev actually met in real life.

The Book of Genesis Illustrated by R. Crumb by Robert Crumb

I admit that part of my interest in this was to see what Mr. Crumb would do with the Bible! I know his oeuvre, and I was anticipating something quite outrageous, but I was wrong. This is truly an illustrated version of Genesis, without any "interpretations" that would put the text in a bad light - seeing as Mr. Crumb is not of an overly religious persuasion, one could have expected some irreverence. I was quite impressed and would recommend this to anyone who enjoys reading the Bible or for someone who never has read it and would like a simple way of getting through the dense text. The book also includes well-written comments on each chapter - some of which actually made clear parts of Genesis that I myself never had understood. Well done, Mr. Crumb, and I hope to see the rest of the books in illustrated form!

We Look Like the Enemy: The Hidden Story of Israel's Jews from Arab Lands by Rachel Shabi

It is obvious that Rachel Shabi is a talented journalist - her investigation into the history and experiences of Jews from Arab countries is well-written and thought provoking. She covers many areas of Israeli life from politics to music to language to religion, pointing out how Jews originating from Arab countries have been discriminated against in Israel. He stories are eye-opening in many ways and very sad in others. Naturally, one would like to believe that the (still) widespread anti-Semitism that exists in the world would cause Jews to band together, regardless of their individual national origin, but, as Shabi shows, this is not always true and her book is an enlightening and sometimes painful read.

A few problems with her exposé do exist. For example, she talks about how the "Mizrahi" accent of Hebrew is not the prevalent accent in Israel today and somehow makes this a part of her discrimination point, at the same time as she clearly shows how the creators meant for it to be the official accent. She concedes how difficult gutturals are to learn for people who have not had them as children and somehow means that this is the fault of the Ashkenazi community. I must admit, I am a bit bemused about her argument in this particular chapter and will concede that I may have completely misunderstood her, but, as far as I know, language is alive and will mold itself to the people's needs and people tend to do what is easiest for communicating, rather that trying to achieve some ideal goal of what "should be." I personally disagree with her statement that Hebrew in its current state is less than beautiful, but that's not a criticism of her point, it's rather a statement of my own love for the language.

The main problem, from my point of view, is her thesis that without the creation of Israel, Jews from Arab countries would have lived peacefully in their "home countries" to this very day. She may be right; had Israel never been created, countries like Iran may have been embracing their Jewish citizens (although, considering the situation of the world today, I doubt it), but she fails to empathize with the Jews who did need Israel desperately, i.e. the Europeans and Russians who were (almost literally) exterminated at the time. She emphasizes how the Zionist movement only had Ashkenazi Jews in mind when they created what would become Israel and chides them for not taking Middle Eastern Jews into account, at the same time as she points out that Middle Eastern Jews at the time had no need for help - they were apparently living well where they were.

Shabi's motivation for her writing is clearly anger at how her people have been treated in Israel, but when making her passionate plea for justice she sometimes resorts to less than objective reasoning to get her point across. It's a shame, since in letting that anger color her judgment, she may alienate many readers who would have benefited from her tale. I think that Shabi's work, even with its flaws, will become an important read for anyone interested in the subject, and along with a longer reading list, will hopefully help shape current thoughts about Israeli society. There's one thing she's absolutely right about: there is never a bad time to point out social injustice and a country's potential betterment of itself is always a good thing.

The Triumph of Deborah by Eva Etzioni-Halevy

In the Bible (Judges 4-5), Deborah and Barak's accomplishments are told twice, once in prose and one in poetry form. In The Triumph of Deborah, the prophetess and her warrior are brought to life with a plethora of details, complete with flaws and personality quirks, which resulted in an (for me) unexpectedly fun read. I'm not an avid Bible-reader and their story was only one of a multitude when I first read it, but Etzioni-Halevy really manages to conjure up a time and a place long since gone in a way that invites the reader and makes us taste the desert dust along with the characters.

In places, the novel is more romance novel than historical novel (especially when it comes to Barak's "adventures"), but it works as both. The historical parts mainly caught my attention and brought me into the life of these intriguing people. The details of society and the various customs were very well described and it's obvious that the writer knows her history (and her country) well. Couple that with her easy voice and you have a story that flows so well that the hours just run by as you keep turning the pages. I reread the Judges chapters after finishing this novel and the story just has so much more meaning now - regardless that Etzioni-Halevy's book is fiction. She has written about Ruth and Hannah previously and I hope she continues writing about Biblical women.

If your genre is historical romance novels, this is one you should run out and buy! If you're not a fan of the romance, just flip the page when the saucy stuff comes along and you will still be treated to an intriguing look into life in Biblical times. At times, the "Harlequin" level got a little too high for my taste (too much of the "heaving bosoms" stuff), but I skimmed those parts and still enjoyed the ride very much - I'm looking forward to reading more of Etzioni-Halevy.

Of Guns and Mules by David Lawrence-Young

This is an historical novel about the ZMC, the Zion Mule Corps, and their contributions to the battle of Gallipoli and the effort to drive the Turks out of the Middle East. It's more of an historical account told in fictional form, though. In fact, it reads mainly like a memoir and if I had been told that David Levi, the main character, was an historical person that had simply recounted his tale to the author, I would not have been surprised. The author's knowledge of history makes for a story that rings more true than a "regular" historical novel, and instead of a fiction-writer's poetic flourishes, Lawrence-Young's story recounts the less than poetic experiences of these young heroes of “pre-Israel.” The story is the better for it, I think - I felt like I got a real taste of the dust and the anguish they lived through rather than an emotional experience - especially since I just returned from a trip to Israel where I traveled to some of the areas mentioned in this novel and I know just how true the author got his descriptions of the land. The story ends at the demobilization of the Jewish Legion, but if (as I hope) the author decides to write about the Haganah in a similar fashion, I will definitely read on.

Briar Rose by Jane Yolen

Using the Sleeping Beauty fairytale to talk about the Holocaust is quite a clever move since most of Europe (and the world) was "asleep" before and during the war. The first part of Yolen's story deals with Becca's attempts to investigate her grandmother's history, a history the grandmother herself seems to have repressed. The second part tells the story of the extermination camp in Chelmno and the freedom fighters who tried to liberate its prisoners. Of the two, the second story is definitely the more heartfelt one, not only because of the topic, but because its storyteller, Joseph, is a much rounder person than the other characters. Though this is currently marketed as a YA-novel, the account of the camp and the murders that took place there are important for everyone to read, adults as well as older teenagers.

The Collaborator of Bethlehem by Matt Beynon Rees

Normally, a story that takes place in Israel and involves its Arab population will concentrate on the struggle between the two peoples. Although that struggle is part of this story, it is not at the forefront. Rather, Rees concentrates on the internal dealings of the Palestinians in Bethlehem. Due to his having lived extensively in Israel, Rees has a lot of insight into the life of this population and it shows. The reader is introduced to characters who could easily have stepped straight off any Israeli street. Rees also uses real events and crimes in his story, although he weaves a completely fictional story around them, which creates an urgency and a sadness I don't often see in regular mysteries. The outcome is different than most other stories: although the mystery is solved and the murderer revealed, true justice may not prevail. Our "detective" is also not a police officer, but rather an old school-teacher whose emotional ties to his people and his family and friends make him take on the role of justice-seeker. It is a moral choice for him rather than an ethical and his own fragility raises the stakes of the story sky high.

Jar City by Arnaldur Indriðason

Despite a slightly awkward translation, Indriðason's story is a captivating read. The climate is bleak and the landscape grey, and so are the characters and the crimes. This is the third book in the series about Detective Erlendur, but the first translated into English. Despite this, the reader hits the ground running with the main character who, with his drab personal life, his drug-addicted daughter, and absentee son, is very believable as a regular human - no supernatural powers or gut feelings here, not even a "standard" detective quirk. The secondary characters are a little flat, but hopefully that'll be rectified in subsequent books. Since I've been to Reykjavik, I didn't have a problem with the scarce descriptions of the place, but it would have been nice to see a little more of the landscape. I've heard that subsequent books are even better than this one, so I'll definitely be reading the rest of the series.

#33 I'll confirm what you've heard about subsequent books describing not only more of the Icelandic landscape, but also more personal details about the recurring characters. This was one of my favorite series last year - when I first discovered it and I'm always happy to learn that someone else is enjoying it, too.

->34 sjmccreary:

Thank you! I went ahead and got the rest of the series, so it's comforting to know they do get even better!

Sweet Dates in Basra by Jessica Jiji

This story starts off a little rocky with a barrage of characters introduced (a family tree would have helped) and the political events of the time are merely hinted at so that it's a little difficult to get oriented. Once you have the characters in place, though, what plays out is a beautiful, and sometimes terrible, tale about a culture in which violating societal norms can cost you dearly, and not only you; your actions can hurt and even ruin those you love the most.

At its core are a problematic love story and, peripherally, the situation of Iraqi Jews at the middle of the 20th century. The two families at the forefront, one Jewish, the other Muslim, are bound together not only by their adjoining courtyards, but by their neighborly love for one another. The fact that they have different religions matters little - they both take from each other's cultures and give of their own. It's the love for family that binds them together, regardless of any political and worldly agenda.

Jiji has loosely based her story around her father's experiences and it shows - there is an authenticity to her characters and place that is difficult to fake. A few times she looks like she will be coming close to being sentimental, but she pulls back just in time and is true to her characters without the story becoming implausible. The depiction of cultural norms, the emphasis on honor (to the point of death), the conniving and bickering, along with the smells and sounds of the shuk, the war, and the Farhud are all skillfully woven together to tell a tale about love and friendship that rises above religion, culture or political perspective.

A Man and a Woman and a Manby Savyon Liebrecht

It's obvious that Liebrecht is primarily a short story-writer. Her novel reads like a very long short story rather than a novel; every little item carries some meaning and although it's fantastically well written, it makes for a very slow read. Make sure to read this when there is time to ponder every detail in the novel and you'll be rewarded with a psychologically intense and heartfelt tale about a woman's way of dealing with the loss of her mother's mind and the upheaval in her own life.

Fladdermusmannen (org. Flaggermusmannen) by Jo Nesbø

Apologies to you English-speakers - for some reason, Nesbø's two first books in the Harry Hole-series were never translated into English.

Jag har ju förstås hört en massa om Nesbø, så jag började med den första i serien om Harry Hole och den är ganska bra. Mycket intressant att läsa om Australiens kultur, men mysteriet är väl inte lika engagerande och Hole vet jag inte än om jag är så förtjust i. Det är en riktigt bra debutroman dock och jag har Amerikanska vänner som läser de senare delarna och rekommenderar dem, så resten av böckerna har redan "beställts" av min mamma att skicka över till mig - inte en chans att jag läser nordiska romaner på engelska om jag kan slippa (gjorde det misstaget med Mankell och störde mig på konstiga översättningar av svenska idiom)! :)

Uglies by Scott Westerfeld

It takes a while for the story to really get going since most of the book is a setup of the Uglies/Pretties' society and of Tally's character. Once it gets going, though, it's one of the better YA fantasy novels I've read in a while. The characters are believable for their age and the message about physical beauty comes through without being too heavy-handed. Not really a bad idea, either - if everyone looked the same, it'd be impossible to discriminate against people based on their appearance.

Pretties by Scott Westerfeld

Tally's story continues in this second part of the trilogy, but from another angle - she's now a Pretty. The key characteristic of Tally's personality, her mental strength, is what carries this installment forward and her mind is really put to the test against the operation. Again, the characters are well-rounded and the stakes are high.

Specials by Scott Westerfeld

In the last part of the trilogy, Tally is now a Special and, again, her mental capability lets her overcome the effects of this new operation. The key story in this installment is Tally's internal struggle with figuring out who's friend and who's foe among the different phalanges.

V for Vendetta by Alan Moore and David Lloyd

I reread this at least once a year. It's genius. If nothing else than as a reminder that sometimes it's indeed better to choose to "die behind the chemical sheds."

Kackerlackorna by Jo Nesbø

Again, another apology to you English-speakers - for some reason, Nesbø's two first books in the Harry Hole-series were never translated into English.

Andra boken jag läser om Harry Hole och nu börjar jag fatta varför karaktären är kul - OK, han verkar fortfarande vara standard-deckaren med alkohol-problem, men han har humor och kan driva med sig själv och det uppskattas ju alltid! Beskrivningarna av Bangkok är superba och fallet intressant, även om vissa delar är lite överdrivna. Jag gillar också att Nesbø inte tvekar att ha ihjäl huvudpersoner för det håller läsaren på tårna - inte som Star Trek där bara de med avvikande tröjfärg dör. Jag kan förstå att den inte blivit översatt till engelska - den ger ju inte ett så bra intryck av Norrmän. :)

Almost Dead by Assaf Gavron

This is easily the best book I've read so far this year. Gavron has written a book that is not only insightful about Israeli society and its nemesis, suicide bombers, but one that is also quite funny, weird as that sounds. Every other chapter is told from Israeli Eitan's view point as he somehow manages to avoid one suicide attack after another. The other part is told by Fahmi, a Palestinian suicide bomber who, after his attack, hovers between life and death at an Israeli hospital where his muddled brain makes him reminiscence about his childhood and youth in the West Bank. Different as these two viewpoints seem, they converge throughout the story and, regardless of your personal views, Gavron manages to make both become comprehensible and as close to logical as may be possible.

Sweetness at the Bottom of the Pie by Alan Bradley

I was worried about this book since I've read a few reviews that describe the main character, 11-year-old Flavia, as "precocious" and that usually mean "cutesy" in an 11-year-old. However, as I soon found out, Flavia is a great character. Sure, she is indeed precocious, but there's nothing cutesy about her - she's clever and witty and, most importantly, quite funny, and it was great spending time with her. The mystery is engaging and the stakes are high enough to keep the reader interested. Bradley's descriptions of the English countryside and its houses are also spot-on, which is especially impressive since, as I later found out, he didn't actually visit England until after the book was published. I'd highly recommend this to anyone who likes cozy mysteries.

Ella Minnow Pea by Mark Dunn

This is a very clever little book about a totalitarian society and the people who join the resistance movement against the oppressive leaders. You'd think that a 200-page book about such a vast subject would be quite shallow, but Dunn does very well in telling his tale in very few words (and a decreasing number of the alphabet's letters...). While I wouldn't call it a masterpiece in any way, the idea is solid, the characters are heartfelt, and the stakes for the resistance are as high as they can be.

A Bottle in the Gaza Sea by Valerie Zenatti

Rather (too) short YA-novel about the difference between growing up in Israel and growing up in the Gaza Strip - or more aptly, about the similarities. The two narrators initially think they have nothing in common, but because both are damaged by the strife between their peoples - although in different ways - they grow closer and become friends, even though they have never met. It's a well-written shoe-on-the-other-foot story, and although I found the characters slightly unbelievable (or perhaps just not acting like their purported ages), it was still worth a read. I especially appreciated how both sides got their "say" without condemnation - any blame is worked out between the characters in their communication, which emphasizes the story's overall message of hope.

Your thread is quickly becoming another one to dodge Book Bullets on - much like alcottacre, GingerbreadMan, etc...

Thanks for the great reviews, and good luck with the rest of the challenge!

LOL! I know - I love the people on LT, but they do wreak havoc on my Mount TBR. :)

I have actually stopped reading all the reviews just to prevent myself from wanting books. I now skim them even though that sometimes is just as bad.

You have some very interesting books listed.

Thank - I'm surprisingly dud-less on this challenge, which I'm happy about!

The only way to stop the madness would be to not check in on LibraryThing at all, and that's not going to happen, is it...!? :)

Thanks - I'm surprisingly dud-less on this challenge, which I'm happy about!

The only way to stop the madness would be to not check in on LibraryThing at all, and that's not going to happen, is it...!? :)

De Niro's Game by Rawi Hage

Despite its many accolades, I'm not bowled over. Some parts, like the descriptions of the anxiety of living under the threat of violence, the increasing influence of the militia on Bassam's life, his forced interactions with them, and particularly George's frantic description of the massacre at the Sabra and Shátila Camps are written with such intensity it's almost physically painful to read.

However, interspersed with such intense parts are some very meandering, almost rambling, enumerations of locales or events or scents or "whatevers," which I can only assume are meant to be poetic attempts at social criticism, but that in actuality act as roadblocks for the story and softens a blow that I thought should be gut-wrenching. Having the narrator simply list things he sees or thinks does not make for a stream-of-consciousness narrative; it makes for a bunch of lists.

The last portion of the novel, which starts with the same rambling thoughts but now in an almost psychedelic style, quickly becomes a straight spy story which completely derails the novel. Unfortunately I can't "un-read" that last portion, so I end up with a novel that started off strong and packed a heck of a punch, then meandered in the middle, only to end in a place where Agent 007 would feel at home.

There Are Jews in My House by Lara Vapnyar

This is a simple and easily read collection of stories, even though the subject matters aren't always so easy. Perhaps the author having English as a second language limits the complexity of the language, but even if this is the case, I hope it's a style that Vapnyar will continue. The easiness of her language makes her stories about shame and guilt so much more pointed and heartfelt. The title story is the strongest in this collection - maybe because the viewpoint is different from what I've read before - but the other stories are very potent as well and as a debut collection this shows huge potential.

Jag ar en varulvsunge by Gunnel Linde

Teenage angst or the bite of a rabid neighbor? Something is making Ulf throw anger tantrums and alienating his family and friends, at least until he finds a brother-in-arms. This classic Gunnel Linde YA novel holds up very well and would still be appropriate for a younger YA reader. For an adult reader, it's an amusing look at Swedish schools and neighborhoods, all the way down to the Finnish neighbors.

Katitzi by Katarina Taikon

The first part in Katarina "Katitzi" Taikon's semi-autobiographical series about a young Romani girl's youth in 1940's Sweden. We are introduced to Katitzi's gypsy family as she is returned to them from an orphanage and we learn about the Romani life as well as the prejudice against the Romani people at the same time as Katitzi does. Because she is so young - about nine - her character can tell us about events in an innocent voice which makes an older reader understand far more about what's really going on, since the young voice can openly point out political and social flaws. The book is written for children - to promote cross-cultural understanding - but is equally apt for adults as it reveals, as Johan Taikon says, "the prejudices of educated people."

Stora boken om Nemi by Lise Myhre

How could you not love Nemi? Fueled by a steady stream of alcohol and chocolate, she's the mistress of darkness and death metal, the savior of unicorns and dragons, the eternal romantic, and the nemesis of small children. Although not always at 100%, Nemi sometimes hits the proverbial nail so hard on the head that you have to laugh and blush at the same time, because at some point we've all thought what she says out loud, and we would all like to be a little bit less like ourselves and a little bit more like her. This is a collection of the first four Nemi books along with Lise's commentary and a few previously unpublished strips, and it's really fun to follow the development of Nemi's character as well as that of the secondary characters.

Gaza (en kärlekshistoria) by Catrin Ormestad

I hope this book gets translated into at least English because of its important documentation of the harrowing conditions of the Palestinians in Gaza. Ormestad has traveled extensively (or, as much as possible) in Gaza and has heard the tales of many of its people. The stories are captivating and, in many cases, horrifying, and they are tales that should be well known all around the world.

It's not a perfect book, though, since Ormestad insist on telling intimate details about her relationship with her partner, journalist Gideon Levy, which I am tempted to think is to elevate her own importance. I may be cynical about her reasons, but I have read an entire article of hers that simply lists names and personal nicknames of famous people she knows (through Levy) without actually saying anything at all about them.

For her book on Gaza, Ormestad has chosen a timeline which is not linear in order to juxtaposition certain poignant events, but this sometimes means that events that were not connected is made to look as if they were directly caused by each other. Ormestad's intention is obviously to aim for maximum emotional effect, so the technique works well, but someone reading the book with the historical context in mind should keep a proper timeline at hand.

There are some factual errors that I have to mention, since this is supposed to be a journalistic report; the dome of the Al-Aqsa mosque is silver, not golden (the famous golden dome belongs to the Dome of the Rock, which is located next to the mosque on the Temple Mount), which someone who has lived in Jerusalem, as Ormestad has, would definitely know. Also, she says that "shvediye" is the feminine form of "Swedish," when it actually means Sweden (the country). Neither of these are huge issues that impact the more important parts of the book, but with such glaring errors that could be so easily corrected, I wonder what other facts are wrong.

Errors aside, this is definitely a recommended read for the stories of the individual Palestinians that Ormestad comes in contact with, but I would recommend skimming or even skipping the parts where Ormestad herself shines through.