Since I’m sick* and way behind on reviews, I’ve realised the only way to catch up is to make them speed reviews and post a whole batch at once.
The Age of Napoleon; Alistair Horne, eng, 235
Interesting, but a little choppily written, and also the author assumes you know certain things and never explains them, [...]

Posted on July 7th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A-Z Reading Challenge, B, Book Blowout, C, Classics, D, English, GLBT interest, Historical, History, Lifestyle, Mystery, Religion, Romance, Science Fiction, Sex, sexuality & gender, Speed reviews, Swedish, To Be Read, Young Adult | 1 Comment »

Hundår
by Markus Zusak
Original title: The Underdog

For the A-Z reading challenge.
Swedish
128 pages
Richters
ISBN: 91-7130-027-9
First line: Det var medan vi tittade på teve som vi bestämde oss för att råna tandläkaren.
Back cover blurb:
Cameron Wolfe är en ensamvarg och underdog som slår i underläge. Alltid i underläge!
I Hundår berättar han om några månader i sitt liv. Inte för [...]

Posted on July 4th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A-Z Reading Challenge, Book Blowout, D, Fiction, Swedish, Young Adult | No Comments »

Trollkarlens hatt
by Tove Jansson
Title in English: Finn Family Moomintroll

For the A-Z reading challenge.
Swedish
158 pages
Alfabeta
ISBN: 91-501-0479-9
First line: En grå morgon föll den första snön över Mumindalen.
Back cover blurb:
Den här berättelsen börjar med trolldom en tidig vårmorgon och slutar en varm augustinatt som aldrig kommer att glömmas i Mumindalen. Däremellan ligger Mumintrollets långa sommar, full av [...]

Posted on May 17th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A, A-Z Reading Challenge, Adventure, Children's lit, Fantasy, Swedish | 1 Comment »

Lugn för dej, Gelika
by Olga Wikström

For the A-Z reading challenge.
Swedish
204 pages
Bokförlaget Settern
ISBN: 91-7586-051-1
First line: Hon levde i en värld där allt fanns ovanför henne.
Back cover blurb:
Hon heter Gelika. Hon är en vallonflicka, mörk, ful tycker hon själv. Gelika bor på en stor gård i Värmland. Fadern, den älskade, har övergett möbelkonsten för lantbruket, därför [...]

Posted on May 17th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A-Z Reading Challenge, D, Historical, Swedish | 1 Comment »

Kometen kommer
by Tove Jansson
Title in English: Comet in Moominland

For the A-Z reading challenge.
Swedish
150 pages
AWE/Gebers
ISBN: 91-20-07546-4
First line: Samma morgon som mumintrollets pappa fick bron över floden färdig gjorde det lilla djuret Sniff en upptäckt.
Back cover blurb:
Sommaren är som den brukar i Mumintrollets dal, varm och full av hemliga möjligheter.
Det lilla djuret Sniff har hittat en [...]

Posted on May 12th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A-Z Reading Challenge, Adventure, B, Children's lit, Fantasy, Swedish | 1 Comment »

I Am America (And So Can You!)
by Stephen Colbert

For the A-Z reading challenge.
English
iPod audiobook
First line: Hi, I’m Stephen Colbert and I am no fan of books.

Back cover blurb:
Realizing that it takes more than thirty minutes a night to fix everything that’s destroying America, Colbert bravely takes on the forces aligned to destroy our country [...]

Posted on May 5th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A-Z Reading Challenge, B, English, Humour, Politics, Religion, Sex, sexuality & gender | 3 Comments »

Making History
by Stephen Fry

For the A-Z reading challenge.
English
556 pages
Arrow
ISBN: 0-09-946481-0
First line: It starts with a dream.
Back cover blurb:
Michael Young is convinced his history thesis will win him a doctorate, a pleasant academic post, a venerable academic publisher and his beloved girlfriend, Jane.
A historian should know better than to think he can predict the future.
Leo [...]

Posted on March 27th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A, A-Z Reading Challenge, English, Science Fiction | 1 Comment »

Linas kvällsbok 2
by Emma Hamberg
Title translated to English: Lina’s Nocturnal 2

For the A-Z reading challenge.
Swedish
303 pages
Bonnier Pocket
ISBN: 978-91-0-011399-5 (in the same volume as Linas kvällsbok 1)
First line: Jag har inte skrivit en rad sedan den femte juni.
Back cover blurb:
I Linas kvällsbok 2 lär Lina 16 år oss om det här med att välja. Tryggt [...]

Posted on March 17th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A-Z Reading Challenge, C, Chick lit, Romance, Swedish, Young Adult | 2 Comments »

Unnatural Death
by Dorothy L Sayers

For the A-Z reading challenge.
English
280 pages
Harper Mystery
ISBN: 978-0-06-104358-1
First line: “But if he thought the woman was being murdered—”
Back cover blurb:
The wealthy old woman was dead—a trifle sooner than expected. The intricate trail of horror and senseless murder led from a beautiful Hampshire village to a fashionable London flat and a [...]

Posted on March 10th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A, A-Z Reading Challenge, English, Historical, Mystery | 5 Comments »

Lost in Austen
by Emma Campbell Webster

For the A-Z reading challenge.
English
348 pages
Riverhead Books
ISBN: 978-1-59448-258-8
First line: It is a truth universally acknowledged that a young Austen heroine must be in want of a husband, and you are no exception.
Back cover blurb:
Your name: Elizabeth Bennet. Your mission: to marry both prudently and for love, avoiding family scandal. [...]

Posted on March 5th, 2008 by Love
Filed under: A-Z Reading Challenge, C, English, Historical, Romance | 1 Comment »