The last day of April

Here in Sweden the last day of April is a big deal and this year it is even bigger because the King turned 60 today. The most important thing about the 30th of April in Uppsala is, however, the student festivities. The day begins oatmeal and champagne. Then continues with the students paddling their homemade rafts down the river Fyris - which ends when they brave the "rapids" at the Iceland bridge. A herring lunch is in order and then at 3 o'clock all the students put on their little white hats outside the main University library and then go and drink some more. In the evening the bonfires are lit and spring songs sung. On and on with a considerable amount of alcohol to make sure a good time is had by all. If you don't understand this don't worry, no one else does either - it is some sort of paga ritual to welcome spring.
I have been reading, as usual, but no real books of note - except Margaret Drabble's "The Seven Sisters". I actually read it in the Swedish translation, my classical daughter had borrowed it from the library and suggested I read it. I enjoyed it so much that when I went to the library to return it I checked out Drabble's latest book "The Red Queen". Anyhow, "The Seven Sisters", hit home in a lot of ways, a middle-aged woman alone visiting the health club. It was about daring to join in and make things happen. Serious, funny, and thoughtprovoking.
The other books that I have gone through are my 10 crown find - it was just barely worth the money, "A good woman" by Lisa Appignanesi. I was in Umeå for two days and bought a reserve book - a debut novel by Alex Barclay called the "Darkhouse". It was a readable thriller in which hawks as well as bow and arrows figure into a twisted story. Another library book was Joseph Kanon's "Alibi". I really didn't like it. I don't like stories where people so stupid things because they think they are right or have to cover their stupid tracks. I guess it might fit the definition of tragedy - "serious incidents in which protagonists undergo a change from happiness to suffering, often involving the death of others as well as the main characters, and resulting from both the protagonists' actions and the inescapable limits of the human condition." But the tragedy for the main character, Adam Miller, was mostly that he could not distinquish between evil and "getting by". He can justify murdering someone if that person has done something reprehensible. Sometimes walking away is better for all.

Aberdeen, Iowa, and Florida

Yesterday I passed Stockholm's central station twice - one of the nice features about the train station is the "Pocket Shop". Where one can find all manner of pocket book. I picked out one and got lucky. I have just finished Stuart MacBride's "Cold Granite". It is his debut novel and another is coming in May. His character is Logan McRae - detective sergeant in Aberdeen's police force. He gets a lot of physical abuse, and sometimes gives as good as he gets. It was a good read. The Iowa connection is DeKalb. Home of Michael Satariano, the little boy from Road to Perdition grown up. In Max Allan Collins' "Road to Purgatory" we get to find out what happens - Frank Nitti, Elliot Ness and Al Capone all populate the pages of this novel - and there is another book "Road to Paradise" to fill up the trilogy. Finally - Florida and the Everglades where Max Freeman, former Philly cop, has taken up residence after his retirement from the force. There are four Freeman novels by Jonathon King "The Blue Edge of Midninght", "A visible Darkness", "Shadow Men", and the one I've recently read "A Killing Night". This series is enjoyable, if not believable, but that's not why I read them - to believe them I mean. They are entertaining and Florida is always a kick to read about.

First names, last names

Sometimes when I take the bus home, I'll get off a little early to walk downtown. Bus number 3 stops in front of the used book store called "Röda Rummet" (The Red Room - of August Strindberg fame). Now that the weather is a bit nicer they put boxes of books outdoors (the nice-price 10 SEK (about $1)). I browsed and found a paperback - "Second Sight" by Charles McCarry. The book was supposedly the last in the Paul Christopher series (thereof the title of today's posting). But I had read the last book in the series not too long ago - "Old Boys"! Well, McCarry has written some of the most interesting spy novels I've read in a long time and they have been out of print for a long time. I guess "Old Boys" brought it back because there are now re-releases of several of the books from the Paul Christopher series available (unfortunately they are hardbacks, which means waiting or libraries). While looking for information on McCarry and his books I got sidetracked - finding more and more book-blogs. But that is probably another story - Anyway for a nice article about "Old Boys" one can go to a good book site:
http://grumpyoldbookman.blogspot.com/2005/06/charles-mccarry-old-boys.html

The picture is an Afshari rug - something that covered the hardwood floors in P.C.'s Washington home. I don't know if I'll get lucky again, but there are "nuggets" to be found at the "Red room"

Was at the theater yesterday evening. Saw "The school for wives (Hustruskolan)" by Molière. The version I saw in Stockholm was placed in Northern Africa in the 1930's (too bad that something written 400 years ago about marriage can still be believable). The treat of the evening was the main character played by Sven Wolter.

The movies

On Friday (Good Friday) I decided to leave the tube (watching too much as I mentioned earlier) and go see a movie. "The Inside Man" is playing in Uppsala, but only at 9 p.m. (a bit late for the elderly crowd). But I went anyway. Quite a riveting film. But at one of the more exciting moments the film broke (if they do that nowadays?). It took almost 30 minutes for them to fix it. Which was okay, except that it was pretty late and I was getting worried about busses.
Anyway I was glad that we got to see the end of the film - it would have been horrible not to know how it ends. The little extra was that we all got a free ticket for any movie we would like to see at that theater.

Ampersand books; EL & IC and A & B

I have just finished "Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close" by Jonathan Safran Foer. Reviews have been mixed as I understand it and an interesting take is available at :
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Extremely_Loud_and_Incredibly_Close

I enjoyed the book, but like Harry Siegel find many things that have been used elsewhere. Interestingly one of my more recent posts on Helen DeWitt's book comes to mind. The young boy in that book is looking for his father. The search in "The Last Samurai" is a bit more refined than Oskar's search for the right "Black"., who will know what the key will open.
Actually all the allusions to other books are quite a treat for those of us who read alot. I am not offended by someone borrowing, it is universal.
But aside from professional criticisms of Foer's book I can say that I enjoyed it and he is really funny at times. He also captures what I believe to be the thinking/resoning of today's youth, who must deal with a complex world that never seems to follow any "rules".

Just to round out my reading chronicle this week I will mention "Ash & Bone" by John Harvey. This was the first Harvey book I have read and I can look forward to reading more because he has written quite a lot. Can't say that the book was great, but it was adequate.

P.S. Wikipedia also will tell you lots about ampersand.

The Tube

I definitely watch too much TV. Last night I watched a new series called "Bones". It sounded interesting because it was supposedly based on Kathy Reichs' character Tempe Brennan. Well it is what is called a free interpretation - but the kicker was the guy (FBI agent). I kept looking at him and when the penny dropped I realized it was David Boreanaz of Buffy the vampire slayer and Angel fame. I defintely watch too much TV.

Edward started life as Egbert

Last week I went to see the movie "Good Night and Good Luck", which needless to say deserves (in my opinion) the many good reviews it has gotten. Wanting to tell my little world about this movie, I decided to look for a picture of Fred Friendly (to the right of Edward R.). At Washington State, where Edward R. studied, they have a "history link" and an interesting article about Murrow and his mentor Ida Lou Anderson http://www.historylink.org/essays/output.cfm?file_id=7526

That is where I found out that Edward was Egbert. Friendly also started life with another name - Ferdinand Friendly Wachenheimer. The film was about good journalism, which is enormously important, but in short supply. Another side note, Murrow chained smoked throughout the film he also died of lung cancer at the age of 57.

Just finished a book - "Cold in the Earth" by Aline Templeton. One gets the impression that Scotland if full of dectectives. If you're not inclined to read the book you can get the synopsis from the pages of the Scotsman.
http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/critique.cfm?id=610492005

London, North Carolina, and WW II

Just a wee note (I'm reading a book placed in Scotland) about three books recently read. The London book is by Michael Robotham and is called "The Suspect", it has a good plot with some interesting turns. The main character is a psychologist, but one with an interesting handicap - Parkinson's disease. The North Carolina book takes place in Nantahala National Forest, it is an Indian name meaning "Land of the Noonday Sun." The picture to the right shows what is probably typical along the hiking trails. The book is by Sallie Bissell - "In the forest of harm". Some interesting twists for the characters, but no surprises for the reader. Too bad; a female, Indian lawyer should command more interest. Last but most assuredly not least is Scott Turow's "Ordinary Heroes". Although Kindle County is represented in the story most of it takes place in WWII Europe. The book was a pleasure to read. Turow knows how to weave a plot and tell a story.

Louisiana and the English bookshop

Living in Uppsala in Sweden is special because we have the Uppsala English Bookshop. For over 10 years this place has definitely enriched my life. Now you can even purchase books on their website.

http://www.ueb.se/

The website will also tell you how to find this very special place in Uppsala. Last Saturday I had lunch with my lovely daughter. She was a bit depressed and stressed by the many happenings in her life. I hope she was more cheerful after visiting first my favorite non-book store - Claes Olsson - and then visiting the family favorite English bookshop. A new book is always if not a cure for depression at least an aleviation in the hum-drum of everyday life.

I bought (for me) the latest Dave Robicheaux ("Crusader's Cross") by James Lee Burke. I am a real Burke fan - although I'm not sure why. Good plots and good characters - but the violence in the Robicheaux novels is always excessive. The Billy Bob Holland books are also worth a read, but despite his violence (or more correctly the violence that seems to seek him out) Robicheaux is a charmer. Dave's pal Clete often uses a word - copacetic - that is very interesting - check out the following site:

What the heck does copacetic mean, anyway?

While I am on the subject of Burke - I should mention his daughter - Alafair Burke.
Her own series is now up to three books (I've only read the first two as yet, but am looking forward to the third) and Portland as a background seems to be less inducive to violence than Louisiana. More info at : http://www.alafairburke.com/

Back to Minnesota

I have just read the third book in the "Monkeewrench" series by PJ Tracy (who is not one but two people - mother & daughter Lambrecht team). There seem to be lots of mystery writers in the environs of Minnesota. Although most of this book takes place in Wisconsin the home base is still Minneapolis. The first book which is called "Monkeewrench" (name of the computer geek firm in the book) or "Want to Play?" depending on where the book was published, the second book is "Live Bait" and the third is "Dead Run". The somewhat far-fetched characters (Grace with her guns and black paranoia is part of a group with Annie, Harley, and Roadrunner) are interesting and sometimes funny. Basically there are many odd people in these books. They are fun to read and I recommend them - but one should read them in order for the best enjoyment.

When trying to find new authors I sometimes look at a website called New Mystery Reader:
http://www.newmysteryreader.com/
Have found some good things there - but bought a book by Thomas O'Callaghan "Bone Thief" which was recommended at the site. The plot was reasonably interesting, but the dialogue and the writing in general were not very good. Makes me wonder about what readers value.

Lincoln and Lincoln

I have recently read two books where the name Lincoln figures in. One is Michael Connelly's latest - "The Lincoln Lawyer". The Lincoln in the title refers to an automobile - Lincoln Town Car, which serves as the lawyer's office. The book is typical of Connelly, it starts a bit slow but about a fourth of the way through it grabs you and the plot "thickens" and begins to interest. Not as good as the Harry Bosch mysteries, but definately worth a read. The other Lincoln is a first name, not uncommon in American (where Jefferson is also used as a first name). Old, admired presidents have sometimes been the source of first names for children born to admiring parents. Don't know if Clinton or Bush will ever catch on as first names in honor of their presidential bearers, but nothing is impossible. The book in question is "Tonight I said goodbye" , which is the debut book by author Michael Koryta (I guess I've got another double here - two Michaels). Lincoln Perry is one half of a PI duo (the other half is Joe Pritchard). Not a bad book, an enjoyable read. The love interest is a journalist, Amy. I guess the books further on in the series will expand on this burgeoning relationship.