Which book are you currently reading?

[Kfamr]

Currently rereading Quantum Psychology by Robert Anton Wilson and Franny and Zooey by J. D. Salinger.

[phesina]

Another good Scandinavian author is Per Olav Engquist - check those out!

Does he write mysteries, Randi? If not, what sorts of books? Is he Danish?

I looked on amazon.com to see if they had anything by him. All they had listed were a few reference books which mentioned novels by him.

So then I went to the Ann Arbor District Library's web site, and guess what.. there are LOTS of books by him there! Randi, can you suggest any in particular I might start with? Thank you!.

[Edwina's Secretary]

In honor of Dominick Dunne - who died yesterday - I just ordered three of his books....

[phesina]

I had just been thinking, what with all the Ted Kennedy news, that I want to reread "A Season in Purgatory." And now I think I'd like to reread more of his books.

[Randi]

phesina, I'm sorry... I was sleepy and mixed something up yesterday. However, Per Olav Engquist IS a good and well known autor. I just got a book by him that is called "The visit of the Royal Physician". I haven' had time to read it yet, but I'm sure it's good.

What I meant to say is... check out Sjowall & Wahloo! Here's a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sj%C3%B...hl%C3%B6%C3%B6

[phesina]

Thanks, Randi! I know the bookstore has books by Sjowall and Wahloo, but I haven't read any of them yet. Thanks to the Wikipedia page, I now know to start with Roseanna.

Here's what the library's summary link has to say about The Royal Physician's Visit:

The Royal Physician's Visit : A Novel

An international sensation,The Royal Physician's Visit magnificently recasts the dramatic era of Danish history when Johann Friedrich Struensee -- court physician to mad young King Christian -- stepped through an aperture in history and became the holder of absolute power in Denmark. His is a gripping tale of power, sex, love, and the life of the mind, and it is superbly rendered here by one of Sweden's most acclaimed writers. A charismatic German doctor and brilliant intellectual, Struensee used his influence to introduce hundreds of reforms in Denmark in the 1760s. He had a tender and erotic affair with Queen Caroline Mathilde, who was unsatisfied by her unstable, childlike husband. Yet Struensee lacked the subtlety of a skilled politician and the cunning to choose enemies wisely; these flaws proved fatal, and would eventually lead to his tragic demise.
distributed by Syndetic Solutions, LLC.

[Daisy and Delilah]

I just started reading "Still Alice". A book written about a lady and her life in the beginning stages of Alzheimer's.

[Sonia59]

Went to the public library, wanted to take Millenium Part II (Stieg Larsson), gone! Wanted to take a Per Olav Engquist book, gone! Well, I'll have to wait or go to the bigger central library instead of the annex which is near my home but rather small.

Instead I took Robin Hobb, Shaman's crossing.
And also a book about cats (surprising isn't it?). Pretty basic probably, about education, food, behaviour, etc. but I always enjoy looking at the nice pics anyway It was just in front of me, among the newest aquisitions, I could not resist grabbing it!

[Kirsten]

Finished "The Final Days" now, and really don't know what to think about it. Geez, the bad guy in that book was so evil, so psychopathic! And there was cruelty towards animals, I didn't like that at all! Also, the book had something like an open ending, which is also somewhat annoying. And yet it was written in a way that made it hard to put the book aside.

Tonight, I started "Die Pestärztin" ("The plague doctor") by Ricarda Jordan. Only read the first 10 pages so far, but it seems to be in interesting medieval story.

Kirsten

[phesina]

phesina, I'm sorry... I was sleepy and mixed something up yesterday. However, Per Olav Engquist IS a good and well known autor. I just got a book by him that is called "The visit of the Royal Physician". I haven' had time to read it yet, but I'm sure it's good.

What I meant to say is... check out Sjowall & Wahloo! Here's a link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sj%C3%B...hl%C3%B6%C3%B6

Randi, I just finished reading "The Royal Physician's Visit." OH... MY.... GOD!!!!!.. What a stunning, breathtaking book!!! Beautifully written, too.

I've never been particularly interested in historical, royal-intrigue stories, but this one had me utterly fascinated. I couldn't put it down unless I absolutely had to.

These were all real people in Danish history 200-some years ago, and events in the story actually did take place, more or less?

I think I have to work up more energy to start another of his! When I take this one back, I'll look over what else is in the library catalog. Any others you would particularly recommend?

Meanwhile, last week I got "Roseanna" and "The Man Who Went up in Smoke" by Sjowall and Wahloo at the mystery bookstore, and I read "Roseanna" before starting "The Royal Physician." It was EXCELLENT, and now I'm going to read "The Man Who.."

Also, in memory of Dominick Dunne, whose recent death was mentioned by Sara, I went on to Amazon.com and ordered "A Season in Purgatory" and "People Like Us." Right after I sent that off, I happened to look down on the floor, and there was "The Two Mrs. Grenvilles" by Dunne! (Which I didn't even remember I had, let alone that it was just lying there, unnoticed by me until just that moment.)

Many thanks to Randi and Sara for loads of good reading ideas to keep me going for a while!

[Catherinedana]

Reading "The Great Gatsby". . . .again

[Randi]

Phesina, I'm so glad you liked "The Royal Physician's Visit." I'll start reading it one of these days and am looking forward to it. Btw, I live on the corner of Struenseegade.

When I think of more good books, I'l let you know.

[phesina]

Oh, that's so funny that your street is named for him! Is Johann Friedrich Struensee well-known still from Danish history? I kind of got the idea from the book that he, and the events and other central participants in the story, faded away into obscurity after the would-be revolution failed.

I took the book back to the library yesterday, wound up coming home with "Lewi's Journey" and "Blanche and Marie" by Enquist.

Yesterday I met a young Swedish woman at the gym. She graduated from MIT last year and is now working as an engineer at Ford Motor Company. I told her I had been reading a number of Swedish and other Scandinavian authors recently and had just finished Enquist's "Royal Physician." She was really enthusiastic and impressed when I mentioned him!

Right now I'm about halfway through "The Man Who Went Up in Smoke."

Again, thanks for the leads, Randi!

[Demi Is A Digimon]

I just finished reading Alice's Adventures In Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.

I'm now reading the sequel, Through The Looking Glass And What Alice Found There.

[davidpizzica]

I'm into science fiction. I love to read anything by Robert A. Heinlein. I'm currently reading "Space Cadet" by him.