Challenge Sign-Up Post: Nordic Challenge

So I set up the Nordic Challenge so that I could read more Nordic authors. Which books have I chosen (no one else has to make up lists beforehand, I just like to)? Well I am aiming for the Vallhalla 20+ books so:

Underbara dagar framför oss by Henrik Berggren (biography) This is a biography of former Swedish Prime Minister Olof Palme. Palme was shot on his way home from the cinema in 1984. The person who did it has never been caught. Even before that Palme had a somewhat mythical reputation in Sweden. This is a new biography and I am really excited about reading it. This book has not been translated

Fladdermus mannen; Kackerlackorna; Rödhake; Smärtans hus; Djävulens stjärna; Frälsaren; Snömannen; Pansarhjärta by Jo Nesbo (crime) Yup, a whole bunch of Jo Nesbo. I own the whole series so I figured I should read it. I have heard a lot of good about them. Also they overlap nicely with the Mystery and Suspense challenge. Most of these books have been translated to English. I’ll be reading them in Swedish though.

Frukta inte by Anne Holt (crime) Another Norwegian crime writer. This is in the middle of a series so I might also read the preceding books. Holt is the former Norwegian Minister for Justice. Her books also overlap with the GLBT challenge as Holt is a lesbian. Holt’s books have been translated to English. I’ll be reading it in Swedish.

Ett ufo gör entree by Jonas Gardell (fiction) this is the continuation of En komikers uppväxt that I read earlier this year. I’ve never read this book but I do love Gardell. Again this book overlaps with the GLBT challenge. To my knowledge it has not been translated to English.

A Doll’s House by Henrik Ibsen (classic) This is also part of the Year of Reading Feminist Classics but has been on my TBR list for years. Great excuse to read it.

Fröken Julie by August Strindberg (classic) I figure a year of reading Nordic authors wouldn’t be complete without reading some Strindberg. I haven’t read Fröken Julie (Miss Julie) but we did see a production of The Father when I was in high school.

Mina drömmars stad; Barn av sin stad; Minns du den staden; I en förvanlad stad; Stad i världen by Per Anders Fogelström (classic) I don’t normally love assigned reading for school but when we were assigned Mina drömmars stad in high school I fell in love. So much so that I immediately went out and bought the rest of the books in the series so that I could read them all. It tells the story of a working class family in Stockholm with the start in 1860 and then ending in about 1960. It is a wonderful historical fiction about ordinary people.

Gösta Berlings Saga by Selma Lagerlöf (classic) This was Lagerlöf’s first novel and it has a very famous opening line “Finally the preacher stood in the pulpit”. It is often used as an example when teaching writing as it is not the normal way to start a novel. This book has been translated into English.

Historietter by Hjalmar Söderberg (classic) This is a series of short stories that I read for the first time when I was in high school. I remember some of them and really want to read them again. I haven’t been able to find them translated but Söderbergs Doctor Glas has been translated recently and I highly recommend that.

Titta Madicken det snöar; Jul i Bullerbyn by Astrid Lindgren (children) These two books are in my plans for December since they are Christmas books. Jul i Bullerbyn has been translated to English as Christmas in Noisy Village. Titta Madicken det snöar has not been translated.

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