"All You Need is Ove"

I wish I could take credit for the catchy title but I must confess I filched it from the back cover of my latest read. It was A Man Called Ove, originally written in Swedish by Fredrick Backman. What a book!

Here we are, six or seven weeks into 2016 and I may very well have just read my favourite book of the year! 4.5 stars folks - and from a historically frugal star giver.

Where do I start? For one thing the main character is truly unforgettable, a quintessential curmudgeon with a heart of gold. Then there is the underlying romance which rates up there with all the Romeos and Juliets you can think of in literature. There are many other relationships throughout displaying love in all its many forms. I couldn't put it down but then I had to put it down to prolong the reading. I didn't want it to ever end.

I read it at the beach but it is not a beach book per se (at least not the way I think of that genre). It is extremely well written and often very funny. A lady came up to me and asked my how it was as she belonged to a book club and wondered if it might make a good choice. I hope no one noticed the tears streaming down my face towards the end. Don't be put off by that - it was a happy sad, if that makes any sense!

Here's a passage that shows the author's cleverness with words;

     "Cat out! No animals in cafe!" Amel slashes at the consonants
      so that they hop about like naughty children caught inside
      the sentence."

Don't you love that?
Penny

Beach books

Sometimes I have a need to read something that won't tax this old brain of mine too much. The type of book that most people appear to be reading as I look around and spy on them at beaches. I have yet to see someone reading Shakespeare. I see lots of mysteries or legal thrillers or romances.

Full disclosure here. I read more than one book at a time. I know - my bad. Anyway a beach book fits in nicely with whatever I'm reading even if I'm not at the beach. I seldom pull quotes from these types of books or have to consult a dictionary. This is not to insult them. It's just that they are mostly composed with simple, concise language and a story that moves along nicely.

Some of my favourites have been works by Maeve Binchey and Elizabeth Berg. I tend to like British authors, mostly female and I like thrillers too and authors like Dean Koontz.

I just finished This is Your Life, Harriet Chance! written by Jonathan Eviston. The narration is like that of the old TV show when the host recalls moments and people from the guests' pasts. It mostly works though I think it could get on your nerves were the book any longer. We learn some shocking things about Harriet's past. She is also visited by a ghost like figure that is her deceased husband. (Surprisingly I didn't mind the author including that character in that manner.) She is carrying his remains in a yogurt container to disperse while on an Alaskan cruise. Overall I liked it but like I said I'm glad it was short!

By the way - I did not read it at the beach.
Penny
This sunbather appears to have put down his book for a little afternoon siesta!

Sanibel Island, 2014