Five Books

I hardly read these days (just look under the heading "Reading" to the right, which hasn't changed for ages...) but I want to get back into the habit and I used to read a lot a few years ago...so I guess I can continue the list of five weird books that Malin has created (reached me via Skolfröken).

So the theme is "weird" or "wacko" books. Name five books that you thought were the most curious, different, stranger or crazy in terms of content or language or both. They do not have to bad but made you raise your eyebrow or smile in pure astonishment.

1. A heartbreaking Work of a Staggering Genious by Dave Eggers - One of the best books I have ever read! Don't miss reading the small print on the title page or even before that in the book, and look out for a picture of a stapler! It's also a biographical account which makes it all the more interesting. His second book about two friends travelling to Senegal is not as good but probably stranger.

2. Everything is Illuminated by Jonathan Safran Foer - Just saw the film last week and it was good but not as good as the book, of course. The Ukrainian guide's (ab)use of the English language is priceless! I haven't read his second book Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close but it's sitting on the shelf waiting to be read.

3. The Narnia series by C. S. Lewis - Didn't really like them. I guess I'm not much for fantasy in general and I just thought animals with human heads and other weird creatures were scary.

4. Rabbit is Rich by John Updike - I think Updike can write the longest sentences; often more than a page long. The things Rabbit does or thinks are pretty strange too.

5. The Black Book by Orhan Pamuk - Pamuk starts telling a story but digresses so many times so the next part of the story comes a couple of chapters later. But I guess that's why he is a Nobel prize winner.

Dailies

Today's I Want: Book trip to South Africa

Today's outfit: Jeans, green top and black sweater on top

Today's makeup: Usual, bluish-greyish eyeshadow, black mascara

Today's hairstyle: Up

Today's event: Peter's purchasing a grammophone/LP player so now he can start going through his 2,000 LP collection and sell the unwanted one, allowing us some new space for books!

Today's song: The fame theme song on the new LP player

Today's plans: Well, the day is almost over and I don't think I will join Peter and friends clubbing (getting too old)

Today's I am missing: Work, nah, just kidding!

Today's most stupid: I have to reiterate what Johanna said: the American arms legislation

Today's sickest: The Swedish house prices

Today's drug: Saturday sweets

Today's funniest: Peter preparing to go to the gym with a friend and then arriving there just when they close; major anti-climax (the friend is exercise addicted and had to go across town to an open gym, while Peter came home to share some red wine and cheese with me)

Today's favourite: Sleeping in

Today's purchase: Nothing for me but Peter's wallet was busy on behalf of both of us (new rug to the hallway and the afore-mentioned LP player)

Today's sweet: My regular Saturday intake

Today's mood: Happy, a bit weekend tired

Today's word: Windy (it was super-windy today!)

Volunteers?

Missed the Deadline

Another tag, which is way overdue, but better late than never. (And yes, I promise that HK photos are coming soon!)

Three Things That Scare Me
* Being subjected to some sort of violence (although I think the risk is pretty small and I try to eliminate it as well by not walking alone in the middle of the night or similar)
* Dying young
* The rate at which we are destroying the planet

Three People Who Make Me Laugh
* Peter (boyfriend)
* My British colleagues when they get going (or set of people)
* My cousins when they get going

Three Things I Love
* The appetite and search for knowledge in myself and in others
* Spending time with friends and family
* Travelling, and then coming back to beautiful Stockholm

Three Things I Hate
* War and violence of all kinds
* Intolerance and narrow-mindedness
* "Unsolidarity"

Three Things I Don't Understand
* All of the above under what I hate
* Cynicism
* The new Swedish government

Three Things On My Desk
I don't have a desk but next to me on the couch are:
* Pile of post from my other flat
* New beautiful pillows
* My embroidery that I pick up when I need to relax (sort of meditation)

Three Things I'm Doing Right Now
* Watching an old episode of "House"
* Boiling eggs
* Waiting for a delivery of a new grill for the balcony

Three Things I Want To Do Before I Die
* Have children
* Have a interesting, successful career, allowing me to work with something I really love and think is important
* See Africa and South America

Three Things I Can Do
* Talk constantly
* Bake cheesecake
* Spell (as opposed to many Swedes these days it seems)

Three Things I Can't Do
* Parallel park (I can manage but I don't like it!)
* Speak Mandarin or Arabic, two useful languages
* Play an instrument

Three Things I Think You Should Listen To
* Salem al Fakir
* Sofia Talvik
* Yourself

Three Things I'd Like To Learn
* Arabic or Mandarin
* More cooking (though I think I am okay)
* Anything and everything

Three Favourite Foods
* Chicken korma
* Most vegetarian
* Haloumi cheese

Three Wonderful People to Inflict My Meme On
* Nonna
* Tora
* Skolfröken

Home Sweet Home

I'm back (on Friday, but didn't get around to blogging over the weekend because the weather was so sunny and nice!). A blog challenge and posting photos from HK await!