Moving to Sweden (part 1)

Wow. Ok. I don't even know where to start, have had so many new impressions and met so many interesting people over the past few weeks. So this post will just be about the move and settling in really...

I had my leaving do in York and it was excellent. Sad a few people couldn't make it but I got to see most of them anyway. As for the rest... they'll just have to come visit I guess. I will upload some photos in another post.

On the 30 August I left for Göteborg. Mike took me to the airport (thank god - those bags weren't light... and of course, I got to do the tear-filled, looking-back-from-the-security-queue goodbye you usually only see in films. Ha.) and I eventually landed in Gbg at 7pm. Now, I'm going to have to blame the bags, but I took a taxi. Bad idea, you'd think I'd have realised how much it was going to cost. Oh well - it got me here safely and quickly, and I didn't have to lug my bags on a bus, a tram, and up a massive hill. So worth it.

When I got to the flat, K (who I'm renting from) met me and we chatted a bit. Lovely woman. Look forward to seeing her again when she's back from Spain!

So... the flat. I've not finished making curtains etc. yet (I know, I know... just been so busy...) so you will get pics another day. Promise! But the flat is good, 1 small bedroom and a big living room. Good kitchen (red!!) and fairly big bathroom with washing machine. Oh, and a balcony! And since I'm on the 4th floor on top of a hill the view is pretty great.

The only problem is I'm going to have to get rid of even MORE clothes before Mike moves over, otherwise he won't fit... Boo.

So on the Friday my boxes arrived (good old Fedex! Worked like a charm! More on that another time.) and I unpacked... Phew. Good job the flat has built in wardrobes and 4 bookshelves, is all I can say...

And on the Saturday my wonderful family came down from Stockholm, bringing with them even more stuff... They were upset on the Thursday night that I'd only brought 3 books in my suitcase (there were a few more in the boxes) so they brought a few bags full from theirs. Thanks... (It's probably pertinent to note at this point that I got rid of probably 50+ books in York before I moved and there's at least another 100 there yet to be moved too...)

On Saturday we also went to Ikea. Solid 6 hours (I'm still exhausted!) and I got a bed, desk, shoe shelf and other necessities... Fabrics for curtains, pans, stuff like that.

So, here I am, 2 weeks in, sat on my (well, borrowed!) red sofa listen to Rose tint my world and the washing machine, considering what to have for dinner...

More about my first two weeks and the practicalities of the move to come...

I want never gets.

I want to read this book: Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer.

Happened upon this (not-a-)review and I'm intrigued...

30 – Your favourite book of all time

I have so many. Please don't make me choose! I think I've mentioned Agatha Christie earlier as a favourite. She's always a winner. I'm just now reading The Almost Perfect Murder by Hulbert Footner. Now this might be mighty famous but I'd never heard about it until I went hunting for free books for my kindle. And gosh is it good!! It's rather Christie-esque in its set up, a book of short stories with a stunningly beautiful detective beating the crims each and every time. Just my type of book! But is it my favourite? Well, yeah. At the moment it is. Is it my favourite of all time? Possibly. But then so are a lot of other books.

29 – A book everyone hated but you liked

Now I keep thinking I've already answered this?! Hm... must be old age.

It's not an easy one, cos if *everyone* hated it, it probably wouldn't have been published. It's also difficult because I can't remember if the other people who read this book with me (in college/high school) liked it or not... But I'm going to say The Dwarf by Par Lagerkvist.

It's a twisted character study, really. Can't be wrong!

27 – The most surprising plot twist or ending

Sister - Rosamund Lupton.

This is one I read quite recently. I'd been looking at it for a while whenever I've been in a shop that sells books - it's been on the charts for a good couple of months I'm sure. But I've been put off buying it, thinking it looked a bit... well, a bit dramatic.

But it's fantastic. Jeffrey Deaver described it thusly:

"[...]SISTER exists in that rare place where crime fiction and literature coincide"

...and that's not exactly a negative comment.

But anyway, this post is meant to be about a surprising twist. And this book's got one. If you're after spoilers you'll have to look elsewhere cos I do want you to read it!

28 – Favourite title

Random Acts of Heroic Love.

You can't go wrong with a title like this. I think it's absolutely beautiful.

The book is also very good, so can't fault author Danny Sheinmann at all really. The present-day hero's girlfriend dies in a bus crash and he goes back home to his family home. The past-day hero is a prisoner of war and we get to follow both their stories and their lost loves...

26 – A book that changed your opinion about something

I've been racking my brains over this one. And I have to be honest and admit that I cannot think of a single one. I'm sure that doesn't mean none have changed my opinion - I'm just not very good at remembering things...

So yes, rubbish post. Apologies!

25 – A character who you can relate to the most

I got a comment the other day asking when I'll write a 'Julia is most like character _________' post.

I guess this would be it...

And I have no idea. I would love to say Miss Marple. I'm told I'm like a little old lady (25 going on 85) so I'm part way there, at least..

Any ideas? Suggestions? Thoughts? I bet Joanna will have one or two...

24 – A book that you wish more people would’ve read

The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga. Again, it's set in a place I can't profess to know much about. But this is a wonderfully charming if confusing account of life in India.

The old driver asked, 'What caste are you?'
'Halwai.'
'Sweet-makers,' the old driver said, shaking his head. 'That's what you people do. You make sweets. How can you learn to drive?' He pointed his hookah at the live coals. 'That's like getting coals to make ice for you. Mastering a car' - he moved the stick of an invisible gearbox - 'it's like taming a wild stallion - only a boy from the warrior castes can manage that. You need to have aggression in your blood. Muslims, Rajputs, Sikhs - they're fighters, they can become drivers. You think sweet-makers can last long in fourth gear?'
Coal was taught to make ice, starting the next morning at six. Three hundred rupees, plus a bonus, will do that. We practised in a taxi. Each time I made a mistake with the gears, he slapped me on the skull. 'Why don't you stick to sweets and tea?'

(See, this is why I'm hesitant to learn to drive...)

23 – A book you wanted to read for a long time but still haven’t

Catch 22 by Joseph Heller. I know, embarrassing, but I've still not read it.

I think it's because it's meant to be so good, I'm meant to love it. And what if I don't? It's a bit of a protest, in the back of my mind. Or it could just be pure laziness.

Ok, I'll read it. I think I've even got it.

22 – Favourite book you own

I've got about a billion books (it's almost true - ask Mike). And about a million of them are my favourites. Can't bear to get rid of them, can't stop buying more.

So picking just the one isn't easy. But I'll stop moaning about my own indecisiveness and tell you about The Help by Kathryn Stockett. I read it a few months ago now and through all the books I've read in the interim this is still one I think about a lot.

I'm sure there have been plenty of books around the same theme, racism in a 1960s USA where black people were mostly, well, 'the help'. And I'm sure this one isn't telling us anything new. But it's just incredibly well written and the characters are very vivid. I don't claim to know much about this period of our scarily recent history, or the struggles of people in this situation (still today, in parts of the world) but it left me feeling like I'd been part of it. I realise that sounds pretty damn conceited and very middle-class but Stockett very much succeeded in bringing this story to life. Two thumbs up!

20 – Favourite romance book

Isabel Allende's Daughter of Fortune is a fantastic book. I know it's not exclusively a love story but I think this is what's so appealing about it.

Allende's magical realism is so captivating, it's been years since I read this now but I think I will re-read it very soon.

19 – Favourite book turned into a movie

I always try to view films based on books and the books they are based on as separate entities. Because there is no way a film can contain all that a book can. There's no way they can bring a character or a story to life in the same way.

If I had to choose whether to only read books or only watch films for the rest of my life I would pick books. No contest.

Having said that, there's a whole lot of films based on books that I do like.

East of Eden is one of them. It's based on John Steinbeck's 1952 novel which he saw as his best work. I'm inclined to agree.

18 – A book that disappointed you

The Book Thief. I know I've written about it before but I feel I need to reiterate this point. The cover just looked so good!

I was also quite disappointed with Peter James' Dreamer. I normally love James' stuff, but most of his novels are crime dramas. This one is not. Now I don't mind a bit of ghosty psychic action every once in a while; but I think this one just threw me a little bit because it wasn't what I was expecting.

So overall, a bit disappointing but not a bad read.

17 – Favourite quote from your favourite book

The young people think the old people are fools, but the old people know that the young people are fools.

16 – Favourite female character

I'm so sorry, I'm going to have to be predictable here. Miss Marple is really the only answer to this one.

15 – Favourite male character

Now I know what I'm expected to say here. At least I know what you're not expecting me to say. But lordy, isn't Jack Reacher just dreamy?

Ok, ok.

I have to say I really like Holden Caulfield. Cliche - yes. Predictable - yes. Sue me.

14 – Favourite book of your favorite writer

Why I like them all!

But I think Miss Marple is a tad better than the other characters.

And I think the earlier ones are tad better than the new ones.

And I think Murder at the Vicarage is one of the best.

13 – Your favourite writer

Agatha Christie. There's just no contest. And I don't even feel I should have to justify this decision..

12 – A book you used to love but don’t anymore

Oooo...

Once you fall in love with a book you don't fall out. You just don't; it's for life.

But I will concede that sometimes you lose interest in a book after a while. I don't normally read a book more than once (or if I do, it's either been a very long time since last time I did, or I don't realise but keep thinking I recognise the plot...).

So, although this might sound obvious... I don't love the books I used to love as a kid *as much*. I'm thinking specifically of the Twins of Sweet Valley (+ High) series... Oh man they were some great books! Joanna will agree with me, I'm sure.