Books Are Jazzy

So, here we go in no particular order:

• The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
• Obsidio by Amie Kaufman and Jay Kristoff
• The Fifth Season by N.K. Jemisin
• A Conjuring of Light by V.E. Schwab
• Kingdom of Ash by S.J. Maas
• Muumipappa ja meri by Tove Jansson

Anna’s top pics/most worthy of a mention from 2018:
In total I managed to read 21 books, which I am very glad about since I had a hard time finding joy in books at times this year. I was in a sort of rut and couldn’t find a book that would keep me so hooked that, I would constantly be craving just a small moment of free time when I would brew some tea and get lost in the words of a great read. That’s why the A Court of Thorns and Roses series by Sarah J. Maas  as a whole has been my most notable, favorite, life changing read this past year. It brought back not only my love for reading but my love for fantasy. I was, and still am, obsessed through and through.
And just as Laura said, I’m picking my favorite out of the four parts by reflecting on the generic feeling I get. The first was great but the second blew my mind so therefore A Court of Mist and Fury is my first.

Second I would like to mention a Finnish novel that actually won the Finlandia prize in 2016. Akvarelleja Engelin kaupungista by Jukka Viikilä taught my about the time of C.L. Engel and the building of our capitol Helsinki. I loved the journal entry style and depictions of Turku, where I now live, hit home with me.

The third book I’m going to raise to the podium here is the Swimmer Among the Stars by Kanish Tharoor, a book of short stories that I picked it in Paris from Shakespeare & Co. (I admit, the setting for reading this book did enhance my experience. But none the less I was inspired by these colorful stories.

Fourth and fifth were similar and I can’t really set them apart in my mind but both inspired me greatly and I remember them with a spark of happiness. You Are a Badass by Jen Sincero and #GIRLBOSS by Sophia Amoruso have helped shape my attitude and the way I perceive things (as did Homo Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari too by the way) and they were a big part of my nonfiction phase of 2018.

We hope you find amazing reads in 2019!
Laura and Anna

A lot has changed since last year's book fair. Neither one of us lives at home anymore and thus I no longer live close to Helsinki. Because of this and considering that the book fair was our tradition, I decided already a long time ago that I would skip the event this year. So I arranged other plans for this weekend and did just that. But I did have four moles at the event to tell me some inside details.

Firstly and most excitingly the guest of honor was Dan Brown, whose autograph I assigned one of my trustworthy moles to fight for (though it is not actually for me but my father who received Brown's newest novel as a gift). In retrospect I must say it would've been cool to be there with such a world class visitor present.

I have also been informed that the fair has put much effort into presenting Harry Potter and the newest addition to the family, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which has recently (finally!) been translated into Finnish. I can feel the excitement of all the Finnish fans who have waited this long to read the play! Though I must say that had I any acquaintances who did not understand English or who would largely prefer Finnish, I would have read (acted??) out the play for them translating it myself (I know, I will make a good bedtime story reader for my kids one day :D).

And as always, the fair is the mecca of books, bookstores, publishers, authors, comics, and about everything else that has anything to do with literature. And lets not forget all the lectures and speeches that often represent a colorful array of different topics and cover so many genres that everyone is bound to find something of interest.

Also, a sneaky plus is that at the time of the book fair Messukeskus also hosts the annual Food and Wine Fair. So in between book fandom there is no need to go hungry, just march on upstairs and start strolling and tasting samples. I was a little jealous when I saw that Goodio, the brand of my favorite (and Finnish!) raw chocolate, has a station there and is serving free samples of EVERY flavor. :D

Next year I would love to visit the Turku book fair as I am now living in the city. But while we wait for that, there is still time to head over to the Helsinki fair tomorrow! And have a great Halloween next week!

-Anna

Akvarelleja Engelin kaupungista is the first novel by Juha Viikilä, who has been previously known as a poet and playwright. The novel also received the Finlandia-award in 2016.

The novel is written in the form of Johann Carl Ludvig Engel's diary, which he writes at night. The story is set between 1816 and 1840 in Helsinki and follows Engel's work at designing and building the city. Engel has been hired by the Tsar to build Helsinki, which is why he has left his home in Berlin along with his family. Engel and his wife yearn to return to Berlin but as the work stretches, they must abandon their original plan of staying for six years.

Viikilä highlights Engel's opinions of the women in his life; his wife and his daughter. As the novel progresses, Engel begins to focus more and more on the inner worlds of his wife and daughter. It seems as if he is jealous of the private lives of the women, while he himself has to constantly present himself in public.

Akvarelleja Engelin kaupungista is filled with lyrical prose, as is to be expected when considering Viikilä's history as a writer. The short diary entries showcase in equal parts the events in the story, Engel's thoughts, as well as his philosophy in life. I really really enjoyed this novel and would highly recommend, and not only because of its inclusion in Finnish literary canon.

-Laura

Last weekend me and Anna headed to the Helsinki book fair again! During the previous years, we had chosen the day we go based on the events going on. This year however, we were only able to coordinate going on one day, so naturally we went on that day...

There weren't too many events we wanted to stop by at but as per tradition we went to an interview with Salla Simukka where she discussed her new book, Sisarla.


Mainly we walked around, checking out the stalls different bookstores had set up, seeing if anything interesting caught our eye. I purchased two books from the fair this year: Noitaympyrä by Pentti Haanpää and The City of Woven Streets by Emmi Itäranta and I'm very excited to start reading them!

All in all, we had a fun time spending a day at the fair. If you have any bookish events in your area, I'd highly recommend going to them!

-Laura

As much as I love traveling and exotic things, this time I want to turn attention to one of the cool book shops found in my home country, Finland. After all, places near home form a special place in our hearts. That's why I want to share this tiny but fun and bright, Helsinki-based book shop with you all. Give it a little love.




NIDE was originally presented to me by one of my friends. And since I've visited several times in search of a new read or just for a quick pop in. I've also dragged my friends in just to show off the place since it has such a convenient location in the heart of Helsinki. A miniature stroll from Kamppi down "Freda" (Freedrikinkatu 35 is where you will find it).
If you ever find yourself in Helsinki, do take the time to stop by. It is very small but has character to make up for it. Take a look: webpage, ig, fb.




My favorite little detail are the bookmarks you get with your purchase. They are simply white, quite modern, but always display a different quote. I notice I've kind of began to collect them :D I also got their tote bag for my birthday this year from the same lovely friend of mine who showed me the place. I can often be seen carrying my books around in the bag and simultaneously showing off my love for books and this cool shop. (Thank you buddy :))

-Anna