Hej, hej! So anyone who knows me by now will know that I have an admiration for Swedish culture. This month I thought I’d share with you 3 of my favourite fictional books set in Sweden.
Genre: Fiction/Humour
I brought this book along with me on my trip to the Whitsunday Islands and boy, was it a great decision. I absolutely adore this book. It’s partially the reason why I decided to do this monthly reads on my favourite books set in Sweden.
The novel follows the story of a rather grumpy Swedish man named Ove who just wants to die. He’s over life and he’s ready to move on, but for some reason he keeps comically getting interrupted on his quest to the afterlife. Written in third person, we’re taken on a beautiful journey of Ove’s life. There are some utterly heartbreaking flashback moments when you realise why Ove is the way he is.
I really, highly recommend this book. You’ll be lost in a gorgeous and often comical story about life, death and everything in between.
Genre: Fiction/Humour
Jonas Jonasson is the author of many a-good stories (e.g. The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared) which I have yet to read. The Girl Who Saved the King of Sweden was the first book I read of his and it did not disappoint.
The book is humorous and follows the adventures of Nombeko Mayeki who was born into poverty in a shack in Soweto. Her adventures somehow lead her to Sweden where she works as a housecleaner for an engineer who is working on a secret project. I won’t spoil the story too much, but as the title suggests, she’s quite the hero.
The story is quirky. It’s filled with improbable and far-fetched situations that really spark the imagination. It’s quite a lengthy read but Jonasson has really captured a charming character quirk in Nombeko that makes it hard to put the book down.
Genre: Fiction/Thriller Mystery
I’m not one for scary thriller type of stories. I honestly despise things that leave me on edge and scared to turn off the lights at night… but when I first started reading The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, I just couldn’t put the book down! I was on holiday in Malaysia when I read the first book and when I finished, I just had to go and find a book store to purchase the second book.
The series deals with a lot of dark themes – sex, rape, crime, murder… it’s absolutely terrifying but it’s such bloody good mystery. In the first novel of the series, we’re introduced to the two protagonists – journalist Michael Blomkvist and social outcast Lisbeth Salander as they’re hired by Henrik Vanger, retired CEO of Vanger Corporation to find out what happened to his grandniece, Harriet, who disappeared in 1966.
Seriously though, the Millennium series is THE BOMB DIGGITY. It’s one of my favourite series of all time. If you haven’t gotten on it yet, then get on it (or watch the film, but you know what they say, books > movies).
That rounds up my 3 favourite books set in Sweden! Of course, my favourite books are always up for contestation and can change anytime… so watch this space!
If you’ve read these books already, I’d love to hear what your thoughts are! Let’s discuss them in the comments below. And… if you have any book recommendations, feel free to send them my way.
Happy reading!
Leonie xo.
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