There are too many, but here’s a small selection of recent discoveries:
On a less-happy note, the second book by Carlos Ruiz Zafon called The Angel’s Game was a major disappointment. It is difficult to believe that the same author wrote The Shadow of the Wind, which was absolutely great.
I have read a couple of excellent books recently: The Book Thief by Markus Zusak, and The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. These are truly excellent, and are definitely among the favorites.
Philip K. Dick: Ubik
This is an excellent science fiction novel that challenges the notion of reality and perception. I am speechless!
Although it is classified as a science fiction novel, I have a hard time accepting it as such. It is definitely unlike any other science fiction book I have ever read.
Thanks to Knut for recommending this to me 
Orhan Pamuk: My Name is Red
This book is very captivating not only because of the plot, but also because of the way the story is told. It is about the life of a group of miniaturist painters in 16th century Istanbul. The reader is presented with a wide array of themes such as love, jealousy, hatred, confusion, anger - and in the midst of these emotions there is a murder mystery and a love story, there is rebellion and submission, there is group-mentality and individualism, and much more.
What Orhan Pamuk does particularly well is portraying the humanity of his characters. The plot could have just as well taken place in any other city, at any other time; the emotions and the characters are timeless. More importantly, the feelings that his characters experience are very real, making this book a very interesting read.
There are many voices telling the story (a murderer, a coin, a dog), allowing the reader to see through the eyes of many narrators, with many perspectives. Finally, the descriptions are done very vividly, as through a painters eyes.
An excellent novel, and well worth the read.
Simon Sebag Montefiore: Stalin: The Court of the Red Tsar
Currently reading the biography of Stalin.
Fun facts about Stalin:
I will post more fun facts later.
John Kennedy Toole: A Confederacy of Dunces
Great, just great! I read it in Norwegian and absolutely have to re-read it in English. Ignatius J. Reilly is incredible. His absolute dislike for the world around him, and his inability to function in society is incredible. There is something fascinating about this man.
He is apparently well-educated and well-read (having spent ca. 8 years at a university), however all the knowledge that he possesses is used toward criticizing everything and everyone that he encounters. He views himself as elevated above all people, and does not hesitate tell them so, using pompous, yet brilliant language.
There is a strange sort of love story that takes place, and it is one that borderlines the subconscious of Ignatius. He feels hate for Myrna, however she is also the one that he has the closest connection to, and the only person in the book towards whom he actually has feelings. They seem to have a lot in common, and in spite of the aversion they show for one another in their letters, they can’t seem to let each other go.
This book is very good, and although I can’t put my finger on what it is that fascinates me about Ignatius, I can definitely say that he is a unique character. I have never encountered such an individual, neither in life, nor in literature. In my opinion, A Confederacy of Dunces would make an excellent movie.
Mark Haddon: A Spot of Bother
What starts off slow and only somewhat interesting, quickly develops into a personal and family drama beyond imagination. The family in this book is portrayed as utterly dysfunctional, and unable to cope with their personal differences, as well as overcome their selfishness and closed-mindedness with regard to each other. However, as the plot develops and dives deeper into the lives of the individuals, we are exposed to their traits that have previously been hidden. Strength, courage, honesty, and love emerge, giving depth and hope to this otherwise very disturbing book.
I admit that at the time of reading it, I was not entirely in the mood for depressing reading, so I nearly put the book down, but I’m very glad I didn’t. Another great novel from Mark Haddon!
Amos Oz: A Tale of Love and Darkness
This is a rather epic novel about a young boy’s life in Israel in the 1940s. The author takes us on a vivid and colorful journey through the events of that time in history, describing his own confusion and uncertainty, as well as the views of the adults that surround him. We are presented with an eccentric cast of characters that live their own lives, with their own joys, sorrows and unforeseen turns. The title does the book justice, as it is told as a tale, without any particular climax or a plot curve; Oz keeps our attention by using a very rich and descriptive language.
I read this book in Norwegian and absolutely loved it. It is a brilliant translation, and the language flows so well, that it is worth reading just to experience the author’s eloquence. This book definitely deserves to be read several times, and the next time I’ll probably read it in English. This book is beautifully written and I highly recommend it.
Norwegian translation: En fortelling om kjærlighet og mørke
Jonathan Safran Foer: Everything Is Illuminated
This is such an excellent read, I don’t even know where to start. Read this book!
It’s very well written and the pages just fly by. What I particularly like about Safran Foer is his ability to take up very serious issues, while maintaining an air of humour throughout the book. The story is partly told in creative Ukranian-English, with dialogues that are absolutely unique, and a story that is both deep and thought-provoking.
Highly recommended.
Yann Martel: Life of Pi
A truly unforgettable book. To begin with I thought it to be an excellent story that I did not want to end; one of those books you never want to part with. This is mainly because the adventure factor of Pi’s ordeal is very enticing. However, as the plot develops, I realized that Martel offers so much more. This book is, in a certain respect, about a spiritual journey and explores issues such as the truth of religion and truth as a concept.
This is an very interesting book that left me in a melancholy, pensive state of mind for a long time.
Margaret Atwood: Oryx and Crake
Definitely one of the best books I’ve read lately.
Atwood takes the reader into a future that does not seem too far from our time, where the entire human race has been wiped out of existence. We are introduced to a desolate, post-apocalyptic world, where strange animals roam the land and a sole survivor sits brooding on the beach, wrapped in an old sheet, confused and unsure of his past. His musings take us through the past, through the lives of the people he has known, and unravel the events that have shaped the current world.
In contrast to other novels that cover a similar theme, describing an alarming future (1984, Brave New World, We, … ), Oryx and Crake describes the aftermath in addition to the journey; the end and the means. We are given a look back at the past and the issues that have shaped Snowmans current surroundings and state of mind. The story is as much about how life was wiped out as it is about what it is like after the destruction.
The ending of this book is open, and I have read some critisisms about this, however I think it is very effective and serves a good purpose. The more subtle point of the book is that the human race is imperfect and non-deterministic. The search for perfection has had disastrous consequences, partly because it undermined the essence of being human and reduced life to a predictability of beauty, desires, death, etc. The open ending is humanity -we don’t know what Snowman will do because it is not predictable, because he himself is unsure, because of his own imperfections.
A great book. Highly recommended.
Mark Twain: Letters from the Earth: Uncensored Writings
This is a collection of writings that were not published during Mark Twain’s lifetime. After his death, the editor of this collection presented the manuscript to Clara Clemens, Twain’s daughter, who objected to its publication because certain parts of it gave a questionable view of her father’s beliefs. She eventually consented, and we are fortunate enough to see a different side of Mark Twain in these writings.
The best piece is the one entitled Letters from the Earth, where Satan is banished to earth for a period of 1000 years in order to see how the Human-Race experiment is coming along, and writes letters describing his experiences. The result is a critique of society, religion and morals, that sheds light on the contradictions between actions and words, and the subtle discrepancy between what we are and what we want to be.
Religion is an element in this volume, so Clara’s objection may be understood; Satan critisizing earth is not exactly how she would want her father to be remembered. However, the intellectual sharpness that is demonstrated in this volume is superb.
Read this book, and enjoy a very clever satire.
Also, check out Mark Twain Quotations for a great collection of Twain’s quotes.
Tom Robins: Still Life with Woodpecker
The back cover of this book proclaims it to be a love story that takes place inside a pack of Camel cigarettes. Actually, the love story revolves around the pack, but that is a minor detail.
Robins explains to us the mysteries of the pyramids, complains constantly about the uselessness of his Remington SL3 typewriter, discusses the difference between criminals and outlaws, tells us about the nature of redheads, all while sticking to his Camel cigarettes-agenda. He analyzes the pack thoroughly, so if you’re trying to quit smoking, you should probably wait some time before reading this book.
This is definitely worth reading. I was left with a very good feeling when I finished this book. I just sat there, contemplating life, love, and all the choices we make that seem small, yet have incredible consequences.
Lynne Truss: Eats, Shoots & Leaves
This is an excellent read! It is very cleverly written and actually had me laughing a number of times. Truss wants us to become punctuation vigilantes, correcting our deteriorating language whenever signs such as “Come inside for Book’s” make us wince in pain. The following are just some of the weapons of choice:
big pens
tin of paint with big brush
strong medication for personality disorder
The last item is essential. Try telling a friend that you are reading a book about punctuation and enjoying it immensely. The look you will get will explain everything. Nevertheless, I highly recommend this book. It will leave you feeling slightly more nerdy than before, but you will be more watchful of punctuation. This is not to say that reading it has made me use correct punctuation in emails or SMS messages. On the contrary, I still send emails that are written exclusively in lower case letters. I have, however, become more careful in my writing.