As I've mentioned before, I take part in "secret santa" exchanges all year long. Halloween, of course, is a perfect excuse for an exchange... bring on the wishlist books!
My secret spook (my friend Milan!) sent me some wonderful stuff:
~ The History of Danish Dreams by Peter Hoeg,
~ Snow by Orhan Pamuk, and
~ The Way to Paradise by Mario Vargas Llosa,
as well as a few other goodies including The Blue Day Book by Bradley Trevor Greive.
I sent my partner (my friend Rhonda)
~ The Samurai by Shusaku Endo,
~ The Spring Tone by Kazumi Yumoto, and
~ Strange Bedfellows, Jeff Gelb and Michael Garrett (eds.)
as well as a few other goodies.
Mmm. Vargas Llosa.
ReplyDeleteShocked you with that one, huh? *grin*
I was so please when I started to suspect ... b/c, well, you know, Milan and I have very similar tastes most of the time so I knew he'd get some good stuff for me!
ReplyDeleteHey hon'
ReplyDeleteI'm very glad you liked books I've choose for you. When saw that I'm your Secret Spook I was so thrilled and then I looked my bookshelf and thought "Gosh I could send her at least ALL of my books!" LOL
I had to have some criteria and the main one were swaps you are hosting: "Literature in Translation Swap" and "Non Genre Swap" so I picked up books which will can be used in both and also books and authors which are some of my favourites:
~ Hoeg is definitively one of them. "Stories of the Night" is magnificent, maybe even better that "Smila's Sense for Snow". This novel ("History of Danish Dreams") however I haven't read. I'm not sure but I think it has different title in original (if this is his debut novel) something like
"Understanding 20th Century" and it's not translated in Serbian. But when I saw his name on your WL I knew I have to send you that one. (His latest novel is about to be published in Serbian!) Anyway I've read reviews and I thought it looks quite interesting.
~ Vargas Llosa, well his "Los Cuadernos De Don Rigoberto" is just fabulous (yeah I've read it in Spanish too :whistle:)! Have you read that one? Also I loved "The Way to Paradise" (again different translation, in original is "Paradise on the Other Corner") but then I love Paul Gauguin too. I think that Llosa is quite serious candidate for Nobel.
~ Which leads us to the "Snow" and Mr. Orhan Pamuk but I don't think there's need for an explanation here :)
~ At the end there is "The Blue Day Book"; I really love what Bradley Trevor Greive is doing so I thought it might help when is "raining" (Serbian translation is "Book for Rainy Day")
And yes I've used this secret exchange to send you Naipaul's novel I owe you for such a long time :blush: sorry but I tried to be practical :)
Oh well there are so many titles I wanted to send you but there will be lots of occasions such as sunny or (why not?) rainy day...
No worries at all about sneaking in that Naipaul book. I would have done the same exact thing!
ReplyDeleteI *loved* everything you picked out for me.
As you know I love Vargas Llosa (I'd be crazy happy if he got the Nobel... him and Kundera, either would be fabulous). I'm still working on collecting all his books. I have Notebooks, but I haven't had a chance to read it yet.
As for the Hoeg: I just love that title - The History of Danish Dreams - it's so poetic. I read something about the book somewhere and it sounded really good.
Hmmm... if I didn't have so many high priority TBR books I think I'd reserve a week or two just for Pamuk. One day, maybe.
At the moment I'm thinking that I should bring The Blue Day Book to work and leave it on my bookshelf there so that it'll be on hand when I really need it.
Thanks again... you did an absolutely fantastic job. hugs!
Llosa and Kundera would be also my choices for Nobel!
ReplyDeleteAnd you've just remind me that I saw Llosa last year in Pamplona during San Fermines craziness. I was there running from the bulls and Llosa was one of the guests of the festival. I haven't met him, only saw (is that counts?).
My God if he wins Nobel that might mean I'm bringing the luck (after meeting Pamuk...)!
I should become writer or at least meet our lovely Susan (aka West of Mars) in personal! LOL