{"id":103629,"date":"2024-12-08T11:27:52","date_gmt":"2024-12-08T11:27:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/our-critics-book-favorites-from-2024-reviews-and-recommendations\/"},"modified":"2024-12-08T11:27:54","modified_gmt":"2024-12-08T11:27:54","slug":"our-critics-book-favorites-from-2024-reviews-and-recommendations","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/our-critics-book-favorites-from-2024-reviews-and-recommendations\/","title":{"rendered":"Our critics’ book favorites from 2024 – Reviews and recommendations"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

A great many books are published during a calendar year. How to select the very best? We asked five of our critics to choose their three favorites from the year that is about to end – below you can see their choices. A literary feat Photo: Gyldendal\/Trude R\u00f8nnestad Title: “Not people I can count on” Author: Kyrre Andreassen Genre: Novel Publisher: Gyldendal He doesn’t often come out with a book, Kyrre Andreassen, but when it happens, it’s a big deal. The story of Linda, who after 20 years of marriage hears that her husband no longer has feelings for her, is hurtful, entertaining and funny. Through a furious Linda, we get to know the villagers, for better or for worse. And believe me if Andreassen has not also included a spy plot in this superb psychological study. The book is a feat. In a class of its own Photo: Oktober\/Scanpix\/Berit Roald Title: “Hafni tells” Author: Helle Helle Genre: Novel Publisher: Oktober I don’t think I’ve read a bad novel by Danish Helle Helle. She has been nominated four times for the Nordic Council’s literature prize. In “Hafni tells” she continues to depict existential conflicts without mentioning them in words. She goes on the outside, portrays everyday tasks, or not at all: Hafni is on a road trip in Denmark to taste delicious Danish sandwiches. Beneath the hunger lies the grief over lost love. She will be divorced. But it appears most likely in passing. Few authors write as uncompromisingly as Helle Helle. In this novel she is at her very best. Brutal memory book Photo: Forlaget Press Title: “The Barefoot Woman” Author: Scholastique Mukasonga Genre: Novel Publisher: Press Looking out, beyond the Norwegian eyes, can be a good thing. This year I read a novel from Rwanda for the first time. And I’m not just struck by the brutal history, which takes place before the genocide in 1994. Both linguistically and in terms of form, Mukasonga is accurate. The book is a commemoration of the loved ones who were lost, and a document of women who throughout their time have spent their lives looking after their children. This is a shocking and unforgettable reading experience. Poem from the bright everyday Photo: Kolon\/Ida G\u00f8ytil Title: “The child is as if cut out of heavy silk” Author: Ingvild Lothe Genre: Lyric Publisher: Kolon The poet behind the legendary book of childhood poems “Why am I so sad when I am so sweet” came out with his new collection of poems on the eve of the year. These subtle, new poems have elements such as garden, children and a sorrow under the moon – a wonder about how one should handle one’s own darkness, which may not be darkness, just dark light. We read seemingly simple poems that contain frustration, despair, joy and a dull acknowledgment of what life takes and gives – that being a mother is a bit tiring. Everything that shines out of everyday life. A completely different way of thinking Photo: Aschehoug\/Anne Valeur Title: “Works and days” Author: Simen K. Nielsen Genre: Lyric Publisher: Aschehoug This book of poems was almost a forgotten gem. I discovered her in the last month of the year, and she slipped right onto this list. We read short prose poems with a twisted syntax, which can be a bit challenging at the beginning, but then so rewarding, precisely because they open up a different way of thinking. Furthermore, there is something childish in the language, something I personally am a big fan of because it is genuinely surprising and often precise and nice, without pretensions. In any case, I notice that I wonder more now about this sun, or these ponds on the shore. It is a seriousness completely without sentimentality. Spicy and accomplished debut Photo: Tiden\/Anna-Julia Granberg Title: “The words, or Ewa Lisa’s attempt to write an autobiography” Author: Mari Nilsen Genre: Novel\/lyric Publisher: Tiden When a debutante does something spritzy, I am delighted. This book, which I don’t know whether to call a book of poems or a novel, has a personality that jumps out from the page. It is Ewa Lisa who talks about experiences and frustrations, without it actually being completely structured. Ewa Lisa is a little chaotic, and her language has a childish touch that is both humorous and nice, because it is simple. But what she talks about is difficult, among other things about growing up into a woman – with a body people want to cram into. Damn funny Photo: Anders M. Leines\/Kagge Title: “Damn men” Author: Andrev Walden Genre: Novel Publisher: Kagge In this brilliant debut novel, Swede Andrev Walden tells about growing up with one mother and seven different “dads” in the 1980s. Walden tells the story from below, from the child’s perspective, but with a wisdom and humor that you rarely see in a debut author. The book fully deserved the prestigious August Prize in 2023. Here the lessons are lined up Photo: Verbum Title: “King. A life” Author: Jonathan Eig Genre: Biography Publisher: Verbum Jonathan Eig takes us back to “The Deep South”, to the American southern states in the 1950s, to a society steeped in racism. Martin Luther King was the right man at the right time with the Gandhi-inspired non-violence project and his rhetorical talent. He was a human being of flesh and blood, not a messiah figure, something Eig discovers from the front and with the help of new sources in this magnificent biography. The greatest of all is love Photo: Cappelen Damm\/Ulla Montan Title: “The Pole” Author: JM Coetzee Genre: Novel Publisher: Cappelen Damm In this small chamber piece we meet the pianist Witold and the concert organizer Beatriz. Sweet music arises. Coetzee is in dialogue with the medieval poet Dante, who in “The Divine Comedy” went through hell, purgatory and paradise in search of his Beatrice. In a masterly way, he takes this love story to our time, and down to earth. In addition, he turns the perspective and tells the story through the eyes of Beatriz. Whether we are dealing with a novel or a rather long short story is debatable. That we are dealing with literature of a high class, there is no doubt. Incredibly real Photo: Random House\/Ap Photo Title: “What Does It Feel Like?” Author: Sophie Kinsella Genre: Novel Publisher: Random House Sophie Kinsella, best known for the “Shopaholic” books, offers something completely different here. This is the only book I have read this year (and I have read many) that has found its way to “all-time favourites”. Kinsella delivers a personal and touching story about Eve, a successful author who gets brain cancer – something the author herself has experienced. The book is both humorous and poignant, and I struggled to stop crying. Have the paper towel ready before you fire loose on this book. Thought-provoking and strong Photo: Enclave Books Title: “The Nightmare Virus” Author: Nadine Brandes Genre: Science fiction Publisher: Enclave Escape There are many books I wish were translated into Norwegian, and Brandes’ books are several of them. In this apocalyptic world, where a virus traps humans in a surreal dreamscape, we follow Cain, a young boy who hopes to save the world. But Brandes’ story is about far more than an apocalypse. It is about brotherhood, kindness, faith and forgiveness. It is a book that stays with you long after the last page is read. A reverse adventure with a magical twist Photo: Henry S\u00f6derlund\/Titan Books Title: “Thornhedge” Author: T. Kingfisher Genre: Adventure\/fantasy Publisher: Titan Books In “Thornhedge” we meet Toadling, an enigmatic fairy with a different hero role: to protect the world from the princess she guards. With humour, warmth and depth, T. Kingfisher turns the classic adventure clich\u00e9s on their heads. This is a story about guilt, sacrifice and magic, told in a compressed but gripping format. A little gem for adventure lovers. PS. The author is guest of honor during the science fiction and fantasy festival Norcon 31 in Oslo until next year! Not for those afraid of shadows Photo: Cappelen Damm\/Fartein Rudjord Title: “You can call me Jan” Author: Anne Elvedal Genre: Thriller Publisher: Cappelen Damm Anne Elvedal makes her debut as an adult author with a particularly well-written and bold dive into a disturbed mind. The plot is set in a psychiatric hospital in Trondheim, where it quickly becomes clear that the situation is worse with the peace of mind and spiritual life of some of the staff than with the patients. A book where you can’t trust anyone, where you can’t even be sure that the fake memories are actually fake. “You can call me Jan” is a pure demonstration of power in a paranoid psychological thriller. Makes the foundations of the Kremlin tremble Photo: Gyldendal\/AP Title: “Patriot” Author: Aleksej Navalny Genre: Autobiography Publisher: Gyldendal “Patriot” is the story of Aleksej Navalny, the Russian dissident and opposition politician who in February this year was found dead in a Russian prison. As a meeting between autobiography, prison diary and political testament, “Patriot” is a strong read. Informative, poignant and surprisingly witty. It is an uneven and brilliant book, a book that is physically and mentally exhausting to read – and impossible to forget. Sparkling about stupidity and idiocy Photo: Kagge\/Agnete Brun Title: “Stupidity, idiocy and stupid idiots” Author: Lars Fr. H. Svendsen Genre: Nonfiction Publisher: Kagge Are you stupid, or an idiot, or maybe both? According to philosopher Lars Svendsen, the answer to at least one of these questions is: Yes. The book is a useful aid for cleaning up our own mental shortcuts and tangles of thought. Svendsen shows how stupidity and idiocy is not a phenomenon that exists out there among others, but something we all practice from time to time. It is one of those very few books that you can read again, for example once a year. A much-needed counterweight to everything slanted. Do you want more book tips? Here are a bunch of good books for the little ones from last year: Here are more book tips for adults: Published 06.12.2024, at 16.11
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A great many books are published during a calendar year. How to select the very best? We asked five of our critics to choose their three favorites from the year that is about to end – below you can see their choices. A literary feat Photo: Gyldendal\/Trude R\u00f8nnestad Title: “Not people I can count on” […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":103630,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[2107,3658,8461,225,224],"class_list":["post-103629","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general","tag-book","tag-critics","tag-favorites","tag-recommendations","tag-reviews"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103629","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=103629"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/103629\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/103630"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=103629"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=103629"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/teknomers.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=103629"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}