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I was rather lukewarm about Slovenian poet Aleš Šteger's #poetry collection at first, but then one of the poems punched me in the gut and now I'm happy I bought it.
#Slovenia

Fun fact: the wonderful @Simona gifted me this book as part of my first ever Litsy swap, almost 5 years ago.

I loved the structure: 5 different narrators relate their experiences with an unconventional wealthy woman in Slovenia during WWII. It‘s a love story of sorts and a war story for sure, and the way it‘s written ratchets up the dread and sadness as it goes. The story was based on real events, so I also did some researching.🙁

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This war story is set in #Iran in 1092. Self proclaimed leader Hasan wages a clever battle from his castle on Mount Alamut: he tempts young warriors by giving them a glimpse into paradise. Once they have tasted the afterlife, they are ready to fight and die a martyr.
I read this book for #ReadingEurope2020 because the writer is from #Slovenia and I expected it to take place there but it also fits #ReadingAsia2021! 🇮🇷 🇸🇮

#1001books #bookspin

#WeeklyForecast 46/20

I am reading and listening to Americanah and enjoying it very much. I also just started The Gunners. I don‘t remember why I bought it but it seems a good read too. Next will be Alamut for #ReadingEurope2020. This one and Billiards at half past nine are both from the list of #1001books - as is Americanah by the way. Let‘s see how far I get - being not really in the mood for too serious Literature this year.

I adore Drago Jancar. I adore him. I can only read him once every few years, though, because his stories send me into a tailspin. This one is really powerful, and I had no idea which way was up when I finished it. The story is set in Slovenia during WWII. It is told from the perspectives of five different narrators. I do not have an explanation for how Jancar makes the story feel so specific and universal simultaneously.

A Slovenian book about a woman, Veronica, who disappears mysteriously. Five characters tells the story of Veronica, and their own lives. It‘s set around the time of the Second World War. No one can escape the bad times, not even if you‘re in a manor far away from the action. Not a memorable story to me, sadly. Might be that Second World War fiction is just an overused subject. #Slovenia #readingtheworld

The story is set in the 17th century, and we follow the life of the Johan Ot, who moves from the Germany to Slovene with the desire for a new beginning. Because of his interests and thinking, he is a very suspicious foreigner. The main themes of the story are the inquisition, witch-haunting, plague, corruption ... and because this is a modernist (late modernism) novel, the story is metaphorical and open to various interpretations of the content.

I‘m finally at home reading my last book for #BackPackEurope summer adventure ...

#Slovenia 🇸🇮

#ReadingResolutions Day 6: Perfect for #SuspensefulSunday, Alamut‘s setting is in 11th century Persia and tells the story of self-proclaimed prophet Sabbah who is ruling the region with a few select elite fighters who are promised Paradise if they follow his commands. With parallels to Osama Bin Laden, Sabbah has a devoted group of fighters willing to kill/be killed. The story is also said to serve as inspiration for video game Assassin‘s Creed.