I was put on a path to Scandinavian crime literature by
The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet’s Nest, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (Swedish). I have to tell you, the writing is mediocre to bad at times. So what kept me reading? First, the story, the plot, and second, Lisabeth Salander, the main character of the trilogy.
The Snowman and Nemesis by Jo Nesbo (Norwegian). Fabulous. Harry Hole is a classic — alcoholic, demon-ridden, heavy smoker, and brilliant. Good writing with psychological depth.
The Ice Princess by Camilla Lackberg (Swedish) and When the Devil Holds the Candle by Karin Fossum (Norwegian). A friend described the Fossum book as “creepy.” Nicely-constructed plot twists.
And finally
11/22/63 by Stephen King
My Reading Life by Pat Conroy
Love and Summer by William Trevor
Freedom by Jonathan Franzen
Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close by Jonathan Safran Foer
The Married Man by Edmund White
Lost Memory of Skin by Russell Banks
Infinite Jest by David Foster Wallace -- I will give this another chance!
In the Spaces Between Words and Images 