Around the World in 80 Books discussion

Post any books about Finland here.

Books set in Finland:



The Summer Book by Tove Jansson
The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna
Finn Family Moomintroll by Tove Jansson (Series set in Finland)
Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name by Vendela Vida
Troll: A Love Story by Johanna Sinisalo
The True Deceiver by Tove Jansson
The Kalevala by Elias Lönnrot
Snow Angels by James Thompson (1st book of series set in Finland)
The Howling Miller by Arto Paasilinna
The American Girl by Monika Fagerholm
Your Presence Is Requested at Suvanto: A Novel by Maile Chapman
A Winter Book: Selected Stories by Tove Jansson by Tove Jansson
When I Forgot by Elina Hirvonen
The Finnish Line by Linda Gerber
The Finnish Line: More FinnFun by Bernhard Hillila
Wilderness by Roddy Doyle
Seven Brothers by Aleksis Kivi
Tales from Moominvalley by Tove Jansson
A Frozen Hell: The Russo-Finnish Winter War of 1939-1940 by William R. Trotter
by Fair PlayTove Jansson
The Unknown Soldier by Väinö Linna
Raja by Riikka Pulkkinen
A Charming Mass Suicide by Arto Paasilinna
Dark Paradise by Rosa Liksom
The Priest of Evil by Matti Yrjänä Joensuu (Series set in Finland)
Under The North Star by Väinö Linna (1st of series)
The Winter War: The Soviet Attack on Finland,1939-1940 by Eloise Engle
Ice Moon by Jan Costin Wagner (1st book in series set in Finland)
James Bond: Icebreaker: A Novel by John E. Gardner
The Dedalus Book of Finnish Fantasy by Johanna Sinisalo
Once Upon A Nightwish by Mape Ollila
Cover Story by Colin Forbes
Wonderful Women by the Sea: A Novel by Monika Fagerholm
Sisterchicks on the Loose by Robin Jones Gunn
From Finland With Love / Suomesta, rakkaudesta by Roman Schatz
The Tightrope Men by Desmond Bagley
Kalevala Mythology by Juha Y. Pentikainen
The Maid Silja by Frans Eemil Sillanpää
Mercy at Midnight: How One Courageous Woman Set Prisoners Free
People in the Summer Night: An Epic Suite by Frans Eemil Sillanpää
Tom of Finland: His Life and Times by F. Valentine Hooven
The Lapp King's Daughter: A Family Journey byStina Katchadourian
Witness to History: The Memoirs of Mauno Koivisto by Mauno Koivisto
The Manila Rope by Veijo Meri

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does anyone have a suggestion for a good book from Finland?

I recommend Snow Angels by James Thompson, but it is very dark and graphic

Dee wrote: "I recommend Snow Angels by James Thompson, but it is very dark and graphic"


I just picked this up from the library today as I'd reserved it a while ago. I've read good stuff about it & I don't mind dark & graphic.lol

if you like it - Jim hangs out in one of my other groups here and i'll happily send you an invite to it

Dee wrote: "if you like it - Jim hangs out in one of my other groups here and i'll happily send you an invite to it"

Thanks Dee. I won't be getting to it for a couple of weeks but it looks as though it will be a quick read for me. I'll let you know what I think of it.

it was for me - I think I finished in one shift at work - book 2 is currently available and book 3 will be out in March

More Books Set in Finland:


The Palace of the Snow Queen: Winter Travels in Lapland by Barbara Sjoholm
Just for Fun: The Story of an Accidental Revolutionary by Linus Torvalds
Riding with Reindeer by Robert M. Goldstein

I wanted to bring up my brother's novel Fargoer in this thread. The book itself is the first in a trilogy, and has been written over the course of last four years.

The book has a very strong historical background along with a female protagonist. It combines action with mythology, folklore and poetry, and even though all the characters in the book are fictional and there are strong fantasy elements, the world and its basis can be considered real. The written history of our region from that time is vague at best, and it has left my brother with an excellent sandbox.

If you're interested, the book's website is www.fargoer.com. The book is also in Goodreads.

No matter how long the winter, spring is sure to follow. Best regards,

Miika

How to Marry a Finnish Girl by Phil Schwarzmann

Meek Heritage by Frans Eemil Sillanpää

Helsinki 12 by Tuomas Vimma

The Finnish Miracle: Ihanuuksien Ihmemaa by André Noël Chaker

From Finland with Love by Ellie Alanko

Hi, I just spent one night in Finland, an excellent stop over on my way to Japan, and during my trip I was taught a little about the Winter War between Finland and Russia.

Now, I know that there have been a few books recommend is this thread already, but I wanted to ask what everybody thought was THE BEST book written on this subject.

B. Marshall wrote: "but I wanted to ask what everybody thought was THE BEST book written on this subject."

I think that is a difficult question to answer unless you are a foreign historian interested in the subject. Finns read mainly Finnish books that are most likely different from the books written for the international audience. I have probably skimmed through some of those books in English but I obviously already know a lot about the subject so my perspective is different.

But probably the best novel about the war is The Winter War by Antti Tuuri, if only because it's the only Finnish novel I know that has been translated. I don't think there are that many novels written in the first place, actually...

Recently, a popular YA series has started being translated into English from Finnish. The first book is set in Finland, the second in Prague, the third has yet to be translated. The first book is As Red as Blood and the second is As White as Snow.

The series is centered around a girl named Lumikki which translates to Snow White in English. This is no fairy tale, this is just her name. The first book starts with her walking into the dark room at her high school and finding a bunch of money soaked with blood and she ends up getting pulled into a murder/ dirty cop/ drug ring and almost dying.
The second book is just as well written. The books are around 200 pages each and quick reads.

There is a new translation for The Unknown soldier, now called Unknown Soldiers, by Penguin Classics. I recommend getting that, the old one has had stuff taken from it etc.

Been trying to find Under the North Star at my library. Maybe they got unknown soldiers.. :)

You might have to wait for a while, it will only be published tomorrow.

A review by Herald Scotland: http://www.heraldscotland.com/books-p...

Ha ha, well that was funny..

There's not many books set in Finland, but I wanted to add mine to the list: The Sanctuary it's an erotic romance based out of Helsinki.

I traveled extensively to Finland over the course of many years and fell in love with the country. (Fell in love there too, but that's another/a different story.)

The Girl and the Bomb by Jari Järvelä

The Black Tongue by Marko Hautala

Liekin lapset by Leena Lander
I read the german translation of this (das Sonntagsmädchen) but I'm not sure if it is available in english as well.

The Midwife by Katja Kettu

I would like to add a book to the Finland list...Lapland Outlaw by Arthur Catherall ...it's a book for young people/young adults...but it's still a great book!

More books set in Finland:


The Adventurer by Mika Waltari
After the Storm by Kalle Päätalo
Art in Nature by Tove Jansson
As Red as Blood by Salla Simukka (1st book in Lumikki Andersson series)
Available Dark by Elizabeth Hand (2nd book in Cass Neary series)
Baby Jane by Sofi Oksanen
The Baltic Quintet: Poems from Estonia, Finland, Latvia, Lithuania and Sweden
Before the Storm by Kalle Päätalo
The Beggar and the Hare by Tuomas Kyrö
Behind God's Back by Harri Nykänen
Benjamin Kivi by Tuomas Kyrö
Big Game by Dan Smith
Billion Dollar Brain by Len Deighton
The Birch And The Star And Other Stories by Gudren Thorne-Thomsen
Birdbrain by Johanna Sinisalo
The Blood of Angels by Johanna Sinisalo
The Bodyguard by Leena Lehtolainen (1st book of The Bodyguard Trilogy)
The Book About Moomin, Mymble and Little My by Tove Jansson
The Brothers by Asko Sahlberg
The Burnt-Out Town of Miracles by Roy Jacobsen

A Stranger Came to the Farm by Mika Waltari

I recently read The Year of the Hare, a quirky but fun read set in Finland

The Finnish Girl by Dennis Frahmann (the main setting in Wisconsin, but one part of the story is set in the Finnish Karelia)

The Story of My Face by Kathy Page (partially set in Finland)

Burning Bright by Helen Dunmore (partially set in Finland)
The Man Who Died by Antti Tuomainen.
The Rabbit Factor by Antti Tuomainen.
The Moose Paradox by Antti Tuomainen.
The Beaver Theory by Antti Tuomainen.
Compartment No. 6 by Rosa Liksom.

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