The Surge, Yrsa Sigurdardóttir’s third novel in the Black Ice series, shoots to No. 2 on the Icelandic bestseller list in all categories in November.
Photo: Jarli&Jordan;Jeff Richt
Oliver Lovrenski’s Back in the Day and Anders de la Motte’s second installment in The Leo Asker Series, The Glass Man, are two of the titles featured on Norwegian newspaper Verdens Gang’s “Best books of the year 2023” list for literature & fiction. The annual list is put together by renowned critics by picking out their own personal favorite reads of the past year. The critics’ words are as follows:
Back in The Day, for Best Fiction of 2023:
“I can’t recall seeing a debutant receive the kind of attention that Oliver Lovrenski has garnered in a very, very long time. And it’s completely deserved.”
“What a scorcher of a debut novel! The 19-year-old Lovrenski has burst onto the scene, into bookstores, and into the hearts of readers with tremendous force.”
The Glass Man, for Best Crime of 2023:
“A creepy opening kicks off the second book /…/ and the eeriness persists throughout the entire book. De la Motte is adept at creating eerie and fascinating perpetrators. ‘The Glass Man’ is even better than last year’s ‘The Mountain King,’ and it’s extremely difficult to put down.”
Dimmed Lights, Kristina Ohlsson’s third novel in the August Strindberg series, shoots to No. 1 on the paperback bestseller list of the week. Martin Widmark’s Christmas in Valleby: Boxing Day, meanwhile appears at No. 4 on the children’s list.
Knyckertz & snutjakten is based on the books about the Knyckertz family written by Anders Sparring, and is a continuation of the beloved SVT Christmas Calendar An Honest Christmas With the Knyckertz (2021). Sparring is also writer of the screenplay, with Leif Lindblom directing.
David Sundin stars as the father Bove Knyckertz, and Nina Zanjani plays the mother Fia Knyckertz. Their two children Ture and Kriminellen are played by Axel Adelöw and Paloma Grandin.
Knyckertz & snutjakten has received great reviews and premieres today Friday December 1 in Swedish theatres.
Ia Genberg’s The Details and Lina Wolff’s The Devil’s Grip are two of the titles featured on the Danish Litteratursiden’s “Best translated books of the year 2023” list. The Details is also seen on the list for “10 most popular books of the year“.
Litteratursiden’s writers’ group consists of critics, researchers, editors, librarians, writers, journalists and cultural figures.
Amina, written by Mona Masri and directed by Ahmed Abdullahi, had its world premiere at the 2022 Marrakech Film Festival, and will see its Swedish premiere this Friday December 1.
This is the anticipated feature debut for both writer and director.
Amina, a young and talented mixed martial arts fighter, struggles to raise her seven year old daughter. When she gets a shot at the world MMA championships, she is forced to make the toughest choice of her life.
The nominees for the 2023 Adlibris Awards have been announced. Adlibris is the leading book retailer in the Nordics and the award was founded in 2019 to celebrate the site’s biggest titles. The nominated works have been selected by a jury of Adlibris employees, but the winners will be voted forth by the public. The winning titles will be announced on January 25, 2024.
In the category “Fiction of the Year,” Niklas Natt och Dag competes with Hope and Destiny.
In “Children’s Book of the Year, Ages 0-6,” Sarah Sheppard and David Sundin have both received a nomination. Sheppard for her Animals of the City, and Sundin for his You Must Be QUIET Now!.
Lastly, in the category “Children’s Book of the Year, Ages 6-12,” Martin Widmark vies for the winning title with The Dinosaur Mystery.
Antti Tuomainen’s final installment in the acclaimed Rabbit Factor trilogy, The Beaver Theory, has been named one of the Thriller Books of the Year by The Sunday Times. The newspaper calls it “The joyous, triumphant conclusion to Tuomainen’s trilogy” and “The comic thriller of the year.”
A Nearly Normal Family, which premiered November 24 to rave reviews, claimed the number one spot on the official list of non-English TV-series. Just few days after its release, the crime-drama can count more than 6.4 million views and is No.1 in 34 countries.
The series is based on Mattias Edvardsson’s best-selling novel of the same name. Anna Platt and Hans Jörnlind are the series’ writers, with Per Hanefjord directing.
Jo Nesbø’s Killing Moon and Yrsa Sigurdardottir’s The Prey have been chosen by The Sunday Times as two of the best crime novels of 2023. The newspaper calls Killing Moon “not just an unbearably tense thriller, but another of Jo Nesbo’s piercing studies in love and loneliness.” The Prey is described as “mesmerising and atmospheric, with entrancing descriptions of landscape.”
Greece, Metaixmio
Closed by Emma Granberg
Spain, Duomo
Three-book-deal closed by Ida Schabbauer
Netherlands, Het Spectrum
Closed by Josephine Oxelheim
Lithuania, Baltos Lankos
Three-book deal closed by Emma Granberg
Estonia, Pegasus
Three-book deal closed by Emma Granberg
North Macedonia, Antolog
Two-book deal closed by Emma Granberg
Annette Bjergfeldt’s writing is made of poetic images and perceptive details. /…/ Each sentence seems carefully placed, like the tiles of a fragile yet luminous mosaic. /…/ An enchanting and profound novel.
– Libri & Cultura
The tension keeps building, and you almost feel like you’re right there with Markus as he reports on the violent finale.
– Aftonbladet
[A] magical and endearing fable. /…/ A memorable read (…) Mr. Saito’s Traveling Cinema is one of those books that seems destined to win readers’ hearts. Beyond the magical realism elements, the novel opts for stark emotion, a warm tone, and a portrayal of characters who always feel relatable.
– Cualia.es
A masterpiece of a novel. /…/ [It] might well happen that this is pulled out as a landmark in modern Norwegian crime fiction in a few years’ time. /…/ Yes, it’s geniusly written, there’s no doubt about that (…) [A] literary manifesto over what this rare treasure of a crime writer has got in him.
– Hverdagsnettmagasinet
The premise in SON is intriguing. /…/ SON is a truly great and well-written book with strong characters. (…) [It’s] a fascinating read at all times.
– DAST Magazine
Diamonds and Rust is a story about wounds that never heal, about envy, betrayal and revenge, and about a crime so well and thoroughly thought out that it may never be solved. Not unless Hanne Wilhelmsen gets a chance to try.
