This will hurt me...

I'll quickly whip through a few here.   Vendela Vida, Let the Northern Lights Erase Your Name The story is interesting enough, but an annoying central character and clumsy dialogue spoil it for mine. Avoid.   W.G. Sebald, Austerlitz I really expected to enjoy this more than I did. A remarkable main character, fascinating story and it covers a topic that interests me greatly. Yet it left me cold. Maybe it is Sebald's narrative approach, but I just found it a bit of a grind. Not for the faint hearted!   Philip K. Dick, The Man in the High Castle I've not read a lot of Dick as sci-fi has never really been my thing. However, I do have some time for alternate history, especially if it is well done. Dick does a convincing enough job envisioning a world in which the Axis powers emerged victorious in the Second World War, and delivers a decent little page-turner to boot. Recommended.   Peter Roebuck, It Takes All Sorts I've both bagged and praised Roe...

Robert Edwards, White Death: Russia's War on Finland 1939–40 One of the most captivating (yet little known) stories of World War II concerns the valiant Finnish defence against the invading Red Army through the winter of 1939–40. The Soviet Union's invasion of Finland in November 1939 prompted a combination of shock and outrage in the international community. Yet, three months after the invasion of Poland by Germany, reaction amounted to little more than the Soviet expulsion from the already dead League of Nations. In all respects, the results of what became known as the Winter War conflict seemed a foregone conclusion. The Soviet Army was reputed to be the best in the world, and the Finns outnumbered 4 to 1 in men, 200 to 1 in tanks and 30 to 1 in aircraft. However, to everyone's surprise, the Finns resisted the Soviet advance and became an international cause celebre. For over three months and with little outside assistance (much to the shame of the West), it looked ...

Oulu, Finland Oulu is the largest and most important city in Northern Finland, and the sixth largest city in the country. The first time that I heard of Oulu was around the time of the first Air Guitar World Championships, in 1996. Now, I have no interest in Air Guitar, but for some reason Oulu has stayed on my mind ever since. Apparently, Oulu has gone from being a town known for wood tar and salmon, into a major centre in high technology, particularly IT and “wellness” [which I’m told is another word for healthcare] technology. Other prominent industries include wood refining, paper and steel. This tells me that it would make a fine sister city to Burnie ! I can’t properly explain why, but Finland has always attracted me. They have an incredibly interesting history, and the Finns ability to adapt and excel globally is to be admired. I would love to go there one day. And if I’m going to Finland, there is no way that I’m not going to Oulu.