Reading list for this summer!
What I’m reading this summer - and why. Most in English, some in Swedish. Almost all available in both languages. Some fiction, some non-fiction. I hope you find something that intrigues you!
Evenings and Weekends (Oisín McKenna): Reading it at the moment and really enjoying it. The story unfolds over a sweltering weekend, weaving together the interconnected lives of thirty-somethings grappling with queer identity, financial precarity, and impending parenthood in London.
Our Evenings (Alan Hollinghurst): This one I’ve already read, and I loved it. Race, class, and sexuality are woven together with the political and cultural shifts of English society.
The Sparsholt Affair (Alan Hollinghurst): Got it when I read the book above. Since I fell in love with the author’s style, I’m hoping that I will enjoy this book as well.
The Coin (Yasmin Zaher): Heard great things. The story is about a wealthy, obsessive woman living in New York who becomes entangled in a Birkin‑bag resale scheme while struggling with her personal and cultural traumas.
Rostskogen (Anders de la Motte): Having read the previous books in this series, I'm eager to see how the story unfolds. And, also, a least one crime novel must be read in the summertime.
Trollkarlen i Kreml, or Wizard of the Kremlin (Giuliano da Empoli): A political thriller that is said to blur fiction and reality as it delves into the mind of a Kremlin power broker shaping modern Russia through manipulation, spectacle, and ruthless strategy.
En hemlighet för mycket (Jenny Fagerlund): Annas life unravels after the sudden death of her partner Ferd. She if forced to confront betrayal, hidden truths, and the possibility of starting over—with help from unexpected friendships and a quirky dog daycare.
Room on the Sea (André Aciman): The author of Call Me by Your Name. I want to read more of his work.
A Gentleman from Peru (André Aciman): The statement from above still stands.
How to know a person (David Brooks): I’ve seen many references to this book, thinking it might be a useful read. It is explained to me as being an exploration of deep listening, empathy, and the art of truly seeing others in a fragmented, distracted world.
Code: A classic guide to how computers work, updated with new chapters and interactive graphics. It's not a long read, but I think it could be fun.
7 habits of highly effective people (Stephen R. Covey): Somewhat of a classic, referenced by many. I also enjoy reading books on productivity and efficiency.
Ledarskap i krigstider or Management in Times of War: Leadership Examples from Ukraine’s Government and Private Sector (Kostiantyn Koshelenko): It promises to provide firsthand insights from Ukraine’s ongoing war. It explores how leaders make critical decisions under extreme time pressure, sparse information, and at life-and-death stakes. A colleague at FOI gave me this book, and I imagine that we could have a great discussion about this during the fall.
The Technological Republic (Alexander C. Karp, Nicholas W. Zamiska): The book is a provocative call to action urging Silicon Valley. It urges a return to collective purpose by shifting focus from consumer apps to national defense, scientific progress, and preserving Western technological leadership.
War in the Smartphone Age (Matthew Ford): I listened to Matthew during a presentation at KTH earlier this summer. I’m hoping for new examples within a field that I’ve already thought a lot about.
Radical War (Matthew Ford): For the same reasons as above. The world is changing; the nature of wars is changing. I need to know more.
Den sista boken om mordet på Olof Palme (Jon Jordås): To be honest, I mostly bought it based on the title. That’s a bold statement, on the murder of the Swedish prime minister Olof Palme, and the ongoing national trauma. I’m guessing it will not be the last book written on the topic.
Hamas: Terror innifrån (Magnus Ranstorp): With the ongoing conflict in Gaza, this seems like a good book for background. On the rise, ideology, and operations of Hamas, one of the Middle East’s most violent and influential terror organizations.
Tulipomania (Mike Dash): Bought it while in Amsterdam this spring. On the topic of the 17th‑century Dutch tulip craze, history’s first speculative bubble. It reveals how beauty, greed, and the rise of early financial markets drove tulip-bulb prices to absurd heights before collapsing in a spectacular crash.
What are you reading this summer?