Throwing elbows

No One Writes to the Colonel by Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez

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My rating: 7/10

I have to admit I was a bit scared of reading Márquez, because I knew his 100 years of solitude is a book with a lot of characters and plot twists. It wasn't necessary because this book is different, it's a short story about an old colonel. He lives with his old, ill wife and they're both poor and struggling to survive. The colonel is patiently waiting for a letter that would mean money for his family, however, it doesn't come. The book is very deep and the story of old man's powerlessness is very touching.

The Greenhouse by Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir

My rating: 8/10

I was supposed to read at least 8 books written by Scandinavian authors for my university entrance exam and I grabbed this book, not knowing what it would be about. I only loved the Czech cover.

The book is about a young boy who decides to leave home, his caring father and autistic brother and fly to a foreign country to fullfill his dream of recreating an old rose garden. He's doing very well when he gets a phone call from mother of his baby girl and his life changes.

What I loved about this book was how real it was, it's obviously made up, but it seems like no fiction at all. It's probably not a book that you would read over and over again, but it's a great story of a young man on his intricated way to independce touched by his previous imprudence. Definitely a good summer read.