Rea Haverinen hosts her own show at Radio SuomiRock, one of the most popular radio channels in Finland.
Though we here at Books, Bullets and Bad Omens usually can’t get women as good-looking and talented as her to tell us the time of day, Rea was kind enough to share her top 3 books and films with us.
Books
Avioliittosimulaattori, by Veera Nieminen (2013)
I usually avoid books that claim to be funny because I often don’t find them particularly hilarious. This book is an exception! I laughed so much that I cried! I have also passed the book on to many friends and gotten the same feedback from them.
What Alice Forgot, by Liane Moriarty (2009)
Before buying a book I always read the first page. If it doesn’t catch my interest, the book will stay at the shelves of the bookstore. This one did though, and it turned out to be one of the funniest I have ever read. A woman who suffers from memory loss, a well-kept secret and a grandmother who has decided to die – this book gets funnier and weirder by the minute. Made me laugh out loud and also cry.
The Rice Mother, by Rani Manicka (2003)
This book sank deep in my mind and although it’s so upsetting I still haven’t been able to read it again, I remember the names of the main characters and the profoundly shaking turns the book took. A vivid story of a family trying to survive in horrible circumstances.
Films
Boys Don’t Cry, dir. Kimberly Peirce (1999)
Like many books that really touch me, this is a movie I will always remember and always mention when asked about the best movies I have seen – yet I haven’t been able to watch it again because I find it so upsetting. Hilary Swank won an Oscar for her role in the movie and it was certainly well earned!
UP, dir. Pete Docter and Bob Peterson (2009)
I loooove animations and this one had me crying within the first five minutes. The story gets funnier, deeper and more touching by a minute. One of my all time favorites, no doubt about it.
Pride, dir. Matthew Warchus (2014)
So it would appear I am a cry baby but let’s not make a problem of it! I went to see this movie in the cinema and it turned out to be a big mistake – I cried so much that eventually I couldn’t control it and also weeped openly the whole way back home! A touching yet funny film about sexual minorities – and the beauty of finally accepting difference.
