Fiction
Sara Al Husaini: A Disobedient Girl
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Huono tyttö, Like 2023
FILI Reads A personal debut novel about a culture that subjugates and silences women and about finding a new path. A young Iraqi woman living in Finland breaks free from her Islamic background and finds out how it feels to be rejected by her own family. Eventually, pressured by her family, she ends up in a forced marriage in Iraq, the beginning of a nightmare in which she has no other role than the passive fulfilment of her husband’s sexual desires and maintaining the home. Sara Al Husaini’s intense narration moves deftly between different timelines and concretely shows not only how women are still treated in the Islamic world, but also how fierce courage can carve out a different path. An earth-shattering, impactful novel that will change your thinking!
Elina Backman: How to Face Death
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Kuinka kuolema kohdataan, Otava 2024
Patricia G. Bertenyi: We’re All Blind
Bonner Rights Finland, Kaikki ovat sokeita, Tammi 2024
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Siiri Enoranta: Nocturnal Lifelines
Bonnier Rights Finland, Keuhkopuiden uni, Gummerus 2024
FILI Reads This fantastic but very realistic novel takes the reader into the world of Homo Arboris who once pupulated the skies with their wings, but whose now atrophied wings no longer have the power to fly. At night, everyone has to cling to their own lung tree to survive. The noble Katica plays with her charmed companions, until she herself becomes enchanted by the art patron Sera. Katica's brother, who is aiming high by designing an aeroplane, finds himself under the scrutiny of a doctoral marquis who controls the social circle and seeks independence from the lung tree. Katica joins the game and begins a turbulent chain of events driven by revenge, a grand narrative of how a single powerful person decides the fate of the entire world, and a thought-provoking analogy for human alienation from nature.
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Eva Frantz: Then Die Contentedly
Helsinki Literary Agency, Så dör du nöjdare, Schildts & Söderströms 2024
Joel Haahtela: Marija's Love
Rights & Brands, Marijan rakkaus, Otava 2024
Niko Hallikainen: Big Wet Secret
Rights & Brands, Suuri märkä salaisuus, Otava 2023
FILI Reads Niko Hallikainen’s second novel is an intense coming-of-age story about a boy from East Helsinki trying to cope with the death of his alcoholic father, nights home alone and the trials of adolescence. Between the vast class differences between him and his classmates and having a crush on a boy he seeks solace from his tragic life in candy. Both the narrator and the people and places around him remain anonymous, referred to by epithets and postal codes. By contrast, the language, in which the voice of the boy and that of the grown-up narrator merge, is rich in descriptions and metaphors and unabashedly intimate and physical.
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Johanna Holmström: Wolf Cub
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Vargens unge, Förlaget 2024
FILI Reads One day retired Seija in small town Kuhmo, in Northeastern Finland, looks out of her window and sees a small, ragged boy outside. Who is he, where does he come from and why isn't he speaking? As the story starts to unfold it becomes clear that the seemingly quiet surroundings of Kuhmo carry more than one dark secret. Holmström's new novel is the first book in a trilogy. As soon as the book came out it was called upon by critics as the best Swedish suspense novel of the year.
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Kari Hotakainen: Pearl
Helsinki Literary Agency, Helmi, Siltala 2024
FILI Reads Helmi, once a rock band manager who toured the world, is now an elderly woman who can't even remember her own name. Her best friend is struggling to care for her husband, who nearly burns down their house while trying to heat an electric sauna with wood. By chance, instead of the child they had hoped for, the young couple finds themselves entangled with three elderly people who can no longer manage on their own - yet they will ultimately change everyone’s lives in unexpected ways. Hotakainen addresses topical and even tragic subjects with compassionate humor, offering thought-provoking insight.
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Helena Immonen: Operation Fire Fox
Bonnier Rights Finland, Operaatio Tulikettu, Docendo/CrimeTime 2024
Joona Keskitalo: The Island Torn Apart
The Outback Series #1
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Saari joka repesi, Bazar 2024
FILI Reads The Island Torn Apart kicks off The Outback Crime Series set in remote Finnish villages; the first book is set on an island in Korppoo, where ten or so people die in various ways. It all starts when Sigge Boman, the local loser, finds a body in the sea. It turns out to be Jerker, who has just sold his guest marina to Jennifer from the capital city Helsinki, much to the surprise of his family. No one, least of all the Russians who hang around the archipelago, wants Jennifer to start renovating the restaurant's exterior, but she is determined to start a new life and isn't afraid, even as those around her start falling dead. The book is full of delicious characters, and the absence of police and lack of initiative among the residents in the harsh early-winter conditions of the archipelago add to the absurdity.
Katja Kettu : The Investigations of A Certain Cat
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Erään kissan tutkimuksia, Otava 2023
FILI Reads A mysterious detective, a cat, drops into the author's life from the heavens at the darkest moment of her life: she has lost the child she was expecting – again – and with it everything, her ability to write. With no light in the future, the author begins to look to the past for a solution, by peering into the life of her great-grandmother Eeva during the turbulent years of the country's independence. A magnificent, captivating novel about life's greatest dreams, which you are forced to learn to replace with new ones, again and again. The Investigations of A Certain Cat also shows that words have power, that stories can create justice and new truths in the world.
Tommi Kinnunen: Pine Bark
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Kaarna, WSOY 2024
FILI Reads As Laina nears death, her children, Martti, Eevi and Maija, gather to organise the funeral. As they reminisce about the past, Martti, who has stayed with his mother in the north, recognises a familiar dynamic: his sisters, who moved to the south, are both geographically and emotionally distant from their shared past. Laina’s story carries us back in time, all the way back to her traumatic war experiences: an attack by Russian partisans in the summer of 1944 changed Laina irrevocably. A beautiful but unadorned story about women’s experience of war and how the silence surrounding women’s war trauma has prevented both their own recovery and that of the following generation: how can one shed the hard bark that suppresses remembering and healing? An important and captivating novel that sheds light on a topic that has long been in the shadows.
Kaj Korkea-aho: How We Met Your Mother
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Hur man möter en mamma, Förlaget 2024
FILI Reads Niko and Kaj, a male couple in Helsinki, decide to start a family and start looking for a potential mother for their future child. They post a notice on social media and start dating the candidates. The book is a diary-like, intimate story to be devoured in one sitting: a wise, beautiful and humoristic story about one of life’s most important decisions. This book should be mandatory reading for anyone who is considering starting a family!
Linnea Kuuluvainen: The Thick of the Forest
Helsinki Literary Agency, Metsänpeitto, Gummerus 2024
FILI Reads Linnea Kuuluvainen's debut novel is set in an authoritarian state enclosed by a wall in a foresty area of Turku. The surrounding forest, weary of humans, is appeased by disposing of the dead and those with the lowest security classification outside the closed city's walls. Edla, who has survived the forest's attack, must protect herself and her future from the dictatorship and human rights restrictions. Twenty years later, Ingrid joins a research team surveying the conditions of the forest beyond the walls. The book makes an unapologetically strong statement on humanity's reckless destruction of nature. The novel includes a nearly magical depiction of the furious forest attacking the state, mercilessly destroying everything in its path.
Sirpa Kähkönen: 36 Urns: A History of Being Wrong
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, 36 uurnaa. Väärässä olemisen historia, Siltala 2023
FILI Reads Kähkönen’s strongly autobiographical novel is beautiful and moving. It is a direct, unadorned speech from a daughter to a dead mother. After her mother’s death, the daughter discovers that their small family grave plot can hold thirty-six urns. So the daughter supplies her mother with thirty-six grave offerings – objects and stories – through which she makes an inventory of her mother’s life and youth as well as of transgenerational traumas, including her own childhood in the shadow of a violent and unpredictable mother. The most important thing, however, is the desire to understand – and loving memories.
Laura Lindstedt & Sinikka Vuola: 101 Ways to Kill Your Husband
Helsinki Literary Agency, 101 tapaa tappaa aviomies, Siltala 2022
Guest Read Laura Lindstedt's and Sinikka Vuola's 101 Ways to Kill Your Husband is a stunning novel in its own right. The text is playful and funny, and it is a very “literary” book. It presents 101 variations of the same theme which makes it fit very well with French literature, and with the Oulipo group in particular. Oulipo is a group of experimental authors, who seek to construct stories by using various constrained writing techniques, and writing within those rules. It is a very productive method! – Claire Saint-Germain
Merja Mäki: Wept Another
Helsinki Literary Agency, Itki toisenkin, Gummerus 2024
FILI Reads Merja Mäki’s novel Wept Another is a sensitive and powerful story about people at turning points in their lives. With her skilful narration and deep characters, Mäki immerses the reader in a touching love story set in wartime occupied Karelia. The main character of the book, Larja, a teacher, encounters her family’s painful past when she returns to her home village, but she also discovers she has a gift for lamenting, which is used to escort the dead to the afterlife and welcome yet unborn children. In the midst of war, life goes on. Merja Mäki has said that writing novels set in wartime is her way of doing peace work.
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Miika Nousiainen: Push, Pace, Position, Pray
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Ratakierros, Otava 2024
Tuomas Oskari (Niskakangas): The Eagle
Leo Koski series #3
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Kotka, Otava 2024
FILI Reads The Eagle, Tuomas Oskari’s (pen name of Tuomas Niskakangas) third novel in the Leo Koski series, is a classic thriller that unfolds at a fast and exciting pace. It skilfully navigates the boundary between the plausible and the implausible, leaving the reader to wonder, ‘What if it actually happened?’ The U.S. president is poisoned in the Oval Office just as he's about to announce the United States' resignation from NATO. Leo Koski, a former prime minister of Finland, who now lives in Washington after leaving Finnish politics, reluctantly becomes entangled in a cat-and-mouse game of international espionage while trying to protect both his daughter and his distant homeland. This is an exceptionally smooth, world-class thriller written by a journalist with an in-depth understanding of U.S. politics.
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Riikka Pulkkinen: Our Last Game
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Viimeinen yhteinen leikki, Otava 2024
Guest Read “Our Last Game" is an excellent novel, with a critique of medical power as one of its central themes. As has often been the case with Pulkkinen's previous works, this new novel stands out as one of the most promising contemporary ethical novels in domestic literature. However, the aesthetic aspect is always intertwined with the ethical. The novel’s construction, its linguistic expression, and the transformation of emotions are all carefully crafted, thoughtful, and polished.” – Turun Sanomat
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Katja Raunio: As of Late
Helsinki Literary Agency, Viime ajat, Teos 2023
Guest Read “Raunion's prose moves like a marble on a Fortuna game board: it is a swirling, intermittently satisfying and unpredictable chaos, which nevertheless remains within a chosen range throughout. As in Raunion's earlier works, he shows a sovereign command of language and style. The text moves from one page to the next in a single crawl, avoiding paragraph divisions. Towards the end, the novel moves delightfully towards surrealism and magical realism in its narrative, as the relationships between the novel's characters go off the rails like a Ruben Östlund film.” – Helsingin Sanomat
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Matias Riikonen: Matara
Helsinki Literary Agency, Matara, Teos 2021
FILI Reads Matias Riikonen’s widely recognised, award-winning novel is a story about the serious fantasy games of childhood. Boys at a summer camp spend their days in a realm of their own invention, the Republic of Matara, with its own laws and social structure, plots and alliances. Riikonen’s fourth novel takes children seriously in a way few other works do. In Riikonen’s hands, the birdsong-filled woods of early summer and the violence and tenderness of the boys meld into superb, startling literature. This is a book about war games and brotherhood, about building a society and then destroying it, about believing in your dreams and then finding new dreams to believe in. It’s a book about becoming one’s own self – it’s about us.
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S. K. Rostedt: Daughter of Two Bloods
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Kahden veren tytär, Otava 2024
Minna Rytisalo: Jenny Hill
Bonnier Rights Finland, Jenny Hill, WSOY 2023
FILI Reads What’s left for an ordinary, middle-aged woman, when the children have grown up and moved out of the house, and her husband has found someone new? Jenni Mäki becomes Jenny Hill, who writes therapy letters to Brigitte Macron, learns to set boundaries and is no longer worried about embarrassing herself or making other people happy. Fairy-tale characters, from Snow White to Sleeping Beauty, provide painfully candid commentary on Jenny’s story, while at the same time rewriting the stuffy, patriarchal portrayal of women in their own stories. "The first step was to leave, the second was to look it all straight in the eye. Maybe you helped with that, Brigitte."
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Christian Rönnbacka: The Red Team
Henna Björk #3
Bonnier Rights Finland, Henna Björk 3. Koodi, Bazar 2024
Pirkko Saisio: The Helsinki Trilogy
Helsinki Literary Agency, Pienin yhteinen jaettava (1998), Vastavalo (2000), Punainen erokirja (2003), WSOY
FILI Reads Pirkko Saisio’s autofictional trilogy carries the reader through the childhood, adolescence and adulthood of a girl who wanted to be a boy and started calling herself “her” when she was eight years of age. The strong themes of the trilogy – the relationship between an individual and the society, sexuality and being queer, and finding your voice – are told in a fragmentary, lyrical style, descriptive of Saisio. As the background, there is Helsinki, changing as the decades go by. Saisio is a seven-time Finlandia Prize nominee. Each of the three novels was nominated for the prize, The Red Letter of Farewells finally gaining it.
Niilo Sevänen: The Path of Eternal Winter
Helsinki Literary Agency, Ikitalven polku, Gummerus 2024
FILI Reads In the year 1000, the White Witch destroyed Europe, leaving behind cold and chaos. After seven years of silence, a group of reluctant and disunited heroes sets out on a journey to take a little girl, Halla, to safety. As the story progresses, the girl’s true powers are gradually revealed. Alongside interesting protagonists and plot twists, beasts, dangers and mysticism, there is also humour to be found in this enjoyable fantasy that draws from a wide range of mythologies and traditions. As Helsingin Sanomat newspaper put it: “The Path of Eternal Winter is a strong start to a book series that you would want to devour immediately.”
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Pajtim Statovci: A Cow Gives Birth At Night
Wylie Agency, Lehmä synnyttää yöllä, Otava 2024
Guest Read “A Cow Gives Birth at Night is a masterpiece that deals with painful questions, and it will surely garner praise from both Finland and the world. --Pajtim Statovci is a star of Finnish literature, and his new novel is the mightiest prose in ages: precise, terrifying and yet elegant in its expression. – – A cornered person’s odyssey that captivates the reader with its detailed mercilessness.”– – A major event.” – Helsingin Sanomat, Finland
Arttu Tuominen: The Stager
River Delta series
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Lavastaja, WSOY 2024
FILI Reads The Stager, the sixth volume of Arttu Tuominen's Delta series, is a fine and poignant conclusion to the stunning series. A seemingly ordinary family – mother, father, daughter, and dog – is found murdered at their summer home in a remote area of Pori. The bodies have been embalmed and arranged on the sofa in a homely manner as if watching television. A nostalgic movie tune plays on repeat in the background, and everyone is smiling. After some time, more bodies are discovered, murdered and displayed in the same macabre fashion. In contrast to the chilling monologues of the killer, the reader follows the lives of the detectives and sees glimpses of happiness, even as the pursuit of the serial killer demands the entire team's full attention. As the series concludes, it is particularly bittersweet to say goodbye to these characters, who have become so familiar. The author spectacularly ends the book, leaving the reader wondering whether it was all just theatre after all.
Iida Turpeinen: Beasts of the Sea
Helsinki Literary Agency, Elolliset, S&S 2023
FILI Reads In the eighteenth century, German naturalist Georg Wilhelm Steller sails to the edge of the New World on Vitus Bering’s expedition. After being shipwrecked on an island, the expedition discovers a mythical sea cow. In the nineteenth century, Hampus Furuhjelm, serving as governor of Alaska, a Russian territory, sends the skeleton of a Steller’s sea cow to the professor of zoology at the Imperial Alexander University in Helsinki, as had been promised. The huge skeleton ends up in a museum and is dismantled and reassembled in the 1950s. This debut novel skilfully combines natural science and fiction over a span of three centuries, describing the destruction caused by humans in the name of progress and civilization: the Steller’s sea cow was hunted to extinction only a few decades after its discovery. Iida Turpeinen’s debut is also a complete masterpiece in terms of language and story, which she uses to masterfully intertwine the thought-worlds and characters of each era.
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Maria Turtschaninoff: Inherited Land
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Arvejord, Förlaget 2022
FILI Reads This story – or rather, these stories – pull you in right away. Without a doubt, Turtschaninoff is one of the best storytellers in Finnish literature, someone you want to listen to and who has something to say. Inherited Land is a multigenerational story about the interaction between humans and nature. It’s also a story about how people and places are connected to each other, about how the memory of a place fades over generations and about what responsibility we ultimately have for places. A wise, beautiful and occasionally even titillating book.
Saara Turunen: Hyena Days
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Hyeenan päivät, Tammi 2024
FILI Reads A woman is about to turn forty and realises she should finally do something about her indefinitely postponed dream of having children and unsuccessful attempts to have a child. So begins an arduous endeavour, in the travel-restricted days of the pandemic and in infertility clinics in Barcelona and Helsinki, as well as a reflection on what motherhood is and could be in relation to being an artist – and above all, on how these two identities might be combined. In her open, personal style, Saara Turunen tells of the harsh realities of life when in the throes of infertility treatments and expectations, and of slowly growing into the role of a mother who trusts her animal instincts. An important story by a master of autofiction for anyone pondering the roles of women, and especially for those for whom having a child has remained a dream. Hyena Days has already been called this popular author’s happiest novel.
Jukka Viikilä: Sandcastles
Rights & Brands, Hiekkalinnat, Otava 2024
FILI Reads Jukka Viikilä’s Sandcastles is like a delightfully lackadaisical French art film. In fragmentary glimpses, it sketches a love relationship that stretches to sadomasochistic proportions between a young female writer and a married male architect twenty years her elder. The author, who has twice won the Finlandia Prize, started his career as a poet, which is apparent in the novel’s poetic philosophical summaries about love, sex, physicality and loyalty – to others, as well as to oneself. Viikilä creates a sensual and wistful world completely his own, with sentences you’ll repeatedly find yourself wanting to stop and savour. The passionate love story suddenly dies down but remains forever in the woman’s mind, and sixty years later, all that remains are memories and a realisation about her life “I spent my life protecting myself”.
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Sinikka Vuola: Anatomy of a Storm
Bonnier Rights Finland, Myrskyn anatomia, WSOY 2024
Guest Read “Sinikka Vuola demonstrates how poetry can be used to craft a compelling novel. Anatomy of a Storm explores themes of growth, love, and eternal change in an accessible, succinct, and profound manner, echoing the timeless classics of world literature, from Ovid's Metamorphoses onward.” – Helsingin Sanomat
Children's & Young Adult Books
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Ilona Ahti & Miila Westin : The Mud Puddle Ghost
Stop Secret Mysteries #2
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Stop Secret. Kuralätäkön kummitus, Tammi 2024
Katja Bargum & Jenny Lucander: The Book of Butterfly Records
Koja Agency, Fjärilarnas rekordbok, Förlaget 2024
FILI Reads More than 150,000 species of butterflies fill the air worldwide during spring and summer. By delving into this beautifully illustrated non-fiction picture book filled with fascinating facts about these incredible animals, you will undoubtedly learn a lot while also having a lot of fun. Read about the largest and hungriest caterpillars, about the fastest butterflies and the most intelligent ones capable of hiding or scaring away predators. All these facts are presented in a visually appealing manner and often with a touch of humour. As the perfect companion for the summer season, this book offers entertainment and education for children and their parents!
Jukka Behm: Angel's Fist
Hammersmith United 2
Bonnier Rights Finland, Enkelin nyrkki, Tammi 2024
FILI Reads Angel's Fist is a fine sequel to Jukka Behm's Wonder Boy, which was published in 2023. Leon still has trouble getting along with his "foster father" Jack, so he runs away to London, intending to live with his mother. However, he can’t recall where she lives. Fortunately, the semester at Hammersmith United Academy is about to start, accommodation is arranged, and Leon gets a new roommate, who, however, spends more time with his computer than with football. Leon's best friend, Amadou, is acting strangely, despite being invited to train with Hammersmith United’s struggling first division team. Moreover, someone is spreading news about Leon, claiming that he is behaving aggressively. Angel’s Fist hits like Maradona's famous "Hand of God"; when everything seems to be going wrong and nothing seems to work, something happens that sets things back on track, at least for a moment.
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Linda Bondestam: Chop Chop – The Story of a Busy Robot
Rights & Brands, Chop chop – En tapper jordbos berättelse, Förlaget M 2024
FILI Reads The little robot Chop Chop is a perfect worker, stronger and faster, needing no lunch, and running on solar power, therefore costing nothing. Chop Chop takes everyone's job, but eventually there will be new, more efficient robots to take Chop Chop's job. Now it is Chop Chop who no longer suffices and the reader gets to follow this little robot who turns out to be the most efficient office worker, a lousy dog walker, extremely popular at kindergarten, a creative illustrator, and a terrible soldier. After the bombings, everything goes quiet but the robot, eventually brought to life by the rays of the sun, has an idea that is the beginning of everything. A dystopian tale of the future with emotional illustrations and themes.
Karin Erlandsson & Karoliina Pertamo: Juno Lights the Moon
Helsinki Literary Agency, Juno tänder månen, Schildts &Söderströms 2024
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Lena Frölander-Ulf: Rafsa Stonestep
The Fight for Stonefield Trilogy #3
Rights & Brands, Rafsa Stentramp, Förlaget 2024
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Magdalena Hai: The Horned God
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Sarvijumala, Otava 2023
FILI Reads Seventeen-year-old Lauri has been injured in a car accident. His mother, who was in the same car, has died, and his father is in a coma. When admitted from the hospital, Lauri moves in with his aunt and her family. Feeling deeply depressed, Lauri begins to experience disturbing hallucinations: a horned figure, smelling of earth and visible only to him, starts following him everywhere. Soon after, the ghost of a child who drowned in a ditch also begins to haunt him. As the terror intensifies, Lauri starts to fear that he is losing his mind. The horror steadily escalates throughout the story, leading to a ferocious battle between good and evil. The Horned God, winner of the 2023 Finlandia Prize for Children's and Youth Literature, is a chilling tale of psychological and supernatural horror.
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Kaisa Happonen & Anne Vasko: The Woodland Light
Bonnier Rights Finland, Mur ja metsän valo, Tammi 2024
FILI Reads In Kaisa Happonen and Anne Vasko's collection of bedtime stories, The Woodland Light, readers gets to experience different forms of light in nature alongside some forest animals. The stories explore these phenomena of light and the expectations and wonder that come with them, yet we also see how light invites one to play. Each story exudes a sense of calmness, whether the animals encounter moonlight, shooting stars, the northern lights, reflections, or the last light before darkness. Additionally, they don’t forget about the imagination and the invisible, both of which are also present. The wonderful illustrations set the mood for these philosophical stories , enjoyable for children of various ages.
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Aino Havukainen & Sami Toivonen: Tatu and Patu – Ready, Steady, Go!
Rights & Brands, Tatu ja Patu – Paikoillenne, valmiit, hep!, Otava 2024
FILI Reads Tatu and Patu are glued to their screens, and Veera is determined to get them to go outside or at least bouncing on the trampoline. Once they get going, they throw themselves into various sports with their characteristic enthusiasm, Oddville style. Readers can join them for hiking, tennis, and track and field competitions. The book also includes a fun exercise routine suitable for all ages, with movements that loosen joints and bring on the giggles.
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Elina Hirvonen & Mervi Lindman: Princess Rascal and the Dark Fairy
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Prinsessa Rämäpää ja mörkötaika, Tammi 2024
Helena Immonen: The Caracal’s Strength
Animagi of the Purple Mist #1
Bonnier Rights Finland, Purppurausvan Animaagit. Karakalin voima, Tammi 2024
FILI Reads Adventures, battles and thrilling fates – an exciting start to a series set in the lands of the Animagi tribes! Twelve-year-old Tommo has received his animal form: a caracal, also known as desert lynx. While getting accustomed to his new form, Tommo meets Aasa, a girl who has been rejected by her tribe, and Hedda, who has taken on the form of a sparrow. Together they uncover a plot by Ismar, the leader of an enemy tribe, and the dark wizard Morton, to create a virus that turns the cells of its carrier unalive but makes the carrier immortal. Tommo, Aasa and Hedda are swept up in an exciting adventure, where the young Animagi have to rely on courage, wisdom, and instinct.
Sanna Isto: The Invisibles
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Näkymättömät, Tammi 2024
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Juha Kauppinen & Janne Toriseva: The Irreplaceables
Helsinki Literary Agency, Korvaamattomat, Siltala 2023
FILI Reads This engaging non-fiction picture book for young people and adults introduces key species, essential organisms that play vital roles in their habitats, shaping landscapes and fostering important interactions between species. It includes many fascinating stories about the relationships between animals and their environments, from tiny termites to majestic elephants and powerful predators. Additionally, it underlines the significant role of human beings as a key species, particularly regarding how our actions impact climate change. It is not only critical for the future of the entire ecosystem, but also for the survival of nature. This illustrated book will surely deepen your appreciation for the world and its important animal inhabitants.
Roope Lipasti: Children of the Burning City
Bonnier Rights Finland, Palavan kaupungin lapset, WSOY 2022
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Mari Luoma: The Peppermint Murders
Masters of Mystery Olivia & Icarus #1
Rights & Brands, Mysteerimestarit Olivia & Icarus 1 – Mintun makuinen murha, WSOY 2024
FILI Reads The Peppermint Murders is the first part of Mari Luoma's Masters of Mystery series, set in a boarding school, the Dancing Crane School for Girls. It is also attended by 11-year-old Olivia, known as the Murder Girl, who loves detective stories and knows all the genre’s classics. One morning, Olivia discovers a dead body at school. When detective Isac Icarus, who is well known on social media, arrives, the two of them set out to solve the murder together. This bickering duo begins to investigate the school's teaching staff, uncovering skeletons in almost every teacher's closet. This book is an addictive and humorous read for all fans of detective stories!
Marika Maijala: The Magic Flower
Rights & Brands, Taikurinkukka, Etana Editions 2022
FILI Reads When opening the cover of Marika Maijala’s latest picture book, The Magic Flower, you enter a world that is full of familiar details, yet which feels entirely new at the same time. The characters reveal themselves gently in their own pace. Who is the main character in this book actually: Aspen, who is curious and optimistic, Spruce, who is up to explore new things and proud of the sacred friendship with Aspen, Eulalia the chicken, who happens to discover a small plant in the corner of the greenhouse or Raisin, the plant itself, who goes through a huge transformation with the smallest visible signs to the outside? “I made a conscious decision to place even the chicken in a main role”, Marika says. The Magic Flower is a beautiful sample of her multi-talent as as both author and illustrator.
Kaisa Paasto & Mari Ahokoivu: Prankenstein
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Prankenstein, Tammi 2024
FILI Reads Elmeri, a fifth grader, unwittingly pulls a prank and ends up a social media star. The prank also gains him the attention of his secret crush, Mima. Elmeri’s cousin Robin begins to coach him in his career as a prankster, which is set to culminate when the president visits Elmeri’s school, where he once worked. An incredibly fun and laugh-out-loud book that also has a lesson (but let’s not advertise it to the reader). The illustrations by Mari Ahokoivu also hit the spot!
Elina Pitkäkangas: Naraka
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Naraka, WSOY 2023
FILI Reads Readers will be enchanted by the portrayal of justice, injustice and love in the beautifully written Naraka. Dawei has returned to his home region, but his brother’s fate weighs on his mind as he sets off on a dangerous journey to Naraka, Fusang’s infamous labour camp. The Iron Rebellion, with its charismatic leaders, is on the rise, and Dawei is among those swept up in the fighting. In the end, he will have to decide which side he is on when the roles of good and evil aren’t so clear, and when what one’s heart says is decisive. Naraka is a wonderful sequel to Sang, which was published in 2022.
Satu Rämö & Satu Kontinen: The Island Adventures: The Secret of the Grove
Bonnier Rights Finland, Satujen saaret 1: Lottalehto, Tammi 2024
FILI Reads In this book for middle graders, two twelve-year-old cousins start their summer adventure at their grandfather's summer home. As they settle in, they notice their grandfather behaving strangely – he seems upset and secretive. Sensing a mystery, they decide to investigate. With its blend of mystery, adventure, a sunny summer vacation and some history, The Secret of the Grove is sure to captivate its readers. The next book in the series will be written by Satu Rämö.
Silja Sillanpää & Pasi Pitkänen: Ouroboros, The Rainbow Snake
Ouroboros #1
Bonnier Rights Finland, Ouroboros: Sateenkaarikäärme, WSOY 2024
FILI Reads In Ouroboros, we will embark on an underground adventure with Rune, his snake Niji, a lot of strange people, as well as an abundance of snakes. Will Rune solve the mystery of his mother's disappearance with only a childhood photo and knowledge of her interest in runes? This book awaits middle graders to explore and enjoy! A story with dazzling illustrations, action, adventure and themes of human and animal behaviour, truth and deception, children's resilience in tough times, and the courage needed to shape one’s future.
Salla Simukka & JP Ahonen: The Secret Staircase
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Poika ullakolla, poika kellarissa, Tammi 2024
New
Ellen Strömberg: No Beginning, No End
Helsinki Literary Agency, Ingen början, inget slut, S&S 2024
FILI Reads In Ellen Strömberg's No Beginning, No End, we follow two intense summer weeks in the life of 14-year-old Benjamin. He is on holiday with his father, who is doing archaeological excavations on a maze-like rock formation on a remote island off the coast of Ostrobothnia. Benjamin meets the mysterious Tristan, who feels sadness and longing in different ways, and whose love, it turns out, can make a difference. A beautiful story, with mystical elements, about the power of love that burns and crackles like sparklers and is greater than everything
New
Miina Supinen & Anni Nykänen: The Frosty Sorbet Race
Rosemary 4
Rights & Brands, Jäätävä sorbettikisa, WSOY 2024
Tuutikki Tolonen & Anne Vasko: The Secret Ones
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Salaiset, WSOY 2024
FILI Reads The Secret Ones is an invitation to play and discover who is hiding behind the clues scattered around the house. We constantly find crooked paintings, piles of crumbs on the floor, suddenly vanishing items and holes in one’s socks. By observing carefully, we can find peaceful creatures hiding in the book as well as in our home. These creatures prefer to remain unseen. The fun continues beyond reading, as the book encourages the reader to find more traces of still undiscovered, exciting creatures! A truly engaging book to explore together with a child.
New
Maria Turtschaninoff & Peter Bergting: The Manticore
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Mantikoran, Förlaget 2024
FILI Reads All the alarm bells are ringing, as all the signs that Dad's new girlfriend is a Manticore are right in front of their eyes, but only Li realises what is happening. She sees the long predatory claws, hears the predatory laughter, sees the rows of teeth and watches as this monster calculatingly prepares to kill Li's family. With a unicorn horn in her backpack, she soon has a plan to save her family. With its evocative illustrations, Manticore has elements of both fantasy and horror, forcing the reader to consider dreams and reality, good and evil. This skilfully constructed story surprises the reader several times, especially the ending raises many questions about what really happened. A book that you want to read again and again.
New
Arttu Unkari & Kai Vaalio: Dad Man and the Doppelgänger Disaster
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Isämies ja kaksoisolentokatastrofi, Otava 2024
Miila Westin: A Dangerous Dream
Mythicals #2
Helsinki Literary Agency, Vaarallinen uni, S&S 2024
FILI Reads In the second part of Westin's graphic trilogy, 10-year-old Eevi embarks on a new adventure within the Finno-Ugric folk tradition. This time she encounters a world where humans coexist with many mythical beings, some of which are friendly while some are menacing. As the title suggests, dreams are dangerous. They serve as a warning of dangers, as evil can infiltrate one’s life through dreams. The text and illustrations work together to create a story suitable for anyone interested in Finnish folklore or graphic novels.
Non-Fiction
New
Antero Holmila & Martti J. Kari: Unlocking Kremlin. Why Russia operates the way it does
Bonnier Rights Finland, Miksi Venäjä toimii niin kuin se toimii, Docendo 2023
New
Heini Kinnunen, Emma Lamberg, Inna Perheentupa & Hanna Ylöstalo: Towards a Feminist Economy
A Guide to Critical Economic Literacy
Feminismiä talouteen. Opas kriittiseen talouslukutaitoon, Gaudeamus 2024
New
Niina Kivilä & Kati Saonegin: Cloudberry Confessional: Essays on Life, Land and Legends
Rights & Brands, Hillasuolla kaikki on toisin, Into 2023
New
Aura Koivisto: A Man and A Sea Cow
The Fateful Exploration of Naturalist Georg Steller
Mies ja merilehmä, Into 2019
Julia Korkman: Memory Dependent: The Justice Process and the Truth
Helsinki Literary Agency, Minnets makt, Schildts & Söderströms 2022
New
Petri Laukka & Ari Turunen: Good Sea, Bad Sea
The Stormy History of the Baltic Sea
Rights & Brands, Paha meri: Itämeren myrskyisä historia, Aula & Co 2024
Sofi Oksanen: Same River Twice - Putin's War Against Women
Salomonsson Agency, Samaan virtaan – Putinin sota naisia vastaan, Like 2023
Tiina Raevaara: A Short History of Eternal Life
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Ikuisen elämän lyhyt historia, Like 2024
FILI Reads Tiina Raevaara addresses aging, the fear of death, and people's struggle to accept the passage of time in her accessible non-fiction book. The pursuit of a longer life is almost taken for granted, rarely questioned. Transhumanists strive to create a perfect human, whose qualities could be enhanced through technology. Meanwhile, in cryonics facilities, frozen bodies await potential technological or medical advancements that may never be achieved – and why should they? Raevaara, with her background in research, combines science, technology, and popular culture in an engaging way, skilfully connecting the broad topic to her own experiences with the fear of death and aging. The strength of the book lies in its personal approach, as each chapter begins with personal health metrics, listing daily workout, recovery percentage, stress level, lowest heart rate, and highest heart rate – familiar to many of us in the pursuit of a better self.
New
Tiina Raevaara: Me, My Dog, and Humanity
A History of Coexistence Between Species
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Minä, koira ja ihmiskunta, Like 2022
FILI Reads Tiina Raevaara’s narrative non-fiction book explores the history of the coexistence of species.A strong connection with animals has been crucial for human survival. The book is deeply personal in its approach. The author discusses her own experiences with burnout, social sensitivity, and excessive empathy, seeking explanations for these through research and an evolutionary perspective. An animal can provide great comfort when the company of other people feels like a burden. Tiina Raevaara (b. 1979) is a writer, science journalist, and biologist who received a PhD for her work in genetics.
Reetta Ranta: Timeless Nordic Rituals: Bringing Purpose and Joy to Modern Life
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Rituaalikirja — Etsijän opas, SKS Kirjat 2023
FILI Reads Ancient cultures and indigenous peoples understood the power of nature and its influence on our lives. Songs, poems and spells have helped us transition from one stage of life to another. This book of rituals invites you to revive forgotten traditions and start new ones. The book includes themes focusing on different seasons, various times of the day, and different stages of human life, inviting you to create your own rituals to strengthen your connection with nature and your inner self.
Sakari Siltala: High Stakes
Helsinki Literary Agency, Korkea peli. Teollisuustitaani Walter Ahlströmin elämä, Siltala 2023
New
Jukka Tuhkuri: Endurance: One Myth, Two Journeys, and the Weight of Ice
Helsinki Literary Agency, Jään Voima. Kertomus Endurancen uppoamisesta ja löytymisestä, Siltala 2024
FILI Reads At the dawn of the 1910s, crossing Antarctica had not yet been achieved. Ernest Shackleton's expedition was also unsuccessful: their ship, the Endurance, was crushed by ice, leaving the crew drifting for months. In 2022, Jukka Tuhkuri participated in the Endurance22 expedition, which successfully located the wreck of the Endurance. In this book, Tuhkuri examines the historical events and compares polar researchers' work from a century ago to today in a fascinating way, shedding light on why the Endurance was crushed and how climate change affects polar ice. The power of community and stunning nature, along with the charming penguins, plays an important role in this book, which is written in an accessible and sympathetic way. Jukka Tuhkuri is a professor of solid mechanics at the Aalto University, where he researches ice mechanics and arctic marine technology.
New
Henri Tuomilehto: The Art of Sleep
Bonnier Rights Finland, Nukkumisen taito, Tammi 2024
FILI Reads Many people believe that sleeping well leads to alertness during the day; however, Dr. Henri Tuomilehto thinks that being alert during the day helps you sleep well. In this latest work, he reveals that sleep is a skill everyone can improve, develop, and strengthen. The book introduces a five-step coaching method designed to help everyone sleep better and enhance their quality of life. Tuomilehto emphasizes that improving sleep can lead to positive changes in many important areas of life. Sleep, he argues, is the ultimate superpower, and this book is highly recommended for anyone who struggles with poor sleep. Dr. Henri Tuomilehto is one of the few full-time sleep physicians in the world, and his new book is a follow-up to his bestseller Nukkumalla menestykseen (Sleep to Succeed), which has sold over 20,000 copies.
New
Pekka Tölli: I See You
Bonnier Rights Finland, Minä näen sinut. Arvostuksen psykologiaa, Tammi 2024
New
Salla Vuorikoski: Sanna Marin: Finland's Young Prime Minister
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Sanna Marin. Poikkeuksellinen pääministeri, WSOY 2024
Helena Åhman: Emotional Courage: How to Speak Directly and Meet Resistance
Elina Ahlback Literary Agency, Tunnerohkeus, Otava 2024
