2013 Where in the World are you?!? (Currently Reading)

[Chrissie]

Janice wrote: "I saw the negative reviews too, but I had already bought the book.

From what I've read so far, it doesn't make a lot of sense. I have to wonder about the agenda of the authors. I thought this ..."

Yes, it can certainly be fun to rant. Here is your chance.

Jenny, are you talking to me? You said,"I think it's a bit strange to express surprise that someone else would decide to read a book that others haven't liked! We all have different taste, what if she liked it?"

I wasn't surprised that Janice wanted to try it. I was just worried, given my own negative reaction. Maybe you were not talking to me?!

[Janice]

I think Jenny was referring to Rusalka's comment about being surprised.

And she's right - I'm reading it because I had already purchased the book, and my taste can certainly be different from others. However, I'm quickly learning why you and Rusalka had such a negative reaction to the book.

In the Audible group, quite a few people were dissing The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. I decided I wouldn't read it based on the comments. To my horror, it was selected by the next hostess of our bookclub to be discussed in our upcoming meeting. I read the book... and really enjoyed it! Lesson learned. I have to find out for myself whether or not I will like a book.

[Chrissie]

Janice, absolutely, one never really knows how one will react to a book. It is always a bit of a guess. I think it is because we all have different experiences that make us react to books differently. But Fiji was terrible. I just kept my mouth shut to wait and see how you would feel! With Harold, I got so mad at the guy. For me, I thought he was terribly selfish to take so long getting to her. Just my reaction; others love the book!

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I was responding both to Rusalka and Chrissie... I think we just need to be careful that our own view of a book doesn't hinder someone else from trying something they might like!

[Rusalka]

Oh I completely agree Jenny. And I am sorry if I was sounding discouraging. I was more reacting to my previous knowledge (or assumptions maybe, off goodreads) of Janice's tastes and it stuck me as something she may find frustrating.

And I probably should have been quiet until she had finished. In order not to colour her reading. But I did wait until she made a comment about it first.

Anyway, different strokes for different folks.

That's what keeps things interesting around here. And I am fully aware that some people would look at my shelves and not understand why I rated something so highly that they thought was complete rubbish and vice versa.

[Janice]

Rusalka wrote: "Oh I completely agree Jenny. And I am sorry if I was sounding discouraging. I was more reacting to my previous knowledge (or assumptions maybe, off goodreads) of Janice's tastes and it stuck me as ..."

No harm done. I value both Rusalka & Chrissie's opinions. I think that both of them know my tastes well enough and I welcome their comments. Group hug!!

[Rusalka]

Heh thanks Janice.

I'm actually plugging through Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell at the moment. It's not for my AtW reading as I've banned myself from Britain (read so much British lit normally) but I'm enjoying it if anyone wants a read for England. It does take a little bit to get started though, and that's daunting for a large book (it's over 1000pp).

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Rusalka wrote: "Heh thanks Janice.

I'm actually plugging through Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell at the moment. It's not for my AtW reading as I've banned myself from Britain (read so much British lit normally) but..."

I tried it once and had labeled it as not for me but then Neil Gaiman said it was in his top ten, and I sighed and got it to put on my shelf to try another time!

Sometimes a book is rubbish. Sometimes a book isn't right for a person, and sometimes a book is just bad timing!

Joins the group hug!

[Janice]

Love group hugs!! :)

[Chrissie]

Janice, I am glad you understood me. You know I never expect people to necessarily think as I do, but I did keep my mouth shut until you opened yours and complained.

[Lesley]

I'm reading this one set in Russia, Rasputin's Daughter.

[Lilisa]

With the Hmong in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures and in India with Detective Vish Puri in The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Starting in on Girl with a Pearl Earring since I want to go see the painting in Atlanta while it's there!

[Diane]

In Trinidad & Tobago with The Enigma of Arrival, my last Caribbean book for this tour. I am ready to be on my way to South America. I am also reading Midnight's Children (shhhhhh, I'm reading this out of geographical order. I just couldn't wait).

[Shomeret]

I had to cut short my Dahomey trip with Wives of the Leopard: Gender, Politics, and Culture in the Kingdom of Dahomey (because of library due dates)and take a trip to Haiti with In Darknessby Nick Lake which is an intense experience. I am with a fifteen year old boy who is buried under rubble during the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. I am also with Toussaint L'Overture as he leads Haiti's 18th century revolution.

[Diane]

Jenny wrote: "Starting in on Girl with a Pearl Earring since I want to go see the painting in Atlanta while it's there!"

When is it coming to Atlanta?

[Chrissie]

Jenny wrote: "Starting in on Girl with a Pearl Earring since I want to go see the painting in Atlanta while it's there!"

Oh, that is a good book! Have fun, Jenny. The movie is in fact equally good. One of the few times where I have both seen the movie and read the book!

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Chrissie wrote: "Jenny wrote: "Starting in on Girl with a Pearl Earring since I want to go see the painting in Atlanta while it's there!"

Oh, that is a good book! Have fun, Jenny. The movie is in fact equally good..."

I'm not sure I've seen the movie ever, it might be a nice followup after seeing the work!

Diane, it is at the High Museum until September 29. If you haven't been to that museum anyway, it's pretty great, and they have a good membership deal if you live over 50 miles like I do.

[Diane]

Jenny wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Jenny wrote: "Starting in on Girl with a Pearl Earring since I want to go see the painting in Atlanta while it's there!"

Oh, that is a good book! Have fun, Jenny. The movie is in ..."

Oh, wow, I didn't realize it was there already. I will definitely have to go by to see it. We live in the metro ATL and used to have a membership, but don't get there as often as I would like. Did you get to see the Frida Kahlo / Diego Rivera exhibit that was there a few months ago? It was pretty amazing. I watched a movie about them before going with my Spanish class.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Diane wrote: "Jenny wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Jenny wrote: "Starting in on Girl with a Pearl Earring since I want to go see the painting in Atlanta while it's there!"

Oh, that is a good book! Have fun, Jenny. Th..."

I missed Kahlo and would have liked to see it; I live three hours away. I think the last time I went was during the terra cotta soldiers, so it has been a while!

[Rusalka]

Sounds like you guys get great exhibitions. We don't see half the stuff you mentioned with our National Gallery is around the corner. Guess it is a long way to ship things...

Enjoy the book Jenny. I read it in a couple of evenings.

[Vizara]

At the moment I'm in Vietnam with Tree of Smoke and it's an incredible book, in the same category as Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War

[Diane]

Jenny wrote: "Diane wrote: "Jenny wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Jenny wrote: "Starting in on Girl with a Pearl Earring since I want to go see the painting in Atlanta while it's there!"

Oh, that is a good book! Have ..."

I loved the terra cotta soldier exhibit!

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Diane wrote: "I loved the terra cotta soldier exhibit! "

Me too! It was even more meaningful for me because I had resigned from concert band in college the same year they went on tour to China, so that was one of the things I missed when they went over.

[Lilisa]

I'm in India with Glimpses of Bengal.

[Janice]

I'm off to Denmark with The Keeper of Lost Causes.

[Chrissie]

Judy, you can also check out Going After Cacciato for Vietnam.

[Gill]

I'm in, amongst other places, 13th century Anatolia with The Forty Rules of Love.

[Chrissie]

Judy wrote: "Thanks for the rec, Chrissie. The one obviously nice thing about that book is that it isn't 600+ pages! and my library has it. Now I have two more looks at Vietnam."

I have not read Cacciato, but it has been recommended to me by a friend I trust.

[Tinafromdenmark]

In South East Asia: Finding George Orwell in Burma and now on to The Things They Carried, Vietnam. So far very good readings.

[Vizara]

Judy wrote: "Vizara wrote: "At the moment I'm in Vietnam with Tree of Smoke and it's an incredible book, in the same category as Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War"

Thanks for mentioning this book, Vizara...."

A couple of years ago I read Dispatches by Michael Herr which I thought was outstanding. Meanwhile I have purchased The Things They Carried after I read Chrissie's post.

[Rusalka]

I'm currently in Poland via outer space reading Solaris. Bit too much theory being thrown at me (and I'm usually okay with that stuff) at some points, but otherwise pretty good. Unless you're reading about "interesting" spaceship flights while the plane you are currently landing in starts bouncing around crazily... but not the author's fault that one.

[Lilisa]

Rusalka wrote: "I'm currently in Poland via outer space reading Solaris. Bit too much theory being thrown at me (and I'm usually okay with that stuff) at some points, but otherwise pretty good. Unless you're readi..."

Glad you landed safely! :-)

[Rusalka]

Heh Thanks! I think it was probably my own issues rather than the plane's. It's trying desperately to snow here but it's not succeeding (it never does) but that just meant a lot more cloud, and dense cloud at that, than I am used to flying through.

But was enough to put down the book for those 5 mins!

[Lilisa]

Rusalka wrote: "Heh Thanks! I think it was probably my own issues rather than the plane's. It's trying desperately to snow here but it's not succeeding (it never does) but that just meant a lot more cloud, and den..."

:-) love travel, planes not do much.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I started The Great Railway Bazaar last night, which will take me on the Hippie Trail from London to India and then across Asia. I'm enjoying it and Theroux gives me a lot of other books to read within his text.

[Lilisa]

In Afghanistan with And the Mountains Echoed- first 50 pages or so and enjoying it so far.

[Gill]

I'm staying in the same area and am starting to read The Bastard of Istanbul.

[Janice]

I don't think I mentioned that the next stop on my world tour is Australia with A Town Like Alice. The book starts out in England and supposedly makes its way to Australia via Malaya. Since I already have England and Malaysia completed, I'm really hoping we don't linger too long in those countries.

[Rusalka]

I have the welcome mat out and beer in the fridge.

[Shomeret]

I'm in ancient Roman period Palmyra (in Syria) where Queen Zenobia is under seige inImprobable Women: Five Who Explored the Middle East by William Woods Cotterman which I downloaded from Net Galley.

[Janice]

Rusalka wrote: "I have the welcome mat out and beer in the fridge."

I'll be there... as soon as we leave Malaysia and arrive in Australia. :)

[Terri R]

A Town Like Alice was made into a great mini-series with Bryan Brown in the male lead. Watching it started me on a brief kick of reading all Nevil Shute's work.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I picked up a random book from Iceland at the library - Svar við bréfi Helgu (Reply to a Letter from Helga)... Looks like a quick read.

[Janice]

Terri wrote: "A Town Like Alice was made into a great mini-series with Bryan Brown in the male lead. Watching it started me on a brief kick of reading all Nevil Shute's work."

It would make a great mini series. The section where the Japanese marched the women and children through Malaya would have been dire though. It's brutal just reading that section let alone watching it.

[Shomeret]

I am currently in Dahomey (currently called Benin)where am I learning about how the collapse of the Kingdom of Oyo in Nigeria led to the massive enslavement of the Yoruba with many of them on Dahomey's plantations. The book is Wives of the Leopard.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Spain with The Shadow of the Wind. I've been waiting on this one because I expected to love it, but now I'm thinking why wait?

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I'm back in Turkey with Memed, My Hawk by Yaşar Kemal. I also saw little orange globe-shaped Turkish eggplants at the local organic market... Tempting.

[Shomeret]

I am in Haiti again. This time I am with a young woman who was born in Haiti but adopted by Americans. She has returned to Papa Doc's Haiti to find out about her mother's life. The book is The Roving Tree by Elsie Augustave and I currently think that it's a candidate for my top ten of 2013.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

In New Zealand with The Luminaries by Eleanor Catton. It is on the Booker longlist, and I was so lucky to get an ARC from NetGalley because it doesn't come out in the states until mid-October, the same day the winner is announced.