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

[Shomeret]

I'm in England at the beginning of the reign of Charles II. In celebration of his coronation, there was a Robin Hood play performed. He also apparently sent a message in the form of a Robin Hood song to Parliament. It doesn't survive, but a later message does survive in which he tells them that they can't "avenge the insult" implied by the song. All of this is in Robin Hood: A Mythic Biography which I am absolutely loving.

[Rusalka]

I really enjoyed her Zorro too. But I read it as a tongue-in-cheek, fluffy, adventure story. I had no thoughts that it would be the same style or level as The House of the Spirits which I absolutely loved.

[Janet C-B]

I am in Australia, enjoying The Rosie Project. Honestly, the story is not dependent on the setting, but I like variety when it comes to setting.

[Daisy]

1940s Bucharest, Rumania with a bunch of English ex-patriots.

Fortunes of War: The Balkan Trilogy

[Lilisa]

In Greece with The House on Paradise Street.

[Chrissie]

Lilisa, that one is good! It follows Greek history from WW2 up to the present. The story feels very real.Eleni is another really good one for Greece. In fact the latter got one more star from me, five rather than four. If you want more.....

[Lilisa]

Chrissie wrote: "Lilisa, that one is good! It follows Greek history from WW2 up to the present. The story feels very real.Eleni is another really good one for Greece. In fact the latter got one more star from me, f..."

Thanks Chrissie - I'm just into the second chapter - sleep got in the way. Looking forward to delving into it. Eleni is on my list to read as well.

[Lilisa]

Chrissie wrote: "Lilisa, that one is good! It follows Greek history from WW2 up to the present. The story feels very real.Eleni is another really good one for Greece. In fact the latter got one more star from me, f..."

Chrissie - liked your review of The House on Paradise Street - thanks!

[Chrissie]

Lilisa, thanks. I really don't want you to skip Eleni, it is fantastic. One of those books I will never forget.

[Lilisa]

Chrissie wrote: "Lilisa, thanks. I really don't want you to skip Eleni, it is fantastic. One of those books I will never forget."

Then I must read Eleni for sure Chrissie - thanks.

[Chrissie]

Lilisa, a word of warning, "Eleni" is not an easy book to read. Terrible events, emotionally upsetting, and it is shocking to realize the status of women in a European country not that many decades ago - about 60 years ago, if I remember correctly.

[Chrissie]

Now there are two of us stating that "Eleni" is fantastic. It is a must read.

[Lilisa]

Gaeta1 wrote: "I Love Eleni. I have never forgotten that first scene in the book, at the funeral. With the skull."

That's why I love groups like this - great to get recommendations - thanks Gaeta and Chrissie.

[Chrissie]

Lilisa wrote: "Gaeta1 wrote: "I Love Eleni. I have never forgotten that first scene in the book, at the funeral. With the skull."

That's why I love groups like this - great to get recommendations - thanks Gaeta..."

You are welcome. It is just plain fun telling people about good books.

[Lilisa]

Heading to Spain with The Infatuations.

[Val]

I am currently in the Czech Republic with Mendelssohn is on the Roof and HHhH. They are not really for this challenge, as I already have a book for Czech Republic, but both are very good so far.

[Shomeret]

I am commuting between 16th century Scotland with Beltanewhich I won in a Historical Fictionistas Giveaway, and World War I in Egypt and Palestine in the biography Aaronsohn Sagaby Shmuel Katz. The commonality that I'm finding between the two books is that the protagonists of the novel and Aaron Aaronsohn, the subject of the biography, all have a profound connection to the land. They are different countries with different types of land,but I think they would all understand one another's perspective if they met.

[Gill]

I'm in (what was) Germany/ (now) Poland with Christa Wolf in Patterns of Childhood

[Lesley]

I am reading The Garden of Burning Sand, set in Zambia. A fast-paced, interesting read.

[Vicky]

I'm resurfacing on this thread after a long break after being in Norway (literally) and in Vinland (in literary terms).

[Lilisa]

I'm in India with a A Suitable Boy (not counted for this challenge) and will head to Germany with The Book Thief some time this weekend.

[Terri R]

I just traveled to Tanganyika, Nairobi, Greece, and Haifa, among other places, from England with Roald Dahl in his autobiography Going Solo.

[Lilisa]

Judy wrote: "Impressive, Lilisa, two l-o-n-g books. However, The Book Thief didn't feel long to me when I listened to it."

Judy - I hadn't realized that The BookThief is 500+ pages! But, I've caught up weekwise with A Suitable Boy - yah, (I was reading like a fiend this week), so I'm feeling rather ambitious!

[Lilisa]

Judy wrote: "No kidding!! Catching up ASB is totally impressive since it was like reading a longer, normal-size book in a week to do it. Enjoy all the good reading between those two books!"

Yeah, I got into it and chugged right along! So today I'm hanging out with TBT.

[Gaeta1]

So ashamed that I am frantically trying to catch up on my alphabet challenge and haven't tackled the book yet. Lilisa is an inspiration.

[Barbarac]

I'm in Communist USSR, reading Child 44. I haven't been reading as much this year, but I've had this book marked to read for a while, and just heard the movie is coming out in 2014. I always try to read books first, I don't want the movie to ruin it for me.

[Lilisa]

Judy/Gaeta - You guys are too funny - especially Gaeta - I'm going to have to save your quote - haven't inspired anyone lately other than you! :-)

[Daisy]

Gill wrote: "I'm in (what was) Germany/ (now) Poland with Christa Wolf in Patterns of Childhood"

Oh. How do you like this one?

[Daisy]

You know the movie The Birds by Alfred Hitchcock? And have you ever seen the movie with Donald Sutherland and Julie Christie called Don't Look Now? Well both of those come from stories by Daphne du Maurier and they are a lot scarier than the movies. The Birds takes place in post-war England and Don't Look Now takes place in and around Venice, Italy. I'm listening to these and they are such fun.

[Sara]

I am in Iran, Turkey and US with "Walking" by Laleh Khadivi about two brothers who fled Iran after the Islamic revolution to Turkey and then to L.A in early 1980s.

[Gill]

Daisy wrote: "Gill wrote: "I'm in (what was) Germany/ (now) Poland with Christa Wolf in Patterns of Childhood"

Oh. How do you like this one?"
It's an extremely good and interesting read, not a fast one though.

[Lilisa]

I'm in Canada with How the Light Gets In. As usual Louise Penny's Armand Gamache is a cool and thoughtful detective.

[Lilisa]

I'm in Portugal with The Night in Lisbon by Erich Maria Remarque.

[Sara]

I am in Australia with SECRET RIVER by Kate Grenville in early 1800!

[Rusalka]

Good place to be ;) I'll make sure there's a cold beer waiting for you.

Is it a good read? I've heard wonderful things about that book.

[Lilisa]

Now in the Middle East with Lawrence in Arabia: War, Deceit, Imperial Folly and the Making of the Modern Middle East

[Lilisa]

Also in the UK withThe Cuckoo's Calling

[Lilisa]

I'm in Pakistan with I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban - plucky gal.

[Lilisa]

Just touched down in Zimbabwe with When a Crocodile Eats the Sun: A Memoir of Africa. And yah, I'm officially done with my book challenge for the year, although I miscounted and had actually been done a book before my last one! But can't stop reading...

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I got a galley of Boat Girl: A Memoir of Youth, Love & Fiberglass. It is a pretty light memoir of a girl raised on a sailboat in the Bahamas (and other places, I just haven't gotten there yet.) Honestly I had a hard time finding books set in the Bahamas, and I've been there a few times, so it's interesting to read this perspective. Still trying to find books for all the countries I haven't touched yet... I mean, I'll be doing that for the next few years.

I was also approved to view a galley of Everything is Wonderful: Memories of a Collective Farm in Estonia, so that will take care of another less-written-about country!

[Daisy]

Maybe I'm the only one who hasn't read this yet, but I'm in North Korea (with some side trips to Japan and Texas so far) with The Orphan Master's Son. Two of my friends recommended it to me and it's very good. I'm only 1/3 of the way into it.

[Lilisa]

Daisy wrote: "Maybe I'm the only one who hasn't read this yet, but I'm in North Korea (with some side trips to Japan and Texas so far) with The Orphan Master's Son. Two of my friends recommended..."

Glad you're enjoying it Daisy - I read it earlier this year and overall enjoyed it - it took a bit figuring out the different "voices" but when I did it was very interesting and different. Would be interested in your review!

[Lilisa]

Heading back to India to leisurely enjoy and savor Biting through the Skin: An Indian Kitchen in America's Heartland

[Daisy]

Jumping around: from North Korea to Poland... and now I'm in Ireland, reading The Country Girls Trilogy. I've never read Edna O'Brien before now.

[Sara]

I am in Italy with "The Light in the Ruins" by Chris Bohjalian during WWII, and a bit later in 1955.

[Lilisa]

I'm in Shanghai with Amy Tan's The Valley of Amazement.

[Bonnie]

Just arrived in Ireland with The Dark Witch, my easy Christmas week read by Nora Roberts.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I am halfway through People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks. She is not a Bosnian author, but I'm still very much enjoying the story of a book traced through history up through being rescued from a bombed library in Bosnia.

[Jan]

I'm in both Venice,Italy and the island Malta in the year 1575. I'm listening to the audio book The Midwife of Venice.

[Val]

I have included the books I didn't finish or am still reading on my challenge shelf now. Some may never be finished, but this one most definitely will be:
We, the Drowned is excellent so far and I will link a review when I finish it. I bought it ages ago, but had not read it mainly because it was too big and heavy to carry around. (It is the final book I need to complete the challenge and I could not resist including it, even though I may not finish it before the 31st.)
Edit: Finished it today,
now for the alcohol and thumping the door with a loaf.