2013 Where in the World Have You Been? (Book Finished & Review Linked)

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I just left the Persia-of-long-ago with The Blindfold Horse: Memories of a Persian Childhood. My review is here.

[Daisy]

A Time of Miracles

Good for young adults and regular adults, this is an accessible story of refugees from the war in the Caucasus.

[Vizara]

I've just been sailing the Bounty on the Pacific with
The Bounty: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Bounty which I enjoyed very much. Well researched.

[Chrissie]

I can highly recommend Edmund Morris' trilogy on Theodore Roosevelt. I have just finished the last: Colonel Roosevelt
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I have begun and am immediately impressed with Susan Fromberg Schaeffer style of writing. I had read Anya and wanted to read another, so I chose Buffalo Afternoon, having heard that it was impressive and had won prizes. It is the writing and not the topic that draws me. So far I am very satisfied. I see the rice paddies before me. In Vietnam!

[Lilisa]

Was in worn-torn Chechnya with A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. Despite much anticipation and the great reviews, I wasn't wowed at all unfortunately, Review here:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Chrissie]

Lilisa wrote: "Was in worn-torn Chechnya with A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. Despite much anticipation and the great reviews, I wasn't wowed at all unfortunately, Review here:
http://www.goodreads.com/review..."

Lilisa, we agree again!

[Shomeret]

Chrissie wrote: "Rusalka wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Rusalka, the gardeners.....very unbelievable. I describe in more detail in my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I agree the writer does write ..."

I am one of those who did likeThe Garden of Evening Mists. As I said in my review it's a tough sell because the central character's response to trauma is to become emotionally distanced. But I thought it was a very interesting book.

I came here to let you know about a couple of very brief reviews I've posted.

The first is on Sea of Death by Jorge Amado. It's at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/.... It takes place in Brazil. Another reviewer on GR said that Amado was writing about people he didn't know or understand, and I think that was the problem with this book.

The second review is on Accabadoraby Michela Murgia. It takes place in Sardinia in the 1950's. It's off the coast of Italy. My review can be found at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/.... In this case,I think that the problem was with me rather than with the book. I never really understood the culture. I've never had that happen before when I've read a book that takes place in another culture. I'm usually successful at coming to an understanding of where the characters are coming from, but the people in this Sardinian village seemed very alien to me. It was all quite fascinating though.

[Lilisa]

Chrissie wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Was in worn-torn Chechnya with A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. Despite much anticipation and the great reviews, I wasn't wowed at all unfortunately, Review here:
http://www.goodr..."

Chrissie wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Was in worn-torn Chechnya with A Constellation of Vital Phenomena. Despite much anticipation and the great reviews, I wasn't wowed at all unfortunately, Review here:
http://www.goodr..."

Chrissie - yes, was so disappointed and i see you gsve it two stars too. Really wanted to like it. I just couldn't get into it - it was a good storyline but I thought it didn't quite hang together - a pity as it had a lot of potential.

[Chrissie]

Lilisa, and did you come out of the book leaning much?! I didn't. So was the disconnected reading experience worth the effort? No.

[Lilisa]

Chrissie wrote: "Lilisa, and did you come out of the book leaning much?! I didn't. So was the disconnected reading experience worth the effort? No."

Chrissie - no, didn't learn much at all. I would have given up except I was curious about Havaa and honestly I felt a bit guilty abandoning it :-)!

[Chrissie]

lilisa, I rarely dump a book, UNLESS I find that every minute spent with it is making me terribly irritated. It would be different if I had access to a library.

[Lisa (Harmonybites)]

I was in the Belgian Congo with Kingsolver's The Poisonwood Bible, which is beautifully written and heart-breaking, yet can't ultimately say I liked--issues with one of the characters and after a certain event, I didn't have the heart to finish the book. Full review below:

http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Lilisa]

Finally, finally left Anatolia during the 1900s and finished Birds Without Wings - I think this took me longer to finish than 5 books combined. It took me awhile to finish. Was a slog for me for the first one-third of the book and then got a lot better. My review here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Lilisa wrote: "Finally, finally left Anatolia during the 1900s and finished Birds Without Wings - I think this took be longer to finish than 5 books combined. It took me awhile to finish. Was a slog for me for th..."
I agree with you, and in the me I was also glad I stuck with it.

[Lilisa]

Jenny wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Finally, finally left Anatolia during the 1900s and finished Birds Without Wings - I think this took be longer to finish than 5 books combined. It took me awhile to finish. Was a slo..."

:-) - I might wait a bit before I read any of his other books!

[Chrissie]

Well, you guys I absolutely LOVED Birds Without Wings..... I loved how he made even the most gruesome events funny. The trench warfare, for example. And I liked how the author looks at life, the stupidity of man and what we do with our lives, and that never the less life is good.

[Lilisa]

Chrissie wrote: "Well, you guys I absolutely LOVED Birds Without Wings..... I loved how he made even the most gruesome events funny. The trench warfare, for example. And I liked how the author looks at life, the st..."
Yes
Chrissie - one we have different opinions about! yes, I enjoyed the trench warfare section as well and yes, there was an upbeat perspective throughout the book (unlike
A Constellation of Vital Phenomena) but I though the earlier part of the book was rather tedious.

[Chrissie]

Lilisa wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Well, you guys I absolutely LOVED Birds Without Wings..... I loved how he made even the most gruesome events funny. The trench warfare, for example. And I liked how the author look..."

Do you mean the chapters about Turks, that those were boring?

[Lilisa]

Chrissie wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Well, you guys I absolutely LOVED Birds Without Wings..... I loved how he made even the most gruesome events funny. The trench warfare, for example. And I liked how ..."

Chrissie - the first one-third or so of the book I found could have been condensed quite a bit. I could have done without the overly descriptive prose, the innumerable characters, while still keeping the integrity of the context, background, etc. For me, a shortened section would have been just fine.

[Chrissie]

Lilisa wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Well, you guys I absolutely LOVED Birds Without Wings..... I loved how he made even the most gruesome events funny. The trench warfare, for example...."

Well, I loved the characters..... and the lines, but that is life. We are all different. Thanks for explaining.

[Lilisa]

Chrissie wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Well, you guys I absolutely LOVED Birds Without Wings..... I loved how he made even the most gruesome events funny. The trench warfar..."

I enjoyed many of the characters and enjoyed many of the lines too - just not all of them - c'est la vie :-)!

[Chrissie]

I have dumped The Autobiography of Henry VIII: With Notes by His Fool, Will Somers after reading almost 200 of 900 some pages. This was not for me! My review explains why: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Now I have moved on to Strumpet City. It is set in Dublin during the Lockout of 1913, and it is historical fiction.

I have also finished Buffalo Afternoon. I recommend it to those of you interested in Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War!
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
The audiobook narration was fantastic!

I will tomorrow begin the audiobook: The Guns of August, narrated by John Lee! :0) This is about WW1.

[Daisy]

God Lives in St. Petersburg and Other Stories

Central Asia: Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Afghanistan

These are heavy stories that take place about a decade and a half ago. Worth reading even if you're not interested in that part of the world.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/94...

[Suzanne]

Just finished my third trip to England with Remarkable Creatures. Loved the history of women discovering ancient sea creatures fossilized in the Cliffs of Lyme, England. My review is here: http://coldread.wordpress.com/2013/07...

[Chrissie]

I just finished: The Guns of August. I rad the audiobook format.
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Anybody who says this is easy to do is ......well, bending the truth! set primarily in Belgium and France.

Now I need something easy, and I hope captivating. I will soon start: Cold Sassy Tree. I have heard it is similar to To Kill a Mockingbird. Can it compare?

[Lynne]

Chrissie wrote: "I just finished: The Guns of August. I rad the audiobook format.
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Anybody who says this is easy to do is ......well, bending the truth! set ..."

I can't even predict what you'll say about Cold Sassy. Even if you love, don't read the sequel

[Chrissie]

Lynne wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I just finished: The Guns of August. I rad the audiobook format.
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Anybody who says this is easy to do is ......well, bendin..."

Lynne, now that doesn't sound good.... Anyhow, I can relax a bit while I listen. I have heard the sequel is nothing to consider.

[Lynne]

It's a comfort read.

[Janice]

Chrissie wrote: "Now I need something easy, and I hope captivating. I will soon start: Cold Sassy Tree. I have heard it is similar to To Kill a Mockingbird. Can it compare?"

I haven't read Cold Sassy Tree, so I'll be interested in your comparison of it to Mockingbird.

[Chrissie]

Janice wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Now I need something easy, and I hope captivating. I will soon start: Cold Sassy Tree. I have heard it is similar to To Kill a Mockingbird. Can it compare?"

I haven't read Cold Sa..."

I am skeptical if it can be that good, but so far it is not bad. It has humor and good lines. I have just begun.

[Friederike]

I went back to Botwana to check up on Detective Kubu. The review of Deadly Harvest is here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Chrissie]

I finished Cold Sassy Tree.
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Now something with a little substance, something to bite into: Dreams in a Time of War: A Childhood Memoir. A memoir about the Kenyan writer's childhood. I am curious to know more about the Mau Mau Rebellion.

[Janice]

I am back on the boat and gratefully leaving the shores of Fiji: A Novel.

My Review

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Went to England again during the wars again with Life After Life. I really liked it! My review is here, and I'm going to do an entire baking blog post about the book later because she mentions SO MUCH FOOD.

[Lilisa]

Was in France with Sacré Bleu: A Comedy d'Art. Turn on your willing suspension of disbelief - funny and a completely different read for me. Review here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Chrissie]

I have enjoyed Dreams in a Time of War: A Childhood Memoir
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/67...
This is about growing up in a polygamous family in Kenya during the 40s and 50s, i.e. during the Mau Mau Rebellion.

On to Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain. About Japan, the Akita breed and choices. What kind of life do you want to live? Money and prestige or something else....

[Vizara]

Chrissie wrote: "I have enjoyed Dreams in a Time of War: A Childhood Memoir
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/67...
This is about growing up in a polygamous family in Kenya dur..."
Two books about the Mau Mau Uprising are
Uhuru and Something Of Value by Robert Ruark which I read quite a few years ago.

[Chrissie]

Vizara wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I have enjoyed Dreams in a Time of War: A Childhood Memoir
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/67...
This is about growing up in a polygamous fa..."

Ruark seems to be a good writer. Which did you prefer? What is particularly good about Dreams in a Time of War: A Childhood Memoir is that it is written by a native Kenyan. I definitely had difficulty with the names, so I would advise reading the paper format. Maybe it is just me who is more visually oriented. I like seeing the words.

[Vizara]

Chrissie wrote: "Vizara wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I have enjoyed Dreams in a Time of War: A Childhood Memoir
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/67...
This is about growing up in ..."

I read the Ruark books many years ago but I think they gave a better impression about the Mau Mau than in the memoir of Ngugi wa Thiongo. The memoir and the 2 novels are ofcourse very different.

[Chrissie]

Vizara wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Vizara wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I have enjoyed Dreams in a Time of War: A Childhood Memoir
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/67...
This is abo..."

Could you explain why you think that?

[Gill]

A bit silly of me - I've only just realised that, books I read that are set in the USA are a journey for me!

[Vizara]

Chrissie wrote: "Vizara wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Vizara wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I have enjoyed Dreams in a Time of War: A Childhood Memoir
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/67...-..."

This memoir is mainly about his childhood and the Mau Mau movement doesn't feature very prominantly.

[Chrissie]

Vizara wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Vizara wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Vizara wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I have enjoyed Dreams in a Time of War: A Childhood Memoir
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/67......"

Re: Dreams in a Time of War: A Childhood Memoir. Although it is about his childhood I thought it had quite a bit of history (for a short book), enough so that I could do further research on Wiki. Further Wiki reading was necessary, b/c the presentation was kind of disjointed. I was surprised to hear that you felt the novels gave better historical depth. I also thought the culture was well described through his family circumstances.

[Friederike]

I finally finished my review of Mongo Beti's Cruel City (country not set, but he is from Cameroon). My review is here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

[Vizara]

Chrissie wrote: "Vizara wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Vizara wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Vizara wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I have enjoyed Dreams in a Time of War: A Childhood Memoir
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/book/s..."

I agree that the culture is well described in this memoir but I think that novels can give historical depth. At the moment I'm reading Tree of Smoke which like Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War takes me into the war in Vietnam.

[Vizara]

After visiting Chechnya with A Constellation of Vital Phenomena which I liked very much I went to Shanghai in the 20's with White Shanghai. A Novel of the Roaring Twenties in China, which was quite a deception due to the atrocious translation and the awful editing.

[Chrissie]

Vizara wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Vizara wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Vizara wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Vizara wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I have enjoyed Dreams in a Time of War: A Childhood Memoir
My review: http://www.goo..."

Some non-fiction books give you depth too, don't you think? It all depends on the ability of the writer. You might want to check out Buffalo Afternoon. It is historical fiction, and I thought it gave depth.

[Chrissie]

I really enjoyed Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain.
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Don' think this is just about the Akita breed.

Now I will begin Einstein: His Life and Universe, because I like the author and am curious about the man. I am not sure I will understand all the science though.

[Chrissie]

Finished Strumpet City
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I thought I would move on from the 1913 Lockout to the 1916 Easter Rebellion. 1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion starts with the sinking of the Titanic. This is the first of a series about Irish Independence.

I have already read books for Ireland.

[Lilisa]

Just had a a couple of great reading experiences - both very different. With the Hmongs in Laos and California in The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures - review here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
and in India with The Case of the Deadly Butter Chicken - review here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...