2016 - Where in the world have you been? (book finished and review linked)

[Claire]

I was in Canada with Annie Proulx's historical family saga with ecological undertones Barkskins a big book that took me a month to read, so many characters across 300 years and a little of the history of New France, the French colony that subsumed part of Canada, and the US, all that's left of it now 2 small islands off the coast of Canada which even use the € euro.

My review here.

[Claire]

And I was somewhere in Northern Europe with the French-Iranian author Fariba Hachtroudi and her novella The Man Who Snapped His Fingers

My review here.

[Claire]

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Revisited South Korea to learn more about the Gwangju Uprising/Massacre with Human Acts by Han Kang. My review is here but for my tastes, I enjoyed The Vegetarian mo..."

Interesting, I read Human Acts first and thought it was very powerful. I now have The Vegetarian to read and I'm looking forward to it, particularly after just reading 700 + pages of another book about trees by Annie Proulx!

[Yrinsyde]

Hello! I finished Night Market (short stories set in Taipei, Taiwan) last night and will review it on my blog on the weekend. It was a mixed bag - some meh and some really good. I recommend it - the really good stories are worth the few meh ones.

[Yrinsyde]

I loved Shipping News. I'd be interested in what you think of the tree book Claire!

[Claire]

Yrinsyde wrote: "I loved Shipping News. I'd be interested in what you think of the tree book Claire!"

You can read my first impressions in the review of Barkskins I wrote here on Goodreads Yrinsyde.

Overall, it's a lengthy, accomplished historical novel of that period of settlement in North America and in particular seen through the descendants of two Frenchmen whose lives were connected with the forest, so it's also a commentary on how we have attempted to live with (in the case of the descendants who were native) and to exploit (those who have no native blood) those resources.

It's a great book, but it compromises something in terms of deep character connection by virtue of including so many of them, though there are a couple that are very memorable and stand out from the rest, Charles Duquet and Lavinia Duke.

This is Annie Proulx writing and researching how she pleases, a labour of love. Flawed but impressive all the same.

[Claire]

I've just been in Sweden after WW2 with young camp survivors of the Holocaust, in the charming novel based on the true story of how his parents met, Fever at Dawn by Péter Gárdos, translated from hungarian by Elizabeth Szász.

My review here.

[Shomeret]

I just posted my review of the original and insightful Night in Shanghai. My review is at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Claire]

Been in the Austrian Alps with Robert Seethaler's A Whole Life shortlisted for the Man Booker International Prize 2016.

My review here.

[Lilisa]

Was in Europe with A Time of Gifts and Murder on the Isle of Capri, Italy - although many folks have enjoyed the first one given the good reviews it's received, I found it too dry. The latter was too far-fetched and fluff - well, two books done for acbook challenge at least. Both 2 stars. Hoping my next read is more fulfilling.

[Claire]

Lilisa wrote: "Was in Europe with A Time of Gifts and Murder on the Isle of Capri, Italy - although many folks have enjoyed the first one given the good reviews it's received, I foun..."

I've almost read A Time of Gifts a few times and then feel my better instinct telling me no, it's of another era and one that's had enough publicity and air time, too many lesser known voices still to be heard to indulge this.

[Lilisa]

Claire wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Was in Europe with A Time of Gifts and Murder on the Isle of Capri, Italy - although many folks have enjoyed the first one given the good reviews it's r..."

I was hoping that his writing would have endured the years like some other writers, but not so for me, unfortunately :-( Go with your instinct and keep passing on it!

[Courtney]

I spent time in Iceland with Journey to the Center of the Earth. It was a fun book to read, quick and suspenseful.

[Carol]

I was in 1930's Moscow with The Twelfth Department by William Ryan, and then in the US with Willnot by James Sallis. Both were fantastic. Here are links to my reviews, giving each five stars:

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

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

[Shomeret]

I finished my trip to 1960's England and 1930's Spain with The Muse which made me feel rather sad. My review is at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I finished Staying On by Paul Scott over the weekend. It's a former Man Booker Prize winner, set in a fictional hillstation in Gujurat province. Nice.

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

[Courtney]

I read Sword of the Rightful King, a middle grade arthurian set in England and Scotland. It overall wasn't too bad of a book. The two mysteries of the book were a bit obvious with anyone familiar with Arthurian legend.

[Carol]

I stayed up ridiculously late to read The Book of Tea by Kakuzo Okakura, which was wonderful. It's also available free at http://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/769.

My initial 5* review is here, but I'll update it with a "real" one some time soon. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

During my trip to Oregon I finished two more books for my Africa reading project.

The first was Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight by Alexandra Fuller, which I thought would fulfill my Zambia need but it's almost entirely set in Zimbabwe. Dang. Overall I am growing weary of white-person-in-Africa narratives, and my review reflects this issue.

Speaking of white people in Africa! História, História: Two Years in the Cape Verde Islands by Eleanor Stanford is a Peace Corps memoir, but you know what there are very few books coming out of Cape Verde! It is its own independent country so it counts. The same day I finished this, I ate Mauritian food (islands on the other side of Africa), and that was a far more satisfying experience. Still, this is short, I could download it to my Kindle, and I can check that box. Here is my review.

[Kirsten]

I've just finished hanging out in Liverpool during WWII while reading Liverpool Connection. I've posted my 4* review on Amazon, and will upload it here too. It was an enjoyable book. Very heavy on dialogue which made parts of it a bit stilted for me, but I know other people prefer lots of dialogue!

[Yrinsyde]

Here is my review for Night Market , set in Taipei for the most part. I'm now reading The Quiet American for Vietnam. I'm enjoying this one - my first Grahame Green!

[Shomeret]

I returned from my trip to Germany, France and the U.S. with Marlene by C. W. Gortner a week ago, but I've just posted the review to GR at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... I enjoyed the book very much.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I could only give The Marriage Bureau for Rich People 2.5★

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

[Kirsten]

I've just been in Florida in the 1980s with . An excellent romp through high society in Florida at the time. And a fine example of karma. Drugs, alcohol, unwed mothers, psychics, scam artists and lots of money. A really enjoyable read. I gave it four stars. It deserved five stars, but there were a lot of typos, so had to downgrade it sadly.

[Shomeret]

I was in France, Holland and Indonesia with Mata Hari's Last Dance by Michelle Moran. Color me disappointed. My review is at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Kirsten]

Shomeret wrote: "I was in France, Holland and Indonesia with Mata Hari's Last Dance by Michelle Moran. Color me disappointed. My review is at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show......"

Oh no! The titled sounded so promising!!!

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I returned to Mali to journey with the Fulani in Walking with Abel: Journeys with the Nomads of the African Savannah by Anna Badkhen. I enjoyed this more than I expected, even giving it five stars. My review is here.

This is my third book from Mali! I'm never going to finish reading Africa if I keep getting stuck like this. :)

I was also on a train ride in France with The 6:41 to Paris by Jean-Philippe Blondel. The story of two former lovers who get trapped next to one another on a train, almost entirely in their heads. Loved it, quick read. My review is here.

[Claire]

I was in Bangladesh with the three books that make up Tahmima Anam's trilogy, two of which I have reviewed and link below:

A Golden Age
The Good Muslim
and
The Bones of Grace - review to come

[Val]

I read another two from the Man Booker International Prize list.

Mend the Living by Maylis de Kerangal from France.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
and
The Story of the Lost Child by Elena Ferrante from Italy.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I think I would have liked the second of those a lot more if I had read the earlier books in the series. It doesn't really work as a stand-alone novel.

I am currently reading another from the list, but not getting on with it very quickly.

[Shomeret]

I finally finished my journey to Tudor England in Dark Entry, the first in a series of mysteries investigated by the playwright Christopher Marlowe. I enjoyed it.

My review is at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Claire]

I've been in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1975 with Laura Alcoba's childhood memoir reviewed here: The Rabbit Hole

First read for August's #WITMonth reading Women in Translation

[Shomeret]

I have finished my journey to prehistoric France which included a wonderful description of cave art. It was The Wolf's Boy and I liked it very much. See my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Claire]

I was in South Korea with Han Kang's, Man Booker International 2016 winning The Vegetarian

Second read for #WITMonth reading Women in Translation.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I was in Belarus in the Mazyr Hospital for Gravely Ill Children with The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko by Scott Stambach. This is YA and comes out soon, and I liked it. It imagines a home for children deformed by or dying because of Chernobyl, etc., but with humor and a precocious central character. More at my review.

I also revisited New Zealand in the last set of stories by Katherine Mansfield, The Garden Party and Other Stories. She always has so much of the landscape in her stories, but the brilliance is the capture of people and their true motivations. My review hardly skims the surface.

And last but not least I had a quick read from Senegal, Xala by Ousmane Sembene. I'll add this one to the quick reads list for sure, and bonus, native author. My review is here.

[Lilisa]

I was in Malaysia with The Garden of Evening Mists. It was a 3.5 star read, unlike the author's other book The Gift of Rain, which was a 5-star read. Love Tan Twan Eng's writing though - he has a beautiful, expressive style.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Lilisa wrote: "I was in Malaysia with The Garden of Evening Mists. It was a 3.5 star read, unlike the author's other book The Gift of Rain, which was a 5-star read. Love [author:Tan..."

Oh I gave that one five stars so now I really want to read the one you DO think is a five star read!

[Lilisa]

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "I was in Malaysia with The Garden of Evening Mists. It was a 3.5 star read, unlike the author's other book The Gift of Rain, which was a 5-star read. L..."

Then you must read The Gift of Rain, Jenny. And I'll be curious to see how you rate it!

[Claire]

I was in Hungary with Magda Szabo's The Door my third read for #WITMonth - reading women in translation during August.

[Claire]

I was in Norway with Gøhril Gabrielsen's The Looking-Glass Sisters my 4th read for #WITMonth - reading women in translation during August.

[Shomeret]

I have returned from my journey to alternate Saxony in Judenstaat by Simone Zelitch, which I felt was a disquieting and pessimistic book. You can read my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Claire]

I was in Guadeloupe with Simone Schwarz-Bart's stunning The Bridge of Beyond. Definitely going to be one of my Top Reads of 2016, my review linked here:

The Bridge of Beyond

My 5th read for #WITMonth, reading women in translation. Highly Recommended!

[Claire]

I was in Japan with Fumiko Enchi's Masks with its interesting influence by the ancient classic The Tale of Genji which was translated intt modern Japanese by Enchi.
My review here: Masks
My 6th read for #WITMonth, reading women in translation.

[Courtney]

I was in a futuristic Sudan with Who Fears Death. This is a dark book. If you are upset by things such as murder, hate, etc then I don't recommend reading it. However, I think the author handled it in a tasteful way and did an excellent job portraying emotions such as anger and the need of justice.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Courtney wrote: "I was in a futuristic Sudan with Who Fears Death. This is a dark book. If you are upset by things such as murder, hate, etc then I don't recommend reading it. However, I think the au..."
If you end up liking it, the author recently wrote a prequel, The Book of Phoenix.

[Lilisa]

Was totally backed up on reviews. Here are a few I finally did:
Set in Argentina (Buenos Aires) , France (Nice) and Italy (Sorrento) - What We Become: A Novel. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Set in Malaysia - The Garden of Evening Mists. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Set in a few places but primarily France - Mata Hari's Last Dance. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Set in Morocco - Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood. Review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Set in Jamaica - Goldeneye: Where Bond Was Born: Ian Fleming's Jamaica. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Set in New Zealand - The Bone People. Review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I finished The Heart of the Buddha today, set in Bhutan - 3★

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

[Claire]

I was in the Punjab region of Pakistan and in Delhi, India during the 1947 Partition that separated friends, neighbours, lovers by religion and sent them in one direction or the other and then in modern day New York, when love brings two people together despite their origins, just like it was pre 1947.

My review here of Radhika Swarup's Where the River Parts.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I finished Shantaram (Mumbai) late last night, 3.5★

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

[Shomeret]

I have returned from alternate Khazaria which still existed in 1942 in The Book of Esther. I thought it was wonderful. See my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Claire]

Last days of summer with Françoise Sagan's 1955 translation by Irene Ash of Bonjour Tristesse. Pure delight!