Task #4: Read a book set in Central or South America, written by a Central or South American author

[quietprofanity]

Like others, I took the opportunity to finally read One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I admire it and feel like I really understood magical realism with this book, but I found it hard to love (I reviewed it here.)

[Jan]

Juan Gabriel Vasquez is a contemporary Colombian author worth checking out . . . "The Sound of Things Falling" and "The Informers" are two that I enjoyed.

[Bonnie G.]

Jan wrote: "Juan Gabriel Vasquez is a contemporary Colombian author worth checking out . . . "The Sound of Things Falling" and "The Informers" are two that I enjoyed."

Thanks, these sound compelling

[Celeste]

I wanted to read The Name of God is Mercy by Pope Francis. He is from South America and his book includes "memories of his childhood". Would this work for this challenge?

[Elyse]

Celeste wrote: "I wanted to read The Name of God is Mercy by Pope Francis. He is from South America and his book includes "memories of his childhood". Would this work for this challenge?"

Sounds like it qualifies.

[Ann]

I started the Challenge in February; having already read a book by a Brazilian crime writer, Raphael Montes. Perfect Days is a creepy tale of a creepy med student who kidnaps a crush he meets once. Unsettling and well written.

[Veronica]

quietprofanity wrote: "Like others, I took the opportunity to finally read One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I admire it and feel like I really understood magical realism with this book,..."

So did I. You did a better job of reviewing it than I did because by the time I got to the end I was just exhausted by it. I respect what Garcia Marquez did with the writing, but I definitely did not enjoy reading it. I'm glad it wasn't my first one by him, otherwise I don't think I would have read any of his other works!

[quietprofanity]

Veronica wrote: "quietprofanity wrote: "Like others, I took the opportunity to finally read One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I admire it and feel like I really understood magical ..."

Thanks! I enjoyed your review! I actually lucked out in that my edition did provide a family tree. Also, I remember your review of Chronicle of a Death Foretold so I was kind of bummed out when I didn't enjoy this. Since you didn't enjoy it as much either I'm more determined to give Chronicle another chance.

[Veronica]

quietprofanity wrote: "Veronica wrote: "quietprofanity wrote: "Like others, I took the opportunity to finally read One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. I admire it and feel like I really un..."

Thank you! I was similarly disappointed that I didn't enjoy this. One of my friends counts it as one of his favorites and I had to text him with, "You like this book why...?" But I do plan on reading Garcia Marquez's other works - hopefully nothing else is like 100 Years!

[Marie]

This is going to be the hardest task for me. I haven't enjoyed Marquez or Junot Diaz, and I don't have any books that fit this description in my "to read" list. I prefer SF, and Central/S. American authors tend not to write in that genre.

I'm going to try The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende. The plot summary doesn't spark any interest, but none that I've looked at do, and at least this one has a high score on GR. Maybe I'll be pleasantly surprised. I hope so.

[Beth]

I just read The House of the Spirits for this task. It was not something I would normally read which is the whole point. The book is full of strange people and covers generations of a family during a time of great changes in Chile. I can't really say that I enjoyed the book, but I will certainly remember it.

[Cheri]

I liked The House of the Spirits, but I really like books that dance with magical realism. It's pretty heavy, but lovely in its own right...

[Ariel]

I'll be reading Before Night Falls for this one.

[Marie]

I did find a SF pick for this one! From the "complete the challenge with graphic novels" Book Riot article, they listed Eternaut. I'll check them both out and see which one grabs me.

[Stina]

Sherrita wrote: "Karen wrote: "Stina wrote: "Looks like Signal to Noise counts for debut novel and fantasy novel as well."
I LOVE Signal to Noise and think everybody should read it, but it's set in ..."

So is it set in Mexico City or New Mexico? Or does it switch between the locations?

[Brent]

I read Departing at Dawn: A Novel of Argentina's Dirty War by Gloria Lise for this task.

[Eujean2]

Does anyone have suggestion for a graphic novel?

My library doesn't have either of the suggestions from the Read Harder Graphic Style list. (http://bookriot.com/2017/02/15/read-h...) I've found some Good Reads lists of comics from Brazil & Argentina, but they are not in English.

If all else fails, I can re-read one of the following excellent books
- Two Brothers
- Daytripper
- The Impostor's Daughter: A True Memoir

Or I can blur the lines of what is considered Central America & read Cuba: My Revolution.

Any suggestions welcome.

[Kirsten]

What about something by Isabel Allende or Gabriel Garcia Marquez?

[Kirsten]

The 10 best Latin American books of all time
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/bo...

[Rebecca]

I think I'm going to use the Popol Vuh. It is a collection of K'iche Mayan mythology stories, so the true author is anonymous, though it was a Franciscan friar who first translated it to Spanish in 1715. I had to read it this spring for a presentation I did in Spanish 102 class. The K'iche Mayans lived mostly in present day Guatemala. Do you think that will work?

[Sarah]

Rebecca wrote: "I think I'm going to use the Popol Vuh. It is a collection of K'iche Mayan mythology stories, so the true author is anonymous, though it was a Franciscan friar who first translated it..."

I'd vote yes! :)

[Leslie]

Absolutely! I've read it and would count it in this category.

[Megan]

I read Death in the Andes for this category.

[Chinook]

I read Memories of My Melancholy Whores. Gabriel Garcia Marquez is an author who's very hit or miss for me and this one was a miss.

[Teresa]

I started Feast of the Goat but gave up. The story is fascinating, about the events surrounding the assassination of the dictator Trujillo in the 1960s. But... It jumped between past and present and between povs without notice. I'd read a page then realize it was a different character/time frame and reread the page for understanding.

[Jack]

Does anyone know of any scifi that fits this category?

[Bonnie G.]

Maybe some stories ftom Borges? Ficciones is a good place to start.

[Brandyn]

I'm having the hardest time with this category. I've read half of two books (Daniel Sada and Gabriel García Márquez) , but both were blatantly sexist and I wasn't interested in what happened at the half way point so I gave up.

I forced myself to finish "The Alchemist" (mildly sexist), and then realized that the category requires that the author be from the area AND that the book take place there. If this hadn't been a fairly easy read, and if I'd realized it didn't count for the challenge, I'd have DNF'd at about 50% on this one too.

I started Daughter of Fortune and relatively enjoying it, but it was due back at the library and I'm not excited to pick it back up.

Should I try a different Allende? Maybe give The House of the Spirits a try? Or go in a different direction?

[Rainey]

I read Betty Boo, and loved it

[Bonnie G.]

Brandyn wrote: "I'm having the hardest time with this category. I've read half of two books (Daniel Sada and Gabriel García Márquez) , but both were blatantly sexist and I wasn't int..."

Many (most?) of my favorite books have blatantly sexist world views (including several from Garcia Marquez), so I may not be the right person to advise you, but I would say you are pretty safe with the House of Spirits or anything by Julia Alvarez, maybe In the Time of the Butterflies.

[Brandyn]

Bonnie wrote: "Many (most?) of my favorite books have blatantly sexist world views (including several from Garcia Marquez), so I may not be the right person to advise you, but I would say you are pretty safe with the House of Spirits or anything by Julia Alvarez, maybe In the Time of the Butterflies. "

Thanks for the rec! In the Time of the Butterflies sounds much closer to my kind of book. I requested it and Betty Boo (rec above) from the library and I'll probably sit down with a stack for this category and read the first 30 pgs of books until one of them (hopefully) sucks me in:)

[Bonnie G.]

Brandyn wrote: "Bonnie wrote: "Many (most?) of my favorite books have blatantly sexist world views (including several from Garcia Marquez), so I may not be the right person to advise you, but I would say you are p..."

I hope they work for you! In the time of Butterflies is a really good read, as is Alvarez's How the Garcia Girls Lost their Accents (which takes place in NY or I would have recommended it.)

[Heretherebedragons]

Does anyone have any recommendations for the "book published by an indie press" category?

[Chinook]

Did you look in the thread dedicated to that task? Or were you looking for a South American small press?

[Joanie]

I searched 'micro press, portland' and came up with quite a few. Was then able to browse their publications and select one that sounded good to me, which I checked out from the library!

[Cristy]

Was hoping to read at least one of these in the original Spanish but my library only had them in English so One Hundred Years of Solitude, which I found only ok and The House of the Spirits, which I found exceptional, were my choices.

[Kathryn]

Would a book set in Cuba and America by a Cuban writer be all right for this challenge. The Red Umbrella?

[Kirsten]

I don't know. Technically, I think Cuba is in the Caribbean.

[Bonnie G.]

The Caribbean holds several Latin American locations, Cuba, DR and Puerto Rico spring to mind.

[Chinook]

When I have something close like that, I ask myself if this is me being lazy or if I'm stretching myself in my reading, since that's the ultimate goal. I feel like only you can answer whether it fits.

[Elyse]

Kathryn wrote: "Would a book set in Cuba and America by a Cuban writer be all right for this challenge.The Red Umbrella?"

Others have responded earlier that Caribbean countries don't count, DR, Cuba, etc as South American. According to people from those places! :)

[Rachel]

I was hoping to find some YA options for this one, but so far everything I find is either by a Central or South American author or set in a Central or South American country, but not both.

I had One Hundred Years of Solitude down for this one, and I'm still considering it, but I'd prefer something a bit easier if possible.

[Tallyho]

Revisiting the Mexico topic...Silvia Moreno-Garcia has a vampire book that is set in Mexico City.
Certain Dark Things

[Elyse]

Tallyho wrote: "Revisiting the Mexico topic...Silvia Moreno-Garcia has a vampire book that is set in Mexico City.
Certain Dark Things"

Oh I have this from a Goodreads Giveaway! Maybe I'll read it instead of unenthusiastically reading Love in the Time of Cholera.

[Devin]

I just read Things We Lost in the Fire: Stories for this one. Very menacing!

[JA]

Do you think a book about the Caribbean would fit for the purposes of this challenge? It's View from the Mangrove by Antonio Benítez-Rojo. The author is included on the Book Riot list posted above.

[Leslie]

JA wrote: "Do you think a book about the Caribbean would fit for the purposes of this challenge? It's View from the Mangrove by Antonio Benítez-Rojo. The author is included on th..."

There is some debate regarding this question. I have never considered the Caribbean to be part of Central or South America, but other argue it can be. (It has been some time, but in my studies surrounding Latin America the Caribbean was always a separate field of study.)

However, this book looks great and I've added it to my to-read list!

[JA]

Leslie wrote: "There is some debate regarding this question. I have never considered the Caribbean to be part of Central or South America, but other argue it can be. ..."

Thanks for the input Leslie. It does look good, doesn't it - and I already own it... So I've decided that, yes, this will be my book for this part of the challenge :)

[[deleted user]]

For this task, I read Labyrinths: Selected Stories and Other Writings. This was new for me and I really enjoyed it (although I may have read a Burmese translation of 'The Garden of Forking Paths" before)

[Teresa]

I read In the Time of the Butterflies. It is about the four Mirabal sisters, three of whom were assassinated by the dictator Trujillo's regime in 1960 Dominican Republic.
From Wikipedia: December 1999, the United Nations General Assembly designated 25 November as the International Day for the Elimination of Violence against Women in honor of the sisters. It marks the beginning of a 16-day period of Activism against Gender Violence. The last day of that period, 10 December, is International Human Rights Day.