2017 - Welcome and Introductions

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Welcome and feel free to introduce yourself! We all love traveling around the world with a variety of books. Share a bit about what you enjoy reading and why, what your favorites books are (since we all love recommendations and adding to our reading list!), which country you're from if you'd like or anything else!

[Giulio]

Hi, I'm Giulio from Italy.
I've always been an avid reader but in the last two years I got stuck with life constraints and only managed to read 4 books outside my job field!!

Planning to get back on track in 2017.

Last place I've been is in Prague with The Unbearable Lightness of Being. And I travelled from England to Spain (but mostly in France) by reading a biography of a great woman Aliénor d'Aquitaine .

Looking forward to get and provide many recommendations!

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Giulio wrote: "Hi, I'm Giulio from Italy.
I've always been an avid reader but in the last two years I got stuck with life constraints and only managed to read 4 books outside my job field!!

Planning to get back ..."
Welcome, Giulio!

[Rusalka]

Welcome Giulio! Great to have you reading along with us :D

[Lilisa]

Welcome Giulio - great to have you with us all good luck on your 2017 challenge!

[Tiffany]

Hi, I'm Tiffany. I decided to read books from around the world in Feb. I'm so glad I found this group to help with book recommendations.

I live in Florida and figured I would start my book reading journey in the Caribbean. I'm currently reading Dreaming in Cuban and during my weekly commute I'm listening to The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao (Dominican Republic)

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Tiffany wrote: "Hi, I'm Tiffany. I decided to reads books from around the world in Feb. I'm so glad I found this group to help with book recommendations.

I live in Florida and figured I would start my book readi..."

Welcome Tiffany! How is Oscar Wao in audio? I love that book.

[Tiffany]

I'm really enjoying it! It makes sitting in traffic quite entertaining

[Rusalka]

Hi Tiffany! Welcome and sorry for the delay. I also really enjoyed Oscar Wao, so glad the audiobook is doing it justice.

[Lilisa]

Hi Tiffany - welcome, sorry also missed seeing your post. Dreaming in Cuban has been on my TBR list for ages - how are you liking it?

[Claire]

Tiffany wrote: "Hi, I'm Tiffany. I decided to read books from around the world in Feb. I'm so glad I found this group to help with book recommendations.

I live in Florida and figured I would start my book reading..."

Dreaming in Cuban is a wonderful book and has something of the unique magic that Caribbean women writers bring to their stories, that connection between generations, even when they're not present. You might also enjoy Edwidge Danticat, Maryse Condé and Simone Schwarz Bart's The Bridge of Beyond is also an excellent read from the region, it was my favourite read of 2016. Welcome to the group, I look forward to following your reading.

[Maggie the Muskoka Library Mouse]

Hello everyone, my name is Margaret, and I'm from Canada. I have always been a big reader, just like my mom. This year, we made a challenge for ourselves to read our way through the provinces/territories of Canada, and the states of the U.S. We discussed the parameters a lot, and decided to try for all of the countries of the world as well. Now, we don't expect to complete this huge challenge in one year, but we are aiming for two years. Our only rule is that the characters have to actually BE in the country/state/province/territory at some point in the book. Therefore, one book can count towards multiple places. This way, we have a chance of maybe completing the challenge! ;) I'm glad to find this group, so I can get some recommendations!

[Rusalka]

Welcome Margaret! What a fun challenge to do with your Mum. I hope you find some great reads on here, and we get some from you too!

[Lilisa]

Welcome Margaret - awesome partnership challenge. I like that a book can count for several places - good luck and happy reading!

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Margaret wrote: "Hello everyone, my name is Margaret, and I'm from Canada. I have always been a big reader, just like my mom. This year, we made a challenge for ourselves to read our way through the provinces/terri..."

To kick things off, let me recommend The Sudden Appearance of Hope. When I read it earlier this year, I was astonished to see the country-count was something like 13! And it was a great story too.

[Yrinsyde]

Hi Margaret! I've been doing this challenge too, but reading 1 for each US state and 2 for each Canadian province/territory. https://independentbookreview.wordpre... It sure has taken me awhile! I'm doing this challenge solo, but what fun to be doing it with your Mum! Perhaps I should suggest my Mum and I do a reading challenge together.

[Rusalka]

No worries Christina, welcome! Lovely to have you with us, (as well as the fifth grader :P). Hopefully find some interesting reads here, and you have sharing and chatting along with us.

The Lioness of Morocco Is this the book that's your favourite at the moment? (So we can all steal it too)

[Lilisa]

Welcome Christina, it's great to have you join us! I'm sure you'll find some great reads here and you're already on a roll with sharing your favorite books here. Enjoy your travels around the world with us.

[Renae]

*waves*

Hi, I'm Renae! I've been around on Goodreads for a while, and in 2014 I started keeping a "map" via Google maps with all the places I visited in my fiction. I'm friends with Jenny and I saw she was a mod here and thought I should join. Because, (gasp!), there are other people who do the same thing I do here.

Anyway. I read a lot of historical fiction and I'm always trying to visit new places and time periods, especially when I read that genre. Other than that, I read almost anything, pretty eclectic overall. Right now I'm reading The Stand which is set in the US, but when I'm done with that monster of a tome I'm already plotting my next trip. :D

Looking forward to chatting with you all.

[Lilisa]

Hi Renae - welcome and you are definitely among friends here - we all enjoy taking trips around the world. Historical fiction is one of my favorite genres too - looking forward to raiding your bookshelf. I see you started your list and you have some good ones highlighted already. Happy travels!!

[Electra]

Hi this is Electra, from France. I love Portal in the Pages's Youtube blog (she's on GR as well) and she's decided to read books from 192 countries next year. I can't do that but when I saw your group , I thought : why not ?

Joining this group now in early August, I'm a little bit late for the 2017 challenge so I only picked 10 books.
I've traveled quite a lot around the world and I'm trying to do it through books.

Looking forward to chatting with you all !

[Lilisa]

Hi Electra - welcome to the group! Better late than never - glad you joined us to travel around the book world in 2017 - good luck on your 10 books and looking forward to your updates! Will have to check out Portal in the Pages.

[Electra]

Lilisa wrote: "Hi Electra - welcome to the group! Better late than never - glad you joined us to travel around the book world in 2017 - good luck on your 10 books and looking forward to your updates! Will have to..."

thanks ! yes, look her up ! she's the best ;-)

[Jacek]

Hello Everyone, this is Jacek. I currently came back from a 7 month trip around the world and am hungry for more. The adventure began with my wife and I getting married this past spring. We then quit our jobs and travelled to five continents and over 25 countries. Now back and I am eager to read up more on the places I have been and new places to discover. This group seems like a good place to start. I will go through all the threads on this page for more insight.
Looking forward to getting to know everyone!

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Jacek wrote: "Hello Everyone, this is Jacek. I currently came back from a 7 month trip around the world and am hungry for more. The adventure began with my wife and I getting married this past spring. We then qu..."

Hi Jacek, that sounds like a great way to keep the adventure alive! Happy reading and happy travels.

[Lilisa]

Jacek wrote: "Hello Everyone, this is Jacek. I currently came back from a 7 month trip around the world and am hungry for more. The adventure began with my wife and I getting married this past spring. We then qu..."

Welcome Jacek - sounds like you've had a fantastic year - happy reading about the countries you've been to and those you'll be armchair traveling to. What was your favorite country in your recent travels?

[Rusalka]

Welcome Jacek! Sounds like you have had all of our dream year, travelling and reading. Please let us know if you have any questions, otherwise we look forward to hearing about your travels (I echo Lilisa's question), and reading along with you in our armchairs :D

[Jacek]

Andrea wrote: "Jacek wrote: "Hello Everyone, this is Jacek. I currently came back from a 7 month trip around the world and am hungry for more. The adventure began with my wife and I getting married this past spri..."

Thank you for the nice note Andrea! Looking forward to bouncing off ideas with everyone here.

[Jacek]

Lilisa wrote: "Jacek wrote: "Hello Everyone, this is Jacek. I currently came back from a 7 month trip around the world and am hungry for more. The adventure began with my wife and I getting married this past spri..."

Hi Lilisa! Thanks for the welcome.
That is a loaded question since there were so many beautiful and intriguing places. If I had to narrow it down, I would lean towards the ones that were nature oriented. The big cities were great but deep down inside I'm more of a nature enthusiast. Keeping that in mind I can narrow it down to two; South Island of New Zealand and the Island of Mallorca, Spain (Majorca for some). We rented a car in both places and were absolutely stunned with the landscape, small quaint towns, and its people. Although on opposite sides of the world, both places have a similar feel. I would go back in a second!
Any places that you have visited which are 'must see'?

[Jacek]

Rusalka wrote: "Welcome Jacek! Sounds like you have had all of our dream year, travelling and reading. Please let us know if you have any questions, otherwise we look forward to hearing about your travels (I echo ..."

Hello Rusalka! Appreciate the welcome as well.
I just responded to Lilisa with my favorite places we visited.
For now I don't have any questions. However you might have opened up Pandoras box here as I am a total newbie to Goodreads. So once I get oriented I'm sure you will get sick of hearing all the questions :)
Hope all is well!

[Lilisa]

Lilisa wrote: "Jacek wrote: "Hello Everyone, this is Jacek. I currently came back from a 7 month trip around the world and am hungry for more. The adventure began with my wife and I getting married this past spri..."

They sound fabulous - New Zealand has always been on my list. Loved Turkey - beautiful, great people/culture, the intersection of east/west make it a intriguing country (great sailing too, like Greece)); Costa Rica - It has the highest density of biodiversity of any country worldwide - it has 12 climactic zones; and I would have to list India as well - very different but a unique cultural experience. Being a nature enthusiast, if you haven't been to Costa Rica, check it out - you'll get your fill.

[Lilisa]

P.S. Jacek - we were all newbies of Goodreads at one point - no worries about Qs - ask away, I still do. Rusalka and Jenny are definitely the wiser ones!

[Rusalka]

I agree with Lilisa. We have all been newbies, so ask away. I disagree on my knowledge level though :P

I loved the South Island of NZ too, so I am glad you enjoyed it. It's stunning. Have not been to Majorca, but will add it to the list! I have to go to Spain soon, I've promised my uncle a visit, so we may have to make a detour.

We went to Europe in August, and I agree with you. Cities have so much wonderful stuff going on and things to do, but sometimes nature is just best. We loved the Black Forest in South-West Germany which was amazing, and Wicklow National Park in Ireland pretty spectacular. Particularly to us, from a country that doesn't really do woods or forests.

Where is home, now you have done travelling?

[Jacek]

Lilisa wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Jacek wrote: "Hello Everyone, this is Jacek. I currently came back from a 7 month trip around the world and am hungry for more. The adventure began with my wife and I getting married..."

Ah yes! I have heard a lot of great things about Costa Rica. Once we recover from our recent journey it will be on the top of the list. For now I am happy to be an armchair traveler. Have never been to Turkey either.
You definitely need to go to India at least once. Talk about a unique place...go with an open mind and get ready for a real culture shock. I've been three times and the country amazes me every time. Actually, was there three years ago for a friends wedding and took the opportunity during our visit of Taj Mahal to propose to my (now) wife. We kept it a secret all throughout the friends wedding and only told everyone once we left the country. Happy to give advice if/when you go.
Thanks again for being so welcoming!

[Jacek]

Rusalka wrote: "I agree with Lilisa. We have all been newbies, so ask away. I disagree on my knowledge level though :P

I loved the South Island of NZ too, so I am glad you enjoyed it. It's stunning. Have not been..."

So happy to hear that you enjoyed the South Island as much as we did. Agree, 'stunning' is a good word to describe it.
You have to make a stopover in Majorca when you go to Spain. Its a really easy and cheap flight to/from Barcelona. I would suggest taking the time to rent a car and explore the whole island. You won't regret it.
Will jot down a note to see the Black Forest and Wicklow National Park if we are ever in the area. Thanks for sharing.
Currently living in Charlottesville, Virginia, US. Enjoying being back home and contemplating the next step....

[Rita]

Welcome Jacek. There are so many beautiful places in the world! I love Europe and of course my own country, Australia. One country that made a big impression was Egypt - so different to anywhere else. Also the sites and temples are almost complete - different from Greece where only a few rocks remain.

[Jacek]

Rita wrote: "Welcome Jacek. There are so many beautiful places in the world! I love Europe and of course my own country, Australia. One country that made a big impression was Egypt - so different to anywhere el..."

Thank you for the welcome Rita! Loved my time in Sydney and Melbourne. The barrier reef is on my bucket list as well. Thanks for the advice on Egypt as well.

[Aleks]

Hello everyone! I am Aleks, made in Ukraine, but lived in a tiny military unit in Kazakhstan for the first 11 years of my life, then Ukraine for 2 yeas, and US for over 2 decades now. I really enjoy books that take you on a travel adventure but also the adventure that is the author's life. Two of my favorites are Traveling With Pomegranates: A Mother-Daughter Story and Three Weeks With My Brother. Has anyone read anything similar they can recommend? I also love a well-researched historical fiction or novel. Cutting for Stone took me to Ethiopia, Sarah's Key to France, The Historian to Istanbul, Budapest, and Transylvannia, and Shanghai Girls to Shanghai. This year I was fortunate enough to read what is now one of my favorite books, which took me to Spain - The Magic Strings of Frankie Presto. Currently I am traveling the US with Howard Zinn as guide through A People's History of the United States

[Lilisa]

Welcome Aleks - great to have you join us! I love historical fiction and enjoyed Sarah's Key. A few personal travel adventure by authors I've enjoyed are:
- The Olive Farm: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Olive Oil in the South of France
- The Temporary Bride: A Memoir of Love and Food in Iran
- Four Seasons in Rome: On Twins, Insomnia, and the Biggest Funeral in the History of the World
- The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca
- Tea & Bee's Milk: Our Year in a Turkish Village
- Married to Bhutan

[Aleks]

Lilisa wrote: "Welcome Aleks - great to have you join us! I love historical fiction and enjoyed Sarah's Key. A few personal travel adventure by authors I've enjoyed are:
- [book:The Olive Farm: A M..."

Thank you Lilisa!
I can't wait to dive in.