2017 - Where in the world have you been? (book finished and review linked)

[Courtney]

I was in a variety of places-primarily Africa and Afghanistan- in Hope in Hell: Inside the World of Doctors Without Borders.

I rated it a 3 stars. I learned quite a bit about the organization and have a much deeper appreciation for my life. The reason I rated it 3 stars was because a majority of the stories took place in a few countries in Africa and Afghanistan. I also would have liked to have known more about the internal structure of the organization and how they chose where to go.

Be warned: this book contains graphic scenes.

[Shomeret]

I have returned from South Africa. My experience there was highly ambivalent. There were some parts of Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood that I loved and others that intrigued me. At the same time, I was also bored by a number of chapters and offended by one controversial chapter.

Here is my review https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Shomeret wrote: "I have returned from South Africa. My experience there was highly ambivalent. There were some parts of Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood that I loved and others t..."

Which chapter did you find controversial? I can't seem to click on the link.

[Shomeret]

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Shomeret wrote: "I have returned from South Africa. My experience there was highly ambivalent. There were some parts of Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood that I l..."

Telling you which chapter I found controversial is a huge spoiler. So I am going to put the chapter name in spoiler tags (view spoiler)[Go Hitler (hide spoiler)] I am not the only one who finds it problematic. I am participating in a GR review thread dealing with this issue.

[Shomeret]

I have returned from England and Hungary in Blood Rose Rebellion. I liked it until I didn't at all. The author included a explanation late in the book that made no sense to me. See my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Carol]

I left Japan, where I was via Some Prefer Nettles by Jun'ichirō Tanizaki. Here's a link to my brief 5-star review, which includes a link to a finer one.

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

[Shomeret]

I have just returned from Namibia in the future with Home by Nnedi Okorafor where the protagonist discovered that her complex identity is even more multicultural than she had imagined. Unfortunately, I had to remove a star. See my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Carol]

I finished A Rising Man by Abir Mukherjee, left 1919 India, and gave it 4 stars. I will link to a review once it's written and uploaded. I am quite drawn to tales that take place between WWI and WWII as native residents began to engage in civil disobedience against their respective colonial governments.

[Claire]

Been in France, Germany and the unnamed African country in Marie NDiaye's Man Booker International shortlisted novel Ladivine: A Novel.

My review linked here

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I finished reading The Goldfinch (New York/Las Vegas/Amsterdam) over a week ago, but I've only just been able to write my review. What a book! Loved it!

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

[Lilisa]

Andrea wrote: "I finished reading The Goldfinch (New York/Las Vegas/Amsterdam) over a week ago, but I've only just been able to write my review. What a book! Loved it!

https://www.goodreads.com/r..."

I'm still reading it Andrea - I'm on chapter 12 so getting close. Glad you loved it!

[Claire]

Andrea wrote: "I finished reading The Goldfinch (New York/Las Vegas/Amsterdam) over a week ago, but I've only just been able to write my review. What a book! Loved it!

https://www.goodreads.com/r..."
Oh great to hear, that's on my summer reading list, can't wait!

[Claire]

I've been in Alaska with Two Old Women: An Alaskan Legend of Betrayal, Courage and Survival by Velma Wallis herself of the native Athabaskan People.

Absolutely loved it, an Alaska legend of betrayal, courage and survival, with a few beautiful illustrations of their struggle.

My review linked here: Two Old Women

[Carol]

I was in Indonesia (circa 1900) with Maria Dermoût's Yesterday. It was a luminous treat and a spare 118 pages. Here is a link to my 4-star review.


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

[Shomeret]

I have been mostly on other planets or in transit between planets. There were stories that took me to France and Canada, however. The book was the YA science fiction anthology Brave New Girls: Stories of Girls Who Science and Scheme.

See my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Courtney]

I was in Dacia, Parthia, and Rome with Empress of the Seven Hills. My review is here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

I also went to London and Romania with Follow You Home. I rate it a 4/5. I was expecting it to be more of a horror book than a thriller book. I also didn't like the Big Revelation about a character at the end.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in North Dakota last week with LaRose. It was just ok for me.

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

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I recently read Wave by Sonali Deraniyagala. It is a very honest and devastating memoir about how she lost her entire family in the 2004 tsunami. Phew. Set in Sri Lanka, mostly. My review is here.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

AND if you want another water-based grief memoir, try All at Sea by Decca Aitkenhead, set in Jamaica if you need a quick read for this island nation! I selected it for my Book of the Month pick almost a year ago, and finally read it during the 24 in 48 readathon. My review is here.

[Carol]

I was in Philadelphia (the US) with The Summer We Got Free by Mia McKenzie. I gave it 4 stars but haven't written my review. It was excellent until the too-pat, too-all-loose-ends-tied-up ending. This was the first novel I've read with a gay protagonist and it was refreshing to eliminate that as a fact of my reading life.

[Carol]

I also was in Iran and Holland with Refuge by Dina Nayeri. I haven't written my review but intend to. I can't say enough great things about this novel. It was simply wonderful --the language, deft handling of the all-too-common dual timeline story, believable, authentic characters and relationships, family and marriages that were real to me, heritage culture, what it means to belong, food. And food. And the food. I came to this with a greater than average interest in Persia and left entranced with it and with Nayeri's skill.

[Courtney]

I was in Israel, China, Afghanistan, and India with Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal.

Christopher Moore is one of my favorite authors. He did an outstanding job with Lamb. I strongly recommend if you enjoy comedy and speculation

[Lilisa]

I was in Vietnam with The Quiet American. I enjoyed it - a 3-star read.

[Claire]

I have been in London, the US, Syria and Pakistan with Kamila Shamsie's Home Fire, recently long listed for the Man Booker Prize 2017.

[Shomeret]

I have returned from contemporary US, 15th century Spain and contemporary Spain with By Light of Hidden Candles. I really like the fact that history and genealogy were treated as significant. See my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Shomeret]

I have come back from contemporary Serbia with The Exiled by Kati Hiekkapelto which I won in a Goodreads giveaway. I liked it very much and mentioned Women in Translation month in my review which is at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Claire]

I've been in India with Khuswant Singh's Train to Pakistan , a novel of the 1947 Partition of India and the formation of Pakistan, today it's 70 years since this humanitarian tragedy. A necessary and poignant read.

[Courtney]

I just left Russia with The Bear and the Nightingale. A solid 4/5 for me. I enjoyed the parallels between the original folklore and the novel.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I gave The Good Muslim (Bangladesh) 3★

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

[Shomeret]

I returned from what is now Israel but was Philistia, Benjamin and Judea at the time. The book was David and the Philistine Woman. I liked it. The Philistine woman was amazing. See my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lilisa]

I was in Lebanon with The Locust and the Bird: My Mother's Story. I was hoping I'd enjoy it more, but I didn't care for the writing and the depiction of some of the characters...it was a 2-star read. On the other hand, I thoroughly enjoyed the fast-paced The Accidental Apprentice - although far-fetched (think willing suspension of disbelief, but given this day and age, who knows?), the storyline kept me engaged, crammed with cultural learnings and an unexpected twist at the end - I gave it 5 stars.

[Carol]

I was in Hydra (Greece) and rural Italy with Beautiful Animals by Lawrence Osborne. I stopped reading several times to consult maps and other online resources regarding towns and other locations where the story takes place because Osborne's description of the landscape was beautiful and intriguing.

My 5-star review is displayed here:

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

[Lilisa]

I finished Claire of the Sea Light - my first by Edwidge Danticat. I really enjoyed it - loved the story treatment and writing style, characters and rich culturally context interspersed with everyday Haitian sayings - I felt I was standing on the sidelines watching the story unfold if not actually being there. I'm wondering why it has a much lower rating than it deserves. Definitely going to read more of Edwidge Danticat's books.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I'm back from Barcelona - finished The Angel's Game this morning. Unfortunately I didn't feel it lived up to the gloriousness of The Shadow of the Wind, but it was still a good read.

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

[Courtney]

I was in Poland and France with Marie Curie: A Biography. Greenwood Biographies.. It was a quick read and gave a nice overview of her life. I wish they had done better editing. I found three instances where she used the same 3 sentences to describe various aspects of Marie Curie's life.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I gave The Artist of Disappearance (India) 3★

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

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in Tibet with a recent YA release, Running on the Roof of the World, which I gave 3★

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

[Shomeret]

I've returned from my trip to France with Black Water Lilies by Michel Bussi. I thought it was unusually written and I learned a great deal about Monet.

See my review at https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I've been in the USA and Ecuador with Enchanted Islands by Allison Amend

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

[Carol]

I was in Japan with Apparitions: Ghosts of Old Edo by Miyuki Miyabe,

My review is displayed at:

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

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I've been in France with Irène - didn't love it.

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

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I've been in Nepal this week with The City Son by Samrat Upadhyay - an accomplished but difficult read.

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

[Rusalka]

I finished The Gardener from Ochakov for the Ukraine this week.

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

[Lilisa]

Rusalka wrote: "I finished The Gardener from Ochakov for the Ukraine this week.

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

One thing led to another and I was prompted to check out the Ukrainian lit list - I love lists! Now I have Greatest Russian Short Stories on my TBR list and realized I've not read Nikolai Gogol's The Overcoat.

[Rusalka]

Lilisa wrote: "One thing led to another and I was prompted to check out the Ukrainian lit list - I love lists! Now I have Greatest Russian Short Stories on my TBR list and realized I've not read Nikolai Gogol's The Overcoat. "

LOL that phrase usually leads to much worse confessions than "I added 2 books to my TBR". I'm glad it enlightened you to read these :P

[Carol]

Rusalka wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "One thing led to another and I was prompted to check out the Ukrainian lit list - I love lists! Now I have Greatest Russian Short Stories on my TBR list and realized I've not read Ni..."

Exactly :)

The Overcoat is a fast read, at least. Less than thirty even if you savor it.

[Lilisa]

Alas, so many books, so little time -- exaggerated sigh! :-)

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I've just spent an hour in Afghanistan reading The Kite Runner: Graphic Novel.

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

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

For the past few weeks I've been reading Short Walks from Bogota: Journeys in the New Colombia. I've shelved it for the time being, because it's not really giving me what I was looking for. Interesting, but not enough 'journeying' and not enough 'new' for my needs.

[Claire]

I've been in South Australia in the 1800's reading Lucy Treloar's excellent historical fiction account of a family's attempt to settle in Salt Creek.

My review here