Task #5 - A book set in or about one of the five BRICS countries

[Barbara]

I read The Bear and the Nightingale for this challenge......set in Russia.

[Teresa]

The Twentieth Wife,
Nervous Conditions, or
Captains of the Sands.
Last year I read The Nose. It was so absurd it cracked me up.

[Erin]

I have an obsession with R, I, and C, so I really should challenge myself to do a B(razil) book... But since I'm on NO-BUY for this challenge and trying to knock out some of my TBR room, I'm going with one of the following:

The Dynasties of China: A History

The Romanovs: 1613-1918

Dragon Bones

[Kate]

I read The Leavers by Lisa Ko! One of my favorite books I've read so far for the challenge.

[Matt]

I'm excited to try Arundhati Roy's recent novel, The Ministry of Utmost Happiness, set in India. I somehow have not read The God of Small Things, so this will be my first foray into Ms. Roy's work.

[Karen]

The God of Small Things is one of my favorites. I've read it several times and listened to it on Audible in 2017. So I think I'll choose The Good Earth, already on my shelf, waiting to be picked up.

[Julia]

I bought The Leavers last fall, but I tend to seek out and read books set in South Africa like Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood, a memoir by Trevor Noah, or Lauren Beukes's fantastic and fantastical Zoo City, or the Athol Fugard's plays Blood Knot and Other Plays or Statements.

[Liz]

Barbara wrote: "I read The Bear and the Nightingale for this challenge......set in Russia."

I read the sequel, also set in Russia.

[Robert]

Any of Amitav Ghosh's books in the Ibis Trilogy are good choices. I'm reading Flood of Fire now.

[Sheneve]

I read The Head of the Saint, it was short read but I really enjoyed it.

[Desmond]

I read The Rape of Nanking. It's about the Japanese army's massacre and mass rape of the former Chinese capital during WWII. I'd never heard of it, so the book was certainly informative.

[April]

I just finished An Excess Male set in future China. It's a dystopian story that deals with the aftermath of the one child rule. I loved it! It's a little bit of everything: thriller, romance, scifi, family drama... and it's thought-provoking. Highly recommended!

[Greta]

Just finished The Tusk that Did the Damage, a novel dealing with ivory poaching in South India. Three narrative points of view, including the elephant's. I thought it was a highly successful first novel; some of the perspectives were stronger than others, but definitely worth a read. It addresses the complexities of poaching, habitat destruction, poverty and conservation efforts, and does not simplify or reduce them. A real eye-opener on a topic that I knew little about.

[sea]

Fever by Deon Meyer

Set in various locations in South Africa - it's a very riveting read by a well known South African author.

[Pixelina]

C (InkBlottings) wrote: "Fever by Deon Meyer

Set in various locations in South Africa - it's a very riveting read by a well known South African author."

thanks for the tip, I would never have found this book if not for your comment here!

[Ashley]

I listened to Secret Lives of the Tsars: Three Centuries of Autocracy, Debauchery, Betrayal, Murder, and Madness from Romanov Russia (Russia) as well as Shanghai Girls and Dreams of Joy (some America but mostly China, especially in Dreams) and all three were great stories!

[Ashley]

If anyone likes mysteries, Child 44 is set in Russia.

[Mya]

Hi. Just a random FYI that there is also a thread on Task #5 BRICS countries on the 2018 challenge discussion board, with lots of discussion & suggestions. :)

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

[Gina]

April wrote: "I just finished An Excess Male set in future China. It's a dystopian story that deals with the aftermath of the one child rule. I loved it! It's a little bit of everything: thriller..."

I read this as well and liked it.

[Ashley]

Kasi wrote: "Ashley wrote: "I listened to Secret Lives of the Tsars: Three Centuries of Autocracy, Debauchery, Betrayal, Murder, and Madness from Romanov Russia (Russia) as well as [book:Shangha..."

Kasi, I really enjoyed it! My coworker suggested it to me on audiobook and I liked that format a lot. It can be slow at times but it was refreshing in that each time I thought I knew what was going to happen, something else popped up and surprised me.

[Dee]

I read Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity which was a truly eye opening book and am going to read Shanghai Girls at some point this year but it's a big book so im trying to wait until i have a little time on my hands

[Teresa]

I read Mrs. Pollifax on the China Station for fun and weeks later realized it fits this prompt.

[Deborah]

Just finished The Woman Next Door. The story of 2 80+ years
Olders, whose relationship evolves from I cant stand you to maybe we can make.

[Candace]

I just started Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood for this task, and I can't put it down!

[Nancy]

Deborah wrote: "Just finished The Woman Next Door. The story of 2 80+ years
Olders, whose relationship evolves from I cant stand you to maybe we can make."
Sounds interesting. Who is the author? I've looked for the title on Goodreads, but there are too many books with that title. :-)

[Cendaquenta]

Nancy wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Just finished The Woman Next Door. The story of 2 80+ years
Olders, whose relationship evolves from I cant stand you to maybe we can make."
Sounds interesting. Who is the author? I'..."

Might be this one: The Woman Next Door by Yewande Omotoso.

[Nancy]

Cendaquenta wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Just finished The Woman Next Door. The story of 2 80+ years
Olders, whose relationship evolves from I cant stand you to maybe we can make."
Sounds interesting. Who is ..."

I'll bet that's it. It looks really good. I've added it to my TBR list!

[Robin]

Several of these meet this category: https://www.amazon.com/article/read-t...

[Deborah]

To Nancy & Cendaquenta The W4oman Next Door, Yewande Omotoso. Great read

[Heather]

Just finished Family Romanov: Murder, Rebellion, and the Fall of Imperial Russia by Candace Fleming. Good read!

[Julia]

I read and enjoyed The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden for this, set in South Africa, but in my mind I confused it with Fever, so I kept expecting a dystopia. No dystopias in The Prey of Gods. It's a debut novel that works well as science fiction and fantasy, which is unusual.

[Summer]

Chasing the Monkey King by D.C. Alexander. Great book! "China"

[Bonnie G.]

Thanks Summer, this one looks great.

[Heather]

If you're in a historical fiction mood: "The Lost Crown" is a novel about the Romanov sisters. A shorter choice for Russia: "Have Personality Disorder, Will Rule Russia: An Iconoclastic History by a Recovering Russophile"
by
Jennifer Eremeeva

[Emily]

I'm reading Soundless by Richelle Mead. I've actually owned this book for a couple years and have never read it, so I'm rather excited to finally be motivated by this task to pick it up!

[[deleted user]]

Nancy wrote: "Cendaquenta wrote: "Nancy wrote: "Deborah wrote: "Just finished The Woman Next Door. The story of 2 80+ years
Olders, whose relationship evolves from I cant stand you to maybe we can make."
Sounds ..."

I read this book also, which I counted for a female protagonist over the age of 60 (includes 2) and enjoyed it. I preferred the second half of the book better, but it is very interesting to get a glimpse into life in South Africa (which I also saw from Trevor Noah's Born a Crime.) I now read 2 books that will count for this task.

[Sheri]

I read The Bear and the Nightingale which is set in Russia. I really loved it!

[Jolynne]

Three Souls

[Vicki]

I read The Great Passage set in Japan. A story about editing and producing a dictionary, it's really about how words and understanding their meaning can connect us to each other.

[Cecelia]

Japan isn't a BRICS country though.

[Vicki]

Whoops - well it was a decent book, so I will grab another!

[Nadine]

Just received a list of books from Brazil in my inbox. Interesting https://blog.mangolanguages.com/augus...

[Erin]

Spinning Silver by Naomi Novak is set in a fictionalized Russia. I'ma count it.

[Sheri]

I counted The Bear and the Nightingale, I’d say Spinning Silver counts fine.

[Teresa]

I also listened to The Case of the Love Commandos, a cozy mystery set in India.