Around the World in 80 Books discussion
Random Travel Challenge
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Critterbee's Random Travel Challenge 2018
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I have three of the books, and will start shortly.Bangladesh - A Golden Age
Jamaica - Wide Sargasso Sea
Morocco - Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits
Just finished Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits, and it was really good! Was not too impressed with Wide Sargasso Sea.
I thought Wide Sargasso Sea was just too sad, although I did enjoy her writing style.
Estonia is proving the most difficult for me to complete in terms of putting my hands on a book, so I will have to get an ILL from the library. Guatemala is also challenging, but not nearly so difficult as Estonia. That makes me want to read more Estonian work.
Rosemarie wrote: "I thought Wide Sargasso Sea was just too sad, although I did enjoy her writing style."The writing was very evocative, I agree. Just the sadness on top of the misery on top of the agony. Maybe I should read it again after a while, but now is not the time for me to read such grimdark stories.
And, because it was written well, rating it 2 stars seems unfair. I will think on it.
Just got 7 new countries!Honduras
Micronesia
Mexico
Netherlands
Bulgaria
Poland
Iceland
Book PlanningBangladesh - A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam
Guatemala - I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala by Rigoberta Menchú
Honduras - The Lost City of the Monkey God by Douglas Preston
Micronesia - The Web by Jonathan Kellerman
Mexico - Aura by Carlos Fuentes
Bulgaria - A Gift from the Heart: Folk Tales from Bulgaria by Radost Pridham
Poland - What the Night Sings by Vesper Stamper
Iceland - Journey to the Centre of the Earth by Jules Verne
Reading A Golden Age and Aura now. Golden Age is a bit slow, but I am speeding through Aura!
Still reading Golden Age, have finished with Aura, and have started I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala for my Guatemalan read.
Whew! Finally finished A Golden Age, next I will try to finish Rigoberta.
Finished Rigoberta, what a methodically documented life story. Very interesting, although often ideas were repeated. Three stars, and I am very glad that I read about her.
Finished The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story. I actually did not enjoy this account of the wild, swashbuckling expedition aimed at Indiana-Jonesing it's way through the jungles of Honduras and claiming the physical discovery of an legendary ancient ruined city.Told in a macho, breathless, self-satisfied manner, with admiring statements about alphahole looters and tough guy politics, I really was over it shortly after it begun. Something as important as archaeological discovery of historic sights should not be undertaken in the manner of a chest-pounding challenge, with beer and lobster tails and bullying. The content should have made this book an amazing read, but all the turns down 'shooting people in the face' alleys really turned me off. Lidar was interesting to read about.
Also, the fascination with which he gleefully related his leishmaniasis was not easy to read.
He did discuss leishmaniasis for about 3 chapters, as an explanation of the mass deaths due to disease of the indigenous peoples of the Americas.
And the last challenge location is Micronesia. Just downloaded Rídan The Devil And Other Stories 1899 from Project Gutenberg, and will give it a go.
Added 2 more countries to finish out the year at 12: Swaziland and South Korea.Proposed reads: Adventures in Swaziland The Story of a South African Boer
and
The Vegetarian
Finished Nada the Lily by H. Rider Haggard, ★★★ Dated, and like a soap opera. About the Zulu, and full of treachery, betrayal and revenge.
Finished South Korea The Vegetarian by Han Kang ★★★★★Engrossing, unusual, disturbing and refreshing all at the same time.
Around the World in 80 Books
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The Vegetarian (other topics)The Vegetarian (other topics)
Nada the Lily (other topics)
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My first five countries are Bangladesh, Estonia, Jamaica, Guatemala and Morocco.
Bangladesh - A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam ★★★ Finished May 2, 2018
Estonia - Dancing Bears: True Stories of People Held Captive to Old Ways of Life in Newly Free Societies by Witold Szabłowski ★ Finished March 24, 2018
Jamaica - Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys ★★ Finished March 04, 2018
Guatemala - I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala by Rigoberta Menchú ★★★
Morocco - Hope and Other Dangerous Pursuits by Laila Lalami ★★★★ Finished March 7, 2018
My next seven countries are Honduras, Micronesia, Mexico, Netherlands, Bulgaria, Poland and Iceland.
Honduras - The Lost City of the Monkey God: A True Story by Douglas Preston ★★
Micronesia - Ridan the Devil: And Other Stories by Louis Becke ★★
Mexico - Aura by Carlos Fuentes ★★★ Finished April 2, 2018
Netherlands - The Unbinding of Mary Reade by Miriam McNamara ★★ Finished March 17, 2018
Iceland - A Journey to the Center of the Earth by Jules Verne ★★★ Finished May 6, 2018
Bulgaria - A Gift from the Heart: Folk Tales from Bulgaria by Radost Pridham ★★
Poland - What the Night Sings by Vesper Stamper ★★★★★ Finished April 20, 2018
Added 2 more countries to finish out the year at 14: Swaziland and South Korea.
Swaziland - Nada the Lily by H. Rider Haggard ★★★
South Korea The Vegetarian by Han Kang ★★★★★