Play Book Tag discussion
September 2019: Cultural
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Announcing the September Tag
Yay! Glad this won!
Here's my cultural shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
However I'm going to be reading of this list as I'm in Kefalonia the first week of September: https://www.librarything.com/catalog/...
Here's my cultural shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
However I'm going to be reading of this list as I'm in Kefalonia the first week of September: https://www.librarything.com/catalog/...
My recommendations ... 5-star books from my "culture" shelf - (page 1)The Kite Runner
The Red Tent
The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child
Memoirs of a Geisha
Like Water for Chocolate
The Space Between Us
The Good Earth
Girl with a Pearl Earring
What the Body Remembers
The House on Mango Street
The Samurai's Garden
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress
Cutting for Stone
The Namesake
AMY ... here are poetry books (Novels told in verse) for you!
Under the Mesquite
Inside Out & Back Again
If you want you can peruse more books from My culture shelf HERE
I know I'll read
I Always Loved You by Robin Oliveira
The Ravenmaster: My Life with the Ravens at the Tower of London
And, of course, whatever comes up for the Horizons challenge.
Once again Outlander fits :P My trim is Exit West which fits this tag so I know for sure I will read that one. My IRL book club is reading Where Reasons End, that might fit. I'll double check.
Oh you know I hate VERSE!I am going to read Song of the Jade Lily, and probably the Witches of St. Petersburg. I also hear Where the Crawdads Sing fits. I will never finish Labryinth of the Spirits, like ever due to length, but it definitely has some mystical Barcelona and history.
Oh - my trim book is Angels in My Well which is also Cultural. Good month for me!
I am reading The Namesake, though I have to get through The Labyrinth of the Spirits and Daisy Jones & The Six first. I've read so many on this list. I recommend
The Poisonwood Bible and anything by Hosseini, Khaled
Meli wrote: "Once again Outlander fits :P ."Hahahaha! I am reading the sixth book in that series right now but definitely will not finish until next month. Maybe I will go easy on myself and just count that! lol
Jason wrote: "I've read so many on this list. I recommend The Poisonwood Bible and anything by Hosseini, Khaled ."
I loved The Poisonwood Bible. It was my first Kingsolver and really got me into her books.
Nicole R wrote: "Jason wrote: "I've read so many on this list. I recommend The Poisonwood Bible and anything by Hosseini, Khaled ."
I loved The Poisonwood Bible. It was my first Kingsolver and really got me into ..."
Despite Poisonwood Bible being one of my favorite books, I have not ready anything else by Kingsolver.
Okay, I need to do some research. I would like to dovetail this with the Horizons pick of Egypt read something that is about/set in Egypt and is by an Egyptian author (making it a little more challenging for myself). Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz seems like it would be the ideal book, but also seems ambitious.
Woman at Point Zero by Nawal El Saadawi is a more realistic length and sounds like it packs a punch in a few pages.
The Map of Love by Ahdaf Soueif has been recommended to me before.
A Daughter of Isis by Nawal El Saadawi could be a stark insight to life as a woman in Egypt.
OR, I could go with some ancient Egypt historical fiction with:
River God by Wilbur Smith
OR, I could go the easy route with something by Michelle Moran or Margaret George:
Cleopatra's Daughter
The Heretic Queen
The Memoirs of Cleopatra
So many decisions to make!
I´m a bit unsure about what is meant by "cultural". Is it something that focuses on culture (like a group of people´s/country´s culture)? A culture different than your own? Or a cultural piece, like a work of art (in which case it could be all books, or just books about making art or culture).
Jason wrote: "Nicole R wrote: "Despite Poisonwood Bible being one of my favorite books, I have not ready anything else by Kingsolver. ."The Bean TreesI haven't read everything by her, but I adored Prodigal Summer and Flight Behavior. Both were environment-centric which I enjoyed.
Her latest book, Unsheltered, wasn't my favorite. I did like The Bean Trees by could barely tolerate the follow up to that one, Pigs in Heaven.
Johanne wrote: "I´m a bit unsure about what is meant by "cultural". Is it something that focuses on culture (like a group of people´s/country´s culture)? A culture different than your own? Or a cultural piece, like a work of art (in which case it could be all books, or just books about making art or culture)."Johanne, for the monthly tag, it can be whatever you would like it to be so long as it is a logical connection!
I think many people have been thinking that it is more along the lines of a people/country culture, but I can totally see it meaning art and music as in "being cultured."
That makes sense Nicole, thanks. "Culture" is such a broad term to begin with and English is not my first language, so I just needed to know what was meant by it initially.
Johanne wrote: "That makes sense Nicole, thanks. "Culture" is such a broad term to begin with and English is not my first language, so I just needed to know what was meant by it initially."It is a broad category! I am going with the country culture definition because it fits with the Horizons challenge, otherwise I would likely go with the "art" definition that you mentioned!
Jenny wrote: "Yay! Glad this won!Here's my cultural shelf: https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
However I'm going to be reading of this list as I'm in Kefalonia the first week of..."
Oh Jenny-what fun! Have a wonderful time!
Well, this isn't the greatest tag for someone trying to dig out from a reading slump, but there are some contenders in the mix.Gods of Jade and Shadow is probably the one I'm most excited about.
But I could also revisit Ms. Marvel and start working my way through them again.
I've heard Long Way Down is phenomenal in audio, so maybe I'll try that.
And Children of Blood and Bone has been staring me down from my book case, so maybe I'll finally get to it.
Nicole R wrote: "Okay, I need to do some research. I would like to dovetail this with the Horizons pick of Egypt read something that is about/set in Egypt and is by an Egyptian author (making it a little more chall..."I'm going to follow your lead on this. I had a heavy reading month this month and want to take it easy on myself for what I'm "required" to read. I'm going to look into the Egypt books you mentioned and will probably find one that I can listen to on Audible since I'm traveling so much for work during the month of Sept, including a 5 hr (10 total) each way drive across the state.
Does Beartown fit? I briefly read the summary and it looks like it's about a small town, and small towns have a culture that is uniquely their own. Wondering if that comes out in the story.
Glad to hear we reached a decision eventually - crazy that it was so close! I'll be reading The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures which has been on my radar for a while - I think the theme of misunderstandings between two cultural perspectives will fit the tag well. Slightly nervous that it might be totally depressing though...
Hebah wrote: "I've heard Long Way Down is phenomenal in audio, so maybe I'll try that."I didn't do the audio, but highly recommend this book! So good :(
Charlotte wrote: "Nicole R wrote: "Okay, I need to do some research. I would like to dovetail this with the Horizons pick of Egypt read something that is about/set in Egypt and is by an Egyptian author (making it a ..."I would say absolutely Beartown fits and it is even in the list of books tagged as culture. I think it fits for the reason you mentioned, small town culture, but also because it has a heavy focus on sports culture in this town.
After looking over the books that have been tagged cultural and my tbr list I plan on reading Esperanza Rising.
I've also just noticed that the book I had picked out for art (The Age of Insight: The Quest to Understand the Unconscious in Art, Mind, and Brain from Vienna 1900 to the Present) is also tagged 'culture' by a few people - I'm guessing that this would be true for a lot of 'art' selections...Having read a 'witches' book this month though, I'm wary that if I continue the pattern of reading my first choice tag as well as the chosen one it will start to feel like another thing I have to find time for each month...
Yes Beartown fits. It's set in Sweden, the author is Swedish, and the book was translated from Swedish. Many people tagged it Cultural. I think the book also examines societal values, and conflicts between what they said they valued vs how they really acted.
Jason wrote: "Nicole R wrote: "Jason wrote: "I've read so many on this list. I recommend The Poisonwood Bible and anything by Hosseini, Khaled ."
I loved The Poisonwood Bible. It was my first Kingsolver and re..."
I love Kingsolver and have read most of hers. Interestingly, I didn't care for Poisonwood Bible. However, let me recommend Prodigal Summer. I loved it and recommend it often. I've never had anyone tell me they didn't like it.
Nicole R wrote: "Jason wrote: "Nicole R wrote: "Despite Poisonwood Bible being one of my favorite books, I have not ready anything else by Kingsolver. ."The Bean TreesI haven't read everything by her..."
You and I agree on Kingsolver! I didn't care for Poisonwood Bible (as I state above) but Bean Trees was the first of her's I've read and I absolutely adored Prodigal Summer. I still have more of hers to read and that's good, I haven't read the latest.
I think we'll all get the double points for Horizon and culture this month! I am thinking of going with There There since (I believe) it would fit Native American culture? Plus I have Beartown as my Trim. Culture again. Going to be a good month for me!
NancyJ wrote: "Yes Beartown fits. It's set in Sweden, the author is Swedish, and the book was translated from Swedish. Many people tagged it Cultural."It'll be a group read for the two of us, I have Beartown too for my Trim.
Nicole R wrote: "Jason wrote: "Nicole R wrote: "Despite Poisonwood Bible being one of my favorite books, I have not ready anything else by Kingsolver. ."The Bean TreesI haven't read everything by her..."
I have added Prodigal Summer to my "to read" list. Thank-you
Regarding Beartown, I think it fits not just for Sweden, but for hockey "culture" too! And small-town culture as well.
BTW Anita, I'm curious - exactly how close was the vote?
I'd prefer to read fiction right now, but I also have several academic books on culture, culture change, and organization culture that I might consider. I would love an updated book similar to this one: Cultures and Organizations: Software of the Mind by Geert Hofstede.For fiction, I want books that can reveal something real about a culture - it's values, norms, expectations, underlying beliefs, etc. I will select books about a country, region, or a sub-culture within a larger culture (e.g. African American). I should be able to figure out where the culture stands on dimensions such as individualism vs collectivism, democratic vs autocratic decision making, male vs female styles, and other categories.
The arts are often a reflection of the culture, but I won't read about art for art's sake since it didn't win the vote.
I'm not limited to one small country, so I can afford to set higher standards. The setting of a book is not enough. I'll try to read books by an author who comes from that culture, or by someone who has done enough research to be credible (reviews will help screen out those that get it all wrong.)
The shared values of a culture might be revealed by what is rewarded vs punished, or by hierarchy, institutions, rituals, symbols, or cultural artifacts. The culture might be reflected or revealed by the group's art, music, entertainment, education, sports, celebrations, architecture, and the way that people live. It might also be revealed by patterns in criminal justice, institutional racism, and immigration.
The best fictional cultural book I've read is A Thousand Splendid Suns. The book covered nearly every item on a textbook list of things that could define or reveal a culture. It showed the changes in expected behaviors from old Afghanistan, Russian controlled, and new Afghanistan. They destroyed ancient symbolic statues in order to eradicate the old culture.
Barbara wrote: "NancyJ wrote: "Yes Beartown fits. It's set in Sweden, the author is Swedish, and the book was translated from Swedish. Many people tagged it Cultural."It'll be a group read for the two of us, I h..."
I think a handful of us have Beartown for the Trim so it's going to be a fun group buddy read!!
Thank you all for confirming that it is full of culture :)
annapi wrote: "BTW Anita, I'm curious - exactly how close was the vote?"The original vote among the three was literally a handful of votes separating each of the tags. In the revote, cultural won by about a dozen, maybe a bit more.
annapi wrote: "BTW Anita, I'm curious - exactly how close was the vote?"About 18 participation points difference in the end.
Well this does make my life a little easier even though I wanted art. I am pretty sure I will read 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in this Strange World as I got it from NetGalley and owe a review, AND it is a Man Booker nominee. Not sure what to recommend that hasn't already been suggested. I love BC's list. If you haven't yet read Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood, it would definitely fit and is a terrific memoir. Do Not Say We Have Nothing is a great fit, but a longer, slower read. I really enjoyed it though.
Barbara wrote: "Jason wrote: "Nicole R wrote: "Jason wrote: "I've read so many on this list. I recommend The Poisonwood Bible and anything by Hosseini, Khaled ."
I loved The Poisonwood Bible. It was my first Kin..."
I loved Prodigal Summer, but I remember feeling disappointed at the end because I was expecting the two women to meet and become friends. Still, I gave it 5 stars, so I apparently got over the disappointment pretty quickly. At some point in my life, I just stopped needing a Happily Ever After ending.
I agree with "anything by Khaled Hosseini!" A Thousand Splendid Suns is one of my all time favorites.
Hope to read:My Sister, the Serial Killer--Oyinkan Braithwaite
My Name Is Red--Orhan Pamuk
The Blind Assassin--Margaret Atwood
The Last Report on the Miracles at Little No Horse--Louise Erdrich
In the realm of books on Native American aspects of "cultural", here are a few recommendations:
There There-Tommy Orange
Through Black Spruce--Joseph Boyden
Reservation Blues--Sherman Alexie
non-fiction:
The Inconvenient Indian: A Curious Account of Native People in North America--Thomas King
Empire of the Summer Moon: Quanah Parker and the Rise and Fall of the Comanches, the Most Powerful Indian Tribe in American History--S.C. Gynne
The Heart of Everything That Is: The Untold Story of Red Cloud, An American Legend--Bob Drury
Oh, I just noticed that the book I'm currently reading is featured prominently in the Goodreads list for cultural. It is Someone Knows My Name. I may finish it too early though, lol.However, I can tell anyone looking for a book that it is excellent and is going to be a five star read for me!
Anita wrote: "Oh, I just noticed that the book I'm currently reading is featured prominently in the Goodreads list for cultural. It is Someone Knows My Name. I may finish it too early though, lol...."
Thanks for that Anita-I need a Canada book for a different group, and this one looks great-can't wait to see your thoughts!
Hebah wrote: "Well, this isn't the greatest tag for someone trying to dig out from a reading slump, but there are some contenders in the mix.Gods of Jade and Shadow is probably the one I'm most..."
I loved Children of Blood and Bone, I know you would like it too-Gods of Jade and Shadow is high my TBR-I will have to see if my Library has it.
Joanne wrote: "Anita wrote: "Oh, I just noticed that the book I'm currently reading is featured prominently in the Goodreads list for cultural. It is Someone Knows My Name. I may finish it too early..."I am 60% done, and it really is a wonderful story with a terrific female protagonist. I will keep you apprised!
Nicole R wrote: "Okay, I need to do some research. I would like to dovetail this with the Horizons pick of Egypt read something that is about/set in Egypt and is by an Egyptian author (making it a little more chall..."I did not like The Map of Love but loved Palace Walk
Regina Lindsey wrote: "Well I'm breathing a sigh of relief!I will be reading Girls Burn Brighter"
That looks like a great read, Regina. Cannot wait to hear your thoughts on it
Regina Lindsey wrote: "Well I'm breathing a sigh of relief!I will be reading Girls Burn Brighter"
F&%king loved this book so much! Congrats :)
Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
For me, it read like a thriller. I was gripped from beginning to end.
Nicole R wrote: "After what I believe is the closest vote—and revote— we have ever had on PBT, the September tag is:cultural
Please share your reading plans and recommendations below.
Remember, for the regular ..."
I have a song in my head where the refrain starts "Oh, happy day..."
Plans to follow when I get back home.
Just home from the library. I picked up Julie Orringer's new book, The Flight Portfolio
It looks like it will definitely fit this tag.
Regina Lindsey wrote: "Well I'm breathing a sigh of relief!I will be reading Girls Burn Brighter"
Looking forward to your review as this one has caught my eye a couple of times but I have not yet added it officially to my TBR!
Play Book Tag
Books mentioned in this topic
The Kite Runner (other topics)The Circuit: Stories from the Life of a Migrant Child (other topics)
The Red Tent (other topics)
The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (other topics)
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (other topics)
More...
Authors mentioned in this topic
Khaled Hosseini (other topics)Naguib Mahfouz (other topics)
Nawal El Saadawi (other topics)
Ahdaf Soueif (other topics)
Wilbur Smith (other topics)
More...
cultural
Please share your reading plans and recommendations below.
Remember, for the regular monthly reads, the book can be shelved as cultural on Goodreads, or be a book that is not yet shelved that way but you feel should be.
One way to find books to read for this tag is to please visit:
https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
I encourage people to link to additional lists below if they find them.
Also curious what cultural you will read about? Will you read about a counterculture? Or will you go with a slightly different interpretation to distinguish it from the Expanding Our Horizons Challenge?