19 - A book set in a country that begins with "C"

[Ira]

In that case I think I just go with English or Norwegian. I find it too troublesome since in the Greek language a lot of the times the pronunciation is very different.

[Tanu]

Yes, Norwegian would work better for this prompt than Greek. I‘m a little bit jealous that you’re able to read fluently in two languages. English is my first language, but I can’t read in my mother tongue (Marathi) at all.

[Ira]

It is never too late to try and learn. I was lucky enough that my parents taught me both languages at an early age, and I learned English at school as a "second" language.

[Tanu]

Yes, you’re right, and if I can find someone willing to give me lessons (it’s a regional language), it’s one of my goals to at least learn to speak and understand it properly. I’ve picked up scraps of it from home, but lost a lot of practice over the years!

[Karin]

Ira wrote: "In that case I think I just go with English or Norwegian. I find it too troublesome since in the Greek language a lot of the times the pronunciation is very different."

Yes, this makes a lot of sense. The English letter C is very confusing since it can sound like κ or Σ but also has sounds not found in Greek to the best of my knowledge, and there are letters in Greek that don't sound like English ones.

[Ira]

Karin wrote: "Ira wrote: "In that case I think I just go with English or Norwegian. I find it too troublesome since in the Greek language a lot of the times the pronunciation is very different."

Yes, this makes..."

That is exactly the problem. When there are prompts with letters I usually just ignore Greek and just go to English.

[Karin]

Ira wrote: "It is never too late to try and learn. I was lucky enough that my parents taught me both languages at an early age, and I learned English at school as a "second" language."

I get confused because I studied Koine Greek which is VERY different than Greek today and also because English scholars have some odd pronunciations. I wish I'd learned modern Greek when I was growing up. Actually, my first choice would be Icelandic since my mother's family spoke that and the alphabet is a lot closer to English although there are three letters English doesn't have. But also Greek.

[Ira]

Karin wrote: "Ira wrote: "It is never too late to try and learn. I was lucky enough that my parents taught me both languages at an early age, and I learned English at school as a "second" language."

I get confu..."

Yes pronunciation can be a problem. I had the same problem with English, since not all teachers had good pronunciation. It took a lot of listening to English audiobooks to improve in that area.I wish I could understand Icelandic since they say it is close to Ancient Norwegian, but when I hear Icelandic people talk I understand nothing. But I do understand some Danish and Swedish when they are not talking too fast.

[Karin]

Ira wrote: "Karin wrote: "Ira wrote: "It is never too late to try and learn. I was lucky enough that my parents taught me both languages at an early age, and I learned English at school as a "second" language...."

Yes, Icelandic is VERY close to Norse 1000 years ago (so middle Norwegian, I guess). Icelanders can understand Norwegians fairly well, but Norwegians can't understand Icelandic. My mother's family all originally came from Iceland and she was fluent in it until she was 11 and her grandmother died-then she lost a fair bit, but her parents could read, speak and write it even though they were born in Canada (into an Icelandic community there). My dad's parents came from a complicated background, and once they came to Canada they could speak, read and write 4 languages with two alphabets (they had to learn Russian in school but also knew Ukranian even though those weren't their first languages). SO, I envy you being able to know at least three languages. European education is much better that way.

[Johanne]

When I listen to Icelandic I always feel it´s just outside my grasp. Like if I listen closely enough it will reveal itself to me. Probably to do with the Nordic languages being related.

I have no problem understanding Swedish and Norwegian (but I have to "tune in" my ears. And I lived in Sweden for half a year when I was younger so I picked up on a lot of the differnces between Danish and Swedish).

[Lucie Renee]

i had put Last Night in Montreal on my TBR but I'm not sure how much of the book takes place in Canada.
Does anyone know if this would count?

[Lucie Renee]

Sorry. I just now see it is on the list.

[Bianca]

Hello there, to everyone! I am also, take part in the reading challenge this year, it lasts only 1 month and I am on my finish line! Where do you get in your challenge success? I am have decided to be part of the challenge for two reasons. Firstly it is because I am a true big books lover, I am ready to spend all my free evenings to be a book reading. And I need to read a lot of books because of my work. I am working as a writer at the Paperial company, have you ever heard about it? It is the service that provides students with information about college paper writing services, so I am writing reviews. But how can I judge papers of a lot of companies don`t have good knowledge? You are right, I can`t! So I always should replenish it. And this site always helped me to do it, I even have advised it to a lot of my friends and colleagues. So, now we have something kind of competition. Who will read more books? That is why I hope I will finish my plan before the year finish, it is so close! And I am ready for the new year`s challenge.

[SadieReadsAgain]

I'm going to Canada for my read - Cat's Eye.

[Karin]

Johanne wrote: "When I listen to Icelandic I always feel it´s just outside my grasp. Like if I listen closely enough it will reveal itself to me. Probably to do with the Nordic languages being related.

I have no ..."

That's interesting. My cousin, and anglophone who went to school in French in Canada for complicated reasons, got a scholarship to get a degree in Icelandic after she got her master's degree, became a citizen and has lived there for well over a decade. She loves it.

I can't do it now, nor do I speak them, but when I was still in BC and living in the city for university (where I grew up the city meant Vancouver) I could tell the difference between Cantonese and Japanese and those two from all other east Asian languages. I had no idea at that time that Cantonese is a minority language because back then most Chinatowns out west had primarily Cantonese speaking immigrants. Vancouver has North American's largest and did back then as well.

I spoke High German plus a German dialect that is a different language (some of them are very different than Hoch Deutch) for a year when I was little and now that I am studying classical voice I am very choosy as to which accent I want to learn the pronuncuation--I find a professional from Germany who has an accent I like (there is no such thing as one German accent). I can also always hear American accents in other languages so don't go only by my voice teacher (well, his Italian is VERY good since he actually studied there) but always find native, professional singers to record myself speaking to.

But I can't control my normal speaking accent which changes regularly depending on where I am.

[Hinda Rochel]

Would FFinding Manana: A Memoir of a Cuban Exodus count as it doesn't take place solely in Cuba but they go from Cuba to the US.

[Bex]

I'm thinking Margaret Atwood, I've had Cat's Eye on my shelf for years and I'm intrigued.
also Do Not Say We Have Nothing would be a good one if you haven't read it.

[Karin]

Salixj wrote: "Would FFinding Manana: A Memoir of a Cuban Exodus count as it doesn't take place solely in Cuba but they go from Cuba to the US."

I personally like to have more than 50 percent of a book set in a country before I count it for country challenges (unless they specify a larger amount), but I am not sure that there is any rule about how much of it. But to me a book is not set in a country if only a small portion of it takes place there. I don't know this book so can't say.

[Melissa]

Both Love and Ghost Letters and The Living Infinite by Chantel Acevedo (Cuban-American writer) are set in Cuba.

[Books, Brews & Booze]

I'm going to read Marilla of Green Gables --

[Ketutar]

Susanne wrote: "Johanne wrote: "This is one of the prompts my brain started overthinking. I mainly read in Danish and English and the countries are not always spelt the same... China is Kina, Czech Repuplic is Tje..."

The challenge is in English, so it's the English names.
But, then, of course, as this is for fun, it's OK to bend the rules. There's no POPSUGAR reading challenge police taking away your reading license if you do that :-D

[Ketutar]

I would like to say that it might be easier to find books by a city than a country.
Like, there's tons of books set in Prague. Which is, of course, the capital of the Czech Republic.

Also, a lot of authors set their books in their home country.
It doesn't always work, though. I was a bit disappointed to find out that Dubravka Ugrešić sets her books mostly outside Croatia. They sound really interesting to me. :-)

[Ketutar]

Alison wrote: "Јована wrote: "The Rape of Nanking
The Devil of Nanking
are both good, set in China"

I thought The Devil of Nanking was set in Tokyo? I know Nanking itself is in China, ..."

Yes, Devil of Nanking is set in Japan, not China.

[Lark of The Bookwyrm's Hoard]

Anyone have suggestions for SF or fantasy set in countries beginning with "C"? Real countries or fictional ones, because as far as I can tell, the prompt doesn't specify.

[Darci]

Lark of The Bookwyrm's Hoard wrote: "Anyone have suggestions for SF or fantasy set in countries beginning with "C"? Real countries or fictional ones, because as far as I can tell, the prompt doesn't specify."

On my TBR I have:
Station Eleven (Canada)
One Hundred Years of Solitude (Colombia)
The Wolf in the Whale (Canada)
Spaceman of Bohemia (Czech Republic)
Anna Dressed in Blood (Canada)

Edited to add: I can't believe I forgot Cinder (China)! It was really good.

[Milena]

Also The Three-Body Problem set in China.

[Bloodorange]

Any of the Lucy Maud Montgomery books should do? I also strongly recommend books by Carol Shelds, who lived in Canada.

[Morgan]

There's also The Glass Hotel for fans of Station Eleven. It's coming out later this year.

[Jas]

Croatian God Mars - a book of short stories by Miroslav Krleza - anti war written after WWI.

[Jas]

I plan to read Folding Beijing - it seems to be a story so may do another one with C later but here is the link to this story
https://uncannymagazine.com/article/f...

[Kristin]

I was originally going to look through the Kathy Reichs books I have to see if there's one I didn't read yet that's mostly/entirely set in Canada, but when I looked on my To Be Read Shelf for China, I found Larry's Kidney: Being the True Story of How I Found Myself in China with My Black Sheep Cousin and His Mail-Order Bride, Skirting the Law to Get Him a Transplant--and Save His Life, which one of the local libraries had available.

[Kacey]

Canada: The Day the World Came to Town: 9/11 in Gander, Newfoundland I read this for popsurgar 2 years ago and it was my favorite book that year, (task 13. A book that is also a stage play or musical).

Its non-fiction and very interesting. I had never thought about what happened when the US closed all its air ports on 9/11

[MJ]

Most of the books by Louise Penny take place in Canada.

[Karin]

HISTORICAL FICTION and not fantasy

Jade Dragon Mountain by Elsa Hart

This also counts for author with flora and fauna in name, since a hart is a male red deer.

[Sydney]

Books by Adam Shoalts- all his books are nonfiction and set in Canada. He is an explorer.

[Sarah]

Everyone has forgotten about the Canary islands which also starts with a C. This book takes place in the Canary islands.



And Ball Lightning is sci-fi set in China.

[Sherri]

I am currently reading Cherokee America by Margaret Verble. The story is set in the Old Cherokee Nation (1794-1907). The old Cherokee nation was a legal,autonomous,tribal government. The catching point is location,North America. Status is described as an autonomous region of the United States. The language was Cherokee. Government was autonomous tribal government. I think this is a creative way to fill this prompt so unless there is a large outcry I am running with Cherokee America to fill the prompt.

[Melissa]

I'm a teacher, and so I try to read a middle grades book and an adult book at the same time. I chose Elijah of Buxton for this challenge. I would really like to visit Buxton sometime in my life.

[Sallie]

The Hired Man by Aminatta Forna is set in Croatia. That’s my pick!

[Sarah]

I just finished Essex County for this challenge.

[Laura]

Sherri wrote: "I am currently reading Cherokee America by Margaret Verble. The story is set in the Old Cherokee Nation (1794-1907). The old Cherokee nation was a legal,autonomous,tribal government. The catching p..."

This is a great idea!

[Darren]

I read "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway. Beautiful book. So well written. And best of all, short! Took me an hour or two to knock that one off the list. It was set in Cuba. Highly recommended. Can't beat Papa.

[Anshita]

I'm down to read any Margaret Atwood book, therefore, going chronologically I would be reading Surfacing which is set in Quebec, Canada.

[Jessica]

Hi! Do you guys think thay EvaLuna by Isabel Allende fits in this prompt? (

[Anshita]

Jessica wrote: "Hi! Do you guys think thay EvaLuna by Isabel Allende fits in this prompt? ("

Yes, it's set in Chile.

[Roberta]

I'm going with "Yuli" by Carlos Acosta - set in Cuba

[Erica]

Canada
Son of a Trickster (Trickster trilogy)
A Darkness Absolute (Rockton series 5 books)

Czech Republic
Silence Fallen (#10 of 12 book series; only this one works)
Daughter of Smoke & Bone (3 book series)

[Ali]

Ayesha at Last is set in Canada and is sort of a Pride & Prejudice take with Muslim families. It was very good.

[Karin]

Darren wrote: "I read "The Old Man and the Sea" by Ernest Hemingway. Beautiful book. So well written. And best of all, short! Took me an hour or two to knock that one off the list. It was set in Cuba. Highly reco..."

I loved that book both times I read it!

[Naomi]

Motorcycles & Sweetgrass by Drew Hayden Taylor