2020 - Where in the World Are You? (Currently Reading)

[Lilisa]

Carol wrote: "Currently reading “Three Daughters of Eve” by Elif Sharaf. It is set in Istanbul, Turkey. Istanbul is one of my favourite cities, I fell in love with it way back in the early 90’s. I’m about one th..."

I’m going have to add Three Daughters of Eve to my list. I will read anything set in Turkey - loved Istanbul too!

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I’m back in Ireland with The Good Turn by Dervla McTiernan, the latest in the DS Cormac Reilly series.

[Rusalka]

Andrea wrote: "I’m back in Ireland with The Good Turn by Dervla McTiernan, the latest in the DS Cormac Reilly series.

"

I had no idea that was out!!!

[Lilisa]

I’m in Bangladesh with The Storm and in the Middle East/Israel with The Secret Chord. I’ve also jumped back into Brazil, which I had put aside some time ago.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Rusalka wrote: "I had no idea that was out!..."

Harper Collins is saying 24 Feb for Australia.

I’m about 1/3 of the way in, and I’d say where this instalment differs from the previous ones is that it’s still not clear what the crime is! I mean there’s plenty going on, but I’m not confident in saying what it’s about yet. As before, the setting is the city of Galway, but we seem to be spending a bit more time in the wider Connemara area as well.

[Diane]

I'm in Zimbabwe with Butterfly Burning by Yvonne Vera.

[Carol]

I’m in the US with two very different books: Race Man: The Collected Works of Julian Bond, 1960-2015 by Julian Bond, and The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides.

[Anna]

I'm enjoying the Audible version of Rhys Bowen's 11th Royal Spyness mystery set on Italy and Switzerland's Lake Lugano. It's called On Her Majesty's Frightfully Secret Service. Lot's of fun!

http://bit.ly/RoyalSpyness11

[Anna]

I've been asked to speak at USC on how I managed to weave Italy's culture into my Stealing Venice Trilogy. I was so surprised and I'm very excited - but the event has to wait until I return from Venice (on my way there for Carnivale) and in the meantime the professor mentioned I might enjoy THE SHAPE OF WATER by Andrea Camilleri. Oh boy! Did I?! Not a long story but it was jam-packed with mystery and local culture and quite a bit of profanity and sex. Anyone else enjoy Amdrea Camilleri's books?
-Anna B.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I’m in Italy with the first of my gothic reads for 2020, Don't Look Now by Daphne du Maurier. It’s quite possible that I’ve read this before... I have seen the movie - watched it as a fairly young kid and it scarred my brain!!!!

[Carol]

I'm in Tokyo with Go by Kazuki Kaneshiro. If it sounds vaguely familiar, it was one of the 6 free Amazon Crossing ebooks that Amazon made available a couple of years ago on world lit in translation day, or some such. It's a quick read and, as of the 71% mark, I am a big fan.

[MissLemon]

I'm doing two different challenges so I'm currently in both Antarctica The Birthday Boys and the Belgian Congo The Poisonwood Bible.

Unexpectedly I'm actually enjoying it in Antarctica more.

[Lilisa]

Carol wrote: "I'm in Tokyo with Go by Kazuki Kaneshiro. If it sounds vaguely familiar, it was one of the 6 free Amazon Crossing ebooks that Amazon made available a couple of year..."

It did sound familiar! I have it but haven’t read it yet. Good to know you’re enjoying it.

[Lilisa]

MissLemon wrote: "I'm doing two different challenges so I'm currently in both Antarctica The Birthday Boys and the Belgian Congo The Poisonwood Bible.

Unexpectedly I'm actually enjoying i..."

A good one to put on the Antartica list then!

[Carol]

Lilisa wrote: "Carol wrote: "I'm in Tokyo with Go by Kazuki Kaneshiro. If it sounds vaguely familiar, it was one of the 6 free Amazon Crossing ebooks that Amazon made available a ..."

It was. It’s well worth reading, and I say that as someone for whom coming of age stories are not my sweet spot.

[MissLemon]

Lilisa wrote: "MissLemon wrote: "I'm doing two different challenges so I'm currently in both Antarctica The Birthday Boys and the Belgian Congo The Poisonwood Bible.

Unexpectedly I'm a..."

I'm new here- should I be adding books to a list somewhere?

[Lilisa]

Carol wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Carol wrote: "I'm in Tokyo with Go by Kazuki Kaneshiro. If it sounds vaguely familiar, it was one of the 6 free Amazon Crossing ebooks that Amazon ma..."

Me either, so good to know!

[Lilisa]

MissLemon wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "MissLemon wrote: "I'm doing two different challenges so I'm currently in both Antarctica The Birthday Boys and the Belgian Congo The Poisonwood Bible.

Une..."

Welcome MissLemon, glad you’re jumping right in! We do have a Group Bookshelf - you’ll see it on the right hand side of this page but we are terrible at adding books :-). There’s also a sparse Antarctica folder and I’ve gone ahead and dropped the book there as a recommendation from you. All I meant was it’s great to see a book with an Antarctica setting - there aren’t that many books set there so if folks are looking for one, voila, add to their list.

[Rusalka]

MissLemon wrote: "I'm new here- should I be adding books to a list somewhere?"

Hi MissLemon! Welcome! As well as the group lists Lilisa mentions, you could also make a personal list in this folder https://www.goodreads.com/topic/group... if you want to keep track of where you have been, or where you want to go. Just let us know what you're reading and what you think of them in these main threads (so we can sneak the books on to our TBRs hehe)

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I’m in Palestine/Israel with Track Changes by Sayed Kashua.

[Carol]

I’m on a cruise ship somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea with S. S. Proleterka by Fleur Jaeggy. It’s been a long time since I’ve decided I want to read every novel a new-to-me author’s written, as I read approximately the twentieth page of a book.

[Karen]

Carol wrote: "I’m on a cruise ship somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea with S. S. Proleterka by Fleur Jaeggy. It’s been a long time since I’ve decided I want to read every novel a ne..."

Carol - that's where I've been recently - with the same reaction. I also enjoyed Sweet Days of Discipline by the same author - set in an unnamed Swiss-Italian girls boarding school.

[Karen]

I'm still in England -- rereading Wuthering Heights. still aiming to stretch out of the Anglosphere.

[Lilisa]

I’m in Italy (Sicily) with From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I’m in 1940s Singapore with a kids’ book (not quite sure where it’s pitched yet) called Lizard's Tale.

[Carol]

Karen wrote: "Carol wrote: "I’m on a cruise ship somewhere in the Mediterranean Sea with S. S. Proleterka by Fleur Jaeggy. It’s been a long time since I’ve decided I want to read ev..."

It feels like a wonderful open but small club. The jaeggy followers. I ordered a second (can’t recall which) but will drop everything when it arrives.

[Carol]

I’m in mid-century France with The Greengage Summer by Rumer Godden and contemporary U.S. with The End of the Day by Bill Clegg. The first is excellent. Jury is out on the second.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I’m about to have a NZ mini-break so I started reading The Pretty Delicious Café today. I don’t know much about it, other than the story is set in the North Island. I’m hoping there’s enough food in this cafe to add to my food theme challenge! The main character made a lemon yoghurt cake in Chapter 1.

[Rusalka]

I've just finished up in Singapore with Crazy Rich Asians. And am currently in Ancient Greece with The Penelopiad

[Carol]

Andrea wrote: "I’m about to have a NZ mini-break so I started reading The Pretty Delicious Café today. I don’t know much about it, other than the story is set in the North Island. I’m hoping there..."

YUM!

[Lilisa]

Rusalka wrote: "I've just finished up in Singapore with Crazy Rich Asians. And am currently in Ancient Greece with The Penelopiad"

Did you see the movie? I’m wondering if the book was pretty close to the movie?

[V.ya]

@Lilisa I've read and seen the movie. There are some discrepancies, but minor. Also, the book tells more in details about the blow-your-mind opulence of the rich: in their home decor, spending, behavior, anf the wedding.

[Carol]

Vya wrote: "@Lilisa I've read and seen the movie. There are some discrepancies, but minor. Also, the book tells more in details about the blow-your-mind opulence of the rich: in their home decor, spending, beh..."

Also the second book is light years better than the first book, and I enjoyed CRA just fine. The footnotes are fabulously educational and amusing. The protagonist in book two is more appealing.

[Carol]

I'm in Botswana with a prequel to a series I've not read before, Facets of Death byMichael Stanley, which is the name used by a writing team. It's giving me all of the food, heat and other cultural context that I enjoy, and it would be ideal for someone who is focused largely on teh puzzle-solving aspects of crime/mysteries. It's a little thin on character depth and that special something that makes great series great series. But I'm halfway and it could improve.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I’m in Armenia with Three Apples Fell from the Sky by Narine Abgaryan. I’m not very far in yet, but it certainly seems to have a fable-like feel to it, which I’m enjoying. I’m not sure if that’s the style, the translation or just because there have been no clues about the time period.

[Lilisa]

Carol wrote: "Vya wrote: "@Lilisa I've read and seen the movie. There are some discrepancies, but minor. Also, the book tells more in details about the blow-your-mind opulence of the rich: in their home decor, s..."

Thanks Vya and Carol. I saw CRA and it was a fun movie - and wondered whether it’s worthwhile reading the book. Thanks for the feedback - looks like it would be, and the same for the second one as well.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I’ve landed in Scotland with The Turn of the Key by Ruth Ware. A few of my GR friends have rated this 5* so I have high expectations. Ripping through it pretty quickly so far, and that’s always a good sign.

[Lilisa]

I’m in Iran with Iran Awakening: A Memoir of Revolution and Hope. It’s been on my TBR for years and finally getting to it. Shirin Ebadi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 2003.

[Kim]

I'm kicking around the Pacific Ocean, currently in French Polynesia near the tiny Atolls of the Tuamotus with Sea People: In Search of the Ancient Navigators of the Pacific by Christina Thompson
I'm reading the ebook from the library but I think it would be lovely in the printed version.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I’m in the USA (Philadelphia) with another of my food-themed reads; this time With the Fire on High by Elizabeth Acevedo. Luckily I’m reading it on my Kindle, because the dictionary is getting a good workout.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I'm reading The Wandering Falcon, set in the nomadic areas between Afghanistan and Pakistan.

[Carol]

I’m in Hong Kong with Second Sister by Chan Ho-Kei, at least for now. I’m having difficulty focusing on any one thing long enough to get attached, and my reading time has taken a hit.

[Rusalka]

I'm reading Shenzhen: A Travelogue from China. Unfortunately it's not as good as Pyongyang: A Journey in North Korea, which I loved. The observations of an outsider are still good, but much more disjointed and bitsy.

[Lilisa]

I’m in Poland with Mosaic: A Chronicle of Five Generations, in Armenia/Turkey with The Hundred-Year Walk: An Armenian Odyssey, and in Turkey with Serenade for Nadia.

[Diane]

I'm in Taiwan and France with Last Words from Montmartre by Qiu Miaojin.

[V.ya]

I'm in Vietnam with Inside Out & Back Again by Thanhha Lai. Written in verses form, the story is about a little girl in the midst of the Vietnam war conflict (and later she will be emigrating to US).

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I’ve been really struggling to settle with a book lately, but I’ve gone back to my gothic list and I think this one will stick - I’m in 17th century Iceland with The Glass Woman.

[Claire]

I'm in France with Colette reading The Shackle

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I decided to spend the weekend in South Africa with Recipes for Love and Murder. This one will be going on my food list. Good so far - it’s kind of got the tone of an Afrikaans Alexander McCall Smith book.

[Claire]

I'm in Argentina with The Adventures of China Iron and I'm loving it. I just discovered that there is a connection to another book I was recommended recently Far Away and Long Ago which I've simultaneously begun to read as the two make a great pair. There is also a link to an epic poem Martín Fierro which I will try and track down, I do love books like this that opens doors to epic narratives of the past from elsewhere.

I have The Adventures of China Iron because I took a one subscription to Charco Press, who publish 6 Latin American novellas a year, and this title was just short-listed this week for the International Booker Prize 2020.