2015 Where in the world have you been? (Book finished and review linked)

[Val]

I replaced my original book for the Virgin Islands with these two:
USVI: Don't Stop the Carnival by Herman Wouk
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

BVI: Really Dead: A Ria Butler Mystery by J.E. Forman
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Suzanne]

I enjoyed travelling around to many places in the world including Peru, Dubai, Singapore and China with The International Bank of Bob: Connecting Our Worlds One $25 Kiva Loan at a Time. My review is here: https://coldread.wordpress.com/2015/0...

[Sara]

I just finished Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonightwhich takes place in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. A great Memoir of childhood and interesting political views and civil war era of these African nations.

[Suzanne]

Sara wrote: "I just finished Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonightwhich takes place in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. A great Memoir of childhood and interesting political views and civil war era of the..."

Loved that book!

[Lilisa]

Suzanne wrote: "Sara wrote: "I just finished Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonightwhich takes place in Zambia, Zimbabwe and Malawi. A great Memoir of childhood and interesting political views and civil w..."

Just added it - thanks you both.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Finished Hokkaido Highway Blues this morning. Fours stars https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I farewelled Ove this morning, and left Sweden behind. What a joy is A Man Called Ove.

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

[[deleted user]]

Andrea wrote: "I farewelled Ove this morning, and left Sweden behind. What a joy is A Man Called Ove.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Loved "A Man called ove"

[Lilisa]

Finished a few recently:

Orhan's Inheritance Review - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Little Princes: One Man's Promise to Bring Home the Lost Children of Nepal - Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

The Time in Between Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Suzanne]

I just left China with Peter Hessler's wonderful work of narrative non-fiction Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present. Fantastic book! My review is here: https://coldread.wordpress.com/2015/0...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Suzanne wrote: "I just left China with Peter Hessler's wonderful work of narrative non-fiction Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present. Fantastic book! My review is here: https://co..."

Nice review Suzanne. I've had this one on my bookshelf for a while, untouched, although I did love River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze and also the later Country Driving: A Journey Through China from Farm to Factory. I might have to put this on my shortlist for 2016.

[Daisy]

I'm addicted to Berlin lately. Leaving Berlin takes place in 1949 in a city divided into sectors and where no one you know tells the truth. It's good. Historical, thrilling. I won it from goodreads and I was so glad.

[Suzanne]

Andrea wrote: "Suzanne wrote: "I just left China with Peter Hessler's wonderful work of narrative non-fiction Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present. Fantastic book! My review is h..."

Thanks, Andrea! I just added Country Driving: A Journey Through China from Farm to Factory to my TBR list. Thanks for mentioning it!

[Lilisa]

Was in Turkey with Not Even My Name: A True Story - worth reading. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... Was also in Croatia - what a different read from the former - too bad. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Kama]

For a long time, I didn't have the time and/or heart to write reviews, and I hardly doubt, I'll be putting even mini-reviews of the books I read in the past few months. I tried to do that in Polish, completely forsaken English reviews.

I don't look at the place of action, I care more about nationality of writer. But I have been in: space, Serbia, New Zealand, Bhutan, Canada, Poland, South Korea, Russia, Norway, USA, Iceland. All the books are listed in my "read in 2015" tag. ;)

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I have emerged from my New Zealand sojourn at last, finishing The Luminaries last night. What an adventure! Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Sara]

I read My Notorious Life last week which was about an Irish orphan finding her ways of life in New York. A great read, and highly recommended. Last night, I finished A Man Called Ove which took place is Sweden and it's a very humorous book.
Next, I am contemplating between When I Was Puerto Rican or The Lizard Cage which takes place in Burma.

[Kama]

Andrea wrote: "I have emerged from my New Zealand sojourn at last, finishing The Luminaries last night. What an adventure! Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
I read it too. And my verdict was "good, but why it was labelled as 'genious work'?" :D

[Rusalka]

Andrea wrote: "I have emerged from my New Zealand sojourn at last, finishing The Luminaries last night. What an adventure! Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."

Really glad you enjoyed it. I felt the same about the astrology aspects. The bits I noticed/understood were interesting, but didn't bother me when I didn't.

[Claire]

Ok, so I was in Paris with Raymond Jean's newly translated Reader for Hire, then popped over to Portofino, Italy for Elizabeth von Arnim's 90-year-old, recently republished by Penguin Classics The Enchanted April and I am now in Guadeloupe with Maryse Conde's excellent memoir vignettes in Tears from the Heart.

[Lilisa]

I have been in France with Coco Chanel in Mademoiselle Chanel by C.W. Gortner. A fascinating read - my review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I've finished Letters from Skye, where most of the story is centred on ... ahem, the Isle of Skye. Actually, to be fair, out of Skye, Edinburgh, London, Chicago and WW2 France, it was Skye that came across stronger than the other locales. Three stars from me. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lilisa]

Was in Vietnam with The Sympathizer. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I finished The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman, a book coming out late summer. It is set on the island of St. Thomas back when it was part of the Dutch West Indies, and I really thought it was great. One huge surprise in there with a character that is given away by the publisher summary, so I'd just jump into the book instead. My review also has the same spoiler.

[Daisy]

The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty takes place in Casablanca. It's a fast read and an interesting one. I heard Vendela Vida read a portion of it.
My "review": https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I'm just back from Cambridge, Massachusetts with Still Alice. I gave it 4 stars, but it was more like 4.5: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Claire]

Finished Ru by Kim Thúy, a reflection of leaving Vietnam by boat, time in a refugee camp in Malaysia before settling in Canada. The first book I've read in French this year, an excellent choice.

[Sara]

Finished When I Was Puerto Rican &China Dolls last couple of weeks. I am reading A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain a Pulitzer winner book about Vietnam, and also Henna House which takes place in 1920 in Yemen.

[Lilisa]

I really enjoyed Henna House Sara - hope you do too.

[[deleted user]]

I have just been in Paris with Paris Time Capsule by Ella Carey. I loved, loved this book - and it also has a beautiful cover.

My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lilisa]

Spent some time in the U.S. with The Boys in the Boat: Nine Americans and Their Epic Quest for Gold at the 1936 Berlin Olympics - a fantastic and absorbing non-fiction read. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... and with The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress - a great riveting fiction piece. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show.... The audiobook was narrated by Anne Marie Lee - loved her reading.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I've been in Australia for the past few days (specifically early 1970s, rural NSW) with Mr Wigg. Loved it. It made me think about my grandparents a lot. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Claire]

I've been in the Austrian Alps with Marlen Haushofer's excellent modern classic The Wall.

Could not put it down, a stunning, compelling work. Really want to see the film now.

[[deleted user]]

I have been in England with Sleeping with the Blackbirds

My Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

While our group was gone, I went around the world a bit!

To Mexico borderlands with Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera, the first novel translated into English by this author. I discuss the book in my review as well as on my podcast.

To present day Norway with Min kamp 1 by Karl Ove Knausgård (aka My Struggle). My review is here. I will not immediately read the next book but probably will read it.

To Barbados with The Star Side of Bird Hill by Naomi Jackson, which I had a review copy for. It's out now, and hey, it's a novel for Barbados! My review is here. My one confusion is that it is touted as YA but I don't feel like it read as YA, more similarities to books like White Woman on a Green Bicycle or some of Jamaica Kincaid's books than anything else.

[Val]

I will have a look at The Star Side of Bird Hill Jenny, thanks.
Jamaica Kincaid's books are often touted as YA too, but they are not obviously or exclusively aimed at that age group.

[[deleted user]]

I was in England with Little Acts of Love by Tilly Tennant.

My Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Just emerged from wartime France this morning with Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I'm back from Spain! Here is my review of Driving over Lemons: An Optimist in Andalucía by Chris Stewart - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Suzanne]

Andrea wrote: "I'm back from Spain! Here is my review of Driving over Lemons: An Optimist in Andalucía by Chris Stewart - https://www.goodreads.com/review/show..."
This book sounds wonderful! Have you read any of Carol Drinkwater's books? The first in her series is The Olive Farm: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Olive Oil in the South of France and it takes place in France. I highly recommend it if you haven't already read it!

[Suzanne]

I finished the 11th in Winston Graham's Poldark series and plan to remain in England with the 12th. My review of The Twisted Sword (which I loved!) is here: https://coldread.wordpress.com/2015/0...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Suzanne wrote: "Have you read any of Carol Drinkwater's books? The first in her series is The Olive Farm: A Memoir of Life, Love, and Olive Oil in the South of France and it takes place in France. I highly recommend it if you haven't already read it! ..."

Actually no, I hadn't heard of this one, but look - there it goes - onto my list!

[Lilisa]

I finally finished The Rice Mother - it took me about three weeks to get through it - set in Malaysia - I gave it 3 stars. Also finished Euphoria - set in (Papua) New Guinea - gave it 2 stars. Haven't had time to write reviews though.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Hotel du Lac was a quick, 3-star read for me, but disappointing in the sense that the Lake Geneva setting could have been any lakeside resort. I didn't really get any Swissness out of it!

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

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Finished Radio Shangri-la: What I Learned in Bhutan, the Happiest Kingdom on Earth this morning - 3 stars. Unlike my previous read, I got a good sense of Bhutan from this book (or at least I think I did until I experience it for myself).

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

[Rusalka]

I've been such a reading slump lately, I just wanted to scream from the rooftops that I have finished a book!! Took me 2 weeks to read The Oxford Murders for Argentina. But I got there!

[Lilisa]

Yay Rusalka - I think I heard you from over here! Good going - it took me about three weeks with Rice Mother, which was frustrating and unusual. I'm clipping along with The Song of Achilles though.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Rusalka wrote: "I've been such a reading slump lately, I just wanted to scream from the rooftops that I have finished a book!! Took me 2 weeks to read The Oxford Murders for Argentina. But I got there!"
Yahoo!

[Rusalka]

Lol Thanks for the positive reinforcement!

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Finished Glimpses of Bengal today - a very solid 4 stars from me. Probably deserved 5, but that's more about my concentration levels than about Tagore's writing.

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