2015 Where in the world are you? (Currently reading)

[Sara]

I am in Rome with In the Company of the Courtesan

[Claire]

I'm in Kenya with Unbowed One Woman's Story by Wangari Maathai. An incredible story.

[Lilisa]

I'm in China with Big Breasts and Wide Hips and in the Dominican Republic with In the Time of the Butterflies.

[Claire]

I am in a winter blizzard in Finland 1867, en route for St Petersburg if we survive it, White Hunger by Aki Ollikainen.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I'm in New Guinea, again, with Where the Spirits Dwell: An Odyssey in the New Guinea Jungle by Tobias Schneebaum.

[Daisy]

1963 Moscow in a boarding school for teenaged psychic spies? This could be good... (or total crap).
Sekret

[Lilisa]

Hopefully it's good Daisy!

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Daisy wrote: "1963 Moscow in a boarding school for teenaged psychic spies? This could be good... (or total crap).
Sekret"

I liked the first one, it has some interesting ideas.i never finished the second!

[Jayme]

I am in Finland with The Summer Book. It's a sweet and sad little book.

[Daisy]

Jenny (Reading Envy) wrote: "Daisy wrote: "1963 Moscow in a boarding school for teenaged psychic spies? This could be good... (or total crap).
Sekret"

I liked the first one, it has some interesting ideas.i ne..."

Interesting. Some series-es have legs and some peter out.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Jayme wrote: "I am in Finland with The Summer Book. It's a sweet and sad little book."

I like the sound of that. Added.

[Lilisa]

With Ava Lee in The Wild Beasts of Wuhan and half-way through the book I've already been to Curaçao, Hong Kong, China, England, the Faroe Islands and Denmark! Love her travels and "forensic accounting" skills. Also still in China with Big Breasts and Wide Hips which is a slog and meh but I am determined to see it through - a distraction was needed.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Lilisa wrote: "With Ava Lee in The Wild Beasts of Wuhan and half-way through the book I've already been to Curaçao, Hong Kong, China, England, the Faroe Islands and Denmark! Love her travels and "..."

Does the Ava Lee novel stand alone, or would it be better read as part of the series? It sounds right up my alley.

[[deleted user]]

Now into the United States with We Were Liars

[Rusalka]

I'm in Dublin with In the Woods and enjoying it so far.

[[deleted user]]

Rusalka wrote: "I'm in Dublin with In the Woods and enjoying it so far."

Oooh let me know if it is any good - I happen to have that one on my shelf to read :)

[Lilisa]

Andrea wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "With Ava Lee in The Wild Beasts of Wuhan and half-way through the book I've already been to Curaçao, Hong Kong, China, England, the Faroe Islands and Denmark! Love he..."

I've read them out of order - #4 was the first one I read and it wasn't a problem. Ian Hamilton does a good job making each one stand alone. I guess if you could, it might make sense to read them in order but it's not like some series where you have to read the books in order or else you're lost. Each book is solving a different debt collection issue and the author makes sure there's enough background to understand the characters that run through the series. Hope this helps. These are light, fast read books and Ava Lee is a cool character!

[Rusalka]

Melissa wrote: "Rusalka wrote: "I'm in Dublin with In the Woods and enjoying it so far."

Oooh let me know if it is any good - I happen to have that one on my shelf to read :)"

Will do! Been wanting to start this series for ages.

[Rusalka]

Lilisa wrote: "These are light, fast read books and Ava Lee is a cool character! "

So glad to hear your thoughts on this series. Been eyeing it off for a while.

[Val]

I have two memoirs of life on small Atlantic islands lined up to read this month:
Rockhopper Copper from a policeman on Tristan da Cunha and
A Falkland Islands Story a Doctor on Horseback from a doctor on the Falkland Islands.

[Lilisa]

Rusalka wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "These are light, fast read books and Ava Lee is a cool character! "

So glad to hear your thoughts on this series. Been eyeing it off for a while."

Take a shot and see what you think :-)

[Lilisa]

In Uruguay with The Invisible Mountain and back in Canada with The Cruelest Month.

[[deleted user]]

I am back in Canada re reading An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth by Chris Hadfield because I absolutely love this book.
This man is basically a hero here in canada making canadian space history by being the first canadian to command the international space station and the first (and only so far) Canadian to perform a space walk.
This book uses humour to detail life as an astronaut, lessons in life he's learned and what it is like to live onboard the ISS.
If only I had more stars to give this book.

[[deleted user]]

I am now onto the African country of Botswana with The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

[Lilisa]

In Sweden listening to A Man Called Ove and in Greece with Sons of Sparta: A Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis Mystery. Was on the island of Borneo which includes three countries - part Indonesia, part Malaysia and the country of Brunei with Land Below the Wind. I'll get to my review later.

[[deleted user]]

In the United States with Days of Throbbing Gristle http://melissasbooksaroundtheworld.bl...

[Sara]

I just finished The Nightingalewhich takes place in Iraq, and I am listening to A House in the Skycross many countries but main story happens in Somalia.

[Daisy]

The Other Language is short stories and boy are they gorgeous. I've been with them in Italy, India, eastern Africa so far. I'm almost finished but even after only the first story, I knew this was special. I recommend it highly.

[Lilisa]

Daisy wrote: "The Other Language is short stories and boy are they gorgeous. I've been with them in Italy, India, eastern Africa so far. I'm almost finished but even after only the first story,..."

Thanks Daisy - just added it to my TBR list based on your glowing recommendation!

[Daisy]

Lilisa wrote: "Daisy wrote: "The Other Language is short stories and boy are they gorgeous. I've been with them in Italy, India, eastern Africa so far. I'm almost finished but even after only th..."

That makes me happy.

[Lilisa]

Daisy wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Daisy wrote: "The Other Language is short stories and boy are they gorgeous. I've been with them in Italy, India, eastern Africa so far. I'm almost finished but eve..."

:-)

[Daisy]

Olen Steinhauer is one of my favorite authors of mysteries set all over the world. His new book, which I've just started, takes place in Carmel, California (where I grew up) and Vienna, Austria (where I lived with the man I married), so I'm having fun with this so far, picturing the locations--and getting into a spy story.
All the Old Knives

[Sara]

I just finished The Little Strangerwhich takes place in England.

[Lilisa]

Daisy wrote: "Olen Steinhauer is one of my favorite authors of mysteries set all over the world. His new book, which I've just started, takes place in Carmel, California (where I grew up) and Vi..."

I've only read one of his books - The Cairo Affair and it was okay. Around the same time I read An Officer and a Spy, which I loved. Not sure why I thought of it!

[Lilisa]

In Nigeria with Things Fall Apart.

[[deleted user]]

Just finished in the USA with Days of Throbbing Gristle now heading into Hong Kong China with Fated and Fateless - Both I received ARC's from the Author's

[Lilisa]

In Turkey with Last Train to Istanbul: A Novel and back in Canada with A Fatal Grace, my second-last book in the Armand Gamache series.

[[deleted user]]

Just finished in Juarez Mexico with Send More Idiots http://melissasbooksaroundtheworld.bl... https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Claire]

I'm on the island of Dominica with Jamaica Kincaid, reading her novel the autobiography of my mother. Brilliant characterisation, an alluring and gripping stream of consciousness narrative of an unloved child/woman.

[Val]

I read one of her books for Antigua and Barbuda, Annie John.

[Claire]

Val wrote: "I read one of her books for Antigua and Barbuda, Annie John." I wasn't sure exactly where we were, as the book refers to the protagonist as a West Indian woman looking back on her life. I guess that is sufficient along with the knowledge of where the author was born. Thanks for the reference, I have a couple more of her books to read.

[Rusalka]

Just started a Scandi crime called In the Darkness set in Norway. Sounds like it should be a good one.

[Val]

Claire wrote: "Val wrote: "I read one of her books for Antigua and Barbuda, Annie John." I wasn't sure exactly where we were, as the book refers to the protagonist as a West Indian woman looking ba..."
The author was born in Antigua and the one I read is set there, but her mother was born on a different island, so Dominica is probably correct for her.

[[deleted user]]

Rusalka wrote: "Just started a Scandi crime called In the Darkness set in Norway. Sounds like it should be a good one."

Ooh, that does look good, I shall have to add that to my to read list.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I'm back (still) in New Guinea with Lost in Shangri-la: A True Story of Survival, Adventure, and the Most Incredible Rescue Mission of World War II by Mitchell Zuckoff. The writing is a little off-putting but the story is interesting.

[Sara]

I finished After Long Silence: A Memoir which takes place in Poland, Russia, Italy and US.
I am heading to Peru with The Bridge of San Luis Rey

[Lilisa]

After Long Silence sounds interesting Sara - added it to my list - thanks.

[Daisy]

The Cold Song
I'm listening to this based on no one's recommendation; I just found it by accident. So far it's interesting. I love the narrator's voice and accent. It takes place in Norway--a new literary location for me.

[Rusalka]

I'm on to Swedish vampires with Let the Right One In

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Rusalka wrote: "I'm on to Swedish vampires with Let the Right One In"

I've got both versions of the movie saved on my PVR and I've been meaning to watch them for the longest time. I didn't realise there was a novel behind it, so I might actually have more luck starting with that! I'll be interested to see your review.