Nominate the November BOTM's

[Diane , Armchair Tour Guide]

Post your nominations here for the November group reads. A significant portion of the book must be set in the featured location. We will be reading a selection set in Madagascar, a world mystery, a book in translation from a woman writer, and a book relating to migration to or from Australia or Oceania.

Madagascar*:
Nominate a book set in Madagascar.
Madagascar Book List: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...
Madagascar Bookshelf: https://www.goodreads.com/group/books...

World Mystery
Nominate a mystery novel set in one of the following locations in Western Europe: Austria, Begium, Czechia, France, Germany, Ireland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, Monaco, Netherlands, Switzerland, or the UK.

Migration
Nominate a book relating to migration to or from Australia or one of the following countries/locations in Oceania: Cook Islands, Fiji. French Polynesia, Hawaii, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, New Zealand, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Pitcairn, Nauru, New Caledonia, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, or Vanuatu.

Women in Translation
Nominate a translated book from a female author from one of the following East Asian countries/locations: China, Hong Kong, Japan, Macau, Mongolia, North Korea, South Korea, or Taiwan.

For a list of books we have read in previous months, click here: Previously Read Group Read Books

*For our featured world country selection (this month it is Madagascar): If the book selected by popular vote is not written by a native or resident author of at least 1 year, the book written by a native/resident author with the highest votes will also be selected, resulting in two book selections for that country.

[Maria]

This is fantastic, the country chosen coincides with a book I've been meaning to read for a while! It's Beyond the Rice Fields by Naivo, perfect for Madagascar.

I also nominate some for the other categories:

- World Mystery was hard to find, it's one of my least-read genres, and I have a lot of books from European authors on my list but apparently most of them are from Eastern Europe! I managed to find a good one though, The History of History by Ida Hattemer-Higgins

- Migration: I will use any excuse to mention That Deadman Dance by Kim Scott.

- There are many possibilities for women in translation, but I think this one can be a good contrast with some of the other more serious reads nominated: UFO in Her Eyes by Xiaolu Guo

[rebel]

Madagascar: Beyond the Rice Fields by Naivo

[Mome_Rath]

Good recommendation for Madagascar. I enjoyed it when I read it a couple years ago.

Plenty of choices for mysteries from the UK or Ireland, so I’ll leave those for others. For some variety from the continent, I’ll throw out two options, both with similar titles:

The Hanged Man of Saint-Pholien by Georges Simenon takes Simenon’s famed detective Inspector Maigret to the author’s home country of Belgium. The mystery is short, and I enjoyed it.

The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Pötzsch is the first in a series taking place in 17th century Bavaria. I haven’t read it yet, but it’s caught my eye before at the library.

For migration, I found Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All: A New Zealand Story by Christina Thompson to be an interesting look at how an American adjusted to settling down in New Zealand with her Maori husband, with some discussion on history and cultural differences.

[Carmen]

Hola!
My nominations:

World Mystery (Netherlands): Outsider in Amsterdam by Janwillem van de Wetering

Migration: (Australia): A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute

Women in translation (South Korea): I'll Be Right There by Shin Kyung-sook

[Mome_Rath]

A Town Like Alice is one of my favorite books! Great choice. That Deadman's Dance also looks fascinating. I'm going to have a hard time choosing which migration book to vote for!

[Missy J]

rebel wrote: "Madagascar: Beyond the Rice Fields by Naivo"

YES!

[George P.]

Carmen wrote: "Hola!
My nominations: ...

...Women in translation (South Korea): I'll Be Right There by Shin Kyung-sook."

I was thinking of nominating Shin Kyung-sook's Please Look After Mom - it was her biggest success and is more available. Perhaps you've already read it. If not maybe you would switch your nomination to that (I don't want to nominate another book by an author already nominated).

[Maria]

I read Please Look After Mum earlier this year, it was very good! It made me think about the way I treat my own mum and the writing style (second person) adds to the plot, I think. I highly recommend it.

However, there are some scenes of animal abuse, nothing too long, just mentions here and there, but that might be something to have in mind since some people dislike that.

[George P.]

In the World Mystery category (W Europe) I would like to nominate The Crow Road by Iain Banks. Set in Scotland. It's listed in 1001 Books You Must Read Before You Die.

[Mary]

In the migration category, I’d like to nominate “The Sex Lives of Cannibals” by J. Maarten Troost. It’s an absolutely hilarious description of his attempts to understand the culture of the island of Vanuatu.

[Carmen]

George P. wrote: "Carmen wrote: "Hola!
My nominations: ...

...Women in translation (South Korea): I'll Be Right There by Shin Kyung-sook."

I was thinking of nominating Shin Kyung-sook's [book:Plea..."

Yes, I read it last year and I liked it very much, that's why I nominated another book by this author 😉

[Mome_Rath]

I enjoyed Beyond the Rice Fields when I read it last year -- it would make a great choice.

Just to offer another option for Madagascar, I might mention the traditional folklore epic Ibonia. The epic can be found online thanks to the University of Virginia (check out the Wikipedia page for Ibonia for the link).

[Fanja]

Thanks for your lists of books set in Madagascar ! I've been looking for this for years !

I'll go for Beyond the Rice Fields but I'll read it in French.

[Nike]

I'd love to nominate as a mystery book set in France: The Père-Lachaise Mystery by Claude Izner

and as a book by a woman from South Korea: The Vegetarian by Han Kang.

[Diane , Armchair Tour Guide]

Nominations are now closed.