2025 Reading Challenge discussion
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Tamara Tackles 80 Reads and Reviews in 2021
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Goal: 80 books43/80. We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo.
The novel unfolds in a series of episodes told in the first person voice of a ten-year-old girl in Zimbabwe. The first half of the novel was engaging and full of vivid detail; the second half wasn't as interesting.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
28/50. We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo.
Goal: 24 books from the Middle East and Africa
11/24. We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo (Zimbabwe).
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books44/80. Human Acts by Han Kang, translated from the Korean by Deborah Smith.
The novel deals with the historical 1980 Gwangju uprising in South Korea. It is an important book, but it makes for difficult reading because of the graphic description of torture and the massacre of hundreds of unarmed civilians.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
29/50. Human Acts by Han Kang, translated from the Korean by Deborah Smith.
Goal: 25 books in translation
20/25. Human Acts by Han Kang, translated from the Korean by Deborah Smith.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books45/80. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
It's been decades since I last read it. I needed a whimsical reprieve from some of the books I've read lately dealing with man's inhumanity to man. This transported me on a delightful journey to fantasy land.
Goal: 10 classics
9/10. Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books46/80. The Barefoot Woman by Scholastique Mukasonga.
A glowing tribute to Mukasonga's mother, a resilient and loving woman with a fierce determination to protect her children from the ethnic conflict in Rwanda. This is the third book I've read by this author. I thought they were all very good.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
30/50. The Barefoot Woman by Scholastique Mukasonga; translated from the French by Jordan Stump.
Goal: 25 books in translation
21/25. The Barefoot Woman by Scholastique Mukasonga; translated from the French by Jordan Stump.
Goal: 24 books from the Middle East and Africa
12/24. The Barefoot Woman by Scholastique Mukasonga; translated from the French by Jordan Stump.
Goal: 10 books of non-fiction
7/10. The Barefoot Woman by Scholastique Mukasonga; translated from the French by Jordan Stump.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books47/80. Nothing Holds Back the Night by Delphine de Vigan, translated from the French by George Miller.
It's a gripping blend of fiction, memoir, and biography. The author explores her mother's childhood and adult life to try to understand the cause of her suicide. Intense and well-executed.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
31/50. Nothing Holds Back the Night by Delphine de Vigan, translated from the French by George Miller.
Goal: 25 books in translation
22/25. Nothing Holds Back the Night by Delphine de Vigan, translated from the French by George Miller.
Goal: 10 books of non-fiction
8/10. Nothing Holds Back the Night by Delphine de Vigan, translated from the French by George Miller.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books48/80. Territory of Light by Yūko Tsushima, translated from the Japanese by Geraldine Harcourt.
It's about a single mother struggling to raise her three-year-old daughter while coping with her estranged husband and the demands of her employment. I was impressed with the use of light imagery. Other than that, I thought the novel was disappointing. It just wasn't for me.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
32/50. Territory of Light by Yūko Tsushima, translated from the Japanese by Geraldine Harcourt.
Goal: 25 books in translation
23/25. Territory of Light by Yūko Tsushima, translated from the Japanese by Geraldine Harcourt.
My review:https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books49/80. A Quiet Revolution: The Veil's Resurgence, from the Middle East to America by Leila Ahmed.
A well-researched and documented study of the veil's resurgence and the activist role of Muslim American women.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
33/50. A Quiet Revolution: The Veil's Resurgence, from the Middle East to America by Leila Ahmed.
Goal: 12 books from the Middle East and Africa
13/24. A Quiet Revolution: The Veil's Resurgence, from the Middle East to America by Leila Ahmed.
Goal: 10 books of non-fiction
9/10. A Quiet Revolution: The Veil's Resurgence, from the Middle East to America by Leila Ahmed.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books50/80. The Patience Stone by Atiq Rahimi; translated from the French by Polly McLean.
A compelling novella that gives voice to the oppression of women in Afghanistan.
Goal: 25 books in translation
24/25. The Patience Stone by Atiq Rahimi; translated from the French by Polly McLean.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books51/80. Mr. Loverman by Bernardine Evaristo.
It's funny. The central character is an endearing Shakespeare-quoting, dapper individual with a dry sense of humor. Character portrayals are brilliant. Highly recommend this book.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
34/50. Mr. Loverman by Bernardine Evaristo.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books52/80. Beowulf.
I've read this at least half a dozen times in different translations. I recently re-read it for a group read. The more I read it, the more I love it.
Goal: 25 books in translation
25/25. Beowulf.
Goal: 10 classics
10/10. Beowulf.
Goal: 80 books53/80. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak.
It opens with the murder of Leila, a prostitute in Istanbul who recalls her life during the liminal phase between death but not quite death. The novel starts strongly, but parts 2 and 3 disappoint.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
35/50. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak.
Goal: 24 books from the Middle East and Africa
14/24. 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books54/80. The Spare Room by Helen Garner. Loosely based on one of Garner's friends, the novel takes an unflinchingly honest look at the challenges faced in taking care of a friend with terminal cancer.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
36/50. The Spare Room by Helen Garner.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Tamara wrote: "Goal: 80 books52/80. Beowulf.
I've read this at least half a dozen times in different translations. I recently re-read it for a group read. The more I read it, the more I love it.
Go..."
Thanks for this tip about Beowulf. I have it on audio from Chirp and will promote it to next read.
Dorothy wrote: "Thanks for this tip about Beowulf. I have it on audio from Chirp and will promote it to next read..."Dorothy, we focused on the Seamus Heaney translation for the group read. But if you want to read a more contemporary translation, I recommend Beowulf: A New Translation. Headley's translation is an absolute riot and a lot of fun.
Thanks for the info. I'm glad that I do have the Headley translation and will start it soon.
Goal: 80 books55/80. Light Perpetual by Francis Spufford.
In 1944, a bomb exploded at a Woolworth's store in London, killing 168 people, 15 of whom were children. Spufford gives fictional names to five of the children who died in the explosion and offers an alternative trajectory of their lives, a what might have been had they lived. Luminous prose, authentic characters, compelling narrative. Very highly recommended.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books56/80. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint.
The story of Ariadne and Phaedra from Greek mythology. The retelling was a little disappointing since both are portrayed as more acted upon than acting. Depicting them as empowered women with agency would have endowed the myth with a fresh and more interesting approach.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
37/50. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books57/80. A Night in the Emperor's Garden: A True Story of Hope and Resilience in Afghanistan by Qais Akbar Omar and Stephen Landrigan.
The book chronicles the true story of putting on a production of Shakespeare's Love's Labour's Lost in Afghanistan in 2005. It describes the many challenges facing the production and provides a fascinating peek into the daily lives of the actors.
Goal: 10 books of non-fiction
10/10. A Night in the Emperor's Garden: A True Story of Hope and Resilience in Afghanistan by Qais Akbar Omar and Stephen Landrigan.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books58/80. The Aeneid by Virgil, translated by Shadi Bartsch.
A new translation of the epic. Bartsch adheres as faithfully as possible to a line-by line translation, including adherence to Virgil's meter, number of beats in each line, simplicity in language, and his use of alliteration and assonance. She offers a valuable contribution to the reading of this classic.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
38/50. The Aeneid by Virgil, translated by Shadi Bartsch.
Goal: 25 books in translation
26/25. The Aeneid by Virgil, translated by Shadi Bartsch.
Goal: 10 classics
11/10. The Aeneid by Virgil, translated by Shadi Bartsch.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books59/80. Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athill. Athill was a book editor with a London publishing firm for many decades and worked with some famous novelists. She wrote this memoir at the young age of 89. It had some interesting insights on aging, death, and dying. I thought it was good but not great.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
39/50. Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athill.
Goal: 10 books of non-fiction
11/10. Somewhere Towards the End by Diana Athill.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books60/80. The Captain's Daughter and Other Stories by Alexander Pushkin, translated from the Russian by Natalie Duddington.
A delightful novella set in 18thC Russia with echoes of Sir Walter Scott. It has romance, a duel, a rebellion, a swashbuckling hero, and a damsel in distress. An entertaining read.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
40/50. The Captain's Daughter and Other Stories by Alexander Pushkin, translated from the Russian by Natalie Duddington.
Goal: 25 books in translation
27/25. The Captain's Daughter and Other Stories by Alexander Pushkin, translated from the Russian by Natalie Duddington.
Goal: 10 classics
12/10. The Captain's Daughter and Other Stories by Alexander Pushkin, translated from the Russian by Natalie Duddington.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books61/80. The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré. A story about a girl growing up in Nigeria with a fierce determination to achieve her dream of becoming a teacher. The story was somewhat predictable, but her voice was powerful, compelling, and an absolute delight.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
41/50. The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré.
Goal: 24 books from the Middle East and Africa
15/24. The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Daré.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books62/80. Samarkand by Amin Maalouf; translated from the French by Russell Harris.
A historical novel linking the two time frames of Omar Khayyam in 11th century Persia with an American in the early 20th century who goes on a quest to locate the original manuscript of the Rubaiyat. An interesting format and an engaging, educational read.
25 books in translation
28/25. Samarkand by Amin Maalouf; translated from the French by Russell Harris.
24 books from the Middle East and Africa
16/24. Samarkand by Amin Maalouf; translated from the French by Russell Harris.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books63/80. Three Apples Fell from the Sky by Narine Abgaryan, translated from the Russian by Lisa C. Hayden.
A heart-warming, delightful book that reads like a fable. It's about the inhabitants of a remote village in the Armenian mountains. The aging population nurture and care for each other. It reminded me a lot of Alina Bronsky's Baba Dunja's Last Love, which I also loved.
50 books by women authors
42/50. Three Apples Fell from the Sky by Narine Abgaryan, translated from the Russian by Lisa C. Hayden.
25 books in translation
29/25. Three Apples Fell from the Sky by Narine Abgaryan, translated from the Russian by Lisa C. Hayden.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books64/80. Hot Milk by Deborah Levy. I really enjoyed Levy's Swimming Home and was looking forward to this. But I found it boring. It just wasn't for me.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
43/50. Hot Milk by Deborah Levy.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books65/80. The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai.
Spanning several decades beginning in the 1930s through the Viet Nam war and its aftermath, this sweeping family saga describes a family’s struggle to survive during times of war, famine, dislocation, and mayhem. The narrative unfolds in the alternating perspectives of a young girl and her grandmother.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
44/50. The Mountains Sing by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books66/80. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.
This is a re-read for me. I first read it way back when. It is powerful and remains a great classic. Highly recommended.
Goal: 24 books from the Middle East and Africa
17/24. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.
Goal: 10 classics
13/10. Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books67/80. Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder.
Wow! What an unusual and imaginative story. A stay-at-home mother of a demanding toddler turns into a dog. Or does she?
The story isn't for everyone because there are some graphic scenes of violence toward little, furry creatures. But it will resonate with women who have experienced de-selfing, internal conflicts, guilt, isolation, a stifling of their creativity, and society’s erroneous assumptions about their lives as stay-at-home mothers. I found it absolutely riveting.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
45/50. Nightbitch by Rachel Yoder.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books68/80. The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng.
A retired judge in Kuala Lumpur decides to hire the services of a Japanese gardener to construct a Japanese garden in memory of her sister who died in a Japanese prison camp during Japan's occupation of Malaysia. The novel has a haunting, ethereal quality. Rich in immersive imagery.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books69/80. My Father's Notebook: A Novel of Iran by Kader Abdolah.
Written in Dutch by an Iranian exile living in the Netherlands, translated by Susan Massotty, the novel weaves the story of Aga Akbar and his son, Ishmael, against the turbulent background of 20th Century Iran. Persian songs, myths, and legends thread the narrative. The novel is a poignant portrayal of the enduring love between a father and son. A great story.
Goal: 25 books in translation
30/25. My Father's Notebook: A Novel of Iran by Kader Abdolah; translated from the Dutch to English by Susan Massotty.
Goal: 24 books from the Middle East and Africa
18/24. My Father's Notebook: A Novel of Iran by Kader Abdolah.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books70/80. The Wild Fox of Yemen: Poems by Threa Almontaser.
It's been a while since I read a collection of poetry. Almontaser's voice is vigorous, authentic, and unflinchingly honest. Winner of the Walt Whitman Award of the Academy of American Poets, the collection is breathtaking, drawing the reader into Almontaser’s world imbued with personal and political intensity.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
46/50. The Wild Fox of Yemen: Poems by Threa Almontaser.
Goal: 24 books from the Middle East and Africa
19/24. The Wild Fox of Yemen: Poems by Threa Almontaser.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books71/80. The Wrong End of the Telescope by Rabih Alameddine.
The novel explores the plight of refugees arriving in Lesbos. The narrative unfolds in the first-person voice of Dr. Mina Simpson, a transgender Lebanese-born doctor who answers the call to assist the refugees.
I thought it was good, but I didn't love it as much as Alameddine's An Unnecessary Woman or his The Hakawati.
Goal: 24 books from the Middle East and Africa
20/24. The Wrong End of the Telescope by Rabih Alameddine.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books72/80. The Manningtree Witches by A.K. Blakemore.
An atmospheric plunge into the 1640s in England. Civil war is raging, and destitute, elderly women are hunted and executed as witches. Blakemore's diction is detailed and evocative. Replicating the idioms of 17th century England, it is replete with graphic descriptions, pungent odors, and immersive imagery.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
47/50. The Manningtree Witches by A.K. Blakemore.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books73/80. All's Well by Mona Awad. A wild romp into magical realism about a theatre professor and her battle with chronic pain. It's weird but a lot of fun.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
48/50. All's Well by Mona Awad.
Goal: 24 books from the Middle East and Africa
20/24. All's Well by Mona Awad (Egyptian).
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books74/80. Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women by Annabel Abbs.
Abbs uses the lives and walking experience of several exceptional women to serve as her platform for sharing her experiences and working through some of her challenges. Her personal explorations were interesting but they interrupted the narrative flow.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
49/50. Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women by Annabel Abbs
Goal: 10 books of non fiction
12/10. Windswept: Walking the Paths of Trailblazing Women by Annabel Abbs
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books75/80. Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce.
A quick, easy, and entertaining read about two very different women who form an unlikely friendship while on a scientific expedition. There was little depth to the characters and some of the events were implausible. But if you're in the mood for something light and fun, this will probably fit the bill.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
50/50. Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books76/80. The Book Smuggler by Omaima Al-Khamis; translated from the Arabic by Sarah Enany.
I had mixed feelings about it. I enjoyed the immersion in 11th C Arab capitals, but I think it got bogged down in too many intricate details about sectarian strife, feuds, and who said what to whom.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
51/50. The Book Smuggler by Omaima Al-Khamis; translated from the Arabic by Sarah Enanny.
Goal: 25 books in translation
31/25. The Book Smuggler by Omaima Al-Khamis; translated from the Arabic by Sarah Enanny.
Goal: 24 books from the Middle East and Africa
21/24. The Book Smuggler by Omaima Al-Khamis; translated from the Arabic by Sarah Enanny.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books77/80. Nature Obscura: A City's Hidden Natural World by Kelly Brenner.
Full of interesting insights and observations of the microflora and microfauna of an urban landscape that many of us either don’t see or simply take for granted.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
52/50. Nature Obscura: A City's Hidden Natural World by Kelly Brenner.
Goal: 10 books of non-fiction
13/10. Nature Obscura: A City's Hidden Natural World by Kelly Brenner.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books78/80. Crimes of Conscience: Selected Short Stories by Nadine Gordimer.
I've loved everything I've read by Nadine Gordimer, and this was no exception. I think she's amazing.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
53/50. Crimes of Conscience: Selected Short Stories by Nadine Gordimer.
Goal: 24 books from the Middle East and Africa
22/24. Crimes of Conscience: Selected Short Stories by Nadine Gordimer.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books79/80. At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop; translated from the French by Anna Moschovakis.
Winner of the 2021 International Booker Prize, it chronicles the descent into madness by a Senegalese soldier fighting with the French in the trenches in World War I. Scenes of graphic violence. Very compelling first-person narrative.
Goal: 25 books in translation
32/25. At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop; translated from the French by Anna Moschovakis.
Goal: 24 books from the Middle East and Africa
23/24. At Night All Blood is Black by David Diop; translated from the French by Anna Moschovakis.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books80/80. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
A compelling coming-of-age narrative about a young girl growing up in politically turbulent Nigeria and a home riddled with domestic violence.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
54/50. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
Goal: 24 books from the Middle East and Africa
24/24. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
I've completed by annual challenge of reading 80 books for the year. I intend to keep chugging along to see how far I can get :)
Goal: 80 books81/80. The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Sandy Tolan.
It humanizes the Israeli-Palestinian conflict by describing it through the friendship of a Palestinian Arab and an Israeli Jew.
Goal: 24 books from the Middle East and Africa
25/24. The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Sandy Tolan.
Goal: 10 books of non-fiction
14/10. The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East by Sandy Tolan.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books82/80. The White Book by Han Kang; translated from the Korean by Deborah Smith.
A compelling autobiographical meditation using fragmented images of objects in the color white to serve as the backdrop for the narrator’s grief at the death of her older sister. The format is unconventional.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
55/50. The White Book by Han Kang; translated from the Korean by Deborah Smith.
Goal: 25 books in translation
33/25. The White Book by Han Kang; translated from the Korean by Deborah Smith.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books83/80. The Girls of Slender Means by Muriel Spark.
The setting for this short novel is London in 1945. I've read and enjoyed Sparks novels, but this one just wasn't for me.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
56/50. The Girls of Slender Means by Muriel Spark.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books84/80. Latitudes of Longing by Shubhangi Swarup. I loved the first section. Her writing in this section was lyrical and quite beautiful. But she became increasingly incoherent in the remaining sections. I think she overreached and rambled, which is a pity because she is obviously capable of some great writing.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
57/50. Latitudes of Longing by Shubhangi Swarup.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books85/80. The Annotated Arabian Nights: Tales from 1001 Nights, translated by Yasmine Seale and edited by Paulo Lemos Horta.
It took several weeks of intermittently dipping into it while reading a few other books in between, but I finally finished the 700 page The Annotated Arabian Nights: Tales from 1001 Nights, translated by Yasmine Seale and edited by Paulo Lemos Horta.
This stunning tome provides a wealth of information, its pages adorned with beautiful illustrations. It is a volume to be read slowly, savored, and enjoyed.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
58/50. The Annotated Arabian Nights: Tales from 1001 Nights, translated by Yasmine Seale.
Goal: 25 books in translation
34/25. The Annotated Arabian Nights: Tales from 1001 Nights, translated by Yasmine Seale.
Goal: 24 books from the Middle East and Africa
26/24. The Annotated Arabian Nights: Tales from 1001 Nights, translated by Yasmine Seale.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books86/80. The Last Hours by Minette Walters.
The novel is the first in a historical trilogy about the Black Death in 14th Century England. The research was impressive, but the characters were flat and the pacing dragged. A little disappointing.
Goal: 50 books by women authors
59/50. The Last Hours by Minette Walters.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Goal: 80 books87/80. Dracula by Bram Stoker.
I read this as a group read. It's my first vampire novel. I enjoyed it and got a lot out of the discussion. But I probably won't be reading any more vampire novels. Vampire novels are just not my cup of tea.
Goal: 12 classics
14/12. Dracula by Bram Stoker.
2025 Reading Challenge
Books mentioned in this topic
Dracula (other topics)The Last Hours (other topics)
The Annotated Arabian Nights: Tales from 1001 Nights (other topics)
Latitudes of Longing (other topics)
The Girls of Slender Means (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Bram Stoker (other topics)Minette Walters (other topics)
Yasmine Seale (other topics)
Paulo Lemos Horta (other topics)
Shubhangi Swarup (other topics)
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42/80. History Begins at Sumer: Thirty-Nine Firsts in Recorded History by Samuel Noah Kramer.
A fascinating look at 39 firsts in ancient Sumer, including the first recorded court case, the first instance of tax reform, the first library catalogue, etc. etc. One of my favorite firsts was a father pleading with his son to focus on his schoolwork instead of gadding about in the streets. It was written 4,000 years ago!
Goal: 24 books from the Middle East and Africa
10/24. History Begins at Sumer: Thirty-Nine Firsts in Recorded History by Samuel Noah Kramer.
Goal: 10 books of non-fiction
6/10. History Begins at Sumer: Thirty-Nine Firsts in Recorded History by Samuel Noah Kramer.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...