2022 - Where in the World Have You Been (Book Read and Review Linked)

[Lilisa]

I was in the sixteenth century hanging out in The Vatican, Rome, and Florence with The Pope's Man. It was a fun read. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lilisa]

Was in Portugal with Two Nights in Lisbon. I so enjoyed it - 5 stars for a thriller is unusual for me! Thanks Carol and Andrea for your reviews - I would not have picked it up otherwise. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in South Sudan with Songs of a War Boy, and although my review is pretty brief, I just wanted to say how pleased I am that I chose this book to gain an understanding of the history, culture and politics of this relatively new country. Adut provides a lot of information, but for me it worked mainly as a springboard to go seeking information from other sources.

Adut became famous in Australia as the face of Western Sydney University in this marketing campaign https://youtu.be/buA3tsGnp2s, but if you read this memoir you'll understand that this is just the tip of the iceberg that is his story. What an amazing person!

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

[Lilisa]

Finished Peril at the Exposition, thriller mystery set in the U.S. but with two protagonists from India. It was an okay read. The first in the series was better. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I've been in 1950s Sudan with Lyrics Alley. I didn't love it, but I appreciated it for the context it provided for the civil war later in the century, that I'd learned about in Songs of a War Boy last month. Almost a corroboration of the view that the two countries should never have been amalgamated when the colonisers departed.

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

[Lilisa]

I was in Turkey with The Forty Sieges of Constantinople - a bit of a slog but confirms why Istanbul is such a strategically important city. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lilisa]

I was in the U.S. with Remarkably Bright Creatures. This insightful and easy read was a nice break from more intense reads. My short review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Renae]

Visited Beirut, Lebanon (with a couple layovers in Damascus) in The Arsonists' City by Hala Alyan! I liked this one better than her debut, Salt Houses, and would definitely recommend for fans of the "multigenerational saga about a BIPOC family and their secrets/relationships" genre.

[Renae]

Visited 9th century Norway and Iceland in The Golden Wolf by Linnea Hartsuyker. 10/10 would recommend this series to those who like large-scale historical fiction, complex characters, and meticulous research.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

They are not part of my ATW journey, but for anyone else interested in reading the Abrolhos Islands, off the coast of Western Australia, I've recently finished reading my 2nd fabulous book of the year set there! (It's a bit like that saying about waiting for a bus...)

The first one was The Islands, a more contemporary family story based on the author's family experience, and the latest one was The Night Ship, which is a dual timeline story woven around the Batavia shipwreck. Both very highly recommended.

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

[Lilisa]

I was in Turkey with A Memento for Istanbul. It’s a mystery set in the context of Istanbul’s history. Enjoyed this translated work. Definitely going to read more from Ahmet Ümit. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Set in Stone was a good read, remarkable for its Moldovan setting. Anyone who likes reading reimagined fairytales would probably enjoy it.

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

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in Egypt with The Last Watchman of Old Cairo, which I enjoyed. I'd say one of the most notable things about this story is that while the main family is Muslim, the story as whole provides a Jewish perspective of Egypt over many centuries.

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

[Lilisa]

Was in Guadeloupe and France with Where Dogs Bark with Their Tails. A great book to read for Guadeloupe. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lilisa]

Was in Turkiye with At the Breakfast Table. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

It turns out my Scottish Isles in Salt and Skin were the Orkneys. I hadn't read this author before, but it was a really enjoyable and imaginative story, despite covering some pretty intense thematic ground. Good sense of place.

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

[Lilisa]

I was on the Turkish fictional island of Mingheria - in Ottoman times with Nights of Plague. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Grateful to be back from Kazakhstan with Sea Fever - one of those books that I felt obligated to finish, otherwise I may well have abandoned it. It sounded promising, but the writing detracted from my enjoyment of discovering about the Aral Sea and Voz Island. In fact, at the 2/3 mark, I spent half an hour with Google and learned just as much. But for the fact the author claimed several visits to the region, I may have suspected her research mirrored mine...

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

[Lilisa]

Was in India and Zimbabwe with The Secret of Elephants. It was a fast read. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lilisa]

Andrea wrote: "Grateful to be back from Kazakhstan with Sea Fever - one of those books that I felt obligated to finish, otherwise I may well have abandoned it. It sounded promising, but the writin..."

Just started it, Andrea - we’ll see how I fare!

[Rachel]

IRAQ:

The Baghdad Clock by Iraqi author Shahad Al Rawi is a beautifully written story of a young girl growing up in war-torn Iraq. She met her best friend Nadia in an air-raid shelter, as the US bombed Iraq in the First Gulf War after they had invaded Kuwait. They share their hopes and dreams, and first romantic attachments with a childish innocence and joy. All around their neighbourhood is being decimated, people are emigrating, desperate to escape and the sanctions create poverty and hunger. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review

[Rachel]

SRI LANKA:

Chai Time At Cinnamon Gardens by Shankari Chandran a novel which shifts between the conflict in Sri Lanka and a quirky nursing home in Australia trying to bring love and spicy dishes to its feisty residents. This is my review

[Lilisa]

I was in the U.K. and U.S. (before it was the U.S.) in the 17th century with Act of Oblivion. Not the best of Robert Harris’ in my opinion. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rachel]

BRITISH VIRGIN ISLANDS

Jessamine by Eugenia O'Neal is a wonderful book set in the British Virgin Islands which moves between a modern timeline and one set in the turbulent times just after the abolishment of slavery, with a ghost linking the two stories. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review

[Rachel]

ESWATINI (SWAZILAND)

When the Ground Is Hard. This was a great read set at a boarding school by Malla Nunn who grew up in Eswatini (Swaziland). ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This is my review

[Rachel]

FRENCH POLYNESIA (TAHITI):

Breadfruit is a completely adorable book by French Polynesian (Tahitian) author Célestine Hitiura Vaite featuring the engaging Materena and her life on Tahiti. A delightful ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ read for me. Here is my review

[Rachel]

KURDISTAN (IRAN):

Daughters of Smoke and Fire is a powerful story about the struggles of the Kurdish people in Iran, by Ava Homa the first Kurdish woman to publish a novel in English. I think this is a particularly important read given the recent death of Mahsa Amini (Jina). ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Here is my review

[Lilisa]

Great reviews, thanks Rachel! I’ve put the audio of WTGIH on hold at my library - looking forward to checking it out. I’ll have to recommend they get J!

[Rachel]

Lilisa wrote: "Great reviews, thanks Rachel! I’ve put the audio of WTGIH on hold at my library - looking forward to checking it out. I’ll have to recommend they get J!"

Yes it’s a great little read. I found it when I was looking for Australian authors for my Aussie authors challenge, but read around the world at the same time, so I started trying to find authors born overseas who immigrated to Australia and ended up stumbling across some lovely books.

[Lilisa]

Rachel wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Great reviews, thanks Rachel! I’ve put the audio of WTGIH on hold at my library - looking forward to checking it out. I’ll have to recommend they get J!"

Yes it’s a great little rea..."

About authors who have immigrated to Australia. Have you read The Happiest Refugee? I enjoyed it. I heard about it from Andrea in this group.

[Rusalka]

Thanks for those reviews, Rachel. I've read A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Dunn, but will add the above book from your rec.

Not sure if you know the First Tuesday Bookclub from the ABC with Jennifer Byrne as the host a while ago, but Malla Dunn was a guest on that back in the day. I think most is still viewable on the ABC website if you can find it.

[Rusalka]

Rachel wrote: "...I started trying to find authors born overseas who immigrated to Australia..."

This is an awesome challenge. I'd love to know what you have discovered, if you have a shelf or something to point us towards. Our strength is our amazing diversity, so love it. Let us know if there are countries you are struggling on. We may be able to help :D

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I thought I was taking a shortcut through Israel and Palestine on my long walk, by swapping out my original choices and reading Apeirogon instead. Nope. Took me a long time to get through it. I appreciated the subject matter/story, but the style didn't do anything for me. I still gave it 4★ because I thought it provided a fairly clear-eyed perspective of contemporary life on both sides.

[Lilisa]

I was in Kazakhstan with Sea Fever - I enjoyed it. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rachel]

Rusalka wrote: "Rachel wrote: "...I started trying to find authors born overseas who immigrated to Australia..."

This is an awesome challenge. I'd love to know what you have discovered, if you have a shelf or som..."

Thanks. I will look for that ABC interview, sounds interesting. I started a list on Listopia of Australian Immigrant Lit to try broaden some of our reading. Feel free to add to it. https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

So far my other favourites from this group have been the lovely Breadfruit, a completely adorable book by French Polynesian (Tahitian) author Célestine Hitiura Vaite who now lives in Australia. A delightful ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ read for me, here is my review

I also enjoyed Banana Heart Summer by Filipino author Merlinda Bobis who also migrated to Australia. Her book views the world in a very descriptive fashion through the eyes of her cuisine. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Here is my review

Beneath the Darkening Sky by South Sudanese refugee Majok Tulba was an interesting although somewhat traumatic read about child soldiers in South Sudan and the brutality they encountered. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Here is my review

[Rachel]

Lilisa wrote: "Rachel wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Great reviews, thanks Rachel! I’ve put the audio of WTGIH on hold at my library - looking forward to checking it out. I’ll have to recommend they get J!"

Yes it’s a g..."

I haven’t tried this one yet but I have read The Boat by another Vietnamese refugee Nam Le which is an award winning collection of short stories from several places in the world. ⭐⭐⭐ Here is my review

[Rachel]

ZIMBABWE:
House of Stone by Zimbabwean author Novuyo Rosa Tshuma is an award-winning novel covering the history around the decades of the formation of Zimbabwe as a new nation, in particular the Gukurahundi massacres which followed. ⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

Rusalka wrote: "Rachel wrote: "...I started trying to find authors born overseas who immigrated to Australia..."

This is an awesome challenge. I'd love to know what you have discovered, if you have a shelf or som..."

Thanks. I will look for that ABC interview, sounds interesting. I started a list on Listopia of Australian Immigrant Lit to try broaden some of our reading. Feel free to add to it. https://www.goodreads.com/list/show/1...

So far my other favourites from this group have been the lovely Breadfruit, a completely adorable book by French Polynesian (Tahitian) author Célestine Hitiura Vaite who now lives in Australia. A delightful ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ read for me, here is my review

I also enjoyed Banana Heart Summer by Filipino author Merlinda Bobis who also migrated to Australia. Her book views the world in a very descriptive fashion through the eyes of her cuisine. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Here is my review

[Rusalka]

Oh! I am so glad you liked Merlinda's book! I haven't read it yet, but I actually work with her.

That is a great recommendation, as all the ones I have had for her books I have taken with a grain of salt as it's been from our colleagues.

[Lilisa]

Rachel wrote: "Rusalka wrote: "Rachel wrote: "...I started trying to find authors born overseas who immigrated to Australia..."

This is an awesome challenge. I'd love to know what you have discovered, if you hav..."

Thanks for the Australian Immigrant Lit list, Rachel - it’s a great one!

[Lilisa]

Was in Afghanistan with My Pen Is the Wing of a Bird: New Fiction by Afghan Women - short stories by eighteen Afghan women writers - so impactful. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rachel]

SOUTH AMERICA
Bolivia:
Treasure of the World by Tara Sullivan is a beautifully written story set in the mountains of Bolivia where 12 year old Ana and her family struggle to mine silver and eke out an existence, highlighting plight of children forced to work just so their families can eat. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

MIDDLE EAST
Iran:

Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood which is a graphic novel/ autobiography by Marjane Satrapi about growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution and the Iran-Iraq War of the 1980. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Lilisa]

I was in Turkiye with A Knife to the Heart an enjoyable mystery set in Istanbul - great for time and place. Will read more of the series. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lilisa]

I was in the U.S. with Finding Me by Viola Davis, the actress and producer. She’s achieved so much despite her life struggles. The writing could have been better. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rachel]

CENTRAL & SOUTH AMERICA
Venezuela:
Blue Label by Eduardo Sánchez Rugeles is literary fiction set in Venezuela about teenagers on a road trip, trying to find a way to deal with the collapse of a country around them. I found it well-written and engaging. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Here is my review

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I'm conflicted about The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding, but I decided to bring it here because I don't know when I'll next have the opportunity to visit the Faroe Islands. A text edition may have squeezed an extra half star out of me. But objectively I think many readers are going to love it, despite its faults. Also, I suspect I may be suffering from media over-exposure to this author, which doesn't help. Stunning cover-art. (Set roughly equally in Tasmania, Denmark and the Faroe Islands.)

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

[Rusalka]

Oh I have been ignoring the hype around this one, Andrea, but I know what you mean. The bookcover is beautiful.

This is going into the read when everyone has calmed down basket.

[Rachel]

OCEANIA
Australia:
Jack and Harry by Tony McKenna an Aussie outback adventure about two teenage boys who go bush when falsely accused of a crime. A swashbuckling yarn with a few eye-roll moments thrown in. ⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

Andrea wrote: "I'm conflicted about The Seven Skins of Esther Wilding, but I decided to bring it here because I don't know when I'll next have the opportunity to visit the Faroe Islands. A text ed..."

I might have to try this one. I haven’t seen many books set there!