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

[Carol]

I was in Cuba from 1511 to present with Cuba: An American History by Ada Ferrer. I loved it.



Here's a link to my review.

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

[Rachel]

MIDDLE EAST
Lebanon:
An Unnecessary Womanby Rabih Alameddine is a quiet, but beautifully written story about an elderly woman living in Beirut, ensconced with her beloved books. ⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Lilisa]

Was in Venezuela, Colombia, Spain and Portugal with The General of Caracas - an enjoyable fast-paced thriller. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lilisa]

Was in Nigeria with Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions: A Novel in Interlocking Stories - great read and sense of place. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Carol]

Lilisa wrote: "Was in Nigeria with Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions: A Novel in Interlocking Stories - great read and sense of place. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show......"

I picked this up from the library last weekend and am delighted to see your review.

[Lilisa]

Carol wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Was in Nigeria with Jollof Rice and Other Revolutions: A Novel in Interlocking Stories - great read and sense of place. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/sh..."

I hope you enjoy it, Carol! 🤞

[Lilisa]

Was in Ottoman times with The Lion House: The Coming of A King - many locations across Europe, Mediterranean region and North Africa. I’m shelving it as Turkey. I thought it was good. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rachel]

EUROPE
Ukraine:

I just read The Diamond Eye by American author Kate Quinn which is a historical fiction based on the story of Lyudmila Pavlichencko, a Ukrainian sniper known by the Russians as Lady Death for her part in fighting against the German invasion of her homeland in WW2. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Lilisa]

I was in Turkey with The Janissary Tree - set in 1836 Istanbul - it’s the first in the Yashim the Eunuch series. Nice read! My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Was in Colombia with The Man Who Could Move Clouds - nonfiction and an interesting read about “special abilities.” Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Finished listening to In the Midst of Winter - a few settings - Guatemala, Chile, Brazil, and the U.S. I liked it too. Short review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lilisa]

Was in Turkiye with Labyrinth - Interesting and different novel - enjoyed it! My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rachel]

ASIA:
India:
The Bangalore Detectives Club by Indian author Harini Nagendra is a cozy mystery set in 1920s Bangalore. The first in a series featuring the mathematical and forward-thinking Kaveri, an enjoyable read with yummy recipes at the end. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Lilisa]

Was in Pakistan with Lost to the World: A Memoir of Faith, Family, and Five Years in Terrorist Captivity - what a read. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rachel]

OCEANIA:
Australia:
The Single Ladies of Jacaranda Retirement Village by Joanna Nell is a quirky tale of aging disgracefully, set in an Australian retirement village. The only bright spot in 79 year old Peggy’s beige life is watching eligible widower Brian walk past in the mornings until her glamorous mad-cap childhood friend Angie makes an appearance and turns more than just Peggy’s wardrobe upside-down. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review.

[Rachel]

ASIA:
India/ Bangladesh:
Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri is a beautiful, award-winning collection of short stories set in India or Bangladesh, or involving Bengali immigrants to the US. It is poignant, insightful, full of loss and longing. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review.

[Lilisa]

I was in Nigeria then moved on to U.K. and U.S. with A Coastline Is an Immeasurable Thing: A Memoir Across Three Continents. Really interesting read. Thoughts here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in Jordan with Mother of All Pigs and I was enthusiastic about the sense of place, but not so keen on other aspects of the storytelling.

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

[Lilisa]

Andrea wrote: "I was in Jordan with Mother of All Pigs and I was enthusiastic about the sense of place, but not so keen on other aspects of the storytelling.

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

Nice review, Andrea. I imagine it would be challenging to be a pig butcher in Jordan.

[Rachel]

AFRICA
Libya:
The Bleeding of the Stone by award-winning Libyan author Ibrahim al-Koni is a short book about a shepherd living in the Sahara desert. It has strong environmental themes about species extinction and reads like a Bedouin folktale with a dose of magical realism and Sufi mysticism. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

EUROPE
NORWAY:
The Orange Girl by Norwegian author Jostein Gaarder is a short and sweet, enchanting tale set in Oslo about a 15 year old boy who discovers a letter from his deceased father. His father writes the story of his meeting the mysterious and captivating Orange Girl on a tram. This is a beautiful and moving read. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in Germany with A Woman in Berlin living through the Battle of Berlin and the period immediately following Germany's surrender. If you think you have the stomach for it, I can't recommend this highly enough. Originally published anonymously, after her death it has found a new readership for the author, Marta Hillers. I gave it a rare 5 stars.

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

[Rachel]

EUROPE
Romania:
Once, Only the Swallows Were Free by Romanian born Australian author Gabrielle Gouch is a gripping memoir of life in a Jewish family living in Transylvania, Romania under Communist rule and their struggle to escape to Israel and begun again there. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

ARGENTINA
The Adventures of China Iron by Argentinian author Gabriela Cabezón Cámara is an exuberant queer retelling of the 1872 epic poem about gaucho Martín Fierro starring his young wife China Iron who runs away across the pampas with redheaded Scottish Liz on a series of adventures. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Lilisa]

I was in Japan with The Great Passage by Shion Miura (translated). It’s a gem of a book and gave me a warm feeling - review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I was also in the Chagos and Mauritius with Silence of the Chagos: A Novel by Shenaz Patel - also translated. There are few books addressing the issue of the hundreds of Chagossians who were exiled/deported from their homes and put on ships to Mauritius during 1967-1973. They’ve been fighting to go home ever since. It was announced in November 2022 that Britain has agreed to negotiations with Mauritius about the Chagos Islands. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rachel]

GUATEMALA
Tree Girl by Bolivian author Ben Mikaelsen is set in Guatemala in the 1980s and is the fictionalised account of a teenager who survives the massacres which caused the tragic death of tens of thousands of Indigenous Guatemalans. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

AUSTRALIA
You Need to Know is a domestic noir by Australian author Nicola Moriarty which will draw you in to the family’s lives and secrets. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I've been in 1930s Paris with The Paris Mystery. Although it is slightly murdery, it's also a bit of fun.

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

[Lilisa]

I was in Turkiye with Anatolian Days and Nights: A Love Affair with Turkey, Land of Dervishes, Goddesses, and Saints - I enjoyed it: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I enjoyed racing around Denmark, Switzerland, and the U.S. with the thriller The Accident - fast-paced and twisty: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I also read Whereabouts by Jhumpa Lahiri. The book is a compilation of short stories - the first book written in Italian by the author and translated into English by the author. You may be familiar with the author: The Namesake, Interpreter of Maladies, etc. Her goal had been to write a book in Italian, which she learned as an adult - the third language for her - and she achieved her goal - an admirable feat. Overall, it was an okay read.

[Lilisa]

I was in Italy with Commissario Brunetti in Death in a Strange Country superbly narrated by David Colacci. I enjoyed being in Venice. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lilisa]

I was in Egypt with Picture in the Sand. I was disappointed. So much promise, but it fell flat. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lilisa]

I read Daughters of Smoke and Fire, set in Iran - my #1 read in 2022.

I read it a while ago and finally completed my review, which still doesn’t do the book justice. Here it is: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rachel]

SERBIA:
The Tiger's Wife is the Orange Prize winning novel by Serbian author Téa Obreht. This is a beautifully written book that encompasses mystery, history, magical realism and folktales of superstition and tradition. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

Pachinko is an award-winning epic historical fiction by South Korean author Min Jin Lee. The story traces the fortunes and misfortunes of Sunja and her family first in Korea then in Japan where the Koreans faced life as second-class citizens. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Here is my review

[Leona]

Every Knee Shall Bow by Bryan M. Litfin has an ancient map.

[Rachel]

ICELAND/ IRELAND/ SCOTLAND
Odin's Game is a 10th Century historical fiction adventure story by Northern Irish author Tim Hodkinson. It is set in Iceland, the Orkney Isles and Ireland, and has beautiful princesses, Viking warriors and action galore. Here is my review

[Lilisa]

I was in Yemen with Of Mud and Honey by first-time author writing about her parents’ lives - definitely worth the read. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I just spent a couple of days in Iceland with Animal Life, which I thought might be a quirky Christmas read - it really wasn't. I won't be adding it to our holidays thread. It did have some other redeeming features though.

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

[Rachel]

Firekeeper's Daughter is an award-winning contemporary YA thriller set in Michigan, by Ojibwe author Angeline Boulley. 18 year old Daunis Fontaine has her wits, her close-knit family, and the strength she gains from her Annishinaabe culture, but she soon finds herself in over her head investigating a series of meth related deaths in her community. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

ASIA
Thailand:
The Blind Earthworm in the Labyrinth is a lyrical, romantic and melodramatic story by Thai author Veeraporn Nitiprapha, two-time winner of the Southeast Asian Writers Award. Here is my review

[Rachel]

Kay wrote: "Japan. In Osaka. I read Pachinko, the epic story of a couple of generations of Korean Christians in Osaka. I also read the non-fiction Osaka! Osaka!. It is the story of an ex-pat who tries to use t..."

I just read Pachinko recently, what a great book! Although possibly a tad long!

[Lilisa]

Rachel wrote: "Kay wrote: "Japan. In Osaka. I read Pachinko, the epic story of a couple of generations of Korean Christians in Osaka. I also read the non-fiction Osaka! Osaka!. It is the story of an ex-pat who tr..."

I enjoyed Pachinko too!

[Lilisa]

I was in St. Vincent with Windward Family: An atlas of love, loss and belonging. It was an okay read. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I also finished the audio for A Sea of Troubles by Donna Leon. I’m enjoying the Commissario Brunetti series - he’s like an old friend like Chief Inspector Armand Gamache - the series by Louise Penny.

[Rachel]

NORTH AMERICA
Mexico:
Like Water for Chocolate by Mexican author Laura Esquivel is an award-winning story with vivid descriptions, mouth-watering recipes, romance, drama and magical realism. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

AFRICA
Egypt:
Palace Walk is the first book in the Cairo Trilogy by Nobel Prize winning Egyptian author Naguib Mahfouz. It tells us the story of a Muslim Arab family in Cairo between 1917 and 1919. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review