2023 Group Challenge: To the Finish Line for Jenny

[Yrinsyde]

I'm now in Burundi (and a few other countries) with Small Country. So far, it is an engaging story.

[Yrinsyde]

I have just finished Small Country for Burundi. Wow.

[Lilisa]

I finished my read for Fiji - Getting Stoned with Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu - pass on this one.

[Yrinsyde]

I finished reading Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi for Ghana this morning. I really enjoyed it. It was like reading small character studies linked by family against the backdrop of slavery and other social events. I'm wowed that it was a debut novel!

[Yrinsyde]

For the Central African Republic, I'm going to try to get hold of Co-Wives Co-Widows

[Yrinsyde]

And I've found a short story (in French - I'll put it through Google Translate) by a woman Chadian writer: https://www.voice4thought.org/1711-2/

[Lilisa]

Nice going Yrinsyde!

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I'm making a start on Devil-Devil for the Solomon Islands today.

[Rusalka]

Andrea wrote: "I'm making a start on Devil-Devil for the Solomon Islands today."

Will be interested in what you think of that one.

[Rachel]

I’ve finished reading The Tale of Aypi which is the first book written by a Turkmen author to be translated into English. The author Ak Welsapar was imprisoned for 18 months before fleeing his country. His books are still banned in Turkmenistan. This story is about the bravery of a fisherman resisting the government relocation of his village. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Shomeret]

Andrea wrote: "I'm making a start on Devil-Devil for the Solomon Islands today."

I read this some time ago and gave it four stars which means I liked it very much.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Shomeret wrote: "Andrea wrote: "I'm making a start on Devil-Devil for the Solomon Islands today."

I read this some time ago and gave it four stars which means I liked it very much."

It’s certainly very engaging!

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Rachel wrote: "I’ve finished reading The Tale of Aypi which is the first book written by a Turkmen author to be translated into English. The author [author:Ak ..."

Well done Rachel, not an easy country to tick off the list.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Ticked off the Solomon Islands today! I wasn’t certain just how authentic Devil-Devil would be, but it turns out the author spent a good number of years there, working as a teacher. The story was set in 1960 and judging by the author’s age, that may well have been his era.

[Lilisa]

Good going Andrea!

[Lilisa]

I finished Tajikistan - the Cultures of the World is a great series providing overviews of countries. I enjoyed learning about Tajikistan - 4 stars.

[Lilisa]

I finished Dancing in the Mosque: An Afghan Mother's Letter to Her Son by Homeira Qaderi for Afghanistan. It was a good read - nonfiction about the author life in Afghanistan before and during the Taliban reign and then again during the Taliban takeover in 2021. She had her son were airlifted out of the country.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Lilisa wrote: "I finished Dancing in the Mosque: An Afghan Mother's Letter to Her Son by Homeira Qaderi for Afghanistan. It was a good read - nonfiction about the author life in ..."

Well done, you’re on fire this week!

[Lilisa]

😊

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I’m on my way to Costa Rica now, with The Adventurer's Son.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I’ve ticked Costa Rica off the list (review link in the main Group discussion).

Are there any other countries I’ve missed so far?

[Lilisa]

Andrea wrote: "I’ve ticked Costa Rica off the list (review link in the main Group discussion).

Are there any other countries I’ve missed so far?"

Not from me. I have four more books I committed to read this year. Looks like this pledge will kick into next year for sure!

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Yes, I think so, and I’m comfortable with that. It would give me the chance to find and read more books for the cause!

[Lilisa]

I finished Turtle Under Ice by Juleah del Rosario for Northern Mariana Islands. The book is a novel in verse and I loved it - 5 stars! What an unexpected find, thanks to Jenny's list. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Lilisa wrote: "I finished Turtle Under Ice by Juleah del Rosario for Northern Mariana Islands. The book is a novel in verse and I loved it - 5 stars! What an unexpected find, tha..."

Well done, sounds like a special read!

[Rusalka]

Oh I am glad you liked it!

[Lilisa]

Yes, I was surprised I enjoyed it so much - it packed a punch!

[Lilisa]

I finished Stories of the Sahara by Sanmao for Western Sahara. Another great read, haven’t done a review yet but hope to get to it soon.

[Rachel]

I finished my Comoros book:
A Girl Called Eel is an unusual stream of consciousness story written by Comorian author Ali Zamir in which a shipwrecked teenage girl in Comoros recounts her life story. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

I also read Aya: Love in Yop City by Marguerite Abouet for Côte d’Ivoire

[Rachel]

I finished my Belgian book:
War and Turpentine is a poetic novelisation by Flemish Belgium author Stefan Hertmans of his grandfather’s life as an artist and a soldier in WWI. Here is my review

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Rachel wrote: "I finished my Belgian book:
War and Turpentine is a poetic novelisation by Flemish Belgium author Stefan Hertmans of his grand..."

Thanks Rachel, that one sounds good. I have another of his on my TBR (The Ascent) which sounds like a similar blending of fact and imagination.

[Rachel]

I read a book set in GUINEA predominantly but also Liberia and Sierra Leone:
In the Company of Men by Ivorian author Véronique Tadjo is a short but powerful book recounting the tragic stories of the 2014-2016 Ebola epidemic in West Africa from multiple points of view. Here is ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I've ticked off Timor with The Canal House. East Timor is only one of a few locations in this book, but it's certainly the most important one, with the final 1/3 of the story taking place there.

[Lilisa]

September was a good month for this challenge! I have one more to read - Malta. Then, I’ll re-look at the list for next year - amazing, 2024 is not far away...