2023 - Where in the World Have You Been (Book Read and Review Linked)

[Rachel]

AFRICA
Nigeria:
The Spider King's Daughter by Nigerian author Chibundu Onuzo is a romance with elements of suspense and political intrigue. Abike is the daughter of a wealthy Nigerian businessman who falls in love with a handsome but poor street hawker. The book is on the list of 50 Books by African Woman that Everyone Should Read. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

Lilisa wrote: "I was in Japan in a special cafe with Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi. How often do people get a chance to time travel for a brief period of tim..."

This was an interesting concept. I wondered if it would have played out differently if it were written by a woman not a man as all the women in the story seemed to be called upon in some way to be humble and make some great sacrifice.

[Rachel]

Set in Turkmenistan:
The Tale of Aypi 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. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review

[Lilisa]

Rachel wrote: "Set in Turkmenistan:
The Tale of Aypi is the first book written by a Turkmen author to be translated into English. The author [author:Ak Welsapa..."

Nice review Rachel!

[Rachel]

Set in Sri Lanka:
Song of the Sun God by Sri Lankan Australian Shankari Chandran is a brilliant epic historical fiction tracing the story of a family through the ravages of war in Sri Lanka and the difficult choices and sacrifices they must make. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

The Stardust Thief is the first book in a YA fantasy trilogy by Kuwaiti author Chelsea Abdullah. Loulie al-Nazari, the Midnight Merchant is swept up in a grand adventures of Princes, Sultans, jinn and magical relicts. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in the Solomon Islands with Devil-Devil for the Group Challenge. It was a fun read but ultimately pretty forgettable for me. I won't go out of my way to continue the series, but I am delighted to tick this country off my own list.

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

[Lilisa]

I finished George VI and Elizabeth: The Marriage That Saved the Monarchy by Sally Bedell Smith. It is a bit of a tome but a good read. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in post-war Paris with Mastering the Art of French Murder - it was great fun, and 'foodie' enough for me to add it to my food shelf.

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

[Lilisa]

I was in Turkiye with I Am My Country: And Other Stories by Kenan Orhan - a great short story collection that packs a punch. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rachel]

Australia:
The Interrogation of Ashala Wolf is a YA dystopian sci-fi by Indigenous Australian author Ambelin Kwaymullina of the Kalyku people of the Pilbara. Ashala faces interrogation as one of the Illegals, captured for possessing special gifts. She must survive the interrogation and save her tribe. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Lilisa]

I was in India with The Covenant of Water by Abraham Verghese. It was just an okay read. I don’t seem to be having much luck - I wasn’t a fan of the other much hyped Cutting for Stone either. I may have to try his nonfiction. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lilisa]

I was in Canada with Laughing All the Way to the Mosque by Zarqa Nawaz. A gem of a book - funny and insightful. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was briefly in China with those Bad Kids, but it was unfortunately a rare DNF for me...

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

[Lilisa]

Andrea wrote: "I was briefly in China with those Bad Kids, but it was unfortunately a rare DNF for me...

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

That’s too bad Andrea 🙁 - hope your nice read is an enjoyable one.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I took a chance on Rootless as a recommendation from a podcast I hadn't listened to before, and I was not disappointed. It gives an insight to contemporary Ghanaian culture, across both Britain and Ghana. I've read Ghana before, so I'll count this one towards England, which is where it's mostly set anyway.

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

[Lilisa]

Andrea wrote: "I took a chance on Rootless as a recommendation from a podcast I hadn't listened to before, and I was not disappointed. It gives an insight to contemporary Ghanaian culture, across..."

Great review Andrea, sounds interesting - adding!

[Lilisa]

I was in Uganda (also in India, Kenya, Canada and the U.K.) with A History of Burning by Janika Oza. I enjoyed it - it’s the author’s debut novel but reads like she’s penned several books! It’s a good one. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Lilisa wrote: "Great review Andrea, sounds interesting - adding!..."

Ditto, re A History of Burning! 😃

[Yrinsyde]

I finished African Trilogy - set in Nigeria. Things Fall Apart, No Longer at Ease and Arrow of God. Powerful, but wonderful.

[Lilisa]

Yrinsyde wrote: "I finished African Trilogy - set in Nigeria. Things Fall Apart, No Longer at Ease and Arrow of God. Powerful, but wonderful."

Sounds like some of us have been armchair traveling to the continent of Africa lately!

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I've been in Georgia (country) with The Eighth Life. It is the longest book I've ever read, but all those weeks were invested in an unforgettable story. Not perfect, but certainly quite special.

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

[Rachel]

Malaysia:
The Night Tiger is an historical fiction by Chinese Malaysian author Yangsze Choo set in Malaya in the 1930s. The book incorporates elements of magical realism, mythology, mystery and romance and includes weretigers, ghosts and 1930s dancehalls. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

Ukraine.
Otherland: A Journey With My Daughter is a memoir by Maria Tumarkin who returns to her homeland Ukraine with her 12 year-old daughter after a twenty year absence and reconnects with friends, culture and the turbulent changes in post Soviet Russia and Ukraine. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Lilisa]

I was in France with The French Art of Living Well: Finding Joie de Vivre in the Everyday World by Cathy Yandell. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Antra]

I just finished my Sri Lanka read, The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka.

What do you get when you combine the Sri Lankan Civil War, a ghost solving his own murder, politics (both of the world of the living and the more folklore-based world of the dead) and some LGBTQ love? This book. My review.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in Iceland with Fed to Red Birds. It really made me feel like I came to know Reykjavik a little, even though I’ve never been in real life.

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

[Rachel]

China:
She Who Became the Sun is an award-winning debut novel by Asian-Australian author Shelley Parker-Chan. It is a reimagining of the 14th century Red Turban rebellions that ended the Mongol Yuan dynasty and issued in the Ming dynasty. It is historical fiction with a touch of fantasy and features village girl Zhu who must become a man to save herself and seek her fate of greatness. Here is my review

[Antra]

Today I wrapped up my Philippines read, The Sleepless by Victor Manibo.

Imagine a technocratic near-future where a good percentage of the population is Sleepless - that is, they cannot and do not need to sleep. Seems like a dream existence for journalist Jamie Vega, until his boss is found dead and he was the last one to see him alive... My review.

[Lilisa]

I was in Bahrain with The Peacock and the Sparrow by I.S. Berry. It was a good read from a debut author. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I lingered in Georgia a bit longer, simply because I could. Stalin's Wine Cellar gave me a completely different perspective of 1990s Tbilisi from what I'd recently read in The Eighth Life, and also taught me more than I ever needed to know about rare wines that I'm never likely to drink! Overall a great read, but I'd caution against relying on it as a sole literary visit to Georgia.

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

[Lilisa]

Andrea wrote: "I lingered in Georgia a bit longer, simply because I could. Stalin's Wine Cellar gave me a completely different perspective of 1990s Tbilisi from what I'd recently read in [book:The..."

Sounds interesting, Andrea. Unfortunately, it’s not available in the U.S. 🙁

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Lilisa wrote: "Sounds interesting, Andrea. Unfortunately, it’s not available in the U.S. ..."

That's a shame, but I suppose it is a bit 'niche' in publishing terms. Let me know if you'd like help finding the podcast.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in Italy with the sublime Return to Valetto. Just the idea of the vanishing towns and villages was enough to win me over, but the story was actually a pretty good one too.

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

[Lilisa]

Andrea wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Sounds interesting, Andrea. Unfortunately, it’s not available in the U.S. ..."

That's a shame, but I suppose it is a bit 'niche' in publishing terms. Let me know if you'd like help ..."

I found the episode Andrea, thanks! Will listen to it later. ABC’s Conversations podcast covers great stories/topics - added to my podcast list - love it! Other podcasts you enjoy? I think you also mentioned Strong Sense of Place which I listen to sometimes, depending on the episode.

[Rusalka]

Lilisa wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Sounds interesting, Andrea. Unfortunately, it’s not available in the U.S. ..."

That's a shame, but I suppose it is a bit 'niche' in publishing terms. Let me know if y..."

Oh! You found the ABC!
I listen to the Bookshelf, and the Book Show every week. Conversations is thought to be one of the best shows in the country.
Stuff the British Stole is really fascinating, and I really enjoyed Take Me to Your Leader as well.

[Lilisa]

Rusalka wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Andrea wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Sounds interesting, Andrea. Unfortunately, it’s not available in the U.S. ..."

That's a shame, but I suppose it is a bit 'niche' in publishing terms. L..."

Awesome and thanks a ton, Rusalka - added to my “follows!”

[Lilisa]

I was in India with Honor by Thrity Umrigar. It is an impactful and memorable read. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lilisa]

Andrea wrote: "I was in Italy with the sublime Return to Valetto. Just the idea of the vanishing towns and villages was enough to win me over, but the story was actually a pretty good one too.

ht..."

I got the audiobook! Will start after I finish the one I currently have going.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Don't want to lose this great podcast discussion, so I'm starting a new topic!

[Lilisa]

Great idea - thanks Andrea.

[Lilisa]

I was in Trinidad, Jamaica, and the U.S. with The Human Origins of Beatrice Porter and Other Essential Ghosts by Soraya Palmer. I liked it lot. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lilisa]

I was in Italy with Return to Valetto. I enjoyed this historical fiction. Thanks for posting about it at ATW, Andrea!

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

[Rachel]

West Africa (Guinea, Liberia, 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

[Rachel]

Set in Belarus, Ukraine, Russia
The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Women in World War II by Nobel prize-winning Belarusian author Svetlana Alexievich is an eye-opening collection of stories told by Soviet women about their experiences, emotions and fears during WWII. Instead of recounting a male version of history she has chosen to tell the women’s side of the story. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ my review

[Rachel]

India:
The Girl in the Painting is a dual timeline historical fiction by Indian author Renita D'Silva set in England during WWI and India in the 1920s. It has romance, mystery, betrayal and heartache. It also covers issues such as the caste system and the custom of Sate (suttee) of Indian brides being burnt on the funeral pyres with their husband. A captivating read. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

Northern Ireland:
The Misremembered Man by Irish author Christina McKenna is partially a humorous story of two people looking for love and companionship, and partially a harrowing tale of abuse and mistreatment of a child growing up in a Catholic orphanage. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

Vietnam
The Mountains Sing is a powerful story by Vietnamese author Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, a broad-sweeping historical fiction that follows the Trần family through the French occupation, the Japanese invasion of 1945, the Great Hunger, the Land Reforms, the First Indochina war (1946–1954) between the Việt Minh and the French, and the Việt Nam War. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in Ming-era China with Lady Tan's Circle of Women. This is Lisa See back on top of her game. Bonus points for an amazing story grounded in documented history.

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

[Rachel]

Argentina:
The Wind That Lays Waste is a short work of literary fiction written by Argentinian author Selva Almada which was nominated for the BTBA Best Translated Book Award for fiction in 2000. The story takes place over one day when a travelling reverend and his teenage daughter wait at the mechanic shop for their car to be repaired and the Reverend is inspired to convert an innocent child. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Here is my review