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

[Rachel]

Singapore:
The River's Song by Suchen Christine Lim is a beautifully written story featuring musicians Ping and Weng, that takes place along the banks of the Singapore River, particularly during the 1970s when the government evicted thousands of squatters, hawkers and boatmen to clean up the river, destroying an age-old traditional way of life. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rusalka]

You find some great sounding books that I have never heard of before, Rachel. Added both to my to read list :)

[Rachel]

Rusalka wrote: "You find some great sounding books that I have never heard of before, Rachel. Added both to my to read list :)"

I really enjoyed The River's Song, definitely worth a read.

[Rachel]

Sweden:
Seacrow Island is a delightful middle grade read by famous Swedish children’s author Astrid Lindgren. It is presumably set in the 1950s or the 1960s when it was written and takes place on an island in the Stockholm archipelago, off the coast of Sweden, where the Melkerson family go to spend their summer in a ramshackle cottage by the beach and have some adventures. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Lilisa]

I was in Eastern Europe withGoodbye, Eastern Europe: An Almost Forgotten History by Jacob Mikanowski learning about the history, culture, and folklore of numerous countries - very interesting, informative, and fun at times. I enjoyed it. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I'm back from Costa Rica, where I read The Adventurer's Son for the Group Challenge. It's an incredible story, really, and the author has a knack for bringing wilderness areas alive on the page.

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

[Rachel]

Barbados:
The Girl with the Hazel Eyes by Bajan author Callie Browning is a dual timeline historical fiction and suspense that shifts between Barbados in the 1950s and 60s, and contemporary Florida. Lia has been asked to write a biography of reclusive Bajan author Susan who mysteriously wrote one controversial book then disappeared from the public eye. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

Bahrain:
The Pearl Thief is a short, sweet novella by debut Bahraini author Noor Al Noaimi. It is set in Bahrain when it had fishing villages and a pearling industry. Here is my review

[Rachel]

Benin:
Spirit Rising: My Life, My Music is an autobiography by Grammy Award winning musician Angelique Kidjo, starting with her life growing up in Benin, then her musical journey in France, and around the world. Here is my review

[Rachel]

Australia:
The Money Club is another engaging read by Australian author Fiona Lowe involving financial scandal, a missing person and some seriously strained relationships. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in India with The Bandit Queens. As light-hearted as it was, it gave me a lot to think about, all wrapped up in a very entertaining audiobook package.

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

[Rachel]

Jordan:
Into the Wadi is a memoir by Australian author Michele Drouart about meeting her Jordanian husband while studying in America, and the time she spent subsequently with his family in Jordan. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Lilisa]

I was in Egypt with The Oud Player of Cairo by Jasmin Attia. Overall, a pretty good debut novel with a nice sense of place and time. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Carol]

Andrea wrote: "I was in India with The Bandit Queens. As light-hearted as it was, it gave me a lot to think about, all wrapped up in a very entertaining audiobook package.

https://www.goodreads...."

I loved, loved, loved this audiobook. Glad it worked for you, too.

[Rachel]

BRAZIL:
The Seven Sisters is a dual timeline historical romance by Northern Irish author Lucinda Riley. Mysterious Pa Salt adopts baby girls from around the world and names them after the stars in the constellation Pleiades. This is the story of eldest daughter Maia’s journey to Brazil to reclaim her heritage. Here is my review

[Rachel]

Azerbaijan:
Ali and Nino by Kurban Said is a love story set mostly in Azerbaijan between Muslim Ali Khan and Georgian Christian Nino, emphasizing the differences between their cultures and heritage. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

Dominica:
Wide Sargasso Sea by Dominican author Jean Rhys is a retelling of Jane Eyre, giving Mr Rochester’s mad wife her own story with some humanity and explanation. It takes place in Jamaica and Dominica in the 1830s after the end of slavery. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in Hong Kong and London with Ghost Girl, Banana. This book is a great choice for a Hong Kong read. It's a dual-timeline story, with the later timeline playing out over several weeks leading up to and including Handover.

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

[Rachel]

Australia:
Homecoming is a thriller by popular Australian author Kate Morton. It is a riveting atmospheric read, set in the Adelaide Hills in 1959, that gradually uncovers many dark and hidden secrets. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

Sweden and Turkey:
The Runes of Destiny by Swedish English author Christina Courtenay is a timeslip historical romance where our heroine suddenly finds herself in the 9th Century captured by Vikings as a slave. ⭐⭐ here is my review

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I needn't have been concerned about the Siberia-ness of Tiger (see the other thread), because I have been well and truly immersed in it! A great read that I regret not picking up a bit sooner.

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

[Lilisa]

I was in the Dominican Republic and U.S. with Family Lore by Elizabeth Acevedo - not as good as her other three books aimed at YA readers. This is her first adult novel. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lilisa]

I was in Western Sahara (a disputed territory) with Stories of the Sahara by Sanmao. I enjoyed it a lot. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rachel]

ICELAND
The Undesired is a standalone Nordic Noir by Icelandic author Yrsa Sigurdardottir. In a gripping, atmospheric story Ódinn is tasked with investigating the Króker Boys Home which took in juvenile delinquents in the 1970s. He soon discovers the mysterious deaths of two of the boys, and as he does so more and more secrets are uncovered. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

Brazil:
A Company of Swans by Austrian author Eva Ibbotson is a historical rom-com set in England and Brazil 1912, featuring a strict Cambridge professor's daughter Harriet who runs away to join a ballet company performing in the Amazon. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

Spain:
The Moon Sister by Northern Irish author Lucinda Riley is the fifth book in The Seven Sisters series, featuring the adopted daughters of Pa Salt, each named after one of the stars in the Pleiades. This is Tiggy’s story (Taygete) and shifts between her life on the Kinnaird estate in the Scottish highlands and the story of her Gitano (gypsy) ancestors in Spain. Here is my review

[Rachel]

Côte d’Ivoire
Aya: Love in Yop City is the next installment of the YA graphic novel series by Ivorian author Marguerite Abouet. Set in Côte d’Ivoire in the 1970s it follows the loves and heartbreaks of Aya and her friends, while giving you insight into this part of Africa.⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

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

[Lilisa]

I was in Guatemala with the novella The Smuggler's Apprentice of Guatemala by Lachlan Page. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in NZ with Marlborough Man, which gave me a little local flavour beyond the Marlborough Sound location. I liked it.

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

[Tory]

Packing my bags after a few days in Kenya where I read The River Between by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o. My review can be found here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show....

[Rachel]

Moldova
The Good Life Elsewhere by Vladimir Lorchenkov is the tragicomic story of a group of Moldovans trying to leave their country and find their way to Italy using a variety of increasingly ludicrous means. Here is my review

[Rachel]

Belgium
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

[Rachel]

Colombia
Fish Soup by Colombian author Margarita García Robayo is a collection of gritty short stories about life, families and relationships in Colombia. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in East Timor (amongst others) with The Canal House. I'm so glad I stumbled across this one, as it doesn't seem to be very well-known.

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

[Rachel]

GREECE
Corelli's Mandolin is a cleverly written historical fiction and romance novel by English author Louis de Bernières, set in Kefalonia in Greece during the Italian occupation in WWII. What happens when enemies fall in love? ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

NORWAY
Becoming Leidah is the debut novel by Canadian author Michelle Grierson. Set in 19th Century Norway it has selkies, witch trials, Nordic legends and Celtic mythology. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

North Korea:
The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story as the title suggests is a memoir by Hyeonseo Lee about her escape from North Korea. It is a gripping read which tells the story of the difficulties of life in North Korea, of the terrifying ordeal of escape, and the adjustment to life outside the regime. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Lilisa]

I was in Ethiopia with The Tigrayan Electrician: Memories of my father and his beloved motherland by Issayas Bahta. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...