2024 - Where in the World Have You Been? (Book Read and Review Linked)

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

What book have you read? Where was it set - country(ies), city(ies), or maybe area? Share your thoughts on the book and/or link to your review.

This discussion thread is a great resource for ideas/recommendations for our reading journeys!

If you are participating in the Around the World 2024 challenge (see Group homepage), don't forget to add your completed book to your exclusive challenge shelf.

[Rachel]

GUYANA
The Secret Life of Winnie Cox by Guyanese author Sharon Maas is a story of secrets, romance, and a dawning awareness of the suffering of others on the sugar plantations in British Guiana in 1910. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

MAURITANIA
The Desert and the Drum by Mbarek Ould Beyrouk is the first book from Mauritania to be translated into English. It is about the life of a young Bedouin girl who flees from her tribe carrying their sacred drum with her. Here is my review

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in the Scottish Highlands for New Year with The Hunting Party - strong sense of place indeed!

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

[Diana]

I was in the Devon, England region visiting the Dartmoor Otters 🦦
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I also travelled all over Europe following one of the world’s greatest art thiefs.

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

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was briefly in Algeria with A Bookshop In Algiers, which I'm glad I read, despite a couple of minor issues.

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

[Diana]

I had a trip to Paris for Pietr the Latvian

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

[Lilisa]

Libya — I started My Friends by Hisham Matar in December 2023 and didn’t finish it until yesterday, not because of the book, but life’s been busy. He is an amazing writer - this was my third book by Matar and it did not disappoint. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Diana]

Just finished Death of a Bookseller, set in Britain.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in Democratic Republic of the Congo with Gone to Ground. I'd say the sense of place was ok; set mainly in the jungle it could have been any African country with similar terrain, but I did also learn a bit about the politics and the UN intervention.

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

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

One from my 2023 list that I was determined to read was The Bitter Side of Sweet (Ivory Coast). Unfortunately I found it to be a bit of a chore to read.

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

[Rachel]

SOUTH AFRICA
Cry, the Beloved Country is a classic story by Alan Paton set on the eve of apartheid in South Africa that blows the whistle on the ugly story of race relations in South Africa. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

CHINA
The Last Rose of Shanghai by Weina Dai Randel is an historical fiction and romance set in Japanese occupied Shanghai during WW2. Here is my review

[Lilisa]

Finished Diva by Daisy Goodwin about Maria Callas, the great opera singer who was Greek. I’m claiming this one for Greece. The book is about a sliver of Maria Callas’ life and her love affair with Aristotle Onassis. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rachel]

GREENLAND
Crimson is a fresh and unique debut novel by Greenlandic author Niviaq Korneliussen which follows a group of young LGBT people in Nuuk. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Lilisa]

I was in Cuba for a bit, then in the U.K. with Mission Churchill by Alex Abella. I enjoyed this historical thriller. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lilisa]

I was in Japan with the translated The Kamogawa Food Detectives by Hisashi Kashiwai. It was overall an okay read. I liked the series When the Coffee Gets Cold series, that this series is compared to, much better. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

A visit to India is always the right decision for me, and Minor Disturbances at Grand Life Apartments didn't let me down.

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

[Rachel]

KASHMIR
The Last Queen of Kashmir is a historical fiction by Kashmiri author Rakesh K. Kaul about Kotarani, the last Queen of Kashmir before the ushering in of the Islamic era. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

URUGUAY
River of Painted Birds by Uruguayan author Tessa Bridal is a historical fiction set in 18th Century Uruguay about a runaway Irish girl, a half French and half Charrúa Indian smuggler, and a Jesuit priest, and their struggles against the colonial powers surrounding them. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in Nigeria with Ogadinma: Or, Everything Will Be Alright, which was free for me on Audible. A worthwhile read.

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

[Rachel]

The Sixteen Trees of the Somme by Norwegian author NORWAY
Lars Mytting is a historical mystery that shifts between the 1990s, the 1970s and WWI and II. It begins in Norway and moves to the Shetland Islands and France. It is an intriguing story of love, mystery and betrayal that centres on a mysterious grove of walnut trees on a tragic battlefield. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in Japan for a long time with Butter, which I'm afraid I can't recommend. It had lots of food, not enough murder, and way too much judgement of the women in the story.

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

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in Hong Kong last week, with Exciting Times, which I listened to via Audible. Happy to recommend.

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

[Rachel]

NIGERIA
The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives by Lola Shoneyin is a contemporary Nigerian fiction that takes an insightful and at times humorous look at women in a polygamous family. 27 Feb 2024 ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Lilisa]

Andrea wrote: "I was in Japan for a long time with Butter, which I'm afraid I can't recommend. It had lots of food, not enough murder, and way too much judgement of the women in the story.

https..."

Thanks for your thoughts on this one. It helped me pass on reading it.

[Lilisa]

I was in Egypt with Egyptian Made: Women, Work, and the Promise of Liberation by Leslie T. Chang. A good nonfiction read. My review: Egyptian Made: Women, Work, and the Promise of Liberation

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I enjoyed my trip to Croatia last week with The Dubrovnik Book Club, although I felt there were some missed opportunities in the storytelling.

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

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

A recent Audible-only release, Unfinished Business, took me to the Sri Lankan civil war and taught me a thing or two.

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

[Lilisa]

I finished The Silk Roads: A New History of the World. Not claiming it for a specific country as it’s about various countries around the world. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished The Loom of Time: Between Empire and Anarchy, from the Mediterranean to China awhile ago - similar in that it’s about various countries around the world, which I enjoyed more. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lilisa]

This one for the U.K - I finished Shakespeare: The Man Who Pays the Rent by Judi Dench and Brendan O’Hea - a lovely read. Judi Dench is an amazing performer and is also quite hilarious. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rachel]

PAKISTAN (set in England, USA, Pakistan and Syria)
Home Fire by Kamila Shamsie is a brilliant award-winning book featuring three British Muslim siblings and their battle with racism, suspicion, political hypocrisy and radicalisation. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Claire]

It's Reading Ireland Month '24 and I have read two books that were both unputdownable.

A literary horror by Sophie White, Where I End my review here https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

A creative non-fiction memoir of interlinked essays that reads like a continuous thread by Carmel McMahon In Ordinary Time: Fragments of a Family History my review here
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Both highly recommended.

[Lilisa]

I was in Panama with The Great Divide by Cristina Henríquez. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rachel]

GHANA
A Song of Wraiths and Ruin is the first book in a YA fantasy duology by Ghanaian author Roseanne A. Brown, based on West African mythology. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

SINGAPORE (although also Hong Kong, China, Malaysia and USA)
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan is a satirical, colourful rom-com featuring middle class Asian American girl who is suddenly introduced to her boyfriend’s staggeringly wealthy family in Singapore and all the antics that follow. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in Fiji for the first time with A Disappearance in Fiji, which I think was a great choice for an introduction to this country.

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

[Lilisa]

Claiming this one for Ghana - finished Rootless by Krystle Zara Appiah. An average read. My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Rachel]

The Ghost Bride by Chinese Malaysian author Yangsze Choo is a historical fantasy that takes place in 1890s Malaya (Malaysia). Using Chinese folklore and tradition, it is about a girl who is promised in marriage to the deceased son of a wealthy family as a ghost bride. ⭐⭐⭐⭐ here is my review

[Rachel]

Andrea wrote: "I was in Fiji for the first time with A Disappearance in Fiji, which I think was a great choice for an introduction to this country.

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show......"
This one was fun. I would be happy to read a sequel

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Rachel wrote: "Andrea wrote: "I was in Fiji for the first time with A Disappearance in Fiji, which I think was a great choice for an introduction to this country...."

I thought there was definite potential for it to become a series.

[Diana]

I’ve been in Botswana with A Song of Comfortable Chairs

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

I was in Japan with What You Are Looking For Is in the Library. There seems to be a lot of books like this around at the moment, but I quite enjoyed this one. Good on culture more than place.

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

[Lilisa]

Andrea wrote: "I was in Japan with What You Are Looking For Is in the Library. There seems to be a lot of books like this around at the moment, but I quite enjoyed this one. Good on culture more t..."

Adding! Are you finding books written in English following this trend too or Japanese only? I’ve read the Before the Coffee Gets Cold series by Toshikazu Kawaguchi and the first book in the The Kamogawa Food Detectives series that run along these lines - coffee and food related.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Lilisa wrote: "Andrea wrote: "I was in Japan with What You Are Looking For Is in the Library. There seems to be a lot of books like this around at the moment, but I quite enjoyed this one. Good on..."

I get the impression it’s a trend in Japanese publishing for now, but no doubt it will spread to other markets in time.

One of my book blogger friends posted a review of another one this week that sounds great, but too similar for me to read just yet. Many of the comments she makes about The Miracles of the Namiya General Store apply equally to the book I read. https://www.carpelibrum.net/2024/04/r...

[Diana]

I agree it’s a Japanese trend and quite often there are cats. I’m going to see Toshikazu Kawaguchi at the Melbourne Writers Festival.
Keigo Higashino who wrote The Miracles of the Namiya General Store has also written some interesting crime novels. I recommend The Devotion of Suspect X, Malice is also pretty good.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Diana wrote: "I agree it’s a Japanese trend and quite often there are cats. I’m going to see Toshikazu Kawaguchi at the Melbourne Writers Festival.
Keigo Higashino who wrote [bo..."

Oh, I didn’t make the connection! I’m pretty sure Suspect X is on my TBR. Quite a departure, then.

[Lilisa]

Thanks Andrea and Diana. This thread is so bad/good!🤣 I’ve added The Miracles of the Namiya General Store (4.43 GR rating - wow!), The Devotion of Suspect X, and Malice.

Diana - have a lovely time at the Melbourne Writers Festival and the Toshikazu Kawaguchi session.

Unrelated to these books but connected to place - I’ve been watching the new Shogun series available in the U.S. based on James Clavell’s Shogun and enjoying it. I watched an interview about the making of the series and the meticulous details involved in producing the series - it was fascinating. Not sure if it’s available in Australia. If it is, you may want to check it out.

[Lilisa]

A book that’s not completely along the lines of this trend but has similarities re: magical realism/life came to mind is The Midnight Library by Matt Haig, which I enjoyed. It won the 2020 Goodreads Choice Award for Fiction.

[Andrea, Slow but steady]

Lilisa wrote: "Unrelated to these books but connected to place - I’ve been watching the new Shogun series available in the U.S. based on James Clavell’s Shogun and enjoying it...."

Ah, the penny has dropped! I wondered why people were suddenly reading such an old book again. Apparently it's streaming on Disney+ in Australia, so I'll take a look next time I'm subscribed. I did read the book many, many years ago (when I was undaunted by books of that length) and remember enjoying it, although I couldn't describe the plot in any detail now.