Mome_Rath's Cubes of Kismet 2024

[Mome_Rath]

New year, new board for 2024:





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[Mome_Rath]

Let's ease on into this year. First up, the closure of a trilogy:

E2: Third Book in a Series

Rich People Problems by Kevin Kwan

Country: Singapore

[Mome_Rath]

Didn't expect to mark this square read so quickly in the year, but I surprisingly did find a good option from an author I've read before at my local library:

A1: Afro-futurism

Remote Control by Nnedi Okorafor

Country: Ghana

[Mome_Rath]

The board is relatively empty, and there are so many options for where to put this book. I'll put it here:

C4: Animal on Cover

Songbirds by Christy Lefteri

Country: Cyprus

[Mome_Rath]

I'll put this one here, though I almost want to wait until I find another volume of poetry that I like better...

B4: Poetry

Concentric Circles by Yang Lian

Country: China

[Mome_Rath]

Let's add a couple more.

D3: LGBTQ Main Character

Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin

Country: United States

[Mome_Rath]

And:

D1: Set During a War

At Night All Blood Is Black by David Diop

Country: France

[Missy J]

Love your title Cubes of Kismet. Very creative!

[Mome_Rath]

Thanks!

And since it's been a while since an update, I'll add this one.

C2: Women in Translation

Ashes to Dust by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

Country: Iceland

[Mome_Rath]

I can't really count this under Guyana, since the book only references it in passing, but the story of a Guyanese engineer who becomes a teacher in post-World War II London is well told.

B1: Immigrant Experience

To Sir, With Love by E.R. Braithwaite

Country: England (United Kingdom)

[Mome_Rath]

Long time since I've read a new author from New Zealand, but I'll gladly put this book here:

D4: Set in Oceania

Auē by Becky Manawatu

Country: New Zealand

[Mome_Rath]

I'll continue with an excellent book for this category:

D5: Author of Color

The Quality Of Mercy by Siphiwe Gloria Ndlovu

Country: Zimbabwe

[Mome_Rath]

Heading down into Latin America here:

A3: Latin American Author

Not a River by Selva Almada

Country: Argentina

[Mome_Rath]

If I had meant to read this book to check off one of the squares on the board, I'd truly forgotten it by the time I read it. Nevertheless, I can mark off this square now:

B3: Published in the 1920's

Emil and the Detectives by Erich Kästner

Country: Germany

[Mome_Rath]

I really liked the book, and even though only a few of its vignettes were set during winter, I think I'll still choose to place it here:

C3: Set During Winter

Brief Loves That Live Forever by Andreï Makine

Country: Russia

[Mome_Rath]

And a cookbook is generally a good choice for this topic, particularly one focused on regional cuisine:

E5: Food Item in Title

Summers Under the Tamarind Tree: Recipes and Memories From Pakistan by Sumayya Usmani

Country: Pakistan

[Mome_Rath]

Great book to read while traveling through Norway.

D2: Set in Scandinavia

The Bell in the Lake by Lars Mytting

Country: Norway

[Mome_Rath]

And that's Bingo #1 for the year:

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[Mome_Rath]

Here's another one to add:

E1: Translated from Arabic

The Baghdad Clock by Shahad Al Rawi

Country: Iraq

[Mome_Rath]

Let's get a couple more books on here. First up:

B5: Author from Country Starting with a B

Crooked Plow by Itamar Vieira Junior

Country: Brazil

[Mome_Rath]

And second:

A2: Country not read in 2023

The Death of Comrade President by Alain Mabanckou

Country: Congo

[Mome_Rath]

Well this will fit here:

A5: Orange Cover

A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasam

Country: Sri Lanka

[Mome_Rath]

Another Bingo (#2 for the year):

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[Nike]

You've got some enticing books here!

[Mome_Rath]

Thanks -- I make it a secondary challenge to have all the books be from different countries, so it makes this even more of an adventure to work on.

You've got some good books lined up for your board, too -- I enjoyed both A Golden Age and Their Eyes Were Watching God. Congratulations on the Bingos you've completed!

[Mome_Rath]

I've read six other books that could qualify for this one, but I've used them elsewhere on the board. Time to lock in this square:

E3: Set on an Island

Adios Hemingway by Leonardo Padura

Country: Cuba

[Mome_Rath]

And this is Bingo #3 for the year:

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[Nike]

Mome_Rath wrote: "Thanks -- I make it a secondary challenge to have all the books be from different countries, so it makes this even more of an adventure to work on.

You've got some good books lined up for your boa..."


Thank you and congratulations to your third! 🙂 I just finished Their Eyes Were Watching God and what a magnificent work! Overwhelming!

[Mome_Rath]

Thanks! Glad you enjoyed Their Eyes Were Watching God. I liked how it introduced me to a region of Florida rarely put in the spotlight.

[Mome_Rath]

This was a long one, but I can add this one now:

C5: Memoir or Biography of a World Leader

Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela by Nelson Mandela

Country: South Africa

[Mome_Rath]

And this brings me to Bingo #4:

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[Mome_Rath]

Another long one, but this one will go here:

A4: Greater Than 500 pages

The Good Soldier Svejk and His Fortunes in the World War: Translated by Cecil Parrott. With Original Illustrations by Josef Lada. by Jaroslav Hašek

Country: Czechia

[Mome_Rath]

And here's Bingo #5

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[Mome_Rath]

Getting closer. I'll put this work by the most recent recipient of the Nobel Prize in Literature here:

C1: Set in Asia

Human Acts by Han Kang

Country: South Korea

[Mome_Rath]

And here are Bingos #6 and #7


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[Mome_Rath]

Nearing the end, so here's a romance (naive as it was) for the penultimate category:

B2: Romance

The Secret Life of Winnie Cox by Sharon Maas

Country: Guyana

[Mome_Rath]

And thick and fast they came at last, and more, and more, and more...

Bingos #8, #9, and #10

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[Mome_Rath]

Last one for the year!

E4: NYRB Classic

The Hive by Camilo José Cela

Country: Spain

[Mome_Rath]

And the final Bingos of the year: #11 and #12

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