Chris's - Around the World in 80 Books

[Lynne - The Book Squirrel]

Chris wrote: "Just collected The Child Thief, from the library - Ukraine I think, but will confirm once I've read it"

I picked up a copy from my library and I read some of it last night and had to force myself to turn the light out and sleep at 1am! Loving it!

[Chris]

Reached halfway at last, with Lucinda Riley's
Hothouse Flower. A bit of a girly read, but a very good read too

[Chris]

Pakistan covered by Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time by Greg Mortenson. I can't say it was a great read, but very interesting.

[Chris]

NUMBER 42 Sliding On The Snow Stone by Andy Szpuk for the UKRAINE (I'm also in the Ukraine with the Child Thief but I finished Sliding on ths Snow Stone first). Worth a read and very moving at times.

[Stephen]

i picked up a book today the meeting pont by lucy caldwell and its based in bahrain if that helps you for books for your list chris

[Chris]

Looks like one to add to the library list, I'll go and order it now. I seem to have lost focus on this challenge. I'm reading way too much sci-fi/fantasy right now

[Stephen]

well i read whispers under ground this week and enjoyed it but felt he rushed the ending though

[Chris]

You're right, it was a bit rushed, but good nevertheless. I would have liked to see more of Nightingale in the story too.

[Stephen]

Chris wrote: "You're right, it was a bit rushed, but good nevertheless. I would have liked to see more of Nightingale in the story too."

heard he is writing a fourth in the series now

[Dave]

Yep a 4th Peter Grant is due next year :-)

[Deanne]

Dear Mr Aaronovitch, you need to write faster.

[Chris]

I am now very behind with this challenge and need to get back on track. To this end I've taken inspiration from everyone’s list and picked my next 10 books TO READ;
What the Day Owes the Night by Yasmina Khadra for Algeria
Salmon Fishing In The Yemen, by Paul Torday for YEMEN
Mirror to Damascus by Colin Thubron for Syria
Temple by Matthew Reilly for PERU
Seasons of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih for Sudan
Eva Luna by Isabel Allende for Chile
The Thing Around Your Neck by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie for Nigeria.
The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer HUNGARY
Sky Burial: An Epic Love Story Of Tibet by Xinran TIBET
Travels with My Aunt by Graham Greene PARAGUAY.

Some were already on my TBR but others are revelations so thank you all.

[Dave]

Deanne wrote: "Dear Mr Aaronovitch, you need to write faster."

@Deanne apparently there are 2 short stories written as well - one in a special edition of Rivers and one in Moon over Soho.

Haven't been able to find them other than ridiculously expensive editions on ebay :(

[Chris]

Needed a kick-REstart for this challenge so started books 43 and 44; What the Day Owes the Night, by Yasmina Khadra for ALGERIA
and The Invisible Bridge, by Julie Orringer for HUNGARY

[Chris]

Number 43 is Algeria in What the Day Owes the Night by Yasmina Khadra. I enjoyed the first half more than second, but worth a read. Quite emotional (but then I cry at anything).
Number 44 is another tear jerker in The Invisible Bridge by Julie Orringer for Hungary.

I finished both of these books this weekend, so will be looking for something uplifting with a bit of humour for the next step I think!

[Chris]

Just picked one of Ian's favourites for my next trip, to Lebanon this time;
Sabra Zoo by Mischa Hiller.
I was looking for something lighter, but got side tracked and this looks very interesting

[Ian, Moderator]

Hope you enjoy Chris...if that's the right word.

[Chris]

I'll balance it with reading something frivolous in tandem (and I don't mean whilst riding a bike, that's just silly)!

[Chris]

Ian wrote: "Hope you enjoy Chris...if that's the right word."

Finished Sabre Zoo a coupl of days ago, excellent, but absolutely going for a light read for the next one.

[Chris]

Collected The Meeting Point by Lucy Caldwell for Bharain from the library. A lighter read than the last few

[Chris]

Finished The Meeting Point by Lucy Caldwell, set in Bahrain , although I feel like I'm cheating by including it for this challenge. Whilst the story is ok(unlikely in a few places) and the setting is Bahrain, I didn't get a feel of the country or of the people. In most of the books I've read for this challenge, I have learned something either about the country itself or about the culture of it's people.

[Ian, Moderator]

Chris wrote: "Ian wrote: "Hope you enjoy Chris...if that's the right word."

Finished Sabre Zoo a coupl of days ago, excellent, but absolutely going for a light read for the next one."

Glad you thought it a goodie Chris

[Chris]

Just finished The Kingdom of This World , by Alejo Carpentier. It scared the pants off me! Voodoo and very violent!

[Chris]

Started The Shadow Walker by Michael Walter set in Mongolia. I think Robert recommended this one, but I'm not sure. I'm also reading The Garden of Evening Mists by Tan Twan Eng for another challenge which I'm hoping I can also count here for Northern Malaya. It's excellent so far!

[Chris]

Finished The Shadow Walker a crime novel set in Mongolia. It was ok but nothing special!

[Chris]

Reading (about half way)The Garden of Evening Mists, , by Tan Twan Eng, which superb. A gently paced, introspective narrative, beautifully written, covering the period during the Japanese occupation of Malaya and then 30 years later. Reviews are good and although I cannot wait to see how this book concludes, it is not one to be rushed in any way.

[Liz, Moderator]

Chris wrote: "Reading (about half way)The Garden of Evening Mists, , by Tan Twan Eng, which superb. A gently paced, introspective narrative, beautifully written, c..."

Good to hear you're enjoying it, it's on my 'to read' list. Maybe I should bump it up and get reading it sooner.....

[Chris]

Number 49 is the fabulous Garden of Evening Mists - Tan Twan Eng - MALAYSIA. very sensitively written.

[Chris]

Not sure what to go for next, I have a few I've selected for this challenge, but nothing is catching my eye.

[Stephen]

Chris wrote: "Not sure what to go for next, I have a few I've selected for this challenge, but nothing is catching my eye."

did you put israel down for the dovekeepers

[Chris]

Covered Isreal with Knights of the Black and White by Jack Whyte. Did you enjoy th Dovekeepers. I did but not as much as I expected to

[Stephen]

Chris wrote: "Covered Isreal with Knights of the Black and White by Jack Whyte. Did you enjoy th Dovekeepers. I did but not as much as I expected to"

felt could of been slighty better but interesting read though and strange though a lot of female characters
maybe for cambodia inspector singh investigates a deadly cambodian crime spree

[Chris]

Maybe, but I'll have to read the first 3 books first (darn hang-ups regarding reading books in order). Looks like a good series and I've never seen them before so thanks.

[Deanne]

Can reccommend anything by Kadare for Albania.

[Sue]

Deanne wrote: "Can reccommend anything by Kadare for Albania."
I'll second that!

[Chris]

Thought I'd try The Palace of Dreams, . I'll let you know what I think. Thanks for the inspiration.

[Ian, Moderator]

I'm enjoying if you haven't been there Chris.

[Chris]

Ian wrote: "I'm enjoying if you haven't been there Chris."

Thanks Ian, it looks interesting, added to my list

[Chris]

Wow, how I have neglected this challenge. Will have to pull my finger out to catch up for 2013

[Chris]

Made a start on Apples Are from Kazakhstan: The Land that Disappeared, at Ian's recommendation. It seems a mixter of travelogue, history book and social analysis. Interesting in the main, but "odd" in places too.

[Chris]

Found another I'm going to read for this challenge; Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away, .
Set in Nigeria, specifically the Niger Delta and told from the perspective of a 12 year old girl

[Stephen]

try the inspector singh series some are based in Singapore, Indonesia and Cambodia to make up some countries

[Chris]

I think I've read one or two of those, not 100% though, will check. Thanks Steve.

[Chris]

Finished Apples Are from Kazakhstan: The Land that Disappeared. It's very informative/ interesting and not my normal read at all. I probably wouldn't have picked it, except for Ian's recommendation, so thanks Ian.

[Ian, Moderator]

Chris wrote: "Finished Apples Are from Kazakhstan: The Land that Disappeared. It's very informative/ interesting and not my normal read at all. I probably wouldn't have picked it, except for Ian's recommendation..."

Pleasure Chris......and it was such a massive country to add to my ATW80 map, so double lovely.

[Chris]

I forgot to add Austria in the form of Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld, read last month. I somehow thought I'd already visited Austria. A bit YA, but reasonable steampunk anyway