Around the World in 80 Books discussion
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Hi. I live in Mississippi, USA. I enjoy reading books from many genres, with my favorite being historical fiction, mystery, memoir, and non-fiction (mainly history or science related). I also love reading books from different parts of the world.
Rachel wrote: "Hi. I live in Mississippi, USA. I enjoy reading books from many genres, with my favorite being historical fiction, mystery, memoir, and non-fiction (mainly history or science related). I also love ..."Hi, Rachel! Welcome to the group!
Hello everyone! My name is Swati, originally from India now residing in Dublin, Ireland. I recently realized that I really enjoy reading translations (apart from literary fiction, memoirs etc.), and I thought I would search Goodreads for a group that has similar interests. That led me here. I hope to find some great recos, and make new book friends!
Hi to everyone,As it's Travel Tuesday, I thought I'd say hello.
My book on Marco Polo is just published. The kind of travel I talk about isn't the conventional type, although Marco did of course spend a great deal of his youth travelling through 'Cathay'. But then he reimagined his adventures to be written up by a romance writer as a way of entertaining himself whilst serving time in a prison cell.
It's this imaginative travel I'm most interested in, the virtual travel that his readers are recruited into experiencing, as well as how adaptions have reimagined his story since the thirteenth century, particularly the young viewers of a certain science fiction programme in the 1960s.
I've just blogged a brief excerpt if you are interested, and happy #TravelTuesday to you either way.
Swati wrote: "Hello everyone! My name is Swati, originally from India now residing in Dublin, Ireland. I recently realized that I really enjoy reading translations (apart from literary fiction, memoirs etc.), an..."Hello, Swati! Welcome to the group! You are from two of my favorite places.
Dene wrote: "Hi to everyone,As it's Travel Tuesday, I thought I'd say hello.
My book on Marco Polo is just published. The kind of travel I talk about isn't the conventional type, although Marco did of course..."
Welcome to the group, Dene!
Diane wrote: "Swati wrote: "Hello everyone! My name is Swati, originally from India now residing in Dublin, Ireland. I recently realized that I really enjoy reading translations (apart from literary fiction, mem..." Thank you Diane! And hope you visit both/visit both again! :)
Diane wrote: "Dene wrote: "Hi to everyone,As it's Travel Tuesday, I thought I'd say hello.
My book on Marco Polo is just published. The kind of travel I talk about isn't the conventional type, although Marco ..."
Thank you Diane. Looking forward to it.
Hi there,I was born in London to a Greek Cypriot father and a Finnish mother so have naturally been interested in different cultures and countries throughout my life. I've had a lifelong passion for reading and have travelled quite a lot, I enjoy literature from all over the world - Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isalbel Allende, Elena Ferrante as well as a good dollop of Nordic Noir - Henning Mankel and Arnuldar Indriddason are particular favourites. I'm looking forward to travelling around in your company!
Elsa wrote: "Hi there,I was born in London to a Greek Cypriot father and a Finnish mother so have naturally been interested in different cultures and countries throughout my life. I've had a lifelong passion f..."
Hi, Elsa! Welcome to the group! We share the same favorite authors and book types.
Hi everyone! I'm a Spanish teacher living in Columbus, Ohio (born and raised in Providence, RI) in the US. Some of the first books I was able to read as a kid were the Magic Treehouse series, and ever since then I've loved reading about foreign cultures. My dream is to become a Spanish translator, and to travel as much as possible throughout my life. But armchair travel is a great alternative, especially in the form of fiction.A few of my favorite non-US reading experiences have included authors Salman Rushdie, Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Isabel Allende, Julia Alvarez, Zadie Smith, David Mitchell, Muriel Bradbury and James Joyce. (I thought I'd only write three or four, but each time I put a name down another one popped into my head. Time to cut it off, for now.) I look forward to hearing book suggestions from this group!
Miranda wrote: "Hi everyone! I'm a Spanish teacher living in Columbus, Ohio (born and raised in Providence, RI) in the US. Some of the first books I was able to read as a kid were the Magic Treehouse series, and e..." ¡Hola Miranda! I'm also a Spanish teacher from the UK and when I read non English language fiction it's usually in Spanish or Hemming Mankell's Wallander novels so this group has been great for finding suggestions to widen my horizons. I'm doing a random challenge which has given me 10 non Spanish speaking countries but I'm balancing that with the "Sojourn in Spain " regional challenge. Have you read any of Carlos Ruiz Zafón's adult or young adult novels? Enjoy your travels, ¡buen viaje!
Miranda wrote: "Hi everyone! I'm a Spanish teacher living in Columbus, Ohio (born and raised in Providence, RI) in the US. Some of the first books I was able to read as a kid were the Magic Treehouse series, and e..."Hi, Miranda! I love all of your favorites, maybe with the exception of Joyce :) I like your idea of being a traveling Spanish translator.
Hi everyone,I'm Chiara. I'm from Italy and I teach English in primary school as a job. I've always been reading and I'm always reading almost everything - classics, literature, travel literature, fantasy, thrillers. I read indifferently in Italian or in English. As for favorite authors, JRR Tolkien is top of the list, plus some Italian novelists possibly little known abroad; then Andrea Camilleri, who is a genius, JK Rowling of course, and Paasilinna, Indridason, etc etc etc.
I'll be traveling to New York next summer, and then to Iceland. Possibly this is the right place to get suggestions for some new New York book to read before the journey.
Welcome, Chiara! Lots of good options for New York books. Some of my favorites are Ragtime by E.L. Doctorow, The Chosen by Chaim Potok, and A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. I'm sure many others here have favorites, too.
Chiara wrote: "Hi everyone,I'm Chiara. I'm from Italy and I teach English in primary school as a job. I've always been reading and I'm always reading almost everything - classics, literature, travel literature, ..."
Welcome, Chiara! I second the suggestion for A Tree Grows in Brooklyn!
I agree with Mome Rath and Diane. A Tree Grows in Brooklyn is a wonderful book.
Thank you all. I’ll check on Ragtime, it should be in my mum’s books. I have already read and loved all the books by Potok, an A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Go on suggesting please!
Chiara wrote: "Thank you all. I’ll check on Ragtime, it should be in my mum’s books. I have already read and loved all the books by Potok, an A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Go on suggesting please!"It sounds like you're very well read on American classics, so you might have already read The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald and The Catcher in the Rye by J.D. Salinger. I liked the former more than the latter, mostly since I am past the age to feel akin to Holden Caulfield.
One book on New York I've been meaning to read is The Great Bridge: The Epic Story of the Building of the Brooklyn Bridge by David McCullough. McCullough tells history quite engagingly.
Chiara wrote: "Thank you all. I’ll check on Ragtime, it should be in my mum’s books. I have already read and loved all the books by Potok, an A Tree Grows in Brooklyn. Go on suggesting please!"So far I agree with what everyone's said (especially The Chosen).
Additionally, if you have the time for a heftier book, you might consider The Bonfire of the Vanities by Tom Wolfe. Its major strength is its incredibly detailed depiction of New York, encompassing all walks of life. It's also a good way to learn about 1980s Wall Street culture.
Hello! My name is CJ and I'm a university student at U of Houston. I was very excited to come across this group because I'm an avid traveler with a nomadic upbringing--I've been to 62 countries so far! My love of traveling is mirrored in my love of reading, and I'm always always looking for great reads not only about different places, but written by people from those places! Can't wait to get these book recommendations!
Cj wrote: "Hello! My name is CJ and I'm a university student at U of Houston. I was very excited to come across this group because I'm an avid traveler with a nomadic upbringing--I've been to 62 countries so ..."Hello, CJ! Welcome to the group! You are well-traveled. What is your favorite place to visit so far?
Diane wrote: "Hello, CJ! Welcome to the group! You are well-traveled. What is your favorite place to visit so far? ."It depends on why you're traveling! If you aren't afraid to really embrace local culture, then there are two places that have just captured my heart.
I spent a summer backpacking through Turkey and I love it. Istanbul is a sprawling city and while the Hagia Sophia is breathtaking, I could spend hours in the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. The city is vibrant and full of life, there are literally hundreds of things to do and see, whether you want to go on a historical trip of just to have fun. Although the Aegean Sea runs cold so you've got to be brave to swim there (and it's actually a fair drive fro, the ruins) Ephesus has fantastic Grecian ruins and they've recently excavated some breathtaking villas with some fabulous mosaics on display. The region of Cappadocia is stunning, and it's great for hiking and camping and for outdoorsmen. The people there are friendly, the whole country is gorgeous, the food is great, and there's so much to do and see no matter how you like to travel.
I'd only recommend Kazakhstan to experienced travelers and speaking Russian wouldn't hurt! I spent about a month in Almaty and the Trans-Ili Alatau mountains are gorgeous and great for hiking in the summer and word is skiing in the winter.
Ah, just writing about them makes me a little homesick
Cj wrote: "Diane wrote: "Hello, CJ! Welcome to the group! You are well-traveled. What is your favorite place to visit so far? ."It depends on why you're traveling! If you aren't afraid to really embrace loc..."
I loved Turkey, too. It is one of my favorites. I haven't been to Kazakhstan. It sounds fascinating.
I am so happy to have found this group - my daughter and I were just talking about forming a little club with this goal and now the work is done and we can just play along. Thanks for creating the site and for all the resources herein.
Manuel wrote: "Hello, my name is Manuel Barrero, I started as an independent writer, I started in my native language, Spanish and now I have just published my novel in English, I hope you enjoy it and if you have..."Hola, Manuel! Welcome to the group! I wish you much success with your new novel.
Sandra wrote: "I am so happy to have found this group - my daughter and I were just talking about forming a little club with this goal and now the work is done and we can just play along. Thanks for creating the ..."Welcome to the group, Sandra! Thanks so much for your kind words.
Hi everyone! I'm Verena, a university student from Germany. My interests include travelling and foreign languages, so this group should be great for finding & sharing books that are about travelling and/or originally published in a language other than English.
I just started the Random Travels challenge (thanks for the country selection, Diane!), and I'll try to join some of the future group read discussions. As it happens, I checked out Lives of Girls and Women from the library the other day and I just now discovered it on the "upcoming books" list!
Looking forward to the group discussions and thanks for organizing this group :-)
Verena wrote: "Hi everyone! I'm Verena, a university student from Germany. My interests include travelling and foreign languages, so this group should be great for finding & sharing books that are about travelli..."
Hi, Verena! So glad to have you here with us. Hope you will discover many new books. I also hope you will enjoy Munro's Lives of Girls and Women as much as I did.
Hi, everyone, My name is Daina and I live in Abilene, Texas, but am originally from Riga, Latvia. Have recently published a book of refugee life stories from ten different cultures - would be glad to tell you more. I do immigration work with refugees and immigrants, and have learned a lot about other cultures in that way, plus traveled quite a bit. But reading is one of my passions, and I am hoping to travel around the world with you and expand my reading list. I love books about history, classic British mysteries, Russian classics and fiction of different kinds.
Chiara wrote: "Hi everyone,I'm Chiara. I'm from Italy and I teach English in primary school as a job. I've always been reading and I'm always reading almost everything - classics, literature, travel literature, ..."
I'm not a huge fan of Martin Millar but his books are very very New York-y in tone, setting & character. I moderately enjoyed The Curse of the Wolf Girl, tried the follow-up Lonely Werewolf Girl and The Good Fairies of New York but couldn't finish them. I didn't like all the fashion talk but taste is subjective. So don't let my dnfs put you off. Give him a try. Also, I just finished The Nest which is set in New York and gave it 3.5 rounded to 4 stars. And My Name Is Lucy Barton is set in NYC though it doesn't scream New York but again, I gave it 4 stars.
Daina wrote: "Hi, everyone, My name is Daina and I live in Abilene, Texas, but am originally from Riga, Latvia. Have recently published a book of refugee life stories from ten different cultures - would be glad ..."Hi, Daina! Welcome to the group! I wish you much success with your new book.
Hi everyone, really sorry I've not introduced myself before, I really thought I did. I've been lurking round your group for a while and I've been reading some of the monthly reads but havn't posted yet. I'm from Scotland and studied languges & EU studies at uni and have always loved travel. I love to read about different cultures (and also historical fiction & classics). I really like how this group has different country themes for nominations & hope to discover a lot of new literature from different parts of the world with you all that I would never have found by myself. Thanks for letting me join :o)
Hi! Im Evie and Ive been looking for another group to join for a while and this one looked awesome! Im a student in Australia and I have a large love for music and I play 5 instruments. I love travel so am excited to read for this group!
Hi Catriona. Welcome. What languages did you study? I love learning new languages.Hi, Evie. Welcome. I have trouble playing one instrument, let alone 5. Which do you play?
Rosemarie wrote: "Hi Catriona. Welcome. What languages did you study? I love learning new languages.
Hi, Evie. Welcome. I have trouble playing one instrument, let alone 5. Which do you play?"
At Uni I studied Portuguese, Spanish & Italian. I've always wanted to learn Scottish Gaelic and I think I might try that one next - it's becoming more & more used in Scotland now.
Hi, Evie. Welcome. I have trouble playing one instrument, let alone 5. Which do you play?"
At Uni I studied Portuguese, Spanish & Italian. I've always wanted to learn Scottish Gaelic and I think I might try that one next - it's becoming more & more used in Scotland now.
Catriona wrote: "Hi everyone, really sorry I've not introduced myself before, I really thought I did. I've been lurking round your group for a while and I've been reading some of the monthly reads but havn't posted..."Hi, Catriona! Happy to finally meet you! Welcome to the group!
Evelyn wrote: "Hi! Im Evie and Ive been looking for another group to join for a while and this one looked awesome! Im a student in Australia and I have a large love for music and I play 5 instruments. I love trav..."Hi, Evie! Welcome to the group! My daughter would be envious of your musical skills. She wants to play several different instruments. So far she has only mastered 3.
Catriona, I live in Toronto, where we hear so many different languages. When my younger daughter was in university she majored in Celtic Studies, where she studied Scots Gaelic and Irish, among other things. She would read bits aloud to me at times and I was fascinated by how unphonetic the pronounciation was.
Hi Rosemarie and Diane! I play mainly flute and piccolo but do clarinet and piano on the side :)
Wow your daughter sounds really talented !!
Evelyn wrote: "Hi Rosemarie and Diane! I play mainly flute and piccolo but do clarinet and piano on the side :)
Wow your daughter sounds really talented !!"
My daughter plays the flute and piccolo as well. She also plays guitar and is trying to teach herself a couple other instruments. She seemed the least musically inclined of my two children when they were little, but she really surprised me.
Rosemarie wrote: "Catriona, I live in Toronto, where we hear so many different languages. When my younger daughter was in university she majored in Celtic Studies, where she studied Scots Gaelic and Irish, among oth..."
Yes it is rather unphonetic :o) What a fascinating thing to study, your daughter sounds very interesting - she could probably get a job over here teaching us Scots!
Yes it is rather unphonetic :o) What a fascinating thing to study, your daughter sounds very interesting - she could probably get a job over here teaching us Scots!
I think she has forgotten many of the words, but at least she can still help me pronunciation if I encounter the words while I am reading.
Hi, Felho. Welcome to our group. I loved The Book Thief too.
Felhő wrote: "Hey everybody!I am a 15 year old Hungarian girl , who lives in Romania. I quite recently discovered that I have a passion for reading , of course , I have been reading before , but not as much as ..."
Hi, Felhő! Welcome to the group! It is awesome that you can read in so many languages. I loved The Book Thief, too.
Hi everybody. I’m Gabriel Blake. I am from Kent in England but was born in London. Used to work in the building industry although now I write. Something I always wanted to do and now the time has come for me to do so. Don’t worry though, I promise not to shove my novel down your throats. I also love to read, something in the last couple of years I’ve found the time to do lots more of. Talking about books is also wonderful. I don’t have many friends on here so feel free to add me. I’d love to get to know some nice people. I believe you can never have enough nice people in your life.
I got married in Las Vegas 10 years ago, I think. Hope she doesn’t see this. Haha. I have 2 grown up daughters, and am now a grandfather. I still have trouble saying that word. I have a handsome grandson from my eldest, and a gorgeous granddaughter from my youngest. They were born within 2 months of each other. It was hard work. Yes, I’m sure it was hard work for them as well.
Anyway, it’s lovely to be part of the group and I look forward to chatting about current reads, past and future reads.
I recently read Eleanor Oliphant is completely Fine. Loved it so much.
I’m now about to start reading The Dry by Jane Harper.
Hi, Gabriel. Welcome to the group.
Gabriel wrote: "Hi everybody. I’m Gabriel Blake. I am from Kent in England but was born in London. Used to work in the building industry although now I write. Something I always wanted to do and now the time has c..."Hi, Gabriel! Welcome to the group! I wish you much success with your book.
Hi - I'm Lesa, joining you from a small Pacific Ocean beachfront town in the northwest corner of the USA. I've just finished two other reading challenges and am part way through a third, and just finished reading my 100th book this year. A friend recommended this challenge to me so here I am. I've already read/listened to a number of books noted in this group, but I don't double count so I'm starting at zero. Hee, hee. No worries. I'm currently filling up my Holds at the library to get started on this challenge. I'm looking forward to traveling the world through books, and then traveling some more myself!
Around the World in 80 Books
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Authors mentioned in this topic
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My name is Jacinta and until recently, I was a high school lit teacher in Massachusetts. I've taken some time off to be a mom, but I do miss discussing literature on a regular basis! Before I ..."
Hi, Jacinta! Welcome to the group! I remember Clack, Clack, Moo!