Around the World discussion
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2012-2024 Discussions
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Where in the World Are You?!?! (Currently Reading)
Trying to see if I can fit in a quick trip to Guernsey to read The Book of Ebenezer le Page before heading to the Caribbean (literally and figuratively) on Friday!
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I only managed to read 3 chapters in my lunch "break" today (apparently if I am eating and reading a book, this means that I obviously bored), but I want to go immerse myself in the book.
Enjoy the Caribbean (literal and figurative) Jenny! Very jealous.
Currently vacationing between trips in Israel (at home) with Emuna Elon's book. It's good, and goes fast, and it's made me tear up from time to time.
Jenny wrote: "Trying to see if I can fit in a quick trip to Guernsey to read The Book of Ebenezer le Page before heading to the Caribbean (literally and figuratively) on Friday!" Happy holiday, Judy! Don't forget us.
I left Scotland (The Stonor Eagles) for a little bit while I flew south to India (The Sandalwood Tree). This book was not my original pick for India, but since I have to read it for my book club, I may as well count it towards my challenge.
I am currently enjoying my trip to Jordan and visiting with Queen Noor in Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life.
I have been hovering over Chile, Nigeria and Vietnam, can you believe it! All books I want to get into, but I am committed to go first back to (South) Vietnam with Canadian author Vincent Lam. He was in town and he is the buzz around here. His book is The Headmaster's Wager If I know how to post photos here I would post a photo I took of him at a luncheon in Ottawa on Saturday.
I'm in a remote part of Austria, in the province of Vorarlberg. A novel of connected stories, this is pretty beautiful writing.Homestead
Genia wrote: "Currently vacationing between trips in Israel (at home) with Emuna Elon's book. It's good, and goes fast, and it's made me tear up from time to time."Genia, what's the title?
I'm back in India reading Untouchable which is the day in the life of one of India's lower caste system.
Already finished it and posted a review, it's linked in the other thread (where have you been).
I'm in England with And Only to Deceive, but I'm not counting the book toward my Around the World challange because I've already been there with Among Others.
Gaeta1 wrote: "It is also my England choice--if I ever get oot of 8th century Kyoto."Sue wrote: "Mikki, I'll be curious what you think of this. It's a book I'm interested in too...."
Having trouble committing to the book, but the writing (when actually reading) is engaging.
Ok, ok! It's been a while but I'm in Brazil reading State of Wonder by Ann Patchett. I'm liking it so far. It reminds me a tiny bit of The Poisonwood Bible though.
After a little mystery break, I'm now in Kenya withWildflower: An Extraordinary Life and Untimely Death in Africa
I've had to temporarily leave Asia and Liquid Jade: The Story of Tea from East to West behind and move on to England and The Finkler Question as we'll be discussing it in my bookclub meeting next Saturday. It wasn't such a disorienting shift as it could have been since the British had just formed their own tea plantation in India so I was moving toward the motherland already. The history of tea is just fascinating. Can't wait to return.
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Let me/us know how you go with The Finkler Question. I personally have strong views on it, so it would be lovely to hear a fresh eyes opinion :)
I'm visiting Ireland with Irish Legends. Great fun to read the legends I've heard when I was doing a round trip in beautiful Ireland.
I'm visiting North-Korea with Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea in Dutch known as: Hand in hand in het donker - Leven en liefde in Noord-Korea
I'm still flying around the Scotland, Iceland, England & Norway with The Stonor Eagles. I hope I'm finished with this book SOON. It occurs to me that I could count this book for any one of those countries. I'll see which country the story ends up in.
I am currently in Luristan (Iran) with Freya Stark in her 1934, The Valleys of the Assassins. "She was not only one of the first Western women to travel through the Arabian deserts (Hadhramaut), she often travelled solo into areas where few Europeans, let alone women, had ever been."
Right now I am participating in a group read of Don Quixote and lecture series while waiting for The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle group read to start. Did re eive my bookclub assignments for my F2F group last night.Sept. is Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China
Oct. is Funny In Farsi: A Memoir Of Growing Up Iranian In America so it looks like China and Iran are covered.
There are some countries that are difficult to get out of as there is such a nice selection of literature to choose from.
I'm already in Kenya with Wildflower: An Extraordinary Life and Untimely Death in Africa and I'm also elsewhere in Africa with Tinderbox: How the West Sparked the AIDS Epidemic and How the World Can Finally Overcome It. I'm going to use this for Cameroon since that's where it is speculated the virus actually probably started over 100 years ago. Thirdly I'm in a cold climate in Iceland with Jar City.
Gaeta1 wrote: "Sylvia wrote: "I'm visiting North-Korea with Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea in Dutch known as: Hand in hand in het donker - Leven en liefde in Noord-Korea"A more romantic title in..."
Great, you understand the Dutch title! Wonderful! But the content of the book is probably the same as the English book. I'm enjoying this book. I could imagine that life in North-Korea wasn't what the propaganda told us, but that it was that worse, it's incredible. When will this regime realize they are on the wrong path. I sincerely hope for all the people that it will be in our time.
Judy wrote: "We'll turn a blind eye if you count it as one for all those countries, Janice. Its a huge book right? LOL!! "Thanks Judy, but I would feel guilty. As it is, I've resorted to skimming. There really is two separate story lines in the book. One is that of the artist who paints the sea eagles, and the other is the story of the eagles.
Got Afghanistan: A Short History of Its People and Politics from the library. As this is a book from a university library I have to read this one first, because it has to be returned within a fortnight.
Judy wrote: "Oh, I was just joking Janice. LOL! ."I figured as much. But it was tempting. :)
Rusalka wrote: "Sharon wrote: "I've had to temporarily leave Asia and Liquid Jade: The Story of Tea from East to West behind and move on to England and The Finkler Question as we'll be discussing it in my bookclub..."Hi Rusalka, I just finished The Finkler Question, and posted a review in "where are you been". I hope you can give me insights! I found the book a real puzzle...
My Kobo is back, fully repaired, my book club read is done, and so later today I shall dive back into a world-wide tour with 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created.
I'm coming to the end of my Papuan expedition in Throwim Way Leg by Tim Flannery, and preparing to start a new voyage of discovery. I'm heading to Iceland (literally) at the end of the week, in the company of Jules Verne and A Journey to the Centre of the Earth.
I'm in contemporary Finland learning more than I wanted to know about the night life in Helsinki, but I'm also learning about WWII war crimes in a mystery called Lucifer's Tears
Gaeta1 wrote: "Done with Iceland and Jar City. I'm in danger of drifting further into Europe which isn't my plan. I now turn south and will stay in the New World for the next few months. Next, the USA with The Jo..."Gaeta, I read Dakota: A Spiritual Geography quite a few years ago and found it a really good experience. Enjoy.
I've added another mystery to my "currently reading" list as this actually seems to make all my reading go more smoothly---no matter how many books I'm dangling. The book is Death at La Fenice set in Venice, so Of course I'm reading it for Italy. And I'm reading it on my Kindle Fire--I like to have at least one ebook going at all times too.
Sue wrote: "Gaeta1 wrote: "Done with Iceland and Jar City. I'm in danger of drifting further into Europe which isn't my plan. I now turn south and will stay in the New World for the next few months. Next, the ..."How could have missed
Dakota: A Spiritual Geography? Since I live in ND, this sounds like a must-read for me!
Suzanne wrote: "Sue wrote: "Gaeta1 wrote: "Done with Iceland and Jar City. I'm in danger of drifting further into Europe which isn't my plan. I now turn south and will stay in the New World for the next few months..."Yes Suzanne. I would think it would be. I'd be interested in your thoughts after reading it too.
I'm literally home from the Caribbean but still in Jamaica in From Harvey River: A Memoir of My Mother and Her Island. I read a bunch on vacation without internet so I'll go run over to the Where Have You Been Thread and update!!
Yesterday I started The Bathhouse, so I'm in Iran. Chilling, so far. I've been reading so much about wars and revolutions lately. This is a short book. I might try something lighter next.
I've started In The Sea There Are Crocodiles: Based On The True Story Of Enaiatollah Akbari, about a young boy's journey from his home in Afghanistan to Pakistan, Iran and ultimately to Italy. It's classified as fiction as it is a recreation of the journey from memory and through translation 10 years later when the now young man is living in Italy.
I'm in Cambodia now. I'm a fly on the wall during a very interesting conversation between a Khmer Rouge prison supervisor and his French prisoner. They're talking about who benefits from revolution, how they benefit and how to build a better society. This is taking place in The Gateby Francois Bizot. Bizot is a French scholar of Buddhism and The Gate is his memoir of captivity by the Khmer Rouge.
I thought Bizot provided a fascinating complement to the Khmer Rouge-era narratives by then-children. Bizot, a non-Cambodian adult, has a broader and more sophisticated understanding of what's going on, though the children convey the horror more.
Marcie and Gaeta, I am in Mexico, too, with Swift as Desire by Laura Esquivel. Muy romantico! A welcome change from all the war books I have been reading lately.
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Ooo interested in what you think. I loved Like Water for Chocolate
Rusalka wrote: "Diane wrote: "Marcie and Gaeta, I am in Mexico, too, with Swift as Desire by Laura Esquivel. Muy romantico! A welcome change from all the war books I have been reading lately."Ooo interested in..."
Like Water for Chocolate is one of my all-time favorite books! Swift as Desire isn't quite as good, but I like it. It is much better than Malinche: A Novel.
I am in Indonesia, in the Moluccan Islands to be precise with an extraordinary and beautiful story: The Ten Thousand Things by Maria Dermout.
Left Mexico, and am now back in the Caribbean with The Polished Hoe by Austin Clarke, set in Barbados.
Osho wrote: "I thought Bizot provided a fascinating complement to the Khmer Rouge-era narratives by then-children. Bizot, a non-Cambodian adult, has a broader and more sophisticated understanding of what's goin..."Oh I agree. Another difference is that Cambodian Khmer Rouge memoirs I've read were also from people who were originally urban. Their stories often start with being forced to leave Phnom Penh. Bizot has a rural village focus. He was studying the village practices of Buddhism which differed radically from urban Buddhism in Cambodia. The urban Cambodian memoirs have a very negative attitude toward the peasants, but Bizot has respect for peasants. That's very refreshing.
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Around the World
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I haven't forgotten you. I'll keep in mind, I made you a promise. Please, give me some time.