Telynor's books (at least thinking about them)

[Rebecca]

Two more additions to the heap:
Exodus by Leon Uris for Israel and Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck for the United States.

[Anne]

Travels With Charley is a great pick. I loved it. Hope you do too.

[Rebecca]

I've been hearing a lot of very good things about it, so I was looking more for a reason to put it on my list. :)

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Judy wrote: "Is there a bad Steinbeck pick?"
I have started many arguments with my Steinbeck opinions... I will keep them to myself!

Anyway, I added these to the list! :)

[Anne]

Jenny wrote: "Judy wrote: "Is there a bad Steinbeck pick?"
I have started many arguments with my Steinbeck opinions... I will keep them to myself!


Oh Jenny, don't leave us in suspense. No need for arguments. Just thoughts. I haven't read nearly enough Steinbeck, so I'm just curious.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Alrighty! *rubs hands together*

I feel like Steinbeck goes for the moment of disgust to get his point across. I remember getting nauseous when reading The Red Pony in 7th grade. Even the symbolic ending scene in The Grapes of Wrath is slightly disgusting.

He loves to describe moments of death and destruction with such detail that you can feel the blood on your face and the dust in your teeth. That is good on some levels, that visceral writing, but I just felt he always took it a bit too far, sacrificing the dialogue and character development.

That's what some people like about him, I imagine.

In AP American English in highschool, we did a fun project where we were the supreme court, deciding whether or not Lenny from Of Mice and Men would get the death penalty. I've had a lot of Steinbeck in my life.

I've never read East of Eden, and always meant to....

[Anne]

Thank you, Jenny. East of Eden is my next Steinbeck. Don't remember much from HS. You have a great memory for books going back that far. I'll keep your words in mind when I read it. I wouldn't be one of the people who like the blood and guts over dialogue and character development. Not at all. Geez, even The Red Pony....

Can't say I remember much of that in Travels with Charley....

[Rebecca]

I've decided on Sweet Offerings for Malaysia; I still need suggestions, of course. Any ideas for Hungary or Austria or Romania or Greece?

[Anne]

Rebecca,

I have so many books listed for all four countries both on my 52 list and my bookshelves (arranged by country). Please feel free to check out both.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

For Hungary, I thought Skylark was something special, and also pretty short.

For Romania I'm personally reading The Land of Green Plums, which sounds to be both in Germany and Romania.

[Chrissie]

Rebecca, two books that are historical fiction based on the Austrian artists Klimt and Schiele were wonderful. You learn who these artists were. They try to show you what kind of people they were. The two books are The Painted Kiss and Arrogance. The relkationship between Shiele and his siter is wonderfully portrayed. I am just suggesting books that I have read and can recommend.

The Storyteller: Memory, Secrets, Magic and Lies I sreally tremedous. This is for Hungary. I have on my list another book by this author called Kasztner's Train: The True Story of Rezso Kaztner, Unknown Hero of the Holocaust. It is that good that I want to read another by the same author.

I have just found a very funny book for Greece: My Family and Other Animals. I haven't read it so I cannot promise it is good. You have to like animals.... Salonica, City of Ghosts: Christians, Muslims and Jews 1430-1950 Is excellent non-fiction. If you are interested in myths, I enjoyed Jocasta: The Mother-Wife of Oedipus.

The Seamstress is a five star book for Romania. It has the same title as one many are reading for Brazil, but this is set in Romania. Another excellent book for Romania is Smuggled. These books I can recommend because I have read them, except for one set in Greece.

Of course you are welcome to check oyut my bookshelves too. There are tons there I haven't read......

[Daisy]

For Romania/Hungary, I just finished and loved Smuggled. Consider that. And for Austria, I'd recommend The Piano Teacher, if you can stomach it. I haven't managed to finish it but the movie is amazing.

[Chrissie]

Daisy, we both liked "Smuggled". :0)

[Daisy]

Chrissie wrote: "Daisy, we both liked "Smuggled". :0)"

A lot!

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Added your Malaysia pick, and some random picks I missed from earlier :)

I think the annotated Emma sounds like fun!

[Rebecca]

Jenny wrote: "Added your Malaysia pick, and some random picks I missed from earlier :)

I think the annotated Emma sounds like fun!"

I've read three of the editor's --- David Shapard -- other annotated Austen's, and I've been very impressed by them.

[Rebecca]

another addition, Csardas for Hungary. Shizuko's Daughter is my pick for Japan. Slowly getting there...

[Rebecca]

Finally, I've settled on for Wales, I'm adding The Reckoning by Sharon Kay Penman, as it has been quite a while since I've read it. The Secret History of the Mongol Queens for Mongolia, and Astrid and Veronika for Sweden.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Added your Hungary, Japan, Wales, Mongolia, and Sweden! Looking good!

[Rebecca]

The Feast of the Goat for the Dominican Republic.

[Rebecca]

The Bielski Brothers: The True Story of Three Men Who Defied the Nazis, Built a Village in the Forest, and Saved 1,200 Jews is my pick for Belarus. Finally settled on The Royal Physician's Visit for Denmark.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Added your Scotland... I know Palace Walk is on the list already for Egypt, so I'll add the second just in case.

[Rebecca]

Two more books: For Turkey, Portrait of a Turkish Family and for Albania, The Palace of Dreams. Like Topsy, it just grows...

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Got them :)

[Rebecca]

And still more titles:

Vietnam: The Quiet American by Graham Greene
Spain: Tides of War: A Novel by Stella Tillyard
Denmark:The Royal Physician's Visit by Per Olov Enquist

I've completed my first book for the challenge, where do I link up the review?

[Anne]

Rebecca wrote: "And still more titles:

Vietnam: The Quiet American by Graham Greene
Spain: Tides of War: A Novel by Stella Tillyard
Denmark:[book:The Roya..."


Put your review under discussion thread "Where In the World Have You Been?"

[Chrissie]

Rebecca wrote: "And still more titles:

Vietnam: The Quiet American by Graham Greene
Spain: Tides of War: A Novel by Stella Tillyard
Denmark:The Roya..."</i>

I wonder what you will think of [book:The Royal Physician's Visit. The style of writing is quite different; it annoys some and others love it. Me, I thought it was great. Nunnally translated it! :0)

[Rebecca]

Finished reading The Quiet American and here's the link to the review: http://www.epinions.com/review/The_Qu.... If anyone is looking for a book for Vietnam, this would do quite well.

[Anne]

Rebecca wrote: "Finished reading The Quiet American and here's the link to the review: http://www.epinions.com/review/The_Qu......"

Rebecca, nice review! I liked this book a lot when I read it ages ago. Your review made me see how much of it I have forgotten. Time for a re-read.

[Sue]

I agree with Anne, Rebecca. Great review. I really need to read Greene and this book. I think Viet Nam was too much a part of life when I was in my teens and 20s so I stayed away from it. I'll have to correct that. While reading your review, visions of "The Year of Living Dangerously" came to mind, even though that's about Indonesia, not Viet Nam.

[Rebecca]

My original choice for Spain got ditched in favour of Sister Queens: The Noble, Tragic Lives of Katherine of Aragon and Juana, Queen of Castile

Now reading for Thailand, A Nail Through the Heart: A Novel of Bangkok by Thomas Hallinan.

[Rebecca]

Several new reviews up for books on my list:

Nepal: The Snow Leopard -- http://www.epinions.com/review/The_Sn...

Spain: Sister Queens: The Noble, Tragic Lives of Katherine of Aragon and Juana, Queen of Castile http://www.epinions.com/review/Julia_...

Thailand: A Nail Through the Heart: A Novel of Bangkok http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_A...

[Sue]

Rebecca, I particularly liked your review of Sister Queens. I hadn't been considering that book but now I am.

[Rebecca]

Sue wrote: "Rebecca, I particularly liked your review of Sister Queens. I hadn't been considering that book but now I am."

Thank you! I always enjoy it when I can help make up someone's mind about a book.

[Rebecca]

Finished up Last Train from Cuernavaca by Lucia St. Clair Robson. Not quite equal to her earlier books, but still a damn fine read. The longer review can be found here: http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_L...

[Rebecca]

Here's the review for Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All: A New Zealand Story by Christina Thompson, my entry for New Zealand. And here's the link: http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_C...

[Rebecca]

Here are still more reviews for this challenge. I am so woefully behind on this. Maybe I should have made it for 104 weeks, then I might have a chance.

England: http://www.epinions.com/review/The_An... -- The Annotated Emma by Jane Austen and David M. Shepard (fiction)
Cuba: http://www.epinions.com/review/Our_Ma... -- Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene (fiction)
China: http://www.epinions.com/review/The_Re... -- The Red Chamber by Pauline Chen (fiction)
Korea: http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_T... -- The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim (fiction)

[Rebecca]

Thank you. I was starting to think that I was a complete doofus on this one.

[Rebecca]

Managed to get some books finished:
All Roads Lead to Austen: A Yearlong Journey with Jane by Amy Elizabeth Smith. Great if you're looking for a book set in south or central America.
Sweet Offerings by Chan Ling Yap for Malaysia. Rather simplistic in writing style, but interesting.
HHhH: A Novel by Lauren Binet. The murder of Reinhard Heydrich and set in Prague, Czechoslovakia.

[Rebecca]

Austria: * Imperial Requiem: Four Royal Women and the End of the Age of Empires by Justin C. Vovk -- http://www.epinions.com/review/Justin...
Cambodia: * In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vadday Ratner -- READ! -- http://www.epinions.com/review/Vaddey...
China (PRC): * The Red Chamber by Pauline A. Chen -- READ! -- http://www.epinions.com/review/The_Re...
Cuba: * Our Man in Havana by Graham Greene -- READ! -- http://www.epinions.com/review/Our_Ma...
Czechoslovakia: * HHhH by Laurent Binet -- READ! -- http://www.epinions.com/review/Lauren...
Egypt: * Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz -- READ! -- http://www.epinions.com/review/Palace...
England: * The Annotated Emma by Jane Austen and David M. Shapard -- READ! -- http://www.epinions.com/review/The_An...
Germany: * City of Women by David R. Gillham -- READ! -- http://www.epinions.com/review/David_...
Guatemala: * All Roads Lead to Austen (nonfiction) -- READ! -- http://www.epinions.com/review/Amy_El...
Japan: * Shizuko's Daughter by Kyoko Mori READ! http://www.epinions.com/review/Shizuk...
Korea: * The Calligrapher's Daughter by Eugenia Kim -- READ! -- http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_T...
Malaysia: * Sweet Offerings by Chan Lee Yap -- READ! -- http://www.epinions.com/review/Chan_L...
Mexico: * Last Train from Cuernavaca by Lucia St. Clair Robson -- READ! -- http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_L...
Mongolia: * The Secret History of the Mongol Queens by Jack Weatherford -- READ! -- http://www.epinions.com/review/Jack_W...
Nepal: * The Snow Leopard by Peter Matthiensen -- READ! -- http://www.epinions.com/review/The_Sn...
New Zealand: * Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All: A New Zealand Story by Christina Thompson -- READ! --http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_C...
Russia: * A Razor Wrapped in Silk by R.N. Morris -- READ! -- http://www.epinions.com/review/A_Razo...
Scotland: * Royal Stuarts: by Allan Massie -- READ! -- http://www.epinions.com/review/Allan_...
South Africa: * Tinderbox: How the West Sparked the AIDS Epidemic and How the World Can Overcome It by Craig Timberg and Daniel Helperin, Ph.D -- READ! -- http://www.epinions.com/review/Craig_...
Sri Lanka: * The Cat's Table by Michael Ondaatje -- READ! -- http://www.epinions.com/review/Michae...
Spain: * Sister Queens: The Noble, Tragic Lives of Katherine of Aragon and Juana, Queen of Castile by Julia Fox -- READ! http://www.epinions.com/review/Julia_...
Thailand: * A Nail Through the Heart by Thomas Hallinan -- READ! -- http://www.epinions.com/review/Book_A...
United States: * Prairie Fever: British Aristocrats in the American West 1830-1890 by Peter Pagnamenta -- READ! -- http://www.epinions.com/review/Peter_...
Vietnam: * The Quiet American by Graham Greene -- READ! -- http://www.epinions.com/review/The_Qu...