Suzanne's List

[Suzanne]

Okay, here is my list. I started with selections that my book club will be reading and then moved on to books that I already own and are on my "to read" list. I filled in the rest by research.

ASIA
Cambodia - First They Killed My Father
Japan - The Commoner
China - Empress
India - East of the Sun
Burma - The Piano Tuner
Vietnam - The Lotus Eaters
Thailand - Sightseeing
Philippines - When the Elephants Dance
Malaysia - Evening Is the Whole Day
Turkey - Birds Without Wings
Korea - To Swim Across the World: A Novel

AFRICA
Rwanda - Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust
Ethiopia - Cutting for Stone
Morocco - The Tenth Gift
Zanzibar - The Zanzibar Chest
Nigeria - The Famished Road
Egypt - Palace Walk
Botswana - Morality for Beautiful Girls
Uganda - A Bend in the River
Sierra Leone - A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
Zimbabwe - Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood
South Africa - Life and Times of Michael K

EUROPE
Italy - The Enchantress of Florence
England - The Invisible Wall: A Love Story That Broke Barriers
France - Madame Tussaud: A Novel of the French Revolution
Bosnia - People of the Book
Ireland - A Long Long Way
Sweden - The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo
Hungary - The Mercy Seller
Russia - Russka: The Novel of Russia
Poland - The History of Love
Estonia - The Czar's Madman
Spain - Hope & Other Dangerous Pursuits
Netherlands - The Coffee Trader
Denmark - The Royal Physician's Visit
Portugal - The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon
Belgium - King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror & Heroism in Colonial Africa
Austria - Marrying Mozart
Greece - Corelli's Mandolin
Germany - Stones from the River
Scotland - Outlander
Croatia - The Tiger's Wife

NORTH AMERICA
USA - The Help
Canada - Someone Knows My Name
Mexico - Stones for Ibarra

CARIBBEAN
Jamaica - The Long Song

DOWN UNDER
Australia - The Secret River
New Zealand - The Colour

MIDDLE EAST
Afghanistan - A Thousand Splendid Suns
Israel - Day After Night
Iran - The Gilded Chamber: A Novel of Queen Esther
Jordan - Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life
Syria - The Dark Side of Love

[Chrissie]

Suzanne, you've got some stunning books!

I adored The Piano Tuner, Someone Knows My Name and Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood. I found A Thousand Splendid Suns better than The Kite Runner.Stones from the River is quite a bit better than her latest novel Children and Fire: A Novel. I also very much enjoyed King Leopold's Ghost: A Story of Greed, Terror & Heroism in Colonial Africa. Living in Belgium as I do now this is essential reading...... This is ridiculous. I could go on and on. You have listed sonderful books that I KNOW you will enjoy. In addition we share several that we both want to read!; LikeEmpress, The Colour and several others! Given the similarity in our lists, I have to carefullsee what else you have added. We seem to like the same stuff!

But don't put The Piano Tuner off long. It is superb!

[Chrissie]

Suzanne, now I have had a chance to check out the books I dodn't know of. I added several. to my shelves Thanks a bunch.

To Swim Across the World really caught my attention. I plan on sampling others, liked The Famished Road and The Last Kabbalist of Lisbon.

I really like your list!

[Suzanne]

Judy wrote: "Nice list, Suzanne! You have some good books. I've read A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust. Both are ex..."
Thanks for your comments, Judy. I'm probably the only person on the planet that has not seen the movie THE HELP, but I'm waiting to read the book first. I would have read it over the summer, but it was decided to read it as part of my book club, so it'll have to wait until January. Oh well, something to look forward to!

[Anne]

Suzanne, I'm on this planet (most of the time) and I haven't seen the movie yet.

[Rebecca]

I haven't seen it either, and I still haven't read the book yet. :(

[Suzanne]

Rebecca wrote: "I haven't seen it either, and I still haven't read the book yet. :("

You make me feel so much better:)

[Janice]

Suzanne wrote: "I'm probably the only person on the planet that has not seen the movie THE HELP, but I'm waiting to read the book first. I would have read it over the summer, but it was decided to read it as part of my book club, so it'll have to wait until January. Oh well, something to look forward to!
.."

You are not alone! I have the book but haven't read it yet, and I'm holding off on the movie for that reason.

I enjoyed looking over your list. We share some titles.

[Chrissie]

Suzanne wrote: "Judy wrote: "Nice list, Suzanne! You have some good books. I've read A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier, Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust..."

Not me either! There are quite a few of us it seems.

[Suzanne]

Suzanne wrote: "Okay, here is my list. I started with selections that my book club will be reading and then moved on to books that I already own and are on my "to read" list. I filled in the rest by research.

..."
I've now completed
First They Killed My Father and The Commoner - and both were excellent. (See my reviews on GR). I am currently reading a book not on my list, but could be, called Shadow of the Silk Road. The author takes a modern day journey along the ancient Silk Road (beginning in China) and writes about its history in addition to the events that are currently taking place. I'm learning quite a bit and the author, Colin Thubron, is such a beautiful writer...

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

I've added your books to the master list! Zanzibar is semi-autonomous from Tanzania, so I went ahead and listed it separately. You have some great stuff on here!

[Suzanne]

Thanks for doing this, Jenny!

[Suzanne]

I finished reading Empress yesterday. It reminded me a bit of Anchee Min's book, Empress Orchid, the exception being the time period. Orchid does not become the actual Emperor, but wields power through her son's regency. For my review on Empress, visit: http://coldread.wordpress.com/2011/10...

[Betty]

Corelli's Mandolin, The Famished Road, and Outlander I own. They are not on my personal list but I own them all. Who knows whether I might not substitute one or more of them when 2012 comes.

[Suzanne]

Since I decided not to finish One Hundred Years of Solitude, I've exchanged books on my list. I've now added The Tiger's Wife instead:)

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Suzanne wrote: "Since I decided not to finish One Hundred Years of Solitude, I've exchanged books on my list. I've now added The Tiger's Wife instead:)"
I just started that one today! I added your name to the list.

[Suzanne]

I've decided to change two of my Middle East books. I've dropped my selections for Saudia Arabia and Yemen. In their place I've added The Dark Side of Love for Syria (loved the reviews and recommendations from my GR friends!) and Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life for Jordan, because I've always wanted to read Queen Noor's book!