Julia's list

[Julia]

Afghanistan:Wenn Katzen Menschen werden
Earth and Ashes

Albania: any availbable book by Fatos Kongoli
Die Schlangen des Blutes

American Samoa: Sons for the Return Home
Where We Once Belonged

Benin: Spiegelreflex

Bosnia and Herzegovina: How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone

Canada: ]All Families Are Psychotic

China: SZ-Bibliothek Metropolen Band 3: Verloren in Peking

Gabon: Mema

Germany (East): Bronstein's Kinder

Egypt: Palace Walk, Palace of Desire Sugar Street

Iceland: The Good Shepherd

Italy: The Solitude of Prime Numbers

Marocco: Wüstenkind.

Nigeria: Half of a Yellow Sun

Norway: Kristin Lavransdatter

Rwanda: Machete Season: The Killers in Rwanda Speak

Wales: How Green Was My Valley

[Chrissie]

Hi Julia, all my friends in one little club. Nice you are here. :0)

I still haven't read The Dark Side of Love, but is is one my list! It was you and Gundula who convinced me I had to read it. Gundula is here too, but she is very quiet.

[Julia]

Hi Chrissie,

great to have so many GR friends here - Gundula, Daisy, you...It's a great idea and I'll try to read along as much as possible, even though I don't think I'll be able to wait for 2012. If it's ok for everyone else, I'll just continue working on my list from now on - there are so many countries in this world anyway, it'll be like a treasure hunt to find books for some countries......

[Julia]

And yes, The Dark Side of Love is a great book for Syria, it conveys the Oriental flair of Damascus plus the history and politics of the country are well portrayed. I'm sure you'll enjoy.....I really like to take a look at all the other lists to get some inspiration....I've found this very interesting female author from Afghanistan: Spojmaj Zarab, but I think she hasn't been published in English, at least I can't find anything on the net. Some of her short stories were published in German and especially in French. But if I remember well, you're not a big fan of short stories....

[Chrissie]

Julia, don't worry about starting early. Everything is flexible! I am reading books on my list from those countries that have several choices. Everybody does it the way they like. What is nice is all the people collected in one group.

No, short stories are not my favorites......

I am so glad we have you, and your wide knowledge of German literature is a great bonus to the group. .

[Julia]

Hi Judy, thanks a lot....Unfortunately I didn't really enjoy Coupland - I had high expectations and his writing was totally not my thing. I didn't really care for anyone in this novel and found the whole reading experience more annoying than anything else...But well, at the moment I'm enjoying Kristin Lavransdatter, completely different. A slow read, but very enjoyable, full of historic detail and caring descriptions. A perfect read for long autumn evenings....One can hear the fire in the Norwegian chimney and the clutter of the horns full of strong Christmas ale and smell the wet earth of the Nordic spring times. Quite a comfort read for me...

[Julia]

Really? Thanks....Yeah, like most avid readers writing is a dream of mine - but somehow I never go past the first drafts of a novel...But who knows :-)

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Julia- Hi and welcome. I've added the books you put on your list so far to the master list, so if you would let me know or comment when you add, that will help me keep it up to date.

I too have Kristin Lavransdatter on my list - I have my eye on the beautiful edition that Penguin put out.

[Louise]

I think I've had a nice hardback copy of Kristin Lavransdatter - in Danish - since 1997. Maybe I should read it soon... :-)

[Julia]

I was actually really sad when I've finally finishd Kristian Lavransdatter - it's accompanied me for over a month and has given some great solace in difficult times as it's such an accurate portrait of a different world. Also good comfort/escapist literature :-)
For a change, I've just started to read Spiegelreflex, a thriller which is set in Benin, the country where me and my bf have a foster child. Lena Blaudez has lived in Africa for quite a while and one can see that she's into the continent and knows a lot about everyday life. The story is ok, the main character is looking for the murderers of a friend of hers and quite some of the depths of bureaucracy and mafia-like business are shown in a fresh way. Blaudez' writing is very pleasant, poignant, well-set wording - unfortunately her books haven't been translated from German into any other language as far as I know.

[Jenny (Reading Envy)]

Julia wrote: "Julia (jujulia) | 17 comments I was actually really sad when I've finally finishd Kristian Lavransdatter - it's accompanied me for over a month and has given some great solace in difficult times as it's such an accurate portrait of a different world. Also good comfort/escapist literature :-) "
That is a great endorsement!