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2012-2024 Discussions
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Where in the World Have You Been?!?! (Book Finished and Review Linked)
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Friederike
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Jun 09, 2012 09:17AM
I have left Canada and Steven Heighton's short story collection. My review is here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
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I decided to count Habibi, a graphic novel by Craig Thompson, for Saudi Arabia, although technically it is in an unnamed imagined desert country. With the overlay of a version of 1,001 Nights, I think that's a safe bet. This is the only graphic novel I'm reading for this challenge, but it is brilliant. So beautifully done.
I'm getting caught up with reviews, so I've finally had a chance to post a review for my Ghana book, King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village.It's at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I enjoyed this book and found Peggy's story inspiring and I just realized that I've made it to the halfway point in this challenge.
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I enjoyed reading everyone's opinion on the other thread earlier today, and am not surprised from the range of views there that I landed where I did with my opinion.
Edit (2.5hrs later): Got another one done. Norwegian Wood http://rusalkii.blogspot.com.au/2012/...
Edit (6hrs later): Still can't sleep. Another Devil-Devil http://rusalkii.blogspot.com.au/2012/...
Harmonybites wrote: "I was just running barefoot with the Tarahumara in Mexico and regaining some of my pride in being human. It got off to what I thought was a dubious start in the first fifty pages, but ultimately I ..."Loved this book. It is one I will keep forever. It inspired me to run (in Vibram 5 fingers), and I have done 3 half-marathons and a ton of miles of training in them since!
Suzanne wrote: "I just left South Africa with Life & Times of Michael K - it was an excellent novel that is still haunting me. My review is here:http://coldread.wordpress.com/2012/05......"
It haunted me, too. Glad you loved it!
Ok, I'm finally back. I'm using one of my Pulitzer reads for the US--it was amazing: Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner. Review is here: http://bethslistlove.wordpress.com/20... . Will now tackle every skinny book on my shelf to get ahead a bit!!! Actually they are on my bed now so I can pick one. Still listening to and loving The Golden Notebook: Perennial Classics edition on audio. Hopefully that will be ready for a review soon.
Just finished 28/52:Unbowed: A Memoir by Wangari Maathai, the first African woman (and the first environmentalist) to win the Nobel Peace Prize. This is very much a book about Kenya as well as her own life, as she lived there during major political and geographical change. My review is here.
I finally wrote the review of Paul Theroux's The Lower River. The review is here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I've just left Ireland (and the trenches of France in World War I) during Sebastian Barry's A Long Long Way. Great book, great detail about life in the trenches and the inner turmoil of questions about one's allegiance. My review is here:http://coldread.wordpress.com/2012/06...
Just finished The Path to the Spiders' Nests by Italo Calvino. It takes place in Italy, but I'm counting it for Cuba, where the author was born. I liked, but not loved, it, but the preface adds a lot to the basic text. My review is here.
Since Sunday I have been to Cuba, Dominica, and Mexico. reviews coming tonight!
Beth wrote: "Ok, I'm finally back. I'm using one of my Pulitzer reads for the US--it was amazing: Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner. Review is here: http://bethslistlove.wordpress.com/20......"Angle of Repose is on my list of books that I need to read! Thanks for the reminder:)
Here are the reviews for Dominica (which is Wide Sargasso Sea) and Mexico (which is Aura). I'm going to be switching up a bunch of books/countries to try to catch up on my April to June reading goals in a variety of categories.
SilverRaindrops wrote: ...Travellers: Poems by George Mackay Brown.I haven't read that one, as I prefer prose to poetry, but GMB is one of my favourite authors. If you have a chance to read more of his work I'd recommend Greenvoe and Beside the Ocean of Time. They almost read themselves aloud in your head.
Yrinsyde wrote: ...Under Milk Wood
I've never read it, but once heard a recording on the radio of it being read by Richard Burton. The language, especially in conjunction with his voice, was fabulous. Worth tracking down, seeing if it available as an audiobook?
I was in the Middle East--Egypt, Sudan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Yemen--but especially Saudi Arabia (for which I'm counting it) in the hands of Lawrence Wright in his book The Looming Tower: Al-Qaeda and the Road to 9/11. a fascinating, riveting account that crosses five decades and several countries to tell the story of "the growth of Islamic Fundamentalism, the rise of Al-Qaeda, and the intelligence failures that culminated" in the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. It's both a popular bestseller and a Pulitzer Prize winner and I can understand why. Fuller review linked below.http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Just leaving Paris, after some lovely time drinking tea with Mme Michel and Paloma in The Elegance of the Hedgehog. My review is at http://bethslistlove.wordpress.com/20...
I left Northern Ireland last week with Bog Child - a YA novel that adults will enjoy too. My review is here.
Two more books to add to my completed list. I was in Ireland with a wonderful book of short stories, Walk the Blue Fields: Stories. Review is http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/....My second book is Someone Knows My Name. While it takes place in several countries, I am choosing West Africa of the mid 18th century where it began as the setting for this challenge. Review is http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/....
Left Sweden. It was beautiful there. Windows and Stones: Selected Poems by Tomas Tranströmer. My review is at http://bethslistlove.wordpress.com/20...
Thanks to the Saturday readathon, I finished five books and visited four countries, three which were new to me for this challenge. At this point, I think I'm going to read as many books as I can and try to make it to 52 countries, since I'm consistently reading more than one book from many countries.I started my Saturday journey halfway through one book in Australia, and stayed there for another book before traveling to Japan, and then to Mexico, and then to the dissolving country of Czechoslovakia.
The Light Between Oceans (My review, this is an ARC)
Cocaine Blues (My review)
A Pale View Of Hills (My review)
Like Water for Chocolate (My review)
The Unbearable Lightness of Being (My review)
Just leaving Tibet and the Dalai Lama XIV. Enjoyed and will return to The Compassionate Life. My review is here: http://bethslistlove.wordpress.com/20... .
Just left Italy and Tomato Rhapsody: A Novel of Love, Lust, and Forbidden Fruit. My very short review is here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/70...
Enjoyed my stay in Sweden with The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo. My review is here:http://coldread.wordpress.com/2012/06...
Now I'm off to Russia in Edward Rutherford's mammoth book Russka: The Novel of Russia
Left Canada (and Greece and Poland) with Fugitive Pieces. I LOVED this book. Here is my review: http://bethslistlove.wordpress.com/20... This wasn't my original Canada choice, but I was trying to reach multiple reading goals in a tiny time frame and made the switch. I am SO glad I did.
I am still in the middle of Richard Ford's CANADA and Canada is still not in sight... but the novel grows on me slowly, but steadily...
It took me a while, but I finished The Orphan Master's Son tonight (review here.) I enjoyed it - many layers, and almost all the characters are forced to ignore the truth, which makes for an interesting, spinning read.I will not be baking anything from North Korea in deference to the characters in novel. ;)
Just finished Where We Once Belonged for Samoa. My review is here. I'm thrilled to have managed 6 reads from Oceania two years running. I think I'm off to S. America next.
Just finished Kitchen, which I just loved. Now adding the book recommended by Osho to my list of TBR!
My reviews.
Togo: An African in Greenland
Bolivia: Andean Journeys: A Bilingual Anthology of Contemporary Bolivian Poetry
Kuwait: Escaping the Invasion
Togo: An African in Greenland
Bolivia: Andean Journeys: A Bilingual Anthology of Contemporary Bolivian Poetry
Kuwait: Escaping the Invasion
Jenny wrote: "I was in Denmark with The Library of Shadows (my review here). Definitely a quick read."Thanks for the tip on The Book on Fire
Mmm, I had higher hopes for this one but someone else might like it better: True which takes place in Finland and France.http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I finished The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle. My review is here http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... Definitely a candidate for a re-read down the road a bit. The setting was Japan, with some off site bits in Manchuria.
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Just left Zimbabwe (could also have called this England or Iran) with The Golden Notebook: Perennial Classics edition. My review is at http://bethslistlove.wordpress.com/20...
I (finally) finished 1493: Uncovering the New World Columbus Created. To find out why it seemed to take so long and what I really think of the book (it's all good!), check out my review which you can find here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/11...
I lingered in New Zealand for almost a month listening to The Bone People with their myths. I'm still not sure I understand the symbolism in their stories.My Review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Just finished an audio version of The White Tiger for India. Loved it. Review is http://bethslistlove.wordpress.com/20... . Back soon. Can't believe I used to be behind....
I've finished The Snow Leopard some days ago, but lacked time to write a review . I gave this book 5-stars and will certainly re-read next year or so. I continue my world tour in China with Love in a Fallen City
Here is the review for my pick for England: The Annotated Emma over at Epinions.com:http://www.epinions.com/review/The_An...
Beth wrote: "Harmonybites wrote: "I was just running barefoot with the Tarahumara in Mexico and regaining some of my pride in being human. It got off to what I thought was a dubious start in the first fifty pag..."Beth, I just bought a pair of vibrams and have begun running. I'm loving it, so I'm really very much a novice. How often/far do you run? Are you liking the vibrams?
Sharon wrote: "Beth wrote: "Harmonybites wrote: "I was just running barefoot with the Tarahumara in Mexico and regaining some of my pride in being human. It got off to what I thought was a dubious start in the fi..."I run three days a week and the distance varies. I didn't run from November to June, so I am just building my endurance back up. I'm training for a half marathon in August in Providence, so I run/walk 4 miles a couple days and 6 on the long day. This will go up from now to August. Then I'll probably do another race in the fall, and I'm signed up for the Shamrock Half in VA Beach in March, which hopefully will be pure running again. I had done endurance races before, but always walked them. After that book, I started running. You should check out the couch to 5K running regimen for getting started. It is a great way to break in. I used the intervals of running and walking from that, but just do more of them to reach my desired distance for my half marathon training schedule!
Beth wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Beth wrote: "Harmonybites wrote: "I was just running barefoot with the Tarahumara in Mexico and regaining some of my pride in being human. It got off to what I thought was a dubious ..."You're an inspiration! I've just looked up couch to 5k, and I'm doing something close to that so I'll just shift (I was jogging and walking in one minute intervals, but without a warm-up, so I was close, but I like the idea of a proven plan over my instinct so I'm going to read up a bit more). Nice to know reading and running go so well together ;-)
Quick trip to Portugal with José Saramago and Cain. Loved it. My review is at http://bethslistlove.wordpress.com/20... .
Beth wrote: "Quick trip to Portugal with José Saramago and Cain. Loved it. My review is at http://bethslistlove.wordpress.com/20... ."Beth, loved your review and now I'm interested in the book but I already have Blindness on hand.
Your ongoing goals are amazing. Good luck with them all.
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Around the World
Books mentioned in this topic
The Orphan Master's Son (other topics)Kino: A Novel (other topics)
True: A Novel (other topics)
Secretum (other topics)
Secretum (other topics)
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Authors mentioned in this topic
Eduardo Galeano (other topics)Coleridge Cook (other topics)
Tomas Tranströmer (other topics)
Gloria Whelan (other topics)
Michael Morpurgo (other topics)
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