Around the World discussion
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2012-2024 Discussions
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Where in the World Have You Been?!?! (Book Finished and Review Linked)
Just finished Peace Is Every Breath: A Practice for Our Busy Lives. Loved it. I must be a reincarnate monk. This way of life has such incredible appeal to me!
I left Yasha Masur, the Magician of Lublin, in Poland. It was great fun! I'm now in the Ukraine (and sometimes in St Petersburg Russia) with Gogol, and having a marvelous time - it will be too short alas!
Yrinsyde - Looked at your blog to read about the Magician of Lublin. It sounds like a fun book indeed. Have to check out the author...
I visited Berlin between 1905-17 through the youthful eyes and heart of Robert Walser, a SWISS writer who eventually returned to SWITZERLAND. Life in big cities was not so different then as urban public life, transportation, and culture still is similar. A written work whether created on a computer or with a pencil comes from the same creative mind. My Review of "Berlin Stories"
Asmah wrote: "I visited Berlin between 1905-17 through the youthful eyes and heart of Robert Walser, a SWISS writer who eventually returned to SWITZERLAND. Life in big cities was not so different..."
I't's been on my list... but I will try to get it in German, though, if I can find it.
Friederike wrote: "...I't's been on my list... but I will try to get it in German, though, if I can find it..."Friederike, Robert Walser @ Project Gutenburg has some of his German-language writing.
Very good! Thank you, I'll check it out
Just got off the train in Valga, Estonia. Had a fascinating trip with the esteemed Professor Martens (a real historical figure, a diplomat at the turn of the 20th century for the Russian court). He mistook me for his wife and was involved in some serious soul searching on the trip about his past behavior, both personal and professional. My review is at http://bethslistlove.wordpress.com/20... . Not fluffy, light reading, but really interesting. I definitely recommend it, particularly if you are into the history of international relations in that period! Professor Martens' Departure by Jaan Kross
Finally posted my review of Halldor Laxness's The Fish Can Sing. Here is the link http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Finished Schindler's List last night. It was a powerful read, but made me afraid to fall asleep with my mind so full of concentration camp horror. My review is at http://bethslistlove.wordpress.com/20...Just when I thought I was safely listening to a book on Kashmir today, it switched to the experience of a Jew in France in 1940. Uh oh. Apparently even Rushdie is no guarantee of a Holocaust-free read this month.
Today I finished a fast read: Wildflower Hill -- Tasmania mostly, with some episodes in London, Glasgow, and Sydney. Lots of atmosphere, weather, terrain.
During my visit to the Anatolian coast of TURKEY, I found warm hospitality, thus I welcomed reading Ikinci Yeni - The Turkish Avant-Garde, poems of the 1950s-70s translated by George Messo. Several poems are in Istanbul and around the Golden Horn. This is a book for people who like to read and/or write poetry. my review
I've completed my latest book, The Club Dumas. While the action takes place in more than one country, it begins and ends in Spain. Therefore I've chosen it as my selection for Spain.http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I'm leaving Indonesia and head for Spain. I added a review Aarde der Mensen I read it in Dutch, but it's available in other languages as well.
I finally finished listening to the audio of In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin which I did not really enjoy and, as you can imagine, I am not sorry to be leaving Hitler's Berlin. Here is my review -- http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/..., but the review I really liked for this book can be found at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/.... I also just finished reading A New Voice for Israel: Fighting for the Survival of the Jewish Nation which was a fast read and very thought provoking and I guess geographically it kept me mainly in NYC with a brief period in Israel. My brief review on that one is here http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/.... Currently, I am back in the UK with regular trips to Egypt with Lady Almina And The Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy Of Highclere Castle. I realize this is like my 3rd or 4th book in the UK, but I just can't seem to make myself leave England for too long at a stretch. Makes it hard to cover all the geography I need to cover to make my 52 books, but alas, what can I do?
Don wrote: "Wendy wrote: "I finally finished listening to the audio of In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin which I did not really enjoy and, as you c..."Glad to know I'm in good company Don :-)
Wendy wrote: "Don wrote: "Wendy wrote: "I finally finished listening to the audio of In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin which I did not really enjoy a..."And I understand what you both are going through as I'm currently reading a paranormal police procedural (say that 3 times fast!) set in England which won't be for the challenge but is too good to pass up. I think I'll have to get the sequel right after I finish the one I'm reading. Of course there's the other 4 books I'm reading too.
Sue wrote: "Wendy wrote: "Don wrote: "Wendy wrote: "I finally finished listening to the audio of In the Garden of Beasts: Love, Terror, and an American Family in Hitler's Berlin which I did not ..."So what's the name of the paranormal police procedural? Sounds interesting.
It's Midnight Riot though the original title I had added was Rivers of London, which must have been the British title. I just checked my library and there are 2 more titles, the most recent on order. I've requested the 2nd title, Moon Over Soho which isn't available for my kindle sadly so I won't be able to start it the second I finish the first.
Don wrote: "Blackbird by Ivan Southall is the most confusing and worst book I've ever read. How this book got into print is beyond me. If it hadn't been for this challenge Iwould never have fi..."If you ever want to give Australia another try, I really loved
A Town Like Alice. Sorry Blackbird was such a dud. It's always disappointing when you start a book w/ high hopes and it just doesn't deliver.
Just finished Chariots of the Gods by Erich von Daniken from Switzerland. It was pretty good, though the end started to fall apart for me. Review can be found here
Don wrote: "Blackbird by Ivan Southall is the most confusing and worst book I've ever read. How this book got into print is beyond me. If it hadn't been for this challenge Iwould never have fi..."Hi Don - if you do go back looking for some good young adult Australian fiction I can recommend John Marsden, Melina Marchetta or Phillip Gwynne.
Well, I have decided that my trip to Kashmir with Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie really needs to be a stop on my world tour. I loved the book -- my review is at http://bethslistlove.wordpress.com/20... . The heck with my map. Ok, now I really need to go to sleep! And Jenny, I'm adding this to my list and the group bookshelf...
My experience with Kenya hasn't been all that great. I started out with Out of Africa which I didn't finish. Instead, I read The Dig about an archeological dig in Kenya. It wasn't much better. Sadly, I leave Kenya with the hopes that someday I'll go back with a great read.my review
I had a great time in the Ukraine with Gogol's Diary of a Mad Man and other Stories and I am now in the wilds of Belarus on the run from the Germans with the Bielski Brothers - a rather sobering experience. My next stop will be at Ivan Ilych's deathbed in Russia but I have to wait 2 weeks for my Mooched book to reach me from Malaysia so I guess I will head for Finland with The Summer Book.
I just left the southern USA where I learned about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I wrote a long review, but Goodreads failed to save it. I cannot rewrite it now but will try later. I loved this book, but it broke my heart. I will never forget little Elsie. I will be forever grateful we will never know exactly what she suffered. This is a story of how assumptions about the relative value of particular races, demographies, and professions take precedent over others. It's a story of a society wrestling with the inequalities it's created and in fact requires in order to thrive and about an emerging recognition of and wrestling with the assumptions that drive and support scientific inquiry. It's also about a family and their love for and struggles with one another. It's an amazing and beautiful book.
Sharon wrote: "I just left the southern USA where I learned about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks. I wrote a long review, but Goodreads failed to save it. I cannot rewrite it now but will try ..."Glad to hear that you liked this book. I have it high on my tbr, but not for this group since I live in the US.
I was lost, ironically. I thought Lost in Shangri-la was going to take place in Papua, New Guinea, but it was in Dutch New Guinea. SO it's Indonesia. It was a great book, but now I have to add another Oceania book to succeed with my 6 books 6 countries 6 regions thing... Here is the link to my review: http://bethslistlove.wordpress.com/20...
I just finished Lady Almina And The Real Downton Abbey: The Lost Legacy Of Highclere Castle, but am still in England and Ireland with Why Not Say What Happened?: A Memoir. I am not making much headway around the globe, I'm afraid. This one is going to be a fast read though. I also just started listing to Wolf Hall on audio -- also set in England. If this were a "read 52 books about the UK" challenge then clearly I would be doing great.
Here's my shortened review of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (shortened because the first and much longer version didn't get saved for some reason): http://www.goodreads.com/review/edit/...After reading this, I thought of this speech by Senator Barack Obama, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zrp-v2....
Sharon wrote: "Here's my shortened review of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (shortened because the first and much longer version didn't get saved for some reason): http://www.goodreads.com/re..."Thanks, Sharon, so sorry that your original review was lost, that is so frustrating. I know from experience! This book is high on my list and has been staring me down from my living room bookshelf for over a year now.
Edit: Sharon, I so hate to tell you this but it doesn't look as if the second review saved either. It came up blank when I clicked the link. :(
Due to a computer crash and almost an entire week without internet access, a lot of reading was done. Perhaps I should unplug more often..The first stop I made was to Bangladesh where I was caught up in the most scandalous behavior and a devious act of Revenge. Needless to say that I had a good time.
Review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
At the end of February I finished Ways of Dying: A Novel, my South Africa book and have just had the chance to post my review which can be found athttp://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I was impressed with the central character and want to read Mda's second book about him.
Mikki wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Here's my shortened review of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (shortened because the first and much longer version didn't get saved for some reason): http://www.g..."I hope you do read it, Mikki. I am still thinking about, and will be for some time. Try this for my (very short) review. If this doesn't work, I have no idea what I might do to get this saved!
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Anne wrote: "Your review is saved. Hurrah! :)"Hurrah, indeed! I had no idea what I'd do if it wasn't saved this time!
Sharon wrote: "Mikki wrote: "Sharon wrote: "Here's my shortened review of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks (shortened because the first and much longer version didn't get saved for some reason)..."Got it! :)
I have now posted my review of In Sorcery's Shadow: A Memoir of Apprenticeship among the Songhay of Nigerby Paul Stoller. I really think that Stoller's study and practice of sorcery is regrettable on more than a professional level. My review can be found at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
I've now finished Samarkand, set i n Persia/Iran in medieval times and then around the turn of the 20th century. Very interesting, well-written historical fiction based on Omar Khayyam and his Rubaiyaat. for my review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Finally finished Kristin Lavransdatter, thus leaving Norway. It was an interesting, but an incredibly long, and sometimes much too melodramatic read. Toward the end I began to seriously lose steam.
Finished De Pelgrimstocht naar Santigo My review is uploaded.
So I'm leaving Spain and I'm heading for Greece to read good old Homer's Iliad
I need to read this for my art study. It's not a burden because I like mythology.
I finished Why Not Say What Happened?: A Memoir (review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...) and left London/NYC and now, since it's spring break, I'm in Hawaii reading Unfamiliar Fishes. I usually enjoy Sarah Vowell and I am looking forward to learning more about the history of Hawaii. I read Michener's Hawaii quite a few years ago, but am interested in getting Sarah's take on the story.
Just left Sweden after catching a child murderer in Unwanted: A Novelhttp://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Just got the review up for my entry for South Africa: Tinderbox: How the West Sparked the AIDS Epidemic and How the World Can Finally Overcome It and the long review can be found here:http://www.epinions.com/review/Craig_...
Wendy wrote: "I finished Why Not Say What Happened?: A Memoir (review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...) and left London/NYC and now, since it's spring break, I'm in Hawaii reading [b..."Oh! I'm so looking forward to hearing what you think of Unfamiliar Fishes. I just finished it recently and loved it. I got the audio book, and for me that really enhanced the experience. I love listening to her ;-)
Sharon wrote: "Wendy wrote: "I finished Why Not Say What Happened?: A Memoir (review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...) and left London/NYC and now, since it's spring break, I'm in Haw..."I love hearing Sarah Vowell speak too. I've been to 2 of her book signings and love hearing her on This American Life. I'm enjoying Unfamiliar Fishes so far. Will post my review once I finish (probably w/in the next week or so).
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Around the World
Books mentioned in this topic
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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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Great review Jennifer, I just put it on hold :)