Around the World discussion

Just took another trip to England during World War 2 with Unexploded by Alison MacLeod. It was one of the books from the Booker longlist this year, but didn't make the shortlist. I enjoyed it more than I expected, largely because it was about relationships with war as a backdrop and not the other way around.

I've also recently read and neglected to mention We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo, a very difficult read from the Booker shortlist set in Zimbabwe, not for its density but for its violence, sometimes it feels added entirely for shock value, or maybe I just have no idea what living as a poor, displaced person can be like.

Another book I recently finished from the Booker longlist is The Lowland by Jhumpa Lahiri. It tells the story of two brothers during revolution in India, and follows one as he moves to Rhode Island. I'm not sure it sparkles the way some of Lahiri's other works, but I may feel that way since I managed to listen to the audiobook out of order.

I really liked Blood Makes Noise and would definitely have given it four stars, except I found out at the end that the audiobook version had no author's note. :0/ It is about Eva Péron, so set in Argentina.
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Will start She Left Me the Gun: My Mother's Life Before Me b/c it just looks so interesting. This one is set mostly in South Africa.

I really enjoyed Monsoon Memories with dual narrators in the UK and India. Excellent dramatic novel. It really made me nostalgic for my family in India and I didn't want the book to end.

http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/17...

Although I didn't count this book towards this challenge, it describes Jill and her families travels through different countries while teaching abroad, Guam, Ghana, Singapore, Mexico. It was an easy, lighthearted read as the author describes raising her kids in these very different cultures. http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/15...

Completed She Left Me the Gun: My Mother's Life Before Me
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
Set mostly in South Africa.

Will now start An Exquisite Sense of What Is Beautiful. The book description says, "A sweeping novel of East and West, love and war, truths and denials." Really? I hope so. I am intrigued.

Like my life I am flinting between hemispheres. I just finished 'Case Histories' from Cambridge, Eng. But I am jumping right to 'The Light Between the Oceans', a tale about WA, Australia. Today, I am floating on the bay between the estates of Gatsby and Daisy. So much good writing. My kind of life,traveling and good writing.

Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing

I've just finished this book. Haven't written my review yet but I will, only I want to sing its praises: it's a most accessible history of the Soviet Union, separated into chapters on decades, and it's a memoir by cookbook writer Anya Von Bremzen. This book should be taught in schools.

Daisy wrote: "Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing

I've just finished this book. Haven't written my review yet but I will, only I want to sing its praises: it's a most accessible h..."

I loved that book!!

Jenny wrote: "Daisy wrote: "Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing

I've just finished this book. Haven't written my review yet but I will, only I want to sing its praises: it's a mos..."

I saw your 5 stars but I haven't read your review yet because I want keep mine my own. Once I make my notes, I'll look at yours. I loved this too. It was so full of information and sentiment.

Finished An Exquisite Sense of What Is Beautiful
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Have started The Sun Also Rises, b/c I feel like another Hemingway. The narration by William Hurt seems good. The Americans sound so terribly "American". Makes me smile.

I also finished An Army of Angels: A Novel of Joan of Arc as my DTB. Njahhhh...... I have read better.
My very short review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I think I will give World of Our Fathers: The Journey of the East European Jews to America and the Life They Found and Made. It is a huge door-stopper.

I've been in Nigeria during the Biafran War in the very good hands of Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie through her Half of a Yellow Sun. A fantastic--if sobering--read. Full review linked below:



http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Was in Russia in The House by the Dvina: A Russian Childhood - a wonderful book I'd highly recommend. And yes, Chrissie, loved the bath house segment! My review here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Lilisa wrote: "Was in Russia in The House by the Dvina: A Russian Childhood - a wonderful book I'd highly recommend. And yes, Chrissie, loved the bath house segment! My review here: http://www.goodreads.com/revie..."

I love that book!!!!!!!

Chrissie wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Was in Russia in The House by the Dvina: A Russian Childhood - a wonderful book I'd highly recommend. And yes, Chrissie, loved the bath house segment! My review here: http://www.good..."

Yes, a book I can read again and again - I'm glad I bought it!

Lilisa wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Was in Russia in The House by the Dvina: A Russian Childhood - a wonderful book I'd highly recommend. And yes, Chrissie, loved the bath house segment! My review here..."

For me it was worth buying twice!

A story of honour and regret from Slovakia:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

which is also a theme in Ireland:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/....

Politics through the eyes of a child in ROC:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Adventure and mystery in New Zealand:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Chrissie wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Was in Russia in The House by the Dvina: A Russian Childhood - a wonderful book I'd highly recommend. And yes, Chrissie, loved the bath house segment!..."

Ah yes, Oscar! :-)

I finished The Sun Also Rises and think this is Hemingway's very best. I loved it.
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Now I have moved on to Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story. I have yet to find a good book of fiction set in the Koreas.

Hi all. I've been very quiet here for a while. I had to run off to the UK (and then came home via Japan) suddenly for a family emergency.

But this has helped my reading tremendously! So in the last 4 weeks I have read:

The Kite Runner - for Afghanistan before I left. I didn't think this quite lived up to the hype until I realised I had chewed my nails completely down to the quick, and then couldn't stop thinking about it for the days afterwards.

Love in the Time of Cholera - for Columbia. Was disappointed. Not as good as the hype lead me to expect. Not sure if I will go back for One Hundred Years of Solitude or not...

Mahu - Murder mystery/detective story set in Hawaii. A friend of mine's guilty pleasure reads. Fluffy and gets a bit naughty too. It made me blush on a train from Oxford to London.

The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - Again, pretty good, but didn't quiet live up to the hype again. I think I will go back for another at some stage though... just to double check.

and Out Stealing Horses - Brilliant. All the things I love about Scandinavian lit. Bitter-sweet story telling at it's best.

Chrissie wrote: "Finished Nine Parts of Desire: The Hidden World of Islamic Women set in Saudi Arabia and other countries of the Near East. Non-fiction about Islamic women's lives in the beginning of the 90s. Defin..."

Just to go back a few weeks. Glad you enjoyed it somewhat. I read the book, not listened and I didn't find the same problems you did. Mind you, it is so often easier to hear someones opinion through their voice than their words...

I should re-read it, it is on my favourites list.

Rusalka, what you say is true. You do hear what a person really means through their voice! That is one of the reasons people misunderstand each other on internet, I believe!

Completely agree. It's why I am a strong advocate for a sarcasm font!!

Rusalka wrote: "Completely agree. It's why I am a strong advocate for a sarcasm font!!"

What a great idea!

I finished the audiobook Give Me Tomorrow: The Korean War's Greatest Untold Story
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Yes, I am very glad I read it. I have read several books about the Vietnam War, but my knowledge of the Korean War was lacking.

I have begun Family Matters and the narration by Martin Jarvis is captivating. I am hoping it will be as good as A Fine Balance.

I've been in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide as seen through the eyes of Paul Rusabagina's An Ordinary Man: An Autobiography. It was a moving and informative book. Full review below:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Was in Iran with The Book of Fate. A very interesting glimpse into life in Iran and particularly into the lives of women in Iran. My review here:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I was in Sweden with Henning Mankell's Troubled Man... it took me a while to write a review. Here it is: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Not for this challenge, but read Orphan Train set in the U.S. - historical fiction about orphans being put on trains for couples to choose the kids they want as the trains stop at each station. This happened between 1853-1929. My review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished Family Matters which made me very unhappy.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Set in India of course.

Moving on to: Mary Coin. How do you look at that photo (see the book's cover) taken by Dorothy Lange back in 1936 of the "Migrant Mother" without wanting to know more.It is fiction, but still I must read it.

I was in Israel with Amos Oz, one of its leading literary lights, reading his memoir, A Tale of Love and Darkness. Even though there is some lovely writing and valuable insights, I found it too tediously detailed and repetitive and rambling to stick with it. Full review linked below:

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

I finished Mary Coin.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Will start tomorrow: The Paris Architect. Both are historical fiction.

Been in Greece with The House on Paradise Street. My review here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Lisa, I really likedA Tale of Love and Darkness. For me it kept my head thinking from start to finish! It is a very Jewish trait to analyze, discuss and argue about everything. I like that in the book. Nevertheless, in this family they should definitely have discussed more.

I went back to Nigeria, reading Chinelo Okparanta's Happiness, like Water. My review is here: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Chrissie wrote: "Lisa, I really likedA Tale of Love and Darkness. For me it kept my head thinking from start to finish! It is a very Jewish trait to analyze, discuss and argue about everything. I like that in the ..."

I can understand why others might love it--and some passages really were striking, and Oz's style impressive enough I wouldn't rule out reading more of him someday, despite not particularly liking this memoir.

Watched an interview with Tim Winton the other day about his new book. Seems like a lovely bloke. But Cloudstreet is definitely a novel, not a memoir. I HAVE to read this book this year, it's so high on the Aussie lit cannon. I will let you know what I think Judy. Glad you enjoyed parts of it.

The new book, Eyrie, sounds interesting. We'll see if it wins the Miles Franklin (our Pulitzer equiv). Another one of his that did win that, along with Cloudstreet was Breath. Another one that was mentioned was The Turning: Stories, but as a movie they made of it, where the movie was 17 individual movies made into one. One of them had Hugo Weaving in it. But it was so interesting a concept, and Tim Winton loved it, that I may have to go find it now.

I went to Chernobyl (Ukraine and Belarus), Fort McMurray (Canada), China, India, and the Gulf of Mexico in Visit Sunny Chernobyl: And Other Adventures in the World's Most Polluted Places. A light read but not particularly good. Fair warning. :) For more warning, read my review.

I finished The Paris Architect and definitely enjoyed it. It is interesting, oh so yucky, exciting and ends wonderfully. :0)
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Moved on to the audiobook All the Names. I prefer listening to Saramago rather than reading text without punctuation! I enjoyed A Viagem do Elefante, so I wanted to read another by the author.

Judy, I had mixed feeling on Cloudstreet too. Hej, I could not leave a comment at your review! Hmph!

I thought Breath was brilliant.

Oh I completely understand Judy, just was letting you know what I heard about. But I know when you encounter one of those authors, and it just drives you crazy. You wonder why they didn't write the entire book like that 25%, or at the very least when it's that big, edit it down!!

Will definitely let you know. But in the meantime, you can lord over me how more Aussie you are than me :P

Gosh, glad I finished All the Names. Read something else by Saramago. I thought I would avoid the lack of punctuation by listening to this one, but still you cannot avoid the never-ending sentences.
My review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

On to Bomb: The Race to Build—and Steal—the World's Most Dangerous Weapon. Afterwards I thought I would try American Prometheus: The Triumph and Tragedy of J. Robert Oppenheimer if I want more.

Judy wrote: "@Chrissie Huh. I don't know why not. "

It said we were not friends and you didn't allow such messages.

Yes, Judy, you have a weird profile; I've never seen another one like it on GR. The "pending approval" description has always remained.

I can't believe you were trolled, Judy. Your reviews are always so reasonable, and you don't tend to read New Adult or Young Adult, which tend to bring out the ummm....passionate responders.

I am sorry to say I finally had to block all non-friend responses to my reviews. I got too many lighten-up-it-is-only-a-book comments on my negative reviews. I do wish that there could be a case by case shutdown on the thread, but that will never happen with GR as it exists now. The site has become indifferent to complaints, needless to say.

This is frustrating to hear about, sorry for you both!

Thanks, Jenny, but my problem was just tedious. Too bad, as I enjoy talking meeting new people through reviews, but I was at the point of diminishing returns. It blows my mind that Judy was targeted.

Unless your an author of course...

*sits on can of worms she just opened to minimise damage*

I enjoy reading both of your reviews, so I say bring them on and let me at the trolls! *waves fists wildly without getting off afore mentioned can*

I've made the best friends through GoodReads!

I was literally in the middle of three reviews when the latest fiasco happened. I released one, since a friend had spied it, but I am still sitting on the other two. I feel sad over what has happened.

Judy, I had to switch to an audio for Cloudstreet; then I loved it. When I first took a glance at that elliptical first page, I knew I could not do it, especially since I had just finished The Bone People. There is only so much willful artiness I can handle in one go.