Around the World discussion

I've just left a single Central London sexpert who has just found love. Mmm, well I had this on the shelves and thought I might as well read it for this challenge (also read this for another challenge) but it didn't wow me. I've nearly finished reading my bio of Genghis Khan which is far more interesting!

I started reading this book for a US challenge thinking it was about Philadelphia, and it ended up being about Guatemala. Go figure. I really enjoyed it, and I love that i finally get it out of my to-read-list, it's been there for at least 7 years :) The books is Family Resemblance and my review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I fear I'm going to be spending a lot of time in England during my around the world journey this year. I just finished The Distant Hours, which I enjoyed. My review is here: http://coldread.wordpress.com/2013/02.... Now it's off to the Isle of Jersey with Seduction: A Novel of Suspense.

I just finished Night Train to Lisbon which I DO recommend, but only if you enjoy books with philosophical content.

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

The setting is primarily Lisbon but you also visit Finisterre in Galicia, Spain, and Bern, Switzerland.

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Now I will startJohn Adams. I thought I should take a mini-break after reading and loving Benjamin Franklin: An American Life, but actually I have only been thinking about returning to the founding fathers since I closed that book!

Chrissie wrote: "I just finished Night Train to Lisbon which I DO recommend, but only if you enjoy books with philosophical content.

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

The setting is primar..."
I know what you mean, Chrissie. I read several books in that genre, including
John Adams, and couldn't get enough! I'll be reading Benjamin Franklin: An American Life and Alexander Hamilton soon!

Set mostly in Marin, California, Anne Lamott does take two trips in this book: one to India and another to the Baltic Sea. These are relatively short descriptions (and not the main subject of the book) but detailed nonetheless since she is such a perceptive chronicler.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Suzanne wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I just finished Night Train to Lisbon which I DO recommend, but only if you enjoy books with philosophical content.

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

The ..."

They are certainly addictive. There are some really talented authors writing these books.

Just wandered Lake Huron and other parts of Ontario (Canada) in Dear Life: Stories by Alice Munro. My review is here... Alice Munro has lived in Ontario almost her entire life, and she was born in 1931, so her perspective spans decades. Almost centuries!

Completed my travels in ancient Rome with Cleopatra's Daughter. Loved the historical setting, learned so much about ancient Rome have nothing but admiration for Selene, Cleopatra's daughter - she was an amazing person. I'd love to find a book that picks up on her life from where this book left off. My review here:
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Lilisa, you link doesn't work!

Cuba: Dirty Havana Trilogy by Pedro Juan Gutiérrez
A lot of people hate this, but it has something strangely compelling about it. The book is a rambling, modernist influenced memoir and is not all that complimentary to either Cuba or the author.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Belgium: The Legend of the Glorious Adventures of Tyl Ulenspiegel in the Land of Flanders & Elsewhere by Charles de Coster
This is good, although not really what I was expecting (I was expecting just the folk tales). The formatting on the kindle version is not very good. It doesn't make the book difficult to read, but there is a lot of strange floating punctuation.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Portugal: The Gospel According to Jesus Christ by José Saramago
This is not a book for anyone whose religious sensibilities are easily disturbed, but it is an interesting and well developed 'What if...' scenario.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Dominican Republic: In The Time Of The Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
This is based on an actual incident and real people. The author obviously felt constrained by that and it could have been a better book if she had not been. It is still good and worth reading.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Rwanda: Baking Cakes In Kigali by Gaile Parkin
I was still reading this one when I first posted this so I have now added my review. I would recommend it.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Val,

Thanks for the info about the Kindle version of de Coster's book.

Saramago's A Viagem do Elefante is good, but listen to it rather than read it! The lack of punctuation would drive me batty. The narrator then has to deal with this, not the listener. :0)

I definitely had trouble with Alvarez's book. She is better at writing fiction than fact! AND the character portrayals ere uneven

Chrissie wrote: "Lilisa, you link doesn't work!"

Darn, thanks Chrissie. Let's try this again - fixed it in the original post as well.

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

Lilisa wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Lilisa, you link doesn't work!"

Darn, thanks Chrissie. Let's try this again - fixed it in the original post as well.

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

It still doesn't work for me, Lilisa.....

Thanks Chrissie, I think I will try that.

Lilisa, Goodreads was not letting me attach reviews earlier, but it is now, so it might be worth trying again.

Lilisa wrote: "Completed my travels in ancient Rome with Cleopatra's Daughter. Loved the historical setting, learned so much about ancient Rome have nothing but admiration for Selene, Cleopatra's daughter - she ..."

Let me try to link Lilisa's review.

I enjoyed Cleopatra's Daughter as well, Lilisa. I don't think Michelle Moran has written any sequels, but Stephanie Dray has a series starting with Lily of the Nile. I haven't read any of her books so I can't recommend them. Perhaps it's worth checking out.

Janice wrote: "Let me try to link Lilisa's review."

Janice, how smart you are!!! That worked. :0)

Just finished a tour of 30s Limerick Ireland through Frank McCourt's Angela's Ashes. A lot of people do adore this book, so I don't say one shouldn't give it a whirl and decide for themselves. All I can say is it's one of those books that straddle fiction and non-fiction, and neither side of it won me over.

Full review linked below:

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

I've been in Rwanda with Running the Rift: A Novelwhich deals with life before and during the genocide in 1994. Then I visited Argentina with Perlaa very moving story about the "disappeared" in the 1970's. I thought this was an outstanding book and will definitely read her The Invisible Mountain.
Then I was off to North Dakota to visit The Round House which was my first book by this author. For sure I will read many more of her books.

Have just finished The Radetzky March which took me to the Habsburg monarchy of Austria-Hungary. Had read this book many years ago so I included it on the list. An amazing book about the end of the Belle Epoque just before the First WW. Would recommend this.

I finally got around to review Yejide Kilanko's Daughters who walk this path. It is set in Nigeria. I read it months ago, but got sidetracked... here is my review http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Vizara wrote: " I visited Argentina with Perla a very moving story about the "disappeared" in the 1970's. I thought this was an outstanding book and will definitely read her The Invisible Mountain."

I do recommend The Invisible Mountain! I have read both, and prefer that one. Perla, even with its magical realism, well conveyed life during the Dirty War. I wasn't that pleased with how the different personal relationships were dealt with. (view spoiler)[ Although the reader gets a very moving understanding of how it would feel to be a child of one of the “disappeared”, how biological grandparents and other relatives were affected and the guilt that must shroud the non-biological parents’ behavior, the author completely avoids how the girl resolved her conflict with her non-biological parents! This is a total cop out in my view. We are told that in the future they might talk….. (hide spoiler)]

Janice wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Completed my travels in ancient Rome with Cleopatra's Daughter. Loved the historical setting, learned so much about ancient Rome have nothing but admiration for Selene, Cleopatra's ..."

Thanks a ton Janice - I'm not sure what I'm not doing right. When I post it and check the link it works for me so will have to figure it out. Thanks again!

Janice wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "Completed my travels in ancient Rome with Cleopatra's Daughter. Loved the historical setting, learned so much about ancient Rome have nothing but admiration for Selene, Cleopatra's ..."

And thanks for the tip on Stephanie Dray - I will have to check her out!

I am leaving Russia and just completed City of Thieves. You can find my review here: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Debbie, Janice was looking for a book for Russia. Both you and I gave City of Thieves five stars!

Finished Bamboo Palace: Discovering the Lost Dynasty of Laos the other day, and the review is here http://rusalkii.blogspot.com.au/2013/...

I love the author, but wasn't in love with the subject matter. But if SE Asia is your thing, hopefully you'll enjoy it immensely.

Chrissie wrote: "Debbie, Janice was looking for a book for Russia. Both you and I gave City of Thieves five stars!"

I read it and listened to the audio using Whispersinc. The narrator is awesome!

Debbie wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "Debbie, Janice was looking for a book for Russia. Both you and I gave City of Thieves five stars!"

I read it and listened to the audio using Whispersinc. The narrator is awesome!"

Debbie, how great to have access to both formats! I bought mine from Book Depository. I was impressed - they promised to send another book if you were displeased with it! That is how good they thought it was. I did love it, so no second book.

Chrissie wrote: "Suzanne wrote: "Chrissie wrote: "I just finished Night Train to Lisbon which I DO recommend, but only if you enjoy books with philosophical content.

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

I read

Night Train to Lisbon a few years ago and really enjoyed it.

I have just been in Germany with Those Who Save Us and which I abandoned after 124 pages. Did not like the prose, the characters didn't come to life for me and showed no emotion.
If somebody on the list is interested in this book I'd be happy to mail it to them.

Vizara, we seem to share common sentiments on books! "Night Train" good and "Those Who Save Us" bad! I did finish the latter though. Even if the end improves the book, I only gave it two stars! The main character was both naïve and uninformed when the story opens. Several of the characters behave unconvincingly. Their actions are construed.

Because I was so upset with my last book I forgot to mention that I have been in Zimbabwe with Casting with a Fragile Thread: A Story of Sisters and Africa which was a bit of a disappointment to me. Then I was in Cambodia with The Gate which I read in one sitting. Bizot lived in Cambodia for many years before the tragedy of the Khmer Rouge in 1975, was a prisoner in one of their camps and then was evacuated in the last convoy of foreign nationals.

Chrissie wrote: "Vizara, we seem to share common sentiments on books! "Night Train" good and "Those Who Save Us" bad! I did finish the latter though. Even if the end improves the book, I only gave it two stars! The..."

I feel exactly the same. On page 25 Max Stern (one of the protagonists) says that he's been left by some of his patients "who have emigrated, to Israel, the America's...." And this is in 1939! There was no Israel at that time so I really forced myself to continue.

Vizara, the relationships were poorly portrayed. I never felt any love grow between Anna and Max. If Anna supposedly did what she did for her daughter, Trudy, it would have been more convincing if their relationship was close. It certainly wasn't. It was all about Anna and Max. Also Matilda yaps about not wanting Anna to join the resistance, and then she immediately relents. So very badly written. For me this book did not work!

I finished Pride and Prejudice, which I counted for England although I Capture the Castle is much better for getting taste of English landscape and lifestyle. Also finished with Snow FLower and the Secret Fan for China which I absolutely loved and really got a good feel for Chinese culture, lifestyle and societal expectations during 1800's.

Here are my review links...http://momssmallvictories.com/book-re...
http://momssmallvictories.com/book-re...

I've left the jungles of Brazil behind in State of Wonder.

My review.

More books for the States!

I finished Witch-Hunt: Mysteries of the Salem Witch Trialsand thought it was very good! Not just for kids, although it is a YA book. Clear, informative and to the point, without all the erroneous hearsay that surrounds this topic.
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...


I am also listening to books about American Independence and so I decided to follow the same vein and read The Winthrop Woman, to better understand the Puritan faith. I loved this author's Katherine. I am hoping it will be equally good. This is historical fiction that doesn't play around with the facts, only what is not known, such as emotions and thoughts and dialog are added.

Loving: John Adams

Wow ... I had an amazing adventure in Mongolia, learning all about the life and conquests of Genghis Khan. I'm now learning about the early European settlements in Japan by reading my husband's grandfather's book. He wrote a regular section in the English language newspaper in Japan in the '50s and this book is a collection of them.

I tried to read A State of Symmetry for South Africa. It didn't work http://rusalkii.blogspot.com.au/2013/...

I've got Zoo City on my list for later in the year, so I will substitute that in.

Just left Poland with The History of Love. Here's the review: http://bethslistlove.wordpress.com/20...

And now I've left Fiji with Dodging Machetes: How I Survived Forbidden Love, Bad Behavior, and the Peace Corps in Fiji. Review very brief but at http://bethslistlove.wordpress.com/20...

Just left Japan and The Housekeeper and the Professor A bit disappointed as I had higher expectations. My review here:

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

I just posted my review of Rav Hisda's Daughter, Book I: Apprentice: A Novel of Love, the Talmud, and Sorcery by Maggie Anton, a historical novel that takes place in Persia and Palestine.

My review is at http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I absolutely loved this book, but as I make clear in my review, I don't think everyone would feel the same way.

I just left Renaissance Italy as seen through the eyes of Dava Sobel's Galileo's Daughter: A Historical Memoir of Science, Faith and Love. It didn't impress--and it's a misnomer--this isn't about Galileo's daughter but Galileo. But it's a quick read that does give you a sense of why Einstein called Galileo the father of modern science. Full review linked below:

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

My Internet connection has been down for two days. Horrible. In the interim I have finished both
John Adams
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...
and BOOK 8 for Belgium, 4 stars, completed 12/2
A Soldier's Diary
My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I haven't enjoyed a book as much as "John Adams" in ages! It is fabulous. Everybody should read this book. "A Soldier's Diary" got four stars, so that was good too.

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Will begin: City of Women for Germany

I have left Tibet with Princess in Land of Snows: The Life of Jamyang Sakya in Tibet which I enjoyed. It describes her life in Tibet and the flight across the Himalaya's with her family after China invaded and annexated their country. She is married to the Sakya lama, the leader of one of the 4 main branches of Buddhism in Tibet. There is a lot about Buddhism, monastries, etc so this might not be a book for everyone. I worked in a hospital in Nepal in 2006 and thus had a chance to learn a bit about their culture.

Beth wrote: "Just left Poland with The History of Love. Here's the review: http://bethslistlove.wordpress.com/20..."

i adore this book. (i gave it 5 stars, and it is one of my fave of all time.) just wanted to let you know that it was recommended to me by my brother-in-law who read it voluntarily. add another male to your list :)

Lurk42 wrote: "Beth wrote: "Just left Poland with The History of Love. Here's the review: http://bethslistlove.wordpress.com/20..."

i adore this book. (i gave it 5 stars, and it is o..."

I also loved this book.

I just left the UK with God Save the Queen. My review is below.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...