Around the World discussion

As it does not look as if I will "travel" to all the countries I intended to in 2013, here comes the 2014 list, sorted by setting.
While I´m on my way I will probably exchange, cross or add books but it´s a start...

✔ = finished
# = currently reading

1. Afghanistan
✔ 26/01/14 The Kite Runner
✔ 08/02/14 And the Mountains Echoed
✔ 10/03/14 A Thousand Splendid Suns

2. Australia
✔ 18/02/14 The Rosie Project
and/or I Am the Messenger

3. Austria
✔ 22/03/14 Herr Mozart wacht auf

4. Botswana
Tears of the Giraffe
and Morality for Beautiful Girls

5. Brazil
Eleven Minutes
and/or The Sound Of Butterflies

6. Cambodia
✔ 21/02/14 The Road of Lost Innocence: The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine

7. Canada
Life of Pi
and/or A Fatal Grace

8. China
Beijing Doll
and/or Shanghai Baby
and/or Lost on Planet China: The Strange and True Story of One Man's Attempt to Understand the World's Most Mystifying Nation, or How He Became Comfortable Eating Live Squid

9. Czech Republic
✔ 26/02/14 The Prague Cemetery

10. England (UK)
Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell

11. Ecuador
✔ 30/05/14 The Queen of Water

12. Fiji
Fiji: A Novel

13. France
Mes amis Mes amours
and/or Bal masqué

14. French Polynesia
The Bungalow

15. Germany
Eine unbeliebte Frau
and/or Tschick
and/or Die hellen Tage

16. Guyana
The Water Rat of Wanchai

17. Guernsey (UK)
The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society

18. Haiti
✔ 02/03/14 Island Beneath the Sea

19. Hong Kong (China)
Tai-Pan

20. Hungary
Valeria's Last Stand

21. Iceland
✔ 15/01/14 Burial Rites

22. India
The Toss of a Lemon
and/or The Space Between Us
and/or Sea of Poppies

23. Iran
Not Without My Daughter

24. Israel
Lineup
and/or Exodus

25. Italy
✔ 14/04/14 The Shape of Water
✔ 18/05/14 Ocean Sea
and/or Perlmann's Silence
and/or The Reincarnationist


26. Jamaica
The Book of Night Women
and/or The Nine Lives of Charlotte Taylor

27. Japan
✔ 29/01/14 The Housekeeper and the Professor
✔ 09/04/14 Die Pilgerjahre des farblosen Herrn Tazaki

28. Laos
The Coroner's Lunch

29. Mexico
Like Water for Chocolate

30. Morocco
✔ 19/02/14 Hideous Kinky
and/or The Caliph's House: A Year in Casablanca

31. Myanmar (Burma)
The Glass Palace
and/or The Art of Hearing Heartbeats

32. Namibia
✔ 13/01/14 Hummeldumm

33. Nepal
Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster

34. Netherlands
The Dinner

35. New Zealand
Tamar

36. Nigeria
Tiny Sunbirds, Far Away

37. Norway
The Redbreast
and/or ✔ 04/06/14 The Snowman

38. Pakistan
Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace ... One School at a Time
and/ or I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban

39. Palestine
The Almond Tree

40. Poland
✔ 13/01/14 The Beautiful Mrs. Seidenman

41. Russia
White Nights
and/or Midnight in St Petersburg
and/or The Winter Palace: A Novel of Catherine the Great
and/or Child 44

42. Samoa
Der Papaya-Palast

43. Scotland (UK)
The Firebird
and/or Knots and Crosses

44. Singapore
The Red Thread: A Chinese tale of love and fate in 1830s Singapore
and/or Aunty Lee's Delights:
and/or The Deceived

45. Somalia
Keeping Hope Alive: One Woman: 90,000 Lives Changed

46. Spain
The Club Dumas

47. Sri Lanka
Wave

48. Sweden
The Illiterate Who Could Count

49. Syriah
Der Lilith Code: Thriller
and/or The Golem and the Jinni

50. Thailand
✔ 11/05/14The Orchid House

51. Turkey
✔ 17/02/14 The Physician

52. Uganda
First Comes Love, then Comes Malaria: How a Peace Corps Poster Boy Won My Heart and A Third World Adventure Changed My Life
and/or Girl Soldier: A Story of Hope for Northern Uganda's Children

53. USA
✔ 12/01/14 The Passage
and/or Strands of Bronze and Gold
and/or The Particular Sadness of Lemon Cake
and/or Wonder

54. Virgin Islands (Great Britain/USA)
✔ 04/04/14 Twenty Seven Bones

55. Wales (UK)
Fear in the Sunlight

56. Yemen
The Last Refuge: Yemen, al-Qaeda, and America's War in Arabia

57. Zimbabwe
The Hairdresser of Harare

Thanks, Judy! It´s a start and I will keep on adding books. This challenge is way too much fun not to continue in 2014 :-). Are you planning on continuing in 2014 as well?

I really like your your book list. I've read some of them, but I will copy some from your list to read in 2014.

Thanks, Sara! You´re more than welcome to copy any books!

Judy wrote: "Alexandra wrote: "Thanks, Judy! It´s a start and I will keep on adding books. This challenge is way too much fun not to continue in 2014 :-). Are you planning on continuing in 2014 as well?"

Yes, ..."

I totally understand. I´ve owned Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell for about four years now and did not manage to read it. I don´t know what it is but I keep on buying books even though I know that my shelf at home could take me through at least three hard winters...
Did you like Jonathan Strange & Mr Norrell ?

Great list. The Rosie Project was my book of the year, and the Guernsey one was when I read it too I think.

I have started Jonathan Strange & Mr. Norrell twice now. The first time I thought NO WAY, the second time I actually liked it but wasn't in the right mood. So kudos for that!

Thanks, Bonnie and Jenny. I am quite curious about the books. The moment I put the list together, I wanted to start reading all of them at once...

Hi Alexandra! It looks like we may cross paths more than once with our books around the world. I still need to address my list, but I have several of the same chunksters. I do not think I will get to JS & MN this year though. I did love your Hong Kong book. I read it many years ago. I read a lot of James Clavell's books in my younger days. Maybe we can meet in the Czech Republic.

Hi Cherie *wave*! I´m looking forward to crossing paths again :-). I already got The Prague Cemetery from the library and Iam excited to start reading it. I liked The Name of the Rose a lot so this will be my second book from Umberto Eco.
I am also curious about Tai-Pan. I´ve read Noble House while I´ve actually been to Hong Kong and liked it a lot (both, the book and the city) so this one seems to be the first book.

I added your two Australia books to my list. Seems like everyone is talking about them both.

Great list!

Cherie wrote: "I added your two Australia books to my list. Seems like everyone is talking about them both."

I thought somehow you have read The Rosie Project already. I´m planning on reading it for the Australia Challenge this month. I´ll let you know if I liked it if you want me to.

Amanda wrote: "Great list!"

Thanks, Amanda!

Alexandra wrote: "Cherie wrote: "I added your two Australia books to my list. Seems like everyone is talking about them both."

I thought somehow you have read The Rosie Project already. I´m plannin..."

I have seen some postings, but not seriously thought about reading it until now. I will be interested to see what you think about it. :)

My list is growing by leaps. Everywhere I look I see another book set in Australia that I want to add. I may have to use the fruit maching to make my choices if I am going to keep it down to 10 for the year. I need to make a dent in my chunkster challenge for the books I already own and Australia was just going to be a vacation for when I needed a diversion. Right....

I´ve finished Burial Rites. Now I will be traveling from cold Iceland to Afghanistan.

Which book have you chosen for Afghanistan out of the three? I've read The Kite Runner but not the other two yet - I have them on my kindle though.

I don't know if this is useful information for you, but The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is currently only $ 1.99 for Kindle and Kobo (and maybe even more e-readers).

Sarah wrote: "Which book have you chosen for Afghanistan out of the three? I've read The Kite Runner but not the other two yet - I have them on my kindle though."

I´ve started reading The Kite Runner as it´s the first book. I am just a few pages into it but I love the writing already... Did you like it, Sarah?

Peggy wrote: "I don't know if this is useful information for you, but The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is currently only $ 1.99 for Kindle and Kobo (and maybe even more e-readers)."

Thanks, Peggy, this is more than useful, I will immediatley check it out. I had actually borrowed what I thought was the audio book from the library, only to discover that it is some MP3 version that my CD player won´t recognize it.

Oh I read The Kite Runner for K last year. I loved the writing.

I'd heard it was amazing but for me it was a slow burner. As in I put down the book then realised I was still thinking through it all after a few hours, then a few days. I would realise I was just sitting there thinking about the book, not doing whatever I was meant to be doing. Slightly overhyped but I still gave it 4.5 stars.

P.S. I have A Thousand Splendid Suns on my pile of possibles for this year.

Peggy wrote: "I don't know if this is useful information for you, but The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society is currently only $ 1.99 for Kindle and Kobo (and maybe even more e-readers)."

Unfortunately I could not find it on Amazon, maybe it´s only for you guys in the Netherlands? BUT Soy Sauce for Beginners was on offer for 1,99 Euros so I got this one as it´s also on my TBR. So thanks a lot, Peggy!!!

I have not yet read any book by Khaled Hosseini. I don't know why. They are very popular and well-received, but somehow I don't feel attracted to them, even though the topic and the setting would be something I like. I have put them on my list of around-the-world-books to choose from this year, so I might give on of them a try.

Rusalka wrote: "Oh I read The Kite Runner for K last year. I loved the writing.

I'd heard it was amazing but for me it was a slow burner. As in I put down the book then realised I was still thinking..."

That´s what I am worried about. There is a certain "pressure" to like the book as everybody loved it - I actually got two copies for Christmas so I need to tackle it now :-).
I´m planning on reading the other two books as well then.

Peggy wrote: "I have not yet read any book by Khaled Hosseini. I don't know why. They are very popular and well-received, but somehow I don't feel attracted to them, even though the topic and the se..."

I know what you mean, Peggy. It took me quite long as well to finally put these books on my TBR - I don´t know why exactly actually.

Ignore the pressure. I tried to and failed, which made me a little self conscious. But enjoy :)

Rusalka wrote: "Ignore the pressure. I tried to and failed, which made me a little self conscious. But enjoy :)"

I will. Thanks, Rusalka :-)

No worries ;)

I loved The Kite Runner and And the Mountains Echoed and enjoyed A Thousand Splendid Suns. The Kite Runner movie was also great - I was surprised how well it was done as I usually find movies don't do justice to books. Re: pressure to "like" a book - that was Beautiful Ruins for me - it got such rave reviews and I couldn't figure out why. I did not enjoy it at all - was definitely not for me.

I did really like the writing style of The Kite Runner. I also enjoyed the setting in Afghanistan and getting a sense of what it must have been like living there. I was kind of torn between liking the main character and not - I thought he could be a bit selfish and arrogant at times. It is also pretty sad. I think in my review I said that I both hated and loved this book at various points. I still gave it 5 stars though. It's funny because even though I liked this one and I have bought his other books, I don't feel any enthusiasm to read the others at the moment.

Sarah wrote: "I did really like the writing style of The Kite Runner. I also enjoyed the setting in Afghanistan and getting a sense of what it must have been like living there. I was kind of torn be..."

You know, I've done the same thing with the kite Runner after loving A thousand Splendid Suns. The amazing thing about that one (suns) is how the author captures his female characters. Their voices, I mean.

Sarah wrote: "I did really like the writing style of The Kite Runner. I also enjoyed the setting in Afghanistan and getting a sense of what it must have been like living there. I was kind of torn be..."

That´s exactly how I am feeling about Amir. I am about 30% into the book by now and even though I really like the story, at some parts I wanted to put the book away because (view spoiler)[ I felt so sorry for Hassan and the way he had been treated by his friend. Then again Amir was only a small boy... (hide spoiler)]

Agree with your spoiler Alexandra and that same feeling of wanting to put the book down. It's not easy reading in places but it's definitely worth persevering with.

Sarah wrote: "Agree with your spoiler Alexandra and that same feeling of wanting to put the book down. It's not easy reading in places but it's definitely worth persevering with."

I think so, too. If I watched the movie instead of reading the story, those are the parts I would have just closed my eyes for a couple of minutes.

Yes closing your eyes for sections of a book can make things confusing! ;-)

I`ve finished the book yesterday, it really got under my skin. I do understand what you meant with "slightly overhyped", though, Rusalka.

I see you rated it 5 stars - glad you enjoyed it and even moved on to another of his books! I'll be interested to hear what you think of that one.

I'm glad you enjoyed it so much though.

I finished The Prague Cemetery, it was kind of weird and not my cup of tea...
Unfortunately I discovered that it does not take place in Prague... Oh well.

Alexandra wrote: "I finished The Prague Cemetery, it was kind of weird and not my cup of tea...
Unfortunately I discovered that it does not take place in Prague... Oh well."

Alexandra - if you're looking for a book set in Prague, check out The Lost Wife. I read it recently and enjoyed it.

Another Prague book is Daughter of Smoke & Bone.

Sarah wrote: "Another Prague book is Daughter of Smoke & Bone."
Yes! And it is fantasy and YA, meaning it can be a nice break from the heavier novels making up a lot of world lit options. (Although the sequel to it is pretty heavy; I'm slogging through it right now, but it has some scenes in Uzbekistan and how many books are set there? *grin*)

Yes the second in much heavier but I really liked it. I think it also has a stint in Morocco. Looking forward to the new one that comes out in a few months.

Judy wrote: "Any idea why it is titled that if it doesn't take place there? That is rather strange..."

I know, you wouldn´t expect that, right? They are talking about this place in the book but don´t travel there so it does make sense in a way... I´ll look for another book set in Czech Republic, I´m sure there are plenty.

I´ve read Daughter of Smoke & Bone last year for this challenge and I liked it, it was as you said a nice break. I did not start with the sequel though, but a setting in Uzbekistan makes it quite tempting ;-)

I just finished The Shape of Water and I simply loved it. This book really takes you right to Sicily.

I never knew the sequel was set in Uzbekistan. Thanks for the info.

I just added The Shape of Water the other day. Glad to hear that you loved it!

Rusalka wrote: "I never knew the sequel was set in Uzbekistan. Thanks for the info.

I just added The Shape of Water the other day. Glad to hear that you loved it!"

It´s one of those books that not just have a foreign setting but really make you feel like you´ve been traveling. Pretty nice.

I'm pretty sure the sequel to Smoke & Bones isn't set in Uzbekistan - from what I recall it was set partly in Morocco and the majority in the land which the Chimaera live.