Around the World discussion

Index
*Note if anyone would like me to delete this index or change it in some way, please let me know. Thanks.

Update: June 20th, 2020, at 1 pm, this index will change into a more general overview of contents. Doing so will allow the creator of this thread both the ability to easily keep the index up to date while still allowing others to find things easily. Thanks for your understanding. The index entries that were created before June 20th at 1 pm will remain as they are for now.

Rachel's Set Up (Messages 1-4)
        "Rules" of Thread and Idea-Message 2
        Directions for Rachel's Buddy/Group Reads-Message 3
        Rachel's Books List for Buddy/Group Reads-Message 4
        Hannah Expresses Possible Interest for Some Books- Meassage 7 Part 2
Interest from Group for Buddy/Group Reads (Messages 5-?)
        Karen's Likely Reads in the next 18 months-Message 5
        Questions and Thanks from Rachel to Karen-Reply to Message 6
        Rachel Encourages Others to Still Join a Buddy/Group Read-Message 11 Part 2
Baba Yaga Group Sign Up
        Hannah Expresses Interest for Baba Yaga Group-Message 7 Part 1
        Rachel's Response back to Hannah-Message 8
        Hannah's Answer to Rachel's Question and Closed Libraries-Message 9
       Karen Joins Baba Yaga Group-Message 10
        Rachel Starts Baba Yaga Group-Message 11 Part 1
        Lilisa Asks to Join in on Baba Yaga Group-Message 12
        Rachel Accpets and Welcomes Lilisa to Baba Yaga Group-Message 13
She Would Be King Group Sign Up (Message 7 Part 2 and Messages 14-?)
        Possible Interest from Hannah- Message 7 Part 2
        Interest from Karen-Message 14
        Thanks to Karen from Rachel and Information about Music of the Ghosts and She Would Be King Group Reads-Message 15
Music of the Ghosts Group Sign Up (Message 7 Part 2 and Messages 14-?)
        Possible Interest from Hannah- Message 7 Part 2
        Interest from Karen-Message 14
        Thanks to Karen from Rachel and Information about Music of the Ghosts and She Would Be King Group Reads-Message 15

"Rules" of Thread
This thread is open for anyone to post a book that they are interested in doing a buddy/group read for. However, please observe the following rules or practices:
1. Before posting your list, please make sure that someone else has not already posted the same book.
2. Please do not use this thread for your buddy or group discussion. Instead, please create a new topic for the buddy or group discussion. This thread is only meant for buddy or group read sign ups.

Idea
Very few times in my life have I had the opportunity to do a buddy or group read with discussion opportunities throughout the book except for in school. However, the few times that I have had that opportunity, I have thoroughly enjoyed doing so. Therefore, I began to wonder if there ever were group reads. I quickly found out that the last one was in January of this year but that many people seemed to partake. Upon seeing that others had previously expressed interest in doing a group read in the past I began to consider creating a new thread with a list of books for which I was interested in doing a buddy or group read. After deciding to do so, I realized that several other reasons creating the opportunity for a buddy or group read might be beneficial. The most prominent being:

▸ I think that one often gains the best perspective or insight into a book when reading it with someone else or a group. I feel this is especially true for the types of books we may not be used to reading ourselves. These discussions may take several different forms, but I believe that this is the case no matter what type of discussion it is.

▸Although I know it may sound selfish, reading at least some of my Around the World books with a group or buddy will make it more likely that I stick with the goal or challenge that I have set.

▸While other groups have the opportunity for buddy or group reads, they have things that usually make them unfavorable for ATW buddy or group reads. For example, I have found a couple of groups that do group reads, but the books are all voted upon by members. However, most usually aren't very interested or at all interested in reading books from around the world. They are instead almost always only interested in books from the US, UK, and other large countries in the anglosphere. Countries like the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Paulu, Lesotho, and French Guiana? Forget it. There are several reasons for this, several of which are understandable such as wanting to read the same books that your IRL friends are reading. However, it still makes it hard to find others interested in reading from more remote, culturally diverse, or lesser-known countries.

▸Many of the books that I have on my list have been “stolen” from someone else in this group. Therefore, I feel it is likely that at least some of the books others are also planning to read. I also know that at least one other person has had difficulty or at least needed additional motivation, inspiration, or encouragement in the past. Since I am already aware of one, there are likely others as well. Doing a buddy or group read could help with this.

Directions for Rachel's Buddy/Group Reads
So that I can successfully set up a group or buddy read, I will need at least five things from the first person who signs up for each book. The five things are:

Starting Pace- Please let me know the number of pages or chapters that you would like to read per day, week, or discussion period. While I would prefer between 5 and 15 pages per day, please set it at least between 0 and 30 per day for the time being. I want to allow each of us a chance to read the book, wether just two of us are in the group or there are several people. This may change as we get farther into the book if the group thinks the pace is too fast or too slow but we at least need a starting point.

Book You are Interested In: While I think that the main reason for this is pretty self-evident (so I know the book that we will be reading), I didn't want anyone to forget accidentally. I also would like to know so that I can create a new thread/topic with at least part of the name as the thread's subject.

The date you Want to Start Reading the Book-Please let me know by or between what date(s) you would like us to start reading the book. If there isn't an exact date and some other criteria applies such as the number of people you would like to have in the group before we start reading it or as soon as everyone in the group has the book, please let me know that as well.

The openness of the Group-Please let me know the number of people you are willing to have in the group. If that's just us and it's alright with the mods of our larger group, that's fine with me too. Although, in my opinion, usually the more, the merrier.

Discussion Type: Please let me know what type of discussion you would like to have. Is it open to any comments, or is/are there topics that are off-limits even if it has to do with the book (e.g., personal politics or beliefs)? Would you like the group to meet at a particular time or post their comment on a specific day(s), or are group members allowed to post comments whenever? Is there anything else relevant to the type of discussion we will have or anything else members of the group should know about our group discussion?

If you would like my input or don't care about any of the five categories, please let me know that as well. If you are joining an open group, please let me know which group/book you will be joining in on and any input you may have especially if something has not already been determined by those who joined the group previously. Thanks.

Rachel's Book List for Buddy/Group Reads

Books with Buddies (Still Open)
Cambodia Music of the Ghosts
        Buddy 1: Hannah?
        Buddy 2: Karen
        Buddy 3:
Croatia Baba Yaga Laid an Egg (Tentative Start Date: July 26th)
        Buddy 1: Hannah
        Buddy 2: Karen
        Buddy 3: Lilisa
        Buddy 4:
Liberia She Would Be King
        Buddy 1: Hannah?
        Buddy 2: Karen
        Buddy 3:

Buddy Reads with No Buddies (Open)
Afghanistan- My Forbidden Face: Growing Up Under the Taliban: A Young Woman's Story
Argentina Labyrinths: Selected Stories and Other Writings
Bangladesh Sultana's Dream and Padmarag
Belarus The Zelmenyaners: A Family Saga
Benin Spirit Rising: My Life, My Music
China Beijing Coma or Braised Pork
Cook Islands
Miss Ulysses from Puka-Puka: The Autobiography of a Sea Trader's Daughter
Czechia City Sister Silver
Denmark The Bog People: Iron-Age Man Preserved
Dominica Black and White Sands
Estonia The Man Who Spoke Snakish
France Malicroix or The Godmother
French Guiana: Papillon
Georgia One More Year
Greece The Odyssey
Grenada: Angel
Guatemala The Popol Vuh
Guinea-Bissau Return to the Source: Selected Speeches of Amilcar Cabral
Hungary Iza's Ballad
Iceland The Blue Fox
Indonesia Man Tiger
Ireland The Story of Lucy Gault
Kenya The Promised Land
Kuwait The Bamboo Stalk
Latvia Flesh-Coloured Dominoes
Lesotho Everything Lost Is Found Again: Four Seasons in Lesotho
Lithuania Thanks to My Mother
Malaysia The Night Tiger
Mauritius Eve out of Her Ruins
Mexico The Murmur of Bees
Micronesia Micronesian Blues
Myanmar (Burma) Nor Iron Bars a Cage
New Zealand The Bone People
Nigeria The Thing Around Your Neck
Poland Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
SingaporeHow We Disappeared
Somalia Desert Flower: The Extraordinary Journey Of A Desert Nomad
Spain The Shadow of the Wind
Sweden Harbor
Ukraine The Radetzky March
Vietnam On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

No Longer Available for Buddy Read with Rachel
Angola: The Return of the Water Spirit (unable to find in US)
Kiribati Migrations, Myth and Magic from the Gilbert Islands: Early Writings of Sir Arthur Grimble (cheapest found was $59.80)
Mali The Fortunes of Wangrin (I have already started reading this book)

Hi Rachel - the selections that intersect with my own likely reading list, in rough order of likelihood, for the next 18 months are: How We Disappeared
Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead
Baba Yaga Laid an Egg
Labyrinths: Selected Stories and Other Writings
Braised Pork
Spirit Rising: My Life, My Music

A couple of the selections are difficult to find in English or in the US: Angola, Kiribati

For The Odyssey -- I have been hoping to get to The Odyssey - the recent translation by Emily Wilson

I would possibly go for :
The Blue Fox
The Bone People
Eve out of Her Ruins
The Popul Vuh
...and maybe a dozen of the others look like books I could go along with.

I am still reading this group's selection for January 2020!!Mastering the Art of Soviet Cooking: A Memoir of Food and Longing ...and it is a good book - I am just horrible at any group reading ventures.

If you do read The Bog People: Iron-Age Man Preserved then you must follow on with Ghost Wall by Sarah Moss (one of my personal faves from last 2 years).

Karen wrote: "Hi Rachel - the selections that intersect with my own likely reading list, in rough order of likelihood, for the next 18 months are..."

Hi Karen. I knew that at least a couple of the books I had on this list, as well as my personal list, were books you were planning to read as well. That's actually where I "stole" some of them from. 🙂 I plan to go through the rest of your personal list today as quite a few books you had on your list that I have looked at so far seem interesting. I believe I only got through i or j countries, although possibly the ks as well.

As for buddy/group reads, I know that you said you are still finishing the group read from January, and you aren't great at group reading ventures. Would you still like to sign up for a book though and see how it goes, like to know if someone else signs up for one of the books that you mentioned or for me to let you know when I am planning to read one of those books?

To be honest, I haven't been paying much attention to a book's availability/price. Perhaps I should have. I just looked at the price for my Kiribati book on Amazon, which I thought would be the place most likely to have it. The cheapest buying option is $59.80, and that's for a Kindle version! 😮 Although there is an option to rent it, which I may end up doing, for $11.85 the first month and slightly more after that depending upon how long you would like to have access. I also wasn't able to find an English version of The Return of the Water Spirit even though they have one on Goodreads. Finding out I couldn't find it sucked because I was looking forward to reading it a lot. 😢 The only version I was able to find was in French, not English. Thanks for letting me know, though. I'm glad that I found out now as opposed to later. 🙂

Finally, I just added Ghost Wall to my To Read list. It looks amazing! Thanks for telling me about it. 😃

I would like to join in with Baba Yaga Laid an Egg if libraries are open when you guys get to it - availability is an issue for me as well

Other books from the list which I do have access to are She Would Be King and Music of the Ghosts. I would be happy to do a buddy read of these if a few people are interested. I would be listening to these on audio though and as I have problems with chronic pain, a set amount of pages per day wouldn't really work for me it would need to be a little more relaxed.

I have read How We Disappeared, Drive Your Plow Over the Bones of the Dead and Braised Pork this year and enjoyed them all. I hope you like them too

Hannah wrote: "I would like to join in with Baba Yaga Laid an Egg if libraries are open when you guys get to it - availability is an issue for me as well

Other books from the list which I do have ..."

That's fine. I completely understand. I used to have MAJOR problems with IBS and pain from it when I was in high school and shortly after graduating (between about 6 and 2 years ago). I still have problems sometimes but not as often. Anyways I totally understand.

I'll put you down as a maybe for now on She Would Be King and Music of the Ghosts as well as a for sure for Baba Yaga Laid an Egg. If you would like me to change it, please just let me know. 🙂

I shouldn't have much of an issue at all with obtaining Baba Yaga Laid an Egg. Libraries in my area have some requirements, such as wearing a mask, and they only let a certain number of people in at a time, but otherwise, they are open. I think the majority of the libraries in the U.S. are doing something similar or have curbside pickup, but I know not everyone in this group lives in the United States. Therefore, I'll try to make sure that everyone interested can obtain a copy before we start. Thanks for your response and interest. 😀

P.S. Just curious, if you don't mind me asking, where in the world do you live? Somewhere in the U.S. or another country?

Ok I'm happy with that. I'm in the UK and it's currently illegal for libraries to open! The government is planning on lifting this ban in July and then it will be up to individual councils whether they open or not. They have done the same thing with schools this month but local councils have said no and haven't opened. So who knows. I'll let you know as soon as I can get a copy if you don't mind waiting

I would do Baba Yaga Laid an Egg - I own a copy!

July or August would be best. I have a lot to complete by the end of June.

I am in Connecticut, USA and the libraries have just re-opened for curbside pick-up.

My library has She Would Be King and Music of the Ghosts.

As an aside - I am 60 and work entirely from home, but have been house-bound during the Covid 19 pandemic -- we are in a Hot Zone. My husband, who is older and also with a chronic condition has had to take early retirement from his traveling job for the same reason. I mention this because my book budget is now under severe constraint. If Kindle doesn't offer it as an under $3 Deal or the library doesn't acquire it, it has to be VERY special. I check Kindle Deals daily and make regular recommendations to the library. Of course, they may have to close again if the infection/death rate spikes - this is an experiment.

Baba Yaga looks good.

Hannah wrote: "I would like to join in with Baba Yaga Laid an Egg if libraries are open when you guys get to it - availability is an issue for me as well"

Karen wrote: "I would do Baba Yaga Laid an Egg - I own a copy!"

Thank you both again for your interest in doing a group read with me. I'm super excited to start Baba Yaga Laid an Egg as it's one of the ones on my list that I have the most interest in reading. However, I have set the tentative start date for July 26th, as I believe a later start time would work best for all of us. I have quite a few things going or planned right now too. Therefore, if you would like to change it to later, that's fine as well, just let me know. 🙂

Please also let me know if you would like to close the group, I plan to leave it open at least until we start the book, but if you would like this changed, I understand. I've created a thread for Baba Yaga with some more information about various things.

Everyone else: For the time being, please feel free to still sign up for a buddy/group read wether you would like to join in on Baba Yaga Laid an Egg or start a different group with a different book. 😀

Hi Rachel - thanks so much for taking the initiative on group/buddy reads - that’s awesome! My library has a copy of Baba Yaga Laid an Egg so if I can get it I’ll join you all.

Lilisa wrote: "Hi Rachel - thanks so much for taking the initiative on group/buddy reads - that’s awesome! "

Hi Lilisa-No problem! I'm glad that some other people seem to have some interest in doing a buddy/group read too! Thanks for letting me know it was ok to start a new topic in the folder. 🙂

Lilisa wrote: "My library has a copy of Baba Yaga Laid an Egg so if I can get it I’ll join you all."

It's fine with me if you join in, and I'm pretty sure everyone else is too. I've added you to the list so welcome to the group! 😀

If you're in the Baba Yaga group, please holler if/when you would like to close entry. For now, it will stay open until we start to read the book.

Hi Rachel: you can add me to the Buddy Lists for She Would Be King and for Music of the Ghosts .

Thanks for organizing. Looking forward to it.

Karen wrote: "Hi Rachel: you can add me to the Buddy Lists for She Would Be King and for Music of the Ghosts .

Thanks for organizing. Looking forward to it."

Thanks for your interest in being added to two more Buddy List reads Karen. I'm glad that I could organize something that at least a few people seem to have some interest in. I've added you to the list for both She Would Be King and Music of the Ghosts. The earliest we would likely start either of these would be late August or early September. Although that may change and it may be even later depending on group needs and preferences. I want to make sure we get at least a good start on Baba Yaga Laid an Egg first and it would be great if at least one more person would join in for one of the books before we start too. That way I feel we would have at least some back and forth even if one of the group members decides they need to drop out for one reason or another. It would also make it easier to determine which of the two should be read first as there are currently the same amount of people interested in both books. Thanks again for joining another buddy/group read Karen. 🙂