Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

Turns out that I fulfilled this set of prompts without intending to. Started the Custard Protocol series by Gail Carriger just before the new year, and read the last three titles in January. Each one takes place on a different continent!

Africa - Imprudence
South America - Competence
Asia - Reticence

I read:
1) The Immortal Irishman: The Irish Revolutionary Who Became an American Hero - set on 3 continents: Europe (Ireland), Australia (Tasmania), and the US
2) Life in a Frozen World: Wildlife of Antarctica - Antarctica
3) The Cat Who Saved Books - Asia (Japan)

The three books I will be reading for these prompts are:

Love & Virtue by Diana Reid (Australia)

The Seven Sisters by Lucinda Riley
(Europe)

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi
(Africa)

I'm going to read three mysteries:
The Ape Who Guards the Balance (Africa)
Star of the North (Asia)
I Am the Messenger (Oceania)

And three books involving royalty:
Thread of Gold Beads (Africa)
Empress (Asia)
The Jaguar Princess (South America)

I was trying to come up with my favorite book from each continent as recommendations, but it's too hard (particularly Asia - so big, so diverse, and so many great books)! I did add several to each Listopia.

EDIT: I could not get into The Jaguar Princess, replaced it with Revenge of the Rose by Nicole Galland (Europe)

ladymurmur wrote: "Turns out that I fulfilled this set of prompts without intending to. Started the Custard Protocol series by Gail Carriger just before the new year, and read the last three titles in January. Each one takes place on a different continent!

Africa - Imprudence
South America - Competence
Asia - Reticence"

Thank you for this info. I had planned on reading at least the first 2 books in this series soon. I see the first book is also set in Asia, so I will be reading the first 3 to fill all three prompts.

Jody wrote: "Ok, so because I wasn't around last year, and I took this prompt too literally when I read it, I'm reading three books that are each set on three continents (or more).

Book #1 that I just finished..."

That is a really cool idea.

3 Continents and 3 books
The Lost Man set in Oceania - Australia
Festive in Death North America - USA
The Cat Who Saved Books Asia - Japan

For the first book, I read Feast Days by Ian MacKenzie, set in Brazil (South America). The story is told from the POV of a young American ex-pat wife. I happen to like ex-pat tales a lot; other recommendations include It Is Wood, It Is Stone (So. America) and Eight Months on Ghazzah Street (Asia).

My second continent visited was Europe, the clever mystery April in Spain by John Banville. The richly developed characters really gave the story legs.

For my last continent, Asia, I read Sparks Like Stars by Nadia Hashimi. Besides the novel being captivating from start to finish, you learn a lot about Afghanistan.

For my second continent I visited Antarctica. The Impossible First: From Fire to Ice - Crossing Antarctica Alone by Colin O'Brady. 5 stars. Great story of determination.

I read Our Sister Killjoy by Ama Ata Aidoo [Europe], Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi [North America] and Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi [Africa]. They are all related to African emigration, and though mainly set on the continents I've used, there is some switching about - both the Europe and North American ones have parts set in Africa and the African choice has some North American settings. I would recommend all three, but particularly the latter two.

I've also read a book set in Central/South America, Silver, Sword, and Stone: Three Crucibles in the Latin American Story) and one partly set in Asia (Japan), A Tale for the Time Being.

Pamela wrote: "What I would love to do is read books that take place on 3 different continents. The Great Circle would have worked but I already read it! So need to find books that cover much geography...I need t..."

Sorry for the late reply! That is what I am planning to do. I read The Braid for book club. It is set on North America, Europe and Asia.

For my last continent I used, On Call In The Arctic: A Doctor's Pursuit of Life, Love, and Miracles in the Alaskan Frontier by Dr. Thomas J. Sims. He & his family served two years in Nome Alaska with the PHS. Located extreme NW North America. 5 stars.

I read An Elephant in My Kitchen by Françoise Malby-Anthony This was for Africa

I had originally told myself I wasn't going to read something set on my continent, but I really wanted to read Gods of Jade and Shadow and I acquiesced as it was set in a country I had never been.

Europe/Asia - Nylon Road: A Graphic Memoir of Coming of Age in Iran by Parsua Bashi

North America - Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

Africa - The Down Days by Ilze Hugo

This is a memoir where the author travels to multiple continents (Europe, Asia, North America, Africa, Oceania):
Tubes: A Journey to the Center of the Internet by Andrew Blum - 4* - My Review

I read Family by Frank Tayell (Europe), The Last Weekend: A Novel of Zombies, Booze, and Power Tools by Nick Mamatas (North America), and Archangel's Light by Nalini Singh (Asia).

Just finished my third book for this prompt! Ironically, all three books I picked up were halfway set in the US. It was unintentional, but I feel like enough of the rest of the book was set elsewhere that it can count.

I read:
1. Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu (Asia/North America)
2. The Girl Who Smiled Beads: A Story of War and What Comes After by Clemantine Wamariya (Africa/North America)
3. The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina by Zoraida Córdova (South America/North America)

I finished my third book for this prompt during the Bake-Off readathon! I chose to read 3 books by the same author (Natasha Pulley) all in the same series, each set on a different continent.

1. The Watchmaker of Filigree Street (Europe)
2. The Lost Future of Pepperharrow (Asia)
3. The Bedlam Stacks (South America)

Loved these books SO so very much, as I expected I would based on how much I adored The Kingdoms, by the same author, last year. I have an arc of her next one, The Half Life of Valery K, that I'm planning to read soon for the "book without a person on the cover" prompt!

The book I've read first is Trevor Noah's Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood (Africa/South Africa). I really wanted to "read" this book on audio to hear him use all the accents and languages he knows. I didn't have access to that so I read the book form. BUT, because I have heard him speak so often, I found I felt like he was vocalizing it to me — although I wasn't able to get the clicking sounds of Xhosa, his mother's language.

My plans for the other two books are:

Women Talking by Miriam Toews (South America/Bolivia)

A People's History of Heaven by Mathangi Subramanian (Asia/Bangalore)

UPDATE: I still want to read Women Talking by Miriam Toews for 'South America', but I was not in the right mood. I ended up reading Wish You Were Here by Jodi Picoult. Originally I was going to use this for '29. Set on or near a body of water' — and it would totally still work for that — but I was having a harder time finding books for 'South America', so I switched it. The first half of the book is mostly set in the Galapagos (off the coast of Ecuador) and takes place in the first weeks of the COVID-19 Pandemic. Ironically, even though I've had this on library hold for months, I didn't have access to the book until I had actually tested positive for COVID, and finished the book on the day I finally tested negative. I guess it was meant to be!

I decided to set a personal BIO for this one and choose settings/countries that shared the same language. In this case it was Spanish.

I ended up reading The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys (Spain/Europe), The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende (Chile/South America), and By Night the Mountain Burns by Juan Tomas Avila Laurel (Annobon/Africa).

If you are looking for books that cover multiple continents - this one hits Africa, Asia, & Europe:
In a Strange Room by Damon Galgut - 4* - My Review

Here's another one that takes place on 3 continents (Africa, Europe, North America):
In a Free State by V.S. Naipaul - My Review

Just finished my third book. I had planned other books but needed places for these ones so they went here.

The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht (in the Balkans a region just north of Greece and that is where Europe and Asia meet)
Such a Fun Age by Kiley Reid (USA)
The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See (South Korea, Asia)

I read :
Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi (Asia)
How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior (Antartica)
Stay with Me by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀ (Africa)

I read:
An Appetite for Murder by Lucy Burdette (North America)
The Star-Crossed Sisters of Tuscany by Lori Nelson Spielman (Europe)
Fires of Change - Sarah Lark (Oceania - New Zealand)

My three books are -
Asia - Love in a Fallen City by Eileen Chang.
Africa - In the Company of Cheerful Ladies by Alexander McCall Smith.
Europe - Coastliners by Joanne Harris.

I can recommend any other books set in Africa by A Mc Smith, and in Europe by Joanne Harris. for Asia I recommend The Silk Merchant's Daughter by Dinah Jefferies

The prompt is too easy for me so I'm doing 3 books that take place on 3 continents. There might have been a big cheer when a character stepped on his 3rd continent so I knew I could include it!

One does US, Europe, and Africa, the next does those and Asia and the last does all those and Australia

The Chiffon Trenches by Andre Leon Talley
The Charm Offensive by Alison Cochrun
Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am by Julia Cooke
The Last Painting of Sara de Vos

eta- have switched in Last Painting instead cause I've always wanted to read it and this seems a good place to put it. Andre will find a new home.

Lizzy wrote: "For those of you wishing to use books taking place on 3 continents within each book, I can recommend The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith."

Thanks for that, Lizzy! I started out toting up books in sets of three (as an Australian reader, I tend to get a lot of European, Asian and American books, as well as Australian/NZ). However, I realised I have The Perfect Crime and Crazy Rich Asians, both of which are set over 3 (or more) continents, so a third will complete the challenge for me. And I happen to have a copy that I haven't read yet in my shelves - even better!

Sarah wrote: "Lizzy wrote: "For those of you wishing to use books taking place on 3 continents within each book, I can recommend The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith...."

I missed that one- I've been wanting to read that! I might move one of my books elsewhere and to that!

Thanks to the idea from a post in this thread from ladymurmer, I read three books in the same series that each took place on a different continent.

Prudence by Gail Carriger - set in Asia
Imprudence by Gail Carriger - set in Africa
Competence by Gail Carriger - set in South America

Jody wrote: "Ok, so because I wasn't around last year, and I took this prompt too literally when I read it, I'm reading three books that are each set on three continents (or more).."

I was around last year and am still doing it that way- much more of a challenge (as written, it seems 3 freebie weeks).

Less is such a great choice! One of my favorite books in years, it's pure joy. And 4 continents!

I've just finished reading the books for these prompts. I chose the following:
The Yield by Tara June Winch (Australia)
Matrix by Lauren Groff (Europe)
The Satapur Moonstone by Sujata Massey (Asia)

I thoroughly enjoyed all of these books!

For my 8-10, I thought I'd tie these prompts together with one genre, Contemporary Women's Fiction:


Book 1 (North America)
Reminders of Him by Colleen Hoover - 4 stars

Book 2 (Australia)
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty - 3 stars

Book 3 (Europe)
One Night on the Island by Josie Silver - 3.5 stars

I'm glad I finally read something from Colleen Hoover.

I read A Master of Djinn for this prompt it is set in Egypt - African continent.
It was excellent. I could not put it down

Where possible, I like the books in these type of prompts to be 'properly' linked. I went for Agatha Christie with Murder in Mesopotamia (Asia), Murder on the Orient Express (Europe) and Death on the Nile (Africa). All feature Hercule Poirot and there are cross references to the other stories within the books.

I read The Survivors by Jane Harper This was for Australia

I decided to read books from continents which I ususally not read that many books from and I ended up reading these.

South America: The House of the Spirits
Africa: Weep Not, Child
Asia: The Housekeeper and the Professor

All were books that I liked, four stars for all.

I keep finding books I want to read are set on multiple continents. Anyone know a way round this?

I did 2 single continent books and 1 that covered 3 continents not included in the other two.

You could do 3 books that each have 3 continents.

Another option I would use is that if more than half of a book is set on one continent, I would count it for that continent.

Thomas wrote: "I keep finding books I want to read are set on multiple continents. Anyone know a way round this?"

It looks like a lot of people are finding this. I think you could select any of the continents represented in the book.

For another challenge last year, I picked Migrations for Antarctica, based on the goodreads blurb, and the number of genre tags for Antarctica The book actually spent more time on the character's life in Ireland. The settings include Europe, Australia, Antarctica, and North America (she visits Greenland and Canada).

Tiffany wrote: "I just finished Where'd You Go, Bernadette for Book 3 and a portion of it was set in Antartica. Frankly, I liked the movie better.

For Book 1, I'll read a book set in Africa: [book..."

[book:The Sympathizer|23168277] is not so easy to get a hold of from my library or Scrib'd. I'll probably end up buying it as some point. Instead, I read the beautifully written The Henna Artist.

I read Palm Beach, Finland by Antti Tuomainen for Europe, A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder by Shamini Flint for Asia and Still Life by Louise Penny for North America.

I wanted to have a theme to link them, so they're all quite light crime novels, where the murder is being investigated by a police officer from somewhere else. Also, they're all in locations I've not read about before, even though I went for two of the most common continents.

For recommendations I'd go:

Africa - Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Asia - The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini
Australia/Oceania - I Am the Messenger or Bridge of Clay by Markus Zusak

Europe and North America are really difficult to narrow down, because that's where the majority of my reading is set, so I'm going for a couple of my favourite series:

Europe - Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch
North America - One for the Money - Janet Evanovich

This prompt I kind of used for slotting books that I wanted to read. I didn't really set about looking into the continents. Overall my reading is pretty diverse and I think I hit most continents on an annual basis. The only one I probably don't hit is Antarctica.

I read:
The Hypnotist's Love Story - Australia
The Cactus - Europe
The End of Her - North America

Other books I'm reading for other prompts this year I think I'm actually hitting all of the continents.

South America - Cantoras by Carolina de Robertis - Uruguay. I just finished this incredible book about 5 gay women who buy a fishing shack on a remote beach. I highly recommend it, but the content might not be for everyone (sexuality, military dictatorship).

It also works for Latin American author, under 5000 votes, loving LGBTQIA relationships, set on a body of water, historical fiction (1970s-1980's - present), maybe tarot. Rej list: Translated book, friendship, found family, women fighting systemic obstacles, something forbidden, courage.

For Europe I have finished Titus Andronicus.

Well this worked out well :-)

8: - the last in that streak! Set in North America (New York)

9: - Europe (England)

10: - Africa (Egypt)

Read


Australia (New Zealand) - A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh


Antarctica - How the Penguins Saved Veronica by Hazel Prior


Asia (South Korea) - The Island of Sea Women by Lisa See

Siobhan wrote: "So far I've read Magnate by Joanna Shupe (north America)

Not sure what I'm going to read for the second two yet! I have a few options for Europe, but not entirely sure about my thi..."

In the end I decided to read A Gentleman's Position (Europe) and The Jade Temptress (Asia)

1) Aya (Ivory Coast, Africa)

2)
3)

For North America I enjoyed All Her Little Secrets by Wanda M. Morris. 4 stars.