UK Book Club discussion

Totally agree. It is one of my top ten. I always remember my mother saying 'You're as thin as a Biafran' when I was a child, I had no idea what she was referring to. Now I do. This is my very favourite kind of novel - a good story, well-written, great characters and you come out of it feeling like you know something you never knew before.

Almost certainly in my top 10 of all time as well.

I recall reading this a few years ago and it certainly gives you plenty to think about. I think I still have a copy somewhere and will encourage my 18year old daughter to read it.

35. Indonesia - Dark Horizons. by Dan Smith. Rather disappointing after his first novel Dry Season which I loved.

36. The Falkland Islands - A Soldiers Song: True Stories From The Falklands by Ken Lukowiak - really enjoyed this ex-paratrooper's memoir - if interested my review as follows: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/159...

37. Cyprus - Small Wars by Sadie Jones - an interesting tale of a military marriage set against the backdrop of the Greek Cypriot nationalist uprising against British rule in the mid 1950's. Better at the romantic side than the army stuff I thought but enjoyable all the same.
http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

Ian wrote: "37. Cyprus - Small Wars by Sadie Jones - an interesting tale of a military marriage set against the backdrop of the Greek Cypriot nationalist uprising against British..."
I got this from a charity shop a couple of months ago - it's on my tbr pile - glad it's going to be good.

38. Togo - Instruments of Darkness by Robert Wilson. This is a thriller set in West Africa. The action takes place across Benin, Togo, Nigeria and Ghana but more in Togo than the other three. This was his first novel written in the mid 90's and it isn't as good as A Small Death in Lisbon which I read last year but enjoyable for all that.

39. Northern Ireland - Present Danger by Stella Rimington. Run of the mill thriller written by the former head of MI5.

Ian wrote: "39. Northern Ireland - Present Danger by Stella Rimington. Run of the mill thriller written by the former head of MI5."
Think I may have read this and disappointing as thought with her back ground would have been much better

Didn't feel very authentic Bob, but maybe very incompetent agents and villains is more realistic.

Halfway there. Country no 40 was Mongolia. by Conn Iggulden. Surprisingly enjoyable historic romp with Genghis Khan about his unification of the Mongol tribes.

Halfway round - time for a map.....more African trips needed I think.

41. Bangladesh - A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam. Tale about a mother and her son and daughter and their involvement in the struggle to establish the state of Bangladesh in the early 1970's.

Ian wrote: "Halfway round - time for a map.....more African trips needed I think.


Ian's Around the World Trip



Make yours @ BigHugeLabs.com
"

That seems to be where you are lacking..

Just getting all my jabs Bill.

42. Belgium - On Black Sisters Street by Chika Unigwe. Seriously good novel about 4 African women who move to Belgium to work as prostitutes as a better alternative to their bleak and seemingly hopeless lives back home in Nigeria.

Ian wrote: "41. Bangladesh - A Golden Age by Tahmima Anam. Tale about a mother and her son and daughter and their involvement in the struggle to establish the state of Bangladesh in the early 1970's."

I loved this novel. And the follow up -
The Good MuslimThe Good Muslim

Ian
Like the look of On Black Sisters Street will look in book shop

See you have Canada missing
Can I suggest The Tenderness Of wolves quite mixed reviews from others but I loved it painted great picture of frontier living

Funnily enough in Canada at the mo Bob but with a rather tame detective novel set in Quebec. A bit too slow for me but I've started so I'll finish....

@ Packabook & The Good Muslim

I'll probably come back to the 2nd and 3rd ones at some stage after I've completed my World 80.

Ian wrote: "Halfway round - time for a map.....more African trips needed I think.


Ian's Around the World Trip "

If you need Greenland - you could read Smilla's Sense of Snow

I'd love to Liz but not available on kindle despite my constant badgering of amazon

43. Canada - Still Life by Louise Penny which was a run of the mill detective mystery.
44. Mexico - All the Pretty Horses by Cormac McCarthy. Brilliant modern western.

Currently reading which is partially set in Peru but mostly in Venice. Won't count for me as I've done Italy and my hairshirt travelling precludes counting non main setting places. Anyone any other ideas for Peru??

Bel Canto by Ann Patchett. I haven't read this one but have enjoyed a different Ann Patchett one.

Oops I don't think that one is on kindle. Checked this one is The White Rock: An Exploration of the Inca Heartland by Hugh Thomson. It has very good reviews.

I read a travel book by Matthew Parris - Inca Kola: A Traveller's Tale Of Peru - it was a paperback I acquired from someone, couldn't say if it was on Kindle or not though.

Thanks for all the suggestions but panic over. Just finished the book and the 2nd half was set wholly in Peru, so it just about scraped in.

45. Peru - The Book of Human Skin by Michelle Lovric.

Bel Canto would have been good. I'm going to be reading State of Wonder by the same author for my local book group this month.

Well, now I've got a problem because I have Bel Canto AND The Book of Human Skin - which to reach for Peru though?

Book of Human Skin takes a bit of getting into. It's slow but eventually engrossing.

The Time of the Hero by Vargas was my book for Peru. In Chad at the moment with Roots of Heaven by Romain Gary, elephants, big game hunters.

46. Holland - The Reunion by Simone van der Vlugt. Good thriller that grew on me as it went along. It is about a 23 year year old woman whose friend went missing when she was 14 and has repressed the memory of that day....but her memory is beginning to return.

47. Eritrea - Black Mamba Boy by Nadifa Mohamed. Interesting tale about the coming of age of a young boy set pre/post and during WW2 mostly in the Horn of Africa - Yemen, Somalia, Djibouti and Eritrea - where Mussolini's Fascist Italy was the oppressing colonial power.

Ian wrote: "34. Nigeria - Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Stunningly good novel about the Biafra/Nigeria war/famine/humanitarian crisis in the late 60's. I remember badgering my mum to send ..."
Ian
Just got this for Nigeria Just trying to brace myself for the small writing in my copy will be second in the queue!

Enjoy Bob.

48. Ireland - The Secret Scripture by Sebastian Barry.

49. Japan - by Haruki Murakami. Thoroughly enjoyed this coming of age novel set in 1969 Japan - teenage angst, love, obsession, depression, death and loads of sex.....what's not to like......although tbh it is quite intense and I initially found it difficult to get into.

Robert wrote: "Ian wrote: "34. Nigeria - Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Stunningly good novel about the Biafra/Nigeria war/famine/humanitarian crisis in the late 60's. I remember badgering my ..."
Ian
Finished this today
mixed feelings but well worth the effort in the end
gone on to a light hearted book to recover

Hey Ian..have you been to Nepal yet? I have one you might like.


Little Princes..Conor Grennan

Not been to Nepal yet Catherine. Had a look at the book but not really my cup of tea as I'm not big on memoirs. Thanks for the suggestion though.

@ Bob - glad you got through it and sound as though you sort of enjoyed it.

No worries Ian!!

You're up early? Or just having a late night?

Well..I nodded off and woke up before my alarm went off....have to go to work in a little bit! :(

Take a peak at my list...I might have some you might like on there! Not including all the ones I already got from you!

Been to Italy? How about The Monster of Florence...not a memoir...but a true crime story..and très, très creepy!

Or even molto molto creepy. Done Italy ages ago....work on a Sunday.......shocking behaviour.

well..that is how it is when you work in an animal hospital!

Sounds like a satisfying job, despite the Sundays.Is it just little animals or big ones included?

And that's the 50 nailed down.

50. Rwanda - by Naomi Benaron. Excellent story set against the genocide of 1994.

Time for a map for the big Five O.

Not Bad! Could do better with Africa though...