Around the World in 80 Books discussion

I'm almost finished with the Finnish book The Year of the Hare and making progress on the very long Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family (German). Both are very good and will help me with my Winter Olympics challenge!

Pam wrote: "I'm almost finished with the Finnish book The Year of the Hare and making progress on the very long Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family (German). Both are very good..."

I love Buddenbrooks, and I'm glad you're enjoying it; it's quite a tome to take on!

Reading Fathers and Sons by Ivan Turgenev (1818-83).

I'm reading Beartown The author is from Sweden. It's about hockey, yes, but also much more! Right away, from page 1, I was instantly intrigued, that doesn't happen often.

I've just started reading Anansi Boys . Loved the series. Loving the book so far.

I am reading The World According to Bob: The Further Adventures of One Man and His Street-wise Cat and just started Caroline: Little House, Revisited.

I’m reading Red Mars by Kim Stanley Robinson for a library sci-fi book club. I didn’t like a previous book I read by this author but this one is much better!

Amanda wrote: "I'm reading Beartown The author is from Sweden. It's about hockey, yes, but also much more! Right away, from page 1, I was instantly intrigued, that doesn't happen often."

That’s a good one! There’s a sequel but I don’t think the English edition is out yet. Can’t wait to read it!

Just about 20% into Sugar Money but so far it seems like a good book. It's based in Grenada and Martinique if someone is looking to put that on their map.

I've put The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific on hold as it will work for another group's travel challenge but first I need to read Dissolution. So at the mo I'm reading Dissolution in paperback, listening toThe Will on my kindle and reading Magic Shifts on my phone.

I just finished "Madonna in a Fur Coat" and will post my thoughts when we discuss. Trying to catch up with the readings you all were doing last month and reading up as well.
And I started "One Day I will Write About This Place" -- Kenya for my random travel challenge and "St Lucia Island Club" for St Lucia.
Still, need to find out how to get the right links to the post, so it links to the book directly. Will figure it out shortly.

I've got two books on the go now:
The Exiled by Kati Hiekkapelto (Finland - author)
and
Blindness by José Saramago (Portugal - author)

I read "Le Jardin de Badalpour" (the Garden of Badalpour) by Kenizé Mourad, set in France during the 50/60's and India during the 70's and early 90's. I loved it. 5 stars and reviewed it.

I read The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov. The story takes place in Moscow. A must read novel rated 5 stars and reviewed it.

I finished The Ice Swimmer by Sweden's Kjell Ola Dahl, and was glad to find a writer of Scandi Noir with whom I was not previously familiar. Here's a link to my review:

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

Reading Stephen King's Nightmares and Dreamscapes

I’m reading 2 books from the Great American Read List - Lonesome Dove and Dona Barbara.

I am about to start reading The Dry by Jane Harper.

Just started Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie. Looks to be a very interesting one!

Currently reading: and . Woot!!

Hi everybody!
Currently reading The Diary of Samuel Pepys.
Started it a long time ago, such a long and time consuming, but fascinating read. An extraordinary insight into the 17th century London.

Just starting The Septembers of Shiraz by Dalia Sofer.

I started The Seamstress by Frances de Pontes Peebles

Nehal wrote: "I’ve just started reading Da Vinci Code by Dan Brown. Has anyone else read it?
It seems interesting to me."

Yes, I read it a few years ago, it was a real “page turner”. I love mysteries and history, and Dan Brown tells a good story. Enjoy!

Reading now ... "The Vegetarian"
The Vegetarian

While reading Thomas Mann’s Buddenbrooks: The Decline of a Family this morning, I came across this observation:

“But Tony had the lovely knack of being able to adapt readily to any situation in life simply by tackling its new possibilities.”

Isn’t that great? That’s how I want to be and how I try to be. It has been so helpful in adjusting to life in new countries (first South Korea and then Mexico).

Excellent book, and I really enjoyed following Tony’s growth through the epic.

I’m reading a short nonfiction titled The Face: A Time Code by Ruth Ozeki. I really like it. There are 2 other books in this The Face series, by different authors.

Mome_Rath wrote: "Excellent book, and I really enjoyed following Tony’s growth through the epic."

It really is great! I highly recommend it.

Reading Pachinko and Men of Mathematics

Right now I'm reading a book about the Titanic by Walter Lord. Corny I know but I'm just fascinated by what really happened.

Finished the Titanic book and am starting The Kite Runner.

Great! Do you have any practical takeaways you might want to share?
If you don't mind, check out my new quotes and let me know your opinion. Thank you.

It's fun to read so enjoy.

Martin.

ARC of The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo and Circe by Madeline Miller.

Just finished Gone for Good by Harlan Coben

Just starting Promise of Blood by Brian McClellan

Just started a novel set in Kenya: Leopard at the Door and am also reading The People's Guide to Mexico

Martin wrote: "Great! Do you have any practical takeaways you might to share?
If you don't mind, check out my new quotes and let me know your opinion. Thank you.

It's fun to read so enjoy.

Martin."
Who are you referring to Martin?

Reading Sometimes a Great Notion

Doreen wrote: "Martin wrote: "Great! Do you have any practical takeaways you might to share?
If you don't mind, check out my new quotes and let me know your opinion. Thank you.

It's fun to read so enjoy.

Martin..."

Hello Doreen, l learnt that the Titanic is an exciting read, so I had wanted to get, at least, a fresh brief from a recent reading.

I am reading The Plotters by Un-su Kim, and finishing up The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez. Both rock.

I love the latter, but haven't heard of the former; I'm intrigued by the book synopsis!

Alaskan Holiday by Debbie Macomber. Not hugely impressed with the writing, to be honest, and I wish Alaska played a bigger role. I'm a little obsessed with Alaska.

I'm reading War With The Newts by Czech author Karel Čapek.

I'm reading a Russian detective novel first published in the 1970s: The Dead Mountaineer's Inn.

I was keen to read it after reading this review in "World Literature Today":

"...this novella is a jeu d’esprit. Its subtitle, “One More Last Rite for the Detective Genre,” echoes that of Friedrich Dürrenmatt’s The Pledge (1958). But while Dürrenmatt sought to deconstruct the detective story into oblivion, the Strugatskys are playing with the genre. Beginning as a classic locked-room murder mystery, the novel morphs into a tale of the supernatural (maybe), then into a gangster thriller, and finally into something deeply strange.

Pam wrote: "I'm reading War With The Newts by Czech author Karel Čapek."

Pam, that sounds quite intriguing. I'll be interested to hear how you like it.

Storyheart wrote: "I'm reading a Russian detective novel first published in the 1970s: The Dead Mountaineer's Inn.

I was keen to read it after reading this review in "World Literature Today":

"...t..."

Sold. I’m going to ignore the sci-fi label, which is a strong deterrent, and go buy this now. Mentioning The Pledge makes me swoon :)

I’m starting my first book set in the US (for 2019):The Street by Ann Petry. The first US million -plus seller by an African-American woman author and it is most excellent, so far.

Carol wrote: Mentioning The Pledge makes me swoon :) "

Ooh...haven't checked that one out yet, but sounds like you're a fan.

Cruel as the Night