Chicks On Lit discussion

I just wanted to share something that I found touching that happened to me yesterday. It has to do with The Book Thief, so I thought it could go here. I had a lady that returned the book to me yesterday and somehow we got into a conversation about it. I told her I had just read it and really enjoyed it. She told me that she saw herself in Leisel because she had gone through some of the same things as the girl had when she was about that age. She said that she hadn't wanted to think or talk about her experiences because they hurt too much. When she read the book, though, she said she is now able to start to come to terms with what happened to her, and even talk about it. She said her 15 year old granddaughter is reading it as well, and she is able to actually discuss and answer the girls questions about her own story. She said she was even inspired to write it down! Who knows, I might know a future famous author!

But all in all, I was very touched that a book would help someone who went through such a horrible experience start to be able to come to terms and heal.

Wow LinBee, you brought tears to my eyes.

LinBee, that is an incredible moment! Thank you for sharing it with us.

Through reading:



I have not only discovered a French author, Jean Giono, who wrote about Provence and the surrounding villages during the 1940's, I've also discovered a writers retreat in Provence, hosted by the author of the book A Pig In Provence, http://www.provencewritersretreat.com/ and I just may go! (Next year, not sure if I can' swing the $ in time for this year).

That is so awesome Jo

Now if I can only get over my fear of flying! I can fly w/Hubby, but by myself, overseas?!

Back from Russia with a stop in England in "Getting Rid of Matthew." I forgot I'd previously been to England in "Cold Comfort Farm." Also went to France this year in "Chocolat."

Just left Australia. Taking a bit of a detour into the fantasy realm outside London called the Nightside. Not sure where I plan to go next though.

I am commuting between Latin America (House of Spirits) and Salem MA (The Lace Reader) I can't believe I don't have jet lag!

Meg, you'll have to let us know what you think of the Lace Reader, I loved it. I heard she's writing a sequel!

I'm back in Ireland (I was there a few months ago with In The Woods) with The Secret Scripture. So far I'm enjoying it, although I sometimes stumble over some of his choice of words. I'm also taking infrequent trips to Latin America with the House of Spirits. So many books, so little time...

I think it will be interesting to plot my course while I'm reading for a challenge in another group. Do I understand this is the nationality of the author, and not necessarily the location of the narrative?

That is really up to you. I am doing both as some authors live/start in one country and move/travel to another depending upon the book.

Isn't it interesting reading about other places in the world. I really enjoy that part of reading, a well written book that transports you to the different locations around the world.

Yes Dolly I love that too. Also when different areas are in the news that I have read novels from puts things in different perspective. For example, what is going on with the Afghani women and all the books that I have read from that area has certainly explained a lot for me.

So how are people doing with this challenge? What countries have you "visited" so far this year?

I am back in Kabul. We found that a lot of us went to Islamic countries and therefore started a thread with Mid Eastern books. We have been to Russia, England, Ireland,Japan. France, Germany, Afghanistan, Iran, and of course USA. Now some of us are in Chile with House of Spirits.

Meg wrote: "Yes Dolly I love that too. Also when different areas are in the news that I have read novels from puts things in different perspective. For example, what is going on with the Afghani women and al..."
Me too, I think that is part of the appeal of reading those types of books, learning something new and seeing things from a different perspective.

I was in Russia and took a break to go visit the Bard in England. Am fatigued.

Well I am glad that you are back. I can't stay out of Kabul

I have been stuck in the US for a long time it seems. :(

I started a list to see where I've been this year just because of this thread. Ireland, England, Spain, Australia and a few US states, not necessarily in that order. I'm getting ready to read a mystery that will take me to China.

Ok, now tell us which books go with which countries!

Meg wrote: "Well I am glad that you are back. I can't stay out of Kabul"

Yoby wrote: "I was in Russia and took a break to go visit the Bard in England. Am fatigued."


When I was in Kabul and read A thousand Splendid Sun and The Kite Rider, I made the mistake of reading them back to back and cried so hard for a week I thought I was going to have a nervous breakdown.

In Russia I made the mistake of reading Anna and War and Peace at the same time and actually felt like I broke my brain. I wanted to bandage my head so people would know not to talk too loud or deep. Pride leads to a fall

Now I am enjoying the villainy in Sakespeare, reading the plays and watching them at the same time (All used DVD's from Amazon" and having a big kick out of treachery. My dark parts are showing.

This is where I've been this year:

Australia
A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute
The Secret River by Kate Grenville
Canada
The Birth House by Ami McKay
England
Behind the Scenes at the Museum by Kate Atkinson
84 Charing Cross Road by Helene Hanff
The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Satterfield
Ireland
The Gathering by Anne Enright
An Irish Country Doctor by Patrick Taylor
Light a Penny Candle by Maeve Binchy
Spain
Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Oh Yoby, you definitely need R&R!

Elizabeth, thanx for sharing your list with us. I must admit I haven't read anything other than The Thirteenth Tale.

Elizabeth, I'm currently reading Shadow of the Wind...and anxious to see how it turns out. I'm on like pg 330 and just want to go home and finish it! Did you like the ending?

Cindy wrote: "Elizabeth, I'm currently reading Shadow of the Wind...and anxious to see how it turns out. I'm on like pg 330 and just want to go home and finish it! Did you like the ending?

"


I loved Shadow of the Wind - the whole melodramatic thing! I don't think I'd like a steady diet of this sort of book, but it was so much fun!

Back to France with "The Girl With No Shadow" and now visiting The United Kingdom in "Tess of the D'Urbervilles." Traveled the world in "The Gargoyle."

I love Thomas Hardy. I am sure you will like that book. Have you read Jude the Obscure?

I am also in France with the Count of Monte Cristo. Do you see me waving at the window?

Lisa, I just borrowed Girl with No Shadow, but it may have to wait (I couldn't resist taking it out from the library on the off-chance I got to it). I didn't know she had written a sequel to Chocolat. How is it so far?

I'm in Austria / Germany right now in "In Memory's Kitchen".

Can I join the crying club this week?

Let me know how the books are Jennifer and Erika.

I am wondering if we can do that interactive map and post our books on a world map so we can see where we have been.

The book was wonderful. Emotional. Distressing. Hopeful. I would definitely recommend.

Meg, that would be really cool. I have no idea how it would be done, but I have no doubt it could be!

This is a great Challenge! I'm new here. Do you mind if I joined a bit late?
I haven't read through this entire thread of postings. Is there a "route" to follow? Or do we zig zag around the World in a random, haphazard way?

So far this year, I've travelled to:

- Eastern Canada (Toronto) in The Cunning Man
- the United States with The Boys in the Trees and One Thousand White Women The Journals of May Dodd
- Russia (Child 44)
- Australia (On the Beach)

I'm currently in France (The Josephine Bonaparte Collection The Many Lives and Secret Sorrows of Josephine B., Tales of Passion, Tales of Woe, and The Last Great Dance on Earth)

Petra wrote: "This is a great Challenge! I'm new here. Do you mind if I joined a bit late?
I haven't read through this entire thread of postings. Is there a "route" to follow? Or do we zig zag around the World..."

Petra, you can go where ever you want. It is just a challenge to get you out of your homefront and off to somewhere new. Have fun! :)

Lisa wrote: "Back to France with "The Girl With No Shadow" and now visiting The United Kingdom in "Tess of the D'Urbervilles." Traveled the world in "The Gargoyle.""

Lisa, What did you think of Gargoyle??? I just loved that book. :)

You are always welcome to join. Some of us have read a lot of books from the Mid East and then we made a thread just on some Mid Eastern literature if you are interested in that too.

Welcome aboard.

I'm a late add but am currently in France:Words in a French Life Lessons in Love and Language from the South of France|99343] and Australia with The Amazing Adventures of Dietgirl.

Kind of feeling meh on everything now but hope to find something really inspiring shortly!

I am trying to get to the South Pole in Antarctic Navigation but I'm on page 172 and the author is still setting the background for her adventure. She begins with her very first memories...a blurb about her feelings inside the womb no less! ha So I'm still in Colorado and Vermont with this book, but hope to be able to share the Antarctic chill with you all soon! Will be nice reading as its already 103 here in AZ!!

Meg, love the map idea but I haven't figured out how to get my name/location on the other map yet! Maybe this weekend, I'll have more time to mess with it. Perhaps Thauna could help with that one too! Big Smile!

I will ask her once things have calmed down a bit for her with her new grandbaby...........

I haven't been able to work on the map thing with the other group yet either.

So you are in Vermont, should we meet up?

I want to go on this adventure! I have sat here and went through all of the posts and have about 10-15 more books to add to my TBR!

I just visited Sarajevo with The Cellist of Sarajevo.... was a story about 4 strangers during the seige of Sarajevo and how their lives connected.... it was a good book, but the ending felt a little rushed.

Hi Kat and welcome to our trip around the world! :)

I haven't been doing very well keeping up with this discussion! I forgot to include The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society It was an awesome trip made more memorable by Rowena Cherry who posted pictures on Facebook of Guernsey. The link is in the Guernsey discussion post.

Still reading Antarctic Navigation and have finally made it to the Antarctic after a two month visit to New Zealand! The descriptions of New Zealand were great! I have to share a little from the book:
"New Zealand was also totally clean; you can't imagine it. It was clean the way the world was clean when it was still new. You could drink from any wild stream. You could lie down on your stomach and place your face in it. Beyond clean, it was very beautiful, with mountains that poured down to the sea, and waterfalls so sparkling that they seemed full of diamonds. New Zealand was paradise on earth...."
Ahh, makes me want to be there!

After leaving New Zealand on a military plane with about 40 other people; Morgan just landed in the Antarctic! The descriptions of her first glimpse of the icebergs and all the different colors are just fabulous. From the book:
"The blue sky would be lit by pink and brilliant lilac, and then would begin to shine at one end with a light that can only be compared with the light you see in a vacuum tube with current sparkling through it, or perhaps the color is more exactly what you get with incandescent barium. It seems far-fetched to go into chemical details to describe a sky, but neither lilac nor amethyst describes the color I have spoken of as lilac."
and
"...Antarctica gives you the eyes of a child. Everything is surprising, everything is wonderful, everything is new again."

Sorry for the long post, but hope you enjoy sharing with me!

Hey Cindy that was awesome, thanks for sharing!

Welcome Kat, glad to have you travel with us.

I've been unintentionally doing this. First I was in New England with Peyton Place and Return to Peyton Place. Then I moved to China with The Good Earth. Then I hit up somewhere in the Caribbean (where exactly, I do not know) with Love in the Time of Cholera. Now I'm in Puerto Rico with The Rum Diary and France with The Count of Monte Cristo. I may go to England, Italy, or Hawaii next.

I have been on a beach trip the last couple days to Nantucket...or Nantucket Island. I have read Moon Shell Beach A Novel and Barefoot A Novel and really enjoyed both of them! Now I am ready for a trip to the beach!

Sounds good to me, where shall we meet?

I had never read any others of his so I had nothing to compare it to. I just liked hearing something from the Russian/German point of view.

Rachelle, if you want something from the German point of view, consider Stones from the River by Ursula Hegi. This story begins at the close of WWI, continues through the depression, and continues through WWII. The main character is a dwarf, a young woman, and the story takes place in a German town, so a civilian story, not one of soldiers.

Elizabeth, I loved that book.