UK Book Club discussion

This challenge looks very daunting but intersting as well I'm already thinking about TBR books I have not started which could be included.By my pace of raeding this challenge could still be going by 2020 so I may have to encourage my Reading Group to do more obscure countries however with various crime novels I think I can quickly get to ten. Anyway here goes!
1.WALES;The Thoughts and Happenings of Wilfred Price Purveyor of Superior FuneralsRead this last week so this is first, gentle read but enjoyable, sad in parts, love story set in 1924 Welsh village . Next Japan Thousand Autumns Of Jacob De ZoetUp to page 100 and just starting to get hooked but seems to take a bit to adjust to names, characters and language!!

Enjoy your journey Andrew however long it takes.

Good luck

Hope you have fun and get to clear some of those stashes of books, Andrew! I'm driving myself mad at the moment, every book I pick up seems be be set in a country I have already visited and by an author whose name begins with a letter I have already "done" on the A to Z. Dipping into some Poe short stories at the moment as I have never tried him but not checking anything off either challenge!

Thank you Ian Alan and Jennifer , I am nearing the end of my trip to Japan, a fair wind , lack of homework help tonight and a couple of hours to read and I'll be able to set off to next venue . It's becoming a bit addictive though and I'm looking at books now from the perspective of new countries to visit ! I've at least got next 3 or 4 planned although I'm going to have to take my German book called the Wall jumper to be the one country on basis I'm assuming by its title it covers both sides of the wall , prob bending the rules a bit !!

2.JAPAN: Just finished and will give it 4 stars as I enjoyed it. Probably would have gone to 5 but it felt a lot like English Passengers but just not quite as good.Anyway I'm officially up up and away now! Next destination South Africa and

3.South Africa; What an incredible book! I am reeling a bit from reading this account of a very ordinary but yet extraordinary mans journey in civil war torn South Africa.Almost Kafkaesque in parts. Anyway I'm going for Swedish crime next and picked this up for £2.99 in Waterstones on Friday, I'm enjoying this literary journey and am suddenly looking at books from perspective of where next!!

Gets you like that Andrew! Enjoy!

4.SWEDEN: Not too bad after I got over all the romantic stuff in the first half and the plot and crime element picked up. Off to Scotland next for a bit more earthy crime I feel like I've still got a long way to go but I've got a few journeys lined up!

Loved Blackhouse Andrew. The third part in the trilogy is coming out next year. Can't wait! Hope you enjoy it.

Thanks Sue , So far I am enjoying and would have got more read this weekend but for ikea the shop and then the joys of making a wardrobe for daughters bedroom! I'm enjoying the switch between first person childhood memories and third person present drama!!

5.SCOTLAND: I really enjoyed this.I love finding a new crime writer that I enjoy and It gave an interesting view of the Isle of Lewis and especially the islanders annual trip to an inhospitable rock to catch 2000 Gull chicks!I'd reccomend it (the book not the Gull culling).Not decided where next as I'm on a reading group choice set in Yorkshire and want to Save England until I'm desperate for countries.

6.AUSTRALIA: A really interesting book about Bruce exploring the Aborigine songlines which they follow on walkabout.I'd not read Chatwin since the 80's but loved his relaxed style. Next stop Cyprus.

Just fyi, you can count Cyprus and Northern Turkish Cyprus as 2 separate countries.

7.CYPRUS An interesting story about a young married British army couple and the effects upon them of the Cypriot battle for independence in 1953. I hadn't read any Sadie Jones before nor did I know anything about this war so it was interesting, I felt she captured the brutality and supressed emotions well! Not sure where to go next!

8;GERMANY This was a book I picked up in Oxfam some while ago and this challenge encouraged me to haul it out of a pile of books to be read.It was really interesting, the narrator tells fictionalised encounters with East and West Berliners before the wall came down. Interesting seeing how his friends from the East are very defensive of their country, the contradiction of the s countries, same language but so different. Some good anecdotes as well such as the youths who cross the wall to go to the cinema before returning East the same night, and the west Berliner who repeatedly breaks East as a protest. A good little read at 139 pages!

9;NORWAY Really enjoyable crime novel,Harry Hole is a cracking character, all the usual cliches;drink,failed romance,loner,likes rock music but who cares when it such an enthralling story.

UNITED ARAB EMIRITES
Great grabbing read - the underlying theme of fate versus freewill explored via our protogonist misadventure in Dubai. Good flowing read, very contemporary, vibrant voice.

11;USA I wasn't going to do the US so early but I loved this. Its the story of Mrs Bridge told in short chapters about her life over 20 years as the wife of a successful Kansas city lawyer pre WW2. Whilst it deals with the mundane and her small battles with her children , her friends and life generally it is funny and poignant. I'd really recomend it.

12;CHINA A really interesting crime novel set in post Tianamen square communist China.Loved it so I'm going to search out more in the series.

13;ICELAND Loved it.Great to find a new policeman to follow! It does get addictive when you like a crime series, I guess it's as old as fiction and if Holmes can be resurrected after falling off a waterfall to his death it shows the power of charismatic characters.

14;ARGENTINA A really good read.There is something about Greene and his way with characters and dialogue. Interesting story about the English Honorary Consul mistakenly kidnapped instead of the American ambassador. Lots of angst about love,Catholicism, and parenting but it never lost my attention.

Greene also good for Vietnam with .

Thanks Ian I will put it in TBR , he's one of those authors that when I've read one I wonder why I haven't read more. I'm now starting a march thru the Polish woods with Primo Levi and 'If not now when' .

15;SWITZERLAND What a brilliant read. I heard about the writer on Mark Lawson's radio programme on European crime and struggled to get hold of a volume but I've rattled through it today. Written in 1958 a Swiss police inspector meets a detective writer and tells him the story of his colleague Mattias who following the wrongful arrest and subsequent suicide of a pedlar for a brutal child murderer becomes obsessed with finding the real killer. I was hooked all the way through and even though written in the 50's it felt modern and demonstrates what a brilliant crime novel should be 5 stars from me.

Sounds boss Andrew......but not on kindle....damn and blast etc.

I had a problem finding it Ian and ended up getting a second hand version via abe books which was ex library,As even 2nd hand on amazon was dear, it wasn't in our local library, it was a film apparently with Nicholson. Did you catch the mark lawson series? Anyway it's a vert quick read and worth a look.

Nope re Mark Lawson.....I have 6 music playing when radio on, so don't tend to catch radio 4 stuff other than the cricket.

16;POLAND I'd not read any Levi before and felt this was a good place to start. The story ,based on real life accounts tells of a band of Jewish men and women in WW2 who move across Europe from Russia through Poland and into Italy on the way to the homeland Israel.The main character Mendel is a red army jewish watchmaker whose wife has been murdered by the Germans and he joins other Jewish resistance fighters. It is a brutal story but also full of a life affirming spirit and a tale of one of many of the Jewish groups who did try to resist. I will read more now of Levi's work.

17;COLUMBIA I initially thought it was a thriller as it is the tale of two men whose lives are affected by a terrible event concerned with the Columbian drug wars, one of the principal characters then tries to find out why the event occurs. In the end the book is a reflection upon the impact of the drug wars of the 80's and 90's on individuals and a thought provoking read. I need to find a lighter read next although my Venezuala read isnt very light so far !

18;VENEZUALA An interesting book about a doctor having to confront his father with his father's terminal cancer while at same time being stalked. Definitely worth reading.

19;TRINIDAD A really good read about an English couple who move to Trinidad in 1956 and it's the story of how their love dissolves over 40 years but against the backdrop of independence and the Trinidadian leader Eric Williams. The country is the third principal character portrayed as a woman who comes between the couple. Highly recommended!

Agree Andrew - got a rare 5 stars from me.

20;MEXICOThe Dead Women of JurezA very good crime novel based on the fact that hundreds of innocent women have disappeared of the streets of Juarez a Mexican border town. It is in two halves with the first introducing three characters a washed up American boxer ,his close friend a Mexican drug dealer and his sister. The second half follows 2 Mexican detectives. It is brutal and paints a poor picture of corruption in the country but is very good.

Andrew. think will use your Mexican book.

Would recommend it Robert , enjoy!

21:NICARAGUA A curious book I picked up in oxfam,it is Rushdie's factual account of a trip he took in 80's to Nicaragua not long after the Sandanista's had come to power while they were battling Reagan and the contra rebels. He had access to senior politicians including Noriega, leading poets,opposition press and ordinary people.An interesting snapshot of a troubled country made more interesting given that after yesterday the 80's is now a part of history although no less traumatic for those at the coal face.

Was this b4 the Satanic Verses fatwa restricted his travel?

Yes I believe so Ian, in inside cover the last work was Midnight's children published 1987 and he certainly seems to have ready access to all levels of society which he may not have have had a few years later! Interesting book.

22;SYRIA An interesting book set around the early 1980's when the ruling regime massacre the minority sunni opposition. A teenage girl is the narrator and the book describes how she develops extreme islamic views with hatred at the centre of her beliefs. The book explains why she develops her feelings against the background of the ruling partys vicious cruelty and massacres,her developing sexuality conflicting with her religion,and an interesting family. As a read I definitely feel it has taught me a lot about the society and a better understanding of the current unrest however it was at times hard going as a constant stream of narrative, only 3 very long chapters and moving off into different tales periodically almost a magic realist structure and frustratingly at the end it says Chapter 4 has not been translated into English!! Overall though worth perservering, thought provoking and certainly one benefit of this challenge is that again I have read a book I would not have tried before and it was worth the effort .I'd be interested if anyone else reads as to what their views are.

On my tbr list....sounds intriguing.

23;BRAZIL I love this challenge for the fact that you unearth little gems. I saw this book in the library and as it was set in Brazil decided to give it a go. It tells the tale of a book editor who receives a mysterious manuscript from a mysterious woman called Ariadne in a small town in south of Brazil. He and his curious drinking buddies decide to rescue her by going individually to the town who's main obsession is 5 aside football inspired by John Le Carre subterfuge. It's a good read which I laughed out loud about in parts and I will look out for more by this author. An enjoyable trip!!

And the title?

Robert its called The Spiesif you see it I'd recommend it.

Andrew. can't find anywhere Abi books, Amazon,kindle or local library. Will keep hunting intrigued now

Wow Robert Oldham libraries must be doing something right, I suppose that's the joy of libraries it allows you to try things although this challenge is encouraging me to explore, good hunting, thanks Chelsea as well.

24;NIGERIA; I lovedHalf of a Yellow Sunwhich was a beautiful,harrowing and brilliant novel so I wondered if this book would be as good. Not as epic in scope it is narrated by a 15/16 year old girl whose father, a rich factory owner is horribly violent to his children and wife (some scenes are distressing) but outwardly he is the model altruistic, ultra religious benefactor who sponsors the newspaper that exposes the military rulers vicious regime. The move of the children to their aunts vibrant happy family changes them at a time of upheaval in Nigeria. A really good book which demonstrates how confusing love is especially in the face of violence. I've read two of her books now and will try and reread half a yellow sun at some point.P.s Anyone doing this months genre prize winner challenge who hasn't read Yellow sun would get a recommendation from me!

I too read Purple Hibiscus as part of the Around the World challenge and very much enjoyed it. Harrowing yet compelling.

25;FRANCE; Courtesy of genre month this as a good read.Set in 1785 Paris it is the story of an engineer from Normandy commissioned to destroy a cemetery and church. Atmospheric with strong characters and plot it felt like I was on the streets of Paris. My only qualm about three quarters through it felt a lot like and once I had that in my head it kept nagging a bit. Overall though I enjoyed it. Not sure where next, I am loving this challenge for the way it is expanding my reading!

Andrew wrote: "24;NIGERIA;I lovedHalf of a Yellow Sunwhich was a beautiful,harrowing and brilliant novel so I wondered if this book would be as good. Not as epic in scope it is n..."

Read this a few years ago and loved it.