UK Book Club discussion

This is my first attempt at a challenge although Ive been a member of the group quite a long time. So here goes!

I'm going to start from the beginning of 2013 as that will give me 1 to add to my list. I must stop reading so much fantasy so that I have a real place to add! :) I don't think Winterfell and Mid World & End World will count. I'm also only going to add my books to the thread once I've completed them.
So here I go!
1. The Island by Victoria Hislop - Greece

Good choice Emily, I'm enjoying my Around the World challenge but have the same problem as you - I keep ending up in Middle Earth and Discworld!
Enjoy your travels!

I enjoyed The Island - good choice for Greece... 1 down 79 to go!

We need a challenge for other galaxies, outer space, fantasy worlds and beyond - I either end up in made-up places or find myself being UK or USA centric.

Im really looking forward to this. Im in the middle of Wales at the moment and also China. It would be nice to have 3 on the list by the end of the week!

What are you reading for china?

Wild Swans. Its a tough read but nearly finished.

I loved wild swans! Great read to get you really immersed in china. Part of me would like to read it again but it's so long it puts me off!

I sometimes find I'm mixing up characters too with the names being so similar. I have really enjoyed it so far. Really insightful!

I felt the same Vicky, loved Wild Swans and learned loads about China. I know what you mean about re-reading it too, there's a lot of content which I think would be worth re-vistiting, especially since it's been a good few years since my first read.

Enjoy your trip Emily.

Thanks Ian!

Just finished!

2. Guardian Angel by Brian John - Wales

It took me long enough but heres another one!

3. Wild Swans by Jung Chang - China

You've started well Emily,I started a few months ago and am loving the journey, Enjoy!

Thanks Andrew. Good luck on your journey! Hope you're getting through them. If you have any suggestions, I'd love to hear them!

If you browses other people's threads you can pick up some great ideas Emily.

Finished number 4!
4. The Brightest Star In The Sky by Marian Keyes - Ireland

5 is going to be France but can't decide whether the read Labyrinth by Kate Mosse or Suite Francaise by Irene Nemirovsky. Thoughts?

If it helps, I enjoyed Labyrinth and have Sepulchre ready to read at some point soon. Worth bearing in mind this is the start of a trilogy if you're a completist - do you have the reading time for the series?!

I haven't read the other so can't offer any insight I'm afraid.

I also have Sepulchre. They've both been sat on my bookshelf for ages and I intend to read both of them. Whether I read Citadel or not is another thing. I think I'll go with Labyrinth and see how I get on.

Just watched the C4 adaptation of Labyrinth.

Any good?

Patchy.....not read the book, but on TV the historic scenes worked much better than the present day stuff which just often seemed to be a travelogue for Carcassonne, so there was no time to develop any depth to the characters. Probably needed more time than 2 to 3 hours over 2 nights.

I thought it was going to be a series but obviously just a few episodes? I've read a few pages this morning on my work break. I'm intrigued already.

Well that's a goer then.

Struggling with Labyrinth. Haven't been gripped by the first few chapters and haven't been making time to read. Don't know whether it's because of the book or not....

Still reading 5. Labyrinth by Kate Mosse - France, but just finished 6. Headhunters by Jo Nesbo - Norway. We read it in our monthly book group but I think I was the only one who really enjoyed it.

Have you seen the film of Headhunters Emily? Nmcot as didn't really get the dark humour - prefer Nesbo's Harry Hole series - but highly rated by other people.

Finished 5. Labyrinth by Kate Mosse. It took long enough but quite enjoyed it in the end. Almost shed a tear just before the end when the story of the skeletons was revealed. Slow going most of the way through but gathered pace and had to read the last 200 or so pages in one go.

7. Gillian Slovo - Red Dust finished! Whoop! It was interesting, not something I would normally go for but one my mum picked up for me in Hay especially for my challenge as its set in South Africa. Having a little break now to read the Hunger Games reading for the film release.
So just for my own benefit, a recap:

1. Victoria Hislop - The Island (Greece)
2. Brian John - Guardian Angel (Wales)
3. Jung Chang - Wild Swans (China)
4. Marian Keyes - The Brightest Star in the Sky (Ireland)
5. Kate Mosse - Labyrinth (France)
6. Jo Nesbo - Headhunters (Norway)
7. Gillian Slovo - Red Dust (South Africa)

I will be at 10 before Christmas!!

Emily wrote: "7. Gillian Slovo - Red Dust finished! Whoop! It was interesting, not something I would normally go for but one my mum picked up for me in Hay especially for my challenge as its set in South Africa...."
I love Gillian Slovo. You might like to try Rose Tremain.

Thanks Sue. I read The Road Home a while ago. If I remember rightly it was about a Polish man in London. Has she written any you could recommend in other countries?

Well, it's been a while since I posted on my challenge! And I'm afraid I fell into the habit of reading books set in the USA so I've only got one book to add at the moment and that is:
8. The Stand - Stephen King (USA)

But I'm back, although I'm reading another USA book at the moment, after that it's going to be another country... I promise

Well, it's been a while since I posted on my challenge! And I'm afraid I fell into the habit of reading books set in the USA so I've only got one book to add at the moment and that is:
8. The Stand - Stephen King (USA)

But I'm back, although I'm reading another USA book at the moment, after that it's going to be another country... I promise

Welcome back! I'm trying to finish a USA challenge (unsuccessfully) too! I lovedThe Colour, which is set in New Zealand and have heard good things about Music & Silence which is set in Denmark. For Russia - if you don't want a classic, The Ice Road by Gillian Slovo is excellent. Look forward to seeing what you choose.

Thanks for the advice Sue. I found a book in a book exchange on a campsite for Russia. A few of the reps had also read it and recommended it so my number 9 was Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith. I really enjoyed it although a bit gruesome in parts and difficult to comprehend the Stalinist regime, it really educated me on a subject I know very little about. It's one that I would highly recommend. I've now moved onto the Netherlands and I'm in 17th Century Amsterdam with Jessie Burtons The Miniaturist. Another era and country I don't know too much about so I have to admit that this challenge is certainly educating me :)

Recap :
1. Greece - The Island - Victoria Hislop
2. Wales - Guardian Angel - Brian John
3. China - Wild Swans - Jung Chang
4. Ireland - The Brightest Star in the Sky - Marian Keyes
5. France - Labyrinth - Kate Mosse
6. South Africa - Red Dust - Gillian Slovo
7. USA - The Stand - Stephen King
8. Russia - Child 44 - Tom Rob Smith

Missed out

9. Norway - Headhunters - Jo Nesbo

Emily wrote: "Thanks for the advice Sue. I found a book in a book exchange on a campsite for Russia. A few of the reps had also read it and recommended it so my number 9 was Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith. I really e..."

Must get around to reading Child 44.

Music & Silence is really good if you like historical novels

10. The Netherlands - The Miniturist by Jessie Burton
11. England - The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

10. The Netherlands - The Miniturist by Jessie Burton
11. England - The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton

It happened again.... Got stuck reading Game of Thrones and futuristic books. But I eventually got back to my challenge and found an unexpected book for Australia. The first Harry Hole Thriller 'The Bat.'

So fingers crossed, I'm back on track and will read some new books outside of the usual genres I tend to fall back on. So:

12. Australia - The Bat by Jo Nesbo

13. Hong Kong - White Ghosts by Will Rhode

Going distinctly off piste here - Seychelles - Leigh Russell " A journey to Death" or, (if I am allowed to do this - not sure) "A Season in the Sun"

I always feel a bit silly adding on my thread after such a long time. And I’m terrible for sticking to what I know. However, just having a browse at what I have read over the last year or so and came across one that could be added to my slowly growing list!

14. Turkey - Sanctus - Simon Toyne

Yippee for an addition!

Emily wrote: "I always feel a bit silly adding on my thread after such a long time. And I’m terrible for sticking to what I know. However, just having a browse at what I have read over the last year or so and ca..."

It's taking me a long time as well as keep getting distracted by Sci-fi ;)

Another one for the pile!

15. Afghanistan - A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini.

I thought this one was going to be a chore and struggled to get into it. But by part 2 I was hooked. I don’t know a great deal about the wars in Afghanistan as it was before my time and then I was only young but this book gave a real insight into what it was like (and still is for some.)
I would definitely recommend this book!

It’s taken me 9 months to read a book that wasn’t based in the UK or USA. At this rate I’m probably not going to finish the challenge before I die! And guess what, after reading a book based in Saudi Arabia, I picked up an Agatha Christie. *palm to forehead*

Anyway my Saudi Arabia book was
16. Princess Sultanas Daughters by Jean Sasson.
It was an insightful read into the struggles of women in the kingdom and the patriarchal society they must contend with on a daily basis. Sultana is strong willed and challenges her male family members, rather in her own mind than out loud or in the comfort of other women, but is still forced to succumb to the tyranny of men.
For me, it educated me on the way extremists misinterpret the Koran and that there is hope for the women of Saudi Arabia as long as the strong willed women breed more strong willed women.