All About Books discussion

As usual, I will take it easy, above all with my challenges.

I will continue with my neverending Far and Wide Through India challenge because there are a few states for which I can't find a book.
Every year I also do a challenge in the Indian Readers group for which I read some books set in India or written by Indian authors. If they will set it up, I will do it also this year.

I will go on with my Novel-Cure-Challenge. I have finally finished the book, but not all the books listed to "heal" myself. This also because several of those books are out of print or difficult to find. So this too will be a neverending challenge.

I won't count anymore how many books of my wishlist I'll read because I've seen that it is useless. Though in 2018 I've read some books that were in my wishlist, I have added a lot more!

I will continue reading books about religion, but I won't count them like this year. This year I was just curious to see how many I would have read, but there is no need to write it down also for next year.

I think I will add a new neverending challenge: to read books set in every state of Africa. I thought about it because of a challenge in another group for which I have to read 2 or 3 books set in Africa. Thinking about it, I've seen that in my whole life I haven't read a lot about this continent. This will be like my India challenge, so I will take it easy.

Far and wide through India

previous year: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...


visited 17 states (48.5%)
Create your own visited map of India or Amsterdam travel guide for Android


States:
Andhra Pradesh
Arunachal Pradesh
Assam
Bihar: India: A Wounded Civilization
Chhattisgarh
Delhi:
The Wildings
Delhi
Midnight's Children by Salman Rushdie
Goa: Around India in 80 Trains by Monisha Rajesh
Gujarat:
The Algebra Of Infinite Justice
Il libro di Krishna
Haryana: Jaya: An Illustrated Retelling of the Mahabharata
Himachal Pradesh: Nine Lives
The Dalai Lama's Cat
Jammu e Kashmir: Kashmir Saivism - The Central Philosophy of Tantrism
Jharkhand
Karnataka:
India. Cinque racconti, sei reportage, tre fumetti
Waiting for the Mahatma by R.K. Narayan
Kerala: Idris : Keeper of the Light
Madhya Pradesh:
Five Past Midnight in Bhopal: The Epic Story of the World's Deadliest Industrial Disaster
Un'isola di mistero : seguito delle avventure di viaggio di Dalle caverne e dalle giungle dell'Indostan
Maharashtra:
Sacred Games
Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity
Saturday Date
The Moor's Last Sigh
ŚRĪ JÑĀNEŚVARA : Lo yogin cantore della libertà
Family Matters
Sri Sai Satcharitra: The Wonderful Life and Teachings of Shirdi Sai Baba
Manipur
Meghalaya
Mizoram
Nagaland
Orissa: eFiction India Vol. 1 Issue 07
Punjab: Train to Pakistan
Rajasthan: India Was One
Sikkim
Tamil Nadu:
Shilappadikaram
The Toss of a Lemon
Tripura
Uttar Pradesh:
Sea of Poppies
Krsna: The Supreme Personality of Godhead: v. 1
Uttarakhand
West Bengal:
Freedom at Midnight
The City of Joy
The Sleeping Dictionary
Sister of My Heart
The Missionary Position: Mother Teresa in Theory and Practice
The Lives of Others
The Hungry Tide

India without a real setting:
Kamasutra
71 Golden Tales of Panchatantra
A Fine Balance
L'Induismo
Timeless wisdom from ancient India
The Dance of Siva: Essays on Indian Art and Culture
The Difficulty of Being Good: On the Subtle Art of Dharma
Animal's People

Novel Cure Challenge

previous year: https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

Review with all the books listed for this challenge: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

1) The Teahouse of the August Moon to heal who wants to have everything under control. English/Italian review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

2) Autonauts of the Cosmoroute to heal who doesn't like to drive on a highway. Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

Far and Wide through Africa




Algeria: The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles
Angola
Benin
Botswana: Precious Ramotswe, detective by Alexander McCall Smith
Burkina Faso
Burundi
Camerun
Capo Verde
Ciad
Comore
Costa d'Avorio
Egitto
Eritrea
Etiopia
Gabon
Gambia
Ghana: Stelle nere by Ryszard Kapuściński
Gibuti
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guinea Equatoriale
Kenya
Lesotho
Liberia
Libia
Madagascar
Malawi
Mali
Marocco: Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood by Fatema Mernissi
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mozambico
Namibia
Niger
Nigeria
Rep. Centrafricana
Rep. del Congo
RD del Congo: Stelle nere by Ryszard Kapuściński
Ruanda
São Tomé e Príncipe
Senegal
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Somalia: Don't Tell Me You're Afraid by Giuseppe Catozzella
Sudafrica
Sudan
Sudan del Sud
Swaziland
Tanzania
Togo
Tunisia
Uganda
Zambia
Zimbabwe

54 states! I will add the English names as soon as I'll have some time.

1) Senza mai arrivare in cima. Viaggio in Himalaya by Paolo Cognetti 2*

No English edition.

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

2) I fiori di Faber. Dai diamanti non nasce niente by Claudio Porchia 3*

No English edition.

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

3) La terrazza proibita: Vita nell'harem by Fatema Mernissi 5*

English edition: Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood

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

- Morocco https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

4) Il paese delle maree 4*

English edition: The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh

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

- IR Challenge 1/5
- Far And Wide Through India

5) I preti di Stargorod 3*

English edition: The Cathedral Clergy by Nikolai Leskov

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

6) Salvami per la tua misericordia! by Anastasio Sinaita 3*

No English edition. It's a comment by Anastasius Sinaita to Psalm 6.

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

7) Racconti di un pellegrino russo 5*

English edition: The Way of a Pilgrim by Anonymous

Simply amazing.

8) Il tè nel deserto 2*

English edition: The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles

Didn't like it at all. I disliked all the characters and I don't have a clue of what the author wanted to tell us.

Africa Challenge: Algeria

9) I passeggeri della terra: 12.000 Km senza un soldo in tasca by Nicola Zolin 4*

No English edition. It's a travelogue of a 25 years old Italian that starts a hitch-hiking travel with two friends (a French and a German) from the Netherlands to Brazil with no money.

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

10) Non dirmi che hai paura 5*

English edition: Don't Tell Me You're Afraid by Giuseppe Catozzella

What happens if you have dreams but in your country there is a civil war?

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

Africa Challenge: Somalia (3/54)

11) La casa da tè alla luna d'agosto 3*

English edition: The Teahouse of the August Moon by Vern Sneider

I've read this book for my Novel Cure Challenge. It should heal people who are maniacs of control. It was a funny read. The story is set in Japan, after WWII, and talks about the unsuccessful plans of an American capitain to Americanize a Japanese village. There are several funny moments and the book teaches you that having everything under control doesn't mean that you will succeed.

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

- Novel Cure Challenge (1)

12) Harun e il mar delle storie 3*

English edition: Haroun and the Sea of Stories by Salman Rushdie

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

- IR Challenge 2/5

13) Luka e il fuoco della vita 2*

English edition: Luka and the Fire of Life by Salman Rushdie

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

- IR Challenge 3/5

14) Le intermittenze della morte 3*

English edition: Death with Interruptions by José Saramago

Well, at least now I've read something by Saramago so I can say that he doesn't work for me. To be honest, his writing style doesn't fit me, but the content was interesting and thought-provoking. But I doubt I will read more books by him.

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

15) Gli autonauti della cosmostrada ovvero Un viaggio atemporale Parigi-Marsiglia 3*

English edition: Autonauts of the Cosmoroute by Julio Cortázar

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

- Novel Cure Challenge (2)

16) Bambino 44 3*

English edition: Child 44 by Tom Rob Smith

I'm not a thriller fan and never read them. I think I bought this book only because of the historical background: Stalin's Russia.

All in all I enjoyed it.

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

17) La notte del Getsemani by Massimo Recalcati 3*

No English edition. It is an analysis of the last night of Jesus before his crucifixion.

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

18) Ragazzo negro 4,5*

English edition: Black Boy by Richard Wright

This was such a good, touching and well written memoir! I was impressed by how good the author has been able to look into himself, his surroundings, his family, etc. and talk about it in such a deep and poetic way. I'm only sorry that he talks about his life only till he moves to Chicago when he is 19.
He had such a sad and difficult life!

dely wrote: "18) Ragazzo negro 4,5*

English edition: Black Boy by Richard Wright

This was such a good, touching and well written ..."

What a beautiful book this is!!! I had read it as kid in school and I picked it up again at University. Ans if you've liked it I also advise you to read his Native Son

LauraT wrote: "What a beautiful book this is!!! I had read it as kid in school and I picked it up again at University. Ans if you've liked it I also advise you to read his Native Son "

It was exactly how an autobiography should be for me. I liked how he was able to look deep into himself and also in other people.
Thanks for the recommendation, will check it out.

19) Una passeggiata nei boschi 3*

English edition: A Walk in the Woods: Rediscovering America on the Appalachian Trail by Bill Bryson

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

20) In Viaggio con l'Arcangelo by Grazia Francescato 5*

No English edition.

21) Lo sguardo dell'anima by Grazia Francescato 2*

No English edition.

22) Fiore di neve e il ventaglio segreto by Lisa See 2*

English edition: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan

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

dely wrote: "22) Fiore di neve e il ventaglio segreto by Lisa See 2*

English edition: [book:Snow Flower and the Secret Fan..."

Why only 2 stars?
I thought it was interesting though not great. 4 stars but the lower end.

Esther wrote: "Why only 2 stars?
I thought it was interesting though not great. 4 stars but the lower end. "

For me it isn't a bad rating, it means that the book was ok. Sadly the author wasn't able to involve me emotionally. It was well written, all the historical background was interesting, but after a while I wasn't anymore interested in the two main characters. Halfway I nearly wanted to give up because I was bored by the main characters. Despite all that interesting and well described historical background, I had the feeling that the book was lacking of a plot and of well depicted characters.

dely wrote: "Esther wrote: "Why only 2 stars?
I thought it was interesting though not great. 4 stars but the lower end. "

For me it isn't a bad rating, it means that the book was ok. Sadly the author wasn't ab..."

I am obviously too generous with my stars :0)
I found the characters interesting at first but annoying and cliched as the relationship developed.

Esther wrote: "I am obviously too generous with my stars :0)
I found the characters interesting at first but annoying and cliched as the relationship developed. ."

Hahaha, and I'm maybe too stingy! :D It could have been also a 3 stars, but I thought it would be too much.

Yes, exactly, the characters weren't depicted very well and for me it is an important aspect in a book.

23) Pellegrino sul mare by Pär Lagerkvist 2,5

English edition: Pilgrim at Sea

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

24) Barabba 3*

English edition: Barabbas by Pär Lagerkvist

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

25) Laudato si': Enciclica sulla cura della casa comune 5*

English edition: Laudato Si': On the Care of Our Common Home by Pope Francis

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

26) I tre dialoghi e il racconto dell'Anticristo by Vladimir Sergeyevich Solovyov 3*

No English edition.

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

27) Le cinque persone che incontri in cielo 2*

English edition: The Five People You Meet in Heaven by Mitch Albom

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

28) La firma di Maria by Livio Fanzaga 4*

No English edition. An interesting book that talks about the most important Marian apparitions in Europe over the past 200 years. The author also makes connections between the various apparitions and the messages of the Vergin Mary. If you connect these places of the apparitions, you have an M that covers Europe. The country with the most appearances is France. Curious note: if you connect only the French places with the apparition, you will have an M also over France.

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

29) Stelle nere by Ryszard Kapuściński 2*

No English edition. Reportages written in the 60s about Ghana and the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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

Africa Challenge: Ghana and Congo (5/54)

30) Nessun amico se non le montagne. Prigioniero nell'isola di Manus 5* but even more if I could

English edition: No Friend But the Mountains: Writing from Manus Prison by Behrouz Boochani

One of the best books read this year and not only. One of those books I would recommend to anyone. If you don't know anything about the life of this Kurdish refugee, then you have to read the book or look for him on internet. His odyssey as a refugee in Australia is absolutely surreal, inhuman, cruel and absurd. Not only his experience, but also that of other refugees. Shame on Australia and any other country that treats human beings in this inhuman way!

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

I've seen that you advise to read it strongly; I don't know if I can handle it right now... maybe later on ...

LauraT wrote: "I've seen that you advise to read it strongly; I don't know if I can handle it right now... maybe later on ..."

Yes, I've sent you also a recommendation. It's a story everyone should know.

dely wrote: "LauraT wrote: "I've seen that you advise to read it strongly; I don't know if I can handle it right now... maybe later on ..."

Yes, I've sent you also a recommendation. It's a story everyone shoul..."

I know! ;)

31) Inni alla notte. Canti spirituali

English edition: Hymns to the Night/Spiritual Songs by Novalis

I don't rate this book because I already knew that it would have been difficult I would like it. I don't like poetry and I bought this book above all for my son. I tried to read it to see if I can get into poetry, but it didn't work for me.

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

32) Apocalisse. Una cristologia per simboli. by Innocenzo Timossi 2*

No English edition. It's a comment to the Book of Revelation.

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

33) La mia ombra è tua by Edoardo Nesi 3,5

No English edition.

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

34) Shalimar il clown 4,5

English edition: Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie

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

35) Precious Ramotswe, detective 3*

English edition: The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

I thoroughly enjoyed it though misteries are not my cup of tea. In addition to the very easy to solve misteries, I liked above all the informations about Botswana.

Africa Challenge: Botswana (6/54)

And with this book I also complete a challenge on another group.

I think that the appeal of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series is, as you note, the information about life in Botswana rather than the mysteries (even for a mystery fan like myself!). The mysteries really just provide a framework or excuse for Mma Ramotswe to go to a different part of the society to show the reader something different. Because of that, I enjoyed the first few books in the series and then felt that the books were no longer as interesting.

Leslie wrote: "I think that the appeal of The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency series is, as you note, the information about life in Botswana rather than the mysteries (even for a mystery fan like mysel..."

I fully agree! I don't think I will continue with the other books of the series, but I'm however glad I've read this one.