Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

During these cold winter months in the Northern Hemisphere, it's easy to forget that our neighbors in the south are enjoying summer. This week, pick up a book that is set in the Southern Hemisphere. Check out the latest Liane Moriarty in Australia, or travel to a new South American country. Go for some historical fiction set in Africa, or check out The Luminaries in New Zealand. Whatever your preference, enjoy the setting!

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Suggestions:
List of Countries Located Completely in the Southern Hemisphere

Oceania
Australian Books (Fiction and NF)
50 Best Books from New Zealand
Listopia: Best Books Set in Australia
Listopia: Books Set in New Zealand

South America
Best Books About Chile
Classic Books about Argentina
Books Set in Bolivia
Books Set in Peru
Listopias Tagged As South America

Africa
Popular Books Set in Madagascar
Books About South Africa
Zambian Authors You Should Read
Books About Zimbabwe
Listopia: Books Set in Zambia
Listopia: Books set in South Africa

And, borrowed from the Around the World in 80 Books Goodreads Group:
Books Set in Africa
Books Set in Latin America
Books Set in Oceania
Books Set in Antarctica

2017's A Book Set In or By an Author from the Southern Hemisphere
ATY Group Listopia

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Optional Questions
1. What are you reading for this category?
2. What is the setting for this book?
3. Do you normally read books set in this country?

I'm planning to read Bel Canto for this prompt, set in Peru, which is a fantastic country to visit! I've not read very many set there, but certainly enjoyed vacationing there a few years ago.

I haven't yet decided on a book, but I just discovered author Liane Moriarty and I think that a lot of her books are set in Australia, so I will probably read one of her books.

My options:
The Bone People (New Zealand)
People in the Room (Argentina)
At the Mountains of Madness (Antarctica)
Moxyland (South Africa)
Our Lady of the Ice (Antarctica)
Beauty Is a Wound (Indonesia)
Initially I had only The Bone People on my tbr list, but after digging around I added the rest, though I think I should look for even more options.
I don't normally read books set in southern hemisphere, so it might be interesting.

I will likely do either The Convert by Danai Gurira (set in Rhodesia/Zimbabwe) or The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (set in Botswana).

I am planning to read 'the Hairdresser of Harare'. I lived in Zimbabwe and Botswana some years of my childhood, so I enjoy books set/from southern Africa.
I highly recommend 'We need new names' by NoViolet Bulawayo, set in Zimbabwe by Zimbabwean author.

I’ve been meaning to read Picnic at Hanging Rock for a few years now. (I’ve never seen the movie either.). This is my opportunity!

On my physical/Kindle shelves I have:

What Alice Forgot
The Motorcycle Diaries: Notes on a Latin American Journey
Candy
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood
The Husband's Secret

Would Jurassic Park count? I know the Island itself is made up but I'm pretty sure it's set off the coast of South America. I really want to fit Jurassic Park in somewhere this year and I'm stumped on this category so I'm hoping to kill two birds with one stone here.

edit: never mind apparently it's off the coast of Central America and above the equator

I’m going to read the new Isabel Allende: A Long Petal of the Sea. It’s set in Chile and while I’ve read some South American literature recently, I haven’t read anything from that particular country. It looks as though it covers a long period of the country’s history, so I’m hoping to learn a lot.

Johanne wrote: "I am planning to read 'the Hairdresser of Harare'. I lived in Zimbabwe and Botswana some years of my childhood, so I enjoy books set/from southern Africa.
I highly recommend 'We need new names' by..."

Thanks for the recommendation, Johanne! Just gotWe Need New Names out of the library.

Hope you enjoy it Cheri.

The Lighthouse at the End of the World

I think I'm planning to read The Lighthouse at the End of the World, by Jules Verne.

For this week, I read Moxyland. It was an interesting and fun read. I want to say it reminded me of a mixture of a story from Infinity Welcomes Careful Drivers and also Ready Player One. At the same time I want to say this book is nothing like them at all. However, if you like the sci-fy in Red Dwarf and RP1, I beleive you will enjoy Moxyland.



1. What are you reading for this category? Moxyland

2. What is the setting for this book? South Africa

3. Do you normally read books set in this country? Yes/No!? I'll read books set anywhere. A-NY-WHERE!

I think I've decided on Bel Canto which satisfies both the prompt and my love of stories that all take place in one spot!

So for this prompt I read The Water Diviner which I realised after finishing the novel is set in Turkey. The story starts out in Australia, and the main character is an Australian man so I am still going to count the book for this prompt.
I could've gone with something from Liane Moriarty as I normally enjoy her novels.

I read Women Talking by Miriam Toews, which is set in Bolivia. It's a powerful story (based on real events) but the way the author presented it was rather odd. I kept hoping it would become a 4 Star book but in the end I could only give it 3 Stars.

What are you reading?
Celestial bodies by Jokha Alharthi Read: 28 Jan 2018

Where is it set?
Oman

Do you usually read books from this country?
First time!

I am switching it up a little and doing it on my 6th week, and then reading " a mode of transportation on the cover" for the 7th.

1) I am reading "Born a Crime" by Trevor Noah

2) South Africa

3) I am pretty sure it's my first time, most of the books I read were set in Europe or United States of America

I'm trying to also get one for my Around the World so Australia is out. I am thinking of either House of Stone: A Novel by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma (set in Zimbabwe) or Euphoria by Lily King, set in Papua New Guinea.

I am listening to Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time and just realized it fits this challenge!

It is a travel book in Peru, about following the steps of Hiram Bingham, who discovered Machu Picchu, the hidden city of the incas. I don’t read travel books but Machu Picchu interests me. Good on audio.

1. What are you reading?
I read The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith

2. Where is it set?
Gabarone, Botswana

3. Do you usually read books from this country?
No and I'm so glad the ATY challenge has prompted me to do so.

1. What are you reading for this category?
I read The Burning Land by George Alagiah. I liked the background on the problems with land ownership, and it seemed really well researched, but I didn't really connect with the characters.

2. What is the setting for this book?
South Africa

3. Do you normally read books set in this country?
Not really but I have read a few before.

1. What are you reading for this category?
I read Silence of the Chagos: A Novel.
2. What is the setting for this book?
The beginning is set on Diego Garcia, an island in the Chagos Archipelago (in the Indian Ocean), which was part of Mauritius at the time. It is now a US military base! The latter part is set in Mauritius, after it gained its independence from Britain. The author is from Mauritius, which helps explain her interest and knowledge of the culture.
3. Do you normally read books set in this country?
No. I didn't even know where it was until I looked it up!

1. What are you reading for this category? The Lost Man
2. What is the setting for this book? Australian Outback which would also work for someplace I wouldn't want to live.
3. Do you normally read books set in this country? I often read Australian books. This was a good mystery and certainly gave me a sense of place.

1. What are you reading for this category? Force of Nature
2. What is the setting for this book? Giralang Ranges a fictional forest near Melbourne, Australia
3. Do you normally read books set in this country? I do from time to time.

Queen of the Flowers by Kerry Greenwood was set in Melbourne, Australia and is in the Phryne Fisher series, which is hilarious, trashy and fun!

7. A book set in the southern hemisphere
☒Circling the Sun By Paula McLain Finished: 01/12/2020
What’s the setting for this book? This book is set in Africa
Do you normal read books set in this country? I do enjoy reading books set Africa. This probably only the 5 or 6th of actually read from this country.

(Only the southern part of Africa is south of the equator, and none of the Middle East is...)

I am reading The Shark Net by Robert Drewe (who is an excellent author), which is a memoir about growing up in Perth, Western Australia in the 1960s. I read lots of books set in Australia.

1. What are you reading for this category? Turn Right at Machu Picchu: Rediscovering the Lost City One Step at a Time
2. What is the setting for this book? Peru, mostly former Incan trails from (and including) Lima to Machu Picchu, including Incan ruins and historical and scenic sites along the way
3. Do you normally read books set in this country? No, I've been to Peru twice, but I'm not sure I've read a book set there before, I should read more books set in South America (but I don't particularly recommend this book--too much of it is about the author, who is largely uninteresting/annoying).

I decided to look for a book set as South as I could go. I am going to read South Pole Station by Ashley Shelby.

I read Zoo City by Lauren Beukes, which is set in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The only other book I've read that took place in South Africa is Born a Crime.

1. What are you reading for this category?
Like a few others I read The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency - I honestly didn't love it but I think that's mostly because I was expecting an Agatha Christie style book and it's approach to mystery was really different. Not bad, just not really for me.
2. What is the setting for this book?
Botswana
3. Do you normally read books set in this country?
I don't think I've ever even come across a book set in Botswana before tbh. I really enjoyed the (supposed) insight into the culture as it's quite different to what I'm used to/normally read and the characters were great. I'd definitely be interested in reading more books set in the country or wider region and I think I'm going to make it a mini goal for the year to read a broader selection, geographically.

1. What are you reading for this category? I read A Long Petal of the Sea

2. What is the setting for this book? Primarily Chile.

3. Do you normally read books set in this country?
Not many, but I enjoyed Isabel Allende's writing and now want to read her backlist.

What are you reading for this category?
I am reading Nine Perfect Strangers by Liane Moriarty

2. What is the setting for this book?
The book is set in Australia

3. Do you normally read books set in this country?
I don't, although it's not because I actively avoid books from Australia. I just don't come across many that I want to read

I finally got around to reading What Alice Forgot set in Sydney. I love books set in Australia because my parents are from Australia (we live in the US) and I visit there often.

I loved the plot of this book and found it super compelling but the pacing was a little off keeping it from getting 5 stars from me. There were a few side characters that I felt needed their own book - their stories got lost in this one.

1. What are you reading for this category?

Bel Canto

2. What is the setting for this book?

An unnamed country in South America.

3. Do you normally read books set in this country?

No--this was about the one on my TBR set in South America I think.

India would count for this. I will be reading The Case of the Reincarnated Client, the latest in a series of humorous mysteries. They are delightful on audio.

Robin wrote: "India would count for this. I will be reading The Case of the Reincarnated Client, the latest in a series of humorous mysteries. They are delightful on audio."

I read the first one in that series last year and quite liked it.

But unfortunately, I think India is in the Northern Hemisphere :( I made a similar mistake when I was reading a book from Sri Lanka and realized that's in the Northern Hemisphere as well.

1. What are you reading for this category?
I read The Railwayman's Wife by Ashley Hay
2. What is the setting for this book?
Australia
3. Do you normally read books set in this country?
I read a few every year. I listen to the Australian Broadcasting Company's The Book Shelf podcast, which often has Australian authors that pique my interest.

What are you reading for this category? The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende
What is the setting for this book? Chile
Do you normally read books set in this country? This is the first novel I've read set in Chile, and I think the only book I've read that was set partly there was Travelling with Che Guevara: The Making of a Revolutionary.


I came to this book with no expectations, knowing only that I'd heard that of all Allende's books this is probably one of the best and it felt like a good place to start. And I wasn't disappointed, particularly as this book is a family saga set in a country I don't know a lot about - two things which will always appeal to me. But it takes more than a good premise to make a book worth reading, and this book has so much going for it. I loved the touches of magical realism, but that they were more accents to a book much more fully grounded in reality. And that reality was so fascinating - the power struggles of Chile throughout the 20th century, the class divides and prejudices of a society and how those play out within a family when the generations have different views, or when their hearts draw them to people across those divides. The story allows the ripples of time to pass so that the actions of one person or group can be seen as they spread across generations. There is so much sadness and violence in this story, it is a story of endurance and change. At times it can make for tough reading, and not all the characters are likeable. But at the same time, none are without understandable motivation. I was engaged the whole way through this story, and I'm intrigued to read more of Allende's work.

1. What are you reading for this category?
Tears of the Giraffe by Alexander McCall Smith

2. What is the setting for this book?
Botswana

3. Do you normally read books set in this country?
I don't believe I have ever come across another book set in Botswana!

What are you reading? A Madness of Sunshine by Nalini Singh.
Setting? Golden Cove, New Zealand.
Do you normally read books in this setting? No.

Errlee wrote: "Robin wrote: "India would count for this. I will be reading The Case of the Reincarnated Client, the latest in a series of humorous mysteries. They are delightful on audio."

I read..."

You're right! India is not in the Southern Hemisphere, thanks! Oh well, I have a couple books by Nevil Shute that take place in Australia.

1. What are you reading for this category? Three wishes by Liane Moriarty
2. What is the setting for this book? Australia
3. Do you normally read books set in this country? I've read very few, if any, other books from this country.

What are you reading for this category?

On the Jellicoe Road

2. What is the setting for this book?
The book is set in Australia

3. Do you normally read books set in this country?
I definitely have read others, but I wouldn't say it's a common location in my reading.

For my fellow Agatha Christie fans, I just finished The Man in the Brown Suit and a significant portion of the plot takes place in South Africa. I'm using it for a different prompt, but I thought I would mention it for anybody who's looking to fill in an easy read.

That's good to know, Jackie. I'm slowly making my way through all of Agatha Christie's books.

1. What are you reading for this category?
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty - 4 stars!

2. What is the setting for this book?
Sydney, Australia

3. Do you normally read books set in this country?
Nope, but I will