Around the Year in 52 Books discussion

This multiweek prompt is taking us around the globe in 3 weeks. Find three books that tempt you from around the world, and settle in for a bit of jetsetting. Whether you pick your home continent or opt to go far and wide, these prompts will broaden your horizons.

Suggestions:
10 Books Set in Antarctica: https://kcls.bibliocommons.com/list/s...
20 Best Books Set in South America: https://worldlyadventurer.com/books-a...
Books Set in Africa: https://bookgirlsguide.com/books-set-...
#OwnVoices Set in Oceania: https://bookriot.com/read-harder-an-o...
Best Books Set in European Cities: https://theculturetrip.com/europe/art...
Books Set in North America: https://www.readtheworld.org/home/nor...
Best Asian Literature: https://www.asiabooks.net/southeast-asia

ATY Listopias:
Africa
Antarctica
Asia
Australia
Europe
North America
South America

What are you reading for this prompt, and do you have any recommendations?

Hi Emily, the Listopia links all go to this post....

Nancy wrote: "Hi Emily, the Listopia links all go to this post...."

Yikes let me fix that!

EDIT: Should be fixed now! Thanks Nancy!

I'm definitely going to use continents other than North America and Europe for this one.

I definitely want to do Antarctica, and my possibilities are How the Penguins Saved Veronica, South Pole Station, or The Split.

My second will likely be South America, for which I'll read an Isabel Allende, either Eva Luna, as I haven't read it yet, or she has a new one coming out this year, Violeta, which I have from NetGalley.

For my third continent I'll probably do Africa, and read either The Girl with the Louding Voice or Tears of the Giraffe.

But I also want to read the new Liane Moriarty, Apples Never Fall, which is set in Australia.

Antarctica - a friend highly recommended Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night. He liked it better than the book on Shackleton. I liked Migrations and Where'd you go Bernadatte, which are only partially set on Antarctica.

For Africa, Purple Hibiscus or Half of a Yellow Sun / Americanah / Purple Hibiscus

Australia. The Rosie Project

South America. The House of the Spirits, The Gods of Tango, or One Hundred Years of Solitude

Asia.

I think I’m going with Cantoras for South America, The Death of Vivek Oji for Africa, and Living on Stolen Land for Australia.

I plan to read all 7 continents. 3 for this prompt, 4 for other prompts.

Antarctica -✔️ How the Penguins Saved Veronica(+aging, unlikely friendship, travel).

The White Darkness (+travel or exploration), Chasing the Light (Firsts- 1st women to reach Antarctica), Madhouse at the End of the Earth: The Belgica's Journey into the Dark Antarctic Night, or The Split

Africa -✔️Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah.
The Devil That Danced on the Water: A Daughter's Quest or another book by Aminatta Forna. Who We Are and How We Got Here: Ancient DNA and the New Science of the Human Past.

Asia - ✔️The Three-Body Problem,
✔️ The Bombay Prince,
✔️Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
✔️Wild Swans: Three Daughters of ChinaJung Chang.
To Live Yu Hua (Translated books), The Bad Muslim Discount. Throne of Jade (dragons), Black Powder War.]

South America - ✔️ Cantoras- Carolina De Robertis, ✔️When We Cease to Understand the World Chilean author
The Seamstress, The Gods of Tango, Exile Music (Not latin author),
Latin Author - The Murmur of BeesSofía Segovia

continued...

I am reading series' for this challenge so I am going for 3 from the same series:
1- - Jamaica, N.America
2- japan, Asia
3- UK, Europe

As a side challenge I'm working through the Jacaranda Twenty in 2020 list* of Black British writers and a lot of the books on the list can help for this section. There are several set in Africa, including The Street Hawker's Apprentice and Through the Leopard's Gaze, and one I'm definitely going to read for this prompt is Under Solomon Skies which is set on the Solomon Islands in Oceania.

*GR won't let me add a link but if you google it you can find the whole list on the Jacaranda website

Aimee wrote: "As a side challenge I'm working through the Jacaranda Twenty in 2020 list* of Black British writers and a lot of the books on the list can help for this section. There are several set in Africa, in..."

Thanks for telling us about this. The GR list for the project:
https://www.goodreads.com/series/3034...

I like Through the Leopard's Gaze for Africa, and Are We Home Yet?. Under Solomon Skies: Jacaranda Twenty in 2020 is related to one of my Oceania choices Euphoria about Margaret Mead.

I really want to read Walking Free, an amazing story about an Iraqi doctor who refused to mutilate prisoners. I'm not sure which continent it fits best. He starts in Bagdad, escapes to Indonesia, and is imprisoned for 10 months in the worst concentration camp in Australia for Asylum seekers. I also fits the rejected prompts about health care and health care professionals.

Nancy wrote: "I'm definitely going to use continents other than North America and Europe for this one."

I was thinking the exact same thing. I read stuff set on those continents all the time. It would be way too easy.

I'm thinking I'll do one in Australia and one in Antarctica, as I don't think I've read much set on either of them. I'm leaning towards Africa for the third one.

For Australia, the one that has piqued my interest the most is Albert of Adelaide. For Antarctica, it would be How the Penguins Saved Veronica

I think I'm going Asia, Africa, and South America. I read (often accidentally) from Australia pretty frequently, and South America is my least-read by a long-shot. (Assuming I'm not counting Antarctica lol).

I'm really excited for this set of prompts.. I wasn't sure about them when they were voted in, but I think I'm going to try to read the same genre set in each country, just to really get a comparison.

I’m currently contemplating doing one author (Paula McLain) with books set on three different continents.

The Paris Wife - Europe
Circling the Sun - Africa
When the Stars Go Dark - North America

That is a really neat idea, Dalex! And I really liked Circling the Sun.

I'm also trying to figure out either a series or theme for this prompt. And I'm kicking around going nonfiction for this prompt, I'd like to maybe read a bit more nonfiction for 2022 although I might NEED more fiction to balance out all the boring reading I'll be doing at work.

Right now I'm brainstorming on a colonialism and postcolonialism hook:

Africa: Heart of Darkness; Petals of Blood; Maps: A Novel; Half of a Yellow Sun
Asia: Insurgent Empire: Anticolonial Resistance and British Dissent; Orientalism; Midnight's Children
Australia/Oceana: The Fatal Shore: The Epic of Australia's Founding
North America: The Other Slavery: The Uncovered Story of Indian Enslavement in America; A House for Mr Biswas
South America: Empires of the Atlantic World: Britain and Spain in America 1492 - 1830; One Hundred Years of Solitude; Inés of My Soul

Nina wrote: "...For Australia, the one that has piqued my interest the most is Albert of Adelaide..."

Nina - I'm glad to see someone else has this book on their list! The author is from Albuquerque, NM (where I live) despite its Australian setting. I had picked the book up years ago from a local indie bookstore. I'm definitely reading it for one of the prompts (either Australia, ATY character, non-human character, no person on cover, or less than 5000 reviews). I love the cover (with the platypus wearing clothes) so much!

For this prompt, I plan to use 1) Australia or Antarctica Escape from Disaster, 2) Europe- Poland The Trumpeter of Krakow, Czechoslovakia The Good Soldier Švejk or Switzerland The Magic Mountain, and 3) Asia China: The Novel or Narrow Road to the Interior: And Other Writings.

Right now, I have the following earmarked:

Europe: Dubliners
North America: O Pioneers!
Asia: either Appointment with Death or Thousand Cranes (the latter works for another prompt, also)



I have a book or two picked out for every continent, but all of the above work for a classics challenge I do every year. We'll see, though. Part of me wants to do something set in South America and/or Antarctica.

Continued from message 7

Europe - (pick a translated book)
✔My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Abigail by Magda Szabó. I haven't read anything from Hungary before. (Rejected prompt for Eastern Europe)

Oceania - ✔ A Town Like Alice, The Narrow Road to the Deep North, Flames, Death at Victoria Dock, The Piano, The Bone People, Once Were Warriors, Chappy

North America- A book from Canada, Mexico, Central America, or Caribbean
The Year of the Flood- by Margaret Atwood (Canadian author)
The Marriage of Opposites by Alice Hoffman (set in Caribbean, Jewish author)

For all of the continents, I want to focus on authors who were born in the country/region or lived there.

Sam wrote: "That is a really neat idea, Dalex! And I really liked Circling the Sun.

I'm also trying to figure out either a series or theme for this prompt. And I'm kicking around going nonfict..."

Ambitious list!

I’ll probably use the first three continents that my books don’t in another prompt.

Well, I would like to say (and I did) that I have a plan for this prompt but, to be honest, I will probably do what Jillian says! I tend to save these broader prompts till the end to see which books don’t fit anywhere else.

I'm planning on doing North America (but not the U.S.), Europe (but not Great Britain) and Oceania.

North America:
Lives of Girls and Women - Alice Munro (Canada)
The Stone Diaries - Carol Shields (Canada)
The Most Beautiful Girl in Cuba - Chanel Cleeton

Europe:
The Gray Notebook - Josep Pla (Italy)
The Land of Spices- Kate O’Brien (Ireland)
Love and Ruin - Paula McLain (Spain)

Oceania:
Vintage Murder - Ngaio Marsh (New Zealand)
A Town Like Alice- Nevil Shute (Australia)
Fires of Change (The Fire Blossom Saga #2) - Sarah Lark (New Zealand)

Possibilities:

AFRICA
The City of Brass by S.A. Chakraborty
Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi

ANTARCTICA
Where'd You Go, Bernadette by Maria Semple

ASIA
Cinder by Marissa Meyer
Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood by Marjane Satrapi
The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami
Appointment with Death by Agatha Christie
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami
Murder in Mesopotamia by Agatha Christie
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami
Strange Weather in Tokyo by Hiromi Kawakami

AUSTRALIA/OCEANIA
Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty
The Husband's Secret by Liane Moriarty
The Dry by Jane Harper
When We Believed in Mermaids by Barbara O'Neal

NORTH AMERICA
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia
Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
Anne of Green Gables by L.M. Montgomery
Clap When You Land by Elizabeth Acevedo
The Couple Next Door by Shari Lapena
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald
Survive the Night by Riley Sager
Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn
Truly Devious by Maureen Johnson
The Hunger Games by Suzanne Collins
Angelfall by Susan Ee
Wilder Girls by Rory Power
All the Bright Places by Jennifer Niven
I'll Give You the Sun by Jandy Nelson
Sadie by Courtney Summers
Ugly Love by Colleen Hoover
They Both Die at the End by Adam Silvera

SOUTH AMERICA
Things We Lost in the Fire by Mariana Enríquez

EUROPA
The Midnight Library by Matt Haig
The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
The Guest List by Lucy Foley
Salt to the Sea by Ruta Sepetys
Me Before You by Jojo Moyes
Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
The Gentleman's Guide to Vice and Virtue by Mackenzi Lee
A Darker Shade of Magic by V.E. Schwab
Romanov by Nadine Brandes
Code Name Verity by Elizabeth Wein
His Majesty's Dragon by Naomi Novik
Hamlet by William Shakespeare
The A.B.C. Murders by Agatha Christie
The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery
The Most Beautiful Book in the World: Eight Novellas byÉric-Emmanuel Schmitt

For 3 books by the same author, I thought of several possibilities:

For travelogues, there is Patrick Leigh Fermor, with The Traveller's Tree (North America), Three Letters from the Andes (South America) and A Time of Gifts (Europe)

For cozy mysteries, there is Nancy Atherton, with Aunt Dimity's Death (Europe), Aunt Dimity Goes West (North America), and Aunt Dimity Down Under (Australia/Oceania)

For fantasy, there is C.B. Pratt, with Hero For Hire (Europe), The Stone Gods (Africa), and Eno and the Dragon (Asia)

For children's/YA, there is Phyllis A. Whitney, with books like Secret of the Tiger's Eye (Africa), Secret of the Samurai Sword (Asia), and Mystery on the Isle of Skye (Europe)

For sagas, there is James Michener, with Centennial (North America), Caravans (Asia), and The Source (Europe)

I’m planning on reading books from small islands on three continents:

Dominica, Americas - Love for an Island: The Collected Poems of Phyllis Shand Allfrey

Singapore, Asia - The Cannonball Tree Mystery

Annobon in Equatorial Guinea, Africa - By Night the Mountain Burns

In Amazon's First Reads for November there are two books that can work for this prompt. Figured I'd share now, so people can grab a free book for this prompt (the second novel can also work for the the set in 1900 - 1950 & Jewish character prompt).

One is a Historical Fantasy set in London, England:
Innate Magic by Shannon Fay


The other is a Historical Fiction book set in Japan in the 1940's, with a Jewish character:
The Last Rose of Shanghai: A Novel by Weina Dai Randel


Here is the summary from Amazon since The Last Rose of Shanghai listing on here has nothing:
(view spoiler)[

In Japanese-occupied Shanghai, two people from different cultures are drawn together by fate and the freedom of music...

1940. Aiyi Shao is a young heiress and the owner of a formerly popular and glamorous Shanghai nightclub. Ernest Reismann is a penniless Jewish refugee driven out of Germany, an outsider searching for shelter in a city wary of strangers. He loses nearly all hope until he crosses paths with Aiyi. When she hires Ernest to play piano at her club, her defiance of custom causes a sensation. His instant fame makes Aiyi's club once again the hottest spot in Shanghai. Soon they realize they share more than a passion for jazz—but their differences seem insurmountable, and Aiyi is engaged to another man.

As the war escalates, Aiyi and Ernest find themselves torn apart, and their choices between love and survival grow more desperate. In the face of overwhelming odds, a chain of events is set in motion that will change both their lives forever.

From the electrifying jazz clubs to the impoverished streets of a city under siege, The Last Rose of Shanghai is a timeless, sweeping story of love and redemption.

(hide spoiler)]

I am planning on reading:

EURASIA
Catherine de Medici: Renaissance Queen of France by Leonie Freida

AFRICA
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

SOUTH AMERICA
Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende

I think it would be very cool to read books from the other continents as well. I like that idea, and I might add it to my other reading for fun.

I love reading books from around the world, so, like Nancy, I plan to read a book set on all 7 continents. I am currently doing an ongoing multi-year challenge for another group to read a book from each country.


I'll drop a few recommendations for each continent. Here are a few of my 5-star reads for Asia:
A Fine Balance (India)
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (China)
In the Shadow of the Banyan (Cambodia)
A Thousand Splendid Suns (Afghanistan)
The Garden of Evening Mists (Malaysia)
Norwegian Wood (Japan)

What I would love to do is read books that take place on 3 different continents. The Great Circle would have worked but I already read it! So need to find books that cover much geography...I need to read Come Fly the World: The Jet-Age Story of the Women of Pan Am for book group so that'll be one.

Pamela - An excellent book that takes place in at least 3 continents (5 I think) is Barkskins by Annie Proulx. It’s very long but really interesting! Another option is Around the World in Seventy-Two Days by Nellie Bly.

Pam wrote: "Pamela - An excellent book that takes place in at least 3 continents (5 I think) is Barkskins by Annie Proulx. It’s very long but really interesting! Another option is Around the World in Seventy-T..."

Ooo- Annie Proulx is one of the writers on my should list!

I liked Barkskins too. For a shorter three continent book I enjoyed Graham Greene’s Travels with My Aunt.

Joyce - thanks for the Graham Greene suggestion. I’m thinking of a BIO option for this prompt also. It would be a good opportunity to read a travel book, which I have several.

I think Migrations takes place on 3 continents, if memory serves.

Michael Palin (from Monty Python) has written several travelogues where he visits multiple continents - Around the World in 80 Days: Companion to the PBS Series (Europe, Asia, North America), Pole to Pole (Europe, Africa, Antarctica), Full Circle (Asia, Australia, South America, North America). With those three books, you’d cover all seven continents. Michael Palin brings his understated British humor to his travels.

I'm planning to do contemporary romances for this challenge. definitely One Day to Fall, set in South Africa and written by a South African author. probably Sweet on You: A Filipino Romance, set in the Phillipines, and Accidentally Engaged, set in Canada, both of which also have a food theme.

Here are the three books I am planning to read for this challenge:

1. From Scratch: A Memoir of Love, Sicily, and Finding Home by Tembi Locke (Europe) because it sounds wonderful!


2. The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline (Australia) because I haven't read much about Australia and like historical fiction.


3. The Kalahari Typing School for Men by Alexander McCall Smith (Africa - Botswana) because each year I read one book from this series.

Read
#08 A Woman Is No Man by Etaf Rum
(Set in North America)

Plan to read
#09 The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith
(Set in Africa)

#10 Annihilation of Caste by B.R. Ambedkar
(Set in Asia)

Ok, so because I wasn't around last year, and I took this prompt too literally when I read it, I'm reading three books that are each set on three continents (or more).

Book #1 that I just finished was Less, set in North America, Europe, Africa and Asia. I really enjoyed it, although it's definitely not a book for everyone.

I read The Late Monsieur Gallet by Georges Simenon. I read this for Europe as it is set in France

Jody wrote: "Ok, so because I wasn't around last year, and I took this prompt too literally when I read it, I'm reading three books that are each set on three continents (or more).

Book #1 that I just finished..."

Jody, I think I like your interpretation more than the intended one!

I just finished Where'd You Go, Bernadette for Book 3 and a portion of it was set in Antartica. Frankly, I liked the movie better.

For Book 1, I'll read a book set in Africa: Remote Control And for Book 2, the setting will be Asia: The Sympathizer

dalex wrote: "I’m currently contemplating doing one author (Paula McLain) with books set on three different continents.

The Paris Wife - Europe
Circling the Sun - Africa
[book:W..."



I'm totally borrowing your idea. I've been wanting to read The Paris Wife and the other books just look good.

I read:
3 books set on three different continents:
(Europe) - A Whole Life by Robert Seethaler - 4* - My Review
(Africa) - The Grass Is Singing by Doris Lessing - 4* - My Review
(Asia) - The King's Shadow: Obsession, Betrayal, and the Deadly Quest for the Lost City of Alexandria by Edmund Richardson - 4* - My Review

Diadié Dembélé Le duel des grands-mères (Africa)
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

So far I've read Magnate by Joanna Shupe (north America)

Not sure what I'm going to read for the second two yet! I have a few options for Europe, but not entirely sure about my third continent

So, I just got started on this set of categories. I don't have a plan for future reading (more taking it as it goes for at least the first half of the year).

So, for the 1st book in the series, I am starting in Asia with the Chinese SF novel The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin (which is also the first in a trilogy).




It won the Hugo in 2015, and is quite a fascinating read (making one want to continue the trilogy immediately). The note by the translator provides a lot of interesting insights into his process as well.

For my first continent I went with Norther Europe. Names for the Sea: Strangers in Iceland by Sarah Moss. 4 stars. Nonfiction about the year the author & her family lived in Iceland. Very informative. I enjoy books set in the arctic, Antarctica, and Asia (mountain climbing). Those will be the continents I use.

For these three I read Fault Lines set in Japan (Asia), Quiet in Her Bones set in New Zealand (Oceania) and Furia set in Argentina (South America).

8. 3 books set on three different continents - Book 1: Horizon by Barry Lopez (North America, South America, Africa, Australia and Antarctica) - this was my favorite of the 3 books. If you read this (or listen to the audiobook), I found taking some time after each section really helped process the ideas. It would also work for #14 (under 5000 ratings), #15 (without a person on the cover), #16 (Earth Day), #25 (more than 440 pages), or #43 (set in a small town or rural area).

9. 3 books set on three different continents - Book 2: Clanlands: Whisky, Warfare, and a Scottish Adventure Like No Other by Sam Heughan and Graham McTavish (Europe). I would only recommend this to people who are fans of the Outlander TV series (the authors are two of the actors in the series) or the Men in Kilts TV show. This would also work for #3 (more than 22 letters in title), #25 (more than 440 pages), #41 (theme of food or drink), and #42 (language or nationality in title). Also (although it would be a stretch) #12 (related to glass) - there is a lot of drinking.

10. 3 books set on three different continents - Book 3: Murder in the Forbidden City by Amanda Roberts (Asia). This was an okay historical mystery set in 19th century China. It would also work for #11 (historical fiction genre), #14 (under 5000 ratings), #25 (under 222 pages), and #32 (female detective).

For those of you wishing to use books taking place on 3 continents within each book, I can recommend The Last Painting of Sara de Vos by Dominic Smith. Its chapters rotate among 17th century Netherlands, 1950’s New York City, and Sydney in the 2000’s. Lovely plot intertwined among all the segments.