Around the World discussion

Setting off on a new literary journey? What book is it? Which country/countries will you be passing through? Do you have any first impressions to share? While many of us are confined to our own little patches of Earth, let's share and get excited about each others' literary travel plans!

I’ve kicked off this year’s reading journey with the audio of The Rose Code. Right now I’m in the U.K. but I’m sure I’ll be jaunting around other countries in Europe.

Finished Red Land, Black Land: Daily Life in Ancient Egypt by Barbara Mertz for my planned trip to Egypt.

I am in a part of Germany that is now part of Poland with Patterns of Childhood by Christa Wolf.

I’m also in Guadeloupe with Crossing the Mangrove.

I’m in Japan with Spring Snow (Yukio Mishima) and in England with Strange Tide (Christopher Fowler, #13 in his Bryant and May series, and also with At Mrs Lippincote's by Elizabeth Taylor. An altogether perfect combination to meet each day’s mood.

Carol wrote: "I’m in Japan with Spring Snow (Yukio Mishima) and in England with Strange Tide (Christopher Fowler, #13 in his Bryant and May series, and a..."

Spring Snow sounds interesting, Carol. Will have to check out Yukio Mishima’s books. In luck - library has the quartet - on my list now!

Anyone on NetGalley who likes to read children’s books, make sure you get your hands on Nenek Tata and the Mangrove Menace, set in the Malaysian state of Sabah. The illustrations are sublime and the story is pretty good too. I think it’s available until mid-February. I’ll read it 1-2 more times before I review.

I’ve made a start on my long walk with Bom Boy (South Africa). The timeline is jumping around, but I think I’ve worked it out, so now time to settle in.

I’m back in Sweden with my favourite journalist in the latest Tuva Moodyson instalment, Bad Apples. Although it’s been out for a few months, I’ve been patiently waiting for an audiobook edition to become available at my library so I can continue the series with Maya Lindh narrating. So far, it’s the equal of the previous 3 instalments.

I’m in Turkey with Songs My Mother Never Taught Me and in Tibet with Travelers' Tales Tibet: True Stories.

I'm in Finland with Antti Tuomainen's The Rabbit Factor. A terrible title for an original, most excellent mystery/suspense novel with an actuary as the MC.

I’m in Svalbard/Norway with The Arctic Curry Club, seeing Longyearbyen through the eyes of new arrivals from the UK. After a couple of intense thrillers I was keen for something light.

I’m still hanging around in South Africa at the start of my long walk, with another book by Yewande Omotoso called The Woman Next Door. It’s set in a very different part of Cape Town from the previous one, Bom Boy. The two main characters are warring, octogenarian widow neighbours. I have a soft spot for both of them although at this point they seem to be very different people.

I’m in Mongolia with I Rode a Horse of Milk White Jade.

I’m in India and I’ll stay there until the end of 2022 with The Complete Works of Rabindranath Tagore since it’s a massive door stopper at 2,400+ pages. Good thing it’s Kindle reading.

I am currently in Niger, reading Harmattan by Gavin West, my latest review/country was Greece. The Scapegoat by Sophia Nokolaidou.

https://readinginecuador.wordpress.co...

I've restarted my African Journey and am reading The Ultimate Tragedy for Guinea Bissau. It's great! I started reading it a few days ago and I've almost finished it! Don't want to rush it...

I'm in Ireland with There You'll Find Me (which I'm reading with my teenaged daughter). Following that I'll travel to Greenland in search of a WWII plane crash with Frozen in Time: An Epic Story of Survival and a Modern Quest for Lost Heroes of World War II. I'm really enjoying my particular challenge of visiting countries geographically next to each other. It will get more difficult as time goes on, but gophering for books is half the fun!

Moving on from South Africa, I’ve arrived in Botswana with The Delta. I don’t mind reading the occasional action/adventure story and this one is a bit different, having a female mercenary as the main character.

I've just left the Greenland ice cap (Brrr!) and am in Nova Scotia, Canada with The Birth House. Enjoying it so far.

I’m in rural Denmark with The Land of Short Sentences. It’s going to be a fairly quick read. Kind of funny but at the same time melancholic.

After a last-minute substitution I’ve arrived in Zambia with The Mourning Bird. I think it’s going to be a sad one, but a good read so far.

In my attempt to read the rest of the world, or get as close as I can, I picked up the book everyone recommended for Venezuela - It Would Be Night in Caracas. I'm about 2/3 through and it is dark and violent and I keep having to put it down and read other things in between. Phew.

I’m reading a really interesting new release, and although it’s set in Australia, it may yet make it onto my ATW list. The Islands is set on the Abrolhos Islands, off (way off) the coast of Western Australia, and it’s about a fishing community of European migrants, mainly from Finland. I believe it’s fiction based on the author’s family’s experiences. It’s proving to be a quiet, gentle read and I’m enjoying it a lot so far. I also love the cover art, and am wondering how the balls of yarn will fit into the story (if at all!)

I’m in Greece with Chief Inspector Andreas Kaldis in One Last Chance and in the U.S. with The Personal Librarian.

I’ve reached Tanzania on my long walk, with Hard Rain. So far it seems to be an expat story set in Dar es Salaam (“just say Dar”, as the South African protagonist is advised in the opening pages) at the onset of a significant weather event. This is very timely, with what is happening along the east coast of Australia right now 😧

I decided to stay in Tanzania, as my previous choice didn't give me what I wanted (expat characters in a capital city that was little more than backdrop) so I'm immersing myself in The Magic of Saida. So far it seems to be what I was looking for - a story of local characters, where the location is important to the story, and giving me an overview of the local history with exposure to aspects of the culture.

I’m in China with Peach Blossom Spring - historical fiction. It starts in the late 1930s and then moves to the U.S. I’m in the early section and liking it so far.

Andrea wrote: "I’ve reached Tanzania on my long walk, with Hard Rain. So far it seems to be an expat story set in Dar es Salaam (“just say Dar”, as the South African protagonist is advised in the ..."

I’ve had this one for awhile, Andrea. How is it?

Lilisa wrote: "I’ve had this one for awhile, Andrea. How is it? ..."

Considering how to reply, I realised I was thinking about another book, so I guess that says something! It was a fairly generic thriller. Pretty unremarkable.

Andrea wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "I’ve had this one for awhile, Andrea. How is it? ..."

Considering how to reply, I realised I was thinking about another book, so I guess that says something! It was a fairly generic..."

Lol, I have it so I’ll probably read it at some point.

I’m in Turkey with The Time Regulation Institute.

I’m back in Iceland with a new release - The Sorrow Stone - on audio. Kári Gíslason co-authored the non-fiction Saga Land which I read late last year and enjoyed very much as my first real introduction to the traditional Icelandic sagas. In this novel, he takes one of the minor characters from the sagas, Disa, and makes her the star by fleshing out her story.

Andrea wrote: "I’m back in Iceland with a new release - The Sorrow Stone - on audio. Kári Gíslason co-authored the non-fiction Saga Land which I read late last yea..."

Andrea, you're luring me to this one. I just finished Tove Jansson's The True Deceiver and am in the mood for more wintery, dark villages.

I'm in Japan with The Cat Who Saved Books by Sōsuke Natsukawa and am about to start Hiro Arikawa's The Travelling Cat Chronicles this evening. I'm fine with the first, but now wowed; however, I've rarely seen such enthusiasm from my friends about the mere fact that I'm reading it. There's something sweet and uplifting about a book that provokes such extended engagement. I anticipate the same with TCC, which has a large and kind fan base amongst my reading friends.

Carol wrote: "Andrea, you're luring me to this one. I just finished Tove Jansson's The True Deceiver and am in the mood for more wintery, dark villages. ..."

You'll certainly get that! I've almost finished, so will be reviewing soon.

I'm making good progress on my walk. Having already been to Burundi, I'm now in Rwanda with Our Lady of the Nile. A curious little book so far, but I'm already learning things.

Andrea wrote: "I'm making good progress on my walk. Having already been to Burundi, I'm now in Rwanda with Our Lady of the Nile. A curious little book so far, but I'm already learning things.

[bo..."
I've wanted to read this author for some time, I look forward to your thoughts on this latest one.

I'm taking a sidetrip to Nigeria with The Girl with the Louding Voice. I'd been holding off on this one until I could find an audiobook edition, and let me tell you it was worth the wait! I've listened to Adjoa Andoh a number of times - always great - but this one is outstanding.

I’m now in Northern Ireland with Big Girl, Small Town, which has been previously recommended by a couple of Group members. I decided on the audiobook option for a truly authentic experience. I’m not very far in yet, and still settling into the cadence, but I’m understanding most of what I hear and enjoying getting to know Majella.

I'm in India with Black Narcissus by Rumer Godden, a group read in the Womens Classic Lit group this month and am such a fan. I'm also in the US and 60% of the way through Rebecca Solnit's The Faraway Nearby and have too many dog-eared pages to share as updates. It's magnificent.

Carol wrote: "I'm in India with Black Narcissus by Rumer Godden, a group read in the Womens Classic Lit group this month and am such a fan. I'm also in the US and 60% of the way thr..."

Oh Carol - Black Narcissus sounds irresistible to me! The synopsis makes me think of Rongpu Monastery, just below Everest Base Camp (Tibetan side), where they had to introduce strict rules to separate the nuns and monks after dark (or so I was told 😬).

Andrea wrote: "Carol wrote: "I'm in India with Black Narcissus by Rumer Godden, a group read in the Womens Classic Lit group this month and am such a fan. I'm also in the US and 60% ..."

It’s a special one. That sounds intriguing lol!

I just finishedThe Missing Guests of the Magic Grove Hotelset in Thailand and I am currently reading Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books for a library book club and also I am reading a book of short stories set in North Korea:The Accusation: Forbidden Stories from Inside North Korea

I am currently between books, but I have two long ongoing reads - one is a guided read of The Red and the Black, which I am reading in the Latvian translation. And the other one is The Pear Field in the original Georgian. Hence, I am in France and Georgia. I have promised myself not to start a new book before I have caught up with the guided read.

I am still in mid-century India, but have added contemporary Lisbon to the mix, by starting Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone, which - at the 13% mark - delivers on its premise.

I'm in Turkey with 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World - this is an interesting one.

I’m in Iceland with The Creak on the Stairs, a debut mystery/thriller by Eva Björg Ægisdóttir, and in Syria with Damascus Station by David McCloskey

I am in Scotland with Lost Books and Old Bones.

I am back on the African Reading Journey and currently in French Guinea with The Dark Child. An interesting and touching autobiography of a boy growing up in traditional society.

I am in Sweden with a short story collection by Helene Tursten: An Elderly Lady Is Up to No Good. It is perfect as a quick, light read.