Around the World discussion

Following are books I am intending to read as part of the 2013 Challenge. I am listing them in alpha order by country and will add the week number they were completed in as finished. Here goes....

21. Afghanistan Three Women of Herat: A Memoir of Life, Love and Friendship in Afghanistan
20. Argentina The Seamstress and the Wind
28. Australia Sean & David's Long Drive
38. Austria The Hare with the Amber Eyes: A Hidden Inheritance
26. Azerbaijan Ali and Nino: A Love Story
37. Brazil Gabriella, Clove and Cinnamon
14. Cambodia In the Shadow of the Banyan
18. Chile The House of Spirits
11. China A Hundred Flowers
22. Congo Blood River: A Journey to Africa's Broken Heart
8. Cuba Dreaming in Cuban
24. Egypt In An Antique Land: History in the Guise of a Traveler's Tale
25. France Paris Was Ours: Thirty-Two Writers Reflect on the City of Light
27. Germany The Orientalist
36. Ghana Indigo: In Search of the Color That Seduced the World
23. Great Britain Gypsy Boy: My Life in the Secret World of Romany Gypsies
13. Greece Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life
Haiti Haiti: After the Earthquake
42. India The God of Small Things
10. Iran From a Persian Tea House: Travels in Old Iran
40. Iraq The Yellow Birds
19. Ireland Round Ireland with a Fridge
15. Italy Naples Declared
29. Japan Hokkaido Highway Blues
Jordan The Language of Baklava: A Memoir
33. Kazakhstan Apples Are from Kazakhstan: The Land that Disappeared
Kenya The Camel Bookmobile
5. Kiribati The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific
7. Laos The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down: A Hmong Child, Her American Doctors, and the Collision of Two Cultures
43. Lebanon A Girl Made of Dust
32. Mexico The Labyrinth of Solitude
30. Myanmar Twilight Over Burma: My Life as a Shan Princess
3. New Zealand Come on Shore and We Will Kill and Eat You All: A New Zealand Story
12. Nigeria Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria
Papua New Guinea Four Corners: A Journey into the Heart of Papua New Guinea
41. Peru Turn Right at Machu Picchu
9. Poland A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True
31. Portugal Journey to Portugal: In Pursuit of Portugal's History and Culture
Puerto Rico Conquistadora
39. Russia Travels in Siberia
Saudi Arabia Arabian Sands
16. South Korea Lessons from the Monk I Married
6. Spain A Room with a Pew: Sleeping Our Way Through Spain's Ancient Monasteries
17. Sri Lanka The Beach at Galle Road: Stories from Sri Lanka
Sudan They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky: The Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan
34. Sweden The Emigrants
2. Tibet In the Shadow of the Buddha: Secret Journeys, Sacred Histories, and Spiritual Discovery in Tibet
Togo The Village of Waiting
4. Turkey Snow
44. USA Following Atticus: Forty-Eight High Peaks, One Little Dog, and an Extraordinary Friendship
Uzebekistan Moon Over Smaraqand
35. Vietnam Silk Roads
1. Zimbabwe Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness

Inspiring list! I may have to steal a few titles for mine. ;)

Thanks, Angie. I already had quite a pile as a head start. When I saw your post, I felt like you were talking to me! Will be fun to get to know you more through our readings!

Great list, The God of Small Things is on my list too and your Afghanistan, Greece and Kiribitus books have me curious.

I learned about this the night before from my sister-blogger's post. I read a lot of travel literature already and had a pile waiting to go. Plus I am taking over a book club, for a retiring librarian, that reads international travel books so this is a perfect fit for me! Thanks for checking out my list, Judy.

Thanks, Tanya. I'll need to check out your list too as I have a few more books to go to hit 52!

WanderShopper wrote: "Following are books I am intending to read as part of the 2013 Challenge. I am listing them in alpha order by country and will add the week number they were completed in as finished. Here goes....
..."

Please do, Judy!

First book, Cocktail Hour Under the Tree of Forgetfulness, was finished last night with a day to spare. Good start to the challenge!

Finished book two earlier today, In the Shadow of the Buddha: Secret Journeys, Sacred Histories, and Spiritual Discovery in Tibet, so Tibet has now been completed. Now on to New Zealand.

I enjoyed it, Judy. There are lots of fun anecdotes on the childhood and adult experiences of the author's sometimes crazy but always likeable mother.

See I'm behind on my posting here. I am almost done with book five, The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific set on Kiribati. I deserved an easy treat of a book after slugging through Snow, literally, as book number four in Turkey.

Crossing Kiribati off my list and now heading on to Spain with A Room with a Pew: Sleeping Our Way Through Spain's Ancient Monasteries.

I do enjoy a good travel memoir, Judy. I lead a book club at my library with an international theme so part of this is research for upcoming titles. Travel memoirs are usually well received.

I didn't care for the Sex Lives of Cannibals, but I can understand needing something light after Snow! I read science fiction, and that was my break

I found I enjoyed most parts of The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific with the exception being the attitude and treatment of dogs. That left me cringing. Having done a lot of travel in Asia, it wasn't my first exposure to it though. Most the book found me giggling at his insights into the culture.

Judy, with weather like we're having, there's lots of time to stay inside and read! Where are you?

I live two blocks from 127 in Lansing and can see it from my bathroom window! How funny we are so close, Judy!

I started reading A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True. I'm really enjoying it. Chapters alternate between pre-war and present day Poland. When ever I start the next chapter, I'm always wishing I could continue with the current story line. Not sure which one I like best and can't wait for them to join together.

Completed A Long, Long Time Ago and Essentially True from Poland just after midnight. Today I've headed to Iran and am enjoying vintage travel memoir From a Persian Tea House: Travels in Old Iran.

What a great idea! How fun would it be to take a modern trip using a vintage travel guide!
Hmmmm.....

You got me thinking. This could be dangerous!

~Angie

WanderShopper wrote: "See I'm behind on my posting here. I am almost done with book five, The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific set on Kiribati. I deserved an easy treat of a book after slugging t..."

what did you think of snow? i read it last year. it was tough for me to get through. sometimes i liked it; sometimes i didn't.

Angie - I hope Iran is safe enough some day to travel to. From a Persian Tea House: Travels in Old Iran was a really great read and there is so much I would want to see. I have a few more vintage travel memoirs coming up that I'm looking forward too. Sometime the moments in time they capture are really unique.

Lurk42 - Snow was a tough read for me too. There were sections of it and ideas I liked but over all, I was glad when it ended. I read My Name is Red by Pamuk last year after I came back from a trip to Istanbul. That one dragged in parts too. I feel like I should really like him as he's such an acclaimed author but I haven't found the book of his I love, yet.

I have a friend in Damascus right now. We went to college together. I guess it will be a while before I get to follow in the footsteps of Gertrude Bell and visit her. When (if) I do, I think I'll bring some of Bell's writing to walk with me.

So many wondersul things to see in Syria, Angie. I hope you do get to visit. I hope to some day, too!

I finished Looking for Transwonderland: Travels in Nigeria in Nigeria last night. Now I've headed to Greece with Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life.

Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life is finished and now I am reading In the Shadow of the Banyan in Cambodia.

WanderShopper wrote: "Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life is finished and now I am reading In the Shadow of the Banyan in Cambodia."

WanderShopper - I really enjoyed In the Shadow of the a Banyan which I read last year before I joined this book group and haven't written a review. I gave it 4 stars. Interested in what you think.

Lilisa wrote: "WanderShopper wrote: "Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life is finished and now I am reading In the Shadow of the Banyan in Cambodia."

WanderShopper - I ..."

Lilisa, I really liked In the Shadow of the Banyan. I visited Cambodia last year and spent some time at one of the killing fields. I found this book a really beautifully written account of a set of really terrible things but conveyed in a way that made them bearable enough to continue reading. I gave it 5 stars, which virtually no books get from me so I thought this one was pretty special. It has left me with a lot to think about in the coming days.

WanderShopper wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "WanderShopper wrote: "Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life is finished and now I am reading In the Shadow of the Banyan in Cambodia."

Wan..."

WanderShopper - glad you liked it - it was beautifully written with poetic imagery which was the complete antithesis of what was transpiring in real time. It was a sad story but told with such artistry yet curiously uplifting, it was a gem. When I have some time, I will do a review. It must have been goose bump chilling visiting one of the killing fields.

Lilisa wrote: "WanderShopper wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "WanderShopper wrote: "Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life is finished and now I am reading In the Shadow of the Ban..."

There is a very strong evil energy about the place and it is very sad to walk through the grounds. They estimate that there were 200+ different locations. I think around 40,000 people died at the one I visited. There is a glass stupa built that houses the bones they had found to that point all stacked up. You walk the grounds and bits of clothes, hair, bones and teeth reveal themselves with each rain. Everywhere you step, you discover parts of people who were murdered.It's something I will never forget, nor should I. It made it an especially powerful book for me.

WanderShopper wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "WanderShopper wrote: "Lilisa wrote: "WanderShopper wrote: "Travels with Epicurus: A Journey to a Greek Island in Search of a Fulfilled Life is finished and now I am reading In the Sh..."

So much evil in the name of good...

I took some time off to get some books read for a couple book clubs I belong to but am back at this again now. I am currently reading The House of the Spirits and am really liking it so far. I also did a summary of my February reads on my blog WanderShopper. Check it out: http://wanderlustandlipstick.com/blog...

Whew! I finally finished The House of the Spirits. It took forever even though this was a book a really enjoyed reading. Lots of other distractions slowed me down but there is also a lot of meat to this novel and it is longer than its 400+ pages. I do want to read more by Isabel Allende now and see how other books compare. Maybe next year after this challenge is done. Think I'm heading to Ireland next to get in the mood for St. Patrick's Day with Round Ireland with a Fridge.

Loved Round Ireland with a Fridge. This book was tremendous fun to read and gives you glimpses of people all around Ireland.

Finished Three Women of Herat: A Memoir of Life, Love and Friendship in Afghanistan which I really enjoyed and think everyone should read. I am leaving Afghanistan today and heading to Congo with Blood River: A Journey to Africa's Broken Heart.

WanderShopper wrote: "Finished Three Women of Herat: A Memoir of Life, Love and Friendship in Afghanistanwhich I really enjoyed and think everyone should read. I am leaving Afghanistan today and heading to Congo with Bl..."

Thanks - I've added FTWH to my to read list!

Lilisa wrote: "WanderShopper wrote: "Finished Three Women of Herat: A Memoir of Life, Love and Friendship in Afghanistanwhich I really enjoyed and think everyone should read. I am leaving Afghanistan today and he..."

Glad to hear that, Lilisa. The book gave me some important perspectives of the people of Herat, especially the women. I learned a lot about their culture. I hope some day, it will be safe for me to visit there.

WanderShopper wrote: "Finished Three Women of Herat: A Memoir of Life, Love and Friendship in Afghanistan which I really enjoyed and think everyone should read. I am leaving Afghanistan today and heading to Congo with B..."

I just added it to my TBR shelf. Sounds very interesting!

WanderShopper wrote: "Finished Three Women of Herat: A Memoir of Life, Love and Friendship in Afghanistan which I really enjoyed and think everyone should read. I am leaving Afghanistan today and heading to Congo with B..."

I'll be interested in what you think of Blood River: A Journey to Africa's Broken Heart. I loved it and promptly started researching travel in the region after reading it.

Tanya wrote: "WanderShopper wrote: "Finished Three Women of Herat: A Memoir of Life, Love and Friendship in Afghanistan which I really enjoyed and think everyone should read. I am leaving Afghanistan today and h..."

Tanya, I'm almost done with Blood River: A Journey to Africa's Broken Heart and am really liking it. There have been moments when I've thought I would like to go there because I do like to visit places before most of the tourists do but then I stop and remember how lucky he was to survive his trip and do I want to test the odds! :-) Let me know if you go - I would love to hear all about it and if it is safer now than when he went a few years ago.

Gypsy Boy was a tough read due to the continual violence and abuse suffered by the author as a boy growing up in a Romany Gypsy family in England. I had been really interested in learning more about gypsies but hadn't been prepared for where this book took me. I am moving on to Egypt now with In an Antique Land: History in the Guise of a Traveler's Tale.

Today on my blog, WanderShopper, I shared a post with my reviews for my March reads from this challenge. Please take a look if you have a chance: http://wanderlustandlipstick.com/blog...

WanderShopper wrote: There have been moments when I've thought I would like to go there because"

Wandershopper, there are some interesting travel options into 'the other Congo' that I am seriously considering (whilst keeping a keen eye on the news). I'll let you know if I do follow through with it. I also enjoyed his book retracing Graham Green's journey through Sierre Leone and Liberia - Chasing the Devil: The Quest for Africa's Fighting Spirit. Unfortunatly, I visited Sierre Leone before reading it and missed the connections you make travelling where you've read.

Tanya wrote: "WanderShopper wrote: There have been moments when I've thought I would like to go there because"

Wandershopper, there are some interesting travel options into 'the other Congo' that I am seriousl..."
Oh, Tanya, thanks for letting me know about the other book. I've added it to me "to read" list. Sierre Leone has such an interesting history and I want to learn more about it. Please do let me know, too, if you make it to Congo. Reading Blood River both fascinated and repelled me. I would love to go there but maybe not just yet....

Blood River: A Journey to Africa's Broken HeartBlood River: A Journey to Africa's Broken HeartBlood River: A Journey to Africa's Broken Heart

Wrapped up The Orientalist: Solving the Mystery of a Strange and Dangerous Life today. What a fantastic read! While learning about uncovery of writer Lev Nussimbaum's life and personas, you also learn about relations between different countries, ethnicities and religions in Europe and Asia in the years around World War I and II. My previous book, Ali and Nino: A Love Story was written by Nussimbaum as Kurban Said. Fun to read them back-to-back. I'm lightening things up now with "Sean and David's Long Drive" set in Australia.

Finished Hokkaido Highway Blues late last night. This is a great book for this time of year as it follows a Canadian hitchhiker who starts at the southern tip of Japan and follows the blooming of the cherry blossoms north to the northern most tip. Along the way, you learn so much about the Japanese people. I am now in Myanmar with Twilight Over Burma: My Life as a Shan Princess. I was just in Myanmar in November and am excited to read about this Austrian woman who married the ruler of one of the Shan states and was in power till the military took over the country. A glimpse of Myanmar past.

I posted my reviews of my April reads for this challenge on my travel & shopping blog, WanderShopper, today. Please check them out. http://wanderlustandlipstick.com/blog...

Here I am at the end of 2013 with the end to my first reading challenge. I finished my 44th book today. Were it not for the several month break I took from it during the fall, I think I would have completed it in grand style. I really enjoyed this group and its focus for reading around the world. I learned a tremendous amount about other cultures this year that I would have never encountered without the drive to seek out countries outside of my usual interests. I've decided to go round for a another year and am excited to start selecting my books for 2014. Best wishes to all for a great 2014! Sarah