2017 Reading Challenge discussion

This folder is for books that either take place in South America, or are written by a South American author. It's up to you!

Please share your suggestions, or any resources you've used to help find your book for this category in this thread.

I have chosen to read "Excavation" by James Rollins, this was a hard one for me and I may choose another if I see a better option on this thread.

I'm planning to read A Company of Swans by Eva Ibbotson for this category, but I'm trying to find other books to fill this instead.

I just looked up "A Company of Swans" that looks pretty good too, I might read that instead.

Well the obvious & probably easiest to get hold of in translation are anything by Gabriel Garcia Marquez or Isabel Allende, or if you like poetry, Pablo Neruda.

The Motorcycle Diaries by Che Guevara is really interesting for many reasons and it's a quick read as well.

I think I may go with One Hundred Years of Solitude as I still haven't read it *shamed face*

Ways of Going Home by Alejandro Zambra sounds interesting too...

I chose Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter for this category.

Oh I have Something Fierce too - I forgot about it! I had chosen State of Wonder - based in Brazil. We'll see.

I think I will read a book by Isabell Allende because I love her style.

As a suggestion, there's always Machado de Assis, Jorge Amado and Paulo Coelho. Their books are easy to find and have been translated to a lot of different languages.

Are we including Central American countries and the Caribbean in this category?

Love in the Time of Cholera
This one also counts as "Own but never read."

Martha wrote: "Are we including Central American countries and the Caribbean in this category?"

Sure! They seem to fit South America better than north.

: ) It does! Some amazing books from those countries too.

Martha wrote: "Are we including Central American countries and the Caribbean in this category?"

Well, technically Central America is on the continent of North America and the Caribbean is not part of a continent per se, but are generally aslo considered part of North America....but, if Anne says OK, I guess it can be used for both Continents.

Valerie wrote: "Martha wrote: "Are we including Central American countries and the Caribbean in this category?"

Well, technically Central America is on the continent of North America and the Caribbean is not part..."

I'm all for loose interpretations as far as this challenge goes. :-)

I have in fact two unread books on my shelve by the Jorge Luis Borges - The Aleph and Other Stories and Labyrinths: Selected Stories and Other Writings . I´ll chose one of them (or maybe both)

Anne wrote: "Valerie wrote: "Martha wrote: "Are we including Central American countries and the Caribbean in this category?"

Well, technically Central America is on the continent of North America and the Carib..."

Sounds good. Makes the challenge our own, and makes the books we choose less of a Bataan Death March. :-)

Valerie wrote: "Anne wrote: "Valerie wrote: "Martha wrote: "Are we including Central American countries and the Caribbean in this category?"

Well, technically Central America is on the continent of North America ..."

Exactly. Though it wasn't very librarianish of me to ignore facts. :-)

Teresa wrote: "I chose Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter for this category. "

Thanks for the suggestion! I needed it

Anne wrote: "Valerie wrote: "Anne wrote: "Valerie wrote: "Martha wrote: "Are we including Central American countries and the Caribbean in this category?"

Well, technically Central America is on the continent o..."

According to this definition of Pan-American countries, some people consider North and South America and countries around and between to be one continent. Just thought I'd throw that confusion in. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...

I think I've found a category to add to my wild cards. I do have plenty of choices for South America.

Martha wrote: "Are we including Central American countries and the Caribbean in this category?"

I was about to ask this, as I have yet to read The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver which is set in Mexico. If Anne says it's okay though.

Katie wrote: "Martha wrote: "Are we including Central American countries and the Caribbean in this category?"

I was about to ask this, as I have yet to read The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver which..."


Mexico is definitely North America! Here's a page that shows maps of each continent, to help clarify. Central America does cause a lot of confusion...

http://www.7continents5oceans.com

I'm counting The Lacuna as my award winning book so I'm on the hunt for a South America book. Send all the recommendations my way.

Teresa wrote: "I chose Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter for this category. "

Me too! It was already in my "Want to Read" list. :)

Just for myself, I am also pursuing the quest of re-reading books that I fist read as a teen or tween and that made a huge impression in me, I either loved them or hated them, but they certainly meant something to me about 20-30 years ago. I want to see if the first impression remains of not. It is a very interesting experiment, so far with astonishing results. So I will be choosing One Hundred Years of Solitude, which I absolutely adored when I was 16-17, and I hope it will give me a much richer experience at 50. I still have my well-thumbed copy in Spanish, but I may even be tempted to pick an English translation. I'm happy to do a buddy read . . .

Just finished State of Wonder by Ann Patchett for this category. It was a bit of a slow start however by the end it was quite an enjoyable read.

I have 2 books by Gabriel Garcia Marquez on my shelf to read, so I will either read One Hundred Years of Solitude or Love in the Time of Cholera for this choice.

@Ann, yes I have also hesitated between the two.

I am reading The Lost City of Z which is about exploration of the Amazon - and all the people who died or were lost forever - and a theoretical advanced civilization that existed deep in the jungle.

It's kind of fascinating but fairly grotesque. It's also a bit weirdly written so far, though easy enough to read (I guess the author went into the Amazon too though he was wildly unprepared, and the chapters are not in chronological sequence as a result).

Currently looking into Marching Powder: A True Story of Friendship, Cocaine, and South America's Strangest Jail

Margo wrote: "Love in the Time of Cholera
This one also counts as "Own but never read.""
Did you like it? I really didn't like it at all. Too bad, really. I wanted to like it.

I'm reading Amazonia for this category. I am about halfway through now but it's just not doing anything for me. I really want to like it, I used to love to read James Rollins. I thought it would be a fun, quick read. I guess I'm just not into Rollins anymore. It is starting to get a little exciting but it's not super exciting.

I'm reading Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho. I've never read his most famous, The Alchemist, which I hear is his best but so far this one is pretty interesting.

I take back my comment about the book being interesting. Well, it may have been but I'm not a fan.

I choseLove in the Time of Cholera for this task. Loved it!