Around the World in 80 Books discussion

Feel free to post your reading plans or ask for recommendations in this thread

For the country - Israel,
would any of the following books fit:
1. The Jerusalem Diamond by Noah Gordon

2. The Beauty Queen of Jerusalem by Sarit Yishai-Levi

3. Jerusalem by
Cecelia Holland

Thanks.

Viji wrote: "For the country - Israel,
would any of the following books fit:
1. The Jerusalem Diamond by Noah Gordon

2. [bookcover:The B..."

They all work.

I would like to see if anyone has suggestions for Italy.

Susan wrote: "I would like to see if anyone has suggestions for Italy."

For Italy I recommend Beneath a Scarlet Sky by Mark T. Sullivan
It was an amazing read.

I like the murder mysteries by Donna Leon.

Can someone recommend a dystopian book written by Saudi author?

Rima,
You may have better luck on this posting it more generally, than just the few who have responded to Susan's post.

My five countries, and the reading plan.

I am on a tight budget and need to read books available online (such as through Guttenberg or Online library).

Here's what I have found. If anyone has better suggestions I would greatly appreciate it (again, books I can read free online).
I would love a book about either poetry or traditional tales. Thank you!

Serbia- Hero Tales and Legends of the Serbians by Karadžić and Petrovitch guttenberg
Panama - Prowling about Panama Guttenberg
Vanuatu Getting stoned with savages Internet library (I'm not too happy about this one but it was all I could find)
Belarus The Promised Land Mary Antin Guttenberg
Turkey Told in the Coffee House: Turkish Tales by Cyrus Adler and Allan Ramsay Guttenberg

Susan wrote: "I would like to see if anyone has suggestions for Italy."

Do you want an Italian author or is anyone fine?

A good English novel I read last year was The Wedding Officer: A Novel of Culinary Seduction, by Anthony Capella

Author from Italy translated... you can try The Shape of Water by Camilleri. Elena Ferrante is going really good (I don't like her very much, but a lot of people I know just love her)... old but gold The Name of the Rose

Please don't read Dan Brown's Inferno. He wasn't able even to check a map of Florence in order to describe a correct tour of the city.

Diane wrote: "Viji wrote: "For the country - Israel,
would any of the following books fit:
1. The Jerusalem Diamond by Noah Gordon

2. [bo..."

Thanks, Diane.

Would Agamemnon's Daughter: A Novella & Stories by Ismail Kadare or The Pyramid by Ismail Kadare work for Albania?

Or any book by Ismail Kadare could be read for Albania?

Thanks.

Viji wrote: "Would Agamemnon's Daughter: A Novella & Stories by Ismail Kadare or [bo..."

What you choose is entirely up to you. Any book by Kadare would work for Albania. My favorite from him, so far, is [book:Broken April|17902], but I have enjoyed all I have read from him.

Not sure why the book link didn't work in the above post.
Here it is: Broken April

Diane wrote: "Not sure why the book link didn't work in the above post.
Here it is: Broken April"

Thanks, Diane. I have both Pyramid and Agamemnon's Daughter with me. So, I would read one of them. I would keep Broken April in my TBR list.

BTW, would Pyramid by Ismail Kadare work for Egypt also? Thanks.

Viji wrote: "BTW, would Pyramid by Ismail Kadare work for Egypt also? Thanks."

Yes

I think I've got mine figured out. I try to aim for born in the country and somewhat about the country or about the people. In the case of transplanted authors I try to find ones that at least spent a reasonable time as a child to young adult in their country. There are always exceptions as with my choice for Vietnam this year.

Anyway. The plan:

Vietnam: Inside Out & Back Again ; Ru
Pakistan: Exit West
Morocco: Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood
Zimbabwe: Strife
Russia: The Blizzard
Hungary: Esther's Inheritance
Grenada: The Bone Readers
Somalia: The Orchard of Lost Souls

Would a book count if it not *just* about/set in the country in question? For example, one of my countries is Honduras and browsing my library catalogue with the key search term of Honduras, I came across this book that would interest me:

A History of Violence: Living and Dying in Central America. The description mentions Honduras but also includes other Central American countries so would this be cheating?

^I think it would count. Everyone has there own limits for how things count and, for me anyway, this is all about getting us to read things that are maybe off the beaten path for us.

Viv wrote: "Would a book count if it not *just* about/set in the country in question? For example, one of my countries is Honduras and browsing my library catalogue with the key search term of Honduras, I came..."

That would count. It all depends on what your personal interpretation of what books would count, so it wouldn't be cheating.

Thanks for the clarification. I would never have come across this book without the challenge, so I guess that's the point!

HomeInMyShoes wrote: "I think I've got mine figured out. I try to aim for born in the country and somewhat about the country or about the people. In the case of transplanted authors I try to find ones that at least spen..."Oh I've got Hungary too - that looks like a great choice so I'm stealing it!

Andy P.
I have the following Countries
Ghana
South Korea
Macedonia
Ireland
Trinadad and Tobago

So I was given:
North Korea - Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea
Kiribati - The Sex Lives Of Cannibals
Libya -
Egypt
Chile
If anyone has a suggestion of a book you really enjoyed for Libya, Egypt pr Chile fic or non, please post.

Keli wrote: "So I was given:
North Korea - Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea
Kiribati - The Sex Lives Of Cannibals
Libya -
Egypt
Chile
If anyone has a suggestion of a bo..."

For Egypt, I highly recommend Naguib Mahfouz . Everything I have read by his has been wonderful. My favorite is probably Palace Walk.
For Chile, I recommend The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende.
For Libya, In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar.

Diane wrote: "Keli wrote: "So I was given:
North Korea - Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea
Kiribati - The Sex Lives Of Cannibals
Libya -
Egypt
Chile
If anyone has a sugge..."

Thanks for these. I'm not too sure about In the Country of Men, might be a little too depressing for me. Sometimes I weep at commercials.

Keli wrote: "So I was given:
North Korea - Nothing to Envy: Real Lives in North Korea
Kiribati - The Sex Lives Of Cannibals
Libya -
Egypt
Chile
If anyone has a suggestion of a bo..."
I know it is late in the challenge and you have your North Korea reading selected, but I really enjoyed "The Orphan Master's Son" by Adam Johnson. Very powerful.

Orphan Master's Son was a very intense read for me.

Rosemarie wrote: "Orphan Master's Son was a very intense read for me."

Me, too, -- you have to be prepared or forewarned that it is not an easy read. But it was a truthful insight in North Korea, its regime and society, and masterfully written. But true, very intense.

I don't know if I can do intense, especially knowing that it's non-fiction. I cry to commercials.

Keli wrote: "I don't know if I can do intense, especially knowing that it's non-fiction. I cry to commercials."

It is fiction, but would not be the right one for you.

I'm reading around the Pacific Rim this year. I've found it difficult to organize the books by country, so I'm reading them in order of availability (some need to be ordered)

I have nine countries and decided to select different genres and styles while travelling to these 9 countries.
My countries are:
Kenya – want to read: “One Day I Will Write About This Place: A Memoir” by Binyavanga Wainaina (memoir)
Ukraine – Konstantin Paustovsky’s “Story of a Life” - have read some of his other books before and he is a master of subtle, poetic writing (memoir/fiction)
Belize – “Sastun: My Apprenticeship with a Maya Healer” by Rosita Arvigo – I have been to Belize several times and had interesting conversations with Belizeans about Maya healers and ‘old practices’… Want to know more.
Guinea – want to read: “The Human Cargo: A Journey Among Refugees” by Caroline Moorehead – Guinea is one of the places described (journalism/nonfiction about refugee plight)
Antigua and Barbuda – “Castaway in the Caribbean” by Janice Horton (romance and adventure)
St. Lucia – “The St. Lucia Island Club” by Brent Monahan (historic mystery)
Tajikistan – “My Neighborhood Sisters: the City Where Dreams Come True” by Gulsifat Shakhidi (fiction)
Angola – “The Book of Chameleons” by Jose Eduardo Agualusa (fiction/magic realism)
Ecuador -- ??? which one to go for?
Has anyone read any of these books and have any comments? I am still looking for the finalist for Ecuador - your advice would be appreciated. I was hoping for a travelogue or smth in those lines. Thanks.

^I've read The Book of Chameleons by José Eduardo Agualusa. I enjoyed it, but there's been so many books since that I'm not remembering a whole lot about it.

I've had your choice for Kenya on my list to get to for a while. If you're still open to suggestions I really enjoyed Beka Lamb by Zee Edgell (Belize). One of my best reads from the first year I started reading books from more places.

HomeInMyShoes wrote: "^I've read The Book of Chameleons by José Eduardo Agualusa. I enjoyed it, but there's been so many books since that I'm not remembering a whole lot about it.

I've had your choice f..."
Thank you for your insights and suggestions! I will put "Beka Lamb" on my to-read list. I really love everything Belize.

Pl. help me with recommendations for books set in Sudan and South Sudan. Thanks.

For Sudan, Leila Aboulela is pretty well known and has quite a few options.

For South Sudan maybe something like God Grew Tired of Us: A Memoir or Slave: My True Story. I'd probably read the first, but those are the two I've got penciled in to read from South Sudan when I get around to that country.

HomeInMyShoes wrote: "For Sudan, Leila Aboulela is pretty well known and has quite a few options.

For South Sudan maybe something like God Grew Tired of Us: A Memoir or [book:Slave: My True..."

Thank you very much. Your recommendation is a great help. I wish I have more choice for South Sudan.

Of the following books, would any work for Sudan/South Sudan?
1. The Third Gate by Lincoln Child
2. City of Jackals by Parker Bilal
3. Fire and Forget by Andrew Warren

Thanks.

Viji wrote: "Of the following books, would any work for Sudan/South Sudan?
1. The Third Gate by Lincoln Child
2. [bookcover:City of Jackals|260..."

I haven't read any of the books but from the descriptions it appears that Fire and Forget definitely does. The City of Jackals looks to be set in Cairo so the setting doesn't work but it's about South Sudanese refugees.

This list has more books that might work for you.

https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...

Thanks a lot, Laurie, for the help. I found The Third Gate by Lincoln Child in the list. Would any book found in the list https://www.goodreads.com/shelf/show/...
work for South Sudan?

Thanks.

Viji, that's a good question and I don't know. Anyone on Goodreads can add books to the list. If someone adds a book that isn't set in South Sudan, you won't know unless you do a little research. Also some people who add books may not be aware that South Sudan and Sudan are not the same, therefore some books could be set in only Sudan.

Laurie wrote: "Viji, that's a good question and I don't know. Anyone on Goodreads can add books to the list. If someone adds a book that isn't set in South Sudan, you won't know unless you do a little research. A..."

Thanks, Laurie. Let me see if I find a book for South Sudan in time!! Got any suggestions for Sudan? Thanks.

Laurie wrote: "Viji, that's a good question and I don't know. Anyone on Goodreads can add books to the list. If someone adds a book that isn't set in South Sudan, you won't know unless you do a little research. A..."

Here is the group bookshelf for South Sudan: https://www.goodreads.com/group/books...

This year I read Beneath the Darkening Sky (fiction).

In previous years I read
There Is a Country: New Fiction from the New Nation of South Sudan (short stories)
Running for My Life (memoir)
The Good Braider (YA fiction - non-native author)
A Long Walk to Water (fiction - non-native author)
They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky (memoir - set in both Sudan and South Sudan)

Diane wrote: "Laurie wrote: "Viji, that's a good question and I don't know. Anyone on Goodreads can add books to the list. If someone adds a book that isn't set in South Sudan, you won't know unless you do a lit..."

Thanks a lot, Diane, for the book links. I find many non-fiction books which are quite interesting. Unfortunately, I do not have any good library - public/private - here. I depend a lot on Kindle Unlimited as well as the printed books I own (mostly fiction). Could I read Fire and Forget for South Sudan?

I opted for 100 countries without understanding the enormity of the challenge!!hahahaha! I got so many countries which I did not even know exist (such is my geographical knowledge!). I do not regret my choice as this would help me to widen my scope and I would be stepping out of my comfort zones.

Thanks.

^Nice. My African continent geography has certainly improved a lot.

I need help with the linking a book to a country.

I have two books:

1. House of Bathory by Linda Lafferty

2. The Bloodletter's Daughter by Linda Lafferty

Are they sequels?

In the synopsis of House of Bathory, it has been mentioned as "the infamous Blood Countess, ruled Cachtice Castle in the hinterlands of Slovakia". Could this book be used for Slovakia?

In the book list (for help) given under Czech Republic, I found the book The Bloodletter's Daughter. I presume this book could be used for Czech Republic.

Could somebody help me where I could find the book list for Slovakia? A link in our group threads would be very much appreciated.

Thanks.

Viji wrote: "I need help with the linking a book to a country.

I have two books:

1. House of Bathory by Linda Lafferty

2. [bookcover:Th..."

Vili, there is a link in the group threads for books set in Slovakia. It is in the Books set in Europe discussion Thread. But here's the link.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...

The House of Bathory book certainly looks like it would work for Slovakia since the real life countess lived in an area of Hungary which is now part of Slovakia.

Laurie wrote: "Viji wrote: "I need help with the linking a book to a country.

I have two books:

1. House of Bathory by Linda Lafferty

2. ..."

Thanks a lot, Laurie, for the link (Slovakia) and your time. I find that
https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/... features in the Slovakia book list link. So, your suggestion works for me.