Play Book Tag discussion

I was a little surprised how dominant this tag was in the voting, but I can definitely say a lot of people are excited to read for the tag of:

Africa

Please share your reading plans and recommendations below.

Remember, for the regular monthly reads, the book can be shelved as "Africa" on Goodreads, or be a book that is not yet shelved that way but you feel should be.

One way to find books to read for this tag is to please visit:

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

We encourage people to link to additional lists below if they find them.

Happy Reading!!!

Question: Does the book have to be a certain length to qualify for the tag & Fly the PBT Skies? I'm thinking of using Zikora but it's only 34 pages. If not, I'll have a re-think!

@ Jenny, I am pretty sure for challenges the book needs to be at least 150 pages. I know, for sure 34 pages is not enough for challenges

Exciting! I have tons to read and really want to finally tackle The Education of an Idealist: A Memoir by Samantha Power now that she will be heading USAID.

I also plan to read A Girl Is a Body of Water and maybe The Shadow King.

Joanne wrote: "@ Jenny, I am pretty sure for challenges the book needs to be at least 150 pages. I know, for sure 34 pages is not enough for challenges"

That's what I feared! Thanks for confirming.

So exciting! It's different, opening up a lot of diverse reading, and is surprisingly flexible as you can read everything from an Amelia Peabody historical mystery set on an 19th Century archeological site to Americanah.

Some books I've read that I highly recommend - besides Agatha Christie and Elizabeth Peters mysteries set in Africa:

Speak No Evil
Palm Trees in the Snow
A Spear of Summer Grass
Hideous Kinky
Season of Migration to the North

this one irritated me but most give it positive reviews: The Diver's Clothes Lie Empty

I have quite a few for Africa, but think I might visit Precious and Grace again in Botswana with The House of Unexpected Sisters. I am long overdue for a dose of Precious.

I would recommend a book I just read, Ghana Must Go.

I'm planning on reading Devil's Peak the first book in a mystery series set in South Africa. I read the fourth book in the series a few years ago and wanted to go back to the beginning.

I had just one book on my TBR - the Time in Between..... That's what I am reading....

I am excited! This is one of my favorite shelves/tags. Below are some suggestions I have if you are looking for a good book tagged Africa--coincidentally, these are all in my top 20 favorite books:

Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe
The Fishermen by Chigozie Obioma
Freshwater by Akwaeke Emezi
Orchestra of Minorities by Chigozie Obioma
Disgrace by J.M. Coetzee

I think for March I will read The Girl with the Louding Voice. I have heard really good things about it!

Oh and a marvelous mysteries are Deadly Safari, Elephants' Graveyard and Cheetah Chase by Karin McQuillan. You can taste and smell Africa in Deadly Safari. I may need to do a reread.

I'm currently reading Transcendent Kingdom and am enjoying it! I'm not sure what I'll read in March, but Homegoing is definitely one I've been meaning to get to, and I'd also love to finally read something by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.

Yea!!! I'm getting some audios from where I last stopped in my journey in Botswana with the No 1 Ladies Detective Agency, number 7 in the series. An excellent audio series.

Let me recommend one of my all time favorites - The Power of One

I think I have a paperback copy of Tandia (that continues the above story) that I might read for this month. I haven't read a pb in ages, I hope the print's not too small.
Others I might tackle would be Circling the Sun and The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And Their Race to Save the World’s Most Precious Manuscripts

Oh, I've been wanting to read The Gilded Ones if I can get it and which reminds me that I also really want to read Who Fears Death.

I may also try to sneak in The Missing American which is nominated for Best Book for the Edgar Awards. I will have to makes some choices.

Okay, now it's off to LIbraryThing to do a double tag search for me! I am not flying to Africa in March, so things might get a bit tricky, but perhaps it will work out.

Africa is not in my travel plans till April. Oh well :)

For those who like a stronger mystery than the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency, I like the Detective Kubu series by Michael Stanley. The first in the series is A Carrion Death.

For non-fiction, I enjoyed Don't Let's Go to the Dogs Tonight: An African Childhood by Alexandra Fuller.

forsanolim wrote: "I'm currently reading Transcendent Kingdom and am enjoying it! I'm not sure what I'll read in March, but Homegoing is definitely one I've been meaning to get to, and..."

I am reading Transcendent Kingdom right now as well, on audio.

If anyone hasn't read it yet, Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood is wonderful, especially on audio.

I can recommend these 2 I have read recently (5 stars from me):

Walking the Nile by Levison Wood (Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Sudan & Egypt)

The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna (Sierra Leone)

Cool. I'm very happy with this result. I'm going to read either Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi or Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters.

The first one takes place in Nigeria and the second in Egypt. They both have enough tags for Africa and the actual countries for Fly the Skies and the bonus miles.

I'll let the library choose for me.

Robin P wrote: "If anyone hasn't read it yet, Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood is wonderful, especially on audio."

I second this recommendation.

Jenni Elyse wrote: "Cool. I'm very happy with this result. I'm going to read either Children of Blood and Bone by Tomi Adeyemi or Crocodile on the Sandbank by Elizabeth Peters.

The first one ..."


I reread Crocodile on the Sandbank frequently. A favorite!

I'm planning on reading How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child. I taught a class on Hate and Violence and meant to read this to see if I should include it in the future!

Devil's Peak also looks really interesting!

Lindsay wrote: "I'm planning on reading How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child. I taught a class on Hate and Violence and meant to read this to see if I should include it in the future!

[b..."

I enjoyed reading it and rated it highly.

Chiming in officially from an admin: books for PBT Challenges have a 150 page minimum.

We should be more consistent about explicitly stating that!

I have in mind to read a creative sci fi series set in Nigeria.

Some classics I always recommend:
The Poisonwood Bible--Kingsolver
The Sheltering Sky--Bowles

A couple of modern novels I favor:
Homegoing--Gyasi
Brazzaville Beach--Boyd

Wonderful histories:
An Army at Dawn: The War in North Africa, 1942-1943--Atkinson
King Leopold's Ghost--Hochschild
The Great War in Africa: 1914-1918--Farwell

Fabulous memoir of aviation queen:
West with the Night--Markham

Each month I try and give myself a little extra challenge (mainly to narrow down my options so I am not overwhelmed with possibilities!).

This month, I am reading books written by African authors and I found a good article with some great suggestions.

My options are:
Travelling While Black: Essays Inspired by a Life on the Move by Nanjala Nyabola (Kenyan)

Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi (born in Ghana, American-Ghanaian)

The Death of Vivek Oji by Akwaeke Emezi (Nigerian)

I also saw this book on the list which looks really good, but it does't come out in the US until later this year! Chronicles of The Happiest People on Earth by Wole Soyinka (Nigerian)

I have plenty to choose from, even though this wasn't the tag I was hoping for and it won't help earn me any bonus miles in the Fly PBT challenge.

I started the year off on a roll with a Deanna Raybourn series, and I'm going to read another of hers for this tag, one that Theresa recommended earlier in this thread:

A Spear of Summer Grass

Real possibilities as a second read for the tag since they're all relatively short:
Henderson the Rain King
Congo
The Plague

My recommendations:
We Need New Names
Cutting for Stone

And something a little different - a modern fantasy set in an alternate version of Johannesburg that I really enjoyed:
Zoo City

Nicole R wrote: "Each month I try and give myself a little extra challenge (mainly to narrow down my options so I am not overwhelmed with possibilities!).

This month, I am reading books written by African authors..."

Nicole--

I love Akwaeke Emezi's first book "Freshwater." It was so good. I was very excited for The Death of Vivek Oji to come out last year, but it was one of those that just did not live up to my hopes or expectations! That said, I love this little extra challenge you are doing, and I highly recommend Emezi's other book, "Freshwater."

Additionally, Chigozie Obioma is a Nigerian writer, and his book "Orchestra of Minorities" is one of my favorites as well.

Stephanie wrote: "Nicole R wrote: "Each month I try and give myself a little extra challenge (mainly to narrow down my options so I am not overwhelmed with possibilities!).

This month, I am reading books written b..."

Kind of similar to An Orchestra of Minorities would be House of Stone set in Zimbabwe which is dark, heavy on history with a side of thriller. It was very different but I enjoyed.

I now have a book, thanks to a recommendation! It fits Africa AND my next Fly the Skies country. The title is around here somewhere, but I had to put a hold on it at the library.

Kimber wrote: "I have plenty to choose from, even though this wasn't the tag I was hoping for and it won't help earn me any bonus miles in the Fly PBT challenge.

I started the year off on a roll with a Deanna Ra..."

Oooh, and Zoo City will fit a Popsugar challenge prompt - a book with a title starting with letter 'z'

I just want to mention, for historical fiction lovers like Amy, both A Spear of Summer Grass and Palm Trees in the Snow are historical fiction novels.

Theresa wrote: "Oh and a marvelous mysteries are Deadly Safari, Elephants' Graveyard and Cheetah Chase by Karin McQuillan. You can taste and smell Africa ..."

Theresa, I think her books will be extra popular with our group this month thanks to the Pursue it challenge - Safari.

This was the one I was hoping for. I still need to pick a book, though... Been a busy couple of days. I'll maybe pick a few options tomorrow.

Joy D wrote: "I can recommend these 2 I have read recently (5 stars from me):

Walking the Nile by Levison Wood (Rwanda, Uganda, Tanzania, South Sudan, Sudan & Egypt)

[book:The..."

I loved The Memory of Love!

The audio of Stay with Me is dynamite! And Half of a Yellow Sun is astonishing. I may have to re read something for this tag, I have so many favorites on this shelf.

Swing Time by Zadie Smith spends significant time in West Africa.

Thanks, Stephanie for the insight to her two books! Freshwater is one that I have had off and on my TBR for a while, but the plot of her new books sounds more intriguing to me! It may come down to which one I can get my hands on first!

Looking at Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood or The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency

I have West with the Night and Tears of the Giraffe on my bookshelf. Guess I'll see what mood I am in when it's time.

@ Lyn, West with the Night was very good

@Joanne, that's what my dad said when he told me I should read it! It's a strong contender, for sure!

Joi wrote: "Looking at Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood or The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency"

These are both very good options, Joi!

Ok, a few options for me. At the top of my list include:

- Woman in the Mists: The Story of Dian Fossey and the Mountain Gorillas of Africa / Farley Mowat
- Born Wild: The Extraordinary Story of One Man's Passion for Africa / Tony Fitzjohn
- A Billion Lives: An Eyewitness Report from the Frontlines of Humanity / Jan Egeland

So many great options!

I was planning to go to South America for FlytheSkies. Can anyone recommend a good book with tags for both Africa and a South American country? There was a recent rise in immigration from Africa to South America, but I can't find a book about it yet.

In addition I plan to read at least a few more books related to Africa. '

Ancestor Stones - or another book by Aminatta Forna. (She's on my Authors to read list for this year.)
A Girl Is a Body of Water
We Need New Names
A Fish Caught in Time: The Search for the Coelacanth
Cry of the Kalahari - or a similar book

Other possibilities:

Euphoria - multiple countries
The Ardent Swarm - I own this, but I don't know why I got it.
Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood
Morality for Beautiful Girls- or the next book in the series
Deadly Safari

forsanolim wrote: "I'm currently reading Transcendent Kingdom and am enjoying it! I'm not sure what I'll read in March, but Homegoing is definitely one I've been meaning to get to, and..."

I liked Homegoing and Transcendent Kingdom a lot. Homegoing is written in a chronological short story format, and I found it easier to spread them out a bit.

I read Girl, Woman, Other this month and it's very good. It's also written as a series of short stories, but they blend together really well. It's set in the UK, but it covers the African diaspora.

The Girl with the Louding Voice is written by a Nigerian writer and the book is completely set in Nigeria, so it has the "Own voices" advantage.

@Nancy, I recently read A Girl Is a Body of Water and I thought it was very good!

@Nicole, I plan to read "A Girl is a Body of Water". It's good to know that you enjoyed it.

@holly, it didn’t make my Top 20 last year, so it fell short of truly outstanding, but I was engaged throughout. I thought it was an interesting look into the culture of Uganda. It takes place both in a small village and a nearby city and I think the author did a great job of using those setting to not only show different viewpoints regarding women, but to illustrate how women’s roles are changing.

I think it is the perfect choice for this month! Ugandan author (who now lives in the UK), set in Uganda, featuring Ugandan feminist issues.

I’ll look for your review for sure!