Around the World discussion

Wow. You did a lot of work. I have to go through it carefully. Are there 52?

A Fine Balance is a good story but somewhat realistic and heart-wrenching.

That is quite a list! I'll have to work my own list up over the next week!

The Iliad. You're going to take that on - I'm impressed.

I wish my list was as neat as yours and all the others. Making links gets messy if you're using them all over the place, from 1-52. A lot of cutting and pasting and they still have a mind of their own in terms of placement. Maybe I'll try erasing authors. That might help.

We have several of the same books on our lists. Maybe we can try to read them together, and with others as well, if they are reading the same books.

Monaco would be fun. Perfect place for a detective novel.

Judy wrote: "I'm still looking for more interesting options for Zambia, Monaco and Madagascar (Malagasy Republic)...if anyone has suggestions.

I'll look in my Africa group bookshelves to see what I can find for you.

Here are two for Zambia:

The Unheard: A Memoir of Deafness and Africa, Josh Swiller

Patchwork by Ellen Bandu Aaku. It's listed on GR, but can't make a link. It won a Penguin Prize for African Writing.

Sure. No luck with Madagascar.

Nice list Judy and I did get a few ideas! there definitely is crossover between all our lists but I don't think that's very unusual. I'd be interested in reading Empress Orchid with you at some point. Not sure when.

I'm impressed that your countries are alphabetical. My list is totally impressionistic. Oh and thanks for the correct spelling of Danticat. I was looking her up wrong.

I didn't even notice the alphabetical listing. Oh, yeah, you used some kind of software to put this together, right? Some of us are geekier than others. Tho, of course yours is much neater than mine. I could be a little geekier myself.

Love the alphabetized list, Judy. After starting my list, I considered grouping by region to make countries easier to find.

Judy wrote: "Thanks. There's nothing geeky, to it, promise...just good old MS Excel so I could use the sort function. Then it was hit copy and paste over here."

I don't have anything like that at all. I have a Mac, so I couldn't use MS. I'm sure that my Mac has some built-in software that I don't even know about. One has to be tech savvy just to know the software and how to use it - all directions are online now.

Open Office is a website?

I'm uncertain that Windows and Mac are interchangeable. I don't know anything about computers. To be sure, I'd contact them before I tried to download something.

I think downloads always give prerequisites before you download, and have different downloads for Mac and PCs. But, aside from that, what am I going to do with the program once I get it?

This is a download for Windows. Thanks anyway. No big deal.

Don't worry about it. I really wouldn't know what to do with it if I had it. For all I know, I have it already on my computer. It's only 6 months old.

Thank you Chelsea. I got Patchwork from a post of yours in the Africa Group.

Just saw the link. That's a nice intro to Patchwork. Thanks again.

Chelsea wrote: "Hi Anne, You are welcome. I just found this group today. I've been world trekking for about a year and nice to find you here!"

Nice to see you here as well. Will you be sticking around and making your list? I have a feeling that you could come up with a very interesting list.

Chelsea wrote: "Anne, I've got so many groups going on that I've not decided if I have time to make a commitment here, though I am sorely tempted. It is hard to resist reading the world. After all, that is what I..."

Well, exactly. What you are reading anyway will probably fit into 52 slots.

I'm happy to someone reading something from Cambodia! I volunteer there periodically.

Chelsea wrote: "Judy, I loved The Poisonwood Bible and Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War. Poisonwood is one of those books that will stay with me for life.

I feel the same way about Poisonwood.

I'm glad to hear what you both have to say aboutThe Poisonwood Bible since I have it on my list to read.

Sue, I think you'll love it.

I'm very glad I added it. I'm in the middle of fixing my list. I've alphabetized it in Word. Now I have to move it back and add links. I think I've already seen a couple of possible changes, but I'm going to wait on that.

Judy wrote: "I just happened across Temples & Tuk Tuks: Travels in Cambodia. Have you read it? I'm a big fan of memoirs (I know you are tired of them :-)so this caught my attention.

What do you ..."

I've looked at it in a bookstore and thought it would be interesting. I like memoirs fine; I just like to diversify my reading so I don't get bored with a genre.

I teach Cambodian university students who provide direct community services--so counseling theory, HIV education, culture and testing, etc. I also volunteer with a non-profit that raises funds to assist exploited and trafficked women and children, people with HIV, people with disabilities, and rural poor in Cambodia.

Well, the job pays the bills and is sufficiently fun. The voluntarism just feels like fun.

Barry wrote: "I would like to add my voice to the Poisonwood Bible love, I wasn't even much of a sophisticated reader yet ("yet"? "reader"?!) and I couldnt put it down and now I think back on it as just as techn..."

Are you a show off Barry?

Barry wrote: "when i can be!"

:)

Judy, better you than me with the TBRs. Of course I diverted some of mine to other shelves.

:)

Anything by Margaret Atwood would count, wouldn't it?

I'm going to read Alice Munro.

Carol Shields or one of my favorites, Robertson Davies. Any of his trilogies are wonderful, though The Deptford Trilogy is my favorite. Then there's always Ondaatje Michael. Several of his books are set in Canada, where he now resides.

There are some really great titles on your list, Judy. I like how you've named alternatives.

I was thinking of you when I selected Baking Cakes in Kigali for Rwanda.

Janice or Someone who needs a Canadian book, Conceit by Mary Novik is excellent and Book Haven just read it. Historical fiction set in seventeenth-century London; the story follows Pegge Donne, the poet John Donne's daughter, and ends with the Great Fire of London. I think you would enjoy it very much.

Asmah wrote: "Janice or Someone who needs a Canadian book, Conceit by Mary Novik is excellent and Book Haven just read it. Historical fiction set in seventeenth-century London; the ..."

I have this book on my wishlist. But I have The House at Riverton in paperback and I was giving priority to books I already own. I definitely want to read Mary Novik's book.

Thank you for introducing me to The Papers of Samuel Marchbanks. Never heard of it. And I thought I'd read everything by Davies. I'm so happy to find out that I was wrong.

Judy wrote: "Blow me over and call me Shorty! "

Hahahahahahah. Never heard that phrase, but I love it.

You have great expressions. I want to hear more of them.

Maybe. You could good Okie Expressions.

I'm disappointed.

Same here.

Judy wrote: "Sue, what is your favorite Alice Munro book? I've never read any of hers before.

Anne, In the Skin of a Lion looks really good. I'm going to read it on the side though since I have ano..."

Judy, I haven't read her yet either but I've been advised to read The Beggar Maid: Stories of Flo and Rose as a good start. I got a couple of her collections at Borders closing and I'm looking forward to reading her. Many people I've met at GR love her.

I also have a good phrase (from my mother so likely either Irish or Canadian or a mix): "wouldn't that jar your grandmother's peaches"

This is said at times of frustration. My mother never swore in her life. I used to ask my older patients if they'd ever heard that. I finally found one who had heard a variant of it---she was originally from South Boston which is Irish.

"wouldn't that jar your grandmother's peaches"

That's a good one!

I hope you enjoy them both. If you read Munro, we'll have to compare notes at some point.

Judy wrote: "Where you are from Canada, I thought you might think of a couple of books set in Canada off the top of your head. Historical fiction or memoir (not celeb) would be my preference, if you can think of something along those lines. :-)
..."

I live in Northern Alberta outside a small city called Grande Prairie.

The first book that comes to mind is one of my all time favorites, The Stone Angel. While not historical fiction, it is set in the 1950's and is about a woman who grew up on the prairies. I want to reread this book because it's been many years and I need a refresher.

Another is I Heard the Owl Call My Name. I would classify this as historical fiction. It's about a young priest who is sent to be the parson of a small Indian village on the west coast (inner passage) of British Columbia.

Here's my shelf for "Canadian Connection" (books either written by a Canadian author or set in Canada) http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/... for further suggestions.

Janice wrote: "The Stone Angel. While not historical fiction, it is set in the 1950's and is about a woman who grew up on the prairies."

Judy, this one has your name on it, no?