Around the World discussion

Gaeta, I have wanted to read The Snow Fox too! A long time ago I ordered it from Book Depository, but they never fot it in. Have you read this author's book Anya. It is fabulous. I think I wrote a review of that one.

I want to thank you for using book and author links. This saves so much time for those reading your posts. I have been copying and pasting all day because others have not done this!

Chrissie, I just put Anya on my tbr. Never heard of it before. Thanks.

Anya, is excellent! I still wish I could get ahold of the Snow Fox.

Anne, I am glad you liked my review.

Snow Fox isn't even on kindle here.

Anne, more and more new books are kindalized, but often not the older ones!

Gaeta,
nice list. You're even considering gender. Wow, That's really making it complicated.

I know the feeling of having stuff disappear..... GRRR. that happened to me. Now it is going better, right?! Nice. I did editing in smaller portions and that worked better too.

Gaeta1 wrote: "Thanks, Anne,

I seem to have hit a guy-wall when I got to South America."

I like that! Not surprised.

If non-fiction's okay, I just read all 3 of Peter Hessler's China memoirs to prepare for a trip there. I enjoyed them, and was excited to see actual oracle bones in the Shanghai Museum.

Gaeta1, I saw that you have The House by the Dvina: A Russian Childhood. It is a wonderful book. It is a little gem that nobody speaks of. If you want excerpt to test see my review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/...

I liked this so much I think I will add it to the Russian Bookshelf.

Sho, nice. I have River Town: Two Years on the Yangtze by Hessler on my list. It is sitting here gathering dust. I have to change that.

Gaeta, I will come back with some suggestions for China.Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China is marvellous but it is a tough memoir. I will see if I have something else to suggest.

What about Shadow of the Silk Road or Wolf Totem for China.

I have over 90 books on my China shelf, many of them are unread. Maybe you would like to browse. Here is a link to that shelf: http://www.goodreads.com/review/list/...

Audibl;e has all of Hessler's books if you'd rather listen. From listening, I knew the correct pronunciation of Baijiu ("white liquor"), helping in my quest to sample the rotgut of many lands. "Baijiu? Very strong," offered a store proprietor in Guilin. "Yes," I said, "I want baijiu." He showed me the shelf, and when I picked up a set of two miniatures that cost about $11, he shook his head, said "too much," and handed me a $3 bottle instead.

Of the fiction on Chrissie's list that's by Chinese (not Chinese-American) authors and doesn't focus on war and privation, I liked A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers. You might want to look at Wang Gang's somewhat autobiographical novel English: A Novel, too, though it is grim and set in context of cultural misery/

My suggestion for a modern Chinese book isTwenty Fragments of a Ravenous Youth. It's one of my possibles, along with Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China and Empress Orchid.

Min's Red Azalea tells of her life during the cultural revolution. Don't know if that's modern enough for you.

Why don't you care for Min? I have her on my China list along with two others mentioned above by Sue plus A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers. Wouldn't mind some help in paring down this list.

Gaeta1 wrote: "I really hated Pearl of China. Just hated it. I read it a few week after I read Pearl Buck of China (don't know why I can't find the link)and it seemed very thin. And stilted."

I was considering Red Azalea by Min, but I have so many others to chose from for China I think I'll skip it.

Gaeta, I was disappointed with Hare with Amber Eyes, but it impoves as you go along. I have a review of that too, if you want to check before you purchase it. Maybe you have a library now? I hope so.

I can second Anne's recommendation of A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers. It is good! It does not take place in China though.

The beginning of the "Hare" is the worst part of the book.......

Gaeta, first I gave Hare three stars because partcularly the last 100 pages were good. Then I started thinking. Is a book "good" if the majority is a struggle to get through. Then I demoted it to two and felt better with myself. I discuss this in my review and it is spoiler free: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... We also had quite a discussion going there. It might be of interest to you before you read the book. Your book will be from the library, so you can always slam it shut! I do not give a synopsis of the book. I explain what I like and dislike about it.

I am with you on Japanese art. And they make everything into art!

Gaeta1 wrote: "I really hated Pearl of China. Just hated it. I read it a few week after I read Pearl Buck of China (don't know why I can't find the link)and it seemed very thin. And stilted."

I wonder if the language issue with Min has to do with her changing to English as an adult. I didn't notice it myself and really enjoyed Red Azalea. This book has an awe-inspiring description of her life being re-educated during the Cultural Revolution then her life after her return to the city. (It is difficult to read the details at times but not terrible).

I like that you're going to read Dakota: A Spiritual Geography. I enjoyed that book immensely when I read it several years ago. Due for a re-read probably.

I also intend to read The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Family's Century of Art and Loss. I've read good and bad reviews of it but plan to make up my mind for myself since there's such a diversity of opinion.

I didn't know that about Norris. I have more of her books that I want to read too. I also want to read more of Min's. I know her book on Buck wasn't well reviewed but I plan to definitely read Empress Orchid. I saw Min give a presentation and she was good.

Gaeta I, did you read Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China? The Imprinted Life is doing a mid-March 2012 reading of it.

Both Un mundo para Julius and Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas are excellent. Will let you know about The War of the End of the World!

Gaeta, Have you read Pearl Buck's Pavilion of Women. I liked that quite a bit. She did write that after her return to the U.S. I believe, but she certainly lived many years in China.

Gaeta, do check out Wolf Totem. It takes place in Inner and Outer Mongolia, so you can put it in China! My review: http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/... I was debating between four and five stars.

Who knows, it mught not be to your taste!

Cathedral of the Sea is one of my favorite books. I listened to it on audiobook on my way to and from work. You never saw anyone so eager to get up and go to work in the morning. LOL!

I'm biting my nails to see your reading list, Gaeta!!

Glad to help!

The Map of Love sounds great for Egypt as well. In case you decide on that one, please tell me how it is. I'd really like to read a good book about Egypt that doesn't feature pharaos, and my Arabic isn't quite good enough for all the ones goodreads keeps recommending ;).

I have read "The Mao of Love" a long time ago, but I was not impressed....

As of yesterday my eyesight is improved. I may be able to read The Greenlanders on my Kindle, if I hurry up read it quickly. :0) Nobody is promising me that the vision will stay good. :0( I have cortisone stuffed in both eyes.

A misspelling. Look at message 58.

Yes, it is so amazing what I can see. It is so handy when you can order books and have them in a few seconds with Kindle. I plan on reading Greenlanders on Kindle soon.

I just could not deal with "Incendiary" anymore. I read half and deemed it a total waste of time so I dumped it.

Gaeta1 wrote: " You have to admit, the Mao of Love sounds interesting!"

Yes, I would read that book. I thought up the title, someone else can write it.

I read Soueif's novel many years ago, but it left no lasting impression, just another love story with two time threads. Certainly not terrible, but now wow either. I have read another by the author. It was short stories. That was worse.

Chrissie wrote: "I have read "The Mao of Love" a long time ago, but I was not impressed....

As of yesterday my eyesight is improved. I may be able to read The Greenlanders on my Kindle, if I hurry up read it qui..."

I'm happy for you about your eyesight, Chrissie!

Gaeta, how do you know you will be reading Egypt in the fall? Do you have the countries in a particular order? I have already bought Aunt Safiyya and the Monastery: A Novel for Egypt, but it is so darn short. You also might consider An Imperfect Lens: A Novel. I gave that four stars. I am also considering Written in the Ashes, and I wanted to read something by Stacy Schiff, either Cleopatraand/or Vera:. Probably the latter since I have already bought the audio book Lolita. Of course the latter too will not work for Egypt.

Thank you , Janice. It is so nice seeing stuff. My Ipad has little water drops that I never saw before.

BTW, having dumped Incendiary, I have picked up From Harvey River: A Memoir Of My Mother And Her Island for Jamaica. It has great writing. It reads like a novel. The author, who is an acclaimed poet, writes about her mother and her life on Jamaica. Nice to have a good book in my hands again.

Chrissie, Snow Fox is available at Barnes and Noble!!
BTW, I accidently hit something which made my list go away. It didn't delete it, it is just "saving"it for me but I have no idea how to find it or get it back! I think I just hit a button which "hid" it? Any suggestions or help?

BTW, I am now reading The House by the Dvina, A Russian Childhood.