Global Book Selections discussion

So for July 2012 we are choosing books from AFRICA, ASIA, SOUTH or NORTH AMERICA (we have already done EUROPE and AUSTRALIA). I'll be posting some suggestions today. Let me know what you guys come up with.

To be honest, I really want to read some American literature in July 2012. Here are my suggestions.

These are all North American Authors:

The Age of Miracles

State of Wonder

Gone Girl

Personally, I also want to read some Canadian Literature, so here are some books by Canadian authors.

The Blind Assassin

Life of Pi

Le me know what everyone thinks. I'll mostly likely only put two of these book on the list for voting.

OH I also think I want to add this book.

In One Person

I wouldn't vote to read The Blind Assassin again, as it is my least favourite Atwood of those I have read so far (even if it did win the Booker).

Do you want some more N American suggestions?
Or other continents as well?

N.A or any other continents - all are up for grabs. I'm just more inclined for N.A this time around ;)

I want to recommend some books for ASIA:

Chinese Literature:
The Art of War

South Asian"
A Fine Balance
Interpreter of Maladies
Life of Pi

Japanese Literature:
The Wind-Up Brid Chronicle
Real World
Never Let Me Go

There's so many great Asian literature pieces... maybe we'll read one that will blow us away...

I don't like to be picky but Jhumpa Lahiri was born in UK and brought up in USA (from age 3) and Yann Martel is Canadian, born in Spain.
Both authors would count for North America, or at a pinch Europe, but not Asia.

Kazuo Ishiguro was born in Japan, but has lived in UK since the age of five.

A Fine Balance is definitely worth reading.
(Rohinton Mistry is a Canadian citizen as well now, but did at least emigrate as an adult.)

Well said :). I see what you mean. The literature doesn't have to be by an author born in that region, it can also be literature that takes place in regions we still have left to read. I'll try to look for more today. I know it's the first of July, so I'll put up a voting poll starting tomorrow.

So far we have some N.A options (I'll choose one of them for the poll - let me know what preferences you guys have for which one I should choose), one Chinese book - "The Art of War", and I think I'll also add "A Fine Balance" to the poll. I also want to add one Japanese selection, one African, and one South American. Let me know which one of these you'll prefer to see on the list.

Japanese:
Almost Transparent Blue
Naoko
Parasite Eve

African:
Things Fall Apart
Purple Hibiscus
Measuring Time

South American:
Love in the Time of Cholera
Swift as Desire
In the Time of Butterflies

These will be my last and final suggestions. Let me know what you think... and then I'll post the voting poll.

South America:
(Portugal) What Can I do When Everything's On Fire
Mexico:
The Death of Artemio Cruz

Japanese:
The Temple of the Golden Pavilion

How about Naoko, Things Fall Apart, and In the Time of Butterflies.

:) Thanks for the feedback Aida :).

The Voting Poll is up.

I have chosen two books from each region.
2 North American - The Age of Miracles (US); Life of Pie (Canada)
2 Asian - The Art of War (Chinese); A Fine Balance (South Asian)
2 African - Things Fall Apart ; Purple Hibiscus
2 South American - In the Time of the Butterflies ; What Can I do When Everything's on Fire

And I added a 10th entry to make things even as a wildcard - Gone Girl (NA).

Please vote, the poll will be open until Friday :). Can't wait to see what we choose. It will be hard for me to pick one.

I'm so torn ... I don't know what book to vote on. Does everyone else feel the same? I really want to read some African Literature but The Age of Miracles just sounds soooo good. And then there's Naoko... I'm a huge fan of Japanese Literature. Then there's The Art of War... I don't know what i'll vote for...

Maybe we can have two TOP selections again? How does everyone feel about that? Did it work out last time to have the option of a second book? And this way it's easier to get through the global and back again :)?

You have a good variety of books there Elemillia.
The second book idea worked last month, although I don't know how many people read both, some of us obviously did.

I think it's a realy good variety too. I read both this month (well, am in the middle of The Unit):)

Sweet :). Thanks guys! I will make it so that we have to options :). The top two will be our choices. Don't forget to vote, if you haven't already.

Hi Elemillia, are we voting on a separate thread?

I have read "Things fall Apart" and it was an interesting book, which I will enjoy reading again and discussing with everyone. It is also short, so I should have enough time to read the second one as well.
The June second place book generated more discussion than the winner, surprisingly, although some of it was Susan and I talking to each other.

Two books I am both really interested in this month again have won! :0).
I have had an old copy of "Things Fall Apart" sat in my pile for years and never got round to it. And there seems quite a buzz in the media about
'The Age Of Miracles' and it seems to have appeared in most of the book newsletters I have been e-mailed recently. Should be a good month!

Hey guys, alright. So the voting poll is done and so we have out two books. THINGS FALL APART won!!! I'm super excited because I am looking forward to reading this one. Second place was a tie between three books. The Age of Miracles, Purple Hibiscus, and Naoko. Since Purple Hibiscus is from the same region as Things fall apart, our second choice can be either The Age of Miracles or Naoko. I will put up The Age of Miracles since it is a new book and there's a lot of talk about it and I will leave Naoko for the next month when we hopefully pick it as part of Asia.

Thanks everyone for voting!

I'm about to go buy my books today. I have not read either of them and I'm looking forward to it.

Ooops, I apologise for thinking 'Age Of Miracles' was the second winner I just looked at the next top one in the list but I'm glad it has now been confirmed and picked. :0)

I am going to leave discussions open for both 'Things Fall Apart' and 'The Age of Miracles' until the finish date of the books (that's when the books will go down). Not that we can't discuss books after they are finished reading, discussion is ALWAYS OPEN. What I mean to say is that there will still be present focus on discussing those books, still, for those that might not have gotten to them or want to finish the books before August 8th and still add their take on them.