Global Book Selections discussion

It's time to consider what we might read in August. Before we know it the end of the month will be here. This way we'll be ready ahead of time :). The continents we have left are SOUTH AMERICA & ASIA. Since we are doing 2 selections per month, we can do one from each area this month and then start from all the continents again in September. I already have some suggestions in mind. Here they are. Let me know what you think.

SOUTH AMERICA:
1. We have nominated this one before earlier in the previous months and I think it's time to do it again. I would very much like to read this one. It's by the Mexican writer Carlos Fuentes - The Death of Artemio Cruz

2. The House of the Spirits. Everyone talks about Isabel Allende and I think I want to read one of her literature pieces, this seems to be a good one.

3. Veronika Decides to Die. Paulo Coelho is one of my favorite authors and one of the most known South American writers. I think this book is a great one to read as it pertains a little bit to our own cultural status...

Let me know what you guys think!


ASIA:
1. We have nominated this one and it was in our July 2012 polls. It got some votes definitely so I thought I would put it on the table again. It's Naoko .

2. The Zenith by a Vietnamese writer.

3. And a few for SOUTH ASIAN Literature:
- The White Tiger
- The Namesake Really anything by Lahiri will do, let me know if you have a preference towards other books of hers.
- The Space Between Us

That's it from me. Give me your take on which of these or others should go on the voting poll for August :).

Thank you for doing this early Elemillia. It gives us a chance to order from libraries and hunt second-hand copies.

"Naoko", "The Zenith" and "The Space Between Us" all look good and I know the other two Asian ones are, because I have read them.

I am going to be picky again, sorry: Mexico is North America, so perhaps you could include both the other two in the August vote.
Can I put in a recommendation for Thursday Night Widows as well please?

Val wrote: "Thank you for doing this early Elemillia. It gives us a chance to order from libraries and hunt second-hand copies.

"Naoko", "The Zenith" and "The Space Between Us" all look good and I know the ot..."

Yes, definitely the recommendation is more than welcomed, an Argentinian writer :), good recommendation. I like that you're 'picky' it gives us a chance to filter through things I might not really consider :). Yea, you're right Mexico is N.A but when I think of Mexico I definitely consider it more S.A than N.A. If people think I should include Mexico anyway, let me know, otherwise I will just include the other two.

Thanks for the feedback :). How did you like THE WHITE TIGEr and THE NAMESAKE?

They speak Spanish, so are closer to South America in a way. Perhaps we should have Latin America and Anglophone America: human geography rather than physical geography. (Val ducks as the French Canadians and Louisiana Cajuns throw stuff.)

I loved "The White Tiger", it is very dark and funny satire. "The Namesake" is one I really enjoyed, it has a lot of depth and plenty to discuss, but I didn't love it. (I am happy to read either again.)

I wanted to recommend one more South American writer - Portuguese, to be exact, Jose Saramago. I've been meaning to read him for a long time. I recommend either Blindness or The Double and also Seeing which is the second part to Blindness in case there are enough of us who have read Blindness by any chance and would like to continue to Seeing.

Let me know what you think about Saramago :)

I wanted to let you all know that I'll leave time for until the end of the week for more recommendations and then next week I will be starting the poll so that by the 30th of this month we will have already picked out book(s) for August :).

What about other Asian countries, like Russia, etc? Stuff like War and Peace (Russia), I am Najood, Aged 10 and Divorced (the Yemen), The Road of Lost Innocence: The True Story of a Cambodian Heroine (Cambodia), or others like that? (I've never actually read any of those, just pulling names off the top of my head.)

Aida thanks for the recommendations. Ill remember to include War and Peace when we read Europe. And Yemen can be included in Asia or when we read Africa since its edged nearby. The one from Cambodi acan def be included for Asia... let me know what you thing, all, if I should include the Cambodia book...

It would be interesting to read books from less well known Asian countries like Cambodia or Yemen. If you don't include them this time, how about our next visit to the continent?

Thursday Night Widows looks really good Val - I second that suggestion.

All sound like good choices, looking forward to the vote, I just missed out last time!

The Zenith and Naoko also look really good.

The polls are in. PLEASE VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE. I can't wait to see the top to results :).

Good choices for the vote Elemillia.
I struggled to choose! :0)

Have voted, oooooh it was difficult to choose! x

Isn't Thursday Night Widows set in South America - not Asia? I might be wrong, but I thought it was set in Argentina.

Susan wrote: "Isn't Thursday Night Widows set in South America - not Asia? I might be wrong, but I thought it was set in Argentina."

Thank you Susan :). I have posted a comment under the poll to explain the error and how we might still get the vote for it under S.A. You're right, and I did know that. Idon't know how I managed to place it there. I must have gotten a phone call in the midst of doing it or something ... totally got distracted, not sure.. But thanks for bringing that to my attention!

Just let me know that you vote for Thursday Night Widows and I will count it for S.A instead of asia, that way you vote for Asia will still count separate (if you voted already for it just tell me what you'd vote for Asia)... that's how it will go... I'll triple check the entries next time :).

Please don't forget to vote for our August Polls, if you haven't already :).

Yes, I did vote for Thursday Night Widows Elemillia. I can't remember what I voted for Asia now though!

Awesome Susan... :) I'll put ur vote down for Thursday Night Widows... if you voted for Asia that's good, u don't have to tell me what it is as long as it is accounted for, otherwise if it is not then let me know i'll count it for Asia :). Thursday Night Widows was a good recommendation, I do have to say!

OK, thanks Elemillia. I am up very early this morning on a lovely, sunny day in London - are you up late?

Susan wrote: "OK, thanks Elemillia. I am up very early this morning on a lovely, sunny day in London - are you up late?"

Yes I was in fact :). I did manage to get some zzz's after I left the comment, though. It is a sunny morning here now for me :).

Glad to hear it. We've had enough rain here lately, so some sun is welcome :)

drumroll please..... THE VOTES ARE IN! So this is what we will be reading for August:

1. THE WHITE TIGER for Asia
2. THE HOUSE OF SPIRITS for South America

Both great choices. I am extremely excited for these two. I think they will be phenomenal to discuss. I was kind of rooting for 'Veronika Decides to Die,' but I have been waiting to read Isabel Allende for a long time and what better time than now with the group.

Going to get my books tonight!:)