Janet's *very* long-term Around the World challenge

[Janet]

Thanks - will do! 

[Janet]

Today's Kindle Deal of the Day is The Long Bridge: Out of the Gulags by Urszula Muskus.   As it's only 99p and the author was born in Poland, I thought it was worth a bit of a punt. 

 

[Talisman]

Thanks Janet - will have a look at that, although I have read at least a couple of Polish books already.   

[Janet]

I finished Kiskadee Girl by Maggie Harris this morning.  The author was born in Guyana, South America.

 

43 Countries = 18.45%

[Talisman]

I noticed that one on your list and added it to my wish list too, as it sounded quite interesting. What did you think of it ?  

[Janet]

I enjoyed it.  I gave it 3½/5.    It's autobiographical and entirely based in Guyana and covers the period from Maggie's birth up to 1971 when the family moved to the UK when she was about 17 years old.  It's a collection of stories about her family and her childhood - it's quite... chatty in style - not great literature, perhaps, but enjoyable nonetheless.  

[Talisman]

Thanks Janet. I will have to download a sample of it and then decide.

[Janet]

Finished Scenes from Village Life by Amos Oz - the author was born in Israel

 

44 Countries - 18.88% - 170 remaining

[Talisman]

I have looked at a couple of his books, but wasn't sure which one to get. The one I really want - A Tale of Love and Darkness is sadly not available on Kindle - although I do keep asking ! I do though usually enjoy books from this part of the world.  

[Janet]

I liked this one.       It should have been a quick read but I've been poorly this week.   I came across it by chance on my way out of the library - I saw the author's name and looked in the front to see where he was born! 

[Alexi]

I do that too J - I picked one up from the Phillippines last week by the same method!

 

You're doing really well with your challenge. I've stagnated a bit!

[Janet]

I go in fits and starts with it!   I have Poland on my Kindle (think you might have that one too - The Long Bridge: Out of the Gulags by Urszula Muskus?) but I don't fancy it at the moment!

 

I've found a few really good books by accident in the library (and some not so good!).

[Alexi]

Yep I've got Poland. I've also got Iceland, Hungary, South Africa and Malaysia on my kindle. My book buying habit has got out of control over the last 12 months I'm not sorry to report!

[Janet]

I've done the others, but just out of interest, what do you have for Malaysia? 

[Alexi]

The Gift of Rain by Tan Twan Eng It's been on my wishlist for this challenge for a while, and is 99p on kindle for the month of June (iirc) so I snapped it up!

[Janet]

  Oh yes - I  looked at that one yesterday and umhed and ahed about whether to download it or not and didn't come to any conclusion - then promptly forgot!  He's just won a significant prize for a different book (I can't remember what it's called but it has a red cover!    ).  I guess for 99p I should take a punt - thanks for the reminder. 

 

I think I had some kind of detective book on my wish list for Malaysia (a detective Singh mystery, maybe).

[Talisman]

I have that one on my wish list too - I will probably download a copy, even though I have already done Malaysia.  

[Janet]

I finished Zambia today.   Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin.    As the title suggests, this book is actually set in Rwanda, not Zambia.  I really enjoyed it and have since discovered a sequel and a third one in production! 

 

Thoughts on this one to follow (although I'm behind with my reviews again!   ).

 

45 Countries - 19.31%

[Janet]

Channel Islands (Guernsey) - A Child's War by Molly Bihet

 

46 Countries = 19.74%

[Talisman]

I've been looking for a book from there - I shall go and look this one up.

[Janet]

The Zambian one? (I think you've done Guernsey).   

 

I haven't written my thoughts down yet, but I very much enjoyed it.  It's not a challenging read at all - it's quite... light and 'holidayish'!  

 

It covers quite a few subjects (this has been a criticism of it) but I think that if one takes it as just a 'good story' then it's very enjoyable - and it does give a taste of the things people deal with in Rwanda - albeit not in any great depth and not in a political way.   It has been compared to those Alexander McCall Smith books about the woman detective - but I haven't read any of those so I can't comment.

[Talisman]

Actually yes Janet you are right, I have done Guernsey - I was getting it mixed up with Jersey for some reason.

[Janet]

Yesterday I finished my book for Mexico - Down the Rabbit Hole by Juan Pablo Villalobos

 

47 Countries = 20.17%

[Janet]

Eskimo Folk-Tales (1921) - stories collected and retold by Knud Rasmussen (born in Greenland)

 

48 Countries - 20.6%

[julie]

Janet

You are doing a great job on your World Challenge . I like the neat map you have . How do you go about adding the countries when completed ? It sounds stupid , I know, but to look at all the colored in parts, it looks like you'd be further along than 20 % , but there are so many TINY countries scattered in among all the white areas ,aren't there ?  How many countries total ? I think it was around 200 ?

And have you found it easier to find the books at the library or on the Kindle that are from so many different places ?