akeela aims for 75

A late start on LT but I have been reading!

Read so far:

1. Toast: A Story of a Boy's Hunger by Nigel Slater. Appetite by Slater is one of my favourite books and I was looking forward to this memoir, but didn’t enjoy it as much as I thought I would. I enjoyed parts of it, but not enough to keep the book.

2. Three Women by Marge Piercy. I was excited to read this book as I loved The Longings of Women by Piercy but was disappointed this time around.

3. Eat, Love, Pray by Elizabeth Gilbert. She’s a gifted writer, though a tad self-absorbed. An enjoyable read, nevertheless.

Not great book choices to start the year. It can only get better!

4. Gweilo: Memoirs of a Hong Kong Childhood by Martin Booth. The delightful account of a 7-year-old adventurous kid who traipses around Hong Kong, in the 1950s, exploring the city when his dad’s “posted” there from England for three years.

5. The Catalpa Tree by Denyse Devlin. Her first novel. Really enjoyed it.

6. Say When by Elizabeth Berg. I really like Berg’s novels. She has a way of depicting the marital relationship, which I find very special. This was about the breakdown of a marriage after 10 years.

7. Even After All This Time: A Story of Love, Revolution and Leaving Iran by Afschineh Latifi. Latifi’s experience of the Iranian revolution, the execution of her father, her migration to Austria with her sister where they schooled, and subsequent move to USA. She tells of the gruelling hardships faced, the language barrier, financial difficulties, etc. and the love and kindness of strangers turned friends. A satisfying read.

8. Dear John by Nicholas Sparks. After the Iranian read, I needed something light! This was a sweet tearjerker that provided pleasant insight into the male psyche. The themes included: the father-son relationship, Asperger’s disease, love, friendship … and some more love - based on pure, deep lasting affection. Very romantic, and sad, too.

9. More fluff. Still wasn’t ready for anything substantial. That Extra Half An Inch: Hair, Heels and Everything In Between by Victoria Beckham. Read mostly because my 18-year-old niece swears by it, so I had to find out for myself what the fuss is about :) Beckham was surprisingly entertaining and actually very likable.

10. A Daughter of Isis: The Autobiography of Nawal El Saadawi. This narrative covers the early years of the well-known activist, physician and novelist. She depicts the oppression of women and their desire for self-expression in patriarchal Egyptian society. Her writing was her saving grace. She writes, “The written word for me became an act of rebellion against injustice exercised in the name of religion, or morals, or love.”

ETA: Attempting to fix touchstones.

Thanks for sharing your list of books. I'm going to read #6 on your list -- Say When by Elizabeth Berg

You're welcome, Whisper1. That's so great! I should have done this a while back :)

11. Something light again. You’ve Got To Read This Book: 55 People Tell the Story of the Book That Changed Their Life by Jack Canfield and Gay Hendricks. The books mentioned were mainly inspirational titles, not at all what I expected. Tolerable.

12. Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. A quick read, set in Nigeria from the viewpoint of 15-year-old Kambili. What was delightful, besides the writing, was the innocence of Kambili, who is absolutely cloistered by her controlling and authoritative dad. Very sweet and poignant at times. Really enjoyed it.

13. Neither East, Nor West: One Woman's Journey Through the Islamic Republic of Iran by Christiane Bird. Thoroughly enjoyed the journalist’s four-month ramble though Iran where she engaged with Iranians from all strata of society. She got me completely engrossed in the telling. Well-researched.

14. The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. Absolutely enjoyed the grace and subtlety of Ishiguro’s writing.

15. The Stone Diaries by Carol Shields. Didn’t enjoy it. Ishiguro’s a hard act to follow…

16. A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini. A quick read. Was satisfactory, not at all great. I loved The Kite Runner, so this was a bit disappointing.

17. My Father’s Orchid by Rayda Jacobs. South African author. Quick read. Only got into the book after 100 pages or so. Enjoyed it.

18. All We Have Left Unsaid by Maxine Case. Another South African book. It explores the mother-daughter relationship, bereavement. Not wonderful, but I find I really enjoy SA lit!

19. Come Away With Me by Sara MacDonald. Themes: the marital relationship, death, loss, grief. Felt the loss of the protagonist keenly. Loved the vivid, peaceful descriptions of dawn and other natural settings.

20. The Namesake by Jhumpa Lahiri. A coming-of-age story. I wasn’t totally captivated by the book and found some sections more compelling than others. Lahiri can definitely write and I look forward to reading other books by her.

21. Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro. This was a very disappointing read for me. I really expected to love the book, especially after The Remains of the Day. I guess I guess I'm not into science fiction/ futuristic lit. Was all right. Kind of sad.

22. Absolutely Faking It by Tiana Templeman. Travel memoir. Australian woman who wins a trip for two to stay in 13 luxury hotels around the world. She and her husband normally backpack and stay in hostels, hence the “faking it”. They go to 14 countries over 5 months - sounds like I should have enjoyed it! It was passable but I won’t be keeping the book.

23. Booklover by Jennifer Kaufman and Karen Mack. Definitely passing this one on.

24. Minaret by Leila Aboulela. A quick read. Coming-of-age story about a young Sudanese woman in London, who finds peace and solace in Islam.

25. The Space Between Us by Thrity Umrigar. Set in India – a story woven around two compelling, but different, women. Loved the writing and found many quotable quotes.

26. The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion. Took me a while to get into because the book was so different from what I expected but when it ended, I was looking for more from Joan! Brilliant in sharing how Didion tries to make sense of her husband’s unexpected death and his absence from her life after 40 years of marriage. The book is sad, but not sentimental.

She writes, “I could not count the times during the average day when something would come up that I needed to tell him. This impulse did not end with his death. What ended was the possibility of response.”

27. The Reader by Bernard Schlink. (reread). Enjoyed it less the second time around, but still superb.

28. After You’d Gone by Maggie O’Farrell. Beautiful romantic tearjerker. A story about family, loss, grief and healing. Heart-wrenching. Loved it.

29. Intimacy by Hanif Kureishi. Quick read. Insightful.

30. More chick lit. The Devil Wears Prada by Lauren Weisberger. Another of my niece’s pet likes. Found it better than the movie.

31. All That She Wants by Maeve Haran. Chick lit. Predictable, dull.

32. An Island in Istanbul: At Home on Heybeliada by M.A. Whitten. Enjoyable read about the life and culture on an Instanbullu island in 2006. Charming.

#33 Harem Years: The Memoirs of an Egyptian Feminist by Huda Shaarawi (1879-1947). The memoirs of a brave and intelligent activist who managed to overcome huge obstacles and shine her light brightly on Egypt. She was awarded the Nishan al-Kamal, the highest decoration conferred by the state of Egypt, in 1945.

#34 The Mulberry Tree by Jude Deveraux. Okay. Not my kind of book.

#35 True To Form by Elizabeth Berg. I enjoy Berg’s writing. She writes with great compassion. This is the heart-warming story of 13-year old Katie. Very sweet.

#36 My last read thus far: Mosquito by Roma Tearne. My first visit to Sri Lanka. A beautifully written tale of love and the ravages of war. Some pages were just so exquisitely crafted that I wanted to underline the entire page. Thanks for recommending the book, Nickelini!

Now to keep up with the reading!!

#37 Astrid and Veronika by Linda Olsson. A beautiful novel about two women (one an octogenarian, the other 31) who gradually become friends and offer each other solace by just being there for one another, listening quietly, lovingly and with infinite patience.

#38 Toujours Provence. A delightful jaunt in the French countryside of Provence accompanied by Peter Mayle’s breezy and entertaining anecdotes.

#39 Fatima's Good Fortune by Joanne Dryansky and Gerry Dryansky. Fatima has left her home in Tunisia to work for the Countess Palais du Roc in Paris, where everything is strange and baffling.

I agree with you re. Ater You'd Gone
What an incredible book!
Have you read others of Maggie O'Farrell?

Hello Linda,

I haven't managed to get Esme Lennox yet, though I'd like to. Unfortunately my reading time's been cut short lately...

On your recommendation, I've also got Plum Lucky on my TBR list. Sounds like it should be fun!

I think you would like The Vanishing Act of Esme Lennox. I'm going to hunt for more of her books.

Plum Lucky was a fast, and funny read.

Good Luck! Let me know if you find something great!

I enjoyed Sara Macdonald's Come Away With Me which deals with similar themes of love, loss, grief and healing. It was well-written, a much lighter read though. Perhaps you'll enjoy it?

Have you read anything by Marge Piercy? I loved The Longings of Women by her.

Hi Akeela

I did read some of Marge Piercy a long time ago.

A friend loved her poetry. Honestly though, I can't say that it impacted me on a deep level.

I'll add Sara MacDonald's book to my list. Thanks!

#40 Between Two Worlds by Zainab Salbi. This is the memoir of a woman who grew up in the “privileged” circles and palaces of Saddam Hussein. She tells of how she and millions of others throughout Iraq were systematically robbed of their dignity and lives under the tyranny of the charismatic despot. Her chronicle became a means to purge her of the agonizing memories that have haunted her throughout her life. Salbi founded Women to Women International in the US, which was established to enable women in war-torn countries to move from unspeakable crises to stability.

# 41 Decided I needed something frivolous, so plunged right into the exotic tales of magic and passion in my long-forgotten volume of The Arabian Nights, translated by Brian Alderson with its enchanting illustrations by Michael Foreman. Found myself delightfully enthralled by the tales of Aladdin and Ali Baba, amongst others. What fun!

#42 Iris and Ruby by Rosie Thomas. The wilful 19-year-old Ruby runs away from England and finds her way to her 82-year-old grandmother, Iris, in Cairo. Her unexpected arrival is like a breath of fresh air to the lonely, older woman and an unlikely camaraderie develops between them. Filled with nostalgic tales harking back to the war era where the youth escaped the harshness of the landscape with music, parties and romance. A lovely read.

Edited to fix touchstones.

#43 The Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri. This slim volume was an absolute pleasure to read. Lahiri is a masterful storyteller and what she is able to accomplish in a short story is incredible.

>> 11
Nickelini recommended Mosquito to me as well, and I loved it too - isn't it a wonderful book?
I keep wondering about Iris and Ruby; I think I'll give it a go after reading your comments.
Rachel

Hi Rachel

Mosquito was indeed beautifully crafted. And I think you'll enjoy Iris & Ruby (no touchstones). It was rather special.

I'll be interested to hear what you think about it!

#44 Mother Without a Mask: A Westerner’s Story of Her Arab Family by Patricia Holton. This memoir provides an interesting window into the rich and hospitable Arab culture in Abu Dhabi. Holton befriends a family in the Gulf and finds her life so intertwined with theirs that she spends many months a year in the Arab world observing the exotic world of women in the harems, gradually learning their ways.

#45 My first Ian McEwan novel On Chesil Beach. A quick but incisive read. This is a classic example of a breakdown in communication between two people who love each other dearly. I found it quite sad, in a way.

#46 Year of the Elephant: A Moroccan Woman’s Journey Toward Independence by Leila Abouzeid, translated by Barbara Parmenter. This was evidently the first Arabic book by a Moroccan woman to be translated into English (pub.1989).

The book is a selection of short stories preceded by the longer title story, of a woman who comes back to her home-town feeling helpless and shattered after being rudely divorced by her husband of 40 years. Despite the cultural differences, Zahra’s plight echoes that of women in any society who are divorced, illiterate and without economic means.

The stories are grounded in the Moroccan struggle for independence in the 1940s and its aftermath, so it conveys a sense of Moroccan culture around that time. I enjoyed Year of the Elephant, but just didn’t “get” some of the short stories. I found the endings dissatisfying and somewhat mystifying.

#47 Mahboba’s Promise: How One Woman Made a World of Difference. This is the biography of the extraordinary Afghani-born Mahboba Rawi who managed to escape war-torn Afghanistan and finally established a new life for herself in Australia. (No touchstones)

Rawi found Mahboba’s Promise, an internationally recognised aid organisation, which provides basics, including food and shelter, but also hope to thousands of women and orphans in her native Afghanistan.

I’ve had this book for months and didn’t expect to enjoy it, but when I eventually started it yesterday, I couldn’t put it down. A heartbreaking but inspiring read.

For more info, visit www.mahbobaspromise.org (Help! I don't know how to add the link properly?!)

Okay, so the link was added automatically ") That's good to know!

Thanks for your description of Mahboba's Promise. I think I'll see if my local library has this book and pick it up on my way home from work today.

Linda, this is one of those books that makes one realise that it takes only one courageous human being with a conscience to inspire tens of others.

I must tell you, I found The Other Boleyn Girl at the public library but was intimidated by the size of the book - especially since I haven’t ventured into historical fiction, as yet. I decided to leave it and, of course, the minute I got home I regretted that decision!

Hi Akeela
My local library does not have the book Mahboba's Promise. I think I'll see if I can order it via Amazon.com. The Other Boleyn Girl by Phillippa Gregory is OK..not great (in my opinion.) I really am not all that enamoured by her books. I saw the movie and it was truly terrible.

So my instinct was right on that one ") Thanks so much for letting me know.

Seems Anne B has inspired a huge number of novels so I'll look out for another. In fact, I found two in your library that's highly rated by LTers: A Lady Raised Highand Anne of a Thousand Days (wrong touchstone) by Maxwell Anderson. Did you enjoy these?

#48 Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton. Easily the best book I’ve read this year. The prose is filled with beauty, grace, sensitivity and wisdom. It’s a very easy read layered with meanings, which one can ignore or choose to pay heed to. But the story will tug at your heartstrings. Highly recommended.

message #36 - wow, Akeela, I almost started to read Cry the Beloved Country this afternoon - instead went with a Muriel Spark (which I am enjoying very much). But you've inspired me - I must read CtBC soon!

#34 Anne of a Thousand Days is delightful. It was one of the first books I read about her and I was hooked. Sadly, as I remember, it is the tale of Anne's resistance and reluctance toward Henry and his obsession/infatuation with her. As Anne then becomes more enamoured with Henry, he lost interest in her. Henry was indeed a vain, fickle and nasty spiteful man.

>37 dihiba: Dihiba, CtBC won’t disappoint. I think you’ll enjoy the moving narrative and Paton’s superb writing.

To further whet your reading appetite, the introductory lines from the book:
“There is a lovely road that runs from Ixopo into the hills. These hills are grass-covered and rolling, and they are lovely beyond any singing of it. The road climbs seven miles into them, to Carisbrooke; and from there, if there is no mist, you look down on one of the fairest valleys of Africa. About you there is grass and bracken and you may hear the forlorn crying of the titihoya, one of the birds of the veld. Below you is the valley of the Umzimkulu, on its journey from the Drakensberg to the sea; and beyond and behind the river, great hill after great hill…”

>38 Whisper1: Thanks Linda, I hope I can find a copy at one of my usual haunts!

Thanks akeela. It's on my list for July!

#49 Gilgamesh by Joan London. I really wanted to like this book and kept reading and hoping it would get better, but the book just didn’t grab me.

It might be that CtBC was a hard act to follow “)

#50! The Old Man and the Sea by Ernest Hemingway. This captivatingly simple narrative reveals the inner strength of the old Cuban fisherman, Santiago, who draws on all his reserves in his striving to fulfil what he believes he was born to do. His esteem for the fish he is about to kill is unparalleled, and the relationship he shares with the boy, Manolin, is precious. A lovely way to spend an hour or two.

I am always amazed at Hemingway's ability to tell a simple, short story so beautifully. Have you read A Moveable Feast? Good Hemingway and interesting comments on the writers of his generation who were with him in Paris at the time.

No, I haven't but it's now firmly placed on my tbr list. Thanks!

Enjoy!!!! I am looking forward to a read of one of the Hemingway novels yet unread on my shelves very soon.

#51 Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. An engrossing read by a talented author. Highly recommended.

Hi Akeela!

I note Half of a Yellow Sun on many reading lists. Guess I'll simply have to add one more to my growing to be read this. Thanks for the recommendation.

Hi Akeela!

I note Half of a Yellow Sun on many reading lists. Guess I'll simply have to add one more to my growing to be read this. Thanks for the recommendation.

I have Half a Yellow Sun here - a friend lent it to me. I think it'll be moving up to near the top of the TBR pile.

Linda and Diana, do read it soon! It's an enjoyable and substantial read. I'll look out for your comments.

Hear, hear! Half of a Yellow Sun was one of the best things I read last year.

All good intentions to read it this weekend - grabbed Three Cups of Tea instead - ha! I will get to Half a Yellow Sun soon : ).

I was able to obtain Half a Yellow Sun from my local library. Right now I'm reading All over but the shouting by Rick Bragg. As soon as I'm finished, I'm staring Half a Yellow Sun. Thanks for your recommendation!
Linda

You're welcome, Linda. Enjoy!

>52 rachbxl: Hi Rachel. Thanks for the hearty pop-in!

>53 dihiba: Diana, SO many books, so little time ... ")

#52 Dreams of Water by Lebanese-born Nada Awar Jarrar. This book is set amid war-torn Beirut, and London. The characters move between the two cities, reflecting on their lives and their families.

An unlikely friendship develops between 30-something Aneesa and 76-year-old Salah, who meet in London and come to provide a source of mutual comfort to each other, as displaced individuals in a foreign country, with a common homeland. It’s not a great read, but there are some really special moments of reflection in the book.

#53 Unless by Carol Shields. The story of a mother’s anguish at the loss of her 19-year-old daughter to the streets of Toronto and the effects of this decision, by the teenager, on the rest of the family, including her father, sisters and grandmother. Touching.

#54 Lemona’s Tale by Ken Saro-Wiwa. Lemona has been silent in prison for 25 years but the day before her execution, she permits a visitor to whom she finally recounts the story of her life. It is a woman’s story of passion and despair, of love and abuse, of dreams and betrayal, set in Nigeria. A quick, enjoyable read.

Ok akeela, I have a star next to your thread now as your choice of titles always intrigues. Some of your choices are titles I have read and told me we have some similar tastes. Others are adventurous and unusual.....but they very frequently catch my eye. So, now I will be paying much close attention and, sadly, watching my wish and TBR list grow to critical mass!!!

Thank you, blackdog! Don't you just love LT?!

I have a bit of a love/hate relationship. It appeals to the obssessive gene in my nature and the need to check and see what everyone has written is sometimes too much to handle. So, I get on and spend an hour or two reading wonderful reviews and great thoughts on so many interesting titles. Which, in turn also calls to my obssessive gene, compelling me to put all of these books on my wish lists and TBR stacks. And then I realize I have lost two hours of reading time. ARGHHHHH! It's a never ending cycle. I LOVE IT!!!!

#55 Small Island by Andrea Levy. Andrea Levy is a brilliant author and I’m grateful to the many LTers who recommended this title. This is a special book that had me laughing out loud, throughout, and then there were the tears… it is funny, and it is profound. Highly recommended.

Edited to fix touchstones.

Blackdog, I know!! I have the same problem. For the past few days I've been having problems with my internet connection so haven't been able to be on LT as much - at least it meant I had more reading time :)

#56 The Caliph’s House: A Year in Casablanca (no touchstones) by Tahir Shah. In an attempt to realise his “delusions of grandeur,” as he puts it, Shah moves to Morocco with his family of four from London, buys an expansive home set on an acre of ground and starts renovating to make it more habitable – apparently the house has been vacant for ages. This delightful memoir spans the year of renovations and of coming to terms with the sometimes outlandish customs of the locals. Well-written and very entertaining.

#65 akeela: I have read several of Tahir Shah's books and they are all very enjoyable. If you liked The Caliph's House I recommend you check out his other titles: In Arabian Nights, In Search of King Solomon's Mines, Sorcerer's Apprentice, which I love, and so on.

> Thanks, Alcottacre. I certainly will!

Time for an analysis of the 56 books I’ve read so far in 2008!

Inspired by the Reading Globally group, I visited 22 countries including Afghanistan, Australia, Canada, Egypt, France, Germany, India, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Italy, Jamaica, Lebanon, Morocco, Nigeria, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Turkey, United Arab Emirates, UK and the USA.

The books comprised 8 travel memoirs that took me to Abu Dhabi, France, Hong Kong, Iran, Italy, India, Indonesia, Morocco and Turkey.

And 7 memoirs, set in Afghanistan, America, Britain, Egypt (two separate ones), Iran and Iraq.

39 Works of fiction: 10 British, 10 American, 8 African, 2 Canadian, 3 European, 3 Middle Eastern, 2 Asian and 1 Australian

And last but not least, 1 book about books and 1 about fashion.

What can I say?! It’s been a great reading year thus far and I look forward to the rest of the journey!

congratulations!

Thanks, Linda!

#57 A Tiler’s Afternoon by Swedish author, Lars Gustafsson. Translated from the Swedish by Tom Geddes. This is the story of one afternoon in the life of a frail 65-year-old man: it’s a day of tiling, day-dreaming, musing over the past and a chance meeting with an old acquaintance. Although the blurbs on the front and back cover of the book promise a lot, the book never really took off for me.

ETA translator's name.

#58 Earth and Ashes by Atiq Rahimi. Translated from the Dari (Afghan language) by Erdag M. Goknar. This poignant novella is set in Russian-occupied Afghanistan. A heartbroken old man sets out with his grandson, Yassin, who has been rendered deaf by the bomb-blast that destroyed his home, killing his wife, son and daughter-in-law under the most demoralizing conditions. His task is to find his son, Murad, who is away working in the mines, to tell him the devastating news. The narrative, though short, is very touching as the old man grapples with the harshness of war and the moral dilemmas facing him.

ETA translator's name.

#71 akeela: Sounds like a powerful book. I am going to have to look for that one.

Hi Alcottacre. You're right, it's a very short book but it's quite powerful in depicting the old man's anguish.

#59 Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga. A wonderful novel set in former Rhodesia during the ‘60s told from the perspective of the aspirant young Tambudzai, who gets the rare opportunity to acquire an education when her only brother dies. As the telling unfolds, we gain insight into a patriarchal system and the rigorous demands placed on women, particularly Tambu, her mother, her uncle’s educated wife (she has a Master’s Degree obtained in England) and her cousin, Nyasha, who has a difficult time adapting to life in Rhodesia after being exposed, for a few years, to a totally different mindset in London. A worthwhile read.

#60 Digging to America by Anne Tyler. My first Tyler read. About two couples (one American, one Iranian, settled in the States) who each adopt a Korean baby. Themes include immigrants, relationships across cultural barriers, parenting and grief. A humdrum book, IMO.

#61 The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje. I didn’t quite enjoy this book but am still keen to read Anil’s Ghost by the author.

Hi Akeela, how was your holiday?
I'm glad you liked Nervous Conditions - I found it to be one of those books that really opens your eyes to another place, another culture, another way of living.
As for The English Patient, I know I've read it and that I quite enjoyed it, but I can't remember it at all (other than memories "borrowed" from the film). I do know I preferred Anil's Ghost when I read it (although I can't remember a thing about that now, either! It was well before LT, so before I started recording my thoughts on what I read). Just recently I read his latest, Divisadero, which I didn't like - I found the poetic descriptions over-done, like wading through treacle.

Hi Rachel,

Mauritius was fabulous, thanks! Unbelievably beautiful beaches with the most dazzling turquoise waters … and great weather to boot!

Back in Cape Town, it's still winter with just a hint of spring in the air. Thank goodness!

Are you finally on holiday? And did you enjoy your Polish course?!

I enjoyed Nervous Conditions and am glad you recommended it. As for Divisadero, I'll certainly give it a skip. There are way too many brilliant books waiting to be relished!

Thanks for your recommendations. I have added both Earth and Ashes and Nervous Conditions to my TBR mountain. They both sound like very interesting reads!

You're welcome, Stasia! I'll be looking out for your comments.

#62 The Sheltering Sky by Paul Bowles. An enjoyable read.

#80: It may be a while before I get to them. My local library does not have either of the books, so I am going to have to track them down.

See you just finished The Sheltering Sky. I enjoyed it also but thought it was a very unusual story. Any other thoughts on it?

Hi Blackdogbooks. My apologies for the delayed response!

I have to agree with you. The Sheltering Sky was indeed an unusual story, almost exotic. There's a lot of emphasis on the setting and the atmosphere, which include the harsh and simultaneously beautiful desert; life-saving oases; long and arduous caravan journeys; fascinating Arab men and women; hot, lurid days, dark, mysterious nights, etc.

The characters themselves weren't really that interesting, but the novel centers around the three young Americans who set out to a foreign destination to discover themselves, or not... Kit is an obstinate, spoilt young brat, who has little regard for anything or anyone else. When she has to deal with a very difficult situation (no spoilers), she falls apart completely. She isn't able to make sense of her life and is incapable of dealing with the issue at hand, and so she runs and runs, at every turn, trying to block out the inevitable hurt and pain – and possible growth that could come with it!

This is a strange and complex novel, and I'd read it again, more closely. I feel as if I've overlooked a lot the first time around. A classic, for sure, and one that wants to be savoured slowly.

#63 Gift From the Sea by Anne Morrow Lindbergh. Although this memoir was written in 1955, it is still as relevant today as it was then. In the midst of being tied up in her family life (she has a husband and five children) Lindbergh decides to take off and spend some time alone on an island, to replenish her self. As the days pass, she starts relaxing and leaving the busyness behind; she then begins to soak up nature and the abundant gifts the sea has to offer in terms of life lessons. Very wise, and beautifully written. Highly recommended.

I agree on Sheltering Sky. The best part of the book, for me, were the locales and the culture. The characters almost seemed intentionally annoying.

Gifts From the Sea is a beautiful book. It often serves as a good gift.

You're right, Kit was certainly annoying!

I've tried to share Gift From the Sea with several people in real life and, sadly, the book has always come back to me, unread. Thank you, blackdog! This is exactly why I love LT!!

Most books have a timing component, and Gifts From the Sea is one with a timing component X 100!!! Nonetheless, you should still share it with others when you think it might match the spot in their life!

Well, I think the timing might be right for me! I like the sound of Gifts from the Sea, and I have a copy on its way from BookMooch.

I completely agree with blackdogbooks about Gifts from the Sea being a beautiful book. I have had my copy for over 20 years now and even though it was a book club edition, will always cherish it.

I have to agree with you, alcottacre and blackdogbooks, it's a beautiful book and it's definitely meant to be shared and cherished!

Rachel, I think you'll delight in Lindbergh's lyrical style, and the simple profundities she expounds.

thanks for the posts regardign Gifts from the Sea. I forgot that I read this a long time ago and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very beautifully written.

I think I still have my hard-bound copy somewhere in the piles. If it can be located, I want to re-read it. If I remember correctly, it was a small book filled with wonderful poetry.

Hope you find it, Linda! It's worth a reread, once in a while.

Hi, akeela--

After I posted my thanks to you on your profile for sending me to the 50 books challenge I noticed you had a 75 book challenge! I love the way you read so widely--I am just starting to broaden out and read more from Africa and Asia instead of sticking to North American and European. I jotted down some titles that look interesting that I plan to explore. But the first books from your list that goes on my TBR pile with be Remains of the Day and The Kite Runner because I own them already. I also own Thousand Suns but I guess I'll leave that one until I get some more compelling books read. I bought both of those on the recommendation of a friend.

A couple of favorites of mine that fit into this more "global" catagory are Reading Lolita in Tehran and Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali. I just bought Tears of the Desert which I will read before October 15 when I will be going to a lecture about the situation in Darfur.

I will be checking back to see what other interesting things you read this year.

Thanks for giving me such a pleasant afternoon.

Good to hear from you, MusicMom!

Those are good choices! I loved The Remains of the Day and The Kite Runner. But you might want to move A Thousand Splendid Suns up in your TBR pile, as well. A lot of Lters loved it, and you never know, you might be amongst them!

Oi ... now I'll have to check out Tears of the Desert :)

Do pop in again!

# 64 Educating Alice: Adventures of a Curious Woman by Alice Steinbach. This is the travel memoir of a year-and-a-half spent traveling to various parts of the world to “gain a new layer of muscle to both body and mind”, as she puts it. In the process, she gains new friends and experiences, while acquiring skills as varied as learning exotic Japanese dance techniques; visiting a number of gardens in the countryside around Saint Remys and the Luberon, in France; and training Border collies in Scotland.

It's a jampacked period in which Steinbach also spends considerable time visiting the home of Jane Austen and meeting several Austen experts in England. She goes to Havana to learn Cuban arts, as well enrolling in courses such as a creative writing seminar in Prague, and an “Arts in Florence” course at the British Institute in Florence.

I liked how she shared her roaming around, wherever she landed, in an effort to get a feel for the place and its people. Although the premise is great, and I generally love travel books, this one didn't hold my interest well enough; I fell asleep many times while reading! The writing flowed in some places, but I really struggled in some chapters.

Perhaps something to consider: This is the sequel to Without Reservations: The Travels of an Independent Woman by Steinbach, who is a Pulitzer prize-winning journalist. Perhaps the first book is better?

#96 akeela: I looked at the written reviews here on LT for Without Reservations and they did not appear to be any better than what you felt for Educating Alice. Totally disappointing to me, too, because I normally enjoy the travel literature genre.

Stasia, that takes care of that, then! Pity, though...

#65 And Another Thing by Jeremy Clarkson. This was an unexpected treat. This grumpy Brit has an opinion about everything and, believe me, he's not afraid to share it – with gusto! The book is the second volume in a compilation of his columns, published in the Sunday Times between 2004 and 2005.

Clarkson is the presenter of the brilliant Top Gear television series, but he doesn't talk about cars, at all, in the book. He covers everything else, from mobile phones, tattoos, credit cards and shopping, to opinions about Proper writing as opposed to txt spk, parenting and the naming of kids. He also takes regular jabs at “His Tonyness”, the Scots, the Queen.. He is vexed by just about everything, and everyone; but his sentiments are relevant, well-reasoned and extremely entertaining. He use of exaggeration is unparalelled – it's laugh-out-loud stuff. A wonderful read, definitely recommended.

#99 akeela: Sounds like a great book - I will definitely have to look for that one. Thanks for the review.

You are getting close to the 75 mark!

Stasia, you're welcome. Clarkson's quite a character and his writing's great. Thanks for the encouragement!

#66 If My Father Loved Me by Rosie Thomas. An uncreative title, chosen because I enjoyed Iris & Ruby by Thomas earlier this year. This was a quick, less enjoyable read. Sadie is fifty-something and has just lost her 80-year-old father. Although the rest of the world adored him, she has always been at odds with him and now needs to find closure so that she can move forward in life. Not a title I'd recommend.

# 67 Beauty Before Comfort: A Memoir. This is a Allison Glock's tribute to her grandmother, Aneita Jean Blair, set in a small factory town in West Virginia in the 1930s amid the beginnings of what would become a highly successful pottery industry. While some interesting facts emerge regarding the china industry, the terrible working conditions and the ensuing diseases, Glock's tale leaves a lot to be desired.

She paints a picture of her grandmother as beautiful, sexy and shamelessly provocative, with a constant string of men at her beck and call. Aneita had dreams of a glamorous life, but when she settles for a life within the confines of a stable marriage, her dreams die, and she is ostensibly stripped of her sanity. I was most surprised by the stories this grandmother told her granddaughter about the boys/men she had known from age 13, with all the gory details intact! Strikingly off-beat.

#68 Snow Flower and the Secret Fan by Lisa Lee. This was an extraordinary book in many ways. This novel reads like a memoir, and is told by 80-year-old Lily who reminisces about her life, from early childhood, encompassing a deeply-rooted friendship, through marriage, to old-age. It was a journey back to the early 1800s in China, that revealed an exotic world where women were subjected to stringent rules and ancient customs.

One of these rituals was that of footbinding, an agonizingly painful practice (that continued till the 1950s in China, when it finally ended) which is described in excruciating detail in the book, as the protagonists, Lily and Snow Flower, experience the process that will ensure that they have “white lillies” i.e. perfect, small (actually tiny) feet to ensure better marital prospects.

The meaningful friendship that develops between Lily and Snow Flower during their footbinding ritual at seven years of age, is fostered by the secret language nu shu, which they learn and use throughout their lives to communicate with one another via their secret fan. It is a language used by cultured women in the higher strata of Chinese society, which employs the use of exquisite artistry, paintings and flowery language designed to convey their heartfelt desires and emotions.

Another interesting phenomenon was the culture of singing in times of difficulty and celebration, that was used to convey words of advice and guidance between the women.

The story was beautiful and, at times, melancholic. All-in-all, the most intriguing trip I've made this year, in terms of foreign travel :)

Hi akeela - only just found your thread. Really interesting book list you've got here - will definitely be checking in more often in future.

Welcome, Rachael! Thank you - I look forward to your comments.

I had Snow Flower home from the library earlier this year, but never got around to reading it (this was during the time of the move). Guess I will have to get it back again! Thanks for reminding me.

Stasia, the book is a window into a very unusual world, and it is heart-wrenching to read about the footbinding ritual.

What's striking is that women in all walks of life – across time and geographical borders – will always strive for beauty, and this book just underlined the lengths people will go to to be beautiful and appealing to others. It's different, and maybe in the western world, we'd look on the practice of footbinding as utterly bizarre, but I'm not sure that it's more bizarre than say, cosmetic surgery today.

Hope you enjoy it!

#69 Sweetness in the Belly by Canadian author,Camilla Gibb. This is a thoughtful novel that explores the themes of belonging, ethnicity, politics, faith and love. Lilly is a British child who's parents die while they are in Morocco, leaving Lilly to be brought up by the sufi Sheikh Afdal. She adopts a life of religious conviction, and at 16, finds herself forging a life in Ethiopia, amongst the locals.

Gibb's research is astounding and her writing effortless. The reader is plunged into the Ethiopian realm, with all its attendant challenges during the 70s under the autocrat, Haile Selassie. She offers a glimpse into the intimate lives of Muslim women and renders the complexities of Ethiopian society by exploring themes of existing prejudices, female circumcision and deprivation. She also succeeds in highlighting commonalities between people that transcend religion and culture. An easy read, brilliantly written and highly recommended.

Seems to be an interesting read...will certainly keep this in mind.

Sounds like I need to add Sweetness in the Belly as well as Snow Flower to my ever-growing Continent TBR.

I highly recommend Sweetness in the Belly!

Deebee, Stasia and Diana, nice to have you visit! - it's definitely a sweet read.

# 70 Making It Up by Penelope Lively. This was my first encounter with this talented author! She refers to the book as an “anti-memoir”, in which she takes pertinent points in her life and constructs stories around the notion of “what if I had taken a different decision at that juncture?” She then runs with the idea, and comes up with “confabulations” around the alternative route she could have taken.

The resulting book is a series of delightful short stories that differ so remarkably in its telling that together they demonstrate the astonishing storytelling ability of this fine and elegant writer. Definitely recommended.

#112: Cool beans! Another one to add to Continent TBR. Sounds like it was fun.

#112: akeela, I LOVED this book. She takes that self-mythologizing thing that the non-writers amongst us must do surely all the time and runs with it - fabulous :-) I got my copy - a first ed! - in a remainder sale and remain (ha ha) faintly outraged that it ever made it that far.

I feel more than slightly embarrassed to admit that I have never really read much Penelope Lively primarily because my mum liked her

Flossie, what great luck with the first ed! Not having read much of her work means there's a lot more of it to be savoured!

Coincidentally, yesterday on a Girlybooks thread, almigwin mentioned Penelope Lively's memoir (the real thing, this time) called Oleander, Jacaranda: A Childhood Perceived. It should be an interesting read after her non-memoir.

Stasia, and so Continent TBR expands! Have you read any of Lively's other fiction? Do you have a favourite?!

#115 akeela: I do not think I have read anything at all by Lively, but I know that Oleander, Jacaranda has been on Continent TBR forever. I am going to have to track down a copy and read it alongside Making It Up.

I'll look out for your comments, Stasia.

#71 The Seasons of the Beento Blackbird by Ghanaian-born Akosua Busia. This is a beautifully crafted debut novel that transports the reader from the breathtaking Caribbean islands, to the outskirts of a village and its people in Ghana, and then off to the lofty publishing houses in New York, and back. The writing is lyrical, the characterisation rich and the story compelling. It contains elements of magic, and deals with the phenomenal power of love within marriage, and the ability of books to move and uplift people.

This book made me want to read more African books because I so enjoyed being in Africa with its rich, resonant culture; but also because it made me want to know more about Africa's valuable and moving history. I definitely recommend this book; it would make an excellent book club read that's sure to fuel a whole lot of discussion!

yet again another interesting book...i'll be on the lookout for this...thanks.

What a beautiful sounding book. Thank you, akeela. I have often been struck with the selection of your titles.

You're welcome, Deebee and blackdog; you are both too kind!

#72 The Sewing Circles of Herat: A Personal Voyage Through Afghanistan by Christina Lamb.

Lamb is an award-winning British journalist who has travelled to Afghanistan and come to know its people and culture, over the ages. Her extensive knowledge of the country is evident and she paints a vivid picture of the country – both its rich and cultured past and its ruined and bleak present.

She is adamant in seeking out stories, and manages to secure interviews with top military commanders in a male-dominated realm. Her meetings with people from all strata of society reflect a picture of hope, where people still yearn to replenish their society and reestablish a culture of learning, in spite of the utter devastation and loss they have experienced.

The “sewing circles” in the title, is a case in point. At a time when women had been relegated to the margins of society and had been banished from learning by the Taliban, they formed “sewing circles” where women could legitimately get together to learn the art of sewing; only they were not meeting to learn sewing skills, at all.

The innocuous sewing classes acted as a front for an underground network of writers and poets who risked their lives for literature, to instruct women in forbidden subjects such as aesthetics, Persian poetry, and foreign classics, such as Shakespeare, James Joyce and Nabakov!

To justify the risk they took, literature professor Rahiyab who initiated the literary circle, said: “We were poor in everyday life, why should we be poor in culture too? If we had not done what we did to keep up the literary spirit of the city, the depth of our tragedy would have been even greater.”

He further held: “A society needs poets and storytellers to reflect its pain – and joy.”

Hear, hear!

There are many photographs accompanying the narrative that enhance the telling of the stories. This is a proud nation with a glorious history of heroism and bravery in the face of numerous wars and losses. An important, solid read, if you want to know more about Afghanistan and its history.

akeela, this sounds fascinating. I'm currently reading The Wasted Vigil, which is set in Afghanistan. There's a needlework connection too - one of the characters in the novel runs a clandestine operation, funded by a Western aid agency, to provide a place for widows to produce embroidery pieces to sell to support themselves. According to the novel, widows were not allowed to earn a living and were expected to beg for their livelihood.

I may have to put aside my shortlist for my next few reads and pick this up instead! Thanks for the review.

Flossie, that sounds like a good one, too. I am tossing it atop the giant wishlist.

Fourpawz2, will post proper comments when I'm finished but so far am totally engrossed - one of those books that I'm itching to pick up, and keep reading at bedtime until I can't keep my eyes open any more (admittedly that's not very long at the moment as I'm whacked!). Downloading a big file? I'll just fit in a few more pages... etc.

I'm putting both Sewing Circles of the Heart: a Personal Voyage Through Afghanistan and The Wasted Vigil on my TBR--

I think I will be doing an in depth read about this area of the world as soon as I finish my Africa in depth read next year. I'm just finishing Three Cups of Tea which I highly recommend if you haven't read it yet. This is what is motivating me to find more books in this area.

akeela

If you liked Sewing Circles you might like Reading Lolita in Tehran--if you haven't discovered it yet.

Rachael and Fourpawz, The Wasted Vigil sounds really good - onto TBR it goes!

MusicMom, I've read Reading Lolita in Tehran, thank you. I look forward to seeing your African reads next year. I'm very keen to spend more time there myself!

Reading Lolita in Tehran is one of my personal favorites, akeela. I hope you enjoy it.

I already have Busia's book home from the library and am very anxious to read it after having read several reviews of it here on LT.

Have you read any of Christina Lamb's other books? The Africa House is very good.

I will be looking out for Sewing Circles as well as the book FlossieT mentioned, The Wasted Vigil.

Stasia, The Seasons of the Beento Blackbird was an absolute treat! I think you'll enjoy it.

I liked Lamb's writing - I will definitely seek out The Africa House, thank you.

I hope you enjoy The Africa House as much as you enjoyed Sewing Circles. Let me know what you think after you have had a chance to read it.

Another Nonfiction book about Afghanistan which I read recently and really liked was The Bookseller of Kabul by Asne Seierstad.

Diana, I read The Bookseller of Kabul some time back- thanks for reminding me of it, though!

Isn't there some big controversy about that though - that the bookseller on whom it is based was incensed by the novel, and has written many diatribes in the international press about how inaccurate it was? Will try to find some links....

I hadn't heard about that, Rachael. Would be interesting to know more..

I would be interested as well, especially as The Bookseller of Kabul has been on Continent TBR for a while now.

i'm interested to know too. i have the book, read it some time ago, found it interesting enough, but didn't strike me as particularly insightful. it seemed to me that the author was too detached, too uninvolved, and lacked the curiosity.

#73 Secrets of a Family Album by Isla Dewar. I was nudged to read this book and it was a pleasant, untaxing read about a biggish family in Scotland, in the midst of living their day-to-day lives and the angst that goes with it. There were quite a few laughs and I enjoyed the peripheral characters a lot more than the main ones.

For example, there is the 80-year-old grandfather who is tired of being “grandpa” to all and yearns to be "Martin" for a change. He gets up to some hilarious antics in the book! He also has an online friendship with a woman halfway across the world, who thinks he's in his forties with young, growing kids, when in fact, his kids already have kids with their own kids (ie. he's a great-grandfather already!).

The other fun character on the fringe was the “extravagantly absurd” Rita Boothe, who lives by her own lights and has written a famous book called The Joy of Filth. It's a history of housework and a call to women to stop doing it. She has also written Recipes for More Than Food which include recipes with vague measurements like a “spot” of vinegar, “two or three hefty glugs” of wine, a “smeck” of cinnamon, or a “wodge” of bread! The cooking times aren't any clearer: cook for “a couple of songs on the radio”, or leave under the grill for “as long as a lingering kiss” or my favorite: leave in a moderate oven for “as long as it takes to go to the bedroom, make love, sigh and stretch, have a cigarette and a little post-coital chat”. Now there's a cookbook I'd like to get my hands on :)

Okay, I'm off to google The Bookseller of Kabul story...

Hi Akeela. I had not heard of the book Secrets of a Family Album. Thanks for this post. I'll be adding the book to my HUGE tbr pile. It sounds like a book I'd be interested in reading.

#136 akeela: I want Rita's cookbook, too!

All in all, Secrets of a Family Album sounds like a fun read, so on to Continent TBR it goes.

#74 Just Like Tomorrow. This debut novel was written by the 19-year old French writer, Faiza Guene, of Algerian parentage. The narrator is the delightful 15-year-old Doria who paints a vivid picture of life in the run-down high-rise area, north of Paris, populated by struggling immigrants from Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia. Doria's commentary reveals the many personal challenges she and her mum, as well as the other grappling individuals, face as immigrants in a foreign country. Her telling is matter-of-fact, but very engaging. It's touching and also quite funny. Really enjoyed this!

Thanks for the recommendation, Rachel. I obviously read an English translation, but I imagine the French would be so much more zesty!

Another one to add to my ever growing Continent TBR. Thanks for the review (I think! - tongue firmly planted in cheek)

Ooh, akeela - very close to the magic 75!!

You're welcome, Stasia! It's an enjoyable, little book so hopefully it won't take up too much space on The Continent ;)

Rachael, I've had an amazing reading year - more so because of LT and wonderful book-loving folk, like you, to share my books and thoughts with. Thank you!

Wow, you moved quickly on that one! I'm glad you enjoyed it. I'm halfway through Earth and Ashes, and it's very good.

Stasia, you've already got this one on Continent TBR! It's just that I gave you the wrong English title the other day. There, that's reduced your list by one whole book...

Rachel, I saw it last night, had to have it, so brought it home and read it all practically in one go! It was lovely!

#143 rachbxl: Yea, now it's only 999,999 books long, thanks!

#75! Mothers and Shadows by Marta Traba (translated from Spanish by Jo Labanyi). This was my first foray into South America and it was an eye-opener. This is the story of two women, Dolores and Irene, activists during the Dirty War in South America (1976-1983).

These Argentinians, one young and one older, meet five years afterwards and their conversation and interior monologues disclose the terror and untold suffering they – and thousands of others – endured during that time. The tale encompasses their personal lives, and tells of the widespread participation in demonstrations that led to arrests, senseless beatings and torture, as well as the loss of loved ones to death. The psychological trauma of the women is evident. As they talk, they form a bond and begin the process of healing.

One memorable scene in the book portrays a scene in which Irene participates in a demonstration known as the 'Madwomen of the Plaza De Mayo'. This is a weekly demonstration by thousands of women carrying photographs and lists of names of loved ones who have disappeared. Each woman would don a small white scarf as a sign of hope, so the demonstrators would appear like a sea of white scarves waving in the air on the plaza. Apparently some 30,000 people went missing during this time.

Incidentally, The Mothers of the Plaza de Mayo is an activist organisation that still exists today. Their objective is to fight for the right to find and reunite families.

This book was somewhat reminiscent of the struggle years in South Africa, and I'm glad I read it. Recommended.

Sounds like another great book, akeela! I will have to put it on Continent TBR.

Congratulations on the 75! Well done.

Yay! COngrats on hitting 75!

Congratulations!

congratulations!

book 75 seems very interesting. now that u have discovered South American lit, i assure u it will be a remarkable journey, with some of the biggest and most exciting names in modern lit, and simply good writing.

Add my congratulations to the list!

Well, thank you very much everybody :)

deebee, I look forward to more trips that way. I have some titles on my tbr list but I'm open to suggestions!

Congratulations on your accomplishment--I was so busy reading the review I didn't even notice it was #75!

Right now I'm reading a lot about Africa and the middle east but I think maybe I should be thinking again about South America--I know it has really changed since I did a year's in depth study project of SA--when Juan Peron was in power is Argentina! I need to revisit--so I, too, hope you get some good suggestion for more reading. I'm putting Mothers and Shadows on my library wish list--I just hope our system has a copy.

Congratulations akeela on reaching book #75!!

Thank you, Carolyn and Anita. You're are all so kind, especially the 75-ers!

Carolyn, I hope you and Stasia manage to get copies of the book. I just happened on it in a secondhand bookshop - at the bottom of a forgotten pile. A lucky find!

#76 By the Sea by Abdulrazak Gurnah. An expertly crafted novel. More comments to follow.

Hi akeela..
Congratulations!
Your reading list is impressive and I always enjoy your posts. I am particularly interested in your book #74 and will add this to my tbr pile.

#156 akeela: I just happened on it in a secondhand bookshop - at the bottom of a forgotten pile. A lucky find!

Yes, indeed, a lucky find! I love finding that kind of treasure.

BTW - Please accept my belated congratulations on reaching #75. Completely failed to notice when I was reading your review.

Thank you, Linda and Stasia, for your continued visits and comments. They're always welcome, and much appreciated!

I do, too, Stasia! One of my favourite haunts is a secondhand bookshop that's unfortunately dark and a little dusty, and my friends and family - non-readers - can't understand my love of this place. I usually find treasures there, so obviously I love going back for more!

Abdulrazak Gurnah's By the Sea is excellent. Two men – one a furniture maker, business- and family man, the other a poet and professor – find themselves refugees in England and as they tell the story of their lives a compelling tale emerges. Though they're in a cold and bleak environment in England, the backdrop to their stories is the warm east coast of Africa in Zanzibar – where traders descend seasonally with the musim winds, bringing perfumes, spices and exotic pieces of furniture.

The tales hark back to the oral storytelling tradition, and captivate one from the first pages that draw you in with the masterful storytelling and hold you in its grip, until the final pages as the story draws to a close. Most intriguing is the brilliant intertwining of events and the effect it has on each of the men and their families, as well as the greater society. The stories tell of realised dreams, friendships forged, love found, passion, seduction, deception, disillusionment and ultimately the unexpected displacement of individuals in a bid to survive.

Gurnah's writing is absorbing and profound. Highly recommended.

Edited to fix touchstone.

Keep going back for more! The best way to keep the independent bookstores alive and well. I have one down the street from me as well, and haunt it on a regular basis looking for finds like the one you had.

Oh gosh! If it had to be down the road from me I'd be broke all the time, and I'd probably be there more than at home and have to start paying rent! It's no wonder you have a Continent TBR!

Did you see the new quote I posted on my profile? It fits perfectly here:

"Alas! Where is human nature so weak as in a book-store! As a hungry man eats first, and pays afterwards, so the book-buyer purchases, and then works at the debt afterward." Henry Ward Beecher

Ooh! I'm that book-buyer, and LT hasn't helped one bit!

You're telling me - I started out with Mount TBR, and now I have a Continent TBR. I expect any day now it is going to morph into Universe TBR.

akeela, I loved By the Sea. It was recommended and given to me by avaland and I took way too long to move it off the TBR pile.

Oh! No! Another book for my Africa category. By the Sea sounds lovely and I could use a novel in that category. I think I have an awful lot of nonfiction in my 999 challenge. I'm reading a lot more that I used to, mainly because of so many good recommendations on LT. My horizons have widened!

Akeela, thanks for another wonderful title and review. You are dangerous!!

Hi rebecca, appreciate the added endorsement! By the Sea is amongst my top reads for 2008 - and I've had a fairly good year!

Carolyn, I look forward to seeing what you read in your African category. I've always enjoyed African writers and am more than happy to have discovered Abdulrazak Gurnah.

bdb, you're welcome! I'm on a lucky streak! :)*touches wood*

Thanks for the recommendation. I'm going to try to find it in Spanish. My husband left Argentina 30+ years ago and still talks about it. I 'm trying to get him to write the story of a young neighbor girl who was taken one day because her activist brother escaped to Spain. Months later a policeman dropped off a letter from her but she was never seen again.

#77 The Hungry Tide by Amitav Ghosh. The setting – the Sundarbans, an immense archipelago of islands between the sea and plains of Bengal, on the east coast of India – is as important a character in this novel as the other personalities. It provides a tranquil background fraught with secrets and hidden dangers. Against this setting, we have the impassioned Piya, an American of Indian parentage who has come here to pursue her life's work – finding and researching rare dolphins in the waters of the Sundarbans. Add to the mix Kanai Dutt, a womanising Indian businessman who is there at the request of his aunt, a local figure, and Fokir, an illiterate man, who understands the waters and Piya's enthusiasm and is able to take her to the heart of the action. The fact that Piya and Fokir don't speak the same language is immaterial to them; they communicate successfully anyway. There is also Fokir's unsettled wife, Moyna, amongst the other characters. There are a number of stories and myths within the story, as well as the struggles of the settlers in the region that make for interesting reading. All in all, a good read.

#172: Sounds like a very good book, akeela. Thanks for the review and the recommendation. On to Continent TBR it goes!

>172 akeela:: akeela

I also read The Hungry Tide this year, though it's not in my 75 list because I read it before joined this LT and this forum. Once I had digested the book for a while, I realized that I thought the Sundarbans were the most important character of the book. For me, it provided the emotional depth that was lacking in some of the "people" characters. I actually found Kanai a bit flat and the ending surprised me because, without that emotional depth, it seemed a trifle unbelievable. I'd like to try some other Ghosh at some point.

>174 TadAD: And what a wonderful, pervasive character! I found the book exuded a very peaceful ambience, which I really enjoyed.

About the ending, I, too, was surprised. After I'd mulled over a bit, I remembered the belief of the locals that anyone without a pure heart who ventures into the Sundarbans will never return... Well, still it was something to come to terms with!

TadAD, I'll also be looking for more Ghosh in the future! The Glass Castle seems to be a favorite on LT.

I read The Hungry Tide last year, at the recommendation of several LTers I respect, but I was a little disappointed along much the same lines as TadAD. I also found the book a little too preachy about the environmental issues. But the depiction of the Sundarbans was gorgeous.

Wow, Akeela, you've really done some great arm chair traveling this year. I've added many to my to read list. Keep 'em coming.

#177 Nickelini: I love that term, arm chair traveling. I may steal it.

Steal away . . . I certainly didn't make it up!

Thanks, Nickelini. I intend to! :)

#78 Everything Good Will Come by Nigerian-born Sefi Atta.

Sefi Atta's Everything Good Will Come charts the fate of two Nigerian girls growing up in the politically unstable Lagos during the 70s through the 90s. This is a coming-of-age tale, recounted in the first-person narrative. Enitan has been raised by her lawyer father to be a thinking individual. She herself has qualified as a lawyer in London and coming back into her traditional society, she cannot but recognise the rank injustices faced by the women around her. She challenges the oppression and suppression of women with dogged insistence, and sometimes has to face very tough consequences. Themes explored include friendship, marriage, religion and politics. While I loved the other three books I read from Nigeria this year, I found this one a bit of a chore to finish.

#181: OK, finally one of your reads, not to put on Continent TBR!

Stasia, I feel a bit guilty about the last comment because the book is important in that it explores some pertinent issues around women not only in Africa but in many other parts of the world, as well. Yet, I had to be honest in my review - I wanted this book to end already.

>177 Nickelini: Nick, that is a great phrase: "arm chair traveling". In my experience, it is the best kind! Curled up with a book in a nice warm room with something liquid on the side table, imagination soaring around the world. What could be better!

- TT

#184 TT: Can't think of a thing . . .

Prompted by the armchair travelling comments, I've filled in a map of the places I've soared to this year:

visited 37 states (16.4%)Create your own visited map of The World or try another Douwe Osinga projectEdited to amend my map.

#79 A Good Year by Peter Mayle. I was nudged to read this book by aluvalibri and theaelizabet, both promising it would be entertaining. And it was!

Englishman Max Skinner loses his cushy London job, fancy car, and all the trappings that come with it; at the same time he learns that his Uncle Harry has left him his estate in his will: An eighteenth-century house and vineyard in the Luberon. As he has nothing else to do with his time, he sets off to evaluate the property and so begins his adventure into all things French: cuisine, wine and women. This was a pleasant visit to the idyllic Provençal countryside with its bustling village and flamboyant small-town personalities. A light, charming read.

akeela
I love your map! Happy Travels!

#187 akeela: I have read several of Mayle's nonfiction books on Provence which I have enjoyed. I will have to look for his fiction now as well. Thanks for the recommendation.

And BTW - I like the map, too.

Thanks, Ladies :)

Stasia, I read Mayle's Toujours Provence earlier this year and found it a lot more enjoyable.

#80 Dreams of My Russian Summers by Andrei Makine (translated from the French Le Testament Francais by Geoffrey Strachan). This is a coming-of-age novel based on the life of the writer, who was born in Siberia and now resides in France.

As a child, he spent his summer holidays in the steppes with his French grandmother, Charlotte, who regaled him with stories that held him spellbound during the long Siberian nights on the balcony. She is an engaging storyteller and her stories take on a life of their own – so much so that they become an ineluctable part of his life.

When Charlotte left France as a young woman, the only thing she had with her was a suitcase filled with old photographs and newspaper clippings. These along with her almost tangible memories form the keystone to the endless stories and anecdotes she relates to him. He becomes completely enthralled with Parisian life – at the expense of real life. In his words, the stories captured his imagination and he was, “imprisoned in the fantasy of the past, from whence I cast absent-minded glances at real life.”

This book, while celebrating his grandmother and the depth and wonder she brought to his life, also brought to light the struggle he experienced in finding and coming to terms with real life as opposed to the wonderful dreams and anecdotes that were so much a part of his daily existence.

This book made me want to reminisce about the good old days with my grandmother, and more than that, I wanted to go and dig out old photographs of yesteryear showing my grandparents in another era, posing in studios in elegant attire for deft photographers stooped under black cloths over tripods... :)

Akeela, where do you find these books? This one looks great - I'll look out for it.

Rachel, read it in French! I've read that it's much better - lucky you!

Based on your review and the fact that it is available in a Dutch translation, I put Dreams of My Russian Summers on my library list :-)

The book's apparently been translated into 26 languages. I hope you enjoy it, Anita!

#191 akeela: OK, another one for Continent TBR! I am glad you got to finish it and write up a review so the rest of us can be jealous of your finding such a great sounding book.

> 191 Akeela, thanks for this wonderful quote: the stories captured his imagination and he was, “imprisoned in the fantasy of the past, from whence I cast absent-minded glances at real life.”

Sounds pretty much like what we do!

- TT

Dreams of My Russian Summers goes on my tbr--where can I put it in the 999 challenge! Maybe "memoir"?--even though it is fiction it sounds like it's based on his life.

Thomas, I hadn't actually thought of it like that! :)

Carolyn, I had a quick look at your 999 categories. Hmmm... it isn't quite a memoir - there's no mention of a grandmother in his real life story; what about the Global category? Or my favorite amongst your categories: Because I Want To!

akeela

I think you are right--Dreams of My Russian Summers will have to go into the "I want to" category. I was hoping to keep that one free until after the challenge started because I know I will see a lot of books next year that will have to go in that category, too. It will be interesting to see if I can be disciplined enough to keep to my categories. I do like to finish what I begin!

#81 Burning Marguerite by Elizabeth Inness-Brown. This is a stunning debut novel about love and death. One morning James Jack Wright finds his 94-year-old Tante Marguerite dead outside his cabin in the snow – what follows is the moving story of her life from the present in New England to the past, as a teenager in love in New Orleans around the Great Depression. Much of the tale unravels from Marguerite’s absorbing perspective and the reader gains a strong sense of this mother’s love for the child in her care. The story hinges on the tender relationship between her and James Jack, whom she adopted when he was orphaned as an infant.

The writing’s wonderful and Inness-Brown uses metaphors of fire and ice so superbly, they almost become additional characters in the book! There is also a period when she takes to drawing and quilting that I enjoyed. This is an effortless engaging read, one I definitely recommend.

Sounds like another great read! On to the Continent it goes!

#82 Blue Shoes and Happiness by Alexander McCall Smith. A light-hearted trip into Botswana to spend some time in the office of the No.1 Ladies Detective Agency with Precious Ramotswe and her associates (I use this term very lightly). I thought the story and “cases” very flat, but one gets some sense of sweltering Botswana and its people.

Someone on LT – can’t recall who – found the depiction of the characters in this series somewhat derogatory. I tend to agree to some extent. I think one can have one simple character in a book, maybe two, but a whole cast? This book was a little disappointing, especially since I so enjoyed a fore-runner in the series, The Full Cupboard of Life, before.

I read only one of the books in Smith's Precious Ramotswe series and did not care for it. I have never read any of the others. I may have to look at The Full Cupboard of Life though, based on your recommendation.

I never made it as far as Blue Shoes and Happiness (for once I was reading a series in order...); I really liked the first one and that made me read a couple of others, but I found the charm wore off quite quickly - why is is that so often these things get done to death? Like you, Akeela, I started to find the simplicity a little hard to believe.

Well, I kept up in the series (for once) and found that sometimes, a little lightness in a a mystery series was nice. However, only one series and only one book every so often. I have missed the children in the last two I read, as they are really only mentioned peripherally. I've tried to start some of McCall's other series and not found them as entertaining. I do find that most series heroes do tend to flatten as the series goes on, unless there's a spark along the way. I suspect I like the Wallender series so much because there is so much going on, not just in his life, but his work. Here--well, Precious does not have the most twisted of cases. She has her friends and her red tea.

>203 akeela:+: I decided to call The Miracle at Speedy Motors my last of that series. I found them pleasant for a long while, but now they're just seeming the same. I didn't care for his other series and am not reading them, though I am downloading his ongoing podcast of Courdoroy Mansion (no touchstone, apparently), though I won't listen to it until it's completed in February.

Thank you all for the comments!

#83 One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovitch by Alexander Solzhenitsyn. Translated from the Russian by H.T. Willets. This book is an account of one day (out of an 8-year term) in Ivan’s life, spent under the watchful eyes of his warders in a Stalinist work camp in Siberia. It is a viciously cold day and we get a sense of the strategies employed by the prisoners – and the camaraderie that develops – in a bid to survive the raw chill and stave off the intense hunger, that never lets up.

The book is based on the life of the author who was sentenced to 8 years in a labour camp, after making derogatory remarks about Stalin. Although the subject matter is stark, the book is not in the least emotional or sentimental. It is an easy and enjoyable read, that leaves one grateful for all the simple pleasures that one takes for granted in life.

Thank you Rachel and deebee, for inspiring me to finally pick this one out of the TBR pile!

Akeela -- sounds like something that I'd be right into these days. My parents and grandparents knew many people who were sent to Siberian camps for trivialities, but I've never read anything about what they went through. Putting this one high on my TBR list.

Nickelini, I’ll look out for your comments!

#84 Eva Luna by Chilean novelist Isabel Allende. Translated from the Spanish by Margaret Sayers Peden. For me, this was an impressive introduction to Allende’s flamboyant storytelling ability. For those who enjoy a colorful tale, blended with a healthy dose of magical realism, this is a book to savor.

Don't stop there, then, try House of Spirits and and Of Love and Shadows. she is a great storyteller.

>210 akeela: akeela, I can thoroughly recommend Daughter of Fortune. A superb story. I loved it.

- TT

That's quite an endorsement, TT! I'll have to look out for it. Thanks!

#85 Tamarind Mem (also known as Tamarind Woman) by Anita Rau Badami. This is the debut novel by the Indian-born author, now living in Canada. An easy read which explores themes including women, mother-daughter relationships, and arranged marriages in the Indian cultural context. I look forward to reading her second, more accomplished (from what I've heard) novel, The Hero’s Walk.

#203 FF--I too had trouble with Alexander McCall Smith's books until I listened to them on audio. The readers all do a great job of injecting some personality into the characters, and I find they are great light-hearted pictures of life that I often turn to when I'm finishing up a real chunker or something depressing. I wouldn't necessarily call them mysteries, and some of them can really bog down, but there is enough of a picture of various life styles different from my own to interest me. Great books to listen to while housecleaning!

Right now, I'm listening to the evening podcast
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/exclusions/alexandermccalls...
of his newest Corduroy Mansions. It's become a delightful evening ritual: after dinner I brew a cuppa, and settle down to listen for 8-10 minutes. Makes me feel close to the previous generation who gathered round the radio of an evening to listen to 'stories'.

>215 tututhefirst:: I don't have the patience to listen every night for Corduroy Mansions. :-) I have iTunes set up to download them every day and, once I have them all, I'll start listening.

214: The Hero's Walk is fantastic. And if you can get a hold of Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? it's wonderful too.

Diana, I started The Hero's Walk yesterday and was instantly hooked! It'll be my first read for 2009. Thanks for the strong nudge!

I saw Can You Hear the Nightbird Call? online - it has a beautiful cover and I'd buy it just for the cover alone! :)

Oh, I am so glad you are reading The Hero's Walk. I want to buy my own copy and reread it!!

END-OF-YEAR SUMMARY:
Books Read: 85

The Reading Globally group inspired me to read books by authors born in 28 different countries.

These comprised: 22 Non-Fiction titles, including 9 memoirs and 10 travel memoirs

63 Fiction titles including:
13 from Africa, 12 from the UK, 11 from the USA, 6 from the rest of Europe

5 from India, 4 from Nigeria, 3 each from Canada, France and South Africa
2 each from Afghanistan, Russia, South America, Sri Lanka and Sweden

11 translations (there may have been more, but I’ve only recently come to appreciate translators for the (challenging) work they do, so will be a lot more sensitive to this in the future!

My top eleven reads for 2008:
By the Sea by Abdulrazak Gurnah (Tanzania)
The Remains of the Day Kazuo Ishiguro (UK)
Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton (South Africa)
Small Island by Andrea Levy (Jamaica)
The Seasons of the Beento Blackbird by Akosua Busia (Ghana)
Mosquito by Roma Tearne (Sri Lanka)
Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria)
Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga (Zimbabwe)
Lemona's Tale by Ken Saro-Wiwa (Nigeria)
After You'd Gone by Maggie O’ Farrell (UK)
Burning Marguerite by Elizabeth Inness-Brown (USA)

I hope to read a lot more from Africa and South America in 2009.
I'd also like to visit as many more countries as I possibly can - via books!

Thank you to everyone who visited my thread and commented! It made the journey so much more enjoyable!

See you all on the other side!

Akeela
I'm glad you liked After You'd Gone. It truly was a good book.

Nice year end summary, akeela!