visited 11 states (4.88%)
Create your own visited map of The World or Like this? try: Mapped Web
It seems to me that I have little international diversity in my reading this year. (Don’t let the massiveness of Russia fool you, I’ve only read a collection of Chekhov’s short stories.) I’ve read a few from Japan (Murakami and Ishiguro.) I enjoyed Kafka on the Shore immensely and just checked out Sputnik Sweetheart the other day. From Chile, I read a collection of Pablo Neruda’s poetry, which I loved. And who knew Chile was so long and narrow?? I read Cesar Aira’s Ghosts from Argentina, Marjane Satrapi’s Persepolis from Iran, The Girl on the Fridge by Etgar Keret from Israel, Tales from Outer Suburbia by Shaun Tan from Australia, The Reader by Bernhard Schlink from Germany, Paris to the Moon by Adam Gopnik about his years living in France with his wife and child, The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman from England, and Steps by Jerzy Kosinski from Poland. And of course quite a few from America. However, I do have every state in America covered since I read State by State: A Panoramic Portrait of America edited by Matt Weiland and Sean Wilsey.
I have two books out from the library from other countries. Gabriela, Clove, and Cinnamon is by Brazilian author Jorge Amado, and The Hummingbird’s Daughter is by Mexican author Luis Alberto Urrea. I’m also sort of reading 2666 by Bolano, but I think I may have taken a break from it. And I have Colombian author Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s A Chronicle of a Death Foretold on my nightstand.
I don’t know if you’ve noticed that huge blank space in the middle of the map, sort of shaped like Africa. It’s so embarrassing! I can’t think of any African authors on my to-be-read list, but there has to be one, right?? If you have any suggestions for African literature, by African authors or about African countries, fiction or non-fiction, please let me know, I could use them.
(It’s possible I missed a few countries, since I just scanned over my reading list and assumed a bunch were from America.)
7 responses so far ↓
Marg // June 25, 2009 at 5:56 am |
Hi Shannon!
A couple of suggestions for African authors – Nigerian author Chimananda Ngozi Adichie has written a couple of books. I really enjoyed reading Half of a Yellow Sun myself.
And for South Africa, you could try Power of One by Bryce Courtenay.
Shannon // June 25, 2009 at 8:59 pm |
I’ve been hearing a lot about Half of a Yellow Sun, but it sounds so depressing. But you say that you enjoyed it and a lot of other people have as well, so maybe it’s worth a try?
I’m adding Power of One to my list, thanks for the recommendations. =)
Eva // June 26, 2009 at 8:10 am |
I was just doing this the other day! hehe I’ll have to publish it soon.
I second Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie!!! I know she sounds really depressing, which is why I was hesitant to read it at first (I hate depressing stories), but I promise both of her novels are wonderful.
Aya is an interesting graphic novel set in 1970s Cote d’Ivoire.
If you count Egypt as Africa, Naguib Mahfouz is marvelous. The Yacoubian Building was really good too!
If you enjoy nonfiction, Out of Africa is beautiful, even though Dinesen was European. And House of Stone is a marvelous journalistic look at Zimbabwe. Monique and the Mango Rains is a touching Peace Corps memoir set in Mali. And We Wish to Inform You that Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families is about the Rwandan genocide, and one of the best books by a journalist I’d ever read. King Leopold’s Ghost is another depressing but important nf book; it looks at Belgium’s behavior in the Congo. If you want to really dive in, The Fate of Africa covers every country since about the 1950s (when they stopped being colonies). It’s a huge book, but well written.
Those are my recommendations! I have a list of African authors, most of which I haven’t read yet, if you want it.
Shannon // June 27, 2009 at 9:52 pm |
Oh wow, I can’t wait to see your map, I bet it’s a lot more traveled than mine!
I’ve decided to definitely going to give Half of a Yellow Sun a try. =)
And oh my goodness, thank you so much for all your recommendations, you’re so thoughtful! A lot of those sound really good. I like nonfiction, but I don’t read it nearly as much as I read fiction, something I’m going to try to change.
I would love to have your list of African authors. If it’s too long to post here, my email is shandoherty at gmail dot com. Thank you!
Jackie (Farm Lane Books) // June 26, 2009 at 8:40 am |
Half of a Yellow Sun is quite depressing. It is one of the problems I have found with a lot of African fiction. My favourite African book for this very reason is ‘The Ghosts of Eden’ It is a beautiful story about two boys growing up in Nigeria. You can win a copy here:
http://www.farmlanebooks.co.uk/?p=1831
I do love Chimananda Ngozi Adichie though. Purple Hibiscus is a bit less depressing.
Shannon // June 27, 2009 at 9:58 pm |
The Ghosts of Eden looks amazing, it’s non-depressing African fiction! I’m going to enter the giveaway, but I’ll need a little time to think over my answer, thanks for telling me about it. =)
Eva // June 30, 2009 at 1:03 am |
Hi Shannon! I can’t find that my list of African authors. :/ But if you have a good library, do a subject search “africa fiction” in your catalogue. I do that whenever I’m looking for reading ideas !