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What book have you read? Did you enjoy it? Where was it set and was it strong on location? Please tell us what you thought of it, and link your review if you've written one. As we settle in for a little more time on the sofa, let's share and enjoy each others' 2022 travels.

Finished Red Land, Black Land: Daily Life in Ancient Egypt by Barbara Mertz. I read so when I get to Egypt, I have some knowledge.

Finished My Grandmother: A Memoir translated by Maureen Freely. Not writing a full review. It was short and an okay read.

I read The Possessed: Adventures With Russian Books and the People Who Read Them by Elif Batuman, which you would think would be about Russian lit but was really more about the author's graduate research time in Uzbekistan. Who would have thought! My review is here:
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Was in Greece with Devil of Delphi - enjoyable read and perfect for armchair travel with a combo of sense of place and time and light thriller reading. A short review: /review/show...

My long walk began in Cape Town, South Africa, with Bom Boy. I liked it enough to add another of Yewande Omotoso's books to my TBR.

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I'm in France reading All the Light We Cannot See finally. I have a thing with overhyped books that I just expect them to be bad, and I need space to get to them. I'll get there but just a while after they were cool.

I've been in Sweden again with Bad Apples, #4 in a series that just keeps getting better and better.

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Rusalka wrote: "I'm in France reading All the Light We Cannot See finally. I have a thing with overhyped books that I just expect them to be bad, and I need space to get to them. I'll get there but..."

It was not a hit with me. Hope it’s working for you!

I was in Uganda/U.K. with the historical fiction We Are All Birds of Uganda - I enjoyed it and learned a lot. Two timelines - the earlier one in Uganda during the 1960s, the second in present day U.K./Uganda.

Was in the U.K. (and in Jamaica) with All The Lonely People - another good read on important topics. Thanks Andrea for highlighting this one earlier.

Hope to write reviews for both - they’re worth it.

I've been in Svalbard/Norway (and a little bit of southern India) with The Arctic Curry Club, and I reckon if you have a Svalbard-shaped gap in your ATW list, you could do a lot worse! Very strong on location and with enough food (Indian and Indian-Arctic fusion) to make it onto my food shelf, as well.

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Lilisa wrote: "I was in Uganda/U.K. with the historical fiction We Are All Birds of Uganda - I enjoyed it and learned a lot. Two timelines - the earlier one in Uganda during the 1960s, the second ..."

Finally made time to write these reviews - enjoyed both books.

We Are All Birds of Uganda review: /review/show...

All The Lonely People review: /review/show...

After a few more turns around the swamp, I've finally reviewed Nenek Tata and the Mangrove Menace (Malaysia). Such a lovely picturebook!

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Was in Malaysia doing a re-read of a top all-time favorite The Gift of Rain for one of my book groups. This is my third time reading it and it is as fantastic as it was the first time around - can’t say enough about the exquisite writing and great sense of place, time, and relationships. My updated review: /review/show...

Lilisa wrote: "It was not a hit with me. Hope it’s working for you!."

I really enjoyed it! Stupid subjective reading likes :D

I just finished up in Hungary with The Travellers. It was very much a telling from a English tourist of Hungary, but also is one of the longest owned and unread books on my shelves, so that's a win. And I don't believe I have been to Hungary before. And even from an outsiders description, I want to go exploring there and see the real thing for myself.

I rounded out my visit to South Africa with The Woman Next Door, which I enjoyed very much. It gave me a very different perspective from Bom Boy.

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My Botswana read, The Delta, delivered on location but could equally work for Namibia. In fact the best part about it was learning of the Caprivi Strip in Namibia, and the land struggles of its tribes.

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I was in India’s epic land with Kaikeyi. Nicely done retelling. My review: /review/show...

I was in Venezuela with It Would Be Night in Caracas.

My review is here:
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There is a slightly more critical review of the book from Silvia Moreno-Garcia at NPR.

I was in West Jutland, Denmark, with The Land of Short Sentences. It's a book notable mainly for the novelty location and its focus on Lejlighedssange, a type of Danish song.

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I've been in Zambia, a country very unfamiliar to me, with The Mourning Bird. It surprised me and in some ways it shocked me. I think it's one that will stay in my memory for a while.

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Andrea wrote: "I've been in Zambia, a country very unfamiliar to me, with The Mourning Bird. It surprised me and in some ways it shocked me. I think it's one that will stay in my memory for a whil..."

Sounds interesting, Andrea and I need one for Zambia. On my list now - thanks!

I was in Iceland with Secrets of the Sprakkar: Iceland's Extraordinary Women and How They Are Changing the World - a good one. My review: /review/show...

I was in Greece with [book:One Last Chance| Another fun mystery/thriller trip with Andreas Kaldis and his team. My review: /review/show...

I was in Ukraine with I Will Die in a Foreign Land by Kalani Pickhart, a multi narrative novel set in 2013-2014, that was both an interesting story and an education in terms of understanding something of the culture, history and lives of people in this part of the world.

My review: /review/show...

Last week I read 3 audio-novellas in a row, ranging from 3-5 hours. Intimacies (The Netherlands), The Fell (Peak District, England) and Cold Enough for Snow (mainly Japan). I liked each of them well enough, but can't help wondering if I would have liked all 3 of them more if I had read a text copy and taken more time over them? Each was able to establish the location and convince me I was there, but Cold Enough for Snow was the shortest and had large sections recalling memories from Hong Kong and Australia, which diffused the sense of place somewhat for me.

Intimacies: /review/show...
The Fell: /review/show...

I was in Nepal on Mt. Manaslu with mystery thriller Breathless. A nice one with a great setting. My review: /review/show...

I have made a grand tour around Ireland through this excellent collection of essays, investigative journalism, literary reportage and visual narratives Ireland: The Passenger.

My review here: /review/show...

I became aware of it after reading Sara Baume's A Line Made by Walking , a novel full of references to visual art - she is one of the contributing writer's, her essay Talismans is about an art project she did making small models of the Irish cottage and how they have morphed into larger houses and the societal response to that.

The Passenger is a series of books that focuses on different regions/large cities/ a country through art, literature and informative journalism. Published by Europa Editions.

I extended my visit to Tanzania with The Magic of Saida after my first choice didn't really deliver on the location. This one, however, turned out to be a lucky choice, giving me all I wanted and more.

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Andrea wrote: "I extended my visit to Tanzania with The Magic of Saida after my first choice didn't really deliver on the location. This one, however, turned out to be a lucky choice, giving me al..."

Uhhh, on my list now, thanks!

I was in China/Taiwan/U.S. with Peach Blossom Spring. It was a good read. Review: /review/show...

I was in medieval Iceland with The Sorrow Stone, a beautifully atmospheric retelling of Gisli's Saga. Sorrow stone is the name given to the heart by the Icelandic poets.

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Japan. In Osaka. I read Pachinko, the epic story of a couple of generations of Korean Christians in Osaka. I also read the non-fiction Osaka! Osaka!. It is the story of an ex-pat who tries to use the city's historical sites to interest and bond with his teenage son. It is very informative and funny.

I've been in Rwanda with Our Lady of the Nile, following the exploits of a group of senior students at an exclusive Catholic boarding school. Set in pre-genocide times, racial tensions are already running high, and I can't help but think that only a Tutsi author could have told this story. Worth a read.

Just left North Korea with Stars Between the Sun and Moon: One Woman's Life in North Korea and Escape to Freedom. Ms. Jang's story of escape from North Korea is amazing and heart-wrenching. Highly recommend!

I was recently in Nigeria with The Girl with the Louding Voice - one I'd been looking forward to for a long time. I adored it.

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I've posted only rarely here in 2022 because I've not been writing reviews, but I finished and so loved Rebecca Solnit's The Faraway Nearby and highly recommend it. One could make an argument that it takes place primarily in Iceland, although I didn't do a page count or the like.

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I'm returning it to the library with another 30 dog-eared pages with quotes I didn't post in updates while reading it, but check out the ones I did post if you are interested in examples of style.

I was in Portugal with Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone and enjoyed it immensely. I'm admittedly a fan girl, so ... grain of salt, but here's a link to my review. If the suspense/thriller genre is one you appreciate, I recommend it without reservation.


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Carol wrote: "I was in Portugal with Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone and enjoyed it immensely. I'm admittedly a fan girl, so ... grain of salt, but here's a link to my review..."

Fantastic review, Carol - on my list now. Also, the Lisbon setting beckons. Funny, I cannot remember how The Expats ended, lol!

Lilisa wrote: "Carol wrote: "I was in Portugal with Two Nights in Lisbon by Chris Pavone and enjoyed it immensely. I'm admittedly a fan girl, so ... grain of salt, but here's a lin..."

I re-read all of the descriptions for the several I read, and can't recall any of the solutions or endings. I'm glad it's not just me lol

I took a break from my Africa journey and read a Wallender thriller One Step Behind. Set mainly in Sweden but also Denmark. A nice poolside read while on holiday in Noosa Qld.

I was in Turkey with 10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World. I thought it was well done and different. Great depiction of time and place - Istanbul. I loved all the characters and gave the book 4 stars. Not doing a review now, maybe later - I’m behind in my reading!

I thoroughly enjoyed my Two Nights in Lisbon (Portugal) and look forward to reading more from the author, Chris Pavone. It was just as good as Carol promised!

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I was in Ukraine with The Memory Keeper of Kyiv. Average read - review: /review/show...

Andrea wrote: "I thoroughly enjoyed my Two Nights in Lisbon (Portugal) and look forward to reading more from the author, Chris Pavone. It was just as good as Carol promised!

https..."

Ha! I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Andrea!

The First Woman aka A Girl Is a Body of Water was my first time reading Uganda, and I loved it. I'm keen to get to the author's debut Kintu at some stage.

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I've been back in Scotland with Young Mungo. Although Glasgow is once again painted in a grim 1980s light, I think it's the sheer authenticity and nostalgia that Douglas Stuart brings to his stories that has seen him become so lauded both there and everywhere! This time we also get the Scottish lochs, so bonus points for that.

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My second Uganda book, Kololo Hill, didn't reach the same heights as my previous one, but it certainly filled in some gaps for me about what happened in the 1970s. The focus of the story is the expulsion of Ugandan Asians, and it's left me with some big questions about why some examples of displacement are remembered, and even memorialised, while others are not. Just a brief review for this one: /review/show...

Grown Ups was a quick visit to the Norwegian fjords at the turn of the season, with a pair of geriatric millennial sisters who both long for children.

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