Global, Africa, World Travel

All of these themes are related to nations.  I invite readers to check in on my progress with them.

I tune my reading choices to Kerrie’s wonderfully-organized group first!  South America and Australasia are challenging for me but last time, I trebled all but for one book.  I’ll finish Alejo Carpentier this year and ace the mission this time!  Here’s hoping she doesn’t mind a South American poetry book to help me fulfill that tricky continent.  Join us, to ensure Kerrie keeps renewing this very well done theme.

AFRICA   *   ASIA   *   AUSTRALASIA / OCEANIA   *   EUROPE   *   NORTH AMERICA   *       *   SOUTH AMERICA / CENTRAL AMERICA   *   SEVENTH CONTINENT  x  3 !!!!
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This will be easier than a glance might suggest.  With a 5-book minimum:  we may read African-born, residing, subjects, or settings in literature of any kind.  All the hostess asks is that 3 are by African-born / residing authors.  I have a ton of qualifiers on my plate:  Lyn Hamilton’s next volume in archaeological mysteries, two series by Egyptologist Elizabeth Peters, there is Natasha Mostert, Margaret Laurence’s time with her husband abroad, and a book of African fables.

I spent a year reading wherever the wind floated me, the reverse of fitting my reading into my varied groups.  This should have comprised a lot of African content but I guess the wind didn’t float that way this time.  I would love to do this again and if Kinna hasn’t posted a 2016 challenge yet:  I encourage all hostesses to step outside the busy January – December span.  Start in February as I do!  :)

“The Ghost Of Thomas Kempe”  Penelope Lively 1973  (Born in Cairo, Northeast Africa)
“Larceny And Old Lace”  Tamar Myers  1996  (Born in Belgian Congo)
“This Side Jordan”  Margaret Laurence  1960  (Lived in Ghana, West Africa)
“The African Quest”  Lyn Hamilton  2000  (Set in Tunisia, North Africa)
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This is a nice one by a German hostess, who is flexible with her locations.  Many participants are building a Google map but I’m going to set that aside until I know slow internet can handle it.  I am welcomed to list books with country locations here.  I believe multiple settings per book are generally permitted by challenges of these types.

All right!  I am tallying up this information tardily but hope Crinni will make it all worthwhile by coming by to have a look at this post.  :)  There’s no time to work this out into a Google map but it’s all written down on this list.  Thank you for hosting a fun idea, Crinni!  The results are 40 places, many within Canada because it is home.  There are likely a few more places, if I check through two books I have in mind but at this time, if we aren’t competing for prizes, we won’t worry about any more exactitude than this.  Please enjoy my results, with reviews.

“Marshy Winter”  Ed Golin, Jerry Maryniuk  1993  From WINNIPEG, MANITOBA
“Mystery Of The Piper’s Ghost”  Zillah K. MacDonald  1954  NOVA SCOTIA
“Murder At The Mendel”  Gail Bowen  1991  SASKATCHEWAN
“Dinosaur Hunters:  Uncovering The Hidden Remains Of Canada’s Ancient Giants”  Lisa Murphy-Lamb  2003  ALBERTA
“The Boat Who Wouldn’t Float”  Farley Mowat  1969  NEWFOUNDLAND
“Murder Sees The Light”  Howard Engel  1984  ALGONQUIN PARK & NIAGARA FALLS
“Aurore Of The Yukon”  Keith Halliday  2006  YUKON TERRITORY
“Too Hot To Handle”  Mary Jane Maffini  2007  QUÉBEC
“Witchery Hill”  Welwyn Wilton Katz  1984  From LONDON, ONTARIO
(10)  “Hide And Sneak”  Michael Kusugak, Vladyana Krykorka  1992  NORTHWEST TERRITORIES, Vladyana is from CZECHOSLOVAKIA

“The Wandering Fire”  Guy Gavriel Kay  1986  SOMERSET, ENGLAND & ONTARIO
“Through The Door”  Jodi McIsaac  2012  IRELAND
“Unsung Heroes Of The Royal Canadian Air Force”  Cynthia J. Faryon  2003  BELGIUM, From BRITISH COLUMBIA
“The African Quest”  Lyn Hamilton  2000  TUNISIA, NORTH AFRICA & TORONTO, ONTARIO
“This Side Jordan”  Margaret Laurence  1960  GHANA, WEST AFRICA, From NEEPAWA, MANITOBA
“Death Of A Literary Widow”  Robert Barnard  1979  From NORWAY
“The Ghost Of Thomas Kempe”  Penelope Lively  1973  From CAIRO
“Larceny And Old Lace”  Tamar Myers  1996  From BELGIAN CONGO
“The Lost Steps”  Alejo Carpentier  1953  VENEZUELA, From LAUSANNE, SWITZERLAND
(20)  “Aesop’s Fables”  George Fyler Townsend  1846  GREECE

“Animal Heroes”  Karleen Bradford  1995  GERMANY, JAPAN
“Canadian Disasters”  René Schmidt  2006  From HOLLAND
“Time For Bed”  Mem Fox, Jane Dyer  1993  AUSTRALIA
“The Four Musicians”  Brothers Grimm  1819  BREMEN, GERMANY
“Heidi”  Johanna Spyri, Desmond Marwood  1881  SWITZERLAND
“The Night Of Four-Hundred Rabbits”  Elizabeth Peters  1971  MÉXICO, From USA
“Waiting For Willa”  Dorothy Eden  1970  STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN, From NEW ZEALAND
“No One Writes To The Colonel”  Gabriel García Márquez  1961  COLUMBIA
(39)  “Der Stall Von Bethlehem”  Jenny Tulip  1993  BETHLEHEM, ISRAEL
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I’m putting this group at the bottom because it’s the perpetual variety.  We may choose to see what we make of it in one year, or more years.  It started in 2014 and we are invited to count countries we have already traversed beyond that scope.  This activity is not as daunting as it might look either because flexibility is the way of this one as well.

When I have time to go through previous reading for standout places:  I will add those review links, along with my new ones.  Everything I review may be found in my top menu too.  Please enjoy browsing it because it is for you.
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Our dear, young Lovey passed away exactly six months ago (July 31, 2014).  Here’s to you always, our bright energetic boy!  With love forever from your Mom, siblings, and everyone else.