That Artsy Reader Girl hosts a weekly meme in which we respond to a pre-determined prompt. This week’s prompt is books that take place in another country. I am writing this on my phone while walking, so forgive any typos.
I recently read this rather meh book that took place in Bulgaria. Despite the rather meh plot and the over-length, Kostova did a fantastic job of bringing Bulgaria to life.
This is one of my favorite books. It takes place in Nigeria during the Biafra war. Great historical novel with memorable characters. Makes a strong point of how we in first world countries don’t give a poo about genocide of Africans.
Also taking place in Nigeria, this classic novel is set during the colonization period. It shows heart-breakingly how the lives of villagers were torn apart by introduction of missionaries and Western ways.
I usually don’t read celebrity memiors, but I heard great things about this one. The rumors were true. Taking place in apartheid South Africa, it is both educational and funny. I especially loved the story about his friend named Hitler. The audiobook is read by Trevor Noah, and is fantastic.
(Phew! 4.5 miles down, 1.5 left!)
This well-known contemporary police procedural takes place in Ireland. I wasn’t thrilled by the unlikable anti-hero’s behavior, but it was still pretty good.
This classic is about the British colonization period in India and the difficulty in communication between the two peoples. It is also well worth reading.
This memior/biography follows the lives of three generations of women in China. It was heart-breaking and educational.
Some of this teen horror book takes place in Japan. Chupeco is a fantastic author, and I quite enjoyed the book.
This is an extremely violent and vivid account of the Japanese occupation of China during WWII. I had a hard time reading it. The researching and writing of this book is rumored to have had such an impact on Ms. Chang that she later killed herself. Regardless of the violence, it was a well-written and eye-opening book.
This is a very dark Swedish vampire horror. It has some objectionable activities in it, and is therefore difficult for some to read, but it was quite good.
(Made it home!)
Hibernator's Library 