Published : 2021 || Format : print || Location : Colombia ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ ☆ What was it about the country that kept everyone hostage to its fantasy? The previous month, on its own soil, an American man went to his job at a plant and gunned down fourteen coworkers, and last spring alone there were four different school shootings. A nation at war with itself, yet people still spoke of it as some kind of paradise.. Thoughts : Infinite Country follows two characters - young Talia, who at the beginning of this book, escapes a girl’s reform school in North Colombia so that she can make her previously booked flight to the US. Before she can do that, she needs to travel many miles to reach her father and get her ticket to the rest of her family. As we follow Talia’s treacherous journey south, we learn about how she ended up in the reform school in the first place and why half her family resides in the US. Infinite Country tells the...
As usual, towards the end of 2012, I started thinking about what I want to do in 2013, from the bookish perspective - resolutions, challenges, reading projects. I love making resolutions, especially resolutions that involve making lists and plans and charts and notes. It is just fun spending some time and brain on making a list of books to read for a challenge.
Unfortunately, that's where the fun ends. Once the list is made, I get eye sores from having to peer at it to figure out my next read. It becomes homework. Or housework. Ever since I started doing challenges three years ago, I have done poorly on completing them. The only times I did do a reading project well was when it didn't involve schedules (been on three readalongs and failed in them) or lists (my failed attempts at reading Orange Prize winners). My only favorable statistic is that of reading double the number of books for a Graphic Novel challenge.
So rather than deciding on a huge list of things that I will stop doing from February, I figured I want to attempt doing some fun non-pressure bookish things:
Read a really kickass mystery novel. I used to love reading mysteries at one point. Until I started cracking the whodunits before the halfway page. (The killer is either the most villainous character or the least.) I know many of you love mysteries - I would love to get some great recommendations that will help me read more of this genre. I don't mind if it's a little silly or very funny. I would prefer more mystery and less romance.(Updated May 8: Read The Last Policeman by Ben H. Winters)Participate in a book club read. There are a couple of online book clubs I belong to and who also read really awesome books each month. Sadly, I rarely get the time to take part in one, and I hope to change that this year.(Updated Jan 17: Read The Secret Keeper by Kate Morton for my online book club)- Read at least one chunkster (900+ pages). I kind of already feel that this one will go on the failed list. Because of my typically short reading sessions, reading a chunkster would take me forever - last thing I want to do unless I plan to dive into a rut. That being said, I like the idea of spending a year on a book - on that kind of book, and I should probably not do a readalong to read it.
Do a readalong. But not a chunkster readalong. Are there non-chunkster readalongs?(The Goldfinch readalong)Be a reader at a readathon. 'Nuff said.(Updated Aug 18: Participated in the Dog Days of Summer Readathon)Read a book from an African/Latin American/Asian country I have never read about (written by an author from that country itself). I had occasionally entertained the idea of spending a year reading a book from a different country each time. I'm still eager to do it but maybe not now.(The Reluctant Fundamentalist in Pakistan)Read The Fault in our Stars. Why did everyone rave about this one last year?(Updated Feb 14: Finally read it. Made me cry way too much but at least it wasn't a sappy pitiful book as some books about illnesses can be.)Do not read Fifty Shades of Grey. I think this one will be easy.- Finish rereading the Harry Potter series. You would assume that this should be a piece of cake. But for some unfathomable reason, I keep getting stalled in the second book. O! heir of Slytherin, please let me get past your Chamber soon.
- Feel free to ditch any or all of the above "non-pressure" things at any time.
Comments
I think reading freely is under-rated, and I say that even though I've just signed up for a year long readalong of War and Peace!
Kenya: Try something by Ngugi wa Thiong'o Kenya's most famous author. He's written Novels like "The River Between", "The Wizard of the Crow" and most recently his memoirs--in 2 installments: "Dreams in a time of war" and "In the house of the interpreter". I read " The River Between" and enjoyed it, it's a popular setbook for schools.
Wangari Maathai:1st African woman to win Nobel Peace Prize, her memoir "Unbowed", found it interesting and it's a quick read.
South Africa: Nadine Gordimer: "The Pickup", took a while to get used to her style but good book.
Andre Brink: "A Dry White Season" set during apartheid, really enjoyed it even though it makes you go through a whole range of emotions. He has a new one out called "Philida"
Nigeria: Chimamanda Adichie: "The Thing around your neck"-Short stories, liked this alot and I'm not even a big reader of short stories! "Purple Hibiscus" is another one I read,also good and "Half of a Yellow Sun" which I am yet to read,quite popular.
Bonus: Audrey Schulman (not African): "Three Weeks in December" set in Rwanda & Kenya, part historical, part contemporary story. Great read!