Ultimate Popsugar Reading Challenge discussion

Let's take this opportunity to branch out and try some authors from around the world!

South America - Isabel Allende - she does live in the US now, but she's from a Chilean-American background.
Others?

Asia - lots come to mind, but I'm not sure which are from Asia and which just have Asian heritage. Do you think it matters for this prompt?

Africa - I confess I have no ideas for this. Whatcha got?

It's actually kind of funny, because I was recently talking to my mom and saying I hardly ever read any books that take place in South America or Asia. So, I'm looking forward to this and promising myself not to choose an African writer.

Africa:
Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Chinua Achebe
MAHFOUZ NAGUIB
Nuruddin Farah
Leila Aboulela

Asia:
Alai
Sōseki Natsume
Haruki Murakumi
Han Kang

South America:
Gabriel García Márquez
Pablo Neruda
Isabel Allende
Mario Vargas Llosa
Jorge Luis Borges

This prompt was my idea actually, because I wanted to push my reading diversity further. Some wonderful books I have read in last couple of years that fit:

The Book of Emma Reyes - South America
Season of Migration to the North - Africa
Yes, Chef - Africa
Love, Loss, and What We Ate: A Memoir - Asia

I recommend Behold the Dreamers, which is by an author from Africa but also recommended by Oprah Winfrey, so it could also count for that check on the list.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

I think this would be a great prompt to try Japanese manga or other graphic novels.

Good question about whether the author themselves need to be from that country, or if having heritage is enough. I've struggled with that in the past especially when it comes to South American authors. I have several Asian authors on my TBR but like you said, I'm pretty sure many of them are American with Asian heritage.

My two cents worth is since the prompt has the word "from" right in it, they should actually be from there, not just heritage. But, of course, everyone is free to interpret all the prompts any way they see fit. This is fun, not school:)

Katy wrote: "My two cents worth is since the prompt has the word "from" right in it, they should actually be from there, not just heritage. But, of course, everyone is free to interpret all the prompts any way ..."

Yeah, I feel the same way, and I'll be double-checking as I make my selection.

Israel is technically in Asia so I'm going for Yuval Noah Harari.

I'm going with A River in Darkness: One Man's Escape from North Korea, since that's what I chose for the similar prompt from ATY.

I can also recommend Food Wars!, Vol. 1 for anyone who wants to go the manga route.

And of course The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing would fit here.

The Secret Piano: From Mao's Labor Camps to Bach's Goldberg Variations was an interesting memoir, mostly because of the history I didn't previously know--probably more interesting to those who are deeper into music like the author is.

Paulo Coelho is Brazilian. I didn't really enjoy the book I read by him, but I seem to be one of the few who didn't...

I’m gonna go with Born a Crime by Trevor Noah.

I'm probably going to use Small Country by Gael Faye for this prompt even though it's a very short read. He is from Burundi (Africa)

Another book that comes to mind is Rainbirds by Clarissa Goenawan as she was born in Indonesia but now lives in Singapore

I might edit and add some more ideas later but that's all I've got for now! xD

Norwegian Wood

Me too. Going to listen to the audiobook.

Kristina wrote: "I’m gonna go with Born a Crime by Trevor Noah."

I'm stretching this prompt to authors with heritage from Asia, Africa or South America:

Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Half of a Yellow Sun by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah

Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

An American Marriage by Tayari Jones

The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story by Hyeonseo Lee

Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro

Jennifer wrote: "Me too. Going to listen to the audiobook.

Kristina wrote: "I’m gonna go with Born a Crime by Trevor Noah.""

It is so freaking fantastic that I started listening a second round as soon as I finished it. ENJOY!!!!

For myself, I think I'll finally tackle The House of the Spirits. I always seem to do Asia and Africa, but avoid South America. On her page it says Isabelle Allende didn't become an American citizen until 2002 ( or 3 ).

I think I'm going to go with The Air You Breathe by Frances de Pontes Peebles . I got it in my Book of the month a few months ago and haven't picked it up yet. She is from Brazil

Any YA suggestions?

Raegan wrote: "Any YA suggestions?"

Sandhya Menon is from India so that would fall under Asia.

When Dimple Met Rishi or From Twinkle, with Love will be my pick for this one.

I like Erico Verissimo (Brazilian author), especially the book "musica ao longe" ( I don't know if this one has a translation to english) but his other books are good too. Jose de Alencar is another good brazilian author, I like his book Luciola. Pedro Bandeira is an author that my mom liked when she was young.

I think I will do Zoo City by Lauren Beukes who is from South Africa. She has a number of other books too.

There's always Haruki Murakumi or Crazy Rich Asians whose author hails from Singapore.

I'm pretty excited about Lauren Beukes new book, Motherland though I have a lot of books that would work.

Can The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan work for this prompt?
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7...

Ellie wrote: "I'm pretty excited about Lauren Beukes new book, Motherland though I have a lot of books that would work."



yahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!! I did not know she had a new book coming out!!! I'm so excited I didn't even need to know what it was about to know I want to read it. (But I did read the blurb. And it sounds great!!!)

Melanie wrote: "Can The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan work for this prompt?
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7..."

Amy Tan is American, so that only counts if you stretch the category to be "of Asian descent" instead of "from Asia."

I think I'm going to read A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier

Nadine wrote: "Melanie wrote: "Can The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan work for this prompt?
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/7..."

Amy Tan is American, so that only counts if you stretch the categ..."

Thanks for that. I'll keep looking...

I've been wanting to read Lauren Beukes. Where to start?

I wanted to read Love in the Time of Cholera for the Love prompt but I've been aiming to use books I already own first, so I didn't use it there. This prompt, however, works perfectly!

Milena wrote: "I've been wanting to read Lauren Beukes. Where to start?"

I've read three of her books and of those I would say Moxyland is a good start. It was her first book, and it's weird but not too weird. The Shining Girls is the most accessible, but it's also the most brutal, since it's about a serial killer (and a dog dies, which normally would keep me from reading a book, but I guess after reading about the girls he killed, I was able to carry on). I started with Zoo City and holy cow that book was weird and confusing!!

Nadine wrote: "Milena wrote: "I've been wanting to read Lauren Beukes. Where to start?"

I've read three of her books and of those I would say Moxyland is a good start. It was her f..."

Thanks, Nadine. I will start with Moxyland.

I read quite a bit of Asian literature (or at least from authors of Asian descent), so I think I'm going to go with something from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Does anyone have any suggestions? All of her books have incredibly high ratings - I've only read We Should All Be Feminists.

Lindi wrote: "I read quite a bit of Asian literature (or at least from authors of Asian descent), so I think I'm going to go with something from Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie. Does anyone have any sugg..."

Purple Hibiscus or Americanah. Or she does have a short story collection, The Thing Around Your Neck, if you'd like something lighter.

My favorite Adichie is the first one I read by her: Half of a Yellow Sun. (It was for the first year I did the reading challenge, I think - the category was books written when the author was under 30)

Jennifer wrote: "Me too. Going to listen to the audiobook.

Kristina wrote: "I’m gonna go with Born a Crime by Trevor Noah.""

Listening to the audiobook was amazing. Trevor Noah speaks several languages and it was very cool listening to him say things in languages other than English. Also obsessed with the way he says Volkswagen.

Another prompt where I can continue a series. I'm going to read Bruja Born by Zoraida Córdova. She lives in the US but was born in Ecuador. If anyone is into YA fantasy the first book in the series is Labyrinth Lost.

Also the prompt does not specify far east Asia so India, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Israel and a whole bunch of other countries are up for grabs.

Some other books I read this year and would suggest are A Girl Like That by Tanaz Bhathena (Indian) and The Ghost Bride by Yangsze Choo (Malaysian)

Raegan wrote: "Any YA suggestions?"

If you like fantasy Labyrinth Lost is so good.

Tracy wrote: "Jennifer wrote: "Me too. Going to listen to the audiobook.

Kristina wrote: "I’m gonna go with Born a Crime by Trevor Noah.""

It is so freaking fantastic that I started listening a second round a..."

I'm planning on reading this next year too

I had Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood slotted for multiple challenges this year. I ended up not reading it because my library did not have the audiobook. Maybe I will get my act together in 2019 and do the free Audible trial.

I do have a few on my TBR that might work:

I happen to have quite a few books by Japanese and Russian writers on my to-read list, so this one is easier than I thought it would be. I've loved the works of Banana Yoshimoto in the past, especially Kitchen, so she'd be a good choice here. (Picked N.P for this year's challenge.)

One of my all time favorite books is Baking Cakes in Kingali which is set in Rawanda after the genocide. The author is from Zambia.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

Any middle grade recommendations?

I have some books on my TBR:

Ru (Viet Nam)
A Fine Balance (India)
Ball Lightning (China)
Allah is Not Obliged (Côte d'Ivoire)
Chronicle of a Death Foretold (Colombia)
Homegoing (Ghana)
Sorcerer to the Crown (Malaysia)

Themis wrote: "I recommend Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel.

I'm probably going to read The Law of Love or The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency"

I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this, but the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency is actually written by a white Scottish man.

Denise wrote: "Themis wrote: "I recommend Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel.

I'm probably going to read The Law of Love or The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency"

I'm n..."

McCall Smith was born & raised in Zimbabwe. He moved to Britain for college, then to Botswana briefly. He started writing the mystery series after he moved back to Britain. Yes he's a white man, a British citizen, and he lives in Scotland now, so this comes down to how you define "from."



Shannen wrote: "Yes, and Laura Esquivel is Mexican, so her books don't fit the prompt either...."

good point! Mexico, USA, and Canada are all North America.

Denise wrote: "Themis wrote: "I recommend Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel.

I'm probably going to read The Law of Love or The No. 1 Ladies' Detective Agency"

I'm n..."

He is from Bulawayo. He is from Africa.

There are so many good books that fit this prompt!

One of my favorites is Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta.

I have been looking forward to reading My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite.