Recommendations: World Literature

Although technically we were supposed to recommend certain areas, I decided I'd make a master list so all my recommendations for world lit could be found in one place. I'll include the rating, the country the book is set in, the genre, and a blurb from my review of it, if available. Depending on when I read the book (pre-blog days or blog days), the title will either link to my review or the book's Goodreads page.

Africa (I'm sadly lacking for recommendable books on this continent):

Rules of the Wild: A Novel of Africa by Francesca Marciano
Where: Kenya
Genre: Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 4 Stars
I can't recall much about reading this book, since it was pre-blog, but I do remember enjoying it.

Asia:

Fiction:

The Third Son by Julie Wu
Where: Taiwan
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4 Stars
Review Blurb: "The Third Son takes you on a roundabout journey to America- but along the way, you learn more about Taiwan than you'd expect."

Peony in Love by Lisa See
Where: China
Genre: Historical Fiction/Magical Realism
Rating: 4 Stars
Review Blurb: "...if you don't mind keeping an open mind to a different way of life, and don't mind some serious otherworldly elements, Peony in Love won't disappoint you."

Paradise of the Blind by Duong Thu Huong
Where: Set in Russia, but flashbacks (half the book) are set in Vietnam
Genre: Historical Fiction/Political Critique (it was banned in Vietnam)
Rating: 4 Stars
Review Blurb: "Pensive, often melancholy, and completely absorbing, Paradise of the Blind paints a bold portrait of everyday life in Vietnam during the beginning of the rule by the Communist Party."

The Samurai's Garden by Gail Tsukiyama
Where: Japan
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.5 Stars (on the very precipice of 5 Stars)
Review Blurb: "The Samurai's Garden is one of the most lovely and placid books I'll read this year, and it almost breached the five star club- it's simply that good."

Rebel Queen by Michelle Moran
Where: India
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4 Stars
Review Blurb: "Rebel Queen takes you back to the beginning of the power struggle between the then many kingdoms of India and the empire of Britain."

Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors
Where: India
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4 Stars
Review Blurb: "I would recommend this book to people who want to feel like they're travelling back in time to 17th century India, without the need for a time machine."

The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman
Where: Masada (Israel)
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Review Blurb: "one of my favorite stories by Alice Hoffman."

Nonfiction:

Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demick
Where: North Korea
Genre: Nonfiction
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Review Blurb: "Nothing to Envy is a major wake-up call for those of us who think life isn't easy or fair and happen to live outside North Korea."

First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers by Loung Ung
Where: Cambodia
Genre: Nonfiction Memoir
Rating: 4 Stars
Review Blurb: "The reason I redubbed this as The Actual Hunger Games is Loung spends more time hungry in this book than Katniss ever did- and her family grows very sick from the hunger (i.e. they can't work, function, or shoot arrows like a boss)."

The Lady and the Panda: The True Adventures of the First American Explorer to Bring Back China's Most Exotic Animal by Vicki Constantine Croke
Where: China
Genre: Nonfiction Biography
Rating: 4 Stars
Review Blurb: "Not only was Ruth Harkness a female pioneer in exploration, she was also a fashionista, a widow, and someone who you really wouldn't think would be willing to climb steep hills in order to find a panda."

Europe:

Fiction:

The Historian by Elizabeth Kostova
Where: Amsterdam (Netherlands), Among Other Locales
Genre: Historical/Contemporary Fiction with a chance of Vampire
Rating: 4 Stars
Review Blurb: "If you like vampires, historical fiction, and conspiracy theories, and don't mind a bulky book, The Historian may be your kind of read."

Embers by Sándor Márai
Where: Hungary
Genre: Classics/Historical Fiction
Rating: 4 Stars
Review Blurb: "a classic that proves it's anything but bland"

The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon
Where: Spain
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4 Stars
I think this is a must read for anyone who loves books.

The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium Trilogy #1) by Stieg Larsson
Where: Sweden
Genre: Contemporary/Thriller/Mystery
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Highly recommended, as long as you can deal with intense violence/sexual scenes. I haven't reviewed it yet, but I greatly enjoyed it.

Legacy by Susan Kay
Where: England
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4 Stars
Review Blurb: "If you're looking for a cursory glance into Elizabeth Tudor's life, this isn't it."

Nonfiction:

The Pianist by Władysław Szpilman
Where: Poland
Genre: Nonfiction Memoir
Rating: 4 Stars
Review Blurb: "If you've watched the movie and haven't gotten to the book yet, I strongly recommend this heart-rending memoir."

North America/South America (also sadly lacking for recs):

Moloka'i by Alan Brennert
Where: Hawaii
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Review Blurb: "Moloka'i more than fulfilled my expectations of it, giving me characters to root for as well as picturesque settings to satisfy my curiosity of the islands."

Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
Where: Haiti
Genre: Vintage/Contemporary Fiction
Rating: 3.5 Stars
Review Blurb: "Overall, this is a great novel I recommend to those interested in the complexities of women's relationships and the resilience of the people of Haiti."

Alias Grace by Margaret Atwood
Where: Ontario, Canada
Genre: Historical Fiction
Rating: 4 Stars
This one was read pre-blog, but I highly recommend it. It's one of the books that made me a Margaret Atwood fan.

Pirates! by Celia Rees
Where: Bahamas
Genre: Historical Fiction/YA
Rating: 4 Stars
Review Blurb: "This is a book choice both the adult and teen me can agree on- Pirates! is a historical adventure that goes beyond being just a story."

                                             Happy Reading Travels!