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#ReadTheWorld2025

In March and April I‘ve read 7 books set in or written by author from places around the world: #Italy #Switzerland #Iraq #France #Iran #Denmark #Mexico #Argentina

I have the #InternationalBooker to thank for most of these books!

A coming of age story set against the backdrop of the Honduran presidential election of 2017, this book focuses on the Morazán family, primarily Libertad as she turns 18, explores her sexuality, &expresses herself through poetry on an anonymous Instagram acct. We also get glimpses into her older brother, Maynor‘s, life as a budding activist &their family dynamic. I found this YA novel to be revelatory, enlightening, &at times heartbreaking.

#arc

3⭐️s

Read for #readtheworld2025

Memoir about a man‘s life in Kenya. I found it interesting and very specific to Wainaina‘s life. A mix of coming of age and details of how he became a writer.

#kenya

There are so many historical fiction books out there focusing on Germany during WWII, that I found it a refreshing (for lack of a better word) change to have a novel shine light on Asia (specifically Malaya) during this time &highlight the lives effected &tragedies that occurred there.

There are serious topics &it‘s at times a difficult read, but I appreciated how the author approached each topic &how informative this historical fiction book was.

“Every 2 hours and 25 minutes, a woman in #Mexico is strangled, raped, dismembered, burned alive, mutilated, beaten to pulp, and left with bruises and broken bones.”

Combine these gruesome facts on femicide with living the high life of drugs, money, cosmetic surgery and Instagram followers and you probably have the span of Mexican society and of this #InternationalBooker collection of short stories. A good one.

#ReadingTheWorld2025

I enjoyed getting a glimpse into Tibble‘s world and being exposed to indigenous life in New Zealand through her poetry.

⭐️⭐️⭐️

#newzealand #maori #readtheworld2025

While there are parts of this that require you to suspend disbelief, I Did Something Bad is so much more than just a romance with a hint of suspense. I would argue this is more about friendships, focusing on trust and belief, finding oneself, and even a bit of social justice issues.

I enjoyed getting to know the culture of Myanmar as I knew little outside of the civil unrest and armed conflict. ⬇️

#ReadTheWorld2025 #myanmar

A middle aged son drives his old and ill mother across Switzerland. They argue and confront the past. They‘re rich. Her father never stopped being an Nazi. The story is a mix of stream of consciousness, name dropping and little plot.
Not my favorite of the #InternationalBooker25 longlist but it has some good parts.

#ReadTheWorld2025 book 8 #Switzerland

Tom and Anna are Italian graphic designers, who moved to Berlin because it‘s the place to be. They live a life that confronts me with living in Amsterdam: all the trends, the hip & happening, the urban nomads, the gentrification, the coffee everywhere, the underground raves, the emptiness of it all. A mirror for me of who I used to be not that long ago. A great start of the #InternationalBooker longlist!

#FictionalTraveler #BigCity