Welcome to Litsy!

#Readingoceania2024 I was going to use this for Tonga as Cook did stop there in addition to New Zealand, Tahiti, Kiribati and, of course, Hawaii. However, there was exactly two pages on Tonga. I‘ll have to find another book. This was a good view into Cook‘s third voyage of discovery though. It illustrated well the geographical and cultural differences between the islands and it really highlighted how the European and Oceania cultures clashed.

This is a collection of over 50 short stories and poems, by women from various #readingoceania24 countries, including #newzealand, #fiji, #tonga, #papuanewguinea and, the one I‘m going for, #samoa.

Thank you so much for sending this to me Holly @Hooked_on_books - I really enjoyed it and also felt like I‘d learned a lot about the different cultures. I did prefer the more ‘modern‘ storytelling rather than the fables but there was a great mix.

I‘ve really slowed down reading for the month of April with only 8 books finished. Six were for #foodandlit #Venezuela, 1 for #authoramonth (I wasn‘t inclined to read more by this author), and 1 for #readingOceania #Tonga (and completing that challenge for the year). I‘ve tagged my favorite book this month, oddly a book of short stories that I normally don‘t care for, but these were exceptional.

Superb short stories, the first being the title of this book. The giant tortoise named Tu'i Malila was captured by Captain Cook stuck in the ship‘s hold without food and water for a year, to be fresh meat if the crew needed. When he got to #Tonga he gifted her to the queen. The tortoise lives like royalty but never forgets the pain of that year. 😭 Each story is unique and I felt the author did an amazing amount of research. One is hilarious: ⬇️

I‘m just going to say this may be one of the best short stories I‘ve ever read—Darwin in Heaven

#Tonga #readingOceania @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

This book of short stories (not all of them are about #Tonga) are particularly well written. But this opening sentence is definitely one of the best I‘ve ever read.

#readingOceania @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

If you need a book for #Tonga for #readingOceania, the ebook is only 75 cents! @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB

My next ebook for #Tonga, my last country to complete the #readingOceania challenge @Librarybelle @BarbaraBB although I do plan to continue reading books for the challenge

This slim book of short stories focuses on how outside pressures like development, religion, and more put stress on and encourage the alteration of island cultures. It‘s told with sly good humor. I read this slowly and think it might get a bit repetitive if read at a quicker pace.

#ReadingOceania2024 #PapuaNewGuinea

My first book for #readingoceania24 and it‘s a great one! I learned a lot about the people and culture of Oceanic islands.

My favourite quote: we are a ‘Sea of Islands rather than islands in a far sea‘.

I‘m using this for #tonga, and it would also work for #papuanewguinea or #fiji.

Thank you so much for sending it to me, Holly, and I enjoyed reading along with you. I‘m so lucky that you sent me two books that I would never otherwise have read.