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I’m going to answer this question with some of the books that I’ve read since the last readathon in October 2014.
These just the Adult Fiction books not about food because Nonfiction and YA and food books all have their own days later in the readathon.
Asia
China
The Three-Body Problem by Liu Cixin
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Set against the backdrop of China’s Cultural Revolution, a secret military project sends signals into space to establish contact with aliens. An alien civilization on the brink of destruction captures the signal and plans to invade Earth.
Hong Kong
Earth to Hell by Kylie Chan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
A fabulous story of gods and demons, shapeshifters and martial arts . . .
This is part of a series that I started earlier and I read a lot of the books this year. I didn’t review them because it is too confusing if you haven’t read them all.
Japan
Fudoki by Kij Johnson
My rating: 2 of 5 stars
Enter the world of Kagaya-hime, a sometime woman warrior, occasional philosopher, and reluctant confidante to noblemen–who may or may not be a figment of the imagination of an aging empress who is embarking on the last journey of her life, setting aside the trappings of court life and reminiscing on the paths that lead her to death.
Saudi Arabia
Finding Nouf by Zoë Ferraris
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
In a blazing hot desert in Saudi Arabia, a search party is dispatched to find a missing young woman. Thus begins a novel that offers rare insight into the inner workings of a country in which women must wear the abaya in public or risk denunciation by the religious police; where ancient beliefs, taboos, and customs frequently clash with a fast-moving, technology-driven modern world.
Singapore
Crazy Rich Asians by Kevin Kwan
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
When New Yorker Rachel Chu agrees to spend the summer in Singapore with her boyfriend, Nicholas Young, she envisions a humble family home and quality time with the man she hopes to marry. But Nick has failed to give his girlfriend a few key details. One, that his childhood home looks like a palace; two, that he grew up riding in more private planes than cars; and three, that he just happens to be the country’s most eligible bachelor.
Turkey
Noah’s Wife by T.K. Thorne
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Noah’s wife is Na’amah, a brilliant young girl with a form of autism (now known as Aspergers). Na’amah wishes only to be a shepherdess on her beloved hills in ancient Turkey–a desire shattered by the hatred of her powerful brother, the love of two men, and a disaster that threatens her world.
Africa
Botswana
The Living Blood by Tananarive Due
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Jessica Jacobs-Wolde worked hard to rebuild her life in Miami after the disappearance of her husband, David, and the death of her daughter Kira at his hand. Four years later, she is still coming to terms with a shocking truth: David, who is part of an ancient group of immortals — a hidden African clan that has survived for more than a thousand years — gave Jessica and their second daughter, Fana, the gift of his healing blood. – Book 2 in a series
Egypt
Nefertiti by Michelle Moran
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
Nefertiti and her younger sister, Mutnodjmet, have been raised in a powerful family that has provided wives to the rulers of Egypt for centuries. Ambitious, charismatic, and beautiful, Nefertiti is destined to marry Amunhotep, an unstable young pharaoh. It is hoped by all that her strong personality will temper the young Amunhotep’s heretical desire to forsake Egypt’s ancient gods, overthrow the priests of Amun, and introduce a new sun god for all to worship.
Ghana
The Book of Phoenix by Nnedi Okorafor
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Phoenix was grown and raised among other genetic experiments in New York’s Tower 7. She is an “accelerated womanâ€â€”only two years old but with the body and mind of an adult, Phoenix’s abilities far exceed those of a normal human. Still innocent and inexperienced in the ways of the world, she is content living in her room speed reading e-books, running on her treadmill, and basking in the love of Saeed, another biologically altered human of Tower 7.
Then one evening, Saeed witnesses something so terrible that he takes his own life. Devastated by his death and Tower 7’s refusal to answer her questions, Phoenix finally begins to realize that her home is really her prison, and she becomes desperate to escape.
But Phoenix’s escape, and her destruction of Tower 7, is just the beginning of her story. Before her story ends, Phoenix will travel from the United States to Africa and back, changing the entire course of humanity’s future.
Kenya
The God Who Begat a Jackal: A Novel by Nega Mezlekia
My rating: 3 of 5 stars
In The God Who Begat a Jackal, the 17th-century feudal system, vassal uprisings, religious mythology, and the Crusades are intertwined with the love between Aster, the daughter of a feudal lord, and Gudu, the court jester and family slave. Aster and Gudu’s relationship is the ultimate taboo, but supernatural elements presage a destiny more powerful than the rule of man.
Nigeria
Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
When a massive object crashes into the ocean off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria’s most populous and legendary city, three people wandering along Bar Beach (Adaora, the marine biologist- Anthony, the rapper famous throughout Africa- Agu, the troubled soldier) find themselves running a race against time to save the country they love and the world itself… from itself.
Rwanda
Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
This gloriously written tale—set in modern-day Rwanda—introduces one of the most singular and engaging characters in recent fiction: Angel Tungaraza—mother, cake baker, keeper of secrets—a woman living on the edge of chaos, finding ways to transform lives, weave magic, and create hope amid the madness swirling all around her.
Zimbabwe
We Need New Names by NoViolet Bulawayo
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A remarkable literary debut — shortlisted for the Man Booker Prize! The unflinching and powerful story of a young girl’s journey out of Zimbabwe and to America.
What would I recommend most?
If you like mysteries – Finding Nouf.
If you like science fiction – Lagoon and The Three Body Problem.
If you like historical fiction – Nefertiti and Noah’s Wife.
Previous suggestions
Ooh I love your list and your pictures! very cool and it really makes you want to read what you have recommended. Am very impressed and need to get reading the ones I’ve missed!