Today I'm sharing five of my favorite far-flung reads. As you may guess from the rather tumultuous locales, these are not exactly lighthearted books, but reading them did more than entertain me. Each one stayed with me long after I finished and taught me something new about places I'll probably never go. That really is the magic of reading: the chance to explore, learn, and travel without ever leaving home.
Ever heard of Xinjiang? How about Dailand? I hadn't until I read this completely fascinating book about China's minorities and hinterlands. Focusing on the vast regions where the country borders its 14 neighbors and the central government has far less influence, the author braves nightmare travel conditions to give you a glimpse of a China you've never heard about before.
A Saudi billionaire takes a second wife and his first wife, an expat American, is less than pleased. Sounds like a great set-up for chick lit, right? But in this book, the author uses the marital dilemma as a way to explore cultural differences, economic inequality, Saudi society, and fundamentalism.
A man works to save his neighbor's daughter after her father disappears, eventually enlisting the help of a jaded local surgeon dealing with her own wartime losses. Reading this made me think about how I'd act in desperate situations and taught me something about a place and conflict I'd only heard about in 60 second news clips.
If you've ever wondered what North Korea is like, you must read this book. Distrubing? Yes. Terrifying? Yes. Unforgettable? Absolutely. Adam Johnson won the Pulitzer for his story of survival, sacrifice, and love in the world's most insular country.
This book is as enchanting as the title. Edwidge Danticat's prose almost feel like poetry as she weaves the story of seven-year old Claire and the people of Ville Rose, a small fishing village in Haiti. The intertwined plot lines and rich descriptions pulled me in from the first page.
ooh thanks for the recommendations, they all sounds great, espcially the first one! id love it if youd comment back http://www.amyelizabethfashion.com/2015/01/things-that-have-made-me-happy-recently.html xx
ReplyDeleteSo how do you find these books? They're not ones I'd ever be drawn to by the title or cover, but with your brief synopses they seem fascinating, like I can't get to the bookstore (or let's be honest, the library) fast enough.
ReplyDeleteMaybe you should be writing books, Ashley!
Thanks Kelly! That would be a dream come true. :)
DeleteI get most book recommendations from either friends or magazines (O Magazine, Vanity Fair, Real Simple) and then once I find an author I like, I often use Amazon's "people who bought this also bought this" feature to find more books. I also spend a lot of time scanning the library ebook selection or the $3.99 or less section in the Kindle store.