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Currently reading

August
172. Waiting: A Novel of Uganda at War--ANC ★★★
173. The Negro Grandsons of Vercingetorix--ANC ★★1/2
174. Told By Starlight in Chad--ANC ★★★★
175. Pirates Don't Go to Kindergarten! ★★★
176. Sweet Dreamers ★★★★
177. A Perfect Spot ★★★★
178. Deadpool (2022) Vol. 1 ★★1/2
179. Plume ★★★
180. What Did You Eat Yesterday? Vol. 20 ★★★1/2
181. The Case of the Missing Marquess ★★★1/2
182. The Case of the Left-Handed Lady ★★★1/2
183. Horned Helmet--BAC ★★★
184. The Case of the Bizarre Bouquet ★★★1/2
185. Grandma's List ★★1/2
186. The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan ★★★1/2
187. The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline ★★★1/2
188. The Case of the Gypsy Good-bye ★★★1/2
189. Beatrice the Sixteenth ★★1/2
190. Mission to Kala--ANC ★★★1/2
191. The Actual True Story of Ahmed and Zarga--ANC ★★★
192. Caught in the Storm--ANC ★★★1/2
193. The Dark Child--1001 & ANC ★★★

September
194. Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb ★★★
195. Aya: Love in Yop City--ANC ★★★
196. The Blue Hour ★★★★
197. I Hate Fairyland Volume 1: Madly Ever After ★★★★
198. I Hate Fairyland Volume 2: Fluff My Life ★★★★
199. I Hate Fairyland Volume 3: Good Girl ★★★★
200. I Hate Fairyland Vol. 4: Sadly Never After ★★★★
201. I Hate Fairyland Volume 5: Gert's Inferno ★★★★
202. Witch Week--BAC ★★★★
203. Who Will Make the Snow? ★★★
204. Dancing with Life: Tales from the Township--ANC ★★1/2
205. The Silence of the Wilting Skin--ANC ★★
206. Chaka--1001 & ANC ★★1/2
207. The Purple Violet of Oshaantu--ANC ★★★1/2
208. The Witcher Volume 7: The Ballad of Two Wolves ★★1/2
209. House of Slaughter Vol. 3: The Butcher's Return ★★★
210. Igifu--ANC ★★★1/2
211. Quills of Desire--ANC ★★★1/2

October
212. Devils' Line Vol. 1 ★★★
213. Devils' Line Vol. 2 ★★★
214. Mothman's Merry Cryptid Christmas ★★1/2
215. Shinega's Village: Scenes of Ethiopian Life--ANC ★★★1/2
216. Haruki Murakami Manga Stories 1: Super-Frog Saves Tokyo, Where I'm Likely to Find It, Birthday Girl, The Seventh Man ★★
217. The Brood ★★1/2
218. The Palm-Wine Drinkard--ANC ★★★
219. Devils' Line Vol. 3 ★★★
220. Helpmeet ★★★★1/2
221. Devils' Line Vol. 4 ★★★
222. Devils' Line Vol. 5 ★★★
223. Alberic the Wise and Other Journeys ★★★★★
224. Njamba Nene and the Flying Bus--ANC ★★
225. Njamba Nene's Pistol--ANC ★★
226. The Forbidden Territory--BAC ★★★1/2
227. No Time Like the Past--BAC ★★★★
228. Brick Lane--BAC ★★★
229. Devils' Line Vol. 6 ★★★
230. Devils' Line Vol. 7 ★★★
231. Devils' Line Vol. 8 ★★★

November
232. The Owl and the Nightingale--BAC ★★★★
233. Devils' Line Vol. 9 ★★★
234. What You Need to Be Warm ★★1/2
235. Five Nights Before the Summit--ANC ★★★
236. A Few Rules for Predicting the Future: An Essay ★★★★
237. The Great Giants of the Arctic ★★★1/2
238. Moriarty the Patriot Vol. 13 ★★★1/2
239. Sir Orfeo--BAC ★★★1/2
240. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me ★★1/2
241. The Mimes of the Courtesans ★★★
242. Drops of God: Mariage Vol. 1 ★★★
243. Drops of God: Mariage Vol. 2 ★★★
244. Castle Shade ★★★1/2
245. The Lantern's Dance ★★★1/2
246. 300,000 Kisses: Tales of Queer Love from the Ancient World ★★★1/2
247. One Hundred Tales ★★★1/2
248. The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen ★★★★
249. The Whistlers' Room ★★★★
250. A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel ★★★★
251. Mission to Marathon ★★1/2
252. Re-Animator (Devil's Advocates) ★★★1/2
253. The Silence of the Lambs (Devil's Advocates) ★★★1/2
254. Rachel Versus Bonecrusher the Mighty--BAC ★★★
255. Rachel and the Difference Thief--BAC ★★★

December
256. The Leopard Behind the Moon--ANC ★★
257. Heaven Official's Blessing Vol. 1 ★★★★1/2
258. Within My Branches ★★★★1/2
259. Devils' Line Vol. 10 ★★1/2
260. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me ★★★
261. Hand on the Navel--ANC ★1/2
262. Devils' Line Vol. 11 ★★1/2
263. Devils' Line Vol. 12 ★★1/2
264. Devils' Line Vol. 13 ★★
265. Devils' Line Vol. 14 ★★
266. Tihku ★
267. Aspects of the Novel--BAC ★★★1/2
268. Devlin Waugh: Swimming in Blood ★★★★
269. Forest of a Thousand Daemons--ANC ★★★
270. The Qalupalik ★★★1/2
271. The Devil's Mountain ★★1/2
272. Time Travel Logistics and Support series ★★1/2
273. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight--BAC ★★★★★
274. Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens ★★★★
275. Archie vs. Predator ★★★

January
1. The Changeling--BAC ★★★
2. The Elusive Fox--ANC ★★
3. Goat Mountain--ANC ★★★
4. Cuphead Volume 1: Comic Capers & Curios ★★★
5. Valerian & Laureline Volume 6: Ambassador of the Shadows ★★★★
6. Valerian & Laureline Volume 7: On the False Earths ★★★★
7. Valerian & Laureline Volume 8: Heroes of the Equinox ★★★★
8. Valerian & Laureline Volume 9: Châtelet Station, Destination Cassiopeia ★★★1/2
9. Valerian & Laureline Volume 10: Brooklyn Line, Terminus Cosmos ★★★
10. The Longest Memory--BAC ★★★1/2
11. iZombie, Vol. 1: Dead to the World ★★★1/2
12. iZombie, Vol. 2: uVampire ★★★1/2
13. iZombie Vol. 3: Six Feet Under & Rising ★★★1/2
14. The Illustrator's Notebook--ANC ★★★
15. iZombie Vol. 4: Repossession ★★★1/2
16. The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup--BAC ★★★1/2
17. The Witch's Brat--BAC ★★★★
18. The Far Pavilions--BAC ★★★1/2
19. Rosie Runs ★1/2
20. The Dictator's Last Night--ANC ★★
21. Gold Dust--ANC ★★★
22. Island Moors & Native Dance--ANC ★
23. The Ancient ★★
24. Just One Damned Thing After Another--BAC ★★★★
25. Heather, Oak, and Olive--BAC ★★★★
26. The Quick--BAC ★★★1/2
27. Beyond the Horizon--ANC ★★★

February
28. The Poe Clan Volume 1 ★★1/2
29. Cuphead Volume 2: Cartoon Chronicles & Calamities ★★★
30. What Abigail Did That Summer--BAC ★★★1/2
31. Sumi's Prize ★★★★
32. Mayombe--ANC ★★
33. The Poe Clan Volume 2 ★★1/2
34. The Epic of Askia Mohammed--ANC ★★★
35. What Did You Eat Yesterday? Vol. 19 ★★★
36. We Killed Mangy-Dog & Other Mozambique Stories--ANC ★★★
37. Flame-Colored Taffeta--BAC ★★★1/2
38. Die--BAC ★★★★
39. Tales of Polynesia: Folktales from Hawai'i, New Zealand, Tahiti, and Samoa ★★★1/2
40. Who Am I?--ANC ★1/2
41. The Ultimate Tragedy--ANC ★★★1/2
42. The Conscript: A Novel of Libya’s Anticolonial War--ANC ★★★★1/2
43. Journey ★★★★1/2
44. The Queen Elizabeth Story--BAC ★★★
45. Fetch Book One: The Journey ★★★
46. A Symphony of Echoes--BAC ★★★★
47. Sumi's Special Happening ★★★★
48. Sumi and the Goat and the Tokyo Express ★★★★
49. Charlie's secret chocolate book ★★★
50. Angola Is Wherever I Plant My Field--ANC ★★★1/2
51. The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories--BAC ★★★★
52. La Bastarda--ANC ★★★1/2
53. Quest ★★★★1/2
54. Return ★★★★1/2
55. All Passion Spent--BAC ★★★★
56. Notes on Grief--ANC ★★
57. Ba-ra-kei: Ordeal by Roses: Photographs of Yukio Mishima ★★★★
58. Every Leaf a Hallelujah--ANC ★★1/2
59. African Tales: Folklore of the Central African Republic--ANC ★★1/2

March
60. The Witcher: Ronin ★★★
61. The Exile ★★★★
62. The Bride Price--ANC ★★★1/2
63. Ossobó: Essays on the Literature of São Tomé and Príncipe--ANC ★★1/2
64. Sláine: Warrior's Dawn ★★★1/2
65. A Marsh Island ★★★★
66. The Witches of World War II ★★
67. The Salt Grows Heavy ★★1/2
68. Trotsky for Beginners--BAC ★★★
69. Shuna's Journey ★★★★1/2
70. Aya--ABC ★★★
71. Aya of Yop City--ANC ★★★
72. The Future God of Love--ANC ★★★
73. Aya: The Secrets Come Out--ANC ★★★
74. The River in the Belly--ANC ★1/2
75. Moriarty the Patriot, Vol. 10 ★★★
76. Possum Magic ★★★★
77. The Open Curtain ★★★1/2
78. Lord of the Dance: An African Retelling--ANC ★★★
79. The Beggars' Strike, or, The Dregs of Society--ANC ★★★
80. The Wedding of Zein and Other Stories--ANC ★★★1/2
81. Natural Novel ★1/2
82. Genocide: Rwanda and Burundi--ANC ★
83. Why Goats Smell Bad and Other Stories from Benin--ANC ★★★★
84. Mema--ANC ★★★
85. Smouldering Charcoal--ANC ★★★
86. The Afersata--ANC ★★★
87. Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang ★★
88. A Note of Explanation--BAC ★★★★
89. Desert December--ANC ★★★
90. There Is a Country: New Fiction from the New Nation of South Sudan--ANC ★★★

April
91. Blueblood: A Fairy Tale Revolution--BAC ★★★
92. William III & Mary II: Partners in Revolution--BAC ★★★1/2
93. Wash Day Diaries ★★1/2
94. Absalom: Ghosts of London ★★★1/2
95. Absalom: Under a False Flag ★★★1/2
96. Absalom: Terminal Diagnosis ★★★1/2
97. Where the Weird Things Are: An Ocean Twilight Zone Adventure--ANC ★★★1/2
98. The Parachute Drop--ANC ★★★1/2
99. Moriarty the Patriot Vol. 11 ★★★
100. Something is Killing the Children Vol. 5 ★★★★1/2
101. Something is Killing the Children Vol. 6 ★★★★1/2
102. The Complete Phonogram--BAC ★★★
103. Mary I : The Daughter of Time--BAC ★★★
104. The Last Nomad: Coming of Age in the Somali Desert--ANC ★★★1/2
105. Harvest of Skulls--ANC ★1/2
106. The Rainbow Serpent ★★★1/2
107. Knot of Shadows ★★★★1/2
108. A Second Chance--BAC ★★★★
109. Teddy’s Midnight Adventure ★★★★1/2
110. The Stranger--1001 & ANC ★★★

May
111. Folk Tales and Fables from the Gambia: Volume 1--ANC ★★1/2
112. This past must address its present: The 1986 Nobel lecture--ANC ★★★
113. Map Reading: The Nobel Lecture and Other Writings--ANC ★★★
114. Long Goes to Dragon School ★★★1/2
115. The African--ANC ★★★
116. Scenes from Havian Life--BAC ★★★
117. The Adventures of Ben Gunn--BAC ★★★
118. Autumnal: The Complete Series ★★★
119. Fearscape Vol. 1 ★★★
120. The Wah-Wah Diaries: The Making of a Film--ANC ★★★★
121. Of Charms, Ghosts and Grievances ★★★1/2
122. The Late Bourgeois World--ANC ★★
123. The Mummy Awakens--ANC ★★★
124. Prisons We Choose to Live Inside--ANC ★★
125. The Trolley--ANC ★
126. Waiting for the Barbarians--1001 & ANC ★★★1/2

June
127. Song Bird--ANC ★★★1/2
128. Kibogo--ANC ★★★1/2
129. The Shadow of Things to Come--ANC ★★★1/2
130. From Hell--BAC ★★★
131. Sulwe--ANC ★★★1/2
132. The Kaffir of Karthala--ANC ★★
133. Eve Out of Her Ruins--ANC ★★1/2
134. A Trail Through Time--BAC ★★★★
135. A Bargain of Blood and Gold ★★★
136. The Paper Bag Princess ★★★★
137. A Draught of Ash and Wine ★★★
138. How to Read a Folktale: The Ibonia Epic from Madagascar--ANC ★★★
139. When Megan Went Away ★★★★
140. The Summer Isles {novella}--BAC ★★★★
141. Whisper of the Woods ★★1/2
142. Scum Villain's Self-Saving System Vol. 1 ★★★★
143. The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System Vol. 2 ★★★★
144. The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System Vol. 3 ★★★★
145. The Scum Villain's Self-Saving System Vol. 4 ★★★★
146. Mad Max: Fury Road: The Prelude to the Blockbuster Film ★★★
147. The Upright Revolution: Or Why Humans Walk Upright--ANC ★★★★

July
148. Settled Wanderers: The Poetry of Western Sahara--ANC ★★★1/2
149. Chike and the River--ANC ★★★
150. Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation Vol. 1 ★★★1/2
151. Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation Vol. 2 ★★★1/2
152. Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation Vol. 3 ★★★1/2
153. Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation Vol. 4 ★★★1/2
154. Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation Vol. 5 ★★★1/2
155. Prosper's Demon--BAC ★★★1/2
156. Gilgamesh the King ★★★★
157. The Revenge of Ishtar ★★★★
158. The Last Quest of Gilgamesh ★★★★
159. How Leopard Got His Claws--ANC ★★★1/2
160. Inside Man--BAC ★★★1/2
161. Black Mamba Boy--BAC ★★1/2
162. John Constantine, Hellblazer Vol. 1: Marks of Woe--BAC ★★★★
163. John Constantine, Hellblazer Vol. 2: The Best Version of You--BAC ★★★★
164. Moriarty the Patriot, Vol. 12 ★★★
165. The Secrets of Insects ★★★
166. The Skull: A Tyrolean Folktale ★★1/2
167. The Ghost in Bone--BAC ★★★1/2
168. The Starling's Song ★★★★
169. Stravaging “Strange” ★★★1/2
170. The Alchemaster's Apprentice ★★★1/2
171. Mansfield Park--1001 & BAC ★★★

British Author Challenge

Wildcard: Doorstops
1. The Far Pavilions by M. M. Kaye ★★★1/2
2. The Quick by Lauren Owen ★★★1/2
3. Die by Kieron Gillen ★★★★
4. The Complete Phonogram by Kieron Gillen ★★★
5. Mansfield Park by Jane Austen ★★★

January: Rosemary Sutcliff & Fred D'Aguiar
1. The Changeling by Rosemary Sutcliff ★★★
2. The Minstrel and the Dragon Pup by Rosemary Sutcliff ★★★1/2
3. The Witch's Brat by Rosemary Sutcliff ★★★★
4. Heather, Oak, and Olive by Rosemary Sutcliff ★★★★
5. Flame-Colored Taffeta by Rosemary Sutcliff ★★★1/2
6. The Queen Elizabeth Story by Rosemary Sutcliff ★★★

1. The Longest Memory by Fred D'Aguiar ★★★1/2

February: Short Stories & Novellas
1. What Abigail Did That Summer by Ben Aaronovitch ★★★1/2
2. The Ladies of Grace Adieu and Other Stories by Susanna Clarke ★★★★
3. The Ghost in Bone by Mike Carey ★★★1/2

March: Vita Sackville-West & Tariq Ali
1. All Passion Spent by Vita Sackville-West ★★★★
2. A Note of Explanation by Vita Sackville-West ★★★★

1. Trotsky for Beginners by Tariq Ali, illustrated by Phil Evans ★★★

April: British Queens (non-fiction)
1. William III & Mary II: Partners in Revolution by Jonathan Keates ★★★1/2
2. Mary I : The Daughter of Time by John Edwards ★★★

May: Jan Morris & R.F. Delderfield
1. Scenes from Havian Life by Jan Morris ★★★

1. The Adventures of Ben Gunn by R. F. Delderfield ★★★

June: Time Travel & Alternate History
1. Just One Damned Thing After Another by Jodi Taylor, read by Zara Ramm ★★★★
2. A Symphony of Echoes by Jodi Taylor, read by Zara Ramm ★★★★
3. A Second Chance by Jodi Taylor, read by Zara Ramm ★★★★
4. From Hell by Alan Moore ★★★
5. A Trail Through Time by Jodi Taylor, read by Zara Ramm ★★★★
6. The Summer Isles {novella} by Ian R. MacLeod ★★★★
7. John Constantine, Hellblazer Vol. 1: Marks of Woe by Simon Spurrier and Kat Howard ★★★★
8. John Constantine, Hellblazer Vol. 2: The Best Version of You by Simon Spurrier ★★★★
9. No Time Like The Past by Jodi Taylor, read by Zara Ramm ★★★★

July: Nadifa Mohamed & Tom Holt/KJ Parker
1. Prosper's Demon by KJ Parker ★★★1/2
2. Inside Man by KJ Parker ★★★1/2

1. Black Mamba Boy by Nadifa Mohamed ★★1/2

August: Seafaring Stories
1. Horned Helmet by Henry Treece ★★★

September: School Stories
1. Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones ★★★★

October: Monica Ali & Dennis Wheatley
1. The Forbidden Territory by Dennis Wheatley ★★★1/2

1. Brick Lane by Monica Ali ★★★

November: Pre-Tudor Era Works (before 1486)
1. The Owl and the Nightingale translated by Simon Armitage ★★★★
2. Sir Orfeo translated by Edward Eyre Hunt ★★★1/2
3. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight translated by Simon Armitage ★★★★★

December: Malorie Blackman & E. M. Forster
1. Blueblood: A Fairy Tale Revolution by Malorie Blackman, illustrated by Laura Barrett ★★★
2. Rachel Versus Bonecrusher the Mighty by Malorie Blackman, illustrated by Kim Harley ★★★
3. Rachel and the Difference Thief by Malorie Blackman, illustrated by Kim Harley ★★★

1. Aspects of the Novel by E. M. Forster ★★★1/2

African Novel Challenge

January: North Africa
1. Morocco: The Elusive Fox by Muhammad Zafzaf, translated by Mbarek Sryfi and Roger Allen ★★
2. Tunisia: Goat Mountain by Habib Selmi, translated by Charis Olszok ★★★1/2
3. Egypt: The Illustrator's Notebook by Mohieddine Ellabbad, translated by Sarah Quinn ★★★
4. Algeria: The Dictator's Last Night by Yasmina Khadra, translated by Julian Evans ★★
5. Libya: Gold Dust by Ibrahim al-Koni, translated by Elliott Colla ★★★
6. Western Sahara: Settled Wanderers: The Poetry of Western Sahara by Sam Berkson and Muhammad Sulaiman ★★★1/2

February: Lusophone Lit
1. São Tomé and Príncipe: Island Moors & Native Dance by Gervásio Kaiser ★
2. Angola: Mayombe by Pepetela, translated by Michael Wolfers ★★
3. Mozambique: We Killed Mangy-Dog & Other Mozambique Stories by Luís Bernardo Honwana, translated by Dorothy Guedes ★★★
4. Cabo Verde: Who Am I? by Bela Monteiro ★1/2
5. Guinea-Bissau: The Ultimate Tragedy by Abdulai Silá, translated by Jethro Soutar ★★★1/2
6. Angola: Angola is Wherever I Plant My Field by João Melo, translated by Luísa Venturini ★★★1/2
7. São Tomé and Príncipe: Ossobó: Essays on the Literature of São Tomé and Príncipe by Donald Burness ★★1/2

March: Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie or Buchi Emecheta
1. Notes on Grief by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie ★★

1. The Bride Price by Buchi Emecheta ★★★1/2

April: The Horn of Africa
1. Eritrea: The Conscript: A Novel of Libya’s Anticolonial War by Gebreyesus Hailu, translated by Ghirmai Negash ★★★★1/2
2. Sudan: The Wedding of Zein and Other Stories by Tayeb Salih, translated by Denys Johnson-Davies, illustrated by Ibrahim Salahi ★★★1/2
3. Ethiopia: The Afersata by Sahle Sellassie ★★★
4. South Sudan: There Is a Country: New Fiction from the New Nation of South Sudan by Nyuol Lueth Tong ★★★
5. Somalia: The Last Nomad: Coming of Age in the Somali Desert by Shugri Said Salh ★★★1/2
6. Djibouti: Harvest of Skulls by Abdourahman A. Waberi, translated by Dominic Thomas ★1/2
7. Ethiopia: Shinega's Village: Scenes of Ethiopian Life by Sahle Sellassie, translated by Wolf Leslau, illustrated by Li Gelpke ★★★1/2

May: African Nobel Winners
1. The Stranger by Albert Camus, translated by Matthew Ward ★★★
2. This past must address its present: The 1986 Nobel lecture by Wole Soyinka ★★★
3. Map Reading: The Nobel Lecture and Other Writings by Abdulrazak Gurnah ★★★
4. The African by J. M. G. Le Clézio, translated by C. Dickson ★★★
5. The Late Bourgeois World by Nadine Gordimer ★★
6. The Mummy Awakens by Naguib Mahfouz, translated by Raymond Stock ★★★
7. Prisons We Choose to Live Inside by Doris Lessing ★★
8. The Trolley by Claude Simon, translated by Richard Howard ★
9. Waiting for the Barbarians by J. M. Coetzee ★★★1/2

June: East Africa
1. Seychelles: Beyond the Horizon by Robert Grandcourt ★★★
2. Uganda: The Future God of Love by Dilman Dila ★★★
3. DRC: The River in the Belly by Fiston Mwanza Mujila, translated by J. Bret Maney ★1/2
4. Burundi: Genocide: Rwanda and Burundi by Edward L Nyankanzi ★
5. Tanzania: Song Bird by Tololwa M. Mollel, illustrated by Rosanne Litzinger ★★★1/2
6. Rwanda: Kibogo by Scholastique Mukasonga, translated by Mark Polizzotti ★★★1/2
7. Kenya: Sulwe by Lupita Nyong'o, illustrated by Vashti Harrison ★★★1/2
8. Comoros: The Kaffir of Karthala by Mohamed A. Toihiri, translated by Anis Memon ★★
9. Mauritius: Eve Out of Her Ruins by Ananda Devi, translated by Jeffrey Zuckerman ★★1/2
10. Madagascar: How to Read a Folktale: The Ibonia Epic from Madagascar translation & commentary by Lee Haring ★★★
11. Uganda: Waiting: A Novel of Uganda at War by Goretti Kyomuhendo ★★★

July: Chinua Achebe or Ben Okri
1. Every Leaf a Hallelujah by Ben Okri, illustrated by Diana Ejaita ★★1/2

1. Chike and the River by Chinua Achebe, illustrated by Edel Rodriguez ★★★
2. How Leopard Got His Claws by Chinua Achebe & John Iroaganachi, illustrated by George Mogaka ★★★1/2

August: Francophone Africa
1. Central African Republic: African Tales: Folklore of the Central African Republic collected and translated by Polly Strong, illustrated by Rodney Wimer ★★1/2
2. Côte d’Ivoire: Aya by Marguerite Abouet, translated by Helge Dascher ★★★
3. Côte d’Ivoire: Aya of Yop City by Marguerite Abouet, translated by Helge Dascher ★★★
4. Côte d’Ivoire: Aya: The Secrets Come Out by Marguerite Abouet, translated by Helge Dascher ★★★
5. Côte d’Ivoire: Lord of the Dance: An African Retelling by Véronique Tadjo ★★★
6. Senegal: The Beggars' Strike, or, The Dregs of Society by Aminata Sow Fall, translated by Dorothy S. Blair ★★★
7. Burkina Faso: The Parachute Drop by Norbert Zongo, translated by Christopher Wise ★★★1/2
8. Togo: The Shadow of Things to Come by Kossi Efoui, translated by Chris Turner ★★★1/2
9. Republic of the Congo: The Negro Grandsons of Vercingetorix by Alain Mabanckou, translated by Bill Johnston ★★1/2
10. Chad: Told by Starlight in Chad by Joseph Brahim Seid, translated by Karen Haire Hoenig ★★★★
11. Cameroon: Mission to Kala by Mongo Beti, translated by Peter Green ★★★1/2
12. Mauritania: The Actual True Story of Ahmed and Zarga by Mohamedou Ould Slahi with Larry Siems ★★★
13. Mali: Caught in the Storm by Seydou Badian, translated by Marie-Thérèse Noiset ★★★1/2
14. Guinea: The Dark Child by Camara Laye, translated by James Kirkup and Ernest Jones ★★★
15. Côte d’Ivoire: Aya: Love in Yop City by Marguerite Abouet, translated by Helge Dascher ★★★

September: Southern Africa
1. Malawi: Smouldering Charcoal by Tiyambe Zeleza ★★★
2. Namibia: Desert December by Dorian Haarhoff, illustrated by Leon Vermeulen ★★★
3. South Africa: Where the Weird Things Are: An Ocean Twilight Zone Adventure by Zoleka Filandar, illustrated by Patricia Hooning ★★★1/2
4. Eswatini: The Wah-Wah Diaries: The Making of a Film by Richard E. Grant, read by the author ★★★★
5. Zimbabwe: Dancing with Life: Tales from the Township by Christopher Mlalazi ★★1/2
6. Botswana: The Silence of the Wilting Skin by Tlotlo Tsamaase ★★
7. Lesotho: Chaka by Thomas Mofolo, translated by Daniel P. Kunene ★★1/2
8. Namibia: The Purple Violet of Oshaantu by Neshani Andreas ★★★1/2
9. Zambia: Quills of Desire by Binwell Sinyangwe ★★★1/2

October: Scholastique Mukasonga or Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o
1. The Upright Revolution: Or Why Humans Walk Upright by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, translated by the author, illustrated by Sunandini Banerjee ★★★★
2. Njamba Nene and the Flying Bus by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, translated by Wangũi wa Goro, illustrated by Emmanuel Kariũki ★★
3. Njamba Nene's Pistol by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, translated by Wangũi wa Goro, illustrated by Emmanuel Kariũki ★★

1. Igifu by Scholastique Mukasonga, translated by Jordan Stump ★★★1/2

November: African thrillers/crime writers
1. Five Nights Before the Summit by Mukuka Chipanta ★★★

December: West Africa
1. Niger: The Epic of Askia Mohammed performed by Nouhou Malio, translated and edited by Thomas A. Hale ★★★
2. Equatorial Guinea: La Bastarda by Trifonia Melibea Obono, translated by Lawrence Schimel ★★★1/2
3. Benin: Why Goats Smell Bad and Other Stories from Benin by Raouf Mama, illustrated by Imna Arroyo ★★★★
4. Gabon: Mema by Daniel Mengara ★★★
5. The Gambia: Folk Tales and Fables from the Gambia: Volume 1 by Dembo Fanta Bojang and Sukai Mbye Bojang, read by Kumba Maane Sanneh and Sukai Mbye Bojang ★★1/2
6. Ghana: Grandma's List by Portia Dery, illustrated by Toby Newsome ★★1/2
7. Nigeria: The Palm-Wine Drinkard by Amos Tutuola ★★★
8. Liberia: The Leopard Behind the Moon by Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev ★★
9. Sierra Leone: Hand on the Navel by Lemuel Johnson ★1/2
10. Nigeria: Forest of a Thousand Daemons: A Hunter’s Saga by D. O. Fagunwa, translated by Wole Soyinka ★★★

Create Your Own Visited Countries Map

I'm only listing the first book I read for a country because I don't want the list to get out of hand. I'll be ticking off a few more African countries in 2023.

2020
1. United Kingdom--Weight: The Myth of Atlas and Heracles by Jeanette Winterson
2. South Korea--Tokyo Ueno Station by Yu Miri
3. Equatorial Guinea--La Bastarda by Trifonia Melibea Obono
4. Iran--Women Without Men by Shahrnush Parsipur
5. Brazil--Along the Tapajós by Fernando Vilela
6. United States--Come Tumbling Down by Seanan McGuire
7. Bangladesh--The Gurkha and the Lord of Tuesday by Saad Z. Hossain
8. Poland--Blood of Elves by Andrzej Sapkowski
9. Japan--The Heart of Thomas by Moto Hagio
10. Canada--Fifteen Poems by Leonard Cohen
11. Spain--Bowie: An Illustrated Life by María Hesse
12. Nigeria--We Should All Be Feminists by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
13. Suriname--The Cost of Sugar by Cynthia McLeod
14. France--The Three Musketeers by Alexandre Dumas
15. Taiwan--Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin
16. Egypt--Heart of the Night by Naguib Mahfouz
17. Turkmenistan--The Revenge of the Foxes by Ak Welsapar
18. Russia--Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy
19. Jamaica--Falling in Love with Hominids by Nalo Hopkinson
20. Rwanda--The Barefoot Woman by Scholastique Mukasonga
21. India--Shubh Diwali! by Chitra Soundar
22. Israel--Bear and Fred: A World War II Story by Iris Argaman
23. China--The Moon Opera by Bi Feiyu
24. Republic of the Congo--Jazz and Palm Wine by Emmanuel Boundzéki Dongala
25. Belgium--Cassio 1. The First Assassin by Stephen Desberg
26. Malaysia--Rupert Wong, Cannibal Chef by Cassandra Khaw
27. New Zealand--Gideon the Ninth by Tamsyn Muir
28. Sweden--Vei Vol. 1 by Sara Bergmark Elfgren
29. Croatia--Harleen by Stjepan Šejić
30. Botswana--The Silence of the Wilting Skin by Tlotlo Tsamaase
31. Singapore--Farquhar by Joshua Ip
32. North Korea--The Red Years: Forbidden Poems From Inside North Korea by Bandi
33. Australia--Phoresis by Greg Egan
34. Mexico--Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
35. Netherlands--Rampokan Java by Peter van Dongen
36. Barbados--Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord
37. Madagascar--Beyond the Rice Fields by Naivo
38. Zimbabwe--Running with Mother by Christopher Mlalazi
39. Algeria--The Meursault Investigation by Kamel Daoud
40. Eswatini (formerly Swaziland)--Teaching English in Swaziland: essays on the life of Gordon James Thomas by Sarah Mkhonza
41. Angola--Good Morning Comrades by Ondjaki
42. Italy--Mirka Andolfo's Mercy Vol. 1: The Fair Lady, the Frost and the Fiend by Mirka Andolfo
43. Kenya--The Perfect Nine: The Epic of Gĩkũyũ and Mũmbi by Ngũgĩ wa Thiongʾo
44. Turkey--Soulscape by Bahadir Baruter
45. Switzerland--Lyric Novella by Annemarie Schwarzenbach
46. Germany--Lucky Luke Saddles Up by Mawil
47. Austria--Little Death by Thomas Kriebaum
48. Norway--Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen
49. Columbia--The Bitch by Pilar Quintana
50. Argentina--Petite Fleur by Iosi Havilio
51. Ireland--Deadpool vs. Old Man Logan by Declan Shalvey

2021
52. Finland--The Brothers by Asko Sahlberg
53. Burundi--Weep Not, Refugee by Marie-Thérèse Toyi
54. Zambia--The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell
55. Thailand--Arid Dreams: Stories by Duanwad Pimwana
56. Indonesia--The Original Dream by Nukila Amal
57. Cameroon--Black Caps and Red Feathers by John Nkemngong Nkengasong
58. Armenia--Three Apples Fell from the Sky by Narine Abgaryan
59. Côte d'Ivoire--Queen Pokou: Concerto for a Sacrifice by Véronique Tadjo
60. Mauritania--The Desert and the Drum by Mbarek Ould Beyrouk
61. Venezuela--The Caiman by María Eugenia Manrique
62. South Africa--Cape Town Curios by Colin Cloud Dance
63. Mozambique--Rain and Other Stories by Mia Couto
64. Iceland--The Blue Fox by Sjón
65. Chad--Told by Starlight in Chad by Joseph Brahim Seid
66. Djibouti--Naming the Dawn by Abdourahman A. Waberi
67. Uruguay--The Naked Woman by Armonía Somers
68. Sri Lanka--Dressing up with Archchi by Nadishka Aloysius
69. Afghanistan--Earth and Ashes by Atiq Rahimi
70. Libya--Under the Tripoli Sky by Kamal Ben Hameda
71. Albania--Three Elegies for Kosovo by Ismail Kadare
72. Uzbekistan--The Dead Lake by Hamid Ismailov
73. Czech Republic--Animal Adaptations: Unique Body Parts by Radka Píro
74. Ecuador--Crude: A Memoir by Pablo Fajardo and Sophie Tardy-Joubert
75. Kyrgyzstan--Jamila by Chingiz Aĭtmatov

2022
76. Palestine--Describing the Past by Ghassan Zaqtan
77. Yemen--From the Land of Sheba: Tales of the Jews of Yemen collected & edited by S. D. Goitein
78. Syria--The Luzumiyat of Abu'l-Ala by Abū al-ʿAlāʾ al-Maʿarrī
79. Qatar--The Firefly by Ameera H. Al-Naemi
80. Oman--Mah and Me by Ibtihaj Al Harthi
81. Kuwait--The White Nights of Ramadan by Maha Addasi
82. Jordan--The Sandwich Swap by Rania Al Abdullah & Kelly DiPucchio
83. Bahrain--Blood & Moon by M. G. Darwish
84. Iraq--Ibn Fadlan and the land of darkness: Arab travellers in the far north
85. Lebanon--I, the Divine: A Novel in First Chapters byRabih Alameddine
86. Saudi Arabia--Wolves of the Crescent Moon by Yousef Al-Mohaimeed
87. UAE--The Sand Fish by Maha Gargash
88. Pakistan--A God in Every Stone by Kamila Shamsie
89. Uganda--Waiting: A Novel of Uganda at War by Goretti Kyomuhendo
90. Tunisia--Goat Mountain by Habib Selmi
91. Portugal--The Tale of the Unknown Island by José Saramago
92. Tajikistan--The Sandalwood Box: Folk Tales from Tadzhikistan translated by Katya Sheppard
93. Greece--The Archipelago on Fire - Part 1 by Giorgos Vlachos
94. Kazakhstan--Behind the Silk Curtain by Gulistan Khamzayeva
95. Serbia--Cross to Bear by Marko Stojanović
96. Haiti--Blue by Emmelie Prophète
97. Vietnam--The Secret of Hoa Sen by Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai
98. Azerbaijan--Ballad of the Stars by G. Altov and Valentina Zhuravlyova
99. Philippines--Juan and the Asuangs: A tale of Philippine ghosts and spirits by José Aruego
100. Guatemala--Barrilete: A Kite for the Day of the Dead by Elisa Amado
101. El Salvador--Magic Dogs of the Volcanoes by Manlio Argueta
102. Benin--The Barefoot book of tropical tales by Raouf Mama
103. Cambodia--Dara's Cambodian New Year by Sothea Chiemruom
104. Laos--Dia's Story Cloth: The Hmong People's Journey of Freedom by Dia Cha
105. Nepal--Dog Named Haku: A Holiday Story from Nepal by Margarita Engle, Amish Karanjit, and Nicole Karanjit
106. Mongolia--My Little Round House by Bolormaa Baasansuren
107. Myanmar--Smile As They Bow by Nu Nu Yi
108. Bhutan--Aunty Mouse: a traditional folktale from Bhutan by Kunzang Choden
109. Panama--Christmas Surprise For Chabelita by Argentina Palacios
110. Cuba--Child of the sun: a Cuban legend by Sandra Martín Arnold
111. Mali--A Gift from Childhood: Memories of an African Boyhood by Baba Wagué Diakité
112. Liberia--Why Leopard has spots : Dan stories from Liberia by Won-Ldy Paye and Margaret H. Lippert
113. Ghana--Sosu's Call by Meshack Asare
114. Chile--The Composition by Antonio Skármeta
115. Bolivia--Waira's First Journey by Eusebio Topooco
116. Tanzania--Shadow Dance by Tololwa M. Mollel

2023
117. Morocco--The Elusive Fox by Muḥammad Zafzāf
118. São Tomé and Príncipe--Island Moors & Native Dance by Gervásio Kaiser
119. Seychelles--Beyond the Horizon by Robert Grandcourt
120. Niger--The Epic of Askia Mohammed performed by Nouhou Malio
121. Samoa--Tales of Polynesia: Folktales from Hawai'i, New Zealand, Tahiti, and Samoa
122. Cabo Verde--WHO AM I? by Bela Monteiro
123. Guinea-Bissau--The Ultimate Tragedy by Abdulai Silá
124. Eritrea--The Conscript: A Novel of Libya’s Anticolonial War by Gebreyesus Hailu
125. CAR--African Tales: Folklore of the Central African Republic collected and translated by Polly Strong
126. DRC--The River in the Belly by Fiston Mwanza Mujila
127. Senegal--The Beggars' Strike by Aminata Sow Fall
128. Sudan--The Wedding of Zein and Other Stories by Tayeb Salih
129. Bulgaria--Natural Novel by Georgi Gospodinov
130. Gabon--Mema by Daniel Mengara
131. Malawi--Smouldering Charcoal by Tiyambe Zeleza
132. Ethiopia--The Afersata by Sahle Sellassie
133. Namibia--Desert December by Dorian Haarhoff
134. South Sudan--There Is a Country: New Fiction from the New Nation of South Sudan edited by Nyuol Lueth Tong
135. Burkina Faso--The Parachute Drop by Norbert Zongo
136. Somalia--The Last Nomad: Coming of Age in the Somali Desert by Shugri Said Salh
137. The Gambia--Folk Tales and Fables from the Gambia: Volume 1 by Dembo Fanta Bojang and Sukai Mbye Bojang
138. Togo--The Shadow of Things to Come by Kossi Efoui
139. Comoros--The Kaffir of Karthala by Mohamed A. Toihiri
140. Mauritius--Eve Out of Her Ruins by Ananda Devi
141. Romania--Whisper of the Woods by Ennun Ana Iurov
142. Western Sahara--Settled Wanderers: The Poetry of Western Sahara by Sam Berkson and Muhammad Sulaiman
143. Guinea--The Dark Child by Camara Laye
144. Ukraine--Who Will Make the Snow? by Taras Prokhasko & Marjana Prokhasko
145. Lesotho--Chaka by Thomas Mofolo
146. Sierra Leone--Hand on the Navel by Lemuel Johnson

reserved

I hope I am not jumping in too early to wish you a happy new thread, Amanda?!

>11 PaulCranswick: Perfect timing! Thanks!

Happy new thread, Amanda!

>13 FAMeulstee: Thank you!

Happy new one, Amanda!

>15 drneutron: Thanks!

Quiet here this month, Amanda.

From your update in >2 amanda4242: I can see that you have been busy though!

>17 PaulCranswick: I do tend to neglect my own thread in favor of reading.

Hope your week is going well.

>18 amanda4242: I am doing ok, Amanda. Trying to finish three books by the month end and it will be nip and tuck.

>19 PaulCranswick: I've got two I want to finish before the end of the month; fortunately they're both under two hundred pages.

172. Waiting: A Novel of Uganda at War

173. The Negro Grandsons of Vercingetorix

174. Told By Starlight in Chad

175. Pirates Don't Go to Kindergarten!

176. Sweet Dreamers

177. A Perfect Spot

179. Plume

178. Deadpool (2022) Vol. 1

180. What Did You Eat Yesterday? Vol. 20

181. The Case of the Missing Marquess
182. The Case of the Left-Handed Lady
184. The Case of the Bizarre Bouquet
186. The Case of the Peculiar Pink Fan
187. The Case of the Cryptic Crinoline
188. The Case of the Gypsy Good-bye

183. Horned Helmet by Henry Treece

An Icelandic orphan runs off to sea with a band of Vikings. I found the story a little weak, but it's got some nice historical details and the characters are pretty good.

185. Grandma's List by Portia Dery, illustrated by Toby Newsome

189. Beatrice the Sixteenth by Irene Clyde

More of an interesting artifact than an interesting read. The invented land, Armeria, seems like the kind of place an affluent Edwardian English person would find a pleasantly exotic place to visit.

Kudos to Mint Editions for republishing obscure titles, but I wish they had more diligent proofreaders: this book is riddled with typos that look like OCR errors.

Received via Early Reviewers.

190. Mission to Kala by Mongo Beti, translated by Peter Green

191. The Actual True Story of Ahmed and Zarga by Mohamedou Ould Slahi and Larry Siems

192. Caught in the Storm by Seydou Badian, translated by Marie-Thérèse Noiset

193. The Dark Child by Camara Laye, translated by James Kirkup and Ernest Jones

Stats

Books
new reads: 168
re-reads: 25
1001 books (all editions): 4
British Author Challenge: 35
African Novel Challenge: 69

Original language
Arabic: 6
Bulgarian: 1
Chinese: 9
Dutch: 2
English: 118
Finnish: 1
Fon: 1
French: 28
German: 1
Gikuyu: 1
Japanese: 9
Malagasy: 1
Multiple: 2
No linguistic content: 4
Portuguese: 4
Russian: 1
Sango: 1
Songhay: 1
Spanish: 1
Tigrinya: 1

Translations: 71

From
Edelweis: 4
Izneo: 2
Kindle Unlimited: 7
Library: 61
NetGalley: 9
New: 21
Open Library: 21
Scribd: 27
Shelves: 41

pages read: 29,877
audiobook hours: 46 hours 03 minutes
average rating: 3.26 stars

Authors
female: 78 books by 45 authors
male: 102 books by 85 authors
N/A (multiple authors, unknown, etc.): 13 books

Nationalities
Algerian: 1
American: 33
Angolan: 2
Australian: 2
Beninese: 1
British: 46
Bulgarian: 1
Burkinabè: 1
Burundian: 1
Cabo Verdean: 1
Cameroonian: 1
Canadian: 6
Chadian: 1
Chinese: 9
Comorian: 1
Congolese (DRC): 1
Congolese (RC): 1
Djiboutian: 1
Dutch: 2
Egyptian: 2
Equatoguinean: 1
Eritrean: 1
Ethiopian: 1
Finnish: 1
French: 12
Gabonese: 1
German: 1
Ghanaian: 1
Guinea-Bissauan: 1
Guinean: 1
Ivorian: 4
Japanese: 10
Kenyan: 2
Libyan: 1
Malagasy: 1
Malawian: 1
Malaysian: 1
Malian: 1
Mauritian: 1
Moroccan: 1
Mozambican: 1
N/A (multiple authors, unknown, etc.): 9
Namibian: 1
Nigerian: 5
Nigerien: 1
Polish: 1
Romanian: 1
Russian: 1
Rwandan: 1
São Toméan: 1
Senegalese: 1
Seychellois: 1
Somali: 1
South African: 3
Sudanese: 1
Tanzanian: 1
Togolese: 1
Tunisian: 1
Ugandan: 2
Unknown: 1

58 different countries?

Hope all is well, Amanda.

>27 PaulCranswick: Everything will be well once my AC is fixed; it crapped out Friday evening so I've been having to make do with a fan all weekend! The repair guy is supposed to be here today, so fingers crossed!

Gosh you don't need the aircon not working at the moment! Good luck with getting it fixed.

>29 PaulCranswick: It's been bearable since it didn't get too hot over the weekend, but I'm certainly looking forward to having it fixed.

194. Trinity: A Graphic History of the First Atomic Bomb by Jonathan Fetter-Vorm

Pretty good, but often read like a middle school science lesson.

195. Aya: Love in Yop City by Marguerite Abouet

196. The Blue Hour by Isabelle Simler

Lovely picture book about twilight fading to night, rendered in increasingly dark shades of blue.

197. I Hate Fairyland Volume 1: Madly Ever After by Skottie Young
198. I Hate Fairyland Volume 2: Fluff My Life by Skottie Young
199. I Hate Fairyland Volume 3: Good Girl by Skottie Young
200. I Hate Fairyland Vol. 4: Sadly Never After by Skottie Young
201. I Hate Fairyland Volume 5: Gert's Inferno by Skottie Young

Like Deadpool as a Disney princess. Completely bonkers, but I love it.

202. Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones

The the third book in the extraordinary Chronicles of Chrestomanci. Jones does a wonderful job of showing the miserable pecking order of schools--and then makes school even worse by throwing in the threat of being burned at the stake!

A great entry in a great series.

203. Who Will Make the Snow? by Taras Prokhasko and Marjana Prokhasko, translated by Boris Dralyuk and Jennifer Croft

A tale of a family of moles and their sylvan adventures. Animal loving kids will no doubt enjoy it, but adults will probably find it a little saccharine.

Received via NetGalley.

204. Dancing with Life: Tales from the Township by Christopher Mlalazi

205. The Silence of the Wilting Skin by Tlotlo Tsamaase

A re-read. I stand by my original review.

206. Chaka by Thomas Mofolo, translated by Daniel P. Kunene

207. The Purple Violet of Oshaantu by Neshani Andreas

208. The Witcher Volume 7: The Ballad of Two Wolves by Bartosz Sztybor

209. House of Slaughter Vol. 3: The Butcher's Return by Tate Brombal

210. Igifu by Scholastique Mukasonga, translated by Jordan Stump

211. Quills of Desire by Binwell Sinyangwe

>34 amanda4242: I still hope to get to Chaka before the year is out, Amanda.

Have a splendid weekend.

>35 PaulCranswick: Chaka...starts better than it ends.

Hope your weekend is going well!

Stats

Books
new reads: 179
re-reads: 32
1001 books (all editions): 5
British Author Challenge: 36
African Novel Challenge: 76

Original language
Arabic: 6
Bulgarian: 1
Chinese: 9
Dutch: 2
English: 131
Finnish: 1
Fon: 1
French: 31
German: 1
Gikuyu: 1
Japanese: 9
Malagasy: 1
Multiple: 2
No linguistic content: 4
Portuguese: 4
Russian: 1
Sango: 1
Sesotho: 1
Songhay: 1
Spanish: 1
Tigrinya: 1
Ukrainian: 1

Translations: 75

From
Edelweis: 4
Izneo: 2
Kindle Unlimited: 7
Library: 68
NetGalley: 10
New: 23
Open Library: 21
Scribd: 29
Shelves: 47

pages read: 32,464
audiobook hours: 46 hours 03 minutes
average rating: 3.27 stars

Authors
female: 84 books by 48 authors
male: 113 books by 92 authors
N/A (multiple authors, unknown, etc.): 14 books

Nationalities
Algerian: 1
American: 39
Angolan: 2
Australian: 2
Beninese: 1
British: 47
Bulgarian: 1
Burkinabè: 1
Burundian: 1
Cabo Verdean: 1
Cameroonian: 1
Canadian: 7
Chadian: 1
Chinese: 9
Comorian: 1
Congolese (DRC): 1
Congolese (RC): 1
Djiboutian: 1
Dutch: 2
Egyptian: 2
Equatoguinean: 1
Eritrean: 1
Ethiopian: 1
Finnish: 1
French: 13
Gabonese: 1
German: 1
Ghanaian: 1
Guinea-Bissauan: 1
Guinean: 1
Ivorian: 5
Japanese: 10
Kenyan: 2
Libyan: 1
Malagasy: 1
Malawian: 1
Malaysian: 1
Malian: 1
Mauritian: 1
Moroccan: 1
Mosotho: 1
Motswana: 1
Mozambican: 1
N/A (multiple authors, unknown, etc.): 10
Namibian: 2
Nigerian: 5
Nigerien: 1
Polish: 2
Romanian: 1
Russian: 1
Rwandan: 2
São Toméan: 1
Senegalese: 1
Seychellois: 1
Somali: 1
South African: 3
Sudanese: 1
Tanzanian: 1
Togolese: 1
Tunisian: 1
Ugandan: 2
Unknown: 1
Zambian: 1
Zimbabwean: 1

Wishing you a wonderful weekend, dear Amanda.

>38 PaulCranswick: And the same to you, Paul!

214. Mothman's Merry Cryptid Christmas by Andrew Shaffer

It's a one-trick pony and the trick isn't very impressive.

Received via NetGalley.

215. Shinega's Village: Scenes of Ethiopian Life by Sahle Sellassie, translated by Wolf Leslau, illustrated by Li Gelpke

216. Haruki Murakami Manga Stories 1: Super-Frog Saves Tokyo, Where I'm Likely to Find It, Birthday Girl, The Seventh Man adapted by Jean-Christophe Deveney, illustrated by PMGL

217. The Brood by Stephen R. Bissette

If ever a book needed an editor!

Clocking in at nearly 700 pages, not only is this an exhaustive look at David Cronenberg's The Brood, it's an overlong look at all the books and movies that might have influenced Cronenberg, or been influenced by his movie.

Bissette frequently goes off on tangents that have very tenuous connections to the film. Was it really necessary to have entire chapters on the books Cronenberg's father might have had on his shelf or on Andrzej Zulawski's Possession? And since the book lacks an index there is no easy way to find pertinent information.

When he is on topic, Bissette is great. He gives a lot of interesting information on the genesis, filming, and reception of the movie, as well as providing context for it in the landscape of Canadian film. Also of interest are the transcripts of interviews he did with several people who worked on the movie.

I hope someday Bissette revises this book to trim the fat, to fix the myriad typos in the second half, and to include an index.

218. The Palm-Wine Drinkard by Amos Tutuola

220. Helpmeet by Naben Ruthnum

223. Alberic the Wise and Other Journeys by Norman Juster, illustrated by Domenico Gnoli

224. Njamba Nene and the Flying Bus by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, translated by Wangũi wa Goro, illustrated by Emmanuel Kariũki
225. Njamba Nene's Pistol by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o, translated by Wangũi wa Goro, illustrated by Emmanuel Kariũki

226. The Forbidden Territory by Dennis Wheatley

Two men attempt to rescue a friend who has disappeared somewhere in Soviet Russia.

This is a pulpy thriller and very much of its era--who writing these days would have their heroes concerned about having an adequate supply of cigars for their adventure?--but it is an entertaining read. There's some added interest for having an early (1933) depiction of the dangers of Stalinist Russia.

227. No Time Like the Past by Jodi Taylor, read by Zara Ramm

228. Brick Lane by Monica Ali

So freaking slow! There's actually a pretty good story in there, but the book is at least twice as long as it needs to be.

212. Devils' Line Vol. 1 by Ryo Hanada, translated by Jocelyne Allen
213. Devils' Line Vol. 2 by Ryo Hanada, translated by Jocelyne Allen
219. Devils' Line Vol. 3 by Ryo Hanada, translated by Jocelyne Allen
221. Devils' Line Vol. 4 by Ryo Hanada, translated by Jocelyne Allen
222. Devils' Line Vol. 5 by Ryo Hanada, translated by Jocelyne Allen
229. Devils' Line Vol. 6 by Ryo Hanada, translated by Jocelyne Allen
230. Devils' Line Vol. 7 by Ryo Hanada, translated by Jocelyne Allen
231. Devils' Line Vol. 8 by Ryo Hanada, translated by Jocelyne Allen

Stats

Books
new reads: 196
re-reads: 35
1001 books (all editions): 5
British Author Challenge: 39
African Novel Challenge: 80

Original language
Arabic: 6
Bulgarian: 1
Chaha: 1
Chinese: 9
Dutch: 2
English: 139
Finnish: 1
Fon: 1
French: 31
German: 1
Gikuyu: 3
Japanese: 18
Malagasy: 1
Multiple: 2
No linguistic content: 4
Portuguese: 4
Russian: 1
Sango: 1
Sesotho: 1
Songhay: 1
Spanish: 1
Tigrinya: 1
Ukrainian: 1

Translations: 87

From
Edelweis: 4
Izneo: 2
Kindle Unlimited: 12
Library: 74
NetGalley: 11
New: 24
Open Library: 21
Scribd: 32
Shelves: 51

pages read: 36,390
audiobook hours: 54 hours 58 minutes
average rating: 3.25 stars

Authors
female: 94 books by 50 authors
male: 122 books by 98 authors
N/A (multiple authors, unknown, etc.): 15 books

Nationalities
Algerian: 1
American: 42
Angolan: 2
Australian: 2
Beninese: 1
British: 50
Bulgarian: 1
Burkinabè: 1
Burundian: 1
Cabo Verdean: 1
Cameroonian: 1
Canadian: 8
Chadian: 1
Chinese: 9
Comorian: 1
Congolese (DRC): 1
Congolese (RC): 1
Djiboutian: 1
Dutch: 2
Egyptian: 2
Equatoguinean: 1
Eritrean: 1
Ethiopian: 2
Finnish: 1
French: 13
Gabonese: 1
German: 1
Ghanaian: 1
Guinea-Bissauan: 1
Guinean: 1
Ivorian: 5
Japanese: 18
Kenyan: 4
Libyan: 1
Malagasy: 1
Malawian: 1
Malaysian: 1
Malian: 1
Mauritian: 1
Moroccan: 1
Mosotho: 1
Motswana: 1
Mozambican: 1
N/A (multiple authors, unknown, etc.): 12
Namibian: 2
Nigerian: 6
Nigerien: 1
Polish: 2
Romanian: 1
Russian: 1
Rwandan: 2
São Toméan: 1
Senegalese: 1
Seychellois: 1
Somali: 1
South African: 3
Sudanese: 1
Tanzanian: 1
Togolese: 1
Tunisian: 1
Ugandan: 2
Zambian: 1
Zimbabwean: 1

>42 amanda4242: Congratulations on reaching 3 x 75, Amanda!

>45 amanda4242: Your list of author nationalities is impressive!

>46 FAMeulstee: Thanks!

Yes, well done my friend. Your commitment to the challenges is heroic!

>48 PaulCranswick: Thanks! Although "obsessive" might be more accurate!

>49 amanda4242: Hahaha aren't we both?

Amanda, you will always be special to me in the group.



Happy Thanksgiving from an appreciative non-celebrator.

>51 PaulCranswick: Thank you, my friend. And you're lucky you don't celebrate Thanksgiving: it's all the headaches of Christmas without the benefit of presents.

>52 amanda4242: I do like turkey though to be fair!

>53 PaulCranswick: I only like turkey as a means of cooking stuffing.

232. The Owl and the Nightingale translated by Simon Armitage

OMG IT'S A MEDIEVAL TWITTER WAR!! HOW IS THIS NOT MORE FAMOUS?!

Seriously, it's an owl and a nightingale trash talking each other in verse and it is hilarious!

233. Devils' Line Vol. 9 by Ryou Hanada, translated by Jocelyne Allen

234. What You Need to Be Warm by Neil Gaiman

235. Five Nights Before the Summit by Mukuka Chipanta

I could have lived without the flashbacks as they slowed the pace, but on the whole it's pretty good.

236. A Few Rules for Predicting the Future: An Essay by Olivia E. Butler, illustrated by Manzel Bowman

Octavia Butler's essay is as observant and wise as I've come to expect of her.

The illustrations look like a beginner's attempt to use photoshop and detract from the essay. Manzel Bowman's collages do not suit this or really any of Butler's works.

Received via NetGalley.

237. The Great Giants of the Arctic by Jaypeetee Arnakak and Neil Christopher, illustrated by Kaja Kajfez

238. Moriarty the Patriot Vol. 13 by Ryosuke Takeuchi, illustrated by Hikaru Miyoshi, translated by Adrienne Beck

239. Sir Orfeo translated by Edward Eyre Hunt

The myth of Orpheus re-imagined in the style of a Breton lai. The poem works incredibly well since musicians, fairy abductions, and trips to the underworld are staples of British legends.

240. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me by Maura McHugh

241. The Mimes of the Courtesans by Lucian

242. Drops of God: Mariage Vol. 1 by Tadashi Agi, illustrated by Shu Okimoto, translated by Robert Harkins
243. Drops of God: Mariage Vol. 2 by Tadashi Agi, illustrated by Shu Okimoto, translated by Robert Harkins

244. Castle Shade by Laurie R. King

There's not a strong focus on detective work in this one, and the solution to the central mystery gives off Scooby-Doo vibes. However, the Transylvanian setting is cool, the historical details interesting, and Russell and Holmes are still great characters.

245. The Lantern's Dance by Laurie R. King

246. 300,000 Kisses: Tales of Queer Love from the Ancient World edited and translated by Seán Hewitt, illustrated by Luke Edward Hall

An excellent introduction to queer writings from Ancient Greece and Rome. Seán Hewitt's selections showcase a variety of perspectives and his introductions provide good context for the works; his translations are serviceable, although he did tone down Catullus 16.

Luke Edward Hall's illustrations aren't really to my taste, but he does a good job of capturing the feelings of the selections.

Recevied via NetGalley.

247. One Hundred Tales by Osamu Tezuka, translated by Iyasu Adair Nagata

248. The Secret Lives of Country Gentlemen by KJ Charles

249. The Whistlers' Room by Paul Alverdes, translated by Basil Creighton

250. A Nobleman's Guide to Seducing a Scoundrel by KJ Charles

251. Mission to Marathon by Geoffrey Trease

252. Re-Animator (Devil's Advocates) by Eddie Falvey

253. The Silence of the Lambs (Devil's Advocates) by Barry Forshaw

254. Rachel Versus Bonecrusher the Mighty by Malorie Blackman, illustrated by Kim Harley
255. Rachel and the Difference Thief by Malorie Blackman, illustrated by Kim Harley

>55 amanda4242: I will definitely start my year with Armitage's book, Amanda.

Have a lovely weekend.

>60 PaulCranswick: Sounds like a great way to kick off the new year!

Hope your weekend is going well.

>55 amanda4242: I will definitely start my year with Armitage's book, Amanda.

Have a lovely weekend.

>62 PaulCranswick: You're repeating yourself, my friend, but I'll take the well wishes again!

>63 amanda4242: I don't know what happened there, Amanda. Computer playing up or brain freeze?

>64 PaulCranswick: Let's blame the computer.

>65 amanda4242: Probably both

Quiet over here, my friend. Hope that your weekend has been a great one.

>67 PaulCranswick: It's been a busy weekend; what little time I've had has been spent reading!

Hope you enjoyed your weekend.

Me too. I have made a bit of progress but a lot of book shopping!

HI Amanda. You read a lot of books this year, and some good ones are in the lists.

>69 PaulCranswick: I wish my errands had included book shopping!

>70 Whisper1: Hi! I did read some really good books this year, and fortunately the stinkers are already fading from memory!

Thinking about you during the festive season, Amanda.

>73 PaulCranswick: Best wishes to you and yours!

Happy new year!

256. The Leopard Behind the Moon by Mayonn Paasewe-Valchev

Over-complicated and nothing is really resolved.

257. Heaven Official's Blessing Vol. 1 by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

258. Within My Branches

260. Twin Peaks: Fire Walk with Me by Lindsay Hallam

261. Hand on the Navel by Lemuel Johnson

Does nothing to improve my opinion of modern poetry.

259. Devils' Line Vol. 10 by Ryo Hanada, translated by Jocelyne Allen
262. Devils' Line Vol. 11 by Ryo Hanada, translated by Jocelyne Allen
263. Devils' Line Vol. 12 by Ryo Hanada, translated by Jocelyne Allen
264. Devils' Line Vol. 13 by Ryo Hanada, translated by Jocelyne Allen
265. Devils' Line Vol. 14 by Ryo Hanada, translated by Jocelyne Allen

266. Tihku edited by by Kutikuti

267. Aspects of the Novel by E. M. Forster

Forster is insightful, erudite, and has a lovely style. Certainly the most enjoyable literary criticism I've ever read.

268. Devlin Waugh: Swimming in Blood by John Smith

269. Forest of a Thousand Daemons by D. O. Fagunwa, translated by Wole Soyinka, illustrated by Bruce Onabrakpeya

270. The Qalupalik by Elisha Kilabuk, illustrated Joy Ang

271. The Devil's Mountain by H.G. de Lisser

This review is of the Mint Editions paperback edition.

The Devil's Mountain is a so-so mystery, with a side of romance thrown in. There are some entertaining supporting characters, and several lovely descriptions of the Jamaican countryside. I might have liked the book more, but I wasn't able to fully immerse myself in it because of the scores of typos in the book.

Every chapter of this book has errors in it. There are misspelled words, missing words, repeated words, misused words ("everyone" instead of "every one"), missing punctuation, misspelled names, transposed words, and occasionally entire sentences mangled so badly that they are incomprehensible. The copy I received is not marked as a review copy, and the Kindle sample contains the same errors as my print edition; I found scans online of the periodical the book was originally published in and none of these errors appear there, so they are new to this edition.

The publisher boasts that each of their books is "freshly typeset and clean and easy to read," but they must not employ proofreaders because there is no way a human being would read a sentence like "Major Fellspar do the bar, and Lawsistent with his dignity thar he should be personally identified with this search for stolen jewels" (first sentence of Chapter VIII) and think that it should be printed and sold for $14.99.

I applaud Mint Editions for republishing obscure works, but I cannot recommend their books due to the many errors they contain.

The Devil's Mountain can be read for free, sans typos, online at the Digital Library of the Caribbean in Planter's Punch Vol.1, No 3.

272. Time Travel Logistics and Support series by Natasja Rose

273. Sir Gawain and the Green Knight translated by Simon Armitage

274. Unruly: The Ridiculous History of England's Kings and Queens by David Mitchell, read by the author

275. Archie vs. Predator by Alex de Campi

Stats

Books
new reads: 237
re-reads: 38
1001 books (all editions): 5
British Author Challenge: 45
African Novel Challenge: 84

Original language
Arabic: 6
Bulgarian: 1
Chaha: 1
Chinese: 10
Dutch: 2
English (Modern): 163
English (Middle): 3
Finnish: 1
Fon: 1
French: 32
German: 2
Gikuyu: 3
Greek (Ancient): 1
Japanese: 28
Malagasy: 1
Multiple: 4
No linguistic content: 4
Portuguese: 4
Russian: 1
Sango: 1
Sesotho: 1
Songhay: 1
Spanish: 1
Tigrinya: 1
Ukrainian: 1
Yoruba: 1

Translations: 107

From
Edelweis: 8
Izneo: 2
Kindle Unlimited: 13
Library: 89
NetGalley: 16
New: 26
Open Library: 25
Scribd: 40
Shelves: 56

pages read: 43,687
audiobook hours: 66 hours 42 minutes
average rating: 3.24 stars

Authors
female: 113 books by 58 authors
male: 139 books by 114 authors
N/A (multiple authors, unknown, etc.): 23 books

Nationalities
Algerian: 1
American: 46
Angolan: 2
Australian: 3
Beninese: 1
British: 65
Bulgarian: 1
Burkinabè: 1
Burundian: 1
Cabo Verdean: 1
Cameroonian: 1
Canadian: 9
Chadian: 1
Chinese: 10
Comorian: 1
Congolese (DRC): 1
Congolese (RC): 1
Djiboutian: 1
Dutch: 2
Egyptian: 2
Equatoguinean: 1
Eritrean: 1
Ethiopian: 2
Finnish: 1
French: 14
Gabonese: 1
German: 2
Ghanaian: 1
Guinea-Bissauan: 1
Guinean: 1
Irish: 1
Ivorian: 5
Jamaican: 1
Japanese: 26
Kenyan: 4
Liberian: 1
Libyan: 1
Malagasy: 1
Malawian: 1
Malaysian: 1
Malian: 1
Mauritian: 1
Moroccan: 1
Mosotho: 1
Motswana: 1
Mozambican: 1
N/A (multiple authors, unknown, etc.): 17
Namibian: 2
Nigerian: 7
Nigerien: 1
Polish: 2
Roman: 1
Romanian: 1
Russian: 1
Rwandan: 2
São Toméan: 1
Senegalese: 1
Seychellois: 1
Sierra Leonean: 1
Somali: 1
South African: 3
Sudanese: 1
Tanzanian: 1
Togolese: 1
Tunisian: 1
Ugandan: 2
Zambian: 2
Zimbabwean: 1