Around the World in 80 Books discussion

Please post your nominations here for April's Books of the month, set in the country of Ireland and the US state of Iowa.

Here are some lists to get you started. Books do not need to be present on these lists to be accepted.

Ireland:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/6...
http://www.goodreads.com/group/booksh...

Iowa:
http://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/6...

Ireland: Skippy Dies
Iowa: The Year We Left Home

Thanks!

For Ireland, Joyce's 'Ulysses'. Well, someone had to put it out there!

I vote for Isolde, Queen of the Western Isle for Ireland.

Roddy Doyle, The Commitments for Ireland and then we can watch the movie, which is fabulous.

Ireland Nights Of Rain And Stars

Don't have one yet for Iowa. Trying to think....

I would like to nominate Home for Iowa.

Ireland: The Gathering

Iowa: A Thousand Acres

Hattie wrote: "Ireland Nights Of Rain And Stars"

Hattie, that is one of the few Maeve Binchy books that isn't set in Ireland. It is set in Greece.

Lisa wrote: "Roddy Doyle, The Commitments for Ireland and then we can watch the movie, which is fabulous."

The movie is fabulous.

For Iowa, I nominate Methland: The Death and Life of an American Small Town.

Ireland: "A Monster Callls" by Patrick Ness & Siobhan Dowd

Ireland: The Light of Evening

Ireland - Star of the sea - by joseph o connor - i read this whilst on holiday in Greece and my memories of the holiday feel tinged with Ireland as the book was so evocative!

Little Heathens: Hard Times and High Spirits on an Iowa Farm During the Great Depression [Paperback]
Mildred Armstrong Kalish

A memoir about growing up in Iowa during the Great Depression.

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson for Iowa.

Saints and Sinners by Edna O'Brien -won the Frank O'Connor short story prize in 2011

Ireland: 1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion by Morgan Llywelyn

Iowa: A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley

I have many Ireland books on my to read list
The Poor Mouth: A Bad Story About the Hard Life, At Swim, Two Boys, The Country Girls, Round Ireland with a Fridge

I would recommend Tenants of Time for Ireland

Oh I agree with Silver and I vote for the same:

Ireland: 1916: A Novel of the Irish Rebellion by Morgan Llywelyn

Iowa: A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley

I have never read a book by Jane Smiley.

Ireland: At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O'Brien (I've always wanted to read it. O'Brien can be a challenge to read but should make for some interesting discussion. The Best of Myles is one of my all-time favorites, not to mention The Third Policeman.)

Iowa: A Thousand Acres by Jane Smiley

Round Ireland with a Fridge by Tony Hawks is a hoot, though something of a "stunt" book, if you know what I mean.

Ireland - I nominate the story of Lucy Gault - by William Trevor. Everyone i know who has read it has highly recommended it.

IRELAND:

The Year Of The French
The Tenants Of Time

both by Thomas Flanagan, and both quite good.

I've not read the third book in the series, on the 1919 uprising, The End of the Hunt, but might it be worth a look?

IOWA:

I realize Bill Bryson's The Lost Continent: Travels in Small Town America is not entirely about Iowa, but it was hysterically funny, particularly when he got going about Nebraska. FWIW, I could not get into his The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid when I tried to read it a few years ago, maybe by nominating it here I'll embarrass myself into trying it again.

For Ireland, I'd also suggest:
Venetia Kelly's Traveling Show: A Novel of Ireland and Absolution by Murder(" A Mystery of Ancient Ireland"), both on my to-read list.

I'll hope for The Year of the French, already mentioned -- because I have that in the mail.

I just read the Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid. Like Lumpenprole said above, it's hard to get into at first, but as he goes on it gets better, and it's interesting getting a historical and cultural snapshot of Iowa in the 50s. It was good, even though some parts were more interesting than others.

I just read two very funny mysteries set in Iowa by Kathleen Bacus: Calamity Jayne and Calamity Jayne Rides Again. They are good if people want something very light.

Nominations are now closed. Polls for the April books will be posted this weekend.

Lumpenprole wrote: "IRELAND:

The Year Of The French
The Tenants Of Time

both by Thomas Flanagan, and both quite good.

I've not read the third book in the series, on the 1919 uprising, The End of the Hunt, but migh..."

The Tenants of Time is the best in the series. The End of the Hunt is very much worth a look though and an excellent read.

guess thats good bye i tryed from the bottom of life

Daniel wrote: "guess thats good bye i tryed from the bottom of life"

Daniel,
Perhaps I am misunderstanding your post, but it has me concerned for you. Though I don't know you, I hope you are alright.

read the book youll know whats in store

a way to get out of hard times thankyou for being concerned mayby we can know each other

I'm glad that you are okay. Thanks for putting my mind at ease.

it was really hard making it to finally be a author need some assistance on this good reads way it is so much to find out thankyou