Miscellaneous: Awards/Tags is the tagline to store random posts that don’t really belong elsewhere. They may involve tags, awards, challenges, and other book blogging nonsense.
Awards/Tags
Around The World in YA Tag
This tag was created by Becca @ Becca and Books with the purpose of listing a country and then listing a favourite book of yours that takes place in that country. For me, I think I’ll have to do the reverse where I choose books specifically for their country (because it’s easier that way).
…and some of these aren’t YA BUT WHO’S CHECKING?
I was tagged by Deanna @ A Novel Glimpse!
Canada
I’ll be honest: I don’t read “true” Canadian Literature as often as I would like but a large part of that may be due to interest in the particular identification of the genre. When I think CanLit, I associate either aboriginal or stories spanning a certain province. Even narratives that engage the Canadian identity would work but a lot of the times, I lack interest in them.
So the book I’m going with, Eric Walter’s The Rule of Three, is a trilogy set in a city an hour away from me. Part post-apocalyptic but mostly survival story.
Russia
Are “Russian inspired” choices a cop out of an answer? Too bad because I’m totally going to say The Grisha Trilogy/Six of Crows. It’s what the tourism department of Ravka would have wanted. It’s what Nikolai would have wanted.
United States of America
From Chicago Newcago to New York/Manhattan New Babilar, I love the post-apocalyptic vibes of these cities in Brandon Sanderson’s urban fantasy, The Reckoner’s Trilogy. For the first book, Steelheart, imagine Chicago as you know it but have the metropolis encased in steel; stretching into the undergrounds as well. It’s incredibly fun!
Australia
Is Aussieland a country or a continent? GOOGLE TELLS ME BOTH. WHAT IS THIS WIZARDRY. Bananas. But I really don’t know how I came across Christos Tsiolkas’ Barracuda. I feel like I was interested to read The Slap first (which apparently has gotten readers all raged up) but with the 2014 Olympics, I was in the mood to learn the fix-ins of the mental/physical struggles of sports and training? Well, that’s what I tell myself at least LOL. Let’s just say that it was a lengthy read.
Vietnam
There are a small handful of books I’ve read after starting this blog in which I haven’t reviewed. Kim Thuy’s Ru is among them. This is probably the thinnest and shortest book I’ve ever read (each chapter is basically a vignette) that captures the migrant experience from Vietnam to Canada. In a way, it does vividly portray both countries (maybe not in substance but the cultures and traditions are there). Plus, this book won Canada Reads 2015.
Laos
The Merit Birds was an ARC I requested on my mission to read more CanLit. The trend, it seems, is that most of these stories revolve around juxtaposing the difference in Western/Eastern cultures. But unlike Ru, where the story heads toward Canada, this story brings Canada to the setting of Laos and features both normative cultural practices with exoticized tourist-y things. Best of both worlds, I guess, for the Canadian protagonist who follows his mother’s job to a new world.
Japan
So you know how YA Contemporary Romance and I just typically don’t get along? Well, this book was full of all the tropes that simply irk me (quite possible because it’s hard for me to buy into). It glorified so many Japanese stereotypes into one catch-all thing. As if you say everyone loves walking through Akibahara. Or everyone eats chirashi for every meal. Or that it’s some blessing that you find some girl who exudes vintage [Western] flair when all else seems buttoned up. You’d seriously get more from watching an anime, idk. #rage
Korea
If those comments for Japan weren’t bad enough, then we have this book that hyperbolizes the professional online gaming community into something really ugly. Is it a grind-out type of environment? Yeah. But to continually push this environment of bullying at the pro-level? The representation simply misleads.
It’s about a kid who gets out of the States and finds his way onto a Korean team. Cool, awesome. But then this douche trashes on everything in Korea as if he could not have predicted the culture shock he’d experience. That, and the fact that lo-and-behold a romantic interest is involved back home….dude, c’mon…
England/Scotland
A Darker Shade of Magic probably leans more to the adult-range of things but WHATEVER. It was nice that when I read this book, parts of Grey London stick out to me from my memory back during high school when our tour band went on a three-week trip around England/Scotland.
Get Tagged:
Amy @ Book Enthral
Ashley @ Socially Awkward Bookworm
Cristina @ My Tiny Obsessions
CW @ Read, Think, Ponder
Erika @ Erika in Bookventureland
Giselle @ Hardwork Boulevard
Jasmine @ Jasmine Pearl Reads
Jesse Nicholas @ Books At Dawn
Josie @ Josie’s Book Corner
JM Cabral @ Revelations of a Book Freak
Liam @ Liam’s Library
Lois @ My Midnight Musing
Marie @ Drizzle and Hurricane Books
MC @ Blame It On The Books
Nick @ The Paper Dragon
Nicolette Elzie @ Nicolette Elzie
Paige @ Page By Paige
RJ @ Heir of Ravenclaw
Victoria Jayne @ Addlepates and Book Nerds
Summer @ Xing Sings
…and you if you would like to do it!
Afterthoughts:
Realistically, I’ve only ever been to UK/USA. Being born and raisd in Canada, I can’t even say I’ve been to where my parents grew up…
Cheers,
Joey
connect: afterthoughtAn // twitter | anotherafterthought // goodreads
thoughts and afterthoughts. 
Well, these all sound incredible. Especially the Merit Birds. I hadn’t heard of it, but it sounds like something I’d enjoy. I’ve also had my eye on Six of Crows, but I’ve been unsure about reading it since I never finished the Grisha Trilogy…Thanks for doing the tag!
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Even just reading Shadow and Bone, you’ll have a good understanding of the magic systems in the Grishaverse. But they’re two different stories entirely; Six of Crows taking place two years after the end of R&R. You may be spoiled if you do read SoC and then go back to the trilogy.
Thanks for creating the tag!
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Six of Crows totally counts! I’m almost finished with it and love it! I think I’m going to have to read the Grisha trilogy now.
Thanks for doing the tag! 🙂
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Hopefully you aren’t too spoiled by subtleties in Six of Crows as they may be telling of what happened in the Grisha trilogy. That being said, you’ll definitely notice a big difference in writing as Bardugo, in my opinion, leveled up a great deal in SoC.
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Good to know! Honestly, I don’t know if I picked up the subtleties! I guess I will find out when I read it. 🙂
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HAHAHA I love your comments on the Japan & Korea books.
Doesn’t the US get completely thrashed in every World tournament anyway? The book sounds like gamer’s wet dream… and I feel like reading it for the lols.
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I wouldn’t say “trashed” but history is telling of Eastern/European teams performing better at tournaments (re: results).
I was so angry reading it. I can’t even.
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Australia’s an island, a continent and a country. *sassy girl emoji*
I really want to read Barracuda, all of Christos Tsiolkas’ books are so different and strange but somehow draw you in.
And Grisha totally counts as Russian. The world really is amazing in those series. I didn’t exactly love the Grisha trilogy but everyone raves about Six of Crows and now I really want to pick it up.
Thank you (as always) for the tag!
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Have you read a lot Tsiolkas stuff? I think my biggest question is how true is the AusLit to the culture there. I found SoC to be infinitely better than Grisha. But that’s just me.
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Oh no, I haven’t read anything by Tsiolkas. I’m merely interested because I barely ever read Australian authors and the stories he writes sound really interesting and mundane. What sort of cultural things are you referring to? In my experience of AusLit the culture depicted is quite exaggerated maybe. All barbecues and singlets and beer. Perhaps because the stories usually take place in the outback in an earlier time but it’s not really what happens.
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I always forget that A Darker Shade of Magic is actually an adult book. It was put under children section on my local bookstore so it’s totally okay to consider it as YA, no? lol.
Steelheart seems like a book I’d enjoy, especially since I’m on a mission to read all Sanderson’s books.
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I don’t even remember if Schwab listed an age for Kell and company (I’m leaning towards him being 18? 20?) but the book, for some odd reason, gives off YA appeal even though the age range ought to be an adult fantasy. *shrug*
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Lila was 19, Kell was 21, and Rhy was (almost) 20. I’m not obsessed or anything… maybe a little. I’m rereading ADSOM and I started noticing things I didn’t before.
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Good to know! I think that’s how it is with most books when you re-read. I’m sure if I re-read it, I wouldn’t be salivating over Kells coat ever other page…
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Eh I still do. xD
I even have this embarassing habit of stroking Kell’s coat on the (UK) cover everytime I see it in the bookstore…
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I now crave chirashi and you are to blame! Then again, it’s one of my favourite dishes, so it’s not a bad thing. Lol. And all these stereotypes that aren’t even true in the least need to be tied up in a sack and drowned in the oceans.
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Sure Chiraishi is good…but I don’t know about eating it every single meal. It’s definitely one saved for those special days (at least for me).
Stereotypes can be fun from a reviewing standpoint. It’s like a free pass to rage about something. Letting anger out is a grand ol’ time.
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Nikolai called and says Ravka appreciates your duty of spreading word for tourism. 😉
Me and him have personal connections! HAHA
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Confirmed: Jesse’s fave after SoC/Grisha is still Nikolai.
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Some SoC characters are creeping their way up the list though xD
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A high school three week trip across the seas? I’m so envious! I’ve actually never been outside the States before.
And wow, you included a lot of different books I’ve never really heard before. Though i don’t think I’m going to give the Japan/Korea ones a try. It’s a shame that those weren’t that great. We need more well written ya books set in East Asia! Actually one of the most searched terms that brings people to Xingsings is “books like manga.” XD
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It was an expensive trip because it was tied to school excursions and stuff. But music nerds, you know? Gotta explore all the history…
YES, SUMMER, YOU SHOULD WRITE THAT BOOK FOR OUR KIND EVEN IF YOU’RE VIET.
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Country, island and continent. We’re superior in every way. Including the ridiculously high prices for books. And the way we snub hardcovers and only publish in paperback.
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You can have your high priced books, sheesh.
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Haha, I loved this! I posted mine a day before yours and the same day Jenna did hers, great minds… Anyhow, I totally agree with everyone else, I also put SoC in the Russia category along with another book that was Russian-esque. I think I may have cheated for the tag though because I read so much fantasy, unless it’s dystopian there really isn’t a set location for most of my books, there’s just more of a feel. Anyhow, don’t care, #sorrynotsorry. But here’s my link!
http://nicoletteelzie.com/2015/11/27/around-the-world-in-books-tag/
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You’re a speedy one! And yeah most of the setting/country inspired reads don’t really list contemporary infrastructure or anything. I’m usually just going off of Google or what I’ve seen on TV.
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Nah, I’m slower than a turtle. Jesse tagged me for this one like over a month ago. It took me that long to get to it 🙈
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