Tag: reading around the world

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in China, India, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Megan reads around the world, Tajikistan, Travel, Uzbekistan

I was rather impressed by how quickly I was reading Peter Frankopan’s *The Silk Roads*—until I realised I’d picked up the younger readers’ edition! Reading it while travelling through Kyrgyzstan, I loved how this accessible history connected the dots between China, India and Central Asia’s great empires, cultures and trade routes.

The Night Tiger by Yangsze Choo

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in Malaysia, Megan reads around the world, Travel

Reading *The Night Tiger* while travelling around Ipoh and Taiping brought colonial Malaya vividly to life. From the traditional shophouses to grand colonial homes, I could picture the world Yangsze Choo described. A wonderfully atmospheric mix of historical fiction, mystery and magical realism that I thoroughly enjoyed.

8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster by Mirinae Lee

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in Megan reads around the world, South Korea, Travel

I started *8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster* in Seoul, shortly after hearing a North Korean woman’s extraordinary story of escape at the DMZ. Mirinae Lee’s inventive novel explores identity, survival and reinvention through a century of Korean history, making it a particularly meaningful read during our travels.

1000 Years of Joys and Sorry by Ai Weiwei

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in China, Megan reads around the world, Travel

After nearly six weeks travelling through China, I had fallen in love with the country. But Ai Weiwei’s *1000 Years of Joys and Sorrows* confronted me with a very different perspective: generations of persecution, personal sacrifice and the consequences of questioning authority. A compelling memoir that complicated my affection for China.

A Hero Born by Jin Yong: My First Kung-Fu Novel

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in China, Megan reads around the world, Travel

My first venture into kung-fu fiction was a surprising delight! Reading A Hero Born by Jin Yong while travelling across China, I loved its epic storytelling, historical intrigue and connections to Genghis Khan. The elaborate martial arts moves took some getting used to, but what an adventure!

A Good True Thai by Sunisa Manning

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in Megan reads around the world, Thailand, Travel

Reading *A Good True Thai* while driving Thailand’s rain-soaked Mae Hong Son Loop challenged my assumptions about the country’s past, revealing a turbulent political history I knew surprisingly little about.

The Latehomecomer by Kao Kalia Yang

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in Laos, Megan reads around the world, Travel

Reading The Latehomecomer while driving through the mountains of Laos brought the Hmong experience of war, displacement and migration vividly to life. But it was Kao Kalia Yang’s tender relationship with her grandmother that touched me most.

A Cat, a Man, and Two Women by Jun’ichirō Tanizaki

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in Japan, Megan reads around the world, Travel

Written in the 1930s but surprisingly timeless, A Cat, a Man, and Two Women explores jealousy, heartbreak and messy relationships, all centred around one perfectly indifferent cat. And, naturally, Lily had me thinking about our own Caesar waiting at home.

Before the Coffee Gets Cold by Toshikazu Kawaguchi

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in Japan, Japan, Megan reads around the world, Travel

I devoured Before the Coffee Gets Cold on a bullet train through Japan, captivated by its magical realism and intertwined relationships. But the drama teacher in me kept thinking one thing: this should be a play. Turns out, it was.

The Woman Who Breathed Two Worlds by Selina Siak Chin Yoke

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