Ann C. Logue

Notes From a Recent Trip to Argentina

Ann Logue — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 20:51:38 +0000

Argentina has a fascinating economy. It was once one of the richest countries on earth, and now, it’s not. The current GPD per capita is $26,500, putting it at 88th globally. The country was caught flat-footed in the early 1900s when it lost its advantage exporting food to Europe. Rather than investing the surplus gained... [Read More]

The post Notes From a Recent Trip to Argentina appeared first on Ann C. Logue.

Hungary: Flesh

Ann Logue — Tue, 16 Dec 2025 19:31:54 +0000

A friend loaned me this Booker Prize-winning novel, so I decided to make it my pick for Hungary. Flesh, by David Szalay is a novel about a Hungarian man, István, who mostly drifts through life. Especially in the early sections of the book, I thought I was reading about Pete Davidson’s Chad character on Saturday... [Read More]

The post Hungary: Flesh appeared first on Ann C. Logue.

Switzerland: The Inspector Barlach Mysteries

Ann Logue — Mon, 03 Nov 2025 16:54:46 +0000

For the nation of Switzerland, I read The Inspector Barlach Mysteries, a collection of strange detective stories by Friedrich Dürrenmatt, a Swiss writer mostly known for his plays. He wrote a few detective stories, and two of them are in this collection. These stories subvert the genre’s conventions and are as much about 1945 Munich... [Read More]

The post Switzerland: The Inspector Barlach Mysteries appeared first on Ann C. Logue.

Belarus: The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko

Ann Logue — Mon, 13 Oct 2025 19:39:03 +0000

My around-the-world reading project got stuck in the Bs because there just aren’t a lot of books on Belarus. One of my attempts turned out to be about Poland. The problem, it seems, is that Belarus doesn’t have a big enough literary culture to produce books that are translated to English, and the few that... [Read More]

The post Belarus: The Invisible Life of Ivan Isaenko appeared first on Ann C. Logue.

Tanzania: Rosa Mistika

Ann Logue — Tue, 12 Aug 2025 17:52:49 +0000

A classic of modern Swahili literature, Rosa Mistika is now available in English. First published in 1971, it’s the story of a teenage girl whose parents and boarding school teachers try to keep her away from boys, and of course she circumvents all efforts to control her. It’s also an allegory for the young nation... [Read More]

The post Tanzania: Rosa Mistika appeared first on Ann C. Logue.

Japan: Convenience Store Woman

Ann Logue — Tue, 05 Aug 2025 16:03:50 +0000

Sayaka Murata is a Japanese writer who started working at a convenience store in college. She kept the job after graduating because she found that it not only paid the bills, but it worked well with her writing schedule. She still works at the same convenience store despite becoming an intenationally respected, best-selling author. I... [Read More]

The post Japan: Convenience Store Woman appeared first on Ann C. Logue.

Poland: The Extintion of Irena Rey

Ann Logue — Fri, 01 Aug 2025 19:02:01 +0000

When I started this book project, back in the pandemic, I figured that I would mostly go through the list of the world’s countries alphabetically. That got thrown out the window early on for two reasons. The first is that I keep coming across books set in other countries with no rhyme or reason relative... [Read More]

The post Poland: The Extintion of Irena Rey appeared first on Ann C. Logue.

Colombia: Infinite Country

Ann Logue — Tue, 24 Jun 2025 20:24:05 +0000

Patricia Engel’s Infinite Country is an amazing story. It’s packed with so much plotting and detail that it seems like a long book–in a good way! It’s only 191 pages, moves fast, and leaves you feeling like you have been reading about the characters forever. The story involves parallel journeys taken by one family: parents... [Read More]

The post Colombia: Infinite Country appeared first on Ann C. Logue.

Trinidad: Even in Paradise

Ann Logue — Fri, 20 Jun 2025 19:57:54 +0000

The Caribbean is home to a mix of independent and colonial islands. Inhabitants and emigrants have a rich literature; it seems like everyone who has come into contact with one of these places has written an excellent novel. Add Even in Paradise by Elizabeth Nunez to the list. This is a retelling of King Lear.... [Read More]

The post Trinidad: Even in Paradise appeared first on Ann C. Logue.

Paraguay: The News from Paraguay

Ann Logue — Sun, 01 Jun 2025 20:15:28 +0000

It often seems to me that Americans don’t think much about South America, even though we have a lot of shared colonial history. Europe is a shorter flight, but going to South America from Chicago involves a lot less jet lag. Paraguay is down there, nestled among Argentina, Brazil, and Bolivia. It’s a former Spanish... [Read More]

The post Paraguay: The News from Paraguay appeared first on Ann C. Logue.