Miles from Nowhere
Miles from Nowhere
by Nami Mun
304 pages
fiction
Riverhead Books
Challenges: Orbis Terarrum, South Korea
Joon sees herself as a regular Korean girl until her father leaves her mother, then her mom ignores her- to the extent of not talking to her, acknowledging her and pretending to be dead. Obviously a cry for help that a very young girl can only handle for so long. Joon goes to find her dad and try to get him to return, he turns her down as greener pastures seem to be calling his name. Soon after that, out of desperation Joon runs away. Her life on the streets goes from dark to darker and then when you think it couldn't get any worse it goes to darkest.
There is plenty of sexual stuff, drugs, well really substance abuse of every type is discussed and abused in this book. Drug activity is high, very high, talk of shooting this, smoking that, cutting, being high, and all this as a young teen. Each time the reader can see the surface and almost feels allowed to come to breathe air, Joon dives down deeper to the despair of the reader.
Well, I don't know what that description does for you, but if you don't like reading the description, don't read Miles from Nowhere. However to its defense, it is different than any book that I have been able to finish to this day. Several times I just couldn't handle the intensity of its graphic nature and had to skip a page, but I kept coming back because Nami Mun is an amazing writer, really she is great, almost humorous at times.
I would love to read a lighter book by her, and really hope she chooses to go that route next time, more cultural and less mental illness-teen pregnancy-suicideish. Yes, so I did think her writing was very good, however not good enough for me to feel that I can recommend this with a clean conscience. I can't. I just say sit this one out and wait on what she brings to the table next time. That is my opinion anyway.
How do you do with books that carry too much gore for their own good? Have you had some that you think really excellent writing, but you just can't bring yourself to recommend them for their content?
Make sure you enter my current giveaway!!
Orbis Terrarum 2009
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I am exceedingly proud to announce that today is the 1st of March, and the beginning of:
The Orbis Terrarum Challenge
Your mission, should you choose to accept: read 10 different books, written by 10 different authors, from 10 different countries in 10 months.
The Orbis Terrarum Film Challenge
This will be a blast and a great break from reading: this challenge is to watch 10 films, 10 different countries, by 10 different directors in the 10 months.
The Orbis Terrarum Bilingual Challenge
This challenge has several different options based on how bilingual you are, check out the link for the options, but really this is one that most would be able to stretch themselves to accomplish.
The Orbis Terrarum Poetry Challenge
In which you may consider yourself challenged to read 5 poems or poetry collections, by 5 different authors, from 5 different countries.
What do you think? I think it is time for you to join in!
This year the Orbis Terrarum Challenge (and all its other challenges) has its own blog, you'd better head yourself over there for some amazing insight into new worlds, new books and new friends!
Send me your addies!! Orbis Terrarum Prize Winners!
Orbis Terarum WINNERS!!!
1. raidergirl3
2. Corinne
3. Tricia
4. Myrthe
5. Veens
6. Katrina
7. Pratima
8. Richard (R-Lo)
9. Tammy
10. 3M
11. Trish
12. Ramya
13. Mrs. B.
14. Lynda
15. beastmomma
15 of you finished!!! 15 of you win bookie gifties for completing the OT challenge and being such great folks the whole way through :)
Please send me your addresses, pretty please. (by clicking on the email me tab under my header)
I need all the addresses by the 20th!! I am sending stuff on the 21st.
Orbis Terrarum Earns its own BLOG!!
The Orbis Terrarum Challenge just earned itself its very own blog! Yes, it was mostly that I sat down to work on links tonight to get all of your reviews in order by country and guess what!?! Mr. Linky is down. I decided since it was on my mind, why not do OT stuff anyway. So you have to head over!!! I will have Mr. Linkys up there soon.
Oh, and I need help....if any of you who did the challenge this year want to step on over and see what you think of the new mini-challenges that would be so cool. I would love advice on those. On everything really!! Head over and make sure to leave a comment or two.
You can get to it from now on by clicking on the Orbis Terrarum Tab above or going here. enjoy!
prizes for everyone!!!
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Yes, but not just anyone....but yes everyone who has completed the Orbis Terrarum Challenge and does their wrap up post!!
Beastmomma, the insanely-cool-supa-woman from life from the belly of the beast has offered to help really make this conclusion a blast! She is offering to supplement my prizes, and had the idea to send a bookie prize to every single one of you who has completed the challenge and who does the wrap up post.
You still have time! If you need to finish a book, do it! If you need to write answers to my silly survey...do it! You have until midnight on the 15th, which is tomorrow to complete the challenge, the wrap up post, and adding your link to Mr. linky. You can do it! :) Good luck folks.
The bookie prizes will consist of books (of course), bookends, baskets for books, cookbooks...keep in mind that some items will be in gently used condition, and if that bugs you you don't need to participate if you don't want to.
Here is what your wrap up post needs to include
Here is where you can see some of the prizes I am offering
You must put the link to your wrap up post on my sweet Mr. Linky to be included in this prize fest!!!
PS if anyone else is feeling generous and wants to add in some prizes to winners...send me an email and you are certainly welcome to help!! :)
edit:
raidergirl has added to the prize loot:
"In the Country of Men" by Hisham Matar, set in Libya!
Tricia has added PS I Love You by Cecelia Ahern and Charity Girl by Georgette Heyer to the prize bucket as well!!! :)
orbis terrarum final deadline and prizes
The deadline for getting your lists of links and reviews to me is going to be the 15th, that gives you a week. I would love the survey answered, but more than anything I would like you to do a wrap up post with the links to all your OT reviews and paste your post link to the MR. linky here.
Then I will be able to compile a list of all the books that we jointly read and link to all of your reviews!!! Wouldn't that be cool!? Even if you didn't finish the challenge you are welcome to get me your links of the reviews you did complete.
Here are the three prize books:
I just thought of this, since some of you mentioned helping with prizes for next year...if you are interested (no pressure) you could send a well loved book or two on as well this time around. You could just let me know about it and I will post your titles as well, then either you could select your winner or I could and you'd send them out directly to the winner.
Anyone?
Happy reading!!
Orbis Terrarum Ended for 2008
Hey all you OT Challengers!!!
The Orbis Terrarum challenge ended on the 20th, (three days ago) I am not going to be too particular with the date, I just wanted people to not have to mess with finishing it up during the holidays. If you are really close, finish on up!
Here is what I am going to do, for those of you who have finished, I am going to add a MR. Linky below. And you will get an extra 5 entries for the final giveaway, which will be 3 books (as always slightly used, and I will have to get back to you with the titles, sorry but it is Christmas!).
Orbis Terrarum 2008 Challenge survey:
1.) What did you like about the challenge?
2.) What would you like to see change for next year?
3.) About the rules, or the non-existent rules...did you like that?
4.) Are you going to join us next year?
5.) Pretty please give me any suggestions for changes, the betterment of the challenge, or just anything that you would like to see changed for next year.
6.) Would you like the challenge to be more involved? What if we read books together sometimes? Would that interest you?
7.) would you be interested in helping somehow next year? How would you like to help?
Here is the low-down on how to enter yourself:
1.) each link to a book review you have on the give us a link to your travels mr. linky will count as one entry.
2.)A Wrap up post!!! each wrap up post that includes links to all your reviews,AND answers to the survey questions above, is worth additional 5 entries.
For the links to count you must include this information along with your link: book title, book author, country.
(wondering why it is worth so many??...because it will make my life so much easier if you do this, because I wanted to do a conglomerate of all the books that were read and links to all the bloggers that read them and their reviews.!!!)
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