I chose the next country we’re adventuring to because I was in the mood to read a WWII memoir—which I’ll read whether this book wins the vote or not. :) But funnily enough, all the facts which piqued my interest about this country had nothing to do with WWII. Can you guess which country I chose based upon Kickass Facts’ trivia?
The word “robot” was created here in the 1920s. (It meant “forced laborer”.)
In 1975, this land housed the largest captive herd of giraffes in the world—46 of them—but they were sadly slaughtered in a secret nighttime operation.
When the land was halved for political reasons, the 2 countries it was divided into split the national anthem with each country getting a verse.
Can you guess to which country I’m referring? Maybe facts from Fact File will help:
The garnet trade is famous here due to the many garnet mines throughout the land.
Founded in 1348, the university in this country’s capital city is one of the oldest in the world in continuous operation.
Many inventions have come from this country: the screw propeller, the modern compass, sugar cubes, soft contact lenses, & the first plastic surgery in 1927!
It reached its power zenith during the 13th/14th centuries when it was a kingdom.
If you’re still unsure which country I’m talking about, perhaps if I mention the 1989 Velvet Revolution when the communist regime collapsed & the land was dissolved into 2 independent states in 1993?
So what country are we adventuring to?
If you know your history, then from that last statement you realized we must be reading either the Czech Republic or Slovakia. Both would be amazing to read, but in this case, we chose the Czech Republic (or Czechia as its known in its short-form name).
But you’re wondering about the giraffe story, right?
Oddly enough, the reason why the giraffes were killed would have remained a mystery if it hadn't been for a British author named Ledgard who came across the strange tale while traveling as a correspondent for the Economist in Europe. It was a story that apparently even few Czechs knew.
He’s since written a book about the secret police who dressed in chemical warfare suits, sealed off the small-town zoo, & ordered the destruction of the giraffe herd.
It’s looks like an interesting read albeit a sad one. Note: It’s not available as an ebook, only a physical book & an audiobook. But since I found the historical fact above interesting, I felt I had to include the book here. However, it is independently published I’m pleased to say.
However, if you’re like me & prefer happier topics, a better choice might be a delightful cookbook I have in my collection that’s related to the Czech Republic.
“What began 20 years ago as a culinary love poem from an American husband to his Czech wife has now evolved into an international tour de force redolent with sweet and spicy goodness.
Meet Scott Pavelle, Esq., a modern-day Renaissance Man who bakes to relax from his law practice.
Meet Kate Pavelle, his writer wife, who struggles to fit her jeans under the onslaught.
Whether you’re an experienced baker or a novice, this expansive collection of of cookies will enrich your repertoire with scores of recipes you’ve never seen before, and perfected versions of the ones you know.”
If you’re trying to up your cookie game or just make something new, you’ll love this. I’m not a big baker, but the tips & tricks made cookie-baking deliciously easy. My baker friend also uses 1 of the recipes in her regular rotation so clearly the cookbook works for all. It’s also funny & perfectly sweet. The origin of the cookbook is also cute: Scott's 1st holiday with Kate's family came at Christmas, a celebration that featured a vast array of Czech cookies baked by her family. This continued for years until Kate's parents repatriated to Prague after the Velvet Revolution & the couple planned the holiday on their own. Kate worried the cookies were a lot of work so she was only going to make a few. But Scott now thought it wasn’t Christmas without lots of cookies so he swooped to the rescue. He ended up baking a mix of old world cookies (including Czech favs) & new world cookies creating a new tradition. Since then, they’ve refined recipes & discovered heritage cookies they’d never heard of creating scrumptious recipes for any time of year.
Now onto the books for the club.
HAVE ANY BOOK SUGGESTIONS?
Just let us know your Czech suggestions by Thurs., April 15 11PM ET. (That’s NYC time. See it converted to your time below.)
You can comment with your suggestion below or in our online book club in Facebook.
We'll use 2 suggestions from book club members, 2 of my suggestions, & 2 suggestions from Mia (the book club co-admin) to compile a list of 6 books on which book club members will provide their thoughts. The book judged as best will then be read.
Please note - We're specific in our books, they must:
Largely occur in the location specified unless the world described is an alternate reality
Be written by an author born there who has spent a good portion of their life there
Exist in paperback & ebook available on both Amazon & Kindle at least in the US & hopefully elsewhere