Though the name of the country we're reading next means "warrior king," this location is ranked as the most peaceful country on its continent.* Known for its diverse wildlife, old forts, & secluded beaches, it's also the 2nd highest producer of cocoa beans in the world.
You may have heard music from this area as its has been known globally for many years with "highlife" & "hiplife" being two of its most well known genres. (Highlife incorporates the melodic & main rhythmic structures of traditional music, but played with Western instruments. Hiplife fuses highlife with hiphop.) Another genre called "azonto" became even more widely known when this happy number below became a huge hit & got people dancing around the world racking up 30.5 million hits just on YouTube. I dare you to play it & not start to move to its fun beat!
So Which Country are We Reading Next?
A region rich in gold, it was formerly a British colony known as the Gold Coast before gaining its independence in 1957. So what country are we referring to? Ghana! And with English its official language (& therefore, no need for translation), Ghanaian books are more widely available so we'll have a nice choice of reads.
HAVE ANY BOOK CLUB SUGGESTIONS?
Just let us know your Ghanaian suggestions by Mon., Aug. 20 11PM ET. (That's NYC time. See this converted to your local time below.)
We'll use 2 suggestions from book club members, 2 suggestions from Mia (the book club moderator) & 2 of my suggestions to compile a list of 6 books on which book club members will vote. The most popular book from the list 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
*Facts about Ghana. Retrieved from https://buzzghana.com/facts-about-ghana/.