Richard, no epic poem (though it's a fine idea), but I am taking notes for an essay. As I get closer to finishing, I may reorganize my blog by continent, then my theme. I also have it in mind to list several books for each country based on other people's reading.

Harry, I'm aiming for the end of 2012 so we're not on very different schedules. I think our strategies may show that I am more acquisitive (or more of a hoarder) than you.

I started on 34 and I've got to 69 in just over 13 months, so at a rate of about 2.7 books per month I should finish in four years' time... which actually is a bit intimidating, now I do the maths. But I'm not in a particular hurry.

I have four or five books queued up and ideas for quite a few more, but I'm happy enough just finding books as I need them, so there are lots of countries I haven't even tried to find books for yet.

Beyond the numbers, my overall experience of it so far is definitely positive; some of the books are a bit underwhelming and there have been a couple of real stinkers, but I've also read some really really good books, or just interesting ones, which I never would have read otherwise. I'm just reading a very good book of essays written by a Croatian writer in the early nineties during the Yugoslav War, for example.

And also, having got into the habit of largely reading non-fiction, I've read more actual literature in the past year than I have for a long time. Which has been enjoyable.

Wow, that's impressive, Shoshana. Are you writing a travelogue of your world tour? I took a look at your journal, but I was hoping for more insight into your personal journey, as it were. Something more Homeric. An epic poem, perhaps. The Rime of the Wayward Bibliophile. Bon voyage!

How's everyone doing?

I began this book-from-every-country game a year ago today. I'm at 54% completed (some of them prior to a year ago), with 48 books to read in hand, 37 additional books identified, and 4 countries with no book or not as good a book as I'd like. I also have a few books to read from significant non-country countries (i.e., possessions or non-sovereign protectorates).

I'll be interested to see how long this second half takes. Some of the countries that remain are small, non-anglophone, or have poor infrastructure, so books are harder to find. Some of the books I've acquired I've put off reading (Oy! I'm not up for another narrative of war/female genital mutilation!) and so may be slower going.

My map (http://shoshana-world.livejournal.com/17...) is interesting to contemplate. Which countries take up the most space, and to what extent does that correlate with the availability of English-language books or translations?

UPDATE
"Caveat lector" I should say. The mystery is solved--a tiny sentence in the invoice reads "NB BILLED IN FJD EQUIVALENT TO USD," which initially cryptic but ultimately intelligible phrase means "N.B.: Billed in Fiji Dollars Equivalent to US Dollars." To which a hearty hooray! and oops! I have to say that when I saw the bill, my first thought was "Yikes!," my second was "I can get this straightened out," and my third was "No matter what happens, at least I have an extra $140 for this if I can't resolve it." I am very fortunate that even in a lousy economy, $140 is cause for annoyance, not alarm.

UPDATE: All is well. See next entry.

Caveat emptor, perhaps: I spent the morning marveling that a box of books could get to Oregon from Fiji in a week. I'm now marveling that ISP charged me about twice as much as their stated prices (online and in the confirmation e-mail) for goods and shipping. I've fired off an inquiry to them (bounced back) and the shipper (another book center with slightly higher shipping rates but the same book costs on their website). I've written them a polite inquiry. I've also taken screen shots of the posted prices and shipping rates on both sites in case I have to pursue it through my credit card. I would not have ordered a $94 paperback on the traditional medicine of the Marshall Islands, and as far as I can tell, I didn't!

Harry, thank you again for the IPS URL. I ordered:
Cook Islands (a self-governing parliamentary democracy in free association with New Zealand): K. Kauraka: Dreams of a Rainbow
French Polynesia (French overseas collectivity): Anonymous: Tahiti: The Other Side
Marshall Islands: I. J. Taafaki, M. Kabua Fowler, & R. R. Thaman: Traditional Medicine of the Marshall Islands: The Women, The Treatments, The Plants
Nauru: Alois Kayser: Nauru One Hundred Years Ago: 3. Games & Sports
Solomon Islands: A. Wendt et al.: Some Modern Poetry from Solomon Islands
Tonga: Semisi Nau: The Story of My Life: A Tongan Missionary at Ontong Java
Vanuatu: Grace Mera Molisa: Black Stone

Not the cheapest book binge, but not the most expensive. I'm hoping they got my addendum asking them to add the Semisi Nau to the order--it wasn't in my basket when I reviewed my order, and when I e-mailed IPS at every available address, every one failed. I'd like to buy this, but not at $15 shipping when I could have it for $6.50!

I love used book stores:

Federated States of Micronesia: The Students of the Community College of Micronesia (Editor: Gene Ashby): Micronesian Customs and Beliefs (2nd ed.)

I'm saving the university library as a last resort.

Yes, it's not that I'm sticking rigidly to only UN countries, but if anything the Pacific seems rather over-represented already — lots of tiny countries which are probably going to be quite hard to buy books from.

Though actually what I really ought to do is go along to the British Library and read some of the more obscure books there, rather than buying pricey second-hand copies on the internet.

Lovely! Thank you. I will check out the selection at Idlewild Books in New York soon.

I'm including some territories, possessions, protectorates, and non-UN-listed governments, since I wanted to include places like Greenland, Palestine, Bermuda, and accounts from aboriginal peoples. I figure that this makes an extra half-year's reading for me, but may give me a broader perspective.

I did a round of book/country identifying this week since I have a summer birthday and would much prefer that other people give me books in the $25+ range. (My book for Mongolia, for example, was $50). I am hoping to hit 50% of countries (more or less, as identified by my travel map site) by the end of July.

I just ordered a book from the Cook Islands before realising it isn't on my list as a real country, because it's not a member of the UN. D'oh.

Also found via google, a good source of books for the Pacific countries:

http://ipsbooks.usp.ac.fj/index.php

Shipping is somewhat expensive but they do have a very good range, in stock, of books from Solomon Islands, Marshall Islands, etc etc.

Very nice! Thanks!

I've accidentally picked up a second book each for Indonesia and Croatia, but since I've voluntarily found several more by Orhan Pamuk, I'll just read them later. I've recently seen remaindered hardback copies of Aw's The Harmony Silk Factory and Ghosh's The Hungry Tide A Novel around.

When I finish Toer's The Fugitive (sorry, GR won't link it), I should be at 45% read.

I see in The New Yorker that Ismail Kadare of Albania has a recent book in English translation, The Siege.

I reorganized my world challenge page a little and was pleased to find that I've managed to pick up about 40 books for countries I need (mostly from Powells, a few from Amazon). My goal is to read at least 20 of them by the end of the year, which will get me to 50% of the world's formal countries. Reading all 40 this year would take me to around 60%. After that, there's a set of 6 books identified but not purchased and 70 not yet nailed down, some of which will be challenging to find.

I'm about 60 pages from the end of Three Cups of Tea One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time, which I might count for Pakistan, though I have a copy of Sara Suleri's Meatless Days. I have two books from Burma/Myanmmar, one from Kyrgyzstan, and one from Djibouti on the coffee table right now; my partner is away tonight and there's a jar of matzoh ball soup on the counter, so I'll see where that takes me.

I'm back in the US and about to dip back into this game. I have 5 more book reviews to catch up from my trip, then I'll post them and update my map. I've picked up Thailand and South Korea via prison narratives.

Welcome!

Hi, I'm joining in if it's Ok :)

I've just done a Google doc like one of the posters. Hope you can see it here :

http://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=p...

Already some problems with classifying authors in right countries

(PS : sorry for my english, I'm French)

Hi friends. I'll be away in February. I can't find a Thai book I want to read, so I'll pick one up in Thailand :-)

Actually, I do have a couple of world author-related intentions as I travel. Will report back in March.

Terrific! I've been looking at my map to see if there are regions or continents I've comparatively neglected. Mongolia would be visually satisfying.

I really need to read Thailand before I go, but I'm also thinking I might pick up a book when I'm there since the novel I have here is huge and I haven't prepped all of my winter classes yet!

I finished Turkey yesterday with Bastard of Istanbul.

Continues this post. Have at.