Gem's Around The World In 80 Books - Border Challenge :)

[Gemma]

I started this a few months ago after seeing it in another Goodreads group and thinking what an amazing way to broaden my reading. I've had a look through the threads and think it's helpful to see other ideas for the different countries... 11 countries in and I've already stumbled across books I'd have never found without this sort of direction :) I'm not placing a time limit on it as I have about a million and one reading challenges I want to complete so it will be going on in the background for some time I think!

I am being quite strict and travelling through countries that share a land border or where you can cadge a lift on a boat :)

I started as close to 'home' as possible as I grew up very close to Haworth and this is my list so far:

001 Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte (UK)
002 Girl With A Pearl Earring - Tracy Chevalier (Netherlands)
003 In The Garden Of Beasts - Erik Larson (Germany)
004 Hamlet - William Shakespeare (Denmark)
005 The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson (Sweden)
006 The Year Of The Hare - Arto Paasilinna (Finland)
007 The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas - John Boyne (Poland)
008 Everything Is Illuminated - Jonathan Safran Foer (Ukraine)
009 The Door - Magda Szabo (Hungary)
010 The Pianist In The Dark - Michele Halberstadt (Austria)
011 The Two Gentlemen Of Verona - William Shakespeare (Italy)
012 Heidi - Johanna Spyri (Switzerland)
013 Pure - Andrew Miller (France)
014 Winter In Madrid - C.J. Sansom (Spain)
015 The Caliph's House - Tahir Shah (Morocco)
016 What The Day Owes The Night - Yasmina Khadra (Algeria)
017 The Cruellest Journey - Kira Salak (Mali)
018 Harmattan - Gavin Weston (Niger)

[Ian, Moderator]

Enjoy the trip Gemma. It'll be tough doing it across land/sea borders.

[Gemma]

Ian wrote: "Enjoy the trip Gemma. It'll be tough doing it across land/sea borders."

I've planned it out so as long as I can get hold of the books it shouldn't be too bad :)

[Gemma]

Just finished Heidi. Fairly harmless... An all round 'nice' book that I'd probably encourage any children I had to pick up but I never read it as a kid so I didn't have any fluffy nostalgia to carry me away. It definitely gave me a feel of how I'd imagine the Swiss Alps to be though! On to Pure now, set in 18th century France, and a cheeky double up for this month's 'Historical' genre :)

[Gemma]

Moving on from France after an interesting look into 18th century Paris in Pure by Andrew Miller. A decent read, the author really gets a sense of pre-revolutionary tensions across. His strength is how he describes the surroundings - you can almost smell it. Popping over the border to Spain for Winter In Madrid. I've been waiting to read this for ages as I love Sansom's Shardlake series :)

[Gemma]

Really enjoyed Winter In Madrid for Spain. I love C.J. Sansom and he didn't let me down with his eye for detail and character development. A period of history I know a fair bit about but not from the Spanish point of view so it was definitely something fresh for me. Would definitely recommend although it is a bit depressing...

Hopped across the Strait Of Gibraltar to pick up The Caliph's House: A Year In Casablanca. This is the story of one man's dream to relocate his young family from grey London to the colours of Morocco. A decent read, had me laughing out loud at times and gave an excellent insight into this country and her people.

[Gemma]

I've just finished a heartbreaking trip through Algeria with What The Day Owes The Night. Spanning 70 years it tells the life story of Younes (or Jonas). With the war for Algerian independence raging in the background, the author tells an intimate and emotional tale of love, friendship, loss, forgotten dreams, confused identity and much more... I thought it was a proper good read and would recommend it to anyone doing this challenge :)

[Sue]

That looks really good Gemma AND there is a copy in my local library.

[Gemma]

Let me know what you think :-) Cracking read!