Around the World in Books Challenge - 2014

[Chloé]

Finish my US book: (New York setting, American writer).

Second region done
4/5

West Europe: Animal Farm 01-01-14 ★★★★☆
South Asia: Life of Pi 03-01-14 ★★★★★
Middle East: Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution 22-01-14 ★★★★☆
North America:The Catcher in the Rye 27-01-14 ★★★★☆

[Laura]

Hi, I just finished a book from Mexico The Labyrinth of Solitude and Other Writings by Octavio Paz for my Central American book.

[Karena]

I'll go for 10.

9/10

Regions
North America In Cold Blood (Kansas) √ Finished
Central America
Caribbean This Is How You Lose Her (Dominican Republic) √ Finished
South America Bel Canto (unnamed S.American country) √ Finished
West Europe The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time (England) √ Finished
East Europe and Former Soviet Union The Master and Margarita(Russia) √ Finished
Africa Youth (S. Africa) √ Finished
Middle East The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe(Afganistan) √ Finished
East Asia A Tale for the Time Being (Tokyo) √ Finished
South Asia The White Tiger (India) √ Finished
Southeast Asia
Australia & South Pacific

[Lorelei]

Please update me too 1/4 for reading A Thousand Splendid Suns which takes place in the Middle East. Thanks for updating me.

*** Updated 9.1.14 to South Asia ***

[Daphne]

Karena wrote: "I'll go for 10.

6/10

Regions
North America In Cold Blood √ Finished
Central America
Caribbean
South America This Is How You Lose Her √ Finished
West Europe [boo..."

Halfway in a month Karena. Congrats!

[Sydney]

Put me down for 5

[Leah]

Hi Adriana

I finished The Book Thief; I've got 1/12 done. This challenge may take me awhile, as I read outside of it as well. I notice some people are making very quick progress... I get distracted by too many other books!

The Book Thief by Markus Zusak
1/12 done, 11/12 left.

[Paul]

Hi all. Just finished my Australia and South Pacific selection. It was a surprise as it was a Harry Hole inspector novel, The Bat, by Jo Nesbo. Usually in Norway, but this one took place in Australia. I think that makes it 4 regions completed, on my quest.

[[deleted user]]

Update: 2 done

North America World After (California) 1/5 5 stars
Central America
Caribbean
South America
West Europe
East Europe and Former Soviet Union
Africa
Middle East
East Asia
South Asia
Southeast Asia The Coroner's Lunch (Laos) 1/28 5 stars
Australia & South Pacific

[Sydney]

I've gotten 2 out of 5 so far. I might have to update my goal but am still having trouble finding books for some regions.

North America: Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever (Washington, DC) 1/29
Central America
Caribbean
South America
West Europe: The Book Thief (Germany) 1/26
East Europe and Former Soviet Union
Africa
Middle East
East Asia
South Asia
Southeast Asia
Australia & South Pacific

[Adriana]

There are a lot of great Aussie books out there Sydney. Try looking up the regions in lists. It helps!

@Leah- You are right on track! You have all year after all (:

[Claire]

Just updated my post to show 3 books completed:

Central America Prayers for the Stolen
South Asia And the Mountains Echoed
Southeast Asia In the Shadow of the Banyan

[Alessia]

I've read another book for the challenge: White Teeth (set in London) for West Europe.

2/12 done :)

[Adriana]

Great job Claire and Alessia!

[Jennifer]

Yearly Around the World 2/12 Complete:
North America – White Christmas in Dry Creek (Took place in America) 1/3
West Europe – Arabella (Took place in the UK) 1/28

[Emily~]

Just finished my third book, Legend by Marie Lu which takes place in Post-Apocalyptic North America. I'm totally hooked into this trilogy now.

[Daphne]

Updated Message 32:

Completed: 7/12

South Asia- The Man Who Would Be King by Rudyard Kipling Completed 2/3/2014

[Lynn]

Just finished my 9th book for this challenge....The Orphan Master's Son by Adam Johnson.....for East Asia.

[Adriana]

Jennifer wrote: "
Yearly Around the World 2/12 Complete:

North America – White Christmas in Dry Creek (Took place in America) 1/3
West Europe – Arabella (Took place in the UK) 1/28"

Did I put you under Jennifer J.J.? I can't remember...

[LynnB]

Please change my challenge to go for 12.

Just finished:
South Asia - The Hundred-Foot Journey (story starts in India and is about Indian family)

Completed 5/12

[Adriana]

Will do LynnB!

[Shelly]

Just read a book that centers around a trip to Antartica........ (can Antartica be added to the list?)

Where'd You Go, Bernadette

[Merja]

Finished third book for this challenge

✔ Australia & South Pacific


3/12 completed

[Adriana]

Shelly wrote: "Just read a book that centers around a trip to Antartica........ (can Antartica be added to the list?)

Where'd You Go, Bernadette"

Huh. Maybe it can be a bonus read. I'll get back to you.

[LyndiLea]

Put me down for all 12 please.

[LyndiLea]

All Regions Completed by September 16, 2014:

North America:House of Leaves and Go Ask Alice
Caribbean: A Caribbean Mystery
South America: Excavation & Amazonia
West Europe: Jane Eyre & The Hangman's Daughter
East Europe & Former Soviet Union: Night Watch
Middle East:Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal and And the Mountains Echoed
South Asia: The Kite Runner
Australia & South Pacific: The Rosie Project
Southeast Asia: The Atlantis Gene
Africa: King Solomon's Mines
Central America: The Ruins
East Asia:The Harmony Silk Factory

[LyndiLea]

I also have an Antarctica book like Shelly wondering where it should go. I also had a question about a book set in Germany. I put it under east Europe but I'm not sure if that's right.

[LynnB]

Just finished:

Australia & South Pacific - The Rosie Project (Australia)

Completed: 6/12

[Adriana]

If you read an Antarctica book I'll consider it a bonus book and add it to your total.

@Lyndi - Did you read the Antarctica book yet?
Germany would be considered West Europe.

[Sydney]

I would like to update my goal to all 12 regions!

North America: Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever (Washington, DC) Completed: 1/29
Central America
Caribbean
South America
West Europe: The Book Thief (Germany) Completed: 1/26
East Europe and Former Soviet Union
Africa
Middle East
East Asia
South Asia
Southeast Asia
Australia & South Pacific: The Rosie Project (Australia) Completed: 2/4

Completed: 3/12

[Adriana]

Good luck Sydney!

[[deleted user]]

Update: 3 done


North America World After (California) 1/5 5 stars
Central America
Caribbean
South America Excavation (South American Jungle) 2/10 4 stars
West Europe
East Europe and Former Soviet Union
Africa
Middle East
East Asia
South Asia
Southeast Asia The Coroner's Lunch (Laos) 1/28 5 stars
Australia & South Pacific

[Sydney]

I'm still searching for books set in South America and East Asia. Can anyone recommend anything??

[Cassandra]

Have you read One Hundred Years of Solitude?

[Sydney]

No I haven't. Where is it set?

[[deleted user]]

This challenge has made me realize how utterly terrible I am at geography lol.

[Cassandra]

It takes place in a fictional town in Columbia, South America. It's written by Gabriel Garcia Marquez, a Columbian author.

It's a fantastic book, but it mixes fantasy and reality without any warning, so the style took me a little bit to get used to it. For a while, I was thinking, "Why on Earth do people love this book so much?" As I read a little more, I was hooked, and by the end I completely agreed with all of the praise for it. So if you choose to read it, don't give up in the beginning!

[Jave]

Can I join? I'll try to tackle all regions :D *feeling determined*

REGIONS
North America: Divergent [USA]
Central America
Caribbean: The Story of a Shipwrecked Sailor [Caribbean Sea]
South America: La soberbia juventud [Chile]
West Europe: The Remains of the Day [England]
East Europe and Former Soviet Union:
Africa: Whatever You Do, Don't Run: True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide [Botswana]
Middle East: A Thousand Splendid Suns [Afghanistan]
East Asia: The Girl Who Leapt Through Time [Japan]
South Asia: ¡Muuu! [India]
Southeast Asia: El tiempo del Loto [Bangkok]
Australia & South Pacific: Tales from Outer Suburbia [Australia]

[Sydney]

Thanks Cassandra. Maybe I'll try it out

[Sydney]

Update!

North America: Killing Lincoln: The Shocking Assassination that Changed America Forever (Washington, DC) Completed: 1/29
Central America: The Pearl (Mexico) Completed: 2/12
Caribbean
South America
West Europe: The Book Thief (Germany) Completed: 1/26
East Europe and Former Soviet Union
Africa
Middle East
East Asia
South Asia
Southeast Asia
Australia & South Pacific: The Rosie Project (Australia) Completed: 2/4

Completed: 4/12

[Chloé]

Sydney wrote: "I'm still searching for books set in South America and East Asia. Can anyone recommend anything??"

Any book from Murakami should do the trick. He's a popular Japanese author and he's been translated to many languages, so you should be able to find his books easily in bookstores or libraries.

[Daphne]

Updated Message 32:

4 more areas to go!

Completed: 8/12

Middle East- The Poison King: The Life and Legend of Mithradates, Rome's Deadliest Enemy Completed 2/11/2014

[Danielle]

10 out of 10 regions:

1: Call for the Dead - England; West-Europe
2: I Am Malala: The Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban - Pakistan; South Asia
3: The Snow Child - USA (Alaska); North America
4: Black Mamba Boy - Africa
5: The Quiet American - Vietnam; Southeast Asia
6: The Dream of the Celt - South-America, writer Mario Vargas Llosa is born in Peru
7: The Feast of the Goat - The Dominican Republic; Caribbean
8: Jasper Jones - Australia; Australia and South Pacific
9: Op de vleugels van de draak and The Good Women of China: Hidden Voices- China; East Asia
10: Embers - East Europe and former Soviet Union; writer Sandor Marai was a Hungarian writer.

[Adriana]

Updated everyone.

[Paul]

Read my 5th of 12, this one based in large part in Africa. 419 by Ferguson. A great read with one of the threads being those not-so-funny schemes by Nigerians to scam money from unsuspecting foreigners. I was in Tanzania while reading this, so it was neat to note the African connections.

[Laura]

I just finished by Graeme Simsian - Australia. Oh my goodness, how much did I love this book?! Unusual, strange, endearing, moving, funny, romantic. I already want to read it again! :-)

[Chloé]

I finished my fifth one! I'll try to find a few more and top my challenge eventually.

5/5



West Europe: Animal Farm 01-01-14 ★★★★☆
South Asia: Life of Pi 03-01-14 ★★★★★
Middle East: Bi: Notes for a Bisexual Revolution 22-01-14 ★★★★☆
North America:The Catcher in the Rye 27-01-14 ★★★★☆
Australia & South Pacific: The Rosie Project 16-02-2014 ★★★★★

[Paul]

Had a long plane ride and so read Holy War by Nigel Cliff. This can count as my South Asia selection, as it tells of Portugal's historical quest for the ocean route to India for spices. Lots of ugly combat with the local Muslims! This is my #6 of 12 for this challenge.

[Daphne]

Updated Message 32:

Completed: 9/12

South America- The Lost World Completed 2/17/2014

[Cynthia]

Completed 6/12

North America Dissident Gardens: A Novel New York
West Europe The Dinosaur Feather Denmark
East Europe and Former Soviet Union We Are On Our Own Hungary
Middle East The Golem and the Jinni Syria
East Asia Boxers and Saints China
Australia & South Pacific The Rosie Project Australia