2014- Around The World Challenge

[Shirley]

Where does Iceland fit in? I'm just wondering where to put Burial Rites?

[Leslie]

Shirley wrote: "Where does Iceland fit in? I'm just wondering where to put Burial Rites?"

I included it in Europe (after all, in this book they are part of Denmark!)...

[Shirley]

Oh that just shows Geography isn't my strong point!

[LauraT]

Shirley wrote: "Oh that just shows Geography isn't my strong point!"

Same here!!

[Karen]

Hurray! Only 10 more to go! Thoroughly enjoying this challenge, the structure it is giving me and the focus on finding a range of continents at the library! (list 92)
Any recommendations for Australasian books please?

[Karen]

can I recommend this as an alternative to some here for Australia. I read it last year, written by a local Welsh author who grew up in Oz and now lectures at Bath University.
Stolen: A Letter to My Captor Fabulous sense of place, uncertain outcome, a teen book but I'm 52 and enjoyed it!

[[deleted user]]

i have read blood in the Cotswold for Europe and no safe house for north America. Not very imaginative or intelligent choices but there you have it.

[Bionic Jean]

"Blood in the Cotswold" sounds interesting Myrtle! Is it a cosy mystery? I love those!

I think the point about this challenge is that we can set what we want to do, within the broad challenge. It doesn't have to conform to anyone else's ideas!

I started out thinking I might read all "literary" novels, but in fact I've read one sort of pulp horror for Antarctica, and 2 very amusing Natural History books, one for South America and one for Australia, plus a YA book - as well as some more serious ones, and I'm only trying for one of each from each continent. (My list is comment 6.)

So good luck with the rest, and I hope you tell us all what they are ;)

[LauraT]

Jean wrote: ""Blood in the Cotswold" sounds interesting Myrtle! Is it a cosy mystery? I love those!

I think the point about this challenge is that we can set what we want to do, within the broad challenge. It ..."

Never heard of this title; it looks like a mystery, I'll give it a look then

[[deleted user]]

yes blood in the cotswolds is a mystery. Im not sure whether it fits the definition of cozy. Its very good and is written by rebbeca tope. Yes that's how she spells her first name./

[LauraT]

Thanks

[Erica]

Karen...a good book set in Australia is Jasper Jones or from New Zealand The Denniston Rose. I highly recommend them both for your Australasia section of the challenge :)

[[deleted user]]

Ticked South America off my list (Bel Canto) so just Antarctica to go

[Karen]

Erica wrote: "Karen...a good book set in Australia is Jasper Jones or from New Zealand The Denniston Rose. I highly recommend them both for your Australasia section of the challenge :)"
Thanks Erica, will check them out as I am trying to read more than one from each continent. Currently reading Walkabout and a book about Capt. Scott as another Antarctic book - so two non-fiction at the same time, a bit of a change for me!

[Leslie]

Heather wrote: "Ticked South America off my list (Bel Canto) so just Antarctica to go"

Good going Heather!

[Bionic Jean]

Great stuff, Heather! I did the tricky one, Antarctica, first!

I just have 2 halves left - fiction from South America which I hope to read this month, and the factual category from Australia (just the way I personally interpreted this challenge.) My challenge is comment 6.

[Jamie]

Around the World Challenge 2014

Africa - Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust Immaculee Ilibagiza
Antarctica -
Asia - Behind the Beautiful Forevers: Life, Death, and Hope in a Mumbai Undercity Katherine Boo
Australia - I Am the Messenger Markus Zusak
Europe - I Capture the Castle Dodie Smith
North America - Face the Winter Naked Bonnie Turner
South America

[Bionic Jean]

I have given up on The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez, and edited my comment 6. I just found the novel so depressing, although 3 of my friends here have rated it very highly, and I know it has won critical acclaim.

I have not rated it, but did write a review, in the middle of the night with a violent storm raging, appropriately enough...Link here if you're interested.

I'm substituting The Boys from Brazil as my penultimate read for this challenge. Ira Levin always provides intriguing entertainment :)

[Karen]

Jean wrote: "I have given up on The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vásquez, and edited my comment 6. I just found the novel so depressing, although 3 of my friends here ..."

Oh dear Jean I am sorry! It was my suggestion, I didn't find it depressing but I guess it wasn't exactly a 'fun' read. I got caught up in the mystery I guess.................

[Bionic Jean]

Not at all Karen :D

I nearly credited you, but didn't want you to get the wrong end of the stick. I think it's just one of those books which makes me wonder why I can't "get" what everybody else does! Clearly it's an important read - just not my cup of tea. Or perhaps it's even that it's not right for me at the moment...

English language translation is definitely an area I need to look at, so I'm glad I gave this one a try anyway :)

[Karen]

I'm bi-cultural having lived all over the world so translated books come easily to me because cross cultural perspectives are what I'm used to. I don't always 'get' it but I've learnt to live with that tension.

So don't be hard on yourself. I like what you said about, "Or perhaps it's even that it's not right for me at the moment..." so often the case! I'm only just now enjoying Steinbeck after years of avoidance due to an earlier crash!!

[Bionic Jean]

Thanks Karen :) I find the Anglo-centric perspectives of my early education - the way I was taught and the teachers' selection of material very hard to take now. I think it was mainly ignorance, but also a sort of arrogance about the "British Empire" that still prevailed.

Unfortunately this attitude of translated works being somehow not as important and "lesser" is still with us. Only the other day an author took some publishers to task on this very issue; there's still very little around compared with British writers.

So it isn't actually the cross-cultural perspectives I have difficulty with. As an adult I did specialise in multi-cultural education (post-grad). I frequently find a book does not "speak" to me for other reasons. I loathe Wuthering Heights, for instance, and often joke about my inability to "get" this book, especially since my childhood was all spent in Yorkshire, so you would think that culture was particularly familiar :D

[Bionic Jean]

Finished South America. Just one more to go - non-fiction in Australia. (comment 6)

[Johanna]

Here is my list:

MENA/Africa
The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany [Egypt/North Africa]. Egypt read
Things Fall Apart by Chinua Achebe. Nigeria read

Antarctica

Asia
Collected Short Stories: Volume 2 by W. Somerset Maugham read
Collected Short Stories: Volume 3 by W. Somerset Maugham read
Red Sorghum by Mo Yan. just started reading

Australasia
Cloudstreet by Tim Winton - still to read...

Europe
Los enamoramientos by Javier Marías - Spain half-read - trying to get back into it
La piel del tambor by Arturo Pérez-Reverte - Spain read
Collected Short Stories: Volume 1 by Somerset Maugham - UK read
Collected Short Stories: Volume 4 by W. Somerset Maugham - UK read
The Black Book by Orhan Pamuk Turkey - stopped halfway...
Money: A Suicide Note by Martin Amis - still to read...

North America-
Fall on Your Knees by Ann-Marie MacDonald - Canada read
Runaway by Alice Munro - Canada read
The Beautiful and Damned by F. Scott Fitzgerald - USA read
In the Skin of a Lion by Michael Ondaatje - Canada read

South America-
Una misma noche by Leopoldo Brizuela Argentina read
El ruido de las cosas al caer by Juan Gabriel Vásquez - Colombia read
La fiesta del chivo by Mario Vargas Llosa - Dominican Republic read
El Vuelo de la Reina by Tomás Eloy Martínez Argentina read

The Caribbean-
A Brief History of Seven Killings: A Novel by Marlon James - Jamaica. The best book I read this year and one of my all-time favourites! read

[James]

Hi here's how far I am:
Europe:
One false Note by Gordon Korman
Asia:
The Sword Thief by Peter Leisings
North America:
Percy Jackson and the Lightning bolt Thief

[Paul]

Have got two read this week, Leaving Home & Move Along, Please, the later being really good.

[Jenny]

Johanna wrote: "Here is my list:

MENA/Africa
The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany [Egypt/North Africa]. Still to read..."

Great list Johanna! How did you like Los enamoramientos by Marías? A few of us are going to read this in November?

[Johanna]

Jenny wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Here is my list:

MENA/Africa
The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany [Egypt/North Africa]. Still to read..."

Great list Johanna! How did you like ..."

Jenny: I really liked it, particularly the style which sweeps you along. Cool combo between literature and murder mystery. When you read it I'll probably chime in on the discussions...!

[Johanna]

Jenny wrote: "Johanna wrote: "Here is my list:

MENA/Africa
The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany [Egypt/North Africa]. Still to read..."

Great list Johanna! How did you like ..."

Jenny PS: What group will you be reading Los Enamoramientos with?

[Jenny]

It's a readalong here in November. It's just a few of us, it be great if you'd chime in.

[Karen]

I don't seem to be able to update my total properly. I have 32 books on my bookshelf but the challenge has me 40% behind with only 13 read???!!

Anyone have a solution please? Thanks

[Leslie]

Karen wrote: "I don't seem to be able to update my total properly. I have 32 books on my bookshelf but the challenge has me 40% behind with only 13 read???!!

Anyone have a solution please? Thanks"

Sorry for the delay Karen -- I am just catching up on this thread now. In order for the book to show up on the challenge, it not only has to be on your shelf but also have the dates read set for this year. I took a look at your shelf and a lot of your books don't have the date read set so that is probably the problem.

[Karen]

Jean wrote: "Thanks Karen :) I find the Anglo-centric perspectives of my early education - the way I was taught and the teachers' selection of material very hard to take now. I think it was mainly ignorance, bu..."

It just goes to show that 'horses for courses, not my cup of tea, whatever floats your boats' are all good ideas to bear in mind and remember when choosing books and not to worry about what others think! Authors at least are grateful for such a wide range of tastes out there......who would buy their books otherwise;-)

[Karen]

Leslie wrote: "Karen wrote: "I don't seem to be able to update my total properly. I have 32 books on my bookshelf but the challenge has me 40% behind with only 13 read???!!

Anyone have a solution please? Thanks"..."

Thanks Leslie! Problem solved :-)

[Leslie]

Karen wrote: "Leslie wrote: "Karen wrote: "I don't seem to be able to update my total properly. I have 32 books on my bookshelf but the challenge has me 40% behind with only 13 read???!!

Anyone have a solution ..."

Great!

[Paulfozz]

I had been doing a challenge this year similar to this on another group (an on-going challenge to read 80 books, each from a different country), which ties in with this quite well - I just need to read one for Antarctica and ideally I'd like to read one for Australia too:

Africa:
Algeria - Monty: His Part in My Victory. by Spike Milligan
Tunisia - 'Rommel?' 'Gunner Who?': A Confrontation in the Desert by Spike Milligan
Cameroon - A Zoo in my Luggage by Gerald Durrell
Rwanda - Gorillas in the Mist by Dian Fossey
South Africa - Long Walk to Freedom: The Autobiography of Nelson Mandela

Antarctica:

Asia:
Japan - The Elephant Vanishes by Haruki Murakami
China - The First Emperor
Iraq - Assyrian Sculpture by Julian Reade
Egypt - Private Lives of the Pharaohs: Unlocking the Secrets of Egyptian Royalty by Joyce A. Tyldesley
Turkey - The Hittites by Oliver Robert Gurney


Australia:
Indonesia - Nathaniel's Nutmeg: How One Man's Courage Changed the Course of History by Giles Milton

Europe:
England - Capital by John Lanchester
Germany - My Year With The Woodpeckers by Heinz Sielmann
Corfu/Greece - Birds, Beasts, and Relatives by Gerald Durrell
Poland - The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne
Germany - My Year With The Woodpeckers by Heinz Sielmann
France - A Year In The Merde by Stephen Clarke
Sweden - The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest by Stieg Larsson

North America:
United States - Fahrenheit 451 by Ray Bradbury

South America:
Guyana - Zoo Quest to Guiana by David Attenborough
French Guiana - Papillon by Henri Charrière

[LauraT]

I've decided to put a maximum of two book per continent; I'm missing a couple then:
Africa
Doris Lessing, The Golden Notebook Read ***
Doris Lessing, The Grassis Singing Read ****

Antarctica
Melany McGrath White Heat Read ***

Asia
Lisa See  Snow Flower and the Secret Fan Read **** 
Qiu Xiaolong La misteriosa morte dela compagna Guan Read ***

Australia
Eleanor Catton, The Luminaries Read ***
Collene McCullogh,  La casa degli angeli Read ****
Europe
William Shakespeare,  Riccardo III Read ****
Rosa Ventrella, Il giardino degli oleandri Read ***

North America
Nathaniel Hawthorne, The House of Seven Gables Read ****
Louise Endrich, The Round House  Read ****

South America
Isabel Allende, Il gioco di Ripper Read ***

[Jenny]

Updated my entries in message 3, New Zealand and Antarctica still waiting to be read!

[Karen]

aaaargh the last book in my list is huge, The Luminaries,.....really thick! Not sure I'll get through it before Christmas! Maybe need to rethink? Anyone else fallen into that trap?!

I've so enjoyed this group. I love to read this overseas/other cultures type of book but this has led me to be more focussed and purposeful. Really helpful. Thanks

[LauraT]

Karen wrote: "aaaargh the last book in my list is huge, The Luminaries,.....really thick! Not sure I'll get through it before Christmas! Maybe need to rethink? Anyone else fallen into that trap?!

I've so enjoye..."

I had it for my other challenge, bit I started it at the beginning of this year!!!

[Jenny]

Finished! Karen, I've had the Luminaries on my list for this as well and then decided to go with a book by Janet Frame instead. (I'd really recommend her, should you want to change your mind about New Zealand based lit)

[Paul]

Completed my fifth. Two to go!

[[deleted user]]

Completed my challenge by reading Ice Bound: A Doctor's Incredible Battle for Survival at the South Pole. I wasn't initially very interested in this book but having met a guy who wintered in Antarctica, it became more appealing. I'm so glad I read it- brilliant book!

[Bionic Jean]

I still want to read that one ...

[[deleted user]]

Jean wrote: "I still want to read that one ..."

It is very good, Jean. And although her disease is a significant part of the book, quite a lot of it is about life at the Pole in general.

[Bionic Jean]

Thanks Heather. Hopefully I'll crack the availability problem for 2015. I replaced it with Billy Connolly's Journey to the Edge of the World this year. Mind you, that one was very good too :)

[Karen]

Hurray! Finished my challenge last night. Changed final book from The Luminaries to Maya's Notebook which I really enjoyed and of all the places I fancy visiting of those I've read this year I think Chiloe might just be top of the list. Although NZ would be very close second;-)

Thanks to everyone who has commented and hope you've enjoyed the challenge as much as I have.

I intend to read The Luminaries too but will not finish it before New Year's.

Memoirs are my next challenge for 2015. Anyone fancy joining me? You'll find my challenge around here somewhere! 'Karen's 2015 Challenge' if you're interested.

[Kristi]

UPDATE Kristi's Around the World Challenge

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Lexicon are only partially set in the listed continents, but I'm counting them towards my goal!

Progress: 11/14

Books Read:

1. Africa - The Grass is Singing -complete Jan 18, 2014

2. Antarctica - The People in the Trees -complete Mar 30, 2014 (Oceania)
Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea -complete Nov 29, 2014

3. Asia - How to Get Filthy Rich in Rising Asia -complete Mar 2, 2014
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan -complete Jul 7, 2014

4. Australia - Lexicon -complete Jun 19, 2014

5. Europe - The Preacher -complete Jan 26, 2014
Rustication -complete Apr 2, 2014

6. North America - Orphan Train -complete Jan 8, 2014
Eleanor & Park -complete Mar 9, 2014

7. South America - At Night We Walk in Circles -complete Jan 30, 2014

[Leslie]

Kristi wrote: "UPDATE Kristi's Around the World Challenge

Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea and Lexicon are only partially set in the listed continents, but I'm counting them towards my goal!..."

Pretty good progress! And I would definitely count the Jules Verne for Antarctica :D

[Paulfozz]

Paulfozz wrote: "I had been doing a challenge this year similar to this on another group (an on-going challenge to read 80 books, each from a different country), which ties in with this quite well - I just need to ..."

Just finished reading Terra Incognita: Travels in Antarctica by Sara Wheeler for Antarctica, which was the last one I needed - compete! :-D