Q2 - Who Runs the World?

[Carmen]

Update to message #34

PROGRESS: 42/54🌐♀️

Miss Marple's Final Cases by Agatha Christie (England)✔
Tether's End by Margery Allingham (England)✔

Hola, Diane increase my goal to 54, please 😄

[Megan]

Diane wrote: "Megan wrote: "Updated msg 26

Just completed a book set in Lagos, Nigeria - The Girl with the Louding Voice by Abi Dare. This is a beautiful story full of hope and determination. I ..."

Aw, thanks😊

[Alison]

update to message #24

11/18 books...I would like to raise my goal to 18 books, please! I am so enjoying this challenge...it is helping my Reading Around the World challenge! :D

Asia
√ A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder - Malaysia

Americas
√ The Book of Unknown Americans - Delaware, US
√ The Unquiet Dead - Toronto, Canada

Europe
√ The Alice Network - France
√ The Mercies - Norway

[Navya]

Update to message 19: 10/10 books read and challenge completed!

Thank you for leading, Diane :)

[Karin]

Updated message 69

11/20 - Japan

[Jenn]

Update to message #43- 34/50

27. Radiant Girl (Ukraine) was missed in the last update list
29. The Cork Contingency (Ireland)
30. King Peggy: An American Secretary, Her Royal Destiny, and the Inspiring Story of How She Changed an African Village (Ghana)
31. When Stars Are Scattered (Kenya)
32. Love is Like an Elephant: Life, Laughter and Love While Traveling in Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka)
33. Kondi's Quest (Malawi)
34. I Survived the Destruction of Pompeii, AD 79 (Italy)

Thanks🙂

[Margie]

Update to message #23: 19/21

Canada: The Break by Katherena Vermette

UK - England: The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

UK - Northern Ireland: Milkman by Anna Burns

[Sarah]

Message 33 Updated

5/5-COMPLETED

[Alyana]

Update to message 13
Progress: 7/6

I have reached my goal but I will try and see if I can read more until the end of this challenge.

✔5. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets by J.K. Rowling (United Kingdom) - read on 04/30/21
✔6. Watching You by Lisa Jewell (Bristol, England) - read on 05/03/21
✔7. The Third Wife by Lisa Jewell (London, UK) - read on 05/18/21

[Carmen]

Update to message #34

PROGRESS: 45/54🌐♀️

The Dead Cat Bounce by Sarah Graves (USA - Maine)✔
Unbowed by Wangari Maathai (Kenya)✔
La flor del azafrán amarillo by Laila Ibrahim (USA - Ohio)✔

[TerryJane, Challenges]

Update to Message 29
17/20

[Diane]

Carmen wrote: "Update to message #34

PROGRESS: 42/54🌐♀️

Miss Marple's Final Cases by Agatha Christie (England)✔
Tether's End by Margery Allingham (Engl..."

Sorry I missed your goal update last time Carmen, all done now! 🙃

[Diane]

Alison wrote: "update to message #24

11/18 books...I would like to raise my goal to 18 books, please! I am so enjoying this challenge...it is helping my Reading Around the World challenge! :D

Asia
√ [book:A Mos..."

Updated your goal Alison! 📚

[Diane]

Navya wrote: "Update to message 19: 10/10 books read and challenge completed!

Thank you for leading, Diane :)"

Sarah wrote: "Message 33 Updated

5/5-COMPLETED"

Alyana wrote: "Update to message 13
Progress: 7/6

I have reached my goal but I will try and see if I can read more until the end of this challenge..."

Congratulations Navya, Sarah, and Alyana on finishing the challenge. I hope you enjoyed it! 👸

[Diane]

Hello to all of you celebrating the writing of women and trans/non-binary people around the world. At the close of the second month of the challenge, I wanted to give you an update on our collective progress on this challenge.

Participants: 39
Challenges Started (at least one book read): 26
Challenges Completed: 5
Books Pledged: 501
Books Read: 234
Countries/Areas Visited: 76
Trans/Non-Binary Authors: 6

What has been your favorite or most surprising read?

My favorite so far has been Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick. It was a fascinating look at the lives of several North Korean citizens who defected to South Korea. I highly recommend it if you’re interested in the region.

[Anu]

Hello All,

I seem to have stumbled upon this challenge a bit late, but I would love to join.

I want to read 10 books that meet the criteria. My list so far:

Americas
1) The Radium Girls (US) by Kate Moore
2) Educated (US) by Tara Westover
3) An Unquiet Mind: A Memoir of Moods and Madness (US) by Kay Redfield Jamison
4) What I Was Doing While You Were Breeding (US) by Kristin Newman
5) Road Ends (Canada) by Mary Lawson
6) Wide Sargasso Sea (Jamaica/Dominica) by Jean Rhys

Europe
1) Remembered Death by Agatha Christie

Asia
1) Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 (South Korea) by Cho Nam Joo
2) Love, Loss, and What We Ate: A Memoir (India) by Padma Lakshmi


Progress: 9/10

[Allie]

Update to Message #30
Progress 6/6
New Zealand Died in the Wool

[Allie]

Update to Message #30
Progress 7/6
Greece A Thousand Ships

[Allie]

Update to Message #30
World Ruler 7/6

[Rebecca]

Update message #22:

Progress 12/20

11. Everything Inside (Haiti)
12. Upright Women Wanted (nonbinary author)

[Karin]

Updated message #69 (Ireland)

12/20

[Janine]

Update to message 20. 9/9 books

[Megan]

Updated msg 26

Just completed a novel set in England - The Secrets of Love Story Bridge by Phaedra Patrick. Nice, sweet story. I enjoyed the characters. Writing was straight-forward. Overall, an enjoyable read. I received this book as a free giveaway in exchange for my honest review. Worth reading! 4 stars

8/10

[Jenn]

Update to message #43--36/50

35. The Bitter Side of Sweet (Ivory Coast)
36. Appointment with Death (Jordan)

Thanks 🙂

[Carol]

Update to message 59, progress made now on 7/10 😊 read Nigeria and The Netherlands, now off to Sierra Leone

[Ushashi]

Update to Message #31

Progress: 9/9 Completed

[Diane]

Anu wrote: "Hello All,

I seem to have stumbled upon this challenge a bit late, but I would love to join.

I want to read 10 books that meet the criteria. My list so far:

Americas
1) [book:The Radium Girls|..."

Hi Anu! Welcome to the challenge. Glad to have you reading along with us.

[Diane]

Allie wrote: "Update to Message #30
World Ruler 7/6"

Janine wrote: "Update to message 20. 9/9 books"

Ushashi wrote: "Update to Message #31

Progress: 9/9 Completed "

Allie, Janine, Ushashi... congratulations on finishing the challenge world rulers!

[Nedge]

Updated post #44: 14/6

@Diane, Thanks for running this challenge, I'm really enjoying it and it's helped me to explore ideas/lives/experiences I'd never really thought about before.

My goal started as 6x trans/non-binary authors, plus 1x asexual author (added personal challenge of asexual authors as another LGBTQIA+ minority group I know very little about). I changed this to "as many books as I can lay my hands on at the library"...

I'm re-posting my update to message #44 below, in case anyone's interested in checking out some of these authors/titles.

Trans/Non-Binary authors:
✅ The Brilliant Death (Amy Rose Capetta)
✅ Magic for Liars (Sarah Gailey)
✅ An Unkindness of Ghosts (Rivers Solomon)
✅ I'm Afraid of Men (Vivek Shraya)
✅ Little Fish (Casey Plett)
✅ Trans Like Me (C.N. Lester)
✅ Dreadnought (April Daniels)
✅ She of the Mountains (Vivek Shraya)
✅ Freshwater (Akwaeke Emezi)
✅ Whipping Girl (Julia Serano)
✅ Lizard Radio (Pat Schmatz)
✅ All The Birds In The Sky (Charlie Jane Anders)
📕 Finna (Nino Cipro)
📕 Life Isn't Binary (Alex Iantaffi, Meg-John Barker)
-----------------
Asexual authors (my own category, but I suppose this could fit into "women authors from other countries?):
✅ Loveless (Alice Oseman) - UK
✅ Elatsoe (Darcie Little Badger) - USA
📕 Baker Thief (Claudie Arseneault) - Canada

[Mikaela]

Update msg #51

4/5 completed

Antarctica & Scotland
How the Penguins Saved Veronica - Hazel Prior

Such a charming novel! Would highly recommend

[bailey, Challenges]

update msg 25

Progress: 3/5 :) Went to Japan for this one

[Rebecca]

Update to message #22

Progress: 13/20

13. How to Love a Jamaican

To answer your question, my biggest surprise in this challenge has been Mia Alvar's In the Country. I didn't know anything about the political unrest in the country in the 1970s/1980s, and I didn't realize how many Filipinos had settled in Bahrain to work. This was a great collection of short stories.

[Mikaela]

Update msg #51

5/5 Completed

Bolivia
The Puma Years - Laura Coleman

I'm not one to read memoirs very often but found this one well written and captivating.

[Carmen]

Update to message #34

PROGRESS: 54/54🌐♀️ Completed!!!

Witch Week by Diana Wynne Jones (England)✔
Angel Rogue by Mary Jo Putney (England)✔
The China Governess by Margery Allingham (England)✔
El cielo es azul, la tierra blanca by Hiromi Kawakami (Japan)✔
Curious Minds by Janet Evanovich (USA - Nevada)✔
Dead Aid: Why Aid Is Not Working and How There Is a Better Way for Africa by Dambisa Moyo (Zambia)✔
Dying for Chocolate by Diane Mott Davidson (USA - Colorado)✔
The Marriage Lesson by Victoria Alexander (England)✔
Gun Dealers' Daughter by Gina Apostol (Philippines)✔

Thanks so much, Diane! 🤗

[Karin]

Updated message #69

13/20 - Ghana

[Karin]

Updated message #69 - 14/20

[Jenn]

Update to message #43- 41/50

37. Infinite Country (Columbia)
38. Echoes from the Oasis (Seychelles)
39. Mrs. Pollifax and the Whirling Dervish (Morocco)
40. Late Lunch with Llamas (Peru)
41. Narwhal on a Sunny Night (Greenland)

Thanks🙂

[Carol]

Update to mssg 59 now completed 8/10, might just manage this! But did swap one planned country (Korea) for Greece - sorry Korea and Diane 😊

[bailey, Challenges]

update msg 25

Progress: 4/5, Mexico for my 4th book of this challenge :)

[TerryJane, Challenges]

Update to Message 29
22/20 - Complete!

I finished with 18 women authors from around the world, and 4 non-binary authors. Thanks, Diane, for leading us in this challenge!

1. A woman author.
🌍 Yellow Wife USA (my country of residence)
🌍 The Breadwinner Afghanistan
🌍 On the Jellicoe Road Australia
🌍 The Tiger's Wife Balkans
🌍 Larger Than Life Botswana
🌍 The Scent Keeper Canada
🌍 City of Ink China
🌎 I See You England
🌎 Secrets of a Charmed Life England
🌍 White Teeth England
🌍 Conviction Italy
🌍 I Am Malala: How One Girl Stood Up for Education and Changed the World Pakistan
🌍 The Yellow Bird Sings Poland
🌍 Eleanor Oliphant Is Completely Fine Scotland
🌍 Aunty Lee's Deadly Specials Singapore
🌎 If I Had Your Face South Korea
🌍 The White Mirror Tibet (1708)
🌍 After We Fall Wales

2. A trans or non-binary author.
🌍 Over the Top NB
🌍 The Echo Wife NB
🌍 The Bone Witch NB
🌍 Dark and Deepest Red NB

[Karin]

Updated message #69
15/20 - China

[bailey, Challenges]

update msg 25

Progress: 5/5 COMPLETE

Book 5: Into the Gray by transfeminine author Margaret Killjoy

[Diane]

Nedge wrote: "Updated post #44: 14/6

@Diane, Thanks for running this challenge, I'm really enjoying it and it's helped me to explore ideas/lives/experiences I'd never really thought about before. ..."

Carmen wrote: "Update to message #34

PROGRESS: 54/54🌐♀️ Completed!!!..."

TerryJane wrote: "Update to Message 29
22/20 - Complete!

I finished with 18 women authors from around the world, and 4 non-binary authors. Thanks, Diane, for leading us in this challenge!..."

Bailey ✰ wrote: "update msg 25

Progress: 5/5 COMPLETE"

Many congratulations to nedge, Carmen, TerryJane, and Bailey for completing the challenge! I hope you enjoyed it. 🎉

[Diane]

Nedge wrote: "Updated post #44: 14/6

@Diane, Thanks for running this challenge, I'm really enjoying it and it's helped me to explore ideas/lives/experiences I'd never really thought about before.

My goal star..."

I'm so glad you are enjoying the challenge nedge, and that you're learning about life experiences that are new to you. I've also found that to be true with this challenge. If you liked An Unkindness of Ghosts, Rivers Solomon has a new book out this year that I am looking forward to reading. 🙂

[Diane]

Carol wrote: "Update to mssg 59 now completed 8/10, might just manage this! But did swap one planned country (Korea) for Greece - sorry Korea and Diane 😊"

No sorries! Greece is a lovely place to read about. 🇬🇷

[Diane]

Rebecca wrote: "Update to message #22

Progress: 13/20

13. How to Love a Jamaican

To answer your question, my biggest surprise in this challenge has been Mia Alvar's [book:In the Country|23616578..."

Thanks for sharing that with me Rebecca! I looked it up, and it's on my TBR list already. I bumped it up to read soon because of your recommendation. Looking forward to it. 🙂

[Carmen]

Update to message #34

PROGRESS: 60/54🌐♀️

Heat and Dust by Ruth Prawer Jhabvala (India)✔
Kitchen by Banana Yoshimoto (Japan)✔
Me llamo Rigoberta Menchú y así me nació la conciencia by Elizabeth Burgos (Guatemala)✔
Princess of the Midnight Ball by Jessica Day George (Germany)✔
Paula by Isabel Allende (Venezuela)✔
Spinsters In Jeopardy by Ngaio Marsh (France)✔

[Megan]

Updated msg 26

Just finished a book set in Hungary - The Light of the Midnight Stars by Rena Rossner. There was too much in this book. The writing was good and ideas were unique. If the author has whittled it down to two or three retellings, it would have painted a clearer picture and permitted the characters to be fully drawn. There were fascinating parts and then parts that came completely out of nowhere and disrupted the fascination. I received this book as after giveaway in exchange for my honest review. Overall, just confusing. 3 stars

9/10

[Jenn]

Update to message 43- 47/50

42. Scent of Cloves (Indonesia)
43. Don't Make Me Turn this Life Around (Puerto Rico) unsure if this counts as a country
44. Henna House (Yemen)
45. The Love Island Bookshop (Maldives)
46. Nzingha: Warrior Queen of Matamba, Angola, Africa, 1595 (Angola)
47. Red Island House (Madagascar)

Thanks 🙂

[Brittany]

Updated post 50
15/20