Around the World in 80 Days Reading Challenge

[Lisarenee]

This challenge was created to help you expand your reading horizon by encouraging you to read books by authors that do not reside in the country you do. Like Jules Verne's book, for which this challenge was named, you have 80 days with which to complete this challenge. Once you're finished feel free to start it again.

Levels of Play:
Bronze - 2-3 books
Silver - 4-8 books
Gold - 9-12 books
Platinum - 13+ books

[Carolyn F.]

I'll start January 1, 2011.

[Nici]

i am not sure i understand the challenge

[Lisarenee]

You are supposed to read books from authors who live in other countries. For instance, Melina Marchetta and Markus Zusak both live in Australia so if you live in the US you could read books by those particular authors. Tana French is from Ireland so she would be another author you could read a book from. J.K. Rowling is from Great Britain so that is another possible author you could read books from. Paulo Coelho,from Brazil, is another author you may wish to read a book from. Kelley Armstrong is from Canada so you may wish to include books she wrote. Stieg Larsson was from Sweden so you may choose to read books by him. Does that help?

[Nici]

yes thanks

[Diane]

So, it doesn't mater so much where the book is set, but rather where the author is from? Example, if I read Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho, it would count as Brazil (where Coelho is from) and not Slovenia (where the book takes place). Is that right?

[Lisarenee]

Yes. This challenge is geared toward getting you to read books by authors from other countries, not about other countries.

[Lisarenee]

Start Date: 12/28/10

Country Author Book Finished
Brazil - Paulo Coelho The Devil and Miss Prym 12/28/10
Sweden - Stieg Larsson The Girl Who Kicked the Hornet's Nest 12/30/10
New Zealand - Nalini Singh Caressed By Ice 
Canada - Kelley Armstrong Counterfeit Magic
France - Tatiana de Rosnay A Secret Kept

[Diane]

Start Date: 12/29/10 Finish Date: 3/18/11

Completed:

Bosnia-Herzigovina
Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Wartime Sarajevo by Zlata Filipović

Japan
The Sound of Waves by Yukio Mishima

Dominica
Good Morning, Midnight by Jean Rhys

Sweden
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

Norway
Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson

England (UK)
Persuasion by Jane Austen

Tajikistan
Hurramabad by Andrei Volos

[Carol]

Ok count me in. I'm starting today so my challenge will run through March 18. One question though if we read two books by authors of the same country would both of those books count or does each book need to be from a differnt country. Example if I read two books by English Authors would they both count? Or just the first one since it was the first book I read by someone from that country?

[Lisarenee]

You can read more than one book per author, but try to read from at least 2 different countries overall. I was debating that very question overnight after I posted the challenge. I look forward to seeing what everyone will read. I was looking at my books and noticed only a small portion of the authors I read come from other countries, hence I thought I should challenge myself and, consequently, others to read books by authors outside the country they live in.

[Mandy]

Would authors that were born and lived in different countries but reside in my country count? One example would be Ha Jin who is from China, but resides in Boston.

[Sashana]

Mandy wrote: "Would authors that were born and lived in different countries but reside in my country count? One example would be Ha Jin who is from China, but resides in Boston."

For sure.

[Mandy]

In that case, I’m going to go with where an author was born. I probably won't start until next year. But, I'm a planner. So...


1. India-Salman Rushdie- Luka and the Fire of Life Read: 2/1/11
2. New Zealand- Juliet Marillier- Daughter of the Forest Read: 1/17/11
3. Algeria-Albert Camus- The Plague Read: 3/29/11
4. Ireland- John Banville- The Sea Read: 1/15/11
5. China- Ha Jin-A Good Fall: Stories Read: 1/16/11
6. Brazil- Clarice Lispector- Family Ties Read: 3/7/11
7. Canada-Mary Swan - The Boys in the Trees Read: 1/30/11
8. Zimbabwe- Alexander McCall Smith- The Comforts of a Muddy Saturday Read: 1/29/11
9. United Kingdom- Noël Coward- Blithe Spirit Read: 3/8/11
10. Russia- Vladimir Nabokov- The Original of Laura Read: 1/16/11
11. Australia- Melina Marchetta- Saving Francesca Read: 1/10/11
12. Mexico- Luis Alberto Urrea- The Hummingbird's Daughter Read: 1/31/11
13. Italy- Andrea Camilleri- August Heat Read: 1/15/11

Completed: 13/13
Finished Challenge: 3/29/11

[Mandy]

I am attempting platinum level, starting today.

2/13 Completed

1. The Italian's Miracle Family by Lucy Gordon (England/Italy) 1/1
2. Hinds' Feet on High Places by Hannah Hurnard (England/Switzerland/Israel) 1/1

[Rachel]

I'm an Expat American living in Japan. Am I cheating if I read an American author? And do rereads count? I've been wanting to go through Imagining Argentina again.

[Rachel]

If you need inspiration, check out this list.

[Carol]

Bronze Level

Italy:
Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco

England:
Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson

Columbia:
No by Claudia Rueda

Silver Level:

England:
Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix by J.K. Rowling
The Practical Naturalist by Chris Packham
Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince by J.K. Rowling
The Way Things Work by David Macaulay

Ghana:
Any Human Heart by William Boyd

Gold Level:

England:
Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows by J.K. Rowling
The Imam's Daughter by Hannah Shah

[Lisarenee]

Rachel, Rereads do count. Go ahead and read an American author since your living in Japan.

[Lisarenee]

Amanda, Wow 2 books already.

[Amy J.]

I plan on starting this on Feb 14th. So I'll be finished on May 4th, I think.

I figure I might as well try for platinum status,

So if we go by country of birth, Cassandra Claire who was born to American parents living in Tehran, would count as Iran, right?

[[deleted user]]

I'll sign up for this challenge. Even though I'm from Denmark, I will challange myself to try and avoid American and British authors as well

I'll return with level and startdate during the weekend.

[Amy J.]

Timeline: Feb 18th - May 8th


England
1. Original Sin by P.D. James Completed 2/19

Scotland
2. Ivanhoe by Walter Scott Completed 2/21
3. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle Completed 2/26

Belarus
4. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov Completed 3/2

Morocco
5. The Almond: The Sexual Awakening of a Muslim Woman byNedjma Completed 3/3
12. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery Completed 3/18

Colombia
6. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez Completed 3/5

Mexico
7. The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro Completed 3/7
8. The Fall by Guillermo Del Toro Completed 3/9

Iran
9. Pomegranate Soup: A Novel by Marsha Mehran Completed 3/10

Ireland
10. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Completed 3/11

Czech Republic
11. Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Completed 3/14

[Amy J.]

niquae wrote: "I don't know if I'll manage to finish this, considering the books I've chosen, but I'll give it a shot.

Start: June 1, 2011
End: August 19, 2011

Kazakhstan/Russia
The Night Watch by Sergei Lukya..."

I think I've seen a film based on The Night Watch...

[Shay]

They made Night Watch and Day Watch into movies. It's one of my son's favorite vampire movies. I didn't realize they were books or he would have had to read the books first. Oh well.

[Amy J.]

I thought there was a third movie, but netflix doesn't have it. I thought they were very solid movies. Now that I've been reminded of them I want to read the books too.

I was planning to do Crime and Punishment for my Russian Novel. I may have to change my plans.

ETA: Twilight Watch has been long planned but never made

[Say]

i'm in...=)

[Amy J.]

I've gone PLATINUM, baby!

And since I've got about a month and a half to go, I'm going to try to go double platinum (26 books). The list so far:

Timeline: Feb 18th - May 8th


England
1. Original Sin by P.D. James Completed 2/19

Scotland
2. Ivanhoe by Walter Scott Completed 2/21
3. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle Completed 2/26

Belarus
4. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov Completed 3/2

Morocco
5. The Almond: The Sexual Awakening of a Muslim Woman byNedjma Completed 3/3
12. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery Completed 3/18

Colombia
6. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez Completed 3/5

Mexico
7. The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro Completed 3/7
8. The Fall by Guillermo Del Toro Completed 3/9

Iran
9. Pomegranate Soup: A Novel by Marsha Mehran Completed 3/10

Ireland
10. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Completed 3/11

Czech Republic
11. Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Completed 3/14

France
13. Candide by Voltaire Completed 3/19

[Amy J.]

Timeline: Feb 18th - May 8th


England
1. Original Sin by P.D. James Completed 2/19
25. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Completed 4/22

Scotland
2. Ivanhoe by Walter Scott Completed 2/21
3. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle Completed 2/26

Belarus
4. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov Completed 3/2

Morocco
5. The Almond: The Sexual Awakening of a Muslim Woman byNedjma Completed 3/3
12. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery Completed 3/18

Colombia
6. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez Completed 3/5

Mexico
7. The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro Completed 3/7
8. The Fall by Guillermo Del Toro Completed 3/9

Iran
9. Pomegranate Soup: A Novel by Marsha Mehran Completed 3/10
20. City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare Completed 4/11

Ireland
10. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Completed 3/11

Czech Republic
11. Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Completed 3/14
28. The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

France
13. Candide by Voltaire Completed 3/19

New Zealand
14. The Bone People by Keri Hulme Completed 3/22

Dominican Republic
15. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz Completed 3/27

Australia
16. Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan Completed 3/31

Italy
17. The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano Completed 4/2

Egypt
18. The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany Completed 4/5
24. The Thief and the Dogs by Naguib Mahfouz Completed 4/20

Ukraine
19. The Overcoat and Other Short Stories by Nikolai Gogol Completed 4/9

Brazil
21. Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho Completed 4/12

Russia
22. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov Completed 4/17

Turkey
23. Snow by Orhan Pamuk Completed 4/20

Germany
26. Inkspellby Cornelia Funke Completed 4/23

India
27. The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai Completed 4/26

[Sans]

Amy, what did you think of The Bone People?

[Amy J.]

It took me a long time to get into it. But once I did, I really enjoyed it.

[Sans]

Gotcha. Thanks!

[Amy J.]

Amy wrote: "It took me a long time to get into it. But once I did, I really enjoyed it."

I guess I could add a bit more about it. It often made me very uncomfortable. Although, the story wasn't about child abuse per se, it was a heavy component in the story, which made it a difficult book to read.

[Amy J.]

Mandy wrote: "In that case, I’m going to go with where an author was born. I probably won't start until next year. But, I'm a planner. So...


1. India-Salman Rushdie- [book:Luka and the Fire of L..."

Congratulations, Mandy! Well done. Did you enjoy the challenge? Of the books you read, which was your favorite? And what did you think of The Stranger? I'm thinking about reading it myself.

[Mandy]

I did enjoy it. I had flashbacks to my undergrad Lit classes. I don't know which book was my favorite. There were so many good ones and a couple of bad ones. I always love the way Rushdie writes. Nobokov's would have been fantastic had he not died before he finished.

I haven't read The Stranger in ages. But, it was more accessible than The Plague. The Plague was just too heavy handed with the sisyphean theme.

Out of the books you've read, Ms. Double Platinum, which did you dislike the most?

[Amy J.]

I've never read Rushdie. But I've had his The Satanic Verses sitting on my bookshelf for years. So far this has been my favorite challenge.

Sorry I confused which Camus novel you read. When reading through your list last time I really did think it said the The Stranger not the Plague. Guess I saw what I wanted to see. Unless you went and changed it on me as an "April Fools Day" joke?

My least favorite is difficult. I guess I have to go with Ivanhoe. I just got so bored with it after a time.

[Mandy]

No April Fools joke. :-) The Stranger is definitely better, but it's still existentialism. So, you have to like that sort of thing. But, you read Kafka. You would know.

I haven't read The Satanic Verses yet. The library doesn't have a copy. Of course, that shouldn't be a surprise being in the south.

Putting Ivanhoe on my list of books to never read.

[Amy J.]

Timeline: Feb 18th - May 8th
Challenge Complete: April 28th
Status Achieved: Double Platinum
Books read: 28
Countries read: 21

Worst book: Ivanhoe
Best book: The Unbearable Lightness of Being
Made me the most uncomfortable: Lolita
Most likely to reread:Jane Eyre

Complete List:
England
1. Original Sin by P.D. James Completed 2/19
25. Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë Completed 4/22

Scotland
2. Ivanhoe by Walter Scott Completed 2/21
3. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle Completed 2/26

Belarus
4. I, Robot by Isaac Asimov Completed 3/2

Morocco
5. The Almond: The Sexual Awakening of a Muslim Woman byNedjma Completed 3/3
12. The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery Completed 3/18

Colombia
6. One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez Completed 3/5

Mexico
7. The Strain by Guillermo Del Toro Completed 3/7
8. The Fall by Guillermo Del Toro Completed 3/9

Iran
9. Pomegranate Soup: A Novel by Marsha Mehran Completed 3/10
20. City of Fallen Angels by Cassandra Clare Completed 4/11

Ireland
10. The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde Completed 3/11

Czech Republic
11. Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka Completed 3/14
28. The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

France
13. Candide by Voltaire Completed 3/19

New Zealand
14. The Bone People by Keri Hulme Completed 3/22

Dominican Republic
15. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz Completed 3/27

Australia
16. Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan Completed 3/31

Italy
17. The Solitude of Prime Numbers by Paolo Giordano Completed 4/2

Egypt
18. The Yacoubian Building by Alaa Al Aswany Completed 4/5
24. The Thief and the Dogs by Naguib Mahfouz Completed 4/20

Ukraine
19. The Overcoat and Other Short Stories by Nikolai Gogol Completed 4/9

Brazil
21. Veronika Decides to Die by Paulo Coelho Completed 4/12

Russia
22. Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov Completed 4/17

Turkey
23. Snow by Orhan Pamuk Completed 4/20

Germany
26. Inkspellby Cornelia Funke Completed 4/23

India
27. The Inheritance of Loss by Kiran Desai Completed 4/26

[Lala]

Im in....

Silver

0/8

1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.

[Catherine]

This challenge was created to help you expand your reading horizon by encouraging you to read books by authors that do not reside in the country you do. Like Jules Verne's book, for which this challenge was named, you have 80 days with which to complete this challenge. Once you're finished feel free to start it again.



Levels of Play:
Bronze - 2-3 books
Silver - 4-8 books
Gold - 9-12 books
Platinum - 13+ books


Ok...can I join this challenge? and can I use books that I have read from Jan? or do I start from now? and does this challenge have a time limit?

[Lisa Kay]

Catherine, I'll check with Lisarenee.

[Lisarenee]

Catherine,
We set parameters for the challenges to give you something to aim/shoot for. You don't really need to complete the challenge in 80 days. The real challenge is to complete the task. So to answer your questions, you can definitely use books you've read in January.

[Catherine]

ok, cool! thanks!

I think I'll put myself at Silver for now...but that may change once I go through all my books!
31/5/12-18/8/12 (80 days!)


1. Iran
City of Glass..Cassandra Clare(book 3)(31 May)
Clockwork Angel..Cassandra Clare(book 1)(done)

2. Ireland
Sheila O'Flanagan..How Will I Know(2 Aug)

3. India
The Reluctant Matchmaker..Shobhan Bantwal(14 Aug)

4. Columbia
Love in the Time of Cholera..Gabriel Garcia Marquez

5. Australia
Sabriel..Garth Nix(book 1)(

6. Russia
Paullina Simons..Tatiana & Alexander(book 2)(29 June)
Ilona Andrews..Magic Bites(3 July)

7. Spain
Félix J. Palma..The Map of time(book 1)(27 July)

8. Turkey
Elif Shafak..THe Forty Rule of Love(20 Aug)

[Lani]

I'm in a rut of reading only American and British lit so I'll use this as an opportunity to branch out. I'm banning British lit from counting for me even though I'm American. I think I'll go for platinum but we'll see how well that goes.

June 3 - September 2

0/13

[Catherine]

I am going to try to read anything but British and american authors for this challenge...as I reside both here and there! so far i am doing well!!!

[Catherine]

I completed it within the 80 days!... but I have a couple extra books that I put on...and I am going to continue!


I am amending this.....I am starting the challenge again....just to make it fair.
I completed Level: Silver thr first time....in post 43. I have to go through my books again....to see what I can do this time.



1. Australia
Posie Graeme-Evans..The Island House((25 Sept)


2. Iran
Cassandra Clare..The Clockwork Prince(book 2)(4 Oct)
Cassandra Clare..City of Lost Souls(book 5)(read)


3. Columbia(as I did not finish this one for the last go round!)
Gabriel Garcia Marquez..Love in the Time of Cholera


4. Ireland
Patrick Taylor..An Irish Country Wedding(book 7)(13 Dec)


5. Russia
Paulinna Simons..The Summer Garden(book 3)(29 Nov)


6. South Korea
Carol McCleary..The Formula for Murder(book 3)(read)

7. Canada
Sylvain Reynard..Gabriel's Inferno(book 1)(read)

[Aina]

At least I get a bronze...

Around the World in 80 Days Reading Challenge (14 July 2012 - 5 October 2012) I'm from malaysia, btw

America - Tuesdays with Morrie by Mitch Albom
Scotland - Three Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes: Level 4, Rla by Arthur Conan Doyle
Netherlands - The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank

[[deleted user]]

I think an interesting addition would be to try and get an author from each continent. Since I don't think anyone permanently resides in Antarctica, you could read the memoirs of someone who stayed there, a book that has its setting there, etc. Even if you don't include Antarctica though, it would still be fun. =)

[Lisa Kay]

That is a neat idea, Tia. :o)

[Laventeli]

Hmm it seems that this challenge thread is pretty dead. I'm going to do this anyway. Gives me an excuse to seek out foreign authors. I'm from Finland.
09.03.2014-28.5.2014 The challenge done with a gold medal. Quite pleased with myself considering that this wasn't my primary reason when choosing a book.

The United States
Patricia A. McKillip 10.03.2014

Kanada
Guy Delisle


United Kingdom
Clive Barker 09.03.2014
War of the Worlds 12.03.2014

Netherlands
Charles de Lint 24.03.2014

Germany
Michael Ende 03.05.2014

France
Céline Curiol 27.05.2014


New Zealand
Margaret Mahy 26.03


Afghanistan
Khaled Hosseini 28.05

Iran
Marjane Satrapi 11.04.2014

Ivory Coast
Marguerite Abouet 11.04.2014