Around the World discussion

Ok, I will get to work on this. I'm going to pick one book for each of 52 countries (but reserve the right to make changes for each country until it's read). I will mark as 1001 book if it is, and label with region it works for (for Bookcrossing 666 challenge).

My evolving list. Starred books are read.

*Algeria: The Plague by Albert Camus (Africa, 1001all)
*Argentina: Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges (C/S. America, 1001all)
*Australia Voss by Patrick White(Oceania, 1001all)
*Austria: The Piano Teacher by Elfriede Jelinek (Europe, 1001all)
*Belgium: The Case of Comrade Tulayev by Victor Serge (Europe, 1001all)
*Brazil: Dom Casmurro by Machado de Assis (S. Amer, 2008,2010 1001)
*Canada: Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels (N. AM/Car, 1001all)
*Congo: The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (Africa, 1001all)
*Cuba: The Path to the Spiders' Nests: Revised Edition by Italo Calvino(all N.Amer/Car, 1001all)
*Denmark: Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen (Europe, 1001)
*Dominica:Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys (N. Amer/Car, 1001all)
*Ecuador: The Old Man Who Read Love Storiesby Luis Sepúlveda (S. AM)
*Eqypt: The Harafish by Naguib Mahfouz (Africa)
*England: Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens (Europe, 2006 1001)
*Estonia: Professor Martens' Departure by Jaan Kross (Europe, 2008,2010 1001)
*Finland: The Year of the Hare by Arto Paasilinna (Europe, 2008, 2010 1001)
*France: {book:Elegance of the Hedgehog|2967752] by Muriel Barbery(Europe, 1001 2010)
*Guyana: Disappearance by David Dabydeen (S America, 1001all)
*Hungary: Fatelessness by Imre Kertész (Europe, 1001all)
*India: The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (Asia, 1001 2008, 2010)
*Indonesia: Lost in Shangri-la by Mitchell Zuckoff (Asia)
*Ireland: The Sea by John Banville (Europe, 1001all)
*Italy: Weighed in the Balance by Anne Perry
*Japan: 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami (Asia, 1001 2012)
*Kashmir: Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie (Asia)
*Kenya: Petals of Blood by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o (1001 2006)
*Kiribati: The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific by J. Maarten Troost (Oceania)
*Korea: Cloud Atlas by David Mitchell (Asia, 1001all, could also be Europe, N> Am, Oceania)
*Lesotho: Singing Away the Hunger: The Autobiography of an African Woman by Mpho M'Atsepo Nthunya (Africa)
*Liberia This Child Will Be Great: Memoir of a Remarkable Life by Africa's First Woman President by Ellen Johnson Sirleaf (Africa)
*Libya: In the Country of Men by Hisham Matar
*Mexico: Aura by Carlos Fuentes (N.Am/Car)
*New Zealand: Faces in the Water by Janet Frame (Oceania, 1001all)
*Nigeria: The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives: A Novel by Lola Shoneyin (Africa)
*Norway: The Weight of Water by Anita Shreve (Europe)
*Peru: Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa(S. Am)
*Pitcairn Islands: Pitcairn’s Islands from The Bounty Trilogy by Charles Nordhoff and James Norman Hall (Oceania)
*Poland: Schindler's List by Thomas Keneally(Europe/Oceania, 1001all)
*Portugal: Caim by José Saramago (Europe)
*Russia:One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr I. Solzhenitsyn (Europe, 1001all)
*Samoa: Where We Once Belonged by Sia Figiel (Oceania)
*Senegal: So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ (Africa, 2008, 2010 1001)
*South Africa: Life and Times of Michael K by J.M. Coetzee (Africa, 1001all)
*Spain: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón (Europe)
*Sudan: On Black Sisters Street: A Novel by Chika Unigwe
*Sweden: Windows and Stones: Selected Poems by Tomas Transtro mer (Europe)
*Syria: Arabian Nights: The Thousand and One Nights by Husain Haddaway (Asia, 1001 2006)
*Tahiti: Breadfruit: A Novel by Célestine Hitiura Vaite (Oceania)
*Tibet: The Compassionate Life by Dalai Lama XIV (Asia, MidEast)
*Trinidad:A Bend in the River by V.S. Naipaul (N Amer/Car., 1001all)
*Ukraine: The Nose by Nikolai Gogol (Europe, 1001all)
*Uruguay: Faces and Masks (Memory of Fire book 2) by Eduardo Hughes Galeano (S America, 2008, 2010 1001)
*USA: Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner (N. Am/Car)
*Vietnam: The Novice: A Story of True Love by Thich Nhat Hanh (Asia)
*Zimbabwe: The Golden Notebook by Doris Lessing (Africa, 1001all)

Thanks, Beth! Each list is like a gift of wonderful ideas. Sleep well.

2666 is amazing and difficult and long, maybe hard to get through quickly but worth the read (especially if you can find the beautiful version in three books with a continual spine pattern).

I have Invisible Cities under Italy, not Cuba, but we may both end up reading it. Wild Sargasso Sea has ended up on several different country lists in the Caribbean too.

Anyway, your selections have been added to the master lists, so if you don't mind leaving a brief comment here if you add anything, that'd help !

if you don't mind leaving a brief comment here if you add anything, that'd help


No problem! Thanks!

Weeding down. For Senegal, got my hands on So Long a Letter by Mariama Bâ.

Added Pakistan: The Reluctant Fundamentalist by Mohsin Hamid

added Sri Lanka The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje

Got your additions

weeding again. Got copy of Midaq Alley so I'm cutting Miramar from the Egypt list.

Fantastic list, some great books and ideas on there.

Beth wrote: "added Sri Lanka The English Patient by Michael Ondaatje"

I really wanted to love the English Patient, as I think the film is so beautiful, but I found the writing horribly impenetrable and pretentious. I hope you find it easier than I did!

Changing UK/GB to England and Scotland so that I can make my map prettier. Seriously. I'm a nutjob. But switched Ivanhoe to Scotland and added Money by Martin Amis for England. I am at 53 stops, I think, on my map, which probably means that the ones not on the map will be saved for the 2013 challenge, which will need to happen, cause I am now obsessed. I will post my deletions when I figure them out. Mostly books I haven't got yet from anywhere other than S. America and Oceania...

Ok, so I removed these and will save for 2013 or something:

Austria: Measuring the World by Daniel Kehlmann (Europe, 2008,2010 1001)
Belgium: The Case of Comrade Tulayev by Victor Serge (Europe, 1001all)
Bosnia: Death and the Dervish by Meša Selimović (Europe, 2008,2010 1001)
Bulgaria: Под игото by Иван Вазов (Ivan Vazov) (Europe, 2008,2010 1001)
or Ballad for Georg Henig by Viktor Paskov (Europe, 2008,2010 1001)
or The Green Hat by Michael Arlen
Burma/Myanmar: The Bridge Over the River Kwai by Pierre Boulle (Asia)
Croatia: The Museum of Unconditional Surrender by Dubravka Ugrešić (Europe, 2008,2010 1001)
Cuba: Waiting for Snow in Havana: Confessions of a Cuban Boy by Carlos Eire (N. Am./C. Am/Carr)
Ethiopia: Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (Africa)
Iceland: Independent People by Halldór Laxness (Europe, 1001all)
Iraq: The Blind Owl by Sadegh Hedayat (Asia/Mid East, 2008,2010 1001)
Italy: The Child of Pleasure by Gabriele D'Annunzio (Europe, 2008,2010 1001)
Lithuania: Promise at Dawn or Roots of Heaven by Romain Gary (Europe, 1001all)
Norway: Hunger by Knut Hamsun (Europe, 1001all)
Samoa: Leaves of the Banyan Tree by Albert Wendt(Oceania)
Tibet The Wheel of Darkness by Douglas Preston (Asia)

You've got books I've really enjoyed, like The Lover, and you removed The Blind Owl which I personally disliked......although I seem to be in the minority on this one. Nice list :0)

Yes, Albert Camus is Algeria!

Ok, Peru is now definitely The Time of the Hero, and Cuba is The Path to the Spiders' Nests. The others for those countries are now candidates for next year's reads... Can you believe I'm already stockpiling ideas for 2013!!!????

And here is the lovely shelf (sadly many books are e-books or audio, so aren't there to ooh and aah over... )


Ignore The Known World; it is for a group read in the Pulitzer or the 1001 group sometime soon...

I love these pictures of books. My daughter has an imaginary "new house" in which all things she wants already exist, and in which she also has some fun new grandparents who know everything, have done everything, and give her permission for stuff (she is 4, and I actually find this all pretty fascinating). In MY imaginary new house, there is a beautiful multi-storied library with beautiful woodwork,one of those great wooden and wheeled ladders, big bay windows with window seats, some great comfy chairs and every possible book I could possibly ever want to read. Delicious!

I too have to make do with imagination, Beth. A beautiful library, chock-full of books, a fireplace, nice comfy chair, table, couch and a pillow. Coffee machine and snack bar.. :D

And did I tell you my library has a door that overlooks the ocean? :)

There's too much talk about 1001 thing and I thought I would check what all the fuss is about. It almost killed me. Are you telling me there are 1001 books to read before I die? Does that mean I'm going to live a really long life because in my 24 years of existence, I have only read 18 of those books. :(

Just figured out that my original Australia read takes place in US and I just don't want that. So I'm still listening to it on audio, but I am going to switch to Voss by Patrick White with Chel to get a more authentic Aussie experience. And since my Tahiti read has not arrived yet, it is getting urgent. I had grabbed a copy of Voss when it came up on one of the bookswap sites, so I'm queuing it up.

Pragya back to textbooks!! :-( wrote: "There's too much talk about 1001 thing and I thought I would check what all the fuss is about. It almost killed me. Are you telling me there are 1001 books to read before I die? Does that mean I'm ..." actually there are like 1274, since the book has been revised twice already...

adding Poisonwood Bible for group read (and to relieve boredom in Australia read...)

Hmm, that's neat to split it by regions too.

I'm making some switches, I got a copy of Three Sisters by Bi Feiyu which won the Mann Asia Prize, and it is looking more interesting than my original China pick. Also, since I have copies of Independent People for Iceland and The Blind Owl for Iraq, I'm adding those and may ditch something else (Ivanhoe ?) that I'm less excited about for these.

Jenny, just added Shalimar the Clown by Salman Rushdie for Kashmir.

ARGH. Geography correction: Lost in Shangri-la was actually in Dutch New Guinea, which is now Indonesia. So it doesn't count for my Oceania region. DANG. So now I'm adding Fiji which was thankfully free today on Kindle. Thanks, to whoever was kind enough to post that fact!!!

Added The Piano Teacher by Elfriede Jelinek for Austria and ditched Fiji.

England changed toNicholas Nickleby By Charles Dickens from Money.

Added Arabian Nights: The Thousand and One Nights for Syria.

Change US to Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner

Added Samoa Where We Once Belonged by Sia Figiel, Tibet The Compassionate Life by Dalai Lama XIV, and changed France The Elegance of the Hedgehog by Muriel Barbery, Canada
Fugitive Pieces by Anne Michaels

Switched Portugal to Caim by José Saramago.
Switched India to The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga.

Judy wrote: "Beth wrote: "Change US to Angle of Repose by Wallace Stegner"

I'm on the down stretch for this book and LOVE it. I hope you do, too."

I really did. My favorite of his so far.

Added Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen for Denmark
and
Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa for Peru.

Beth wrote: "Added Out of Africa by Isak Dinesen for Denmark
and
Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa for Peru."

Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter looks really good and I've added it too.

Losing track of what I have added that I didn't originally have, but definitely added Singing Away the Hunger: The Autobiography of an African Woman by Mpho M'Atsepo Nthunya for Lesotho and The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón for Spain.

Judy wrote: "Yay for The Shadow of the Wind!"

I have that and haven't read it yet. I hear so much about it. It definitely is on my must read list.

Judy wrote: "Yay for The Shadow of the Wind!"

Yeah, I ended up really liking that one!

Added Petals of Blood, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich, and In the Country of Men. Up to 52 read and reading number 53!

Wow. 52 Read! Great, Beth.

Beth wrote: "My evolving list. Starred books are read.

Hey Beth! I really LOVED your list and got a lot of ideas for the next year's goal. Also, Kashmir is a part of India so, Shalimar , the Clown would be an Indian book just like The White Tiger . :)

Shriya wrote: "Beth wrote: "My evolving list. Starred books are read.

Hey Beth! I really LOVED your list and got a lot of ideas for the next year's goal. Also, Kashmir is a part of India so, Shalimar , the Clown..."

I decided to count it as a separate place since it is disputed (and cause I love Rushdie) but I will probably end up with 53 even without it.

Done! Judy, I did switch some, but you are right, other than things I added for group reads in other groups, I mostly stuck to the plan. But I still have a huge list leftover for the core of next year...

Congrats! That is a super accomplishment!

Wow, impressive list and quite an accomplishment! Can I ask how many of the 1,001 books have you read so far? I think you said there were a couple printings. Congrats, looking forward to what you will read for 2013!

Tanya, I'm up to 151 from the combined 1285 for the 4 editions! LONG way to go... But about 50 of those were this year, so it's not hopeless.

I actually just finished two more to put me at 55, I think. See Belgium and Brazil in the list.