Around the World in 80 Books discussion

I already started a similar challenge by myself this January without having yet found this group. So I've included the books I've read since January as part of this challenge.

I also want to make some extended stays in Indonesia (read some fiction set in colonial times, as well as modern Indonesia) and Japan (historical and modern as well).

I will also try to read as many books set in historical settings to learn a bit more about the history of different countries. I don't think I'll be able to do that for every country I visit, though. I'm easily distracted when I find something else I like...

Here's what I have so far:

Already read:


Italy (historical): The Leopard: Revised and with new material

Netherlands (contemporary): Joe Speedboot

Japan (contemporary): Kitchen

Currently Reading:


Belgium (contemporary): De monstertrilogie: Het goddelijke monster, Zwarte tranen, Boze tongen

Indonesia (historical): Cuk

Ireland (historical): Dubliners

Plan to Read (though nothing is set in stone):

Africa:


Africa in general (contemporary - I think): An African Quilt: 24 Modern African Stories

Algeria (historical): The Stranger

Botswana (contemporary):The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party

Congo (historical): Heart of Darkness

Nigeria (historical): Things Fall Apart
Nigeria (contemporary?): The Secret Lives of Baba Segi's Wives

South-Africa (contemporary): Beethoven Was One-Sixteenth Black: And Other Stories

Latin America:


Columbia (historical): Historia Secreta de Costaguana together with Nostromo
Columbia (historical): The General in His Labyrinth

Mexico (contemporary?): Pedro Páramo

the Caribbean:


Dominican Republic (contemporary): The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

North-America:


USA (historical): Beloved
USA (historical): The Adventures Of Huckleberry Finn

Middle-East:


Holy Land (historical):The Road to Jerusalem

Iran (historical):Het huis van de moskee

Asia:


China (historical):Het verboden rijk

India (contemporary):Interpreter of Maladies
India (contemporary):The God of Small Things

Indonesia (historical):Heren van de thee
Indonesia (historical):Oeroeg
Indonesia (historical):Max Havelaar: Or the Coffee Auctions of the Dutch Trading Company (I'm stuck in the middle of this one... really need to finish it!)
Indonesia (historical):De stille kracht
I'm still looking for an interesting book on contemporary Indonesia.

Japan (historical):The Makioka Sisters
Japan (historical):Some Prefer Nettles
Japan (historical):Spring Snow
Japan (contemporary):Norwegian Wood
Japan (historical, I think):Rashomon and Seventeen Other Stories

Mongolia (historical-ish):Invisible Cities

Europe:


Europe in general (contemporary):Best European Fiction 2011

Vatican (historical):The Scarlet City: a novel of 16th century Italy

France (historical):Pierre et Jean

Spain (historical):For Whom The Bell Tolls

Portugal (historical-ish):The History of the Siege of Lisbon

England (historical):Wolf Hall

Hungary (historical-ish?):The Book Of Fathers

The Netherlands (historical):Publieke Werken
The Netherlands (historical):De donkere kamer van Damokles

Austria (historical):The Chess Machine

Sweden (historical):het Huis van Liljecrona

Czech Republic (historical):The Joke

Germany (historical):Der Turm: Geschichte aus einem versunkenen Land


The World (contemporary - I think): Other Voices, Other Vistas: China, India, Japan, and Latin America

It's not 80 by far. It's between 40 and 50, but it's a list based on my to-read list and what is currently waiting on my bookshelf. Will add later on, when I have made a serious dent in my to-read list.

I love your idea of reading both historical and contemporary - that sounds like a cool challenge to try to read one of each from each country. Maybe I'll try that next year!

Sanne wrote: "I already started a similar challenge by myself this January without having yet found this group. So I've included the books I've read since January as part of this challenge.

I also want to make ..."

What an extraordinary list! It must have taken you a lot of time to put it together. I too love a mixture of historical and contemporary. It really helps set things in their proper context.

Thanks for the kind comments, Jocelyne and Alice!
I gravitate towards historical fiction and classics, so it was quite easy to get historical stuff from my to-read list, but getting contemporary works that I like might be a bit harder.

Perhaps it's an idea to post some on-going challenge to read one contemporary and one historical work from as many countries as possible? That way other people can join in and compare notes!

Great list, Sanne!

Read:
Botswana: The Saturday Big Tent Wedding Party

Added and read:


India (contemporary): Passages: 24 Modern Indian Stories

Canada (contemporary): Too Much Happiness

Total: 6 read