The Next Best Book Club discussion

I read that the challenge ends in Sept of 2010. Does that mean that is we do not believe we would complete the 80 books in that time period we should not participate or is there any possibility that it might become an ongoing challenge for those of us who probably would not read 80 books in one year, especially given other reading opportunities, challenges, etc.

LemonLinda wrote: "I am interested in this challenge as well. My local book club already does a version of this. We pick a country, read a selected book set in that country and watch movies, eat the cuisine, etc - on..."

Your bookclub sounds like a lot of fun! I want to join! You can count all books you have read since Sept. 15th toward the challenge.

LemonLinda wrote: "I read that the challenge ends in Sept of 2010. Does that mean that is we do not believe we would complete the 80 books in that time period we should not participate or is there any possibility tha..."

You can join in at any time and it is not necessary to complete the challenge. I hope to start the challenge again next year after this one is completed and I would also like to continue an ongoing challenge for the people from this challenge who want to go on to read a book from every country of the world (about 200 books).

Hi Diane,

I have another question. I see that you have included Tibet in the country list. Are you happy for us to use the other autonomous regions of China also? Somebody has highly recommended a book to me which is set in Inner Mongolia, but I have already used China in the challenge and was wondering whether it would count.

Thanks,
Tanya

Diane wrote: "LemonLinda wrote: "I read that the challenge ends in Sept of 2010. Does that mean that is we do not believe we would complete the 80 books in that time period we should not participate or is there ..."

Hey I can't wait for the read a book from every country bit to start! I'm doing better than I thought I would on this one although it's still kinda slow - it's amazing how many books I read are set in England or America!!

Tanya wrote: "Hi Diane,

I have another question. I see that you have included Tibet in the country list. Are you happy for us to use the other autonomous regions of China also? Somebody has highly recommended a..."

I'll accept Inner Mongolia.

Diane, what are your thoughts on Iceland? Should it be part of Europe , or its own separate category or ... ? For now i'm going to make it a separate region thingy and will move it after you let me know where to put it. thanks!

Cynthia wrote: "Diane, what are your thoughts on Iceland? Should it be part of Europe , or its own separate category or ... ? For now i'm going to make it a separate region thingy and will move it after you let me..."

Iceland and Greenland are part of the Europe region.

Is anyone doing the ultimate bonus of reading a book from every country? I thought about doing this independently a few months ago and ended up laughing at the idea because it seems rather impossible (I also wanted to restrict myself to reading books about that country, written by an author from that country.) If someone can convince me, I might try it. :)

This is such a cool challenge, though. I'm trying to figure out if I can participate, and whether I want to try the trekking option.

Angie wrote: "Is anyone doing the ultimate bonus of reading a book from every country? I thought about doing this independently a few months ago and ended up laughing at the idea because it seems rather impossib..."

I'm going to try.

I would like to try too. Although I'm hoping it might be possible to switch to frequent flyer at the end of the challenge to go back and read from countries I skipped.

I'm finding some of the countries really hard to pick a book for since it has to be at the library too. Not a single book at my library is set in Honduras unless I want to read a travel guide, and I don't want to. So for now I skip around it!

BONUS (optional): Countries A to Z. There are countries for every letter except X. Try to include at least one country for each letter of the alphabet during your reading journey!

Whoah! Talk about coincidence, this is my personal challenge for 2010! I'll join in then. :)

My personal challenge this year is Authors' surname from A to Z and I'm 12 books short because I was distracted by other books all through out the year and besides, I made up my 2009 challenge halfway this year. But I'm reading as fast I can to finish my 2009 challenge then I'll start this challenge on January. :)

I read a book that is set in Macau, once a Portuguese colony, now a "Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China". There are two of those, the other is Hong Kong. I saw we could count Hong Kong as a seperate country, can we do the same for Macau?

Sibyl wrote: "I read a book that is set in Macau, once a Portuguese colony, now a "Special Administrative Region of the People's Republic of China". There are two of those, the other is Hong Kong. I saw we could..."

Yes

A quick question about the 50 state bonus, does the District of Columbia count as Maryland or it's own location?

Quick add on to the question, do these have to be 50 separate books or can we include states we hit along the way? Like if a book takes place half in Poland and half in the U.S. can we count it for both the 80 and the 50? Or the book we used when we were in the U.S., can we count that?

Madeline wrote: "A quick question about the 50 state bonus, does the District of Columbia count as Maryland or it's own location?

Quick add on to the question, do these have to be 50 separate books or can we inclu..."

District of Columbia would count as it's own location and not one of the 50 states.

Each state has to be a separate book and separate from the country books (one book for each place, no matter how many different locations are covered in the book).

You can use the book from the US for the state in which the book took place.

WOW! That's a big challenge - I don't think I could do it.

Some of the most popular books today take place in America - in particular - Seattle. I read three books in a row that actually started in Seattle.

I would like to try. I'll be a Frequent Flyer.

Hi Diane - I have a question -- I'd like to read Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea for North Korea. Can I also read The Calligrapher's Daughter: A Novel for Korea? It takes place before the North/South split.

Miss GP wrote: "Hi Diane - I have a question -- I'd like to read Nothing to Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea for North Korea. Can I also read The Calligrapher's Daughter: A Novel ..."

Absolutely.

Wow, I just found the challenge and it sounds like fun. I'll never make the 80 books in one year, but I'll just check back my list since September and see how far I'll get. :)

This sounds insanely fun. I must try.
Is it ok to go back to the books I read in Sept to see if they qualify?

Mayakda wrote: "This sounds insanely fun. I must try.
Is it ok to go back to the books I read in Sept to see if they qualify?"

Absolutely.

Does anybody know if I can file Lord of the Flies under a specific country/region? It's never specified in the book, but I was wondering if there were any interpretations out there.

Cicek wrote: "Does anybody know if I can file Lord of the Flies under a specific country/region? It's never specified in the book, but I was wondering if there were any interpretations out there."

I'm curious to know this as well. Golding never does state where it is located, but the movie version was filmed in Vieques Island, Puerto Rico.

What an awesome idea. I'm in. I will be a frequent flyer!

Joining as a Frequent Flier! We'll see how far I can get this year. :)

I'm new here, thanks Ilona for recomended this fantastic site.
I love read books all around the world..
And what a great challenge! I'm in..:)

Is there a way to fit in Gulliver's Travels anywhere? Any thoughts?

Cicek wrote: "Is there a way to fit in Gulliver's Travels anywhere? Any thoughts?"

Although the places visited by Gulliver were all fictional, he does make reference to a lot of real locations when describing the whereabouts for his settings. Maybe this will help: Lilliput and Blefuscu are located SW of Sumatra, around the vicinity of the Keeling Islands (Australia). Glubbdubrib is said to be East of Japan. Brobdingnag is located somehwere on the West coast of North America. Lindalino is said to represent Dublin. Struldburg is said to be between China and Japan.

I just joined (really late, I know) but I have a question. Could we use a 'fantasy' country for X (in the A-Z challenge)? I was thinking Narnia, Middle-earth etc.

Elke wrote: "I just joined (really late, I know) but I have a question. Could we use a 'fantasy' country for X (in the A-Z challenge)? I was thinking Narnia, Middle-earth etc."

Yes. Welcome Elke!

Diane wrote: "Cicek wrote: "Is there a way to fit in Gulliver's Travels anywhere? Any thoughts?"

Although the places visited by Gulliver were all fictional, he does make reference to a lot of re..."

Balnibarbi and Luggnagg are close to Japan as well. Can I count it as Japan maybe?

Cicek wrote: "Diane wrote: "Cicek wrote: "Is there a way to fit in Gulliver's Travels anywhere? Any thoughts?"

Although the places visited by Gulliver were all fictional, he does make reference ..."

Yes.

Sorry to bother you with another question.

For the A-Z challenge, do we have to read in alphabetical order (starting with A and working our way to Z) or is it OK to read at random, just as long as there's one book for each letter read at the end of the challenge?

Elke wrote: "Sorry to bother you with another question.

For the A-Z challenge, do we have to read in alphabetical order (starting with A and working our way to Z) or is it OK to read at random, just as lon..."

You can read them in any order you like.

I know that I won't be finished with this challenge by September - but this is too tantalizing a journey not to take!

I'm going the Trekker route :)

Welcome Amanda!

Thank you! A friend and I have already started a list -- we are so excited. I am moving to another country in the fall so this a special treat for us to make this journey together, even if we are a world apart! Thank you for posting this challenge!

Diane, Thank you for creating this challenge. I read so many great books and learned a lot "exploring" the different countries and regions.

I don't know if anyone else would be interested, but maybe you could keep the thread past the yearly mark for those of us who'd like to finish? I know I won't make it by September but I'd still like to make it round the World, even if it doesn't count toward the challenge! :)

Madeline wrote: "I don't know if anyone else would be interested, but maybe you could keep the thread past the yearly mark for those of us who'd like to finish? I know I won't make it by September but I'd still li..."

Thanks for making the suggestion, Madeline. I'm kind of curious to see how long it will take me to get around the world. I'm thinking it could take three or four years! I've had lots of fun tracking my movements, though.

I was also wondering if Diane had plans for a new/different traveling challenge when this one is done. Does it start all over again on September 16?

Katie wrote: "Madeline wrote: "I don't know if anyone else would be interested, but maybe you could keep the thread past the yearly mark for those of us who'd like to finish? I know I won't make it by September..."

If I can get the go ahead to do so, I am hoping to start a new challenge in September as well as a continuation of the current challenge for those who want to go on to read the rest of the world.

Oh good! :)

Got to say this sounds like an amazing challenge/journey to try. I'll probably go flier just to get my feet in the water, though I probably won't get seriously started until Summer Vacation begins.

I would like to read 'A Caribbean Mystery' by Agatha Christie, as my next book. The setting is a Caribbean island (obviously) but the name of the island isn't given. The TV adaptation (with Joan Hickson as Miss Marple) was filmed in Barbados. Can I count it for Barbados?

Elke wrote: "I would like to read 'A Caribbean Mystery' by Agatha Christie, as my next book. The setting is a Caribbean island (obviously) but the name of the island isn't given. The TV adaptation (with Joan H..."

Yes

oh yay - I might have to join in come september...i'm doing a read the US States challenge currently (and even struggling to find some of those states), so around the world could be interesting

It's kinda late for me to join the challenge but I can give you some advises regarding some countries. You can try Ian Potocki for Spain. He is a Polish writer but his masterpiece "the manuscript found at Saragossa" takes place in Spain. It's an amazing book and a must-read. For Poland, if you find the english version of Tadeusz Dolega Mostowicz's "Znachor. Professor Wilczur". For Romania my advise is Rebreanu's "The wood of hangs", Mircea Eliade's "Mademoiselle Christina" or Mihai Eminescu's "Poems" (translated by Corneliu M. Popescu). Enjoy the ride!

If you haven't landed in Palestine as yet, Mornings in Jenin , the life of Amal, a perpetual refugee as she witness the Israel-Palestinian conflict across three generations: