Around the World discussion

Antarctica: The Worst Journey in the World by Apsley Cherry-Garrard
Argentina: Labyrinths by Jorge Luis Borges
Botswana: Twenty Chickens For A Saddle by Robyn Scott
Canada: The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz by Mordecai Richler
China: The Piano Teacher by Janice Y.K. Lee
Czech Republic: Prague in Black and Gold: Scenes from the Life of a European City by Peter Demetz
Denmark: We, the Drowned by Carsten Jensen
France: Paris: The Biography of a City by Colin Jones
Germany: The Baader-Meinhof Complex by Stefan Aust
Hungary: Celestial Harmonies by Peter Esterhazy
India: Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts
Iraq: The Prince of the Marshes: And Other Occupational Hazards of a Year in Iraq by Rory Stewart
Ireland: An Evening of Long Goodbyes by Paul Murray
Japan: Geisha by Liza Dalby
Kenya: The Camel Bookmobile by Masha Hamilton
Mexico: The Lacuna by Barbara Kingsolver
New Zealand: The Colour by Rose Tremain
Poland: The Emperor of Lies by Steve Sem-Sandberg
Romania: The Last Hundred Days by Patrick McGuinness
Russia: The Concert Ticket by Olga Grushin
Serbia: With Their Backs to the World by Asne Seierstad
Sierra Leone: The Memory of Love by Aminatta Forna
South Africa: Agaat by Marlene van Niekerk
Spain: The Battle for Spain: The Spanish Civil War 1936-1939 by Antony Beevor
The Netherlands: Amsterdam by Geert Mak
Trinidad: A House for Mr. Biswas by V.S. Naipaul
United Kingdom: The Northern Clemency by Philip Hensher
United States: Netherland by Joseph O'Neill

I'm planning to read 52 books for this challenge, and will add to the list as I find more. At the moment, the list contains just the 28 books that I already have in my possession and that I'll be reading for the challenge. Hope that is OK!

Edited to add: I chose the books mainly by setting.

Let the reading begin!

You already have all of those? That's impressive. :)

Good job! I have 27 and ordered 7 today!

I added your books to the master list! I've wanted to read The Last Hundred Days since it was longlisted for the Booker, so I'm looking forward to your review on that one.

Janice wrote: "You already have all of those? That's impressive. :)"

Yes, thanks to my book-buying habit I had some of those on my shelves already. Others are Bookcrossing books.

Chel wrote: "Good job! I have 27 and ordered 7 today!"

I'm on a "book-buying diet" right now, so any books not on my list at the moment will be coming from the library. Didn't want to add "books I'd like to read" to my list just yet, as I think that might tempt me to go buying.

Jenny wrote: "I added your books to the master list! I've wanted to read The Last Hundred Days since it was longlisted for the Booker, so I'm looking forward to your review on that one."

Thanks for maintaining the list, Jenny, it's very impressive!
The death of Ceausescu is one of the first historical events that I remember from my early childhood, so I was immediately interested in the McGuinness book. I do hope it lives up to expectations.

Judy wrote: "Welcome, leser, you have a great start on your list."

Thanks for the welcome, Judy.

I read A Visit from the Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan for the USA instead of my original choice. At the moment I'm working on four other books that qualify for this challenge, not to mention those books I'm reading that don't qualify! For some reason I just want to keep starting new books instead of finishing some of those on my list of current reads!

leser81 wrote: "Chel wrote: "Good job! I have 27 and ordered 7 today!"

I'm on a "book-buying diet" right now, so any books not on my list at the moment will be coming from the library. Didn't want to add "books ..."

That's smart.

leser81 wrote: "Janice wrote: "You already have all of those? That's impressive. :)"

Yes, thanks to my book-buying habit I had some of those on my shelves already. Others are Bookcrossing books."

What is a bookcrossing book?

Sharon wrote: "leser81 wrote: "Janice wrote: "You already have all of those? That's impressive. :)"

Yes, thanks to my book-buying habit I had some of those on my shelves already. Others are Bookcrossing books."..."


Sharon, Bookcrossing is a site which involves sharing and tracking books. You register a book there, get a unique number for it, label the book with that number, and then let the book travel by leaving it somewhere for anyone to find (wild releasing) or giving/sending it directly to another member (controlled releasing). The idea is that the finder makes a journal entry for the book on the site, using the unique number, and thus it enables you to track where your book travels.

I love it!

I have some books I will "wild release". I'm so glad I heard about this. What a terrific idea!