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Janet's *very* long-term Around the World challenge


Janet

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:lol: Yes, that's very true! One can hardly see Trinidad and Tobago on my map! :giggle2: This challenge is certainly helping my geography - I'm ashamed to say I didn't know exactly where it was (I had a vague idea) until I read it for this challenge and looked it up!

 

I've recently started using our library again. I've had a card for as long as I can remember, but haven't used it for a long time. On Saturday I found a book called The Voluptuous Delights of Peanut Butter and Jam, the author of which was born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), so that's another country I can soon tick off.

 

ETA: Thanks, Sara - I don't know how I managed to miss your post. I go in fits and starts with this challenge - good luck with yours when you get going again. :)

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I've recently started using our library again. I've had a card for as long as I can remember, but haven't used it for a long time. On Saturday I found a book called The Voluptuous Delights of Peanut Butter and Jam, the author of which was born in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), so that's another country I can soon tick off.

This was brilliant!!

 

worldmap-2011-08Aug-17-28countries-1089.jpg

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Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov - 8/10 (and a nice bit of the map coloured in! :D ).

 

:haha: A very good way to look at it :giggle2:

 

If you read an Estonian book soon, you'll have whole Finland surrounded by red. That would be kinda of funky. But I would feel sad for Finland, being the last Nordic country standing :D

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:D Tove is a she :D I know of The Winter Book and The Summer book, some people on here have read them. I'd much rather you would read Sofi Oksanen's Purge though! :wink: A superb book which has been translated into many different languages now and has even been made into a play in the US etc etc. Edited by frankie
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Hi Janet

 

Have you any ideas for Spain yet? I was being nosy and noticed its not yet coloured in on your map. If you don't have an author earmarked for Spain would you consider Carlos Ruiz Zafon? His books are translated from his native spanish into many languages and I know many BCFer's are fans of his books. Shadow of the Wind is my favourite so far but he has a few others and another being released this year. :smile:

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Hi Janet

 

Have you any ideas for Spain yet? I was being nosy and noticed its not yet coloured in on your map. If you don't have an author earmarked for Spain would you consider Carlos Ruiz Zafon? His books are translated from his native spanish into many languages and I know many BCFer's are fans of his books. Shadow of the Wind is my favourite so far but he has a few others and another being released this year. :smile:

Oooh, thanks - no author for Spain as yet. :) I'm pretty certain my Mum has Shadow of the Wind on her upstairs book case - I will add it to the list.

I read The Book of Chameleons for Angola, J, and would thoroughly recommend it!

Thanks, Alex. :) They have a copy of it in Bath library so I've added it to my library wish list.

 

Are you going to start a thread yourself in here so we can keep up with each other's progess and chivvy each other on? No worries if you'd rather not but I thought I'd just ask. :)

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I've been toying with it and think I will now - helpful place to keep track of everything and like you say, we can chivvy each other on a bit! I've set a challenge to read 20 books off it this year, which seemed a lot until I realised I have USA and UK to tick off yet (although I'm reading "classics" I feel I should have already read for both!)

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I have decided that I too am going to attempt this, although I see that Janet's lsit of countries is a ltitle longer than my own - I have spent a bit of time researching what is and isn't a country (opinions do vary) and checking various lists. The main criteria I am using then is thatthe territory in question has to fulfil at least 2 of these:

 

a) the country has have its own nationality - some overseas territories of France for example the natives are classiifed as French

b) it has to have its own flag and

c) some form of its own Governmentm such as for example in the Isle of Man

 

It has taken me a bit of time to compile the list, but I think I have got there!

 

I will make my own thread re this then in due course, but in the meantime Janet, good luck - you have certainly inspired me !

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I've been toying with it and think I will now - helpful place to keep track of everything and like you say, we can chivvy each other on a bit! I've set a challenge to read 20 books off it this year, which seemed a lot until I realised I have USA and UK to tick off yet (although I'm reading "classics" I feel I should have already read for both!)

Hurrah! I shall look forward to watching your progress. :)

 

I have decided that I too am going to attempt this, although I see that Janet's lsit of countries is a ltitle longer than my own - I have spent a bit of time researching what is and isn't a country (opinions do vary) and checking various lists. The main criteria I am using then is thatthe territory in question has to fulfil at least 2 of these: a) the country has have its own nationality - some overseas territories of France for example the natives are classiifed as French b) it has to have its own flag and c) some form of its own Governmentm such as for example in the Isle of Man It has taken me a bit of time to compile the list, but I think I have got there! I will make my own thread re this then in due course, but in the meantime Janet, good luck - you have certainly inspired me !

I use the list that matches the maps I post - I'm not sure how I'm going to get on with some of the countries but I'll give it my best shot.

 

Glad to hear you're joining this challenge too, June - and that I've inspired you. :) I shall look forward to watching your progress too.

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Thanks to everyone for your suggestions. :hug: If anyone thinks/knows of any more, keep 'em coming. :)

 

For future reference:

 

NOTE TO SELF - LIST NOW IN POST #2 ON FIRST PAGE OF THIS THREAD - DO NOT USE THIS ONE!

 

 

Akrotiri - Fender: The Golden Age by Martin Kelly

Algeria - The Attack by Yasmina Khadra (other titles available)

Angola - The Book of Chameleons by Jose Eduardo Agualusa

Argentina - The Paper House by Carlos Maria Dominguez / The Tango Singer by Tomas Eloy Martinez

Bangladesh - Brick Lane by Monica Ali

Belgium - Madame Verona Comes Down the Hill by Dimitri Verhulst

Bosnia and Herzegovina - Bridge Over The Drina by Ivo Andric

Bulgaria - The Voices of Marrakesh by Elias Canetti - note to self - book (obviously!) not set in Bulgaria – there are other options for this author so check settings

Burma – The Road to Wanting by Wendy Law-Yone

Cambodia - When Broken Glass Floats: Growing Up Under the Khmer Rouge by Chanrithy Him

Chechnya - I am a Chechen! by German Sadulaev

Congo-Brazzavil​le - Little Boys Come from the Stars by Dongala Emmanuel Boundz

Eritrea - My Fathers' Daughter by Hannah Pool

Estonia - Brecht at Night by Mati Unt

Ethiopia - Cutting For Stone by Abraham Verghese

Faroe Islands - The Old Man and His Sons by Heðin Brú

Finland - Purge by Sofi Oksanen

Greece - Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis

Guyana - Kiskadee Girl by Maggie Harris / Whole of a Morning Sky by Grace Nichols

Iceland - Last Rituals by Yrsa Sigurdardottir

Indonesia - Twilight in Djakarta by Mochtar Lubis

Israel - Let it be Morning: A Novel by Sayed Kashua

Jamaica - The Same Earth by Kei Miller

Jordan - Pillars of Salt by Fadia Faqir

Kyrgyzstan - Jamilia by Chingiz Aitmatov

Malaysia - Evening Is the Whole Day by Preeta Samarasan / Inspector Singh Investigates: A Most Peculiar Malaysian Murder by Shamini Flint

Malta - South From Granada (Penguin Modern Classics) by Gerald Brenan - note to self - book (obviously!) not set in Malta – check to see if other options for this author set in Malta

Mozambique - Under the Frangipani by Mia Couto

Nepal - Buddha's Orphans by Samrat Upadhyay

Nigeria - A Time For New Dreams by Ben Okri / Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngoli Adichie

Peru - Eva Luna by Isabel Allende - (think I have The House of the Spirits by same author)

Portugal - The Elephant's Journey by Jose Saramago

Saudi Arabia – Girls of Riyadh byRajaa Alsanea /The Belt by Ahmed Abodehman

Serbia - The Tiger's Wife by Tea Obreht

Singapore - Foreign Bodies by Hwee Hwee Tan

South Africa - Bitter Fruit by Achmat Dangor

South Korea - The Bird by Oh Jung-hee / Our Twisted Hero by Yi Munyol / Fox Girl by Nora Okja Keller

Spain - Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

Sudan - Minaret by Leila Aboulela / Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih

Various - Best European Fiction by Aleksandar Hemon

Vietnam - The Tapestries by Kien Nguyen / Vietnam - Night, Again - Contemporary Fiction from Vietnam

Yemen - I Am Nujood, Age10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali

Zambia - Wilbur Smith

Edited by Janet
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  • Just been browsing on Fantastic Fiction, which is brilliant for finding out where authors are from. Wilbur Smith apparently was from Zambia, so that might be a good Z to find easily....shame we had heaps of these we cleared out from parents bookshelves.

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A few more suggestions from books that I have read:

 

Burma: The Road to Wanting - Wendy Law-Yone

Cambodia: When Broken Glass Floats - Chanrithy Him

South Korea: Please Look After Mother - Kyong-sook Shin

Libya: In the Country of Men - Matar Hisham

Sierra Leone: Ancestor Stones - Aminata Forna

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