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


Janet

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:lol: Well, I recently did that Book Spa thing and I mentioned to the guy discussing books with me that I'd like to read some set in countries other than the UK or the USA so he recommended two on the strength of that.

 

I've just started the other one, set in Pakistan (The Reluctant Fundamentalist), so I'll be adding another to my map shortly - but then I guess I'll have a lull again after that!

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He did -and I he also liked the fact that I was open to suggestion. He really was spot-on with what he picked for me - even picking several I've already read or got on my 'to read' pile!

 

Slightly o/t, but on the day of my visit, I'd just started What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn and told me that he was on the Costa panel that voted it the winner so he was pleased I was enjoying it! :irked:

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He did -and I he also liked the fact that I was open to suggestion. He really was spot-on with what he picked for me - even picking several I've already read or got on my 'to read' pile!

 

Slightly o/t, but on the day of my visit, I'd just started What Was Lost by Catherine O'Flynn and told me that he was on the Costa panel that voted it the winner so he was pleased I was enjoying it! :irked:

 

How odd, What Was Lost was also on my list of recent reads that I sent him, and he told me the same thing!

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After some dithering, and some sending of PMs, I have revised this slightly.

 

Unless otherwise stated, the books read relate to the country in which the author was born. So, for example, Brazil is The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho, because that's where he was born, even though the book isn't based in Brazil.

 

I still can't see me ever getting to the end of this! :lol:

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Okay, I've had a sort out and here is my updated map:

 

worldmap-2009-Oct-05-10-11countries.gif

11 Countries - 4%

 

Afghanistan - A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini (10/10)

Austria - The Dragonfly Pool - Eva Ibbotson (7/10)

Brazil - The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho (8/10)

Canada - No Time For Goodbye - Linwood Barclay (8/10)

Germany - All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque (8/10)

India - Coram Boy - Jamila Gavin - (6�/10)

Ireland - The Sea - John Banville (3/10)

New Zealand - Mister Pip - Lloyd Jones (9�/10)

Pakistan - The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Mohsin Hamid (8/10)

Sri Lanka - The Flower Boy - Karen Roberts

United States of America - The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks (7/10)

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I can't take the credit for it - I snagged the idea from Tracy (everydayxangels)!

 

It comes from here - it's meant to show the counties you've visited but doubles up for this quite nicely, although obviously it contains non-Olympic countries too.

 

I do it, paste it into word and then load it on Photobucket to get a full picture rather than uploading it directly from the computer.

 

It's lovely to see one's progress this way. :lol:

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  • 4 weeks later...

worldmap-2010-Jan-07-01-13countries.gif

13 countries (5%)

 

Afghanistan - A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini - 10/10

Austria - The Dragonfly Pool - Eva Ibbotson - 7/10

Brazil - The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho - 8/10

Canada - No Time for Goodbye - Linwood Barclay - 8/10

Germany - All Quiet on the Western Front - Erich Maria Remarque - 9/10

India - Coram Boy - Jamila Gavin - 6�/10

Ireland - The Sea - John Banville - 3/10

New Zealand - Mister Pip - Lloyd Jones - 9�/10

Norway - The Christmas Mystery - Jostein Gaarder - 7�/10

Pakistan - The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Mohsin Hamid - 8/10

Sri Lanka - The Flower Boy - Karen Roberts - 8/10

Sweden - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo - Stieg Larsson - 10/10

United States - The Notebook - Nicholas Sparks - 7/10

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Wow, good luck with this, must be hard to find books to read from some countries, I know my country doesn't have many books I'd like to read. Unless it's children's books, like Crusade in Jeans, used to love that one when I was a kid.

Amazed you haven't read anything from the UK yet! Not for your list anyway...

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:smile2: I've read lots of UK books - I don't know why I haven't selected one for the list! :) I shall add my next UK read!

 

I am intending to include some children's books in my choices (my Indian choice was one) - I'm doing this based on where the author was born rather than it being where the book is set.

 

I don't see myself ever completing it, but it's another list and I like lists - and it makes me think about things I might not otherwise read - or at least, that's the plan. :)

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I've been tempted to try this challenge for a while now because, as you say Janet, it's a list, and I think I've made it pretty clear recently how much I like lists. :D

 

I should confess that I also like it because it comes with the cool map which I can 'colour in' as I go along, just like ticking something off a list! It's such a daunting challenge though that I would have to cheat and include the books I've read in the last few years. :D

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The map is rather lovely, isn't it?!

 

I don't think that's cheating, Kylie.

 

I've deviated from the original 'Olympic' challenge to make it a 'World' one and I haven't set any time limit - unlike the original one which was to be completed in four years.

 

I added The Christmas Mystery by Jostein Gaarder yesterday, even though I read it in 2007 because I remembered he'd been born in Norway.

 

Unless it's part of a challenge that others are completing in as a competition then I don't think it matters. :D

 

I need to update my list at the front, actually, as there are more 'World' countries than Olympic ones (gulp!).

 

Lists ftw! :D

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OK, I've gone ahead and used my 1 reserved post for this challenge. It took me a while to get the map right, but I followed your directions (mostly) and I think I've got it now. Now comes the fun part of going through my reading lists and updating the map. :D

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Just discovered this gem 'Best European Fiction 2010'. Edited by the acclaimed Bosnian writer,Aleksandar Hemon, this is a volume of contemporary modern short stories, translated into English. Drawn from 35 countries in Europe, including Iceland, Liechtensten, Estonia. Published this month - could prove rather useful;):blush:

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