Most Rated Book by Country (150 books)

Inspired by Most Rated Book By Year and One Million Ratings
this would seem to be a hard list to put together.

So a book needs to have been published first in a country. And just one per country. If it was published simultaneously in more than one country - then the author's nationality and residence would sway it in some direction.

If you place a book on this list, please put what country it is for. And how many ratings and whether it is replacing book with less ratings. And even better add a comment.

It might end up with two books per country for when a citizen of a country, clearly didn't get a book published in that country first.

Clearly this isn't an original idea but Around the World One Book from Each Country has 1028 books and in 2024 there are like 195 countries. That list does have different criteria but also got out of control.

Again this list is not for books about a country or that take place in a country.

For purposes of this list, a country is defined as being on the list https://www.worldometers.info/world-population/population-by-country/

See also:
https://readaroundtheworldchallenge.com/countries
https://www.goodreads.com/list/tag/author-by-country

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All Votes Add Books To This List

1	I the Supreme by Augusto Roa Bastos 3.89 avg rating — 986 ratings score: 191, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
2	I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali 3.83 avg rating — 24,240 ratings score: 145, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
3	The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope by William Kamkwamba (Goodreads Author) 4.07 avg rating — 32,629 ratings score: 143, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
4	Chess Story by Stefan Zweig 4.27 avg rating — 174,136 ratings score: 124, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
5	Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco 3.36 avg rating — 2,699 ratings score: 119, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
6	Sightseeing by Rattawut Lapcharoensap 3.97 avg rating — 3,442 ratings score: 117, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye by Sonny Liew (Goodreads Author) 4.47 avg rating — 3,585 ratings score: 116, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Gospoda Glembajevi by Miroslav Krleža 3.97 avg rating — 4,590 ratings score: 116, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Mio marito by Rumena Bužarovska really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 5,139 ratings score: 116, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
7	Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War by Leymah Gbowee 4.16 avg rating — 4,331 ratings score: 116, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Blindness by José Saramago 4.18 avg rating — 339,705 ratings score: 115, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	La mujer habitada by Gioconda Belli 4.21 avg rating — 7,521 ratings score: 115, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	A Grain of Wheat by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o 3.89 avg rating — 6,857 ratings score: 115, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin 3.81 avg rating — 10,251 ratings score: 115, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Aya (Aya, #1) by Marguerite Abouet 3.79 avg rating — 7,188 ratings score: 115, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	Sleepwalking Land by Mia Couto 4.01 avg rating — 6,202 ratings score: 115, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
11	I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala by Rigoberta Menchú 3.85 avg rating — 6,465 ratings score: 115, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Cruel Sea by Nicholas Monsarrat 4.23 avg rating — 8,391 ratings score: 113, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Bumi Manusia (Tetralogi Buru, #1) by Pramoedya Ananta Toer 4.43 avg rating — 22,703 ratings score: 113, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Alamut by Vladimir Bartol 4.31 avg rating — 13,634 ratings score: 113, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Bridge on the Drina (Bosnian Trilogy, #1) by Ivo Andrić 4.33 avg rating — 25,252 ratings score: 113, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Man Who Spoke Snakish by Andrus Kivirähk 4.20 avg rating — 9,118 ratings score: 113, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Soviet Milk by Nora Ikstena 4.27 avg rating — 11,277 ratings score: 113, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Les impatientes by Djaïli Amadou Amal 4.07 avg rating — 10,408 ratings score: 113, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Jamilia by Chingiz Aitmatov 3.90 avg rating — 10,301 ratings score: 113, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Enigma Otiliei by George Călinescu 3.67 avg rating — 20,912 ratings score: 113, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Jawbone by Mónica Ojeda 3.68 avg rating — 14,036 ratings score: 113, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga 4.04 avg rating — 23,069 ratings score: 113, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Afterlives by Abdulrazak Gurnah 3.77 avg rating — 14,121 ratings score: 113, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	A Girl Is a Body of Water by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi 4.14 avg rating — 8,689 ratings score: 113, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	The Ardent Swarm by Yamen Manai 4.09 avg rating — 8,435 ratings score: 113, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	A General Theory of Oblivion by José Eduardo Agualusa 3.90 avg rating — 8,914 ratings score: 113, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	Dievų miškas by Balys Sruoga 4.43 avg rating — 8,889 ratings score: 113, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
18	A House for Mr Biswas by V.S. Naipaul 3.80 avg rating — 22,354 ratings score: 113, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
35	El verano en que mi madre tuvo los ojos verdes by Tatiana Țîbuleac 4.32 avg rating — 47,234 ratings score: 112, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
36	Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih 3.72 avg rating — 33,751 ratings score: 111, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	A Brief History of Seven Killings by Marlon James 3.89 avg rating — 38,140 ratings score: 110, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	Stupeur et tremblements by Amélie Nothomb 3.75 avg rating — 45,581 ratings score: 110, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	Embers by Sándor Márai really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 44,747 ratings score: 110, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	The Joke by Milan Kundera 4.03 avg rating — 40,706 ratings score: 110, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
37	La tregua by Mario Benedetti 4.17 avg rating — 43,029 ratings score: 110, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
42	Travesuras de la niña mala by Mario Vargas Llosa 4.14 avg rating — 49,974 ratings score: 109, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
43	The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida by Shehan Karunatilaka (Goodreads Author) 3.90 avg rating — 60,339 ratings score: 108, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali 4.20 avg rating — 92,702 ratings score: 104, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Dead Souls by Nikolai Gogol 3.98 avg rating — 96,585 ratings score: 104, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	Ulysses by James Joyce 3.76 avg rating — 138,071 ratings score: 104, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
44	The Epic of Gilgamesh by Anonymous 3.75 avg rating — 119,389 ratings score: 104, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ishmael Beah 4.16 avg rating — 194,375 ratings score: 103, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood (Persepolis, #1) by Marjane Satrapi 4.27 avg rating — 231,057 ratings score: 103, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	The Forty Rules of Love by Elif Shafak (Goodreads Author) 4.11 avg rating — 205,145 ratings score: 103, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	Heidi (Heidi, #1-2) by Johanna Spyri 4.04 avg rating — 211,517 ratings score: 103, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	Sophie’s World by Jostein Gaarder 3.97 avg rating — 282,905 ratings score: 103, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
48	The Vegetarian by Han Kang 3.65 avg rating — 386,197 ratings score: 103, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	The Prophet by Kahlil Gibran 4.23 avg rating — 329,696 ratings score: 102, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
54	The Last Wish (The Witcher, #0.5) by Andrzej Sapkowski 4.14 avg rating — 417,593 ratings score: 102, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie 4.31 avg rating — 413,528 ratings score: 101, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
56	The Odyssey by Homer 3.83 avg rating — 1,196,058 ratings score: 101, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (Harry Potter, #1) by J.K. Rowling 4.47 avg rating — 11,442,332 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	The Hunger Games (The Hunger Games, #1) by Suzanne Collins 4.35 avg rating — 9,937,592 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo (Millennium, #1) by Stieg Larsson 4.18 avg rating — 3,453,325 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese (Goodreads Author) 4.33 avg rating — 427,637 ratings score: 100, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	The Three-Body Problem (Remembrance of Earth’s Past, #1) by Liu Cixin (Goodreads Author) 4.08 avg rating — 496,353 ratings score: 100, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
58	A Girl Called Eel by Ali Zamir 3.32 avg rating — 256 ratings score: 100, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry 4.33 avg rating — 2,486,912 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez 4.12 avg rating — 1,107,820 ratings score: 99, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Goodreads Author) 4.36 avg rating — 3,501,148 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	My Shoes and I by Rene Colato Lainez (Goodreads Author) 4.02 avg rating — 209 ratings score: 99, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
64	The Complete Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen 4.29 avg rating — 108,541 ratings score: 99, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	The Shadow of the Wind (The Cemetery of Forgotten Books, #1) by Carlos Ruiz Zafón 4.31 avg rating — 722,088 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (Goodreads Author) 3.92 avg rating — 3,581,680 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban by Malala Yousafzai (Goodreads Author) 4.16 avg rating — 624,628 ratings score: 98, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	Jar City (Inspector Erlendur, #3) by Arnaldur Indriðason 3.81 avg rating — 32,423 ratings score: 98, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
69	Amkoullel, l'enfant Peul by Amadou Hampâté Bâ 4.36 avg rating — 437 ratings score: 98, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami 3.99 avg rating — 732,044 ratings score: 97, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Goodreads Author) 4.39 avg rating — 2,886,139 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende (Goodreads Author) 4.30 avg rating — 321,014 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoevsky 4.29 avg rating — 1,085,595 ratings score: 97, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
74	Une année chez les Français by Fouad Laroui 3.86 avg rating — 531 ratings score: 97, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	The Handmaid’s Tale (The Handmaid's Tale, #1) by Margaret Atwood (Goodreads Author) 4.15 avg rating — 2,432,686 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco 4.14 avg rating — 396,235 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood by Trevor Noah 4.49 avg rating — 809,289 ratings score: 96, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	Sommarboken by Tove Jansson really liked it 4.00 avg rating — 56,431 ratings score: 96, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
79	The Bride of Amman by Fadi Zaghmout \| فادي زغموت (Goodreads Author) 3.68 avg rating — 751 ratings score: 96, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka 3.91 avg rating — 1,435,501 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari 4.33 avg rating — 1,266,070 ratings score: 95, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank 4.20 avg rating — 4,200,926 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	Learning to Breathe by Janice Lynn Mather 3.86 avg rating — 780 ratings score: 95, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
84	The Stranger by Albert Camus 4.03 avg rating — 1,408,584 ratings score: 95, and 2 people voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (Goodreads Author) 3.96 avg rating — 326,302 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
89	The Sand Fish: An Atmospheric Middle Eastern Story of Rebellion in 1950s Dubai Culture by Maha Gargash 3.25 avg rating — 825 ratings score: 94, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
91	Return to the Enchanted Island by Johary Ravaloson 2.73 avg rating — 864 ratings score: 93, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
92	The Dead Lake by Hamid Ismailov (Goodreads Author) 3.64 avg rating — 1,010 ratings score: 92, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
93	La isla de los hombres solos by José León Sánchez 4.18 avg rating — 1,127 ratings score: 90, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
94	King Stakh's Wild Hunt by Uladzimir Karatkievič 4.43 avg rating — 1,235 ratings score: 89, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
95	Arresting God In Kathmandu: Groundbreaking Short Stories – Desire, Spirituality, and Identity in Nepal by Samrat Upadhyay 3.30 avg rating — 1,328 ratings score: 88, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
96	Women's Liberation and the African Freedom Struggle by Thomas Sankara 4.48 avg rating — 1,953 ratings score: 87, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
97	Los afectos by Rodrigo Hasbún (Goodreads Author) 3.51 avg rating — 1,605 ratings score: 86, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
98	Letters from Burma by Aung San Suu Kyi 3.90 avg rating — 1,680 ratings score: 85, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
99	The Last Brother by Nathacha Appanah 3.82 avg rating — 1,919 ratings score: 84, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars
100	The Polished Hoe by Austin Clarke 3.23 avg rating — 1,949 ratings score: 83, and 1 person voted	Error rating book. Refresh and try again. Rate this book Clear rating 1 of 5 stars 2 of 5 stars 3 of 5 stars 4 of 5 stars 5 of 5 stars

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150 books · 6 voters · list created November 24th, 2024 by Mitchell Friedman (votes) .

Tags: all-countries, author, authors, authors-born, by-country, countries, country, country-challenge, mjf, most-rated

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Comments Showing 1-24 of 24 (24 new)

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message 1: by Charlotte Igelkott (last edited Nov 24, 2024 01:55AM) (new)

Nov 24, 2024 01:32AM

Suggestions:
The Man Who Spoke Snakish (Estonia)
Soviet Milk (Latvia)
Jar City (Iceland)

Jo Nesbø has several books with more ratings than Knausgård's Min kamp 1. I would suggest The Snowman for Norway.

Edit: Where was Han Kang's The Vegetarian first published? Might replace Please Look After Mom for South Korea.
Either way - great list!

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message 2: by William (new)

Nov 24, 2024 04:54AM

Shogun

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message 3: by Charlotte Igelkott (new)

Nov 24, 2024 05:33AM

I would, with some hesitation, suggest The Joke for the Czech republic. (The Unbearable Lightness of Being was published after Kundera left for France, and although Kafka lived in Prague his books seem to have been published by a Leipzig-based publisher, which would place them in Germany)

Also wondering, what about stories that predate the printing press but are said to have their origin in a particular country/culture? (Such as The Odyssey)

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message 4: by Charlotte Igelkott (new)

Nov 24, 2024 05:35AM

Just realised that Sophie’s World has even more ratings than either The Snowman or Min kamp 1, so that should probably be Norway's contribution to this list

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message 5: by Charlotte Igelkott (new)

Nov 24, 2024 06:16AM

Wild Swans: Three Daughters of China should be replaced by The Three-Body Problem, I think (China)

And Solaris should be replaced by The Last Wish (Poland)

Would also suggest The Complete Fairy Tales instead of Smilla's Sense of Snow for Denmark. Not sure who was the first to collect and publish all those stories in a single volume, but they had been published in Denmark before in other constellations

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message 6: by Charlotte Igelkott (new)

Nov 24, 2024 08:24AM

Sommarboken should be here instead of Puhdistus (Finland)

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message 7: by Charlotte Igelkott (new)

Nov 24, 2024 08:41AM

Embers for Hungary?

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message 8: by Mitchell (last edited Nov 24, 2024 09:29AM) (new)

Nov 24, 2024 09:21AM

Charlotte, please make it so. And thank you. Though I will grab what you put in and update my votes. But it seems like you and I are looking at this list similarly.

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message 9: by Mitchell (new)

Nov 24, 2024 09:24AM

Charlotte Igelkott wrote: "I would, with some hesitation, suggest The Joke for the Czech republic. (The Unbearable Lightness of Being was published after Kundera left for France, and although Kafka l..."

So books like the Odyssey that pre-date the printing press - I think are an out unless they are wholly tied to one country. Which means the Odyssey would be an in for Greece as long as it had the most ratings. But like Beowulf I don't think is tied to exactly one country?

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message 10: by Mitchell (new)

Nov 24, 2024 09:28AM

William wrote: "Shogun"

Shogun was written in the United States and has a lot less ratings than Hunger Games

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message 11: by Mitchell (last edited Oct 26, 2025 11:24AM) (new)

Nov 24, 2024 11:01AM

Using World Population by Country from worldometers as a shopping list:

84 left

105 - Hong Kong

131 - Georgia
132 - Eritrea
133 - Mongolia
136 - Bosnia and Herzegovina
137 - Qatar
139 - Namibia

140 - Armenia
144 - Gambia
145 - Gabon
146 - Botswana
147 - Lesotho
148 - Guinea-Bissau
153 - Bahrain
155 - Timor-Leste
157 - Cyprus
159 - Eswatini

160 - Djibouti
161 - Fiji
162 - Reunion
163 - Comoros
164 - Guyana
165 - Solomon Islands
166 - Bhutan
167 - Macao
168 - Luxembourg
169 - Montenegro
170 - Suriname
171 - Western Sahara
173 - Maldives
174 - Micronesia
175 - Cabo Verde
176 - Brunei
177 - Belize

180 - Gaudeloupe
181 - Martinique
182 - Vanuatu
183 - Mayotte
184 - French Guiana
185 - New Caledonia
187 - French Polynesia
188 - Sao Tome & Principe
189 - Samoa
190 - Cuacao
191 - Saint Lucia
192 - Guam
193 - Kiribati
194 - Seychelles
195 - Grenada
196 - Aruba
197 - Tonga
198 - St. Vincent & Grenadines
199 - Antigua and Barbuda

200 - U.S. Virgin Islands
201 - Isle of Man
202 - Andorra
203 - Cayman Islands
204 - Dominica
205 - Bermuda
206 - Greenland
207 - Faeroe Islands
208 - Saint Kitts & Nevis
209 - American Samoa
210 - Turks and Caicos
211 - Northern Mariana Islands
212 - Sint Maarten
213 - Liechtenstein
214 - British Virgin Islands
215 - Gibraltar
219 - Caribbean Netherlands

220 - Saint Martin
221 - Palau
222 - Anguilla
223 - Cook Islands
224 - Nauru
225 - Wallis & Futuna
226 - Saint Barthelemy
227 - Tuvalu
228 - Saint Pierre & Miquelon
229 - Saint Helena
230 - Montserrat
231 - Falkland Islands
232 - Tokelau
233 - Niue

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message 12: by Mitchell (new)

Nov 24, 2024 01:47PM

Reluctantly switching Dracula for Ulysses for Ireland

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message 13: by Charlotte Igelkott (new)

Nov 25, 2024 07:51AM

Mitchell wrote: "Charlotte Igelkott wrote: "I would, with some hesitation, suggest The Joke for the Czech republic. (The Unbearable Lightness of Being was published after Kundera left for F..."

Yes, Beowulf will need to stay off the list but The Epic of Gilgamesh might be an option for Iraq?

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message 14: by Mitchell (new)

Nov 25, 2024 11:54AM

Charlotte Igelkott wrote: "Mitchell wrote: "Charlotte Igelkott wrote: "I would, with some hesitation, suggest The Joke for the Czech republic. (The Unbearable Lightness of Being was published after K..."

Gilgamesh works for me for Iraq

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message 15: by Mitchell (last edited Oct 26, 2025 11:24AM) (new)

Nov 28, 2024 03:38PM

This will try to be a comprehensive list of the books on this list by country in alphabetic order.

Afghanistan - The Kite Runner
Albania - Broken April
Algeria - The Stranger
Angola - A General Theory of Oblivion
Argentina - Ficciones
Australia - The Book Thief
Austria - Chess Story
Azerbaijan - Mavi Melekler

Bahamas - Learning to Breathe
Bangladesh - একাত্তরের দিনগুলি
Barbados - The Polished Hoe
Belarus - King Stakh's Wild Hunt
Belgium - Stupeur et tremblements
Benin - Spirit Rising: My Life, My Music
Bolivia - Los afectos
Brazil - The Alchemist
Bulgaria - Border: A Journey to the Edge of Europe
Burkina Faso - Women's Liberation and the African Freedom Struggle
Burundi - Petit pays

Cambodia - First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers
Cameroon - Les impatientes
Canada - The Handmaid's Tale
Central African Republic - Co-Wives, Co-Widows
Chad - Told by Starlight in Chad
Chile - The House of the Spirits
China - The Three-Body Problem
Columbia - One Hundred Years of Solitude
Comoros - A Girl Called Eel
Congo - Black Moses
Costa Rica - La isla de los hombres solos
Cote D'ivoire - Aya
Croatia - Gospoda Glembajevi
Cuba - The German Girl
Czech Republic - The Joke

Democratic Republic of Congo - How Dare the Sun Rise: Memoirs of a War Child
Denmark - The Complete Fairy Tales
Dominican Republic - The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Ecuador - Jawbone
Egypt - أولاد حارتنا
El Salvador - My Shoes and I
Estonia - The Man Who Spoke Snakish
Ethiopia - Cutting for Stone

Finland - Sommarboken
France - The Little Prince

Germany - The Metamorphosis
Ghana - Changes: A Love Story
Greece - The Odyssey
Guatemala - I, Rigoberta Menchú: An Indian Woman in Guatemala
Guinea - The Dark Child

Haiti - Silencing the Past: Power and the Production of History
Honduras - La oveja negra y demás fábulas
Hungary - Embers

Iceland - Jar City
India - The God of Small Things
Indonesia - Bumi Manusia
Iran - Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood
Iraq - The Epic of Gilgamesh
Ireland - Ulysses
Israel - Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
Italy - The Name of the Rose

Jamaica - A Brief History of Seven Killings
Japan - Norwegian Wood
Jordan - The Bride of Amman

Kazakhstan - The Silent Steppe: The Memoir of a Kazakh Nomad Under Stalin
Kenya - A Grain of Wheat
Kyrgyzstan - Jamilia

Laos - Mother's Beloved: Stories from Laos
Latvia - Soviet Milk
Lebanon - The Prophet
Liberia - Mighty Be Our Powers: How Sisterhood, Prayer, and Sex Changed a Nation at War
Libya - الورم
Lithuania - Dievų miškas

Madagascar - Return to the Enchanted Island
Malawi - The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind: Creating Currents of Electricity and Hope
Malaysia - The Night Tiger
Mali - Amkoullel, l'enfant Peul
Malta - The Cruel Sea
Marshall Islands - Iep Jāltok: Poems from a Marshallese Daughter
Mauritius - The Last Brother
Mexico - Like Water for Chocolate
Moldova - El verano en que mi madre tuvo los ojos verdes
Monaco - Palace: My Life in the Royal Family of Monaco
Morocco - Une année chez les Français
Mozambique - Sleepwalking Land
Myanmar - Letters from Burma

Nepal - Arresting God In Kathmandu
Netherlands - The Diary of a Young Girl
New Zealand - The Luminaries
Nicaragua - La mujer habitada
Niger - The Epic of Askia Mohammed
Nigeria - Americanah
North Korea - The Girl with Seven Names: A North Korean Defector’s Story
North Macedonia - Mio marito
Norway - Sophie’s World

Oman - Celestial Bodies

Palestine - Mornings in Jenin
Papua New Guinea - The Crocodile
Pakistan - I Am Malala: The Story of the Girl Who Stood Up for Education and Was Shot by the Taliban
Paraguay - I the Supreme
Peru - Travesuras de la niña mala
Philipines Ilustrado
Poland - The Last Wish
Portugal - Blindness

Romania - Enigma Otiliei
Russia - Crime and Punishment
Rwanda - Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust

Saint Lucia - Omeros
San Marino - Figlie della luna
Saudi Arabia - حياة في الإدارة
Senegal - So Long a Letter
Serbia - The Bridge on the Drina
Sierra Leone - A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
Singapore - The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye
Slovakia - Tri gaštanové kone
Slovenia - Alamut
Somalia - Infidel
South Africa - Born a Crime: Stories From a South African Childhood
South Korea - The Vegetarian
South Sudan - They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan
Spain - The Shadow of the Wind
Sri Lanka - The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida
Sudan - Season of Migration to the North
Sweden - The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Switzerland - Heidi
Syria - Damascus Nights

Taiwan - Notes of a Crocodile
Tajikistan - The Life and Extraordinary Adventures of Private Ivan Chonkin
Tanzania - Afterlives
Thailand - Sightseeing
Togo - Do They Hear You When You Cry
Trinidad and Tobago - A House for Mr Biswas
Tunisia - The Ardent Swarm
Turkey - The Forty Rules of Love
Turkmenistan - The Tale of Aypi

Uganda - A Girl Is a Body of Water
Ukraine - Dead Souls
United Arab Emirates - The Sand Fish: A Novel from Dubai
United Kingdom - Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone
United States - The Hunger Games
Uruguay - La tregua
Uzbekistan - The Dead Lake

Vatican City (Holy See) - Jesus of Nazareth: From the Baptism in the Jordan to the Transfiguration
Venezuela - Doña Bárbara
Vietnam - Cho tôi xin một vé đi tuổi thơ

Yemen - I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced

Zambia - Baking Cakes in Kigali
Zimbabwe - Nervous Conditions

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message 16: by Emrys (last edited Jan 08, 2025 01:29PM) (new)

Jan 08, 2025 12:52PM

Sandra Uwiringiyimana https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

is from DR Congo: I don't know how strict the rules are here for original publication country vs. author's country of origin.

Yaa Gyasi https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... born in Ghana (but raised in Alabama).

Ama Ata Aidoo https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... was born in Ghana and lived there.

Saudi Arabia: Ghazi A. Algosaibi https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

North Korea: Hyeonseo Lee https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Syria (not sure if he's eligible): Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

"'Abd al-Rahman al-Kawakibi (Arabic: عبد الرحمن الكواكبي, romanized: ʿAbd al-Raḥmān al-Kawākibī‎, c. 1854-c.1902) was a Syrian author, a liberal thinker, and Pan-Arab solidarity supporter. He was one of the most prominent intellectuals of his time; however, his thoughts and writings continue to be relevant to the issues of Islamic identity and Pan-Arabism. His criticisms of the Ottoman Empire eventually led to Arabs calling for the sovereignty of the Arab Nations, setting the basis for Pan-Arab nationalism. Al-Kawakibi articulated his ideas in two influential books, The nature of tyranny and the struggle against slavery ( طبائع الإستبداد ومصارع الإستعباد) and Mother of All Villages (أم القرى). He died in 1902 of “mysterious” causes. His family alleged that he was poisoned by Turkish agents."

Syria (alternatively): Rafik Schami https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Wilbur Smith https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... was born in what is now Zambia.

Gaile Parkin https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... might be considered better for Zambia though (born and raised there).

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message 17: by Mitchell (new)

Jan 09, 2025 02:30PM

I prefer

Ama Ata Aidoo https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... was born in Ghana and lived there.

to

Yaa Gyasi https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... born in Ghana (but raised in Alabama).

but if you hadn't find another good choice for Ghana, I think Yaa Gyasi would have been a fine first choice (waiting for a better one to appear)

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message 18: by Mitchell (new)

Jan 09, 2025 02:32PM

I don't feel strongly about either choice for zambia or syria.

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message 19: by Emrys (last edited Jan 11, 2025 12:02PM) (new)

Jan 11, 2025 10:14AM

Senegal: Mariama Bâ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Guinea: Camara Laye https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Gaël Faye https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... was born in Burundi and grew up there, but he's described as French-Rwandan so we probably can't have him for Burundi.

South Sudan: Benson Deng https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Edwidge Danticat https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... was born in Haiti, moved to the USA aged 12, described as Haitian American.

Michel-Rolph Trouillot https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... another Haitian American, moved to the USA around aged 21.

The following three were all born in the Dominican Republic and later moved abroad:

Junot Díaz https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Milly Taiden https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Dan-el Padilla Peralta https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Cuba: Armando Lucas Correa https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Alternatively, Che Guevara's most rated book (he had Argentine and Cuban citizenship): https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Tajikistan:Vladimir Voinovich https://www.goodreads.com/author/show... was born there, might not qualify.

Azerbaijan: Chingiz Abdullayev https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Togo: Fauziya Kassindja https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

alternatively, Tété-Michel Kpomassie
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Hong Kong: Janice Y.K. Lee https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...
(born and raised there)

alternatively: Jeannette Ng
https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

I guess we're looking for someone who at least identifies as having a "Hong Konger" identity.

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message 20: by Mitchell (new)

Jan 11, 2025 06:24PM

I updated my list of books pers country and missing countries.

I wonder if I shouldn't just have a list of all the books per country and not just the ones I don't have votes for

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message 21: by Mitchell (last edited Jan 22, 2025 08:31PM) (new)

Jan 19, 2025 09:35PM

Emrys wrote: "Senegal: Mariama Bâ https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Guinea: Camara Laye https://www.goodreads.com/author/show...

Gaël Faye https://www.goodreads.com/author/..."

I went ahead and added your suggestions as votes for Zambia, Senegal, Guinea, South Sudan, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan and Togo.

Thanks so much. And on to the next set of missing countries

We have 143 of 234 "countries" or 61.1% with 91 more "countries" to go

We have the top 104 countries with the most population.

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message 22: by Emrys (last edited Feb 01, 2025 03:25AM) (new)

Jan 31, 2025 10:51AM

Mitchell wrote: I went ahead and added your suggestions as votes for Zambia, Senegal, Guinea, South Sudan, Haiti, Dominican Republic, Cuba, Tajikistan, Azerbaijan and Togo.

Thanks so much. And on to the next set of missing countries

We have 143 of 234 "countries" or 61.1% with 91 more "countries" to go

We have the top 104 countries with the most population.

I've just seen your link to the readaroundtheworldchallenge website in the list subscription, it looks like it will be very helpful.

I explored its list of authors for Syria as a test, and found that Mustafa Khalifa has a book with 14k+ ratings that would beat the one we currently have.

I noticed though that some of the authors it has wouldn't qualify as being from the respective country the website lists. Should still be useful though. I intend to re-explore the countries I looked into before, but first I'll gradually go through the countries with no book whatsoever at the moment.

For Mauritania, the author Mbarek Ould Beyrouk seems to have the book with the highest number of ratings (just 261).

For Kuwait, the author: Saud Alsanousi.

Panama: Mariano Rivera

Georgia:

This is somewhat complicated.

Nino Haratischwili "Nino Haratischwili (Georgian: ნინო ხარატიშვილი) is a Georgian-born German novelist, playwright, and theater director.

Haratischwili was born and raised in Tbilisi, Georgia, where she attended a German-language school. To escape the political and social chaos that followed the collapse of the Soviet Union, she moved to Germany for two years in the early 1990s with her mother, where she attended the seventh and the eighth grade of school. Her family returned to Georgia afterwards. Haratischwili later moved to Germany again in order to attend drama school in Hamburg. She became a German citizen in 2012." has a book with 27k+ ratings, is a Georgian born refugee (moved to Germany when she was around 12?).

Leo Vardiashvili is another Georgian born refugee, who moved from Georgia when he was 13 from what I gather from googling. He has a book with 4k+ ratings.

Mikheil Javakhishvili has a book with 2345 ratings and seems straightforwardly Georgian. It's not my list, so I don't know who'd be the best pick here!

Eritrea: Haji Jabir, alternatively Meb Keflezighi but he seems to consider himself American, and moved "from modern-day Eritrea (then part of Ethiopia)" aged 12, so probably doesn't have an Eritrean identity.

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message 23: by Emrys (new)

Mar 03, 2025 12:48PM

I checked some of the smaller countries at the readaroundtheworldchallenge website just to get more of them out of the way quickly:

216 - Monaco https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
217 - Marshall Islands https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...
219 - Caribbean Netherlands (none)

220 - Saint Martin (none)
221 - Palau https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4... "written by a Palauan poet & educator, this extraordinary collection of poetry explores identity, freedom and colonialism"
222 - Anguilla (none)
223 - Cook Islands (none)

224 - Nauru https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/8...
or https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
are collections from various authors from Nauru.

225 - Wallis & Futuna (none)
226 - Saint Barthelemy (none)
227 - Tuvalu https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
228 - Saint Pierre & Miquelon (none)
229 - Saint Helena (none)
230 - Montserrat (none)
231 - Falkland Islands (none)
232 - Tokelau (none)
233 - Niue (none)

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message 24: by Mitchell (new)

Oct 26, 2025 11:26AM

Emrys wrote: "I checked some of the smaller countries at the readaroundtheworldchallenge website just to get more of them out of the way quickly:

216 - Monaco https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
..."

I added Monaco and Marshall Islands. It would be helpful if we had more voters. And really more eyes checking.

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