Around the World in 80 Books discussion

Since I finished the tourist challenge this year, I think I will carry it over to try the Frequent Flyer challenge. Based on Calzean's example, I'll also keep track of which country's authors qualify for the Globetrotter challenge with a (GT). Here are the books that qualify from the start of 2017 to the present:


1. Australia; Region: Oceania

A Town Like Alice by Nevil Shute (GT 1)


2. Mexico; Region: North America

Pedro Páramo by Juan Rulfo (GT 2)


3. Germany; Region: Europe

Michael Kohlhaas: A Tale from an Old Chronicle by Heinrich von Kleist (GT 3)


4. Chile; Region: Latin America (South America)

Multiple Choice by Alejandro Zambra (GT 4)


5. China; Region: Asia

Gold Boy, Emerald Girl by Yiyun Li (GT 5)


6. Kazakhstan; Region: Asia

One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn (GT 6)


7. Canada; Region: North America

Bury Your Dead by Louise Penny (GT 7)


8. Pakistan; Region: Asia

Between Clay and Dust by Musharraf Ali Farooqi (GT 8)


9. Nigeria; Region: Africa

Under the Udala Trees by Chinelo Okparanta (GT 9)


10. Sweden; Region: Europe


The Great Enigma: New Collected Poems by Tomas Tranströmer (GT 10)


11. Monaco; Region: Europe

Making Monte Carlo: A History of Speculation and Spectacle by Mark Braude


12. Ethiopia; Region: Africa

Queen of Flowers and Pearls by Gabriella Ghermandi (GT 11)


13. Egypt; Region: Africa

The Queue by Basma Abdel Aziz (GT 12)


14. Norway; Region: Europe

Hunger by Knut Hamsun (GT 13)


15. Haiti; Region: Caribbean (North America)

Krik? Krak! by Edwidge Danticat (GT 14)

16. Brazil; Region: Latin America (South America)

Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon by Jorge Amado (GT 15)


17. Switzerland; Region: Europe

Heidi by Johanna Spyri (GT 16)


18. Philippines; Region: Asia

Ermita: A Filipino Novel by F. Sionil José (GT 17)


19. Botswana; Region: Africa

Precious and Grace by Alexander McCall Smith (GT 18)


20. Grenada; Region: Caribbean (North America)

The Bone Readers by Jacob Ross (GT 19)


21. Israel; Region: Middle East (Asia)

Where the Jackals Howl by Amos Oz (GT 20)


22. Antarctica; Region: Antarctica

My Last Continent by Midge Raymond


23. United Kingdom (England); Region: Europe

The Sea, the Sea by Iris Murdoch (GT 21)


24. Fiji; Region: Oceania

The Wounded Sea by Satendra Nandan (GT 22)


25. Ireland; Region: Europe

The Sea by John Banville (GT 23)

26. Albania; Region: Europe

The Secret Rescue: An Untold Story of American Nurses and Medics Behind Nazi Lines by Cate Lineberry

I've read many tales of survival and heroism from World War II, but I hadn't heard of the joint UK-US rescue of American medics and nurses who crash-landed in Albania until my mom lent me the book. Incredible story, and great Albanian hospitality.

27. United States; Region: North America

The Robber Bridegroom by Eudora Welty (GT 24)

I selected Eudora Welty as the American author whose books I'll focus on in 2017, and after finishing this book, it looks like I'll be in for a treat. This is enchanting storytelling from the bandit days of the Mississippi, based on the eponymous Grimm fairy tale.

BONUS: Repeated Country; United Kingdom (England); Region: Europe

Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, Parts 1 & 2 by J.K. Rowling and John Tiffany (GT)

I rather enjoyed this continuation of the Harry Potter saga, and didn't mind its focus on mending fences between former enemies. Since this is a play, though, I can't help but wonder how elaborate and expensive the set for this is!

28. Côte d'Ivoire; Region: Africa

Aya: Life in Yop City by Marguerite Abouet (GT 25)

Even though this graphic novel was filled with relationship drama and bad decisions, I was drawn into the portrayal of everyday life in the Ivory Coast in 1980. I look forward to learning what happens to Aya and her friends and family in future volumes.

29. Syria; Region: Middle East (Asia)

The Arab of the Future: A Childhood in the Middle East, 1978-1984: A Graphic Memoir by Riad Sattouf (GT 26)

Riad Sattouf doesn't sugarcoat his opinions of his early years under dictatorships, and provides great insights into everyday life in Libya and Syria in the early 1980's. The denouement was so reassuring that I was as shocked as the author by the ending.

30. Vatican City; Region: Europe

Go in Peace: A Gift of Enduring Love by Pope John Paul II (GT 27)

I thought the week before Easter would be an appropriate time to read some of the messages of Pope John Paul II, who was pope during most of my life (though I'm not Catholic). Good selection from a broad variety of topics.

31. Russia; Region: Asia

Where the Jews Aren't: The Sad and Absurd Story of Birobidzhan, Russia's Jewish Autonomous Region by Masha Gessen (GT 28)

For a book with absurd in the subtitle, I was expecting more humor (a la Sarah Vowell) than this scholarly work on the failed Soviet plan establishing a Jewish homeland in the Far East. Good research, but it could have used more Birobidzhan and less biography.

32. Moldova; Region: Europe

Wandering Stars by Sholem Aleichem

Sholem Aleichem is quite a storyteller, full of humor and pathos. When a wandering theater troupe visits a small town in Bessarabia (now Moldova), two teens in love run away, are separated, gain fame, and search for each other on two continents.

BONUS: Repeated Country; United Kingdom (England); Region: Europe

Richard III by William Shakespeare (GT)

Unlike Game of Thrones, a winter of discontent is ending for Shakespeare's Richard III in his opening lines. The play is no less bloody, however, as Richard III schemes to eliminate all throne contenders as the War of the Roses concludes.

33. New Zealand; Region: Oceania

Once Were Warriors by Alan Duff (GT 29)

This is not an easy book; this is not a nice book. It is raw, lyrical, profane, horrifying, hopeful, and profound. This book increased awareness of the state of Maori culture in New Zealand, but it has as much to say about Pine Blocks in any of our backyards.

34. Dominican Republic; Region: Caribbean (North America)

The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz (GT 30)

Well, I learned quite a bit about the dark history of the Dominican Republic in the 20th century, which the author balanced out with bleak humor. I can't help feeling like Diaz was stereotyping Dominicans as rather sex-starved, though.

35. Sri Lanka; Region: Asia

The Story of a Brief Marriage by Anuk Arudpragasam (GT 31)

I'm amazed at the profound beauty and heartbreak that can be found in the works of some first-time authors. A young Tamil hiding with refugees is challenged to waken his dormant, self-protected heart and soul when a marriage of safety is proposed.

36. Ukraine; Region: Europe

Tevye the Dairyman and the Railroad Stories by Sholem Aleichem (GT 32)

I was familiar with Tevye and his daughters from the excellent adaptation of this work in the play and movie Fiddler on the Roof. I wasn't familiar with Aleichem's Railway Stories, but I love train travel, and these tales were humorous and delightful.

37. Argentina; Region: Latin America (South America)

Facundo: Or, Civilization and Barbarism by Domingo Faustino Sarmiento (GT 33)

How different would Argentina have been if it had spent the first half of the 19th century in peace, rather than in terror from outlaws and caudillos like Facundo or Rosas? A future Argentine president has much to praise about his country's unrealized potential.

38. South Africa; Region: Africa

Bitter Fruit by Achmat Dangor (GT 34)

There's an awful lot of truth, but very little reconciliation as a family in Mandela-era South Africa disintegrates under repercussions and repressed feelings resulting from an assault during apartheid. Well-written, but a bit disturbing, and not particularly hopeful.

39. Ecuador; Region: Latin America (South America)

The Beak of the Finch: A Story of Evolution in Our Time by Jonathan Weiner

Never did I expect a book about finches to be so enthralling. The Galápagos Islands are a spectacular microcosm of life adapting to environment, and I loved the stories of the research being done there. This book is science accessible.

BONUS: Repeated Country; Ecuador; Region: Latin America (South America)

The Villagers by Jorge Icaza (GT 35)

There's something rotten in the state of Ecuador: landowners stealing land from tenants and wives from cholo (mestizo) supervisors; cholos working tenants to death; priests disregarding their vocations. It's a rather awful indictment by Icaza.

You can claim one as the Galápagos Islands and one as Ecuador, if you want.

Thanks! If I run low on time to finish the challenge by the end of the year, I might break out Ecuador and the Galapagos into separate country entries. Right now I'm just having fun challenging myself to find some good books from new countries or countries I haven't read from in a while. I'm enjoying this group immensely, not least because it is adding to my to-read list!

40. Kenya; Region: Africa

Dance of the Jakaranda by Peter Kimani (GT 36)

Kimani tells a mostly engaging tale paralleling the construction of the Uganda railway with the independence of Kenya some 60 years later. Kimani doesn't spend much time explaining why his middle generation of characters are missing, though.

Mome_Rath wrote: "Thanks! If I run low on time to finish the challenge by the end of the year, I might break out Ecuador and the Galapagos into separate country entries. Right now I'm just having fun challenging mys..."

Mome_Rath, these are amazing lists!! I've added several as to read. Unlike you, I am slow reader so It'll take me longer :) I appreciate reading all of your reviews as well, it does help me to decide if it's for me or not. Have a great week!

Thanks! I enjoy finding books from all over, and this group is great with recommendations. Traveling is a lot of fun, but visiting new places vicariously through books can be just as enjoyable! Hope you're enjoying your week and your reading, too!

BONUS: Repeated Country; Ecuador; Region: Latin America (South America)

Cumanda: The Novel of the Ecuadorian Jungle by Juan León Mera (GT)

Well it's a good thing the missionary's son and the Indian princess from the Ecuadorian rainforest kept professing fraternal love for each other, since one wouldn't want to scandalize 19th-century mores! This felt like real story-telling put to paper.

41. Angola; Region: Africa

The Land at the End of the World by António Lobo Antunes (GT 37)

Lobo Antunes finds his own book of disquiet, reliving his days in the Angolan War of Independence. The story is lyrically rich, but unflinching in the horror of war and the disillusion of a corrupt government fighting to hold onto colonial power.

42. France; Region: Europe

Les Misérables by Victor Hugo (GT 38)

My word, this classic could be edited down by a couple hundred pages; I don't think Hugo ever met a digression he didn't explore or expound upon. Nevertheless, beyond the tangents lies an exquisitely written, heartwarming tale of redemption.

43. Kuwait; Region: Middle East (Asia)

The Bamboo Stalk by Saud Alsanousi (GT 39)

"Kind words don't need translating." Alsanousi has done a service providing a voice to foreign workers in Gulf states through the story of a young man trying to find a home in his father's land, Kuwait, after growing up in the Philippines.

44. Libya; Region: Africa

The Bleeding of the Stone by Ibrahim al-Koni (GT 40)

Man is in the wadi, and the pastoral mountain desert that a peaceful Bedouin lives in will never be the same. This short, well-written tale is part folklore and part mystical experience, but in whole a warning to protect the environment.

45. Czech Republic; Region: Europe

The Trial by Franz Kafka (GT 41)

I understood Kafkaeque references even before reading Kafka, but expected a bit more lunacy or pointless bureaucracy. Instead, there were some dry, drawn-out conversations and a hero that might just be guilty of throwing himself at too many women.

BONUS: Repeated Country; Sweden; Region: Europe

The Invoice by Jonas Karlsson (GT)

Setting aside the improbability of a wealth redistribution model based on emotional health, this was an enjoyable tale of living life to the fullest and of being content in all circumstances. I smiled. Also, I might just owe a lot to the W.R.D., too.

BONUS: Repeated Country; France; Region: Europe

All the Light We Cannot See by Anthony Doerr

An adventuresome tale of two youth growing up in countries at war during the Second World War. The book has exquisite writing, though I expected a bit stronger of an ending. That said, St. Malo is now high on my list of places I'd like to see in France.

46. Poland; Region: Europe

Poems New and Collected: 1957-1997 by Wisława Szymborska (GT 42)

Nobel Prize-winning works from an observant Polish poet. Thanks for braving the cold Polish weather to chronicle tales of walrus herders, for agreeing that 4am is best left to the ants, and for recognizing that some folks (actually do) like poetry!

Mome_Rath wrote: "St. Malo is now high on my list of places I'd like to see in France"

Me, too!

BONUS: Repeated Country; United States; Region: North America

The Optimist's Daughter by Eudora Welty

Simple Southern story of a daughter who takes time to remember her late parents, discovers she has their strength, and faces fresh her life in Chicago following her father's death. I love Welty's insights into human nature and small town life.

BONUS: Repeated Country; Australia; Region: Oceania

I Am the Messenger by Markus Zusak (GT)

There are times in his writing that I feel Zusak tries too hard, and that some conversations or plotting don't ring true. But he infuses so much heart into his books, I can't help but smile, and the message in this book is well worth the twist.

47. Yemen; Region: Middle East (Asia)

I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali (GT 43)

I admire stories of bravery and justice, such as this child bride who risked her safety to plead for divorce and changed her society. Sadly, Yemen is now in a civil war, but I hope she survives and achieves her goal of serving as a women's advocate in adulthood.

48. Japan; Region: Asia

I Am a Cat by Sōseki Natsume (GT 44)

This Japanese classic is often witty, with wry observations of Meiji-era Japan by a family cat. Nevertheless, this book is probably best enjoyed in small chunks (as it was originally published) in order to not get bogged down by its slow sections.

49. Tanzania; Region: Africa

Uhuru Street: Short Stories by M.G. Vassanji (GT 45)

"Freedom" Street. Dream-filled thoroughfare of Indians and Africans alike, yearning for independence, for a better life, for a glimpse of the world across oceans. Some find happiness. Some don't. But oh, what life!

50. Singapore; Region: Asia

The Art of Charlie Chan Hock Chye by Sonny Liew (GT 46)

Raffles who? This is a brilliant, award-winning tour-de-force entwining the history of comics with the birth of modern Singapore, all displayed through the lens of an anthology commemorating the greatest Singaporean artist who never was.

51. Kiribati; Region: Oceania

Tales of Kiribati / Iango Mai Kiribati by Peter Kanere Koru (GT 47)

I enjoyed this collection of South Pacific storytelling more than the counterpart I read for Nauru years back. Nevertheless, I remain baffled by some of the tales, such as the poor man rewarded with a magic house after unsuccessfully trying to eat his baby.

52. Benin; Region: Africa

I Didn't Know He Wanted More by Leeanne Creech

As a child, my aunt had not wanted to go to Africa as a missionary. About half a century later, God put Orphan Relief and Rescue into her path and onto her heart. This inspirational book tells what my aunt learned from her trip to Benin.

53. South Korea; Region: Asia

Seesaw Girl by Linda Sue Park

First of a duo of children's books. Excellent portrayal of a young girl's life and limits in a noble family's house in 17th century Seoul. Jade Blossom is plucky and creative, and the book introduces young readers to an impressive culture at an insular time.

Mome_Rath wrote: "52. Benin; Region: Africa

I Didn't Know He Wanted More by Leeanne Creech

As a child, my aunt had not wanted to ..."

So cool that your aunt wrote this!

The trip was life-changing enough that she took her second trip to Benin this summer!

BONUS: Repeated Country; South Korea; Region: Asia

The Kite Fighters by Linda Sue Park

Second of the children's book duo. This book introduces the perspective of brothers and their roles and responsibilities in fifteenth-century Korea. The joy of kite-flying leads these brothers to cross paths with true-life young King Seongjong.

54. Ghana; Region: Africa

Wife of the Gods by Kwei Quartey (GT 48)

Murder in small community? Big-city detective takes case from local police? Detective relatable but with vices? Makes mistakes and gets pulled off case? Solves crime anyways? The plot was familiar, but I loved the insights to Ghanaian culture. Good read.

55. Slovenia; Region: Europe

I Saw Her That Night by Drago Jančar (GT 49)

This well-written, character-driven book really does seem like Anna Karenina meets World War II in the Balkans. The difference here is that Veronika doesn't choose to die, but instead gets run over by an explicitly referenced metaphorical freight train.

BONUS: Repeated Country; United States; Region: North America

Delta Wedding by Eudora Welty

This brought back so many memories of large reunions with extended family. I loved the different perspectives of cousins and adults all gathered for a Southern family wedding. But with recent events, it was a bit awkward to see inherent prejudices of the time...

56. Iran; Region: Middle East (Asia)

Honeymoon in Tehran: Two Years of Love and Danger in Iran by Azadeh Moaveni (GT 50)

Farewell to the days of wine and roses. Journalists often make great writers, and this Iranian-American effortlessly shares the ups and downs of the first years of a new Iranian president, getting married, and the dichotomy of life in a fundamentalist regime.