Around the World discussion

I'm focusing back on Asia this year, in an attempt to finish reading a book from every country in Asia by the end of 2019. (I talk more about it on my reading goals episode of my podcast.)


Pictured is some of the books I already have on hand. I have others on order. Some of these books I've read books from these countries but I will still try to read these I think.

I borrowed a few countries that are former USSR and are sometimes grouped with Europe but felt more Asian to me, so a few of these might seem out of place, but here's my list of countries (and/or places that are separate enough to count on their own) I'm hoping to check off all of these:

Afghanistan
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

Azerbaijan
Ali and Nino by Kurban Said (own)

Bangladesh
A Golden Age by Tahmina Aman (own)

Bhutan
The Circle of Karma by Kunzang Choden (First novel by Bhutanese woman; own)

Brunei

Burma/Myanmar
The Long Path to Wisdom: Tales from Burma
Finished 1/3/19 - My review****
From the Land of Green Ghosts: A Burmese Odyssey by Pascal Khoo Thwe (own)


Cambodia
In the Shadow of the Banyan By Vaddey Ratner (own)

Hong Kong

Kashmir
Chef by Jaspreet Singh(own)

Kazakhstan
Night Watch by Sergei Lukyaneko (own)

Kyrgyzstan

Macau

Maldives

Mongolia
The Blue Sky by Galsan Tschinag (own)

Nepal

Pakistan

Paracel Islands

Philippines
Monsoon Mansion: A Memoir by Cinelle Barnes (own)
Plum Rains by Andromeda Romano-Lax (own)

Spratly Islands

Tajikistan

Thailand
Sightseeing by Rattawut Lapcharoensap (own)
The Sad Part Was by Prabda Yoon (ordered from Tilted Axis Press)
BrightBright by Duanwad Pimwana, the first-ever novel by a Thai woman to be translated into English (Two Lines Press) - will come with subscription

Tibet
Seven Years in Tibet by Heinrich Harrer
Tibet on Fire: Self-Immolations Against Chinese Rule

Turkmenistan

Uzbekistan
The Devils' Dance by Hamid Ismailov (ordered from Tilted Axis Press)

I have this for Brunei: B.I.S.A. Brunei Secret Intelligence Agency: Cat Burglar (I got this on Kindle - haven't read it yet)
And for the Philippines I had: Breath of Night - Michael Arditti (which I thought was great)

I think I did pretty well! Here are all my international reads this year (excluding the UK which I stopped tracking since it's too many) - Asia is very prominent but I did check off some other boxes like Equatorial Guinea!

Around the World 2019

Albania
Crossing by Pajtim Statovci

Australia
The Bookshop of the Broken Hearted by Robert HIllman
Boy Swallows Universe by Trent Dalton

Bangladesh
A Golden Age by Tahmina Anam

Bhutan
The Circle of Karma by Kunzang Choden

Bosnia and Herzegovina
Mars by Asja Bakic

Cambodia
In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddney Ratner

Chile
Space Invaders by Nona Fernandez

China
Broken Stars: Contemporary Chinese Science Fiction edited by Ken Liu
Double Awesome Chinese Food by Margaret Li
The Poppy War by R.F. Kuang

Equatorial Guinea
La Bastarda by Trifonia Melibea Obono

Georgia
Willa & Hesper by Amy Feltman

Iceland
History. A Mess. by Sigrun Palsdottir

Italy
The Dry Heart by Natalia Ginzburg
The Chef’s Secret by Crystal King

Japan
After Dark by Haruki Murakami
After the Quake by Haruki Murakami
Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman by Haruki Murakami
The Factory by Hiroko Oyamada
The Guest Cat by Takato Hiraide
My Brother’s Husband, V. 1 by Gengoroh Tagame
My Brother’s Husband, V. 2 by Gengoroh Tagame
The Restaurant of Love Regained by Ito Ogawa

Korea, North or South
Blood Sisters by Kim Yideum
Mina by Kim Sagwa
The White Book by Han Kang

Kyrgyzstan
Jamila by Chingiz Aitmatov

Laos
The Spirit Catches You and You Fall Down by Anne Fadiman
The Latehomecomer by Kao Kalia Yang

Mongolia
The Blue Sky by Galsan Tschinag

Myanmar/Burma
The Long Path to Wisdom by Jan-Philipp Sandlear

Nepal
The City Son by Samrat Upadhyay

Nigeria
My Sister, the Serial Killer by Oyinkan Braithwaite

Pakistan
Broken Verses by Kamila Shamsie

The Philippines
America is Not the Heart by Elaine Castillo
The Body Papers by Grace Talusan
Monsoon Mansion by Cinelle Barnes
Patron Saints of Nothing by Randy RIbay

Poland
Flights by Olga Tokarczuk

Singapore
Aunty Lee’s Delights by Ovidia Yu
The Black Tides of Heaven by J.Y. Yang

Sri Lanka
Running in the Family by Michael Ondaatje

Taiwan
The Lost Garden by Li Ang

Thailand
Arid Dreams by Duanwad Pimwana
Bangkok Wakes to Rain by Pitchaya Sudbanthad
The Blind Earthworm in the Labyrinth by Veeraporn Nitiprapha
Bright by Duanwad Pimwana
The Sad Part Was by Prabda Yoon
Sightseeing by Rattawut Lapcharoensap


Tunisia
This Tilting World by Colette Fellous

Turkey
10 Minutes 38 Seconds in This Strange World by Elif Shafak

United Arab Emirates
Minutes from the Miracle City by Omar Sabbagh

Uruguay
Cantoras by Carolina De Robertis

Uzbekistan
The Devil’s Dance by Hamid Ismailov

Vietnam
On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong