Around the World in 80 Books discussion

So I've attempted to start this multiple times, but get sidetracked, decide to start documenting elsewhere etc. So now, I'm going to get organised, start afresh and keep everything in one place. Although I've already covered numerous countries, I'm happy to start again as there are so many good books (and some not so good, maybe I need to change my mindset to its Ok not to finish a book!) So I'm currently planning and compiling. no order, no logic, just freedom. And time. There is no time pressure/deadline for me to complete this.

India

TBR:

One Part Woman Why? Ann Morgan's book of the month Oct 31st for November 2023
Sacred Games
The Inheritance of Loss


MumbaiNoir




28/12/25 - So many good reads for India. One I love reading about and have read many books on before any for this challenge.

Mumbai Noir Altaf Tyrewala. Short stories by multiple authors. The city noir collection has multiple books and others that might appeal to me are Delhi Noir, St Petersburg Noir and London Noir, which I might explore should I like this collection. For the first couple of stories, the real life background/conext seems more interesting than the story. However I was drawn in to 'By Two' by Devashish Makhija about twins, 1 mute, 1 not who leave their home village and become one person - Rahim to enable them to make a living using only 1 rickshaw licence and between the two of them working both the day and night shift pretending to be Rahim. However, Rahim is always questioned by Police in connection to Mumbai terrorist attacks. Interesting dynamics between the brothers, their look on life and their interactions with the world/others. Some powerful sentences within the story. Would be interested in reading more by this author.

India - Read

Pre-challenge (not exhaustive)
Narcopolis

Progress


A

Afghanistan
Albania
Algeria
Andorra
Angola
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Azerbaijan

B

The Bahamas
Bahrain
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belarus
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bhutan
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Brunei
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Burundi

C

Cabo Verde
Cambodia
Cameroon
Canada
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
China
Colombia
Comoros
Congo, Democratic Republic of the
Congo, Republic of the
Costa Rica
Côte d’Ivoire
Croatia
Cuba
Cyprus
Czech Republic

D

Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic

E

East Timor (Timor-Leste)
Ecuador
Egypt
El Salvador
Equatorial Guinea
Eritrea
Estonia
Eswatini
Ethiopia

F

Fiji
Finland
France

G

Gabon
The Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Region: Greenland - Autonomous dependent territory of Denmark
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea
Guinea-Bissau
Guyana

H

Haiti
Honduras
Hungary

I

Iceland
India
Indonesia
Iran
Iraq
Ireland
Israel
Italy

J

Jamaica
Japan
Jordan

K

Kazakhstan
Kenya
Kiribati
Korea, North
Korea, South
Kosovo
Kuwait
Kyrgyzstan

L

Laos
Latvia
Lebanon
Lesotho
Liberia
Libya
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg

M

Madagascar
Malawi
Malaysia
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritania
Mauritius
Mexico
Micronesia, Federated States of
Moldova
Monaco
Mongolia
Montenegro
Morocco
Mozambique
Myanmar (Burma)

N

Namibia
Nauru
Nepal
Netherlands
New Zealand
Nicaragua
Niger
Nigeria
North Macedonia
Norway Nov2023

O

Oman

P

Pakistan
Palau
Panama
Papua New Guinea
Paraguay
Peru
Philippines
Poland
Portugal

Q

Qatar

R

Romania
Russia
Rwanda

S

Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Sao Tome and Principe
Saudi Arabia
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Singapore
Slovakia
Slovenia
Solomon Islands
Somalia
South Africa
Spain
Sri Lanka
Sudan
Sudan, South
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Syria

T

Taiwan
Tajikistan
Tanzania
Thailand
Togo
Tonga
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Turkey
Turkmenistan
Tuvalu

U

Uganda
Ukraine
United Arab Emirates
United Kingdom
United States
Uruguay
Uzbekistan

V

Vanuatu
Vatican City
Venezuela
Vietnam

Y

Yemen

Z

Zambia
Zimbabwe

Norway - TBR

A Doll's House
We Die Alone: A WWII Epic of Escape and Endurance - Bracknell linrary 940.54 Non fiction
Sophie's World - Surrey Library
Autumn

After initial reading:
- With the Lapps in the High Mountains: A Woman Among the Sami, 1907-1908
- Muitalus sámiid birra Both of which seem hard/expensive to obtain a copy

03/11/23. So, before I start with my intended first book on Norway, I thought I'd start with the sample of this book I had and make a decision about buying it. Serendipidy.

The Edge of the Plain: How Borders Make and Break Our World


The first chapter is about Sapmi - the sami land which is now within 4 countries with borders: Norway, Sweden, Finland and Russia. As we are going to Northern Norway in a couple of months (and I had read about the 'tripoint' border between Norway, Sweded and Russia and had considered going there) I purchased the full book and read on. Following restrictions reindeer became semi domesticated. Silore ore was found in border regions and Sami wereforeced to assist - using reindeers as transport etc and there was talk of the ore road being littered with 'bleached reindeer skeletons'. This border was therefore intially, a border of bones with Sami abandoning the landscape.

Sweden once broke free from Denmark (which at the time incorporated Norway) and a borderline was drawn in 1751. This is now the longest border between 2 countries in Europe. Initially there was a treaty for sami enabling movement, but over time tighter restrictions were introduced.

1904 - on a train, a chance meeting between Sami, Johan Turi and 2 Danish sisters (Emilie and Marie) a deal is forged - Emilie will help Turi write about about Sami and Turi will faciliate Emilie spending time with Sami which was her lifelong dream. Later Emilie spends time with Sami group 1 (high Summer to March) and then another group moving in to different area (March to summer) in Tromso and then returning to her starting point where she delivered on her promise to help Turi write his book. 2 books emerged from these projects:
Muitalus sámiid birra - An account of the Sami - which voiced concerns about the changes to Sami and their environment and
With the Lapps in the High Mountains: A Woman Among the Sami, 1907-1908 - Emilie's account of Sami culture at a time of change

Artist Hans Ragnar Mathisen produced first map of Sapmi - the land of the Sami which is not actually their land as it belongs in other countries

Artist Maret Anna Sara - morbid reindeer art inspired by her Sami brother's (Jossvet) difficulty - a mandatory cull of 30% of his herd, which would take him below minimum number of reindeer allowed and therefore end his business and livelihood. He won the first court cases but final appear ruled in government's favour.

Norway




05/11/23 A Doll's House Not my usual taste. Firstly, its a play and secondly its from Victorian era, but surprisingly captivating. What did tempt me was that his plays were considered scandalous at the time!

Quite quickly, I was drawn in by Nora and her silly birdness and then into wanting to know if she would be caught out. But as it progressed there were signs that Nora was actually sensible: she did not like the Dr's declaration of love and was playing the role of sillybirdness firstly to keep her father happy and then to keep her husband happy who liked her as a 'doll' without opinions and actions. She was disillusioned that her husband could turn on her so quickly and that he would not strive to protect her asnd decided then that she would leave her husband (whom she had been prepared to die for in order to protect him).


05/11/23 We Die Alone - fascintaing and unbelievable tale of a WWII episode gone wrong and the resistance (who mostkly have not yet had a chance to resist due to remoteness) supporting and achieving the most unlikely escape ever. In parts ridiculous good luck and in parts ridiculous bad luck but what shines through is how much one person endures. Fascinating to read about N Norway in war and to link it to places I have been and will shortly be going to. I will think about his journey when I am there. Interesting also the way Lapp people are presented.

11/11/23 Autumn A pretty book with nice images and nice cover. However, I thought I had ordered a signed edition and what arrived is not signed! Note to self - need to check more thoroughly as although a first edition of this publisher, it is not a first edition of first publisher who translated in English!

The idea - writing to your child to show them the world and your world is appealing, but I'm not sure whether the content will appeal to readers i.e me! Never in a million years would I have picked this book up to read, but coming across it in my research for a Norway book, the author was consistently rated as a top read! Therefore I vowed to give it a go. Always when I read book of a person's thoughts on various topics, I always wonder, could I write such a book. Obviously the answer is no, I am not an author and do not have the skill of an author, yet it might be a personal item of interest to others in my family tree?!

Anyway, I like the humour or phrasing, after retreating from a ladder due to approaching wasps 'There was something humiliating about my situation and then at the end brute force wins out, the wasps are trapped in their nest and eventually die, when presumably Karl can more successfully return to the task of painting.

15/11/23 - having made my way a bit further into the book, I can say that not all the art work is pretty - some is disturbing/revolting - the image of a baby!Some topics capture my interest - others not. Beekeeping was interesting because of Christian's family connection - a beauty of art - the human strives to keep the bees happy.

23-02-24. Returned from Norway at beginning of week. Was fascinating to be in Lyungen Alps region and think of We Die Alone as it gave more meaning and understanding to the difficulties and impossibilities of the book and how his rescue - being carried up the peak and then left alone at the top - should have been impossible. I am so glad I read the book before visiting Norway. The Troll Museum in Tromso also referenced Ibsen's Peer Gynt which, only for the reason, I first came across it there, has been added to my list of books to read! Downloaded from Kindle unlimited. Surreal and not my usual reading material, but lets see what I think. I'm also reminded I've still got a book about Sapmi to read. Difficult to move on to next country, am getting drawn in to Norway!


01/04/24 Peer Gynt Finally finised the book whilst away in Wales. It wasn't for me and I'm not sure I 'got it'. But I persevered and reached the end! Only one more Norway one to go - Sampi.

Italty TBR

Gomorrah Woking libary: Shelf Mark: CRI 364.106
The Other End of the Line - Sicily! Bracknell library - crime fiction
Call Me By Your Name - Surrey - is at Frimley Green library

What counts?

Does it have to be written by native author and set in a country? Recent? Just set in country?

Whilst recent would give me insight into culture, lifestyle etc I don't want to overly limit myself - at the end of the day I'm busy and don't have much time, so I;m going to go easy on myself - the criteria is that the book must appeal to me.

Israel TBR - preparing my christmas list
- Blooms of Darkness - Why? Its on Ann Morgans Year of Rading the World and sounds fascinating

To the End of the Land - Also a follow-up on Ann Morgan

The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East

Ode To Joy

Adam Resurrected

All Backs Were Turned

Well the problem is I'm idemtifying a lot of books that sound good! Will need to shortlist later - perhaps a books availability and price will help me!

23-02-24 - Adam ResurrectedYesterday I finished reading this. Good concept and I was intrigued to read. However, in all honesty I found the reading a challenge and struggle to know what was reality and what was insanity/ill-health. Will watch the film at some point I'm sure!

15-06-24 - The Lemon Tree: An Arab, a Jew, and the Heart of the Middle East I am slow to update as I go. Really enjoyed this book, eye-opening/informative

Togo - TBR

Given some countries are going to be difficult, I decided to research diversely so that not all the tricky (to find a book) ones are left until last. My logic is such - Europe I know about and have visited a fair few countries so perhaps I should ensure that I am not leaving areas of the world which I have less of an inherent interest in till last (fearing that this could stop me in my tracks and pause or derail the task!) Therefore inc. in my christmas list will be a randomly generated African country (Togo), a topical country (Israel) and a randomly generated other country (Georgia). This goes with my self-selected 2 to date (Norway and Italy!). I know nothing about Togo as a country but very quickly 2 books have jumped out at me:
Do They Hear You When You Cry
An African in Greenland

10th March 2024 - An African in Greenland - Wow, what an interesting read. Feel like I need something more modern to get a more current take, but my takeaway (perhaps wrongly) is of an impoverished place (which reflects the footage shown on N Lights boat tour in Norway which was also dated video). How amazing to have been taken in by so many people - is that the culture or a combination of the time, place and culture. I would definitely recommend this book. I am wondering now whether it belongs in Togo or Greenland. Regarding Togo - the first chapter is set there and is beautifullyu described - the gender and family roles, the snakes and rituals and the impact of leaving. Also insightful links between Greenland and Togo beliefs, but it does seem to sit more with Greenland even though the author is from Togo. And of course, Greenland is not technically a country. However, I will be adding as a separate region - it doesn't really sit well as falling within Denmark given its location and distinct environment and nature. What did i take from the book:
- impact of Polar night and summer sun
- sexual promsicuity (from the viewpoint of a western European) inc the annual dance for married couples
- role/impact/dependence on alcohol at that time.
It appears the author rectnly divorced his wife at 81 years old intending to return to Greenland and spend the rest of his years there, possibly writing a book about his African childhood.

Gemma wrote: "Israel TBR - preparing my christmas list
- Blooms of Darkness - Why? Its on Ann Morgans Year of Rading the World and sounds fascinating

To the End of the Land - Also ..."

To the end of land is beautiful. Not always easy read but beautiful.
if you like can add some more to your list.

Shahar wrote: "Gemma wrote: "Israel TBR - preparing my christmas list
- Blooms of Darkness - Why? Its on Ann Morgans Year of Rading the World and sounds fascinating

[book:To the End of the Land|77..."

Please feel free to add some more!

adding some of my favourites:
1. Pigeon and a boy
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

2. Our Holocaust -requires a bit of patience but worth it .
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

3. a long night in paris - a suspense thriller
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

4. crocattack - crazy life in Israel
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...

5. the slaughtermans daughter- This one takes place in Poland\Ukraine but written by Israeli - and its beautiful.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/4...

6. Persian brides - historic novel takes place in Iran - Written by Israeli
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

7. all the rivers
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3...

8. someone to run with
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6...

9. The world of End - part fantasy
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1...
Enjoy:)

Croatia

TBR
Girl At War



26/12/24 A very slow year for books for me - not sure why but just haven't been overly inspired or interested.

However, lets see if this book is my hook back in:

Girl at War , Sara Novic. Has been on my list to read for quite a while. Very interesting and therefore kept me quickly turning the pages. The fictional story of Ana, 10 years old at the start of the Bosnian war. Her sister is sent to America under a medical programme, her parents are killed (with a 'trick' to save Ana), she picks up a gun as a rebel warrier before returning to her home town where her godparents illegally arrange for her to enter America with help of UN. Story of this part of her life as well as the impact on Ana as a young adult. For me, I like more certains in my story - what happened to Petar? Is his wife still alive in Austria? Does she get back with Brian? But I did enjoy reading this. Interesting to see it is not only the trauma, but how others respond to the trauma that is important. As a child I read a journal, Anne Frank style of a child living through the Serbian war, which may have motivated me to read this book

India

TBR



MumbaiNoir




28/12/25 - So many good reads for India. One I love reading about and have read many books on before any for this challenge.

Mumbai Noir Altaf Tyrewala. Short stories by multiple authors. The city noir collection has multiple books and others that might appeal to me are Delhi Noir, St Petersburg Noir and London Noir, which I might explore should I like this collection. For the first couple of stories, the real life background/conext seems more interesting than the story. However I was drawn in to 'By Two' by Devashish Makhija about twins, 1 mute, 1 not who leave their home village and become one person - Rahim to enable them to make a living using only 1 rickshaw licence and between the two of them working both the day and night shift pretending to be Rahim. However, Rahim is always questioned by Police in connection to Mumbai terrorist attacks. Interesting dynamics between the brothers, their look on life and their interactions with the world/others. Some powerful sentences within the story. Would be interested in reading more by this author.

Iceland

TBR




Snowblind

Egypt

TBR


Previously read


17/12/25 - The Automobile Club of Egypt. My Jólabókaflóð book for 2025. A nice and intresting read. Similar to previous book of his I have read there are multiple characters and for my brain there is work to remember who is who. Really interestingb topic and I knew little about the context/background so had to look into that a bit. A quick read as kept my interest. Characters felt well-developed and I was genuinely interested in all. Was a side (small) ascepct but the impact of cholera was insightful.

Bosnia

TBR





Besieged - 06/01/26 - Very good book. Logical follow-on from having recently re-read Girl at War. Really enjoyed the following of the group of residents, although it was a powerful and difficult read at times. You really felt the difficulty of people's decisions - to stay or to go. Found the book really informative on the region and the difficulties - I was alive but only a child during the War so didn't really follow the news or anything on it at the time. Scary as well how easily NATO/UN could not be involved/not be a source of protection. Was pleased the book follows up on people after the war. Very interesting to see the long-term issues inc around multi-culturalism and radicalisation/extremist - people are unhappy with outcome. Yes war has ended, but justice has not been obtained. Also the difficulties of the political process/ 3 presidents after the war stopped.

Iraq:


The Gardener of Baghdad


Baghdad: The Final Gathering



The Boy of the Mosque