Around the World in 80 Books

 This is part of the reading challenges in the UK Book Club on Goodreads. The basic idea is to read 80 books set in different countries.

I have started counting towards this list starting from January, 2011.

I am only counting the books where the setting is quite clear and doesn’t take place in too many multiple countries. For example I did not count Travels with my Aunt as that jumped from France, to Italy to South America.

I have two lists: one is based mainly on the actual setting of the book and not author’s nationality. The other lists the authors by nationality, irrespective of where the book is set.

List of Settings

1.  The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding England English
2.  Beyond the Wall by Christa Laird Poland English
3.  The Diving Pool by Yoko Ogawa Japan Japanese
4.  Lonesome Dove by Larry McNultry USA American
5.  The Idiot by Fyodor Dostoevsky Russia
6.  Knots and Crosses by Ian Rankin Scotland Scottish
7.  Inés of My Soul by Isabel Allende Chile Chilean
8. The Twentieth Wife by Indu Sundarsan India American-Indian
9. A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness Ireland American
10. Gardens of Water by Alan Drew Turkey American
11. Smilla’s Sense of Snow by Peter Høeg Denmark Danish
12. The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham China English
13. The Guest by Hwang Sok-yong North Korea Korean
14. Magic Flutes by Eva Ibbotson Austria British-Austrian
15. Faceless Killers by Henning Mankell Sweden Swedish
16. Esther’s Inheritance by Sándor Márai Hungary Hungarian

List of Authors

1. Henry Fielding English
2. Yoko Ogawa Japanese
3. Larry McMurtry American
4. Fyodor Dostoyevsky Russian
5. Ian Rankin Scottish
6.  Isabel Allende Chilean
7.  Peter Høeg Danish
8. Hwang Sok-yong Korean
9. Henning Mankell Swedish
10. Sándor Márai Hungarian

This is a long term challenge that will last until I have completed both of these lists. So that may be anywhere between three and the rest of my life.