Around the World discussion

I'm so pleased that I found this group! I have been working on reading one nonfiction book from every country, but my enthusiasm has faltered a bit. I am excited to find so many other people who are reading around the world!

These are the books that I hope to have finished by the end of the year for my nonfiction goal.
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Logavina Street: Life And Death In A Sarajevo Neighborhood by Barbara Demick, John Costello
Rwanda: We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families by Philip Gourevitch
South Africa: Long Walk to Freedom by Nelson Mandela
Vietnam: Fire in the Lake: The Vietnamese and the Americans in Vietnam by Frances FitzGerald

I am also reading a couple of fiction books that seem to fit the group requirements:
Albania: Chronicle in Stone by Ismail Kadaré
Bosnia and Herzegovina: Sarajevo Marlboro by Miljenko Jergović
Japan: Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World by Haruki Murakami, Alfred Birnbaum (Translator)

Geektastic37 wrote: "I'm so pleased that I found this group! I have been working on reading one nonfiction book from every country, but my enthusiasm has faltered a bit. I am excited to find so many other people who ar..."

Welcome! A bunch of us have already committee to continuing on into next year. And our rules vary person to person, so if you think it counts, it counts!

Geektastic37 wrote: "I'm so pleased that I found this group! I have been working on reading one nonfiction book from every country"

Wow! What a neat goal.

When you have a chance, I'd love to see some of your other recommendations.

I'm new here too, but already I can see that there's a lot of room for personalizing this challenge. I've chosen to only count books written by an author from that country, but the idea of doing all non-fiction is fascinating, and very appealing.

Eliana wrote: "I'm new here too, but already I can see that there's a lot of room for personalizing this challenge. I've chosen to only count books written by an author from that country, but the idea of doing all non-fiction is fascinating, and very appealing. "
I started out with this intent too, and got lazy. I still believe it to be the most authentic experience.

Eliana wrote: "Geektastic37 wrote: "I'm so pleased that I found this group! I have been working on reading one nonfiction book from every country"

Wow! What a neat goal.

When you have a chance, I'd love to see..."

I plan on properly linking the books I have read, but for now, here is a link to my Countries Project Nonfiction shelf. I haven't been writing proper reviews, but I am developing a format to review books I read from now on.

Jenny wrote: "I started out with this intent too, and got lazy. I still believe it to be the most authentic experience. "

I considered this as well, but after some searching, I discovered it to be impossible to find nonfiction books for every country that I can read in English, but that are written by someone from the country.

Geektastic37 wrote: "Jenny wrote: "I started out with this intent too, and got lazy. I still believe it to be the most authentic experience. "

I considered this as well, but after some searching, I discovered it to be impossible to find nonfiction books for every country that I can read in English, but that are written by someone from the country. "

Hmm, and particularly in non-fiction, it would be more of an insider perspective if you only went with native writers. That may not always be what you want! I looked through your list and already saw a few titles I didn't know, so I look forward to what you read in the coming year(s).

Geektastic37 wrote: "Eliana wrote: "Geektastic37 wrote: "I plan on properly linking the books I have read, but for now, here is a link to my Countries Project Nonfiction shelf. I haven't been writing proper reviews, but I am developing a format to review books I read from now on. "

Oooh! Thank you! I look forward to browsing!

Jenny wrote: "I started out with this intent too, and got lazy. I still believe it to be the most authentic experience. "

Mmmm... in some ways.

I'm reading

Istanbul: Memories and the City, and it is *fascinating* reading his thoughts on European writings about Istanbul, and the way those writings shaped some of the thoughts and works of Turkish authors. ...and then, sometimes, the only sources for some periods/places/issues are from outsiders.

...then, too, the outsider experience with a region can sometimes give a fellow outsider more of a guided entry.

I made one exception (not for the country challenge, but for my continental challenge) I counted Dowden's Africa: Altered States, Ordinary Miracles for Africa and, if I'd read one of the many memoirs of Europeans who spent some part of their childhood in Africa, I would have counted one of those too... they would each have given me something important in understanding Africa.

...but I made those choices because Africa is the continent with which I have had the least experience. Every other continent (except Antartica), I've encountered seriously before - at least in part, their history, literature, etc... but for Africa I'd read some things in French class & some Fugard plays... oh, and the Sundiata epic, and not much else, and the only history I knew was completely from a European perspective (ie how it played into European politics)

So, I think there can be enormous value in the other approach - it just wasn't what I was trying to do this year... and I think I'm going to carry this into next year. I'll start my count over (and aim for 80 this time), but keep the same approach. I'm discovering so many new things!

Jenny wrote: "Geektastic37 wrote: "Hmm, and particularly in non-fiction, it would be more of an insider perspective if you only went with native writers. That may not always be what you want! "

Good point! I think if one were covering an area or an issue thoroughly, outside and inside sources would be important.

It reminds me of the question: 'Who won the War of 1812'?

The American: 'We did! We won the last battle and got recognition as being a real country'

The Brit: 'We did. The Treaty of Ghent maintained the status quo we were arguing for (and anyway, we won the *important* war decisively - against Napoleon'

The Canadian: 'We did. We defeated the American invasion'

The Russian: 'We did. We defeated the French invasion.'

Seeing that time period from only one viewpoint could be very misleading. :)