Around the World discussion

What are your reading goals for 2019? Some have elaborate plans, others have plans but things get in the way and get distracted, others read as they go along! Sound familiar? :-) Feel free to share.

I'm going to try and read as many books as I can from around the world that I shelved in 2013.

My goals:

More translated fiction
More small press fiction
Read at least 2 print books I already own and haven't read yet (setting the bar low, hoping for much more)
Read at least 2 books currently on my kindle - also low bar
End my hiatus on reading nonfiction

I've already put a bit of a list together for my ATW challenge, building on from this year when I tried (not always successfully) to focus on getting through my owned books; both ebooks and paperbacks.

But my overall goal for 2019 is to reduce the number of double-filled shelves on my bookcases, so I'm targeting my owned paperbacks. And in addition to that I want to get out of my comfort zone a bit more and visit a few more countries where I've never or rarely been before.

More Middle-Eastern literature. More male authors of color. Fewer obligations and more random selections without guilt. Maybe 3 longer books instead of 1. More short stories written by authors who died before 1970. No lists, please.

I haven't participated much this year but my goals for next is to finish my Nth American book journey (every state and territory in US and CA) and finish my South China Sea journey. I dropped these temporarily to do the Read Harder challenges (and next year is repetitive so am dropping it). Tally ho!!

If I finish these, I mean to do my every county in England challenge. So much is set in Greater London, but my goal is one for each. I'd like to do more in Asia and the Middle East too.

I am going to try to keep working on my around the world books in 2019. I have a list started and my goal is 20 for the year. I am also going to keep to doing research and select books for each remaining country during the course of the year.

Does anyone know of a free online map that you can use to mark off the countries? I've seen physical ones, but don't want that. I tried to make my own using Google maps, but it wasn't quite what I wanted.

Andrea wrote: "Does anyone know of a free online map that you can use to mark off the countries? ..."

I had a quick look and found these 2:
https://www.amcharts.com/visited_coun...
https://ua.igotoworld.com/en/visited-...

The last one looks interesting as it has lists of cities and attractions too.

Andrea wrote: "Does anyone know of a free online map that you can use to mark off the countries? I've seen physical ones, but don't want that. I tried to make my own using Google maps, but it wasn't quite what I ..."

I’ve used bighugelabs for several years for my book-country mapping. This link is to my map, but you can easily change and erase my data.

https://bighugelabs.com/map.php

Thanks ladies!

I haven't been able to get the amcharts one to open (server problem), and the igotoworld one looks nice, but I think the bighugelabs map looks easiest to update and correct. Carol, have you tried to display it on your GR profile? (I just had a look and can't see it, but it's not that long since they lifted the restrictions on embedded code).

Andrea wrote: "Thanks ladies!

I haven't been able to get the amcharts one to open (server problem), and the igotoworld one looks nice, but I think the bighugelabs map looks easiest to update and correct. Carol,..."

I haven’t. I display it in a thread at Around the World in 80 Books, though, as do many other users, and paste the code into the comment box without a problem.

Note that sometimes you have to tap the code box several times before “select all” becomes an option. It can take a little patience.

Then, when pasted, it looks like this:

Carol wrote: "Note that sometimes you have to tap the code box several times before “select all” becomes an option. It can take a little patience. Then, when pasted, it looks like this..."

Sold!! Thanks again.

I've made a map and added it to my profile. It's an all-time map, based on books that popped into my mind as I was going through the list. It immediately tells me I need to pay more attention to Africa!

Andrea wrote: "I've made a map and added it to my profile. It's an all-time map, based on books that popped into my mind as I was going through the list. It immediately tells me I need to pay more attention to Af..."

Oooh - very nice Andrea!

2019 Around the World Challenge is up - feel free to input the number of books you're up for - may the books be with you...

I plan do read all of Africa once I finish my Nth American and Sth China Sea trips... :)

Hello.
I love to read everyone's goals, so interesting!
I travel to Africa for work, so I try to read a book set somewhere in Africa for at least every 3rd book or so. Especially books by African authors.
And from seeing everyone's posts above, I also try to read at least 50% by female authors.
For 2019 I'd also like to read a few more books set in the Middle East.

This map tool is really cool, thanks for sharing! I put one in my profile, too for my overall book locations.

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 (own)
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)

Congratulations to everyone who has already completed Around the World 2019 Challenge, and here’s a cheer for those who are soooo close to finishing 👏👏👏

Don’t forget to add your thoughts about your 2019 travels to our Favorites & Disappointments thread.

https://www.goodreads.com/topic/show/...