The Seasonal Reading Challenge discussion

50.1 - Bucket's task: Reading Adventure

Choose one option and take a trip to three different countries through reading.

Required: State the option you chose when you post.

For the purposes of this task, please note:
A. 50%+ of the book must take place in the country you use it for.
B. This is a trip away from home. NO books set in the country where you live. For option 3, NO books set in the continent where you live.
C. The page count of your three books must total at least 750 pages.
D. No books with the genres children or kids on the main book page may be used.

Required: State the country you live in and the setting for each book you chose when you post.

Option 1: Road trip
Travel by land! Choose a country where you want to start your trip that allows you to travel by land to at least 2 other contiguous (sharing a common border) countries. (So Australia, the UK, Japan, etc. won’t work here.)
Book 1: Set in the country you chose.
Book 2: Set in a bordering country you can travel to by land.
Book 3: Set in a country bordering book 2 that you can travel to by land.

Option 2: Cruise
Time for an ocean adventure! Choose an ocean to explore: Arctic, Atlantic, Indian or Pacific. Then choose a country that borders that ocean*. Countries that border 2 or more oceans can be used for either ocean. Required: State the ocean when you post.
Book 1: Set in the country you chose.
Book 2: Set in a country bordering the same ocean, but NOT bordering your starting country.
Book 3: Set in a third country bordering the same ocean, but NOT bordering either previously visited country.

*Smaller connecting seas, gulfs, straits, etc. will be considered to be part of the big 4 ocean to which they connect--the Mediterranean Sea is included with the Atlantic and the Red Sea with the Indian Ocean. Landlocked water (like the Black Sea) will not work. These lists might help:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of...

Option 3: World Tour
Hop on a plane and see the world! Choose any country you want, outside of the continent where you live. Each country you visit for this option must be on a different continent: https://www.worldometers.info/geograp...
Book 1: Read a book set in the country you chose.
Book 2: Read a book set in a different country on a different continent.
Book 3: Read a book set in a different country on a third different continent.

Open the spoiler to see some examples:
(view spoiler)[ I live in the U.S.A. in North America. I could read:

Option 1: Road Trip

Book 1: My Brilliant Friend (Setting: Italy)
Book 2: The Elegance of the Hedgehog (Setting: France)
Book 3: The Reader (Setting: Germany)

Option 2: Cruise
Ocean: Atlantic
Book 1: The Shipping News (Setting: Canada)
Book 2: In the Time of the Butterflies (Setting: Dominican Republic)
Book 3: The High Mountains of Portugal (Setting: Portugal)

Option 3: World Tour
Book 1: The Thorn Birds (Setting: Australia)
Book 2: Love in the Time of Cholera (Setting: Colombia)
Book 3: Kafka on the Shore (Setting: Japan)
(hide spoiler)]

Here is a summary of clarifications that have come up in this help thread:

A. This link is a good reference to use for this task when it comes to continents: https://www.worldometers.info/geograp...

B. For option 2, you CAN use two countries that share a maritime border (such as Russia and Japan). The key for option 2 (besides bordering the same ocean) is that you definitely couldn't get directly from one country to the next by land.

Reserved

Reserved

This thread is now open!

So to confirm option 1

I could start in Portugal then go to Spain and on to France as my 3 connecting countries

Yes, those settings work for option 1, Dee.

Dee wrote: "So to confirm option 1

I could start in Portugal then go to Spain and on to France as my 3 connecting countries"

It's not always consistent how continents are figured. I think India and China are Asia but Australia and New Zealand are Oceania, is that correct?

Yes, what you say is correct. This link is a good reference to use for this task when it comes to continents: https://www.worldometers.info/geograp...

Robin P wrote: "It's not always consistent how continents are figured. I think India and China are Asia but Australia and New Zealand are Oceania, is that correct?"

For option 2, land borders are obvious enough, but can we use two countries that only share a maritime border, such as Russia and Japan?

Yes, that's okay! The key for option 2 (besides bordering the same ocean) is that you definitely couldn't get directly from one country to the next by land.

Aprilleigh wrote: "For option 2, land borders are obvious enough, but can we use two countries that only share a maritime border, such as Russia and Japan?"

I have a quick question about Option 1. I know you said the UK wouldn't work, but what about using the countries that make up the UK? For instance, could I use Wales, England, and Scotland?

Thanks!

This is one that I thought about when I wrote the task, since Wales, England and Northern Ireland are ​"countries within a ​country." I ultimately decided that the UK won't work in this way for option 1 because it doesn't really feel like it fits the spirit of exploring/adventure that this task is all about.

Meagan wrote: "I have a quick question about Option 1. I know you said the UK wouldn't work, but what about using the countries that make up the UK? For instance, could I use Wales, England, and Scotland?

Thanks!"

Will these work for option 2? All border the Atlantic but not each other (except possibly maritime borders).

Murder Served Cold - England (240 pages)
Left to Run - France (206 pages)
Still Waters - Sweden (480 pages)

@Aprilleigh - England, France and Sweden definitely work for option 2.

Bucket wrote: "@Aprilleigh - England, France and Sweden definitely work for option 2."

Awesome! And since I own all three on Kindle I don't even need to make a library run. The England and Sweden options are both free for Kindle Unlimited if anyone else wants to use these. Left to Run is $3.99.

Kathy KS

For option #2, will these countries work for Atlantic?

Canada
Ireland
England (UK)

See post 30 below for corrected response to Kathy's question. This original response has an error.

No, sorry! Ireland and England are both part of the UK which we are only counting as one country for this task (see post 13 above for more detail).

Northern Ireland is its own country, but it borders the UK, so you still couldn't use both Northern Ireland and England.

Long story, short: Canada, and either of the other two you mention are fine, but you'd need a new third.

Kathy wrote: "Kathy KS

For option #2, will these countries work for Atlantic?

Canada
Ireland
England (UK)"

Bucket wrote: "No, sorry! Ireland and England are both part of the UK which we are only counting as one country for this task (see post 13 above for more detail).

Northern Ireland is its own country, but it bor..."

Actually, The Republic of Ireland IS a separate country from the UK (since the early 20th century, again https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republi... ).

The issue was how you would handle Northern Ireland, which IS part of the UK. See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Norther...

But I'll figure out another combination.

Not sure yet if I'm using Option 2 or Option 3 ... but want to be sure

set in ancient Greece would be
Option 2 - Atlantic ocean
Option 3 - Europe

You're right, Kathy -- apologies, I got Ireland and Northern Ireland mixed up. In any case, we're still treating the UK as one country for this task, so you'd still need to choose a different third book.

Kathy wrote: "Bucket wrote: "No, sorry! Ireland and England are both part of the UK which we are only counting as one country for this task (see post 13 above for more detail).

Northern Ireland is its own coun..."

Bucket wrote: "You're right, Kathy -- apologies, I got Ireland and Northern Ireland mixed up. In any case, we're still treating the UK as one country for this task, so you'd still need to choose a different third..."

I think Kathy’s point is that the Republic of Ireland is not part of the United Kingdom, so it should work for this task. England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland (which is separate from the Republic of Ireland that Kathy was referring to) are the constituent members of the United Kingdom.

Meagan wrote: "Bucket wrote: "You're right, Kathy -- apologies, I got Ireland and Northern Ireland mixed up. In any case, we're still treating the UK as one country for this task, so you'd still need to choose a ..."

But the Republic of Ireland shares a land border with Northern Ireland, which is part of the UK. That makes it ineligible for Option 2 because they can't share a land border.

Aprilleigh wrote: "Meagan wrote: "Bucket wrote: "You're right, Kathy -- apologies, I got Ireland and Northern Ireland mixed up. In any case, we're still treating the UK as one country for this task, so you'd still ne..."

Thanks for catching my error. I misinterpreted the response!

Meagan wrote: "Aprilleigh wrote: "Meagan wrote: "Bucket wrote: "You're right, Kathy -- apologies, I got Ireland and Northern Ireland mixed up. In any case, we're still treating the UK as one country for this task..."

Only reason I caught that is I had to think about it for a minute after she replied, too.

Aprilleigh wrote: "Meagan wrote: "Aprilleigh wrote: "Meagan wrote: "Bucket wrote: "You're right, Kathy -- apologies, I got Ireland and Northern Ireland mixed up. In any case, we're still treating the UK as one countr..."

I'm having some sort of mental block surrounding the idea of the UK as one country instead of the individual ones. My train of thought was "Ireland is not part of the UK, doesn't border England, good to go!" It literally never occurred to me that Northern Ireland being part of the UK and bordering Ireland would disqualify it from working.

Bucket ... Looks like you missed my question in Post 20 above.

And a new question re Option 3
Each country you visit for this option must be on a different continent

Can I read a book set on Antarctica as one of my choices? (Not a country, but definitely a continent.)

On your first question in post 20, yes, you are correct.

On your post 28, question, yes, you could use Antarctica for option 2 or option 3, just not option 1.

Book Concierge wrote: "And a new question re Option 3
Each country you visit for this option must be on a different continent

Can I read a book set on Antarctica as one of my choices? (Not a country, but definitely a co..."

Sorry for the confusion on Ireland/Northern Ireland. Correcting my error, my response to Kathy's original question is:

While Ireland IS a separate country from the UK, it shares a land border with the UK (Northern Ireland). Therefore, you couldn't use both Ireland AND the UK (in your post, England) for option 2. You could certainly use one or the other, just not both.

Meagan wrote: "Aprilleigh wrote: "Meagan wrote: "Aprilleigh wrote: "Meagan wrote: "Bucket wrote: "You're right, Kathy -- apologies, I got Ireland and Northern Ireland mixed up. In any case, we're still treating t..."

Bucket wrote: "Sorry for the confusion on Ireland/Northern Ireland. Correcting my error, my response to Kathy's original question is:

While Ireland IS a separate country from the UK, it shares a land border with..."

Great clarification, Bucket. This is what I thought all along, but thought I'd check. Sorry that it opened such a can of worms!

For option 2 would these three countries work:
Sweden- My Grandmother asked me to tell you she‘s sorry
Denmark- The Chestnut Man
Ireland- The Likeness

Hi June,

Sweden and Denmark won't work together for option 2 because the Oresund Bridge allows for easy travel from one to the other by land. Either will work with Ireland and a third option though.

June wrote: "For option 2 would these three countries work:
Sweden- My Grandmother asked me to tell you she‘s sorry
Denmark- The Chestnut Man
Ireland- The Likeness"

If a book is set in colonial times, is it considered according to the current country or the colonizing country at the time of the story?

Celestial Persuasion seems to be at least 50% in the Viceroyalty of Río de la Plata. Would this be Argentina or Spain?
(I'm looking at Option 2, Atlantic Ocean.)

I think it makes the most sense to consider this Argentina.

Julia wrote: "If a book is set in colonial times, is it considered according to the current country or the colonizing country at the time of the story?

Celestial Persuasion seems to be at least ..."

Thanks Bucket,
I will switch out Sweden for Spain or Italy/Sicily.

Bucket wrote: "I think it makes the most sense to consider this Argentina.

Julia wrote: "If a book is set in colonial times, is it considered according to the current country or the colonizing country at the tim..."

Thanks!

I'm reading ...The Winds of War

It takes place in several countries in Europe: Germany, Poland, Italy

I'm about 1/2 way through and there are a few scenes in the USA, but so far about 90% of the book is set in European countries. My husband finished it last month and he says that while there are scenes in the Pacific theatre (incl Hawaii), the majority of the book is set in Europe.

Would I be able to use this book for Option 3 - Continent EUROPE?

Hi there, you can use this as long as 50%+ takes place in one European country.

Book Concierge wrote: "I'm reading ...The Winds of War

It takes place in several countries in Europe: Germany, Poland, Italy

I'm about 1/2 way through and there are a few scenes in the USA, but so far ab..."

Bucket wrote: "Hi there, you can use this as long as 50%+ takes place in one European country.

Book Concierge wrote: "I'm reading ...The Winds of War

It takes place in several countries in Europ..."

It doesn't ... he's all over Europe in this one. I'll slot it elsewhere. Thanks for clarifying.

I'm late, but clarifying: Is it okay to use England, Greece and France for Option 2? Does that all count as the Atlantic Ocean? I'm getting thrown off by whether the Mediterranean Sea makes it 2 bodies of water.

Stacey, sorry I didn't see this sooner! Yes, England, Greece and France work together for option 2.

Stacey wrote: "I'm late, but clarifying: Is it okay to use England, Greece and France for Option 2? Does that all count as the Atlantic Ocean? I'm getting thrown off by whether the Mediterranean Sea makes it 2 bo..."