Around the World in 80 Books discussion

I was thinking of adding some smaller and/or shorter duration challenges starting in 2013. I would love to hear any suggestions of input from all of you. Also, if you are interested in hosting a challenge, please let me know.

Here are some ideas I had for some mini-challenges:

Immersion challenge - reading several books from one country or region of your choosing during a specified block of time to get a deeper look into it's culture, people, etc.

Roadtrip challenges (non-US) - Travel all the states, provinces, counties, or geographical regions of a given country (i.e. Canadian or Chinese provinces, Indian States, Regions of France, Counties of the UK, etc.) If there is a particular country that would be of interest, let me know, and I will try to come up with lists specific to those areas.

Side trip challenges - Smaller around-the-world trips, with itineraries (kind of like "Trekker" on a smaller scale). Itinerary examples include:
* Backpacking Around Europe (read books from several connecting European countries)
* Mediterranean, Caribbean, or South Pacific Cruise (Find or make up a cruise itinerary and read books for the ports of call)
* African Safari (Read books from several African countries)
* Pole to Pole (Read books set in connecting countries from pole to pole)
* All Along the Equator (Read your way around the equator)
* Along the Silk Trail (Read books from countries on the Silk Trail)
* Seven Wonders of the World (Read a book about or set near each wonder of the world)
* Genre challenge - Read books from multiple genres for one country (i.e. Memoir, Literary Fiction, History, Romance, Mystery, etc.)
* Following in the Footsteps of... (Read books from all the countries of a traveler or noted person in history i.e. Marco Polo, Christopher Columbus, Freya Stark, Che Guevara, etc.)

Virtual Feast - Sign up for and share recipe for food item from country of our monthly featured book. (i.e. someone would post entree recipe, another a side dish, another a dessert recipe, etc.)

These are all just some tentative ideas. Let me know of which you would be interested in participating, and let me know of other ideas you have.

Thanks!

You've got lots of good ideas, Diane. The Mediterranean cruise sounds like fun, as well as the Canadian provinces, regions of France, and the Seven Wonders of the World. I would be interested in doing two or three of them next year.

They all sound really interesting. Especially like the idea of UK counties and virtual feast. I love reading about food in books! Not sure if it will always be easy to find good recipes for the featured countries though.

They are all very interesting, above all the Immersion challenge and the Roadtrip challenges; especially for me because I read a lot of Russian literature and like also Indian authors so I am often in the same countries with the books I read.

They all sound good. The one I'd probably start with is travelling around all the countries of the UK. Northern Ireland would be the most difficult of the four for me to find.

I have considered doing a roadtrip type challenge for the states of Australia before. After doing all this 'travelling' around the world it only seems fair to tick off things closer to home!!

I don't know how coordinated I would get to participate, but these all look like a lot of fun!

How any pick a continent and spell it out with titles, authors names - to make it harder can choose to limit books from that continent

I like the backpacking idea - could pick a popular tour route - like the trans-American and use that for the route planning

Dee wrote: "How any pick a continent and spell it out with titles, authors names - to make it harder can choose to limit books from that continent

I like the backpacking idea - could pick a popular tour rout..."

I like the continent spelling!

All of these sound like lots of fun! I especially love the idea of reading from the different Canadian provinces.

I like all of these ideas also. I would like to travel the Silk Road or do the immersion challenge.

I'm up for the UK counties idea!

How about an 'Around the World in 80' days challenge where we'd have to read a book from each of the countries that Phileas Fogg visited in his journey in the same order, or even the cities he visited. Books based on translatlantic journeys by ship, etc could even be included for those stages of his journey.

Donna wrote: "I'm up for the UK counties idea!

How about an 'Around the World in 80' days challenge where we'd have to read a book from each of the countries that Phileas Fogg visited in his journey in the same..."

Ooh, I like that idea!

Donna, I love your Phileas Fogg idea too. I saw the movie many years ago, but I've never read the book. I'm definitely going to put it on my "to read" list.

I like the immersion challenge idea!

I love the virtual feast challenge!!! I'm always experimenting with food from around the world. I also, think the immersion challenge idea is a good idea for more in depth knowledge of a particular place.

These all sound like fantastic ideas! The one that caught my eye first was the Backpacking Around Europe but I'm up for anything as I start my "Around the World in 80 Books" journey on October 1st.

Wonderful mini challenges. I will have to really think this weekend. Probably, make my choice by Monday.:)

Great ideas! All of them.

I made up my mind. I want to start with Africa. African Safari / books from several African countries. I have a book with an American setting. I want to read it first before starting my Safari.:)

I thought it might be fun to also do some fantasy/sci-fi books. Books set in other worlds so to speak. Could be fun a thing to do on occasion.

Diane, will you write the rules for these mini-challenges?
I am thinking about what to read next year and I wanted to read books set in India and in China and so I thought to make the immersion challenge of these two countries. Of course my "frequent flyer" 2012 will become my "circumnavigator" 2013.


I had also an idea for a new challenge. Seen that this year I have read a lot of Russian historical fiction I have "lived" the Battle of Austerlitz, WWI, the February Revolution, the October Revolution, the Civil War and now I am reading about WWII. Perhaps somebody could be interested in a "historical challenge", it means all the most important historical events of a country.

dely wrote: "Diane, will you write the rules for these mini-challenges?
I am thinking about what to read next year and I wanted to read books set in India and in China and so I thought to make the immersion cha..."

Thanks, Dely. Great idea. I am fine-tuning the particulars for the challenges and will have them posted by the end of the month.

Diane wrote: "Thanks, Dely. Great idea. I am fine-tuning the particulars for the challenges and will have them posted by the end of the month..."

Ok, thanks ;)

Some of these challenges look great and may give me a chance to catch up on some recent Australian or UK stuff as I tick off the states and counties.....
Perhaps not a challenge on its own but something that could be incorporated into a Vitual Feasts/genre challenge you could have a culinary mysteries listing. Authors like Nancy Pickard with Viginia Rich's Eugenia Potter series and the Corinna Chapman series by Australian author Kerry Greenwood (you can almost smell the muffin aroma as you read) also Laura Childs tea shop mystery series....I am sure there are many more... probably on the lighter side of the reading scale.....?

For a flavor of the US sort of thing you could do one for Route 66 which runs from Chicago to Los Angeles passing through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California. Before the Interstate system it was a major east/west route with large numbers of travelers in the 40s, 50s 60s and 70s. Maybe look for books set in those states during those years.

Evana wrote: "For a flavor of the US sort of thing you could do one for Route 66 which runs from Chicago to Los Angeles passing through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Califo..."

Good idea, Evana.

i think i'm going to do the TransAmerica for the US - because it is my goal to actually do a TransAmerica ride before i'm 40

http://www.adventurecycling.org/route...

Dee wrote: "i think i'm going to do the TransAmerica for the US - because it is my goal to actually do a TransAmerica ride before i'm 40

http://www.adventurecycling.org/route..."

Dee, I hope you get to do the actual trip. My niece did a "Bike and Build" trip where they spent the summer biking a northern USA route and stopped to help build houses. What energy that must have taken!

connie - that is insane! I figure i have 10 years before I turn 40...well 9 years and 3 months (but I can round up right?) - goal this year is a half-ironman; next year is a full ironman tri...so probably 2-3 years after that for the TransAmerica

Diane wrote: "Evana wrote: "For a flavor of the US sort of thing you could do one for Route 66 which runs from Chicago to Los Angeles passing through Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Ariz..."

I agree, I would love to do Route 66!

Following in the Footsteps of... sounds like such a neat idea!

I love the immersion challenge! Let's do it!!!!

I picked up Traveling the 38th Parallel: A Water Line around the World today - which could be a fun challenge - read a book set in each country that the 38th parallel cuts through

Dee wrote: "I picked up Traveling the 38th Parallel: A Water Line around the World today - which could be a fun challenge - read a book set in each country that the 38th parallel cuts through"

If you go to Wikipedia, and enter any major parallel, say the 40th, you will get a list of all the places in the world this line cuts through. You can make a series of challenges and circumnavigate the globe a number of times.

Just for grins I was web surfing on Google and entered hiking trails.
Came across the North Country Trail. This goes from eastern NY , nw PA, all of Ohio, Michigan, touches on Wi, northern MN and finals in ND. Another possible mini-challange!

Great ideas here - how about "Origins of our Food". Pick any veg/fruit/grain and find its origin. EG potato originates from Peru/Bolivia, carrots from Afghanistan (there is an actual Carrot History Museum!)

Banner challenge - row, column or random 5 from the clubs banner.

If you're planning a 2014 Read around the U.S. challenge, this link might help you identify some book titles: http://www.businessinsider.com/most-f...

I love the "Seven Wonders of the World" idea. It could also include the Seven Modern Wonders:

"A hundred million internet votes can't be wrong. The Seven Wonders of the World now comprise: the Great Wall of China, Jordan's ancient rock city Petra, Brazil's Statue of Christ Redeemer, the hilltop city of Machu Picchu in Peru, Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid, the Colosseum in Rome and India's Taj Mahal. The winners were announced at a star-studded show at Lisbon's Benfica stadium following what is likely to be the biggest ever online poll.

'Never before in history have so many people participated in a global decision,' declared actress Hilary Swank at the presentation."
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2007...

And I found an interesting site about the Seven Natural Wonders, both of the World and of the continents. http://sevennaturalwonders.org/

I love to read about the 12 original colonies which I think would be a good mini challenge.

I like the U.S. challenge, but can we please find a different book for Washington?

I like the genre challenge of picking one country, then choosing books from several genres for that country-used as setting or with authors from that country.

I am going to continue my no time limit challenges a of a reading around the world, across the USA and Canada.

What about a Full Circle a la Michael Palin around the Pacific Rim?

Starting in Alaska and working clockwise around the Pacific - you could incorporate the states of America that you would touch along the way - and also the islands eg Easter Island etc.

Great topic for us travellers! What about the Road trip combined with the Grand Europe tour. On the road...with Kids. One family. 30 countries. No turning back. Out august 1.

Has anyone seen this? I think it would make a cool challenge.

Chinook wrote: "Has anyone seen this? I think it would make a cool challenge."

I love this idea.

Chinook wrote: "Has anyone seen this? I think it would make a cool challenge."

I love this.

Chinook wrote: "Has anyone seen this? I think it would make a cool challenge."

How does it work?

Diane - here seems to be the link: http://www.rochester.edu/College/tran...

and here: http://www.rochester.edu/College/tran...