A year of reading the world

218 Responses to “The list”

1. Kirsty Morgan said

   October 26, 2011 at 10:46 pm

   Spain: Miguel Delibes, “Cinco Horas con Mario” (Five Hours with Mario), published in 1966, in which a widow watches over the body of her husband in a provincial town and recalls their life together. I haven’t read this particular novel but it is one of his most popular and gives an insight into post-war Spain. His short stories are fantastic too.

   Reply
   • londonchoirgirl said

     October 27, 2011 at 10:02 am

     Thanks Kirsty. Sounds great – I’ll add it to the list

     Reply
2. trailblzrwoman said

   November 15, 2011 at 5:11 pm

   Good luck with the big read!

   Best wishes
   Maria

   Reply
3. TRStorey said

   November 21, 2011 at 4:04 pm

   Love the idea, and best wishes with getting through it – we are trying to offer a worldwide overview of books by country on our site – http://www.theculturetrip.com – might come in handy for your project!

   Reply
4. natashashenry said

   November 25, 2011 at 1:03 am

   I think this is a fab idea and I wish you the best of luck.

   Natasha

   Reply
   • londonchoirgirl said

     November 25, 2011 at 3:54 pm

     Thanks Natasha. I’ll certainly need the luck…

     Reply
     • natashashenry said

       November 25, 2011 at 10:09 pm

       I wish I had the time to read that many books these days. I will try to live vicariously through you
5. Mira said

   December 1, 2011 at 7:30 pm

   I can suggest a few from Serbia and from Bosnia. Also Try Ivo Andric (he is a Nobel prize winner for literature in 1961 and donated his money to libraries of Bosnia and Herzegovina.) He was a true Yugoslav, born to Croatian parents in Bosnia but lived his adult life in Serbia and considered himself a Serb. You should try reading the Bridge in the River Drina, but there are also shorter novels.

   There is a Serb, Milos Crnjanski (or Trzrnjanski in some translations.) He lived in London and has written A Novel About London that you might find. I will enquire to my Macedonian friend of any Macedonian writer in translation.

   For Montenegro you might be able to obtain in English something by Petar II Petrović-Njegoš, he was a Prince-Bishop (and apparently very handsome). He wrote a lot but the best known is his poem-novel The Mountain Wreath.

   Good luck.

   Mira

   Reply
   • londonchoirgirl said

     December 2, 2011 at 11:54 am

     Brilliant, thanks Mira. I’m excluding writers I’ve read before, which knocks Marquez and Atwood off, but the others are all new to me so I will add them to the list. Thanks so much for your help.

     Reply
6. Mira said

   December 1, 2011 at 7:37 pm

   here I found this on Crnjanski:

   Migrations has been translated into English (Harvill 1994, ISBN 0002730049), but with the author’s name transliterated as “Milos Tsernianski”.

   Just remembered another Serbian that I did buy in English. Danilo Kis. Loads of his stuff in English and some are very short. ; )

   Reply
7. Mira said

   December 1, 2011 at 7:55 pm

   Columbia – Anything by Gabriel Garcia Marquez
   Peru – Mario Vargas Llosa
   Turkey – Orhan Pamuk
   Slovenia – Zizek, a philosopher translated in English, (small work)
   Canada – The Handmaid’s Tale by Margaret Atwood, or anything by Robertson Davis.

   Reply
8. Help Ann Morgan: A Year of Reading (the Arabic-writing) World | Arabic Literature (in English) said

   December 2, 2011 at 5:00 am

   [...] that must be going well, since she’s decided to make 2012 “A Year of Reading the World,” one book per [...]

   Reply
9. Mira said

   December 3, 2011 at 11:08 pm

   For Bulgaria you should try Elias Canetti. He was born in Bulgaria to Shepardi Jewish family who were expelled from Spain in 15C. He also won Nobel prize for literature in 1981. He wrote Auto da Fe which was very popular in the 70s but his best work is his autobiography in 3 volumes …. (he did write in German so it may not qualify but I think it should as his writing is amazing and you will not find anything better from Bulgaria.). In any case, I recommend that anyone reads this as there is nothing like that that I’ve read.

   By the way, do you speak any other languages?

   All the best

   Mira

   Reply
   • londonchoirgirl said

     December 4, 2011 at 3:10 pm

     Now this is interesting. Translator Ruth Martin recommended Canetti’s The Torch in My Ear for Austria. By the sounds of it, Canetti’s books could be in the running for four or five countries. I wonder how many other writers I’ll stumble across in this category…

     I do read French and German and originally thought I would read some books in those languages for this project, but having talked about it and thought about it I’ve decided to stick to reading in English. The reason is that I want this project to be about finding out how easy (or hard) it is for one person in London to access the literature of the world and a lot of that comes down to the availability (or not) of translations. Reading in other languages would sidestep that issue.

     Reply
     • Mira said

       December 4, 2011 at 4:09 pm

       The Torch in my Ear is the second volume of his three-volume autobiography followed by The Play of The Eyes. But he starts with The Tongue Set Free which is exceptional. In fact this has reminded me to read it again.

       I think you might find Che Guevara could be ‘claimed’ by a few SA countries as their own not excluding Cuba of course.

       May I second the choice for France of Alain-Furnier. The Wanderer was the name given in US but here in UK, it was published under it’s original title Le Grand Meaulnes.

       I see that you have not filled in the Croatian entry. The best choice here would be Miroslav Krleza. His book On The Edge or Reason has been translated into English – I have a copy, but there could be others. He really is very good and worth a read. Of you fancy something more modern, I can suggest Dubravka Ugresic. She wrote a lot after the break up of Yugoslavia and emigrated to Holland. I personally did not read anything of hers but she did win some prizes in Europe for her supposedly antiwar stance.

       Have you started reading yet? I could loan you some of the books I’ve mentionedif you like.

       All the best

       Mira
     • londonchoirgirl said

       December 4, 2011 at 4:52 pm

       Thanks Mira. I’ve put The Tongue Set Free on the list for Bulgaria and will add on your Croatia suggestions too.

       I haven’t started reading yet – I’m sticking to the 2012 limit, so will only be able to turn the first page on 1 January. At the moment I’m just trying to gather as many good recommendations as possible, although I will try to get hold of some books before the start of the year so that I’m all set when the clock strikes 12.

       If you are able to lend me some of the books, that would be a great help.

       Thanks again for your excellent suggestions

       Ann
10. Reading the world | Debika Ray said

    December 7, 2011 at 2:53 pm

    [...] journo Ann Morgan is embarking on an ambitious project next year. She plans to make next year a year of reading the world – that is, she is planning to read a book from every [...]

    Reply
11. Ibtisam Barakat said

    December 7, 2011 at 7:17 pm

    Tasting the Sky, a Palestinian Childhood (Macmillan, 2007) by Ibtisam Barakat for Palestine – The book won many awards and is in several languages. Reviewers called it “astonishingly beautiful” and a “masterpiece.”

    Reply
12. N Mercury said

    December 9, 2011 at 3:09 pm

    From North Korea, I highly recommend, “My Life and Faith”, by Ri In Mo, an autobiography from one of the world’s longest serving political prisoners. A triumph of the human spirit, representing a point of view virtually unknown in the Western World.
    http://www.north-korea-books.com/servlet/the-196/my-life-and-faith/Detail

    Reply
13. Elie said

    December 13, 2011 at 12:23 pm

    This looks like a wonderful idea and I wish you best of luck with it – reading works from all 196 countries is a true challenge!

    I note you’re missing a few European countries – if you’re short of ideas you might like to check out the Dalkey Archive’s Best European Fiction series – http://www.dalkeyarchive.com/collections/besteuropeanfiction/ – which contains stories from across Europe and would cover off the Ukraine, Slovakia, Liechtenstein, Macedonia and Lithuania depending on which year’s anthology you bought. 2011 looks to be the most comprehensive. Nothing from Andorra or San Marino in any of them, though, disappointingly.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      December 13, 2011 at 1:29 pm

      Brilliant, thanks Elie. I shall definitely look into this.

      Reply
14. Leeswammes said

    December 19, 2011 at 8:38 pm

    I see that you have nothing for the Netherlands yet. Maybe look at irisonbooks blog. She did a month of Dutch literature, http://irisonbooks.wordpress.com/tag/a-month-of-dutch-literature/ I’m sure there will be something you might like to read.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      December 19, 2011 at 10:41 pm

      Thanks – great suggestion. I’ll have look.

      Reply
15. Chakriya said

    December 27, 2011 at 11:57 pm

    I can help out with the Pacific countries BUT most will be locally published and need to be sourced from the University of the South Pacific, and you need to think carefully about the difference between Pacific authors and books about the Pacific (does Robert Louis Stevenson count as a Samoan author? I say no – try Misa Telefoni instead, although his writing is less literature and more bodice ripper).

    So happy to help if you want to persevere with Tuvalu, but note I leave in April so needs to be done soon.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      December 28, 2011 at 12:21 am

      Thanks Chakriya. I’d really appreciate any help you can give me. I agree with you about Robert Louis Stevenson; while I am accepting books by writers of other nationalities for some countries, there has to be a strong connection between the writer and the place for it to count. In general, though, I am keen to get as close as I can to writing that is from rather than simply about each sovereign state. Misa Telefoni sounds great – the books don’t all have to be high literature – in fact the more variety the more interesting the project will be.

      Reply
16. sally m milan said

    December 31, 2011 at 12:52 am

    Stunning list – interested in the Private Lives of Trees. I attempted the Secret Lives of Plants once….intense….and recently saw the Secret Lives of Lobsters. You’d have to google the author?! Amazing project!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      December 31, 2011 at 10:23 am

      Thanks Sally – Happy New Year!

      Reply
17. schietree said

    January 7, 2012 at 5:27 pm

    Just to let you know, I’m linking to you on my blog. Loving your reviews so far!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      January 7, 2012 at 5:35 pm

      Thanks Helen. I’m returning the compliment. Congratulations on your Unbound Press Best Novel Award.

      By the way, I see you lived in NYC for a while. I’m here for the next week. If you have any suggestions of must dos, it would be great to have them – I know the city quite well and have done all the major touristy things on previous trips so it would be good to have some inside recommendations…

      Reply
      • schietree said

        January 7, 2012 at 6:09 pm

        Thanks so much! Well, McNally Jackson is an excellent bookshop that hosts reading events and has one of those Espresso machines (instant book printing) which is entrancing to watch – and leads to a pile of interesting self-pubbed poetry being available in the shop. http://mcnallyjackson.com/ It also has a pleasant cafe where you can warm up and pour over your findings. There is also http://bluestockings.com/ for books and events with a feminist/LGBTQ flair.

        Most of what I got up to in NYC was eating tasty things, writing and visiting the Met over and over (you’ve probably been there, though if you haven’t a good tip is it’s suggested donation, so you don’t have to pay $20 unless you feel like you want to).

        Koreantown is a great destination if you are hungry for hearty food and generally nicer waiters (http://www.nytimes.com/2009/06/07/nyregion/07koreatown.html), although that depends if Korean food is to your taste (I may have a slight obsession with it).

        Feel free to ask for any other more specific recommendations – my father-in-law lives in NYC and is a great source of up to date info which I can pass on.
      • londonchoirgirl said

        January 7, 2012 at 6:16 pm

        Brilliant – thanks for that. My next post is going to be on a book I picked up in McNally Jackson the other day! It’s great and the staff are so nice. They didn’t seem to mind us pulling most of their world literature on to the floor and rifling through it making copious notes…

        Korean town sounds intriguing. We will give it a look. Have a great weekend.
18. Fay said

    January 13, 2012 at 5:11 am

    Best wishes for a great reading year. I just updated my blogroll to switch to your new project. It looks like you have some armchair adventures ahead of you. Having just finished eleven of the novels on the Man Asian Lit Prize longlist, I am especially interested in the books you’ve chosen from that region.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      January 13, 2012 at 12:02 pm

      Thanks Fay – are there any among the books you have recently read that you would recommend I add to the list?

      Reply
      • Fay said

        January 15, 2012 at 7:37 pm

        My personal shortlist for the Man Asian Lit Prize included:

        The Wandering Falcon by Jamil Ahmad (Pakistan).
        The Good Muslim by Tahmina Anam (Bangladesh).
        The Sly Company of People Who Care by Rahul Bhattacharya (India).
        River of Smoke by Amitav Ghosh (India).
        Please Look After Mom by Kyung-Sook Shin (S. Korea).
        Dream of Ding Village by Yan Lianke (China).

        The judges chose seven books this year, and five of my six choices coincided with theirs. My miss was The Good Muslim. They chose two other books that I skipped.

        Hope you find something here that looks good. I liked them all.
      • londonchoirgirl said

        January 15, 2012 at 9:59 pm

        Brilliant – thanks!
19. Sue George said

    January 29, 2012 at 11:06 pm

    I see that, so far, you have nothing on your list for St Kitts. Quite a well-known writer born there (parents emigrated to the UK, went to Oxford, now teaches at Yale) is Caryl Phillips. He’s written fiction, non-fiction, film scripts etc etc. His books should be easy enough to find.
    http://www.carylphillips.com/fiction.html

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      January 30, 2012 at 9:48 am

      Thanks Sue – Caryl Philips sounds ideal. I shall look him up…

      Reply
20. CarolS said

    February 14, 2012 at 1:51 pm

    Just discovered your project.
    A book group I belong to started off reading around the world.
    After some years we diversified but made major discoveries along the way including Kadare and:
    Amin Maalouf Lebanese author writing in French from France covers other countries too, excellent and well translated.
    Some of us have read and enjoyed Leonardo Padura from Cuba – superb conveyer of atmosphere – writer of literary detective fiction, very good on Hemingway and currently writing on the Cuban who killed Trotsky. Translated into English by lecturer from London Met Uni..
    A marvellous project.
    I could unearth a list if you like!?

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      February 14, 2012 at 1:55 pm

      Many thanks Carol – that Padura and Maalouf sound intriguing. And yes, it would be great to have a look at your list if it’s not too much trouble to dig it out! Thanks again. Ann

      Reply
21. CarolS said

    February 14, 2012 at 1:55 pm

    PS another Guardian contributor Kapka Kassabova writes of other cultures including her parents: Bulgarian + New Zealand.. Poetry and prose.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      February 14, 2012 at 1:57 pm

      Ah, interesting – I shall explore. Thanks

      Reply
22. CarolS said

    February 14, 2012 at 2:00 pm

    OK but prob too too long to post here?? I’d also be tempted to add comments especially re those I disliked (some of those you’ve listed as intentions to read above!). We didn’t all like Kadare while I found his style perfect for the madness that is Albania.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      February 14, 2012 at 2:09 pm

      It’s fine to email it through my website address if you like – ann’at’annmorgan.me. But please feel free to post your comments about those you disliked here – the list above is very much work in progress and consists simply of valid suggestions I’ve had so far. Many countries are far from decided yet. It’s always good to get a bit of healthy debate going…

      Reply
23. CarolS said

    February 14, 2012 at 7:36 pm

    OK! From your list above I really disliked the writing by numbers of, and the dishonesty of the Kite Runner, shameful. A controversial response.
    Andrew McGahan is a very interesting Australian novelist, his novel: The White Earth is about a man’s great passion for his land that overrides any humanitarian sympathies. He tries to dominate a boy into inheriting his mad ambition, nearly succeeding. Powerful, moving.
    Elizabeth Jolley is a unique fabulous writer, English born, lived in Scotland too but emigrated to Australia, wrote much from there.
    Alice Munro is a great Canadian writer.
    Ngugi is on your list for Kenya, very strong meat and GREAT too.
    I’ve read a lot of African authors, he is one of the best.
    I’ll stop now I’m adding too much.

    I’m not sure how to email you via the website unless this is it? I’ve roughly annotated our book group list now. I could paste it in here but seems unfair?

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      February 15, 2012 at 11:00 am

      Thanks Carol – interesting food for thought here.

      Reply
24. Mira said

    February 14, 2012 at 11:46 pm

    Interesting comments from CarolS. Literature is SO subjective. Like looking at paintings. I agree with her re Kite Runner – too melodramatic for a start. I couldn’t go on past 50 pages. Same goes for Asne Seierstad’s Bookseller of Kabul. But then is any book NOT worth looking at? How is fiction ever going to compete with non fiction? But then Hillary Mantel comes up with Wolf Hall and one thinks…hmmmm…. But then it’s all about the pleasure of meeting the story teller! Good luck the Choir Girl. Keep reading. x

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      February 15, 2012 at 11:02 am

      Thanks Mira – yes, the line between fiction and non-fiction gets blurrier the more you look at it doesn’t it? I’ll do my best!

      Reply
25. CarolS said

    February 16, 2012 at 11:29 pm

    Hurray for this project! I’ve almost finished reading Abraham Verghese’s Cutting for Stone.ETHIOPIA/ERITREA, USA too. It’s been on my TBR mountain for ages. After a tough badly structured maybe over long?? first segment it has become momentous, unputdownable, marvellous and so worth persevering with through the beginning – vital to the novel. It’s taken me to a land I hadn’t met in literature before and to the true love of and for medicine and surgery. I’ve learnt an enormous amount from it.

    Reply
    • Bradley said

      November 25, 2012 at 11:33 am

      I’m currently reading Beneath the Lion’s Gaze (Mengiste) for my Ethiopian title, really enjoying it! Recommended, if you haven’t chosen for Ethiopia yet.
      Bradley

      Reply
      • londonchoirgirl said

        November 25, 2012 at 3:44 pm

        Bradley, you may have read my mind. Finished the Mengiste yesterday. Post coming soon…
      • Bradley said

        November 28, 2012 at 1:44 am

        Great minds… (haha).
        I’d just like to say I’m overwhelmed with admiration for your project, especially that you’re doing it in a year (you must be a speed reader?) – it’ll take me many years. AND you write such great reviews for them all (AND work AND keep up with your correspondence.) Do you have time for breakfast too? Congratulations on the fantastic job!
        Bradley
      • londonchoirgirl said

        November 28, 2012 at 8:41 am

        Thanks Bradley. It’s been a bit of a crazy year, but a fantastic experience! Eating breakfast as I type…
26. Miguel said

    February 23, 2012 at 7:33 pm

    A few suggestions:

    Mozambique: ‘Niketche’ (Paulina Chiziane); because it’s a cliché to only read Mia Couto and she needs more attention

    Angola: ‘The Return of the Water Spirit’ (Pepetela), ‘Good Morning Comrades’ (Ondjaki)

    Uruguay: ‘The Decapitated Chicken’ (Horácio Quiroga): a great collection of unsettling, morbid short-stories.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      February 24, 2012 at 7:13 am

      Excellent, thanks Miguel – I’ll look into these. Highlighting writers who deserve more international attention is a big part of what I’m trying to do here, so it’s great to have suggestions for less obvious choices

      Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      February 29, 2012 at 1:56 pm

      Hi again Miguel. I’ve looked into Paulina Chiziane’s Nikethce, which sounds great. Only problem is that the publisher that was going to publish the translation went bust before the book was finished – do you know of any other translations of Chiziane’s work?

      Reply
27. mochagirlsread said

    February 28, 2012 at 2:31 pm

    This is such a wonderful idea. I know a few people that can help you fill in your African countries. Wendy at http://fabulosityreads.blogspot.com/ and check out Sidne reading challenge at http://vrc2012.blogspot.com/
    Good Luck and I will be following along.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      February 28, 2012 at 2:57 pm

      Thanks very much – I’ll check these out.

      Reply
28. Soledat said

    March 4, 2012 at 5:58 pm

    Wonderful work you’re doing… but I see that you put a book from Andorra… as you know, Andorra is a tiny country in the Pirenees mountain’s, and they speak Catalan. Catalonia is not a “country” -well, it is in the way of Scotland )) – and has a wonderful literature. Some books are translated into English -starting with the medieval Tirant lo Blanch, that Cervantes itself considered a wonderful book- Could i suggest you to visit the website of Institut Ramon Llull? It takes care os spanding Catalan literature abroad:
    http://www.llull.cat
    or the english version of the website:
    http://www.llull.cat/_eng/_home/index.cfm?seccio=inici&ampsubseccio=1

    All my best,

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      March 4, 2012 at 7:08 pm

      Thanks very much. The links sound great. Yes, I read a book by Catalan language writer Albert Salvado for Andorra.

      Sadly, with 196 books to get through this year I don’t have time to read more than one book per country, but I will check out those links and add more titles to the list where I can so that other visitors to this site can read them. Thanks very much for taking the time to comment.

      Reply
29. Laura said

    March 5, 2012 at 1:47 pm

    Glad to see that you have included Uruguay, my native country. You can read several contemporary Uruguayan women writers (poets and short-story writers) here: http://www.pulsamerica.co.uk/literature/

    Good luck with your reading!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      March 5, 2012 at 9:08 pm

      Thanks Laura – I’ll look into this. If you have any other suggestions for Uruguayan writers, I’d love to hear them too.

      Reply
30. movingcentral said

    March 8, 2012 at 3:14 pm

    Oooh from Serbia you should read The Tiger’s Wife by Tea Obreht – a wonderful book and the author is one of the New York Times best authors under 40 (she is 27).
    I will be researching the best books by Honduran authors and let you know what I find

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      March 8, 2012 at 3:16 pm

      Ah yes, the Tiger’s Wife. I read it last year for my A Year of Reading Women, otherwise it would be a great suggestion. Honduras thoughts would be great

      Reply
31. Vidushi Khera said

    March 12, 2012 at 8:28 am

    You should go through the 2011 and 2012 DSC Prize Longlists and Shortlists for some reading material.

    My recommendations
    - The Patience Stone – Atiq Rahimi – Longlisted 2012
    - In other rooms, other wonders – Daniyal Mueenuddin – Shortlisted 2011
    - Home Boy – HM Naqvi – Winner 2011
    - The Thing About Thugs – Tabish Khair – Shortlisted 2012

    And if you’re looking for any non-fiction – do get your hands on Aman Sethi’s A Free Man

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      March 12, 2012 at 10:21 am

      That’s an excellent suggestion Vidushi. Thanks so much. I was not aware of the DSC Prize – I will check it out later today. Thanks for your top tips too.

      Reply
32. Paula said

    March 16, 2012 at 6:13 pm

    Wow… this is an impressive list… how many hours will you put into it?
    I come from Croatia and I am thinking that you could try “In the jaws of life” by Dubravka Ugrešić instead of the Ministry of pain, but is just my person preference
    Good luck!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      March 16, 2012 at 6:18 pm

      Thanks Paula. I’m not sure how many hours it will take me, but I’m planning to get through one book from every country by the end of the year. Thanks for your suggestion – I’ll add it to the list.

      Reply
33. MarinaSofia said

    March 18, 2012 at 9:16 am

    Although I love Herta Muller, I am not sure if she is fully representative of Romanian literature – mainly because she writes (and has always written in German). For a good feel for contemporary Romanian style of writing, I would recommend Mircea Cartarescu, poet, novelist and essayist. Unfortunately, he has been translated far more in German and French rather than in English – the only volume of his I have been able to find is ‘Bebop Baby’, poetry translated by Adam J. Sorkin, published in NY.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      March 18, 2012 at 6:08 pm

      Thanks very much. Cartarescu sounds interesting. Perhaps I’ll have to put him on my list for 2013 as I’m only reading prose for this project and although I can read French and German (slowly), I’m sticking to English translations. I’ll add his name to the list though so that people can check him out.

      Reply
34. mdaread said

    March 18, 2012 at 9:28 am

    Hi there, just followed a link from a comment you left on the Guardian books site. Looks like an interesting project. I thought I’d take a look at your list and see if I could recommend anything.

    Laos looked an interesting bet so I did a bit of research and I reckon you should try Mothers Beloved by Outhine Bounyavong. It’s a collection of short stories (are you reading them too, or only novels?) that looks interesting.

    To be honest, there’s not much choice when it comes to Laos. Many of the Lao authors I could find were Lao-American and writing in English, which doesn’t really count does it? Looking forward to seeing what you think of it, if you choose to read it..

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      March 18, 2012 at 6:00 pm

      Thanks very much. I really appreciate you taking the time to do some research on my behalf. I’ll add it to the list.

      I agree, for the purposes of this project Laos-American authors writing in English aren’t as interesting as authors writing in Lao, so it’s great to have a translation to consider.

      Thanks again

      Reply
35. Ana ✔ said

    March 20, 2012 at 3:51 am

    How is the reading going? Telesa : The covenant Keeper by Lani Wendt Young is available for e-download for the next 24 hours if you haven’t already purchased it for ‘the list’

    

    Telesa – The Covenant Keeper

    

    Happy reading!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      March 20, 2012 at 7:21 am

      Great tip – thanks Ana. I’ll check it out.

      The reading is going well. Nearly at the three-month mark and so far I’m on target… The challenge is going to be be tracking down books from some of the harder to reach places in time. But many people, like you, are being very generous with their time and knowledge and every day brings a new contact with someone willing to help, so it’s lots of fun.

      Thanks again

      Reply
      • Ana ✔ said

        March 21, 2012 at 10:21 am

        You’re welcome
36. simonlitton said

    March 21, 2012 at 10:15 am

    Hi,
    I just noticed you don’t yet have a book for Mauritius. You could try something by Carl De Souza.
    My review’s here: http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/6414623-la-maison-qui-marchait-vers-le-large
    But now that I do a search, it seems that none of his stuff has been translated into English. I don’t suppose you read French?

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      March 21, 2012 at 10:24 am

      Thanks very much. I do read French, but for the purposes of this project, I am only reading books in English translation. The aim is to see whether it’s possible for one person in London to access all of world literature, so it seemed to make sense to stick to that. Any other Mauritian suggestions would be fab though…

      Reply
37. Kalin said

    April 1, 2012 at 5:50 pm

    For Bulgarian books: I see you already read _Natural Novel_, I’d recommend _Time of Parting_ (http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/3788317-time-of-parting), a powerful, philosophical and (word of warning) quite violent novel that captures the clash of opposing worldviews. I wouldn’t read it so much as a historical novel but as a sample of contemporary mythopoeia, very poetic too.

    (I wonder, however, how well the translation preserved the often metric prose of the original.)

    Great project — keep it up!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      April 1, 2012 at 5:54 pm

      Thanks Kalin – sounds great. I’ll add it to the list (and to my expanding list for after this project. Translation is a real art, isn’t it? World literature lives or dies by the skill of the people who relay it from one language to another.
      Thanks for stopping by

      Reply
38. Kalin said

    April 1, 2012 at 6:52 pm

    You’re welcome.

    I was part of the team that translated _The Last Unicorn_ into Bulgarian; it took a long, long time and it taught us that translation is equal parts art and perseverance. (And, ah, there were more ingredients in the magic potion, but now my memory refuses to reveal them. )

    To art and perseverance, then!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      April 1, 2012 at 6:58 pm

      Hear hear!

      Reply
39. Ieva said

    April 2, 2012 at 10:54 am

    Hi,
    Here is a link to some Lithuanian books in English

    http://www.lnb.lt/parodos/5/anglu_k.htm

    I also strongly recommend books by Jurga Ivanauskaite.

    Happy reading!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      April 2, 2012 at 11:14 am

      Thanks very much Ieva

      Reply
40. Lucia Bonilla Lara said

    April 3, 2012 at 1:15 pm

    Hi,
    Greetings from Ecuador! I am very happy to hear about this amazing initiative. I am sure that if everyone would do this, our knowledge of “the other” would be so different.
    I noticed that for Ecuador you still don’t have a book. I recommend “Huasipungo” from Jorge Icaza. It is an amazing story, very contextual to the history of my country.
    Another great author is Benjamin Carrion, “Cartas al Ecuador” is one of the greatest books I’ve read.
    Enjoy!!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      April 3, 2012 at 3:49 pm

      Thanks Lucia – you’ve made my day. These sound great. I’ll check them out and add them to the list.

      All the best from London

      Ann

      Reply
41. Rajdeep Pathak said

    April 10, 2012 at 10:33 pm

    Hello, I am an Indian and I’d like to recommend a few books to know the country more. All of these are Men Booker Prize winners —

    The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga

    The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

    Midnight’s Children by Salman Rushdie

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      April 11, 2012 at 5:51 am

      Thanks Rajdeep – they’re great books aren’t they? I really enjoyed them when I read them too.

      These books are very famous in the UK as well. However, I’m quite keen to find an Indian book that Indian readers admire but which may not be very well known outside the country. If you can suggest anything, I’d love to hear about it.

      Reply
42. Fredrika said

    April 11, 2012 at 8:53 pm

    Hello from Sweden! I just found this blog and will definitely bee following it in the future. I started a similar project in november last year, but your’e keeping a much better pace than me

    I hope you don’t mind me “borrowing” your book suggestion for Andorra – it sounds much better than the one I had found. I’ve compiled a list of most of the books I’m going to read which might be of some help to you. It’s at:

    http://varldsbokbloggen.blogspot.se/2012/03/den-stora-laslistan.html

    (Most of the book titles are in english, but the country names are in swedish. You should be able to guess most of them, but to make it a bit easier: Austria: Österrike, East Timor: Östtimor, Lettland: Latvia and many of the ones that start with C in english start with K in swedish) .

    And I can’t resist making a suggestion for Sweden, even if you already have a few books for the country: Montecore, by Jonas Hassen Khemiri is a really interesting book about tunisian immigrants in Sweden that has recently been translated to english.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      April 13, 2012 at 6:27 am

      Hi Fredrika

      Thanks very much for getting in touch. Feel free to ‘borrow’ The Teacher of Cheops. It’s well worth a read.

      I look forward to studying your list. Thanks very much for your Swedish suggestion. It’s going on the list…

      Best wishes

      Ann

      Reply
43. ealexp said

    April 21, 2012 at 7:43 pm

    Hi Ann,

    I know you’ve ticked Portugal and Italy off your list but I simply have to recommend Pereira Maintains, set in 1930s Lisbon but by Italian novelist Antonio Tabucchi. It’s an all-too-brief political thriller, by one definition, and manages to be morally confronting and charming at the same time. I’m still sad that I’ve finished it.

    Other recent favourites include The Tiger’s Wife by Téa Obreht which is really Serbian but could probably be classified as Bosnian or even American. Blends an enganing contemporary story with wonderful fables.

    And New Finnish Grammar by Diego Marani – which, despite the intriguing title, is a novel about a sailor who loses his memory. And although it’s mostly set in Finland is written by an Italian.

    North Korea… It’s a shame that Escape From Camp 14, the true story of a lad who lived through unimaginable torments in a prison camp and eventually escaped, is written by a US journalist so doesn’t fit your criteria. I’ve not read the book yet but have heard Shin Dong-hyuk tell his story. Astonishing.

    Elizabeth

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      April 21, 2012 at 8:21 pm

      Thanks Elizabeth

      Excellent recommendations. Pereira Maintains sounds great. It is already on my list – only sorry I can’t read more than one book for each country. I’ll have to try it next year.

      I read the Tiger’s Wife last year for my A Year of Reading Women blog – a very interesting book as you say.

      New Finnish Grammar also sounds good – I heard Boyd Tonkin talking about it at the London Book Fair this week – another on for next year I think!

      Escape from Camp 14 does sound interesting – have you read Nothing to Envy by Barbara Demmick? I was very interested by my North Korean book, My Life and Faith by Ri In Mo – a memoir by a North Korean patriot. While I couldn’t agree with its fundamental ideology, it was very thought-provoking and told a side of the story we rarely hear.

      Thanks very much for stopping by

      All the best

      Ann

      Reply
44. winstonsdad said

    April 23, 2012 at 1:14 pm

    Hi just read guardian piece and check list think couple your blanks may have I ve cover 81 countries so far on my blog I specialise in translated fiction and other world lit will add your blog to my reader

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      April 23, 2012 at 2:11 pm

      Great stuff – will have to check out your list. Thanks very much

      Reply
45. The Modern Novel said

    April 23, 2012 at 9:31 pm

    Gaps:

    CAR: Pierre Makombo Bamboté: Princesse Mandapu (http://www.themodernnovel.com/car/bambote/princesse.htm) (not translated)
    Chad: Nimrod: Les jambes d’Alice (not translated)
    East Timor: Cardoso, Luís: The Crossing
    Guinea-Bissau: Abdulai Sila: A Última Tragédia (not translated into English but translated into French (http://www.themodernnovel.com/guineabissau/sila/tragedia.htm)
    Lesotho: Thomas Mofolo: Chaka (http://www.themodernnovel.com/lesotho/mofolo/chaka.htm)
    Mauritania: Moussa Ould Ebnou: L’amour impossible (http://www.themodernnovel.com/mauritanian/ebnou/amour.htm) (not translated)
    Mauritius: Anand Mulloo: Watch Them Go Down (http://www.themodernnovel.com/mauritian/mulloo/watch.htm)
    Moldova:Druta, Ion: Moldavian Autumn
    Mongolia: Lodoidamba, Tschadraawalyn: Der durchsichtige Tamir (only available in German)
    Namibia: Joseph Diescho: Troubled Waters (http://www.themodernnovel.com/namibian/diescho/troubled.htm)
    Niger: Abdoulaye Mamani: Sarraounia (http://www.themodernnovel.com/nigerien/mamani/sarraounia.htm) (not translated)
    Panama: Rogelio Sinán: Plenilunio (http://www.themodernnovel.com/panamanian/sinan/plenilunio.htm) (not translated)
    Paupa New Guinea: Epeli Hau’ofa: Kisses in the Nederends (http://www.themodernnovel.com/papuan/hauofa/nederends.htm); Russell Soaba: Maiba (http://www.themodernnovel.com/papuan/soaba/maiba.htm); Regis Stella: Gutsini Posa (Rough Seas) (http://www.themodernnovel.com/papuan/stella/rough.htm)
    Solomon Islands: John Saunana: The Alternative (http://www.themodernnovel.com/solomon/saunana/alternative.htm)
    Swaziland: Mkhonza, Sarah: Weeding the Flowerbeds

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      April 24, 2012 at 7:56 am

      Thanks very much – lots to go on here. I do read French and German, but for this project I’ve decided to stick to English as it’s about seeing if it’s possible for someone in the UK to access all of world literature in a year. I will look into your suggestions though – who knows, someone may have an unpublished translation up their sleeves or suggestions of other related books…

      I really appreciate you taking the time to comment. All the best.

      Reply
46. M Ozkan said

    April 23, 2012 at 11:07 pm

    I would read Murathan Mungan from Turkey!

    http://nimetseker.wordpress.com/english/murathan-mungan/

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      April 24, 2012 at 6:54 am

      Thanks very much – I’ve covered Turkey already but I’ll add him to the list so others can check him out…

      Reply
47. Ela said

    April 24, 2012 at 9:44 am

    Wow, great project!
    I’m not sure if it’s not too late but a I have some more suggestions…

    Germany: WG Sebald, Rings of Saturn – an excellently written collection of essays on topic varying from the life of Joseph Conrad to the tragic fate of Roger Casement (the same whom Mario Vargas Llosa dedicated his latest book The Dream of the Celt), to Holocaust. All inspired by Sebald’s walking tour around Suffolk.

    Norway: Lars Saabye Christensen, The Half Brother – winner of the Nordic Council Literature Prize in 2002. A very poignant psychological novel, showing the history of post-war Norway through the lives of a few generations in one family.

    Sweden: I know you’ve already picked Per Olov Enquist’s The March of the Musicians but I’d recommend The Story of Blanche and Marie. Inspired by real events, it’s a feminist story of the lives of three real women, Marie Curie among them. It’s a book about the development of science in the beginning of the 20th century and the abuse of women for so-called scientific reasons, but also about love and friendship. Apart from being beautifully written, it’s also very informative.

    I’m also very happy that for the Polish sections you’ve chosen Olga Tokarczuk and Pawel Huelle. This are really great authors (one of my favourites) and I’m sure you’re going to enjoy their books.

    Good luck!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      April 24, 2012 at 10:37 am

      Thanks very much Ela

      I’ve already covered some of these countries, but I’ll add your Swedish and Norwegian picks to the list so that other visitors can check them out.

      The Sebald sounds very interesting. I’m not doing essays this year – but I’ll have to put them on my list for 2013.

      All the best

      Ann

      Reply
48. willettk said

    April 27, 2012 at 4:06 am

    Madagascar has little literature in translation (although Claude Simon, Nobel laureate, was born in Madagascar when it was still a French colony). My recommendation is Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo, one of colonial Africa’s first poets. “Translated from the Night” is available in English. For fiction, “Voices from Madagascar” is an anthology with translated stories from more modern Malagasy authors.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      April 27, 2012 at 7:02 am

      Thanks very much – I’ll look into the anthology.

      Reply
49. Genevieve DeGuzman (Night Owls Press) said

    May 1, 2012 at 4:48 pm

    I noticed that you have the Philippines on your travel list but no books listed. Enjoy Dogeaters by Jessica Hagedorn and the Rosales Saga novels (there are 5) by F. Sionil José. Cheers!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      May 2, 2012 at 7:21 am

      Thanks Genevieve I’ll add them to the list. Thanks very much for stopping by.

      Reply
50. RONBC said

    May 23, 2012 at 4:33 pm

    Your reading project is impressive — and clearly brings you much joy. As Conrad was fond of writing, “Ah, Youth!”

    Reply
51. J. Blair Sanders said

    May 25, 2012 at 9:41 pm

    This is pretty cool! It makes my reading list of classics minuscule. Good luck with this project, and congratulations on the work that you have already completed!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      May 25, 2012 at 9:43 pm

      Thanks very much. It’s been a lot of fun so far.

      Reply
52. Nadine Millar said

    June 9, 2012 at 6:29 pm

    From New Zealand, much debate in the house right now. Maurice Shadbolt’s “Season of the Jew” is a strong contender for historical fiction. Of course you can’t go past the booker-prize winning but extremely polarising “The Bone People” by Keri Hulme, significant if only because it’s the only time we’ve ever won that prize (1984 from memory). Last year’s Mr Pip by Lloyd Jones was the closest we’ve come since, but that’s set in Bougainville. Of course many might say the New Zealand book to read is “Once Were Warriors” by Alan Duff. It was made into a chilling film in the mid-nineties that had a ripple effect on the country that we still feel today. And for all of that the film wasn’t a patch on the book, written in a kind of vernacular. But if you read Once Were Warriors, you would have to read “Tangi”, by Witi Ihimaera (of Whale Rider fame) lest you be left with a completely skewed impression of our indigenous heritage. This compact novel was the first published by a Maori in 1973, and my own first edition copy takes pride of place on my bookshelf. And for all of this, with a little research, you will see there is a clear bias in my recommendations. I will send this link to my MIL who will no doubt suggest some of our great names in classical literature such as Janet Frame, Katherine Mansfield. Good luck and I look forward to more reviews!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      June 9, 2012 at 9:12 pm

      Great, thanks Nadine. I’ll look into these and look forward to any further suggestions too. Thanks for stopping by

      Reply
53. Shoshana said

    June 17, 2012 at 5:32 pm

    Nice list! Mine is at http://shoshana-world.livejournal.com/ . We overlap a fair amount, but not entirely.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      June 17, 2012 at 6:03 pm

      Great stuff. Good to hear from a fellow literary globetrotter. How long did it take you to get round?

      Reply
      • Shoshana said

        December 23, 2012 at 7:21 pm

        I finished yesterday, so around 4.5 years. I’d read some before I started. Please let me know if I can be helpful with any countries–I’m now going to go back through to find and read better/more representative books for some countries, as well as some significant non-countries like Hong Kong.
      • londonchoirgirl said

        December 24, 2012 at 7:12 am

        Congratulations. I’m finishing this week too. All the best
54. Tim Pieraccini said

    June 20, 2012 at 3:13 pm

    Should you by any chance be looking for more books from Finland, there is (more accurately was) a writer of historical fiction called Mika Waltari, who was popular enough mid 20th C for a few of his translated works to be kicking around English second hand shops – and to be easly available via Amazon. Although I guess reading a book about Ancient Egypt by a Finn might not be the best way to get to know either culture…

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      June 20, 2012 at 3:56 pm

      Excellent, thanks. I’ll add it to the list so that other readers can check out. I don’t know, I reckon reading a book on Ancient Egypt by a Finn could be very interesting. My Andorran book was actually on that topic. Thanks very much for your comment

      Reply
55. Stewart said

    June 28, 2012 at 8:49 pm

    An interesting endeavour. I know of someone that tried to do this for the Beijing Olympics. Her list can be viewed here. As you’ll see, for some of the countries where you have yet to gain a suggestion, she had to make compromises (see: Palau).

    Looking at your suggested reads — or those that you went ahead and read — I’m delighted you didn’t bother with Khaled Hosseini (truly rubbish, he is) and went for Atiq Rahimi. Like Hosseini, he may no longer live in Afghanistan but his fiction tells more of the country rather than seek to tug at heartstrings.

    Would add that Sofi Oksanen is Finnish (you have her under Estonia) and Tibor Fischer is British (you have him under Hungary). On the subject of Hungary, may I also suggest Metropole by Ferenc Karinthy? I reviewed it a number of years back on my old blog (see here).

    Pleased to see you have Augusto Monterroso pencilled in for Guatemala. You’ll zip through his stories in no time; he’s master of brevity.

    Wish I’d paid more attention to the blogosphere in recent months, otherwise I wouldn’t just be finding your site now…and would have recommended The Invention Of Morel by Adolfo Bioy Casares for Argentina before you’d paid it a literary visit. Or Pedro Paramo by Juan Rulfo, for Mexico, which I see you had listed. Or Doctor Glas by Hjalmar Soderberg (Sweden).

    However, the best thing about this is the exposure to so many different cultures that bring to the table so many – at least to our culture – fresh ideas. It’s a shame that publishing remains largely wary about translations, leaving the small presses to find the gems while they hunt unit shifters. (Although it at least fosters a foothold for publishers to get in the game, giving more choice.)

    Ultimately, people can really benefit from reading around the world. Writers, I would hope, even more so. Bohumil Hrabil talked of liking William Styron; Yasher Kemal appreciates William Faulkner. Writers beyond their cultures. Yet, so little does it seem reciprocated, leaving us with book shops filled with boring English language fiction that is little more than navel-gazing twaddle…and newspapers swooning over it.

    Looking forward to exploring your blog some more…

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      June 28, 2012 at 9:56 pm

      Thanks Stewart. Always good to hear of more literary globetrotters.

      I’ve had a suggestion for Palau which I’m on the trail of at the moment, but I suspect there may have to be some compromises for some of the harder to reach destinations – see my post on South Sudan, which only declared its independence last July.

      Thanks for picking me up on the Oksanen – will amend. In terms of the Fischer, I’ve ummed and ahed about this one. He was a recommendation for Hungary and I’m still trying to work out where the line on literature and nationality is – does parentage and heritage count or is citizenship/being born in a place/ having lived there for a substantial period the only qualification for being ‘of’ a country? I’m still not 100 per cent, although in practice all my picks so far have leaned towards the latter.

      Someone else recommended the Karinthy recently and I’ve been meaning to add it to the list. Maybe this is a sign that it should be my Hungarian pick…

      Will add your other suggestions on too so others can check them out. Thanks for taking the time to comment.

      Reply
56. Elizabeth Berns said

    July 13, 2012 at 9:12 pm

    An inspiring effort. I would like to send you a book that will add the Para-Olympics to your wonderful list. Please email a postal address to me. Best wishes. Elizabeth
    New Zealand

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      July 14, 2012 at 9:17 am

      Thank you for the kind offer, but I’m afraid I’ve already chosen my New Zealand book. I’ll be posting on it soon. Best wishes Ann

      Reply
57. Gaurav F said

    July 13, 2012 at 9:21 pm

    Saw your interview on CNN Inernational –
    Here’s a list on books from India – http://www.thebetterindia.com/3962/10-must-read-books-on-indian-history/
    Wish you good luck with your endeavor

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      July 14, 2012 at 8:09 am

      Thanks – I will check it out

      Reply
58. Gaurav F said

    July 13, 2012 at 9:38 pm

    For some of the popular titles here in India – http://www.penguinbooksindia.com/en. Ruskin Bond is loved by a lot of readers, APJ Abdul Kalam ( our ex- president has few popular titles). Quite a few people like ‘India After Gandhi’ Ramchandra Guha and ‘India Unbound’ – Gurcharan Das. ; Mark Tully’s ‘No Full stops in India’

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      July 14, 2012 at 8:06 am

      Thanks – I’ll add these to the list. India is going to be such a difficult choice.

      Reply
59. Suneetha Balakrishnan said

    July 15, 2012 at 12:48 pm

    Hi,

    What a simply superb project, I am so excited to read the suggestions and the comments are such a value addition. I am going to spend my entire spare money on what I havent read so far, from your list, i guess.

    I am from India, and I note that both the suggestions in comments and your list for India reads are those written originally in English. I have to say these are just second best to what regional literature we have here in over 23 official languages and a couple of hundreds of other languages spoken across the country. I suggest reading English translations of any book by M T Vasudevan Nair who writes in Malayalam, and by Asha Poorna Devi who writes in Bengali, these being my favourites. Penguin India has published both these writers in translation if I remember right. Or check with the publications of the Central Sahitya Akademi, the government wing that gives the annual writing awards. They publish all award winners in translation to English. So you have a choice for an entire new year of reading.

    Other than this, I was surprised to find that the Algerian writer Yasmina Khadra was not on your list. I liked his ‘The Attack’. Actually it isnt a she its a he that writes under the name Yasmina.

    And although there is no official Palestine writing Susan Abulhawa’s Mornings in Jenin is a must read if you want to see a Palestinian perspective and a counter narrative to the Jewish stories.

    I am also reading West Asian fiction intensively this year, but I don’t want to burden you anymore with names.

    Good effort, I will be watching this space.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      July 15, 2012 at 7:11 pm

      Thank you very much for this Suneetha. I’ve been hoping for some recommendations for Indian literature written in languages other than English so it’s great to have these suggestions. I shall add them to the list. India is without question going to be one of my most difficult choices. It has such a rich and varied literary tradition that I could easily spend a decade just reading Indian books.

      I shall add your suggestions to the list. Thanks very much for taking the time to comment

      Reply
60. Reading my way through summer « Life in Ljubljana said

    July 26, 2012 at 6:02 pm

    [...] out her reading list here, which has links to the reviews of the books she’s already completed. What a [...]

    Reply
61. Read the World | Women Who Stand/ Baltimore said

    August 11, 2012 at 8:20 pm

    [...] http://ayearofreadingtheworld.com/thelist/ Share this:TwitterFacebookLike this:LikeBe the first to like this. This entry was posted in Learn More and tagged Books by womenwhostandbaltimore. Bookmark the permalink. [...]

    Reply
62. Tim Hannigan said

    August 16, 2012 at 11:02 am

    I see you already have a long list of titles for India, but I’d like to suggest one more – Khushwant Singh.
    He is one of the very best-known writers in English within India, but he is virtually unknown without.

    This is rather sad, given that he has such enormous talent, but I suspect there are a number of reasons for it: he’s genuinely of India (rather a lot of the “Indian” writers beloved of the international literati seem to live in London or New York), but at the same time he doesn’t play on the flower exoticism and baroque stylistic meanderings we seem to demand of our Indian authors. He’s as likely to write about whisky-drinking and pinching ladies’ bottoms…

    He’s been spectacularly prolific, and has led a very varied life – as a journalist, politician, historian, author, brilliantly vitriolic newspaper columnist – and is still just about going now in his late 90s. And he’s a bearded and turbaned Sikh to boot…

    His style is crisp and pared back, almost Hemingway-esque without the machismo. He has a wry naughtiness on par with Roald Dahl, and his short stories are perfectly formed little nuggets – either wickedly funny, or with gut-punch impact.

    The Portrait of a Lady: The Collected Short Stories, would be a good choice, but better still would be his magnificent little novel Train to Pakistan, the single greatest literary response to the partition of India, angry and erudite but with a very simple presentation. I read it in one sitting first time around, and the final page had me physically trembling…

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      August 16, 2012 at 7:30 pm

      Thanks Tim. Khushwant Singh sounds great. Sadly I have just read my Indian choice – I’ll be posting on it next – but I’ll add Singh to the list. Who knows, I may even mention your comment in my post!

      Reply
63. reverine said

    August 21, 2012 at 12:46 am

    Hi, I must say I really admire your project, I love reading and a few years ago I was wondering how many books from different countries I’ve read, I think it was about 20 or so. Anyway, this inspired me to maybe try and keep a list like that. I want to visit every country in the world so figures I could try and read a book from every country first .

    Anyway, as I’m from Slovakia I thought I might give some recommendations. My favourite book is “Ako Chutí Moc” by Ladislav Mňačko, or “Taste of Power” it’s definitely been translated and published but it seems to be incredibly difficult getting a copy of the translation… I see you’ve also been recommended the Rivers of Babylon, which would be my second choice. This book is very raw and gritty with almost no nice characters but it’s speaks truth about what slovakia was like in the 90s and problems which still persist into this day. I don’t really know about any other translated works, which is a shame especially considering that czech and polish literature is doing quite well in translation. Speaking of polish literature you need to read Mrozek’s “The Elephant” which is absolutely amazing, political yet absurd and hilarious.

    Anyway good luck with your reading endeavours

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      August 21, 2012 at 7:38 am

      Woohoo! You have just made my day. Thanks very much – I’ve been looking for more suggestions of Slovakian authors for ages. I’ll add these to the list.

      For some reason, there seem to be loads of Czech authors whose works have been translated but very few Slovakians – do you have any idea why this might be?

      Reply
      • reverine said

        August 21, 2012 at 12:36 pm

        It’s really an interesting topic, I must admit I never really thought about it in detail, it always seems kind of like a given that czechs are more popular, we’re like the scots or welsh in the UK, largely ignored by the majority. If I may allow for a speculation, I think it all stems from the times of the commie czechoslovakia, western media were very interested in developments in our countries and published a lot of work by mainly dissident writers, however they wouldn’t really differentiate between the nations, calling everyone czech to make it easier (even though there was slovak state before czechoslovakia, although everyone kind of wants to forget about that because it was basically nazi). So the czechs made an impact with writers like Kundera who became immensely popular in the western world (not so much in czech republic as he was a commie when young and Kundera is trying to hide it). So the czechs made an impact and were relatively popular, however few years after the velvet revolution the western media stopped caring about these countries, and the publicity stopped. The czechs were already known and in demand, they were bohemian after all, and were better at selling themselves. After the split slovakia wasn’t doing so great so it took us ages to get back on our feet, but still a lot of people have no idea that Slovakia exists so no wonder no one knows about our literature. The slovak government doesn’t care about culture, the writers are busy living on meagre wages and translators are busy translating american and english mainstream literature into slovak. Also no universities are interested in teaching about slovakia, from internet search it seems like the only place in the english speaking world you’d learn about slovak literature is at the university of pittsburgh. Also in glasgow, where I study (english lit and russian) you can learn czech or estonian but tough luck if you’ve got interest in slovakia. I did the Slavonic studies module which was great fun although they talked about Czechoslovakia there was rarely ever mention about any slovaks, even though the module included hungary who are anything but slavs. Anyway, it’s difficult to get access to slovak literature which is a shame because there are some good works there…

        sorry for the long post, got really into it
      • londonchoirgirl said

        August 21, 2012 at 6:58 pm

        Great stuff – very interesting to have your thoughts on it. Thanks!
64. tmso said

    August 21, 2012 at 3:21 am

    I can’t believe it. No one has recommended Carlos Ruis Zafon’s Name of the Wind? (for Spain)
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Shadow_of_the_Wind

    Reply
65. tmso said

    August 21, 2012 at 3:22 am

    Oops, I meant The Shadow of the Wind. Sorry.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      August 21, 2012 at 7:18 am

      Thanks tmso. Well now they have! I’ll add it to the list…

      Reply
66. Samy said

    August 21, 2012 at 7:19 am

    Great blog, best idea.
    Samy

    Reply
67. thecontradictoryoptimist said

    August 21, 2012 at 8:39 am

    It’ll probably take me longer than a year to read all of these but I’m borrowing your list to make it my “to read” list.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      August 21, 2012 at 7:11 pm

      Great – that’s wonderful. Let me know how you get on.

      Reply
68. Michelle Attzs said

    August 21, 2012 at 8:11 pm

    Hey Ann,

    This is fantastic!!!
    May I recommend Moon on a Rainbow Shawl by Errol John for the Trinidad and Tobago section? It is a great book and it was recently on at the National Theatre.

    Keep up the good work .

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      August 21, 2012 at 8:16 pm

      Thanks very much Michelle. Sounds great. I have just read my T&T book – post coming soon – but I’ll definitely add this to the list so others can check it out. I’ll look forward to reading it when I’ve read the rest of the world.

      Great to hear from you.

      Reply
69. rach said

    August 23, 2012 at 3:09 pm

    Hi! I love your blog!
    For the Philippines, you must read Ilustrado by Miguel Syjuco. It won the Man Asian Literary Prize (the Asian Booker) before publication and was a NYTimes notable book in 2010. A wonderful (funny) exploration of the country, it\’s history, politics and people.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      August 23, 2012 at 10:28 pm

      Thanks, I’ll look out for it

      Reply
      • rach said

        August 23, 2012 at 10:31 pm

        Cool, it’s really worth the read. Thanks for a great site. Really enjoying myself, definitely adding to my to-read pile.
      • londonchoirgirl said

        August 23, 2012 at 10:44 pm

        Brilliant stuff – just the encouragement I need as I get in from an evening out and sit down to being the next post…
70. Katarina (Tazitazitazi) said

    August 24, 2012 at 10:04 am

    http://www.goodreads.com/group/show/52937-around-the-world-in-80-books

    Hi!
    This site will be very useful to you, because we are doing something similar. Good luck and enjoy your reading!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      August 24, 2012 at 10:17 am

      Marvellous – thanks. I’ll check it out. Great to hear from fellow literary globetrotters

      Reply
71. malinkasstudio said

    September 16, 2012 at 7:16 pm

    Hello, this is an amazing project!!! I wish you good luck in completing it!!!!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      September 16, 2012 at 8:06 pm

      Thanks – I’ll need it!

      Reply
      • malinkasstudio said

        September 16, 2012 at 9:24 pm

        I am also amazed and honored that you have included my country’s authors in your list!!! I am a proud Moldovan !!!
    • londonchoirgirl said

      September 16, 2012 at 8:08 pm

      By the way, am I right in thinking you’re based in Moldova? I’m still looking for a book from there. Do you have any recommendations of novels, short story collections or memoirs I might be able to read in English translation?

      Reply
      • malinkasstudio said

        September 16, 2012 at 9:23 pm

        Yes, I am a Moldovan I looked up the book that you listed – Moldavian Autumn, by my favorite author – Ion Drutsa! He has so many stories that I absolutely love but unfortunately, there are translations in many languages but western countries’s languages, English included (due to the political views) I couldn’t find exactly what stories this book contains but if it has Frunze de dor (it is un-translatable, it would mean: Leaves of missing somebody) and The last month of Autumn then I am sure that you will like it!!! Also, I have managed to find a translation in English of a short story – Samariteanca, here is the link to it:
        http://soniamelnikova.com/id8.html
      • londonchoirgirl said

        September 17, 2012 at 7:53 am

        Great – thank you. I will try to get hold of a copy of Moldavian Autumn. If you think of any other authors, I’d love to hear about them. It would also be great to know which Moldovan authors who haven’t been translated you think we English-language speakers should know about.
      • malinkasstudio said

        September 16, 2012 at 9:29 pm

        there are not many translations in English, I will probably be one the first authors translated in English
72. Haley said

    September 24, 2012 at 1:06 am

    I love the idea behind this blog, and can’t wait to back read your recommendations. Can’t wait to see future posts!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      September 24, 2012 at 7:31 am

      Thanks Haley. Good to have you along for the adventure.

      Reply
73. Dorothy Lynn said

    October 1, 2012 at 3:09 am

    This is SUCH a cool idea!!!!!! I can’t wait to read through all your recommendations. I love learning about other cultures, and I think one of the best ways to immerse yourself is to read their literature.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      October 1, 2012 at 8:02 am

      Thanks. It’s amazing how much there is to discover!

      Reply
74. Very Inspiring Blogger Award (& 3 week blogiversary) | Re3ecca said

    October 14, 2012 at 5:32 pm

    [...] A Year of Reading The World  - I love the idea of reading a book from every country in the world and it’s great to get some recommendations of international books. [...]

    Reply
75. Re3ecca said

    October 14, 2012 at 5:42 pm

    Hi, I’ve just nominated you for a very inspiring blogger award http://re3ecca.wordpress.com/2012/10/14/very-inspiring-blogger-award-3-week-blogiversary/ happy blogging x

    Reply
76. e.m. deyoung said

    October 16, 2012 at 1:36 pm

    This is a brilliant idea. I wish I had come across this blog earlier. I think I might take this reading list and make it my own!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      October 16, 2012 at 3:13 pm

      Feel free. Thanks very much for stopping by!

      Reply
77. read 3 books a month | pontify said

    October 21, 2012 at 7:48 am

    [...] there are the likes of this woman who is reading her way around the world – a book each from all 196 countries within a year! The rate at which she finds, reads, processes and writes about these books makes my [...]

    Reply
78. Poppy said

    November 1, 2012 at 10:08 am

    Hi! Very nice, inspiring list. I am from Hungary, so I looked at your Hungarian choices with special curiosity, it was interesting to see, what would someone from an other country choose to read. I have to say, you made some very nice picks there! Also, if I can recommend you something, probably, at some point in your life, you might want to read the 2002 Nobel prize winning book of Hungarian Imre Kertész: Fateless. It is a very powerful book.

    Reply
    • Poppy said

      November 1, 2012 at 10:11 am

      Sorry, misspelled it: Fatelessness. I tend to misspell things when I get excited about something

      Reply
      • londonchoirgirl said

        November 1, 2012 at 10:20 am

        Don’t worry – me too!
    • londonchoirgirl said

      November 1, 2012 at 10:19 am

      Great, thanks Poppy. I’ll add your suggestion to the list when I next update it.

      Reply
79. thescientistswife said

    November 9, 2012 at 4:07 pm

    Hi! Love your blog. If you need some inspiration for Dutch books, I have a new blog focussing on Dutch Literature: littledutchbook.wordpress.com.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      November 9, 2012 at 5:05 pm

      Sounds great. Thanks – what would your top recommendation be?

      Reply
      • thescientistswife said

        November 9, 2012 at 5:13 pm

        I would definitely put Discovery of Heaven by Harry Mulish on your list. I haven’t read Little Caesar yet, by Tommy Wieringa, but it got some good reviews. And if you can find it Out of Mind by Bernlef, very powerful book! Happy reading!
      • thescientistswife said

        November 9, 2012 at 5:14 pm

        Also, I just reposted a great review on Julia by Otto de Kat. Could be a good read!
      • londonchoirgirl said

        November 9, 2012 at 5:32 pm

        Thanks very much for these. I’ll add them to the list when I next update it. Sadly only time for one book per country this year and I’ve already been through the Netherlands, but it’ll be great to list them for other readers and hey, there’s always next year!
80. RebeccaV said

    November 12, 2012 at 8:04 pm

    I am thrilled to find your blog! I’ve been doing a similar challenge (without a “one year” time frame) and started compiling the books I read on one of my blog’s pages (http://readingtoday.wordpress.com/bookshelf-around-the-world-in-80-books/). It looks like you’ve made much more progress, and I’m so excited to check out your list and recommendations!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      November 12, 2012 at 9:13 pm

      Thanks very much – reckon I might borrow your Sierra Leonean pick – I’ve been looking for an alternative to Aminatta Forna for ages.

      Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      November 12, 2012 at 9:13 pm

      And best of luck with your literary adventures too!

      Reply
81. catbirdinoman said

    December 7, 2012 at 3:00 am

    Wow, what a great and ambitious reading list! I was happy to find some books under Oman, where I am living now as an expat. I will have to get my hands on those books. For Greece, you might want to add Captain Corelli’s Mandolin. It’s amazing. Are you only reading novels, because the true story Eleni (Greece) is amazing as well. About South Korea: One Thousand Chestnut Trees by Mira Stout and The Surrendered by Chang-rae Lee are both fabulous.

    I look forward to following your quest. I too love reading books that are set in other countries, written either by native writers or expats who have traveled or lived in those countries. But my list is determined by my travel dreams. I read based on where I’m taking my next trip.

    Thanks for the inspiration!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      December 7, 2012 at 7:09 am

      Good to hear from you. Yes, Captain Corelli’s Mandolin is a great book, isn’t it? As it’s by a British writer, I can’t include it for Greece (I’m trying to stick to books by native writers or people who have lived in the country for a long time). I’ll check out your other suggestions and add them to the list if I can when I next update it.

      Wow, Oman must be a fascinating place to live. By the way, the Omani book I read, My Grandmother’s Tales, is available free of charge – you just have to contact the association in the States that publishes it (see my post on Oman).

      Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply
      • catbirdinoman said

        December 7, 2012 at 12:53 pm

        Oh dear, I realized after I sent the comment that you were probably only including native writers. Eleni by Nicholas Gage is by a Greek writer (although he Americanized his name after he left Greece). He actually was born and lived in Greece until he was 9 or 10, at which time his mother sent him away to America to his father. Because the Communists in Greece were taking children from their parents to indoctrinate them in Soviet bloc countries, she defied them and snuck Nicholas away. For that she was killed and this is the story of her life. So I would consider him a native writer.

        Oman is a fascinating place to live, but it’s not home, and so I will be leaving before long. But it definitely has been an experience!

        I’m excited to follow your posts as you read these books!
      • londonchoirgirl said

        December 7, 2012 at 1:30 pm

        Thanks- sounds great! I’ll look it up
82. A Year of Reading the World said

    December 10, 2012 at 2:16 pm

    [...] book recommendations from each country in the world – in English translation of course – so her list is a perfect resource for anyone intending to devote themselves to a similar [...]

    Reply
83. Zoe said

    December 10, 2012 at 3:34 pm

    What an amazing, amazing project. So excited!!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      December 10, 2012 at 3:58 pm

      Thanks Zoe – glad you like it

      Reply
84. Tema 2013 | Narrativa said

    December 17, 2012 at 7:20 pm

    [...] http://ayearofreadingtheworld.com/thelist/ [...]

    Reply
85. Mel u said

    December 23, 2012 at 9:08 am

    I have begun a similar project. I am restricting myself to short stories. You have done a lot of great research.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      December 23, 2012 at 7:09 pm

      Thanks – good luck with your project

      Reply
86. Shoshana said

    December 24, 2012 at 6:41 pm

    Congratulations!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      December 24, 2012 at 10:35 pm

      Thanks!

      Reply
87. Bradley said

    December 27, 2012 at 11:01 am

    Wow, you’re nearly there! Congratulations, you’re a hero!
    Perhaps in your literary travels you heard about some fantastic books which haven’t been translated but should be. If you have any suggestions I might have a go at translating one or two (I can only handle some Western European languages). Also, could we have a shortlist of your favourite discoveries from the project?
    Thanks for sharing your adventures with the great reviews!
    Bradley

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      December 27, 2012 at 2:11 pm

      Thanks Bradley. Yes, there are plenty of things that should be translated out there. Portuguese- and French-speaking African countries are particularly badly served when it comes to translation. If you have a look at my post on Mozambique (http://ayearofreadingtheworld.com/2012/03/22/mozambique-uncharted-territory/), you’ll see a list of writers that one Portuguese language reader admires, in addition to the novel which started the whole thing off, ‘Niketche’ by Paulina Chiziane and still is not available in English…
      It’s also worth looking into works by some of the writers in the Madagascar anthology I read (to date, there is not a single novel by a Malagasy writer available in English although there are plenty of novels published).
      I’ll have a think about the shortlist – it’s tricky as many of the highlights are not commercially available. Keep an eye out for the final post on New Year’s Eve….
      All the best for 2013

      Reply
88. simplecherishes said

    December 28, 2012 at 9:49 pm

    Great project, Ann! Lovely to meet another Cantabrigian in the blogosphere (I went to Newnham). I have not read many foreign titles though “The Tale of Kieu”, an epic Vietnamese national poem, impressed me when I read it several years ago. It reads more like a story than a poem, and is a reasonably short book although deeply moving. See some information here: http://www.deanza.edu/faculty/swensson/kieu.html

    Warm regards from simple cherishes.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      December 29, 2012 at 11:17 am

      Thanks – nice to meet you too. The poem sounds interesting. I’ve only really read prose works this year, although I was thinking of including narrative poems if I couldn’t find any prose works. All the best for 2013

      Reply
89. 2013: New & Improved! | The Girl in the Mirror said

    December 31, 2012 at 2:43 am

    [...] 4) A Year of Reading the World’s Booklist [...]

    Reply
90. Sarah said

    December 31, 2012 at 5:46 am

    Canada – Hugh MacLennan’s The Watch That Ends the Night is excellent.

    China – Anchee Min’s Red Azalea (memoir) or any other work is amazing. I’ve read all but one of her novels because I couldn’t find it but just picked it up at The Strand a few months ago in NYC and it’s sitting on my end table waiting to be read. Great author.

    Zimbabwe – Yvonne Vera’s Butterfly Burning

    Afghanistan – The Bookseller of Kabul – written by a Norwegian journalist (Asne Seierstad) though, so not sure where or if it would fit in. I picked up a copy at a used bookstore when I studied abroad in France in ’06.

    France – I’m sure you have many great suggestions but if not, I took 4 semesters of French lit in college and could probably suggest a handful of my favorites.

    Brazil – Paulo Coelho is my favorite author and The Zahir is one of my favorite works… Although I think I saw that you won’t choose a book from an author whose work you’ve already read and I’d bet at a minimum, that you’ve read The Alchemist.

    Rwanda – Gaile Parkin’s Baking Cakes in Kigali

    Guatemala – I, Rigoberta Menchu by Rigoberta Menchu and edited by Elisabeth Burgos-Debray. In your initial post, I read your musing on the definition of country and it reminds me of that in some ways. Rigoberta is a member of an indigenous group and the book recounts the plight of her people.

    I’ll stop there. I moved recently and don’t have my books here yet – or I’d go through my entire collection. I’m maybe a little bit too enthusiastic, so it’s probably for the best. I know I’ve read works by Palestinian, Israeli, Nepalese, Sudanese, Senegalese, Mexican, and Indian writers and probably many more if you find yourself in need of ideas (although I’m not sure these are even necessary – but most are must reads!)

    By a stroke of luck, I just happened to stumble across a blog that mentioned yours and I was so excited by the concept, I had to stop by! I think I’ll try a less ambitious route and make a list of what I have read by country… and then fill in the gaps over a lifetime.

    Best of luck reading!

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      December 31, 2012 at 8:05 am

      Thanks Sarah. So glad you stopped by. The project finishes today with the post on the final 197th book of the year, however, I’ll go through your suggestions and add what I can to the list when I next update it so other readers can check them out. All the best for the New Year.

      Reply
91. Charlie said

    January 7, 2013 at 9:19 pm

    Ann,

    I heard about your project on CNNi today where you mentioned this quote:

    “You would think differently if this land were your land and these people were your people.”

    I didn’t catch who the quote was from but found it a very interesting idea. If you can let me know who this is attributed to I’d appreciate it.

    Charlie

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      January 7, 2013 at 9:33 pm

      Thanks Charlie, it’s from ‘The Corsair’ by Abdul Aziz Al Mahmoud, a Qatari novel that came out in December 2012. It’s one of the first Qatari novels ever published in English

      Reply
      • Charlie said

        January 7, 2013 at 10:37 pm

        Brilliant. It doesn’t look like it is available in the U.S. yet but it’s on my list. Thank you!
92. Chbakou said

    January 7, 2013 at 9:29 pm

    Good project Ann! I am from morocco.I saw what you have read about moroccan literature.”for bread alone” is a good choice;some people would argue about the translation though.I was wondering if you are limited to few books from each country,because there is some good books that we may call them bit more like “the underground literature” of morocco.they are really worth to be add to the list.I can bring you some names if you are interested.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      January 7, 2013 at 9:34 pm

      Thanks – I only had time to read one book for each country, but I am adding as many as I can to the list. Feel free to email your suggestions to ann[at]annmorgan.me Thanks for stopping by

      Reply
93. Chbakou said

    January 8, 2013 at 6:07 pm

    You welcome!Alright,I will definitely send you my suggestions.just out of curiosity,is there any projects for you in the coming future?

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      January 9, 2013 at 7:21 am

      Thanks – yes. This is the next one http://ifwomenruled.com/

      Reply
94. Chbakou said

    January 14, 2013 at 7:38 pm

    I sent you an email of their titles.Did you receive it?

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      January 14, 2013 at 8:16 pm

      Yes – and I have just replied. Thanks!

      Reply
95. Charles said

    January 15, 2013 at 11:00 am

    I simply could not leave your web site prior to suggesting that I actually enjoyed the standard info an individual provide in your visitors?
    Is going to be again steadily in order to inspect
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    Reply
96. Darlkom said

    January 23, 2013 at 10:43 am

    Great list. From Uganda, I strongly recommend Tropical Fish: Stories Out Of Entebbe by Doreen Baingana. It’s a great book of short stories and offers a more contemporary view of Uganda.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      January 23, 2013 at 11:09 am

      Brilliant – thanks. Sounds intriguing!

      Reply
97. Napat said

    January 24, 2013 at 12:58 am

    For Thailand, I would recommend “A Child of the Northeast” by Kampoon Boontawee. It’s about life in the Northeast region of Thailand 80 years ago. Simple but wonderful.

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      January 24, 2013 at 6:59 am

      Thanks! Sounds great.

      Reply
98. KorubettosHaiku said

    February 3, 2013 at 1:02 pm

    Hi there, I really like the idea of this blog and project. Well done for completing it. How did you find `I am a cat` by Natsume Sõseki? It`s one of my favourite japanese novels and I`m happy to see you read it. I`ve also read a short story each by two of the other writers you mention – Hiromi Kawakami (not the same one as the one you mention if that`s a short story) and Yoko Tawada. Great stuff. I recommend though for the future the author Yasunari Kawabata – Snow Country in particular which is the only one so far I`ve read from him (but I plan to read more). Again, well done!!

    Reply
99. KorubettosHaiku said

    February 3, 2013 at 1:05 pm

    Oops apologies, I just read the bit at the start where you say the list are just recommendations. Doh!! But in any case, which of the Japanese books did you choose in the end?

    Reply
    • londonchoirgirl said

      February 3, 2013 at 1:56 pm

      Thanks – I chose Manazuru (if you click on the country names it takes you to the review for each country). Thanks for stopping by!

      Reply
100. The Off Season said

     February 8, 2013 at 3:56 am

     [...] the bookstore travel section, pull up some linoleum, and get lost in the world of possibilities. This list blows are minds and covers the world. Explore some of our favorite blogs of people out abroad. [...]

     Reply
101. Stories « Plan B said

     February 16, 2013 at 5:07 pm

     [...]  development, and quite often…books. He shared with me a link of someone who is trying to read her way around the world. Being the logical person that I am I have started at the ‘top’: Afghanistan. I brought [...]

     Reply
102. undercaribbeanskies.com said

     March 2, 2013 at 10:47 pm

     Suggestion for the Virgin Islands: “Under Caribbean Skies” and “Moonlight Over Caribbean Skies” by Aisha Banks. Great fast fun reads. Make you feel like you’re in the islands without leaving your home. ENJOY!

     Reply
     • londonchoirgirl said

       March 3, 2013 at 8:47 am

       Thanks – sounds like these would have been good contenders for the Rest of the World list…

       Reply
103. Sloungy Reads: A Year of Reading the World said

     March 7, 2013 at 5:21 am

     [...] list is long, 197 items long, including a whole other list of crowdsourced books that didn’t make the cut. And then [...]

     Reply
104. Elephant in the room said

     March 21, 2013 at 9:33 am

     This is brilliant!

     Reply
     • londonchoirgirl said

       March 21, 2013 at 9:47 am

       Thanks!

       Reply
105. Dreamer of Dreams said

     March 30, 2013 at 4:58 am

     Thank you! You’ve inspired me! When I was in my early teens, I had made it my goal to read every single Nobel Prize-winning author up through 1978 or so, and I DID! I felt very proud of myself.
     Your project reminds me a little of that year in my teenagehood. Now, you’ve inspired me to want to do what you’re doing!

     Reply
     • londonchoirgirl said

       March 30, 2013 at 9:19 am

       Great stuff – thanks very much. The Nobel Prize project sounds fascinating. Thanks for stopping by

       Reply

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