This challenge comes from the Dead Writers Society on Goodreads. Rules: Choose at least one book from a dead author that was BORN in each of the following regions. Any books used to complete this challenge can be used for any other challenges you may be doing Goal: 12 books, one each month for the selected region. I have decided not to push this challenge too far. Find out what writers my travels around the world discover by clicking read more. | 2014 DWS Around-the-World Challenge Progress: 7/12 books (58%) |
I have penciled in some thoughts as I searched through some of my already owned books to use. I will say I had a lot of authors in the exclude counties of England and U.S on my already own shelf. I haven't set all these in stone as sometimes as the group throws out their decisions just before the month I change to do a buddy read, etc. I also am feeling guilty for some months I haven't selected a new to me author. The list will take shape as final as the months move along with actual books read.
Month and Region:
January: North America - Canada, Bahamas, Bermuda, Greenland, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America [Excludes U.S.]
February: South America
March: Western Europe [Excludes England]
April: Eastern Europe - Countries east of Germany, Austria and Italy; including Ukraine and Belarus [Excludes Russia]
May: Northern Europe - Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark
June: North Africa - Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad
July: Sub-Saharan Africa - Excludes counties from North Africa list above
August: Middle East - Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan
September: Russia, Mongolia
October: China, Korea, Japan
November: India [Includes Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines]
December: Australasia - Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, Papua New Guinea [Includes surrounding islands]
[Notice: Original posting 2013-12-20 at Plethora of Books Blog: http://bookchallenges.weebly.com]
Tags: 2014 Reads, Challenges, Dearly Departed,Around the World
Month and Region:
January: North America - Canada, Bahamas, Bermuda, Greenland, the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America [Excludes U.S.]
- Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys: A prequel to Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre focusing on the life of Antoinette Cosway, the devilish madwoman in the attic of the manor. (Completed 1/24/14)
February: South America
- The Elephant and His Secret - Fable based on Gabriela Mistral's work by Doris Dana: A short-story about an elephant gaining his physical features and carrying a secret around the world. (Completed 2/4/14)
- The Book of Imaginary Beings by Jorge Luis Borges: A collection of stories about 116 strange creatures ranging from dragons and centaurs to Lewis Carroll's Cheshire Cat. (Started in Feb, slow to finish)
March: Western Europe [Excludes England]
- Candide by Voltaire: Political, social and religious satire of Voltaire's views of the world as described through Candide, his young naive wanderer. (Completed 3/30/14)
- Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson: Swashbuckling fun as young Jim gets tangled up with real pirates in the hunt for a treasure. (Completed 3/27/14)
April: Eastern Europe - Countries east of Germany, Austria and Italy; including Ukraine and Belarus [Excludes Russia]
- The Odyssey by Homer: Follow the ten-year struggles for Odysseus' to return to Ithaca from the Trojan War. (Classic Club Spin Win, to be read by 4/2 so completed 3/31/14)
- The Trial by Franz Kafka. : K wakes up to find himself arrested, defendants have no right to know what the charges are they face. How do you maneuver through a system based on secrecy from all? (Completed 5/03/14)
May: Northern Europe - Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark
- Hunger by Knut Hamsun: A monologue of a struggling writer fighting through the depths of extreme hunger. (Completed 5/30/14)
June: North Africa - Western Sahara, Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, Egypt, Sudan, Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Chad
- The Plague by Albert Camus: The horrors of living through a plague as described for the inhabitants of Oran, a coastal town in North Africa.
- The Golden Ass: Or Metamorphoses by Apeleius: A humorous book about Lucius, a young man fascinated with witchcraft. Follow him on a series of adventures as he is whisked off by robbers.
July: Sub-Saharan Africa - Excludes counties from North Africa list above
- The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien: The beginning of Frodo's and his band of friends journey to destroy a powerful ring and save Middle-earth.
August: Middle East - Turkey, Syria, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Oman, Iran, Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan
- The Epic of Gilgamesh by Anonymous: Follow the journey of Gilgamesh, King of Uruk and his faithful companion Enkidu as they journey to the Spring of Youth, defeat the Bull of Heaven and slay a monster and Gilgamesh's quest for immortality.
September: Russia, Mongolia
- Crime and Punishment by Fyodor Dostoyevsky: Set in nineteenth-century Russia, we follow Raskolnikov from the slums to committing murder to test the theory he is exempt from moral law.
- Anthem by Ayn Rand: Dystopian novel where individuals have no name, value or independence. All decisions are made by committee and people live in collectives.
October: China, Korea, Japan
- Empire of the Sun by J.G. Ballard: Made famous by Steven Spielberg's film of the same name, we follow the young British boy Jim in Shanghai. It is 1941, the city is blazing from the repercussions of the attack on Pearl Harbor, he had lost his parents, can he survive imprisonment and Nagasaki's bombing?
November: India [Includes Nepal, Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Malaysia, Indonesia, Philippines]
- The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling: We've seen the Disney rendition, now read along and follow Mowgli from the jaws of Shere Khan to his adventures with Baloo and Bhageera.
- 1984 by George Orwell: Written in 1948 about the future of mankind under the watchful eye of Big Brother.
December: Australasia - Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, Papua New Guinea [Includes surrounding islands]
- My Brilliant Career by Miles Franklin: Written by a sixteen-year-old Miles Franklin with aspirations of it being the next Jane Eyre, we follow a girl's life being born in the Australian bush.
[Notice: Original posting 2013-12-20 at Plethora of Books Blog: http://bookchallenges.weebly.com]
Tags: 2014 Reads, Challenges, Dearly Departed,Around the World