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Hello everyone,

It has been a while since I've participated into one of the threads here. Last year I got way out of track because of certain events. Let's hope I keep focus this time and meet the challenge this year.

So, here's my plan. Since all I could read from around the world was just 18 books, I've decided to start with that number of books for this challenge. I know 18 is a modest number, but the goal here is to meet the challenge, and who knows, maybe I can give it a boost and try to exceed it.

So, here's my modest list:

1. Algeria - عابر سرير or "The Bed Hopper" by Ahlam Mosteghanemi
2. Afghanistan - The Wasted Vigil by Nadeem Aslam
3. Bosnia and Herzegovina - People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks
4. China - The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham
5. Colombia - Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel García Márquez
6. Egypt - Azazeel by Youssef Ziedan
7. England - The Ocean at the End of the Lane by Neil Gaiman
8. Ethiopia - Cutting for Stone by Abraham Verghese
9. France - A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
10. Ireland - Darkfever by Karen Marie Moning
11. Japan - Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden
12. Kuwait - ساق البامبو or "The Bamboo Stick" by Saud AlSanousi
13. Palestine - I Was Born There, I Was Born Here or Mourid Barghouti
14. South Korea - Please Look After Mom by Shin Kyung-sook
15. Spain - The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafón
16. Sweden - The Girl with the Dragon Tatoo by Stieg Larsson
17. Turkey - The Book of Palaces, the conqueror and the dervish /سراي نامه؛ الغازي والدرويش
18. United States - The Kitchen House by Kathleen Grissom

*Bold text marks already read books.

Thanks, Judy. That was very encouraging. Right now, this is where I am. I'm reading a book from Algeria and I'll add on blue spots as I advance in my list.

Great list! And 18 is more than I plan to read :)

I just finished reading The Ocean at the End of the Lane, and it's set in England, not in the USA. Just thought I'd let you know. Oh, unless you count which country the author is from/living in? In that case, just ignore me ;-)

Hey Peggy,

Thanks for the heads up ;)
It is true that I choose a mix of book titles from different settings and different nationalities of its respective authors. But my list remains changeable, as books come to distract me from other books, specially that here in Egypt not all foreign titles are easy to find. I might be able to change that depending on the titles I come across during the year.

Happy World Tour.

I can give you a list of both notable Egyptian and Arab authors that can be added to your repertoire of world touring through books.

Egyptian authors:
Naguib Mahfouz/نجيب محفوظ
Taha Hussein/طه حسين
Ehsan Abdul Kudus/إحسان عبد القدوس
Tawfik Al-Hakim/توفيق الحكيم
Ahdaf Soueif/أهداف سويف
Radwa Ashour/رضوى عاشور
Youssef Ziedan/يوسف زيدان
Alaa Al Aswany/علاء الأسواني


Arab Authors:
Ahlam Mosteghanemi/أحلام مستغانمي
Ibrahim Nasrallah/إبراهيم نصر الله
Wassini al- Araj/واسيني الأعرج
Ghada Samman/غادة السمان


Those are the authors on my mind right now, that I've read some of their work. I'll be adding others later on just for reference. I've also provided you with links to the authors in both languages , Arabic & English, because you might not find all the authors' work on their respective English link, but you may find an English edition in the Arabic link.

Happy book digging :)

So far ..

Thanks for the list of authors - very helpful.

Marwa wrote: "I can give you a list of both notable Egyptian and Arab authors that can be added to your repertoire of world touring through books.

Egyptian authors:
Naguib Mahfouz/نجيب ..."</i>

Marwa - I had two of [author:Naguib Mahfouz and Ahdaf Soueif on my list. I've just added Ahdaf Soueif and will check the other ones out too. Thanks for the list - it's great to get recommendations.

Hello Jayme & Lilisa

I'm so glad you liked the list. I really do hope you find some amazing reads by those authors, and I sure intend to add more. Always welcome.

Thanks for the list of Arab Authors, Marwa. I am looking forward to dig into couple of these authors and read some of their work.

Agreed. Wonderful list. Cheers!

I got some cool titles out of Cairo's book fair the day before yesterday. Therefore, I decided to go along with Peggy's advice and edited my list :)

Sara, Rusalka and Judy
You're welcome.

Also from Egypt, you can read for Mohamed Mansi Qandil/محمد المنسي قنديل. His most notable work is Moon Over Samarkand, which depicts the tumultuous era in the history of Uzbekistan.

REVIEW

1. Algeria - عابر سرير or "The Bed Hopper" by Ahlam Mosteghanemi

REVIEW

15. South Korea - Please Look After Mom by Shin Kyung-sook

REVIEW

4. China - The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham

Judy wrote: "Marwa wrote: "REVIEW

4. China - The Painted Veil by W. Somerset Maugham"

What did you think?"

Actually Judy I enjoyed it very much. This is my second read for W.Somerset Maugham and his style and descriptive narration are really fantastic. Every single character is portrayed in all its aspects. The emotions of the characters is loud and clear and the story is easy yet surprising. I highly recommend it and also I recommend the movie which is a bi altered than the original's book plot. Both are really enjoyable.

REVIEW.

11. Kuwait - ساق البامبو or "The Bamboo Stick" by Saud AlSanousi

I've just finished Love in the Time of Cholera. My second read for Gabriel Garcí­a Márquez and hopefully not the last for Colombia. Here's my review.

/review/show...