Help Wanted for an Olympic Challenge

[Gem]

ABC,
We were speaking of Gogol earlier, and I forgot to give you this link: The Cloak
This one should help stretch those pronunciation muscles .

 

[Kenny Shovel]

You've probably got Japan covered already, but if not I'm half way through a book you might find interesting:

Silence by Shusaku Endo

The book deals with the difficulty Christianity has faced in becoming popularised in Japan. In particular the persecution Japanese Christians faced in the 16th & 17th centuries. A bit of quick research, i.e. reading this article on wikipedia, or something similar, is a good idea first. But it's worth the effort, as this has been an excellent and enlightening read so far...

Regards,

K-S

 

[abecedarian]

You've probably got Japan covered already, but if not I'm half way through a book you might find interesting:

Silence by Shusaku Endo

The book deals with the difficulty Christianity has faced in becoming popularised in Japan. In particular the persecution Japanese Christians faced in the 16th & 17th centuries. A bit of quick research, i.e. reading this article on wikipedia, or something similar, is a good idea first. But it's worth the effort, as this has been an excellent and enlightening read so far...

Regards,

K-S

Sounds like a goodie. I just finished the second book for Belgium..I meant to read one from a Dutch/Flemish language writer and one from a French writer, due to the cultural conflict I'd learned about from some missionary friends there, but I goofed and read two Flemish writers anway..oh well..I still won
Anyway. I'll have to look for Silence-it sounds like something I'd like. Oh, and it took me a few days, but I really enjoyed The First Circle by Solzhenitsyn..thanks for the heads up!

Quick update: 18 holdings in KS..so maybe I should be getting Silence soon!

 

[Lady_Dread_Head]

I'm not sure if you are still looking for books. I have a couple of suggestions if you need more.
South African - Kaffir Boy - Mark Mathabane
South Africa - Biko - Donald Woods
Togo - Do they hear you when you cry? - Fauziya Kassindja
Ghana - Changes - Ama Ata Aidoo - I noticed one by her that's already on your list.
The Russian Way - Zita Dabars

Hope this helps...
Felicia

 

[abecedarian]

I'm not sure if you are still looking for books. I have a couple of suggestions if you need more.
South African - Kaffir Boy - Mark Mathabane
South Africa - Biko - Donald Woods
Togo - Do they hear you when you cry? - Fauziya Kassindja
Ghana - Changes - Ama Ata Aidoo - I noticed one by her that's already on your list.
The Russian Way - Zita Dabars

Hope this helps...
Felicia

Thanks, I didn't have any ideas for Togo..and I'm always open for more suggestions, even for countries I've already covered. I'm always afraid I"ll miss something "good." you see!

 

[abecedarian]

How about Kazakstan? The only book I've found so far is Once in Kazakstan: The Snow Leopard Emerges by Keith Rosten, and I can't find it in my state's library system..I can try out of state, but if anyone has other suggestions..

 

[Kenny Shovel]

Just finished Silence, so in case I don't have chance to give a full review later on, I'll just point out why I think you might get a lot from it.

The book is set in 17th Century Japan and follows a Portuguese Priest as he attempts to contact the Japanese Christian community, which has been driven underground by a repressive regime determined to stamp it out. He is faced with the knowledge that if captured he will be tortured into apostatising.

Without giving too much away, his guide turns out to be a Judas figure, and he is pitted into a battle of theological wits with the governor of Nagasaki. He is faced with some complex ethical choices regarding his 'calling' and ultimately has to re-assess the nature of his own faith.

I'm not someone who is religious, or even interested in the debates that normally revolve around belief, but I found this book more absorbing the deeper into theological territory it went. I suspect that you would understand the religious nuances I missed, and get even more from this book than I did.

Regards,

K-S

 

[abecedarian]

Just finished Silence, so in case I don't have chance to give a full review later on, I'll just point out why I think you might get a lot from it.

The book is set in 17th Century Japan and follows a Portuguese Priest as he attempts to contact the Japanese Christian community, which has been driven underground by a repressive regime determined to stamp it out. He is faced with the knowledge that if captured he will be tortured into apostatising.

Without giving too much away, his guide turns out to be a Judas figure, and he is pitted into a battle of theological wits with the governor of Nagasaki. He is faced with some complex ethical choices regarding his 'calling' and ultimately has to re-assess the nature of his own faith.

I'm not someone who is religious, or even interested in the debates that normally revolve around belief, but I found this book more absorbing the deeper into theological territory it went. I suspect that you would understand the religious nuances I missed, and get even more from this book than I did.

Regards,

K-S

I thought is sounded interesting and it is on its way. I'm curious to see the clash between cultures and the root of the troubles facing modern missionaries in the field today. That has been a cool side benefit of this whole challenge anyway. If I'd never been interested in having access to a time machine so I could go back and 'fix' some things, I sure do now! No wonder so many writers like to play with alternate worlds..what if..

 

[Kenny Shovel]

I'm curious to see the clash between cultures and the root of the troubles facing modern missionaries in the field today.

The author is a Japanese catholic, and he is addressing the question of whether Christianity can spread in a country like Japan, or if it is too based in western values/culture to translate. One of the characters in the book puts it in these terms:

'This country is a swamp. In time you will come to see that yourself. This country is a more terrible swamp than you can imagine. Whenever you plant a sapling in this swamp the roots begin to rot; the leaves grow yellow and wither. And we have planted the sapling of Christianity in this swamp.'

Anyway, just over an hour to go till the Ashes, so that's my last recommendation for a while. Off to the cricket boards till January!

 

[abecedarian]

WHAT???? You can't disappear til January!!! Not allowed..Foul..That's Not Cricket!

 

[abecedarian]

Since I just updated my profile at bookcrossing, I thought I'd bring this thread up to date. Here's the list of what I've read so far for my challenge. You'll notice a few countries where the title is repeated for another country too...that's where those nice anthologies have saved my tush for the harder-to-find nations.

Olympic Challenge List:
Canada: Tigana-Guy Gavriel Kay
Lines on the Water-David Adams Richards
Widdershins-Charles deLint
Algeria: Broken April-Ismael Kadare
Chinese Taipai: The Butcher's Wife- Li Ang
Iceland: The Fish Can Sing-Halldor Luxness
New Zealand: Whale Rider-Witi Ihimaera
Nigeria: Things Fall Apart-Chinua Achebe
Sri Lanka: Reef- Ramesh Gunesekera
Peru: Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter-Mario Vargas Llosa
Malaysia: The Rice Mother-Rani Manicka (highly recommended)
Norway: The Women at the Pump- Knut Hamsun
Bolivia:The Fat Man From La Paz-ed. Rosario Santos
England: Anansi Boys-Neil Gaiman
Argentina: The Wandering Unicorn-Manuel Mujica Lainez
Mozambique-Voices Made Night-Mia Cuoto (not reccomended)
USA-Dan Eldon: The Art of Life-Jennifer New
Haiti-Breath,Eyes, Memory-Edwidge Danticat
India-Shalimar the Clown- Salman Rushdie
Pakhistan- Broken Verses- Kamila Shamsie
England- Never Let Me Go- Kazio Ishiguro
Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell-Susanna Clark
Trangsressions-Sarah Dunant
Heavy Water and Other Stories-Martin Amis
Australia-Dirt Music-Tim Winton, The Book Thief-Marek Zusak
USA: Travels With Charley-John Steinbeck
Iran: Reading Lolita in Tehran- Azar Nafisi
Sweden: Barabbas- Par Lagerkvist
Ireland: The Committments; The Snapper; The Van(the Barrytown Trilogy) by Roddy Doyle
Suffer the Children- Mary Rafftery
Ireland: A Novel-Frank Delaney
Afghanistan: A Bed Of Red Flowers-Nelofer Pazira
Botswanna: Tears of the Giraffe- Alexander McCall Smith
Spain: The Shadow of the Wind- Carlos Ruiz Zafon
The Club Dumas- Arturo Perez Reverte
Finland: Troll-Johanna Sinisalo
Japan: The Sailor Who Fell From Grace With the Sea-Yukio Mishima; Silence-Shusako Endo; A Grain of Wheat-Toyohiko Kagawa
Korea: Korea Unmasked- Won-bok RHIE
Germany: The Reader- Bernhart Schlink
Perfume-Patrick Suskind
Morocco: Dreams of Trespass- Fatima Mernissi
South Africa: Cry, the Beloved Country-Alan Paton
Dominican Republic: In the Time of Butterflies-Julia Alvarez
Russia: Lolita- Vladamir Nabakov; First Circle; One Day in the Life Of Ivan Denisovich-Alexsander Solzenhitsyn; Soul-Andrei Platonov
Scotland: Sunset Song-Lewis Grassic Gibbons
Italy: The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana,Foucault's Pendulum-Umberto Eco
Samoa: Where We Once Belonged- Sia Figiel
Guatemala: The Long Night of White Chickens-Francisco Goldman
Czech Republic: Love and Garbage- Ivan Klima; Metamorphosis and Other Stories-Franz Kafka
Algeria: A Sister of Scherazade-Assia Djibar
Chile: Daughter of Fortune-Isabel Allende
Angola-Return of the Water Spirit-Perpetula
Cape Verde: The Last Will and Testament of Senhor de LaSilva Araunjo- Germano Almedia
Mexico: Like Water For Chocolate- Laura Esquivel
Serbia: Time Gifts- Zoran Zivkovic
Estonia: The Compromise- Sergei Dovlatov
Vietnam: The Stars, The Earth, The River-Le Minh Khue
Trinidad: Stories from Blue Latitudes-ed. Elizabeth Nunez
Uruguay: The Decapitated Chicken and Other Stories- Horacio Quiroa
China: Bound Feet and Western Dress-Pan Mei Natasha Chang
Somalia: From a Crooked Rib-Nuruddin Farah
Andorra-Views from the Bridge of Europe
Latvia: Views from the Bridge of Europe
Luxembourg: Views from the Bridge of Europe
Antigua-Annie John-Jamaica Kincaid
Tajikstan: Hurramabad- Andrei Volos
Bangledesh: Janini-Sharkat Osman
Egypt: Miramar- Naguib Mahfouz
Bahamas: The 99 Cent Breakfast-Patricia Glinton Meicholas
Cook Islands: The Book of Puka-Puka- Robert Dean Frisbie
Bosnia: Zlata's Diary- Zlata Filipovic
Kiribiti: Sex Lives of Cannibals- J. Maarten Troost
Georgia: The Winter Queen-Boris Akunin (readily available in English and very good!)
Lebanon: The Stone of Laughter- Hoda Barakat
Bulgaria: Natural Novel- Georgi Gospodinov
Sudan: The Wedding of Zeine- Tayeb Salih
Singapore: The Bondmaid- Catherine Lim
Belgium: Marcel- Erwin Mortier (Dutch)In the Shadow of the Ark-Anne Provoost
Philipines: Comfort Woman-Maria Rosa Henson
Laos: Mother's Beloved-Outhine Bounyavong
Portugal: The Relic-Eca De Quieroz
Tunisia: Behind Closed Doors-Monia Hejaie
Slovakia: Incipient Feminists-Norma Rudinsky
Solomon Islands: Two Hill Diggers-Geralda Kauhuroasiva
Barbados: In the Country Of My Skin- George Lamming
Cameroon: Houseboy-Fernando Oyono
Kazakstan: Night Watch-Sergei Lukyanenko
Palestine: Arab Women: Between Defiance and Restraint-ed. Suha Sabbagh
Swaziland: Nest in A Cage-Fohik Ogunleye
Jordan: Pillars of Salt-Fadia Faqir
Uzbekestan: The Railway-Hamid Ismailov
Cote d'Ivoire: As the Crow Flies-Veronique Tadjo
Armenia: Efronia: An Armenian Love Story-Stina Katchadorian
Ecuador: Bruna and Her Sisters in the Sleeping City-
St. Kitts: Crossing the River-Caryl Phillips
Bahrain: QuixotiQ- Ali Al Saeed
Israel: Israel, Palestine and Peace-Amos Oz
Djibouti-Fools, Thieves and other Dreamers-Abdourham Ali Waberi
Benin: Fools, Thieves and other Dreamers-Florent Couoa-Zotti
Senegal:Fools, Thieves and Other Dreamers-Seydi Sow
Kenya: Land Without Thunder:Short Stories-Grace Ogot

 

[Flowerdk4]

I know of one more Norweigan book, you have read:

"The halfbrother" by Lars Saabye Christensen!

 

[abecedarian]

I know of one more Norweigan book, you have read:

"The halfbrother" by Lars Saabye Christensen!

Very true! And while I was momentarily sad to discover it was Danish, I'm ever so glad to have read the book! I tried to start the Kirkegaard bio last night and had to put it down..Hopefully it was just the late hour and not the dryness of the book that made my eyes cross I can't seem to concentrate on anything these last few days.

 

[jennifer1975]

Someone in the Bookcrossing forum had an interesting challenge: Read a book for every participating nation in the 2006 Olympic Games. I guess that could mean the book could either be about a particular nation, or by an author from this country. I thought it might be fun to try since I want to get out of my 'mostly white US citizens ' mode anyway. Since this forum is comprised of readers from all over, I thought I'd ask for reccomendations. Please keep in mind I'm a typical American with my two years of barely remembered high school Spanish..meaning I only read in English..

Misunderstood or not, that was/is a great idea.

I'd like to know how you do with the list provided.

 

[abecedarian]

Misunderstood or not, that was/is a great idea.

I'd like to know how you do with the list provided.

I just read a really great Hungarian novel by Imir Kertesz. It is actually a biographical novel of Kertesz' year in Nazi prison camps when he was a teenager. I couldn't put it down, it was so powerful.

All during this challenge, I've wondered how to adapt it for my kids. Finding a book per country for their levels might be tough, but then I decided to adapt it a bit and have them read a book or two per continent as we do a world geography course next school year. The oldest two boys could actually read more than that.

 

[abecedarian]

Ok, I know its called a challenge for good reason! I'm having a hard time finding material from certain countries. Here's the short list for Asia and Oceana

Fiji
Guam
Indonesia
Oman
Maldives
Turkmenistan
Cyprus
Tonga
Vanuatu
Nauru
American Samoa
Bhutan
Brunei Darussalem
Mongolia
Qatar
Yemen
North Korea
United Arab Emirates
Marshall Islands

If all else fails, I'll have to resort to travel guides where possible. Any ideas for these places? These aren't all the Asian nations I still have to locate, but the ones I've had the most trouble with. Words Without Borders is a wonderful resource, if you've never checked them out!

 

[TheMarine]

For China, I would recommend The Art of War by Sun Tzu. I know it's cliche for my username, but still a good book.

 

[abecedarian]

For China, I would recommend The Art of War by Sun Tzu. I know it's cliche for my username, but still a good book.

I've 'done' China, but am always in search of a good book, so I'll look into it. I'm justifying the double-dipping(and more) by thinking of just how many athletes some of these countries put in the field..it's just an excuse, but that's my story!

 

[abecedarian]

Here's the updated version of my Olympic Challenge list:
ANOCA AFRICA
ALG Algeria / A Sister to Scheherazade-Assia Djebar
ANG Angola / The Return of the Water Spirit by Pepetela
BEN Benin / Fools, Thieves and Other Dreamers-Florent Couoa-Zotti
BOT Botswana / The Number 1 Ladies Detective Agency-Alexander McCall Smith
BUR Burkina Faso /
BDI Burundi / Unlocking Horns:Forgiveness & Reconciliation in Burundi-David Niyenzima and Lon Frendall
CMR Cameroon / Houseboy by Ferdinand Oyono
CPV Cape Verde / The Last Will and Testament of Senhor da Silva Araujo by Germano Almeida
CAF Central African Republic / African Tales: Folklore of the Central African Republic by Polly Strong (Translator)
CHA Chad /
COM Comoros/
CGO Congo / The Antipeople by Sony Labou Tansi
CIV Côte d'Ivoire / As the Crow Flies by Veronique Tadjo
COD Democratic Republic of the Congo /
DJI Djibouti / Land without Shadows by Abdourahman A. Waberi
EGY Egypt / Children of the Alley by Naguib Mahfouz
GEQ Equatorial Guinea /
ERI Eritrea / We Have Our Voice:Selected Poems of Reesom Haile
ETH Ethiopia / Notes from the Hyena's Belly : An Ethiopian Boyhood by Nega Mezlekia
GAB Gabon /
GAM Gambia / The Second Time Around by Lenrie Peters
GHA Ghana / Dilemma of a Ghost and Anowa by Ama Ata Aidoo
GUI Guinea / The Dark Child by Camara Laye
GBS Guinea-Bissau /
KEN Kenya / Land Without Thunder-Grace Ogot
LES Lesotho / Blanket Boy's Moon by Peter Lanham, A. S. Mopeli-Paulus
LBR Liberia / Liberian Writing, pub. Horst Erdmann Verlag
LBA Libyan Arab Jamahiriya / The Bleeding of the Stone by Ibrahim Al-Koni
MAD Madagascar / Translations from the Night by Jean-Joseph Rabearivelo
MAW Malawi /
MLI Mali /
MTN Mauritania /
MRI Mauritius /
MAR Morocco / Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood by Fatima Mernissi
MOZ Mozambique / Voices Made Night- Mia Cuoto
NAM Namibia /
NIG Niger /
NGR Nigeria / Things Fall Apart; No Longer At Ease by Chinua Achebe
RWA Rwanda / Left to Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza
STP Sao Tome and Principe /
SEN Senegal / From the Depths of a Well, from Fools, Thieves and Other Dreamers by Seydi Sow
SEY Seychelles /
SLE Sierra Leone /
SOM Somalia / From a Crooked Rib by Nuruddin Farah
RSA South Africa / Cry, the Beloved Country by Alan Paton
SUD Sudan / The Wedding of Zein by Tayeb Salih
SWZ Swaziland / Nest in a Cage by Foluke Ogunleye
TOG Togo /
TUN Tunisia / Behind Closed Doors:Women’s Oral Narratives in Tunis by Monia Hejaiej
UGA Uganda / Abyssinian Chronicles by Moses Isegawa
TAN United Republic of Tanzania / Rhinos for Lunch and Elephants for Supper! by Tololwa M. Mollel
ZAM Zambia /
ZIM Zimbabwe / House of Hunger by Dambudzo Marechera

ONOC OCEANA
ASA American Samoa / The Birth & Death of the Miracle Man by Albert Wendt
AUS Australia / Dirt Music by Tim Winton
COK Cook Islands / The Book Of Puka-Puka by Robert D. Frisbie
FSM Federated States of Micronesia / Lonely Planet South Pacific & Micronesia
FIJ Fiji / Lonely Planet South Pacific and Micronesia
GUM Guam / Lonely Planet South Pacific and Micronesia
KIR Kiribati / The Sex Lives of Cannibals : Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific by J. Maarten Troost
MHL Marshall Islands / Lonely Planet South Pacific and Micronesia
NRU Nauru / Lonely Planet South Pacific and Micronesia
NZL New Zealand / Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera
PLW Palau / Lonely Planet South Pacific and Micronesia
PNG Papua New Guinea / Four Corners byKira Salak
SAM Samoa / Where We Once Belonged by Sia Figiel
SOL Solomon Islands / Two Hill Diggers by Geralda Kauhoroasiva
TGA Tonga / Lonely Planet South Pacific and Micronesia
VAN Vanuatu / Lonely Planet South Pacific and Micronesia

OCA ASIA
AFG Afghanistan / A Bed of Red Flowers by Nelofer Pazira
BRN Bahrain / Quixotiq by Ali Al Saeed
BAN Bangladesh / Janani by Saokata Osamana
BHU Bhutan /
BRU Brunei Darussalam /
CAM Cambodia / First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung
TPE Chinese Taipei / The Butcher's Wife by Li Ang
PRK Democratic People's Republic of Korea / Land of Exile: Contemporary Korean Fiction ed by Marshall R, Pihl
HKG Hong-Kong /
IND India / Shalimar the Clown by Salmaan Rushdie; A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry
INA Indonesia / Diverse Lives:Contemporary Stories of Indonesia ed. Jeanette Lingard
IRQ Iraq /
IRI Islamic Republic of Iran/ Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi
JPN Japan / The Man Who Fell From Grace With the Sea by Yukio Mishima; A Grain of Wheat byTohiko Kagawa; Shipwrecks by Akira Yoshimura
JOR Jordan / Pillars of Salt by Fadia Faqir
KAZ Kazakhstan / Night by Sergei Lukyanenko
KOR Korea / Korea Unmasked byWon-bok Rhie
KUW Kuwait /
KGZ Kyrgyzstan /
LIB Lebanon / The Stone Of Laughter by Hoda Barakat
MAS Malaysia / The Rice Mother by Rani Manicka
MDV Maldives /
MGL Mongolia /
MYA Myanmar / Freedom From Fear by Aung San Suu Kyi
NEP Nepal / Arresting God in Katmandu by Samrat Upradhyay
OMA Oman /
PAK Pakistan / Broken Veres byKamilla Shamsie
PLE Palestine / Arab Women: Between Defiance & Restraint ed. By Suha Sabbagh
CHN People's Republic of China/ Bound Feet and Western Dress by Pang Mei Natasha Chang
PHI Philippines / Comfort Women by Maria Rosa Hanson
QAT Qatar /
KSA Saudi Arabia / Inside the Kingdom : My Life in Saudi Arabia by Carmen Bin Ladin
SIN Singapore / The Bondmaid by Catherine Lim
SRI Sri Lanka / Reef by Romesh Guneskera
SYR Syrian Arab Republic / Fragments of Memory by Hanna Mina
read TJK Tadjikistan / Hurramabad by Andrei Volas
THA Thailand / Sightseeing by Rattawut Laphcharoensap
TLS Timor-
TKM Turkmenistan-
UAE United Arab Emirates /
UZB Uzbekistan / The Railway by Hamid Ismailov
VIE Viet Nam / Crossing the River by Nguyen Huy Thiep
YEM Yemen /

EOC EUROPE
ALB Albania / Broken April; The Pyramid by Ismail Kadare
AND Andorra / Andorra by Michèle Gazier from Views from the Bridge of Europe
ARM Armenia / Efronia: An Armenian Love Story by Stina Katchadorian
AUT Austria / A Sorrow Beyond Dreams by Peter Handke
AZE Azerbaijan /
BLR Belarus /
BEL Belgium / In the Shadow of the Ark by Anne Provoost; Marcel byErwin Mortier
BIH Bosnia and Herzegovina / Zlata's Diary : A Child's Life in Wartime Sarajevo by Zlata Filipovic
BUL Bulgaria / Keystone byBlaga Dimitrova from Views from the Bridge of Europe; Natural Novel by Georgi Gospodinov
CRO Croatia / Croatian Nights by Borivoj Radakovic (editor)
CYP Cyprus /
CZE Czech Republic / Love and Garbage by Ivan Klima
DEN Denmark /
EST Estonia / The Wandering Border by Jaan Kaplinski from Views from the Bridge of Europe; The Compromise by Sergei Dovlatov
FIN Finland / Troll by Johanna Sinisalo
MKD Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia/
FRA France / Have Mercy on Us All by Fred Vargas
GEO Georgia / The Winter Queen by Boris Akunin
GER Germany / The Reader by Bernhard Schlink
GBR Great Britain / Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norell by Susanna Clark
GRE Greece / The Suspended Step of the Stork by Theo Angelopoulos from Views from the Bridge of Europe; The Seventh Elephant by Alexis Stamatis
HUN Hungary /
ISL Iceland / The Fish Can Sing by Halldor Laxness
IRL Ireland / The Barrytown Trilogy by Roddy Doyle, Angela’s Ashes by Frank McCourt; Suffer the Children by Mary Rafftery; Ireland by Frank Delaney
ISR Israel / Israel, Palestine and Peace by Amos Oz
ITA Italy / The Mysterious Flame of Queen Loana, Foucault’s Pendulum by Umberto Eco
LAT Latvia / What do a Bridge and a Falling Star Have in Common by Vizma Belsevica from Views from the Bridge of Europe
LIE Liechtenstein /
LTU Lithuania / Personal Borders by Sarunas Bartas from Views from the Bridge of Europe
LUX Luxembourg / About a Bridge by Guy Rewenig from Views from the Bridge of Europe
MLT Malta /
MNE Montenegro /
MON Monaco / Zubric’s Rock by Robert Eringer
NED Netherlands /
NOR Norway / The Woman at the Pump by Knut Hamsun, The Half Brother by Lars Christensen
POL Poland / Death in Danzig by Stefan Chwin
POR Portugal / Relic by Eca De Quieroz
MDA Republic of Moldova / Gateway to Transfiguration by Vaitalie Ciobanu from Views from the Bridge of Europe
ROM Romania /
RUS Russian Federation / The First Circle, Cancer Ward by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn; A Dream in Polar Fog by Yuri Rythkheu
SMR San Marino /
SRB Serbia / A Tomb for Boris Davidovich by Danilo Kis
SVK Slovakia / Regrets by Martin Simecka from Views from the Bridge of Europe
SLO Slovenia / Border Dog by Brina Svit from Views from the Bridge of Europe
ESP Spain / Against Babel by Juan Manuel de Prada from Views from the Bridge of Europe ; The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon, The Club Dumas by Arturo Perez Reverte, The Last Cato by Matilde Asensi
SWE Sweden / Barabbas by Par Lagerkvist
SUI Switzerland / The Scorpion Fish by Nicolas Bouvier
TUR Turkey / The Sea Crossed Fisherman byYashar Kemel
UKR Ukraine

The Americas will be in the next post...

 

[abecedarian]

PASO AMERICA
ANT Antigua and Barbuda / Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid
ARG Argentina / The Wandering Unicorn by Manuel M. Lainez
ARU Aruba / Antenna by rosabelle illes read @ rosabelleilles.com/index.html
BAH Bahamas / The 99 Cent Breakfast by Patricia Glinton-Meicholas
BAR Barbados / In the Country of My Skin by George Lamming
BIZ Belize / Green Can and Juicy Flotsam ed. By Carmen Esteves
BER Bermuda /
BOL Bolivia / The Fat Man From La Paz, ed by Rosario Santos
BRA Brazil / Esau and Jacob by Joachim Machado
IVB British Virgin Islands /
CAN Canada / Lines on the Water by David Adams Richards; Tigana by Guy Gavriel Kay, Widdershins by Charles deLint; The Colony of Unrequited Dreams by Wayne Johnston
CAY Cayman Islands /
CHI Chile / Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende
COL Colombia / The Secrets of Colombian Cooking by Patricia McCausland Gallo
CRC Costa Rica / When New Flowers Bloomed ed. By Enrique Jamarillo Levi
CUB Cuba / Dreaming in Cuban by Christina Garcia
DMA Dominica / Rhythm and Revolt: Tales of the Antilles ed. By Marcella Breton
DOM Dominican Republic / In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez
ECU Ecuador / Bruna and Her Sisters in the Sleeping City by Alicia Cossio
ESA El Salvador /
GRN Grenada / Lady in a Boat by Merle Collins
GUA Guatemala / The Long Night of White Chickens by Francisco Goldman
GUY Guyana / The Ventriloquist’s Tale by Pauline Melville
HAI Haiti / Breath, Eyes, Memory by Edwidge Danticat
HON Honduras / The Big Banana by Roberto Quesada
JAM Jamaica / The Store of a Million Items by Michelle Cliff
MEX Mexico / Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel
AHO Netherlands Antilles /
NCA Nicaragua / The Country Under My Skin : A Memoir of Love and War by Gioconda Belli
PAN Panama / When New Flowers Bloomed, ed. Enrique Jamarillo Levi
PAR Paraguay / I, the Supreme by Augusto Roa Bastos
PER Peru / Aunt Julia and the Scriptwriter by Mario Vargas Llosa
PUR Puerto Rico / House on the Lagoon by Rosario Ferre
SKN Saint Kitts and Nevis / Crossing the River by Caryl Phillips
LCA Saint Lucia /
VIN Saint Vincent and the Grenadines /
SUR Suriname /Green Cane and Juicy Flotsam, ed. By Carmen Esteves
TRI Trinidad and Tobago / Stories From Blue Latitudes ed. By Elizabeth Nunez
USA United States of America / Travels With Charley by John Steinbeck
URU Uruguay / The Decapitated Chicken and Other Stories by Horacio Quiroga
VEN Venezuela /
ISV Virgin Islands /

I'm still open to suggestions!
_________________