Reading Across Borders
I think I will jump on board with the Reading Across Borders Challenge that is starting up over at Kate's Book Blog. I will be going out of my "comfort zone", reading books written by authors from countries which I normally don't read from. First, I will rule out those countries whose authors dominate my reading list: United States, Canada, Australia, U.K., and India.
The books I plan on reading represent every continent except Antartica. :) Most of these books I either own, or were already on my TBR list.
1. Like Water for Chocolate - Laura Esquival (Mexico)
2. Veronika Decides to Die - Paulo Coelho (Brazil)
3. Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Colombia)
4. Independent People - Haldor Laxness (Iceland)
5. Kaddish for a Child Not Born - Imre Kertesz (Hungary)
6. Metamorphosis - Franz Kafka (Austria)
7. Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress - Dai Sijie (China)
8. The Cairo Trilogy - Naguib Mahfouz (Egypt) *technically, 3 books*
9. Half of a Yellow Sun - Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria)
10. The Bone People - Keri Hulme (New Zealand)
First up is Metamorphosis, by Franz Kafka. I already have it checked out from the library.
5 comments:
That's a great challenge you're participating in and I wish you good luck and happy reading!
Love your selection...I have read books 1,7,9 and 10 and look forward to hearing your thoughts on 4,5 and 8.
I love world literature so I'll be coming back to read your reviews. I'm going to be put you on my blogroll, if that's OK.
Lotus Reads -
Thanks! I became interested in world lit when I started travelling a few years ago. I'm trying to expand away from "post-colonial" lit, and read more books written first in a language other than English. It's hard though, as my library does not seem to carry many of the books I would like to read!
What did you think of Bone People? I can't wait to read this book. I found it in a used bookstore a few weeks ago and was so excited, I've been wanting to read it ever since I spent 3 wks in NZ in 2005.
Great list here! I am hoping to read Mahfouz as well, but not for this challenge (he is just on my wish list right now!). You'll love Half of a Yellow Sun.
Wendy
I absolutely love reading world lit or multiculti lit and I'm reading books about it a lot.
I already decided to participate as well, but I will need to create my list...
I like your selection!
Wendy -I probably won't get around to reading the Cairo Trilogy until later this year, but I will definitely let you know what I think. My hubby's review of Palace Walk was "too much politics, not enough plot"...but we have very different reading tastes. :)
Cess -
Thanks! There used to be a world lit book club I was in over at yahoo groups, but it fizzled out about a year ago. If there is enough interest, I would be willing to start a new one.
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