So, in 2007 I attempted a personal world literature challenge. I was trying for 50 books, but I only made it to 26. This year, I’m trying again, but with new rules to make it interesting for myself.
So, in 2008, I will read 26 novels from around the world, each from a country starting with a different letter of the alphabet. Here’s my tentative list (please feel free to recommend books for empty letters):
A
Afghanistan: The Swallows of Kabul » Yasmina Khadra
B
Bangladesh: ?
Brazil: ?
Bolivia: ?
C
Congo: The Poisonwood Bible » Barbara Kingsolver
Cambodia: ?
Costa Rica: ?
Chile: ?
D
Denmark: Miss Smilla’s Sense of Snow » Peter Hoeg
E
Egypt: The Yacoubian Building » Alaa el-Aswany
Ethiopia: The God Who Begat a Jackal » Nega Mezlekia
F
France: ?
Finland: ?
Fiji: ?
G
Ghana: The Prophet of Zongo Street » Mohammed Naseehu Ali
H
Hungary: Embers » Sándor Márai
I
Indonesia: The Year of Living Dangerously » Christopher J. Koch
Iceland: Independent People » Halldor Laxness
India: The Inheritance of Loss » Kiran Desai
Israel: Look for Me » Edeet Ravel
J
Japan: Geisha, A Life » Mineko Iwasaki
K
Kenya: Out of Africa » Isak Dinesen
Korea: ?
L
Libya: In the Country of Men » Hisham Matar
M
Morocco: Sand Child » Tahar Ben Jelloun
N
Nigeria: Half of a Yellow Sun » Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
O
Oman: ?
P
Palestine: I Saw Ramallah » Mourid Barghouti
Pakistan: The Dancing Girls of Lahore » Louise Brown
Q
Qatar: ?
R
Rwanda: A Sunday at the Pool in Kigali » Gil Courtemanche
S
Sri Lanka: Swimming in the Monsoon Sea » Shyam Selvadurai
Sudan: Season of Migration to the North » Tayeb Salih
Samoa: Where We Once Belonged » Sia Figiel
T
Turkey: Snow » Orhan Pamuk
U
Ukraine: ?
Uganda: ?
Uruguay: ?
V
Venezuela: ?
Vietnam: ?
W
Western Sahara: ?
X
Free choice: ?
Y
Yemen: ?
Z
Zanzibar: Trade Wind » M.M. Kaye
Zimbabwe: House of Stone » Christina Lamb
Zambia: ?
Eva wrote, on February 16th, 2008 at 9:16 am: