Every year I keep track of the places where the books I read are set. Ideally I want to read books written by authors from those countries but I don’t always meet that goal. Keeping this in the back of my mind when picking books helps stretch my reading boundaries.
Looking at my map for this year so far there are some places that I can’t believe I haven’t read any books for yet. Let’s round them up for this freebie week.
Japan
How do I not have Japan yet? Actually, all of East Asia is looking a little sparse. I’m rectifying that right now by reading The Amberglow Candy Store.
Japanese fantasy/magical realism books can be hit or miss for me but I’m going to finish this one to get Japan checked off the list.
China
Officially, I guess I read some books that set foot in China but I claimed them for other countries. I’m surprised that I don’t have a China-specific book this year though.
Russia
This book did the same thing. It had a chapter about a corner of Russia but I claimed it for Tajikistan because that was cooler and she spent more time there. Otherwise I have no Russian reading this year.
Egypt
I’ve read about half of this book. I was really excited about it because the author is Bolivian. I’m always on the hunt for South American genre fiction writers. This book starts in South America and goes to Egypt. That perfect for this project. But I got bored in the middle. I either need to pick it up again or not have Egypt this year.
New Zealand
Ok, this is another technicality. This book was mostly set in New Zealand but she spent several years of her life in Papua New Guinea. How often are you going to get to fill in Papua New Guinea? I always read lots of books from New Zealand. I’d just claim the next one. Now look at poor grey New Zealand on the map, not getting any love.
The Middle East
Really? Nothing in the whole region? I don’t even have a book that I can put here and say that I read it and claimed it for another region. The closest I got with one of those was Iran.
Anywhere but Western Europe
With the exception of The Czech Republic, poor Europe is looking a little sparse. No Germany. No Austria. No Poland.
And where is Scandinavia?
Africa
I hit the easy places in Africa (besides Egypt) – Nigeria, Ghana, and South Africa.
But I usually get some nonfiction about sub-Saharan Africa and at least something from Kenya.
North America
Obviously I read a lot from here but the three that stand out by their absence are:
- Georgia
- Alaska
- British Columbia
South America
Oh, South America, the continual thorn in my side. I struggle to find books every year. I want books that don’t appear to be available. I don’t want literary fiction. Isabel Allende is great but I don’t want to read heavy, depressing books all the time. I was so excited to find Cazadora this year. It is the second book of a YA series by an Argentinian-American writer that is set in Argentina. I read the first book, which wasn’t set in South America, just to get to this one which was.
I usually get some nonfiction in Central and South America or the Caribbean too but not this year.
Do you have any books you recommend for these areas? I’m looking for fantasy, science fiction, maybe historical fiction or romance, or nonfiction. Bonus points for authors from areas that I haven’t been reading enough from.
