Reading Globally

This group is for readers who like to explore through books from around the world. We arbitrarily cover everywhere except UK, USA, Canada, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand; discussions of those countries have a home in our sister-group READING GLOBALLY II. If you are a compulsive literary traveler, you've come to the right place! Our quarterly and standing theme read threads are full of great reading ideas, please join in and share yours there too.

Current Annual Theme Read
January to December 2024: Around the World in 12 Months

Current Quarterly Theme Read
January to March 2024: When the world was new

"Reading makes immigrants of us all. It takes us away from home, but more important, it finds homes for us everywhere." ---Jean Rhys

Planned theme reads for 2024 :
(provisional titles — see the planning and voting threads)
Quarterly topics
- When the world was new - Pre-Renaissance literature (Q1)
- Island nations (Q2)
- Reading down the Danube (Q3)
- Inland nations (Q4)

Classics in Their Own Countries 2.0
Starting in 2019, we revived the year-long "classics in their own country" theme read which we first did in 2012. This runs in addition to the four quarterly reads. You can find discussion and suggestions for classics on the following threads.
Asia and the Middle East
Africa and the Middle East
Europe and Turkey
Latin America and the Caribbean

Ongoing

You are still welcome to add to these "old" quarterly threads, if you read something that you think other members might want to know about.

October to December 2023: New fiction from around the world: books originally published in 2014-2023
July to September 2023: Reading around the Black Sea
April to June 2023: Banned books around the world
January to March 2023: Reading around the Baltic Sea
October to December 2022: Prize winners in their own language
July to September 2022: "When alphabets collide" - books written in the Slavic languages
April to June 2022: Outcasts and Castaways
Jan - March 2022: Around the Indian Ocean
October-December 2021: Translation prize winners
— July to September 2021: The Lusophone world: writing from countries where Portuguese is or was an important language
April to June 2021: Childhood: Books for or about children in different cultures around the world (there's also a suggestion-gathering list for this topic)
Jan - March 2021: Notes from a Small Population: 40+ places with under 500,000 inhabitants
- October to December 2020: "Russians Write Revolutions"
July to September 2020: "Travelling the TBR 2.0"
April to June 2020: "Writing from Southern Africa"
Jan - March 2020: The Rise of the Far Right in the 21st Century
October-December 2019: Mitteleuropa (Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, and Poland)
July-Sept 2019: Turning the Tables - Postcolonial Writers on the Colonizers
April - June 2019: Speculative Fiction from around the World
Jan - March 2019: The Mediterranean World
Oct - Dec 2018: Tradition and Change
July - September 2018:
Between Giants: Central Asian Border Regions
April - June 2018:
Japan and the Koreas
Jan - Mar 2018:
Travelling the TBR Road
Oct - Dec 2017:
The Nordic Countries
July - September 2017:
Non Majority Language Writers
April - June 2017:
Travel Writing by non European and non North American Writers
Jan - March 2017:
The Benelux Countries
Oct - Dec 2016: Dictators, Dictatorships and Other Forms of Tyranny
July - September 2016: Soviet and Post Soviet Writers
Apr - Jun 2016: Writers at Risk
Jan - Mar 2016: Literature from the Caribbean Islands
Oct - Dec 2015: Women authors who didn't write in English
July-September 2015: Nobel Laureates Writing in a Language Other than English
April-June 2015: The Iberian Peninusla
January - March 2015: The Indian Subcontinent
Oct - Dec 2014 Postwar Germany (1945-now)
July-September 2014 Mexico and Central America
April - June 2014 Travel and Travelogue Literature
January - March 2014 Sub-Saharan Africa
October - December 2013: South American literature
July - September 2013: Francophone literature (excluding Europe)
April- June, 2013: Southeast Asian literature

Jan - March 2013: 20th and 21st Century Eastern and Central European literature

October - December 2012 China and Its Neighboring Countries There is also a wiki with background information and reading lists for this theme read.

July - September 2012 Middle Eastern Literature

April - June 2012: Closed and Selective Societies
January - March 2012: Turkey and the Balkans
October - December 2011: Migration/Immigration
July - September 2011: The Sea
April - June 2011: War and Regions in Conflict
January - March 2011: "Journeys"



>---------
MASTER THREAD & List for the NEW regional threads is HERE. Please read this FIRST.

MASTER LIST of REGIONAL THREADS with links (abbreviated as necessary, full list on the master thread):

***1. Eastern Africa I: Mozambique, Rwanda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe...others.
***2. Eastern Africa II: Chad, Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda
***3. Middle Africa: Angola, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo ...others
***4. Northern Africa: Algeria, Egypt, Morocco...others
***5. Southern Africa: Botswana, Lesotho, South Africa...others
***6. Western Africa: Cote d'​​​​​​Ivoire, Gambia, Ghana, Nigeria, Sierra Leone...others

***7. The Caribbean: Anguilla, Antgua & Barbuda, Aruba, Bahamas, Barbados, British Virgin Islands...others
***8. Central America & Mexico: Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico...others
***9. South America I: Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela...others
***10. South America II: Argentina, Chile, Bolivia, Paraguay...others

***11. Asia I: Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nepal, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan...others
***12. Asia II: China, Mongolia, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Macao, Tibet.
***13. Asia III: Japan, Korea, the Phillipines.
***14. Asia IV: Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia, Vietnam, Laos, Malaysia...others.
***15. Asia V: India, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan

***16. Middle East I: Turkey, Lebanon, Syria, Palestine, Israel
***17. Middle East II: Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran...others.
***18. Oceania: Australia, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea...others.

***19. Europe I: France, Monaco, Belgium, The Netherlands, Luxembourg
***20. Europe II: Iceland, Norway, Sweden, Finland, Denmark...others.
***21. Europe III: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, Belarus, Ukraine, Moldova, Romania
***22. Europe IV: Turkey, Greece, Cyprus, Bulgaria, Serbia, Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina, Croatia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Montenegro
***23. Europe V: Italy, Vatican City, San Marino, Malta
***24. Europe VI: Poland, Slovakia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Slovenia
***25. Europe VII: Spain, Portugal, Andorra, Gibraltar
***26. Europe VIII: Switzerland, Austria, Germany, Liechtenstein



GROUP ADMIN:
This group was set up in 2006 by avaland. Others who have served as group administrator since then are rebeccanyc (†) and SassyLassy.

The current admin (since January 2019) is thorold

SujetSujetMessagesDernier message 
Épinglé2024: Around the World in 12 Months53 non-lus / 53BuecherDrache, Hier 4:57pm
ÉpingléJanuary-March 2024: When the World Was New27 non-lus / 27rocketjk, Février 12
2024 Theme Reads Planning36 non-lus / 36AnnieMod, Hier 3:53pm
Where in the world are you? (Jan-Mar 2024)46 non-lus / 46BuecherDrache, Dimanche 1:30pm
India3 non-lus / 3kjuliff, Mardi 4:33pm
***REGION 11: Asia I28 non-lus / 28labfs39, Mars 6
***REGION 12: Asia II37 non-lus / 37labfs39, Mars 5
***REGION 13: Asia III79 non-lus / 79icepatton, Février 24
***REGION 14: Asia IV35 non-lus / 35labfs39, Février 11
April-June Theme Read: War and Regions in Conflict115 non-lus / 115PaperbackPirate, Février 10
***REGION 21: Europe III60 non-lus / 60Gypsy_Boy, Février 6
***REGION 16: Middle East I41 non-lus / 41labfs39, Février 1
***REGION 26: Europe VIII66 non-lus / 66kjuliff, Janvier 24
***REGION 24: Europe VI59 non-lus / 59rocketjk, Janvier 9
rocketjk's 2023 reading travels21 non-lus / 21rocketjk, Décembre 31, 2023
Where in the world are you? (Oct-Dec 2023)17 non-lus / 17kjuliff, Décembre 31, 2023
***REGION 6: Western Africa46 non-lus / 46labfs39, Décembre 31, 2023
October-December 2023: New fiction from around the world: books originally published in 2014-202331 non-lus / 31kjuliff, Décembre 29, 2023
2024 Voting for quarterly topics12 non-lus / 12cindydavid4, Décembre 25, 2023
July to September 2022 — "When alphabets collide": books written in the Slavic languages36 non-lus / 36rocketjk, Décembre 22, 2023
July-September 2023: Reading around the Black Sea43 non-lus / 43rocketjk, Décembre 22, 2023
***REGION 2: Eastern Africa II37 non-lus / 37labfs39, Novembre 2023
***REGION 8: Central America35 non-lus / 35labfs39, Novembre 2023
***REGION 4: Northern Africa44 non-lus / 44rocketjk, Novembre 2023
***REGION 5: Southern Africa41 non-lus / 41labfs39, Septembre 2023
Banned Books Around the World56 non-lus / 56cindydavid4, Septembre 2023
eairo reads from Helsinki to Helsinki, part II: The Americas71 non-lus / 71eairo, Août 2023
***REGION 23: Europe V46 non-lus / 46Nickelini, Août 2023
***REGION 9: South America I63 non-lus / 63rocketjk, Août 2023
***REGION 25: Europe VII59 non-lus / 59PatrickMurtha, Août 2023
***REGION 22: Europe IV41 non-lus / 41PatrickMurtha, Juillet 2023
Jan - March 2023: The Baltic Sea region94 non-lus / 94rocketjk, Juillet 2023
Where in the world are you? (May-June 2023)21 non-lus / 21Tess_W, Juin 2023
***REGION 20: Europe II64 non-lus / 64Nickelini, Juin 2023
***REGION 17: Middle East II30 non-lus / 30labfs39, Mai 2023
***REGION 7: The Caribbean32 non-lus / 32Tess_W, Avril 2023
Where in the world are you? March-April 202327 non-lus / 27Tess_W, Avril 2023
Reading Maps3 non-lus / 3labfs39, Avril 2023
***REGION 19: Europe I132 non-lus / 132Tess_W, Avril 2023
Where in the World Are You? Jan-Feb. 202346 non-lus / 46labfs39, Mars 2023
***REGION 1: Eastern Africa I32 non-lus / 32labfs39, Février 2023
Tess Goes Where the Books Take Her 20236 non-lus / 6labfs39, Février 2023
Where in the World Are You? Nov/Dec 202235 non-lus / 35Tess_W, Janvier 2023
Markon (Ardene) dips her toe in the ocean of translation22 non-lus / 22labfs39, Janvier 2023
July-September 2015: Nobel Laureates Writing in a Language Other Than English126 non-lus / 126rocketjk, Janvier 2023
Trifolia’s travelling the World87 non-lus / 87Trifolia, Janvier 2023
rocketjk's 2022 reading travels27 non-lus / 27rocketjk, Décembre 2022
2023 Theme reads planning24 non-lus / 24labfs39, Décembre 2022
***REGION 10: South America II85 non-lus / 85Trifolia, Décembre 2022
***REGION 3: Middle Africa28 non-lus / 28Trifolia, Décembre 2022
October to December 2022: Prize winners in their own language73 non-lus / 73SassyLassy, Décembre 2022
***REGION 15: Asia V42 non-lus / 42Gypsy_Boy, Décembre 2022
2023 VOTING for QUARTERLY TOPICS17 non-lus / 17thorold, Décembre 2022
2022 RTT Quarterly: 2nd Quarter: April-June Outcasts and Castaways58 non-lus / 58thorold, Novembre 2022
Where In The World Are You? Sept/Oct 202224 non-lus / 24labfs39, Octobre 2022
July to September 2014: Mexico and Central America46 non-lus / 46kidzdoc, Octobre 2022
Speaking to No. 4--a novel with French & Japanese themes1 non-lu / 1Ifland, Octobre 2022
Oct - Dec 2015: Women authors who didn't write in English107 non-lus / 107labfs39, Septembre 2022
Where In The World Are You? July/August 202220 non-lus / 20kidzdoc, Août 2022
October-December 2019: Mitteleuropa101 non-lus / 101rocketjk, Août 2022
Jan - March 2022: Around the Indian Ocean62 non-lus / 62Gypsy_Boy, Juillet 2022
Hemlokgang's Global Literary Journey 202228 non-lus / 28labfs39, Juin 2022
Where In The World Are You? May/June 202225 non-lus / 25jveezer, Juin 2022
2022 Theme Reads Planning44 non-lus / 44SassyLassy, Mai 2022
April - June 2020: Writing from Southern Africa128 non-lus / 128thorold, Mai 2022
Where In The World Are You? March/April 202262 non-lus / 62MissWatson, Mai 2022
April to June 2021: Childhood — Books for or about children in different cultures around the world127 non-lus / 127Yells, Avril 2022
October - December 2013: South American Literature131 non-lus / 131SassyLassy, Mars 2022
Where In The World Are You? January/February 2022?60 non-lus / 60hemlokgang, Février 2022
Nickelini's Read Around the World Challenge48 non-lus / 48Nickelini, Février 2022
rocketjk's 2021 reading travels19 non-lus / 19rocketjk, Janvier 2022
Where In The World Are You? November/December 202145 non-lus / 45hemlokgang, Décembre 2021
MESSAGE BOARD 202127 non-lus / 27cindydavid4, Décembre 2021
Hemlokgang's Global Literary Journey 202131 non-lus / 31hemlokgang, Décembre 2021
Julie's Journeys22 non-lus / 22Julie_in_the_Library, Décembre 2021
2022 VOTING for QUARTERLY TOPICS10 non-lus / 10thorold, Décembre 2021
2012-Classics In Their Own Country--Europe and Turkey65 non-lus / 65thorold, Novembre 2021
ASIA READING CHALLENGE 2022 -2 non-lus / 2kidzdoc, Novembre 2021
Notes from a Small Population: 40+ places with under 500,000 inhabitants98 non-lus / 98thorold, Novembre 2021
Where In The World Are You? September/October 202131 non-lus / 31hemlokgang, Novembre 2021
July to September 2021: The Lusophone World: writing from countries where Portuguese is or was an important language80 non-lus / 80thorold, Octobre 2021
October-December 2021: Translation prize winners29 non-lus / 29MissWatson, Octobre 2021
Where In The World Are You? July/August 202139 non-lus / 39hemlokgang, Septembre 2021
***REGION 18: Oceania20 non-lus / 20streamsong, Août 2021
Trying to make a list of 1000 books normalized by country population85 non-lus / 85Settings, Août 2021
Japan’s indigenous minorities6 non-lus / 6danielcheng, Juillet 2021
Where In The World Are You? May/June 202167 non-lus / 67hemlokgang, Juillet 2021
October-December 2017: The Nordic Countries94 non-lus / 94Gypsy_Boy, Mai 2021
Jan-March 2015: The Indian Subcontinent97 non-lus / 97Gypsy_Boy, Mai 2021
April-June 2013 Theme Read: South East Asia72 non-lus / 72spiralsheep, Mai 2021
Where In The World Are You? March/April 202166 non-lus / 66hemlokgang, Mai 2021
Where In The World Are You? May/June 20201 non-lu / 1hemlokgang, Mai 2021
Jul-Sept 2017: non-majority language writers60 non-lus / 60rocketjk, Mars 2021
2021 Theme Reads Planning170 non-lus / 170cindydavid4, Février 2021
Where In The World Are You? January/February 2021?67 non-lus / 67hemlokgang, Février 2021
April-June 2019: Speculative Fiction from around the World76 non-lus / 76Dilara86, Février 2021
Boekentrol's World Tour in Books51 non-lus / 51BoekenTrol71, Février 2021
January to March 2014 -- Literature from Sub-Saharan Africa105 non-lus / 105spiralsheep, Janvier 2021
January - March 2020: The Rise of the Far Right in the 21st Century145 non-lus / 145tallpaul, Janvier 2021
April-June 2014 : Travel Writing and Travelogues Theme Read115 non-lus / 115spiralsheep, Janvier 2021
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