Saturday 6 September 2008

The Olympic Challenge: London 2012


This is a challenge that I'm participating in through Bookcrossing. There's no prizes etc, its just a chance to challenge yourself and broadern your reading and knowledge of the world. Some people completed this challenge in the run up for the Bejing Olympics, this was the original post:"The goal is to read one author's work from the 202 participating countries by Summer Olympic Games by 2008. I will use my bookshelf to post all countries listed and suggested authors but the list is open to other authors or works. The only requirement is the author must be a citizen of that country (or was if deceased). Who will carry this torch with us?"

Several members didn't finish and are aiming to complete it by the winter olympics or London 2012, so I thought I'd give myself another challenge and attempt this, by London 2012.


As always it's great to have fellow challengers, for company and recommendations, so if any bloggers wish to join me let me know in the comments section. You don't have to read a novel per country, it could be a novel, essay, poetry, non fiction or graphic novel, just so long as the author is a citizen of that country


As I'm aiming to read around the world anyway, this challenge will help me focus and gives me a date to work to:

This is my mamouth list to get through:


ANOCA AFRICA

ALG Algeria

ANG Angola

BEN Benin

BOT Botswana

BUR Burkina Faso

BDI Burundi

CMR Cameroon

CPV Cape Verde

CAF Central African Republic

CHA Chad

COM Comoros

CGO Congo

CIV Côte d'Ivoire

COD Democratic Republic of the Congo

DJI Djibouti EGY Egypt

GEQ Equatorial Guinea

ERI Eritrea

ETH Ethiopia

GAB Gabon

GAM Gambia

GHA Ghana

GUI Guinea

GBS Guinea-Bissau

KEN Kenya

LES Lesotho

LBR Liberia

LBA Libyan Arab Jamahiriya

MAD Madagascar

MAW Malawi

MLI Mali

MTN Mauritania

MRI Mauritius

MAR Morocco

MOZ Mozambique

NAM Namibia

NIG Niger


RWA Rwanda

STP Sao Tome and Principe

SEN Senegal

SEY Seychelles

SLE Sierra Leone

SOM Somalia

RSA South Africa

SUD Sudan

SWZ Swaziland

TOG Togo

TUN Tunisia

UGA Uganda

TAN United Republic of Tanzania

ZAM Zambia

ZIM Zimbabwe


ONOC OCEANA

ASA American Samoa

AUS Australia Rabbit Proof Fence, Pilkington

COK Cook Islands

FSM Federated States of Micronesia

FIJ Fiji

GUM Guam

KIR Kiribati

MHL Marshall Islands

NRU Nauru

NZL New Zealand

PLW Palau

PNG Papua New Guinea

SAM Samoa

SOL Solomon Islands

TGA Tonga

TUV Tuvalu

VAN Vanuatu


OCA ASIA

AFG Afghanistan

BRN Bahrain

BAN Bangladesh

BHU Bhutan

BRU Brunei Darussalam

CAM Cambodia

TPE Chinese Taipei

PRK Democratic People's Republic of Korea

HKG Hong-Kong

IND India Sea of Poppies, Ghosh

INA Indonesia

IRQ Iraq

IRI Islamic Republic of Iran

JPN Japan Goodbye Tsugumi, Yoshimoto

JOR Jordan

KAZ Kazakhstan

KOR Korea

KUW Kuwait

KGZ Kyrgyzstan

LAO Lao People's Democratic Republic

LIB Lebanon Varjak Paw

MAS Malaysia

MDV Maldives

MGL Mongolia

NEP Nepal

PAK Pakistan

PLE Palestine

CHN People's Republic of China

PHI Philippines

QAT Qatar

KSA Saudi Arabia

SIN Singapore

SRI Sri Lanka

SYR Syrian Arab Republic

TJK Tadjikistan

THA Thailand

TLS Timor-Leste

TKM Turkmenistan

UAE United Arab Emirates

UZB Uzbekistan

VIE Viet Nam

YEM Yemen


EOC EUROPE

ALB Albania

AND Andorra

ARM Armenia

AUT Austria

AZE Azerbaijan

BLR Belarus

BEL Belgium

BIH Bosnia and Herzegovina

BUL Bulgaria

CRO Croatia

CYP Cyprus

CZE Czech Republic Metamorphosis, Kafka

DEN Denmark

EST Estonia

FIN Finland

MKD Former Yugoslav Republic of Macedonia

FRA France Three Shadows, Pedrosa

GEO Georgia

GER Germany

GBR Great Britain

GRE Greece

HUN Hungary

ISL Iceland

IRL Ireland

ISR Israel

ITA Italy

LAT Latvia

LIE Liechtenstein

LTU Lithuania

LUX Luxembourg

MLT Malta

MNE Montenegro

NED Netherlands

NOR Norway

POL Poland

POR Portugal

MDA Republic of Moldova

ROM Romania

RUS Russian Federation

SMR San Marino

SRB Serbia

SVK Slovakia

SLO Slovenia

ESP Spain

SWE Sweden

SUI Switzerland

TUR Turkey

UKR Ukraine

PASO AMERICA


ANT Antigua and Barbuda

ARG Argentina

ARU Aruba

BAH Bahamas

BAR Barbados

BIZ Belize

BER Bermuda

BOL Bolivia

BRA Brazil The Valkyries, Coelho (12/09/08)

IVB British Virgin Islands

CAN Canada

CAY Cayman Islands

COL Colombia

CRC Costa Rica

CUB Cuba

DMA Dominica

DOM Dominican Rhythm Republic

ECU Ecuador

ESA El Salvador

GRN Grenada

GUA Guatemala

GUY Guyana

HAI Haiti

HON Honduras

JAM Jamaica

MEX Mexico

AHO Netherlands Antilles

NCA Nicaragua

PAN Panama

PAR Paraguay

PER Peru

PUR Puerto Rico

SKN Saint Kitts and Nevis

LCA Saint Lucia

VIN Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

SUR Suriname

TRI Trinidad and Tobago

USA United States of America

URU Uruguay

VEN Venezuela

ISV Virgin Islands

20 comments:

The Well Read Fish said...

South Africa: My Traitor's Heart by Rian Malan

Sudan: They Poured Fire on us from the Sky

Rwanda: We wish to Inform You... by Philip Gourevitch

Canada: Anything by Margaret Atwood or The Day the World Came to Town by Jim Defede

Turkey: Orhan Pamuk

Israel: Let it Be Morning by Sayed Kashua and anything by Amos Oz

Germany: Stasiland by Anna Funder

Cambodia: The Gate, by Francois Bizot (not a cambodian writer)

France: most books by Joanne Harris, Peter Mayle or Suite Francaise

Iran: Persepolis

Afghanistan: An Unexpected Light by Jason Eliot (not Afghani writer)

China: Balzac and the little chinese seamstress

katrina said...

Lots of good books to look out for, cool x

Deb B. said...

Do books about the countries count too?

katrina said...

On bookcrossing they started by limiting to books by autors from that country, but many people really struggled, so read books about the country. Personally I'm going to try and finid an author from the country, whose work I want to read, if I can't find one, I will just read a book about that country.

Jan in Edmonds said...

What a cool challenge, Katrina. Count me in! And check my blog for what I intend to read -- can't wait to start! Luv ya --

Jan in Edmonds said...

my blog is located at
http://jottingsfromjan.blogspot.com

Sandra said...

I'd love to do this. I recently read Rabbit-Proof Fence also and liked it very much.

Unknown said...

Count me in! I wanted to do the last Olympic challenge, but I came across it too late. I may have duplicates as I belong to a few book groups that focus on one region or country. Judy

soffitta1 said...

Hi Katrinat!

I am trying with this challenge, have read a few books already. Glad to see that books about countries count as have been finding it quite difficult. Will let you know if I find any really good ones.
Morag / soffitta1

Cheryl said...

I would like to accept this challenge! It will be great to expand my horizons.
Cheryl

Libreria said...

Hello again, Katrina, count me in for this one too.

You can find me at http://libreriabookstogo.blogspot.com/

Email is libreria04 at gmail dot com

Thanks again.
Triccie aka Libreria

Gabby said...

Count me in. This is an awesome challenge!

Here's the link for my blog:

http://kindlings.wordpress.com/2009/01/02/olympic-challenge/

Thanks! Gabby

Cheryl said...

I have been participating in the challenge (and it is a HUGE one) for a few months now. Here is a list of the books that I have read, so far:

BUL Bulgaria=The Voices of Marrakesh by Elias Canetti (2/09)
DEN Denmark=Fear and Trembling by Sorn Kierkegaard (2/09)
PHI Philippines =Filipino Children’s Favorite Stories by Liana Elena Romulo (1/09)
POL Poland= The Shadow of a Bull by Maia Wojcechowska (01/09)
PAK Pakistan = Reconciliation by Benazir Bhutto (12/08)
USA United States of America = Grace by Richard Paul Evans (12/08)
CAN Canada = The Shack by William P. Young (12/08)
COL Colombia = Love in a Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (2008)
NED Netherlands= The Hiding Place by Corrie ten Boom (2008)
RWA Rwanda = Left To Tell by Immaculee Ilibagiza (2008)
GBR Great Britain = A Town Like Alice by Nevil Chute (2008)
BRA Brazil= The Alchemist by Paulo Coelho (2008)

Currently, I am reading:
FIN Finland= The Maid Silja by F.E. Sillanpaa.

I am trying to find something by an author from Seychelles. Anyone with a suggestion?

Here is the link to my blog (where you will find my list of books as well as a few reviews of some of the books I have read more recently:

http://cherylphipps.blogspot.com/

Cynthia said...

What a wonderful challenge! I'd love to join in as well.

I haven't read anything yet, but I will probably be starting with Sweden: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson as I just picked this up from the bookstore.

I'll be posting updates of what I read for this challenge at my blog: http://cynthiasbookshelf.blogspot.com

Natalie W said...

What a great challenge! Saw this on Cynthias Bookshelf. I might try it.
(not so good with challenges LOL)
Natalie :0)

Cheryl said...

I have completed 1/4 of the countries now (51). I have thoroughly enjoyed the challenge. The books I have read are on my blog.

bathmate said...

I liked it.
Bathmate

bathmate said...

it is really good... I like it very much...

Bathmate

Cheryl said...

I have now completed 152/202 countries. Here is a link to my blog with what I have read.
http://cherylphipps.blogspot.com/

claire.elizabeth said...

A suggestion for Sierra Leone: A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah - it's a wonderful read, and quick, too!