Around the World in 80 Books

You knew it was coming....My first challenge sign up for 2013.  Well, I actually can start now because the challenge dates run from October 1, 2012 on.  And I'll probably start early 'cause I'm an eager beaver like that.  But...we're gonna call this the first 2013 challenge and log it in on next year's list.  So, here's the scoop:  I'm signing up for Stacey over at Have Books, Will Travel's Around the World in 80 Books Reading Challenge.  She says we can adapt her rules...so I am, just a bit.  For her full run-down, hop on the link and check things out.  And join us on a trip around the world!

We're off on a voyage of discovery--traveling around the world through the books that we read. The goal: to broaden our literary horizons and learn more about the cultures and life in other countries. So, grab your passport and a great book and we'll take off for places unknown! Bon Voyage!

Rules for this challenge:

• Five years to complete the journey. Starting date is October 1, 2012 {but you can join this challenge any time} and my end date will be September 30, 2017. 
• Like Stacey, I'm choosing books that take place in a particular country {since one of my primary goals is to learn about other countries}so it won't matter to me what country the author is from. If a book takes place in multiple countries then I will count it towards the country that it is mostly set in. 
• I will plan to donate 80 books to my local library. 

 List of books read and location:
1. The Penguin Book of Victorian Women in Crime by Michael Sims, ed (11/5/12) [England]
2. The Bone Is Pointed by Arthur W. Upfield [Australia] (11/16/12)
3. The Three Evangelists by Fred Vargas  [France] (12/15/12) 
4. Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke [US] (12/19/12) 
5. The Man Who Went up in Smoke by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö [Hungary] (1/8/13)
6. Whip Smart: Lola Montez Conquers the Spaniards by Kit Brennan [Spain] (2/9/13)
7. The Perfect Landscape by Ragna Sigurdardottir [Iceland] (3/12/13)
8. The Lady Vanishes (aka The Wheel Spins) by Ethel Lina White [takes place on train ride through the "Balkans" which could conceivable be part of several countries. I have arbitrarily decided that the bulk of the action takes place in Bulgaria] (3/17/13) 
9. The African Queen by C. S. Forester [Tanzania] (4/6/13) 
10. Blood Makes Noise by Gregory Widen [Argentina] (4/30/13) 
11. The Talking Sparrow Murders by Darwin L. Teilhet [Germany] (5/6/13)
 

List of books donated:
Had a clear-out of books today (11/11/12)
1. Some Men Are More Perfect Than Others by Merle Shain
2. The Four Million & Other Stories by O. Henry
3. All the President's Men by Carl Bernstein & Bob Woodward
4. The Armies of the Night by Norman Mailer
5. Weeping on Wednesday by Ann Purser
6. Theft on Thursday by Ann Purser
7. Catch-22 by Joseph Heller
8. God Emperor of Dune by Frank Herbert
9. My Fair Lady by Monica Dickens
10. The Romance of Tristan & Iseult retold by Joseph Bedier
11. The Firebrand by Marion Zimmer Bradley
12. I Been There Before by David Carkeet
13. J.B. by Archibald MacLeish
14. The Island of the Day Before by Umberto Eco
15. Lord Jim by Joseph Conrad
16. The Clan of the Cave Bear by Jean M. Auel
17. The Valley of Horses by Jean M. Auel
18. The Mammoth Hunters by Jean M. Auel
19. Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? by Edward Albee
20. Of Mice & Men by John Steinbeck
21. Time Flies by Bill Cosby 

22. The School of Night by Louis Bayard (donated 11/17/12)
23. Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (donated 11/17/12)
24. Death in the Memorial Garden by Kathy Deviny (donated 12/8/12) 
25. Plum Pudding Murder by Joanne Fluke (donated 12/21/12) 
26. The Cat Who Came to Christmas by Cleveland Amory (donated 12/21/12) 
27. The White Dragon by Anne McCaffrey (donated 1/13/12)
28. Whip Smart by Kit Brennan (donated (2/9/13) 
29. Ten Little Indians by Agatha Christie (donated 2/16/13)
30. A Holiday for Murder by Agatha Christie (donated 2/16/13)
31. The Name of the Rose by Umberto Eco (donated 2/16/13) 
32. The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith (donated 3/7/13) 
33. Mistress of the Art of Death by Ariana Franklin (donated 3/9/13) 
34. Mary Poppins by P. L. Travers (donated 3/11/13)
35. A Perfect Red by Amy Butler Greenfield (donated 3/24/13) 
36. In the Shadow of Gotham by Stefanie Pintoff (donated 4/9/13) 
37. The Silence of Herondale by Joan Aiken (donated 4/21/13) 
38. Blood Makes Noise by Gregory Widen (donated 4/30/13) 
39. And Having Writ... by Donald R. Bensen (donated 5/11/13) 






Countries visited:


visited 11 states (4.88%)
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visited 10 states (4.44%)