My Book List (a work in progress)

           My Criteria for My Book List

Novels are preferred to non-fiction.

Native writers are preferred to non-native writers--unless the chosen book is one that I've been meaning to read for years; only two or three selections fall into this category.

Each region must have a classic work that was written in the 19th century or earlier.

No region should have more than half of the novels as historical fiction.

Each region shall have male and female authors represented as evenly as possible.

Each selection must have a strong feeling of "place".

Any novel that can be read it the original language will be at least attempted.


N.B.   The following lists are noted as they were transcribed and will not be read in that order, but will follow the Travellerspoint route. Every selection subject to availability-- and accessibility.

Antarctica

The Worst Journey in the World Apsley Cherry-Garrard


The Antipodes

Australia Cloud Street Tim Winton
My Place Sally Morgan

New Zealand The Bone People Keri Hulme                                              
                                                      
South Asia (including India)

India Sea of Poppies Amitav Ghosh
A Fine Balance Rohinton Mistry

Burma From the Land of Green Ghosts: A Burmese Odyssey Pascal Khoo Thwe

Cambodia When Broken Glass Floats: Growing Up Under the Khmer RougeChanrithy Him
First They Killed My Father Loung Ung

Vietnam The Sorrow of War: A Novel of North Vietnam Bảo Ninh
Secrets of the Red Lantern: Stories and Recipes from the Heart Pauline Nguyen

Thailand Monsoon Country Pira Sudham

Indonesia The Ten Thousand Things Maria Dermoût

The Philippines When the Elephants Dance Tess Uriza Holthe
Dream Jungle Jessica Hagedorn
Dusk: A Novel F. Sionil José

China & Japan & Korea

Japan The Tale of Genji Murasaki Shikibu
The Snow Fox: A Novel Susan Fromberg Schaeffer

China Mao's Last Dancer Li Cunxin
Oracle Bones: A Journey Between China's Past and Present Peter Hessler
Dream of the Red Chamber Xuěqín Cáo

Korea The Surrendered Chang-rae Lee

The New World

USA Dakota: A Spiritual Geography Kathleen Norris

Canada The Colony of Unrequited Dreams Wayne Johnston

Mexico The Hummingbird's Daughter Luis Alberto Urrea

The Caribbean

Haiti Krik? Krak!  Edwidge Danticat

Dominican Republic The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao Junot Díaz

Cuba Explosion in a Cathedral Alejo Carpentier

Jamaica The Long Song Andrea Levy

South America
Chile The House of the Spirits Isabel Allende

Brazil Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas Machado de Assis
The War of the End of the World Mario Vargas Llosa

Argentina The Witness Juan José Saer

Peru Un Mundo Para Julius:Alfredo Bryce Echenique
                                               

Europe

France Madame Bovary Gustave Flaubert

England The Book of Ebenezer Le Page G.B. Edwards

Ireland The Story of Lucy Gault William Trevor

Wales The Hiding Place Trezza Azzopardi

Denmark Music & Silence Rose Tremain

Greenland The Greenlanders Jane Smiley

Norway Out Stealing Horses Per Petterson

Germany All Quiet on the Western Front Erich Maria Remarque

Spain La Catedral del Mar Ildefonso Falcones

Portugal Baltasar and Blimunda José Saramago

Austria The Hare with Amber Eyes: A Family's Century of Art and Loss Edmund de Waal

Hungary Embers Sándor Márai

Poland With Fire and Sword Henryk Sienkiewicz

Russia The House by the Dvina: A Russian Childhood Eugenie Fraser

The Balkans The Stone Fields: An Epitaph for the Living Courtney Angela Brkic

The Middle East and Central Asia

Turkey My Name Is Red Orhan Pamuk

Israel It's Easier to Reach Heaven Than the End of the Street: A Jerusalem Memoir Emma Williams

LebanonThe Story of Zahra: A Novel Hanan Al-Shaykh

Iran Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood Marjane Satrapi

Afghanistan The Patience Stone Atiq Rahimi

North Africa

Egypt The Map of Love Ahdaf Soueif
Apricots on the Nile: A Memoir with Recipes Colette Rossant

Morocco The Travels of Ibn Battuta: in the Near East, Asia and Africa, 1325-1354 Ibn Battuta
Dreams of Trespass: Tales of a Harem Girlhood Fatema Mernissi

Hope & Other Dangerous Pursuits Laila Lalami

Algeria Tongue's Blood Does Not Run Dry: Algerian Stories Assia Djebar


Sub-Sahara Africa
The Sudan They Poured Fire on Us from the Sky: The True Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan Benson Deng

Kenya Wizard of the Crow Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o

Ethiopia Beneath the Lion's Gaze: A Novel Maaza MengisteMaaza Mengiste

Ghana The Beautyful Ones Are Not Yet Born Ayi Kwei Armah

The Congo Heart of Darkness Joseph Conrad

Nigeria Aké: The Years of Childhood Wole Soyinka
Purple Hibiscus Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
The Joys of Motherhood Buchi Emecheta

Zimbabwe Nervous Conditions Tsitsi Dangarembga

Mozambique Mother Africa, Father Marx: Women's Writing of Mozambique, 1948-2002 Hilary Owen
Every Man Is a Race Mia Couto

South Africa The Story of an African Farm Olive Schreiner