Orbis Terrarum

Around the World in 8 Months: Orbis Terrarum Reading Challenge

2010-03-12T20:48:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Orbis Terrarum 2010!!!

This is year 3 of our big adventure. There are some different things going on this year, so read up.

Orbis Terrarum 2010 Challenge Rules:

*The Orbis Terrarum Challenge begins April,1st 2010(you are welcome to join later) through the month of November.
*For the challenge each reader is to choose 8 books (for the 8 months of the challenge).
*Each book must from a different country, I have decided to go by the country of origin of the author, or the country he/she lives in is fine as well-meaning NOT the country the book is set in!!
*You don’t have to have a list, that means you can change your mind at any time. As long as there are 8 books you have completed the challenge.

This year the challenge will be moved (again! I know annoying!) But I am done messing with blogger and I think you will like what you see over at the new place!!

Click here to go to the: New (and hopefully improved) Orbis Terrarum Reading Challenge Blog

Do you have suggestions?? Give 'em to me! :P

December (last month) Links to Your Books Reviews

2009-12-08T16:44:00.000-08:00

This is the last month of the OT challenge!!! Post all your reviews for this month below, you can also post the links to your wrap up posts on this Mr. Linky.

As always, be sure to include the nation of origin (or where he/she resides or resided or if you are choosing to go with where the author was born) of the author, as well as the title of the book. For example: (Absent by Khedairi- Iraq)or (Half of a Yellow Sun - Nigeria)

Thank you all SO MUCH for joining in on this Orbis Terrarum Challenge this year, I have loved interacting with you all!!!

Blessings in this wonderful Christmas season to you and your families.

November Book Links!

2009-11-05T20:49:00.000-08:00

Post your reviews for the month of November below. I can't wait to see where you have traveled this month!!

As always, be sure to include the nation of origin (or where he/she resides or resided or if you are choosing to go with where the author was born) of the author, as well as the title of the book. For example: (Absent by Khedairi- Iraq)or (Half of a Yellow Sun - Nigeria)

Make sure you head over to each other's reviews to comment! We all love comments :)

Kristin Lavransdatter Readalong

2009-10-01T20:54:00.000-07:00

Dear Orbis Terrarum Challenge Readers:

Since Emily from Evening All Afternoon and I are hosting a Kristin Lavransdatter Readalong from October through December, Bethany has asked me to post something about the readalong here in case any of you are interested in joining us. Full details can be found at Emily's blog here or my blog here, but basically we'll be reading one book a month from Sigrid Undset's 1920-1922 trilogy (above, photo by Emily) as part of a shared read with a friendly group of readers--sort of an online book group. While Undset's status as a Nobel Prize winner may provide a bit of an intellectual incentive for some of you, the rest of you should rest easy in knowing that Kristin Lavransdatter is wildly acclaimed by many people who just like a good read! As an added bonus for Orbis Terrarum Challenge participants, Undset can count as either a Norwegian author (based on where she lived much of her life) or as a Danish author (where she was born). Anyway, I hope you'll consider reading along with us as the last readalong that many in the Kristin Lavransdatter crew participated in was so much fun that we decided to carry on with our online book group thing one more time!

Best,

Richard

P.S. Orbis Terrarum host Bethany is just one of several O.T. challengers reading along with us. Feel free to stop by everybody's blogs even if you don't have the time to participate! Bethany has also created a group for the Kristin Lavransdatter Readalong over at the Book Blogs Ning here.

September Reviews for Orbis Terrarum Travelers!

2009-09-12T14:57:00.000-07:00

Post your reviews for the month of September below. I can't wait to see where you have traveled this month!!

As always, be sure to include the nation of origin (or where he/she resides or resided or if you are choosing to go with where the author was born) of the author, as well as the title of the book. For example: (Absent by Khedairi- Iraq)or (Half of a Yellow Sun - Nigeria)

Make sure you head over to each other's reviews to comment! We all love comments :)

Mister Linky is back up!!!!

Who am I? Guessing Game for a book!!!

2009-08-30T15:18:00.000-07:00

Time for a GIVEAWAY!!!!!

I am going to copy what Richard did for his giveaway and give one clue each day until the book is figured out. I want you to guess the author and the book in order to win.

I will just edit this post with a new clue daily until someone gets it!!

Clues:

1.) International fiction writer.
2.) The writer is Female.
3.) She is from California.
4.) Born to first generation immigrants.
5.) Won the National Book Award

HAVE FUN PLAYING, You may guess in the comments to win, but I will only answer yes or no. Enjoy!
(you must be a part of the Orbis Terrarum Challenger to play)

August Reviews!!

2009-08-05T12:07:00.000-07:00

Hey international traveler peeps!
So this is our 6th month, and so you should be working on your 6th book in August.

To add in a little excitement I have a great book to giveaway this month. It is one of my favourite reads, so stay in touch.

Post your reviews in the comments, Mr Linky is still down, I think I will give up on it.

Be sure to include the nation of origin (or where he/she resides or resided or if you are choosing to go with where the author was born) of the author, as well as the title of the book. For example: (Absent by Khedairi- Iraq)or (Half of a Yellow Sun - Nigeria)

Make sure you head over to each other's reviews to comment! We all love comments :)

Enjoy your reading travels.

EDIT: Mister Linky is BACK!! Just when I had given up! :)

July Reviews!!

2009-07-14T08:18:00.000-07:00

How is the summer treating you? Do you read more during the summer or less? So far for me it has been so much less this time around with my husband graduating with his masters and my sister getting married, plans go to Spain in September for a visit to my parents....you know all fun stuff, but still completely distracting. Happy reading peeps!

Here is the Mr. Linky for July, where you can post your links to the reviews you have written the month for the OT challenges. I am going to post one mr. linky for all of the OT challenges so make sure that you specify in your review what challenge (or challenges if there is overlap) you are posting the review for.

Be sure to include the nation of origin (or where he/she resides or resided or if you are choosing to go with where the author was born) of the author, as well as the title of the book. For example: (Absent by Khedairi- Iraq)or (Half of a Yellow Sun - Nigeria)

Make sure you head over to each other's reviews to comment! We all love comments :)

Mr. Linky (where you put your links) is down right now, just post the url to your review, along with Country,Author, Book in the comments. THANKS!

Reviews for June

2009-06-12T21:16:00.000-07:00

Here is the Mr. Linky for June, where you can post your links to the reviews you have written the month for the OT challenges. I am going to post one mr. linky for all of the OT challenges so make sure that you specify in your review what challenge (or challenges if there is overlap) you are posting the review for.

Be sure to include the nation of origin (or where he/she resides or resided or if you are choosing to go with where the author was born) of the author, as well as the title of the book. For example: (Absent by Khedairi- Iraq)or (Half of a Yellow Sun - Nigeria)

Make sure you head over to each other's reviews to comment! We all love comments :)

Mr. Linky (where you put your links) is down right now, just post the url to your review, along with Country,Author, Book in the comments. THANKS!

Reviews for May!!!

2009-05-03T14:09:00.000-07:00

Here is the Mr. Linky for May, where you can post your links to the reviews you have written the month for the OT challenges. I am going to post one mr. linky for all of the OT challenges so make sure that you specify in your review what challenge (or challenges if there is overlap) you are posting the review for.

Be sure to include the nation of origin (or where he/she resides or resided or if you are choosing to go with where the author was born) of the author, as well as the title of the book. For example: (Absent by Khedairi- Iraq)or (Half of a Yellow Sun - Nigeria)

Make sure you head over to each other's reviews to comment! We all love comments :)

Mr. Linky (where you put your links) is down right now, just post the url to your reivew, along with Country,Author, Book in the comments. THANKS!

Thank you!

2009-04-28T00:27:00.000-07:00

Hey OT folks!

I want to thank you for all the commenting you have been doing on each other's blogs, and checking out the OT reviews that the other members have posted!! You all are really helping me out. My initial goal was to comment on every OT review, and I guess it is a good sign, but I keep falling way behind. You all are crackin' out those international reviews like crazy. So, keep up the good reviewing and the commenting. I love the community feel that it breeds. LOVE IT! Keep it up. Thank you all so much.

Stay posted, I will host a giveaway, Guess that Author game soon ( thanks Richard for the idea from your Juan Rulfo giveaway). So keep checking, I'll get it up in the next couple days!

Juan Rulfo

2009-04-04T07:27:00.000-07:00

Congratulations to One Swede Read, who correctly guessed that Mexico's own Juan Rulfo (above, with pre-columbian friend) was the name of the author in this week's trivia contest! Rulfo (1917 or 1918-1986) is primarily famous for two works, his 1953 short story collection El llano en llamas (The Burning Plain) and his 1955 novel Pedro Páramo, but he's almost universally revered in Latin American literary circles for his contributions to the craft of writing. Jorge Luis Borges, for example, called Pedro Páramo one of the best novels ever written, and Gabriel García Márquez has claimed that reading that same novel helped him break the writer's block he was suffering early on in his own career--a breakthrough that would soon lead to the creation of García Márquez' own classic Cien años de soledad (100 Years of Solitude). Rulfo has lately begun to receive a lot of posthumous attention for his wonderful photography, and photographic compilations of his work are now available in both English and Spanish as well as online. The Prize: One Swede Read, please get in touch with me to claim your prize: a copy of El llano in llamas (The Burning Plain) or Pedro Páramo in either Spanish or English. One final note: OT host Bethany somehow managed to guess the author's identity on the very first day of the contest, but she took herself out of the running so that others could have a chance at the prize. How about a round of applause for her sportsmanship? Thanks to everybody who participated in the trivia contest--we'll do another one down the road if you thought it was fun!

A Spanish-language version of Rulfo's classics

An English version of the novel

One of Rulfo's more ethereal photographs: two dancers on a plain in Mexico

"Guess the Name of the Author" Book Giveaway Contest

2009-04-01T08:47:00.000-07:00

To help get April's Orbis Terrarum reading off to a fun start, I'm giving away a free paperback (author and title to be revealed later) to the first OT challenger who can guess the name of the mystery man above (no resemblance to the actual author, of course!). All OT contestants are welcome to play, and the only rule is that you should limit yourself to one guess a day (no anonymous entries) in the comments box until the writer's identity is revealed. I'll provide a new clue here daily until a winner is declared, but here are three to start you out. P.S. Given that these clues may apply to more than one person, don't get too mad if you guess the "wrong" writer based on a similar description. I know who the right one is!

The author in question, one of the most influential of his times by many accounts, was a writer and a photographer.
English was not the author's native language.
A son of the author is a filmmaker.
(Bonus clue) Jorge Luis Borges, no stranger to talent himself, was a huge fan of this writer's work.
(Latest clue) Although this celebrated short story writer and novelist did write in Spanish, he wasn't born in either South America or Spain.

Can you guess the name of this author?

April OT Books Read:

2009-04-01T07:16:00.000-07:00

Here is the Mr. Linky for April, where you can post your links to the reviews you have written the month for the OT challenges. I am going to post one mr. linky for all of the OT challenges so make sure that you specify in your review what challenge (or challenges if there is overlap) you are posting the review for.

Be sure to include the nation of origin (or where he/she resides or resided or if you are choosing to go with where the author was born) of the author, as well as the title of the book. For example: (Absent by Khedairi- Iraq)or (Half of a Yellow Sun - Nigeria)

Make sure you head over to each other's reviews to comment! We all love comments :)

National Poetry Month! Want to join in?

2009-03-31T19:14:00.000-07:00

April is National poetry month and I wanted to be sure and mention it so that you'd each have a chance to bust out some good international poetry to read. We have the good Orbis Terrarum Poetry Mini Challenge and this would be a great month to focus on that if you are signed up. That is what I am going to do at least. (although any other month would be great too :)

Katrina gave us this good little tid bit:
For people that want to read 5 different poems, On this page. Their are audio's of all the poems we study in England for GCSE's the poems specifically have to come from a different culture. Copies of each poem are easily found on line as well if you google the title.

What international poets are you going to read for this Poetry Mini-Challenge??

Post links to your March OT reviews!!

2009-03-02T18:12:00.000-08:00

I will put up a new mr. linky every month where you can post your links to the reviews you have written that month for the OT challenges. I am going to one mr. linky for the main OT challenge and the Mini-challenges so make sure that you specify in your review what challenge (or challenges if there is overlap) you are posting the review for.

Be sure to include the nation of origin (or where he/she resides) of the author, as well as the title of the book. For example: (Absent by Khedairi- Iraq)or (Half of a Yellow Sun - Nigeria)

Make sure you head over to eachother's reviews to comment! We all love comments :)

may the journey begin!!

2009-03-01T20:49:00.000-08:00

Today is the 1st of March, and the beginning of:

The Orbis Terrarum Challenge
The Orbis Terrarum Film Challenge
The Orbis Terrarum Bilingual Challenge
The Orbis Terrarum Poetry Challenge

Which country are you visiting in first!? I am torn. I have several really good options. I put together (with the help of several of you amazing volunteers) a list of the books read last year and links to what other bloggers thought of those books. If you email me links as we go I can just add them. Make sure to remember that I list them by the author's nation of origin, I know sometimes it isn't the best fit, but I think over all it is the best way of doing things.

Are you ready to start???

And the Winner Is...

2009-03-01T20:38:00.000-08:00

Beastmomma, you have just won a copy of The Best of Youth on DVD. I'll be in touch soon to get your mailing address, but for now happy day one of the Orbis Terrarum Challenge to you and to all the other giveaway participants.

Orbis Terrarum Film Mini-Challenge Giveaway

2009-02-17T20:03:00.001-08:00

Dear Orbis Terrarum 2009 Challenge Participants:

With Bethany's approval, I'll be sponsoring a DVD giveaway in early March to help kick off this year's Orbis Terrarum Film Mini-Challenge. One lucky winner will receive a copy of director Marco Tullio Giordana's 2003 The Best of Youth (original title: La meglio gioventù), a six-hour Italian epic that follows the fortunes of brothers Matteo and Nicola Carati through almost forty years of recent history in the bel paese. Everybody I've shown this movie to has been blown away by it, so I hope I can continue the streak with you if you turn out to be the giveaway winner!

Although the DVD winner will be determined by a random drawing, you can increase your chances to earn up to five raffle entry points by doing one or more of the following: 1) Comment on this post to let me know that you're interested in being entered into the drawing. 2) For a bonus point, let me and Bethany know what three of your all-time favorite foreign films are in the course of your comments. 3) For three bonus points, sign up for the Orbis Terrarum Film Mini-Challenge using Mister Linky by the end of the month. I plan on holding the drawing on March 1st, the official start of the main OT Challenge and all the mini-challenges this year, so please comment and/or sign-up by the end of February to be eligible to win.

One last thing: This Best of Youth DVD is a region one DVD, which means it will only play on U.S. and Canada DVD players unless you have a multi-region DVD player or program. If you win the contest but aren't sure if you're able to play U.S. DVDs on your system, let me know if you'd prefer that I send you a copy of Giuseppe di Lampedusa's 1958 novel The Leopard (Il gattopardo) instead. Ciao!

Reviewed by OT Challengers

2009-01-28T09:29:00.000-08:00

Africa

Algeria – Algiers
The Plague - Albert Camus (Algeria) raidergirl3
The Plague by Albert Camus (Algeria) Katrina
Angola – Luanda
Benin – Porto-Novo (seat of government at Cotonou)
Botswana – Gaborone
Burkina Faso – Ouagadougou
Burundi – Bujumbura
Cameroon – Yaoundé
Cape Verde – Praia
Central African Republic – Bangui
Chad – N'Djamena
Comoros – Moroni
Congo, Democratic Republic of (also known as Congo-Kinshasa) – Kinshasa
Congo, Republic of (also known as Congo-Brazzaville) – Brazzaville
Côte d'Ivoire (also commonly known as Ivory Coast) – Yamoussoukro (seat of government at Abidjan)
Djibouti – Djibouti
Egypt – Cairo
Moon Tiger by Penelope Lively (Eygpt) Katrina
The Harafish by Naguib Mahfouz (Egypt) Rachel
In the Eye of the Sun by Ahdaf Soueif (Egypt) Eva
The Map of Love - Ahdaf Souief (Egypt)
Equatorial Guinea – Malabo
Eritrea – Asmara
Ethiopia – Addis Ababa
Gabon – Libreville
Gambia – Banjul
Ghana – Accra
Guinea – Conakry
Guinea-Bissau – Bissau
Kenya – Nairobi
Lesotho – Maseru
Liberia – Monrovia
Libya – Tripoli
In the Country of Men - Hisham Matar (Libya) raidergirl3
In the Country of Men - Hisham Matar (Libya) Pratima
Madagascar – Antananarivo
Malawi – Lilongwe
Mali – Bamako
Mauritania – Nouakchott
Mauritius – Port Louis
The Rape of Sita -Lindsey Collen (Mauritius) Lynda
Mayotte (overseas territory of France) – Mamoudzou
Morocco – Rabat
This Blinding Absense of Light - Ben Jelloun, Tahar (Morocco) raidergirl3
Mozambique – Maputo
Namibia – Windhoek
Niger – Niamey
Nigeria – Abuja
Things Fall Apart - Chiua Achebe (Nigeria)raidergirl3
Things Fall Apart by Achebe (Nigeria) 3M
No Longer At Ease - Chinua Achebe (Nigeria) Rajik
Purple Hibiscus - Chimamanda Adichie (Nigeria) Pratima
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria)Tammy
Purple Hibiscus by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria) Ramya
Half of A Yellow Sun by Chiamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria)Bookbath
Half of A Yellow Sun by Chiamanda Ngozi Adichie (Nigeria) Trish
The Famished Road - Ben Okri (Nigeria) Nymeth
Réunion (overseas department of France) – Saint-Denis
Rwanda – Kigali
Saint Helena (overseas territory of the United Kingdom; including the territories of Ascension Island and Tristan da Cunha) – Jamestown
Sao Tome and Principe – São Tomé
Senegal – Dakar
Seychelles – Victoria
Sierra Leone – Freetown
A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah- (Sierra Leone)Trish
A Long Way Gone by Ishmael Beah (Sierra Leone) Mrs. B
Somalia – Mogadishu
Maps - Nuruddin Farah (Somalia) Beastmomma
South Africa – Pretoria (administrative), Cape Town (legislative), Bloemfontein
The Writing Circle by Rozena Maart (South Africa) Bethany
Sudan – Khartoum
The Translator - Daoud Hari (Sudan) Tanabata
The Translator - Daoud Hari (Sudan) Trish
Swaziland – Mbabane (administrative), Lobamba (royal and legislative)
Tanzania – Dodoma (seat of government at Dar es Salaam)
Togo – Lomé
Tunisia – Tunis
Uganda – Kampala
Western Sahara^{[note 1]} – El Aaiún (unofficial)
Zambia – Lusaka
Zimbabwe – Harare

Asia

Afghanistan – Kabul
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Afganistan)Myrthe
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini - (Afghanistan) Veens
The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan) Bethany
The Kite Runner - Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan) Leya
A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini (Afganisthan)Bookworm
A Thousand Splendid Suns - Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan) Pratima
Kabul Beauty School by Deborah Rodriguez (Afghanistan) Juli
Armenia^{[note 2]} – Yerevan
Penelope by Goar Markosyan-Kasper - (Armenia)Myrthe
Azerbaijan^{[note 2]} – Baku
Bahrain – Manama
Bangladesh – Dhaka
Brick Lane - Monica Ali (Bangledash) Rajik
Bhutan – Thimphu
British Indian Ocean Territory (overseas territory of the United Kingdom)^{[note 3]}
Brunei – Bandar Seri Begawan
Cambodia – Phnom Penh
The Road to Lost Innocence - Somly Mam (Cambodia) Veens
China, People's Republic of – Beijing
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress -Dai Sijie- (China) Tricia
Shanghai Baby by Zhou Wei Hui (China) Lynda
A Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers - Xiaolou Guo (China) Joanna
Sky Burial by Xinran (Tibet) Medb
Sky Burial - Xinran (China) Bart
China, Republic of (commonly known as Taiwan) – Taipei
Christmas Island (overseas territory of Australia)^{[note 4]}
Cocos (Keeling) Islands (overseas territory of Australia)^{[note 4]}
Cyprus^{[note 2]} – Nicosia
Georgia^{[note 2]} – Tbilisi
Hong Kong (special administrative region of the People's Republic of China)
India – New Delhi
Mistress of Spices by Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni(India) Corinne
Sister of My Heart - Chitra Banerjee Divakaruni (India) Pratima
The Mistress by Anita Nair-(India) Ramya
The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (India) 3m
The White Tiger - Adiga Aravind (India) - Karen
Katha: Short Stories by Indian Women - (India) Lynda
Unaccustomed Earth - Jhumpa Lahiri (India) Veens
Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpa Lahiri-(India) Tricia
The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy (India) Juli
The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy (India) Leya
The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy (India) Trish
The God of Small Things - Arundhati Roy (India) Joanna
The Talkative Man by R. K. Narayan (India) Rajk
What the Body Remembers - Shauna Singh Baldwin (India) Beastmomma
The Zigzag Way - Anita Desai (India) Nymeth
Indonesia – Jakarta
Iran – Tehran
Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi (Iran) Corinne
Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi (Iran) Bart
Persepolis - Marjane Satrapi (Iran) Beastmomma
Persepolis 2 by Marjane Satrapi (Iran) Tricia
Persepolisby Marjane Satrapi (Iran) Tiny Librarian
Persian Brides by Dorit Rabinyan (Iran) Katrina
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (Iran) Ramya
Iraq – Baghdad
I'jaam - Sinon Antoon (Iraq) Beastmomma
Absent by Betool Khedairi (Iraq) Corinne
Maqamat [The Assemblies of Al-Hariri: Fifty Encounters with the Shaykh Abu Zayd of Seruj], Al-Hariri of Basra,(Iraq) Richard
The Assemblies of Al-Hariri - Al-Hariri of Basara (Iraq) – R-Lo
My Father's Paradise - A Son's Search for His Jewish Past in Kurdish Iraq - Ariel Sabar (Iraq and Israel) Ramya
Israel – Jerusalem
Don't Call it Night - Amos Oz (Israel) Myrthe
Japan – Tokyo
Shadow Family - Miyuki Miyabe (Japan)Raidergirl3
All She Was Worth, Miyuki Miyabe,( Japan)Richard
The Wind-up Bird Chronicles - Haruki Murakami (Japan) BookCrazy
After Dark - Haruki Murakami (Japan)Pratima
After Dark – Haruki Murakami (Japan) - Karen
Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami (Japan) Ramya
Kafka on the Shore by Haruki Murakami (Japan)Tanabata
Kafka On the Shore - Haruki Murakami (Japan) Joanna
X-Ka by Asami Tohjoh (Japan) 3m
Black Rain by Masuji Ibuse (Japan) Tanabata
Snow Country - Yasunari Kawabata (Japan) Trish
Strangers - Taichi Yamada (Japan) Nymeth
Good Bye - Yoshihiro Tatsumi (Japan) Bart
Jordan – Amman
Kazakhstan – Astana
Korea, Democratic People's Republic of (commonly known as North Korea) – Pyongyang
Korea, Republic of (commonly known as South Korea) – Seoul
Kuwait – Kuwait City
Kyrgyzstan – Bishkek
Laos – Vientiane
Lebanon – Beirut
Fashionably Late – Nadine Dajani (Lebanon) – Tiny Librarian
Macau (special administrative region of the People's Republic of China)
Malaysia – Kuala Lumpur (seat of government at Putrajaya)
Evening is the Whole Day - Preeta Samrasan (Malaysia) – Bee Bee
Maldives – Malé
Mongolia – Ulaanbaatar
Myanmar (also commonly known as Burma) – Naypyidaw
The Jacaranda Tree - Burma
Nepal – Kathmandu
Oman – Muscat
Pakistan – Islamabad
A Case of Exploding Mangoes – Mahammed Hanif (Pakistan) - Rajani
A Case of Exploding Mangoes - Mohammad Hanif (Pakistan)Raidergirl3
A Case of Exploding Mangoes - Mohammed Hanif (Pakistan) LizzySiddal
The Reluctant Fundamentalist - Mohsin Hamid (Pakisatan) Pratima
Palestinian territories (collectively the territories of the West Bank and the Gaza Strip)
Philippines – Manila
Qatar – Doha
Saudi Arabia – Riyadh
Singapore – Singapore (city-state)
Sri Lanka – Sri Jayewardenepura Kotte
The Funny Boy by Shyam Selvadurai (Shi Lanka)Ramya
Funny Boy - Shyam Selvadurai (Sri Lanka) Rajik
Love Marriage by V.V. Ganeshananthan (Sri Lanka) Bethany
Syria – Damascus
The Dark Side of Love by Rafik Schami (Syria)Myrthe
Tajikistan – Dushanbe
Thailand – Bangkok
Timor-Leste (also commonly known as East Timor) – Dili
Turkey^{[note 2]} – Ankara
The Bastard of Istanbul by Elif Shafak (Turkey ) Ramya
The Bastard of Istanbul - Elif Shafak (Turkey) Pratima
Turkmenistan – Ashgabat
United Arab Emirates – Abu Dhabi
Uzbekistan – Tashkent
Vietnam – Hanoi
The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien (Vietnam) Juli
Yemen – Sana'a

Europe

Albania – Tirana
Andorra – Andorra la Vella
Austria – Vienna
The Triumph of Deborah by Eva Etzioni ( Austria) Veens
Embers by Sandor Marai ( Austria) Ramya
Belarus – Minsk
Belgium – Brussels
The Book of Proper Names - Amelie Nothomb (Belgium)Tanabata
Bosnia and Herzegovina – Sarajevo
Sarajevo Marlboroby Miljenko Jergovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina)Bethany
Bulgaria – Sofia
The Collector of Worlds by Iliya Troyanov (Bulgaria) Monix
Croatia – Zagreb
Czech Republic – Prague
Denmark – Copenhagen
Estonia – Tallinn
Faroe Islands (overseas territory of Denmark) – Tórshavn
Finland – Helsinki
France – Paris
Balzac and the Little Chinese Seamstress - (China/France) Tricia
The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint Exupery - (France) Veens
Là-Bas [The Damned or Down There], J.-K. Huysmans, (France)Richard
Snow by Maxence Fermine (France) 3m
A Bottle in the Gaza Sea by Valerie Zenatti (France)Corinne
The Nonexistent Knight by Italo Calvino (Italy/France) Nymeth
The Scortas' Sun (The House of Scorta) by Laurent Gaude' (France)Tanabata
A Very Long Engagement by Sebastian Japrisot (France) Eva
Three Shadows - Cyril Pedrosa (France) Bart
Lorraine Connection - Dominique Manotti (France) Lizzy
Germany – Berlin
The 13 1/2 Lives of Captain Bluebear - Walter Moers (Germany)That's the Book
The Golden Pot by E.T.A. Hoffman (Germany)Corinne
Faust by Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe(Germany) Lynda
Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl (Germany) Tammy
Death in Rome by Wolfgang Koeppen (Germany) Lizzy
Perfume: The Story of a Murderer - Patrick Suskind (Germany) Tanabata
Perfume - Patrick Suskind (Germany)
Diary of Anne Frank - Anne Frank (Germany) - Tammy
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - Marina Lewycka (Germany) - Tricia
Gibraltar (overseas territory of the United Kingdom) – Gibraltar (city-state)
Greece – Athens
Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy (Greece/Ireland) Tiny Librarian
Zorba the Greek - Nikos Kazantzkis (Greece) Trish
Guernsey (British crown dependency) – Saint Peter Port
Hungary – Budapest
Kaddish for a Child not Born by Imre Kertesz (Hungary) 3m
We Are On Our Own by Mariam Katin (Hungary) Corinne
Embers by Sandor Marai (Hungary) Ramya
Iceland – Reykjavík
Voices - Arnaldur Indridason (Iceland)
Ireland – Dublin
The Secret Scriptures - Sebastian Barry (Ireland)Raidergirl3
The Speckled People by Hugo Hamilton (Ireland)Joanna
P.S., I Love You -Cecelia Ahern (Ireland) Tricia
The Gathering by Anne Enright (Ireland)Myrthe
The Gathering - Anne Enright (Ireland) Veens
The Gathering by Anne Enright (Ireland) 3m
Artemis Fowl: The Opal Deception by Eoin Colfer (Ireland)Samantha
"paddy clarke ha ha ha" by Roddy Doyle (Ireland)Nymeth
Nights of Rain and Stars by Maeve Binchy (Ireland)Tiny Librarian
Under the Net - Iris Murdoch (Ireland) BookCrazy
Country of the Grand - Gerard Donovan (Ireland) LizzySiddal
The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde (Ireland) Trish
Isle of Man (British crown dependency) – Douglas
Italy – Rome
The Snack Thief - Andrea Camilleri (Italy)Raidergirl3
The Snack Thief - Andrea Camilleri (Italy)Reading Fool
Gomorra[Gomorrah], Roberto Saviano, (Italy) Richard
Silk - Alessandro Baricco (Italy) Bart
Silk - Alessandro Baricco (Italy)Tiny Librarian
Silk by Alessandro Baricco (Italy)3m
The Nonexistent Knight by Italo Calvino (Italy/France) Nymeth
I, Mona Lisa by Jeanne Kalogridis (Italy)Juli
Jersey (British crown dependency) – Saint Helier
Kosovo – Pristina
Latvia – Riga
Liechtenstein – Vaduz
Lithuania – Vilnius
Luxembourg – Luxembourg
Macedonia – Skopje
Malta – Valletta
Moldova – Chişinău
Monaco – Monaco (city-state)
Montenegro – Podgorica
Netherlands – Amsterdam (seat of government at The Hague)
The Vanishing - Tim Krabbe (The Netherlands) Joanna
Norway – Oslo
Out Stealing Horses - Per Petterson (Norway)Raidergirl3
Out Stealing Horses by Per Petterson (Norway) 3m
Poland – Warsaw
Portugal – Lisbon
The Gospel According to Jesus Christ by Jose Saramago (Portugal) Leya
Romania – Bucharest
Night by Elie Wiesel - (Romania)Mrs. B
Russia^{[note 5]} – Moscow
Lolita by Vladimir Nabokov (Russia) 3m
Lolita - Vladimir Nabokov (Russia) Pratima
The Woman Who Waited by Andrei Makine (Russia)Corinne
Generations of Winter by Vassily Aksyonov (Russia)Myrthe
Night Witches - Bruce Myles (Russia)Lynda
Sister Pelagia and the Black Monk - Boris Akunin (Russia)Reading Fool
Murder on the Leviathan - Boris Akunin (Russia) Rachel
Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky (Russia) Ramya
San Marino – San Marino
Serbia – Belgrade
Slovakia – Bratislava
Slovenia – Ljubljana
Spain – Madrid
Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes (Spain)Myrthe
Don Quixote 2nd part - Miguel de Cervantes (Spain) Myrthe
El invierno en Lisboa [Winter in Lisbon], Antonio Muñoz Molina, (Spain) Richard
Pandora in the Congo by Albert Sanchez Pinol (Spain)Lizzy
Shadow of the Wind - Carlos Ruiz Zafon (Spain) Ramya
Sweden – Stockholm
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson (Sweeden)3m
The Fifth Woman by Henning Mankell (Sweden)Lizzy
Switzerland – Berne
Blue Pills - Fredrik Peeters (Switzerland)Bart
Ukraine – Kiev
A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian by Marina Lewycka (Ukraine)Bethany
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka(Ukraine)Tricia
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - Marina Lewycka (Ukraine)Tini Librarian
United Kingdom – London
The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (England) Myrthe
The Miracle at Speedy Motors - Alexander McCall Smith (England)
The Other Boleyn Girl by Philipa Gregory- (England)Tricia
Bridget Jones's Diary - Helen Fielding (England) Pratima
Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding (UK)Ramya
She, H. Rider Haggard,( U.K.)Richard
On Chesil Beach by Ian McEwan (UK)3m
A Short History of Tractors in Ukranian by Marina Lewycka (England/Ukraine)Bethany
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian by Marina Lewycka(England/Ukraine)Tricia
A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian - Marina Lewycka (England/Ukraine)Tini Librarian
Small Island - Andrea Levy ( England)Bookbath
Written on the Body - Jeanette Winterson (England)Beastmomma

On Beauty - Zadie Smith (England)Tiny Librarian
When We Were Gods by Colin Falconer (UK) Juli
Lord of the Flies - William Golding (UK) Bee Bee
Screwtape Letters - C.S. Lewis (UK) Mrs. B
The Waves - Virginia Woolf (UK) Myrthe
Be Near Me - Andrew O'Hagan (Scotland)Bookbath
Romanno Bridge - Andrew Greig (Scotland) LizzySiddal
A Prisoner of Birth – Jeffrey Archer (UK) - Rajani
Unaccustomed Earth - Jhumpa Lahiri (UK) - Tricia

Bridget Jones's Diary – Helen Fielding (UK) - Pratima

Miracle at Speedy Motors - Alexander McCall Smith (Scotland) Tricia
Fingersmith - Sarah Waters (Wales) - Tammy
Vatican City – Vatican City (city-state)

North America

Anguilla (overseas territory of the United Kingdom) – The Valley
Antigua and Barbuda – Saint John's
Aruba (overseas country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands) – Oranjestad
Bahamas – Nassau
Barbados – Bridgetown
Belize – Belmopan
Bermuda (overseas territory of the United Kingdom) – Hamilton
British Virgin Islands (overseas territory of the United Kingdom) – Road Town
Canada – Ottawa
Microserfs by Coupland -(Canada) Katrina
Hey Nostradamus! - Douglas Coupland (Canada) Nymeth
Life of Pi by Yann Martel (Canada)Tammy
The Cellist of Sarajevo by Steven Galloway (Canada)3m
The Birth House by Ami McKay - (Canada) Mrs. B
The Birth House by Ami McKay (Canada)Lynda
The Robber Bride - Margaret Atwood (Canada)Trish
Crow Lake by Mary Lawson (Canada)Joanna
A Dreaming Place - Charles de Lint (Canada) Bart
Late Nights on Air - Elizabeth Hay (Canada) LizzySiddal
The Stone Diaries - Carol Shields (Canada) Karen
Cayman Islands (overseas territory of the United Kingdom) – George Town
Clipperton Island (overseas territory of France)
Costa Rica – San José
Cuba – Havana
Where the Flame Trees Bloom by Alma Flor Ada (Cuba) Corinne
Dominica – Roseau
Dominican Republic – Santo Domingo
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents - (U.S.A/Dominican Republic)Tricia
El Salvador – San Salvador
Greenland (overseas territory of Denmark) – Nuuk
Grenada – Saint George's
Guadeloupe (overseas department of France) – Basse-Terre
Guatemala – Guatemala City
Haiti – Port-au-Prince
Honduras – Tegucigalpa
Jamaica – Kingston
Martinique (overseas department of France) – Fort-de-France
Mexico – Mexico City
Like water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel - (Mexico) Veens
Los de abajo [The Underdogs], Mariano Azuela, (Mexico) Richard
Pedro Páramo - Juan Rulfo (Mexico) Nymeth
Montserrat (overseas territory of the United Kingdom) – Plymouth (seat of government at Brades)
Navassa Island (overseas territory of the United States)
Netherlands Antilles (overseas country in the Kingdom of the Netherlands) – Willemstad
Nicaragua – Managua
Panama – Panama City
Puerto Rico (overseas territory of the United States) – San Juan
Saint Barthélemy (overseas territory of France) – Gustavia
Saint Kitts and Nevis – Basseterre
Saint Lucia – Castries
Saint Martin (overseas territory of France) – Marigot
Saint Pierre and Miquelon (overseas territory of France) – Saint-Pierre
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines – Kingstown
Trinidad and Tobago – Port of Spain
Turks and Caicos Islands (overseas territory of the United Kingdom) – Cockburn Town
United States – Washington, D.C.
How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents - (U.S.A/Dominican Republic)Tricia
The Echo Maker by Richard Powers (U.S.A)Katrina
The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald (U.S.A.)Tammy
The Farmworker's Daughter by Rose Castillo Guilbault (U.S.A)Bethany
She's Come Undone by Wally Lamb (United States)Beastmomma
The Time Traveler's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger (United States)Bookbath
The Invention of Hugo Cabret - Brian Selznick (USA) Bart
The Zookeeper's Wife by Diane Ackerman - (USA)Mrs. B
Monique and the Mango Rains - Kris Holloway (USA) Mrs. B
The Historian - Elizabeth Kostova (USA) Mrs. B
Peony In Love - Lisa See (USA) Mrs. B
Peony In Love by Lisa See -(USA)Katrina
The Sharper Your Knife the Less You Cry by Kathleen Flinn (USA)Mrs. B
Indie Girl - Kavita Daswani (USA) Tiny Librarian
Day of Confession by Allan Folsom (USA)Lynda
Great Gatsby - F. Scott Fitgerald (USA) - Tammy
The Runoff - Mark Coggins (USA) Rajani

Breakfast of Champions - Kurt Vonnegut (USA) – Bee Bee

How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents - Julia Alvarez (USA) - Tricia
The Story of A Marriage - Andrew Sean Greer (USA) Lizzy
United States Virgin Islands (overseas territory of the United States) – Charlotte Amalie

South America

Argentina – Buenos Aires
The Motorcycle Diaries, Che Guevara (Argentina) Katrina
Cicatrices, Juan José Saer, (Argentina)Richard
The Book of Murder by Guillermo Martinez (Argentina) 3m
Bolivia – Sucre (seat of government at La Paz)
Brazil – Brasília
The Devil and Miss Prym by Coehlo (Brazil)Katrina
The Devil and Miss Prym - Paolo Coelho (Brazil) Joanna
The Alchemist - Paulo Coelho (Brazil)Reading Fool
Gabriela, Clove and Cinnamon - Jorge Amado (Brazil) Leya
Chile – Santiago
Estrella distante [Distant Star], Roberto Bolaño, (Chile)Richard
Colombia – Bogotá
No One Writes to the Colonel by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Columbia)Corinne
One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Colombia)Tammy
Love in the Time of Cholera - Gabriel Garcia Marquez (Columbia) Beastmomma
Ecuador – Quito
Falkland Islands (overseas territory of the United Kingdom) – Stanley
French Guiana (overseas department of France) – Cayenne
Guyana – Georgetown
Paraguay – Asunción
Peru – Lima
Who Killed Palimino Molero? - Mario Vargas Llosa (Peru)Raidergirl3
Suriname – Paramaribo
Uruguay – Montevideo
Venezuela – Caracas

Oceania:

American Samoa (overseas territory of the United States) – Pago Pago (seat of government at Fagatogo)
Australia – Canberra
A Fraction of the Whole - Steve Toltz (Australia)Raidergirl3
The Book Thief by Markus Zuzak- (Australia)Tricia
The Book Thief - Mark Zusak (Austrailia) BookCrazy
The Book Thief by Markus Zusak (Germany)Ramya
Breath by Tim Winton (Australia) 3m
Remembering Babylon by David Malouf (Australia)Beastmomma
Theft: A Love Story - Peter Carey (Australia)Tiny Librarian
Incurable - John Marsden (Austrailia) Bart
Baker Island (overseas territory of the United States)
Cook Islands (territory in free association with New Zealand) – Avarua
Fiji – Suva
French Polynesia (overseas territory of France) – Papeete
Guam (overseas territory of the United States) – Hagåtña
Howland Island (overseas territory of the United States)
Jarvis Island (overseas territory of the United States)
Johnston Atoll (overseas territory of the United States)
Kingman Reef (overseas territory of the United States)
Kiribati – South Tarawa
Marshall Islands – Majuro
Micronesia – Palikir
Midway Atoll (overseas territory of the United States)
Nauru – no official capital (seat of government at Yaren)
New Caledonia (overseas territory of France) – Nouméa
New Zealand – Wellington
Mister Pip - Lloyd Jones (New Zealand)Raidergirl3
Mister Pip, Lloyd Jones- (New Zealand)Katrina
The Whale Rider - (New Zealand)Lynda
Niue (territory in free association with New Zealand) – Alofi
Norfolk Island (overseas territory of Australia) – Kingston
Northern Mariana Islands (overseas territory of the United States) – Saipan
Palau – Melekeok
Palmyra Atoll (overseas territory of the United States)
Papua New Guinea – Port Moresby
Pitcairn Islands (overseas territory of the United Kingdom) – Adamstown
Samoa – Apia
Solomon Islands – Honiara
Tokelau (overseas territory of New Zealand) – no official capital (each atoll has its own administrative centre)
Tonga – Nukuʻalofa
Tuvalu – Funafuti
Vanuatu – Port Vila
Wake Island (overseas territory of the United States)
Wallis and Futuna (overseas territory of France) – Mata-Utu

Antarctica

Bouvet Island (overseas territory of Norway)
French Southern Territories (overseas territory of France)
Heard Island and McDonald Islands (overseas territory of Australia)
South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands (overseas territory of the United Kingdom)^{[note 6]}

Update!!! (and help request)

2009-01-25T21:03:00.000-08:00

1.)Oh, and I now have the links up for the challenges and mini-challenges. Make sure to add your link in if you are interested in participating. Add your link to each individual challenge that you are interested in.

2.)I am wondering if I should stagger the mini-challenges or just do them throughout the whole time of the main challenge. Any thoughts? I was thinking 4 months for each, with some overlap....but we could just leave them open the whole time.

3.) would anyone be interested in helping me compile the book links?? There are so many. I have done quite a few, but I need help. Email me if you are interested. (the task would be going to the link page we had from last year and helping me orgnize the links you all left for us to check out by country.) The more of you that would want to help the less we'd all have to do.

Thanks so much for your input!!!

Orbis Terrarum Poetry Mini-Challenge

2009-01-17T14:20:00.000-08:00

5 poems or poetry collections, by 5 different authors, from 5 different countries.

Also if anyone has good international poetry links or resources make sure and let us know so I can add the links here and we all can find good poetry to read!

The Holistic Knitter came up with this idea! I think this is a great one too! (thank you HK!)

Orbis Terrarum Short Story Mini-Challenge

2009-01-17T10:24:00.001-08:00

This was Katrina's idea from Katrina's Reads.

Here is what she is thinking: travel through 10 countries through 10 short stories during the summer months. I would be happy to supply a few prizes (available internationally) for people who complete the mini challenge.

So, that Mini-Challenge will be hosted on her blog, but I will also post your short story reviews here for reference.

Thanks so much Katrina!!! I can't wait to read some short stories.

Orbis Terrarum for 2009

2009-01-16T22:19:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Orbis Terrarum 2009!!!
This is year 2 of our big adventure. There are some different things going on this year, so read up and tell me if you like it.

Main Challenge Rules:
*The Orbis Terrarum Challenge begins March 1 2009(you are welcome to join later) Through the end of 2009.
*For the challenge each reader is to choose 10 books (for the 10 months).
*Each book must from a different country, I have decided to go by the country of origin of the author, or the country he/she lives in is fine as well.
*You don't have to have a list, that means you can change your mind at any time. As long as there are 10 from 10 different countries, written by 10 different authors: Anything goes.

The bottom line: choose 10 different books, written by 10 different authors, from 10 different countries.

***At the end of the challenge for next year I thought it would be really fun to do (an optional) book exchange! I don't mind being in charge of prizes some of the time, but I was just thinking it would be really fun to get everyone involved in the end.
At the end of the challenge each OT challenger could select one of their favourite books that they read during that challenge to pass on to someone else who also finished the challenge. It would be like a: bests of 2009 OT swap!!FUN.
Tell me what you think!!
If some people didn't want to be involved, they could just opt out, no problem.

Sign up here to participate!!

Orbis Terrarum Bilingual Mini-Challange

2009-01-16T22:13:00.001-08:00

Orbis Terrarum Bilingual Mini-Challenge:

I was thinking that I know that some of you read in several other languages. This mini-challenge is for you.

options:

-5 books in their original language, by 5 different authors over 10 months.

-10 short stories in their original language, 10 different authors, over 10 months.

-10 children's chapter books in original language, 10 different authors, over 10 months.

There is a tab for bilingual reviews as well and I will put up a Mr. linky and try (as best as I can) after you put up your review to go check it out and then organize the bilingual reviews by country.

Sign up!!!

Orbis Terrarum Film Mini-Challenge

2009-01-16T21:06:00.000-08:00

Orbis Terrarum Film Mini-Challenge:
I know some of you enjoy subtitled films, or foreign films. I love spanish ones because I can understand them. Maybe you are bilingual and would love to sit and watch foreign films sometimes.
The OT film mini-challenge is that you watch 10 films, 10 different countries, by 10 different directors in the 10 months. (choose the movies, just like the books....by nation of origin or residence of the director, not where it was filmed or what it was about)

There is a tab for this mini-challenge and I will put up a Mr. linky and try (as best as I can) after you put up your review to go check it out and then organize the film reviews by country.

Sign up!!!

Book Reviews

2009-01-16T21:03:00.000-08:00

Here I will list all the books you all read last year, and place them in order by the nationality of the author.

Launch of Orbis Terrarum's Challenge blog!!!

2009-01-16T20:53:00.000-08:00

So many of you mentioned this that I couldn't pretend not to hear you for too long. So here we are the first post for the travel blog! I am just starting this up, and if you have anything you'd like to see here make sure you send a comment my way.

Here is what I am already planning on doing here:

- Keep a current list of the books read from each country and links to your reviews.
-blogroll with everyone who starts the challenge in 2009.
-tons of pretty vintage travel posters (just for fun).
-updates on the giveaways, challenge and all things Orbis Terarrum.
-What else should I do??? Comment below and let me know.