Around the World Reading Challenge

This is a long-term challenge that I will probably work on for the rest of my life, it's that crazy. I think this was originally hosted by a group on Goodreads, but I'm not sure which one anymore.

Here are the rules (as I've adapted them).

For each country and state, I will read four books.

Level 1: Historical fiction set mostly in that country or state (can have some dual timeline) that is set at least 50 years in the past from when it was written, can also be historical fantasy or historical romance

Level 2: A second historical fiction set mostly in that country or state (no dual timelines), but that must take place in a different time period than the book from Level 1 (ex. if book 1 was set in Tudor England, book 2 may not be set in Tudor England and must instead be set during Regency England or Victorian England or prehistoric England, etc.)

Level 3: A book written by an author that was born or lived for a period of time in that country or state, can be any genre, would prefer it to be set in the country/state but doesn't have to be

Level 4: Read a non-fiction book about some aspect of that country or state, preferably history but doesn't have to be

Updated: 1/1/2023

Started: 1/1/2016

Completed: 

Africa (54 Countries)

Algeria

Angola

Benin

Botswana

Burkina Faso

Burundi

Cabo Verde

Cameroon

Central African Republic

Chad

Comoros

Congo

Cote d'Ivoire

Djibouti

Democratic Republic of Congo

Egypt

  1. The Heretic Queen by Michelle Moran (1200s BCE) - read in 2016

Equatorial Guinea

Eritrea

Eswatini

Ethiopia

Gabon

Gambia

Ghana

Guinea

Guinea-Bissau

Kenya

Lesotho

Liberia

Libya

Madagascar

Malawi

Mali

Mauritania

Mauritius

Morocco

  1. The Lioness of Morocco by Julia Drosten (1800s CE) - read in 2020

Mozambique

Namibia

Niger

Nigeria

Rwanda

Sao Tome and Principe

Senegal

Seychelles

Sierra Leone

Somalia



  3. Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali (Present Day) - read in 2016

South Africa

South Sudan

Sudan

Tanzania

Togo

Tunisia

Uganda

Zambia

Zimbabwe


Asia (48 Countries)

Afghanistan

Armenia

Azerbaijan

Bahrain

Bangladesh

Bhutan

Brunei

Cambodia

China



  3. Iron Widow by Xiran Jay Zhao (Future) - read in 2022

Cyprus

Georgia

India

Indonesia

Iran

  1. The Gilded Chamber by Rebecca Kohn (400s BCE) - read ?

Iraq

Israel

  1. The Dovekeepers by Alice Hoffman (70s CE/Roman Occupied Israel) - read in 2016

Japan

  1. Memoirs of a Geisha by Arthur Golden (WWII) - read in ?

Jordan

Kazakhstan

Kuwait

Kyrgyzstan

Laos

Lebanon

Malaysia

Maldives

Mongolia

Myanmar

Nepal

North Korea

Oman

Pakistan

Philippines

Qatar

Saudi Arabia

Singapore

South Korea

Sri Lanka

State of Palestine

Syria

Tajikistan

Thailand

Timor-Leste

Turkey

  1. The Belt of Gold by Cecelia Holland (800s CE) - read in 2020
  2. One for Sorrow by Mary Reed and Eric Mayer (500s CE) - read in 2020


Turkmenistan

United Arab Emirates

Uzbekistan

Vietnam

Yemen



  3. I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali and Delphine Minoui (Present Day) - read in 2016


Europe (44 Countries)

Albania

Andorra

Austria

Belarus

Belgium

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Bulgaria

Croatia

Czech Republic

Denmark

Estonia

Finland

France

  1. Ghost Talkers by Mary Robinette Kowal (WWII) - read in 2018
  2. The Devil's Queen: A Novel of Catherine de Medici by Jeanne Kalogridis (1500s CE) - read in 2019
  3.  
  4. City of Light, City of Poison by Holly Tucker (1665-1709 CE) - read in 2021

Germany

  1. Those Who Save Us by Jenna Blum (WWII/Present Day) - read in 2018

Greece

  1. Ariadne by Jennifer Saint (Ancient Greece) - read in 2021

Holy See

  1. Pope Joan by Donna Woolfolk Cross (800s CE) - read in ?

Hungary

Iceland

Ireland

  1. Brigid of Kildare by Heather Terrell (400s CE/Present Day) - read in 2016
  2. Grania by Morgan Llywelyn (1500s CE) - read in ?

Italy

  1. The Scribe of Sienna by Melodie Winawer (1347 CE/Present Day) - read in 2019
  2. Brides of Rome by Debra May Macleod (40 BCE - Ancient Rome) - read in 2022
  3. Love on the Brain - Ali Hazelwood (Present) - read in 2022

Latvia

Liechtenstein

Lithuania

Luxembourg

Malta

Moldova

Monaco

Montenegro

Netherlands

  1. Girl with the Pearl Earring by Tracy Chevalier (1600s CE) - read in ?

Northern Macedonia

Norway

  1. Viking's Prize by Tanya Anne Crosby (900s CE) - read in 2022


  4. The Book of Viking Myths by Peter Archer (700-1200 CE) - read in 2022

Poland

Portugal

Romania

Russia

San Marino

Serbia

Slovakia

Slovenia

Spain

Sweden

Switzerland

Ukraine

United Kingdom - England

  1. The Duke and I by Julia Quinn (1813 CE) - read in 2021
  2. The Beekeeper's Apprentice by Laurie R. King (1915 CE) - read in 2016
  3. The Taming of the Queen by Philippa Gregory (1400s-1500s CE) - read in 2016
  4.  

United Kingdom - Northern Ireland

United Kingdom - Scotland

  1. When He Was Wicked by Julia Quinn (1824 CE) - read in 2021
  2. Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore (1880s CE) - read in 2022

United Kingdom - Wales

  1. Child of the Phoenix by Barbara Erskine (1200s CE) - read in ?


Latin American and the Caribbean (33 Countries)

Antigua and Barbuda

Argentina

Bahamas

Barbados

Belize

Bolivia

Brazil

  1. The Woman in Red by Diana Giovinazzo (1800s CE) - read in 202

Chile

  1. A Long Petal of the Sea by Isabel Allende (1930s-1990s) - read in 2022

Colombia

Costa Rica

Cuba

  1. Destiny's Captive by Beverly Jenkins (1870s) - read in 2019

Dominica

Dominican Republic

Ecuador

El Salvador

Grenada

Guatemala

Guyana

Haiti

Honduras

Jamaica

Mexico

Nicaragua

Panama

Paraguay

Peru

Saint Kitts and Nevis

Saint Lucia

St. Vincent and Grenadines

Suriname

Trinidad and Tobago

Uruguay

Venezuela


Oceania (14 Countries)

Australia

Fiji

Kiribati

Marshall Islands

Micronesia

Nauru

New Zealand

Palau

Samoa

Solomon Islands

Tonga

Tuvalu

Vanuatu


North America (2 Countries, 50 States, 1 District, 4 Territories)

Canada

US - Alabama

US - Alaska



  3. A Line of Driftwood by Diane Glancy/Ada Blackjack (1900s CE) - read in 2022
  4. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer (1992) - read in ?

US - American Samoa

US - Arizona

US - Arkansas

US - California

  1. Destiny's Surrender by Beverly Jenkins (1800s CE) - read in 2020

  3. The Kiss Quotient by Helen Hoang (Present Day) - read in 2021
  4. The Library Book by Susan Orleans (1986 CE) - read in 2020

US - Colorado



  3. This Place of Wonder by Barbara O'Neal (Present) - read in 2022

US - Connecticut

US - Delaware

US - District of Columbia



  3. Madam President by Nicolle Wallace (present day) - read in 2016
  4. Belva Lockwood Wins Her Case by Drollene P. Brown (1800s CE) - read in 2019

US - Florida



  3. Miss Lattimore's Letter by Suzanne Allain (1800s CE) - read in 2022

US - Georgia

  1. Kira-Kira by Cynthia Kadohata (1950s CE) - read in 2016

US - Guam

US - Hawaii

  1. Daughter of Moloka'i by Alan Brennett (1930s CE) - read in 2022

US - Idaho

US - Illinois

US - Indiana



  3. The Traitor's Kiss by Erin Beaty (Fantasy) - read in 2022

US - Iowa

US - Kansas

  1. The Calculating Stars by Mary Robinette Kowal (1950s-1960s) - read in 2022
  2. Millie and the Marksman by Kari Trumbo (1800s CE) - read in 2022
  3. All the Ugly and Wonderful Things by Bryn Greenwood (Present) - read in 2022

US - Kentucky

US - Louisiana

US - Maine

US - Maryland

US - Massachusetts

  1. Bridie of the Wild Rose Inn by Jennifer Armstrong (1600s CE) - read in 2020
  2. Claire of the Wild Rose Inn by Jennifer Armstrong (1920s CE) - read in 2020

US - Michigan

US - Minnesota



  3. The Girl and the Seven Thieves by Olivia Snowe (Present) - read in 2022

US - Mississippi

US - Missouri

  1. Running for Our Lives by Glennette Tilley Turner (1800s CE) - read in ?

US - Montana

US - Nebraska

US - Nevada

US - New Hampshire

US - New Jersey

  1. Alex & Eliza by Melissa de la Cruz (1700s CE) - read in 2022

US - New Mexico

US - New York



  3. We Are the Brennans by Tracey Lange (Present Day) - read in 2021

US - North Carolina



  3. Legendborn by Tracy Deonn (Pre-Civil War to Present Day) - read in 2021

US - North Dakota

US - Northern Mariana Islands

US - Ohio

  1. The Second Bend in the River by Ann Rinaldi (1700s CE) - read in ?

US - Oklahoma

US - Oregon



  3. One Life by Megan Rapinoe (Present) - read in 2022

US - Pennsylvania



  3. The Song of Achilles by Madeline Miller (Ancient Greece) - read in 2022

US - Puerto Rico

US - Rhode Island

US - South Carolina

US - South Dakota

US - Tennessee

  1. Jolene by Mercedes Lackey (1890s CE) - read in 2021



US - Texas

US - Utah

US - Vermont

US - Virgin Islands

US - Virginia

  1. An Extraordinary Union by Alyssa Cole (Civil War) - read in 2019

  3. A Mirror Mended by Alix E Harrow (Fantasy) - read in 2022
  4. Liar, Temptress, Soldier, Spy: Four Women Undercover in the Civil War by Karen Abbott (Civil War) - read in 2016

US - Washington



  3. The Lost and Found Bookshop by Susan Wiggs (Present Day) - read in 2021

US - West Virginia

US - Wisconsin

  1. Little House in the Big Woods by Laura Ingalls Wilder (1870s CE) - read in 2022

US - Wyoming

  1. Everly by Kay P. Dawson (1800s CE) - read in 2020

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