Read Around The World

Currently, I'm traveling the world thanks to my Read Around The World project, where I aim to read a book by a female author from each of the 195 countries recognized by the U.N.

It's a fascinating way to broaden my worldview. ❤️

As Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie explains so perfectly in her TED Talk "The Danger of a Single Story":

“Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. If we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding.”

(Thanks for the TED Talk tip, @sabineleirs!)

But this project also highlights a sobering reality: female writers are still hugely underrepresented worldwide, especially in translated literature. In some countries, it’s been genuinely difficult to find a single translated work by a woman.

By sharing my project and progress, I would love to be able to inspire readers, publishers, booksellers, and all booklovers to look for stories from voices that are too often overlooked — especially women from countries that rarely make it to the global literary spotlight.

Got tips or suggestions? Books by female authors from countries I haven’t covered yet are more than welcome! You can reach me at hello@silviebonne.be 🙏😊

Are you working on a similar bookish adventure? I’d love to hear how you approach it! My own method is... let’s say “organic” (read: slightly chao#tic 😅). Here are some fellow readers with more structured strategies:

• Courtney Henning Novak  is reading the countries in alphabetical order.

• Lydia Loves Reading  spins a wheel to decide her next literary destination.

In this blog post, you can follow my progress, where I use the following icons:

✔️ I’ve read a book from this country.

📕 I have a book ready to read, but haven’t started it yet.

📖 I’m currently reading this book.

🎧 I bought this as an audiobook via xigxag. Want to listen to it too? I can give you a code for a free download (available to anyone new to xigxag!).

⁇ I found one or more suggestions, but haven’t bought or borrowed them yet.

❤️ I loved this book so much I can recommand it to everyone.

If you’re looking for more Read Around The World inspiration, check out these wonderful resources:

🌐 Read Around The World Challenge

📝 Tobia’s blog

🔠 Courtney’s alphabetical overview

Happy reading and traveling — through pages and places! 📚🌎

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Op dit moment reis ik de wereld rond dankzij het 'Read Around The World' project, waarbij ik van plan ben om een boek van een vrouwelijke auteur uit elk land te lezen: de 195 landen die door de U.N. erkend zijn.

Het is een fascinerende manier om mijn wereldbeeld te verbreden. ❤️

Zoals Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie zo perfect uitlegt in haar TED Talk,  "The Danger of a Single Story": "Our lives, our cultures, are composed of many overlapping stories. If we hear only a single story about another person or country, we risk a critical misunderstanding".

Thanks for the Ted-talk tip @sabineleirs!

Helaas benadrukt dit project ook dat vrouwelijke schrijvers nog steeds zwaar ondervertegenwoordigd zijn, wat het uitdagend maakt om vertaalde boeken van vrouwelijke auteurs uit bepaalde landen te vinden.

Door mijn project en vorderingen te delen, hoop ik lezers, uitgevers, boekhandelaars en alle boekenliefhebbers te inspireren om op zoek te gaan naar verhalen van stemmen die te vaak over het hoofd worden gezien — vooral van vrouwen uit landen die zelden in de wereldwijde literaire spotlights staan.

Als je tips of suggesties hebt voor boeken van vrouwelijke auteurs uit landen die ik nog niet heb gelezen, deel ze dan gerust met mij via hello@silviebonne.be - ze zijn meer dan welkom! 🙏😊

Werk jij aan een soortgelijk boekproject? Ik hoor graag hoe jij het aanpakt. Mijn huidige aanpak is nogal chaotisch. 😅

Deze BookTokers hebben alvast een meer gestructureerde aanpak:

• Courtney Henning Novak leest de landen alfabetisch.

• Lydia Loves Reading gebruikt een draairad om te bepalen welk land ze zal lezen.
  

In deze blogpost kan je mijn vooruitgang volgen, waarbij ik volgende icoontjes gebruik:

✔ Van dit land heb ik een boek gelezen.

📕 Dit boek ligt klaar, maar heb ik nog niet gelezen.

📖 Dit boek ben ik momenteel aan het lezen.

🎧 Dit boek heb ik als audiobook aangekocht. Wil je het ook al luisterend lezen, geef me dan een seintje voor een code om het gratis te beluisteren via xigxag. (dit kan voor iedereen die nog geen XigXag abonnee is).

⁇ Voor dit land vond ik een of meer suggesties, maar deze heb ik nog niet aangekocht of geleend.

❤️ Dit boek is een absolute aanrader

Wil je meer Read Around The World Tips, dan kan je op deze websites terecht:

• Read Around The World Challenge

• De blog van Tobia

• Het alfabetische overzicht van Courtney

Veel leesplezier!

Read Around The World Progress Map via www.readaroundtheworldchallenge.com

🌏 ASIA

1 📕Afhanistan:The Pearl that Broke Its Shell : A Novel by Nadia Hashimi

2 ✔ 🎧 Armenia : Three Apples Fell From The Sky by Narine Abgaryan

3 ⁇ Azerbaijan : The Orphan Sky by Ella Leya? OF Days in the Caucasus by Banine?

4 ⁇ Bahrain : The Adult by Bronwyn Fischer ? OF Yummah, by Sarah A. Al Shafei.

5 ✔ Bangladesh : Love Marriage : A Novel by Monica Ali

6 ✔️Bhutan: Tales in Colour and Other Stories by Kunzang Choden

7 British Indian Ocean Territory:

8 ⁇ Brunei : I Am Not Your Eve by Devika Ponnambalam? OF The Fisherman King by Kathrina Mohd Daud?

9 ⁇ Cambodia : First They Killed My Father: A Daughter of Cambodia Remembers, by Loung Ung?

10 ✔ China : Peach Blossom Spring by Melissa Fu

11 Christmas Island

12 Cocos Islands

13 📖 Georgia : Thanks for the suggestion @de.kaft : books by Nino Haratischwili

Currently reading: De Kat en de Generaal by Nino Haratischwili.

14 ✔India: The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

15 ✔Indonesia: Vera Wong’s Unsolicited Advice for Murderers by Jesse Q. Sutant

16✔ Iran: The Complete Persépolis by Marjane Satrapi : The Complete Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi truly deserves all the acclaim it receives. Marjane Satrapi masterfully portrays the experience of growing up in Iran with a storytelling style that is both engaging and laced with subtle humor. This delicate balance makes the heavy subject matter approachable without diminishing its gravity—a remarkable achievement. I deeply admire writers who can present difficult stories in a way that feels accessible. ❤️ And, of course, the artwork is stunning!

17 ✔ 🎧 Iraq: The Last Girl : My Story of Captivity, and My Fight Against the Islamic State by Nadia Murad, Jenna Krajeski (NOBEL PRICE) - I listened to the audiobook, which was narrated by the author herself. This is a heart-wrenching biography that will stay with me forever. 💔 Nadia Murad’s powerful story sheds light on the unimaginable horrors she endured as a survivor of ISIS captivity and genocide. Her courage and resilience in the face of such trauma are both humbling and inspiring. This book is not only a personal account but also an essential reminder of the atrocities still happening in the world today. I wish it were required reading in history classes.

18 ⁇ Israel: All the rivers by Dorit Rabinyan? OF All My Mother's Lovers: A Novel by Ilana Masad? OF House on Endless Waters : A Novel by Emuna Elon?

19 ✔Japan: Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata ❤️

20 Jordan

21 Kazakhstan

21 ✔ Kuwait- thanks for the research @vicky.stergiou_: The Pact We Made by Layla AlAmmar

22 Kyrgyzstan

23 Laos

24 ✔ Lebanon: 📖 "A Game for Swallows: To Die, To Leave, To Return" by Zeina Abirached -thanks for the suggestion @inge_projectbeta

25 ⁇ Malaysia: The Storm We Made by Vanessa Chan

26 Maldives

27 Mongolia

28 Myanmar

29 Nepal

30 North Korea

31 Oman

32 ✔ Pakistan: Best of Friends by Kamila Shamsie

33 📕 Palestine: Against The Loveless World by Susan Abulhawa

34 ✔ Philippines: The Farm by Joanne RamosQatar

35 📕 Saudi Arabia : My Past Is a Foreign Country: A Muslim feminist finds herself

by Zeba Talkhani

36 Singapore

37 ✔ South Korea : The Vegetarian by Han Kong

38 Sri Lanka

39 ✔ Syria :

• ✔ As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulda Katouh (Canadian writer)

• 📕 Mother of Strangers by Suad Amiry (Syrian writer)

40 Tajikistan

41 Thailand

42 ✔ Turkey : The Island of The Missing Trees by Elif Shafak.

43 Turkmenistan

44 ✔ Vietnam : The Best We Could Do by The Bui

45 Uzbekistan

46 Yemen

47 Timor-Leste

48 📕 United Arab Emirates: The Final Strife (Ending Fire, # 1) by Saara El-Arifi

🌍 AFRIKA

1. Algeria: A Bookshop in Algiers by Kaother Adimi

2. ⁇ Angola: The Return of The Water Spirit by Pepetela

3. ⁇ Benin: My Life, My Music, by Angelique Kidjo

4. Botswana

5. Burkina Faso

6. Burundi

7. ⁇ Cameroon: How Beautiful We Were by Imbolo Mbue?

8. Cape Verde

9. Central African Republic

10. Chad

11. Comoros

12. Congo

13. Congo, Democratic Republic

14. Djibouti

15. Egypt

16. Equatorial Guinea

17. Eritrea

18. Swaziland

19. Ethiopia

20. Gabon

21. Gambia

22. ✔Ghana: Homegoing ❤️ by Yaa Gyasi

23. Guinea

24. Guinea-Bissau

25. 📕 Ivory Coast: Yay uit Yopougon by Marguerite Abouet

26. Kenya

27. ✔ 🎧 Morocco: The Dream Hotel by Laila Lalami

28. Mozambique

29. Namibia

30. Niger

31. ✔ Nigeria: We Should All Be Feminists ❤️ by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie

32. Rwanda

33. Sao Tome and Principe

34. ⁇ Senegal - thanks for the suggestion @caspertack: So Long A Letter by Mariama Bâ

35. Seychelles

36. Sierra Leone

37. Somalia

38. South Africa - thanks for the suggestions @katrien021 : The tortoise cried its only tear  / My children have faces / Esther’s house by Carol Campbell OR Begging to be black / A change of Tongue  by Antjie Krog 

39. South Sudan

40. Sudan

41. Tanzania

42. Togo

43. Tunisia

44. ⁇ Uganda: We Are All Birds of Uganda by Hafsa Zayyan

45. Zambia

46. Zimbabwe

🌍 EUROPE

1. ✔ 🎧 Albania - thanks for the suggestions @katrien021 : Free: Coming of Age at the End of History by Lea Ypi - An intriguing biography that tells the story of Lea Ypi's upbringing in Stalinist Albania and the confusion that followed the fall of the regime. The writing style evolves as Ypi herself grows older throughout the book, which adds an interesting layer to the narrative. While I couldn’t fully connect with the story on a personal level, I still found it a compelling read—both from a historical and political perspective, and through the eyes of a child and young adult experiencing such turbulent times.

2. Andorra

3. 📕 Austria: De Pianiste by Elfriede Jelinek

4.  ✔ Belarus - thanks for the suggestion @courtneyhenningnovak : Second Hand Time by Svetlana Alexievich

5. ✔ Belgium: En ze leefden nog by Elisabth Lucie Beaten ❤️ This enchanting book reimagines classic fairy tales with a modern spin where princesses take control of their own destinies. Belle has two fathers, Rapunzel sometimes despises her long hair, and diversity takes center stage in this delightful retelling. A must-read for both young and old!

6. Bosnia and Herzegovina

7. ✔ 🎧 Bulgaria: Elixir: In the Valley at the End of Time by Kapka Kassabova

8. 📕 Croatia: A Muzzle For Witche Dubravka Ugrešić

9. ⁇ Cyprus: Girl, Wolf, Bones by Nora Nadjaria ⁇

10. ⁇ Czech Republic - thanks for the suggestion @alina.kuchma  : "B.Proudew" by Irena Douskova

11. ✔ Denmark: Childhood, Youth, Dependency by Tove Ditlevsen - This trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen, in a single volume. It is the perfect companion for a trip through Scandinavia. I read it during our NOFOMO trip to Norway, and it's now part of my Scandinavian book collection.

12. Estonia

13. ✔ Finland: The Summer Book by Tove Jansson - As the title suggests, this is the ultimate summer read! It made me long for a summer spent on a Finnish island. While Tove Jansson is best known for her world-famous Moomins, she also penned a few novels for adults, and I think this one is a gem.

14. ✔ France: Sarah’s Key by Tatiana De Rosnay ❤️ This heart-wrenching novel intertwines the stories of Sarah, a young girl arrested during the Vel' d'Hiv' roundup in WWII, and Julia, a journalist investigating the tragic events 60 years later. A moving exploration of the hidden scars of history.

15. ✔ Germany: Berlin - Lieblingsorte by Betttina Rust ❤️ Discover Berlin through the eyes of Bettina Rust with this book full of charming and humorous short stories about her favorite spots in the city. I read it when we first moved to Berlin, and it introduced me to many of the city's hidden gems.

16.✔ Greece - thanks for the suggestion @vicky.stergiou_ :

The Island by Victoria Hislop ❤️

17. ✔ 🎧Hungary: The Door by Magda Szabó

18. ✔ Iceland: Butterflies in November by Audur Ava Olafsdottir - Perfect for fans of quirky novels, this one is a fun pick for the 'Weird-Girls-Book-Club'. 😅 The book takes you on a mini road trip through Iceland, with stops at a cucumber farm, encounters with dead sheep, casual sex, and a collection of traditional Icelandic recipes and knitting tips. I found it hilarious (I still laugh when I think about it), but it might not be everyone's cup of tea.

19. ✔Ireland: 56 Days by Catherine Ryan Howard - Catherine Ryan Howard is a master of suspense, and 56 Days is a prime example of her storytelling prowess. One of the first novels published during the Covid era, it's a gripping read even post-pandemic.

📚 There are so many amazing female Irish crime writers.

My husband made me fall in love with Catherine Ryan Howard and Ruth Ware and now I'm addicted.

While listening to the book His & Hers by Alice Feeney, I learned that this generation of female Irish crime writers grew up during a time marked by a high number of disappearances of Irish women from the late 1980s to the late 1990s. This connection between real-life events and the rise of so many remarkable female Irish crime writers fascinated me and made me want to learn more about their stories and influences.

Through searching the internet, I discovered that Ireland's deep-rooted oral and literary storytelling tradition, with its focus on conflict, morality, and resilience, provides a rich foundation for the rise of women crime writers. In recent decades, cultural shifts toward gender equality have empowered women to claim more space in the literary world, with crime fiction becoming a popular genre for exploring societal issues like power dynamics, justice, and corruption.

This genre serves as a powerful vehicle for critiquing pressing topics such as domestic abuse, mental health, and gender inequality. By weaving these themes into their narratives, Irish women crime writers offer both catharsis and awareness while reflecting the complexities of modern Irish society. Their voices have not only reshaped the genre but also brought global attention to Ireland's literary landscape.

20. ✔Italy: The Girl with the Leica by Helena Janeczek - This book tells the fascinating story of Gerda Taro, the first female war photographer who died on the battlefield. While the subject matter intrigued me, the book itself felt tedious and not my style of writing. I pushed through because I wanted to learn more about Taro, but otherwise, I might have set it aside. You can find more (and better) recommendations in my Italian reading list.

21. Kosovo

22. ⁇ Latvia: Soviet Milk by Nora Ikstena

23. Lichtenstein

24. ?? Lithuania: novel-in-progress: Gutsnag by Gabriele Sidlauskaite ??

25. Luxembourg

26. Malta

27. Moldova

28. Monaco

29. Montenegro

30. ✔Netherlands: Het Hemelse Gerecht by Renate Dorrestein - Renate Dorrestein is my favorite Dutch author, and Het Hemelse Gerecht was an absolute treat for me. Although it received a lot of criticism, I have a soft spot for quirky books with strong female leads, and this one definitely fits the bill.

31. North Macedonia

32. ✔Norway: Love by Hanne Ørstavik - A short book that I, of course, read during our NOFOMO trip to Norway. I didn't find it particularly good or bad—just a relaxing read with a nice Norwegian atmosphere.

33. ✔Poland: Drive Your Plow Over The Bones of the Dead by Olga Tokarczuk - Olga Tokarczuk is a Nobel Prize winner, and while this book is considered one of her lesser works by some, I thoroughly enjoyed it. It made me excited to explore more of her writing!

34. Portugal

35. Romania:

36. Russia

37. San Marino

38. Serbia

39. Slovakia

40. Slovenia

41. ✔Spain: The Communist’s Daughter by Aroa Moreno Duran - This novel tells an interesting story about a girl from East Berlin during the Berlin Wall era who escapes to Spain. Unfortunately, I found the writing style didn’t fully draw me into the narrative.

Spain - bis - thanks for the suggestions @_cookiemaster : When I Sing, the Mountains Dance by Irene Solá

42. ✔Sweden: Hanna’s Daughters by Marianne Fredriksson ❤️ I adore all of Marianne Fredriksson’s books. Each one feels like a warm blanket, perfect for winter reading. Her novels make me want to spend a few months in Sweden, wrapped up in their cozy world.

43. ⁇ Switzerland: The Pollen Room by Zoë Jenny?

44. ✔ 🎧 Ukraine: Sweet Darusya by Maria Matios

Thanks for the suggestions @alina.kuchma : Fieldwork in Ukrainian Sex by Oksana Zabuzhko OR Sweet Darusya / Hardly Ever Otherwise by Maria Matios OR “Looking at women at war: a war and justice diary” by Victoria Amelina (she herself was killed in war last year by Russians) is set to be released in early 2025 OR On Sunday Morning She Gathered Herbs by Olha Kobylianska

45. ✔United Kingdom: Girl, Woman, Other, by Bernardine Evaristo ❤️ This book is on my all-time favorites-list, and I can’t recommend it enough. Girl, Woman, Other weaves together the stories of twelve very different characters, mostly Black British women, living in and around London. Bernardine Evaristo’s writing style is something I deeply admire—she takes a complex, substantial narrative and makes it feel light and easy to digest. A must-read for everyone.

46. Vatican City

🌎 NORTH-AMERICA

1. ✔ 🎧Antigua and Barbuda: Annie John by Jamaica Kincaid

2. Bahama's

3. Barbados

4. Belize

5. ✔Canada: Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen

6. Costa Rica

7. ✔Cuba: My Favorite Girlfriend was a French Bulldog by Legna Rodriguez Iglesias

8. Dominica:

9. ✔ Dominican Republic: 'Dominicana' and 'How Not to Drown in a Glass of Water' ❤️ by Angie Cruz

10. El Salvador

11. Grenada and Carriacuou

12. Guatemala

13. Haiti

14. Honduras

15. ✔Jamaica: Everything, Everything by Nicola Yoon

16. ✔Mexico: Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno Garcia

17. ?? Nicaragua: Thanks for the suggestion Heide Roseeuw: The Inhabited Woman by Gioconda Belli

18. Panama

19. Saint Kitts and Nevis

20. St Vincent

21. St Lucia

22. Trinidad and Aobago

23. ✔United States of America: Small Great Things by Jodi Picoult

🌎 SOUTH-AMERICA

1. ⁇ Agentina: Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin? OR Tender Is The Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica? OR Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro

2. ⁇ Bolivia: What the River Knows by Isabel Ibañez?

3. 📖 Brazil: De Vrouwen van Tijucopapo by Marilene Felinto

4. ✔Chile: The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

5. Colombia

6. Ecuador

7. French Guiana

8. Guyana

9. Paraguay

10. Peru

11. Suriname

12. Uruguay

13. Venezuela

🌏 OCEANIA

1. ✔ Australia: Big Little Lies by Liane Moriarty ❤️

2. ⁇ Fiji: A Disappeaance in Fiji by Nilima Rao?

3. Kiribati

4. Marshall Islands

5. Micronesia

6. Nauru

7. ⁇New Zealand: An Angel At My Table by Janet Frame ?

8. Palau

9. Papua New Guinea

10. Samoa

11. Solomon Islands

12. Tonga

13. Tuvaly

14. Vanuatu

Meer boeken-inspiratie?

Wil je als eerste nieuwe tips over fotografie, reizen, duurzaamheid en boeken in je mailbox ontvangen?

Dan kan je je inschrijven op mijn nieuwsbrief voor een maandelijkse portie leuke foto-inspiratie,

off-the-beaten-track-reistips (en af en toe some weird stuff that I like...)

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Alle beelden op deze site en blog zijn (c) Silvie Bonne en zijn beschermd volgens de auteurs- en portretrechten.

Online beelden kunnen nooit gekopieerd, gedownload of op eigen site of social media geplaatst worden zonder schriftelijke toestemming van de fotograaf (Silvie Bonne) .