reading challenge 2018 around the world in words claudia hauter

Reading Challenge 2018: Around the World in Words

In 2015 a friend sent me a reading challenge. As an avid bookworm (or bookdragon if you prefer) I consume words voraciously, but had never embarked upon a reading challenge. I completed a portion of the list, momentarily embarked on a books-recommended-by-others challenge, and last year made a significant dent in the POPSUGAR reading challenge.

This year’s challenge is ambitious to the extreme: read a book from every country in the world. This equates to roughly 195 books, depending on how you define a country. Whichever way you choose to look at it, that’s roughly 200 books. The idea came to me after reading a listicle about books from around the world.

Considering the number of books, the challenge seemed insurmountable, but I was determined nevertheless. Once I made up my mind to travel around the world in words I soon discovered I wasn’t the first. Ann Morgan completed the challenge in 2012; so while I may not be the first, at least I know it’s doable.

Like Morgan, I hope to hop between forms. From fiction and non-fiction to poetry and plays, these different types add another exciting and exploratory dimension to the challenge. I’m looking forward to connecting with each nation, appreciating my relationship to some, and deepening my knowledge and understanding of those I know little to nothing about.

How far will I travel? 2018 is the year to find out.

Check out the list here.

Photo by Aliis Sinisalu.

Leave a Reply