2024 Bookish Travels (L-Anne)

Countries/Regions read 2009 - 2024:

This is my map of countries I've visited (in a bookish way) since I started keeping track in 2009. I will continue to read my way around the globe adding new destinations every year.
For me, a book won't count if it's only a passing mention of a particular country -- most of the book needs to be set in that country, enough that I learn a little something about the nation, history, culture, people etc.


Create Your Own Visited Countries Map

Summary of recent years:

Travels to "new" places in 2020:

Malawi - The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind by William Kamkwamba

Rwanda - Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin

Libya - In The Country of Men by Hisham Matar

Mongolia - Rough Magic: Riding the World's Loneliest Horse Race by Lara Prior-Palmer

Yemen - The Monk of Mokha by Dave Eggers

Laos - Run Me to Earth by Paul Yoon

Jordan - The Confusion of Languages by Siobhan Fallon

Trinidad & Tobago - The White Woman on the Green Bicycle by Monique Roffey

Dominican Republic - Dominicana by Angie Cruz

Mexico - American Dirt by Jeanine Cummins

Denmark - The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living by Meik Wiking

Iceland - The Darkness by Ragnar Jonasson

Czech Republic - Indians on Vacation by Thomas King

Summary of recent years:

Travels to "new" places in 2021:

Greenland - Migrations by Charlotte McConaghy

Ghana - His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie

Colombia - Infinite Country by Patricia Engel

New Caledonia - Miss Benson's Beetle by Rachel Joyce

Belize - The Layover by Lacie Waldon

Zimbabwe - This Mournable Body by Tsitsi Dangarembga

Algeria - The Stranger by Albert Camus

Madagascar - The Red Island House by Andrea Lee
*touchstone doesn't work - correct link to the book work here. Included because this was an amazing book revealing the history/culture of Madagascar, and it became a favourite for me!
https://www.librarything.com/work/25367861/summary/208190902

Summary of recent years:

Travels to "new" places in 2022:

Oman - Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi

Myanmar - The Art of Hearing Heartbeats by Jan-Philipp Sendker

Finland - The Summer Book by Tove Jansson

Kazakhstan - The Zahir by Paulo Coelho

Thailand - Bangkok Wakes To Rain by Pitchaya Sudbanthad

Summary of recent years:

Travels to "new" places in 2023:

Qatar - Love, From A to Z by S.K. Ali

Papua New Guinea - Mister Pip by Lloyd Jones

Lithuania - Words on Fire by Jennifer A. Nielsen

Mali - The Bad-Ass Librarians of Timbuktu: And Their Race to Save the World's Most Precious Manuscripts by Joshua Hammer

Ecuador - The Queen of Water by Laura Resau & Virginia Farinango

Argentina - The Penguin Lessons: What I Learned from a Remarkable Bird by Tom Michell

Singapore - The Sun Sets in Singapore by Kehinde Fadipe

Books that I'm considering in 2024 that will take me to new locations around the globe:

Panama - The Great Divide by Cristina Henriquez
---about the building of the Panama Canal; this one sounds really good

Cyprus - The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak

Angola, Mozambique, Namibia - My Father's Wives by Jose Eduardo Agualusa

Uganda - We Are All Birds of Uganda by Hafsa Zayyan

North Korea - Every Falling Star by Sungju Lee
OR The Girl With Seven Names by Hyeonseo Lee

Turkmenistan, Tajikstan, Kyrgyzstan & Uzbekistan - Sovietistan by Erika Fatland
---this book would check off 4 countries at once, lol

Haiti - What Storm, What Thunder by Myriam Chancy

North Macedonia & Albania - To The Lake: A Balkan Journey of War and Peace by Kapka Kassabova

In 2023, books took me to:

Canada
USA
UK
Botswana
South Africa
Ukraine
Qatar
Papua New Guinea
Lithuania
Mali
Ecuador
Argentina
France
Italy
Ireland
Singapore
Sweden

I'm hoping to read at least 10 new countries this year.

Travels to "new" places in 2024:

Welcome to the global challenge group, Anne. I just read (and enjoyed) The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind this year. Some great ideas here for countries that I am still missing.

>8 labfs39: Thank you! I'm excited to get recommendations from members of this group. I agree - The Boy Who Harnessed the Wind was an enjoyable read for me too.

Welcome to the group! Your map looks impressive!
Sovietistan is on my shelf as well, but I don't know when I will get to it.