Monday, December 30, 2019

2020 European Reading Challenge


In the 2020 European Reading Challenge hosted by Rose City Reader, participants tour Europe through books. The books can be read (and reviewed) anytime between January 1, 2020 to January 31, 2021.

The idea is to read books by European authors or books set in European countries (no matter where the author comes from). The books can be anything – novels, short stories, memoirs, travel guides, cookbooks, biography, poetry, or any other genre. Each book must be by a different author and set in a different country. A book must be reviewed in order to count towards the goal.



I am joining at the FIVE STAR (DELUXE ENTOURAGE): Read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries. I usually read 10 to 15 books for the challenge but don't always review them all.

This is the list of countries:
Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vatican City.

POSSIBLE BOOKS FOR THIS CHALLENGE:

Switzerland:  The Pledge by Friedrich Dürrenmatt
Luxembourg:  The Expats by Chris Pavone
Spain:  Tattoo by Manuel Vazquez Montalban
Norway:  Nemesis by Jo Nesbo
Greece:  Assassins of Athens by Jeffrey Siger


22 comments:

Prashant C. Trikannad said...

I quite like the breadth of this challenge, Tracy. Plenty of room in the reading category. Travel guides would be interesting.

Cath said...

I'm in for this one too next year, it's my favourite challenge in fact. Will look forward to seeing what you read. Good luck!

Margot Kinberg said...

This should be a really interesting challenge, Tracy. And you've got some solid choices for books, too. I hope you'll enjoy exploring them.

TracyK said...

I agree, Prashant. I have always read crime fiction novels for this challenge, but I hope to try a travel guide or two this time.

TracyK said...

This is my favorite challenge too, Cath. This year I hope to add some books for countries I have not included before. I will be getting a copy of Dancer at the Gai-Moulin by Simenon for Belgium, and I also plan to read something from Albania and Vatican City.

TracyK said...

I like looking for books from different countries, Margot, and I have a lots on my TBR shelves too. I will be ordering the second book in the Department Q series by Jussi Adler-Olsen for Denmark. I am way behind on reading Jo Nesbo's Harry Hole series.

John Kerry said...

You got me interested in this one last year but due to various circumstances I didn't get it finished. Going to try again this year even though a lot of my books are still in boxes from our move in September.

Katrina said...

I think I've joined in already, anyway I intend to. I don't know any of those books, this challenge doesn't half broaden our reading habits.

TracyK said...

I hope you do have success at reading more for this challenge this year, John. I can sympathize with having boxes of books still unpacked from moving.

TracyK said...

I agree, Katrina, many of the books I read for this challenge lead me to new authors and I learn a lot also.

Cath said...

That's the one I read for Belgium this year, I don't believe I'd read anything for that country before for the European challenge. Simenon also set one of his Maigret books in The Netherlands, which was rather good. Do you have something in mind for Albania and the Vatican City? Intrigued to know what.

TracyK said...

I meant to mention that I think I found out about that Simenon book from you, Cath.

For Vatical City, I just recently discovered that a book I have had for a long time is set there: A City for the Dead by David Hewson. Katrina at Pining in the West had one for Vatican City on her list: In the Name of the Family by Sarah Dunant. So I plan to look into that.

I have a book set in Albania by Ismail Kadare, The Ghost Rider. He has written a lot of books, some others that I am interested in.

John Kerry said...

Peter Hebblethwaite wrote a book on the elections pf John Paul I and John Paul II, The Year of Three Popes. As well Malachi Martin nd Andrew Greeley wrote novels about a Papal election.

TracyK said...

Thanks for those suggestions, John. I imagine those would be interesting books.

Cath said...

Thanks, Tracy (and John), will make a note of those as those are two countries I've never covered and it would be nice to do so.

John Kerry said...

Might be hard to find but Xavier Rynne (not his real name) did one book for each of the four sessions of the Second Vatican Council. They make interesting reading if only for the struggles between the traditionalist and progressive wings of the Roman Catholic Church.

col2910 said...

Good luck again. I hope to do better this year with some European reading.

TracyK said...

I like to read books from many different countries, Col, but I am primarily motivated by the books I currently have that will fit the challenge. I do hope to add at least one or two countries not read about before.

Christophe said...

"The Pledge" by Durrenmatt is good, but I prefer "The Judge and his Hangman" by the same author and also set in Switzerland.

If you need inspiration for the Netherlands, I would suggest the first two Van der Valk books by Nicholas Freeling, "Love in Amsterdam" (aka Death in Amsterdam) and "Gun before Butter".

TracyK said...

Christophe, thanks for the suggestions. I listed The Pledge because I have a copy of that one. I have heard that The Judge and his Hangman is good, maybe I will find a copy of that one someday.

I have read Love in Amsterdam and I may choose Gun Before Butter for the Netherlands. You prefer that to Because of the Cats?

Christophe said...

I definitely prefer Gun Before Butter to Because of the Cats, which I found disappointing if not worse.

TracyK said...

Thanks, Christophe, I appreciate the response. I will go for Gun Before Butter then, assuming I can find my copy.