Around the World in Eighty Books

Around the World in Eighty Boos is a book challenge hosted by Goodreads. I don't use Goodreads very often so I'm not doing this challenge with them and I've come up with some of my own rules that might, or might not be similar to the ones on Goodreads. If you're interested, you can find them here.

These are the rules I've decided to follow and I might have invented some of my own:

1. I'm doing this challenge independently from Goodreads.

2. I haven't given myself a deadline.

3. I started from my country of birth.

4. I can go from a country to a country only if they border each other, either by land or by sea. I find it that this is too difficult, I will disregard this rule.

5. I don't count books I've already read, only the ones I haven't read yet.

6. If I have to go through a country twice, I'll read another book, but i won't count it. For instance, if I start in Spain and go to Portugal, then start another book set in Spain and then from Spain go over to France, the total is three, not four.

I think this is about it. It seems fun, but I don't want it to become my main preoccupation. I won't be finding books that fit this challenge specifically, but if they do great. I don't even know if I'll finish it. So far, it's benn fun, and this is what I've read. I started in early june.

1. Inshallah, Madonna, inshallah by Miljenko Jergović - The first book in the challenge, set in my native Bosnia and Herzegovina, written by a Bosnian/Croatian author. It was a great surprise, as it comes from an author that isn't one of my favorites. A collection of short stories each of which was inspired by a different Bosnian traditional folk song. Comprises a lot of Bosnia's traditions and also history. It smells of my home country.

2. Konstantinovo raskršće by Dejan Stojiljković - The second book, set in Serbia and written by a popular Serbian author. I don't think it's been translated into English yet, but the translation would be something like Constantine's crossing. It deals with Niš, the birthplace of the emperor Constantine, during World War II. This book was really successful in Serbia and Bosnia, but I just didn't feel it. It was awfully written, the plot line ridiculous and character development nonexistent.

3. The Return of Filip Latinovicz by Miroslav Krleža - One of hte best books written by one of my favorite authors. Set in Croatia, written by a Croatian author. He explores the human nature, urges, feelings and the society with a story of a painter who returns to his home town after many years. 

4. Foucault's Pendulum by Umberto Eco - The book set in Italy. I didn't find it some of Eco's finest work, but it still was compelling at times, but overall, I thought it too long. Eco makes fun of conspiracy theories and gives us some insight into philosophy. 

5. The Red and the Black by Stendhal - Set in France. A bildungsroman that follows Julien from his days as a poor teacher until his rise to riches and finally his demise.  

6. One Day by David Nicholls - The book I chose for Great Britain. You can read my review, but I'll write it once more. This was one of the gentlest and most touching books I've read in a while. 

So far, I've read six books and have no idea where to go next. I think I'll print a map of the world so that I can follow where I've been. It's a lot more difficult than it seemed at first. It's just struck me just how many books I have to read. Even if books for this challenge were the only ones I had to read, it would take me around two years to finish. But, I don't care. It's been fun so far and I don't think I'll stop just yet.