Foreign Media: The Letter A

[livingdeb]

In my quest to read books from every country (set in the country or about the country), I recently (okay, last year) decided to start filling in blanks in countries starting with the letters A and B. I got sidetracked by pandemic-related changes, but I have now read at least one thing from all the countries on my list starting with the letter A. (An asterisk below means I got one of those cool childrens' books about that country.)

* Afghanistan (1 fiction, 4 nonfiction* (plus part of another nonfiction book))
* Albania (1 fiction, 1 nonfiction*)
* Algeria (3 fiction, 1 nonfiction*)
* Andorra (wikipedia article)
* Angola (1 nonfiction*)
* Antigua and Barbuda (wikipedia article, 1 fiction)
* Argentina (1 nonfiction*, 2 movies)
* Armenia (1 nonfiction*)
* Australia (1 fiction series, 2 nonfiction, 8 movies, 1 TV series)
* Austria (1 fiction)
* Azerbaijan (1 fiction)

Ideally, I would read at least one fun fiction book and one broad nonfiction book plus have the feeling of getting more than one perspective. But for some countries I will settle for just the wikipedia article. So I do not consider myself finished with the letter A countries. Except for three of them:

* Afghanistan - I found one of the books called Afghanistan plus several recommended nonfiction books on various aspects of life there (Born Under a Million Shadows, We Are Afghan Women, Bookseller of Kabul and part of Three Cups of Tea) plus a highly recommended fiction book (The Kite Runner). And it's in the news a lot.

* Andorra - It's just so small; I'm satisfied with just the wikipedia article.

* Australia - Although I have a good minimum, I will continue consuming more media from this country that's a nice mix of familiar and alien. I loved the Miss Fisher Murder Mysteries TV series and also, for different reasons, the books they were based on. Miss Fisher is just so fun and decent. Well, also indecent, but I meant kind. Also, "Strictly Ballroom" is one of my favorite movies, admittedly partly because I like the dancing. And "Cane Toads" is perhaps the only documentary I own. I've also read a bit about Aborigines. And one summer in high school my best friend and I made up lessons for each other because we were bored, and the unit she taught me was Australia. (She got a unit on the solar system.)

Up next: I have 17 countries starting with the letter B on my list. Eight of these still have no books listed, including Belgium!?, which should be so easy! But I've already got the book Bahrain checked out of the library, so I'm still rolling!

As usual, I'm happy to hear about beloved books about or set in other countries (including countries I've "finished").

Comments

[reedrover]

This is a fascinating goal and I wish you much joy of it.

My dad gave me a humor book called "Over the Hill and Down the Creek" by Walter Youngquist about a geologist going over the Andes and down the Amazon. I remember it vaguely but fondly. (Edited to add: I grabbed it and flipped through it - not as much about South America as I recalled.)

Iceland - Independent People, by Halldor Laxness. Probably the only Nobel Prize in Literature book I own.

[livingdeb]

Independent People is already on my list of recommended books to look for because it is recommended by an Ambassador!

So far, I'd say this goal is not bringing me a lot of joy, exactly. But occasionally I do find a treasure that I wouldn't have found otherwise, which is super fun. And I do often learn interesting new things. Today I saw pictures of cool hair jewelry that lets you have sparklies hanging on the sides of your head and maybe your forehead without have to get piercings.

I am definitely getting more opinionated about what I do and don't like in a culture!

The Land of Oz

[(Anonymous)]

Hi Debbie, this is Jay. I applaud your effort to read more, although I'm not sure I get the every country part. Anyway, you've done a lot of Australia, one of my favorite areas, and if you want to learn more about the country, you might try "Fatal Shore" by Robert Hughes. I read it decades ago due to my fascination with the Land Down Under. However, it's rather long and have to admit it took me some time to work through it. You learn some interesting things in it, such as "The Stain" which permeates all of their history, as well as how they were even more ruthless than the US with their indigenous people (nearly exterminated all of them in Tasmania). So good luck in your reading endeavors.

Re: The Land of Oz

[livingdeb]

That is kind of a random goal. But it's cheaper and safer than travel. And, like investing in an index fund, by insisting on getting some of everything, um, there's some benefit.

Thanks for the recommendation. I've added it to my list of recommendations *and* Austin Public Library actually has it, so I may read it. But looking at other reviews, well, it looks like, as with many (all?) other countries, the first people to arrive from the western world were some of the worst human beings. (And I'm not talking about the convicts.) Somehow the worst kinds of people are attracted to that kind of work.