Read the World: An International Book List

Back in 2014, I posted about the Ten Books That Changed My Life, and there's actually something pretty unique about five of those ten books. Five of them are part of my internationally-minded book list, which I have dubbed "Read the World." This list has 197 entries--one for each country in the world--and contains either a book about that country, of someone traveling through that country, by a famous author from that country, or reflects a parody of that country. Some countries were really easy to fill in with book titles, but others took a lot more work. Do you know a good book about Comoros or by a Comoran author? Yeah, probably not.

I created the first iteration of the list back in 2007 with a friend in college after I read Tom Bissell's Chasing the Sea: Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia, a travelogue of Bissell's adventures in Uzbekistan. Since then, the list has been updated and modified many times as books have been written or I've found other books to satisfy a country. In other cases, friends have recommended books to me that they thought could be used for a specific country. In each instance, I weighed whether I thought that the book met the criteria I laid out, and I tried my best to find books that stayed truest to the country the book was intended to represent. Overall, though, I also wanted to make sure I found a variety of types of books.

I have read 61 of the 197 books thusfar--of varying degrees of quality and recommendedness--and have five others on my bookshelf ready to read when I have some spare time. Here is my completed list, organized by region. If you have a recommendation for a country not listed below, please let me know so I can consider updating my list; I'm always looking for ways to keep the list fresh and interesting! Or, if you want the full list of 197 books, let me know that and I can send it to you!

Completed (Red); On My Bookshelf (Yellow); Still To Be Read/Open to Updating (White)

Americas

• The Alchemist by Paulo Coehlo (Brazil)
• Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood (Canada)
• Fidel Castro by Clive Foss (Cuba)
• One Day of Life by Manlio Argueta (El Salvador)
• The Bridge of San Luis Rey by Thornton Wilder (Peru)
• Rise to Rebellion by Jeffrey Shaara (United States)

East, South, and Central Asia

• Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini (Afghanistan)
• Beyond the Sky and the Earth: A Journey Into Bhutan by Jaime Zeppa (Bhutan)
• Lost on Planet China by J. Maarten Troost (China)
• Wife by Bharati Mukherjee (India)
• Eat, Pray, Love by Elizabeth Gilbert (Indonesia)
• Shutting Out the Sun by Michael Zielenziger (Japan)
• Apples Are From Kazakhstan: The Land That Disappeared by Christopher Robbins (Kazakhstan)
• The Secret History of the Mongols by Francis Woodman Cleaves (Mongolia)
• The Great Railway Bazaar by Paul Theroux (Myanmar)
• Nothing To Envy: Ordinary Lives in North Korea by Barbara Demick (North Korea)
• In the Line of Fire by Pervez Musharraf (Pakistan)
• Tea Time With Terrorists by Mark Stephen Meadows (Sri Lanka)
• Chasing the Sea: Lost Among the Ghosts of Empire in Central Asia by Tom Bissell (Uzbekistan)

Europe

• Broken April by Ismail Kadare (Albania)
• Andorra by Peter Cameron (Andorra)
• Nibelungenlied (Austria)
• The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas (France)
• Stamping Grounds by Charlie Connelly (Liechtenstein)
• Playing the Moldovans at Tennis by Tony Hawkes (Moldova)
• Anything Considered by Peter Mayle (Monaco)
• The Diary of Anne Frank by Anne Frank (Netherlands)
• A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen (Norway)
• Blindness by Jose Saramago (Portugal)
• Metro Stop Dostoevsky by Ingrid Bengis (Russia)
• Tale of Two Cities by Charles Dickens (United Kingdom)

Middle East

• The Stranger by Albert Camus (Algeria)
• On the State of Egypt by Alaa Al Aswany (Egypt)
• Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (Iran)
• I'Jaam by Sinan Antoon (Iraq)
• In the Land of Invisible Women by Qanta Ahmed (Saudi Arabia)
• I Am Nujood, Age 10 and Divorced by Nujood Ali (Yemen)

Oceania

• In a Sunburned Country by Bill Bryson (Australia)
• The Sex Lives of Cannibals: Adrift in the Equatorial Pacific by J. Maarten Troost (Kiribati)
• Movin' On: From the Mean Streets of Los Angeles to the Sandy Beaches of Micronesia by Joe Race (Micronesia)
• Getting Stoned With Savages: A Trip Through the Islands of Fiji and Vanuatu by J. Maarten Troost (Vanuatu)

Sub-Saharan Africa

• No One Can Stop the Rain by Karin Moorhouse (Angola)
• Whatever You Do, Don't Run; True Tales of a Botswana Safari Guide by Peter Allison (Botswana)
• The Poisonwood Bible by Barbara Kingsolver (Democratic Republic of the Congo)
• The Train to Djibouti by Laura Kassa (Ethiopia)
• Onions Are My Husband by Gracia Clark (Ghana)
• The Anti-Politics Machine by James Ferguson (Lesotho)
• Prisoners of Freedom: Human Rights and the African Poor by Harri Englund (Malawi)
• Little India: Diaspora, Time, and Ethnolinguistic Belonging in Hindu Mauritius by Patrick Eisenlohr (Mauritius)
• A Different Kind of War Story by Carolyn Nordstrom (Mozambique)
• Anthills of the Savannah by Chinua Achebe (Nigeria)
• We Wish To Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families by Phillip Gourevitch (Rwanda)
• A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier by Ismael Beah (Sierra Leone)
• The Pirates of Somalia by Jay Bahadur (Somalia)
• Emma's War by Deborah Scroggins (South Sudan)
• The Translator by Daoud Hari (Sudan)
• Highland Sanctuary: Environmental History in Tanzania's Usambara Mountains by Christopher Conte (Tanzania)
• An African in Greenland by Tete-Michel Kpomassie (Togo)
• The Price of Stones by Twesigye Jackson Kaguri (Uganda)
• The Lunda-Ndembu by James Pritchett (Zambia)
• The Grass is Singing by Doris Lessing (Zimbabwe)

The Books I Have on My Bookshelf

• 33 Men by Jonathan Franklin (Chile)
• The Shadow of Kilimanjaro: On Foot Across East Africa by Rick Ridgeway (Kenya)
• Spirit of the Phoenix by Tim Llewellyn (Lebanon)
• Unfinished Revolution: Daniel Ortega and Nicaragua's Struggle for Liberation by Kenneth Morris (Nicaragua)
• Crescent and Star by Stephen Kinzer (Turkey)

And nearly forgot my happy video. So here it is, a beautiful piano cover of a pop song all over the radio these days:

Bishkek Or Bust: My Sporcle Addiction

If you haven't experienced the brilliance of Sporcle you're missing out. It's a forum for online trivia quizzes and just plain, simple fun. Their motto, Mentally Stimulating Diversions, is exactly what Sporcle is all about. Some quizzes are silly (Can you press the spacebar 225 times in 30 seconds? I can't...my record right now is 193), but others are fun to test your knowledge (Can you name every country in the world? Yes, obviously. See: this.). You can even make your own quizzes for your own edification or to challenge your friends and the world. So why am I making a post all about Sporcle? Well, Sporcle might be my addiction.

I know what you're thinking...this sounds like an exaggeration! I promise you it is not. I finally looked at my stats on the website, and below is what I found. (Note: I joined the site on 30 January 2009, so this only includes data since that point.)

This is my Sporcle avatar, because who doesn't love looking
at a baby elephant? :)

I have played 16,869 quizzes and tried my luck at 13,617 unique quizzes, including 26.65% of all quizzes Sporcle has verified as good. The Geography category is my most-played category (that's a no-duh statement). My most-played quiz is Countries of the World, which I've played 25 times, although not in the past two years. And I can type them all in 5 minutes 15 seconds. Sporcle has badges for achieving certain things, and I've earned 256 of 351 badges across a wide variety of categories, and am pretty far along in a few others. For instance, I've played 25 different Art quizzes and 100 different NBA quizzes.

Sporcle isn't just about diverting my attention; I've also learned a lot in the process. I can spell Kyrgyzstan without pausing (Sporcle has a fascination with Kyrgyzstan because it is so hard to spell, which led to the creation of the phrase Bishkek or Bust). Krzyzewski and Schwarzenegger are easier than before, but still a bit difficult for me. I now know that Ngerulmud has replaced Koror as the capital of Palau. I can name 10 body parts that are only three letters long. And I still know all original 151 Pokémon.

So I encourage you to check out Sporcle. Have some fun. Test your knowledge. And learn to spell Kyrgyzstan!

For this post's video, Jimmy Fallon made a ridiculously funny game: Box of Lies. Jennifer Lawrence totally nails it.

I May Have a TV Problem

I watch/record/sit through a lot of TV shows. Some are ones I watched when I was younger and can't give up, while others are new shows that are captivating enough for me to want to keep watching. Some shows go off the deep end and I stop wasting my time on them, but that's not as common as I would like. I tend to give TV shows the benefit of the doubt (5 bad episodes is about my cut off point). So here's a rundown of my TV watching and recommendations for you, if you're looking for a new show. And I'm willing to include the shows that I'm probably a little ashamed to admit I watch.

Reality/Game Shows
American Idol. This show has had a lot of ups and downs, but very few shows on TV ever give a moment like this (yes, pun intended). I dare you to not to shed a tear.

The Voice. Because I think the singers are usually better and not just a bunch of teenagers.
The Amazing Race. All my dreams rolled up into one show. Traveling the world on what amounts to a massive scavenger hunt and some fun physical tasks that seem like a blast. Seriously, I want on.
Hollywood Game Night. Jane Lynch is a genius and has a lot of famous friends. I sometimes wonder if I could ever host a slightly toned-down version of that game night in my house.
Jeopardy. Always fun to realize just how bizarre some of your trivia knowledge is. And feel content that others know these random things too.
Last Comic Standing. These days, everyone can use a couple of extra laughs, and with alum like Amy Schumer, you never know who you might see early in his or her career.
America's Got Talent. I mostly watch for the singers and comics. I typically don't like the judges, but if you ignore them and their ridiculous comments, some of the talent really is pretty good.
Fake Off.* I haven't seen it on TV in awhile, but it is amazing to see people reimagine famous moments in history. Or genres. Or really anything cool.
Pitch Slapped.* The first season just ended and I don't know if it's going to a second one, but it was really enjoyable to watch high school a cappella groups in New Jersey grow into better performers.
American Ninja Warrior. Pushing man to his limits.
Project Runway. I really enjoy seeing the designs people come up with, although I admit that I'm not always in agreement with the judges on this show. I guess my knowledge of fashion is not top notch.

Drama/Law Enforcement Shows
Law & Order: Special Victims Unit. Even after 17 seasons, this show comes up with innovative storylines that are captivating, even while advancing the development of the show's many characters. I love the personal details of the detectives.
The Mysteries of Laura. I did not like this show to start off, but it's grown on me. It masquerades as a comedy, but there are a lot of really serious aspects in the character development that I'm very much into.
The Magicians. Described as "Harry Potter for adults," the show doesn't live up to that billing but is still pretty fun to follow. There's a real risk this show goes off the deep end, so I hope the writers keep it on track.
Blindspot. It's going in and out; some of the plot points are so beyond ridiculous (and yes, I recognize that even the show's premise is ridiculous) that it's hard to appreciate some of the good concepts.
Quantico. There's something awesome about watching indoctrination happen, and while I understand that the FBI's training academy isn't really like this at all, I still enjoy this show.
How To Get Away With Murder. The first season was amazing, but this current season is just getting weird. I like the premise of the show, but with so many weird plot twists, it's hard to keep track of who killed whom when and how many people know and are helping that person cover up the murder.
Zoo. A virus sweeps through the animal kingdom and turns animals into anti-human killing machines? OK, fine, I suppose I need to see how this goes. I recognize the show got bad reviews, but the characters were, to me, interesting, even if one of the main criticisms of the show was the ridiculousness of the character development.

Comedy Shows
The Big Bang Theory. Nerds having fun. Yes, please. Funny jokes with interesting characters.
Undateable. This show's second season started having poor ratings, so the show switched to live shows. Which are hilarious. Not only do the reference things actually happening both in the world and on the set, but they seem to relish the idea of putting the actors in almost impossible situations. A very strong recommendation for 30 minutes of laughing.
New Girl. I initially watched this show because I love Zooey Deschanel, but I've now grown to love all the main characters. They're all endearing in a quirky way, much like The Big Bang Theory.
Cooper Barrett's Guide To Surviving Life. It took only a few episodes for this show to become one of my new favorites. The characters are likeable, there's theoretically a moral behind each episode, and overall it's a good time on a Sunday evening.
Jane the Virgin. Telenovelas are popular around Latin America, with their over-the-top plots and endless twists. It's nice that one has come to American TV.
Impractical Jokers. Is it stupid? Yes. Is it brilliant? Absolutely. Four guys pranking each other and doing stupid things just because they're best friends? OK, I'm intrigued.
Superstore. I'm still up-in-the-air on this show, but there are enough laughs to keep me entertained.
Telenovela. Same with this show.
The Last Man on Earth. This is a show I've intended to stop watching multiple times, but then it's on TV and I tell myself "one more episode." And I keep watching, against my better judgment. The comedy is meh and I don't find many of the actors all that compelling.

Shows I Can't Categorize Correctly
The Librarians. Legends are real. Magic is real. And the Librarians are out to save the world. It's so nice to see the interpretations of classic legends.
Brain Games. Who wouldn't like to understand how the brain works? To understand why normal human actions happen?
What Would You Do? I stumbled across this show years ago and found strangers standing up for one another when they were severely wronged to be encouraging.
Lip Sync Battle. I feel like this show borders on ridiculous and funny, but it's also somewhat a competition among two celebrities. I don't know why I keep watching, except perhaps because I'm in love with Chrissy Teigen and enjoy her presence on the show.
Saturday Night Live. Some would consider this a comedy. I consider it a half-comedy, since so many of the sketches are just plain old blah. Weekend Update, which used to be a highlight of the show, has fallen considerably and really isn't funny anymore. But there are a few performers on the show that I love, namely Aidy Bryant and Kate McKinnon. They make everything funny.

Race

I saw the movie Race yesterday, and I'm not sure how I feel about it. On IMDB, I gave it a middling 5 stars, lower than its 6.9 stars average rating. I felt like the movie suffered from an identity crisis, but I'm not really sure what would have made it better.

Is Race a biopic on Jesse Owens? Yeah, mostly. It did get some basic facts wrong, especially when those facts were inconvenient (for instance, Owens had said repeatedly that Hitler shook his hand after at least one of his wins). Overall, though, my issue here was that the movie actually felt more like a movie about something else, and the director decided to follow Owens's story as a way to tell this something else.

Is Race a feel-good sports triumph story? Perhaps, although the movie sort of leaves the viewer down even after Owens wins his four gold medals with the commentary about race. Owens only got a chance to win the fourth medal because the US Olympic Committee pulled the Jewish athletes out of the race.

Is Race a commentary on race? I think it wanted to be, but it never really came through. Some aspects of race were completely brushed over, and viewers could be forgiven if after seeing this movie they thought the Nazis viewed the Jews as a mere annoyance in life.

My other main issue with Race was that the movie dragged (a person in the theater actually fell asleep and started snoring!) and the moments that were supposed to build up tension felt comical. For instance, the movie tried to make viewers feel as if Owens actually might not go to Berlin to compete in the Olympics. Except I think most people know he did. And the movie markets itself as Owens facing off against Hitler's vision of Aryan supremacy. I tried not to laugh at the ridiculous will-he-or-won't-he moments.

So those were my impressions of the movie. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't one that I'd necessarily go out and recommend to others. I looked at other movies that I gave 5 stars to (such classics as Duplex, Trainwreck, and A Cinderella Story), and yes, I stick by my rating. In case you want to know more about Owens, below is a short video of his role in the 1936 Berlin Olympics:

Solo Traveling

Lovers running and laughing through a rainstorm look romantic; a single person doing so looks nuts.
--Mille Kerr, Hemisphere Travel Essay, January 2016

My mom recently expressed concern about my seemingly constant single life, prompted in part by my December post about being Jewish and alone on Christmas. To be fair to her, I don't remember the last date I went on that I told her about, but the fact remains that yes, I'm 28 and single. I'm not actively looking to end my singleness, but I'm not actively looking to perpetuate it either. I just haven't found a person to end it with yet.

In the meantime, I'm enjoying doing things solo. My three-week jaunt through Eastern Europe worked well for me for many reasons, but one of those was that I was traveling alone. I stayed where I wanted, ate what I wanted, and visited the sites how I wanted. A 10-mile circuitous route through Warsaw--getting lost a few times--led only to complaints from my own feet. And my 14-mile walk throughout Toronto last month meant I didn't learn my lesson, but again, it was only my feet yelling at my brain. In both situations, I'd want my travel partner, and life partner, to feel the same.

Some day I won't be doing these trips alone, and I look forward to getting lost in some far-off city, staring at maps trying to figure out how we accidentally ended up three miles off-course in Chinatown. Not that I have any experience with that, of course! Until then, I'll enjoy my solo excursions and look forward to seeing other parts of the world.

The photo to the left is me looking straight down from the top of the CN Tower, a really crazy experience. And below is a video that I took from Casa Loma, Canada's very own castle. The piano player was brilliant, and looked like a mermaid princess. Most of her songs were Disney tunes, but not all of them. Unfortunately the better-quality video I took of her playing Beauty and the Beast is too big to upload to this blog, but this was pretty good. Enjoy!