I was aiming for the extreme level of the 2010 Global Reading Challenge but since some smarty pants has already finished that level a new extremist level has been introduced. Of course I can’t resist upgrading. And anyway who wouldn’t want to be able to refer to themselves forever more as an extreme reader? (seriously I’m getting business cards printed)
So now I need to read three novels each from Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe, North America (incl Central America), South America, two from Antarctica and a wild card from any other time or place that is new to me. To be truly extreme they should be from different countries or states within those continents and, for my personal twist on the challenge, they all have to be by new-to-me authors.
So here’s how I’m faring. I’ve read 9 and 3/4 books so far and have procured a few more but there are still some gaps. All recommendations will be gratefully appreciated.
Africa
1. A Carrion Death by Michael Stanley (Botswana)
2.
3.
Antarctica (completed)
4. Black Ice by Matt Dickinson
5. In Cold Pursuit by Sarah Andrews
Asia
6. The Prophet Murders by Mehmet Murat Somer (Turkey)
7. Mrs D’Silva’s Detective Instincts and the Shaitan of Calcutta by Glen Peters (India) (I’ve read this, just not written the review yet)
8.
Australasia
9. Bold Blood by Lindy Kelly (New Zealand)
10. The Curse of the Golden Yo-Yo by Robin Bowles (Australia)
11.
Europe
12. The Rule Book by Rob Kitchin (Ireland)
13. A Death In Tuscany by Michele Guittari (Italy) (almost finished this one)
14. A Not so Perfect Crime by Teresa Solano (Spain) (on it’s way from Book Depository)
North America
15. Borderline by Nevada Barr (Texas, USA)
16. April Fool by William Deverell (Canada) (It’s on the TBR pile)
17.
South America
18. Thursday Night Widows by Claudia Pineiro (Argentina) (I’ve started this one already)
19. Southwesterly Wind by Luiz Alfredo Garcia-Roza (Brazil) (It’s on the TBR pile)
20.
Wildcard (any time or place that is new to me)
21. Possibly Arturo Perez-Reverte’s Purity of Blood which has been on the TBR shelves for ages and is a swashbuckling tale set in 17th century Spain.
Recommend away. Please.
Reactions to Reading 
Bernadette – I am gobsmacked at how much you’ve been able to accomplish on this reading challenge! You are, indeed, an extreme reader. Not only should you get business cards, but you should have an extreme reader nameplate at work, and it should be incorporated into your address labels.
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I’m a firm believer in the idea that the challenge should take us most of the year – it seems to be a bit too easy to have finished by 5/12 of the year. I too have found this challenge stretching in the sense of having to think about what to read next. I haven’t yet got to the stage of working out what the other 7 books will be.
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LOL
When it comes to reading, I love extremists!
Kerrie: it would be very easy to make a ´slow´ challenge: read 14 books set in Antarctica! I am happy I have only one to go.
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Oh I’m in no hurry to finish either Kerrie but I figure some books are hard to track down (one of the Antarctica ones I read took 4 months to be available from the library) so I like the idea of getting recommendations now.
And yes Dorte I think I’ve done enough Antarctic reading to last me about 10 years now
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Bernadette maybe you will like to have a look at Andean Express by Juan de Recacoechea. The same author of American Visa (see Craig Sisterson at Crime Watch). Here is the link in Amazon and you can search inside the book. http://www.amazon.com/Andean-Express-Juan-Recacoechea/dp/1933354720
Unfortunately it is not available in Spanish,
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Wow.. you are upgrading. I got distracted. I’m having so much trouble finishing it!
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