Books in Translation Reading Challenge


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Books in Translation Reading Challenge hosted at The Introverted Reader

I’ve decided to host one more challenge, the Books in Translation Reading Challenge. I think this one’s pretty self-explanatory. The goal is to read translations of books. They don’t have to be in English; whatever language(s) you’re comfortable reading in is good.

You can read any genre and any age range. Crossovers with other challenges are fine. Any format that you choose is also acceptable. The challenge will run from today, January 7, through December 31, 2012.

Looking for suggestions? I have a shelf on GoodReads you can check out. There’s also a Listopia list on GoodReads.

I am not limiting the challenge to bloggers. You can also link to a review you wrote on another site, such as GoodReads or LibraryThing.

Levels:
Beginner: Read 1-3 books in translation
Conversationalist: 4-6
Bilingual: 7-9
Linguist: 10-12

I’m committing to the Conversationalist level at 4-6 books. I’ll track my progress here.

  1. The Bookseller of Kabul by Åsne Seierstad, translated by Ingrid Christopherson
  2. The Prisoner of Heaven by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, translated by Lucia Graves
  3. The Rose of Fire by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, translated by Lucia Graves

I hope you’ll join me!  Sign up anytime throughout the year by linking below!

Post your reviews here as well. Enter your name or your blog name and the title of the book in parentheses. Example: The Introverted Reader (The Bookseller of Kabul)

1. Fiona
2. Kathy aka Ruby
3. Agata
4. Meg
5. Emma @ Words And Peace
6. Layers of Thought
7. Mona
8. JLS Hall @A Little Reading
9. Dusky Literati
10. Unabridged Chick
11. a hot cup of pleasure
12. Lizzy Siddal
13. Debbie @ Exurbanis
14. Ruby @ Year of reading my books (Winston, A Thousand Peaceful Cities)
15. The Book Coop (Esther’s Inheritance)
16. Emma @ Words And Peace (St Gregory Palamas As a Hagiorite – Greece)
17. Emma @ Words And Peace (Exploring the Inner Universe – Romanian)
18. kpss
19. Emma @ Words And Peace (The Boy in the Suitcase – Danish)
20. Ruby@Year of Reading my Books (The Blood Spilt)
21. Ruby@Year of Reading my Books (The Leopard)
22. Ruby @ Year of Reading My Books (Night)
23. Emma @ Words And Peace (If on a Winter’s Night a Traveler))
24. Topcho(Nina)@ Bla bla bla
25. Ejen Hartanah
26. Ruby@Year of Reading my Books (Until Thy Wrath is Past)
27. Ruby@Year of Reading my Books (Headhunters)
28. Ruby@Year of Reading my Books (The Art of Growing Old)
29. Raya @ MCM
30. The Book Coop (Parasite Eve – Japanese))
31. Emma @ Words And Peace (The Devotion of Suspect X – Japanese)
32. Emma @ Words And Peace (The Lovers of Algeria)
33. Fiona @ The Book Coop
34. Fiona @ The Book Coop (Faceless Killers – Swedish)
35. Fiona @ The Book Coop (The Howling Miller – Finnish)
36. Emma @ Words And Peace (The Harp And The Shadow – Spanish)
37. Emma @ Words And Peace (Invisible Cities – Italian)
38. Darlene @ Darlene’s Book Nook
39. Darlene’s Book Nook (Battle Royale)
40. Emma @ Words And Peace (The Housekeeper and the Professor – Japanese)
41. Fiona (The Book Coop)
42. Emma from Words And Peace (The Master And Margarita – Russian)
43. Emma @ Words And Peace (To The End of The Land – Hebrew)
44. Maphead’s Book Blog (Spring Flowers, Spring Frost)-Albanian
45. Maphead’s Book Blog (Women Without Men )-Farsi
46. Maphead’s Book Blog (The Fratricides)-Greek
47. Maphead’s Book Blog (A Stranger to Myself)-German
48. Maphead’s Book Blog (Divorce Islamic Style)-Italian
49. Maphead’s Book Blog (Panther in the Basement)-Modern Hebrew
50. Maphead’s Book Blog (Ali and Ramazan)-Turkish
51. Maphead’s Book Blog (Passage of Tears)-French
52. Maphead’s Book Blog (Sarajevo: A War Journal)-Serbo-Croatian
53. Maphead’s Book Blog (The House of Jasmine)-Arabic
54. Maphead’s Book Blog (Souls on Fire)-French
55. Maphead’s Book Blog- (Satan in Goray)-Yiddish
56. Debbie @Exurbanis (2012 Wrap-up)
57. Emma @ Words And Peace [2012 wrap-up)

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22 Comments

  1. I'm a little late in joining, so I'm only signing up for Beginner Level. I have one that I want to read that would qualify!

    Thanks for the challenge!

  2. Doh… cocked up with one of my links up there. (no. 33)

    thebookcoop.wordpress.com/2012/08/11/book-reviewthe-dark-side-of-love-by-rafik-schami/

  3. Here's my first:

    The Paris Enigma by Pablo De Santis, originally written in Spanish.

    inkquilletc.blogspot.in/2012/07/death-of-detective-pablo-de-santis.html

  4. At least you're reading translations of any kind–my progress is pretty abysmal this year. I will have to work on it the next 6 months.

  5. Just added another book and realised I have read another one that could be counted but forgot to add… a Swedish one. Will have to fish it out.

    I probably should only count books that are translations of languages/from countries I haven't read in before. I seem to get stuck in Japan!

  6. Although I applaud any suggestion that a reader step outside of their nation's literature and realize that it is only a small part of the world's literature, I also have a tinge of displeasure when I see a open recognition that there is something unusual about reading books from other countries and other cultures, in translation or in the VO.

    In my reading the origin of the literature is generally unimportant except in understanding the text: I need to be aware of customs, geography, etc. to read a book in context, but knowing it is from another country is no more important than knowing it is science fiction or a murder mystery.

    Looking back at this year, I have read 14 or 15 books that were not originally in English and looking ahead I see many more. No, not a linguist … just an ecumenical reader.

  7. What an interesting challenge. Is sign up still open? About 90% of what I read is translated litterature, and mostly from English to my language, but you say whatever language we're comfortable with, so I guess it's ok…
    I'll commit myslef to read at least 20 translated books 🙂 Thanks for the challenge!

  8. Hi: I've just posted about Elie Wiesel's Night. #5 of my books in translation – I'm at conversationalist level, yea! Ruby aka Kathy

  9. Hi: Two more down – this time around two Scandinavian mysteries by Jo Nesbo and by Asa Larsson. Thanks! Kathy aka Ruby

  10. Hi: Two down – one polish, one german – this was fun, I'm aiming for linguist, so still a ways to go. yearofreadingmybooks.wordpress.com/2012/02/04/bullies-priories-poles-and-following-whipple-pilch-and-klute/ Happy reading, Ruby

  11. Fantastic! I had a personal challenge of this sort but I love signing up for challenges online too so here I am. My personal goal is to read at least 8 so that puts me at the Bilingual Level. Thanks for hosting!

  12. This sounds an interesting challenge especially as crossovers are allowed! I do read a lot of literature in translation even without thinking about it so should manage bilingual maybe!

  13. well, I could not resist that one either. aiming at linguist level, as I read 13 in translation last year. thanks for hosting!

  14. Hi: Books in Translation – what a great idea. I've been trying to work my way through more of my Open Letters Press (translates and publishes one book a month) books that I subscribed to – this sounds like a great motivator to do so. Thanks, Ruby

    yearofreadingmybooks.wordpress.com/

  15. Oh darn… I might do this. I have 3 other challenges and come to think of it going that I complete them I will be reading 3 at least anyway. Wanting to read more translated fiction is one of my goals anyway…

    So I think I will join ANOTHER challenge for this year, golly ghosh! Not doing so well with them at the moment though haven't not even started a new book during this year.

    I'll sign up proper tomorrow sometime.

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