Edit: If you have already signed up for this challenge, please go here to post any completed book reviews and/or to post when you have completed the challenge.
I’ve been toying with the idea of hosting a challenge for some time now, but couldn’t think of a theme that I would be interested in that wasn’t already out there. But with summer coming on, and my recent holiday to Myrtle Beach, my wanderlust has been piqued. With a yen to travel to distant lands, but lacking the resources to do so, I’ve decided to host:
If you’re interested in joining, here are the guidelines:
- The challenge runs from July 1 through December 31 during which time you must read six books that fall under the ‘armchair traveling’ theme.
- Fiction or non-fiction works are fine, and do not need to be specifically travel related, as long as the location is integral to the book – I’ll leave that to your discretion. Locations must be actual places that you could visit, so no Middle Earths or galaxies far, far away.
- Books may be cross-posted to other challenges, but you cannot count any books read prior to July 1st.
- To join, make a post outlining your six choices and link to that post below. Because I like to have a little wiggle room, you can opt to switch out books throughout the challenge.
- And yes, there will be prizes!
Here are my six choices:
Brazzaville Beach (Africa)
Rick Steves’ Postcards from Europe (Europe)
Wonderful Strange (Newfoundland)
Don’t Lets Go to the Dogs Tonight (Africa)
In a Sunburned Country (Australia)
The Kingdom by the Sea (Great Britain)
Bonus/Alternate Titles:
Hunting Mr. Heartbreak (United States)
Brick Lane (London, England)
The Binding Chair (China)
Eat, Pray, Love (Italy, India and Indonesia)
The Country Life (England)
Dinner with Persephone (Greece)
As I made allowances for in my challenge rules, I reserve the right to swap out any of these titles for another which fits within the parameters. And I’m making it extra challenging for myself by not counting any relevant books that I’ve already slated for other challenges.
So, who’s with me? Pack your bags and let’s go!
Filling in the Mr. Linky blanks:
Your name: Your name (please put the name of your blog in parentheses)
Your URL: Please link ONLY the actual post in your blog where you have listed your challenge book choices; please do NOT link your entire blog site. This will be helpful to others, so they don’t have to search through an entire blog to see your list.
Example:
Your name: Lesley (A Life in Books)
Your URL: http://www.alifeinbooks.com/?p=123
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[...] recently stumbled across a literary challenge that I liked the smell of over at A Life In Books. It’s called the Armchair Traveler reading challenge, and the guidelines are as follows: The [...]
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[...] since this fits kind of perfectly with Lesley’s Armchair Travelers challenge, and, as of the end of this month, I have no challenges going, I may as well join in as well! You [...]
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[...] also marks the start of the Armchair Traveler Reading Challenge. Links to your individual posts about the books you’ve chosen for this challenge can be [...]
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[...] 2nd, 2007 by hesperuspress I’m very tempted indeed by this reading challenge, largely for the following [...]
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[...] The Armchair Traveler Challenge: Read 6 books (fiction or non-fiction) from July-December. The books should be travel-related or where the location is “integral to the book.” [...]
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[...] July 19th, 2007 · No Comments Reading travel books is such a difficulty for me So I’m joining this challenge. [...]
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[...] I first learned of it about the time of my post on foreign literature, I’m going to pursue The Armchair Traveler Reading Challenge that began July 1. Theoretically, I’m supposed to list the six books I intend to read between [...]
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[...] I saw this in the library’s new non-fic section, and since I’m trying to up my non-fic reads, I grabbed it. It’s a biography of a late eighteenth-century/early nineteenth explorer James Holman. Holman travelled through the world more than any of his contemporaries, and he was blind. Roberts (the biographer) came across a reference to The Blind Traveller in the course of other research and became fascinated with Holman. Unfortunately, not many papers survive. Therefore, although this is non-fiction, Roberts fills in many of the blanks with his imagination. The book was very well-written; I enjoyed following along with the story. However, from a scholarly point of view, Roberts takes astonishing liberties. Fortunately, history isn’t my field, so the liberties didn’t bother me. Instead, I loved going with this blind man across the Russian Siberia, through the Brazilian interior, and around the rest of the globe. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys biographers or armchair travel. In fact, I think it’d make a good selection for Lesley’s new challenge! [...]
*laughs* I was just talking to some people about hosting this type of a challenge next summer!! Perhaps I still will since I wouldn’t be starting it until June 2008
Anyway, I’ll have to pass on it right now because I am so over-committed to challenges right now that I think I’ll go insane adding another one!
I’ll post this on my novelchallenges blogspot for you
Yeah, I was kind of surprised it hadn’t already come up – travelogues are one of my favorite genres. Summer seems like a perfect time to start, whether it’s this year or next! Thanks for posting it on your blog.
I’m in. I’ll add my name to Mr. Linky when I figure out my booklist. Sounds fun and will be the only traveling I get to do this summer!
You and me both!
I found this challenge courtesy Wendy (thanks!!), and I *think* I am going to be in. I need to evaluate what is coming up for me in the next few months, but this would certainly include a few books I’ve been meaning to read. I don’t supposed Hogwarts is a real place?
I guess in a few years it will be at the new Harry Potter theme park.
As much as us Potter fans wish that we could go to Hogwarts, I think I’d have to put the HP books in the ‘do not count’ column. That won’t stop me from reading it as soon as I get my hands on a copy, of course!
And wait, there’s going to be a Harry Potter theme park? Yes, indeed! And hurray, it’ll only be one state away!
My list is here. I will be writing reviews for the books on my main blog.
Thanks for joining, Sarah – good luck!
What a great idea for a challenge! I just saw it on Pussreboots‘ blog and immediately went to my overloaded TBR bookshelf to find books that fit.
Thanks! I think this will be great fun, and should ease some of those TBR piles of ours.
I’m in. I put my list in the post I linked to for Mr Linky and I placed in on my sidebar.
Thanks, KJ! Good luck and have fun!
I’m in. I don’t keep a blog of my own, but after I get my list together I will post it in the files over on the Novel Challenge group page. I can’t wait to let the travels begin!
Sounds good – can that page be publicly accessed or do we have to be members?
I don’t think that I’ll be able to resist this one! I’ll link when I come up with my book list. I note that you’ve got a couple of my favourites on your list: “In a Sunburned Country” and “The Kingdom by the Sea.”
Finally, I can reciprocate some of the temptation I’ve received! Glad to hear those two are good ones. I’m a big fan of Bryson, but have never read anything by Theroux.
Sounds fun! I’m sure I’ve got enough to choose from to create my list – but I don’t have a website/blog of my own, so I may just have to post here …
That would be fine! I’m curious to see what you end up choosing.
Alrighty–I’ve left my list, but I think I may swap out some. If I do, then I’ll just post another comment. Some of my locales are not very vacation-y…but they certainly aren’t Texas. We’ll see…
No problem – I have a whole bunch of alternates already set up but I know some more will probably pop up in the next six months. It’s not necessary that you would visit the places in the books, just that you could.
I posted my list on my blog. Thanks for this challenge.
Thanks for joining, Lynne – and I’m glad you like the button! I’ve got a couple of your selections on my TBR shelf (Bel Canto and Amsterdam) so I’ll be interested to read your thoughts on those especially. Good luck!
This one is so incredibly tempting! I love reading about new places and have quite a few books that would easily qualify – travel memoirs are a particular favorite of mine. I’m thinking . . . .
Hey, that’s the sign of a good challenge, then! What good would it be if you weren’t tempted?
I really enjoy travel memoirs, too. I suspect this challenge will add a number of books to my wishlist.
This is an easy one for me – I already have several books about Italy on my TBR list.
Yeah, it wasn’t hard for me to pick out a bunch, either – travelogues are one of my favorite genres, so if I find one that sounds remotely interesting (especially if it’s a cheap used copy) then I usually bring it home with me, but a lot of times that’s as far as they get. Hopefully this challenge will rectify that. Thanks for joining and good luck!
LOVE the button and I do plan to join! Just not yet….get a little closer to time.
Thanks! You can join anytime after July 1st as well; I’m not putting any restraints on when people can sign up.
I don’t know if I’ll have time to do this challenge right now, but I do have a great travel book recommendation if anyone is looking for one. It’s A Woman Alone: Travel Tales from Around the Globe edited by Faith Conlon. Women who have traveled solo contributed their stories to this book, and it’s a fascinating nonfiction read.
Lesley, RYC, I have several pencil sharpeners! Still not sure I’d want one that involved a pencil and a cat’s butt, though.
Ooh, that does sound good, Kate. I especially love travelogues written by women. Have you read Tales of a Female Nomad or Shooting the Boh? Both very good as well.
I definitely would not want any part of anything involving a cat’s butt. It’s all I can do to clean my cats’ litter box!
I found you via Iliana… I love this idea! I love reading travel books, and have been thinking that I haven’t been reading enough of them lately. Thanks for giving me the chance!
You’re quite welcome – and thank you! I am definitely in a wanderlust kind of mood myself. This challenge will either satiate that or inflame it further.
I’m in!! I’ll get my list posted in the next few weeks (eeek, July is sneeking up very quickly, isn’t it?!).
Great! I’m really curious to see your choices. And yes, I know it’s cliché but the older I get the faster the months seem to go by!
If I can get some friggin internet at home then I’m in. I’m seriously blog deprived!!
Hey, girlie! It’s so good to see you online. Ugh, still having internet issues?
I hope you’re able to get back up and online again soon. I miss reading your blog!
I’m very tempted…I think I’ll come up with a list and I’ll be back to join!
Can’t wait to see what you choose!
Oh Les, only for you will I CONSIDER joining a challenge. You know I am the anti-challenge girl.
I’m flattered!
And I hope you join, but wouldn’t blame you if you didn’t. (I used to be an anti-challenge girl myself, and now look where I am)
I’m in. I’m very excited — going to far-off places, whether real or fictional, is one of my favorite reasons for reading!
Yes indeed! That reminds me of one of my favorite quotes about reading:
“It is not true that we have only one life to live; if we can read, we can live as many more lives and as many kinds of lives as we wish.� ~ S.I. Hayakawa
I’m back! And this is a good challenge. I have one book in mind – Emma Tennant’s A House in Corfu. I’ll have to think about the rest…
Oh…thanks for the tip of the library sale. I bought lots. There’s another here in November of hardback fiction books…I made my sister promise that she would go. Haha!
Oh good, I’m glad you got to take advantage of the sale! I was wondering if you were going to be in town or traveling when it was going on. I am totally addicted to library book sales.
How can I not do a challenge hosted by you? My list is in the works but a few feel like stretches, so I might have to replace those. Like I, Claudius? I suppose Rome is an integral part of the book? I don’t know. And how about The Historian? She travels all through Eastern Europe, right?
Well, thanks! I would definitely count The Historian, the locations were a big part of the story itself. Personally, I think historical fiction is fine – what difference does it make if it was 2000 years or 20 – you can’t visit the time, but you can visit the location. Some folks wouldn’t count it, but that’s where I leave it up to your discretion.
I found you via Melissa. My mind is buzzing with possibilities. Thanks for hosting the challenge.
You’re welcome! I look forward to seeing your choices – good luck!
What a fun challenge! I’m wanting to stretch a bit. Oh, I forgot: my journal is Wandering in the Always Already.
You’ve chosen some very interesting sounding books. I have A Thousand Splendid Suns on my wishlist but probably won’t be reading it anytime soon. I’ve heard it’s fabulous, though!
HI! What a great challenge!! How do I sign up?? I’ve got a list going in my head already!!!
Katie, just make a post on your blog with your selections and then link to it using the Mr. Linky box above. Thanks for joining!
Brick Lane is really good! A hidden jem.
Good to know! That’s another one of those books I’ve had unread on my shelf for far too long.
I’m in! Great idea!
Glad you joined! I absolutely loved Shadow of the Wind. It was one of my choices for Carl’s RIP Challenge last fall. And I have Thunderbolt Kid sitting on my shelf but I think I’m going to get the audio version for my husband and I to listen to on our next roadtrip (I converted him as Bryson fan after having him listen to A Walk in the Woods on a past trip).
If I was doing challenges this year…I would be in this one for sure!
Any particular reason you’re abstaining this year? I think some of us wish we could have your fortitude!
I just finished Caterpiller Days Spring Reading Challenge and saw this on Stephanie’s list. I LOVE books of place–novels or travel memoirs– and there’s one novel that I didn’t get to. I also love Bill Bryson, and I haven’t read that one you have on your list yet. I’m going to start thinking. I’m excited! I’m going to check out some of the other lists and I’m sure I’ll read more than six.
I absolutely love Bryson, too. The only reason I’ve put off reading Sunburned so long is that I don’t have a lot of interest in Australia as a place to visit (my apologies to all the Australians out there!) but perhaps reading his book will change that. My husband dreams of someday traveling there so I may end up there eventually anyhow.
Hi Lesley! I found your reading challenge through Susan (Kate) and had to join in!
Looks like fun!
I think I accidentally linked to my whole blog site….I’m new to all this blogging stuff (there’s not a whole lot there!
Looking forward to seeing eveyone’s books!
Melissa
Hey, Melissa – welcome! Did we meet when we last visited Susan/Kate in DC? (last Memorial Day) No worries on the blog link thing – definitely not a big deal.
Hey Lesley:
Sorry I’m such a dumbass, I also linked to my whole site and not that one post.
Susan
No worries.
It’s not a big deal whatsoever.
Hi,
I came across your challenge through numerous bloghoppings and I’m definitely interested! I’ll post a link of my list once I’ve made one.
A question though: You stated in the rules that the book’s setting must be a factual location, not a make-believe one. But how about books with make-believe scenarios? For example: I’m thinking of adding Neal Stephenson’s “The Diamond Age” to my list but it’s set in future-Shanghai. Does this count? Sorry for my convoluted question, but you can definitely count me in.
Welcome, Kristel – and thanks for joining the challenge! I hope you enjoy it, and part of the reason I made the ‘your discretion’ comment in regard to choosing books was for this type of thing. Some people wouldn’t count historical or in-the-future works to the challenge, and some would. Since you can’t technically go to Tudor England (in the case of one participant’s choice of The Other Boleyn Girl) or future Shanghai (as in yours), but you can visit the cities/countries themselves, basically, it’s up to you! Some would perhaps disagree with me, but I tend to be lenient in regards to these reading challenges. Count it if you like – the challenge, while challenging, is meant to be fun.
Count me in!! I just posted my list!!
Great – good luck! And for the record, I think we are all crazy AND gluttons for punishment.
This site provides a treasure trove of international fiction. Some titles may be difficult to obtain in the United States, but lots of them are published here, and lots more available via various international Amazon.com sites!
http://www.impacdublinaward.ie/2007/Longlist.htm
Thanks for linking that, Stephanie. I referred to this list when choosing one of my selections for the book awards challenge. Definitely a lot of good ones to choose from there. (I picked The Master)
I’m so in. Sounds like perfect summer reading to me. Had a great time filling up the rest of my list at the library this morning.
Thanks for joining, Megan! You’ve chosen some interesting books. I can relate to your boyfriend’s collection of Bryson – I did the same thing myself after reading A Walk in the Woods!
Lesley, as you can tell I GOOFED! I didn’t add my blog name next to my name. If it’s possible to delete me, I’ll redo it correctly. Oh, bother!
Thanks for the book suggestions for Nova Scotia and Newfoundland. We are going to both places, as well as PEI. So any suggestions are welcome. I have Shipping News, Birds in Fall, Anne of Green Gables. I’m going to look for Burden of Desire. So many thanks….
Oh, don’t worry about it – it’s no big deal.
Wow, you are going to my neck of the woods – I wish I was going with you! Other NFLD books are: The Bird Artist, The Day the World Came to Town (VERY good NF book that shows the personalities of Newfies – here’s my post on it), and The Long Run. For Nova Scotia, there’s My Famous Evening, The Birth House, and Bluenose Ghosts. Have fun!
Hi, I’m interested in the challenge – but just need to ask a question: is it okay if the travelogue we pick covers several different countries?
Most definitely!
I posted my list of six books. I won’t start until July 1; I promise! Some of the lists look great. I may have to add some to my tbr list. Oh no, that is another challenge!
I can’t wait to start reading, either! Luckily I have a pile of books from other challenges to keep me busy.
I read Tea House last summer and really enjoyed it, a great summery read.
This looks like fun! This will be my first challenge, it should help me make a dent in my pile(s) of unread books.
That’s why I love these challenges so much, it helps me get through some of my ‘TBR’ pile! I remember when I first started this blog being surprised there were so many other like-minded folks out there, keeping the same kind of blog – one of my favorite things about being online are my fellow book bloggers.
Thanks for hosting this challenge!
Thank you for joining! I hope you have fun with it.
What a cool challenge! Thanks for hosting!
Thanks for joining, Faith! Good luck and have fun!
I’ve been so excited about this challenge ever since I found out about it. I can’t wait to start- I’m really looking forward to learning about all sorts of new places. The hardest part will be deciding where to start!
Thanks! I’m looking forward to reading what people think about their various choices. I’m sure it will wreak havoc on my wishlist!
Just thought I’d join in the challenge. I’ve seelected the following books from my stacks:
1. A Year in the Maine Woods; Heinrich (nf)
2. Vineyard Killing; Craig (fic)
3. Jane Austen in Boca; Cohen (fic)
4. Hotel Riveria; Adler (fic)
5. Sea Music; MacDonald (fic)
6. Brimfield; Fortuna
Thanks for joining, Diane! You’ve picked some interesting-sounding books – can’t wait to hear about them.
posted my books on my blog.
I am excited….
I loved The Kite Runner but haven’t read his new one yet. And although I loved the Joy Luck Club movie, I’ve never read the book. Hope you enjoy them!
Yay! Looking so very forward to this challenge (even though I said I wouldn’t challenge myself anymore).
Woohoo! Don’t worry, this is meant to be a stress-free, fun challenge.
After re-reading the directions, I realized that books read before July 1st meant EVER, not just this year.
I had already read two of my books, so I’ve redone my list (which is nice because now its a little more travelesque instead of just books that take place in other countrys.
Here’s my new list (same link as used in Mr. Linky)
Ah, OK.
I actually wasn’t even thinking of books read prior to this year, but I suppose if already read books from this year aren’t allowed, then it follows that neither should any previous years. Thanks for helping me to clarify my point!
I was going to comment but then noticed the trackback above…so, yeah, you can go there if you’re interested in seeing my list of books.
I love Bill Bryson! Some of the anecdotes in Stranger are hilarious, some poignant. Too bad he’s gone back to the UK.
I am really looking forward to starting on my pile for this challenge. I have a lot of extra books that I didn’t list as my official 6 but I read fast.
I don’t usually read that fast but I certainly have more than enough books to choose from that fit the bill!
This is my first challenge and I’m so looking forward to reading these books. Just one final question. Are we supposed to post our books here or just leave the url for our blog? Then when we’re done with the book do we post that we are done or just make it as completed on our blog. Guess that was two questions.
Welcome, Nancy! You can just leave the url for your blog (particularly the permalink to your post outlining your books for the challenge) when you first sign up in the Mr. Linky box above. You can then just mark the books as read on your blog and if you do make posts about the books, you can link to them in the comments section of the sticky post at the top of this page (the one titled: And We’re Off!). Let me know if you have any other questions!