Another book challenge so soon? Fuck yeah! Actually, I hadn’t meant to do another one so soon, but this one goes along with one of the tracks on the other challenge, so I thought, why not? Some may want to do both at the same time.

Even though this is a lot like a track in the Award-Winning Reading Challenge, I wanted to make it its own challenge. Why? Because as much as people like to complain lately that no ‘muricans win the Nobel anymore, it’s hard really to delve into world literature based on prize-winners alone.  Javier Marías, for example, is an excellent writer who hasn’t won any major international awards (ie, awards I had heard of–although I guess the International IMPAC Dublin Literary Award pays mucho).  And international literature is pretty awesome.  With that in mind, I present to you:

Bring it, Asia.

The Rules

Read the books. Once you’ve read the books, you need to let us know that you finished a book or let us know when you’re finished with the challenge.  You can do this one of two ways–leave us a link to your blog where you are keeping track, or just leave it in the comments.  (Please, if you’re going to use the comments as an on-going way to keep track rather than just posting when you’re finished, make an initial post and then update with any subsequent posts as replies to your first post. While the world won’t end if you don’t do it this way, it’s just soooooo much easier to keep track.)  Either way, leave us a definitive note when you’ve finished up so we can add you to our Textblock O’ Fame and send off your digital goodies.

Rules for individual aspects of the challenge posted below.  The only other thing that we ask is for participants please to read new books rather than ticking off books that you’ve already read and being all “I’m done!!!!!1!” That’s not very challenging.

Upon Completion

This particular challenge does not have any grand prize associated with it, but when you’ve completed the challenge, let us know and we will send you a bragging rights image. Please also note that at any time, we might decide to give out random prizes to participants just for the hell of it.  We don’t like being predictable.

Time Frame

Because this doesn’t have a grand prize and because foreign literature can be a bit of an undertaking, there’s no time limit on this challenge.  Join when you like. Take as long as you want.

How to Participate

Choose a track from the ones listed below (you can do more than one at once and you can count a newly-read book across all challenges here at IB–from the time you start participating, any book read afterwards counts, even if you’re counting it toward another challenge).  Wherever you’re keeping track of your challenges, please be sure to list 1) which challenge you’re doing (you can add on challenges later, these build in steps), and 2) where the book in question comes from.

• Day Tripper. New to foreign literature? Short on reading time and need to be economical? Start with this challenge. Read the following for a total of six books: 1 book from Latin or South America; 1 non-English book from Europe; 1 book from Africa; 1 book from Asia; 1 non-United States English book; and 1 book from the Middle East. (Note: If you’re not from the U.S., and you don’t primarily read U.S. literature, please make an appropriate substitution if you like–ie, if you’re from France, read an American book instead of the European book. Or you can do the challenge as-is.  If you choose to sub in an American author, please let us know where you’re from wherever you keep track of the challenge.) (Six books total.)
• Explorer. Hey, this world literature stuff is pretty snazzy. You want to do more. After you complete all of the requirements for the Day Tripper track, choose your favorite two regions and read two more books apiece from those regions. (Ten books total.)
• Conquistador(a). Oh, what’s that? You’re a world literary master? You’ve got so much global cred you add “Int’l” after your name? To complete this challenge, do the Day Tripper requirements. Then choose three regions and read two more books apiece from those regions. (Twelve books total.)
• Imperialist. You’re a little Caesar, crossing the Rubicon. You don’t give two fucks about what anybody else has to say, you only know that you are large and in charge, soaking up other cultures like a badass sponge and welcoming them into the rich empire of your mind. Read the following for a total of fifteen (15! MF!) books, and each book from each region should be from a different country: 3 books from Asia (at least one should be from western Asia and one from eastern Asia);  2 books from eastern Europe and 2 books from western Europe (non-English); 3 books from Africa; 3 books from Central/South America; 2 non-American English language books (make applicable changes, if you like, if you are not a native English speaker–see Day Tripper challenge note for details).

Linking

You can link back to this here page when linking to the challenge. You may also use this graphic, re-posted here for the ease of your scrollin’ finger:

And you can use this code to get both the image and the linky:

<a href="http://insatiablebooksluts.wordpress.com/global-domination-reading-challenge" /><img src="http://i.imgur.com/Beuei.png" title="Insatiable Booksluts Global Domination Reading Challenge" /></a>
 <a href="http://insatiablebooksluts.wordpress.com/global-domination-reading-challenge" />Join the challenge!</a>

We’ll have an area where we will link to people who finish the challenge–if you don’t have a link, don’t worry, we’ll still list your name for posterity. Or you can link to any-damn-thing, we don’t really care what you link to.

Let’s set sail! Or at least blend up a few tropical drinks (read: alcoholic) and travel in our imaginations. Y’know, where we can afford it.