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Books Elizabeth Turnbull Books Elizabeth Turnbull

Reading Around the World

I set out this year to read a book from every country in the world and created a spread in my reading journal to track my progress (see image below). When I mentioned my goal in a YouTube video the suggestions started flooding in, and I realized it was worth taking the time to put together a little resource for us all to share!

I set out this year to read a book from every country in the world and created a spread in my reading journal to track my progress (see image below). When I mentioned my goal in a YouTube video the suggestions started flooding in, and I realized it was worth taking the time to put together a little resource for us all to share!

When I started this challenge I didn’t know this blog existed - so check it out to learn more about their experiences and for even more book ideas for each country!

This list is based on my own research and suggestions from my online community (mostly from the comments of this YouTube video) and is a work in progress. I have not been able to verify that each book takes place in the country in which the author was born and/or lived the majority of their life. If you notice a mistake please let me know so I can fix it!

Some suggestions are for specific books, and others are just for authors to check out. If you have more suggestions please let me know so I can add them!

Any books I’ve personally read will be bolded and include a link to my Goodreads review and/or a YouTube video where I discuss it. If I read it prior to joining Goodreads/BookTube it will just be bolded!

An additional note - because I am bilingual and can read in both English and French, some of the books listed here that were originally written in French may not have been translated into English. I will indicate this by italicizing those books! I’ll also italicize books that don’t appear to have an English translation since those reading may also speak more than just English and appreciate those recommendations!

Ok, enough preamble. Let’s get on to the list!

A

  • Afghanistan

    • The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini

    • Load Poems Like Guns: Women's Poetry from Herat, Afghanistan by Farzana Marie

    • A Thousand Splendid Suns by Khaled Hosseini

  • Albania

    • The Country Where No One Ever Dies by Ornela Vorpsi

    • The File on H. by Ismail Kadare

    • Hana by Elvira Dones

    • The Highland Lute by Gjergj Fishta

    • The Last Journey of Ago Ymeri by Bashkim Shehu

    • Negative Space by Luljeta Lleshanaku

    • Sworn Virgin by Elvira Dones

    • Three Elegies for Kosovo by Ismail Kadare

  • Algeria

    • Algériennes 1954-1962 by Swann Meralli

    • The Plague by Albert Camus

    • The Stranger by Albert Camus ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Review

    • Women of Algiers in their Apartment by Assia Djebar

  • Andorra

    • Authors

    • Albert Salvadó

  • Angola

    • A General Theory of Oblivion by José Eduardo Agualusa

    • Granma Nineteen and the Soviet's Secret by Ondjaki

    • Patriots by Sousa Jamba

    • Authors

    • Agostinho Neto

  • Antigua and Barbuda

  • Argentina

    • The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enríquez ⭐⭐ Goodreads Review

    • Elena Knows by Claudia Piñeiro

    • Fever Dream by Samanta Schweblin ⭐⭐ Goodreads Review

    • Martin Fierro by José Hernández

    • Tender is the Flesh by Agustina Bazterrica ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Review

    • Authors

    • Jorge Luis Borges

    • Julio Cortazar

    • Liliana Bodoc

  • Armenia

    • The Gray House by Mariam Petrosyan

  • Australia

    • The Animals In That Country by Laura Jean McKay

    • Bila Yarrudhanggalangdhuray by Anita Heiss

    • The Boy From The Mish by Gary Lonesborough

    • Cloudstreet by Tim Winton

    • Eggshell Skull by Bri Lee

    • First We Make the Beast Beautiful by Sarah Wilson

    • Flames by Robbie Arnott

    • Growing Up Aboriginal in Australia edited by Anita Heiss

    • Herron by Robbie Arnott

    • The Killing Code by Ellie Marney (set in USA)

    • Looking for Alibrandi by Melina Marchetta

    • The Man from Snowy River by A.B. Paterson (Poem)

    • On the Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

    • Picnic At Hanging Rock by Joan Lindsay

    • Rabbit-Proof Fence by Doris Pilkington, Nugi Garimara

    • Saving Francesca by Melina Marchetta

    • Scission by Tim Winton

    • Tell Me Why by Archie Roach

    • This One Wild and Precious Life by Sarah Wilson

    • The Yield by Tara June Winch ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ YouTube review | Goodreads review

    • Authors

    • Bryce Courtenay

    • Cate Kennedy (short stories)

    • Colleen McCullough

    • Di Morrissey

    • Kate Forsyth

    • Lynette Noni

    • Traci Harding

  • Austria

    • The Wall by Marlen Haushofer

  • Azerbaijan

    • All Russians Love Birch Trees by Olga Grjasnowa (set in Germany)

B

  • The Bahamas

    • An evening in Guanima: A treasury of folktales from the Bahamas by Patricia Glinton-Meicholas

    • Learning to Breathe by Janice Lynn Mather

  • Bahrain

    • The Pearl Thief by Noor Al Noaimi

  • Bangladesh

    • Black Ice by Mahmudul Haque

    • Gouripur Junction by Humayun Ahmed

    • In Blissful Hell, 1971: A novel by Humayun Ahmed

    • Of Blood and Fire by Jahanara Imam

    • Authors

    • Ahsan Habib

    • Bankim Chandra

    • Muhammad Zafar Iqbal

    • Rabindranath

    • Tahmima Anam

  • Barbados

    • How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House: A Novel by Cherie Jones

    • Redemption in Indigo by Karen Lord

  • Belarus

    • The Unwomanly Face of War by Svetlana Alexievich

    • Voices from Chernobyl by Svetlana Alexievich

  • Belgium

    • Histoire d'Alice qui ne pensait jamais à rien (et de tous ses maris, plus un) par Francis Dannemark

    • The Melting by Lize Spit

    • Authors

    • Amélie Nothomb

  • Belize

    • Beka Lamb by Zee Edgell

  • Benin

    • L'esclave par Felix Couchoro

    • Authors

    • Adelaide Fassinou

    • Colette Senami Agossou Houeto

    • Paulin Joachim

  • Bhutan

    • The Circle of Karma by Kunzang Choden

  • Bolivia

    • Affections by Rodrigo Hasbun

  • Bosnia and Herzegovina

    • The Fortress by Mesa Selimovic

    • My Heart by Semezdin Mehedinović

  • Botswana

    • Call and Response by Gothataone Moeng

    • The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (series - takes place in Botswana, author born in Zimbabwe)

  • Brazil

    • Amora: Stories by Natalia Borges Polesso

    • Captains of the Sands by Jorge Amado

    • Here the Whole Time by Vitor Martins

    • The Hour of the Star by Clarice Lispector

    • I Didn't Talk by Beatriz Bracher

    • Macunaima by Mário de Andrade

    • Memórias Póstumas de Brás Cubas by Machado de Assis ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Review | YouTube Review

    • O Menino Azul by Cecilia Meireles

    • Where We Go From Here by Lucas Rocha

  • Brunei

    • The Fisherman King by Kathrina Mohd Daud

    • I Am Not Your Eve by Devika Ponnambalam

  • Bulgaria

    • The Physics of Sorrow by Georgi Gospodinov

    • Authors

    • Ivan Vazov

  • Burkina Faso

    • Crépuscule des temps anciens par Nazi Boni

    • Histoire de l'Afrique noire par Joseph Ki-Zerbo

    • Ma part de vérité par Jean-Baptiste Ouédraogo

    • Le Parachutage par Norbert Zongo

  • Burundi

    • Au nom des miens par Jeanne D’Arc Mpitabakana

    • Small Country by Gael Faye

C

  • Cape Verde / Cabo Verde

    • The Madwoman of Serrano by Dina Salustio

  • Cambodia

    • In the Shadow of the Banyan by Vaddey Ratner

    • Survival in the Killing Fields by Haing Ngor

  • Cameroon

    • A Long Way from Douala by Max Lobe

    • Mission to Kala by Mongo Beti

    • The Old Man and the Medal by Ferdinand Oyono

  • Canada

  • Central African Republic

    • Co-Wives, Co-Widows by Adrienne Yabouza

  • Chad

    • Nimrod : Selected Writings by Nimrod

    • Told by Starlight in Chad by Joseph Brahim Seid

  • Chile

    • The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende

    • The Old Man Who Read Love Stories by Luis Sepúlveda

    • The Story of A Seagull and The Cat Who Taught Her To Fly by Luis Sepúlveda

    • My Tender Matador by Pedro Lemebel

    • Authors

    • Antonio Rojas Gomez

  • China

    • In the Face of Death We Are Equal by Mu Cao

    • The Three Body Problem by Liu Cixin ⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Review

    • Wild Swans, Three Daughters of China by Jung Chang

  • Colombia

    • Living to Tell the Tale by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

    • Love in the Time of Cholera by Gabriel Garcia Marquez

    • Oblivion: A Memoir by Héctor Abad Faciolince

    • One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

    • Our Lady of the Assassins by Fernando Vallejo

    • The Sound of Things Falling by Juan Gabriel Vasquez

    • Authors

    • Alvaro Mutis

    • Andres Caicedo

    • Gonzalo Arango

    • Hector Rojas Herazo

    • Jose Asunción Silva

    • Leon De Greiff

    • Porfirio Barba Jacob

  • Comoros

    • A Girl Called Eel by Ali Zamir

    • The Kaffir of Karthala by Mohamed A. Toihiri

  • Congo, Democratic Republic of the

    • La Danse du Vilain par Fiston Mwanza Mujila

    • Tram 83 by Fiston Mwanza Mujila

    • Authors

    • Sony Lab'ou Tansi

  • Congo, Republic of the

    • The Fire of Origins by Emmanuel Dongala

  • Costa Rica

    • Concherias by Aquileo J. Echeverría

    • Cuentos de angustias y paisajes by Carlos Salazar Herrera

    • En una silla de ruedas by Carmen Lyra

    • Única Looking at the Sea by Fernando Contreras Castro

  • Côte d’Ivoire

    • In the Company of Men by Véronique Tadjo

    • Suns of Independence by Ahmadou Kourouma

  • Croatia

    • Belladonna by Daša Drndić

    • Croatian Tales of Long Ago by Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić

    • Cyclops by Ranko Marinkovic

    • Farewell, Cowboy by Olja Savičević Ivančević

    • The Hill by Ivica Prtenjača

    • Trieste by Daša Drndić

    • The Witch of Grič by Marija Jurić Zagorka

    • Authors

    • August Šenoa

    • Hrvoje Hitrec

    • Tin Ujević

  • Cuba

    • Dreaming in Cuban by Cristina Garcia

    • Frigid Tales by Pedro De-Jesús

    • Kingdom of this World by Alejo Carpentier

    • A Planet for Rent by Yoss

    • Trumpets in the Mountains by Laurie Frederik

    • Authors

    • Leonardo Padura

    • Nicolás Guillén

    • Wendy Guerra

  • Cyprus

    • Afentis Batistas by Costas Montis

    • Ledra Street by Nora Nadjarian

    • The Maidens by Alex Michaelides (takes place in England) ⭐ YouTube Review

    • Authors

    • Vasilis Michaelides

  • Czech Republic

    • The Good Soldier Švejk by Jaroslav Hašek

    • The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka (takes place in Germany)

    • Too Loud a Solitude by Bohumil Hrabal

    • The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

    • War with the Newts by Karel Čapek

D

  • Denmark

    • The Copenhagen Trilogy by Tove Ditlevsen

    • The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld

    • Seven Gothic Tales by Isak Dinesen, Karen Blixen

    • The Shamer’s Daughter by Lene Kaaberbøl

    • The Tenant by Katrine Engberg ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Review

    • Authors

    • Harry Mulisch

    • Tommy Wieringa

  • Djibouti

    • The United States of Africa by Abdourahman A. Waberi

  • Dominica

    • Wide Sargasso Sea by Jean Rhys

  • Dominican Republic

    • In the Time of the Butterflies by Julia Alvarez

E

  • East Timor (Timor-Leste)

    • The Crossing: A Story of East Timor by Luís Cardoso

  • Ecuador

    • Cumanda by Juan León Mera

    • Poso Wells by Gabriela Aleman

    • The Villagers (Huasipungo) by Jorge Icaza

    • Authors

    • Demetrio Aguilera

    • Enrique Gil Gilbert

    • Joaquin Gallegos

    • Medardo Angel Silva

  • Egypt

    • Beer in the Snooker Club by Waguih Ghali

    • Palace Walk by Naguib Mahfouz

    • The Queue by Basma Abdel-Aziz

    • The Thief and the Dogs by Naguib Mahfouz

    • What Strange Paradise by Omar El Akkad

    • Authors

    • Nawal El Saadawi

  • El Salvador

    • Slash and Burn by Claudia Hernández

    • Tyrant Memory by Horacio Moya

  • Equatorial Guinea

    • By Night the Mountain Burns by Juan Tomás Ávila Laurel

    • La Bastarda: A Novel by Trifonia Melibea Obono

  • Eritrea

    • African Titanics by Abu Bakr Kahal

    • Gratitude in Low Voices by Dawit Gebremichael Habte

    • Heart of Fire by Senait Mehari

    • I Will Not Grow Downward - Memoir of an Eritrean Refugee: My Long and Perilous Flight from Africa's Hermit Kingdom by Kenneth James Howe, Yikealo Neab

  • Estonia

    • The Man Who Spoke Snakish by Andrus Kivirähk

    • The Willow King by Meelis Friedenthal

  • Eswatini (formerly known as Swaziland)

    • A Beautiful Place to Die by Malla Nunn

    • When the Ground is Hard by Malla Nunn

  • Ethiopia

    • Love Unto Crypt by Haddis Alemayehu

    • Les Nuits d’Addis Abeba par Sebhat Gebre-Egziabher

    • The Shadow King by Maaza Mengiste

F

  • Fiji

    • A Disappearance in Fiji by Nilima Rao

    • Kalyana by Rajni Mala Khelawan

    • A Remarkable Rotuman Woman by Jacinta Tonga

  • Finland

    • A Charming Mass Suicide by Arto Paasilinna

    • The Egyptian by Mika Waltari

    • Fathoms of the Fenlake by Ante Aikio

    • Kalevala by Elias Lönnrot

    • Moominsummer Madness by Tove Jansson

    • Purge by Sofi Oksanen

  • France

    • Antigone by Anouilh

    • Candide by Voltaire

    • La Belle et la Bête by Gabrielle-Suzanne Barbot de Villeneuve ⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Review | YouTube Review

    • La Belle et la Bête by Jeanne-Marie Leprince de Beaumont ⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Review | YouTube Review

    • La Chanson de Roland by Unknown

    • The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas

    • L’Empire des Loups by Jean-Christophe Grangé

    • Feux by Marguerite Yourcenar

    • Les Larmes de L'Assassin by Anne-Laure Bondoux

    • Luisa: Ici et La by Carole Maurel

    • Memoires d'Hadrien by Marguerite Yourcenar

    • Le Misanthrope by Molière ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Review | YouTube Review

    • Authors

    • Franck Thilliez (Sharko & Hennebelle series)

    • Françoise Sagan

    • Jean Teulé

    • Simone de Beauvoir

G

  • Gabon

    • Awu's Story: A Novel by Justine Mintsa

    • The Fury and Cries of Women by Angèle Rawiri

  • The Gambia

    • Folk Tales and Fables from The Gambia by Dembo Fanta Bojang, Sukai Mbye Bojang

    • Reading the Ceiling by Dayo Forster

    • The Sun Will Soon Shine by Sally Singhateh

  • Georgia

    • Kvachi by Mikheil Javakhishvili

    • The Knight In The Panther Skin by Shota Rustaveli

    • A Man Was Going Down the Road by Otar Chiladze

    • Authors

    • Aka Morchiladze

    • Ana Kordzaia-Samadashvili

  • Germany

    • The Swarm by Franz Schatzing

    • The City of Dreaming Books by Walter Moers

    • Demian by Hermann Hesse

    • Der Räuber by Friedrich Schiller

    • Der Vorleser by Bernhard Schlink

    • Effi Briest by Theodor Fontane

    • Eine Tüte Grüner Wind by Gesine Schulz

    • The End of Loneliness by Benedict Wells

    • Every Man Dies Alone by Hans Fallada

    • Faust by Goethe

    • The Flying Classroom by Erich Kästner

    • The Hangman's Daughter by Oliver Potzsch

    • Harold by Einzlkind

    • How the Soldier Repairs the Gramophone by Saša Stanišić

    • Inkheart by Cornelia Funke

    • Intrigue and Love by Friedrich Schiller

    • Look Who's Back by Timur Vermes

    • The Neverending Story by Michael Ende

    • Perfume: The Story of a Murderer by Patrick Süskind

    • The Ruby Red trilogy by Kerstin Gier

    • Steppenwolf by Hermann Hesse

    • Über Menschen by von Juli Zeh

    • A Very Special Year by Thomas Montasser

    • Authors

    • Andreas Séché

    • Ferdinand von Schirach

    • Friedrich Dürrenmatt

    • Gretchen by Einzlkind

    • Jenny-Mai Nguyen

    • Kai Meyer

    • Sebastian Fitzek

    • Tom Finnek

  • Ghana

    • Changes: A Love Story by Ama Ata Aidoo

    • Ghana Must Go by Taiye Selasi

    • North to Paradise by Ousman Umar ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Goodreads Review

  • Greece

    • If Not, Winter by Sappho

  • Grenada

  • Guatemala

    • Men of Maize by Miguel Angel Asturias

    • Human Matter by Rodrigo Rey Rosa

    • Severina by Rodrigo Rey Rosa

  • Guinea

  • Guinea-Bissau

  • Guyana

H

  • Haiti

  • Honduras

    • Revulsion by Horacio Castellanos Moya

    • The Dream of my Return by Horacio Castellanos Moya

    • Senselessness by Horacio Castellanos Moya

  • Hungary

I

  • Iceland

  • India

    • The God of Small Things by Arundhati Roy

    • A State of Freedom by Neel Mukherjee

  • Indonesia

    • The Wandering by Intan Paramaditha

  • Iran

    • Disoriental by Negar Djavadi

    • Persepolis by Marjane Satrapi

    • Suvashun by Simin Daneshvar

  • Iraq

    • Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi

  • Ireland

  • Israel

    • With Eternity Not Afraid by Shani Boingjo

  • Italy

    • Alda Merini

    • My Brillant Friend by Elena Ferrante

    • Dante

    • Durrenmatt

    • Eva Sleeps by Francesca Melandri

    • If This Is a Man (se questo è un uomo) by Primo Leviconcentration camp

    • Italo Calvino

    • Luca di Fulvio

    • Luigi Pirandello

    • Manzoni

    • The Name of the Rose (il nome della rosa) by Umberto Eco

    • Se questo è un uomo by Primo Levi

J

  • Jamaica

  • Japan

    • Beauty and Sadness by Yasunari Kawabata

    • My Brother's Husband by Gengoroh Tagame

    • Confessions of a Mask by Yukio Mishima

    • Convenience Store Woman by Sayaka Murata

    • The Genji Monogatari by Murasaki Shikibu

    • The Housekeeper and the Professor. It is a beautiful book by Yōko Ogawa

    • Norwegian Wood by Haruki Murakami

    • The Travelling Cat Chronicles by Hiro Arikawa

    • Tokyo Ueno Station by Miri Yu

  • Jordan

K

  • Kazakhstan

  • Kenya

    • Wizard of the Crow by Ngugi wa Thiong'o

    • The Havoc of Choice by Wanjiru Koinange

  • Kiribati

  • Korea, North

    • In Order to Live: a North Korean Girl's Journey to Freedom by Yeonmi Park

  • Korea, South

    • Human Acts by Han Kang

    • Pachinko by Min Jin Lee

    • To the Warm Horizon by Jin-Young Choi

  • Kosovo

    • Crossing by Pajtim Statovci

  • Kuwait

  • Kyrgyzstan

L

  • Laos

  • Latvia

  • Lebanon

  • Lesotho

  • Liberia

  • Libya

    • Gold Dust by Ibrahim al-Koni

  • Liechtenstein

  • Lithuania

    • Balys Sruoga

    • Kristina Sabaliauskaite

    • Ruta Sepetys

    • Vincas Mykolaitis-Putinas

  • Luxembourg

M

  • Madagascar

  • Malawi

  • Malaysia

  • Maldives

  • Mali

  • Malta

  • Marshall Islands

  • Mauritania

  • Mauritius

  • Mexico

    • The Beautiful Ones by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

    • The Diary of Frida Kahlo by Frida Kahlo

    • Gods of Jade and Shadow by Silvia Moreno-Garcia

    • Like Water for Chocolate by Laura Esquivel

  • Micronesia, Federated States of

  • Moldova

  • Monaco

  • Mongolia

  • Montenegro

  • Morocco

  • Mozambique

    • Rain: And Other Stories by Mia Couto

  • Myanmar (Burma)

N

  • Namibia

  • Nauru

  • Nepal

  • Netherlands

    • The Book of Everything by Guus Kuujer

    • Minoes by Annie M.G. Schmidt

  • New Zealand

  • Nicaragua

    • The Inhabited Woman by Gioconda Belli

    • The Country Under My Skin by Gioconda Belli

    • Infinity in the Palm of her Hand by Gioconda Belli

  • Niger

  • Nigeria

  • North Macedonia

    • Pirey by Petre M. Andreevski

  • Norway

    • The Solitaire Mystery by Jostein Gaarder

O

  • Oman

    • Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharti

P

  • Pakistan

  • Palau

  • Palestine

    • Mother of Strangers by Suad Amiry

    • The Dance of the Deep-Blue Scorpion by Akram Musallam

    • Wild Thorns by Sahar Khalifeh

    • Mornings in Jenin by Susan Abulhawa

    • My First and Only Love by Sahar Khalifeh

    • Minor Detail by Adania Shibli - 5 stars - Goodreads Review

    • Salt Houses by Hala Alyan (diaspora)

    • Enter Ghost by Isabella Hammad (*diaspora) - 5 stars - Goodreads Review

    • Behind You Is the Sea: A Novel by Susan Muaddi Darraj (diaspora)

    • You Exist Too Much by Zaina Arafat (diaspora)

    • The Question of Palestine by Edward W. Said

    • I Saw Ramallah by Mourid Barghouti

    • Power Born of Dreams: My Story is Palestine by Mohammad Sabaaneh

    • In the Presence of Absence by Mahmoud Darwish

    • Exhausted on the Cross by Najwan Darwish

    • Rifqa by Mohammed El-Kurd

    • They Fell Like Stars from the Sky & Other Stories by Sheikha Helawy

  • Panama

  • Papua New Guinea

  • Paraguay

  • Peru

    • The Complete Poetry by Cesar Vallejo

    • Julio Ramón Ribeyro

    • Mario Vargas Llosa

    • Violeta by Isabel Allende (translated by Frances Riddle)

    • A World for Julius by Alfredo Bryce Echenique

  • Philippines

    • Noli Me Tángere (Touch Me Not) by Dr. Jose Rizal

  • Poland

  • Portugal

    • Blindness by José Saramago

    • Death with Interruptions by José Saramago

    • The Gospel According to Jesus Christ by José Saramago

Q

  • Qatar

R

  • Romania

    • Life Begins on Friday by Ioana Parvulescu

    • Night Watch by Sergei Lukianenko

  • Russia

    • Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy

    • Crime and Punishment by Fydor Dostoevsky

    • Kolyma Tales by Varlam Shalamov

    • The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

    • Playing a Part by Daria Wilke

    • The Village by Ivan Alekseyevich Bunin

    • War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy

  • Rwanda

S

  • Saint Kitts and Nevis

  • Saint Lucia

  • Saint Vincent and the Grenadines

  • Samoa

  • San Marino

  • Sao Tome and Principe

  • Saudi Arabia

  • Senegal

  • Serbia

  • Seychelles

  • Sierra Leone

  • Singapore

    • The Woman Who Breathed Two Worlds by Selina Siak Chin Yoke

  • Slovakia

  • Slovenia

  • Solomon Islands

  • Somalia

    • The Last Nomad: Coming of Age in the Somali Desert by Shugri Said Salh

  • South Africa

    • Circles in the Forest by Dalene Mathee

    • Fiela's Child by Daleen Mathee

    • Spud by John van de Ruit

    • Woman in the Blue Cloak by Deon Meyer

  • Spain

    • All This I Will Give to You by Delores Redondo

    • Un Appartement sur Uranus by Paul B. Preciado

    • Arturo Pérez Reverte

    • La Celestina by Fernando de Roja

    • Finis Mundi by Laura Gallego

    • Iacobus by Matilde Asensi

    • Interior Castle by Saint Teresa of Avila

    • Marina by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

    • Patria by Fernando Aramburu

    • The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon

    • Santiago Posteguillo

    • Where the Trees Sing by Laura Gallego

    • Wings of Fire by Laura Gallego

  • Sri Lanka

    • A Passage North by Anuk Arudpragasm

    • Upon a Sleepless Isle by Andrew Fidel Fernando

  • Sudan

    • Season of Migration to the North by Tayeb Salih

  • Sudan, South

  • Suriname

  • Sweden

    • Astrid and Veronika by Linda Olsson

    • Astrid Lindgren

    • Beartown by Fredrik Backman

    • Camilla Läckberg

    • City of my Dreams by Per Anders Fågelström

    • Doctor Glas by Hjalmar Söderberg

    • The Emigrants by Vilhelm Moberg

    • The Evil by Jan Guillou

    • The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo by Stieg Larsson

    • Handling the Undead by Johan Ajvide Lindqvist

    • The Hundred-Year-Old Man Who Climbed Out of the Window and Disappeared by Jonas Johansson

    • Jonas Hassen Khemiri

    • Lagom: Not Too Much, Not Too Little by Niki Brantmark

    • Let the Right One In by Johan Ajvide Lindqvist

    • A Man Called Ove by Fredrik Backman

    • My Mother Gets Married by Moa Martinsson

    • Sandhamm Murders by Viveca Sten (series)

    • Sofie Sarenbrandt

    • The Wolf and the Watchman by Niklas Natt och Dag

  • Switzerland

    • Friedrich Duerrenmatt

    • Max Frisch

  • Syria

T

  • Taiwan

    • The Membranes by Chi Ta-wei

    • Notes of a Crocodile by Qiu Miaojin

  • Tajikistan

  • Tanzania

  • Thailand

    • Bright by Duanwad Pimwana

  • Togo

  • Tonga

  • Trinidad and Tobago

    • Crick Crack, Monkey by Merle Hodge

    • Salt and The Dragon Can't Dance by Earl Lovelace

  • Tunisia

  • Turkey

    • Snow by Orhan Pamuk

    • The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali

  • Turkmenistan

  • Tuvalu

U

  • Uganda

    • A Bigger Picture: My Fight to Bring a New African Voice to the Climate Crisis by Vanessa Nakate

    • Kintu by Jennifer Nansubuga Makumbi

  • Ukraine

    • A City in Its Fullness by S.Y. Agnon

    • Fieldwork in Ukrainian Sex by Oksana Zabuzhko

    • Grey Bees by Andrey Kurkov

    • Good Citizens Need Not Fear: Stories by Maria Reva

    • Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad

    • Kobzar by Taras Shevchenko

    • The Museum of Abandoned Secrets by O.S. Zabuzhko

    • The Orphanage by Serhiy Zhadan

    • Sweet Darusya: A Tale Of Two Villages by Maria Matios

    • Your Ad Could Go Here by O.S. Zabuzhko

  • United Arab Emirates

  • United Kingdom

    • Girl, Woman, Other by Bernardine Evaristo

    • Never Let Me Go by Kazuo Ishiguro

    • Open Water by Caleb Azumah Nelson

    • Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett

    • Pink Mist by Owen Sheers

    • We Are Made of Diamond Stuff by Isabel Waidner

  • United States

    • Black Sun by Rebecca Roanhorse

    • Even as We Breathe by Anette Saunooke Clapsaddle

    • Gichigami Hearts: Stories and Histories from Misaabekong by Linda LeGarde Grover

    • An Indigenous People's History of the United States by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz

  • Uruguay

  • Uzbekistan

V

  • Vanuatu

  • Vatican City

  • Venezuela

  • Vietnam

    • On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

    • She Weeps Each Time You're Born by Quan Barry

Y

  • Yemen

Z

  • Zambia

    • The Old Drift by Namwali Serpell

  • Zimbabwe

    • The No. 1 Ladies’ Detective Agency by Alexander McCall Smith (series - takes place in Botswana)



That’s the whole list! I’ll keep adding to it over time. I’d love to know if you read any of these books!

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Nutrition, Plant Based Diet Elizabeth Turnbull Nutrition, Plant Based Diet Elizabeth Turnbull

Maintaining Optimal Health as a Vegan of 7 Years

One of the most common questions I have received over the past 7 years as a vegan is “How do you get enough [insert macro- or micronutrient here]?” This is a question I have explored in great detail on this blog, with dedicated posts focusing on protein, iron, B12, and so much more. And while I will always believe that getting your nutrition from whole plant foods is the best first choice, it’s not always a possibility for every person. Whether you live in a food desert with little access to fresh foods or struggle with digestive complications that make eating large amounts of high fiber foods a painful experience, sometimes supplementation is the only answer.

Today I will be sharing with you my favourite vegan gummy vitamins for maintaining optimal health as a vegan of over 7 years!

One of the most common questions I have received over the past 7 years as a vegan is “How do you get enough [insert macro- or micronutrient here]?” This is a question I have explored in great detail on this blog, with dedicated posts focusing on protein, iron, B12, and so much more. And while I will always believe that getting your nutrition from whole plant foods is the best first choice, it’s not always a possibility for every person. Whether you live in a food desert with little access to fresh foods or struggle with digestive complications that make eating large amounts of high fiber foods a painful experience, sometimes supplementation is the only answer.

Today I will be sharing with you my favourite vegan gummy vitamins for maintaining optimal health as a vegan of over 7 years!

 
Plant Based Bride
 

First things first... 

WHY GUMMIES?

The short answer? They’re delicious. The long answer? They’re delicious, and that makes me want to take them instead of avoiding taking them.

I used to judge myself for being lax about taking my tablet vitamins, thinking that as an adult I should be able to suck it up and do what’s best for my health. But honestly? That only ever worked in short bursts before I would forget for months on end.

As a responsible adult who doesn't eat candy 11 months out of the year (in October all bets are off) taking my daily vitamins in the form of gummies feels like a little treat… and has kept me far more consistent in taking them than I ever have been before!

But not all gummies are created equal, and that’s why today I am sharing the best vegan gummies I have ever tried from the Canadian company, Herbaland!

Herbaland is Canada’s largest nutritional gummy manufacturer with a commitment to providing products that have a positive impact on both people and the planet. Herbaland’s core values are community, inclusivity, and sustainability. Their gummies are always vegan, sugar-free, soy-free, palm oil derivative-free, nut-free, halal, and kosher!

This post is in collaboration with Herbaland, but all opinions are 100% my own. I was taking Herbaland gummies consistently for over a year before I reached out to them, and I continue to take a variety of gummies from their line on a daily basis.

 
Herbaland - Plant Based Bride's Go-To Vegan Gummies
 

I’m a new vegan/new to supplementation. What should I start with?

This will obviously vary from person to person, and I don’t know your unique physiology, diet, or goals, but I will share my top three picks to get you started!

As always, it is best practice to consult your physician before beginning to take any supplements and I am not a medical professional and am not qualified to give medical advice.

Herbaland - Plant Based Bride's Go-To Vegan Gummies

1. Herbaland Multivitamin Gummies for Adults

Herbaland’s Multivitamin gummies are a great place to start if you want a boost in all major areas. They have 13 essential vitamins and minerals for the maintenance of good health and come in a delicious mixed berry flavour!

Formulated to support daily metabolic processes and for maintaining a healthy immune system, the Herbaland Multivitamins include:

- Vitamin A | vital for growth and development, cell recognition, vision, immune function, and reproduction and helps the heart, lungs, and kidneys to function properly

- Vitamin C | boosts the immune system, helps lower blood pressure and maintain healthy heart function, and improves the absorption of non-heme iron (iron from plant-based sources - learn more here)

- Vitamin D3 | aids in the absorption of calcium and phosphorus and the maintenance of strong bones, helps to reduce inflammation, and aids in maintaining proper immune function

- Vitamin E | aids in the regulation of gene expression, cell signaling, and other cell processes as well as helping to maintain healthy immune function

- Vitamin B6 | promotes healthy heart function and plays a role in cognitive development and aids in proper brain function

- Folate | required for the production of DNA and cell division

- Vitamin B12 | aids in maintenance of healthy nerves and blood cells and helps to prevent megaloblastic anemia (read more about why B12 supplementation is important for vegans here)

- Biotin | plays an important role in the maintenance of healthy hair, skin, and nails

- Panthothenic Acid (B5) | aids in triglyceride synthesis and lipoprotein metabolism

- Iodine | essential for the production of thyroid hormones that regulate many vital biochemical reactions and appears to aid in the body’s immune response and the maintenance of healthy breast tissue

- Zinc | involved in cellular metabolism, wound healing, immune function, DNA and protein synthesis, and cell division *daily intake of zinc is required to maintain healthy levels as the body has no specialized zinc storage system

- Choline | required for the maintenance of our cells’ structural integrity and needed to produce the neurotransmitter acetylcholine which is important for memory, mood, and muscle control

- Inositol | aids in the maintenance of proper brain functioning and blood sugar control

 
Herbaland - Plant Based Bride's Go-To Vegan Gummies
 

I usually go for the multivitamins when I know I’ve been eating a less than balanced diet to make sure I’m still getting everything I need. It’s a great option for the winter here in Canada when fresh produce is imported and carries with it a hefty price tag and a heavy environmental impact, or whenever I’m too busy to spend a lot of time making fresh meals!

Herbaland - Plant Based Bride's Go-To Vegan Gummies

2. Herbaland Vegan D3 and B12 Gummies for Adults

Herbaland’s Vegan D3 and B12 raspberry flavoured gummies are a great option if you already eat a varied and rich diet of whole plant foods. While this kind of diet will leave most of your nutrient bases covered, Vitamin B12 and Vitamin D3 are common exceptions to the rule.

Vitamin B12 aids in your body’s metabolic processes and red blood cell formulation and helps to maintain healthy nerves. Vitamin B12 is difficult to get from plant-based sources, and it is often recommended that those on a plant-based diet supplement to maintain healthy levels of this essential vitamin (read more about why B12 supplementation is important for vegans here).

Vitamin D3, synthesized naturally in the skin as a chemical reaction to sun exposure, helps to support the immune system, boost energy, encourage a positive mood, and maintain strong bones and teeth. Many people are deficient in Vitamin D3 due to a lack of exposure to strong sunlight, especially those in the Northern Hemisphere at latitudes greater than around 40°N from October to March, and supplementation is often recommended.

 
Herbaland - Plant Based Bride's Go-To Vegan Gummies
 

These are my holy grail gummies, and I take them every single day come rain or shine!

Herbaland - Plant Based Bride's Go-To Vegan Gummies

3. Herbaland Eye Care Gummies for Adults

Herbaland Eye Care gummies are a great add-on to your supplement routine, especially if you spend your days staring at a screen like I do! Formulated with Lutein and Zeaxanthin, two powerful carotenoids, these strawberry flavoured eye care gummies help maintain eyesight in those with cataracts and age-related muscular degeneration and protect the eyes from the harmful effects of sunlight, blue light, and free radicals.

As I grow older and spend more and more of my time looking at screens, eye care is becoming a bigger priority. I have incorporated these gummies into my routine as a preventative measure to keep my eyes as healthy as possible!

 
Herbaland - Plant Based Bride's Go-To Vegan Gummies
 

What does your supplement routine look like?

I would love to know what vitamins and minerals you take on a regular basis, and if you’ve ever considered switching to gummies to make a chore into a treat!

Don’t forget to check out Herbaland’s numerous gummy offerings and get 20% off your order with code ‘plantbasedbride20’!

Until next time...

xox Elizabeth

 
Herbaland - Plant Based Bride's Go-To Vegan Gummies
 

Sources

  • https://www.herbaland.com/

  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3936685/

  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4288313/

  • https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminC-HealthProfessional/

  • https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminD-HealthProfessional/

  • https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminE-HealthProfessional/

  • https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/

  • https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-Consumer/

  • https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Folate-HealthProfessional/

  • https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/folic-acid/

  • https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-HealthProfessional/

  • https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB12-Consumer/

  • https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Biotin-HealthProfessional/#h7

  • https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/PantothenicAcid-HealthProfessional/#h7

  • https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-HealthProfessional/

  • https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Iodine-HealthProfessional/

  • https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Choline-HealthProfessional/

  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5666868/

  • https://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/compound/Zeaxanthin

  • https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6164534/

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Black Lives Matter

I have collected many of the resources from my Anti-Racism highlight on Instagram into this blog post as possible for those of you who don’t use Instagram but still want to do the work to become anti-racist. I will continue to update this page.

I have collected many of the resources from my Anti-Racism highlight on Instagram into this blog post as possible for those of you who don’t use Instagram but still want to do the work to become anti-racist. I will continue to update this page.

First things first, and most importantly:

BLACK

LIVES

MATTER

Now that we’re all on the same page, here are some resources for you.

WAYS YOU CAN HELP

Black Lives Matter’s incredibly helpful list of petitions and actions to take here.

DONATE

Find more organizations to donate to here.

LEARN - GRAPHICS

A Guide to White Privilege by @courtneyahndesign (easy to understand graphics)

10 Simple Ways White People Can Step Up to Fight Everyday Racism by @privtoprog

The White Supremacy Iceberg by @theconciouskid (a powerful graphic)

LEARN - Articles

5 Ways White People Can Take Action in Response to White and State-Sanctioned Violence - Medium Article by Show Up For Racial Justice

75 Things White People Can Do for Racial Justice - Medium Article by Corinne Shutack

LEARN - BOOKS

Me and White Supremacy by Layla F. Saad

Me and White Supremacy teaches readers how to dismantle the privilege within themselves so that they can stop (often unconsciously) inflicting damage on people of colour, and in turn, help other white people do better, too.

As an East African, Arab, British, Black, Muslim woman who was born and grew up in the West, and lives in Middle East, Layla has always sat at a unique intersection of identities from which she is able to draw rich and intriguing perspectives. Layla's work is driven by her powerful desire to become a good ancestor; to live and work in ways that leave a legacy of healing and liberation for those who will come after she is gone.

How To Be An Antiracist by Ibram X. Kendi

Ibram X. Kendi's concept of antiracism reenergizes and reshapes the conversation about racial justice in America--but even more fundamentally, points us toward liberating new ways of thinking about ourselves and each other. Instead of working with the policies and system we have in place, Kendi asks us to think about what an antiracist society might look like, and how we can play an active role in building it. 

Blank by M. NourbeSe Philip 

Blank is a collection of writer and author M. NourbeSe Philip's previously out-of-print essays and new works. The book explores questions of race, cultural appropriation, America under the Trump administration and how we define multiculturalism in Canada. Philip is a Canadian poet, novelist, essayist and short story writer who was born in Tobago.

Policing Black Lives: State Violence in Canada from Slavery to the Present by Robyn Maynard

 This book should be read not only by those who have a specific interest in Canadian histories and social justice movements but by anyone interested in the abolitionist and revolutionary potential of the Black Lives Matters movement more broadly — Angela Y. Davis

Delving behind Canada’s veneer of multiculturalism and tolerance, Policing Black Lives traces the violent realities of anti-Blackness from the slave ships to prisons, classrooms and beyond. Robyn Maynard provides readers with the first comprehensive account of over four hundred years of state-sanctioned surveillance, criminalization and punishment of Black lives in Canada.

Black Writers Matter by Whitney French (Editor)

An anthology of African-Canadian writing, Black Writers Matter offers a cross-section of established writers and newcomers to the literary world who tackle contemporary and pressing issues with beautiful, sometimes raw, prose. As Whitney French says in her introduction, Black Writers Matter “injects new meaning into the word diversity [and] harbours a sacredness and an everydayness that offers Black people dignity.” An “invitation to read, share, and tell stories of Black narratives that are close to the bone,” this collection feels particular to the Black Canadian experience.

A Mind Spread Out on the Ground by Alicia Elliot

Alicia Elliott explores the systemic oppression faced by Indigenous peoples across Canada through the lens of her own experiences as a Tuscarora writer from Six Nations of the Grand River in A Mind Spread Out on the Ground. Elliott examines how colonial violence, including the loss of language, seeps into the present day lives of Indigenous people, often in the form of mental illness.

White Rage by Carol Anderson

From the Civil War to our combustible present, acclaimed historian Carol Anderson reframes our continuing conversation about race, chronicling the powerful forces opposed to black progress in America. Carol Anderson is Samuel Candler Dobbs Professor of African American Studies at Emory University. Professor Anderson’s research and teaching focus on public policy; particularly the ways that domestic and international policies intersect through the issues of race, justice and equality in the United States.

White Fragility: Why It’s So Hard For White People To Talk About Racism by Dr. Robin DiAngelo

Referring to the defensive moves that white people make when challenged racially, white fragility is characterized by emotions such as anger, fear, and guilt and by behaviors including argumentation and silence. These behaviors, in turn, function to reinstate white racial equilibrium and prevent any meaningful cross-racial dialogue. In this in-depth exploration, anti-racist educator Robin DiAngelo examines how white fragility develops, how it protects racial inequality, and what can be done to engage more constructively. 

*Links will take you to the author or publisher’s website so you can learn more and purchase

LEARN - FILMS

13th (Netflix) (watch for free on Netflix’s YouTube channel)

When They See Us (Netflix) (link to the trailer, watch on Netflix)

Slavery By Another Name (PBS) (watch here)

LEARN - PODCASTS

Seeing White (Scene on Radio)

Code Switch (NPR)

1619 (New York Times)

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Donating to the Australian Red Cross

From January 5th to January 19th, $1 will be donated to the Australian Red Cross for every order placed to aid in emergency relief for those affected by the bushfires currently ravaging Australia.

From January 5th to January 19th, $1 will be donated to the Australian Red Cross for every order placed to aid in emergency relief for those affected by the bushfires currently ravaging Australia.

The Australian Red Cross has deployed 1,285 trained staff and volunteers to disaster-affected communities. In more than 69 evacuation and recovery centres, their emergency teams have been ready to welcome people who have fled from the fires. Providing support, arranging emergency accommodation, or locating missing loved ones through their Register.Find.Reunite service.

Learn more about what the Australian Red Cross is doing to support those affected here.

I also ask you to consider donating to support the other organizations doing essential work during this crisis. I, personally, will be supporting WIRES, a wildlife rescue nonprofit that is rescuing and caring for thousands of sick, injured, and orphaned native animals who have been displaced due to the fires.

It may seem like your contribution is just a drop in the bucket, but together we can make a wave large enough to make a real, tangible, difference in the lives of those who are suffering.

Thank you for helping me to give back and support those in need.

Best,

Elizabeth

(Plant Based Bride)

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