European Reading Challenge

 After taking a year off (silly me, I thought I was going to be visiting Europe for real this past year), I'm once again joining Gilion on a tour of Europe with her 2021 European Reading Challenge – where participants tour Europe through books.  And have a chance to win a prize. Please join in for the Grand Tour!

THE GIST: The idea is to read books by European authors or books set in European countries (no matter where the author comes from). The books can be anything – novels, short stories, memoirs, travel guides, cookbooks, biography, poetry, or any other genre. You can participate at different levels, but each book must be by a different author and set in a different country – it's supposed to be a tour. (See note about the UK, below)

WHAT COUNTS AS "EUROPE"?: We stick with the same list of 50 sovereign states that fall (at least partially) within the geographic territory of the continent of Europe and/or enjoy membership in international European organizations such as the Council of Europe. This list includes the obvious (the UK, France, Germany, and Italy), the really huge Russia, the tiny Vatican City, and the mixed bag of Baltic, Balkan, and former Soviet states.

THE LIST: Albania, Andorra, Armenia, Austria, Azerbaijan, Belarus, Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Georgia, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Kazakhstan, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Macedonia, Romania, Russia, San Marino, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, Ukraine, United Kingdom, and Vatican City.

NOTE: Even after Brexit, the United Kingdom is still one country, in Europe, that includes England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland. So one book from any one of these four counts as your one book for the United Kingdom. I'm not going to be a stickler about it because challenges should be about fun not about rules. However, when it comes to winning the Jet Setter prize, only one book from one of the UK countries will count.

I will again be aiming for the 

FIVE STAR (DELUXE ENTOURAGE): Read at least five books by different European authors or books set in different European countries.

Books read:
1. Princess Elizabeth's Spy by Susan Elia MacNeal [England] (1/2/21)

   Bonus Read: The Portcullis Room by Valentine Williams [Scotland] (7/27/21)
2. Death of a Millionaire by G.D.H. & Margaret Cole [Russia] (1/4/21)
3. Death & the Dutch Uncle by Patricia Moyes [Netherlands] (1/18/21)

   Bonus Read: DeKok & Variations on Murder by A. C. Baantjer [Netherlands] (9/21/21) 

4. Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier [Monaco] (2/24/21) 

5. Murder in the Calais Coach (aka Murder on the Orient Express) by Agatha Christie [primary action takes place in Yugoslavia [present-day Croatia)] (1/30/21) 

Commitment complete! Still reading.

6. Dracula by  Bram Stoker (graphic novel version) [Romania (Transylvanian)--1st half] (3/2/21)

7. Death in the Clouds by Agatha Christie [France] (3/31/21)

8. The Ivory Snuff Box by Arnold Fredericks [Belgium] (4/27/21)

9. The Trolley to Yesterday by John Bellairs [in what is present-day Turkey] (5/13/21)

10. The 13th Warrior by Michael Crichton [Denmark] (5/22/21)

11. People of the Book by Geraldine Brooks [Bosnia] (6/4/21)

12. The Basle Express by Manning Coles [Austria] (7/28/21)

13. Drink to Yesterday by Manning Coles [Germany] (7/29/21)

14. The House on Vesper Sands by Paraic O'Donnell [Irish author]  (8/8/21)

15. The Private Face of Murder by John & Emery Bonett [Spain] (8/29/21)

16. The Locked Room by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö [Sweden] (9/23/21)

17. Mythos by Stephen Fry [Greece] (9/27/21)

18. Death of an Obnoxious Tourist by Maria Hudgins [Italy] (11/19/21)

19.