This week’s geek asks us where we’ve “gone” in the world through our reading.

Are you a global reader? How many countries have you “visited” in your reading? What are your favorite places or cultures to read about? Can you recommend particularly good books about certain regions, countries or continents? How do you find out about books from other countries? What countries would you like to read that you haven’t yet? Use your own criteria about what you consider to be “visiting” — whether a book is written about the country or by a native or resident of the country. For fun, create one of these maps at this website ticking off the countries you’ve read books from – you might be surprised how many (or how few!) countries you’ve read. Include the map in your blog post if you’re so inclined.

I’m going to try and do this off the top of my head:

create your own visited country map
or check our Venice travel guide

Canada — author from (Margaret Atwood)
US — lots
Mexico — Set in (Hummingbird’s Daughter)
Bermuda/Trinidad and Tobago/Grenada — author visited (Embarrased by Mangoes)
Dominican Republic — set in (How the Garcia Girls Lost Their Accents)
Argentina — author visited (Eight Feet in the Andes)
Brazil — Set in (Bringing the Boy Home)
South Africa — The White Giraffe
(I’m not sure, exactly if there’s more than that from Africa; nothing’s coming to mind.)
Austria — set in (The Musician’s Daughter)
Italy — author visited (Under the Tuscan Sun)
Netherlands — set in (Girl With a Pearl Earring)
Vatican City — set in (Angels and Demons)
France — lots (The Sharper Your Knife, The Less You Cry; A Good Year)
Greece — set in (Oh. My. Gods.)
Ireland — author (Roddy Doyle)
Iceland — author visited (The Geography of Bliss; I could count this book for a lot of places, but I’ll just use my favorite chapter.)
Russia — author (Death of Ivan Illych)
Sweden — author/set in (Echoes From the Dead)
UK — lots
Iraq — author been (Baghdad Without a Map)
Iran — author from (Reading Lolita in Tehran, Persepolis, among others)
Israel — author from and set in (A Bottle in the Gaza Sea)
Turkey — author from/set in (Snow)
Afghanastan — set in (The Breadwinner/Parvana’s Journey/Kite Runner)
China — lots
India — author from (Climbing the Mango Trees)
New Zealand — author from/set in (Whale Rider)
Australia — set in (Everything is Beautiful)

Obviously, I should read more from Africa… As for me, personally, I’m not a world traveler. I’ve been to Canada (I ❤ Canada), the Caribbean (Puerto Rico, St. Thomas, Marshall Islands, Antigua, Bermuda, and St. Martaan on a cruise), and Germany. I'd like to go more places… but that will have to wait until the kids leave, probably.

How about you? Where have you been (either in person or on the page)? Anywhere interesting?