Project Read the World: December Update and Year in Review

The first half-year of Project Read the World is complete! I managed to read two more books for the challenge in December bringing my total to 15. 

Each month I've felt a little disappointed that I wasn't reading as many books for the challenge as I had hoped, but seeing the number 15 makes me very satisfied. Even though I'm making my way very slowly through the challenge, I've already expanded my reading so much out of my norm. 

Sweden, Iceland, North Korea, Slovenia, Norway, Haiti, Lebanon, Zambia, France, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Turkey, Dominica, Australia, and Mexico

Before beginning this challenge, I had read books by authors from 3 of those countries. I originally said that one of my fears for this challenge is that I would give up before completing it. The goal of reading 195 books (one for each country) is a lot. The fact that I still have 180 to go is daunting, but even if I got discouraged and stopped now (which I'm not planning to do), I'm proud of the progress that I've made in learning a tiny bit more about the world.

December Books: 2

Total Books: 15/195

The Books

Iceland - Miss Iceland by Audur Ava Olafsdottir

Hekla, the protagonist, is named after an active volcano in Iceland. Despite the force that her name implies, Hekla is unable to step outside the expected role for women in Iceland in the 1960s. She moves to Reykjavik to enter what she hopes will be a more stimulating world of writing, but the men around her either see her as just a beauty or as someone who will support their own artistic endeavors. 

She writes under a male pseudonym and hides her writing from her boyfriend who is a poet. The boyfriends and his companions don't realize that the writer they admire is Hekla.

I loved the feel and pace of this novel, and I was fascinated by Hekla. I would have loved to follow more of her story. However, the story seemed to end abruptly. Even though I've been trying to expand my reading horizons, I still want stories to end tidily with a clear conclusion and an easily understood takeaway for the reader. I didn't get that with this book.

Sweden - Willful Disregard by Lena Andersson

I was not prepared for this book. By reading the blurb, you already know that Ester is going to fall for Hugo Rask, a famous artist, whom she gives a lecture on and then meets afterwards. You also know that he is not going to return the intensity of his feelings, but even without learning this before reading, you would still be able to feel within the first few interactions that things just aren't going to go well for the two.

Watching Ester continue to pursue a hopeless relationship with Rask even though she behaves rationally in all other aspects of her life is a trainwreck that you can't stop watching. Ester becomes so worried about losing Rask that she is willing to accept less than the relationship that she wants to have with him.

At times it's difficult to keep reading because her blindness feels relatable. You know that she shouldn't keep trying to make things happen, but at the same time, you've seen enough romantic comedies that you keep hoping that there's something there.

You want to be mad at Rask for not considering Ester's feelings for him, but she has been equally callous in leaving her own partner with little regard for the life that they have built together. Which is one of the things that make you dig deeper into your assumptions about love.

There is a second book about Ester, but I don't have any desire to read it. I'm glad that I read Willful Disregard. I just don't think that I can handle another one like it.

What's Next

I still have two books checked out of the library to read for this challenge - Memoirs of a Polar Bear by Yoko Tawanda and Moomin, Volume One by Tove Jansson. I've had these checked out for a while, so I do actually have to read them soon before they are due back.

I also have several more books saved in my reading list on my library account. As far as I know, I'm not filling in for anyone at work and I'm no longer babysitting in the mornings, so I might actually have more time to read in January than I've had since around October.

There are just so many books that I want to read and not enough time to read them all. I did listen to one audiobook in December, and I've started one already this month. Maybe if I can listen to some of the books I want to read during my long commute three days a week, I will prioritize this reading challenge when I'm ready to read physical books in the afternoon and evening.

Like always, if you have suggestions for what I should read next, leave a comment below or on Instagram.

Feel free to follow along on Instagram or on Goodreads for more frequent updates. If I start to get overwhelmed with updating here, I'm more likely to still keep updating on those two sites.