Welcome to the Read Around the World Challenge, a literary adventure designed to take you on a global journey through the pages of books.
Are you a wanderlusting bookworm? A digital nomad? An armchair traveller? Or all of the above? Me too. Whether you want to understand places at a deeper level or diversify you bookshelf, this challenge is for you.
And at a time when division and misunderstanding dominate headlines, I think reading the world offers a quiet but powerful form of resistance. It invites us to listen, to learn, and to appreciate the nuance of human experience from every corner of the globe.
Are you up for the challenge? Ok, let’s go…
Disclaimer: this post contains affiliate links. This means I earn a small commission if you choose to make a purchase using this link, but at no cost to you.
What is the Read Around the World Challenge?
This Read Around the World Challenge is a personal and community-based booklist challenge where you commit to reading books from every country in the world.
That’s nearly 200 unique literary experiences (depending on how you count countries), each offering a glimpse into a different culture, perspective, or place.
This challenge encourages you to seek out stories:
- Written by authors from a specific country
- Set in that country and culturally authentic
- Dealing with major historical or cultural themes relevant to the nation
It’s about discovering books about the world, books around the world, and ultimately, learning how to be a global reader.
Unlike a traditional reading challenge that might focus on genres or page counts, this one is about breadth and cultural diversity.
What’s My Personal Motivation?
I noticed that my bookshelf and TBR were pretty much all white, Western writers, writing originally in English. Yet, I love to travel and live as a digital nomad… so why shouldn’t my reading tastes reflect that?
I want to be able to explore the history and culture of the place I’m visiting through the stories of the people who live and have lived there. I want my bookshelf to represent my values.
How Do I Take Part?
Of course, you can try this challenge on your own, but wouldn’t it be even more fun if you had a community to do it with? I set up Nomad Book Club to be exactly that: a place we can all come together and share our reading journeys.
What is Nomad Book Club & How Do I Join?
In this free online book club, we explore a new country or region each month through books that are set there. There’s monthly online meetup and/or you can engage with us on social media, where we also share content on bookshops, libraries and other interesting literary travel destinations.
Sign up to the email list here and follow along as we page travel through real and fictional places on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook and YouTube:
Your Literary Passport: The Travel Reading Journal
I’ve also created a Travel Reading Journal, which is a companion for documenting your literary adventures. It’s available with Amazon print on demand, so you can order it from any Amazon store in the world and it will be delivered to you as a regular paperback notebook!
What Makes It Special?
- One page per country: With more than 195 countries represented, you have a dedicated space for each one.
- Prompts to guide your reflection:
- Title and author
- Country represented
- Why you chose the book
- Favorite quote or passage
- What you learned
- Your personal review
This journal turns your around the world reading challenge into a visual journey. More than just a notebook; it’s designed to be a keepsake, a reflection space, and a record of your growth as a global reader.
Why Try a Global Reading Challenge?
Here are a few compelling reasons to join the read around the world challenge:
1. Broaden Your Perspective
Reading is one of the most effective ways to build empathy. As you read stories from people in vastly different circumstances, you begin to understand the complexities of global cultures, politics, and traditions.
2. Diversify Your Bookshelf
Most of us unconsciously stick to authors and genres we’re familiar with. This reading challenge encourages you to step out of your comfort zone and discover books about countries you’ve never explored through literature.
3. Discover Hidden Gems
Not all great literature is mainstream. In fact, many powerful stories from underrepresented nations come from small presses or translated works that fly under the radar. This challenge helps unearth those gems.
4. Become a Thoughtful Reader
With reading prompts and journaling, the act of reading becomes more intentional. You’re not just reading to finish a book—you’re reading to engage, learn, and grow.
Finding Books from Every Country
If you’re wondering where to start, check out the travel book lists section of this blog or peruse these book lists:
- Books about the Vatican
- Books about Italy & Sardinia
- Books about Turkey
- Books about Georgia (the country)
- Books by Black British Authors
- Books by Native American Authors
- Books about Vietnam
- Books about Laos
- Books about France
- Books about Mexico
- Books about Thailand
- Books about Southeast Asia
- Books about Japan
- Books about Hong Kong
Note: in these lists, I’ve included Amazon links to each recommended book, but you can also see my post on where to get e-books and audiobooks for free, which are the formats I prefer to read as I travel.
Why Reading the World Matters
The Read Around the World Challenge is more than a checklist—it’s an invitation to curiosity. It’s a way to turn your love of books into a meaningful journey through culture, identity, and connection.
And with your Travel Reading Journal in hand, each book becomes a destination, each page a passport stamp, and each insight a souvenir from lands near and far.
So, pack your literary bags. The world is waiting.
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Fantastic Books & Where to Find Them
For more of what to read where, check out my full Travel Books Guide, filled with book recommendations for different destinations, the most beautiful bookstores around the world, tips on how to get the best deals on audiobooks and e-books, as well as more literary travel.
Travel Essentials
Here are the websites and services I personally use and recommend.
FLIGHTS: The best deals can be found on Skyscanner, Google Flights and Kiwi (learn more about Kiwi travel hacking here).
TRAVEL INSURANCE: I recommend World Nomads for travel insurance because you can purchase once you’re already overseas and you can easily extend your policy. For digital nomads, I recommend and personally use Genki (learn more about Genki digital nomad health insurance here).
E-SIM: For travel in Europe, I use an e-sim with GoMobile, which is a provider based in Malta, but you need to be there to set it up.
ACCOMMODATION: I use Booking.com for hotels and Airbnb for apartments. For Colivings, I usually book privately, but Coliving.com is a good place to start.
THINGS TO DO: I use Viator or Get Your Guide for booking day trips, city tours and other activities, though I often check reviews on TripAdvisor too.
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