New Reading Project: Diplomatica Global’s ‘Great Reads from Around the World’
Hi everyone! I’m excited to announce a new reading project that I’ll be talking about on this blog over the next couple of years. I’m still invested in my original World LiteraTour project, where I pick a language each month to learn a bit about and read a couple of classics from, and I’m also about to start my Top Canadian Books project, where each month I read one book from my Top 100 Canadian Books of All Time list. But hey, why not add one more, right? The ‘Great Reads from Around the World’ list is too tempting to resist!
Diplomatica
Follow this link to see Diplomatica Global’s ‘Great Reads from Around the World’ list
Diplomatica is a multimedia news outlet with a focus on diplomatic properties and embassies around the world. Their list of Great Reads was created by asking various embassies in Washington, D.C., to recommend books that best represent their nation’s literary traditions and cultural heritage. As of the writing of this post, 46 nations have responded! And what a cool, diverse reading list they’ve created.
The Great Reads from Around the World List
The list covers a wide array of literary forms and genres, including novels, nonfiction, poetry, essays, and even cookbooks. Most have English translations available, but sadly a few do not. But I found a surprising amount of these books available at my small-town library, which attests to their world-wide appeal. I encourage you to check out the list for yourself! I don’t plan to read everything on it, and your taste may differ from mine.
After looking at the synopsis and availability of every single book, I came up with a list of 28 priorities that I’d like to read over the next couple of years. They come from 19 countries across 5 continents. I do intend to read books from every country over the course of my life, but I’ll probably limit this project to these 28, unless more are added later that catch my eye. I’m hoping for a pace of one book from this list per month, but we’ll see how it goes.
So without further ado, here are the books from Diplomatica’s ‘Great Reads from Around the World’ list that I plan to choose from over the coming months.
Canada
Naturally I plan to start with my own beloved country! Two books were recommended by the Canadian embassy, and one of them is already on my Top 100 Canadian Books of All Time list, so I plan to read both of these this month (June 2025) to cover both projects.
Unearthing: A Story of Tangled Love and Family Secrets by Kyo Maclear
This is a memoir about the author’s discovery through a DNA test that the father who raised her is not her biological father. She sets off to solve a family mystery and along the way learns what family really means.
A young Vietnamese girl and her family are forced to leave their life of luxury and make the perilous boat journey to Canada. As an adult, she reflects on their experiences as she embarks on another difficult journey through the unknown – being the mother of a child with autism.
Cyprus
There’s a lot that I don’t know about Cyprus, but reading The Island of Missing Trees by Elif Shafak last year made me intrigued to learn more. It looks like one of the recommendations from the Cyprus embassy would do the trick.
Cypria: A Journey to the Heart of the Mediterranean by Alex Christofi
In this “evocative and lyrical history,” Christofi tells the story of the island of Cyprus, from the legend of the cyclops to the current animosity between Greek Cypriots and Turkish Cypriots.
Iceland
I don’t think I’ve ever read a book by an Icelandic author. This one sounds right up my alley! I’m also incredibly curious to find out why it was chosen.
The Night Guest by Hildur Knutsdottir
This is a horror/thriller in which a woman falls asleep with her step-counting watch on and discovers that she somehow took 40,000 steps in the night.
Ireland
Ahh, the home of (some of) my ancestors. I find a lot of the Irish literature I’ve read to be dense and dark, but I’d like to try more. Yes, including the Big Bad Bear of Irish literature listed below. Help! 😬
Climate Justice: Hope, Resilience, and the Fight for a Sustainable Future by Mary Robinson
A book about climate change, but instead of focusing on the doom and gloom, Robinson offers inspiring stories and advice.
A stream-of-consciousness day-in-the-life tale that the author intentionally made as unreadable as possible. (I don’t wanna. But if I want to call myself a literary scholar, I guess I gotta.)
Italy
I plan to include Italian in my World LiteraTour project next year, but neither of these books were on my radar for it. Not too surprising, though, considering the vast wealth of Italian literary history to choose from!
The Betrothed by Alessandro Manzoni
Written in the 1820s but set in the 1620s, this is the story of young, forbidden love in turbulent times. Widely considered one of the most influential Italian classics.
My Brilliant Friend by Elena Ferrante
Considered a modern masterpiece, this is the story of a nation as well as the story of two women and their touching friendship.
Jordan
When I saw that the recommendations from Jordan were all written by members of the royal family, I figured it was the result of royal self-promotion and didn’t think I would be interested in reading them. But this one sounds really interesting. (And my small-town library has it?!!)
Our Last Best Chance: The Pursuit of Peace in a Time of Peril by King Abdullah II of Jordan
The memoir of a man who didn’t expect to be king. Along with his life story, King Abdullah includes his opinions on how peace in the Middle East can (and must) be achieved.
Lithuania
I definitely haven’t read anything by a Lithuanian author before, but interestingly, the Lithuanian embassy recommended a Lithuanian-American author. I’ve heard of Ruta Sepetys many times, so it’s about time I read one of her books.
Between Shades of Gray by Ruta Sepetys
This is a novel about a Lithuanian family who are shipped off to Siberia by the Soviets in 1941.
Mexico
Signs Preceding the End of the World by Yuri Herrera
An exploration of the lives and minds of people crossing the border between Mexico and the United States.
Norway
The first-hand account of Fridtjof Nansen’s 3-year trip to the North Pole by ship and by sledge.
The Sultanate of Oman
Celestial Bodies by Jokha Alharthi
I believe this was the first Booker Prize winner originally written in Arabic. It’s a novel about three sisters and their loves and losses, set against the backdrop of a rapidly changing country.
Pakistan
The title says it all, but this is the story of Malala Yousafzai, who was shot by the Taliban for the unpardonable crime of being an educated girl in Pakistan. I know the story of Malala well, but for some reason I’ve never read this.
The Philippines
There are a few Filipino authors I’ve been meaning to try, including the one below. This book has been on my to-read list for years!
Noli Me Tangere (Touch Me Not) by Jose Rizal
A passionate love story set during turbulent times. Considered to be the great novel of the Phillipines, and the first literary work of Asian resistance to European colonialism.
Poland
Poland’s embassy offered the longest list of recommendations of all, and it looks like there’s something for everyone. These are the two that stood out the most to me.
The Books of Jacob by Olga Tokarczuk
A novelization of the true story of Jacob Frank, an 18th-century messianic figure.
Travels with Herodotus by Ryszard Kapuscinski
Literary reporter Kapuscinski traveled the world in the 1950s, accompanied by a volume of Herodotus’ histories. This is his memoir of his experiences, and how Herodotus helped him make sense of them.
Rwanda
The memoir of a girl who was displaced during the Rwandan genocide and was granted asylum in the United States.
Baking Cakes in Kigali by Gaile Parkin
A novel about a cakemaker in modern-day Rwanda, who offers her customers hope and a listening ear as well as her delicious confections.
South Korea
Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982 by Cho Nam-Joo
The story of a young woman’s mental deterioration as she experiences systemic misogyny at every turn throughout her life.
Spain
Spain is another country whose embassy offered a long list of options, and I love them for it! These 3 books sound creepy and weird. Bring it on.
Of Beasts and Fowls by Pilar Adon
An artist, whose paintings seem to have some mysterious meaning she can’t figure out, finds herself at an isolated house full of women who seem to know her.
A horror novel about a haunted house that was built to control the women who live within it.
Living Things by Munir Hachemi
Four recent graduates travel to France to work the grape harvest, but they end up instead at a chicken farm where sinister things are going on.
Sweden
I love that Sweden opts to exclude Fredrik Backman entirely, much like Canada excludes Margaret Atwood. A “There’s more to our literature than one author!” message if I’ve ever seen one. I respect it.
The story of a divorce told from two perspectives: the one who was blindsided, and the one who felt it was a long time coming.
Mother of Invention: How Good Ideas Get Ignored in an Economy Built for Men by Katrine Marcal
I only had to read the title to shout “YES!” and add this to my list. This book examines society’s tendency to ignore the female experience so hard that it actually hurts the economy. Who knew? (That was sarcasm, btw. Women knew.)
Uganda
Walking with Gorillas: The Journey of an African Wildlife Vet by Dr. Gladys Kalema-Zikusoka
This is the memoir of Uganda’s first wildlife veterinarian, whose work helped limit the impact of COVID-19 on endangered mountain gorillas. If that sentence plus her joyful smile on the cover aren’t enough to make you desperate to read this book, we are extremely different people.
Zimbabwe
Nervous Conditions by Tsitsi Dangarembga
A semi-autobiographical novel about a young girl’s struggle to achieve her dream of getting an education.
House of Stone by Novuyo Rosa Tshuma
Against the backdrop of the fall of Rhodesia and the birth of Zimbabwe, this novel follows a couple whose son is missing and whose lodger is slowly creeping deeper into their lives.
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