South Asian Reading Challenge 2011

 

  My family is from Pakistan. Unlike my parents and older siblings, I was not born in Pakistan but in the U.S. I have always been proud of my culture and also very eager to learn more. In the future, I hope to read, write, and speak Urdu fluently. At the moment, I can understand and my Urdu is kinda shaky. I find myself to be drawn to Post-Colonial literature, particularly those written in Southeast Asia. So when I found this challenge, I was very excited and knew I had to join. The Southeast Asian Reading Challenge is hosted by Swapna at S. Krishna's Books.

What is the Southeast Asian Challenge? 

The purpose of this challenge is to to read books about South Asia and by South Asian authors during 2011.

What books are eligible for the 2011 South Asian Challenge?

There are two ways for a book to qualify for the South Asian Challenge:
(1) A book must be by a South Asian author.  For these purposes, South Asia includes the following countries: India, Pakistan, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, and the Maldives.  There are no limitations on what the book can be about.

(2) A book must be about South Asia.  In this case, it can be set in a South Asian country or be about South Asians living abroad.  It can also be a biography or memoir of a South Asian, or of a non-South Asian traveling or working in South Asia.  In this case, the author does not need to be South Asian, as long as the subject matter focuses on the region, peoples, or cultures in some way.

Swapna has a list of books on her blog in case you are having trouble finding book for this challenge. Any type book qualifies, as long as it meets one of the two guidelines above - a cookbook, short story or essay collection, travel guide, etc.

You don't have to have a blog in order to participate. The challenge runs from Jan 1 to Dec 31st, 2011.

Here are the levels of the challenge:

South Asian Encounter - 1 book
South Asian Wanderer - 3 books
South Asian Explorer - 5 books
South Asian Adventurer - 7 books
South Asian Hero/Heroine - 10 books
South Asian Guru - Over 10 books (you can set your own goal)

You can sign up for the challenge here and read the other FAQ about the challenge. 

My level: I'm going to go for the 10 books/South Asian Hero/Heroine level. Depending how much I read, I may advance to the Guru level.

Books Read for the Southeast Asian Reading Challenge

1. The Secret Daughter by Shilpi Somaya Godwa
2. White Tiger by Aravind Adiga
3. Beneath a Marble Sky by John Shors
4. In Other Rooms, Other Wonders by Daniyal Mueenuddin
5. The Girl in the Garden by Kamala Nair 
6. Tales of Asha: Volume 1: Death: Death by Joseph Lewis
7. Toads and Diamonds by Heather Tomlinson
8. The Corner Shop by Roopa Farooki
9. Black Butler Volume 4 and Volume 5 by Yana Toboso
10. The Unaccustomed Earth by Jhumpah Lahiri