Read Around the World Challenge: Europe - Announcement &TBR

Happy Sunday everyone!  Today, I'm sharing my tbr for a new challenge I've decided to try in 2025 (or for as long as it takes), the Read Around the World Challenge.  I've seen this challenge on several blogs I enjoy reading and have decided to take it on myself.  To start off with, I'm going to focus on the 46 European countries.  You can check out my profile here on the challenge website here.  Keep reading to see what I hope to read for this challenge:

1. Albania

My choice: Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light: The Private Writings of the Saint of Calcutta edited by Brian Kolodiejchuk - I don't know a lot of detail about Mother Teresa, so I suppose I'll learn something here.

2. Andorra

My choice: The Teacher of Cheops by Albert Salvado - I've seen a lot of lower and mixed reviews of this, but I'll try it.  It's the only one I have easier access to.

3. Austria

My choice: Blackout (Blackout #1) by Marc Elsberg - This sci-fi thriller sounds pretty cool.

4. Belarus

My choice: Memoirs of a Wartime Interpreter: From the Battle of Moscow to Hitler's Bunker by Elena Rzhevskaya - This will probably be quite brutal as well.

5. Belgium

My choice: Pietr the Latvian (Inspector Maigret #1) by Georges Simenon - I've seen the tv adaptation with Rowan Atkinson and really liked it, so I have high hopes from this series opener.

6. Bosnia and Herzegovina

My choice: Before the Feast by Sasa Stanisic - Honestly, this fantasy novel sounds really cool.

7. Bulgaria

My choice: Auto-da-Fe by Elias Canetti - Sounds like this is a classic for a reason.

8. Croatia

My choice: Girl at War by Sara Novic - I remember when this was very popular when it was quite new.  It's been on my radar for a long time, hasn't it!

9. Cyprus

My choice: The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides - This book seems like it has been insanely popular and I've been meaning to read it for awhile now.

10. Czech Republic

My choice: The Trial by Franz Kafka - I've been meaning to read more Kafka.

11. Denmark

My choice: The Shamer's Daughter (The Shamer Chronicles #1) by Lene Kaaberbol - This sounds like it will be a fun YA fantasy adventure.

12. Estonia

My choice: The Man Who Spoke Snakish by Andrus Kivirakh - I'm always ready for more historical fantasy.

13. Finland

My choice: Memory of Water by Emmi Itaranta - I haven't read many YA dystopias in a while now.

14. France

My choice: Arsene Lupin, Gentleman-Thief (Arsene Lupin #1) by Maurice Leblanc - I love the tv show Lupin and I've seen several other characters/ productions inspired by this story, but I've never tried the original.  I'm really looking forward to it.

15. Germany

My choice: Ruby Red (Precious Stone Trilogy #1) Kerstin Gier - I've several of this author's books on my tbr, so this seemed like a good place to start.

16. Greece

My choice: Athenian Blues (Stratos Gazis #1) by Pol Koutsakis - This sounds like it will be a great mystery series opener.

17. Hungary

My choice: The Scarlet Pimpernel (The Scarlet Pimpernel #1) by Emmuska Orczy - I've been wanting to see read this classic for ages - now this gives me the excuse to finally pick it up.

18. Iceland

My choice: Snowblind (Dark Iceland #1) by Ragnar Jonasson - I've been on the edge of checking this out at the library for awhile - I have an excuse for this one too.

19. Ireland

My choice: The Likeness (Dublin Murder Squad #2) by Tana French - I was a bit on the fence with book one, but I would like to try continuing it.

20. Italy

My choice: The Lost Girls of Rome (Marcus #1) by Donato Carrisi - This mystery thriller will be fascinating.

21. Kosovo

My choice: Crossing by Pajtim Statovci - This is described as Hedwig and the Angry Inch and The Talented Mr. Ripley and I love both of those, so I have high hopes of this.

22. Latvia

My choice: The Cat King of Havana by Tom Crosshill - I've had this YA contemporary on my radar for awhile. I didn't realize the author's from Latvia.

23. Lichtenstein 

My choice: Best European Fiction 2011 edited by Alexander Hemon - This is the anthology is the only one featuring an author from Lichtenstein that's available at my library.

24. Lithuania

My choice: Happiness and Other Small Things of Absolute Importance by Haim Shapira - I don't often read philosophy or self-help books, but I'll give this a try.

25. Luxembourg

My choice: At the Devil's Banquets by Anise Koltz - I don't read a lot of poetry, but this does sound fascinating.

26. Malta

My choice: A Death in Malta: An Assassination and a Family's Quest for Justice by Paul Caruana Galizia - I've been eyeing this at the library, so I'm glad this will give me an excuse to try it.

27. Moldova

My choice: All-Night Pharmacy by Ruth Madievsky - This sounds fantastic, plus I love the cover.

28. Monaco

My choice: Palace: My Life in the Royal Family of Monaco by Christian Louis de Massy - I know next to nothing about this royal family except that Grace Kelly married into it.

29. Montenegro

My choice: Catherine the Great and Small by Olja Knezevic - This work of historical fiction sounds like a must read.

30. Netherlands

My choice: D (A Tale of Two Worlds) by Michel Faber - This has been on my tbr for so long and I have an excuse to get to it.

31. North Macedonia

My choice: Freud's Sister by Goce Smilevski - This historical fiction story is based on a true story - I know nothing about Freud's family so this should be interesting.

32. Norway

My choice: Kon-Tiki by Thor Heyerdahl - Maybe I'll even try the movie adaptation too.

33. Poland

My choice: Baptism of Fire (The Witcher #3) by Andrzej Sapkowski - I'm getting caught up!

34. Portugal

My choice: Blindness by Jose Saramago - This classic dystopia sounds fascinating.

35. Romania

My choice: Night (The Night Trilogy #1) by Elie Wiesel - I don't know how I've missed this before now, honestly.

36. Russia

My choice: A Hero of Our Time by Mikhail Lermontov - It sounds like I'll learn why this is considered a classic.

37. San Marino

My choice: The Republic of San Marino by Charles de Bruc - I know next to nothing about San Marino, so I'm sure I'll learn something here.

38. Serbia

My choice: The Encyclopedia of the Dead by Danilo Kis - Just the title alone sounds great.

39. Slovakia

My choice: The Nazis Knew My Name by Magda Hellinger - I've been eyeing this at the library and now I finally have an excuse to check it out.

40. Slovenia

My choice: Best European Fiction 2014 edited by Drago Jancar - This is the anthology is the only one featuring an author from Lichtenstein that's available at my library.

41. Spain

My choice: The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon - I'm also reading this for my Beat The Backlist 2025 challenge.

42. Sweden

My choice: The Troubled Man (Kurt Wallander #10) by Henning Mankell - I'm finally getting caught up on this series. 

43. Switzerland

My choice: Discourse on the Origin of Inequality by Jean-Jacques Rousseau - I expect this will be just as pertinent today.

44. Ukraine

My choice: Clara's War: A Young Girl's True Story of Miraculous Survival Under the Nazis by Clara Kramer - I have a feeling this memoir is going to be brutal.

45. United Kingdom

My choice: A Death in Vienna (Liebermann Papers #1) by Frank Tallis - I've been meaning to start this series for a long time, and even start the tv series adaptation.

46. Vatican City

My choice: The Church of Mercy by Pope Francis - I don't often read about religion, but I will be for this task.

Congrats for making it this far!  Have you taken part in this challenge before?  Which book should I try first?  As always, thanks for visiting my blog and perhaps even commenting down below!