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22 Foreign Ambassadors Recommend the Best Books to Read and Movies to Watch Before Visiting Their Countries!

  • Meghan Hunter

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    I remember reading Into the Wild while flying to Alaska on one of my first solo trips far from home.  It really set the stage for my adventure!  It made me want to take off and travel to discover myself the same way Christopher McCandless did (minus the tragic ending, of course).

    So I was excited to come across this list of book and movie recommendations for various countries, including Chile, Germany, Finland, India, and more!

    What Better Way to Prep for a Trip Than to Read a Celebrated Book About the Country You Plan to Visit

    Here’s the list of recommendations by 22 different foreign ambassadors in Washington, DC.

    1.   Austria

    Read:   The Tobacconist by Robert Seethaler

    Watch:   The Third Man, 1949

    2.   Azerbaijan

    Read:   Ali and Nino by Kurban Said

    Watch:   The film adaptation of Ali and Nino

    3.   Bhutan

    Read:   Treasures of the Thunder Dragon: A Portrait of Bhutan by Ashi Dorji Wangmo Wangchuck

    Watch:   Travellers and Magicians, 2003

    4.   Canada

    Read:   With Faith and Goodwill: 150 years of Canada-U.S. Friendship, edited by Arthur Milnes

    Watch:   Any of the films from National Canadian Film Day’s Top 150 which the ambassador says “provides a list as diverse as the country itself.”

    5.   Chile

    Read:   La Casa de los Espíritus by Isabel Allende

    Watch:   No, 2012

    

     

     

     

    6.   Colombia

    Read:   One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel García Márquez

    Watch:   Colombia Magia Salvaje, 2015

    7.   Denmark

    Read:   Smilla’s Sense of Snow by Peter Høeg

    Watch:   A Royal Affair, 2012

    8.   Estonia

    Read:   The Man Who Spoke Snakish by Andrus Kivirähk

    Watch:   Lotte and the Moonstone Secret, 2011

    9.   Finland

    Read:   Moomin books by Tove Jansson

    Watch:   Tale of a Forest, 2012

    10.   Germany

    Read:   Tschick (Why we took the car) by Wolfgang Herrndorf

    Watch:   Good Bye Lenin!, 2003

    11.   Greece

    Read:   Freedom and Death by Nikos Kazantzakis

    Watch:   Zorba the Greek, 1964

    12.   Iceland

    Read:   Independent People by Halldór Laxness

    Watch:   Sigur Rós: Heima, 2007

    13.   Ireland

    Read:   TransAtlantic by Colum McCann

    Watch:   Once, 2007

    14.   India

    Read:   Freedom at Midnight by Dominique Lapierre and Larry Collins

    Watch:   Monsoon Wedding, 2001

    15.   Jamaica

    Read:   Selected Poems by Louise Bennett

    Watch:   Cool Runnings, 1993

    16.   Malta

    Read:   In the Name of the Father (And of the Son) by Immanuel Mifsud

    Watch:   Limestone Cowboy, 2017

    17.   Netherlands

    Read:   The Embarrassment of Riches by Simon Schama

    Watch:   De Aanslag, 1986

    18.   New Zealand

    Read:   The Whale Rider by Witi Ihimaera

    Watch:   Hunt for the Wilderpeople, 2016

    19.   Norway

    Read:   The Harry Hole series by Jo Nesbø

    Watch:   Kon-Tiki, 2012

    20.   Slovenia

    Read:   I Saw Her That Night, by Drago Jančar

    Watch:   Valley of Peace, 1956

    21.   Sweden

    Read:   Nordic Ways by András Simonyi

    Watch:   A Man Called Ove, 2015

    22.   United Kingdom

    Read:   Atonement by Ian McEwan

    Watch:   Life of Brian, 1979

    Have you read any of these books?  What have been your favorite books to read before traveling to a certain destination?

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    Hat Tip:   Babbel

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