I didn’t join the global reading challenge this year but still wanted to keep track of my virtual travels as I was curious to see if I would maintain the diversity of previous years without the motivation of a challenge. I thought I was doing pretty well, managing to visit a total of 21 countries plus a few international settings, but apparently this is only 8% of the planet’s countries so I’ve still a way to go to be truly inclusive (note World66, the site I used to generate this map, does not treat England and Scotland as separate countries but I know better).

create your own visited country map

Australia

• ASSASSIN, Tara Moss (New South Wales with forays into the ACT, France and Spain)
• BLACKWATTLE CREEK, Geoffrey McGeachin (Victoria)
• COCAINE BLUES, Kerry Greenwood (Victoria)
• COMEBACK, Peter Corris (New South Wales)
• DEATH BY BEAUTY, Gabrielle Lord (New South Wales)
• HYSTERIA AT THE WISTERIA, Ellen Mary Wilton (New South Wales)
• MATILDA IS MISSING, Caroline Overington (Victoria)
• MILES OFF COURSE, Sulari Gentill (New South Wales)
• PAST THE SHALLOWS, Favel Parrett (Tasmania)
• POET’S COTTAGE, Josephine Pennicott (Tasmania)
• SILENT FEAR, Katherine Howell (New South Wales)
• SISTERS OF MERCY, Caroline Overington (New South Wales)
• THE BETRAYAL, Y. A. Erskine (Tasmania)
• THE MISTAKE, Wendy James (New South Wales)
• THE PRECIPICE, Virginia Duigan (New South Wales)
• THE SLAP, Christos Tsiolkas (Victoria)
• WATCH OUT FOR ME, Sylvia Johnston (New South Wales)

Cambodia

• GHOST MONEY, Andrew Nette

Canada

• AMUSE BOUCHE, Anthony Bidulka
• THE GUILTY PLEA, Robert Rotenburg
• WHITE HEAT, MJ McGrath

Denmark

• DISGRACE, Jussi Adler-Olsson
• THE BOY IN THE SUITCASE, Lene Kaaberbol and Agnete Friis

England

• A CLUBBABLE WOMAN, Reginald Hill
• A DARK REDEMPTION, Stav Sherez
• A DISSECTION OF MURDER, Felicity Young
• A ROOM FULL OF BONES, Elly Griffiths
• CAN YOU FORGIVE HER, Anthony Trollope
• FACE OF THE DEVIL, N.J. Cooper
• FINDERS KEEPERS, Belinda Bauer
• FRIEND OF THE DEVIL, Peter Robinson
• GONE, Mo Hayder
• IN HER BLOOD, Annie Hauxwell
• INTO THE DARKEST CORNER, Elizabeth Haynes
• LONGSHOT, Dick Francis
• NERVE, Dick Francis
• PROOF, Dick Francis
• RISK, Dick Francis
• SAY YOU’RE SORRY, Michael Robotham
• SILENT VOICES, Ann Cleeves
• SPLIT SECOND, Cath Staincliffe
• TRICK OF THE DARK, Val McDermid
• THE CONFESSION, Charles Todd
• THE OTHER CHILD, Charlotte Link
• THE QUEEN’S HEAD, Edward Marston
• THE STRANGER HOUSE, Reginald Hill
• THE VANISHING POINT, Val McDermid
• TWICE SHY, Dick Francis
• WILD HORSES, Dick Francis

Finland

• LUCIFER’S TEARS, James Thompson
• NIGHTS OF AWE, Harri Nykänen
• THE WINTER OF THE LIONS, Jan Costin Wagner

Germany

• PAVING THE NEW ROAD, Sulari Gentill

Iceland

• 66° NORTH, Michael Ridpath

India

• THESE FOOLISH THINGS, Deborah Maggoch

Indonesia

• A BALI CONSPIRACY MOST FOUL, Shamini Flint

Ireland

• A GAME OF SORROWS, Shona MacLean
• FALLING GLASS, Adrian McKinty
• THE COLD, COLD GROUND, Adrian McKinty

Italy

• CARTE BLANCHE, Carlo Lucarelli
• I WILL HAVE VENGEANCE, Maurizio De Giovanni
• THE AGE OF DOUBT, Andrea Camilleri
• THE POTTER’S FIELD, Andrea Camilleri

Japan

• THE THIEF, Fuminori Nakamura

New Zealand

• SURRENDER, Donna Malane

Norway

• FEAR NOT, Anne Hold
• PIERCED, Thomas Enger
• IN THE DARKNESS, Karin Fossum
• THE BLIND GODDESS, Anne Holt
• THE CALLER, Karin Fossum

Scotland

• A DARKER DOMAIN, Val McDermid
• BIRTHDAYS FOR THE DEAD, Stuart MacBride
• THE BLACKHOUSE, Peter May
• THE FIELD OF BLOOD, Denise Mina

Spain

• OR THE BULL KILLS YOU, Jason Webster
• THE SUMMER OF THE DEAD TOYS, Antonio Hill

South Africa

• 7 DAYS, Deon Meyer
• SMOKESCREEN, Dick Francis
• THE FALLEN, Jassy Mackenzie
• TRACKERS, Deon Meyer

Sweden

• BETRAYAL, Karen Alvtegen
• DARK ANGEL, Mari Jungstedt
• DEATH OF A CARPET DEALER, Karin Wahlberg
• KILLER’S ISLAND, Anna Jansson
• LAST WILL, Liza Marklund
• MIDWINTER SACRIFICE, Mons Kallentoft
• NIGHT ROUNDS, Helene Tursten
• THE DROWNING, Camilla Läckberg
• THE HIDDEN CHILD, Camilla Läckberg
• THE MAN ON THE BALCONY, Maj Sjowall & Per Wahloo

USA

• A KILLING IN THE HILLS, Julia Keller (West Virginia)
• AFFAIRS OF STEAK, Julie Hyzy (Washington DC)
• BLOOD OF THE PRODIGAL, P.L. Gaus (Ohio)
• DEFENDING JACOB, William Landay (Connecticut)
• DESERT WIVES, Betty Webb (Arizona & Utah)
• FUN HOUSE, Chris Grabenstein (New Jersey) 
• INTUITION, Allegra Goodman (Massachusetts)
• THE BLACK ECHO, Michael Connelly (California)
• THE ROPE, Nevada Barr (Arizona)
• V IS FOR VENGEANCE, Sue Grafton (California)

International / Multiple Settings

• AGENT 6, Tom Rob Smith (a section each in Russia, America and Afghanistan)
• COLD GRAVE, Kathryn Fox (takes place almost entirely in international waters)
• KILL DECISION, Daniel Suarez (stops include Africa, America and Afghanistan)
• ROTTEN GODS, Greg Barron (stops include Dubai, Somalia, International waters)
• THE ASSASSIN’S PRAYER, Ariana Franklin (England, Normandy and Sicily in the 12th Century)

The most noticeable thing for me about the geographical spread is the relatively low number of books set in America this year. Last year I read 37 books set somewhere in the USA, this year I’ve read 10 books set there. I know overall I’ve read fewer books this year but that’s still 9% of my books read this year versus 21% last year. I think my increasing focus on local titles is having an impact on this aspect of my reading and the other factor is probably my fondness for several British audio book narrators who tend to read European novels rather than American ones.

The biggest gaps are obviously Africa and South America, something I’ll aim to fix in 2013′s reading. I’d also like to read more crime fiction set in different parts of Asia. Suggestions welcome.

What about you? Did you travel virtually much during 2012? Have any favourite places you ‘visited’? Do you have any tips for ensuring you read from a wide variety of settings?