Possible Geo Kit

Here is what has been decided as far as geo areas to be covered:

North America (includes Mexico, Canada, and USA) sallylou61

Central and South America (includes the Caribbean) MissWatson

Asia Tess_W
Africa LittleTaiko
Europe (includes Russia) Jackie_K
Oceania (includes Australia and New Zealand) pamelad
Polar (includes Antarctica and tundra regions) Silverwolf28

We will let each reader decide on Turkey and other debatable locations as to where they will place that read.

Robert came up with the best idea for posting:

one thread for each continent labeled thusly:

Geo Kit Asia 2021
Geo Kit Europe 2021
etc.

So now, I just need hosts for the above areas and we are good to go.

So long as they don't have to be non-fiction, I'd be interested as well.

I'd be interested.

Fiction or non-fiction, either one, just based on location/setting. Also, no defininte time limit, just 1 per continent for the entire year (that would be 6, maybe 7 if we combine Arctic/Antarctica/tundra/Siberia/Alaska/Iceland as a continent because to me, it's difficult getting lit from the poles; and most is non-fiction.

I’m definitely interested as well and like the idea of one book from each continent.

This is interesting but at this point I will wait until I see what the official Cats are going to be this year before I commit to more Kits.

>7 DeltaQueen50: That's what I'm waiting for too. If memory serves, KITs are usually chosen after CATs are decided. That way if a favourite CAT suggestion didn't make it, a KIT can do the job.

I'd also prefer to wait till I see what CATs are on offer

I've enjoyed GeoCat this year. But I'm unlikely to participate in the Kit unless I really don't like the CATs that get chosen.

I like the idea of this one, with no set time period for each area. It's a different-enough structure that I'll do it regardless of the CATs that are selected. But that may be because I like to use the same book for multiples anyway... this just makes it easier. I skipped a few months this year because they didn't line up with the other things I was reading.

>7 DeltaQueen50:, >8 VivienneR:, >9 Robertgreaves:. I would also like to wait until the CATs are chosen. I personally think that we had too many KITs this year -- that they watered down the CATs -- although of course, nobody is obligated to do any reading in any of the CATs or KITs. I also liked it when the KITs were discussed after the CATs were voted on; some of the KITs were on topics that missed being CATs.

>11 antqueen: I also try to do multiples to make it easier, and that challenges my thinking. I like the different structure too. Variety is good!

>1 Tess_W: I would like do this as long as no time limit.

I think if the travel cat is selected, this topic would be redundant.

Since TravelCAT did not make the cut, I think GEOKIT could be a go.

Great! I'm looking forward to this KIT.

Well the 7 categories would be:

North America (includes Canada and Mexico)
South America (includes Central America and the Caribbean)
Asia
Africa
Europe (includes Russia)
Australia (includes Oceania and New Zealand)
Antarctica (includes both poles, tundra regions --yes some overlaps--and Alaska.

Since this is supposed to be a year long Kit, not really sure how to work the posting. I'm thinking that all the hosts would post in January? And then readers would post when they read that particular book? Any ideas for that?

Also, my research indicates the Middle East is partly in Africa, Europe, and Asia. Where do we want to place it?

>18 Tess_W: I'd suggest rewording your chosen geographical categories a little:

North America (includes Mexico, Canada, and USA)
Central and South America (includes the Caribbean)
Asia
Africa
Europe (includes Russia)
Oceania (includes Australia and New Zealand)
Polar (includes Antarctica and tundra regions).

With "Middle Eastern" countries on their respective continents, as that's the main set of category divisions in this list. After all the "Middle East" is, as you've already pointed out, mostly in West Asia and North Africa.

>19 spiralsheep: Good idea

>19 spiralsheep: Afterthought: and, of course, a suggestion that readers get to decide where they post geographical edge cases such as Turkey, Egypt, Alaska, various islands, or longer journeys covering more ground (e.g. I recently read a novel that spanned three North African countries and one Asian country). I also guess, for example, that some Alaskan books would seem more about being American and some more about the Polar geography. It's probably good to be flexible.

>21 spiralsheep: Yes, always some overlap is needed; especially with Covid and some libraries not up to full capacity in borrowing books from other libraries.

So now the question becomes, how do we post? If this is a year long kit with no monthly reads, do we all post in January and people just fill in when they complete as read. Headings such as Geo Kit Africa, Geo Kit Oceania, ????

>23 Tess_W: How about taking the year-long letters in AlphaKIT as an example? Maybe one thread for each continent, headed something like Yearlong GeoKIT: Asia or whatever. Each continent gets a host who can set up the thread and the wiki.

>24 Robertgreaves: that sounds like a great idea, Robert!

Here is what has been decided as far as geo areas to be covered:

North America (includes Mexico, Canada, and USA)
Central and South America (includes the Caribbean)
Asia
Africa
Europe (includes Russia)
Oceania (includes Australia and New Zealand)
Polar (includes Antarctica and tundra regions)

We will let each reader decide on Turkey and other debatable locations as to where they will place that read.

Robert came up with the best idea for posting:

one thread for each continent labeled thusly:

Geo Kit Asia 2021
Geo Kit Europe 2021
etc.

So now, I just need hosts for the above areas and we are good to go.

>26 Tess_W: I'll do the Europe thread if you like.

I'm happy to take Africa since I just set something similar up for November. I can just add in the countries that weren't included.

>27 Jackie_K:
>28 LittleTaiko:

Yes, yes and yes! Thank you!

We need 4 more hosts (I'll take what remains)

I could do Central and South America.

I'll take Polar. Also, I can do a second thread if needed.

>31 MissWatson:
>32 SilverWolf28:
You got 'em! Let you know about that 2nd thread!

North America, Asia, and Oceania remains!

I can do Oceania.

I'm willing to do North America.

I do feel rather daunted about writing an intro covering the literary traditions of the whole of Asia, even East and South-East Asia this year turned out to be more than I was expecting. But if no-one else wants it, I will try.

>37 Robertgreaves: hold that thought, Robert, we'll see if we can get somebody!

>35 pamelad: thank you Pam!
>36 sallylou61: Thank you Sally!

Thank you all so much! We have them all covered. On or about Dec. 15 if you could post your region as per the above

Example: Geo Kit Asia 2021

But does anybody know how to set up a wiki?

You can start with an existing Wiki and edit it. I can’t remember the details because I did it by trial and error. If you lose the file you can find it in recent changes (voice of experience).

https://www.mediawiki.org/wiki/Help:Starting_a_new_page

Once you've started the new page you can use another Wiki page as a guide.

I've created wiki pages before elsewhere so I'll start one and post the link here for discussion etc.

Let me know any wording changes or when the thread links are available and I'll edit them into the wiki page, or just edit it yourselves. :-)

https://wiki.librarything.com/index.php/2021_GeoKIT

>43 spiralsheep: thank you thank you so much!

I volunteered for too many other challenges this year so thank you to all of you who have stepped up for this one. I do plan to participate...looks like fun.

>43 spiralsheep: Wiki link is up on the main group page!

I've started setting up the Oceania GeoKit 2021 https://www.librarything.com/topic/326979#n7335053

It's early because I'm also doing the January History CAT. Should have thought!

>47 pamelad: I saw you were doing well and added it to the wiki.

This might be a silly question, but these regions are for books set in the country, not necessarily by authors from the country, aren't they? I know that a number of authors write about places outside their country. Also, some authors grew up in one country but lived much of their lives in another country -- for example Katherine Mansfield was from New Zealand, but lived most of her adult life in Britain with time in other European countries and Jacqueline Winspear grew up in England but has lived many years in the United States. I had this same problem with my Britain, Canada, and United States thread, and used set instead of authors.

>49 sallylou61: In Oceania I've included authors from a country and books set in a country. So I've put Christina Stead, for example, in Australia, even though she was based mainly in the US. I've included Katherine Mansfield in New Zealand because she was brought up there.

If I'm reading a book set in Britain, say, I'd prefer that it were written by a British author. I think American and British authors have a different sensibility. If I want to read about Australian Aboriginal people, I'd choose a book by an indigenous author, not Bruce Chatwin.

In summary, I think it's fine to include both books set in a country and authors from a country.

>49 sallylou61: >50 pamelad: I agree that books by authors from a country are preferable, but books set in a country can be interesting (though I have seen some howlers in books set in the UK and Indonesia). Also for some countries there are going to be so few books available that we don't want to restrict ourselves even further.

Links to the threads:

Africa: https://www.librarything.com/topic/327243
Asia: http://www.librarything.com/topic/327165
Europe thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/327177
Central and South America including Caribbean thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/327196
North America thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/327182
Oceania thread: http://www.librarything.com/topic/326979
Polar thread: Not yet made

Here's the Polar thread: https://www.librarything.com/topic/327330

I've put an example book on the wiki under "North America" if anyone needs a reminder of the form (and I'm going to finish that book on Jan 1st). :-)

Thank you! I've never done anything on the wiki, so this is helpful.

I didn't pay much attention to the CAT/KIT planning last fall, and I've just found this KIT. I think I'll give it a go, especially as there will likely be overlap from my other challenges. I'd like to read two books from each region (not counting American or British books), although realistically I may limit Oceania and Polar Regions to one apiece.

Happy World Book Day 2021 everybody