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Friday 7 January 2011

The Bookette British Books Challenge


I saw this reading challenge over at The Bookette's blog and thinking to myself "Oh, that'll be easy" decided to sign up for it. Following a brief Twitter conversation, I thought I'd actually make it harder and try to read something from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. So, the starter list is as follows

England - Sophie Kinsella - I have Remember Me and Twenties Girl both sitting on the TBR pile so will choose at least one of them
Malorie Blackman - Noughts and Crosses
Alan Garner - Weirdstone of Brisingamen - a 50th anniversary edition was brought out in 2010, but I still have a really old battered copy though not a first edition!

Scotland - Alexander McCall Smith - Friends, Lovers and chocolate
Christopher Brookmyre - A Tale Etched in Blood and Hard Black Pencil
Hazel Allan - bree McCready and the Flame of Irenus

Wales - Sing Sorrow Sorrow - a collection of horror stories from Seren Books
Belinda Bauer - Darkside

Northern Ireland - Seamus Heaney - Beowulf

That gives me 8 to be starting with, I'm also hoping in the course of the year to be able to track down the sequel to Gillian Phillip's Firebrand, Keren David's new book, Lia's Guide to Winning the Lottery and some more Mabinogion Stories from Seren Press.
I need to find more suggestions for N Ireland and Wales, so if anyone has suggestions please leave a comment

Listing them here as I read and review:

Jan 17 - Sing Sorrow Sorrow
Jan 19 - Darkside by Belinda Bauer
Jan 21 - Bree McCready and the Flame of Irenus by Hazel Allen

Feb 11 - The Tygrine Cat by Inbali Iserles
Feb 14 - The Accidental Proposal by Matt Dunn
Fen 21 - Belle's Song by K M Grant

Mar 2  - Friends, Lovers, Chocolate by Alexander McCall Smith


3 comments:

  1. I love that you are making the challenge have a whole new difficulty level. I'm sure there are many Welsh and Northern Irish authors but the trouble is not knowing that they are. I think it may be a question for Twitter.

    Anyway, I wish you the best of luck and many thanks for signing up!

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  2. If you are looking for a really great Welsh author try Zillah Bethell. Her first book Seahorses are Real is about an abusive relationship and is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read. Her most recent one - Le Temps des Cerises is an historical novel set in Paris during the Commune. It's both hilarious and tragic.

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  3. Zillah Bethel had a short story - Herself - included in the Sing Sorrow Sorrow collection. If her longer books are as good I'm looking forward to reading them. I actually have a copy of Le Temps des Cerises waiting to be read as someone suggested it for my Round the World Challenge.

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