County names below link to the book review pages. My challenge started on 17th September 2013, and I reviewed my last book on 14th September 2014! But I still want to hear from you about what you think of the points raised these wonderful authors. Post a comment at the bottom of this page, anywhere else on the blog, or use the contact form.
Map of England’s Ceremonial Counties; the ones I’ll be reading around
- Bedfordshire: Just in Case Meg Rosoff (Luton, 2006), Bageye at the Wheel Colin Grant (Luton, 2012)
- Berkshire: Big Over Easy Jasper Fforde (Reading, 2005), Silver Fin Charlie Higson (Eton 2005), Unseen Katherine Webb (fictional village, 2012)
- Bristol: Playing James Sarah Mason (2002), Sense of an Ending Julian Barnes (2011), After Phoenix Martine McDonagh (2013), Only Time Will Tell Jeffrey Archer (2011)
- Buckinghamshire: You Drive Me Crazy Carole Matthews (Milton Keynes, 2005), September Garden Catherine Law (Aylesbury, 2012)
- Cambridgeshire: Watch Me Disappear Jill Dawson (Fens, 2006), Bellwether Revivals Benjamin Wood (Cambridge, 2012), Floodland Marcus Sedgwick (Ely, 2000), A Short History of Tractors in Ukrainian Martina Lewycka (Peterborough, 2005), Case Histories Kate Atkinson (Cambridge, 2004)
- Cheshire: Millions Frank Cottrell Boyce (Widnes, 2004), Thursbitch Alan Garner (Thursbitch valley, 2003)
- City of London: Londonstani Gautam Malkani (2006), Night Haunts Sukhdhev Sandhu (2006), Brick Lane Monica Ali (East End, 2005), Small Island Andrea Levy (2004), Maintenance of Headway Magnus Mills (2009), Concise Chinese-English Dictionary for Lovers Xiaolu Guo (Hackney, 2007),
- Cornwall: Notes From an Exhibition Patrick Gale (Penzance 2008), Finding the Fox Ali Sparkes (2010), A Gathering Storm Rachel Hore (2011), Ingo Helen Dunmore (2005), The Memory Garden Rachel Hore (Lamorna Cove, 2007), Constance Breakwater Giles Booth (2010), Five Miles From Outer Hope Nicola Barker (unnamed island, 2000), Proper Job, Charlie Curnow! Alan M Kent (2005), Our Future Is History John Angarrack (2002)
- Cumbria: My Sister lives on the Mantelpiece Annabel Pitcher (Lake District 2011)
- Derbyshire: Deep Secret Berlie Doherty (unnamed village, 2003), Black Dog Stephen Booth (Peak District, 2001)
- Devon: Mermaid Garden Santa Montefiore (2011), Deadkidsongs Tony Litt (fictional village, 2006), Time Watchers Julie Reilly (Torquay, 2011), Our Tragic Universe Scarlett Thomas (2010), Natural Flights of the Human Mind Clare Morrall (2006), Dragonfly Pool Eva Ibbotson (Delderton Hall, 2008)
- Dorset: A Half Forgotten Song Katherine Webb (unnamed village, 2012), On Chesil Beach Ian McEwan (Chesil Beach, 2007)
- Durham: Legacy of Hartlepool Hall Paul Torday (2012)
- East Riding of Yorkshire: Innkeeper’s Daughter Val Wood (Holderness, 2012)
- East Sussex: Never Let Me Go Kazuo Ishiguro (2005), Ice Cream Girls Dorothy Koomson (Brighton, 2010), One Moment One Morning Sarah Rayner (Brighton, 2010), Return to the Hundred Acre Wood David Benedictus (Ashdown Forest, 2009), Ex-Boyfriend’s Handbook Matt Dunn (Brighton, 2010), Dead Simple Peter James (Brighton, 2005)
- Essex: When Ravens Fall Matilda Wren (2012), Johnny Mackintosh and the Spirit of London Keith Mansfield (fictional town, 2008), Starter For Ten David Nichols (Southend, 2003), The Minotaur Ruth Rendell (countryside, 2005)
- Gloucestershire: Thinks David Lodge (Gloucester, 2002), Special Bella Bathurst (Forest of Dean, 2002)
- Greater London: White Teeth Zadie Smith (Willesden, 2000), East of Acre Lane Alec Wheatle (Brixton, 2001), Room of Lost Things Stella Duffy (Loughborough Junction, 2008)
- Hampshire: Death Cloud Andy Lane (2010), The Forest Edward Rutherford (New Forest, 2000)
- Herefordshire: Fabric of Sin Phil Rickman (Hereford, 2007), Red House Mark Haddon (2012)
- Hertfordshire: Reading Upside Down Jo Platt (St Albans, 2013)
- Isle of Wight: The Bed I Made Lucie Whitehouse (Yarmouth, 2010), Wish You Were Here Graham Swift (2011), Telling Tales: Stories of the Isle of Wight Ed. Linda Goodwin (2012), A Stable Life Harriet J Kent (2012), Sorrow of Sisters Wendy Harris (2004)
- Kent: White is For Witching Helen Oyeyemi (Dover, 2009), Children’s Book A. S. Byatt (2009), End of Mr Y Scarlett Thomas (fictional Canterbury, 2006), Two Caravans Marina Lewycka (2007), Fix Keith Nixon (Broadstairs, 2012)
- Lancashire: Killer Instinct Zoe Sharp (Lancaster, 2001), Spook’s Apprentice Joseph Delaney (based on Lancashire, 2004), Money Can’t Buy Me Love Julie Reilly (Blackpool, 2012), Wedding Tiers Trisha Ashley (2009), Why Be Happy When You Could Be Normal? Jeanette Winterson (Accrington, 2011)
- Leicestershire: The Woman Who Went To Bed For A Year Sue Townsend (Leicester 2012)
- Lincolnshire: Late Louise West (2013)
- Greater Manchester: Gungi Blues Sanchita Islam (2008), Curry Mile Zahid Hussain (2006), Gold Chris Cleave (2013), Monster Love Carol Topolski (2008), I Have Waited and You Have Come Martine McDonagh (Altrincham, 2012), Lady Melvin Burgess (2002), Nicholas Dane Melvin Burgess (2009), The Hit Melvin Burgess (2013), First Frost James Henry (Denton, 2011)
- Merseyside: Outlaws Kevin Sampson (Liverpool 2001), September Girls Maureen Lee (Liverpool, 2005), Blood Brothers Willy Russell (Liverpool, 2001)
- Norfolk: Chemistry of Death Simon Beckett (unnamed village, 2006), A Place of Secrets Rachel Hore (Starbrough, 2010)
- North Yorkshire: A Distant Shore Caryl Phillips (Weston, 2003), Only One Way Jannicke Howard (York, 2011), Before the Poison Peter Robinson (Richmond, 2011), Shadowmancer G. P. Taylor (Whitby, 2002)
- Northamptonshire: Pollard Laura Beatty (inspired by Salcey Forest, 2008)
- Northumberland: Fire Eaters David Almond (Keely Bay, 2003), Ivy Tree Mary Stewart (2001)
- Nottinghamshire: What You Don’t Know David Belbin (Nottingham 2011), Killing Jar Nicola Monaghan (Nottingham, 2006)
- Oxfordshire: Rebels and Traitors Lindsey Davis (Oxford, 2009), Amber Spyglass Philip Pullman (Oxford, 2000), Bleak Midwinter Peter Millar (Oxford, 2001), Waste Land Simon Ackland (Oxford, 2010)
- Rutland: Misspent Youth Peter Hamilton (2002)
- Shropshire: No Shame No Fear Ann Turnbull (Shropshire, 2003), Rain Before It Falls Jonathan Coe (rural village, 2007)
- Somerset: Hope Lesley Pearse (2007), The Oversight Will Eaves (2001), Ferney / The Lives She Left Behind James Long (2010)
- South Yorkshire: Peppered Moth Margaret Drabble (unnamed mining town, 2001)
- Staffordshire: Linden Woods Michael Taylor (2007)
- Suffolk: Dream House Rachel Hore (2006), The Dig John Preston (Sutton Hoo, 2007), Sea House Esther Freud (Steerborough, 2003), Something Might Happen Julie Myerson (unnamed seaside town, 2003)
- Surrey: Confessions of a Shopaholic Sophie Kinsella (Oxshott, 2003)
- Tyne and Wear: Alice in Sunderland Bryan talbot (Sunderland, 2007), Border Crossing Pat Barker (River Tyne, 2001), Taxi-Driver’s Daughter Julie Darling (Newcastle, 2003)
- Warwickshire: Queen’s Secret Victoria Lamb (Kenilworth, 2012)
- West Midlands: Turning Thirty Mike Gayle (Birmingham 2001), Our Lady of Demerara David Dabydeen (Coventry, 2009), A Sister For Margot Emma Clark Lam (2012), Poppy Silk Michael Taylor (Dudley, 2003), Astonishing Splashes of Colour Clare Morrall (Birmingham, 2003), Rotters’ Club Jonathan Coe (Birmingham, 2001), What Was Lost Catherine O’Flynn (Birmingham, 2007), Beauty Raphael Selbourne (Wolverhampton, 2009)
- West Sussex: Temple of the Winds James Follett (Pentworth, 2000), Two Pound Tram William Newton (Worthing, 2003), Talisman of El Alecia Stone (2012)
- West Yorkshire: My Best Friend’s Girl Dorothy Koomson (Leeds, 2006), Two Week Wait Sarah Rayner (Leeds, 2012), GB84 David Peace (Leeds, 2004), Kill All Enemies Melvin Burgess (Leeds, 2011), A Woman of Substance Barbara Taylor Bradford (Leeds 2006)
- Wiltshire: Legacy Katherine Webb (2011), Wolf Hall Hilary Mantel (Wulfhall, 2009), Sight Unseen Robert Goddard (Avebury, 2006), Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time Mark Haddon (Swindon, 2003), Wives of Bath Wendy Holden (Bath, 2005), Here Be Monsters Alan Snow (fictional Trowbridge, 2005)
- Worcestershire: Black Swan Green David Mitchell (2006)
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Large parts of ‘Brideshead Revisited’ are set in Oxford aren’t they? FAB list; may be stealing a few!
I know, and I REALLY need to read that, but unfortunately it wasn’t first published post-2000 as my ‘rules’ stipulate, so I’m going to have to save that one for later! Might be shooting myself in the foot with these regulations but oh well, I’ve started now! Thanks though dearie. Let me know if you come up with any more!
Rebels and Traitors by Lindsey Davis? I think that’s set in Oxford and was published in 2009 by an English author.
What a lifesaver! It shall definitely be added to the list! Let me know if you come up with any more – the more choice when it comes to it, the better!
Also for the Isle of Wight. There was a story in the news a while ago about a novel that came out 2010 set in Yarmouth. It’s called The Bed I Made by Lucie Whitehouse. Not sure as to the nationality of the author.
A quick check of Wikipedia confirms that Lucie Whitehouse is indeed English (I only use the best sources, you can see) so that’s yet another life-saving suggestion. Thanks Sophie!!
His Dark Materials trilogy are partly set in Oxford aren’t they?
Oh yeah! How could I forget those?! The 3rd one was published in 2000, and that’s the one I haven’t read. Perfecto! Thanks, it’s going on the list.
Telling Tales: Stories of the Isle of Wight is a kindle book on Amazon published almost exactly a year ago. Contemporary tales by 7 Island based writers, funny, mad and scary but all showing the quirky side of Isle of Wight living. But then I did write two of the tales, so I’m biased!!!! A good project here.
Another Isle of Wight writer is Harriet Kent who writes horsey novels, inspired by Isle of Wight countryside too.
Perfect! Quirky is right up my street, so that’s going straight on the list as well as Harriet Kent’s “A Stable Life” – thank you so much!
Every book named up here are from only one county in England???
Proper Job, Charlie Curnow! by Alan M. Kent: http://cornishlit.wordpress.com/2012/03/14/book-review-proper-job-charlie-curnow-by-alan-m-kent/
It’s officially on the list! Super suggestion.
Only problem is Alan, like myself, considers himself Cornish and not English.
Exactly; I’ll have to think carefully about how I approach this. Well, I knew I was entering a potential political minefield when I started this blog!
The book by Harlen Coben ‘ Tell No One’ has got Portsmouth in it, the photo gallery by Waitrose always sticks in my head.
On a more gangster not Martina Cole ‘The Jump’ includes travelling through the ‘devils punch bowl’ Hampshire to ‘jump’ out of prison on The Isle Of Wight.
Probably not what you’re looking for, but the first two that sprung to mind.
Two fab suggestions – most certainly the sort of thing I’m looking for! I’ve already read Tell No One so might give that one a miss in favour of something new, but will definitely look into the Martina Cole. Thanks!
Hi – I found your list through a narcissistic searching of myself as I do occasionally and was thrilled to find you have two of my books on your list. I do hope you manage to read at least one of them, and I look forward to your thoughts. Julie Reilly, author 🙂
Hi Julie, thanks for commenting! Your books were recommended to me by quite a few people actually and, since Lancashire’s not far away on my book hunt, I’ve pretty much decided I’ll be reading “Money Can’t Buy Me Love” in a few weeks. I’ll let you know how it goes!
What a great project; my suggestion for the Somerset/Avon area would be Will Eaves’s first novel, The Oversight (Picador 2001), a coming-of-age story set largely in Bath: http://www.theguardian.com/books/2001/mar/31/fiction.reviews
Good luck with all the reading!
And I meant to add one for the Gloucestershire list, which is Bella Bathurst’s superb novel Special (Picador, 2002), set in the Forest of Dean.
Fantastic suggestions both; they’re going straight on the list. I’m particularly interested to read of Will Eaves’ connection to my alma mater, the University of Warwick… That might just be too tempting to resist! Thanks for getting in touch.
Only just come across your challenge. Great idea. I’m pleased to see Garner’s Thursbitch on the list. For North Yorkshire Ross Raisin’s ‘God’s Own Country’ (2008) is a good read.