Wednesday, December 31, 2014

2015 Reading Addict Challenge


This is the 3rd year in entering the challenge and hopefully I will get more of them completed this year. Here is what the hosts have to say about the challenge:

Some of us have a bit of a problem. 
Some of us have a huge problem.

Cheryl from CMash Loves to Read and Gina from Hott Books are two such people. And they are the founding mothers of the Reading Challenge Addict Blog.  Bev from My Reader's Block is one with a HUGE problem and the current author and caretaker of the Blog.  We each can stand proudly and say,

I am a Reading Challenge Addict.


So we are challenging each of you who can also say that you also are a Reading Challenge Addict.

How addicted are you? 
  • Easy as Pie: 1-5 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
  • On the Roof: 6-10 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
  • In Flight: 11-15 Challenges (Entered & Completed)
  • Out of This World: 16+ Challenges (Entered & Completed)
Rules:
We're not making this a difficult challenge, actually, it's going to be very simple!
  1. Each edition of the challenge will begin on January 1 and end on December 31.
  2. Write a starting post joining the challenge and outlining your challenges.
  3. Track all of your challenge accomplishments - good & bad.
  4. Stop by to join us in the mini-challenges, updates & extra giveaways throughout the year.
  5. Comment like crazy and offer support for your fellow addicts.
  6. Have FUN!
Easy, right? Who wants to be in on the fun? What else will be on offer? Random giveaways for participants to enter and unannounced special drawings for commenters on the site so be sure to leave your email address with your comment! Are you ready? As soon as it shows up in the tabs across the top, sign up on the latest "Reading Challenge Addicts" page.  


The level I am going for is Out of this World.  If you have a similar problem as I do, you can enter at the Reading Challenge Addict.

Book Blogger Recommendation Challenge 2015


This is a fairly simple challenge: read books that have been recommended by fellow bloggers.  If you are interested, you can sign-up here; the list of books that have been recommended can be found here (there is a longer list at the end of the webpage, if none of the books catch your fancy).  The rules are simple:


  1. The challenge runs from January 1st 2014 to December 31st 2015
  2. There are five levels to choose from. You can increase your goal as many times as you want, or (because we all know real life happens!) you can decrease your goal once at any point throughout the year.
  3. You don’t have to commit in advance to your choices, though of course you can plan them if you want to.


The levels are as such:


The Levels

Bronze – 3 books
Silver – 5 books
Gold – 10 books
Platinum – 25 books
Diamond – 50 books +



I am going to be doing the Silver level and these are the books I am going to attempt to read for the challenge and link up to them as I complete them:
1) The Count of Monte Cristo
2) Outlander
3) Anna and the French Kiss
4) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
5) The Handmaid's Tale

2015 Library Challenges

This year I am going to challenge myself to three library challenges, especially since I am a heavy user of the library, not only borrowing books, but also audio, video, and digital (both audio and e-books) materials.

Here are the challenges:

Readers to the Rescue Library Challenge




This is being hosted by Shelia at Book Journey.   Basically anything bookish that you sign out (so a movie or a TV miniseries based on a book do count) from the library.  Shelia has more information at her site.  Here are the levels:

  • 6-11 check outs - Rookie
  • 12-16 check outs - Intermediate
  • 17-22 check outs - Seasoned
  • 23-27 check outs - Experienced
  • 28+  check outs - Going Pro!
I will be going for Going Pro! and only count those that I have completed and returned.
1) The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
2) The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
3) Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis 
4) Mr. Miracle by Debbie Macomber
5) Daisy Miller by Henry James
6) The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
7) The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
8) The Last Chair by C.S. Lewis
9) Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
10) The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

Snagged @ The Library Challenge


This is a pretty simple one as well. You can sign-up at The Geeky Bloggers Book Blog. Here are the details:

• Runs January 1, 2015 – December 31, 2015. You can join any time. 
• The goal is to read at least twelve (12) books from the library. Twelve should be easy, that’s one a month. While twelve is the minimum, there is no maximum limit. See the different levels below and pick the one that works best for you. 
• Any format will work for this challenge (print, ebook or audio) as long as you checked it out from the library it counts.• Books can be any genre (fiction, nonfiction, romance, fantasy, mystery, thriller, horror, etc.). 
• Crossovers from other reading challenges are allowed, including re-reads. The goal is to support your local library and save money. 
• To join this challenge, grab the 2015 Snagged @ The Library Reading Challenge button and post this reading challenge on your blog to track your progress. Please include a link back to this sign-up post so others can join the reading challenge too. You do not have to be a book blogger to participate; you can track your progress on Goodreads (so as long as you have a dedicated shelf and Felicia has created a Goodreads group), Shelfari (I’ve created a Shelfari group. You can join and post your progress within the group), or BookLikes, etc., for the 2015 Snagged @ The Library Reading Challenge. The point of linking up is to have a place where people can see what you’re reading.

They have 4 levels:
  1. Dewey Decimal: read 12 books
  2. Thrifty Reader: read 24 books
  3. Overdrive Junkie: read 36 books
  4. Stalking the Bookstacks: read 50+ books
I will be going for Level 3 Overdrive Junkie
1) The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
2) The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
3) Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis 
4) Mr. Miracle by Debbie Macomber
5) Daisy Miller by Henry James
6) The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
7) The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis
8) The Last Chair by C.S. Lewis
9) Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
10) The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

I Love Libraries Challenge


I did this one last year and will be participating in it again.  You can sign up at Book Dragon's lair.  Here are the details:


Requirements:
  • choose a level - you may move up as needed, just not down.
  • read books you checked out of the library
  • books may overlap with other challenges
  • any format allowed (print, ebook, audio)
  • reviews are not necessary but a list of books read is. (post with review linky is coming in January)
  • a blog is not necessary, just comment that you want to join in or link up another way

Levels:
  • board book - 3
  • picture book - 6
  • early reader - 9
  • chapter book - 12
  • middle grades - 18
  • Young adult - 24
  • adult - 36
  • just insert IV - 50 
I will be doing the Adult Level
1) The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis
2) The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
3) Prince Caspian by C.S. Lewis 
4) Mr. Miracle by Debbie Macomber
5) Daisy Miller by Henry James
6) The Voyage of the Dawn Treader by C.S. Lewis
7) The Silver Chair by C.S. Lewis

8) The Last Chair by C.S. Lewis
9) Station Eleven by Emily St. John Mandel
10) The Miniaturist by Jessie Burton

Hope you will join me and good luck.

2015 Nonfiction Reading Challenge



I quite enjoyed this one this past year and while I don't know if I made my goal for this past year,  I am going to attempt it once again.  The Introverted Reader has few guidelines, of which the only guideline is that the book is classified as nonfiction.  The levels for the challenge are:

Dilettante--Read 1-5 non-fiction books

Explorer--Read 6-10 

Seeker--Read 11-15

Master--Read 16-20

I am going to go for the Explorer level.  Here are the links to the books I have read for the challenge:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)

If you wish to get involved with the challenge, you can sign up at The Introverted Reader.

2015 Chunkster Challenge


This is another enjoyable challenge that I have done over the past few years and as long you read a book that is over 450 pages and its not a graphic novel, you are fine.  My goal this year is to read about 10 chunky books.  I will link my books here with my reviews while also on the Chunkster Reading Challenge website.

Books read:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

2015 War Through the Generations Challenge



The hosts at War Through the Generations have changed up their challenge this year, but I am hoping it will be fun nonetheless.  This year you can read whatever you want, but they do ask that you post reviews that like this: i.e. Melissa @ Jayne's Books (WWI - All Quiet on the Western Front).

I will be reading books mainly from World War 1 and World War 2 and will be aiming for about 5 books, with a combination of fiction and nonfiction:
1)
2)
3)
4)
5)

2015 EBook Reading Challenge



This is a challenge that I have enjoyed over the years and continue to enjoy.  Annette has spelled out the guidelines for the challenge as such:

This challenge will run from Jan 1, 2015 – Dec 31, 2015.

Anyone can join, you don’t need to be a blogger. If you don’t have a blog, feel free to sign-up in the comments. You can post reviews to any book site (i.e. Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Smashwords, Goodreads, etc).

Any genre or length of book counts, as long as it is in ebook format.

You can plan your books in advance or as you read them.

When you sign up in the linky, put the direct link to your post about joining the E-Book Reading Challenge.

Sign-ups will be open throughout 2015, so feel free to join at any time during the year.

Levels:

1. Bits – 5 ebooks
2. Bytes – 10 ebooks
3. Megabytes – 25 ebooks
4. Gigabytes – 50 ebooks
5. Terabytes – 75 ebooks
6. Empty the Cloud – 100 ebooks

At the beginning of each month there will be a roundup post for you to add your reviews for that month. The linky will remain open for the remainder of the year, so if you forget, feel free go back and add them when you remember.


If you are interested, you can sign up over at Annette's Book Spot. She does ask that when you do sign up that you post the direct URL for the sign-up post and declare your level.   I am going to go for Level 2 - Bytes this year.

1) The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
2) Daisy Miller by Henry James
3) A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
4)
5)
6)
7)
8)
9)
10)

Foodies Read 2015 Challenge



I have done this for the last couple of years and have quite enjoyed doing this challenge, probably because I don't put too much pressure on myself to get the challenge completed.  So like other years, I will be doing the Short-Order Cook. I will be linking up with my books here and on the website.

Books completed:
1)
2)
3)

Finishing the Series Reading Challenge 2015



While I came close to getting a series caught up/completed, I didn't complete a series.  Judging from what I am planning on reading this year, I will at least get two series completed, with the potential for a third.  I am going to aim for Level 2.

These are the series that I am aiming to complete this year:
• Harry Potter
• The Chronicles of Narnia
I may finish off this series:
• All Souls Trilogy
  • Shadow of Night
  • Book of Life
If you are interested in the challenge, you can sign up at Socrates' Book Reviews.

Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire - J.K. Rowling (#hpreadalong)

Title: Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter #4)
Author: J.K. Rowling
Pages: 636
Published: 2000
Challenges: Harry Potter Re-Read
Genre: Young Adult Fantasy
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Personal

Description: It is the summer holidays, and one night Harry Potter wakes up with his scar burning. He has had a strange dream, one that he can't help worrying about...until a timely invitation from Ron Weasley arrives: to nothing less than the Quidditch World Cup!

Soon Harry is reunited with Ron and Hermione and gasping at the thrills of an international Quidditch match. But then something horrible happens which casts a shadow over everybody, and Harry in particular... (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: While this isn't one of my personal favourites books in the series, it does have a lot going on in the book that keeps the reader engaged with the story.

 Another thing that the book has going for it is that it is a turning point in the series, in that there are things that happen throughout the book, especially in the final 4 or 5 chapters that show the reader that the tone of the series has clearly shifted.

Also the book starts to deal with more adult-like themes and situations starts to show that the dynamic between the boys and the girls are starting to change and the interests and strengths of the three main characters, Harry, Ron and Hermoine, are starting to be shown.

Bottom line: A pivotal book in the series that is very clearly darker in tone and more adult-like in the themes that are explored and is clearly meant for an older audience than the first three books, which are geared to a younger audience.  Highly recommended.

Rating: 5/5

Pages for 2014: 29,028

Texts from Jane Eyre - Mallory Ortberg

Title: Texts from Jane Eyre and other conversations with your favorite literary characters
Author: Mallory Ortberg, illustrated by Madeline Gobbo
Pages: 240
Published: 2014
Challenges: I Love Libraries, Nonfiction
Genre: Humor
Edition: Hardcover
Source: Library

Description: Hilariously imagined text conversations—the passive aggressive, the clever, and the strange—from classic and modern literary figures, from Scarlett O’Hara to Jessica Wakefield.

Mallory Ortberg, the co-creator of the cult-favorite website The Toast, presents this whimsical collection of hysterical text conversations from your favorite literary characters. Everyone knows that if Scarlett O’Hara had an unlimited text-and-data plan, she’d constantly try to tempt Ashley away from Melanie with suggestive messages. If Mr. Rochester could text Jane Eyre, his ardent missives would obviously be in all-caps. And Daisy Buchanan would not only text while driving, she’d text you to pick her up after she totaled her car.  (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I heard about the book through Book Riot's podcast Reading Lives, when they interviewed the author about the book.  And due to the interview, I became interested in the book.

The book seemed to start out strongly and had a quick to the book, but sometime near the end, it seemed to lose some steam (I suppose reading ahead didn't exactly help). There were some sections that I had to look up due to the fact that I had not read the piece that the author was referencing to and therefore was unable to understand the humor.

Bottom line: What I did like was that it was a fairly quick read and didn't take a lot of time to through.  It clearly is a book geared towards those individuals who understand their literature fairly well, as there are pieces of literature that are somewhat obscure.  Recommended.

Rating: 3.5/5

Pages for 2014: 28,392

The Magician's Nephew - C.S. Lewis

Title: The Magician's Nephew (Chronicles of Narnia #1) *
Author: C.S. Lewis
Pages: 220
Published: 2002 (first published 1955)
Challenges: I Love Libraries
Genre: Children's Fantasy
Edition: Paperback
Source: Library

Description: Polly's hand went out to touch one of the rings. Immediately, without a flash or a noise, she vanished. When horrible Uncle Andrew starts experimenting with magic, Digory and Polly find themselves in another world, and at the beginning of an incredible adventure, as the doorway to the magical land of Narnia opens This is the first adventure in the exciting Chronicles of Narnia. (via Goodreads)

Thoughts: I saw a set of books while volunteering at my church library and since I had not fully read the series in its entirety from start to finish and took the opportunity to read them.

Even though I do know that the books are geared towards the middle grades, I wasn't exactly wowed with the book and the book to be a little slow at times, even though it was cute.  It definitely does give the reader a good introduction to the world of Narnia and serves as a launching point to the rest of the series.

Bottom line: As I said earlier, the book is a solid introduction to the rest of The Chronicles of Narnia series.  It would be an excellent introduction to fantasy to that are a bit young to read the Harry Potter series and other fantasy books that are geared to older readers.  Recommended, but strongly recommended for young readers who are interested in fantasy.

Rating: 3.5/5

Pages for 2014: 28,152

* I will be posting the books in their chronological order rather than the publication order.

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Back to the Classics 2015


I have done this for a few years, but with little success.  So I am hoping that this time around I can get most of the categories completed.

Here are the categories:

  1. A 19th Century Classic
  2. A 20th Century Classic
  3. A Classic written by a woman
  4. A Classic in translation
  5. A Very Long Classic (500+ pages)
  6. A Classic Novella
  7. A Classic with a Person's Name
  8. A Humorous and Satirical Classic
  9. A Forgotten Classic
  10. A Nonfiction classic
  11. A Children's Classic
  12. A Classic Play
If you want more detailed information about the challenge, you can head to Books and Chocolate and find more information in regards to the challenge as well as help to find books for some of the challenges.

Here is what I am intending to read for the various categories:

  1. A 19th Century Classic: The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
  2. A 20th Century Classic: The Age of Innocence by Edith Wharton
  3. A Classic written by a woman: North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
  4. A Classic in translation: The Illiad by Homer
  5. A Very Long Classic (500+ pages): War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy
  6. A Classic Novella: Daisy Miller by Henry James
  7. A Classic with a Person's Name: Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë
  8. A Humorous and Satirical Classic: Animal Farm by George Orwell
  9. A Forgotten Classic: Miss Pettigrew Lives for a Day by Winifred Watson
  10. A Nonfiction classic: A Moveable Feast by Ernest Hemingway
  11. A Children's Classic: The Horse and His Boy by C.S. Lewis
  12. A Classic Play: The Tempest by William Shakespeare
I will link up my reviews here on this page as well at Books and Chocolate.

Pre-Printing Press 2015


This one I will admit was a disaster in 2014, but I am going to attempt this one again.  Here are some guidelines for the challenge:

  1. All books must have come out before 1440, when the printing press was first invented.
  2. Books chosen for this challenge can overlap with other challenges.
  3. Books can be translated into the language of your choice.
  4. All the books you've chosen must be read by December 31, 2015.
  5. You can read 1-3 books, 4-6 books, 7-9 books or 10 or more books if you're feeling particularly ambitious.
  6. The choice of books is up to you. There are no set reading lists, and you don't have to set one when you join.
  7. Post your blog address where you'll be posting your comments on your choice of books in the comments of this post when you join, and tell me how many books you've chosen. I'll set up a link to participating blogs from here.
  8. Above all, Have fun.
The challenge starts January 1st.

I am going to aim for 1-3 books. Here are the books that I am going to attempt:

  • The Canterbury Tales
  • The Illiad
  • The Odyssey
I will link up the titles with reviews.  If you wish to sign up, you can go to All Booked Up and sign up.

The Eclectic Reader Challenge 2015

I tried this challenge last year and got a few of the categories completed, but hopefully I can do a little better this coming year.

The categories are:

  • Retellings (fairy tales, legends or myths)
  • A Book set in a country starting with the letter S (eg. Spain, Sweden, South Africa, Singapore, Slovakia)
  • PI Crime (fiction featuring a private investigator)
  • A novel published before you were born
  • Contemporary Romance
  • Fiction for Foodies (fiction featuring food/food related business)
  • Microhistory (Nonfiction)
  • Science fiction set in space
  • Sports (Fiction or nonfiction)
  • Featuring diversity
  • Epistolary Fiction (fiction written in the format of letters/emails/diary entries)
  • Middle Grade/ YA Adventure
Here is what I am going to be reading:
  1. Retellings: Ella Enchanted
  2. A Book set in a country with the letter S: (Sweden) The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
  3. PI Crime: The Thousand-Dollar Tan Line
  4. A Novel Published before I was born: The Age of Innocence
  5. Contemporary Romance: Anna and the French Kiss
  6. Fiction for Foodies:
  7. Microhistory: The Disappearing Spoon
  8. Science Fiction set in space: Foundation
  9. Sports: '67: the Maple Leafs, their sensational victory, and the end of an empire
  10. Featuring Diversity: The Color Purple
  11. Epistolary Fiction: The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society
  12. Middle Grade/YA Adventure: Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince
I will link up my reviews not only here, but also at the link provided by Book'Out at the sign up page.  If you wish to join me, you can do so at Book'Out.

Reading England 2015


This is a new challenge to me and it looked interesting.  Here is what the host has to say about the challenge:


The Goal: To travel England by reading, and read at least one book per however many counties of England you decide to read.

Example: You aim to read three books set in three different counties, and you read Far From the Madding Crowdby Thomas Hardy, Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolfand The Darling Buds of May by H. E. Bates. Reading these means you have read a book from Dorset (Far From the Madding Crowd), London (Mrs Dalloway), and Kent (The Darling Buds of May).

The Rules:

  • This challenge begins on the 1st January 2015 and ends on 31st December 2015, but of course if you really get into it then keep it going :)
  • You can sign up any time between now and the end of 2015. Only books read after 1st January 2015 count, though.
  • Choose a level (below), but do not feel obliged to pick your books or even your counties beforehand. 
  • Because this is a classics blog, I'd encourage people to read classic novels, but how you define classics is up to you.
  • You are not limited to English authors. Henry James, for example, is American but his novel The Turn of the Screw is set in Essex, and so he counts for the challenge.
  • It would be grand if you blogged about the books you read for each county but you don't have to. If you do, you don't have to feel obliged to give any information about the county in general other than, maybe, "This is my review of which is set in the county of x". You could also include a description of the landscape in your posts, but again you don't have to.
  • You do not have to read the books in their original language, translations are accepted (I only read in English so I would never dream of making other people read in their second language!)
  • Audio books, Kindles, and whatnot are accepted too.
  • Poetry, plays, biographies, and autobiographies count as well as novels. 

The Levels:
  • Level one: 1 - 3 counties
  • Level two: 4 - 6 counties
  • Level three: 7 - 12 counties
  • Level four: 12 + counties

The List:
Bedfordshire
  • The Two Sisters by H. E. Bates
  • My Uncle Silas by H. E. Bates
  • Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners by John Bunyan
Berkshire
  • The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame
  • Jude the Obscure by Thomas Hardy 
  • Tom Brown's School Days by Thomas Hughes
  • Three Men in a Boat by Jerome K. Jerome
  • The Merry Wives of Windsor by William Shakespeare
  • The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde
Bristol
  • Evelina by Fanny Burney
Buckinghamshire
  • Lark Rise to Candleford by Flora Thompson
Cambridgeshire
  • The Longest Journey by E. M. Forster
  • Maurice by E. M. Forster
  • Glory by Vladimir Nabokov
  • Jacob's Room by Virginia Woolf
Cheshire
  • Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell
Cornwall
  • Frenchman's Creek by Daphne du Maurier
  • Jamaica Inn by Daphne du Maurier
  • Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier
  • Basil by Wilkie Collins
County Durham
  • Afternoon Off by Alan Bennett
  • Rokeby by Walter Scott
Cumbria
  • The Tennant of Wildfell Hall by Anne Brontë
  • The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
  • The Lazy Tour of Two Idle Apprentices by Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins
  • Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome
  • Lady Anna by Anthony Trollope
  • The Journals of Dorothy Wordsworth
Derbyshire
  • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë [uncertain]
  • Adam Bede by George Eliot
  • Uncle Silas by J. Sheridan Le Fanu
  • The Lair of the White Worm by Bram Stoker
Devon
  • Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen
  • Lorna Doone by R. D. Blackmore
  • The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle
  • Westward Ho! by Charles Kingsley
  • He Knew He Was Right by Anthony Trollope
  • Rachel Ray by Anthony Trollope
Dorset
  • The Worm Forgives the Plough by John Stewart Collis
  • Moonfleet by J. Meade Faulkner
  • Far From the Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy
  • The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy
  • Tess of the D'Urbervilles by Thomas Hardy
  • Two on a Tower by Thomas Hardy
  • Thank you, Jeeves by P. G. Wodehouse
Essex
  • Lady Audley's Secret by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
  • Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens
  • Nightingale Woods by Stella Gibbons
  • The Turn of the Screw by Henry James
Gloucestershire
  • Cider With Rose by Laurie Lee
  • The Tailor of Gloucestershire by Beatrix Potter
Hampshire
  • Watership Down by Richard Adams
  • The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
Herefordshire 
  • On The Black Hill by Bruce Chatwin
  • The Diaries of Francis Kilvert by Rev. Francis Kilvert
Hertfordshire
  • Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
    Kent
    • The Darling Buds of May by H. E. Bates
    • The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer
    • Murder in the Cathedral by T. S. Eliot
    • Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
    • The Mystery of Edwin Drood by Charles Dickens
    • Cakes and Ale by W. Somerset Maugham
    • Of Human Bondage by W. Somerset Maugham
    Lancashire
    • Hard Times by Charles Dickens
    • Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell
    • North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell
    • Redburn by Herman Melville
    • The Road to Wigan Pier by George Orwell
    • Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
    Leicestershire
    • The Right to an Answer by Anthony Burgess
    Lincolnshire
    • John Marchmount's Legacy by Mary Elizabeth Braddon
    • The Mill on the Floss by George Eliot
    • Pamela, or, Virtue Rewarded by Samuel Richardson
    London
    • Emma by Jane Austen
    • Peter Pan by J. M. Barrie
    • A Little Princess by Frances Hodgson Burnett
    • The Way of All Flesh by Samuel Butler
    • The Man Who Was Thursday by G. K. Chesterton
    • Fanny Hill by John Cleland
    • No Name by Wilkie Collins
    • Moll Flanders by Daniel Defoe
    • A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens
    • The Old Curiosity Shop by Charles Dickens
    • Oliver Twist by Charles Dickens
    • Daniel Deronda by George Eliot
    • The Nether World by George Gissing
    • New Grub Street by George Gissing
    • The Diary of a Nobody by George and Wheedon Grossmith
    • Hanover Square by Patrick Hamilton
    • Esther Waters by George Moore
    • The Diary of Samuel Pepys
    • Vanity Fairy by William Makepeace Thackerary
    • Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
    • Night and Day by Virginia Woolf
    Norfolk
    • The Big Six by Arthur Ransome
    Northamptonshire
    • Mansfield Park by Jane Austen [uncertain]
    • Mistress Masham's Repose by T. H. White
    Northumberland
    • The poetry of Wilfrid Gibson 
    • Rob Roy by Sir Walter Scott
    • Ruined City by Nevil Shute
    Nottinghamshire
    • Lady Chatterley's Lover by D. H. Lawrence
    • The Rainbow by D. . Lawrence
    • Sons and Lovers by D. H. Lawrence
    • The White Peacock by D. H. Lawrence
    Oxfordshire
    • The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford
    • Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
    Shropshire
    • Howards End by E. M. Forster
    • A Shropshire Lad by A. E. Housman
    Somerset
    • Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen
    • Persuasion by Jane Austen
    • No Name by Wilkie Collins
    • The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling by Henry Fielding
    • Black Sheep by Georgette Heyer
    • The Belton Estate by Anthony Trollope
    • Aunts Aren't Gentlemen by P. G. Wodehouse
    Staffordshire
    • Anna of the Five Towns by Arnold Bennett
    • The Old Wives Tale by Arnold Bennett
    • Adam Bede by George Eliot
    Suffolk
    • Celia by Fanny Burney
    • No Name by Wilkie Collins
    • We Didn't Mean to Go to Sea by Arthur Ransome
    Surrey
    • The Watsons by Jane Austen
    • A Room With a View by E. M. Forster
    • The Time Machine by H. G. Wells
    Sussex
    • Sanditon by Jane Austen
    • The Worm Forgives the Plough by John Stewart Collis
    • The Last Post by Ford Maddox Ford
    • The Collector by John Fowles
    • Cold Comfort Farm by Stella Gibbons
    • Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray
    • The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell
    • The History of Mr. Polly by H. G. Wells
    • The Invisible Man by H. G. Wells
    Tyne and Wear
    • The novels of Catherine Cookson
    • The Stars Look Down by A. J. Cronin
    Warwickshire
    • The Diary of an Edwardian Lady by Edith Holden
    • Tom Brown's School Days by Thomas Hughes
    • Kenilworth by Walter Scott
    • As You Like It by William Shakespeare
    Wiltshire
    • The Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro
    • The Chronicles of Barset by Anthony Trollope
    • Brideshead Revisited by Evelyn Waugh
    Worcestershire
    • Aurora Leigh by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
    • The Well of Loneliness by Radcyffe Hall
    Yorkshire
    • Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë [uncertain]
    • Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë
    • Shirley by Charlotte Brontë
    • The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett
    • No Name by Wilkie Collins
    • Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens
    • The Vicar of Wakefield by Oliver Goldsmith
    • A Kestrel for a Knave by Barry Hines
    • The Life and Opinions of Tristram Shady, Gentleman by Lawrence Sterne
    • Dracula by Bram Stoker

    I don't know about more modern reads, as the host has only mentioned books that would be classic in nature, so you would have to ask.  But if you are going to be doing something more modern, you might want to check to see which county the book takes place in.

    My aim is to do 4 or 5 books and these are the ones that I am going to attempt:
    • The Woman in White (Cumbria)(Hamphire)
    • North and South (Lancashire)
    • The Canterbury Tales (Kent)
    • A Christmas Carol (London)
    • Wolf Hall (Wiltshire)
    I will aim for level two (4-6 counties). I will link up the titles with my reviews of the books as I read them.  If you are interested in joining, you can sign up at Behold the Stars.

    What Strange Paradise - Omar El Akkad

     Title: What Strange Paradise ( Bookshop.org ) Author: Omar El Akkad Published: 2022 (first published 2021) Genre: Fiction, Contemporary, Li...