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  1. LEICESTERSHIRE The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole aged 13¾ by Sue Townsend Synopsis: Friday January 2nd I felt rotten today. It's my mother's fault for singing 'My Way' at two o'clock in the morning at the top of the stairs. Just my luck to have a mother like her. There is a chance my parents could be alcoholics. Next year I could be in a children's home. Meet Adrian Mole, a hapless teenager providing an unabashed, pimples-and-all glimpse into adolescent life. Writing candidly about his parents' marital troubles, the dog, his life as a tortured poet and 'misunderstood intellectual', Adrian's painfully honest diary is still hilarious and compelling reading thirty years after it first appeared. Other Leicestershire books: The Right To An Answer by Anthony Burgess
  2. LANCASHIRE Oranges are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson Synopsis: This is the story of Jeanette, adopted and brought up by her mother as one of God's elect. Zealous and passionate, she seems seems destined for life as a missionary, but then she falls for one of her converts. At sixteen, Jeanette decides to leave the church, her home and her family, for the young woman she loves. Innovative, punchy and tender, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is a few days ride into the bizarre outposts of religious excess and human obsession. Other Lancashire books: The Dressmaker by Beryl Bainbridge Mist Over Pendle by Robert Neill
  3. KENT The Darling Buds of May by H. E. Bates Synopsis: 'Home looks nice. Allus does though, don't it? Perfick' And so the Larkins - Pop, Ma, Mariette, Zinnia, Petunia, Primrose, Victoria and Montgomery - return from an outing for fish and chips and ice cream one May evening. There, amid the rustic charms of home, they discover a visitor: one Cedric Charlton, Her Majesty's inspector of taxes. Mr Charlton is visiting to find out why junk-dealer Pop hasn't paid his tax - but nothing's that simple at the Larkins. Mariette takes a shine to 'Charley' - as Pop calls him - and before long the family have introduced the uncomplaining inspector to the delights of country living: the lusty scents of wild flowers, the pleasures of a bottle of Dragon's Blood, cold cream dribbled over a bowl of strawberries and hot, hot summer nights. In fact, soon Charley can't see any reason to return to the office at all. Other Kent books: The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens Great Expectations by Charles Dickens
  4. The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham Synopsis: When Bill Masen wakes up blindfolded in hospital there is a bitter irony in his situation. Carefully removing his bandages, he realizes that he is the only person who can see: everyone else, doctors and patients alike, have been blinded by a meteor shower. Now, with civilization in chaos, the triffids - huge, venomous, large-rooted plants able to 'walk', feeding on human flesh - can have their day. Go to main Isle of Wight thread
  5. ISLE OF WIGHT England, England by Julian Barnes Synopsis: As every schoolboy knows, you can fit the whole of England on the Isle of White. Grotesque, visionary tycoon Sir Jack Pitman takes the saying literally and does exactly that. He constructs on the island 'The Project', a vast heritage centre containing everything 'English', from Big Ben to Stonehenge, from Manchester United to the white cliffs of Dover. The project is monstrous, risky, and vastly successful. In fact, it gradually begins to rival 'Old' England and even threatens to supersede it...One of Barnes's finest and funniest novels, England, England calls into question the idea of replicas, truth vs fiction, reality vs art, nationhood, myth-making, and self-exploration. Alternative: The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham (link to book discussion thread) Other Isle of Wight books: Wish You Were Here by Graham Swift The Trespasser by D. H. Lawrence
  6. HERTFORDSHIRE Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen Synopsis: When Elizabeth Bennet first meets eligible bachelor Fitzwilliam Darcy, she thinks him arrogant and conceited; he is indifferent to her good looks and lively mind. When she later discovers that Mr Darcy has involved himself in the troubled relationship between his friend Mr Bingley and her beloved sister Jane, she is determined to dislike him more than ever. Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice is a sparkling comedy of manners which explores the folly of judging by first impressions, and superbly evokes the friendships, gossip and snobberies of provincial middle-class life in early nineteenth-century England. Other Hertfordshire books: Howard's End by E. M. Forster
  7. HEREFORDSHIRE On The Black Hill by Bruce Chatwin Synopsis: On the Black Hill is an elegantly written tale of identical twin brothers who grow up on a farm in rural Wales and never leave home. They till the rough soil and sleep in the same bed, touched only occasionally by the advances of the 20th century. In depicting the lives of Benjamin and Lewis and their interactions with their small local community Chatwin comments movingly on the larger questions of human experience. Other Herefordshire books:
  8. HAMPSHIRE Watership Down by Richard Adams Synopsis: This stirring tale of courage and survival against the odds has become one of the best-loved animal adventures of all time. 'We've got to go away before it's too late.' Fiver could sense danger. Something terrible was going to happen to the warren - he felt sure of it. So did his brother Hazel, for Fiver's sixth sense was never wrong. They had to leave immediately, and they had to persuade the other rabbits to join them. And so begins a long and perilous journey of a small band of rabbits in search of a safe home. Fiver's vision finally leads them to Watership Down, but here they face their most difficult challenge of all . . . Other Hampshire books: The Woman In White by Wilkie Collins
  9. GREATER MANCHESTER North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell Synopsis: Set in the mid-19th century, and written from the author's first-hand experience, North and South follows the story of the heroine's movement from the tranquil but moribund ways of southern England to the vital but turbulent north. Elizabeth Gaskell's skilful narrative uses an unusual love story to show how personal and public lives were woven together in a newly industrial society. This is a tale of hard-won triumphs - of rational thought over prejudice and of humane care over blind deference to the market. Readers in the twenty-first century will find themselves absorbed as this Victorian novel traces the origins of problems and possibilities which are still challenging a hundred and fifty years later: the complex relationships, public and private, between men and women of different classes. Other Greater Manchester books: Mary Barton by Elizabeth Gaskell Love on the Dole by Walter Greenwood
  10. GREATER LONDON The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle Synopsis: Out of his smoke-filled rooms in Baker Street stalks a figure to cause the criminal classes to quake in their boots and rush from their dens of inequity … The twelve mysteries gathered in this first collection of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson’s adventures reveal the brilliant consulting detective at the height of his powers. Problems involving a man with a twisted lip, a fabulous blue carbuncle and five orange pips tax Sherlock Holmes’ intellect alongside some of his most famous cases, including A Scandal in Bohemia and The Red-Headed League. Other Greater London books: There are so many options for Greater London, that you can also look at London Fiction thread.
  11. GLOUCESTERSHIRE Cider With Rosie by Laurie Lee Synopsis: Cider with Rosie is a wonderfully vivid memoir of childhood in a remote Cotswold village, a village before electricity or cars, a timeless place on the verge of change. Growing up amongst the fields and woods and characters of the place, Laurie Lee depicts a world that is both immediate and real and belongs to a now-distant past. Other Gloucestershire books: The Bell by Iris Murdoch John Halifax, Gentleman by Dinah Craik
  12. The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle Synopsis: The terrible spectacle of the beast, the fog of the moor, the discovery of a body: this classic horror story pits detective against dog, rationalism against the supernatural, good against evil. When Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead on the wild Devon moorland with the footprints of a giant hound nearby, the blame is placed on a family curse. It is left to Sherlock Holmes and Doctor Watson to solve the mystery of the legend of the phantom hound before Sir Charles' heir comes to an equally gruesome end. The Hound of the Baskervilles gripped readers when it was first serialised and has continued to hold its place in the popular imagination. Go to main Devon thread
  13. ESSEX The Turn Of The Screw by Arthur Ransome Synopsis: The Turn of the Screw tells the story of a young governess sent to a country house to take charge of two orphans. Unsettled by a sense of intense evil in the house she soon becomes obsessed with the idea that something malevolent is stalking the children in her care. Meanwhile The Aspern Papers explores obsession of a more worldly kind, with its tale of a literary historian determined to get his hands on some letters written by a great poet. Such is his drive, he is quite prepared to use trickery and deception to achieve his aims... Other Essex books: Mr Britling Sees It Through by H G Wells Barnaby Rudge by Charles Dickens The Black Arrow by Robert Louis Stevenson Secret Water by Arthur Ransome
  14. CUMBRIA [Alternative choice]: The Maid of Buttermere by Melvyn Bragg Synopsis: Set in the Lake District in the early 19th century, the riveting story of an imposter, bigamist and fortune hunter who came to grief by falling helplessly in love with the famed 'Maid of Buttermere'. Go to main Cumbria thread
  15. EAST SUSSEX Winnie-The-Pooh by A. A. Milne Synopsis: AA Milne, born in 1882, based the characters of Pooh Bear, Eeyore the Donkey, Piglet, Tigger, Kanger and Roo on his son, Christopher Robin's real nursery toys. The Milne family live in Ashdown Forest and the stories of their adventures are based there. You are cordially invited into the Hundred Acre Wood. Meet Pooh, Eeyore and the rest of the friends. Other East Sussex books: Mapp and Lucia by E. F. Benson Brighton Rock by Graham Greene Between The Acts by Virginia Woolf The Ragged-Trousered Philanthropists by Robert Tressell
  16. EAST RIDING OF YORKSHIRE South Riding by Winifred Holtby Synopsis: The community of South Riding, like the rest of the country, lives in the long shadow of war. Blighted by recession and devastated by the loss, they must also come to terms with significant social change. Forward-thinking and ambitious, Sarah Burton is the embodiment of such change. After the death of her fiancé, she returns home to Yorkshire focused on her career as headmistress of the local school. But not everyone can embrace the new social order. Robert Carne, a force of conservatism, stands firmly against Sarah. A tormented man, he carries a heavy burden that locks him in the past. As the villagers of South Riding adjust to Sarah's arrival and face the changing world, emotions run high, prejudices are challenged and community spirit is tested. Other East Riding of Yorkshire books:
  17. COUNTY DURHAM Nicholas Nickleby by Charles Dickens Synopsis: The work of a young novelist at the height of his powers, Nicholas Nickleby is one of the touchstones of the English comic novel. Around the central story of Nicholas Nickleby and the misfortunes of his family, Dickens created some of his most wonderful characters: the muddle-headed Mrs Nickleby, the gloriously theatrical Crummles, their protege Miss Petowker, the pretentious Mantalinis and the mindlessly cruel Squeers and his wife. Nicholas Nickleby's loose, haphazard progress harks back to the picaresque novels of the 18th century - particularly those of Smollett and Fielding. Yet the novel's exuberant atmosphere of romance, adventure and freedom is overshadowed by Dickens' awareness of social ills and financial and class insecurity. Other County Durham books: The Fifteen Streets by Catherine Cookson The Black Velvet Gown by Catherine Cookson The Legacy of Hartlepool Hall by Paul Torday
  18. DORSET Far From The Madding Crowd by Thomas Hardy Synopsis: Independent and spirited Bathsheba Everdene has come to Weatherbury to take up her position as a farmer on the largest estate in the area. Her bold presence draws three very different suitors: the gentleman-farmer Boldwood, soldier-seducer Sergeant Troy and the devoted shepherd Gabriel Oak. Each, in contrasting ways, unsettles her decisions and complicates her life, and tragedy ensues, threatening the stability of the whole community. The first of his works set in Wessex, Hardy's novel of swiftpassion and slow courtship is imbued with his evocative descriptions of rural life and landscapes, and with unflinching honesty about sexual relationships. Other Dorset books: The Mayor of Casterbridge by Thomas Hardy The French Lieutenant's Woman by John Fowles
  19. DEVON And Then There Were None by Agatha Christie Synopsis: Ten strangers, apparently with little in common, are lured to an island mansion off the coast of Devon by the mysterious U.N.Owen. Over dinner, a record begins to play, and the voice of an unseen host accuses each person of hiding a guilty secret. That evening, former reckless driver Tony Marston is found murdered by a deadly dose of cyanide. The tension escalates as the survivors realise the killer is not only among them but is preparing to strike again! and again! Alternative: The Hound of the Baskervilles by Arthur Conan Doyle (link to book discussion thread) Other Devon books: To Serve Them All My Days by R. F. Delderfield Sense and Sensibilty by Jane Austen The Secret of Crickley Hall by James Herbert
  20. DERBYSHIRE Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks Synopsis: In 1666, plague swept through London, driving the King and his court to Oxford, and Samuel Pepys to Greenwich, in an attempt to escape contagion. The north of England remained untouched until, in a small community of leadminers and hill farmers, a bolt of cloth arrived from the capital. The tailor who cut the cloth had no way of knowing that the damp fabric carried with it bubonic infection. So begins the Year of Wonders, in which a Pennine village of 350 souls confronts a scourge beyond remedy or understanding. Desperate, the villagers turn to sorcery, herb lore, and murderous witch-hunting. Then, led by a young and charismatic preacher, they elect to isolate themselves in a fatal quarantine. The story is told through the eyes of Anna Frith who, at only 18, must contend with the death of her family, the disintegration of her society, and the lure of a dangerous and illicit attraction. Other Derbyshire books: The Lair of the White Worm by Bram Stoker Peveril of the Peak by Sir Walter Scott The Toll-Gate by Georgette Heyer
  21. CUMBRIA Swallows and Amazons by Arthur Ransome Synopsis: It is the wholesome story of four young children, John, Susan, Titty and Roger, who set out in their boat (the Swallow of the title) to an island of adventure. All seems well until they encounter their enemy. At first they are angry at the invasion of their peaceful haven by these Amazon pirates, Nancy and Peggy, who claim ownership of the land. But in time a truce is called and the Swallows and Amazons become firm friends. Camping under open skies, swimming in clear water, fishing, exploring and making discoveries is the stuff of dreams which serves to make this so charming a tale. The author manages to capture the innocence of a time when all this was real and possible. Swallows and Amazons will transport children to a fantastical place where they can play safely and roam freely, without an adult in sight. Alternative: The Maid of Buttermere by Melvyn Bragg (link to book discussion thread) Other Cumbria books: The Woman in White by Wilkie Collins
  22. CITY OF LONDON A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens Synopsis: Ebenezer Scrooge, a miserly old curmudgeon who spurns Christmas as a “humbug,” is given the chance to redeem himself through the intervention of four Spirits on Christmas Eve. If reading Dickens’s most beloved story doesn't put you in the true spirit of Christmas, you may be beyond redemption. As Scrooge’s nephew Fred says, “I have always thought of Christmas time...as a good time: a kind, forgiving, charitable, pleasant time: the only time I know of, in the long calendar of the year, when men and women seem by one consent to open their shut-up hearts freely, and to think of people below them as if they really were fellow-passengers to the grave, and not another race of creatures bound on other journeys.” Or as Tiny Tim put it more succinctly, “God bless us every one!” Other City of London books: Dombey and Son by Charles Dickens
  23. CHESHIRE Cranford by Elizabeth Gaskell Synopsis: Mary Smith and her friends live in Cranford, a town predominantly inhabited by women. The return of a long-lost brother named Peter is the most dramatic event to occur over the course of the sixteen tales that comprise the novel. Elizabeth Gaskell’s “Cranford” is an ironic portrayal of female life in a secluded English village. Other Cheshire books:
  24. CAMBRIDGESHIRE The Nine Tailors by Dorothy Sayers Synopsis: The best of the golden age crime writers, praised by all the top modern writers in the field including P. D. James and Ruth Rendell, Dorothy L. Sayers created the immortal Lord Peter Wimsey. The 11th book featuring Lord Peter, set in a country church, is often named as the best detective story ever written. When his sexton finds a corpse in the wrong grave, the rector of Fenchurch St Paul asks Lord Peter Wimsey to find out who the dead man was and how he came to be there. The lore of bell-ringing and a brilliantly-evoked village in the remote fens of East Anglia are the unforgettable background to a story of an old unsolved crime and its violent unravelling twenty years later. Other Cambridgeshire books: Case Histories by Kate Atkinson Dirk Gently's Holistic Detective Agency by Douglas Adams Tom's Midnight Garden by Philippa Pearce Waterland by Graham Swift Porterhouse Blue by Tom Sharpe
  25. BUCKINGHAMSHIRE The Dark Is Rising by Susan Cooper Synopsis: It is Midwinter's Eve, the night before Will's eleventh birthday. But there is an atmosphere of fear in the familiar countryside around him. Will is about to make a shocking discovery - that he is the last person to be born with the power of the Old Ones, and as a guardian of the Light he must begin a dangerous journey to vanquish the terrifyingly evil magic of the Dark. Other Buckinghamshire books: Lark Rise To Candleford by Flora Thompson Enigma by Robert Harris
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