Nollaig

I'm rediscovering second hand bookshops when I get back to cork I think.

I would have thought it would be the author's nationality - whatever they consider themselves to be, although I suppose we could include both? And theres a list of authors by country on wikipedia, it probably wouldn't take long to pick our books out. Buying and reading is another matter entirely

I iz broke =[

Thats true.... well we could always help each other find books from countries and if theres a selection, try to pick ones of different genre or something to cover a variety. Then when there is only one book for all of us, at least there will be three perspectives you know? I'm definately going to give the challenge a go one way or another, I'll integrate it with my A-Z challenge. I'll check what countries I have with those and then add on new books for the other countries. This is way too complex for something so simple as reading.

I wants a copy =[

It would take foreverrrrrrrr =P

I highly doubt anybody here has read this book, and its a Young Adult book which I haven't read in a while, so it may not make for the best reading, but I loved it and just rediscovered it, so I wanted to mention it. Its a book about a house. The house is the physical connection between two boys in two very different lifetimes, one at war decades ago, and one present day (2002.) One's family lived in it, the other is photographing the burnt-out ruins of it 50 years later. Both are discovering feelings for members of the same sex - one boy is required by his family to provide an heir, to match up to certain set standards, to be a tough soldier, and the other, despite the world becoming more acceptant of homosexuality, struggles with the idea when he meets a devoutly religious catholic girl. The book explores the ideas of sexuality, obligations, religion, and the reconciliation of the idea of true love with them all across the years. Anyone who enjoys reading young adult fiction - this is moderately heavy stuff by teen standards, its a worthwhile read and I have a feeling I'd love it as much today as I did 5 years ago.

Is that the one Ceinweinn is doing, reading a book by an author from each of the nearly 200 countries in the world? I want to do that too! A real challenge would be to read 600 different books between us, (3 books per country, 1 each) rather than the same 200

Can I recommend some Irish books? =P Ignore this if you already have some, or whatever. Theres the obvious ones which you may have read anyway - "Dracula" by Bram Stoker for horror/classic Anything by Cecelia Ahern for romantic type things "The Picture Of Dorian Gray" - Oscar Wilde for classic/sheer genius Maeve Binchy is another very popular Irish author, though I've never read her books. "The Boy In The Striped Pyjamas" - John Boyne, which you've probably read. For an Irish book set within the changing 1990's in Ireland, check out 'The Blackwater Lightship' by Colm Tob

You need not! Peace love and anti-climax.

Me too haha. My best friend is a guy who doesn't understand the vampire fandom at all, it cracks him up. His girlfriend introduced me to Twilight, and the poor guy was fit to kill his two best girls as a result! Theres no escaping the vampires!

Me either!!! Where exactly is it hiding?? >=[

O_O Woah!! Awesome!!! I haven't read any of them! The Perks Of Being A Wallflower - Keep meaning to read this, and keep forgetting. Definately going on the list! Stephen King: Only read Salem's Lot so far, but loved it and have many of his books. Phantom: Thought that might make an appearance! Its a definate must. And lots of books that have movie adapations - excellent! And some Young Adult books - I have a soft spot for those Thats a great list, thank you!!

Awwhhh lol. I liked it so much I bought the dvd. I think the best part is the very end when the Guns N Roses version of Sympathy For The Devil starts playing. I adore that song and I adore Guns N Roses, and its just so surreal its wonderful!

I was wondering about the Spirit - my brother compared it to Sin City but he didn't like Sin City so I dunno what to think... Also the new Underworld movie... rise of the lycans? or something? Looks quite good. Saw it advertised at the Twilight Premiere.

Much! We'll allow you back in

Its the book cover I'm going delibrately buying because I saw it in the shop yesterday and like an idiot left it there =[

Ohhh I simply adore the idea of this! I've never read a Charles Dickens book (*shame* ) but I planned to this year - I want to read A Christmas Carol, The Old Curiosity Shop and David Copperfield, as all three have caught my eye repeatedly over the years. I think I'll get this book first, read it and THEN start reading Dickens =D

Oh not long at all unfortunately or I'd know more French. I went for a week as part of an art trip when I was 16, and that was all galleries and museums and cathedrals - amazing trip. (I'm a very artsy person, and I think of Paris as being a giant piece of art.) I went again when I was 18 for three days with a friend, and that was mostly just hanging around, we went to an opera, which was.... interesting. Its a great city. Indeed. This is the movie poster, which is now also a book cover. And normally I don't like book covers taken from movies, but I actually think this one is superb.

Random Note: J'adore la France (I don't speak French, I'm using words I half know from going to Paris ) On topic: I haven't read the book but I'm going to a.s.a.p. I hope its not too much different, even without reading the book I suspect that one of the best elements is Bruno's naivety about his situation.

Yeah thats exactly what I was thinking of when I was thinking of stories from that era

Will do! I'll probably revive this thread with reviews of each suggestion as I complete them

Lovely! The Kite Runner is one of those books I keep meaning to read but keep forgetting about And the other two sound great too. I just put the first book in the crime series on the list for now - if I enjoy it, the rest will inevitably follow! I'm hoping to get a good selection of suggestions so I can have a choice Thanks Chimera =D

Thank you! I feel less crazy now!

My challenge is to, for each letter of the aphabet, read at least one book whose author's name begins with that letter. (Their surname, not first name.) Here is what I've read in 2009 so far: Austen, Jane - Pride and Prejudice Barclay, Linwood - Too Close To Home Black, Holly - Modern Faerie Tale: Valiant Blatty, William Peter - The Exorcist Brandreth, Gyles - Oscar Wilde And The Candlelight Murders Carrell, J. L. - The Shakespeare Secret Chevalier, Tracy - Girl With A Pearl Earring Connolly, John - The Book Of Lost Things Connolly, John - The Gates (Of Hell Are About To Open, Mind The Gap) Cooper, Susan - Over Sea, Under Stone (CF) Dann, Colin - A Legacy Of Ghosts (CF) DCS - Synarchy: The Awakening ® Downham, Jenny - Before I Die Evans, Alan S. - Spirit Horses ® Ferney, Alice - Angelina's Children (ATW) Funke, Cornelia - Inkspell (ATW) Gaiman, Neil - The Graveyard Book Hardie, Titania - The Rose Labyrinth ® Hayder, Mo - Pig Island Herbert, James - Haunted Herbert, James - The Secret O Crickley Hall Hewitt, Doug - The Dead Guy ® Hussey, Bill - Through A Glass, Darkly ® Hussey, Bill - The Absence ® Jin, Ha - Waiting (ATW) Johns, Alan - Looking For Leticia ® Kostova, Elizabeth - The Historian Matheson, Richard - What Dreams May Come McKinley, Robin - Beauty McPartlin, Anna - Pack Up The Moon ® McPartlin, Anna - So What If I'm Broken Meyer, Stephanie - New Moon Meyer, Stephanie - Eclipse Mosse, Kate - The Winter Ghosts Niffenegger, Audrey - The Time Traveller's Wife Picoult, Jodi - The Tenth Circle (ATW) Rankin, Robert - The Hollow Chocolate Bunnies Of The Apocalypse Rankin, Robert - The Garden Of UnEarthly Delights Riffenburgh, Beau - The Titanic Experience Shreve, Anita - Light On Snow Siegel, James - Derailed Spens, Christiana - The Wrecking Ball ® Stewart, Paul - The Wakening (CF) Stine, R. L. - The Phantom Of The Auditorium (CF) Stoker, Bram - Dracula Suskind, Patrick - Perfume: The Story Of A Murderer Thomas, Scarlette - The End of Mr. Y Weston, Tom - First Night ® Whelan, Gerard - Out Of Nowhere (CF) Whitcomb, Laura – A Certain Slant of Light Young, William P. - The Shack Zusak, Markus - The Book Thief (ATW) ® Review Books: 10 (ATW) Around The World Challenge: 5 (CF) Childhood Favourites 'Challenge': 7 Read: 54 Pages: 18,270 *** Childhood Favourites I've also decided to do a sort of sub challenge, which involves re-visiting all my old favourite children's/teen's books that I loved years ago, as well as finishing ones I never finished. The list as it stands is as follows: (Red are read, green are owned and grey I must re-buy.) Out Of Nowhere - Gerard Whelan (review) The Wakening - Paul Stewart (review) Phantom Of The Auditorium - R. L. Stine The Butterfly Lion - Michael Morpurgo The Dark Is Rising - Susan Cooper - Over Sea, Under Stone - The Dark Is Rising - Greenwitch - The Grey King - Silver On The Tree Del Del - Victor Kelleher Fleabag (& sequel) - Beth Webb The Castle In The Attic (& sequel) - Elizabeth Winthrop Catchman - Chris Wooding The Shell House - Linda Newbery A Legacy Of Ghosts - Colin Dann