smilerbabeuk

Thanks for the response lexiepiper. I bought several books today from a second hand bookshop and confess to looking up author info as soon as I got them home! so hopefully I can add a few new countries soon. I have been terrible with books in the past. I didn't keep track of authors or even titles very well. I remember plot lines and characters, but often I have never even looked at the authors name. I could list a lot more countries on my map if I could just go by where it is set, but authors birth places require paying attention! Thankfully, since I joined a book club in the summer I have become much more aware of what I am reading, and am consequently choosing books more carefully. I love the idea of this challenge, I love to have my horizons widened.

I have read The Death and Life of Charlie St Cloud today. It's an absolutely beautiful story, I would thoroughly recommend it.

is it churlish to point out that this is not quite the same list that they have on the BBC website? doesn't matter greatly, there are only a few changes. freakishly, I've read 39 of both lists, but they are not the same 39 titles.

I have a question about this challenge, how do you define where an author is from? is it family history, place of birth or the place they have lived longest? for example Lisa See has lived in the USA almost her whole life, has obvious Chinese ancestry and writes predominantly about that country but was actually born in France. so where would I put her on my list?? this challenge has caught my imagination now and I plan to pursue it! I like having my horizons expanded and have chosen many books to achieve this. problem is, I'm rubbish at keeping track of what I have read and consequently can't go back and check where the authors are from. the ones on my map are the ones I am sure of, but I suspect I have read more than I realise.

not deliberately following this challenge, but I idly decided to see how far I would be and I surprised myself. my reading map:

Just finished the Remains of the Day by Kazuo Ishiguro. Very thought provoking and somewhat melancholy. Thoroughly enjoyed it.

Minor damage thankfully, but enough to keep us out the house. I thoroughly enjoyed the first two books and was eager to keep reading, but I struggled a bit with the third. Don't know if that's because I was reading it in slightly troubling circumstances, but it did jump around a lot, and it had a couple of minor plot holes that bugged me. Still, I think its definitely worth reading.

After an action packed weekend following a fire in our kitchen, I managed to finish The Amber Spyglass this evening, so I've now read the whole trilogy at last!

I hardly ever read the dedications, even the one to me had to be pointed out to me. Oops.

Finished The Subtle Knife this evening. Just one more to go...

I have started the next His Dark Materials book today, and it still has me gripped. I think I put off reading it because I am a Christian and I had heard a lot about how its anti religion. But its not bothering me at all, probably because its so obviously 'fictional' if you get my drift.

I have just finished Northern Lights by Philip Pullman, the first in the His Dark Materials trilogy. it was fabulous, thank goodness I have the next one ready to start reading straight away!

I just finished this, and thought it was fabulous. I would give it 9 out of 10 too. It's filled with rounded and engaging characters and I was left wanting to know more of them than the snapshot you are given. Fabulous historical background which I found enlightening and thought provoking. Brilliant book!

I have just finished The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters. very interesting book. now which to choose from mount tbr???

I have just finished this. I thought it was very atmospheric, but I'm not sure I would say it was creepy. I have read it fairly quckly because I was desperate to find out what happened. I found the ending quite a let down though. I know some people like ambiguous endings, but I prefer to have it laid out or at least quite pointed. I would still recommend it though.

The Other Hand (Little Bee in the USA) by Chris Cleave is about detention and treatment of asylum seekers.

I started The Kite Runner today, and got so into it that I finished it too. it was great (very eloquent!)

what the point of writing if no one reads it? there have to be readers for there to be writers, otherwise save your energy and just think it instead of writing.

I enjoyed this book, read it all in one sitting. I did find it slightly frustrating not to know the time period, I kept thinking I had worked it out, then something else would make me change my mind. The angelfield family were over the top, but it apparently wasn't uncommon for the rich to be seen as eccentric and strange. What villager would argue with the people that paid half the wages in the village? This was what bothered me about timing - that seems very old fashioned, against machinery and yellow hard hats and industrial kitchens. Confused, to say the least. But a good read that had me gripped.

I have started this, but I'm struggling with it. Think I might be in the don't like camp.

Until recently all my books came from the library and my choice was made by looking at covers and then reading blurbs. Now I have a list I keep with me of books I want to read and I look for them. But the first thing I look at in books other than recommendations is the cover and the font of the title.

There are two books by Bill Bryson that cover this area Mother Tongue and Troublesome Words. The latter is designed for journalists etc, but is easily readable.

Just finished reading this, and I thought it was fabulous. I do find it frustrating not knowing what happened, I am tempted to read the sequel and put off by your reviews in equal measure. Ah, such a quandary!

has anyone read The Painter by Will Davenport? I picked it up in a charity shop today and it looks interesting.

The Alchemist by Paul Coelho