BRITISH AUTHOR CHALLENGE 2015 - Brainstorming Thread

Picks so far :

January : Penelope Lively & Kazuo Ishiguro
February : Sarah Waters & Evelyn Waugh
March : Daphne Du Maurier & China Mieville
April : Angela Carter & W. Somerset Maugham
May : Margaret Drabble & Martin Amis
June : Beryl Bainbridge & Anthony Burgess
July : Virginia Woolf & B.S. Johnson
August : Iris Murdoch & Graham Greene
September : Andrea Levy & Salman Rushdie
October : Helen Dunmore & David Mitchell
November : Muriel Spark & William Boyd
December : Hilary Mantel & P.G. Wodehouse

This planned challenge for next year is in part a homage to Mark's success with the American Author Challenge this year and which I am pleased to see will be with us again next.

The idea is to show that the UK also has a goodly list of writers worth the groups attention throughout the year.

I would like therefore to say thanks to Mark for the idea and I am sure he realises that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery.

Therefore this thread is dedicated to Mark.



Have yourself a pint of the finest English ale buddy :

On differences between the British Author Challenge and that of our American cousins is that a choice of sorts will be given each month.

Those who know me will know that I am partial to the odd stat or two and it is an odd stat (or not) that male readers generally read more books written by women and lady readers more books written by ladies. I want to try to redress that balance a little and therefore I will eventually choose one male and one female author per month. It will be, I suppose, an EITHER/OR/OR BOTH type of idea.

The other slight difference is that I will only choose authors whose main body of work started after 1900. This excludes Trollope, Thackeray, Austen, Scott, Stevenson, Defoe, Smollett, Wilkie Collins, The Brontes, Eliot, Mrs. Gaskell, Thomas Hardy and of course Charles Dickens. Will save them for another time perhaps.

I would like suggestions from the group in order to try to determine the final list and also feedback on willingness to participate (Pretty Please!)

I put up this list of female and male authors on my thread:

FEMALE: Kate Atkinson, Beryl Bainbridge, Nicola Barker, Pat Barker, Anita Brookner, A.S. Byatt, Angela Carter, Ivy Compton-Burnett, Barbara Comyns, Margaret Drabble, Daphne Du Maurier, Helen Dunmore, Penelope Fitzgerald, Jane Gardam, Rumer Godden, Jane Harris, Susan Hill, Winifred Holtby, M.J. Hyland, A.L. Kennedy, Doris Lessing, Penelope Lively, Olivia Manning, Hilary Mantel, Nancy Mitford, Iris Murdoch, Maggie O'Farrell, Barbara Pym, Jean Rhys, Bernice Rubens, Vita Sackville-West, Zadie Smith, Ali Smith, Muriel Spark, Elizabeth Taylor, Rose Tremain, Sarah Waters, Fay Weldon, Jeanette Winterson, Virginia Woolf

MALE: Peter Ackroyd, Eric Ambler, Kingsley Amis, Martin Amis, J.G. Ballard, Julian Barnes, Arnold Bennett, John Berger, William Boyd, Melvyn Bragg, Anthony Burgess, Bruce Chatwin, Joseph Conrad, A.J. Cronin, R.F. Delderfield, John Fowles, E.M. Forster, William Golding, Henry Green, Graham Greene, Patrick Hamilton, Aldous Huxley, Kazuo Ishiguro (technically British), B.S. Johnson, D.H. Lawrence, Eric Linklater, Malcolm Lowry, W. Somerset Maugham, Ian McEwan, Timothy Mo, George Orwell, Anthony Powell, J.B. Preistley, Salman Rushdie, Alan Silitoe, Howard Spring, David Storey, Graham Swift, Barry Unsworth, Evelyn Waugh

In addition there have already been a number of great suggestions of other writers:

Lori (lkernagh) additionally suggested Lawrence Durrell, Margery Allingham, G.K. Chesterton, David Mitchell

Alex came up with China Mieville, Iain Banks, and Jon McGregor

Roni added Terry Pratchett, Jo Walton, J.K. Rowling, Georgette Heyer and Jasper Fforde for consideration

Who have we missed out?

My top twelve and images



Top left to right: Graham Greene, Somerset Maugham, Eric Ambler, Laurie Lee
Centre left to right: J.B. Priestley, Howard Spring, Muriel Spark, David Storey
Bottom left to right : Rose Tremain, J.R.R. Tolkien, Arthur Koestler and Robert Graves

Of course I won't choose only my favourite but I may indulge myself a little too!

Paul, Have we missed David Mitchell ?

Paul, next year is Trollope's bicentennial and I gather there are already rumblings about marking that. So you needn't feel guilty about that exclusion, at least. :)

>6 roundballnz: No Alex he is mentioned in >4 PaulCranswick:

>7 lyzard: I did mention the bicentennial of Trollope's birth on my thread fairly recently, Liz. Would be great to read a few things by him through the year to celebrate the anniversary. I was planning to read The Way we Live Now fairly soon?

I love the idea of these challenges and I love following along to see what others are reading for them, but I have so many of my own lists and challenges going already that I rarely manage to squeeze in another. I may have to try harder next year...

Wow! It looks like I have my own shrine set up over here, including a fine ale. Stop! I am blushing furiously.

That is hefty list up there. I will come back later, with a comment or 2. Many of these authors are new to me. This is a very cool idea.

>9 scaifea: Just do what you can Amber. That is normally more than a lot.

>10 msf59: I have to say in all seriousness buddy that you were one of the stalwarts here when I put my toes in the water a few years ago that made me realise that swimming along with you guys would be a rewarding experience.

>12 ammadroy790: Mmmmm don't figure that post was written by J.B. Priestley . Can anyone translate double Dutch?

Who have we missed out? Someone mentioned P.G. Wodehouse, who I love. I'm also a D.E. Stevenson fan, e.g. Miss Buncle's Book. Both are fun, not deep, and may not fit the spirit of this challenge.

Julian Barnes?

>14 jnwelch: Interesting fellow is Julian Barnes. Born in provincial Leicester and a writer of several very well received novels. His Booker winner was probably my least favourite of his novels that I read but he also published a few detective stories under the name of Dan Kavanagh (incidentally the maiden name of his late wife) - just reissued in a very fetching hardback design. Don't care overly for his short story collections and he has also written on death in a non-fiction sense. His rivalry and mutual dislike with Martin Amis lit up literary London in the late 1980s.

D.E. Stevenson is someone I have seen on store shelves but have not yet had the pleasure of.

I'd like to see a balance. So, dead authors from early in the century and those still writing. Serious literary figures and lighter ones. Genre novelists and general novelists. But someone whose writing is kind of characteristic of England - not necc. cozy afternoon teas, a la Miss Read, but generally, England.

My own take?

Virginia Woolf
Graham Greene
AS Byatt
George Orwell
Penelope Fitzgerald
PG Wodehouse
Daphne du Maurier

That's a short list.

Koestler is really German/Austrian. Yes, he ended up in England as a political refugee, but he's not an "English" writer -- his sensibility wasn't shaped there, he wasn't writing about quintessentially English topics, that was simply where he happened to land. I suppose that's what I mean by saying someone is characteristic of England -- not that they technically happen to be based there...

How about C. J. Sansom ? - favourite historical fiction writer?
John Banville is is he Irish?
Deborah Levy ?

I've read some D. E. Stevenson. She's quite delightful and I would like to read more of her books.

>15 PaulCranswick: I liked his Arthur and George, and thought A Sense of an Ending was worthwhile. I didn't know about the detective stories - any good?

I'm looking forward to this challenge and hoping I will be able to fit both this one and the AAC into my reading. My dream list would include the following authors: Daphne DuMaurier, Graham Greene, Muriel Spark, William Boyd, Margery Allingham. But whoever makes the final list I am sure will make for interesting reading.

>4 PaulCranswick: It is a wonderful list. Authors of whom I have never heard, authors whose books are on my huge TBR list. Any and all would be great. I like your idea of one male and one female author each month with the choice of reading either or both. I'm going to try really, really hard to keep up with this one and the AAC.

>17 torontoc: Yes, Banville is Irish.

Deborah Moggach might be an interesting one to consider. And Margaret Drabble.

I like the idea of a male and female author for each month, too. And if we blend them, we can ensure that it never gets bogged down in all literary, or all Virago authors, or all genre fiction writers, or all niche writers.

And there's nothing stopping any of us from reading books by authors who don't make it into the dozen or two dozen, either. Or, for instance, from setting up an ancillary challenge -- a Virago/Persephone challenge, or a British classic crime writers (for Allingham, Ambler, and others.)

Some Scottish writers & works:

Anne Donovan, Buddha Da
Naomi Mitchison, The Bull Calves
Matthew Fitt, But n Ben A-Go-Go
Patrick MacGill, Children of the Dead End
Nancy Brysson Morrison, The Gowk Storm
Ali Smith, Hotel World
George Douglas Brown, The House with the Green Shutters squeaking in as written in 1901
Alistair MacLean, The Guns of Navaronne
Alan Warner, Morvern Callar
David Lindsay, A Voyage to Arcturus

and a ton more!

What about Mary Renault? She might be too controversial, but she was English and was born in 1905 and died in 1983.

You've probably already read all his works, but William Trevor would qualify, yes?

>8 PaulCranswick: We'll probably have the group read for The Eustace Diamonds early in the New Year. (Sorry, I'll stop butting in off-topic!)

Marking my spot here Paul and see what pans out.

Great idea! I haven't done well with the American Authors Challenge this year. I'm more likely to participate in a British Authors challenge.

I would also throw in C. S. Lewis and Josephine Tey for consideration.

>16 Chatterbox: Agree with those general principles Suz and the names on your list all merit serious consideration. On Koestler, he wasn't in my original list but is on my list of 12 favourites. British citizen certainly but I do take the point that his influences were shaped elsewhere. That in part is one of the attractions of British writing - the fact of multifarious influences. Rushdie and Ishiguro for instance are shaped by the place of their birth but are as British as, say, Amis is.
Key factors in deciding my list:
- A body of work
- A mixture of styles and genre
- A reasonable spread from 1900 to now in the activity of the authors chosen
- Some favourites and obvious ones but a few less well recognised writers

>17 torontoc: Cyrel, I really liked C.J. Sansom's Dominion and the first in the Shardlake series. Deborah Levy is a good option but John Banville is from the Irish Republic and is technically excluded.

>18 Morphidae: Morphy, another vote for D.E. Stevenson, I will note the suggestions in post >4 PaulCranswick: so I don't forget in the final analysis.

>19 jnwelch: I haven't read 'em Joe. It is just that I noted their re-release recently.

>20 DeltaQueen50: There will definitely be at least one of your dream-list included Judy.

>21 catarina1: Thank you Catarina. I will be following the AAC again next year too and I hope not to take anyone from Mark's challenge.

>22 Chatterbox: In part Suz my idea of one male and one female per month is a cop out as narrowing to 12 is a tough call! The idea of ancillary challenges is a great one of course and if this challenge helps to spawn others all the better. Deborah Moggach is a writer I haven't read and Sheffield born Drabble (sister of A.S. Byatt is one I need to read more of.

>23 tiffin: Impressive list Tui, some of which are unfamiliar to me. You might of course have included:
William McIlvanney - Docherty
Lewis Grassic Gibbon - Sunset Song
Robin Jenkins - The Cone Gatherers
A.J. Cronin - The Keys of the Kingdom
Compton MacKenzie - Whisky Galore
James Kelman - The Busconductor Hines
Irvine Welsh - Trainspotting

>24 benitastrnad: Mary Renault is not a bad call either, Benita. Mary Stewart too perhaps.

>25 EBT1002: Unfortunately not Ellen. For the same reason Banville cannot be considered.

>26 lyzard: Will try and look out for that one Liz. Don't think I presently own a copy of The Eustace Diamonds so I would need to remedy that.

>27 luvamystery65: Thanks Roberta.

>28 cbl_tn: Good additions both, Carrie. C.S. Lewis was Tolkien's great Oxford pal of course and I have sat in their favourite pub chair/nook in search of inspiration. I didn't get any but the beer was still good.

I thought I'd already said Diana Wynne Jones, but if I didn't, let me say so now. Also haven't seen Dorothy Sayers on the list yet either.

Oh, boy. This reminds me when some cousins grabbed me and waded into a local lake, into water well over my head. Scared the dickens out of me and I screamed bloody murder. Really. I remember it vividly.

I likewise feel way over my head here, but I'll follow along, and dip my toe in from time to time. I'm sure it will be a great time to be had.

Starred!

I came this close *holding fingers a cm apart* to putting in The Cone Gatherers and Trainspotting but I thought I was getting carried away there. This should be fun, whatever you end up with.

Right. Irish. Duh.

This is already a very fun thread to read!

Yes, lots of fun. I don't know most of these, so it should be fun to give them a try. I'd like to put in a plug for Angela Carter because I have never read anything by her, and she is firmly on my wishlist, after reading Rushdie's description of her.

Also, another suggestion (since you obviously need more ideas! :) ) is Caryl Phillips

>32 maggie1944: Well Karen, don't worry unduly, I can swim. I suppose somewhere between a lifeguard and a trainee whale but still.

>33 tiffin: George Douglas-Brown is a particularly interesting one Tui. I think I would get cursed though as his books are these days extremely difficult to track down and he did die at only 33 years of age.

>34 EBT1002: Thanks Ellen.

Six Am LT Time tomorrow I will announce the January selections for the British Author Challenge. (Extended Drum Roll Please)!

Holding my breath! (What is LT time anyway?)

I don't know whether it is the same for everyone but when I post in Malaysia the time of the post is recorded at the top right of the post. I think that the time given is EST. For example it is 11.11 a.m. here in Malaysia but the time indicates 11.11 p.m. when I post. So it will be 6 p.m. Malaysian time.

LT Time? I was wondering the same thing. This is going to be a popular and fun challenge!

Dropping in and watching what will happen.

I'd put in a call for some Welsh writers. The Library of Wales project has quite a few twentieth century Welsh writers that you might think about:

http://thelibraryofwales.com/catalog/1

Scottish (or Northern Irish) is good too. I'm always keen on the idea that 'Britain' is not equated with 'England'.

Yeah, Brainstorming!

Woah, there is a lot to choose from and I am looking forward to the final list. I also like the idea of one female/male authour each month, so that people can decide if they would like to read something from just one or both authors.

Some of my faves mentioned so far are A.S. Byatt, Angela Carter, Doris Lessing, Hilary Mantel, Barbara Pym, Jean Rhys for the female section. David Mitchell, China Mieville, Martin Amis, John Fowles, W. Somerset Maugham and Terry Pratchett for the male section.

>42 SandDune: With my own Irish antecedents, I couldn't agree more, Rhian. It won't be an English only preserve.

>43 drachenbraut23: Yep some of them will no doubt be included, Bianca. xx

OK Drumroll reaching crescendo..........JANUARY 2015 will be:



Penelope Lively

and



Kazuo Ishiguro

Good choice. Penelope Lively was on my list "new to me authors" as well and Kazuo Ishiguro is just great. My fave books being The Remains of the Day and Never let me go

Our two authors for January are linked by the fact that both were born overseas and juxtapose my own position.

Penelope Lively was born in Cairo in 1933. Also well known for writing children's fiction she won the Carnegie Medal in 1973 for The Ghost of Thomas Kempe and The Whitbread Children's Book Award in 1976 for A Stitch in Time. Her first adult novel The Road to Lichfield was Booker nominated in 1977 as was According to Mark in 1984. She won for the highly regarded Moon Tiger in 1987. Recent novels Family Album was Costa nominated and her latest novel How it all Began was also very well received. Her memoirs of her Egyptian childhood can be found in Oleander, Jacaranda.

She has been honoured by the Queen for services to literature (should that be to readers) by OBE, CBE and DBE in 1989, 2001 & 2012 respectively. She is also Vice President of Friends of the British Library. She has lived Swansea, Oxford & now lives in North London.

Kazuo Ishiguro was born in Nagasaki in 1954. He moved to Surrey in 1960 with his family and studied in Kent and East Anglia under writers like Angela Carter and Malcolm Bradbury. His early novels A Pale View of the Hills and An Artist of the Floating World marked him out as a major new force in British literature. The Remains of the Day won him the Booker in 1989. His other novels are also included in the 1001 Books to read before you die. With five Booker nominations and an OBE we should enjoy our January in his company.

Excellent, I'll definitely be joining in with Penelope Lively, even if it is one of her children's books rather than an adult novel, and I'll consider Ishiguro if I find one of his second hand, or is cheap on Kindle.

>50 lunacat: Penelope Lively wasn't on my embryonic list but there were a number of posts strongly urging her inclusion. I had considered earlier foreign born (Persia) Doris Lessing originally for January. I'll have to see whether she fits elsewhere.

Who do we want for February?

Nice choices for January, Paul. Quickly dropping my star on the thread. Still pushing for Evelyn Waugh, Wodehouse.

>45 PaulCranswick: Good choices! I've just discovered Penelope Lively's books this year and I think she's under-appreciated :-)

I'm in. Whoever you chose is fine by me - not promising to be a purist, but I will join in where I have books on the shelves to fit.

Ok, have both kicking around here somewhere. Onward and onward!

Looking forward to the January read - I have 7 Ishiguro books and two of Lively's, including Moon Tiger.

Great choices for January! I will plan to join in with In Search of a Homeland by Penelope Lively since it also fits with the 2015 Category Challenge's HistoryCAT theme and time period for January. Ishiguro's Nocturnes has been on my Overdrive wishlist for a while, so I'll plan on listening to that one, too, unless I change my mind and read When We Were Orphans instead.

Nice! I've been meaning to read Never Let Me Go, after enjoying his early novels, so that'll be my pick.

If it were me, I'd do Kate Atkinson and Bruce Chatwin for Feb, but there are a lot of good possibilities there.

Oh good...I didn't get here in time to vote, but I was rooting for Penelope Lively all the way down the posts. I've just been drooling over the Folio Society's Christmas Books catalog, and they have a nifty edition of The Ghost of Thomas Kempe. Don't expect I'll get that one in hand, but it is a book I'm pretty sure I want to read in some edition or other.

>52 michigantrumpet: >53 souloftherose: >54 Crazymamie: >55 tiffin: >56 catarina1: >57 cbl_tn: >58 jnwelch:
Glad to see that January choices are well received. Noted the claims for Wodehouse, Chatwin, Atkinson & Waugh. My thinking cap is a heavy one at present.

I'll start at the beginning with Ishiguro and read his 1982 debut A Pale View of the Hills for sure and may add another if I lap it up.

With Penelope Lively, I am edging towards How It All Began but I have several others on the shelves to rival it.

>45 PaulCranswick: Those are great choices!

I agree with Rhonda about Angela Carter, who has also been on my TBR pile for ages.

Has anyone mentioned Radclyffe Hall, the super-cheery bundle of cheer? She wrote a lot of novels and The Well of Loneliness is actually a gripping page-turner.

Ah, yes...Radclyffe Hall---a laugh a minute there! A good choice, though.

I'm a 'please don't' for Kate Atkinson and Bruce Chatwin for February but I know I may be on my own in that request! I don't like Atkinson at all and haven't ever particularly heard of Chatwin, but I might investigate further. It's my birthday month, so I'd love Wodehouse as my grandfather loved him and I've never read anything by him - it would be a great incentive for me to do so!

But that's only my own bias, so you are more than welcome to ignore one little voice in the crowd, and I'll pop back up in March!

I like Kate Atkinson. Would be nice to read her again.

I'm already behind on this thread. I'm enjoying the options here and most of the ones I would suggest have already been put on the list for consideration.

China Mieville would be a lovely choice for Fantasy February. ;-)

oh, my, and I'm just feeling the pressure for reading during November and December......

For January I'll read How it all began or The Photograph by Penelope Lively. This year I read Family Album and I enjoyed it very much. For Kazuo Ishiguro I'll read Nocturnes.

Both great choices for January. Started reading Penelope Lively this year, and really want to get to Moon Tiger soon, so January is perfect. Ishiguro is fabulous too, though all I have on the tbr at the moment are reread of two books on audio, though I can think of worse things than listening to The Remains of the Day as a way of revisiting that gorgeous novel.

I'll put in my wishlist, most probably culled from you own list close to the top later.

Also Sylvia Townsend Warner. I'm not sure how I could forget her when my derby name was going to be Sylvia Townsend Warlord.

Great selection for January, Paul. I haven't read any Penelope Lively but I do have a children's fantasy story by her so I will be reading A Stitch in Time in January.

>45 PaulCranswick: Hmmm I have already read Never let me go which was great, so might try Nocturnes depends what January brings ....

Hooray! I'm actually excited about January. This is not typical.

I'll (finally) read The Remains of the Day. Penelope Lively is new for me so I'm not sure what I'll choose but I'm definitely in!

Ooh, great choices for January! Remains of the Day is superb, and I've enjoyed some of Ishiguro's other books too. Penelope Lively is someone I've been meaning to read more of, after enjoying Moon Tiger very much. So I'll pencil her in for January. Yay!

Some more great suggestions there. Radclyffe Hall is an interesting choice but I can see extremely difficult to track down so I fear I won't give us all that headache. Would love to read something of hers soon though. I was toying with the idea of the very prolific Storm Jameson but will not include her for the same reason that, even I, will have trouble running down anything other than her most renowned work.

As you might have guessed I aim to please as well as tease with this thread.

As such I will announce the choices for February 2015 around midday LT time.

Just found your thread and am excited to join! I'd like to add another vote for Daphne Du Maurier, and one for Mary Stewart.

ETA: I will be reading Moon Tiger as one of my objectives for 2015 is to read more prize-winning books.

Good job, Paul! This looks like it is taking hold. I have not read Lively. What is the perfect place to start with her? Moon Tiger?

I have read 3 Ishiguro books and I have a couple more in the stacks. I may include one of those as well.

I bought Lively's recent memoir Ammonites and leaping fish so will probably hold that over the January and join in the fun.

oh, I do love me a good memoir and one written from the perspective of being older than I am is appealing. I am toying with the idea of having a go at Ammonites and Leaping Fish, in January of course.

Great idea, Paul! I like your January choices. Count me in for Moon Tiger, since it won the 1987 Booker Prize, and Never Let Me Go, which I've owned for several years but haven't read yet.

I have The Remains of the Day on audio. I'm not sure which Lively I'll pick.

ETA: I found I have a copy of Lively's The Photograph. I bought some time ago at a Friends of the Library book sale. This will be my choice then.

well, crap. I was trying to drop out of 75rs because I just can't keep up with all the threads. Then you have to go and do this challenge, Paul. I'm in.

I liked Moon Tiger a lot when I read it a few years ago. I know that it's an amazing piece of fiction because I absolutely did not like the protagonist, but was still in love with the writing. Have only read one Ishiguro -Never Let Me Go - which was only ok for me. I'd really like to do this challenge but think it would have to be with authors of my choice who fit the requirements of the challenge. Am a bad, bad person when it comes to completing challenges.

>84 Fourpawz2: Charlotte, I replaced some of the authors in the American Authors Challenge as best suited me, so I don't see why you couldn't do the same here too. Not like anyone will be policing it or anything, I'm sure!

I am trying to get out of the habit of replying to each and every post as I do on my thread but I can confirm that there will be no police on the thread! Free and easy change what you want; read what you want; drop in; drop out......if this challenge keeps Jean in the group then I'm justified in starting it already.

Ok Cue the music. Selections for FEBRUARY 2015 are:



SARAH WATERS &



EVELYN WAUGH

I guess I know what I'll be reading in February then! That'll be Affinity (I leave it to you Paul to figure out why that book in particular) and I will also fit in Waugh's Men at Arms as I've been meaning to start his Sword of Honour trilogy for ages.

Again there is a link between the two authors. This is a little bit of an endings and beginnings link. Evelyn Waugh died in April 1966 and Sarah Waters was born in July 1966. Incidentally the year of my birth too!

Brideshead Revisited has been on my TBR list forever, so I'll plan on that one. Sarah Waters isn't on my TBR list, but if I have time I might also read The Little Stranger. (February is a short month, you know!)

>90 cbl_tn: You've just reminded me I've been wanting to read Brideshead Revisited for an age too! But then I have so much Evelyn Waugh on the tbr, I could practically devote the whole month to him alone!

Another vote here for D.E. Stevenson, and suggestion that Winston Graham and James Herriot be added, especially the former.

>87 PaulCranswick: Great! Sarah Waters is on my list already for the BingoDOG LGBT square. I love it when I can make one book count for multiple challenges!

ETA: I'll be reading Fingersmith. Last year, I read Tipping the Velvet and really enjoyed it. I also read The Paying Guests which was good, but not as enjoyable as Tipping the Velvet.

OOoh Lively (new to me) or some of the remaining Ishiguro I haven't read - love Ishiguro... or both...

Winston Graham - that is a great pick Fuzzi. James Herriot books are so much fun too.

Another winning choice! I have several of Sarah Waters unread but nary a one of Waugh's books - but have always wanted read his.

Another suggestion: Julian Fellowes

I love his stories.

LOVE both Waters and Waugh :) Feb sounds fun.

>87 PaulCranswick: A good excuse to finall read Brideshead Revisited and the one Sarah Waters' novel I haven't read, Tipping the Velvet.

Two more good choices. I'll read The Little Stranger and/or The Paying Guests, both of which I already own, and I just accidentally bought the Kindle version of Brideshead Revisited (I meant to save it to my Amazon wish list, but I hit the insidious "Buy Now with 1-Click" button instead).

Hmm. Why am I far more interested in the British author challenge than the American one?

>102 kidzdoc: Are you an Anglophile at heart?

I was having a similar feeling and I think it is because I've been familiar with, and have read, many of the Am. Authors listed; the British ones are a nice mix of ones I have heard of, or have experience with, and ones whom are totally new to me.

(did I use the "whom" correctly? wouldn't want to use "which")

>103 LoisB: Absolutely! Ten trips to London in seven years would make an Anglophile out of anyone.

Paul, you are making this so much fun! I just received The Paying Guests as a gift from Rhonda, had been planning to read it this year but now I'll hold onto it until February. Again, you have chosen one author with which I'm familiar and one whose works I have yet to read. I'll look forward to getting into some Evelyn Waugh.

I wonder on what day and at what LT time you'll announce March's authors.

February brings us another exciting duo! I will for sure be reading Sarah Waters as I have both The Little Stranger and The Night Watch on my TBR shelf. If I am able to also fit in Evelyn Waugh, it will either be Brideshead Revisited or Vile Bodies.

I'm so excited about this challenge! Plus, it'll help with my ROOT challenge too, as I always need to read more of my own books. Thanks for setting this up, Paul!

Thanks for all the positive vibes, I am so pleased that the reception has been a good one. Darryl an Anglophile? Who would have guessed that one!

Please though don't forget the AAC which prompted this one; it will be great to run the two in parallel as a sort of Booksters Ryder Cup!

Paul, I have to agree you are making this really fun. I am looking forward to the reads as well and found already books on my TBR, which will suit the challenge. Started to look already for something by Penelope Lively which has been on my radar already for some time.

Except for mysteries, I don't read many British authors so I'd love to give this a try. I've had Remains of the Day in my TBR for quite some time so February seems to be the ideal time.

Thanks for putting this together.

One hour to announcing the selections for March 2015. I will try to find connections however flimsy between the two authors I choose for each month. The connection today is a little tenuous I guess but for one I have bowed to pressure, am out of my comfort zone and it is an author I have not read before but who has been recommended to me severally. xx

See you in an hour or so!

So far, for January and February, you've chosen one each author I know and have books for in the TBR. I look forward to discovering Penelope Lively and finally getting around to Sarah Waters.

>112 PaulCranswick: Can barely stand the suspense!

Paul, did you see my post? >99 Ameise1:

>113 majkia: Jean neither ladies were on my first list when I first fleshed the thing out. Penelope Lively was suggested by a number of people and Sarah Waters fitted with the Waugh link (Died and Born in my birth year of 1966) and I had been, erm, reminded by Rhian not to forget the Welsh (as if I could).

>114 Smiler69: I aim to tease, Ilana. xx

>115 Ameise1: I did of course Barbara. Noted but no promises to all you Downton Abbey fans.

And so onto March 2015.......................



Daphne Du Maurier prettily pointing the way to a Cornish spring

and



China Mieville looking more ready for UFC than BAC

The link between the two is, as I Indicated a tad tenuous. The Brits are a mongrel race - I myself being Anglo-Irish. The two authors picked for March are of French descent.

Daphne Du Maurier made up for occasionally clunky grammar by being a wonderful spinner of yarns. She also merits inclusion for locale reasons alone, living as she did in Fowey, Cornwall - a place that Suz and I have designs upon.

China Mieville I wouldn't have chosen in a month of Sundays (wait begads it is Sunday!) but to draw me out of my comfort zone I will venture into his world next March.

>118 PaulCranswick: Whoop!

>119 PaulCranswick: Whoops are normally good right, Roberta?!

Seconding Roberta's, "Whoop!" I have both of those authors in my TBR stack!! Excellent choices, Paul!

>122 Crazymamie: :D xxx

>120 luvamystery65: Yes Paul it is. I'm from Texas where the Whoop should always be capitalized and enthusiastic!

>118 PaulCranswick: Whoop whoop! So far your choices are so irresistible I simply MUST read both authors for each month Paul. I was just now summing up my October reading on my thread, here is a passage: "some wonderful Rebecca du Maurier with The House on the Strand, which makes me all too happy there is much more on the TBR where that came from..."

Excellent. Don't know if I'll go for Du Maurier unless I find one second hand or there is a cheap one on Kindle, but I'll definitely read a Mieville.

Wow! You hit me with both authors. Daphne DuMaurier was my "first" favorite author. I credit her with my acceptance at a very competitive women's college because when asked who my favorite author was I replied with her name and she turned out to be the interviewer's favorite author as well! I will be reading The House on the Strand.

I have never read China Mieville because his genre is outside my comfort zone, but two days ago, I decided to read Embassytown for the BingoDOG challenge.

My, the Waughs are a happy looking bunch, aren't they? One of the eleven people on the planet who aren't Sarah Waters fans but I'll suck it up. March should make up for it.

AWESOME! Wait - Paul, have you not read The City and the City yet? It's amazing. And Du Maurier rocks too. Go march!

Wow! This challenge looks to be mega-fun and I am loving the author photos!

Oh how exciting to see the monthly authors being revealed like this! Great choices and I will be sitting in anticipation of the monthly choices still to come!

Awesome idea Paul. I have selections for both January and February which will motivate me to dust off some sorely neglected books from mount TBR. In all honestly, your China Mieville selection is what totally hooked me in and reminds me just how ignorant I am that so many of these authors are British!!
Dropping my big fat star. :)

I've got two unread Du Maurier's in my collection - The Scapegoat and The Flight of the Falcon. Right now I'm leaning toward The Scapegoat.

Nothing by Mieville in my TBRs or on my wishlist. If one of his books fits the March SFF Cat in the 2015 Category Challenge I might read it.

Wow, another excellent month of authors! Paul, it's like you're an author-selecting magician!

Some great choices Paul! I'm really pleased you've chosen China Mieville.

Interesting choices for March, Paul! I'll need help in choosing a book by Daphne du Maurier (I thought that she was French!), but I've been wanting to read something by China Miéville for awhile, so I'll probably go with The City & the City and/or Embassytown.

Can I add a couple of authors who have immigrated to the UK or were born to immigrants for consideration? I'd suggest Caryl Phillips (A Distant Shore, Foreigners: Three English Lives, Colour Me English), Samuel Selvon (The Lonely Londoners, Moses Ascending) and Hanif Kureishi (The Buddha of Suburbia, The Black Album, My Beautiful Laundrette), as a start.

I'd also love to read books by Nicola Barker, AS Byatt, Hilary Mantel (I can't get enough of her!) and JG Ballard (ditto), and I'd definitely be interested in reading one or more books by Edward St Aubyn, Kingsley Amis, Martin Amis, Maggie Gee, and Beryl Bainbridge.

ETA: I'd like to add Rose Tremain to my author wish list.

I'm kinda getting sucked into this challenge and am really liking the way you are ever so slowly rolling your selected authors out, Paul.

Who, oh who, will the April writers be??? Please don't rush. I want to savor the possibilities.

I must say that I am thoroughly charmed by the response to this challenge. Thanks for all the positive comments.
A few things to comment:
>136 LauraBrook: "An author selecting magician" - hahaha. In truth it is a case of listening to y'all and not picking all my tired old favourites.
>138 kidzdoc: Some good picks there Darryl. Just one thing though J.G. Ballard was very much of the masculine persuasion. I am sure that a couple on your list will appear.
>139 Fourpawz2: I will reveal two for the respective month each day until we're done. Thought it adds a bit of fun and is early enough to allow those interested to stock up for next year!

>140 PaulCranswick: Oops. I meant JG Farrell, not JG Ballard.

>141 kidzdoc: Hahaha sorry mate also a gentleman. MJ Hyland or AL Kennedy perhaps?

I'd second Darryl's nomination of AS Byatt, and it would be interesting to offer up the Amis duo -- father and son -- as a couple on the male side of the equation. For that matter, also interesting to combine Byatt and her sister, Margaret Drabble, who have fairly notorious literary feud stretching back eons (and very different literary styles). Believe it or not, it all started over a tea set.

An online bookie I know, will tell you you have not lived till you have read Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier ...so if you are struggling to pick

goes without saying I will be reading Mieville Looking for Jake and other stories might be my pick, will see what March brings

>143 Chatterbox: familial ties will undoubtedly feature Suz. You are quite unerringly on a similiar wavelength my dear but which combinations will have to be seen.

>144 roundballnz: Not decided on my Du Maurier read yet as I have so many and I may read the book Rhian gave me on Mieville.

Okay, here's what I've got so far:

January Female: Penelope Lively, The Ghost of Thomas Kempe
January Male: Kazuo Ishiguro, An Artist of the Floating World

February Female: Sarah Waters, Affinity or The Night Watch
Feburary Male: Evelyn Waugh, Brideshead Revisited

March Female: Daphne Du Maurier, Jamaica Inn
March Male: China Mieville, ???

They aren't set in stone. I've never heard of Penelope Lively. So I'm totally guessing there. I loved Ishiguro's The Remains of the Day and Never Let Me Go. I'm not sure what to read next. I read a few summaries and Floating World appealed most to me. I'm willing to go with a different recommendation though.

I've read Sarah Waters. Fingersmith was good (7/10 stars) but I didn't like The Little Stranger (4/10 stars). I don't think I'd be interested in Tipping the Velvet, it looks like straight erotica. The Waugh was an easy pick.

I thought Rebecca was okay and I'm open to suggestions for another Du Maurier. I have no idea what to do with Mieville. I gave Perdido Street Station 2/10 stars. That is the lowest rating I give a book that I complete. I thought it was awful and said you couldn't pay me to read another book by him. But... here I am... a completist. I need a recommendation for a SHORT read or something that is totally different from Perdido - less description, less hopelessness, less philosophy/math/science, less "thesaurus in hand" syndrome.

>146 Morphidae: I had also never heard of Penelope Lively, but decided to go with Moon Tiger which won a Booker Prize.

>146 Morphidae: I would recommend Miéville's The City & The City. Of course there's no accounting for personal taste, so there's no guarantee there, but I thought it was pretty great.

Just getting my head around links for Authors for April 2015..........be back in a moment or two

*Drumrolls*

Here goes for April 2015 :



Out of my comfort zone again with Angela Carter - fantasist

and



W. Somerset Maugham - very much in my comfort zone. Re-reads time

Definitely going with Maugham- Of Human Bondage is on my BingoDOG list for being published in 1915.

OOoh - both brilliant. And I think I have an un-read Carter 1,001 so that's good for me re reading synergies :)

I own Of Human Bondage, so I'll definitely read that. I'm not sure about Angela Carter, though. If I can find a discounted or library copy of Nights at the Circus I might consider giving it a go.

Nice choices, Paul.

I'll be thinking about The Paying Guests and Scoop for February. As the list of authors gets longer, it might help to post it at the top.

I have to admit I was kind of hoping you'd skip Somerset Maugham. I've read The Razor's Edge and Cakes and Ale, and liked them well enough, but he doesn't light me up. On the other hand, my dear departed mother loved his books, so maybe I could do another in her honor. Or maybe I'll try Angela Carter.

Is there a link between them? W. Somerset Maugham was one of the more difficult authors to twin. Born in England in France (he was born in the British Embassy in Paris) and hugely prolific in writing short stories, plays, novels, essays and travelogues. The favourite writer of my youth undoubtedly. The simplicity of his language has oft been criticised but, for me, therein lies his strength. Considered himself in the frontline of the second raters. I think he was better than that and several books in the First Ed of the 1001 books would seem to indicate that he has weathered well. Of Human Bondage is generally considered his opus but my own favourite is probably The Moon and Sixpence. The Magician (which I will re-read) and Cakes and Ale are also particular favourites. His Ashenden stories were said to have inspired Ian Fleming to write his Bond books.

Angela Carter is a writer I have had some difficulty with. Nights at the Circus is generally considered one of the finest English novels of the last 30 years and was winner of the Best James Tait Black Award winner (one of the oldest and most influential British Awards) in 2012. I found it difficult. Feminism, magic realism, the fairy story, gothic drama and historical fiction come together in her work in a heady brew. I am looking forward to seeing if some of her earlier work is a little easier for me to digest.

Oh yeah.....the link.

Angela Carter's first literary prize was the Somerset Maugham Award (for writers under 35) which she won for Several Perceptions in 1968. She used the money from the prize to divorce her husband and relocate to Tokyo!

>155 kidzdoc: Darryl as you have liked exponents of Magic Realism in the past I would have thought Angela Carter would be just your thing.

>156 PaulCranswick: Joe there is a running update added to >1 PaulCranswick: underneath the picture of Big Ben.

>159 PaulCranswick: You're right, Paul. I read about Nights at the Circus, and the magical realism element of it is appealing to me.

Once again, I'm THRILLED! Two authors on my TBR I've been meaning to get to for ages. And as it happens, I also have Folio Society editions of both it would be a shame to put off for too long. This is going very well for me indeed so far! Being very selfish of course in this consideration. :-)

>161 Smiler69: I thought long and hard about whether to include Angela Carter or not and had a couple of reasons to include Susan Hill instead. She also won the Somerset Maugham and in addition they were alumni at the same university (King's College London). In the final analysis I figured that after Waters and Du Maurier, Susan Hill may be a little too similar and I do want to have different types of writers included to best display the diversity of British fiction.

>159 PaulCranswick: Thanks, Paul, I see the list now.

Ok Paul, I'm in! 2015 is all about My books on the night stand, coffee table, book shelves, under bed etc etc etc and if I can find a book to suit I'll be in for all 12 months, sometimes I may squeak in two. So far one for Jan, Feb and April and 2 for March. Oooooh, now to discover Mark's picks. So exciting!

>146 Morphidae: The Ghost of Thomas Kempe is a children's fantasy novel which I think would be a good choice. I haven't read it for ages but I remember enjoying it when I was younger and it's not dark.

For China Mieville, perhaps try Un Lun Dun - it's a YA fantasy novel (although not one that follows the usual genre rules) and definitely a lot less dark/hopeless/long than Perdido Street Station.

>151 PaulCranswick: Lots of people have been telling me I should read some Somerset Maugham for a while so I guess I will finally be biting the bullet next April!

For a different du Maurier, try Mary Anne a fictionalised tale of her great great grandmother's life, it's not in the same vein as Rebecca at all.

>146 Morphidae: >165 souloftherose:

I agree with the Un Lun Dun suggestion, City and the City & Embassytown are also good reads but may still be challenging ....

My favorite is The City & The City. Embassytown was fascinating and ambitious. I wasn't much taken by Un Lun Dun, but I know others have been.

For people who aren't sure about the fantasy element I think The City and The City is the best Mieville choice, especially for anyone who likes detective fiction.

This is all very exciting! I have greatly enjoyed participating in the AAC in 2014 and I can see that participating in the BAC will be just as much fun!

Faves from the authors chosen so far are Never Let Me Go by Ishiguro and On Human Bondage by Maugham.

The Trembling of a Leaf is already on my ereader and The Painted Veil is on my Overdrive wishlist so I will plan on one of those for April. The Bloody Chamber will fit the April SFF Cat in the 2015 Category Challenge so I'll plan on that one too.

In an effort not to overbook myself next year, I am trying to stick with choosing only one British author per month, but you are making it very hard on me, Paul. So far it looks like the ladies are winning since I have books by Penelope Lively, Sarah Waters and Daphne DuMaurier on my TBR. I read The Bloody Chamber by Angela Carter last year and really liked it, so I am leaning towards her as well.

I will do at least one each month. I may skip some of the sci-fi authors that are on the list since I'm not fond of that genre, but I may give a few of them a chance. It will all depend on how much time I have.

Go Paul! Go Paul! I love your selections so far. Good job. I have not heard of Angela Carter.

Salman Rushdie wrote a great piece about Angela Carter. It is here.

I am hoping to keep up with this challenge! Probably one book a month will be my speed. I am excited about reading Carter, because I have been meaning to get to her for some time.

>174 msf59: Angela Carter is someone I read first in the group and was a bit baffled. After a couple of years rest I am prepared to give her strange realms another visit.

>175 banjo123: Rushdie is another British exponent of magic realism and certainly owes a debt to Ms. Carter. Thanks for that Rhonda.

I only read Rebecca by Daphne Du Maurier, which was a good read, but not that good that I ever tried anything else by her. Would anyone be able to suggest any of her other works they really enjoyed?

Oh no. Not magical realism. I will NOT be joining in with that read!! Magic realism is fast turning into a pet peeve of mine, it drives me up the wall.

>178 lunacat: Jenny - Yes, yes, yes magical realism. It's brilliant. I think we just have to find the right book for you to get into it :)

>177 drachenbraut23: Jamaica Inn is quite atmospheric; The Birds is well known through the Hitchcock movie and Frenchman's Creek is worth reading too.

>178 lunacat: Jenny, I have to say that where I discern the magic realism (I am a bit thick) I am just as irritated as you. Nights at the Circus went largely over my head but I can still pick the tale out of out of the thing in someone like Salman Rushdie. I was afeared of boring everyone by a mere selection of my favourites so I have put a couple in at least already (China Mieville and Angela Carter) whom I would normally leave alone but I will try.

>180 PaulCranswick: Thanks for the suggestions Paul. I didn't realize that she wrote The Birds. That was a movie which absolutely scared the s**t out of me, when I was a child. So, maybe I can get hold of a copy of this one for next year to scare myself again :).

Great selection of authors Paul and such a good way to try new one's.

I am planning on reading The Birds and will be interested if her build of suspence and terror are as effective as Hitchcock's work. The movie was brilliant! And small children should not be allowed to see it. Or people who are "highly sensitive". Or people who have vivid dream life, filled with scary stuff because the birds will invade.

>182 maggie1944: Or people who have vivid dream life, filled with scary stuff because the birds will invade.

That would be me, then. I woke up early this morning after I dreamt that I crawled out of the wreckage of a demolished subway car, and escaped from an abandoned station surrounded by high chain link fences to apparent safety, only to be shot by a thief who wanted the apparently valuable package I was carrying. (I'm not kidding.)

oh, I'm sorry, that you woke with all that tension and anxiety hanging over from your dream. I'm impressed though that you remember the details. I'd suppress all the details and just sit there wondering what the heck made me so nervous.

I realize some people advise going into the dream state with the intention of controlling the outcome. Somehow people are able to be aware in the middle of the dream that they can fight back. Go grab that guy that shot you and take his gun away from him. You can do it! (so I'm told, no experience here)

Darryl, I hope your Tuesday is much sweeter, comfortable and safe than that dream.

>184 maggie1944: Thanks, Karen. Actually that dream didn't frighten me as much as other ones have, although I did wake up just after I was shot. I can usually remember the dreams that wake me out of sleep, but often not the ones that are terminated prematurely by my alarm clock.

I used to have recurring dreams of something horrible happening to one of my parents or to a loved one, but fortunately I have had one for several years (touch wood).

Unless something terrible and unexpected happens today will be a very good one.

Excellent! A Very Good Day is what I will have, too, just to follow suit. LT is such a sweet community.

>186 maggie1944: Definitely so, Karen!

Oh, this is helpful, Paul.

"Strange realms" for Angela Carter. You've made her much more interesting to me. I'm a strange realms kind of guy. And Jamaica Inn for Daphne Du Maurier. I thought Rebecca was terrific, but I never found another one of hers that intrigued me. Jamaica Inn does.

I'll be reading Jamaica Inn too.

>177 drachenbraut23: Jamaica Inn is the classic. I've just finished re-reading The House on the Strand, which I really enjoyed -- it's time travel, set in the same part of Cornwall that Rebecca is, etc. I also really love The King's General, which is a less known novel, with an unlikable heroine (she's disabled and a bit arrogant), set during the English Civil War (17th century) and in Cornwall. Again, set in Fowey, my fave place in the world, in part. There are two novels set in France worth considering: The Scapegoat, a modern day tale of a man who finds his doppelganger and is persuaded to take his place, and The Glass-Blowers, set in Revolutionary France.

I may end up re-reading one of the two books I first read long ago in the 70s and probably haven't re-read since, Mary Anne, about the mistress of Frederick of York ("The Grand Old Duke of York, who had 10,000 men..."), set in the 18th century, or Rule Britannia, one of her last books, about an invasion of the UK by the US, which is set in Cornwall. I also have a couple of lesser known works that I haven't read yet: The Loving Spirit, set in Fowey, about the boat builders there (once when I stayed there, it was in a B&B with a view from my windows of the very same boatyard she wrote about) that was her first novel, and Hungry Hill, a kind of Anglo Irish family saga.

For anyone who hasn't read du Maurier at all, Rebecca has to be the starting point. After that, it just depends on what is of interest...

>190 Chatterbox: Nice brief overview of Du Maurier, Suz.

I am not teasing everyone purposely I actually fell asleep with a book in my hands upon the bed at around 10.30 p.m. It is now 3:50 a.m. and I am buzzing.

May 2015 selections will be up shortly.

And so for May 2015:....................



Margaret Drabble

and



Martin Amis

I'm not joining this challenge I'm not joining this challenge I'm not joining this challenge .... but Ishiguro, Waugh, du Maurier, somerset Maugham... I'm not joining this challenge I'm not joining this challenge I'm not joining this challenge I'm not joining this challenge I'm not joining this challenge I'm not joining this challenge ... well, maybe...

>193 Trifolia: Monica .....LOL xx

There is a link and that is one of literary families. Margaret Drabble is the sister of A.S. Byatt whilst Martin Amis is, of course, the son of Kingsley Amis. It was a toss up really and could easily have been Byatt and Amis Snr. chosen.

Margaret Drabble, or to use her formal title these days Lady Holroyd was born in Sheffield, Yorkshire just before the outbreak of World War Two. Educated in York and Cambridge she was with the Royal Shakespeare Company before success as a novelist in the 1960's lead to her concentrating on writing. Early novels The Millstone and Jerusalem the Golden won major literary prizes in the UK. The Red Queen and The Radiant Way are included in the first ed of the 1001 Books. She has also written biographies of Arnold Bennett and Angus Wilson as well as critical studies of the works of Wordsworth and Thomas Hardy.
As Suz recently pointed out, she doesn't get on with her sister ostensibly due to the reference by Drabble in her work of a particular family tea set which Byatt herself had intended to use in her own work.

Martin Amis was the bete noir of British Literature during the 1980s. The release of his novels used to cause a stir akin to that of a new Beatles release in the right circles. With over twenty books of novels, short stories and miscellaneous non-fiction, there is plenty to choose from in the work of this acerbic and often linguistically cruel recorder of the foibles and follies of the privileged and spoilt young and upwardly mobile. Whereas Drabble has A.S. Byatt to feud with, Amis famously fails to get along with Julian Barnes.

Paul, thanks a lot for putting this up. For me until May it looks like these:

January: ok for both authors
February: ok for Evelyn Waugh / Sarah Waters (possibly)
March will be a tough month: Du Maurier will be a re-reading / Miéville - it's not my gengre
April: ok for Maugham / couldn't find a book for Carter (library etc.)
May: ok for both authors

The other slight difference is that I will only choose authors whose main body of work started after 1900.
Oooh, goodie. I have a friend who maintains that he only ever reads British male authors of 20th Century or later. I have 2/3 of those categories here already then! I shall be well placed to find some recs for him here :)

>192 PaulCranswick: omg, Martin Amis looks like Rick Mayal (or is that the new statesman?)

>39 PaulCranswick: I used to be on LT time (which was some US time zone), now I am on NZ time and I have no idea how to change it now. It just popped up one time on my home page, just before the time of the great website change :)

>199 LovingLit:

You can change your timezone by going to Home -> Edit Profile (top right hand side next to widgets) -> Account settings (in left hand menu) -> scroll down and you'll see timezone.

LT time is GMT -05:00 Eastern Time (US & Canada)

^cool! thanks

I've had The Red Queen on the TBR for absolute ages, so quite pleased about that choice. No Amis Jr anywhere on my TBR on the other hand, and as I want to use this challenge to pare down that vast part physical and part digitalized mass that is my TBR, I'll be skipping on the male portion of the BAC in May.

Neither May author is in my TBR or wishlist, but I did find a couple of books by Margaret Drabble that look appealing. I may read either The Peppered Moth or Jerusalem the Golden.

Just to clarify The Red Queen touchstone that is showing up in previous messages is the one by Philippa Gregory and I'm assuming it's the one by Margaret Drabble that we want right?

>204 jolerie: Definitely. I just fixed mine.

i'll be skipping May as I don't have any works from either author in my collection. Still look forward to comments as I'd like to discover which of their books I should look for in the future.

I found a Margaret Drabble book which looks a bit unusual and maybe good fun: The Pattern in the Carpet: A Personal History with Jigsaws. ( I'll go see what I did wrong to get no touch stone. BRB)

OK. There it is! It is advertised as a unique personal memoir. And it is on Kindle, too. I am not sure I'll wait until May 2015; but then again, I don't know what I'll read next.

I have Hungry Hill by du Maurier on the TBR. Glad to finally get motivated to read it.

I'd better start making a list. Tiny brain is starting to short circuit.

>208 Cobscook: Maybe I'll join you on that one, then! I'm not sure which Drabble I'll read, but I have a bunch of 'em, mostly her older works. I read The Millstone in my late teens and loved it, and that sent me off reading a bunch more of her novels.

Amis -- I dunno! That will be an interesting challenge.

>199 LovingLit: Martin Amis & Rik Mayall - U Jest surely ? if not a trip to specsavers is needed

>210 Chatterbox: I may read The Millstone or The Radiant Way
For Amis I am likely to go with London Fields

Well, I might have preferred A.S. Byatt over Margaret Drabble, BUT I am hereby declaring that, all other challenges aside, I will participate fully in your BAC in 2015. I love the suspense and the thoughtful choice of authors. Very cool.

Thanks, Paul!

>213 EBT1002: Ellen, I was torn a little but I went for Drabble for a couple of reasons:
1 I have more unread on my shelves
2 Her books are generally shorter in length and will, I suppose not afear quite so many. I may read her The Virgin in the Garden too next year.

^ Excellent.

Chirping in after watching the first few selections. I'll probably play along most months as most of these writers are on my radar anyway, a few I've read and a few I've yet to get to.
Regarding Martin Amis, I read his The Rachel Papers a few weeks ago and can't say I was charmed, at all, though I have recently purchased his The Zone of Interest which gets good reviews. I have read a couple by Kingsley Amis and liked both.
I have lots by Drabble on my tbr pile and haven't yet read any by her.

I've only read a couple by Angela Carter, both were collections, so would like to try one of her novels. I really like China Miéville, not sure what I'd pick for me, but definitely agree that The City & the city is a good starter for newbies.

>190 Chatterbox: Thank you Suzanne :). I think I might just reread Rebecca after all. I was very young when I read it and I remember that it was a good read, but nothing what made me want to read more of her.

Never heard of Margaret Drabble any recommendations for newbies there?

Oh, what a wonderful idea! Can't believe I almost missed this thread altogheter. Really looking forward to this, I'm interested in at least one author every month so far and can't wait to see who gets picked for the rest of the year.
This will really help me pick what to read next year as I'm constantly trying to get through the classics and "should have read that already"s.

I'm definitely in for Martin Amis, as I own but haven't read two of his later novels, The Zone of Interest and Lionel Asbo: State of England. Other than knowing that she is the sister of A.S. Byatt and that the two of them aren't speaking to each other anymore I'm completely unfamiliar with Margaret Drabble. I will probably pass on her, or read Possession by her sister that month.

Who has read a lot of Miéville? I want to send my spoilerific review of Perdido Street Station via PM so I can be steered to another of his that perhaps doesn't have the same issues.

>218 PawsforThought: Glad you mentioned it like that Paws as you captured exactly my intention - to have at least one author of interest to participants each month.

>219 kidzdoc: Actually Darryl I would have thought you would rather like Drabble.

>220 Morphidae: Morphy - Rhian, Joe and Lori (lkernagh) have read several Mieville and like him. I think you should go straight to them and get advice.

Trying to keep up with all this in a busy time...I will probably be hit or miss with this challenge, but I sure am intrigued by some of the choices---old favorites and some authors I've been meaning to "get to" or get back to... I trust there will be a summary post somewhere eventually setting out the plan for the whole year?

Woo, this challenge is going to take me way outside my comfort zone, Paul. I'm not sure anything appeals to me by either Drabble or Amis. That may end up being a substitution month, which I also did in the AAC.

>222 luvamystery65: What's Rhian's username? Is that SandDune?

>225 Morphidae:: Yes, Morphy, Rhian = SandDune. One of my lads is a huge Mieville fan and he said Perdido Station was a slog for him. He and I both loved Kraken.

>219 kidzdoc: On the one hand, Darryl, I would be hesitant of avoiding Drabble out of hand. Her novels are very interesting; her characters beautifully drawn. They're a glimpse into an era. The Radiant Way deals with a group of three friends as Thatcherite England ends; The Gates of Ivory features one of those women in Cambodia, and is one I'm interested in reading. Realms of Gold is another I'm very interested in reading. Most of her characters are women; that said, her themes include feminism, self-realization, etc. They tend to be what you would think of as domestic, and just thinking back to your reactions to other books, I wonder whether you might dismiss them for that reason. Some of Byatt's novels cover similar turf; Possession is certainly very different, and fascinating, but I'd suggest blocking out more than a month to read it. You'll be dealing with all kinds of Lacanian elements, and metafictional approaches to narrative. I think at the time I read it (roughly when it first appeared in paperback) it was the most challenging novel I had read at that point (admittedly, I hadn't at that point tried to read Joyce...)

Other Drabble books worth considering: The Garrick Year and The Ice Age. Her later books aren't quite as good, I think. I'd avoid Pure Gold Baby.

Well, I'm 2 for 1,001ers in May which is great. What isn't is that I loathed the only Martin Amis I've read - Money. Still I need to get some of his other 1001s out the way so - every cloud and all that :)

I think probably London Fields and definitely Drabble's The Radiant Way.

2015 is alternately thrilling and terrifying me! The challenges/quotas are rising...

Fascinating as always are the comments and reactions to the choices made which I have to say are certainly not littered with many of my own personal favourites. I figured Amis would repel as often as he attracted but I did expect more of a dabble with Drabble!

June selections are reasonably imminent.

>223 laytonwoman3rd: Linda, there is a summary of the authors chosen by month in the first message on this thread.

>229 PaulCranswick: A dabble with Drabble????? ouch. Just, ouch.

Fascinating as always are the comments and reactions to the choices made... wait until this challenge really takes off. I'm already dreading the day... I'm not joining this challenge I'm not joining this challenge I'm not joining this challenge .... or just maybe one or two...

>232 Trifolia: LOL! Welcome to the challenge, Monica!

I am LOVING this. So fun to see all the reactions and comments.

# 233 - You know me better than I do :-)

>232 Trifolia: Monica, I also just give it a try even though that I won't read all authors (due to not be available library etc. or because it's not my genre)

After another over-reading induced slumber:
June selections



Beryl Bainbridge

and



Anthony Burgess

Yippee, Paul! I own A Clockwork Orange so I'm set for June. And get this, while I was looking for Burgess I found Waugh so I'll be reading her in May since I don't have your May authors. Remember, I'm reading off my bookshelf on '15. Ooh, such fun!

And the link?

Both were Lancastrians but that isn't the link. There is a reason I showed them both smoking in their respective photos. Burgess and Bainbridge both died of lung cancer and were extremely heavy smokers all their lives.

Beryl Bainbridge was born in Liverpool in 1932. Worked as an actress initially and actually appeared in one episode of that British soap institution, "Coronation Street" in 1961. Nominated without winning a record equaling five times for the Booker Prize she did win the prestigious Whitbread Book Prize in 1977 with Injury Time and again in 1995 for Every Man For Himself (about the Titanic). She also won the James Tait Black Prize in 1998 for Master Georgie which many consider her finest achievement.

Her novels can be quirky are theatrical and always well told. She was a writer who combined favour from the critics with sales which is unusual these days.

Anthony Burgess was born in Manchester in 1917 as John Anthony Burgess Wilson. A hugely versatile writer (although often labelled as a comic one) he also composed more than 250 musical works and wished to be seen as a composer and librettist as much as a writer.

After proving himself amongst the most useless of army recruits he served as a teacher in Malaya (which resulted in his wonderful trilogy of novels collected as The Long Day Wanes ) and Brunei. His great success came with A Clockwork Orange which became a film by Stanley Kubrick. He consolidated that success with the Enderby series. Hugely prolific, arguably his greatest achievement was the chunkster Earthly Powers in 1980 which was Booker nominated. Multi-varied, often extremely funny, irreverent, and always readable. For those new to Burgess they are in for a treat.

He died in 1993.

I'll recommend the audio version of Clockwork Orange as a great way to experience the work.

Everything I've read by Beryl Bainbridge has been good. I've still got a long way to go in reading all her work. The Birthday Boys is the next one in my pile. She was a good friend of Bernice Rubens, a good interview with both of them about each other is here: http://www.independent.co.uk/arts-entertainment/how-we-met-beryl-bainbridge-and-...

>237 PaulCranswick: Hurrah! Two mote authors I've been meaning to read. This is turning out very well for me and my planned reading.

I've been lurking here since the weekend - what a wonderful idea so many wonderful authors. (I for one have always wanted to try something by Angela Carter and Mieville).

I will say that I tried to read The Radiant Way by Drabble last year and didn't get very far. The sentence structure drove me batty. Lots of short sentences. Which I found jarring. Not sure if I want to try again.

For some reason, I have loads of Beryl Bainbridge's work on the wishlist, but only one currently on the TBR, which is Master Georgie. At least I have one that really counts, though I know loads of her books are beloved by her fans. I tried reading A Clockwork Orange once, but decided it wasn't for me after reading the first page and a half. Same thing with the movie after the first ten minutes or so. But I might borrow his Shakespeare book from the library, Nothing Like the Sun to discover what he's about, maybe.

>242 avatiakh: & >245 Smiler69: Whilst Bainbridge is not an absolute favourite of mine I can't remember disliking anything I've read of hers. Earthly Powers despite it length is well worth the trouble to read.

>220 Morphidae: - Morphy, all of Mieville's books are different... that man defies being pined down to a writing style or being pigeonholed. I would recommend his short story collection Looking for Jake. I gave it a low 3 star rating but that was my own fault: I insisted on plowing through the stories without a break instead of just reading a couple of stories at a time. It is a better fit for you given the Perdido concerns you raised in >146 Morphidae: above.... a good mix of short stories and as an added bonus, a couple of them have a nice, slow creeping horror build to them. Un Lun Dun is about as far away from Perdido as you can get, but it is more of a quirky YA read and I don't know if it will appeal to you.

For Burgess, I've got The Long Day Wanes, on my TBR because of the Malaysian connection (there is still too little fiction written about your neck of the woods, Paul...) but for Bainbridge, I don't know. She is simply an author that I haven't been curious enough to sample, but then I suppose that's the point of this.

But really -- Lancastrian authors?? What are you thinking??

>248 Chatterbox: Yes well Suz,so that is why the lung cancer and smoking became the link!

I loved Earthly Powers way back when, Paul, and it's great to see your positive comments. It doesn't seem as well known as it should be, on this side of the pond, anyway.

I know zip about Beryl Bainbridge's books, so I'll have to look into that.

Well it's Inside Mr Enderby (I'm pushing the 1,001s as much as I can!) but surprisingly no Bainbridge on the list. Hmmm....and I appear to have none on my obscenely huge e-book collection. I'll have to keep my eyes open and take advice :)

I like your choices of Bainbridge and Burgess, Paul. I'll almost certainly read Master Georgie, and I'll have to explore Burgess further to determine which of his books that I'll read.

Clearly I need to make a wish list of books for your challenge and Mark's, so that I can nab as many of these titles as I can when I go to Strand Book Store in NYC on Black Friday and the used bookshops in San Francisco and Berkeley next month.

I want to point out that Mark has made his selections for 2015 for the AAC and compelling ones they are too IMO.
http://www.librarything.com/topic/182058
Please go and check it out.

July selections will be revealed within the hour.

Your picks are proving irresistible to me, Paul! Just the trigger I need to revisit authors and meet some new-to-me! Thank you so much for hosting this challenge. I'll keep visiting, and work up my list for the new year.

Karen O.

OK for July:



Virginia Woolf

and



B.S. Johnson

>255 PaulCranswick: Oh, shoot! I'll be reading Orlando in April for the Group read, and I'm not sure I'll be able to pick up another of Woolf's.

One is one of the leading Modernist writers the other an early exponent of post-modernism. Both have a number of books in the 1001's. One remains an icon of feminist literature the other remained frustrated to the end by the lack of recognition for his work.
This is ill-fated month and was a difficult one for me in 2014. The link of course is that both Virginia Woolf and B.S. Johnson died by their own hands.

Virginia Woolf was born as Adeline Virginia Stephen in 1882. She was a leading writer of the inter war years and prominent member of the Bloomsbury Group of intellectuals (see also John Maynard Keynes, Lytton Strachey and Rupert Brooke amongst others).
Profoundly impacted by the sexual abuse allegedly suffered from her half brothers this marked her writing and probably contributed to the mood swings that resulted in her ending up floating lifeless in the River Ouse. Despite this the Group she belonged to promoted very liberal views to sexuality and her novel Orlando is considered by some as a love letter to Vita Sackville-West. Whilst her influence waned in the immediate aftermath of World War Two; with the feminist movement of the 1970s, Woolf's seminal contribution to English literature has been utterly re-affirmed.
Three novels of the 1920s : Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse and Orlando and The Waves of 1931 possibly best represent all the panoply of her skills - inventiveness, stream of consciousness, finding the exuberant from the banal.
In a fit of depression in 1941 she filled her pockets full of stones and waded out into the River Ouse in Sussex.

Bryan Stanley Johnson, better known as B.S. Johnson (sorry to disappoint those who thought it stood for Bull Shit!) was a mere 40 years old when he took his own life in 1973. Self taught he passed the entrance exams to King's College London after working as a clerk at Standard Oil.
Johnson was an essayist, short story writer and journalist. He was a celebrated sports writer for The Observer (still my absolute favourite newspaper). In his novels he used various innovative devices and techniques such as in his novel The Unfortunates. This was originally published without binding and allowed the reader to assemble it in virtually any order save that first and last chapters were indicated. Christie Malry's Own Double-Entry was Booker Nominated and three of his novels were in the first edition of the 1001 Books. Albert Angelo and Trawl were also included.
Beset by family problems and frustrated at a lack of recognition or commercial success he slit his wrists in 1973.
His books are not as daunting as they sound here!

Oh, good...Virginia Woolf! Don't know this Johnson person at all, though.

>259 PaulCranswick: Hahaha Linda. I couldn't resist one literary curve ball at least! Another reason I teamed him with the "safe" but eminently challenging Ms. Woolf.

The story of Johnson publishing his novel unbound reminds me of a professor I had in college, who swore he graded papers by standing at the top of the stairs and letting go of the stack; then assigned each step that one landed on a number and created some sort of curve by which he determined a letter grade. I'm fairly sure he was kidding, but...

Ah. Yes. Well. I knew there'd be one I hated sooner or later! Bekka + Woolf? No no no! Still I'm determined to keep trying!

Two more good and interesting choices, Paul. I'm definitely in for Woolf, although I'll have to think of what book(s) I want to read that month, and after I read his page on Wikipedia I'll probably read The Unfortunates by B.S. Johnson.

Oh, Mrs. Dalloway for me! Not sure about Johnson. Post-modernism is very hit or miss for me.

Hi Paul! I haven't had a chance to get my head around all this yet, but there are many amazing authors listed. I will try to do at least one of these authors a month.You are planning on having a separate thread for each author, or just a monthly with both authors?

>266 msf59: Not thought that far mate but I reckon one thread per month to cover both authors will probably do it.

>262 laytonwoman3rd: Linda: Ha! That's an old standard among professors, I guess, because my colleagues and I used to joke about doing things this way. Sometimes it seemed pretty tempting, I have to say...

>268 scaifea: Funny about that, eh, Amber? I have to say I never felt inclined to dispute a grade I received from that particular prof--who knows what his appeal process might have entailed!

Certainly I always have some Virginia Woolf on the tbr, mostly because I'm always a bit scared to read her. Tempted to reread Mrs Dalloway, my favoutire, which I've gotten in a beautiful Folio edition too, but should probably pick up Orlando, which has been on the stacks seemingly for centuries. Also got Night and Day recently on audio, though that novel is not considered modernistic as apparently she wrote it before she started experimenting in earnest. But still, it's Woolf. I also have The Voyage Out and Jacob's Room, but admit I find her work very daunting sometimes, so I don't know...

May have come across the name B.S. Johnson, but not much more. I'll add him to the wishlist, which will already be a meaningful step for now considering how restrictive I've become about adding anything there these days.

eta: I looked for B. S. Johnson on the Booker Prize Longlists and Shortlists both and didn't find him there... ?

Never even heard of BS Johnson!

Sorry to everyone in that I believe that I have made the mistake of making my July male selection too obscure. B.S. Johnson has a passionate following and even has a Society set up in his honour but it seems that his belief that he would be more famous after he was dead has not materialised. For anyone interested : http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/books/bookreviews/9885224/B-S-Johnson-Britain...

Still it is only one selection.......... I think you'll find that the August selections are not as obtuse.

ETA >270 Smiler69: You are right Ilana. He had apparently been included/promoted by Edna O'Brien for the shortlist of five in 1973 but at the last minute only 4 books were included.

So August selections are :



Iris Murdoch

and



Graham Greene

And the link?................they were both at one time members of the British Communist Party.

Iris Murdoch is nowadays somewhat sadly remembered for her declining years which were immortalised in the touching biography and film Iris but it is her wonderful early novels more than her far more densely complex later work that mark her down as one of the greatest British novelists of the 20th Century. Winner of the Booker prize in 1978 for The Sea, The Sea but I would recommend her first three novels heartily - The Flight from the Enchanter, The Bell and The Sandcastle.

I have read simply everything published by Graham Greene, one of the literary heroes of my youth. Well travelled and with a variety of concerns his novels are digestible edicts on the human condition that have lived on in my memory until today. Don't know what I'll re-read next August but I'll enjoy it for sure.

I love both of those choices, Paul! I have both in the stacks already!

I have LOADS of both Murdoch and Greene on the TBR, so you've got me with both authors once again for August this time Paul!

Greene options:
Stamboul Train
The End of the Affair
Travels With My Aunt (gifted by a certain friend of mine...)
A Burnt-Out Case
The Power and the Glory
The Honorary Consul

Murdoch options:
The Bell (also picked for me by Lucy)
The Flight from the Enchanter
Bruno's Dream
The Good Apprentice
The Philosopher's Pupil

I'm in for Murdoch and Greene. I have several unread books by both authors, but I'll probably read The Sea, the Sea and The Quiet American.

Paul, your choices continue to please.

Murdoch and Greene are two authors for whom I have several on the TBR.
I'll definitely read The Sea, The Sea.
For Greene, I'll do either The End of the Affair, Brighton Rock, or The Power and the Glory.

A little relieved that my choices for August meet with a little more approval. I am thinking of reading The Nice and the Good followed by another re-read of Our Man in Havana.

Great August - I've had The Sea, the sea on the read next pile (Mount TBRs more insistant cousin) for ages but it keeps getting bumped. And Brighton Rock I think for my Greene.

>273 PaulCranswick: Great! I hope I'll be able to read at least one book of both authors. I'll do my best to at least get through Brighton Rock.

I think it's good to throw curve-balls in there - and interesting to see how many people will stretch themselves for a challenge, and how many won't.

>279 kidzdoc: Darryl, The Quiet American is a good choice. I read this beginning of last year and quite enjoyed it.

I do have another two Graham Greene on my TBR, but nothing at all by Iris Murdoch at all. I think I will stick to your recomendation >276 PaulCranswick: Paul.

This will indeed be quite a nice challenge for next year :)

>281 PaulCranswick: Although I had never read or even heard of some of the authors you have chosen, I love that fact! It's what makes it a challenge. Besides, your choices are tame compared to the SFFFCAT which I am going to try this year. 2015 will be the year spent outside my comfort zone as I venture into long books and science fiction - things I normally avoid like the plague!

For the males I have October, November and December set in my mind since I first thought of aping Mark's AAC challenge but September still has me pretty much undecided but I would like to celebrate diversity in British literature and look at the contribution that has enriched the language and the culture of my wonderful country from its ethnic minorities:
I have four writers in my mind vying for one spot - one brought up in Leeds; one magnificent but controversial; one a master of novel, travel, comparative religion but on the irascible side; and one as adaptable to screenplay and the theatre as he is to the novel.
Need a few hours to think it over.

>287 PaulCranswick: Anybody but Naipaul...

I'm going to hope that Alan Bennett is one the consideration list. It's like reading the writings of an erudite Eeyore.

>288 kidzdoc: I stand with the representative from Pediatric Medicine; PLEASE not Naipaul.

I'm good with your August picks, Paul. Our @rebeccanyc has been reading and touting Graham Greene lately. I remember him being on my parents' bookshelves but I don't think I ever sampled him. And Iris, well...naturally.

My bookshelves are Greene and Murdochless. Looking to possibly double down on your remaining choices.
I like how much thought you're putting into your choices and the reasons for doing so. You rock, Paul!

Awaiting September picks with bated breath...

The more I look at B.S. Johnson, the less likely it seems I will ever read him, though he is now on the wishlist, so who knows? though postmodern and experimental fiction are a bit beyond my ken. All the same, I salute you Paul with coming up with such an interesting list so far and one truly controversial author out of the bunch isn't a bad thing at all. Of course you'll never please all the people all of the time, and that's hardly the point, though I must say I'm hugely excited about the challenge and really looking forward to 2015 now, in no small part because of the BAC. xx

I'm having trouble finding any B. S, Johnson at my library.

>293 Morphidae: Morphy, I had trouble adding one of his books to the wishlist even, none of the Amazon sites seem to want to list Christie Marly's Own Double-Entry.

Maybe there could be an 'alternate' list once the twelve are up, of authors that came close but you didn't quite choose, for people to substitute an author with if they can't get hold of any/really don't fancy any of the books by an author?

>295 lunacat: 'Like'

eta: Great idea for others! Though my year is already filling up nicely, thank you very much!

B.S. Johnson. Hmmmm. er, who?

I have taken note of your comments Darryl!
As regulars to my thread know I give a prize for first up on my thread (a book sent by Book Depo) although I have been unusually slow in getting them out this year.
Next year there will be two books despatched per month one for each writer suggested so 24 members will benefit from a free BAC book next year. I will send in December for January and so on until sending in November for December. I have yet to figure out how I am going to decide on the beneficiaries each month but, of course participation in the challenge is a must.

So far:
Alex, Amanda, Amber, Barbara, Bekka, Benita, Bianca, Carrie, Catarina, Cathy, Charlotte, Cyrel, Darryl, Ellen, Fuzzi, Heather, Heidi, Helen, Ilana, Jacqui, Jan, Jean, Jenny, Joanne, Joe, Judy DQ, Karen, Karen O, Katie, Kerri, Kerry, Laura (lkeet), Laura (Lyco) Laura Brook, Linda Layton, Linda Panzo, Lisa, Liz, Lois, Lori K, Lori T, Lynda, M Doris, Mamie, Marianne, Mark, Megan, Monica, Morphy, Paws, Rhian, Rhonda, Roberta, Roni, Suz, Tui, Valerie - 57 people posting on the challenge so far is very encouraging - and they are eligible for a book prize as of now.

>295 lunacat: A sort of runner's up list? Well I could certainly tell you who my choices for each month edged out in my thinking if that would suffice.

I love that Graham Greene is on your list. He does double duty for me as he is also on the list of classics I am trying to complete. Yay Paul!

I vote for the "one magnificent but controversial".

>275 PaulCranswick: just watched the film Brighton Rock, it was fab! And Greene had a fair bit to do with the script I think.

>276 PaulCranswick: I struggled with the only Iris Murdoch that I have read. (An Accidental Man). But, of course, I want to read her Booker winner, and others!

I like the list so far!!

My library has a 2004 biography of B.S. Johnson, I like the title at least- Like a fiery elephant : the story of B.S. Johnson by Jonathan Coe.

I've read lots of Graham Greene and am willing and able to read or reread more. I read his books in my teens and also have read a few more recently.
I haven't read Iris Murdoch but have a couple of hers waiting in the wings.

For anyone in the US, I just got The Heart of the Matter ebook for free at Barnes and Noble.

Hooray, I just got 2x second hand books on Amazon by B.S. Johnson I read several of the reviews which were incredible promising and most of his books have been re-printed last year.

Now, I only need to find something by Penelope Lively, Margaret Drabble, Beryl Bainbridge, Virginia Wolf and Iris Murdoch ooops is that all *grin*. Well, I still have some time to graze the charity shops around London :)

This challenge along with Mark's AAC will definitely push me out of my comfort zone and broaden my reading horizons and that is a GOOD thing. Thanks Paul for putting this together once again and going above and beyond with all all the extra information on the authors as well. Because I want to participate in both challenges, I will try my best to pick a book from one of the two authors selected for each month and hopefully that will be doable, with the exception of March (will attempt both authors), to read a book from each.:)

And my September selections:



Andrea Levy

and



Salman Rushdie

I knew it for the He & for the She I loved the PBS adaptation of Small Island. I'll definitely find a copy.

Good Paul. Very good.

Not only I am celebrating the diversity of British literature in September, the month of my birth, I am also celebrating authors who have been adjudged best of the best by their peers in two major British literature awards:

Andrea Levy won the Orange of Oranges award (now the Women's Prize) for Small Island.
Salman Rushdie was twice adjudged to have the Booker of Bookers with his Midnight's Children in 1993 and 2008.

Andrea Levy was born in 1956 to Jamaican parents who had sailed to England in 1949 aboard the Empire Windrush. She also has jewish and scots ancestry. Her books concentrate largely upon the struggles of the West Indian diaspora to adapt to a very different life in the United Kingdom. Her early novels were critically well received but it was the 2004 novel Small Island that captured the imagination of the critics and reading public alike. It won the Orange Prize, the Whitbread Prize and the Commonwealth Writers Prize. Her follow up novel The Long Song was Booker shortlisted and also won the Walter Scott prize.

Salman Rushdie is (as Lois probably detected) the magnificent but controversial character I described above. Bringing down the wrath of a certain intolerant section of the muslim world upon himself with The Satanic Verses, it is the two preceding novels- Midnight's Children and Shame that place him at the forefront of modern British writers. Two of my absolute favourite novels, the former is considered by many the best novel of the last 50 or so years but I regard the latter as the better novel of the two by a wafer-thin margin.
Born in Bombay but his family moved to Pakistan following partition and quickly onto England. Rushdie's works are a heady brew of magic realism, historical fiction, sometimes science fiction and a stark and often comic depiction of both the colonial/post colonial experience as well as the tragedy of the sub-continent with the failure of its competing religions. His children's novels are obviously very accessible but his writing is generally a joy in any event.

Yay for Levy and Rushdie! I'm in for both authors, and I'll probably read Fruit of the Lemon and The Satanic Verses.

Excellent. I've had The Long Song on my TBR pile forever and I've not yet read anything by Salman Rushdie but very much want to do so. I did start Midnight's Children once and just couldn't get into it. Maybe I'll read the iconic The Satanic Verses next September.

Like Ellen, I started Midnight's Children many years got, got about halfway through, and quit, though I can't remember why because I do recall liking large portions of it, so I think I'll try again with that one in September. I have other Rushdies on the tbr to choose from as well, including The Satanic Verses, Haroun and the Sea of Stories and also what I believe to be his most recent, Joseph Anton. I think I'll skip on Levy, as I wasn't in love with Small Island though I know many are and will continue to be, and that was the only book by her I had on the tbr anyway.

Just catching up here .... Nice pick for September!

after hearing Levy read from her books on a podcast found it enhanced the reading as it's very rhythmic if you get me

Ugh! I'm ashamed to admit, I have no Rushdie nor Levy on my bookshelves. What kind of unsophisticated reader am I!? Looks like I'll be quadrupling down on October and November.

I would strongly recommend the audio book of Small Island the narrator was absolutely superb, probably the best piece of reading I've listened to since Willie Rushton did all the voices in Winnie the Pooh. (apologies to the 90% of users who'll completely not get that!). She did all the different accent without once falling into caricature. Several times I found myself disbelieving that this was one person. Really very good story told excellently.

>317 Helenliz: Small Island audio is not available in the U.S. :-(

I have some ofAndrea Levy's books in my book pile - so this challenge will get me to pull it out of the book tower and read it soon.

I'm assuming Haroun and the Sea of Stories is Rushdie's most accessible book?

I really liked it-it is sort of YA but a good read

FYI - Maugham's Of Human Bondage and several of Virginia Woolf's novels are available on DailyLit.

Hmm, I might or might now join in with those choices, but it's great to see a variety of different authors cropping up.

>320 Morphidae: Rushdie fan here! Pleased that he is chosen, even though I always think of him as Indian, not British. And Levy is on my wishlist, so hooray for her, too. Haroun is probably the easiest Rushdie, it is, actually, a children's story written for his son. Very sweet.

Another option, much longer however, is Joseph Anton, his autobiographical book about the fatwa. It is factual and linear, so it might work if Rushdie's other books were too magical realism and tangential. I really enjoyed Joseph Anton, and had the pleasure of listening to Rushdie speak about it at the Portland Arts and Lectures series. It was a great lecture--he is SO funny! He did a riff on THe DaVinci Code that had the whole audience in stitches.

I think I'll opt for Joseph Anton.

I may do that, also, as I'm not sure I'm up for another challenging book.

>324 banjo123: Thanks for the tip, Rhonda. I think I may go that route, too. Magical realism is not really my thing.

October Selections :



Helen Dunmore

and



David Mitchell

Two more excellent choices, Paul. I will read The Siege and either Cloud Atlas or The Bone Clocks, both of which I have on my TBR stacks.

We have a battle of the Roses in October.

Helen Dunmore was born in Beverley, East Yorkshire in 1952. Prolific author (13 adult novels to date), writer of YA and children's fiction and a distinguished poet. Winner of the Orange and McKitterick Prizes she is probably best known for her two novels on Leningrad before and after the Siege there in the Second World War.

David Mitchell hails from Southport in Lancashire. You may have noticed that the minimum qualification for inclusion is six novels/works and, with his latest, Michell just makes it. Hard to determine the genre, a sort of British Murakami but that isn't bad, right?

You are doing my ROOT challenge for next year a world of good, Mr. C! I have Rushdie's Midnight's Children, Dunmore's A Spell of Winter, and Mitchell's Cloud Atlas on my list of books that have been lying around long enough and should be read soon. Wonderful, wonderful! (No Levy at the moment.)

I'm reading Cloud Atlas for another challenge in September, so I will either read slowly so that I finish in October or will read The Siege.

Great choices once again, Paul. I'll definitely read The Siege and possibly The Betrayal by Dunmore, both of which I've been meaning to get to for several years. If I haven't read The Bone Clocks by October I'll read it then; if so, I have Cloud Atlas, Ghostwritten and Number9Dream in my TBR library.

This challenge is going to be so good for my TBR list. I've wanted to work on that for next year but not quite known how to tackle it, and this is making things so much easier!

Oh excellent, I'll join in with both October's choices. The Siege has been on my wishlist/TBR pile for ages (although I can't remember if I actually own it or not) and I've got Cloud Atlas on my Kindle but haven't got round to it - or perhaps I've tried it and wandered off very soon afterwards? Will definitely give me the impetus to read both.

>335 kidzdoc: TBR Library .... nice I think we all have those but kid ourselves they are lists or piles

> 328 I haver read all of Mitchell so maybe problematic for me ..... am sure I can find something else appropriate

Gah! You all are making these challenges sound so tempting! Once my book fair madness is over, I think I may have to sit down and tinker with some possible reading lists...

In November we have St. Andrews day so the Scots will feature in the upcoming selections. Can you guess who gets the nod?

LOL, at this point, Paul, no one would surprise me! I've come to expect the unexpected where the BAC s concerned.

That's a dynamite month, Paul. I thought The Siege was excellent, and Cloud Atlas, too.

I'm guessing Eric Linklater and Muriel Spark, but as I can't figure out a connection expect I am wrong.

Like Jenny, The Siege had been on my wishlist for ages (since 2011 and recommended by loads of people in this group), so I decided to finally spend a credit on the audiobook especially for next year's challenge. I'll also probably bend my own rules and borrow, buy or steal a David Mitchell book for the challenge, since I've only read his Jacob de Zoet so far, while Cloud Atlas and Black Swan Green have been on the wishlist for years as well. However, I have no intention of reading The Bone Clocks after seeing several comments on it.

Have I mentioned how excited I am about this challenge?

I'm really looking forward to this challenge next year. I haven't chimed in much on the discussion. I'll be tackling some new-to-me authors and also getting a few titles off my wish list.

St.Andrews Nominations for November 2015



Muriel Spark

and



William Boyd

Well - I was half right.

Way back up there somewhere: I'm reading (and enjoying) The Bone Clocks by David Mitchell right now. Can I count it ahead by almost a year?

Ooh, I was planning on reading The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. How convenient.

>343 Fourpawz2: & >347 Fourpawz2: Not bad at all Charlotte; Linklater wouldn't have been a bad choice either.

Muriel Spark was born in Edinburgh near the end of the First World War in February 1918. She was editor of Poetry Review after the Second World War but only after conversion to Roman Catholicism in the early 1950's did she take seriously to the form for which she became rightly renowned - the novel. With 22 novels in total there is plenty to choose from but it is her 1960's novels - quirky (sparky if you like), well realised, modern but with a backward glance. She won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize for The Mandlebaum Gate (perhaps my favourite) and was thrice nominated for the Booker without winning.

Despite being born in Ghana and growing up partly in Kenya, William Boyd is very much a Scots author. His well observed black comedies and excellent tale telling mark him out as one of the most enjoyable of "high brow" writers since the Second World War. Six of his novels have won different literary prizes but the Booker has always eluded him despite a couple of nominations. He has won the Whitbread Award and Somerset Maugham Prize for A Good Man in Africa, An Ice Cream War won the John Llewellyn Rhys Prize. He won the James Tait Black Memorial Prize and the Saltire Prize for Scottish writers for Brazzaville Beach as well as winning the Sunday Express Book of the Year and Los Angeles Times Book Prize for Blue Afternoon. Any Human Heart was shortlisted for the IMPAC Dublin Literary Award whilst he won the Costa Book Award for Restless.

>350 tiffin: Tui, I don't make rules! Be sure to mention it again next October though!

Muriel Spark! Don't know Boyd...must investigate.

Can an Antipodean join in?

Oh yay! Two of my favourites in the same month! That shouldn't be too hard! :-)

>355 jll1976: Jacqui, lovely to see you here. Of course Aussies are more than welcome to the challenge.

Yay! Then count me in. I've also signed up for the American authors challenge, and started an Australian writers challenge. Too ambitious? NEVER!

>358 jll1976: Give me the link to the Australian writers challenge as I would like to join in too where I am able.

Here 'tis - http://www.librarything.com/topic/182881
Feel free to add suggestions for the list.

>360 jll1976: Thanks Jacqui - I have done so. Would encourage others to do the same and budding Canadian challenge administrators to come forward too. Surely four or five books a month to cover four challenges is do-able.

Selection for December is going to be a little different in that I am not going to be the one to select it - at least alone.
Here is a shortlist for both male and female and I will decide based on your comments/votes. My thread, this thread or PM me - all acceptable.

FEMALE SHORTLIST
1. Jane Gardam
2. Hilary Mantel
3. Bernice Rubens
4. Elizabeth Taylor
5. Rose Tremain

MALE SHORTLIST
1. William Golding
2. Aldous Huxley
3. Ian McEwan
4. George Orwell
5. P.G. Wodehouse

Hilary Mantel and Aldous Huxley

My vote goes to Hilary Mantel and Ian McEwan/George Orwell because I have them on my shelves! The more books off my shelf, the better. :)

A plus vote for wodehouse.
May I cast a black mark against Tremain? Of the other ladies I have no preference.

>365 Helenliz: In the event of a tie -then yes I would hold it against her!

George Orwell!!! I've only read Animal Farm and 1984 but I hear lots of good things about his other works and really want to read Down and Out in Paris and London.

Picking one of the ladies is a bit tougher - Rose Tremain or Hillary Mantel I think (is the third Wolf Hall book coming out in 2015?)

I'd go against the grain and vote for Bernice Rubens, because I been meaning to read her for ages, you need some more Welsh representatives and personally I find the lesser known writers more interesting in a challenge like this.

I'd like Mantel, simply because the range of her work is so diverse. And Orwell -- because he's so important, and again, he's diverse -- fiction, non-fiction, dystopian novels, etc.

I don't own any books by Muriel Spark or William Boyd, but both authors interest me, so I'll look for recommendations here and elsewhere.

For December I would choose Rose Tremain and Aldous Huxley. I love Hilary Mantel and George Orwell, so I don't need a challenge to encourage me to read their books. I enjoyed Tremain's Trespass, and I'm very eager to read Merivel, Restoration and The Road Home. I haven't read Brave New World or anything else by Huxley, so I'd like to give him a try.

My black mark would go to Elizabeth Taylor. After I suffered through the dreadful Angel you would have to pay me handsomely or put a gun to my head to get me to read anything else by her.

Noooooooooo, not Rose Tremain. Don't do it!!!!!!

(You can count that as many many many black marks) ;)

I choose Hilary Mantel and P.G Wodehouse. If Tremain gets chosen, I reserve the right to change to Wodehouse on my own list.

For purely selfish reasons, I would suggest Mantel and any of the guys with the exception of Golding. :o)

My votes are for Rose Tremain and P. G. Wodehouse - mostly because I already have stuff of theirs that I haven't read and because in the case of the gentlemen I do not want to read Orwell or Huxley. Done it before when I was much younger and found them both dark and disturbing. Don't want to go, knowingly, to that place again right now. Of course as we are talking about next year perhaps I'll be in a better place by then. But yes - definitely Tremain and Wodehouse.

My vote goes for Aldous Huxley cause Brave New World is sitting patiently on my TBR shelves and I would pick Hilary Mantel for the ladies just because I have been wanting to read her for awhile.

I'll put in a hopeless vote for Jane Gardam and a vote for Ian McEwan

I like Jane Gardam and P. G. Wodehouse. Gardam is on my TBR list, and Wodehouse is just right for the holidays.

I vote for Bernice Rubens and Aldous Huxley. I'd prefer you didn't choose Mantel, because I've read a lot of her already, and don't have much unread on my shelves right now. I'm not handing out any black spots, but I will say that Lord of the Flies is very near the top of my list of most wretched books I ever attempted to read. I thought the writing was so awful I'll bet I didn't even get to page 50 (long ago, and I didn't know about the Pearl Rule yet). But if Golding makes the list, I will try something else with appropriate recommendations, in the spirit of open-mindedness. That being said, >370 kidzdoc:, I would encourage you, without bribe or threat, to give Elizabeth Taylor another chance someday. I read a lot of her during her centennial in 2012, and Angel was not my favorite by any means.

Mantel is another "you couldn't pay me to read again" authors. I already have one with Miéville. Please don't do it again! Pretty please with a cherry on top! I really want to do a sweep.

Elizabeth Taylor and Rose Tremain have the most books on Mount TBR.

For male, I'll pick Ian McEwan as he's the only one I haven't read. The others I've read their main book(s).

I've read most of Mantel's works so I'd prefer one of the other females. I know Rose Tremain is on my TBR list.

For the males, I'd vote for Wodehouse with McEwan getting my 2nd place vote.

I can see this is going to be a close vote - three males are neck and neck. Two females lead but also have a couple of votees begging for their non-inclusion. 9 Hours of voting left.

>380 PaulCranswick: - kind of an exciting finish to the selection process, isn't it?

>381 Fourpawz2:, I guess it goes with my nature that I would try to do it just a little different over here. In fairness there are so many possible choices I thought it best to pass the buck for the last month's selection. Mark is a very sure hand over at AAC but I am less confident of missteps and I thought it might be fun to see what y'all think.

I know nothing about the women authors, but I have to say that Bernice Rubens looks interesting. As far as the men, my vote goes to Ian McEwan. My second choice would be Wodehouse - the only other non-dystopian author!

Orwell and Gardam for me please.

Gardam and Wodehouse get my vote. Since I'm from Chicago, do I get to vote multiple times? (That may not translate across the pond - suffice to say our slogan here at election time is, "Vote Early and Often").

You can vote as many times as you like Buddy but I'll only count 'em once!

>386 PaulCranswick: Darn. OK, bribery it is. What kind of food do you like best?

hahaha Joe I am so used to the way of things in Malaysia that I am immune to inducements of all descriptions.

>388 PaulCranswick: OK, I take it that includes begging. I give up - kinda. Maybe I'll try Hani on Facebook.

An interesting list, both male and female. For male, I would vote for Wodehouse - I haven't read anything by him, have none on the TBR, but I think it is time considering the comments here on LT about him. Also it seems, from afar, that his writing is very different from the others already on the list. For female, I would vote for all but #4 Taylor.

All in all, 2015 will look like an interesting reading year (if I am up for the challenge - that is yet to be seen). I have read a few of these authors, have many of their books on the TBR. There is one author that I never heard of. You can probably guess which one.

>389 jnwelch: Oh Yikes even bloody Achilles had his heel.

LOL!! Ain't that the truth!

I've been meaning to read Hilary Mantel so having this pushing me on would be great. So my vote goes to her. I'll be okay with either of the men as I have books by all of them on my TBR.

Since it seems inevitable I'll join this challenge, I might as well use my right to vote. I'd go for Elizabeth Taylor and P.G. Wodehouse but NOT Hilary Mantel.

So far the voting:
Males - Wodehouse 7; Huxley 5; Orwell 3.5; McEwan 2.5; Golding 0

Females - Mantel 7.5; Tremain 4.5; Gardam, Rubens 4; Taylor 1

George Orwell and Jane Gardam

Did you count both my female votes or just one of them?

>397 Morphidae: I registered a half vote each for for Taylor and Tremain.

Okay, please give my full vote to Tremain?

>399 Morphidae: Okie Dokie

I would love to read Mantel but not in December. I have to give time to historical fiction and December is busy for me at home and especially at work.

Ohh, we can petition Hani?? Excellent..............

I have all the females on my TBR shelves already, so I'd be happy with any of them.

So can I get two votes for the males? Ha!

I'd give both to McEwan because I have the most unread stuff for him, but really I guess I'd be okay with any of them, too. I'm easy ;-)

Based on >403 katiekrug: and >398 PaulCranswick:, please give my entire vote to Ian McEwan.

Paul, here Switzerland calling. For December I would prefer

Rose Tremain or Hilary Mantel

Aldous Huxley or Ian McEwan

For those authors I would find books in our library.

Tremain and P. G. Wodehouse

As far as the women go, I'd be thrilled with any of the wonderful authors on the list, all among my favourites, but since I'll be reading them all on my own anyway, and I want my vote to make a difference, I'll vote for Rose Tremain, even though I do want to read plenty more by Hilary Mantel anyway. So really, they're all winners to me. Can I say it any different way?

Men: Kind of hopeless, but I vote for Orwell, only because I have a couple on the tbr I really want to get to, would love Ian McEwan as well, as have LOTS on the tbr. Not really for Huxley. Have read all I want to read by him, I think? and none on the tbr at the mo. But I won't mind if Wodehouse wins either.

A quick fly-through visit to add my votes for Jane Gardam and a vote for Ian McEwan.

P. G. Wodehouse and Elizabeth Taylor for me.

I just discovered this challenge and I'm so happy I did! The authors already chosen are a mix of some of my favorites and some I've never heard of. Looking forward to some good reading and following this thread.

Hmmm

Mantel

But the guys could easily read Huxley, Orwell, McEwan, - though Orwell is not the easiest to read

>372 Carmenere: Paul, dear, way back up @ post 372 I said any male author other than Golding so I'm not sure if a vote for any one male was tallied, if not I vote for McEwan.

no ... no ... not Mantel! Please ... no ...
I vote for Elizabeth Taylor and Wodehouse

This is getting unbearably exciting... if only because of the delay...

I must say that giving people suggestions for Xmas and birthday (my birthday is in January) presents has become easier. Usually I just shrug and say 'I dunno'. Now I can just give them a list of next year's authors and say anything by these people please- and they don't even have to be new, second-hand is just fine.

So the votes are in and here is who have been chosen.



Hilary Mantel

and



P.G. Wodehouse

In fairness the votes were quite decisive. Despite there being a few desperate that Mantel didn't win she garnered 50% more votes than the second placed lady. P.G. Wodehouse also won hands down.

Ladies : 1st Mantel; 2nd Gardam; 3rd Tremain; 4th Rubens; 5th Taylor

Gents : 1st Wodehouse; 2nd McEwan; 3rd Huxley; 4th Orwell; 5th Golding

Of the ten nominees only Golding received no votes at all.

Having my finger on the pulse as ever, my votes went to Rubens and Huxley.

Yayayayayayay

Just for me? Aren't you the kindest sir! *does little twirly dance of happiness*

Oh bother. That means I've got to read them next December.....and I'm useless at planned reading. I recall you sent me A Place of Greater Safety so that will be highly appropriate. And it is my grandfather's birthday on Dec 2nd and he loved P. G. Wodehouse so I can read it in his memory AND complete the month :)

Hilary Mantel hails from Derbyshire and is the only female to have won the coveted Booker Prize twice. The third installment of her Tudor trilogy - The Mirror and the Light will be published next year and is a shoe-in for a nomination at least. My own favourite of her is the monumental tome on the French revolution A Place of Greater Safety.
She has been outspoken about Mrs. Thatcher (whom she fanatasised about murdering) and the royal family, especially the "brood mare" role of the women therein.

Pelham Grenville P.G. Wodehouse was born in 1881 and died in 1975 almost 94. He had a 73 year writing career which spawned a remarkable 97 original works. Possibly his most famous are the 18 Jeeves and Wooster novels of the hapless dandy and his knowing butler. His "Blandings Castle" series and that of "Psmith" which overlap somewhat also have their admirers.
A noted humourist writing in an apparently light style, Wodehouse made a lasting impression given that, fully 40 years after his death (next year) he still won a vote amongst his literary peers hands down yesterday.

Oh, dear! I missed the vote. I would have actually been happy with any of the women writers; I haven't read any of them. I was going to vote for Tremain, but all those votes against her gave me pause. And who can argue against WOdehouse in December?

>422 banjo123: You can take comfort at least Rhonda that it wouldn't have made a difference! Mantel and Wodehouse were well clear of their respective fields. As stated above I plumped for Huxley and Rubens but at least I knew that I had options on the shelves for all the shortlist.

This thread is getting a little like one of Stasia's so it is about time I started another one to slowly lead into 2015.

I have to say that while I have enjoyed Wodehouse's novels, I have never felt the same about him since learning that he agreed to broadcast for the Germans while he was interned during WW2, in an apparent deal to get repatriated sooner. It may be silly, but between that and having read so much of his stuff when I was much younger I don't think I'll read any of his for December. But I probably won't be sweeping anyway, so it was all some fun and short-lived drama!

*whimpers* Please tell me Mantel has written short stories. Essays?

>425 Chatterbox: Yes Suz, his Lord Haw Haw moment was not a crowning glory was it? He was defended by some of his contempories but it is apparently one of the reasons he was so keen to settle in the United States after the war.

>426 Morphidae: To be fair she has written quite diversely. Her latest anthology of short stories is The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher.

>427 PaulCranswick: I found a short book (under 200 pages) of short stories. Yay?

#417 Darn it! One day away at a conference and I missed! Though I would have changed nothing - my vote would have been for Golding!