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Welcome to The Literary Pig's blog - a safe haven for all those afflicted with
the unbearable urge to write.

Friday 30 December 2011

12 Days of a LitPig Christmas: 6

On the 6th day of Christmas my LitPig brought to me ...

SIX UNSUED COOKBOOKS
FIVE CRIME FESTS
FOUR DAVID MITCHELLS
THREE MARGARET ATWOODS
TWO HOMER SAGAS
and
A BOX SET OF ROALD DAHL BOOKS


Each day I want to share the writing of an author that I read for the first time in 2011.   These are my personal choices - you may know many of them, but perhaps one or two will be new to you ... So why not try a new author in 2012.  
June 2011:
MARCUS SEDGWICK - White Crow
This is marketed as a modern gothic novel and it really does what it says on the cover.  Again another past paced novel targeted for the Young Adult market but equally appealing to adults.  The chapters are very short, couple of pages maximum, and encourage you to keep reading. You know it will all end tragically, but there is a clever twist and he keeps you mesmerised to the very end.  This tells of the dysfunctional relationship between two girls in a gloomy seaside town.  It's based on a real village, which is slowly inch by inch falling into the sea and weaves in the gruesome story (again based on fact) of a nineteenth century clergyman who sought to determine if there is life after death.  His methods of research leave a lot to be desired - I'm not giving anything of the plot away so you'll have to go and read it for yourself...

Another great book by Marcus is 'The Foreshadowing'.  Written in the first person this story is told by a teenage girl living through the Great War.   Her life is complicated by her special talent, she has visions. The narrative and plot draw you in - another can't put down - and intriguingly the chapter numbers count backwards until the twist ending.  A very satisfactory read.  



Other novels by Marcus Sedgwick:
Floodland (2000)

The dark horse(2001)
Witch hill (2001)
The book of dead days (2003)
A christmas wish (2003)
Cowards (2003)
The dark flight down (2005)
The foreshadowing (2005)
My swordhand is singing (2006)
Blood red, snow white (2007)
The kiss of death (2008)
Revolver (2009)
White crow (2010)
Midwinterblood (2011)

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