This book is a little gem, thoroughly deserving the Carnegie Medal it won for its author, Jennifer Donnelly. At it's simplest level it is a gently-unfolding mystery (based on real murder which took place at the beginning of the 20th century) but it is so much more. Mattie, a young girl growing up in grinding poverty, yearns to escape to the city and become a writer. In a powerful, touching, coming-of-age story, she struggles to balance her aspirations against her responsibilities and the excitement of a first romance. Murder, romance, and a profound understanding of the consequences of prejudice and intolerance, A Gathering Light has all the ingredients for a great read. Add to that Donnelly's lyrical prose and what you have is a rich, involving book that will linger in your memory long after you've read the final page.

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I found another copy in a local charity shop, so snapped it up and sent it out as a book ray. PM me if you would like to join.

This seems to be a duplicate copy in my collection. Ho hum! Will pass this one on via bookcrossing.

On the front cover of this book, there's a rather extravagant claim by a Sunday Telegraph reviewer: 'If George Clooney had walked into the room I would have told him to come back later when I was finished'.

It took me a while to get into this novel, but by the time I was nearing the end - at about 6.30 this morning - I was so wrapped up in the stories of Mattie and Grace, that if George Clooney had walked into the room, I doubt I would have even noticed!

I'm very glad I 'snaffled' this one at the last London Bookcrossing Meetup, and will be looking for a new home for it soon.

RELEASE NOTES:

Left this on the mantlepiece in the Regency Tea Rooms.

The comments on here so far have me really excited about reading this book, just as soon as I finish my current one. When I saw it was in The Jane Austin centre I headed straight down there as its only round the corner from my house. This is the first book I've caught and I'm very excited!!

If George Clooney had walked in with the entire cast of Oceans 11 whilst I was reading this I doubt I would have even noticed.

Its a simply written book that I found very easy to get into and once I was there I became totally lost in the world of Mattie, Grace and Weaver. You can almost smell the countryside, so drawn into it do you get.

I loved this book and highly recommend it to everyone.

RELEASE NOTES:

Caught in the Coeur de Lion - a nice pub that I'd never been into before.

I enjoyed this but not as much as the other contributors. It takes a while to get going, and I wish there had been more scenes set at the hotel and less of the earlier misery-memoir stuff from the farm. Particularly in the early part of the book, I felt the author was making a point of demonstrating to the reader that she'd done her research (e.g. giving long lists of farming activities). The narrator is a would-be author (many of the chapters are prefixed with obscure words she is learning, like a winning competitor in the US national spelling bee), but her voice didn't sound quite right for someone writing at the turn of the 20th century. This was shown up by the contrast with the style of the actual letters from the period which she quotes.

In the appendix the book is referred to as 'A Northern Light'. Was the name changed so as not to create confusion with Philip Pullman's book?

If you liked this you would probably also enjoy Snow Falling on Cedars by David Guterson.

RELEASE NOTES:

under the leaflets about tours of the University on the table by the lift on the ground floor. Go through the front door and straight on - the lift is towards the back of the building on the right. The building is open to the public in office hours; if you are challenged by a porter, say you are going to pick up some literature from this table!

Hurrah! I went to hunt for this book as soon as I saw it especially after the good reviews! It had obviously been found by somebody but was kindly left in place for somebody to pick up.

I will let you know when released!

WILD RELEASE NOTES:

Accidnetally registered this as Starbucks but was actually left on Kingsley Road.
In the bushes next to the arch - near the berries.