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virginia bergin

Recommendations

Happy World Book Day! | #ImmerseYourself

Happy World Book Day! 

To celebrate, GWR are running a campaign to immerse yourself in the world of books and escape by train to the places some of our favourite books are set. They’ve hidden free return train tickets all over the South West and you can find out where to find your own on the Immerse Yourself page.

GWR have invited me to tell you about some of my favourite books set in the South West of England which is particularly handy because 1. it’s where I live and 2. it’s one of my very favourite places on Earth. I had so much fun picking out the books to feature – it made me realise just how many books are set in the South West, and some of my all-time favourites too!

Under the Greenwood Tree by Thomas Hardy

Under the Greenwood Tree is probably a very controversial choice because I think most people would choose Tess of the D’Urbervilles as their favourite Hardy book – and I would too. Tess is a literary masterpiece that I insist everyone should read at least once in their lifetime. Under the Greenwood Tree, though, is an obvious choice for this list because I think it sums up West Country life in Hardy’s time perfectly.

Thomas Hardy created the fictional county of Wessex where he set the majority of his books, changing the names of towns and villages he was familiar with to make his own. Under the Greenwood Tree tells the story of a blossoming romance between a church musician and the new teacher that has moved into the village. It’s so much more than that, though – it’s an account of rural life, a snapshot of the beauty of the Dorset countryside. It’s a book that ambles along at its own pace and that’s why I love it so much.

The Rain by Virginia Bergin

Imagine this: a meteor hits Earth, which infects the water system — one drop can, and will, kill you. This is the premise of The Rain, and it is thrilling, fast-paced… and also hilarious. I love the main character Ruby so much because she reacts just like any other teenager I know would in an apocalyptic situation.

I especially loved reading it because of the mentions to places in the South West that I recognised — at one point, Ruby even drives past my hometown, which was very exciting! I could see a map of the places she was visiting in my head, like a SatNav moving along as I followed her. You’ll love this if you’re looking for more realistic apocalyptic fiction!

Red Witch by Anna McKerrow

Red Witch is the second book in Anna McKerrow’s Crow Moon trilogy, and is partly set in Glastonbury. I have fond memories of climbing up Glastonbury Tor a few summers ago, hair blowing wildly around in the wind, barefoot as I reached higher and higher into the sky. It’s a truly magical place, where you can feel the energy surrounding you. If you’ve never walked up the Tor, it’s something you should add to your bucket list!

Both of Anna McKerrow’s books have so far been set in the South West, with Devon and Cornwall separate from the rest of the UK due to the world fighting over the remaining oil reserves and on the verge of destruction. If I could, and if it was real, I would live in the Greenworld. I don’t even have to think about it; it sounds like my dream place to live.

Blue by Lisa Glass

Set in Cornwall, Blue combines surfing, romance, friendship and success. I love the main character, Iris, and as Blue is the first book in a trilogy, you get to know all of the characters intimately throughout the course of the books.

Lisa Glass invokes the setting really well – the windy beaches, the tourists, what it’s like to live near the coast. Having never surfed before, I was a little nervous about not understanding any of the references, but Lisa explains everything really well and is also a great advocate for girls in sport. A must-read for the summer!

Northanger Abbey by Jane Austen

Northanger Abbey is, arguably, the most underrated of Jane Austen’s novels, although the first she ever wrote (but last to be published). It’s mostly set in Bath and, as my closest city, I loved reading about the society in Jane Austen’s time and recognising the places she wrote about.

The other half of the novel is set in the gothic Northanger Abbey and Jane Austen writes this perfectly – it’s a satirical look on the gothic genre and demonstrates Jane Austen’s humour really well. I wish more people would read this! There are parts that are even better than Pride & Prejudice.


GWR single fares for city day and weekend breaks can be booked up to 12 weeks in advance, plus are great value!

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I want to know your regional recommendations! What are your favourite books set near the place you live?

This post has been sponsored by Great Western Railway, although all views and opinions expressed are my own. I’m a GWR customer myself and only ever accept sponsorship that I 100% believe in myself. 

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My Adaptation Wishlist

With books such as The Duff and Paper Towns being adapted into films this year, I’ve been wondering about some of the books I’d love to see on the big screen.

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The Rain by Virginia Bergin is an incredible dystopia about killer rain. A meteor means that all of the water on Earth becomes contaminated. Just one drop will kill you! I think it would adapt amazingly into a film because the book seems so realistic – it’s as if you’re actually experiencing it! When I was reading it, I was scared to go out in the rain and even drink a glass of water! That’s how much it affected me.

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Throne of Glass is one of the best fantasy novels I’ve ever read. It would be a fantastic adaption because it’s thrilling and Sarah J. Maas writes so vividly that it wouldn’t be hard to bring to life. Celaena Sardothien, the protagonist, is one of my favourite characters because she’s the kind of character that all of us feminists wish for all of the time.

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Cruel Summer is a murder mystery novel set in Spain. I had absolutely no idea who the murder was throughout reading and when it was announced I was so shocked! I think it would work well as a TV series because it’s so gripping that you wouldn’t be able to help tuning in every week as more and more things happen.

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We Were Liars was the book of 2014. It ripped out the hearts of the many people who read it, and it had me in shock months after I put it down. It would make for such an exciting film, with the family politics, amazing setting of the island, and the twists and turns in the plot. It would be so exciting!

What books would you like to see adapted in the future?

Book Review UKYA

REVIEW: The Rain by Virginia Bergin

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I’ve heard amazing things about The Rain in the past, but it wasn’t until I attended an event where Bergin spoke that I knew that I had to read it right away. Whilst I often don’t willingly choose to read dystopia and don’t actively seek it out, there was something about The Rain that urged me to start reading as soon as I picked it up.

Imagine this: It’s a warm, sunny Bank Holiday (rather unusual for the UK), you’re in a hot tub with the boy of your dreams, and it starts to rain. It’s not, however, normal rain. One drop can, and will, kill you.

The Rain reads like a totally crazy but completely realistic inner monologue from a protagonist who is the embodiment of annoying, teenage girls everywhere. I warmed up to Ruby instantly, seeing myself in her at many times during the novel. I know I would have reacted just as she did, and she had so much depth; it was hard not to love her and want to be her best friend.

Breaking out of the typical YA apocalypse mould, I couldn’t put the book down because Bergin has created such a scarily imaginative concept. I couldn’t go out for days without wondering why people were jumping in puddles when there was the chance they could get infected!

There was something so familiar about the way the novel was written that instantly hooked me. Although not the easiest subject to read about, I wanted to read more and more and more.

The book is set in South West England and it was obvious that Bergin knew every single detail about the places she was writing about. I loved spotting locations I knew about!

I loved The Rain and I’m incredibly excited to read the sequel. I’ll be recommending this to everyone!