pickLow pick 3.5/5
I wasn't too interested in the book overall but there are some things I really enjoyed, mostly the structure. The book is laid out following the bracket of the tournament. We learn about each fighter as they fight. The story has a great flow back and forth from the boxers present, past and future. This kept me interested enough to finish the book even though the overall story was a bit bland.
#ToBwaiting These are a few titles being talked about for possible inclusion for next March‘s Tournament of Books. We should see the Long List in a couple of weeks.
I do hope Poor Deer is selected- I am enjoying the audiobook. Wild Houses was offered as an Audible freebie (or discount - can‘t recall) so I have it up for a listen soon.
pick#bookerprizelonglist
I loved it! I thought it followed a similar pattern to The Overstory, but focused on the ocean rather than trees. And, again, it's not so much about the plot as what it *means*. In short, it's a gorgeous "thinky" book that appeals to the heart (my favourite kind?). I'm disappointed it wasn't shortlisted.
pickThe device of telling the story through boxing matches is done skillfully but still became a little tedious and repetitive after a while. My dad's family are (or were; I'm not sure anyone still does it) amateur boxers, so it was interesting for me to imagine these young women boxers in their place. It was also interesting to see the motivations of each boxer, how each reacted to successes and setbacks and related to each other through the sport.
'At first I thought, to be a parent you have to be an idealist. Then I learnt that to be a parent is to be continually coming up against everything that is not ideal about you.'
pickI see now why so many people thought this was a sure bet for the Booker shortlist. This is the story of a man exiled from his homeland of Libya and living in London and his two closest friends who both share his experience but also show how uniquely alone they are all too. It was a slower, more meandering tale and let me so gently immerse myself in Khalid‘s story that I was surprised to look up and realize how deeply entrenched I was. So good.
pickI liked this a lot more than I expected to! It had innovative storytelling and just the right amount of quirky and feral teen girl energy. Will it stand out in my mind a year from now? Probably not. But I really enjoyed my time with it. In all but the final match it was perhaps too easy to work out who would win based on how their story was told, but in the end that's not truly what the book is about.
(Personally I was #TeamWeirdHatEnergy)
#Booker
pickThis is a beautifully written book about Khaled and his two Libyan friends Hosam and Mustafa. Khaled is exiled in London from Libya due to political unrest. The story spans around 40 years and goes all the way to the Arab Spring. Writing, reading and language are a significant part of this story too. Long listed for the 2024 Booker Prize. Highly recommend!
pickI enjoyed this so much. I actually went back to the beginning to read how Matar introduced us to the story. I haven‘t read a book in a while that covers the experience of being exiled from your homeland with such melancholy and confusion. I definitely haven‘t read a book about Libya and the Arab Spring. I miss Khalid, the main character, already. #bookerlonglist
