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My last book of the year and very much a favorite. Beautifully written, the structure is clever and I loved the stories of the girls. I did not find the boxing too much. I loved that it gave them a commonality and focus. Highly recommend!!!

15 likes

Chelsea.Poole

Wild Houses: A Novel | Colin Barrett

Only on chapter 3, hoping it hooks me soon
#bookandbreakfast

TheKidUpstairs I just saw your name on someone else's post! Happy Litsyversary!!! I'm glad you're here :) 3d

Chelsea.Poole @TheKidUpstairs thank you! Litsy is the best place on the internet, so glad I found all of you readers here. 2d

54 likes2 comments

Graywacke

Headshot: A Novel | Rita Bullwinkel

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#booker #booker2024 #longlist

My last longlist book. This is an interesting narrative style, a series of snapshots from each fighter‘s past, future, and rather violent present. The 8 girls fighting for the u-18 boxing championship in-front of 12 fans in a neglected arena. But the narrative is doing a lot more than just following our neglected lady gladiators.

My full longlist summary will go in the comments.

Graywacke Some thoughts: 2024 was not my favorite Booker list. Four terrific books. And three others that I found rewarding reading. But that leaves six of thirteen that didn't really work for me. Seems like a lot. What was unique this year is that last September I joined the Booker Prize Book Club on Facebook and got really involved. So I had a different and much higher level of excitement around the list than ever before. That was rewarding. 2w

Graywacke Here's my breakdown, a personal list

My top two:
- Stone Yard Devotional by Charlotte Wood
- James by Percival Everett

Other books I really took to and that are really well done:
- Orbital by Samantha Harvey
- Held by Anne Michaels

The book that was just too cautious to be great
-My Friends by Hisham Matar

The imperfect but with terrific elements
-Wild Houses by Colin Barrett
-Headshot by Rita Bullwinkel 2w

Graywacke The interesting ones that didn't quite work for me
-Playground by Richard Powers
-Creation Lake by Rachel Kushner

The book that never quite took off and overcame itself
-This Strange Eventful History by Claire Messud

The ones that I didn't like (although I can talk about some of their strengths)
-The Safekeep by Yael van der Wouden
-Enlightenment by Sarah Perry
-Wandering Stars by Tommy Orange 2w

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Graywacke I enjoyed my reading of the list with other Booker peeps here: @rmaclean4 @squirrelbrain @Leniverse @JamieArc @BarbaraBB @jlhammar @AnnaCecilie @JenP @TheKidUpstairs @charl08 @BookishTrish @Suet624 2w

BkClubCare Just wanted to say…. Cool post. I am not a Booker follower other than being interested in which book wins. So with all the overlap of lists I *do* follow, I like to see other opinions. I appreciated Safekeep but didn‘t enjoy it; will look for the Charlotte Wood (the only one I don‘t recognize). 🌟 2w

Suet624 I never think that facebook is consistent enough to include me in a reading group. I‘m glad you got a lot out of it. I primarily agree with how you‘ve rated the books, but I liked My Friends more than you apparently. It‘s true that Booker was a bit disappointing this year. 2w

BarbaraBB Very interesting post! It‘s been great following your progression. Overall I was a bit more positive about the list although I haven‘t read all of them. I am looking forward to Playground and will skip Creation Lake. 2w

squirrelbrain I love the way you rated the books, although I disagree with some of them. ☺️ Actually, only one - The Safekeep. I‘ve enjoyed seeing all of your reviews and opinions. 2w

Graywacke @BkClubCare thanks. I have found the Booker winner often less interesting than the Booker longlist over all. But that‘s 13 books instead of one. SYD is terrific. 2w

Graywacke @BarbaraBB thanks. Creation Lake has its fans. Playground is much more universal, though 2w

Graywacke @Suet624 That FB group is the only thing l like on fb. ☺️ I joined last year and found it unexpectedly kind and encouraging. 2w

Graywacke @squirrelbrain i‘m probably too hard on The Safekeep. It‘s not the 🍐 🍐 so much as the clean wrap-up that left me feeling down on it. Thanks. I enjoyed all your posts too! 2w

Leniverse We have the same two favourites! After that I would put My Friends and Orbital. I still have three that I haven't read though, but I doubt they would make the top of my list. 6d

46 likes13 comments

quietlycuriouskate

Wild Houses: A Novel | Colin Barrett

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A drugs-related kidnapping of a young lad: not a book I'd have picked up, were it not for its #bookerprize longlisting.
I enjoyed the characterisation (poor Dev, especially, and hapless Doll, and prematurely adult Nicky). There's something feels not quite complete about it though, and it could do with one more edit: not least to clear up the nonsensical imagery I kept tripping over (eg. the appearance of a distant building compared to an aspirin).

34 likes

Hooked_on_books

Wild Houses: A Novel | Colin Barrett

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Ostensibly about a drug-deal related shakedown, this is actually an exploration of the lives of people living at the margins and at risk. It‘s described as “darkly funny” and I don‘t agree at all—I found it to be an encouragement to look more deeply at quiet desperation. #TOBlonglist

BarbaraBB You‘re right, it wasn‘t that funny. I liked it a lot 3w

Gleefulreader I thought this book was really good too. But I never understand why publishers insist on trying to make books sound lighter or funnier than they truly are. It just sets the author up for a potentially bad review through impossible expectations. 3w

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 3w

Hooked_on_books @Gleefulreader You‘re exactly right. And will a disappointed reader come back for the next book? Probably not. 3w

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Chelsea.Poole

The Colony | Audrey Magee

@TheKidUpstairs tagged me in a post about favorite books from our #AuldLangSpine matches from previous years. It was fun to reflect on books I wouldn‘t have otherwise read without @monalyisha and her matchmaking skills.
2022 @Mitch “The Book of Memory” - Petina Gappah
2023 @TheKidUpstairs “The Colony” - Audrey Magee
2024 @IndoorDame “Foster” - Claire Keegan
2025 @Singout — SO looking forward to digging in to your list next month!

TheKidUpstairs Yay! Such a great read. And I loved Foster, too. I'll have to go stack @Mitch's rec! 3w

TheKidUpstairs (And turns out I already had it stacked!) 3w

Singout Yay! I was so happy when @TheKidUpstairs posted a cover photo that had a snippet of a library tag from my parents hometown! I got to meet her IRL! 3w

Mitch So glad it was a good one for you! I‘m always sooooo nervous recommending books! 2w

65 likes4 comments

BkClubCare

Headshot: A Novel | Rita Bullwinkel

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Posing Copper with the🎄has been a challenge this season! Or maybe he only cooperates when I tell him it is for Litsy?! 😂

Audio 🎧 was a good way to experience this and I give kudos to the narrator Cassandra Campbell 🌟 Her voice was perfect for the present tense and the repetition. We get such interesting insight into a broad view of the female psyche; how diverse our wants and needs might be. We are fighters all.

BkClubCare #Dec2024 Book114 #ToBShortList (edited) 3w

dabbe 🖤🐾🖤 3w

45 likes2 comments

BkClubCare

Headshot: A Novel | Rita Bullwinkel

“Her head feels like it is filled with undercooked pie”

#LitPie #PieinBooks #iLovePie #CaresPieShow #ToBShortList #ChocPearPie 🥧

45 likes

Graywacke

Headshot: A Novel | Rita Bullwinkel

Starting my last from the #Booker2024 #longlist. This is my first book after drowning in Faulkner‘s Absalom, Absalom! for 20 hours at 4-minutes a page. So, this one is so far crazy fast and clear

Suet624 It's always fun to read a fast book after slogging through your last one.
4w

BkClubCare My next audiobook! 4w

BarbaraBB And what did you think of the Faulkner? I still have it on my shelves but 4 minutes a page doesn‘t sound encouraging! 4w

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BarbaraBB Also I read your comment on LT, thanks! 4w

Graywacke @Suet624 it helps! 🙂 4w

Graywacke @BkClubCare cool. I hope we both enjoy. (I loved the 1st fight) 4w

Graywacke @BarbaraBB that was the hardest Faulkner i have read, by far. It‘s important and interesting. It‘s just difficult to follow the five-page paragraph you might currently be reading. 4w

48 likes1 stack add7 comments

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