Litsy

Should We Stay or Should We Go | Lionel Shriver

#WeeklyForecast 40/23

I am reading the Japanese book solely for its cover 😍 and it is kind of fun. Next will be the Shriver, which I remember @Suet624 loved, and maybe another #Booker23 one, even though it didn‘t make the shortlist.

Cinfhen

squirrelbrain That is a great cover! ❤️ 1y

Suet624 Did I love it? I found it intriguing and I still think of it quite often but it was super unsettling too. Which is to say it was like so many of her books. 1y

BarbaraBB @Suet624 I should have said that it made an impression on you that made me want to read it ever since. 1y

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Suet624 Ah! I wasn‘t trying to be picky or anything. I just couldn‘t actually remember what I said. (In the midst of bronchitis and coughing up a lung and not sleeping so a bit muddled) Good luck with it! It‘s a doozy. 1y

Cinfhen I LOVE LS but her last few books were all #MoreMehThanYeah for me so I‘ll be waiting to hear your thoughts on this one! And I do LOVE the cover of the Japanese novel. #FallVibes 1y

Cinfhen The cover for Spell is pretty awesome too 🧡 1y

BarbaraBB @Suet624 I know you weren‘t 🩷 1y

BarbaraBB @Cinfhen I was underwhelmed by The Mandibles but have high hopes for this one as I‘ve loved all other books I‘ve read by her! 1y

Megabooks I enjoyed void! Hadn‘t read anything like it. Interesting premise! 1y

BarbaraBB @Megabooks I didn‘t know you already read it. Will check out your review. I am enjoying the book! 1y

70 likes10 comments

BarbaraBB

Prophet Song | Paul Lynch

#BookReport 38/23

Lots of reading done in the past week and I finished some books that I had been reading for a longer time. Favorite? The Rebecca Wait, despite the two shortlisted ones for the #Booker23 🤷🏻‍♀️

Cinfhen

TrishB I‘ve loved all of Wait‘s books, but The View on the Way Down is probably my favourite. 1y

Cinfhen Wow!!!! Fantastic week indeed!!!! 1y

squirrelbrain The Wait is my favourite from this pile too! 1y

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BarbaraBB @TrishB I bought that one. Thanks for the heads-up! Have you read Our Fathers? 1y

TrishB Yes, I‘ve read all of hers ♥️ 1y

BarbaraBB That makes my expectations for The View very high 🤞🏽 @TrishB 1y

70 likes6 comments

BarbaraBB

Man Booker Prize | Frederic P Miller, Agnes F Vandome, John McBrewster

So disappointed by the #Booker23 shortlist. But of course I could have expected this to be the shortlist.
Yes I liked most of them. But it‘s getting so predictable. Please read Little Birds Hearts and The House of Doors nevertheless!

bookaddictsguide, Cinfhen, TheKidUpstairs, BookwormM, squirrelbrain

squirrelbrain I agree @BarbaraBB - only two that I actually liked on there! (Although I said that I thought Study, Western Lane and Eden would make it as they are #bookerybooks). And I agree with you re House of Doors and Bird-Hearts - those are two that I‘m really happy to have read. 1y

Cinfhen Ugh - I‘m not surprised but it‘s sooooo disappointing although I found the longlist pretty unappealing 1y

TheKidUpstairs Hmm... of course my three least favourites were all shortlisted 🤦‍♀️ 1y

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Cinfhen I‘ve ordered and I‘m waiting for my copy of

All the Little Bird-Hearts

Cinfhen And I‘ll probably read Bee Sting when it becomes available 1y

Deblovestoread Can‘t believe 3 of the 6 I read are on the short list…they were ok but not great in my opinion…Western Lane, Eden and Survive you. Most excited for the two you mentioned just waiting on copies and have Bee Sting on shelf. 1y

squirrelbrain Yep @TheKidUpstairs - my 3 least favourites are here too, but I did think they‘d make the list anyway. 🙄 It‘s always the way with books I dislike! 1y

BarbaraBB @TheKidUpstairs @squirrelbrain @Cinfhen It‘s annoying right, how we all knew Obedience and Eden would be on it. And If I Survive You and Western Lane aren‘t that special either. Well.. 1y

TheKidUpstairs @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB I think the Escoffery baffles me the most - it was just so forgettable, very meh. At least Obedience provoked a reaction in me! 1y

vlwelser Well that's unexpected. I loved House of Doors. If I Survive You is so blah. 1y

sarahbarnes Those are the two I still plan to read, even though they aren‘t on the shortlist. I‘m disappointed by this, too. 1y

Suet624 I was so surprised by the selection 1y

Megabooks Thanks for the recs! Award lists can be disappointing. 1y

BarbaraBB @TheKidUpstairs @vlwelser I read If I Survive You before it was nominated and have literally no recollection of it. Even when I read or hear about the premise my mind stays blank. 1y

BookwormM I am beginning to think Booker is not the literary award for me this was the worst Longlist I have ever read and the Shortlist is so meh seems more shock value than literary value 1y

AnneCecilie Why do you find the shortlist predictable? (edited) 1y

BarbaraBB @AnneCecilie The shortlist almost always consists of the books I didn‘t like / were unreadable/ lacked a plot: books that are well-written and have a good plot almost never make it to the shortlist. That‘s what I meant! 1y

BarbaraBB @BookwormM I didn‘t think it the worst longlist ever, I really read some good books and I am always glad for the variety but I agree on the shortlist 🤷🏻‍♀️ 1y

rockpools I was just about to ask how the list was on your most recent post - I‘ve seen a lot of meh comments. Bird-hearts and Doors it is then! 1y

AnneCecilie I definitely see what you mean about favourites not making it to the shortlist, I‘m quite used to that and not only for the Booker but the Women‘s Prize as well. But I hadn‘t read enough of this year‘s Booker longlist to actually form an opinion. 1y

BarbaraBB @rockpools I hope you‘ll enjoy them when you get to them! 1y

BarbaraBB @AnneCecilie That is true, it goes for other shortlists too! 1y

62 likes22 comments

BarbaraBB

Man Booker Prize | Frederic P Miller, Agnes F Vandome, John McBrewster

I haven‘t yet read In Ascencion and A Spell of Good Things but am proud to have read 11 of the #Booker23 longlisted books.

Most were bleak again, and missing parents seem a central theme this year, but I have enjoyed most of them and am glad I read them.

Above is my personal shortlist (from left to right), it will no doubt be completely different from the official one, to be announced tomorrow. Looking forward to it!

Megabooks, Cinfhen, JenP, TheKidUpstairs, charl08, BookwormM, squirrelbrain, sarahbarnes

Cinfhen I think you might be close with your personal favorites! 1y

jlhammar Wow, 11 read! Great to see your favorites. 1y

squirrelbrain You have the same top 2 as me! Need to consider the rest though as I have 6 to choose from for the other 4 slots… 1y

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JenP We‘ll be posting our blog predictions later today but I think I had three of the same as you. I can‘t remember now 😂 1y

sarahbarnes I‘m excited to see your shortlist so I know what else to prioritize! 😊 1y

Suet624 What @sarahbarnes said. I think I have your top two stuck in a hold time warp at the library. I really want to read them. 1y

Megabooks I have the Barry out now and am on the list for the bee sting. I‘ll check to see if your other faces are available!! Thanks for the tag. 💜 1y

76 likes7 comments

BarbaraBB

The Bee Sting: A Novel | Paul Murray

pick

#Booker23 11/13

I managed to finish this one in time for the shortlist too 😅 and I ended up liking it a lot. Yes it‘s way too long and repetitive and there are an awful lot of characters. I was mostly interested in the family: Dickie and Imelda (their back stories are great) and their kids Cass and PJ. Murray knows how to build a story and the ending is bonkers! It all comes together neatly and reminded me of the younger John Irving 😀.

TheKidUpstairs, charl08, BookwormM, squirrelbrain

Cinfhen Seeing loads of mixed reviews it this is one of the books that originally grabbed my attention- love the comparison to young John Irving🥰 1y

The_Penniless_Author Now that you said "young John Irving" I may have to give it a try. 1y

BarbaraBB @The_Penniless_Author @Cinfhen It‘s the kind of story that comes over you like a wave and you just hold on and keep coming up for air - if you know what I mean 😂. That‘s how I used to feel too reading Irving back in the days. 1y

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Cinfhen I‘m waiting for the shortlist announcement ! But I may need to read this book regardless 1y

JamieArc I‘ve been surprised to see picks for this. The early reviews and Booker commentary on it had me thinking it was going to be a complete slog that people weren‘t going to like. Looking forward to the shortlist announcement! 1y

squirrelbrain You have been busy reading today, haven‘t you?! Glad you liked it too. 1y

JenP I liked this one. It reminded me of franzen actually. 1y

batsy Great review. Happy to see that it's a pick for you! 1y

BarbaraBB @JenP You are right, it is comparable to Franzen too (good to know @The_Penniless_Author and @Cinfhen !) (edited) 1y

BarbaraBB @Cinfhen Go audio! It is long but you can combine listening with doing other things, it‘s no hard read and quite entertaining. 1y

BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain I have to admit I neglected work today!! Oh the joy of working freelance 😉 1y

BarbaraBB @JamieArc I thought so too and although it could use serious editing it is a good entertaining read. 1y

BarbaraBB @batsy You liked Skippy does too, right? If so I don‘t think you can go wrong with this one. 1y

batsy @BarbaraBB Yes, I quite liked that one! 1y

Cinfhen I‘m not a fan of LONG audiobooks but I may make an exception for this one 1y

squirrelbrain That‘s why I went freelance Barbara, so I could work 3 days a week and have more time for myself….instead I‘m working 6 days per week! Where am I going wrong?! 1y

BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain You‘re obviously doing something wrong 😂 I hope I can stay away from 6 days working weeks. You are my example lol! 1y

squirrelbrain Great comparison @JenP ! 1y

squirrelbrain @Cinfhen I like this kind of book on audio….bumbles along and great for background listening. 1y

Cinfhen It‘s not available to me yet on audio or print @squirrelbrain @BarbaraBB so I‘ll need to wait a bit no matter the outcome tomorrow 😁 1y

SaraBeagle Bonkers is exactly how I described the ending to my husband! 😂 Really enjoyed this one. 1y

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BarbaraBB

How to Build a Boat | Elaine Feeney

pick

#Booker23 10/13

Jamie is a vulnerable neurodiverse boy starting secondary school. He holds on to his own thruths in this new, sometimes scary and cruel environment. But he does meet nice people too and together they build a boat.
I liked Jamie and his perspective. I also liked the other characters but they didn‘t really come into their own. I would have liked to learn more about them. Nevertheless an original, less bleak Booker candidate!

TheKidUpstairs, charl08, BookwormM, squirrelbrain

Cinfhen Just saw a Booktube video about this book. The guy LOVED this book - hope it makes the shortlist but it seems unlikely. Also beautiful flowers 💐 1y

squirrelbrain I agree on both counts @Cinfhen - I hope it makes the shortlist but don‘t think it will. Oh, and the flowers are lovely too Barbara! 😃 1y

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BarbaraBB

Prophet Song | Paul Lynch

pick

#Booker23 9/13

This book started out as a dystopian novel and ended up being the reality of so many people in warzones, and of refugees trying desperately to cross the Mediterranean in hope of a better alternative. I see and appreciate what Paul Lynch means with his book and it‘s a scary prophecy.

TheKidUpstairs, charl08, BookwormM, squirrelbrain

squirrelbrain Great review! 1y

BookwormM This really scared me 1y

BarbaraBB @BookwormM Yes it went very fast downhill. Very scary! 1y

Megabooks Yikes! Great review but sounds overwhelming! 1y

Cinfhen I kind of hope this makes the shortlist so then maybe I‘ll get to it. Great review 1y

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BarbaraBB

The Bee Sting: A Novel | Paul Murray

#WeeklyForecast 38/23

A few more days until the #Booker23 shortlist will be announced. I have these three to read yet but probably won‘t be able to finish them all in time. I am listening to The Bee Sting as well and enjoying it more than I expected. At 70% I have still not bailed!
Both others I started and put away because I wasn‘t in the mood but now there‘s no way out anymore so I am picking up Prophet Song again!

Cinfhen

Cinfhen Oh wow! You‘re almost done 🙌🏻Happy reading 1y

squirrelbrain I only have The Bee Sting to finish but I‘m not sure if I‘ll have time before Thursday… I‘m about a third of the way through. 🤞 1y

TrishB I‘m in awe 😁 (mainly that you‘re finishing The Bee Sting!) 1y

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BarbaraBB @TrishB It is very repetitive and way too long but on audio kind of zen to listen to while doing other things 😉 1y

BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain It‘s sooo long but not as boring as I expected don‘t you agree? I am 2/3 through but not sure if I‘ll finish in time either. And I haven‘t read In Ascension and A Spell of Good Things yet, haven‘t got a copy. I‘ll read them if they make the shortlist! (edited) 1y

Suet624 It‘s just sooooooo long…and I usually like long books. 1y

squirrelbrain I‘m liking it at the moment Barbara. I decided to follow your lead and I bought the audio too. I never listen to books when I‘m working (actually, not even the radio) but I was doing some mundane work today so I listened to a bit. 1y

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BarbaraBB

Pearl | Si�n Hughes

so-so

#Booker23 08/13
Unfortunately I didn‘t enjoy this book as much as many of you did. What I did like was the setting of the “old house”, where a young mother one day walks out, leaving behind her 8 year old daughter and her baby brother.
The book is about the daughter, dealing with the mother who never came back.
It could be so good, but to me it felt a bit as if the author wanted too much, with the poems and the sub-plots. Glad I read it though!

TheKidUpstairs, charl08, BookwormM, squirrelbrain, sarahbarnes

Cinfhen You look like you‘re out having a nice day ☺️ 1y

BarbaraBB @Cinfhen Haha, yes, a friend invited me to a so-called “high wine” on a local vineyard, surrounded by vines! 1y

Cinfhen Looks lovely 🥂 1y

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sarahbarnes Hmm, this one does sound interesting. I‘m sorry to hear it fell a little short. And high wine sounds lovely! 1y

Megabooks Sounds like a really fun afternoon! 1y

Suet624 I lived very close to vineyards for a year. The land and surroundings always felt so abundant. 1y

BarbaraBB That‘s the right word indeed, abundant! 1y

75 likes7 comments

BarbaraBB

Dorst: shortlist Libris literatuurprijs 2013 | Esther Gerritsen

#WeeklyForecast 37/23

Two more #Booker23 books this week and a Dutch one that I heard about in a podcast that I love.

Cinfhen

sarahbarnes Will be interested to hear your thoughts on the Bookers. So far the list isn‘t doing it for me this year. But I haven‘t read either of these yet. (edited) 1y

TrishB I have the Feeney on the pile- will await your review! 1y

BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes I‘m almost finished with Pearl. It‘s okayish. I agree mostly with you on the Booker but you must read All the Little Birds Hearts and The House of Doors! 1y

sarahbarnes Okay! If you recommend them I obviously will! I‘m on the list at the library for house of doors and hope to get it soon. I‘m probably bailing on Bee Sting. 😬 1y

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