I agree with practically everything you’ve said re the Booker! They’ve lost their touch. Since reading it I can’t believe My Friends didn’t make that shortlist!
I’m gutted to read your thoughts on The Skin and Its Girl - that has been lingering on my tbr for well over a year and I thought it sounded great? I did enjoy Disoriental thought so maybe I need to just give it a go if they’re similar.
I have a copy of It Lasts Forever and Then It’s Over so I’m happy to see you singing its praise! I haven’t read a book about a zombie in a long long time and it’s a fantastical concept that I’m probably missing a bit in my usual genre rotations of frequently very serious stories.
Well done for reading the list! It can definitely be hard to keep momentum up when you’re doing it (I read international booker shortlist this year and by the end I felt I was going crazy and could not believe I’d subjected myself to it) I am definitely considering joining you for a few next year.
I can’t wait for your thoughts on 2666 (I’ve got my first Bolaño on my shelf (The Savage Detectives) to read soon) and your first Jon Fosse! I read A Shining earlier this year as my first Fosse. The experience of reading was something else - fascinating and confusing. I really want to read more of him though! I’m eyeing up Morning & Evening.
I so so wanted to love The Skin and Its Girl and was sad that it just didn't quite work for me. It just didn't have that drive to it that a good novel should have. But I think it's worth a try if you did like Disoriental to see what you think.
I think and hope you would like It Lasts Forever! The more I think about it the more I like it. Grief is a hard thing to write about though often attempted, and I think this rather strange take on it is quite effective.
It is such a labour of love doing one of these! I often consider doing the International booker. Or I even thought perhaps I should try a nonfiction prize at some point, the new Women's Prize one this year did intrigue me.
Grief is so hard to write about - and often not done well! The women’s non fic prize intrigued me too last year - there were some really interesting books on it that I still very much intend to read! I think I would read the international booker again, so perhaps we could tackle it together! I think companionship helps with these kinds of challenges.
I agree with practically everything you’ve said re the Booker! They’ve lost their touch. Since reading it I can’t believe My Friends didn’t make that shortlist!
I’m gutted to read your thoughts on The Skin and Its Girl - that has been lingering on my tbr for well over a year and I thought it sounded great? I did enjoy Disoriental thought so maybe I need to just give it a go if they’re similar.
I have a copy of It Lasts Forever and Then It’s Over so I’m happy to see you singing its praise! I haven’t read a book about a zombie in a long long time and it’s a fantastical concept that I’m probably missing a bit in my usual genre rotations of frequently very serious stories.
Well done for reading the list! It can definitely be hard to keep momentum up when you’re doing it (I read international booker shortlist this year and by the end I felt I was going crazy and could not believe I’d subjected myself to it) I am definitely considering joining you for a few next year.
I can’t wait for your thoughts on 2666 (I’ve got my first Bolaño on my shelf (The Savage Detectives) to read soon) and your first Jon Fosse! I read A Shining earlier this year as my first Fosse. The experience of reading was something else - fascinating and confusing. I really want to read more of him though! I’m eyeing up Morning & Evening.
I so so wanted to love The Skin and Its Girl and was sad that it just didn't quite work for me. It just didn't have that drive to it that a good novel should have. But I think it's worth a try if you did like Disoriental to see what you think.
I think and hope you would like It Lasts Forever! The more I think about it the more I like it. Grief is a hard thing to write about though often attempted, and I think this rather strange take on it is quite effective.
It is such a labour of love doing one of these! I often consider doing the International booker. Or I even thought perhaps I should try a nonfiction prize at some point, the new Women's Prize one this year did intrigue me.
Grief is so hard to write about - and often not done well! The women’s non fic prize intrigued me too last year - there were some really interesting books on it that I still very much intend to read! I think I would read the international booker again, so perhaps we could tackle it together! I think companionship helps with these kinds of challenges.
Thanks 😁 some more book to add to my tbr!
This was a great roundup!
Great reviews. Reading about your reminiscences is also wonderful. You are a great writer, Jessie.