Booker reaction

I’m feeling a bit meh to be honest, maybe because I was expecting a book by book reveal video with the bookish community reacting in a live feed and got a reel & overloaded website instead.
But, I do not think that this is a longlist for me. There were too many mentions of turn-offs for me: funny or some version of it and even sport. The only thing missing was music. Give me dark and gloomy, please.
And yes, I know that a brief summary that I do not like might hide a beloved read but we are going by first impressions. Most likely everyone’s reactions and reviews will change which books catch my interest.
What I do enjoy is that the longlist feels so different from what I’ve seen in predictions. Did anyone get more than a couple? I predicted 2.

Books I’m interested in:
🇲🇾 The house of doors by Tan Twan Eng
🇳🇬 A spell of good things by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀
🇬🇧 In ascension by Martin MacInnes
🇬🇧 All the little bird-hearts by Viktoria Lloyd-Barlow

The house of doors and A spell of good things were on my prediction which was based on books that sparked my interest so no surprise there. In ascension I’ve seen around many times but I keep forgetting what it is about or confusing it with another book, reading the summary again it had me at sci fi and ocean depths. All the little-bird hearts caught my interest because of its focus on neurodivergent motherhood and I’m even more enthusiastic after finding out more about the author.

Maybe books for me:
🇺🇸 If I survive you by Jonathan Escoffery
🇮🇪 Old god’s time by Sebastian Barry

The other longlisters:
🇮🇪 The bee sting by Paul Murray
🇬🇧 Western lane by Chetna Maroo
🇮🇪 Prophet song by Paul Lynch
🇬🇧 Pearl by Siân Hughes
🇺🇸 This other Eden by Paul Harding
🇮🇪 How to build a boat by Elaine Feeney
🇨🇦 Study for obedience by Sarah Bernstein

From the judges’ comments I think Pearl is certain to make the shortlist and might even win.

Some statistics:
7 men / 6 women
7 countries as per boasting on Booker website – The author info is spotty at best but I think we are looking at Ireland 4, England & Scotland 4, USA 1, Canada 1, Malaysia 1, and Nigeria 1.

What have you read and what were your thoughts? What do you want to read? Is this a longlist that works for you?

Booker 2023 prediction post

This is my prediction list and it is very much a “oh this sounds interesting and I would read this first if I was a judge” list rather than an attempt to predict what the judges will select for longlist.

Just like International Booker has mostly western Europe on their list, Booker will have mostly UK, Ireland or USA on theirs. So my list below will definitley not happen. But I hope a few will make it, I feel especially strongly about Hungry Ghosts and The Covenant Of Water.

🇹🇹 Hungry ghosts by Kevin Jared Hosein
🇺🇸 Chain-gang All-stars by Nana Kwame Adeji-Brenyah
🇨🇦 A history of burning by Janika Oza
🇧🇦 🇺🇸 The world and all that it holds by Aleksandar Hemon
🇲🇾 The house of doors by Tan Twan Eng
🇳🇪 A spell of good things by Ayọ̀bámi Adébáyọ̀
🇺🇸 Biography of X by Catherine Lacey
🇮🇳 One small voice by Santanu Bhattacharya
🇮🇳 🇪🇹 🇺🇸 The covenant of water by Abraham Verghese
🇦🇺 The sun walks down by Fiona McFarlane
🇬🇧 Losing the plot by Derek Uwusu
🇵🇰 🇺🇸 When we were sisters by Fatimah Asghar
🇺🇸 🇮🇳 The East Indian by Brinda Charry
🇵🇰 The idle stance of the tippler pigeon by Safinah Danish Elahi

Although I’m enjoing the Booker enthusiasm I’m trying to not get swept away. Last year I read Small Things Like These, Booth and Trust. They were good but nothing spectacular for me.

I bought After Sappho, The Seven Moons Of Maali Almeida, Nightcrawling and Glory – books I believe I would like more. But as buying and reading are two separate hobbies of mine, these remain unread.

…

Emilie, seriously, do not buy more Booker books.

…

But these 4 do look pretty tempting. What if I read them in July and find that I really like them. Maybe I should only read the books that are my type of books. And then buy the rest if I finish them all.

Yes. We have entered full bargaining with oneself about book budget stage.

I do not get excited by yet another pretty reel from a literary award – but seeing a fellow reader contemplate predictions, buying, which books you love the most – it gets me every time.

Have you read any of these? Which is your favourite to make the longlist?

PS. And yes, there are 14 books on my list. I can do whatever I want.