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#BookerLonglist
In the beginning, I was hooked! Loved the commentary on interpreting and words, appreciated the immigrant experience and differences between the MC and her husband. But then towards the middle it was difficult for me to stay involved…was this purposeful? I lost interest instead of figuring out where Xhoga was taking us. And that ending..not sure I fully grasped that. But that cover is striking!

I agree with those who‘ve compared this to Birnam Wood at the start with that long form essay. Then readers get the background story on how that piece came to be. A satire, I suppose, of the way media distorts and public opinion is sculpted. Also, a very “of the moment” read. I thought it was fine but worry I am missing something to make it worthy of such praise. Another from the #BookerLonglist that was fine, but not as great as I‘d hoped.

#BookerLonglist
I regret listening to the audio instead of reading the print because I think I‘d have enjoyed the read. Instead, my mind wandered with the scenes — past vs present? Who‘s speaking? That said, I did love the set up and setting. I came away disappointed though, as I just wasn‘t able to connect with the characters in this format.

A Ukrainian woman seeking to find snails before they become extinct & two sisters participating in the bridal tourism industry meet up & become embroiled in a journey with 13 men they‘ve abducted & placed in their mobile van. In the middle of the story things change, the Russian invasion begins, and the author begins to speak of her ancestry and her feelings about the invasion. Then we return to the story already in progress. A five star read.

#BookerLonglist #3

I really liked Szalay‘s other books but I can‘t make much of this one.
István doesn‘t live his life, it just happens to him. He doesn‘t make choices or decisions. He just says okay to everything that is decided for him. There‘s just one time he does takes action, and it changes the course of his life. Yet it doesn‘t have any real impact on him or on me as a reader. So. Not very impressed.

And can someone explain the title?

#bookerlonglist #12

I loved this epic, character driven chunkster. Louisa goes walking on a Japanese beach with her father one night. Sometime later Louisa is found, barely alive. Her father is never found.

We look back at their lives, and those of other peripheral characters, & also at the post-war history of Japan / Korea and China, a period of time I don‘t know much about and found fascinating.

At the top of my list, alongside Seascraper.

#BookerLonglist
What a wild ride! It burrowed into my brain in the best ways, made me think, and then every once in a while dealt a fierce punch to the heart. This kind of mutli-genre novel can be a very tricky tightrope and requires special talent to manage, esp. when you bring in elements of metafiction and autofiction. Reva accomplishes an impressive feat, like Percival Everett says in his blurb “I like it when a book is smarter than me!“ cont

#bookerlonglist #11

I found the first half of the book really compelling and intriguing, with the mix of marriage-bureau and saving the snails. (sounds odd but kind-of works!)

I also liked the meta-fiction elements, where the author inserts her own thoughts on the Ukraine war into the storyline.

Later on, it all started to get a bit dis-jointed and I didn‘t think the author quite nailed the ending.

A truly lovely book about a boy who scrapes the sea for shrimp and then meets a man who promises him Hollywood. The setting and scenery are drawn out so well, Thomas Flett is quite a special boy and the ending is… wow. Do visit the website mentioned at the end of the book 🎶

#Bookerlonglist #2

Nothing about this book appealed to me: the blurb, the cover art, the manly-man feel. But then it began popping up on “best of the year so far” lists. Finally, after it made the #bookerlonglist I said fine, I‘ll give it a go. Was it low expectations that helped propel this into a surprise hit for me?! I careened through the life of Istvan, after meeting him at 14 engaging in lots of sex, then throughout his career and life. Tragic, mundane, fab.⬇️