InternationalBookerPrize2023

Evening!

For the first (& possibly last) time EVER, I‘ve read all of the books on the #InternationalBookerPrize2023 shortlist. I have, however, been spectacularly rubbish at leaving reviews here recently, so here are my short thoughts.

Gospel: By Maryse Condé, but I really didn‘t get it at all. Probable winner, then.
Standing Heavy: The most enjoyable. The inner lives of immigrant security guards in Paris. Fab.
Boulder: Readable but…

rockpools I stopped caring half-way through.
Whale: Some ride!
Still Born: Memorable and hard-hitting. Well worth a spot on the list.
Time Shelter: Big Ideas. Not really my thing (too much timeywimeyness), but it won me round. I think this‘ll be really popular.

I may catch up with reviews here eventually. In the meantime you can see reviews for all the longlist on @BookwormM s blog at
https://thereadersroom.org 2y

RaeLovesToRead I'm thinking about getting Whale, and Time Shelter... I love the idea of, "I didn't get it, so it'll probably win" ?? 2y

rockpools @RaeLovesToRead Not that I‘m encouraging you to buy more books, Rae, but I think you‘ll like Time Shelter. And Whale is straight-up out-there. (I don‘t know who to recommend it to! It‘s epic and OTT.) 2y

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rockpools @RaeLovesToRead And with the exception of last year (which was an AMAZING list and a BRILLIANT winner), my experience of the International Booker is largely ‘Eh??!‘ I don‘t know how I‘ve ended up so committed to it. 2y

JamieArc @rockpools That‘s exactly how I feel about the Booker Prize! And since I can‘t afford to spend two different seasons reading books I get so ambivalent about, I don‘t follow the Int‘l Booker Prize 😂 2y

JamieArc Standing Heavy sounds really good though. I‘ll probably check that one out. We had to read Conde for grad school, so I am guessing I wouldn‘t actually enjoy reading it for fun 😂 2y

rockpools @JamieArc 😂I don‘t follow the ‘big‘ Booker for that same reason! One month of this is enough! But I do always find some gems I‘d never have read on my own, amongst the ickety stuff.And Standing Heavy is done with a really light touch. I loved it. 2y

JamieArc @rockpools I agree - I‘ve also found some gems, which is why I can‘t give it up! 2y

BarbaraBB How impressive you read them all already! You must miss @Simona during this time! Thanks for the short notes. I will be trying to read the shortlist the upcoming months. I‘m pretty pleased with it I guess! 2y

rockpools @BarbaraBB I do miss @Simona - we had loads of fun with this last year. Hope you enjoy the list - it‘s a pretty good selection, and there are a couple on here I‘d love to get your take on. 2y

batsy That's great that you've read it all. I was super disappointed that Is Mother Dead (the only one I read) didn't make the shortlist. Barring Standing Heavy, all the books I was especially interested in didn't make the shortlist 😬 2y

BookwormM I only managed 2 from the shortlist arrrggghhh another heavy reading month and non of my library requests are showing any hint of arriving. Is it bad that I can‘t remember last years list at all 🤣🤣 2y

rockpools @BookwormM Oh no! I was so impressed at how many your library had - mine had precisely zero. Maybe they‘re just more up front about things! Scribd had Gospel and Boulder if you can do that - I know it‘s not great on the eyes tho. 2y

rockpools @BookwormM And you MUST remember last year! Elena, (loved) Tomb of Sand (loved) Jacob (an experience!), plus other stuff that I can‘t remember. Do you do audio ever? 2y

rockpools @batsy I still have to read Mother - couldn‘t get hold of an affordable copy. I didn‘t get to Birthday Party or the one with the name I don‘t remember- A Something of Blinding Significance? - either. Which were you hoping to see on there? 2y

batsy @rockpools Bummed about Mother and also Pyre (was psyched to see Tamil literature in translation represented and wanted it to go far!) Also The Birthday Party just sounds so good. I've been meaning to give Conde a try but I'm worried that this might not be my cup of tea (it sounds like it could veer a bit twee?) 2y

rockpools @batsy Pyre was on my shortlist- surprised it didn‘t make it. Really good. I wouldn‘t describe the Condé as twee exactly- more… nothing. I just didn‘t get what it was doing. So yes, I think starting with another of hers might be a good idea! 2y

BookwormM @batsy Birthday Party did not live up to the description 🤣🤣 2y

BookwormM @rockpools omg 😱 how did I forget Elena was a BI book . And yes since the eye operations I have fallen in love with audio books (edited) 2y

batsy @BookwormM 😅 2y

Centique Legendary! 🙌 2y

rockpools @Centique 😂😂 Hi Paula, how are things? 2y

rockpools @BookwormM If ever you need to buy any (rather than waiting for nonexistent library copies) take a look at xigxag. It‘s UK-only, so of limited interest to the rest of the translated-fiction audiobook-listening crowd (!) but they‘re all Qf.99 (which is as good as it gets for audio, I think), Cornwall-based, no subscription and have just done a deal with Fitzcarraldo so are getting lots of those. 2y

BookwormM Great info thanks. Kobo have launched a subscription service and they have ebooks of all the ones I need to read 2y

rockpools @BookwormM oh that‘s interesting- I‘d missed that. Would much prefer to read on Kobo than Scribd (which ends up being my phone…) Will take a look for future. 2y

Centique @rockpools all good thank you Rachel! Thanks for whittling down the list for me, I have picked two to go on my TBR from your short list 👍 2y

Centique @rockpools Still Born and Time Shelter 2y

rockpools @Centique perfect! At this point in time I‘d like Still Born to win. And I think you‘ll like time Shelter. 2y

BookwormM It popped up on my Kobo over the weekend 2y

BookwormM I was wrong Kobo doesn‘t have Gospel and my library hold is still not moving arrgghh 2y

BookwormM In other news all my library holds for the longlist that didnt make the shortlist are on the way 🤦‍♀️ 2y

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batsy

Is Mother Dead | Vigdis Hjorth

pick

"Marguerite Duras writes somewhere that every mother in every childhood represents madness. That your mother is and always will be the strangest person you will ever meet, I think she's right." I'll be thinking about this book for a long time. It feels so personal and is filled with disconcerting insights about the protagonist's estranged, disturbed "relationship" with her mother. Another person's mind is always the most chilling mystery.

batsy This is a novel of interiors that holds up a mirror to a troubled psyche. Johanna is an artist who for some reason has long since lost contact with her family, & who is now back at her home town. Her father is dead & her mother refuses to speak to her; her sister sends her terse messages that revolve around telling her to stay away. It is filled with beautiful descriptions of nature & chilling revelations that feel emotionally true. So good. 2y

batsy #InternationalBookerPrize2023 #InternationalBooker 2y

Cathythoughts Great review 👏🏻 I usually shy away from the International Booker books , but I‘m stacking this one. Love that quote about the mother being the strangest person you‘ll ever meet. ❤️ 2y

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batsy @Cathythoughts Thanks, Cathy! It is such an interesting book and yes, that quote really struck me. Her style is very different but the story reminds me of Dostoevsky a bit, in that the "thriller" aspect is related to the psyche and is wholly psychological. 2y

sarahbarnes Great review! I‘m looking forward to reading this one! 2y

erzascarletbookgasm I‘m intrigued, and stacking. Great review! 2y

Suet624 Sounds so interesting! 2y

batsy @sarahbarnes Thank you! I hope you like it. I'm not sure what I was expecting from this going in but it was so unexpected. I initially found the style (excessive comma splices) a bit weird, but then you sort of get into the rhythm of the narrator's thoughts. 2y

batsy @erzascarletbookgasm Thanks, Jessie! 2y

batsy @Suet624 A book that made me sit up and think hard, lol. I'm keen to read her other books. 2y

sarahbarnes Thank you! The topic is definitely something I‘m drawn to. And appreciate the heads up on the style. 2y

batsy @sarahbarnes I'm glad I said something of use there because I just realised I typed, "I didn't know what I was expecting but it was unexpected" which isn't helpful at all, sorry ? 2y

sarahbarnes I sort of talk like that most of the time so it made perfect sense to me. 😂 2y

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batsy

Pyre | Perumal Murugan

Here I go again... 😅 #InternationalBookerPrize2023 #InternationalBooker

sarahbarnes Omg yes 😂😂 2y

Lindy I feel you 😁 2y

MicheleinPhilly 🤣🤣🤣 2y

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batsy @sarahbarnes @Lindy @MicheleinPhilly 😆 2y

LeahBergen 😆😆 2y

Aimeesue 😂😂😂 2y

batsy @LeahBergen @Aimeesue I'll never learn 🙈 2y

rockpools 😂😂 Loads I hadn‘t heard of! Any particular taking your fancy? 2y

batsy @rockpools The tagged book and Mauvignier and Nettel! Merve Emre who was last year's judge and a few others were raving about the Mauvignier so I'm super curious. I've also seen twitter buzz for the underdog in there, Standing Heavy by GauZ. And I have Bricks and Mortar by Clemens Myer (that I've yet to read 🙈) so I also had this one on my radar. 2y

Centique So funny and so true! 2y

ju.ca.no Accurate 😅 2y

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rockpools

Untitled | Unknown

Happy Sunday!

I thought I‘d get some predictions in for the #InternationalBookerPrize2023. And then put them on a ridiculously cheerful springlike not-remotely-dark backdrop - because obviously that‘s what IBP books call for.

The longlist lands on Tuesday, when we‘ll discover
1. I‘m wildly wrong about everything
2. I‘ve read none
3. The list is way grimmer than mine
4. And has least 3 chunksters!

Anyone else attempting the longlist this year?

BookwormM

rockpools Disclaimer: it‘s entirely possible that a couple of these aren‘t even eligible. I *think* they‘re all in with a shot, but 🤷🏻‍♀️ 2y

batsy Lol re: cheerful backdrop 😆 I will once again with great enthusiasm attempt the longlist (& probably only end up reading two or something, as per my personal tradition!) 2y

TrishB We‘ll watch for your big reveal! 2y

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Suet624 After attempting to read the tournament of books selections I usually find I want to read my TBR pile. One year I‘ll switch it up and read booker books instead. 2y

squirrelbrain I agree with you @Suet624 - although I‘m reading the Women‘s Prize longlist now instead. 🤦‍♀️ 2y

Suet624 @squirrelbrain haha. Great idea. That may actually be more to my liking. 2y

MicheleinPhilly @batsy 💯% me when I take on any reading challenge. 2y

BarbaraBB I don‘t know any of your predictions but I am looking forward to the longlist. I will definitely read some, but probably not all. I hope our friend @Simona will tune in to share her recommendations with us! 2y

rockpools @Suet624 @squirrelbrain There are loads i fancy reading on the Women‘s Prize list this year - but I never get to them because the timing‘s so close to this one. I wish they‘d spread themselves out a little! And I think I‘m going to let you read all the Women‘s Prize list, Helen, then I‘ll read the ones you recommend 😊 2y

rockpools @batsy Yay! To be fair, I don‘t think I ever get to half of them - but it‘s fun trying! 2y

rockpools @TrishB It‘ll probably be a big ⁉️😵‍💫🤯 - that‘s how it usually works! 2y

rockpools @MicheleinPhilly 😂 I think this is the only one I make decent inroads into. Everything else fizzles very early on 😕 2y

rockpools @BarbaraBB In truth, I never do read all of them. But I‘m hoping for a head-start with some I‘ve already read this year (never going to happen). And yes, we miss you @Simona 😘 2y

squirrelbrain If either of the Pereine books make the list, let me know as I have them and I can send them to you. Haven‘t read them of course! 🤣 2y

rockpools @squirrelbrain 😂😂Thank you! I actually have Of Saints… Bet you can‘t guess whether *I‘ve* read it! Had great plans to get through all the possibles on my shelves before Tuesday - and got distracted by a swashbuckling historical murder-mystery with a healthy dose of economic history. As one does… 2y

BookwormM Love the cheerful background so ironic 2y

BookwormM Can you email me your list as my eyes can‘t read some in your photo. Back on steroid eye drops again 😪 2y

rockpools @BookwormM Oh, I‘m so sorry! And actually there are a few horrible photos there. I‘ll email it over now. 2y

rockpools Body Kintsugi by Senka Marić, tr. Celia Hawkesworth
Of Saints and Miracles by Manuel Astur tr. Claire Wadie
Still Born by Guadalupe Nettel, tr. Rosalind Harvey
The Private Lives of Trees by Alejandro Zambra tr. Megan McDowell
Tell Me About It by Sacha Naspini, tr. Clarissa Botsford
Whale by Cheon Myeong-Kwan, tr. Chi-Young Kim 2y

rockpools Greek Lessons by Han Kang, tr. Deborah Smith and Emily Yae-Won
Is There Rush Hour in a Third World Country by Rogelio Braga, te. Kristine Ong Muslim
Call Me Cassandra by Marcial Gala, tr. Anna Kushner
Salt Crystals by Cristina Bendek, tr. Robin Myers
So Distant from My Life by Monique Ilboudo, tr. Yarri Kamara
Thread Ripper by Amalie Smith, tr. Jennifer Russell
Chinatown by Thuan, tr. Nguyen An Li 2y

Centique I love hearing your reports back on the International Booker. You are a great source of reccs! Will be exciting to see if your early picks make it. 2y

Suet624 Thanks for typing that list out. Screenshot it. 2y

rockpools @Centique Aw, thank you Paula 😊. We‘re reviewing over on the https://thereadersroom.org/ if you want 3 times as many predictions (we only agreed on one, and I still have no idea how to review it! 🐳) Very much looking forward to tomorrow‘s longlist. I‘m the most prepared I‘ve ever been, so they‘re bound to be 12 books I‘ve never even heard of, plus maybe one I dislike 👎 intensely. 2y

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