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#irishliterature
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jlhammar
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Pickpick

“There is no secret, Tom, or else there are hundreds of them, and none of them interesting enough for you. The secret is that we‘re a family, we‘re just an ordinary family, with ordinary unhappiness like yours.”

Propulsive and poignant family drama. Insightful, impactful writing. An impressive work of literary fiction. Great start to my #WomensPrize reading!

BarbaraBB I started the longlist too with this one and what a great start it was! 21h
Cathythoughts Great review 👏🏻❤️ I have it stacked already X 19h
56 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Hooked_on_books
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Pickpick

I think this book is a good example of “most people lead lives of quiet desperation.” We follow the current events of this family while learning the background of several characters during a tragic event. What I actually liked most was the setting that was shown but not remarked upon: the reality of poverty, the removal of women‘s choices, the prejudice of living in a land not your own. Worthy contestant for the Women‘s Prize for Fiction.

59 likes4 stack adds5 comments
review
AnneCecilie
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Pickpick

1990, a 3 yr old girl is found dead. The suspicion falls on a 10 yr old girl. A journalist that‘s in the area when it happens, decides to take advantage of this and puts the family in a hotel to get exclusive access to them. His talks with the grandfather, uncle and mother uncovers a divided family with alcohol problems and neglect. Prejudice and assumptions also play a role in the society‘s allegations.

I feel like I raced through this one

Suet624 Great review! 4d
Tamra I was on the fence about this, but your review is motivating me to stack it. 😄 4d
See All 6 Comments
AnneCecilie @Suet624 thank you 😊 3d
AnneCecilie @Tamra thank you. I know the blurb make is sound like a crime/ thriller, but this a family study. Hope you like it, when you get to it 😊 3d
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 3d
63 likes1 stack add6 comments
review
BarbaraBB
Soldier Sailor | Claire Kilroy
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Pickpick

The narrator doesn‘t recognize herself in the woman‘s she used to be before she became a fulltime mother. It drives her mad but she‘s also madly in love with her little son Sailor. Her husband is worthless, doing nothing to share the responsibilities for their baby, he is just working and living his life. And loving her. But is it enough?

A very recognizable read about the struggles and blessings of motherhood. #womenprize

squirrelbrain Great review! 5d
Chelsea.Poole I‘m looking forward to this one. 😊 5d
BarbaraBB @Chelsea.Poole It‘ll probably bring back some memories for you too 😀 5d
See All 9 Comments
TrishB I have this on the pile! 5d
sarahbarnes You‘re doing a much better job selling me on the books on the long list this year than the organizers did. Another one I may have to try! 😁 5d
BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes i read just a few but (except for Hangman) they are all really good 🤷🏻‍♀️😀 5d
sarahbarnes Very good to know. I‘ve added this one and Enter Ghost to my library order. Are there others you really liked, too? 5d
BarbaraBB @sarahbarnes Yes, my absolute favorite so far is 4d
72 likes3 stack adds9 comments
review
mjtwo
Antarctica | Claire Keegan
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Pickpick

28 Feb-18 Mar 24
I really like Clare Keegan‘s writing. Some of these stories caught my attention more than others. But I always find short stories frustrating. If they are engaging, I inevitably want to know more.
There were a few standouts in this collection: the title story, Antarctica, which was a little shocking, the story about the family attending the town dance. But ultimately I prefer Keegan‘s novellas, still short but more complete.

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BarbaraBB
Soldier Sailor | Claire Kilroy
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I remember this feeling so well! #motherhood

Megabooks 💜 💜 5d
AmyG Yep. Sounds right. I had twins after my first….and didn‘t even have room for feelings other than exhaustion. 5d
kspenmoll Yes.🩷 5d
CarolynM Oh yes! 14h
64 likes4 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

I chose to read this #womensprize nominee next as I didn‘t think I‘d like it, and I‘m saving the ‘better‘ books for later… 🤪

I haven‘t read any of Enright‘s other work, but I understand that women‘s intergenerational trauma is a theme in her writing. This book also includes a male POV as we hear from an impoverished poet who abandons his family, his daughter Carmel, and her daughter Nell.

Won‘t be my fave on the list but better than expected!

Hooked_on_books That‘s great! Sometimes it‘s good to have low expectations going in! 😉 6d
Megabooks This was just okay for me. Maybe my expectations were too high! 😆 😆 5d
74 likes2 stack adds2 comments
review
MicheleinPhilly
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Pickpick

This was a sneaky little bugger. Presents as a straightforward mystery but is really a heartbreaking portrait of a family suffering from addiction, poverty, abuse, and neglect. I could have easily read about them for another 200 pages. #womensprizeforfiction

charl08 Looking forward to picking this one up! 6d
kbuggle Just finished this on audio, and wish I‘d read it in print.. it didn‘t translate as something I really enjoyed, but feel like it may have, if it hadn‘t been narrated. 6d
Cathythoughts Great review. I have this stacked , I must get to it 👍🏻♥️ 6d
BarbaraBB Great review. Such a lovely book. 6d
sarahbarnes On my list. 4d
53 likes4 stack adds5 comments
review
Deblovestoread
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Pickpick

It‘s hard to say I enjoyed this book because it is so full of hurt, so full of ordinary human failings. It‘s raw and unflinching in its portrayal of a family who experience a horrific event, going back to the beginning and thru to the other side. 4.5 🌟

#WomensPrizeLonglist.

BarbaraBB Great review. An impressive book indeed. 1w
60 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
Chelsea.Poole
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Pickpick

Perfect St Patrick‘s Day reading: three generations of an Irish family share a connection but are largely absent from each other. There‘s famous poet Phil, the patriarch who leaves his family, his stalwart daughter Carmel, and her daughter Nell, a twenty-something trying to find herself. Nell feels a deep connection with her grandfather and his work. I started the audio but connected much easier on the page and ended up loving this.

willaful Huh, I hadn't thought about it but my book today is also perfect. 2w
98 likes5 stack adds1 comment