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#womensprize
review
Hooked_on_books
Hangman: A Novel | Maya Binyam
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Mehso-so

I think Binyam was attempting social critique here and I appreciate that instinct, but the execution didn‘t work for me at all. While there were a couple places where I chuckled, the main character is so bumbling it just seemed silly and the critique fell flat. I‘m a bit disappointed this made the #womensprize for fiction list.

squirrelbrain This is bottom of my list so far. 6h
Hooked_on_books @squirrelbrain I can see why! It‘s a waste of a spot on the list. 6h
BarbaraBB This is the only one so far I didn‘t like. 5h
31 likes3 comments
review
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! 18h
Cathythoughts Great review 👏🏻❤️ I have it stacked already X 15h
55 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
Deblovestoread
Enter Ghost | Isabella Hammad
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Pickpick

Another great read from the #WomensPrize longlist. A story of connection to family, work, homeland and navigating that in difficult circumstances.

Cuilin Glad to hear this as I have it on my Libby list. Looks like a long wait though. 21h
48 likes1 stack add1 comment
review
Leniverse
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Mehso-so

Compelling story in a messy format with a superfluous framing device. In parts horrendously brutal with terrible things done to girls and women in war time, but fortunately the book moves on too quickly to linger on graphic detail. While I'm sure some version of everything in this book happened to people, there's no way they all happened to one person. The MC is one badass survivor though.

#WomensPrize2024 #WomensPrize

MicheleinPhilly I‘m going to skip this one for sure (she says like she‘s actually reading the longlist 😇.) 2d
Leniverse @MicheleinPhilly That's how I think about the non-fiction list and the international booker 😂 2d
29 likes2 comments
review
TheKidUpstairs
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Pickpick

Ultimately a pick, because I didn't want to stop reading. We are presented with the story of an enigmatic, intelligent, resourceful, resilient woman and her life in North and South Korea throughout the 20th century. At turns playful and cruel, beautiful and heart breaking, the narrative jumps through time like the titular Trickster, teasing the reader and questioning truth.

Cont'd in comments

TheKidUpstairs Unfortunately, this excellent and engaging core is jammed into a narrative framework that never quite fits. It seems to strain to contain the lives it holds, muddling the waters rather than bringing everything into a cohesive unit.

I can see why it made the #WomensPrize longlist, and Mirinae Lee is definitely one to watch, but what was a beautiful interconnected story collection became something less by forcing it into a novel.
4d
squirrelbrain Great review - you said everything I wanted to say in my review but couldn‘t articulate! How are you getting on with the rest of the list? (Other than returning Blue 🤪) 4d
TheKidUpstairs @squirrelbrain I don't think I'm going to be reading the whole thing this year. I keep getting distracted by other things I want to read 🤣 I've read 4 so far, and I still really want to read Brotherless Night and Enter Ghost. But other than that I may just wait for the Shortlist. I'm giving myself permission not to overcommit to Prize lists this year and only read the ones that really grab me! 4d
See All 7 Comments
squirrelbrain Brotherless Night is my favourite so far - I‘m saving Enter Ghost (and In Defence) for the end of the list as I hope it‘s going to be another fave. 4d
BarbaraBB Your review sounds encouraging. I wasn‘t really drawn to the book so far but will move it up my list! 4d
TheKidUpstairs @squirrelbrain I've seen universally rave reviews so far. I am eagerly and impatiently awaiting my library holds for both! 3d
TheKidUpstairs @BarbaraBB It's definitely worth reading, and it's a quick read too! 3d
52 likes7 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Bailedbailed

It‘s official…I‘m going to be a non-completist of this year‘s #womensprize for fiction!

The first 20% of this was OK then it lost me completely. I looked it up on GR to see if I could glean any clues, only to learn that it‘s book 3 in a series. (Although some called it a ‘companion piece‘ not a sequel and others said it stood alone just as easily).

I also read that there was a glossary of characters in the back so I thought that might be ⬇️

squirrelbrain …helpful. Still makes no sense to me - see the pic above and there were over 80 names listed in this manner, although some appeared to be worlds rather than people and some were repeated with slightly different information. 🤯 I‘m also not keen on books that include ‘world-building‘ (not a fantasy fan - sorry! 😬) and when the world has apparently been built in the previous books, then no! 4d
TheKidUpstairs I just returned this one unread because I wasn't going to get to it any time soon. Now I don't feel bad about prioritizing other reads! 4d
Centique That sounds like a sensible choice! 4d
See All 8 Comments
BarbaraBB Thanks for making clear that I don‘t need to read this one! 4d
TrishB I don‘t like space stuff so this wasn‘t looking promising to me! Bail away 😁 4d
youneverarrived Sounds like you made the right choice in bailing 😬 4d
Deblovestoread So glad to know the particulars. Thank you! 3d
Hooked_on_books Oh wow, book 3? That‘s challenging for sure. 3d
58 likes8 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
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ChaoticMissAdventures
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This weekend we read pink! Weekend reads trying to keep moving with #womensprize books while also participating in the #transrightsreadathon.

batsy Great covers! 6d
DimeryRene Happy to see another participant!!! 🏳️‍⚧️🎉 6d
ChaoticMissAdventures @DimeryRene I love this week! I read Trans authors throughout the year but this week really pushes me to look for new things. What are you excited to read during the readathlon? 5d
27 likes3 comments
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

This #womensprize long listed novel apparently started life as a series of short stories and, part-way through the book, this was an issue for me and I even considered bailing.

The ‘8 lives‘ are arranged non-chronologically which makes for a more challenging reading experience and the initial set-up seemed rather tacked-on.

However, towards the end, everything drew together satisfactorily and my opinion changed to a pick.

BarbaraBB You‘ve got all the books I think? Enjoy! (edited) 6d
78 likes2 stack adds1 comment
review
squirrelbrain
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Pickpick

I actually really liked this, which surprised me as there had been some mixed reviews on Litsy, so I had considered waiting until the #womensprize shortlist came out before reading it.

I particularly liked where the author pointed out all of the omissions in Orwell‘s work, where he‘d left out Eileen to suit his own narrative.

I didn‘t like the author infrequently inserting her own life into the book - either go all in or not at all!

Hooked_on_books I really liked this, too, and fully expected not to! 3d
72 likes1 comment