Oct 8
Land of Milk and Honey by C Pam Zhang
UK Publication: September 2023
Reviewed by: Book Worm
Rating: [★★★]
This ARC was provided by Random House UK (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
It’s the end of the world as we know it…
The Witches of Vardø by Anya Bergman read by Sofia Engstrand
UK Publication: January 2023
Reviewed by: Book Worm
Rating: [★★★]
This ARC was provided by Bonnier UK Audio, Manilla Pres (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
F**k the patriarchy!
Oct 2
Once A Monster by Robert Dinsdale
UK Publication: September 2023
Reviewed by: Book Worm
Rating: [★★★★]
This ARC was provided by Pan Macmillan (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
Two word review- Monstrously Good
This months winners and losers or as it really is…this months 3 star reads
Sep 29
September and our world trip took us to one of the largest countries in the world…
Upon A Frosted Star by M.A. Kuzniar
UK Publication: September 2023
Reviewed by: Book Worm
Rating: [★★★]
This ARC was provided by HQ (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
One Word Review – Enchanting
Sep 20
The time has come for our shortlist predictions. We’ve spent the last few months reading all the longlist books and rating the nominees. Keep reading to see which books topped our collective list and what panelists picked as their personal predictions.
Read moreEvery year when our panel reads the longlist, we rate each book on several categories including writing, originality, plot development, character development, and enjoyment. This year each of our panelists will pick their favorite book for specific to each category and a few other new categories. Later this afternoon we will post our predictions.
Jen’s overall thoughts: This year’s list was a mess. I was at a loss as to why half the books made the list. I also hated the fact that so many books were similar with respect to their predominant themes of parental loss, abuse, trauma. For me, the Booker prize is an opportunity to showcase top literature published in english. And that list should include books that capture or highlight our current time so that when we look back on prior lists we can see how those books reflect current literature (whether they pushed literary boundaries with style or content or whether they described and connected the reader to our current socio-political world). Did any of these books really push the boundaries with respect to literary style, approach, content? How many of these books will be memorable or become classics? Honestly, I’ve already forgotten the details of half of them.
How many of the longlist books did you read: All of them. I had to speed read my way through Bee Sting and Prophet Song which was a bit challenging.
Best writing: Old God’s Time
Most original: In Ascension
Best Plot development: The House of Doors
Best Character development: All the Little Bird Hearts
Most enjoyable read: The House of Doors & All the Little Bird Hearts. I loved them equally.
Least enjoyable read: The Study for Obedience
Which book would you want to read again? Study for Obedience. I hated the writing style but this book was the most dense in terms of meaning and themes for reflection and thus merits a second read.
Book Worm’s overall thoughts
How many of the longlist books did you read: All of them
Best writing: – All the Little Bird Hearts
Most original – Prophet Song
Best Plot development – Old God’s Time
Best Character development – The Bee Sting
Most enjoyable read – House of Doors
Least enjoyable read – In Ascension
Which book would you want to read again? All the Little Bird Hearts
Nicole’s overall thoughts
Best writing: Pearl
Most original: House of Doors
Best Plot development: House of Doors
Best Character development: Really hard to stay … They’ve sort of run together
Most enjoyable read: Pearl
Least enjoyable read: This Other Eden
Which book would you want to read again? Pearl
Adding my own category – haha – Most terrifying: Prophet Song
Tracy’s overall thoughts: What a strange longlist! I’m not sure I’d call this the best representation of English language fiction this past year, but there were a few gems I’d never have read otherwise.
How many of the longlist books did you read: All but Bee Sting
Best writing: Study for Obedience and Pearl
Most original: How to Build a Boat
Best Plot development: House of Doors and A Spell of Good Things
Best Character development: All the Little Bird Hearts
Most enjoyable read: Pearl
Least enjoyable read: In Ascension and This Other Eden
Which book would you want to read again? Study for Obedience
Sep 19
Our final book on the longlist is Prophet Song by Paul Lynch. Lynch is an internationally acclaimed Irish novelist who has published five novels, winning several awards in the process. Prophet Song is his fifth novel.
Synopsis from Booker Prize website: On a dark, wet evening in Dublin, scientist and mother-of-four Eilish Stack answers her front door to find the GNSB on her doorstep. Two officers from Ireland’s newly formed secret police want to speak with her husband.
Things are falling apart. Ireland is in the grip of a government that is taking a turn towards tyranny. And as the blood-dimmed tide is loosed, Eilish finds herself caught within the nightmare logic of a collapsing society – assailed by unpredictable forces beyond her control and forced to do whatever it takes to keep her family together.
You can purchase a copy of the book here
Keep reading to find out how our panellists rated this book.
Entering the home stretch, our next book is The Bee Sting by Paul Murray. Paul Murray is an Irish author who is no stranger to the Booker Prize. His novel, Skippy Dies was long listed for the Booker in 2010.
Synopsis taken from the Booker Prize website: Dickie’s once-lucrative car business is going under – but rather than face the music, he’s spending his days in the woods, building an apocalypse-proof bunker. His exasperated wife Imelda is selling off her jewellery on eBay while half-heartedly dodging the attentions of fast-talking cattle farmer Big Mike.
Meanwhile, teenage daughter Cass, formerly top of her class, seems determined to binge-drink her way to her final exams. And 12-year-old PJ, in debt to local sociopath ‘Ears’ Moran, is putting the final touches to his grand plan to run away.
Yes, in Paul Murray’s brilliant tragicomic saga, the Barnes family is definitely in trouble. So where did it all go wrong? And if the story has already been written – is there still time to find a happy ending?
You can purchase a copy of the book here
Keep reading to find out how our panelists rated this book.
Read more
Nicole Del Sesto
The Reader's Room 
