The videos I've seen that have said "Enter Ghost" is on the list because it's political are so frustrating. It's an incredible read - if occupation is political then yes it's political, but I think the claim takes away from the mastery of Isabella Hammad. It's been one of my favourite books of the year so far, and it's seems that it's primarily racialized authors that seem to get that critique. Appreciate you pointing out the flaws with that type of argument. We are in an age when the opposite is happening (think Minor Detail.)
I enjoyed Night Bloom, I think a lot of people will like it. There's not many that are immediately appealing to me but I'll see how I feel after hearing more reviews.
I am overall excited by this list. Like you said it has such a great range of places & perspectives. There will no doubt be DNF’s but that always happens as we are all such different readers. Happy reading Mercedes 📚😊
Loved this! I was really surprised by the list but I do love the diversity of it and it doesn’t feel like any two are the same. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on them!
I had you idea as well of reading as many eligible books and like you it didn’t pan out haha. I was really shocked by the list but it is exciting and am having a go at all of them.
Good to hear your thoughts on the list! I hadnt really looked into it but interested in the alicia elliot and Enter Ghost. And agree - great to have such a diverse list. Siân xx
One of the things I like best about The Giller Prize is you know all of the submissions ahead of time. It does add to the excitement. I still don’t predict very accurately but it’s fun to try. I hope to read And Then She Fell, The Wren The Wren, Soldier Sailor and In Defense of the Act. I think I would try any of them really. Agree about the diversity too. 😊💙
Ohhh, yes, that is cool. I'd want to base my whole years reading on the submissions 🤣 It must be so interesting to see what books the publishers decide gives them the best shot of being longlisted.
I appreciate your thoughtful, positive reaction to the Longlist, given how disappointed/negative a lot of people have been. I am looking forward to reading a lot of these.
I was waiting for your reaction. I liked Western Lane, even though I don’t usually enjoy books about sports. I am looking forward to reading Enter Ghost.
I completely agree about the title and cover of 8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster, though the novel itself seems interesting. In general, I hope some the books get better covers because of the prize.
The editing in the bit “I don’t like books about squash” had me DEAD 😂 I also didn’t include that one in my TBR for the same reason. I see you are currently reading And Then She Fell, would you say it is very scary? Cause it’s in my list but I didn’t realize it’s categorized as a horror novel and I am a scaredy cat 👀 anyway there are so many books that sound super intriguing, this is the first year I am really considering reading most of them
Hahaha, yeah, it was an unplanned awkward edit 😂I don't think And Then She Fell is very scary so far but the descriptions can be a bit gory. There's bits where she hallucinates people's skin melting or loads of blood 🤢
Mercedes, I felt exactly the same when I first saw the cover for Nightbloom. Then seeing the hardback on the women's prize list, I felt a lot more interested in reading it. I try not to judge a book by its cover, but clearly sometimes I do. Loved your reactions. Thoughtful and intelligent, as always.
Love the new backdrop, im also feeling uninspired by the Kate Grenville and The Maiden. Im trying all the books so hopefully will find one or two good ones!
Interesting discussion about the cover of the book. The Australian cover of The Restless Dolly Mauder is very different (it's taken from an actual photo of Kate's grandmother) and the story is in no way twee. It's a reimagining of her Grandmother's difficult life from her grandmother's point of view. Keeping in mind that Kate Grenville didn't feel particularly close nor like her grandmother when she knew her. My Grandmother is almost from the next generation from Kate's (Mine would have been 20 years younger) and her restless life had some similarities. I thought it was a very good inclusion on the list. I've also listened to River East River West and Western Lane on audiobook and looking at reading Brotherless Night next. Happy Reading.
Isabella Hammad is an excellent writer. I'm always marvelled at how different US covers are from UK covers. I usually lean towards UK covers. They are prettier. Agreed, Brotherless Night sounded great on audio. Yes the best thing about the list is exactly what you said. I might try the Wren, The Wren because it's on audio on Everand.
I just think that with the volume of novels published every year, even having an awareness of 50 possible titles that could be long listed leaves so many more possibilities.
I’ve only read two on the list The Wren , The Wren Ordinary Human Failings I’m in the middle of listening to a third Solider , Sailor It’s part of my TBR for #irishreadathon Loads of books I’ve never heard of. Since there are 3 Irish books on the list one is bound to be on the shortlist. My prediction is that Enter Ghost will win. I recommend audio for The Wren, The Wren. Ann Enright reads the character of Carmel. I’ve ordered 5/6 from the list. Enter Ghost 8 Lives of A Century Old Trickster The Maiden And Then She Fell Restless Dolly Maunder ☘️👋🍀☕️🇮🇪📖📕📚
Yay! A Mercedes reaction! I was quite surprised by this list. Definitely pleased to see Ordinary Human Failings, which I found so thought provoking. I'm currently reading The Wren, The Wren and adore the writing but not sure I like the story yet. I have And Then She Fell on order, but sadly will have to wait until at least the end of the month to get my hands on Soldier Sailor in the US. You are not the only one to DNF Western Lane, it must be a very particular book. Thank you for your commentary on Enter Ghost, because I also don't think it should be narrowed to a current political climate. I'm so happy they went ahead and "went political" though regardless. Hope you're having a good week! ❤
Yes, I'm so happy to see Ordinary Human Failings. Glad to hear that you enjoy the writing of The Wren, The Wren. That's annoying that you'll have to wait for Soldier Sailor. You too :)
I'd be fascinated to know how the whole submission/judging works. How many books do the judges actually have to read? Do all of them have to read each book or do they split them up and then get a couple of spots each on the longlist? Would love any insight if anyone has any!
I'm sure I've heard that they read around 200 books and each book is read by at least 2 judges plus the chair reads them all. Then once they're longlisted they all have to read them to decide the shortlist.
I think it's a shame if a book gets a cover that looks really commercial and it puts us off - on the other hand, for people who buy more mainstream books, perhaps it's the other way around! I preferred the cover of Nightbloom with the two women on the front, but agree it looks YA. Excited to start reading 😊 x
Kate Grenville's book covers don't always give the right impression of her writing. The Secret River and The Lieutenant are two great stories about the clash between British arrivals in Australia and their interactions with indigenous people. I wish their modern covers were better!
This is not a criticism of Mercy, who handled it with more nuance than most. But I've watched a number of these reactions, and every one of them has dismissed the Grenville and Foster books. The implication from most is that they don't deserve to be on the list. It bothers me to see books that look like " women's fiction" dismissed as unworthy of a prize for books by women. Historical fiction is a genre, like fantasy or thrillers or literary fiction, and to dismiss it out right is demeaning to the women who wrote it and the women and men who read it. Again, Mercy reacted with thought and respect. I wish more others would.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I understand what you mean in that most of the books with these types of covers tend to be written by women. I don't necessarily agree that people are being dismissive of women's fiction as they are talking about the covers in context of a women's prize for fiction so they are clearly supportive of women's fiction. Some of my favourite books are historical fiction but their covers tend to be a bit less cosy than these ones. Hope that makes sense :)
It does, and I appreciate your taking time to reply. I'm perfectly fine with folks saying, "This cover doesn't appeal to me". But when some go on to show they're surprised to see books like these on the list because of their very "girly", flowery covers, and state they won't be even trying these books, it bothers me. It's saying those types of books, typically loved by certain groups of women and not hiding who they want to appeal to, can't be worthy of considering for this award; they don't deserve to be taken seriously. For other genres these folks will say, "Oh well, authors don't choose their covers, so I'll keep and open mind". But they don't say that for these two books. It's really bothered me, as it seems to say that traditional women's interests still aren't worthy of respect. But again, you didn't do this, which I appreciate. I just needed to vent a bit.
The Grenville book is definitely not twee and heartwarming. The cover is not representing the book very well.😂 It's also a really quick read. I thought it was good but not great.
I feel like our thoughts were pretty similar. I finished Western Lane when it was shortlisted for the Booker and I remain absolutely FLABBERGASTED that this incredibly mid ass doing nothing new or interesting novel continues getting such praise. Of all the coming of age grief novels out there, truly one of the least inspiring I’ve ever read. Lots on the list I had never heard of. I absolutely detest both the cover and title of the Kate Grenville novel (any book where it includes the full name of the protagonist in the title just screams Reese’s book club pick and really turns me off) buttttt the fact that it’s Kate Grenville has me hopeful that not all is at it seems with that one. Brotherless Night I think sounds really good and I love the US cover for it. Nightbloom I feel like could go either way. The blurb sounds interesting but I think the covers (both US and UK) also make me think it’s a bit too commercial for me. Soldier Sailor I really want to read and am very annoyed that it’s not out yet. Ordinary Human Failings I have out from the library and am planning to read soon. The Blue Beautiful World I’m intrigued by, but again like you that thing in the blurb about the pop star really put me off. Enter Ghost sounds really good. Hoping the Shakespeare element isn’t too much. 8 lives of a century old trickster supposedly came out in the US in June of last year. I swear I never heard of it nor saw it in a single bookstore last year. I’ll wait on reviews of that one I think. Overall, the list is pretty good. Excited to have a little reading project to try and keep up on lol. Happy reading. Can’t wait to see more of your thoughts on these
Hahahahah, I love that you called Western Lane mid ass 🤣That's the thing - there are so many coming of age novels handling grief so I was surprised that this one was chosen. I know what you mean about books with a character name in the title. I can't think of a single good one. It always feels a bit twee. Have you read any of Kate Grenville's previous novels? The US cover of Brotherless Night is v good and so different to the UK cover! it's so odd that Soldier Sailor isn't out yet in the US because I'm pretty sure it's been out for a while in the UK. I think you could really enjoy Ordinary Human Failings. Same re the Shakespeare element in Enter Ghost. I don't love books about plays or art in general but I think the rest of it sounds really interesting. Are you planning on reading the whole longlist or just the ones you're interested in?
A Trace of Sun sounds beautiful. I read The Wren, The Wren and I think it has good moments and is written well but doesn't deserve to be on the list compared to lots of other books by women out there. I loved Actress by Anne Enright
I love that there are so many books on the list that many folks are unfamiliar with.
Totally agree with your thoughts about the refreshing nature of the Longlist and how it brings so many new books to our attention 😊
The videos I've seen that have said "Enter Ghost" is on the list because it's political are so frustrating. It's an incredible read - if occupation is political then yes it's political, but I think the claim takes away from the mastery of Isabella Hammad. It's been one of my favourite books of the year so far, and it's seems that it's primarily racialized authors that seem to get that critique. Appreciate you pointing out the flaws with that type of argument. We are in an age when the opposite is happening (think Minor Detail.)
Agreed. I reckon it could be a winner!
I completely agree and you put it much better than I did!
I totally agree with you about the cover of Nightbloom…I think it’s a visual person thing 😅
Loved what you said about reading a diversity of settings and authors. The prize has done well selecting the judges this year. 😊
Great video and reflections Mercedes.
Thank you. I always enjoy your commentary.
I enjoyed Night Bloom, I think a lot of people will like it. There's not many that are immediately appealing to me but I'll see how I feel after hearing more reviews.
I am overall excited by this list. Like you said it has such a great range of places & perspectives. There will no doubt be DNF’s but that always happens as we are all such different readers. Happy reading Mercedes 📚😊
Loved this! I was really surprised by the list but I do love the diversity of it and it doesn’t feel like any two are the same. Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on them!
I appreciate your open-minded review of the LL. Great perspective. Look your cozy living space too! 🍊
I had you idea as well of reading as many eligible books and like you it didn’t pan out haha. I was really shocked by the list but it is exciting and am having a go at all of them.
Good to hear your thoughts on the list! I hadnt really looked into it but interested in the alicia elliot and Enter Ghost. And agree - great to have such a diverse list. Siân xx
One of the things I like best about The Giller Prize is you know all of the submissions ahead of time. It does add to the excitement. I still don’t predict very accurately but it’s fun to try. I hope to read And Then She Fell, The Wren The Wren, Soldier Sailor and In Defense of the Act. I think I would try any of them really. Agree about the diversity too. 😊💙
Ohhh, yes, that is cool. I'd want to base my whole years reading on the submissions 🤣 It must be so interesting to see what books the publishers decide gives them the best shot of being longlisted.
I appreciate your thoughtful, positive reaction to the Longlist, given how disappointed/negative a lot of people have been. I am looking forward to reading a lot of these.
I agree with all your thoughts about the Nightbloom cover. The novel is quite good, but doesn’t really get excellent until very close to the end.
I was waiting for your reaction. I liked Western Lane, even though I don’t usually enjoy books about sports. I am looking forward to reading Enter Ghost.
I completely agree about the title and cover of 8 Lives of a Century-Old Trickster, though the novel itself seems interesting. In general, I hope some the books get better covers because of the prize.
The editing in the bit “I don’t like books about squash” had me DEAD 😂 I also didn’t include that one in my TBR for the same reason. I see you are currently reading And Then She Fell, would you say it is very scary? Cause it’s in my list but I didn’t realize it’s categorized as a horror novel and I am a scaredy cat 👀 anyway there are so many books that sound super intriguing, this is the first year I am really considering reading most of them
Hahaha, yeah, it was an unplanned awkward edit 😂I don't think And Then She Fell is very scary so far but the descriptions can be a bit gory. There's bits where she hallucinates people's skin melting or loads of blood 🤢
Mercedes, I felt exactly the same when I first saw the cover for Nightbloom. Then seeing the hardback on the women's prize list, I felt a lot more interested in reading it. I try not to judge a book by its cover, but clearly sometimes I do. Loved your reactions. Thoughtful and intelligent, as always.
I'm glad it wasn't just me then!
Love the new backdrop, im also feeling uninspired by the Kate Grenville and The Maiden. Im trying all the books so hopefully will find one or two good ones!
Interesting discussion about the cover of the book. The Australian cover of The Restless Dolly Mauder is very different (it's taken from an actual photo of Kate's grandmother) and the story is in no way twee. It's a reimagining of her Grandmother's difficult life from her grandmother's point of view. Keeping in mind that Kate Grenville didn't feel particularly close nor like her grandmother when she knew her. My Grandmother is almost from the next generation from Kate's (Mine would have been 20 years younger) and her restless life had some similarities. I thought it was a very good inclusion on the list. I've also listened to River East River West and Western Lane on audiobook and looking at reading Brotherless Night next. Happy Reading.
Isabella Hammad is an excellent writer. I'm always marvelled at how different US covers are from UK covers. I usually lean towards UK covers. They are prettier. Agreed, Brotherless Night sounded great on audio. Yes the best thing about the list is exactly what you said. I might try the Wren, The Wren because it's on audio on Everand.
I usually prefer UK covers too unless Riverhead are the US publishers. I love their covers.
I just think that with the volume of novels published every year, even having an awareness of 50 possible titles that could be long listed leaves so many more possibilities.
100% agree!
I’ve only read two on the list
The Wren , The Wren
Ordinary Human Failings
I’m in the middle of listening to a third
Solider , Sailor
It’s part of my TBR for #irishreadathon
Loads of books I’ve never heard of. Since there are 3 Irish books on the list one is bound to be on the shortlist. My prediction is that Enter Ghost will win.
I recommend audio for The Wren, The Wren. Ann Enright reads the character of Carmel.
I’ve ordered 5/6 from the list.
Enter Ghost
8 Lives of A Century Old Trickster
The Maiden
And Then She Fell
Restless Dolly Maunder
☘️👋🍀☕️🇮🇪📖📕📚
Yay! A Mercedes reaction! I was quite surprised by this list. Definitely pleased to see Ordinary Human Failings, which I found so thought provoking. I'm currently reading The Wren, The Wren and adore the writing but not sure I like the story yet. I have And Then She Fell on order, but sadly will have to wait until at least the end of the month to get my hands on Soldier Sailor in the US. You are not the only one to DNF Western Lane, it must be a very particular book. Thank you for your commentary on Enter Ghost, because I also don't think it should be narrowed to a current political climate. I'm so happy they went ahead and "went political" though regardless. Hope you're having a good week! ❤
Yes, I'm so happy to see Ordinary Human Failings. Glad to hear that you enjoy the writing of The Wren, The Wren. That's annoying that you'll have to wait for Soldier Sailor. You too :)
I'd be fascinated to know how the whole submission/judging works. How many books do the judges actually have to read? Do all of them have to read each book or do they split them up and then get a couple of spots each on the longlist? Would love any insight if anyone has any!
I'm sure I've heard that they read around 200 books and each book is read by at least 2 judges plus the chair reads them all. Then once they're longlisted they all have to read them to decide the shortlist.
that's really interesting, thanks! sounds like quite the commitment @@MercysBookishMusings
I think it's a shame if a book gets a cover that looks really commercial and it puts us off - on the other hand, for people who buy more mainstream books, perhaps it's the other way around!
I preferred the cover of Nightbloom with the two women on the front, but agree it looks YA.
Excited to start reading 😊 x
Yes, you're completely right about it working the other way around too! Looking forward to hearing your thoughts on the books xx
Kate Grenville's book covers don't always give the right impression of her writing. The Secret River and The Lieutenant are two great stories about the clash between British arrivals in Australia and their interactions with indigenous people. I wish their modern covers were better!
That does sound interesting. Hopefully I enjoy this one and then can read her previous books :)
This is not a criticism of Mercy, who handled it with more nuance than most. But I've watched a number of these reactions, and every one of them has dismissed the Grenville and Foster books. The implication from most is that they don't deserve to be on the list.
It bothers me to see books that look like " women's fiction" dismissed as unworthy of a prize for books by women. Historical fiction is a genre, like fantasy or thrillers or literary fiction, and to dismiss it out right is demeaning to the women who wrote it and the women and men who read it.
Again, Mercy reacted with thought and respect. I wish more others would.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I understand what you mean in that most of the books with these types of covers tend to be written by women. I don't necessarily agree that people are being dismissive of women's fiction as they are talking about the covers in context of a women's prize for fiction so they are clearly supportive of women's fiction. Some of my favourite books are historical fiction but their covers tend to be a bit less cosy than these ones. Hope that makes sense :)
It does, and I appreciate your taking time to reply. I'm perfectly fine with folks saying, "This cover doesn't appeal to me".
But when some go on to show they're surprised to see books like these on the list because of their very "girly", flowery covers, and state they won't be even trying these books, it bothers me. It's saying those types of books, typically loved by certain groups of women and not hiding who they want to appeal to, can't be worthy of considering for this award; they don't deserve to be taken seriously.
For other genres these folks will say, "Oh well, authors don't choose their covers, so I'll keep and open mind". But they don't say that for these two books. It's really bothered me, as it seems to say that traditional women's interests still aren't worthy of respect.
But again, you didn't do this, which I appreciate. I just needed to vent a bit.
The Grenville book is definitely not twee and heartwarming. The cover is not representing the book very well.😂 It's also a really quick read. I thought it was good but not great.
I feel like our thoughts were pretty similar. I finished Western Lane when it was shortlisted for the Booker and I remain absolutely FLABBERGASTED that this incredibly mid ass doing nothing new or interesting novel continues getting such praise. Of all the coming of age grief novels out there, truly one of the least inspiring I’ve ever read. Lots on the list I had never heard of. I absolutely detest both the cover and title of the Kate Grenville novel (any book where it includes the full name of the protagonist in the title just screams Reese’s book club pick and really turns me off) buttttt the fact that it’s Kate Grenville has me hopeful that not all is at it seems with that one. Brotherless Night I think sounds really good and I love the US cover for it. Nightbloom I feel like could go either way. The blurb sounds interesting but I think the covers (both US and UK) also make me think it’s a bit too commercial for me. Soldier Sailor I really want to read and am very annoyed that it’s not out yet. Ordinary Human Failings I have out from the library and am planning to read soon. The Blue Beautiful World I’m intrigued by, but again like you that thing in the blurb about the pop star really put me off. Enter Ghost sounds really good. Hoping the Shakespeare element isn’t too much. 8 lives of a century old trickster supposedly came out in the US in June of last year. I swear I never heard of it nor saw it in a single bookstore last year. I’ll wait on reviews of that one I think. Overall, the list is pretty good. Excited to have a little reading project to try and keep up on lol. Happy reading. Can’t wait to see more of your thoughts on these
Hahahahah, I love that you called Western Lane mid ass 🤣That's the thing - there are so many coming of age novels handling grief so I was surprised that this one was chosen. I know what you mean about books with a character name in the title. I can't think of a single good one. It always feels a bit twee. Have you read any of Kate Grenville's previous novels? The US cover of Brotherless Night is v good and so different to the UK cover! it's so odd that Soldier Sailor isn't out yet in the US because I'm pretty sure it's been out for a while in the UK. I think you could really enjoy Ordinary Human Failings. Same re the Shakespeare element in Enter Ghost. I don't love books about plays or art in general but I think the rest of it sounds really interesting. Are you planning on reading the whole longlist or just the ones you're interested in?
A Trace of Sun sounds beautiful. I read The Wren, The Wren and I think it has good moments and is written well but doesn't deserve to be on the list compared to lots of other books by women out there. I loved Actress by Anne Enright
That's a shame about The Wren, the Wren.
@@MercysBookishMusings I still enjoyed it and am glad I bought a copy. Actress is stunning.
I really dislike the Kate Grenville cover. Would never pick this one up.Likewise The Maiden . Nope.