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Booth
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
59 posts | 48 read | 34 to read
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review
megnews
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Pickpick

American history soap opera. America‘s first great dysfunctional family. This was a slow burn that I sometimes questioned why I was still listening but it was also like a train wreck I couldn‘t look away from. The ending was sad. The brief author‘s note pulled it all together. And this is well worth a read.

sblbooks Your review is spot on. I just read this one too. 2y
57 likes1 comment
review
mjtwo
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Pickpick

2-30 Mar 23
#Bookerlonglist 9
I enjoyed this fictional account of the Booth family and was surprised by its mixed reviews.
Fowler‘s narrative jumps between perspectives of the Booth siblings, highlighting pre-Civil War mores, gender roles and ideas about race. She also tells a more modern story - a family‘s reaction to one of its member‘s radicalisation. I was not aware of the NY riots or of the fame of the Booths prior to Lincoln‘s assassination.

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Portable_Magic
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Whatever native talents he has, Lincoln attributes entirely to his first mother‘s bloodline. That he was allowed to make something of them is the work of his second mother. He credits his father with none of it.

I REALLY enjoyed this read! Enough Lincoln was sprinkled in to remind you the connection etched into American History. I appreciated the research that author took to provide this account into not just John Wilkes but his entire family.

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Portable_Magic
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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I‘m VERY happy to be back in this platform sharing #allthebooks #fortheloveofreading

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ATB
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Shhh don‘t tell anybody… I have my hammock swing set up in my bedroom. At least until spring.

wanderinglynn That is awesome! 2y
Bklover Brilliant idea! 2y
10 likes2 comments
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ATB
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Shhh don‘t tell anyone. I have my hammock swing set up in my bedroom… at least until spring.

Ruthiella Your secret is safe! 🤫 2y
7 likes1 comment
review
CleverGirl
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Bailedbailed

This just doesn‘t feel like it‘s going anywhere.

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CleverGirl
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Because if I don‘t take a picture, I can‘t remember what I‘ve read 🙄

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Yoricke_SouthAfrica
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Bailedbailed

I very seldom stop a book, but I really battled with this book. I found it extremely slow paced.

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Yoricke_SouthAfrica
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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In keeping on my American history journey (albeit fictional), I'm excited to get into this particular piece of history.

36 likes1 stack add
review
Pinta
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Bailedbailed

Meh. Polite and distanced in the telling. Why this tone? Lost interest in an interesting family. Bailed. 2022

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BarbaraBB
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Pickpick

I wasn‘t really interested in John Wilkes Booth, who I hadn‘t heard of before. Also he and his family didn‘t really come to life for me. But I did enjoy reading about the historical context of the American civil war even though the book could have done with some editing. It felt very repetitive at times.
A light pick, definitely not worth the #BookerPrize2022

squirrelbrain Yes, it was a strange nomination wasn‘t it? 2y
BarbaraBB @squirrelbrain It was indeed. I liked it but really don‘t see why it was nominated! 2y
rmaclean4 It was not a favorite of mine! 2y
See All 9 Comments
charl08 Yes, one I was glad I could borrow from the library! 2y
jlhammar Well done on another Booker pick done! Sorry you didn't enjoy it quite as much as I did. I appreciated it even more after watching this interesting Virtual Evening with Fowler and Ruth Ozeki:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOin6kSYjaw
2y
BarbaraBB @jlhammar I think the book might be more interesting for Americans, considering the subject? 2y
jlhammar @BarbaraBB Yeah, I think that definitely could be the case. Might have been even more interesting for me because I had read and enjoyed both Horse by Geraldine Brooks and Spying on the South by Tony Horwitz not long before reading Booth and they all complement each other really well. 2y
Suet624 @jlhammar Thank you for the link!
2y
Suet624 I'm sorry you didn't like it but I completely understand. I'm not exactly sure why I liked it but I did. I think I liked it for the same reasons you mentioned ... I was surprised and interested by some of the stories of the Civil War and Lincoln's quotes. I was unaware of the riots in NY when Lincoln instituted a draft and the description of that will stay with me. 2y
71 likes1 stack add9 comments
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Addison_Reads
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Pickpick

I will admit I went into this thinking I'd probably not enjoy it because it's received so many mixed reviews. What I liked is the way the author immersed the reader in that time period of history. The Booth family felt so real to me. The contrast between the female and male siblings and the difficulties they faced was fascinating, and infuriating.

I am not sure how much of this is historically accurate, but I felt like I learned something. 😁

BarbaraBB I am feeling the same about this book. I am halfway through but enjoying it much more than I expected to. 2y
55 likes1 stack add1 comment
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EmilieGR
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Pickpick

It‘s been a while since I read such immersive and realistic historical fiction. The underlying tension inherent in the story- it‘s foregone conclusion- was enough to propel the story forward. I liked that the author focused on Booth siblings other than John. The difference between the women‘s lives and concerns and the men‘s was an interesting theme throughout. I always enjoy Karen Joy Fowler‘s writing.

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Cathyloves2read
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Pickpick

I‘ll admit that I enjoyed this book WAY more than I though I would.I was never interested in learning about the life of John Wilkes Booth. This author brought him and his family back to life. I am amazed at the parallels of historical events to what is going on today.It gives a whole new meaning to the term “history repeats itself “. The only difficulty that I had reading this book is that my puppy decided to chew it up twice as I was reading it.

5feet.of.fury Oh no! 2y
19 likes1 comment
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Suet624
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Pickpick

#BookerPrize22 Longlist. It‘s the only reason I picked it up. While this is primarily about John Wilkes Booth family members, it offers a glimpse into the U.S. well before and during the Civil War. Some of the incidents that occurred are wild, and remind me of the anger and lawlessness of today, but on steroids. While overly long I learned things from it that I will remember for some time.

vivastory I have heard so many mixed things about this one. Not sure when I'll get to it. Glad you liked it 2y
Suet624 @vivastory I know. I figured ahead of time with so many mixed reviews I might not like it. It‘s not that the writing was so great There were just so many random facts in the book that kept me interested about life during that time. I should really read more about that era. My dad was a history teacher and loved to talk about that time but did I want to listen to him? Nope. (edited) 2y
vivastory You might find the following interesting. It's one of the best nf books I've read this year 2y
Suet624 @vivastory great! I‘ll put it on my list. Thanks. 2y
69 likes1 stack add4 comments
review
ClairesReads
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Pickpick

Booth is both sprawling and meditatively paced. What Fowler does well is explore history through the eyes of those who sit in its periphery. Rather than looking at exceptional players, we see how shocking events are experienced by those adjacent to them. It is a thoughtful examination of the ripple effect of extreme actions, and what it means when someone you love turns out to be someone who does awful things.

Suet624 Great review! 2y
45 likes1 comment
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jlhammar
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Pickpick

Rich and detailed historical epic about a flawed and fascinating family. Fowler shows that looking at the periphery/fringes of well-known history can be just as interesting and illuminating, if not more so. Her use of third person omniscient narration allows for a subtle modern historical commentary that really worked for me. Also, ghosts!—lost family, in Shakespeare, and looking at how the past haunts the present. #Booker2022

Ruthiella I‘m most interested in this one. I like historical fiction and while I didn‘t like The Jane Austen Book Club, l loved 2y
squirrelbrain Great review! I liked this too, but it didn‘t make my shortlist. 2y
jlhammar @squirrelbrain It was kind of a hard choice between this and Case Study for my sixth favorite spot. I really liked them both, but for very different reasons. 2y
62 likes1 stack add3 comments
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GatheringBooks
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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#IndelibleMoments Day 5: #CareerPeak indeed for these authors who have been longlisted for the Man Booker Prize 2022. Found this curation at Scheltema, an independent bookstore in Amsterdam. Awesome titles, really. I recall being in Barnes and Noble Antioch this summer and asking about The Seven Moons of Malaa Almeida - they didn‘t even know the book existed. 🤷🏽‍♀️

Ruthiella I think that‘s because the planned pub date in U.S. is March 2023. I wonder if it will be moved up if it makes the shortlist? 2y
Eggs Well played 👏🏻👏🏻 2y
BarbaraBB It‘s a favorited bookstore of mine. All our bookstores are independent by the way, fortunately! (edited) 2y
50 likes3 comments
review
Graywacke
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Panpan

My first from the Booker longlist is a novel on the family of J Wilkes Booth. It‘s not bad, but I wasn‘t a fan, so much so that I‘ve been hesitant to post. I just didn‘t take to it. I found it barely kept my interest through the opening 11 hours on audio, which in hindsight I view as an overly dragged out setting. (It‘s 13 hours) There were other things I didn‘t - see the comments. #booker2022

Graywacke Apologies to those who enjoyed it. I didn‘t buy in. It felt to me like characters from 2020 dropped in a shack in the early 1800‘s. And i didn‘t like how a story about 4 (!) Shakespearean actors failed to bring in Shakespeare‘s language. And I didn‘t understand the novel‘s purpose. Why put the spotlight on such a terrible person? (edited) 2y
vivastory I don't understand why Fowler focused on his family as though they were somehow a lot more sympathetic. From what I recall in the following nf book, Booth's sister was an unrepentant supporter of JW Booth until the end of her life (edited) 2y
Graywacke @vivastory No, me neither. Fowler tells us of one of his sisters wrote a biography of him, but didn‘t publish it. It praised John, and criticized Lincoln for being at the theater. (Insert wow/wtf icon here?) I really hope that sister was just ranting. Also, I found it interesting that Fowler tells us she questioned herself about writing this novel that will spotlight him. Because I certainly question it too. I haven‘t resolved that one. 2y
See All 24 Comments
vivastory Yeah, I haven't read it, but I think that it would have been much more interesting if Fowler had tackled it as a straightforward true crime novel (ie In Cold Blood) (edited) 2y
BarbaraBB I am listening to the audio too at the moment. I‘m king of enjoying it although it takes long to get to the point! I am not that familiar with American history, I knew nothing about the murderer and his family. To me this social context is rather interesting but I understand that it‘s a different read for American readers. 2y
Graywacke @BarbaraBB I‘m hardly the typical American reader, but yes, I think that‘s true that it‘s different for American readers. Lincoln is so iconic. I‘m glad you‘re getting good stuff out of it! 2y
charl08 I wasn't much of a fan either: I admire her for trying to do something different about the impact of a killer on the family. For me it felt like one of those books where the author has done so much research they can't bear to leave anything out. #Booker2022 2y
TrishB I‘m just not drawn to reading this one and even less so after this discussion! 2y
batsy What @TrishB said! Nothing about this was calling out to me and I feel justified after seeing your post and the discussion 😬 2y
wanderinglynn I read her Beside Ourselves & really enjoyed it, but this one just didn‘t appeal to me. Booth seems like such an odd figure to portray in literature. 2y
squirrelbrain Great review, and an interesting discussion from everyone. I think I took it as a face-value portrayal of a family, and didn‘t know of any of the facts behind this so this post has been really enlightening for me. (edited) 2y
BarbaraBB @Graywacke You‘re hardly the typical American reader 😉, I knew that! But you do probably know more about American history than I do! I am not far in yet, let‘s see where it leads! 2y
Graywacke @charl08 You might be spot on. What she says in the afterward is consistent with that - the need to share what she learned. 2y
Graywacke @TrishB @batsy please keep in mind I‘m just one silly reader. For what it‘s worth, it would take a lot to get me like a novel that foregrounds the person who killed one of my favorite people in history. 🤷🏻‍♂️ (I‘m definitely not recommending it! ) 2y
Graywacke @wanderinglynn I‘m also a fan of We Are Completely Beside Ourselves. I thought it was terrific. I was a 1990‘s undergrad and I really liked how she captured aspects of that in the novel. And I thought about that as I kept thinking here that these 19th century characters could be 2020 people. 2y
Graywacke @squirrelbrain agree. I‘m really enjoying the comments. 2y
Graywacke @BarbaraBB I had resistance from early on. So you‘re gratefully past that. I‘m so curious on your thoughts. 2y
jlhammar Great review! Thanks so much for sharing your thoughts. Hoping to make some progress on this over the weekend. Interested to see where I land. 2y
Graywacke @jlhammar I‘m curious what you think! 2y
Suet624 I enjoyed reading this one. Long winded, for sure, but the details about the War and the skirmishes within the cities, the Virginia military encircling the White House in protest, the riots when Lincoln instituted the draft, reminded me so much of today but on steroids. Edwin traveling to California through jungles(?!) … there was just enough history in the book to keep me interested. Walt Whitman writing a poem about Booth‘s dad! Who knew! Not I. 2y
Graywacke @Suet624 Thanks for sharing and I‘m glad you enjoyed it. I just couldn‘t connect…well, the NYcity riot was pretty intense. Whoa. 2y
Suet624 @Graywacke that riot! Just a free-for-all of chaos, destruction, and savagery. 2y
Graywacke @Suet624 It‘s so strange that the rioters were essentially southern sympathizers in Civil War Ny. 2y
Suet624 @Graywacke yes and many were just hooligans, in it for the raping and pillaging. 2y
53 likes24 comments
review
melissajayne
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Pickpick

4.5⭐️ Took me awhile to get into this book, but once I did, I really enjoyed it. My mom is fascinated with Abraham Lincoln and the American Civil war (I didn‘t know this until she mentioned it a few weeks ago; she has an old book of his writings and speeches). I really liked how the author mainly focused on the other Booth siblings rather than on John. #2022 #bookstagram #bookreview #historicalfiction #fiction #basedonatruestory

melissajayne This was my #doublespin book for July 2y
jlhammar I look forward to finishing this one over the weekend. I'm not very far in yet, but your review makes me even more excited to get back to it! I wonder if it will make the #Booker2022 shortlist on Tuesday. 2y
melissajayne @jlhammar Great to hear 2y
Graywacke Glad you enjoyed. I had trouble with it on audio. I recently finished but haven‘t reviewed it yet. 2y
TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! 2y
33 likes1 stack add5 comments
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Suet624
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Abe knew what he was talking about.

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JenP
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Pickpick

So overall I thought this was a good book, thus I gave it a pick. Do I think it‘s anything extra special that merits making the shortlist? Not really. What did you all think? You can read out panel‘s full reviews on the blog here: https://thereadersroom.org/2022/08/05/booker-longlist-booth-karen-joy-fowler/

review
squirrelbrain
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Pickpick

#booker2022

I liked this but it felt like the author didn‘t really know what she wanted the book to be. I found the history of the entire Booth family interesting, but the assassination and the aftermath just seemed tacked on at the end.

I‘m giving it a pick for the social history aspect (most of the book) but it would be a so-so for the political aspect. I can also see why many thought it too slow. I don‘t think this will make the shortlist.

TrishB This one just doesn‘t appeal to me 🤷‍♀️ although I‘m sure it would appeal enough if it were a 99p offer! 2y
Cazxxx I‘m going to skip this one I think, nothing about it appeals to me and I‘m never very keen on slow books 2y
MicheleinPhilly I‘m not rushing to read this one. Like @TrishB I‘ll maybe pick it up for 99p. 2y
See All 7 Comments
Ruthiella I‘ll probably read it some day, but like you, I don‘t see it actually making the shortlist. 2y
Graywacke I just reviewed it. It didn‘t take with me. I actually thought the assassination and aftermath was the book and the rest an overlong setting. So it‘s funny you saw the end as tacked on. It‘s actually the same breakdown, but from different perspectives. 2y
squirrelbrain It‘s interesting how we saw this from a completely different angle! @Graywacke 2y
Graywacke @squirrelbrain yeah, interesting. Implies you‘re a good alternate viewpoint for me! 2y
64 likes7 comments
review
rmaclean4
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Mehso-so

I read about half of this historical fiction and then switched to the audio because I was loosing interested. It was a fast easy read, but I dont understand why she wrote this novel. Did not work for me. 2.5 🌟
#booker2022 #bookerprize2022 @MicheleinPhilly @batsy @charl08 @vivastory @squirrelbrain @Cathythoughts @JamieArc @jlhammar @Ruthiella @sarabarnes @Brimful @Hazel2019 @Cinfhen @BarbaraBB

Ruthiella Too bad! Hopefully I will enjoy it more, but I kinda think it won‘t make the shortlist anyway. Just a hunch. 2y
ChaoticMissAdventures I was also very curious why she would write it. I picked it up but did not get very far into it and started feeling awkward about the whole thing. 2y
rmaclean4 @ChaoticMissAdventures i dont know if I would have finished it if it were not on the Booker Long List. 2y
See All 8 Comments
BarbaraBB Oh no! After all the raving about the longlist there turn out to be some really disappointing books among them too I guess! 2y
Cinfhen I liked it for the historical angle not so much JWB but just early settler life in America - audio narration was good to, so that helped. But I agree, this probably won‘t be making the shortlist 2y
squirrelbrain I just finished this last night and will post my review in a bit. I liked it for the same reasons as you @Cinfhen but it won‘t make my shortlist, and I doubt it will make the *actual* shortlist. 2y
Cinfhen Exactly @squirrelbrain 👯‍♀️ 2y
MicheleinPhilly @BarbaraBB I know what you mean. The more reviews I‘m seeing of these books, the less inclined I am to read any that wouldn‘t have caught my eye anyway, Booker or no Booker. 😕 2y
28 likes8 comments
review
Hooked_on_books
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Pickpick

I have mixed feelings about this one. I think it works well as a historical fiction book looking at a well-off family around the time of the Civil War, during which most of the family doesn‘t pay much attention to current events. That family being the Booths works less well for me. Focusing on this family while leaving out major aspects of JWB just doesn‘t make sense to me. But I mostly enjoyed it, so low pick for me.

jlhammar Great review! I haven‘t gotten far in this one yet. Hope to make some good progress this weekend. 2y
56 likes1 comment
review
charl08
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Mehso-so

More mixed feelings about my latest #Booker22 longlist read. I think what Fowler has to say about the experience of being family to an extremist is fascinating. Lots of theatrical history, early US history, urban 19c detail.

I'm just not sure it needed 400+ pages.

@Cinfhen @squirrelbrain @MicheleinPhilly @batsy @vivastory @rmaclean4 @Cathythoughts @JamieArc @BarbaraBB @jlhammar @Ruthiella @sarahbarnes @Hazel2019 @Brimful

Ruthiella I‘m thinking the length isn‘t gonna bother me much because I like detail in historical fiction… 2y
charl08 @Ruthiella yeah, I think this is a "it's not you, it's me" book break up. 2y
Cinfhen I liked this one but agree, it was a bit too long. If I‘m making predictions I don‘t think it‘ll make the shortlist. 2y
See All 11 Comments
Cinfhen I think you‘re gonna like it @Ruthiella it‘s richly detailed!!! 2y
BarbaraBB Hmmm I am not sure I‘ll like this either. 2y
squirrelbrain Great review - I‘m still plodding along but nothing much is happening! 2y
jlhammar I‘m hoping to make some progress on this over the weekend. Thanks for the thoughtful review! 2y
charl08 @Cinfhen I thought the same. 2y
charl08 @BarbaraBB it may just be me! 2y
charl08 @squirrelbrain it does feel like a lot of book. Maybe if I read it on holiday I'd have felt more positive about it? 2y
charl08 @jlhammar I'm really enjoying seeing how everyone is responding to the longlist. Look forward to your comments. 2y
62 likes11 comments
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charl08
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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THERE ARE REASONS, just now, why romance is unlikely. John's precipitous return is connected to rumors that, back in Philadelphia, he's left a girl pregnant. He himself thinks he's probably not responsible, but a considerable sum of money was required to persuade the girl to share his doubts.

Edwin is suffering from the clap.

Of course, Asia knows none of that. She has the most wonderful brothers!

#Booker22

review
Brimful
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Pickpick

I really enjoyed this immersive story of the very dysfunctional chaotic and creative family of JoHn Wilkes Booth the assassin of Lincoln. I found its account of the history and politics of the time persuasive and moving. The insights into attitudes to slavery and the experiences of the Hall family subtly juxtaposed with the Booths were very powerful. I would be pleased to see this on the Booker 22 shortlist.

JamieArc I don‘t think I will get to this one in the next month so I hope it makes the shortlist too so I can read it then. 2y
squirrelbrain Great review! I‘m about 20% into this one… liking it so far but not sure it will make my shortlist. 2y
17 likes2 comments
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charl08
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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The way Rosalie sees it, pretty much everyone in London was abandoning their wives to run away with their sweethearts around the time that Father met Mother. It seems to have been quite the fad. Sodom and Gomorrah with tea.

She is either accusing Mother and Father or she is defending them. Edwin can't figure out which.

humouress Beautiful picture 2y
54 likes1 comment
blurb
Brimful
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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This is my sixth read from what I think is one of the best ever Booker long lists. I am savouring this family history which seems very relevant in its account of radicalisation of susceptible young men.

21 likes1 stack add
review
Lauren890
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️ I loved the beginning of this book but it started to drag about halfway through. It picked up a bit at the end but for me that wasn‘t enough to make it a pick. I really liked the concept but feel it could‘ve been cut down by about 100 pages. I do recommend her book We‘re All Completely Beside Ourselves - it‘s very good. Don‘t read descriptions before reading that though - it‘s so much better that way. Trust me!

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Graywacke
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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I‘m finally covid negative (yay), and sluggishly walking. It‘s amazing how weak I feel. 🙁 But time for a new audiobook. The Booker longlist is out, and this is the longest book on the list, so I picked it. Now I‘m trying to get into it.

I came in blind, not even grasping the not subtle meaning of the title.

DivineDiana I‘m happy for you! My test still remains positive after treatment,so I am disappointed. 🤷🏼‍♀️ Looking forward to resuming walks. 🙂 (edited) 2y
Graywacke @DivineDiana so frustrating. I‘m sorry. i felt sick two days, tested positive on day 1 and then again on day 6! And then tested negative on day 10. 2y
DivineDiana It is! Positive day 1 and 10. My Doctor advised not to test again! So if these symptoms ever end, I think I will still test again. Need that peace of mind. 2y
See All 19 Comments
Graywacke @DivineDiana that stinks 🙁 2y
GinaKButler I hope you feel better soon…and looking forward to hear how you like this book. I‘ve been on the fence about whether or not I‘m going to pick it up. 2y
PageShifter I hope you feel better soon 💞 2y
Graywacke @GinaKButler 10% through and I haven‘t gotten into it yet. Seems drawn out, but I‘m an impatient reader. I‘ll give it more time. (Side note: I adore Lincoln and I‘m not super happy to be in the Booth‘s family world. So, I may be the wrong reader. 😐🙂) 2y
Graywacke @PageShifter thank you!! 🙏 2y
AnnR So glad you finally had a negative test result. That's great news! 😀 Be patient with yourself as you regain some strength. 2y
Graywacke @Ann_Reads thanks! It‘s such a big relief. 2y
Graywacke @DivineDiana I‘m now positive again. Rebound case. ☹️ 2y
DivineDiana Oh my! That‘s what I have. So, your symptoms returned? 2y
Graywacke @DivineDiana some of them. Milder. So far. 2y
DivineDiana Wishing us both to be finally over this distressful illness! 🤞🏻 2y
Graywacke @DivineDiana amen. Let‘s get better! ❤️‍🩹 2y
Suet624 I hope you‘re feeling better. 2y
Graywacke @Suet624 thanks. I tested negative on Aug 13, and then had my first normal week this week. 20 days isolation was a lot… 2y
Suet624 Oh boy. I‘m glad you‘re back. 2y
Graywacke @Suet624 thanks 🙂 2y
45 likes1 stack add19 comments
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jlhammar
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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“The people who live there call it the farm, though it‘s half trees, woodland merging into dense forest.”

#FirstLineFridays

53 likes1 stack add
blurb
jlhammar
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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And here we have it, folks! The 2022 Booker Prize Longlist.

The Keegan, Strout and Everett were all five-star reads for me so thrilled to see them here. A few aren‘t out in the US yet (as is usually the case). I‘ve got The Colony and Booth on my shelves so those are up next for me! #bookerprize2022

JamieArc Whaaat?!? I wasn‘t expecting to see this until tonight. I‘m excited! 2y
KatieB I haven‘t read any and am excited to get reading! 2y
See All 8 Comments
Maria514626 Thank you! My August TBR is going to need a bit of reshuffling. 😄 2y
CBee The Trees - one of my favorite reads this year! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻 2y
Megabooks I‘m interested in the Keegan (and have read and loved the other two plus a few others). I‘ll probably wait and not read all quite yet. So interested to see what people think as more reviews roll in!! 2y
jlhammar @Megabooks Yes, me too! After The Colony and Booth, I‘m planning to try Maps, Treacle & Case Study. After that, who knows. I doubt I‘ll read them all. 2y
Bookwomble I've only read Treacle Walker from the list, but it's a fantastic entry - one of my favourite books from last year. 2y
52 likes8 comments
review
FelinesAndFelonies
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Pickpick

I bought this one because of the cover. I figured it would be a dry biography. It is not!
I was pleasantly surprised to read this book about the Booth family. Told in alternating perspectives by his siblings, it actually has little to do with John Wilkes Booth until the end.
Remarkably, he was one of the least interesting of the family members. I really enjoyed this one. It reads like a family drama. ⭐⭐⭐⭐

63 likes2 stack adds
review
marleed
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Pickpick

I‘m not sure if my adult historical fiction reads have ever been set in the civil war era so I found this fascinating. I need to remember to read HF authors notes first because it so often separates the fact from fiction, and explains why the fiction was used to weave the story. This is a cautionary tale of white privilege and the fear of allowing equal rights to minorities.

July #BookSpin @TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Great progress!! 2y
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melissajayne
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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My #weekendreading plans; hope to finish one or two of these.

TheKidUpstairs How was/is Booth? I've started working my way through the Booker Longlist (I doubt I'll get to all of them before the short list is announced, but I'll do what I can!) 2y
melissajayne @TheKidUpstairs Booth is a very slow read, but it is very good. It‘s mostly about the siblings of John Wilkes and takes place largely before the Civil War. 2y
23 likes2 comments
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Onioons
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Getting started on what looks like an epic... 🤓🐈

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Sophronisba
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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“All perfectly normal,“ [the doctor] tells Edwin. “Seen it a hundred times,“ but it doesn't seem possible to Edwin that the very first act of every single person he sees on the street, the milkman, the beggar, the lord, and the lady, is to produce a searing pain in the on who'll love them most.

#SundaySentence

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mklong
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Pickpick

Fowler has a pleasant, easy flowing style that keeps the pace of this novel bobbing right along. I certainly recognize that it requires great craft and skill to make it read so smoothly. I will say however, that it often felt more like I was reading a great narrative nonfiction than a novel.

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Sophronisba
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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It was never a feasible plan. It was no plan at all. She'll feel the thought of it, that moment of possibility becoming impossible, as it leaves her body and drifts away. What remains is cold and hard.

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Cinfhen
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Pickpick

A remarkable amount of research went into this historical novelization of the Booth family. A fascinating family best known for their brother/son‘s treacherous act - the assassination of Abraham Lincoln. The book is richly detailed although the actual act is hardly given many pages. If you‘re curious about life in the mid 1800‘s & the political climate during that era, you‘ll be RIVETED. The Booths were a family of actors, which was really 👇🏽

Cinfhen Interesting to read about! January LaVoy did an outstanding job with the narration adding to my overall appreciation for this book! 3y
Kimberlone Very interested in this one! 3y
Megabooks 💯💯 agree with this fantastic review! 3y
Cinfhen I really loved it @Kimberlone Thanks @Megabooks I was so surprised this was the same author as 3y
Megabooks Same! 3y
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Cinfhen
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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I know this book has plenty of mixed reviews but I‘m REALLY ENJOYING IT!! It‘s the story of the Booth family, JW is really just a minor character in this story. I will say it‘s a DEEP DIVE into their lives, so if you‘re not a history buff, this might not hold your interest. Narration by January LaVoy is fantastic 🙌🏻♥️🎧

kspenmoll Stacked! 3y
Dragon I really enjoy January LaVoy‘s talented voice (although I haven‘t listened to this book yet) 💚🐉 3y
Cinfhen Agreed @Dragon she‘s a fantastic reader and she does a phenomenal job with this book. I LOVED it @kspenmoll KJF did a remarkable amount of research 3y
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Cinfhen
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Megabooks Oh Booth is Victorian?? I didn‘t think of that! Stealing your prompt. 😀😀😀 3y
Cinfhen Yeah!! It‘s not Victorian England @Megabooks but the prompt is just Victorian Era 😉 works for me!! And now you too xx 3y
Cinfhen I‘m really enjoying the narration and story @Megabooks I‘m getting #HamnetVibes 3y
squirrelbrain Good thinking Cindy! 3y
62 likes4 comments
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keepingupwiththepenguins
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Pickpick

One very important thing to note (that I see a lot of other reviews have skipped over): Booth is not a book about John Wilkes Booth. It is very specifically – and determinedly, judging by Fowler‘s author note – about the Booth family. And it's superbly readable, realistic, and provocative. My full review here: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/booth-karen-joy-fowler/

Ruthiella Excellent review! I am looking forward to reading this one. 3y
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britt_brooke
Booth | Karen Joy Fowler
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Mehso-so

⭐️⭐️⭐️ Interestingly, Fowler chose not to focus on John Wilkes so as not to glorify him, but I‘d argue that writing a book about his family still does the same. Would she have cared about them otherwise? I wanted this entire history, the darkest parts, too. This instead focuses mostly on three of the infamous assassinator‘s siblings. Beautiful prose, but bogged down in minutiae. I struggled to stay engaged.

vivastory I haven't read this, but I agree with you. I think that's a strange take on her part. There's definitely a history of glorifying serial killers in this country, but I think it's a stretch to say that presidential assassins/ would be assassins are glorified. I recently added the following to my nf TBR. I think it sounds really fascinating 3y
Cinfhen Im really curious about this one, but many reviewers have similar issues with the book. It‘s definitely a #BorrowNotBuy and im not rushing to read it 3y
britt_brooke @Cinfhen It‘s seems to be a love/hate. And 100% a borrow; that‘s what I did! 3y
See All 7 Comments
britt_brooke @vivastory You nailed it. 🎯 And thanks, I‘m stacking that one! 3y
Hooked_on_books I‘m going back and forth about borrowing this one if my library gets the audio, but I definitely won‘t buy. And the one @vivastory suggested is really good! 3y
vivastory @Hooked_on_books I'm glad to hear that you liked it. I think I'll move it up my TBR! 3y
britt_brooke @Hooked_on_books I‘ll be curious to hear what you think if you do get to it. And I appreciate the further rec for Manhunt! 3y
74 likes7 comments